IN the latter end of the twelfth Chapter hee spake against Reuenge; now lest any infer [...]e, therefore not lawfull to vse the Magistrate in cases of wrong: Saint Paul seasona­bly adioynes a commandement to be subiect to Magistrates, and so, not publique but priuate Reuenge to be vnlawfull.

This first part containeth two things: first a Precept: se­condly, Reasons of obedience thereunto.

The Precept peremptorily set downe in these words; hath the Thing, Subiection: and the Persons, which are two, yeel­ding subiection, Euery soule: and to whom it is to bee yeel­ded, which are set downe, Powers: and distinguished, Higher Powers.

To begin with the Exposition of the last words first.

Powers: Not Angels (though the Greeke word [...] may be so construed elsewhere) but Magistrates, nor Ecclesiasticall Magistrates properly, but ciuill Magistrates, whose is the Sword, and to whom Tribute is due.

Ciuill Magistracie is an Ordinance of God for the punish­ment of euill doers, and for the praise of them that doe well, 1. Pet. 2.14.

He saith not, To Emperours, Kings, &c. but Powers, na­ming the Thing, not the Persons: because, though the Officer may be wicked, and in regard of his person be vnworthy of respect, yet the Office is to be honored and respected: and the Power alwayes to be obeyed.

Powers, in the plurall, For there are diuers kinds. A Mo­narchie, an Aristocratie, a Demoeratie, when one alone, when some of the best, when the people, or most part rule all things; vnder which of these soeuer wee liue, wee must bee subiect thereunto.

Higher: [...], which are, [...], in authoritie, as it is translated 1. Tim. 2.2. that is, high or excellent Authority: For there are Powers from God which are more meane, and not so general and publike, as of Fathers, Masters, &c. which are not meant in this place.

And not onely to the Supreame Magistrate, but vnto all Gouernours sent and appointed by him, as Saint Peter ex­pounds 1. Pet. 2.13.14..

Be subiect. The word signifies an orderly subiection; and implies, the reuerence of the heart, respectfull language and gesture, obedience without resisting, &c. A Subiection wil­ling, and in due manner.

Euery soule. Soule for the whole Man by a Synechdoche, he being so called from his most noble part: The Magistrate hath most power ouer the bodies of their Subiects; but Soule is named, eyther by an Hebraisme, or to shew the manner of the obedience required, that it must be ex animo, euen from the very soule.

Euery soule. No exemption of any who enioy the bene­fit of the lawes in the Common-wealth, of which they are members, vpon any pretence whatsoeuer, in regard of Ec­clesiasticall calling, or otherwise.

All which liue vnder any ciuill Gouernment, Doctr. must vnto the Gouernours yeeld obedience and subiection, Matth. 22.21. Ren­der vnto Caesar the things which are Caesars, Titus 3.1. Put them in minde to be subiect to Principalities and Powers, and to obey Magistrates, 1 Pet. 2.13, 14.

This obedience is to be limited, in things lawfull, Obser. and not contrary to the word of God.

The Magistrates in the Apostles time were enemies and Persecutors, and yet hee requires subiection to them; Ʋse 1 and Titus is charged to put the people in continuall remembrance of it: much more are wee to preach obedience to the godly and religious Magistrates.

Must Nero be obeyed, and ought not much more King Iames, a Defender of the Faith, a Nursing Father of the Church?

The Gospell doth in some sort meddle with obedience to the Ciuill Magistrate. Ʋse 2 I say in some sort, as that it is lawfull to be a Magistrate, and that he may and ought to be obeyed; For we must haue the testimony of the Word of the lawful­nesse of these things.

But to set downe lawes of ciuill businesse, of Contracts, of Successions, of Conueyance of Lands, of Pleas, of Pu­nishments, of Warre, &c. in the Common-wealth; or of the times of meeting for the seruice of God, or of reading of the Scriptures, or of Garments or Gestures to be vsed in the Ad­ministration of holy things &c. in the Church; it belongs not to the Gospell in particular, to enact; but these things are to bee directed by reason, being not contrarie to the Word.

The calling of the Physitian or Carpenter, is lawfull by the Gospell, and it requireth of them that they should deale conscionably: but what drugges, or what course of prescribing the one should vse in euery disease: or what plot, or tooles the other should vse in building, the Gospell determines not; but these are left to the iudgement of right reason: So for particulars in Church or Common-wealth.

Moses had the execution of all gouernment, both Ci­uill and Ecclesiasticall among the Israelites, and performed it in his owne person. Iethro his father in law seeing it, tells him that the thing which hee did was not good Exod. 18.17., and adui­seth him to a course much more conuenient. In giuing sen­tence, and iust determining of Suites, Moses saw more then Iethro; but in the orderly and more easie proceeding there­in both for Moses and the people, Iethro saw more then Moses by reason and experience.

Hee which readeth the Gospell as a booke of State Poli­cie, or a booke of Statutes, abuseth it: For the principall scope of the Gospell, is to reueale the will of God concer­ning Remission of sinnes by faith in Christ, and in the Ge­nerall to exhort to a righteous conuersation.

The Brownists therefore and others, are greatly to bee blamed, who absurdly deny and contemne all Canons and Constitutions concerning order, which are not in so many words set downe and commanded in the Gospell: but of this more in the next Chapter.

Here are to be reproued the Donatists, Ʋse 3 who tooke away the Authoritie of Ciuill Magistrates, expounding this place [Page 5]onely of Ecclesiasticall Gouernours, whom Saint Augustine confutes Aug. l. 1. cont. epist. Parm. c. 7..

Also the Anabaptists, and Libertines, they being so called for vrging a libertie in outward things, who deny the vse of a Magistrate, among Christians, to be lawfull, and which in the memory of our Fathers, armed the rude multitude in Germany against their Magistrates and Princes.

Also the Popish Clergie, who from the highest to the lowest of them, hold themselues not bound and subiect to the Ciuill Magistrate, but in all criminall causes appeale to their Ordinary, and are not punishable, vnlesse they bee first degraded, and so deliuered to the Secular power.

But the Apostle saith, Euery soule, and Saint Chrysostome Chrysost. in locum. expounds, If thou be an Apostle, an Euangelist, a Prophet, or whatsoeuer thou art, thou must be subiect; and, these things are commanded to all, both Priests and Monkes, and not on­ly to Seculars.

S. Bernard Ad Henric. Ep. Sen. epist. 42. also to a Bishop writeth of this matter thus: Si omnis anima, & vestra: Quis vos excepit ab vniuersitate? Si quis tentat excipere, tentat decipere: If euery soule, then yours; who excepted you from this vniuersalitie? He which attemp­teth to except you, attempteth to deceiue you.

The priests of the olde Testament were subiect to their Kings: our blessed Sauiour submitted himselfe. So Paul, Act. 25.10, 11, 12. and yet the Pope intolerably vsurpeth, and his Bishops, ouer Emperours and Kings.

The Emperours, Henry the fourth, Henry the fifth, Frede­rick the first, Otho the fourth, Frederick the second, and Con­radus his sonne, were deposed by Popes. And of the Insolencie of Bishops contrary to this precept, doe our owne Chroni­cles make mention; as of Becket against Henry the second; Longchamp against Richard the first; S. Hugh of Lincolne, Sainted for his treason against King Iohn, and Henry the third his sonne: This was that good Sir Hugh, whose day was the seuenteenth of Nouember, in whose stead the Corona­tion of Queene Elizabeth was placed, at the which the Pa­pists stormed.

The persons of all Clericks are to be subiect to the ciuill Ma­gistrate: [Page 6]Emperors, Kings, and Princes I confesse, haue en­dowed Clergy men with many Immunities long agoe; and in this land statutes haue beene made for the priuiledge of Clergy men Anni. 14. Edw. 3. c. 1. et 1. Rich. 2. c. 3., by which priuiledges they are not exempted from the bond of subiection, but from certaine taxations, or impositions of seruice: as from warfare, from watching and war­ding, and such like. For no King can make void the bond of the obedience of his subiects, no more then a father can dis­charge his sonne, or a husband his wife.

The Gospell taketh not away ciuill authority but rather sta­blisheth the same, Ʋse 4 so that a King Popish, is but halfe a king, in comparison of a king Protestant, who vnder Christ supreme­ly gouerneth ouer all persons, causes and things within his do­minions, according to the Gospell.

It is necessary for the people to vnderstand that the Go­spel constituteth not new gouernments, but commandeth to reuerence and obey them that are.

The froward peruersnesse of some, vnder a pretence of conscience refusing to submit vnto the reasonable constituti­ons of authority, hath caused the Gospell to be disgraced as a profession denying obedience to Magistrates; let all be subiect, that we may win due credit to the religion we professe.

IN these words is the first reason of the Precept: where we haue the Reason: and the Amplification.

The Reason is taken from the efficient cause, or Author, which is God: All powers are of God, set downe Negatiuely for the more force.

Those things which haue God for the Author are to be ac­knowledged: But God is the Author of all powers; of Mo­narchies, Aristocraties, Democraties, and of those which are subordinate vnto them.

They are not of Satan, as Fanaticall spirits haue affirmed; neither hath mans reason the honour of this inuention; but the very wisedome of God; whereby it appeares, that good lawes, [Page 7]and Magistracy are things diuine [...]. Callimachus..

The Amplification is from the manner, how they are of God: they are ordained of God.

Not by toleration, as sinnes and sinfull men: nor as the pu­nishments of sinne, as famine, the sword, sicknesse, wild beasts: we may pray against these and oppose them; but we must pray for the Magistrate 1 Tim. 2.1, 2. and submit to him: the Magistrate is by diuine ordination as a thing exceedingly beneficiall to the state of Mankind.

Ordained: this word implyeth two things, Inuention; and Ratification: God inuented and deuised the order, that some should gouerne, and the rest obey; and hee maintaines and vp­holds it.

Order is an apt disposition of things equall and vnequall: which to be marshalled together so as thereby they should be accomplished, made perfect and durable, must needs be a worke of Gods singular wisedome. Both the beauty and safety of the Vniuerse, or whole world, is in order: If wee consider the heauen and earth, the orbs, and spheares, the starres wandring and fixed, the elements, the faculties of mans soule, the diuers members of the body and their vse and situation, there is a most comely and vseful order. So some to be rich, some poore, some high, some low, some of one quality and aptnesse, some of another, and so to be arranged together, that they should mu­tually respect, second, and strengthen one another, must needs be from a Diuine beginning: and from hence did the Philosopher affirme that right, law, authority politicall, was nothing else but an order betweene the Citizens [...]. Arist.. So are the three States of our land, the Lords Spirituall, Temporall, and the Commons, called ordines regni, the orders of the kingdome: So Mat. 8.9.

Ordained, that is ratified, constituted, confirmed, allow­ed, commanded, or any other word which you can inuent for the being and remaining of Authority and Gouernment.

As the order and motion of the Heauens is continued by the power of God, so is Magistracy and Authority. It were impossible that so many heads should be subiect vnto One, especially if he be such a one as Nero, if God did not bring it to [Page 8]passe. For the multitude, is bellua multorū capitum, a beast of many heads, and mobile vulgus, the common people are as wauering, as the sea; so that he who rules the waues of the sea, doth ouerrule the vnstable multitude herein: Hence Dauid saith that it is God which subdueth (in order) the people vnder him Psa. 144.2. Haroded Heb. [...]. Septuag.. The Diuell is such an enemy to Magistracy; and our corrupt nature so contrary to rule and order, we being also of such diuers, and contrary dispositions; that if God should not lay Dauids people flat on the ground before him, hee could neuer rule them.

God hath appointed, Doctrine. ordained, and in excellent order established politics, and states: Pro. 8.15. By me Kings reigne; and princes decree iustice. Dan. 4.25.32. The most high ruleth in the king­dome of men, and giueth it to whomsouer he will, Iohn 19.11.

The Diuell saith, Obiect. Luke 4.6. that all the Kingdomes of the world are his, and that he bestoweth them and the power of them, as he will.

The Diuell is a lyer, Answ. and the father of lyes, therefore hee is soone answered. The order of the common wealth of the Bees is not from him: much lesse of reasonable men.

1 Pet. Obiect. 2 13. Kings and Gouernours are said to be the ordinance of man.

Of man, Answ. is not to bee vnderstood causally, but subiectiuely, because it is executed by man; or obiectiuely, because it is a­bout the society of man, or finally, because it is for the singu­lar good of man.

But some magistrates are wicked, Obiect. as Phocas who killed his Lord Mauritius and so inuaded the Empire. So the Turke, and Pope are tyrants and enemies to the Gospell: are these of God?

There are three things to be distinguished, Answ. the power, the manner of obtaining it, and the vse of it: Cons. Toletū in loc. Annot. 3. the power is of God, be he a beleeuer, or an Infidell that hath it: but the vse of it, if it bee euill, and the comming to it if it bee corrupt, is of our selues and of Satan.

The Pope if he be a Bishop, is to be obeyed where hee is a Bishop: the power is of God: But if hee attaine the chaire by bloodshed, as Damasus the first Sozom. hist. li. 6. c. 23., by compacting with the diuell, [Page 9]and doing homage to him, as Siluester the second Plat. in Sil. 2. Fasciculus temp.; by sub­tilty, as Boniface the eight; and by bribery and vnlawfull suit, as almost all of them, as histories record; this is of the Diuell.

If he be a temporall Prince, the Power is of God, and he is to be obeyed. So also of the Turke. God by these two taking vengeance on i [...]olatrous and wicked Christians.

God giues the Kingdome of Heauen onely to the Godly: but earthly kingdomes he giues as well to the wicked as to the godly. He which gaue the Empire to Augustus a sweet and gra­tious Prince, gaue it to Nero a very monster of men: he which aduanced Constantine to the Imperiall seate, who was the most worthy Emperour that euer yet the world saw: aduan­ced Iulian also a most damned Apostata. For as S. Augustine saith, Iniustū non est, &c. It is not vniust that wicked men shold receiue power ouer the world, that good mens patience shold be tryed, and euill mens wickednesse punished. By the power giuen to the diuell, Iob was tried, that he might appeare to be righteous; Peter was tempted, that he might not presume of himselfe; Paul was buffeted, that he might not be puffed vp; and Iudas was condemned that he might hang himselfe August. tom. 6.1. de na. boni aduers. Man. ca. 32..

The vse is both for Magistrates and people.

For Magistrates. Ʋse.

1 Instruction; that they remember that they are men; that they vse the authority for God, which they haue reciued from God; that they maintaine true religion, &c. that they must giue an account of their gouernment.

2 Comfort: The calling of a Magistrate is full of labour, and danger, so that the Imperiall robes haue bin accounted not worth the taking vp, for the cares which are wrapped in them: This is the condition of all, specially of Protestant Prin­ces, hauing the Diuell, and so many Iesuites and Papists daily seeking their subuersion: But good Kings and Princes may comfort themselues; for they are ordained by God, and he will protect them, as the experience of famous Queen Elizabeth, and of our most mighty and gratious Soueraigne King Iames, doe manifestly declare.

For the Subiects and people.

1 That they vse all reuerence to their Gouernours: The [Page 10] dignity of a King or Prince, is a kind of Diuinity. They dif­fer not in substance from their Subiects, but in vse, so much, that they are called gods in the Scriptures Exod. 22.28. Psal. 82.1.6..

Wee must not thinke of them, looke on them, speake of them, as of meere men, but as the Deputies, Lieutenants, Ʋicegerents, and magnificent representations of the Maiesty of Almighty God: honouring them next vnto God: and solo Deo minores: as those who are onely lesse then God: For a King, Sic omnibus maior est dum solo vero Deo minor est, is so greater then all, while he is lesse then the true God alone, as said Tertullian Tertul. ad Scapulam. paulo post initium..

Many take a wretched liberty to taxe their Gouernours; It is meat and drinke to euill Subiects to speake of the faults of their Princes [...]. Thuci [...]ydes.: but be thou ware, for it is written, Thou shalt not reuile the gods, nor curse the Ruler of the people Exod. 22.28.. Is it fit to say to a King, Thou art wicked? or to Princes, ye are vngodly? Iob. 34.18. It is not fit, but deserues seuere punishment. Feare God, and the King: Pro. 24.21. 1. Pet. 2.17.

2 That they bee obedient: Hee that hath comman­ded vs to obey our naturall parents, hath commanded vs much more to obey our Princes, who are more worthy fa­thers. Hee that forbids murther, forbids disobedience also: from which disobedience comes all disorder and confusion in Church and Commonwealth.

Many mens consciences sticke at some things comman­ded by the supreme Magistrates, whose consciences sticke not to breake the peremptory commandement of God to obey the Magistrate.

3 That they bee thankefull for their Gouernours: They are the Breath of our nostrils Lam. 4.20.. As the taking away of the breath is the death of the body, so the taking away of Gouernours is the death of the State. Dauid is called the Light of Israel 2 Sam. 21.17.. So are all good Kings to the Common­wealth, as the Sunne is to the world.

Some perhaps may thinke that to be left to our selues to doe that which is good in our owne eyes were best: But as seruants and children left to themselues will soone ruinate the family; so subiects left to themselues will soone vndoe the [Page 11]Commonwealth: The State of the Children of Israel was neuer worse, then when there was no King in Israel, but euery man did what was good in his owne eyes Judg. 21.25..

Let vs be thankfull for our good Lawes and Gouernours, and pray that God may continue them. Amen.

IN this Verse is a second reason to enforce subiection to higher powers, and it is taken from the contraries, thus, We may not resist, Therefore wee ought to be subiect: for that is to be done whose contrary is to be abhorred.

The Antecedent is proued by two arguments: the first from the quality of the fault: the second from the greatnesse of the Punishment.

The quality of the fault is, that he which resisteth powers, resisteth the ordinance of God. The punishment is great, euen Damnation.

He which resisteth: To resist, saith one Musculus in loc., is not to be subiect: and the Greeke word [...]. notes such a resisting, as when a man is contrary to the order established; and this is either by force; as rebels: or without force; as by contumacious denying of the lawfull commandement in things Ciuill or Ecclesia­sticall: or by a cunning cluding, and crafty auoiding of the Law; or by hindring iustice from due execution, by wrong information and false suggestion: For Princes often see and heare by other mens eyes and eares, and therefore seldome see and heare the truth: And by this meanes a good, and wa­ry, and wise Prince is bought and sold; the subiects abused and wronged without the knowledge, and contrary to the intention of the Prince, as Ziba abused Dauid and his ma­ster also 2 Sam. 16.1: & seq. & 19.24. & seq..

Resisteth the ordinance of God: Here is another word which is translated to resist, which signifies to stand against [...]., whe­ther it bee by force of armes, or arguments: It is a military word; and such Paul vseth, that wee may vnderstand refu­sing [Page 12]to obey, to bee a greater sinne then wee make recko­ning of.

And he which resisteth. Here is the same word with the last: the word resisteth is three times vsed, and euery time put in the present tense: but in the Greeke onely the first is in the present: the two last in the time past: as if you should render it; He that resisteth the power, hath resisted the ordi­nance of God; and he that hath resisted, shall receiue damna­tion. This is obserued by a learned man Caietane., who thereby noteth that many times when we doe not obey Magistrates, we in­tend not to resist them; but when we haue not obeyed, then it is plaine we haue resisted.

Shall receiue to himselfe damnation. He saith not, it is like, or it may so fall out; but peremptorily, He shall receiue.

Damnation. Punishment here by the hand of the Magi­strate, whose lawes he hath broken, and eternall punishment in the world to come, if he repent not.

Receiue to himselfe. They are the cause of their owne iudge­ment, and hurt themselues more then the Magistrate by their disobedience.

A grieuous punishment remaines for them which resist autho­rity: Doctr. Pro. 17.11. A cruell messenger shall bee sent against an euill man who seeketh rebellion: Pro. 24.21.22. My sonne, feare the Lord and the King, and meddle not with them that are giuen to change, or are seditious: For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruine of them both: Ecclesiastes 8.1.2.3.4.5. and 10.20.

Though we must not resist, Obser. 1 yet we must not obey vnlaw­full commands by doing them: for the power of a Prince is limited: and if it agree not with the word of God, then hath place that saying: We ought to obey God rather then men.

It was the nefarious voice of Antoninus Bassianus Cara­calla, Emperour of Rome, which hee sucked from his mo­ther, Si libet, licet: If it like mee it is lawfull. Hee murde­red his brother Geta, and requiring Papinian a famous Law­yer, to defend his fact, receiued this answer: It is easier to commit parricide then to excuse it; for which he, caused him also to be slaine. Godly Princes are contrary to Caracalla, and [Page 13] godly subiects are like to Papinian, rather choosing to dye, then to doe that which is worse then death.

The men of Calecut will doe whatsoeuer their Emperour commands, though it be to worship the diuell, as they say they doe: but we must Feare God, and the King.

Princes may not bee resisted, Obser. 2 but they may be reproued by them which haue a calling to doe it, so it bee in wisedome and humility; and so that the reproofe of the fault no wayes tend to the preiudice of their power.

It is not lawfull by any humane or diuine law reuealed, Ʋse 1 for a subiect or inferiour Magistrate to take armes against his Prince, though a wicked man.

Though Saul vniustly and tyrannically persecuted Dauid, yet he neuer lift vp his hand against him, but honoured him aliue and dead, as you may reade in his Story: of which Bucanus writes dangerously and erroneously Buca. l. com. loc. 49. de Ma­gistratu. quaest. 77..

Our blessed Sauiour would not suffer Peter to defend him with his sword against the present authority though it did vniustly.

Peter commands all seruants to bee subiect, not onely to good masters, but to the froward 1 Pet. 2.18..

Take heed how thou resistest thy Prince vpon any pre­tence, or takest part with such: and suffer not thy selfe to be deceiued by any thing thou shalt reade in any learned mans workes which may tend thereunto: and of these especially beware of a book intituled Vindiciae contra tyrannos, set forth by Stephanus Iunius Brutus, to the dishonour and disparage­ment of Kings and Princes.

Abhor Insurrections, rebellion, treason: great is the sinne, Ʋse 2 and great is the punishment: as may appeare in the punish­ment of Corah, Dathan, Abiram: of Absolon, Sheba: of the Guizes in France: of the Gowries in Scotland: of the popish Priests, and diuers Iesuited Gentlemen in England, both in Queene Elizabeths dayes, and now in the dayes of our most gratious King Iames, whom all, God the ordainer and defen­der of Kings, brought to shame and ruine for their treaso­nable practices.

The persons of Kings and Princes are sacred; The Poet [Page 14]said, and wee say, Sacred Maiesty [...]. Homer.. They are the Lords anoin­ted, and God hath a speciall care of them. Great deliuerance giueth he to his King Psal. 18.50.. It is hee that giueth saluation to Kings, that deliuereth Dauid from the hurtfull sword Psal. 144.10..

From a wonderfull escape of Titus at the view of the wals of Hierusalem, Iosephus collects, Imperatorū pericula Deum cu­rare Ioseph. bel. Iud. l. 6. ca. 2. that God takes care of Princes in their danger.

Aulus Gellius A Gellus Noct. At. l. 5. c. 9., also reports of a strange deliuerance of King Craesus: Hee being ouercome in battell, and being fol­lowed by a souldier who was ready to haue run him through not knowing he was the King; [...]. a yong man the Kings sonne being borne dumb, suddenly spake, Man kill not Craesus; wherevpon his life was saued.

Alphonsus King of Arragon would say that the liues and soules of kings were not subiect to the will of priuate men, but in security vnder the care and protection of God.

This may euidently appeare in the manifold deliuerances of that blessed Saint, our Noble Queene Elizabeth.

And of this our most gratious King Iames hath beene a pregnant example: God grant he may alwaies so be. Amen.

When the King commands, Ʋse 3 see thou obey: for if thou re­fuse, thou fightest against God himselfe resisting his ordinance, & so the Lord himselfe interprets, namely himselfe to be op­posed, when the commands of Magistrates are not obeyed See Exod. 16.8..

Pretend not conscience, Num 16.11. 1 Sam. 8.7. or religion for thy refusall: Thy conscience thou saist smites thee if thou submit to orders Ec­clesiasticall commanded: but for disobeying the Magistrate, and resisting the ordinance of God, thy conscience smites thee not. Take heed, this is the way to plucke vpon thy selfe the wrath of God, to thy condemnation.

4. For he is the Minister of God to thee for good.

THe occasion and order of this Text may be from the latter part of the second verse, but the Argument is prin­cipally to be applied to the precept in the first verse. So Chri­sostome and Caluin.

The Argument is taken from the end for which powers were ordained, which is the good of mankind, in these two branches: Reward and punishment, the sinewes of gouerment. Thus,

That which is ordained for the singular good of Man, is to be obeyed, submitted vnto, and not resisted.

But Powers or Magistrates were so ordained: For there can be nothing better then that good men should be rewar­ded, and euill men punished.

This Argument is first set downe, in these words. For Ru­lers are not a terror to good workes, but to euill: and afterward repeated to the end of the 4. verse.

Rulers. This word is so generall that it extendeth it selfe to domesticke gouernors, but here is to be vnderstood only of them which haue the power of the sword, whether they be supreme, or subordinate.

Are not a terror to good workes but to euill. We must feare God and the King: and authority languisheth where it is not feared: But yet Rulers are not, that is, ought not to be, a terrour: To good workes: workes for workers, the effect for the cause; but to ill workes, that is, workers, the Apostle so speaking, because men are to be rewarded or punished according to their workes.

Good and ill workes. Not so Theologically, as a good worke, that is done of faith of a sincere minde, and for the glory of God; & ill works contrarilie, for the Magistrate cannot iudge of this: but ciuilly good or euill, which are according or con­trary [Page 16]to the lawes diuine, humane, positiue, municipall, of Kingdomes, Cities, and Corporations, whereby the conue­nient and necessary discipline of euery State is established.

This is repeated in the words following: and the repeti­tion elegantly set forth by a Rhetoricall communication, whereby both parts are declared, first, that Rulers are not a terrour to the good. Secondly, that they are a terrour to the euill.

The first, in these words: Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? doe that which is good, and thou shalt haue praise of the same: verse 4. For he is the Minister of God to thee for good.

The second, in the words following to the end of the 4. verse.

The first hath two parts: A Question and an Answer.

The Question: Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? As if Paul called vnto him a fearefull and carefull subiect, who studied so to liue, as that he might not offend the Ruler, nor come within the dint of his sword.

The Answer: Doe that which is good, &c. Where we haue an aduice, exhortation or praecept, and the reason.

The Aduice: Doe good: that is, obey and resist not: He meaneth not the profession of Christianity, for that bred ha­tred: but such good as was so in the iudgement of the Hea­then themselues, which is a ciuill conuersation, agreeing to the lawes of the State wherein we liue.

The Reason: And thou shalt haue praise of the same. The fruit of subiection is praise: a sweet fruit, and of all excee­dingly desired, though it may be deserued but of a few.

Praise is here largely taken, as Tehillah in the Hebrew, implying not onely immunity of punishment, as a verball commendation; but a partaking of all liberties, freedomes, priuiledges, commodities of a good subiect, according to the lawes.

This is confirmed for better assurance and incourage­ment from the end why Magistrates were ordained, which is the good of man, as before: He is the Minister of God to thee for good.

He is the Minister of God. The word which is ordinarily [Page 17]giuen to Ministers of the word, is here giuen to the Ministers of the sword.

