IT is not misery so much as strangenes, if as some of our antiēt Religious iudged, it be mans best to liue a kinde of prisoner; or, if, as deuout S. Bernard wished, to be alwaies sickly; or, if obedience (which includeth subiection and restraint) be, as Plato writeth, mans not onely choise, but alone virtue; as if his weak­nesse were such, that hee coulde not liue but by rules and directions, or his frowardnes of will so vnruly, that he cannot haue any liberty, but hee will abuse it. It must be true, that without law there cannot bee offence, and yet it is better and [Page] lesse offence, to suffer the lawes transgressiō, then to be without the lawe; Praestat illic esse vbi nihil li­cet, quam vbi omnia. It is better to be there where nothing is lawfull, then where all thinges; where there is no liberty then nothing but liberty; where a man may do euill, then where hee can neither do good nor euill. Reason of this can there none be giuen, but a misdoubting fear, that man left free to the liberty of a boūdles and infi­nite will, woulde act somewhat more at length, then man can define or say what; the practise of an endlesse, mad, and inconsiderate will, beeing far beyond the conceit of mans limited inuen­tion. Man is impatient & cannot beare restraint (a note, not of his natures; generousnes & worth but vntamed wildnes, and insolent hautinesse) & yet he is not at all to be borne, if not restrayned (a note againe not of his infinitenes and power, but cōntrary, of his imperfection & corruption) from the first, not able to do that is good; from this secōd, willing to do nothing but that is euill. Is not the frowardnesse of man strange, that hee should, In vetitum ruere & negata cupere more de­sire an euill thing beeing forbidden, and not the more also affect a good thing, for being inhibited (which nothing els in the world doth, but man, restraint of it selfe, hauing equall effect in both; & yet the state so, that the euill vpon necessity must [Page] bee forbidden to man, or else it will bee worse.) Vpon these difficulties, is it not very odde? that a like course of the Romane law-giuers must be pra­ctised, who, to auoid sacriledge, held it their onely meanes, to command that nothing should be gi­uen vnto the Church. And that of Lycurgus, Decem Tab. opes amoue [...] ­to. who to take away ielousy, held it his only way, to make adulterie to be no sinne; courses I cannot resolue whether in these particulars, good for a common wealth or no, but in a Christian Church intollera­ble, and yet wisedome naturall cannot tell, how to giue a better remedy. The good & wise God of nature, foreknowing the vnrulines of Liberty hath so contriued the whole frame and compo­sure of man, that there is not a power in him, that hath not (as it were) a propper limiter and confi­ner to it. The natural vnsatiate appetite of the bodyes norishmēt, it is boūded with the streight compasses of the bodyes instrumēts, with sense of paine from oppression, with delight from suffi­ciency; the mindes passions and affections, some of them bounded by shame, some by feare, all by reason; Reason it selfe, by innated conclusions; the will and desire, by vnderstanding; the vnder­standing, by the will and desire, vt voluntas oculis, sic intellectus fertur carere pedibus; the will wanteth eyes, & seeth nothing, but by the vnderstanding; so the vnderstanding wanteth feete, and can fol­lowe [Page] nothing, but by the will; will & vnderstāding limited by memories & imaginatiōs imperfect presētmēts; imaginatiō, by outward senses imbe­cillities & scarcity of obiect; senses & all the soule power & substāce, boū led by the bodies terrene grosnes; the body it selfe, cōfined by a short & slē ­der skin & superficies; & that also by a proper place inferiour here below, vpō the basest elemēt. And thus as man; God boūded man. And yet behold thus inchained (as it were) and imprisoned in him self, man, hee will bee free, nay hee will bee wild, and this his scanted liberty will breake out loose, into an infinity of vncontrouls and freedoms of disorders. His naturall appetite, for that it hath libertye to desire, wi [...]l neuer but desire & will not be satisfied with sufficiēcy, his aff [...]cti­ons, will deny obediēce vnto Reason, and plead it their King: but at pleasure & by election, oftner is reason deposed by rebellious affections, then affections held obedient subiects by Reason; His desire, swels infinit & wil haue more then is, more then inuētiō can form, & fancie & vnderstanding, shewe his vnderstanding will dreame and prate, and tell of more then it can conceiue and approue, from similitudes of sense; sense, scor­neth almost natures playnes, and wil haue Arts more curious obiects and repineth t [...] be tyed to the bodyes organs. The base body disdaines to dwell belowe, & will build a Tower, tha [...] it may [Page] climbe vnto the heauen. Thus man, confined from vice (his whole compose and make being nothing (as it were) but a mistery of linkes, and chaines of inhibition, one vnto another) & scan­ted, almost, of all free libertye, yet see how, the small he hath, he doth abuse, as if he were alone to be compeld and gouerned. The God of wise­dome, well discerning this manner of mans cor­ruption, suted agreeably a course vnto him, and gaue him at length new lawes Exod. 20. austere and strict, binding him to perfourmance vnder seuere penalties, restraints that would giue but a shorted liberty, and burthens that hee could not with ease disport him vnder. And thus God delt with man. Is it not strange, it should be censured and found the better, for man to liue vnder Lawe then Libertye? that man (the worthiest & noblest of Gods creatures, by creatiō both good & wise) should rather doe that he should, frō the compul­sion of a command, then liberty, and direction of his owne abilities? that the writing of lawes in ta­bles, should more auaile with him, then ingra­uing them in his heart? Or is not the temper of man strangely miswrought, by corruption, that it should be easier for God (as I may so speake) to write his lawes in stones, in hard tables of stone, then firmely enough to engraue them in his heart? Reuerence of vertue is humanities religion; ciuility is the goodnes; and credit all the holynes & [Page] pietye: and then shall man so farre degenerate, as rather to practise that, which is made but good, by the force of a commande, then reuerence vir­tue his owne proper obiect, & from it selfe good and excellent? Shame is the property of man, from which a true ingenuous spirit will more a­voyde