THe writer of this Epistle was S. Iames. Par la pa­role de Ve­rite. Now there were two of this name, and Mat. 10. 2. both Apostles. The one was the son of Zebedee, and brother to S. Iohn the be­loved disciple, whom Herod Agrippa slew, as you read Acts 12.

The other was the son of Alpheus: and this is Mat. 10. 3. our Apostle here, who in the 15. chapter of S. Mark verse 40. is called Iames the less, to distinguish him from the former by his small stature; and [Page 2] in the 1. chapter to the Galathians Creditur esse filius illius Mariae, quae fuit soror Domini. Sic Bucholc. ad annum Christi 63. et Spalata in his Resp. Ecclesiastica, lib. 2. cap. 2. vers. 19. he is said to be the brother of the Lord, non natura sed cogna­tione, not by na­ture but kindred, as being Cousin­german Erat Cognatus domini, ideoque He­braeorum more Frater; Gagu. in lo­cum. to Christ by the mothers side.

And the Ecclesiasticall writers tell us, That he was the first Bishop of Ierusalem, Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. 2. cap. 23. Et Doroth. in Synopsi. unto whose speciall charge the care & oversight of that Church was committed by the Apostles.

They to whom he wrote were the twelve Tribes that were scattered abroad, (as we read verse 1.) For when S. Iames wrote this Epistle, God had put the faith of the Iews to the tryall by three great di­spersions, besides some smaller scatterings.

The 1. was of the ten tribes, by Salmanazer king of Assyria.

The second was of Iudah See M. Mede's Dia­tribe in Acts cap. 2. vers. 5. and Benjamin the two remain­ing tribes by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

The third was of those Iews that returned out of Babylon to Ierusalem under Cyrus, and built the second temple, of whom many were carried away captives into Aegypt by Ptolemeus Lagi one of the Graecian kings, when he surprised Ierusalem.

Now the Apostle in this Chapter doth

1. Comfort the twelve Tribes in their sad disper­sions and tentations: For the Apostle knew that [Page 3] comfort could never be more seasonable then now in their needfull time of trouble; and a word spo­ken in season (sayes the Wise man) how good is it▪ And this he doth from the 1. verse to the 13.

2. Instruct them, as to the cause of tentations, ( viz) That God, although he be the Author of penall evills, as the executions and acts of his punitive ju­stice, yet not of sinfull evills; for let no man say (sayes S. Iames) De hoc vide Lips. de constant. lib. 2. c. 6. Et King in Ion. pag. 246. ad fol. 251. Vu [...]t Deus fieri malum, li­cet non v [...]lit malum. when he is tempted, he is tempted of God, for God cannot be tem­pted with evil, neither tempts he any man, verse 13. And one reason is, because he is the foun­tain of all good, verse 17. and a [...] Nazianz. Invect. 1. fountain cannot send forth at the same place sweet water and b [...]tter, chap. 3. verse 11. Nay, he is not only good by nature, but further, even goodness it self, and God makes it a branch of his name that he is abundant in goodness. Exod. 34. 6. so cannot possibly be the author of any evill. Indeed God is granted in sinfull evils to be per­missive, restrictive and ordina­tive, S [...] quid boni est (Do­mine) donum tuum est, & non est no­strum n [...]st malum. August. Soliloq. 15. ver. 14. 15. but not effective: No, their efficiencie is from their inward cause, which is our own lust and naturall corruption; this being the wombe that brings forth actuall sin, which once finished brings forth death.

3. He exhorts them to a Quia de sermone veri­tatis sententiam proxi­mae congruentem mox annecti [...], non dubito quin exhortationem hanc peculiariter insti­tuto suo accommodet. Calv. in locum. most diligent and effectuall hearing of Gods word, verse 19. And the ground of it is here premised in the Text, be­cause [Page 4] cause it is the instrumentall cause of our new birth.

Of his own will he begat us with the Word of Truth.

The Apostle then in these words layes down two things.

First, the nature of true conversion, in this word Beg at. Our birth of Grace being in some respects like that of nature; wherein 1 Pet. 1. 3. the father that begets us is God; Hierusalem quae est sur­sum, & communis nostrum mater, est Ecclesia, origi­nem habens à gratia coe­lesti, Idem Galat. 4. 26. the mother that beares us and brings us forth, the Church; the men-wid­wifes, Gods ministers, 2 Cor. 6. 1. Gods co-workers (as the Apostle calles them:) and the Luc. 8. 11. seed of which we are begot, the word of God.

Secondly, the efficient causes of it. And they are two.

First, the Principall, The will of God.

Secondly, the Instrumentall, The word of Truth.

First, the principall is the will of God. His will is the source and fountain of all subordinate causes, which as inferior orbs have their influence and mo­tion from this, and to this, as to the principall, is our conversion here attributed: before which there could be nothing, because it is eternall; nothing Cui semper subest cum volet posse, non aliud est in illo velle quam pesse. 1. lib. Fulgent. ad Mon. cap. 12. greater, because omni­potent, for what God wills, he doth in hea­ven and earth, sayes the Psalmist, Psal. 135. 6. nor any thing more just, Totus ordo justitiae originaliter ad divinam voluntatem reducitur. Carthusian. in 4. Sent. dist. 46. qu. 1. because it is the rule of all justice & righ­teousnesse. There is [Page 5] nothing then without God deser­ving Neque extra, ne (que) ultra divinam vo­luntatem causa est inquirenda. Aug. in Manich. l. 2. c. 2. this, nothing beyond him moving to it, nothing by way of activity concurring with him in it. Our birth of grace is neither from our Parents, nor our selves, whether by na­ture or industry: which makes S. Iohn say expresly of those that have the prerogative to be the sons of God, that Ioh. 1. 13. they are not born of the will of man. Where the word is [...], and not [...]. So the Hebrews distin­guish betwixt Isch and Adam, & the Latines betwixt Vir & Homo, rea­ding it in their translations ge­nerally, Ex vol [...]n­tate viri, not ho­minis. [...], which notes a man qua­lified with some goodnesse or o­ther, that serves to advance him above the common sort. And though we grant a man that is to be converted and considered in the state of degeneration a passive concurrence, as a subject endowed with reason, and therefore capa­ble of grace, if God will give it; yet do we denie him The will of man faln is able to do nothing to the performance of any spirituall acti­ons, without the assistance of grace. Suf­frag. Theolog. M. Britan. in 3. & 4. Ar­tic. posit. 1. any actuall concurrence whatsoever to it.

Our conversion is no work of nature, but of Grace; Nature being the subject of it, but not the cause: for there is this difference (sayes Aquinas,) be­twixt Hoc interest inter gratiam Dei & hominis: quod gratia homi­nis non causat, sed praesuppo­nit bonitatem in homine grato, vel veram, vel apparen [...]em; Gratia vero Dei causat bonitatem, quia voluntas Dei est causa omnis boni creati. Sum. 3. part. qu. 86. Artic. 2. Gods grace & mans, that Gods grace creates good­nesse, because his will is the cause of all [Page 6] created goodnesse, whereas mans grace presupposes it. And hence it is that our conversion is here compared to the generation of a child: Now it is against nature for a child to be it's own parent: Ge­neration is no act of the child, but of the Parent.

Let no man The condition of man after his fall is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own naturall strength and good works to faith, nor do good works acceptable to God, unless pre­vented by the grace of God in Christ. So the 10. Art. of the English confession. say then, that we are able by the strength of nature to pre­pare and dis­pose our selves for the grace of conversion, since it is God (sayes S. Paul) that works Phil. 2. 13. in us both the will and deed of his good will and pleasure; not only the deed, Dei est & ut bonum fa­cere velimus, & ut bo­num facere valeamus; Fulgent. ad Monim. lib. 1. cap. 9. but the will also which dis­poses us for the deed. And here there is a distinction in Alvarez that may be ta­ken notice of, and it is of a two-fold disposition to Grace. Alvarez de auxiliis gratiae.

First, negative, and this is when a man is not so practicall of sin in the notorious courses of it.

Secondly, positive, and this is when he hath an aptitude or fittingness to embrace and yield to the motions of sanctifving grace.

Now one man (sayes he) is more negatively dis­posed for grace then another; and it is exemplified in the Scribe, of whom our Saviour sayes, Non longe Mark 12. 34. erat â regno Dei, that he was not far from the king­dome of God: but no man positively. As dry wood [Page 7] is more negatively disposed for fire, then the wet, as containing not those so many hindrances of fire as the wet doth; and yet the dryest wood cannot posi­tively make it self fire.

But here it is not amisse (I suppose) to take in a grane or two of salt to season this withall: As

First, that every one by nature is alike indisposed to good; for we have all sinned (sayes the Apostle) Rom. 3. verse 22 and 23. and are come short of the glory of God: nor is there any difference betwixt one and another, as to the corrupted masse, but we are all equally sinfull, till grace come to give the difference, and are all August. in Soliloq. Nullum est peccatum quod unquam fecit homo, quin alter possit facere, si creator absit, à quo factus est homo. disposed na [...]urally to commit the worst of sins that the worst of men were ever guilty of. A­gain▪

Secondly, that the reason why one man is lesse sinfull in his life then anot [...]er, is not because he hath lesse evill in his heart, or better dispositions of himself then he; but from restrictive grace, which suppresses the naturall rebellion, and keeps it, not from being, but from breaking forth: as the lion hath the same nature when he is tyed up, as when he is free, though it expresses it self more violently in a loose then in a chained condition.

And thus much for the principall cause of our new birth, which is the will of God.

The Instrumentall follows, which is the word of Truth.

Now this presents 2. things to our consideration.

First, that the word of God is the word of Truth.

Secondly, that the word of Truth is the ordinary meanes or instrument of our new birth and conver­sion.

[Page 8]Where by the word of Truth, I understand not any humane or morall truth, (though this may do some­thing to the reforming of the outward man in sun­dry particulars; as we read of Polemon, a loose young man at Athens, who by hearing Xenocrates read but one Valer. Maxim. lib. 6. cap. 9. lecture in the commendation of Temperance, became afterwards very sober;) but that only which is divine and theo­logicall, there being no other truth that works throughly upon the inward man, and purifies the heart, but this alone. And that I call divine and theologicall, which is originally contained in the Scripture, is deducible from it, and conformable to it; whether conveyed unto us by preaching, as Gods solemn and publick ordinance, or else by reading, writing, conference, or otherwise, as his more private wayes of communicating it. All which God uses as severall chanels to let his word of T [...]uth run in towards our conversion, though all of them be not alike clear and excellent, but every one of them in their own order, and in that rank of supe­riority and subordination wherein God hath placed them.

Now that this word of Truth is a means or in­strument of our new birth, (I think) needs not be questioned, since the major part of Divines is for it, and S. Peter, in that parallel place of his, seems to expresse, where he sayes, that we are born again not 1 Pet. 1. 23. of corruptible but incorruptible seed, [...], by the word of God which lives for ever. And what else this preposition [...] should note there besides the instrument, I do not see; nor this par la parole de Verite, this by the word of Truth in the Text, as the French translate it. Nor shall I take up­on me to determine what kind of operation it hath [Page 9] upon the soul; as whether it work upon it either as a physicall, or morall instrument: (though my judgement be for the Baxt. Sts Rest, 2 part, pag. 160. latter of the two:) But that it is set a work by God the principall a­gent Instrumentum a­git dispositive ad virtutem princi­palis agentis. A­quin. Sum. 3. part. q. 42. Art. 1. & Keck. log. p. 132. to operate upon the soul, and that powerfully too, the Scripture every where is plain enough, as in the 2 Cor. chap. 10. verse 4. 5. where the Apostle sayes, that the weapons of our warfare (the chief whereof there intended by the Holy Ghost, sayes Chryso­stome, Chrysostom. in locum. is the word of God,) are not carnall, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, or reasonings of flesh and bloud, and [...]. every high thing that exalts it self a­gainst the knowledge of God, and bringing into ca­ptivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. For what can be more powerfull against the hold of lust, then the word of purity? against the hold of infideli­ty, then the word of faith? against the hold of pre­sumption, then the word of fear? or against the hold of falshood and insincerity, then the word of Truth?

But in the next place, that it is Gods ordinary meanes of our conversion, I am sure was yet never doubted by any rationall Christian. And by this I distinguish it from those extraordinary meanes that God made use of at the first, before that this standing Canon of the truth was fully setled and sealed by the Holy Ghost for the ordinary meanes; Revela [...]. last, v. 20. which now (there being not the same reason for them as before) we look upon as out of date in the Christian Church, and have in their stead the more [Page 10] sure word of the Prophets to rest upon, or the Firmissi­mum Ser­monem. 2 Pet. 1. 19. most sure word, as Beza renders it.

And this makes me wonder at Rog. in 17. Artic. proposit. 7. the Schwenckfeldians, and others of the same mol [...]e in these times, who depending altogether upon Caspar Schwenckfeldius Eques erat Silesius, nobili ortus genere; Docuit Scripturam literam esse mortuam, ac il­luminationes & revelationes majoris esse faciendas. Spanhem. in Diatri [...]. Historic. de Anabaptist. Numero 24. the immediate revelations of Gods spirit, do slight this word of truth, and Gods ordinary calling by the ministry of it, affirm­ing the Scripture to be as a dead letter, and their own Enthusiasmes to be preferred before it: Whereas Gods word of Truth and his spirit of Truth go toge­ther; nor is there any other ordi­nary Ideo Evangelium dicitur Ministeri­umspiritus 2 Cor. 3. 8. quia est in­strumentum per quod fidem in no­bis vivificam Spi­ritus Sanctus o­peratur. way revealed unto us but this, to the truth of regeneration. The word of God therefore in the Scripture is compared to seed, with­out Luc. 16. 13 which we cannot in reason expect here any harvest of grace, since the harvest is potentially in the seed.

It is then but an idle Christianis spiritus non est phantasma quod aliqui som­niant, sed quem prophtae com­mendarunt, & evangelium nobis in sanctificationem prae­dicat. Calvin. Instit. lib. 3. cap. 3. Sect. 14. dream, to think of an immediate Spirit to work in us this n [...]w birth without the word, or o­therwise then the word prescribes; since the work of Gods Spirit now is not to perfect the word, or to be in stead of it, but onely to clear the dimme sight of our under­standings, whereby they are enabled to see more [Page 11] plainly what is that good and perfect will of God revealed to us in the Scriptures.

And yet there be too too many now-a-dayes that have such conceptions in their braines, which (like false conceptions in the womb) never come to have their perfect form, nor to amount to any substantiall birth: that as the evill spirits said to the Exorcists, Acts 19. 13. who took upon them to cast them out in the name of Jesus, Iesus we know, and Paul we know, but who are ye? so say I to such, The Spirit of Jesus Christ we know, and the same spirit in the mouths of all his holy Prophets and Apostles we know, but that spirit whereof these men speak, we do Spiritus iste qui multos nunc die­rum sanctos reddit, ac est ipsis pro norma fidei & doctrinae, mille for­mas induit, exuitque in dies, [...] as, & momenta, dubiae ac fluxae inspi­rationis. D. R. pag. 369. not know; nor have we any warrant at all to look after it; or if we should, could we find any thing but error and thing but error and incertainty in it. But I forbear to speak more of this, because it is a theam ob­vious every where; and turn That the word of God is the ordinary means of our new birth, see more in Reinolds on Psalm 110. & Baxt. Saints rest, 2. part. back to the former of the two, viz. That the word of God is the word of Truth: upon which I lay the main weight of my discourse, & set down my rest.

And it is called the Word of Truth not onely by Psa. 119. 43 2 Cor. 6. 7. 1 Ephes. 13. 1 Coloss. 5. Ioh. 18. 38. S. Iames here, but also by the Prophet David, and S. Paul above once or twice.

Now in speaking to this, I shall not goe about to answer Pilates question to Christ, What is Truth?

Nor yet shall I give you any exact definition of it; it being like the eie, which although it see other [Page 12] things, yet doth it not see it self; Democriti proverbiale, Veritas in pro­fundo: Tull. 1. Academic. Erasm. A­dag. p. 453; & Are [...]. Probl. de veri­tet [...]. which made one of the an­cients feign her dwelling in a deep pit under ground, and another say, that she lyes there in [...], Plat. Epist. ad Dionysium. a little room; both which imply some difficulty to find her out.

Though it will better appear if we consider

Either the parts of truth, which are very numerous. De hoc lege Tim­plerum in Meta­physic. lib. 2. cap. 4. & 8. ubi plura.

Or the conceptions of men, which are exceeding various.

Or the dim-sightednesse of our in ward man, which is apt to mi­stake Gen. 29. 25 Leah for Rachel, and falshood for truth, as looking upon it here but through a glasse darkly. 1 Cor. 13. 2.

Nor will I be so trouble­some as to tell you how some Polan. Syntag. de veri­tate; & Tilen. de At­trib. communicab. disp. I ^a. Thes. 12. as to tell you how some distinguish her, viz. into O­riginall, Reall, Intellectuall and Signall. The Signall truth (they say) is that which is signified either by word o [...] otherwise, as when the word agrees with the understanding; the Intellectuall truth they call that whereby the understanding doth suit and accom­modate it self to the true nature of the thing it searches after; the Real truth that whereby the things themselves are agreeing and conformable to the Ideas and patterns of them in the mind of God; and the Originall truth that which resides in the under­standing of God himself, which had in it the Idea and pattern of all created truths from eternity; It being nothing else but the very essence and nature [Page 13] of God, which, although it be but Vna est in rebus omnibus veritas, quia non in ipsis rebus, aut ex ipsis suum habet esse; sed cum res ipsae secundum illam sunt, tunc hujus vel illius rei dici­tur verit [...]s. Ans. Dial. de Veritate cap. 14. Et Les­sius de Perfectio­nibu [...] divini [...] l. 6. cap. 4. one and the same in all created things it is given out into, yet, as the things themselves are diffe­rent, so doth this Truth receive di­verse names; like as the sea, which although in it self it be but one, yet according to the diverse shores it washes in its passage, it hath diverse names, being sometimes called the Germane, sometimes the British Ocean, and the like. Even so it is with Truth, which, when it lights upon natural things, it is then called Naturall Truth; when upon Morall things, Ethicall Truth; and when upon divine things, Theologicall Truth.

And from hence by the way, we may take occa­sion to admire the excellencie of Truth, as being [...] the off-spring of God: for what is Signall Truth, but a conformity of words, or such like, to the understanding of him that speaks? again, what is Intellectuall Truth, but a conformity of the un­derstanding to the things themselves? or Real Truth, but a conformity of the things to the eternall mind of God?

So that every truth (you see) hath its foundation in the very Deity. And this made the Greek Poet call Truth the [...] Pindar. Olym. 10 daughter of Iupiter the chief of the heathen Gods.

But to wave this discourse of Truth in generall, and to come more particularily to the point in hand. Now here know, that (as Divines make a twofold beginning, viz. of being Essendi, Gognoscendi. see Keck. Syst. Theolog. lib. 1. cap. 8. and knowing) so also is there a twofold Truth.

[Page 14]First, veritas essendi, Truth of being; and this is God himself, who is the being of beings, or the most perfect and [...]. Acts 17. 28. ex A­rato. And thus under­stand that of Her­mes Trismegistus; That which is true, hath of it self alone its con­stitution, and a­bides according to it self, such as it is. In l. 15. num. 26. De veritate. simple being: which is the reason that when God would make him­self known to the Israelites by a name that would suite best with his own nature, he makes Truth one branch of it; as Exod. 34. 6. where the Lord proclaimes his name this, The Lord, the Lord God, mercifull and gracious, long­suffring, abundant in goodnesse and Truth; Truth being essentiall to him, though to us onely contin­gent and accidentall. And our Saviour also stiles himself [...] the Truth, John 14. 6.

The second is Truth of knowing God: which is 1. Naturall, by his works. Now this way of know­ing God is afforded even to the heathen who are without the pale, and is but a dus­kish Qui foris sunt. 1 Cor. 5. 12. and uncertain light; which makes S. Paul call it a feeling or groping after God, as men do in the dark after a Acts 17. 27 thingthey are in some doubt to find.

2. Supernaturall, by his word. Now this, is a favour indulged only to Gods own Verbum Dei in Scripturis, pecu­lium Ecclesiae. Ambros. Sola Ec­clesia pio affectu veritatem possidet. Id. tom. 2. p. 979. people, as in the 147. Psal. verse 19. where it is said, that he shewed his words to Jacob, his sta­tutes to Israel; and is most clearly assured unto us in the propheticall and Apostolicall writings of the Old and New Testament; from whence they are called by S. Peter, the more sure [Page 15] word of the prophets, and a light in a dark place 2 Peter 1. 19. And this is the word of truth here spoken of. And it follows upon the former: for if we believe that there is a God, we must believe him to be Si Deum credas, veratem credas oportet; & si vera­cem, nihil verius quam quod veritas ipsa in Scri­pturis inspiravit. Erasm. Enchirid. milit. Christiani. true of his word; and if this be so, then can nothing be truer, then the word which truth it self hath in­spired in the holy Scri­ptures. The Heathen had Credite me folium vobis recitare Sibyllae, Iuvenal. Satyr. 8. their Sibylls leafe in high esteem, insomuch that they cry'd it up for truth by way of proverb; but with us Christians, if any leafe be thus far truth, it is Scripture folium the sacred page, called here the word of truth in four respects.

First, Normaliter, by way of rule, because it is the rule of all saving truths. Wherein observe

First, what truths come under the cognizance of the Scriptures; and

Secondly, how they come under it.

First, what truths come under the cognizance of the Scriptures, and these are all saving truths; to di­stinguish them from naturall, civill, and morall truths, whereof the Scripture takes small notice, be­cause they make a man wise onely to the world, and not (as the Scriptures do) wise to salvation: yea 2 Ti. 3. 15. and from some divine truths too, for all truths in divinity are not saving truths; of which sort are many historicall, ethicall, ecclesiasticall, and pro­blematicall truths, that serve rather to puffe up the head with knowledge then to edify the heart with charity. Now these & such like are vera, sed libere credenda, Truths indeed, but such as we have a li­berty in, either to believe or not, without laying our [Page 16] salvation to stake upon them. But as for Doctri­nall truths, that serve as well to reform our lives as to inform our understandings, these onely are neces­sario credenda ad salutem, necessarily to be be­lieved to salvation, and so become saving truths, at least in their funda­mentalls, whereby Fundamentals must be believed with a faith explicit, absolute and divine. Baxt. Saints rest part 2. pag. 241. they challenge the holy Scriptures to be their rule; as in the doctrine of the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and others of like sort.

And the reason is this, because all such truths are either in plain and expresse terms laid See the 8. Article of the Church of England, and the 20. Article proposit. 7. explained by Rogers. down in the Scri­ptures, or else are naturally and by good consequence deduced from them as their grounds, or else reduced to them as to their rule.

Whereby the way take notice, that in­ference [...]. ( That is) There are some things that both are in the Scriptures, and are expressed there plainly in so many words and syllables: but other things that are there, though not so expressed, but onely colle­cted from them; as that the Father is unbegotten, &c. Nazianz. orat. de Spiritu Sancto, ubi plura. of truth frō Scripture is scri­pture-truth, though not formaliter for­mally (as the school speaks) yet redu­ctive & funda­mentaliter, that is, as it is reduced to it, and founded on it: Christ being the personall foundation our faith must rest upon, as in the first Epistle to the Corinth. chap. 3. verse 11. Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid, even Jesus Christ; but the [Page 17] Scripture the Doctrinall, as in the 2. chap. to the Ephes. verse 20. Ye are built up­on the foundation of the Prophets Ambr. in locum; supra vetus & no­vum testamentum and Apostles, i. e. sayes S. Am­brose, upon the propheticall and Apostolicall Doctrine of the Old and New Testament. And so much for the first.

The second is, how all saving truths fall under the cognizance of the Scriptures: and this is by be­ing subjected to them as to their rule. Whereby Rule I do not mean so much the materiall book wherein they are written, as the formall truth, which is the will of God revealed in them; as when we speak of a rule, we intend not so much the materiall wood, as the formall measure. And S. Paul in two severall places calls it so in express words: as in the 3. chap. Philip. verse 16. [...]. Let us walk by the same rule; and 6. Galat. 16. As many as walk after this rule, &c. Where the word that we translate Rule is in the Greek [...], from whence we have the name of Ca­nonicall Scripture, to distinguish it from the Apo­cryphall, admitted no further then as regulated by this, and conformable to it: And it is a Meta­phor taken from Translatum à fabris lapidariis, aut lignariis, qui funiculo illo regulari operis aequalitatem explorant, Eras. in his Adag. pag. 199. Masons or Carpen­ters, who try by it whether their work be equall or no; so doth God, the great Architect, use the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as his rule or square to build his Church by.

Now a Rule hath four properties, all which are agreeable to the holy Scriptures.

First, a rule hath a kind of authority over the things that are laid to it, to be tri'd and examin'd by [Page 18] it whether they be strait or no: and so have the Scriptures a delegated power over all truths that are held out in order to salvation; every one of them may say of this word of truth as S. Cyprian did of Tertullian, Cedo Hieronym. in Ca­talogo virorum il­lustrium. Magistrum, Give me my master; this being the Magisteriall truth, unto which all others resort to be tri'd and examin'd, as the Scholar doth to his Ma­ster: to this rule and standard they must go; To the Isai. 8. 20. law and Testimony sayes the prophet.

There is no particular Church, much lesse any man, that can obtrude upon their own word and credit any Doctrines to bind their peoples faith, un­till they have first weighed them in the ballance of the Sanctuary, this word of truth. For all humane assertions tast much of the earthen vessell through which they run: We have this treasure in ear­then vessels. 2 Cor. 4 7. but what the Scripture affirms for truth, we must believe as the O­racle of God; and what it denies, we must reject as falshood. Hence it is that truth in humane testimonies is truly said to be Verit as probanda; but in divine, Veritas probans: because the word of man, how true soever it be, yet is it in the great matter of salvation to be received only with a Quatenus, so far as it accords with this rule of truth, With the Pytha­goreans, [...]. Naz. 1. Invect. and no further. It is not then [...], He said it, that must sway with us, (as it did with Py­thagoras his Scholars) nor is it every word which this or that Mi­nister sayes, that is the word of Truth; for there shall arise many false Prophets Mat. 14. 11, 24. (sayes our Saviour) and shall deceive many, yea, if [Page 19] it were possible even the elect: but it is [...] what God spake by the mouths of his holy Pro­phets and Apostles, in the verbum scriptum, in the written word of the Old and New Testament. And Isai. 8. 20. if any speak not according to this word (sayes the Prophet) 't is because there is no light Erasm. Adag. sub loco communt Li­bertatis. of truth in him. Amicus Pla­to was the old saying, that is, Pla­to is my friend; sed magis amica veritas, but truth much more. And therefore though in matters of faith we that are Gods Ministers expect your hear­ing Nemo trahatur au­thoritate cujus­quam, sed verita­ [...]i potius saveat & cedat. Lactan. de falsa sapient. lib. 3. cap. 13. and believing us too, yet (as they said to the woman of Sama­ria) Non tam propter verbum no­strum, Ioh. 4. 41, and 42. not so much because of our word, as because of Christ's word, which we carry in our mouths; for when it is said of the people, that Crediderunt Exo. 14. 31 Deo & Mosi, that they believed God and his ser­vant Moses, the meaning is, that they believed the Doctrine which Moses taught them, but yet only pro­pter Deum, because of God, from whom it came, and whether it tended. And if an angel from heaven Galat. 1. 8. (sayes S. Paul) shall preach another Gospel, ano­ther Doctrine then is held forth by this word of truth, let him be accursed.

Secondly, a rule must be strait and right: and so is the Scripture, a right word, (as David calles it;) Psal. 33. 4. Ecclesiastes chap. 12. verse 10. and the Preacher sayes to the same effect, that what was written was upright, or, as Tremelius tran­slates it by the Hebrew, Scriptum rectitudine verba veritatis. It is not like that Lesbian rule which Regula non quam formosa, sed quam recta sit quaritur. Sen. Epistol. 76. would bend any way: no, it inclines neither [Page 20] too much on the right hand, nor yet on the left, ei­ther to maintain superstition on the one hand, or profanenesse on the other.

Thirdly, a rule is perfect, at least in suo genere, and in relation to the things that are to be perfected by it; it being impossible to perfect any thing by an imperfect rule. And such also is the holy Scripture, a perfect rule in order to saving and converting truths: which made the Prophet David say, That the law of Psalm 19. 7. the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. Else why doth S. Paul tell us that all Scripture is given of 2 Tim. 3. 16, 17. God by inspiration, that the man of God may be perfect? Now it cannot make perfect, Nihil dat quod non habet, nec mi­nor est vir [...]us cau­sae quam effect us. Gerhard in locum. unlesse it be perfect it self. And it is Locus Classicus, a Signall place (sayes one) against the Papists, in which the perfection of the Scri­pture is demonstrated: and if (sayes he) it can perfect the teachers, why not the heare [...]s also?

Fourthly, A rule must be known: for though This Bellarmine acknowledges, lib. 1. de verbo dei cap. 2. Si regula catholicae fidei nota non sit, regula nobis non erit. it have in it self both authority, rectitude, and perfection; yet if I know it not, it is no rule to me; since there is the same reason for things that do not appear, as The law rule is this: De non en­ [...]ibus & de non apparentibus ea­dem est ratio. for things that are not.

Now from that w ^ch hath been said (methinks) the Papists are much out.

First, By making the Scriptures depend upon the Church, and not the Church upon the Scriptures; as if the reed spoken of Sic lapis ad amissis (non amussis ad lapidem) applicandus▪ Eras. Adag▪ sub loco communi I [...]sti [...]ae. Revel. 11. 1. were to be measured by the [Page 21] Temple, and not the Temple by the reed. Whereas we, although we honour the Church in diverse re­spects, yet still do we remember that of S. Paul, Non tu radicem, sedra [...]i [...] te, That thou dost not Ro. 11, 18. bear the root, but the root thee: so that the Scri­ptures bear up the Church, Where the Scripture is silent, the Church is my Text: where that speaks, it is but my Comment. Relig. Medic. Sect. 5. and not the Church the Scriptures; The Church be­ing Christs spirituall house or building, and the Scri­ptures the foundation of it, as it is in that place before cited, Ye are built upon 2 Ephe. 20. the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, that is, upon their Doctrine (as Anse me, Gagnaeus, Ca­jetan. & Aquinas in lo­cum. some of their own learned men expound it.) Now the building (you Huc etiam tendit illud Bielis; Veritates Ca­tholicae absque omni approbation [...] E [...]clesiae ex natura rei sant immutabiles, & immutabil [...] ­ter verae. In Sent. lib. 3. dist. 25. Conclus. 6. dub. 3. know) de­pends upon the foundati­on, and not v [...]ce versa, the foundation upon the building.

Secondly, by telling us, That the Doctrine of the Church (meaning that of the Romane Chu [...]ch) must rule us, though yet they will not rectifie it by the rule of Gods word; whereas particular Churches may and do often erre (as Rome now doth) from the right way of truth, because Gods promise of sending Iohn 14. 13 his holy Spirit to lead into all truth, was not made to any particular, but onely to the Catholick Ch [...]rch. See Carlton's Directions to know the true Church, pag. 48. And therefore when they cry out to us so much, that their Doctrine must rule us, (methinks) it would do well, if withall they would let us know what [Page 22] rule should rule their Doctrine; which is this rule of truth here spoken of.

Thirdly, By making unwritten truths (as they call Traditions) a part of this rule, as Bellarmine doth, whose words are these; I say that the Scripture is not the totall, but the partiall rule of Totalis enim regula est verbum Dei, sive revelatio Dei Ecclesiae facta, quae dividitur in duas re­gulas partiales▪ Scripturam & traditiones. Bellarm. lib. 4. de Verbo Dei non scripto, cap. 12. faith. Whereas if the Scripture rule (as it is) be perfect, then is there no need of their traditions, which have onely a pretended O­riginall De hoc lege 6. q. clar. Theol. Whitakeri de Scriptura, ubi plura. from Christ & his Apostles, to com­plete and make it up.

Fourthly, by denying the reading of the Scri­ptures to the people in a tongue they understand; whereas no man can Qui dat operam veritati, venit ad lucem, ut opera ejus sint ma­nifesta. Iohn 3. 21. walk by a rule that is either not known to him, or else hid from him: Truth being like Non amat veritas angulos, sed in medi [...] stat. Bern. in bis Serm. a candle, that is not brought to be put un­der Mark 4. 21 a bushell, but to be set on a candlestick, to give light to all that are in the house.

