THE CLEANSING of the Leper: DISCOURSED, AND OPENED, FIRST, in certain Lectures within the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul, in London; upon occasion of that great visitation of the Plague, in the year of our Lord, 1603.  
And now thought meet to be published, for our present instruction and comfort; as being fitted both to this time of pestilence, and of famine amongst us.  Behold; thou art now made whole: sin no more; lest a worse thing come unto thee. joh. 5. 
By HENRY MORLEY, Bachelor of Divinity.  
Imprinted at London, by H. L. for Clement Knight: and are to be sold at the sign of the holy Lamb, in Paul's Churchyard. 1609.   

TO THE MOST Reverend Father in GOD, RICHARD, the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace, Primate and Metropolitan of all England, one of his majesties most Honourable privy Council, and Chancellor of the University of Oxford.  
RIght Honourable, and my gracious good Lord: the common Apology that is made for the publishing of books (viz. the entreaty & importunity of friends) with a complaint, notwithstanding, of the excessive number thereof already; I take to bemuch like that formal speech used by guests at great feasts: who will seem to find fault with the excess of cheer and superfluity of dishes; & yet taste and eat of every one that is before them. The best Apology (I suppose) myself and others can make herein (for, so many Critics have we in these days, that nothing can well pass without an Apology) is the necessity or rather iniquity of this age: wherein, the manifold opposition to Truth, and the most shameful dishonour to Piety (the one by Papists and schismatics; the other by Atheists and Libertines) do seem to call, as Moses sometimes did to the tribe of Levi, to put every man his sword by his side (that hath skill to handle it) and to consecrate his hands unto God, in the zeal and defence of them. In performance of which duty, if there be any thing, in this simple Work, worthy of regard; I humbly consecrated the same (next unto God) to the honour of your Grace: to whom it doth most justly belong; both in regard of my bounden duty (as your servant) and of your Graces sundry favours and benefits towards me. To which, please it you to add your honourable patronage of this small Treatise, against the calumnies of such Adversaries as it hath to encounter with; I shall think myself yet more deeply engaged (in any possible service) to your good Lordship. Thus, craving your Honourable acceptance of my poor endeavours; I humbly take my leave: with hearty and earnest prayer to God, for your Grace's health and happiness (to the prosperous and good estate of this our Church) long to continue.  
Your Grace's humble Chaplain and Servant, HENRY MORLEY.   

The Matters contained in this Book.  

1 THe combining of Christ's preaching and his working of miracles together; with the reasons thereof. pag. 1  
2 The particular miracle of the healing of the Leper, and the several points observed in it. pag. 5.  
3 A description of the nature and quality of the Leprosy; and of the contagion, and difficulty of the curing thereof. pag. 6  
4 The Lepers faith in coming unto Christ, & in making a petition to be healed of him; commending faith without diffidence in prayer. pag. 8  
5 The Lepers humility & reverence unto Christ, in worshipping him and falling down before him; commending humility and reverence in prayer. pag. 11  
6 The honour that the Leper giveth unto Christ, styling him with the name of a Lord, acknowledging him to be Lord God Almighty, the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. pag. 17  
7 The form of the Lepers petition (in saying Si vis, potes, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean) cleared from imputation of distrust and diffidence of Christ's goodness towards him. pag. 24  
8 The matter of the Lepers petition, in praying for the health of his body, showing the lawfulness of praying for temporal things, and how far and in what sort we ought to pray for them. pag. 26  
9 The ground of the Lepers petition: which is, the acknowledgement of Christ's will and the confident assurance of his power, in saying, Si vis, potes, if thou wilt thou canst. pag. 32  
10 Two propositions deduced from thence: the one, that the will of God is the prime and principal cause of God's works; the other, that the will of God is omnipotent able to do whatsoever it will. Ibid. 5  
11 The former point proved in divers cases, both of election, reprobation, etc. of all which the will of God is showed to be the first, immediate & principal cause. pag. 33  
12 That the will of God is always just, though many times secret and hid from us; and that there is always a just reason though not a superior cause of it. pag. 36  
13 Against the heresy of the Pelagians and some of the Papists, affirming election and reprobation to be of a prevision and foreknowledge in God, the one of faith and good works, the other of infidelity and the abuse of his grace. pag. 38  
14 Notwithstanding, the will of God is not the sole cause of most of his works, and particularly of man's salvation: but the will of man worketh with the will of God in the accomplishment thereof. pag. 43  
15 Neither is the mere will of God the only cause or any cause of the damnation of the wicked, without the malice and wickedness proceeding from man's own will. pag 47  
16 The difference of reprobation and damnation, or of negative and positive reprobation: the one depending upon the will of God only; the other having respect unto the wickedness of man. pag. 48  
17 The conclusion of the first point, together with the right use to be made of it. pag. 49  
18 The second point, concerning the omnipotency of God's will; that nothing is able to resist or to hinder the fulfilling of it. pag. 51  
19 Of divers manners whereby God willeth many things, although there be but one will in him properly and indeed: viz. his absolute will, or the will of his good pleasure, which is always fulfilled. pag. 53  
20 Against the doctrine of universal grace, as it is held by some; as being not able to confist nor to stand with the absolute will of God and the powerful and effectual working thereof. pag. 54  
21 The order of Christ's healing the Leper, by his hand, and by his tongue, with divers reasons of both. pag. 56  
22 The first reason, why Christ useth his hand in healing the Leper; being able to have healed him without touching him: viz. to show that he was not subject to the law as others, but was Lord of it. pa. 57  
23 The second reason, to show that he did not fear to take the infection, nor refuse to do a work of piety, upon any niceness and squeamishness: wherein is showed how far charity is to be extended in times of infection. pag. 61  
24 The third reason, to show that he esteemed more of charity then of the ceremonies of the law, and that all things are to yield unto piety and charity. Wherein is showed how far charity is to be extended in a time of famine. pag. 69  
25 The reasons why Christ useth his tongue in healing the Leper, being able to have healed him without speaking. pag. 79  
26 The first reason, which was to manifest the miracle to have been done by him and no other: wherein is showed the necessary use of a more public life, with a comparison between it, & that which is private, occupied for the most part in speculation. pag 79 80  
27 The second reason, which was to heal him after a decent manner: not by dumb shows or apish gestures; but by an express significant voice, joined with an outward sign or action: Against the practice of conjurers, jugglers, and all impostors. pag. 84  
28 The third reason, which was to show the virtue and power of his speech, having as much virtue and efficacy in his words as in his works. Wherein is showed the mighty power and efficacy of God's word. pag. 90  
29 The particular words which Christ useth in healing, viz. volo mundare; declaring his mercy and goodness to the Leper with his willingness and readiness to heal him in saying volo, I will: and his actual operation and performance of it in saying, mundare, be thou clean. pag 98  
30 The former showed in being willing to help us not only when we pray, but also before we pray: with the reason why God doth not sometimes grant our prayers, nor extend his mercy generally to al. pag. 99  
31 The latter showed in the performance of his promises, & in doing actually and really whatsoever he will have done. Wherein is manifested the stability and certainty of Gods will and decree concerning election and reprobation, and all other things; being most immutable and inviolable. pag. 104.  
32 divers mysteries signified in Christ's touching the Leper, and in saying, volo, mundare, I will be thou clean. pag, 112  
33 The cure ensuing hereupon, wrought by so small means, viz. by the word of his mouth and by the touch of his hand only; showing the wonderful power of Christ, able to do so great things by so weak means. pag. 116  
34 That it is not in the strength and virtue of the means, but in the might and power of God's will, whereby he worketh. pag. 119. 120.  
35 Why God useth any means, being able to work without them; and using means why he useth commonly weak and contemptible means. pag. 121  
36 Two reasons why God useth some means, being as well able to have wrought without them: one to keep a decent order in things; the other to honour the creatures, making them coworkers with himself. pag. 122. 123  
37 Against divers loiterers, who laying all upon God, they themselves become altogether idle, in doing and working nothing at all with him. These of three sorts. pag. 126  
28 The first, of such as depend so much upon God's predestination, that they neglect altogether the second causes and subordinate means of their salvation. pag. 127  
39 The second, of such as depend so much upon God's providence in providing for them, that they neglect and refuse all labour and other means of providing for themselves. pag. 132  
40 The third, of such as depend so much upon God's protection and care over them, that in times of danger they neglect all means of their preservation. pag. 136  
41 Two reasons also why God useth so small & weak means, being able to have used both greater and mightier means. pag. 140  
42 The first, that we should not ascribe that to the second cause and the means, which is wholly due unto God. pag. 140. 141  
43 The second, that we should not trust in the greatness of the means, nor despair in the weakness thereof, but to depend upon God's power, who is able to work by small as well as by great means. pag. 142  
44 That the Leper is not only healed by small means, but also after a wonderful and strange manner, viz. both presently and suddenly; whereof no other reason can be given but only God's power. pag. 145  
45 The benefit and comfort that comes unto us by the present and ready help that God doth send us in our greatest need. pag. 149  
46 Christ's charge unto the Leper cleared from the imputation of in civility and ingratitude, and his wisdom and loving affection commended for our instruction and imitation. pag. 152  
47 The moral respects which Christ had, in willing the Leper to tell no man of his cleansing. pag. 160  
48 The first, in regard of modesty, not caring to have his good deeds to be proclaimed, & to teach us not to publish our good deeds in boasting of them. Also how far we may manifest them unto the world. pag. 161  
49 The second, in regard of humility, flying vain glory, and to teach us not to seek the vain applause and commendation of men. To which there are four motives, with a limitation how far and with what respects we may receive the praise of men. pag. 165  
50 The third, in regard of piety, willing to give all the glory unto God, and to teach us not to ascribe any thing unto ourselves, but to give all the praise and honour unto God, for all the good that either we have or do. pag. 176  
51 Christ's charge unto the Leper, to show himself unto the Priest, which was to discern & judge of his healing, and to pronounce him clean. Wherein is a three fold regard: first, of the Leper: secondly, of himself: thirdly, of the Priest. pag. 180  
52 The reason concerning the Leper, to perform obedience unto the law. With the straight bond and obligatory power not only in the moral law of God, but also in the politic laws of men. pag. 181  
53 Against the Anabaptists and Papists, who resist and oppose themselves against civil government under a pretence of Christian liberty, or some special immunity. pag. 183  
54 Against schismatics & disordered persons, who spurn and kick against the ecclesiastical regiment, & the ceremonies of the Church, under a colour of the purity & sincerity of God's word. Wherein is showed how far, nature, reason, custom, human constitutions, etc. without express scripture, are to sway in matters of ecclesiastical governmet. pa. 187  
55 The reason concerning Christ himself Which was, to avoid offence that would have been taken at him; and how to carry ourselves towards others in the case of scandals. pag. 194  
56 The nature and kinds of scandals, whereof some active, and some passive, etc. pag. 195  
57 That a special care is to be had of the active scandal in giving no just offence: which proceedeth of two especial causes, either of corrupt doctrine or corrupt life. pag. 196  
58 The passive scandal considered according to the conditions of two sorts of persons: the one malicious taking offence at good things; the other weak ●aking offence at indifferent things. pag. 202  
59 That of the scandal of malicious men we ●eed not to be very solicitous; exemplified in two particular cases. pag. 203  
60 That of the scandal of weak ones we ought ●o have some care, in condescending something unto ●●eir weakness; wherein is showed how far, and how ●ong. pag. 206  
61 The reason concerning the Priest, to give him his due, and the honour that belonged unto him: whose office was to judge of the Leprosy, & to pronounce sentence of the cleansing thereof. pag. 212  
62 The great honour that God hath vouchsafed to the Priests of the Law from time to time, specified in four particulars. pag. 213  
63 The honour that God hath vouchsafed to the ministers of the Gospel, showed in the honour of their office and of their person. pag. 216.  
64 The contempt of God's ministers in these days, and the heinousness of the sin, with the causes of this contempt. pag. 221. 224  
65 Reverence and obedience to be yielded unto them, notwithstanding their unworthiness many times; due in regard of the dignity of their office, though not in regard of the merit of their person. pag. 230  
66 The third charge, to offer his gift, with the reason thereof: which was to testify his thankfulness unto God. pag. 232  
67 That for the same cause God commanded the first fruits, sacrifices, tenths, oblations &c. to be offered unto him: which he hath given from himself unto the Priests for their service and maintenance. pag. 233  
68 That the law of tithes and oblations is not 〈◊〉 mere ceremonial and judicial law, but also moral● in the substance, and proportion, and equity thereof pag. 23●  
69 that although the law of tithes do not bind Christians, as they were due to the Levitical priests, yet the Church hath liberty to retain the same, and to ordain it again, as it doth. pag. 237  
70 Four propositions arising from the right which God hath transferred from himself, and hath made over unto his ministers for their service. pag. 241  
71 The first, that the maintenance of ministers, is not a mere human constitution, but a divine ordinance, due unto them iure divino, by a divine right or by the law of God. pag. 241. 242.  
72 Also that it is not a voluntary and beggarly alms given in charity, but an honourable tribute due in justice: and that God did not see it fit that ministers should live upon mere benevolence, and the voluntary contributions of the people with the reasons thereof. pag. 242. 243  
73 The second, that the maintenance of ministers ought to be a liberal, and a bountiful maintenance; proved by the law of nature, of nations, of Christ, and of Christian Princes. pag. 246  
74 The third, that tenths, and oblations, and other revenues of the Church, do properly belong to Ecclesiastical and not to any temporal persons. pag. 254  
75 That to alienate the goods of the Church, either by diverting them without just cause to civil uses, or by converting them fraudulently and unjustly to our own uses, cannot be without injury unto God and to the Church. pag. 256  
76 Of the great danger hereof, and the grievous punishments that have followed after it, with an exhortation & a Caveatto beware of it. p. 258. 267  
77 The fourth, that tithes and oblations with other duties belonging to the Church, are to be tendered willingly and cheerfully, without grudging and murmuring, and without contesting and cavilling about them; against the wicked practice in these days. pag. 271  
78 The ground and reason of the charge; which is the law and commandment of Moses, and why Christ would have the Leper to perform obedience unto it, being shortly after to be abolished: which was, to honour Moses and his law. pag. 279  
79 Of the honour dew to the laws and ceremonies of our Church, in regard of the first authors and observers of them; the which are cleared of the imputation of popery and superstition. pag. 284  
80 Another special end of the Lepers oblation: which besides the testification of his thankfulness was to be a testimony against the priests. pag. 290  
81 How God keepeth records and witnesses, to leave us without excuse; and therefore to seek for the testimony of God's spirit, and the testimony of a good conscience to secure us against all witnesses that come against us. 291  
82 The allegory of the whole text applied to the cleansing of sin, which is the leprosy of the soul, wrought by Christ jesus, the Physician that cleanseth, and the high Priest that doth pronounce us to be clean; with the testifying of our thankfulness for it. pag. 295    

THE CLEANsing of the Leper.  Matth. 8. Verse 2.3.4. 
And lo there came a Leper and worshipped him saying, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.  
And jesus stretching forth his hand touched him saying, I will be thou clean, and immediately his leprosy was cleansed.  
Then jesus said unto him, See thou tell no man, but go and show thyself unto the Priest, & offer the gift that Moses commanded for a witness to them.  
IT is observed by the fathers that the creation of the World was not performed with such labour & difficulty as the redemption of it.  
In the creation God used his word only; for, dixit & facta sunt, he spoke the word and they were made: 
Psal. 33.9  Psalm. 33.9. But in the redemption of it, Christ used both words and deeds too: 
Bern. incant. ser. 20  for multa dixit, multa fecit, & multa pertulit (saith S. Bernard; he spoke many things, he did many things, and he suffered many things. Which was the cause that in performing the office of his mediation, he did not only preach the word, but also wrought many works and wonders with it, joining unto his sayings, his doings, to his words, his deeds, and to his doctrine, his works, & miracles which he wrought. And this not without most wise and just consideration. Partly 〈◊〉 win credit & authority unto his preaching, and to confirm his doctrine by signs and wonders that followed after: 
Mark 16.20  that as his doctrine was supernatural far above the apprehension of reason; so the confirmation thereof might be supernatural far above the order and course of nature. 
Cant. 2.12  It is the song of the Church in the book of the Canticles, The flowers appear in the earth, and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our land: that is saith Bernard the truth is found by hearing and by seeing; the voice being heard and the flowers being seen. 
Rom. 10.17 Et visu veritas comperta & auditu. Etsi fides ex auditu, ex vis● confirmatio est. Audita visa confirmant. Bern. in Cant. ser. 59 Mat. 3.16  For though faith cometh by hearing (as the Apostle saith) yet notwithstanding the confirmation of it is by seeing, according to that which Christ saith, Go show john what things ye have heard & seen; the things which we hear being confirmed by those things which we see. Therefore is Christ not only testified by a voice, but also demonstrated by a Dove, and is preached not only by an audible, but by a visible word; to show that both a voice and a sign do concur in the assurance of faith. Whereupon, he concludeth concerning the effectual power of Christ's preaching and his working of miracles together, Intonat tuba salutaris, 
Bern. ibid.  ●oruscant miracula & mundus credit: the ●rumpet of God's word thundered, his miracles & wonders lightened, and the whole world was thereby converted, and belee●ed. Partly it was to convince his adversaries, and to stop the mouths of those malicious jews who were ready to de●raue, and to cavil with him.  
For though his doctrine was most heavenly, having the words of eternal life with him, 
joh. 6.68  joh. 6.68. Though his speech was most gracious having his lips full of grace. 
Psal. 45.2  Psal. 45.2. Though his words were most powerful, speaking as one having authority, 
Mat. 7.29  Mat. 7.29. In a word, though he excelled all that did ever speak (never any man spoke like this man; said the officers that were sent to take him. 
joh. 7.46  joh. 7.46) Yet notwithstanding the Priests and the pharisees, with the rest of the people being maliciously bend against him, how were they ready to backbite, to calumniate and to quarrel with him. Here are many goodly words, were they ready to say, but we can see no deeds of his, it is an easy matter to say well, but we would feign see what great matter he is able to do; therefore our Saviour Christ to show that he was not only verbal but real, and that he was not only mighty in word, 
Act. 7.12  but mighty in deed, with his sayings he joineth his doings, with his words he joineth his deeds, and with the preaching of the word, the working of miracles too: so as if he preacheth in the mountain he doth miracles in the valley, if he saith in the mountain, Beati mundo cord, 
Mat. 5.2  Blessed are the clean and pure in heart, he saith really in the valley Volo, mundare, I will, be thou clean, as he doth to the Leper here.  
In the discourse and handling whereof we observe. 1. The Leper coming to Christ and putting up a petition unto him to heal him of his seprosie (and lo there came a Leper & worshipped him saying, Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean.) 2. Our Saviour Christ granting his petition and healing his leprosy (jesus stretching forth his hand touched him saying, I will be thou clean). 3. The cure itself ensuing & following presently upon it (and immediately his leprosy was cleansed.) 4. The charge or command that Christ giveth him after the cure 1. To tell it to no man (see thou tell no man.) 2. To show himself unto the Priest (but go and show thyself unto the Priest) 3. To offer his gift according to to the law of Moses and offer thy gift as MOSES commanded for a witness to them  
Concerning the Leper that maketh suit unto Christ, 
Luke 5.12  S. Luke reporting this history, saith that he was no ordinary Leper, but a man full of leprosy; of the nature quality, signs, symptoms, and effects of which disease I hold it needless to discourse out of the art and rules of physic, being so copiously described in the holy Scriptures, as you may read in the thirteen and fourteen Chapters of Leviticus, 
Le. 13. & 14  and in divers other places; only I note two things that are especially observed of it, the one that it was contagious and infectious: the other that it was desperate and almost incurable. So contagious it was, 
Levit. 13.46  that God provided in the law of Moses, that such persons as were infected herewith, should live apart from the society and company of others, and should wear a covering upon their lips; and as any passed by to give warning unto them by crying; I am unclean, I am unclean: and all to this end, that others might not be infected by them, insomuch that even Vzziah the King himself, being smittten with the leprosy for meddling presumptuously with the Priest's office, 
2. Chron. 26 21  lived as a Leper in a house apart by himself, all the days of his life. 2. Chro. 26.21. And so hard and difficult was the cure, that when the king of Syria sent Naaman the Leper to the king of Israel to be healed of him: 
2. King. 5.7  See (saith the king of Israel) how he seeks a quarrel against me: am I God to give life? signifying that it was not in the art and cunning of man, but only in the power of God to heal this disease. So that the disease being so contagious, and so incurable, the healing of it cannot but be admirable, worthy of an Ecce, Behold, and deserving most diligent heed and attention unto it. Yea not only the cure, but every circumstance in it, is remarkable, and worthy of observation, both in the Leper and in CHRIST, and in the whole course and proceeding of it.  
To begin first with the Leper, who is the Petitioner, our Evangelist here saith that he came unto Christ, which was very strange, for in regard of the law he ought not to have come, & in regard of his sickness he was not well able to come, 
Non ad Christum ambulando currimus sed credendo, nec motu corporis sed voluntate cordis accedimut. Aug. in joh. tract. 26.  and yet for all this, venit he comes unto Christ, but how? non tam passibus corporis quàm fide cordis, saith S. Austen, not so much with the feet of his body, as with the faith of his heart, for had his heart been no better than his legs, and his faith no better than his feet, he would never have troubled himself to come unto Christ as he did.  
But did the Leper this, think you, in regard of himself only? No verily; but in regard of us also, to teach us whensoever we put up our petitions and pray unto Christ, 
Heb. 10.22  to come and draw near unto him with a true heart in assurance of faith. For as we must first of all have the spirit of grace to stir us up to pray. 
Zach. 12.10  Zac● 12.10. So next we must have the spirit of faith. 
2. Cor. 4.13  2. Cor. 4.13. to assure us that God will grant and give us those things for which we pray. 
Irrisio dei est si quid illum ores quod exoraturum te non certoco●fidas. Pellic. in Mat.  Otherwise it is but a mocking of God, to pray for that, which we do not look nor hope to obtain o● God. Therefore S. james would have us whensoever we pray, to pray in faith, and not to waver, for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, and is not like to receive any thing at the hands of God. Which agreeth with the advise that our Saviour Christ giveth unto us: 
Mar. 11.24  Mar. 11.24. Whatsoever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye shall have it, 
Bern. in Quad. serm. 4  and it shall be done unto you. For as Bernard says, that prayer which is full of distrust and diffidence, measuring God's power & goodness, either by the shallowness of our capacity, or by the greatness of our own unworthiness, is not able to ascend and to fly up unto those hills from whence our help cometh. For as a cold or lukewarm prayer faileth and vanisheth in the ascent, because it hath not strength and vigour in it: and as a rash prayer doth ascend but yet is driven back again, being altogether unworthy to come into God's presence; so a timorous and a diffident prayer doth not ascend at all, nor come up into heaven as the prayers and alms of Cornelius did Act. 10. being so restrained and held back with fear and diffidence, that it can never come near the throne of grace to receive mercy, 
Heb. 4.16  and to find grace at the hands of God. In which regard, we read that when the man in the Gospel came unto Christ to make entreaty for his son that was possessed with a devil, 
Mar. 9.22  telling him in what sort he was taken, and desiring him after a doubtful manner to put to his hand, and to help him if he could, saying, Si quid potes, adiuva nos, if thou canst do any thing help us, and have compassion; instead of helping him he returns him an answer much like unto his demand: 
Mar. 9.23  Si potes credere, omnia possibilia sunt, if thou canst believe all things are possible; signifying, that the way to find help was not to doubt either of his goodness, or of his power, but undoubtedly to believe that he is both able and ready also for to help us.  
Therefore, in that holy prayer which he hath commended unto us, Mat. 6; He doth teach us in the beginning of it to call God our Father, that we should have a certain confidence of obtaining that which we desire (for what will not a Father give unto his Sons praying unto him, who hath given a far greater gift before they pray, in vouchsafing to make them his Sons?) and in the end thereof he hath taught us to say Amen, 
Amen in oratione dominica significat indubitanter a domino conferri quod petitur. Aug. de Temp. ser. 182  to testify our faith that we do assuredly believe to obtain our desires and to have our requests granted unto us; for Amen in the Lord's prayer, as Saint Austen saith, signifieth that GOD doth undoubtedly bestow and confer that which we desire of him.  
But doth this Leper only come unto Christ? no, but he worships him too. Venit & adoravit eum, he came & worshipped him. Like unto those wise men, saith Origen that came out of the east. Mat. 2.11. who first fell down & worshipped Christ, and afterwards presented their gifts unto him. Concerning which worship and reverence, the other Evangelists making relation do report it somewhat otherwise. S. 
Mark. 1.40  Mark cap. 1. ver. 40. saith that he besought him, kneeling down unto him. 
Luke, 5.12  S. Luke cap. 5. ve. 12. saith that he fell upon his face and besought him. Saint Matthew saith here that he came and worshipped him, all which together do show his wonderful reverence and humility in presenting himself in such submiss and lowly manner unto him. Whose religious & modest behaviour is as it were a lecture of the like reverence and humility unto us, to teach us when we present ourselves and our prayers unto God to adore and to worship him, not only with an inward but also with an outward worship, in prostrating ourselves, and in kneeling and falling down before him. 
1. Cor. 6.20  For, seeing God hath created our souls and our bodies: therefore we are to worship and to glorify him, not only inwardly with the one, but also outwardly with the other. A duty usually practised by holy & devout Christians in former times, till some fanatical spirits of late pretending God to be a spirit and the service of God merely spiritual, & deeming themselves also to be wholly in the spirit and not in the flesh, have hereby made a very Anatomy or skeleton of the service of God, void of all external rites and ceremonies, and of all outward worship and reverence, notwithstanding they be a singular means both to excite and stir up piety and devotion in us, as also to testify our inward reverence and obedience unto God; so as religion and the service of God, which was wont to be fair and beautiful, and in good liking, may now complain as he doth in the comedy, 
Plaut. in Aulular.  Pellis & ossa sum miser, that she is lean and withered, and nothing but skin and bones, being utterly wasted and consumed.  
I say, a duty commonly practised in the Church in former ages, as may appear by David's liturgy. Psal. 95.3. 
Psal. 95.3  In which he inviteth the people to the service of God after this manner. O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker: Which our Church also upon good ground hath received into her liturgy, prescribing us not only to lift up our hearts unto God, but also to kneel and fall down upon our knees before his foorstoole. Yea I add further, a duty not only practised by the prophets, and the Apostles and other holy men, who being, but poor and mean persons in the eyes of the World, may perhaps be thought to have done it out of a kind of pusillanimity, and want of a generous spirit; but also by Kings, and Princes, and great monarchs of the World, 
Num. 16.22 2. San. 12.16 2. Chron. 6 13  viz. by Moses and Aaron, by David and Solomon, and by our blessed Saviour Christ himself, whose manner was to fall down and to kneel, and to stretch forth, 
Luke 22 Prostratus in terra or at medicus & non inclinatur aegrotus?  and to lift up their hands when they prayed unto God; that men of lower rank, and condition should not disdain, nor think much to do the like, having such precedents, and being compassed with a cloud of such worthy Witnesses. 
Heb. 12.1  It is worthy our observation, and very agreeable to this purpose, which is recorded of the Emperor CONSTANTINE, of whom EUSEBIUS reporteth that it was his common custom every day to shut up himself close into some secret place of his Palace, 
Euseb. in vita Constant. lib. 4. cap. 14 16  where he used to have both his Soliloquia, or private conferences with God, and also to pray devoutly upon his knees, with a submiss and an humble voice unto God; which reverence and humility in prayer, he did so approve both in himself, and in others, that in the coin which passed through all the parts of his empire, he caused his image or picture to be graven & stamped upon it after the fashion of an humble and devout suppliant looking up to heaven & lifting up his hands to God. The which is so far from the unreverent & immodest, or rather irreligious and profane behaviour of divers who presume to cover their heads even in the celebration of the service of God, and to sit both when they offer up their prayers, and receive the holy and blessed Sacrament; that I cannot but greatly wonder, that those men that do thus carry themselves, either under a pretence of Christian liberty, or else to avoid popish superstition and idolatry, whose fashion was (as they say) to creep & crouch when they prayed, and to adore the sacrament by kneeling unto it, when they received it, do themselves incur hereby, though not popish idolatry & superstition, yet notwithstanding that which is not much better than it, heathenish impiety & profaneness: whose fashion was as Tertullian says adorari sigillaria sua residendo, 
Tertul. de orat. cap. 13.  to worship their gods & their idols sitting, which had they been truly wise saith he, they would never have done, had it been but to show duty and reverence unto their gods. For if we account it an uncivil and an unseemly thing to sit in the presence of a man of honour whom we greatly reverence; how much irreligion is it saith the same father, to sit when we offer up our prayers and thanksgiving unto God in the sight and presence of the glorious Angels, 
Quantò magù Angelo adhue orationis astante factum istud irreligiosissimun est? Tertull. ●●id.  which stand about us, ready to present our prayers and devotions unto God? unless perhaps we have a meaning to upbraid God with our service, as if prayer were a very troublesome thing, that did greatly tyre and weary us, and therefore we are glad to sit and to ease ourselves when we pray unto him. far be from Christians, such heathenish and irreligious behaviour, knowing that the more reverence and humility we use in praying unto God, the more we do commend our prayers unto him.  
Thus you see how the Leper prepareth himself: now he putteth up his petition unto CHRIST, before which he putteth a title of honour, styling him with the name of a lord Domine si vis, potes mundare me, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Which is not a word of complement, and of civil worship only, as when OEADIAH said to ELIAS, Art thou my Lord ELIAH? 
1. Kings. 18  but a word of sovereign and divine power, whereby he ascribeth an absolute power and authority, unto him, acknowledging him to be Lord God almighty, Creator, and Ruler of the whole world. Which if any shall seem to make doubt of, let him but consider the words following, and it will more then manifestly appear. For, in making his power equal unto his will, as he doth in saying, If thou wilt thou canst; herein he doth acknowledge an omnipotent and a divine power, which belongeth unto God only. For, who is there in the World that is able to do all that he will, but God only?  
There are many men that would gladly do many things that they are not able to do. As for example, some men have a will and a desire to do hurt; but they have no power to do it, because there is no power but of God. 
Rom. 13.2  Rom. 13.2. And therefore when Pilate said unto Christ, have not I power to crucify or to lose thee, he answered him, Thou couldst have no power against me, 
joh. 19.10  unless it were given thee from above. joh. 19.10. On the other side, some men have a will and a desire to do good, but they have no power to perform it, because the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. 
Mat. 26.41  Mat. 26.41. And therefore, Saint Paul saith, To will, is present with me, but I find no means to perform that which is good. Rom. 7.18. 
Rom. 7. 1●  But as for Christ he is able to do all that he will; as the Leper here confesseth him: Si vis potes, If thou wilt thou canst; and therefore in acknowledging this, he doth acknowledge him to be God, because this is a property belonging to God only: as the Psalmist saith, God is in heaven and doth whatsoever he will. Psalm. 115.3. 
Psal. 115.3  If you desire to see the truth hereof, do but consider a little the works that he did, and you shall manifestly perceive that to be true which he saith of himself. joh. 10. 
joh. 10.25  Opera quaefacio, ipsa testimonium perhibent de me, The works which I do, they bear witness of me. For he that is able to do so great works as these, viz. to give sight to the blind, to give hearing to the deaf, to give strength to the lame, to heal the sick, to raise the dead, to cast out devils, and many more like unto these, doth plainly show that he hath an omnipotent and a divine power, equal unto his will, being able to do whatsoever he will do. I do not deny but that Christ is able to do by his absolute power, many things that he will not do: 
Matt. 4.3  as he is able to make stones to become bread, he is able of the stones to raise up children unto Abraham, 
Mat. 3.9  he is able to make a Camel to go through the eye of a needle, 
Mat. 19  he is able to command twelve legions of Angels to assist him; 
Mat. 26  and many other things he is able to do which he will not do: but then by his actual power, 


●endei absoluta.  