disgrace then danger, and feare it more to take discredit, then a wound; and then, shall feare (that common quality with beasts) restraine man more from vice, & hold him better in obediēce? shall he endure better to serue, then to obey, and to obey then to command? whose priuiledge & prerogatiues were Liberty & rule, and to bee sub­iect vnto neither of the two? yea thus disordered is corruption, which being, not a thing that was created and made, is not a subiect to be discour­sed of, thus, with Natures & Reasons grounds and principles. Man thus indured long, a seruant to lawes, commands both inferior and strict, they were burthens insupportable; names, the one of slauery, the other misery: the law it yoked man, a restraint both hard and base; it was a schoolmai­ster, that taught with whips and rods, & nothing but seuerity, mans chief incouragemēt in perfor­māce was feare & tenor; his vttermost diligence not toil inough; his desert, punishmēt; his reward future & but hopes of promise; his reuerentest of­fice of priesthoode, but birthes gift (which is deserts preiudice) his worthiest dutye, but in sacrificing [Page] beastes; for al his noblenes and honor, his chiefe performance was in types and figures; and for all his abilities and worth, his practise & action was but in inferior ceremonies. The God of loue & mercy (the fulnes of his time now come, & the praefixed period of his decree expired) came downe from heauen, & left both the right hand and bosome of his father (places, the one of glory the other of loue) and vouchsafed to descend (a­moris & humilitatis progressus est descensus) nay to the inferiority & condition of a cre [...]ture (a thing especially against the nature of a God and a crea­tor) & beeing here amongst vs, did not conque­ror and triumpher-like, abrogate & disanull our former lawes, to impose more strict & harder of his owne, from glory and policies seuerity; but first (and that for our sake) he fulfilled them, that his obediēce might be righteousnes to many; Rom. 5.19. he freed vs from the curse of the law, by being made himselfe a curse for vs, Gal. 3.13. Non authoritate Regis sed obedientia filii, not by the absolute authority of a King, but by the obediēce of a son; not by cācel­ling the bond, but by paying the debt, not alone by giuing mercy, but by satisfying iustice; not by being graced by fauour; but by suffering pu­nishmēt: He took those heuy burthens from our sholders, & eased vs of them (at least, Rom. 6. much light­ned them [...]he took vs frō vnder the law, & placed vs vnder grace, & cal'd vs, as my text doth speak to liberty. [Page] And this is, as I take it, the truest inference of my text. The methode I will obserue in handling, shalbe this. First, after a short Apology and reason for my Texts choice, I will premise somewhat of Christian liberty in generall: Secondly, I will giue the seueralles and particulars, wherein this liber­ty which Christ hath called vs vnto, consisteth, Thirdly, present vpon euery particular of our Li­berty, I will adde the peculiar and proper fleshly abuses of them. This text, it is so difficult, that O­rigen, euen Origen himselfe (quem Christiani Pro­phetam, Philosophi magistrum dixerunt) saith Vin­centius Lirinensis, In comment. in [...] locum [...] (a) did iudge it to be obscure; And S. Hierom, so abstruse, that he thought it his best to follow Origen, notwithstanding Origen had formerly iudged it to be obscure, as if his iudgemēt of it were this, that he gaue the best iudgement, whose iudgement was not absolute. If this obscu­rity deterreth not the naturall forwardnesse and boldnes of youth, from medling with it (as why should endeuours of difficulty be rather exemp­ted from it; then aduentures of dangers) yet may it vnhappely breede the censure of arrogancy, or of an indecorum and indiscretion, which all, but schollers, do more auoide then arrogancy. Nay rather why should not the hardnes of it, excuse me if I do it not well, then terrefy me from attēp­ting of it, for feare of doing it ill; and Origens cen­sure of obscurity, bee my iust Apologie? Caluin is [Page] censured to haue been learned in Diuinity by tea­ching others, not by being first taught himselfe: or, fullier to excuse my selfe; as S. Hierom (in his 1. proeme vpon this epistle) to Paula and Eustochiū writeth, S. Paul did in this epistle to the Gallat. So will I; I do not purpose so much to teach as to re­prehend, Non tam docere, quam reprehendere & in­crepare: And though it seemeth not so to you, Minus quiddam est increpare, quam docere, to teach requires maturity of iudgement; to finde fault with abuses, onely a good intention is sufficient to do it truly, and a little common vnderstanding to do it perfectly. And why should not Elder Paul ex­hort young Timothy to rebuke with freedome, except it be now feared, that then young Timo­thy would rebuke old Paul. But if from this my freedome, which I purpose, in reprouing our Church abuses you shall misconceiue my consci­ence by iudging it inclinable to some other for­rain Romish, and Papisticall superstition, you shall not more against Charity then reason it selfe offēd and iniure me. I haue read an antient father desi­ning Adultery, to bee nothing els, but a Curiosity of an other mans pleasure; in which sense, I religi­ously promise for my Consciences Chastity, that shee plaieth not the adulteresse in Curiosity of another plea­sure, nor the faith and Opinion of any other Church, then this of ours which I am truly wedded vnto. Nay should a man be touched, either by loues feare, or enmities suspition, with such an odiousnesse [Page] as the Papacy amongst vs; I would not wish him make that vulgar forme of Apologie, by running presently into an immoderate commendation of his Churches goodnesse (Speciem illud haberet & similitudinem adulationis, that would haue the shew and resemblance of flattery) nor would I wish him to conceale her faults; silence of faults, is a kinde of baser flatterie, not wiser; and for mine owne part, I had rather bee naught my selfe, then flatter them that bee so. Nor would I wish him runne into an eager detestati­on and dispraise of the imposed scandall, for that would presently be censured, either false­hood, and dissimulation, or malignitie, from the braine or spleane, not from the hart: but I should rather aduise him, freely of himselfe to speake the vttermost, that wiser Auditors might discouer the fallacies, that gaue occasions of the vniust suspicion. And this premised, I come neerer to the matter. For the doctrine of Christi­an