THE DISEASES OF THE TIME, Attended by their Remedies. By FRANCIS ROUS.  
LONDON, Printed by William Stansby for john Parker, and are to be sold at his shop in Paul's Churchyard, at the sign of the three Pigeons. 1622.   

TO THE RIGHT Worthy and my truly honourable Friend, Sir Benjamin Rudyerd, Knight.  
SIR,  
I Doubt not but diverse do direct the Dedications of their Heavenly Labours, according to earthly respects. But incongruous and untunable Dedications, have ever been harsh to my judgement, and it hath grieved me much, when I have seen a heavenly pearl offered to the hand, but trodden on by the foot of an earthy and sensual Patron, To avoid this Incongruity, I thought it best ●o dedicate a Work that concerns the prosperity of the Church of Christ jesus, to a lover of the same jesus, of the same Church, and the same Prosperity For such a one bears the face and presence of jehosaphat, which being seen encourageth a Prophet to speak, and not seen, dot● make him speechless. And surely I do but testify the Truth, when I say, that by ancient and inward knowledge, I have been assured of your love vn●o Zion, and your w●l-wish●●g to the prosperity of jerusalem. And even from this Root of Heavenly Love, do I believe that our particular Friendship hath sucks most part of its nourishment; which I think the rather, because it hath been hitherto durable, whereas worldly Friendships do usually alter with worldly Changes. Wherefore as to a lover of God's House, I present unto you these parcels of Purple and blue Silk, which I have consecrated toward the reparation of the Tabernacle. And I desire that when you receive these words from me, I may receive Prayers from you; that God will daily add to the Beauty of his Church, and that he will prosper these and the like Works, that endeavour to increase it. Neither shall your Prayers be altogether unrequited, for I will offer up my hearty des●res, for your inward and outward Advancement, and that as you grow outwardly in the World, you may grow inwardly in Christ jesus. For growth in Christ, is the growth of a holy happiness that shall flourish for ever.  
But growth out of Christ is the growth of Fuel, even of an everburning but a neverdying Misery.  
Yours in the best, that is in Christian affection, Francis Rous.   

A Light in the Porch for him that enters.  
I Confess the World is very tedious in the Multiplicity of his corruptions, and it would make a work of the like tediousness, if all the particulars of the one should become the contents of the other. But I have by diverse winnowings abated the Heap; desiring to set some shape, if not on the Matter (for Vice cannot be made handsome) yet on the manner of handling it. Ordinary Vices, which have ordinary (if just) Cures, I mostly omit, & leave the World to practise on themselves, that which they know already. Other evils there are, which for their insolent growth, scorn to be slain by a Pen, but like the Princes of Midian they call for Gideon himself, even the power of the Magistrate to fall on them. These being generally referred to their proper cure, yet if some be touched (for I have heard of a Giant slain by a Sling and a stone) they are encountered with the kindly Weapons of this Warfare, even Spiritual and not Carnal. Another sort of Evils like the Plague, by coming abroad infect farther & become Documents of Vice and not Reproofs. And I wish there were not another sort of Diseases like the same Sickness, which taking the Air in a Work of reproof, may strike back to the heart of the same Work, and make it to dye like jeremies' Roll, if it meet with that kind of humour which useth to cast away all, if any one thing differ from it. In such a Case, Addition may bring forth Substraction, and a little more in the writing, may cause a great deal less in the reading. Lastly, there are other Vices, which heretofore in some Meditations I have discovered, for which the labour of Repetition may be saved.  
But what saith the Man of Exception? Are not these the Times of Light and Purity, and therefore how can there be many faults where there is so much Light? Surely I willingly and thankfully acknowledge the purity of our Doctrine, and am assured that in many it hath brought forth the purity of Heart and Life. But I say, even because the Light is so clear, therefore doth sin the more appear, and appearing, is the more to be blamed. For the more light, the more Direction; and the more Direction, the more shame, and sharper reproof belongs to the strayer. Again, the more light, the more manifestation, and the more manifestation, the more sins appear; yea, sins appear the more sinful. So, in some sense, Light may be said to increase sins, but that is not in their number, but in the knowledge of the numberer. Therefore must our Light discover those to be 〈◊〉, which ancient Ignorance accounted to be none; and the Manhood of a Christian m●● t●e up to that height of Virtue, which his childhood could not reach unto; yea perchance did think it impossible or uncomely. Again, where the Devil hath lost much, there he labours much for the recovery of his losses, and the Husbandmen not being still awake (prosperity often enticing to security) the Enemy finds times to sow his tares: so that the good days of josiah had matter of reproof for the Prophet Zephaniah, and the flourishing Church of Thyatira was taxed for a mixture of the Servants of jezabel.  