●endei actualis, seu  
●endei ordinaria    which the Schoolmen call, his ordinary power, whatsoever he will do, he is able to do, which is a power far above the power of any creatnre; and therefore this fullness of power being in Christ, not by any delegate power, communicated and received from an other, as the Apostles was wherewith they did miracles, but by an absolute power subsisting in his own nature, and having original, and beginning from himself, herein maugre the malice of all jews, Turks, Pagans, and Heretics, both the Leper and all of us that are Christians, do acknowledge and profess, that he is not only a man, but GOD and man in one person, begotten of the substance of his Father, from all eternity, and equal unto him in all power and glory. Which, if any shall presume to call into question in regard of his poor and base estate here in this World, making himself of no reputation, and taking upon him the form of a servant, and being found in the shape of a man (as the apostle saith) Philippians, 2. Chapter 7. 
Phil. 2.7  Verse; Let him know for a surety that he did not so take upon him the nature of man, that therewith he did lose the nature, of GOD; but as NAZIANZENE, and AUSTEN do most truly affirm, permansit quod erat, 
Nazianzen. orat. 3 de Theolog.  & assumpsit quod non erat, he did so assume that which he was not before, namely man, that he remained that which he was before, namely God. The which GREGORY NAZIANZENE, doth most excellently demonstrate and set out in one of his Orations, showing how the conditions and properties of both his natures concurred together in him, through the course of his whole life. He is borne of his mother and wrapped in swaddling clouts (saith he) as being a man; 
Luke 2.7  but a star doth manifest him, 
Matt. 2  and the Wisemen adore him, as being God. He is bap tised of john the Baptist in the river jordan as being a man: 
Mat. 3.16  but the holy Ghost descends upon him; and the Father giveth a testimony of him as being God. 
Mar. 1.12  He is tempted of the devil, and liveth among the wild beasts, as he is man: but he overcometh the devil, 
Mat. 4  and the Angels do serve and minister unto him, 
joh. 4  as he is God. He travails and is weary, he is hungry and thirsty, as he is man: but he refresheth the weary, and feedeth the hungry, 
joh. 7  and gives drink to the thirsty, as he is God. He sleeps in the ship, 
Mat. 8  and his Disciples awake him, as he is man: but he rebukes the winds, and stilleth the raging sea, as he is God. He is poor and needy, 
Mat. 9  and hath not a house to put his head in, as he is man: but he is rich and mighty, and hath all the world at command as he is God. He is sorrowful and heavy, 
Mat. 26  and he weeps and prays as he is man: but he heareth our prayers, and comforteth us by his spirit, 
joh. 14.  as he is God. He is subject to infirmities, 
Esay 53  and is smitten and wounded as he is man; but, he helpeth our infirmities and healeth our sickness as he is God. 
Mat. 26 Mat. 27.  He is mocked and whipped, he is reviled and buffeted, condemned and crucified, as he is man; but he makes the valle of the I emple to rend, and the graves to open, and the sun to hide his face thereat, as he is God. He dieth and is buried, 
Ioh, 19  and lieth in his grave as he is man: but he overcometh Death, and destroyeth the Devil, & raiseth himself unto life again, as he is God. 
Mat. 28  Being risen he appears unto his Disciples, 
Luke 24  and doth eat and drink with them as he is man: but afterward he ascendeth into heaven, 
Acts 1  and sitteth at the right hand of his Father as he is God. All which, with much more beside, doth evidently show that he is not an earthly Lord holding his dominion and Lordship of some other greater than himself; but a heavenly Lord, or a Lord in Capite (as the layers speak, not depending upon any other, but absolute in himself, being the very self same Lord, who is called, Rex regum, 
Psal. 50.1  & Dominus dominantium, the King of kings; and the Lord of lords: In which sense the Leper also styleth him here with the name and honour of a Lord, saying; Domine si vis potes mundare me, Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean.  
The way being thus made, the petition itself now followeth: the form and manner whereof is in this wise, Si vis potes mundare me, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. We read of divers Suitors that have come unto Christ, but not all after one and the self same fashion. Some make their petitions plainly, and directly, as the Woman of Canaan: 
Mat. 15.22  Mathewe 15.22. Have mercy on me, O Lord, my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil; and as the blind man, Luke 18. JESUS the son of David have mercy on me. 
Luke 18.39  Some more closely and covertly, as the Sisters of Lazarus that said unto Christ, Quem am as infirmatur, He whom thou lovest is sick. 
joh. 11.3  john 11.3. and the Mother of our Saviour CHRRIST saying, unto him. john, 2. Vinum non habent, 
joh. 2.3  they have no Wine. Which was a close and a modest kind of ask; to which we may add the Leper, saying, unto Christ here: Si vis potes mundare me, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean, which is a covert and an indirect kind of begging too. And therefore though our Evangelist here saith nothing expressly of his ask, and the words make no great semblance of a petition, yet Saint MARK, and Saint LUKE, 
Mark 1 Luke 5  both say that he came and besought him, saying, Si vis, potes mundare me, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean.  
The form and manner of which Petition, if any shall suppose to savour strongly of distrust, and diffidence of Christ's willingness and goodness towards him, because he says, Si vis, 
De voluntate Domini non dubitavit quasi pietatis incredulus, sed quasi colluvionis sua conscius non praesumpsit. Amb. in Luo.  if thou wilt, which words carry some semblance of doubt and diffidence: Saint AMBROSE shall answer for him, that he did not doubt of Christ's will and of his goodness out of any distrust, or infidelity: but he would not presume too much upon it in regard of his own unworthiness; 
Non de voluntate Christi ad omne bonum parata dubitat, sed de judicio voluntatis ●ius. Chrys. in Mat.  or as Chrysostome says, he did not doubt of Christ's will which is ready to do good; but of his own judgement concerning his will, whether that was good: so as he did not doubt whether Christ would do all that was good, for him; but rather whether that was good that he would have Christ to do for him. And therefore he prays after a modest manner, acknowledging both Christ's power, and his goodness also; but yet submitting himself unto it, as knowing best how to judge and to dispose of it, in saying, Si vis potes, if thou wilt, thou canst.  
The subject and matter of whose petition is, to be healed of his leprosy; which some perhaps will censure to be very preposterous, in seeking and desiring the health of his body, before the health of his soul: like unto divers men who falling sick, will first send for the Physician, and being past recovery will then send for the Preacher; which course I confess not only to be preposterous, but to be irreligious too But it is very credible that Christ having healed the Leper before in his soul; 
Mosest divinae virtutis prius meder● cordi quam corpori. Sanat prius quod potius. Ber. in par. serm. 66 Mat. 9 Mat. 5  whose manner and custom was (as Bernard says) first to heal the soul before he heals the body, healing that first which is best (as may appear both by the man that was sick of the palsy. Mat. 9 and by the woman that was diseased with an issue of blood. Mark, 5. and by the Leper also here in this place, who worshipped and confessed Christ to be God before he healed the leprosy of his body) that he comes now in the strength of his faith, and desireth to be healed in his body also; it being a thing not unlawful to pray for the health of the one, as well as for the health of the other. For, though we ought first and principally to pray for spiritual and heavenly things, as our Saviour Christ willeth us first to seek the kingdom of heaven, 
Mat. 7 Thom. 2.2. quaest. 83. art. 4.  and the righteousness thereof: yet secondarily, we pray also for corporal and temporal things, as certain helps and means to attain unto better things. And therefore our Saviour in that holy prayer which he hath taught us, after 3. petitions for spiritual graces, he addeth one for temporal blessings, to show that in a decent order, 
Debemus ista ae deo petere sed secundo & tertio leco; ut primas partes orationis nostrae animae aemor & defiderium vitae eternae obtiveat. Aug. de Temp. ser 60.  and in their due place, we may pray for the one, as well as for the other.  
Only this we are to be careful of, that we be not too forward nor too greedy in praying for them, but to pray with sobriety and moderation, and with submission to the will of God, as the Leper doth here: Si vis potes, if thou wilt thou canst. As if he should say, Lord, I do not doubt but thou art able to heal me; heal me I beseech thee if it be thy will, and if thou seest it to be good for me. Which is the true difference we are to make in praying for spiritual and temporal blessings; for the one we may pray absolutely if we will, for the other we are to pray conditionally and with submission to the will of God as the Leper doth; Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean. It is not to be doubted but that the Leper, had he prayed for the health of his soul, as he doth for the health of his body, desiring remission of his sins, justification by faith, reconciliation with God, his grace here in this life, and glory and blessedness in the life to come, all which are spiritual blessings and cannot choose but be always good for us, than he needed not to have prayed either covertly or conditionally, Si vis potes, if thou wilt thou canst, but he might have prayed both directly & absolutely with the Prophet David Sana animam meam Domine, heal my soul, O Lord, Psal. 41.4. But because he prays for the health of his body which is a temporal benefit, & such an one as God in his wisdom many times doth see not to be good for us, (for many men are better in sickness than they are in health) therefore he prays conditionally and with submission to the will of God. Domine si vis, potes mundare me, Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean. To teach us also no doubt how to stand affected in praying for these outward and temporal blessings, whether it be health, wealth, peace, plenty, liberty, and deliverance from dangers and calamities, as the sword, the famine, the pestilence, to which we are and have been a long time subject (the Lord give us grace to turn unto him, that so he may turn away both these & all other his judgements from us) viz to be affected and like minded a● David was, 
2. Sam. 15.25  when he was in danger and fled from his son Absalon that rebelled against him, to say with him, If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again: if not, here I am let him do to me as seemeth good in his eyes; so likewise if we shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, or if he sees it to be a favour to give it unto us (for some things God doth give us in his great displeasure, 
Quaedam Deus negat propitius, quedam concedit iratus Aug. Multis propitius Deus non tribuit quod volunt ut quod utile est tribuat. Aug. de unit. Eccle.  and some things he doth deny us in his great love and mercy, denying to many that which they desire, that he may give them that which is good for them.) I say if God sees it to be a favour indeed to give these things unto us, he will give us health, wealth, peace, plenty, liberty, prosperity, and will preserve & deliver us both from the famine and the pestilence, which do lie now at our gates as Hannibal sometimes did at the gates of Rome, threatening calamity and destruction unto us; if not, let him do to us as seemeth good in his eyes: here we are, ready to obey his will, either by doing or suffering of it.  
This aught to be the affection of every good Christian touching these outward and temporal things, to pray with moderation and submission unto the will of God, according to the direction that S. Bernard giveth, Temporalia si defuerint, 
Bern. the 4. modis orandi.  petenda quidem sunt, sed non sunt nimium requirenda: if we want temporal things necessary for this life, it is not unlawful to pray for them: but we may not pray too carefully, nor too earnestly for them; not only by the example of this Leper, but also by an example without all exception even of Christ himself: who praying for outward deliverance, which was a temporal benefit, prays both with condition and submission too, 
Mat. 26.39  Father if it be possible let this cup pass away from me; yet not my will but thy will be done. Which was the cause that moved the Leper to pray so closely and so submissively as he doth, acknowledging Christ's power, but submitting himself unto his will, in saving, Si vis potes mundare me, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean.  
Which petition like unto those Cherubins which looked toward the mercy-seat, 
Exod. 37.9.  Exod. 37.9. seemeth to have an eye unto two things in Christ; unto his will and unto his power: to his will, in saying, Si vis, if thou wilt: to his power in saying potes mundare me, thou canst make me clean: in the one insinuating and acknowledging that both his cleansing and all things else, do proceed from his will, as the first and chief cause of all, and therefore he saith first, Si vis, if thou wilt: In the other signifying plainly that his power is omnipotent, able to do whatsoever he will, and therefore upon the grant of his will he inferreth his power: Si vis, potes, if thou wilt, thou canst.  
For the first, 
Voluntas dei omnium quae sunt ipsa est causa. Aug.  viz. that the will of God is the first and principal efficient cause of all those works which God doth externally out of himself as the Schoolmen speak, 
Voluntatis dei quae omnium causa, nulla causa. Hugo de S. Vict.  so as there is no superior nor precedent cause moving the same, it doth evidently and manifestly appear by the eternity and omnipotency of Gods wil For seeing that nothing is before the will of GOD as being eternal, and nothing greater than it as being omnipotent, 
Aug. lib. 1. contra man.. cap. 2. & lib. 83. quaest. Quaest. 28  as Saint AUSTEN says; hence it followeth necessarily that there can be no cause either of it or before it; but this is as it were the cause of all causes, and the first mover of every thing. 
Voluntas Dei est causa causarum & extra vel ultra illam, ratio non qua renda, immò ultrà nihil est  The truth whereof will more clearly appear unto our senses by a particular view and consideration of the works of God; of all which you shall find no cause to be above, or before the will of God, but contrariwise this to be both the prime and principal cause of all. 
Quare hos eligat in gloriam & illos reprobavit, non habet rationem nisi divinam voluntatem. Thom. sum. par. 2. q. 23.  To begin with one of the greatest of God's works which is his eternal decree of predestination: what is the cause that God doth elect & choose some, in making them vessels of mercy to manifest his goodness & bounty in them, contrarily that he doth reject & refuse others, 
Rom. 9.22  in making them vessels of wrath to show his justice and his power in them, 
Diversitas seruandorum a damnandis, provenit a principali intentione primi agentis. Thom. ibid.  but only the will and pleasure of God, as the first immediate cause of it: whereof if there be any other causes, they are all in relation unto it, and have a certain kind of dependency upon it, as upon the first and principal cause of all. Let the case be if you please of Peter and judas: I demand what the cause was that God had mercy upon Peter in saving him, and not upon judas in damning him? will you say because Peter repent and judas despaired? It is true indeed this was a secondary and a mediate cause: but I demand then again, why did Peter repent, and judas despair? but because it pleased God to give repentance to the one, and would not give it unto the other; in regard he had in his eternal decree elected the one, and rejected the other. For, if God would have given repentance and faith to judas as well as he did to Peter, judas had been saved as well as Peter; and therefore the will of God was the first & main cause of the salvation of the one & reprobation of the other, according to the conclusion which the Apostle maketh, Rom. 9.18. 
Rom. 9.18  God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth. Come to an other case of God's gifts and of his blessings, as well spiritual as temporal; which as we all know, he bestoweth diversly, giving to divers men divers gifts, to some more, to some less, we shall find that the chief and principal cause hereof is ascribed unto his will; 
1. Cor. 12.7  To one is given (saith the Apostle) the word of faith, to an other the word of wisdom, to an other the gift of healing, to an other the operation of great works, to an other prophesy, to an other the diversity of tongues, etc. All which are given by one and the self-same spirit, distributing to every one severally even as he will. 1. Cor. 12.7. This is the cause why God doth reveal his mysteries to babes and children, and doth hide them from the wise and prudent, because it is the will and pleasure of God as CHRIST saith, 
Mat 11.27  I give thee thanks O Father, maker of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise, and men of under standing, and hast opened them unto babes: it is so, O Father, because thy good will and pleasure was such. Mat. 11.27. Insomuch that in the parable of the householder, 
Mat. 20  who hired Labourers into his Vineyard, when he came at Even to pay them their wages, and found one murmuring, because he gave as much to them that came at the last hour, as to them that came at the first, he giveth no other reason hereof, but his will: Volo huic novissimo dare sicut tibi. I will give to this last as much as to thee; making his will a sufficient & a just cause of his deed. Of whose will there is that justice, that GOD is not said to will a thing to be done, because it is good, but rather to make it good, because GOD will have it to be done; like as we see in the creation, where it is first said that GOD created all things, and then afterwards it is said that he saw that they were all good; to show that every thing is therefore good, because it is created, not therefore created, because it is good. The which doth most notably clear Gods will from the least stain or spot of injustice, because that albeit his will be the first and chief cause of every thing, doing every thing because he will do it: yet notwithstanding, it is not like to the will of Tyrants, whose will is commonly without reason, or rather against all right and reason, as the Poet saith: but it is most just and holy too, as the Prophet DAVID saith, Psalm. 
Psal. 145  145. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. Whereupon that thrice learned ZANCHIUS maketh a difference and a distinction between the cause of Gods will and the reason of his will; 
Zanch. de natura dei lib. 3 cap. 4.  that although there be no superior cause of God's will, yet notwithstanding there is a just reason, and a most right end and purpose in it, because that cannot be without reason which is done with great wisdom. 
Psal. 104  Psal. 104: in regard whereof it is not simply called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the will of God, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good will and pleasure of God. 
Ephes. 1.11  Eph. 1.11. Insomuch that it may as truly be said to be good in God, 
Deus & bonus est in beneficio certorum, & justus est in supplicio caeterorum. Et bonus in omnib. quoniam bonum est cum debitum redditur: et justus in omnib. ●aoniam justum est, cum debitum sine cuiusquam fraud donatur. Aug. de Bono pursue.  to reject and to cast away judas for the declaration of his justice and power, as to elect & save Peter for the manifestation of his love & mercy; both of them concurring alike to the manifestation of his glory which is the chiefest good and the last end of all things. Prou. 16.4.  
The brightness and sun shine as it were of which truth, doth after a marvelous manner dispel and scatter that thick fog, and impure mist of the Pelagian heresy, fancying and dreaming of certain causes without God, as the Schoolmen speak, that is not subsisting in God himself, but externally moving the will of God to determine and dispose of sundry things. As for example: in the case of election and reprobation, affirming that the will of God is moved by the works which he did foresee in us, being either good or evil, to elect some, and to reject others, and in the case of his gifts and graces which he bestoweth, that he imparteth his grace unto some, and denieth it to some, in regard of the good use or abuse thereof, which he did foresee in us. A doctrine not only repugnant to that truth which hath been confirmed, which maketh the will of God the first and chief cause not subject unto any other, but also clean against the main stream, end current both of the Scriptures, Fathers, and all Orthodox writers, who do greatly condemn it, as obscuring and extenuating the free grace of God in the matter of our salvation. 
joh. 15.16  Our blessed Saviour instructing and comforting his Disciples a little before his passion with the sweet doctrine of their election, telleth them, joh. 15. Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye bring forth fruit, and that you fruit remain: therefore God hath not chosen men because he did foresee that he should be chosen of them, and that they would bring forth fruit and continue in so doing, but he hath chosen them to make them bring forth fruit & to persevere and continue therein. Upon which words S. 
Aug. in. joh. tr. 86.  Austen hath this observation, of purpose as it seemeth against these kind of men. Hic certè vacat vana illorum ratiocinatio qui praescientiam Dei defendunt contra gratiam Dei, here is the vain reasoning of them confuted who defend the foreknowledge of God against the grace of God, in saying that we were elected before the foundation of the world because God did foresee and know before that we would be good; which is quite contrary to that which Christ saith here, Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. For, if God did therefore choose us, because he did foresee and know we would be good, he did not choose us to make us good, but rather we choose him, in purposing to be good. So also the Apostle speaking of God's election Ephes. 1. he saith, 
Ephes. 1.4  that God hath chosen us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, having predestinated us to be adopted through Christ jesus unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will: he doth not say that he hath chosen us, because he saw we would be holy, but that we might be holy; neither doth he say that he hath predestinated us for the good use of our free-will, but according to the good pleasure of his own will. Whereupon saith Austen, 
Aug. con. Inlianum Pelag. li. 5. cap. 3.  Nullum elegit dignum, sed eligendo effecit dignum, He hath nor chosen any being worthy, but he hath made them worthy by choosing them. But most pregnant is the testimony of the Apostle, Romans, 9.11. 
Rom. 9.11  Where speaking of election and reprobation, or at least of the calling of the Gentiles, and the rejecting of the jews, he bringeth in the example of jacob and Esau, who being borne of the same Parents, and at one and the same time, and without any disparity at all in their works (for as yet the children were unborn, and had done neither good nor evil) that the purpose of God might remain according to election, not by works but by him that calleth, it was said I have loved jacob, and hated Esau. Which because it might perhaps seem unjust, he maketh this objection unto himself; What shall we say then, is there unrighteousness with God? To which he answereth; God forbidden; whereof he giveth no other reason then this; for he saith to Moses; I will have mercy on him to whom I will show mercy, and will have compassion on him to whom I will show compassion. Whereas if GOD did choose one and reject an other for his works foreseen, it had been ready for the Apostle to have said so, and so quite to have cleared God of the least suspicion of injustice: which forasmuch as he doth not, but standeth only upon God's will and his mercy, it appeareth plainly that election and reprobation and the graces and blessings of God, do not depend upon works foreseen, but first and principally upon the goodwill and pleasure of God.  
Last of all, our election which is of grace, as the Apostle saith, Rom. 11.5. 
Rom. 11.5  could not stand if works and merits go before it; for if it be of grace it is no more of works, else were grace no more etc. Whereupon saith the same Father, Non est gratia, si praecesserunt merita, 
Non est gratia si praecesse runt merita. Haec quip non inueni● merita sed facit. Aug. ibid.  there is no grace, if works and merits go before it: Haec quip non invenit merita, sed facit, for grace doth not find, but doth make and fashion good works in us.  
And yet notwithstanding though the will of God be the prime and chief cause of all things, before and beyond which there can be no other moving and inclining the same, yet it is not the sole and only cause, as if there were no other answer to be given of any thing, but only because God would have it to be so; forasmuch as there are also many second causes concurring with the first, by the mediation whereof, the will of God doth effect and bring every thing to pass. As for example, in the matter of our salvation, if a question should be asked, why God doth save some men, is there nothing to be answered, but because God would have them to be saved? Yes verily the will and working of man concurreth also with the will and working of God. For, though the will and power of man is not able to do any thing, without both the will and the especial grace of God, 
john 15.5  for as CHRIST saith, Without me ye can do nothing, john 15. Yet notwithstanding being prevented and assisted by the good will of God, and the powerful and effectual grace thereof, than our will hath power to work together with the will of God, and the grace of God also worketh together, with our will; according as S. Paul saith, I laboured more than they all, 
1. Cor. 15.10  yet not I but the grace of God with me. 1. Cor. 15.10. Else how could David pray unto God, 
Psal. 30. August. de peccat. mer. & remis. lib. 2. Aug. de gra. & lib. arbit.  to be his helper, saith Saint Austen, unless he himself did endeavour and work something with him? Yea: else, how could God command us and exhort us to do his will, unless the will of man did work something in the performance of it? For as therefore we pray unto God daily, because our will is not able to do any thing without the grace of God's will; so God doth therefore command us and exhort us, because our will being prepared and assisted by the grace of his will, is able now to do something in the performance of it. So as it is a most sure conclusion which Saint Austen hath, that although God hath created us without ourselves yet he will not save us without ourselves, 
Qui creanit te sine te, non servabit te, fine to. Aug.  but he will have our will also to work together with his, in the salvation of us; that as he doth enlighten us, and sanctify us, and inspire us with his heavenly grace: so we also should believe in him, and perform obedience unto him, and do all such holy and religious duties as may be pleasing and acceptable unto him. Therefore when Christ shall come to give the reward of salvation at the last day, he will not only have regard unto his will and pleasure in saying, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom of heaven prepared for you; because it is my will and pleasure to give it unto you, but he will also look to the working of our will in saying: For I was hungry and ye gave me meat, 
Matthew 25  I thirsted & ye gave me drink, I was naked and ye clothed me, etc. Showing most plainly that not only the will of God, but also our own will working with the grace of God's will, is a second means whereby God would have every one to attain unto salvation.  
So also in the case of damnation, 
Decretum reprobationis non ponit necessitatem damnationis nisi interueniente peccaeto. Et quidem consequutiuè non causaliter est a reprobatione damnatio.  if any shall ask why a great many are damned, can there, or aught there nothing else to be answered, but because God would have them to be damned? far be it from us to make God the Author of man's damnation, only to satisfy his own will, because he would have it to be so. Yea rather the will of man, and the malice and wickedness thereof, is the cause of it; insomuch that God damneth none but in regard of sin as Austen saith: 
August. ad Sixtum Ep. 105. Bucer. in refor. eccl. de pecc. orig.  with whom also Bucer a most learned and judicious writer of our own agreeth, in saying that whosoever are damned, are damned for their own sin, because God is just, and therefore doth not condemn any to eternal death, but such as perish through their own wickedness. 
Lombart. lib. 1. Seut. dist. 41. Aquin. sum. par. 1. quaest. 23. art. 5.  For though GOD doth reprobate and pass over some in forsaking and leaving them unto themselves; even of his mere will only without any respect either of good or evil in them every man being to God as a piece of clay in the hands of the Potter, 
Deus reprobavit quos vo luit, non propter futura merita quae praevideret etc. Lomb. lib. 1. dist. 41 Bellarm. li. 2 de gra. & li. arbit. cap. 10 Rhem. annot. in Ro. 9 sect. 5.  whereof it is free unto him to make either a vessel of mercy, or a vessel of wrath (which Bellarmine calleth negative reprobation, and doth grant to depend only upon the will of God without any respect had unto men, though the Rhemists and some other Papists do join with the Pelagians herein, 
Ordinatio ad poenam est à iustissima dei voluntate, non tamen excluso respectu peccati.  enim actu damnantur homines ob peccatum: ita decrevit Deus eosdem damnare ob idem peccatum. Nec tamen peccatum decreti damnationis causae est, etc.  affirming it to depend upon a foresight and foreknowledge of sin) yet notwithstanding he doth not adjudge any to eternal damnation, without respect of sin in the person that is damned; which he calleth positive reprobation; because GOD being most just, doth not punish nor torment a Reprobate for his will & pleasure only, but for his sin; which he foreseeing from all eternity, decreed to punish with eternal damnation for the declaration and manifestation of his justice. And therefore when CHRIST also shall pronounce his sentence against the wicked and reprobate at the last day, in saying; 
Reprobatio quoad propositum deserendi creaturum absoluta est, quoad propositum damnandi peccati, respectiva. Nemo enim nisi suae culpa perit, & nemo absolutè ordinatur ad gehennant.  Go ye cursed into everlasting fire, he will not make this the cause of it, Because it is my will and pleasure to have it so, but because they have grievously sinned in not doing those works of mercy which he required of them. Wherefore, as we do justly condemn the Pelagian and Popish heresy, for that it tendeth to the advancing and extolling of our own merits, and to the obscuring and extenuating of the free grace of God: So on the other side, we do as justly condemn the fond and vain conceit of some, who ascribe the cause of salvation and damnation to the will of God only, without regard of any thing in our own selves: because this openeth a gap unto sin, and looseth the reins as it were to all kind of wickedness, by laying an imputation of men's damnation upon the will of God only. The right use we are to make of this Doctrine, is, to adore and reverence the will of God as the prime and chief cause of all things; above which there is none higher, and to submit ourselves in all duty and humility unto it, acknowledging it always to be just, howsoever many times it is secret and hid from us. For, seeing that God himself is most just, whatsoever he willeth must needs be just; for as Austen says, 
August. ad Siutum ep. 105. Non potest Deus facere iniusta, quia ipse est summa justitia Aug. lib. de Sp. & litera.  Iniustum esse non potest, quod placuit justo; whatsoever seemeth good to him that is most just in all things, that which he willeth cannot possibly be unjust, his will being the very rule of justice, and every thing therefore just, because he willeth the same. And forasmuch as God doth not work things by his own will only, but by the cooperation of our will together with his: therefore as God's workmen, and Gods labourers we are to work together with him, by conforming our will unto his, for the performance of it; that so the will of God may be done in earth as it is in heaven, which is the thing we daily desire, and the principal end and duty of every man.  
Now for the other point, viz. that the will of God is powerful and effectual to perform and accomplish whatsoever it will, so as nothing is able to resist and to withstand it, that doth necessarily follow upon the former proposition. For seeing the will of God is the first and universal cause of all things; no secondary causes whatsoever can have power to hinder or prevail against it; 
Aug. in Enchir. ad Lau. cap. 100  but the first doth rule and sway the second, and keepeth them all in their due order. In regard whereof S. Austen doth attribute a certain omnipotency unto the will of God, 
Nonob aliud dicitur Deus ommipotens nisi quia quie quid vult potest, nec voluntate cuiuspiam creaturae voluntatis omnipotentis impeditur effectus. Aug. lib. 1. confess. cap. 4.  calling it the omnipotent will of God; because it is able to do all things, and nothing is able to do any thing against it; the former whereof is confirmed by the Prophet David, Psal. 115. Whatsoever it pleased the Lord, that did he in heaven and in earth, and in all places: The latter by the Apostle, Rom. 9 saying of God's will, Who hath ever resisted his will? The which is so powerful and so effectual that the wicked who as much as in them lieth, do resist the will of God revealed and commanded unto us in his word (which the Schoolmen call, 
Lombar. Scent. lib. 1. cap. 45  Voluntatem signi, his signified and revealed will, signifying his will and pleasure unto us) yet notwithstanding, will they, nill they, they fulfil the secret will of GOD decreed in himself from all eternity, which they call Voluntatem bene-placiti, the will of his purpose, or his secret will. Whereof we may see an example in Herod, Pilate, and the wicked jews; who in crucifying our Lord and Saviour, did most manifestly resist the will of GOD revealed in his word; (for, what more cruel and heinous murder could be committed, then to crucify the LORD of life, 
1. Cor. 2.8  and the LORD of glory) and yet herein they did perform and fulfil the secret will of God: because they did that which the hand and counsel of God had determined before to be done. Of which, S. 
Act. 4.28  Austen says; that even in that which they did against the will of God revealed in his commandments, 
Hoc ipso quod contrae voluntatem Dei fecerunt de ipsis facta est voluntas eius. Aug. in Ench. ad Laur. cap. 98  they did perform and accomplish the will of God, hid in his secret counsel. Not that there are divers and contrary wills in God, whose essence as it is most simply without composition or division; so his will also which is nothing else but his eternal decree concerning all things, 
De his qui faciunt quae non vult, facit ipse quae vult. Aug. de Cor. & Gran.  is one, immutable, and unresistible: but it is said to be manifold; partly in regard of divers things which God willeth (there being one will towards us, showing itself in his love and mercy, wherewith he electeth and saveth us; and an other will concerning us, 
Voluntas Dei alia de nobis, alia quam fieri vult anobis. Zanch. li. 3. de Natura Dei.  whereby he requireth duty & obedience of us); partly in regard of the divers manners, wherewith he seems to will those things that he willeth; as in willing some things simply & absolutely without any condition, as the creation & preservation of the world which will is always performed and accomplished; again in willing some things conditionally; as to have all men to be saved if they believe, and to bestow his blessings upon them if they obey him; which will is not always performed and fulfilled: and therefore it is said not to be so properly the will of God as the other, there being indeed no conditional will in God, but only in the revelation and manifestation of it, which otherwise in itself is most absolute, and always most certainly fulfilled and accomplished. Which doctrine concerning the infallible performance of God's will; I do not see how it can well stand with the doctrine of universal grace, as by some it is maintained; as if God ordained and offered saving grace unto all, and would absolutely have all men whatsoever to be saved. For, if God would have them saved in his absolute & secret will which is the will of his good pleasure and his proper will indeed (for we do not deny but that he would have all men to be saved in his revealed and conditional will in offering them the means of salvation in the Word and Sacraments) I demand then, 
Sic velle & nolle in volentis & nolentis est potestate, ut divinam voluntatem non impediat nec superet potestatem. Aug. de Corr. & Gran. cap. 14. Tanquam dei voluntas superata sit hominum voluntate, & infirmissimis nolendo impedientib. non potuerit facere potentissimus quod volebat. Aug. in Enchir. ad Laurent. cap. 97.  what is the reason that they are not saved? Will they say that the cause hereof is not in the will of God but in the maliciousness and frowardness of man's will, who will not believe nor receive the grace of God offered unto him? what is this else but to make the will of God to depend upon the will of man, and to subordinate the first cause unto the second, which by the law of nature ought to order and to dispose the second cause? Yea as Saint Austen says, to make the weak and peevish will of man, of more power than the omnipotent will of God; as if the will of God were overcome by the will of man. Of which we may truly say, as Tertullian sometimes said wittily of the heathenish Romans, who had a law that the Emperor might not deify nor consecrate any man to be a god, unless he was first allowed and approved by the Senate; viz. that their gods stood to the curresie and liking of men; 
Ita de humano arbitratu pensitatur divinitas. Nisi Deus homini placuerit, Deus non erit: homo tam Deo propitius esse debebit. Tertul. in Apol. cap. 5.  so as, unless they had the favour and the goodwill of men, they might not be admitted into the order of their gods. And is it not so here likewise? though God would never so feign have his will to stand, yet it shall not unless man be willing and say Amen unto it: if he will believe & receive grace, than Gods will shall stand; but if he will not, or do not, than it must be void and of no effect: whereas even in reason he whose will is of most strength, and of most power, aught to have the sway and the pre-eminence; like as our Saviour Christ saith unto his Father concerning his human will, which he willingly submitted unto his divine will; 
Math. 26.  Not my will but thy will be done.  
