I Ta planè res est: It is even so. Though the Text of a Sermon, be the first in Dig­nity; I never lead it up to the first place. A Text of God's Word, expounded in God's Name, is the preaching and publishing of God's Name, and like the Name of God; being Oleum effusum, oyl or ointment poured forth; as the Name of God is, Cant. 1. 3. Thy Name is as ointment poured forth. The Auditors or Hearers, are the Vessels. We pour not pure oyl, but into clean, and prepar'd Vessels.

Holy David sings to his Harp, Psal. 10. 17. Thou wilt prepare their Heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear. Which the Editio Vulgata. Vulgar Latin agreeably tempers: Praepa­rationem Cordis corum audivit auris tua, Thine ear hath heard the preparation of their Heart; And pre-supposes, Deum cordibus nostris aliquantisper aurem ad­movere, that God stands, as it were, hol­ding his ear, some while, close to the Door of our Hearts; and listning, with [Page 2] earnest attention, to apprehend if there be any stir in the House, of Preparation for him, or of Propension towards him. Symmachus puts aside Preparation; and Symma­chus. assumes [...], the first proposall, or proposition; primum murmurillum, the ve­ry first little inward murmuring of the Heart, concerning Faith and Good life; the small noise and motion which the Heart makes in the first taking of the pen­cill in hand, to draw the first lineaments of a good purpose; when we begin to pur­pose, and before we can open our mouths to pray. Venerable Bede implants here, Venerabi­lis Beda in Psal. 10. as in a fit ground, bonam Affectionem: and reads, Thine ear hath heard the good Affection of their Heart. His good Affecti­on, being that previous Affection which the School-Divines require as a gracious preparative or Disposition to Faith. (For, a Disposition is ever analogous with the Thing, towards which, or to which, as the last Disposition, it disposeth: except the Disposition disposeth negatively; and only renders the Subject lesse indisposed.) Wherefore these Divines, (in defiance of Pelagius, and of the Massilienses or Se­mipelagians,) mark it with the Name of Pia Affectio, a godly or pious Affection; because it is of God, as he is the Author of Grace.

Remember: That God sends his act [...]. all and first grace into your hearts; while he stands himself abroad, expecting, wai­ting, and listning to hear the first at­tempts and motions of this Preparation, propension, proposition, inward murmu­ring; to hear the pleasant noise made in the first Draught of this Good Purpose; the gratefull▪ stirrings of this good and pi­o [...] Affection, in the first waking of it: that Himself may open the door for Him­self; and Himself come in, to Himself and you, with his habituall and second Grace. Remember.

Now Three things: and the first, thus. (It relates to the most Angelicall Office of a Preacher.) The Latin word, Specu­lator, is authentically brought home to us in our language: A Watchman from on high. And he that would represent in his thoughts, a lively character of a Watchman, may fitly pourtrait there, one tanquam in Speculâ positum, taking a full and superiour view of these inferi­our things from the top of a Watch-tow­er. Watchman, what seest thou? What from the Tower? I'le tell you anon, and with more than ordinary boldness. Gods Watchman should not appear a­loft in a Sermon, as the reflection of the great Angell-Image, recounted by [Page 4] Cardanus, from a Steeple-top in Mil­lan, Cardan. lib. 12. Contrad. Medic. that at one stroke, limbd it self on the Clouds in the Aire, of themselves prepar'd for such an Impression; and on­ly amazed and amused the vulgar Herd; who vainly took the vain reflection of an Image on the Clouds, for a most hea­venly Saint or Angel: But should come down out of the Clouds, and speake neer, and home, velut Angelus in Carne, as an Angel in the Flesh; and movingly, un­der God, to the Hearts of the people: and enter like a Wedg-Army; not affe­cting the Name of a Heavenly Man, but acting the Work of Heaven. It is the paultry Cutpurse (stop him there) that cunningly guides his arm, and fears to touch the quick with his ready little knife; lest in the quick miscarriage of his hand, he should quickly miss of his prey. And, Nusquam legimus scrip­tum, saith Trithemius, quod bonus spi­ritus Trithem. in Cariosit. Regiâ, Q [...]aest. 6. in formâ sit visus muliebri, aut Bestiae cujuscunque, sed semper in spe­cie virili: We read it no where writ­ten, that a good Angel did at any time ap­pear in the form of a Woman, or of a Beast, but alwaies in the shape of a perfect Man. The Messenger (or Angel) of the Lord of Hosts, Malach. 2. 7. Angelus Domini Exercituum; And he of whom it is a [Page 5] seal'd Truth, as of John the Baptist, (that was, as our Preparation should be, rigid and severe in the preparing of Christ's way,) Matth. 11. 10. Behold I send my Messenger, [...], my Angel; hath nothing of Effeminacy, nothing sought or affected, in Prayer, in Preaching, in Pronunciation, or in Matter: nought of the dull, and sensuall Beast in him. He is altogether manly, and his words and actions are [...], they move onwards in the same yoke. Ye cannot exclame of him; O sweet, O pious, O valiant voice! or say reasonably to him, as the Lacede­monian Plut. in Apophtbeg. Lacon. in Plutarch, to the dead Nightin­gale, having found little sap and sub­stance for his nourishment, in her musi­call Body; V [...]x es, praetere à nihil, Thou art a voice, and nothing but a voice. He will deny himself to be the Christ, even by his preaching the Christ; and to be Elias, or a Prophet: And he will humbly define himself in his Office; The voice of one crying in the wildernesse; as the Bap­tist did, Joh. 1. And therefore, he shall be most highly approved by the divine Te­stimony of the Christ, and be declared to come in the Spirit of Elias; and to be more than a Prophet; yea, the choice An­gel of the great God, as it was declar'd of John. O my dear Consorts of Nature: [Page 6] Coelum coelorum, the Heaven of Heavens, or the highest Heaven, which is Coelum Beatorum, the Heaven of the Blessed, wherein the blessed Saints and Angels dwell, is not rapted or carried about, as those Vnder-Spheres are; Nor is a Man from Heaven, being God's Angel or Mes­senger to Mankinde, career'd about. And the Messenger qui versatur in circulo, that moves circularly, though he comes from Heaven-ward, comes onely from the Sphere of Mercury, or of the Moon, be­ing himself like the nimble Spheres under our Heaven; of the which great Ari­stotle asserts, That if one of them should Arist. lib. 2. de Coelo. stand a while, while a small Flye could be rais'd to settle upon it, it would be whir­ling about, in the very first onset of the silly poor Fly- I hear it Thunder. Psal. 77. 18. The Voice of thy Thunder in the Heaven; or in the Sphere: the Originall word with like affection importing a Text. Hebr Sphere, a Wheel, and every thing, the mo­tion of which is circular. Which moved the Vulgar Latin to run parallel with our Codex vulgatus. Sense: Vox Tonitrui tui in Rotâ, The voice of thy Thunder (thy Anger, thy Judgement) is heard in the motion of the Wheel. And the same Propher reaches even to this Age, and to this Nation, with a propheticall Eye and Prayer; Psal. 83. [Page 7] 13. O my God, make them like a Wheel: that being drawn a little, turns upwards, downwards; towards Heaven, and to­wards Hell; forwards, and backwards; turning a new way, and to the way from which it lately turn'd: wheeling about, and about, and about again; this way, that way, the other way; any way, every way, all wayes.

The second of the Three things, stands forth. And it pleads for the maintenance of certain unoffensive Rights, concerning the materials and composure of this Dis­course. I have receiv'd it flowing from the Pen-Distillations of the mighty Con­trovertist; whose very Name gives us an Alarum, and sounds Bellum & Arma, War and Armes: that we may wisely re­turn, and run back with our Pitchers to the Greek and Hebrew Fountains; driven Robert. Bellarm. lib. 2. de Verbo Dei, cap. 11. Tom. 1. within the lists and restraint of four Ca­ses or Exigencies. Whereof the third, is; Quandò verbum, aut Sententia in Latino est anceps; when a word or sentence in the Vulgar Bible, is doubtfull; and stands upright in aequilibrio, looking at once two wayes, or many; but inclining, or propen­ding no way. And the fourth, ad [...] & proprietatem vocabulorum intelligen­dam, for our clear understanding of the secret energy, or efficacy, and smooth­deep [Page 8] current of words, running majesti­cally, and with grave silence, in their own Channel. As, when the word or phrase in the Fountain, is beautifully bigg with an Emphasis, or tacit signification. The wise Alchymist, in the whole pro­gress of his Art, extracts Things purer and purer, from grosser Things. And a Text sometimes, is like a double Picture; wherein they wipe off with a wet cloath, the water-colours, that the during oyly Picture in recessu, in it's withdrawing place, and retiring-Chamber, may now be unveil'd, and come in view: which oft times is contrary to the Picture carrying the first face. Brethren, There was a a kind of mortall punishment amongst the old Jews, badg'd with the title of Combustio Animae, the Burning of the Soul: (My Author is R. Levi Ben Ger­son) R. Levi Ben Ger­son in Le­vil. 10. wherein they poured scalding Lead into the mouth of the condemned person; by the which, his inwards were consumed; the shape and outward bark of his body, remaining still with due proportion. So there be Translatours of the lower Clas­sis, (O dismall, and odious name!) that with a leaden sense, yet full of Malig­nant heat and base passion, scalld away the Spirit, Soul, and Life of the Text: lea­ving nought often times but a shell, Su­perfice [Page 9] and outward letter. Moreover, I disclame and abandon, as I do the An­gel of the Bottomeless pit, Abaddon, King of the strange Locusts, Apoc. 9. 11. who in the Greek tongue hath his name [...], that is, exterminans, exterminating, as the vulgar Latin; as Erasmus, perdens, Lectio vulgata. Erasm. Ro­terodam. in Apoc. 9. Text. Heb. destroying; according to the letter in the Hebrew, Perdition, destruction, here be­ing [...] Effecti, a Figurative speech, in the which Effectus loco Causae ponitur, the Effect is honorably substitu­ted for the Cause, after the leading of the Hebrew Dialect: Destruction in the abstract, for a superlative Destroyer. As I abandon this Abaddon, this Devill-an­gel; I renounce all those, who in their Use (Abuse is the Word) of holy Scrip­ture, God's pure word; as if it were homogeneal with Anaxagoras his [...] ­ [...] upon Aristotle's Record; draw Aristot. de Genera [...]. Animal. lib. 4 cap. 3. quidlibet ex quolibet, every thing out of any thing, and make divine Scripture in omnia sequacem, readily following them in their proof of all things, and God the holy Author of Scripture, like a Cunning Man that is versatili ad omnia pari [...]èr Ingenio, of a wit or nature apply­ing and turning it self to every thing a­like; and thus destroy the firmness of Scripture, and exterminate God out of [Page 10] his own Word. These are unnaturall Children, who for want of Superiour moderation, pull too strongly; and see­king Milk, suck Blood from the soft and tender Breasts of sacred Scripture. It is Aristotle-proof, That Faculties, Arist. lib. 1. E [...]hicor. cap. 1. powers, sciences, &c. are supreme or subordinate, as their Ends are subordinate or supreme. Therefore those Sciences, those powers, those faculties, which are immediately helpfull to the consecu­tion of our last End, are the supreme and superiour of all other; and the other are Servants, and waiting-maids in respect of them. How dare those Brethren of the Locusts, so rashly, so rudely settle and fasten upon the highest of Sciences; and imploy so unadvisedly, indirectly, irreverently their highest Powers and fa­culties, belying the blessed Spirit of God? To the matter in hand. Graft a Rose-Tree; then convey a grain of Musk into a cleft in the stock: and all the Roses that come of the stock, will carry Musk about them. The Scripture that sweetly smells of the grain of Musk in the stock (in the Text prae man [...]bus, before us to be discussed,) is doubly sweet, sweet of the Musk, and of the Rose.

The Third thing succeeds: and it [Page 11] serves as well to the Meridian of divine and superiour, as of inferiour and hu­mane jurisdiction, and to our Hem [...]sp here. Elohim is a name of God, assisting his providence; by the which he governs the World: and signifies God quate­nus est Judex & Vindex, as he is a Judge, and Revenger. Wherefore the Psalmist arraig [...]s the Fool, Psal. 14. 1. The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God. First: The Originall saith, Nabhal hath Text. Heb. said in his heart: which the Chaldee sayes over again, The mad man hath said, &c. Chaldaea Paraphra­sis. The Hebrew word signifies, a sottish or doltish fellow; yea, one that hath fallen or lapsed from good actions; such before other being Athesticall: or finally, One that is both a Knave and a Fool; the Latine word Nebulo being an Hebrew born, and comming, by ancient ex­traction, of this Nab [...]al. And secondly: Text. Heb. The Originall owns, En Elohim, there is no Elohim. And the Chaldee fits it; Paraphr. Chald. Non est potestas Dei in terra, There is no dominion or power of God upon the Earth. And this, the Hierusalem Targ. recounts Targum Hierosoly­mit. in Gen. 4. to have been cursed Cai [...]'s plea against his blessed brother, before he butcher'd him. The Word, Elohim, is lineally de­scended from El, which is a name of God, reporting him strong; and ala, [Page 12] the translation of which, is, Obligavit, ju­ramento astrinxit, he hath Obliged, he hath bound by Oath: inferring covertly as doctri­nall, and purgatis auribus dignum, worthy to be received with clean Eares, That God hath blazoned his Omnipotent strength and power in creating and ador­ning the world; ( Elohim being the first name of God in the Scripture, and most used in the History of the Creation;) and beyond this, hath obliged and most firmly bound us by this excellent and actuall Gift of his free Goodness, as by a virtuall Oath on our parts, to his actuall worship, and to the repayment of reall Obedience, and effectuall Gratitude: And that, if in our walkings we be retro­grade, or, move in transversum quasi Cancer, crosly; if we degenerate, in our carriages, into the Changeling with per­verted Hands and Feet; Elohim, that in the first Work of his actuall Providence, was Elohim the Creator; will in the later Works of it, be Elohim the Judge and Re­venger: He that was Elohim, strong to create us, and other Things for us; will finally approve Himself Elohim, strong to revenge upon us, the vile and various in­juries done to him in the abuse of our selves, and his other Creatures. That therefore wee might rectà pergere, goe [Page 13] straight-forward, God, for our gui­dance in the just and right use of his Cre­tures, ingrafted in us, in our Creation, besides our transient, lost, and supernatu­rall Grace; right Reason, and Prudence; being the Rule and Measure of all our Morall Vertues, or Vertues in the Will; Which are Vertues, because conformable to the Dictates and Iudgement of Pru­dence; from which, they receive the fair stamp or embellishment of morall Ho­nesty; and that they neither exceed, nor are deficient. And that, as right Reason grew less right, and more warp't by con­tamination from outward, and low things; it might be regulated, and heigthen'd by communication, from an outward Exem­plar on the Mount: Vpon the Mount he did promulgate, Ore fulmineo, in a terri­ble manner, a Morall Law; having be­times proclamed himself, (as, to Abram Gen. 17. 1.) El Saddai, God All-suffici­ent, by his Grace, Mercy, Power. Sad­dai is one of God's ten famous Names which constellate in the Old Testament, and is compacted of Schin a relative arti­cle, and the Noun Dai, signifying suffici­ency, Aquila, Symm [...]chus, and Theodotion, as St. Hierom, called Presbyter (quòd S. Hiero­nym. Ep. 136. ad Ma [...]cell. plerum (que) Sacerdotes essent aetate provecti­ores▪) attesteth in his Epistle to Mar­cella; [Page 14] resolve it into [...] sufficient of and to himself, omnipotent. And Saddai, as it often appeares in the Scriptural [...] use of the Word, turns an Ey to Scaed, a Teat, a Breast; proposing God in his Mercy, as all-Breasts, and full of Milk; and as offering the Breast, that is, cordially reaching forth Grace, and hea­venly nourishment, to all the Tribes of Men, and to every particular Man in his Tribe.

And because Christ came to reconcile the great and generall Difference be­wixt God and Man, and to satisfie for our Abuse of God's good Creatures, in the Breaches of the Law: He assuming the Nature of Man, assumed something in it, of every Creature; either Created Being, or Vegetation, or Sense, or Under­standing and Spirituality. For, In Man, all the Creatures of God in Epitomen re­ducuntur, are epitomized, abridged, ab­breviated. He is (to speak more Scrip­ture-like) [...], the recapi­tulation of all Things into one. And for this reason, God is said Ephes. 1. 10. [...], to gather together in one all things in Christ. Hence Cajetan from the Con­sistory Caiet. in 3. parte Quaest. 1 Art. 1. of his high Thoughts; Incarnatio est Elevatio totius Vniversi in divinam [Page 15] Personam, The Incarnation of Christ, is the lifting up, or Elevation of the whole Vniverse into the divine Person. This Pi­nacle Videatur Salmeron Tom. 3. Tract. 2. explicans illud ad Ephes. 1. 10. of Truth, is artificially garnished by Salmeron, who brings with him St. Gregory with his▪ Talent; contributing, that in this Consideration, Christ sending his Apostles to preach to Mankinde, used this Form of command, Marc. 16. 15. Preach the Gospell [...], to every Crea­ture.

The Law of Elohim and Saddai, as it comprehends also the Precepts or Coun­sills of Christ, is the choice Thing here, which I would gladly draw forth by it self and preach to you, and to every Crea­ture in you. The Text is in proximo, very near, and calls for admittance. Now it comes. Receive it, as rich Vessels prepar'd for it. Receive it as the Law and Love of the great Jehovah, and Lord of us all, and of infinite worlds, lying hid in the dark and void womb of Possibilitie, if he shall please to will them into Being, as he did this our World.

It speaks English thus:

YEs. But notwithstanding; Tu tuas Res age; Ego meas: Let me modelize my own work. It is joyfully received è Lyceo, out of Aristotle's School, for a Arist. lib. 6. E [...]hi­cor. cap. 4. Maxim amongst our Christian Philo­sophers, waiting dutifully upon Divinity: [...], All Edification in Doctrine, growes up from known or accepted, Principles, from Principles clear to the eye of right Rea­son, or of true Faith. The Text here, is it self a principle, and set forth, standing with a broad bottom, in the full view both of Reason and Faith. The Reasona­ble Man, à Naturâ nondum ablactatus, not yet weaned frō the Breast of natura­ted Nature, (still the Milk pearls on his lips;) hath willingly transcribed it out of Nature's Originall extant in his Heart, (being dead to God;) as a lively Prin­ciple of Nature; and acts from it; but hath not assentingly took it upon the best account. If one write a Will or Testa­ment, and hold the Pen with a dead mans Hand, that Will will not hold in Law: It [Page 17] was not his Will; because it was not writ by him, with virtue derived from any Principle of Life in him. Neither will our Naturall Man's Will hold for a VVill in God's Law, being his revealed will. Some Works and Acts of the Noctuambulones, or those that walk and talk in their sleep by Night, though the same works, in the triall of Sense, with the works of the same persons when they wake and walk, are not by Reason ad­mitted, or enrolled as such. Behold the Ground. Fix your Foot here, as upon a fixed and immoveable Truth. Only the acts and performances issuing from a divine Principle in us above Nature, can suit with the divine Will, supernaturally disco­vered.

But the Beleever hath religiously copied it into his Heart, out of God's revealed will, and out of God in the best and high­est Construction of him; as he is in the supernaturall Order, the Author of it; not as the Author of Nature: and therefore, though the same Truth ( eadem in Ter­minis, the same in Terms) be still imbra­ced by both; yet now, it is a Truth of the supernaturall Order, and immediately apprehended by an active and fundamentall vertue from God in us; and one so per­fect, u [...] nihil suprà, that nothing in this [Page 18] our State, reaches above, or before it; and which is Ground-firm, and only able to meet and close in fit equipage, with the supernaturality of Revelation. And as the Prince of the Thomists divinely D. Tho: secunda se­cundae, quaest. 6. art. 1. in corp. speaks: Quia Homo assentiendo eis quae sunt Fidei, elevatur supra naturam suam; oportet quòd hoc insit ei ex Supernaturali Principi [...] interiùs movente, quod est Deus. Because Man by assenting to matters of Faith, is elevated above his Nature; this must come from a supernaturall Principle moving inwardly, which is God. The su­pernaiura [...] Principle is the main Thing: the principall Thing. Examine your Principles.

I could render the Text like the Herb call'd the Tartar. Lamb, that with secret pullings attracts the juyce and virtue of, and seems, like a grown Lamb, to put a mouth to, and openly feed upon the Plants and Herbs on every side of it. For, though it be a Principle, it is a Principle in the midst of others; and lies couchant, as it were, [...], in a rich pictured Pavement.

I might divide the Text too. But we never wisely divide in this Manner, save claritatis ergô, for perspicuity, and to clear up our Knowledge of Kindes and Particulars. (Nec ad aliorum Exempla [Page 19] me componam.) And, Principia sunt per se nota, Principles are known of them­selves. They are also compacted, short, and spritely. And I will not be so like Vesalius the Anatomist, who commonly did improve his Art, by cutting up Men alive. I shall therefore, Things fairly flowing and growing of themselves, (Re­bus probè fluentib us,) gently binde up the whole Doctrine into this fair sheaf.

The Will, and Law of God; and the Wills of Men in God's place, which corre­spond with the Divine will, and are there­fore Law, are perfect and without ble­mish.

The Law of God is most unblemished, and perfect, considered in it's Originall.

As the Divine Idea, is Quaedam Ratio in Mente Divinà, a certaine Exemplary Cause of Things in the Understanding of God: So there is Ratio quaedam in Divinâ Voluntate, a certain Rule or Measure of Things in the Divine Will; which is Lex aeterna, the eternall Law. The first natu­rall Copy of it, is enstamped in Angelicâ Naturâ, in the Angelicall Nature. The Second, in Rectâ Ra [...]ione, in the Right Reason of Man. And God's revealed Will in his outward Command or Word, is an After-Copy; à Sensu init [...]um habens, en­tring upon us by the Sense; as doth all [Page 20] our other knowledge of outward Things. The Apostle album apponit calculum, as­sents, Rom. 10. 17. Fides ex auditu, Faith is occasioned by hearing. Saint Austin disputing against that numble and who­rish-tongu'd Faustus the Manichean, de­fineth S. Aug. lib. 22. cap. 27. contra Faustum. Sin, (Peccatum in Commnni,) Di­ctum, vel Factum, vel Concupitum contra Legem aeternam Dei: A Thing said, or done, or thought against the eternall Law of God. This everlasting Rule in God, because in God, is essentially God and infinite, as God is infinite and everlast­ing: And quatenus est Ratio Fundamen­tal is Agendorum, as it is the Fundamen­tall Rule of Things to be done in Time, is the very Will of God in God.

He that will give God a Name, bea­ring a speciall engagement to this Law of Essence; must give him his essentiall Name, Jehovah: of the which, Himself pro­clames, Exod. 3. 15. This is my Name Legnolam, for ever. Which Text the la­ter lewes, as Petrus Galatinus informs Petrus Galatin. lib. 2. de Arcanis Fidei, cap. 10. S. Hterom. Epist. ad Marcell. against them, have greatly distempered by a little motion or mutation; reading it, Legnalam, to be concealed. This Name of God, is God's proper Name, and incom­municable to a Creature, as his Essence is; and his Originall Will, that is both a Will and a Law; Saint Hierom calls [Page 21] it [...]; St. John Damascen, [...]; S. Jo. Da­masc. lib. 1 Ort [...]o [...]. Fi­dei, cap. 12. Theodor. in Exod. 3. Theodoret, [...]. Which Epithites conspire in this; That the Name could not be spoken, or uttered: Because the Letters, which ty'd up into a sweet Posy, composed originally this Name, being Insonae, soundlesse, enigmatically taught, God's Essence, imported by this Name, to be unspeakeable. It runs through all the Differences of Time; and is aptly Englished, Who was, who is, who will be: shewing, it includes the Law that is essen­tiall and essentially eternall. It is much applyed to God in his mercifull Acts; as Elohim in his Acts of judgement: there­by divulging, That it is in compleat Sense, as agreeable to God's Will, to be merciful as to be; yea, that he delights as much in his Will of Mercy, as in his Being: And his giving a Law, was a singular act of Mercy; as generally, it is an act of Iu­stice to punish the Breakers and Violaters of it. Wherefore Paulus Burgensis con­tends, that the Mercy of God is insinu­ated Paul. Eur­gens. in Scr [...]tin. Part. 1. by Adonai standing for Jehovah. The Name Iah, being the Name Iehovah with a curb or check, or taken up into short; and signifying I am, is enrob'd in the same Perfection. A Doctrine stands up here.

He that breaks the Law of God, sins a­gainst the Divine Essence.

O thou Spirit of Truth, assist me far­ther. The Prophet David cries out towards Heaven, Psal. 8. 4. What is Man, that thou art mindfull of him? Where Enos, which the Interpreters call Man, doth not signifie Man, quocunque modo: but, Euseb. de Demonstr. Evang [...]l. lib. 2. cap. 7. as Eusebius learnedly, Man, quatenus est ar [...]fex aut architect [...]s sceler [...]s, ac imme­n or Dei & sui. The Paraphrase may be, O what is forgetfull Man, that thou art mindfull of him, who forgets thee, and himself, and what he does when he sets himself against thy very Essence; against thee as thou art Iehovah? Who fears not to make a rude Assault upon the very sub­stantiall Essence of God? Vpon God, as he is Primum Ens per se subsistens, The First of all Things, subsisting by Himself? As he is Fons Essendi, atque Existendi, The Foutain of all Essence, and Existence; of all Being, and Well Being? Most Good, and most Great; and most great­ly Good in being most Mercifull? Sin proprium periculum increpuit; But if there be the least noise or crack of Dan­ger in other Things, mean things, starts, and looks pale, and puts wings to his Heels, and runs to save himself; crying, make room for God's sake? And though lying under the Rod, he lets fly a multi­tude of good Words, and Prayers; and [Page 23] fairly promiseth to be reform'd; framing likewise a promising Countenance; ad­joyning an humble Voice; with some groans; and a goodly number of sighes; the hands, and eyes, all the while, work­ing mainly: yet, the Rod being laid aside; and the smart off; presently [...]redit ad in­genium, returns to his vomit; the Rod being yet in sight; and Iehovah with all his Divine Essence, being present, and looking upon him? What is Enos (or, Enosh) forgetfull Man, that thou art mind­full of him?

This Law of God, is yet more known to be most perfect, by it's Contrary. For if this Will or Law of God, were not infi­nitely great, and good, and perfect, the Thing contrary to it, could not be Ma­lum infinitum, an infinite Evill, (the Truth of this, every Man sees; nemo tam Talpa est, quin videat;) and have infinite Imperfect on in it, as it hath according to Divines, and the Angelicall Doctor their Speaker, speaking for them as followeth: Peccatum contra Deum commissum, quandam infinitatem habet ex infinitate D. Tho. part. 3. quaest. 1. art. 2. ad 2. Divinae Majestatis: tanto enim Offensa est gravior, quanto major est ille, in quem delinquitur. Sin committed against God, hath a certain infinity from the infinity of the Divine Majesty: For, an Offence is [Page 24] by so much the more grievous, by how much he is more great, against whom we offend.

The most adequate, and fundamentall Reason is; Because in our Elections of moral Good and Evil, we hold a Ballance; weighing in a manner, the Creator and the Creature: O great Indignity! And in our Applications to Evill, as if the Crea­ture were of more weight and worth than the Creator, we scornfully turn from the Creator, and joyn affectionately with the Creature; bidding defiance to the Creator. And, as the melancholy-She in Trallianus, as he delivers it, Putavit se Alexand: Trallian. lib. 1. cap. 16. uno digito posse totum Mundum conterere, thought she could break to peeces, the whole world with the motion of one short finger; and crush it into a Mis­cel any, with the clinching of her little Hand: So we, more mad and melan­choly, set up our selves, and stretch out our Hands, for the time, above God and his whole Creation. In the which foul Act, there is Aversio à Deo, & Conversio ad Creaturam; an Aversion from God, and a Conversion to the Creature: And there­in consequently, Bonum commutabi e prae­fertur Incommutabili Bono; a changeable Good, yea, sometimes a villanous and fil­thy Lust (O Man, Siccine te ip [...]e abjicies? [Page 25] wilt thou so debase thy self?) is prefer­red before a Good, and a God that is un­changeable: And the Offender ab im [...] ever [...]it [...]omnia, overturns the whole Frame of the Universe; exalting Earth to the place of Heaven, and subjecting God and God's Heaven under his dirty feet. From this foresight, Isidor. Pelufiot, St. Chrysustom's apt Schollar, exacts of a Isid. Pelus. lib. 1. Ep. 424. Religious Man, [...], an ho­nest and truly-faithfull Holder of the Ballance.

And in answer to that Aversion and Conversion; there is in Hell, Poena Dam­ni, the Pain of Loss, by the which, we shall everlastingly be averted from God; and Paena Sensûs, the Pain of Sense, by the which, we shall remain for ever as­signed and confined to the Creature; I mean, to Fire; which being the most pragmaticall Busy-Body of all earthly Creatures, shall actively revenge the Wrongs done to the Creator, and the Creature; and which, because Sinners have transgressed the Law of Nature, shall be promoted and elevated above Nature, and beyond its own rank, to act upon the Soul; by Him who did not intend the burning of Spirits and Souls, primariâ Intentione, quâ rem prop­ter se intend it, with a primar [...]e Intention, [Page 26] by the which, he intends a thing for it self; sed secundariâ, quando rem vult propter al [...]ud, & praemissa alterius Consideratione, but with a secundarie Intention, when he wills a thing, urged to it in the conside­ration of a thing premised. And thus, our Commission of an infinite Evil, is, rebus nun [...] aequâ lance pensatis, things now being equally weighed, proportio­nably and most justly punished. We are averted from an infinite Good; and affix­ed to a most intollerable Evil; being a materiall Instrument of Iustice, and re­presenting our adhesion to materiall Things: which in Duration à parte post, shall be infinite; and infinitely subject a superiour Spirit to an earthly base Body.

Ye demand: Why God punisheth a Sin, committed in Time, a short Time, a Moment; with Hell, a Place of eternall Torment? Is this Law of God perfect? I answer, First: If he to whose charge a matter of infinite price and worth, is committed, should by his gross default, and [...] negligence, lose, yea contemn, and willfully disavow it: ought he not to pay an infinite price for it? or, if he be not able to pay; ought he not to suf­fer an infinite punishment; according to the plain Rule and Letter of Iustice? In [Page 27] like manner; He to whom the infinite God is given, with Grace; he who is en­trusted with the infinite Son of God, in the sacred Symbols of our Lord's Supper; he who is redeemed with an infinite price; if by Sin, he shall lose these Infi­nites, or, this many and one Infin [...]te; and cannot restore an infinite Satisfacti­on for the loss of it; is it not equall, that the Sentence of Iustice should pass upon him according to his Fact, and give him over to an infinite Punishment? I answer, Secondly: The Person is infi­nite, against whom, and the Law is infi­nite, against which we Sin; and there­fore Justice demands, that we should be punished in infinitum, into infinite: and moreover, by reason of the infinite Per­son against whom we Sin, Sin is an in­finite Evill: and should not infinite be punished with infinite? and by Sin, we are turned from our last End, which is in­finite; and have turn'd our Intention to a finite and vile Creature, as to an infi­nite End. For, as Aquinas answers; [...] D. Tho. [...]r [...]m [...] se­cund [...], quaest. 1. [...]rt. 7. ad. 1. qui peccant, avertuntur ab eo in quo verè invenitur ratio ultimi Finis, non aut [...]m ab ipsa ultimi Finis Intentione, quem quae­runt falsò in alijs rebus. They who Sin, are turned from that in which the fulness and perfection of the last End is truly [Page 28] found; but not from their intending the last End, which they falsly seek in other things. I answer, Thirdly: Sin, with and in which, the Sinner dyes, sticks alwayes to the Soul: Because Death gives utter denyall to Repentance, by the which onely, the Soul is washed. Therefore, where Sin alwayes sticks, it is just, that Punishment should also adhere. Ye may turn again, and avouch confi­dently: The Angels being Spirits, chang'd from good to evil, And why may not a Separate Soul change from evil to good? The Angels were then in Viâ, in their School of Triall, and in their Way: The Separate Soul is ultra Viam, and in Ter­min [...], beyond it, and out of it; and we go not forward, after the end of our journy. I answer, Fourthly: God gives eternall Happiness to us, if we keep his Lawes; therefore, if we break them, he may, by a fit Analogy, reward us with everlasting unhappiness. Fifthly, I an­swer: The Sinner is everlastingly puni­shed, because he would everlastingly Sin S. Greg. lib. 34. Moralium in Iob. if he could. Which reason St. Gregory illustrates: Ad districti Judicij Justitiam pertinet, ut nu [...]quam careant supplicio, quorum mens in hâc vit â nunquam voluit carrere peccato: & nullus detur iniquo terminus [...]ltionis, quia quamdiù valu [...]t, [Page 29] hab [...]re noluit terminum Criminis. It per­tains to the Iustice of strict judgement, that they never want Punishment, whose Minde in this Life, would never be wan­ting of Sin: And there be given to the un­just Man no End of Revenge, who as long as he could be faultie, would hear of no End of committing faults. The same Di­vine Author speaks again: Iniqui ide [...] cum fine delinquunt, quia cum fin [...] vivunt: Idem lib. 4. Dialogo­rum, cap: 44. Nam voluissent utique sine fine vivere, no po [...]uissent sine fine peceare. The Vnjust ones, therefore Sin with End, because they live with End: For, their desire is, to live without End, that they may sin without End. This, their Actions testifie. The Canon gives in an Evidence: Qui nun­quam cessant peccare dum vivunt, often­dunt, De Poemit. Dist. 1. cap. Importune, Sect. Sive autem. quia semper in peccato vivere cupi­unt. They, who give not over sinning while they live, tell plainly, and speak it in their behaviour, that they desire to live alwaies in sin. And the Iustice is foun­ded upon a tripple Basis. First: That he who does [...], fight against God in suo aeterno, in his own Eternity; which Eternity is the Continuance of his Life; should, being arrested by Sickness, and conquered by Death, God's Messengers and Officers, lye in God's [...]aile, and be punished by God, in Deiaeterna, in God's [Page 30] Eternity; which Eternity is the Durati­on of his Life, enduring for ever and ever. Secondly: That whereas God sees the neer Connexion of our Will and Deed in respect of themselves; and whereas an ef­ficatious Will, is as the Deed, putting all the Requisities to it on it's own part; It is a firm part of [...]ustice, that God should pu­nish an Everlasting Will, as an Everla­sting Deed. Thirdly: It is just, that he who would never stop in Sin, if he might live alwayes; and would live al­wayes, that he might alwayes Sin; should live alwayes, that he might alwayes be plunged, and engulfed into punishment. Therefore all Sinners, dying in Sin, and everlastingly punished for it, are in the number and black List of those, of whom the Apostle sayes, Rom. 3. 8. Ending the verse with the End of wicked Men: Quo­r [...]m Damnatio [...]usta est, whose Damnation is just. 'Tis just so.

I see before me; that though Sin be not in every turn, Benoni, the Son of Grief: yet, is it alwaies Aboni, the Father of all our Griefs and Sorrows: gliscente in dies malo, this evill growing forth into an evil without End. And therefore, in the Hebrew Language, Sin is most conve­niently nam'd Aven: which, as it offers it self to signify Sin, a Lye, an Idol, Vani­ty, [Page 31] Iniquity, that is [...], inequality, injustice, injury, perversity; So it sig­nifies great labour, weariness, affliction. And Aven is reduc't per Crasin Gramma­ticam, by a Contraction prescribed also in the Hebrew Grammar, to On; which be­ing translated, sounds Grief. Sic abeunt in vanum Cacodaemones, ingenti post se re­licto foetore: So the Devil in his vanish­ing, leaves a noisom and pestilentiall stink of all Evils, behinde him.