2. The Scriptures are called the word of truth Efficienter, from the efficient cause, or authour of them; and this is God, who is essentially true: so sayes the Spirit, Rev. 3. 7. These things sayes he who is holy and true. For which cause it is called the breath of God, as in the 2. Epist. to Tim. 3. chap. [...]. and 16. ver. where S. Paul sayes, that all Scripture, whether Legall or Evange­licall, [Page 23] is inspired or breath'd of God; even as the soul is said to be breath'd into the body, Gen. 2. 7. to shew its immediate Originall from God the father of spirits.

Now though all truth calls God father, as flow­ing from him, who is as well the Summum verum, the highest Truth to fill up the understanding, as Summum bonum, the highest good to satisfie the will and affections; yet is there none that layes so strong and near a claim to Of this Baxter discourses at large in the 2. part of his Saints Rest. him as Scripture truth; this being to God as Reuben was to Iacob, his first-born, and the beginning of his strength: and you know that the nearer any stream is to the fountain, the more strong and clear it runs; which is the reason that God owns it for his, after a more speciall man­ner, both by his word, hand, and seal.

1. He owns it for his, by his word and hand; which were both immediate for the truth of the Law, as to the plain Tex: and ground-work of it, (for Deut. 5. 22. this he spake viva voce, with a lively voice from hea­ven, and wrote it with his own finger in two tables of stone) but mediate as to the exposition and reve­lation of it, both by his Prophets in the Old Testa­ment, and his Apostles in the New; for holy men of God spake it (sayes S. Peter) as they were moved by 2 P [...]t. 1. 2 [...]. the holy Ghost. And S. Paul also tells us, that the things which he wrote were the commandments of 1 Cor. 14. 37 God; God was the Dictator of them, and S. Paul onely his Spokes-man or Amanuensis.

2. God owns it also for his, not only by his word & hand, but also ratifies and confirms it by his seal.

Now for propheticall Doctrine we have his seal in the 8. chap. of Isai. verse 16. where the Lord sayes thus, Bind up the testimony, seal up the law a­mong [Page 24] my disciples; comparing there his word by the Prophet to a letter, which though the people slight­ed, yet was it of divine and authentick truth, because it had Gods stamp and seal of authority impressed upon it.

And for Apostolicall Doctrine, we have that seal'd in the end of the Revelation, where we have Rev. last, verse 20. his Amen to it, which S. Ie­rom Hieron. in Orat. Domi­nicam. calls well Sigillum or a­tionis Dominicae, the seal of the Lords prayer: And so is this Amen here the seal of the New Testament, to confirm and ratifie all the books of Evangelicall Doctrine for Gods spe­ciall and peculiar truth. And therefore if any one now after that God hath impressed his seal upon it, shall add any thing to it, God sayes, that he will adde unto him all the plagues that are written in this book; or if any shall detract from it, God shall then take away his part out of the book of life.

And now by way of Corollary▪ If God be the Authour of this word of Truth, who is but one, nay more, Unissimus (to use Ber­nard's expression) most Deus (si dici possit) est unissimus. Bern. de Con­sid. lib. 5. cap. 7. one, why then it will fol­low, that as God is one, so also is that truth of salva­tion, which is originally in the Scriptures, and deri­vatively from them, but one also: That as the Apo­stle Ephe. 4. 5. sayes, [...], as but one Lord, so but one Faith; so may I here, [...], as but one God, so also but one Truth. And this did the Aegyptians represent Pier. Valer. lib. 44. p. 130. To­tus mundus non sufficit ad duos continendos soles, said Alexan­der [...] Q. Curt. hist. by the Sun, which is but one in the firma­ment of heaven. In­deed you may distin­guish [Page 25] God into 3. persons; but you cannot, you must not divide him into 3. substances: the essence and substance of all 3. being but one and the same. And so it is with this saving truth here, which is one for the nature of it, but not one for number; as there be many rayes of the Sun, and yet but one light: again one Ut solis multi radii, sed lumen unum. Cyprian de unit. Eccles. truth, ratione Objecti for the object that is to be believed, but not one ratione Subjecti for the subjects that are to believe, who are all true Christians. To this end know that the Law and the Gospell are not at ods, as two severall truths, but are onely one and the same; Diversa, not Adversas diverse one from another, but not adverse one to another: for the Law what is it but Verit as Dei [...]e­lata, and the Gospell but Verit as Dei revelata? the one Gods vail'd, the other his reveal'd truth; the one his condemning, the other his absolving truth?

Indeed Multa novit vul­pes, Aesop. sab. pag. 43. (as in the Apologue) [...]t f [...]lis unum magnum; the Fox bragged he had many shifts to save himself from the dogs, but the poor Cat said that he had but one: yet that one was unum magnum a great one, and better then the Fox [...]'s many; which was to leap up into a tree, and there to be secur'd.

And so doth the unstable man find out to himself, many new lights to walk by, and many truths in or­der to salvation; but when false teachers, whom Phil. 3. 1. S. Paul compares to dogs for their barking and snarling nature, when they (I say) come to hunt for him, all his own truths will then leave him in the briars, as Abraham's ram was in the thorns to be sacrificed. But as for the true Christian, he hath but one truth to fly unto, and this is Gods Scripture [Page 24] [...] [Page 25] [...] [Page 26] truth, his will revealed in his word; whither he re­tires himself in any danger, and is safe.

Let the unstable man then coin unto himself many truths: sure I am, that (as Iesus told Martha) unum Luc. 10. last necessarium, that one onely is absolutely necessary, one alone is current, which hath Gods image and su­perscription upon it; and this will go when other base coins shall be rejected.

And yet what a number of false and counter­feit pieces of Truth are put off in these dayes, be­cause father'd upon the word of God, and Lege P. Samosateni opuscula, Eunomii, Priscilliani, ubi cernes nullam omitti paginam, quae non novi aut vet. testam. sententi is fucata sit; ut qui humanum fa­cile despiceret errorem, divina nonfacile despiceret oracula. Vin­cent. Lyrin. in lib. de cathol. fidei univerfitate. stamp'd upon with a forg'd impress of Scri­pture to hold them up? wherein (methinks) they are like those who, to uphold a bad cause the better, use to entitle the King and his law to it; or else Sicut quis gypsum aquae mixtum dat, seducens per similitudinem coloris. Iren. lib. 3. cap. 19. like him that gives lime mixt with water in­stead of milk, seducing thereby the simple with the likenesse it hath to it in its colour: so do many now give a colour of truth to falshood, that so by that means they may more easi­ly deceive the ignorant, and make truth & falshood cleave together, as the iron and clay did in the toes of Nebuchadnezzar's i­mage, Sr. Fr. Bac. Essay 1. though they will ne­ver incorporate; so that we may well complain after this manner, ‘Alas poor Truth! How art thou used, or rather abused in these times of ours? Even worse then the Levite used his Concubine; for she ludg. 19. 29 was divided but into twelve pieces, but thou into [Page 27] 12000. pieces, and art sent away into all the coasts of this our Israel.’

Thus the Papists and Arminians have their truth, the Antinomians and Anabaptists theirs, and the Socinians and Millenaryes theirs also: Quot ho­mines, tot veritates, look how many men, so many truths there are. And every Sic Arriani 40. loca Scri­ptura prose torquebant contra filii consubstantia­litatem; ac Arrius ipse ni­hil praeter Scripturas cre­pabat, Evangeium, Evan­gelium. Plura apud Phil. Bosqui. volum. 1. pag. 642. one hath now got the De­vils trick, to cry up his own by Scripture, with Sifallor ego, fefellit me Scriptura; when God knows, if we look into the Scripture with a discerning eye, we shall find these mens truths to be but old errors newly varnish'd, and then set out to the vulgar for new truchs.

That as the Heathen used to paint over a piece of old rotten wood, and set it up for a new God to be worshipped: so do these with old falshoods, and hold them forth to be adored for new truths, croa­king them up with as much noise as the ignorant Ephesians did their Goddesse: I, and we hear what some call truth to day, but what they will call it to morrow we cannot tell; such is their ignorance and unconstancie in the truth.

So that it is much to be Religionem evertit, quis­quis libertate religionum inducit, ex qua contem­ptus Dei sequitur, & con­fusio. Lips. in lib. de una religione. feared that whilst we admit of all religions, we may soon loose the true one in the crowd; and that our having of so many truths, will bring us in a short That divisions in reli­gion are an in-let to A­theisme, see Sr. Fr. Ba­con Essay 16. time to have none at all, and to aske e're long with Pi­late, what is Truth? But [Page 28] though there be many that are called Gods, (sayes 1 Cor. 8. 5. the Apostle) yet to us there is but one: so, though there be many nominall Seu potius multa verisi­milia, sed unum verum. Sen. Epist. 118. truths, yet to us there is but one reall; and though many Idols, yet but one God; though many superstitions, yet but one faith; and though many falshoods, yet but one truth, as God the author of it is but one.

And so much for the second reason, why the ver­bum Scriptum the written word is called the word of Truth.

3. The holy Scriptures are called the word of Truth E­minenter, What he said of philo­sophy, is more truly ve­rified of this, Hoc sapien­tiae studium est sublime, magnificum; caetera sunt pufilla & puerilia. Seneca Epist. 88. for their eminen­cie and excellencie, as the highest and most excellent truth that ever was made known to the sons of men; which makes our Saviour call it, the Truth, per mo­dum eminentiae, John 17. verse 17. and S. Paul Ephe. 1. 13. prefix an emphaticall article before it, [...]; not onely the word of Truth, but the word of that Truth, by way of eminencie, as communicating unto us the excellency of the Eminentiam notitiae Icsu Christi. Phil. cap. 3. v. 8. knowledge of Christ Jesus, in comparison of which he counted all things as loss, [...], qu [...]si [...], quae conibus proji­ciuntur. Corn. à Lapide. & Gagnaeus. & for whom he suffer'd the loss of all things, & counted them as dung, or as scraps which are thrown away to dogs, that he might win Christ.

There is no liberall Art or Science but hath its truth, yea, & its word of truth too; but none its word [Page 29] of that Truth, that which brings us to eternall life, but onely this: for search the Scriptures, (sayes our Ioh. [...]. v. 3 [...] Saviour) in them ye think to have eternall life. Other truths lie very low, and mole themselves in the earth, whereas this is high and sublime, the head thereof (like Jacob's ladder) reaching up to heaven. Though I have all knowledge (sayes S. Paul) yet if I 1 Cor. 13. 1 have not charity, I am no­thing; Bucholc. ad ann. Christi 212. and Severus the Em­perour used to say, Omnia fui, & tamen nihilexpedit, I have been all I could desire, yet this all is nothing: And so may I say here, that though we have the knowledge of all other truth, yet without the Vulgare, sed verum; Si Christum nescis, nihil est si caetera discis. true knowledge of Christ, which this word of truth teaches, it is nothing; much it may be to this life, but nothing to eternall life; for this is life eternall, to know thee, and whom thou Iohn 17. 3. hast sent thy son Iesus Christ.

That as Esan said, I am now ready to die, and what Nec quicquam tibi pro­dest Aerias tentasse domos, animoque rotundum Per­currisse polum moritur [...]. Hor. lib. 1. od. 28. is this birth-right to me? so may a dyingman say of all other knowledge, Quid tu si pereo? in what stead canst thou stand me if I perish eternally? Surely in none at all, unlesse it be (as King Iames said well) to let In Declar. in Vorst. us see how to go to hell with more light then others, Haec est condemnatin, quod lux venit in mundum. Ioh. 3. 1 [...]. which will but aggravate our condemnation.

It was said of Themistocles a heathen man, that being now above a hundred yeares old, he shed tears, Quod tunc egrederetur ex hac vita, cum coe­pisset [Page 30] sapere, because he was Plutarch. in vita, & Bru­son. lib. 2. cap. 31. then going out of the world, when as he had yet but new­ly entred himself ut veritatis candidatus, as a Can­didate of Truth in natures school & had only gain'd some little smattering of her wisdome. But had he been so happy as once to have heard of the Scri­ptures, Gods supernaturall truth, that is able to make a man wise unto salvation, (as the Apostle speaks) [...] Tim. 3. 15. then think how much he would have been trou­bled, that he was to leave the world before he had so much as tasted of it. How would he then have slighted his naturall truth in comparison of this, and have counted it (as Caligula was in Dion Appius) but [...], a Dion. App. Hist. lib. 59. great Dotage?

4. The holy Scriptures are called the word of truth Effective, for the effect they work upon the understandings and hearts of men, which per se is nothing but truth: and therefore if at any time we find the contrary in those that professe the know­ledge of truth, we must conceive this to arise not causally from the word of God, which so consider'd is the word of truth, and leades us into all truth, but occasionally only; non ex natura sua, sed ex acci­denti; the fault not lying in the word itself, but in those that pervert the word, and deal with it as Ca­ligula did with the image Suetonius in vita Cali­gulae. of Iupiter Olympicus, who did proprio capite dempto suum imponere, who took from him his own head of gold, and put upon him one of his own ma­king that was of a Tantum veritati obstrepit adul­ter sensus, quantum & corruptor stylus. Tertull. adversus hares. cap. 16. baser metall: and so do some take off from the word of truth its [Page 31] pure and genuine sense, and put upon it a false glosse and interpretation of their own, which doth spoile and mar the Text. And this is that which S. Peter sayes 2. Pet. last chapter verse 16. that some who were ignorant & unstable did wrest the Scriptures, or lay them upon the rack, (for so much [...]. the word imports) that so they might extort a sense from them they never meant; which is contrary to the proper end for which they were written, that being to lead us unto truth here and salvation hereafter.

Now by this that hath been said, we may ea­sily Use of Exa­mination, see whether we be the sons of the true Church, or the sons of the false; of Gods holy Catholick, or else of Sathans malignant Church, (as the Septuagint hath it:) or else by this lapis Lydius, [...]. Psal. 26. 5. by this touch-stone, we may easily discover where the truth of Christian Religion is.

As whether it be with the Antinomian, who is all for the Gospell rule as obli­gatory Ʋt rectum est index sui & obliqui, sic verum sui & falsi. to believers, and no­thing for the law: or whe­ther it be with the Socinian and the Anabaptist, who are neither for the one, nor yet for the other; the one making reason his chiefest rule, the other his own private and imme­diate spirit: or else whether it be with us of the Re­formed Religion, or else with the Papists, (for a­gainst these I shall chiefly bend my discourse, as the most subtil and considerable enemies of Gods truth, above others.)

Indeed none have been so great pretenders to truth as the Papists, Fox in suo martyrolog. 2. part. which made Q. Mary [Page 32] at her coming to the Crown bear for her Impresse winged Time drawing truth out of a pit, with this Motto, Veritas tem­poris Aul. Gell. noct. Att. [...]. 12. cap. 12. filia, Truth is the daughter of time. But whether she or her sister, whether the Papist or the Protestant have most right to that bearing, I leave it for you to judge. And here I lay down this for my ground to build upon, ( viz.) That Church, whose Doctrine is according Religio è libris sacris sincere pe­tita, vera est & Christiana reli­gio: Lips. in lib. de una religione. Ea demum vera religio est, quae verbum Dei pro cultus divini lege habet. Pless. de verit. Christ. Relig. cap. 20. to the word of Truth, without question hath the truth of Christian religion; which if the Popish Church ( qua Papalis, and dis­senting from ours) have, yea or no, we are now to see.

The Apostle in the second Epist. to the Thessal. chap. 2. verse 11. speaks of some upon whom God would send strong delusions, and infatuate so far in their pertinacie to errour, as that they should believe a lie: and doth he not hereby seem to point at the Romane Church? The time would faile should I tell you of all her Theologicall untruths, as of Free­will, praying to and for the dead, Justification by works, merit of condignity and congruity, the car­nall presence of Christ in the Eucharist under the forms of bread and wine, the Doctrine of Purgato­ry, of humane satisfaction for temporall punish­ments, works of Supererogation, and the like: of all which the Scripture speaks not a word of her self, without enforcement.

But to wave these, and to instance only in 2. or 3. particular falshoods that doe more immediately to the Scriptures, this word of Truth. For

[Page 33]First, what? when our ad­versaries Inter alia quae ab Ecclesiae Praesidibus sunt optime constituta, illud non mini­mam meretur landem, quod biblias vernaculas populo interdixerunt. Stel­la in Luc. 9. shall commend as a meritorious act, the pro­hibiting of the sacred Scri­ptures to be read of the peo­ple in a known language; though our Saviours com­mand to all in the 5. chap. of S. Iohn and the 39. verse, is to search the Scri­ptures: And how shall they do this; when they keep them as a fountain sealed up, to this end that they may not be searched into? Is this according to the word of Truth?

Secondly, again, when they teach that all deci­sions of saving truth must be resolved ultimately to the Pope, who cannot erre dogmatice in Cathedra, dogmatically in his chair; whereas the word of Isai. 8. 20. Truth sayes, to the law, and to the testimony; is this their Truth according to the Scriptures?

Thirdly, when they would obtrude upon us, that the written word (which is the formall object of faith) is not Veritas prima the first truth, but the te­stimony of the Church; whereas S. Iohn sayes, that 1 Iohn. 5. 9 the witnesse of God is greater then the witnesse of man; is this their Scripture Truth?

Fourthly and lastly, when they hold not the true rule of saving Truth, viz. the Propheticall and Apo­stolicall Doctrine of the Old and New Testament, which the Church of Christ ever held, till Non erat legitimum Christiano­rum concilium, sed Antichristi conventiculum ad oppugnandam Evangelii veritatem institutum. Whitak. 1. Q. cap. 4. de Scri­pturis. the Trent Conventi­cle (for so it may be called) did determine unwritten truths and Traditions to be respe­cted pari Pietatis af­fectu In the 1. Art. of their 4. Session. [Page 34] ac reverentia cum Scripturis (that is) with the same equall affection of piety and reverence that the Scriptures are; (for so their own words go) think you that this is the Truth of Christian Reli­gion, and yet so contrary to the word of Truth? Or 1 Rom. 25. rather is not this to change the Truth of God into a lie, as the Apostle speaks?

The harlot (you know) would have her child di­vided; 1 Reg. 3. 26 whereas the true Mother would have her whole child or none at all. By this then you may judge which is the true Mother, I mean, that Church which hath the true Religion; and again, which is the harlot, or whore of Babylon, Quae adulteravit verbum Dei, (to use Cal­vin's Adulterantes ve [...]bum Dei, 2 Cor. 2. 7. expression) that hath adulterated Gods word by her own traditions: whether we, who hold the ver­bum Dei scriptum, the written word to be the to­tall rule of saving truth; or else they, that divide this rule betwi xt the Scriptures and Traditions.

As Elijah said, If God be God, then follow him: 1 Kin. 18. 21 so say I, if our Protestant faith be truth, let us follow it; but if Popery be truth with us, then we may fol­low that, and see what will be the sad end thereof.

2. If the Scriptures be the word of truth, then see Use 2. from hence the great encouragement we have to search the Scriptures, since Quid veritate admirabi­lius, ad quam omnis sp [...] ­ctator per [...]enire se cupere confitetur? August. in lib. de vera Relig. all men naturally do pursue after truth to enrich their understandings, as well as after goodnesse to satisfy their wills and affections; and the word of God in the Scriptures is the onely mine where this rich treasure of truth is to be found. Our Saviour therefore com­mands [...], Iohn 5. 39. his disciples, and us in [Page 35] them (for the verb is imperative) to search the Scri­ptures: And it is a metaphor taken (it may be) from silver mines, as may be thought, by comparing this place with that of the Proverbs chap. 2. verse 4. where Solomon speaking of wisdome sayes, That we must seek for her as for silver, and search for her as for hid treasure. At (que) utinam omnes faceremus illud quod scriptum est, Scrutamini Scripturas; and it was Origen's wish, that we would all be sear­chers Orig. in Isai. homil. 2. of them.

I but you'l say (it may be) to me, as the woman of Samaria did to The true sense of the [...]criptures lies not in the Superficies, [...], but as a treasure hid in great depth. Euthym. in Ioh. 5. 39. ex Chrysost. Christ, that the well is deep; so, that sa­ving Iohn 4. 11. truth lies deep in the Scriptures, and we have nothing to draw it out withall.

For answer to which know, that although the true sense of the Scriptures lie very deep, and to draw it out from thence is the gift of God; yet doth Iam. 1. 17. not he give it now by immediate inspiration, or mi­racle, as he did, when he gave the Israelites Man­na from heaven, or as he did in the Apostles dayes, but he gives it now unto us by the use of ordinary means.

And here (if I would tire out your patience in making use of the scholars Directory) I could then tell you of these means to be used for the extracting of it: As of the generall opinion and practise of the Church in all ages, of the Decisions of Councells, the interpretation of the ancient and modern wri­ters, the Inspection into the fountains and Originall languages, the knowledge of humane Arts and Sciences, conference with learned men, and the [Page 36] like; all which are good helps towards the extract­ing of Scripture truth. But it shall suffice me to in­sist here onely upon those that are most obvious to the practise and capacities of the meanest. And to this end I shall fit and prepare you for the use of the subsequent means by 2. previous qualifications.

The 1. is Humility. For none erre more then proud persons, who leane too much to their own wisdome; which makes the Apostle exhort his Romans that they be not w [...]se in their own The Greek is very ele­gant, and runs the third verse with a double Pa­ronomasie. [...]. conceit. Rom. 12. 16. We must not then be highly conceited of our own know­ledge, nor think of our selves more highly then we ought to think; but think soberly (verse 3. of the same chapter) endeavouring chiefly to have a sight of our own ignorance, and with Erasm. lib. 3. Apoph. Socrates, hoc tantum scire quod nihil scimus, to know only this, that our igno­rance is above our knowledge. Chrysostome writing on the 3. chap. of the Ph [...]l. [...]. verse 15. sayes, that it is the perfection of a Christian to acknowledge himself to be imperfect. And so it is the knowledge of a Christian to know himself igno­rant of many things he ought to know. For if a man be fill'd before with Intus exist [...]ns probibet a­lienum. A full stoma [...]k loaths a hony-combe. Prov. 27. 7. his own wisdome, there will then be no r [...]om in him for the wisdome of God to enter.

If then thou would'st be truths scholar, and a good proficient in her school, go thither prepared with humility; for it is the meek (sayes David) Psal. 25. 9. [Page 37] whom God will teach his way: And a man is so much Tanto veritati vicinior, quanto longior ab ea tuo fueris arbitratu. Bern. de ordin. vit. sol. 1126. Et Isiodor. Hispal. Sentent. cap. 23. the nearer truth (sayes Ber­nard) by how much further he is from it in his own o­verweening conceit: which makes the Apostle say 1 Cor. 8. 2. If any man thinks he knows any thing, (i. e.) hath Multi ad veritatem per­venire potuissent, ni jam putassent se pervenisse. Ludov. Viv. in Introdu­ctione sua ad sapientiam Sentent. 198. a proud opinion of his own knowledge, he knows no­thing as he ought to know; for the true knowledge of God begets humility, and this teaches a man alwayes to suspect his own sense in divine things, but then especially, when he is singu­lar Quam facile deviare po­test, qui nec tramitem ha­bet quem sequatur, nec lucem! in it, and hath not the clear evidence of Scripture for it. And it is pulcher locus, an excellent place, Quē utinam omnes per­discerent! Calvin. in lo­cum. saies Calvin (w ^ch he wishes all men to be throughly ac­quainted with; if they were, there would not be so much novelty in religion, nor yet so much erroneous obstinacie as there is in the world) for if any man (sayes the Apostle) cons [...]nt 1 Ti. 6. 3, 4 not to whole some words, and to the doctrine a [...]cor­ding to godlinesse, he is proud, knowing nothing. Alas! there is no rock more dangerous to a Chri­stian, then pride of spirit: it hath shipwrackt many a soul, and lost it irrecoverablie. And here do but take a view of the Enthusiasts and Quakers in these times, and you shall find spirituall pride to have had a great influence upon them: for hence it is that (like the old Gnosticks) they think themselves the [Page 38] onely [...], and boast so much of their new light, and of those immediate revelations of Gods Spirit, as their guides both for life and Doctrine; whereas now, new doctrinall and saving truths are vainly exspected, and fondly pretended to, since this Gospell we have from The Mendicant Friars published a book which they called their Evan­gelium aeternum, circaannum Domini 1250. cu­jus meminit Mat Paris, Chawcer in Roman. de Ros. Et Fox Martyrol. 1. part. pag. 322. Christ is that Evangelium aeternum, that Gospell which must continue for ever; neither needs the Church any such in these dayes, as some heretofore would have obtruded on her. But oh the pride of graceless hearts! As if that in the great matter of salvation, the new light of their own fancie or reason (for it is no better) did shine as bright, if not out-shine the Scriptures: Whereas the Prophet Isai sayes, To the law and to Isai. 8. 20. the testimony; and, if any speak not according to this word of truth, it is because there is no light in him. And such were they against whom the Lord com­plains by the Prophet, who followed their own Ezech. 13. 1, 2. spirits, and saw nothing. Or else, as if the Scri­ptures were of little or no use at all unto them, but they must have the same unerring and immediate spirit to be their guide, which the Prophets and A­postles had who wrote the Scriptures, being moved thereunto by the Holy Ghost; which is too high a 2 Pet. 1. 21. presumption for the highest of men since their times to lay claim unto.

Again, hence it is that they professe their own consciences to be the rule of their Faith and Do­ctrine, conforming the Scriptures to them, and not them to the Scriptures; which is, as if a man should set his Sun­diall by Clock, and not his Clock by the Sun.

[Page 39]And they adde further, that nothing to them is Scripture-truth, till it be made out by the voice of the spirit within them. As if that the voice of Gods spi­rit speaking infallibly in the Scriptures, should speak truth unto them no further then it doth answer the voice of their own spirit, (for their own it is, if not worse) when it speaks o­therwise Euseb. Ecclesiast. hist. lib. 2. cap. 2. then the Scriptures do: That as Tertullian said of the Romans, who would not acknowledge Christ for God, because he was not approved of by their Senate, Nisi homini Deus placuerit, nonne erit Deus? Must God be made by man, or shall he not be God? So, must the word of God please our tast, or else must it not be his word? Yes; For prophecie (sayes S. Peter) came not of old by the will of man, but holy men of God spake it as they were moved by the holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1. last. But last of all, hence it is, that they would make us believe they walk above all ordinances; when Quis non harret hujusmo­di profanas novitates ver­borum & sensuum [...] Bern. Epistol. 190. as both Christ himself, who was herein our great exem­plar, & the children of God in all ages have ever had recourse to Scripture-ordinances upon all occasions.

Whereby we see, that these and such like strange Phaenomena are nothing else (whatsoever is pretend­ed to the contrary) Libertini similesque illis furiae, superbe Scripturam ipsam despi­ciunt, ut spiritum assequantur, ac quot quot illis desiria ingerit Sa­than, pro arcanis spiritus revela­tionibus fastuose venditant. Nos autem, Pauli exemplo, discamus spiritū cum voce hominū conjun­gere. Cal. in 1. Ep. ad Th. c. 5. v. 20 but either the furies, or dotages of our own brains, which Sathan puts in, that so we may in the pride of our hearts set up our own private spirits in the throne of rule and [Page 40] authority, & keep under the scepter of Gods spirit in the Scriptures from ruling over us; from whence we are easily led by Sathans instigation, and our own natural corruption joyning issue with him, into all manner of Atheisme and profaneness without con­troul.

And such as these doth S. Jude point at in the Gnosticks, of whom he sayes, that they did separate Jude v. 19 themselves and were sensuall, having not the spirit, (whatsoever they conceited of themselves other­wise.) And therefore as the prophet I sai speaks to such by way of Irony, so do I, Behold all ye that kindle a fire, that compasse your selves about with Isai. 50. last sparks, as refusing to walk after the light of Gods word, that Ignis Sacer, that holy fire, and light in a dark place (as S. Peter calls it) walk in the light of 2Pet. 1. 19 your fire, and in the sparks your selves have kind­led: but this shall ye have from my hand, that ye shall lie down in sorrow: that is, that not withstand­ing all the fire which your selves have kindled, and all the dark lights you have set up, ye shall in the end, when ye come to die, find no ease or rest there­in for your souls, but lie down in sorrow and per­plexity.

Thus when S. Austin lay upon his death-bed, whither did he go for comfort but to the Scriptures? whereof he caused some choice and suitable passages Sibi jusser at psalmos Da­vidicos de poenitentia scri­bi, ipsosque contra parie­tem positos legebat. Possi­don. in vita Augustini. to be writ upon the wall be­fore him, that so he might have them ready for his use on all occasions. And so, when our souls shall one day come to sit upon our lips, ready to take leave of our bodies, alas! how Haec est consolatio mea in tri­bulatione, sermonem tuum vivificare me. Psal. 119. 50. little water of comfort [Page 41] shall we then find in our own broken cisterns, Ier. 2. 13. when we have deserted the sacred Scriptures, which are the fountain of living waters!

And this is the first previous qualification in order to the means of extracting saving truth out of the Scriptures.

The 2. is Prayer; for it is but lost labour to think of any means conducible to truth, unlesse we first beg of God his blessing on them by our prayers. It was the preparative speech the Primitive Christians used in the Introitus to Gods publick service, Ante omnia oremus; and it must prepare us also, since it is pray­er that calls Gods spirit to Sanctum ad se spiritum o­ratio advocat, serenat cor, abstrabit à terrenis, reddit­que ad accipiende spiri­tualia capacius. Cassio­dor. in psalm. 16. us, call'd therefore the spirit of supplication Zach. 12. 10. Prayer that clears the heart of earthly things, and makes it more capable of reciving spiritual comforts. In a word, prayer it is that sanctifies the means unto us, and without which they availe nothing: which made Mr. Bradford (as Mr. Fox tells us) be ever In Martyrol. 2. part. Ful­gentius also hath a good prayer to this purpose. A te (Domine) postulo, ut prae­veniente ac subsequente gratia, quaecunque salu­briter scienda uescio, do­ceas me; in his quoe vera sunt, custodias me; in qui­bus vero titubo, confirmes. Ad Monim. lib. 1. cap. 4. down upon his knees to God blessing, before he would presume to take this book of truth into his hands. And to this purpose it will not be amiss to make use either of that short eja­culation of David, Psalm 119. verse 18. Open thou my eyes, O Lord, that I may behold the wondrous things out of thy Law; or else that other parallel place of his in the 43. Psal. ver. 3. O send out thy light and thy truth, that they may [Page 42] lead me; let them bring me to thy holy hill and to thy tabernacles.

And now being thus prepared and qualified,

The 1. means I shall commend unto you for the 1 Means. extracting of saving truth out of the Scriptures is, the constant reading of them. That as S. Paul ad­vises Timothy to attend unto reading, so must we 1 Ti. 4. 13. give our daily service and attendance upon reading the Scriptures: Even as the eyes of a servant do wait upon his master, so must our eyes wait on the sacred Canon, to read it at all times, and upon all oc­casions. Cum oramus, cum Deo lo­quimur; cum vero legimus, Deus nobiscum. Sentent. lib 3. cap. 8. For as we speak (sayes I siodore) to God in praying, so also doth God to us in our reading the Scriptures. And if there be a Golden legend to a Christian, I mean a book that deserves (as the heathen man said of the beginning Quidam Platonicus di­cere solebat, Initium E­vangelii S. Ioannis au­reis inscribi literis di­gnum. Augustin. de Ci­vit. Dei lib. 10. cap. 29. of the S. John's Gospell) to be writ in letters of gold, and to be read constantly of us, the holy Bible is that book, wherein is contained the word of truth. There is many a one reads the Scri­pture, yet doth not see presently that truth which is embowell'd in it. Thou ta­kest phvsick (it may be) Medicamentum sumis, & non primo sanat; an non altero die adhibebis? Lips. de constant. which doth not presently cure thee; and wilt thou therefore give it over, and not take it again a second time? So thou pursuest after truth in thy reading of the Scriptures, and yet dost not presently overtake it; it may be, not at the first, nor at the second time; what? wilt thou therefore flag thy diligence in read­ing [Page 43] of them? no; but rather read them over and over again, as oft as Al­fonsus Panormit. lib. 1. de re­bus Alsonsi. King of Arragon did, which was 14. severall times: and so should we be so enamo [...]'d of this book of truth, as that it Nunquam de manibus tuis sacra lectio deponatur. Hier. ad Ne­potian. de vit. cleri [...]or. Ne di­scedat lib. legis ex ore tuo. Ios. 1. 8. should be seldome out of our hands, and sel­domer out of our eyes.