Libertie in generall, Caluin (whom especially I purpose to follow.) In the 19. Chapter of his 3. booke of Instit. vrgeth the explication of this Christian Libertie, as a thing not to be omitted, by him, who will comprise in short, the summe of the whole Gospell; as if he meant it an Epitome of Christianitie: and placeth it not onely amongst things commendable, but commendeth it in the degree of necessity; that without it the conscien­ces of Christians, can attempt nothing, without [Page] doubting wauering, varying, trembling, despairing, nor euer attaine the doctrine of Iustification: as if Christian Libertie were the rule, for consciences, to square their actions by. This I deny not; the doctrine of this Libertie is good and necessarie, but take heede you abuse it not as an occasion to the flesh. Christian Libertie, it is more necessary to be knowne, then commended or vrged: who desires it not, if he doe but know it; who vseth it not, if he doe not know it? I am afraid, men should make it their asylum, refuge, and comfort, in their loose­nesse and disorders. This doubt is not mine; Cal­uin himselfe foresaw this easines of abuse & there­fore presently vpon his cōmendation preuenteth thus. Simulat (que) iniecta est aliqua mentio Christianae libertatis, ibi aut ser uēt libidines, aut insani motus sur­gunt, nisi maturè obuiam eatur lasciuis ingeniis istis: partim e [...]m huius libertatis praetextu omnē Dei obe­dientiā excutiunt, & in effraenatā licentiam se prori­piunt, partim indignantur putantes omnē moderationē ordinē, rerumque delectū tolli. If the particulars be well marked, had Calu [...]n beene the author of our disorders, he could not better haue described our times Caluin, in his wisdome forelawe these ef­fects, before they came; Sic Sapientia, diuinatio est (saith Pomponius Atticus) So wisedome is a diuina­tion; though contrarie, with other Politici­ans, Diuinatio sapientia suit, Diuination hath beene their wisedome, by foretelling of acci­dents which they entended to effect, though [Page] by diuining, in the nature of giuing warning, they so purchased the opinion of integrity and good meaning. The doctrine of Christian liber­ty it was more necessary when Paul did preach; when none of the Gentiles or Iewes receiued Christ; when a Church was to bee established, then now in a full setled Christian Church, where no man doubts of it. Iudaisme and Christian liber­tie be properly opposite in some respects; and therefore where Atheisme is more feared then Iu­daisme there Christian liberty must be warely prea­ched. This made antiquity rather clog the Church with superstition, and too much then too little, as the Philosopher aduiseth in his Ethyckes, to bend mostly to one side, when nature is more propense vnto the other. To vrge liberty vnto the multitude & thē suppose an exhortatiō wil restrain excesse, is, as if one should put a strong bit and bridle, vp­on a fierce coursers head, but then turne him out loose into the champaine, and suppose he will bee guided well inough. The misunderstanding, nay misteaching, this Liberty amongst some forraine Disciplinarians haue taken those effects, that one may almost say of them as Plutarch (a­mongst his Lacon. Apothe.) reporteth one to haue said of Athens: One (saith hee) travayling to A­thens, and seeing the Athenians to reuel & wan­ton it, in all lasciuious and licentious delights ni­hil (que) in honestum ducere, and nothing to account dishonest, returning home againe and asked how [Page] matters went at Athens, he answered that om­nia pulchra, all there was well, all there good, per iocum innuens, omnia illic pulchra putari, turpe ni­hil; Ironically insinuating, that all things there were accounted good and nothing dishonest. In somwhat such like sort returning trauailers from those licentious Reformers, may almost report as truly that Omnia illic pulchra, all thinges there be faire, all things there christian: that which once was vice is now with them no vice, that which once was vertu, is now none, as if vices & virtues had held their essences but by lease; which now expired, they cease to be that which they were before vices & virtues. Sōwhat like to that which was wrot of Petronius Arbiter (pardon the resem­blance whatsoeuer Petronius was) may be said of these men. Illi dies per somnum, nox oblectamentis vitae transigebatur, vtque alios industria, ita hunc ig­nauia ad famam protulerat; he spent the day in sleepe, and the night in the pleasures of the life; & as Industry made famous other men, so did sloth him: habebaturque non ganeo & profligator, sed eru­dito luxu. So these, in the day and sight of men, as a sleepe, they doe no more but breath; but in the night and secret, then they play their prankes And as strictnesse and austerity of life, made famous and renowmed our auncestors; so loosenesse and liberty these; and yet they must not be said to be Libertines, but of a learned [Page] & Zealous Luxury (freedom I shuold haue said) & christian liberty. Thus slippery & easy, yea, almost necessary is the lapse vnto these abuses; when Li­berty is immoderately, inconsiderately and indis­cretly taught and commended. Men in their a­ctions of pleasure, will not distinguish liberty and licence, in which, deuotion also hauing a part, which neuer thinkes it goeth far enough, will neuer iudge they haue vsed liberty aright, till they be at the furthest of licentiousnesse. Strange it is how farre men will runne possest with beliefe that vpon Conscience and Gods law [...], they ought to take a liberty. I will bestowe but one note more vpon this point: Allegation of op­pression, is a note of faction in the common wealth; and pleading for liberty is alwaies to bee suspected & many times it is a mark of schisme, in the Church. It is an odd obseruance which Pamelius maketh vpon that of Tertullian, in his prescriptions of Apelles the heretick, seduced by Philumena. That there was neuer yet Hereticke who pleaded not for his liberty. Qui suas non habuerit Philumenas, that hath not had his Philumena speaking in that particular Liberty for al. I therfore, in short will conclude this part with the aduise of Galba to Piso adopting him Emperor (for that which he spake of the Romans is true of vs) That in teaching this doctrine wee Tacit. lib. 1 [...] [Page] ought to be very wary, and to consider, that wee are to deale with men, qui nec totam ser­uitutem pati possunt, nec totam libertatem, who can neither beare onely seruitude, nor onely Liberty. I come now to the particulars wher­in Christian Liberty consisteth.