O most dearly Beloved: Can it be unsavory now? Is it not apprimè u [...]ile, greatly profitable, to prevent Grief with Grief; with temporall Grief, Grief eter­nall? Prov. 22. 9. He that hath a boun­tifull Ey, shall be blessed. The Vulgar Latin hands it forth, Qui pronus est ad Vulgatus Interpres. Misericordiam, benedicetur: He that is prone to Mercy, shall be blessed. The He­brew gives immediately, Qui bonus est o­culo, Text. Heb. He that is good of Ey. And the Chaldee follows in the footstep, Qui bo­num Chald. Pa­raph. oculum habet, He that hath a good Ey. Then we have a mercifull Ey, when we look mercifully upon those who are in misery. Zanchius is ours: Indè dicta est Misericordia, qùod Cordi nobis sit aliena Zanch. de Natura Dei, lib. 4. cap. 4. quaest: 1. Miseria. Thence Mercy was by the La­tius called Misericordia; because by Mercy, we lay close to our Heart an other's [Page 32] Misery, Yea, Zanchius; we may be Similia habet S. Aug. contr. Advers. Leg. & Proph. lib. 1. cap. 20. mercifull to our selves, if the misery hath not yet irrevocably attached us; or, if our deliverance from it, stands within the Verge of our own power; or, in a Ray of the Divine Beames, cast upon our Industry. Thus much, Pace tu [...], with your good leave and favour. And who walks tottering upon the brink and edge of eternall Misery, but he, for whom there waits an infinite Evil of Punishment, [...]oyn'd with an everlasting Aversion from God our last End? Can a Man that an­swers in his Catechisme, I am a Christian, murmure to himself, in such Circumstan­ces; or, sing with the Bird in his Breast, In tut [...] sum; mea Res est in tranquilla: I am safe; 'tis a Calm with me? O, look with a mercifull Ey upon your selvs; your poor selves; your miserable selves: For, He that hath a mercifull Eye, shall be blessed.

And in the Sacred Language here, (which Language was not the slender and curt Invention of Man, but the most accomplished Ordinance of God) the Primitive Word, Hhain, signifies both an Ey and a Fountain: Because mercifull Eyes are sweet and crystall Fountains of Teares. Blessed shall the man be, that hath an Ey which is both an Eye and a [Page 33] Fountain: a pure Fountain, running with precious. Tears for his past offences; to the which, the first and chief Motive was the Love of God: and a clear and open Ey, watching over his after-wayes, that he may keep the Door even against the least approaches of these infinite Evils in their Scouts, and first Messengers; to the which likewise, the Love of God is the Motive. The greatest Crocodile was at first harbour'd in an Egg, which is paulò majus anserino, saith Franzius in his Hi­story, a little bigger than a Goose-Egg. Franz. in Hist. sacr [...] Animali­um in Cro­codilo. And yet, the Crocodile is a Devourer of Men: & when, being horrour-struck, these can not weep for themselves, mockingly weeps over them; grows huge, and on to the last period of Life; and is diffe­rent, not a little, from the Goose, in Shape, Substance, Colour, Manners; though they favour one an other in the Egg. Caesarius Ar [...]latensis gives good aim: Non est minimum, negligere mini­ma, Caesar-Arelat. Hom. 8. It is no little Matter, to neglect Matters that seem little. No sensuall Creature spreds to so vast a bigness, from Fr [...]nzius ubi suprà. so small beginnings, as this Egg-Croco­dile. Say the same of Sin.

Let us run this point low. He that beholds on the right Hand, an Eternity of Good; at the left, an Eternity of Evil; [Page 34] both in Aversion and Couversion; And that his Way carries him away of necessi­ty, to the right or to the left: If he be not emotus mente, mad; or impensè im­probus, ambitiously wicked; will be wondrously circumspect.

Hell is call'd in the Greek Scripture, [...]: being in the first-born and prime signification, a place, accountably to the Geogra­phus Nu­biensis A­rab. Nubian Geographer in a Map of his, ly­ing humbly at the Foot of a Hill neer Ierusalem; into which all kindes of de­spicable and filthy Carcasses and Things, anoying and unbeautifying the City, were contemptibly thrown, (the City did ease and exonerate it self into this place, as the World into Hell) and in the which, a continuall Fire was maintain'd, for the quick wasting of the filth, bones and carcasses; as R. David Kimchi writes. R. David Kimchi in Psal. 27. v. 13. In this Low place there was also a High­place, called Topheth; wherein the little harmless Children (Sweet Babes) were sacrifised to Moloch, Jerem.. Now as Hereticks are the Apes of true Christians, S. Cyprian Ep. ad Ju­baianum. (St. Cyprian tels it Jubaianus) So is the Devil, (qui quidem sempèr it odorans quasi Venaticus, who truly goes alwayes about, first senting all wayes, like a Dog in hunt­ing, to find and catch us; then walks about to devour us a Lion, 1 Pet. 5. 8.) [Page 35] Simia Dei, God's Ape. And therefore, with a lift from what God had comman­manded Abraham concerning Isaac, his Worshippers were also rais'd and heav'd on to sacrifise their Children. I finde it controverted amongst the gray-hair'd Rabbines, Whether these little Victimes were forced to pass thorow the Fire? or whether they were put into the red-hot Hands of the bra [...]en Idol, and therein consumed? This Idol had the brazen Face of a Calf, saith an old Book, and Liber Jal­ [...]ut in Je­rem. cap.. Aben. Ezra in Levit. cap. 18. v. 21. Idem in Deut. cap. 18. v. 10. R. Moses Maimon. lib. de Ido­lolatr. cap. 6. Sect. 5. Moses Ge­rund. & Isaac A­bravan. in Jerem. 7. v. 31. R. Bechai in Levi [...]. 18. large Hands stretched forth, as of a Man opening his Hands wide, with a Quid mi­hi dabis? What wil you give me? And it was hollow. Aben-Ezra, and R. Moses Maimenides, (as yee may read in the Latin Copy of Maimenides, translated by Dianysius Vossius) side in this, That the Children were onely drawn, or driven through the Fire; and that this was the last, and chiefest Act of the Worship performed to Moloch. Others of even Authority, as Moses Gerundensis, and Isaac Abrava [...]el, stand in it, that they were burnt as low as Ashes. A [...]d the Scriptures bending to this Matter, stand as if they stood on both sides. This they did, saith R. Bechai, because the Priests of Moloch had perswaded the People, first diss [...]minando in Vulgus, sowing it amongst [Page 36] the Common Brains, the shrubs of Peo­ple; That a Child being given to Mo­loch, his Brethren and Sisters should be privileg'd from Death, and the Parents afterwards live happily. Wherefore Io­sias acted like Iosias, and much ennobled himself; when, to degrade and other­wise incommodate these idolatrous Priests; and to persecute and profligate this odious worship, agreeably with a stink; he commanded, that all impure and unnclean Things, (singularly hateful to the Jews,) should be cast away into this Gehinnom or Valley of Hinnom, 2 Reg. 23. 10.

Was this ugly Relict of Devilish Wor­ship, so much hated and abominated by God and all good Men; although in the thoughts of some both Great Ones and Gown'd Ones, it was but the meer hasty passing of a simple Childe thorow the Fire? And shall we (we Christians) knowingly cast away our selves into Eternall Fire; there to be averted and estranged from God (the Father of Christ) eternally? O new, and extraordinary Worshippers! O us everlasting Worshippers of our De­stroyers! O us who freely make our selves Cast-awaies from an infinite Good; look backward, an infinite Good; to an infinite Evil; look before you, an infinite Evil, [Page 37] prepared for the Devil! O Infinite, O E­ternity! what are ye? Of us it will be, though not more truly, yet more thorow­ly said, than of the Jews, Deut. 32. 17. They saerifised unto Scedem, Destroyers, Wasters, Devils. Does not the Fish Torpedo hang upon our Fingers? Does not the Remora cleave to our Souls? When, imbued with Christian Princi­ples, and professing to beleeve, That Topheth is prepared of old, for the Con­temners of God's Originall Will, we move no faster in the Performance of this Perfect Law, this most Divine Law and Will; which is of God, in God, and God Himself? ( Perfectum est, cui nihil deest: The Thing is perfect, to the which there wanteth no due Thing.) And in the End of all this, we have pumiceos oculos, Eyes as dry as the pumice-Stone. I have found it. Genus nostrum sempèr siccoculum fuit: It belongs to our intemperate, and luke­warm Kinde, to be so in heavenly Mat­ters. (In temporall Affliction, we can yell it.) Who, notwithstanding, may drop a little, by a thaw of tender-hear­tednesse: or, have a Preacher that may perform in earnest, what our Classicall Brother so jestingly, and so commonly vaunted; I'le make the People weep to Day.

The Law of God, is likewise perfect; as his Originall Will is copied out into his Word. Which VVord in it's full Ampli­tude, fully complies with the End of it's coming from God as his VVord; and is abundantly sufficient, in it's kind, to Sal­vation. It canonizeth no Falshood: prescribes no frivolous, or evill Thing. And herein differs our Christian Scrip­ture from the Turkish Alcoran; The Ho­ly Ghost, from profane Mahumet's Pigeon; His Alcoran being a pure Drollery, ele­mented and engendred in the Conjunction of three Apostaticall Brains. In the peru­sing of which, Averroes Sir-named the Commentator, Avicenna, Alsarabius, Vide Avi­cen. lib. 6. Met. cap. 7. Albumazar, Haly, and other Mahu­metan Philosophers, Physitians, Astrolo­gers, were so troubled and confounded, that they quickly deserted the Alcoran, as repugnant, even in Matters bounded with the Precincts of Nature, to the Principles of Nature and Reason: And, because it did gloriosè mentiri [...]ly glori­ously; to prevent their fall into the De­solation of Heart, catched upon Aristotle for their better Information in the lear­ning of Truths, naturall and supernatu­rall. The Compilers of the Alcoran, had not learn'd the Text, Psal. 25. 3. in it's Hebrew simplicity: Let them be ashamed [Page 39] who transgress without cause. Where the Septuagin [...] adopt, [...]. Sept. [...]: Let them be confounded with shame, that act unprofitably without Law; in the which acting, more is al­wayes lost than [...]ound. The Vulgar La­tin Edit. Valg. is the Septuagint vulgarly turn'd La­tin. The fifth Edition is Greek-Hebrew; in the word, Greek; Hebrew, in the sense: [...], Let them be ashamed Sept. Editio V. that apostatize.

In truth: Holy Scripture proposeth different Laws, serving them forth in dif­ferent Times; or in the same Time, sub­ordinating one to the other. But the finall aim, and ultimate VVork, was one and the same. It was a Rule and Pillar-Truth under the Old Law, That when a Precept of the Moral Law, so fell in company with a Ceremonial or Judicial Precept, ut in angustum cogerentur, that both could not hand it together; the Moral Precept should still challenge the place, and be reverenced with Obedi­ence. And whereas the Law of Moses, was partly judicial, partly ceremonial and moral or natural partly: our Evan­gelical Law turn'd off, and abrogated the two former, succeeding to them; but spared and setled the last, as the written Foundation of all sound Law▪ be­cause [Page 40] it is the neerest to that unwritten Law of Nature, which is the first Ex­tract in us, out of God's Originall. Weeker. de Secretis lib. 3. cap. 2. VVeckerus will teach you the Art of ma­king a Candle, the Flame whereof can­not be extinguished: or one that as ar­dently burneth and flameth under Water, as above it. Such, yea such a Candle is our Law. Psal. 11. 105. Thy word is a Lamp unto my feet. The Textuarie VVord holds, a Candle. The Law of Christ, is an everlasting Lamp, or Candle.

Press on. As Christ, who is Verbum Genitum, the Begotten VVord, and Ver­bum Deus, the VVord which is God, and the Founder of the Church, hath a visi­ble and humane Nature: So hath he a divine Nature which is invisible; and his best and richest Nature, is not be­held with mortall Eyes. And Verbum scriptum, the Written Word, which is Verbum Dei, the Word of God, by which the Church, as by a Written Law, is apt­ly and [...] oportionably regulated; as it hath a literal, external, and historical Sense; So doth it rejoyce in a Sense that is spiri­tuall, internal, and mystical: and the best and true sense, is not alwayes obvi­ous to our Vnderstanding. Yea, tis a la­sting Axiome, and stands like an Ol [...] Monument in Divinity; When God is [Page 41] most observed and served by obedience to the spiritual or mystical Sense; that Sense, though mystical, is most intended by the Holy Ghost; The End of God, speaking to us, being to teach us to know and serve him, through some Degrees of Perfecti­on, answerable to our Modell. By the which it appears, velut Solis radiis de­pi [...]tum, as if it were painted with the Sun-Beames; That the Perfection of Scrip­ture, in a main part, with regard to the Interpretation of the Sense, lies inwardly; like the Soul of a Man, or the Virtue of a Seed, Herb, Plant, Minerall, or Iewel. And therefore, as a rare sort of Musicall Instruments, require only to their Mu­sick, that they be touched with the Sun-Beams: So these inward strings, though perfect, yet never give a right sound ex­cept they be gently touched by an Vn­derstanding, purg'd of Opacities, and en­lightened with the Sun of Righteousnesse. Yet this doth not any way derogate from the due Perfection of Scripture in it self; & God's Providence towards us, preparing, offering, and affording Helps, general, spe­cial, and particular. And, as Aquinas clears it: Iudicium de re non sumitur se­cundùm D. Tho. part. 1. quaest. 16. art. 1. in Corp. id quod inest ei per accidens, sed secundùm id quod inest ei per se: Wee judge not of a thing according to that which [Page 42] is accidental and adventitious to it; but according to that which is in it by or from it self. The same Truth stands like a grown Oke, and is altis defixa Radicibus, deeply rooted, respectively to the In­terpretation of the Words.

I most humbly crave here a Christian, that is, a milde, tender, and pious Exa­mination, in your most retired thoughts, of a Scruple, quem injecit mihi inter stu­dendum profunda Cogitatio. Others have assumed the freedome, to disquiet and invade the Press, in plain English, with some vain shadows of this austere Diffi­culty, sent abroad like walking Apparit [...] ­ons: and have thereby disorderly perplex­ed the Stated Hearts of ignorant people, that have learn'd only to read English. I speak to Scholars, as in the Schools; and in the language of the School. Of Scholars therefore, who try all Things, I reve­rently demand a Reason of their Faith; as it is their Faith. If I could have rea­sonably and quietly rested in private An­swers; I would not have adventur'd up­on a publick Proposall. I desire not the unhinging of any Mans Faith that moves upon a right Pole. I rather wish, we were all attemper'd to the Spirit of Or­derly motion. Our Lord God knowes, I never knew this Demand or Difficulty, [Page 43] by the name of an Engine. Apage hin [...], Ardelio. In sound earnest, O ye learned heads, I have heard your Adversaries speak. And, in mandatis habeo, I have it written in my Duty, that I must be true to you. I affirm nothing positively; but put only Wind, and Tyde, and Sailes to the Quaere: that we may leave nothing unsounded, unsifted, unexamined which is not Mysterious. I presume we are not all traiterous-hearted, and afraid to be search'd. The wise Mariner rests his Vessel upon a side, and examines the bot­tom at home in the River, lest he should be lost, by an unsound Bottom, at Sea. The Latin Speech will be sometimes, Ora­tio resistens, ac salebrosa: Because the Discourse cannot be forcibly and properly deliver'd, without our acceptance of a few sublimated Terms from School-Divi­nity. I shall be an Englishman, here and there, for a word or two, in the course of this Discourse: ut Populum, expecta­tione longiùs hiantem, foveam, demulceam, d [...]tineam: and to take off, as with a file, the roughness, and strangeness of my thronging so much Latin together.

These, concerning the Difficulty, when it enters, ye are advertis'd of it. In the mean time, I shall turn the face of my Endeavour, to the preparing and qualifying of the Matter.

Scripture is the Word of the most holy God, the Author and Revealer of Truth. I receive it as such, in the posture in which some insigni [...]ris Notae Sancti, Saints of more illustrious Note, have alwayes read it; that is, upon my Knees. I am indu­ced to this, by these Notes, Marks, and Reasons.

These Reasons, Notes, and Ma [...]ks ar­gue sufficiently for Scripture, in the par­ticular Matters from which, these Marks, Notes, and Reasons are taken; Yea, for Scripture in every Letter of it, as it first came from God, or, is rightly conveyed to us. But concerning ordinary Transla­tions, amongst those especially, that heap all the weight of their Belief upon their Translation, as upon the only divine In­strument and [...]ule, my D [...]fficulty thus humbly speaks.

Scriptura Sacra vel in primis illis In­cunabilis, aut Hebraicè loquebatur, aut Chaldaicè, aut Syriacè, vel Graecè, vel denique Latinè; Anglicè neutiquàm. I am pro certo nobis est, & pro comperto, Inter­pretes (non ibo per singulas Classes) haùd infallibilitèr à Deo dirigi. Est enim in aperto, Haereticos ad unum omnes, ado­lescente post Christum Ecclesiâ, suos ha­buisse Bibliorum Interpretes. Qui cùm pulchram scilicèt, locarent suis op [...]ram, ut Res divinas, ac Coeli Negotia Po [...]lo pra­ponerent; imò in manus darent, at (que) ob [Page 50] [...] [Page 51] [...] [Page 50] oculos ponerent; modo purè humano: er­rârunt toto Coelo.

Hither I am safely come. Let this de­scend g [...]tatim. Now hear farther; that I may presently return to the People in English.

Scire nunc percupio, Cur & ista Tran­slatio, quae, mul [...] is jàm annis, apud no [...] ob­tinuit; Erroribus gravitèr obnoxin non fuerit, quemadmodum & Interpretes, quos in Objectum Fidei nastrae, nos ipsi, vel re­luctantes ac inviti, compingimus? Et nè verser totus intra Cancellos: An rectè, nec non Pietate salvâ, divinam Authorita­tem possimus accommodare Translationi, quae primitùs ortum d [...]xit a Personis, qui­bus divinum Spiritum, nè dicam affinge­re, sed, (ut loquar ore suaviùs formato, ni­mirùm Sermone Castigato, jucundiúsque prolat [...],) non audemus affigere? Addunt Aliqui: quorum [...] Filios ex luto vario & versatili conflatos videmus, & ad omnia pa­ra os pro mutat â Rerum facie? Sed haec in hâc Re, silentio premenda sunt.

Sit down here. Take breath; and look about you. Beloved, I am yours instant­ly. I had a Secret to tell the Scholar in his Ear. Now on.

Praesertim, cùm nobis in propatulo sit, refertas esse Scri [...]tur as divinas, & quasi locu [...]letatas, Hebraismis, Arabismis, Sy­rismis, [Page 51] Graecismis; Figuris Dictionis aequè ac Sententiae; Mysterijs omrifariàm eventilatis, & in incertum cadentibus; aliis [...] velut Aenigmatibus infinitis: qùae Lectores in diversa rapiunt, at (que) solicitant Argumentis aequo pondere libratis. Quini­mò in Hebraicâ Linguâ, Puncta Varia, & in varijs Codicibus alia at que alia, ut ex Lectione Septuaginta Seniorum liqui­diùs constat; Sensúsque Radicum mul­tiplices, & in omnia propendentes; vel Doctissimis undique tenebras offundere, ne­mini uspiàm Docto dubium est.

This is our last Resting-place. Belo­ved, I am with you. The End sets a Crown upon the Work. Look now, and observe where the Bullet hits.

Accrevit Moles ingens huic Difficul­tati. Nempè quòd, nè pendeamus animis, nè vacillemus; ita profectò securi debea­mus nos esse de Translatione nostrâ, ac ve­neranda Canities Antiquorum, de Scriptis Amanuensium Spiri ûs sancti: modò Fides nostra cum Fide Christianorum Antiquo­rum in Unum coeat, in idémve reci [...]at: Et modò (quod est è re nostrâ plurimùm, quippè in quo rei Cardo vertitur,) modò, inquam. Fidem infusam firmare velimus in Objecto. Quandoquidem Virtus divi­na & Supernaturalis in nobis, uti Fides, planè sibi vendicat Objectum quodammodò [Page 52] supernaturale ac divinum, ( utcun (que) se res habeat aliquotiès in Objecto partiali, ali­orsùm accepto,) divinitùs & supernatu­ralitèr nobis oblatum, (id [...]nim omninò res postulat,) per Media infallibilia: ut Ob­jectum Fidei, quatenùs tale, sit & nobis talitèr notum.

Ther's all. Go, ponder it; and then, give me some Ease. Meditatio est Cla­vis Ptolomae us in Proae­mio Alma­gesti. Sapientiae, saith Ptolomie; Meditation is the Key of Wisedom. This thus stand­ing: The Law of God, even in the words thereof, is still perfect. (He that questi­ons a Writing, only as a dispirited Tran­slation; questions not the Writers, but the Translators, and their Spirit.) And the Conveyance is of the same Peece. Ne (que) Res omnis in incerto sita est. Vn­riddle me this. Now to the People again.

God hath engraven the Truth of Sion, in Scripture, (in a Sense like a high-swel­ling Sea) as he graved Sion upon his Hands. To which, he saith, Isa. 49. 16. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands. The Vulgar Latin assigns, [...]od. Vulg. Ecce in manibus meis descripsi te, I have copied thee out of my self, or, I have de­lineated thee upon my hands; or, I have registred thee, My Hands; My Book; which opens, and shuts as the Hand. [Page 53] The Septuagint, [...], ad vivum Sept. depinxi, I have painted thee to the Life. Symmachus, [...], I have made thee fast. Sym. Theodot. Aq [...]il. Theodotion is English, [...], I have graven thee. Aquila, [...], I have done it accurately, painfully. The Writ­ten part of God's Will, is a fair Copy of God's Original Will, absolute or per­missive, concerning us; of which, the La­tin, descripsi te, I have Copied thee, I have drawn thee forth into Lines. After the Septuagint, [...], I have Pain­ted thee to the Life: The Ceremoniall Law was a Painting; which though it was at first, lively; as it stood exerto Collo, Capite porrecto, oculis apertis at (que) in­quirentibus, and bending towards the Life, the real Things fore-signified by the Symbols and Ceremonies; yet finally all the Painting fell away, the true Bloud-Colour excepted; and the Life outliv'd the Painting to the Life. The Judiciall pertained only to the Jewish Common­wealth, disagreeing from the Ceremoni­all; because it may be still accepted and established by any, that shall accept it on­ly as a godly Form of good and lawfull Government. The Moral Law was made fast, consonantly to Symmachus, [...], I have fastned thee. And the new Te­stament hath place in God's Volume, [Page 54] like a most invaluable Jewell in a Gold-Ring; as being, though the least, yet the most pretious, and the most deep­engraven. Which, Theodotion declares without Theodotion: [...], I have graven thee. And in this little Testa­ment, this Jewel-Testament, the Death of Christ, is the most accurate and elabo­rate Thing; the very Beam-lustre, and incomparable virtue of the Jewel. A­quila seals it up unwittingly, in his [...], I have accurately, and with great labour, graven the Truth of all my promises, upon the palms of my Hands, on the Cross; When my palms were bored, and my Hands nail'd to the Cross for Man, and my Sufferings were entailed effectually to him; and this I have twice graven; graven again in a Book, for the good of Posterity. I could insist upon it; That the palm of the Hand, is not al­ways open; and that being open, it is not always exposed to every dull Ey [...], as neither are the Scriptures in their Origi­nalls, wherein they are graven. And I could farther diffuse my self here. But I am not of a Genius moving to Contro­versies, and I desire to maintain a Con­troversy with nothing but Controversy, except where Sin ambusheth.

Our next, and orderly step here, is, [Page 55] The right Interpretation of Scripture, both in the Words and Sense, compriseth all things necessary to sound Edification; either, explicitly, formally, openly, plainly; or, implicitly, virtually, co­vertly, seminally; either in the Conclu­sion, or in the Principle: either telling the way, as with a Tongue; or, like a Merourial Image, pointing towards it with a finger from the palm; and sending us away to the Interpreter.

The materiall Building of the old and outward Tabernacle, adumbrated the Spirituall Edification of our Tabernacle that is inward. The persons elected for the building of the Tabernaclè, are de­scribed, Exod. 31. 2. See, I have called by name Bezaleel the Son of Vri, the Son of Hur. And verse 6. And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab the Son of Ahisamach. If we poise the names of these persons, in a Tropologicall bal­lance, they will not only not want a grain or two, but will also prove them­selves gratefully passable without allow­ance from our inclinations and propensi­ties in their being accepted. Hur signi­fies Whiteness, or, Light as White; even such a Light as Faith is, being the first Break of Day in the Soul. And there­fore, in Baptisme, which is Sacramentum [Page 56] Fidei, the Sacrament of Faith, the Dionys. Areop. in Eccl. Hierar. I [...] Bero­sus lib. 4. Baptized were after Baptization, array­ed in White. Uri signifies Fire; and Ur Chaldaeorum, Ur of the Chaldees, fa­mous in the History of Abraham, was called Ur, because Fire was there ho­noured with divine worship. And Cha­rity is a Fire. Yea, the holy Ghost, who is Love, (God is Love, 1. Joh. 4. 16.) descended in Fire, when he did enflame his Disciples with Charity. The Textu­al Textus Graec. Edit. Vulg. Word, is [...], Dilection; and the Vul­gar Latin evens it; Deus est Charitas, God is Charity. For, the holy Ghost no­tionally consider'd, is the Love of the Father and the Son. The Constructi­on of Besele [...]l, is, in umbra Dei, in the shadow of God; shadowing forth to us, the proper Act of Hope; which, as by a pro­per worke, lyeth securely down under the speciall Canopy of divine Providence, as in the cool shadow and refreshment of a most pleasant Arbour; or, as under the Defence of a strong Towre; or, under the spreading of a Buckler; even the Buckler of Him that is in the Septuagint, [...]. With and by these The [...]logi­caell Vertues, (which tend, in a direct Line, to God in their first Acts,) and the Ver­tues accompanying them, is the Soul built up into a Tabernacle, or Templum [Page 57] portatile, Temple of God, moving as we move. And the three Vertues are Ma­terial, and Efficient. The Materials, and the Builders. First, the Materials; the Builders, afterwards. The Materials, when the Building is, as it were, in Fieri, in Building; the Builders, when in Facto esse, when it is Built. How may this be? Happily. The Builders with Respect had to continual Augmentations, requisite Or­naments, and certain Reparations. But the Architect or Master Builder, is God. We are God's Puilding. The Scripture is firm and fair in describing, and prescri­bing these Fundamental Vertues, and their Company. But there were equally cal­led to the Building, Ooliab, which Name the Hebrews interpret, Protectio mea est Pater, the Father is my Protecti­on: Interpretes Hebraei. And Achisamech, which is, also af­ter their casting the word back into it's Ingredients, Frater conjungens, a Brother conjoyning himself. There is therefore, as needfull to us, the Providence of our Heavenly Father, protecting us from Errour; providing moreover, outward Helps for us, to the End of the World; and appointing a Christian Brother or Father, holy and learned; or, a Brother who is both a Father and a Brother; having the Wisdom and Providential [Page 58] Care of a Father, and the sweet Fellow­ship of a Brother; looking over us as a Father, and stooping to us in the Carri­age of a Brother; a Father to guide us, a Brother; to joyn himself to us; as Philip joyned himself to the Enuch. And such a Father-Brother we must find, and have, ut medicinam faciamus furenti volaticó (que) Morbo; that we may stop the raging and running Disease of strange Doctrine. And having him, we must hold him, and ad­here constantly to him, being of our selves, ingenio facili ac translatitio, easi­ly transported. And, as St. Bernard S. Bern. ep. 87. in the heat of an Inspiration, rightly said, Quise sibi Magistrum consti [...]uit, stulto se Discipulum subdit: He that sets himself to learn of himself, puts himself to School to a Fool: and not an ordinary Fool, but one desperately partial, and self-concei­ted.

Intellectus praefert voluntati lueernam, The Understanding should lead the Will in its own light, and the light of Grace; (God's Helps assisting the Un­derstanding in the form of Light, 1. That he may work conformably to Nature; 2. To perfect Nature:) and our Will should not drag our Understanding after it, and subject both that and it self, to the Passions of Anger, Envy, Malice, [Page 59] Stubborness, Partiality; the Will be­ing a blind power. The Devil's way is, to pervert and confound the Course and Order of Nature; especially, in the Soul of Man. Because he knows, that by the disorderly motions of the Soul, the Foun­tain of Life, and of the Actions of Life, he is always a prime Gainer: God's Will being always performed orderly, and in the Course founded, and appointed by him.

Quod ad me a [...]tinet; Credo Ecclesiam Caetholicam, I believe, that the Catholick Church is directed by Christ, and relie­ved with vitall Influences from it's Invi­sible Head. And that, as Angelus est Nomen Offic [...]i, non Naturae, Angel is a Name of Office, not of Nature; So it per­tains to God's Messenger ex Offici [...], even as he is a Messenger or Angel, to clear, explicate, or unfold the Mind of his Lord, who sufficiently instructs him, re­maining in the condition of an obedient Angel, (obedient to God and his Church,) for the sufficient Resolution of all necessary Doubts, arising frō his Mes­sage. And God requires of us, this wal­king by Faith, by the which, we believe his promises to his Church, for three Reasons. 1. Because Man, having sinned by Pride in eating of the Tree of Knowledge; it was [Page 60] most agreeable to the Via Regia of God's Providence, so to humble him, that not­withstanding his Ambition to know, he should not know the Things, by which he should be brought to Heaven, but on­ly beleeve them: 2. God would lead Man to Blessedness, by Faith, and not by Science; that the Way might be open, even to the weak, and unlearned: And therefore, the mind of a simple Man, a­dorned with Faith, excelleth in Light, and Knowledge, (such as it is) not only the Learning of the great Philosophers, but even the naturall Knowledge of An­gels. 3. For Man's greater advancement in Glory: wherein Faith will be greatly rewarded, as Faith; and rewarded more and more, as the Object is more and more dark, and the Vertue more and more lively. But Knowledge will not be rewar­ded, simply as Knowledge; but as digni­fyed by the Object and End, and also, manner of Aquisition. The former Diffi­culty seems here to be foild: but is not, though it seems to be.

O indulge to me now, that I may without obstruction, make a good purpose. Psal. 16. 7. I will bless the Lord, who hath given me Coun [...]il; good and perfect Counsil in his Holy Word. The Vulgar Latin walks neer it; but with a dif­ferent [Page 61] pace; Benedicam Dominum, Editio Vulgaris. qui tribuit mihi intellectum, Who hath given me Vnderstanding, annex­ed to a good Will; and made me capa­ble of knowing and taking his Counsil. St. Hierom; qui dedit mihi Consilium: a meer S. Hierom. in Bibl. Chald. Paraphr. English-Man. And the Chaldee Para­phrast, Consulentem mihi, Counselling me. It is not without a Mystery, That the Holy Tongue calls Counsil, Sod; which also signifies a Foundation, or Stableness; by virtue drawn from the Root, Iasad, to found. Whence in this Language, He that asks or gives Counsil, is answerably said to found: So Pagninus; Who adds by Course of Surplussage; That Sod signi­fies Pagninus in Thesa [...] ­ro. Counsil from founding: quòd ita se habeat Consilium ad Opus, ut Fundamen­tum ad Aedificium; Because Counsil is the same Thing, turn'd towards a Work, as a Foundation in Order to a Building. The Scripture understood in the same Sense, and with the same Spirit, with and in which it was written, is a most deep, sure, and perfect Foundation in its Kind. We can never say of one that sticks close to this Foundation, Cec [...]dit Causâ, he was overthrown in his Cause.

First then, I set aside by himself (he is one by himself,) the Private Spirit. And I rank him with the person in a pure­white [Page 62] Dress at the Spittle: Whose mouth was big with strange News; and the grand Matter, to the which all the rest did offer, was, That he came lately from Heaven, tanquam Legatus à Latere, as a Legate sent from the presence of God; and had brought with him the perfect Know­ledge of Hebrew, the Language of Heaven. And when I addressed my poor skill, to the triall of him; I found, that his Lan­guage was a Wild-Irish Welch-Scotch-Dutch-Hungarian Hebrew, a very De­fluxion from his own over-flown Brain. I found it Spittle-proof; or, as è Trivi [...] petitas Mendicorum faeculas; a kinde of wretched Canting of Beggars, lame in their Limbs and their Tongues.

A Publick Office and Exercise, must receive a Publ [...]ck allowance, by derivation from that State, spiritual or temporal, in the which it's Work and Scene lies. Cer­tainly very many would run, before they are sent; entring otherwise than at the Door; and allege a whole Pack of Privat Calls; were it not imposed upon them, to expect a Publike and Visible Triall of their Call, and a like Commissi­on for the Exercise of it. And verily, Wicked Men would soon catch an offered occasion to blurre and slander God's holy Providence; As if Men by the direction [Page 63] of natural and participated Light, had better provided for themselves, in the Administration of their Commonwealths, than the only-wise God with the infinite Light of his Understanding, hath provided for them in the carriage & managing of his Church. For, If in a Civil Common­wealth, the Laws and Appointments of our Ancestors, being relinquished; that should be Law to every Man, which issues from the dictates of his own natural Pru­dence; how all things would be mingled, troubled, & confounded? And yet, every Man hath some portion of Knowledge in Civil Matters, and may soon have more; Because the Light is natural, by which, the Laws were contrived, and may be in­terpreted. What then, would be the Consequence, if▪ every Man should be left to his own Private Way, in that Commonwealth, which is not humane, but divine; and in which Things to be beleeved, are supernatural; as also, the Things to be done; at least in their Cause, which is Grace; And the one not being beleeved, nor the other done, by the strength of Man?

And secondly; I reverently imbrace with both arms, those Preachers, who privatly call'd, and publikely admitted, as to a publike Office; and who deeply-foun­ded [Page 64] upon the Sense and Sentence of the Holy Ghost, speaking by the Church of God; rise high like a tall Building; and become as the Brethren, James and John, Boanerges, interpreted in the Greek Gos­pel, Marc. 3. 17. [...], and accor­dingly Evang. Graec. Syrus Pa­raphrast. Trost. in Marc. 3. in the Syriack, or Aramean Pa­rathrast, Fil [...]i Tonitrui, the Sons of Thun­der: By Trostius, Filii Fragoris, the Sons of a great Cracking, (not of Crack­ing, otherwise hight bragging,) They were sir-named Boanerges, [...] ­ [...], S. Greg. Naz. Orat. 19. S. Chrysost. Nom.. 7. ad Popul. Antiochen. as Nazianzen; (St. Iohn Chryso­stom adjecit calculum, Symbolum dedit; hath consented, and sign'd to it;) Be­cause they should sublimely and perfectly deliver perfect and sublime Things, and with a lowd Voice and sublime Expres­sion like Thunder; And because they should (afterwards) alwayes and every where carry (as it is Chronicled of Pe­ricles Thucyd. lib. 3. the Orator) [...], a perfect and heavy Thunderbolt in their Tongues; wherewith, as [...] from on high, to strike to the Ground, adverse Sin, and Satan the Adversary; and whatsoever shall oppose it self against God, and the Holy Ghost. To symbolize with such Preachers, the Law to be Preached, was delivered from a Thundring Mountain; and when the Holy Ghost came, There [Page 65] came a sound from Heazen, as of a rushing mighty Wind, Act. 2. 2. These are they, who, as Thunder, utter themselves truly, lowdly, plainly, powerfully, terr [...]bly. Qui liberant fidem, who stand firm to their Promises made to God in their Ordinati­on; and faithfully perform their Trust. These are they, who make their way be­fore them, like Thunder: and are not of a tender-hoof; but, quorum durata in aspero ungula est; who in their Walkings and Preachings, have trod the most hard and rough paths (untrodden by Here­ticks) of austere Life, and severe Lear­ning.

I wade farther, in the Doctrine. An­cient Writers are Vnanimous, and firm­ly setled in this, as the Stars in the Fir­mament; That the Wills of Governours, if they will be Laws; that is, say they, if they will, and do concentre with God's Law; are also perfect Governours there­fore, are oblig'd and bound up, by the Supreme Lawgiver, to the giving, and authorizing of such Laws. Let us reduce this Truth of Superstructure, to it's pro­per foundation, and former Cause-Truth; and then, this part of the Doctrine will, analytically pondred, empty it self into the Original Will of God, which is the Law Eternal.