There is a great agreement betweene them: in regard of the Lord whom they serue, which is one and the same, euen the Lord Iesus; and in regard of the common end of both their Ministeries, which is the good of men.

But there is also great difference, in regard of the obiect, and the manner: The ciuill Magistrate is for the Naturall, Morall, Ciuill and Spirituall good, by the power of the sword. The Minister of the Word, is for the Spirituall good; not by Law or force, but by preaching the word, administring the Sa­craments, and execution of Ecclesiasticall discipline: vnto which also reacheth the power of the Magistrate, not to exe­cute them in his owne person, but to see them executed.

For good. What good? For naturall good, that thy life and safety may be preserued. For Morall, that thou maist bee brought from vice to vertue: Ciuill, that thou maiest safely enioy thy possessions, and that society and publike honesty may be defended and maintained: For Spirituall, establish­ing the true worship of God, as the keeper of the first Table of the Law.

To thee, euen thee which art a Christian also, who of all others, wert least in safety, if there were no Rulers nor Lawes.

Magistrates are ordained for the praise and good, Doctr. of the good and them which liue in order: Prou. 14.35. The Kings fauour is toward a wise seruant. And 16.13. Righteous lips are the de­light of Kings, and they loue him that speaketh right. 1 Pet. 2.14. Gouernours are sent for the praise of them which doe well. Of this Dauid is an example: Psal. 101.6. Mine eyes shall be vpon the faithfull in the Land, &c.

But many liue in order and doe good, Obiect. which yet receiue no praise, but vexation. How is the Magistrate then for their good?

It is thus answered by one, Anselmus in locum. Si bonus, nutritor tuus; Answ. si ma­lus, tentator tuus est; Nutrimenta libenter accipe; sic etiam ten­tationem vt aurum probere: If he be a good Magistrate he is thy nourisher; if an ill one, he is thy prouer; take thy nourish­ment [Page 18]willingly, and also thy triall, that thou mayest be pro­ued to bee gold. And thus by another Caietanus in locum,, when a man doing good is persecuted, this commeth to passe, non ex natura ope­rum, sed ex abusu potestatis. Not of the nature of the workes, but by the abuse of the power.

The Vse is for Magistrates and Subiects. Ʋse.

For Magistrates.

1. They are the Ministers of God, therefore let them take heed what they doe, for they iudge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with them in the iudgement: let them feare the Lord, and take heed; for there is no iniquity with the Lord, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts: as said King Ie­hoshaphat to his Iudges 2. Chron. 19.6.7.; as also our good Iehoshaphat to this purpose admonisheth the reuerend Iudges before the riding of their Circuits.

2. Let good Magistrates bee comforted: many troubles accompany gouernment and the due execution of Iustice, many slaundrous speeches of euill men: but Magistrates are Gods seruants, and he will beare them out, and reward them.

3. Magistrates must remember that they are aduanced for the good of subiects, not for the honour onely of their per­sons and families, nor at all that they should be licentious with­out controulment, as Nero, Tiberius, Caligula, &c. Magi­strates differ from the rest of the people, not by Impunity, but by vertue and equity: and are to respect the vtility of the peo­ple, not their lust.

It was the word of Aelius Adrianus, who succeeded Troiane in the Empire of Rome; Non mihi, sed populo, signi­fying that which he often was heard to say; Ita se Rempub­licam gesturum, vt seiret rem populi esse non suā; that is, that he would so gouerne the Commonwealth, as knowing it was the wealth of the people, not his owne.

The principall ayme of Kings, Princes, and Magistrates must be the good of them which obey them, and therefore they are called Benefactors [...]. Luke 22.25.: and indeed a good King or Ma­gistrate is a Benefactor, and mans greatest friend vpon earth [...]..

Now the Magistrate procureth the good of subiects three wayes.

1. By establishing and maintaining true Religion: A State without the true Religion, is like a City without wals, or a house without a foundation; and stories record, infinit euils to haue betide Kingdomes for the neglect of true Religion. Kings are to be nursing Fathers of the Church and of Reli­gion. Such of old were Dauid, Ezechias, Iosias, Constantine, Theodosius; such of late was our famous Elizabeth, such a one now is (blessed be our God) our most Noble King Iames, the tenderest Father of the true Church, and the greatest defender of the faith vpon earth.

2. By hearing the cries of the poore, receiuing their pe­titions, and redressing their wrongs: So did Dauid, so did Salomon, so doth King Iames: I thinke neuer any King more, neuer pretending want of leisure, as sometimes Anti­pater, in matters of this kind.

3. By seeing to the making of good lawes, and their exe­cution: Populi salus suprema, lex: Law is the chiefe safety of the people. But what are good lawes, if not duly executed, and without respect of persons: we haue good Lawes against drunkennesse, and yet for want of due execution, through the negligence doubtlesse of inferiour magistrates, it daily encreaseth to the great damage of the Commonwealth.

The not executing of good lawes vprightly, is an intole­rable iniury to the supreme Magistrate; for from hence is many times the alienation of the subiects from their Prince. This caused many to depart from Saul to Dauid: 1. Sam. 22.2. and this was the pretended ground of Absolons rebel­lion; and this alledged as the cause of the deposition of Richard the second. Most worthy therefore are all Iudges, Iustices, and subordinate Magistrates, of most seuere punish­ment, which shall through negligence, corruption, fauour, hatred, &c. wrong the Maiesty of the supreame Magistrate, the authority of good lawes, and the safety of the common people.

As it is a damned thing for a Physitian to be corrupted to destroy his patient, whom he hath vndertaken to restore to health; so for a Iudge or Iustice, any way to peruert iustice, and not duly to execute good lawes: Cambyses caused [Page 20]such a Iudge to be slaine Herodot. l 5. Valer. Max. l 6. c. 3..

For Subiects.

1. To reuerence, loue, and pray for their Gouernours, as for the ministers of God sent for their good.

2. To obey the Lawes: vnto which here are two motiues: First, obedience bringeth praise; of thy fellow Citizens; of the Magistrate; of God. Secondly, such obedience is cal­led doing good: whom then doth it better become then such as glory to be accounted professors of the Gospell?

But in what degree a good worke? euen in the highest of the second Table, in which obedience to Magistrates is in the first place commanded; and Saint Paul wisheth Titus to put the people in remembrance that they be subiect to Magi­strates, and obedient, and ready to euery good worke Tit. 3.1.: as if there were no good workes to be expected from him that o­beieth not the Rulers: I wish such seriously and in the feare of God to consider hereof, who resist and oppose the lawes and constitutions of the Magistrate in certaine matters of order in the holy seruice; both refusing to obey, and making a sleight matter of such disobedience, though it pertaine to one of the highest transgressions of the second Table.

IN these words the Apostle, by a like figure as before, shew­eth that Magistrates are a terrour to cuill workes: as he hath shewed the Magistrate to be amiable to the good, and that they may reioyce in him; so here he maketh him terrible to the wicked, that such as will not doe well for the loue of ver­tue, may by feare of punishment be kept in awe.

Here are two things: a Proposition, He that doth ill, hath iust cause to feare: a Reason, from his power and authority, He beareth not the sword in vaine: and this is set forth by the Author of his power, which is God: Hee is the Minister of God: and by the end wherefore he receiueth such power in re­gard [Page 21]of the wicked; To execute vengeance or wrath vpon him that doth euill.

If thou doe that which is euill: Morall euill, or Ciuill, con­trary to the Decalogue, or particular positiue lawes and Canons of the Church or Commonwealth, or place where thou liuest; which Lawes and Canons to be the same in all places and Countries is not necessary.

He beareth not the sword in vaine. There is a twofold sword; of the Word, in the mouth of the Minister, by admonition, suspension, excommunication; and of iustice, in the hand of the Magistrate, which is here meant; and here are two fi­gures: 1. a Metonymie of the signe for the thing signified; the sword for authority: Then a Synechdoche; one kind for all coactiue power.

He beareth. According to the fashions of Princes, who haue certaine Officers going before them carrying the En­signes of their power. Thus the Romanes had certaine Bun­dels of rods, and axes, carried before their Magistrates, by 12. Sergeants: and the Kings of England, Scepters, and a Sword.

In vaine. He carries not the sword for fashion or for a shew, but as hauing power of life and death: He may reproue with words, and he hath power also to strike with the sword: Dau. 5.19. Ʋana sine viribus ira: Authority were but an idle name, if it were not inuested with the power of the sword.

He is the Minister of God: as before.

A reuenger to execute wrath, &c. Ʋengeance is proper to God, and by God communicated to Magistrates, who other­wise had no power to reuenge; neither may inferiours exe­cute priuate reuenge.

Wrath. The wrath of God: or punishment; so called, sig­nifying all manner of castigation, as mulcts, sines, imprison­ment, banishment, proscription, death, &c.

The Magistrate is appointed for the punishment of them which doe euill: Gen. 9.6. Who so sheddeth mans blood, Doctr. by man shall his blood be shed. By this Scripture the power of the sword is con­firmed to the Magistrate. So Exod. 21.14 and S. Peter affir­meth that Magistrates are sent for the punishment of euill doers: 1. Pet. 2.14.

May the Magistrate pardon, Quest. a malefactor deseruing to die by the law of God, and conuicted?

The Supreme Magistrate may, Answ. and also encrease or dimi­nish punishments according to circumstances, if it be more for the good of the Common-wealth, and no fraud to God or good men: So Dauid aggrauated the punishment of theft by his sentence vpon a rich man, which should haue stolne the only sheepe of his poore neighbour 2. S [...]m. 12.56..

Also he forbore Ioab, that wilfully murdred two famous men, Abner and Amasa; for he was a valiant man, in great account with the people, and there was great need of him. But Salomon executed Ioab, and in the flower of his wisdome, vpon good reason pardoned Abiathar the Priest, a man worthy of death 1. King. 1.26..

Warre, Vse 1 a cruell thing I confesse, yet lawfull and necessary sometimes by this place: as he may draw his sword against a priuate troubler of the Common-wealth, so against a publike, whatsoeuer Erasmus saith to the contrary Erasm. Adag. Chil. 4. Cent. 1. Adag. 1..

The Saints by Faith subdued kingdomes, and turned to flight the armies of aliens, Hebr. 11.33.34.

When the Souldiers demanded of Iohn, what they should doe: If he had misliked warre, he would haue bid them to hurle away their swords, rather then bid them be content with their wages, as Saint Augustine hath obserued Aug. epist. 5. Marcel. [...] di­rissime. to 6. l. 22 contra Fanst [...]m, cap. 74.. So that warre is lawfull; and if the King command, lawfull for the subiect to draw his sword, but not without his authority.

It is the duty of Magistrates to punish offenders. Clemen­cie is most commendable in Princes. Vse 2 Nero in the beginning of his Empire, when he was requested to set his hand to the execution of an offender, would say, vtinam nescirem literas, I would I could not write, which procured him great loue a­mong the people.

And Theodosius the yonger being asked, why hee neuer executed such as iniuried him; answered, I would to God it lay in me to reuiue them which be dead Secrat. Schol. Eccles. hist. l. 7. 5. p. 22., A princely voice.

Yet seuerity is necessary, and God requires that wicked men should be punished. Impunity is a great entisement to sinne.

It is true which the Orator Aeschines. [...]. said, There is no profit of that Gouernment which hath not instruments of punish­ment for wicked men.

It is profitable for the Common-wealth, for the safetie of the Good, who are in some sort wronged, when wicked men are spared. The Physitian purgeth our bodies of peccant hu­mours, and the Soueraigne Magistrate is the Royall Physitian of the State. A wise King (saith a wise King Prou. 20.26.) scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheele ouer them.

Also for the amendment of the bad, who are punished euen for this also, that others may be warned by their example: If they will not amend, let them be made Triacle, to expell the poyson of sinne out of others.

The execution of Iustice in this kinde, is like Thunder, which striketh few, but feareth many Poena ad pau­cos, metus ad om­nes.. Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware, Prou. 19.25. So God will haue the enti­ser to Idolatry Deut. 13.11., the false witnesse Deut. 19.20., and the incorrigible sonne Deut. 21.21., to be seuerely punished for a warning and example to others.

Magistrates are not to bee a terror to the good, but to the euill: Dat veniam coruis, vexat censura columbas, is a foule mistaking of the marke: They must diligently examine mat­ters, that they may pronounce right iudgement; neither must they proceed for fauour or affection, for they iudge not for man, but for the Lord, as said a iust King 2 Chro. 59.6..

It is reported of Artaxerxes long-hand Emperour of Per­sia J. Lypsii mo­nitorum & ex­emplorum polit. l. 2 cap. 9., that when his fauourite Satibarzanes sued for an vniust thing, being drawne thereunto by the promise of a great summe of money; the Emperour commanded his Treasurer to bring so much money, and gaue it to his fauourite: Hold thee, saith hee, though I giue thee this, I shall be neuer the poorer, but if I grant thy suite, I shall be much the vniuster.

We are to praise God for our Gouernours, and good lawes, Vse 4 without which no man should trauell in safetie, nor keepe his owne house: also to pray for the Magistrates, that they may be all of them louers of Religion, Iustice, Vertue: for accor­ding to their example, are the Commons for the most part fashioned. In the time of Iulius Caesar, souldiers; of Augustus, schollers; of Nero, Poets and Stage-players flourished, because [Page 24] these great ones were such: As certaine flowers moue accor­ding to the motion of the Sunne, so do the common people imitate the liues of their Superiours.

IN this verse is the Conclusion of the former Precept and Reasons; the Apostle peremptorily determining Subiecti­on to Magistrates.

There are two parts: First, The duty commanded, Sub­iection: Secondly, The reason, which is double: First, be­cause of Wrath: Secondly, for Conscience sake.

Both these are generally amplified, and particularly.

Generally, in this terme of illation, Wherefore, that is in ef­fect: these things being so, that Magistrates are of God, that they are his ordinance, for the good of mankind, and armed with the Sword, then Subiection is due both for wrath, and al­so for conscience.

The particular Amplification, is the manner of enuncia­ting and deliuering, both the dutie and the Reasons.

The duty is not plainly deliuered, Be subiect, but yee must, and more, yee must needs be subiect. There is a necessity of sub­iection.

The Reasons are deliuered by comparison, not simply: for wrath; but not for wrath onely; but also, and much more for conscience.

The wisedome and care of the Apostle here appeareth, that handling a matter so weightie, leaueth it not rawly, but endeauoureth so forcibly to speake, that all men may take knowledge hereof, and be perswaded.

Yee must needs. Things are necessary or indifferent. Things necessary to be done, are such as are commanded in the Word: necessary not to be done, such as are there forbidden: indifferent, such as are neither forbidden nor commanded.

Things necessary bind the conscience, because they are Morall; Things indifferent both in nature and vse also, bind not the conscience, but in case of scandall.

Be subiect, to Magistrates, to their Lawes, Statutes, De­crees, Edicts, Orders, Constitutions, &c.

For wrath: of God, for God is angry with all such, who resist authoritie; and of the Magistrate, whom wee prouoke by our disobedience, and who may iustly punish vs.

Not only for wrath, but also for conscience. If wrath make vs subiect, much more ought conscience; and if a man could hide from the Magistrate his breach of the Law, yet consci­ence must with-hold him from transgression.

For conscience: of the brother: for it is an offence to a peaceable and loyall subiect, that any should take libertie to breake the lawes of the Magistrate: The argument is forcible if we so vnderstand it: But better for thine owne conscience, as the Syrian Translator expresseth.

Conscience is a facultie of the soule, taking notice of all things passing in our whole life, and determining thereof, either accusing or excusing before God. Caluine calleth it the Sense of the diuine Iudgement Sensus Iudicii diuini. Caluin. Instit: lib. 4. cap. 10. sect. 3.. For conscience, that is, lest by not obeying the Magistrate, thou wound thine owne conscience, in sinning against God: for if conscience be offen­ded, then is God offended, who is the Lord of Conscience.

Euery soule is bound in conscience to be subiect to Magistrates. Doctr.

This is proued by the fift Commandement, Honor thy fa­ther, &c. Euery part of the Morall law bindes the conscience: But to obey the Magistrate is a part: Therefore, &c.

Matth. 22.21. Render to Caesar the things which are Caesars: we are bound to deale iustly, and to render to all their due.

Ecclesiastes 8.2. Keepe the Kings commandement, in regard of the oath of God. Both the oath which thou hast solemnely made to God in thy Baptisme, to keep his lawes, and the oath of Allegiance which thou hast by the name of God taken to obey thy Prince. An oath binds conscience; but thou hast sworn: God hath bound thee to obey, and thou hast bound thy selfe.

Saul sought Dauids life, then Dauid hauing him at an ad­uantage, only cut off the skirt of his garment; no great mat­ter one would thinke, yet it was his Soueraigne; and after­ward his conscience was troubled, and his heart smote him, euen for that, 1. Sam. 24.5.

Doe the Lawes and Constitutions of Magistrates, Quest. Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall, bind the conscience?

It is the prerogatiue of Gods Law to bind conscience: Answ. and Princes lawes bind, but not by their owne power, but by ver­tue of the law of God.

Nebridius exceedingly hated, de quaestione magna, responsio­nem breuem August. refert, Epist. 23. ad Bo­nifacium, non procul à fine., a short answer to a weightie question: a word or two more therefore hereof, to make it plaine.

It is therefore to be vnderstood, that Magistrates are in­uested with a power from God, to make Lawes and Consti­tutions, Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall: and these determining (not the substance, but) the circumstances of Gods worship, as, what garments, what gesture, what times of meeting, &c. to be vsed in the holy seruice, for comlinesse and order.

This is only questioned; but it may thus appeare.

The Magistrate is the Minister of God for thy good, as be­fore, verse 4. But a great part of this good, is in comely maner of worshipping God. The very Heathen Philosophers saw by Naturall reason, that the end and care of the Magistrate, is, [...] Arist. Ethic. lib. 1. ca. 9. & 13., to make his subiects vertuous, and practisers of things good and honest.

This is grounded vpon Deut. 17.19.20. The King must heare and reade, and study the lawes and statutes of God, to keepe and doe them; as hee is a man, in his owne obedience, and as he is a Magistrate, to see others obey them, punishing the breach of the first Table, as well as of the second, and ma­king laws for the comely worship of God, as wel as for the pre­seruation of Iustice and honestie amongst men, otherwise, how doth he keepe all the words of the Law?

This is confirmed by the examples of all godly Princes, as of Moses, Dauid, Salomon, Asa, Iehosaphat, Hezechias, Io­sias, and since the comming of Christ, of Constantine, Theo­dosius, Martianus, Leo, &c.

Saint Augustine more then once August. Bonif. comiti, ep. 50. & praecip. tom. 7. contra epist. Par­meniani, l. 1. c. 7. commends an Imperi­all law against the Donatists and Schismaticks, which was, that they which separated from the Church, and held priuat conuenticles, should bee punished with pecuniary mulcts; [Page 27]their Leaders with banishment, and the place of their mee­tings to be forfeited to the Emperour.

Also that they should haue no power to bestow their goods by will, nor to enioy any legacy bequeathed to them: and he instanceth in a certaine Noble man, who recouered a legacie from certaine Donatists, specially from one Augu­stinus, a Bishop of that side, giuen to them by his Sister.

Indeed the Papists would engrosse all this power Eccle­siasticall to the Pope. And the Donatists Aug. tom. 7. lib. 2. cont. epist. Gaudentii, cap. 16.17. in Saint Augu­stines dayes, would be left to themselues, and not to bee vn­der the power of the Magistrate, in matters Ecclesiasticall, as to be compelled to the outward seruice of God. This way runne the Brownists also, who would haue the King to bee but as one of the company, and to be subiect to their vnwarran­ted Lay Elders.

These things then thus premised, the Answer is, that all Lawes and Constitutions of the Magistrate (not repugnant to Gods word) bind the conscience, perse Caluin. Jnst. lib. 4. c. 10. sect. 5, to obedience vnder the danger of mortall sinne, in the Generall; for the Generall is Morall, which is, that we obey Magistrates; and by consequent, in particular also; because to violate orders established, to trouble the peace of the Church, and to giue offence, is morall Transgression: and the breaking of a particu­lar, inferres the breaking of the Generall.

The obligation we speake of, is not in the things comman­ded, but in the commandement of God, who bids vs in all law­full things to obey the Magistrate.

And thus things indifferent, in Nature, may become neces­sary in their vse, and binde the conscience, if the vse be deter­mined by the Magistrate, which is in his power to do, though not to alter their Nature.

Is my conscience discharged of sinne before God, Quest. for not obeying the Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill lawes of the Magistrate in things indifferent, if I willingly submit my selfe to the pu­nishment?

No: Answ. For the Magistrate in his lawes which are of things iust and profitable for humane societies, intends first the subiects obedience in doing of it.

And such lawes (which are called mixt) are confirmed with a double band: the wrath of the Magistrate, and con­science towards God. And so euery transgression of such lawes, implies a double guiltinesse; the one before the Ma­gistrate, the other before God. The first is an iniury to man; the second a sinne against God. If thou vndergoest the pu­nishment, thou art discharged of, and hast satisfied for the iniury done to man; but thou hast resisted the Magistrate in his primary intent, and broken a profitable and iust law, and so remainest vnder the imputation of sinne before God, from which no meere man can discharge thy conscience.

We may pitty such Princes, Ʋse 1 who by subiecting themselues to the Pope, are but halfe Rulers, being depriued of their authority in things Ecclesiasticall.

We must obey of conscience. Ʋse 2 How vniust censurers are many then, who are ready to taxe and reproue others for their obedience and subiection to lawes and constitutions established? if any deserue censure, they are such, as resist au­thority, refusing to be obedient.

Let vs all in the feare of God submit our selues to God and the King, Ʋse 3 according to lawes Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall.

We vse to say, must is for the King; and the King of Kings commands that we should obey authority: we must needs be subiect for conscience, saith the Spirit.

It is strange that any should dare to pretend conscience to disobey the Magistrate or the Church commanding things lawfull.

Thou saiest thou wilt not for thy conscience, and Paul saith, thou must needs for thy conscience.

When thy seruant obeyes not thy word, thou saiest, what conscience? when thou obeyest not the word of the Ma­gistrate, it may much more iustly bee said to thee, what con­science? Disobedience to lawfull authority is for want of con­science.

But thou canst not bee perswaded of the lawfulnesse of things commanded.

For answer, I desire thee well to consider these following aduertisements.

1. When Statutes are made by His royall Maiesty and the three estates of the Kingdome, the Lords spirituall, the Lords temporall, and the Commons; and when by his Maiesties Authority, Constitutions and Canons are set forth, by the reuerend and learned Bishops, with the assistance of a multi­tude of learned and godly Diuines: is it tolerable or conscio­nable that the priuate opinion of some Nouell Diuine, and in­feriour vnlettered persons should bee preferred before the Graue determinations of such Reuerend and Honourable as­semblies?

Be modest, and think not thy selfe wiser then all other men.

2. Princes are not bound to render to euery one a reason of their Lawes: a good Subiect examines not whether this or that be more conuenient, but is contented with this, This is commanded.

If in making lawes euery particular mans fancy were to be regarded, there would be no end, no order.

Submit thy selfe therefore to the present gouernment, and follow the custome of the Church wherein thou liuest in the receiued rites, which are not impious, nor vndecent in the iudgement of the best.

Be not contentious: 1. Cor. 11.15. Hoc hominum genus autho­ritate potius compescendum, quam longis disputationibus refellen­dum: Such kind of men are rather to be repressed by autho­rity, then refuted by long disputations, said a learned and moderate Diuine Pareus in c. 11. epist. 1. a. Corinth..

3. If thou doubtest of things commanded; neuer goe for resolution or counsell to them which are opposite to authority and the State, but to the peaceable: and here apply the coun­sell of Syracides, Ecclesiasticus, 37.10.11.12. Consult not in matters of obedience, with them which refuse to obey. By this haue many simple mindes beene dangerously misled. But feare thou God and the King, and meddle not with the seditious, or them which are giuen to change Pro. 24.2 [...]:.

4. Iudge charitably of the Magistrate, that he intends to gouerne according to Gods word: and interpret things commanded at the fairest. Curse not the King, no not in thy thought, saith Salomon Eccles. 10.20.. And he that stretcheth his wit to [Page 30]make the worst construction of a law, is a very lewd per­son.

5. A certaine gesture, or kinde of garment is comman­ded; thou canst not proue it vnlawfull by any testimony of Gods word: Be not inquisitiue of the lawfulnesse or vnlaw­fulnesse: Aske no question for conscience sake. This is the coun­sell of the holy Apostle in the like case, 1. Cor. 10.25. This is the way of peace and obedience: and the itching after questi­ons hath loaden many a good mind with much guilti-nesse.

6. In matters that seeme doubtfull, follow the old rule, Tenecertum, relinque incertum: Hold that which is certaine, leaue that which is vncertaine. The lawfulnesse of such a gesture, such a garment, such a rite, is vncertaine to thee, but this is certaine that thou must needs obey the Magistrate. Leaue disputing then, and obey; for wee are certaine that God hath commaunded vs to obey the Magistrates; and when they command, our vncertainty will not excuse vs either before them here, or before God at the day of Iudge­ment.

Let vs all make conscience and obey.

Obserue the power of thy conscience: if thou desirest a peaceable and quiet conscience, Ʋse 4 pollute it not with sinne; offend it not; if thou doest euill, it will torment thee and no force, no cunning, no gifts can appease the fury of it.

Lipsius cals conscience, Pietatis laciniam Lipsius politic. lib. 1. cap. 5. in Summa aut titulo., a iagge or gard of piety; but I am sure it is much more then so, and that there is no piety at all to be expected from him which re­gards not his conscience: He that feares not his conscience will not feare God; and he that puts away conscience, makes ship­wracke of faith.

THe first syllable of this Verse shewes that it depends on something going before.

M. Caluin makes it thus. The magistrate must defend the [Page 31] good, and punish the bad; but this he cannot do without meanes, therefore we must pay him tribute.

Pareus thus, for conscience sake we must pay tribute; true, but better, it is an Argument to vrge conscionable subiection: which is the meaning, of, for this cause.

Pay you tribute. This word tribute by a Synechdoche im­plies all payments and taxes whatsoeuer due from the sub­iect to the Magistrate, by what name soeuer you call them.

For they are Gods Ministers, as before verse 4. though the word here be different signifying a publike officer, yet the sense is the same, with a little increase of it by this terme.

Attending continually vpon this very thing, that is, the good of the people according to their calling from God.

The Reason in these words to vrge conscionable subie­ction, is taken from the signe of it, which is paying Tribute, or from the part to the whole, paying tribute, being a part of that conscionable subiection spoken of in the first verse: and this is shewed by the terme also.

The Reason may be thus framed.

To whom wee pay tribute of conscience, to their lawes we ought to be subiect of conscience.

But we pay tribute of conscience to Magistrates.

Therefore, &c.

The Minor is the Apostles.

The Maior is confirmed from the end of paying tribute, which is that the Magistrate may make lawes for the good of the subiects: thus,

For the making of which we pay tribute, to such lawes we are to be subiect of conscience.

But for the making of good lawes we pay tribute.

Therefore, &c.

The Minor is the Apostles, For they attend continually vp­on this very thing.

The Maior is grounded vpon common Reason: For what manner of thing were it, to offer the Magistrate tribute, and to sue for lawes, and when they are iustly enacted to refuse to obey them. God who ordained that thou shouldest maintaine the Minister that hee might preach to thee; [Page 32]ordaines thereby, that thou shouldest heare him, so of the case of the subiect toward the Magistrate.