Thus much of the Lepers petition: the next thing is Christ's answer unto it, in the words that follow. JESUS stretching forth his hand touched him, saying, I will be thou clean, which you shall find every way answerable and agreeable to the Lepers petition. The Leper as you heard comes to our Saviour CHRIST and worships him: our Saviour he stretcheth out his hand, and toucheth him; the Leper he saith: Si vis potes, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean; our Saviour saith, Volo, mundare, I will be thou clean. In doing and performing of which cure, CHRIST useth his hand and his tongue as you see; his hand, in stretching forth his hand, and touching him; his tongue, in saying, Volo, mundare, I will, be thou clean.  
For the first, if any man shall demand why our Saviour CHRIST toucheth this Leper contrary to the Law as it should seem, being able to have healed him without the least touch of him; I answer, that it was not without especial reason and consideration. First, to show that he was not under the law in such sort as others were, but was Lord and Commander of the law itself. 
Levit. 14  The law forbade that any man should touch a Leper; if he did he was counted unclean: and therefore when Naaman the Syrian came to Elisha the Prophet to be healed of his leprosy, 
2. Kings 5.  the Prophet suffers him, though he was a man of honour to stand without the door, & sends him to the river jordan to wash himself there; which he did because he would observe the law: but our Saviour Christ being not only under the law Gal. 4.4. 
Gal 4.4 Mar. 2.28 Lex non ideò vetuit tangere lepram ne leprosi sanarentur, sed ut ne tangentes lepram inquinarentur. Chrysost. in. Matt.  but also above the law Mar. 2.28. he stretcheth forth his hand and toucheth this leper. And yet he did not break the law for all this: because the law did not forbid to touch the leprosy, least lepers might be healed thereby, but contrariwise lest those that were not lepers might be infected thereby. And therefore Christ touching this Leper to heal him not to be infected of him (for as the Apostle saith, 
Tit. 1.15  Omnia munda mundis, to the clean all things are clean, and that blessed hand of his had a power to sanctify, not to be polluted) he ●oseth and dissolveth the letter of the ●awe as Chrysostome saith, 
Christus tangendo leprosum literam legis soluit, propositum eius non soluit. Chrys. ibid.  but he doth ●ot dissolve the intent and purpose of ●t; and so by consequence doth not wreak the law; because the law doth ●ot consist as Saint Austen says in the ●eaues of the letter, and of the words hereof, but in the root of reason, and ●nd of the true intent and meaning of 〈◊〉; so as the matter and meaning thereof is not subject unto the letter, 
Intelligentia dictorum ex causis assumenda est dicendi, quia non sermoni res, sed rei debet esse sermo subiectus. Hilar li. 14. de Trin.  as Hil●ary says, but the letter is subject to the ●atter and meaning of it; in which regard the civil law saith, that whosoe●er shall insist upon the words of the ●awe contrary to the meaning of it, he ●oth sin and offend against the law, neither shall he under a colour of words escape the punishment of it. The ground whereof is this; because ●ll laws if they be just are derived ●yther from the law of God or the law of nature, and are ordained unto the public and common good of men● and therefore if a man doth not offend either against the mind and meaning o● the Lawegiver, or against the main● end and purpose of the law; certain it is that he doth not violate nor breaks the law. Which is a matter that doth very much concern judges and Magistrates, and those that have the managing of the laws; not to attribute too much to the letter of the law, either by suffering contentions and troublesome persons to vex and molest others, only with the favour of the le●ter, 
favour literae impietatis praetextus. Tertul.  which Tertullian calleth a pretext and cloak of impiety, or by judging according to the rigour of the letter, no● according to the intent and equity 〈◊〉 the law. Whereby it falleth out tha● the law which is good, 
1. Tim. 1.8  as S. Paul sait● if a man use it lawfully, 1. Tim. 1. 〈◊〉 is many times made the ministration of death and condemnation, 
2. Cor. 3  by suc● as do abuse and pervert the same. For as the Apostle saith, in an other case, the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life: so we may truly say here, that the rigour and extremity of the law, which is of the letter, doth hurt and wrong many times; but the equity which is of the spirit and meaning of the law, that doth right and justice to every man.  
Secondly, CHRIST stretcheth out his hand and toucheth the Leper, being able to have healed him without it, to the end that men should not think that he did fear to take the infection, and himself to become a Leper; and to show withal, that he would not omit nor leave so godly and charitable a deed for any niceness or squeamishness, that he had of the loathsomeness of the disease. A matter that GREGORY NAZIANZENE doth greatly complain of in his time, 
Melior est conditio vitij quam morbi, etc. Nazianz. lib. de Amore pauperum.  in saying that the condition of sin was better than the condition of sickness; for men, saith he, will converse & delight in the company of drunkards, whoremongers, common swearers, and such like; but they do abhor and shun the presence and company of poor, and sick and diseased persons. The which is no● spoken to animate any to be without all fear of the contagion and infection, and to run more boldly the● wisely into the company of those that are infected, because our Saviour Christ here putteth forth his hand & toucheth this Leper; unless withal our hands were as pure and holy, and as full o● power & virtue to preserve ourselves as his were; but that in other diseases where there is not a special proviso by the law as there was for this, and wherein there is not a malignant and venomous quality in the disease as there is in this, and where nature is of more strength and ability to resist and defend itself than it is in this; that then we be not over nice and dainty in abhorring and disdaining poor and sick persons, but to stretch out our hands and to touch them, by visiting, helping and relieving of them; and that by the example of our Lord and Master here: who although he was able to have healed him by his word only, yet notwithstanding he disdained not to stretch out his hand, and to heal him by touching of him. Which practice and example of Christ's, if any shall suppose to be above the reach and imitation of a Christian (although every imitable work of Christ's, whereof this is one, not as a miracle but as a deed of piety, is not only our instruction but also our imitation) let him consider and set before his eyes the Samaritane, who seeing the poor travailer in a pitiful case, 
Luke 10.30  rob of his money, spoiled of his raiment, wounded in his body, and left desolate without all comfort, did not as the Priest and the Levite did, who may fitly be resembled to the man with the withered hand, Mark, 3. 
Mark. 3.1  looking on him and passing by him, as if they had not been able to stretch out their hands unto him; but assoon as ever he sees him, he is moved with compassion, and come● unto him, and stretches out both his hands to help him, in binding up his wounds, in pouring oil and win● into them, in setting him upon his ow● beast, in bringing him to an Inn, and making provision for him, being willing to pay all his costs and charges for him. The which I wish were practised a● carefully and religiously by men of so● & fashion, both in this honourable C●tie and in other places where this contagious and grievous sickness is, as piety and charity doth claim and challenge it of them; I mean by making such provision for their relief and comfort at such times, that none of the● might be suffered to perish either i● the streets, or in the fields, or in the● houses for want of succour, whom Christ hath bought and purchased 〈◊〉 dearly with his own blood; 
Act. 20.28  that a●● though they be not present in people in such contagious times, or if they were, & that it were not safe to stretch out their hands, & to help them by a real and corporal touching of them, yet at the least to be present in spirit & love, and to help them by a virtual & powerful touching of them, in providing so for them in this their affliction and misery, that nothing which is needful be wanting unto them. Otherwise some to fly and leave the City for fear of danger (which I do not condemn if they would leave substitutes and pledges of their charity behind them) and others to stay here and to shut up those persons whose houses are visited (which notwithstanding I confess to be very necessary for the preventing and avoiding of danger) teaching them in great Capital letters over their doors to pray to the Lord to have mercy upon them, but they themselves in the mean time, not showing the least jot of mercy unto them; what is this else but to add more misery and affliction unto them, and to blind and delude the world, making it to believe that they died of the plague, when as in very truth they died of famine; who happily might very well have recovered of the plague, had they not for want of things necessary been consumed with famine. Oh! how can these men pray unto God when as they are either in the like or in any other distress, and desire him to have mercy on them after his great goodness, 
Psal. 51.1  and according to the multitude of his mercies, when as they themselves are so unmerciful, not showing mercy to their poor brethren according to the least of God's mercies. And because this is so necessary a duty, give me leave to urge it a little more, and to exhort those whom it doth concern, not to perform it barely and niggardly, but to do it liberally & bountifully though it be with some straining, & stretching of themselves: which happily was some cause that our merciful Saviour doth not only touch the Leper, but also stretcheth forth his hand and toucheth him; to teach us in helping the poor & the sick, at such times especially, to stretch ourselves, and to be liberal and bountiful in helping of them. It is an observation that S. 
Chrysost. hom 37. ad pop. Antioch.  Chrysostome hath, that the Prophet David doth not simply commend those that give, but those that stretch out their hands when they give in giving liberally, especially when as they are able: for so he saith of a righteous man, Psal, 112. Dispersit, 
Psal. 112  dedit pauperibus, He hath scattered and given to the poor; he doth not only say he hath given, but he hath scattered and given; which implieth a liberal and a bountiful largesse. For what great charity is it, saith the fame Father, for a man abounding with store and plenty, as the Sea doth with water, to give so much to those that are in distress out of his store, as a little cup or dish would hold of the water that is taken out of the Sea. Though it was sufficient for the poor Widow to cast two mites into the treasury, 
Luke 21.1.  because it was all that she had, yet the rich men they cast great gifts into the offerings. And though it was enough for the children to cry Hosanna, 
Mat. 21.  and for poor men to cut down branches, and to strew them before Christ; yet the rich men were at more cost in casting their garments in the way. As Alexander answered a beggar that asked him a penny, that it was not fit for a King to give a penny: so it is not fit for those that have received bountifully to give niggardly; for, To whom much is given, 
Luke 12.48  saith Christ, of him much shall be required. Luk. 12.48. So then, for the conclusion of this second reason: let us in this and such like cases follow the Apostles admonition: which is to put on bowels of mercy and compassion. 
Col. 3.12  Col. 3. that is, not only to be merciful, but to put on mercy, that as we put on our clothes and garments and wear them upon us, so also to put on mercy & compassion as a garment, and to wear it always about with us; and not to put on mercy only, but to put on bowels of mercy, so as our bowels do even yearn within us, being moved with a tender and a most compassionate affection towards them, which never produceth and bringeth forth a less effect in rich & great men, than a liberal and a bountiful subvention of them.  
The third cause why Christ touched this Leper, was to show that he esteemed more of charity (as Pelican observeth) than he did of all the prescripts and customs of the law, to whose command all things whatsoever are to yield and to become subject. And therefore though he could have healed him without any laying of his hand upon him; yet to perform a work of mercy, he regardeth not the law nor the right and ceremony, only to give the primacy and pre-eminence unto charity. And not without just regard and consideration; for seeing that the whole law is comprehended in charity, 
Rom. 13.9  as the Apostle saith, in regard whereof it is called, the bond of perfection, and the fulfilling of the law; 
Col. 3.  great reason there is that all other things whatsoever being inferior, should yield and give place unto it as to their superior. Hence it is that our Saviour Christ, who otherwise most strictly and religiously observed the Sabbath, in which it was commanded that men should not do any work, yet in regard of charity, he healed and did many other good works upon the Sabbath, with this defence of it against the malice and calumnies of the pharisees, that the Sabbaoth was made for man, 
Mark. 2.27  and not man for the Sabbath. Mark, 2.27. insomuch that preaching, and praying, and such like duties, if any present necessity or duty of charity required, were to yield and to give place unto it; 
Act. 20.7  as in the case of Eutichus, Act. 20.7. who falling into a dead sleep while PAUL was long in preaching, and falling from a third fit, whence he was taken up dead, PAUL leaveth his preaching and comes unto him, and laboureth to recover life in him. Yea those holy instruments and ornaments which are used in the service of GOD, 
Aurun habet Ecclesia non ut servet, sed ut eroget & subveniat in necessitatib: Tunc vasa ecclesiae etiam initiata confringere, conflare, vendere licet. Amb. de officijs lib. 2 cap. 28.  and ought only to be employed to such use being holy and consecrated thereunto, yet in a case of charity, and of some eminent necessity, as Saint AMBROSE saith, they may be diverted and employed to godly and charitable uses: the ground and warrant whereof is that rule which God hath given unto himself, Misericordiam volo, & non sacrificium, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. 
Ose 6.6 Socr. hist. eccl. li. 7. cap. 21 Deus nosier neque lancibus neq poculis eget: nam nec comedit nec bibit, quip qui his rebus minimè opus habet, etc.  Ose. Chap. 6. Ver. 6. We read in the Ecclesiastical history, that when as the Roman Soldiers had taken divers of the Persians Captives, to the number of 7. thousand, whom rather than they would suffer to go free without ransom, suffered them to starve & to perish for want of sustenance, Acacius the Bishop of Amida calleth his clergy together making this speech unto them; Our God whom we serve hath no need either of dishes, or platters, or pots, or cups; because he neither eateth nor drinketh, nor hath any need of either. Wherefore, forasmuch as our Church doth possess many monuments of gold and silver which have been given out of the ready & godly devotion of well affected Christians, it is meet and necessary that herewith we should ransom and redeem poor captives out of bondage, and relieve and cherish them, being almost affamished and killed with hunger. Whereupon presently he beat the plate in pieces, sold the ornaments of the Church, and gave the price thereof partly to the Roman soldiers for the ransom of the captives, and partly to the captives to satisfy and to relieve their hunger withal. The like we read of Ethelwoldus Bishop of Winchester, in the time of the West Saxons, about the year of our Lord, 962. who in a great famine sold the sacred vessels of the Church to relieve the poor that were almost starved; saying, that there was no reason that the senseless temples of God should abound in riches, and the lively Temples of the holy Ghost lack it. Which wealth & riches if the Church had now as it had then in those times, I could very well like that in such cases it should be employed to holy and charitable uses whensoever extreme necessity required it: but because this wealth hath long since been gone from the Church, and is come into many lay men's hands who do possess the wealth thereof, so as the Church, which in times past as you see did both redeem captives and relieve a great many poor in a time of famine, with the wealth which it had then, hath now need to be redeemed itself from need and beggary, and to be relieved with some part of her own wealth, which some temporal men have gotten into their hands; I could wish and desire these men that do thus possess the patrimony of the Church, 
1. King. 21  as Achab did Naboths' vineyard, to consider and to remember, that a great part of their wealth was in times past the goods and possessions of the Church; and that dividing their ecclesiastical revenues from their temporal as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats, the one as proper unto themselves, the other altogether improper & belonging unto the Church, though they did not bestow any of their temporal, yet at the least they would bestow the ecclesiastical revenues upon holy and charitable uses, in times of sickness and of famine as these are: which they see the Church was very ready and willing to do, when as they were masters of their own goods, and were thought worthy to hold their wealth in their own hands. Or if this shall seem a hard saying, which no man will hear; yet at least, that which both they and other rich men bestow at other times in vain delights and pastimes, in sumptuousness and superfluity, in pomp and magnificence, in stately buildings and solemn feasts, or in any kind of ostentation; they would in times of affliction and calamity, defaulke out of all these, not with any reservation thereof unto themselves to gain or to save by it, but with a godly and charitable affection to help and to relieve the poor with it. And yet notwithstanding (to return again unto the matter from whence we are a little digressed) as all Laws and Orders, Rites and Ceremonies, and all things whatsoever, are to yield unto Charity: so to neglect or to violate any Laws or Orders, Rites or Ceremonies, or to omit any duty that we are to perform, without regard either of reverence to Rulers, and Governors, or of obedience to laws and orders, or of a wise and just consideration of charity rightly grounded as it ought to be, for the performing of some more necessary and more excellent work, is a manifest breach and contempt of the law, and a disobedience also unto the Lawegiver. So that to heal or to do any work upon the Sabbath without relation to some holy and present necessity, or without respect of piety & charity, what is this else, but to violate and to profane the Sabbath? To leave the preaching of the word and the administration of the holy Sacraments, not upon any true ground of zeal and piety, but rather upon contention and innovation to please our own fancies and to satisfy men's humours; what is this else but an Apostasy and to revolt from our holy orders? To alienate the goods of the Church and to convert them to civil uses without respect of charity in redeeming of captives, 
Si insua quis derivet emolumenta crimen est: si verò paeuperibus eroget, captinun redimat, misericordia est. Ambr. ibid.  relieving of the poor, and such like uses; what is this else but sacrilege, & to rob both God and the Church? Lastly, to end the matter we began withal, to touch a Leper, and to run desperately in a kind of bravery unto such as are infected with the plague, without regard of holy and discreet charity, for the necessary help and secure which they ought to have by somthat are appointed for their keeping, and making of necessary provision for them; what is this else but a desperate boldness, and a presumptuous tempting of God? And therefore howsoever Christ toucheth this Leper, to show that all things ought to yield to charity, yet to touch an unclean person with some godly and charitable end and purpose, 
Tangere hominem immun dum nullae sancta causa, etc. homo pius non faciet, nec Christus docuit. Pelli. in hunc locum.  with the danger of those that we live and converse withal, or with contempt & neglect of public order prescribed by those that are in authority, for the general good & benefire of men; neither ought a godly man to do it, neither did Christ ever teach us for to do it. Which maketh me many times to pity and to lament the desperate boldness of divers among us, who in a vanity and a foolish hardiness, and in the confidence of their faith as they imagine, will contrary to all good order and good discretion run into houses that are visited, as if the plague could not be infectious in such sort as the leprosy was, nor infect any but only such as want faith, nor were to be feared nor shunned any more than an ordinary ague is. The which I verily persuade myself not to be the least cause that the contagion resteth and continueth so long amongst us, both because we do not fear and tremble at God's judgements, as we ought to do, making a light account of them, and because we do not yield obedience unto our Rulers and Governors; who in great care and wisdom do provide for the common good and safety of us, if we would submit ourselves unto them; and because we will not use that care and providence which in a time of danger we ought to use for our preservation and deliverance. But I leave this unto them, to whom the reformation hereof of belongeth, and come now to examine the causes, why our Saviour Christ doth not only use his hand, but also his tongue in healing this Leper; being able to have healed him, both without touching, and without speaking any one word unto him.  
The first reason whereof, I suppose with Chrysostom to be this, that all the people that was present might know that he was healed by him that said he would heal him, or rather commanded him to be healed, in saying, Volo, mundare, I will, be thou clean. For had CHRIST healed him secretly without speaking, among so great a multitude as was about him, how could any have discerned whether he was healed by him or by some other. And therefore to the end that this might certainly be known, he doth not only use his hand in touching him, but his tongue also in speaking and saying; Volo, mundare, I will be thou clean. So that our blessed Saviour, who otherwise did not desire to be popular nor seek in any vain glory to be famous in the world; 
joh. 7.3.  yet notwithstanding to make himself known to be the Messias that was to come, 
Mat. 11.4  and to the end that by his works the world might believe in him; he doth not only work great miracles but he would also have the miracles known to be done by himself, and not by any other. Wherein is propounded unto us, a matter worthy of our consideration, viz. how far forth we are to desire and seek after a private and a close kind of life: which is to be determined and to be measured by a due regard of God's honour, the advancement whereof we ought carefully to seek after; and o● the profit and benefit of our brethren to whom we own a duty of love, being debtors one unto another; that 〈◊〉 by a more practic and public kind of life, we may better 〈◊〉 God an● profit others, we are 〈…〉 to content ourselves with a private and a contemplative life, but rather to come a● broad into the world, and to live a more publickeand a conspicuous kind of life. For though a private and retiring kind of life be more sweet and delightful unto ourselves: 
Bern. in Cant. ser. 85.  (for as Bernard saith: Aliter afficitur mens fructificans verbo, & fruens verbo, the mind ●s otherwise affected in bringing forth fruit with the word, and otherwise in enjoying & meditating of the word, even as a mother is more joyful in the arms of her husband, then in the birth of her children) yet notwithstanding, a public and an active life is more profitable and beneficial unto others; there being more profit, as the same Father saith, in the breasts of the mother then ●hen in the embracing and kissing of ●he husband; according to that in the Canticles, meliora sunt ubera tua vino ●hy breasts are better than wine. Cant. ●. 2. Saint Austen discoursing of 3. 
Aug. de Civit. Dei. lib. 19 cap. 19  ●inds of life, viz. the contemplative, ●he active, and that which is mixed of both, saith that although a man may with a sound faith live in any of all these, & may come to heaven in any of them: yet notwithstanding he is to consider what he is to hold in regard of verity, and what he is to bestow in regard of charity; affirming that no man ought to be so given to contemplation, that he neglect to edify and to do good unto others; neither ought any to be so in continual action, that he forget and neglect to think upon God. In our action and practice we are not to rest in our employments and our necessary business, but to look up higher unto contemplation, for the good and benefit of ourselves. In our contemplation we are not to rest in our own delight and comfort; but to bethink ourselves of some business we are to do for the profit and benefit of others. 
Ociumsanctum quaerit charitas: nego tium justum suscipit necessitas charitatis: Aug. ibid.  For (as the same Father saith) the love of the truth requireth a holy rest, and the necessity of love taketh a necessary and a just business upon itself. The Spouse in the Canticles desiring to know where her beloved fed at noon, saying Show me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest at noon, received this answer again; If thou knowest not, O thou fairest among women, get thee forth by the steps of the flock, and feed thy kids by the tents of the shepherds: 
Bern. in Cant ser. 41.  telling the Church that she must not feed herself only, by study, and contemplation, but she must feed the kids and the flocks also by labour and practice. Whereof there was a mystical signification (as it may seem) in jacob, who desirous to enjoy Rachel, for whom he served seven years, unwittingly and unwillingly lay with Leah instead of Rachel, not the fair one, but the fruitful one: teaching us hereby that we should not dote too much upon fair Rachel in contenting & delighting ourselves with a pri●at & a speculative life, but to join ourselves also with Leah in employing ourselves in an active and a practic kind of life; for though Rachel (which as the Fathers say, signifies the contemplative life) be beautiful & fair: 
Ali●●d est quod 〈◊〉 latificat cor bominis, aliud quod adificat multos. Bern. in Cant. ser. 9  yet Leah which signifieth the active life, is more fruitful and profitable; the one rejoicing the heart but of one, the other rejoicing and comforting the hearts of many.  
The 2. reason why Christ useth his tongue in healing this Leper, was to show he would heal him after a decent and a seemly fashion, not doing his miracles and his other works, by dumb shows and apish gestures, and by muttering and mumbling, as enchanters and sorcerers use to do; but by an express and significant voice, joined with an outward sign or action, signifying his will and pleasure for the doing of it. To which end it is observed, he seldom or never doth any miracle, but he useth his tongue and his speech when he doth it. So long as he refused to heal the Caananite to make trial of her faith. 
Mat. 15.  Mat. 15. he would not answer one word unto her; but afterward purposing to heal her, he opened his sacred mouth and speaketh unto her: O woman! great is thy faith, be it unto thee as thou hast said. So did he to the woman of Syrophonissa, that would have stolen an healing from him, Mat. 
Mat. 9  9 by coming closely behind him and touching the hem of his garment: but Christ knowing it, and not willing to have her healed by touching only, he turneth about, and speaketh unto her, saying; Daughter be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole. 
Mar. 7  So did he to the deaf man, Mark 7. in putting his fingers into his ears, and saying, Ephata, be opened: 
Luke 18  to the blind man, Luke 18. in touching his eyes, and saying, Receive thy sight; 
Luke 7  to the widows son, Luke 7. in touching the coffin, and saying, Young man, 
joh. 11.  I say to thee arise; to Lazarus, joh. 11. in groaning, and saying unto him, Lazarus, come forth; to the woman that was possessed with a devil, Mat. 8. 
Mat. 8  I charge thee thou unclean spirit, that thou come out of him; and to the Leper here, in touching him, and saying, Volo, mundare, I will be thou clean. Which it is very credible that our Saviour Christ did, to discover the vanity, and to condemn the impiety of conjurers and forcerers, who will take upon them to do great matters by outward and visible signs only, as characters, figures, framing of circles, hanging of amulets about the neck, and such like trumpery; things which in nature have no power nor virtue to produce such effects: or if they do use words, they are either such as have no signification with us, or else such as are superstitiously abused out of the Scripture, and mumbled up after a strange and ridiculous manner; being for the most part not understood of them that use them, nor any ways employed to that end, to which God hath ordained & appointed them; whereas our blessed Saviour in doing this great work upon the Leper, useth not only his hand in touching him, as a most fit instrument to heal him withal (there being such virtue and power therein, by reason of the fullness of the Godhead, 
Col. 2.  which did dwell bodily in him) but also his tongue & his speech too, uttered after an express and a significant manner, declaring his will and his pleasure to have the thing done, and not void of virtue and power also for the effecting and performing of it. With whom we may also join our Romish Exorcists, who do fable and boast of divers strange wonders done among them, viz. of divers miracles that have been done at the sepulchres of Saints departed, of divers images which have wept, and sweat, and spoken, and moved from place to place, and of a very strange one of late years; viz. of Garnets' picture (who was not long before executed for treason) represented & seen in the length and breadth of a straw; a miracle certainly, much about the worth of a straw; all which, of both sorts are lying wonders, both in regard of the form being but mere illusions and very legerdemains, and in regard of the end of them being only to deceive, and to obscure the truth and the glory of God. 
Removeantur ista vel figmenta mendacium hominum, vel portenta fallacium spirituum. Aut enim non sunt vera quae dicuntur, aut si haereticorum aliqua mira facta sunt, mag is cavere debemus. Aug. de unit. Eccles. cap. 16. Contra mirabiliarios istos cautum me fecit Dominus meus dicens; In novissimis temporib. etc. Aug. in joh. tr. 13.  Concerning which, Saint Austen doth advise us not to give any heed unto them, but rather to refuse & to reject them: for either saith he, these wonders and miracles which they tell us of are not true, or if they be true we ought the rather to beware of them, because Christ hath forewarned us that in the latter times there shall arise false Prophets, which shall do many signs and wonders; insomuch that if it were possible, they should deceive the very Elect with them. I do not deny but that there was great need and use of miracles in former times, when as the Church was first to be planted, to the end that men might repent and believe the Gospel; but now the doctrine of the Gospel being confirmed and the whole world believing in it, there is no need of miracles any longer: for as Nazianzen says, Signa infidelib us, 
Nazian. in laudem Basilij.  non fidelibus dantur, signs and miracles are not given for those that do believe; but for those that do not believe: neither would God have them still to continue after that the Church is dispersed over the whole world, 
Miracula in nostra tempora durare per missa non sunt ne animus semper visibilia quaereret, & eorum consuetudine frigesceret genus humanum, quorum novitate flagravit. Aug. de vera relig cap. 25.  least seeking too much after visible things, we should neglect those things which are invisible, and grow cold in faith, by a daily custom of them, whereas we were inflamed before with the newness and strangeness of them. And therefore all Exorcists and sorcerers, all impostors and jugglers, all mirabiliarij, and workers of wonders may now put up their pipes and hang up their haps upon the willows as they sit by the rivers of Babylon, and be ashamed and blush at their own folly and impiety; who to the end that they may with Simon Magus their master seem to be some great men able to do great feats, delude the World with a deal of baggage and trumpery, and with a company of ridiculous and apish toys, as if they did work wonders with them: whereas it is a thing impossible for them by such causes to produce such effects (there being so great disparity and disproportion between them) unless it be by a diabolical operation, that worketh together with them. By whose power and help, I do verily believe such things to be wrought (if they be really and truly done) rather than by any virtue or power in the causes and means, or by any knowledge and skill in those impostors & cozeners, which pretend and would at the least seem to do them.  
The third cause why our Saviour useth his tongue in healing the Leper, was to show the exceeding great power and virtue that is in his speech, and in his words, insomuch that when he would have gone to the Centurion's house to have healed his servant, the Centurion desired only his word for the doing of it: Dic verbum tantùm, 
Mat. 8.9  say but the word only, and my servant shall be whole. Concerning the virtue & power of whose word, if we shall enter into a view and consideration, we shall find it not like the words of other men, which are commonly vain and idle; but full of weight and power, having as much virtue and efficacy in them as his works have. For as God speaketh in his works, 
Aug. ad Deogratias ep. 49  as Saint Austen says; so likewise, he worketh in his speech, working as mightily by his words, as by his deeds. When our Saviour Christ taught & preached unto the people, they were all amazed and wondered at the gracious words that came from him. Luke 4. 
Luke 4.22  When he disputed with the Sadduces and the pharisees, he put them all to silence with his words, so as they durst not meddle any more with him. Mat. 22. 
Mat. 22.46  When the officers wersent to lay hold on him they were so moved with his words, that they had not the power to lay hands on him, saying, to those that sent them: Nemo sicut hic locutus est; 
joh. 7.46  never any man spoke as this man doth. joh. 7. Again, being sent the second time, to apprehend him, he doth but say, Ego sum, I am he, and they went backward and fell to the ground presently. 
joh. 18.5  joh. 18. The power and efficacy of whose words is such, and so great, that it produceth most strange and wonderful effects in the hearts of men. But as the Sun hath a several operation in several subjects, hardening clay, and softening wax; so the word of Christ hath one operation in the hearts of the wicked, and an other in the hearts of the godly. For the wicked it doth greatly trouble and astonish them, 
Dan. 5  as it did Belshazzar, Dan. 5. It humbleth and bringeth them down, as it did Achab. 
1. King. 21  1. King. 21. It maketh them to fear and tremble, as it did Felix. 
Act. 24 Act. 5  Act. 24. Yea, it striketh them dead, as it did Ananias, and Saphira. Acts 5. For the godly it quickeneth & giveth life unto them. 
joh. 6  The words which I speak saith Christ, are spirit and life. joh. 6. It giveth light & knowledge unto them: Thy Word, saith DAVID, is a lantern unto my feet, and a light unto my steps. 
Psalm. 119.  Psal. 119. It mollifieth & softeneth their hearts, he sendeth forth his word saith the Prophet, and melteth them. Psalm. 
Psalm. 147  147. It sanctifieth and maketh them pure and holy, Now are you clean, saith Christ, by the word which I have spoken unto you. joh. 15. 
joa. 15.3  It feedeth and nourisheth the soul; Man shall not live by bread only, saith Christ, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, Mat. 4. It resisteth, 
Mat. 4.4  and defendeth us against our enemies, Put on the whole armour of God, saith the Apostle, and among the rest, take the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, that ye may be able to resist, and to stand in the evil day, Ephes. 6. 
Eph. 6.16  Where if we happen to be wounded sometimes, he sendeth forth his word again, and healeth us; fulfilling that in us that the Centurion said: Dic verbum tantùm, & sanabitur, do but speak the word only & my servant shall be made whole. Mat. 8 Lactantius speaking of the efficacy and power of God's word, 
Lactaut. de falsa sapien. cap. 26  maketh as it were a challenge in the praise of it. Give me (saith he) a man that is full of wrath and revenge: with the word of God, I will make him as meek and as gentle as a lamb; give me one that is covetous & griping: with the word of God I will make him, liberal and bountiful, giving his money with a full hand; give me one that is timorous and fearful of death, and of every danger: with the word of God I will make him bold and hardy and to con●emne Phalaris his bull and all kind of torments; give me one that is given to lust and pleasure and to incontinency: with the word of God, I will make him as sober, chaste, and continent as a pure Virgin. Such is the power of the divine wisdom, that it will presently drive away all folly, the mother of all wickedness; uno lavacro omnis malitia abolebitur, with one laver of God's word, all wickedness will be washed away. A thing which Philosophers could never do with their wisdom: who although they have spent all their life in the study of it, they could never make themselves nor others the better, if nature withstood never so little; the most that it could do was, 
Sapientia corum ut plurimum efficiat non exscindit vitia sed obscondit. Lact. ibid.  that it did somewhat restrain their wickedness and cover it, but it did not altogether correct and reform it. If you desire to have an instance hereof in some example; do but examine thyself how thou art affected in thy soul, when thou hearest one of David's psalms, & how when thou hearest one of the devils songs; how when thou art in the Church hearing of a Sermon, and how in a Theatre, or Playhouse hearing of a play; and thou shalt easily see what great difference there is, though there be but one soul, in the divers motions, affections and dispositions of it: that it may manifestly and most evidently appear hereby to men of the least understanding, in what price and estimation we ought to have this word, and with how much reverence we are to entertain it, whenas there is such power, virtue, & efficacy in it; being like unto that Manna which God did feed his people withal in the wilderness, 
Mannae haec fuit natura, saporem sui pro desiderio rescentium subministrans. Chrysost. in hom. Quod nemo laeditur nisi ●● se. Psal. 51  whose nature was, as Chrysostome says, to taste and relish according to the appetite and desire of every one that did eat of it. If we be sorrowful, and groan under the burden of our sins, it comforts us, saying: A sorrowful spirit is a sacrifice to God. Psalm. 51. If we rejoice and be merry in our prosperity, it increaseth our joy and says, Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous, for it becometh upright men to be thankful. 