Servitude, as the Civilians do state it, is not the genuine off-spring of the Law of Natu [...]e, but of Nations. As the Schools colour it, It is the Blacka­more-child of corrupted Nature. But­fashionably to the perfect Law of Scrip­ture, and to the divinest Divines both in the School and from the School; Orderly Subjection, and Superiority, bud forth and blossome, rais'd in the bud, and promoted in the blossome, by a first direction and motion of pure Nature. For, even in Heaven, the Created Spirits are all rallyed in Order. Of these and their Orders, Dionysius Areopagita, that know­ing Dion [...]s. A [...]eop. in Eccles. Hierarch. Vide N [...]ceph Eccl. Hist. lib. 2. c. 20. Mose. B [...]r Ce [...]h. de parud. p. [...] Vide Pe­rer. in G [...] ­ [...]ej. cap 2. Scholar of Saint Paul, to whom he had imparted the Secrets of the third Heaven. And in the pure Condition of Innocency, there was a most Eminent Superiority; first, in Man, over all other Earthly Creatures; and of this, Moses Bar-Cephas. Secondly, in Man, over Woman; not only because the Male is by right of Nature, Su [...]eriou [...] to the Female; and because Reason is more reasonable, and Strength more vivid and strong in him; but also for mystical Con­siderations. And had they continued in Eden, [...], in the Gar­den of Pleasure or Delights, untill Adam had been a Father, there should [Page 67] have been Patria Patestas, a Fatherly Power and Superiority; or, the Com­mandment with a promise, Honora Patrem tuum, Honour thy Father, is not a moral precept. And when Children had broached themselves into Families, even there also must have been Superior Pote­stas, a Superiour Power; or, the best Life upon Earth, must have wanted one of the greatest created Perfections, conse­quent to Diversity, Disparity, Multipli­city, upon Earth, and in Heaven, which is Order.

Let not our Brethren of the Scotch Mist, exalt the Perfection of their Parity, with such a noise. Because Disparity in it self, (whatsoever may happen Casu­ally and disorderly,) is not a Witness of Imperfection. For, this very State of Innocency, would not have been void of Disparity, even amongst Men and Wo­men; as in their Sex, so in their Age, Knowledge, Justice. And their Bodies were not so far exempted from the Laws of Nature, that they should not have received divers Helps from Meats; and also, different Dispositions from the Air, and Stars; advanced by which, some should have been greater, fairer, stron­ger: But with a Restriction, that no Defect should have harboured in those, [Page 68] either in Soul or Body, who should have been excelled, had they been view­ed, not comparatively, but in them­selves.

Yet, This Power meerly natural, and of Paradise, is only a directive (not a coercive) Power; by the which Fathers should have governed their Children, and the lesse Wise (such there should have been, to maintain Dependence, and Subordination) have been ruled by the Wiser, Propter Obtemperantium Bonum, chiefly for the Good of the Persons Obediently Subject. This being immoveable, All Governors are engag'd from Heaven, to reform and bring back their Government, as home as they can, to the Government of Paradise; (as all our work of Godlinesse in all Kinds, draws altogether towards Paradise, from the which we fell,) and set before them in all their Acts, the godly Direction, and Christian welfare of those whom they govern. Therefore, O Governour, Si Regiminis tui Acies aliquantulùm hebes­cat; tu illam excita; when the Edge of your Government grows a little dull, and flat, degenerating Times ever contra­cting Corruptions, pull it back to the Primitive Edge and sharpness; not sharp severity, (that sharpness was [Page 69] not Primitive,) but the sharpnesse of Perfection: Severity-being only a Child of Necessity. And no Generation of Men, is so degenerous, or, us (que) adeò Struthiocamelus, ut ferrum potuerit de­coquere, so much an Ostrich, as to digest Iron. For, Princely Honours, and o­ther Privileges of Kings, in their first Fundamentals, were not allot­ted and heaped, with a full Ey [...], or half a look, set upon Imperial or Prince­ly Dignity, But were chiefly given to the Vigils, Labours, and Troubles of a King, undergone in his industrious Contriving the Good of his People, ut Oneri Honos responderet, that Honour might Answer to the Burden. Otherwise no man would stoop his tender Shoulders, and be a Governour, for the many Cares intending, and lying heavy upon him in his Government. And Aristotle divi­ding Arist. lib. 8. Ethic. cap. 10. betwixt a King and a Tyrant, parts them by this; That a Tyrant seeks alto­gether his own profit, as if he were the great and absolute God of the People, and of Nature; a King, or Prince, prin­cipally the Good, and Profit of his Peo­ple.

Power is not a Vertue; neither are the Acts of Power, morally good or evill in themselves; but are made such or such [Page 70] by their Concomitants; good, if accompa­nyed with Mercy, Justice, Truth, Holi­ness, if otherwise, evill. Wherefore the Legislative Power, being of God, who as God hath Supreme Dominion over us, and may therefore law us, falls under certain Conditions and Rules. And four Conditions make a Law just. The first, ex Parte Finis, That it be ordained to the Common Good. For, a Princely and just Vide Arist. ubi suprà. Law, differs from a Law that is tyranni­call, by this tending to Good, common or private. The second, ex Parte Agentis, That the Law be prescribed by One, in whom resides original Authority. For, no Power can impose a Law, but upon such as are lawfully subject to the Power. The third, ex Parte Materiae, That by the Law, neither Vertue be repul [...]ed, nor discountenanced; nor Vice induced, or indulged to. The fourth, ex Parte Formae, That the Law be constituted, & promul­gated after a due Manner and Order; to wit, That the Law keep that Proportion in the distribution of Honours, and imposi­tion of Burdens, which the Subjects have & hold in order to the Common-wealth, S. Aug. lib. 1. de libero Ar­bitrio, cap. 5. in which, the Law is given. Unjust Laws, are not properly and in right speech, Laws; as St. Austin lawfully declares. Unjust Laws, ratione Materiae, that is, [Page 71] which jarre with, and are contrary to divine Right, do not only not oblige, but also should not by any means be re­ceived, or observed; in agreeement to St. Peter and the other Apostles, Acts. 5. 29. We ought to obey God rather than Men. But the Laws which are unjust, in regard of the End, or Author, or also of the Form, or Manner, may, and must be kept, in case that a Scandal would break in upon us, if they should not. This is evinced, and evidenced, out of the say­ing of Christ, Matth. 5. 40. And if any Man will sue thee at the Law, and take away thy Coat, let him have thy Cloak also. Verse 41. And whosoever shall com­pell thee to go a mile, go with him twain. For, the Doctrine hence issuing, is not, that we should thus alwaies depart from our Right, and crumble away our Goods and Privileges; but that we be ready to doe it, whensoever the Circumstances becken us to it, and such a Work or Works shall be call'd upon, as necessary, and greatly advantagious to the Mani­festation of the Glory of God. To this, that place of St. Peter holds a Candle, which Candle we ought not to put under a Bush [...]ll, but on a Candlestick, 1 Pet. 2. 18. Servants, be Subject to your Masters with all fear, not only to the good and gen­tle, [Page 72] but also to the froward. Know further; That of Evils, some are Evil, because they are forbidden by the Law; As, the Pro­fanation of our Lord's Day: And some are forbidden by the Law, because they are in themselves Evil, and are twice e­vil; (because Evil, and because forbid­den,) As, our Violation of the other Commandements. The great Bishop of Hippo, asserts it concerning Adultery; Non Adulterium malum est quia vetatur S. Aug. [...]bidem, cap. 3. Lege, sed ideò vetatur Lege, quòd ma [...]um est, Adultery is not evil, solely and simply because it is forbidden by the Law; but is therefore forbidden by the Law, because it is Evil. And as Evils or Sins, are such, derivatively from their Objects, to the which we are inordinately converted; and Sins applyed to Objects of different Kinds, specifically differ; Acts taking their Species or Kindes from their Objects; So Sins greatly differ, compared to the Laws, against which they offend. And there­fore, some Sins are Sins of Commission, some of Omission. (We set aside, Whe­ther a Pure Omission be possible, or no?) The Sins of Commission are they, which are acted contrarily to the Negative Com­mandements; The Sins of Omission, which offend against the Commandements that are Affirmative. And as the Comman­dement [Page 73] or Law, Divine or Humane, which affirms or denies, deals in a Matter higher or lower; So is the Sin, lower or higher. And if the Laws be more, against which we offend by One Act; this one Act is more hainous.

Ut unde dudùm digressus sum, refluat ac recurrat Oratio.

Prudentèr aliquandò in obliquum aspi­cimus. It is a part of Prudence at some times to look side-long; particularly, in giving a [...]igne. But I will not. For, I defie (which others deify) this peevish intermedling in the State-Business of Publick Persons, to whom I am subje­cted, at any time, by God's Ordinance, be it of Commission or Permission, as they term it. Only thus, in the by, and in ge­nerall to all the World. There is a stout Ni [...]rem­berg. Hist. Naturae, lib. 9. cap. 72. Beast in Africa, by Name, saith Nierem­bergius, Ejulator; Which repairing neer unto Villages, or Towns, in the Evenings, cries like a little harmless Child, But the Person, that fondly moved, with pity, comes carefully to seek the Child; is cruelly devoured by the false mouth of the Beast that cri'd so. Aristotles Tyrant, that waves the Common Good; that gives Laws derogating from God's Law; cries like a little innocent Child, when he first calls us to him. But, we being come, [Page 74] come, and submitted; and he in his Plenilune, or Solstice of Honour; He that was a sweet Babe in Voice, is oftentimes a most sower Beast in Action. And then, the People cry too, Quantâ de spe decidimus? From how great Hopes have we shamefully fallen?

My second Fundamental Proof sets forth Civil Governours; whose End, as they are Civil Governours, is the conservation of the People in temporal Peace; and whose Actions, as they are Civil, rest in the Consecution of this End; are ob­lig'd (in a Christian Commonwealth) as Principal Members in a higher Commu­nity, the Church of God; to direct all their Actions of Civil Government, to the great Intention, aim, and End of the Church of God; Which is, the Salvation of the Souls of the People. Because all Superiour Power, which is temporal; is inferiour and subo [...]inat [...], as it is tempo­ral, by the Law of Nature, to Spiritual Power; and subjected to it in Matters pertaining to the Soul, Mind, or Spirit; by the same Law of Nature, by which, the less perfect Things are subjected to the Things more perfect; inferiour, to superiour; the Body, to the Soul; Sense, to Reason; a Family, to a Common­wealth; external Affairs, to internal De­votions; [Page 75] Earth, to Heavven; our temporal Conservation, to our eternal Salvation; our temporal Peace amongst Men, to our eternal Peace in God: And lastly, to the End, ea quae sunt ad Finem, the Things ordained for us in the way to our End. The Church of God, being the most per­fect, and most noble of all Societyes, and the Society without which, we cannot go safe home to our last End. The most low-fetch'd, and most penetrating Rea­son of all, is; Because all Spiritual and Ecclesiastical Power is originally founded (not in the Pope; hence with so low, so creeping, so groveling so poor a Thought; but) in Jesus Christ, the invisible Head of the Church; and the gracious Fountain of all the Graces, by the which we are graciously conducted to our last End. And though it be not required, that the Means and the End should have a Simi­litude of Being; yet, is it necess [...]y, that there be no Dissimilitude or Disagree­ment, betwixt the Meanes considered as the Means, and the End as the End. This is the Doctrine of S. Greg. de Curâ Pastorali, p. 2. ca [...]. 6. Idem Ep. lib. 2. Ep. 61. S. Ambr. de Dignit. Sacerd. cap. 3. S. Chrysost. de Sacer­dotio, lib. 3. S. Greg. Naz. in Orat. ad Populu [...] timore per­culsum. Greg. the Great, St. Ambrose, St. Iohn Chrysostom. St. Gregory Nazianz [...], and indeed, of all the Primitive Doctors.

Upon the Tower in the top, it is writ­ten in fair Characters; That Iesus Christ [Page 76] must have the highest Seat in us, and o­ver us. Psal. 89. 15. Blessed is the Peo­ple that know the joyfull sound, they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy Counte­nance. For, the joyfull Sound, in English, we read in the Vulgar Latin, Iubilatio­nem, Interpres Vulgat. Sept. Interpretes Graeci. Interpres Sophocles. Interpretes Hebraei. Theologi Mystici. Vide Lu­dovicum Elasium in Monili, & Alvarez. Tom. 3. de Oratione. the crying out for joy. In the Septua­gint, [...]; Which the Greek In­terpreters, who best sounded their own Language, interpret, the Song of Victory. And in the Interpreter of Sophocles, [...] ­ [...], the joyfull sound, is [...], a Song of Victory. The Hebrew Divines unfold the Original Word, which they likewise best sounded; The Sound of the Trumpet proclaming victory and exci­ting to Ioy. The Mysticall Divines catch the Word at the rebound; and transfer it to a shout or crying out for Ioy, That God is God, and reigns over us, and in us; and is above us all, and above all Things. This is the noblest Effluence of our Heart, in the Motions of Joy; our highest Ioy: As the Belief of Mysteries, is our highest Faith; and our best Hope, is that which strongly beats in the Pulse, when we wander per incerta Nemorum, through the greatest Dangers; and our pure love, which loves God purely for him­self, the highest. By these, as the first and highest in their Kinds; our other Ioyes, Be­liefs, [Page 77] Hopes, Loves are orderly measured. This Ioy cannot withhold it self from trumpeting, and singing alowd it's own Comforts. For great and wonderfull is our Joy of Spirit, when Carnal Man is Conquered; and the Saviour of Spirits reigns over him. The Flames are pure and refined, because the Matter is clean and heavenly. O blessed Victory! O the sacred Triumph; when this our Spi­rit-Master, having sweetly conquered our Heart, Pompam ducit, is chief Leader in the Solemnity! The Hebrews, in the relation of Paulus Fagius, report, That the Feast of Trumpets was instituted, to Paul. Fa­gius in Levit. cap. 3. preserve the memory of Isaac his release from being Sacrifised, and that there­fore the Trumpets were Rams-Horns, because a Ram was accepted in place of him. Then, even then does this Trumpet-Sound sound the Victory of Christ by his Death and Sacrifice, as by the meritori­ous Cause, over our Hearts, and over his People, as Head of the Church, and as King of Hearts.

Favour me, pray, with your good leave, to remove here some peremptory Objections, which, datis Habenis, if the reigns were laid in the neck of them, would Reign and Revell in Divini­ty.

A good Law may permit Sin indirectly, and, considered with respect to the Law­giver, illibenter, unwillingly, by giving it line, (such as indirect permission gives) and positively circumscribing it with Li­mits measured by the End of the Line, as in Vsury. For, when the Lender sin­neth in his exaction of Use-payments, the Borrower urged by his need, takes without Sin, as instigated to such a Concurrence by meer, and most vehement Necessity, requiring the supportance of ruinous Nature. Wherein, his: oncur­rence to the Sinfull Act, is material, not formal, and he not willing but unwil­ling. Who truly, would have joyfully borrowed, without such ungodly Retri­bution. And that which frees him who borroweth, frees also him who permit­teth; upon whom in his permission, he altogether holdeth his Ey. And what­soever falls otherwise, and extra quad­rum, out of the right-sounding Fi­gure; Whatsoever is exorbitant or ex­travigant, happens prae [...]r Intentionem Legis; besides the strict, and first-born Intention of the Law.

Yet farther. A good Law confirmeth sometimes a past Act of Sin, but not as a peccami [...]ous or Sinfull Act. A Virgin that espowseth her self, without the [Page 79] knowledge or consent of her Parents, is by the Laws of our ancient Canonists Canonistae Jurisperi­ti, & Ju­risconsulti paritèr omnes. and Civilians, both lawfully and unlaw­fully espowsed. Here the Rule bears Rule; Quod infectum, fieri non debet; factum, valet. Some things are validly done, w ^ch are not done lawfully. And the Rule pro­nounces, That which being undone ought not to be done, is valid being done. It stands, when the Prohibition is of Man, in re­spect of the Circumstances; and the Ordi­nance in the Substance of it, is of God. Hitherto therefore, Sapientèr instituta Res est, Men are wise and righteous in their Civil Constitutions.

Will you gird up your Garments, and climb with me, to the Brows of the mountain behind us? God, the first, and ever-living Law, and the match­lesse Originall of our Law Givers, per­mitte [...]h Sin. Because, as it is a Vomit out of the depth of the Devils Malice, (qui omnem admovet Machinam, who brings up all his Engins of Battery against us,) to elicit Evill out of Good accidentally: So is it a Coronet on the Height of God's Goodnesse, to call ( in aegris exul­ceratisque Rebus nostris, & extremâ jam Spe pendentibus, when our Help, Health and Happiness hang, in appearance, by the least, and the last thread,) Good out [Page 80] of Evill; as an eloquent Orator doth sometimes exalt and serve up a Soloecisme, to the promotion of an Elegancy; and an expert Musitian in a Traverse of Hand, of a Discord maketh high Concord and Harmony. For, God the Superlative Good, is so powerfully Good, that he draweth and expresseth from the greatest Evill, the greatest created Good; which is, our Fruition of God in the Bea [...]ifical Vision, drawn from the Jewish Cruelty in the Crucifying of Christ; Great Goods, from great Evils, as the relief of old Jacob and his Family, and of all Aegypt, from Ioseph's hard usage; and some Goods, from all Evils And it is a better Good, to crush with a skilfull Hand, and express by an after-Action, Good out of Evill; than, not to suffer Evill. Because it is a more splendid and radiant Manifestation of God's Wisdom, Dominion, Power. Id [...]ò, saies the most famous Bishop in Africa, melius esse judi­cavit, S. Aug. in Ench [...]r [...]d. ad Lau­rentium, cap. 27. de Malis Bona facere, quàm Ma­la nulla esse permittere; Therefore God (as chief provisio [...], and Supreme Modera­tor of the World) judged it better to draw good Things from Things Evill, than, not to permit Evil Things.

The permissive Decree of God, at the stair-Head of this Order, though dis­Order, [Page 81] is no proper Cause of Sin. Be­cause it is not opperative, as being alto­gether extrinsecal to the Sinner, and ex­ercising no kind of Positive Action or In­fluence upon the Sin. Neither we by any compulsion from this Decree, in prae­cipiti sumus, aut in proclivi; are tumbled headlong into Hell, or warped towards it. It is an Antecedent only, and such a one, as, it being enstall'd in the place of an Antecedent, Sin followeth not of Ne­cessity, with necessity derived from the Antecedent. But although it be a single Antecedent, in reguard of us, yet is it an Act of God's consequent and Iudiciary Will; and, as it actually permitteth, is an outward Punishment, which we care­lesly pull upon us by abusing our Wills, and by strongly wrestling with God, and strangely conquering him; and by snatch­ing our selves in a Fume, from under the safe wings of his preserving providence. And we are permitted, first to abuse our Wills, because we will abuse them; and we will abuse them, because we will not be regular in the moderation of them; and we will not, because we will not; and the permission of this last will not, (the last in mention, the first in motion, by the which, as a negative Cause, God is moved) comes originally from God's [Page 78] [...] [Page 79] [...] [Page 80] [...] [Page 81] [...] [Page 82] Foresight of our future Negligence, and Disobedience; preservation from Sin, be­ing, under no consideration, due to per­sons negligent, and disobedient; and the Preserver being now disengaged of his natural Obligation, and gracious Promise; and left in the Hands of his own Arbitre­ment.

If a man be obstinate, and go off here, to return more strongly, thus; God permitteth Sin to Damnation, and remitteth Sin, when he may dam up the way before it, by his more puissant Helps; And why is he not therefore the moral Cause of Sin? That is, Why is not Sin imputed to him? This Reason applyed to reasonable Creatures, who sometimes by Iustice, and always by Charity, are charged to defend one the other, from all kinds of Evil, as a Pilot, his Brethren with him at Sea, would be Valiant; But, sticked upon God, it faints, and falls, as the Viper from St. Paul's hand. Be­cause the infinite Excellency of God, and his royal Prerogative requireth, his Do­minion to be so absolute over his Subjects; that it should not attend to their Profit, he having fairly performed his part; but to his own Pleasure. Which only plea­sure, and the dignity of it, is of grea­ter weight, than all the good of all [Page 83] Creatures. And therefore, It is expedi­ent, that it should be fulfilled; yea, if it should require the Ruin of them all. This Answer gives no countenance to ab­solute Reprobation; or to that absolute Reprobate, who teaches, That God may dam a reasonable Creature to Hel-Fire, absque Demeritis, as St. Augustin's Lan­guage is.

The return is, That the Christian Go­vernour should conjoyn his Will, in his Law-giving, and in all his works, with the revealed Will of God; to the End, his Law may be God's Law, and imma­culate; absque Macula, without spot; Marinus, & Forste­rus in Lexicis. without, as the Hebrew Word is, Ma­chalah, weakness, infirmity.

Mystical Divinity calls a Soul, being in this happy state of Conjunction, [...], Vniform. And Religious per­sons thus United, are stiled by Diony­sius S. Dionys. Areop. de Eccl. Hier. c. 8. Areopagita, [...], persons close­ly compacted into one; and like the Pearl, which is united in it self, and called Unio. 1 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned unto the Lord, is one Spirit; one Spirit in himself, and one with God. The Vulgar Latin, Qui adhaeret Domino, Interp. Vulgat. Codex Graecus. he that cleaves. The Original, [...] ­ [...], he that is glued; vehemently joyn'd again, and firmly; that he may not be [Page 84] now severed, or pull'd from his Heaven­ly Comp [...]t.

This Union is not altogether unlike the Hypostatical Union in Christ. Of the which, Franciscus Suarez saies, to the Fran. Sua­rez in 3. part. Disp. 53. Sect. 2. pest Con­clusionem 2. dam. very bottom of what men can say; Il­la Vnio licèt ex parte Humanitatis sit ali­quid Creatum, tamen ex parte Verbi ad quod terminatur, quiddan increatum est; scilicèt verbum per se Vnitum Humanita­ti; That Vnion, although on the part of Christ's Humanity, it be created; yet, on the part of the Divine Word, at the which it is terminated, is a certain un­created Thing, even the Divine Word united by Himself to the Humanity. Here is [...], profundum fine fundo, a Depth without a Bottome. A Vnion created, uncreated, uniting God and Man in the person of Christ; and yet, on Goa's part (though it be in the nature of a Union, as it Unites, ut atting at Extrema, that it must touch the Things Vnible and U­nited,) the Creature is vanished, and the only Union is, Verbum per se Vni­tum, the Word Vnited by Himself. Well now may the Incarna [...]ion of Christ, be set next in place, unto the Trinity in Vnity, as an incomprehensible Myste­ry.

Brethren, I cannot commend the Lay-Elder [Page 85] amongst you; who, [...] Men of Repute, speak, denyed the Communion to a Maid, (let her Name be, Susanna;) because she could not answer him to the Question; Young Maid, What is the Hypostatical Union? Was not this Lay-Elder, Inutile in Sambuceto Sarmentum? O the monstrous Productions of Igno­rance! Away with him. When the Ma­ster of a Family, offended with a stink, kicks a Dog in the Parlour; the Servants kick him too, through the Hall, and out of the Kitchin, untill he be quite kick'd out of Doors, into the free and o­pen Air, which the Winde purifies. The Master of the Christian Family, is God. I return.

And our Deiform Will, and Union with God in Love, and Law; is a most gracious Union of God with Man; wherein the Union, on the Soul's part, is Grace given by God; and, on God's part, Deus per se unitus Homini, God by Himself united to Man; that we may be conformable to our Head, Christ.

This Uniting Spirit of Grace, is that Adopting Spirit (we being adopted Chil­dren through the natural Heir, in whom the Right stands;) even the Spirit in our Hearts, Galat. 4. 6. Crying, Abba, Fa­ther. Which is a Term of more familiar [Page 86] Compella [...], saith Ludovicus Cappellus. Lud. Cap­pell. in il­lum locum. Syrus in Marc. 14. 36. Johan. Drus. & Salmant. in Marc. The Syriack in St. Mark, draws it forth as a Term of Appropriation, and winds it up, to signify my Father; Which in the Targ-Language, it every where doth. Johannes Drusius admits it as a Term of Dignity; Salmanticensis, of Honour. Wherefore this Union, even in the radi­cal part of it, sets us up familiar with God; and appropriats him to us; and entitles us, Most zealous in maintaining his Honour, Crown, and Dignity.

The Duty therefore, of a Governour, looks three fair wayes; by reason that the Object of his Duty, is three-fold; God, his Neighbour, Himself. Tit. 2. 12. We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present World. Which words, St. Bernard, having tried them in the fire, sorts thus; Sobriè nobis, justè proxi­mis, S. Bern. in Serm. su­per Ecce nos reliqui mus omnia, &c. piè autem Deo, Soberly, to our Selves; justly, towards our Neighbours; towards God, godly. This duty is general, and e­very Man's Duty; but lies more heavy upon the Governour; because his Office is of greater import. King David, his Heart being well-steeped in this Doctrine, pray'd for a three-fold Spirit, Pal. 51. A right Spirit, verse 10. to guide his walk­ings with his Neighbour, in Righteousness or Justice. God's holy Spirit, verse. 11. [Page 87] by the which, he might be spiritually built into God's holy Temple. And, verse 12. God's free Spirit, or [...], as the Septuagint, his principal, or leading Sept. Spirit; for the principal fitting of Him­self in Himself; that he having a princi­pal Spirit, in a principal Place, his Exam­ple consequently, might be Principal, yea, Princely, and alios quasi manu ducere, lead others, as by the Hand, into all Godliness, and Honesty. It respondently Followes, verse 13. in the Vulgar Latin, Doce bo iniquos Vias tuas, & impii ad te conver­tentur: In the English, Then will I teach Edit. Vulgat. Transgressours thy wayes, and Sinners shall be converted unto thee. And, Exemplo aliis praeire, to go before others, by a leading and good Example, is, to teach others in this good Sense. And, Qui Dux est aliis Actionum, He that leads others by good Action, is rightly, Dux Viâ, Dux Populi, the Leader in the right Way, the Cap­tain of the People; [...], in this present World; or, in this Now-World; wherein we enjoy, properly and together, but one short Now of Time. For, Time, as Boetius timely told it, is Nunc fluens, a flowing Now; as, Eternity is Nunc stans, Boet. lib. 5. de Con so­lat. Prosâ ult. a Now at a full stand. The first, is Nunc Temporis, the Now of Time; The se­cond, Nunc Aeternitatis, the Now of Aeter­nity. [Page 88] The first, is a Now; because it is but no [...]. The second, is a Now; because it is indivisible, and all-together in all Eternity. Governours have more com­mand in the World, and of the World, than other Men; and yet, are commanded to learn, that they cannot command or go­vern, more than a Now of Time in the World.

This holy Spirit fills the Heart with Holiness; and principally excludes Emp­tiness of Spirit. Which hath been alwaies found in Heathenish, and unholy Princes, filled but with Pride. (For, of such only, I desire to be understood; as not being a lawfull Iudge of the emptiness in Christi­an Princes.) Those of Iob's Time, are shewn in the Description of a Proud Man, Iob 11. 12. Vain Man would be wise; though Man be born like a Wild-Ass-Colt. Cod. Vulg. The Vulgar Latin reaches; Vir Vanus in suberbiam erigitur; & tan­quam pull [...]m Onagri se liberum natum pu­tat; The Vain Man is lifted up into Pride; and thinks himself to be free-born, as the young Wild-Ass, in the Wilderness. He thinks he was born to do, non quid licet, sed quid libe [...]; not what lawfully may be done, but what he listeth to do; and that he may run his own wild Course in the [Page 89] World, as a Wild Beast in the Wilder­ness. Pagninus inserts, Vir Vacuus, the Pagnin. Figurin. Reg. Void Man. Leo Hebraeus, or Figurina, Vir inanis, The empty Man. Regia phra­ses it, Vir Concavus, The hollow Man. And the Notes upon the Gothick Bible of Biblia Go­thica S. Isidori. St. Isidore, sue learnedly, for this Rea­ding. The Hebrew Word, is Nabub; which the English Translators, Exod. 27. 8. aptly render hollow. Surely, This Vain, void, empty Man, and hollow, was long before Iob, or, his Wild-Ass-Colt; and immediatly extracted out of the old Chaos; Of the which, Moses, Gen. 1. 2. Terra eratinanis, & vacua; The Earth was without form, and void. The Original grounds, Tohu Vavohu, a Sol tude, and Text. H [...]br. Void. R. Aquila, call'd in the Chaldean Language, Onkelos, reads, Desolate, and Void. The Septuagint have, [...] ­ [...], Oak. Sept. Aq [...]il. invisible and uncompos'd. A­quila settles, [...], Vanity and Nothing. Symmachus consecrates, [...] ­ [...], Sym. idle and indigested. It was rudis indigestáque Moles, a rude and indigested Heap. Theodotion sanctifies, [...], Vain and of no profit. Jonathas Chaldaeus, the Author of the Theodat. Jonath. Chald. Hierusalem Targ, gives the Reason of all: Because the Earth was void of Men and Beasts. Our vain Man is empty of [Page 90] Man, and [...]oid of Humanity; but hath a vast Wilderness of Beasts in him. Such a one was old Nimrod the Hunter. And such are Turkish and Heathenish Ty­rants, that hunt Men, as Men hunt Oppianus lib. 4. de Venatione. Beasts; yea, as the Numidian Hunters hunt Lyons; arm'd with Swords, Iave­lans, and Fire. I dare not presume to re­tract any of these Readings, whether Hebrew, Chaldean, Greek, Latin, or Go­thick, I rather hold here, That each in his Place, is tributary to the Text: and that all, after their severall and private Overtures, make a compleat Peece of Mosaick Work, as they are wisely placed in their chast and unravished Sense; and with Colours answering to like Parts; and alwaies provided, that the other Colours do nought but observe, and set off the Gold-Colour of the Origina [...].

Fetch about again. The Angels that appeared from Heaven, like Men, had no Heart, no solid Entrals or Inwards. But the Cause there, is, Those Inwards or Entrals would have been fruitless, in them; and outwards were sufficiently answerable to an Apparition. Artificial Things, affabrè facta, artificially made, are polite, and fair outwardly: but are inwardly Vnpolished. O those Iews, not wise beyond a Figure, that imbra­ced [Page 91] the Messias in Figure, and Shadow; but rejected him in the Thing, and in the Substance! Toads and Serpents have been found in the mid'st and Heart of the fairest-figured Stone or Marble, being hoilow. Knowledge estranged from Justice, is not Wisdom, but [...], Craft; saith Plato. And where Vertue is not, there is Plato in C [...]atylo. Emptiness: As nothing sensibly fills, that is aerie and unsolid. And Aristotle's Word, [...] Englished Subtilty; Arist. in Eth. & Polit. is attributed to the Old Serpent, by the Apostle, 2 Cor. 11. 3. And the same Serpent, Gen. 3. 1. in the language of Aquil. Aquila, is [...]: Which properly signifies one that is well-versed in all Things; or, [...]um qui omnia experitur, omnémque movet lapidem; tries and does all Things, like an inconsiderate Empi­rick; in disorderly order to himself, or to an Evil End. Such Governours, (if such there be in Christ's World) have more of Italian Matchiavel in them; than of our Hierusalem Iesus, or, of Iustice; And I humbly pray them to know, That extrajudicial Action, is like eccentricall, or like Violent Motion: And, that the latter End of such Action, will ever be like the Motion of the Wheel, in Dialogo de White Dia­log. 2. de Mundo. Mundo. Which was first set on going; and then, carried about and about, round [Page 92] and round with Bags of Sand ty'd to the Wheel; and falling still as the Wheel mov'd, more and more forcibly, untill the violent Motion kindled fire in it, and burnt it out of all Motion, but what the sporting winde bestowed upon the cold Ashes. The Foundation is unsound; And, Quicquid superstruxeris, corruet; What you shall build upon it, will tum­ble.

The right Spirit and the principal Spi­rit manage the Hands and Behaviour of Governours towards all People: effect­ing, that it be innocent, just, and altoge­ther exemplary.

If all noble Persons are bound with ligaments from Heaven, to singular Ho­liness; much more those most noble Per­sonages that give Laewes. And the white Robes of noble Persons, which they an­ciently wore, are Testes verè Classici, Honourable Witnesses to the Truth sup­posed here. Whence amongst the He­brews, a Noble-Man was entitled Ben Chorim, the Son of the Whi [...]e. And the Lorinus in Eccl. cap. 10. Title of a such a Person, in the Ishmaeli­tish Ton [...]ue, as the Rabbins testifie, was Filius L [...]ben, the Son of Whiteness. By this Portal, first entred our Latin Word, Candidati; and the Particular Title, Eloquentiae Candidatus. This Wh [...]te [Page 93] Garment, did not only put those noble Persons in mind of Iustice and Innocency, but also by a special Marke, deterred them from Injustice, as from being pol­luted with Ordure, in their White and clean Garment. For, Aristotle speaks a visible truth; [...] Arist de Gener. Animal. lib. 5. cap. 1. [...], Little Spots ap­pear in a White Garment. And Sidoni­us gives the like Sentence, Si vestiatur albo, quisque fuscus fit nigrior; Every Man, black or brown, that is cloathed Sidon. [...]. 2. Ep. 10. in a White Robe; appears by the approx­imation of the contrary, more brown or black.

And for, Behaviour that is both Iust and Exemplary; and wherein Iustice sits as in her Triumphant Chair, and clearly demonstrates her Self to sing in the Quire with all other Vertues; As Christian Governors possess Gods Chair, and govern for God, so they govern, watching over themselves and the Peo­ple, as in the presence of God, and are like the Princely Persons figuratively in­troduced Zach. 4. and enstamped with an honourable Mark of Interpretation, verse 14. These are the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole Earth. The Vulgar Latin, and the Abettours of Interp. Vulgat. it, read; [...]sti sunt duo Filii Olei; These [Page 94] are the two Sons of Oyl. And they have performed Aristotle's Iustice to the Glossa in Zach. Chald. Pa­raphrastes. Hebrew, given the Text his own. The Glosse unmasks it; Id est, uncti Oleo; That is, anointed with Oyl. The Chaldec shapes it, Isti sunt duo Filii Principum, These are the two Sons of Princes: The precious Gum, as it drops, spreads thus, These are the Two Princely Persons, who sit at the Stern. Aquila, and Theodotion dis­pense it; Isti sunt duo Filii Splendoris, Aquil. Theodot. or Claritatis; These are the two Sons of Splendour, or, Clarity; that is, illustri­ous and shining. For, Lamp-Light is the fair Child of Oyl; as being born, suckeld, and always nourished of it. Their work is, to wast and spend them­selves, as Oyl, in the clear enlightning, and plain directing of others; not in see­king themselves, and quaestus extempo­rarios, extemporary Gains. The Septua­gint, Syriack, and Arabick of Antioch, Sept. Syrus. Arabicus Antioche­ [...]us. deal out; Isti sunt duo Filii Pinquedi­nis, These are the two Sons of Fatnesse: The Kernel is, fat, and fertile, who shall be largely profitable, both to Church and Common-weal. The Arabick of Alexan­dria walks alone in the presence only of Arabicus Alexan­drinus. his own Shadow, but is egregiously sub­stantial, and frames it; Isti sunt Filii Misericordiae, These are the Sons of [Page 95] Mercy. Oyl being a royall Symbol of Mercy; and amiably setting forth per­sons in Authority.

These Governours, enriched with Princely Vertues, pertaining to Govern­ment, Prudence, Justice, Fortitude; shall be to the People, in respect of Ex­ternall Powers, Murus aheneus, ac Cingulum Adamantinum, a Brasen wall, and a Girdle of Adamant, defen­ding them from their Enemies; and to the same People, within themselves, Light, Fatness, Mercy; Comfor­ting, Refreshing, Succouring them.