Caluin (my guide in the fore-named place) thinketh it to consist in three things; Instit. 19. c. Primae vt fidelium conscientiae dum fiducia suae Coram Deo instificationis &c. first that the Consciences of the faithfull, whilest they seeke a confi­dence of their iustification before God, may lift themselues aboue the Law totamque legis institiam obliuiscantur, and forget all the iu­stice of the law for since the law leaueth no man iust, either wee are excluded from all hope of iustification, aut ab illa nos solui oportet or we must be freede from it; Ac sic quidem, vt nulla prorsus operum ratio habeatur, and so freed that no regarde that all bee had of workes Nam qui vel tantillum operum se afferre debere ad obtinendam iustitiam cogitat, for hee that thinketh hee ought to bring neuer so little of workes to obtaine iustice, hee maketh him­selfe the debtor of the whole law; sublata igitur legis mentione & omni operum cogitatione sepo­sita the very mētioning therfore of the law being taken away, and al cogitation of works, he must in [Page] the matter of Iustification, onely imbrace the mercy of Christ. So Luther to this purpose is very much, in his bookes de libertate Christiana, and his Comment. vpon the Epistle to the Gal. where, Vt Bellar. de Iustif. li. 4. cap. 1. vpon the 2. Chapter thus, Sola fides ne­cessaria est, vt iusti simus, caetera omnia liberrima, neque praecepta amplius neque prohibita. Againe, Si conscientia dicat, peccasti; Responde, peccaui: ergo Deus puniet & damnabit; Non: at lex hoc dicit; sed nihil mihi cum lege: quare? quia habeo libertatem. Let all this be true, but take heede you abuse it not as an occasion to the flesh. The great Cardinall controuersor of our daies, Bellarmine, vpon this or such like speeches pas­seth thus his censure; Ista, quomodocunque ex­cusentur, certè magnam vim habent, ad persua­dendum simplici populo, & ad malum propenso, non esse facienda opera bona: These how soeuer they may bee excused, verely they haue great force to perswade the people, being simple, and propense to euill, that good workes are not to be done. May I say, without a kinde of sinne against this place, that there is moderation in this censure? yes, for an aduersaries. Nay then thinke of it well, and tell me; doe you your selues iudge it easie, for ignorance and corrup­tion, the one to conceiue, the other to beleeue, such hard doctrines and seeming repugnances as these be? namely, that we are freed from the [Page] morall Law, and yet to our power to performe it; that we haue nothing to doe with the Law (but with faith in Christ) and yet the Decalogue not to be neglected; that good workes, are not so much as to be thought on for saluation, and yet to be performed? will not corruption (thinke you) be vnwilling, and ignorance vnable to di­stinguish these, & so betwixt them both let good workes alone? whatsoeuer the sense be of them, what may be; nay the sound alone wil be enough for vnwillingnesse to omit them, and guiltinesse to apologie for them hauing omitted them al­readie. I would to God I were not here constrai­ned, to runne into complaintes (that vnfitting subiect for a yoong mans toonge) no man lo­uing better then my selfe to speak that may please, though no man hating it more then to speake to please. All Stories haue complained of their times, I know it well, and know not any, that haue not cryed out ô tempora, ô mores; but yet some haue complained more then others, and euery one (if well obserued) of some particu­lar vice or other: but none in generall haue complained more then this our age (the sense and sight of the present doth not deceiue me) and none so much of vncharitablenesse, since Christ himselfe had not where to lay his head; it is our p [...]cul [...]r and times proper vice. Will yee in this particular, see the true distinction [Page] betwixt our auncestors and vs; Illi vitiis labo­rabant, nos remediis; they laboured with vices, we with remedies; they were sicke with dis­eases, we with Phisicke: the first is alwaies pittied, this second (in smaller matters) is vsu­ally laughed at. Or if you will, thus. The Christian world is sicke of a disordered Ague; the whole fitte from vnnaturall and distempe­red heate; that now is past, and of it we haue no feare, hauing had so strong purgations. And now the colde shiuering fitte of indeuotion and vncharitablenesse is sore vpon it. Had all things in the world decaide so much as chari­tie, the Christian world, before this time, had beene as small as a moate. Doe I slaunder and scandalize our time? Why tell me then, come not good lawes from euill manners? were not our forefathers constrained by Statutes, in one kinde, to moderate deuotions charitie: and are not our Parliaments inforced to strengthen Lawes, and enact new, for reliefe of pouer­tie? and yet will not our newe Lawes, supply the place of olde deuotions charitie. Wisedome in Salomons time, cryed in the high streetes, and amongst the presse at the entring of the gates, and none would heare her; now wise­dome (God be thanked) is heard resonablie well, but pouertie lyeth crying, not amongst the presse at the entrings of the gates, but in [Page] the porches of the Temples of the Lord, cree­ping so neere his house and altars as they can, the more to moue compassion, but euery one passeth by, and scarcely looke vpon the woun­ded man; Nay, the Leuite (the Priest him­selfe) commeth through the porch, and pas­seth vp into his pulpit, and there speaketh so for Christian Libertie, that hee little commen­deth Christian Charitie, or any whit helpeth the poore wounded man. Of this vncharitable­nesse, may it be vn-offensiue to seeke the cause? was it a religious hate of an olde abuse, and a flight from that opinion of meriting by works, to the extreame opposite? No, that course is iudged to be erroneous, and by the wise­dome of our better writers, to haue mislead, Hooker. and done some harme, in many particulars of Reformation. And the very Poet telleth vs, Horat. that In vitium ducit culpae fuga, si earet arte, the flying of a vice leadeth to a vice, if it wanteth Art; and let vs be ashamed to alleadge it, we shall be accused of folly, Si in contraria cur­ramus; Nay let vs feare to alleadge it, Tertul­lian maketh it a prescription against worse then follie, to runne rather from an opinion then to one; Opus hoc est habere non de pro­prio aedificio sed alterius destructione, suffode­ne non aedificare: As if our Religion should bee, as Tacitus writeth, of the nature of Galba, [Page] to be rather extra vitia quam intra virtutes. What then is the cause? I dare not presume to giue the cause of any thing, and lesse of euills, then bene­fites, but if I may coniecture it to bee that which others of vnderstanding, haue plainely iudged it to be; I then suppose it verely, that our abuses in neglect of charity, haue come from those former named positions, not that they be erroneous do­ctrine, but erroneously vnderstood and abused. And so in this sense, I will say with an aduersary himselfe, who layeth