THE curious Do­ctors Petr. Gala­tin. de arcan. fidei Cath. ad finem. Ex glos. Rab. Sh [...]lom [...]h. of the Iews had reduced all Gods statute-law to sixe hundred and thirteene precepts; so ma­ny [Page 2] as there are daies in the yeere, and members in the bo­dy. It was an honest & (which were strange) a Christian con­ceit of one of their Rabbins, that Dauid abridges all these to eleuen in his Psal. 15. Esay to sixe, in his 33.15. Micha [...] yet lower to three, in his 6.8. Esay yet againe to two, in his 56 1. Habacue to one, The iust man shal liue by faith. Lex est Euā ­gelium prae­dictum: E­uangelium lex completa. So yee see, the Law ends in the Gospell; and that Father said not a misse, The Law is the Gospell foretold▪ and the Gos­pell is the Law fulfilled. These two are the free-hold of a Christi­an; and what but they?

The Iewes of these times [Page 3] peruerted the Law, reiected the Gospell. Our Sauior ther­fore that great Prophet of the World (as it was high time) cleares the Law, deliuers and settles the Gospell: well appro­uing in both these, that hee came not to consume, but to consummate the Law. 1. Cor. 16.9 Where­in (as Paul to his Corinths) he had a great dore, but many aduersaries: Ioh. 3. Art thou a Ma­ster in Isra­el? amongst these were the great masters of Israel (so our Sauior termes the Pha­riseis) and their fellowes, and yet their riuals, the Scribes: both so much harder to op­pose, by how much their au­thority was greater.

[Page 4]Truth hath no roome till falshood bee remooued; Our Sauior therefore (as behoued) first shewes the falshood of their Glosses, and the hollow­nesse of their profession; and if both their life and Doctrine be naught; what free part is there in them? And loe both of these so faulty, that Except your righteousnesse exceed the righ­teousnesse of the Scribes and Phari­seis, yee shall not enter into the king­dome of Heauen.

What were the men? What was their righteousnes? What wanted it? Follow mee, I be­seech you, in these three, and if my discourse shall seeme for [Page 5] a while, more thornie and per­plexed, remedie it with your attention.

Those things which are out of the ken of sense or memory, must bee fetch't from Story. The Sect (or order whether) of the Phariseis ceassed with the Temple; since that, no man reads of a Pharisie; and now is growne so farre out of know­ledge, that the moderne Iewes are more ready to learne of vs who they were: There is no point, wherein it is more diffi­cult, to auoid variety, yea o­stentation of reading; without any curious trauersing of opi­nions, I study for simple truth, [Page 6] as one that will not lead you out of the rode-way to shew you the turnings. Scribes were ancient; Esr. 6.7. Esra is called (Sopher mahir) a prompt Scribe. As long before him, soeuer since they continued till Christs time; but in two rankes; some were [...]: others [...]: Some popular, others legall: Some the peoples, others, Gods: The one Secretaries, Recorders, Nota­ries, as 2. Chron. 24.11. ( Sopher hamelec) the Kings Scribe: The o­ther Doctours of the Law of God: Ier. 8.8. The Law of the Lord is with vs, in vaine made hee it, the pen of the Scribe is in vaine.

As the Phariseis were ( [...] [Page 7] [...];) Law-masters: so these are the same which Luc. 11.45. are called ( [...]) interpreters of the Law. Tho to some not meane Critickes, it seems these should be a third sort; which consider not, that our Sauiour on purpose addressing his speech to the Phariseis, fell by the way vpon the Scribes, and being admonished by one of them, as of an ouer-sight, now auerres right downe of the Scribes, what before he had but indifferently glanced at. Neh. 8.4. Matt. 23.2. Cleric: Iudae­orum: saith Ierome. What they were, is plaine by Ezraes pulpit; and Moses his chaire. These and Phariseis differed not much; they agreed in some [Page 8] good, but in more euill. But the profession of Phariseis, be­cause it is more obscure, you shall giue mee leaue to fetch somewhat further.

Euseb. eccl. hist. l. 4 c. 22 Erāt in cir­cūcisione di­uersae sentē ­tiae qua ma­ximè tribui Iudae aduer­sabantur, &c.There were, saith old Egesip­pus (as Eusebius cites him) di­uers opinions in the Circum­cision; which all crossed the tribe of Iuda: Essens, Galileans, Emerobaptists, Masbutheans, Sa­maritans, Phariseis, Sadduces. It were easie to helpe him with more, Vid Ios. Sca­lig resp. ad Serarium. Sebuaeans, Cannaeans, Samp­saeans; and if need were, yet more. Where are those waue­rers, that stagger in their trust to the Church, because of dif­ferent opinions, receiuing that [Page 9] rotten argument of profane Celsus against the Christians? Orig. lib. 5. aduers. Cels. Christian [...]s non habere veram Reli­gionem, quòd in varias se­ctas diuisi essent. Sayes the Papists, One saith I am Caluins, another, I am Lu­thers. We disclaime, we defie these titles, these diuisions: we are one in truth: would God we were yet more one: It is the lace and fringe of Christs gar­ment, that is questioned a­mongst vs, the cloth is sound. But what? Was the Iewish Church before Christ, Gods true Church, or not? If it were not, which was it? If it were: lo that heere rent in more than eight parts, Domus Sā ­mai & Hillel. Ar. Mont. in Euang. and one of them differing from it selfe in eigh­teene opinions; and yet as Ire­naeus [Page 10] well obserues, Ante aduē tum Christi, non tot & tam blasphe­mae hareses▪ Irem. lib. 5. before Christ, there were neither so many heresies, nor so blas­phemous.

Shew me a Church on earth without these wrinkles of diui­sion, and I will neuer seeke for it in heauen: although to some Pharisaisme seemes rather a se­uerall order, than a sect: but S. Luke that knew it better, hath ( [...]) the Sect of the Pha­riseis. Act. 15.5. When the profession be­gan, no history recordeth. Some would faine fetch them from Esay 65.5. Touch mee not, for I am holier than thou. But these straine too farre; for in the verse before, the same men eat [Page 11] swines-flesh; which to the Phariseis is more then piacular. Heare briefly, their name, their originall, their office. Their name (tho it might admit of other probable deriuations, Jn eam con­sentiunt om­nes Hebraei, teste Bahal Haruch, Pa­gnin. in [...] yet) by consent of all Hebrew Doctors (I haue a great Au­thor for it) is fetch't from sepa­ration; tho vpon what grounds, all agree not; doubtlesse for the perfection of their doctrin, and austeritie of life. Their o­riginall is more intricate; which after some scanning, I haue thus learned of some great Masters of Iewish Antiquities. Ar. Monta­nus. Ios. Seal. I. Drus [...], &c. Before there was any open breach in the old Iewish [Page 12] Church; there were two gene­rall, and diuers conceits a­bout Gods seruice: One, that tooke vp only with the Law of God; and if they could keepe that, thought they needed no more; neither would they sa­pere supra scriptum; be wiser then their maker; These were called ( Karraim) of which sort there are diuers at this day in Con­stantinople, and other where, at deadly feode with the other Iewes, which they now call Rabbinistes.

The other, that thought it small thanks to doe only what they were bidden; Gods Law was too strait for their holi­nesse: [Page 13] It was nothing, vnlesse they did more then content God, earne him (for these were Popish Iewes) and superero­gate of him. These were there­fore called ( Chasidim) Holy: aboue the Law: they plied God with vnbidden oblations, gaue more then needed, did more then was commanded: Yet so, as both parts pleased them­selues, resisted not the other: The more franke sort vpbrai­ded not the other, with too much niggardlinesse; neither did the straiter-handed enuie the other for too much lauish­nesse. Would God we could doe thus; They agreed tho [Page 14] they differ'd: But now, when these voluntary seruices began to be drawne into Canons, (as Scaliger speaketh) and that which was before but arbitra­ry, was imposed as necessarie, (necessary for beleefe, necessa­ry for action) questions arose, and the rent began in the Iews: Those dogmaticall Doctors which stond for supererogati­on, and traditions aboue Law, were called ( Peruschim) Phari­seis; separate from the other in strict iudgement, in superflu­ous holinesse: These as they were the broode of those (Chasidim) whom we finde first mentioned in the Machabees [Page 15] by the corrupt name of Aside­ans; so from them againe, 1. Mac. 2.47 in a second succession proceeded (as their more refined issue) the Essens, both Collegiate and Eremiticall: These Phariseis then, were a fraternitie or Col­ledge of extraordinarie deuo­tion; whose rule was Traditi­on, whose practise voluntarie austerenesse: To them the Scribes ioyned themselues, as the purer Iewes, Act. 26.5. Eruditius caeteris legem [...] Pher. Ios [...]. [...] de bello Iud. c. 4. for Paul cals them [ [...]] the most ex­quisite sect; yea, and (as Iosephus) the best expositors; willingly expounding the Law accor­ding to their Traditions: and countenancing their Traditi­ons [Page 16] by the forced senses of the Law. Both which professions were greatly inlarged and gra­ced, by two famous Doctours Sammai and Hillel (whom some, though falslie, would haue the founders of them) not long before Christs time; for old Hillel of 120. yeares, protracted his daies by likely computati­on, to ten yeares after Christs birth. How Hierome fetcheth their names with more witti­nesse, An old saying, [...]. Descipuli Sammai oc­cidebant de­scipulos Hil­lel. than probabilitie, from Dissipating & Profaning the Law; and what bickerings and dead­ly quarrels were euen amongst themselues in those two fa­mous houses; & what were the [Page 17] foure expositions of the Law which they followed, Epiphan. [...] 4. Jn nomen Mosi [...], Aciba, Anna, Filiorum Assamo­nai. I list not now to discourse. Their im­ploiment was expounding the Law and vrging Traditions; therefore their auditors had wont to say, when they called one another to Church (as S. Hier Alga­siae de 11. quaestionib. Hierome tels vs) [ [...]] The wise, that is, the Phariseis, expound to day. Whence perhaps, that may bee interpreted of S. 1. Cor. 1.20 [...]. Paul to the Corinths, Where is the wise? where is the Scribe? So did the Scribes too; Scriba lecti­onarij quasi Scripturarij vel Textua­rij; Pharisaei [...] Drus. but the diffe­rence was, that the Scribes were more Textuall; the Phariseis more Traditionall: therefore obserue, that the Scribe findes [Page 18] fault with the suspicion of bla­sphemie; Matth. 9. the Pharise with vn­washen hands: the Scribes (their Doctours) exceld for learning, the Phariseis for piety. Their attire was the same, Eodem habitis cum Scri­bis muliebri passio, latis crepidis, & calceamento­rum ligulis procedentes. Epiphan. and their fashions, but the Phariseis had [ [...]] more sway; and were more strict & Cappucine-like; professed more yeeres conti­nencie; and in a word, tooke more pains to go to hell. These did so carie away the hearts of the Iewes, that there was no holy man, which was not ter­med a Pharise; and therefore among the seuen kinds of Pha­riseis in their Talmud, they make Abraham a Pharisei of Loue; Meahauah. Iob [Page 19] a Pharise of Feare. And if from the men you cast your eies vp­on their righteousnesse, you cannot but wonder at the curi­osity of their zeale. Wherein looke (I beseech you) first at their deuotion, then their ho­ly carriage, lastly their strict ob­seruation of the Law.

Such was their deuotion that they praied [ [...]] as a Fa­ther saith: Oft and long, Epiph. thrice a day was ordinarie: at nine, twelue, and three a clocke: Chasidim. yea their progenitors (whom they would scorne not to match) diuided the day into three parts: whereof one was bestowed on Praier, the next [Page 20] on the Law, the third on their worke: See heere: God had 2. parts of 3. thēselus but one: be­sides at their meals what strict­nes? Prac. Mo­saica cum ex pos. Rabbi­norum à Munster. ed Their verie disciples were taught (to shame vs Christians) if they had forgotten to giue thanks, to return from the field to the boord to say grace. For diuine seruice; the Decalogue must bee read once a day of e­uery mā; Ibid. the Scribes say the first watch, the Phariseis, any houre of the night: Others, twice; without mouing eie, hand, foot; in a cleane place, free from any excrement, & foure cubits distant from any sepul­cher. For-fasting, they did it [Page 21] twice a weeke; not Popishlie (which Wickleffe iustlie calles Foole-fasting) but in earnest; [...]. Epiphā. on Munday & Thursday. Be­sides (to omit their alms, which were euery way proportiona­ble to the rest) what miserable penance did they wilfullie? they beat their heads against the wals, as they went, till blood came: whence one of their seuen Phariseis is called ( Kizai) a Pharise drawblood: Hier. in Mat. 23. A­cutissimas in eis spinas li­gabant, vt amb [...]lantes & sedentes pungerentur & admone­rentur officij. Josephus. [...]. &c. they put thornes in their skirts, to sting themselues; they lay on planks, on stones, on thornes: and Banus that Heremiticall Pharise drencht himselfe oft, night and day in cold water [Page 22] [ [...]] for chastity; or (if you read it without an aspiration) it signifies for follie rather: what could that apish and stigmati­call Friar haue done either more or worse [...]. This was their deuotion. The holinesse of their carriage was such, that they auoided euery thing that might carrie any doubt of pol­lution; they would not there­fore conuerse with any diffe­rent religion; and this law went currant amongst them: He that eats a Samaritans bread, Qui come­dit panem samariticū a [...]st [...]omede­ret sui [...]am. P [...]aecept. Mos. cum expos. Rab. be as hee that eats swines-flesh: An Hebrew midwife might not help a Gentile; not books, not wax, not incense might bee [Page 23] sold to them. Yea no familia­ritie might bee suffered with their owne vulgar. For whereas there were three rankes among the Iewes; the wise, (those were the Phari­seis) their Disciples, and the ( populus terrae) as they called them, [...]: in the new Testament, the common people. Vnum ex sex opprobrijs vitandis à discipulis sa­ [...]ientum, Co­messatio cum populo terrae. Ar. Mont. in Euang. Epiphan. this was one of the six reproches to a nouice of the Phariseis, To eat with the vulgar sort: and lest (when they had beene abroad) they should haue been toucht by any, con­trarie to the warning of their phylacteries, they scoure themselues at their return; [...]. Mar. 7.3. and eat not vnlesse they haue washt [ [...]] that is, accurately, as [Page 24] the Syriac; oft, as Erasmus; or with the grip't fist, as Beza fol­lowing Hierome. Prae. Mos. cum expos. Rab. And not with euery water (marke the nice­nesse) but with that onely which they had drawen vp with their owne labour: and to make vp the measure of their pretended sanctimonie, they vowed continencie, Epiphan. l. 1. not perpetuall (as our Romanists vrge) but for eight or ten yeers. Thus they did vnbidden; how strictly did they perform what was enioined? no men so exact in their tithes. [...] Epiph. Montan. in locum. I pay tithes of all, saith the boasting Pharise: Of all (as a great Doctour noteth) it was more than hee needed: [Page 25] God would haue a Sabbath kept; they ouer-keep it. Prae. Mos. cum expos. They would not on that day stop a running vessell, not lay an ap­ple to the fire, not quench a burning, not knocke on a Ta­ble to still a child; what should I note more? Vox Egypti­ [...]ca. Versus quidam ex lege Mosis in pergameno scripti. scz. 14. priores. 13 Exod. 4.5.6.7.8.9. 6. Deut. Pag [...]. not rub or scratch in publike. God commands them to weare (Totaphoth) phy­lacteries: they doe (which our Sauiour reprooues) [ [...]] en­large them: and these must bee written with right lines in a whole parchment of the hide of a cleane beast▪ God com­mands to celebrate and rost the Passeouer, they will haue it done (in an excesse of care) [Page 26] not with an iron but a wood­den spit, Quòd ferrū vim assandi habet. Prat. Mos. cum Expos. and curiouslie choose the woode of Pomegranate: God commanded to auoid I­dolatrie; they taught their Di­sciples, Ibid. if an image were in the way, to fetch about some o­ther; if they must needs go that way to runne: and if a thorne should light in their foot (neer the place) not to kneele, but sit downe to pull it out, lest they should seeme to giue it reue­rence. I weary you with these Iewish niceties. Consider then how deuout, how liberal, how continent, how true-dealing, how zealous, how scrupulous, how austere these men were, [Page 27] and see if it be not a woonder, that our Sauior thus brandeth them; Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Phariseis, ye shall not enter into the kingdome of Heauen: That is, If your doctrine bee not more righteous, you shall not be en­tred of the Church: if your ho­linesse be not more perfect, you shal not enter into heauen: be­hold, Gods kingdome below and aboue is shut vpon them.