The Casuists avouch with reason, Casuistae. That we are not obliged in Conscience, to take up the Faith of the Minister Sacra­menti, or of the Susceptores; that is of those who Baptized us; either as perfor­ming the Sacramental Action, or as Vndertaking for us. Yet, they strictly bind us to receive the Faith proposed by Him, in whose Name we are Baptized, being rightly Baptized. So likewise, they who are God's Delegates, and sent by the Lord of the whole Earth, are Heaven­steer'd to do the Will, not of Man, or of the lapsed Minister, but of Him that sent them; that they may be approved of God, the Lord of the whole world; and ac­cepted of God's Servants. For, Melchior [Page 96] Canus is exact when he saith, Si Legatus Melch. Canus lib. 5. de A [...]ctor Concil. cap. 5. contra Instructionem agit, non censetur ex potestate delegatâ agere; atque adeò non est, cur eo modo Acta, Superioris Auctoritate proba [...]a esse credantur; If a Legat act contrarily to his Instructions, he may not be thought to act by a delega­ted power; and there is no Reason, why Things acted after that manner, should be received as firm'd and seconded by Superi­our Authority. The Comet is perfectly Circular, except where it Blazes, yet wants the perfection, and perfect influ­ence of a Star; though, because it is nearer, it seems fairer. Besides, It is an Upstart, and risen out of gross Matter. Such a Legat, or Delegate, may still re­main a perfect Delegate or Legate; but where he blazes, and where he doth mutare factum, go from himself; and there the influence is Malignant, the Matter, gross.

I freely give, That Government ad­ministred according to the perfect Rule of God's revealed Will, will be very la­borious, and dolorous But, Optimi Milites ad durissima mittuntur, as the Sto [...]ck Seneca; The best Souldiers are Seneca [...]ib. de Provide e­tia. commanded forth for hardest Exploits. And this will evince, That such Gover­nours adhere to him of whom it is Pro­phesyed, [Page 97] Is. 9. 6. The Government shall be upon his Shoulder. The Vulgar-Latin-Word, L [...]ctio Valgata. is, Principatus, the Dominion or Soveraignty. The Primitive Word in the Hebrew, Misra; Which the Masters of Text. Heb. abstruse and hidden Senses, amongst the Hebrews, of themselves acknowledge to be, in Hebraeorum Officinâ non procusum, aut in longius protractum, sed arctiùs contractum, ac velut in serevolvi; roll'd up together by Concraction, and the same with Misser sara, ex Spina Imperium; His Government shall arise from the Sharp thorn, from a Crown of Thorns. To the purpose it might be fore known by Prophecie, which was afterwards to become History; That the Messias, and anointed one, should himself be afflicted, and the King of all true Sufferers, and persons afflicted for Righteousness sake; or, in the patient and humble perfor­mance of the pain-begetting, and thorny Work of Righteousness.

I have here, concluded the Doctrine in it self. And I now turn to the Doctrinal Inferences; We attend the Text, and the Doctrine. The first, is,

If God's Revealed Will, as being a Copy of his Original Will, be perfect; [Page 98] then, agreeably to the End for which it was revealed, it should be perfectly Preached, and Published.

And now, what strange place in our thoughts, should the Preacher have, (for I cannot contain my self from protesting against the works of this barbarous Ma­lefactor, in the first Appearance of him,) that oftentimes, especially Si quid olfecerit lucri, if he sents gain, imperfectly delivers — (What I may call it, it occurrs not on a sudden; it passes for the perfect Law of God,) Traditque quasi Traditor; and what he delivers, de­livers asa Betrayer of God, and of his perfect Law? I have much Business with our Quotidian Preachers. But, the Spaniara's pace is, poco poco, by little and little; and the Italian says as much, in his pean peano.

It is a dishonour to a Physitian, that many perish under his Hands. Quae foetum sunt perditurae, saith Hippocrates in Hippocr. S [...]ct. 5. Aphor. 53. his Aphorismes, iis mammae extenuantur, the Flagging of the Brests in Women with Child, portend Abortion. Search into your own Bosomes, O ye men of the Pulpit, ye Jocky-Preachers. Are your Brests, Lacte tumentes, swelling with Milk? The Wise­man speaks wisely, Prov. 11. 29. He that that troubles his own house shall inherit the [Page 99] Wind. So the Septuagint, [...] Sept. [...], because Inheritances came for­merly by Lots. The Syriack turning it, Syras è Codice Ambrosi­no. out of the Ambrosian Code, gives it whol­ly to me, Qui non congregat in Domo suâ, dividit Ventos filiis suis; He that is not a gatherer in his own House, divides the winds to his Children, that is, hath nothing to divide to his poor Babes. Vixisse de Vento, nemo praesumitur, saies the Ci­vil C. de Ali­mentis. Law, Men presume, that no man hath lived of Wind, of nothing. The Mysti­cal Sense is, He that gathers not, not heaps up sound Learning into his Capaci­ous Brest, and large Heart, will feed the People with Air, Words, Language, Sentences, Expressions, Scripture phra­ses crowded together, without order, as if their Spiritual Appetite lay in their Ears. Such a one makes a loud blustering for a while. But the loudest Wind, quickly blows it self all away; Words are but wind. O this grand Plot-Master of Hell, how hath he laboured to make holy Scripture Regulam plumbeam, a Leaden Rule, appliable to all Things!

And, Those Merchant-Men, that fly with all the sail they can make, to Peru, not only bring home Gold, but also, Monkies, Apes, Parrats. Yet, He that [Page 100] Merchandizes for Golden Divinity, should not bring ought in his Return, but pure Gold. He should leave at Peru, the Monkie and Ape with their bad faces of their own making, and the Parrat with his vain Tautologies, and Repetiti­ons. Quam tandem haec, Tragoedia di­cam an Comoedia, habitura est Cata­strophen? I cannot stay here. Majora molior. The Preacher, that, according to the Discovery made of him in Rheto­rick, quasi aliud agens, as treating of holy Things, and looking ( good Man, sweet Man, heavenly Man) an other Way, or towards Heaven; wounds the Superiour power with collateral Senses, as with Side-Blows; and in every Ser­mon, for penury of sound Matter, damps the void and aerie Brains of the People, with, as the Italian utters it, Raggione di Stato, high Reasons and businesses of State; defiling their Ears; yea, pulling the peo­ple by the Ears, till the Bloud comes, and qualifying them for Insurrections; is more than somewhat like him, who being Galen's Patient, and very sick, Galen. lib. de Diffe­rentiá Sympto­matu [...]. told him, demanding in the morning how he did, That he had been restless, and without sleep; all the night, heaving himself from side to side, and heavily groaning, and ut rem omnem paucis ab­solvam, [Page 101] had been grievously troubled in seriously thinking, what should become of him (sick Man,) if Atlas, weary now at last, should steal away his out­worn shoulder, and Heaven fall upon him lying weak in his Bed. These new­found Pulpit-Men, These Black Kinghts of the blew Bonnet, (well-fea­ther'd outwardly, but Adamites in Un­derstanding) hope devoutly, that wea­ry Atlas will run away, and the Heaven of Superiority and Government, with all the Larks in the Air, come down to them. Their only Grief is (whatsoever Cloak they wear) that they move in a Lower Orb, than their Sulphureous and aspiring Hearts would do; and that they do not, as the Black Abyssine of India, (like to like) sit forward, and rule or guide the great Elephant; and that their nimble and zealous-finger'd Party is not arm'd with Spear and Buck­lar, and possest of the Towre and Castle upon his back. These consciencious and godly Men, would zealously, religiously, & comfortably tuck all Powers under their Geneva-Girdle; with which, they are not able to gird up their own loines.

David gives out a fair-foul Image of such Night-Ravens, Psal. 11. 2. For [Page 102] lo, the wicked bend their Bow, they make ready their Arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot—The Hebrew Text. Heb. Word, here Supposite for privily, saies, taken at the first Word, In tenebris, in darkness. The Vulgar Latin exalts, Edit. Val­gat. Sym. in obscuro, in the dark. Symmachus, [...], as in the dark night, when the Sun being set, is lost from our Ey. The Septuagint, [...], in a night Sept. when the Moon shines not. An other would interpret it, in tenebris Sco [...]icis, in the Scotch darkness of their Souls. He that will please himself with this Nor­thern point, may cheerfully do it; and yet, not overact his part with the Waspes in Aristophanes; or, nutrire Vesparium in Vide Ari­stoph. in Vespis. Pectore, nourish in his Brest a Wasps-Nest. They privily shoot; or, If they bring other Mens Works into the Light, they hold them forth by a slight on a sud­den, and pull them back as quickly by a slight; (acting consutis [...]iè dolis, with pious frauds;) and in effect, render them like the Weav'd Works of the New-World, recorded by Pancirollus; Which, Panciroll. lib 2 Rerū Memura­bi [...]ium, Ti­tulo primo. according to their manner of being ex­posed in the Light, shew any Colour; black blew, brown, or green; white, red, yellow, or ash-colour. We are Saints, or Devils; Reprobate, or Elect; Chast, or [Page 103] Adulterous; Alive, or Dead; as their sud­den sleight is in shewing us. They labour, that all People should look upon Men through their odious, and odiously­false Accusations, using the craft of those who make a Lamp of the black water, or Ink of the fish Sepia; Which yeelds a Light, belying the faces of all that are present, and shewing them ugly, and of the Ethiopian Kind. At which time, lar­varum plena sunt omnia, they fill all with Ghosts, and Goblins. And in this Dark­ness, rais'd by them, they muffle up them­selvs, and scarf their own Subtilty; and, at their pleasure, disappear, Velut unguen­to Magico delibuti, as if anointed by the Witch, with her Magical ointment; & as if they, fair Angels of Light, were altogether unacquainted with the slight of casting a Mist, or, the Deeds of Dark­ness.

These, in the Dialect of Hesychius, are Hesych. saepè sae­p. u [...]. many times named [...], persons carrying Men of Arms, and, old Sino [...], vanum [...]endacemque, with all his Vanity of Lying, under their Tongues; opening, and invading Mens Hearts with dark and deceitful words, and, as they think, Hermetically sealing them up again, for themselves. They seem to imitate the old Germans, of whom, Ta­citus; [Page 104] Atras in Praelia Noctes legunt; Corn [...]l. Tacit. in Annal. lib. 3. They chuse the darkest Nights for their Battels: In the which, they are most fu­rious. Prodeunt è gurgustulis; cursitan­tes huc illuc velut in myrmiceto, They creep out of their holes, and run here and there in great Multitudes; as ani­matus Pulvisculus, that living and busie Dust yonder on the Pismire-Hill. And in all this running, there and here and every where, they carry their Kirck behinde them. Any Man, a little entred in the Language of old Athens, knows well, that the Greek word [...], sig­nifies a Tayl. They wagg their [...], their ugly Tayl, and fawn upon the Peo­ple (the silly dull-ey'd people, that know not a Head from a Tayl) with sha­king their Kirck, the [...] of all Chur­ches; (which they would set over our Head, even with the Ruine of Thou­sands:) Insinuating to them in the Mat­ter; That they would be kindly pleas'd, under a Pretence of Zeal, and Reforma­tion, and Godly Strictness, to suffer them, as young, but arr [...]gant, Fathers; and theirs, as ignorant Elders, to make younger Brothers of them. Which no throughly-Catechi'd Christian, would endure for a hundred thousand Worlds, and as many more, ten hundred thousand times told over.

Then use they the White Genova-Wand in their Hands, as Pallas doth in Homer. Who makes wondrous sport with Homer. [...]. 6. V [...]ysses, a little Man: He is now small, wrinkled, ragged and torn, and scarcely true; [...]. But she having graciously touched him with her white Wand, he is now again tall, and of a goodly favour and pesonage; And now the gallant Man hath Hair, of a violet, purple, or sky­colour; [...]. And the very self-same Act, is a Sin and no Sin, as these prime Saints are (it is their own sweet phrase,) conscien­tiously mov'd to teach that Day. And the same Text and Sermon, onely new vamp't, are fitted for a new Leg and Walking; and stretch'd quasi Den [...]bus admotis, Teeth and all being put to them, for the retriving of a Contrary Purpose; with a little bandying of the Matter betwixt; Verily, even so it is, dear Brethren; there is Scripture for it: And, Verily, my dear Brethren, It is not so; there is Scripture for the contrary, even the Scripture used formerly by our Adversaries. And thus, the miserable People, though they hear contrary sounds from their Mouths, yet hearing still the same sound from their Noses; are themselves led by the Nose.

Vanity of Vanityes, all is Vanity; Ec­clef. 1. 2. Aquila, Symmachus, Theo­dotion, Aquit. Sym. Theodot. S. Hieron. in Eccles. 1. and all the Ancients except the Septuagint, saith St. Hierom, expound it, Vapor Vaporum, & omnia Vapor; Vapour of Vapours, and all is a Vapour. Is not all this Preaching, a Vapour? All, is a Va­pour, a Vapour of Vapours; the veryest Vapour that ever was a Vapour. Is this, to Preach Jesus Christ; the same yester­day, to day, and for ever? Is this the Birth of so many strange Faces, strain'd Mouths, and close-closing of Eyes; or, of their Star-Twinckling? Is this the Conclusion, or Vse of the Doctrine, that roundly bounds up every Period with Saints? O my immortal Soul, what doest thou here, amongst these Lunatick, these Changeling, these ebbing and flow­ing Preachers, who are any Thing, eve­ry Thing, all Things? what doe ye want? what will ye buy? Qui labia omninò di­ducunt, ut in omnia deducant, Who al­alwaies open and stretch their lips wide, that they may stretch and open them to all Things? Vivus vidéns (que) pereo; I pe­rish, living, and looking upon my self while I perish.

Is this, O prodigious Preacher, thy Food from Heaven? thy Manna? What? sayst thou Man, that this is Manna? [Page 107] Then hath Hel taken a Vomit; Then are the Manicheans return'd to us, out of the Bottomless Pit. Hear thy own Sto­ry, in them, and their vapouring Foun­der. He denyed his own Name, and a­dopted the Name Manes. Which in the Babylonish Tongue (he was a Persian,) signifyeth a Vessel. He desired ( pretious Man) to emulate the Apostle, who is called Vas Electionis, a Vessel of Election; Thus far Epiphanius. This proud Imp S Epiphan. Haeres. 66. named himself an Apostle of Christ, not after the common manner, but in the sin­gularity, wherein the holy Ghost, as being sent by Christ, was an Apostle; So St. Austin paints him. Afterwards, his Disciples in Greece, in regard his a­dopted S. Aug. lib. contra Epist. Fun­damenti. Name had an ill Name and Sound in those Parts, being neer to [...], sig­nifying Madness; wire-drew his Name into Mannichaeus, à fundendo Manna, ( [...], is fundo;) Because, they said, he S. Aug. lib. de Haere­sib. Haeres. 46. shour'd and pour'd Manna, ab ore rotun­do, from a round, and perfectly-sweet Mouth. These old, and our young Manna-Masters, may rightly mingle their mad Manna's, in their pouring them forth; by the Rule, Simile Simili gaudet, Like delights in Like. Shall I tell thee Man? Never a Manna better Manna; O thou Scot [...]h Manichea [...].

The Novatians were, in their own Language, [...], clean, pure; and the Montanists, [...], the Spiritual. All were impure, and unclean to the No­vatians, but Novatians; All, except Montanists, were carnal to the Monta­nists. But Absalom, though he carryed in his Name, a Father of Peace; was in behaviour, a Child of Rebellion. And though Judas signifyeth Praise; Judas the Betrayer of Christ was not Praise­worthy. I set a Bar here; and adde no more Names. Only prosecute the mad Folly of these Preachers in doating on themselves, and their young. The Man that sees the Image of his own face in the Water; and conceiving presently, that he hath seen a Water-Nymph, or Foun­tain-Goddess, is rapt with admiration of that beauteous Apparition, and wasts his thoughts in the only Contemplation of it, goes for a Mad-Man, and is rightly called Lymphatus. And, when I hear these J [...]richo be [...]rded Preachers praised by them, my Thoughts revolve E [...]asm. in laudem Moriae. the Old Records, thus. Erasmus hath written a Book, in the Praise of Foolish­ness. Lucianus [...] hath a writing which he calls [...], the Com­mendation Lucian. M [...]. [...]. of a Fly. We have Pliny's Te­stimony, That Phainas the Physitian, [Page 109] wrot the praises of a Nettle; of which, Plin. lib. 22. cap. 13. Aul. Gell. Noct. At­tie. lib. 17. cap. 12. one (surely) was, that it is a Stinger-Phavorinus in Aulus Gellius, praised a Quartan-Feaver; and another Thing as bad, or worse; him that was only the Tongue of a Stout Man, and Homer's Fool, Thersites. A certain riotous Bank­rupt, called his Who [...]es by the Names of the Muses. The Ethiopians, being black themselves; do paint the Devil, in as white a Coat, as we do Angels.

O who shall reduce the silly Sheep, the bleating People, velut ictum fulmine, & abreptum quasi turbine; as it were blasted from the Pulpit, and caught up in the Air with the Whirlwind of Passi­on, Prejudice, and Popular Errours; all rais'd from the Pulpit! Who shall dis­enchant, and unmantle these Iewish Cab­balists, attributing divine Strength to Names and Words, used by Persons, e­ven altogether unacquainted with, and ignorant of the Things thereby signify­ed! Who shall unravel the damnable Work of these Conjurers, that impose up­on the People, ( infimi sub sellii Homines, Men and Women of the lowest Forme) with Characters, nothing powerfull but by Compact with the Devil! Quantitas Molis est inefficax. And, Figura est Qualitas circa Quantitatem. O these [Page 110] both Preachers and People, deck'd, like heathenish Indians, with fine Feathers, filch'd from Birds, that when they were alive, flew neer Heaven; while these, because their Feathers are ab extra, from without, and are ascititious, cannot fly; can scarcely creep! O these unseemly Creepers, with Feathers on their Backs! Their Names are, The Saints; the Elect; the dear Children of God; God's holy Ones; the Godly. Godly Names, indeed; good Words, fair Characters. Have they sin'd away all right Vnderstanding? all efficaci­ous Helps? all hopes of true Manna? Dum Moses ad pias Preces manus at toll it, Ros de Coelo delapsus in precantis manibus concrevit; the Voice of Josephus; While Moses lifted up his Hands in holy Pray­er, when the People wanted Bread, his Joseph. Antiq. lib. 3. cap. 1. Hands open towards Heaven, were first fill'd with Manna; to give notice, that those holy Hands lifted up in Prayer, had pull'd Manna down. Is there not one Moses more to be heard of, that may prevail with God for Bread in the Wil­derness of Sin? A Truth of Truths; Pro­clivius est, evocare [...]acodaemona, quàm abigere; It is more easy to raise D [...]vils, (or Devilish Spirits) than to lay them. O the miserable Gatherers of such Manna; such Doctrine, such Words▪ My [Page 111] Tongue wants Words, and Colours, wherewith to pencill such foul words; and black is not black enough for them. Senec. Tragoe­diogr. Hip. [...]ct. 2. Scen. 2. Curae leves loquuntur; ingentes stupent, Small Cares are talkative; whilst huge-Ones are struck dumb with Astonishment. I will pray as the Original prayes, Psal. 56. 9. Propter Aven ejice eos: Cast them out for their Iniquity: or, as the blind-Man's Text Heb. Targ. Rab. Joseph. Caeci. Targ; Propter falsitatem, for their falshood, and lying; their lying Words; their lying Works; Or lastly, as the Elders, not of England, but of Is­rael; [...], for their nothing; Be­cause Sept. they have said and said again, and gainsayed; who, because they have said and gainsayd, have said nothing; and are therefore, Homines Nihili, Men of Nothing, of nought, no worth, no good account. Be not scandalized, Brethren, at these overgone, or, as ye may think, overgrown Expressions. The old Saints (turn over their Works) were as vehe­ment, and as violent against the Decei­vers of their Times. And our Scotch­soul'd Sayer and Gainsayer, Vrtica est; Vrit, si mollius tractetur; is a Nettle; and stings if he be gently touch'd. Is there not a Godly Violence, a religious Vehemency? When is it reducible to Pra­ctice, if not in this Case? But, the Dis­covery [Page 121] of these Pulpit-Meteors, blow­ing hard upon me, hath carried me from side to side, besides the Channel.

I require in a Preacher, that he may perfectly Publish and Preach the Perfect Law of God; (besides inward qualificati­ons, natural and supernatural, and an Outward Call; the necessity of which, is understood with much facility;) acqui­site Learning in an excellent Manner; and Adherence to a Church of such Authority as may reasonably [...]ut a stop to Controversies. I read in the Perfect Law of God, that God himself is most ex­celently perfect; and consequently was a free-Agent in the Creation of the World, and the like Actions. An Infi­d [...]l, or a weak Christian, demands of me, wherein this Liberty consisteth. With­out sound Learning, what Answer can I give? But assisted by such Learning, I may answer thus.

God's Liberty consisteth chiefly, in this; That he can freely chuse an Object, either more or less good; And in this, his Acts of Choice are laudable; because they can still fix upon an inferiour good; and are infinitely praise-worthy ex modo tendend, because the Acts of God. Al­though still, he cannot work better or worse morally. And if we should de­prive [Page 113] him of this Liberty; it can never be well-unfolded, why God did not make more and more perfect Worlds, so long till the Angels could not number them. And to say, that God is free on­ly, towards this and that individuall Thing; would be to say, that no Hone­sty or Laudability shined from the Exer­cise of his Liberty. And the same Ob­jects which God willeth, are handed to us: both by God and Nature, and propo­sed as unequally good. And this Perfecti­on of Liberty, hath place in God; because he cannot want any kinde of Perfection; except he hath a Perfection equivalent, which is incompossible with it: as it hap­neth in the Divine Persons, with respect to their Relative Perfections.

A Man demands, beyond all that I have said already; Why the most holy God hindereth not Sin? Without the concurrence of Sound Learning, we shall never quiet him with a sound and full Answer; As thus.

Tertullian hath a pressing Reason; and Tert. lib. 1. contra Marcion. he presseth it too: Because Man is gra­ciously made by God, a free Creature, undetermined in his Actions, untill he be determined by himself; And therefore, may not be drawn away from Sinning by Omnipotency; because God useth not [Page 114] (neither doth it agree with him) to re­peal his own Ordinances, or to proceed against them; As, Mercy may not do any thing, contrary to Providence. Now, God doth not so will the Damnation of a Sinner, but that he still leaves him be­twixt Heaven and Hell, in respect of his Abilities. He desires earnestly, that he should turn; but willingly, consenting­ly, and according to the working of his Abilities, appointed by Providence; not by force. Which if he did, he could force him to return. He moves him to a return; and also gives him sufficient a­bility, by virtue of which, he may return, though he knows he will not. He that said to his Creatures, Increase yee, and multiply; put also a Virtue into them, by virtue whereof, they might multiply and increase. He that commanded the Lame Man, to arise and take up his Bed, and walk; so strengthned his Ioynts, that he might doe all this. God sees, that such a Sinner shall not be sav'd; and he sees likewise, that he will not comply with his Helps. We speak not in this Question, of the Physical, but of the Moral Cause. The Physical Cause is that, which doth truly and really effect; so God concurreth to the entity of Sin. The Moral Cause is, which truly, doth [Page 115] not effect truly; but yet, is such, that the Effect is imputed to it; as an entreating, counselling, or not hindering Cause. And God both entreats & counsils against Sin. And if he doth not hinder it, he is not bound; having assisted us to the hinde­rance of it. And his Decree concerning Sin, is not absolute, but condionate; though the Scotch Barnacles are otherwise min­ded. For, to every absolute Decree of God, the Execution of the Decree, is most accidentally, but necessarily subordinate. And so, Adam should have fallen and his Children after him, by a necessity ta­ken from the Divine Decree. And be­cause God is the Author of his Decree, if his Deceee doth operate Sin, and necessi­tate to it; God in his Decree, operateth Sin. It may not be reasonably said, that every thing is made for it's Use, as for an End; and God chiefly uses the Wick­ed & their Sins ad Exercitium Bonorum, for the Exercise of the Good; therefore the Wicked were made, and their Sins decreed for this End; this Vse of the Wick­ed, being per accidens; neither did God make the Wicked, as they are Wicked. God absolutely Decrees, that Children shall be begotten and born, yea though being Children and born, they are pre­sently guilty of Original Sin; Because [Page 116] the Child born, is not the Cause of that Sin. Which freeth a Father also, from concurring to that Sin, in the begetting of a Child, he not concurring to that, the whole Commission of which, is past, and blown over. Indeed, God hath a specu­lative Knowledge only, of Himself; be­because Vide S. Tho. part. 1. q [...]aest. 14. art 16. he is not operable. But of all o­other Things, he hath a speculative and a practical Knowledge: A speculative Knowledge; because he knows all things speculativo modo, after a speculative manner. A practical Knowledge, of those Things which in Time he doth. And the Evils of Sin, although they are not o­perable by him, yet fall under his prac­tical Knowledge, as he permits, or hin­ders, or as he orders them, and dispo­ses of them; as Sicknesses fall under the practical Knowledge of the Physitian, when he cures them by his Art. Whence it goes off clearly; that God knows a thing, which may not possibly be done by him, because it jars with his Perfecti­ons.

A zealous Christian desires to know the fairest Foundation in point of Vertue, upon which he may place his Worship of God. Sound Learning laies it out by the line, in this manner.

There be many Reasons, and Motives, [Page 117] by the which we are bound and urged, to give and yield all Obedience, Obser­vance, Veneration, and Worship to God. For first, We owe him Duty, as one infinitely better and greater than us. And this Act is proper to a Vertue, called Reverence or Observance; whose charge and business is, to make us res­pectfull and submissive to our Betters. Secondly, We owe him Duty, as he is the Supreme Lord, whose all Things are, and to whom all things are due, which we have. And this Act is proper to Ju­stice, as far as a man can exercise Iustice towards God, which is not like the Iu­stice betwixt Man and Man: Because the Dominions of Men may be equall and un­mingled; when yet, nothing can be ex­empted from the most high Dominion of God. Thirdly, We owe him Duty, as he is the first Beginning, and Creator of all Things; to whom therefore our high­est Worship is due, by the direction of the Vertue of Religion. Fourthly, We owe him Duty, as a Father; who there­fore is Venerable; and who hath made us, being most unworthy of so great a favour, his Children by Grace and Adop­tion. And the payment of this Duty, is an Act belonging to the Vertues of Christian Piety, and Filial Fear. Fifth­ly, [Page 118] We are his Debtors, as he is our great and most liberal Benefactour. And the Works of this Consideration, are all under the Protection of Gratitude. Sixthly, We are subjected to him, as being most high, potent, and over all. And the Vertue that performs the Commands of these Thoughts, is Humility. Se­venthly, We have a reference to him, as he is our Summum Bonum, and most diligible. And the Vertue that stirs here, is Charity. And as the Ey of Faith and Love discerneth more of these Motives; so the Act hath more Reasous of Honesty, derived from the different Species of these Vertues; being like an Heavenly Rainbow, beautified with many Colours, with which we shoot and wound our Be­loved to the Heart.

If therefore, ye will know with sound Reason, that God made the World, not by Coaction, but with affection to our Good; that the Lawgiver is Himself holy. If ye will know how to make the best of your best Devotions, and Worship, yee must sit at the Feet of sound Lear­ning, as Pa [...]l, at the Feet of Gama­ [...]iel.

In these close Cabinets of Truth, Thousands of like Truths present them­selves. And, I am forced here, to imi­tate [Page 119] the Painter; who endeavouring to shew to the Ey, and gather a great mul­titude of Men, within the narrow-limited Compass of a small Table; and fearing lest they should offend one another, if crowded together; discovereth in some, onely their faces; in others, their backs; of some, the tops of their Heads; of others, one onely Foot: and sometimes a small Cheek and one Ey stands for a Man; while he leaves the rest for our Imagination to paint; which truly, per­formeth a fair deal more in the Table, than the Painter. And, in those rare Works of honest, and laudable Curiosity, those famous Reliques of Time, in which, the Shapes of many, both Men and Wo­men, were compelled within the Circle of a Penny; the part that was the Head in one Man, was the Brest of another; and perhaps, another limb in a third; serving for divers parts, as it was diversly applied, and looked upon.

In Cases of Conscience. An honest Sol­dier, futurorum anxius, anxious of minde concerning Things to come, is desirous to know the Conditions of a just War; Sound Learning, is only able to answer his Desires: And says, The Conditions of a just War, are, 1 Auctoritas legitima, a lawfull Authority. Which is, The Au­thority [Page 120] of a Supreme power, or of a Prince. Because Princes, and Supreme Powers, have no common Tribunal, at which they may accuse other Supreme Powers, and Princes. 2. Causajusta, a just Cause. Which is, The repulsing of notorious and great Injury; the repulsing of which, is a more eligible Good, than the Good, lost by the Evil of War; that the Supreme Power may defend the Peo­ple subjected to it, now greatly damni­fyed by the Enemy. This Cause must not be doubtfull. Yet, in a doubtfull Cause, a Person lawfully subjected to the Power, may fight under it; a Stranger may not. Because Persons lawfully subjected, ought not to discuss the Commands of the Su­preme Power, in Matter of Doubt; as nei­ther ought an Executioner, to discuss the Commands or Sentence of a lawfull Judge. 3. Intentio bona, a good Intention. For, the End of War, being the Peace and Tranquillity of the Commonwealth, in the Possession of her Just Rights; no other End can bear the weight of War. We must therefore, first endeavour, that Satisfaction be made by Peaceable Meanes. 4. Modus debitus, a due Man­ner. Which enjoyns the taking of all possible Care, that the Innocent be not endamaged. These Conditions, every [Page 121] word being weighed in the Ballance of Justice and of the Sanctuary, speak a just War.

A well-meaning Man, having it la­rum'd howerly in his Ears, that our Kirck-Innocents have had, of late dayes, their faithfull Martyrs; is importunate from the Desires of his distressed and troubled Heart, to know the Conditions required to Martyrdom. Learning rea­dily gives them out of her Store-House. Five Conditions must concurre to the bap­tizing of an Adul [...]us, or grown Man, Baptismo Sangui [...]is, in his own Bloud, by the Name of Martyr, or God's Wit­ness. 1. Death must be inflicted upon him, in the hatred of Christ, or of Chri­stian Religion or of some Verity of Faith; or, because he hath done some Act of Vertue. Causa, non Poena, facit Marty­rem, The Cause, not the Punishment, makes a Martyr. 2. Death must be Pi­ously accepted by him. 3. He that is mar­tyred, must not resist his Persequutors, in Act or Desire. And therefore, even Christian Soldiers fighting in God's Cause, are not Martyrs, though kill'd. Because they doe not imitate the Prince of Martyrs, who suffered Death without resistance. 4. He that is kill'd, must be­leeve by a Supernatural Faith, the Truth, [Page 122] in the defence of which, he dyeth; and the Fundamental Truths, for the Propa­gation of which, Christ dyed. 5. His Heart must be established with habitual Grace; and though perhaps, he was ne­ver baptized Baptismo Fluminis, with the Baptism of Water, yet Martyrdome must find him baptized Baptismo Flami­nis with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. These Conditions throughly considered, the well-meaning Man refers the Matter to the strange Turns and Wonders of the divine Providence; in the admiration of which, he is quite absorpt. And coming to himself again, beleeves, that many temporal Blessings shall in their due Times, accost the present State, in answer to brave Things which they have done; and in the Head of all, to their suppres­sing these Blackamore-soul'd Apostates.

A religious Man, that most lives and converses inward [...]y, would fain be in­form'd, for his own inward and sublime Exercise; Whether he may serve God most, with his Understanding, or with his Will. Sound Learning teaches him, That, Whereas there are two chief Fa­culties of the Soul, the Vnderstanding and the Will; and with the Vnderstanding we know, with the Will we love: It is a greater height of Perfection, to know the [Page 123] Things which are under us, than to love D. Tho. 1. 2. quaest. 66. art. 6. ad. 1. them. But for the Things which are above us, it is more perfect Satisfaction, to love them, than to know, and under­stand them. And therefore, the Sera­phims, or loving Angels, are the first of pure Creatures, and the first allied to the last Person in the Trinity, who is Love. To this purpose, the Divines teach, That the Spiritual Powers of our Vnderstan­ding and VVill, being compared in the Exercise of Contemplation, and conside­red ex modo procedend, the Acts of the Will excell the Acts of the Vnderstan­ding; though the Vnderstanding, sim­ply consider'd, taketh place of the VVill. Because such is the Nature and Way of the Vnderstanding in Vnderstan­ding, that the Things which she Vnder­standeth, she draws, in a manner, and fits to her self. Whence by Vnderstan­ding inferiour Things, she advances them above their Worth and Degree; and by Vnderstanding superiour Things, de­presses them beneath their Degree and Worth. For, When the Soul, a spiri­all Substance or Power, by her Act of Vn­derstanding being also spiritual, doth un­derstand sensible and material Things, cast beneath her Condition; she doth not therefore, sensibly apprehend them [Page 124] by her Intellection, neither after a mate­rial or corporeal Manner; but by the me­diation of a Spiritual Form, or unmate­rial Species, and by an Act altogether incorporeal. Whilest the VVill doth not draw to her Self, the Things which she desireth and willeth; but rather is drawn her self by them; and fits & conforms her self to them. The VVill therefore, is more subservient to high Things, and more observant of them, than the Vn­derstanding; And we serve God, more by Charity, the principal Vertue of the VVill, than by Faith, the prime Vertue of the Vnderstanding; and Faith acts not, but by Charity; as the Body acts not, but by the Soul; And, the greatest of these, is Charity. We cannot turn our selves, wisely and securely, in Matters of private or publick Importance, but we fall into the Hands of Sound Lear­ninng.

We come to the more excellent, and more satisfactory Knowledge of Scrip­ture, in the Knowledge of Languages. It is most consentaneous to Right and Reason, that Christ's Preachers should be furnished with all substantial and con­venient Helps, for the plenary Perfor­mance of their Angelical Imployment. And therefore, Christ sending his Apo­stles [Page 125] into all the world, & qualifying them for the Mission, endowed them with Languages. Which Gift being with­drawn, and the End, for which it was ex­traordinarily given, Ending; the Church of God, supplyed the want of it by In­dustry, and ordinary Means.