it an imputation vpon vs, that vncharitablenesse and euill life, be not onely from our corrupt natures, but also from our do­ctrine; not that these doctrines, be properly cau­ses of them, but rather occasions taken from these and such like positions, our aduersaries do take aduantage to abuse vs, by perswading their igno­rants, that we do teach licentiousnesse: So Bellar. himselfe doth from those (as he saith) of the rigid Lutherians In Colloquio Altenburgensi, ad satanam spectare Christianos cum operibus bonis. Vbi supra. Adeo non esse necessaria opera bona, vt etiam ad salutem incommo­dent, suntque perniciosa. Precari oportere vt in fide si­ne omnibus operibus bonis, vsque in finem persevere­mus; with diuers like, which I confesse in their sense may be true, but yet had neede to meete with better interpreters, then aduersaries or ignorants. And your vnderstandings know; that if an aduersary can take aduantage, to abuse vs from [Page] them, we our selues will take occasion, to abuse them to our owne aduantage of liberty: loue of liberty in our selues, will work as strongly, as ma­lice can in others. VVhat should I recount par­ticulars. From this part of christian liberty, I will not say, but inconsiderate vrging of it, and mis­conceiuing, haue come a multitude, if not schis­maticall Paradoxes, yet of schismaticall practises and manners; Equidem viri fratres, Mores nostri sunt scismatici, verely brethren, many of our manners, they be schismaticall: there is no greater heresie of life, then is vncharitablenesse. Hence, first, there is a secret couert for Hypocrisie, which in the inuisibilitie of sole faith (from hence misunder­stood) may freely cousen and dissemble; hence stu­pid security, which vnder the opinion of certaintye and sufficiency of beliefe alone, layeth sound and dead a sleepe, (a sleepe on both eares) reason and conscience. Laboriosa quondam res fuit esse christia­num, nunc ingeniosa, It was once a matter of labor to bee a Christian, now of dispute & talking; once of practise, now of doctrin only. Hence next what if I shold obserue to haue come, that very Paradox of the Anabaptistes. That al things must be common: For, Church reuenewes taken away houses of main­tenance supprest, and charity (vpon this doctrine) buried in their ruines, necessitye inuented this Pa­radox, to haue it selfe maintained, a subtill policy of the Diuell, vnder a false shew of greater Charitye [Page] to take away all charity, by induc ng a commu­nity. Hence also commeth iniurious scandali­zing and traducing, the religious liues and courses of once renowmed saints; to the preiudice of fu­ture charity, and iniury of former. And hence vngracefull reprochings of Charities liberality, and olde deuotions goodly monumentes: which, as their abuses gaue some cause, so the inconside­rate teaching this doctrine, gaue occasion to law­full authority for to suppresse. I cannot name them but I must speake a word or two. Faire porti­ons of the Lord they were, which to bestowe vpon him, deuotion disinherited her owne deare children, faire Paradises (the fathers call them so) where innocency might best haue kept it selfe in­tire, but subtill serpenty, intising to a taste of for­bidden fruite, both shee and hers were streight disparadised; since when, in sweate and sorrow, haue wee their successors eat our bread, and the earth it bringes forth many thornes and thistles for ou [...] portions. I thinke the suppression of those mo­numents (of that nature) that it was a punishment but iust and first deserued. Pi [...]ty is not limited to a good cause, but in case of misery is common to al [...]: you may bewaile the death of him that dieth iustly, & therfore neede not feare to lamēt their ouerthrow. [...]ood it was for Cesar that Pom­pey should not liue; yet when the head of worthy Pompey was shewed vnto Cesar, the story saith, he [Page] wept most bitterly: so, if we any where behold, the remaining reliques of those goodly walles digd vp with the bones of them that foūded them; though so well done, mee thinke wee should not chuse but weepe most bitterly. I will say but a word more of them, The pulling of those buil­dings downe, was of the nature of those thinges quae defendipossūt, sed & defleri. O vse not then thus your liberty as an occasiō to the flesh No, no, this christiā liberty, it is not an immunity from mercies cōpassions and charities good works, but it is a ser [...]i­tude vnto them, as the words next vnto my Text do speak, exhorting, that by loue we serue one an other. Religion is not a brest-work, there is no such freedom from the law; it is not inough for charity to hold her hand on her bosome and feele how her hart worketh, but from her hart she must stretch it forth to help the distressed. A christiā, as he hath a Creed to belieue so hath he x commādemēts to obserue: Christ came not to dissolue the law, but to fulfil it. In the Gospel, belonging to the Gospell, there bee not onely Consolations, but threats and Comminations. Mat 7. The t [...]e [...] that bringeth not foorth good fruits shalbe cut downe and throwne into the fire. The Gospell preached as it should, will make Christi­ans cry out, Men and Brethren what shall [...]e do? Act. 2. Iames. 5. and not onely, I will go in peace, my faith hath saued me. Iames preached Gospell, when hee bad [Page] the rich men hold. The Euangelium, it is a ioy­full and good message; who doth deny it; for that it telleth of our sauiour and reconciler; but it hath other offices; The promises of it, be free, li­berall, and mercifull; but many of them be con­ditionall, Fac hoc & viues. Mat. 19. Si vis ad vi­tam ingredi, serua mandata: And obedience to the Lawe morall, is as well taught in the Gospell as in the Lawe: Christ he was a Law-giuer, as well as a Redeemer from the Lawe. The yoke of Christ it is sweet but yet a yoke; and his burthen is light, but yet a burthen. Why, but how then (wil you say) are wee freed from the Lawe? As I euen now tould you out of Caluin, for I do not contradict him, but you, that abuse his doctrine; yet if you will, in a word I will tell you whatsome others write, wee are freed, saith the Papist, from the burthens of the iudiciall and Ceremoniall law; of which spake Peter Act. 15. Quid tentatis imponere iugum super Ceruices Discipulorū, quod nec nos nec pa­tres nostri portare potuimus; what but onely so? are we not freed from the morall law? yes, thus some write we are, a Dominio legis moralis; It ruleth not ouer vs as slaues, but childrē, it is made more sup­portable and light vnto vs, for that the law came alone, but the Gospell with grace. They which receiued the Lawe in Mount Sinai by Moses, recei­ued only doctrine, that, instructed by the lawe, they might discerne betwixt vices and virtues: [Page] but they which receiued the Gospell by Christ, re­ceiued also grace with it; not onely to distinguish good and euill, but to loue goodnesse and hate iniquitie. Before, it was the Lawe of seruitude and feare, for that without grace, which Moses could not giue; it