Lastly, it is an observation of secular Policy, That all States, with time gather rust, and therefore by often reviews, they are to be reduced to the first grounds of Virtue and justice, which settled their Foundations. This is no less true in the Church, and if any doubt of it, let the Church of Ephesus resolve him. There was no long time between the planting of that Church, and the receiving of the Revelation. Of their first Estate Saint Paul a Master-workman in that Plantation, testifieth, that their Faith in Christ and Love to the Saints made him incessantly to give thankes to God for them. And of their second Estate at the time of the Revelation, Christ restifieth, that this Church was fallen from her first Love and her first Works. Therefore the Church, and every member of the Church out of the experience of humane frailty, by contiunall turns should suspect and examine themselves, to see what the Flesh hath gotten upon the Spirit, and so with Ephesus, remembering from whence they are fallen, return and amend, and do the first Works.  
Thus it appears that there is matter of reproof, even in the purest Churches, and if where there is matter, there reproof should be denied, this were to encourage Diseases, and to forbid Physic. Surely there is at this day a liberty, yea a necessity of reprooving, and it died not wholly when john Baptist died, but the House of God in all Ages hath it, and hath need of it. But I confess, there is a wisdom of reprooving, as well as a liberty, and I wish that they who have this wisdom, did especially, if not only, make use of this liberty; and I wish, that they who take the liberty, took also the wisdom with it. The occasion and manner of reprooving ofttimes makes the reproof effectual, and an especial part of the manner is this. That it proceed from a visible Charity. Splenaticke and eager reproofs harden those affections, which they pretend to soften, because these reproofs look like a quarrel or revenge, and no● like the incisions of Love, which hurt only, that they may heal. Surely, the aim and end of all admonitions should be, the good of the admonished; and those are most commendable which are most effectual to this end, and not those which fit most with the humour of the Reproover. Now if such means of advantage be sought and practised, a shame and a curse must needs light on that Man, who being sought by Love to be amended, returns hatred for the best office of Love.. Most commonly to such a one belongs the speech of the Prophet to Amaziah; I know that the Lord will destroy thee, because thou refusest my counsel.  
As for Babylon, let her not think, because of such reproofs that her deeds are better than those of Zion. For even because of such reproofs, the deeds of Zion are better than those of Babylon. For Zion grows more beautiful and glorious, by seeing her spots, by acknowledging them, and by washing them away. But a special mark and brand it is of the son of perdition, to hide sins as Adam, yea to bind them fast with the cart-ropes of Iniquity. And this hath the Church of Rome done; for by Canons and Counsels they have bound their errors fast to them, and by a kind of perpetuity, have entailed Error to them and their heirs for ever. Now it is a certain Rule, when there is no Remedy by persuasion, than God useth the Remedy of Destruction. This did God with his own People, 2. Chro. 36.16. This did he with the first Babylon, jerem. 51.9. And this will he do with the last, Reuel. 18.5, 7, 8. Secondly, here is not one corn of our Doctrine pulled up, but only the tares that have been mingled among it, by humane error and infirmity, or by the malicious diligence of Satan. Thirdly, among these Tares, shall they find their own Doctrines, so that part of this business is to show, that the main Body of their Religion, is a Body of Sores, that upon the knowledge of Babylon's unholsomnesse, Zion may fly from her infection.  
It is now time, that the Reader be admitted into the house, but I think he will be content to stay till he know what I have done, as at first I told him what I have not done. I have aimed to the Vices, not usually discovered, not rightly cured, or not thus cured. Vices I call them, that are found in the Understanding, as well as the Will; for error and ignorance are faults, ●s well as outward, visible, and bodily disorders. But when all ●his is done toward the cu●e ●f Man, there is nothing done, until the same God, who gives the word to the mouth, speake● the same word to the heart. Therefore with the Centurion, let us entreat the Lord, that he will but speak the word, and we his servants shall be whole.  HIERON, ad Demetriadem de virgin. seruanda. Sermo offendit plurimos, dum unusquisque in se intelligens quod dicitur; non quasi monitorem libenter audit, sed quasi criminatorem sui operis aversatur.  

THE CHIEF Heads and Contents of this Book.  

CHAP. I. Two deuers Diseases, of them that love to publish All and Nothing.  
CHAP. II. The Folly of Natural Wisdom, preferring the Hand maid before the Mist is, Philosophy before Divinity.  
CHAP. III. A healing of their Grief, that are affrighted at Christianity, and run away from it, as f●om so●e terrible and ugly thing.  