The poore Iews were so be­sotted with the admiration of these two, that they would haue thought if but two men must goe to heauen, the one should be a Scribe, the other a [Page 28] Pharise. What strange news was this from hm that kept the keies of Dauid, that neither of them should come there? It was not the person of these men, not their learning, not wit, not eloquence, not ho­nour they admired so much, but their righteousnesse: and lo nothing but their righte­ousnesse is censured▪ Heerein they seemed to exceed all men: heerein al that would be saued must exceed them. Doe but thinke how the amazed multi­tude stared vpon our Sauiour, when they heard this Para­dox. Exceed the Phariseis in righteousnesse? It were much [Page 29] for an Angell from Heauen. What shal the poor sons of the earth doe if these woorthies be turned away with a repulse? yea perhaps, your selues al that heare me this day, receiue this not without astonishment and feare, whiles your consciences secretly comparing your holi­nes with theirs, find it to come as much short of theirs, as theirs of perfection. And would to God you could feare more, & bee more amazed with this comparison; for (to set you for­ward) must we exceed them or else not bee saued? if wee let them exceed vs, what hope, what possibility is there of our [Page 30] Saluation? Ere wee therefore shew how farre wee must goe before them, looke backe with me (I beseech you) a little, and see how farre wee are behind them.

Mat. 23.3.They taught diligently, and kept Moses his chaire warme: How many are there of vs, whom the great master of the Vineyard may finde loytering in this publike market-place, and shake vs by the shoulder with a Quid statis otiosi? VVhy stand you heere idle?

They compast sea and land (Satans walke) to make a pro­selyte: vve sit still and freeze in our zeale, and lose proselytes [Page 31] vvith our dul and vvilfull neg­lect. They spent one quarter of the day in praier: How ma­ny are there of vs that would not think this an vnreasonable seruice of God: we are so farre from this extreme deuotion of the old Euchitae, Correcti à Concilio To­letan. Bellar that we are ra­ther worthy of a censure with those Spanish Priests for our negligence: how many of you citizens can get leaue of Mam­mon to bestow one houre of the day in a set course vpon God? How many of you Law­yers, are first clients to God, ere you admit others, clients to you: how many of you haue your thoughts fixed in [Page 32] Heauen, ere they bee in West­minster? Alas, what dulnesse is this? what iniustice; all thy houres are his, and thou wilt not lend him one of his owne for thine owne good. They read, they recited the Law, (some) twice a day; neuer went without some parts of it about them; Quilibet no­strûm de le­ge interr [...] ­gatus facili­us quàm no­men suum respondet. Ios. contr. App. l. 2. But to what effect? There is not one of our people (saith Iosephus) but answers to any question of the Law as readily as his own name; how shall their diligence vpbraid yea condemne vs [...] Alas how doe our Bibles gather dust for want of vse, while our Chro­nicle, or our Statute-booke, [Page 33] yea perhaps our idle and s [...]r­rilous play-bookes are worne with turning. Oh how happy were our fore-fathers, (whose memory is blessed for euer) if they could with much cost and more danger get but one of Pauls Epistles in their bosomes; how did they hugge it in their armes, hide it in their chest, yea in their heart! How did they eat, walke, sleepe, with that sweet companion, & in spight of all persecutiō neuer thought themselues wel, but when they conuersed with it in secret! Lo now these shops are all open we buie them not; these books are open wee read them not, [Page 34] and wee will bee ignorant be­cause we will. The Sun shines and we shut our windowes. It is enough for the miserable Popish laity to be thus darke, that liue in the perpetual night of Inquisition; shall this be the onely difference betwixt them and vs; that they would read these holy leaues, and may not, we may and will not? There is no ignorance to the wilfull. I stand not vpon a formall and verball knowledge, that was neuer more frequent, more flourishing. But if the maine grounds of Christianitie were thorowly setled in the hearts of the multitude, wee should [Page 35] not haue so much cause of shame and sorrow, nor our ad­uersaries of triumph and insul­tation: shew lesse therfore for Gods sake, and learne more; & ballace your wauering harts with the sound truth of godli­nesse, that you may flie steddi­lie thorow all the tempests of errors: Make Gods Law of your learned counsell with Da­uid, and be happie. Else if you will needs loue darknesse, you shall haue enough of it: you haue heere inward darkenesse, there outward ( [...]. Mat. 8.12.) This is your owne darknesse, Choshec A­phelah: Tenebra ca­l [...]ginis. that his of whom the Psalmist; He sent darknesse and it was darke: [Page 36] Darke indeed: A thicke and terrible darknesse, ioined with weeping and gnashing. I vrge not their awfull reuerence in their deuotion, our sleepie or wilde carelesnesse; their austere and rough discipline of the bo­dy, our wanton pampering of the flesh; tho who can abide to thinke of a chaste Pharise and a filithy Christian: a tempe­rate Pharise, and a drunken Christian? How shamefully is this latter vice (especiallie) growne vpon vs with time? we knew it once in our ordinarie speech appropriated to beg­gars, now gallants fight for it. This beastlinesse had wont be [Page 37] bashfull, now it is impudent; once children were wont to shout at a drunkard (as some soule wonder) now not to bee drunke is quarrell enough a­mong men, among friends: Those knees that wee were woont to bow to the God of Heauen, are now bent to Bac­chus in a Paganish, bestiall, di­uellish deuotion. To leaue the title of Christians, for shame let vs be either men or beasts. My speech hastens to their holy and wise strictnesse of carriage; wherin I can neuer complaine enough of our inequalitie: They hated the presence, the fire, the fashion, the bookes of [Page 38] a Gentile, In aquam se cum vestibus [...]mergunt [...]hi contige­rint auquem [...]xa [...]ia gen­ [...]e: [...] &c. Epiph. of a Samaritane; neither was there any hatred lost on the Samaritans part; for if he had but toucht a Iew, hee would haue throwne himselfe into the water clothes and all: both of them equally sicke of a Noli me tangere: Touch me not, for I am holier. Esay 65.

Our Romish Samaritanes haunt our tables, our closets, our eares; we frowne not, wee dislike not: We match, con­uerse, conferre, consult with them carelesly, as if it were come to the old stay of that in­different Appelles in Eusebius; Sat est credere in crucifixum: but that which I most lament, and yee, [Page 39] Fathers and Brethren, if my voice may reach to any whom it concerneth, in the bowels of Christ let me boldly (tho most vnworthy) mooue your wis­domes, your care to redresse it. Our yong students (the hope of posteritie) newly crept out of the shell of Philosophie, spend their first houres in the great Doctours of Popish con­trouersies; Bellarmine is next to Aristotle: yea our very vngroun­ded Artizans, yong Gentle­men, fraile Women, buie, read, trauerse promiscuously the dā ­gerous Writings of our subti­lest Iesuites. What is the issue? Many of them haue taken poi­son, [Page 40] ere they know what milke is▪ & when they haue once ta­sted this bane, they must drink and die. Oh what pity, what vexation is it to a true heart, to see us thus [...]ob'd of our hopes; them of their soules! I haue heard, yea I haue seene and en­uied the cautelous seuerity of our Aduersaries, vvhich vpon tho deepest paines forbid the sale, yea the sight of those Au­thours, which they terme in­fectious; vvhere vvas euer Cal­uin publikely bought in one of their Church-yards? Where e­uer read vvithout licence, vvithout securitie? I censure not this as the peculiar fault of [Page 41] this place; vvould God this o­pen remisnesse vvere not a common euill, and had not spred it selfe vvide thorow all those Churches that are gone out of Babylon. Let no man tel me of the distinction of that old Canonist: Barthol. [...]fixiensis. Somethings (saith he) we read, lest they should bee neg­lected, as the Bible; some lest they should bee vnknowen, as Arts and Philosophie; some that they may bee reiected, as Hereticall bookes. T [...]ue▪ But let them read that can [...], that can confute; wee distrust not our cause, but their weake iudge­ments. A good Apothecarie [...] make a good medicine of a strong poi­son; must children therefore bee al­lowed [Page 42] that box? I knovv hovv vn­vvorthie I am to aduise; only I throvv dovvne my selfe at your feet and beseech you; that our losses and their examples may make vs no lesse vvise in our generation.

Mat. 23.23.I follovv the comparison; They paid tithes of all they had, not a potherbe, but they tithed it. Heare this ye sacri­legious patrons, the merchants of soules, the pyrats of the Church, the enemies of religi­on; they tithed all, you no­thing; they paid to their Le­uites, your Leuites must pay to you: Your cures must bee purchased, your tithes abated [Page 43] or compounded for: O the shame of religion! How too iustlie may I vsurpe of you that of Seneca: Pettie sacriledges are pu­nished, while great ones ride in tri­umph? Neuer excuse it with pre­tence of Ceremonie; Moses neuer gaue so strict a charge for this as Paul; Gal. 6.6. [ [...]] Com­municate all thy goods with thy teacher; All, with an emphasis. Welfare yet the honest Pha­riseis, whose rule was: ( Decima vt Diues fias) Tithe and be rich: If euer thou be the fatter for this grauell, or the richer with that thou stealest from God, let me come to begge at thy doore.

Woe to you spirituall rob­bers. [Page 44] Our blinde forefathers clothed the Church, you de­spoile it: their ignorant deuo­tion shall rise in iudgement a­gainst your rauening coue­tousnesse. If robberie, simo­ny, periury will not carrie you to hell: hope stil that you may be saued. They gaue plentifull alms to the poore we in stead of filling their bellies, grinde their faces. What excellent Lawes had wee lately enacted that there should bee no beg­ger in Israel? Let our streets, waies, hedges witnesse the ex­ecution. Thy liberality relieues some poore. It is well. But hath not thy oppression made [Page 45] more? Thy vsurie, extorting, racking, inclosing, hath woun­ded whole Villages, and now thou befriendest two or three with the plaisters of thy boun­tie. The mercies of the wicked are cruell. They were precise in their Sabbath, we so loose in ours, as if God had no day: See whether our Tauernes, streetes, hy-waies descry anie great difference. These things I vowed in my selfe to reproue; if too bitterly, (as you thinke) pardon (I beseech you) this ho­lie impatience: and blame the foulenesse of these vices, not my iust vehemencie. And you (Christian hearers) than which [Page 46] no name can be dearer be per­swaded to ransack your secure hearts; and if there bee any of you whose awaked consci­ence strikes him for these sins, and places him below these Iews in this vnrighteousnesse, if you wish or care to bee sa­ued, thinke it hie time, as you would euer hope for entrance into Gods kingdome, to strike your selues on the thigh, and with amazement and indigna­tion to say, What haue I done? to abandon your wicked cour­ses; to resolue, to vow, to striue vnto a Christian and conscio­nable reformation. Paul a Pha­rise was according to the righ­teousnesse [Page 47] of the Law vnre­prooueable yet if Paul had not gone from Gamaliels feet, Phil. 3.6. to Christs, he had neuer been sa­ued: vnreprooueable and yet reiected▪ Alas, my brethren, what shall become of our glut­tony, drunkennesse, pride, op­pression, bribing, cosenages, adulteries, blasphemies, and our selues for them? God and men reprooue vs for these: what shall become of vs? If the ciuillie righteous shall not bee saued, where shall the notori­ous sinner appeare? A Christi­an below a Iew? For shame, where are we? where is our e­mulation? Heauen is our gole, [Page 48] we all run▪ loe the Scribes and Phariseis are before thee; what safety cā it be to come short of those that come short of hea­uen? Except your righteousnes, &c.

You haue seene these Scribes and Phariseis; their righteous­nesse and our vnrighteous­nesse. See now with like pati­ence, their vnrighteousnesse that was, and our righteous­nesse that must bee, wherein they failed, and wee must ex­ceed. They failed then in their Traditions and Practise. May I say they failed, when they exceeded? Their Traditions exceeded in number and pro­secution, faultie in matter.

[Page 49]To run well, but out of the way (according to the Greeke prouerbe) is not better than to stand still. Fire is an excellent thing, but if it be in the top of the chimney, it doth mischiefe rather. It is good to be zealous in spight of all scoffes, Gal. 4.18. but ( [...]) In a good thing. If they had beene as hot for God, as they were for themselues, it had beene happie: but now in vaine they worship mee (saith our Sauiour) teaching for doctrines the Traditions of men. Hence was that axiome receiued currantly amongst their Iewish follow­ers: Pl [...] est in verbis sapiē ­tum quam in verbis legis. Galatin. There is more in the words of the wise, than in the wordes of the [Page 50] law: More; that is, more matter, more authority: and from this principally arises and conti­nues that mortall quarrell be­twixt them and their ( Karraim) and ( Minim) vnto this day. Serarius. A great Iesuite (at lest that thinks himselfe so) writes thus in great earnest: Non mali comparari Pharisaeos Catholicis. The Phariseis (saith he) may not vnfitly bee compared to our Catholikes. Some mē speak truth ignorantly, some vnwillinglie; Caiphas neuer spake truer, when hee meant it not: one egge is not liker to another, than the Tridentine fathers to these Phariseis in this point, be­sides that of free-will, merit, full performance of the Law, [Page 51] which they absolutely recei­ued from them: For marke; VVith the same reuerence & deuotion do we receiue and respect Traditions, Pari pieta­tis affectu & reueren­tia Tradi­tiones vnà cum libris veteris & noui Testa­menti susti­pimus & ve­neramur: Decr. 1. Sess. 4. that we do the bookes of the Old and New Testament, say those fathers in their fourth session: Heare both of these speake and see neither, if thou canst discerne whether is the Pharise, refuse me in a greater truth. Not that we did euer say with that Arri­an in Hilary: Nolo verba qu [...] scripta non sunt legi VVe debar all words that are not written ▪ or would thinke fit with those phanatical Anabaptists of Munster, that all bookes should be burnt be­sides the Bible: some Traditi­ons must haue place in euery [Page 52] Church; but their place: they may not take wall of Scrip­ture: Substance may not in our valuation giue way to cir­cumstance. God forbid. If any man expect that my speech on this opportunitie should de­scend to the discourse of our contradicted ceremonies, let him know that I had rather mourne for this breach than meddle with it. God knowes how willingly I would spend my selfe into perswasions if those would auaile any thing: but I well see that teares are fit­ter for this theme than words. The name of our Mother is sa­cred and her peace pretious. [Page 53] As it was a true speech cited from that father by Bellarmine: Bellum Hae­resicorum pax est Ec­clesiae ex Hi­lario Bellar The warre of Heretikes is the peace of the Church: so would God our experience did not inuert it vp­on vs▪ The warre of the Church is the peace of Heretikes. Our dis­cord is their musicke; our ru­ine their glory: Oh what a fight is this, Brethren striue while the enemie stands still, and laughs and triumphs. If wee desired the griefe of our common mother, the langui­shing of the Gospell, the extir­pation of religion, the losse of posterity, the aduantage of our aduersaries, which way could these bee better effected than [Page 54] by our dissensions. Esconedo. That Spa­nish Prophet in our age (for so I finde him stiled) when King Philip asked him how he might become master of the Low-Countries, answered; If he could diuide them from themselues. Accor­ding to that old Machiauellian principle of our Iesuites, Diuide and Rule. Concordiâ res parua crescunt, &c. And indeed it is con­cord only (as the Posie or Mot of the vnited States runnes) which hath vpheld them in a rich and flourishing estate a­gainst so great and potent ene­mies. Our Aduersaries already bragge of their victories; and what good heart can but bleed to see what they haue gained [Page 55] since wee dissented, to foresee what they will gaine? Nostrâ mi­seriâ tu es magnus. de Pomp. mi [...] They are our mutuall spoiles that haue made them proud and rich. If you euer therfore look to see the good daies of the Gospell, the vnhorsing and confusion of that strumpet of Rome, for Gods sake, for the Churches sake, for our owne soules sake, let vs all compose our selues to peace and loue: Oh pray for the peace of Ierusalem; that peace may be within her walles, and prosperitie within her palaces.