Psal. 33.1  Psal. 33. If we be in want and poverty it comforteth us, saying; the Lord raiseth the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the needy out of the dunghill. 
Psal. 113  Psal. 113. If we be sick and weak it giveth us a medicine and a salve to heal us withal, The Lord forgiveth all thy sins, & healeth all thine infirmities. Ps. 103. Thus doth the Manna of God's word savour and relish in our hearts whatsoever we ourselves do desire; so as having this, we have no cause to be over-careful of any thing else; being like unto the garden of Paradise. Gen. 2. where there was every tree pleasant to the sight, and good for meat, and a pleasant river divided into four heads to water the garden, and all things which could be wished or desired for delight and comfort. And therefore let us take heed how we do neglect and despise the word; forasmuch as it is not only a leprosy of the soul as S. Ambrose says (if the physic of the leprosy be the word, 
Si leprae medicinaverbun, contemptus utique verbi lepra mentis est. Ambr. in 5. Luc. Dei non audire verbum fames animae Chrys. hom. 2 in Mat.  than the leprosy of the soul is the contempt of it) but also the dearth and famine of the soul, as Chrysostome says (not to hear the word of God, is to famish & starve the soul) which God threateneth as a most fearful judgement worse than a famine of bread. Amos 8. though Atheists & wicked worldlings, do not greatly regard nor care for it, in drawing it voluntarily and willingly upon themselves.  
Thus have you heard why our Saviour Christ useth his hand and his tongue in healing this Leper: now the words which he speaketh are these: Volo, mundare, I will be thou clean. Which as you see, are suitable and agreeable to the words of the Leper; that as the Leper saith unto Christ; Si vis potes mundare me, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean; so Christ saith unto him, Volo, mundare, I will be thou clean: Wherein there is a manifest declaration or demonstration of Christ's mercy and of his goodness towards the Leper; first in his willingness and readiness to heal him, answering Simo vis, if thou wilt, with Volo, I will; secondly, in his actual operation and performance of it, answering potes mundare, thou canst make me clean, with an imperative mundare, I command be thou clean.  
For the first; such is Christ's mercy and goodness towards us, in being willing and ready to help us; that we can no sooner desire it of him, but he is willing presently to vouchsafe and grant it unto us: Like as he doth to the Leper here, who no sooner said unto Christ, Si vis potes, if thou wilt thou canst; but Christ presently stretcheth out his hand, and saith, Volo, mundare; I will, be thou clean. Yea he is not only ready to help us when we desire it of him as Mat. 7. Ask and you shall have, 
Mat. 7.7  seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you; but many times before we crave help of him, 
Esay, 65.24  he is ready to send help unto us; as Esay 65. Antequam clament exaudiam eos, before that they cry I will hear them. For as there is the grace of God which followeth us all the days of our life. Ps. 
Psal. 23.6  23: So there is the grace of God which preventeth us, giving us many things, which either we know not how to ask or dare not presume to ask of him. In the fift of john, 
joh. 5.6  our Saviour CHRIST seeing a cripple, that was diseased and had lain at the pool of Beshesda thirty eight years, waiting for the moving of the water; but yet still evermore one or other stepped in before him; doth not stay until the poor man comes unto him, and desireth him to heal him: but he comes, and offereth health unto him, saying, Visne sa●ari? Wilt thou be made whole? 
Math. 8.7  In the 8. of S. Matthew the Centurion comes unto Christ, and desireth but his word only for the healing of his servant; Dic verbum tantùm & sanabitur, Do but say the word and my servant shall be healed; and our Saviour Christ offereth to go to his house and there to heal him: Ego veniam, & curabo eum, I will come and heal him. Like as God dealt with Solomon, who desired only wisdom of him, 
1. King 3  and God gave him not one lie wisdom, but riches and honour also. In deed I confess that God many times doth not give us such things as we desire of him; or if he does, he doth not presently grant them unto us; yet not because he is unwilling to give them unto us: but either because he seethe them not to be good for us, whose manner is to hear us, non ad voluntatem, sed ad sanitatem, as S. Austen says, 
Augustine.  not for our pleasure, but for our profit; or else because he seethe it to be neither necessary nor expedient to give them so soon unto us; whose manner it is sometimes to delay us and to hold us off a while, 
Chrysost. hoin 10. in Mat.  not with a purpose to differre his gifts on his part, as Chrysostome saith; but to make us more instant and earnest in praying unto him: who happily if we were presently made partakers of those things we desire; either we would be gone from God, and not pray any more unto him; or else set a very low price upon those things that are so soon and so easily obtained of him.  
But otherwise, when that is good for us, which we pray for; and when there is a present necessity of receiving, without any especial regard which God hath unto those foresaid ends; then we may undoubtedly hope for one of these two at the hands of God (saith S. Bernard) that either he will give us that which we do desire, 
Aut dabit quod petimus aut quod noverit esse utilius. Bern. in quadr. ser. 5. 2. Cor. 12.8  or else he will give us that which is more profitable unto us; as he did to Saint Paul in denying him that which he prayed for; but yet giving his grace unto him, saying: Sufficit tibi gratia mea, My grace is sufficient for thee. 2. Corin. 12.  
But perhaps you will say, If God be so ready and willing to show mercy, why then doth he not show mercy unto all, but unto some only? To which I answer with S. Austen, that as all the ways of God are mercy and truth, Psal. 
Psaim. 25.9.  25. in regard whereof the Prophet David saith: I will sing mercy and judgement to thee O lord 
Psal. 101.1.  Psal. 101: So according to these two, (saith the same Father) he hath divided all mankind into two societies, as it were into two Cities; the one to be joined to the wicked Angels in punishment; 
Aug. de Ciu. Dei. lib. 12. cap. 27.  the other to be joined to the good Angels in reward and blessedness; in the one to demonstrate what his grace and mercy is able to do; 
Aug. de Ciu. Dei. lib. 21. cap. 12  in the other to manifest what his justice and severity is able to do. For, if all should remain in the state of damnation; then the mercy and goodness of Christ should not appear in any: on the other side, if all should be translated from darkness unto light; then the justice and severity of god's punishment should not appear in any. Again, if God should have saved none; 
Si utrique liberarentur, lateret quid peccato per justitiam debeatur: si nemo, quid gratia largiretur Aug. Sixto presb. ep. 105  it should not have been known, what was bestowed in mercy upon us; and if he should have saved all, it should not have been known what was dew in justice unto us. Therefore doth God so make a demonstration of his mercy, that withal he maketh a reservation of his justice; being good in rewarding some, and just in punishing others: Yea; good in all, even in those that are punished; because it is good when that which is due, is given to every one: and just also in all; even in those that are saved; because it is just whenas that which is due is remitted without injury unto any.  
This is for the declaration of Christ's goodness unto the Leper in his willingness and readiness to heal him, in saying, Volo, I will: the next is in his actual performance of it, in saying, mundare be thou clean. Where it is worth the observation, that he doth not say volo mundare in the infinitive, I will heal thee; as if he did only promise to heal him; but he saith, volo, mundare, with a comma, in the imperative; I will, be thou clean; performing that which he promised unto him. Wherein two things are very remarkable in Christ; first that he performeth that which he promiseth, adding to Volo, I will, which is a word of promise: mundare, be thou clean, which is a word of performance; secondly, that he is not only able to do; but also actually and really, doth whatsoever he is willing to have done; joining, with volo, mundare; his will, and his deed together.  
For the former which is the performance of his promise, Christ is not like to the man's son in the Gospel; 
Mat. 21.30  who when as his Father said unto him, Son go work to day in my vineyard, answered, I will Sir, but yet he did not. Mat. 21. but he is as the only begotten son of the Father, full of grace and truth: john. 1. 
joh. 1.14  Yea not only full of truth, but truth itself. joh. 14. of whom S. 
joh. 14.6  Austen saith: Promissa tua sunt Deus, & quis falli timeat cùm promittit veritas, 
August. Confess. lib. 12. cap. 1  it is thou O God that dost promise, and who needeth to fear to be deceived, when as the truth itself promiseth: whose promises are, yea and Amen, 
2. Cor. 1.20  most sure and infallible. Therefore may we safely repose ourselves in his promises; 
Mat. 5  because heaven and earth shall pass before one jot or tittle of his Word shall fail: and withal we may learn of him to be true in our promises; 
Aug. de. Tem ser. 127.  because as Saint Austen says; Non in promissione, said in consummatione virtus est, Virtue doth not consist in promise, but in performance. A good man is like unto a tree, saith David, that is planted by the water side, 
Psal. 1.3  in which there is both fruit and leaves; that is, words, and deeds. Of the fruit, that is, his deeds, it is said that it bringeth forth fruit in due season; of the leaves, that is, his words, it is said that his leaf doth not fade nor whither; 
Aug. in Psa. 1  that is, saith Austen, Verbum eius non erit irritum, his word and his promise doth never fail; of the truth whereof Saint Jerome saith, 
Tantus in te sit veri amor, ut quicquid dixeris, iuratum putes. Hier. ad Celantiam.  There aught to be that love and desire in us, that whatsoever we say, we should make account that we had sworn before to perform it.  
For the other, viz. that he doth really and actually accomplish whatsoever he will have done: it appeareth plainly by the question that Balam asketh. Numb. 23. Numquid ipse dicit, 
Num. 23.19  & non facit? hath he said, and shall he not do it? and hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it? It is a most sure and undoubted truth, that the will of God is always fulfilled: for God himself hath said it, 
Esay. 46.10  Consilium meum stabit, & voluntas mea fiet, My counsel shall stand, and my will shall be done. Esa. 46. there being none able to resist or to hinder it. Therefore S. Paul speaking of the counsel and will of God, by which he hath predestinated us, joineth his actual operation and working with it; saying, 
Ephes. 1.11  that We are chosen in Christ according to the purpose of him which worketh all things, after the counsel of his own will. Ephes. 1. Which are so nearly united and combined in God, that as David saith, 
Psal. 135.6.  What soever it pleased the LORD that did he, both in heaven, in earth, and in all places. 
Quaedam decrevit Deus facere, quaedam permittere. Aug.  Wherein is to be seen the certainty and stability of God's decree concerning election and reprobation; and of all other things that are wrought by God as author: which is not contingent or changeable, 
Firmissimè tene, omnes quos vasa misericordiae fecit non pe●ir● posse; nee quenquam eorum quos non praedestinavit ad vitam, ullae ratione posse salvari. Aug. de fide ad Petrum. cap. 35. Rom. 11.29  depending upon the will of men; but immutable and inviolable, depending upon the will and counsel of God, which is always fulfilled and accomplished: insomuch that those whom God hath predestinated, cannot possibly perish, as Austen says; and contrariwise those whom God hath rejected cannot possibly be saved. It is the saying of the Apostle, Rom. 11.29. that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, and that with him there is no variableness nor shadow of change. 
jam 1.16  jam. 1. Our Saviour Christ maketh it a matter impossible that any of Gods elect should perisho There shall arise (saith he) many false Christ's and false prophets, who shall do many signs and miracles, that they shall deceive the very elect (if it were possible) Mat. 24. 
Mat. 24.24 joh. 10.28  of whom he saith joh. 10, that he gives unto them eternal life, & that they shall not perish, neither shall any take them out of his hands. The ground whereof is the certainty and stability of God's foreknowledge and decree. 2. Tim. 2. 
2. Tim. 2.19  The foundation of the Lord remaineth sure & hath this seal, The Lord knoweth who are his. Indeed if election and reprobation, were in men, they might easily be changed; because men are often times changed (for what is more mutable, and more unconstant than man?) but because it is not in man but in God, who is immutable as himself saith, Mal. 3. Ego jehovah, 
Mal. 3 6  et non mutor, I am the Lord, and I change not: Therefore his decree & counsel both of election, and reprobation, and of all the other works of God, are immutable and unchangeable; being fulfilled and accomplished according to the decree and purpose of his will. Otherwise his fore-knowleege must be made void, his power weakened, and his will changed: which to affirm of God were most impious and blasphemous. For he that changeth his counsel or his will doth it either because he seethe that he might have taken better advise; or else because he seethe that he could not have brought his purpose to pass as he would; both which do argue impotency and weakness; and therefore are far from God, and greatly abhorring from the nature of him. Lastly, if the decree concerning predestination may be changed, the certainty of our salvation is taken away, whereby the confidence of our faith and the full assurance of our hope is utterly overthrown; which is the greatest stay and comfort that a Christian hath here in this life. Therefore most sure it is, that the decree of election and reprobation is not changed nor altered, by the faith or infidelity of men (as if some were predestinated to salvation, but by reason of sin afterward, they utterly fall away, and lose their former estate and become damned) forasmuch as those whom God predestinateth to the end, he predestinateth also to the infallible means and ways which do direct us, and bring us unto the end; by giving especial grace and saving faith, and all other necessary virtues to those whom he hath chosen (which they do infallibly use, and by the use thereof attain unto salvation) and contrariwise, denying the like measure of grace unto those that he hath rejected; whereupon consequently though not causally ensueth damnation. And yet notwithstanding God herein doth not injustice or injury unto either: because if he damned all, being in the mass of corruption, 
Rom. 5.18  he were not unjust in doing so: therefore, if he chooseth some, and refuseth others; 
Aug. de bono pursue.  qui liberatur, habet unde gratias agate: qui damnatur, non habet quod reprehendat, saith, Saint Austen; he which is chosen and saved hath cause to give thanks to God for it: and contrariwise, he that is rejected and damned hath no cause to complain or to find fault with God for it. Si in remittendo debitum bonitas, 
August. ibid.  in exigendo aequitas, nusquam apud Deum invenitur iniquitas, if in remitting of debt there be mercy, in requiring it there be equity, than there is no ways found with God any kind of iniquity; to the one he showeth mercy, to the other he doth not any injury: of the one he may rightly say, as the householder doth, 
Mat. 20  Volo huic novissimo dare sicut tibi, I will give unto the last as unto the first; of the other he may justly say, tolle quod tuum est, & vade, friend I do thee no wrong, take that which is thine own and go thy way.  
Thus do you see the means and the manner of Christ's healing the Leper, both with his hand & with his tongue; with his hand in stretching it forth and touching him: with his tongue in saying, Volo, Mundare, I will, be thou clean: so that now there seems nothing to remain but to consider the effect that followed & ensued hereupon. But as Christ when he had wrought a great miracle in feeding 5000. men with five loaves and two fishes, 
joh. 6.12  he commanded the Disciples to gather up the broken meat; that nothing might be lost; so also in this miracle, there are as it were certain fragments of heavenly mysteries, which in no case we ought to suffer to be cast away or to be lost. 
Sicut humana consuetudo verbis, ita divina potentia etiam factis loquitur, etc. Aug ad Deogratias epist. 49.  For as it is the fashion and custom of men to speak by words; so it is the manner of God to speak by his works also. And as strange & new words being in a moderate and decent manner sprinkled upon our speech do give a kind of grace unto it; so, great and strange works done by God, having an apt and a fit signification in them, do make the speech & eloquence of God to seem a great deal more gracious. And therefore consider once again the means and manner of Christ's healing the Leper, & you shall find divers and sundry mysteries in the doing of it. As first, he useth his hand and toucheth the Leper, to show the inestimable power & virtue of his human nature, 
Heb. 10.12  by the immolation & offering whereof he hath obtained redemption and salvation for us; he useth his tongue & speaketh withal, to show that his corporal presence is not so necessary, 
joh. 14.16  but that he is able to do all things by his word & by his spirit, that are necessary for the salvation of us. Again, he useth his hand and toucheth the Leper, for the jews which then looked on him and beheld him, and by seeing believed in him; 
Gentes non videndo sed audiendo crediderunt. August. de Temp. ser. 74 Psal. 18.43  he useth his tongue and speaketh for the Gentiles, which did not see but hear, and by hearing believed in him, according to that which God saith, Psalm. 18.43. A people whom I have not known (that is as Austen doth interpret, to whom I have not showed my presence) shall serve me: which was by hearing only or him, as it followeth in the Psalm, as soon as they hear, they shall obeys me. Lastly, he stretcheth out his hand and toucheth the Leper: to show the reality and truth of his humanity, he speaketh and saith, Volo, mundare, I will, be thou clean; to show the reality, and truth of his divinity, more particularly he saith, Volo, I will, against Photinus the heretic; he saith, mundare, be thou clean, against Arrius the heretic; and extendens tetigit, he stretcheth out his hand, and toucheth him, against Manicheus the heretic. As if he should say, where is he that denieth the truth of my human nature, as if my body were a fantastical, not a true and a natural body? why, behold my hand, and mark how I stretch it out, and do touch this Leper with it; there is for Manicheus the heretic: Where is he that denieth the truth of my heavenly will, as if my will were not one and the same with the will of GOD the Father? why mark and consider well what I say; Volo, I will; not only as I am man but also as I am God, that this Leper be healed presently; there is for Photi●us the heretic: Where is he that denieth the truth of my divine power, as if my power were not equal to the power of God the Father; why mark farther what I say, mundare, be thou clean: that is, I do not only will, but command by mine own proper power and authority that the leprosy be packing, and this Leper be made clean; there is for Arrius the heretic. Thus doth our Saviour Christ heal him after a most perfect and an exact manner both by the operation of his humanity in touching, and by the operation of his divinity, in saying; Volo, mundare, I will be thou clean: and this is the order and manner of Christ's healing of him.  
The next thing we are to speak of is the effect and cure that ensued hereupon; for the Evangelist saith, that after this, immediately his leprosy departed from him. If we consider the disease of the Leper; it was very sore upon him: for, Saint Luke saith, that he was a man full of Leprosy; 
Luke 5.12  if the means of curing, it seems to be very weak; for he does but touch him, and speak only unto him: and yet though the disease be great and the means small, the cure is most perfect and admirable too; for after this, immediately his leprosy was cleansed. The Philosopher holds it for a maxim and a rule, that Propter nostrum dicere & velle, nihil in remutatur; that our will and our word is not able to do any great matter. As for example, if a man be naked and ready to starve for want of meat, and one should say very charitably unto him: my good friend, I would wish thee to put on some warm clothes and provide thee some good meat, and yet not supply his want with either of them what think you of this? Is his body the warmer or his belly the fuller, for these fair words? I suppose not; unless a man were as able to live upon the breath of a man's mouth, as the Chameleon is to live upon the breath of the air. Or to come yet a little nearer to the purpose, if a Physician should come unto me being sick, and take me by the hand, and feel my pulse, and say very cheerfully unto me, Sir be of good comfort, there is no danger at all; I will heal you, I warrant you, ministering no physic at all unto me; surely these are very good words, but what? am I healed any whit the sooner for all this? I suppose not. And yet notwithstanding, mark I pray you: Christ here doth but touch the Leper, and speak two words only, Volo, I will, and mundare, be thou clean, and the leprosy presently departeth from him. Wherein observe if it shall please you, the wonderful surpassing power of Christ, who is able to do so great works, by so weak and slender means, even by the touch of his hand, and by the word of his mouth only, for he doth but touch him with his hand, and say, Volo, mundere, I will, be thou clean, and the leprosy departeth away from him. But what is not he able to do, either by small means, or without means, 
Voluntas eius Potestas eius Amb. in 5. Luc. Psal. 18.  whose will is his power, as Ambrose saith, and to whom, to say, and to do, are both alike? who if he does but touch the mountains they are ready to smoke, if he does but speak and rebuke the sea, 
Mat. 8  both wind and sea are ready to obey him. Look into the first creation of the world, and you shall find with what great facility. God created all things, even by his will and by his word only. God did but say, 
Gen. ●  Let there be light, and there was a light presently; God did but say, let there be a firmament, and there was a firmament presently: and so for all the rest of God's works, dixit & facta sunt, he spoke the word, and they were all made; Insomuch, that the Centurion when he desired Christ to heal his servant that was sick of the palsy, he doth not desire him to take the pains to come unto his house, nor to use any great means for the doing of it; but, Dic verbum tantùm, 
Mat. 8.  speak the word only, and my servant shall be whole. So then, it is not in any strength and virtue of the means, but in the might and power of God's will, whereby he worketh even his greatest works of all, who sometimes worketh without means as he did in the creation of the world, where he neither used workmen, nor tools, nor engines, nor instruments, 
Cic. lib. 2. de Nat. deorum  as the Epicure in Tully fond imagined, that God of necessity must do, 
Docet sine lingua, praebet sine manibus, currit & succurrit sine pedibus. Ber. in Cant. ser. 6  if the world were created. For as Bernard doth most elegantly express the manner of Gods working in an other case, God doth teach us and admonish us without a tongue; he doth uphold us and give liberally unto us, without hands; he doth come unto us and help us without any feet. Yea, sometimes also he worketh against means: 
joh. 9  as in restoring sight to the blind man, by anointing his eyes with clay, which was a means rather to deprive a man of his sight, then to give sight unto him: and when he doth use any means at all, commonly they are very weak and slender even in the greatest works that he doth; as in doing many strange miracles by Moses his rod. 
Exod. 4.  Exod. 4. In overthrowing the walls of jericho with trumpets of Rams horns. Ios. 6. 
Ios. 6  In discomfiting the Midianites with lamps and pitchers. judges 7. 
judges 7  in skattering the host of the Amorites with a terror Panicus, or a supposed noise of Chariots and Horsemen. 2. Kings. 7. 
2. Kings 7  and that which is one of the greatest miracles of all, in converting and saving the whole world, by a few simple and unlearned fishermen, who being sent by Christ to the sea of this world, as Nazianzene says, 
Nazianz. in sanct. Pentecost.  having neither skill in grammar, nor knowledge in rhetoric, nor understanding in logic, and other liberal arts and sciences, with the nets of the Gospel and of the faith which they preached, caught after a most admirable manner a multitude of fishes of all sorts of people.  
If any shall ask now why God useth means, being as well able to work without them as with them, or using means, and not rather goodly and glorious means; I answer with Aquinas the father of the Schoolmen that he doth both these not without a most wise reason and consideration. 
Aquin part. 1. quaest. 23. art. 8.  First he useth some means, viz. the ministery of his creatures with the several powers & operations thereof, to keep a decent and a comely order in things, making as it were a scries or a concatenation of causes linked and fowlded one with in an other as in a golden chain, where every link hangeth upon an other, wherein all the subordinate and secondary causes depend upon the first & primary cause; and that sendeth his influence into the secondary causes, giving them power and ability to work & to effect several things withal. As for example; God promising to show his mercy & to bestow his blessing upon Israel his people, he doth it by no less than three or four secondary & subordinate causes, hanging one upon an other, and all of them depending upon the first and primary cause of all, which is himself, saying, I will hear the heavens, 
Ose 2.15  and they shall hear the earth, and the earth shall hear the corn, the wine and the oil, and they shall hear Israel; that is, he himself giveth virtue and power to the heavens; the heavens send their influence unto the earth, the earth giveth nourishment to the corn, wine, & oil; and the corn, wine, and oil, give their strength and virtue unto us; & all this God doth, being able to have done it otherwise, to maintain a decent and a comely order in the world.  
Secondly, he doth it as the same Doctor saith, to honour his creatures in vouchsafing to make them coworkers with himself; that as he is the first and principal Agent in every thing; so the creatures work together with him as means and instruments to perform the will of the first agent: not that God hath any need of them for the effecting of his works; but to vouchsafe an honour unto them, it being altogether a matter of dignation and not of necessity. Thus we read that although God had promised jacob to preserve him, 
Gen. 28.15  and to defend him saying; Lo, I am with thee, & will keep thee whithersoever thou goest, Gen. 28. Yet when it was told him, that his brother Esau came towards him, to meet him with 400. men, 
Gen. 32  he does not lay all upon God; but he himself also falls to work, and provideth as well as he can for the time, to defend both him and his from violence, by dividing the people that was with him into two companies, & commanding some to go before and others to follow after, that if the first company were assaulted, the second might rescue and aid them, 
josephus Anti. lib. 1 cap. 19  as josephus discourseth upon the story; by which example he would give us to understand saith Austen, 
August. in quaest. super Gen. quaest. 102.  writing upon the same scripture, that although we ought to look for help of God as the first and principal worker that worketh all in all, yet notwithstanding as coworkers to labour and work together with God, in doing such things as men ought to do for their own preservation and safety; lest otherwise we incur that just reproof of those idle loiterers, quid statis hic tota die otiosi, 
Mat. 20.  Why stand ye hear all the day idle? The like we read of Paul's dangerous voyage, & of the company that sailed with him unto Rome; to whom though God had promised safety by a special revelation saying, Fear not Paul, for thou must appear before Caesar, and God hath given unto thee all that sail with thee; 
Act. 27.31.  yet notwithstanding when he saw the ship in danger, & the mariners who were to govern the ship ready to departed out of it, he doth not hold his peace, but gins to bestir himself, and tell them plainly that unless those men abide in the ship they cannot be safe: so that although he knew that none of them should perish, yet he knew withal that the way to escape the danger, was not to lay all upon God, but to labour with God and to govern the ship; which otherwise was like to perish with all the company that was in it.  
The consideration whereof doth justly reprove and condemn the extreme folly and presumption of divers, who like unto the Scribes, and pharisees, that would lay heavy burdens upon other men's shoulders, 
Mat. 23.4  & not touch than with one of their own fingers, will lay all upon God to work his own will, while they themselves do loiter, and are altogether idle; dealing herein as the devil dealt with Christ, who having set him upon the pinnacle of the Temple goes about to persuade him to cast himself down headlong, 
Math. 4  because God had given his Angels charge over him: leaving out most subtly and cunningly, that which Christ was to do on his own part; 
Numquid in praecipitijs? qualis est haec via? Non est haec via sed ruina: et si via, tua est non illius. Bern. in psa. Qui hab. sor. 14  which was, not to cast himself down, but to come down the right way, as it followeth in the text; and they shall keep thee in all thy ways; not in the devils down falls, says Bernard, but in his own ways: Now what manner of way call you this, for a man to cast himself down from the top of a pinnacle? this is no way but a a downfall; or if it be a way it is the devils way not Christ's way: and therefore he refuseth it, giving no ear at all to his persuasion. Which notwithstanding is a great fault, wherein divers do offend both in divers manners and in divers cases: which I purpose to specify in three especially.  
The first is a spiritual case in the matter of our salvation: wherein there are many that do rely so much upon the first and chief cause thereof which is God's eternal and immutable decree of predestination, that they do altogether neglect the secondary causes and the subordinate means thereof; which is an effectual vocation by the preaching of the word, and the inward working of the spirit, and an effectual justification by a true and a lively faith, with the fruits of a holy and godly conversation; using a most devilish speech, invented at the first by no other than the devil himself in saying, if God hath predestinated me to salvation, let me live as I will, I am sure to he saved, because his predestination is immutable; on the other side, if God hath ordained me to reprobation or damnation, howsoever I live I am sure to be damned, because his decree cannot be altered. 
Dolosi vel im periti medici est, utile medicamentum sic alligare ut aut non prosit, aut obsit. Aug. de bono persever. cap. 21  To whom I might answer as S. Austen sometimes did in the like case, to certain men that did abuse the doctrine of predestination as these do, that it is the property either of a deceitful or of an unskilful physician so to apply an wholesome medicine, that either it shall do hurt or at the least no good; whenas these men that do thus reason, aught to consider this with themselves, that whom God hath predestinated to salvation, he hath also predestinated to the secondary causes and means that do bring us unto it; which is our effectual vocation and justification; as the Apostle showeth in that golden chain both of the first & second causes of salvation. Rom. 8. 
Rom. 8.30.  Whom God hath predestinated he hath called, whom he hath called he justified; whom he justified he hath glorified. So that in the matter of predestination we are not to reason a priori from the first and highest cause thereof, in saying, If I am predestinated I am sure to be saved, if not I am sure to be damned; but we are to reason a posteriori, from the lowest of the subordinate and second causes, to the first and highest cause of all, in reasoning thus; My faith and good works do show that I am justified; being justified it shows that I am called; being called, it shows that I am elected; being elected it is most sure and certain that I shall be saved. Otherwise, to set all upon God's predestination not looking to the second means which God hath ordained to come unto it, what is this else, but as if a man that traveles should think to come to the end of his journey without stirring one foot, or using the way that brings him to it? or as if a man should think to get up to the top of a house without a pair of stairs, or a ladder to ascend withal? whereas in jacobs' sision there was a ladder that reached up unto heaven, 
Gen. 28.12  & the Angels of God ascended and descended by it; but as for these men they think to fly up to heaven with the wings of predestination, without the stairs or ladder of a faithful and holy conversation. I have read of one Ludovicus an Italian, who never considering the order and the causes of our salvation, grew to that desperate conclusion which many Atheists and profane wretches in these days seem to have learned of him in having this speech commonly in his mouth, If I be predestinated I am sure to be saved, if not do what I can, I am sure to be damned; In which his wicked assertion he continued a long time, till at the length he grew dangerously sick; whereupon he sent for a learned and a cunning Physician to request and to use his help. The Physician being made acquainted with his former lewd assertion in his health time, how he would usually say, If I am saved I am saved; he likewise directed his speech to the same purpose, & said unto him, Sir it shall be needless to minister any physic unto you or to use means for your recovery, neither do I purpose to take any such course; for if the time of your death be not come you have no cause to fear, you shall live and do well enough without physic; & if the time of your death be now come, all the Physic in the world will not help you, because it is impossible to avoid it. Ludovicus musing in his bed of the strange speech which the Physician used, having considered a while advisedly of it, began to see his own folly & to find by reason, that as means was to be used for the health of the body; so God had also ordained means for the health of the soul: whereupon he reversed his former opinion; took physic and so was cured both in his body, and soul at one time: which I wish were seriosly considered of divers irreligious and profane beasts, who neglecting all the means of their salvation, by living a most wicked & a licentious kind of life, & venturing all their estate upon God's predestination, without regard or respect of a holy conversation, do run headlong to eternal destruction and damnation; whereas contrariwise, they and only they, which use the means of salvation, shall obtain the end of predestination, which is, eternal glorification.  
The second case that I will propound, is a temporal case in the preserving and maintaining of this temporal life: wherein there are many that do depend so much upon God's providence, in sustaining and keeping them, that they do altogether neglect the means and the second causes of it. Some in relying and resting so much upon God's providence which is the first and the principle cause, that they will use no labour, nor take any pains in any honest vocation to get their living withal; like unto certain idle Monks, 
Augaretract. lib. 2. cap. 21  of whom S. Austen complaineth in his time: who lived so well upon the alms and benevolence of well disposed people, that they would not labour nor take the least pains for their living, saying, that they did herein fulfil the precept of our Saviour Christ, where he saith: Look upon the fowls of the air, 
Mat. 6  and the Lilies of the field, they neither labour nor spin, nor sow, nor reap, nor carry into the barns, and yet God feedeth them: Whereas, they should not regard so much, what these senseless and unreasonable creatures do, as what sensible and reasonable creatures ought to do; who are borne unto labour, 
job. 7  as job saith, God providing in the first beginning of all, that man should not be idle; 
Gen. 2  and therefore put him into the garden of Eden to dress and to keep it. God doth not feed us ordinarily, as he did the Israelites miraculously, by raining down Manna from heaven, 
Exod. 1●  by sending quails among us, 
Num. 16.  nor yet by Angels and Ravens which bring meat & drink unto us, 
1. King. 17  as they did unto Elias; but by labour and industry, 
Philo jud. de sacr. Cain & Abel.  which Philo calls the beginning of all virtue & happiness, without which no good nor honest thing is to be found among men. For even as the eye of the body is not able to see without light; so the eye of the soul is not able to see to do any action of virtue without the help of labour, as it were with the help of light. Look upon Students, and Artists, who study the liberal arts & sciences; look upon husband men, artificers, & handicraftmen, and such as get their living by any manner of means; you shall see that they do not cease to labour with their hands and with their feet, & with all the strength both of their bodies and of their minds. It is the saying of a heathen man; that the gods do sell all things for labour. Verily our God is but one and he doth not sell but give, but yet he gives all things for labour, it being the root as Philo says from whence all good things do spring and grow. 