It was a good wish of King James (our Mecoenas of learning) upon the sight of those chain'd books in Oxford Library, that he might be always impri­son'd with them; Simihi daretur optio, hisce catenis cuperem ego me semper illigari. And so should we tye, and chaine our Nocturna versate manu, versate diurna. selves to a constant task of reading the Scriptures, and be al­wayes turning them over: for how knowest thou but God may give in to Nemo sensum Scripturoe potest cognoscere, nisi legendi familiari­tate; sicut scriptum est, Ama illam, & exaltabit te. Hispal. sent. cap. 11. lib. 3. thy continued course of reading his book, that truth which o­therwise he will deny?

The 2. means to extract saving truth out of the 2. Means. Scriptures, is the light of reason which God hath set up in our understandings, that so (as the Apostle 1 Co. 14. 15 would have us to pray with understanding) we may read the Scriptures with understanding also.

Now this, as it is a principall means of beating out truth in naturall and morall things, so also do we allow it for a subordinate means in things di­vine and Theologicall; for Baxt. in prafat. ad part. 2. of th [...] Sis. rest. if reason (saves one) were of no more use about divine [Page 44] truths, then some would make it, mad-men and in­fants were fittest to make Christians of.

And therefore though we do not adore it so much as the Socinians do, yet do we not on the other side altogether slight it and lay it by, since the Apostle Rom. 12. [...] sayes, that it is [...], the reasonable as well as the religious service which God accepts. For wherefore hath God made us rationall creatures, and given us the talent of reason, but to make use of it to his glory, and our best advantage? reason making up the best Optimum in homine ratio est: Mac antecedit animalia, Deum sequitur. Ratio perfecta bonum est hominis proprium, caelera illi cum animalibus communia. Sen. Epist. 76. part of our essence & humane constitution: for it is by this (sayes the Moralist) that we excell other creatures, and become like unto The Greek hath it [...], as creatures of no logick, of no rea­son. God, and without it 2 Bet. 2. 12. are but as bruit beasts (as we translate it.)

Now our reason applyed instrumentally to our reading of the Scriptures, will be a good auxiliary to help us unto the saving truth that lies in them di­vers wayes, but especially these four.

1. Per modum Concessionis, by way of conces­sion, that is, by yielding some things in the Scripture for truth primo intuitu upon our first sight and reading of them. Alexander Severus caused this sen­tence to be in-laid in the walls of his palace; and it is part of the Turks be­lief to this day. Aelius Lamprid. in vita; and Greg. in his notes on Scri­pture pag. 143. As when we read Mat. 7. 12. That we must do to others, as we would they should do to us; That we must speak every Verum volo dici mihi, men­dacem odi. Plaut. Most. one the truth to his neigh­bour, [Page 45] Zach. 8. 16. and not lie one to another, Col. 3. 9. That we must not break our oaths, Nu. [...] was one of Py­thagoras first lessons to his scho­lars; Iambl. in vita. Tu nequa parentum Iussatime, neu praeceptis parere recusa. Virg. Ae [...]eid. lib. 2. 30. 2. That we must be subject to Princi­palities and powers, and obey Magistrates our politicall parents, Titus 3. 1.

Now in these and such like principles engrafted in us by nature, our meer reason will tell us, (as it did the Heathen) that these are the words of truth, without any further questioning of them; and on the other side, that the Romish Notandum, omnes qui sunt haeretico aliqua obli­gatione obstricti jurisju­randi five fidelitatis, libe­rari. Azor. Instit. mor. lib. 8. cap. 13. Erat quastio philosophica in Comitiis Cantabr. an. 1606. Aequivocationis tenebrae pugnant cum ra­tionis lumine. See Mason's treatise of the Jesuites new Art of lying or equivocation. Al­so Whites way to the true chruch, Sect. 43. digress. 46. And King Iames De­fence of the right of Kings, pag. 215, & 227. Doctrine of keeping no faith with hereticks, upon which advantage is taken of injurying them upon all oc­casions; again, that her Do­ctrine of lying and equivo­cation, at which the Iesui­ted Romanists are now very dexterous; that her Doctrine of absolving subjects from their oaths of allegeance to their Rulers, yea and then murdering them, (if it will make in rem Catholicam for the advance of the Ca­tholick cause,) must needs be falshood, as being a­gainst those common rules of honesty and equity that flow from the naturall principles of reason that are within us.

2. Our own reason will help us to find out saving truth in the Scriptures per modum Dispositionis, by [Page 46] way of disposing those things we conceive for truth in the Scripture to the main end they were ordered and appointed to. It is so in naturall and morall things, as well as divine. And here take this short, and easy rule. viz.

That Doctrine which disposes most to the glory of God, as in Bucan. Loci commun. de Sacr. Script. pag. 42. Thus Christ proved his Doctrine to be true, because therein he sought not his owne glory, but his that sent him, Iohn 7. verse 17, & 18. Of this see Bishop An­drews also, in preface to the Decalogue. the beating down of corrupt nature, and comforting a distress'd sinner after he is hum­bled, that certainly must be the truth of God in the Scriptures. And this is so evident, that he who hath but, the dim eie of reason may see it.

Now then, if we consider which Doctrines, either the Romish or ours, doe this, then that will be easi­ly yielded for the truth of Tutiores vivimus, si to­tum Deo damus, non au­tem nos illi ex parte, & ex parte nobis commi [...]timus. Aug. de dono persever. cap. 6. Itidem Bellarminus; Ob pericu­lum inanis gloriae tutissimum est (inquit) fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia reponere. De Justificat. lib. 5. c p. 7. God in the Scriptures. As whether the Doctrine of free Grace or Works, the Do­ctrine of finall falling a­way from grace or of not falling, the Doctrine of laying hold upon salvation by our own merits or else by the merits of Christ, &c.

Without question, there is no doctrine conducing so much to this end, as the doctrine of our Reformed Religion; and therefore this, and not Popery, must needs be the truth of God held out unto us in the Scriptures.

3. Per modum Illationis, by way of inference; [Page 47] and so our reason will help us to draw and con­clude divine truths from Scripture grounds. As when we read Acts 3. 21. of Christ, that the hea­vens must receive him till the restitution of all things; here my reason will come in and conclude thus much from it, That then the body of Christ cannot be carnally in the Eucharist; because it is a­gainst reason to imagine a true body, whose insepa­rable property is to be circumscribed in one place, yet to be at once in two severall places, as in hea­ven and at the Lords table.

4. Per modum Collationis, by way of compari­son: and that two wayes.

1. By comparing the doctrines collected out of the Scriptures with themselves, that so we may see by their agreement one with another whether they be true or no: for reason will tell us, that not only in naturall and morall, but also in divine things there is no surer index of falshood then contrariety, and of truth then con­cent Veritas Dei una, semperque sui similis. In praefat. ad Harm. Confess. Veritas in omnem partem sui semper eadem est. Sen. Ep. 79. Verum vero semper consonat; Aristot. lib. 1. Ethic. cap. 8. Nullum est sic arte compositum mendacium, ut undique sibi con­stet. Erasm. Ratio verae Theolog. and harmony of things compared toge­ther; it being the na­ture of truth to be one, and of falshood to be manifold & disagree­ing. As you may see by those that bare wit­nesse against Christ, Mark 14. 57, 59. it is said of them, that their witnesse was false, for it did not agree toge­ther: And so in divinity one truth doth not give the lie to another.

And by this I would fain know how the Do­ctrine of Christs humanity can stand well with the doctrine of Ubiquity, the last of these pretending to [Page 48] Scripture-truth as well as the former, and so held out in one and the same religion.

Surely, a rationall Christian needs nothing more to convince him of the falshood of the Romish faith, then the dissonancy A quibusdam igitur veritas di­citur [...] ex ae privat. & [...] oblivio, quia mendacii comes est, non, veritatis, oblivio; secundum illud, Oportet menda­cem esse memorem. Lips. Decad. 4. lib. 4. of the parts thereof: all errour being a lyar, and very apt to forget it self; whereas the truth of God doth sing alwayes one constant note.

2. By comparing the doctrines collected out of the Scriptures, with See the 2. Article of the English Confession, proposit. 5. Analogia fidei nihil aliud est quam constans Scripturae senten­tia in locis apertis minime (que) ob­scuris, quales sunt Articuls fidei in Symbolo, quaeque continentur in Decalogo & oratione domini­ca. Rainold. de lib. Apoc. & Keck. Log. lib. 2. cap. 1. Ita est temperata Scripturae ob­scuritas, ut facile quis se possit expedire, modo cum similibus lo­cis Scripturae minus obscuris lo­cum obscuriorem conferat, & in­primis oculos à scopo non dimo­veat. August. de Doctr. Christia­na lib. 3. those ordinary rules that Divines give us for the right interpre­tation of them: As whether they agree with the Analogy of faith spoken of in the 12. chap. of the Rom. ver. 6. with other pa­rallel Scriptures lesse obscure of the same nature, with the scope of the place, with the antecedents and con­sequents, and the like; all which a Christi­an may do by the strength of his own reason he carries about him, if he know how to make right use of it. And yet sel­dome do the Popish Commentatours on the Scrip­tures eie these rules in their expositions of it, which is the reason they many times give such wilde senses [Page 49] (as they do) of many places, and erre so grosly; else they would never al­ledge See King Iames Defence of the right of Kings, pag. 163. & 164. ubi plura. the two swords spo­ken of in the 22. chap. of Luke ver. 38. for the Popes spirituall and temporall power, nor yet the spiri­tuall mans judging of all things, and his being judg'd of none, in the 1 Cor. chap. 2. verse 14. for his infallibility: both which interpretations are so absurd, that I wonder much how any sober Christians Tritum illud, Contra ra­tionem nemo sobrius. should take them up. Which shows the untruth of their religion, by the dissonancie of their Doctrines in these and many other places (if I would cite them) from the former rules.

The 3. is, the attentive hearing of the word 3 Means. preach'd in the mouths of Gods Ministers. That as the people spoken of in the 19. chapter of S. Luke ver. last, did hang upon Christ hear­ing [...]. him; (for so the Greek hath it) so must we (as it were) hang upon the mouths of Gods Ministers, even as bees do upon flowers, to suck out the sweetnesse of saving truth which falls from them: the Ministery of the Gospell being Gods great Ordinance he hath constituted in his Church to lay hold on that Scripture-truth, which our own reading and reason doth often misse of. And God will not (on his part) be wanting to his own ordinance, since he hath promis'd alwayes to Mat. 28. 19, 20. Acts 13. 2. assist the Ministers of it with his gracious presence: for to this end hath he set them apart, and enabled them after a speciall manner for the better interpre­tation of the Scriptures, which S. Peter calls well 2 Pet. 1. 20. [...], the untying of the hard and knotty expres­sions in them; which makes Christ bid his spouse, [Page 50] (if she would find him) to feed her Kids, that were Cant. 1. 8. newly taken into the fold of Christ, besides the shop­herds tents, or by the tents of those good shepherds which of old led the flock, of which sort were Mo­ses and Aaron, with all those that succeed them, (as Athanasius succeeded Marcus at Alexandria) no lesse in knowledge and [...]. G. Nazianz. Orat. 21. piety then in place and of­fice. And this is that which the prophet Malachy sayes in the commendation of Le­vi, chap. 2. verse 6. The law of Truth (sayes he) See Deut. 17. 9, 10, 11 12. was in his mouth: and again in the 7. verse he sayes further, that the priests lips should preserve know­ledge, and the people should seek the law at his mouth; for he is Angelus domini the messenger of Iehovah, and interpreter of his will unto the people.

Now the word preached in the mouth of Gods Mi­nisters is a good means to extract saving truth out of the Scriptures two wayes. 1. By way of discovery. 2. By way of application.

1. By way of discovery; whereby the shell is broken that so we may come to the kernell, and the letter of the Scripture opened, that so we may see the truth that lies hid under it. And thus the Levites are said to read the law distinctly, to give the sense, and Neh. 8. 8. cause the people to understand the reading.

2. By way of application, by applying the truth discovered to our own use and practise; for else, though the word preached may be a truth in it self, yet is it not so to me, till it be made mine own by ap­plication. The word of God therefore is called a rule: now there can be no right and orderly building up of the Church without application of the rule unto it.

The fourth is meditation of what we have read 4 Means. [Page 51] our selves, or heard from others: else all that we read or hear is but as water Meditaberis in libro legis diebus ac noctibus, Ios. [...]. 8 put into a sive, that will not stay with us; for Meditation is as it were a second Sermon, or a review of truth, vide 1 Ti. 4. 15. when we look upon it with a more serious eie, and come to have a more distinct and setled knowledge of it: for what we know no (sayes Isodore of Sevill) Quicquil nescimus le­ct onibus discimus, quod vero didicimus medita­tionibus conservamus. Hi­spalensis in lib. sentent. de lectione. we learn by reading, but what we have learnt we keep by meditation; which made the prophet David break forth into that affe­ctionate speech, Oh! how I love thy law, it is my Psa. 119. 97 meditation continually.

It is the best title that the law gives ad habendum & tenendum, to have and to hold; and to hear and retain is likewise the best possession that is given us by the Gospell: and this is done by meditation.

It is a sign of health in nature, when the reten­tive faculty of the stomack Cibus mentis est sermo D [...]i [...] ubi alimentum non reti­netur, de vita desperatur. Greg. M in Mat. c 13. holds good, and doth not faileus; and so it is also in grace, when we retain those truths we have gain'd by reading: but when our retentive faculty shall once cease her office, we are then in great danger of death.

The last and chiefest means of all the rest is the 5. Means. [...] Spirit of God, though not the onely means, (as the Anabaptists would have it.) And to this end it is called the Spirit of Truth Iohn 16. verse 13. be­cause it is the principall means of leading us into all truth. For Truth is as it were the haven we sail to, the means (before spoken of) as the tacklings we [Page 52] saile with, the promises of God as the Anchor we stay our selves upon in our passage to it, Faith as our cable we lay hold on, the Scriptures as the Com­passe we saile by, and the spirit of God as the Pilot that stands at the stern to guide us according to that Compasse. All other means without this are little worth: for the letter kills (sayes the Apostle) but the 2 Cor. 3 6. Spirit gives life; quasi dixisset, it is no outward means that can of it self be quick­ning Magisteria forinsecus ad­jutoria quaedam sunt, at in coelo cathedram habet qui corda docet. Aug. tract. 4. in Exposit. Epist. Ioan­nis. and efficacious; for we may read the Scri­ptures, and apply our rea­son to them, hear them preach'd, and meditate on them; yet are all these no­thing, unlesse the spirit of God speak to our hearts, as our Saviour did to the deaf man, saying, Ephpha­tha, Mark 7. 34. be opened.

Other means may suadere, move us to think this or that Doctrine we conceive from Scripture to be saving truth, but none of them can persuadere, go through-stitch with it, and infallibly perswade the heart that it is so, but the Spirit of God. This being Gods seale to imprint all saving truth in our hearts; for so much the Apostle intimates where he sayes, 1 Eph. v. 13 that after the Ephesians heard the word of Truth, they were sealed with the holy spirit of promise.

Nor is it onely as a seale to imprint it, but also as a witnesse to attest it: so sayes S. Iohn, The spirit 1 Iohn 5. 6. beares witnesse, because the spirit is truth, (that is) because the Doctrine delivered by the spirit (which is there called the Spirit by way of Metonymy) is truth.

Oh how should the consideration hereof prevail with us to beg every day the assistance of his bles­sed spirit! And our Saviour tells us, that if we ask [Page 53] his Spirit of him, he will give it: which made the Luke 11. 13 Prophet David pray in one place, that God would Psal. 143. 10 lead him by his good spirit into the land of upright­nesse; and in another, that God would not take a­way Psal. 51. 11 his holy spirit from him. And so should we pray too; for if he should once take him from us, 1 Tim. 4. 1. alas! how soon should we give heed to lying spi­rits, and doctrines of Devils!

And thus much for the Means of extracting sa­ving Truth out of the Scriptures.

And now having extracted it by these Means, what remains on our parts? but

• 1. To hold it firmly.
• 2. To rejoyce in it affectionately.
• 3. To prize it highly.
• 4. To love it dearly.

1. We must hold her firmly (at least in her fundamen­talls) Fundamenta nobis esse de­bent firmamenta. Augu­stin. de doct. Christiana. against all opposers, whether by way of con­tradiction or persecution, as the Spouse did her heloved; the text says, that she Cant. 3. 4. held him, and would not let him go.

And this is that standing fast in the faith, or sticking [...]. close to it, unto which the A­postle exhorts us in the 1 epistle to the Corinthians the 16. chapter and 13. verse; that [...] quitting our selves like men, or play­ing the men for it; yea that gathering up our main strength, and planting it [...]. in defence thereof; again, that fight­ing the good fight of faith, whereof he speaks in his first epistle to Timothy chap. 6. vers. 12. that resist­ing unto bloud, Heb. chap. 12. vers. 4. and that earnest contending for the faith in the 3 verse of S. [Page 54] Jude's epistle, when we contend for the Quae praeter fidem, non impe­tuosiùs prosequamur; quae au­tem fidei sunt, cum vilae dispen­dio [...]ueamur. Bp. Hall in lib. qui insc [...]bitu [...], Pax in terris. substance of it even unto death, and strug­gle for it as for life. And because this is at­tended on all hands Ad mortem usque certa pro veri­tate, & pro te Deus pugnabit. Ecclesiasticus cap. 4. vers. 28. with troubles▪ O [...]r Sa­viour therefore encou­rages us to it with the profer of a crown, and a crown of life too, even of eternall life; which is enough to put the highest of our ambition to a stand, and to make amends for all kinds of deaths we are to undergoe, for all sorts of sufferings; for so he sayes to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna, Fear none of those things thou Rev. 2. 10. shalt suffer: behold, the Devill shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tryed, and ye shall have tribulation 10 daies; These 10 dayes are said to be the 10 generall perse­cutuns within 300 years after Christ. Pars. Christ. Directory, 2 part. pag. 674. & [...]agnaeus in lo­cum. but be thou faithfull unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. And again, in the next Chapter and the eleventh verse, to the Angel of the Church of Philadel­phia, Hold fast, that no man take away thy Crown from thee. A parallel place to which is that of S. James, whe [...]e he sayes, Iam. 1. 12 Blessed is he that endures temptation; for when he is tryed, he shall receive a crown of life.

And this was figu [...]'d in the Old Testament, where we read that the Ark of the Testament, which kept Ex. 25. 11. the two tables of the Law, had a Crown of gold round about it, in manner of a cir­cle Beda de Tabern. (says Beda;) to signifie thus much, that if we keep fast the law of truth in the 2 Mal. 2. 6. [Page 55] tables of the old and new Testament, we shall have for ou [...] reward a Crown of Glory, Corona rotun [...]a instar circuli sig­nificat perfectionem b [...]norum onmium fin [...] c [...]rentem. A Lapide in Revel. 2. 10. Vide Drexel. 1. consider. de aetern. cap. 1. which hath in it the perfection of allima­ginable good, and is as a circle, that hath no end: which is the reason that the Anci­ents made the Circle alwayes the Emblem of Eter­nity.

Nay, of how preci­ous Crowns (saies the Quàm preciosis ille dignus coro­ [...]is, cujus fidem n [...]lla tyr [...]nno­rum vis subvert [...]re, non minae frangere, non ludibria movere, nec delinire blanditia pote [...]! Fox in his Euch [...]risticon. Martyrologist) is he worthy, whose faith holds up above all that tyrants can do a­gainst it, either by force o [...] threats, scoffs or flatteries!

And here I cannot but make an honourable men­tion of S. Stephen Christs Protomartyr, Act. 7. who had his Crown legible in his name, and [...] to whom all the stones in his Crosse, that were flung at him by the hard-hearted and enra­ged multitude, served only as so many pearls and diamonds to embellish his crown of Glory. For our light affliction (sayes S. Paul) which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceed­ing Ʋpon this occasion Tertullian wrote his book De corona Mili­tis, when as a Christian So [...]l­dier refused the military crown that was pro [...]ered him, sayi [...]g▪ Non de [...]et Christianum in hac vita coronari. weight of Glory. In which place of the blessed Apostle we have laid down, as a support to us in our sufferings for Christ and his truth, not only a double Antithesis between [Page 56] our afflictions and glory, as that the one is light, but the other heavy, the one momentany, the other eternall; but also a double Hyperbole, or exceedings [...]. of Glory beyond our suffer­ings, for it is a far more ex­ceeding weight of glory (as we translate it) 2 Cor. 4. 17.

And now (methinks) I see divine Truth riding in her Triumphall Chariot with that immarcessible or [...]. 1 Pet. 5. 4. never-fading crown of Glo­ry (as S. Peter calls it) up­on her head: where on the one side of her behold a glorious company of Prophets and Apostles confir­ming it to us by their writings; on the other side a troup of Confessours bear­ing it up with invincible Viros [...]ortes & magnani­mos esse volumus veritatis am [...]cos. Tull. Offi [...]. lib. 1. courage and fortitude be­fore Kings and Princes, speaking one to another in Hester's language, If we perish, we perish, Hest. 4. vers. 16. here a Convocation of Ministers spend­ing their time, breath, bodies, minds, estates, and all in vindication of it; there a noble Army of Martyrs asserting and witnessing it even with their blouds, embracing the Truth, We must rather [...], Naz. Orat. 3. though with death and bonds, rather then falshood with freedome of life and prosperity.

We can do nothing (says S. Paul) against the 2 Cor. 13. 8 truth, but for it. Where you see that S. Paul is so weak in acting against the truth, as that he can doe nothing, and yet so valiant for it, as that he can doe very much: And if you ask, what? take this ac­count of it.

[Page 57]That he can write all his Epistles in defence of it: he can travail up & down like a pilgrim from one country to another to propagate it; as you may see in his peregrination written by S. Luke, from the 9. chapter of the Acts unto the end; where we read that he journied from Damascus in Syria (which was the place of his Christendom; to omit Ilands, towns and cities, which were infinite) into 12. fe­verall countreys, viz. into Palestine, Cilicia, Pam­phylia, Pisidia, Lycaonia, Phrygia, Galatia, My­sia, Bithynia, Achaia, Macedonia, and at the last into Italy, to sow them all with the seed of Christi­anity, with the truth of the Gospell. Again, he can make the Magicians to burn their books, though worth 50000. pieces of silver, which amount (say Divines) to about 600 [...]. In nuperrimis Annotatio­nibus, on Acts 19. of our sterling money at the lowest estimate, being no inconsiderable sum, that so they might thereby purchase to themselves that invaluable pearl of the Gospell truth, which S. Paul preach'd unto them. He can make Felix tremble by reasoning about it. Acts 24. He can make an open profession of it before Agrip­pa, Acts 26. and almost perswade him to be a Christian; and so startle Demetrius the silver-smith, and his fellow­crafts-men, about the falsity of their Goddesse, as that they had no way to crutch her up, but by the vogue of the simple and foolish multitude, who when Acts 1 [...]. they could not make good her Deity by reason, knew another way how to make it out, even as children doe, by cry and clamor, with Great is Dia­na of the Ephesians.

I but, some may say, can S. Paul onely doe for the truth, and not suffer also? Yes; he suffered (as 2 Cor. 1. 8. he sayes of himself) above measure: For he was counted by the Epicureans for telling the truth as a [Page 58] babler, a triviall fellow, and one made up of no­thing Acts 17. 18. but prate and noise; and by the Galathians as an enemy. But is this all? no; he can endure more Gal. 4. 16. from that glozing orator Tertullus then this; for in the generall, he taxes S. Paul for a pestilent fellow, Acts 24. 5. nay more, for [...], in the abstract. the very pest and plague of the world (for so the Greek hath it) which is a disease Sic etiam Lutherum, Germaniae calamitatem ae contagium, vocat Strada l. 2 de b [...]llo Belgico pag. 33. & 34. Id animis heresis, quod corporibus pestis: Et duo sunt quae pestem efficiunt terribilem; unum, quod momento extinguit, alte­rum, quod cum unum in­terficit, cen [...]um alios infi­cit; Bellarm. in praefat. disp. de controversiis fidei. (you know) malignant and infections in the highest degree: so was S. Paul tra­duced for one whose Do­ctrine would infect and de­stroy the souls of men, as much and as soon as the plague or highest mali­gnant feaver would their bodies, and therefore was not to be endured. But in particular, and more plain­ly,

1. For a mover of sedition in the Common­wealth. And this he knew would render him very odious to Felix the Roman governour, because it would speak him an opposer, or at least a disturber of the power and authority that was then in being. Again

2. For an Arch-heretick in the Church, and a ring-leader of the Nazarene sect, i. e. of those that worshipp'd Iesus of Nazareth, which was then the onely true worship of God, though at that time cry'd down by the supercilious Pharisees for a Sect of all others most despicable; as you may see by that speech of theirs Iohn 7. 52. Search and see (say they) for out of Nazareth, (so out of the Reformed [Page 59] Church say the Papists, and other malevolents to it) there arises no prophe [...].

These and such like aspersions were then cast up­on S. Paul, yet is he content to suffer by them as a malefactor even to bonds: for so he sayes of himself, 2 Tim. 2. chap. verse 9. Neither is this all, but fur­ther, Gal. 6. 17. he can for the truth of the Gospe [...]l bear in his body the marks of the Lord Iesus; the marks of the manacles in his hands, of the irons in his feet, of the rods on his back, and of the stones in his face and head; for he was in prisons frequent, thrice beaten with rods, once ston'd, besides his other sufferings, whereof you may read at large in the 2 Epist. to the Cor. 11. chap. from the 23. verse to the 28. Now all these marks we think very hard to be born, who are now unwilling to touch the least of them with the least of our fingers, or to en­dure any rent or scar in our Qui bonorum direptio­nem, ac capitis dolorem non patimur benigne, quo­modo pro Christo capitis abscissionem pateremur? Hugo l. 2. de claustro a­nimae. estates, much lesse in our bodies: But yet S. Paul can suffer a Plus ultra, and that is, not onely to be bound and stigmatized, but also to die for truth of Christ; as he professes of himself in the 21. chap. of the Acts verse 13. That he was ready not onely to be bound, but also to die for the name of the Lord Iesus.

But did S. Paul only suf­fer Veritas odium parit. Te [...]. in Andria, Scen. 1. this for the holding fast of Christs truth, and not o­thers of Gods children also? Yes; for did not the 1 Kin. 19. 2. 1 Kin. 22. 8. Ier. 37. 15. Mat. 14. 10. truth cost Elias danger, Micaiah disgrace, Ieremy imprisonment, and Iohn Baptist his head? yea thousands of Christians the most cruell and barba­rous deaths that could be invented? as you may read [Page 60] in the 11. chapter to the Hebrews, (which we may well call the Scripture Martyrology) from the thirty sixth verse of that chap. unto the end: where it is said, Qui de passionibus San­ctorum plura volet, legat 8. caput ad Romanos vers. 36. & priorem Epistolam ad Corinth. cap. 4. vers. 11, 12, & 13. that they had triall of cruell mockings and scourgings, yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment; they were stoned, they were sawen a­sunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandred about in sheep­skins, and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tor­mented, of whom the world was not worthy; they wandred in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens, and caves of the earth. And yet all these will the children of God suffer for the truths sake; nay, rather then they will gratifie the greatest persecutours and hereticks with the least inch or title of sa­ving Qui modica concedit, paulatim decidit. Aug. Conf. l. 9. c. 8. & fundamentall truth.

For many have been the tempests rais'd against it in all ages; yet never any so boistrous as was that of the Arrians against the Orthodox Christians. And why was it? only for a small thing in shew, but great in substance; because (forsooth) they would not grant the Arrians one letter against Christs Divinity; and this was but a poor io­ta Quod de lege Iudaei, idem nos de fidei confessione; de unaqua­que syllaba magni montes pen­dent: Literulae unius mutatio quantat in Ecclesia vetere tur­bas cierit, sensit orbis. Scilicet quaesono vix discrepant, reipsa tamen ita toto coelo distant, ut qui divinis enueriti [...]unt elo­quiis, millies mori mavelint, quam ut literam unam in fidei suae professione corrumpi finant. B. H. in libro cui titulus Pax in ter is. too, the Orthodox holding Christ to be [...] of the same substance with the Fa­ther, but the Arrians only [...] of the like substance. Now [Page 61] if we respect the mat­ter of this speech, we find that the Arrians brought up their tenet so near truth, that a man would have thought the contenti­on could not have been great about it. And again, if we have respect to the terms, we shall find very little difference between them. Yet see how stiffe the Orthodox stood for one letter, that they would not yield it to them.

As the Ecclesiasticall history says of Theodoret. hist. l. 3. c. 7. Marcus Arethusus, that he would not give so much as one half-peny to the re-edifying of an idolatrous temple, though to free himself at that time out of the hands of his tor­mentors: so neither would they contribute one letter towards falshood, which was the cause that so many streams of bloud were drawn out from them by the Arrian Emperours, and thou­sands Constantius, Iulian and Valens, &c. of them in defence of it breath'd out their last. Unto whom give me leave a little to addresse my speech by a holy prosopopoeia after this manner.

O blessed and victorious champions for the truth of Christ! though I should passe by all other comba­tants for it, as Iustin Martyr and Tertullian, who apologized for it against the Gentiles; and S. Au­gustin and Prosper, who vindicated it against the Manichees and Pelagians; again, Cyprian against the Donatists, with many others: yet you I cannot passe by without wonder and admiration. The whole world almost at that time was become Arrian; Totus mundus ingemuit, & Arrianum se esse mira­tus est. Vincent. Lyrin. cap. 6. and could not you have [Page 62] sate down quietly among the rest, & have saved vour own skins? If as much as a whole word had diffe­renc'd you, was that so great a matter, as that you could not have yielded it? The Orthodox held Christ to be [...], of the same substance with the father; but the Arrians [...], only of like substance. yet was not the difference betwixt you so much as a word, but only a letter; yea and the least letter also of the Alphabet, but a poor lota. Tell me, had you so little of Christian wisdome, yea even of nature and self-preservation in you, as that you would not be beholding to your adversaries for your lives by grant­ing them so little a letter? Or rather, was it your godly zeal to the truth that made you stand so much for the least parcell of it? Yes; this it was, that made them valiant even unto martyrdome; and this it is that makes a true Christian both do and suffer so much for it. I and if we have any good bloud run­ning in our veins, if any heroick resolution, if any undaunted fortitude and magnanimity, we will do the like: for as Scaevola said, That it was Roman-like to suffer for our coun­tly; Pro patria pati Roma­num. Liv. hist. so say I, Pro veritate pati Christianum, that it is most Christian to suffer for the truth of Christ, for so did the Prophets, Apostles, and others of Gods chil­dren before us, that so those words of our Saviour may be fulfill'd to the utmost, That heaven and Matt. 5. 18. earth shall passe away but, not one jot or tittle of the law (which is but one part of Gods scripture truth) shall passe away.

But it is here query'd,

• 1. Quare, why we must hold saving truth so fast.
• [Page 63]2. Quomodo, by what means we must do it.

And first for the Quare. Now for this take 3 rea­sons.

