THat Mortality was an original condition of Humane Nature, will appear to him, who shall consider these seven Observations fol­lowing.

1. That before Adam sinned, the pro­creation of man was designed; where­as, such as shall partake of the Resur­rection of the dead, marry not, because they do not die.

2. That he hungred, and was pro­vided of meat; whereas Immortality needs neither meats nor the belly; God will destroy both it and them.

3. That his Body was animal, which St. Paul makes all one with vile, corrup­tible, and mortal.

4. That Christ Jesus, who hath taken away sin, all its force, and punishment, [Page 2] hath yet left his dearest Saints liable unto death.

5. That the first man was of the earth earthy, and we, forasmuch as we die, and corrupt, are said to bear his I­mage. 1 Cor. 15.

6. That God planted a Tree of Life in the Garden, which needed not, if man had been created not liable unto death.

7. That all the causes of natural mor­tality within us, or without us, did ex­ist as well before as after Man had sin­ned. Yet notwithstanding, sin was the way to actual death; and that the wages of it. It being usual with God to do that upon occasion, which he hath pow­er absolutely to do; i. e. to make use of the instances of his Dominion to serve other designs of his Providence; which help us to understand that first threatning, In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death, i. e. Thy strength supported by the tree of life shall begin to languish, and fail; Thy Oyl at length shall be exhausted, and thy Lamp shall be ex­tinguished.

Now Death of its own nature being eternal, there being naturally no re­turn from the privation to the habit; therein must man have been detain'd [Page 3] for ever, if our merciful God had not found out an expedient to deliver us from it, which is by his Son Jesus, whom Acts 2. 36. he hath made both Lord and Christ; and hath exalted to be a Prince and a Acts. 5. 31. Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel, and forgiveness of sins; and by conse­quence, deliverance from death. This being that very thing which St. Paul saith; The Law of the Spirit of Life hath made me free from the Law of sin and death.

Which words are a reason, or rather a clearer explication of what he had said before, viz. That there is no condemnation to them who in Christ Jesus, that is, by Christ Jesus, walk not after the flesh but walk af­ter the Spirit i. e. who for the most part do not in their actions follow the duct and guidance of their sinful appetites, but walk according to that Gospel which the Spirit hath consigned to us; or that Vertuous habit of mind which that Spirit hath ingenerated in us; there is no con­demnation to such. This Law of the spi­rit of life, i. e. of the quickning Spirit, having delivered us from the Law of sin Paraphrase of the words. and death. That Spirit which our Lord is about to give, which leads to Eternal life, hath made me, i. e. every Christian [Page 4] free, first from all customary and habitual sins, then from eternal death, which ne­cessarily follows all sinful habits and cu­stoms. By sins St. Paul understands con­sulted Strom. 2. p. 387. and deliberated sins. So Clemens after a long discourse to that purpose, concludes [...] only are matters So [...] is used in St. John 3. 6, 10. which God will damn.

When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ had triumphed over Death, and the Grave, had ascended on high, and was vested with all power in heaven and earth, then he gave gifts unto men; but no donative did so excel, as that effusion of the Spirit in the day of Pen­tecost, the chief and last effects and e­vents whereof, were the deliverance of all Believers from the double tyranny of sin and death.

Hath made me free from the Law of sin and death.

In the words then we have a deliver­ance from

• Sin, the cause of Death.
• Death, the fruit and conse­quent of Sin.

There is a victory over, and a deli­verance from all habitual, customary, consulted, and deliberate sins to be ob­tained in this life; which is that true, Evangelical righteousness, which gives us at present a title to, and hereafter [Page 5] will actually invest us with a blessed Immortality.

For our more distinct perception of which notion, we may consider, that Real Evangelical Righteousness admits of various degrees.

1. The first, and lowest whereof is of them who for the most part yield o­bedience to the Precepts of Christ, and abstain from sin; but yet not without grievous conflicts, and great difficulties, because that although the Spirit be su­periour to the flesh, yet the carnal part is not altogether subdued, nor a habit of Vertue, taken in a more perfect ac­ceptation, entirely acquired; for which cause their lapses are frequent, either for that the Appetite is assisted too strongly from external incitement, or too often surprised by error, or incogi­tancy.

2. The second degree is of them who have acquired a perfect habit of Righteousness; and have so subdued the flesh, that they find either none at all, or very little difficulty in acting in the ways of God; thence consequent­ly are more steady and uniform in the waies of Vertue and holiness, and such was St. Paul, as may be gathered from divers passages of his writings; and o­thers [Page 6] such like there may be, as ap­pears both from the sacred Book, and also from Experience it self: which will yet be more manifest, if we shall de­monstrate (as by and by we shall) That there remains possible an higher de­gree of holiness than that we have yet spoken of; although there needs no farther proof than those plain words of our Lord, My yoke is easie, and my burthen is light, i. e. to all them who are supported with a firm hope of a life after death, and a blessed immor­tality. And those words of St. John, This is the love of God, i. e. Metonymi­cally, the manifestation of our love to­wards God, that we keep his commande­ments, and his commandements are not grievous. These overcome the World, and that too by their Faith, which inspires strength into them. And he that over­comes, i. e. all such things as the World objects to him, to affright and call him off from righteousness, sive prospera, sive aspera, whether smiles or frowns, to him it is easie to keep the commands of God, to him, I say, that yoke is easie, that burthen is light.

The third degree, and that the high­est, is of such, who being most cheer­fully incumbent on the study of Ver­tue, [Page 7] have proceeded so far, as that for some competent space of time they sin not at all, against any Precept of Christ.

To this degree ought all Christians who are going heaven-wards, always to aspire; which state St. Paul seems mystically to call the Resurrection from [...] Phil. 3. 11. [...] 12. the dead, and was the mark whereto he pressed. Not that I have already at­tained, neither am already perfect.

This then is the third degree, where­unto if Christians do not attain, 'tis sim­ply necessary they should reach the second, or the first. 'Tis praise worthy in Pri [...]ra sequen­tem, ho [...]stum est in sec [...]nd is out terti [...]s con­sistere. Tully. him that endeavours to excell, to be found in the second or the third degree of Ver­tue.

Yet all who would find mercy in the day of Christ, must endeavour to attain this highest degree: For all acknow­ledge 'tis never permitted to a Christi­an to sin consultatively, for that is to sin malitiously. Now unless a man shall la­bour to shun every sinful act (which is to aspire to this supreme degree of Pie­ty) he sins consultatively, i. e. malitiously, which no Christian will defend. Sin becomes exceeding sinful, exceeding heavy with its own weight, if done malitiously or with deliberation. And [Page 8] God sometimes remits greater sins, if fallen into through frailty or ignorance, sooner than lesser sins malitiously com­mitted.

Again, that great study, diligence, vi­gilance, and labour, so exactly required of us in all our Christian Conversati­on, points us out our Mark and Scope, which is, to eschew every sin, and so to aspire to this highest degree of Pi­ety.

Are we not every where all up and down the sacred Books called upon to imitate God and Christ; to be holy as God is holy, to be perfect as our Father is perfect, to walk in the light as God is in the light, to walk as Christ walked, and to follow him? He that observes these Precepts, doth no less than aspire to the highest degree of holiness. Our imita­tion of God doth imply our being made like unto him.

But lest any one should doubt the ex­istence of this ultimate, I shall attempt its demonstration.

1. We must endeavour after it; but no man is obliged to attempt impossible things, it would be in vain. But to attempt any thing in vain, would become neither a wise God to require, nor a wise man to endeavour.

[Page 9]2. If this degree of holiness cannot be attained, then it is necessary that we sin sometimes; but it cannot be necessa­ry that we sin; for then it would not be sin: for all sin is freely committed. Hand est nocens quicunqne non sponte est nocens. Ci [...]mens. If there be necessity in the case, it loses the nature of sin; 'tis [...], our mis­fortune, not [...], our sin: [...], deliberate acts are punished. It cannot demerit punishment, nor be justly imputed, nor ever did the God of equity impute it to any man. But that the lapses of good men were sins, and might be imputed to them, should God use his right, is evident, for that they do, and ought to ask the pardon of them: Now where pardon is asked, there the crime is confessed; there­fore good men might have abstained from the few lapses of their lives, and so not have sin'd, which was the point to be demonstrated.

3. When we daily pray that the will of God might be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven; what can we infer, but that we, as the Angels, may do his will, if our prayers are so ardent, and our endeavours so serious as God requires. Is that Petition in vain? You'l say no. Then God is as willing as able to effect it in us,; and our non-attainment doth [Page 10] loudly accuse our prayers, or our endea­vours, or both, of languor, or remisness. For of this we are confident, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us; now what can be more a­greeable to his will, than that we should be holy in our whole conversation as he is holy?

4. Without this notion, what shall we make of the options of our great Apostle? not to single, and eximious Saints, but to entire Churches. The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly. The Lord establish your hearts unblame­able in holiness before God. That you may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. We cease not to pray that ye may walk worthy of the Lord, [...], ut omnimodò placeatis Deo, i. e. that ye might every way please God; be­ing fruitful in every good work. The God of peace make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight.

'Tis somewhat too dilute to say, here are excluded only habitual sins, or such flagitious sins which are as habits; the words being pregnant and emphatick; nor is there any just cause why we should enervate them, by departing from their proper sence, and not think rather the [Page 11] Apostle intended by them that which is most perfect in its kind. But that which doth not argue the necessity, may shew the possibility, which was the thing to be demonstrated.

5. Shall we say that the holy Spirit, and all the other aids of Vertue which God affords us through Christ, are so weak and invalid, that notwithstanding all our endeavours, sin cannot be sub­dued or extinguished in us? is not this to derogate from the Spirit of God, and to be injurious to God him­self?

I am yet to seek for a reason why, whilst God would have us break the bonds of sin, and cast those cords from us, to imbrace an entire holiness in this present World, and thereunto hath fur­nished us with divine aids, and super­natural strengths, he should deny us such measures and degrees of them, as to inable us to abstain from all Sin, and to embrace an universal Righteousness: especially seing St. John resolves the Vi­ctory 4. 4. over the instruments of Sathan into the power of God, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

That which some say, that God would leave some Canaanites in the land, to humble us, and to try us, some reliquiae [Page 12] and remains of sins, lest we should too much pride and please our selves, seems too light to preponderate all the pre­cedent discourse. For indeed 'tis Va­nity it self; 'tis as if God would have us sin, lest we should sin; or as if whilst God would eradicate all sin, he should not once lay the Axe to the root of the first and fowlest in the World.

And now I would willingly ask any Advocate for the wicked lives of Chri­stians, Why it should be thought im­possible by the Grace of the Gospel, to obtain such a deliverance from Sin? Did not God make man upright? Are not Christ's Precepts very consentane­ous to that Original nature? Is not Vertue (where there is a parity of cu­stom) much more pleasant than Vice? Is it not true (which Salvian observes) that Fidelity, Chastity, Humility, Sobrie­ty, Mercy, Sanctity, non onerant nossed ornant, they are not our burthens but our ornaments. Doth not reason, [...] though obscurely discern [...], that which becomes, [...] in some Sympl. p 74. measure contend for it.

Is not Sin its own punishment? Is it not like the Locusts of St. John; Their faces were like the faces of men, and [Page 13] their hair like the hair of a Women, but had tails like Scorpions, and stings there. What else mean those ictus, those lania­tus, those surda verbera, those Vultures, those furies, and Thespian Vipers; I mean those sad, and disconsolate reflections upon an immoral and ill-govern'd life? No, no, Sin is but the disease and dys­crasie of the Soul; Righteousness is the health and natural complexion of it. Now there is a propension in every thing to return to its proper state, and to cast off whatsoever is heterogeneous to it. As some Physicians say, Medicaments are but subservient to Nature, by remov­ing impediments and obstructions, but Nature it self, and the inward Archeus released, and set at liberty, works the cure.

Then this reproves two popular Er­rors.

1. Of those who think those words, The good that I would I do not, the evil that I would not that I do, to be the highest measure of a Christian's profi­ciency; for the undeceiving of whom, I shall observe a triple estate of impiety, or enmity to God.

1. Of such who night and day do little else but provide for the Flesh, to fulfil its lusts; who without all shame [Page 14] wallow in many kinds of sins, in whom the sence of good and evil is near upon extinguished, or but very obscure foot­steps of it do remain: Whose Chara­cter St. Paul hath given us; Of vain Eph. 4. 18, 19. minds, having their understandings dark­ned, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their hearts; who being past feeling, have given them­selves to lasciviousness, to work all unclean­ness with greediness.

2. The other is of them, who in­dulge their Lust with little or no con­flict, but have contracted a perfect ha­bit of one or more vices; in reference to which, they have extinguished all sense of Conscience, though in other instances not all out so wicked.

3. A third is of such, who for the most part do the things that are evil, and are overcome of the flesh, but not with­out strivings of Appetite and Reason, a­live at once to the Law, and Sin; the conviction of the one, and the power and love of the other, both these strugl­ing together within the bowels of the Soul, checking and comptrolling one another.

This is the man St. Paul describes, by a Metaschematismus under his own per­son, [Page 15] in that famous Paragraph to the Ro­mans, of which I will give a succinct but evident demonstration. Rom. 7.