For the matter of their Tra­ditions our Sauiour hath taxed them in many particulars; a­bout washings, oaths, offe­rings, [Page 56] retribution: whereof he hath said enough whē he hath termed their doctrine, the Lea­uen of the Phariseis, that is, sowre and swelling. Jn Mar. 23. S. Hierome redu­ces them to two heads: They were Turpia, anilia; some so shamefull that they might not be spoken; others idle & dotish; both so numerous that they cannot be reckned. Take a taste for all; and to omit their reall traditions, heare some of their interpretatiue. The Law was, that no Leper might come into the Temple; their Tradition was, that if he were let downe thorow the roofe, this were no irregularity. Prae. Mos. cum expos. Rab. The Law was, a [Page 57] man might not carry a burden on the Sabbath; their Traditio­nal glosse; if he carried ought on one shoulder it was a burden; Ibid. if on both, none. If shooes a­lone, no burden; if with nails, not tolerable. Ibid. Their stint of a Sabbaths iourney was a thou­sand cubites; their glosse was, That this is to bee vnderstood without the wals, but if a man should walke all day thorow a city as bigge as Nineuie, he of­fends not. The Church of Rome shall vie strange glos­sems and ceremonious obser­uations with them, whether for number or for ridiculousnesse. The day would faile mee if I [Page 58] should either epitomize the volume of their holy rites, or gather vp those which it hath omitted. Sacrarū C [...] ­remoniarum lib. 1. accipit de gremi [...] Camerarij pecuniam, v­bi nihil tamē est argenti; spargens (que) in populo d [...]cit: Aurum & argentū non est mihi, quod antem habeo hoc ti­bido. Can [...]n. P [...] ­nitential. pag. 1. Num. 12 Ezec. 4. The new elected Pope in his solemne Lateran procession must take copper money out of his Chamber­laines lap, and scatter it among the people, and say; Gold and siluer haue I none. Seuen yeares penance is inioined to a deadly sin; because Miriam was sepa­rated seuen daies for her Le­prosie; and God saies to Ezekiel, I haue giuen thee a day for a yeere. Christ said to Peter, Lanch foorth into the deepe: Luc. 5. Otho Fristu­gensis in pra­f [...]. therefore hee meant that Peters successour should catch the great fish of [Page 59] Constantines donation. But I fa­uour your eares. That one I may not omit, how S. Hierome, whom they fondly terme their Cardinall, compares some Po­pish fashions of his time with the Pharisaicall; who when hee had spoken of their purple fringes in the foure corners of their ( Tallin) and the thornes which these Rabbins tie in their skirts, for penance, and admonition of their duty: In Mat. 23. Hoc apud nos (saith hee) superstitiosae mulierculae in paruulis Euangelijs, in crucis ligno & istiusmodi rebus fa­ctitant: that is, Thus superstitious old wiues doe amongst vs with little Gospels of Iohn, with the wood of the [Page 60] Crosse, and the like. Thus that fa­ther directly taxeth this Ro­mish vse, who if he were now aliue, and should heare their Church groning vnder the number of Ceremonies more then the Iewish, would (be­sides holy Austens complaint) redouble that censure of our Sauiour, Mat. 23.4. Wo to you Scribes, Pha­riseis, hypocrites, for ye binde heauy burthens, and greeuous to bee borne, and lay them on mens shoulders. I forbeare to speake of the erro­neous opinions of these Iewish masters concerning that Py­thagorean Vide Drufi­nus de tribus sectis Jud.transanimatiō or pas­sage of the soule from one bo­dy to another (a point which [Page 61] the Iewes had learned from them: Mat. 16.14.) concerning the not-rising vp of the wicked Astronomicall destiny, free­will, merit of works, perfecti­on of obedience; in euery of which it were easie to lose my selfe and my speech. I haste to their maine vnrighteousnesse; which was not so much the planting of these stocks, which God neuer set, as the graffing of all holinesse and Gods ser­uice vpon them; Alia doctri­na Pharisa­ [...]rum qua est nisi legis se­cundum car­nem obser­uatio? Hier. in Gal. 1. a fashionable obseruation of the outward letter, with neglect of the true substance of the Law; a vaine-glorious ostentation of piety and perfection; and more care [Page 62] to be thought thā to be good; a greater desire to be great, thā good; cruelty and oppression coloured with deuotion. My speech now towards the clo­sure shal draw it selfe vp within these two lists; of their Hypocri­sie, their VVorldlines: Hypocrisie in Fashionablenesse and Ostentati­on; Worldlinesse in Couetousnesse, Ambition. Onely stirre vp your selues a while and suffer not your Christian attention to faile in this last act.

Some of their Rabbins say well, that God requires two things concerning his Law, Cu­stody and Worke. Custody in the heart; worke in the execution; [Page 63] These vnsound and ouerly Phariseis did neither. It was e­nough if they kept the Law in their hands; so they had a for­mall shew of godlinesse it was enough: 2. Tim. 3.5. [...]. if the outside of the platter were cleane they cared for no more. God had charged them to bind the Law to their hand, and before their eies, Deut. 6. wherein, as Ierome and Theophylact well interpret it, he meant the meditation and pra­ctise of his Law: they, like vnto the foolish patient, which when the physitian bids him take that prescript, eats vp the paper; if they could get but a list of parchment vpon their [Page 64] left arme next their heart, and another scroll to tie vpon their fore-head, and foure corners of fringe, Si haec prohi­bea [...]tur, fil [...] [...] p [...] ­nent in ma­n [...]. Praec. Mos. cum expos. or (if these bee denied) [...]ved threed in their hand, thought they might▪ say with Saul, Blessed be thou of the Lord, I haue done the commandement of the Lord. That Opus operatum of the Papists (for I still parallele them) is not more false Latin than false Diuinity▪ it is not the out-side of thy obedience that God cares for, it neuer so holy, neuer so glorious; it is enough that men are cosened with these flourishes: the heart and the reines are those that God lookes after what cares a good [Page 65] market-man how good the fleece be, when the liuer is rot­ten. God doth not regard fa­shion so much as stuffe. Thou deceiuest thy selfe if thou think those shewes that blear'd the eies of the world, can deceiue him. God shal smite thee thou whited wall, God shall smite thee. Doest thou thinke hee sees not how smoothly thou hast daubed on thine whorish complexion? Hee sees thee a farre off, and hates thee while thy parasites applaud thy beauty. I speake not of this carrion-flesh which thou wan­tonlie infectest with the false colours of thy pride, which [Page 66] God shall once wash off with riuers of brimstone. I speake of thy painted soule, and thy counterfet obedience. Giue me leaue, (yea let mee take it) to complaine that wee are fal­len into a cold and hollow age wherein the religion of manie is but fashion, and their pietie gilded superstition; Men care onely to seeme Christians; If they can get Gods liuery on their backes, and his name in their mouthes, they out-face all reproofes. How many are there which if they can keepe their Church, giue an almes, bow their knee, say their prai­ers, pay their tithes, and once [Page 67] a yeere receiue the Sacrament (it matters not how corrupt hearts, how filthie tongues, how false hands they beare) can say in their hearts with E­sau, I haue enough my Brother? As if God cared for this thy vaine formalitie; as if hee hated thee not so much more than a Pa­gan, by how much thou woul­dest seeme more good. Bee not deceiued; If long deuoti­ons, sad lookes, hard penan­ces, bountifull almes would haue carried it (without the so­lid substance of godlinesse) these Scribes and Phariseis had neuer beene shut out of Hea­uen. Consider this therefore [Page 68] (deare Brethren) none but your owne eies can looke into your hearts: we see your faces, the world sees your liues, your selues see your soules: if your liues be not holie, your hearts sound, tho your faces were like Angels, you shall haue your portion with Diuels. Tell not me thou hearest, praiest, talk­est, beleeuest: how liuest thou? what doest thou? Shew mee thy faith by thy workes, saith Iames. It was an excellent answer that good Moses gaue to Lucius in the Church-story: Socrates eccl. hist. The faith that is seene is better than the faith that is heard; and that of Luther not in­feriour, that faith doth pingue­scere [Page 69] operibus? grow fat and well liking with good workes: it is a leane starued carkase of faith thou pretendest without these. If profession be all, the Scribes and Phariseis are before thee; ransacke thy heart, and finde sound affection to God, firme resolutions to goodnesse, true hatred of sin; ransacke thy life, and finde the truth of workes, the life of obedience; Then a­lone thy righteousnesse ex­ceeds the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Phariseis, and thou shalt enter into Heauen. Their ostentation followes; wherein it is strange to consider, how those that cared not to be good [Page 70] should desire yet to seeme good: so did these Phariseis: They would not fast without a smeared face; not giue an alms without a trumpet; not pray without witnesses, Scribes, Phariseis, hypocrites, they did act a religious part, but play deuotion. They were nothing beside the stage: all for sight, nothing for substance. Would God this vice of hypocrisy had either died with them, or had only hereditarily descended to their successours: Satan will not let vs be thus happie. I see no mans heart, but I dare boldly say the world is full of hypocrisie. By their fruits you [Page 71] shall know them (saith our Sa­uiour:) By their fruits; not by the blossomes of good purpo­ses, nor the leaues of good pro­fession, but by the fruits of their actions. Not to speake, how our mint and [...]ummin hath incroched vpon iudge­ment and iustice. Search your selues (ye Citizens:) Now, you draw neere to God with your lips, with your eares, where is your heart? Heere your deuour attention seemes to crie, The Lord is God: how many are there of you, that haue any God at home? how many that haue a false God? God at Church: Mammon in your [Page 72] shops? I speake not of all; God forbid. This famous City hath in the darkest, in the wanton­est times, affoorded (and so doth) many, that haue done God honour, honesty to the Gospell: but how many are there of you that vnder smooth faces haue foule consciences? faire words, false measures, for­sworne valuations, adulterate wares, griping vsuries haue fild many of your coffers, and fe­stered your soules: you know this, & yet like Salomons cur­tizan you wipe your mouths, and it was not you: Your alms are written in Church-win­dowes, your defraudings in [Page 73] the sand; all is good saue that which appeares not; how ma­ny are there euery where, that shame religion by professing it? whose beastly life makes Gods truth suspected; for as, howsoeuer the Samaritan, not the Iew, releeued the distressed traueller, yet the Iews religion was true, not the Samaritans; so in others, truth of causes must not bee iudged by acts of persons; yet, as hee said, It must needes bee good that Nero per­secutes; so who is not ready to say; It cannot bee good that such a mis-creant professes? Woe to thee Hypocrite; thou canst not touch, not name goodnesse, [Page 74] but thou defilest it; God will plague thee for acting so hie a part: See what thou art, and hate thy selfe; or (if not that) yet see how God hates thee; hee that made the heart, saies thou art no better than an handsome tombe; the house of death. Behold heere a green turfe or smooth marble, or in­grauen brasse, and a commen­ding Epitaph; all sightly: but what is within? an vnsauorie, rotten carcase. Tho thou wert wrapt in gold and perfumed with neuer so loud praiers, ho­ly semblances, honest protesta­tions; yet thou art but noisome carrion to God: Of all earthly [Page 75] things God cannot abide thee; and if thou wouldest see how much lower yet his detestation reacheth, know that when hee would describe the torments of hell, hee cals them (as their worst title) but the portion of Hypocrites. Wherfore clense your hands yee sinners, and purge your hearts yee double-minded: Iam. 4.8. [...]. For vnlesse your righteousnesse ex­ceed the hypocriticall righteousnes of the Scribes and Phariseis, ye shall not enter into the kingdome of Hea­uen.