CHAP. FOUR That Religion is the true Root of Valour, against the waking D●ea●es of the Philosophical Wizard and the angry Russian.  
CHAP. V A C●n●er in the Mouth, from whence issu●th the loathsome Breath of Rank● and ●uperflueus Swearing.  
CHAP. VI Against their Frenze, that affirm a blind Belief to be the Soul of Christianity, and make Christians to be the mere Slaves of the Authority of Man.  
CHAP. VII. Aphorisms of Predestination.  
CHAP. VIII. Of the small Health, and great Vnhealthynesse of the Church of Rome, wherein most conspicuous is a Wen grown to the likeness of a Head.  
CHAP. IX. A cure of that Monastical Melancholy, that cuts off a Christians Hands, and turns him all into Eyes.  
CHAP. X. Against hungry and pinching Holiness; a foolish Craft of some, Wh● if they may save much here, care to be saved but a little hereafter.  
CHAP. XI. An Error that forbids men though mortally diseased, to be cured by a sick Physician.  
CHAP. XII. Spiritual Wickedness in High Places, & the Remedy.  
CHAP. XIII. A double fault in teaching; one that f●etteth the whole Flesh; another that nourisheth the proud Flesh; one thinks to save men by angering and despising them; the other will not save them, rather than offend them.  
CHAP. XIIII. The diseases of Representation, that infect by the Eye, and the Eare.  
CHAP. XV. Of the pharisees Disease, The love of uppermost Seats.  
CHAP. XVI. Anti-Circ●. A Potion tha● turns Beasts into Men, being before turned from Men into Beasts.  
CHAP. XVII. Certain false Appetites, that distaste the Foo● of Life, though dressed in it own Kind, if not dressed to their own Mind.  
CHAP. XVIII. That the use of the Keys is an excellent Remedy for the Diseases of the Church, if itself be not diseased, and that it is not to be tak●n for a Privilege to be free from Remedies, and not f●om Diseases.  
CHAP. XIX. The Discovery of certain main causes of Wars, and Wounds in the Church, and the means of their cure.    
THE DISEASES OF THE TIME, Attended by their Remedies.  

CHAP. I. Two diverse Diseases of them that love to publish all and nothing.  
CONCERNING the publishing of Works and writings (besides the commonly exploded Issues of obscene and frivolous Brains) there is a twofold Error and Infirmity. One is of those that love to publish as much as they can write; and a second is, of them that love to publish nothing. The first sort, commonly passeth into their extremity by an overflowing Conceit of their own Ability, which makes them to love whatsoever is theirs; or perchance for want of judgement, which teacheth Proportion, and says, that even of things lovely & good, there must be a stint and measure; and that an excellence in Quality, may be a fault in Quantity. Now that men may free themselves of this evil, which is selfe-deceit, out of self conceit, let them choose Witnesses for the Issues of their Souls, as the custom is for those of their Bodies. Let us invite some of our most sincere and severe Friends, to give testimony of the Ingenuity & Utility of those spiritual children, and so in the mouth of two or three Witnesses, let the words of such Writings stand. Surely such have a great advantage above the Author in censuring his Works, their judgements being free from the spectacles of self-love, which make all our own things seem great in our own eyes. But we ought to know, that these must be men of justice and Valour, as well as of judgement to execute, as well as to know; for such only will not fear to displease their Friend, that they may profit him, they will save a public reproof by a private, and by the Chastisement of a Friend, will prevent the torturing of an Enemy. And Writers in this case must be more than patiented, for they must be thankful unto to Censure, which squareth & fashioneth their Works unto their true end; the common good. And now, that both the Author and his Witnesses may have a Rule and Remedy for the Riot and Excess of writing, even of things of worth; let them hearken to an order already set forth, that new writings should still bring forth some new Addition to their subject. And indeed if this were observed, it would stop the mouth of Detraction, even at the widest. For in this case there is nothing left for Detraction to say, but that it is offended with the increase of those Works which increase either Knowledge or Virtue. And if here the Reader tell me, Physician heal thyself, I answer him again, That except the Readers be all healthy, I am not sick: for he is not sick of writing, that by writing cures the sick. Besides it must be confessed, that when Divinity is the subject, this Rule though it may not wholly be broken, yet it doth sometimes receive Dispensations and Inlargements, for in some cases there may be a great use of repetitions and doublings.  
And first, this is very requisite in things chief necessary; whereof the retention is highly profitable, and the neglect and ignorance full of danger.  
