WEe are still in the sea­son of Mortification; in Lent: But wee search no longer for Texts of Mortificati­on; The Almightie hand of God hath shed and spred a Text of Mortification ouer all the land. The last Sabboth day, was his Sabboth who entred then into his euerlasting Rest; Be this our Sabboth, to enter into a holy and thankfull acknowledge­ment of that Rest, which God affords vs, in continuing to vs our Foundations; for, If foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous doe?

[Page 2]I scarse know any word in the Word of God, in which the Originall is more ambiguous, and consequently the Translations more various, and ther­fore, necessarily also, the Expositions more diuers, then in these words. There is one thing, in which all agree, that is, the Argument, and purpose, and scape of the Psalme; And then, in what sense, the words of the Text may con­duce to the scope of the Psalme, wee rest in this Translation, which our Church hath accepted and authorized, and which agrees with the first Trans­lation knowen to vs, by way of Ex­position, that is the Chalde Paraphrase, If Foundations bee destroyed, what can the righteous doe?

The Church of God euer deligh­ted herselfe in a holy officiousnesse in the Commemoration of Martyrs: Al­most all their solemne, and extraordi­narie Meetings, and Congregations, in the Primitiue Church, were for [Page 3] that, for the honourable Commemo­ration of Martyrs: And for that, they came soone to institute and appoynt certaine Liturgies, certaine Offices (as they called them) certaine Seruices in the Church, which should haue re­ference to that, to the Commemo­ration of Martyrs; as wee haue in our Booke of Common Prayer, certaine Seruices for Marriage, for Buriall, and for such other holy Celebrations; And in the Office and Seruice of a Martyr, the Church did vse this Psalme; This Psalme, which is in generall, a Prote­station of Dauid, That though hee were so vehemently pursued by Saul, as that all that wished him well, sayd to his Soule, Flie as a Bird to the Mountaine, as it is in the first verse; Though hee saw, That the wicked had bent their Bowes, and made ready their Arrowes, vpon the string, that they might priuily shoot at the vpright in heart, as it is in the second verse: Though he take [Page 4] it almost as granted, that Foundations are destroyed, (And then, what can the righteous doe?) as it is in the third verse which is our Text, yet in this distresse he findes what to doe. For as hee be­gunne in the first verse, In thee Lord, put I my trust: So after he had passed the e­numeration of his dangers, in the se­cond and third verses, in the fourth he pursues it as he begun, The Lord is in his holy Temple, the Lords Throane is in Hea­uen. And in the fifth hee fixes it thus, The Lord tryeth the Righteous, (he may suffer much to be done for their triall) but the wicked, and him that loueth vio­lence, his soule hateth. This then is the Syllogisme, this is the Argumenta­tion of the righteous Man; In Colla­terall things, in Circumstantiall things, in things that are not fundamentall, a righteous Man, a constant Man should not bee shaked at all, not at all Scan­dalized; Thats true; But then (in a second place) sometimes it comes to [Page 5] that, That Foundations are destroyd, and what can the Righteous doe then? Why euen then, this is a question, not of de­speration, that nothing can bee done, but of Consultation with God, what should be done. I know, sayes Dauid, I should not be, and thou knowest, O God, I haue not beene mou'd with or­dinary trialls; not though my Friends haue dis-auowed mee, and bid mee flye to the Mountaine as a Bird, not though mine enemies prepare, and prepare Arrowes, and shoote, and shoote priuily, (bestowe their labour, and their cost, and their witts, to ruine mee) yet these haue not moou'd mee, because I had fixed my selfe vp­on certaine Foundations, Confiden­ces, and Assurances of Deliuerance from thee. But if, O Lord, I see these foundations destroyed, if thou put mee into mine Enemies hand, if thou make them thy Sword, if their furie draw that Sword, and then, thy Al­mightie [Page 6] Arme, sinewed euen with thine owne indignation, strike with that sword, what can I, how righ­teous soeuer I were, doe? So then, for the Explication, and Application of these words, there will need no more, but to spread them by way of Paraphrase vpon these three conside­rations: Diuisio. First, That the righteous is bolde as a Lyon, not easily shaked; But then, Foundations themselues may bee destroyed, and so hee may bee shaked; If hee bee, yet hee knowes what to doe, or where to aske Counsell, for these are not wordes of Desperation, but of Consultation, If Foundations-bee destroyed, &c.

part 1 First then, wee fixe our selues vp­on this consideration, that the Pro­phet in proposing this thus, If Foun­dations bee destroyed, intimates preg­nantly, that except there bee danger of destroying Foundations, it is the part of the righteous Man, the godly [Page 7] man to bee quiet. Studie to bee quiet, sayes the Apostle; Studie, 1 Thess. 4.11. that is an action of the Minde; and then, Opo­ram detis, say the Ʋulgate Edition, La­bour to bee quiet, and Labour is an action of the bodie: Indeed it is the pro­per businesse of the Minde and Bodie too, of Thoughts and Actions too, to bee quiet: And yet, alas, how many breake their sleepe in the night, about things that disquiet them in the day too, and trouble themselues in the day, about things that disquiet them all night too? Wee disquiet our selues too much, in beeing ouer tender, o­uer sensible of imaginarie iniuries. Transeant iniuriae, sayes the Morall man; Let many iniuries passe ouer; for, Seneca. Plaerasque non accipit, qui nescit; Hee that knowes not of an iniurie, or takes no knowledge of it, for the most part, hath no iniurie. Qui inquirunt, quid in se dictum est, sayes hee, They that are too inquisitiue, what other men [Page 8] say of them, they disquiet them­selues; for that which others would but whisper, they publish. And there­fore that which hee addes there, for Morall, and Ciuill matters, holds in a good proportion, in things of a more Diuine Nature, in such parts of the religious worship and seruice of God, as concerne not Foundations, Non expe­dit omnia videre, non omnia audire; we must not too iealously suspect, not too bitterly condemne, not too peremp­torily conclude, that what soeuer is not done, as wee would haue it done, or as wee haue seene it done in for­mer times, is not well done: for there is a large Latitude, and, by necessitie of Circumstances, much may bee admitted, and yet no Foun­dations destroyed; and till Foundations bee destroyed, the righteous should bee quiet.