My speech must end in their Couetousnesse and Ambiti­on: A paire of hainous vices I ioine them together: for [Page 76] they are not only brethren, but twins; yet so as the elder heere also serues the yonger. It is ambition that blowes the fire of Couetousnesse. Oppression gets wealth; that wealth may procure honour. Why doe men labour to be rich, but that they may be great? Their Co­uetousnesse was such, that their throte (an open sepul­chre) swallowed vp whole hou­ses of Widowes. Whence their goods are called by our Sauiour ( [...]) not [...]: Luc. 11.41. as if they were already in their bo­wels: and which was worst of all, while their lips seemed to pray, they were but chewing [Page 77] of that morsell. Their Ambi­tion such, that they woma­nishly brawled and shouldred for the best seat; the highest piew: A title, a wall, a chaire, [...]. Mat. 23.6. a cap, a knee, these were good­ly cares for them that profes­sed grauitie, humilitie, morti­fication. Let me boldly say, Ie­rusalem neuer yeelded so verie Phariseis as Rome. These old di­sciples of Sammai and Hillel were not Phariseis in compari­son of our Iesuits. From iudge­ment (you see) I am descen­ded to practise, wherein it no lesse easily made good that these are more kindely Phariseis, than the ancient. A [Page 78] poore Widowes Cottage fild the panch of an old Pharise; How many faire Patrimonies of deuout yong Gentlemen A word which the Semina­ries report (in their Quodli­bet) vsuall amongst thē, to signifie Beguiled & wip't of their inheritance; from the ex­ample of M. Henry Dru­ry of Law shall in Suf­folke so de­feated by the Iesuites. As at Win­no [...]-berg in Flāders neer Dunkerk, where a rich legacie giuen by a charita­ble Lady for the building of an Hospi­tal, was cun­ningly tur­ned to the maintenance of Iesuites.Druryed by them (pardon the word, it is their own; the thing I know and can witnesse) haue gone down the throte of these Loyolists, let their owne Quod­libet & Catechisme report. What speak I of secular inheritances? these eies haue seene no meane houses of deuotion and chari­ty swallowed vp by them. As for their ambitious insinuati­ons, not only all their own re­ligious enuiously crie downe, but the whole world sees and rings of. What oare of State [Page 79] can stir without their rowing? What kingdome either stands or fals without their intermed­ling? What noble family com­plains not of their proling and stealth? And all this with a face of sad piety and sterne mortifi­cation. Yea what other is their great Master but the king of Phariseis? who vnder a pre­tence of simple piety, challen­ges without shame to haue de­uoured the whole Christian world, the naturall inheritan­ces of secular Princes, by the foisted name of Peters Patri­monie, and now in most in­famous and shamelesse am­bition calles great Emperours [Page 80] to his stirrup, Sacr. cerem l. 1. de Conse Benedict. & Coron Pontif. Postea impe­rator s [...] prae­saeus est sta­pha [...] equi Papalis te­net, & dein ducit equum per fraenum aliquantuiū. And after­ward: Dum Imperator haec officia prastat, de­bet Papa modesté re­cusare, tan­dem cum ali­quibus bonis verbis recipi­endo permit­tit, aliquan­tul [...] pro­gredi, &c. That is, while the Emperour doth these seruices to the Pope of holding his stirrup, and leading his horse by the bridle the Pope ought modestly to refuse, but at last with some good words, hee suffers him to goe on a while; and then at last staies him­selfe, &c. [...]. Act. 8.9. [...]. yea to his foot-stoole. But what wander wee so farre from home? Vae nobis miseris (saith S. Hierome) ad quos Pharisaeorum vitia tranfierunt; (VVo to vs wretched men to whom the Phariseis vices are deriued.) The great Doctor of the Gen­tiles long ago said, All seeke their owne, and not the things of God; and is the world mended with age? would God wee did not find it a sure rule; that (as it is in this little world) the older it growes, the more diseased, the more couetous: we are all too much the true sons of our great Grandmother; and haue each of vs an Eues sweet tooth in our [Page 81] heads, we would be more than we are; and euery man would be either ( [...]) or ( [...]:) either the man, or some-body. If a num­ber of your consciences were rip't, o ye that would be Chri­stian Gentlemen, Lawyers, Ci­tizens, what doe wee thinke would be found in your maws? Heere the deuoured patrimo­nie of poore Orphans; there the Cōmons of whole Town­ships: heere the impropriate goods of the Church; there piles of vsurie: heere bribes, and vnlawfull fees; there the raw and indigested gobbets of simonie: yea would God I might not say, but I must say it [Page 82] with feare, with sorrow, euen of our sacred and diuine pro­fession, that which our Sauior of his twelue, Yee are cleane, but not all. The multitude of our vnregarded charges, and souls dying and starued, for want of spiritual prouision, (while they giue vs bodily) would con­demne my silence for too par­tiall. In all conditions of men (for particulars are subiect to enuie & exception) the daugh­ters of the horse-leech had ne­uer such a fruitfull generation: They crie still, Giue, Giue: Not giue alone, that is, the bread of sufficiencie, but giue, giue; that is, more than enough. But what [Page 83] is more than enough? What is but enough? What is not too little for the insatiable gulfe of humane desires? Euery man wold ingrosse the whole world to himselfe, and with that am­bitious conqueror feares it will be too little: Giue me not pouerty nor riches. Prou. 30.8. and how few A­gurs are there, that pray against too much? From hence it is, that yee Courtiers grate vpon poore trades with hard Mo­nopolies. Hence ye Merchants lode them with deep and vn­reasonable prices, and make thē pay deare for daies. Hence ye great men wring the poore sponges of the Commonaltie into your priuate purses; for [Page 84] the maintenance of pride and excesse. Hence ye cormorant corne-mongers hatch vp a dearth in the time of plenty. God sends graine, but many times the Diuell sends garners. The earth hath beene no nig­gard in yeelding: but you haue beene lauish in transporting, and close in concealing. Neuer talke of our extreame frosts: we see Gods hand, and kisse the rod; but if your hearts, your charity were not more frozen than euer the earth was, meane house-keepers should not need to beg, nor the mea­nest to starue for wāt of bread. Hence lastly, our loud oppres­sions [Page 85] of all sorts cry to heauen, and are answered with threats, yea with variety of vengean­ces. Take this with thee yet, o thou worldling, which hast the greedy-worm vnder thy tong with Esaies dogs, and neuer hast enough. Thou shalt meet with two things as vnsatiable as thy selfe; the Graue and Hell; and thou, whom all the world could not satisfie, there be two things wherof thou shalt haue enough: Enough mold in the graue, enough fire in hell.

I loue not to end with a iudgement; and as it were to let my Sun set in a cloud. We are all Christians, wee should [Page 86] know the World, what it is, how vaine, how transitory, how worthlesse. Wee know where there are better things, which wee professe our selues made for, and aspiring to: Let vs vse the world like it selfe, and leaue this importunate woo­ing of it to Heathens and Infi­dels, that knew no other hea­uen, no other God; Or if you like that counsell better; Bee Couetous: Be Ambitious. Couet spi­rituall gifts. 1. Cor. 14.1. Neuer thinke you haue grace e­nough; desire more, seeke for more: this alone is worth your affections, worth your cares: Be still poore in this, that you [Page 87] may bee rich; be rich that you may be ful; be ful that you may be glorious. Be Ambitious, of fauour, of honour, of a king­dome; of Gods fauour, of the honour of Saints, of the King­dome of glory. Whither, hee that hath bought it for vs, and redeemed vs to it, in his good time, safely and happily bring vs. To that blessed Sauiour of ours, together with the Father, and his good Spirit: the God of all the world, our Father, Redeemer, and Comforter, be giuen all praise, honour and glorie now and for euer. Amen.

THE bitter and yet victo­rious passion of the sonne of GOD (right honoura­ble and beloued Christians) as it was the strangest thing that euer befell the Earth: So, is both of most soueraigne vse, & looks for the most frequent & careful meditation. It is one of those thinges which was once done, that it might be thought of for euer. Euery day therfore [Page 2] must be the Good-friday of a Christian: who, with that great Doctor of the Gentiles, must desire to know nothing but Ie­sus Christ, and him crucified.

There is no branch or circū ­stance in this wonderfull busi­nesse, which yieldes not infinite matter of discourse. Acc [...]ding to the solemnity of this [...] & place, I haue chosen to com­mend vnto your Christian at­tention, our Sauiours Farevvell to Nature (for his reuiuing was aboue it) in his last word, in his last act. His last word, Jt is fini­shed; his last act, Hee gaue vp the ghost: That which hee said, hee did. If there be any Theme that may challenge and commaund [Page 3] our eares & harts, this is it: for, behold; the sweetest word that euer Christ spake, and the most [...]ious act that euer hee [...] met together in this his last breath. In the one, yee shall see him triumphing; yielding in the other, yet so as hee ouer­co [...] Imagine therefore, that [...] Christ Iesus, in this day of his passion (who is euery day heere crucified before your eyes) aduaunced vpon the cha­riot of his Crosse; and now, af­ter a weary conflict, cheerefully ouer-looking the despight and shame of men, the wrath of his Father, the law, sin, death, hell; which all lie gasping at his foot: & then you shall conceiue with [Page 4] what spirit hee faith Consumma­tumest; It is finished. What is fi­nished? Shortly; All the pro­phecies that were of [...] legall obseruations, that pre [...]gured him; His owne suffe­rings; Our saluation. The pro­phecies are accomplisht; The ceremonies abolisht; His suf­ferings ended; Our sal [...]ti­on wrought. These foure heads shall limit this first part of my speech: onely let them find & leaue you attentiue.

Euen this very word is pro­phecied of: All things that are written of me, haue an end, saith Christ. What end? this, Jt is fi­nished: This very end hath his end heere. What therefore is fi­nished? [Page 5] Not this prediction onely of his last draught; as Au­gustine: that were too particu­lar. Let our Sauiour himselfe say; All things that are written of me by the Prophets. It is a sure and conuertible rule; Nothing was done by Christ which vvas not foretold; nothing was euer fore-told by the Prophets of Christ, which was not done. It wold take vp a life, to compare the Prophets and Euangelists; the predictions and the history; & largely to discourse, how the one fore-tells, and the other an­swers: let it suffice to looke at them, running. Of all the Euan­gelists, S. Mathew hath bin most studious, in making these refe­rences [Page 6] and correspondences: with whom, the burden or vn­dersong of euerie euent, is still (vt impleretur.) That it might be fulfilled. Thus hath he noted (if I haue reckoned thē aright) two and thirty seueral prophe­cies cōcerning Christ; fulfilled in his birth, life, death:

[Page 7]To which, S. Iohn adds many more. Our speech must bee di­rected to his Passion: omitting the rest, let vs insist in those. He must be apprehended: it vvas fore-prophecied; The Anoin­ted of the Lord was taken in their nets, saith Ieremy: But how? He must be sold; for what? thirtie siluer peeces: and what must those do? Buy a field: all fore­told; And they tooke thirty siluer peeces, the price of him that was valued, & gaue them for the Pot­ters field, saith Zachary (mis­written Ieremy; by one letter mistaken in the abbreuiation). By whom? that child of perditi­on, that the Scripture might bee fulfilled. Which was hee? It is [Page 8] fore-told; He that eateth bread with me, saith the Psalmist. And what shall his disciples do? Run away; so saith the prophecie: J will smite the Shepheard, and the sheepe shall be scattered, saith Za­chary. What shall bee done to him? He must be scourged and spit vpon: behold, not those fil­thy excremēts could haue light vpon his sacred face without a prophecie; J hid not my face frō shame and spitting, saith Esay. What shal be the issue? In short; he shall be led to death: it is the prophecie; The Messias shal be slaine, saith Daniel. What death? He must be lift vp; Like as Mo­ses lift vp the Serpent in the wil­dernesse: so shall the sonne of man [Page 9] bee lift vp. Chrysostome saith well, that some actions are pa­rables; so may I say, some acti­ons are prophecies: such are all types of Christ: & this with the formost. Lift vp? Whither? To the Crosse: it is the prophecie; Hanging vpon a tree, [...]. saith Mo­ses. How lift vp? Nayled to it: so is the prophecie; Foderunt manus, they haue pierced my hāds and my feet, saith the Psalmist. with what cōpany? two thieues; With the wicked was hee nūbred, saith Esay: Where? without the gates, saith the prophecie. What becomes of his garments? they cannot so much as cast the dice for his coate, but it is prophe­cied; They diuided my garments, [Page 10] and on my vestures cast lots, saith the Psalmist. He must die then on the Crosse: but how? volun­tarilie. Not a bone of him shall be brokē. What hinders it? lo, there he hangs, as it were neglected, & at mercy; yet all the raging Iewes, no, all the deuils in hell, cannot stirre one bone in his blessed body: It was prophe­cied in the Easter-Lambe, and it must be fulfilled in him that is the true Passeouer, in spight of fiends and men. How then? hee must bee thrust in the side: be­hold, not the very speare could touch his precious side beeing dead, but it must be guided by a prophecie; They shall see him whom they haue thrust-thorough, [Page 11] saith Zacharie. What shal he say the while? Not his very words but are forespoken: his com­plaint, Eli Eli lamma sabactani, as the Chalde; or [...] as the Hebrew, Psalme 22, 2. His re­signation; In manus tuas, Juto thy hands J commend my spirit; Psalm 31, 5. His request; Father, forgiue them: Hee prayed for the transgressours, saith Esay. And now, when he saw all these pro­phecies were fulfilled; knowing that one remained, hee said, J thirst. Domine, quid satis? faith one; O LORD, vvhat thirstest thou for? A strange hearing; that a man, yea, that GOD and MAN, dying, should complaine of thirst.

[Page 12]Could hee indure the scorch­ing flames of the wrath of his Father, the curse of our sinnes, those tortures of body, those horrours of soule; and doth he shrinke at his thirst? No, no: he could haue borne his drought; hee could not beare the Scrip­ture not fulfilled. It was not ne­cessity of Nature, but the ne­cessity of his Fathers decree, that drew foorth this word, I thirst. They offered it before: hee refused it. Whether it were an ordinary potion for the cō ­demned, to hasten death (as in the story of M. Antony) which is the most receiued construc­tion: or whether it were that Iewish potion, wherof the Rab­bines [Page 13] speake; whose tradition was, that the malefactor to be executed, should after some good counsell frō two of their Teachers, be taught to say; Sit mors mea in remissionem omnium ini­quitatum me­arum. Let my death be to the remission of all my sinnes; and then, that hee should haue giuen him a boule of mixt wine, Vt vs [...] ratio­nis tollatur. with a graine of Frankincense, to bereaue him both of reason and paine.

I durst bee confident in this later; the rather, for that Saint Marke calls this draught [...]: Myrrhe-wine; ming­led (as is like) with other in­gredients. And Montanus a­grees with me in the end, ad stu­porem & mentis alienationem ▪ A fashiō which Galatine obserues [Page 14] out of the Sanhedrim, to bee grounded vpon Prouerbs 31, 6. Giue strong drinke to him that is readie to perish. I leaue it mo­destly in the midst; let the lear­neder iudge. What-soeuer it were, hee would not die till he had complained of thirst, and in his thirst tasted it: Neither wold he haue thirsted for, or ta­sted any but this bitter draught; that the Scripture might bee fulfilled; They gaue mee Vine­ger to drinke: And loe, novv, Consummatum est; All is fini­shed.

If there be any Iew amongst you, that like one of Iohns vn­seasonable Disciples, shal aske, Art thou he, or shall we looke for [Page 15] another? hee hath his answere; Yee men of Israell, why stand you gazing and gaping for an­other Messias? In this alone, all the prophecies are finished; & of him alone, all was propheci­ed that was finished. Paul's old rule holds still, To the Jewes a stumbling blocke; and that more anciēt curse of Dauid, Let their table be made a snare; And Ste­uens two brands sticke still in the fleshe of these vvretched men: One in their neck; [...]. stiffe­necked: the other in their hart; vncircumcised: the one, [...]. Obsti­nacie; the other, Vnbeliefe: stiffenecks indeede, that vvill not stoop and relent with the yoke of sixteen hundred yeers iudge­ment [Page 16] and seruilitie: vncircum­cised harts, the filme of whose vnbeliefe, would not be cut off with so infinite cōuictions. Oh mad & miserable Nation! Let them shew vs one prophecie that is not fulfilled; let thē shew vs one other, in whom all the prophecies can be fulfilled, & we wil mix pitty with our hate: If they cannot, and yet resist; their doome is past; Those mine enemies, that would not haue me to raigne ouer them, bring them hither, and slay them before mee. So let thine enemies perish, O Lord.