Where you have seven Characters of each, as contrary to one another as light to darkness; to know better, and to do worse, is so far from alleviating the e­vil, that 'tis the greatest aggravation of it.

'Tis the most bruitish, unreasonable, [...], Plut. [...]. and wretched condition, for a man that knows what is best, to be led by incontinen­cy and effeminacy from it.

And therefore saith the Philosopher, that we ought not only to think right, and to be affected accordingly; But to conform our works to our right opini­ons.

He that sins, and accuses himself is [...], doth but begin to learn, Symplic. 67. and hath not yet come to the knowledg of the truth.

2. Another is of them who deceive themselves, whilst they expect some o­ther's inherent Righteousness to be made over so compleatly to them, as if they themselves had been really and perfectly righteous, and this upon the sole Condi­tion, or qualification of meer Faith scru­pulously prescinded from all Obedience. Now this Hony-comb of Antinomianism is but a branch of old Gnosticism: anti­doted by St. John. Little Children let 1. 3. 7. no man deceive you, He that doth righte­ousness [Page 17] is righteous even as he is righteous: If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lye and do not the truth. And all the promises Christ makes to the Asian Churches are [...] To him that overcomes.

And thus am I arriv'd at the other Atchievement of this vivifying Spirit, our deliverance from Death, the fruit and consequence of Sin. The ruin of Death follows that of Sin, sicut Varase­quitur Vibiam.

Sin is the sting of death, 'tis its Sce­pter, the ensign of its soveraignty; de­prived of that it loseth its antient na­ture, ceaseth to be King of Terrors; and differs not from a gentle sleep; an [...] or an easie transitus to a blessed immor­tality. 'Tis but the dissolution of an old ruinous and cadaverous Building, to raise a fair, and fresh, a stately and magnificent Structure in the place there­of.

For we know that if our earthly house 2 Cor. 3. of this Tabernacle were dissolv'd, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens, i. e. a ce­lestial, glorious, and a spiritual Body. St. Paul doth lively describe the difference between these mortal and those im­mortal Bodies with which we shall be [Page 18] cloathed in the Resurrection. 'Tis sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption, 'tis sown in dishonour, it is raised in glo­ry, 'tis sown in weakness, it is raised in power, 'tis sown an animal body, 'tis rais­ed a spiritual body. Where the Apostle compares man, in respect of hie body, to a fruitful grain of Wheat, which is sown in the earth, and somewhile after spring up in a more excellent and very different form.

And that which thou sowest, [...], non gignendum cor­pus seris, is not the body that shall be, but bare and naked grain.

Whence is that body that is to be? [...], God giveth it a body, as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

And all this relishes well to him that knows, that the most contrary modifi­cations of matter imaginable do consti­tute no specifical change, according to the last, and best Philosophy: Nor can he be offended, who holds the princi­ple of individuation is the form only, and that the matter and suppositum is in­dividuated from it.

So then our Apostle institutes a four­fold collation of these our bodies with those we shall have hereafter.

[Page 19]1. It is sown in Corruption, but shall rise in Incorruption, i. e. The body which we bring into this World with us, is subject, and obnoxious to corruption and change: here we dwell in houses of Clay, Job. 4. 19. whose foundation is in the dust, and may truly say to corruption, Thou art my 17. 14. father, and to the Worm thou art my mo­ther and my sister; There we shall die no more, but be as the Angels, the sons of God, being the Children of the Resur­rection. Luk. 20. 36.

2. 'Tis sown in dishonour, shall be raised in glory; when we come into the World, we bring bodies, some of whose parts and members seem to be [...], uncomely and less honourable, besides the rugae and maculae, the wrin­kles, spots, and blemishes, which age, sickness, and other casualities do imprint upon us. But then in the destitution of these deformities, our bodies shal be more resplendent than the Sun, and brighter than the golden light of Aurora. The glories of Mount Tabor were but shades and darkness, compar'd to that reful­gent light, [...], so far exceeding the brightness of the Sun, se­ptuplùm, saith St. Ephrem, wherewith Acts. 26. 13. now our Lord is cloathed, and yet shall he change our Vile bodies, until he [Page 20] hath made them like his Glorious body.

3. 'Tis sown in weakness, shall be rais­ed Phil. 3. in power. Here labours, diseases, or years, soon make the keepers of the house to tremble, the strong men bow down themselves, and the grinders to cease. There shall they be firm and robust, shall renew their strength like the Eagle, and like the youthful Cherubs, their agility shall be great and inde­fatigable.

4. 'Tis sown an animal Body, shall be rais'd a spiritual Body. Here our bodies, as of other Animals, need meats, and drinks, and consist of members, and organs necessary to receive, con­coct, and digest them; but there they shall be spiritual, there will need no Stomach, no Liver, no Intestines. Meats for the belly, and the belly for the meat, but God will destroy both it and them. Hierocles speaking of the Apotheosis of good men, tells us they enjoy besides [...], besides Truth and Vertue in the Soul, a great measure of purity in its spiritual Vehicle.

St. Paul is positive, That the Bodies of Saints at the Resurrection shall be physically and really, not morally only spiritual and celestial; for flesh and blood [Page 21] cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. We shall have bodies as tenuious and im­perceptible as are the bodies of Angels, not so crass and gross as Air; but purer than the liquid Aether, and have for a Vest, to use Macarius his phrase, [...], the glory of the di­vine light. So 'tis no wonder that Saints of old and since have groan'd within themselves, waiting for the adoption, viz. the Redemption of the body.

A great and memorable instance whereof, worthy to be written in Ce­dar, or engraven in Brass, is this vener­able Matron, whose Obsequies we now celebrate, whom now we consecrate to Eternity. I have discoursed to you the heighths and perfections of Christianity; you have seen it in the Rule; and if you had now such a Speculum or mir­rour as would reflect her life, you would see it in the Example. St. Hierom thought if all the members of his body were turn'd into Tongues, and all his Arteries became vocal, yet he could say nothing, sanctae & venerabilis Paulae virtutibus dignum, worthy the Vertues of holy and venerable Paula. The like may I say with much Epitaph. more reason of holy and venerable Anna. Not only because I am so much inferi­our for plenty of words, and Rhetorical [Page 22] schemes of speech to that eloquent Fa­ther; but also because my Argument is much more illustrious, refulgent and sub­lime; for if I should institute a parallel between them, you would find equal Devotions surmounted by Prudences un­equal.

I much applaud that Father, who would praise nihil nisi quod proprium, nothing but what was her own, and which sprang from the pure fountain of her holy mind. So shall I, passing by the [...] things not in our power. Such are, the [...] Epict. [...]. Philosopher tells you, the Body, possessi­ons, Honours, Principalities, and what­soever are not our own works. And that too for the very reason his excellent Commentator assigns, We are not arbitra­rious Lords of any of these things. And therefore I shall pass by her Extraction, Education, Presence, and that comely Meen, with which she struck all per­sons at once with Love and Rever­ence.

I say, I shall pass these by, (they be­ing Habentibus non grandia, though co [...] ­te [...]entibu [...] mirabilia. St. Hierom. not greatly to be esteemed by them that have them, though 'tis greatness to con­temn them) and speak of her [...], more divinely, more sub­limely.

She was then of the same Country [Page 23] with Gorgonia, her exact parallel, and that was the Hierusalem above, a City [...]. not seen with bodily eyes, but with those of the mind, where we have our con­versation, whither we are making haste; where Christ is a Citizen, and all that [...], and Church of the first born are fellow Citizens. So you see 'tis true of her what the Poet saith of Aeneas, Contin­git sanguine coelum. She was Heaven­born, [...]. Naz. O­rat. 11. and her Nobility was, The con­servation of the divine impressions on her Soul, and an imitation of God, the Ar­chitype, and first Pattern of all good­ness.

She had an early institution in Pie­ty, and as it befel Gorgonia, who receiv­ed the Seeds of Piety from thence, from [...]. whence she receiv'd her Life and Culture. So our Gorgonia deriv'd the spiritual Ornaments of her mind from the same Instruments who had propagated her body. And no wonder, if that Cedar whose branches were enveloped in the Clouds, had taken long and deep root­ing.

She was truly, and becomingly re­ligious; the right knowledge of God and Christ did bear her enlightned mind so Eaven, that it was as far re­mov'd from Superstition, as from Irre­ligion. [Page 24] Hers was no self-chosen Holi­ness, ceremonial Righteousness, opini­onative Zeal; she mistook not the Tree of Knowledge for the Tree of Life.

She was not taken with high-flown Enthusiafm and Seraphicism, nor was she patient of Epicurizing Philosophy, nor tempted with Antinomian liberty.

She did not frame to her self a Phan­tastical Religion, made up entirely of a Faith divided from Obedience, imagin­ing all to be done for her, all to be im­puted to her.

Nor did she place her Religion in endless scrupulosities about things in­different; and though her carriage was always passive and obedient, yet never esteemed little things worthy of great contentions.

She was no Opinionist, nor yet jea­loused any notions, which she thought not inconsistent with Faith in Christ, and the observation of the Commande­ments of God.

She like Gorgonia reconcil'd the sub­limity of Coelibate with the security of Marriage, and being [...], chaste [...], and humble, blending the excellencies of Coelibate and Marriage together; giving proof to the World, that neither of these States so simply unite us to God, [Page 25] or divide us from him; neither of them solely to be declined, nor solely to be pursued, but that a vertuous mind may rule and moderate both Conjugate and Virginity. Well, as that, so this [...]. Gorgonia having been ministerial a little to the World and to Nature, [...], consecrated her self wholly un­to God.

Our Anna, like that Prophetess the daughter of Phanuel, having liv'd an ex­ample to Wives some few years with an Husband, a Widow about twenty nine years; in all which time she departed not from the Temple, that is, deserted not Church Communion, nor God's pub­lick Service; but served him with fast­ings, and prayers night and day; ever since her Widow-hood devoting one day in the Week to fasting and prayer; in her desolate estate trimming, dress­ing, and adorning of her mind for the Bridegroom of her Soul,

She was a severe exacter of indispen­sible Duties of Christianity; her Reli­gion was solid and substantial; she at­tended the [...], the weightier things of the Law. She was a through Christian; in her was accomplished St. Paul's wish, she was not almost, but alto­gether such an one as himself, his Chain excepted.

Hers was no barren Faith; but it was fruitful in good works; Her Charity dis­tributed it self to every object, to God, to man.

1. To God, by her frequent Fast­ings, her constant Prayers, her diligence in God's publick Service, her Zeal and care to promote his honour, to advance his Rule and Government in the hearts of all with whom she did converse, in whom she had interest. This she taught her Children so soon as they could learn, and this she taught them so long as she could speak.

'Tis said of Gorgonia that she made [...]. the fruit of her body, her Children, and her Childrens Children become the fruits of the Spirit; and hath not our Gorgo­nia done, or endeavoured the like? Who has been more painful, more faith­full to the souls of Children, Nephews, and Neeces, than she has been? who hath tanght them more diligently, who hath pray'd for them more [...]requently, more ardently than she hath done?

'Tis said of Gorgonia that she purified [...]. and devoted to God her whole stock and family, in stead of her single soul.

So may we say of our worthy Matron, whilst an Oeconomist Wife or Widow.

Her house was a kind of Church, [Page 27] none so grateful, none so acceptable to her as a painful, and conscientious Mi­nister of Christ; None were the worse, but many the better for coming under her Roof.

Gorgonia is said to have been whilst she liv'd, an Exemplar of all vertue to her [...]. Children, and when God call'd her, she left her last Will behind her as a silent exhortation to her family.

And was not this imparallel'd Saint, a great pattern of all good works to her Family? was not piety, purity, hu­mility, meekness, mercy, and every good work most conspicuous in her? And I my self can witness, it was amongst her last cares to recommend the ways of God, and a serious and thorow Piety to her Children.

And if the last Wills, and Testaments of all the dead, have ever been thought sacred, and inviolable; what a further, what a fresh obligation have you (my honoured Friends) to be religious; that is, to tread in the steps, to write out the Copy of this blessed Saint, your in­comparable Mother. But I was speaking of her Charity.

The eloquent Father, speaking of the often prais'd Saint, saith, Who stretched [...]; cut a more liberal hand to the poor? that [Page 28] he fears not to apply the words of Job to her, The stranger did not lodge in the Street, but she opened her doors to the Tra­veller; she was eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, and a Mother to the Or­phan.

So our Saint, when she was Mistress of an house, and since; Who doth not re­member the largeness of her bowels, and the liberality of her hands? Who hath not eat her Bread, worn her Cloth, re­ceived her Medicaments, applied her Plaisters, and her Ʋnguents.

Nor did she leave any thing consider­able to the Earth but her body. Ex­chang'd all she had, for the hopes of a better life, leaving little besides the imitation of her self, and an ambition of the like Vertue.

Nor ever did she with works of mer­cy, commute with God for those of wantonness and luxury. Who ever saw a garment, or an ornament of a garment which was superfluous upon her? much less did she use Ceruss, or Stibium, Scar­let, or any other fucus, signs and indicati­ons [...]. of a sick and weak mind. But like the abovesaid Gorgonia, although she knew many and various external Ornaments of her sex, yet she esteemed none so orna­mental as her manners, and inward pu­rity [Page 29] and brightness of her mind; the on­ly ruddiness which pleased her, was that of modesty; the only white, was that of fasting and abstinence.