1. Because we are only Lessees to truth from our great Landlord: For Truth is not our own free­hold to sell or dispose of at our pleasures; which makes S. Paul enjoyn Timothy to hold fast the pat­tern 2Ti. 1. 13. or breviary of sound words; and one reason there given, is, because it was committed unto him to keep by the Holy ghost: And they that are Feof­fees in trust must be faithfull, and not embezzle what was committed to them as a Depositum; but keep it safely to themselves, Vid. Annot. in 1 Tim. 6. 20. and carefully transmit it to posterity. Indeed Truth is ours for the use and efficacy of it, but Gods for the right and title; and we must neither sell, nor dimi­nish that which is committed to our custody as a matter of trust from God, for our own good, and the good of those that succed us both in Church and State. If we do, Oh what a sad account shall we have to give unto God, when he shall one day ask us, as S. Iohn did the Bishop of Ierusalem for the young man he committed to him, Ubi depositum, animascilicet fratris? where is that I committed to thy keeping, viz. the soul Euseb. eccles. hist. lib. 3. cap. 26. of thy brother? Bonum re­liqui ego fratris animae cu­stodem; I left thee a goodly keeper of thy brothers soul indeed: So, when God shall one day say unto thee after this manner, where is that Protestant and saving truth which I left deposited in thy hands? what hast thou done with it? Ah! bonum reliqui ego te veritatis custodem, I have left you a good keeper of truth indeed; whenas you have thrown away one part the eof by Atheisme and licentious­nesse, [Page 64] and lost another by carelesnesse; when as you have sold away one parcell thereof for profit and preferment, and given away another by a wil­ling apostancy. And yet such keepers of truth we have in these daies too many. Our lands and tem­porall estates God hath given us as moveables, and over these he hath empower'd us with a right of pas­sing them away to others, as may seem good to us; but as for his saving truth, this is somewhat of him­self given out unto us, and therefore is not to be made away, but to remain as a standard by us, untill the same hand that fixed it, do (for our unworthi­nesse) remove it from us to some other nation that shall make better use of it then we have done: which God grant may never be untill time shall be no more!

Whatever then we part with, we must not part with Truth, but keep it for God our great Landlord and right owner of it: that so when he shall come to account with us, he may receive his own again with advantage, and reward us for faithfull stew­ards with an Euge bone serve, well done good and Mat. 25. 21 faithfull servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord; and not say to us as David to Abner, Thou art wor­thy 1 Sa. 26. 16 to die, because thou hast not kept the Lords a­nointed, even the doctrine of truth that should have ruled over thee.

2. If we hold the truth, it will uphold us. For in 2 Reason Isai. 26. v r. 1. & 2. that day (saith the Lord) that we shall be called the righteous nation which keeps the truth, in that day shall God make strong our cities, and appoint them salvation for bul warks. For the truth of God is like a ship at sea, in preserving whereof we preserve our selves.

The valour of Crnegirus the Iustin. hist, lib. 2. Athenian Generall, in pursuit [Page 65] of the Persian navy, was such, that he espying a ship of the enemies making off to saile from him, presently layes hold on it with both his hands to hord it; & when the Persians had cut off his hands, he holds it then with his mouth: so should we hold truth with our hands first in acting (if we can) or writing for it; but should we faile of these, then with our mouths in speaking for it, since our care of that shall reflect beneficially upon our selves: for as Iudah told Ioseph, That Iacobs life was bound up Gen. 30. 40. in the life of his youngest brother Benjamin; so is our welfare in the welfare of true religion; if we pre­serve that, it will prese [...]ve us: which made David Psal. 91. 4. call it his buckler for preservation. Now it is re­ported of Epaminond as the Theban, Plutarch in vit. that he was wont to say of his buck­ler, That he would defend that, or else die for it: And so should a good Christian ei­ther defend the buckler of truth, or else die for it, be­cause he hath no such defensive weapon as this. Was it not then a good saying of Hezekiah, Is it 1 Reg. 10. 19 not good if there be peace and truth in my dayes? since upon these 2. pins all that is dear to a Christian both in Church and State de­pends. Barklay de faelicit. p. 523. Lewis the eleventh of France used to say (speak­ing against his court parasites) that he wanted no­thing but truth: as if his Principes cum omnia ha­beant, unum ill is deest, scilicet qui verum dicat. Sen. Epist. want of this weigh'd more with him then all other things. And indeed so it ought to be with every good man, the possession of Non usquam Resp. st [...]tit fine reli­gione: quanta igitur verae illius vis est cujus umbra sustinet bane molem! Lips. in [...]e una religione. truth should be more to him then all other enjoiments: for I dare [Page 66] boldly say, that we hold our liberties, our lifes, our livelyhoods, and all, by holding the truth of reli­gion among us. So that, if there be none with us (which God forbid) to plead for truth, (which was the miserable estate of the Iews Isai 59. 4.) how then can we think that truth should plead a word for us, when God shall come to judge us? Or if Truth be faln in our streets, as it was in theirs, verse 14. it cannot be then, that we should stand long after it, no more then Troy did after the Palladium was gone. For tell me, I pray, what was the fall of Lucifer, but because he abode not in the truth? or of Iohn 8. 44 the Iewish Church, or of the 7. Churches of Asia, or of the Greek Church and Empire too? And why should we think to speed better then they, when we let true religion, which is the stay and buttresse of the State and Church, moulder away to nothing, and take no care at all to keep it up?

The 3. reason why we must hold truth so fast is, 3. Reason. because what ever becomes of men, the truth of God and his word shall be sure to hold. And this S. Peter tells us, 1 Pet. 1. 24, 25. All flesh is grasse, and the glory of it as the flour of the field: the grasse withers, and the flour fades; but the word of the Lord en­dures for ever.

For 1. when evill men and haters of truth, with all their contrivements and combinations, shall fall, this shall be sure to stand.

I can doe nothing (sayes S. Paul) against the 2 Cor. 13. 8 truth, but onely for it. A man then can doe no act against the truth, that will hold long, but onely for it. Wicked men have at­tempted Malorum improbitate de­pressa veritas emergit, in­ [...]erclusa respirat. Cicer. Pro Cluent. still from time to time to stub it up, yet never could. The light thereof hath been sometimes hid under a bushell, but not put out; snuffed, but not extinguished. That, what [Page 67] S. Paul sayes of himself, that he was as dying, and 2 Cor. 6. 9 yet behold alive: so may I say of truth, that it hath been often moriens, but never mortua; often ga­sping for breath, but yet never expiring: or as David speaking of his enemies sayes, Many a time have they afflicted me from my Hinc alii veritatem [...] dictam volunt ab [...] negativo & [...] pro [...] lateo; quod ve­ritas latere non possit, sed licet ad tempus prematur, tandem tamen victrix e­vadet. Pasor. Lexic. youth up (may Israel say;) Psal. 129. 1 so, many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up (may the truth of God say▪) yet have they not pre­vailed against me: but if there hath been one against it, there hath been another for it; if one to discountenance it, there hath been another to favour it; if one to cast it down, ano­ther to hold it up; a Iesus to save it, as well as an Apollyon to destroy it. Rev. 9. 11.

Now for examples herein I could abound, did I not desire to limit my self to 4 or 5 most eminent ones above the rest.

And I begin with Ieroboam, upon whom the scri­pture sets this brand, that he made Israel to sin; for in his daies it was, wherein the Prophet Azariah complains, how for a long season Israel had been 1 Reg. 14. 16. 2 Chron. 15. 3. without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without the law, i. e. without the true service of God in the tabernacle, and without priests called as Aaron was, to offer up both morning and evening sacrifice unto him, and enabled by him to teach the law unto the people: for these they cast out (saies the text) even the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Le­vites, Or, he made the lowest of the people priests. 1 Kings 12. 31. Chap. 13. 9 and made them priests after the manner of the heathen, so that who­soever came to consecrate himself, the same might [Page 68] be a priest unto them. By which it appeares, that the truth of religion lay under a very black cloud all his dayes. But as violent [...]. Nazianz. Orat. 1. things seldome hold, so nei­ther did this: for yet a little while, and Ieroboam is no more, but good Asa is sent to clear the sky, to break down the altars of the strange Gods, to reduce the Levites to their duties, & to re-establish the true worship of God in Israel.

My next instance is in Hence comes the word villain, as Isai. 32. 6. The vile person will speak villany. Antiochus, whom the Scri­pture notes for a vile per­son, as in the 11 chap. of Daniel verse 21. Then shall stand up a vile person (sayes the Text) meaning Antiochus Epiphanes, i. e. the Illustrious, who ob­tained the kingdome by flatteries, but having once gain'd it, became Antiochus Epimanes, Antiochus the Mad, such was his rage against the truth; for he did according to his own will, Sic volo, sic jubeo, &c. verse 36. his own will was his law, yea he exalted himself above all that was called God, and spake marvailous things against the God of Gods. And if you would have a See also another bedroll of his wicked acts in the 1. of the Mac­cab. and the 1. chapter. Among which this was one, that he cau­sed the books of the Law to be rent and burnt with fire, and with whomsoever was found the book of the Testament, him he commanded to be put to death, vers. 56. & 57. Iosephus also sayes as much in Antiq. lib. 2. cap. 7. further character of him, look back to the eighth chapter of Da­niel, verse 11. where you read that he took away the Iuge sacri­ficium the Iewes us'd to offer up to God both morning and e­vening, & cast down [Page 69] the place of his sanctuary Dan. 8. 11. Nay farther, an host was given him (saies the 12. verse) against the daily sacrifice, by reason of the peoples sins; and it cast down the truth to the ground, and prosper'd.

But yet though the truth of God were concussa fearfully shaken by Antiochus, yet was it not ex­cussa quite shaken off, like the viper from S. Paul's hand into the fire, there to perish; and though much disjointed, yet was it not See Ierom in Dan. quite broken a pieces: for (not­withstanding that false title of [...], An­tiochus the God, wherewith he flattered himself) yet did he suddenly die as a man, or rather (to use Psal. 22. 6. Davids expression) as a worm and no man; for worms came out of his body (saies the Authour of the book of Maccabees) while he was yet alive, and 2 Mac. 9. 9 did eat up this Deus stercoreus, this dunghill God, and set truth right again by Iudas Maccabeus.

My third instance is in D [...]ocletian, a great ene­my to the truth of Christ in the Vide Euseb. Eccles. Hist. lib. 8. cap. 3. primitive Church, and yet pre­vailing nothing; for which cause Orosius the historian makes him Pharaohs parallel, both for his obstinacy, Bucholc. Chronol. ad annum Christi 313. and his impotency against it. And so great an enemy he was, that the Devil seem'd (as it were) on purpose to have pickt him out among those heathen Empe­rours, The last persecution had 7 ty­rants to make it out, viz. Dio­cletian, Maximinian, Galeri­us, Severus, Maxentius, Maxi­minus, and Licinius. to give a very sore blow unto it: for he led the van of the tenth persecution, and us'd all the waies of violence he could, to have rased out all that was called Christian; as appears by that Inscription [Page 70] to him upon a pillar in Spain. Fox in Martyrol. 1 part.

Diocletiano, amplificato per orientem & occiden­tem Imperio Romano, Edicto praecepit ut libri sacrorum bibliorum cremarentur, & Ec­clestarum praesides ad sacrifican­dum Idolis omnibus tormentis adigerentur, &c. Plura apud Bucholc. ad annum christi 303. ex Euseb. hist. Eccles. lib. 8. cap. 2. & 3. & nomine Christia­norum delcto: id est, To D'oeletian, who hath enlarged the Ro­man Empire East and West, & utterly blot­ted out the name of Christians.

But (by his leave) though he did blurre and blot the truth of Christ very much, yet blot it out he could not; and though he cut it off in many branches that sprung from it, yet cut it up both branch and root he could not; no more then Pharaoh could stub up the I srael of God: because he that sets bounds to the sea, and saies to the proud waters of it, Iob 38.11. huc usque, thus far shall ye go, and no farther, did also bound Diocletians, pride, and forc'd him (mau­gre all his spite) after he had even tired out his spi­rits with foaming against it, to leave root there­of, viz. the word of truth, still in the earth; which a little after, in the halcyon reign of Constan­tine, put forth again more Veritatem aperit dies. Sen. lib. 2. deira. green and flourishing then be­fore.

My fourth instance is in Iulian the Apostate, who brought up the Pagan religion in the rere, being the last of the Roman Emperours that held it up. An enemie as much beyond the former in his attempts against the truth of Christianity, as subtilty is be­yond force and violence.

For (as if Iulian had been asham'd of all those compulsory weapons that had been formerly drawn [Page 71] out in vain against it) he [...]. In his 1 In­vective. eekes out now (sayes Gre­gory Nazianzen) the Lions with the Foxes skin, con­sulting with his Daemons a­bout politicks to destory it with: from whom (no doubt) he learn'c 3 cursed Maxims.

The first was, to destroy the Schools and nurseries of it, by interdicting therein to the Christians the reading of the liberall Arts Nam propriis (inquit Iu­lianus) pennis configimur. Theodor. lib. 3. cap. 8. Et Sozomen. lib. 5. cap. 17. and Sciences; for want whereof they must needs be disabled to deal with their adversaries at their own weapons, which of all others with the Heathen were most convincing.

The second was, to take away from the Christi­ans their spiritual Fathers and Pastors, their Ortho­dox Bishops and Clergy. And this he Conceived would be done throughly, and with lesse noise, by spoiling them of their Sathan ejusque instrumenta ten­tant doctrina privare Ecclesiam, dum inopia & famis metu pluri­mos absterrent ne id oneris su­scipiant. Calvin. in 1 Tim. c. 5. ver. 17. temporall estates and livelyhoods: because it would be ameans to destroy not only their persons, by exposing them to scorn and starving; but their sa­cred Diocletianus occidit piesbyte­ros, Iullanus autem presbyteri­um. L. Cook, 2 part of his Re­ports. Et Sr. H. Spelm. de non temer, ecclefiis. office too, which with such hard usage could not reasonably exspect any issue or succession: for who will feed a flock (as the Apostle reasons in his first Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 9. ver. 7. & 14.) and not eate of the milk thereof, or [Page 72] preach the Gospell, and not live (as the Lord hath ordained) of the Gospell? And (as if this were no­thing) the Apostate doth but scoffe and gibe at them for their nakednesse, abusing to that end the Scri­ptures (as the Devil did) to the patronizing of all his wickednesse, with a Scri­ptum [...]. Na­zian. 1 Invect. in Iulian. est; It is written (sayes he) in your law, that you Christians must neither pos­sesse any thing, nor call any thing your own: for your Master tells you Mat. 10. verse 9. that you must make no provision for your selves either of gold or silver, nor must ve have two coats, or change of raiment: and besides in the 5. chap. of S. Matthew verse 3. he sayes, that the poor are blessed, and that theirs is the kingdome of heaven: which if you believe for truth, then may you thank me for making you poor, and so for­warding your blessednesse.

His third Maxime he learned from them was, to spie out the severall tempers and dispositions of the Christians, and according­ly to fit his gins and snares [...]. ibidem. for them. As when he met with weak and fearfull na­tures, these he thought best to fright into paganisme, by taking away from them all benefit of the law, and threatning them with [...]. in eadem In­vect. bonds and banishment, death and torments. Again, when he had to do with sim­ple and credulous persons, his course was to stagger these in their Christian faith, by making his fals­hood (as near as he could) the ape of Truth. But when he was to work upon the self-conceited and [Page 73] licentious, these he thought fit to court into com­pliance with him by a to­leration Ammian. Marcellin. lib. 22. of all sects & opi­nions whatsoever in point of religion. And for the covetous & worldly-mind­ed, these he flattered into his Idol-worship by con­ferring upon them places of Nounullos assentatione & muneribus ad immolan­dum allexit. Socrat. Ec­cles. Hist. lib. 3. cap. 11. profit and preferment; as well knowing that such earthly advantages, al­though they contributed nothing to make his false religion true, yet did they put a fair glosse and out-side upon it, and so made it appear more worth receiving and embracing with carnall spirits.

These and many other cunning fetches had Iulian against Christ and his truth; which was the reason of that Fathers exclaiming so tartly against him, O soul, wise onely to do evill! Yet all this devilish wise­dome [...]. Idem Naz. in eodem loco. (to use S. Iames his Iam. 3. 15. expression) would not doe; but, like Achitophels, was soon turned to folly. For 2 Sa. 15. 31. as Athanasius foretold of this persecution, that it would prove but a could which would presently be Nubes quae citissime dis­solveretur. Theodoret. l. 3. cap. 9. dissolved: so it did indeed; when as he not long after being mortally wounded, threw up his own bloud into the aire, and acknow­ledged Vicisti Galilaee. Idem lib. 3. cap. 25. Christ and his truth to have been too hard for him.

Upon which a Christian Historian of those times Orosius in his Chronic. gives this note, That Impii [Page 74] morte Deus impia dissolvit consilia; that▪ God usually dissolves wicked counsels by the deaths of their authors. And Solomon hath a saying much to the same purpose Prov. 21. Nihil invitis fas quemquam fidere divis. Virg. Aeneid. verse 30. I here is no wis­dome, nor understanding, nor counsell against the Lord. A sentence so succinct, and yet full, as that I wish all the Atheists and Machiavels of this age would write it in their hearts with a pen of iron, and engrave it there with the point of a diamond.

But to leave these, and close up here with one of a later date, and more nearly relating to our selves. And this is the example of Q▪ Mary: whom, as the spirit of God pointed out King Ahaz with This 2 Chr. 28. 22. is that King Ahaz, so may we her, with this is That Queen Mary; that None; such of women, for her per­secuting the Protestant truth: for there is none of us (I suppose) can be ignorant, how low it ran in her dayes, though it did not So I. Carl. the Martyr said, That the main solu­tion the Papists had for all questions was, fire and [...]aggot. Mr. Fox in Mar­tyr. 2. part, pag. 1750. clean run out; wherein the chief argument of the Pa­pists against the Professours of it, (as one of the Martyrs well said) was Argu­mentum bacillinum an argument drawn from fire and faggot, to out the true Religion, and to esta­blish Popery in this nation, as by a law.

But yet, though the truth of God were (like Mo­ses Exod. 3. 2. bush) all on fire in her reign, yet was it not con­sumed by it: For Hoc non duravit aetatem, that law of hers did not endure an age (as our In Iuelli vita. Iewell foretold it;) but ended with her before 6. years end; and then did her sister repeal that act which (like the laws of Hinc leges quas san­civit, prae nimia ea­rum rigiditate, non inepte vocavit Aristoteles [...], That is, not the laws of a man, but of a dragon. In Rhe­tori [...]. Draco the Athenian Legislator) [Page 75] had been writ with bloud, even with the bloud of so many Confessours and wit­nesses of the Truth, and re­store us Gods Truth again to its former beauty and lu­st [...]e: for which she deserves ever to be honor'd by us, as the Repairer of our breaches, and Restorer of paths Isai. 58. 12. to dwell in.

So that by what hath been said, you see that to be verified of Truth, which S. Paul sayes of himself, namely, how it hath been troubled on every side, but not distressed; perplexed, In the Greek there is an elegant Paronomasia, [...]. but not in despair; persecu­ted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. 2 Cor. 4. 8, 9.

For if Sathan, the reputed God of the world, (as he is called in the 1 Cor. 4. ch. verse 3.) if he (I say) thrust sore at truth that it Premente Deo, fert Deus alter opem. Ovid. de Trist. may fall; the true God of heaven and earth will pre­sently put under his helping hand to bear it up. Be­loved, the Truth can never die, because it is an es­sentiall attribute of the Deity, a ray of God himself; and therefore as he is, so is that immortall. Mens per­sons indeed may die, and so may their names, power and plots with them; yea, they are dead already (sayes the Angel) that sought the childs life, so, they Ma [...]. 2. 20. are all dead already that sought the life of Truth from the beginning: For where is the King of Ha­math, Isai. 37. 13. and the King of Arphad, and the King of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hevah and Ivah? so, where are the Grand persecutours of Christs truth above mentioned? And (if I may but stain a little [Page 76] paper more with naming of them) where is Manes the heretick, upon whose Diabolus sibi arcem stru­xisse videbatur. In his 5. Serm. de Iejunio. madnesse (says Leo) the De­vil seemed (as it were) to have raised up to himself a high tower and fortification against the Truth? for he denied the holy Trinity, rejected the Old Testa­ment, and held two beginnings, the one of good, and the other of evill.

Again, where is Arrius, who denied the Divinity of Christ, and by his Ingentes secum fluctus traxit. Ni­ceph. lib. 8. cap. 31. subtilty drew great multitudes after him?

And last of all, where is schismaticall Donatus, (for I forbear to name farther) who confined the true Church (as some do now) Vide August. lib. 2. contra Petilian. c. 15. to those of his own party, as al­together spotlesse here, and without sin; and taught also that the vertue of the sacraments depended on the worthinesse of the per­son administring them? Is not the skin of their hy­pocrisy long since pulled over their eares, their mad­nesse manifested to all the world, their falshoods uncased, their names gone out in a stench, their do­ctrines exploded out of the Church of God, their o­pinions condemned? and hath not the truth of Christ prevailed against them? nay, are they not all dead, and with them their power and malice a­gainst the truth also? Yes; their breath goes forth, (saies David) they return to their earth, in that Psal. [...]46. 4. very day their thoughts perish.

But as for the truth of God, (as he saies in an­other Psa. 100. 5. psalm) that endures to all generations: for one generation (saies the Preacher) passes away, Eccl. 1. 4. and another comes, but the earth, so the truth of God upon the earth, abides for ever. And if we look back [Page 77] but to Christs time, we shall find sixteen generations and more to be past since that; where­in 1600 years. the Centurists are very punctuall in relating the adversaries Tantam semper potentiam veritas habuit, ut nullis machinis, aut cujusquam hominis ingenio vel arte subverti potuerit. Cic [...]r. in Vatin. which the truth of Christ hath had of all sorts, toge­ther with their particular names, the places where, and the times wherein they liv'd, the severall instru­ments they made use of, and all their cursed policies to root it up: and yet hath it out-lived them all till this very day (blessed be the God of truth) and shall live till death be swallowed up in victory. For he that fights against the truth of God, doth (as much as in him lies) fight against the God of Truth; and it is as easy to pull God out of heaven, as his truth out of the earth, since God hath said it Isai. 40. verse 8. that Verbum Domini manet in aeternum, the word of the Lord en­dures Ioannes Wolffangus in his Lect. Memor. ad an­num Christi 1549. (viz) V. D. M. I. AE. for ever. A sentence that some of the German Nobility were so much in love withall, that in the be­ginning of the Reformation they caused the initiall letters of the words to be embroider'd on the sleeves of their garments; to let the world know, that they were not afraid to professe it openly against all op­positions whatsoever, as being too weak to pre­vaile against it.

And therefore, if thou be an enemy to truth, let me advise thee, as our Saviour did Saul, not to kick Acts 9. 5. against the pricks; for it is but vain and foolish so to do, since thou canst gain nothing but hurt unto thy self. So sayes the Proverb, Do not strike Noli verberare lapidem, ne laecas manum. Erasm. Adag. loco com­muni inanis gloriae, ex Plauto. [Page 78] a stone, lest thou hurt thy hand; & the truth of God is that lapis offensionis, that stone of of­fence spoken of Isai. 8. 14. which if thou strike and offer violence to, it will not onely hurt thy hand (as it did (you know) Ieroboams, when it was dried 1 Reg. 13. 4. up upon his stretching it forth against the man of God) but (without repentance) destroy both body and soul for ever. For in that day (saith God) I will Zach. 12. 3. make Jerusalem (so will God make his truth) as a burdensome stone to all people, and they that bur­den themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together a­gainst it: and upon whomsoever this stone shall M [...]t. 21. 44. fall, him it shall grind to powder.

Little thought Libanius, Erat Libanius sophista Iuliani in religione Ethni­ca praeceptor. when as he asked scoffingly what the carpenters son was a doing, of receiving this answer, that he was then a making a Coffin to car­ry Iulian in, and all his mischievous intendments against the truth of Christ, to be buried. Yet so it was indeed; for Iulian the Vide Theodoret. lib. 3. c. 21. & 23. & Sozom. lib. 6. cap. 2. Apostate had no sooner vowed to sacrifice the bloud of the Christians (by him stiled, in derision, Galilaeans) to his heathenish Gods, but presently the true God disappointed him in it, by cutting him off in a battel against the Per­sian. So truly sayes the Psalmist, Psal. 21. 11. That the wicked imagine a mischievous device against the Lord, but shall not be able to bring it to passe. For why? He that sits in heaven laughs them to Psalm 2. 4. scorn, the Lord shall have them in derision. He brings the counsels of the heathen to nought, he Psal. 33. 10. makes the devices of the people to be of none effect. [Page 79] He disappoints the devices of the crafty (sayes Eli­phas) Iob 5. 12. so that their hands cannot perform their en­terprises.

Again, if thou be a friend to truth, be exhorted that, however thou mayest see the truth of religion obscured in a nation for a time, as a just judgment of God for the peoples turning of their backs upon it; and their former unthankfulnesse to God for it; yet

1. Not to be troubled at it, as one without hope, nor to give it over as quite lost: but to stay thy self a little upon God by faith Hinc aiunt veteres, Olim operto capite rem divinam Saturno fieri; significantes tegi aliquando veritatem, sed tempore aperiri: Sa­turnus enim temporum au­thor ac Deus fingitur. Plutarch. in problemat. and patience; and ere long, (so soon as God hath suffi­ciently humbled the land by it) thou shalt see yet once more, that the lost groat will be found, and the Sun shine again upon Gods in­heritance. For (as the Hea­then man said) Time is the [...]. Euri­pides. mid wife to bring truth to light: which though it be spoke there of humane truth, yet will it hold also in di­vine; Veniet qui conditam, ac saeculi sui malignitate compressam, veritatē dies publicet. Sen. Epist. 79. For the day is co­ming (sayes the Moralist) wherein that truth which is now held down under the clods of Malignity, shall rise again: That, as it was with Christ, who though he lay 2. dayes in the grave, yet did he rise the third, the third day was a sure day unto him; so shall it be with the truth of Christ, which, though it may lie a day or two buried under all sorts of pressures and suffe­rings, yet after two dayes (to use the Prophets words) Hos. 6. 2. shall God revive it, and the 3. day he will raise it [Page 80] up, and it shall live in his sight, to the comfort of his Church and people.

2. Be exhorted not to let the truth of God fall to the ground for fear of man: For there is nothing that prevailes more upon weak spirits then the fear of man; when as we are so timorous in the cause of Christ, as not to venture, therein (when he calls) to be stripped either of our lives or livelyhoods. Nor is any thing (sayes G. Na­zianzen) so to be feared, as [...]. In Orat. 12. our fearing of something more then God, and for that to desert the Doctrine of faith and truth. S. Cyprian in his book De Lapsis, and M. Fox in his Martyrology, do furnish us with many examples this way: (and to name no more then two) the one tells us of Nico­machus, how he being tormented in the city of Troas by the Proconsul under Decius the Tyrant, deserted presently his colours of Christianity, and cry'd out Non sum Christianus. The Martyrolog. 2. part pag. 1362. other tells us of Dr. Pendle­ton, how his fear alone ran him out of the field, and that before he had yet re­ceived the least blow from the adversary.

But it must not be so with us; for who art thou (sayes the Prophet) that thou shouldest be afraid of Isai. 51. 12. and 13. a man that shall die, or of the son of man that shall be made as grasse; and forgettest the Lord thy ma­ker, and hast feared continually because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor? Wherein there seems to be a holy kind of Sarcasme against the op­pressors of Gods truth, which teaches us to stick close to it by Gods slighting the opposers of it. And the [Page 81] rather are we to hold it up in these declining times, wherein are held out so many falsities to oppose it; since God in his care and providence doth so order it, that whatsoever becomes of men, his truth shall be sure to hold, if not by us, yet by some others. And to that end let us seriously lay to heart those per­swasive words of Mordecai to Hester; If thou hold Hest. 4. 14. thy peace at this time, then shall enlargement arise to the Jews (and so shall enlargement arise to the truth of God) from some other place and by some other hand; but then thou and thy fathers house shall be destroyed. For who knows whether thou art come for such a time as this? Oh that every one of us then would think at this time, that we hear God speaking unto us thus:

Thou seest, O Christian, how my truth begins to totter almost every where in the world; and I must hold it up, because my word and honour are enga­ged for it. Now, thou art the man whom I have set up (as I did S. Paul) to be my champion for the Phil. 1. [...]7. defence thereof; having not onely chosen and ena­bled thee for this great work, but also purposely re­served thee for such a time as this▪ Know therefore, that I do now exspect thy helping hand herein: else I shall, for thy default, soon employ some other in thy stead to doe it for me; but then thou and thy fathers house shall perish. Again

2. When good men also and lovers of truth, with all their helps and assistances, shall leave us, the truth it self shall be sure to hold; and though the Candlesticks may be removed, yet shall the light Revel. 2. 5▪ 1 Sam 3. 3. Lev. 24. 2, and 3. Psal. 27. 10. of them like the lamp of God in the temple burn con­tinually, and not go out, untill the day of glory do appear. The prophet David observed it by his own experience, that when his father and mother for sook him, yet the Lord took him up. Our naturall parents [Page 82] and friends they will die, (how soon we know not) and so will Gods Ministers too, our Spirituall fa­thers: 1 Cor. 4. 15 Zach. 1. 5. and the Prophet Zachary by that question of his puts it out of all question, Your fathers (sayes he) where are they? and the Prophets, do they live for ever? No; and who knows but that the mouths of Gods For he that follows truth (sayes Sr. W. Rawleigh) too near at the heeles, is in great danger to have his teeth struck out. In his praef. to his history of the world. Ministers, who are now the dispensers of his sacred truth unto us, may be e're long stop'd, and the doors of their Churches shut up? But as for the truth it self received by them, this shall never die; 1 Esd. 4. 38. for truth is immortall, (as in Esdras) and lives for ever; and when they are dead and gone, this will remain to quicken us: so sayes David, This is my Ps. 119. 50. comfort in my trouble, thy word hath quickned me. S. Paul sayes of himself, that he suffered trouble as 2 Tim. 2. 9. an evill doer, even to bonds, but the word of God is not bound: And so say I, that the faithfull ministers of God may suffer trouble as evill doers even to bonds, and death also, for the truth of the Gospell; but as for the word of God, this word of truth made known by them, this is neither bound, nor dies. For

1. If truth should faile, so must God too, who is essentiall truth, and the source from whence all sa­ving truth proceeds▪ which is impossible.

2. We have besides, Christ's prayer and promise for it at his personall farewell to the world. I will Io. 14. 16, 17 pray the Father (sayes he) and he shall give you ano­ther Comforter, that he may Noli d [...]fi [...]ere, ubi te veri­tas reficere promi [...]tat. Ber. epist. 106. abide with you for ever; e­ven the spirit of truth. Now as his prayer was alwayes effectuall with his Father; (for I know, sayes [Page 83] Christ to his Father, that thou hearest me alwayes) Ioh. 11. 42. so is his promise true and firm; not as ours are, Yea and Nay, but yea and Amen. And to double our 2 Cor. 1. 2 [...] ▪ comfort herein, our Saviour doubles his promise, by telling his disciples further in the next verse, that he will not leave them comfortlesse. The words in Ioh. 14. 18. the Greek are [...], (i. e.) I will not leave you orphans: as if Christ should have said thus unto them; I see that you all eye me as your common parent in my provisionary care for your future estate and welfare in a better life, but it will not be long that I shall stay with you: yet be not discouraged at it, for Quasi dixisset, Tempore sepultu­rae meae eritis pupilli, sed non manebitis tales; nam spiritum vo­bis, qui vice patris sit, relinquam. H. Grot. in locum. though I am shortly to depart from you, as touching my bodily presence; yet will not I for all that leave you as orphans that have none to look after them, but will abundantly supply your want of my person, by the continued presence of my spirit.

And as our Saviour thought this a sufficient cor­diall to stay up their drooping spirits in the declen­sion of outward comforts; so is it likewise to us, whenas we shall consider, that although Christ himself be now in heaven, and there must abide un­till the restitution of all things, yet in his stead hath he left us here on earth the Comforter, even the spirit of Truth, who shall continue with us for ever, and ever preserve the truth of his Gospel to us, which is superabundantly more then all earthly enjoyments, as being his immediate instrument he works by to beg [...]t us a new to holinesse of life. So sayes the text, Of his own will he begat us with the word of truth.

And so much for the first thing, which is the Quare, or reasons why we must hold truth so fast.

[Page 84]The second is Quomodo, or by what means we are to doe it. And here I commend unto you these five.

1. Get a sound knowledge of God in the Scri­ptures, at least competentem scientiam, if not emi­nentem, a competent if not an eminent measure of it, that so thou mayst be able in some degree to give 1 Pet▪ 3. 15. a reason of the truth thou dost professe, and of the hope that is in thee: for it is knowledge which is the set­tle-brain King Iames used to say, that the reason why so many fell away to Popery and other errours was, their ungroundednesse and ignorance in the points of catechisme, which are the grounds of Religion. of a Christian, and bears him up steadily in any weather; whereas ignorance makes him unstable in all his wayes. Ye erre (sayes our Saviour to the Saddu­cees) not knowing the Scrip­tures. There is nothing will sooner slide a man into errour then ignorance; for the wayes of darknesse (sayes the Prophet) are slippery wayes, in which it is Ier. 23. 12. easie to stumble and fall.