Now this should not prepare, this should not incline any man, to such [Page 9] an indifferencie, as that it should bee all one to him, what became of all things; all one, whether wee had one, or two, or tenne, or no Reli­gion; or that hee should not bee a­wake, and actiue, and diligent, in assisting trueth, and resisting all ap­proaches of Errour. For, God hath sayd of all, into whose hand hee hath committed power, You are Gods. Now, they are not Gods, but Idoles, if, as the Prophet sayes, Psal. 115.6. They haue Eyes and see not, Eares and heare not, Hands and strike not; nay, (as hee addes there) if they haue Noses and smell not; if they smell not out a mischieuous practise, before it come to execution. For, Gods eyes are vpon the wayes of man, Iob. 33.21. and hee sees all his goings: Those, who are in the number of them, of whome God hath said, they are Gods, must haue their eyes vpon the wayes of men, and not vpon their Ends onely; vpon the pathes of mischiefe, and not [Page 10] vpon the bed of mischiefe onely; vp­on the Actors of mischiefe, and not vpon the Act onely. Gods eyes sees our wayes, sayes Dauid too; that, is, hee can see them, when hee will; but there is more in the other Prophet, Gods eyes are open vpon all our wayes; Iere. 32.19. alwayes open, and hee cannot chuse but see: So that, a wilfull shutting of the eye, a winking, a conniuen­cie, is not an assimilation to God. And then, Aba [...]. 1.13. Gods eyes are purer, then to beholde euill, and they cannot looke vp­on iniquitie: So that in an indifferen­cie, whether Times, or Persons bee good or badd, there is not this assi­mulation to God, Hebr. 4.13. Againe, All things are naked and open to the eyes of God: So that in the disguising, and pal­liating, and extenuating the faults of men, there is not this assimilation to God. Thus farre they falsifie Gods Word, who hath sayd, They are Gods; for they are Idoles; and not Gods, if they [Page 11] haue eyes, and see not. So is it also in the consideration of the Eare too for, as Dauid sayes, Psal. 94.9. Shall not hee that planted the Eare, heare? So wee may say, Shall hee upon whom God hath planted an Eare, bee deafe? Gods eares are so open so tender, so sen­sible of any motion, Psal. 39.12 as that Dauid formes one Prayer thus, Auribus per­cipe lachrimas meas, O Lord, heare my teares, hee puts the office of the Eye too, vpon the Eare. And then, if the Magistrate stop his Eares with Wooll, (with staple bribes, profitable bribes) and with Cyuet in his wooll, (per­fumes of pleasure and preferment in his bribes) hee falsifies Gods Word, who hath said, they are Gods, for they are Idoles, and not Gods, if they haue eares, and heare not: And so it is also of the hand too, In all that Iob suffered, he sayes no more, but that the Hand of God had touched him; but touched him, in respect of that hee could haue [Page 12] done: for, when Iob sayes to men, Why persecute you mee, Iob 19.22 as God? hee meanes, as God could doe, so ve­hemently, so ruinously, so destru­ctiuely, so irreparably. There is no phrase oftner in the Scriptures, then that God deliuered his people, in the hand of Moses, and the hand of Dauid, and the hand of the Prophets: all their Ministe­riall office is called the Hand: and ther­fore, as Dauid prayes to God, That hee would pull his hand out of his bosome, and strike: so must wee euer exhort the Magistrate, That hee would plucke his hand out of his pocket, and for­get what is there, and execute the Cause committed to him. For, as wee, at last, shall commend our Spi­rits, into the hands of God, God hath commended our Spirits, not onely our ciuill peace, but our Religion too, into the hand of the Magistrate. And there­fore, when the Apostle sayes, Studie to bee quiet, it is not quiet in the blind­nesse [Page 13] of the Eye, nor quiet in the Deafenesse of the Eare, nor quiet in the Lame­nesse of the Hand; the iust discharge of the dueties of our seuerall places, is no disquieting to any man. But when priuate men will spend all their thoughts vpon their Superiours acti­ons, this must necessarily disquiet them; for they are off of their owne Center, and they are extra Sphaeram Actiuitatis, out of their owne Di­stance, and Compasse, and they can­not possibly discerne the Ende, to which their Superiours goe. And to such a iealous man, when his iea­lousie is not a tendernesse towards his owne actions, which is a holy and a wholesome iealousie, but a suspition of his Superiours actions, to this Man, euery Wheele is a Drumme, and euery Drumme a Thunder, and euery Thunder-clapp a dissolution of the whole frame of the VVorld: If there fall a broken tyle from the [Page 14] house, hee thinkes Foundations are de­stroyed; if a crazie woman, or a dis­obedient childe, or a needie seruant fall from our Religion, from our Church, hee thinkes the whole Church must necessarily fall, when all this while there are no Foundations destroy­ed; and till foundations bee destroyed, the righteous should be quiet.

Hence haue wee iust occasion, first to condole amongst our selues, who, for matters of Foundations professe one and the same Religion, and then to com­plaine of our Aduersaries, who are of another. First, that amongst our selues, for matters not Doctrinall, or if Do­ctrinall, yet not Fundamentall, onely because wee are sub-diuided in diuers Names, there should bee such Exaspe­rations, such Exacerbations, such Vo­ciferations, such Eiulations, such De­famations of one another, as if all Foundations were destroyed. VVho would not tremble, to heare those In­fernall [Page 15] words, spoken by men, to men, of one and the same Religion funda­mentally, as Indiabolificata, Perdia­bolificata, and Superdiabolificata, that the Deuill, and all the Deuills in Hell, and worse then the Deuill is in their Doctrine, and in their Diuinitie, when, God in heauen knowes, if their owne vncharitablenesse did not exclude him, there were roome enough for the Holy Ghost, on both, and on either side, in those Fundamentall things, which are vnanimely professed by both: And yet euery Mart, wee see more Bookes written by these men a­gainst one another, then by them both, for Christ.