The Father commends Gorgonia, for that she did not labour so much to seem, [...]. as really to be good.

So our Saint blew no Trumpet, made no noise, retir'd to her Closet, shut her door, and offered the Sacrifices of an universal Righteousness to him that sees in secret, but rewards openly.

What more sagacious in practical god­liness than her discourses? yet what more prudent than her silence?

So the Father admires Gorgonia; Who [...]; knew the things of God better than she, both from the sacred Oracles, and her own understanding; yet who talked less? [...]; containing her self within the bounds of Piety proper to her sexe. And this also is the genuine character of our Anna.

[...] 5. These are great things, and these are great Truths.

Thus these two great Saints, lived instruments of Good, examples of Ver­tue, and ornaments of their Sex, and now you long to hear how they died. Truly they were lovely and pleasant in their lives and in their death they were not divided.

Of Gorgonia the Father tells us she [...]. earnestly desired her dissolution; and to be with Christ, she preferred before all the pleasures of the World.

So our Saint all the while of her last and happiest sickness, breath'd out no other longings: but as the Hart pant­eth after the Water-brooks, so panted her soul after thee, O God; Her soul thirst­ed for God, for the living God, oh when should she come and appear before God?

Gorgonia had some presensation of death, [...]. a kind of Vision, making known the day of her departure. And as if this Ma­tron had had some such sentiment and apprehension, at the very first notice of this last sickness she often used these words, Lord fit me for thy self, and thy will be done.

Gorgonia fallen into a very great ex­tremity of body, suffered no Physician [...]. but God.

How loth and unwilling our Saint was to use Physicians, not only in this, but in former sicknesses, is very well known to all that were about her; which did not spring so much from contempt of that conjectural Art, as from the ful­ness of inward peace, and a desire to be in a safe Port and Haven.

'Tis said Gorgonia having made her [Page 31] last day [...], a day of joy and festival, she fell asleep.

So ours, the day before she died, con­fessed her humanity by groaning out now and then her sense of a pain in her side; but on the day of her Apotheosis, by all she did, by all she said, by all she suffered, there was nothing perceptible, but the deepest peace, the sweetest com­forts: with very little reluctancy of Nature, attested by a few drops of sweat on a hot day, in a hotter room, with a singultus or two, she resign'd her pure Soul into the hands of her merciful Cre­ator.

Oh Death where is thy sting, O Grave where is thy victory? Let me die the death of the Righteous, and let my latter end be like his.

I will end with Hierom's words on the Lady Paula. Non moeremus quòd ta­lem amisimus, sed gratias agimus quòd ha­buimus, imo habemus.

We do not mourn that we have lost such an one, but we give infinite thanks to All­mighty God that we ever had, yea that we have such an Example.

An Example too big for mine, too big for humane Eloquence, none but an An­gel is fit to write her Epitaph.

Now to the King Eternal, Im­mortal, Invisible, the Only wise God, be Honour and Glory for ever, and for ever.

FOR the better understanding of these words, we must open the 49: Verse. For every one shall be salt­ed with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

The particle For, intimates their con­nexion with the precedent words; and that they have the same sence, will ap­pear by the sequel of this Discourse; viz. That some part of the Body perish, that the whole may be preserved: which our Lord illustrates by an allusion to the two-fold Oblation, or the [...] in the [...]. first and second of Leviticus, the [...] and [...], the burnt-Offering and the meat-Offering; the first was all burnt upon the Altar, in the second the [...] only, or the memorial, which was Lev. 2. 2. [...] Lev. 2. 13. [...], a sweet savour unto the Lord: of this chiefly did the Law pro­vide; [Page 2] Every Oblation of thy meat-of-fering shalt thou season with Salt, nei­ther shalt thou suffer the Salt of the Co­venant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat-offering; and then adds; With all thy Offerings thou shalt offer Salt: which former words the LXXII. translate thus. [...], and from them St. Mark, with respect to the sence, [...], i. e. E­very gift of Sacrifice, or every Sacrifice, shall be salted with Salt. So that two things our Lord says; 1. Every one shall be salted with fire, that is of them of whom he was speaking, who should indulg their vitiousand depraved affections. They [...]. should be salted with fire, i. e. with both their eyes, and hands, and feet should be confined to the Worm that doth not dye, and the Fire that is not quenched. A plain allusion to the perpetuity of the [...]. Philo of them that offer sa­crifice. p. 851. Paris 1640. fire upon the Altar of the burnt-offer­ings; for Philo observes, it was a Law of the exterior Altar, Fire shall burn inces­santly upon the Altar: and though he makes that sacred Flame a Symbol of our incessant Gratitude; yet our Lord refers to the consuming quality of it: and in respect to the great Act of his Justice, God himself is called a Consu­ming Fire. And indeed [...] signifies as [Page 3] well to be consumed, as to be salted. So the Prophet; the Heavens shall vanish as Heb. 12. 29. Deut. 4. 24. [...] Esai. 51. 6. Sym. Aqui. Comminuetur, in salis moduns conterentur. Nobil. Jer. 38. 11. Vim cons [...] ­mendi. Smoak. [...]. Hence [...] are [...], old rotten rags which Abedmelech supplied the Prophet with, to save his body from the Cords, by which he designed to take him out of the Dungeon. And in that respect Salt is like to Fire; that it hath a faculty of consuming as well as fire, with this difference; it consumes but part, where­as Fire, to use Philo's words, [...] consumes the whole.

Every Sacrifice shall be salted with Salt; here our Lord takes the word in its proper signification, and intimates that every one who would be an ac­ceptable Sacrifice unto God, must re­fine and preserve himself pure from all evil and corrupt Affections, as the Sa­crifice is by Salt from all putrefaction. The Summ is this. Every man must by all means suffer some or other consum­ption; either by way of Salting, or by way of burning. This is the Vitious person, who will not mortifie, nor cru­cifie his sinful Lusts and Affections; he shall be salted with Fire, like the [...] shall be wholly burnt up, and consumed, i. e. go whole into a state of perdition.

The other is the Vertuous Man, the true and real Christian, who is content­ed to part with Hand, or Foot, or Eye, or whatsoever else shall stand in competition with his obedience to his dear Lord and Master Jesus Christ. He like the [...] is salted with Salt, a part of him only is consumed; and he en­ters maimed into a state of life.

The Holy Scriptures frequently al­lude [...]s 34. [...], 6. Jer. 46. 10. to both these Sacrifices: To the first; My Sword shall be bathed in Hea­ven; behold it shall come down upon Idu­mea, and upon the people of my curse to judgment; the Sword of the Lord is fill­ed with blood, &c. For the Lord hath a Sacrifice in Bozra, and a great slaughter in the Land of Idumea.

To the second; I beseech you by the mercies of God, that you present your Rom. 12. 1. [...]. Bodies a living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable Ser­vice.

So St. Peter: We are an holy Priest­hood, 1 Pet. 2. 5. [...]. to offer up spiritual Sacrifices ac­ceptable unto God. Such as are [...]; Prayers and Eucharists offered up by worthy per­sons; these are [...], J. Martyr. as the holy man speaks; the only perfect and acceptable Sacrifices unto [Page 5] God. In allusion hereunto St. Paul Col. 4. 6. would have our speech always seasoned with Salt, i. e. defecate and refined from every thing that is putrid, cor­rupt, and rotten. The former words of this Verse are thought to be loco non suo, however may be shut up in a Paren­thesis, and so we are at the Text.— Have salt in your selves, and have peace one with another.

But here I cannot but observe an­other quality of Salt, viz. its Ʋnitive, or Henotic. 'Twas of old a Symbol of [...]. Eu­stath. Union and friendship, which is never more seasonable, than in our approaches to that God who is One. Of its use in holy things, our Books abound with instances.

An innocent life, with a little Mola salsa, shall propitiate your Houshold Gods, sooner than whole Hecatombs without it. So Tibullus.

A little flower and salt expiats all the errours of the night. So likewise of its use in civil conversation; hereto Aes­chines refers when he tells us we ought highly to esteem the salts of the City, and the publick table.

Hither also must we refer the Symbol [...] Laertius in vi­ta Pythag. p. 222. edit. Lond. 1664. [...] Reverentia nunsae. of Pythagoras, salem apponito, set on the salt, by which he would that we should not dissolve friendship; because salt preserves every thing from putrefaction, and is made of the most pure, and liquid things, viz. Water, and the Sea, as Gy­raldus observes: So salem, & mensam ne praeterito, despise not the salt and table; whence the Reverence of the table was put for the law of friendship, as Juvenal, Claudian, Euripides in Hecuba & Thec­critus in Hyla use it, and for that reason the Antients were wont to set it before their Guests before all other meat. But I shall end this observation with one an­tient and one modern testimony of this custom.

The first is of Origen speaking of Ju­das In his Com­ments of St. Matthew. the Traytor. Neque salis ejusdem, neque mensae, neque panis communicati memor: That he was mindful neither of the same salt nor table, nor the bread which our Lord communicated to him.

The second is of Baron Sigismond who reports the Czar has no greater expressi­ons of his kindness than to send from his table bread and salt, idque maximi ho­noris loco habetur, which is esteemed a very great honour, which he himself re­ceived when Ambassadour both from Maximilian and Ferdinand to Basilius. He was also invited to dine with the Prince, with these words, Sigismunde comedes sal & panem nostrum nobiscum; Sigismund you shall eat our bread, and salt with us: And to this custom 'tis not unlike but our Lord alludes in these words, Have salt in your selves, and have peace one with another.

He had observed that envy and ambi­tion had moved that question, vers. 34. Tic [...], which of them should be the greatest? and therefore in order to the latter 'tis no wonder he referred to the former of these symbolical qualities; I mean that in order unto peace that he referred unto purgation. For only by Prov. 13. 10. pride comes contention. So that you may please to take this Paraphrase of the words. Let the doctrine of the Gospel corrode and eat out all the corruptions of your souls, and minds, and oblige you to all amity and peaceableness one with an­other; of the latter of which I shall [Page 8] chuse to intreat chiefly, and of the for­mer only in order thereunto.

Where you must not expect a tedious harangue in praise of peace: For, Quis unquam Herculem vituperavit? whoever dispraised it? but rather a severe stricture and reflection upon the want of charity in the Christian World, with a proposal of some causes of that defect. Such as is,

1. The non-purgation of all vitious and depraved affections.

2. The mistaking the true notion of the Christian Religion.

3. The overvaluing of opinions.

4. The advancing doctrines which have no good influence upon our lives.

5. The taking up the sences of late men, without inquiring after the good old paths, wherein the Fathers of the first and best Ages walked; and such like.

And if peace was the last Legacy our Lord left us before he dyed, and the first blessing with which he did salute us after he rose again; how is it that that innocent dove has so many Ages since taken her flight, & Terram [...] reli­quit? Of old in the multitude of be­lievers Acts 4. 32. there was [...], [...], one heart, and one soul; and their mutu­al [Page 9] charities, did notam nobis inurere, did signalise us, saith Tertullian: See, say they, how Christians love one another, and are ready to die for one another. 'Twas Lucian's observation in his pere­grinus, Vide inquiunt ut invicem se diligunt; ut pro alter utro mori sint parati; Tertul. who speaking of his imprison­ment, tells us 'tis incredible what zeal, and celerity the Christians expressed in visiting and relieving of him; in such cases Christians were wont to spare for [...]. nothing; nay they inriched him, and assigning the reason hereof, he saith, [...] Lucian pag. 996. Edit. Par 1615. [...], i. e. Their chief Law­giver perswaded them they would be­come mutual Brethren.

So the City Prefect in the passion of Vincentius calls Christians by way of Deridiculi causâ. scorn Fratres, Brethren. But whoso­ever shall take a view of the Christian Churches from the beginning of the Fourth Century down to this very day; must needs suffer some kind of commo­tion even for Religions sake; where he shall find no footsteps of that Primitive charity, though it may be, now and then a good man in vain calling for it.

Of old the Church was all one body compacted by the Literae formatae even from the Rhene to Nilus; from the Brit­tish Ocean to and beyond Euphrates: [Page 10] but now every little spot of earth has (God help us) a several Church Catho­lick: Nay ever since the opening of the Springs of Controversies, and the de­termining of unnecessary Questions, the Church has suffered a deluge of Opini­ons, and Schisms, with which at this day 'tis over-run, and which is the saddest effect of all, since we are become anathe­ma Dum alter al­teri anathema esse coepit, pro­pe sane nem [...] est Christi St. Hyl. to one another, almost no man is found closely to adhere to Christ. The dissenti­ons of Christians are the disgrace of Christianity. Witness the woful effects of the Alexandrian controversie, where­in we have seen Council condemning Council, and one Prelate another.