placed men guiltie and sub­iect to the punishment; but now by Christ it is the Law of Libertie and Loue, for that he giueth with it his Spirite, making vs more able and willing to performe it, and addeth, by his per­formance, to our want and imperfection in it. It is Saint Augustines Simily in Lib. de perfect. iustitiae. That the Lawe now, it is like vnto the winges of a birde, which doe not so much de­presse as lighten vp; the winges of themselues be heauie, but hauing giuen them a power to moue, they be no burthens to the body, but an ease and lightening. In a word, Christ hath freede vs from the Lawe, non adimendo tegi vim obligandi, sed addendo hominibus charitatem illam libenter implendi. Or thus, if you will, with Saint Augustine. That we are, in lege, non sub lege. In 1. Psal. In the Law, not vnder the Law. He is said to be vn­der the law, Qui a lege agitur tanquam seruus, who is driuen and compelled by the law as a seruant; he is in the law, Qui secundum legem agit vt liber, who worketh according to the lawe as a free­man. In a word, vbi Spiritus Domini, ibi liber­tas. 2. Cor. 3. And thus much for this first part [Page] of Christian Libertie. 2. Pars liber­tatis. The second followeth, which dependeth (as Caluin speaketh) of the for­mer; and it is this: Vt conscientiae, non quasi legis necessitate coactae, legi obsequantur; sed legis ipsius iugo liberae, voluntati Dei vltrò obediant: That our consciences should obey the Lawe, not as compelled by the necessitie of the Law, but free from the yoake of the Law, should of their own accord obey the will of God; Thus Caluin in his former cited place. His meaning, as I con­ceiue, from that which followeth, it is this; mans greatest perf [...]ction is imperfection, his holinesse is wickednesse his will vnwillingnesse, his endeuours vaine, his paines vnprofitable, & all his well-done workes but well-dooing euill, if examined by the rigor and strictnesse of the Law: and therefore now we are freed from that exactnesse which the lawe requireth, our actions are not to be iudged by the letter and tenor of that; but we may like children, offer vp our imperfect, Dimi­diata opera, aliquid etiam vitij habentia. Our halfe workes (saith he) yea hauing some fault or vice in them, trusting that our obedience and indeuour wil be accepted by our mercifull Father. And that such we ought now to be, who must assuredly beleeue, Obsequia patri probatum iri quantulacun­que sint, & quantumuis rudia & imperfecta; that our performances will be allowed of our Father, whatsoeuer they be, and how rude and imper­fect [Page] soeuer. Let this be true, but take heede you abuse not this libertie as an occasion to the flesh. If as Symonides in Plutarch, Rudiores dixit esse Thessa­los, quàm qui ab ipso decipi possunt; So the vulgar they be too simple to misconceiue from the for­mer doctrine, and make collection, that good workes (vpon this Christian libertie) are not at all to bee practised (for it is an vnhappinesse of witte to bee caught with Paradoxes) yet heere is a doctrine more fitte to be abused by all conceites and conditions. As this position is true and religious, so is it wise and poli­tique, giuing and referring our actions and all of them to the glorie alone, the will, mercie, loue, sauour and acceptance of God, and to­gether assuming libertie vnto our selues secret and inclusiuely (if not warily vnderstoode) extending Gods will, fauour, mercy and ac­ceptaunce to the qualitie of our actions. Though to doe nothing seemeth not to any sufficient, yet to doe ones indeuour and vtter­most, seemeth to all to bee very reasonable, though ones indeuour be also of it selfe nothing. The doctrine of this latter (of doing ones inde­uour) is better than the other (of doing nothing) & yet the effect of them both in practise all one, namely nothing. Hypocrisie may freely deceiue others; & negligence, it selfe; whē the sufficiency of mens actions, is referred to the censure of the [Page] secret wil of God, and not the sentence of an out­ward written lawe. And therefore, as religion must teach the first words of my Text, of our cal­ling to libertye; so must wisedome the latter that we abuse it not as an occasion to the flesh; you must not conceiue (which is the vsuall abuse this do­ctrine worketh) that you haue Liberty, freely to square your actiōs, not to a law but to the merciful acceptāce of Gods wil; & then Gods wil by your own insufficiēcies indeuors; and then your inde­uors sufficiency by your own reasōs iudgemēt, & your iudgement by your desires; & your desires by your fansies, and your fancies by your plea­sures, and your pleasures by your selfe. No, this is the same which the Apostle here dehorteth from, & yet it is the circle (vtitur Demō circulis non rectis lineis) wherewith the Diuell deceiueth the weake eye of ignorance and corruption. But for that this second part of Christian Liberty depen­deth (as Caluin speaketh) of the former, of which I haue spoken more liberally, I thus leaue it, with this light touch I haue giuen it, and come to the third and last part of this Liberty.

Tertia pars.The third part of Christian Liberty (saith mine author Caluin lib. 3 instit: Cap: 19.7.) is this: Vt nulla rerum externarū (quae per se sunt [...]) reli­gione coram Deo teneamur, quin eas nunc § vsurpare nunc omittere indifferenter liceat, That wee are not bound with any Religion before God, to the obser­uance [Page] of outwarde things, which in themselues are indifferent, but that we may vse them or omitte them, indifferently, at our pleasures. And here be comprised (saith he) all free ceremonies, to the obseruance of which, our consciences bee tyed with no necessity. Let this be true to faction or deuotion, but take heede you abuse it not as an oc­casion to the flesh; Gladius hic ille est, this is the sword first kild our enemies, but now hath woun­ded our owne selues, with many festring cuts & gashes, vpon the hart dangerously, vpon the bo­dy pittifully, vpon the face most deformedly. This got reformation the victory, and made it a­buse it when it had it. Hannibals triumphs in Ita­ly, and brauing of the walles of Rome, was the o­uerthrow of Carthage; God graunt it bee not so with our Church victories in this particular. Can an argument be good against the validity of the lawes of Rome, as lawes, and not bee as good a­gainst the lawes of England in this kinde. I will speake of this doctrine as Tacitus doth of the dealinges of Tyberius, Quanto maiore libertatis imagi­ne teguntur, tanto cruptura ad infensius seruitium, with how much the more flattering colour of Li­berty they be couered, so much the more euil they appeare at length, to lead to a more troublesome and slauish seruitude. It is but a first thought for any man to imagine, Peace a necessary cause of controuersies and diuisions, especially in matter [Page] of discipline, where authority is monarchicall and absolute, that may then the better suppres them. And cannot any man name countries in christen­dome quiet and at rest, that are not