But yet though this Torrent of vn­charitablenesse amongst them, bee too violent, yet it is within some bankes; though it bee a Sea, and too tempe­stuous, it is limitted within some bounds; The poynts are certaine, knowen, limitted, and doe not grow [Page 16] vpon vs euery yeare, and day. But the vncharitablenesse of the Church of Rome towards vs all, is not a Tor­rent, nor it is not a Sea, but a generall Flood, an vniuersall Deluge, that swal­lowes all the world, but that Church, and Church-yard, that Towne, and Sub­urbes, themselues, and those that de­pend vpon them; and will not al­lowe possibilitie of Saluation to the whole Arke, the whole Christian Church, but to one Cabin in that Arke, the Church of Rome; and then denie vs this Saluation, not for any Positiue Errour, that euer they charged vs to affirme; not because wee affirme a­ny thing, that they denie, but be­cause wee denie some things, which they in their afternoone are come to affirme.

If they were Iusti, Righteous, right and iust dealing men, they would not raise such dustes, and then blind [...] mens eyes with this dust of their own [Page 17] raysing, in things that concerne no Foundations. It is true, that all He­resie does concerne Foundations: there is no Heresie to bee called little: Great Heresies proceeded from things, in apparance, small at first, and seem'd to looke but towards small matters. There were great Heresies, that were but Verball, Heresies in some Word. That great Storme, that shaked the State, and the Church, in the Coun­cell of Ephesus, and came to Factions, and Commotions in the Secular part, and to Exautorations, and Excommu­nications amongst the Bishops, so farre, as that the Emperour came to declare both sides to bee Heretiques; All this was for an Errour in a Word, in the word Deipara, whether the Blessed Virgine Marie were to bee cal­led the Mother of God, or no. There haue beene Verball Heresies, and He­resies that were but Syllabicall; little Praepositions made Heresies; not onely [Page 18] State-praepositions, Precedencies, and Prerogatiues of Church aboue Church, occasioned great Schismes, but Lite­rall Praepositions, Praepositions in Gram­mar, occasioned great Heresies. That great Heresie of the Acephali, against which Damascene bendes himselfe in his Booke, De Natura Composita, was grounded in the Praeposition, In; They would confesse Ex, but not In, That Christ was made of two Na­tures, but that hee did not consist in two Natures. And wee all know, what differences haue beene raysed in the Church, in that one poynt of the Sacrament, by these three Prepositi­ons, Trans, Con, and Sub. There haue beene great Heresies, but Ver­ball, but Syllabicall; and as great, but Litterall; The greatest Heresie that euer was, that of the Arrians, was but in one Letter. So then, in He­resie, there is nothing to bee called little, nothing to bee suffered. It [Page 19] was excellently sayde of Heretiques, (though by one, who, though not then declared, Nestorius. was then an Here­tique in his heart,) Condolere Hereti­cis crimen est; It is a fault, not onely to bee too indulgent to an Heretique, but to bee too compassionate of an Heretique, too sorrie for an Here­tique. It is a fault to say, Alas, let him alone, hee is but an Heretique; but, to say, Alas, hope well of him, till you bee better sure, that hee is an Heretique, is charitably spoken. God knowes, the sharpe and sowre Name of Heretique, was too soone let loose, and too fast spread in ma­ny places of the world. VVee see, that in some of the first Catalogues, that were made of Heretiques, men were Registred for Heretiques, that had but expounded a place of Scrip­ture, otherwise then that place had beene formerly expounded, though there were no harme, in that newe [Page 20] Exposition. And then, when once that infamous Name of Heretique was fastened vpon a man, nothing was too heauie for, any thing was beleeued of that man. And from thence it is, without question, that wee finde so many so absurd, so senselesse Opinions imputed to those men, who were then called Here­tiques, as could not, in trueth, with any possibilitie, fall into the imagination or fancie of any man, much lesse bee Doctrinally, or Dogmatically deliuered. And then, vpon this, there issued Lawes, from particular States, against particular Heresies, that troubled those States then, as namely, against the Arrians, or Ma­cedonians, and such; and in a short time, these Lawes came to bee ex­tended, to all such Opinions, as the passion of succeeding times, called Heresie. And at last, the Romane Church hauing constituted that Mono­polie, [Page 21] That Shee onely should declare what should bee Heresie, and ha­uing declared that to bee Heresie, which opposed, or retarded the dig­nitie of that Church, now they call in Brachium Spirituale, All those Sen­tences of Fathers, or Councells that mention Heresie, and they call in Brachium Saeculare, all those Lawes which punish Heresie, and whereas these Fathers, and Councells, and States, intended by Heresie, Opinions that destroyed Foundations, they bend all these against euery poynt, which may endammage, not the Church of God, but the Church of Rome; nor the Church of Rome, but the Court of Rome; nor the Court of Rome, but the Kitchin of Rome; not for the Heart, but for the Bellie; not the Reli­gion, but the Policie; not the Altar, but the Exchequer of Rome.