Now, He that kens not beyond his Mother-Tongue, nor is adherent to a Church of sound Learning, and sufficient Authority; is deprived of these conveni­ent and substantial Helps. 1. He cannot conform himself to the Example of Christ and his Apostles; who, though the Sep­tuagint, many times, differ from the Original; yet, many times, in their use of Texts from the old Instrument, (the old Testament was anciently so call'd) took in at the Septuagint, and walked besides the Original, receiving d [...]fferent, and explicatory Senses; and in them, the Intention of the Holy Ghost; God intending all good Senses, in the giving of Scripture; as in other Gifts, he intends all the Good conveniently a­rising from them. 2. He cannot reach the Texts and Explications, which fitly solve Doubts and Controversies, depen­ding upon Scripture and the Translations of it. It is doubted by what Signe Cain and Abel knew, th [...] one that his Offe­ring [Page 126] was accepted of God, the other that God rejected his Offering. The Vulgar Latin tels, Gen. 4. 4. Et respex­it Edit. Vulgat. Dominus ad Abel, & ad munera ejus; And God had respect unto Abel; and to his Gifts. The Septuagint spake it first, Sept. [...], he respected, he looked favou­rably upon. The Doubt stands still; But Theodotion removes it, [...], he Theodot. set on fire, he consumed with a flame; as afterwards, in such Cases. Ecce Sig­num, behold the Signe. It is controver­ted concerning the Text, Jo. 3. 5. Ex­cept a Man be born of Water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God; Whether the Text intends a grown Person, or any Person of what­soever Age or Sex. The Original dis­bands the Controversy, [...] — Except Text. Graec. one be born, including all Ages, all Sexes. 3. He cannot come neer the Mysteries that ly couched in the Sacred words of Scripture; As, Gen. [...]. 1. Where the sacred Trinity, the Author of Scripture, is, (in despite of all Gainsayers,) deli­neated in the very first Line of Scripture; Bereschil Elohim bara, being exactly Text. Heb. Englished, In the beginning Supreme Per­fections he created. For, although the Sacred Persons differ, one frō the other, by their Personal and proper Perfections; [Page 127] yet they are all he (as he denotes One God) & the very same in Essence. And though the Name Elohim be not proper to the Persons, in it self, and it's first aim; yet, the Name in the Number, is most proper. 4. He cannot comprize the secret Ener­gy of Words; As, in a million of places; And, besides the Texts interweav'd in this Discourse, in that eminent place, Zach. 9. 16. They shall be as the Stones of a Crown, lifted up as an Ensign upon his Land. Where the Readings do all wear Crowns, and bear Ensigns. The Vulgar Latin, Lapides sancti elevabuntur super Interp. Vulga [...]. terram ejus; Holy Stones shall be lifted up upon his land. The Hebrew Text, La­pides Text. Hebr. nezer, that is, Stones of Separati­on, separated from common Uses; in which Sense, the Word Nazarite is de­scended from nezer; or, Stones of Con­secration. Wherefore Tigurina set it Tigur. forth, Lapides consecrati, Consecrated Stones. Or thirdly, Stones of a Crown, Vatabl. Chald. Paraphr. Arias. Mont. as Vatablus. The Chaldee, Eliget eos [...]icut Lapides Superhumeralis, He shall chuse them as the Stones of the Ephod, or Superhumeral. Arias Montanus resolves it; that the place alludes to the Stones e­rected in the Wayes, for direction. What an Ocean of Matter is discovered here, in the Power and Efficacy of the Words [Page 128] in the Original? 5. He cannot amplifie his Matter, from the exuberancy of the Matter in the Original. The Matter a­bounds, Psal. 37. 35. I have seen the Wicked in great power, and spreading him­self like a green Bay-tree. 36. Yet he pas­sed away, and lo, he was not. The Origi­nal, Vidi impium validum, seu formida­bilem, Text. Heb. I have seen the Wicked mighty, or formidable. The Targ, fortem, strong. Targ: The Septuagint, [...], superex­alted. I have seen the wicked strong; Sept. and not ordinarily strong; but mighty; and therefore formidable, and superexal­ted; formidable to others, and exalted a­bove others, and above himself. And lo, he was not. The Hebrew, Et ecce non ille, and behold, not he. The Targ, Et Text. Targ Heb. defecit ex mundo, and the World failing him, he hath fallen out of the World. Though he was like a green Bay-Tree, spreading it's Root, and lifting up it's Bo­dy, arms, and branches, as growing in its proper soyl; yet, this likeness was not long-lasting. For, behold, not he. His Power is deficient, and the World is now w [...]eary of it. I have seen this Text, hisce oculis, with these dear Eys, and the Amplification of it, verifi­ed and made excellently good, in the Kirk-Monster. 6. He cannot relieve [Page 129] the Translation, when it is curt, or otherwise ill fashioned. The Psalmist singeth of the Godly, Ps. 84. 7. They go from strength to strength: The Original sings higher, From Vertue to Vertue; Or, from Army to Army: The Targ, Ex Schola in Scho­lam, Targ. Out of one School into another. The Original Word is of a large signification, and signifies all our strength, or vigour, in­ward and outward, of Mind and of Body. And all Translations are almost every where curt, in respect of the Original. 7. He cannot sound the mystical meaning of words: As, in the History of Balac and Balaam. For, Balac signifies one devou­ring, or licking up, as an Oxe licketh up Grasse; and allegorically intimates the Devil: Balaam signifies a People of Vani­ty; shadowing the Scribes and Pharisees, who, instigated by the Devil, would have destroyed Christ, and licked him up with their evil Tongues, and false Accusations: But the Curse was quickly turned into a Blessing. For this fair Note I thank Raba­nus the Moor. The History hath been act­ed Raban. Maurus in Numer. yet again, in the Pharisaical and vain Carriages of our Scotch-Balacs and Bala­ams, and of their speaking Asses, towards me. 8. He cannot unfold the Hebrew Words continued in the Translation: it be­ing the custom of Translations, (that of [Page 130] the Septuagint which leades the Train, and all others,) to retain sometimes, the Original Words; As, Iehovah, Ephod; (these I have opened:) Urim and Thum­mim; which the Vulgar Latin gives, Do­ctrinam & Veritatem, Learning & Truth, Lectio Vulgat. or, Science and Conscience; attending to the Translation of the Septuagint, [...]. It should here be known, that Urim may be deduced from Sept. the root Iara; to teach; and Thummim from aman, he hath beleeved; and that then, the Septuagint and Vulgar Latin have done us right, Truth being the Ob­ject of our Faith and Assent: And like­wise, a Teacher should know, that Vrim comes clearly from Or, light, and Thum­mim, from tamam, he hath compleatly perfected; and that now, Vrim and Thummim, the words being plural, to shew variety, and fulness, signifie Illu­minations, and Integrities or Perfections; as others have understood them. Beh [...] ­moth Aq. is translated by the Septuagint, [...], Beasts. It should be learn'd, that this great V. de Bust­hamanti­num in Behemoth. Beast is called Beasts, because he contains in himself, (in one Beast) the strength and bigness of many Beasts; and there­fore, with much agreement, adumbrates the Devil. Isa. 15. 6. the Word Nimrim is entertain'd; Which in the Septua­gint, [Page 131] is [...]. Return'd to the Origi­nal, Sept. it signifies Panthers. The Panther is a Beast that washeth it self in secret Foun­tains, as willing to be rid of it's outward spots, and to pass for a clean Beast amongst Beasts. A profound Hypocrite. Now the Text; The Waters of Nimrim shall be desolate. The Panthers waters shall be dried up. The time is coming, wherein the Hypocrites shall be deplumed of all their colourable Excuses, Pretences, Professions. 9 He cannot, except he can produce the Authority of a known Church, lay his hand upon the Book, and say, This is the Original: especially in the Places where the Hebrews themselves doubt, whether the Text or the Margent be authentical. 10 He knows not; upon what Ground he stands, when the Original-Copies dange­rously vary; as they do sometimes, in the most pregnant Places asserting Mysteries and most fundamental Doctrines. As 1 Io. 5. 7. Et hi tres unum sunt, And these three are one Thing; many Copies pro­nouncing, as it were, by the mouth of St. John, [...], are one Thing. Where Text. Grae. Complu­tens. Reg. Complutonsia, Regia, and other ancient Bibles, as it were, speak it over again from the same mouth, [...], that is, in unum sunt, tend to one; being the Assertion used vers. 8. in a business of [Page 132] a lower Order. And though some Writers meet these Bibles half way, with fa­vourable constructions; yet they favour Arrianisme. 11 He will be lost, when we shall be forced to enquire beyond the Originals; and seek, not the Sense, but the Vse of the Word, and the Reason of it. As, in those two main Businesses, the Business of Nabotb, and of Iob's Wife; in both which, the Original cryeth bless for Curse. 12 We must leave him behind us, when we travel beyond the Text, to the Iewish Antiquities; for the true Name of God, used in the Place. As, where the Iewish Method entreth Adonai, signifying God wlth reference to his Dominion, for Iehovah, which signifies God in his Be­ing, Nature, Essence; and sends us to search amongst humane Customs for ma­ny sweet Lessons; every Name of God sweetly concording with it's Place.

I have been subdued to treat fairly with you, by the Spirit of Mildness. But, Thunder once up, will not be long quiet: and at length, after much lowd noise and tumbling (me thinks I hear it again;) viam inveniet obicibus [...]uptis atque prostratis, it will with a mighty force, break it's way open, I cannot hold it.

O thou Vapour of a Preacher; The [Page 133] Law of God is perfect. And it throughly requires of thee, O thou with thy through-Reformation; Of thee? Give me my words again; I mean, of Preachers law­fully call'd; First, Perfection of Life: and secondly, Perfection of Doctrine. (I could, had my pleasure carryed me upon Controversies, have brought also to my last Heap, that a Preacher must Tit. 1. 9. be able by sound doctrine, to convince the gain-sayers; there being such, in opposi­tion to all divine Truths, mysterious and others: and that now, sound Doctrine is not compassed, but by help, immediat or mediat, from sound Learning.)

O give ear to the plain Truth, told plainly. We must not only preach of Saints, but also, be Saints. In Pictures to be set aloft, the Painter sets forth the Things he paints, Con Grandeza, as the Spaniard tongues it, in great and rude shapes, and multiplies light Colours. But the People are neer Spectators of your Lifes. Ye tell me of your true Faith. Pray, let your Medium probationis be metal of Proof, proving it with a true Proof; and shewing me your true Charity. Scotus divinely Scot. part 3. Dist. 36. Quaest. Vnica. Sect. Ad primum. calls all other Vertues, informes sine Cha­ritate, without a Form, or, without a Soul, if without Charity. And Charity, as it works after the prescriptions of [Page 134] Faith, leades us, going it self with us, into Heaven, whither all good Souls go: when Faith and Hope are excluded; Faith being de Rebus non vists, of things not seen; and Hope, de non habitis, of things not had.

Those that would appear to men, great­er then they are, in genere Moris et Vir­tutis; are most little, most dwarfish, (O this dwarf-Devotion!) in the sight of God; as being most contrary to him, who is ma­jor omni laude, beyond all words, and un­derstanding; and who can not exactly ap­pear to a Creature, as great as he is. The Image of Stone, Wood, or Metal, or the Representation in a Looking glasse, that shewes a Face lesse than it is, may happily be like the Face it shewes, and Symmetri­cal with it: But the Representation, or I­mage that swells up the Face, and gives it greater; except it be wrought so, for the supplyance of what is lost by Distance, is monstrous, and cannot be like: Because Proportion is retained in Representations which are lesser than the Life: but in such as are greater, the Composition is discom­posed, and the Proportion scatter'd.

The Hebrew Word, Cados, signifying holy, primordially signifyeth, segregated and separated from profane Vses. And the Greek Word, [...], signifying likewise, ho­ly, is as much as abs (que) Terra, or extra [Page 135] Terram, one without Earth, or, living in Heaven while he is upon Earth: although the privative Letter, wanting an Aspira­tion, seems to disown the business: Thus Ori­gen, Orig. Hom. 2. in Levit. and after, and out of him, St. Ambrose, and Venerable Bede. Dionysius Areopagita, that stood Sentinel in the primitive Church, is true to his trust, in saying, that Christian Piety doth not endure [...] S. Dionys. de Eccl. Hier. C. 2. [...], divided and dissipated Wayes and Lifes. What Agreement is there betwixt Light and Darkness? Betwixt a spiritual Discourse ful of Words concerning Hea­ven and Godliness, in the Pulpit; and out of the Pulpit, a most carnal course, full of Works, discovering Devilishness, and earthly mindedness, and even Hell it self upon Earth, and epitomized in a Soul? Nonne vides te loqui pugnantia? Dost thou not see O Preacher, that thy Words and Works speak Contradictories?

Quaelibet Res ex pejoris immixtione sordescit, ut Argentum ex immixtione D. Tho. 2. 2. q. 81. art. 8. Plumbi; saith Aquinas: Every thing growes filthy, being mingled with a thing worse than it self: as Silver is vilified, when it is mixed with Led. And he does not leave his golden Discourse, without E­namel: Ideo Mens humanae inquinatur, ex eo quod inferioribus Rebus conjungi­tur: Idem. ibidem. Therefore the soul of a Man is defi­filed, [Page 136] because it is joyned with inferiour Things. Did ye never hear of the Manu­codiata, or Bird of Paradise? The Word is a Compound, and compounded of two Indian Words, which are, Manuco Diata, Avicula Dei, Gods little Bird. The Indi­ans call it so: because it is never seen upon the ground, but dead. O, those contempla­tive Souls, that are alwayes upon the Wing; not contradicting, that they are Aves Coe­li, Birds of the Air, or of Heaven, by their walking in the dirt as the brute Beasts of the Earth: how happy are they!

The shallow Plot will at length betray it self; and the People will observe the De­ceit and Imposture: and look boldly, on the other side of the Vizard. And even the High-Shooe, will take the courage to say, Psal. 12. 2. With a double Heart do they speak. The Vulgar Latin consonant­ly Cod. Vulg. Text. Hebr. Sept. Sym. with the Hebrew; in Corde et Corde, in a Heart and a Heart. And the Septua­gint are Vnison: [...], Symmachus stands in Sight: [...], in one Heart, and, yet another Heart. The natural Logick of the Clou­ten-shooe, will drive it thus far beyond simple Apprehension: With one Heart in a Pulpit, and that's their Pulpit-Heart; they pompously speak of heavenly things, speak, (and then he smiles with his Coun­trey-Face:) [Page 137] and like those old Pharises, give out a hard Lesson to us, poor Folk; But, they make it a Lesson of meer custom: For with another Heart abroad, this is their broad Heart, that accompanies their large Conscience; they covetously seek, and greedily pursue, Things that are earth­ly. And if he be a Latin-Scholar from the Free-School, he will shew it, and moreover say: Incubant suo, inhiant alieno; they lie close upon their own, and fly hovering over the Goods of others: Et indies emun­gunt argento mulieres; and they-dive dai­ly into the Womens Purses. All this will be stoutly said by the Man of the Plow. O the weak Power of such Godliness! O the Shortness, and Emptiness of Lip-Devotion! O the vileness of Pen and Paper-Sanctity; stepping from the Pen and the Paper, to the Penny and the Coffer.

Blessed David begins his Psalms with blessed. And the word there of the Septu­agint, [...], is indifferently used in Scri­pture, Sept. either to signifie Beatitudinem Viae, the Blessedness of this Life, arising from our walking with God in his Way, or, Beatitudinem Patriae, the Blessednesse of the Countrey, arising from our Vnion with God in the Beatifical Vision. The Hebrew Word is Ashere, or Text. Hebr. Ash-re, signifying Beatitudines, Blessed­nesses, & is a plural Noun without a singu­lar [Page 138] Number; involving the kinds of true blessedness. It comes by descent, from the Root Asher, beatè incessit, rectis passibus ambulavit; he hath walked rightly, blessed­ly: That it may point forth to us, not [...], those that can blesse others, or speak well for themselves, as Isocrates Isocrat. orat 4. uses the word [...]: but [...] those that go in a right E [...]gubin. in Psal. 1. Chald. Paraphr. Scholia Graeca. Theodot. way, and walk uprightly; as Eugu­binus notes. Hence the Chaldee contri­butes there, for Blessed, Good: The Greek Scholiaest, [...], void of reprehen­sion. Theodotion in his digging, throwes it up, [...], perfect is the young Man: the man that begins early to study Perfection. Astronomers observe, that Starrs. which fetch about with a less Circuit, are more neer to the Pole. And Aldro­vaud. in Philomela. Aldrovandus agrees, that the Nightin­gale growing fat, can not sing. He that in­tends to the Plow, may not look another way And he that wars, as a Captain, for the Spirit, may not entertain a Truce, or Pa [...]l und [...]cently with the Flesh. Becaus being Ter­rae Incola, a Dweller out of his Countrey, upon Earth; he should be Accola Coeli, a Borderer upon Heaven, being his Countrey.

I will not compare thee, O Preacher, to Martha in her active Ministration: be­cause she ministred on Christ: But in her passive Distraction, thou art like her. Lu: [Page 139] 10. 40. Martha was cumbred about much serving. The Greek Text is more ample, and serviceable, [...]: She was distracted and scattered about much Ministration. Here she was, and there, and elswhere: and heer again she would be. She was not where she was. She was every where, and she was no where. She was going, and she turn'd again: and again, a new thought carried her to a new place, which held her not long. Her mind was in many places, at the same time: and her Body would have been so. Martha in her Ministration, is like the word [...] amongst us; shewing much distraction, in it's runing to and fro, that it may signifie both a Deacon and a Minister: It runs, and turns, and would be where it is not. The Arabick [...]od. Arab. Translation is admirable, and as much di­stracted as Martha: Martha autem dili­genter Ministrabat plurimum; But Mar­tha diligently ministred very much. And our Saviour tells her of her fault, vers. 41. Martha, Martha; thou art careful, and troubled about many things. Martha must now know, that she is multiplyed; and that one Martha is Martha Martha; Martha where she is, and Martha where her Heart is; and that she is many Mar­thas, though but one Martha; because [Page 140] troubled about many things. Emmanuel Sa explicates it, tumultuaris, And hither directs his Arrow: Many things have Em. Sa. raised many thoughts, which make a tu­mult in thee. Pray therefore, with him that knew how to pray, Psal. 86. 11. Vnite my Heart to fear thy Name. A Metaphysical Axiom acts the Hand-maid here: Vnum est quod est indivisum in se, et divisum à quo­libet alio: That is one which is undivided in it self, and divided from all other things. And morally understood, presents upon the Knee, an Offering to Divinity. For Sym­machus reades, [...], aduna Cor meum, unite my Heart; that is, make it one and Sym. undivided in it self: Which in a large sense, is, Cancellis circumscribito Cor me­um, keep my Heart from vain effluencies and excrescencies, from impertinent exu­berancies and extuberancies. But St. Hie­rom stoops for it, and takes it up with a more native and Hebrew Face: Vnicum S. Hieron. in Bibl. fac Cor meum, Make my Heart one only: that is, call it aside from the multiplicity of Business, which pulls it many wayes, and makes it numerous; and, ex his me Tur­bis evolve, unfold me from the Rout of the World. And Aquila; Let my Heart be [...], one alone: A sense falling and setling upon a most abstracted and Hea­venly Aq. Condition.

The Ground will fasten all. According to the Multitude of Operations, (be they of the same, or of a different Nature,) in which, the Soul doth busie her self; she performeth each particular Operation with less Obsequiousness and ability, and there­fore, less perfectly. Because the Soul being finite, and limited; her active Vertue is also limited and finite. And so, fitting and applying her Activity to divers Operati­ons, she gives the Cause, that each partici­pateth a less portion thereof. It is not within the Sphere of humane Power, that one should at the same very Time, obser­vingly contemplate the Feature of a Man's Face beheld with his Eyes; and judiciously bend his Thoughts to the curious and be­witching Strains of Musick, intruding up­on his Eares: Nor in the same instant, attentively discern the Differences, and several Garbs of Colour and Figure.

Ye have read in the English Bible, that the Slender-Soul'd Persons, distracted with worldy Blandishments, and attentiores ad rem quàm par erat, over-attentive to Gain, were illaqueati, irretiti, inescati, ensnared, caught in a Net, bait-held; and and went not themselves to the Wedding in the Parable, but sent Excuses, even such as the Master of the Feast would not accept or legitimate: nec inveniebant [Page 142] quasi rimulam, per quam elaberentur: neither was there any way for their escape from the soare, net, hook. And to the end, it may be clear as the Sun-Beams, That it is in the Vnion and Perfection of Life, which God requires of us; our Saviour declares it in. his Exhortation, Matth. 5. 48. Be ye therefore perfect, [...], even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect. The Word [...], is an Extract from [...], signifying the End, which, as such, is alwaies perfect. And if the End be ultimate, or the last End; it is but One, and obliges to Vnion and Com­bination in the Means and Powers. And St. Peter now follows his Master with a neer foot, 1 Pet. 1. 15. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation: [...], Holy, and without the Commixtion of Earth, in all manner of Conversation. I had almost translated it. Without the Conjunction of a Body. Let it go. For, Laurentius Justi­nianus wills his Scholars to enter into Gods House, solo spiritu, with their Spi­rits Laurent. Justin. de Discipl. Monast. cap. 17. alone, and to leave their Bodies at the Door. God, whose Holiness and Perfe­ction is infinite, being set in the light be­fore us, for our Prototype or great and chief Exemplar and Example; We are certainly call'd to a certain infinite Per­fection, [Page 143] and Holiness; that is, to a Per­fection, and Holiness, which endure no Bounds, no Limits. In which Sense, St. S. Aug. Serm. 15. de verbis Apostoli. Austin speaks Sense; Si dixeris, Sufficit, periisti; If thou shalt say, It is sufficient, thou art lost. And in another place, de­manding of himself, who is the Man that doth not profit in Godliness; he answers to himself, Qui dixerit, Sufficit mihi, quod Idem Tract. de Cantico novo, cap. 7. S. Greg. Nyss. lib. de professi­one Chri­stianā. sum; He that shall say, It sufficeth me to be, what I am. From hence it was emer­gent, That St. Gregory Nyssen, the Bro­ther of St. Basil, (quem Honoris causâ nomino,) declared Christianity to be [...], the Imitation of God. Which afterwards, the Greek Church ty'd up, as with a third of Gold, into one Word, [...]. The ground is, Man was made by God, after the Image, and Likeness of God, Gen. 1. 26. And there­fore, our work in our lapsed Condition, is, to perfect and imbellish this Image in us, by conforming our selves, through God's Grace, every day more and more, in likeness, to him: this likeness consisting truly, in true Holiness, as it is call'd, Eph. 4. 24. or, as it is in the Original hue, and return'd by the Vulgar Latin, [...], Sanctitate Veritatis, the Ho­liness Text. Gr. Edit. Val. of Truth. And a good Man is cal­led, by a new Word, [...], holy, from [Page 144] [...], colo, veneror, I worship, I ho­nour; Because true Holiness onely, makes one, after all the Transactions of Life, truly worshipful and venerable.

Circumspicite dùm, nè quis nostro Au­ceps Sermoni sit; Enimverò sunt qui au­ribus Aucupium faciunt; simplices at (que) in­cautos ex insidiis adoriuntur. Look about you, pray, and tell me, if any be here, that come hither a Birding with their Ears; and lie here ambushing, to catch and ravish a Word; or, to antedate the Sense. Dionysius Areopagita, amongst other Excellencies in Christ, holds up be­fore us for our Imitation, his [...]; S. Dyonis. Areop. Eccl. Hier. cap. 3. not his Impeccability, but his Im­peccancy. To the which we must draw by spiritual Access, as neer as human Weak­ness will be drawn after us: being egre­giously carefull to preserve in their perfect Being and Appearance, all the Titles and Punctilios of God's Honour. Perhaps, your Thoughts now, may turn upon me with a fierce Assault: How comes it that your Life is not thus exact? Strange Things fly abroad concerning you. Belo­ved, Know, as God knows, that these Strange Things, are the Strange Appari­tions, Delusions, Inventions of the Devil, and of devilish Enemies. More after­wards.

St. Gregory Nazianzen gives holy S. Greg. Naz. orat. 4. in Pas­chate. Counsil: Simus ut Christus, quoniam Christus quoque sicut nos. Essiciamur Dii propter ipsum, quoniam ipse quoque prop­ter nos Homo factus est; Let us be as Christ is, because he was as we are. Let us be made Gods for him, because he was made Man for us. And, Nullus est Dei­ficationis Terminus; There is no stop, or enclosure of Deification. Boetius throws an Ey this way: Vltra homines provehere, Boet. lib. 4. de Consol. pros. 3. Sola Probitas potest; True Holiness, and true Honesty will promote a Man beyond a Man. St. Dorotheus names the holy men of old, thus, S S. Antonium, Pa­chomium, S. Doroth. Serm. 1. Macarium, caeterosque Deife­ros Patres: holy Antonius, Pachomius, Macarius, and the rest of the Fathers that carried God in them. Anastasius Synaita, S. Anastas. Synait. lib. 7. Hexam. that strict-liv'd Patriarch of Antioch, en­titles such persons, quodammodò veluti Christos in Divinitate simul & Humani­tate: after a sort, christs; as partaking both of the Divine and Humane Nature. Acknowledge St. Peter's Phrase, 2 Pet. 1. 4. Partakers of the Divine Nature. Ex­pediam Verbo. In a word. It is the Ho­ly Ghost Himself, that dwels in the righ­teous Heart, by an abode much remote from his common abiding with us, per Essentiam, Praesentiam, Potentiam, [Page 146] by his Essence, Presence, Power. For besides that holy Scripture manifoldly stands up for it, It is incongruent, That the Devill should be more neer to his, and more intimate, by Possession; than the most good God, to his, by Communicati­on; who hath more manifested himself to us, in his Works of Mercy, than of his Justice. And Grace, the Instrument of the Holy Ghost, is more honourably born, than other Things of our Acquaintance.

It is a deep bottom'd Question in Di­vinity, Vtrùm Gratia producatur per Creationem? Whether Grace be Created, or not Created? The Affirmative seems clear, Ephes. 2. 10. For we are his Work­manship, created in Christ Jesus unto good Works. We are God's Workmanship, more excellently in respect of the new and in­ward Man. And Good works, (good in order to our Supernatural End,) cannot be wrought without Grace; which Source or Fountain, is only correspondent, and answerable to the high-flowing of the Stream. The Apostle clears and illumi­nates it farther, 2 Cor. 5. 17. and Gal. 6. 15. In both which places, he calls a regenerate Soul, novam Creaturam, a new Creature. But, this Opinion would plain and even the way to a dangerous Conclusion; Creatura potest attingere physic è Creationem. School-Divines [Page 147] well know, and have well soun­ded the danger of it. These Positions there­fore, asserted by the Apostle, ye shall understand of Creation in genere moris, in regard of our first Conversion and Justi­fication. For, the first Grace being given without any precedent Works of Grace, is made, as it were, of Nothing in genere moris; it being impossible, and unimagi­nable, that Man should dispose himself for the reception of the first Grace; because he that produceth the last Disposition, is truely said also to produce the Form call'd by it, and coming after it: and therefore, he that disposeth himself, by his meer self, to Grace, produceth Grace in his own Heart; of the which, no pure Creature can be the cause. This Opinion therefore, I lay down, and lay me down to rest in another. The revelation of which, if great Clerks will needs extort and wrest from me, they shall receive it secundùm modum recipientium, in their own Dialect. Gratia non creatur, sed educitur supernaturaliter ex potentia Subjecti in quo Spiritus sanctus inhabi­tat: Sicut & aliae Formae supernatura­les, Visio Dei, Lumen gloriae, & hujus­modi. I discover here, that there is yet, Terra incognita, a Land unknown to you, in Learning, Religion, Holiness.

Dear Christians, attend to me. Should I, a reasonable Creature, hear men that Profess and Preach God, and his only Son Christ Iesus, together with the holy Spi­rit, the Sanctifier of Souls, three Per­sons, and one immortal, invisible, and only wise God, telling me from a Pulpit in the Air, (to the which I must look up, as if the Pulpit Men came even now from Hea­ven,) of Humility, Continency, Tem­perance, Contentedness, Guiding of my Tongue, Charity, Peace, and other things of that Feather; and bringing about at e­very half-turn, our glorious Gad, (for, so they call him,) Iesus Christ, the Saints, the humble Soul, let a going with a notable As­piration; he was a pretious, Man; the Lard Iesus be with all your Spirits: And should I find, after a most accurate search, eosdem numericè, the very same Men, down from the high-place, to be in their Actions, most high and haughty-minded, and proud as Lucifer; most lustful, and effeminate; most great, and most greedy-Lovers, and Worshipers of their Bel­lyes; most uncontented, and unsatisfy­ed in their desiring part; most vile Slan­derers, and throwers of Dunghill-Dirt and Inke upon all that will not run in the Ring with them; having no relenting Bowels, Mercy, Charity; [Page 149] as if they would strongly prove absolute Reprobation by the absoluteness of their most Reprobate, practices; should I find, that they are Striges ferale stridentes, like Shrych-Owles, noising Death and Mortality; most fiery and most contenti­ous persons, as if another Aetna, or Ve­suvius were alwayes embroiling their in­wards, and throwing out Flames and fiery stones from their Stomacks; or, quasi rem haberent quotidiè cum Vrticeto, as if they had been taken out of the Nettle-Bed, and were nettled, and nettle-Na­tur'd by their daily conversing with Net­tles; How could these Polygeneous Men, thus giving the ly to themselves, cement or soder Hiatum hunc, this prodigious Chasm or gaping betwixt the Word and Work; being as wide as Hell-Mouth, to­wards the World? And might not I, with great reason, larum it to the Clouds, that all their spangled Appearance, is nought but Infula Sanctitatis, Probitatis Tiara, an outward Priestly Head-Ornament of Holiness; a Roman, or Persian Dress? and that themselves are notori­ously more hurtfull, than those old heathenish fumosae Imagines, quae sta­bant in Larario, smokie Images, or I­mages black with smoak, that stood still, as they were set in the House-Chappel, [Page 150] and did not pervert the People, either with False Doctrin, or with Evil Exam­ple; but only, stood quietly to be wor­shiped, as the Fools their worshipers had set them? Might not I say, That these Woodden Preachers are as like the savory­keeping Salt of the Earth, as those use­less fallings away of the Wood exercised with the Saw? Might I not justly fire at them with a Sarcasme; O sad and bad Conclusion of their Ah Lord, Dear Father, Holy God, Father—; of all their speaking good in the Scotch Tone, and their pray­ing God to do good to this People? O Images of Wax, such as Witches abuse to mischievous Ends; call ye this, your impro­ving your Interest in Jesus Christ? Lord, help us. Might I not righteously compare these Men of Clouts, with the Religious Mountebank in Bromiardus: who knee­ling to the Priest in Confession, confessed Joan. Bro­miard. in Summa praedicat. & in Ver­bo Conses­sio. his sins with an humble Mouth, sighed, groaned, look't pitifully, and with a face divided betwixt Sorrow for his Sins past, and Care lest he should offend hereafter; and struck his Breast hard like the poor Publican, with one Hand, his Godly hand, crying mornfully, and grievously, and with tears, Deus, esto propitius mihi peccatori, Lord, be mercifull to me a Sinner: And in that moment of Time, [Page 151] in which he nam'd God, the great Lord and Master of Heaven and Earth; in the which he look't Heaven-ward, and implor'd the Divine Mercy with Tears running down his Cheeks, as if they striv'd which Cheek should carry them fastest into the Bosome; in the which, he pronounced with a voice fram'd to the Matter, me a Sinner, and continued knocking at the Door of his Heart with one Hand, his righteous Hand, as if he would have beaten down the Door, House, & all; with his other Hand, his Vn­righteous hand, pick't the Priests Pocket, and got away his Purse? Sincere Devoti­on, and true Holiness, I truly and sin­cerely honour, but a Mountebank Holi­ness, a tumbling Devotion, and shewing tricks in a round Hoop, are most contem­tible, most abominable. Beloved, If in the Church of Christ, all Vertues were not preached by Example, as by a more short and efficacious Manner of Preaching, than by Word or Precept; Men wanting Ey-Do­trine, (the Ey being the Sense that discerns most Differences,) would soon be blind to Godliness, and cry out, The Preach­ers are Infidels, they believe not what they Preach; if they did they would practise it. Sed alio me vecant Negotia, A new Mat­ter calls me.

As to the perfect Law of God, there [Page 152] must appliably rebound, and resound, on the Preacher's part, a perfect Life: so likewise, this perfect Law, must ber per­fectly preached; and the Sacraments, and Ordinances of God, as they are perfect, must also be perfectly dispensed by him. Hence St. Paul 1 Cor. 4. 2. exacts [...], of every Steward of God's Word, and Mysteries, that he be found [...], faithfull; found, when assaulted by Triall. It is impos'd upon the Iews, as Leo Modena, a late Rabbin of theirs, te­stifieth, in a certain Italian History, o­ver-written; Leo Moden Histor. Di gli Riti, &c. Part 1. Di gli Riti Hebraici di que­sti Tempi, Of the Rites of the Hebrews of these our Times; That when they build a House, they must leave some part unfi­nished; and thereby recount to the Dwel­ler, the Destruction of Ierusalem, and of the Temple. But he that builds for God, must exactly build. Domus Dei, saith Saint Austin, credendo fundatur, spe­rando erigitur, diligendo perficitur; The S. Aug. Serm. 15. de verbis Apostoli. R. Eleaz. in Zohar. Temple of God in the Soul, is founded by Faith, wall'd up with Hope, and the Covering is Charity. And Rabbi Elea­zar, in the Zohar, fables to the World, under the patronage of Tradition, that when God made this grand Machin, he did of purpose leave a hole in the North. Except the Rabbin Prophesied, that the [Page 153] Preachers of the Gospell in the North, should, for the most part, be hollow, and insteed of being holy, should be pleni ri­marum, full of chinks and holes, he was a Blasphemer.

How prompt are we, and how easy is it, to palliate a true Doctrine; or, to skin a false one over with Hypocrisie? To leave a Doctrine like those half-form'd Creatures, which the fat slime of Nile produceth, aided by the Sun? to vomit up whole Flouds of Contradiction, as the Whale's Head throws up water? to stuff up a Sermon with holy words, as with soft feathers? or dress it up like a lure which cals the Haulke, but hath no reall Body of a Bind? (A word in season: Is not the Fool's Coat, Vestis illusa flosculis, a Garment bearing and wearing more of Colour than of Comeliness? such a gawdy Thing is Oratio flosculis intertexta, in­torta Calamistris, a flowry, or a purl'd and curl'd and frizled Sermon; a Sermon made up into a Fardle of holy words of several purls and curls and colours.) To shew Truth as in a Glimpse, or moving like a Worm by Undulation; and hardly able, but with fetches and pulls, to draw the Tail after the Head? To raise an old De His Io­seph. Quer­citan & e­lii mulci. Truth, like the Shape of a fair Plant, or Flower in a Glass, and suddenly to [Page 154] draw the Flame or Candle away, and let it fall to dull Ashes again? yea, to stand long in a place, above the People, as God's Lawyer, with a Tongue nimbly running over Hedge and Ditch; and see dissemblingly, plain Truth, divine Truth, sink with plummets at her heels? To speak irreverently, and wickedly of holy and reverend Things: when we might humbly acknowledge our Error, our Delinquency; by throwing presently, Rose-Water into our Mouthes? To use those holy Doctours that antiently flourished, and were Stellae primae Magnitudinis, Stars of the first Magnitude; now in their Absence, as the miserable offenders, that are drawn higher, the more to be strapado'd? Beloved, As tender Infants are more subject to fascina­tion, than grown persons; so common people are most easily deluded. And it was not well done of that envious Wretch in Quintilian; who poyson'd the Flowers in his Garden; that his Neighbours Bees Quinti l. Declam 13. might not safely suck any more honey from them.

A Man goes on sometimes in Morality as it were, with Oares; and sometimes his Sails are up, and the Wind helps him on; And now he goes remis velisque, with Sails and Oares. For, when the Mind by the help of our Vertuous Habits [Page 155] and actuall Grace, doth operate or work, according to the Rules and Dictates of right Reason, honest Things; we go row­ing and failing. But when a certain ex­trinsecall Force from God, doth advance and elevate the Soul beyond all these Rules, after a more vehement and high Manner, then is the Man transported by some Gift of the holy Ghost; as Appolonia was, when brought to the Fire, (after she had stood a while attending to the ho­ly Ghost,) she cast her self into it. Even so it is also, both in our Praying and Preaching. Let me now therefore, utter a few Words, in the Rapture of my Soul.