Whom would it not grieve to see the Mitre and the Crosier strangely convert­ed into the Helmet, and the Partizan; and such ingenious cruelties practised upon one another, as quite out-did the bloody Pagans? So that a Heathen com­plained, Nullae infestae hominibus be­stia ut sunt si­bi f [...]rales pleri­que Christiano­rum, Ammi­an. Marcel. No Wolves nor Tygers, nor beast of prey are so hurtful to man as very ma­ny Christians are to one another. What Ingenuous Christian is not troubled to hear Julian bespeaking dissenting Chri­stians. Audite me quem Alemanni audi­erunt, & Franci, i. e. hear me whom the barbarous Nations have heard: To hear Marcus Antoninus; O Marcoman­ni, [Page 11] O Quadi, O Sarmatae tandem alios vo­bis inquietiores inveni; at length I have found some others more seditious and more unquiet than your selves: So that a Parisian massacre, a Guisian league, or a Power-Treason, and that too for Religion's sake (the more's the pity) is no great wonder in the World. But O tell it not in Gath, nor publish it in the 2 Sam. 1. 20. streets of Ascalon, lest the Daughters of the Philistins rejoyce, lest the Daughters of the uncircumcised tri­umph.

The Great Eusebius complained that [...]. the forementioned Alexandrian division caused the venerable divine doctrine to undergo the impure scorns and ludibries even of the Pagans in the midst o [...] their Theaters. And how much Religion suf­fers in these late days by these means a­mongst weak men, who cannot, or will not distinguish betwixt humane passions, and divine revelations, I need not now remember. What devastation the holy house, the Sambanite, and the fatal pile have they made in the World! We have seen Princes unthroned, Prelates unchair­ed, and people over run with fire and sword, and all for Religion.

Tantum Relligio potuit suadere malorum?

For Religion did I say? no St. James has better resolved that question, [...], whence are wars and fightings? are they not from your pleasures? by a Metonymy, i. e. for the desires of things rather pleasurable than necessary for hu­mane, or divine life.

Divitis hoc vitium est auri, nec bella fuere Ex cupiditati­bus odia diss [...] ­dia, discordiae, seditiones, bella na scuntur, Cic. 1. de Fin. Faginus adstabat cum scyphus ante dapes.

When men drank in a treen dish, there were no wars.

Our hatred, dissensions, discords, se­ditions, our holy and unholy wars are from our lusts, our envy, our pride, our avarice, and our ambition: So that a great part of our sufficiency for these things is a cordial endeavour after an universal purity of heart, and life.

And therefore the best Philosophers do frequently discourse of their [...], purgative vertues as necessary to preserve the soul for the knowledge of the most excellent, and useful truths. For into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter, nor dwell in the body that is subject Wis. 1. [...]. unto sin. Wickedness is destructive of principles; and this notion is agreeable to the sence of all mankind.

Amongst the Gentiles before a man [Page 13] could be imbued with the discipline of the Eleusinia Sacra, or the holy things of the Magna Mater, he must by cer­tain degrees, and definite intervals of time be purged from the pollutions of this life, and the sordes of his sins.

They had their [...], and then their [...], and their [...], and at length their [...], their publick purgations, their more recon­did, their aggregations, initiations, and then their visions: So we read no man could be consummate in the mysteries of Mythra, unless having passed through many degrees of punishments, [...], i. e. he present himself [...]. holy, and unhurt. He must go through fire and water, hunger and thirst, great travels and such like, 80 in number: First, [...], and then the [...], The lighter, then the more laboursome, [...], so the Candidate is consummate.

So the Primitive Christians always caused the Via purgativa to precede the via illuminativa, from whom the mysti­cal Divines had it. So the pretended Dionysius distinguishes the operation of the sacred Mysteries into three actions [...]. divided by their proper rites and sea­sons, purgation, initiation, and perfection.

The like we may observe in the whole procedure of the antient Church, either concerning such as were to be made Christians, or were to be restored to the communion of the faithful; and the first must go through the state of Catechumens, then of competents, before they could be fideles. But touching [...] their lapsed, their discipline was very severe; They were to go through [...], four places of punish­ments, which they rarely underwent in less than twelve years. So true it is that the wisdom which is from above is first James 3. 17. pure, then peaceable.

The restauration of which Discipline Res Deo grati­or absque du­bio quam de fidei dog matis subtiliter dis­putare extra scripturas; & omnes dissenti­entes ferro & flamma prose­qui; in quo hodie summus pietatis apex ponitur, Isa. Casaub. 1 Cor. 5. 19. Gal. 5. 6. 6, 15. 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10. in the Church would be doubtless more acceptable to God Almighty than our ex­trascriptural, and subtle determinations of Articles of our Faith, and the pro­secution of all Dissenters with fire and sword; which at this day is the height of some mens Religion; saith the Great Casaubon. Which yet St. Paul places nei­ther in circumcision nor uncircumcision, but in the new creature, i. e. in faith that works by love; or in the keeping of the commandments of God. And which will most evidently appear, if we consider that the great end, and design of Reli­gion, is to entitle us unto, and in­vest [Page 15] us with a Life after Death, and a blessed Immortality.

Now let us consider first what it is that secludes us from that State; Saint Paul will tell you it is unrighteousness, Galat. 5. 19. Fornication, Idolatry, Adultery, Effemi­nacy, Sodomy, Theft, Covetousness, drun­kenness, Reviling, Extortion, Ʋnclean­ness, Lasciviousness, Witchcraft, Hatred, Variance, emulation, Wrath, strife, Se­dition, Heresies, Envyings, Murthers, Revellings, and such like; I have told you before, and I tell you again, saith the Apostle, That they that do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.

What is it then that admits into that Kingdom? our Lord will answer that question. How readest thou, saith he to Luke 10. 26. the Lawyer, who had asked him what he must do to inherit Eternal life. Thus I read, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart &c. (which is no o­therwise exemplified, than by keeping his Commands) and thy Neighbour as thy self; this do and thou shalt live, saith Christ.

Herein also did the antient Church place the Essence of Christian Reli­gion, whereof I will give you as­surance from Witnesses Domestick and Forreign.

J. Martyr; If you shall observe any [...] J. M. 2. Apolog. to live not as our Lord hath taught, [...], Let all the World know they are no Christians, al­though they make never such Orthodox Confessions of their Faith. So Athena­goras; [...] Athen. leg. No Christian is a wicked man, un­less he be such an one as doth dissemble his profession. So Tertullian; You would have us renounce the name of Christian; we are excluded if our lives be as the lives Excludimur, si faci mus quae faciunt non Christiani. of such as are not Christians. And up­braiding to the Gentiles, that their Prisons, Mines, and Beasts were daily cloyed with Malefactors, he tells them; There is not a Christian amongst them, Nemo illic Chri­stianus, nisi plauè tantùm Christianus, aut si & aliud, jam non Christia­nus. unless he be there for his Christianity on­ly; for if he be upon any other account, he is no Christian. And again; You will say even some of ours do swerve from the Rule of our Discipline, then they cease to be accounted Christians amongst Desinunt tum Christiani habe­ri apud nos. Apol. Haec non ad­mittet omniuo qui natus à Deo fuerit, non futurus Dei fi­liussi admiserit. De vestro nume­ro carcer exae­stuat; Christia­nus ibi nullus nisi aut reus suae, &c. us. And in another Treatise, having enumerated very many of the works of the Flesh; he says, He that is born of God will by no means commit these things; for if he should commit them, he would be no longer the son of God.

So Minucius Felix; Your Prisons are crowded with your own number, but not a Christian amongst them, nisi aut reus [Page 17] suae Religionis aut profugus, unless guil­ty only of his Religion, or a Runagado from it.

So Lucian in his Peregrinus tells us, They worshipped their crucified Sophist, [...] Ep. 97. and lived according to his Laws. So Pliny to Trajan tells us, speaking of Christians, They were wont to convene on a set day before it was light, and there Carmen Christo quasi Deo di­cere secum in­vicem. Ne furta, ne latrocinia, ne adulteria com­mitterent, ne fi­dem fallerent, ne depositum appellati abne­garent. Ad capiendum cibum promi­scuum, tamen & innoxium, Mic. 6. 8. James 1. 27. to sing alternatly an Hymn to Christ, as if he were God, and to bind themselves by oath to no wickedness; but that they would commit no Thefts, nor Robberies, nor Adulteries, nor break their faith, nor betray their trust: which done, they were wont to depart, and to meet again to eat bread in common, but very innocently. Agreeably hereunto doth the Prophet Micah reduce Religion to Righteousness, Mercy, and an humble Piety; and Saint James places true and genuine Religion in Beneficence and Purity of life. So that if Christians will contend as such, there remains to them only a laudable Am­bition to excel in Meekness and Humili­ty, in Mercy and Charity, in Purity and Peaceableness; and not in multiplying Articles of Faith, and then like foolish Builders, making all of them of the foundation, whereof St. Hilary doth gravely complain to Constantius, That [Page 18] after the Councel of Nice, Christians did Conscii nobis invicem sumus post Niceni Con­ventus Syno­dum, nibil ali­ud quam fidem scribi. little else but write Creeds.

Nor in determining fruitless and in­determinable Questions; which all Christendom may truly say, is Fundus nostrae Calamitatis, the Ground of all our Schisms and Divisions. Had the Tridentine Fathers had a right notion of Christi­anity, they would have spared their Anathemata, and Geneva their Fires, and Dort their Wagons; had they consider­ed that such and only such Articles are necessary, without the explicit know­ledge of which, we could not perform the conditions of the new Covenant. That is, Believe in God and Christ, and observe their Precepts, (this entitles us to the Promises.) They would ra­ther have spent their Zeal in preaching The worthy Author of Causes of the decavs of Christian pie­ty hath one chapter of the mischiefs ari­sing from dis­putes. St. Paul's Doctrine of Repentance from dead works, and the exercise of Cha­rity. For I would the Proud Disputer, and the whole Polemick Rabble should know, that necessary Articles are nei­ther many, nor obscure.

Not many. How succinct was that Creed upon which our Lord built his Church. We believe and are sure that Matth. 16. 19. thou art the Son of the living God; and this was Marthas Creed, and Sal­vation John 11. 27. was particularly promised to it. [Page 19] This was the end of writing St. John's Gospel, that we might believe that Je­sus is the Christ the Son of God, and that John 20. 31. believing we might have life through his name. That Jesus Christ was the Son of Acts 8. 37. God, was the Eunuchs Creed. So St. Paul; This is the word of Faith which we preach, Rom. 10. 8, 9. that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. And this simplicity did the antient Church re­tain. Irenaeus, who when he had recit­ed that Creed, which then was not so long as now it is, adds, [...], Not the most eloquent of all the [...], deminorabit traditionem. Iren. l. 1. 23. Prelats in the Church [...], be­lieves any more, and the most simple Ideot believes no less: the Faith being one and the same. They who have the greatest plenty of words do not exceed it, and they who have the fewest do not dimi­nish it.

So Tertullian tells us, the Rule of Faith is only one; stable and unalterable. Regula fidel una omnino est sola, immobilis, irreformabilis. Arbitratur Rex rerum ab­solute necessa­riarum ad sa­lutem non ma­gnum esse nu­merum. So that it is no wonder that excellent Prince, in his Answer to Perrone, thinks the number of things necessary to Salva­tion is not very great. And further, his Majesty thought there was no more expedite way to Peace, than diligently to [Page 20] seperate Necessaries from Non-necessaries, and that we might all agree in Necessa­ries; in non necessariis Libertati Chri­stianae locus detur, in unnecessary Ar­ticles let Christian liberty take place. The King further says, That if we made Videsis respon­sionem ad E­pist. Card. Per. Londini 1612 use of this distinction for deciding of Con­troversies at this day, there would be nei­ther long nor fierce Contention amongst Pious and Modest men, about Articles absolutely necessary; Nam & pauca illa sunt, & ferè ex aequo ab omnibus pro­bantur, i. e. That they are both few, and upon the matter receiv'd by all who would be accounted Christians. Nay that learn­ed and pacifick King doth so much va­lue this distinction, for the lessening of Controversies, which excercise Gods Church, that he judges it the Duty of all that are studious of Peace, diligen­tissimè hanc explicare, urgere, docere, most diligently to explicate, urge, and teach it.

And this is but the breathing of that Spirit which influenced the first and best Ages of the Church. How else shall we understand Justin Martyr, who answering that objection of Try­pho, That Christ should be God before the [...]. World was, and be made man and be born, and yet not be born according to [Page 21] the manner of men; [...]: i. e. (saith Trypho) it seems to me not only incredible, but also foolish. The holy man answers, If I cannot de­monstrate that he did pre-exist, the Son of him that made the Ʋniverse, and was a Man born of a Virgin; herein only 'twas fit to say I was mistaken; but not to de­ny that he was the Christ, if it should appear that he was a Man born according [...]. Videsis Just. Mart. p. 63. E­dit. R. Steph. [...]. Cyril p. 101. [...]. to the manner of men, and be demonstra­ted that he was made the Christ by E­lection: For there are some friends, quoth he, of our Profession, who do confess him to be the Christ, yet do affirm him to be a man born according to the manner of men.

So Cyril of Hierusalem. That God hath a Son, that you are to believe; but be not so curious as to enquire into the Modus of that Filiation; for if you seek it you shall not find it. Do not flie too high, lest you fall, but attend to those things alone which he hath commanded you. And a little after he tells [...] &c. It is sufficient to assist thy Piety to know that God has but one Son.