But the Righteous lookes to Foun­dations, before hee will bee scandalized [Page 22] himselfe, or condemne another. When they call Saint Peter their first Pope, and being remembred, how hee de­nied his Master, say then, that was but an Acte of Infirmitie, not of Infi­delitie, and there were no Foundations destroyed in that; wee presse not that euidence against Saint Peter, wee for­beare, and wee are quiet. When wee charge some of Saint Peters imaginary Successors, some of their Popes, with actuall, and personall Sacrificing to I­doles, some with subscribing to formall Heresies, with their owne hand, many with so enormous an ill life, as that their owne Authors will say, that for many yeares together, there liued not one Pope, of whose Saluation, any hope could bee conceiued; and they answere to all this, that all these were but Personall faults, and destroyed no Foundations; wee can bee content to bury their faultes with their per­sons, and wee are quiet. When wee [Page 23] remember them, how many of the Fa­thers excused officious Lyes, and thought some kinde of Lying to bee no Sinne, how very many of them hearded in the heresie of the Millenarians, That the Saints of God should enioy a thou­sand yeares of temporall felicity in this world, after their Resurrection, before they ascended into Heauen; And that they say to all this, The Fathers said these things before the Church had de­creed any thing to the contrary, and till that, it was lawfull for any man to say, or thinke what hee would, wee do not load the memory of those bles­sed Fathers with any heauier pressings, but wee are quiet. Yet wee cannot chuse but tell them, that tell vs this, that they haue taken a hard way, to make that saying true, that all things are growen deare in our times; for they haue made Saluation deare; Threescore yeares agoe, a man might haue beene sau'd at halfe the price hee can now: [Page 24] Threescore yeares agoe, he might haue beene saued for beleeuing the Apostles Creed; now it will cost him the Trent Creed too. Euermore they will presse for all, and yeeld nothing; and there is indeed their Specification, there's their Character, that's their Catholique, their Vniuersall; To haue all; As, in Athanasius his time, when the Emperour pressed him to affoord the Arrians one Church in Alexandria, where hee was Bishop, and hee asked but one Church in An­tioch, where the Arrians preuayled, not doubting but hee should draw more to the true Church in Antioch, then they should corrupt in Alexandria, yet this would not bee granted; It would not be granted at Rome, if we should aske a Church for a Church. In a word, wee charge them with vncharitable­nesse, (and Charitie is without all Controuersie, a Foundation of Religi­on) that they will so peremptorily ex­clude vs from Heauen, for matters [Page 25] that doe not appertaine to Foundati­ons. For, if they will call all Founda­tions, that that Church hath, or doth, or shall decree, wee must learne our Ca­techisme vpon our Death-bedd, and inquire for the Articles of our Faith, when wee are going out of the world, for they may haue decreed something that Morning. No one Author of theirs denied Pope Ioane, till they discerned the Consequence, That by confessing a Woman Pope, they should disparage that Succession of Bishops, which they pretend, And this Succession must bee Foundation. No Author of our side denied Saint Peters beeing at Rome, till wee dis­cerned the Consequence, That vpon his personall being there, they grounded a Primacie in that Sea, And this Primacie must bee Foundation. Much might bee admitted in cases of In differencie, euen in the Nature of the things, Much in cases of Necessitie, for [Page 26] the importance of Circumstances, much in cases of Conueniency, for the suppling of boysterous, and for the becalming of tempestuous humours; but when eue­ry thing must be called Foundation, we shall neuer knowe where to stop, where to consist. If wee should beleeue their Sacrificium incruentum, their vnbloody Sacrifice in the Masse, if wee did not beleeue their Sacri­ficium Cruentum too, that there was a power in that Church, to sacrifice the Blood of Kings, wee should bee sayde to bee defectiue in a fun­damentall Article. If wee should ad­mitt their Metaphysiques, their tran­scendent Transubstantiation, and ad­mitt their Chimiques, their Purgato­rie Fires, and their Mythologie, and Poetrie, their apparitions of Soules and Spirits, they would binde vs to their Mathematiques too, and they would not let vs bee saued, except wee would reforme our Almanackes [Page 27] to their tenne dayes, and reforme our Clockes to their foure and twentie: for who can tell when there is an ende of Articles of Faith, in an Arbitrarie, and in an Occasionall Religion? When then this Prophet sayes, If Foundati­ons bee destroyed, what can the righte­ous doe, hee meanes, that till that, the righteous should bee quiet: Ex­cept it were in fundamentall Articles of Faith, our selues should not bee so bitter towards one another, our Aduersarie should not bee so vn­charitable against vs all. And farther wee need not extend this first Consi­deration.

The second is, to Suruay some part 2 such Foundations, as fall within the frayltie, and suspition, and possibi­litie of this Text, that they may bee destroyed: for when the Prophet sayes, If they bee, they may bee. Now Fundamentum proprie de aedificijs dicitur, sayes the Lawe: when wee [Page 28] speake of Foundations, wee intend a house: and heere, wee extend this House to foure Considerations; for in foure Houses haue euery one of vs a dwelling. For, first, Ecclesia Domus, the Church is a House, it is Gods house; and in that House, wee are of the householde of the faithfull, if (as it is testified of Moses) wee bee faithfull in all his House, Hebr. 3.5. as Seruants. You see there is a faithfulnesse required in e­uery man, in all the house of God, not in any one roome; a disposition re­quired to doe good to the whole Church of God euery where, and not onely at home. Secondly, Respublica Domus, The Commonwealth, the State, the Kingdome is a House; and this is that which is called so often, Domus Israel, The house of Israel, the State, the Gouernment of the Iewes: And in this House, God dwells, as well as in the other; In the State, as well as in the Church: For, these words, The [Page 29] Lord hath chosen Sion, Psa. 132.13 hee hath desired it for a habitation, are spoken of the whole Bodie, Church, and State. Thirdly, there is Domus Habitatio­nis, Domus quae Domicilium, a House to dwell in, and to dwell with, a Family: and in this House God dwells too; for, as Dauid sayes of the Buil­ding, wee may say of the Dwelling, Except the Lord build the House, Psal. 127.1. they labour in vaine: So except the Lord dwell in the House, it is a desolate Habitation. And then lastly, there is Domus quae Dominus, a house which is the Master of the House; for as e­uery Man is a little World, so eue­ry man is his owne House, and dwels in himselfe: And in this House God dwells too; for the Apostle seemes so much to delight himselfe in that Me­taphore, as that hee repeats it almost in all his Epistles, Habitat in nobis, That the Holy Ghost dwells in vs. Now, of all these foure Houses, that [Page 30] house which hath no walles, but is spread ouer the face of the whole Earth, the Church, And that House, which with vs, hath no other walls, but the Sea, the State, the Kingdome, And that house which is walled with drie Earth, our dwelling house, our family, and this house which is wall'd with wet Earth, this loame of flesh, our selfe, Of all these foure houses, those three, of which, and in which we are, and this fourth, which wee our selfe are, God is the Foundation, and so foun­dations cannot bee destroyed; But, as, though the common foundation of all buildings bee the Earth, yet wee make particular foundations for par­ticular Buildings, of Stone, or Brick, or Piles, as the Soyle requires; so shall wee also heere consider such par­ticular Foundations of these foure houses, as may fall within the frailtie, and suspition, within the possibilitie, and danger of the Text, of being de­stroyed.