But what goe I so farre? euen amongst vs (to our shame) this riotous age hath bred a mon­strous [Page 17] generation; Aug. ad Hier Dū volunt & Iudaei esse & Christiani, nec Iudaei sunt, ne [...] Christiani. (I pray God I bee not now in some of your bosomes that heare mee this day) compounded, much like to the Turkish religion; of one part, Christian; another, Iew; a third, worldling; a fourth, A­theist: a Christian face, a Iewes hart, a worldlings life, & there­fore Atheous in the whole; that acknowledge a God, & knowe him not; that professe a Christ, but doubt of him; yea, belieue him not: The foole hath said in his hart there is no Christ. What shall I say of the semen? they are worse then deuils▪ that yielding euill spirit, could say, Iesus I know; and these miscreants are stil in the old tune of that temp­ting [Page 18] deuill; Si tu es filius Dei, if thou be the Christ. Oh God, that after so cleer a Gospell, so ma­ny miraculous confirmations, so many thousand martyrdōs, so many glorious victories of truth, so many open confessi­ons of Angels, men, diuells, friends; enemies; such conspi­rations of heauen & earth, such vniuersall contestations of all ages and people; there should be left any sparke of this dam­nable infidelitie in the false harts of men! Behold then, yee despisers, and wonder, and va­nish away: whom haue all the Prophets fore-told? or vvhat haue the prophecies of so many hundreds, yea, thousands of [Page 19] yeers fore-said, that is not with this word finished? Who could fore-tell these things, but the spirit of God? Who could ac­complish them, but the sonne of God? Hee spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, saith Zacha­rie: he hath spoken, & hee hath done; one true GOD in both. No other spirit could fore-say these things should bee done; none other power could doe these things, thus fore-shewed: this word therfore, can fit none but the mouth of God our Saui­our, It is finished. Wee knowe whom we haue belieued; Thou art the Christ, the sonne of the li­uing GOD. Let him that loues not the Lord Iesus, be accursed [Page 20] to the death.

Thus the prophecies are fini­shed: Of the legall Obseruati­ons, with more breuity▪ Christ is the end of the law: What law? Ceremoniall; Morall. Of the morall; it was kept perfectly by himselfe, satisfied fully for vs: of the ceremoniall; it was refer­red to him, obserued of him, fulfilled in him, abolisht by him. There were nothing more easie then to shew you how all those Iewish ceremonies lookt at Christ: how Circumcision, Passouer, the Tabernacle, both outer and inner, the Temple, the Lauer, [...]. both the Altars, the Tables of Shew-breade, the candlesticks, the Vaile, the Ho­ly [Page 21] of holies, the Arke, the Pro­pitiatory, the pot of Manna, A­arons rodde, the high Priest, his order and line, his habites, his inaugurations, his washings, annointings, sprinklings, offe­rings, the sacrifices [...], and what euer Iewish rite; had their vertue from Christ, relation to him, and their end in him. This was then their last gaspe; for, now straight they died with Christ: now the vaile of the Temple rent: Ex quo appa­ret, tunc scissū esse cùm Chri­stus emisit spi­ritum. As Austen well notes, out of Mathew's or­der; It tore then, when Christs last breath passed. That conceit of Theophylact is witty; that as the Iewes were wont to rend their garments whē they heard [Page 22] blasphemy: so the Temple, not induring these execrable blas­phemies against the Sonne of God, tore his vaile in peeces. But that is not all: the vaile rent, is the obligation of the rituall lawe cancelled; the way into the heauenly Sanctuarie ope­ned; the shadow giuing roome to the substance: in a word, it dooth that which Christ saith; Consummatū est. Euen now then the law of ceremonies died: Ceremoniae si­cut defuncta corpora a neces­sariorū officijs deducenda e­rant ad sepul­turā, non simu­latè, sed religi­osè, nec dese­renda conti­nuò. Augustin. It had a long and solemne buriall, as Augustine saith wel; perhaps figured in Moses, who died not lingringly, but was thirty daies mourned for. What meanes the Church of Rome, to dig them vp, now rotten in their graues? [Page 23] and that, not as if they had been buried, but sowen, with a plenti­full increase: yea, vvith the in­uerted vsury of too many of you Cittizens; ten for one. It is a graue and deepe censure of that resolute Hierome; Ego è contrario loquar, &c. J say, Ego è cōtrario loquar, & re­clamāte mūdo liberâ voce pro nūciē, ceremo­nias Iudaeorū perniciosas esse, et mortiferas, & quicunque eas obseruaue­rit siue ex Iu­daeis, siue ex Gētibus, in ba­rathrū diaboli deuolutū. Hier. saith he, and in spight of all the vvorld dare maintain, that now the Iew­ish ceremonies are pernicious, and deadly: & whosoeuer shal obserue them, whether he be Jew or Gen­tile, in barathrū diaboli deuo­lutum; shall fry in hell for it. Still Altars? still Priests? sacrifices still? still washings? still vncti­ons? sprinkling, shauing, puri­fying? still all, and more then all? Let them heare but Augu­stines [Page 24] censure; Quisquis nunc ea celebrare voluerit, tan­quā sopitos ci­neres eruens, nō erit pius &c. Quisquis nunc, &c. Whosoeuer shall now vse thē, as it were raking them vp out of their dust; he shall not be pius de­ductor corporis, sed impius sepul­turae violator: an impious & sa­crilegious wretch, that ransacks the quiet tombes of the dead.

I say not that all ceremonies are dead; but the Law of cere­monies, and of Iewish. It is a sound distinction of them, that profound Peter Martyr hath in his Epistle, to that worthy Mar­tyr, Father, Bishoppe, Hooper: Some are typicall, fore-signify­ing Christ to come: some, of or­der and decencie. Those are a­brogated, not these. The Iewes had a fashion of prophecying [Page 25] in the Churches; so the Christi­ans from them, as Ambrose: the Iewes had an eminent pul­pit of wood; so wee: they gaue names at their circumcision; so we at Baptisme: they sung psal­mes melodiously in Churches; so do we: they paid & receiued tithes; so do we: they wrapt their dead in linnen, with odors; so wee: the Iewes had sureties at their admissiō into the church; so we. These instances might be infinite, the Spouse of Christ cannot be without her laces, & chaines, and borders. Christ came not to dissolue order. But thou Lorde, how long? how long shall thy poore Church find her ornamēts, her sorowes? [Page 26] and see the deare sonnes of her wombe, bleeding about these apples of strife? let me so name them, not for their value (euen smal things, whē they are com­maunded, looke for no smal re­spect) but for their euent: the enemy is at the gates of our Sy­racuse; how long will we suffer our selues, taken vp with angles and circles in the dust▪ Yemen, brethren, fathers, helpe; for Gods sake put to your hands, to the quenching of this common flame: The one side by humili­tie, and obedience; the other, by compassion; both by pray­ers and teares. Who am I, that I should reuiue to you the sweet spirit of that diuine Augustine? [Page 27] who, when hee heard & saw the bitter contentions betwixt two graue and famous Diuines, Ie­rome, and Ruffine; Heu mihi, saith he, qui vos alicubi simul in­uenire non possum! Alas, that J shall neuer find you two together! how J would fall at your feet, how J would imbrace them, and weepe vpon them, and beseech you; ei­ther of you for other, and each for himself; both of you for the church of GOD; but especially, for the weake, for whō Christ died: who, not without their own great dan­ger, see you two fighting in this Theater of the world. Yet let me doe, what he said he would do; begge for peace, as for life: by your filiall pietie to the Church [Page 28] of GOD, whose ruines follow vpon our diuisions; by your loue of Gods truth; by the gra­ces of that one blessed Spirit, whereby we are all informed & quickened▪ by the precious blood of that sonne of GOD, which this day, and this howre, was shed for our redemption, be inclined to peace and loue: & tho our braines be different, yet let our harts be one. It was, as I heard, the dying speech of our late reuerend, worthy, and gracious Diocesan, Modò me moriēte viuat ac floreat Ecclesia; Oh! yet if, when J am dead, the Church may liue and flourish.

What a spirit was heere? what a speech? how worthy neuer to [Page 29] die? how worthy of a soule so neere to his heauen? how wor­thy of so happy a succession? Ye whom God hath made inheri­tors of this blessed care, which do no lesse long for the prospe­ritie of Sion, liue you to effect, what he did but liue to wish▪ all peace with our selues, and war with none but Rome and Hell. And if there bee any weyward Separatist, whose soule profes­seth to hate peace; I feare to tell him Paules message, yet I must: Would to God those were out off that trouble you. How cut off? As good Theodosius said to Demophilus, a contentious Prelate; Situ pacem fugis, &c. Si tu pacē fu­gis, ego te ab Ecclesia fuger [...]mando. of thou flie peace, I wil make thee flie [Page 30] the Church. Alas! they doe flie it: that which should bee their punishment, they make their cōtentment: how are they wor­thy of pitty? As Optatus, of his Donatists, they are brethren, might be companions, and will not. Oh wilfull men! vvhither doe they run? from one Christ to another? Is Christ diuided? We haue him; thanks be to our good God: and wee heare him daily; and whither shall we goe from thee? thou hast the words of eternall life.

Thus the Ceremonies are fi­nished: Now heare the end of his sufferings, vvith like pati­ence and deuotion. His death is heere included; it was so [Page 31] neere, that hee spake of it as done; and when it was done, all was done. How easie is it to lose our selues in this dis­course▪ how hard, not to be o­uer-whelmed vvith matter of wonder; and to find either be­ginning, or end! His sufferings found an end; our thoughts cannot. Lo; with this word, he is happilie waded out of those deepes of sorowes, wherof our conceits can find no bottome: yet let vs, with Peter, gird our coa [...]e, and cast our selues a lit­tle into this sea.

All his life was but a perpe­tuall Passion: In that he becam man, he suffered more then we can doe, either while wee are [Page 32] men, or when wee cease to be men: [...]. he humbled, yea, he emp­tied himselfe. Wee, when vvee cease to be heere, are clothed vpon. 2. Cor. 5▪ Wee both win by our beeing, & gaine by our lesse; hee lost, by taking our more or lesse to himselfe, that is, manhood. For, tho euer as God, I and my Father are one; yet as man, My Father is grea­ter then J. That man should be turned into a beast, into a worme, into dust, into nothing; is not so great a disparagemēt, as that GOD should become man▪ and yet it is not finished; it is but begun. But what man? If, as the absolute Monarch of the world, he had commanded [Page 33] the vassalage of all Emperours and Princes, & had trod on no­thing but Crownes and Scep­ters, and the necks of Kings, and bidden all the Potentates of the earth to attend his train; this had caried some port with it, sutable to the heroicall ma­iestie of Gods Sonne. No such matter: heere is neither forme nor beautie; vnlesse perhaps ( [...]) the forme of a ser­uaunt: you haue made mee to serue, with your sinnes. Behold▪ he is a man to God; a seruaunt to man; and, be it spoken with holy reuerence, a drudge to his seruants. He is despised and re­iected of men; yea (as himself, of himselfe) a worme, and no [Page 34] man, the shame of men, & con­tempt of the people. Who is the King of glory? Psal. 24, 10 the Lord of hostes hee is the King of glory. Set these two together; the King of glo­ry; the shame of men: the more honour, the more abasement. Looke back to his cradle; there you find him reiected of the Bethlemites; borne & laid alas how homely, how vnworthily: sought for by Herod, exiled to Egypt, obscurely brought vp in the cottage of a poore foster­father, transported & tempted by Satan, derided of his kindred, blasphemously traduced by the Iewes, pinched with hunger, restlesse, harbourlesse, sorrow­full, persecuted, by the Elders [Page 35] and Pharisees, sold by his owne seruant, apprehended, arraig­ned, scourged, condemned; & yet it is not finished. Let vs, with that Disciple, follow him a farre off; & passing ouer all his con­temptuous vsage in the way, see him brought to his Crosse. Still the further wee looke, the more wonder; euery thing ads to this ignominy of suffering, and triumph of ouercomming. Where was it? not in a corner, [...]. Acts. 26.27. as Paule saith to Festus: but in Ierusalem; the eye, the hart of the world. Obscuritie abateth shame; publique notice heigh­tens it: Before all Israell, & be­fore this sun, saith GOD to Da­uid, when he would throughlie [Page 36] shame him: In Ierusalem, which hee had honoured with his pre­sence, taught with his preach­ings, astonisht with his mira­cles, bewailed with his teares; O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would J, and thou wouldest not! O yet if in this thy daie! Cruel­tie and vnkindnesse, after good desert, afflict so much more, as our merit hath beene greater. VVhere-abouts? vvithout the gates: in Caluary; among the stinking bones of execrable malefactors. Before, the glory of the place bred shame; novv, the vileness of it. When? but in the Passeouer; a time of grea­test frequence, and concourse of all Iewes and proselites: An [Page 37] holy time: whē they should re­ceiue the figure, they reiect the substance: when they should kil & eate the sacramental Lambe, in faith, in thankfulnes, they kill the Lambe of GOD, our true Passeouer, in crueltie and con­tempt. With whom? & In medio la­tronū tanquā latronū imma­ [...]issimus. Lu­ther. The qua­litie of our company, either in­creases or lessens shame. In the midst of thieues (saith one) as the Prince of thieues. There vvas no guile in his mouth, much lesse in his hands: Yet be­hold, he that thought it no rob­berie to bee equall with Go [...], is made equall to robbers and murderers; yea, superiour in e­uill. What suffered hee? As all liues are not alike pleasant: so [Page 38] al deathes are not equally fear­full: there is not more diffe­rēce betwixt some life & death, then betwixt one death & ano­ther. See the Apostles gradati­on: He was made obedient to the death, euē the death of the Crosse. The Crosse, a lingering, tor­menting, ignominious death. The Iewes had foure kindes of death for malefactors; the tow­ell, the sword, fire, stones; each of these aboue other in extrea­mitie. Strangling with the tow­ell, they accounted easiest: the sword worse then the towel: the fire worse then the sword: sto­ning worse then the fire: but this Romaine death was worst of all. Cursed is euery one that [Page 39] hangeth on tree. Yet (as Ierome well) he is not therefore accur­sed, because hee hangeth; but therfore he hangeth, because he is accursed. He was made ( [...]) a curse for vs. The curse was more then the shame: yet the shame is vnspeakeable; and yet not more then the paine. Yet all that die the same death, are not equally miserable: the very Thieues fared better in their death, then he. I heare of no ir­rision, no inscription, no taunts, no insultation on thē: they had nothing but paine to incoun­ter; hee, paine and scorne. An ingenuous & noble nature, can worse brooke this thē the other; any thing rather then disdaine­fulnesse, [Page 40] and derision: especial­ly, from a base enemy. I remē ­ber, that learned Father begins Israels affliction, with Ismaels persecuting laughter. The Iews, the souldiours, yea, the very thieues flouted him, and tri­umpht ouer his miserie: his blood cannot satisfie thē, with­out his reproach. Which of his senses now was not a window to let in sorrow? His eyes saw the teares of his Mother and friends, the vnthankful demea­nure of mankind, the cruell de­spight of his enemies: his eares heard the reuilings & blasphe­mies of the multitude: & (whe­ther the place were noisome to his sent) his touch felt the nailes; [Page 41] his taste, the gall. Looke vp, O all yee beholders, looke vpon this precious body, & see what part ye can find free? Caput angelicis spiritibus tre­mebūdū spinis coronatur. &c. Bernard. That head which is adored, and trembled at by the Angelicall spirits, is all raked, & harrowed with thorns: that face, of whom is said, Thou art fa [...]rer then the children of men, is all besmeared with the filthy spettle of the Iewes, and furrowed with his teares: those eyes, clearer then the sun, are darkened with the shadow of death: those eares, that hear the heauenly consorts of Angels, now are filled with the cursed speakings and scoffes of wret­ched men: those lips that spake as neuer man spake, that com­maund [Page 42] the spirits both of life & darknesse, are scornfully wet with vineger & gall: those feet that trample on all the powers of hell ( his enemies are made his footstoole) are now nailed to the footstoole of the Crosse: those hands that freely sway the scep­ter of the Heauens, now carrie the reed of reproach, and are nailed to the tree of reproach: that whole body, which was cō ­ceiued by the holy Ghost, was all scourged, wounded, mang­led: This is the out-side of his sufferings. Was his heart free? Oh no: the inner part, or soule of this pain, which was vnseen, is as far beyond these outward and sensible, as the soule is be­yond [Page 43] the body; Gods vvrath beyond the malice of mē: these were but lo [...]e [...]ticks to what his soule indured! O all ye that passe by the way, behold and see, if there bee any sorrow like to my sorrow: Alas! Lord, what can we see of thy sorrowes? we cannot con­ceiue so much as the [...]ainous­nesse and desert of one of those sinnes which thou barest: wee can no more see thy paine, then wee could vnder-goe it, onely this wee see, that what the infi­nite sins of almost infinite men, committed against an infinite Maiestie, deserued in infinite continuance; all this thou in the short time of thy Passion hast sustained. We may behold and [Page 44] see; but all the glorious spirits in heauen cannot looke into the depth of this suffering. Do but looke yet a little into the passi­ons of this his Passion: for, by the manner of his sufferings, we shall best see what hee suffered. Wise and resolute men, do not complaine of a little: holy Mar­tyrs haue bin racked, & would not be loosed; what shall we say if the Author of their strength, God and man, be wray passions? what wold haue ouerwhelmed men, wold not haue made him shrinke; and what made him complaine, could neuer haue been sustained by men. What shal we then think, if he were af­frighted with terrors, perplex­ed [Page 45] with sorrowes, and distrac­ted with both these? And lo, he was all these: for, first, heere was an amazed feare; for millions of men to despaire, was not so much as for him to feare: and yet it was no slight feare; hee began [...] to be astoni­shed with terrour [...] Which in the daies of his flesh, offered vp pray­ers, & supplications, with strong cries and teares, to him that was able to helpe him; and was heard in that hee feared. Neuer man was so afraid of the torments of hell, as Christ (standing in our roome) of his Fathers vvrath. Feare is still sutable to appre­hension: Neuer man could so perfectlie apprehende this [Page 46] cause of feare. He felt the cha­stisements of our peace: yea, the curse of our sinnes; & ther­fore might well say with Dauid; J suffer thy terrors with a trou­bled mind: yea, with Iob, The arrowes of God are in me; & the terrors of God fight against mee. With feare; there was a deiect­ing sorow [...] ▪ My soule is on all sides heauy to the death. His strong cries, [...]. his many tears, are witnesses of this Passion. He had formerly shed teares of pi­tie, and teares of loue; but now of anguish: he had before sent forth cries of mercie; neuer of complaint till now. When the sonne of God weeps and cries, what shall we say or thinke? yet [Page 47] further, betwixt both these and his loue, what a conflict vvas there? It is not amisse distin­guished, that hee was alwaies in agonie; but now in [...], in a struggling passion of mixed griefe. Behold: this field was not without sweat and blood; yea, a sweat of blood▪ O what man or Angell, can conceiue the taking of that heart, that without all outward violence, meerely, out of the extreamity of his owne Passion, bled (tho­rough the flesh and skinne) not som faint deaw, but solid drops of blood? No thornes, no nailes fetcht blood from him, with so much pain as his own thoughts. Hee saw the fierce wrath of his [Page 48] Father, and therfore feared▪ he sawe the heauie burden of our sinnes to bee vndertaken; and therevpon, besides feare, iustlie grieued: he saw the necessity of our eternall damnation, if hee suffered not; if he did suffer, of our redemption: and therfore his loue incountred both griefe and feare. In it selfe, he would not drinke of that cuppe: in re­spect of our good, and his de­cree, hee would and did; and while he thus striueth, he sweats and bleedes. There was neuer such a combatte, neuer such a bloodshed; and yet it is not fi­nished. I dare not say with some Schoolemen▪ that the sorrow of his Passion, was not so great [Page 49] as the sorow of his compassion: yet that vvas surely exceeding great. To see the vngracious carelesnesse of mankind, the slender fruite of his sufferings, the sorrowes of his mother, dis­ciples, friends; to fore-see frō this watch-towre of his Crosse, the future temptations of his children, desolations of his Church; all these must needs strike deepe into a tender hart. These he still sees & pitties, but without passion; then, he suf­fered, in seeing them.