Alas! How easily is a simple soul led aside from Eheu! quam miseros tra­mite devio abducit igno­rantia! Boet. l. 3. met [...]. 8. the way of Truth! but then especially, when he hath to dea [...] with a cunning Iesuite, or a crafty Pelagian, with a prating Anabaptist, or a strong-pated Soci­nian, when they shall set their wits a work to glaze over old falshoods, to set an edge upon them, and to set them out to sale for new truths.

It was said of Schwenck­feldius, Errores suos in superioris Germaniae provinciis dis­seminavit circa annum M D XXVIII. Vide Spanhem. Diatrib. hi­storic. de origine, progres­su, & sectis Anabaptista­rum, Numer. 25. who pretended so much to Enthusiasms and Revelations, that he had a good heart, at caput illi bene regulatum defuisse, but that he wanted a head well-re­gulated: [Page 85] and the same may be said of many poor people in these dayes, that they have good meaning hearts to God and his truth, but as for their heads they are very weak, and not well balasted with the principles of true Religion; which is the reason that they stagger to and fro therein like a drunken man, and are not fixed. And these S. Paul calls [...] 2 Tim. 3. 8. [...]; which (if we understand actively) will signifie, men of no judgement concerning the faith (as the marginall note in our Bibles hath it:) and prayes for the Philippians, that they may abound in all knowledge and judgement, [...] Phil. 1. 9, 10 [...], (that is) that they may be able to discern with judgement the things that differ. Now what causes the falling-sickness, but a weakness in the brain? or an apostacy from the truth, but a weakness in the understand­ing, Cognita judicio constant. Cato in Distich. when as we are either altogether ignorant of the will of God in the Scriptures, or else know it but su­perficially, and not with a judicious knowledge.

2. Dispute not against the grounds and principles of Truth, which are plain In Theologia duplicia re­periuntur principia: Es­sendi, ut Deus; cogno­scendi, ut Scriptura; Keck. Syst. Theol. cap. 8. Scripture, common sense and reason; it being a true say­ing, that Contra negantem principia non est disputan­dum, that there can be no disputing with a man about any art, that denies the principles of it.

For you must know, that in every art and science there are allowed some first Hinc illud Aristotelis, Principia non ab aliis, sed à seipsis fidem faciunt. 1 Post. c. 2. Itidem, Prin­cipia non accipiunt, sed dant. Keck. Log. pag. 144. Et hoc vulgare; Oportet discentem credere. principles, which are not to be demonstrated a priori, from any preceding cause, to him that learnes it, but to [Page 86] be granted by him, and be­lieved of him; and these they call Postulata, that is, such things as the art it self re­quires the Scholar to grant unto her, and believe, or else she will not undertake to teach him. Now of these he is not to aske a former cause or reason, Quia unumquodque Primum superiorem in suo genere causam non habet, because every first thing in any kind hath in the same no superior cause to retreat unto, and so, not being demonstrable a parte ante by any thing that was before it, is not be questio­ned.

Thus, if any one (sayes the Philosopher) will question whether there be motion in nature, or no, it is fit that he have Argu­mentum See Pars. Christ. Directa­ry Part 1. cap. 2. a fustibus, that he have a club argument to convince him of it, and be well cudgelled untill he yield it; for it is only a feeling argument that is mo­ving to a sottish and stupid nature. Again if he deny the fire to be hot, let his hand be held in it, till it ex­tort from him a confession of it. Or if any one shall deny all liberty from neces­sitations, let him be well See B [...]. Bramhalls de­fence of true liberty from antecedent and extrinse­call necessity, pag. 90. and. 91. scourged till he be a suppli­ant to him that beat him, and consesse him to have ei­ther power him to strike, or else to hold his hand.

Evident sense and reason must not be questioned by us as we are men, in such things as are within their verge; nor as we are Christians, the great Verbum Dei est commune princi­pium ab omnibus concessum. Bell. Proef. in Disput. de Contr. fidei. principle of Religion, the Sacred Scriptures. [Page 87] It was Eves fault, and our miserie, that she enter­tained Gen. 3. 2. a parly with the serpent about the truth of Gods word: and should we come once to the same passe, the Devil need trouble himself no further with us, as being his sure enough. I and it is his shorter cut, and more hopefull way too, to make us Atheists thus, Dr. Hammond in his book of the rationality of Chri­stian Religion. by our breaking up the foun­dation it self, then (while that remains firm) to demolish what is erected on it. And therefore when Sathan shall watch us a fall to the purpose, his main design will be to make us question the Scriptures whether they be the word of Gods truth or no; as well knowing that when he hath once got us upon this lock, he can be the break-neck of all Religion with us when he pleases: for what then can hinder us from turning Ranters, or Qua­kers, or any thing else but what we should?

It is then very dangerous to admit any question about the truth of the Deity, the Doctrine of the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, the authority of the Scri­ptures, the immortality of the Of this sort is Crellius de uno vero Deo, against the Trinity; the book De tri­bus mundi impost oribus not long since translated into English; Divers Soci­nian books against the Dei­ty of Christ and satisfa­ctoriness of his death; Many Quakers pamph­lets against the Authority of the Scriptures; and a Treatise lately published and entituled Mans Mor­tality, assering that our souls die with our bodies. soul, and such like funda­mentalls; about which some have been of late too buisy, and have misemployed their brains and pens too much: there being no other end and fruit to be exspected from these men labours, but to heathenize and unchristian the world a second time. For when the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous doe? or whether shall he go for saving truth? [Page 88] If to any, it must be to the Church his mother. But alas! what can he expect from her, when as the son of Sirach sayes, that he who roots out foundations Eccl. 3. 9. hath the curse of his mother upon him. The hea­thenish Ephesians, when the deity of their goddess came once to be discussed, which they took pro con­cesso for a granted truth, this they would not en­dure at any hand, but carried it away with a loud hollow, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. Acts 19. 28

Now if these heathenish Ephesians would not en­dure to hear their false grounds to be questioned, as well knowing that the whold superstructure of their superstition would fall with them; how much lesse should we Christians endure the true fundamentalls of our Religion? If we do, there is no saving truth will stay long with us, but we shall quickly be at a losse therein.

And therefore, when any such truths shall be called in question by wandering heads, and grace­lesse hearts, let us cry them down with, Magna est veritas Christianorum. Why, these are the founda­tions Si ipsa fundamenta de­struantur, quid faciat justus? what can the righteous do? so we tran­slate it. Ps. 11. 13. Videtur esse vox impotentis ad a­gendu, aut ignorant is quid agat: & Metaphora est ab oedificiis, quoe dirutis fundamentis, tota conci­dere, & possum ire necesse est. Calv. in locum. of our Religion, and without these we shall not know what to doe, nor which way to turn our selves towards heaven and happinesse, but be in a most desperate and lost condition: yea, these are the great pil­lars of Truth in Christianity, that are not to be moved; for if we once suffer these to be shaken by the gain-sayings and contradictions of simple and unsettled men, we shall quickly see the whole structure of our religion to be shaken [Page 89] with them, and Sampsons fate befall us, who had no sooner pulled down the pillars of the house wherein the Philistines were assembled, but present­ly the whole house fell upon his head, and buried Iud. 16. 30. him in its ruines.

3. Be not too credulous: For the Orator could say as much, That if we will discern truth from fals­hood, we must not give our Noli incognita pro cognitis habere, nec his temere as­sentire. Tull. Offic. lib. 1. Tarda solet magnis rebus adesse fides. Ovid. Ep. 16. assent rashly to such things as are proposed as truths unto us, untill we throughly know them to be so. If we do, we shall thereby show our selves very weak and simple: for the simple believes every word (says Solomon;) whereas the Pro. 14. 15 wise Christian will not take every thing for truth which is offered to him, but weigh it first in the bal­lance of the sanctuary, before he pay his belief unto it. And here that posie of Epicharmus is good, Me­mento diffidere, remember not to trust too soon. And this ac­cords Erasm. Adag. pag.. 181. with that of S. Iohn, Not to believe every spi­rit, but to try the spirits whether they be of God, or Nemo verius fidit, quam qui sic diffidit. Erasm. Epist. ad Volsium. no. 1 Iohn 4. verse 1. For there be many false prophets (sayes our Saviour) who shall say, Lo here is Christ, Mat. 24. 23, 24. and lo there is Christ; so, Lo here is truth, and, lo there is truth: but believe them not. And hence it is that the wise man will have us buy the truth; that Pro. 23. 23. is, to deal with truth, as The saying is, Caveat em­ptor. buyers do with wares: not to believe all wares to be good, which the seller would obtrude upon us, because there is a great deal of naughty and counterfeit stuff, which the seller (if he can) will labour to foist upon [Page 90] credulous persons; but rather let us doe as those Acts 17. 11 noble Bereans did, let us bring those nominall truths to the bar of Scripture, there to be examined; and if they can acquit themselves for truths at that tribunall, Quod si unquam, hoc tem­pore maximopere satagen­dum, quo tot haereses pul­lularunt. Del Rio Adag. Sacr. vet. Testam. 404. parte 2. Sen. Epist. 3. De hoc vide Calvinum, in 1 Thessal. 5. 20. [...]. He­siod. (that is) belief and unbelief have been alike destructive; belief of eve­ry one, and unbelief of any one. then we may believe them, but not before. Namutrum­que in vitio est, (sayes the Moralist) & nulli credere, & omnibus; for both are in fault, as well to believe none, as to believe every one. The one is obstinacie, the other lightnesse: the one lets truth knock at her door a long time, and it is well if she get in at last; whereas the other lets her quickly in at one door, and outs her again at the other.

And as not too credulous, so neither too curious, nor prying into those things which God hath cloud­ed: for this itch of knowing Prurigo sciendi scabies Ecelesiae. more then we should is very dangerous, and proves an he­reticall scab at last not easily cured. It was the dis­ease Gen. 3. 6. of our first parents, and from them we caught it. Oh that their fall by it, would be a means to make us stand against it, and that we would be wise Rom. 12. 3. unto sobriety (as the Apostle speaks!)

For why art thou so inquisitive to know all the secrets of predestination, whenas S. Paul tells thee, that it is one of Gods Here Traske was out, who took upon him by his inspection upon any mans countenance, infalliblie to reveale unto him whether he was elected to life eternall, or 2 Tim. 2. 15 no. See Dr. Slater in 1 Epist. Thes­sal. c. 1. verse 4. foundations, and such a one too that God hath set his seale up­on; [Page 91] The Lord knows who are his? Now it is very dangerous to break up seales, and especially Gods, the indorsement being enough for us to read, viz. That he who calls upon the name of Christ, depart from iniquity.

Again, to know what God did before the begin­ning of the world; when the Prudens futuri temporis exitum caliginosa nocte premit Deus; Ridetque si mortalis ultra Fas rogitat. Horat. lib. 3. carm. ode 29 precise day of judgement shall be; and the like: which are therefore hid from us, Mark 13. 32 that so we may not call our wits to an inquisition about them; since Moses tells us, That secret things be­long Deu. 29. 2 [...] to the Lord, but revealed to us and to our chil­dren. And here that common rule is good, Relin­que incertum & tenebis certum, Touch not at that which is uncertain, and by this means thou wilt fix the better upon that which is certain. And it would doe well if we would take the advice of Syracides Ecclesiast. 3. 21, 22, 23. in this point. Seek not (says he) the things that are too hard for thee, neither search the things that are above thy strength: But what is commanded thee, think upon with reverence; for it is not needfull for thee to see with thine eies the things that are in se­cret. Be not curious in unnecessary matters; for more things are shewed unto thee then men under­stand.

I read of Thales, that he ga­zing Stobaeus Serm. 78. on the stars, fell into a pit; whereupon a maid took occasion to laugh at him, saying, That it hapned deservedly to him, because he would first learn to know the Ne plus sapiasquā oportet, ne dum lu­cem sectaris, im­pingas in tenebras, illu­dente tibi daemone meri­diano. Bern. Serm. 90. heavens, before he did well know the earth. And so are pryers into [Page 92] Gods secrets justly suffered to fall into the pit of errour, because they run division in religion, before they know the plain-song of it. Had Thales look'd into the water first, its like he might have seen the stars; but looking first upon the stars, he could not think to make them his perspective to behold the water. And so, if we shall begin and take our rise from the lower points of religion, we shall come in time, and by degrees, up to the highest; but if we begin first to build our houses at the roof, we shall show our selves thereby but disordered builders, and cannot think our structure should stand long having no founda­tion to hold it up.

And here S. Austin hath two excellent sayings; which are these. Multo fa­cilius In serm. de Eclipsi solis. inveniet syderum conditorem humilis pietas, quam syderum ordinem superba curiositas: Com­pescat De Gen. contra Manich. lib. 1. cap. 3. Et Calv. Institut. lib. 3. cap. 23. sect. 2. itaque (says he) humana temeritas, & ne quaerat illud quod non est, ne illud quod est non inve­niat. i. e. An humble piety will sooner find the ma­ker of the stars, then a proud curiosity can the or­der of the stars: let humane rashnesse therefore keep within those bounds God hath set it, and not seek after that truth which is not to be found; least in so doing, he loose that which he ought to seek, and may be found. For he that Melior est sidelis ignor an­tia, quam temeraria sci­entia. Lomb. lib. 1. dist. 41. hath a modest ignorance will sit down in the way of truth, when he that hath a presumptuous knowledge will soon loose himself and his faith too in the ma­ny [Page 93] winding Meanders of an over-bold and curious inquiry.

4. If we would hold fast saving truth, we must not lay too fast hold on the world. And this made the prophet David say, If riches increase, set not Ps. 62. 10. your hearts upon them: He that will take liberty to disobey Christ in some gainfull particular, will not stick in his own de­fence (that he may appear congruous to himself) to cast off at last Christiani­ty it self; Dr. Hammond in his introduct. to the rationality of Christ. Re­ligion. for if our hearts be once te­nacious of the world, we shall soon let go our hold of truth. Nay I dare boldly say, that more have been won from truth by the smiles and embraces of the world, then have been forc'd from it by her frowns and hard usage: as the sun (you know) in the Apologue Plutarch. & Aesop. sab. pag. 32. Mundus ille pe­riculosior blandus, quam molestus. Augustin. epist. 144. made the traveller cast a­way his cloak when the blusting wind could not, but rather caused him to ga­ther it up the closer about his loines.

Now for examples of this; we read in Christ's time of a young man who to preserve his estate de­serted Mat. 19. 22 Christ, and of a Judas, who to gain an estate turn'd traitour to him for 30 pieces of silver: so hard is it (saies our Saviour) for them that trust in rich­es Mar. 10. 24. to enter into the Kingdome of God. And in the Apostles daies we read of a Demas that forsook 2 Ti. 4. 10. Paul, to hug and embrace the present world.

Again, in the Primitive times that presently suc­ceeded, and were wholly clouded with heathenish persecutions, we read of many that took up the name of Christ; but to desert it so soon as their A­postacy might be any waies gainfull to them: from [Page 94] whence (it may be) the Heathen might take occa­sion so wickedly to falsifie Vide Suetonium in vita Tiberii claudii Drufi Cae­saris. the name of Christ, in turn­ing it by way of nick-name and reproach into [...], which signifies Gaine, and calling the followers of Christ [...], rather then [...], Men made up of gain rather then Godlinesse. And of such we hear S. Ignatius (who Ignatius in Epist. ad Trallianos. was S. Iohns contemporary) complaining thus, That they were [...], rather Merchants of Christ, then true Christians indeed. And Gregory Nazianzen also (who lived in the third Century after Christ) tells us of great numbers during the reign of Iulian the Apostate, [...], In his 1 Invect. in Iulianum. who (miserable men as they were) had not resisted falshood in the least mea­sure, (much lesse resisted it unto bloud) but had ex­changed Heb. 12. 4. and barter'd away for a little gain their own salvation. And now after those 10. dayes, Rev. 2. 10. those ten primitive persecutions were ended, and that the See of Rome began to be honoured and en­riched by the favour and bounty of Princes, then presently do we hear of her Apostacie from her former faith. So truly was it said of her, that Religio peperit divitias, & filia devoravit matrem; that Religion brought forth riches, and the daughter had devoured the mother. And Non inepte igitur Ponti­ficiae Religionis caput, Missam; Purgatorium au­tem caeterasque lucrosas quae ab eo pendent Doctri­nas ventrem quidam ap­pellavit Sadeel in Praefat. lib. adversus human▪ satisfact. Hinc excitatus primum Lutherus, ut Indulgentiarum Pontificiara [...] nundinationi obicem poneret. Lucri bonus est odor ex re quali­bet. Iuven. Satyr. 14. indeed, he that looks now into her Doctrine, will ea­sily find a great deal of mercenary wares in it; as that of Supremacie, Reliques, [Page 95] Purgatory, Humane satisfaction for tem­porall punishments, the Treasure of the Church, Pardons, In­dulgences, & the like; as if that the main design of Popery were onely to be a meer engine of gain, to heighten and scrue her up to the top of worldly wealth and glory.

But to leave Rome, and to come to our selves.

Now here I would fain know why so many in these times joyn with the Anabaptists, to destroy the Ministeriall function in the Percute pastores, & dispergentur [...] ­ves. Zach. 13. 7. Church of Christ, being that great instrument ordain'd by him to pre­serve us from apostacie in these latter dayes. Surely, if men would but impartially examine themselves herein, they would soon find the main ground thereof to be covetousnesse, even a greedy desire of preying upon that portion of main­tenance which God himself hath given in dowry with it, and dividing it among themselves, saying, as the husbandmen did of the heir, Come and let us Ma [...]. 21. 38. kill him; so, come and let us kill and destroy the Ministry, that the inheritance of it may be ours.

They may pretend herein (it may be) as some Noble men of Scotland did at the beginning of Re­formation there, the spirituall good of the Church, the purity of religion, and the like; but if you look near unto them, it will then appear that they intend by it to get spoiles, to gripe Hist. Sco [...]. sub Knoxi no­mine edita, pag. 503. the possessions of the church, and to have their share of Christs coat to cloath themselves and their children [Page 96] withall. That as Caligula laid cloaths upon Tibe­rius being sick, as if he would have befriended him in the want of heat, when it [...]. Di. App. hist. l. 58. was to smother him: so do they with the sick Church, cloath her with pity and commiseration, when in­deed it is to kill her, and set up themselves in her stead; crying out as the Saepe mantelo religionis velatur ambitio & ava­ritia. Lips. in lib. de una religione. Iews did, Templum Domini, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, but-to destroy it, and to spin a sa­crilegious web for themselves out of her bowels. Which makes a Learned Di­vine Baxter in his Sts rest part 4. pag. 282. of our own take up this sad complaint against these times. Alas! that we must see the cause of Christ and his Church tost about in contention from one to another, like a football among a crowd of boyes; every one sweating about it with a foolish violence to get it into his own power, that so he may drive on by it to the goal of his private and worldly interests. And this we need not wonder at, especially if we consider the ripeness of sin among us: for when the sins of a nation are ripe, it is then usuall with God, in his just judgement, to suffer a varice to give law to religion, whilst generally De civit. Dei lib. 7. Et Lact. de origine erroris, lib. 2. sub obtentu numinis, under the cloak of religion, men satisfie their own lusts and covetous desires upon it, as S. Austen notes.

This hath been so heretofore, & it will be so still, so long as there is a Pluto in Erat Mammon idolum quod Syrii colebant, ac opi­bus praefuisse credebant. Irenaeus lib. 3. c. 8. Hell, and a golden Mam­mon Mat. 6. 24. on earth to worship. S. Peter in his second epi­stle, [Page 97] his 2 chapter, and 3 verse, speaking of false tea­chers, who should speak evil of the truth, and the wayes thereof, makes the originall of it to be Cove­tousnesse, where he sayes, that through covetousnesse they should make merchandise of their brethren; and again verse 14. that they had hearts exercised with covetous practises: the Greek word is [...], that is, with covetousnesse; not only with the practises, but also with the principles of cove­tousnesse: by which means we read verse 15. that they forsook the right way, and went astray by fol­lowing the way of Balaam the son of Bozor, who lo­ved the wages of unrighteousnesse. And S. Paul also sayes of some who resisted the truth, that they 2 Tim. 3. 8. were men of corrupt mindes; that is, such as being bribed with rewards, and Avaritia fidem & probi­tatem subvertit, ac pro his Deum negligere, ac omnia venalia habere do­cuit. Salust. de conjur. Catilin. corrupted with earthly prin­ciples, would either be Po­lytheists in religion, or else Atheists; either of any reli­gion, or else of none at all. And there be too many now adays of this mind: like him, who being ask'd not long since of what principles he was, an­swered, that in troublesome Theodor. Ver. in Hist. Ind. times he professed no prin­ciple but gain; as for his re­ligion, this he would not trouble his head withall, but would think upon that, when the times were for it.

He then that is principled with covetousnesse, will never be brought to hold any principles of re­ligion long; covetousnesse being the root of all e­vil (as the Apostle [...]. 1 Tim. 6. 10. Ac [...] Philone, [...], H. Grotius. calls it) which whilst some ey'd too much, they have erred from [Page 98] the faith. And without all question, there is no such bait to draw a carnall mind from truth, as the pleasing things of the world: for what (sayes the fig-tree) in Iotham's parable, shall I leave my Iudg. 9 9, 11, 13. sweetnesse? and the olive, shall I leave my fatnesse? and the vine, shall I leave my wine that cheeres God and man? So sayes the worldling, shall I leave my sweet bits of profi [...], my fat morsels of pla­ces and honours, or my delicious wine of pleasures, for truth? No; there is no Nullum est officium tam sanctum, quod non avar­tia violare soleat. Tully pro Quinti [...]. duty so sacred, but love of gain will violate. And whosoever thou art, if thou be once taken with these, Gods sacred truth will never be sure of thee; but, if the world will give thee higher wages and entertain­ment, Such was Eustathius Bp. of Sebaste, who was one day for the Homousian, and another for the Ho­moiusian confession, accor­ding as they suited with his present turn and ad­vantage. Magdeb. cent. 4. cap. 11. actum est de veri­tate, farewell poor truth, thou art her servant no long­er. And the picture of such a one the Scripture holds out unto us in Demetrius and his fellow crafts-men, Acts 19. (crafty enough I'le warrant you to keep up their silver shrines;) for when S. Paul preached the truth among them, which they conceived would be much to their loss in their means and fortunes, you find verse 23. that there was no small stirr at Ephesus about that way of truth which he made known unto them: and that Demetrius bestirred himself lustily in it, you may see by his speech to them verse 25. Sirs, ye know that by this craft we get our wealth. As if he should have said thus; What? doth Paul think by his new upstart kind of truth to out us of our outward pos­sessions? [Page 99] Hath he nothing else to buisy himself a­bout, then about our D [...]ana, our Tutelary Goddesse, by making of whose me­dals we have our trade and What we translate silver shrines, is in the Greek [...] silver tem­ples, that is, Medals of sil­ver having the figure of Dianas temple stampt up­on them, which the Asia­ticks bought up very mu [...]h and kept by them in h [...]nor of their Goddess. Beza in ver. 24. Horum fabros [...] vocari, notaet Salmas. ad Solinum. livelyhood, our means and subsistence? If he think with his truth to undoe us in our fortunes, he will be much mistaken in it; for rather then he shall begger us with that way, we are resolved what way to take, and that is to buz about him like so many drones to some pur­pose, to decry his truth, & to cry up our falshood, with Great is D [...]ana of the Ephesians.

In the first chapter of Isai, verse 22. the Lord complains of Israel, that she mixed his wine with water, which doth much abate the strength and ef­ficacie of the wine: and in the second Epistie to the Corinthians, the second chapter and the last verse, we find the like expression, where the Apostle sayes of some that they did corrupt the word of God. Now the Greek word there used is [...]; and it is a Metaphor (sayes one) from deceitfull vintners, that A corrumpendo vino, at­que infuscando, ut cau­pones solent. Iun. Anno­tat. in locum. use to corrupt their wine by mixing water with it: and what moves them to doe this, but onely gaine? And so there are some in these dayes who do corrupt Gods truth with the watry conceptions of their own brains; and if they can gain to themselves this way never so little, they think they have done well enough, though in the mean time the truth be at a great losse with them in [Page 100] its former strength and efficacy. But as Simon Pe­ter said to Simon Magus, Thy mony perish with thee: Acts 8. 20. so say I to all such, your gain perish with you, who can so far abase your precious faith (as S. Peter 2 Pet. 1. 1. calls it) as to make it wait on your earthly interests.

But as for us, let us beware of such mixtures; and if they be offer'd to us, let us reject them: for though sometimes we may get by them here, yet sure I am, that we shall loose hereafter; and if we gain the world, we shall loose our own souls: and what pro­fit Mark 8. 36. will there be in this (sayes our Saviour) when as that is onely true gain which will abide with us in another life? He then that looseth an estate here for Christ and his truth, shall be sure to find it hereafter Mat. 19. 19. with advantage. Nor can we call him (sayes our kingly Divine) a looser, that looses all, yet saveth his own [...] p. 219. soul at last.

5. and lastly, If we would hold the truth of God fast, we must watch over the flexibility of our own corrupt nature, which is very apt to wheel about to any thing which is called truth. For the world can have no such power to unsettle us of truth, did not the inclination of our own spirits joyn issue with it against us. And thus also may truth be well compared Astringit hominē veritas, recte igitur baltheo c [...]m­paratur. H. Grotius in Eph [...]s. 6. 14. to a girdle, because a girdle is of a restraining nature, and tyes up that which is loose­ly disposed: so are all our hearts naturally very loose, and love not to betyed up close to any con­stant rule. Hence it is that in the 1. Epistle of S. Paul to Timothy, chap. 4. verse 1. the Apostle speaking there of some who in the latter dayes should prove Apostates from the faith, he makes the inward cause of their apostacie to be the lightnesse of their own [Page 101] spirits, whereby they did [...], give heed too much to wandring spirits and Do­ctrines of Devils; for a light­minded man is naturally [...]. Naz. 1 Invect. apt to believe any thing to be truth.

And such a light-head was Marcus Antonius de Do­minis Erat primo Archiep. Spa­lat. apud nos autem De­canus de Windsor. (the Grand Ecebolius of later times) who (besides his eying of wordly profits and preferments) was of himself, in religion, so light and unconstant, as that he knew not where to stand, but still took it up a new wheresoever he came; even as children do flowers, tanquam spectaculi & spiraculirem (as Tertul­lian In lib. de Resurrect. Car­nis. speaks) even as a mat­ter only of sight and scent, and then threw it away again: for so we read in Socrates of him, that he was a Christian under Constan­tius, under Iulian a Pagan, Adeo levis & inconstans erat Ecebolius, ut se ad Imperatorum ingenia in Religione semper confor­maret. Socrat. Eccl. Hist. lib. 3. cap. 11. under Iovinian a Christian again: such a jugling Impo­stor he was all his dayes! And there have been too many of late like unto him, who have pinned their Religion more upon the sleeve of the times, then upon the truth, turning themselves (like the heliotropium) still towards the sun; and if they do but see a thief, (as David speaks) Psa. 50. 18 I mean a theevish and upstart opinion stealing up­on Gods free-hold, do presently get up, and ride af­ter it, as Iehu did, furiously. How ought we then 2 Kings 9. 20. every day to set a guard over our vagrant and yield­ing spirits, and to pray in Cited by Calvin, Opus [...]. pag. 470. those words of S. Augustin, [Page 102] A me salva Dom ne, Lord keep us from our selves. A saying that the Spaniards are so much taken with, that one tells us how Mons. de Scudery in his Censure of Math as Cor­vinus King of [...]ung [...]ry, Curi▪ Politiae. they do ordinarilie use it by way of Proverb, Guarda me D [...]os de mi, that is, God guard me from my self. And it were a good prayer for us also, that God would daily guard us from our selves, I mean, from that unsettlednesse of spirit that is within us.

And so much for the first thing, viz. That we must hold it firmly.

The 2. follows; which is, That we must rejoyce in it affectionately.

And to this end I lay before you these two consi­derations.

1. The great joy and delight that the understand­ing hath in naturall truth; which is such, that some have conceited a proper u­nion Ld. Brooks in his book of the souls union with truth. and identity between truth and the understand­ing: which though I cannot see how to grant, yet am I Summum in unione consi­stit gaudium; quo (que) pro­pio [...] unio, eo major oble­ctatio. Aquin. sure of this, that there is a more inward, and nearer conjunction of the Intellect to truth, then there can be of the quickest sense to any outward object, and so more rejoycing in it.

Thus when Archimedes Vitruvius de Archit. l. 9. c. 3. Et Erasm. Adag. pag. 543. had found out but one na­turall Truth (which was the proportions of mixture in gold) he was so ravished with it, as he cry'd out in the ex [...]asy of his joy, [...], I have found it. I have found it: And Democritus also was so taken with it, as that it made him willing to loose [Page 103] his bodily eyes, that so he Aul. Gellius lib. 10. Noct. Attic. cap. 17. might with the eyes of his mind (whenas he had no outward objects to call them off) be wholy taken up with a most clear contemplation of natures truths. And hath God bestowed upon thee divine Truth, and art thou no wayes affected with it? Oh why dost thou not break forth into that affectionate speech of the Prophet Ieremy, Thy word I have found, Ier. 15. 16. I have found it, and it was unto me the joy and re­joycing of my heart? It was great joy whenas Arta­xerxes Est. 7. sent his letters to the Iews, the contents whereof were Peace and Truth. And hath God given thee his Gospell, with the Superscription of peace and truth upon it, and yet can it extract no joy from thee? Thy testimonies (sayes David) have Psalm 119. 111. I claimed for my heritage, and they are the rejoy­cing of my heart.

A good man rejoyces as much in the possession of truth, as a man doth in his heritage, which he is to enjoy for him and his heirs for ever. And this may appear further by the indefatigable labour and tra­vel that natu [...]es Scholars have taken to attain it. S. Ierom, writing to Paulinus, sayes of Hieron. Epist. Paulino, in prae­ [...]at. vulg. Latin. Bibl. Plato and Pythago­ras, that they travelled over all Aegypt, Italy and Persia, to find it out; De Apollon. vide Philostrat. in vit. Sophorum. & of Apollonius, that he searched no lesse then 19. severall countries to come to the know­ledge of it.

Nature hath then taught her Scholars to joy in nothing so much as truth: for what do you tell them either of their own native Chara est patria, uxor; chari liberi, parentes, fra­tres, propinquis sed omnes omnium charitates veri­tas una complectitur; Sa Tully Offic. lib. 1. Nullus animo cibus sua­vior quam cognitio veri­tatis. Lactant. Instit. l. 1. cap. 1. country, of their wives and children, of their parents, [Page 104] brethren and kinsmen in the flesh? all these are no­thing to them in compa­rison of truth. So that you see there is no delight like that which the soul hath in the knowledge of the truth.

And if truth be so much to nature, then much more to grace.

Which made S. Ierom (of whom we spake be­fore) goe from S [...]ridon in Hungary unto Rome for his education, which was then in his time, (being the 3. Century after Christ) Veritatis schola (as one calls Hutter. in Prae [...]at. lib. de Sacrific. Missae. it well) longe celeberrima; and from thence after to tra­vell over the greatest part of Europe, to confer with learned men; and at last to fix himself at Bethlehem in Iudea, to acquaint himself there with the Hebrew tongue, the primitive language of Scripture truth.

Indeed we need not go so far in these dayes for the Non est ultra mare, sed p opinquū est tibi verbum hoc valde. Deu. 30. 13, 14 word of truth, nam venit ad limina, for it is come home to our thresholds: and yet how few be there now among us, that will give it any entertainment, much lesse suffer it to dwell in us richly, as the [...]. Apostle exhorts us Col. 3. 16. For which God may justly give us up to that fearfull judgment he threatned Israel with, Amos 8. 12. viz. that we shall e're long wander up and down from sea to sea, and from the North to the East shall we run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, this word of truth, and shall not find it; because we took so little pleasure in it when we were in possession of it.