[Page 31]Of the first House then, Ecclesia Domus. which is the Church, the foundation is Christ, Other foundation can no man lay, 1 Cor. 3.11. then that which is layd, which is Iesus Christ. Non propterea dicimus, sayes Saint Augustine. De vnita. Eccles. C. 16. Wee doe not say that our Church is Catholique therefore, because Optatus sayes so, and because Ambrose sayes so, (and yet Optatus, and Ambrose, the Fathers, are good Witnesses) nei­ther do we say it, (sayes he) Quia Colle­garum nostrorum Conciliis praedicata est, Because some Synodes and Councells of men of our owne Religion haue said it is Catholique (And yet a Harmony of Confessions is good Euidence,) Nec quia tanta fiunt in ea mirabilia, sayes hee, wee call it not Catholique, be­cause so many Myracles are wrought in it, (for wee oppose Gods many mi­raculous Deliuerances of this State and Church, to all their imaginary mi­racles of Rome) Non ideo manifestatur Catholica, sayes still that Father, All [Page 32] this does not make our Church Ca­tholique, nay, non manifestatur, all this does not declare it to bee Catholique, all these are no infallible marks there­of, but onely this one, sayes hee, Quia ipse Dominus Iesus, &c. because the Lord Iesus himselfe is the Foundation of this Church. But may not this be sub­iect to reasoning, to various Disputa­tion, Whether wee haue that founda­tion, or no? It may; but that will goe farre in the clearing thereof, which the same Father sayes in another Booke, De Moribus Eccles. Cat. C. 25. Nihil in Ecclesia catholica sa­lubrius fit, quam vt Rationem praecedat Autoritas: Nothing is safer for the finding of the Catholique Church, then to preferre Authoritie before my Rea­son, to submit and captiuate my Rea­son to Authoritie. This the Romane Church pretends to embrace; but A­pishly; like an Ape, it kills with embra­cing; for it euacuates the right Autho­ritie; The Authority that they obtrude, [Page 33] is the Decretals of their owne Bishops, The authoritie, which Saint Augustine literally and expressely declares him­selfe to meane, is the authoritie of the Scriptures.

Christ then, that is, the Doctrine of Christ, is the foundation of this first House, the Church. 2 Chro. 3.3. Haec sunt funda­menta quae iecit Salomon, sayes the vul­gate Edition, These are the foundati­ons that Salomon layde; and then our Translation hath it, These are the things in which Salomon was instructed; One calls it Foundations, the other Instru­ctions; All's one; The Instructions of Christ, the Doctrine of Christ, the Word, the Scriptures of Christ, are the Foundation of this House. For, when the Apostle sayes, Ephes. 2.20 Christ Iesus him­selfe is the chiefe corner Stone, yet hee addes there, Yee are built vpon the Prophets and Apostles: for the Pro­phets and Apostles, had their part in the foundation; in the laying, though [Page 34] not in the beeing of the Foundation. The wall of the citie, Apoc. 21.14 sayes Saint Iohn, had twelue Foundations, and in them, the Names of the twelue Apostles: But still, in that place, they are Apostles of the Lambe, still they haue relation to Christ: For, they, who by inspi­ration of the Holy Ghost, writt of Christ, and so made vp the Bodie of the Scriptures, haue their parts too, in this Foundation. Besides these, it is sayd, in the building of the Ma­teriall Temple, 2 Reg. 5.17. The King commaunded, and they brought, great Stones, and cost­ly Stones, and hewed Stones, to lay the foundations of the House: The care of the King, the labours of men con­duce to the foundation. And besides this, in that place of the Reuelation, The foundation of the Wall, is sayde to bee garnished with all manner of pre­cious stones; Garnished, but not made of that kinde of precious stones. So then Salomons hewed Stones, and costly [Page 35] stones, may, in a faire accommodati­on, bee vnderstood to bee the De­terminations, and Resolutions, Canons, and Decrees of generall Councels: And Saint Iohns garnishment of precious stones, may, in a faire accommoda­tion, bee vnderstood to bee the Lear­ned and Laborious, the zealous and the pious Commentaries and Expositions of the Fathers; For Councells and Fa­thers assist the Foundation; But the foundation it selfe is Christ himselfe in his Word; his Scriptures. And then, certainely they loue the House best, that loue the foundation best: not they, that impute to the Scriptures such an Obscuritie, as should make them in-intelligible to vs, or such a defect as should make them insufficient in them­selues. To denie vs the vse of Scrip­tures in our vulgar Translations, and yet to denie vs the vse of them, in the Originall Tongues too, To tell vs we must not trie Controuersies by our [Page 36] English, or our Latine Bibles, nor by the Hebrew Bibles neither, To put such a Maiestie vpon the Scriptures, as that a Lay man may not touch them, and yet to put such a diminution vp­on them, as that the writings of men shall bee equall to them; this is a wrinching, a shrinking, a sinking, an vndermining, a destroying of Foundations, of the foundation of this first House, which is the Church, the Scriptures.

Respub. Domus.Enter wee now into a Suruay of the second House, The State, the King­dome, the Common-wealth; and of this House, the foundation is the Law. And therefore Saint Hierome referres this Text, in a litterall and primary signifi­cation to that, to the Law: for so, in his Commentaries vpon the Psalmes, he translates this Text, Si dissipatae Le­ges, Hee makes the euacuating of the Law, this destroying of foundations. Lex communis Reipub. sponsio, sayes the [Page 37] Law it selfe: The Law is the mutuall, the reciprocall Suretie betweene the State and the Subiect. The Lawe is my Suretie to the State, that I shall pay my Obedience, And the Lawe is the States Suretie to mee, that I shall enioy my Protection. And therefore, therein did the Iewes iustly exalt themselues aboue all other Nations, That God was come so much nearer to them then to other Nations, by how much they had Lawes and Ordinances more righteous then other Nations had. Now, as it is sayd of the Foundations of the other House, the Temple, The King commaunded in the laying thereof, the King had his hand in the Church, so is it also in this House, the State, the Common-wealth, the King hath his hand in, and vpon the foundation here also, which is the Lawe: so farre, as that euery forbearing of a Lawe, is not an Euacuating of the Law; euery Par­don, whether a Post-pardon, by way [Page 38] of mercy, after a Lawe is broken, or a Prae-pardon, by way of Dispensati­on, in wisedome before a Lawe bee broken, is not a Destroying of this foun­dation. For, when such things as these are done, Iuo. Non astu Mentientis, sed af­fectu compatientis, not vpon coloura­ble disguises, nor priuate respects, but truely for the Generall good, all these Pardons, and Dispensations con­duce and concurre to the Office, and contract the Nature of the Foundation it selfe, which is, that the whole Bo­die may bee the better supported. But where there is an inducing of a super-Soueraigne, and a super-Supre­macie, and a Sea aboue our foure Seas, and a Horne aboue our Head, and a forraine Power aboue our Natiue and naturall Power, where there are dog­maticall, Positiue Assertions, that men borne of vs, and liuing with vs, and by vs, are yet none of vs, no Subiects, owe no Allegeance, this [Page 39] is a wrinching, a shrinking, a sin­king, an vndermining, a destroying of Foundations, the Foundation of this second House, which is the State, the Law.