Can wee yet say any more? Lo, all these sufferings are ag­grauated by his fulnes of know­ledge, & want of comfort: for, he did not shut his eyes, as one [Page 50] saith, when hee drunk this cup he saw how dreggish, and knew how bitter it was. Sodaine euils afflict, if not lesse, shorter. He fore-saw and fore-said euerie particular he should suffer, so long as he fore-saw he suffered: the expectation of euill, is not lesse then the sense▪ to looke long for good, is a punishment; but for euill, is a torment. No passion works vpō an vnknown obiect: as no loue, so no fear is of what we know not▪ Hence men fear not hell, because they fore-see it not: if we could see that pit open before wee come at it, it would make vs tremble at our sinnes, and our knees to knock together, as Baltasars; & [Page 51] perhaps, without faith, to run mad at the horror of iudgemēt. He saw the burdē of all particu­lar sins to be laid vpon him: e­uery dram of his fathers wrath, was measured out to him, ere he touch [...] this potion: this cup was full; & he knew that it must be wringd, not a drop left: it must be finished. O yet, if as he fore-saw all his sorrowes, so he could haue seene some mix­ture of refreshing! But J found none to comfort me; no, none to pi­tie me. And yet, it is a poore cō ­fort that arises from pittie. E­uen so, O Lord, thou treadest this wine-presse alone; none to accompany, none to assist thee. I remember, Ruffinus in his Ec­clesiasticall [Page 52] storie reports, that one Theodorus, a Martyr, told him, that when he was hanging ten houres vpō the rack, for re­ligion, vnder Iulians persecuti­on, his ioynts distended and di­storted, his body exquisitelie tortured vvith change of exe­cutioners; so as neuer age, saith he, Vt nulla vn­quam aetas si­milem memi­ [...]erit. could remember the like: he felt no paine at all, but continu­ed indeed all the while in the sight of all men, singing & smi­ling. For, there stood a comlie young man by him on his Iib­bet (an Angell rather, in forme of a man) which with a cleane towel, still wip't off his sweat, & poured coole vvater vpon his racked limbs: wherwith he was [Page 53] so refreshed, that it grieued him to be let downe. Euen the greatest torments are easie, whē they [...]ue aunswerable cōforts: but a wounded & comfortlesse spirit, who can beare? If yet but the same messenger of GOD, might haue attended his Cross, that appeared in his agonie; & might haue giuen ease to their Lord, as he did to his seruant! And yet, what can the Angels help, where God will smite? A­gainst the violence of men, a­gainst the furie of Satan, they haue preuailed in the Cause of GOD, for men: they dare not, they cannot cōfort where God will afflict. When our Sauiour had been wrestling with Satan, [Page 54] in the end of his Lent, then they appeared to him, and serued▪ but now, while about the same time, hee is wrestling with the wrath of his Father for vs, not an Angell dare bee seene, to looke out of the windowes of heauē to relieue him: for men; much lesse could they if they would; but what did they? Mi­serable comforters are yee all; the souldiours; they stript him, scorned him with his purple, crown, reed; spat on him, smote him: the passengers; they reui­led him; and insulting, wagg'd their heads and hands at him; Hey, thou that destroiest the tem­ple, come downe, &c. The Elders and Scribes alas! they haue [Page 55] bought his blood, suborned witnesses, incensed Pilate, pre­ferred Barabbas, vndertook the guilt of his death, cri'd out, Cru­cifie, crucifie; Ho! thou that sa­uedst others. His disciples; alas! they forsooke him: one of them forsweares him; another runs away naked, rather then he will stay and confesse him. His mo­ther, and other friends: they looke on indeede, and sorrovv with him; but, to his discomfort. Where the griefe is extreame, and respects neere, partnership doth but increase sorrovv. Paul chides this loue: What doe you weeping, and breaking my heart? The teares of those we loue, do either slacken our hearts, or [Page 56] wound them. Who then shall comfort him? Himselfe? Som­times our own thoughts find a way to succour vs, vnknown to others: no, not himself. Doubt­lesse (as Aquinas) the influence of the higher part of the soule, was restrained from the aide of the inferiour; My soule is filled with euills. Psalm. 87, 4. VVho then? his Father? Heere, heere was his hope: Jf the Lord had not holpen me, Psalm 94.17. my soule had almost dwelt in silence▪ J and my Father are one. But now (alas!) he, euen he, deliuers him into the hands of his enemies; when hee hath done, turnes his back vpon him as a stranger; yea, he woundeth him as an enemy. The Lord wold [Page 57] breake him. Esay, 53, 10. Yet any thing is light to the soule, whiles the comforts of God su­staine it: who can dismay, where God will relieue? But here, My God, my God, why hast thou for­saken mee? VVhat a word was heere, to come from the mouth of the Sonne of GOD? My di­sciples are men, weak & feare­full; no maruell if they forsake me. The Iewes are themselues, cruell and obstinate. Men are men, gracelesse, and vnthank­full. Diuels are, according to their nature, spightful and ma­licious. All these doe but their kind, and let them doe it: but thou, O Father, thou that hast said; This is my wel-beloued son, [Page 58] in whom J am well pleased: thou of whō I haue said, Jt is my Fa­ther that glorifies me: what? for­saken mee? Not onely brought me to this shame, smitten mee, vnregarded me; but, as it were, forgotten, yea, forsaken mee? What, euen mee, my Father? How many of thy constant ser­uaunts haue suffered heauie things! yet in the multitudes of the sorrowes of their harts, thy presence and comforts haue re­freshed their soule. Hast thou relieued them, and doost thou forsake mee▪ mee, thine one­lie, deere, naturall, eternall sonne! O yee heauens & earth, how could you stand, whiles the Maker of you thus cōplained! [Page 59] Yee stood; but, partaking after a sort of his Passion: the earth trembled & shooke, her rocks tore, her graues opened, the heauens withdrew their light; as not daring to behold this sad and fearefull spectacle.

Oh deere Christians! how should these earthen and rocky harts of ours shake, and re [...]d in peeces at this meditation? how should our faces bee couered with darknesse, and our ioy be turned into heauiness? Al these voices, and teares, and sweats, and pangs, are for vs; yea, frō vs. Shall the Sonne of God thus smart for our sinnes, yea, with our sinnes; and shall not wee grieue for our owne? shall [...]ee [Page 60] weepe to vs in this Market-place, and shal not we mourne? Nay, shall hee sweat and bleed for vs, and shall not wee weepe for our selues? Shall he thus la­mentably shrieke-out, vnder his Fathers wrath, and shall not we tremble? Shall the heauens and earth suffer with him, & we suffer nothing? I call you not to a weake & idle pitty of our glo­rious Sauior: to what purpose? His iniury, was our glory. No, no; Ye daughters of Jerusalem, weepe not for mee: but weepe for your selues: For our sinnes, that haue done this; not for his sor­row that suffered it: not for his pangs, that were; but for our owne that should haue been, & [Page 61] (if we repent not) shall be. Oh how grieuous, how deadly are our sinnes, that cost the sonne of God (besides blood) so much tormēt? How far are our soules gone, that could not be ranso­med with any easier price? That that tooke so much of this infi­nite Redeemer of men, God & man, how can it chuse but swal­low vp & confound thy soule, which is but finite and sinfull? If thy soule had been in his soules stead, what had become of it: it shal be, if his were not in stead of thine. This weight, that lies thus heauy on the Son of God, & wrung from him these teares, sweat, blood, and these vncon­ceiueable grones of his afflic­ted [Page 62] spirit, how shall it chuse but presse downe thy soule to the bottom of hell? & so it will do: if hee haue not suffered it for thee, thou must and shalt suffer it for thy selfe. Goe now thou leud man, and make thy selfe merry with thy sinnes; laugh at the vncleanenesses, or bloodi­nesse of thy youth: thou little knowest the price of a sin: thy soule shall do; thy Sauiour did, whē he cried out, to the amaze­ment of Angels, and horror of men; My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken mee. But now no more of this; It is finished: the greater conflict, the more hap­py victory. Well doth hee find and feele of his Father, what his [Page 63] type said before, Hee will not chide alwaies, nor keepe his anger for euer. It is fearefull; but in him, short: eternall to sinners; short to his Sonne, in whom the God-head dwelt bodily. Be­hold: this storme, where-with al the powers of the world were shaken, is now ouer. The El­ders, Pharisees, Iudas, the soul­diers, priests, witnesses, Iudges, thieues, executioners, diuells, haue al tired thēselues in vaine, with their owne malice; and he triumphs ouer them all, vpon this throne of his Crosse: His e­nemies are vanquisht, his Fa­ther satisfied, his soule with this word, at rest and glory; Jt is fi­nished. Now there is no more [Page 64] betraying, agonies, arraign­mēts, scourgings, scoffing, cru­cifying, conflicts, terrors, all is finished. Alas beloued, and will we not yet let the Son of God be at rest? doe wee now againe goe about to fetch him out of his glorie, to scorne and cruci­fie him? I feare to say it: Gods spirit dare, and doth; They cru­cifie againe to themselues the Son of God, and make a mock of him. To themselues; not in himself: that they cannot, it is no thanke to them; they would doe it. See and consider: the notoriously-sinfull conuersations of those that should be Christians, offer violence vnto our glorified Sa­uiour: they stretch their hands [Page 65] to heauen, and pull him downe from his Throne, to his Crosse: they teare him vvith thornes, pearce him with nailes, loade him with reproaches. Thou ha­test the Iewes, spettest at the name of Iudas, railest on Pilate, condemnest the cruel butchers of Christ: yet, thou canst blas­pheme, & sweare him quite o­uer; curse, swagger, lie, op­presse, boile with lust, scoffe, ri­ot, and liuest like a debauched man; yea, like an humane beast; yea, like an vncleane diuel. Cry Hosanna as long as thou vvilt; thou art a Pilate, a Iew, a Iudas, an executioner of the Lord of life: and so much greater shall thy iudgemēt be, by how much [Page 66] thy light, & his glory, is more. Oh, beloued, is it not enough that he died once for vs? Were those paines so light, that vve should euery day redouble thē? Is this the entertainement, that so gracious a Sauiour hath de­serued of vs by dying? Is this the recompence of that infinite loue of his, that thou shouldest thus cruelly vexe and vvound him with thy sinnes? Euerie of our sins is a thorne, and naile, and speare to him. While thou pourest down thy drunken ca­rowses, thou giuest thy Sauiour a potion of gall: while thou de­spisest his poore seruants, thou spett'st in his face: while thou puttest on thy proud dresses, & [Page 67] liftest vp thy vaine heart vvith high conceits, thou settest a Crowne of thornes on his head: while thou wringest and op­pressest his poore children, thou whippest him, & drawest blood of his hands and feet. Thou hy­pocrite, how darest thou offer to receiue the Sacrament of God, with that hand, which is thus imbrued with the bloud of him whō thou receiuest? In eue­ry Ordinary, thy profane tong walkes, in the disgrace of the religious & cōscionable. Thou makest no scruple of thine own sinnes, and scornest those that doe: Not to be wicked, is crime enough. Heare him that saith, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou [Page 68] mee? Saul strikes, at Damascus: Christ suffers in heauen. Thou strikest: Christ Iesus smarteth, & will reuenge. These are the ( [...]) af [...]erings of Christs suf­ferings: in himselfe it is finished; in his members it is not, till the world be finished. We must toile, and grone, and bleed; that wee may raigne: if he had not done so, It had not been finished. This is our warfare: this is the region of our sorrow and death. Now are we set vpō the sandy paue­ment of our Theater, and are matched with all sorts of euills; euill men, euill spirits, euill ac­cidēts; & (which are worst) our owne euill hearts: tentations, crosses, persecutions, sicknes­ses, [Page 69] wants, infamies; death; all these must, in our courses, be in­coūtred by the law of our pro­fession. What should we do but striue and suffer, as our Gene­rall hath done, that wee may raigne as he doth, and once tri­umph in our Consummatū est? God & his Angels sit vpon the Scaffolds of Heauen, & behold vs: our Crowne is ready; our day of deliuerance shall come; yea, our redemption is neere▪ vvhen all teares shall bee wip't from our eyes; & wee that haue sowen in teares, shall reape in ioy. In the meane time, let vs possesse our soules, not in pati­ence onely, but in comfort: let vs adore and magnifie our Sa­uiour [Page 70] in his sufferings, and imi­tate him in our owne▪ our sor­rowes shall haue an end; our ioyes shall not: our paines shall soone be finished; our glory shal be finished, but neuer ended.