The 2. Consideration to this end is, the great plea­sure [Page 105] that men take in falshood, when it goes mask'd with the vizor of truth to cover its deformity. For let a man think but any falshood to be truth, and it will please him to enjoy it, though with the enduring of the greatest evils.

Thus, if the old Cartha­ginians Solebat ea gens infantes suos aeneae Saturni statuae cavae, & intus incensae, in sinum ponere; qui velut in Dei complexu enecaban­tur. Hinc refert fabula, se omnes suos devorasse filios. Plut. in Apoph. be perswaded that the sacrificing of their chil­dren be the true way of pleasing their idoll-God, they will then make 200. of them at once victims to him. And the like the Scripture sayes of the idolatrous Is­raelites, Lev. 18. 21 how they made their children passe through the fire to the Idol Moloch, in the vally of the Idolum hoc quando (que) vo­catur Melcham vel Mal­cham, Zeph. 1. 5. ab He­braeo Melech, quod regem denotat, quem alii Satur­num (ut supra) alii Mar­tem volunt. Minuc. Fel. sons of Hinnon, after the pattern of the Canaanites and Amorites; while their miserably-deluded parents did at the sound of the drum, cornet, and other loud in­struments, dance about the Idoll, that so they might not hear their infants cryes.

So again, if Friderick Barbarossa the Emperour be but perswaded that the Pope is the true head of the Church, and Successour of Peter, how sordidly then will he lay his neck under the Popes feete; but especial­ly Alexander the 3. Fox in Martyrol. Et Bucholc. chron. pag. 685. when he heares him quote that place of Scripture for it, Super aspidem & basiliscum ambulabis? though Psal. 91. 13 every novice could see how pitifully he tortured and misapplied that place, to serve his own turn upon him.

[Page 106]Tell me then, what is it that a perswasion of truth in point of religion, though never so false, is not able to doe? Sleidan in his Commentaries tells us, that Sleid. Comment. lib. 10; & Lambertus Horten­sius lib. de tumulibus Anabaptistarum. Ignorant zeale is too blind to goe right, and [...]oo a­ctive to stand still. F [...]l­ler, Prof. state, l. 5. [...]. 1 [...]. it did too much in Germany: and it is sad to say what it hath done with us of late; but what it will doe, or ra­ther undoe hereafter (un­lesse God prevent) is like to be a great deale more.

Tantum religio poterit suadere malorum! Lucrer. 1.

Such a Colluvies of evils doth usually attend upon De ho [...] qui plura velit, le­gat eruditam I. Arm. o­ration [...]m de compon [...]ndo dissidio religionis inter Christianos. error, when it is miscall'd by the name of truth, & blear­eyed Leah is mistaken for comely Rachel; but then Gen. 29. 17 and 23. most of all, when we are hurried to it either by a mis­guided zeale, or else by selfish interests. And if seeming and apparent truth be so pleasing, what should that be which is reall?

3. We are to prize it highly: for the truth of Christ 3. is that rich pearle spoken of Mat. 13. verse 46. which when the merchant finds, he sells all that he hath and buyes it. All that we have then we must sell to purchase truth, but not sell truth at any rate: So sayes the wise man, Buy the truth, but sell it not. Pro. 23. 23.

To this end consider her admirable propertyes and effects.

For it is Truth that informes our understandings, that directs our wils, that regulates our lives, & sits a Conqueress over our passions. In the 1 of Esdras chap. 3. and 10. verse, we read of a great contention before King Darius about what should be strongest, [Page 107] whether wine, or women, Kings, or Truth: and in the 4. chap. ver. 38. King Darius determins the contro­versy right enough, by giving the garland to him that spake in the behalf of Truth. For wine (says he) is strong, so are Women, and Kings; but above all Truth is strongest. And there are added in the same place diverse high prerogatives that are given to Truth, and all of them truly enough (though found in an Apocryphall book.) Truth (says he) endures, and is alwayes strong, it lives and conquers for ever­more; she is the strength, kingdome, power, and ma­jesty of all ages. Blessed be the God of truth, for great is truth, and mighty above all L. Tract. Theolog. lib. 2. c. 12. pag. 95. things. That if God (sayes one) were to be corporeal, he would have light for his body, & truth for his soul: for God Deut. 32. 4. Psal. 31. 5. Isai 65. 16. Luc. 23. 46. Iohn 14. 16 delights in no title more then to be called the God of truth; and what was the name that Christ took to himself, but the Way, the Truth, and the Life?

And what was one of the main ends of his com­ing, Ioh. 5. 33▪ but to bear witnesse to the truth? And what was the chief thing he prayed for in our Iohn 17. 17 behalf, but that we may be sanctified through the truth? And what is one of the chief Epithe [...]s the Holy Ghost is known by, but the Spirit of truth? Iohn 15. 26

And what is the high dignity of the Church of God, but to be called the ground and pillar of truth? 1 Tim. 3. 15 And what is the first piece of St. Pauls Panoply, but Eph. 6. 14 the girdle of truth?

Oh the admirable properties and effects of truth! Oh the high elogiums that are given to it!

It is truth that commends men of all sorts and degrees. For (if we speak of great men) it was the commendation that Quintilian gave of Vespasian [Page 108] the Emperour, that he was Patien­tissimus In Institut. O­ratoriar. lib. veri, that he would en­dure the truth. Or if we speak of Iudges and Magistrates, you shall find in Je­thro's counsel to Moses, that truth is one of the chief things to be ey'd in their election. Thou Exo. 18: 21 shalt provide (says he) out of all the people men of truth. Or if we speak of Ministers, it is the badge and cognizance of their profession, to be searchers and holders out of truth. And to this pur­pose is the Proverb of the French Leighs Annotat. in Mark 13. 32. Ministre ne doit scavoir que sa Bi­ble. Protestants, that a Minister must know nothing but his Bible; no­thing so much as this book of truth. Which makes St. Paul say, that 2 Cor. 4. 2. he had his ministry by the manifestation of the truth. 1 Tim. 6. 5.

And on the other side, speaking of false teachers, he brands them for men of corrupt minds, and desti­tute of the truth. Or, if we speak of man in general, the Orator tells us, that est ho­mini Tul. Offic. lib. 1. propria inquisitio veri, that the searching out of truth is proper to us as men, much more as Christians.

Again it is Truth that enfranchises us, and makes Iohn. 8. 32. us free; Truth that ennobles us, and makes us hono­rable: I say not so much in respect of that civil state we are members of (as it did the Veres family in this nation, who with reference to their name and fi­delity that way, bear this honora­ble Cambden in his Remains. Motto in their coat of Arms, Vero nihil verius;) but in respect of our spiritual estate, as did the Bereans, who are said to be more noble then those of Thessalonica, be­cause Acts 17. 11 they searched the Scriptures, this word of truth.

Again, it is Truth that preserves us in the midst [Page 109] of all dangers; as it is in the 40. Psal. ver. 11. Let thy mercy and truth continually preserve me. Truth, that shields us from Sathans darts; as in the 91. Psal. ver. 4. Thy truth (says David) shall be my shield and buckler: Et O felix anima, (cryes Bernard) quae tentationum Bern. in Psal. 91. jacula scuto veritatis repulerit! and O happy soul that canst repell Sathans darts with the shield of truth! Truth, that comforts us in all distresses: for which cause our Saviour calls the John 14. 16, 17. Holy Ghost both the Comforter, and the Spirit of truth. Truth, that sanctifies us; as in the 17 Chapter of S. Iohn, and the 17 verse, San­ctifie them in thy truth. Truth, Hoc est, Ʋitam eorum indies per veritatem tuam redde puriorem. H. Grotius in lo­cum. that confirmes and strengthens us: from whence it is, that the A­postle also may compare it to a belt or girdle in the 6. Chapter to the Ephesians and the 14 verse; and such a one (I suppose) the Apostle means, as Souldiers used to wear, which was beset with iron and brass plates to strengthen their loins. In a word, truth, that regenerates us; as in the Text, where it is said, That we are begotten with the word of truth.

Now, what shall I say more? Surely, if all this will not set up truth in her throne of excellency, then may it truly be said of us, what God doth by way of complaint against Israel, that Truth is faln in our Isai. 59. 14▪ streets; she is of very low and base account among us, and hath need of an Atlas from heaven to come Atlantem fingunt coelum humeris sustinuisse. Nat. Com. l. 4. cap. 7. and shore her up: for it is Psal. 119. 116. time, Lord (sayes David) for thee to set thy self to the work, whenas men doe their utmost to make void thy law, even that law of truth thou hast established with us.

[Page 110]And so much for the third thing, that we must prize it highly.

The 4. and last follows, viz. that we must love it 4. dearly; i. e. not look towards truth for fear, (as many doe) but meerly out of love; for truth is Per se pulchra beautifull enough of her self; yea, Incompara­biliter Augustin. in Epistol. ad Hieron. pulchrior (sayes S. Augustin) est veritas Christianorum quam Helena Graecorum, (that is) The truth of the Christians is incomparably fairer then Helen was with the Greeks, and needs no sla­vish motive to draw our eyes unto her; this being more suitable to servile natures, then to the sweet and ingenuous spirits of Gods children. For this cause the Lord exho [...]ts the house of Iudah to love Zach. 8. 19. the truth. And there is no slavish fear in love (sayes S. Iohn) but perfect love casts out fear; for no man 1 Ioh. 4 18. was ever scared into truth, that was not Non viextorqu [...]nda fides, sed sua­denda. Hispal. se [...]. lib. 2. cap. 2. Gods slave, more then his, servant in it.

And good reason that we should love truth: for there are but 3. objects of love, viz. God, our neighbour, and our selves; and if we love these, or any of these, we must needs love truth.

1. If we love God, we must needs love truth, because God is Summum verum as well as Sum­mum bonum, the highest truth as well as the high­est good; which makes David call him the God of truth, and Moses also. Psal. 31. 5. Deut. 32. 4.

2. If we love our neighbour also we must needs love truth, because without truth neighbourly love and unity cannot be continued. And in this sense (if there were no other) may we understand that of the Philosopher, that Verum & unum convertun­tur, [Page 111] that truth and unity are convertible: which made our Saviour, in that zealous prayer of his for the preservation of his elect in unity, desire of his father, that he would sanctifie them through the Ioh. 17. 17. truth; and tells them further, that his word is truth. The word of truth then is a speciall means to pre­serve the people of God in unity: For did not the word of truth direct all the members of Christs my­sticall body to act orderly in their severall charges, you should see none of them keep their proper sta­tions; but the tongue would fall out with the hand, the hand again with the foot, and all of them stand out against the command of the head, to the destru­ction of the whole body.

3. If we love our selves also we must needs love truth, because herein the happinesse of the soul, the better part of us, consists. And to this purpose is that saying of S. Austin, Quid aliud est beate vivere, quam Augustin. in lib. contra Academicos. in disquisitione veritat is con­senescere? (i. e.) what is it to live blessedly in this life, but to grow old in the searching out of truth?

For the happinesse of the soul wherein doth it consist, but in its uni on with God? Now our un­derstanding is the highest faculty of the soul, and truth the object of it. The more then that the un­derstanding is employed about truth its object, the nearer doth it come to God, who is purus & aeternus Intellectus, Biel, Aquin. &c. (as the School-men call him) and so make us happy. Now because Love is an inward affection, & probatio dilectionis est ex­hibitio operis (as Gregory Greg. Magn. in Mor. speaks) and the best triall of our love to a thing is to doe something for it; therefore would I have you to manifest your love to truth these 2. wayes.

• [Page 112]1. By your prayers for it.
• 2. By your practise of it.

1. By your prayers for it. For wherefore was it S. Paul's desire & prayer for Israel that they might Rom. 10. 1 be saved, but onely out of the overflowings of his, love to them? which if it were not highly excessive, you may judge by that hyperbolicall wish of his, verse 3. of the 9. chapt. and the three-fold protesta­tion Rom. 9. 1, 3. he premises to it verse 1. I say the truth in Christ and lie not, mine own conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost; that I could wish my self to be accursed for my brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh.

You see then, that love is an excellent Oratour, and there needs not a better key to open our hearts to God in the behalf of the truth then this. Our own keeping will not keep truth safe enough: No; Except Quae habemus ab eo, ser­vare non possumus sine eo. Bern. in Psal. Qui habi­tat, pag. 283. the Lord keep the city (sayes David) the watchman wa­keth Psal. 127. 1 but in vain.

And they are our prayers chiefly that keep God from taking away his truth from us. For Philoso­phy tells us, that eodem nutrimur Aristotel. lib. 7. de anima. quo generamur, that we are preser­ved with what we are begotten; and Politicks, that empires are Iisdem artibus quibus parta sunt, retinentur im­peria. Salust. in conjurat. Cat. kept by the same means that they were gained. It cost the Martyrs many prayers and teares too in Q. Marry's dayes to re-instate us with it afterwards in her sisters time; witnesse that zealous Fox in Martyr. 2. part. Ejaculatory of Latimer at the stake, Vel semel, Domine, Once again, O Lord, restore the truth of thy Gospel to England. They [Page 113] gain'd it for us by their prayers, & let not us loose it now for want of our own; but every day beg of Al­mighty God with the prophet David, That he Ps. 119. 38. would establish his word of truth unto his servants, that are devoted to fear his name: that so they who succeed us both in Church and Commonwealth, may have cause in after-times to blesse him who is the God of love and truth for us.

Or else we may this way (if we please) collect our selves in the words of S. Augustin; Our strength Coram te est firmitas & infirmitas mea (Domin [...]:) Illam serva, istam sana. Ad calcem lib [...]i 15. de Trinitat. and weaknesse, O Lord, in the Orthodox faith are both before thee: Preserve (we humbly beseech thee) the one, and heal the other.

2. Our love must appear to it by our practise of it: for it is not so much prayer that is prevalent with God, as [...] an effectuall or working Iam. 5. 16. prayer; nor is love so much verball as real: so says S. Iohn, Love not in word and tongue, but in deed 1 Iohn 3. 18. and truth.

S. Paul was a lover of truth, and all that he could doe for her he thought little enough; for he denied himself, he chastised his body, and kept it under by 1 Cor. 9. 27. fasting, he injured no man, was malicious to no man, but lived with a good conscience, and inof­fensively Acts 24. 16. before God and man. And shall we professe Non penitus amat, nisi qui moribus e [...]primit Evan­gelium. Erasmus in Cy­clope Evangeliophoro, per quem talem denotat, qui Evangelii veritatem sem­per habet in ore, cum in vita nihil sit evangelicum. In Colloq. a love to the truth of God in his word, and yet doe no­thing for it; but live loosely, scandalously and inordi­nately, in riot and drunken­nesse, in chambring and wantonnesse, in malice and [Page 114] envy, without mortifying of any one lust, or deny­ing our selves in any thing? Surely, as that learned controversall Divine of ours Dr. Whitaker said once in a Sermon of his, up­on the like consideration, in In Concione ad Clerum. So Linacre said, whenas upon his reading of Christs Sermon in the mount, he found the lives of Chri­stians in his time, so far disagreeing with the rules laid down in it. the words of Linacre, Aut hoc non est Evangelium, aut nos non sumus Evangelici, Either this is not the Gospel, or else we are not professors of it: so may I say in relation to our practice, Either that faith we profess is not the true Protestant faith ac­cording to the word of truth, or else we are not faithfull Protestants, and true professours of it. For what? shall the Papists walk more close to the rule of truth with their glow-worm light, then we with our sun-shine? shall they fast often, and we never? shall they be strict in their blind devotion, and we loose in our know­ing service? they just to Pleri (que) nostrum qui Chri­stianam religionem profi­temur, ita vivimus ac si ni il plane crederemus. In Prae [...]at. Plessaei de verit. Christianae religionis. their neighbours, and we injurious? they charitable to the poor in giving of them bread, and we hard-hearted Luc. 11. 11 in giving them a stone in­stead of bread, and instead Pudet haec opprobria no­bis Et dici potuisse, & non potuisse reselli. Ovid. metam. of fish a scorpion? Oh what a dishonour is this to our holy profession! what a shame and blemish is it to our religion! It is e­nough It was taken up as [...] proverb a­gainst the Athenians, Athenienses scire quae recta sunt, sed facere nolle. Tully, lib. de Senectute. for bats and owls, heathen and in­fidels, those children of darknesse, to doe [Page 115] thus: but as for us, who (as the Apostle speaks) are the children of the light, and the children of the day, 1 Thes. 5. 5. how should we endeavour to put off these works of darkness, because they are not for the truth, but against it! For the grace of God (says St. Paul) that Titus 2. 11, 12, 13, 14. brings salvation (so say I, the truth of God, that brings salvation) hath appear'd, teaching us, to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world: looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savious Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify us unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.

St. Athanasius therefore begins wel his Creed thus, Whosoever will be saved, above all things it is neces­sary that he hold the Catholick faith; and not on­ly so, but also keep it undefiled, without the least soil and blemish from worldly lusts; like the stone Ami­anthus, whereof Isiodore of Sevill Isiod. Hispalens. Etymol. lib. 6. c. 4. speakes, that will endure the fire and not be blemished by it. And to this purpose St. Iames hath a saying very perti­nent, Iam. 1. 27. [...], (that is) Pure religion Dictum hoc saecu­lo (inquit H. Gro­tius) maximè [...]o­gitandum. In lo­cum. & undefiled, which like the stone Amianthus will be able to endure a fiery triall without blemish, is to be charitable to those that want, and to keep a mans self unspotted from the world; whether it be either the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or pride of 1 Iohn 2. 16. Haec tria pro trino numine mundus habet. life: for all that is in the world is one of these three. An undefiled religion and a defiled life non bene conveniunt, do not well suite together; but are [Page 116] as great an incongruity, as that of the foolish actor, who being to pro­nounce O Coelum! pointed down to O Heaven! the earth: which made Pol [...]mon say of him, that he committed a [...]. Philo­strat. in vit. Sophor. soloecism with his hand. And so do they that are of a heavenly pro­fession, and yet of earthly con­versations. If we will be called the sons of the Reformed Church and Religion, we must be of reformed lives & conversations; and live (as the Apostle would have the Philippians) 2 Philip. 15. 16. blameless and harmless, the children of God, with­out rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom we are to shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life, that so we may rejoyce in the day of Christ, that we have not run in vain, nor labour'd in vain (and I add also) nor received the word of truth in vain.

It was the saying of Luther, that Verba Scriptu­rae non sunt verba legenda, but vivenda; And so say I, that the saving truths of Scripture are not so much credenda, as vivenda; requi­ring Qui volet facere voluntatem Pa­tris mei, cognoscet de doctrin [...], an ex Deo [...]t; Iohn 7. 17. not so much our knowing, or believing of them, as our living up to them. And this is the very life of truth, this is truth indeed; not only to believe, but also to obey it. Nam errat (says St. Au­gustine) Augustin. in lib. de Agone Chri­stian. quisquis seputat verita­tem cognoscere, si adhuc nequiter vivat, i. e. He errs much, who thinks he knows truth effectually, if he live wicked­ly. Ferrerius said, that the Protestants might well laugh at them, and say, that Patres scire, sed facere n [...]ll [...]. Hist. Concil. Trident. pag. 539. the Trent Fathers had knowledge [Page 117] enough, but would not doe there­after: and I wish, we did not in these dayes give our adversaries too much cause to say the like of us, that the Reformists indeed know the truth, but will not doe it; and that this is the Iohn 3. 19. condemnation of England, that the light of divine Truth is come unto us, and yet have we loved dark­nesse more then light, because our deeds are evill. It were well then that we would labour now at last to be not so much disputants for truth, as a­gents of it. For what talk we either of wording or Sic ille apud Ovid. Quid verbis opus est? specte­mur agendo▪ Metam. l. 13 knowing truth? or why are we taken so much with men of knowledge, when they are not men of conscience? Alas! to admire a man for his knowledge of the truth, whenas he makes no conscience of steering his practice accordingly, is just as if a man (sayes our Kingly Di­vine) Iacob. Rex. should admire a souldier for his goodly head of hair, who is a coward, and dares act nothing. If then we be truths children, we must show our selves such by doing the Truth, and ma­king it our work, (to use [...]. 3 Iohn 21. our Saviours words;) that so our knowledge be not confuted by our practice, but that the word of truth and the work of it may meet together.

And there be 3. reasons of reducing truth to pra­ctice.

1. Because the chief end it was ordained for was practice: which made our Ioh. 17. 17. Scopus Christianae religio­nis est, ut qu [...] ex doctri­na veritatis didicimus, o­pere impleamus. August. Ser. de blasphemia in S. S. Saviour pray for his Elect, that they might be sancti­fied through the truth; not onely enlightned by it, but sanctified through it.

[Page 118]2. To be active is a sign of health; and so to be acting in saving truths is a sign of spirituall health; which is one reason why the Apostle gives it the name of a Rule, and sayes, We must walk by it. Gal. 6. 16. If we do not, it is a shrewd sign that we are ill at the heart, and unsound in the faith. And there­fore in the 1 Tim. chap. 1. ver. 10. we read of sound or healing Doctrine. And it [...]. is so called, either

Because it is of a healing nature, and a means to cure us of those spirituall maladies and corruptions that do adhere to us; as of the in­flammation They burned with lust. Rom. 1. 27. [...], that is, Corrupt communication. Eph. 4. 29. A meta­phor (sayes Zanchy) either from rotten apples, or a stinking breath. Some shall fall from the faith. 1 Tim. 4. 1. Then Antiochus swelled with anger. 2 Macab. 9. 4. of lust, the rotten or cor­rupt breath of e­vill speeches, the falling sicknesse of apostacy, the swel­ling of anger, and the like: or else

Because when it hath once recovered a Christian out of these diseases, and set him upon his legs, it presently puts him upon walking and action, to preserve his spirituall health.

3. Because it is not know­ledge, So also S. Iames, Whoso is a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. c. 1. v. 25. but practice that must make us for ever happy: so sayes our Saviour, If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye doe them. John 13. 17.

But to close up all; as the Authour to the He­brews speaks, so do we, Beloved, we are perswaded Heb. 6. 9. better things of you, and such as accompany salva­tion, though we thus speak: and hope that we may praise God for you, as S. Paul did in the behalf of [Page 119] his Romans, with Deo gratias, Godbe thanked, that Rom. 6. 17 ye were the servants of sin, but now ye have obeyed from the heart, the form of doctrine which was de­livered unto you; and conclude (as S. Paul doth his 2 chapter to the Thessalonians)

Now our Lord Iesus Christ, who hath 2 Thes. 2. 16, 17. loved us, and given us everlasting conso­lation, and good hope through grace, com­fort our hearts by the word of Truth, and stablish us in every good word and work. To whom, with the Father and the ever­blessed Spirit, be all glory and honour both now and for ever.

Trin-uni Deo Gloria.

THe Church of Christ may well be re­sembled to Rebekahs womb, wherein Gen. 25. 2 [...] there was a great deal of strugling be­twixt the strong and weak child, about the honour of primogeniture. And we need not goe far for an example of it, no further then the newly-converted Romans in the Text; with whom there was a hot strife about meats forbidden to be eaten by the Leviticall Law as unclean. For the strong Romans were throughly perswaded of [Page 124] their liberty in the use of things indifferent, and therefore did eate what was set before them, making Ti [...] 1. 15 no question for conscience sake, because to the pure all things are pure; but the weak Romans, be­ing not yet fully instructed about the lawfullnesse of it, forbore.

Thus were they divided in opinions; and not on­ly so, but in affections too: for the strong took up­on them with a great deal of liberty to despise the weak, and the weak likewise on the other side to judge and censure the strong. The one are despised as simple and ignorant, the other judged as scanda­lous and uncharitable.

Now S. Paul seeing the breach so wide betwixt them, doth here, like a good umpire, endeavour what he can to arbitrate the matter in difference with them, and to reduce them to concord and unity. And this he doth 2. wayes.

1. By disswading the weak from judging the strong. Who art thou (sayes he) that judgest another mans servant? He stands and falls to his own master. chap. 14. verse 4. And it is an argument drawn from common equity, which tells us that we must not usurp upon anothers right. For there are 3. pre­rogatives that God will not have us to entrench on.

The 1. is his own glory. Isai. 42. 8.

The 2. is vengeance; for vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Rom. 12. 19.

The 3. is judgement; as in that place of S. Paul, He that judgeth me is the Lord. 1. Cor. 4. 4.

2. By perswading the strong to bear with the in­firmities of the weak; as in the 1. verse of this chap. where the word that we translate bear, is [...]: and it is a Metaphor either from Porters, who make it their livelyhood to bear other mens burdens; or else from Nurses, who bear up their weaklings in [Page 125] their hands, least at any time they dash their feet against a stone.

And the arguments here used by the Apostle are two.

The first is drawn from the good of their neigh­bours unto edification, verse 2. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good unto edification. Where the reason is this, That their bearing with the weak would be a means every day to build them up into a better liking and opinion of the strong; for it is not the beating down of weaknesses, but the bearing with them, Nobile vincendi genus est patientia▪ Ovid. that gains upon ingenuous natures.

The 2. is taken from the example of Christ, verse 3. For even Christ pleased not himself (sayes the Apostle;) as it is written, This is cited out of 69 Psverse 9. The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me. As if the Apostle had said thus unto them; Even he that is infinite in strength, and so could not have been forced to have born with any thing in his people, yet was he pleased notwithstanding for their sakes to bear their sins, that were so re­proachfull to his father, by suffering the utmost pu­nishment due unto them, in his own body upon the 1 Pet. 2. 24 tree (as S. Peter speaks.) And this example of Christ (which is a perfect pattern for all morall duties) should move those that are strongest among you, to bear with the weaknesses of your brethren.

And now, when he could not lay their heat this way, he then bethinks himself of another course to doe it by; and this is by prayer: That what he could not gain at their hands by reasoning with them, he may now obtain at Gods hands by praying for them. And this he doth here in the words of the [Page 126] Text, which run in the form of a solemn benediction, More Patriarcharum & prophetarum, Romanis hanc grandem precatur benedictionem. Anselm. the more affectionately thereby to expresse his well­wishes and prayers for them: Now the God of patience and consolation make you like-minded, &c.

In which benediction 3. things offer themselves unto your consideration.

1. The duty wished or prayed for in the behalf of his new Christian Romans; and this is, to be like-minded one towards another, both in opinion and affection: for the word [...] here used is a ge­neral word, (as one notes) and is Zanch. in locum. to be referred unto all the endea­vours of the mind, whether intellectuall or affe­ctuall.

2. The efficient cause of this like mindednesse; and this is God: For it is [...] God (sayes David) that sets the solitary in families, (as it is in our new translation after the Septuagint) Psal. 68. verse 6. or that makes men of one mind in an house, (as it is in the old;) for the Hebrew word there used (sayes one) Fisher in his defence of the Liturgy, pag. 295. comes of a root signifying to unite or make one.

Like-mindednesse then is [...] Gods gift: therefore it runs here, [...], the Lord give you to mind the same thing. That, as the Apostle sayes of our salvation, that it is not of our selves, it is the gift of God: so say I of like-minded­nesse, 2 Ephes. 8. that it is not of our selves, it is not of our planting, but a graft implanted in our natures by the hand of God; for we are all naturally (as Ia­cob said of his first-born Reuben) unstable as wa­ter, Gen. 49. 4. [Page 127] (i. e.) of a wavering and unsetled temper, of scattered and divided spirits, (as to worldly things, so also to religious duties:) which makes the Pro­phet David pray Psal. 86. at the 11 verse, that God would unite his heart to fear his name.

Now this Efficient is described here by the two attributes of patience and consolation.

2. But why is he not call'd here the God of faith and hope, as well as of patience and consola­tion?

R. Either because S. Paul would suit the attributes he gives to God according to the sense of their los­ses, as having by their divisions sensibly lost much of that patience and comfort which they receiv'd by Christ; or else because he would mind them whe­ther to have recourse for the recovery of their losses, and that is to God, who is a full store-house of pa­tience and consolation: for the strong were not patient towards the weak, nor the weak to the strong; which was the cause of such animosities and heart-burnings among them, as did much wast and consume their spirituall joyes and comforts.

And now if God be the Authour of Unity and like-mindednesse, it will then easily follow, that Sa­than is the authour of disunity and division; and you may know him (say the common people) by his cloven foot, which is the Emblem of division. And if they be Gods chil­dren Si Dei vocantur filii qui unitatem colunt, procul­dubio Satanae sunt, qui pacem confundunt. Greg. in Pastor. that love unity; who can think otherwise, but that they are Sathans brats that love division?

3. The restriction of the duty; and this is, accor­ding to Christ. Nam bene addi­dit, secundum Iesum Christum Anselme in locum. (sayes Anselme) for he hath well added this clause, [Page 128] because there is an agree­ment [...] Nazianz. Orat. 1. propace. which is not accord­ing to Christ: as in the 2 Psalm, ver. 2. where we read that the Kings of the earth stood up and took counsell together, or agreed toge­ther Convenere in unum. in one (as the vulgar Latine hathi [...];) but it was against the Lord, and a­gainst his Christ. For as Sicut Dei una Ierusalem, it a Diaboli una Babylon. S. August. initio lib. de civit. Dei. Gods Ierusalem is one, so Psal. 112. 3 Mark 3. 26. is Sathans Babylon one al­so.

Examples of this abound. As of Sime on and Levi, who as they were brethren by nature, so also by Gen. 34. 25 combination in evill; as in killing of Hamor King of Sichem and his people: which made Iacob their Father highly detest them for it; as appeares by that patheticall Apostrophe unto his soul, O my soul, Gen. 49. 6. come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, (mine honour) be not thou united: For in their an­ger they shew a man, and in their self-will dig'd down a wall: Therefore was their rage accursed.

And the like example we have in Iudas and the high Priests; the former being of the tribe of Sime on (if the Iews may be credited in it) and the latter of the tribe of Levi: and both these enter into a cove­nant one with another, to slay the man Christ Ie­sus. Mat. 26. 15

So also in Herod and Pilate, who the same day Luc. 23. 12. (sayes the Evangelist) were Sic h [...]retici, licet mutuo se lacerant, sic tamen in­vicem sese collidunt, ut contra ecclesiam simul exi­stant uniti. Isiodor. His­pal. Sent. l. 1. cap. 19. made friends together, (for before they were at enmitie among themselves;) but it was against Christ, and to destroy him.

[Page 129]But above all look upon the 83. Psalm, which was penn'd on purpose against the joynt combina­tion of severall malicious enemies, to destroy the Church of God in Iehosaphats time; (the story whereof is set down at large in the 2 Chron. chap. 20.) where the Psalmist complains thus; That they took crafty counsell together Augustine calls this uni­latem contra veritatem, Serm. 6. de verb. domini c. 12. against Gods people, & con­sulted Verse 3, 4, and 5. against his hidden ones: that they said, Come, let us cut them off from be­ing a nation, that the name of Israel be no more had in remembrance: Yea, that they consulted to­gether with one consent, and were confederate a­gainst the Lord. And who these were he tells us in the 6, 7, 8. verses; viz. the tabernacles of Edom and the Ismaelites, of Moab and the Hagarens; G [...]bal, Ammon and Amalek, the Philistins, with those of Tyre. Ashur also is joyned with them; and they have holpen the children of Lot.

But our agreement must not be such: if it be, it is perversa unitas & execranda Serm. 5. in As­sump. B. Marioe. (as Bernard calls it;) or rather Conspiratio magis quam unitas, a conspiracy rather then an unity; and so it is call'd Acts 23. 13. where it is said, that more then 40 men made a conspiracy against Paul, binding themselves with an oath, that they would neither eat nor drink untill they had kill'd Paul: as if all the blustring power and malice of hell had been stirred up to blow out the taper of S. Paul's life.

First then, for the duty wished or prayed for by the Apostle in the behalf of his new Christian Ro­mans; and this is, to be like-minded one towards a­nother. From whence I commend unto you this ob­vious, but seasonable observation.

[Page 130] That it is the duty of Christians to be like­minded, Observat. or at unity one with another.

Now this truth I shall make good unto you both by precept and example.