Philo ibid.  For though God himself doth give all things on his part without labour and difficulty; yet notwithstanding he will not have any mortal creature to obtain any thing without labour and industry, to the end that thereby we might acknowledge and commend the eminent greatness and excellency of God above the creatures. The labour of man is like unto meat: for as the life is preserved and maintained by meat; so both life and every good thing is maintained by labour.  
And therefore, as those that desire to preserve this natural life, do not refuse to take nourishment; so they that desire to have meat to preserve the life withal, or to have any good thing to preserve the soul withal, ought not to refuse labour, it being both to life and to virtue, and to every thing else, as meat and nourishment is unto the body.  
There are others also that depend so much upon God's providence in preserving them, that in a time of danger and sickness, as this is, they will not use those means, which not only God, but even nature & reason also doth direct them unto for their defence, & preservation, running headlong and desperately into places that are infected; without any care and regard either of themselves or of others: saying that in good earnest which the Physician spoke but by way of a taunt to Ludovicus the Italian, God hath set down the term of my life, and if my time be come, do what I can, I can live no longer than God hath appointed: and if it be not come, let me go whither I will, I shall live as long as God hath determined; not considering withal, that God's providence doth not take away the means and second causes of our preservation, but rather setteth them in a decent order as certain helps and instruments to accomplish the same. When God made the law of the leprosy (a disease in regard of the contagion thereof, 
Levit. 13  not unlike unto the pestilence) there was no question but that all should live out that time that God had appointed unto them: and yet God to accomplish this by a secondary means, he provideth withal that the Lepers should live a part without the camp from the society and company of others, as a necessary and subordinate means to effect the same. 
Esay 38  So also when God promised Ezechias that he should recover his sickness & live fifteen years more; no question there was, but he must needs live so long, because God had decreed and promised it: yet notwithstanding he prescribes him certain means that he must use for his recovery, viz. to take a bunch of dried figs, and to apply it unto the bile, as a subordinate means to accomplish his decree. For to lay all upon the shoulders of God's providence, and ourselves not to stir so much as the least of our fingers, in working together with his providence, what is this else but to tempt God, 
Si periculum quantum canere possumus non cavemus, magis tentamus Deum quam speramus in Deo. Aug. de Ciu. dei. lib. 16 cap. 19 Zanchius in cap. 2. ep. ad Philip.  as S. Austen says; if we be in any danger, and be not careful to decline and avoid it as much as we can, we do rather tempt God then put our trust in him. To this purpose it is worthy of observation, which that worthy and learned Zanchius, a singular ornament of God's Church, reporteth upon occasion of the pestilence that was very rife among them, of a certain conference or disputation between him and a Minister of Curia, whether it were lawful for a Minister to absent himself from those that were sick of the plague and to flee from those places that were dangerously infected; the Minister of Curia, holding that it was not lawful, and Zanchius on the other side holding that it was not unlawful, being done with such due regard as it ought to be, without dishonour unto God, neglect of our duty, or fraud and injury unto the people committed unto us. Of which point they had reasoning so long both by word of mouth, & by Letters, till at the length the Minister of Curia by resorting daily to those that were sick of the plague, was stricken himself and fell sick of it. At which time seeing his error and oversight, and the danger into which he had brought himself and his family, he bewailed and cried out to his wife, and children and to his friends about him; Oh utinam Zanchij consilium secutus essem! Oh that I had been ruled by Zanchius, who gave me counsel so to have care of those that were sick; that withal, I should have a care of those that are sound, viz. of myself and of my family, & of the Church of God, whose future good and profit I ought to have regarded, expecting a better opportunity afterward. Which is a matter right wisely and christianly ordered by those that are in authority for the safety and preservation both of ministers and of all sorts of people; but that I know not how, either we think ourselves wiser and more charitable than they, or else (as it should seem) not to stand bound in duty to perform obedience to the laws and orders of our superiors.  
Thus do you see why God useth some means in his works that he doth: now we will show why he useth so small and weak means in doing of them; which is not without as just cause & reason as the other. First of all, that we should not ascribe that unto the means and to the secondary cause which is due to the power and goodness of God that worketh all in all. For such is the corruption of our nature and the gross conceit of our reason, that we look more to the means, then to God the Author and finisher of all: although alas what is all the means in the world, unless God worketh with them, and giveth power and ability thereunto. What is bread the ordinary means to preserve life able to do, unless withal God gives the staff of bread, which is a secret blessing and power to nourish us withal? what is all the labour and study and pains we take, able to do, unless God lay his hand to the work and help us through with it? If we build, yet, 
Psal. 127  unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it; if we watch, yet, except the Lord keep the City, the watchman watcheth but in vain; if we labour and take pains, rising early and lying down late, and eating the bread of carefulness, yet unless God's blessing be with us as it was with jacob whither so ever he went, all our labour is lost and to no purpose: without this we may sow much & reap little, we may eat and not be satisfied, 
Agg. 1.16  we may wear clothes and not be warm, we may earn wages and put them into a broken bag, and be never the better nor the richer for it. 
Habac. 1.16  Therefore we ought not to sacrifice unto our net, nor burn incense unto our yarn, as the Prophet speaketh, ascribing all to the means of our prosperity, but to ascribe all to the Author of it, as David and his people did, when they made an oblation to God for the building of the Temple, saying; Thine O Lord is greatness and power: for all that is in heaven and in earth is thine, both riches and honour come of thee, & thou raignnest over all: now therefore our God, we thank thee and praise thy glorious name: 
Quod dedit gratis tulit ingratis. Au. in joh. tr. 14  lest otherwise giving that to the creature which is due to the Creator; God take away that from us for our unthankfulness, which before he did bestow upon us in his great goodness.  
2. He useth small & weak means, to the end that we should not trust in any means whatsoever, but to depend upon God's power & goodness only. For as jonathan said to his armour bearer, 
1. Saw. 14.6  It is not hard for the Lord to save with many or with few, so neither is it hard for him to save by great means or by small means. In which persuasion and confidence, David being but a child and not expert in feats of war, ventured to encounter with great Goliath with a staff and a sling only, 
1. Sam. 17  who came against him with sword, spear, & shield, only upon this resolution; It is the Lords battle, saith he, who saveth not with sword and with spear but by his own power. 1. Sam. 17. But most worthy & memorable is that which we read of K. Asa. 2. Chr. 
2. Chron. 14 11  14 who being to fight with Zerah the K. of Ethiopia, who came against him with an host of 1000000. & 300. chariots, prayed unto God after this manner: Lord it is nothing for thee to help with many, or with no power: help O Lord our God, for we rest in thee, and in thy name are we come against this multitude. O Lord thou art God, let not man prevail against thee: who also according to that faith which he had of God's power, wherein he did repose himself, did overcome and vanquish him, being in power much inferior unto him. If I should but call to your remembrance those 2. great & wonderful deliverances worthy to be written in a pillar of marble that they might never be forgotten, which God hath vouchsafed to this our land by most small and weak means if I may so speak: the one in delivering us from the fury of the Spaniards who came against us with an invincible navy as they called it, and not possible to be resisted as they supposed, making the sea and the winds to fight for us, when as our preparation was not able to match theirs; the other in delivering us from the danger of the powder treason, into which we were ready to have fallen, had not God of his mercy most miraculously saved us; and that by most unlikely means, only by an enigmatical Letter, written most darkly, & interpreted as strangely, and yet withal most effectually for the discovering and finding of it, by our most wise Sovereign, who like an other Oedipus dissolved the riddle; and broke the snare in pieces; I say if I should but call to your rembrance these two, they might easily move you not only to acknowledge, how God worketh by small means, and yet bringeth mighty things to pass by them; but also move you to put your trust in God, and not in means, 
2. Chro. 16.12.  as Asa did afterwards in seeking to Physicians, and not to the Lord 2. Chron. 16. assuring ourselves that it is not so much the means, whether great or small, as the omnipotent power of God that worketh and and bringeth every thing to pass. And therefore let us be of David's mind and say with him Psal. 20. Some put their trust in Horses, and some in Chariots, 
Psal. 20.7.  but we will remember the name of the Lord our God: save Lord, let the King hear in the day that we call.  
Thus do you see, how the weak and small means is not any ways a let or hindrance unto the cure; but there is yet a greater matter than this. viz. That he is not only healed hereby, but also healed suddenly and presently; for immediately upon this, the leprosy departed from him. The Philosophers have a saying that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, no great matter can be done upon a sudden; but there must be a good time & a good space for the producing and bringing forth of it. It is reported of the Elephant that she is ten years in bringing forth an other Elephant, and that the Lioness is her whole life time in bringing forth of a Lyon. If it be but a matter of building, you shall see that a fair house is not set up on a sudden; but there must be a good time for the erecting of it. Salomons house which he builded for himself was 13 years in building. 
1. King. 7.11  1. Kings 7. And the Temple of jerusalem, though som● perhaps will think that Solomon should have bestowed more time in building God's house, then in building his own; yet it was no less than seaue● years in building. 
●. Kin. 6.38  1. Kings 6. and the Temple which was builded also after this, was no less than forty six years in building. john 2.20.  
But to come a little nearer unto the point; in a matter of Physic, we see that an ordinary disease is not by and by cured, but there must be a sufficient time for the doing of it. The woman of Sirophonisse that was diseased with an issue of blood, 
Mar. 5.25  was twelve years in the physicians hands, of whom she suffered many things, and spent all her substance on them, and yet was never the better for them but rather the worse.  
And Naaman the Sirian, when he was healed of his leprosy, though it was after an extraordinary manner, 
2. Kin. 5  yet he was not heard presently; but the Prophet bids him to wash himself seven times in the river jordan, and then his flesh came again like the flesh of a young child, which was by little and little; but here our Saviour Christ doth but touch the Leper & commands him to be healed, and the leprosy immediately departed from him. Do not ask how this could possibly be; that amanful of leprosy should be healed by touching and speaking only unto him, and that presently & immediately too, as soon as ever the word was passed from him; 
Aug. epist. 3. ad Volusian.  for as Austen says, Si ratio quaeritur, non erit mirabile; si exemplum poscitur, non erit singular, if you seek for a reason of it, it were no miracle: & if you would have an example of it, it were not singular; in talibus ratio facti potestas facientis, in all such cases the reason and cause of the thing done is the power of him that doth it. If you will needs have a reason of it; Saint Ambrose will tell you, 
Nihil medium est inter Dei opus & praeceptum; quia in praecepto est opus. Dixit & facta sunt. Amb. in 5. Luc.  that the leprosy immediately departed from him, because there is nothing between God's command and the thing that h● commands; the work which he doth being within the command, according as the Prophet David saith, H● spoke the word & it was done: which implies that if he command any thing it is presently done. Mark then I beseech you not only the power of Christ in healing this leper, but also his power and goodness in healing him so presently too; not taking any long time to heal him, as many Physicians and Chirurgeons do, who heal after a very strange manner, not ex●acting but protracting the disease; but contrariwise in healing him quickly & speedily even in a trice as it were and in the turning of the hand. For as he is able to heal us by small and weak means: so is he able to help us in a very short time, or without any time at all, when it pleaseth him; according to that which the Psalmist saith, God is our hope and strength, 
Psal. 46.1. Beneficij gratia promptitudine & celeritate congeminatur. Nazian de amore pauperum.  a present help in time of trouble. Which is not only a singular comfort, but also a double benefit, as Nazianzene says; forasmuch as a benefit that is bestowed promptly and speedily, is made a double benefit with the quickness and celerity of it. We read of the Israelits that when Pharaoh & the Egyptians pursued them in such manner as they despaired of all help; 
Exod. 14.  having their enemies behind them ready to kill them, & the sea before them ready to drown them, being compassed round about with the mountains & the rocks, with the sea, and a great multitude of armed men as josephus doth discourse of it; 
joseph. Antiq. lib. 2. c. 6.  God who is able to turn the mountains into a Plain, & the sea into dry land, presently divided the sea, and made it become dry land: wherein the Israelites passing through were preserved and saved, but contrariwise, Pharaoh & the Egyptians pursuing them were destroyed & drowned. When Zenacharib the King of Assiria, 
2. Kings. 19.35.  came against juda & jerusalem with a huge host, so as Ezechias & his people despaired & were out of all hope; God who is our refuge & a present help in time of trouble, sendeth an Angel which destroyed an hundred fourscore and five thousand of his men in one night: by which means he preserved and delivered both the King, and his people. 
2, Kings, 6.25.  When Benhadad the King of Aram besieged Samaria, in such manner that an asses head was sold for Lxxx. pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a Kab of doves dung for five pieces of silver; God within one day after sent such plenty among them by a spoil, which he gave them in the tents of the Aramits, that a measure of fine flower was sold for a shekle, and two measures of barley for a shekle. What should I tell you of jonas? 
jon. 1.17.  who being cast into the sea and ready to be drowned, God sendeth present help, by sending a whale of the sea to receive him and to preserve him: of Susanna, 
Dan. 3.25.  who being condemned to death, God stirred up the spirit of Daniel and so delivered her: of the 3 children that were cast into the fiery & hot burning furnace, who being ready to be consum'd with the fire, God sent one like unto the Son of God and preserved them. All which with many more examples that might be produced, do evidently demonstrate to our great comfort, that God is both able & willing to help us even upon the present and in our greatest need of all. And therefore we should not be discouraged nor dismayed at any time in our greatest dangers of all; but rather with David, 
●. Sam. 30.  when as the people were ready to stone him, to comfort ourselves in the Lord our God, assuring ourselves that God who is able to bring light out of darkness, is able by some mean: or other to send present help and deliverance unto us; yea and that he will also, if he see it to make for our good and his own glory. And thus much also of the cure itself, wrought as you see by small & weak means, and yet most effectually and wonderfully too; for the leprosy immediately departed from him.  
Now followeth the charge which our Saviour Christ giveth unto him after his cure: See thou tell no man etc. Which perhaps may seem unto some to be very strange, and scarce standing with the rules of civility & humanity, to receive a benefit & then to smother it by concealing of it; whereas if a poor man receive but an alms, the hand will move to the head, the knee will bend to the ground, and the tongue will be ready to give thanks and to be telling every body of it. All which I confess to be true: but yet do but consider the manner of the charge, and the intent & meaning of Christ in it, and you will not only clear him of all imputation, but also highly approve, and commend his dealing in it. First for the manner of the charge, Christ doth not forbid him to publish this miracle by way of a precept as Caietan says, 
Caietan. in 8. cap. Mat.  but by way of an humble affection that he would show in himself and commend untous; or if it be a precept, yet it is not a simple or an absolute precept, but a precept secundum quid, as the Schoolmen speak, with relation to some particular respect: wherein he doth not simply and absolutely command him to tell no man, as if he would have had the miracle to be hid and kept secret, (for then he would rather have done it closely & secretly, then in the presence of a great multitude that followed him, and would rather have healed him by his will then by his word in speaking unto him) but he commands him to tell no man, viz. before such time as he had showed himself unto the Priest, & then afterward he might publish it and tell it to whomsoever he would. And this was, to avoid the malicious & wicked dealing of the Priests about the discerning & judging of his cleansing: who had they understood that Christ had healed him, though most exactly & most perfectly; yet they would never have admitted nor approved of his cleansing, only for the very malice & hatred which they bore unto Christ; and therefore he would have this to be hid, and secret for a while, until such time as the Priest had judged & approved of his cleansing; that if afterward they should cavil and quarrel about it, they might be convicted & condemned of themselves, having before judged & pronounced him to be clean. Wherein appears most clearly both the singular wisdom, & the most loving care & affection of Christ toward this Leper. His wisdom in preventing and defeating the malicious practice of the Priests, by taking away all occasion of calumniation from them; his love and tender affection, in being careful that the Leper whom he had healed, might not be vexed nor molested, but be received again into the society & company of others. So as if Christians are to follow Christ as soldiers follow their Captain, we may learn both to be wise in preventing & avoiding of dangers, & also to be charitable in helping & delivering such as are oppressed and suffer injury.  
For the former, our Saviour Christ would have his disciples not only to have the innocency of the dove; 
Mat. 10.16.  but also the wisdom of the Serpent. For as religion and civil conversation do very well agree together (though some make all their religion to be in a certain austerity and rusticity) so also piety and Christian policy may very well agree together. For it is not the simplicity of the Ass, which is void of all reason and understanding, that is commended unto Christians; but the simplicity of the dove joined with the wisdom of the Serpent, that is worthy of praise and commendation. And therefore we shall find that the servants of God have from time to time used singular wisdom in all their actions. It is said of jacob that he was a plain man (for so it is in our English translation) and yet what wisdom showed he toward his uncle Laban in keeping his flocks, toward his wives living peaceably with them both, and toward his brother Esaw in pacifying his wrath and displeasure conceived against him? 
Goe 30. & 32  Gen. 30.32. What should I tell you of David changing his behaviour, and feigning himself mad, when he was in danger of King Achish 1. Sa. 
1. Sam. 21.  21. Of Solomon making a show as if he would have had the living child to have been divided between the women that did strive together, 
1. Kings. 3.  thereby to find out the true mother. 1. Kings. 3. Of Paul, who seeing one part of the Council to be of the pharisees, and the other of the Sadduces, set them together one against an other, 
Act. 23.6.  thereby to escape the danger that he was in. Act. 23. with divers other examples that I could bring; that if God commendeth the unjust steward for dealing wisely, 
Luc. 16.  Luk. 16. he will much more commend just and godly men for dealing wisely. The which is not spoken to patronize or maintain the policy, or rather the fraud and subtility of jesuits and Machiauelists, whose profession is altogether to lie and to flatter, to dissemble, and to equivocate, and to use all kind of treachery and villainy, having all the subtlety of the Serpent but nothing at all of the innocency of the dove (for as Bernard saith of such wily and crafty foxes as these are, 
Bern. in Cant ser. 65.  vulpium posteriora foetent, the hinder parts of these fox's stink most abominably when their secrets & devices come to be discovered afterward: who although they beguile the world for a while; yet in the end God catcheth them in their own craftiness, 
1. Cor. 3.19  striketh them in the hinder parts & puts them to a perpetual shame as David speaketh) I say it is not spoken to defend Machiavellian subtlety, 
Psal. 78.66.  but Christian policy, to teach us to be as wise to take the Foxes, 
Cant. 2.15.  and the little Foxes, as they are crafty and malicious to destroy our vines, and to do hurt unto us.  
For the latter which is piety and charity in redeeming others from wrong and injury, it is the very life and being of religion as Saint james says; for what is pure religion and undefiled before God, but to visit the fatherless, and the widows, in their adversity? jam. 1. 
jam. 1.27. Act. 7.24  that as we read of Moses when he saw one of his brethren suffer wrong, he defended him and avenged his quarrel that had the harm done unto him, and smote the Egyptian; so should we do, when we see our brethren suffer wrong and oppression or to be in any distress whatsoever, to help and deliver them either by our countenance and authority if we be in place to do it, or at least by our good counsel, and good endeavour, or by any other means, whereby we may testify this christian & charitable affection towards them. 
Gen. 4.  Not to say as Cain did, when God asked him where his brother Abel was, 
job. 29.12.  Numquid ego sum custos fratris mei? am I my brother's keeper? but rather to do as job did, who professeth that he delivered the poor and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him, that he was the eyes to the blind, the feet to the lame, and a father unto the poor, that he did break the chaws of the unrighteous man, and did pluck the prey out of his teeth. Which duty all Christians ought to perform, not only by his example, but also of Christ here, who was careful that the poor Leper might not be molested, but forthwith be pronounced clean and be received of them.  
But besides this, our Saviour Christ had also a moral regard in forbidding this Leper to tell the miracle unto any man: which was partly in regard of modesty, as not caring nor desiring to have his good deeds to be proclaimed; partly in regard of humility, as flying all vainglory in seeking the praise & commendation of the world; and partly in regard of piety, to give all the praise and glory hereof unto God, whose glory only he sought after; not that he feared (saith Caietan) either immodesty, or vain glory, or impiety in himself, but hereby to commend modesty, humility and piety unto us.  
For the first, our Saviour Christ would not have us to divulge & to publish our good deeds in bragging and boasting of them, 
Mat. 6  & in making a trumpet as it were to be blown before us, as hypocrites use to do; but rather to desire as much as we may to have our good deeds to be hid, and to be kept secret, that so God who seethe in secret may reward us openly. In the law, God did forbid to shear the first borne sheep. Deut. 15. to signify as Bernard says, 
Deut. 15.19  that he would not have us to lay open nor to publish our good deeds. 
Mat. 13.44.  And in the gospel, the man that found the treasure to which the kingdom of heaven is resembled, went presently & hid the treasure that he found. For virtues and good works, saith the same Father, do grow & increase in private & secret places: but they do whither & decrese in public and open places. 
Satis tutus penus meritorum, oblivio meritorum. Chrysost. hom 39 ad pop. Ant.  The safest place to lay up our virtues, is, in oblivion (saith Chrysostome) that being a most safe and sure storehouse to keep them in. Even as gold and silver or any other thing of price and value being exposed and laid forth in open public place do provoke and entice others to lie in wait and to steal them from us; but being laid up at home in some secret place, they are then safe and free from all danger: so is it with the riches and the treasures of our good deeds; if we always carry them about with us, either in our memory or in the tip of our tongues, to make sale as it were of them, we provoke God, we arm our enemy, and entice him to steal them away from us; whereas if he only knows of them, from whom nothing is hid, though it be never so secret, they are safe from all peril and danger. 
Mat. 13  The seed that fell in good ground and did take deep root in the earth was not only safe; but brought forth fruit also; but the seed that fell by the highwaie side, the fowls of the air came and devoured it; whereof a manifest proof is to be seen in the Pharisee, 
Lu. 18.11  who for sowing his seed by the highwaie side, in boasting and telling every where of his good deeds; the fowls of the air, that is, the devil and his angels, came and eat up his seed, that he had never any crop of it. Wherefore, if we do any good deeds, let us not proclaim them, as it were, in an open market, nor yet glory in them. 
Num. 23.4  If thou hast builded altars unto God, do not boast of them as Balaam did. Numb. 23. 
jud. 15.16  If thou hast slain 1000 Philistines, yet do not boast of it as Samson did. judg. 15. If thou fast, and pay thy tithes truly (as few do) yet do not brag nor boast of it as the pharisees did. Luk, 18. 
Luk. 18.11  If we think to meet God with an hundred of our good deeds, he will come against us with a thousand of our evil deeds, and overcome us.  
And yet notwithstanding, I do not deny but that there is also sometimes a necessary use of manifesting our good deeds unto the world, for the good example and profit of others. For if we were altogether to hide them, why then doth our Saviour Christ bid us to let our light to shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven. Mat. 5. 
Aug. in ep. joh. tr. 8  Whereupon saith S. Austen; Simo times spectatores, non habeb is imitatores, if thou fearest to have any man to see thee when thou dost well, thou shalt not have any man to imitate thee when thou dost well. And therefore do not fear when thou art about any good work, lest any man should see thee: but rather fear to do it for this end only, that another may see thee, 
Si abscondis ab oculis hominum, abscondis ab imitatione hominum. Aug. ibid.  and commend thee for it. For necessary it is for thee to be seen for the imitation of others, but thou must not do it for this end only for the praise & commendation of others; according as Christ saith, 
Matth. 6  Take heed that you give not your alms to be seen of men, or else shall you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Math. 6.  
But the next point, which is Christ's humility, in not seeking for the vain applause and commendation of the world, will give us more occasion to speak of this matter: which he did to commend the like affection unto us; not to do any thing for vain glory, nor for a popular applause, and commendation of the world; because it is not virtue, saith Saint Austen, 
Non virtus sed causa virtutis mercedem habet. August.  but the cause of virtue that is rewarded. Our Saviour Christ would have us when we give our alms or do any other good deed, 
Mat. 6.3  not to let the left hand know what the right hand doth: 
August. de Temp. ser. 59  that is according to Saint Austin's interpretation, not to suffer the vain glory of the world to corrupt that which the love of God doth or at the least ought to do: 
Aug. lib. 2. de serm. dei in monte.  the left hand signifying a sinister affection of the praise of men, the right hand signifying a right affection of the love of God. So that if the desire of praise and of worldly glory doth insinuate and wind itself into our good deeds, the left hand is privy to that which the right hand doth: but if we do them with an honest mind and a good intention, than the right hand dealeth wisely, in doing all itself, & not suffering the left hand to know what the right hand doth. For if any shall think that this can be performed literally, what monstrous conceits would ensue hereof? Suppose that the right hand be hurt or maimed, ought not therefore a man to give an alms with his left hand? Or suppose a man out of his charity would redeem a Captive, how can he either untie his purse, or open his chest, if the left hand doth not join itself unto the right hand? Therefore, the meaning of Christ is, that in doing our good deeds we should do them with a right affection of fulfilling the will of God, and not with a sinister respect of seeking the vanity and glory of the world. We read of the Prophet Elisha, that when he wrought a miracle, 
2. King. 4 4  to do a work of charity in helping a poor Widow (whose husband being dead, the Creditors came very roughly upon her for his debts) that he willed her to borrow empty vessels of all her neighbours, and to go home and shut the door upon herself, and her sons, and to fill the vessels with that oil which she drew out of her pitcher: signifying hereby (as Saint Austen says) that every man when he gives an alms or doth any good deeds, 
August. ibid.  he should do them the door being shut, that is, not to be praised of men; but to find grace and favour with God. For, he that doth good deeds for the praise of men, he doth them the door being open: but he that doth them for the love of the glory of God, though he doth it openly, yet he doth it the door being shut, because therein he doth not seek that which is seen, viz. the praise of men, but that which is not seen, viz. the praise and glory of God.  
To dissuade us from this fond desire and love of the praise of men, there can be no better motive then to consider, 1. How vain. 2. How uncertain. 3. How unprofitable. 4. How dangerous it is unto us. First, it is a most vain and frivolous thing, because it is to no purpose to be solicitous, and careful of an other man's judgement, whose praise doth not altogether commend us, and whose dispraise doth not altogether condemn us. If we were to appear before the judgement seat of men, to receive a reward according to our works, there were some cause then to seek the testimony & praise of men: but because we are not to be presented before the judgement seat of men, but before the judgement seat of Christ; 
2. Cor. 5.10  How great vanity and folly is it to rejoice and glory in their testimony? where God himself is the judge, before whose eyes all things are naked, having no need that any man should give witness unto him. The vanity whereof, appeareth yet further in this, that when a man hath gotten all the praise and glory that he can possibly have of men, in being called Rabbi, and having a great name here in the world, yet what remains after death of all this, but only a name & a memory here upon earth, according to that which David says. Psalm. 76.5. 
Psal. 76.5  They have slept their sleep, and all the men whose hands were mighty have found nothing. If this be the end of all our good deeds, and if we do make this our happiness, 
Born. ep. 104  what hath a man more than a beast hath? for as Bernard says, when a man's palfry is dead, even his very palfry shall be praised & commended too. Therefore if we will needs have praise let us seek for the praise of God, and not the praise of men; for as he that praiseth himself is not allowed, (as the Apostle saith) so neither he whom men do praise, 
2. Cor. 10.18  but he whom the Lord praiseth. 2. Cor. 10.18.  
Besides, it is not only a vain and a fond thing, but also a very uncertain and unsure thing, to commit a man's praise and his glory to the custody of an other man; whose lips are like unto a chest as Bernard says, without either lock or key unto it, 
Bern. ep 42●  which we can neither shut nor open when we ourselves will. Yea, it is not only very unsafe, but also very ridiculous to lay up our treasure there whither we cannot come to take it and to use it when we ourselves will. For, if thou layest up thy praise and commendation in my mouth, it is not henceforth in thy power, but in my power, being in my free choice either to praise thee or to dispraise thee. Therefore, the safest place to lay up our praise, is with God, and in our own conscience; whatsoever we lay up there, we are sure to find, and to use it when we will: it will keep it for us while we live, and will restore it again unto us when we are dead; for whithersoever we go, that goeth with us, carrying with it our depositum, viz. that which it received to keep for us.  
Again, who sees not how unprofitable and gainelesse a thing it is to seek the praise of men for our good works, when as hereby we lose our reward with God, by receiving the praise of men as a reward of them; that as Abraham said unto the rich man, 
Luke 16  Son remember that thou receivedst thy good things in thy life time; so God will tell these men, that they have received their reward already here in this world in which regard S. Chrysostome saith, 
Chrysost. hom 24. ad pop. Antioch.  ●hat those that do any good thing for vainglory to be praised of men, do as ●t were suffer shipwreck in the haven, ●osing their reward there, where they ●hould receive it; and therefore he would ●ot have us to seek and receive the praise of men, for our good works, that ●e may have God our debtor; who is ●ot only able to pay his own debts himself without our running unto men for ●hem, but also to pay us more liberally & more bountifully, by giving us a reward of eternal bliss and glory in heaven; then all the men in the world are, by giving us a reward of a vain and transitory praise & glory here upon earth.  
But the greatest matter of all is, that it is not only unprofitable, but also very dangerous and hurtful unto us; this same vain glory being like unto the arrow that flieth by day whereof DAVID speaketh, 
Psal. 91  Psalm 91. Which flieth lightly and pierceth lightly, as Bernard saith, 
Bern. in psal. Qui habit. ser. 14  but doth not wound lightly. It is said of the Basilisk that he killeth with his very sight only. Now surely if I be not deceived saith the same Father, this Basilisk is vain glory, according to that which Christ saith, Take heed that you give not your alms to be seen of men. Math 6.1. 
Mat. 6.1  as if he should say, Beware o● the eyes of the Basilisk, whose nature and property it is to kill with his sight those whom he sees first, and contrariwise to be killed of those that do first see him: so also vain glory killeth those that it first seethe, and do not see it, in marking how vain, unprofitable and hurtful it is; but contrariwise it is killed of them that do first set their eyes upon it, in considering the nature and quality thereof; thereby to avoid the hurt and the danger of it.  
So then for the conclusion of all, letters follow the counsel which S. 
Chrysost. hom 5. in Gen.  Chrysostome gives, viz. to imitate those that run at tilt; who do not greatly heed the acclamations and shoutings of the beholders, but look chief to the judge & to the price for which they do strive: so let us also in running the race that is set before us, not regard the praise & commendation of men, but look only to that crown of righteousness which christ the just judge will give to all those that run lawfully & continued unto the end. Howbeit, we do not condemn it as a thing simply & altogether unlawful to receive the praise of men; 
Bern. in paru. ser. ser. 47.  there being a time when we may to very good purpose receive the same; not for vain glory, but for the profit and benefit of some, who by this means will the more easily be persuaded, in all honest and good things to yield obedience unto us. For, as a good conscience is necessary for every good Christian in regard of himself; so a good name and a good testimony among men, is necessary in regard of others to profit and to do good unto them, being greatly induced with the good opinion and commendation of a man's person. The godly are fitly resembled unto Vines; which, as Solomon says, 
Can. 2.14  have a good savour with them: Vineae dederunt odorem, the Vines have cast a savour. 
Bern. in cant. serm. 60  Cant. 2. Now what is this good favour saith Bernard but a good testimony of those that are without? with which they being moved, who as yet have not believed, do glorify God themselves also by our good report; being the savour of life unto life unto them: according to that which the Apostle saith: 
2. Cor. 2  We are the sweet savour of Christ unto all them that are saved. 2. Cor. 2. So then, as the wiseman doth not simply forbid men to eat honey, 
Prou. 25  but to eat too much of it. Prou. 25. So, God doth not absolutely forbid us to desire & receive the testimony and praise of men; but to rest and content ourselves therein, as in our last end, not seeking any other fruit of it: for than we eat too much of the honey comb, walking more in the light of man's countenance than we do in the light of God's countenance. And therefore, let us either not regard nor care for the praise & applause of men, as making that the chief end & mark we aim at; or if we do receive the commendation and honour of men; let it not be to admire our virtues, and to be in love with ourselves; but let it be to honour our profession, and to enlarge God's dominions, and to advance the benefit and profit of our brethren, in our several places: which is the right end and use of all man's praise & commendation.  