O thou with thy flatuous Knowledge, thy Tympanie of Terms; os unpurum, spar­sumque, thou with thy wide, and impure mouth thou; hou, so meanly blyth and bux­om as thou art; Hast thou not learn'd yet, what it is to send away to Hell, Souls by whole Shoals? Souls, for the which Christ dyed? Do'st thou not know, what a Soul is? Or can'st thou make a Soul? a Soul, wherein there is fairly Character'd the Di­vinity, the Spiritualitie of God; the U­nity of the divine Essence, the Trinity of the divine Persons; the Generation of the Son, the Procession of the holy Ghost? Hither Divines commonly come. But I [Page 156] cannot rest here. A Soul, wherein there is an Evident Character of the Incarnati­on of the second Person, the Divine Word; when our Will, the second Faculty of our Souls, is conceived in our Words, and made, as it were, incarnate in our Deeds; a Man's invisible Will, being made visi­ble in his Actions; far otherwise than his Understanding or Memory? the Prophet Psal. 22. 20. calls his Soul his Darling, his Dearling. The Vulgar Latin stiles it, as Interpret Vulgar. the Prophet speaks it in the Hebrew, Vni­cam meam, my onely one. The Chaldee., Spiritum Corporis mei, the Spirit of my Paraph. Chald. Sept. Aq. Sym. Body. The Septuagint, [...], my only­begotten. Aquila, [...], my long-Li­ver. Symmachus, in the abstract, [...], my lonelinesse, that will soon be totally Ab­stracted from the World. St. Hierome, S. Hier. solitariam meam, my Solitary Soul. The Soul, which thou so murderously destroy­est, is the poor Mans Darling, his onely­one, the Spirit of his Body, his onely-be­gotten, his lone-Liver, his loneliness, his solitahy Soul. Murder, Murder, a a more horrible Murder was never com­mitted. Do'st thou not fear, that such a departed Soul will quasi Vmbra te per­sequi, Ghost-haunt thee? Where is now thy supernatural Principle, that should move within thee? How wilt thou crutch [Page 157] it up, that thou art a Christian? If thou art, awake the Christian in thee. I could weep the rest. O my God, deliver my Soul from the Sword, my Darling from the power of the Dog [...], (the Sept. Septuagint read it so) from the two-hand Sword, or, the Sword that is edg'd on both sides. The Sword of thy Tongue, O thou fals-Tongu'd Preacher, will cut on either side; as the side is, to which, thy Belly most leans and lissens; cùm inte­stina tibi crepent, when thy guts murmure for Victuals. Was my Soul, my Darling, my onely-one, the Spirit of my Body, my only-begotten, my lone-Liver, my lone­liness my solitary Soul, ordain'd for an other Mans Belly; Which Man, when his Belly has done with my Soul, will throw it away to the Dog, the Devil? Agnosco Discipulum Haereticorum antiquorum, Thou art a Scholar of the ancient Here­ticks; For, in respect of their Soul-mar­keting, the old Romans, saith Lampri­dius, Lamprid. in Alexan­dro Severo. contumeliously calld'd Christum, Christ; Chrestum, from the Greek Word [...], profitable. Here Ends the Rap­ture.

Matth. 2. 1. where the Greek hath Evang. Graec. Evan. Lat. Evan. Syr. Arab. Aegypt. [...] the Latin, Magi, the Engiish, Wise Men; and where the Syriack, A­rabick, Egyptiack or Coptick, with o­ther [Page 158] Oriental Translations, (the Lan­guages of which, either by a right Line, or side-wayes, come of the Hebrew,) say the same Thing, yea, the Persian-Gospel-Word is Magusan, wise men; Evangeli­nm Persi­cum. Evan. Ae­thiopicum. (only the Ethiopick is pleas'd with a Name caught from their outward Act of Service; which is, Adoratores; Worshi­pers;) Munster in his Hebrew Gospel, Eva. Heb. Munsteri which he obtrudeth to us as the [...] of Saint Matthew, dresses them in the Word mecassephim, praestigiatores, Iug­lers or Enchanters. Art not thou in the Cause, O thou Blazing-Star of the pul­pit; thou Fabula Conviviorum & Fori, almost all the talk of people at Feasts and in Market-places, for thy Iugglings; that pious, wise, and learned Men, who have most faithfully followed the Star of the East, are sensured to be (as thou art) Iugglers?

The Iewish Thalmudists story to us, Thalmud. Ord. 4. Tract. 2. & aelibi multoties that the Soul of one Man passeth into the Body of an other: and that, for Example, the Soul of Abel flew from him into Seth; (I suppose, it pearch't some where by the way,) and from out of Seth, by ano­ther and an other flight, into Moses. The Pythagorean [...], or, Trans­migation of Souls, joyned with the Plato­nicall [...], or, frequent Renas­cency, [Page 159] had evened this way for the Iew. And Pride made Iulian, though not a Iew, yet a Philosophicall Pythagorean; Niceph. Eccl. Hist. lib. 10. c. 35 who conceived that his little Body was fill'd with great Alexander's Soul. And now, to make a perfect Diapason, and agreement of Voices, as if all were but one voice; thou hast conveyed with a quick and cleanly Conveyance, the Spirit of a Primitive Apostle into thy own body; and thou art in thy own Thoughts and Words, greater than a Magnifico of the East, or a Western Admirante.

Rectè admones; It is well thou tellest me so. For, had'st thou not, I should have confidently retorted, That there must be truly, The Spirit of Truth in some true Spirit, to decide the great Differences betwixt thee and others, cùm res caleat, utrobique velis furori permissis; the Mat­ter growing hot, and the persons fire-hot and angry. And that Differences, the Decision of which pertains to all, must be publikely decided; And Differences concerning divine Truthes, di [...]nely and truly decided. Because Predestination being that part of Divine Providence, which excellently deals and disposes in the last End of God's People: Providence must needs be suitable with it self; and furnish out other Parts, which concern, [Page 160] prepare and order the Means. And those Parts must, according to God's usual Order of Working, and to the measure of Reason, be more curious in their provision for Generals, than for Particulars: those being more pretious. I beseech you then, hide not under a Bu­shel, a matter of such publick advantage and concernment, but run and proclaim it with a Song of Triumph to all Christian People who on Earth do dwel; That, be­cause the variety of Readings in holy Scripture, is wonderfull, as it abundant­ly appears in the Iewish Masoret; and the Margent is oft-times more divine than the Text: They must repair from all quar­ters of the World, to you or others like you, for a sound and final Resolution of all their Doubts in Religion. And thus our English men having given a Bill of Di­vorcement to one old Pope beyond the Seas, and beyond the Alps, shall now enstall and enthrone a goodly number of Popelings, and young little Mufties at home.

In good sooth, upon second thoughts, I should have turn'd to you once more, and told you; It is hard for a bare-fac'd linsy­woolsy Thing, ad huc à Matre rubenti, & in omnia praecipiti, childish and heady; to move the Tongue in divine Matters, [Page 161] without Blasphemy, and without enter­feering in every step. There was a great Contest betwixt the Church of God, and hereticall Nestorius, which first thickned from a Question, Whether or no the Virgin Mary should be called Deipara, she Mother of God? The Controversie wheeled in this, That the Church called her [...], the Mother of God; Nesto­rius called her, [...], the Daughter of Vide Acta Concil. E­phesin. Ge­neralis God, (he meant, the adopted Daughter) or, when the Humour came fluent upon him, and he would be liberall, [...], Christiparam, the Mother of Christ; whom he deemed to have been a pure Man. It was but a small Accent, or matter of Pronunciation, which varied the Words, and Meaning. Betwixt the Nicen Term, [...], consubstantiall, or, of the same substance, and the Term Vide St. Hilar. l [...]h. de Synodis, prope fi­nem. of the Arians, [...], of the like Es­sence or substonce; there is outwardly but the difference of one Letter. And yet, their Doctrines are, the one of Heaven, the other of Hell, and accordingly ma­numise, or enthrall those who receive them.

Howsoever, Be sure to keep in mind, That the Devill was known of all the Fa­thers, by the name of God's Ape. Diony­sius S. Dionys. Arcop. lib. de divin. Areopagita stiles God [...], [Page 162] a Vnity subsisting after a three­fold manner, or, an Essence having three Hypostases or Subsistences. And such an Vnity, such an Essence, God is, yea, the sacred Trinity is called by St. Gregory Nazianzen, [...], one S. Greg. Naz. in Odis. Torch or Light, shining with a treble Flame. That this might be, in some sort, imitated by the Devil, he gave his chief Oracles, ex Tripode, from out of a cer­tain rich Stool, or, Vessel, which being one, had three Feet, on which it stood. There are admirable Matters delivered by Authors, of large Souls, and deep Brests; wherein Antichrist the Devils Darling, and of all his Children the most like to him, and in whom, as fraught with all Devilishness, he shall most vaunt himself; will strive to imitate Christ. But I pass them over; leaving this only, for a Measure of the rest. As the Name, Christ, hath a double sense in Scripture, and is taken sometimes properly, for a certain excellent and singular Christ, who is indeed, Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeo­rum, and the Saviour. Head, and Prince of the Christian Church: some­times commonly, for all those, betwixt Christ and whom there interveneth a like­ness, quantum ad unctionem; in which consideration, Prophets, Kings, and [Page 163] Priests are all termed Christs; As, Psal. 105. 15. Touch not mine Anointed; or, as the Vulgar Latin, Nolite tangere Edit. Vulgat. Christos meos; Touch ye not my Christs. For, the word, Christ, signifyeth anoin­ted. So also, the Name, Antichrist, passeth sometimes in Scripture, under a proper sense, for a certain egregious and professed Enemy of Christs; upon whom the Scripture glances, Io. 5. 43. I am come in my Fathers Name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name; him ye will receive; for your Mes­sias, say many of the antient Commenta­tours; and whom the Scripture pourtraits out to us, in a large and plain shape, 2 Thess. 2. in the middle of the Chapter. And sometimes the name, Antichrist, is wryed and warp't into a common and less proper acception, and signifies all, that any way set themselves against, resist & impugn Christ, though not formaliter as Christ; of the which 1 Jo. 2. 18. Little Children, it is the last time; and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many Antichrists, whoreby we know that it is the last time. As if he had said, ye have heard, that [...], the Anti­christ shall come; and now, though he, the chief Antichrist, the head Villane of all, be not yet come; there be many come al­ready, [Page 164] and in view, who are Seducers and Enemies to Christ and his Truth, and may well he called Antichrists. Behold a great Agreement in things most contrary. But the agreement in the highest flight of it, is; God brought the work of Grace to a Head in his Son Christ, the Head of his Church; And Aquinas saith truly of D. Tho. p. 3 Quaest. 8. art. 8. ad. 3 Antichrist, in eo Diabolus quasi malitiam suam ducet ad Caput, per modum, quo dicitur aliquis ad Caput, suum propositum ducere, cùm illud perfecerit; The Devil shall bring his malice to a Head in Anti­christ, that Aggregate of Malice and Mischief, after the Manner as one is said to bring his purpose to a Head, when he hath effected it. The holy Ghost dwel­leth in us, and some Special Servants are said; in a special mauner, to be filled with him. And familiar Spirits, mentioned 2 Kings 21. 6. have their name from the Hebrew Word Ob, signifying a Bottle. For, the person possessed with an Evil Spi­rit, oft swels in the Bellie as a Bottle, and the Spirit speaketh from his Bellie with a low-fetc'd and hollow Voice, in i­mitation of God's Inspirations, and se­cret talkings with us within us. Hence the Greek Word [...], one having a Spirit speaking from his Bellie, the seat of Lust and Gluttonie. As God had his Ark & [Page 165] Oracles; so there were even amongst the Jewes also, certain Images, of which, the divine Scripture gives an account, and which it calls Theraphim, either from the Root rapha, to let, or pull down, because they bowed themselves, and fell down before them; for the which meaning, Marinus and Forsterus stand up; or, from Marinus & Forste­rus in Lexicis. the Chaldean toraph, to putrifie: Whence the Chaldeans call an Idol-Temple Beth Hatturpha, a House of Vncleanness. They were externally, the Statues or Images of Men. They whose Images or Gods they were, did consult with them, as Pagans did with their Oracles, de praesentibus ig­notis, aut de futuris contingentibus, con­cerning things for the present, unknown, or contingent, and hereafter to come. To this known End of Knowing, they were made, saith Aben Ezra, by Astrologers, under certain Constellations, containing Aben Ezra in Gen. 31. and transmitting heavenly Influences, whereby they were enabled to speak. A word to the Learned. This of the Rabbin is a strange Thesis. First, Because Creatures, not entitled to Speech by the Influence of God's fundamentall Or­dinance, can never be ennobled with speaking, by the aid of secundary Influen­cies depending upon it. (Art certainly, wadeth far in this Business; the business [Page 166] and endeavour of Art, being to imitate Nature.) Secondly, Because Constella­tions are not infallible Helps, or Directi­ons; For like Constellations, doe not al­wayes, or ordinarily, produce like Dispo­sitions, or Works. The Devil taught them to speak, not the Constellation. Zach. 10. 2. The Idols have spoken vanity. In the Original, for The Idols, it is The Tera­phims. Gen. 31. 30. Laban speaks thus to Jacob, Wherefore hast thou stolen my Gods? In the Hebrew, my Teraphims. And in the mid'st of other reasons, why Rachel stole away her Fathers Teraphims, or Images, this holds up the head, (and the Fathers give it for a chief-one,) That Laban might not by his consulting with them, learn which way Jacob had fled. And many speak from Pulpits, but not with a right Spirit. And their Lifes dead even the Truth and Good they speak, leaving them like the Image in Davidi Bed, 1 Sam. 19. 16. Which the Septua­gint render [...], Statues represen­ting a dead man, but vain ones, and ha­ving Sept. no body of a Man; Aquila turns [...], Figures or Images: The Aq. Chald. Paraph. Chaldee, Psalmenaia, Representations or Liknesses. O this mock-Godliness; be­ing only the face, and mouth, and wea­ring apparel of Godliness; the pale Ghost [Page 167] of Godliness! There was scarce any antient ceremony of the Iews, any chief passage or description of the old Testament, which the Devil had not filch't & privatly convey'd into his Temples; wherein his idolatrous worshippers kept their common Rendez­vouz. The Primitive Doctours abound in this Matter. Christ our Lord prescri­bed the use of Words, in the use of his Sacraments; and the Devill in Magick, prescribes words to Witches and Conju­rers, Vide Del­rio in Dis­quisitionib. Magicis. bound to him by a Compact; which words pronounced by the Magician and Witch, though they doe not move the Devill ad operandum, to effect their Commands or desires, but he is always stirred propter alia moti­va, by other Motives; yet he shapes his behaviour, as if they did move him; and is ready at their pronouncing the Words after his prescription, to compass and bring about their Designs. Non abi­bo longius, I will not go in pursuit of thee longer in this Road.

Set aside your Familiar, and hear me discourse a Point Familiarly. Nothing is more instrumentally dangerous than a glimmering and scanty knowledge, cou­pled with a Pragmaticall and over-active Brain. I have read in Forestus; of a young Forest. Ob­servat. lib. 10. Ob­serv. 13. Divine in Lovain, who having wrought [Page 168] his active Head into Madness, cried al­ways in the fits and Paroxysmes of his di­stemper, that he had a Bible in his Head. But I still forget, you have the Spirit, Nugae, Fabulae, you are a Trifler, a Fabler. Why now rationem turpitudini quasi velum obtendis, you veil your filthi­ness with reason; (which is, cum ratione insanire,) yea with the glorious name of the Fountain of Grace, the most holy Spi­rit. Fie, fie, Hast thou not yet found, that these chattering Pies are full of prat­tle? And that the Wood then cracks and sings in the fire (O this vain cracking!) when it is not yet throughly kindled? The higher the Star is, the less it appeareth to us. The silent Waters, are more deep. Chaff and straw ride in State, upon the back and surface of the River to be seen; when heavy things do sink and hide them­selves. The Seminal Virtues of the Earth, are not seen but in their productions; nor the wondrous properties of Herbs, and pretious Stones, but in their Effects. The Spirit of God is direct, and reveals not the secret of such reflex Thoughts. Psal. 45. 13. The King's Daughters is all glo­rious within; her cloathing is of wrought Gold. The Vulgar Latin gives out the for­mer part, Omnis gloria ejus filiae Regis Interp. Vulgat. ab intus, All the glory of the King's [Page 169] Daughter, is from within. And Fran­ciscus Franc. Va­tabl. Vatablus, the French Kings pro­fessour of the Hebrew Tongue in Paris, carves out the latter part with a more deep impression from the Original, Ex Vestibus auro ocellatis indumentum ejus, her inward clothing is of Garments wrought or Spangled with little Eyes of Gold; of the which, we may say, Scin­tillant Oculi, these Eyes cast forth sparks, not of anger, but of brightness. These bright sparkling Eyes are inward, ever open, and viewing always our secret selves, on the part of our inward infirmities. Of these the Kings Daughter speaks, if she tells Secrets. The Septuagint begin thus. Omnis Gloria ejus filiae Regis Hesebon. And Sept. the Stranger-Word Hesebon, Didymus Didym. in Caetena. confines to signifie [...], cogitation; and returns the sense to flow thus, All the Glory of the Soul, is from the King of good Thoughts, and heavenly Meditati­ons, and of such as are, both Rich like Gold, and like Gold, Modest in their shi­ning, while the main Design of the Heart, is privately driven on betwixt God and the Soul in the Soul, in Anima cogitabun­da, in the pensive Soul. Certain Grecians, discovered to posterity by St. Hierome S. Hieron. ep. 140. in place of ab intus, from within, read, [...], from the inward Thoughts. [Page 170] And they are favoured by an old Copy in Vaticano; yea, Missa Sarum, recei­ving Missa Sa­rum. the Text out of that Copy, is applya­ble; And the Word is of the same force, if Arabically taken. The Soul and the Heart of the Text, is; The best Beauty and Glory of a Righteous Man, is the gra­cious, inward, and modest carriage of his Heart, from one good act and vertue to an other: as in the Soul of Christ, there was no breaking off or interruption of Good. I now fetch a reason ex Rei Vis­ceribus, from the very Bowels of the Matter. If thy Gifts are, only, Gratiae gratis datae, Graces for the Edification of others; and not Gratiae gratum facientes, Graces for the Sanctification of thy self, thou as yet, art unclean, and hast ugly Sin fermenting in thee, and taking up the room of a glorious inside; and had'st thou a glorious inside, I should have seen it, by not seeing it; and by thy prudent con­cealment of the best Things.

I hope, St. Austin may be heard as a wise Man, Meliùs it claudus in via, quàm S. Aug. Serm. 15. de verbis Apostoli. Cursor praeter viam, A lame man goes bétter in the true way, than a Runner or Post in the way out of the way. The lame Walker or Liver is in a sounder con­dition, than these aereal Spirits with­out footing on the Ground, or these white [Page 171] quick silver'd. Souls; these wandering Preachers of the Post. Indeed, There were antiently in the Church of God, cer­tain Bishops different from the Chorepisco­pi, or village Bishops (whose name was of [...] or [...]:) called [...], Zonar. in expositio­ne Concil. Laodicen. in Can. 57. [...], saith Zonaras, because they wandred from place to place, ut fi­deles in officio continerent, that they might keep the faithfull in the performance of their Christian duties: [...], having no proper Chair. But these were not of the Lapwing kind, bald bodyed, long-leg'd, Weak-headed, shew­ing their white backs in every corner, and hasting up and down, (as Mensarum As­seclae, Haunters of other Mens Tables, and as good Trencher-Men,) without a Call from the Mother.

Blain Truth is the plain way. This our Scotch Imp in his Pulpit-Fort is exectus in spem Lucri, drives furiously in the quest of gain, and popular Applause, at which, he stands erected. Hujus est, fraudis inscios auro tondere, It is this Mans trade, to poll ignorant People of their Gold and Silver: howsoever sometimes in your first acquaintance with him, delicias faci­at, he may turn from your coming Hand, and seem squeamish. [...], a Tayl, which puts men in mind of the Kirk, is allyed [Page 172] neerly to [...], Vain Lucre. There are also, neer Tyes of Kinred, betwixt the He­brew words Hable, signifying Vanities, and Chable signifying Ropes; whereof Chebel is the singular number. The Root is Chabal, signifying ligare, to tye or bind as with a Rope. Wherefore the grea­test of Ropes, or, the Sea Rope, is cal­led in our Language, (which attracts and pulls from all other Languages, and oft from the Hebrew) a Cable. By the which we are drawn as with a silken Rope, to learn, That Vanities and Vain Things, as Lucre, Applause, &c. are great draw­ers; and, except we draw, pull and strive greatly against them, will quickly pull us to them, and being pulled to them, we shall be catched away with them, as by the storm called [...]. For, we know not our strength in such and such Circum­stances, but when the Circumstances do Circumstare, actually, quasi datâ Coro­nâ, stand about us. These our Scotch Pharisees have a way beyond the Iewish­ones in St. Luke Chap. 16. vers. 14. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard al these things, & they derided him. Those were [...], Lovers of Silver, These are Lovers of Silver, Gold, Linnen, Woollen, Brass, Pewter, and of whatsoever Men call precious. But the Iewish Phari­sees [Page 173] [...] or, derided him, by draw­ing up their Noses into wrinkles, signify­ing by such contraction of there Noses, that there was no suavis Odor Lucri, sweet smel of Gain, in his Doctrin: which Doctrin our Scotch Pharisees have sophi­sticated, and set to sale, sub Hasta ven­dentes. I remember the time when a Mi­nister was Pictured bending, with two Steeples on his shoulders, and a fair one in the middle of his back, He had caught two more under his arms, and two in his hands, one he imbrac'd, and one he held betwixt his Knees, and for one he gap't, standing in a fair bigness before him; it was a Cathedrall, and brought with it a Bishoprick. This was then a Fancie, a Picture; But see now, if it be not egre­giously more than a Picture or a Fancy. O Men of the Kirk, Fraudis abundè est, Desist, ye have cozen'd the World e­nough. Of a Truth, Lucre and Ap­plause, inferiour Things, can generate no other than inferiour and sublunary Divinity.

And there is a mysterious Coveniency betwixt Scotus, a Scot, living under a dark and cold Climat, and whose heart is also Glacie quasi compede revinctum, hard-frozen like the Northern Waters in the dead of Winter: and [...], dark­ness. [Page 174] He is a seeing Mon in his own sight, but in very deed, excaecatus Avaritiâ, blinded with Covetousness, and little drawing neer to him, that sayes by his Prophet, Accedite ad me, & illumina­mini, Draw yee neer to me and be en­lightned; Or, to him that is, [...]0. 1. 9. [...], the light which is the true light; to Jesus, who, as in the Prophets, is also in the China-Language, Sol Oriens, the rising Sun, dispersing the cold mists and shades of the Night. Arte­midorus tells, that he knew a Man, who Artemid. lib. 1. Onei­rocrit. c. 28. dreamed he had three Eys, and the sequel was, that waking, he found himself struck stark blind, his Eyes did not wake with him, and he saw nothing, but that he was blind. Peer Mon! he saw wonderfully in his Dream, and in the dark; but his third Ey that came in his Dream, enticed away his other two in act and earnest; and the loss of his Eyes was beyond a Dream. The Tartarians in their Wars, practise a strange work, which is the raising of Darkness and Mists, in the Camps. and Armies of their Enemies. And by these dark Doings, many times Victores eva­dunt, they go Conquerours. We may M. Paul. Venet in Hist. & Haitonus in Histor. Sarmatica say this over again of the Prince of Dark­ness, without belying the Devil, during the time wherein our Souls are immur'd in these Walls of Flesh.

Christians, If ye think, these Kirk-Elves that show so cleanly, are not Bee­tle-blind with the love of Dung and Mo­ney, totus circumfluat Orbis, ut aequo li­tem dirimat judicio, let all the world stand about me, and Iudge.

Matmon, or Mamon in the Hebrew Vide Fo­rerium in Is. 32. 7. & 45. 3. Language, signifies Riches and Treasures, as in the Chaldee, Mammon, or Mam­mona. And Matmon hath his Origin from taman, in tenebris abdidit, he hath hid­den in darkness. And therefore Mat­mon signifies the Riches of Darkness and Obscurity. In which respect the crooked Serpent, Iob 26. 13. which in the Vulgar Edit. Vulgat. Latin, is Coluber tortuosus, the Snake or Serpent that windeth and turneth many wayes; and which, the Septuagint shape [...], the Apostate-Dragon, Sept. Symmachus paints with dark Colours, [...], the Serpent that Sym. shuts up Treasures, and keeps them fast with Iron Bars, upon which Trea­sures he sits, and about which he folds him­self. And the Septuagint give fine Gold, 28. 15. [...], conclusure, or Sept. shutting up, yea, the Hebrew Word Ke­lai, Is. 32. 7. Th [...] Churle, genuinly sig­nifies concludentem, one shutting up, from Kala, conclusit, he hath shut up. Speak VVorld, have not these Cloak't-Harpies [Page 176] turn'd Stolen Goods into Hidden Trea­sures? and have they not run with St. Hierom in his derivation, according to whom, the Chaldean Mammona, cast S. Hier. c. 6. Mat. back into his Ingredients, is min mona, signifying, from Violence? Have these covetous Preachers, these lovers of Dark­ness, perfectly Preached the perfect Law of God; these tempting, these alluring Times, I, or no? The VVorld, and the loud Ecchoes in the Dark Vaults where their Treasures of Darkness ly hidden, and the Dragons there, cry, no.

To take up this Apostrophe. Complica­bo velae. I will quickly fould up here, ha­ving first shewed in a Parable, that our false prophets are Lucre-wise, and, Si quis odor lucri nares afflaverit, Gain-Hunters, and Fly-Catchers.

The Church of England in the non age of this latter Age was with Child. And she brought forth her Eldest Son. He grew and was apt to learn, and to make a good Scholar. To him as her Eldest and best she gave her Lands. This was the Bishop. Speedily after, and before the Sun had ran with all his hast through the twelve signs of the Zodiack, she brought into the light another Boy, the Prebend. To him, as the second, and loving his elder Brother, she gave goodly Houses, annex­ed [Page 177] to Cathedral Churches; and there­with, fit Pensions. Shee was big again presently, with more hast than good speed; and brought into the World, an­swerably to her Carriage; a poor, weak, rash, dull, simple Boy; for whom she provided as simply, dully, rashly, weak­ly, poorly. That was the poor Curat, living under the severe Impropriator. To him (having already given away Lands and Houses) she freely gave in a manner, the Wallet behind the Door; and left him in a craving condition; a condition altogether improper. There laid she down her humour of Child­bearing, for many years. At length the Humour had taken her again, and she conceived, and bore with great pain, and brought forth in a fright, and with much trouble, and imminent danger of Life. her last Boy; to whom she gave a most hard Greek Name [...]: I will not call it Nomen absoletum, ac velut rubigine infectum, a Name grown out of use, and rusty: But, confidentèr dicam, I will say with courage, that it was never acknowledg'd before, in the pretended Sense. His Education was mean: For he was not bred up to much Learning. Yet Experience and Practice wrought him into a Peart Youth, but a most unhappy [Page 178] Knave, in the Sense of all English, new and old; and one that would act a part notably, and make mouths and faces at whole Assemblies of his best Friends. His Mother calls him to her, and sayes: My Dilling, my Dear Boy; Thou art my fourth and last Child: I gave my Lands to my Eldest; to my second, my Houses; my Wallet, to my third: and I have nothing for thee, save my Bles­sing, and my special Charge: Which is, I Charge thee upon my Blessing, to shift for thy selfe. And, to know, if this last Boy, this Child of Pain and Trou­ble, hath not shifted for himselfe; aske all his poor Brethren; ask the very peo­ple, qui eum adeò depexum dederunt, that have so trim'd him up, and plyed him with Resocillations.

This fourth Boy hath surely fallen up­on the Gospel of the Nazarites, or Hebrew-Gospel; and there found Matth. Evang. Nazar. 6. 11. Mahar, Panem Crastini; Give us this day the bread of the morrow: or, St. Hierom's Note there: and pin'd St. Hier. ibi. a new Construction upon it. David sings of Persons that were Sceleribus mancipati; the Mancipia, or Slaves of Wickedness, Psal. 53. 5. There were they in great fear, where no fear was; no cause of fear. The vulgar Latin, I l­lic Edit. vul­gat. [Page 179] trepidaverunt timore: There did they tremble with fear. In the plaining of which Verse, Hesychius calls such timo­rous Hesych. in Sept. and ague-shaken Persons [...], and [...], Persons fearing vain Noi­ses, and vain Spectres. And the He­brews Hebraei. named such Fear, the Fear of a Lye, or, the Fear of an Idol. Accor­ding to which fashion of Speaking, the Chaldee speaks for David here; Ibi ti­muerunt Chald. Paraphr. timere mendacii, quo non dece­bat timore: There have they feared with the fear of a Lye, with which it be­came them not to fear. Sophocles ap­plyes Sopb. in Electra. himselfe, [...], All things make a great Noise in the ears of a timorous Man: and moving or not moving, make him to move Motu Trepidaetionis, with the Motion of Trem­bling. And Aristotle is an Offerer; a­verring, Arist. in Pol [...]icis, lib. 7. c. 1. some to be so fearfully fearfull, that they fear [...], the Flies that fly buzzing about them. This Boy fears with an unreasonable Fear, Cold, Hunger, Starving; and that he shall be Fly blown before he is dead.

If the Jew be more caring and cove­tous, that having lost the God of Heaven, follows eagerly the Goods of the Earth: judge ye that have, as I, seen both. And now we have entred the Iew: I beseech [Page 180] you, inform your selves concerning Sta­tutum de Iudaismo: Which Statute was enacted under the Reign of Edward the first, King of England. Yee will there find in the Consequences, that the Iews Cook's Reports. of England were at last banished into Scotland. But ye cannot find there, when, or that they returned out of Scotland, or were transported to other Coasts. And the hatred of Perke, and Hogs flesh runs yet in the Blood.

I leave these hungry Preachers, as I found them, tearing all Milvinis ungulis ant aquilinis, with their Kites-feet, their Eagles Claws: or, as I have hunted them, untill I find them, as the crafty Fox, hung up in the Warren by the Teeth, with Selfe-Industry; amongst the dead Vermin. Beloved; In the old Orders of Baptism, the Greek, Syriack, Ethio­pick, Armenian, and Coptick or Egyp­tian; the Catechumenus did first pub­lickly make his Abrenunciation of the De­vil and all his Works; with his face turn'd towards the West. This done, he brought himselfe about towards the East, and then made as publick Profes­sion of his Faith, in the Words of the Nicen Creed: And for me, (I will speak it aloud, nec me Comprimam,) Be I fancyed an Energumenus, Competens, [Page 181] Catechumenus, or Neophyt, or what Men of low Knowledge please to scrib­ble me in their Fancies; I will utterly renounce the Devil and all his Works, while our most merciful God continues to me the commerce of Breath betwixt the Air and this my mortal Body; with my Face turn'd towards the North.

There is a second Doctrinal Inference, Which I will not set up, but with all it's Flags and Colours. Now I make my ad­dresses to the People, the poor plain Hearers of Sermons, which doe praese ferre legem Dei, make a fair appearance of Gods Law. My dearly-Beloved; Ponder it once more: The Law of God is perfect, God the Father gave the Law. And your Duty is, concerning this Law, given to you by the Lord God of the He­brews, the natural Father of Christ, and confirmed with a perfect enlargement, by Christ the Son of God: Osculamini Fi­lium, Kisse ye the Son, Psal. 2. 12. The foundest and sweetest of Kisses, is Oscu­lum Charitatis, the Kisse of Charity. Aquila commends it here to you, [...], Aquil. Sept. love sincerely. The Septua­gint are neer in Sense, [...], The Vulgar Latin latins it rightly; Interp. vulga [...] Apprehendite Disciplinam, Apprehend Instruction or Discipline. VVherein the [Page 182] Septuagint, saith St. Hierom, shewed S. Hier. in Prologo Galeato. their faithfull Respects to Ptolomy, Pla­tonizing in the Doctrine of one God: lest he should think that the VVord of God spake of more Gods than one. Sym­machus laies it forth, [...], Sym. worship him purely. O the sweet sym­phonizing of Interpreters! Summa vo­torum attigi, I have reached the top of my Desires, in this one Text. For; Be­hold here, the three Degrees of God's worship; inward, outward, instrumen­tal. Clemens Alexandrinus writeth of S. Clem. Alex. lib. 7. Strom. himself, and of other Primitive Be­leevers, Pedes attollimus in extrema Orationis Acclamatione; We lift up our Feet, in the end of divine Worship: to signifie, that we now are going upwards, and ready to practise what we have recei­ved in Prayer, or by Preaching. And the Primitive-Church-Word, after the receiving of the Eucharist, or Commu­nication of the Mysteries, was, Evo­lemus in Coelum; Come, Brethren, let us fly away into Heaven: We are now made one with God, and are no more earthly. These were Christianae Digni­tatis insignia, the Signes and Manifesta­tions of Christian Dignity. It is just therefore, that the Hebrews expresse the Word Tephilah, signifying Prayer, [Page 183] from the Chaldean taphal, interpreted, Copulare, to couple, joyn, make one. God's Work upon us, is not as the Work of the Work-man, that hews and carves the Stone into the Form and Image of a Man; and his Work ended, turns it off a cold hard stone without life, without motion: but as when he breathed into Man the breath of life; and the issue was, Gen. 2. 7. Factus est homo in animam Edit. Vul. Parapbr. Chald. viventem, Man became a living Soul; or, as the Chaldee, in aenimam loquentem, a speaking Soul; because it is one of Mans Excellencies, that he can utter his Soul by Speech. One stair higher; All that were not in the Ark, though some were advanced neerer Hea­ven than others, by climbing the tallest Trees and Mountains, were drowned: And though some of us, being Sermo­num Helluones, may frequent more preaching; and grow perhaps more tall in Morality than our Brethren, if we should be found Extra Arcam Ecclesiae, out of the Ark of the Church; All would be lost, Labour and Cost; and Pe­jore Res loco non posset esse, our Affairs would move in a bad place.

If then; the Persons delivering the Law, should be Frontis adeò inverecun­dae, tam funesti oris, ac fidei sublestae, of so shameless a For-head, so polluted [Page 184] and barbarous a Mouth, of so weak and faithless a Faith, that the perfect Law, by their disservice in the fomenting of Errours, and imbittering your Hearts, should imperfectly come to your Ears: ye would not receive the perfect Law of God. By the help of a Glasse, invented by Galilaeus the Florentine, the Hea­vens are pulled more neer to us, than to those of Aristotl's Time: But by the Preacher's Gloss, the Gloss of a preten­ded Galilean, flourishing, and growing upon the Ignorance of the People, our Heaven is every day removed farther from us. How shall a scattered Soul be swathed up, and succour'd in this Case? For, Plato knowingly calls Man, [...], Plato in Timaeo. an heavenly Plant; and there­fore he wants; and opening himselfe to­wards Heaven, begs with silent Oratory, saith Philo (the Jewish Plato) [...], Philo in lib. de for­matione Hominis. heavenly nourishment.

Your way must be the way of the old Saints of God in the Primitive Church. That is the Milkie way, with some Dis­parity; and leads us to the triumphant Court. Via lact [...]ae, saith Fromoudus, nihil aliud est, quàm innumerabiles stel­larum Fromond. Meteor. lib. 2. cap. 5. art. 2. fixarum Greges, qui cenfuso et pallenti lumine Tractum illum inalbant; The Milkie way is nothing els, but an innumerable number of fixed Star [...], [Page 185] which with a pale and confuse Light en­lighten and whiten that long Tract. The old Saints were fixed Stars; but their Light was not confuse, or pale. And the Tract whitened, and enlightned by the Primitive Apostles, and their Dis­ciples, is long. The fixed Stars are un­changeable, except in the motion of their Orb: The Moon is not. And therefore, Plut. in convivio Sapientum. Cleobulus in Plutarch, declares it in a Parable: because the Moon cannot be fitted with a new Coat. The People that doe not constare sibi, stand up to their Principles; can never be fitted with a Religion: Nunc excrescunt in cornua; nunc in Orbem videntur ire: nunc in a­cutum, nunc in obtusum desinunt: Some­times they have Horns, and they are sometimes Orbicular: Sometimes their Horns are sharp, dull sometimes, and obtuse: Stultus ut Luna mutatur, The Fool is changed as the Moon: And Folly and Heresie are both soon weary of themselvs.