There are then two parts of this verse: first, a duty, paying tribute. Second, a reason from the original of such tribute pay­ing, which is the Magistrates care for the common wealth, and well gouerning the people, as in our Parliaments plain­ly appeares.

Paying of tribute is an acknowledgement of our subiection to the Magistrate and his lawes. Doctr.

Mat. 17.24, 25, 26, 27. The [...] or tribute there spo­ken of, was a payment gathered for the temple and main­taining Gods worship, in testimony of Gods dominion ouer them, and the Recognition of their subiection, from a law Exod. 30.13. of all other payments, the Iewes could least dis­gest that this should be paid to the Emperour; because it was a signe of their subiection to him, which our Sauiour Christ was pleased to pay.

Pompey first conuerted that Capitation or headsiluer to the City of Rome some sixty yeeres before the Natiuity of our Sauiour.

Ester 10.1. Ahashuerus laies a tribute vpon his prouin­ces, which was a token of their subiection to him.

Luke 2.1. When Augustus Caesar was stablished in his Empire ouer all the world, hee caused by a decree that all the World should be taxed, which was a signe, that he was an abso­lute Emperor ouer all.

Here subiects are to be admonished willingly to pay tribute. Ʋse 1 We loue no paiments; and subsidies seeme grieuous: but if wee looke vpon the reason of Paul, hee is vnreasonable that should grudge them.

The Magistrate watcheth for our good, and attendeth con­tinually therevpon. He defendeth from enemies abroad: hee represseth robbers at home. The Administration of Iustice, the security of our liues, the safety and peaceable possession of our goods are from him.

Men scan at the reuenewes of the Prince, but not at the issues. Counsellers, Iudges, Officers of State, a Guard, sen­ding forth Embassadours, rewards to the well deseruing, for [Page 33]generall encouragement, and many other occasions cannot be discharged without a great treasure, which is the ornament of peace, and the sinew of war.

Beside; a King is to bee maintained like a King for his ho­nour: and his care is worthy of great reward. We must pay of conscience; for not the greedinesse of Princes, deuised tri­bute, but it is by the ordinance of God himselfe.

It is not for subiects, Ʋse 2 to determine how much the Prince shall haue: but they should moderately exact, and warily dis­pose of the tributes, for their owne honour, and the publike good.

Tiberius liked not the Shepheard that flayed the sheepe in stead of clipping. Nor Alexander, the Gardner which pul­led vp the root of the hearbs. Nor Tully, him which so cut the wings that they should neuer grow againe.

The Turkes call the tribute of the Prouinces, Saarum, the blood of the people, which to conuert otherwayes then for the good of the people should be vniust.

If we owe tribute to Princes, Ʋse 3 for the good of their gouern­ment; then what tribute and subiection doe we owe to God from whom wee receiue all good things, for this life and for a better?

But what could enemies and traytors doe more, then many among vs doe; treading vnder foot, and contem­ning the very Lawes of God, and violating all good order.

What shall wee render to the Lord for his infinite good­nesse? euen the tribute of willing and thankefull obedi­ence.

IN this verse Paul brings a new argument to inferre con­scionable obedience and subiection to Magistrates, and so con­cludes this whole matter.

The Argument is taken from Iustice, which giues euery [Page 34]one that which is his: To pay debts is conscionable.

But subiection to Magistrates is a debt.

Therefore, &c.

Paul vrgeth this point with many strong arguments, both because the Emperours were then Heathen, and also be­cause it is hard to corrupt nature to bee subiect: euery man would be a Ruler.

Here are two parts. The argument set downe in manner of a precept: Render to all men their dues.

The amplification in the rest of the words.

In the precept we haue the duty, To render dues: and the persons to whom, To all.

Render: not giue, as if it were an almes, or gratuity, but ren­der, or pay.

Dues: [...], debts, the same word which is vsed in the Lords Prayer. Sabiection, and tribute, debts, so that he is perfidious and vniust which payeth them not.

To all: If you say men, then it followes well from the lesse: if to all men, then to Magistrates, which are the worthiest men.

If you say Magistrates, then All respecteth either their quality, or degree.

Their Quality. To all, to the good to the bad. The euil­nesse of the Magistrate discharges not the subiect of duty: no more then the euilnesse of parents, their children: The ordi­nance of God not the vnworthinesse of men must bee respe­cted.

Their Degree: to the chiefe, and to all inferiour Magistrates sent from him.

The amplification is from a speciall enumeration of dues; which may be referred to two heads: to the maintenance, and countenance of the Magistrate.

Tribute and custome are for his maintenance; Feare and honour for his reputation and countenance.

Some distinguish these foure thus. Tribute to be rendred to the Treasurer, custome to the Publicans and collectors, Feare to the Administrators of Iustice, and Honour to the Person of the supreme Gouernour: but I thinke it is easier to [Page 35]vnderstand these to be rendred to the chiefe Magistrate, and for the manner, to be left to his will.

Tribute: [...], that which is brought into the Kings trea­sury or Exchequer, and so it is a generall word: but vsually translated Tribute: which is dersued from tribuo, which is, diuido, because Princes must not take all but a part, as Lipsius: Lips. polit. l. 4. c. 11. but rather à tribu from the Tribes: The people of Rome were diuided into three parts, each part had a gouernor, which was therefore called a Tribune: and the payments made to the State, a Tribute. So Capitation or payments by the poll, or out of lands and goods, with vs, may bee called Tribute.

Custome. [...], from whence comes [...], or [...], A Publican, of which kinde of men there is often mention in the Gospell, after this manner, Publicans and sinners. In Latine, vectigal à vehendo, and hereby are meant, Imposts and taxations vpon merchandise, exported or imported; called with vs custome, and his Maiesties officer herein a customer: whom the Romanes called a Publican: an office of honour among the Romanes, but in disgrace among the Iewes, (who vnwillingly paid any thing to the Romanes) for their sub­iection and bondage signified thereby, and for the oppres­sion vsed by the officers, and especially if any of their owne countrey-men had bought the office: Such an one was Matthew, before his conuersion. The office was lawfull, but odious to the Iewes for the causes rehear­sed.

Feare. Feare and honour are the Lords due, but hee com­municateth them to Princes which beare his Image vpon earth.

Feare. Not the feare of an euill conscience, which follow­eth euill facts of which verse 3, 4. but reuerence to their Per­sons, and regard to their lawes, which preserues from euill facts.

It is better to be loued then feared; and Nero was hated for his Oderint dum metuant: but if subiects were in no feare, the Magistrate would be contemptible.

Honour. This word comprehends all the former, being [Page 36]expounded according to the meaning of the fifth Comman­dement. As first, Reuerence, inward of the heart: outward, in word, behauiour. Second, Obedience. Third, Thankefulnesse, vnto which due payments are to be referred.

Subiection to Magistrates, Doctr. is a debt and of conscience to bee paid them in all the parts of it: Matthew 22.21. Ren­der vnto Caesar, the things which are Caesars. Ephesians 6.1. Children are commanded to obey their Parents; for this is [...] iust or right: much more iust to obey the Father of the Common-wealth. When the Sonne of Fabius Max. was Consul, Fabius taking horse before him and setting forward; was commanded by his Sonne to dismount, and to giue him place being Consul: Plularch in Apo. Liuius l. 4. d. 3. The Father saith to his Sonne: Euge fili, sapis, qui intelligas quibus imperes et quam magnum Magistratum susceperis. It is well done my Sonne, thou art wise, and vnderstandest the greatnesse of thy Office.

He is no good subiect that refuseth, Ʋse 1 or vnwillingly and grudgingly paies his dues to his Prince.

Thinke it not hard, or that it is extorting: It is his due, and to render it conscionably and willingly is an acceptable seruice, to the King, to God.

It is an Iniustice, for him that is able, to desire to be freed, from payments, from finding armes, and such like: this were to desire to reape the benefit of a good Prince, and good Lawes, and not to bee thankefull, and to maintaine them.

Onely let Assessours bee admonished to rate men e­qually that the poore man beare not the rich mans bur­den.

Ʋse 2 Princes must be reuerenced and honoured though they bee euill: indeed glory is due to vertue, but honour to their dignity.

Defame not their persons, couer their faults, cauill not at their lawes, but obey: For a diuine sentence is in the lips of the King; his mouth transgresseth not in iudgement. He that saith he honoureth God and obeyeth not, lieth; so he that obey­eth not the King, is guilty of dishonouring him.

Render to Caesar that which is Caesars, and vnto God, the things that are Gods.

IN this and the two next Verses following, is the second part of this Chapter; teaching loue to our Neighbours.

M. Caluin makes this another argument, to vrge subie­ction to Magistrates, because to resist them, is a violation of Charity.

M. Beza and Gualter, make it also to pertaine vnto the former, and to be the remouing of a grand impediment of due subiection: which impediment is the vnkind suit and con­tention betweene men, which when the Magistrate hath determined, the party which is cast, begins many times through corruption to hate the Magistrate, and to deny due respect: now say they that such suits the occasion of such deniall, might be taken away, the Apostle bids them to owe nothing one to another but loue.

But I thinke rather that here is a new matter; though the manner of propounding it, vnder the terme of owing, might bee occasioned from the verse precedent: and indeed the precepts of godlinesse are of neare acquaintance, and runne as we may say in a bloud.

In this whole part are two things: A commandement, and the reason.

The commandement: that wee should loue one another; set downe in these words; which haue a prohibition: Owe no man any thing: and a correction or exception; but to loue one another. Owe no man any thing: whether mony, labour, &c.

But to loue one another. [...], nisi, but: this is not declara­tiue, pay your debts, that mutuall loue may flourish: but ex­ceptiue, Owe nothing but loue,

One another. Not the Magistrate onely who can compell; nor friends onely, which can requite; nor rich onely, who can reward; but one another: Let the rich loue the poore, and the poore the rich.

The summe is in two precepts; A negatiue, owe nothing to [Page 38]any; an affirmatiue, owe loue to all: these seeme, but are not contrary.

Debt is double: Ciuill, as money, &c. which wee must not owe. Naturall and Diuine, as loue, which wee alwayes must owe.

Betweene these two debts there is great difference, be­side the Excellency of one, which is loue, aboue the other.

1. Ciuill debts when they are once paid, the Obligation is void Loue is alwayes to be payed, and alwayes to be owed.

2. In Ciuill debts, he that payes hath the lesse, and hee that receiues hath the more; not so in loue, for he that loues, the more he loues, the more his loue increaseth.

3. Ciuill debts, may be pardoned and forgiuen; a man may giue out his bond, and release his debtour; but no man hath power to discharge his neighbour of his loue; though it may be in pride or heat, we sometimes say wee care not for such a ones loue, yet this is no discharge.

Naturall debts cannot be forgiuen. No more can a man discharge his neighbour from louing him, then a husband can discharge his wife from her coniugall faith, or a father his child, of his honour and dutifulnesse.

We must owe nothing but loue. Doctr. Loue alone is a perpetuall debt. Here are two branches.

1. We must pay and discharge all our ciuill debts: proued by the Law, Exod. 22. of restoring things stollen, trespasses done, things committed to our trust, borrowed, or found. Also by the story of the woman, sometimes the wife of one of the sonnes of the Prophets, 2. King. 4.1.2.3.4.5.6.7. Elisha chargeth her to pay her debts, ver. 7.

Iosephus affirmeth Ioseph. Artiq. lib. 9. ca. 2. Sic Hieron. & Occelamp. in Proph. Abdiam. Lyra in locum Reg. & Serrar. ibid. that her husband was Obadiah, Ahabs Steward, who hid and maintained a hundred Prophets in the time of Iezebels persecution 1 Reg. 18.4., and by that meanes came greatly indebted: for the payment of which debts, the Lord wrought a miracle by Elisha.

2. We must alwayes owe and pay loue: Ioh. 13.34. and 15.12. 1. Ioh. 3.11. so Phil. 1.9. I pray that your loue may abound, [...], yet more and more. More and more notes the quantity, yet notes the perseuerance of it. In the Iu­bilee [Page 39]all ciuill debts were remitted to the Iewes: and we haue many payments for yeares, and during naturall life; but charity neuer faileth, but is perfected in another world. 1 Cor. 13.8.

Is it lawfull to borrow, or to buy for day? It seemes no: Quest. be­cause the Apostle saith, owe nothing: and we haue experience that hence come many suits and controuersies, to which purpose Ieremy sometime complained. Ier. 15.10.

It is lawfull to borrow for necessity and conueniency. Answ. When Christ commands to lend, Luke 6.35. hee implies a lawfulnesse of bor­rowing: and without such things the life and state of man could not well consist.

As for suits and controuersies, that is Non causa pro causa. Indeed I reade that the Turkes haue few suits, because they deale for ready money. But the true cause of suits about buy­ing and borrowing is our corruption: of the creditour in exa­cting more then his due; in the debtour, for not keeping touch, and not paying at his day, or such like: the meaning of the prohibition not simply to forbid all owing, but rather admonishing to deale iustly, to pay modo & forma, or other­wise to content.

Runne not into debt: thou maiest borrow, Ʋse 1 but if thou canst be free from borrowing, vse it rather, for it is a kind of bondage.

It is better to giue then to receiue. So, to lend then to borrow.

Borrowing is a fruit of sinne, Deut. 28 44. as are sicknesses and other ca­lamities, from which the Saints in this world are not priui­ledged.

It is a kind of basenesse to borrow, Debere verecundum est, Amb. l. de Tobia c. 21. non reddere verecundius: though it be more base not to pay that which is borrowed See Pro. 22.7.

To keepe thee out of debt, labour hard in thy calling, mo­derate thy expenses, in diet, apparell, recreations, be husbandly: Here are such to be reproued, who borrow here and there, & yet will abate nothing of their pleasures, though they engage lands and houses for it. It may be questioned whether such men and women be good; wise I am sure they are not, and that doe their posterity feele, who are many times driuen to beg for their reliefe.

Pay that thou owest, Vse 2 it is the commandement of God, it is a point of conscience. As thou desirest to free thy selfe from a snare, so endeuour to free thy selfe from being indebted, Pro. 61.2.3.4.5.

It is against nature that one man should bee enriched by another mans losse.

The Aegyptians, Athenians, Romanes, Iewes, all Nations that haue loued faith and iustice, haue seuerely punished such as haue refused to pay their debts.

It is the note of an vngodly man, Psal. 37.21.

Three sorts of men deserue herein much reproofe.

1. Such as will pay some, as fiue shillings in the pound, or thereafter: But Paul requires to pay all: the horrible couse­nage herein deserues a seuere law.

2. Such as it may bee will pay in the end, but they will driue the creditour off from day to day: Aquin. 2.2. q. 66 art. 3. For, Detinere quod alteri debetur, eandem rationem habet cum acceptatione iniusta; saith the Schooleman: To detaine that which is due, is all one as if you robbed your neighbour.

3. Such which pay not at all, but in stead of discharging their debts, they discharge their tongues in euill and rayling speeches against their creditours when they demand their due: when they borrow they speake saire, when they should pay they returne euill and opprobrious language. Reade Ecclesiasticus chap. 29. the eight first verses.

Loue is a debt, Ʋse 3 and perpetuall. It is not a thing indifferent, but wee are bound in conscience to owe and pay it one to ano­ther.

Many will say, they desire not a mans loue, they care not for it, neither then doe they care for Gods Commandement.

Some for their ciuill debts are much troubled, and full of care; the sight of a Sergeant much affrighteth them, but who laments the want of loue in himselfe, which is summum fidei sacramentum, the broad seale of our faith, as Tertullian speakes.

In the primitiue times there was so much loue, that it was ad stuporem Gentilium; but now there is so little, that it may be ad pudorem Christianorum, to the shame of Christians.

MAster Caluin saith, That these words are a confirma­tion of our obedience to the Magistrate, in which is placed not the least part of charitie.

Master Musculus annecteth these words thus; Pay your debts, otherwise you doe against law; for whatsoeuer is a­gainst oharitie, is against law.

These things are true, yet because it appeareth that the principall scope of this eight verse, and the two following is to perswade to charitie; I take it to be without question, that these words are a Reason, of the exception, or affirmatiue Pre­cept in the former part of the verse: Owe loue, or loue one an­other.

The Argument is taken from the excellency of loue, or from the definition of it, set downe in the concrete in stead of the Abstract.

In it are to be considered, the Thing or Person defined, and the Definition.

The Person defined, Hee that loueth another: where wee haue the action, louing; the obiect, another.

What loue is, See Chap, 12. vers 9.10. It is a beneuolous affection, shewing it selfe in word and deed.

Another, [...], hee meanes [...], Neighbour: Ma­ster Beza obserues that there is little difference among the Grecians, betweene [...], and [...], sodalis, a companion or fellow: in the letters there is, I confesse, not much diffe­rence, but in sense a great deale: for [...] is such a one who eateth at the same table with vs, a familiar; and therefore the feastings of friends were called among the Heathen, Sodali­tia, and Sodalitates, fellowships; Tertul. lib. 2. ad vxorem. Cicero in lib de Senect. Plin. Epist. l. 10. epist. 79. ad Tra­ianum. and the meeting of the Saints to worshippe God, were in the primitiue times called Hetaeriae, but [...] which is Pauls word here, signifies any, which is another from our selues, be he friend or foe.

Another, not meaning that if a man loue one or two o­ther then himselfe, it is any thing; but that whosoeuer is ano­ther [Page 42]must be loued; so that the bounds of the Earth are not larger then loue. Loue is naturall, as betweene parents and children. Or Sociall, as betweene friends; but the loue of vn­cleane persons, and of drunkards, and other wicked men and women, one toward another, is not here meant, neither is their mutuall affection worthy the name of loue, being a dissoluing of all law, and not a fulfilling the same. Or Super­naturall, when the affection is renued, sanctified and directed to the right obiect, according to the word of God.

This loue is a fulfilling of the Law.

Hath fulfilled: The Law is emptie, till we doe it: God hath giuen it that wee should doe it, and then is it fulfilled, accor­ding to Pauls word here; or finished and perfected, according to Iames his word, [...]. Iames 2.8. The Law is as an vnperfect thing, till we obey it.

The Law: of God: the second Table, as in the next verse; yea and the first Table; for the law is copulatiue: the lawes of man also.

Hath fulfilled the law. The fulfilling of the law, is eyther actually, in regard of the singular precepts Affirmatiue and Negatiue; and so he that loueth fulfilleth it not. Or it is modo generali, after a generall manner; and that as I take it in foure respects.

1 In regard of the root, and inward beginning of obedi­ence, which is loue, so that he stealeth not, but liueth iustly by an inward beginning, and so virtually fulfils the law, being able by such principium, within himselfe, vpon occasion, to keepe any branch of it.

2 In respect of that on which the whole Law and the Pro­phets depends, Matth. 22.40. which is loue.

3 In respect of that vnto the which the law is ordained, which is mutuall loue and societie: The end of the Commande­ment is charitie, 1. Tim. 1.5.

4 In respect of that whereby euery thing is perfectly done which the Law requires; which is, that it be done in loue, as Saint Paul exhorts the Corinthians, 1. Cor. 16.14. Let all your things bee done in charitie. By loue are things done perfectly, for not on­ly that such things should bee done, and others vndone, hath [Page 43]God commanded, but that they should be so out of loue.

Charitie is the fulfilling of the law, Luk. 10.25, 26, 27. Doctr. eter­nall life is attributed to loue, which is not attained but by ful­filling the law, either in our persons, or by our surety: the same is also confirmed in the next verse.

The fatherly goodnesse of God herein appeareth toward vs, Vse 1 who hauing absolute power to command vs what hee pleased, yet hath commanded nothing but loue, then which, nothing is more diuine; for God is loue, and loue is of God, 1. Ioh 4.7, 8. and nothing more profitable to vs and comfor­table. What more sweet then to loue and be beloued? ex amo­re, amicitia, from loue comes friendship, which to take out of the world, were a greater damage then to take the Sunne out of the firmament.

O our vile nature, which is prone to hatred and enuy, the destroyers of mankind: let vs lament that we are so backward to keepe this diuine, profitable, and comfortable law.

If the Lord had commanded things hard, burthensome, and vnprofitable, we must haue obeyed; how much more ought wee, when hee sayes only, Loue, and inherite eternall life?

That our obedience should be acceptable and perfect, Vse 2 it must be done in loue: The Lord requires a pure affection, as well as the outward act.

Thou doest not steale, defile thy neighbours wife. It is well: but wouldest thou not if thou haddest opportunitie? Doth feare only, or shame, or the sword of the Magistrate re­straine thee? Then thou doest not such things, because thou darest not: doe if thou darest; this is not to keepe the law.

Hee that loueth will not doe such things, though it were in his power, and though he were sure neuer to be called in­to question, euen for the loue he beareth to God and to his neighbour.

If thou giuest all thy goods to the poore, &c. and hast not loue, it is nothing. 1. Cor. 13.3.

True loue seasoneth all things, and maketh them well taken, being the life of vertue, as prudence is the light of it.

As therefore there is great difference, betweene the speech [Page 44]of a Parrot, and of a wise man; so betweene the obedience of him that loueth, and of him that loueth not.

Balaams Asse speakes, so a wicked man sayes ouer prayers, heares the Word, giues almes, abstaineth from some euils, yet fulfilleth not the law, because he loueth not.

Let vs labour then for loue, Iohn 13.35. which is the worke of a true disciple of Christ: for as the Grecians are distinguished by their clokes, Romans by their gownes, Graduats by their habits, so we by Charitie.

HEre is a proofe, that he which loueth fulfilleth the law, and the argument is taken from an induction or enu­meration of the particular commandements in the Law, which are comprehended in the precept of loue.

Loue is all the Commandements: Therefore hee that lo­ueth, fulfilleth them all.

Here are to be considered, the seuerals, or the summe: The Seuerals are the particular precepts rehearsed. The summe, is, Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe.

In the Enumeration something is to be marked.

1 The fift commandement is not mentioned, which re­quires Honoring of Parents. Pet. Martyr. Some answer, that Paul rec­kons them as the Iewes did, who put that Commandement into the first table: making fiue in each table. From whence we may note what a sacred thing they thought obedience to Magistrates and parents to be.

Or he hath so plentifully spoken of that Commandement in the first part of this Chapter, as there seemes to bee no need of any repetition.

Or he takes the Negatiues only, because they are most con­trary to Charitie: and also that Commandement is compre­hended [Page 45]in these words: and if there be any other Commande­ment.

2 The seuenth Commandement forbidding adultery, is put before the sixt, forbidding murder.

The reason is alledged, because adultery was a common sinne among the Romans.

Or for the feditie of it, and odiousnesse doth he name it first: and so among the fruits of the flesh is Adultery first named; and among the fruits of the Spirit, Loue. Galath. 5.19.22. and in some part of the Ciuill law, Faius in loc. the title of Adulterie is next to the title of Treason, to shew the hainousnesse of that sinne.

3 The tenth Commandement is mentioned in this one word, Thou shalt not couet: whence it appeares, that the commandement of not Coueting, is but one, contrary to the doctrine of Rome.

Is briefly comprehended: is consummate, or recapitulated, Ambros. August. epist. 29. ad Hieron. as Orators in their Epilogue repeate the generall heads.

So that, that which the Philosophers affirmed of Iustice, is true of loue, [...]. In summe Charity is all vertue. Charity is the Decalogue contracted, and the Decalogue is Charity vnfolded. A generall vertue diffusing it selfe into all vertues, as the blood and spirits into all parts of our bodies.

The summe then is, Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe. In this wee haue [...]. The thing commanded, to loue our neighbour; and the Rule, As thy selfe.

Neighbour: Euery one that stands in need of our help, by the proportion of the parable of the Samaritane, Luke 10. knowne or vnknowne; friend or foe; this is a hard saying, but it is law. Good and bad: the bad for communion of nature: the good for communion of nature and grace. Kindred and stran­gers; Proximus non sanguinis propinquitate, Aug. epist. 52. sed rationis societa­te pensandus est, &c. saith Augustine, Neighbourhood is to be esteemed, not by the neerenesse of blood, but by the so­cietie of Reason.

Hierome brings the blessed Angels within this order of Neighbourhood; Hieron. in epist. ad Gal. and indeed Charitie is as large as heauen and earth.

The Schoolemen make euen the Diuels and damned, Valent. tom. 3. Disp. 3. quaest. 3. punct. 1. secundum naturam, a part of the obiect of our charity; not in the deprauation of their nature, but in their essence; not in their opposition to the Creator, but in their relation, tanquam res a­mici, as part of the things or substance belonging to our friend, that they be preserued and still exist, that Gods Iu­stice might haue due execution vpon them.

As thy selfe: both in the thing, and in the manner.

In the thing; as to wish the best to our neighbour, as wee wish the best to our selues, Luke 6.31. Mat. 7.12. expounded by our Sauiour: As yee would that men should doe to you, doe yee also to them likewise: wishing the same good to be obtained, and the hurt to bee auoyded by them as by your selues.

In the manner: Truely, without dissembling; earnestly, without remissnesse, and coldnesse; constantly, without chan­ging.

Wee must loue our neighbours as our selues. Doctr. The very same words are, Leuit. 19.18. Gal 5.14. and Mat. 22.39. Where our Sauiour being asked by a Lawyer which was the Great Commandement; answered, that the loue of God, was the first and great Commandement; and that the second was like vn­to it, which is, the loue of our neighbour. Like vnto the first in three respects.

1 In forme; that is truly. For God must be loued with all the heart, and our neighbour as our selfe.

2 In time, wee must alwaies loue God; and so wee must our neighbour.

3 In difficulty; it is hard to loue God aboue all, because our hearts are so much vpon the world; and as hard to loue our neighbour as our selues, because our hearts are set so much vpon our selues.

Whether may I loue my neighbour more then my selfe, Quest. or no?

In regard of the affection, Answ. loue must be equall; but in re­gard of the effect, in outward things I may at some time pre­fer my neighbour before my selfe, and serue him first; not so in spirituall things; I must wish my neighbours saluation as well as mine owne, but I must seeke my owne first.

May I loue one neighbour more then another? Quest.

Appretiatiuè, as they say, we may: Answ. as Iacob loued one of his children, Ioseph one of his brethren, and Christ one of his Disciples.

It is lawfull to loue our selues; Ʋse 1 and yet there is an euill selfe- loue, of the which the most part are sicke.

There is a naturall selfe loue, and a morall: The naturall is the Rule of our loue to our neighbour: the morall, is that which is forbidden in the law, which destroies the loue of our neighbour.

Nature requires, the law allowes, and grace denyes not that we should loue our selues amore recto, with a right loue.

Neither can he loue his neighbour well, who doth not so loue himselfe; euen as he can neuer write a right line, who writeth by a wrong rule.

Many say they loue their neighbour as their owne soules; and therein they may say true, and yet be far from the fulfil­ling of the law; or they care not to damne their owne soules, as well as their neighbours.

Learne to loue thy selfe as thou oughtest, that God may commit thy neighbour to thee whom thou maist loue as thy selfe.

To loue a mans selfe, is not curare cutens, to pamper the body, to giue a mans selfe to liberty and pleasure; but curare animam, to haue a care of the soule, to loue God, and our selues in God: For, He that sinneth, hateth his owne soule, Pro. 8.36. and hee that enticeth his neighbour to sinne, hateth his neighbours soule. And hee will neuer be profitable for ano­ther, who is vnprofitable for himselfe.