For the third respect, which is piety, our Saviour Christ doth it, to the end that we should not ascribe any thing unto ourselves, but give all the praise and glory unto God for all those good things that we have or do; because all our ability of doing good is not of ourselves but from God: as the Apostle saith, 
2. Cor. 3.5  We are not able of ourselves so much as to think a good thought; but all our sufficiency is from him. Whereupon saith S. Cyprian, 
Cypr. epist. ad Cornel.  In null● gloriandum, quia nostrum nihil est, we ought not to boast nor to glory of any thing; because nothing is our own. The Prophet Esay cap: 
Esay 10.15  10. asketh this question, Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith, or shall the Saw exalt itself against him that moveth it? as if the rod should lift up itself against him that taketh it up, or as if the staff should exalt itself, as if it were no wood. If we see any good thing either in ourselves or in others worthy of praise, we are to praise God both in ourselves and in them, being done by our hands but by his power; for neither is the praise of writing well, the praise of the pen; neither is the praise of doing well the glory of the hand. Examine any good thing that we have or do; and tell me for which of them can we have praise of ourselves? Can we for our holiness? no verily; it is the spirit of God that doth sanctify us. 
1. Thes. 5.22  Can we for our good words? no neither; 
Mat. 10.20.  it is GOD that giveth both a mouth and wisdom to speak withal; as for our tongue it is but the pen of a ready writer. 
Psal. 45.1.  Can we for our good deeds? much less: It is God that worketh both the will and the deed according to his good pleasure. 
Phil. 2.13.  And therefore let us say with David, 
Psal. 115.1.  Not unto us, not unto us O Lord, but unto thy name give the praise and the glory for thy truth's sake: The choir of heavenly soldiers when they celebrated the birth of Christ, 
Luk. 2.12.  they divided their Song into two parts, giving glory unto God and peace unto men after this manner, Glory be to God on high, and peace on earth. For though God doth give his grace unto men, yet his glory he giveth unto none, as God himself testifieth by the Prophet Esay, 
Esay. 43.  I will not give my glory unto any other. Quid ergo dabis Domine, quid dabis? what then wilt thou give us O lord, 
Bern. in Cant. ser. 12. joh. 14.27.  saith Saint Bernard. What wilt thou give us? Peace I give unto you saith Christ, my peace I leave with you. It is sufficient O Lord saith the devout Father; I do thankfully receive that which thou leavest, and do leave that which thou reservest: lest otherwise by usurping that which is denied, I deserve to lose that which is granted. Verily, he that is not contented with peace, is not contented with God; for God is our peace. Ephe. 
Eph. 2.14.  2. and hath reconciled us unto himself. Though joseph had the government of his masters house, 
Gen. 39.4.  and all his goods committed unto him, yet he knew that his Mistress was excepted; and therefore he would not consent to come near unto her. 
1. Sam. 17.  When David overcame Goliath, all the people rejoiced and received peace: but David only had the honour of the victory. So let us content ourselves with the grace of God, and let God have the glory unto himself. For what favour or glory soever we receive, which we do not refer unto God, we steal it from him, and do incur the like danger of punishment which Herod did; who, 
Act. 12.21.  for taking the glory unto himself which the people gave unto him for an eloquent Oration which he made upon a solemn feast day (as Eusebius reporteth) kept in the honour of Caesar (at which time being arrayed in a silver suit glistering with the beams of the Sun, 
Euseb. Eccl. hist. li. 2. ca 9  and speaking most admirably as they thought, he did so amaze all that were present, that they gave a great shout saying, The voice of God and not of man;) I say, because he took the glory unto himself and did not give it unto God, immediately the Angel of God smote him; so as he was eaten up of worms and gave up the Ghost.  
This is the first thing in the charge, that he should tell no man: the next thing is to show himself unto the Priest. It was a law among the jews, that if any man was healed of the Leprosy, 
Levit. 13.  he should show himself unto the Priest; not to show and confess his sins unto him, 
Rhemists in Annot. Luc. 17.  as the Rhemists and others would seem to build their auricular confession upon this: which must needs prove a very weak building, being set upon so weak a foundation; (for the schoolmen say that Symbolica theologia non est argumentativa. Symbolical divinity by way of allusion and resemblance is not fit to argue and to make conclusions withal) but to discern and judge of the cure, and to pronounce and deeclare him to be clean: which was the only cause for which our Saviour, Christ willeth him to go and show himself unto the Priest. Wherein it is very credible that Christ had a threefold regard; both of the Leper, of himself, and of the Priest.  
First for the Leper, he would have him to show himself unto the Priest to the end he might perform obedience unto the law, which required that every Leper that was healed should present himself before the Priest. For seeing the law of Moses was not yet abrogated but did still stand in force; therefore he would have him to perform obedience unto it. Whereby he would seem to intimate that straight bond and obligatory power that is in all laws; not only in the moral law of God, but also in the judicial and politic laws of men. For seeing the laws of men are deduced and drawn from the law of God, or from the law of Nature, if they be just and honest: hence it followeth that we are in conscience to perform obedience unto them, even as unto the written law of God. 
1. Pet. 2.13.  In which regard Saint Peter would have us to submit ourselves to all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake, 1. Peter, 
Eph. 6.5.  2. And Saint Paul would have servants obedient unto their Masters as unto Christ; Eph. 6. yea all whatsoever to be subject to those that are in authority, 
Rom. 13.6.  not only for fear but also for conscience, Rom. 13. Not that the laws of men do bind the conscience as they are from men (for there is but one Law giver that is able to save and to destroy, 
jam. 4.12.  james, 4.) but partly as they have their original from the law of nature, to which our consciences are tied and bound; partly, as they are in relation unto GOD, who hath power over our consciences, and hath expressly commanded us to be subject and obedient unto the higher powers Rom. 13.  
Which doctrine is directed to two sorts of men especially, who giantlike do resist and oppose themselves against all laws and government, as if they meant to fight against God himself, from whom as the Apostle saith is all power and authority Rom. 13. The one is of such as resist and rebel against the civil Magistrate, and against the laws and government of the Commonwealth; the other is of such as disobey and murmur against the Ecclesiastical governors, and the laws & regiment of the Church. Of the former sort, in times past were the Donatists, but in these days are the Anabaptists, and the Libertines and all kind of ungodly men, who as Saint Jude saith do despise government and speak evil of those that are in authority: affirming it to be an enemy to Christian liberty; as if Christian liberty and civil obedience could not agree and stand together. A conceit, or rather a monster not newly conceived, but as old as the age wherein Moses lived: as may appear by the rebellion not only of Corah and his company, 
Num. 16.  but also of the rest of the people at sundry other times; in so much that Moses who had oftentimes been vexed with their grudging and murmuring, with their stubbornness and disobedience, 
josephus Antiq. lib. 4. cap. 8.  being about to die as josephus doth report, called the chief of the people before him, and made an Oration unto them: wherein he admonished and exhorted them to take heed how they did show themselves unruly and disobedient unto their governors; for as much as he that knows how to obey, will also know the better how to rule when he is advanced unto it; and not to think that their liberty doth consist in impugning of laws and resisting their superiors and governors as hitherto they had done, but rather in obeying and submitting themselves in all duty unto them as unto the ordinance of God himself. Which speech in my mind may as truly and as justly be made to jesuits, Priests and popish traitors, in these days: who think themselves to be exempted and freed from all obedience and allegiance unto their Sovereign; Especially if the Pope also shall acquit and absolve them thereof. Which I marvel Saint Paul should so grossly oversee, when he charged every soul to be subject unto the higher powers, Romans 13. That is, 
Rom. 13.1.  as Saint Chrysostom doth note upon those words, not only secular persons, but also Priests and Monks: as appeareth by the generality thereof in saying, let every soul be subject; yea saith the same Father, 
Etiamsi Apostolus, si Euangelistae, si Propheta, sive quisquis tandem fueris. Neque enim pietatem subvertit ista subiectio. Chrysost. in 13. cap. ad Rom.  though he be an Apostle, or a Prophet, or an Evangelist, or whatsoever else he may be; yet he must he subject to the higher powers, because this subjection and obedience is not an enemy but rather a friend unto piety. And although it may sometimes fall out that Princes and Magistrates may prove wicked and ungodly, tyrannising most unjustly and cruelly; yet if they be lawful Rulers, we ought to yield obedience unto them, because they do not rule without the especial providence and permission of GOD, who setteth wicked rulers and governors many times over a Nation, thereby to correct and punish the wickedness of the people. 
jer. 27.8.  To which purpose God commanded his people whom he had delivered into the hands of Nabuchadonofor a wicked King, to serve and to put their necks under his yoke, threatening to visit all them with the plague, sword, and famine that would not serve him, jerem. 27. How much more than ought we to perform obedience to good & godly governors, ordaining laws for the general benefit of the common wealth, if we would not in an overweening manner judge of them, but in all duty and humility submit ourselves unto them?  
The second sort is of certain schismatics and irregular persons, who refuse to yield obedience to Ecclesiastical governors, and to the laws, orders, and regiment of the Church; under a pretence that the rites and ceremonies, and the whole discipline and Government thereof is not prescribed nor commanded in the word of GOD; and therefore they are not bound to perform obedience unto them. Which exception howsoever it may seem to carry a very fair show of great purity, and sincerity, yet in very deed it is the self same reason which the Arrians used against the Catholic Fathers in the Aramine Council, 
Theodor. eccl. hist. lib. 2. cap. 18.  who cried out with open mouths as Theodoret doth report, that the word Substance and Consubstantial were not to be found in the Scriptures; and therefore they ought to be expunged and quite put out of the form of the Christian faith; affirming moreover that that which they avouched, viz. that Christ was like unto the father though not of the substance of the father, was in express terms to be found in the Scripture; but that he was of the substance of the Father, and consubstantial with him, as they say, is no where to be showed there. Of which kind of men we may truly say as Tertullian said of some, that they believe Scriptures to the end that they may believe against the Scriptures. 
Credunt scriptures, ut eredant adversus scripturas Tertull. de preaescr. adu. liae.   
But for a further answer; because they will allow of nothing without Scripture, leaving nothing to the liberty, and to the wisdom and authority of the Church (although it were an easy matter, to show the regiment of our Church and the orders and ceremonies thereof not to want the authority of Scripture also) I will answer them as Sisinius a Bishop sometimes answered one that found fault with him, for wearing a white garment, 
Socr. hist. Eccl. lib. 6. cap. 20.  ask him where he did find it written in the Scripture that a Priest ought to wear a white garment; I pray you (saith the Bishop) show me you first, where you find it written in the Scripture that a Bishop ought to wear a black garment? Whereat when he began to stick fast; well (says the Bishop) you are not able to show me where a Bishop ought to wear a black garment: but I can show you where Solomon saith, 
Eccl. 9  Let thy garments be always white, Eccl. 9 where Christ girded himself with linen, 
joh. 13.  joh. 13. and where the Angels appeared in white garments as white as snow; 
Act. 1.  signifying hereby that whosoever shall condemn or dislike many things in the Church because they are not expressly set down in the Scripture, shall have as just cause to dislike many things which he would have, because they also are not expressed in the scripture. 
Tertull. de corona militis Tertull. de Virgin. velandis. Dei est scriptura, dei est natura, dei est disciplina etc. Quae docet Natura minimè cum verbo dei pugnantia docet Deus. Zanch. de oper dei. lib. 3 cap 6. Quod neque contra fidem neque contra bonos mores iniungitur indifferenter est habendum & pro eorum intra quos vivitur societate seruandum est. Aug. ad januar. ep. 118.119  In many things, nature and reason the consent of nations and the custom of people is a sufficient bond to bind us without the word written: according to that which the ancient Father Tertullian saith, Natura prima omnium disciplina est, Nature is the first teacher and instructor of us; again in another place, The Scripture is from God, nature is from God, and discipline and government is from God: but whatsoever is contrary unto these, is not from God. With whom that learned Zanchius also accordeth, saying that whatsoever nature doth teach, not disagreeing from the word of God, that GOD himself doth teach us. So that herein Saint Austin's judgement is to be retained as a most sure rule, that whatsoever is not against faith and good manners, is to be held as a thing indifferent, and is not only not to be disliked; but to be observed according to the custom and fashion of the Church, wherein we live. Where he reporteth his own behaviour and carriage of himself at Milan, 
August. ad Casulanum ep. 86.  when as his mother Monica was there with him, and was somewhat perplexed whether she ought to fast after the manner of her own Country upon the Saturday, or to dine after the manner of the Church of Milan; how he himself went to Saint Ambrose the Bishop of that City to be resolved of that doubt: to whom he answered after long conference, what can I tell you more of this matter then that which I myself use to do? when I am here at Milan, I do not use to fast upon the Saturday, but when I am at Rome I do; therefore observe the custom of every Church you shall come unto, if neither you will give offence, nor take offence. Which judgement of Saint Ambrose he did so reverence & so highly esteem, that he received it as a divine oracle from heaven; having many times found to his great grief, as he professeth, that divers weak ones are troubled by the contentious obstinacy and scrupulous timidity of certain brethren; who in such matters as cannot be brought to an issue, either by the authority of Scripture, or by tradition of the whole Church, or by some profit or benefit coming from the use thereof, do make much trouble and strife in the Church, either upon some conceit which they have in themselves, or upon experience of the places where they have traveled, or upon some practice, unto which themselves have been accustomed, in so much that they think nothing well done but that which they themselves do; 
Terent. in Adelphis.  as the Poet did observe it of unskilful men and void of a sound judgement. Which speech of Augustine may seem to have been as it were an evangelical prophecy, fulfilled and accomplished in this time wherein we live, in which all the contentions of our Church I mean concerning the discipline and government thereof, are raised upon the like grounds; either because the rites and ceremonies of our Church are not expressly found in the Scripture, or because other reformed Churches do not use them, or because the Romish Church doth most grossly and superstitiously abuse them; not considering that the external policy of the Church and the use of Ceremonies and things indifferent, do not absolutely depend either upon the express word of God prescribing them, or upon the state of other reformed Churches which do not use them, or of idolatrous churches which do abuse them; but upon the power and liberty which every Church hath to ordain an external policy with orders and ceremonies belonging thereunto, as shall seem most meet and commodious for it; and that according to the judgement both of Tertullian among the ancient writers, and of Caluin, and Zanchius with divers others among the modern, 
Regula fidei una est, sola immobilis & irreformabilis Hac lege fideimanente, caete ra disciplinae & conversationis admittunt novitatem correctionis Tertull. de Virg. velan.  who do affirm in effect and substance with Tertullian, that there is but one rule of faith, which is immutable and admits no reformation; which remaining safe and sure, other matters of order and discipline admit both alteration and reformation, as the wisdom and the discretion of the Church shall think fit. Therefore seeing these things stand not so much in the express definition of the Scriptures, or in the use or abuse of others, as in the determination of the Church and the governors thereof, we ought not either to quarrel or contend about them, or to refuse subscription & conformity unto them, or to forsake our callings and the execution of our ministery for them; but rather with all humility & willingness to submit ourselves & to perform obedience unto them.  
For the reason that concerneth CHRIST himself, he would have the Leper to show himself unto the Priest, to avoid all occasion of offence, on the Priests and the pharisees part: who reputed him as a disordered person, and one that went about to pervert and violate their law; and therefore, though he needed not to have done this, as being superior both to the Priest and to the law also; yet notwithstanding for the cause aforesaid, he sends him to the Priest, saying; Vade & ostend te Sacerdoti. Go and show thyself unto the Priest. Wherein is a singular precedent, and an example of a Christian carriage of ourselves in such sort, as none may justly be offended and grieved through any offence or default in us. For the right understanding and performance whereof, we are to remember and call to mind an old but yet a necessary and a true distinction of scandals, with the different natures and qualities of sundry distinct persons, whom these scandals do concern. The first kind of scandal is called by the Schoolmen, scandalum actiwm an active scandal, 
Scandalum malae rei exemplum aedificans ad delictum. Tert. de Virg. velandis. Scandalum ost dictum vel factum minus rectum praebens alteri occasionem ruinae. Thom. 2. 2. quaest. 43. art 1.  or an offence given; which is nothing else, (as Tertullian says) but an evil example that maketh others to offend and to sin by it; or as Aquinas the great schoolman  doth define it; it is a word not rightly spoken, or a thing not rightly done, giving others occasion to fall thereby: or if it doth not prevail so far, yet at the least it doth greatly offend & grieve the mind of a godly and a zealous man. The other is scandalum passiwm, a passive scandal, or an offence not given but taken: when as a thing being good, or at the least not evil in itself; yet notwithstanding a person not well disposed falleth into sin by it, or at the least is offended and grieved. For the former, we ought to have an especial care that we give no offence unto any, according to the Apostles direction. 1. Cor. 10. 
1. Cor. 32  Give no offence neither to the jews, nor to the Grecians, nor to the Church of God, because the active scandal is most properly said to be the cause of sin, and therefore hath a most fearful woe against the authors of it. Mat. 18. Woe unto the world because of offences. Necessary it is that offences come: but woe be unto the man by whom the offence cometh. 
Mat. 16  Of this kind was the offence that Peter gave unto Christ, when as he went about to dissuade him from his blessed passion, the sovereign salve and medicine to heal all our diseases withal; which made him to reprove and rebuke him so sharply as he did; Get thee behind me Satan: thou art an offence unto me. And such also is the offence of many men now, who do greatly offend and hurt others by such scandals as they give unto them. The which do commonly proceed from two especial causes: either from some heretical doctrine & erroneous opinion, which they do disseminate and sow in the hearts and minds of such as are ignorant and unstable, being not altogether settled nor rooted in the truth; or else from an evil example of a wicked and ungodly conversation, whereby they infect and poison the souls of others, drawing them on by their evil example to the like excess of wickedness.  
Of the first sort, are not only our jesuits and popish recusants, and the rest of that rabble, who lie lurking secretly in corners, like foxes in their holes, or like Lions in their dens, teaching most impious & blasphemous doctrine and dissuading subjects from their loyalty and allegiance unto their Sovereign; but also divers schismatics, the seeds-men of sedition and dissension in our Church; 
2. Tim. 3  who creep privily into houses, and hold private conventicles, seducing and misleading them with strange fancies, and idle conceits, & withdrawing them from performance of that duty and obedience which they ought to yield unto the Church.  
Of the other sort, are all sorts of persons whatsoever, that give any kind of scandal by the sins and offences which they commit, whether it be whoredom or drunkenness, swearing and blaspheming, fraud and oppression, or any other sin whatsoever, whereby they cause others to commit the like, or at the least do greatly grieve & vex their righteous souls, as the wicked Sodomites vexed the righteous soul of that just man Lot, 
2. Pet. 2.7  by their unclean conversation; but especially rich and mighty men that are in high place and authority, and are more eminent than others: who by their evil example and wicked practices do cause a great many to sin as jeroboam did, 
1. King. 12  by setting up his golden calves; because that men of lower rank are ready to imitate, without any due examination, the dealings and practices of those that are of higher degree, thinking that they may lawfully do whatsoever they see them to do; like as we see in the heavens, where the heavenly bodies which are contained within the first sphere, are moved according to the motion of the first mover. Our Saviour Christ saith, 
Mat. 6.22  that the light of the body is the eye; and if the eye be single the whole body will be light, and if the eye be wicked the whole body will be dark: so surely, if great men be good, others will learn to be good also: but if they be evil, others will learn to be evil by them; for wheresoever there is darkness upon the mountains, there is darkness upon the valleys also. 
1. King. 12  If jeroboam makes golden calves, the people will quickly fall to idolatry and worship them. 
Dan. 3.7  If Nabuchadnezzar sets up a golden image, all the people will forthwith at the sound of the trumpet, and other instruments of music fall down and worship it. 
judg. 16.30  Samson cannot pull down the house upon himself, but many thousands of the people will be slain with it.  
Therefore, for the conclusion of both, let all sorts of persons take heed, how they give any offence either by erroneous doctrine and wicked persuasions, or by an evil example of a lewd life; because as Saint Austen says, 
August. de Temp. ser. 104.  So many as a man shall edify by a good example, for so many he shall receive a reward of a blessed life; and contrariwise so many as he shall hurt by example of an evil life, he shall give an account unto God, and receive a just recompense and a punishment of a wretched and a damnable life; this being a sin that is not permanent and residing in a man's person only, but transient and passing from ourselves unto others, like unto a leprosy that infecteth others with the contagion of it; that as our saviour Christ saith of the Scribes and Pharisees, 
Mat. 23  who devoured widows houses under a colour of long prayer, that they should receive the greater damnation: so the like also may be said of these men, that do not only sin themselves, but also cause others to sin, that they shall receive a double damnation; one for the sin which they committed in themselves; the other for the sins which they caused others to commit. So as Arrius, and julian, and all such miscreants and monsters, shall not only be punished for their own impieties and blasphemies; but also for the impiety and wickedness wherewith they have caused others to blaspheme the holy name of God. Now for the second kind of scandal, 
Scandalum Pharisaeorum, pusillorum.  which is the passive scandal or the offence taken not given, that is to be considered according to the condition and quality of two sorts of persons: 
Bern. de praecep. & dispen.  the one is of malicious and wicked men, which take offence at good things, which both Saint Bernard & the Schoolmen call, scandalum Pharisaeorum, the scandal of the pharisees; the other is of men not malicious but yet weak, who either of ignorance or infirmity do take offence, not at evil but indifferent things: which he calleth, scandalum pusillorun; the scandal of weak ones.  
For the first sort, we ought not to be overcarefull or solicitous (as Bernard says) because it proceedeth of malice, as may appear by Christ's dealing with the pharisees. Math. 15. Who whenas the Disciples told him how the pharisees were offended at his doctrine, 
Mat. 15.14  he seemeth to make no reckoning nor regard of it, answering them with, Sinite illos; let them alone, they are blind leaders of the blind. Whereupon the same Father hath a worthy saying, which is often used by the Schoolmen, 
Bern. ep. 34  Melius est ut scandalum oriatur, quàm ut veritas relinquatur, it is better that a scandal should be taken, then that the truth should be forsaken. According to which rule and direction, the Preachers and Ministers of God's word, are not to be greatly careful of their offence, who are offended with them for speaking the truth, either by improving of errors, or reproof of sin, because there are some spiritual things (saith Aquinas) which are of the necessity of salvation, 
Thom. 2. secundae quaest. 43. art. 7  which cannot be omitted nor concealed without the danger of sin; and therefore ought not to be omitted for any scandal that may be taken at them: or if they be not of so high a nature, yet the scandal ariseth of malice in them: who would hinder good things by raising and stirring up of scandals, which is just the Pharisees scandal; and therefore ought not be regarded, because they will not be healed, unless others be made sick by them, 
Non magnopere eorum curandum est scandalum, qui non sanantur nisi vos infirmemini. Bern. epist. 90.  as Bernard saith very elegantly. Neither need they to be greatly moved with their offence, who are offended with them for reproving the sins and abuses of these times; because it is the Preachers duty not only to speak, but also to cry out loud against them: and besides that also; he is not the cause of the scandal that doth reprove, but he himself rather who hath done that which is meet to be reproved. The Preachers duty is to seek to profit not to please: 
Satius ipforun profectib. quam voluntatib. providetis. Bern. ibid.  which he shall the better do by speaking sometimes against the wills of men, then by leaving them wholly and altogether to their own wills. another case though not in a matter merely spiritual as the other are, yet in a matter annexed unto spiritual, as the Schoolmen speak, is concerning the patrimony and revenue of the Church; whether a Minister or a Pastor finding some wolves in his flock that are ready to spoil and devour the lands and demeans, the tenths and oblations, which are the patrimony & inheritance of the Church, ought quietly to permit & suffer them so to do, lest otherwise offence may be taken against the Minister, and an imputation of covetousness and concontention he laid upon him. 
Thom. 2 2. quaest. 43 art. 8  To which it is answered by Aquinas, that the temporal goods of the Church are not to be suffered, either to be spoiled or to be embeselled for any scandal that may be taken thereat; especially whenas the scandal ariseth of malice in some that intend only fraud and rapine, & do seek altogether the wrack and ruin of the Church. The reason whereof is this; because the sufferance hereof would prove hurtful, not only unto the Church by giving occasion and animating wicked and sacrilegious persons to rob the Church; but also unto wicked men themselves, by suffering them to detain unjustly the goods thereof, without controlment, and to live and die in their sin without remorse and making restitution and satisfaction unto the Church.  
For the second sort which take offence unjustly at things indifferent and not evil in themselves, 
Illorum scandalum de malitia, istorum de ignorantia descendit. Illi scandalizantur, quod oderunt, isti quia veritatem nesciunt. Ber. de praec. & disp.  either of ignorance or of weakness; we are to have some care and regard of them in yielding and condescending something to their weakness: because that as the scandal of the other proceedeth of malice in hating the truth; so the scandal of these men proceedeth of weakness, in being ignorant of the truth; who being of a good and honest mind, but not of any great knowledge, as Bernard says, have the zeal of God, but not according to knowledge: the scandal of which men doth provoke, 
Talium scandala curam non iram provocare solent. Bern. ibid.  not anger, but a care in those that are spiritually minded. Of this kind of scandal was that which our Saviour CHRIST did yield and condescend unto: who, 
Mat. 17.24  whenas the officers came to demand tribute or poll money of him & his Disciples; though they needed not to have paid it as being free: yet, that weak ones might not be offended, he caused PETER to cast an Angle into the sea, and with that which he should take, to pay the tribute money for both of them. And of this it is that the Apostle Saint Paul speaketh in divers places, wherein he showeth how we are to yield unto the weakness of others. 
Rom. 15.1  We that are strong (saith the Apostle) ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves. Rom. 15. Again let us not judge one another: 
●om. 14.13  but use your judgement rather in this, that no man put an occasion to fall or a stumbling block before his brother. Rom. 14. Furthermore, Take heed lest this power of yours be an occasion of falling to them that are weak. 
1. Cor. 8.9  The reason whereof is, 
Laesio proximi nullatenus excusatur à culpa si solus defuerit in causa Deus Bern. de prae. & disp.  as Bernard saith, because the hurt of our brethren is no way excused from sin, unless there be a respect of a higher cause; which is our service and obedience unto God, to which all things must yield and give place. In such a case it is most true that the Prophet saith; 
1. Sam. 2.25  If one man sin against another, that is, in defence of God's cause, the judge shall judge it. 1. Sam. 2. But otherwise, 
1. Cor. 8.12  the Apostle saith, that when we sin against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, we sin against Christ. And therefore he doth greatly terrify them that have knowledge and want charity, not knowing how to condescend unto the weak; saying, that through their knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died. 1. Cor. 8. 
1. Cor. 8.13  and for his own part he protesteth, that if meat offend his brother, he will eat no flesh while the world standeth, that he may not offend his brother, 1. Cor. 8, 13.  
The which notwithstanding is not so to be taken, as if we might never in any case whatsoever do any thing, whereat a weak brother may happily take offence; but that we ought for a time to condescend to their infirmity and their ignorance, while they may be taught and instructed in the truth, as Saint Paul did with the Gentiles: 
1. Cor. 9.15  who although he might have lawfully reaped their temporal things for sowing spiritual things; yet he would not use this power and liberty for offence sake, until such time as he had taught & instructed them that this was due by the law of God and the law of Nature, for their study and labour in the ministery. So that if after the truth sufficiently taught & demonstrated unto them, they shall still remain doubtful and take offence; then their weakness is not any longer to be borne withal, nor to be nourished by our dissembling and yielding unto it; but to be reproved & corrected; because now it is, 
Zanch. de Redemp. lib. 1  as the learned & judicious Zanchius saith, pertinacia potius quàm imbecillitas, rather a pertinacy and an obstinacy than an infirmity and a weakness in them.  
To make this a little more plain by an instance or an example; There are certain weak brethren among us (I forbear to say that some are obstinate) that take great offence at the policy and government of our Church, and at the use of divers rites and ceremonies thereof, viz. at the Cross in Baptism, the wearing of the Surplice, the Ring in marriage, kneeling at the Communion, and at divers things in the Litany and the book of Common prayer: I demand now what is to be done in this case? Are we always to yield and to condescend to their weakness, because they take offence at these things? No verily, but only for a while, till they may be taught and informed concerning the lawful use of these things; after which if they shall still persist in their errors, not subscribing, or not conforming themselves to the orders and the regiment of our Church, they are not to be indulged nor to be spared any longer, but they are to be left to the censures and coertions of the Church; like as we read of Sara, 
Aug. Bonifacio epist. 50.  in whom Saint Austen sayeth, that the Church of God was prefigured, Gal. 4. who corrected & punished her maid Hagar, 
Gen. 16.  for her pride & contempt towards ●hir. And yet Sara did not persecute Hagar, as these men use to coplain of persecution, when as the church doth censure them for their wilfulness & disobedience; for as Saint Austen says, 
Gravius ancilla Saram persecuta est per iniquam superbiam, quàm eam Sara per debitam disciplinam, etc. Aug. de unit. Eccle.  the maid did more persecute the mistress by her pride in despising her, than the mistress did her maid by her just discipline in correcting her. And they did more persecute our Saviour, who caused him to say, the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up, than he did them when he overthrew their Tables, and cast them out of the Temple; even as a son doth more persecute his father by his disobedience, than a father doth his son by his correction. And therefore we ought so to have a care of charity towards those that are weak, that thereby we neither nuzzle infirmity, nor impeach the Church's liberty and authority: of the defence and maintenance whereof there is a certain kind of necessity that lieth upon us as Caluin sayeth, 
Habemus & necessitatem vindicandae libertatis, si ea infirmis in conscientijs periclitatur. Calv. Inst. lib. 3. cap. 19 sect. 12.  if at any time it be in danger to be lost by the scrupulous consciences of those that are weak.  
Now for the reason that concerneth the Priest, our Saviour Christ would have the Leper to show himself unto the Priest, to give the Priest his due, viz. that honour and prerogative that did belong unto him; who in this case was ordained as an honourable judge to discern of the leprosy, and to give his sentence and his judgement of the cleansing and curing of it: 
Rom. 13.7  and therefore willing to give all men their duty, tribute to whom tribute, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour belongeth, Vade & ostend te sacerdoti, go (saith he) and show thyself unto the Priest. For which we are to know, that since God did first of all ordain the Priesthood, he hath evermore highly honoured it in vouchsafing many privileges, prerogatives, immunities and dignities unto it. As first in annexing and joining the Priesthood to the royal and imperial dignity in Melchizedec, 
Gen. 14.  who was both a King and a Priest; in Noah, who was a Monarch and a Preacher; 
2. Pet. 2.  in Moses, who was a prince and a prophet; 
Ex. 3. Eccl. 1.  in David, who was a king and a prophet; in Solomon, who was a king & a preacher: yea in Christ himself, who was sent to preach, 
Luc. 4.  and was anointed a king, a priest, and a prophet, and all this no doubt to honour and to countenance the priesthood. Secondly, in bestowing the priesthood not upon the worst as jeroboam did, 
2. Kin. 12.31  who made priests of the lowest of the people, but upon the first borne of every family as a privilege & an honour that they had above their brethren; whereby Melchizedec who is though of most to be Sem the eldest son of Noah, became to be a priest of the most high God. 
Philo. lib. 2. de Monarchia. Deus Levitas virtutis pietatisque ergo honoravit. Philo de legspeeialib. lib. 2.  Yea more than this, the dignity of the priesthood was after that bestowed (as Philo says) as a proper and due reward of piety and virtue upon the tribe of Levi, at what time the people of Israel falling to idolatry in worshipping the golden calf, the tribe of Levi at the commandment of Moses girded themselves with their sword, & slew three thousand of the idolaters: with which zeal of theirs God was so well pleased, 
Exod. 32.29  that they received the priesthood as a reward of their piety & their good service unto God. Thirdly in making the priest a chief and a principal man even in the greatest affairs in the world; as in anointing and consecrating of Kings who were to be anointed of the priest, 
Num. 27.22.  in ask counsel of God both for the ruler & the people, who were to go out and to come in at his word, in ruling and governing the people together with the civil Magistrate, Psal. 77. 