So Gregory Nazianzen, speaking of the holy Spirit, tells you. There are that do depress him into the degree of a Crea­ture [Page 22] & they he says, are injurious, and bad, [...] Nazi­anz. Orat. 44. pag. 709. and the worst of servants; There are that think him God, and they are Divine Spi­rits, and of clear, and bright understand­ings. There are that name him so, if it be in presence of men of good judgement. They are noble souls; but if in presence of weak Christians, they are not wise dispen­cers of the word: 'Tis all one as to cast a pearl into the dirt to object the voice of Thunder or the brightness of the Sun to So the Greeks if they belie­ved the pro­cession of the holy Ghost from the Son, yet did not condemn those of Heresie, who did not. See the Judicious and Learned Doctor Stilling. in his Rational Account, pag. 10, 11, 12, 13. a weak ear, or eye, to give solid meat to him that needs and uses milk.

And to these excellent men I shall subjoyn a worthy Prelate of our own See relation of a confe­rence, p. 25. Church, who considering the proceed­ings of Rome, in the Article Filioque concludes, 'tis hard to add and to ana­thematise too. All which passages can­not For the mo­dus of that Procession. See Cyril late Patriarch of Alexandria to the Pious and Learned Ʋtenbogard. [...] [...] Epiphan. Ego me refero ad illas scripturae voces, quae jubent invocare Christum, quod est ei honorem divinitatis tribuere, & plenum con­solationis est, [...], Melancthon, Ep. 140. p. 708. not be understood without that Royal distinction of necessary Articles and non-necessary. And so we see what stress holy and good men laid upon the niceties of the Christian Faith.

Yet all this notwithstanding the boute­feues and incendiaries of Christendome, suppose, nor Creed, nor Scripture suffici­ent to make up an Orthodox Christians Confession of Faith. To all such super­fine wits, I shall oppose Tertullian; What is Athens to Jerusalem, or the Aca­demy Quid ergo A­thenis & Hie­rosolumis, quid Academiae & Ecclesiae, quid haereticis & Christianis. Viderrnt qui Stoicum & Platonicum & dialecticum Christianss­mum protule­runt. De Prae­script. C. 7, 8. Nobis curosita­te non [...]st opus post Christum Jesum, nec Inquisitione post evangelium. Cum credimus nihil desideramus ultra credere. Hoc enim prius credimus, non esse ultrae quod cre­dere debeamus. to the Church, or Hereticks to Chri­stians. Let them see to it who have in­troduced a Stoical, Platonick, or a subtle Christianity. What needs any curiosity after and beyond Christ Jesus, or farther disquisition after we have receiv'd the Go­spel. So soon as we believe we desire no­thing farther than to believe: for this we first of all believe, that there is nothing fur­ther that we ought to believe.

In vain I say did he adore the fulness of the Scripture, and provoke the shop Adoro Scri­pturae plenitu­dinem. Advers. Herm. c. 22. of Hermogenes to shew where the matter in controverse was written, if not to bid him fear, that woe which is denounced a­gainst all such as add to, or detract from the Sacred Scriptures. In vain did Apollinaris fear to write against the He­resie [...]. Fusebius l. 5. c. 16. of Miltiades, lest he should seem to some men to make additions to the Do­ctrine [Page 24] of the New Testament. To or from which he may neither add nor substract who would institute his life according to the precepts of the Gospel. They who think they can speak more properly than the Wisdom of God has spoken, let them re­concile themselves to Athanasius, who [...]. Orat. cont. gentes. avers the Sacred and Divinely inspir'd Scriptures are abundantly sufficient for the declaration of the truth: and to Saint Basil who makes it without all doubt a [...] a manifest falling from the Faith and a most certain proof of pride [...], either to reject any thing De vera fide, p. 251. l. 10. that is written, nor to introduce any thing that is not written; Our Lord having said my sheep will hear my voice, and a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know the voyce of strangers. And again, enquiring of what mind the [...] ought to be, he saith he would have them always to fear lest he should affirm or determine any thing be­sides the Will of God [...] Regul [...] bre­vior. 98. without controversie laid down in the Sacred Scriptures, lest he he found a false witness of God. And again he tells us 'tis the property of a faithful minister to preserve intire and without the adul­terate mixtures of any other Doctrines, [Page 25] that which was concredited to him by his [...]. de Ver. fid. p. 249. merciful Lord to be communicated to his fellow servants, and he assigns irrefra­gable reason; because neither our Lord, nor the Spirit of God spake from them­selves: Nay a little after he tells us, he would spare to use such terms and [...]. de ver. fid. p. 25. words, which in so many syllables are not found in the divine Scriptures, though they did retain the same sence; and as­signs this reason for it; such kind of terms and words, besides their novelty, [...], are apt to innovate the sence of things, and were never found used by holy men heretofore; These I have by all means declined, [...], as strange and forreign to the holy Faith. Nothing can be more concluding, unless I should end this observation with that voice out of the Cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well Mat. 17. 5. pleased, Hear ye him.

Nor Obscure. Though some men think nothing makes a Solemnity but Shades, Cette parole contient nette­ment & claire­ment, tout ce qui est neces­saire pour for­mer la Foy & pour regler le Culte, les Moeurs, saith the learned Claude in his Answer to Arnaud. lib. 1. c. 4. speaking of God's Word. Nay he further adds these excellent words; Il est aise mesine aux plus simples, de juger si le Ministere sous le quel nous vivons pout conduire an salut, & per consequent si nostre Societe est la veritable Eglise. and therefore introduce their divine no­tions like Homer's Deities, always cloath­ed with Cloud. They represent our [Page 26] Lord as another Sphynx, that they might be reputed the only Oedipus's in the World; but can we think that he, who was disclosed from the bosom of that God, who dwells in inaccessible light; he whose name is [...] the East or the Morning; he who is the Sun of Righteousness, [...] the true and genuine Light, who was cloath'd with Light upon Mount Tabor, and in that Garment appeared unto the per­secuting Saul; he who brought Life and Immortality to light, and whose Disciples are the light of the World; that he discourses Aenigmata, Mysteries and Darkness. We find him in his fa­mous Sermon upon a Mountain indeed, but below the Clouds. Can we think it that that God who appeared in a pil­lar of Fire under the Oeconomy of Mo­ses, appears only in a pillar of Cloud under the dispensation of Christ? Is there no light in the Sun that fountain of Light, because the blind man doth not see it? No, no, to the Law and to the Testimony, if they speak not according Esay 8. 20. to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Tell me not there are [...], 2. Pet. 3. 16. Homil. 3. in 2. Thess. some things hard to be understood. St. Chrysostom solves that, [...], all necessaries are clear and mani­fest. [Page 27] So Hilary; Almighty God doth not Non per diffici­les nos Deus ad beatam vitam quaestiones vo­cat, nec multi­plici eloquentis facundiae gene­re solicitat. In absoluto no­bis ac facili est aeternitas. Jesum suscita­tum à mortuis per Deum cre­dere; & ipsum esse dominum, confiteri. De Trinitat. lib. 10. p. 231. Am. Marcel. 21 Religionem Christianam ab­solutam & sim­plicem anili superstitione confundens. 1 Tim. 6. 3. Tit. 1. 1. [...] significat id quo tenditur Grotius in loc. In id enim da­tur & fides & cognitio ut piè vivatur. invite us to a blessed Immortality by hard questions, nor doth he sollicit us with any great variety of a copious Eloquence; but propounds Eternity to us upon plain and intelligible terms, when this is all, even to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead by God, and to confess him to be the Lord. And a heathen Historian doth com­plain of Constantius, That he did perplex the Christian Religion, a Religion plain and intelligible enough, with superstition and dotage.

For in the first and best Ages of the Church, Religion did not consist of Systems of abstruse and difficult Specula­tions, nor dry and barren Opinions; but there was a special care had that their Theological notions were [...] such as tended to a vertuous and pious life, and did not directly contra­dict the conditions of that Covenant by which we claim eternal happiness; such as are the fatal pre-determinations of mens eternal states, and the servitude of humane minds; which pair of Dogmata, like Hippocrates his Twins, laugh and cry, live and die together. If there be any that are vertuous and consequent­ly happy [...], naturally and fatally such. Such an one I would [Page 28] esteem an Hero sprung ex stirpe Deo­rum;

You'd think him not born of Mortal parents, but to be of divine extraction. But that a Good and Righteous God hath decreed from all Eternity, to bring into being innumerable myriads of Souls, who let them do what they will and can, are irreversibly determined to un­speakable torments; so great and so ex­ceeding, that all the racks and tortures the witty cruelties of enraged Tyrants could ever invent or execute, would be ease and pleasure in comparison of them, and that these pangs should re­main fresh upon them for ever and for ever; this saith a learned and pious per­son Videsis Myst. of Godl. lib. 10. 2. is the representation of that sowr Dogma, which he justly accuses of being contradictious to Reason, and blasphe­mous of God; and after tells you a great truth, That the serious and im­perious obtrusion of such a dismal con­ceit as this, for one of the greatest Ar­canums of Religion, is enough to make the free spirit, and over inclinable to prophaneness, to question the whole [Page 29] frame of it. And that this should be done by men who pretend they would advance vertue, piety and probity in the World, is a great argument that they So Suetonius tells us of Ne­ro he was Re­ligionum ne­gligentior, quia persuasionis plenus cuncta fato agi. Ac vide seculi furores, Certa­mina Allabro­gica de stoica necessitate tan­ta sunt, ut car­ceri inclusus sit quidam qui à Zenone dis­sentit, saith Melancthon to Joach. Came­rarius. Ep. 796 p. 923. The same Me­lancthon to Gaspar Peucer relating the same passage, cries out, O rem miseram! doctrina salu­taris obscura­tur peregrinis disputationibus understand not the consequence of their own Dogmata so well as the Tragedian did.

Solvite mortales animos, curisque levate, Tot (que) supervacuis animū deplete querelis; Fata regunt orbem, certâ stant omnia lege.

Cast away your cares, and forbear your fruitless complaining, for Fate governs the World, and nothing can fall out other­wise than it does.

And to introduce the Servitude of humane minds, doth necessarily sub­vert all Law, Discipline, and Religion, the sum whereof is contained in the Pre­cepts of Obedience, the Promises of Re­wards, and the Threatnings of Punish­ments; but he that acts from an inevi­table necessity, is uncapable of a com­mandement; that which could not be otherwise neither merits the praise of obedience, nor the reproach of disobe­dience. We praise not the Sun that he rises upon us, and spreads his comfort­able beams in our hemisphere; nor the Clouds that they drop fatness. We know [Page 30] they can do no otherwise; 'Tis so with Man under these Adamantine bonds of Fate: Haud est nocens quicunque non sponte est nocens.

And now could I account for the De­generacy of Christendom from any other cause, I would have considered no other Opinions. When I look into the Roman Communion; the multitude of their Indulgences, and Pardons, their slight and superficial Penances, their easie Pro­mises of security to careless sinners, must needs be acceptable to such a kind of people as have a mind to enjoy this World as well as that to come, and so that part of the wonder ceases: But, ‘Iliacos intra muros peccatur & extra.’

The Reformation is faulty too; which makes me think some bad doctrines do too much influence their lives. Such as D [...] Justitia Christi imputa­tu nobis, qu [...]si eam onine [...] praestitissem us, & de fide, quae illum justitiam sic imputatam amplecti debe­at, nullum est verbum in sa­cris literis. Grotii Votum ad Articulum IV. an imaginary Righteousness, an empty Faith, no necessity, no possibility of keeping the Commandments of Christ. What should they do with a righteousness of their own, who do expect to be made as per­fectly righteous as the holy Jesus the Son of God, by the imputation of a righte­ousness not their own? Why should they not set up their rest in a Faith [Page 31] prescinded from Charity, who vapour to the World, Quam dives sit homo Chri­stianus sive baptizatus, qui etiam volens non potest perdere suam salutem, quantis­cunque peccatis, nisi nolit credere. And what necessity, what possibility of keep­ing the Commands of Christ, when St. Paul is carnal, sold under sin, does not the good he would, and does the evil he would not.

And so according to these mens Di­vinity, the measure of St. Paul's Vertue and Obedience, and of every Regenerate man shall be the same with the Pagan's in Lactantius, Medeas in Euripides, and Lesbonicus's in Plautus.

The Pagan, Volo equidem non peccare, Volo equidem non peccare, sed vincor; indu­tus sum enim carne fragili & imbecilla: haec est quae concupiscit, quae irascitur, quae dolet, quae mori timet; it aqu [...] ducor invitus, & pecco, non quia volo, sed quia Cogor; sentio me & ipse peccure, sed necessitas fra­gilitatis impel­lit, cut repugna­re non possum l. 4. c. 24. sed vincor, &c. In good truth, I would not sin but I am overcome, I am cloath'd with frail and weak flesh, 'tis that which lusts, grievs, and fears to die; therefore I am led unwillingly, and I do sin, not that I would, but I am compelled. I do per­ceive I do sin; but that frailty whereto I cannot resist doth necessarily enforce me to it.

So Medea;

So Lesbonicus;

I know what becomes me, but wretch that I am, I cannot do it; I am so taken with lust and idleness, it is that deceives me.