He that loues a garment, hates the moth that eates it; so he that loues his owne soule and his neighbours, will hate sinne which destroyes it.

Let him loue me, who loues himselfe in goodnesse: The Godly mans loue is the best loue.

Here diuers are to be reproued. Ʋse 2

1 They that loue themselues onely. There is a City of God, and a city of the Diuell: The City of God, beginnes in the loue of God, and increaseth to the loue of our neighbour; [Page 48]the city of the Diuell beginnes in the loue of our selues, Aug. in princ. lib. de Ciuit. Dei. and ends in the contempt of God and our neighbour, such were Caine and Nabal.

2. They which loue some of their neighbours but not all: This man is mine enemy I cannot loue him: But Christ commands thee to loue him, and he is thy neighbour. Loue him, that he may be thy friend. That man is wicked, and his sinnes offend me. Thinke that thy sinnes offend others, and yet thou wouldest they should loue thee. Consule Zanch. in explic ca. 2. ep. 1. Ioh. Loue him, but not his faults; and because hee hath faults, hee hath so much the more need of thy loue that thou mayst reclaime him. Euill men are to be loued as sick men, we run to the Physitian, for loue to the man, not for loue of his sicknes, to helpe the man, and to destroy the sicknesse.

3 They which loue dissemblingly, Aug. ep. 54. as Ioab and Iudas, who will speake faire to a mans face, and cut his throat behind his backe.

4 They which loue, and loue, but their neighbour is ne­uer the better for their loue: their loue is fruitlesse, as is the faith S. Iames speakes of.

5 They which loue not good men, their best neighbours, their truest friends, thou must loue a wicked man, much more him that is godly; thine enemy, much more him that is Gods friend.

Wee ought to pray and striue to loue our neighbours as our selues: Ʋse 3 if all would doe so, it would be a golden world.

Euery Science hath his principles: the proper principle of Christian discipline is charity.

And there is nothing so vsefull and profitable as Charity. Chrys. hom. 51. ad Pop. Ant. A better good then all riches, a greater good then health and light, said Chrysostome.

Suppose ten men to loue each other as themselues, and so a hundred, a thousand, &c. None of the ten is one alone, but euery one is ten: Charity contracts ten into one, and multiplies one into ten. None of the ten can liue in want, for euery one hath ten harts to care for him, twenty eies to see for him, twenty hands to worke for him, and twenty feet to trauaile for him.

Neither can any of the ten be conquered; for offend one and offend all, &c. Thus S. Chrysostome.

THis verse may be referred both to the 8. and also to the 9. verse, as a probation of either.

If to the latter end of the 8. then it containes a Syllogisme, onely there is a Crypsis of the Maior. Thus,

If you referre it to the 9. verse, then it proueth by the same argument, that all the law is comprehended in the loue of our neighbour. Thus,

And then out of this is inferred according to the 8. verse, that Loue is the fulfilling of the Law.

So, in this verse are two propositions; the second inferred out of the first, and the first the ground of the second.

The first proposition, Loue worketh no ill to his neighbour.

The arguments disposed in this proposition are the cause, loue: and the effect denyed, doth no ill; amplified by the Pa­tient, to his neighbour.

The affirmatiue effect, doth any good; but the negatiue is set downe that it may haue the better correspondence with the 9. verse, where onely negatiues are repeated; but the affirma­tiue is included; and so by a figure, lesse is said, and more is signified. Loue not onely doth no hurt, but also doth good: [...]. but because this is not alwaies in the power of him that loueth, he saith not, doth good; but, not euill; and in this, the other necessarily to be vnderstood; for, as one saith well, subtrahere debitum bonum est malum, Caietan. to subtract or not to doe the due good, is euill.

Loue; the holy loue of my neighbour, proceeding from the loue of God.

No ill: mischiefe, damage, hurt, or sinne; for in the second table euery sinne is to the hurt of our neighbour.

Ill, is either of omission, or commission: and either are three-fold: 1. in fact; 2. in word; 3. in desire.

1. In fact, three waies: 1. either about his single person, in the sixth commandement: 2. or his person conioyned in the seuenth commandement: 3. or his goods, in the eight commandement.

2. In word, in the ninth commandement.

3. In desire, in the tenth commandement.

He that loueth will breake none of these either in commit­ting or omitting.

The illation: Therefore loue is the fulfilling of the Law.

What loue? and what law? The loue of our neighbour; and the whole law or decalogue: for though in proper speaking, the loue of our neighbour is but the fulfilling of the second table; yet the loue of God is necessarily supposed, because that flowes from this; and so sometime the loue of God is na­med alone, where both are vnderstood, for the necessary connection of the tables. Also the Apostles brings forth the commandements of the second table, rather then of the first, because it is more easie for vs to discerne true obseruers of the law, by the second then by the first.

Charity toward our neighbour is the fulfilling of the law; Therefore Charity simply: Therefore our loue to God is to bee demonstrated by our loue to our neighbour.

The doctrines are two according to the propositions, in their very words. The second, that loue is the fulfilling of the Law, is proued before verse 8.

The first, that loue doth no ill to his neighbour, 1 Cor. 13.5, 6. Charity thinketh no euill, it reioyceth not in iniquity.

Also, it is proued from the rule Ephe, 5.29. No man hateth his owne flesh, but cherisheth himselfe: and true loue is to our neighbour as to our selues.

Also from the contrary. To doe ill, is to breake the law. But loue is the fulfilling of it. Non potest peccari per illam, qua [Page 51]legis est perfectio: Amb. in loc. We cannot doe ill by that which is the per­fection and fulfilling of the law, said Ambrose.

The Papists from hence inferre two things: that wee can keepe the law, and that we are iustified by charity.

To the first.

He that loueth, keepeth the law: but how? euen as hee loueth: if he loue perfectly, hee perfectly keepes the law: if imperfectly, then he keepeth it imperfectly.

But we cannot keepe it perfectly in this life, which is necessa­ry to iustification, as they meane keeping; Deut. 27.26. Jam. 3.2. for Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things written in the Law, and, in many things we offend all. We know in part onely, and accor­ding to our knowledge is our loue. Though in the regenerate there be a perfection of parts, yet not of degrees in this life. Aug. tom. 7. l. de Natura et gra­tia contra Pola. c. 70. Saint Augustine also saith thus, Charitas inchoata, incheata iu­stitia est: prouecta, prouecta iustitia est: Charitas magna, magna iustitia est: Charitas perfecta, perfecta iustitia est. Our righ­teousnesse is according to our charity, which is not perfect in this life.

To the second.

Perfect fulfilling of the law may iustifie: But loue in the concrete is not such fulfilling, but in the abstract.

The Apostle here propounds that which ought to be in the concrete, but not that which is. Perfect fulfilling is propoun­ded to vs as a patterne, to the which we ought to conforme, not as a thing to be attained in this life.

True charity is not to do hurt, but good to our neighbour, Ʋse 1 to doe good rather then to receiue: else it is selfe loue, not the loue of our neighbour: I must loue my neighbour for his owne sake.

A man loues his horse, his meat, &c. for the good hee re­ceiues by them; but we must loue our neighbour for himselfe, otherwise wee put no difference betweene a neighbour, and a horse: now the best good wee can doe for our neighbour, is to bring him to God, and saue his soule.

All the Law is comprehended in loue, and loue doth no ill, Ʋse 2 but keepes all the commandements; as a good mother tends all her children, and carefully nourisheth them.

Loue is a Mother: the ten commandements, are her ten children, she forgets none, is vnkinde to none, neglects none, fulfileth all.

Dauid had an instrument of ten strings: loue is that instru­ment, the tenne strings are the tenne commandements, if one string bee out of tune the harmony is marred; so the breaking of one commandement destroyes loue, and cor­rupts it, as one dead flye the pretious ointment of the Apo­thecary.

The law is copulatiue, founded and comprehended in cha­rity; Iames 2.11. vertues are coherent: He that said, Doe not commit adul­tery, said also, Doe not kill. Endeuour then to keepe euery commandement if thou wouldest auoyd the curse of the law. For, then shall I not bee ashamed, saith Dauid, when I haue respect to all thy commandements. Psal. 119.6. Charity is a good Ca­tholike.

Charity fulsils the law. Ʋse 3 Out loue is discerned by our o­bedience to the law.

If you say Charity, suppose doing good: for it is as possible to separate heate from the fire, and light from the Sunne, as good workes from Charity.

Many speake of charity, and deepely protest it; but words will not carry it. It is the shame of Christians, that charity is so much in our tongues, and so little in our hands.

There are many which without any wit can turne house and land into smoake, as our idle Tobacconists; but to turne the fume and breath of loue into workes, requires wit and grace too.

Shew me thy faith by thy charity, and thy charity by thy workes; Let vs not loue in tongue onely, but in deed and truth, saith Saint Iohn. 1 Ioh. 3.18. Ama vt videam, let mee see thy loue as well as heare it, for a verball loue is like a painted fire, for shew, not for vse.

Loue is a substantiue, it must bee seene, felt, and vnder­stood.

Charity is a beautifull Lady, which desires to be seene; she is no Nun; she is not of that religion: she is conuersant abroad, doing good to her neighbours.

Faith alwayes keepes within to defend the conscience; but charity is alwayes without feeding the poore, visiting the sicke, &c. The proper act of faith, is to receiue; of loue, to giue and distribute; of faith, to doe our selues good; of loue to doe good to our neighbour; and this is the fulfilling of the law.

As the Moone among the lesser stars, Vse 4 so is charity among the graces, called a more excellent way, 1. Cor. 12.31. then things greatly ex­celling. I would we were sicke of loue, as the Church in the Canticles: and yet loue is not a sicknesse, Cant. 2.5. but the sanitie of the soule.

What is loue more then other vertues?

Loue is the comfort of life. If a poore man liue in a towne where loue is, he cannot want; for loue will vndoe all locks; and if a rich man want loue towards his poore neighbour, he is as if he had lost the key of his money cupboard.

If a wicked man dwell where loue is, hee shall haue good counsell, good admonition, good examples, good pray­ers, &c.

If a man be rich, and not beloued, his life is miserable, &c.

Loue is the spirit of pietie and good life: Non faciunt bonos aut malos mores, nisi boni vel mali amores; as our loue is, Aug. Macedoni. epist. 52. so are our manners, said Augustine.

Loue is the life of faith, Iames 2.17. Bern. ser. 2. de Resur. & 24. sup. cant. He that doth any hurt to his neighbour, though he be not a fratricide, yet is fideici­da, a killer of faith, said Saint Bernard.

Loue is the strength of the Common-wealth: A Citie diui­ded cannot stand, Matth. 12. as stones without morter in a building, so are men without loue in a Common-wealth.

Loue is the Nurse of the Church, Ephes. 4.16. So Tertullian, Corpus Ecclesiae, fibula charitatis connexum crescit in deum. The body of the Church being buttoned and knit together in loue, groweth vp in God.

Loue is the soule of the law. Where there is loue, Aristot. Ethis. l. 8. c. 1. Cic. l. de Amici. there needs no law, but where there is law, there needs loue, as Heathen wise men haue obserued.

Nay loue can doe more then all lawes. There are good lawes against theft, murder, drunkennesse, whoredome, &c. and yet there are many offenders: but if there were loue, none of [Page 54]these euils would be done to our neighbours: Will a man take away his life, whom he loues? and for the sauing of whose life, hee will venture his owne? it cannot bee; and so of the rest.

Thus, and much more excellent is loue: as the tongue of Angels is nothing without loue, so it is not sufficient to com­mend loue: The law therefore, non dispendium sed compen­dium consecuta est, hath not lost but gotten, by being reduced into one precept of loue.

Let vs labour for loue: The Corinthians had abundance of knowledge, but they wanted loue, and were rent into Schismes: we are sicke of the Corinthian disease; I wish wee were truely humbled for it, that we might be healed.

If thou wishest well to the Church of England, liue in loue.

If thou wishest well to thine owne soule, and desirest to keepe the law, Chrysost. hom. 33. in 1. Cor. loue thy neighbour: Magnus Doctor chari­tas, said Saint Chrysostome, Loue is a great Doctor. It will teach vs to obey the Magistrate, to reuerence the Minister, to reliue the poore, to doe good to all, and hurt to none: and to doe these things, Iames 2.8.12. Galath. 5.13. willingly and freely: Therefore called a royall law, and of libertie, by Saint Iames: yea it makes vs very seruants to our neighbours, as Saint Paul affirmes: The Lord giue vs this loue.

HEre begins the third and last part of this Chapter, which sheweth our dutie toward our selues, which is Temperance.

This part containeth two Exhortations: The first, con­cerning the manner of performing the dutie required, in this verse. The second concerning the things themselues, about which this dutie is conuersant, in the rest of the verses.

The manner is, that it be done, not sleepily and negligent­ly, but strenuously, cheerefully, and watchfully.

In setting downe whereof, there are two things: first, A Transition: secondly, An Exhortation.

The Transition: And that, not Bezaes Id (que), nor Chryso­stoms Praesertim, referring it to the eight verse of this Chap­ter, as an enforcing of the dutie of loue to our neighbour, as Piscator: but rather the ancient Et hoc: so that we do not with Aquinas construe it with tempus; or M. Caluins Hoc etiam, supplying Edico, out of the third verse of the twelfth Chapter: or Paraeus his Insuper; or if you will, Ad haec, Prae­terea; in English, Moreouer, or Besides, or Furthermore, I say, that now it is high time to awake out of sleepe.

I take this verse then, to be as a Preface to that which fol­lowes, though it may also be a conclusion of all that is before from the beginning of the twelfth Chapter: for watchfulnesse is necessary to the duties precedent, and that which followes is referred vpon occasion of these words. So that this verse may be likened to Noah, who saw the old and new world; or to Ianus, whose two faces beholds the old and new yeare, or to Christ, who is the end of the law, and the beginning of the Gospell.

In the Exhortation we haue two parts: The Dutie, ex­horted vnto; and the Reason.

The Dutie, It is now high time to awake out of sleepe.

High time: [...], the houre of waking, a short part of time being named, to signifie that wee must speedily awake, and not lose a minute.

To awake: The Greeke word signifies more, namely, to arise, which is best here, and to be necessarily vnderstood, if we translate awake, for many awake, who rise not.

The Drunkard, common Swearer, &c. are awake some­time, they know they doe euill, and vnderstand admoniti­ons, but they lye still in their sinnes, and arise not: now the intent of Paul is, that we should awake, and arise too, that is, to stand vp from the dead, as he speaketh elsewhere. Ephes. 5.14.

Out of sleepe: Sleepe is two fold; so properly called, and Metaphoricall: the first is of the body only, for the soule slee­peth not; and it is that naturall rest, which God hath ap­pointed [Page 56]for the refreshing of the dissipated spirits, and the preseruation of wearied Nature.

Metaphoricall sleepe: is either of the body, or of the soule.

That of the body, Olli dura quies oculos, & ferreus vrget Somnus — Virg. Aen. 12. is Death, often called in the Scripture Sleepe, Iron sleepe, as the Poet called it.

That of the Soule: and it is either the Sleepe of sinne, no­ting an vnregenerate estate, or somnus inertiae, the sleepe of sloath; when hauing receiued grace, wee begin to drowse in the duties of godlinesse: this last is here meant; for hee wri­teth to beleeuers, who somewhat began to be remisse in ho­ly duties. So is it said of the mightie men of the hoast of the Ammonites and Moabites, in the dayes of Iehoshaphat, or of the hoast of Sanecherib, in the dayes of Hezechiah; They haue slept their sleepe, that is, they haue languished and fainted, not hauing any heart to repell dangers, Psal. 76.5.

The Reason is from the consideration of the time: know­ing the time.

Time, that is, opportunitie of time, fit and seasonable time. As men when they call vp their seruants, vrge them because the Sunne is vp: so Paul requires that wee should, considering the season, the more earnestly apply our selues to our duties.

This time is set forth by a comparison, the time of faith receiued and begunne, compared with the time of faith con­tinued and encreased. Now is our saluation nearer then when wes beleeued.

Saluation: Not Christ incarnate, nor saluation begunne in the remission of sinnes, but eternall life, which is the re­ward of faith, vnto the which we are now nearer, then when we first beleeued, and therefore should be the more liuely in pressing toward the same.

The longer we professe the Gospell, Doctr. the more strong in faith, and zealous in godlinesse we ought to be, Hebr. 5.12. Paul re­proues the Hebrewes, because they profited not according to their standing: and Hebr. 11.32. he vrgeth them to con­stant enduring and patient suffering of persecution, from the remembrance of their courage in the dayes of their first [Page 57]Illumination: then they endured a great fight; it were a shame now to faint and play the cowards.

The time of grace is no time of sleeping, but of waking, Vse 1 and labour: Now lay hold, now, if euer, get some thing for here­after, some faith and grace which may helpe, and stand vs in stead, in the euill day.

The Merchant obserues carefully the best time of buying in his fraught, and then bestirres him: The Husbandman in haruest time, riseth early, calleth his people together, and a­way; for it is good to take faire weather while it lasts. Now is our haruest, let vs be gleaning something.

The Sheplieard in Lambing time watcheth his flocke, as Iacob did Labans, let vs now watch to saue our soules.

Many when they come to heare the Word, and to pray­ers, then begin to nod; Is this a time of sleeping? for shame, awake; Ganst thou not watch one houre?

Lose not the pretious time of Repentance; Non enim in tempore vtiliter viuitur, Aug. Probae. Epist. 121. c. 7. nisi ad comparandum meritum quo in ae­ternitate viuatur: Hee spends his time vnprofitably, who gets not some grace, whereby hee may liue in eternity, said Augustine.

Our Aduersary, the Diuell, sleepes not: The souldier that is asleepe when the enemie is come, hath his throat cut:

If the good man of the house know at what watch the theefe would come, he would surely watch, and not suffer his house to bee digged thorow, Matth. 24.43.

Besides, our time is short: all the time of grace is but an houre, and an houre is soone out; cito pede praeterit aetas, said the Poet: Qui hodiè habemus horam, nescimus an cras habueri­mus vitam: Wee which haue an houre to day, know not whether we shall haue a life to morrow, said Anselme. Anselm. in loc.

Seuen times passed ouer Nabuchadnezzar, Dan. 4.25. that is, he liued seuen years like a beast: but many among vs haue liued seuen yeares twice or thrice told, like beasts, and yet re­member [Page 58]not to make vse of the time that remaines, to turne vnto the Lord.

Many of vs haue but a minute or two remaining; let vs vow not to giue sleepe to our eyes, nor slumber to our lids, till we haue found fauour with the Lord, and grace to helpe in the time of need.

Here is a commendation of godlinesse: Ʋse 2 He that beleeues, his saluation is euery day neerer then other, as a wicked mans damnation is neerer and neerer; let this encourage vs: Thou meetest with many discouragements, but behold the king­dome of heauen is at hand.

This reproues them which begin well, Vse 3 but after grow slee­pie and sluggish: Hony at the first tasting liketh well, but a little cloyes vs; so the beginnings of many haue been feruent, but their latter end drowsie and cold.

This was the disease of Ephesus, Reuel. 2. and we are dan­gerously sicke of it.

Many trees are very forward in the Spring, but a little frost nips the buds, and then there is no fruit for that yeare; so it is with vs: The forwardnesse of many haue come to nothing.

Take heed of falling from thy first loue, of growing cold, of going backward: Leo Mag. ser. 8. de Passione, in fine. Qui non proficit, deficit, [...] qui [...] acqui­rit, non nihil perdit: Hee that proceedeth not, decayeth, and he that getteth nothing, loseth something, said Leo.

Naturall motions grow stronger at the last; a s [...]one that falleth from a high place, the neerer it comes to the proper place, the faster it moues: so the neerer we come to heauen, the more zealous we should be in godlinesse.

What a thing were it, if after ten or twentie yeares profes­sion, a man should fall a sleepe at the comming of the Bride­groome; or walke so, as if he regarded not whether he came at heauen or no.

A man though weary of his iourney, yet if hee be within sight of the towne where his dwelling is, he puts on cheerily; yea the beast comming neere home, goeth freely, though dull and halfe tyred before.

Take courage, proceed on liuelily; Behold the toppes of those holy mountaines; within lesse then an houre, thou shalt [Page 59]be in heauen: A foule thing were it, to faint in the sight of our Countrey, and in the very Hauens mouth to be sluggish and negligent.

IN the eleuenth verse was the Preface, containing an Ex­hortation, to the diligent and studious performing our dutie, (as in things going before, so) in things following.

The thing it selfe Paul exhorts vnto, is a temperate and sober walking; and this, in this verse generally, with a Rea­son: and in the two next verses repeated, with a speciall and particular Exposition.

In this verse, are an Exhortation, and a Reason.

The Reason set before the Exhortation, and is laid downe as a foundation; and the Exhortation raised out of it, and built vpon the same.

The Night is farre spent, the Day is at hand: In these words is the Reason, which is taken from a comparison of diuers estates, to a diuers kind of life: The same things doe not al­wayes become Old and Yong, Noble and Ignoble persons: Otherwise is the behauiour of them which liue in darkenesse, then is theirs who dwell in the light.

In the day ought to be done the workes of light:

But the night is farre speat, and the day at hand: ‘Therefore, cast off the workes of darknesse, and put on the Armour of light.’

The Maior is grounded vpon a Rule, which is, that our life must bee answerable to our condition and state; our workes to the time.

The Minor is in the words of Paul.

The Night, the Day: These are taken either properly, or figuratiuely. Properly, the Day, is either Naturall or Artifi­ciall: Here such a day is considered, which hath a Night op­posed to it; which the Artificiall hath; not the Naturall, be­ing [Page 60]the space of foure and twentie houres, comprehending in it Night and Day.

The Hebrewes began the Naturall day at Euen; the Gre­cians at Sun-rise; the Romans as we, at Midnight; the Arabi­ans at Noone: All begin the Artificiall day at the Rising, and end it at the Setting of the Sunne.

The Day is in Greeke [...] of [...], gentle or came, be­cause it is appointed for tame creatures: or of [...], I de­sire, because it is to be desired; or as [...], the daugh­ter of the Sunne.

In Latine, it is Dies, à Deo, of God, as a diuine thing, as some also haue deriued the Hebrew word, it being the mea­sure which God hath giuen for the world.

Night, is the absence of the Sunne, when there is nothing but darknesse, which is the priuation of light.

It is called [...] of [...], to strike, as in Latine, Nox, à nocendo, of Hurting, because, though there bee singular vse of it, yet in comparison of the day, it is not so comfor­table.

Day and Night are not here taken properly, but Meta­phorically: and so 1. Day is taken for Prosperitie, Night for Aduersitie, Esay 9.1. and not vnfitly; for as in the Night, a man mee­ting with his friend, Colos. 1.12. neither knowes nor salutes him; so is it in Aduersitie. Thus Heauens blisse is called Light; and the Paines of Hell Darkenesse. Matth. 25.30.

2 Day also is taken for Life, Iohn 9.4. and Night for Death, as the Poet:

3 Night, is taken sometimes for this life, and Day for the life to come, as Psal. 49.14. though wicked men prosper here, yet, illo manè, in that morning, the vpright shall haue the vpper hand of them: In that morning, that is, in the day of the Resurrection, which shall neuer haue a Night.

4 Sometimes also Night is taken for the time of the law, Malachy. 4.2. and Day for the time of the Gospell; so is the law called the time of shadowes, Heb. 10.1. Ambr. tom. 1. l. exhor. ad virg. non procul ab in­itio. and the time of the Gospell the day of saluation, 2 Cor. 6.2. as Christ is some where called the Sunne of righteousnesse: and Saint Ambrose expounds that of the Psalme, Day vnto day vttereth speech, and night vnto night sheweth knowledge, thus; Day, that is, one Christian teacheth another Christian: and night, that is, one Iew tea­cheth another Iew.

5 And sometimes these termes, are thus taken, namely, the night for the time of our vnregenerate estate, when wee were without faith, repentance, &c. and Day for the time of our regeneration, and conuersion to God: as is manifest in these places: 2 Cor. 4.6. 1 Thess. 5.5. 2 Pet. 1.19. Ouid. 6. Metam. Igno­rance and rebellion are called night by the Poet.

The question is, how Day and Night are taken here by our Apostles, for interpreters iudge diuersly:

But not the first way, though to be without grace, be the greatest aduersity can be fall vs: and on the contrary.

Nor the second, though indeed onely beleeuers liue, and vnbeleeuers are dead in sinne.

Nor the third, because the Resurrection is not our mor­ning, our morning is in this life: for here we haue some light of Grace.

Nor the fourth, which interpreters ancient and later haue much stood vpon; For first, the night of Iewish ceremonies, is not onely farre passed, but cleane gone and ended. Second­ly, Paul wrote principally to the Gentiles, who had no night of ceremonies: Thirdly, Paul sets downe, verse 13. what be the works of the night hee meanes, viz. Chambering and wontonnesse, gluttony and drunkennesse, &c.

We therfore take the fifth and last to be the true meaning of this place.

The Night is farre spent, the Day is at hand: The Apostles so speakes to note the goodnesse, and yet the imperfection of our estate.

It is not so Day with vs, but that we haue much darknesse, nor so Night but that, blessed be God, wee haue some light, some knowledge, some Faith, some power against sinne, &c.

Our estate is excellently called by the Fathers, Crepuscu­lum, which is a middle time betweene darknesse and light: it is as the grey morning with vs, betweene the darknes of sin and the light of the vision and glory of God.

Infidelity is midnight. Faith is the morning. The vision of God is as High noone. If we looke vpon Infidelity, it is day with vs: If to the blessed vision of God, it is as night. The Angels haue a day, which we haue not yet; and we haue a day, which Turkes and Infidels haue not yet. Infidels see nothing: We see in part: The blessed in heauen, see all things.

The time of Infidelity, Doctr. is darke night: and the time of grace, as the comfortable day. Act. 26.18. Paul is sent to the Gentiles, that they may turne from darknesse to light. Eph. 5 8. Yet were sometime darknesse, but now are yee light in the Lord.

As the euening was before the morning; Ʋse 1 so first it is night with vs through our corruption, before it be day with vs by grace. No man is borne in this day: but as, when darknesse was vpon the face of the deepe, God made the light by his word: so by the preaching of his Word, hath he turned our spirituall darknesse into light, according to that comfortable saying: God, 2 Cor. 4.6. who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse, hath shi­ned in our hearts, to giue the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Iesus Christ.

The Creation of light, no greater worke then thy con­uersion; Be thankfull to him who by his word, hath brought thee which satest in darknesse and in the shadow of death, into the comfortable light of sauing grace.

Happy are beleeuers, Vse 2 vnbeleeuers and wicked men are most miserable: when these with the Aegyptians are vnder darknesse which may be felt; then are the children of God with the Israelites, in the blessed light of Goshen.

Truely the light is sweet, Eccle. 11.7. and a pleasant thing is it for the eyes to behold the Sunne: but darknesse is hideous.

How tedious to a sick man is the night! how desires hee and longs for the Day; for light of it selfe cheareth, and mi­tigates griefe; so is the time of grace most comfortable.

As is he who lyeth in the bottome of a dark stinking dun­geon; so is the man who hath a conscience without the light of grace.