thus troubled with dissentions, nor accused of such liberty in disorders? No, the cause of our differences, schis­mes, Church factions, and halfe our vngodlines, hath come from the abuse of Christian liberty in generall, and from this part of it especially in par­ticular which indeede is no true part of it. As in the two former parts I onely shewed the abuses of them, so in this, it was my purpose (vpon the first choice of this Text) to haue shewed it, it selfe to be an abuse, and no true part of Christian liberty but the necessity of the former parts carrying me thus farre, I will onely adde a word or two of the abuses of the doctrine. Lentae aduersum imperia aures, euery mans care is soft for impression, and o­pen and stretched out a length, against governe­ment. It was the conclusion of the Rebell Armini­us his oration vnto his faction; that they should ra­ther follow him Gloriae & libertatis ducem, a Cap­tayne of glory and Libertye, then Segestes, flagi­tiosae seruitutis ducem, a Captaine of wicked seruitude. But why and when wicked ser­uitude? Non cum impiis Dominis seruiatur, Sed quod seruire impium; not when wicked maisters bee serued and obeyed, but that it is a wicked thing to serue, say our Arminii. This [Page] doctrine was a speedy meanes to free vs from that insupportable burthen of lawes the Church had laide vpon vs; but was it the best? hath it more gotte vs a freedome from them, then a freedome and licence to act what wee list? In which it is ignoraunce to looke for moderati­on, man not beeing contented (vpon this li­berty) to haue it graunted him, that hee may doe whatsoeuer hee is able, but what he list and is willing vnto. The necessity and yoke of obedience (vpon conscience) once cast off, what creature like to man, in vntamednes and disorder? There is not that loosenesse, that ryotte that luxurye, that profusenesse of life that fancie, that conceite that inuention, that contra­diction of opinion and behauiour and manners, that he will not runne into and maintayne. Doe I slaunder corruption? Do I scandalize the peruersnesse of our nature, and peruert this doctrine? will wee not, or haue wee not gone so farre? Nay I will then turne this censure pre­sently: It is Caluins owne iudgement and experiment (not my reproche) in the 19. of the 3. of his Instit: After hee had giuen vs this point of Christian Liberty, he presently in the se­ction, speaketh against two kinde of abuses of it. Some there bee saith he, who interpret it a licence for their sensualities, appetites, and libidinous affections, freely without check, to [Page] vse at pleasure, the gifts and aboundances of Gods bounty: Others who thinke this licence not vsed as it should be, except the disorders be pra­ctised, in the sight and conspect of men. And in the first kinde, saith Caluin, Maiorem in modum hoc saeculo peccatur. There is an exceeding offending in this our age. In those dayes when this doctrin was but new, Caluin saw the speedy effects of it, and that there were abuses of it most exorbi­tant, til it came to be marked for the ages blemish. There is scarce a man (saith Caluin) who is but able to effect it, whom a luxurious spender in the garnish of his table; the glutting of his belly; the decking of his body; the building of his houses; doth not delight; and who doth not in all kind of delicacies indeuour to exceede all others. But what of this, will you say to mee? what maketh this against this Christian liberty? Why, marke the sequell of his words, & you shal know: where after Caluin had recounted, the infinite nouelties of his times disorders, he addeth this conclusion to his liberties a commendatiō, & haec omnia (saith he) sub Christianae libertatis praetextu defenduntur, and al these things be not practised, but defended vnder the pretext of Christian liberty; alledging that they bee res indifferentes, thinges indifferent and so to be vsed. O God! shall wee lease reason and religion in one thing both together? what meaneth this patronizing of the cause with Cal­uin, [Page] and condemning the effects? or shall we say that things indifferent, commanded or inhibited by authority, may be omitted or practised freely, shall we auer it falsly, & then find fault when men do so vse them, vnreasonably? I am not able to conceiue the mistery of this teaching, and there­fore am compelled to say with Tertullian, Nusquā facilius proficitur quam in castris rebellium, Chap. 41. Pres. vbi ipsum esse illic, promereri est; So will I speake of this teaching; there is no better succesfull arguing then in this rebellious doctrine, in which to speak alone, is to proue, & to proue to ouercome; nor can it be excused out of the forenamed father that de papauere fici gratissime & suauissime ventosa & vana capriscus exurgit; Chap. 56. that it is but as a naughty ground, maketh a good seede a cause of bad fruit no, the practise of the second kind of men, which Caluin mentioned, as abusers of this doctrine, wil conuince it cleerely, that this falsly giuen Christi­an liberty, is the naturall & genuine cause of these offences, and that the disorders be not abuses, but effects of this liberty. Errant in hoc plerique, many erre in this, saith he, that as if their liberty coulde not be safe and sound except they haue witnes of the practise of it do vse it foolishly and promiscuous­ly: Nay (saith he) videas hodie quosdam, quibus sua libertas non videtur consistere nisi per esum carnium die veneris, iu eius possessionem peruenerint. you may see some at this day, who thinke their liberty not [Page] to consist, nor to be, but by the eating of flesh on Frydayes; they thinke their liberty hath no consi­stence or essence but in these disorders, nor can they come into possession of it, but by commit­ting of them, and so it inforceth them to do them and therefore must needes be the true and pro­per causer of them. To this see what Caluin opposeth, quod edūt non reprehēdo &c. that they eat flesh on Frydaies, I reprehēd it not quod edūt non reprehē do. O God, is it not inough for man to offēd in conceit, but he must be impudēt in defēce of his opiniō? must sinne haue a witnes of it, or is it not sin? & is it not inough for men to offend, but they must be cōmēded for it; at least, told that they shal not be reprehended? O Liberty, thou art the cause of all, and we are all the worse for thee. This opinion seemeth to be strictly religious in maintai­ning, not a denyal, but a scorne of obedience vp­on consciēce, to any but to God immediat; when as (in deed) it is intollerable pride and arrogancy for that they do it not, so much, to giue obedi­ence to God onely as for that they cannot bee so humble, as to giue any respect and reuerence to man. Shoulde the particulars of schismes bee re­counted, (consequents, all vpon this doctrine) I knowe not whether you would more wonder at them, or detest them. First, from hence all obedience to magistracy, it is at one blowe taken away and that very Paradox of the Ana­baptistes [Page] (as Eckius setteth it downe) plainely established, Nulli potestati obediend [...]m: For, if the magistrate, commanding things indiffe­rent, bee not vpon conscience, to bee obey­ed, then can hee commaund nothing, nor is hee to bee obeyed in any thing; all things beeing either commaunded by God, and so the obedience to him; or inhibited by God, & so not to be commanded by man; or left indiffe­rent by God, to bee inioyed or prohibited by man. Next from hēce cōmeth confusion & dissentiō, which God is neuer author of, by the freedom of this choice in euery thing: and yet I know, these men will much commend their vnity, but I must say with Tertul: Praes. 