But to this place I say no more, but only observe that memorable accident which befel the famous Nicolas Zitini­us, who was put up by a Synod of the Reformed to explicate that Paragraph of St. Paul, agreably to the modern sence of our Genevensian Masters; and he did, saith a noble Author, eo Concilio rem strenuè aggredi, briskly undertake the design: but at length coming to those words, I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ, haesit attonito similis, was astonished. But after he had recollected himself, he broke out into these words: Ecquod benefi­cium illud quod tantas Apostolo grates expressit? an quod in tant [...] eum peccati ser­vitute detineri necesse fuit? hoc vero mihi equidem probari nullo pacto potest. Ego igitur, inquit, pariter ingentes patri luminum ago gratias, quod mihi nunc ab errore liberato veritatis suae lucem adoriri voluit. Ecqua vero est ista liberatio? What deli­verance [Page 33] is that? What benefit is that which drew so great thank fulness from him? was it that he was necessarily detain­ed under so great bondage unto sin? I can by no means think so; therefore, quoth he, I give all possible thanks to the Father of Lights, who hath now caused the light of truth to arise upon and deliver me from my error.

But whilst Zealots and high pretenders to Religion, do against the sence of first and best Ages of the Church, depre­tiate and vilifie moral honesty, and obtrude such falshoods as are pure con­tradictions and impossibilities, and that Qui innocenti­am colit, Domi­no supplicat; qui justitiam, Deo libat; qui fraudibus ab­stinet, propitiat Deum; qui ho­minem periculo surripit, opti­mam victimam caedit. Haec no­stra sacrificia, haec Dei sacra sunt. Sic apud nos religiosior est ille qui justior. Min. Fel. with the same gravity, authority, and importunity as they do the holy Oracles of God, it will startle prudent and conscientious men; but gratifie the pro­phane and atheistical Spirit, who will­ingly takes this advantage against the whole frame of Religion, as if there were no truth in it.

But in vain do I object unreasonable­ness to these men, who disclaim the use of their most noble Faculty in their affairs of greatest importance; and that they may be always like themselves, they think they have reason so to do. As Myst Godl, p. 495. if they had never read, Try all things; [Page 34] hold fast that which is good; believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God or no; be ready to render a reason of the hope that is in you. Thus St. Paul. If the blind lead the blind they both fall into the ditch: Why of your selves do you not judg that which is right, saith our Lord? All which speeches, if they do not advise men to make use of their Reason in the choice of their Religion, saith an Excellent person (dul­ce Mr. Chilling­worth. p. 97. Decus & Praesidium nostrum, the strength and ornament of our Church) I must confess my self to understand no­thing. It was indeed the saying of A­pelles Euseb. l. 5. 19. in Eusebius [...], we must by no means examin the Faith. But Ludovicus Vives tells Alfaquinus a L. Viv. de Ver. fid lib. 6. 1. p. 546. Lugd. Bat. 1639. great truth. Tutissimum mentiendi ge­nus est nolle rationem corum quae dicas reddere: It is the safest way of lying, to refuse a reason of what you do affirm, and to intitle God to your dreams. And the Lib. 6. de verit. great Hugo Grotius saith, Meritò suspect a merx est, quae hac lege obtruditur ne inspici possit; you may justly suspect such wares as are sold unto you upon condition you may not look upon them. And a famous Prelat of our own Church, would have Ep. Laud Rel. p. 7 [...]. no man think the Mysteries of Faith contradict reason, or the principles [Page 35] thereof. And a worthy person now liv­ing, hath plainly told the World that That Religion is certainly false at the bottom, that will not suffer it self to be enquired into by Reason.

And this was also the sence of other men, who are in reputation for wis­dom. Melchior Canus; Faith is not re­pugnant Fides sane cum natura non pugnat, sed consentit; nec. dissident huma­na & divina ratio, sed cohae­rent. Ʋtraque verum est, nec verum vero ad­versatur. Ʋ ­traque est à Deo, nec sibi contrarius est Deus. Melc. Can. C. C. fol. 358. 359. Col. Agrip. 15. 4. unto Nature but agreeable unto it, nor doth humane and divine reason dissent but accord. Each is true, and one truth is not opposite to another; each of them is from God, and God is not contrary to himself. And further he tells us; It is the custom of unlearned men, such as are Saracens, Pagans, Hereticks, ut coeca & temeraria Sectae suae Dogmata sine ju­dicio amplectantur, & quae disquisitio­ne egent maximè, sine ulla disquisitio­ne recipiant; that they swallow down without any judgment every foolish and temerarious Dogma of their own Sect, and receive without any disquisition those doctrines that most of all need it: And after he hath most excellently per­stringed this folly, he opposes the di­vine method to it, and tells us, the Wisdom of God homines humano more instituit & erudit, i. e. rationales ratio­nibus, institutes and instructs men after the manner of men; that is, reasonable [Page 36] creatures with reasons. But I shall end this with the testimony of Athanasius, whose reason is as great as his authority, he hath a little Tract on purpose a­gainst such as would have men believe [...]. i. e. absolutely, and never consider what is or is not fit to be believed; and in the bo­dy of that discourse, there is one pas­sage Athan. Tom. 2. p. 325. Ed. Par. 1625. which I cannot but exscribe. [...], i. e. Must I believe with­out all reason? must I not enquire whe­ther the notion be possible, useful or deco­rous? whether it be grateful to God, con­gruous to Nature, and consonant to Truth? whether it be consequent from the Text, a­greeable to the Mystery, and worthy of Pi­ety? [...]; What profit is there in a Scheme of unintelligible things? or like a Parrat or an Eccho to reverberate a sound empty of mind and sence?

But this Novelty, amongst the rest, minds me of the Precept of the Pro­phet; Stand in the ways, and see, and Jer. 6. 16. ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your Souls.

And here let me mind you my Bre­thren [Page 37] of the Clergy, of a Canon of our own Church, yet in force, speaking of Preachers.

Imprimis vero videbunt ne quid un­quam doceant pro concione quod à populo religiose teneri & credi velint, nisi quod consentaneum sit doctrinae veteris aut Novi Testamenti, quodque ex illa ipsa doctrina catholici patres, & veteres Epi­scopi collegerint. A Canon which I read many years since; but never resented its worth, until by an inspection into ancient divinity I found how different it was from that which now reigns in our Pulpits and Presses. And here let me observe for the service of my young­er Brethren, whose reading reaches not beyond Geneva; that those Apples of strife couched under the Quinquar­ticular question, as they are apt to de­termine them, are as perfect a piece of Novellism as any other notion we con­temn under that name at this day.

He that thinks the liberty of humane minds is injurious to God's Grace, or prejudicial to the faith and comfort of Christians, accuses those famous Mar­tyrs Ignatius, Irenaeus, Justin and Cyprian, together with Athanasius, Basil, Nyssen, Nazianzen, Chrysostom, Ambrose, and Jerome of the same crime.

And farther, let me mind you of the Anathemata of the Synod of Arles. Let Anathema illi, qui per Dei praescientiam in mortem ho­minem deprimi dixerit. Anathema illi, qui dixerit illum qui peri­it, non accepisse unde salvus esse posset. Anathema illi, qui dixerit Vas contumeliae non posset assurgere ut sit vas in honorem. Anathema illi, qui dixerit quod Christus non pro omnibus mortuus sit, [...] omnes lomines salvos esse velit. him be Anathema who shall say that the divine Prescience doth cause any man's death. That he who perished had not grace enough to be saved. That a vessel of dishonour could not rise to be a vessel of honour. That Christ did not die for all men, and would have all men to be saved.

I might farther instance in the novel sence of that famous Paragraph to the Romans, which as a great man observes, no man takes up but he that hath a Lust to serve; and could easily shew you that the antient Church were all for a Metascematismus in the words; and that St. Austin himself, when he under­stood it worst, understood it better than his pretended followers now do. And thus have I imperfectly pointed out the causes of the decay of Christi­an Charity in the World, and the fomes of those scandalous discords which vex Christendom at this day, ridente Turc [...], nec dolente Judaeo.

And now I shall end with a succinct Paraenesis to you that have vouchsafed [Page 39] your presence and patience. And first to you my Brethren of the Clergy. Me­thinks I hear our Lord and Master Christ like another Joseph bespeaking his Bre­thren, going to their Father to Canaan, See that you fall not out by the way. Have salt in your selves, and have peace one with another. St. Paul propounds a great Question [...]; Who is sufficient for these things? The Psal­mist thought to wash the hands in inno­cency was an excellent preparation to compass the Altars of God; and no doubt but it would prepare for that wisdom also, which would make us meet to wait in the Sanctuary. My Brethren, much of the peace and prosperity of God's Church depends upon our vertuous and prudent conduct of those affairs con­credited to our trust. We are consti­tuted the Guides of Souls; and in a sence to bear the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; but whilst it suffers violence and the violent take it by force, let us see to it, that we our selves be not shut out.

Let us remember the Age we live in, 'tis nice: Many will not drink the waters of life, if offered to them in an unclean Chalice; they will not take the most medicinal dose, if it be prepared [Page 40] with foul hands. It is Philosophical and Rational; Absurdities will not go for Mysteries; weak and indemonstrable Propositions will not pass for super­natural Verities; nor humane Presum­ptions, for divine Revelations. Let our Discourses be strong and useful, that no prophane wit may say of our Exercises, as Gallen reproached the do­ctrine Nibil iradatur populo nisi quod & indubitatum est, & ad fidei negotium ne­cessarium, & ad piè viven­dum conduci­bile, saith the great Erasmus Epist. lib. 24. Epist. 1. [...]. of Moses and Christ; it was [...], They are indemonstra­ble. I could not read without great affection an Observation of the learn­ed D ^r. Andrews (in his Concio ad Cle­rum in a Provincial Convocation) of some men who did involare in hunc lo­cum, hoc divinae sapientiae Solium, and what does he here? hic ad Clepsydram [...] cohaerentia, non cohaeren­tia, scabra, putida, insulsa, nec cocta, nec condita, praecipitare ad nauseam usque, & hoc scilicet concionari dicitur; This is to preach forsooth; too too lively a Character of many a Preacher in these days. Let's for Christ sake see our Do­ctrine and our lives be pure and paci­fick. If our Doctrines be doubtful and litigious, and our Lives be careless and scandalous, (but I'le rather use the words of the pious Author) Si Doctri­na ludibrium, si Vita scandalum, fortasse [Page 41] non momento uno, non ictu oculi; sed sen­sim tamen senescet, evanescet, tendet ad interitum Ordo vester [...]. Nay I'le add a few words more of that good Man from the same Paragraph. Enimvero nisi vos vobis hac parte cavea­tis, optimi Principis gratia, Procerum fa­vor, Legum terror diu vobis cavere non poterunt. But [...]. Well, you see Purity and Peace is in the precept of our Lord; the best method I know to de­rive it into our hearts and lives, is laid down in this sudden discourse; espe­cially in that observation of the Learn­ed King, who would have us distin­guish between Necessaries and Non-ne­cessaries, and tells us the duty of every peaceable Divine is to explicate, to urge, to teach that distinction.

And for your divertisement, now and then if you spent some time in Nazian­zen's Apology, Chrysostom de Sacerdotio, and the 81. Paragraph of Mr. Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity; as you would have no cause to repent your pains, no more should I that have put you in remem­brance so to do.

And now my Brethren of the Laity, let me speak to you in a few words, You are concerned in the Text as well as We. Purity and Peaceableness becomes [Page 42] you, if you will comport with the pre­cept of our Lord: have you any pride that extimulates and provokes you some­times, (to use the Prophet's expression) to strive with the Priest; and, which is worse, to run from the Communion of that Church which bore you on her knees, and nourished you with her breasts? have you any Avarice, which when you fled from Idols praecipitated you into Sacrilege? these would be salted out. Well, Peaceableness you see is your duty, and Purgation in order thereunto. Schism is the direct contra­diction to my Text; and you perceive how little reason any one hath, so to requite the Prudence and the Charity of that Church, wherein we have had the happiness to be educated.

Are the conditions of her Communi­on sinful? Or are you obliged to pro­fess that which you believe is false, or practise that which you know is sinful? Let me request in her behalf, that you would not make the Sentiments of eve­ry angry Son of hers the measures of her Charity: or if you spy the tokens of Avarice, or Ambition on other of her Sons, you would not make them the measures of her Piety.

What is it that frights you from her [Page 43] Communion? It must certainly be re­duced to her Doctrine, or her Manners. Doth she teach any suspected Doctrines? what then? she disclaims infallibility: though it may be she is nearer it than those that talk loudest of it. She gives you leave to suspect; nay designs by her subscriptions (which yet are not required from you) but an Instrument of peace; if the best, and most learn­ed of her Sons do know her mind. Does Bps. Laud, Bramhall, Sanderson. any of her Doctrines destroy salvation? Indeed they of Rome say Protestancy un­repented destroys salvation; but I think neither you nor we have cause to believe them. Well then, if Salvati­on may be had with us, Take heed you don't run the hazard of it by an unnecessary Separation from them here, whom (if ever you come to heaven) you must accompany hereafter. But are her manners defective? what do you mean? She teaches you to believe by the Apostles Creed, to pray by the Example of her Lord, and to live by the Precepts of her Saviour.