The third House that falles into our present Suruay, Domus Do­micilium. is Domus quae Do­micilium, Domus habitationis, our Dwel­ling house, or Family, and of this house, the foundation is Peace: for Peace com­pacts all the peeces of a family toge­ther; Husband and Wife, in Loue and in Obedience, Father and Sonne, in Care and in Obedience, Master and Seruant, in Discipline and in O­bedience: Still Obedience is one Ingre­dient in all Peace; there is no Peace, where there is no Obedience. Now euery smoke does not argue the house to bee on fire; Euery domestique of­fence taken or giuen, does not de­stroy this Foundation, this Peace, with­in doores. There may bee a Thunder from aboue, and there may bee an [Page 40] Earth-quake from below, and yet the foundation of the House safe: From a­boue there may bee a defect in the Superiour, in the Husband, the Father, the Master; and from below, in the Wife, the Sonne, the Seruant; There may bee a Iealousie in the Husband, a Morositie in the Father, an Imperiousnesse in the Master; And there may bee an inobsequiousnesse and an indiligence in the Wife, there may bee leuitie and inconsideration in the Sonne, and there may bee vnreadinesse, vnseasonable­nesse in a Seruant, and yet Foundati­ons stand, and Peace maintayned, though not by an exquisite perfor­ming of all duties, yet by a mutu­all support of one anothers infirmi­ties. This destroyes no Foundation; But if there bee a windowe opened in the house, to let in a Iesuiticall firebrand, that shall whisper, though not pro­claime, deliuer with a non Dominus sed Ego, that though it bee not a de­clared [Page 41] Tenet of the Church, yet hee thinkes, that in case of Heresie, Ci­uill and Naturall, and Matrimoniall duties cease, no Ciuill, no Naturall, no Matrimoniall Tribute due to an Heretique; Or if there bee such a fire kindled within doores, that the Hus­bands iealousie come to a Substracti­on of necessary meanes at home, or to Defamation abroad, or the Wiues leuitie induce iust Imputation at home, or scandall abroad, If the Fathers wastfulnesse amount to a Disinheri­ting, because hee leaues nothing to bee inherited, Or the Sonnes incorrigi­blenesse occasion a iust disinheriting, though there bee enough, If the Ma­ster make Slaues of Seruants, and macerate them, or the Seruants make prize of the Master, and prey vpon him, in these cases, and such as these, there is a wrinching, a shrinking, a sinking, an vnderming, a destroy­ing of Foundations, the Foundation of [Page 42] this third House, which is the family, Peace.

Domus Dominus.There remaines yet another House, a fourth House, a poore and wret­ched Cottage; worse then our Statute Cottages; for to them the Statute layes out certaine Acres; but for these Co­tages, wee measure not by Acres, but by Feete; and fiue or sixe foote serues any Cottager: so much as makes a Graue, makes vp the best of our Glebe, that are of the Inferiour, and the best of their Temporalties, that are of the Superiour Cleargie, and the best of their Demeanes that are in the greatest So­ueraigntie in this world: for this house is but our selfe, and the foundation of this House is Conscience. For, this pro­ceeding with a good Conscience in e­uery particular action, is that, which the Apostle calles, 1 Tim. 6.19. The laying vp in store for our selues, a good foundation, against the time to come: The House comes not till the time to come, but [Page 43] the Foundation must bee layde heere. Abraham looked for a Citie; Heb. 11.10 that was a future expectation; but, sayes that Text, it was a Citie that hath a foun­dation; the foundation was layd alrea­die, euen in this life, in a good Con­science: For no interest, no mansion shall that Man haue in the vpper-roomes of that Ierusalem, that hath not layd the foundation in a good Con­science heere. But what is Conscience? Conscience hath but these two Elements, Knowledge, and Practise; for Consci­entia presumit Scientiam; Hee that does any thing with a good Conscience, knowes that hee should doe it, and why hee does it: Hee that does good ignorantly, stupidly, inconsiderately, implicitely, does good, but hee does that good ill. Conscience is, Syllogismus practicus; vpon certaine premisses, well debated, I conclude, that I should doe it, and then I doe it. Now for the destroying of this foundation, there are [Page 44] sinnes, which by Gods ordinary grace exhibited in his Church, prooue but Alarums, but Sentinells to the Consci­ence: The very sinne, or something that does naturally accompany that sinne, Pouertie, or Sickenesse, or In­famie, calls vpon a man, and awakens him to a remorse of the sinne. Which made Saint Augustine say, That a man got by some sinnes; some sinnes helpe him in the way of repentance for sinne; and these sinnes doe not destroy the foundation. But there are sinnes, which in their nature preclude repen­tance, & batter the Conscience, deuastate, depopulate, exterminate, annihilate the Conscience, and leaue no sense at all, or but a sense of Desperation. And then, the case being reduc'd to that, Sap. 17.11. That wicked­nes condemned by her owne wickednes, be­comes very timerous, (so as the Conscience growes afrayd, that the promises of the Gospell belong not to her) And (as it is added there) beeing pressed with [Page 45] Conscience, alwayes forecasteth grieuous things) that whatsoeuer God layes vp­on him heere, all that is but his earnest of future worse torments, when it comes to such a Feare, as (as it is added in the next verse) Betrayes the succours that Reason offers him, ver. 12. That whereas in reason a man might argue, God hath pardoned greater sinnes, and greater sinners, yet hee can finde no hope for himselfe; this is a shrinking, a sinking, an vndermining, a destroying of this Foundation of this fourth House, the Conscience: And farther wee proceed not in this Suruay.