1. By precept: as in the 2. Epist. to the Corin­thians, 1. the last chapter, and 11. verse, where the Apostle in his valediction to them leaves these jewells to be deposited with them, & Gods benedi­ction upon them; Finally, brethren, fare ye well: be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

And again in the 4. chapter to the Ephesians; where, being now a prisoner at Rome, and ready to be offered up in the service of their faith, he begs this one boon of them before Ʋnitas in abstracto nus­quam legitur in novo te­stamento, nisi in hoc ca­pite. his departure, that they would endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: And among many other unities wherewith he doth ballance his ob [...]estation, there are none (methinks) more attra­ctive, then that trinity of unities (if I may so speak) verse 5. and which may serve as a three-fold cord to enforce the duty, [...].

1. [...], there is but one Lord, even the Lord Iesus Christ. For though the Heathen had 1 Cor. 8. 5. their many that were called lords, and their many that were called Gods, who had their severall sacri­fices and services from them; yet to us Christians (sayes the Apostle) there is but one God, the Father, 6. verse. and one Lord Iesus Christ: And therefore in our religious worship of this one God we are to be as one; for so it was prophecy'd of the Gentils by the Zach. 14. 9. prophet Zachary, In that day shall there be one Lord over all the earth, and his name shall be one.

[Page 131]2. [...], there is but one faith, but una fides qua cred mus, and una fi­des Lomb. lib. 3. Distinct. 23. Sic etiam Augustin. lib. 13. de Trinitat. cap. 2. quam credimus (as the School speaks;) that is, but one grace of faith whereby we believe, and one Doctrine of faith which is to be believed: and besides, but unum objectum fidei, but one object of justifying faith in whom we be­lieve; and this is Christ: who was not one to the Iews, and is now become another to the Gentiles; no; Christ is not divided (sayes the Apostle) but is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever; Velatus in 1 Cor 1. 13 Heb. 13. 8. veteri, revelat us in novo, vailed in the Old Testa­ment, revealed in the New, and therefore we must be one.

3. [...], there is but one baptisme: and this is given us too by one spirit, and incorporates us into one body, whereof Christ is the head: and therefore we must be one, for by one spirit (sayes 1 Cor. 12. 13. the Apostle) we are baptized into one body.

2. By Example. As in the children of Israel, 2. who are said at the building of the second temple Ezra 3. 1. to be gathered together as one man unto Ierusa­lem, as if there had been but one heart among them all. So also we read of the twelve Apostles, Acts 1. that when they began to build up the Christian Church in the world, (whereof that of Zorobabel was but a type) they assembled all together in Ie­rusalem, and continued there with one accord daily in prayer and supplication, verse 14. So that the first grand Jury (you see) that ever gave in their verd [...]ct for Christianity, did all agree together in sa­cred duties: And not onely in these, but also in common actions; as in breaking of bread from house to house, and eating their meat with glad­nesse and singlenesse of heart. Acts chap. 2. v. 46. [Page 132] They had a single heart as well in common, as sa­cred duties: Not Cor duplex (as the Psalmist sayes See the Margin of our Bibles. of the wicked, Psal. 12. 3. or else a heart & a heart, (as the Hebrews ex­pression is;) much lesse Cor d [...]visum, a divided heart among so many: but (as it is more fully set down Acts 4 32.) there was to them [...], one heart and one soul. I say not in substance (which Vide Zanch. in locum. Non est animus ubi ani­mat, sed ubi amat. Eras. Dialog. Proc. was Averroes dream) but in concent and affection; for the soul is not so much where it lives, as where it loves.

And this was foretold of the Gentiles by the pro­phet Zephany, in his third chap. and 9. verse, That they should serve God with Humero unc; sic T [...]emel. Vulgar. Lat. Beza, &c. one consent, or with one shoulder, (as most of the Latine translatours render it after the Hebrew.) A phrase (it may be) taken See Exod. 25. 14. and 1 Chro. 15. 15. from the Levites, who were to bear the Ark of God up­on their shoulders; and were so agreeing together in it, as if there had been among them all but one shoulder in bearing of it. And thus must we Chri­stians so unite our serverall strengths together to sup­port the ark of Gods Church, (wherein the two tables of his truth are preserved) as if the strength of each severall were to be resolved into the shoul­ders of one particular man for the bearing it up. Q.

But it is here query'd, wherein we are to be like-minded. R.

To which (because in this subject of Unity we would run as little division as may be) it is an­swered, onely in two particulars. 1. In our judge­ments and opinions. 2. In our affections. The one relating to faith, the other to love.

[Page 133]And 1. we must be like-minded in our judge­ments and opinions. Which makes the Apostle be­seech his Corinthians by the name of the Lord Iesus Christ, to be perfectly joyned together in the same mind, and the same judgement, 1. Cor. 1. 10. We must not then every day set abroach new opinions, to the prejudice of the truth we have received, and disquict of the Church; For no man (sayes our Sa­viour) having drunk of old wine, straightway de­sireth Luk. 5. 39 new: for he sayes, the old is better. Indeed new wines may be more gustfull and pleasing to men of a gluttonous and licentious appetite; but to those that are of stay'd palats, the old is most desira­ble, as being more helpfull for the stomack, and re­freshing for the spirits. Our opinions then & judge­ments when they are once for the truth, there they are to stand and fix.

It was the Motto of Q. Elizabeth, (who was a Glory to the age wherein she lived) to be Cambden. Semper eadem, alwayes the same: And the like Eulogy is given to Venerable Usher, a great It was the Anagram was given him, when Bp. of Meath, (viz.) Iames Meath, I am the same. Master of learning (while he lived) in this our I srael, that he was, without wa­vering, alwayes one and the Barn. in li [...]. de vita & morte Iacob. Armac. pag. 52. & 106. same, holding fast the form of sound words in Doctrine and practice to his last. And so must we be no Changelings of our holy faith, but alwayes the same men in it. And therefore it was a good saying of Melanchthon, (the learned Phoe­nix of Germany) that he would be neither the Au­thor Senovi dogmatis in Ec­clesia nec Authorem fore, nec Defensorem. Meminit bujus Overallus noster in Oratione ad convocat. of any novell opinion in the Church, nor the De­fender [Page 134] of it; neither begin­ning to others in the cup of errour, nor pledging any one that should begin to him therein.

And this condemns that boundlesse liberty of opi­nion that some are so eager after in these dayes.

For if it be so, that a child of God hath a liberty (as they say) in the Doctrines of faith purchased for him by Christ, to what end then doth S. Paul here pray, that the strong and weak Romans be like­minded? For what (might the weak Romans say) if we be of opinion that circumcision and the law of ordinances given by Moses be still in force? why, this is our conscience, and why should not that be free?

But to this we answer, That (doe what we can) offences must come (says our Saviour;) so also will Mat. 18. 7. differences in judgements and opinions: for even the very Angels differ thus, Tilen. Syntag. sub loco communi bonorum ange­lorum. Et Bucan. p. 71. as Divines teach truly. And one reason thereof the Apo­stle gives 1 Cor. 13. 9. be­cause here we know but in part. And as we know imperfectly, so also unequally: for God hath not made the judgements of men all of one complexion, no more then their faces; nor our knowledge in Divine things all of a size, no more then our bodies; the acies of one Christian being a great deal more dim then of another. Now different degrees of sight cannot but cause a difference of judgements among Christians. Besides, the Church of God hath ever had in it some babes in Christ, some [...], some children in knowledge, who, like ships wanting ballast, are not able to sail an even and steddy course, but are ready to topple over with the least wind of contradiction, or persecution that blows [Page 135] upon them. And the reason of it is this, because every one is swayed and biassed in his judgement according to his know­ledge: So that a weaknesse Ignorantia veritatis in­certam facit labentemque sententiam. Lactant. in Instit. Christ. Relig. in knowledge must needs beget an unsettlednesse in judgement.

But yet take this Caveat by the way: That this liberty of ours be not in such things as are clearly and positively laid down in Scripture as essentialls of Faith and Worship. For there are some things in Scripture that are onely Credibilia, that is, such things, as we either may, or elfe may not believe, without perill of eternall damnation: and in these that of the vulgar Latine in the 14, chap. to the Romans [...], which we translate better thus, Let every one be fully per­swaded in his own mind. at the 5. verse, (though very ill translated there) yet here will it hold well enough, Abundet quis (que) sensu suo, every one may abound in his own sense. Again, other things there be that are Credenda, things ab­solutely to be believed; as, that there is a God, and Heb. 11. 6. that he is a rewarder of those that seek him; the one against the Atheist, the other against the Epi­cure: again, that this God is one in essence, and three in subsistence; and that there is no other way of attaining eternall salvation but by Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life; Via in exilio, Ve­ritas Iohn 14. 6. in consilio, & Vita in praemio, (as Armachanus Richardus Arm. erat Hiberniae Primas in die­bus Edv [...]rdit [...]rtii 1350. See Fox Martyrol. 1 part. well glosses that passage in his Doxology) the way to guide us, the truth to coun­sell us, and the life to reward us.

Now in these and such like fundamentals, our [Page 136] liberty is tied up to the word of God: for (as the Author to the Hebrews hath it in the place before cited) He that comes to God must believe that he is; so, we must believe these things; and to believe contrary to these, is no part of our liberty purchased by Christ, but rather of that vassallage wherewith Sathan hath enthrall'd us.

It is true indeed that Christ hath purchased for us a liberty by his death, not onely from the ceremoniall, Si liberet vos filius, vere eritis liberi. Ioh. 8. 36. but also from the morall law, both in respect of terrour, curse and justifica­tion; he hath also purchased for us a liberty from the power of sin, and a liberty in the use of things indif­ferent. But that Christ should purchase for us a li­berty from our obedience to the morall law (as the Antinomians say; or else liberty that excludes the being of sin in the elect, as the Catharists teach; or else a liberty to close with any fundamentall errour, as the Anabaptists would have it; this is a licen­tiousnesse of erring, Licentia errandi, non libertas cre­dendi. Vid. Gerhard. in loc. com. de Magistrat. & B. H. in his Peace-maker, Sect. 7. rather theh a liberty of believing, and the bane of all religion.

It was a strange image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream, Dan. 2. v. 32. whereof one part was of gold, another of silver, a third of brasse, and a 4. of iron. And they are as strange Christians that 1 Reg. 3. 26 can be content to divide their religion, as the har­lot did the child; a [...] to be either Iews or Arrians, Papists or Protestants, Socinians or Antinomians. Deus bone! quomodo hic So Gualter said, when in Henry the 8ths. dayes he saw Papists hang'd for denying the Kings sapre­macy, and others burnt for denying Christs carnall presence in the Sacrament. Fox in Martyrolog. 2 part. vivunt gentes! (as one com­plained) good God! how atheistically do some men live! as if, with the old Ro­mans, [Page 137] they would set up a new Pantheon, wherein e­very one may have a deity of his own to fall down before and worship! But the Lord charges the Iews Levit. 19. 19. that they should not sow their field with mingled seed, nor wear a garment of linsey­woolsey: which you must not understand according to the letter, Hoc enim (says the Glossa ordinaria. glosse upon that place) videtur ri­diculum, for this is ridiculous; but you must under­stand it (say Divines) as spoken against mixtures in religion, when we sow truth and falshood in one Herein seems to be im­ply'd an instruction against mixtures in religion. Sic nuperrimae Annota­tiones in locum. Church, and wear a cloak of religion patch'd up of sound and hereticall Do­ctrines; much like the Sa­maritans, 2 Reg. [...]7. 41 who would fain fear God, but their idols too, or like the Isralites, Zeph. 1. 5. who would swear by the Lord and Malcham.

It is enough for Poland to be a miscellany of in­differentmen, and a medly of mungrell Christians: some there following the Romish, others the Reform­ed Church; and of these one is for Luther, and ano­ther for Calvin; some admitting the Bohemian, some the Augustane, and others the Helvetian confes­sion. But for my heritage (says God) to become as a speckled bird, or a bird of diverse colours, as it is Ier. 12. 9. this God seems to much troubled at, and therefore interrogates them by way of admira­tion (as the vulgar Latine reads it) Numquid avis discolor haereditas mea mihi? What? is my heri­tage become as a bird of di­verse Notat hic inconstantiam in religione, modo enim Deum colit, modo idola sectatur. Sanctius in lo­cum. colours to me? As if he should have said, It [Page 138] would never have put me to any wonder or trouble at all, to have seen others as speckled birds unto me; but for the dearly-beloved of my soul, verse 7. yea for my heritage too, ver. 9. and her that was my pleasant portion and vine­yard, verse 10. for her (I say) to be a speckled bird unto me, and to wear a particolour'd coat made up of diverse superstitions borrowed from the Heathen, this is a wonder and trouble unto me indeed. For though Israel play the harlot (says the prophet Ho­sea) Hos. 4. 15. which had inured herself to a strange wor­ship of God ever since Ieroboams defection, (who to keep up that usurped power he had got into his hands, made himself a religion suitable to it) yet let not Iudah, so, let not England transgress.

It was a happy age, when as the whole earth was of one language, or of one lip (as Sic nuperi Exposi­tores. the marginall note hath it;) which was till about 130 years after the Deluge: and so it would be still, if in the substance of religion, mens lips and opinions were but one. But when that one language was cleft a­sunder into 72, according to the nations that de­scended from Noah's sons, then, and not before, was Babel built, which speaks confusion. Gen. 11. 9.

Indeed, a rainbow hath many seeming and speci­ous colours in it; but if you mark, you shall ever see it in opposition to the sun: so hath this liberty of opinion a fair shew of pleasing our corrupt nature, which loves not any tye upon it; but yet it is still in opposition to Christ the Sun of righteousnesse, who is but one; and precedes a storm in the Church, if not the shipwrack of it. For I look upon (as he did) a toleration or connivence Brinsly's arraignment of separation, pag. 73. at all sects whatsoever in reli­gion, [Page 139] as the passing-bell to the Churches peace and glory, if not to the true religion of God in this na­tion.

2. As we must be one with our brethren [...] opi­nion, so also in affection; for love is (as the School Aquin. Sum. 1 ^a. 2 ^ae, Quae. 28. Art. 1. says well) an affection of Union. And thence it is that one calls Charity, the Arc. Cant. in his Sermon on 4. Ephes. verse 3. glew of the spirit. For there is a Law of love, [...], a royall law (as S. Iames speaks) that God Iames 2. 8. hath subjected us to, as well as a law of faith Rom. 3. 27. Now we must not (as they say commonly) rob Peter to pay Paul; I mean, under pretence of keeping one law, break another: but though we be at some dissension one from another, yet must we not be at discord and enmity with one So Constantine told Alexander Bp. of Constantinople, and Ar­rius, that although they did dis­sentire in matters of opinion, (si­quidem neque omnes de omni­bus idem sentimus, neque una [...]ademqu [...] in nobis indoles, aut mens versatur) fieri tamen po­test ut inter vos integre serve­tur concordia, ac benevole al­ter alterum excipiatis. Euseb. de vita Constantini lib. 3. cap. 67, & 68. another. For there is a great deal of diffe­rence betwixt Dissen­tire, & Discordare, dissension & discord; the one relating to our intellectualls, the o­ther to our affectualls: and though we may be different as touch­ing the one, yet must we not be divided as touching the other.

Hence it is that S. Peter writing to those of the Circumcision, 1 Peter 3. 8. exhorts them to be all, not onely of one mind, but also of one affection: which you may see by the following expressions that breath out nothing else; as

[Page 140]1. That they were to have compassion of one ano­ther in all their failings and infirmities. The word is [...] which notes a sympathy or fellow-feel­ing of anothers misery; as when one member suf­fers, all the members suffer with it, (sayes the Apo­stle 1 Cor. 12. 26.) or rather such a Leighs Annotat. sympathy as men have who suf­fer in the stead of others.

2. They were to love one another as brethren. Now The Greeks therefore call it [...] Brotherly love. Heb. 13. 1. [...]. the very name of brethren should be sufficient to ex­clude all differences what­soever arising from disaffe­ction, according to that of Abraham to Lot, Gen. 13. 8. Let there be no strife between thee and me, for we are brethren: Which must be understood in a large sense, either for bre­thren So it is taken Acts 15. 36. and 2 Cor. 8. 18. by profession of the same religion, or else by consanguinity: for else (if it be taken strictly and in its proper sense) Lot was not brother, but nephew unto Abraham.

3. They were to be pitifull to one another; even as affectionate parents, who have a naturall pro­pensity this way towards their children. And so much seems to be intimated by that of the prophet David in his 103. Psal. 13. verse; Like as a Fa­ther pities his children, so doth the Lord those that fear him.

Lastly, they were to be [...], friendly-mind­ed or courteous (as we translate it) i. e. as full of af­fection as Ionathan was to Est amicus conjunctior fratre. Prov. 18. 24. Antiqui dixerunt amico­rum esse unam animam, propter vim scilicet amoris; quia igne cha­ritatis conjuncti unum sine dissensione sapi­ [...]bant. Isiodor. Hispal. l. 3. sentent. c. 28. Sic ab Alexandro dicitur Ephestion, Alter Alexander, in Q. Curt. Hist. David, as one friend is to another. Now we call a friend usually Alter idem, [Page 141] another same; viz. another from us in per­son, but the same in affe­ction.

And this is that knitting together in love, where­of the Apostle speaks in the 2. chap. of the Coloss. and 2. verse; and that bond of love in his 3. chap. and 14. verse. Now the use of a bond (you know) is to bind things together that are severed from one Sic Aquin. 2. 2ae. quaest. 81. Ar [...]ic. 1. Ex Augustino in lib. de vera Religione, non procul à fine. another: And we can never be truly religious, unlesse this bond be upon us as well as the other; the bond of love as well as the bond of faith. For which cause the word Religion hath its Etymon a religanda, from binding to and again; as first to God by faith, and then by love to our neighbour.

Neither can we believe aright without it: for it is a part of our Creed to believe a communion of Saints on earth; and we cannot professe this tru­ly, without love, which is one of the two uniting gra­ces. Fides & Charitas. And to this the Apo­stle exhorts us 4. Ephes. the last, Be ye kind (says he) one to another, and tender-hear­ted, [...]. or well-bowell'd (as the word signifies) i. e. as tender in affection, as we would be to our own▪ bowels, which are our most inward and tender parts: and in order to this he tells them be­fore, that all wrath and clamour, and evil-speaking vers. 31. must be put away from us, with all malice.

It was this which was the charge that our Saviour left with his Disciples in his last will and testa­ment, [Page 142] before his departure out of this world: Little Ioh. 13. 34. children, as I have loved you, so do also ye love one another. And by this cognizance he would have them known when he was gone, ver. 35. By this shall men know ye Hoc ipsum Christi praece­ptum ut alterutrum dili­gamus, Joannes quinquies prius ipsissimis verbis in duabus epistolis inculca­rat; ut 1 Joh. 3. ver. 11. & 23. Itidem 1 Joh. 4. ver. 7. & 11. 2. Epist. Joh. ver. 5. are my disciples, if ye love one another. Yea, it was this which was the standing Ser­mon of S. John the beloved disciple and ultimus Evan­gelistarum to his auditours, in his age and weaknesse; Little children, love one an­other. And being asked why he inculcated it so oft unto them, his answer was this, Hieron. in comment. ad Epist. Joannis. Quia praeceptum Domini est, & si hoc fiat, sufficit; because Christ commanded it, and thought it command e­nough, as being the breviate both of the law and gospel. And Athanasius notes it, That this might be the reason why our Savi­our dyed not after the man­ner Misso carnifice decollavit Joann [...]m Baptistam He­rodes in carcere. Mat. 14. 10. Doroth. in Sy­nopsi. that John did, with his head cut off, nor yet was cut asunder, as Isaias was; that so even in death he might keep his body undivided: by Athanas. de Incarnat. verbi. which no occasion might be taken for the dividing of his Church, which is his mysticall body. And had we ey'd this in our differences of late, we should not have had with Jerusalem such cause of complaining as we have, that the Lord hath dash'd us one a­gainst another, and his anger hath divided us; or else with trees in the Apologue, Aesop. Fab. that we are cleft asunder with wedg­es [Page 143] taken out of our own bodies. For behold (sayes Amos 6. 1 [...] ▪ the Prophet Amos) the Lord hath smote the great house with breaches, and the little house with elefts. Yea, and so wide are those breaches and clefts now grown among us, as that there is little or no hope at all to see them closed again; but rather much fear that e're long they will swallow us up, as the earth did Corah and his rebellious rout, unlesse by faith Numb. 16. and repentance we get into the clefts of the rock, into the wounds of our Saviour, there to be secured, untill this storm of Gods indignation be over-past.

And now, as Del Rio a learned Spaniard said of his countrymens opi­nions Benedictus Deus, quod unus adhuc in Hispania populus sumus! In bis 153. Sacr. Adag. V. Te­stam. parte prims. and affections to the Popish Religion, Blessed be God that we are yet in Spain an undivided people! so do I wish I could say the like of our selves in this Nations, as to the truth of our Reformed Religion, Blessed be God, that we are yet therein unus in Anglia populus, a people at unity in England, and undivided!

But alas! I cannot: for we have been so indeed; but how sad and unhappy Quam missrum est dixisse (fuimus) & non (sumus!) is it to say, that we have been so for the time past, and not to say, that we are so for the present! which gives me rather occasion of bewailing the generall want of unity now among us. Devout Bernard bewail'd itmuch in his time: De modo vivendi Ser. 41. Ecce (says he) sumus in do­mo una diver si homines, diversa corda, diversae a­nimae! See (says he) how many severall men we are in one house, and every one of us of diverse minds, of diverse hearts! And have not we cause to take up also the same complaint in these dayes? [Page 144] We have doubtlesse. And not onely cause of com­plaint against the want of unity, but also against the want of any care and endeavour after it. That although the blessed Apostle will have us study to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, Ephes. 4. 3. yet is it with [...] some now-a-dayes a great Maxima pars studiorum est studere partes. part of their studies to study parts-taking and division. For ye have seen the breaches of Sion (says the prophet) that they are many, Isai. 22. 9. Therefore in that day did the Lord call the Jews to weeping and mourning, verse 12. not only to weeping with the eye, but also to mourning with the heart. And so have we seen the sad breaches of this our Sion, that they are many, and therefore have great rea­son to weep bitterly for them. Yea S. Austin thinks it strange we should not; and says withall, That the agreement of the very Heathen in their supersti­tion should move us to it. Aug. de utilitate jejunii. Ecce Pagani (says he) mul­tos Deos indivisi colunt; See (says he) how the Pa­gans are undivided in the service and false-worship of their many Gods: and shall we worship the on­ly true God, and yet not be sub uno in unitate, at unity under that one true God? Et tu non doles Christiane, tu non gemis? and dost not thou, O Christian, grieve and sigh for this?

Or if this come not home enough to us, let me add here what one of our own Mr. Ley of Budworth. says, in his notes upon that passage of Scripture in the tenth chapter of Genesis verse 25. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his dayes was the earth divided: where he seems to be so much troubled for our want of unity, as that he makes this stand by the way to vent his grief. ‘A­las! [Page 145] How great cause (says he) have we to call the children that are born in these dayes by the name of Peleg or division! For how are we divided, not in tongues alone (as at Babell) but in heads, hearts and hands! and not onely so, but subdi­vided too, and snipt Ʋt Titus Quintius apud Livi­um: Qui finis erit discordia­rum? Ecquando unam urbem; so, ecquando unam Angliam, unam­que Angliae Ecclesiam babere li­cebit? into many Schisms! Oh when shall it once be, that the ma­nifold ruptures of our sacred peace shall be made up a­gain!’

It is true that there have been breaches among Christians in all times: as at Rom: (you know there were in the Apostles dayes; where the heat was not onely inter ignes minores, among the lesser stars, but among those that were primae magnitudinis of the first magnitude, as between Paul and Barna­bas, Acts 15. 39 between whom there was [...] a sharp contention, a sharp fit, which, like the fit of an a­gue, put the Church into a great shaking for a time.

So also in after-times we read in the ecclesiasti­call history of the Church, that there was a hot con­tention between the Greek Euseb. eccles. hist. lib. 5. c. 22. & 23. and Latine, between the Eastern & Western church­es, about the celebration of Easter: which contest held off and on for the space of 200 years toge­ther, Praefa [...] ad Harm. con­fessionum. and proceeded so far as to the excommunication of each other.

And of late dayes, since The Lutherans rail as bitterly against the Calvi­nists as ever, not forbear­ing to profess openly, That they will return rather to the papacy, then ever ad­mit their sacramentary pestilence▪ Sr. Edw. Sands in Relig. of the W. parts, pag. 63. Prolaeus l. 1. fascicul. q. 7. the Reformation, we are not ignorant of the viru­lent [Page 146] invectives of the Lu­therans and Calvinists one against another about the presence of Christ in the Sa­crament; as if the coate of Christ were not onely of different colours, but also of different seames; but espe­cially on the Lutheran part, insomuch that one of them hath not stuck to pray thus, A fraternitate Calvinistarum libera nos Domine, from the bro­therhood of the Calvinists Lord deliver us.

Thus have the children of God been divided in all ages. But yet either their differences have been a­bout Scholasticall niceties, or else in things circum­stantiall, and indifferent, or in Churches newly planted, as here in the Church of the Romans, or else in Churches differing one from another by se­verall forms of Ecclesiasticall polity.

But for Protestants so called, of one and the same nation, and of one and the same visible Church, (that hath been now planted among us 100. years and more, and since wa­tered Cranmer, Ridly, Taylor, Iuell, Raynolds, Whitaker, Andrews, Perkins, Dave­nant, Ʋsher, &c. with the bloud of so many Martyrs, with the writings and Sermons of so many pious and learned Divines, as that we were herein the boasting, or ra­ther the envy of our neighbouring nations) for these, yea multitudes of these Thus Dr. Barnard tells us of Arch-B. usher (one of singular lear­ning and piety in our Church) That he did, a little before his death, much lament the disjoin­tings of affections of men, one a­gainst another, by their severall opinions in religion, both in op­position to the Ministry and sa­craments. In his funerall Serm. pag. 90. to divide so far, as to the questioning, if not denying, both our Baptisme, which is the door to let them into the Church, as [Page 147] likewise our Ministry, which opened that door unto them, and preserves them in it; Oh this is sad indeed.

Well then might the poet call us a Et penit ut t [...] ­to divisos or­be Britannos. Virgil. people by our selves, and divided from others; for (sure) in division we are like no body else, nor will any be like us. Gregory Nazianzen speaking of Nazianz. O­rat. 14. divisions at Constantinople in his time; as that a liberty of all things was granted to all men, and that he was to day a Ju­das who was yesterday an Elias; and all this to be done [...], in such a city as Constanti­nople, which was the glory of the Eastern Empire; [...] (sayes he) [...], for these things I weep. And can we see so many Double-minded men. Iam. 1. 8. [...] (to use S. James his expressi­on) who, like travellers, coming to a bivium, to a place where two wayes of gods wor­ship meet, are at a stand presently, and neither know, nor resolve which of the two to take; or else can we hear that call'd heresy to day, which was Ortho­dox yesterday; and that [...], in such a nation as England is, which hath hitherto been accounted Antistita Veritatis the prime defendresse of the truth, and reformed religion; and yet be never affe­cted with it? [...], for these things ought our eyes to weep, and our soules to mourn in secret; to For every one to publish what he thinks in matter of religion, and to gather disciples to what he pub­lisheth, thi [...] liberty, or li­centiousnesse rather, is the bane of all religion. B. H. in his Peace-maker, Sect. 7. see how many are (as it were) Pelagians in this particular, by affecting free­will in opinion: as if novel­ty and truth were all one [Page 148] now-a-dayes; and whatever some apprehend for truth, were free to be vented by them, though to the ensnaring of the weak consci­ences of their brethren, without any respect at all to unity in religion.

There goes a fable of fire, water, wind, and truth, how they travell'd together: and at their parting, it being their joynt desire to know where they should find one another again, the fire told them, that they should be sure to find him again in a flint; the wa­ter said that she should be found at the root of a bul-rush; the wind, that they should find him in an aspen leaf; but when truth came to speak, she told them, that she knew not where they should find her, for she had no house to put her head in, no place whereon to set down her rest.

Now to apply this is easy enough: Mr. Sedgwick doth it for me in a late His sermon entitled, Christs counsell to his languishing Church. printed Sermon of his: One week (sayes he) this is a truth, and cry'd up almost to an article; and the next there is no such matter, but another thing is in the right. And it is cast (sayes Baxt. Sis rest, part. 1. pag. 119. another) as a just reproch upon us, that we professe our religion with reserves, and resolvedly settle upon al­most nothing; that we are to day of one opinion, and within a day, week, moneth, or year, of ano­ther. Again, (sayes another) I must herein accuse those of Relig. Med. Sect. 25. mine own Religion; for there is not any of such a fugitive faith, that transform themselves into severall shapes of Christianity, as we do.

[Page 149] ‘Alas, poor truth! whither art thou going, or where shall we seek thee, o [...] seeking, where shall we find thee? For what? Num Ovid. Met. lib. 1. terras, Astraea, relinquis? art thou leaving the earth, and going back again to heaven from whence thou camest? There, there indeed mercy and truth shall meet together, righ­teousnesse and peace shall kisse each other; and when we are come thither, there we shall be sure to have a full enjoyment of thee in him who is essentiall truth. But stay, oh stay thou heavenly passenger; why goest thou away so fast? Though parents, friends, and all earthly comforts leave us, yet do not thou, but let peace and truth be in our dayes, and in the dayes of our children, even untill Shiloh come again. Yet indeed we are so far happy, as to call our selves by thy name, and to wear thy badge and livery; but to do so long we cannot think, since we slight thee every day more and more, and are willing to court every phan­tasme instead of thee: for which thou mayest just­ly leave us to that sad complaint which Phinehas wife made when the ark of God was taken, The 1 Sam. 4. last. Glory, the glory is departed from Israel.’

Q. But from whence (you'I say) arises such dis­unity among us?

R. To which I answer; Either from Pride, An­ger, or Impatience.

1. From pride; when like Narcissus we fall in love with our own shadows, and with the Pharisee Luk. 18. 11 contemn our brethren, though never so regular, with a non ut caeteri, nec ut hic publicanus, we are not as other men are, nor as this slight publican.

The belly is one part of the body, and a principall With this Apologue Me­nenius Agrippa pacified the Commons of Rome, whenas they rose up a­gainst the Senatours. Liv. l. 2. dec. 1. & Quintil. Instit. lib. 1. cap. 11. one too; yet if the other parts [Page 150] shall out of pride conspire a­gainst her, and deny her food, because (to their think­ing) she lives more idlely then the rest, what will they gain in the end by it, but onely wasting and destruction to themselves?

It is pride then that makes a rent in the naturall body, yea and in the body of the Church also. To this end is that passage of S. [...], &c. G. Nazianz. orat. 1. propace. Paul 1 Cor. 12. verse 21. where he says, that the eye must not despise the hand, by saying out of pride and singularity, I have no need of thee, nor the hand to the foot, I have no need of thee. And one reason there given is, because this will make a rent in the body; whereas God hath so well temper'd the body together, that there may be no schi [...]me in the body, vers. 25. but that the mem­bers should have the same care one for another, since the hurt and welfare of any one member reflects upon every one, because they all joyntly consider'd make up but one and the same entire body.

Now the word [...] there us'd by the Apostle is not found (as one notes) in any Leigh. Crit. Sacr. profane authour, nor yet in any Greek versions of the Old Testament; onely in the Mat. 9. 16. Mark 2. 21. Ioh. 7. 43. Ioh. 9. 16. Ioh. 10. 19. 1 Cor. 1. 10. 1 Cor. 11. 18 1 Cor. 12. 25 New it is used eight severall times: but as for the thing signified by it, which is the cutting our selves off from the unity of the Church, which is the mysticall body of Christ, both in opinion and practice, it is hard to say how many thousand times this hath been done by men of arrogant and presumptuous spi­rits.

[Page 151]And here take these few instances instead of many.

1. What made Simon Magus, [...] Euseb. hist. l. 2. c. 13. the ring-leader and Patriark of all others hereticks, affirm so blas­phemously of himself, that he was the father and the son in the Trinity▪ and his harlot Iren. l. 1. cap. 20. Helena the holy Ghost, but onely pride? for the Text says, He gave out that he was Acts 8. 9. [...], some great one.

2. What made Diotrephes cast out of the Church those that would have been fellow-helpers to the truth, and prate so much against S. Iohn with mali­cious words, but only because he was proud, and 3 Ep. v. [...] loved the preeminence?