Psal. 77.20.  Thou leddest thy people like sheep by the hands of Moses and Aaron. Lastly, in making a law, 
Deut. 17.12  that whosoever dealt presumptuously & would not hearken to the priest should be put to death; yea the none should presume so much as to speak evil of him; 
Cyprian Corn. adver. haeret.  & there fore S. Pa. (as Cyp. noteth) having called Ananias the high Pr. a painted wall and being reproved by one that said unto him, 
Act 23.3.  revilest thou God's high Priest; he answered and excused the fact in saying, I wots not that he was the high Priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of the people.  
If God hath so highly honoured the Priests of the law, how much more doth he honour the Priests of the gospel? whose office and ministery is far more excellent than theirs, as the Apostle reasoneth, 2. Cor. 3. If the ministration of death was glorious, 
2. Cor. 3.7.  how shall not the ministration of the spirit be more glorious: and if the ministery of condemnation was glorious, how much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory? Which honour given by God unto the ministers of the Gospel, will appear by adouble honour given unto them; the one the honour of their office, the other the honour of their person. The former whereof is to be seen in divers excellent and honourable duties performed by their ministry. As first, in making of Christians the most honourable calling in the world; for Christians are not borne but made as Saint jerom says; 
Fiunt non nascuntur Christiani. Hier. ad Laetam.  and that by the means and help of God's ministers in that holy and blessed Sacrament of Baptism which they only have power to administer; whereby they do also incorporate and engrafted them into the body and society of the Church, and do consecrate and dedicate them unto the profession and service of Christ. Secondly, in preaching the Gospel of Christ jesus and publishing the glad tidings of salvation: which is an honour that God hath not vouchsafed unto the Angels, though far more excellent in nature than we are; giving the law by them, but the Gospel by Christ & his Apostles and ministers; which things (saith Saint Pet.) the Angels desire stooping to behold, 1. Pet. 1.12. Thirdly, 
1. Pet. 1.12.  in administering and delivering with our hands the Sacraments and visible signs and pledges of the most precious body and blood of the son of God, whereby we obtain not only redemption & forgiveness of our sins, but also peace and reconciliation and inheritance in the kingdom of heaven; whereas the priests of the law were occupied about sacrificing and killing of beasts and in burning of incense upon the altar. 
Mat. 18, 18.  Lastly, in having the keys of the kingdom of heaven committed unto them, so as whatsoever they bind in earth, is bound in heaven, and whatsoever they lose in earth, is loosed in heaven: 
joh. 20.20  whose-soever sins they remit, they are remitted, & whose-soever sins they retain they are retained: A power that God hath not communicated to any of the Angels; for to which of them hath he said at any time, whatsoever ye shall bind in earth is bound in heaven. Upon which words Theophilact doth observe that the honour of the priesthood is divine, because it belongeth to God to forgive sins. For the other, which is the honour that God hath bestowed upon their person as they are ministers; that is to be seen in those honourable titles that he hath given unto them, styling them with the name of ministers, a title not only belonging unto princes & governors who are called the ministers of God, Rom. 13, 
Rom. 13.4.  but also unto Christ who is called the minister of circumcision, 
Rom. 15.8.  Rom. 15. in calling them men of God, fellow labourers with himself, Angels, Ambassadors, Rulers, stewards, stars, lights, fathers, doctors, pastors, with a great many more beside; all which do show in what great honour and reputation they are with God. Which is also further seen in that order that God hath taken & the charge that he hath given for the good entertainment & usage of them; providing not only for their indennitie & safety, in that charge that he hath given of them, Psa. 105. 
Psal. 105.  touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm; but also for a worthy respect and regard to be had of them, both concerning love and hearty affection, and concerning reverence and obedience to be yielded unto them. 
1. Thes. 5.12  Of love; in admonishing men to know then that labour among them, and are over them, and to have them not in an even kind of love which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, such as is found among friends; but to have them in a higher and a superlative kind of love, which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as the Apostle calls it, and that for their work sake, 1. Thess. 5. Of obedience; in charging men to obey them that have the oversight of them and to submit themselves, 
Heb. 13.17.  because they watch for their souls, as those that must give account; that they may do it with joy and not with grief, Heb. 13. Further in reputing the wrong done unto them to be done unto himself. 
Zach. 2.8.  He that toucheth you, saith God, toucheth the apple of mine eye: and contrariwise, the love and reverence which is showed unto them, to be given unto himself; he that receiveth you, saith Christ, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, 
Mat. 10.40.  receiveth him that sent me; like as a Prince esteemeth either the wrong or the honour done to his Ambassador, to be done to his own person.  
So that considering the great honour that God hath vouchsafed to the Priests both of the law and of the Gospel, it is a wonder to see the marvelous neglect and contempt of the priesthood & ministery here in the world. Is it because God hath not honoured them? No verily, he hath set a crown of honour upon them, crowning them with honour and worship as David speaketh. What is the cause then? 
Psal. 8.6.  Surely because Atheists, Epicures, and profane worldlings have dishonoured them: that as Christ saith of the jews, I honour my Father, 
joh. 8.49.  but ye have dishonoured me; so it may truly be said of them, that God hath honoured his ministers, but they like miscreants and profane wretches have dishonoured them, turning their honour into shame by loving vanity and seeking lies, 
Psal. 4.2.  Psal. 4.2. A sin not like the sin of the Amorites, of which it is said that the wickedness of the Amorites is not yet full, Gen. 
Gen. 15.26.  15. but a sin full of impiety like a Cart pressed down that is full of sheaves, Amos 2. 
Amos 2.13.  and such an one as doth argue a want of all grace, and of all religion and piety and fear of God; there being a just estimate to be taken of a man's religion by his behaviour and demeanour toward God's ministers. For how is it possible, that any man that is in the state of grace and salvation should contemn or abuse the ministers of God? who are the immediate instruments which God doth use to call them unto both. And therefore we may truly and safely conclude of such, as Ignatius doth, that whosoever shall despise the ministers of God, is an Atheist, 
Ignat. ad Trallianos.  a profane wretch, and a despiser of God and all godliness. The Prophet Osee, when as he would set out the desperate wickedness of the people in his time, Osee, 
Osee. 4.4  4. saith that they were like unto them that contend with the Priest, as Pagnine, and Vatablus read it. Which doth intimate and insinuate that those that begin once to contemn God's ministers & to contend with them, they are come to the height of all wickedness, according to the saying of Solomon, 
Prou. 18.3  Prov. 18 3. Impius cùm in profundum venerit peccatorum contemnit: which we may truly expound after this sort, that a wicked man when he is become once a profound doctor in sin (for scelus non tantum geritur sed docetur, saith Cypr. 
Cyprian. ad Demetrianun.  sin is not only done, but taughtalso); than he sitteth in Cathedra pestilentiae, in the chair of the scornful, and despiseth both God, his ministers and all religion. To which purpose Socrates reporteth in his Ecclesiastical history, of one Seuerianus a Bishop, to whom whenas one Serapion showed a manifest contempt in not giving that honour and reverence that belonged unto him, 
Si Serapion moriatur Christianus, certè Christus nunquam homo factus est. Socrat. hist. eccl. lib 6. cap. 10.  exclaimed against him after this manner, If Serapion die a Christian, than Christ was never made man: signifying that as it is most certain that Christ was made man; so it is as certain that he that shall contemn or despise God's ministers, will never die a good Christian, unless he repent him of his sin.  
The which neglect and contempt, besides the malice and wickedness of the ungodly (which maketh them to hate God's ministers, as being enemies to all virtue and godliness; according as Christ saith to his Apostles, Because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world, 
joh. 15.19.  therefore the world hateth you, joh. 15.) I suppose to proceed also from an evil eye, not looking rightly upon them with a single eye as they ought to do; which maketh them so highly to contemn and to despise them. Of which some there are that look only upon the outward appearance of Ministers, being in outward show not so goodly nor so glorious in the eyes of the world as others are. 
2. Cor. 10.4  Whereat the Apostle seemeth to aim. 2. Cor. 10. who having given out great words of the power and virtue of the ministery of the word, that it was able to cast down strong holds, & to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; He addeth presently after this, Look ye on things (saith he) after the outward appearance? as if he should say, 
2. Cor. 10.7  If you regard Ministers by their outward show there is no such matter in them: like as it was with our Saviour Christ; who although he was said to be fairer than the sons of men, Psalm. 45. 
Psal. 45.2  yet in regard of his outward show, men did not see any thing in him worthy to be desired. Esa. 53. 
Esa. 53.2  And therefore Herod and his soldiers whenas they looked upon his outward appearance only with their bodily eyes, 
Luke 23.11  they despised him (saith the text) & mocked at him. So did those beardless boys in mocking the Prophet, 
2. Kin. 2.23  and calling him baldpate. 
2. Kin 9.11  2. Kings 2. So did jehu his companions in making the Prophet no better than a madcap, saying; What did this mad fellow here? 2. Kings 9 So shall you see it every where, where the eye only is the judge, & looketh more to the outward then to the inward man. But as we do not despise gold because it is sound in clay; so ought we not to despise God's Ministers, 
2. Cor. 4.7  because they carry their heavenly treasure in earthen vessels; but rather to follow the example of that worthy Constantine, 
Euseb. de vita Constant. lib. 1. cap. 35  of whom Eusebius reporteth that he did love & honour the Ministers of God, not considering the outward man which is seen with the eyes of the body, but the inward man which is seen with the eyes of the mind: and therefore he would many times (as the same Author saith) set them at his own table with him, and have them in his company whithersoever he went; for whose sake he verily believed that God would bless and prosper him the better in all his business.  
Others there are, that look only upon their outward and mean estate in the world, and the crosses and troubles which they suffer many times; as the jews and others did upon Christ, who despised him in regard of his birth and his poverty, and his mean condition and reputation in the world; sometimes disgracing him with his country, that he was a Galilean; 
Mar. 6.3  sometimes with his Parents, that he was a carpenters son; sometimes with his friends & acquaintance, 
Mat. 11.19  that he was a friend of Publicans and sinners; sometimes with his obscureness, and the small account and estimation he was in, 
joh. 7.48  that none of the Rulers, but only the vulgar sort did believe in him. So did they with the Prophets, and the Apostles, despising them for their want, and those manifold persecutions which they endured. But as we do not esteem a sword by the scabbard, nor a dagger by the sheath (for as the Proverb is, there may be a golden or a painted sheath, and a wooden dagger) so we ought not to esteem of God's Ministers by their mean estate, and by their crosses and troubles in the world: which God would have them sometimes to suffer, not to the end that any should contemn them; but rather that seeing their faith, their patience & their constancy, they might imitate and follow, yea admire and honour them for it. It is a sign of a base and an abject mind, yea of a soul altogether dejected & cleaving to the du●● of the earth, to esteem basely of God's servants in any outward respects; as i● the soul knew no better things the● the outward & transitory things of th● world; or as if all the felicity & happiness of man did consist in them. We read of the Galathians, that they were so fa● from despising S. 
Gal. 4.13  Paul for his poverty and his troubles and persecutions, tha● they received him as an Angel of God yea as Christ jesus; insomuch that if it had been possible, they would have plucked out their own eyes to have given them unto him. 
Sozom. ecel. hist. li. 7. cap. 13.  The people of Mediolanus were so far from despising S. Ambrose their Bishop, for the troubles and vexations which he suffered of the Arrians, that whenas Valentinian by the persuasion of his mother justina sent a band of soldiers into the Temple to say hands upon him and to carry him into exile; the whole people that was in the Church hearing him preach, resisted the soldiers and would not suffer them to offer him the least violence: saying, that they would all of them lose their lives there, before they would lose their Bishop. And Constantine the great was so far from despising Paphnutius for his outward condition, 
Socr. hist eccl. lib. 1. cap. 8  and for the persecution which he suffered of the heathen, that as Socrates reporteth, he had him in great honour, and would many times send for him to his court, & in the presence of his courtiers kiss the place of his right eye which he had lost in the persecution.  
Wherefore to conclude this point, as our Saviour Christ saith in another case, Quos Deus coniunxit homo non separet, Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder: so, those whom God hath honoured, let no man presume to dishonour by contemning and despising them for any cause; 
Bern. de Adnen. domini ser. 3.  but rather, as Saint Bernard doth advise and exhort, to give all reverence and obedience unto them, as unto Christ, whose deputies and vicegerents they are: whereof the one, to weet our reverence, is inward, and of the heart: the other, to weet our obedience is outward, and of the body; because it is not sufficient outwardly to honour them, unless inwardly we have a reverent opinion and estimation of them. And if the life and conversation happily of any shall be so criminous and notorious, that it cannot admit any excuse or defence: yet notwithstanding to reverence and to respect him for his sake, who hath given this power unto him; giving it not to the merit of his person, but to the ordinance of God, and to the dignity of his office: 
Thom. 2. socunda quast. 25.  who as he is a Minister ought to be loved and to be reverenced for that which is of God in him; that is, for his divine ministery which he hath received of God. Like as we read of Alexander the great, who going to besiege jerusalem, 
joseph. Anti: lib. 11. cap. 8  and seeing the high Priest in his pontifical attire to come towards him, lighted from his horse & saluted the high Priest: whereat Parmenio, one of his followers disdaigning, asked him why he did reverence to the Priest of the jews, whenas the whole world almost did reverence and adoration unto Him; to whom he answered, that he did not the reverence so much unto him, as unto God whose Priest he was; who appeared unto me (saith he) in this very form of attire being in Macedonia, and promised that by his conduct and help I should conquer and subdue all Asia. Which if heathen by the light of Nature could see and perform; what a shame is it to Christians, who have a far greater light which is the light of grace shining in them, if they shall not be able to discern and to do as much. And therefore the conclusion of this, shall be the advertisement which our Saviour Christ giveth unto the Lawyer, 
Luke. 10.37  Luke 10. Vade & fac tu similiter, go and do thou also the like. Thus much for the second duty in the charge, viz. to show himself unto the Priest. The third is to offer his gift, in the next words; And offer thy gift, as Moses commanded, etc.  
It was a law among the jews, as we may read in the Levitical law; that such persons as were cleansed of the leprosy, should offer 2. 
Levit. 14  pigeons, or 2. sparrows for their cleansing, with a certain measure of fine flower & a pint of oil, and the priest to perform certain rites and ceremonies withal; after which the Leper being pronounced clean by the sentence of the Priest, was to be received & to be reputed as a clean person. The reason whereof was that the leper might give thanks unto God & might testify his thankfulness, by his gift that he offered unto him. Which was the cause that God commanded in the law, the first born and the first fruits, and the tenth part of all their increase to be offered & given unto him. For, seeing the earth is the Lords and all the fullness thereof: 
Psalm. 24  therefore God to put us in remembrance of his universal dominion, and to acknowledge him to be the author & giver of all, he hath ordained and appointed us to offer a part unto him; that so we might acknowledge his bounty, and testify our homage and thankfulness towards him. Not that God hath need hereof: for as he himself saith, 
Psal. 50.10  All the beasts of the forest are mine, and so are the cattle upon a thousand hills. If I be hungry I will not tell thee: for the whole world is mine and all that is therein. 
Deu● qui dignatus est totum dare, decimam a nobis dignatur accipere, non sibi sed nobis profuturam. Aug. de Temp. ser. 219. Philo de pram. sacerdotum.  Psalm. 50; but for the use of his service and worship, and for the maintenance of the Priests and Levites, who were employed, and laboured in his service; it being a thing most just and meet (as Philo says) that some testimony of thankfulness should be showed out of our temporal goods, for the most large and manifold benefits that God hath bestowed upon us; whereof, forasmuch as the author and giver of all hath no need, 
Psal. 16.  (for, as David saith, Psalm. 16. My goods do not extend unto thee, or, thou hast no need of my goods) they ought to redound to the Ministers of the Temple, and to those that are the Curators, and have the charge of holy things. And therefore God accordingly after such time as he had separated the tribe of Levi from the other tribes, & had made the Priest's office, an office of service, 
Num. 18.17  as it is called, Numb. 18: that which he reserved unto himself, & commanded to be offered unto him, in recognition of his dominion, he bestowed the use and profit thereof upon the Priests and Levites for their maintenance & service in the tabernacle; so as the first fruits, tenths, oblations, and the sacrifices that were offered became dew to the Priests and Levites, for their use and benefit, having that interest and property in the tenth part of their goods at the least, 
Nahum. 10  which they themselves had in the other nine parts. The which I suppose to be a law not merely ceremonial or judicial, as some do think, belonging to the jews only; but also in some respects natural and moral belonging unto Christians. For, howsoever certain accidents and circumstances thereof do not belong unto us, viz. that not the second, or third, but the first fruits should be offered, that the tenth should not be received before it was offered in the Temple and hallowed, and that the oblations should be offered every year upon a certain time prescribed and appointed for it; I say though these rites and ceremonies do not belong unto us necessarily, as being not tied nor bound to the ceremonial and judicial laws of that people; yet notwithstanding, the substance and equity, and the proportion and end of that law doth belong unto us: which is, a testimony of our gratitude and thankfulness unto God, and a bountiful maintenance of those that serve at the altar; as the Apostle showeth not only out of the law of Moses, but also by the law of Nature. 
1. Cor. 9.7  1. Cor. 9 the quantity and proportion whereof, ought neither to be less than the allowance of the Priests (forasmuch as the Ministers of the Gospel are not inferior but rather superior unto them) nor yet less than the tenth part of men's goods, because the law of Nature which is the moral law written in our hearts, or else some divine instinct agreeable to this law, did teach Abraham before the ceremonial & judicial law of Moses, 
Gen. 14  to pay the tenth part of Melchisedech the Priest of the high God; as a thing fitting and beseeming both reason, right, & equity. In which regard it is received for a sure & undoubted truth of the best Divines, that the tenth part of a man's goods at the least is dew to the Ministers of God and to holy and charitable uses; not so much by a positive law of men, as by the divine and immutable law of God.  
To which I think fit to add one thing more: viz. that although those laws of first fruits, tenths, and oblations, being considered in the ceremonial and judicial respects thereof, do not bind christians now, as they were commanded to be offered to the Levitical Priests, which Priesthood is now abrogated and an other come in the place of it (for so they were merely judicial & did concern none but them); yet notwithstanding, the Church hath liberty to ordain & make laws for the maintenance of the ministry by such tithes & oblations, etc. as were then paid to the Priests; they so being judicial laws unto them, that they may also not unlawfully be judicial laws unto us; being now in the judicial regard, of the nature of things indifferent; which the Church hath liberty and power to use and dispose as it shall think most fit & meet for the good and benefit thereof. And thus may we see, how the use of tithes and oblations hath been observed a long time in former ages, and in the ancient Churches, as a thing most just and equal between the Pastor, & the People, and the same proportion that was first appointed by God himself. For tithes, we read of divers Counsels which have made divers laws for the payment of them; some admonishing that tithes be truly paid without fraud: 
Concil. Mogunt. cap. 17. Admonemus etc.  as the Council of Mentz; We admonish that no man neglect to pay his tithes: for it is to be feared that if any do withhold from God his dew, God will for his sin withhold such things as are necessary for him; some inflicting the pain of excommunication for the neglect and default hereof: as the Council of Colen; 
Concil. Colon. cap. 18  They that neglect to pay their tithes, let them be excommunicated: again, they that being thrice admonished do not pay their full tithe, let them be denied the Communion. For oblations, the Church hath a long time had an ancient custom, that whosoever came to receive the Lords Supper, if he were of ability, he should offer something to God for the use of God's Ministers, and of the poor, in token of their thankfulness to God. In which regard S. 
Cyprian ser. de eleemosyna.  Cyprian doth sharply reprove a rich woman for coming into God's house without a sacrifice as he calls it, that is without an oblation, not so much as looking unto the Corban to cast her offering into it. The devout Father doth ask her how she can celebrate the praise of God, when as she cometh empty handed unto the altar, without a sacrifice. On the other side, Saint Austen doth highly commend his mother Monica, 
Aug. Confel. lib. 5. cap. 9  that she was careful morning and evening to repair to God's house; where after the offering up of her prayers, she was wont to offer an oblation or a gift at the altar also. Which practice seemeth to have been derived from the practice of the apostles in the Primitive Church, 
1. Cor. 11.  where the custom was that rich men did offer liberally for themselves & the poor, such things as were necessary both to the celebration of the Lords supper, and to the celebration of their feasts of love, which they used to keep. The which commendable custom, as Zanchius faith, is now left; and after the Word preached, and the holy Supper administered, there is nothing but a beggarly casting of something into the poor man's box: and that of the most for fashion sake, without regard either of a due proportion in offering according to the measure which God hath given unto them, or of the end for which they do it; which is, to testify their thankfulness to God for his benefits bestowed upon them.  
Now from hence, as from the River of Eden, which was divided into four heads, Gen. 2. are derived four propositions very remarkable & worthy of due consideration. The first is, that the maintenance of God's ministers is not a policy of men, but an ordinance of God; due unto them, by a divine right, that is by the law and ordinance of God, who hath given that part which he reserved for himself, unto his ministers for their sustentation, and maintenance. Which appeareth further not only by the law of Moses, which was that they should not muzzle the mouth of the Ox, 
1. Tim. 5.8.  that treadeth out the corn (which the Apostle applieth to the maintenance of God's ministers, 1. Tim. 5) but also by the law of nature and of nations, & the ordinance & approbation of Christ himself, as the same Apostle showeth most plentifully, saying, 
1. Cor. 9.7.  Who goeth on warfare at any time at his own cost? who planteth a vineyard & eateth not of the fruit thereof? and who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Again, do ye not know that they which minister about the holy things, eat of the things of the temple; and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar? so also hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel. The which doth plainly show, that the maintenance of ministers is not a voluntary and a beggarly alms given in charity unto them, but an hono rabble stipend allotted by God and due in justice unto them; according to that which Christ saith, dignus est operarius mercede, the labourer is worthy of his reward. 
Philo do praem. sacerd. & honoribus.  To which purpose, Philo hath very well observed, that the people of the jews were commanded to bring their oblations into the Temple, that there the priests might receive them as from the hands of God to whom they belonged, lest otherwise the people should upbraid the Priest, as if he were beholding unto them for a benevolence. For as the same author saith, whosoever receiveth a gift from God, who bestoweth liberally upon all, he doth receive it with less shamefastness then if he should receive it from men only.  
Yea, verily, God in his wisdom did not see it fit and meet that his ministers should live of the alms and the benevolence of the people; but rather that they should have a sure and certain maintenance, which by law and right they might claim and challenge as due unto them; and that for divers weighty, and important causes. First, to the end that their minds should not be distracted nor troubled with worldly care for their necessary provision; to which they should be very subject, if they lived upon the voluntary contributions of the people, who happily at one time would give very liberally, and at an other time upon the least displeasure utterly withdraw their benevolence from them. Secondly, to maintain the dignity & reputation of their ministery, that they might not be forced either to beg and tell their want to every peasant, and low prised fellow, and to receive a great part of their benetiolence of scandalous & notorious wicked persons, which were not fit for them to do; or else thorough piety and modesty to suffer extreme want and penury, which were less m●ete and seemly for the honour and credit of the profession. Thirdly, that they might not be driven either to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
2. Cor. 2.17.  that is to corrupt and to adulterate the word of God as Vintners do their wine by mixing water with it (for so the word signifieth, which showeth the practice to be an old mystery of iniquity) or else to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
● Cor. 4 2.  that is to handle the word of God deceitfully, thereby to please the fancies & humours of men, and to make a gain and a benefit unto themselves: which perhaps some not very well disposed would be glad to do, if they lived only upon the gratuities & charitable devotions of the people. Fourthly, that they might not lose their liberty & boldness in their ministry, being glad to flatter & to gloze & to claw evetie one, by sowing pillows under the●elbows & daubing with untempered mortar; but contrariwise to reprove and rebuke freely and boldly the sins of all sort● of people, even of the richest and mightiest of all. Which they shall be better able to do having a certain and sure maintenance, then having only a voluntary allowance; because such as depend upon benevolence will fear least by using the liberty and boldness of their ministry in rebuking and reproving sin, they should thereby lose both the favour and the benevolence of those that are perhaps the best benefactors unto them. Which I suppose to have been the chief cause that godly and religious Princes in former times would not permit Bishops & the rest of the clergy to receive allowance and maintenance of every one of the people; 
Euseb. de vita Constant.  but first of all did give them bountiful allowance out of their own treasuries and excheckers, and afterwards gave divers Lands, demesnes, and possessions unto the Church: which they did no doubt in great wisdom; seeing it to be more convenient, both in regard of the ministers, for the performance of their duties, & in regard of the people for their profit & benefit.  
The second propositionis, that the maintenance of ministers ought to be a liberal and a bountiful maintenance; forasmuch as they had not only Cities and Suburbs allorted unto them to dwell in; 
Num. 35.4.  but also the first fruits, and the redemption of the first borne, oblations, vows, sacrifices and the tenth part of all the fruits and increase to maintain and to keep them withal.  
The truth of which doctrine is justified not only by the judicial law of Moses; but also by the law of Nations in Pharaoh his Priests, Gen. 47. 
Gen. 47.22.  who had lands and livings belonging unto them to maintain them; which lands they were not forced to sell whenas all the rest of the peosould their lands to buy them corn withal; neither would joseph meddle with them, but they had an ordidinarie allowance of Pharaoh to live upon. Which is also further confirmed in the new Testament: where the Apostle speaking of ministers saith, That the elders that rule well are worthy of double honour, 
1. Tim. 5.17  especially those that labour in the word of God, and in doctrine; that is of an honest and a liberal stipend, as the Apostle expoundeth it in the next words; for it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn; as if he should say, the lean & bare plight that ministers are in, shows plainly that their mouths have been muzzled contrary to the law; therefore see that you muzzle them no more, but let them eat their fill of the corn that they tread out; for the labourer is worthy of his meat. Wherein it is worthy the observation, that the Apostle calleth the ministers maintenance by the name of an honour; because as a base and a beggarly allowance maketh to the discredit of the ministery, as if the calling were base and contemptible and not worthy of regard: so a liberal and a bountiful allowance maketh for the honour and countenance of the ministery; to show that the calling is honourable and worthy of an honourable reward. The like we read afterward when as the Church had Christian kings and princes, who became nursing Fathers, and nursing mothers thereof, the Church was marvelously enriched by the liberal and bountiful donations of godly and zealous princes & others, who gave houses and Lands, Castles and Towns for the provision and maintenance of the Clergy; which continued a long time afterward in many ages following, and doth yet still in all well ordered Churches and Commonweals. For as Philo verse well noteth, 
Philo de praem. & hon. sacerd.  the large and plentiful provision of living for God's ministers is an evident argument both of public piety, and of a diligent observation of laws: contrariwise, want and penury, and scarcity of maintenance doth upbraid us with contempt both of religion and of laws; of which if there were that regard that there ought to be, the ministers of God should not only have a necessary but a plentiful maintenance.  
So then the provision and the living of ministers by the law of God, by the law of Nations, by the law of Christ, and by the law of Christian Princes, is not a bare and beggarly allowance, like unto the Levites wages, judg. 
judg. 17.10.  17. which was 10 shekels of silver, a suit of apparel and his meat and drink; the allowance which many knights and gentlemen use to make, who having gotten an Impropriation in their hands, will hire some one or other for five pounds or twenty nobles a year to serve the cure; and (if he were able) to teach their children too: and may I not truly say, the allowance of some rich Citizens also? who being possessed not only of wealth, but also of store and plenty in great abundance; do out of this their rich treasure, make that allowance unto their minister yearly for his maintenance, which for very shame they will not offer to one of their servants for his hire, nor to a poor schoolemafter for his wages to teach their children their ABC, and to learn their letters of him. And yet (forsooth) some of these will look to rule and sway, and to be great masters and commanders in a parish, though their duties and allowance unto their ministers be just the same with them, that take the charity and the alms of the parish. This, I say, is not that allowance that is due unto God's ministers by the law of God and of Christian Princes (whose godly laws are wrested and perverted by the fraud and cunning of these kind of men) but a bountiful and an honourable maintenance, having not only sufficiency for necessary use; but also plenty for delight and comfort too. In regard whereof, the law provided that the first fruits of all increase, as of corn, wine, oil, and the pleasant fruits of trees should be offered unto the Priests, 
Philo de praem. & hon. sacerd.  (as Philo doth observe) to the end that they might not live hardly, having only so much as is necessary to hold the body and soul together; but that they might live cheerfully and comfortably, in having wherewith to solace & to delight themselves withal: insomuch that this ancient author, casting up an account of all kind of oblations which were offered unto the Priests, saith, that by the law of God they were not much inferior unto Princes, having a continual tribute (as he calls it) paid unto them as Princes have.  
Therefore let no man grudge nor repine at the livings of ministers, as if every thing were too much that the minister hath, when as themselves can be content to possess ten times as much, and yet for all this, think that they have not half enough; seeing that this their murmuring is not against God's ministers but against God himself, 
Exod. 16.  who hath given the tenth part of their goods from himself unto them, for their maintenance and for other holy and charitable uses; that so they might not live hardly, but liberally; not to take an alms, but to be able to give alms and to relieve others. Now, shall men envy and repine against them for this? GOD forbidden. What were this else but to impeach God's wisdom and to murmur at his goodness and bounty towards them? 
Mat. 20.  Those labourers that murmured against the householder for giving as much unto the last as unto the first, what answer did they receive for it? Friend, saith he to one of them, I do thee no wrong, did I not agree with thee for a penny? tolle quod tuum est & vade, take that which is thine own and go thy way, I will give as much to this last as unto thee: is it not lawful for me to do with mine own what I will? is thine eye evil because I am good? So verily God will say to these envious and malicious men; My friend, why dost thou grudge and repine against my servants, for my bounty and large allowance that I have given unto them? Is it any wrong to thee to see me liberal and beneficial unto others? what if I would, to show my love and bounty to my Apostles and ministers, give unto them mine own part which is due unto myself, what is this to thee? Is it not lawful for me to do with mine own what I will? wilt thou be evil because I am good? Go to; tolle quod tuum est & vade, take that which is thine own and go thy way; I have dealt well and bountifully with thee in giving nine parts unto thee, and in giving but one part, viz. the tenth unto them: content thyself with it, and do not envy nor murmur any more, lest I take away the nine parts from thee, and give the tenth unto thee.  
The third proposition is, that the tenths and oblations with other profits and emoluments do belong to the ministers of God, not to any others; forasmuch as God gave his part to the Priests and Levites for their maintenance; and therefore ought not to be diverted or converted to the use of lay men, who have no right nor interest either in God's tenth or in any other goods of the Church. For seeing that in the matter of tithes and oblations & of all other ecclesiastical profits, there is a mutual giving and receiving, as the Apostle speaketh, Phil. 4. 
Phil. 4.15.  the minister giving spiritual things, and the people giving carnal and temporal things for them; what reason or equity can there be, that those that may not, nor do not perform the one, should be partakers of the other, or that they should live upon the Altar, that do not serve at the Altar? The dignities and revenues of the Church do belong to such as are entitled unto them, by a lawful power & authority received from God, to manage & discharge the duties and offices thereof, according to that which Philo reporteth of the law among the jews, 
Philo jud. lib. 2. the Monarch.  that it doth not permit any to reap those fruits and profits which are holy unto God; but only those that are of the order of the Priesthood, though otherwise he be of the same Country, & nobly descended & adorned with rare and excellent virtues: whereof he giveth this reason, because it is not meet that sacrifices and other ceremonies of the Altar should be committed to the Priests, & the honours and profits to be communicated to lay persons; nor is it seemly that the Priests should take care, and labour day and night, and the reward to be bestowed upon those that are idle and take no pains for it. Therefore to alienate or detain the goods and revenues of the Church, which are originally due unto God, and by a deed of gift due unto his ministers, cannot be without manifest wrong and injury to God and to the Church: which maketh God to complain as he doth, 
Mal. 3.8.  Mal. 3. Will any man (saith he) spoil his gods? yet have ye spoiled me; but ye say, wherein have we spoiled thee? in tithes & offerings, etc. How in tithes and offerings? partly, by converting them to temporal and private uses, as many covetous Patrons do, in reserving their own tithes unto themselves, 
1. Sam. 8.15  & in giving nothing at all unto God; partly by embezeling & diminishing some part thereof by fraud and cunning, as many both in the Country and the City use to do, by concealments, 
Act. 5.2  and by divers covenous tricks and devices which they have; and so not giving all, but a part of that which is dew unto him. For which cause he telleth them that they are cursed with a curse, and, doth straightly charge them, to bring all manner of tithes into his storehouse, 
Mal. 3.10  that there may be meat in his house; that is, into the Temple, to maintain the Priests and the poor with it; not into their own barns, and their houses, to maintain them and their bravery withal. 