But you see some indications of car­nality upon her Children; like enough; and so you might in the Children of A­postolick Churches, and may in the most confident pretenders to the most [Page 44] primitive Reformation. I have done. Methinks you should grant me, that e­ven in our Communion you may be as holy and as humble, as meek and as mer­ciful, as pure and as peaceable, as perfect imitatours of the Divine Nature, as ar­dent lovers of God and your Neighbour as will comport with the Commandement, and entitle you to the Promise, which is ETERNAL LIFE.

Now to the King Eternal, Im­mortal, Invisible, the only wise God be Honour and Glory for ever and for ever. Amen.

FRom that day St. Paul wrote thus, till this, no age of the Church hath been more concerned in this discourse, than that we now live in: Such novelty of Opinions, so disservice­able, or at least unserviceable to the ends and design of our Lord in the World, and so influenced by our Secular inter­ests, having obtained, that not only the Superstructions of Religion, but the very Foundations have been, and are in very great danger; whilst one Fa­ction [Page 48] cries up the Church and her In­fallibility, and another listens to the whispers of they nor we know what kind of Spirit, no less infallible. Whilst man's Altar is set by the Altars of God; whilst Extrascriptural Tradition is re­ceived with an equal, if not with super­lative affection of piety and reverence; Pari pietatis affectu & re­verentia. Con­cil. Trident. whilst that meek and humble, pure, peace­able and charitable design of our Lord to compleat the happiness of our humane Natures, and Societies, is become a Se­minary of many vexatious, indetermi­nable, and fruitless Controversies, from whence come envy, strife, heart-burnings, jealousie, and exasperation of parties, the introduction of Factions and Na­tional quarrels, and consequently all the calamities of war and devastation. The Remedying of which mischiefs would be worthy the Wisdom and Ver­tue of the best and wisest men in the World. Our Apostle you see concerns himself in the case, and forbears not to reproach to the unhappy Contrivers of them, Pride, Ignorance, Corruption, and destitution of the Truth: and not only so, but by pointing out the rocks whereon they split, directs us to steer a safer course.

You see they taught otherwise, [Page 49] another Gospel; and so intitled them­selves [...]. to an Apostolical Curse Galat. 1. 8, 9. The Galatians did antiquum ob­tinere, always like themselves. 'Tis part of the Character Caesar gives the Galli, whence are these Galatae; They were In capiendis. corsil [...]is fuisse mobiles & no­vis pler [...]nque rebus studuisse. (saith he) very variable in their counsels, and studious of novelties: which might have some influence on their so sudden departure from him that called them to another Gospel; which yet is not another; for they introduced only an Institution, or two, Circumcision, and the [...]. Chrys. in loc. observation of days. But as he that shall clip away a little of the Royal stamp, a­dulterates the whole money; even so he that subverts but a little of the sound [...]. faith, corrupts the whole: And that is never done with more ease, and grea­ter danger, than when we mistake our Principles. A little distance, and almost undiscernable near the Center, may be a vast one at the circumference; which is the reason the Apostle so soon recalls us to wholsom words, even words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Doctrine which is according to Godliness. And from thence we are taught,

1. That the only Rule of a Christian's faith and life is the Doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles.

[Page 50]2. That the Doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles is not a Speculative but a Practical Doctrine.

3. And which will follow from both; The raising of Opinions, beside the Do­ctrine of our Lord and his Apostles, and which have no good influence upon the lives of men, is the effect of Pride, Ignorance, Corruption and destitution of Truth; and the cause of Envy, Strife, Reproachings, Suspicions, and perverse Disputings. Of these succinct­ly.

The only Rule of a Christian's faith, and life is the Doctrine of Tertul. de Praescript. C. 6. Nobis verò nihil ex nostro arbitrio in­ducere licet, sed nec eligere quod aliquis de arbitrio suo induxe­rit. Apostolos Domini habemus Auctores, qui nec ipsi quicquam ex suo arbitrio quod induce­rent elegerunt: sed acceptam à Christo discipliuam fideliter Na­tionibus assignaverunt. 1 Pet. 4. 11. [...]. our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles. St. Peter would have him that speaks, as the Oracles of God, i. e. with­out Addition, Subtraction, or Alteration: For the A­postles were Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the Mysteries of God. Now 'tis required of Stewards that they be found faith­full. 1 Cor. 4. 1. St. Paul was not wont to with­hold any thing profitable from them, but Acts 20. 20, 27. to declare the whole Counsel of God. And Moses, speaking of our Saviour, truly said unto the Fathers, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, [Page 51] of your Brethren like unto me, him shall Acts 3. 22. ye hear in all things, whatsoever he shall say to you; and the voice from the cloud telling us, he was the beloved Son of God, commands us to hear him. Luke 9. 35. Why else are we bid to search the Scri­ptures? are said to have Moses and the Prophets? Why did St. Paul think it a just and full defence of himself, to say, After the way which they call heresie, so worship I the God of my. Fathers; believing all things which are written Acts 24. 14. in the Law and the Prophets.

But here I expect the objections of the old Gnosticks, decliners of the Scri­pture, Lucifugae Scri­pturarum. Ter­tul. de c. 47. In accusatio­nem ipsarum Scripturarum convertuntur. as Tertullian calls them; when they are reproved out of the Scriptures, they accuse the Scriptures themselves; either they want sufficient Authority, or are hard to be understood, or imperfect without Tradition, not written, but oral; because St. Paul said, We speak wisdom among them that are perfect. So Clemens Iren. 3. 2. [...]. p. 757. [...]. of Alexandria tells us of some who did patch together false and feigned do­ctrines, that with very good reason they might refuse the Scriptures.

But when God's Church had explod­ed those conceits, the Romanist rises up against the Word. Scriptures, saith he, be not necessary; nor written by divine com­mand; [Page 52] are imperfect, obscure; that we have no original Books, and such as we have be corrupted; and some others (quos dicere nolo) imagin that they can speak better than the Wisdom and Spirit of God; and notwithstanding St. Paul hath told us the Scripture is use­ful for reproof; yet these men are pleas­ed 1. Tim. 3. 16. to take up what Timothy was to a­void, the introduction of Profanas vocum novitates. So Ambr and the vulgar La­tin. Chrysostom, as Theophylact in­timates [...], though there is as little difference in the sence as the sound. All new terms, i. e. postnate to the sealing of the Canon in mat­ters of faith being vain and empty, as to the establishing any one Article in it. New and Extra-scriptural words for the more effectu­al reproving of Hereticks forsooth; as if he could be an Heretick who did re­ceive the whole Scripture as his only Rule of Christian faith and life. But if that be the Rule (which is the language of the whole Reformation) it must be so complete that it needs no addition, as Chilling worth 54. well as so evident that it needs no inter­pretation; for both these we are assured are properties requisite to a perfect Rule. 'Tis a strange piece of arrogance to think we can speak of God, or the things of God better than he himself hath spoken. Cannot he that fram'd Num Deus & mentis & vocis & linguae Arti­fex, disertè lo­qui non potest? the mind, the voice, the tongue, speak ap­posity? Yes sure, divine Providence took care that those things which were di­vine [Page 53] should be clear, that all might un­derstand Carere fuco vo­luit ea. Lactan. de vero cultu p. 623. what things he spake to them all. And Chrysostom having very much urged the reading of the holy Scriptures, at length meets that objection, What if we do not understand the things we read [...]; Ho­mil. 3. de Laz. there? He answers, 'Tis not possible you should be equally ignorant of all things therein. For the grace of the Spirit hath so disposed matters therein that Publicans and Fishers, and Tent-makers, and Shep­herds, and Rusticks, and Ideots, and Illiterate, did compose the books; So that the most Idiotick soul cannot excuse him­self on this account; things being plain enough to be seen, that mechanick Ser­vants, and Women, and the worst educated may receive great benefit by them. These things were not composed for vain glory, Tom. 5. p. 244. [...]. but for the salvation of such as should hear them. Gentile Philosophers indeed, and Rhetoricians and Writers, not consulting the publick good, but their own reputati­on, delivered the most useful notions in their usual obscurity. But Prophets and Apostles take the very contrary course; their clear and manifest notions they ex­plicated [...] to all men, as became the com­mon teachers of the whole World. So that every man of himself may by reading only understand the things that are said [Page 54] in these books. And afterwards on oc­casion of the Eunuch's reading the Pro­phet, he vehemently recommends a di­ligent reading of the holy Books. He tells us how the reading of them de­fends us against sins; the ignorance of them is a dangerous Precipice, and deep Abyss. A great hazard it is of our Sal­vation to be ignorant of the Scriptures. This is it that introduces Heresies into our [...] Cyp. de lapsu. Ecclesiae non jungitur, qui ab Evangelio separatur. Aufer haereticis quae cum ethnicis sapiunt, ut de Scripturis solis quaestiones suas sistant, & stare non poterunt. Tertul. Faith, Immoralities into our lives, and causes great confusion in matters of Re­ligion. 'Tis the neglect, or contempt of Scripture is cause of heresie.

So that we say as Austin, All things De doct. Chr. l. 2. c. 9. In its quae apertè in Scriptura posita sunt, inveniri illa omnia quae continent fidem moresque vi­vendi. Epist. 3. ad Vo. Iren. l. 2. 47. c. 46. In aperto & sine ambigu­itate, & simili­ter ab omnibus audiri possint. Tom. 8. in Ps. 16. appertaining to Faith and Life are most evidently contained in the Scriptures. And again elsewhere he tells us, it hath the some notions in promptis, that it hath in reconditis, in the most clear, as it has in the most obscure places.

So Irenaeus long before him, Obscure places are consonant to plain ones. He tells us the whole Scriptures Prophetick and Apostolical, are evident without am­biguity; and may indifferently be read by all.

Saint Hierom saith, to deny the per­spicuity Epist. ad Cor. l. 12. of the holy Scriptures, is all one or worse than wholly to supersede their use. So thought the Orator. 'Tis bet­ter Mutum esse sa­tius est quàm quod nemo in­telligat dicere. to be silent, than so to speak as none understand you. But we will end this notion with the testimony of St. Paul, If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that 1 Cor. 4. 3. are lost, i. e. to them who have deserv'd to perish.

In vain then do they cry the Church, the Church, Decrees of Councels, or Ca­thedral decisions. Let us not hear, saith Austin, Haec dico, haec dicis, but haec di­cit Dominus. Nor will I plead the Ni­cene, nor you the Council of Ariminum; nor will I be concluded by this, nor you by that, but by authority of Scriptures, not proper nor partial to any side, but witnesses indifferent to both sides; that matter Austin. lib. de unitat. Eccl. c. 3. may contend with matter, cause with cause, and reason with reason.

So Optatus: Between your licet and our non licet, the mind of the people flu­ctuates; no one believes either you or us, but we are all contentious; In this case we must look out for a Judge. If Chri­stians, Quid de Coelo quaerendus est judex, cum hae­beamus hic in Evangello Te­stamentum, lib. 5. they are partial; if Pagans, igno­rant; Jews, they are enemies. Since then none in Earth, let us to Heaven for a Judge, but to what purpose knock we at [Page 56] heaven gates, seeing we have his last Will and Testament in the Gospel. So that the Infallibility of the Church was not thought on in those days And for the Spirit, I'le give you my sence in the words of a very learned and pious man.

‘As for those marvellous discourses of some, fram'd upon presumption of the Spirit's help in private, in judging or interpreting of difficult places of Scripture; I must needs confess I have often wondered at the boldness of them. The Spirit is a thing of dark and secret operation; the manner of it none can descry: as underminers are never seen till they have wrought their purpose; so the Spirit is never perceived but by its effects. The ef­fects of the Spirit, so far as they con­cern knowledge and instruction, are not particular informations for reso­lution in any doubtful case, (for this were plain Revelation:) but as the Angel that was sent unto Cornelius in­forms him not, but sends him to Peter to school; so the Spirit teaches not, but stirs up in us a desire to learn. A de­sire to learn makes us thirst after the means; and pious sedulity and care­fulness makes us watchful in the [Page 57] choice, and diligent in the use of our means. The promise to the Apostles of the Spirit which should lead them into all truth, was made good unto them by private and secret informing their understandings, with the know­ledge of high and heavenly Mysteries, which as yet had never entred into the conceit of any man; if the same promise be made to us, it is fulfilled after another manner. For what was written by Revelation in their hearts, for our instruction they have written in their Books to us for information; otherwise than out of those Books the Spirit speaks not. When the Spi­rit regenerates a man, it infuses no knowledge of any point of Faith, but sends him to the Scriptures; so Mr. Jo. Hales. when it stirs him up to newness of life, it doth not exhibit to him an inventory of his sins, but supposes them known by the light of Nature, or sends him to the Rule of life. More than this in the ordinary pro­ceeding of the Holy Spirit, in matter of instruction, I could never descry.’ So that to speak of the help of the Spi­rit in private, either in dijudicating or interpreting of Scripture, is to speak they know not what. So he. And in­deed [Page 58] the Spirit of God now-a-days works but by men, and is secret in its operation to themselves, and no way evident to others, but by its effects in Reason, or Discourse, which are nor dif­ferent from reason it self. The Spirit supplants no man's reason on Scriptures. Further, it is a dangerous principle, and at long run levelling; it makes all Doctors, Dotards, Popes, alike: and serves for all designs, absurdities, or contradictions; so that we have nothing ordinary now to argue from, which is absolutely divine, but the very Doctrine of the Scripture in its own proper sence.