Wee are now vpon that which we part 3 proposed for our last Consideration; Till foundations are shaked, the righte­ous stirres not; In some cases some foun­dations may be shaked; if they be, what can the righteous doe? The holy Ghost ne­uer askes the question, what the vn­righteous, the wicked can doe: They doe well enough, best of all, in such [Page 46] cases: Demolitions and Ruines are their raisings; Troubles are their peace, Tempests are their calmes, Fires and combustions are their refreshings, Massacres are their haruest, and De­struction is their Vintage; All their Ri­uers runne in Eddies, and all their Cen­ters are in wheeles, and in perpetuall motions; the wicked do well enough, best of all then; but what shall the righte­ous do? The first entrance of the Psalme in the first verse, seemes to giue an an­swere; The righteous may flie to the Moun­taine as a Bird; he may retire, withdraw himselfe. But then the generall scope of the Psalme, giues a Reply to the An­swere; for all Expositors take the whole Psalme to bee an answere from Dauid, and giuen with some indignation a­gainst them, who perswaded him to flie, or retire himselfe. Not that Dauid would constitute a Rule in his Exam­ple, that it was vnlawfull to flie in a time of danger or persecution, (for [Page 47] it would not bee hard to obserue at least nine or ten seuerall flights of Da­uid) but that in some cases such circum­stances of Time, and Place, and Person, may accompany and inuest the acti­on, as that it may bee inconuenient for that Man, at that Time, to retire himselfe. As oft, as the retyring a­mounts to the forsaking of a Calling, it will become a very disputable thing, how farre a retyring may bee lawfull. Saint Peters vehement zeale in disswa­ding Christ from going vp to Ierusalem, Mat. 16.21. in a time of danger, was so farre from retarding Christ in that purpose, as that it drew a more bitter increpation from Christ vpon Peter, then at any o­ther time.

So then, in the Text, we haue a Rule implyed, Something is left to the righ­teous to doe, though some Foundations bee destroyed; for the words are words of Consultation, and consultation with God; when Man can afford no Counsayle, [Page 48] God can, and will direct those that are his, the righteous, what to doe. The words giue vs the Rule, and Christ giues vs the Example in himselfe. First, hee continues his Innocencie, and auowes that; the destroying of Foundations, does not destroy his Foundation, In­nocence: still hee is able to confound his aduersaries, Ioh. 8.46. with that, Which of you can conuince mee of sinne? And then, hee prayes for the remoouing of the persecution, Transeat Calix, let this Cup passe. When that might not bee, hee prayes euen for them, who inflicted this persecution, Pater ignosce, Father forgiue them; And when all is done, hee suffers all that can bee done vn­to him: And hee calls his whole Pas­sion, Horam suam, it spent nights and dayes; his whole life was a continuall Passion; yet how long soeuer, he calls it but an Houre, and how much soe­uer it were their act, the act of their malignitie that did it, yet hee calls it [Page 49] his, because it was the act of his owne Predestination as God, vpon himselfe as Man; And hee calles it by a more acceptable Name then that, hee calles his Passion Calicem suum, his Cup, be­cause hee brought not onely a patience to it, but a delight and a ioy in it; for, for the ioy that was set before him, Hebr. 12.2. hee endured the Crosse. All this then the righteous can doe, though Foundati­ons bee destroyed; Hee can withdrawe himselfe, if the duties of his place make not his residence necessarie; If it doe, hee can pray; and then hee can suffer; and then hee can reioyce in his sufferings; and hee can make that pro­testation, Our God is able to deliuer vs, Dan. 3.17. and hee will deliuer vs; but if not, wee will serue no other Gods. For, the righ­teous hath euermore this refuge, this assurance, that though some Foundati­ons bee destroyed, all cannot bee: for first, The foundation of God stands sure, 2 Tim. 2.19 and hee knowes who are his; Hee is safe [Page 50] in God; and then he is safe in his owne Conscience, Pro. 10.25. for, The Righteous is an e­uerlasting foundation; not onely that he hath one, but is one; and not a tem­porary, but an euerlasting Foundation: So that foundations can neuer bee so de­stroyed, but that hee is safe in God, and safe in himselfe.

Domus Ec­clesia.For such things then, as concerne the foundation of the first House, the Church, Bee not apt to call Super-Edifications, Foundations; Collaterall Di­uinitie, Fundamentall Diuinitie; Pro­blematicall, Disputable, Controuerti­ble poynts, poynts Essentiall, and Arti­cles of Faith. Call not Super-Edificati­ons, Foundations, nor call not the fur­niture of the House, Foundations; Call not Ceremoniall, and Rituall things, Essentiall parts of Religion, and of the worship of God, otherwise then as they imply Disobedience; for Obedience to lawfull Authoritie, is alwayes an Essentiall part of Religion. Doe not [Page 51] Anti-date Miserie; doe not Prophesie Ruine; doe not Concurre with Mis­chiefe, nor Contribute to Mischiefe so farre, as to ouer-feare it before, nor to mis interprete their wayes, whose Ends you cannot knowe; And doe not call the cracking of a pane of glasse, a Destroying of foundations. But euery man doing the particular duties of his distinct Calling, for the preser­uation of Foundations, Praying, and Preaching, and Doing, and Counsailing, and Contributing too, Foundations bee­ing neuer destroyed, the Righteous shall doe still, as they haue done, en­ioy God manifested in Christ, and Christ applyed in the Scriptures, which is the foundation of the first House, the Church.