There is nothing more pure, more pretious, more delight­full, more powerfull then the light: Damasc. Ort. fid. l. 2. c. 7. it is pulchritudo et orna­mentum omnis visibilis creaturae, the beauty and ornament of euery visible creature, said Damascene.

The best things are called light: God dwells in the light; Christ is the light of the world: The good Angels are Angels of light, the Word is light, Saints are light, Baptisme is light, &c. and the night or darknesse is contrary.

To bee bodily blind, is a great misery, but to bee spirituall blind, is an excesse of misery. As it is easie to make the blind fall into the ditch, so, if our eyes spirituall be darkned, how great is the darknesse, how easily can Satan lead such men in­to the very pit of hell!

If thou hast receiued grace, shew forth his prayses who hath called thee out of darknesse in to his maruellous light. 1 Pet. 2.9.

Night and Day are two contrary states: Ʋse 3 It is not possible to bring mid-night and mid-day together: so impossible, that a man being in the state of sinne and infidelity, should bee a good Christian.

Examine thy estate, whether it be night with thee or day, thou shalt know this, by thy inward affections, and by thy out­ward actions.

1 Thou readest in the Psalmes; that God makes darknesse, and it is night, and then all the beasts of the forest creepe forth; the Lyons seeke after their prey, &c. But when the Sunne ari­seth, they lay them downe in their dennes, and then man goeth forth to his worke, and to his labour till the euening.

Looke now to thy heart; is pride there, malice, couetous­nesse, &c. Surely if these beasts be abroad, it is night with thee; [Page 64]these are not to be seene in the light of grace, but are hunted out, to Hell (the Diuels den) from whence they came.

2 Thou readest in S. 1 Thess. 5.6, 7. Paul, Let vs watch and be sober, for they that sleepe sleepe in the night, they that are drunken, are drun­ken in the night.

Looke now to thy life; Ioh. 3.20. Euery one that doth euill hateth the light, Iob. 24.14, 15.16.17. saith our Sauiour, and the theefe, the murderer, the A­dulterer wait for the twilight, saith Iob, and the morning is to them as the shadow of death: If therefore, whoredome, drun­kennesse, theft, &c. be thy practices, then certainly it it mid­night with thee: stand vp from these dead workes, that Christ may giue thee light.

The Night is farre spent, Ʋse 4 the Day is at hand. Though wee haue some light, yet wee haue some darkenesse, which the Re­generate see and bitterly complaine of. O the dulnesse, ig­norance, rebellious corruptions that yet remaine, wee are not perfectly renewed in euery degree: let it admonish vs to proceed in faith, and the daily practice of repentance, that the Day-Starre, may more and more dawne in our hearts. Heare the Word, and pray that thy light may in­crease.

Democritus the Philosopher, put out the eyes of his bo­dy, A. Gellius Noct. Attic. l. 10.17. perswading himselfe, that the cogitations, and com­mentations of his minde, in the contemplation of nature, would bee the more liuely, and exact thereby: so, one way doubtlesse to further the light of the soule, is to pluck off the scales of worldlinesse, and voluptuousnesse, and to put out the carnall eye, wherewith with so much doting we behold the things of this world.

Euery day dresse thine eyes, that thou maist see more and more. Pre. 4.18. He that is righteous let him be more righteous, that he may be like the morning light which shineth more and more, vnto perfect day.

IN these words are the generall Exhortation, issuing out of the Reason contained in the first words of this verse, of which before.

This Exhortation hath two branches, according to the two parts of the Reason; The night is farre spent; therefore cast off the workes of darknesse: The day is at hand, therefore put on the armour of light: In each of these are two things: The Act: the Obiect.

In the first branch, the Act is, Cast off: the Obiect, the workes of darknesse.

Darknesse is the priuation of light, caused by the absence of the Sunne, when the body of the Earth is interposed be­tweene vs and it: here translated to signifie an vnregenerate estate, when the cogitation is darkened, and the soule desti­tute of the light of Grace: and there is an excellent Analogie and similitude betweene bodily and spirituall darknesse, and that in fiue things.

1 Tenebra est visus impeditiua, J [...]an à S Ge­ [...]ano, lib. 1 de [...] & cl [...], [...]p. 3 [...]. darkenesse hindereth sight: and therefore tenebrae, à tenendo, because our eyes are as holden that wee cannot see, to reade, to distinguish co­lours, &c. In the Night Coloromnthus vnus: So an vnrege­nerate man is blinde, he sees not the foul [...]nesse of sinne, the danger of his soule, &c.

2 It is gressus prohibitiua, it hinders a mans going and tra­uell: when the plague of thicke darknesse was vpon Aegypt, Exod. 10.23. it is said that no man rose from his place for three dayes; they might haue candle and fire, yet the darknesse was so thicke, that the light of these could not pierce it: it was a darknesse that might haue been felt.

So the vnregenerate, in regard of their blindnesse, lye and die in their sinnes, if God mercifully enlighten them not.

3 Darknesse is casus inductiua, causeth a man dangerous­ly to fall: He that walkes in the night, here runnes against a poste, there tumbles into a ditch.

So the way of the wicked is as darknesse, P [...]. [...].9. they know not at what they stumble, as Salomon saith.

4 It is timoris incussiua, darknesse strikes a feare into a man. In the darke night a little noyse, any vnexpected thing in our way, yea sometimes a mans owne imagination will make h [...] afra [...]d, though otherwise of good courage.

So the darknesse [...]f the vnregenerate makes them feare, where no feare is; as in the superstition of the Heathen is manifest. So the Papists are afraid of eating an egge in Lent, and thinke the Diuel would fetch them away if they should eate fresh vpon a fasting-day; but it is their darknesse, for if they had light, they would discerne, that not for these things, but for the [...]r [...]dolatries, Act 10. cruelties, blasphemies, &c. they had cause to feare. Peter was afraid to eate out of the sheete, but it was his ignorance.

5 Darkenesse is Ʋerecundiae diminutiua, it diminisheth shamefastnesse, and makes men bold to doe that then, of which they would be [...] shamed in the day-light: Nox & A­mor vinum (que) nihil moderabile suadent.

So the vnregenerate because of their darknesse, are not a­shamed of drunkennesse, whoredome, swearing, lying, &c. they are impudent as an harlot, they haue a whores forhead, and reiuse to be ashamed.

But a regenerate man, if hee bee by infirmitie ouertaken with a fault; how is he ashamed of himselfe, and to shew his head before God or men? If a man doe ill, and be not asha­med, it is his darknesse.

Work [...]s of darknesse. By workes are meant all such practi­ces and courses which come from an vnregenerate estate, which are called of darknesse in three respects.

1 Because they issue from the darknesse of the minde, for it is that which bringeth forth drunkennesse, &c. All sinnes come from our corruption, and from Satan the Prince of darknesse.

2 Because they are done in darknesse, 1. Thess. 5.5.

3 Because they lead vs to darknesse, for such workers are sentenced to vtter darknesse.

Cast off: as a man when he begins to rise, casteth off his [Page 67]blankets and bed-clothes; but because a man that doth so, at night returneth thither againe to bee couered with such things: therefore rather so to cast off, as a man that hath so long worne a suite, that now it beginneth to doe him discre­dit to weare it; or yet rather, as a man comming out of pri­son, hauing filthy ragges about him, and full of vermine; goeth aside, putteth them off, and hurleth them away on some dunghill, or into some ditch, and neuer purposeth to touch them more: so are wee to cast off the workes of dark­nesse, as whoredome, drunkennesse, &c. these nastie ragges, with indignation, throwing them into Hell, their proper place from whence they came.

And let vs put on the Armour of light. The Action here, is putting on; the Obiect, the Armour of light.

1 Light, in opposition to Darknesse, implying a holy and sanctified estate, being renued by the Spirit of God.

Grace of sanctification is called light: because as the light, Iames 1.17. Malachy 4.2. it comes from heauen, from the Father of lights, and from Iesus Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse. An estate of Grace, is a heauenly estate.

2 Because as light manifesteth dangers and snares, so the minde being renued, and enlightned with grace, discerneth betweene good and bad, truth and falsehood, and seeth that the end of euill wayes is assured destruction, &c.

3 Because, as light is comfortable, so the conscience is chea­red by grace.

4 Because he that liueth holily, is a light to others, who by the shine of his good workes, glorifieth God.

Armour of light: [...], Bez [...] translateth with a circumstance of words, Induamur habitu qui luci conucniat; put on a habite sutable to the light: but the word [...], pro­perly signifieth Armour, and it is so proper to Paul to speake after this manner, that I wonder M. Beza would not retaine the antient and proper translation herein.

Rom. 6.13. We reade of Instruments or weapons of vnrigh­teousnesse, and righteousnesse: and when Paul reckoneth vp the particular graces of Sanctification, he doth it vnder the termes of such pareels of armour, which are vsed in the war. [Page 68]So Ephes. 6.11. put on, saith he, [...] the whole ar­mour of God, the parcels whereof follow in that place. So 1. Thess 5.8. faith and loue are called a brest. plate, and hope a helmet of saluation.

Workes of light, are called Armour, because of their defen­siue, and offensiue property: they helpe to defend our consci­ences against Satan, and they offend Satan; nothing almost vexeth the foule spirit more, then our conscionable and vp­right proceeding in godlinesse.

Put on: a metaphor from the putting on of apparell, fa­miliar with Paul, of which more, vers. 14.

M. Beza translateth it in the passiue, Induamur, let vs bee put on, because this armour is bestowed vpon vs from aboue, it is the holy Spirit which fashioneth it, and girdeth it to vs.

The consideration of our holy calling to the state of grace, Doctr. ought to teach vs to hate and abhorre euill workes, and to doe the good. Ephes. 5.8. Yee were sometimes darknesse, but now yee are light in the Lord; walke as children of light. 1. Thess. 5.8. Let vs who are of the day be sober. Tit. 2.11.12. The grace of God hath appeared, teaching vs to deny vngodlinesse, &c. 1. Ioh. 2.8.

Euery man ought to manifest his regeneration, Ʋse 1 by the light of his life: nay it will be so, if once enlightned, there will be as much difference from our former estate, as between light and darknesse; if once grafted into Christ, our fruit will bee so changed, that there will be as much difference from that which was, as betweene the faire and sweet fruit of Para­dise, and the most bitter Coloquintida.

Euery thing doth agree performam, worke according to, and by the forme: fire will heate, if it bee fire, and light will dispell darknesse: if we haue receiued grace, our conuersati­on and whole behauiour will be gracefull: If we say that wee haue fellowship with him (who is the light) and walke in darke­nesse, we lye, and doe not the truth.

If thou beest ord [...]narily drunke, if thou delightest in va­nitie, art a common blasphemer, &c. there is no light, no grace. Esay 8.20. To the law, and to the testimony; if they speake, (and do) not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

We must cast off euill with hatred to it, Ʋse 2 and put on good­nesse with delight in it.

Many will spet at the naming of the Diuell, and say they defie him; but hast thou cast him out of thy heart? Many will say they cannot abide hypocrisie, dissembling, malice, slandering, pride, &c. which yet continually practise such things: when thou hearest or seest euill, as swearing, drun­kennesse, &c. doth thy heart rise against such euils, for the true hatred thou bearest to them, and in this hatred dost thou abandon the workes and workers of such darknesse? If so, this is a good signe.

Many will commend the Word, but if the Preacher come home to their conscience, and tell them of their belo­ued sinne, they will storme and rage: many will commend sobrietie, chastitie, humilitie, patience, but put thou them on, and weare them.

Put on the Armour of light. Where there is vse of armour, Ʋse 3 there is some feare of danger; yet if there come danger, bles­sed be God that we haue Armour.

A godly man is armed from top to toe, Satan may buffet him, but destroy him he cannot, for he is armed in proofe.

Miserable is the vnregenerate man, for hee is both blinde and naked: how easily are such assaulted, wounded, and in bo­dy and soule destroyed by Satan.

Let vs put on the armour of light: and for as much as Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh, [...] arme your selues with the same minde, namely, to cease from sin, 1. Pet. 4.1.2.3. and to liue the rest of our time, not to the lusts of men, in lasciuious­nesse, excesse of wine, &c. but to the will of God.

LEt vs walke honestly as in the day. Concerning the cohe­rence of these words with them before, there is some dif­ference, without any damage of the sense.

Some make it a new argument, ab honesto, Pet. Mart. Gryneus. which certainly is of great force with them which haue not put off humane sense.

Some from the end of casting off, and putting on, of which in the twelfth verse, Sarcerius. translating [...], by two words, sic vt, in English, so that, thus the vulgar, and our other translations, not well. The truest reading is, as it is here, from his Maie­sties translation: and so the first part of the verse yeeldeth vs an exhortation, which is another from that in the twelfth verse, in words, but not in sense.

The duty required in this repeated exhortation, is Honest walking where is the action, walking; the manner, honestly: and this amplified from the consideration of the time, as in the day.

Let vs walke: to walke, with the Apostle, is to liue; the ef­fect or signe of life, put for life it selfe; and so the Comman­dements are called a way, and our obedience a walking there­in: there are diuers Analogies here, of the which I haue writ­ten somewhat vpon the eight Chapter of this Epistle, vers. 1.

All our thoughts, words, deeds, whole behauiour, must be honest, and so to bee, must bee our delight, and wee must daily goe forward therein.

Honestly: honesty is taken sometimes in our ordinary speech for chastity, and so here, but this is but a part of the sense.

Sometimes for faithfulnesse; so we say, an honest man, that is, a faithfull and iust dealing: so here also, but this but in part, the word is [...], that is, in a good fashion, implying all comely and commendable carriage.

The Adiectiue is somewhere translated, Act. 13.50. Honorable: The Iewes stirred vp many deuout women, [...], and honorable, and this excellently fits here: and the Ciuill Law­yers oppose honest to vile and base: let vs walke honestly, hono­rably, according to the credit of our place and calling.

The Syrian Translation reades, modestly; Beza, compositè, orderly, fitly, as you would say in print: The Vulgar and Master Caluin, Tit. de Zelo & [...]ore post me­dium. decently, and so Saint Cyprian read this place: Pareus expoundeth it by Pauls three aduerbs, Tit. 2.12 so­berly, righteously, and godly.

As in the day: for our night apparell, any thing, though patcht and homely, will serue the turne; but in the day come­linesse requireth that wee should bee more handsomely at­tired.

When a man is to goe abroad, among his betters especi­ally, he brusheth and trimmeth vp himselfe.

The Husbandman whilest he goeth to plough and cart, is clad, it may be, in lether, but at another time his garments are very neate and trimme; hee hath his worke-day and his holy-day apparell.

So, because it is now day with vs, and that we walke be­fore men and Angels, we are sutably to be fashioned and ar­rayed: and in as much as very day is holy-day with a true Christian, and euery place as the Church to him, therefore he is to walke thereafter.

Euery Christian must haue a speciall care ouer all his behaui­our, that it be honest, and such as becommeth the Gospell. Prou. 4.25. Doctr. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eye-lids look streight before thee. 26. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy wayes be stablished, or ordered aright. 27. Turne not to the right hand nor to the left, remoue thy foote from euill. Ephes. See that yee walke circumspectly, accurately. 1. Thess. 4.14. [...]. That yee malke honestly, according to the Word in this place.

A Christian must be walking: Vse 1 to stand still and idle is re­proued, Matth. 20.3.6. An idle man falls into pouertie, and a man that giueth himselfe to ease, into diuers diseases: Bee walking, that thou mayest expell noxious humours. When Dauid began to take his ease, hee began to bee ouer-growne with lustfull affections. If the husbandman be not alwayes fallowing his land with the plough, it will runne out with weeds, so will our hearts with noysome lusts, through want of the daily practice of good duties.

We must walke, that is, goe forward in godlinesse, Ʋse 2 that we may euery day be nearer heauen then other, as he that wal­keth commeth nearer and nearer to his iourneyes end.

A Nurse delighteth to see her babe battle and thriue, and it is a shame for a scholler to bee alwayes in the lowest forme. Go on therefore, and be euery day better then thy selfe. Not to goe forward, is to goe backward. Philip. 3.13.14. I forget that which is be­hind, saith Paul, and reach forth vnto that which is before, and I prease toward the marke.

We are not yet at our iourneyes end, wee must walke on, [Page 72]and there are many impediments, Et ibi incidimus in deficiendi periculum, vbi proficiendi deposuerimus appetitum: There wee beginne to grow worse, Leo Mag. ser. 2. de Quadrag. where wee striue not and desire to grow better, said Leo.

Our walking to heauen, is like the forcing of a Boate a­gainst the streame, or a Chariot vp a hill; if the oares and horses stand still, they go backe as fast as they went forward.

As in walking, Ʋse 3 there are many paces, so in our life many passages, we must carry our selues decently in all.

Let thy speech, gesture, eating, drinking, sleeping, clothing, recreations, &c. be honest, and such as becommeth a Chri­stian.

Be sober toward thy selfe, iust toward thy neighbour, re­ligious and deuout toward God; ioyne them all together, which many doe not.

Saint Paul vseth this word, when he giueth warning of our behauiour in the Church: Let all things be done decently, 1. Cor. 14.40. When thou commest to Church, let thy beha­uiour be venerable: It is not a prophane Theater, but Gods house. Vncouer thy head, bow thy knee, pray, heare, sing, with the rest of the congregation: when they pray, reade not thou; when they kneele, sit not thou: vniformity and or­der, is most honest and comely in the Lords house: otherwise there is not [...], but [...].

Walke honestly: at Church, at market, at thine owne house.

Haue such care of thy liuing, Ʋse 4 as thou hast of thy putting on apparell: No man in his right wits will appeare abroad and in publike, either disguised or naked: Nature teacheth vs to couer our vncomely parts, 1. Cor. 12.23. [...]. and grace should teach vs, that drunkennesse, whoredome, &c. agree not with the honestie and comelinesse of Christians.

A vertuous conuersation doth a man a great deale of ho­nestie and credit; Vse 5 as a comely garment, Age it selfe without Vertue, is not honorable, Prou. 16.31. Follow vertue.

Sinne disgraceth vs: Rom. 1.26. Rom. 1.24. lusts are called [...], vile, disho­norable affections, which doe [...], dishonor bodies. Hate vice.

THese words, and the next verse following, containe an exposition of the exhortation, to walke honestly as in the Day.

That exhortation is two wayes expounded: First, nega­tiuely in these words; then affirmatiuely in the verse follow­ing.

In the negatiue are diuers particular vices enumerated, which are contrary to this honest walking.

There are set downe three paire of vices; not that there are no more; but these are reckoned vp, as the foulest, and most common, which most staine and dedecorate a Christian; and vnder these all other to be vnderstood.

The first paire are rioting and drunkennesse. There are two staffes of our bodily life, meat and drinke, hee forbiddeth here intemperance in both.

Rioting. The Latine reads, non in comessationibus; which comes not of the Latine comedere, which signifies to eate, but of the Greeke [...], which is the word in this place, and signifies, as Saint Ambrose expounds, luxurious feasting, and banquetting, wherein men take liberty vnto all lasciui­ous and riotous behauiour; so called as some thinke, be­cause such feasting, and riotous feeding brings [...], heauy sleepe, when men are as the Poet speakes, Somno vino (que), Virgil. or som­no (que) cibo (que) sepulti, Euen buried in sleep caused by good cheere.

And because in such feasting, oftentimes there is Musick, the Syriack translation (it may be) rendered it, non in musica not in musick; meaning vaine and filthy songs, and petulant behauiour, according to the rude doings in many places at mariages.

From hence the Heathen called their god of wantonnes and reuelling, [...]. This was the abhominable Idoll of Moab, Chemosh, 1 Kings 11.7. so called from some filthy behauiour vsed or seene in the worship of that Idol: This was Priapus; the Israelites grieuously sinned, Numb. 25.1, 2, 3. in ioyning themselues to Baal­peor, [Page 74]or Beelphegor; Pudendum idolū Targ. Ionathae consule Hieron. in loc. Hoseae. of which the Prophet Osee speaketh, chap. 9.10. They went to Baal-peor, and separated themselues vnto that shame.

Nor feasting, nor eating that which is dainty is here forbid­den; but rioting in our eating, bringing forth proteruous and dissolute behauiour.

Drunkennesse. When this odious sinne is named; wee conceiue a man vomiting, reeling and staggering, not being able to speake, nor able to goe: we thinke of the deformity of his visage, the inordinate and vncomely motion of his body, his dementation, or alienation of mind.

But drunkennesse properly is not in these; These are the ef­fects of it, or as the Schoolemen say well, rather poena, then culpa ebrietatis, Esay 51.21. the punishment, then the fault of drunkennes.

Drunkennesse is manifold: there is [...]: as the Pro­phet Esay speaketh to the Iewes: thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine, with sinne then, or with plagues, for they were opplete with both.

There is Panaria ebrietas, and drunkennesse with bread, prouerbiall vsed in the Dutch language, Eras. chil. 1. Cent. 3. Adag. 3. as the learned Dutch­man of Roterdam saith in his Adagies, noting petulant and impudent manners.

There is also giddinesse by Tobacco; the immoderate and vnreasonable vse wherof is so much the more to be damned, because it is the nurse of this brutish drunkennesse, we haue to intreat of.

The drunkennesse here ment: is an immoderate drinking of any liquor, which may inebriate.

The very forme of this sinne is in the terme Immoderate; now that is immoderate in drinking, which is beyond the necessity of nature, the good health and strength of the body, and the reasonable refreshing of the spirits: whether alienation of mind follow or not.

For whatsoeuer in the excesse in drinking is contrary to Sobriety is ebriety: But all Immoderate drinking is contrary to sobriety: 1 Pet. 4.3. and therefore, Saint Peter doth not onely for­bid walking [...], in drunkennesse, but [...] in any excesse of wine, when we begin to be heat with [Page 75]it, and in drinkings and vnnecessary bibbing, and quaffing.

Thy conscience tels thee that drunkennesse is a sinne: Obs. de­ceiue not thy selfe, as to thinke thou art not guilty vnlesse thou make thy selfe abeast: to be depriued of the vse of rea­son, is the highest degree of this sinne, but to drinke immode­rately is drunkennesse in some degree.

If by thy constitution, and strength of thy braine, thou beest able to beare as much drink as two or three men, with­out the alienation of thy mind; yet know that thou art not the lesse but the more culpable thereby. Remember what the Prophet saith, Woe to them that are mighty to drinke wine, Esay 5.22. and men of strength to mingle strong drink.

Gluttony and Drunkennesse, Doctr. disgrace the persons and profession of Christians. Pro. 23.20. We must not be amongst wine bib­bers, and riotous eaters of flesh; much lesse may wee doe such things. Luke 21.34. Take heed lest your hearts be ouer char­ged with surfetting and drunkennesse: 1 Peter 4.3. 1 Cor. 6.10. Gal. 5.21.

Wee may not, genio indulgere, be greedy of dainty cates, Ʋse 1 like the rich glutton who fared delitiously euery day.

It is lawfull vpon occasion to exceed in prouision; but neuer lawfull to exceed the bounds of moderate eating, Iude. 12. nor without feare to feed our selues.

The Romanes were greatly faulty herein; also the Iewes, in the dayes of Esay and Amos. These are belly-gods, of whom Paul, Phil. 3.19. Epicuri de grege porci, Swinish Epicures; which know nothing nor intend, but curare cutem, to pamper themselues with dainty fare.

And surely so exceedingly are wee of this Nation peccant this way, that, that scoffe may bee returned vpon vs which was cast vpon the Agrigenti [...]es, or men of Megara. They build as if they were to liue euer, they prouide for their bellies as if they were to dye to morrow.

But venter paruo contentus, si das quod debes, non quod potes;

The belly is content with a little, Seneca. if you giue it so much as you owe, not so much as you can.

Rich Alcamenes, prouided, and fed sparingly: being asked the reason, he answered that it became multapossiden­tem, [Page 76]pro ratione, non pro libidine viuere.

Plato inuited to supper Timothy the Athenian Duke, and intertained him with a roote and a sallet, but with Philosophi­call discourses also; for which Timothy gaue thankes to Plato the next day, on this manner; They which sup with Plato feele themselues the better for it the next day: for indeed ma­ny through gurmundizing feele themselues the worse many dayes after: It hath beene obserued and affirmed that more perish by surfetting then by the sword.

These examples of the Heathens should admonish vs to beware of excesse, whereby we dull our apprehension, and vnfit our selues for our duties to God and man.

The frugality and moderation of the Patriarchs, and holy Kings is remarkeable; and also of the Christians of former times. One instance for many.

In the dayes of Tertullian, Tertull. in Apolog. it was imputed to the Christi­ans that the were prodigall and giuen to belly cheere, be­cause of their loue feasts, which therefore Tertullian describes, thus; Non prius discumbitur, &c. We sit not downe, till an assay be taken by prayer to God. Wee eate so much as may stay hunger, and drink so much, as is profitable for the chast and snamefast. We are filled so, as that we remember that we must worship God in the night: we discourse so, as they who know that God heares them. Post aquam manualem, after water and lights, euery man is prouoked to sing vnto God something out of the Scriptures, or out of his owne inuenti­on, by which a triall is made, how he hath eaten and drunk: Also Grace and prayer takes away, and ends the feast: and from thence wee depart, not to any wanton, riotous, or lasciuious practices, but to the same care of modesty and chastity, Ʋt qui non tam caenum caenauerint, quam discipli­nam, so that you might thinke that they had beene rather at a Sermon, or at some Lecture of sobriety, then at a Supper. Vse 2

Abhorre Drunkennesse, and be sober: The fearfull effects of Drunkennesse are manifold.

1 It wasts our Substance, it hath brought many families to lesse then a morsell of bread, and hath clothed men of some [Page 77]note with ragges. Pro. 23.20.21. Diogenes seeing a bill fastened vpon a drunkards doore signifying that the house was to bee sould: I thought said he, that he would at last vomit his house also.

2 It oucrthrowes health, causing Palsies, Apoplexies, and diuers other diseases, as the Physitians witnesse.

3 It takes away a mans good name: Scurrarum est, saith a Father, It was wont to be the beggars sinne, Hieran ep 83. ad Oceanum. according to the Prouerbe, As drunke as a beggar; but now many that are no beggars, are grieuously faulty in this bruitishnes.

4 It extinguisheth the light of reason, and robbes vs of that pretious Iewell. Anima sicca sapientissima, the dry soule is the wise soule: Many seeme to haue animam pro sale, a soule they haue but as salt onely, to keepe their bodies from rotting a­boue ground. They drowne their wits, that as the earth op­pressed with water is vnfruitfull; so they are altogether vn­profitable. Nabuchodonosor was not more a beast then is a drunkard.

5 It is the sountaine of all luxurious and filthy doings, and the cause of much sinne. In it is excesse of riot, saith Saint Paul, Ephes. 5.18. [...], Drunkards are many of them of the prin­cipallest factors for the Diuell; for hauing beene ouertaken themselues, they neuer cease labouring to make others the children of hell like themselues; and therein, after a hellish manner reioyce. Consul. Amb. l. de Elia & Jeiunio ca. 11. Amb loc. cit. c. 17 These are they which knowe no way to honour their friends but by arinking their healths; against which Ambrose declaimes: and this forsooth is to be done by threes, which Saint Austin calles a filthy custome, the poy­son of the Diuell, and the vnhappy vse of the Pagans: he saith farther, Aug. ser. 231. de tempere ad [...] sinem. Quicun (que) hee in suo conuiuio aut alieno fieri acquieue­rit, diabelo se sacrificasse non dubitauerit: that is, whosoeuer shall consent to such healths-drinking by threes, at his owne or at any other mans table, let him not doubt, but that hee hath by so doing sacrificed to the Diuell: and therefore hee adiureth his hearers by the dreadfull day of iudgement, that they banish this heathenish custome.