And whosoever, without prejudice or partiality, shall take a view of that, as it is laid down there, will easily per­ceive, See an excel­lent Sermon of the most learned and pious Dr. C. on 1 Jo. 2. 34. p. 117. there is no design to fill our heads with empty, and useless opinions; but to reform the manners of Mankind, and to advance Vertue in the World. For which reason, the Scriptures being po­pularly written, and descending to vul­gar capacities, take themselves altoge­ther unconcerned in any accurate de­terminations of meer speculative Ar­ticles. For example; they do not re­present God Almighty to us as he is in himself, but as he is towards us, viz. One, Eternal, Just, Wise, and Omnipotent [Page 59] God; but in condescention to our ca­pacities, he is represented with the af­fections and members of a man, con­fined to a place; and his Eternity is Erasmus. Atque utinam hic quo (que) Pau­lus aliquanto plus lucis nobis aperuisset: qua­liter extant a­nimae semotae à corpore, & ubi­nam extent, an fruantur im­mortalitatis gloria, an impi­orū animae jam nunc crucien­tur, &c. in his dedicatory of his Paraphrase to the Corinth. Jer. 22. 16. crasly described by being before the World, as his Immensity by filling the Heaven and the Earth. And therefore it is that those divine Authors, intreat­ing not professedly of the Nature of Spirits, of the intermediate State of the dead, of Infants, of the Heathen, of Antemundane durations, or Extra­mundane spaces, have no ways assisted our curiosity, in those or such like dis­quisitions. But on the other side they tell us, To do judgment and justice, to judge the cause of the poor and needy, is to know the Lord; to be a son of Be­lial is not to know him; that the fear Job 28. 28. of the Lord is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding; and St. John represents Charity to be the know­ledge 1 Joh. 4. 7. of God.

You will further perceive that the scope of the Gospel was,

1. To break down the Partition wall between Jew and Gentile.

2. To scour up the Old Law, and fill up its vacuities, which the Scripture calls Self-denial, Repentance, Righte­ousness, Charity, Obedience, mainly [Page 60] insisted on in the Sermon on the Mount. And

3. To declare the remission of sins to penitents, i. e. such as reform them­selves according to the Law aforesaid, which supports our hope, in place of the Ceremonial expiatory Sacrifices.

The first of these was last insisted up­on as well became the prudence of our Lord, and was the occasion of that Coun­cel Acts 15. at Jerusalem, and of several discour­ses, and of some Writings of St. Paul. But the second and third were the first and common argument of the Baptist, our Lord, and his Apostles by commissi­on from him; Repentance having refe­rence to the Moral Law, and Remission of sins superseding the Mosaick expia­tions. This being the main substance of that form of Prayer, by which he assists us in our duty: and summing up his design in coming into the World to his Disciples after his Resurrection, tells them, all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concern­ing Luke 24. 44. me. That it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day (that by all those signs accomplished in him, and by him, he might give sufficient assurance that he was the Son [Page 61] of God, and the Saviour of the World) and that Repentance and Remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations. St. Paul tells us indeed, Faith, 1 Cor. 13. 13. Hope, and Charity remain, but how? as the Rock which followed Israel, in its 4. 14. 13. effects; so their works follow the dead. These Vertues shall have their reward, which the Lord the righteus Judge shall give at that day.

These are main Theological Vertues. Faith is as the Eye of Reason to direct, and Hope as the Food, or the spirits to chear us in this spiritual life; but the Way we are to walk, and the main work we have to do is Charity, and that answers to Repentance. If we consider Christianity as a Plant; Faith resembles the root, Hope the stalk, but the fruit which is principally design­ed is Charity. A right faith is an ex­cellent foundation, and if it be opera­tive, it is all in all. It guides, and so raiseth our Hope and Charity; for a firm Hope is an exalted degree of Faith in things of the same nature, and a de­gree towards Charity. And this is the reason why the Scripture, supposing man (as he ought to be) to be consen­taneous to himself, doth impute that sometimes to Faith, sometimes to Hope, [Page 62] which is more peculiarly, and ultimate­ly proper to Charity; or at least to one of these Vertues, that which is but ad­equate to all. But now if we compare these Vertues one with another, and so set them at difference, (which men do too often, and the Scripture for our information sometimes doth) you will find Charity, the more final and publick Good. The two former, viz. Faith and Hope being but means to this end. They determine in our selves, but this is extended beyond us, even as far as to God, to do him honour, and to do our Neighbour good; the greatest of these is Charity, saith the Apostle; not only for duration, but for worth and dignity too; fruition determines Hope, and Faith is that which bears up, and [...]. G. Nyssen p. 646. [...]. supports under the uncertainty of things hoped. But when they are obtained, Charity remains, not having any thing to succeed it. Faith is so recommended and injoyned for the light it yields, and for the fruit it bears; for there is no walking without light, nor no fruit without a root. Wherefore our Obedi­ence So long as the Church look­ed upon her Faith as the foundation of her Obedience, she made good the Title Christ gives her Cant. 6. of his love, his dove, his undefiled. Causes of de­cay of Christian Piety, p. 247. is built upon our Creed, and the [Page 63] dis-believing of some Articles, like the failing of a foundation, may bring down all the superstructure with it. Such is the denyal of the Resurrection of the dead, or all future rewards, or the Allegorizing away the history of the Gospel; or the making of it like an Aesopick Fable, with a canting [...] or an unintelligible Moral hidden un­der it. For although St. Paul supposes it in that enumeration the meanest Vertue, yet of very great use, as the founda­tion of an house usually is; the build­er chiefly intending its strength; for the whole Fabrick is raised upon it.

If we divide the Gospel into Laws and Miracles, which are the most sub­stantial parts of it, you will find much of the history spent in proving the Divinity of Christ, that he was the pro­mised Messiah of the World; the Pro­phecies of the Old Testament being ful­filled, and the Types of the Mosaick Law having their complement and period in him, and so warranting his Commis­sion; but all the signs accomplished in him, and all the wonders wrought by him, even his being raised from the dead (by which the Gospel which was in a manner dead, and buried with him, reviv'd) though evidence of his Au­thority, [Page 62] [...] [Page 63] [...] [Page 64] and principal motives to be­lieve on him, yet are necessary to be known by us only in order to his Do­ctrine, as they render his Precepts and his Promises the more remarkable; as it is usual to satisfie our selves of the validity of a Commission, before we yield obedience to it or take orders from it.

It is not God's work upon us by these signs and miracles, so much as his works within us or by us, which we shall be Nihil mihi ob­licitur, nisi quod dicor plusculum lau­dare bona opera saith Melanc­thon to Joa­chimus Came­rarius. Epist. 193. pag. 742. Edit. Lond. Hence the Christian Re­ligion is call­ed the profession of our hope. Heb. 10. 23. 1 Pet. 3. 15. judged by; which, because his doctrin re­gulates, and we cooperate in, are there­fore called our works.

Now the Doctrines of Christianity which concern us more nearly are of two sorts; such as sustein our Hope, or direct our Charity.

1. Such as sustein our Hope: of them we make daily profession in the Capi­tular, called the Apostles Creed, which particulars are not Articles of simple Belief, so much as Objects to erect our Hope.

2. Such as direct our Charity, or o­bedience, comprised in that Digest of the Law of Nature, called the Ten Commandements, together with some excellencies and perfections of Morality superadded by our Lord.

So that you perceive Faith and Hope, Fides multa promissa habet, quia via est ad dilectionem. Grot. how much soever is said in advancing them, serve only in their places in or­der to our main work, which is Charity or Obedience.

In a word, Repentance, or newness of life is the life of Charity; and the Ba­sis, or the Ground-work of that, is the abrenunciation or denial of our selves. Now to a perfect Self-denial, because it is so thwart and contradictious to flesh and blood, a very high Faith and Hope are requisite: But for the measure or extent of Faith, or Hope, either in num­ber of the Articles, or their intensness, or degree, in such Articles as we believe, we conceive we have no absolute Pre­cept at all written, no more than for other things which Jesus did, which are Et multae gen­tes barbarorum sine charta & atramento, fi­dem sine literis crediderunt. Irenaeus 3. 4. not written; so that they be but suf­ficient to produce sincere obedience to the Precept of Christ.

Now if we would improve this No­tion, let us diligently consider what connexion that Article of Faith hath with our Christian practice which is pro­pounded to us; if it do neither support our Hope, nor direct our Obedience. Whether it be true, or false, be sure it will never make amends for the loss of peace in our Church; So that you have [Page 66] here an Authentick Standard, by which you may take the worth of Opinions. If they intirely agree with the Doctrine of our Lord, and are ministerial, and subservient to the advancement of Ver­tue and Piety in the lives of men, we may well hope they are part of the Faith which was [...], at once delivered, and is worthy to be contended for. But if opinions disserve the great ends of the Gospel; if they render it unintelligible, consequently incredible; if they be too srequent occasions of our remissness, and slackness in running the Race of our Chri­stian profession, of our deferring Repent­ance and conversion to God, of our fre­quent relapses into sin, and Security in it; if they put men in hope of Eternal hap­piness by any other means, save only the narrow way of sincere and universal O­bedience, grounded upon a true and lively Faith, I fear their fautors and promoters, especially if they be con­tentious for them, are too too lively cha­racterized by pride, ignorance, corru­ption and destitution of the Truth; and I could wish that nothing had happened within our observation, to give us cause to suspect the malignant influences of some mens Principles, into their lives and practises; otherwise I do not un­derstand [Page 67] how such gross Immoralities should be found in consort with such high Professions. But what else must we expect from them that depretiate Mora­lity, and contradistinguish Religion to it; though St. James hath told us Pure Religion and undefiled before God, James 1. 27. Octav. in Min. Fel. apud nos religiosior ille. qui justior. is to visit the fatherless and the widow, and to keep thy self unspotted from the world.

But I expect these zealous contenders should resent my elevation and extenu­ation of Errors forsooth; to whom I'le only say, That when the learned, and pi­ous Abram Scultetus had not without a becoming resentment, reflected upon the Chairs and Pulpits of Ʋniversities and Churches; from whence Satyrs, and poi­nant invectives were wont to be slung, and often against imaginary enemies, he adds, If you shew your self but a little more In Tit. c. 3. Quod si paul [...] benignius de Controversiis evangelicorum sentias, &c. charitable to dissenters, and labour to re­duce Churches divided in some few Ar­ticles to an amicable concord, without an Imperious and Magisterial decision of the Controversies, you shall instantly in all places be proclaimed an Atheist; it seems the good man had found it by experi­ence; [...] illico proclamabere, expertus hoc scribo. that you shame not forsooth, to joyn truth and falshood, Christ and Belial; nor are we any whit mollified, saith he, [Page 68] in so long a tract of time; nor do we lay aside that considerate Zeal and impoten­cy of mind, notwithstanding the inunda­tion of publick calamities which over­whelms us; but like the Cockles in Aesop, rejoyce and sing while our houses are on fire. So we exult in our Pride and Folly, and think by renewing our holy Wars, to procure new Garlands, and Triumphs, over our Brethren, whom we have black­ned and deformed with our uncharitable Pens. But what shall we say to that ad­mirable Epistle of Constantine to Alexan­der and Arrius, most likely not with­out the advice and privity of Hosius, then Bishop of Corduba, whom the Em­perour loved, and trusted much, and employed in the delivery of the Let­ters. Thus summ'd up by an excellent Prelate of our own.

First he calls it, a certain vain piece of a Question, ill begun, and more unadvi­sedly published; a question which no Law, nor Ecclesiastical Canon defineth; a fruit­less contention, the product of idle brains, a matter so nice, so obscure, so intricate, that it was neither to be explicated by the Clergy, nor understood by the people. A dispute of words, a Doctrine inexplicable, but most dangerous; when taught least, it introduced discord or blasphemy. And [Page 69] therefore the Objector was rash, and the Answerer unadvised; For it concerned not the substance of Faith, or the Worship of God, or any chief Commandement of Scripture; and therefore why should it be the matter of discord. For though the matter be grave, yet because neither ne­cessary nor explicable, the contention is trifling and toyish; and therefore as the Philosophers of the same Sect, though dif­fering in the explication of an opinion; yet more love for the unity of the Professi­on, than disagree for the difference of o­pinion. So should Christians believe in the same God, retaining the same Faith, having the same Hopes, opposed by the same Enemies, not fall at variance upon such disputes; considering our understandings are not all alike, and therefore neither can our opinions in such mysterious Ar­ticles. So that the matter being of no great importance, but vain and a toy in respect of the excellent blessings of Peace and Charity, it were good that Alexan­der and Arrius should leave contending, keep their opinions to themselves, ask each other forgiveness, and give mutual Toleration. So that excellent Empe­rour.

But I'le end all with one word to [Page 70] those Narrow men who think a Sy­stem of dry and useless opinions service­able enough, if they be but the Shib­boleth of a Faction; that St. Paul had not so learned Christ, for he tells us that the end of the Commandment, i. e. the Gospel, is Charity out of a pure heart, of a good Conscience, and of Faith un­feigned.

Now to the King Eternal, &c.