For things concerning the Founda­tion of the second House, Respub. Domus. the Common-wealth, which is the Lawe, Dispute not Lawes, but obey them when they are made; In those Councells, where [Page 52] Lawes are made, or reformed, dispute; but there also, without particular in­terest, without priuate affection, with­out personall relations. Call not e­uery entrance of such a Iudge, as thou thinkest insufficient, a corrupt en­trance; nor euery Iudgement, which hee enters, and thou vnderstandest not, or likest not, a corrupt Iudge­ment. As in Naturall things, it is a weakenesse to thinke, that euery thing that I knowe not how it is done, is done by Witch craft, So is it also in Ciuill things, if I know not why it is done, to thinke it is done for Mo­ney. Let the Law bee sacred to thee, and the Dispensers of the Law, reue­rend; Keepe the Lawe, and the Lawe shall keepe thee; And so Foundations being neuer destroyed, the Righte­ous shall doe still, as they haue done, enioy their Possessions, and Honours, and themselues, by the o­uershadowing of the Lawe, which [Page 53] is the Foundation of the second House, the State.

For those things which concerne the Foundations of the third House, Domus Do­micilium. the Family, Call not light faults by heauie Names; Call not all sociable­nesse, and Conuersation, Disloyaltie in thy Wife; Nor all leuitie, or plea­surablenesse, Incorrigiblenesse in thy Sonne; nor all negligence, or forget­fulnesse, Perfidiousnesse in thy Ser­uant; Nor let euery light disorder within doores, shut thee out of doores, or make thee a stranger in thine owne House. In a smoakie roome, it may bee enough to open a Windowe, without leauing the place; In Domestique vnkindnesses, and discontents, it may bee whole­somer to giue them a Concoction at home in a discreete patience, or to giue them a vent at home, in a mo­derate rebuke, then to thinke to ease them, or put them off, with false [Page 54] diuertions abroad. As States subsist in part, by keeping their weakenesses from being knowen, so is it the quiet of Families, to haue their Chaun­cerie, and their Parliament within doores, and to compose and deter­mine all emergent differences there: for so also, Foundations beeing kept vndestroyed, the righteous shall doe, as they should doe, enioy a Religi­ous Vnitie, and a Ciuill Vnitie, the same Soule towards God, the same heart towards one another, in a holy, and in a happy Peace, and Peace is the foundation of this third House, The Family.

Domus Dominus.Lastly, for those things which concerne the Foundations of the fourth House, Our selues, Mis-interprete not Gods former Corrections vpon thee, how long, how sharpe soeuer: Call not his Phisicke, poyson, nor his Fish, Scorpions, nor his Bread, Stone: Accuse not God, for that hee [Page 55] hath done, nor suspect not God, for that hee may doe, as though God had made thee, onely because hee lacked a man, to damne. In all scru­ples of Conscience, say with Saint Pe­ter, Domine quo vadam, Lord, whither shall I goe, thou hast the Word of eter­nall life, And God will not leaue thee in the darke: In all oppression from potent Aduersaries, say with Dauid, Tibi soli peccaui: Against thee, O Lord, onely haue I sinned, And God will not make the malice of another man his Executioner vpon thee. Crie to him; and if hee haue not heard thee, crie lowder, and crie oftner; The first way that God admitted thee to him, was by VVater, the water of Bap­tisme; Goe still the same way to him, by Water, by repentant Teares: And remember still, that when Ezechias wept, Vidit lachrymam, God saw his Teare, His Teare in the Singular; God sawe his first teare, euery seuerall [Page 56] teare: If thou thinke God haue not done so by thee, Continue thy teares, till thou finde hee doe. The first way that Christ came to thee, was in Blood; when hee submitted him­selfe to the Lawe, in Circumcision; And the last thing that hee bequea­thed to thee, was his Blood, in the Institution of the Blessed Sacrament; Refuse not to goe to him, the same way too, if his glorie require that Sacrifice. If thou pray, and hast an apprehension that thou hearest God say, hee will not heare thy prayers, doe not beleeue that it is hee that speakes; If thou canst not chuse but beleeue that it is hee, let mee say, in a pious sense, doe not beleeue him: God would not bee belee­ued, in denouncing of Iudgements, so absolutely, so peremptorily, as to bee thought to speake vnconditio­nally, illimitedly: God tooke it well at Dauids hands, that when the Pro­phet [Page 57] had tolde him, The childe shall surely die, yet hee beleeued not the Prophet so peremptorily, but that hee proceeded in Prayer to God, for the life of the childe. Say with Dauid, Thou hast beene a strong Tower to mee; Psal. 61.4.62.7. I will abide in thy Tabernacle, Et non Emigrabo, I will neuer goe out, I know thou hast a Church, I know I am in it, and I will neuer depart from it; and so Foundations beeing neuer destroyed, the righteous shall doe, as the righteous haue alwayes done, en­ioy the Euidence, and the Verdict, and the Iudgement, and the Possession of a good Conscience, which is the Foun­dation of this fourth House. First, go­uerne this first House, Thy selfe, well; and as Christ sayde, hee shall say a­gaine, Thou hast beene faithfull in a little, take more; Hee shall enlarge thee in the next House, Thy Family, and the next, The State, and the other, The Church, till hee say to thee, as [Page 58] hee did to Ierusalem, after all his o­ther Blessings, Et prosperata es in Regnum, Now I haue brought thee vp to a Kingdome, A Kingdome, where not onely no Foundations can bee de­stroyed, but no stone shaked; and where the Righteous know alwayes what to doe, to glorifie God, in that incessant Acclamation, Saluation to our God, who sits vpon the Throne, and to the Lambe; And to this Lambe of God, who hath taken away the sinnes of the world, and but changed the Sunnes of the world, who hath com­plicated two wondrous workes in one, To make our Sunne to set at Noone, and to make our Sunne to rise at Noone too, That hath giuen him Glorie, and not taken away our Peace, That hath exalted him to Vpper-roomes, and not shaked any Founda­tions of ours, To this Lambe of God, the glorious Sonne of God, and the most Almightie Father, and the Bles­sed [Page 59] Spirit of Comfort, three Persons, and one God, bee ascribed by vs, and the whole Church, the Trium­phant Church, where the Father of blessed Memorie raignes with God, and the Militant Church, where the Sonne of blessed Assurance raignes for God, All Power, Praise, Might, Ma­iestie, Glory, and Domini­on, now, and for euer. Amen.