It damnes the soule, 1. Cor. 6.10. Gal. 5.20.

Howle therefore you drunkards for the misery which shall come vpon you, when euery drop of wine or beare im­moderately [Page 78]taken, shall be recompensed with a sea of wrath.

If thou desirest to be able to serue God in prayer & faith, abhor drunkennes, for a drunkard is a very Atheist; these are they which in Esayes and Pauls time denyed the prouidence of God, 1 Cor. 15.32. Esay 22. Eccles. 2.3. and the resurrection. Let vs eate and drinke say they, for to morrow we shall die.

Salomon thought to giue himselfe to wine, and yet to haue ac­quainted his heart with wisdome, but he found it impossible.

Not possible to be a drunkard and religious.

Abhorre drunkennes in thy selfe, reforme it also in others to thy vttermost ability; that for the safety of thine owne soule and other mens also, thou mayst haue a double reward.

Take heed thou hast no hand in setting vp vnnecessary Ale houses, the very Temples of Satan.

In as much as it is now become vitium Gentis, a sinne of our Nation, and committed in that, which Nature cannot want, be the more carefull.

If thou hast beene preserued in these dangerous times, giue humble thanks to God: if thou hast beene guilty, re­pent of this thy wickednesse, and pray that if it bee possible it may be forgiuen thee. It is hard for a drunkard to repent.

THese are the second paire of vices, contrary to tempe­rance and honest walking.

Chambering, the Greeke word signifies a bed, or bed­chamber; Aquinas; and some haue interpreted it superfluous sleepe, which followes gluttony and drunkennesse; and then wan­tonnesse followes such sleepe. Good Dauid at Euening-tide rose from his bed: this was not well to rise from his bed at Euening; and what wantonnes followed the story declares.

The Syrian Translator reades Non in dormitorio immundo, not in a filthy sleeping place; if it should bee taken for a place, I would thinke the stewes to be forbidden.

Here these are doubtlesse meant, and also all preparation and prouision made for intising and nourishing our lusts, as the Harlot is described in the Prouerbs, to haue Deckt her [Page 79]bed, and perfumed her Chamber, &c. Pro. 7.16, 17.

But principally fornication and whoredome it selfe, by a me­tonymie, calling it by a modest terme: so is the word vsed, Heb. 13.4. Martage is honourable, and the Bed vndesiled; and [...] is translated to conceiue. Rom. 9.10.

Wontonnesse: [...], signifies, a monsirous profusion, [...]. and powring out and spending ones selfe without measure, in, and vnto all lasciuiousnesse: The word is thought to be com­pounded of [...], and [...]; Selge, they say was a city betweene Galatia, and Cappadocia, the inhabitants whereof were most modest and temperate, and then [...], is priuatine, as noting one in whom there is no modesty at all; others affirme that peo­ple to haue beene most dissolute and lewd, and then [...] to bee [...], intensiue, dilating, and increasing the sense. [...] etiam dicitur [...], Fellator. Pliny makes mention of the oyle of Selge, Selgilicum, which is good for the sinewes, thought to be found out and vsed by that people, to confirme and strengthen them, hauing spent themselues, in mutuall and abominable filthinesse.

By these two words, are not forbidden, either a bed, or a bed-chamber, or the lawfull vse of them; nor mariage, nor the sporting of Isaack and Rebecah, nor friendly salutations; but all vncleannesse, and vnlawfull copulation, either accor­ding or contrary to kinde, with all immodest and filthy be­hauiour.

All fedity, Doctr. obscenous and filthy behauiour is contrary to that honest walking which is inioyned Christians. Gal. 5.19. Ephe. 5.3. Col. 3.5. 1 Thess. 4.3.4. 1 Peter 4.3.

The Holy Spirit cals vncleane actions by the name of Chambering, to teach vs to abhor euen vncomly words: Vse 1 Many lewd persons account it no mirth if their tongues must bee bound to the law of grace, and may not runne riot in all filthy and broad language.

Sermo caracter mentis: out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh: An vncleane mouth, comes from an vncleane heart, and ends in vncleane actions.

Here maried couples are to bee admonished, Ʋse 2 to possesse their vessels in sanctification and honour, and to keepe the mariage bed vndefiled.

Their bed-chamber must not be a shop of intemperance, but of modesty; not a place of lust, but as a temple consecrated to chastity, and shamefastnesse; as accustomed to prayer, holy conferences, and meditations; as to pleasure.

The bed and bed chamber are so to be vsed, that we may not be ashamed there to call vpon God: In no place take liber­ty of immodest and vncomely behauiour, for God seeth in secret; in no time, not in the darkenesse of the night, Deorum immortalium etiam noctes sunt, Hesiodus. said the Poet. The Nights are the Lords, as well as the Dayes.

Note the order of these: Vse 3 After rioting, and drunkennesse, follow Chambering and wantonnesse: As they are here ioyned together, Hos. 4.11. so a Prophet said, Wine and whoredome take away the hart: where drunkennes goes before, there whoredome soone followes after.

Tertullian saith thus, Tertul. lib. de spectac. tit. de Theatro. Liberto et Ʋeneri conuenit; Duo ista Daemonia conspirata et coniurata inter se sunt, ebrietatis et libidi­nis. Bacchus and Venus, agree and goe together: These are two foule fiends which conspire and are coniu [...]ed together for the destruction of Mankind: Hieron. in Titū. Hierome affirmeth that he will neuer beleeue that a drunkard is chast.

Exod. 32.6. The people sat downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play, that is, to all manner of filthy practices vsuall a­mongst Idolaters; as they did, Numb. 25.

Hee which is a riotous feeder and giuen to drunkennesse and saith he will liue chastly, is like vnto him who saith hee will set stubble on fire, and quench it when he list: As fire in stubble cannot be quenched easily, so nor vncleane lusts in riotous persons and drunkards.

Abhor fornication, Vse 4 whoredome, and all filthinesse.

Though the world will not take knowledge of the hai­nousnesse of the sinne of vncleannesse; yet it is a transcendent sinne: witnesse the old world, the filthy brood whereof were washed away with a flood.

Sodome also, and the twenty three thouland in Numb. 25. and 1 Cor. 10.8.

It breeds such foule diseases, the naming of which could not but be offensiue to mens stomacks and eares.

It shuts out of the kingdome of heauen, 1. Cor. 6.9.10. Hebr. 13.4. Gal. 5.19.21. Reu. 21.8.27. and 22.15.

Helpes against vncleannesse are diuers, especially these following.

1 Remember such Scriptures as speake against it, and among the rest this in hand, Aug. Confesi. l. 8. cap. vl. by which Saint Augustine was helped, and obtained an end of his vncleane lusts: For, as himselfe reports, with many teares begging power and an end of his incontinencie, hee heard a voice from the next house, as of some boy or girle singing, and often repeating these words, Tolle lege, Tolle lege, whereupon hee presently fetched codicem Apostoli, S. Pauls Epistles, and the first place he lighted on, was this, Not in chambering and wantonnesse; and by the power of this word his bands were released.

2 Consider thy Resurrection: Thy body must rise againe; wilt thou haue a filthy polluted body to appeare before the Iudge?

3 Hate Idlenesse, and walke diligently in thy calling: O­tiasi tollas, &c. Take Idlenesse away, and Cupids bow will soone decay.

4 Fast and pray: Fast, for sine Corere & Baccho friget Ve­nus: and pray, for Chastitie and continencie are Gods gifts: These sinnes are of those kinds, which goe not out but by prayer and fasting.

If thou beest guiltie, vse these helpes, and repent betimes, lest thou be eternally damned: If Saint Paul liued in these dayes, and beheld the goatish behauiour, and horrible vn­cleannesse committed, not onely with impunitie, but with boasting, how would hee thunder the iudgements of God, both against the guiltie, and against Magistrates, which cause not such things to be seuerely punished. Surely God will be auenged of both.

THis is the third paire: as the second followeth the first as the cause and breeder of it, so this paire followeth both the first and the second. These all are vitia connata, twisted together. Drunkennesse begetteth Whoredome, and each of them beget strife.

That drunkennesse begetteth strife, Salomon witnesseth: Who hath contentions? Prou. 23.29 30.35. who hath wounds without cause? They that tarry long at the wine, &c. They haue striken me, shalt thou say, &c. Experience also sheweth the same, in the quarrels, pot­fights, Ale-house frayes, stabbings, blood-draughts, &c. rife in euery place.

Alexander the great was much giuen to drunkennesse: when he was sober, he ouercame his enemies; but when hee was in drinke, he embrued his owne hands in the blood of his worthie Captaines and dearest friends.

That whoredome begetteth strife; the Name of Troy will alwayes testifie; and the many combates and duels, which are by godlesse men fought for their Mistresses and Harlots.

Many Interpreters referre the two first couples to the bo­die, this to the minde, taking their hint from Iam. 3.14. But they also are sinnes of the minde; for a drunkard and adul­terer haue a carrion heart, before they haue a dunghill life: and there is outward strife, as well as inward.

[...], Strife; euill strife, in affections, words, scoulding, brawling, &c. yea all vniust suing, quarrelling, &c.

Here is not forbidden striuing to enter in at the straite gate, nor striuing against corruptions; but corrupt strife, pro­ceeding from an enuious heart; as the Apostle here coupleth the daughter and mother together.

Enuy: [...], Zeale, which is in generall, an earnest af­fection to a thing: a thing indifferent, and good or bad, ac­cording as is the obiect whereunto it is referred.

When it respecteth the setting forth of Gods glory, it is a vertue, for the which Phinees and Dauid are commended: Luke 6.15. for this was one of the Apostles called Zelotes, Simon Zelotes, the zealous, to distinguish him from Simon Peter; and he was [Page 83]so called, because of his earnestnesse and zeale for the Gospel. He is called by Matthew, Simon the Cananite, not of the Land of Canaan, called so from the Nephew of Noah by Cham, Matth. 10.4. which is written with Caph, and comes from a roote which signifieth, He made vile and abiect, but written with Kuph. and comming from a root in Pihel Kinne, which signifieth, Hee was mooued with zeale; Reuel. 3.19. vnto this was the Church of Laodicea exhorted.

When it respects our neighbours hurt, then it is a vice, whereby men grieue at the good of their neighbours.

Iames calleth it bitter zeale: sweet zeale is good; Iames 3.14. but Paul meaneth here, that which is bitter; a mischieuous thing it is, viz. to be grieued at my neighbours thrift.

The Latine word is Inuidia, of Inuidere, videre is good, but Inuidere is to see with an euill eye, and a naughtie minde.

When a man seeth his neighbours corne to prosper bet­ter then his, then for a man to grieue and fret at it, this is enuy.

An enuious man growes leane, and pines away to see his neighbour fatte: he reioyceth in nothing, but in the hurt of his neighbour.

Enuy is compared to the Basiliske, which is called Rex In­uidorum, the King of the Enuious, because the strength of his poyson is conueyed by his eyes.

Strife and Enuy are contrary to honest walking: So Paul, Gal. Doctr. 5.20. telleth vs with one breath, of diuers fruits of the flesh, among which these two are reckoned: Phil. 2.3. Let nothing be done through strife or vaine-glory. Vaine-glory the mother of strife and enuy, for, onely by pride commeth contention, Prou. 13.10. If you see two men striue, either one or both are proud.

Striue not needlesly: Vse 1 The godly shall haue many oppo­sites, who will quarrell with them, but we must be quiet, we are called to peace.

It is reported that the Salamander is so cold, that it can [Page 84]liue in the fire: Surely we haue many of this complexion; who account it no life if they haue no suits and brabblings on foote; then are they asleepe in the chimneyes end: but if they be engaged in some contention, then are they liuely and merry.

These are to be reproued, together with the Barretter, Make-bate, Carry-tale, and such like.

You shall come into few townes, where there are not some of these vnquiet spirits, striuing about the Asses shadow, or the wooll of a dogge, as a man might say: suing for the chiefe and highest places in the Church, more then to be religious; for taking the wall, and going out of the doore first: who, if God be dishonored, can be quiet enough, but for euery trifle concerning themselues, will seeke the benefit of the law.

Contention in the Common-wealth is euill, but in the Church, most odious: Woe to our times; hee is now no body, that hath not a facultie to quarrell at the gouernment of the Church, raising vp new and strange opinions, and doating about vnnecessary questions.

It is lawfull toaske questions for the satisfying of consci­ence; Aug. in Euang. quaest. ex Matth. but so, that we keepe the peace. Boni Catholici quod ad fidei doctrinam pertinet ita quaerunt, vt absit decertatio periculo­sa: Good Catholikes so question, as that they auoyd dan­gerous contending, saith Augustine. But men of corrupt mindes, and destitute of the loue of the truth, contend, not that errour might bee ouercome of the truth, Aug. lib. de doct. Christ. 4. c. 28. but that their sayings may goe for currant, and other mens be put downe, saith the same Father. Thus many like little children begin to play with their meat, bringing forth such ill fruit of our so long peace and liberty of the Gospell.

Striue not. For this is the way to ruinate the Church. A house diuided cannot stand; so, nor a Church. If Altar be against Altar, Pulpit against Pulpit, Minister against Mi­nister, Professour against Professour, who getteth there­by? Not Wee, but Satan; but the Papists, to whom wee haue giuen this staffe to smite vs with, namely, our Con­tentions.

Striue not: for this were to sinne grieuously, as we may [Page 85]see by the companions of strife here, which are of the blac­k [...]st iniquities.

Striue not: for that sheweth thee to be a carnall man, 1. Cor. 3.3. yea if thou gloriest that thou beleeuest, Iames 3.14. thou lyest against the truth, saith Saint Iames.

If thou wilt needs striue, striue to do good, to enter in at the straite gate, to master thy corruptions, &c.

Abhorre Enuie. Ʋse 2

It is a diuellish sinne, and commeth from hell: The Diuell is called the Enuious man, Matth. 13.28. hee enuied our first parents, and so brought them vnder the power of death. Through enuy of the Diuell came death into the world, Wisd. 2. vlt. saith the Author of the booke of Wisedome: and Saint Iames saith, That the wisdome which sheweth it selfe in strife and enuie, is earthly, sensuall and diuellish. Iames 3.15.

It is one of the torments of hell; Luke 13.28. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when yee shall see Abraham, Isaak and Iacob, and all the Prophets in the kingdome of heauen, and your selues thrust out, saith Christ to the Iewes; now gnashing of teeth is a token of enuy.

It is to be hated because it is the fore-runner of blood; wit­nesse Abel, and Ioseph also, whom the enuy of his brethren had murthered, had not God specially hindered it; witnesse our blessed Sauiour, whom the Iewes deliuered for enuy, Matth. 27.18. as Pilate knew very well.

Enuy opposeth the Prouidence of God, grieuing that God should dispose of his blessings, as he doth.

Enuy is contrary to such things which most commend a man: as Mercy and Charitie.

It is a most vniust sinne, for it is offended with nothing but that which is good; and the more it is, the greater is the enuy, and the offence; as the brighter the Sunne shineth, the more are weake and sore eyes offended.

And it is a most iust sin, Iustius Inuidia nihil est, &c. Horat. Cypr. serm. de Liuore. Prou. 14.30. because it excruciateth and gnaw­eth vpon the heart of him that enuieth, as a moth breeding in the garment consumeth it, and as rust eateth and fretteth the yron, so Enuie is the rottennesse of the bones. Socrates said, is was serra animae, a saw to torment the soule.

An enuious man is more vnhappie then other sinners; for in other sinnes there is some pleasure, though carnall, in enuie, nothing but griefe and torment. He is doubly miserable more then other, for other men are troubled onely for their owne euils, the enuious man is also vexed for other mens good things.

It is a generall sinne, raigning among Souldiers, Courtiers, Schollers, Citizens, Tradesmen, Country-men, among all.

It discouereth the enuious man to be in goodnesse farre in­feriour to him which is enuied.

It destroyeth friendship, Cleobulus. Basil. ser de In­uidia. Greg. Mag. l. 6. Moral. in fine. the comfort of mans life, and therefore a wise man was wont thus to aduise, to take heed of the trappes of enemies, and of the enuy of friends.

The most effectuall remedy which the Fathers haue ob­serued of this foule euill, are the contempt of the glory of this world, and of all earthly things, and the loue of the glorie of God, and of heauenly things.

For pride breedeth enuie, if pride therefore were mortified, enuy would vanish; and hee that contemneth all earthly things, cannot for them enuy his neighbour, no more then we enuy a begger for his ragges, or a Lazar for his sores: En­uy is for things at least deemed excellent, and worth the ha­uing, by which wee thinke our neighbour aduanced, and our selues disgraced.

And he that seeketh Gods glory and heauenly things, will reioyce when God is honored in his neighbour, as well as in himselfe, desiring that he may be glorified in all.

Let vs bewaile the want of goodnesse, which wee see to be in others, and striue to attaine it, and to imitate them.

IN these words is the Affirmatiue part of the Exposition of Honest walking.

To walke honestly, is to put on the Lord Iesus Christ: Vnder which phrase is emphatically comprehended, sobrietie, tem­perance, chastitie, continencie, peace, loue, and whatsoeuer [Page 87]vertue is requisite to a Christian conuersation.

Neither doth hee follow his former manner of speaking, saying, Not in rioting, &c. but in putting on the Lord Iesus; but deliuereth this part in the manner of an Exhortation, for more force.

In this we haue two parts: First, the dutie exhorted vnto, in the first part of the verse: Secondly, an Amplification in the last.

But put yee on the Lord Iesus Christ.

In these words is the Dutie; wherein are considerable, The Act, Put on; the Obiect, The Lord Iesus Christ.

The Lord Iesus Christ: These titles describing the second Person in the most sacred Trinitie, who was annointed to be our Sauiour, redeeming vs by his blood, and therefore of right, our Lord and Master; are expounded in the Cate­chisme, and therefore I passe them ouer here.

Put yee on. This phrase is figuratiue, wherein Christ is compared to a Vesture, and our obedience to the putting of it on.

Christ is our Vesture two wayes, as our Satisfaction, and as our Sanctification, as the Cause of our Saluation, and as the patterne of our life.

Wee put him on, as our satisfaction, when we beleeue, of which principally is that Scripture, Gal. 3.27. As many as haue beene baptised into Christ, haue put on Christ.

As our Sanctification, when we follow his example, resem­ble him, and are conformable to his holy life: and this is chiefly meant here, though the other not excluded. As it was meate and drinke to him to doe his Fathers will, Iohn 4.34. so ought it to be to vs.

This phrase is frequent in Paul, and he is much delighted with it; commending Loue and other vertues, vnder such manner of speaking vnto vs; as Coloss. 3.12. & seq.

For the graces of Gods Spirit, will beautifie vs more, and set vs forth, then Iewels, chaines of gold, or any rich gar­ments: As all Samsons strength was in his haire, so our strength is in Faith, but our beautie is in holinesse and in vertue.

Put on Christ, so put on the new man, Ephes. 4.24. a kinde of speaking taken from a rite or ceremony antiently, euen in Saint Pauls time vsed in Baptisme; Beza schol. in ca. 3. ep. ad Gal. v. 27. as M. Beza acknowled­geth, when persons baptized by dipping, or putting their bo­dies vnder the water, did either put on new garments, or their owne, quasi nouis, as new, as he speaketh.

But all Antiquitie witnesseth that such garments were white: so doe these verses signifie.

And Saint Ambrose speaketh of it as of a Ceremony gene­rally receiued and vsed in his time, which was about some 370. yeares after Christ: and therefore M. Zanchy might wel say of the white vesture, Amb. tom. 4. lib. de ijs qui initi­antur mysterijs cap. 7. Zanchius in ex­plic. ep. ad Eph. ca. 5. Credo fuisse in illa vetustissima Eccle­fia vsitatam, I beleeue that it was ordinarily vsed in that most antient Church, meaning the time next after the Apostles.

The manner was this: so soone as any was baptized, hee receiued of the hands of the Priest a white vestment: where such Ceremony is yet vsed, the Priest saith thus at the deliue­ry of the white garment: Accipe vestem candidam, sanctam, immaculatam, quam proferas sine macula ante tribunal domini nostri Iesu Christi, &c. Receiue this white, holy, immaculate, vestment, which thou mayst bring forth without spot, at the iudgement seat of our Lord Iesus Christ.

This garment hee was to weare a whole weeke, at the end whereof hee came and rendered it to the Priest: and in antient time baptisme was administred but at two times in the yeare, vnlesse there were necessitie; namely at Easter, and at Whitsontide; and therefore was the weeke af­ter Easter called Dominica in albis, as wee yet call the feast of Penticost from this ceremony, Whitsontide, as I take it.

This was the antient order, so in offensiue was a white garment, euen at the Sacrament of Baptisme, being there a [Page 89] significant Ceremony: and it signified notably three things.

1 Liberty, that the parties so indued were set free from sinne and Satan by Iesus Christ: as the Romanes when they manumitted their bondmen, among other tokens thereof, Tertull. de resur­rectione carnis. they put them on a white garment: of which Tertullian makes mention.

2 I [...]y, for the grace and victory by the holy Sacrament: for of both is white a token: of Ioy, where the Scripture saith, Eccles. 9 8. Let all thy garments be white: of Victory, so saith Christ to the Angell of the Church of Sardis, He that ouercometh, Reuel. 3.5. the same shall be clothed in white raiment.

3 Innocency and purity of life, that they which were bap­tized should liue candidè, fairly, not defiling themselues with sinne, but hating the very garment spotted with the flesh.

To put on Christ then, is abundantly to expresse him, fol­lowing in all things the holy rules and patterne which hee hath left in his word. Constancy also may be here implyed, for we are to put him on as our garments, which we tie fast and button to vs.

Doctrine, in the words of Saint Chrysostome; Doctr. Qui Christum induit, omnem simul in vniuersum virtutem habet: He that hath put on Christ hath together all vertue: or, To walke honestly is to put on Christ; that is, to follow his example, 1. Iohn 2.6. He that, saith he, abideth in him, that is, Christ, ought himselfe also to walke euen as hee walked. So when Saint Paul dehorts the Ephesians from their Heathenish conuersation, hee saith, But yee haue not so learned Christ, in sense the same with our Put on, in this place.

Christ is all good things to vs: He is our King, Priest, Obs. 1 and Prophet; our Aduocate, our Lord, our friend, our brother, our husband, our way, our life, our meate, our apparell, as here.

Christ an absolute example; no man may bee so vnto vs: Obs. 2 not Paul himselfe, for we are to be followers of him, 1 Cor. 11.1. onely as he is of Christ.

Here we are taught how to vse Christ, Vse 1 so as wee may be the better for him. If a man haue money and vse it not, or a workeman tooles, or a scholler bookes, and know not how to [Page 90]vse them, what profit are they? If thou wouldest vse Christ aright, put him on. It is not enough to beare him preach, for so did many of the Scribes and Pharisies: nor to be in his com­pany, for so was Iudas: nor to eate at his table, for so did the man that had not put him on as his wedding garment, Mat. 22.11.12.13. and was throwne for it into vtter darknes.

He must be put on as our Iustification, and Sanctification, as was said before.

He hath set vs in the way, and hath gone before vs in it, and as I may say, chalked it out for vs, shewing vs by his owne example how we should walke.

Many can be content to put him on as their Iesus, but not as their Lord, like naughty seruants letting their Master walk all alone: they will not follow him in humilitie, patience, so­brietie, &c. But we are in vaine called Christians, if we doe not imitate Christ, who therefore called himselfe The way, vt conuersatio Magistri forma esset discipuli; Leo Mag. Ser. 5. in Natiuit. Dom. in ipso fine. Aug. Volusiano Epist. 3. that the conuersa­tion of the Master might be the fashion of the disciple, said Leo. Ʋenit hominibus in magisterium & adiutorium: Christ came to men to helpe and rescue them as a Redeemer, and to teach them obedience as a Master, said Augustine.

He that walketh in drunkennesse, chambering, wanton­nesse, &c. hath put on the Diuell, and not Christ; for hee nor did, nor taught so. No maruell if the Heathens commit­ted whoredomes, robberies, drunkennesse, &c. for such things are reported of their gods whom they worshipped: For which cause said Menippus in Lucian, I approued and followed such things, for I thought the gods would neuer haue done such things, if they had not iudged them to bee good.

But in as much as the God whom we serue, is of pure eyes, and cannot behold iniquity; and the Master whom wee fol­low, [...]. is an vnspotted Lambe, in whose mouth is no guile, who is holy, harmlesse and vndefiled; wee must needs be damned if we walke contrary vnto him.

Here are two sorts of men to be reproued. Ʋse 2 First, they which put him not on at all; of whom in the former Vse.

Secondly, they which put him on, but so slouenly, as I may [Page 91]say, and vnhansomly, that they haue no benefit by him.

Of these, some put him on as a cloake or loose garment, which they may cast off at their pleasure: these are holy day Christians, who at good times, or when they goe abroad in­to some company will walke soberly; but at other times, and in other companies, are of another straine. But Christ must be a close well-girt garment to vs, neuer to be put off, by day or by night.

Some put him on their heads, and no farther, hauing knowledge, but being altogether without the power of god­linesse.

Some put him on their tongues also, they will talke well, but their hands and feet and foule and naked.

Some are clad halfe way, as the messengers of Dauid to Hanun; in some things they are carefull, but in other they take liberty. But we must be cloathed with Christ from top to toe, that no part of our owne filthy ragges may be seene, nor our nakednesse; but that whatsoeuer is heard or seene in vs, may be of Christ. As a man is contained in his garments, Aquinas in loc. and seene in their colour, so in him who imitates Christ, must nothing be seene but the workes of Christ.

Christ is a neat hansome straite garment, it is not easie to put him on. He that hath a bunch of pride, drunkennesse, can neuer get him ouer: all such things must be pared off, before it will fit vs.

In other garments, if they be too short, or too strait, they may be pieced or eeked out, or if too wide or long, they may be cut lesse or shorter, till they be fit to our bodies: but our Garment we speake of, may not be patcht nor curtailed, nor fitted to vs, but we must be fitted to that.

The Taylor fits our garments to our bodies, but we must be fitted to this garment. Christs will may not submit to ours, but ours to Christ.

Labour to put on Christ. Ʋse 3 It is horrible to see what monstrous attires for fashion, and vnreasonable for charge, men and wo­men daily inuent and weare beyond their abilitie and rancke, and contrary to their sexe: but the best and seemliest garment which is Christ, is not regarded or put on.

Men and women seeke for rich cloathing for their body, but esteeme not the nakednesse of their soules.

The reason of this strange negligence is this; Euery one would be esteemed and taken forth: they cannot for their vertue and honesty; and therefore they thinke to carry it away with their sine cloathes: these are they which lay their whole substance on their backes: these are they which bestow so much time in trimming and trussing, and cutting and pou­dering, &c. that betweene the combe and the glasse, as they say, they can neuer finde leasure to serue God. These are they, who had rather the Common-wealth should bee out of order then their perriwigs and disordered apparell.