43. Confusio reuera siue schisma­ta apud huiusmodi fere non sunt, quia cū sint non appa­rent schismata, est enim vnitas ipsa, confusion and schismes be neuer with such, for when they bee they make no rentes and schismes, for it is their very vnity it selfe. Lib. 1 Their very forme and order is to haue no order nor forme. As Tacitus spea­keth in his Annals of a Tumult & conspiracy of the legions, so will I of these, Nil paucorum in­stinctu, pariter ardescunt pariter silent, there is not a dissention of one or two, they altogether ry­otte it, but though altogether, yet they ry­otte it, they altogether are vnruled but though altogether, yet vnruled, with such an vni­uersall concorde in discorde, tanta aequali­tate [Page] & constantia vt regi crederes, with such an e­quality & constancy, that you would thinke they were gouerned & had a discipline. And this you see Tacitus maketh a note of faction in the com­mon wealth, and Tertullian of schisme or heresie in the Church. Barbaris quo quis audacior, saith Tacitus, tanto magis fidus, & rebus commotis potier. So will I say of these men, quo quis seditiosior tanto fidelior & rebus commotis potior; the more seditious and dis­comformable, the more faithfull and sounde and in disagreement, of the more esteeme and recko­ning. I know their answere to be vsuall; that their confused dissention (if any of them can bee brought to acknowledge any) is but in outwarde rites and toies Et differentia rituum, commendat do­ctrinae vnitatem; Alas, a simple commendation. Nay, but rather, though the censure be subiect to censure, let me aduenture to say with Tertulli­an, Pres. 43. That Doctrinae index disciplina, the loosenes of their discipline, is a bewrayer of what sort their doctrine is, Et quòd de genere conuersationis, qualitas fidei aestimari potest, and that from the kind of their conuersation, the quality of their faith may bee iudged. Hence further, from this impeachment and minution of authority, and establishment of euery particular mans liberty of obediēce, follow­eth with an easy and slippery pace that Paradox which Eckius (but falsely, as I hope) accuseth Lu­ther of Lib: de seculari potestate; quod inter christia­nos, [Page] nulla debet aut potest esse superioritas sed vnusquis­que alteri aequaliter subiectus est, an opinion against the lawes of God, man, reason, sense, and nature. Hence next, a particle of this generall, and an ex­periment and practise, first, in the state ecclisia­sticall, by holding no superiority; no praelacy, no Hierarchy but equality in the ministry. A ba­ser kinde of pride, not that, which contemneth inferiours (from a conceit of selfe-excellency) but that, which endureth not and maligneth a su­periour (from feare of punishment and priuety of selfe insufficiency) a Paradox perchance well pleasing to the laity; vnaduisedly not marking, that beginning in the Clergy it would at length, Many other obseruations of further abu­ses were here cut off by the time. come creeping amongst themselues.

I will now onely bestow one further obser­uation vpon our owne home-vrgers of this Chri­stian liberty and so conclude. When Iulius Agrico­la in his second expedition, had ouercome a great part of this Ile of Brittaine, very cunningly with a pleasing Liberty and Licenciousnesse of life, intised the ruder inhabitants, to a liking and imitation of their customs; the Brittaines presently taken, fell in loue with all their practises, their actions, their habits, and their sports; paulatimque discessū ad delineamenta vitiorū, and at length they fell also to the imitating of their vices, their bathinges their banquettings, and all their luxuries, Idque tandem (saith the story) apud imperitos, humanitas [Page] vocabatur, cum pars seruitutis esset & that at length with the vnskilfull vulgar, was called humanity, which as a part of their seruitude, and a badge of their ouerthrowe, & he was accounted the most ciuill and ingenuous man, who imitated the Ro­mans best, when as indeede hee was the most slaue, by imitating his politique subduing aduersary. In some not vnlike sort, wee now entised by the faire shew of Liberty and Christian freedome, do fal in great loue and liking with it, paulatim (que) discedi­mus ad delineamenta vitiorum, & at length we come also to the imitating and practising of the faire a­buses & vices of it; and that is called with vs Chri­stianity, Christian Liberty, as that other was with them Humanity, cum pars seruitutis sit, when as it is a part of seruitude, and we slaues in it (if duely considered) to the inuention of some one or two par­ticular men, and to the practise of some beginning Church; and he would be accounted with vs the best reformed Christian who doth imitate it best, when as hee is indeede the most slaue, by imita­ting his politique subduing aduersary. To which pur­pose wel obserued a late writer, that the worthines of one (hee nameth Caluin) had wrought too much vpon other mens weakenesse. To con­clude I will say but that onely of these precise schis­matiques, Hist. lib. 1. which Tacitus doth of Astrologiās, Genus hominum potentibus infidum, sperantibus fa [...]lax, they be a kind of people, treacherous & disloyall to great [Page] men deceitful & false to them that hope in them; and I pray God, I may not iustly adde that which followeth, Genus etiam hominum quod apud nos ve­tabitur semper & retinebitur; they bee a kinde of men, which alwaies shall be forbidden, and yet alwaies retayned. No, let them goe, in their re­moual pernitiosior quies quam temeritas, rest is more pernitious then rashnesse.

The God of might and mercy, giue vs all [...]he spirit of his holy Catholique Church, that is of Liber­ty, not licentiousnesse; of freedome not loosenes, of obe­dience, not faction; of vnity, not diuision; of wisedom & iudgement, not fancie & singularity; that all com­bined in the one and single diuine inspiration of it, we may vnderstand our liberty rightly; practise it vnabusiuely; in religious liberality to the poore charitably; in perfourmance of the commande­mentes (to our power) laboriously; in obedience to the Magistrate and his lawes, most dutifully; In reuerence to the Church-canons, Rites and Cere­monies most conscionably; and thus in loue ser­uing all one another most christianly. This graunt, God the father, the sonne and the holy ghost; to whom be ascri­bed al power, might, maiesty, and dominion now and for euer

Amen.