Those of the Primitive Descent, and Race, will take thee by the Hand, and lead thee into the way of Salvation. God promised to old Sian, Psal. 132. 16. I will also cloath her Priests with Sal­vation. The vulgar Latin accord [...] Edit. [...] vulg [...] Sacerdotes ejus induam Salutari: And [Page 186] the Septuagint, [...], But the Chaldee goes off, to re­turn Sept. Paraphr. Chdld. more powerfully: Sacerdotes ejus induam vestibus Redemptionis; I will cloath her Priests with the Garments of Redemption: with one Garment, as Livers; with an other Garment, as Tea­chers. The true Preacher, or Preacher of Truth, shall be meek, humble, chast, Amphilo­chius in vita Ba­silii: De ijsdem quo (que) cle­rici Antio­cheni. Ep. missa nd Ioan­nem Con­stinopoli­tanum. E­pisc. con­tra Seve­rum Episc. suum hae­reticum quae lecta est Actione primâ Sy­nodi Gene­ralis Con­stantinopo­litanae. temperate, a Contemner of the World, and shall recover the People out of their evil Courses, with heavenly Doctrine, firing their affections, and with Exam­ple that is Angelical. The safest passage through the Deserts of Arabia, is, when the Passengers joyn themselves with the royal Caravan. Such Doctors will in­deed, Praemansum in os inserere, feed thee being a Babe with chewed Meat; but with sound Nourishment. These will conform thee to God's Ordinances, and prepare thee for them by Ordinances of Preparation. These will evidence to thee, that in the old and venerable Times under the Gospel, over the Places in the Temples, where Baptism and the Eu­charist were administred, there were hanging Columbae aurcae vel argenteae, the likenesses of Doves in Gold or Silver, to teach emblematically, that the Holy Ghost is given to the worthy Receivers of the Sacraments.

If ye object: The Primitive Do­ctors had their Errours; and they were but Men, as we are. I answer: When any Doctor of the Primitive Church erred, others presently were found, that stood up in the face of the Church, and contradicted him. We require therefore a consent of Doctors of both Churches. (the Latin and Greek) in or about the same Age, by which we shall gather the voice and Doctrine of the Church then­flourishing. To the second Part: They were but Men as we are; if we consider them in their Nature or Essence: But if considered in their gracious Accidents, by the which their Nature was greatly perfected, and spiritually beautified and strengthened; they were not Men, as we are: For, they were more pious, more familiar with God, more neer to the Fountain, and the purer streams of Truth; more humble, more industrious, more delighted with Fasting, Watching, Pray­ing. And it utterly betrayes your Cause, that ye cry down all the Fathers, to set up your selves, and your Interpretations of Scripture, above them all: Which true and wel-grounded Humility would never do. And now, the Cryers are cryed down, and themselves come ad in­clinatam fontunam, et prope jacentem; [Page 188] qui, quoniam inciderunt in Foveam, ob­ruantur. Accinat Providentia: Amen.

If ye farther object. The consent of the Fathers, is but a signe of Likely-hood or Probability, according to the Philoso­pher, Probabile est, quod multis sapienti­bus Arist. lib. 1 Topic. c. 1. videtur. And the Doctrine of such is but Dogmaticall. I answer farther: The Doctrine of the Fathers was not true, because it was the Doctrine of the Fa­thers, but because it was the Doctrine of the true Church, in the which, and of the which, they were.

Thou therefore, O Hearer, Keep thy Soul diligently, Deut. 4. 9. Keep it from the Locusts of the North. The Devil is called, answerably to many Greek Copies and to the Printed Arabick, and Gospel Evang. Graec. Evang. A­rabicum. Evang. S. Mat­thaei. Heb. of St. Matthew in Hebrew, [...], Deus, or Balus Stercoreus, the Dung-Hill-God, or Dung, God: and agreeably to many like Names, which the pious Part of old Jews threw upon him and his Temples. The Syriack Paraphrast names him [...], that is, (as the Sep­tuagint Syrus Pa­raphr. Sept in the old Testament) [...], Dominus Muscarum, the Fly-God, or Lord of Flies. He was the great Ma­ster-Fly, that corrupted our Nature. S. Greg. Naz. Orat. 4. in Iulia­num. And his Ima [...]e, saith Nazianzen, though it could not fly, was yet hew'd into the [Page 891] shape of a Fly, as Dagon had a Dag, that is, a Fish for his Tayl. The Fly flies up to us, on every side of us, buzzing into both our ears. And the Devil in his Instruments, rides up to us, as it were, in a Serpentine Motion We know not by his Motion, on which side he will first set upon us. And in his on­set, quos conficit Maeandros? how ma­ny turnings and windings does he make? The Swarms of Flies, were one of the greatest Plagues of Egypt, Exod. 8. 21. The vulgar Latin affords, Omne genus Edit. vul­gat. Muscarum, all kinds of Flyes. The Word in the Hebrew is arob: which, if the Root be taken up, viewed, and ope­ned; signifies a mixture or miscellanie, without any kind of separate Specifica­tion. Some determine it to wild Boasts, as, Josephus the Jew; and the Chaldee Ioseph. An­tiq. lib. 2. Chald. Paraph. Pagn. Paraphrast, that interptets it, Mixtu­ram Bestiarum noxiarum, a mixture of hurtfull Beasts; a Rout, a Rabble, Hell broke loose: Also, Pagninus, whose Interpretation is, Omne genus ferarum. all kinds of wild Beasts; Also, R. So­lomon, who lets loose, Turbam Serpen­tium R. Solom. & Scorpionum, a throng of Ser­pents and Scorpions: And Aben Ezra; Aben Ezra. that affrights us with his Interpretation, being Incursionem Leonum, Pardorum, [Page 190] Luporum, an Incursion of Lions, Pards, and Wolves. Others refer it to Infects, or unperfect Creatures upon the wing; as St. Hierom, the Septuagint, and Aquila; who give it, a Miscellany of Flies; For, Aquila lets it fly, [...], the Aq. Sept. Editio S. Hierom. in Exod. 8. Philo Ja­daeus. Septuagint, [...], which is latinized by St. Hierom. Philo the Jew prefers [...], Dog-Flies, inferring their impudency, importunity, Doggish bi­ting. Philo is carefully followed by O­rigen, St. Austin, Theodoret. And these our Dog-Flies, Caninâ Rabie fu­rentes, involant in Hominum Bona, & Famam, raging with doggish madnesse, fly ravenously upon the Goods, and good Names of others. And the People (which tears my Mercy-Bowels, when I think of it) Plagued vvith them, and bitten by them, are almost incurable. For, as upon the biting of a Mad-D [...]g, there ensues a Disease call'd [...]. a fear of Water. And as persons thus bitten, and fearing Water, fear com­monly the Water of Life, that is, the Remedy of their Disease; They think they see an unclean Dog in the Water, even vvhen it is exactly pure and clear; Ruffus a­pud Pau­lum Egi­netam, l. 5 cap. 3 (yea, Ruffus the Physician alledged by Paulus Aegineta, telleth of them, that they are persvvaded from the dumb per­svvasions [Page 191] of their Imagination, they see in the VVater, the very Spectre of the Dog which bit them;) So the Person in­toxicated by the Dog-Fly, will not en­dure the living Water, or the Doctrine of Life; The Dog-Fly, in his thinking, is every where, but where indeed it is.

The Witch-Mark; or, the Signe velut inustum Cauterio, given, as it were, with an hot Iron; (let them re­member their chief Patron of this abo­minable Doctrine;) by the which, you shall signally know these devouring Lo­custs, (with Ira Dei, embroider'd up­on their Wings) and hungry Dog-Flies; Vide S. Bedam in Hist. Ang. lib. 4. these venemous Corrupters of the perfect Law of God; and in the shewing of which, I will hunc tibi exi­mere scrupulum, unscruple you, and clear it, that they are not unjustly cen­sured by me, as false and profane Tea­chers; is their Capital Doctrine, which leads up all their other Blasphemies, with as great a Train, as Lucifer draws after him when he moves his Court. Stand off when you hear it, lest you be poysoned with it. That God makes the Wicked, of purpose to damne them; without any consideration of what they will do, or how behave themselves, as reasonable Creatures, and enjoying [Page 192] gracious Proposals, in the way of this World. This is a most damnable Do­ctrine; and doth faces Hominibus ad quamcun (que) libidinem praeferre, Vsher men with Torch-light to the wilfull per­formance of their various Lusts. The ancient Church explodes it. Fulgentius S. Fulgent lib. 1. ad Monimum Regem. writing to Monimus, condemns it to e­ternall darkness; Quos praescivit Deus hanc vitam in peccato terminaturos, praedestinavit Supplicio interminabili puniendos; Those of whom God for-saw, that they would end their Lives in sin; he therefore decreed, should live in end­lesse punishment. Prosper of Aquitania, Pro [...]per Aquitani­ous ad Object. V [...]ncent. Resp. 3. throws it away as execrable; Omnium quidem hominum Deus Creator est; sed nemo ab eo ideo creatus est, ut periret; quia alia est causa nascendi, alia pe­reundi. God in truth, is the Creator, of all Men; but no Man is therefore cre­ated by him, that he should be damned; be­cause there is one cause of our being born, an other, of our being damned. These two Doctors chiefly debated this mat­ter. And the rest publish themselves to be of the same Heart, when the like occa­sion, or any bordering upon it, invites them. The Scripture treads this Hellish Doctrine under fe [...]t. Let one place speak for many, 1 Chron. 28. 9. David saith to So­lomon his Son, of God & Solomon; If thou [Page 193] seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. God's final casting us off, is condi­tional; if we forsake him. Reason ab­hors this unreasonable doctrine; yea, san­ctifyed Reason, devoutly waiting upon Scripture. For, if God excludes not a Man from Salvation in time and in effect, untill the Man effectually and in time forsakes God; then assuredly he reject­eth no Man in Decree and Purpose, but such a one as he foresaw would forsake and reject him. Observe the Ground. God's Acts in Time, are measured and regulated by his Decrees before Time. There must therefore be a strict and ri­gid Conformity between them, as be­tween Regulam, et Regulatum, the Rule, and the Thing ruled or regulated by it, You see how this Ignis sopitus, Fire slee­ping in Ashes, being stirr'd a little, ri­ses with a flaming Sword and Point, a­gainst Heaven, against Scripture, Grace, Reason, righteous Antiquity.

The mishapen Doctrines, that this horrible-one twisted with others, draws after it longo Syrmate, in the long Train, are scarcely to be nam'd amongst Christi­ans; As proclaming God, ( Horresco referees, I tremble in the naming it,) who is 2 Cor. 1. 3. the Father of mercies, [Page 194] and one that hath, Ezech. 18. 32. No pleasure in the death of him that dyeth; to be (I'le speak it in short, it must not stay long upon my Tongue) the greatest of (shall I go on? I must, for your In­formation,) the greatest of Tyrants, and of Hypocrites. Such a one they make their good Gad, their dear Father.

O Christian Souls, Fear not the sha­dows of Death, and smoke of Hel; which these Fumivenduli, Smoke-sellers sell in Pulpits. Fear not their evil and uncrea­ted Looks, when they disfigure their fa­ces, as those ill-look'd Hypocrites, Mat. 6. 16. For, even with Cave and Cylin­der Glasses, we may reflect any shape of Anticks, Monsters, Devils, and those hanging in the Air over our Heads. These are of the Family or Faction of Barthochahas in St. Hierom; Bartho­chabas Auctor Seditionis Judaicae, stipu­lam S. Hieron. Ep [...] ad R [...]ssinum. in ore succensam anheliru ventilabat, ut flammas evomere putaretur. He had so medcin'd his mouth, and he so manag'd a Device in it, that he seemed to vomit Fire.

Beloved, It burns in my Bowels, and I cannot hold it. Some call'd Separa­tists, (and they are so, and more than so, as separating from the Church, not in Communion onely, but also in Faith;) [Page 195] are better-marrow'd, and more Evange­lical, than these Pulpit- Ignes-fatui, foo­lish Fires; than these Preachers, ex ar­gilla et luto conficti, of dirt and clay. He that compares the Independents with the Presbyterians, compares the Nephi­lim, or Giants that made others to fall before them, with the Pygmie-Archers on the Towers of Tyre in the Vulgar Translation, Ezech. 27. 11. Which are Translat. Vulg Prima Editio Aquilae. Lyra, et Forer. in Ezech. called also in the first Edition of Aquila, [...], Pygmies They were set there, as Lyra thinks, ad Hostium irrisio­nem; to mock the Enemies of Tyre, from the top of those invincible Tow­ers: though Forerius tuggs for it, that, the Towers being high, the Watch­men seemed Pygmies to the Beholders on the Ground. The Presbyterian Pul­pit-Archers, have crawled up to the top of a little Tyre-Learning; But the Giants, undepending of Tyres and Towers, in some of their Doctrines, are well­grounded upon Scripture-Ground that will never perish; and the Pygmies dare not come down to them on the Ground. The Presbyterians on the Walls of Tyre, cry out, that the Independents are the [...] of the Septuagint in Isaias, Ch. 13. Seducing Syrens. But the Indepen­dents might well send their Cries to the [Page 196] tops of the Towers, and hollow it to the Pygmies, that the Presbyterians are the [...] of the Septuagint, the Mon­sters divided betwixt Men and Asses, Sept. and the Satyrs of the English Bible; and might plead with reason, that these Asses have formerly drunk up the Moon. The Presbyterian objects, that an Indepen­dent Videatur Ludovicus Vives in S. Aug. de Civit. Dei, lib. 10. cap. 16. was call'd to preach, from behind an O [...]k; But let the Independent reply, that the Presbyterian was call'd by the Bird in the Ivy-Bush. And if the Courses of Independents, be the Dances of An­ticks, the Presbyterians began the Dance; Which Dance was not so well begun in any Respect, as in some Re­spects it is followed.

My loving Hearers, let me whisper a Word into your Ears. Go to God, in earnest and humble Prayer; Press him upon his Promises, and cry to him, for Denyall of your Selves, and of the World; And the Knowledge of the Truth, if ye closely pursue this grand Affair of the Soul, will soon follow, by the help of God; all things lying obedientially un­der his Feet. Ye shall quickly then be Undeceiv'd, and perceive a large Diffe­rence in Doctrines. The Silk-worm, and the Spider. What of these? They both work; and both, out of their own Bow­els [Page 197] and Substance. So far they work to­gether. Now they differ in their work­ing. One of them onely works substan­tially. The Spider works for his own private end and gain (great gain to gain a little Fly;) The Silk-worm wrought for the Tabernacle and the Al­tar, and still works. The Spider works a poor, thin, weak, black, idle Web; The Silk-worm, a rich, fair, Silken Sub­stance. The Conclusion falls thus, The Spider's Work is swept, and swept; swept down, and swept away; The Work of the Silk-worm, ( Verbo date Veniam) is a Courtier, is worn, and ad­vanced by Princes.

Certain Corollaries, or Gleanings remain; quae nè summis qnidem digitis, aut labris adhuc primoribus attigi; which I have not as yet touched. First, The Preachers and Keepers of this Perfect Law, are commonly contemned and slandered. What admirable Helps for the perfect knowing of Gods perfect Law, had the Pagans in the blessed Dayes of the Primitive Church? (As we go, Casaubon denyes the Sybilline Oracles, because they have spoken more Casaub. Exercit. cap. 1. plainly, and more particularly, than God's beloved Prophets; and therefore, he fathers them all upon our Primitive [Page 198] Teachers and Fathers; But he should have understood, that God acts in relieving us, according to our wants; and the Pagans needed more plain, and more particular Information, than the People of God.) And yet, the Beleevers and Teachers of that perfect Law, were most greatly dishonoured, and brought into Obloquy; and their Names inquinated, by those unbeleeving Pagans, the Con­temners of it. For, when Good is rais'd, and on foot, the Foundation of Hell shakes.

The Pagans reported, that the Chri­stians were Eaters of Man's Flesh. Which, some think, was occasionally ta­ken from the Words of Christ, delivered Form-wise in the Institution of the Eu­charist, Hoc est Corpus meum, This is my Body. That they worshipped the Sun. Which was first blown up and kindled, Vide S. Justin. in fine Apo­log. 2. & Epist. Pli­nii Junio­ris ad Tra­janum. Ioseph. con­tra Applon Gramma­ticum, lib. 1. as some conceive, by reason of their Praying towards the East; as others, by occasion of their Early rising to sing the Praises of Christ. That they worship­ped an Ass his head. Which took fire, Because the Christians under some Con­sideration, descended from the Jews; And the Jews had been accused of such Folly, though Josephus frees them; Of whom, some notwithstanding, it may [Page 199] be doubted, were stained in that part; because their Inclinations were ever swerving, and Idol-bent; and Sampson had acted wonders by the jaw-Bone of an Ass. The Paganish Story of the Wild-Asses going before them, and shewing them Water in the Wilderness, is a wild, and aery Fiction. That they came together unlawfully by night, eversâ Lucernâ; Which indeed, was the Sin of those unclean, lustfull, and false Professors, the Gnosticks. Lastly, That they were the dismal Cause of all the Wars, Earthquakes, Innundations, Pe­stilences, Famines, and Troubles of those Times. This ye may read in St. S. Just. Ap. 1 & 2. Tert. ad Scapu­lam, & in Apologet. S. Cypr. Contra De­metria­num. Justin, in the African Doctor Tertullian, and in Cyprian of Carthage: Likewise in others, apologizing for the Christians. The Pagans made the Church of Christ, Asinum Clitellatum, their Pack-Ass: And then, looking upon the Christians, not with all the Requisites to clear Sight and perfect Apprehension of the Object; but through these Calamitous Disasters, and those abominable and loud-crying Reports, cried aloud with them; Chri­stiani ad Bestias, Christiani ad Leones, The Christians to the Beasts, the Chri­stians to the Lions. For, Love and Ha­tred, are like the two Ends of a Perspe­ctive-Glass; [Page 200] whereof the one multiplies, the other makes less. Or, Man in this regard, is like a Turning-Picture, a Lamb on the one fide; a Lion on the other. Yea, Disaffected or angry Persons, are like Persons ill-affected in their Eyes; who, as Abenzoar sets them before our Eyes in his Description; see two Abenzoar. lib. 1. c. 1 Tractat. 8. Things, when but one presents it self; Every Man in their seeing, hath two Heads, four Eyes, two Mouths, two Bodies, four Hands, as many Feet; and is twice Himself, and a double Man; and is therefore, Monstrum, Horren­dum, Informe, Ingens; a huge, mishapen, horrible Monster.

Beloved, Cheirsh an Example or two, taken from the Cabinet of mine own Knowledge. To name the Persons, mi­hi Religio est, I dare not in Conscience. I knew an earnest Teacher of God's Law, publikely dishonoured by Persons wea­ring the same Sheeps-coat, and vexatious to him, (as beloved by the People for his opening the Scriptures in his Sermons, conformably to the Example of Christ after his Resurrection) and audito nun­ciantes, speaking by hear-say; and this, in Re gravi, in the aspersion of a most filthy Matter. When as I am superla­tively certain, That the Soul of the ac­cus'd [Page 201] Man abominates the very first Thought of such an Evil, with more a­bomination than any Stomack did ever abominate the Toad; and hates the re­membrance even of the noblest Act in that Kinde; although he may, after the common Rule of human Consideration, most honourably conform to it. When I first heard of this unchristian dealing for Christ, Ego continuo mecum, I said presently within my self, The Saints, if these be Saints, are horribly malitious. O ye false and evil Tongues, I will not tell you, that alios ex vestro judicatis Inge­nio, ye judge others by your own Acts and Propensities; The Malice of the Black­hellish-Accusers must needs then have been at full Sea, and the Sun of Righte­ousness, in Apogaeo, in the farthest point from them.

Moreover, I knew a resolv'd Teacher of God's Law, who resolutely, and with a bold Spirit, gave chast Counsil, from the perfect Law of God, to a rich Wo­man, poor by a generally-suspected Life; exhorting her to refrain the com­pany of a most lewd, and most execrable Fellow, who boasted commonly, that he commonly devoured qualified Poisons to procure Lust, and to render himself more acceptable to the Vile Prostitute, [Page 202] and who shew'd in his cortupt and beastly Mouth, that he kept alwaies in his Heart, as in a Seraglio, Variety of lewd shapes. The Sequel was. That Mis­creant was presently inform'd by Her, (O crooked Way!) of such adventu­rous Counsil given against him. And, Lust being alwayes impatient, he as pre­sently sought this Counsil-giver, found him, and so mangled him with an Irish Dagger, that he bears in his Body, the Marks of the Lord Jesus. The base Assassine glorying also, that his direct Intention was, to murther him. I know not, what, Men-and-Women Beasts do in the dark: But I know the Saying of Men walking in the light; Homicidium, Adulterium anteit in Praecepto, Subsequi­tur in Facto; Murther in the Precept, goes before Adultery, follows it, in the Fact. The desire of Babylas, Bishop of Antioch, and Martyr, was commen­dable; Suid. in voce [...], & Catalogus Episcopo­rum. qui id Amici [...] dedit negotii, who left it in charge with his Friends, to bu­ry him in his Chains, lest his dead Bo­dy should want it's livelyest Ornaments. It is the great Joy of my Friend, that his Body shall bear these Beauty-Marks, when his Soul shall be presented before God.

I reverently accept it, as a fair Staff of [Page 203] Christ's Song, his Wedding Song, or Spiritual Epithalamie, Cant. 6. 3. He feedeth among the Li [...]ies. The Lilie is the cleanest of all Flowers, and exalted from the Ground, by a long stalk; that it may be conveniently preserved in it's Purity. Christ feedeth, that is, abideth and sojourneth with men, whose Con­versation is Lilie-white, (O the black-Man, that hath Lilie-white in his mouth onely!) and lifted above the ordinary level of the World. The Christian should be the tallest Flower in all the Field, pure in his unknown Actions, as his known End is most pure. But Ma­homet's Paradise agrees more homogene­ously Vide Alco­ [...]anum A­rabic. azoara 2. with such a wretched Captive of Lust and Beastliness, usquedum à P [...]opo­sito resiliat; than the Blessedness of Christians; Of the which, Aquinas, Ul­tima D. Tho. p. 1. q. 12. art. 1: in Conclus. Hominis Beaetitudo in altissimâ ejus Operatione consistit, quae est clara divinae Essentiae Visio per Intellectum; The last Blessednes of Man consisteth in his highest Operation; Which is spiritual, and per­taineth to the Vnderstanding, being the highest Power of the Soul. God pre­serve all Superiour Powers, to whom, ac­cordingly with his Will, we owe Duty and Obedience; that they be not like, with relation to such dissolute Persons, [Page 204] the kind Ewe, quae Lupae Catulis mam­mam dabat, that gave suck to the forsa­ken Whelps of the She-Wolf, which afterwards, destroyed her, and her young, and all the Flock. Such are Luparum vetularum Amasii; Men of exorbitant Courses, now turnd over to Carnality. These are the Vultures that watch upon the Tree, while the Lion and the Boar try their strengths on the Ground. These judge all Ob­stacles to their Wickedness, Ense quasi Falce resecanda, to be cut down with a Sword, as good Corn with a Reaping-Hook.

Christian People, Of a declar'd Beast, and one that fears, every Day, the Devill, velut ab Hyposcenio redeun­tem, ac Pilis horridis obsitum, as if he were opening the Earth to swallow him alive into Hel; we expect nought be­sides beastly Conversation, and Hel­hatcht-Vngodliness. But of a Pulpit-Petifogger, Saint-mouth'd Thing in a brown or blew Covering; ye per­haps, expect a Civil and Saint-like Be­haviour. O the strength of Imagina­tion! All the Root of that Saintliness, is your in Fancy. And ye expect it ex Im­perio voluntatis. Your Expectation is commanded by your Will. But your [Page 209] Will is quickned by your Imagination, not by your Understanding. Could ye but once say to these walking Lanthorns, in the Spirit of true Zeal; Ite nunc, at­que aliis fucum facite, Go now to o­thers, with all your colourable Deceits, your whole Pack; Go, pack away; ye would be free, and others, fear­full.

But where am I? Ubi sum, ibi non sum; Ubi non sum, ibi est Animus. Wheresoever my Tongue is, let your Hearts wait at the Altar, and sacri­fise all the Dishonours of your God-Names, to the Honour of God's great Name.

Take now thy Son, said God to Abra­ham, Gen. 22. 2. thine onely Son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the Land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-Offering upon one of the Mountains which I will tell thee of. He must take now, presently; Not his Sheep, his Oxe, his Servant, but his Son; Nor, one Son of many, but his only Son. And his Sons name is Isaac, which in the Hebrew Tongue sounds Laughture. Take now thy Laughture, thy Joy. If Isaac be sacrifised, with Isaac all thy La [...]ghture dies: It is de­nyed to thee, O Abraham, to laugh [Page 206] any more. And this Isaac is not a Child, in quo desiderantur Ingentum, Pietas, Obedientia: that hath wrought himself out of the Love of his Parents, by his Disobedience. Behold his Name, and his Praise; Isaac, whom thou lo­vest; First, for his Wit, sweet man­ners and Morality. Secondly, for his Piety, and Obedience. Thirdly, be­cause he is Filius Senectutis, the Child of thy Old-Age; and old Abraham going out of the World, is now to leave his new likeness behind him, in young Isaac; in Isaac the laughing Boy, that made all the House laugh. Fourthly, because upon Isaac stood the Promise concerning the Messias; Gen. 21. 12. He must go into the Land of Moriah, a publick Place, and eminent. The Vulgar Latin, in terram Inte [...] p. Vulgat. Visionis, into the Land of Vision, or, the Land seen afar off. The Septuagint, [...], to the High-Land. Sept. Aquila, [...], the Land Aq. that is conspicuous, because in Ex­celso loco sita. Symmachus, [...], Sym. It was followed, and interpre­ted by the Vulgar Latin. He must offer him there for a burnt-Offering; He himself by himself, being his dear and most loving Father, not by an o­ther, [Page 207] must kill him, offer him, burn him; burn Isaac, offer Isaac, kill Isaac; kill his Laughture, offer his Laughture, burn his Laughture. He must tear from his own Heart and Bowels, all Natu­ral Affection, and strike his Son hard, and keep his Ey stedfast upon him, and wound his own sweet Child to death; and his pretty Child's Blood so shed, must run down upon the Ground, in severall streams, before him. And then, the pretious Body must be burnt in a Ho­locaust, no solid part remaining, to tell the Ey that Isaac once liv'd; and the Ashes of Isaac, Abrahams laughture, will now be the Winds mirth, and recreation. And he must not yet know, which of the Mountains shall be the sad place of Ex­ecution. Of that, hereafter. Abra­ham consents to all this, and rises early to do it, vers. 3. He tels no tales. His Wife knows nothing. He thinks within him, as Basil of Seleucia assequitur con­jecturâ: [...], Basil. Se­leuciae Episc. in Homil. de Abraham. Mothers overcome by the impotency of Nature, are grievous. He conceals it from his own Nature. A­brahams own Flesh and Bloud, must not be of the Counsel. O the Power of God, and of Grace! O the Obedience of Abraham the good old Man!

And, O thou injur'd person; Take now thy Good Name, thine only Good Name, which thou lovest; and while these murderous Tongues, not com­manded by God, but driven with a fire­brand, by the Devil, wound and kill thy beloved Isaac, thy Laughture, not in an uncouth, and unfrequented place, but in a publick one; let thy Wil, by most humbled and profound Submission to the Will of God, ly prostrate at the foot of the Altar, and then arise by the strength of a new Grace, and Offer it self a perfect Holocaust, in the flames of thy Good-Name, to the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. Let it be [...], all burnt: [...], let all the fruit be return'd to the Glory of God; let it be Calil, Consummated; and Ola, an Ascension; let the whole Sacrifice ascend, in fire and smoake, to God. And protest thou in this thy Sa­crifice, that thou art wholly God's, Soul, Body, Scarrs and all; and that he may demand thy Life, when he shall please. And do thou cry out heartily, Lord, thou art my Goods, my Good Name, Laus me [...], my praise, and my All in all, and beyond all that all the World owns.

My second handfull of Gleanings is, [Page 209] That ordinarily Men are forward, and bend themselves with some strength and alacrity, to the Law of God for a while, after a passionate Sermon, the death of a friend, or some great loss, or sickness; but they quickly wheel about again; and all their forwardness in Godliness, A [...]guilla est, elabitur; slips from them, Eel-wise. Is it praise-worthy in a Chri­stian Life, to imitate the flying fishes of Brasilia: which, after a fair flight, Lerius in Hist. Na­vigationis Brasilianae, cap. 3. in their flying from the bigger Fishes; are soon diving again into the Sea, as into a tumultuous and tempestuous World? O Christian Soul, Tibi hoc in manu est, nè fiat: The shunning of this evil, God's Grace puts into your Hand.

The first Reason of this our neglect, is; Because we are propense by Nature to coolness in good Acts and perfor­mances. It must therefore, be your care, that the Customary Acts, which should generate your good Habit, or that flow from it being now generated; be in­tense and fervent. For, tepid and remiss-Acts, will not expedite, or introduce, and build up a Habit. And, Aliqui Actus ab Habitu procedentes, diminuunt ipsum, as Ari­stotle Arist. lib. 2. Ethic. cap. 2. clearly proveth; Acts proceeding [Page 210] from a Habit, when they are incompti, impexi, negligently acted; diminish the Habit. Of▪ this thred it is; That by our neglect in the admission of the smaller sins, we are prepared for the Commission of the greater. The Ma­nichean S. Aug. super Ioan Tract. 1. in St. Austin, who led on the Catholick Christian to a belief, that the Devil was the Creator of the Fly, quickly brought him forward, per Ora­tionem quasi nimia religione attenuatam, by a Speech slender'd and attenuated with much Curiositie, to confesse the very same of the Bee, as being not much grosser; and afterwards the same a­gain, of the Locust. From the Locust he leapt ( the Locust had taught him leap) by a [...], a new Transition or leaping beyond kinds, to the Lizard: From the Lizard, to the Bird; From the Bird, to the Beast of the lesser bulk. From that poor Beast, to the Oxe: From the Oxe to the Ele­phant. From the understanding Ele­phant, to the reasonable Man, not di­stinguishing betwixt Repraesentationen [...] vestigii, & Repraesentationem Imaginis, the Representation of Gods Foot-step in the Elephant, and of his Image in Man. And at last, bringing both ends together by a Logical Sorites, laid [Page 211] the Man upon his back, and perswaded him unreasonably, and devilishly; that reasonable man was not created by God, but made by the Devil. Where St. Austin concludes; Ita ille miser, cum tadium passus est à Muscis, Musca factus est quem diabolus possideret. So that miserable Man, being troubled by the Flyes (which, the Manichean con­sidered) was himselfe made a Fly, and the Devil caught him. The Devil useth alwaies, a kind of Sorites, in perverting a good Life, so carrying his Discourse, ut ab evidentèr veris (aut veri similibus) per brevissimas mutationes, Disputatio ad ea quae evidentèr falsa sunt, perdu­catur. Holy Dorotheus also, hath put S. Doroth. Serm. 2. de Humi­militate. upon the Record; That a certain Chri­stian Brother, by degrees contemning others, more and more observed for Sanctitie; was in the end engulft into the contempt of the most sacred Trini­ty. By the like Artifice, we are drawn from better Things to Things good: Whereas the Will, which doth simply imbrace Good, is not evil: but yet, if imbracing the good, she throw off the better, she is disordinate; not in im­bracing the good, but in repulsing the better. You will say; outward Things pull you to them; you attend to the [Page 212] pull, and forget your Duty. But I will answer with Thomas à Kempis: Tho. à Kemp. [...]e Imitat. Christi. l. 2 cap. 1. Homo internus citose recolligit, quia nunquam se totum ad exteriora effundit: A Man living inwardly by Introversion, soon gathers up himself; because he never turns out, and pours abroad his whole self upon exteriour Things: but reserves always to himself inward­ly the best part of himself. And if your true Call [...] are more from the World, your Helps are more, and grea­ter from God. For, his Helps by a kind of [...], are more en­creased and strengthned, when opposed with Contraries: Then Christ is Em­manuel, which Aquila translates, [...], the Strong with us; alluding to the Word oft used by Aq. in Is. 8. 8. Sept. the Septuagint, [...] qui potens est, he that is powerfull: this being one of the ten famous Names of God in the Vide S. Hieron. ep. 136. ad Marcell. Old Testament, and the Name by which the Septuagint always render the He­brew Word, Ghibbor, a Giant. Then Christ shews himself, as he is call'd, Is. 9. 6. the mighty God: Where the Text Hebr. Hebrews speaks it, El Ghibbor, strong as a Giant for us, and with us. And as God is strong with you, O Christians, so must you validis incumbere remis, [Page 213] row strongly with your strong Oars, and totis initi viribus ut enaviges, endeavor with all your might, to scape safe to shore.

There is a second Reason of our Neg­lect. We are of those that Amos marks nigro Carbone, with a Coal; Amos 6. 3. Ye that put far away the evil day. Where the Vulgar Latin attends with, Qui sepa­rati estis in diem malum; Ye that are Edit. vulgat. separated, or set aside, as Anathemata, cursed Things, for the Evil Day. But the Hebrew Word, Menaddim, is of an Text. Heb. active Signification, and acts thus, Se­parantes vos ad diem malum, Separating you for the Evil Day: Whence the Septuagint denote, the Evil Persons to Sept. be the Agents, thus: Qui venitis ad di­em malum, Ye that come to the Evil Day. The Chaldee, Clarius, Vatablus, Chald. Paraphr. Clar. Vatabl. Rabbin [...]. and the Rabbins revolve it otherwise, and set up a Light in the Harbour, for the Eng­lish; Separantes diem malum, Separating the Evil Day; Or, ye that put the Evil Day beyond it self, that ye may sin more j [...]ially; saying▪ that the Prophets speak of Times a great way off. Tigurina are Tigurina. fashionable, Qui in longinquum rejicitis diem malum; ye that cast back the evil Day, a great way. And Pagninus yields, Pagn. Qui longinquum putant diem malum: [Page 214] They who think the Evil Day to be far away: and fear it not. For, as Aristotle Arist. lib. 2 Rhet. cap. 5. more than Philosophically speaks: Quae longinqua sunt, non metuuntur. Sciunt enim omnes fore ut moriantur; sed quia id propè esse non putant, ideò nullam curam suscipiunt. The Things far off, are not feared. For, all Men know they shall dy; but because they vainly think, that Death is not near them, therefore they take no Care. Didst thou posi [...]ively know, that thy Life hereafter shall be but of twenty years durance; in the end of which, thy Soul shall be Separate; thou wouldst not Separate the Evil Day; thou wouldst not separate thy self from the vi­sible Church of Christ: O how nice and circumspect wouldst thou be in the go­vernment of thy Life thus known? how thou wouldst eam circumqua (que) polire limâ, file and polish it on every side? But, because thou art encompassed with un­certainties, (which of themselves invite us to watchfulness,) thou art Callo ob­ductus, hardned with use, and continuall attendance upon them; and call'd to look farther, by Hope and Expectation; and art therefore, supinely negligent.

I have a third Hand [...]ull. The written Law of God, is a Rule to us, while this Life endureth: Which being ended, the [Page 215] Book shall be shut, and no more opened to us. My Brethren, shall I commend a Looking-Glass to you? Take that which the skilfull Spaniard made in the Dayes of our Fathers. In the which Glass, who­soever looked into it, beheld two shapes of himself; the one perfectly represent­ing him alive, and the other shewing him as having faciem Cadaverosam, the face of a dead Man. Thomas à Kempis rea­sons matters as if he had been altogether Thom. à Kemp. de Imit. Chri­sti, lib. 1. cap. 23. [...], taught of God: Quàm felix & prudens qui talis nunc nititur esse in vita, qualis optat inveniri in morte [...] O how happy, and how wise is that Man, who now strives to be such a one in his life, as he wishes to be found in his Death! Thou wilt cry then, my Brother, with a dolefull Voice, and a wofull Heart, O that I had lived agreeably to the most Perfect Law of God! Now therefore, live, as thou wilt then wish to have liv'd; the World being behind thee, and before thee, Heaven or Hell. The young-Man perswaded into a Bed, as his Death-Bed; and hearing the Bell, as tolling for him: rose a Penitent. The Hour of Death, is in some, a Seeing Hour. Do'st thou not see now, all Things here, te­nui pendentia filo, hanging by a small thred?