Apelles his prentice, not doing his part in the face of He­len whom hee was to draw; all to be dawbed her apparell with gold and garish colours: Notat Clemens Alex. 3. paeda. ca. 10. to whom Apelles, O adolescens cum non posses pingere pulchram, pinxisti diuitem; O young man, seeing thou couldst not paint her beautifull, thou hast painted her rich. So many, their liues be not faire, therefore their clothes are rich.

It is our folly to esteem of men more for a gold ring, Iames 2.2. as Saint Iames speaketh, then for vertue: which hath caused this madnesse in many, more to seeke gay and costly garments, then to put on Christ. Mat. 6.25.

Our Sauiour sayd, that the body is more then the rayment: but I verely thinke that there are some so besotted, who if a rich suit of apparell, and vertue, nay Christ himselfe were set to sale; would rather giue a hundred pounds for the gay cloathes, then a hundred pence for Christ.

Let vs not esteeme of men but for their vertues, and let vs seeke to put on Christ rather then outward apparell.

In the morning when thou dressest thy selfe, examine whether thou haue put on Christ.

Thou art ashamed of a foule garment; and art thou not a­shamed of drunkennes, whoredome, &c.

If thy garments need mending, doth not thy life much more?

Thou art ashamed of the nakednesse of thy body, and there­fore thou puttest on apparell. Oh consider if the vildenesse of [Page 93]thy heart, and thy wicked thoughts and desires were known, or it may bee, if that which thou didst this last night were knowne; what great cause shouldst thou haue to bee asha­med? God knowes it; put on therefore the Lord Iesus Christ by faith and repentance, that thy spirituall nakednes may be couered from the sight of God and men.

Hast thou put on Christ? weare him honestly and carefully: Vse 4 if thou puttest on thy bodie a new garment, thou keepest it from the dust and spots: so hauing put on Christ in thy bap­tisme, suffer not that white garment to be spotted: otherwise, how wilt thou be able to bring it forth at the last day.

Muritta a Deacon, baptized one Elpidophorus, who af­terward persecuted Muritta and others: but the Deacon brought out his white garment, and held it vp and shooke it against him, saying, These linnen garments Elpidophorus shal accuse thee at the comming of the Iudge of all, which I haue kept by me as a witnesse of thy Apostasie, &c.

Haue a care then that thou staine not thy profession, and dishonour his name after which thou art called. If thou hast put on Christ, wallow not with that pretious garment in the mire of thy former sinnes.

THe exhortation to put on Christ, in the former part of the verse, is here amplified from the Effect of such put­ting on; which is that we doate not on the things of this life; and that our care for worldly things abates: He that putteth on Christ is rid of a great deale of care and thought for the flesh.

This Effect is brought in by an Occupation: of which after the exposition of the words.

These words containe two parts: a Prohibition, Make not prouision for the flesh: and a Limitation, to fulfill the lusts there­of: which limitation is added, because that which is forbid­den is not simply euill.

Flesh: This word is of diuers significations; here it ei­ther signifies our corrupt nature, or the body.

If you take it for nature corrupt; then the second part is an exposition of the first.

But it is best to take it for the body, as the very words must needs import.

Make not prouision: that is, with care, as it was sormerly translated, which must also be here vnderstood, according, to that of our Sauiour, Mat. 6.25. Take no thought for your life, what you shall eate, &c.

To fulfill the lusts. To fulfill, is added, to fill the sense.

Lusts: Lust or concupiscence, is a naturall faculty of the soule, desiring obiects conuenient to nature, and abhorring the contrary.

That which [...] is in insensible things, in sensible and rea­sonable creatures is [...].

This concupiscence or lust, in entire and pure nature was e­uery way ordinate.

In corrupt nature, the faculty it selfe, as it is naturall, is to be reckoned among naturall good things put into vs by God; and the motions of it vnto things naturall, as desiring of meat drink, sleepe, apparell, &c. are indifferent: but by prauity ad­herent they are euill three waies.

1 In regard of the obiect, when that is desired and coue­ted which is forbidden; as in the tenth commandement that which is our neighbours.

2 In regard of the measure, as when we immoderately de­sire that which is lawfull to bee desired: when there is no measure of our study for riches, meat and drinke, house and land, &c. as indeed it is very hard to bound our concupiscence in such things.

3 In regard of the end, when wee desire such things, to wrong ends, and not to the glory of God. in the preseruation of nature, for the seruice of God and of our neighbour, and the furthering of our owne saluation.

This exorbitant and inordinate concupiscence or lust is vn­derstood in this place.

The meaning then is, Prouide not so for the body, that thereby the lusts thereof should be fulfilled and satisfied.

This is brought in by way of preuenting an Obiection.

Some might say, from the prohibition of drunkennesse, and wantonnesse, &c. What? must we cast away the care of bodies? is nothing to be granted to our fragility and infirmity? may we not eate and drinke, and be merry?

Paul answereth: you may make prouision for the body, but with limitation, that you fulfill not the lusts of the body, which will easily vpon a small occasion grow vnruly; as wee may discerne in our selues, how soone, in the putting on of a new garment, &c. Corruption will discouer it selfe.

There ought to be a care had of health, and state; of whol­some meat, competent medicines, comely apparell; but ex­cesse is to be taken heed of.

Eate and drinke, but not to enflame thy lusts: A little is enough for nature, but nothing for our lusts.

Make not prouision for the body. If Paul had stayed here, he had writ no good diuinity: therefore he addeth, to fulfill the lusts thereof; warning vs to keep downe concupiscence, and not to set her on cockhorse, as they say.

The body is not so to bee tended and prouided for that the lusts thereof should be fulfilled, or strengthned. Mat. 6.25. Doctr. Take no thought for your life, what you shall eate, &c. We must not haue an immoderate care for necessaries, much lesse for superfluities, to the fulfilling of our lusts, Galathians 5.13. Ʋse not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, Saint Paul there spake of Legall ce­remonies, and it is true, in all matters of like nature, God hath giuen vs liberty to eate and drinke, &c. this liberty is not to bee vsed, to nourish lust. 1 Peter 2.11. As Pil­grimes abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule. Pilgrimes comber not themselues with vnnecessary things.

Here wee may discerne whether wee haue put on Christ or no: Ʋse 1 namely if wee prouide not for the body so as to fulfill our lusts: this is to follow Christs example.

Christ did eate and drinke, but his fare was meane, and moderate; after forty dayes fast, hee being hungry, would not turne stones into bread, the most ordinary refection, to [Page 96]retaine nature, but stayed for an ordinary prouision.

When he was weary how did he prouide for his body? Iohn 4.6, 7. did he take vp his Inne, call for dainty cheere, and a soft bed? no; but rested himselfe vpon a Well, and asked a little water, though there was a good towne hard by.

For his sleepe: his body had need of it as well as ours: and besides, his nature was most pure, and without the danger of inordinate lusting: and yet he would not follow innocent nature herein, but broke himself of his sleep, to spend whole nights in prayer to his Father. Luke 6.12. It may be thou wilt sleepe at a Sermon ordinarily and at prayer. This is not to be like Christ to put him on.

It is not vnlawfull to prouide for the body: Ʋse 2 Religion re­quireth not that a man should not giue nature her due; or cleere his forehead as they say, and be merry; in which morosi­ties hypocrites faine perfection. Yea to neglect the body is a sinne; if it bee not prouided for and nourished, how shall it be a fit instrument of the soule for good? To deny food and raiment conuenient to the necessity of nature, to our callings and estate, is ostentation and rigidity, rather then true vertue. Our Sauiour furnished the feast, Ioh. 2 10. Psal. 104.13. with excellent and neate wine, which God created to make the heart of man glad: and S. Paul reproues such neglecting of the body. Coloss. 2.23.

Saint Augustine writing to Proba a rich Widow, Aug. Probae. ep. 121. who had a great retinue, and prouision for her body, and for her table sutable; willeth her not to cease to be so attended, and serued as was fit for her estate and place; but that shee should temper and moderate her selfe in the vse of them, and to seeke nothing therein, but integram valetudinem, quae non con­temnenda propter necessarios vsus huius vitae, good health which is not to be contemned, for the necessary vses of this life; and he alledgeth this place.

Also hee alledgeth Pauls aduice to Timothy, 1 Tim. 5.23. Drinke no longer water but vse a little wine: It was so that Ti­mothy to giue an example of sobriety to the riotous and dis­solute Ephesians ouer whom hee was Bishop; did so take downe his body with vnreasonable abstinence from wine, and continuall drinking of water; that Paul was faine to [Page 97]write to him, and charge him for his stomacke sake and often infirmities, to drinke wine. For such abstaining Saint Au­gustine giueth the holy Bishop this censure, that he was nimi­us corporis castigator; too great a chastiser of his body; for his very studying and contemplation, with his continuall prea­ching, were sufficient to weaken his body, though hee had not vsed such abstinence; and for this is wine necessary for Timothy, for the preseruation of his health.

Philosophers affirme that there is but one soule in man, which is both vegetatiue, senfitiue, and rationall, which toge­ther intendeth to vegetation, sensation, and vnderstanding: when therefore the soule is wholly busie in the braine about contemplation, it must needs follow that shee cannot attend in the stomacke at the same time to concoction; and so the sto­mack being destitute of conuenient heate and spirit and the influence of the soule, must needs abound with crudities: and for this cause Physitians giue this rule, to be merry at meate, that through such remission of study, the soule may attend vnto necessary nutrition; and hence also it commeth ordina­rily, that great students haue weake stomacks. Hee therefore who is weary with labour or study, the spirits languishing thereby, may with a good conscience drinke wine, and vse o­ther comforts of Nature, especially if he beleeue and repent; for God hath created such good things principally for such. That therefore which Saint Bernard saith of Timothy, Serm. 30. in Cant. we may say of euery Saint: Giue mee a Bishop or Preacher like to Timothy, or a holy man like him, and hee shall eate gold, and drinke Ypocras.

Though we may serue the necessitie of the body, Ʋse 3 yet wee may not the lusts: Deus prudenter vult sibi seruiri; An brosius. God will haue vs prudent in seruing him: nor by nimity of fasting, nor of feeding, so to oppresse the body, that we must alwayes haue a Physitian at our elbow.

We must doe wisely: The body is to bee serued, not the Concupiscence. This is difficult: if you neglect the body, you weaken it to the exercises of godlinesse; if you cherish it, you maintaine your enemy, which is lust.

The body is a garment, the lusts are Moaths: kill the Moaths, and saue the garment.

The body is a Castle, the lusts an enemy or rebell within the castle: it were easie to blow vp castle and rebell and all: but thou hast no authority to raze the castle; thou must saue the Castle, and destroy the Rebell.

They are to be reproued, which either so nourish the body that they withall maintaine their lusts; or so extinguish the prouocations to sinne, that withall they destroy the body.

Be content with that which is sufficient, and vnder a pre­tence of necessity runne not to excesse.

As he is a foole which will haue no fire in his house, be­cause his neighbours house was consumed with fire; so is he a foole, who because fire is necessary, will make so great a fire, as which may burne downe his house.

Too much ballast, or too little, are alike hurtfull to a ship; so too much or too little prouender for thy beast: too much or too little straining of the string of thy instrument.

There is vse of Hagar the bondmaid; but cocker her a little, and she will grow insolent toward her dame Sara.

Ama tanquam osurus; loue thy body, but so, that if need require, thou canst hate it: for the compassion of nature, it is to be loued, but for the restraining of vice, it is to be hated: keepe it from the fire, and yet in some cases yeeld it to bee burnt in the fire. Seneca.

Be not thy bodies slave. Ʋiuendum non propter corpus, sed tanquam non sine corpore: We must liue, not for the body, but as not without the body.

Dauid is a notable example herein; 2 Sam. 23.13.14.15.16. hee longs for water which the Philistines had in their possession; His Worthies breake through and fetch him some of it; when he had it, he would not please his lusts, but poures it out as an offering to God. See how he curbed his lusts: The three Worthies did a great exploit, but Dauid a greater in conquering his concupiscence.

Concupiscence is not fulfilled without a great deale of care in prouiding here, Vse 4 and a great deale of torment hereafter.

Esau is weary in following his pleasure, and to satisfie his lust with red pottage, he sells the richest thing in the world, euen his birth-right.

Dost thou lust after daintie faire? It is not gotten without great charge, nor made readie without great labour, nor de­uoured without great discommoditie.

But if Christ be thy meat, hee refresheth without satietie, filleth without loathing, costs thee no money, breeds no dis­eases, but healeth thy infirmities.

Doest thou desire gorgeous apparell? It costeth thee deare, it requireth much care in the wearing, and occasioneth much danger; but if thou put on Christ, it costeth thee not deare: great care indeed must be in the wearing, but then it dischargeth vs of all other vnnecessary cares, and it so becom­meth vs, and setteth vs forth, that God himselfe taketh pleasure in vs.

It requireth labour and eare to serue our lusts, and after­wards commeth damnation: but though it require care to serue God, yet afterwards it bringeth euerlasting life.

Most men are ouer carefull for their bodies, Ʋse 5 and carelesse for their soules: Nimia corporis cura, nimia animae incuria: where there is so much studie for daintie fare, and gay appa­rell, for house and land, &c. there is little study and care for grace, and a better life; and so on the contrary.

When Peter saw the heauenly sights in the Mount at Christs transfiguration, hee forgot his nets; so they which set their mind too much vpon their nets, forget the heauenly things in the mountaine.

Abate the care for thy body, and encrease thy care for thy soule. Doe here as thou dost in a paire of skales: If the bodie weigh downe thy soule; take from the body, and adde to the soule, and then shall it come to passe, that thy soule shall lift vp thy body to heauen, otherwise, thy body will sinke thy soule to hell.

God hath committed to our keeping, a body and a soule; the soule as a sonne, to bee delicately brought vp, to bee fed with the daintiest, and to be clothed with the richest: the [Page 100] body as a slaue, to be brought vp to labour, and to bee fed with bread and water, to be chastised also, and kept vnder: but wee contrarily cocker the slaue till he rebell; and make the sonne a slaue.

But let our bodies serue, lest our concupiscence grow strong to our condemnation, and whatsoeuer befall the bo­die, let vs take care for saluation of our soules.

HEre beginne Pauls Hieraticks; or hauing before writ­ten of things commanded and forbidden; here he wri­teth of things of a middle nature: or before of charitie to our friends, our brethren, our enemies, the Magistrate, our neigh­bours, our selues; here of charitie toward the weake. The particular and immediate coherence, Chrysost. in loc. is with the last verse of the thirteenth Chapter; for hauing there forbidden satisfacti­on to be giuen to the flesh, lest eyther the weake should thinke themselues neglected, Matth. 26.41. Rom. 6.19. or the strong take occasion to contemne them, because weaknesse is attributed to the flesh; therefore he falleth here to direct both the one and the other, how they should louingly and charitably conuerse together.

Pauls Method is this: first he setteth downe a generall Pre­cept, in this verse; then an Explication of it in all the verses following to the fourteenth verse of the fifteenth Chapter.

In this generall Precept, are the Dutie: to receiue him that is weake in the faith; and the Amplification, from the persons who are to performe the Dutie; implied in the Greeke, vnfol­ded in the English, You; and from the end, Negatiuely set downe by way of correction, but not to doubtfull Disputa­tions.

Receiue you: You, that is, you that are strong, [...] Chap. 15. vers. 1. which haue more able knowledge.

Receiue, that is, ioyne vnto you, take and entertaine vnto your company, as a friend, as a brother. When a friend com­meth to our houses, we vse not to chide him away, but re­ceiue him with all courtesie; so would Paul haue the strong to receiue the weake in all loue, cherishing them, and bearing with their weaknesse, Chap. 15.1.

The same word is vsed by S. Paul, [...]. Philemon. 12. when he intreats Phi­lemon to receiue Onesimus, as his owne bowels: so the strong must receiue the weake as their own bowels. Him that is weak in the faith, not weake in bodie: yet such are to be receiued; but in the faith, not iustifying faith, though such are especially to be ten­dred: but in the doctrine of faith: not weake in regard of the power of faith to apply the promise of mercy in Christ to the conscience; but here weake to apprehend the doctrine of Christian liberty in things indifferent.

Weake: that is, sicke and queasie stomacks, which cannot brooke strong meate; such as Paul calles babes in Christ: 1 Cor. 3 1. op­posed to them which are strong and of full age, Heb. 5.13.14. who by rea­son of vse, haue their senses exercised to discerne good and e­uill.

But not to doubtfull disputations: [...]signifies many things; here ambiguity & doubting, as the verbe is vsed before in this Epistle; [...] Rom. 4.20. Hee staggered not at the promise through vnbeliefe. Receiue the weake, but not quarrell and contend with him in his opinions, as the vulgor reading is expounded: nor to iudge him for his opinions, knowing not his heart, as Augustine; nor to fill his head full of curious and intricate questions, and doubtfull disputations.

The Affirmatiue end: to receiu [...] him to edification, Chap. 15.2.

Those which are weake are not to bee troubled with doubtfull disputations, but friendly to bee instructed, Rom. 15.1.2. Doctr. The strong are to bear the infirmities of the weak, & to please them for their good to eaification. Gal. 6.1. If any be ouer taken with a fault in regard of manners, or (by proportion) of opinion, restore him in the spirit of meeknesse, 1 Thess. 5 14. Support the weake.

Ministers ought to preach to the capacity of their hearers; Vse 1 if they bee of the weaker sort, not to trouble them with pro­found matters which they are not able to vnderstand, much lesse with conceits and subtilties which profit not; but rather to teach such things which may bee vnderstood, and may breed godly edifying. Our Sauiour is an example, who would not trouble his Disciples heads with that which they could not then beare, Ioh. 16.12. Also Paul in his preaching had [Page 104]regard to his hearers, whether milke or stronger meate were to be giuen them, 1 Cor. 3.1.2.

The strong must sweetly, Ʋse 2 friendly, and brotherly conuerse with the weake, they must ioyne him to them, that by their wise and gentle courses, they may winne him to the truth: they must not separate from them either in affection, or conuer­sation.

Hence it may appeare, that the practice of our Brownists it cleane contrary to the precept of Paul. They suppose themselues to be strong, and vs to be weake; and because wee presently receiue not their conceits, they separate from vs, as from Heathens and Publicans: for which we may iustly sus­pect their charity; for if we bee weake, here is Pauls direction how we are to be dealt withall before a separation; they must take vs to them, beare with our infirmities, and teach vs soundly from the Word.

But alas, they are weake themselues, I would they were not wayward. For euen as a froward or sullen childe, if it may not haue the will, refuseth the meate, and strikes the spoone out of the Nurses hand; so these because they may not haue their will and their new deuised and groundlesse discipline, they will haue nothing; no preaching, no Sacraments, no spirituall communion with vs.

If the strong must gently take the weake vnto them, Ʋse 3 then the weake must be admonished not to bee wilfull, but aocible and tractable.

What if thou hast spoken the word? stubbornly persist not therefore in thy opinion, against Gods word. Many doubt­lesse would haue long agoe submitted themselues in the Church of England to orders inioyned, had they not held the contrary: and now the Church must bee troubled, lest they should be thought to haue erred.

O Germany! famous for the reformation of religion, how hast thou beene torne with dissentions, wasted with miseries, plowed with the sword, and watered with blood, through the weakenes of euen Luther himselfe, who hauing once affirmed it to Carolostadius, for his credit may not publikely recant, and reuerse his word.

Be not stubborne in thy weakenes, Chrysost. in loc. and because Paul com­mands that thou must be gently vsed, account not thy weak­nesse a vertue; for here is a secret reproofe of thee, as one ob­serues, when thou art called weake.

Charitie must bee vsed toward thee, that thou mayst not forsake the faith; but discretion also, that thou mayst growe vnto strength. We would wonder to see a childe hang fiue or six, or ten yeeres at the breast. If thou wert weake foure or ten yeares agoe, and yet art weake, surely ther eis some de­fect; either thou prayest not, or thou art stubborne, or proud, or there is some secret sin that keeps thee from growing.

Disputations: not fit for weake Christians: Ʋse 4 Disputations are not to be disallowed; for as the whetting of a knife for­ward and backward scoures it bright and begets an edge: so truth is cleared and fortified by disputations: but it is not for the weake and vnlearned to dispute.

The liberty that all sorts of men (and women also) take to dispute of curious points, and to question euery thing, is a great hinderance to the peace of the Church. In Turkie it is deadly to question the generall receiued religion, whereby in a libertie of all religions, they enioy pace inuidenda, I. Lips. lib. ad­uersus diologistū. & nobis pudenda, such a peace which we may enuy, and haue iust cause to be ashamed of, as a learned man speakes.

Our Sauiour oft disputed with the Scribes and Pharisies, but hee would not turne his Disciples to them: and Saint Paul a great learned Apostle disputed daily in the schoole of Tyrannus. Act. 19.9.

It is not for simple men and ignorant women to dispute of points of religion, nor to enter combate with the cunning Brownists. It is not for euery Protestant, no not for euery Minister or Preacher to dispute with learned Iesuits, that haue Schoole distinctions at their fingers ends, and trauell in nothing else but controuersies.

What if thou hast a good wit, and a great and strong appre­hension, praise God for it, and so vse it that the Church may be the better, not the worse for thee.

I reade of a Philosopher among the Lacedemonians, who boasted that hee could holde argument and dispute of any [Page 106]position true or false a whole day: but the Magistrates con­sidering that such a fellow might bee dangerous among the common people, to disturb the peace of the state, banisht him for it.

Children delight in kniues, which will hurt them; and for the most part, the weakest are busiest in questioning the lauda­ble customes and orders of the Church.

Study rather to liue well then to dispute: and when thou meetest with thy neighbour, spend thy time in conferring, not of controuersies, or of things which concerne thee not, or be aboue thy capacity, but of obedience, repentance, mortifica­tion, preparation for death, and such like.

IN this verse begins the Explication of the generall pre­cept; of which there are three parts. A direction to the strong and weake. A speciall dehortation to the strong: and a repetition of the precept.

The Direction is from the beginning of this verse to the 13.

The Effect of it is, to remedy the offence betweene them, by teaching them how to carry themselues one toward ano­ther.

They were both faulty: but in this part principally the weak one is taxed. In the dehortation the strong.

In the Direction are two things. 1. The cause of their dissention, which was the diuersitie of their opinions in things indifferent. 2. The remedie or direction it selfe.

Both these are propounded in two cases: the one of meats, the other of dayes. Of meates, in the 2.3. and 4. verses: of daies in the rest.

In that of meates; we haue the case, and the remedy.

The case ver. 2. The remedy ver. 3.4.

In the case are set downe the parties dissenting, and their opinions concerning meates.

The parties are the strong and the weake Christian.

The opinion of the strong; that he may eate of all things: the opinion of the weake, that hee ought not to eate of some meats.

One; that is, the strong: who for the most part was a Gen­tile.

Beleeueth; it is not onely his opinion, but his faith; that is, he certainly knowes, and is fully perswaded vpon good ground.

He may eate of all things; he hath liberty by Christ to eate of all things wholesome to mans body, without scruple or hurt to his conscience.

But he that is weake; for the most part, the Iew weake in knowledge.

Eateth hearbs. Not, let him eate hearbs as the vulgar La­tine, vpon which the ordinary glosse makes Paul as a Phy­sitian directing dyet for the repressing of lust.

But eateth hearbs, as being of opinion that some meates were vncleane, and therefore not to be eaten.

Some thinke that these weake ones ate no flesh at all, but onely hearbs; some, which is likelier, that when they could come by no meat but that which was forbidden by Moses, that then they chose to eate of hearbs, which wee read not to be forbidden.

They abstained not, as Pythagoreans, holding the passing of mens soules into beasts sometimes; of which opinion He­rod smelt of, when hee thought that Christ had beene Iohn: nor as Marcionites and Manichees, who held flesh to be vn­lawfull, and to haue come from an ill beginning; whom Au­gustine confutes, in his bookes against Faustus: but they ab­stained for the reuerence of Moses law.

Some hold opinion, that the Fathers had no liberty to eate flesh before the flood: and some that no beast was actually car­niuorous before that time: But it is manifest that after the flood, liberty to eate of euery mouing thing that liueth was granted vnto them. De vtro (que) consule Pererium in Ge­nesim lib. 4. de creat. hom. num. 256. et lib. 14. de car. esu, nu. 9. ad num. 26. Gen. 9.3.

Afterwards, when God chose the people of Israel to be a peculiar people to himselfe, he forbad them certaine beasts and fowles, both for sacrifice and (with certaine fishes) for meat, of which, Leuit. 11. Deut. 14.

There are foure reasons alledged, why God forbad some [Page 108]fowles, beasts and fishes, to be eaten of the Iewes. First, to ac­knowledge Gods Dominion. Secondly, to inure them to o­bedience. Thirdly, to teach them to liue holily, since their diet must be so choice, much more must their liues. Fourthly, to distinguish them from other people, and that they might ab­hor the fashions of the nations.

This difference of meats was taken away by Christ, Mat. 15.17. Act. 10.11. 1 Tim. 4.4. and the liberty granted to Noah, renewed, as appeares in the New Testament.

But the Iew did not well vnderstand that point, and so the Church of Rome, & others also were exceedingly troubled.

In the Church of God vpon earth there are alwaies some which thinke one thing, Doctr. and some another. So was it in Pauls time at Rome, as appeares in this place: and at Corinth what diffe­rences of opinions were about things offered to Idols, and some maine fundamentall points, may appeare in Pauls first Epistle to the Corinthians.

And after this, before two hundred yeeres were expired after the Incarnation of Christ, what variance in opinions concerning the time of keeping the feast of Easter was in the Church, Euseb. bist. eccl. l. 5. ca. 21, 22, 23. with the arrogancy of Victor Bishop of Rome about the same, Eusebius makes mention. It were infinite to reckon the sundry opinions which haue at all times beene in the Church.

In Germany to this day, there is irreconcileable difference of opinions concerning the presence of Christ in the Sacrament; and concerning the breaking of the bread, which is doubtlesse of the integrity of the Sacrament.

And at this very time, none can be ignorant, of the diffe­rence of opinions in the Lowcountries, about the doctrine of Arminians, and in our owne Church about Church-disci­pline, and ceremonies; though through the great blessing of God, the vigilant care of our gratious Lord King Iames, and the worthy diligence of our Reuerend Bishops, and other lear­ned men, both these places are notably quieted, & estabilished.

But thus it must be to the end, for Pauls reason, viz. That they which are approued may be made manifest. 1 Cor. 11.19.

Saint Paul attributes faith to the strong: Vse 1 he takes it not a­way [Page 109]from the weake though hee mention it not, Vse 1 There was faith in them, though ioyned with ignorance and doubting: Not to beleeue and vnderstand euery thing inferreth not a nullity of faith.

Totall ignorance and doubting destroyes faith; if it be not totall, yet it manifesteth infirmity.

To deny a truth in things indifferent, breeds a tolerable er­ror; in points necessary, an intolerable. Obstinately to defend an error in things indifferent, makes a man a Schismaticke; and in points necessary and fundamentall, an Heretick.

For euery doubting or ignorance, say not, an infidell; nor for euery errour, cry out an Heretick: Augustinus. Let vs all resolue with the holy Father, Errare potero, haereticus non ero. I may erre, but I will be no Heretick.