Thus his sufferings are fini­shed; now together with them, Mans saluation. Who knowes not, that man had made himself a deepe debter, a bankrupt, an out-law to GOD? Our sins are our debts; and by sins, death. Now, in this word and act, our sinnes are discharged, death in­dured, and therefore wee clea­red. The debt is paid, the score is crossed, the Creditor satisfi­ed, the Debters acquitted; and, since there was no other quar­rell, [Page 71] saued. We are all sick, and that mortally: Sin is the disease of the soule. Quot vitia, tot fe­bres, faith Chrysostome; so ma­ny sinnes, so many Feauers, & those pestilent. What wonder is it that we haue so much plague, while we haue so much sin? Our Sauiour is the Physician; The vvhole neede not the Physician, but the sicke. Wherein? He hea­leth all our infirmities: hee hea­leth thē after a miraculous ma­ner; not by giuing vs receits, but by taking our receits for vs. A wonderfull Physician; a wonderful course of cure. One while he would cure vs by ab­stinence; our superfluity, by his forty daies emptinesse: accor­ding [Page 72] to that old rule▪ Hunger cures the diseases of Gluttony. Another while, by exercise: He went vp and downe from Citty to Cittie; and in the day was prea­ching in the Temple; in the night, praying in the Mount. Then, by diet; Take, eate, this is my body: and, Let this cup passe. After that yet, by sweat: such a sweat as ne­uer was a bloudy one: yet more by incision; they pearced his hands, feet, side: and yet a­gaine by potion; a bitter poti­on, of vineger and gall. And lastly, which is both the stran­gest and strongest receit of all, by dying; Which died for vs; that whether we wake or sleep, we should liue together with him. 1. Thes. 5.10. We [Page 73] need no more, wee can goe no further; there can bee no more physick of this kind: there are cordialls after these, of his Re­surrection and Ascension; no more penall receits. By this bloud wee haue Redemption, Ephes. 1, 7. Iustification, Rom. 3, 24. Reconciliation, Colos. 1, 20. Sanctification, 1. Pet. 1, 2. En­trance into glory, Hebr. 10, 19. Is it not now finished [...] Wo were vs, if he had left but one mite of satisfaction vpon our score, to bee discharged by our soules: and wo bee to them that dero­gate from Christ, that they may charge themselues; that botch vp these alsufficiently meritori­ous sufferings of Christ, as im­perfect, [Page 74] with the superfluities of flesh and bloud. Maledictus ho­mo, qui spem ponit in homine▪ We may not with patiēce see Christ wrongd by his false friends: As that heroicall Luther said in the like▪ Maledictū si­lentium, quod hîc conniuet. Cursed bee the silence that heer forbeareth to be free & short. Heere be two iniuries intolera­ble; both giue Christ the lye vpon his Crosse: Jt is finished. No; somewhat remaines: the fault is discharged, not the pu­nishment. Of punishments, the eternall is quit, not the tempo­rall▪ It is finished by Christ: No, there wants yet much; the sa­tisfactions of Saints applied by his Vicar: adde mens sufferings to Christs, thē the treasure is ful; [Page 75] till then it is not finished.

Two qualities striue for the first place in these two opini­ons; Impietie, and Absurditie: I know not whether to prefer. For Impietie; heere is GOD taxed of iniustice, vnmerciful­nesse, insufficiencie, falshood. Of iniustice; that he forgiues a sin, and yet punishes for that which he hath forgiuen: vnmerciful­nesse; that he forgiues not while hee forgiues, but doth it by halues: insufficiencie; that his raunsome must be supplied by men: falshood; in that hee saith, Jt is finished, when it is not. For Absurdity; how grosse & mon­strous are these Positions? that at once the same sin should bee [Page 76] remitted & retained; that there should be a punishment, where there is no fault; that vvhat could strike off our eternall punishment, did not wipe off the temporall; that hee which paid our pounds, sticks at our far things; that GOD will retaine what man may discharge; that it is, and is not finished.

If there bee anie opinions whose mention confutes them, these are they. None can bee more vaine; none had more neede of soliditie: for, this proppe beares-vp alone, the vveight of all those millions of Indulgences which Rome cre­ates and sells to the vvorld. That Strumpet would well-neere [Page 77] goe naked, if this vvere not. These spirituall treasures, fetch in the temporall: vvhich yet our reuerend and learned Fulke, iustlie calls a most blas­phemous and beggerly princi­ple: it brings in vvhole Chests, yea Mines of Golde (like the Popes Indies); and hath not so much as a ragge of proofe to couer it; whether of Antiqui­tie, of Reason, of Scripture. Not of Antiquitie; for, these Iubilie Proclamations beganne but about three hundred yeers agoe. Not of Reason: hovv should one meere man pay for another, dispēse with another, to another, by another? Not of Scripture: which hath flatly said; [Page 78] The bloud of Jesus Christ, his son, purgeth vs from all sin: and yet I remember, that acute Sadeel hath taught mee, that this prac­tice is according to Scripture: What Scripture? He cast the mo­ney-changers out of the Temple, and said; Negotiatores terrae sunt ipsi Sacerdotes, qui vendunt orati­ones & missas pro denarijs: [...]acientes do­mū orationis, apothecam ne­gotiationis. In Reuel. l. 10. p. 5. Ye haue made my house a denne of thieues. Which also Io­achim, their propheticall Ab­bot, well applies to this pur­pose. Some modest Doctors of Louan, wold faine haue min­ced this Antichristian blasphe­mie: who began to teach, that the passions of the Saints are not so by Indulgences applied, that they become true satisfac­tions; but that they onely serue to moue God, by the sight of [Page 79] them, to apply vnto vs Christs satisfaction. But these meal-mouthed Diuines, were soone charmed; foure seuerall Popes (as their Cardinall confesseth) fell vpon the neck of them, Bellar. l. 1. d [...] Indulgent. and their opinion; Leo the tenth, Pius the fift, Gregory the thir­teenth, and Clemens the sixt: & with their furious Bulles, bel­low out threats against them, and tosse them in the ayre for hereticks; and teach them, vp­on paine of a curse, to speake home with Bellarmine; Passio­nibus sanctorum expiari delicta: and straight, Applicari nobis sanctorum passiones ad redimen­das poenas, quas pro peccatis Deo debemus: that by the sufferings [Page 80] of Saints, our sinnes are expi­ate; and that, by them applied, wee are redeemed from those punishments which we yet owe to GOD. Blasphemy, vvorthie the tearing of garments: how is it finished by Christ, if men must supply? Oh blessed Saui­our! was euery droppe of thy bloud enough to redeeme a world, and doe we yet need the help of men? How art thou a perfect Sauiour, if our brethren also must bee our redeemers? Oh ye blessed Saints, how wold you abhorre this sacrilegious glory! and with those holie A­postles, yea, that glorious An­gell, say; Vide ne seceris; and with those wise Virgins; Least [Page 81] there will not be enough for vs & you got to them that sell, and buy for your selues. For vs, w [...] enu [...]e not their multitude; Let them h [...]ue as many Sauiors as Saints, and as many Saints us men [...] we kno [...]e with Ambrose; Christ [...] press [...] [...]tore non eguit; Christs passion needs no helper: & there­fore, with that worthy Martyr, dare say; None but Christ; [...]one but Christ [...] Let our Toules die, if hee cannot saue them; let them not fear their [...] or [...], if he haue finished▪ He [...] [...], thou languishing and afflicted so [...]e to There is [...] one of thy sinne [...] but it is paid for; not one o [...] thy debt [...] in the [...] of God but it had [...]ffect; not one [Page 82] farthing of all thine infinite ra [...]some is vnpaid [...] Alas! thy sinnes (thou sai'st) are euer be­fore thee, and Gods indignati­on goes still ouer thee; & thou goest mourning all the day long▪ and with that patterne of distresse, criest out in the bitter­nesse of thy soule, I haue sinned, what shall J doe to thee [...] O▪ thou preseruer of men? What should'st thou doe? Turne, and belieue. Now thou art stung in thy con­science with this fierie serpent, looke vp with the eyes of [...] to this b [...]azen serpent, Christ Iesus, & behealed. Behold, his head is hūbly bowed downe in a gracious respect to thee, his a [...]ms are stretched out louing­ly [Page 83] to imbrace thee▪ yea, o [...] precious side is opē to receiue [...] thee, and his tongue interpre [...] all these to thee for thine end­lesse cōfort; Jt is finished. There is no more accusation, iudge­ment, death, hell for thee: all these are no more to thee, then if they were not. Who shall con­demne? it is Christ which is de [...]d. I knowe, how ready euery man is to reach foorth his hand to this d [...]le of grace, and how an­gry to [...]e beaten frō this doo [...] of mercy. We are all easily per­su [...]ded to hope well, because we loue our selues well▪ Which of all vs in this gr [...]t congrega­tion take [...] exceptions to him­selfe, and think [...] ▪ I knowe there [Page 84] [...] want in my Sauiour, there is want in me▪ He hath finished; but I belieue not, I repent not. Euery presumptuous and hard [...], so [...] at Christ, as if he had finish for [...], as if hee had broken downe the gates of hel, and loosed the bands of death, and had made forgiuenesse as [...] as life; Prosper [...] [...] saith wise Salo­mon, East [...] the foolish, and the prosperitie, of fooles [...] them, you, [...] prosperitie. Thou sa [...]'st, God [...] mercifull, thy [...] b [...]ous, [...] Passion absolute▪ All these, & ye [...] thou maist be con­demned. Mercifull, not [...]ni [...]s [...]; bountifull, not lauish, absolute­ly [Page 85] sufficiēt for all, not effe [...]all to all. Whatsoeuer God is, what are [...] i Hee [...] i [...] the doubts [...] fa [...]st-well; Christ is [...] good Shepheard; Wherein▪ H [...] giues his l [...]fe; but fo [...] whom? [...] his sheepe. What is this to [...] while thou ar [...] secure, profane, impe [...]itent▪ th [...] a [...] [...] a [...] My sheep he [...]re my voice; What is his voice but his p [...]e­cep [...] where is thine obediēce to his cōmaundements▪ If t [...] wilt not heard his Law, n [...] not [...]arken [...]o his Gospell [...] no more mercy for thee, [...]he [...] i [...] there were no Sauior. He ha [...] finished; for those in [...] hath begun. If thou haue to be­ginnings of gra [...] as yet, hope [Page 86] not for euer finishing of salua­tion; Come to me, all yee that are he [...]uie lade [...], saith Christ [...]hou shalt get nothing, if thou come when he calls thee not. Thou art not called, and canst not bee refreshed, vnlesse thou bee la­den: not with sinne (this alone keepes thee away from God) but with conscience of sinnes▪ A broken and a co [...]rite hear [...], O God, thou wilt not despise. Is thy heart wounded with thy sinne▪ doth griefe and hatred striue within thee, whether shall bee more? are the desires of thy soule with God? dost thou long for holinesse, complaine of thy imperfections, struggle against thy corruptions▪ Thou art the [Page 87] man, feare not. Jt is finished. That law which thou wouldest haue kept, & couldest not; thy Sauiour could, and did keepe for thee: that saluation vvhich thou couldest neuer work-out alone (alas poore impotent creatures▪ what can we doe to­wards heauen vvithout him, which cannot mooue on earth but in him?) hee alone for thee hath finished. Looke vp there­fore boldly to the throne of GOD; and, vpon the truth of thy repentance & faith, knows, that there is no quarrel against thee in heauen▪ nothing but peace and ioy; All is finished. He would be spetted on, that he might wash thee; hee would be [Page 88] couered with scornfull robes, that thy sinnes might be coue­red; he would be whipped, that thy soule might not bee scour­ged eternally; he would thirst, that thy soule might be satisfi­ed; hee would beare all his Fa­thers wrath, that thou might'st beate none; he would yield to death, that thou might'st neuer taste of it; he would be in sense for a time as forsaken of his Fa­ther, that thou might'st bee re­ceiued for euer.

Now bid thy soule returne to her rest; and inioyne it▪ Da­uids taske; Praise the Lord, O my soule [...], and, What shall J ren­der to the Lord for all his bene­fites? J will take the Cup of sal­uation, [Page 89] and call vpon the name of the Lord. And, as rauishe from thy selfe with the sweet appre­hension of this mercy, cal al the other creatures to the fellow­ship of this ioy, with that diuine Esay; Reioyce, O ye [...] heauens, for the Lord hath done it; shout yea lower [...] of the ea [...]th, [...] into praises ye [...] mountaines, for the Lord hath [...] Ja­cob, and will be glorified in Jsra­ell. And, euen now beginne that heauenly song, which shall ne­uer e [...]d, with those glorified Saints; Praise, and [...], and glory, and power, Reuel. 5. bee to him that s [...]eth vpon the throne, [...] the Lambe for euermore.

Thus, our speech of Christs [Page 90] last words, is finished. His last act accōpanied his words; our speech must follow it: let it not want your deuout and carefull attention; Hee bowed, and gaue vp the Ghost.

The Crosse was a slowe death, and had more paine thē speed; whence, a second violēce must dispatch the crucified; their bones must be brokē, that their hearts might break. Our Saui­our staies not Deaths leisure, but willingly and couragiouslie meets him in the way: and like a Champion that scornes to be ouercome, yea, knowes he can­not be, yieldeth in the midst of his strength, that hee might by dying vāquish death. He bowed, [Page 91] and gaue vp ▪ Not bowing, be­cause hee had giuen vp, but be­cause he would. He cried with a loud voice, saith Matthew. Na­ture was strong, he might haue liued; but he gaue vp the Ghost, and would die, to shew himselfe. Lord of Life and Death. Oh wondrous example! hee that gaue life to his enemies, gaue vp his owne: he giues them to liue, that persecute and hate him; and himselfe will die the whiles, for those that hate him. He bowed, & gaue vp: not they. They might crowne his head; they could not bow it: they might vex his spirit; not take it away: they could not doe that without leaue; this they could [Page 92] not doe, because they had no lea [...]e. He alone would bow his head, and giue vp his Ghost; [...] haue power to lay downe my life: Man gaue him not his life, man could not bereaue it: No man takes it frō me. Alas who could? The High-priests forces, when they came against him armed; he said but I am he [...]; they st [...] ▪ fall backward ▪ How easie [...] breath disperst his enemies! whom he might as easily haue bidden the earth, yea, hell to swallow, or fire from heauen to deuoure. Who cōmanded the diuels, & they obei'd; could not haue bin attached my men. He must giue not onely leaue, but power to apprehend himselfe; [Page 93] else they had not liu'd to take him. Hee is laid hold of; Peter [...]ight St Pu [...]; saith Christ, Thin­kest thou that J cannot pray to my Father, and hee will giue mee more then 12 legions of Angels? What an Army were heer? more thē three-score & twelue thou­sand Angels; and euery Angel able to subdue a world of men. Hee could, but would not bee rescued, hee is ledde by his owne power, not by his ene­mies: and stands now before Pilate, like the scorne of men, crowned, robbed, scourged, vvith an Ec [...]e Homo: Yet thou couldest haue no power against mee, [...] i [...] vvere giuen thee from aboue.