In the antient Greek Church, Excom­munication the Greater, was called Vide S. Greg. Neo­caesarien­sem in Ep. Canonicâ, quae ad­jungi solet Canonibus Photii. [...]. Persons manacled with it, stood altogether without the Church; be­seeching all whose faces were towards it, as with prayers so with tears, to be hum­ble Suters to God, who dwelt in that House, for Mercy towards them. Which action of crying and wet Devotion, gave them the Name Plorantes, Weepers. To some was interdicted the use of the Eu­charist only. Some were moreover put Hospin. Tract. de Templis. Vide Ju­stell: Notas in Codi­cem Cano­num Ec­cles. Vni­vers. ad Can. 25. into the Chatechumenium, as Hospinian calls it; and, according to Order, depar­ted before the Celebration of the Myste­ries, with the Catechumeni; when the word was given towards them, Ite, De­part ye. Another Sort of Excommuni­cate Persons, were thrown from the ma­jesticall Presence of God in the Temple, to attend him in the Porch; according to Vitruvius his Reason for Porches. All Vitruvius lib. 6. c. 8. these were ejected from the Communion of the Faithfull; but not as Excrements. For, still they might beg, and cry for en­trance, and they might be graciously re­admitted. But by an evill Death, we are pull'd up Root and Branch; and exuti Bonis omnibus ac spoliati, turn'd out of all.

After such a Death, there is no place for Prayers or Tears. It is a Truth be­yond [Page 217] the reach of Opposition, though Gelasius spake it, and though it be recorded by Gratianus: Mortuos suscitâsse legimus Gela. 1. in comm [...] ­nit [...]rio ad Faustum, Legatum Constanti­nop [...]lita­num, & allegat Gratianus Causâ 24. Qu. 2 cap. Legatur. Similia habet idem Gelos. Ep. ad Episco­pos Darda­niae, & allegat Gratianus. ibid. cap. Nec quis­quam. Concil. Cor. thag. 3. Can. 6. Christum: in errore mortuos absolvisse non legimus. We read, that Christ raised some from Death: We read not, that he pardoned any dying in their Sins. Where­fore the Hebrew Language calls the Grave, Duma; which properly signifies Silence. And the Greeks call the Bury­ing-Place, [...], a Dermitorie; Because there is no crying, or groaning for our Sins, in the Grave. Hither looks an old Canon of a Council of Carthage, in the which St. Austin was present; and to the which he subscribed: Placuit, ut Corporibus Defunctorum Eucharistia non detur. Dictum est enim à Domino, Ac­cipite, & Edite. Cadavera autem nec ac­cipere possunt, nec edere. It hath plea­sed the Holy Ghost, and us, That no Man shall put the Eucharist into the Mouths of dead Persons; as some unwary Christians have. For, Christ said, Take ye, and eat. But Carcasses can neither eat, nor take. O that I could in Animas Hominum irrepere, creep into the Souls of People; and lay this home to them! I yeeld it, that the Jews even to this Day, call their Burying-places Batte Caiim, the House of the Living: And that the High Dutch know their Church-yards by the [Page 218] Name of God's Glebe-Land, because our Body is therein sown a natural Body, 1 Cor. 15. 44. But, all thi [...]does homage to the Resurrection; in the which, our Body shall be raised a Spiritual Body; the Soul in the Saved, transfusing into the Body, as far as may be, her Spiritual Perfections; (it is contrary-wise in the Damned.)

My Heart akes, when I read of Wicked Men, Psal. 9. 6. their memoriall is peri­shed Edit. vul­gat. with them. The Vulgar Latin ser­veth up, Periit memoria corum cum so­nitu; Their Memory hath perished with the noise, or sound. The Lovers of the World, are in this line of Relation, as in others, compared to Hogs. When a Hog is laid hold on, & cries, all the other Hogs, both little and great, that are neer, come running from every side, and cry too. O what a mixt noise there is! But when the first Hog that rais'd the Cry, ceases to cry, though this be because he is dead, and can cry no more; they cease all, and turn them­selves presently; to their former digging and tumbling in the mire, without any fear or apprehension, that their turn is also comming to cry, and to raise a cry, and to cry no more. So while a Sick Friend, or other dying Person groans, and cries out, we are moved: Porcos dicam alto grunnitu grunnientes. But the noise and sound ceasing, arescunt lacrymae, our [Page 219] tears dry up, and our memories are short, and we forget the dead Friend; and looking out from our selves, and see­ing the World before us, we turn to our old wallowing in the mire; never consi­dering, that the Law of God is perfect; Vide Pa­racels. in libris de vita longa. and that, though Paracelsus were alive again, and had the dieting, and keeping of us, we must dye, as our Friends dye. If ever, O man from the Earth, Ear­thy, thou wilt meditate upon the night, of which the Gospel, Io. 9. 4. the night cometh when no man can work: Do it now, die jam in occasum flexo, & ap­petente Crepuscul [...]; the day being far spent, and the darkness of the night ap­prouching. Me thinks now, that I preach to my self. For, God oftentimes, speaks to us from our own Mouths.

Brethren, I greatly desire to dye the death of the Saints, pretious in the sight of God; That I may, to use the word of Theodor. Bals. in Canones Trullanos, Can. 52. Theodorus Balsamon in his sense, [...], sacrifice everlasting Praises to God, and celebrate a continual Feast with him in his glory; and being loosed from this earthly Tabernacle, be rapted away Sept. in Levit. 23. 36. & ali­hi sem [...]èr, cùm idem subsit in Orig. to the blessed Thing anagogically signifi­ed by that [...] of the Septuagint, to bear a part with the Saints in that hea­venly Song in the End. I have professed [Page 220] for you, these many years. And, That a Man may be joyn'd in Communion or Vnion with the Church of Rome, and yet preach here as a Minister, is a most false Alarum, and the mad bellowing of en­thusiastical and fanatical persons, and answerable to Presbyterian Ignorance. I will here unrip my Soul unto you. He that will joyn with Rome, must unroost here. No Law forbids a Man to groan when his pain comes. O that there had been alwaies in me, Virtus altis de­fixa radicibus, Vertue Deeply-Roo­ted!

I did once expect to have found in England, one bearing [...], a super­humeral made of Sheeps-Wooll, and signi­fying [...], as Isidore Pelu­siot, the skin of the Sheep which Christ Isid. Pelus. l. 1. ep. 136. sought, found, and carried home upon his shoulders; and which was alwayes put on in the pronouncing of these Words; accor­ding to Simeon Thessalonicensis: Sublatâ Sim. Thes­sal. in Bib­liotheca Patrum. in humeros, Christe, Naturâ quae errave­rat; assumptus, Deo & Patri illam ob­tulisti. O Christ, thou taking upon thee the Nature of Man which had erred; and ha­ving ascended did'st prefer it to God thy fa­ther. But, Verily, verily, I neither found here, the Patriarch that sent it, nor the Bi­shop that wore it. I found indeed, the [Page 221] most professing, and most shewing Peo­ple of all others; but amongst all others, the most prodigiously ignorant of Right and Equality concerning Practicable Matters; as is evidenced by the dayly practices of the People; their Desires and Works having no Bounds, or their Words Limits, but the Limits and Bounds which the Law of the Land hath forced upon them; over which notwithstanding, they leap, like the Wild-Beasts of the Forrest. I hoped to have entred upon, post Ma­gellanicos Tumultus, Aequor pacificum, after forraign Tumults, a peaceable Sea at Home. But by reason of some Kirk-Sea-Monsters, (who disguising their Ends, and bringing Non-Causam pro Causa, a Supposititious Cause for the Cause it self; and bleeding inwardly with grief, that their Congregations grew thin, low and lean; persecuted me:) I have lived here as in the Suburbs of Hell; and as amongst Conjurers, wea­ring Devils upon their fingers in Rings. In every touch, I felt their Devill stir, and work. And because he wrought not by himself, but by them. I could not command him to desist. The Devill in a round Ring was called [...], a Fa­miliar, giving Counsel. They wear the Devil in a Ring, that by devilish suggesti­ons, [Page 222] bring trouble and Hel-fire to every Thing they morally touch. Their moral touches, as their Tongues, are set on fire of Hell, Iames 3. 6. Fire, fire; the worst of all fires, the fire of Hell; fire, fire, Hell fire. I have dealt in this Na­tion, with rich-furred Beasts, (their Cases were far better than their Bodies) lurking under the Cinamon Tree, the Bark whereof is dearer than the whole Bulk. In fine, I have seen the very S [...]orm, and Loss, which the Triremis, or Gally-Tavern Athenaeus lib. 2. Cael. Rhodigin. l. 17. cap. 2. in the Sicilian Agrigentum, did undergo. And in the last Act, was horribly struck from above me, with a Perhaps you have a Pension from the Pope, tanqu [...]mè Machina, as out of the highest Seat over the Stage, from the which some feigned God appear'd, and spake Oracles. To Walk before God with a perhaps, is, to walk contrary unto God. Levit. 26. 21. And if ye walk con­trary Vatabl. unto me. Vatablus his Reading, is, Si ambulaveritis mecum cum Casu, If ye shall walk with me by chance, or at all adventures: I ye build the vast, and high Towers of your Scotch-Babylon, upon the nodding and shaking foundation of a Perhaps. For the Hebrew word Keri, Occursus, signifieth according to the He­brew Bias, as well Chance as Contrary. [Page 223] And he that comes contrary to me, oc­currit mihi, meets me running; and all Chances eunt obviam eis, meet those, and are upon a sudden, occurrent to them, in respect of whom they are such. Did this Child of Chance, this honest-Per­haps, ever understand how a Science is rais'd out of it's Principles? or, that Scientia procedit ex evidentibus, All knowledge proceedeth from Things evi­dent, and clear by the Light of Nature, or of Reason? Hic de Grege illo est; This is one of the old Herd.

And for a Pragmaticall, envious, ea­ger Man-Friggo [...], stirring up every where, before Women, [...], Word fighting; and larding his Discourses with greasy Language, and the same, a Preacher of Novelties; the Apostle describes him in his walking, Coloss. 2. 18. Intruding in­to those Things which he hath not seen. The Vulgar Latin devotes, ambulans, Edit. Vulg. Text Graec. walking. The Original, [...], And [...], as it is interpreted by St. Hierom, is, gestu corporis praeferre S. Hier. in Colloss. 2. Mentis Superbiam; in the garb of the Body, to shew the pride of the Mind. Vatablus consents, Fastuosus incedens, Vatabl. saith he; is proud, and pompous in his going, and sayes in his puft thoughts, with him in the Poet Seneca, Aequalis Sen. in Thyeste. [Page 225] Astris gradior, I walk equall with the Stars. And therefore, the Apostle pres­ses on, Vainly puft up by his fleshly mind. He walks in the stately Galleries of his own Fancy; and his Body walks, as his Soul walks in it. An Act of rash and false Iudgement, notabile Damnum inferens, at first, may carry a face of Iustice, but is like a beautifull Apparition, beckning to us to come, and, we following it in­to a dark place, suddenly turning into a must horrid shape, and strangling us. For, Difficile est in lubrico diu stare, It is a hard Matter, to stand long safe, in the dark, on a slippery place. I could send this walking Personage, a talking Page to Minister unto him. But, God hath uncased him. The World knows it. Ru­mor jam raucus factus est. Let me pitie the People, that were like the poor La­cedemonian Plut. in Lacon. youth, who having craftily stole a Fox, ran his way craftily, craf­tily thinking he had a rich Prize; And who craftily kept the Fox so long warm under his Coat, untill the Fox most craftily had bit him through his tender side into his Bowels. The Fox, not able cleanly to make me a Fool, would have made me a most unclean Beast. O most pure God, Knower of all Secrets, thou knowest, that our home-spun Jesuits, the [Page 225] Presbyterian Ministers, were, in this Ac­cusation, most false, and most unjust. And yet, although they durst not attest it be­fore me, or before my Friends; they dealt the Matter in secret [...] cunningly, that wheresoever I came to sit down, it flashed in my face: And they have made a wound, which the Weapon-Salve it self cannot cure. What abominable Actions, as being notoriously opposite both to Ju­stice and Purity, have both City and Country discovered to me, in the Lives of Presbyterian Ministers; and my Tongue never yet receiv'd an Order from my Heart to tell them? The glory of God hereafter may command a Discovery. Psal. 140 11. The Original pronoun­ces, Text. Heb. Vir linguae non stabilietur in terra: A Man of Tongue shall not be established in the Earth. The Targ, Vir qui loqui­tur linguâ tertiâ; that is, A man who Targum. destroyes three with his Tongue; the Per­son of whom he speaks, the Person to whom he speaks, and himself. And this is one excellent Reason, why the Presby­terian Ministers shall not be established in the Earth. If we go raking in the sink of the best Man's Life, we shall quickly prove him to be a Man. But, from scan­dalous Evil in Morality, I hope, God hath kept me.

Go then, O ye Priestbyterian Mini­sters; (I may as well mistake a word, as he that told be, the word in the Original is [...], and put me in mind of the Shepheard in the Eclog;) Go then, with your lyes of Defence, lyes of Offence, whole lyes, half lyes, quarter lyes; lyes with heads, but not with feet; lyes with feet, but not with heads; lyes with nei­ther head nor foot; lyes that are all belly; short lyes, long lyes, and lyes of a middle size; lyes whisper'd, and loud lyes; lyes of any bredth, of any length, of any bignes; a lye that playes or sings the tenor, a mean lye, and a base lye; lyes of all sorts, of all colours, of all fashions; (a lye will ye buy?) lyes that still, and ever lye, and yet, never lye still.

O these unhallowed Instruments, un­fortunate in all their Attempts, because Evil in their Intentions and Practices: And very like that Impure Limb, and Trophy of incarnate Malice, and Mis­chief, risen from one poor Shift to ma­ny: Who stooping in his Drunkenness, to his Vessel to draw Wine; drop'd himself as the Droppings of the Vessel, into the Vessel of Droppings; and left the Wine showring upon his Head, untill being al­most drowned in the Floud & the Showr, he was drawn forth by the heels, and lest [Page 227] uttering his loathed Stomack upon the Ground! May these blinde Guides, drunk with Malice, and vomiting their Ma­lice, be called Saints? Can that Soul­dier be true to his Cause, or General, that encourages with invitation, and with mirth and tacit assent allows his Guests, execrating his General, to call their Unclean Dogges by his Generall's Name?

But God forgive them; and grant, that they be scourged with punishments, ad Correctionem, non ad Destructionem, to Correction, not to Destruction: And that their Temptations end, as God in­tends them, in Triumpho, in Triumph, non in Ruina, not in Ruin, as they are in­tended by the Devil. Yet, I would fain open to them a Case of Conscience. Za­cheus sayes to Christ, Luk. 19. 8. If I have taken any thing from any man by false Accusation, I restore him four-fold. The Text proceeds, v. 9. And Jesus said unto him, This Day is Salvation come to this House. Why doth Zacheus engage to restore four-fold? The Casuists answer, Because the Damage was three-fold: For, false Accusation is injurious, First, in taking away our good Names; Secondly, in retaining them; Thirdly, in creating much outward loss, and inward vexation. [Page 228] And he restores four-fold; because he will go a degree beyond what his Adver­sary can require of him. And present Re­stitution being promised, he that was Lord before, is now Jesus; and Salvation is come to Zacheus his House.

People will here expect an Account of my Faith. I will here faithfully give it. The Myrrhe that sweateth out of the Tree of its own accord, and is called Myrrha prima, or Electa; is far more pretious than that which runneth forth, the Tree being cut or prick'd. Voluntary Confessi­ons are most sound, and honourable. It is known, that Scholars grow every Day more knowing. I begin.

1

I beleeve, That Worship is due to God, quatenus est Principium Essendi atque Existendi, as he is the Fountain of all Being. And I deny with a Christian Resolution, all such Worship to Saints or Angels; because I received no kind of Being from them, as the Fountain of it. And for a Picture or Image; they are void of Life, and intrinsecal Motion, and cannot help themselves, much less save, or deliver me.

2

I beleeve, That no Man can be saved [Page 229] precisely by his own Merits; or, hath a­ny Merit in him in Order to Salvation, except by the Merits of Christ, and the Grace of God. And, That Prima Gratia non cadit sub Merito, The first Grace cannot be merited: as neither the Death or Incarnation of Christ was or could be.

3

I beleeve, That God only is able to forgive Sins, by an Original Power in Himself: But I finde, 10. 20. 23. That he delegated this Power to his Apo­stles, to be ministerially performed by them.

4

I beleeve, That Christ is present in the Sacrament: But not so, that a Man receiving the holy Sacrament, chewes the Flesh of Christ with his Teeth; or, that the Body of Christ car­nally nourishes the Receiver; or, goes a­way in the Draught.

5

I beleeve, That some Priests were ma­ried in the antient Greek-Church: and that first Mariages of such Persons, were allowable in that Church. But I, a Mem­ber of the Western Clergy, have experi­mentally found little Comfort in Mari­age, little outward, and less inward [Page 230] comfort. I only set in publick, this my private experience.

6.

I beleeve that Men may pray to God in any Language, if they understand it: But to preach to the People in an un­known Tongue, is ridiculous, and be­sides the end of Preaching, which is, the Edification of the People.

Hitherto I have said nothing, but what a knowing Papist will say. And therefore, our Pulpits, and the simple ears of our people have been abused by the Devils Ianizaries. It remains; that I beleeve the perfect Law of God, as I have here described it. And I reject the Presbyterians, as Vpstarts; and be­cause their Ancestors are not recounted in Sacris Diptychis, and as the causes of Iliads of Ills, and Myriads of Mischief. But I have done; and parumper [...]os ob­dam mihi pessulo.

Well, I have been Terrâ jactatus & alto, tossed both by Sea and Land. Fain would I be a Saved Soul. O then, let Tho. à Kemp. l. 3. de Imitat▪ Christi cap. 8. Idem ibid. cap. 13. me pulverize my selfe in valle nihilcita­tis meae, as it is in Thomas à Kempis, in the vally of my Nothingness; and so humble my Self, as the same Author exhorts, ut omnes super me ambulare possint, & sicut lutum pl [...]tearum con­culcare; [Page 231] that all Men may walk upon me if they will, and tread me under feet as the dirt of the streets. For I have singularly deserv'd it. I have in­finitly more cause, than St. Bernard, to bemoan my self in his words; Eg [...] S. Bern. ep. 249 ad Bernar­dum Pri­orem & ali [...]s. enim quaedam Chimaera mei Saeculi, nec Clericum gero, nec Laicum: I a certain Chimera (or Monster) of the Age wherein I live; have neither demeaned my Self like a Clergy-Man, nor yet like an upright Lay-man; But am like some amphibious Beast, living betwixt the Possession of Land and Water; God and the World.

O my Soul, prepare diligently for the Time wherein thou must leave thy Body: and give an account of thy Conformity to the perfect Law.

St. Iohn, being in the Iland Parthmos, was entertain'd with many visions. He describes one of them; Apocal. 6. 8. And I looked, and behold, a pale Horse, and his name that sate on him was Death; and Hell followed with him. The Ori­ginal calls that which we name pale, [...]. Which-Word, truly and ful­ly signifies both pale and green. It signifies in its first, and more native Signification, the green colour of Herbs; and thence, in a second Signification, [Page 232] their Paleness in their withering. The Reason why this Word is assumed by the Holy Ghost here, is, Because the Death of the Godly, and the Death of the Vngodly, are of different co­lours: and Death presents himself to the Godly, as upon a Green Horse, a­dorn'd with all his trappings of Herbs and Flowers, the Glory of the Spring; Green being the Spring▪ Colour, a Co­lour that is recreating, and a Mark of Hope, of Cheerfulness, and of Re­newing; and which implyes the begin­ning of Comfort, and the neerness of Summer and Harvest. And such is Death to the Godly. But the pale Colour, is the Colour, not of entrance into Ioy, but of Death as Death; of Horrour, of Destruction. And such a gastly Death's Look, Death casts upon the wicked and ungodly. Though Malice may look Pale upon this green Horse, and wil not submit to it: I am confident, the Note is not omitted by any of the most notable Interpreters. The green Horse doth also cast a shadow upon the joyfull Resurrection of the Godly, when their bones shall flourish like an Herb, Is. 66. 14. O this blessed Spring-Colour! what shall I do to see it?

O that blessed Day, when the Bride­groom [Page 233] shall call away the Spouse in these words, Can [...]. 4. 8. Come with me from Lebanon, my Spouse, and look from the top of Amana! The word [...] in the Septuagint, signifies S [...]pt. Frankincense. Come with me from the Mountain of Frankincense; of sweet­smelling Prayers and Meditations, as­cending as Frankincense▪ Am [...]na, saith Lyranus, was a high Mountain in the edge of the Wilderness, over-looking Lyran. in Cant. Candan; from the which, the Iewes beholding the Land, and the Riches and Beauty thereof, there made Coronets of Flowers, and wore them on their Heads, in sign of Joy and Congratu­lation. For which cause, the Vulgar Interp▪ vulgat. Latin sends it forth in a sweet Air: Co­ronaberis de capite Amana, Thou shalt be crowned on (or from) the top of A­mana, the top of thy Devo [...]ions having in view, and almost in possession, the promised Land. What Land? Heaven. O that blessed Mountain! that blessed view! that blessed Coronation!

If a poor Man had a fair and beauti­full Child, a Boy; and were certain, that he could not have more; And that this Child should have a Kingdom, if he liv'd to it; And thereby should pro­mote his Parents, and be the Ioy and [Page 234] Glory of all his Kindred, if he were safely kept, till he came▪ to Age; Would not the Parents of this Child, be care­full of him? Would they not follow him with ready Hands, and watchfull Eyes, which way soever he turn'd? Would not the Mother attend upon him, and still say, My sweet Child, take heed you doe not fall: O Child, there is a deep Pit, come back, God bless my Child. And though the Child should cry, she would not let him stay there, upon the brink of the Pit; she would rather carry him an o­ther way, and kiss away the thought of the way leading to the Pit. The Father would come home, and his first Saying would be, How does the Child? The little Prince of so great Hopes, that, we hope, will make us all great? Give's the meaning of all this, or, you have said nothing. Every Bo­dy, or every one of us, as we consist of flesh and blood, and sense only, hath a most sweet, and pretty Child; a Soul, beautified with God's Image; And we are certain that we shall never have more, more such Children. And this Child is an Heir of Heaven, and shall be a Prince, if it dies not before it comes to Age: And shall promote its [Page 235] Friends, if they keep it well; advance it's Body, and Senses, if they betray it not; which otherwise shall never be glorified, and which cannot be glorified by their own Industry: Shall we not watch over our only Child by a good life, and keep it from the Pit of Hell, and from the Fals and Knocks of sin, which bruise it, and break it, and kill it, that it cannot inherit?

Be thou therefore, O my Soul conver­ted, and conformed to the perfect Law of God, as it opens before thee the per­fection of the necessary Parts of a Chri­stian; and as it promotes thee in the perfection of Degrees. Say to the Flesh, Viscus merus es, thou art meer Bird­lime. To the World, Abi lutum, Naturam haud amplius urgebo super­ft [...]is; Go dirt, I will not any more urge Nature with superfluities. To the Devil, praestigiis tuis detenta jam diu fui, delinita lencciniis, I have been long thy Slave, I belong to Iesus the Conquerour. Say to these Preachers, ye are ignavum pecus, a dull kind of Cattell; ye have learned a tumbling trick with the lip and tongue; but for Action. ye know not the behaviour of Zeal, Humility, Charity, or of any true vertue: And I will rather ire ad [Page 236] genua praetereuntium, beg my bread of all others, than close with you. Say to God. Abba Pater, miserere mei: Father of Christ, and Father of Christians; Fa­ther of Iew, and Father of Gentil; Father before, and Father now; have mercy upon me. And then, look be­fore thee.

God saith to his People, Numb. 14. 30. Doubtless ye shall not come into the Land concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the Son of Jephunneh, and Joshua. Why should these two onely enter into the Land which typified the heavenly Canaan? Caleb, saith Procopius, one of the lear­ned Procop. in Numb. 14. Grandies in the Hebrew Language, signifyeth every Heart (Leb is a Heart.) And Jephone signifies Conversion. And as Ioshua was a Type of Iesus, the Cap­tain of his People▪ and he that won for them the Heavenly Canaan: So Ioshua, in it's true Signification, is Iesus, a Sa­viour▪ The mysticall Sense therefore, is; (and it hath something in it, of the tro­pologicall, allegoricall, anagogicall; as it relates to Manners, to the Church militant under the Gospel, to the Church triumphant in Glory:) Doubtless no man shall enter into the Heavenly Canaan, except the Person having a Heart which [Page 237] is the Child of Conversion; and that goes with Jesus, fighting under his Banner. For, Ioshua and Caleb stood for the Head and the Body; Christ and his Church. There may be a Spot in a Gar­ment, quae nullo potest elui lixivio, Which cannot be washed off. But, the Bloud of Christ will clense thee from all Sin.

The Bridegroom promiseth to the Spouse, Cant. 1. 11. We will make thee Borders of Gold, with Studs of Silver. For which, the Vulgar Latin exhibi­teth; Inter p. Vulgat. Muraenulas aureas faciemus tibi vermiculatas argento, We will make thee little collars or necklaces of Gold, worm'd, or embroydered, or checker-wrought with R. Abrah. in hunc locum. Silver. R. Abraham descanting upon this place, (though few of the Iewish Rabbins have commented upon the Book,) affirmeth that these Neckla­ces (in use then) were made of Golden Turtles, drest and flourished (perhaps on the Bill, Wings, Feet,) with Sil­ver. And therefore, some translate here, for Borders or Necklaces, Turtles; others, Iewels; the Hebrew word Thorim sinify­ing both. The Soul espoused to Christ, must carry for her continual adorn­ment, the mourning Turtles about her. She must remember that her Heavenly [Page 238] mate is gone before her; and, the way by which he went, the Crosse; and the occasion of his Coming and Going, her Sins; and be groaning alwaies inward­ly.

Thou knowest now experimentally, O Soul of mine, That many Christian Matters have been propos'd here, illegal­ly, confusedly, falsly, and with all the de­ceiveableness of unrighteousness; and, that Christian Truth, sanctified with the Bloud of Christ Incarnate, God made Man, must needs be the highest Thing, and the most Soul-ravishing, of that Or­der. Enough. My Powers, and the Pow­ers of Hell are now in Procinctu. And, Res est jam in Vado, Here is a shallow place, it is not far to the shore.

O great God, what shall I say more to the People? The Sins of the People have carried them beyond all that a Man can say. I Will, I must say with David, Psal. 60. 3. Thou hast made us to drink the Wine of astonishment. We stand in the hearing of our perfect Du­ties, like People astonished, but we stir not a Foot in the performance of these our perfect Duties; And the Fit of asto­nishment being gone, we idolize our selves, as before we did. The Septuagint turns it up, [...]. Sept. [Page 239] Which, the Vulgar Latin readily turns Edit. Vulg. again, potasti nos Vino Compunctionis, Thou hast given us to drink, the Wine of Compunction. O Heaven and Earth, what strange Compunction may this be? Aquila states, [...], Wine causing Aq. Sym. Drunkenness. Symmachus puts forward, [...], Wine causing a rude Storm in our Brains, as Wind causes Commotion in the rude waves of the Sea. In such a troubled plight was Cain, having kill'd his Brother. For, Cain, according to the Hebrew and Syriack, saies the Greek Scoliast upon the Septuagint in Genesis, Scoliast. Graec. in Gen. was [...], moving ever to & fro. (Some have said, that the Hair of Cain and Iudas, was Coloris mustelini, Weesil-colour'd; I am sure, their mo­ving Hearts were black and foul.) Hesy­chius Vide He­sych. hic, & in Isai­am. admonishes, that the Word of the Septuagint, is digg'd from [...], the night: whence also falls [...], I sleep. We are like a person violently wak't out of his Sleep, that starts up and stares about him, and presently lyes down a­gain, upon the soft and yielding Pillow, utterly forgetting that he was awake. St. Hierom, full of these thoughts, forms Edit. S. H [...]eronymi. it; Potasti nos vino consopiente; Thou hast made us to drink wine casting us into a dead sleep. Another Text reaches to­wards [Page 240] this, Is. 29. 10. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the Spirit of deep sleep, and hath cloased your eyes. The Vulgar Latin also lets it go, Spiritum Inter. Vul. Sept. S [...]poris, th [...]e spirit of sleep. The Septu­agint return their old word, [...], compunction. Which they seem to have administred, saith Hesychius, for [...], Soporation. I rather deem, that by compunction, they mean transpuncti­on, either to signifie, that when the Ear is boared with an instrument, which breaks through the Organ, the Sense is lost; or, that a boared vessel holdeth not Water. And in this Sense, our Hearts being boared, we have lost our hearing. Which directed St. Cyprian S. Cyp. l. 1. Epist. ep. 3 to pronounce of the Obstinate Iews, pertusa est illis Mens, their Mind is pier­ced, it holds nothing. And hence we say, Sermone Plau [...]ino, in the Phrase of Plautus, In pertusum Dolium dicta ingeris, you pour Words, as into a boared vessell. Our Hearts in a mo­ving Sermon, are full of the Sermon, as a Sive in the Water, of Water; Re­move the Sive out of the Water, and the Water is out of the Sive; the Ser­mon ended, our Sives, our Souls, lose all at the Church-door. Theodotion hol­deth up, [...], ecstasie, or alienation [Page 241] of Mind; urging, That whereas there may be two ecstasies in respect of one Man, consisting of a Soul and Body; one by the which we may be drawn a­bove our selves, to the honourable Orders of Angels, with Elias; ano­ther by the which we may he thrown beneath our selvs, with Nabuchodonosor, to the base and disorderly condition of Beasts: we are fallen out of our selves, into the last. Aquila useth [...], Aquila. the Spirit of profound sleep, otherwise called a Lethargy. The Chaldee spins Chald. Paraphr. it, Spiritum Erroris, the Spirit of Er­ror. The Syriack encountring it in Syrus Inte. St. Paul, Rom. 11. 8. Spiritum Stupi­ditatis, the Spirit of Stupidity. The He­brew Text Hebr. Word Tardema, signifies a Sleep that folds us up in the bottom of our selves, and transports us beyond the use of all our Senses; that we are, in a manner, beneath what the Fool in Aelian. Montal. lib. de Morb. c. 2. de M [...] ­lancholia. Montaltus did but conceive himself to be, beneath Shell-Fishes; which have the Powers of Touching, and of Dilatati­on & Contraction, in their lowest Degree.

Our Help must be, to pray for a Heart, even the Heart mentioned in the prayer of Solomon, 1 Kings 3. 9. An Vnderstanding Heart, discerning between good and bad. The Vulgar Latin writes, Interp. vulgat. Cor docile, an Heart apt to learn. The [Page 242] Hebrew founds it, Cor audiens, a hea­ring Text. Heb. Sept: Edit. Sixt. Heart. And the Septuagint, Six­tinae Editionis, walk up, and set it down, Cor ad audiendum, a Heart to Hear. Re­gia, and Complutensis stand by, and sen­tence Reg. Complut. it, [...], Cor Sapiens, a wise Heart. The Chaldee, stamps it Chald. Pa­raphrast. Cor intelligens, an Vnderstanding Heart. There waits the English. They all teach, It is a chief Part of Wisdom, to hear, and to be quick of learning. Prov. 1. 5. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning. Apoc. 2. 7. He that hath an ear, let him hear: an ear to hear. A wise man wil not drink down his Doubts in Religion, and his Scruples of Consci­ence, as men commonly do. But, as there is Idea, or Forma Idealis in Men­te Artificis; an Ideal Form in the Mind of the Workman: So a wise Man will receive an Ideal Impression, in the diligent hearing of a godly Sermon; after the which he will work; and by the which, he will increase learning. And whereas Intùs existens prohibet alienum; And, if the Pupil, or Daughter of the Ey, as the Hebrews call it, were co­loured with any colour; it could not see the coloured Object: The Ear wide open, and the Heart emptyed of our selves: spunge-like, imbibe and suck into themselves the perfect Law of God.

The Earth, which we love so much, in respect of the Heavens, is but a Point; And if the Body of this Earth, should take the Place and Splendour of a Star, it would scarce appear to Men, abiding in the same distance from Heaven in which they now are. Hear from above, O ye Heavens, and look up, O Earth, and observe the difference betwixt a Shepheard of unreasonable Sheep, and a Shepheard of Sheep being reasonable. The first, whose imployment stands in the Cure of the Diseases infesting his Sheep, which Diseases are natural, and which Sheep are unreasonable; may cure them, whether the Sheep will or no: But the last, because his Work lyes in the Cure of Diseases, which are voluntary, his Sheep being reasonable; can never cure the Sheep, except the Sheep will be cu­red. And therefore, his Task is much more difficult. Answerably to this; A Secular Judge or Magistrate, whose Business is, to regulate the outward Actions of Men, may compell a man, will he, nill he, to new-mold his out­ward Manners: But a Spiritual Pastor, whose Work is chiefly, and for the greatest part, inward, and in the very Heart, a Substance not diaphanons, or transparent; cannot mold a Man, in [Page 244] regard of his Heart and Affections, into the being of a Christian; except the Man himself will, by the vertue of infused Grace, dare manus; praebere collum, submit and yeeld to him as God's Instrument.

I pray God for Iesus Christ his sake, who was made flesh, and dwelt among us; who liv'd and dyed for us; who for us, and our happy Resurrection and Ascen­sion, rose again, and ascended; that, after all is done, we doe not dye that old Death amongst the Iews; wherein the Malefactor was first half-buried in Moses Kot­sensis in Sanhe­drim. Dung, and then strangled. Death finds us half-buried in the Dung of this World, and taking us by the throat, stops our breath, and strangles us.

Beloved, I have prayed: Doe ye likewise help towards the great work of your Salvation. Coloss. 3. 12. Put on therefore (as the Elect of God, Holy and Beloved, [...], beloved with the love of Dilection) Bowels of mer­cies. Be mercifull to your selves: Let your Bowels be moved with Pitie to­wards your selves, your distressed selves. Stretch the Orifice of your Hearts open towards Heaven. Pray God to render them of a porous Sub­stance, in respect of Godliness Blow [Page 245] and stir up the Good in you: Cum om­nes virtutes currant ad bravium, sola perseverantia coronatur, saith Petrus Petr. Bles. ep. 22. Blesensis: All vertues run the Race; but Perseverance only is crowned with the Crown of Victory.

I know not what to say more, or how to help you. Did the Witch cleave to you, or the Devil actually possess you; Some strange Disease assault you beyond the Physician; some Lameness, forsaken by the Surgeon, cripple you: I might produce, not a Simon Magus with his Characters, or an Apollouius, qui ex eâdem Officinâ Nequitiae prodiit, and whom Porphyrie compareth with Porph. contra Christian. Christ for his Miracles; (the Devil raising up such in the Primitive Age, that he might obscure the Miracles of Christ) but a poor Character'd Man, to doe something for you in the Name of Christ, which is not secundùm Legem Ordinariam, according to God's or­dinary Course. In the curing of your Souls, I have done what I am able. I look upon you with the Eyes of Com­passion: and my Heart is greatly mo­ved within me. In lieu of all my pains, shed one tear for your Sins. When Human Helps faulter, we look up to Heaven. Iesus help you. O, I hear [Page 246] the Angels, those rejoycing Spirits in the conversion of a Sinner, sing from Heaven, (O sing aloud) Amen: Ha­lelujah, Praise ye Iah or Jehovah: or, as Theodotion expounds it, [...]; or, as Iustin Martyr, [...], Theodot. in vet. Test S. Iustin in quaest. Or­thodox. Prayse ye, and carefully sing Hymnes to him, whose Name is, Apoc. 1. 4. [...], who is, and who was, and who is to come; or, who is now comming. Amen. For which the Septuagint, [...], be it so; Sept. Vide▪ S. Hieron. ep. 136 ad Marcel. & in fine Comment. ad Galat. Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, [...] let it be truly and faith­fully done by Him that is most faith­full and true, Amen, Amen.

Soli Deo, Dei Honor et Gloria.