3. What made Nova­tus Vixit Acesius Novatus tempore Decii, circa an­num Christi 251. primo Presbyter Carthaginiensis. Cyprian calls him, Im­portunum Innov [...]torem, & poenitentiae interfe­ctorem, in epist. fall off from the rest of the Church, in not recei­ving into the bosom of the Church, but denying all means of recovery after ba­ptisme, to them that had lapsed their faith in those times of persecution for fear of torments, though they gave afterwards never so good testimony of their true repentance and conversion. As if it were impossible for him that is once shipwrack't, to find any Tabula post naufragium, any plank of repen­tance to save himself upon, but of necessity he m [...]st perish unavoidably. The Ecclesiasticall history speaking of him, says, that he was a man blown up with pride and self-con­ceit: Superbia inflatus. Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 42. which made Constan­tine give him this tart re­proof, Go to, Acesius; make Erige tibi scalam, Acesi, ac in coelum solus ascen­de; Sozomen. lib. 1. cap. 21. a ladder, and set it up for [Page 152] thy self to go alone into hea­ven▪ And what hath been said of him, may be said al­so of Arrius, Pelagius, and multitudes more of the same gang, did I not forbear.

But to passe them by, and to instance it now in whole Churches. And here tell me, what made the Eastern Church a separatist from the Western, a­bout the Procession of the Holy Ghost onely from the father, (a point in our Christian Religion of highest concernment) but only pride? The fault (says Reverend Hooker) lying in the Hookers Eccles. polit. l. 5. p. 191. subtil wits of the Graecians, being ever proud of their new concepti­ons. Or what caused Rome, Absit ab Ecclesia Romana vigorem suum dimittere. Cyprian. epist. 31. sometimes the most eminent member of the western Church, (from whose brests Constantine le bon as well as legrand, with multi­tudes of Gods children more Idem Hooker. eccl. pol. l. 4 did such that food which nourished them to eternall O Roma à Roma quantum mutata vet [...]sta es! W. Thom. hist. of Italy. life) yet afterwards to make so manifest a declension from her primitive faith un­to Antichristian falshood, but onely pride; which then began to work, and swell her up above all that was called God, whenas Boniface the 3. arrogated to the Prelates Gregory the Great and first of that name opposed Iohn Bishop of Constanti­nople, in obtaining the name of Oecu­menicus Patriarcha from Mauritius the Emperour, saying, it was a proud t [...]le▪ yet afterward his successour gain'd [...] of Phocas that murdered Mauritius his Soveraign. Greg. l. 4. epist. 32. & Fox Martyr. pag. 120. & Buchol [...]. Chron. ad ann. Christi 609. of that See the universall rule and headship o­ver the Church of God? A title so full of pride, that his prede­cessor [Page 153] said it be­longed to none but him who was Pr [...]cursor Antichristi, the fore-runner of Anti­christ.

Whereby we see that it is pride which hath usher'd in all the heresies that have been in the world.

Indeed Knowledge unsanctify'd is as the toole or instrument to shape and fashion them, Vain-glory as the trumpet to blow them about, Ignorance as the spunge to receive and suck them in, and Obsti­nacy as the bolts and fetters to hold them fast: but as for the harbinger that goes before to make way for them, this is Pride; which makes the wise man say Prov. 16. verse 18. that pride goes before a fall; for if pride goe before, a hundred to one but a defe­ction will follow after, either from faith to God, or else from love to our brethren.

Again it is pride that is the first stick to kindle con­tention [...]ns omnis dissidii est su­perbia, dum sibi quisque tribuit, alteri minimum. Erasm. Ratio verae Theologia; pag. 130. Onely by pride comes con­tention. Prov: 13. 10. in the Church of God; so says Solomon Pro. 28. 25. He that is of a proud heart stirs up strife. Pride, that divides the seamelesse coate of Christ (as the rude souldiers did) into as many parts as there be parti­cular Ioh. 19. 23. persons: And pride still that alienates us from our brethren, and makes us of other minds from them, though they walk up never so close to the Scri­pture rule. And this is the ground of the Apostles exhortation in the 2. chap. Hence it is, that the Apo­stle will have us, Not to think of our selves more highly then we ought▪ Rom. 12. 3. to the Philippians verse 3. Let nothing be done out of strife and vain-glory, but in lowliness of mind let each [Page 154] esteem others better then Et contra hoc praeceptum (inquit Grotius) pecca­runt omnium fere Schis­matum authores. themselves. And in the 4. chap. to the Ephesians and the second verse, the Apostle there in his invitation to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, tells us of the manner how it must be done; and that is with all lowliness and meekness: for Christian unity is then at the highest, when Christian humility is at the lowest; and were many of us more humble then we are, without question we should not be, as we appear at this present, so much divided.

2. From anger: which makes Solomon say, That Pro. 29. 22. anger stirs up strife and division. For anger is as a cloud to the understanding, interposing betwixt it, and the light of Gods truth; or as the fire is to the eie, which scatters the visive beames too much.

Now here I speak not so much of a light anger, which like a bubble is as soon down as up; but of an Sic inter iram & iracun­diam distinguit Hispalen­sis, lib. 1. de verborum dif­ferentiis. anger that is settled, & con­gealed by long standing in­to malice & hatred against the persons of our brethren, and reflected (as it is usually) from their persons upon their opinions and practices. Hence it is that S. Paul exhorts his Ephe­sians, Eph. 4. 26. not to let the Sun goe down upon their wrath; and he premises this ground for it, because we are members one of another. As if he should have said, If the Sun do once but goe down upon your wrath, and your anger boile long against your brethren, this Ne diutius iram conco­quatis, Gagnaeus. will soon disunite and disso­ciate you so far, as if you were not members of the same mysticall body with Aristoteles in Politic. Sic etiam Author Distic. qui inscribitur Cato, Impedit ira animum ne possit cernere verum. them. [...], [Page 155] (says the Philisopher,) for they that are far gone with passion cannot discern the truth; no more then he that looks upon things through a red glasse, can rightly apprehend them, and in their proper colours. So that if we once look up­on Omnem inquirendae veri­tatis rationem amittit oc­cupatus affectibus: astu fertur, & velut rapido flumini obsequitur. Quin­tilian. Instit. Orator. lib. 6. cap. 3. any one through the false spectacles of anger and hatred, all that he doth then (be it never so good) will be represented unto us as under the notion of evill; and from this misapprehension, we shall be easily drawn to divide from him, or (which is more) to walk contrary to him; and this sometimes to the losse of our reason and religion too.

Thus we read of Aquila, the Hist. Magdeburg. centur. 2. ancient translatour of the Penta­teuch into Greek, that he being angry at a sentence of excommunication against him, turned to Iudaisme. Again of Lucian and Porphyry, that they In eadem Centur. were first Christians, but upon a supposed injury re­ceived from the Church, did both of them in meer spight and stomack against her turn Atheists. And one tells us of an Italian, being at deadly feud with a great rivall of Balth, Castil. de aulico. honour, how he should say, when he came to vote in the senate, that he voted against that which such a one spake: but being told that his adversary had yet spoke nothing; then (says he) a­gainst what he will speak.

And so have there Proclivis admodum lapsus est in dissensionem [...] Doctrina ipsa ve­ritatis quim veri profitentur Christiani, quum id studio ha­beat, qui odit, nequid commune ipsi sit cum adversario; ut Ara­bes, qui Heraclii, ac eorum qui sub illo merebant, odio, ab iss disc [...]sserunt religione. Arm. orat. de compon. Rel. dissidio. been such waspish spirits in all times, [Page 156] who have set them­selves both against what is professed, & to be professed by their adversaries, though never so right; as ac­counting it better to be any wayes pseudodox in opposition to them, then orthodox Christians in union with them.

But as, when Patricius was angry with John Patriarch of Alexandria, and at evening received from him this Dr. T. in vit. & mort. Christi. message, Sir, the Sun is set; the good man presently threw away his anger, and was ruled by him: So, if when we are angry with the persons of any, we shall but mind our own hearts before we goe to sleep, that the Sun is set, and that the Apostle says it must not go down upon our wrath; Eph. 4. 26. this happily will make us not onely think well of their persons, but also, in stead of crossing those wayes of God wherein they walk, embrace them our selves, or at least take no prejudice against them.

3. From impatience; when we will not forbear our brother in the smallest matters, but make every grashopper, every ceremony, circumstance, and Eccl. 12. 5. thing indifferent, to be a burden; whereas S. Paul ex­horts It is one thing to affirm Christ to be God, & ano­ther to say, It is lawfull to eate all meats: for the one I may contend to death; for the other I may not break the peace of the Church, but forbear my brother. Parr in Rom. c. 14. ver. 19. us to deal gently with a bone out of joynt, and to restore it into its place with the spirit of meeknesse, and not to break it in pieces with the spirit of bitterness. Gal. 6. 1. And hence it is, that the Apostle exhorts his Ephe­sians, [Page 157] to keep the unity of the spirit, not onely with lowlinesse of mind, but also with long-suffering, and forbearing one another in love. For the bond of unity will soon be broke, if every errour, every mis­cariage and infirmity be made a forfeiture.

And this was the cause of such heart-burnings here between the strong and weak Romans; that the strong, who were best able, were not patient towards the weak; and the weak, who had most cause, were not patient towards the strong, but con­demned them as scandalous and uncharitable.

Oh that we would then strive to close up these Ʋse of ex­hort. 1 Means. cle [...]ts that are among us with our tears!

And to help us herein, it will be good a little to cast our eies upon them. It is said of our Saviour, that he Luke 19. 41 be held the city, and wept over it: And it would do well, if we did behold the distractions both in city & country; else we shall never come to weep affectio­nately overthem. Vidi contradictionem in civitate, Psal. 55. 9. says David; and so have we also seen contradi­ctions both in city and country, the divisions of Reuben being very many. See then, O see how the Iudg. 5. 15. Church is rent in two by the struglings of her own children, and cryes out to us as in the Lamentations, Lam. 1. 12 Is it nothing to you, O all ye that passe by the way, and behold by sorrows, under which I groan as a woman in travail, and long to be delivered? The time would faile me to tell you of all the stinking heresies that are now revived, as Iudaisme, Olim damnata & sopita dogma­ta, nunc dierum suscitare cona­mur, insuper & nova addimus. Surrexerunt à mortuis multorum baereses, quae dormierant, & appa­ruerunt multis. Bern. Epist. 190. & 191. Arrianisme, Pelagi­anisme, Antinomia­nisme, Socinianisme, and the Doctrine of the Millenarys. These, with many such like, [Page 158] are the monstrous issues of our sad disunions; and we ought to look upon them as our sin, as our shame, that so our eyes may affect our hearts in mourning Lam. 3. 48. for them.

And yet this is not enough, unlesse in the next place 2. Means. we do every day contribute our prayers unto God for the sewing up of our great rents and divisions. And this was Davids practice Psal. 60. 2. Thou hast made (says he) the land to tremble, thou hast bro­ken it; oh heal the breaches of it, for it shakes.

We are much in prayer for pardon of sin, for ho­linesse, for patience under persecution, &c. and we doe well in it: but where is he among us that prayes with S. Paul here in the text, that the God of pa­tience and consolation would make us like-minded one towards another: or else in the Apostles lan­guage [...]. 4. ver. 14. to his Ephesians, that we be no more as chil­dren, toss'd to & fro with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lye in wait to deceive. Where the word that we translate ( sleight) is [...], which signifies such a sleight as false gamestersuse by cogging of dice to deceive the simple: So who prayes for poor igno­rant souls, that they be not cheated out of their reli­gion by false teachers into Socinian blasphemies, and Anabaptisticall fancies?

Whatever then we omit in order to union, let us not omit prayer; for when other meanes shall fail us, this will be sure to hold. And this made our Jewell pray so earnestly upon his death­bed, In Iuelli vita. that God would give Unitatem Ec­clesiae ac piam pacem, unity to his Church and godly peace. And our Saviour, he pray'd four John chap. 17. vers. 11, 21, 22, 23. times for it in that affectionate prayer of his for his disciples, before his departure from them, that they may be one, as he and his father were one. And the [Page 159] of prayer to this end our Apostle here knew well enough, when not being able to work his Ro­mans into union by his reasoning and argumenta­tion, he doth here by his prayers interest God in it; Now the God of peace, &c.

But yet this is not all nei­ther, 3. Means. for there is one thing Non sais est plangere vel orare, sed opus est etiam ut cur a geratur qua rati­one gravissima Ecclesia tempestas sedetur. Chry­sost. Innocentio. still behind; and this is, to have manus ad clavum, our hands to the helme, as well as oculos ad coelum, our eyes to heaven, and to endea­vour after unity, (as the A­postle exhorts his Ephesians) as well as to eye it Eph. 4. 3. in our prayers and teares. And this we must do with the utmost of our strength, care, and vigilancy: which is the reason of that expression in the Psalmes, Psal. 34. 14. Rom. 14. 19. of pursuing peace, and in the Romans, of following after it; which are taken (I suppose) from hunters, who use eagerly to pursue and follow after their prey untill they have taken it. Nay, we must Nullum Erasm. Adag. sub loco communi Conatus. non movere lapidem, leave no stone (as they say) un­turn'd, nor any meanes unassay'd to procure the Churches peace. But all this, intra sphaeram activi­tatis, within our own sphere and orbe, within our severall places and stations wherein God hath set us: for else our endeavours will not be regular, but we shall (to use S. Peters word) [...] 1 Pet. 4. 15. [...] (that is) play the Bishops in anothers di­ocese, and so doing, make a rent in the body, by in­verting that order, which the God of order hath set­led Non est Deus confusionis author, sed pacis. 1 Cor. 14. 33. there to preserve the uni­ty of it.

[Page 160]And here for a whetstone to your endeavours, do but take a little into your consideration the inesti­mable good of Unity. It being a good

1. In it self ab­solutely So the stoicks of old distinguished their good into Honestum, Iu­cundum & Utile. And the Sep­tuagint here expresses good by the word [...], which the Scripture uses in all 3. significations. 1 Pro bono honesto, Rom. 12. 17. 2 Pro jucundo, Gen. 3. 6. 3 Pro utili, 1 Cor. 7. 1. considered; whereof David speaks Psal. 133. ver. 1. Be­hold how good it is for brethren to dwell to­gether in unity!

2. As it is to us, jucundum & utile, a pleasant and profitable good; comparing it for the one to Aarons precious ointment Hinc illud Ethnici, Persu­sus liquidis urget odori­bus. Horat. lib. 1. Ode 5. verse 2. which was made up of the most fragrant and pleasing spices, whereof we read in the 30. chap. of Exod. verse 23. and 24. and for the other to the dew of Hermon, that made fruitfull the hill of Sion, in the beginning of the 3. verse: and so doth unity make the Church of God Ʋt Menenius Agrippa di­cere solebat, sio Ecclesia; se multum huic debere sententiae, Concordia res parvae crescunt. Sen. Epi. 94. fruitfull in works of piety and charity; the Church of God being much beholden to it, both for her being and well-being here on earth.

But in the close of the Psalm he goes further, and sayes, That where unity is, there hath the Lord commanded the blessing, and life for evermore. The meaning whereof may be this:

1. That God hath bestowed upon unity not only that inferior good which appertains unto this tran­sitory life, but also the Summum bonum, the highest good of all others, even eternall life, or life for ever­more called here the blessing [...], by way of [Page 161] eminency; as if that the naming of this were load­stone enough to draw us to unity, without the least respect to any other good whatsoever.

And this made that lear­ned Erat Ep. Davenantius vir apprime doctus, ac inter nostrates non postremi no­minis Theologus. Divine of ours, a little before his death, close up his pen with that golden Trea­tise, which he calls, Adpa­cem Ecclesiae Adhortatio, An Exhortation to the peace of the Church, it being as his Viaticum to eternall life, which he now enjoys.

2. That God hath laid a speciall charge and com­mand upon eternall life, to wait as a handmaid on Unity. An expression (methinks) that hath a great deal of Majestie in it: for it brings in God speaking [...] like a King, by way of command, or ra­ther [...], above any earthly King; be­cause a King on earth, though he command a thing to be done, yet may he faile in the execution of it for want of power, whereas God, (whose power is, as himself, infinite) his command and deed are all one, as in the 33. Psalm verse 9. He spake and it was done, he commanded and it stood fast. So that whe­ther we eie this life or a better, in either of them we see a sufficient attractive unto unity.

But that I may yet set off the good of unity the better, it will not be amisse to give you a clearer prospect there­of [...]. Arist. 2 Rhet. cap. 13. by the evill of Disunity, which is contrary to it; since it is a good rule, That contraries laid one by the o­ther do best appear.

And this evill of Disunity is two-fold: Either the evill of scandall, or of ruin [...]

1. The evill of Scandall.

And here I dare boldly say that no one thing hath [Page 162] cast more dirt in the face of our Religion, and harde­ned the Papists our adversaries from embracing it, then the differences and divisions that are among us: for how do they upbraid us with them, and cast them in our teeth upon all occasions?

It is an usuall saying among them, Ex uno Lu­thero quam multoe fides! How many severall faiths hath one Luther brought forth! and how many by­ways of Religion are cut out of that one they call the Reformed Religion! even Quot Confessiones, tot Re­ligiones. In Proefat. ad harm. Confessionum. as many as there be Con­fessions of severall Churches among them. Tush (say they) do you Protestants ever think to gain us to your religion, whenas you do not yet agree your selves about it? but have run ever since King Henry the eighths dayes round about in a maze of Refor­mation, and know not where to fix? Surely, if you were in the right, you would be at more certainty then you are, and not take up every day so many new Doctrines, according as they suite with the changeable fancies of particular leading men a­mong you severally biass'd. Monsieur de la Militiere in his book lately dedica­ted to C. R. It is easie (says one of them) to conclude upon the Ma­xims of the Protestants Re­formation, that they have neither Church nor Faith; for how many Sects and insects swarm among them? and let there be with them what difference there will, they still agree in nothing more then in their indifferency.

Lactantius says of Arcesilas, that he having con­sidered the many contradictions among the Philo­sophers, was drawn from it to slight them all: and so hath there been of late many a one drawn to slight, (which is more) to renounce their former [Page 163] Communion with our Church, meerly upon the con­sideration of those contradictions and differences among them who professe themselves to be her chil­dren; and among the rest (to name no more) Hugh PaulindeCressy, who Erat nuper nonimi apud nos subsell [...]i, sed Decanus de Laghlin in Hibernia, & Pioebendarius e windsor in Anglia. makes our aversion from u­nity, one motive of his con­version to Popery; adding also touching the French Churches, That whatsoever union among themselves in the Protestant religion they boast of, they owe it entirely to the Civill power there: for world, that allow them but the liberty, they would soon fall into In his exomologesis cap. 14. num. 4. as many divisions as any of their brethren.

Thus doth the cause of God suffer diminution e­very day by our discords, which proclaim it too much to the world, that either the Religion we profess ac­cuseth our errours, or else that we professours accuse our Religion, and are our selves either without Christ, Caussin in his book entit­led, The Angel Peace. or else Christ without peace and unity. Even Heathen and Insidels have alwayes upon this account kept off from Christianity: for Chrysostome observed as much of his times, speaking of the Gentiles, A Heathen Venit Gentilis, & dicit, vellem fieri Christianus, sed nescio cui adhoeream. Multoe inter vos pugnoe, divisiones mulioe. Singu'i dicunt, ego verum dico. In Act. Apost. Homil. 33. Et in 1. cap. ad Galat. comes (sayes he) and says, Fain would I become a Christian, but to whom a­mong them I should adhere for truth I do not know; for I see many differences and divisions among you, and every party says, that they onely have the truth. [Page 164] And the like also may be said of these times; a Papist comes, and says thus, Fain would I be of the Re­formed Religion, but I see that there is much siding in it, and which side I should be on to gain the truth I do not know; for I hear how every one lays claim to it, even as the cities of Greece did to the birth of Homer: as the Lu­theran Hinc templa templis opposita fre­quentantur, ubi non modo diver­sa, sed & contraria Religionis dogmata proferuntur, u que a­deo, ut in quo pars un a proram & puppim ceritatis constituit, altera horrendam blasphemiam vocet; in gi [...]o hi pictatis apicem, illi exscerandam idololatriam ap­pellent. I. A. in Orat. says, that the Truth is on his side, but the Calvinist says, No; and what the Calvinist hugs for truth, the Anabaptist rejects, and what one says is Christs cause, the other says is An­tichrists. So hard is it to resolve Pilates question, What is Truth! Which makes us to be [...] (as Gregory Nazianzen speaks concer­ning G. Nazianz. Orat. 14. the divisions of Con­stantinople) even a laughing-stock to our enemies; who take occasion by it to clap their hands, and in­sult over us in that Hec ipsum Priamus totoque Tro­ja velit. Ovid. Epist. 1. language of Davids Psal. 35. 25 enemies, So, So, thus would we have it.

But why doe we such things? (says the same Fa­ther) why repent we not? nay, why are we not ashamed of them, if for nothing else, yet at least to silence the tongues of our adversaries, [...], who do easily fasten false crimes upon us, and strengthen themselves in evill by our differences about good?

Tacitus says, that when the Romans had hereto­fore overrun a great part of this Iland, Galgacus a [Page 165] noble Britan told his Illi discessionibus nostris clariores facti, vitium hoc in gloriam exercitus sui vertent. In vit. Agricoloe. countrymen, That it was their own divisions which turned most to the glory of the Roman army. And so may we say now, That there is no one thing the Ro­manists make more use of, to credit their supersti­tion by, then our differences in Religion; judging their own waters therefore clear, because they see ours are mudded.

Oh that our hearts then See Baxt. in his Dedic. Epist. to the Sts rest. could bleed to look upon the present state of England! to see how few places there be that are not cut into shreds, and crumbled as to dust by separations! to think how by this we have wounded the Christian name, rent the seameless coat of Christ into pieces, and broke his bones asunder, yea hardned the igno­rant, confirmed the Papists, and are become the scorn of our enemies, and the grief of our friends! And that this could never have been told in Gath, nor publish'd in the streets of Ascalon, for the 2 Sa. 1. 20. daughters of the Philistines to rejoice and triumph in!

2. The evill of Ruine, which alwayes waits on division, as the shadow on the body. The Church therefore is well resembled Navicula (id est, Ecclesia) turbatur fluctibus in pro­fundo, unda ascendit su­per naviculam cum perse­cutio venit &c. August. de verbis domini in Mat. Ser. 14. to a ship at sea, where the waves that beate against it are troubles and persecutions of all sorts, and whose leaks are divisions, through which the waters enter to swallow it up: Or else to a naturall body, which (says Grego­ry) Gregor. Moral. lib. 29. Eandem habet & simili­tudinem Seneca lib. 2. de Ira, cap. 31. as it consists in unitate [Page 166] membrorum, in the unity of its members; so doth the mysticall body of Christ the Church in unit ate fidelium, in the unity of the faith­full: which unity if it be [...]. Nazianz. 1 In­vect. once broke, all the members will be ill at ease, and the whole structure of the body (without a miracle interve­ning) be presently dissolved with it.

Thus when Sathan would have destroyed Christ, Matth. 4. 6. the means he makes use of to this end is Fallacia di­visionis, a fallacy of division, (as Logicians speak) betwixt Gods promise of Promissionem objicit, at conditionem abijcit. Pa­reus in locum. preserving him, and the con­dition annexed unto that promise, which was the walking in the wayes of God. And the same me­thod also doth Sathan (like a cunning sophister) now seem to use for our destruction, by urging the pro­mise of God unto us, and telling us, that we are his vineyard, which he hath promised to hedge about a­gainst wast and spoile; but in the mean time waving the condition, and saying not a word of walking in Gods ways, (whereof one is the way of love and Unity) that so we may have a right claim to this pro­mise of his for preserving us, the neglect whereof hath made so many scissures among us, as (without Gods great mercy) must bring swift and inevitable destruction upon us: for truth it self hath said it o­ver Mat. 12. 25. Mark 3. 24. Luc. 11. 17. and over again, in the 3. former Evangelists, that so we may the better take notice of it, that eve­ry kingdome divided against it self is brought to de­solation, and every city or house divided against it self cannot stand.

[Page 167]If then the honour of our Mixture of falshood is like allay in gold and silver, that doth embase the coin. Sr. Fr. Bac. Ess. 1. Religion be not of force e­nough to make us lay aside our differences, yet let our own safety and preservati­on be so far prevalent with us. Now every thing naturally labours to Ʋt in animalibus, cum in unum coeunt ac permanent anima cor­pusque, id animal vocatur: cum vero haec unitas utriusque separa­tione dissolvitur, interire, nec jam animal esse liquet. Boet. de Consolat. lib. 3. pros. 11. Singula, eo ipso quo unum quid sunt, idipsum sunt quod sunt, & in eo quod sunt, unione ista conser­vantur. Arm. ad initium orat. de comp. relig. dissidio. preserve its own be­ing, and the being of every thing consists in unity: For Omne quod est (sayes one excel­lently) tamdiu est quamdiu unum, (i. e.) every thing that hath a being, hath it no longer then it conti­nues one. Which makes Gregory Nazianzen say, That unity is the great preserver of all things: whereas confusion (sayes he) breeds thunder in the air, shakings in the earth, shipwrack in the sea, diseases in mens bodies, sin in their souls, dissipation in families, ru­ine in Churches and States; [...]. Greg. Nazian. Orat. 26. for all these (sayes he) are not the names of peace and unity, but of confu­sion and perturbation.

It was this that destroy'd the Eastern Church and the Greek Empire: and who knows what it may doe with us? for if the Duke of Roan be right in his censure, In his book entitled the Interests of the Stages of Christendome. That England is a great A­nimal which will never dye till it kill it self; then In hoc posit [...] est salus reip. nempe in una fide; quae ergo spes regnis esse potest, ubi quot capita tot fi­des. Del Rio Adag. Vet. Testam. 153. parte prima. may we fear much by [Page 168] our home dissensions, that she is now very nigh her end.

When some sparks of discontent began to fire be­twixt the English and the Netherlanders towards the latter end of Q. Eliza­beths reign, the state of both Cambd. in his Remains. was represented by two pitchers floting upon the water, with this motto, Si collidimur, frangimur, (i. e.) if we beat one a­gainst the other, we are broken. And such seems the state of our Church and nation at this time, like two pitchers floting upon an Adrian sea of trouble, and dashing one against the other, to the ruine and destruction of both. All other sins destroy the Church consequentially, but none so directly as division; for if building the Church be an orderly joyning of the materialls, what then (I pray) is disjoyning, but pulling it down?

We find in the Scriptures false teachers compared to dogs, as Philip. 3. 2. where there is a threefold [...] or caveat against them, Beware (sayes he) of dogs, &c. And they are so call'd,

1. Either to note their wilfull obstinacy against the truth, alwayes barking at it, as the dog doth at the moon, though he be unable to reach or hurt it.

2. Or else to note their watchfulnesse in spying out all occasions for worrying of the sheep, if they keep not within the fold. And S. Cyprian notes it of the primitive Christians, that if they had agreed bet­ter Non venissent haec fratri­bus mala, si in unum fra­ternitas esset animata. Cypr. lib. 4. Epist. 4. together, they had not been worried and persecuted so much by their bloudy ad­versaries as they were, no [...] would they have endured so great evils as they did.

[Page 169]Alas! the Papists are not any way so considera­ble to destroy the Church, Gods pillar of truth set up among us, (so the Apostle calls it) as our selves 1 Tim. 3. 15 divided; even as the sword without kills not half so many as those diseases that Plures gula quam gladius. Erasm. Adag. pag. 468. are from within, which ever are with some breach of u­nity. For diseases are either by inflammation in some vitall part, or by strife in the humours, or luxa­tion in the joynts, or breaking veines or sinews; all which speak some way or other breach of unity.

And therefore, as it was the Apophthegm of Seve­rus the Emperour, by way of advice to his sons, when Bucholc. chronol. ad an­num Christi 212. he lay a dying, Estote con­cordes & caeteros contemni­te: So say I, simus unanimes & concordes, let us all be of one mind and one heart among our selves, and then we need not fear what Papists or Ana­baptists, men or devils, can do against us; but we may slight all that oppose us without danger: for this it is that Sathan is most Bern. de modo vivendi, serm. 41. afraid of. And it is Bernards observation, that there be some good duties the devil doth not fear: as he doth not fear our fasting, quia ipse nunquam comedit, because he himself never eates; nor doth he fear The devil is therefore cal­led a roring lion 1 Pet. 5. 8. Now the Egyptians made the lions head the Hieroglyphick of watch­fulnesse, quia hoc ex ani­malibus recurvos ungues habentibus, simulatque na­tum est, cernit. Pier. Val. lib. 1. p. 2. our watching, because he watches too as well as we, and never sleeps: sed si cha­ritatem & concordiam te­nemus, hoc diabolus vehe­menter timet, but if we be in love and unity one with another, the devil is much a­fraid [Page 170] of this, quia hoc tenemus in terra quod ipse in coelo tenere noluit, because herein we hold that on earth which he would not keep in heaven, and there­fore was thrown down from Inveniat vos diabolus con­cordia armatos, quia pax vestra bellum illi. Tertul. ad Martyres. thence; which makes him ever since look upon our peace as a set war raised up by us, on purpose to destroy him and his kingdome here upon earth.

And as Sathan is afraid of our unity, so also are all his evil instruments here on earth; for it is unity that makes the Church of God terrible to her adversaries, even as an ar­my Acies bene ordinata. vulg. Lat. with banners, or as a well-order'd army (so the Isiodor. Hispal. in Cantic. cap. 6. vulgar Latin reads it) Ubi nullus locus hosti per ma­lum discordiae aperitur (as he glosses it) when we give no advantage to our adversaries by our divisi­ons. But if still Manasseh shall devoure Ephraim, Isa. 9. last. and Ephraim Manasseh, and they both be against Judah; they are then sure to be carried a way cap­tives with the other tribes. And so they were by Salmanazar king of Assyria in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which Isai lived to see. And let us look to it, lest while we bite and devoure one another, we Gal. 5. 15. be devoured one of another.

The consideration whereof should make us run to Christ our heavenly physician, and say with the pro­phet Psal. 6. 2, 3. David, Restore us, O Lord, for we are feeble and sore broken, all our bones are out of joynt, our souls also are sore troubled for it: but, Lord, how long?

Let that exhortation then of the prophet Zepha­ny Zeph. 2. 1, 2, 4. take place with us, Gather Sileant bumanarum contentionum animo­sa certamina, & incline­mus verbo Dei. August. in lib. de unitate Eccles. cap. 7. your selves together, yea, ga­ther [Page 171] your selves together, O nation not worthy to be de­sired, before the decree come forth, and the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you; when Gaza shall be forsaken and Askalon made a desolation.

Oh that the name of unity were amiable in all our eyes! and that we were but Rogers in his Presace to the 39. Articles. of Mr. Calvins mind, who said Ne decem maria, that he would not refuse to passe ten of the roughest seas, so that he might be any wayes by it instrumentall for the reconciling of the differences betwixt the Protestants. Yea, how happy were the Church of God in this nation, if that prophecy spoken of Ezek. 37. chap. and the 19. verse were now to be fulfill'd with us, namely, That God would take the stick of Ioseph, the stick of Israel, and make it into one stick with the stick of Iudah!

And let it shame us to hear the Turks Knolls Hist. Turc. call themselves Islami (i. e.) men of one mind, in their Mahometan supersti­tion; and yet we be of so many minds as men in our Protestant profession: or that the Papists, Armini­ans, Pelagians, Socinians, Antinomians and Anaba­ptists should be tied together like Sampsons foxes Iudg. 15. 5. with firebrands at their tails, In his Praf. to the Galat. (as Luther makes the com­parison) to destroy the good corn growing in the field of Christs Church; and yet we agree together so little to preserve it.

But I have said enough; and close up all with those endearing expressions of the blessed Apostle to his Philippians: If there be any consolation in Phil. 2. 1, 2. Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of [Page 172] the spirit, if any bowels of mercy; fulfill ye my joy, that ye may be like-minded, having the same loves being of one accord, of one mind.

And my earnest desire and prayer to Almighty God is that in the text;

Now the God of patience and consolation make you like-minded according to Iesus Christ, that we may with one heart and one mind glorify God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ, to whom with the holy and e­ver-blessed Spirit be all Glory both now and for ever.

Trin-uni Deo Gloria.