[Page 94]Behold; he himselfe must giue Pilate power against himselfe; else hee could not be condem­ned. Hee will be condemned, lifted vp, nailed; yet no death without himselfe. Hee shall giue his soule an offering for sinne [...] E­say▪ Quod emitti­ [...]ur voluntariū est: quod amit­ [...]itur necessari­um. Ambro. 53, 10. No action, that fa­uours of constraint, can be me­ritorious: hee would deserue, therefore he would suffer and die. He bowed his head, and gaue vp the Ghost, O gracious and bountifull Sauiour! hee might haue kept his soule within his [...]eeth, in spight of all the world; the weakeness of God, is stron­ger then men: and if he had but spoken the word, the heauens and earth should haue vanisht [Page 95] away before him; but, he wold not. Behold; when he saw, that impotent man could not take away his soule, he gaue it vp, [...] would die, that wee might liue. See heere a Sauiour, that can contemne his ovvne life for ours, and cares not to bee dis­solued in himself▪ that we might be vnited to his Father. Ski [...]e for ski [...]e, saith the diuell, [...] all that he hath, a man will giue for his life. Lo, heere, to proue Sa­tan a lyer, skin, and life▪ and all, hath Christ Iesus giuen for vs. We are besotted with the earth. & make base shifts to liue; one with a mai [...]ed bodie, another vvith a perfu [...]d soule, a third with a rotten name: and how [Page 96] many had [...] neglect their soul [...] then their life and [...] and [...] ▪ then die [...] ▪ It is a shame it [...] tells many of vs Christians [...] o­p [...]n life, and [...]ble and [...]a [...]h▪ and she [...] solue so [...] in [...] excesse of loue, [...]o [...]ard [...] [...] [...] as Peter denies Christ [...]i [...], & forsweares him [...] graines of incense [...]nto the Idols [...]ire E­ [...]ius, [...] thrice; Spir [...] [...], a [...] despa [...]es; [...]de [...] me liue [...]aith the [...] Whith [...] d [...]st thou [...] [...]hy selfe [...] and [...]do [...] us [...] w [...]ld'st thou [...] with thy selfe [...] ▪ Thou hast not thus learned Christ [...] [...] [Page 97] voluntarilie for thee, thou wilt not bee forced to die for him: hee gaue vp the Ghost for thee; thou wilt not let others take it from thee for him: thou wilt not let him take it for himselfe.

When I looke back to the first Christians, and compare their zealous cōtempt of death, with our backwardness; I am at once amazed & ashamed: I see there euen women (the feebler sex) running with their little ones in their armes, for the preferment of martyrdome; and ambiti­ouslie striuing for the next blowe. I see holy & tender vir­gins, chusing rather a sore and shamefull death, then honoura­ble espousalls. I hear the blessed [Page 98] Martyrs, intreating their Ty­rants and tormentors for the honour of dying: Quod si venire noluerint, ego vim faciam vt deuorer. Ignatius, a­mongst the rest, fearing least the beasts wil not deuoure him, and vowing the first violence to them, that he might be dispat­ched. And, what lesse courage was there, in our memorable & glorious fore-fathers of the last, of this age? and doe vvee, their cold and feeble ofspring, looke pale at the face of a faire and naturall death; abhor the violent, tho for Christ? Alas! how haue we gathered rust with our long peace? Our vnwil­lingnesse, is from inconsidera­tion, from distrust. Looke but vp to Christ Iesus vpon his [Page 99] Crosse, and see him bowing his head, and breathing out his soule; and these feares shall va­nish. He died, & wouldest thou liue? He gaue vp the ghost, and wouldest thou keep it? Whom vvouldest thou follow, if not thy Redeemer▪ If thou die not, if not vvillingly, thou goest contrarie to him, Si per singulos dies pro eo mo­reremur qui nos dilexit, non sic debitum ex­olueremus. Chrysost. and shalt ne­uer meet him. Tho thou shoul­dest euery day die a death for him, thou couldest neuer re­quite his one death: and doost thou sticke at one? Euery word hath his force, both to him and thee. He died, which is Lord of Life, and cōmaunder of Death; thou art but a tenant of life, a subiect of death. And yet it [Page 100] was not a dying, but a giuing vp; not of a vanishing and aery breath, but of a spirituall soule, which after separation, hath an entire life in it selfe. He gaue vp the Ghost. Hee died, that hath both ouercome and sanctified, and sweetned death. What fea­rest thou? he hath puld out the sting and malignity of death [...] thou bee a Christian, cary it in thy bosome, it hurts thee not Dar'st thou not trust thy Re­deemer? If hee had not died, death had been a Tyrant; now he is a slaue. O Death, where is thy sting? O Graue, where is thy victorie? Yet the Spirit of God saith not hee died, but gaue vp the Ghost. The very heathen [Page 101] Poet saith; He durst not say that a good man dies. It is worth the noting (me thinks) that vvhen S. Luke would describe to vs the death of Ananias and Sap­phira, Acts. 5.5. he saith ( [...]) hee expi­red: but when S. Iohn vvould describe Christs death, he saith ( [...]) he gaue vp the Ghost. How gaue he it vp and whither? How? so as after a sort he retained it: his soule parted from his body; his Godhead was neuer distracted, either frō soule or body. This vnion is not in nature; but in person. If the natures of Christ could be di­uided each would haue his sub­sistence; so there should bee more persons. God forbid: one [Page 102] of the natures therefore, may haue a separation in it selfe; the soule from the body: one na­ture cannot bee separate from other, or either nature from the person. If you cannot con­ceiue, wonder: the Sonne of GOD hath wedded vnto him­selfe our humanitie, without all possibilitie of diuorce; the bo­dy hangs on the Crosse, the soule is yielded; the Godhead is euiternally vnited to them both; acknowledges, sustaines them both. The soule in his a­gony feeles not the presence of the Godhead▪ the body, vp­on the Crosse, feeles not the presence of the soule. Yet, as the Fathers of Chalcedon say [Page 103] truly ( [...]) indiui­sibly, inseparably is the God­head, with both of these, still and euer, one and the same per­son. The Passion of Christ (as Augustine) was the sleep of his Diuinitie: so, I may say; The death of Christ, was the sleep of his Humanitie. Jf hee sleepe, hee shall doe well; said that disciple, of Lazarus. Death vvas too weake to dissolue the eternall bonds of this heauenly con­iunction. Let not vs Christians goe too much by sense; we may be firmely knit to God, & not feele it. Thou canst not hope to be so neer to thy God as Christ was, vnited personally: Quantūcūqu­te deieceris, hu­milior non eris Christ. Hieron. thou canst not fear, that God should [Page 104] seeme more absent from thee, then he did from his own Son; yet was hee still one with both body & soule, when they were diuided from thēselues. When he was absent to sense, hee was present to faith▪ when absent in vision, yet in vnion one and the same: so will he be to thy soule when it is at worst. Hee is thine, and thou art his: if thy hold seeme loosened, his is not▪ Whē temptations will not let thee see him, hee sees thee, and pos­sesses thee; onely belieue thou against sense, aboue hope: and tho he kil thee, yet trust in him. Whither gaue hee it vp? Him­selfe expresses; Father, into thy hands: and, This day thou shalt [Page 105] be with mee in Paradise. It is iu­stice to restore whence wee re­ceiue; Jnto thy hands. He knew where it should be both safe & happie: true; he might be bold (thou saist) as the Son with the Father. The seruants haue done so; Dauid before him, Steuen after him. And least we should not think it our common right, Father, saith hee, J vvill that those thou hast giuen mee, may be with me, euen where I am: hee willes it; therefore it must be. It is not presumption, but faith to charge God with thy spirit, nei­ther can there euer be any be­lieuing soule so meane, that he should refuse it: all the feare is in thy self; how canst thou trust [Page 106] thy iewell with a stranger? What suddaine familiaritie is this? God hath been with thee, and gone by thee; thou hast not sa­luted him: and now in all the hast thou bequeathest thy soule to him. On what acquaintance? How desperate is this careles­nesse▪

If thou haue but a little money, whether thou keepe it, thou lay'st it vp in the Temple of Trust; or whether thou let it; thou art sure of good assurance, sound bonds. If but a little land, how carefully doost thou make firme conueyances to thy desi­red heires? If goods, thy wil hath taken secure order vvho shall enioy them; we need not teach [Page 107] you Cittizens to make sure worke for your estates▪ If chil­dren, thou disposest of them in trades, with portions: onelie of thy soule (which is thy selfe) thou knowest not what shal be­come. The world must haue it no more; thy self would'st keep it, but thou know'st thou canst not: Satan would haue it; and thou know'st not whether hee shall: thou wouldest haue God haue it; and thou knowest not whether hee will: yea, thy hart is now ready with Pharaoh, to say; Who is the Lorde? O the fearefull and miserable estate of that man, that must part with his soule, hee knowes not whi­ther! Which, if thou wouldest [Page 108] auoide (as this very vvarning shall iudge thee if thou do not) bee acquainted vvith GOD in thy life, that thou maist make him the Gardian of thy soule, in thy death. Giuen vp it must needs be; but to him that hath gouern'd it if thou haue giuen it to Satan in thy life; hovv canst thou hope God will in thy death entertaine it? Did you not hate me, and expell mee out of my fathers house; how then come ye to me now in this time of your tribulation; said Ieptha, to the men of Gilead. No, no: either giue vp thy soule to God while he calls for it in his word, in the prouocations of his loue, in his afflictions, in the holy motions [Page 109] of his spirit to thine: or else whē thou wouldest giue it, hee vvill none of it, but as a Iudge, to deliuer it to the Tormentor.

What should God do, with an vncleane, drunken, profane, proud, couetous soule? With­out holinesse, it is no seeing of GOD: Depart from me, yee wic­ked; J know yee not; goe to the Gods you haue serued. See how GOD is euen with men: they had in the time of the Go­spell, said to the holy one of Is­raell; Depart from vs: now in the time of iudgement, he saith to them; Depart from me. They would not knowe God when they might; now God will not knowe them when they would. [Page 110] Novv therefore (beloued) if thou would'st not haue GOD scorne the offer of thy death-bed, fit thy soule for him in thy health; furnish it with grace; in­ure it to a sweet conuersation with the God of heauen: then maist thou boldly giue it vp; & he shall as graciously receiue it, yea, fetch it by his Angels to his glory.

Hee gaue vp the Ghost. Wee must doe as hee did; not all with the same successe. Giuing vp, supposes a receiuing, a re­turning. This in-mate that vve haue in our bosome, is sent to lodge heer for a time; may not dwell heere alwaies. The right of this tenure, is the Lords, not [Page 111] ours. As hee said of the hat­chet; It is but lent, it must be re­stored: It is ours to keepe; his to dispose and require. See and consider both our priui­ledge and charge; It is not with vs as vvith brute Creatures: vvee haue a liuing Ghost to in­forme vs, vvhich yet is not ours, (and, alas, what is ours, if our soules be not?) but must bee giuen vp; to him that gaue it.

VVhy doe wee liue, as those that tooke no keepe of so glo­rious a guest? as those that should neuer part vvith it; as those that thinke it giuen them to spend; not to returne with a reckoning?

[Page 112]If thou hadst no soule, if a mortall one, if thine owne, if neuer to bee required, hovv couldest thou liue but sensual­lie? Oh remember but vvho thou art, what thou hast, and whither thou must; and thou shalt liue like thy selfe vvhile thou art, and giue vp thy Ghost confidently vvhen thou shalt cease to bee▪ Neither is there heere more certaintie of our departure then comfort. Carie this with thee to thy death-bed; and see if it can refresh thee, when all the world cannot giue thee one dramme of comfort. Our spirit is our deerest riches: if wee should lose it, here were iust cause of griefe. Howle and [Page 113] lament, if thou thinkest thy soule perisheth: it is not forfei­ted, but surrendred. How safe­ly doth our soule passe through the gates of death, without a­ny impeachment, while it is in the hands of the Almightie? Woe were vs, if he did not keep it while we haue it; much more when we restore it. Wee giue it vp to the same hands that crea­ted, infused, redeemed, renew­ed, that doe protect, preserue, establish, and will crowne it: J knowe vvhom J haue belieued; and J am persvvaded, that he is able to keepe that vvhich J haue committed to him against that day. O secure and happy estate of the godly! O blessed ex­change [Page 114] of our condition: while our soule dwells in our breast, how is it subiect to infinite mi­series? distempred vvith passi­ons, charged with sinnes, vexed with tentations; aboue, none of these: how should it bee other­wise? This is our pilgrimage, that our home: this our wilder­nesse, that our land of promise: this our bondage, that our kingdom. Our impotency cau­seth this our sorrow.

VVhen our soule is once giuen vppe, vvhat euill shall reach vnto heauen, and wrestle with the Almightie? Our loath­nesse to giue vp, comes from our ignorance and infidelitie. No man goes vnwillinglie to a [Page 115] certaine preferment; J defute to be dissolued, saith Paule: J haue serued thee, J haue beleeued thee, and now: J come to thee, saith Lu­ther: The voices of Saints, not of men. If thine heart can say thus, thou shalt not need to in­treat with old Hilarion, Egrede­re me [...] anima, egredere; quid [...]i­ [...]as? Go thy waies forth my soule, goe forth: what fearest thou ▪ but it shall flie vp alone cheerefully from thee; and giue vp it selfe, into the armes of GOD, as a faithfull Creator and Redee­mer. This earth is not the ele­ment of thy soule; it is not where it should be: It shal be no lesse thine, when it is more the owners. Thinke now seriouslie [Page 116] of this point; Gods Angell is abroad, and strikes on all sides, wee knowe not which of [...]ur­tur [...]es shall be the next: we are sure wee carie deathes en [...]v [...] ▪ within vs. If wee be readie, our day cannot come too soone. Stir vp thy soule to an heauen­lie cheerfulnesse, like thy Saui­our: Know but whither thou art going; and thou canst not but with diuine Paule, say from our Sauiours mouth, euen in this sense; Jt is a more blessed thing to giue, Vt contra: Nullam animā recipio, quae [...] nolente separa­tur à corpore. Hieron. then to receiue. GOD cannot abide an vnwil­ling guest. Giue vp that spirit to him, which hee hath giuen thee; and hee will both receiue what thou giuest, and giue it [Page 117] thee againe, with that glo­rie and happinesse vvhich can neuer bee conceiued, and shall neuer bee ended. Euen so, Lord IESVS, Come quicklie.

Gloria in excelsis Deo.