1. Sam. 21  The shewebread was not for every man to eat of, but for the Priests; neither is the meat of God's house, for the use of every man, but for the use of the Priests. It is a sure maxim in divinity, that those things that are dedicated and consecrated unto God, cannot be alienated nor converted to civil uses afterwards: but do from thenceforth become the proper possession of God, & of those to whom God doth make an assignation thereof; and therefore whosoever shall profane holy things, either by offering violence unto them, or by employing them to their own private uses, they do cast themselves headlong into very eminent danger, & do bring a fearful destruction upon themselves; for as Solomon says, Laqueus est homini devorare sancta, it is destruction unto a man to devour that which is sanctified. 
Prou. 20.25  Pro. 20. The very heathen observed, 
Virgil. lib. 2. Aeneid.  that after such time as the Grecians once offered violence to the Temple of Pallas, 
Lactant. de origine ere. cap. 4  that they lost all their hope and never thrived nor prospered after it: Lactantius writing against the error and profaneness of the heathen, reporteth of divers who have been grievously punished among them, for offering violence unto holy things; as namely, of Fuluius the Censor, who for taking away certain marmoreas tegulas, tiles of marble out of the Temple of juno Lacinia, 
Lact. de orig. ere. cap. 8.  was within a short time after distraught of his wits, and had two of his sons slain: for grief whereof he himself died also: of Appius Claudius, who for translating and alienating only those things that were consecrated to Hercules, within a while after lost the use of both of his eyes. And although Dionysius made but a rest of sacrilege, in taking a golden cloak that was upon the image of jupiter Olympius, and putting a  cloak upon it instead thereof, saying, that a golden cloak was too heavy in summer & too cold in winter, but a linsey-wolsey cloak was fit for both; also in cutting off a golden beard that Aesculapius did wear; saying, that i● was no reason that the son should have a beard, when as Apollo his Father had none; furthermore, in taking away certain golden cups which they held forth in their hands, saying, that it were great folly and madness not to take them being so kindly offered; although I say Dionysius did all this without present punishment (for afterward he was driven out of his kingdom) laughing and scoffing to his companions, who feared that he would have suffered shipwreck for his sacrilege; do you not see (saith he) how prosperous a voyage the gods do give to those that commit sacrilege? yet notwithstanding Pyrrhus for robbing the treasury of Proserpina, suffered shipwreck not far from the shore; where himself, his men, & his other goods were drowned, & nothing found again of all, but only the money that he had taken out of the treasury. What should I tell you of Zerxes, who sending 400. 
justin. hist lib. 2.  of his soldiers to Delphos, to spoil the Temple of Apollo, they were every one of them destroyed and burnt with thunder, and lightning. Of Marcus Crassus, 
joseph. Ant. li. 14. cap. 12  who for taking a great sum of money out of the Temple of jerusalem, which Pompey in a kind of piety would not touch nor meddle withal (which sum amounted to ten thousand talents) within a while after making an invasion upon the Parthians, he perished there with his whole army. Let these pass & let us cast our eyes a while upon divine histories, and the histories of the Church; there shall you see Balthasar for profaning & abusing the holy vessels which Nabuchadnezzar had taken in the spoil of jerusalem, 
Dan. 5.23  and had laid up in the Temple of his own god, fearing to convert them to his own use as josephus in his antiquities discourseth upon that history, 
joseph. Ant. li. 10. cap. 12  and for drinking and carousing in them among his Princes, his Courtiers and his Concubines, with certain blasphemous words, which he uttered against the everliving God; received presently a fearful doom & sentence by a hand-writing upon the wall, which did wonderfully affright and astonish him, making his joints to lose and his knees to knock together: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Vpharsin. The interpretation whereof is, that God had numbered his kingdom and had finished it, and that God had divided it, and given it to the Medes and Persians. There may we see also Antiochus Epiphanes, 
1. Mac. 6.12  who perceiving the time of his death not to be far off, called his friends unto him, & showeth them both the grievousness of his disease & the cause of it, viz. that he suffered all his pain & misery, for taking the vessels of gold and silver out of the Temple of jerusalem, and for destroying the inhabitants thereof without cause. 1. Mac. 6.12. There may we likewise see Herod, 
joseph. Ant. li. 16. cap. 11  surnamed the great, who having opened David's sepulchre to take money out of it as Hircanus had done before, who took from thence 3000. talents of silver, lost two of his soldiers, or of his guard there, who were consumed by a flash of fire that broke forth of a secret place; so as he was glad to departed thence for very fear: after which time his house decayed and fell to ruin; which was a just reward and punishment of his wickedness. Look unto the age that succeeded and followed after, I mean the time of the Gospel, before the Church was altogether established: behold Ananias and Saphira for withholding secretly part of that, 
Act. 5.5  which they had voluntarily given to the use of the church, most severely punished with sudden death. After this when the Church was established, and endued with great riches and possessions by the bountiful donations of godly Emperors, and other devout Christians, julian the Apostata, and Felix his companion, 
Theodoret. eccl. hist. lib. 3. cap. 11, 12  (as Theodoret reporteth) for taking away the holy vessels of the Temple (where one of them pissed against the Communion table, and struck one that would have hindered him from it; saying that God did not take any care of Christians and that his providence did not reach unto them; the other, seeing the magnificence of the holy vessels derided and scoffed most wickedly and blasphemously after this manner: Ecce quàm sumptuosis vasis filio Mariae ministratur, Behold with what sumptuous vessels the son of Marie is served): these two monsters I say, for taking away the holy vessels, and making but a jest of sacrilege, received both of them two just punishments, worthy of their blasphemous sacrilege; the one having his mouth which was an instrument of blasphemy, made a siege or a passage to void his filthy excrements, which are naturally in all men egested an other way; the other having all the blood of his body gathered to his mouth as to a sink: which he never left spitting and spauling out, till all was exhausted, and so died most miserably. I will not ransack our own Chronicles, nor report of the just judgements that have lighted upon divers of our own nation, for this horrible sin; whereof some have been authors and contrivers; others actors and abettors of the wrack and spoil of the Church. Those that are men of experience are able to say more out of their own knowledge than I am able to tell them; neither do I list to complain and to expostulate of the strange courses that have been taken in alienating the goods of the Church to temporal & profane uses, only for the abuse of them; making thus wounds of their medicines, 
Qui scripturas malè intel ligunt de medicamentis vulnera sibi faciunt. Aug. de Temp. ser. 61  as Saint Austen speaketh in an other case, and making the last error worse than the first; they erring ignorantly in the Assumption, thinking popery and superstition to be the true service of God; these erring maliciously in the main Proposition, thinking that that which was generally given to the service & worship of God, may utterly be taken away for the superstition and abuse thereof; whereas the superstition should have been taken away, and the goods remained to the true service & worship of God, according to the intent and meaning of the donors: whose general intent and end was the service of God, though in the particular matter and form thereof they were foully deceived. So should the wills of the dead have been performed, the goods of the church rightly employed, piety and religion better maintained, and the service and glory of God better advanced. But it is a booteless thing to complain hereof, being like unto an old festered sore that will hardly be cured; not because there is no balm in Gilead, 
jer. 8.22.  nor any Physician there to recover it, but because those that are sick of this disease will not be healed; of whom we may say as the Prophet saith of the obstinate and stubborn jews, 
jer. 51.9.  we would have healed them; but they would not be healed. Only I will advise and admonish all men (because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sufferings of others are instructions unto us, these arrows of God's judgements which he hath shot beyond us being like jonathans' arrows to give warning unto us) to take heed and to beware how they deal and meddle with sacred & holy things, 
1. San. 2 c. 20  either by alienating & giving of them, or by selling & buying of them, or by any kind of purloining and diminishing of them, & to discern and put a difference between spiritual & temporal things, between holy & profane things, between the goods of the world & the goods of God. When we give let us not give away that which is Gods, when we sell let us not sell that which is Gods, when we buy let us not buy that which is Gods, when we hoard and lay up, 
Nolo quis habeat contra Deum, ne non habeat Deum. Bern. epist. 272  let us not lay up that which is Gods; least by possessing that which is Gods, we deserve to be dispossessed of God himself. josephus reporteth in the wars of the jews, 
josephus de bello judaico lib. 7.  that a little before the Temple of jerusalem was destroyed, there were certain voices of Angels heard there, which said, Migremus hinc, let us be gone; signifying, that neither God nor his blessed Angels do delight to dwell where sacrilegious Church-robbers are; who may fitly be compared unto judas, 
judas fur sacrilegus, non qualiscunque fur, fur loculorun, sed Dominicorum, loculorum sed sacrorum. Aug. in joh. tr. 50.  who was not a common thief, but a sacrilegious thief, robbing not every man's bag, but Christ's bag; and having rob his bag, made little conscience afterward, to sell Christ himself too. The consideration whereof (as I suppose) made S. 
Fratri vestro eiusque militib. sagittarijs ba list arijsque domos Episcopales contra ius & fas audacter nimium etc. Bern. ad Regem Francorum epist. 221  Bernard that zealous & devout Saint, to write so boldly to the King of France, and to expostulate with him for giving the Bishop's houses to his kinsfolks, and to his soldiers, and to archers and slingers & such like, & for suffering the goods of the church to be wasted and consumed in wicked & profane uses; telling him plainly that he was too bold with the Church, and that it would not be long unpunished, if he continued in so doing. The which was so far from that divine spirit of the most worthy & renowned Constantine, that he gave a strait charge to Auilinus his governor (as Eusebius reporteth) that if any did hold or retain any of those goods and possessions that did formerly belong unto the Church, 
Euseb hist. eccl. lib. 10. cap. 5.  he should cause them forthwith to be restored again to the same Churches; that such things as the Churches possessed before, might now at the last return again to the right owners of them. Yea, he made an edict, 
Euseb. de vita Constant. lib. 2, cap. 39 40.  that if his own Exchequer had for a time possessed aught unjustly that belonged unto the Church, that it should restore the same again; and if any had either bought and purchased any of these goods, or had them freely upon some special favour bestostowed on them, that they should restore them again; in lieu whereof, though they had laboured by their begging & buying of these things, to alienate his mind and his good will from them, he would out of his princely benignity provide some other ways for them, as occasion should serve. The like also did Theodosius, Valentinian, Martianus, and divers other Christian and godly Princes: who made laws wherein they provided that it should not be lawful unto any to invade and usurp those goods, which they and others had, or hereafter should bestow upon the Church; nor to alienate & convert them to any profane uses; and if at any time a public necessity should seem to challenge the use of them, to take them with a condition and a purpose of restoring them again, as jovianus did: who took a great part of the goods of the church to relieve the people being pinched with famine, promising to restore all that he took, and to add more unto it. Wherefore, to conclude this point, if either the exampls of godly Princes, or the judgements of God upon sacrilegious people will move and persuade us; beware of this horrible sin of sacrilege, and take heed how you possess & hold the goods of the Church; for so long as achan's wedge of gold & the execrable thing is among us, 
Ios. 7.13.  it is to be feared that God's judgements, and his severe punishments will not be far from us.  
The fourth Proposition is, that the tenths and oblations, with other duties belonging unto God, are to be offered willingly and gladly; forasmuch as they are offered in token of our gratitude and thankfulness to GOD: which implieth both alacrity, and cheerfulness if it be true thankfulness. And verily great reason there is of it: for seeing God doth liberally and bountifully bestow all that we have, upon us; therefore we ought to testify our thankfulness by offering something most willingly & cheerfully to him again. Whereof we shall find a dew and most devout practice of holy and godly men in former times. We read, that when as God commanded Moses to build a Tabernacle for his service, 
Exod. 36.5  the people were so willing and forward to offer even the best things that they had towards the building of it, that the workmen came to Moses and told him that the people brought too much, and more then enough for the use of the work: in regard whereof, he was feign to make a Proclamatition among them, that neither man nor woman should prepare any more work for the oblation of the sanctuary. Exo. 36.5. So likewise when the Temple was to be builded, 
1. Chron. 29 9.14  David & his people did offer so willingly and so bountifully towards the building of it, that as the text saith they rejoiced greatly when they did it, and did thank God for their offering which they offered unto him; acknowledging that that which they gave, they did first receive, and that of his own hand they did give unto him. Of which their willingness, both in their voluntary oblations, as also those which the law imposed upon them, Philo a man of the same nation reporteth that they brought their tribute, 
Philo de pram. & hon. sacerd.  as he calleth it, more willingly unto the Priests, then in other places they did unto Princes. For when as they paid their duties unto them, they would grudge and complain of great impositions and exactions, and would cavil and quarrel with the publicans & toll gatherers, hating them as a common plague that was sent among them; but when as they paid theirtithes and oblations unto the Priests, every man did it willingly and joyfully, as if he did not give but receive; giving thanks unto GOD, in the offering of their oblations. Yea, since that time, Christians in the beginning of the primitive Church, were so forward and willing to honour God with their goods, 
Act. 4.34.  that as many as were possessors of lands & houses sold them and brought the price thereof & laid it down at the Apostles feet; which was distributed to every one according as he had need. And after that also, in the declining state of the Church many devout people were so ready & forward to give unto the Church, that they gave more than was thought fit in policy to be given; whereupon the statute of Mortmain was made, that they should not exceed certain bounds which were limited unto them. Which practice how different it is from the practice of this age wherein we live, every one that is purblind may see: wherein the complaint and grudging of most men is that they are at too much cost and charge for the service of God, as if every thing were too much, that is bestowed upon it; dealing thus worse with God than the Israelites did with the golden calf: who plucked of their earrings & their jewels to make an Idol; these contrariwise thinking much to do the like for the service and worship of the true God: Whereof none can tell so well as the ministers of God, who are as it were his stewards and collectors to receive his rents. When we come to demand them in our master's name, to whom they are due, a world it is to see what grudging and complaining, what quarreling and contesting, what cavilling and disputing there is about them; some pretending privileges and prescriptions, others pleading customs and compositions, a third sort studying and inventing mere tricks and devices thereby to defeat and to defraud God of his right; that it would grieve any well disposed mind to see even a very mean person so injuriously and so fraudulently dealt withal. If hereupon in the defence of our masters right, and in zeal to the Church, and in an honest care of ourselves and ours, we crave the benefit of the law and the help of the magistrate; Publicans and toll gatherers were not more odious nor counted more covetous and more extortioners than we are: although indeed it is not covetousness and oppression to maintain the right of the Church, but theft and sacrilege to withhold it from it. 
Socr. hist. eccl. lib. 3. cap. 12.  It is reported of julian, that when as the Christians came and complained unto him of the intolerable wrongs and injuries offered unto them by the Pagans, he made them this answer, that it was their duty when they are wronged to suffer it patiently, because their master had willed & commanded them to do so. And doth not the world deal thus with God's ministers also in these days? Yes verily. If they be forced at any time to sue for the right of God & the church, men are ready to say to them as julian did to the Christians; that they ought to be patiented and to suffer wrong, and not to go to law, but to live quietly and peaceably with all men. Which I confess they ought to do: but ought not these men also to deal justly, and truly and honestly with them? O impiety and ingratitude of men! Is this our thankfulness unto God for the bounty and plenty that he bestows upon us, to pinch and to spare, and to deal niggardly and deceitfully with him? Doth God vouchsafe to ask thy tenths and oblations, and dost thou like a miserable and a covetous wretch deny them unto him? what wouldst thou do, if he should have taken nine parts unto himself, and have given the tenth only unto thee? Which also he doth many times if thou could see it, 
Quid auidē supputas? novem tibi partes subtractae sune, quia decimam dare noluisti. Haec enim est Domini iustissima consuetudo ut si tu illi decima● non dederis, tu ad decimam revoceris. Aug. de Temp. ser. 219.  in making thy fields barren and to bring forth no corn, thy trees fruitless & to bring forth no fruit, the labour & pains thou takest to be unprofitable, & to bring no gain unto thee. Dost thou muse and wonder at it, saith Saint Austen? surely it is no wonder. God doth take away nine parts from thee, because thou would est not give the tenth unto him. For this is most just dealing in God the if thou wilt not give the tenth to him, he will take away nine parts from thee, and give the tenth unto thee. Yea, verily (as the same father saith) because the tenth of thy goods, and of thy increase remaineth with thee, there shall be spoil and havoc made of that which thou hast: 
August. ibid.  Dabis impio militi quod non vis dare sacerdoti, thou shalt give that unwillingly unto the soldier that seeks to make a prey of thee, which thou wouldst not willingly give the Priest that prayeth for thee. Consider this, all ye that forget God, especially you whom God hath blessed with plenty and abundance of all kind of riches; 
Mat. 2.  and withal remember those wise men that came out of the East to worship Christ: they came laden with gold and myrrh and fankincense to offer unto him; and shall not Christians be as forward & as willing to do the like? Quale est si quod fecit Magus non faciat Christianus? 
Chrysol.  saith Chrysologus: what shame were it for Christians not to do as much as Magicians did, that they should bring gold and other gifts to Christ's cradle, and that Christians should not bring the like unto God's Altar?  
O let us blush and be ashamed of such ingratitude: and let us not hold Gods due any longer from him, in going about to defeat him & to deceive him of his right: but contrariwise, 
Prou. 3.  let us honour him with our substance by bringing willingly and gladly all our tithes and oblations unto him; 
Mal. 3.  & then try whether God will not deal liberally & bountifully with you, whether he will not fill your barns with abundance, and make your presses burst with new wine, whether he will not open the windows of heaven, and pour a blessing upon you without measure. And thus much shall suffice for the last duty in the charge, which is to offer his gift: the ground and warrant whereof is the law or commandment of Moses; And offer thy gift as Moses commanded.  
In discoursing and handling whereof, the hand of my text pointeth me to that obedience which we own both to laws and governors: forasmuch as the Leper is willed to perform this duty in regard of Moses his commandment; which implieth a subjection and an obedience to powers and principalities.  
But because this matter hath been handled before in that reason which concerneth the Leper himself, in going and showing himself unto the Priest, I will not insist upon it any further; but rather will clear a doubt which is made concerning this obedience, enjoined by Christ unto the ceremonial law of Moses. For seeing the rites and ceremonies of the Levitical law were to be abolished at the coming of Christ, being but types and shadows which are to give place unto the body as Tertullian says; and were to endure, and to continue only, 
Heb. 9.10.  usque ad tempus correctionis, to the time of reformation, as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 9 it may justly be demanded why Christ would have the Leper to observe that which he himself came to abolish. To which it is answered, that christ doth not always dissolve the law of Moses, nor always keep it; but sometimes doth the one, sometimes the other. He doth dissolve it sometimes, as he did in touching the Leper, to prepare and make a way, 
Chrysost. in Mat.  as Chrysost. saith, to his evangelical doctrine: and he observeth it sometimes, as he doth here in bidding the Leper to offer his gift as Moses commanded; thereby to bridle the mouths of some, and to heal the weakness of others, in yielding and condescending some thing unto them. Secondly, though the ceremonies of the law were to have an end by the coming of Christ: yet notwithstanding not presently at his coming, but after his death and his ascension; and then not suddenly, neither; but by degrees and by little and little. If our Saviour Christ, and his Apostles should either suddenly or altogether have abolished them, 
August. Hieron. epist. 19  men might have thought that both they and others that lived after, did detest and abhor them as devilish and sacrilegious impiety: and therefore to take away this slander and reproach from them, and also to give a due honour and commendation unto them, they would have them to continue a while after them, yea and observe them also sometimes in their own persons. To which end, 
Luc. 2.  we read how Christ himself was circumcised and presented with an oblation, 
joh. 7.  and did duly observe the feasts and sacrifices according to the law of Moses, & how Paul circumcised Timothe, 
Act. 16.  and did shear his own head at Cenchrea; which they did, lest otherwise they should be thought to condemn the ceremonies of Moses law, as much as they did the superstition & idolatry of the heathen: which in no wise they would have to be disgraced or to be dishonoured; but rather to be countenanced & respected both in regard of God, the author, and Moses the ordainer of them. Indeed it cannot be denied, that after the death and ascension of Christ, 
August. Ep. 19  vetera sacramenta amiserunt tanquam vitam officij sui, as Saint Austen says the old sacraments and ceremonies of the the law, they lost as it were the life of their office; but yet as the bodies of the dead are not to be cast unto dogs & to the fowls of the air, nor to be tumbled presently into their graves, but are after a time to be brought decently and honourably unto their burials, with certain obsequies, and funeral rites performed by their friends and acquaintance while they lived; so the ceremonies of the law, though they languished and began to die at the coming of Christ, yea and were dead also after his death; yet Christ and his Apostles who were friends to Moses, would not have them presently to be tumbled into the grave without all reverence, or to be cast out to the slanderous reproaches of enemies, as to the biting of dogs; but with all honour and reverence after that time to be brought unto the Grave, and there to rest and abide for ever. So if any shall now labour and go about to revive them, and to bring them in again by observing of them, he shall not be pius deductor & baiulus corporis, 
August. Ibid  as Austen says; a loving friend that comes to solemnize the funeral; but impius sepulturae violator, a wicked enemy that comes to rake the Grave, and to violate the burial. The use that is now of them, is to read them for the understanding and accomplishing of the things which they signified; not to observe them, by performing any duty or obedience which we own unto them.  
From whence we may take a just estimate, how to esteem of the rites and ceremonies of our Church, and in what account and honour we ought to have them: not to disgrace and to dishonour them as divers do; but to desteeme reverently of them; if not for any other cause, yet in regard of them that did first institute and ordain them, as also of them that did afterward for a long time observe and keep them, who were both learned, godly and zealous men, such as shed their blood, and laid down their lives for the profession of the truth. For so we see that Christ and his Apostles did, who honoured the law of Moses and the Ceremonies thereof (though they were to have an end shortly after) in regard of Moses who was the Author and maintainer of them: Which honour if any shall refuse to give to the rites and ceremonies of our Church, as deeming them popish and superstitious, both in the institution and the use of them; let these men that do thus wrong our Church by casting an aspersion of popery and superstition upon it, know first of all thus much, that these rites and ceremonies have been observed and used even in the purest times of the Church, many hundred years before popery and superstition crept in: as might be showed in divers particular ceremonies, namely the cross in Baptism, the use of the surplice, music in God's service, kneeling at the communion, with divers other beside, whereat so much offence is taken. The which were used, if not in the times of the Apostles, which Eusebius and others seem to affirm, yet notwithstanding immediately after, both in the time of persecution when godly and zealous Christians shed their blood in defence of the Gospel: as appeareth plainly in the writings of Tertullian, Cyprian and others, who make express mention of some of them; and in the time of peace also, when as the Church began to have Christian Emperors, who became nursing fathers and nursing mothers of the Church, as is to be seen in the writings of most of the ancient fathers. Secondly, let it be granted, that the ceremonies of our Church were first invented and ordained by those that were popish and superstitious, yea by pagans and heathen men, as some do affirm, and were most wickedly abused to superstition and idolatry; is it therefore unlawful for Christians to use them, and to improve them to a good end? only because they were ordained and abused by them? What were this else but to take away the use of all things whatsoever? because they have either been invented and ordained by heathen men; or else abused by wicked and ungodly men. The captive ●oman that was taken in war, 
Deut. 21.  though otherwise an Infidel, her hair being ●horne and her nails being pared, night be married to an Israelitie. Deu. 21. so also things profaned and abused, being afterward corrected and reform, may be employed to a more holy and sacred use. In the sixth of josua, when the City of jericho was destroyed, God gave a commandment, that all the gold, silver, vessels of brass & iron should be consecrated and brought into the treasury of God; showing most plainly that things invented by heathen and abused by idolaters, may be converted to the service of God and the use and benefit of the Church. So then let it be granted that Mercury invented music: may not David therefore play upon a harp and praise God with an instrument of ten strings? Say that Aesculapus invented Physic, may not therefore Esay prescribe Ezechias a medicine for his sore? Put the case that Minerva invented navigation: may not therefore jonas and Paul sail in ships? To be short, let idolaters be inventors of all kind of utensils and household stuff: yet you shall find Christ himself sleeping upon a pillow, using a basin to wash his disciples feet, and girding himself with a linen garment, 
Linteo circilstringitur, propria Osyridis vest. Tertul. de Cor. militis  which Tertullian calls a garment proper and belonging to Osiris. The Egyptians jewels and their raiment will serve to put upon the Israelits. Exod. 3.22. & the wood of the groves where was the worship of strange Gods, will serve for sacrifices and  offerings to worship the true and everliving God. When things abused to idolatry are converted to God's honour, it fareth with them (saith S. 
Aug. Publicolae. ep. 154.  Austen) as it doth with men themselves; who are converted and changed, being of wicked & profane men, made holy and devout Christians: which as we do greatly praise and commend, so we cannot justly dispraise nor condemn the other. Lastly, were the ceremonies and orders of our Church impious and superstitious, is it likely that those holy & godly Martyrs would have used & observed them, who laid down their lives rather than they would be defiled with popish superstition and idolatry? unless perhaps we think ourselves to be of more wisdom and of better judgement than they were: which must needs be a sign of great arrogancy, in being wise in our own conceit, and in preferring ourselves before others. Therefore, so far ought we to be from dishonouring and disgracing these rites and Ceremonies, and forsaking our ministery in a dislike, and detestation of them, that we ought most willingly to subscribe and to conform ourselves unto them; and to praise and bless God, 
Col. 25  not only for the faith, but also for the order that is among us, as the Queen of Sheba blessed God for the decent order and government which she beheld in salomon's house. 
1. Kin. 10.11   
The last thing to be considered, is the end of his oblation: which besides the testifying of his thankfulness to God; is a particular respect concerning the priests, that it might be in testimonium for a witness unto them, that if they should out of their malice unto Christ, cavil about his cleansing, they might be convicted and condemned by the gift which they received, as from one that was made clean: for else, why did they take his offering, unless he were sound and perfectly healed of his disease? God dealeth with wicked & malicious men, as judges do with malefactors, who use to proceed upon witness and evidence that is against them; that if they shall afterward cavil and quarrel about the fact, they may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without all excuse, being convicted by the testimony and evidence that is against them.  
Hence it was, that Aaron's rod was kept in the Tabernacle for a witness against the jews, of their rebellion. 
Num. 17.10  Numb. 17. That the tables of stone written with Gods own finger, 
Heb. 9.4 Psal. 81.5.  and called the tables of the testimony, were kept in the Ark for a testimony of their disobedience, Psalm. 81. and that the Gospel was preached throughout the whole world, to be a witness of the infidelity of all that did not believe it. The Angels of God that stand round about us, our hearts and consciences that are within us, and all the creatures in the World that are without us, will be ready to bear record and witness of us. 
jam. 5.3  The rich man's gold and the rust of it will be a witness of his covetousness: 
Hab. 2.11.  the stone out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber, 
Ecc. 10.20.  shall be a witness of his cruelty: the fowls of heaven, and the birds of the air will be witnesses of his impiety and of his blasphemy.  
Wherefore, seeing we are compassed with a cloud of so many witnesses, 
Heb. 12.1.  as the Apostle speaketh in another case, let us cast off every thing that presseth down, and the sin that hangeth so fast on; let us be careful to keep not only our hearts, 
Prou. 4.23  but our tongues and our hands with all diligence, keeping (as it were) a continual watch amidst our thoughts, our words and our deeds; lest otherwise those that be present to behold us, be witnesses against us to convince and condemn us. Those that have a great many eyes upon them to observe and note all their words and deeds, are very wary and circumspect, that no undecent, nor unseemly thing pass and escape from them: so ought we to be every way as careful, and as provident; having so many to bear witness and record of us. It was Seneca his counsel to his friend Lucilius, that whensoever he went about to do any thing, he should imagine Cato or Scipio, or some other worthy Roman to be in presence; which as he thought, would make him the more careful and circumspect in all things: so ought we, whensoever we go about any thing, to consider, that God his holy Angels and his creatures are present to bear witness of us; and if any of these should fail, yet our own conscience never faileth to be present, going every where with us, and carrying about that with it, 
Conscientia est inseparabilis gloria vel confusio uniuscuiusque pro qualitate depositi. Bern. de inter. domo cap. 1.  which it hath received to keep; being every where unto us, either an inseparable glory to excuse and to save us, or an inseparable confusion to accuse and condemn us. In regard whereof, we ought all of us to have grace, as the Apostle saith, so to serve God and to please him with fear and reverence, that we need not to fear any witnesses, that shall at any time rise up against us; but contrariwise, 
2. Cor. 1.12  having the testimony and witness of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly pureness, we have had our conversation in the World, and giving an outward testimony and witness unto the World, of our faith and good works by the fruits thereof, we may receive both the inward testimony of the spirit to bear witness with our spirits that we are the sons 
Rom. 8.16  of God, and the outward testimony of God the Father, and of his son jesus Christ, saying unto us, 
Mat. 25.23  Euge bone serve & fidelis, It is well done good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful in a little, I will make thee ruler over much, enter into thy Master's joy.  
To which words I would here add a blessing and a thanksgiving, 
Scripturae scrutandae sunt, nec earum superficie debemus esse contenti, quae ita modificatae sunt ut altiùs se penetrari velint. Aug. Hesich. ep. 80  to conclude and shut up all as the manner is; but that Saint Austen tells me that the Scriptures are to be searched and to be ransacked: and that we ought not to content ourselves with the superficies, and outside of them, but that we are to penetrate into the very bowels of them. 
Omnia opera curationum Christi habent in se mysteria dispositionum Dei absconditarum. Chrys. in Mat.  And Saint Chrysostome more particularly saith, that all the works of Christ's healing and curing do contain in them certain mysteries of the hidden and secret dispositions of God. Which I know not how to open and to make manifest, unless the healing of this Leper doth represent and shadow out the healing of a sinner, and the curing of sin, which is as it were a leprosy of the soul. Which if it doth (as very well it may do) then ought we all of us to come unto Christ with the Leper, and to fall down before him, and humbly desire him to heal our souls, and to cleanse us from all our sins; he being the only Physician & the physic to heal us withal; whose blood doth both purge our consciences and cleanse us from all our sins. 
Heb. 9.14  Which desire of ours, he is both able in regard of his power, and willing in regard of his goodness, 
Psal. 147.18  to grant and perform; being ready both to send out his word to heal us with it, and to stretch out his hand, and to sprinkle his most precious blood upon us to cleanse us with it: 
Heb. 12.24  the virtue and efficacy whereof is such, that he doth even immediately, and as it were in a moment, cleanse us from all our sins, and heal us of all our iniquities. Whereof when we are cured, let us not tell it unto every one, by bragging and boasting of it, as if we were healed by our own power and godliness: 
Act. 3. 1●  but let us ascribe all the praise and glory unto God for it, presenting ourselves unto Christ jesus our high Priest, as unto our heavenly Physician, 
Heb. 9.12  who by his own blood entered into the holy place to sanctify us and to obtain eternal redemption for us; 
Rom. 12.1  offering up our souls and bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto him; as it were two Pigeons, or a pair of Turtle-doves, for a gift and a testimony of our thankfulness unto him: that so being judged and pronounced clean and pure from all leprosy of sin, we may (maugre the malice of Satan) be received into the society and company of the Saints in the holy City, 
Apoc. 4.13  the heavenly JERUSALEM, there to sing Halleluiah, and to give praise and honour and glory to him that sitteth upon the throne and to the LAMB for evermore. Which he vouchsafe to grant unto us, of his infinite goodness and mercy towards us, and for the inestimable price and merit of his own blood, wherewith he hath purchased us and washed us from all our sins, and obtained eternal redemption and salvation for us. To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit, three persons & one God, be ascribed all honour and glory, praise and dominion, both now and for ever.  
Amen.  
FINIS.   

Faults escaped in the Printing.  

Page 122. line 1. Read why weak and base, and not &c.  
Page 229. line 4. for Mediolanus, Read Mediolanum.