Such is the condition of the Church vpon earth, Ʋse 2 that there will be alwaies some strong in the faith, and some weake in it. As among men, some are tall, some of low stature; some healthy, some sickely; as in our houses some are growne vp, some are babes hanging on the brest, so is it in the Church, and will be to the end. For,

1 Some are more antient, some later in the faith.

2 Some haue better capacity then others.

3 Some are more diligent to heare, reade, pray, meditate, practise; and therefore though standing and capacity be e­quall, yet the diligent outstrips the other.

4 God in his wisedome giues more talents vnto one then to another.

Art thou strong? be thankefull to God, it is his gift; bee not proud, despise not thy inferiours; thou wast a babe some­time, hadst lesse knowledge, lesse grace, yea there was a time when thou wast out of Christ.

Art thou weake? take heed thy weakenesse continue not through thy negligence and default: pray for strength, and be diligent in hearing the word, as a new borne babe desiring the sincere milke of the word, that thou maist grow thereby. 1 Pet. 2 [...]2.

In these weake ones, as some thing is to be discommended, Ʋse 3 so some thing is to be commended.

Their weaknesse is a fault and to be discommended: but their [Page 110] care not to offend their consciences, is truly to bee praised: It is alwaies commendable, whether in weake or strong, rather to a­bridge our selues of our liberty, then to offend the conscience: and to be chosen, rather to be thought vndiscreet then im­pious.

O that we had more care of our consciences; for if conscience be put away, shipwrack of faith will soone be made.

If these Iewes and weake Christians will rather liue hardly eating hearbs, then defile their consciences; what shall become of them, which daily defile themselues in things manifestly for­bidden, wallowing in the mire of drunkennesse, whoredome, and other abominable sinnes?

THe cause of the dissension betweene the beleeuers at Rome, was their difference in opinion, of which in the verse next before: Now in this verse is the remedy; For here Saint Paul interposeth himselfe, and directeth both parts, how to carry themselues each to other, in these things.

Here are two parts: 1. A Direction; 2. A Reason.

The Direction in the words set downe of the 3. verse.

As the parties are twofold, so is the direction to the strong, to the weake: both tending to the same purpose, namely to preserue peace and charity betwixt them; and to preuent sepa­ration.

The strong Christian contemned the weak for his abstinence, as a phantasticall fellow and superstitious: his direction is: not to despise the weake.

The weake Christian, which yet vnderstood not the Do­ctrine of Christian liberty, iudged and censured the strong, as profane, because he made no difference of meats: his direction is: not to iudge the strong.

Both their directions are Negatiue, as secretly finding fault with both sides, for their intemperate carriage one to another.

Despise. The Greeke word is full of sense: [...]. to esteeme a man to be nullius pretij, to haue no worth in him, to disdaine, to vilifie, to nullifie a man, to set at naught, and basely to e­steeme of.

The Septuagint doe vse the word in the text, to render an Hebrew root, Maas, which signifies to reiect, to disdaine, to cast off, to contemne: as Psal. 53.5. God hath despised the wicked: and Psal. 58.7. Let them melt away as waters, or, let them come to nothing.

So also they render another roote: Bazah, Esay, 53.3. Nibhzeh, He is despised, meaning Christ: and Luke 23.11. it is said that Herod with his men of warre, set Christ at naught.

Iudge: that is, condemne: the simple verbe for the com­pound, which is not vnusuall with Saint Paul.

By these two words, despise and iudge, it appeares, that they differed not onely in opinion, but also in affection.

For difference of opinion and practice in things indifferent, Doctr. there ought to be no breach of charity, or separation among Christians: Phil. 3.15.16. Let vs therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded, and if in any thing yee be otherwise minded, God shall re­ueale euen this vnto you. Neuerthelesse whereto we haue already attayned, let vs walke by the same rule. Also all such places which command vnity and charity.

But what are things indifferent? Quest.

Things are called indifferent two waies, Answ. either as they are opposed to perfection of goodnesse, or to necessity.

For the first way; we say a thing is indifferent when it is in some degree good, but not so good but that it may be amended; so we say of health, that we are indifferently well, when wee are able to walke abroad, but not without some weaknesse or paine.

This is not meant in this businesse, but the other, where indifferent is opposed to necessity, or to a necessary duty, namely, A thing that may bee done, or left vndone without any sinne.

Some things are commanded to be done, some things are forbidden: some things are neither commanded nor forbidden: These are indifferent.

The ground of this is, that howsoeuer the Law com­mands the reasonable creature to doe nothing but that which is good, and at all times, yet not to doe euery good thing at all times.

A man hath two suits of apparell, hee may indifferently weare which hee pleaseth. A man hath meat set before him, he may indifferently eate or abstaine: these and the like are in­different: neyther good nor bad in themselues, nor comman­ded nor forbidden.

For although euery action, considered as clothed with its circumstances (as they say) proceeding from the reason of a reasonable creature, be or good or euill, yet being considered naked, and in regard of the substance of the worke, is not presently necessary to be done.

The things called indifferent, [...]. are also by the Antient called things in our power and liberty: and, things lying in the middest betweene commanded and forbidden.

In the time of S. Obser. Paul the Iewish ceremonies were things in­different, which might be vsed or not vsed, as they saw it tend to Gods glory and the good of the Church: otherwise Paul would haue written in another manner of straine. And this is profitable to know for the vnderstanding of the History of the Acts, where we shall finde Paul vsing Circumcision, making vowes, and purifying himselfe, and yet writeth against such things in his Epistles.

Before the death of Christ the vse of such Ceremonies was not indifferent but necessary, as being commanded of God.

After the death of Christ their vse was indifferent for a time, Aug. Hieronimo, Epist. 19. I say for a time, which S. Austen elegantly expresseth by a similitude: A mans friend dyes, hee doth not so soone as the breath is out of his body take him by the heeles and drag him out of the dores, and cast him vpon the dunghill; but he keepes him a certaine time, wraps him in faire cloaths, and so with honour accompanies him to the graue: So these cere­monies were aliue till Christ; when hee dyed they also gaue vp the ghost, and the vaile of the Temple rent in twaine: and because they had beene euen by diuine ordinance of great vse in Gods worship, they remained for a time indifferent, that so [Page 113]they might be laid downe in an honourable manner.

This time was till the doctrine of Christian liberty might be fully made knowne to the world, which could not be done on a sudden: euen as Acts of Parliament haue a day set downe when they shall be in force, that so all the subiects of the Land may haue time conuenient to take knowledge of them.

But now they are not necessary, nor indifferent to Iew or Gen­tile, but absolutely forbidden. After the passion of Christ, the Iewish Ceremonies were mortuae, saith a learned man, that is, Aquinas in loc. dead: but after the diuulgation of the Gospell, they became mortiferae, that is, deadly.

Paul found fault with Peter, and with the Galathians, for the vse of legall Ceremonies: not simply because they vsed them, but because they taught and conceiued a necessity of vsing them for iustification and saluation.

From small beginnings great schismes and mischiefes haue growne. For a little meate, and for dayes, Ʋse 1 the Church of Rome was grieuously distracted. Great contentions haue beene formerly betweene the East and West Churches for tri­fles: so in Germany, so in England. So of a little sparke many times ariseth a great fire, and of the pricke of a thorne a dead­ly sore.

O how it grieues my soule to reade our diuisions about black and white, sitting and kneeling, and such like, to be cast in our teeth by the Papists; as an argument that wee haue not the truth on our side: and also that among Protestant writers, when occasion is giuen them to speak of schismes and dissen­sion for discipline and order, then that the Church of Eng­land should be brought vpon the stage for an example.

If there be any loue in vs to the Church wherein wee haue beene brought forth vnto Christ, and nourished vp in the faith, let vs agree, imbracing vnity, let vs all be of one opini­on: but howsoeuer our opinions differ, yet let not our affecti­ons. Hierome and Augustine differed in opinion in some things, but neither did they trouble Church, nor breake charity betweene themselues; but thought reuerently one of ano­ther.

Here is our fault; wee hate, despise, and condemne them who will not condescend to vs in our singular opinions.

But Paul commands the strong not to despise the weake: This is indeed the fault of the strong, but they ought to in­struct them rather.

He commands the weake also, not to censure the strong: this is the proper fault of the weake; to be forward in censu­ring, is not strength but weakenesse, not a gratious and wise, but an intemperate zeale: which censuring and ouer forward zeale, if it bee taken from many who glory to be accounted Professours, there would nothing remaine to shew them religious.

It is a disgrace to our Church, that the plough and rock­staffe dare (and that without punishment) censure Magi­strates, Ministers, this thing as superfluous, that as Antichri­stian, &c. profaning religion by their ignorant and sottish dis­courses.

Thus was it in Greece: Lips. refert, lib. aduers. Dialogi­stam: ex Niceph. hist. lib. 6. & 11. but when? euen a little before it came to ruine.

If we wish the Churches safety, let vs amend this, if we haue beene faulty: and also let vs be carefull so to doe, as wee loue our owne safety; for many times God suffers such rash cen­surers of orders established, to runne into diuers pernicious er­rours, as a punishment of their rash iudgement, as wee haue experience in our Brownists, who first censured, and then se­parated, wilfully cutting themselues from the Church of God: who if they had obeyed Pauls precept, forbidding to iudge any for things indifferent, they had neuer separated.

We must not iudge or censure our brethren: Ʋse 2 but for what? for things indifferent: for these things, as for meate, for daies, for apparell in regard of the colour, or fashion (if modest;) the conscience of thy brother is to be left free, and not to be trou­bled. But for drunkennesse, blasphemy, whoredome, &c. we haue warrant to censure men and women, and to trouble their consciences, Ioh. 16.8. for the Spirit reprooues the world of sinne.

A conscience snorting in sinne, is to be rowsed and troubled that it may come to repentance; for so long as it sleeps in sinne, it lies in death.

For peaceable liuing in a Church, Ʋse 3 the doctrine of Christi­an liberty is to be made knowne; of the which afterwards, verses 20.21.

IN these words, and in the next verse, are two reasons to perswade to the direction.

There is some question to which part this reason should serue; and who should be meant by him.

Him: that is, the weake one, say some: others by him vn­derstand the strong Christian.

Some make this argument to bee on the behalfe of the weake, and the other of the strong: some affirme contrarily: and some that both the reasons belong to both.

Doubtlesse both the reasons are brought to the same thing, Chrys. Theod. Mart. & alij. and rather in the behalfe of the strong Christian, who is the Gentile, against the Iew, then otherwise.

1 For first, it is most naturall and orderly, that him should be preferred to the next before spoken of: Let not him which eateth not, iudge him which eates, for God hath receiued him.

2 The word receiued properly belongs to the Gentiles, as it is an attribute to God; for the Iewes were receiued be­fore, and thought more contemptuously of the Gentiles, and highly of themselues.

3 In the next verse, Who art thou that iudgest? to iudge was the fault of the weake Christian.

Doth Paul then let the strong alone? No: but first he dea­leth against the weake, because he is most guilty. They both sinned in practice; but the weake in opinion also, mantaining an intolerable error; and they tooke offence at that which the strong lawfully might doe, and therefore were the cause of all the broyles.

Afterwards he deales against them both, verse 10. and principally against the strong, verse 13. and so to the end of the Chapter.

The weake then may not iudge the strong for eating: The reason is taken from the dignity of the strong: God hath re­ceiued [Page 116]him. Those whom God hath receiued, men may not censure as profane:

But God hath receiued the Gentile, called strong by rea­son of his knowledge of Christian liberty. Therefore, &c.

In this argument are two things: The thing, to receiue; and the persons receiuing, God receiued the strong.

God hath receiued him: we had the word before, verse 1. but as Gods loue is greater then ours, so the sense of this word here is accordingly ex [...]ended.

Receiued; that is, louingly, to the good of the receiued, vt su­us esset, Anselmus. Aretius. Ambrosius. Toletus. Caluinus. 2 Pet. 1.4. that hee might bee his owne: vt membrum Christi esset, that hee might bee a member of Christ: ad gratiam, to grace: ad gratiam Euangelij, to the grace of the Gospell. He suffered them not to remaine in their sinner, but so receiued them as to adopt them, that they might bee partakers of the di­uine nature, as S. Peter speaketh.

It may be noted, that whereas Dauid saith, Blessed is the man whom thou chusest, and causest to approach vnto thee, Psal. 65 4. The Septuagints translate, [...], according to Pauls word here: which in Hebrew is vthekareb, of karab: from which roote comes Korbau, an offering: and Kereb, bowels or inward parts, that are nearest and dearest to vs: and so the meaning, that God doth so receiue vs Gentiles, as to esteeme vs as an acceptable oblation, euen as his owne heart, or bowels.

There is a double receiuing: to the visible Church; to in­ward and inuisible grace: to the meanes of the promises, and to their possession: here Paul speaks generally presupposing both.

They are not rashly to be iudged and condemned, Doctr. whom God hath receiued to grace, Rom. 8.33.34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? It is God that iustifieth: who is he that con­demneth? &c.

We are to be admonished, Vse 1 to beware of censuring our bre­thren for vsing their Christian liberty in apparell, dyet, &c. es­pecially for their obedience to the Magistrates, & the Church, in such orders which in their conscience they know to bee lawfull: for a man for such things to be condemned, as a time­seruer, a manpleaser, of no conscience, profane, &c. is most hor­rible.

This is to reproach Gods fauourite; this is to condemne them whom God approueth, and hath receiued: yea this is to reproach God himselfe for receiuing such.

Nay: thou wilt say, I finde no fault with the Lord, and if I knew that God had receiued him, I would not iudge him. Dost thou know the contrary? till then thou must in chari­ty iudge thy brother receiued of God: so doth Paul here, hee saith God hath receiued him that eateth. How did Paul know it? in charity hee so iudgeth: Bee thou in like manner chari­table toward thy brethren, toward thy teachers, and giue them not profane, vnconscionable, damned, for euery fancy of thine owne braine.

When thou seest a man enlightened with the knowledge of God, satis testimonij habes, saith one, Caluin. in loc. thou hast testimony sufficient that God hath receiued him.

Things censured, are either words and deedes, or opi­nions.

If it be doubtfull whether a thing were spoken or done, or no: or being certaine to be done, whether well or ill: in cha­rity take things at the fayrest, and iudge the best. There is a notable instance hereof in Deuteronomy; Deut. 22.23.24.25.26.27. If a man lye with a maide betroathed to a husband, in the towne, she also shall dye, because she cryed not out when violence was offered to her: but if it bee in the fields, then the man onely shall dye, for the da­mosell cryed, and there was none to saue her. How did they know she cryed? In charity it is so to be supposed, and the best to be iudged in a thing doubtfull.

If the thing be certainly spoken or done, and good, com­mend it. If euill, iudge the fact but not the person. Be not faith Bernard, eyther a busie and curious examiner, Bern. ser. 40. in Cant. or a rash Iudge of another mans conuersation. If any thing be ill done, excuse the intention seeing thou canst not the fact. Puta ig­norantiam, thinke it might bee ignorance, chance, or some grieuous tentation.

In matter of opinion, if it be controuerted, and vncer­taine whether an error or no, suspend thy iudgement till thou know more certainty, and leaue thy brother to his Conscience and Christian liberty: and so much the more, [Page 118]if he be more learned then thy selfe; why shouldest thou not thinke that hee may see as much as thy selfe into that which is in question.

If it be certaine that the opinion bee erroneous; yet thy bro­ther is not presently to be cast away: wilt thou be more iust then God? We are men, and therefore may, yea must erre, as said a witty man Ego me labi & errare non posse solum fatcor, sed debere: Lips. mo­nit. ad Lect. in lib. politic..

And hence the Lutheranes are to be reproued, who con­demne vs for our opinions about the Sacrament, thinking we erre; when a man may be a Christian without the Sacra­ment, but not without Charity: So the Brownists and other among vs who iudge vs, though vniustly, in matters of di­scipline, when a true Church may be without the same which they deuise.

We all erre; if thy brother bee otherwise faithfull, and conscionable [...]s cruell vncharitablenesse to condemne him for his [...]pinion of things indifferent, as the lawfulnesse of a garment, or gesture, though he should erre.

Saint Augustine is a sweet example of Charity this way: when the Donatists obiected for themselues the opinion of Cyprian concerning rebaptization; Aug. Vincentio contra Donat. & Ragat. de vi or­rig. Haeret. epist. 48. Saint Austen answeres for him; that either he did not in euery respect hold it as the Donatists alledged him; or if he did, that afterward hee re­tracted it; or that hunc quasi naenum candidissimi pectoris coope­ruit vbere Charitatis, hee couered this blemish of his most faire brest, with the brest of charity; while he did maintaine the vnity of the Church, and firmely retaine the bond of peace.

Gods receiuing should be a Protection against vniust tax­ing and censuring: Vse 2 But yet men will censure such, what then is [...]o be done? Comfort thy selfe that God hath recei­ued thee. If nor God, nor thy conscience condemne thee, esteeme the peruerse censures of captious controllers no more then the barking of dogges against the Moone. What if men praise if God dispraise? and contrarily: Feare not, saith the Lord, the reproach of men, Esay 51.7. neither be afraid of their reuilings.

Yet this is our great fault, to esteeme the praise or dis­praise of men, yea of the multitude, more then of the Ma­gistrate [Page 119]or of God himselfe; which hath depriued the Church of England of many an able Yeacher.

Let vs put a case. The Magistrate and the Church com­mand certaine orders for comelinesse in the seruice of God: the Minister knowes that he may lawfully vse them. If he re­fuse to vse them, the people will praise him; if hee vse them, they will dispraise him.

What shall he doe? In any case let him obey, but if he doe not obey, the people will commend him. But what is that to the cause, or to his conscience? Can they discharge a man before the Iudgement seat of God, for not obeying the Church and Magistrate?

Regard not the praises of the multitude, though there were ten thousand of them, no more then thou wouldest the chattering of Pyes, saith an ancient Father Sint innumeri qui te applau­dant, nihil tamē illi omnes à gra­culis desuper gar­rientibus diffe­rent. Immo si An­gelorum theatrū, &c. Chrysost. hom. 17. in Rom. in Moral.: nay the com­mendation of Angels is too infirme to rest vpon; but if God, the Church, and thine owne conscience approue thee, reioyce.

Great is the dignity of a beleeuer, hee is receiued of God: Ʋse 3 Gods people, are a people, Rerobo, neare vnto him, Psal. 128.14. euen neare vnto his heart.

Woe be then to the wicked, for they are reiected: If thou beest a drunkard, a blasphemer, &c. and repentest not, God will neuer receiue thee: and not being receiued, thou art left to thy selfe, to the Diuell; barred from Paradise, and from the entrance into glory.

IN this Verse is the second Reason, bred out of the former: If the Gentiles be Gods fauorites, and receiued into his fa­mily, what haue we to doe to iudge them?

Here we haue the Argument, and the Amplification.

The Argument is taken from the common right or equity; which is, that euery man hath the rule and ordering of his owne family; and that none ought to be so polypragmaticall, as to iudge other mens seruants.

He which arrogateth right ouer other mens seruants, is vniust:

But he that iudgeth another mans seruant, arrogateth to himselfe such right:

Therefore he is vniust.

The strong Christian is Gods seruant who hath receiued him.

The Amplification is double: 1. from the manner of set­ting downe the Argument: 2. from an Occupation, in the rest of the words of this verse.

In setting downe the Argument, the Apostle vseth an Obiurgatory Apostrophe to the weake one: Who art thou which iudgest, &c.

He doth more grieuously taxe the weake ones, ne sibi blandi­antur, Pareu [...]. saith one, lest they should flatter themselues. Thus seuerity was necessary that they might vnderstand they were in an errour.

Who art thou? as if he said: Thou? who art thou? art not thou weake? and so much the weaker, that being weake thou presumest to iudge the strong: why dost not keepe thy selfe within thy compasse? Consider what thou art, and be not so rash. The like speech, Rom. 9.20.

Which iudgest: that is, condemnest: as before.

Another mans seruant. The word is not [...], but [...], which signifieth a domesticall seruant, which alwayes wai­teth vpon his master in such seruices as are nearest to his person.

The Gentile is taken into Gods family, not as a slaue, but as a free seruant; and therefore such in old time were called familiares, noting their liberty: and indeed, Gods seruice is perfect freedome.

The Gentiles are receiued into Gods family with the Iews, not to be their vnderlings, but their fellow seruants, enioying all the priuiledges of the house as well as themselues.

He saith not who art thou which giuest good counsell, but iudgest; nor thine owne seruant, for that is lawfull; but ano­thers, this is vnlawfull.

It is against right that one Christian should iudge another: Doctr. Mat. 7.1.2. Iudge not that ye be not iudged, For with what iudgement ye iudge, ye shall be iudged, &c. Iames 4.11.12. He [Page 121]that iudgeth his brother, iudgeth the Law, but if thou iudge the Law, thou art not a doer of the Law, but a Iudge. There is one Lawgiuer, who is able to saue and to destroy: who art thou which iudgest another?

It is a great sinne for a weake Christian to iudge another for matters indifferent: it can be no small offence, Vse 1 as appeares by Pauls manner of speaking, Who art thou, &c. he speaketh with much indignation and heat: No Apostle so full of bow­els so pitifull and tender towards the weake, as Paul, yet if they fall to censuring and iudging, hee cannot forbeare, but takes them vp as short as he did the cauiller at Gods prede­stination, Cap. 9.20. So that as the fault is great, so weake Christians are not to be soothed herein, but seuerely and with some acrimony to be reproued that they may amend.

Iulian the Apostata, taxed Christianity, Vse 2 as if it tooke away Magistracy, from this and the like places: So the Anabap­tists also from such places conclude that it is not lawfull for a Christian to bee a Magistrate, because hee is forbidden to iudge.

But they take things which are spoken secundum quid, after a sort, as if they had beene spoken simply.

Neither is Iudgement forbidden to Magistrates, but to priuate men; nor all Iudgement to priuate men, but rash.

Iudgement may be either of persons or their deeds:

In persons; their present or their future estate to be consi­dered: To iudge finally of mens future estate meddle not; for God may call thy Neighbour as he hath called thee.

For his present estate: If I see a man walke in drunken­nesse, common swearing, whoredome, &c. I may iudge him to be a wicked man in this estate; and that he shall be dam­ned if he repent not: I may iudge the tree by the fruit: and this is not rash iudgement, because it is not mine, but the iudgement of the word of God.

Deeds are either good, or bad, or indifferent, or doubt­full. Of good and bad deeds, there ought to bee Iudge­ment in the Common-wealth, Church, priuate Fa­mily.

And that censure should passe vpon mens vertues, arts, [Page 122]faculties, offices, religion, words, deeds, gestures, and whole be­hauiour, is of singular vse.

Most well gouerned States haue had officers for the pur­pose; The Grecians had such, whom they called [...], Lawkeepers: The Aegyptians had their [...], Presi­dents of the Law: The Romanes had their Censors, censu­rers of manners who examined and punished all disorders: If a man tilled not his land, Aulus Gellius Noct. Attic. lib. 4. c. 12. & 20. dressed not his Vine; If a Knight kept not his horse seruiceable, &c.

It were to bee wished that we had such Officers created among vs, or that such Officers as we haue already would more carefully see to their offices.

We ought to commend good deeds, and to reproue bad; to call a mattocke a mattocke, with Alexanders Souldiers, we need not feare.

But things doubtfull and indifferent are to be free from our censure: Charity authorizeth thee from the first; and Christian liberty thy neighbour from the second: and in these hath the Apostles obiurgation place: Who art thou that iudgest such things?

A beleeuer is Gods seruant: Ʋse 3 To be a seruant seemes to im­ply some basenesse; but indeed there is nothing more hono­rable then to be Gods seruant: A mortall Kings seruant is honoured; much more is Gods.

Dauid gloried in that title; Psal. 116.16. and so did the Apostles; Paul a seruant, Peter a seruant, Iames a seruant of God, as may be seene in their Epistles. Iustinian the Emperour, being the greatest and first on earth, yet was wont to stile himselfe in his Letters thus, Ʋltimus Dei seruus, the lowest or last ser­uant of God.

Thou wert the slaue of Satan, thou art now by faith be­come the seruant of God: Thou hast a good Master, bee thou a good seruant, heare his Word, attend vpon him, obey him, and that cheerefully in this honour, who didst cheere­fully obey Satan in that basenesse.

We cannot adde to the honour of our Master: let vs not dishonour him, by causing his Gospell to be ill spoken of by our lewd conuersation.

We are fellow seruants, seruing one Master; Ʋse 4 let vs not iudge one another; but referre all iudgement to the Master: let vs liue in vnity and peace.

No man will endure a finde-fault in his house, much lesse will God: Thou art but a seruant, and it may bee a weake one, the masters house is not to be ordered by thy will, but by the Masters; If he blame not things done, why shouldest thou? If the Master giue me liberty, why shouldest thou restraine?

If thou wilt be iudging and censuring, shake thine owne bosome; looke to thy owne seruants; looke to, and iudge thy selfe.

Iudas iudged the waste, but not his owne conetousnesse; the Pharisees iudged their neighbours moats, but not their owne beames: First iudge thy selfe, and then either thou wilt haue no leisure, or be the fitter to iudge thy neighbour.

Why beholdest thou the moat in thy brothers eye, Mat. 7.3.4.5. and con­siderest not the beame in thine owne eye? Thou Hypocrite, first cast out the beame out of thine owne eye, &c.

Heare O thou that iudgest, and consider strange things:

It is strange that thou shouldest haue a beame in thine eie:

It is strange that a moat should hurt thy neighbours eye, and not a beame thine owne.

Also strange, that hauing a beame in thine owne eye, thou shouldest discerne the moate in thy neighbours eye: But in­deed, onely such doe spy moats: for he that hath not a beame in his eye, hath Charity there, and Charity couereth a multi­tude of sinnes.

The eye seeth not it selfe, but the eie of a righteous man being cured, seeth and considereth himselfe more then others.

A iust man is the seuerest Iudge of himselfe.

Pray for thy brother, Iudge thy selfe.

IN these words is the second Amplification of the second Argument: and it is the preuenting of an Obiection, which weake Christians might or did make in defence of their iudging their Brethren.

For this is our corruption, that though we be weake, yet we are loth to be so accounted, thinking it a discredit to ac­knowledge that wee haue erred, though by our errours the whole Church bee troubled; when as the most glorious victory in this kinde is, to suffer our selues to bee ouercome of the Truth.

In this occupation, are, the Obiection, the Answer.

The Obiection not set downe, but vnderstood, and easi­sily gathered.

The weake Christian would iustifie his Censuring of the strong, from the benefit of his brother, thus:

It is profitable for my brother that his fault should be cor­rected, and taken away; and it is for his aduantage to stand, and not to fall: Therefore &c.

To this Paul answereth: of which answer there are two parts; a Concession, and a Correction.

The Concession gathered, as if he should say; I confesse it is a great blessing for a seruant to stand, and not to fall.

The Correction plainly set downe; but he standeth or fal­leth, not to thee, but to his owne Master: Thou hast nothing to doe with it; looke thou to thine owne standing: Art thou more carefull of his standing then his Master.

Seruus est veluti pars domini sui, sed à corpore secuncta: The seruant is a part of his master [...]: it is his part to ouersee him, and to iudge as he pleaseth.

To stand or fall: is to doe well, or otherwise: to stand or fall to his master, is to please or displease: To the master be­longeth eyther the aduantage or the damage of that which the seruant doth.