Secondly, when the thing is full of difficulty, either in regard of apprehension, or practise, so that it is not easily known or performed. In these cases the saying of the Apostle is most true, That to write the same things, is for us a most sure thing; for even here also Detraction itself shall be forced to confess, that repetition is not unnecessary where the matters repeated are not sufficiently conceived or received, neither hath been enough taught which hath not been well heard. No more than that man hath knocked enough to whom the door was not yet opened.  
Therefore if men would find a fault about this kind of repetition, let them seek it in themselves, and then they cannot miss it; for it is their own dulness, their neglect, or at least their infirmity that causeth it, and until these faults be amended, they cannot well lay a fault upon repetition; yet withal we may still remember that even in these Patents of Licence there is a measure and reservation; for if the transcendent works and words of our Saviour Christ were in part suppressed, because the World could not bear them, I think thence doth plainly arise this Doctrine, That the Capacity of Mankind is the most commendable measure of writing. Man may carry away for his use that which is within his strength of bearing; but a burden greater than his strength, spoileth his strength and falleth itself to the ground. Therefore five words remembered, are better than a thousand forgotten; and it is for loss, and not for profit, when so much is delivered, as the plenty destroyeth the memory, or tyreth the endeavours of the Learner. Yet, I confess, that a little redundance is safer and better, than a little want. For in outward uses, we desire that a stream should carry more water than we use, rather than to ●arrie till the springs rise. It is easy to let the superfluous water to slide away, & it is easy for a man to read no farther than he reads for a trial. But here I cannot but speak to the nicensse and cloyednesse of this time, a disease of Readers. Plenty of knowledge hath been turned into an occasion of loathing: and knowledge only by plenty is become a light and dry meat, as Manna to Israel. Surely we are in an extreme faultiness, when in steed of thankfulness to God for plenty, we return loathsomeness; & the blessings which he reacheth to us in mercy, we put back to him with neglect and scorn. When thy friend inviteth thee to a Feast, and sets before thee plenty of Dishes, thou takest kindly his abundance as a sign of his love, and except thou art a Glutton, thou art not angry with him nor his meat, because some of it is left uneaten. Surely God here giveth thee the food and delicates of Heaven in the sundry dishes of the several expressions and labours of his Servants: And why art thou not as thankful to God as thou art to thy Neighbour? Though there be more then enough, thou mayest take but enough, the plenty forceth nothing upon thee, but only giveth thee choice; Take therefore but that which sit●eth thee, & so much as thou mayest well overcome, and be not angry, but thankful for that which is left, for that may serve another as fitly as thy choice serveth thee. A miserable disproportion it is, that God's plenty of goodness to us, should be made an occasion of diminishing our goodensse to him, & the more he gives the less thankes he should receive. Yea, much rather let the abundance of his blessings procure an abundance of Thanksgiving, for this is verily the right duty of proportion, to increase our thankes as God increaseth his blessings. Now for the disease of not publishing (I mean only of such things as have worth in them) this proceeds commonly of two causes. The one is an error in judgement, when men being wisely mad, they think it an especial piece of reason to sit down in a self contentment, and to delight themselves, in themselves, by themselves. These men are their own ends, and indeed are no other than Churls in knowledge; for as wretches keep their Gold only for sight and not for use, so these hoarders of Knowledge make their Knowledge but a selfe-recreation, & not a matter of profit to others. They are Fathers, Nurses, and Murderers of their own Children, having begotten them, they kiss them, and then bury them. But these high-spirited men in their own behalf have as they think a generous objection: What (say they) shall we prostitute our high conceptions, and heavenly raptures, to the common use and censure of the vulgar? Here the word Common is the most emphatical part of the question. And surely in that very word I think lies the best part of the answer. For as these singulars make commonness the reason of their distaste of publishing; So communicative men and lovers of the public have thought that goodness doth grow more good by commonnes. Indeed if knowledge were a feather, or a hat, or a beard, or in sum, a thing of fashion, it were a reason very receiveable (though not very reasonable) to say, The fashion is common, and therefore contemptible & to be suppressed. But knowledge is a thing of use, and that of the highest nature, it is the food of Spirits, and food may not be taken away from the hungry, though there be a common plenty of it; and fullness in many hath bred loathing. And indeed if thou hast any thing that may add unto knowledge or virtue, there is a hunger and need of it, and thou art fare from that Nobleness which thou pretendest, if thou dost not commiserate necessity, neither resemblest the chiefest pattern of Majesty and Honour, who filleth the hungry with good things. It is indeed a matter of Pusillanimity, not to be able to endure a false and witless aspersion; and such is that censure which condemns thee for being publicly profitable. And if there be any spot or grief in this tax of vulgarity, undergo it patiently for the good of the public, and so become a Confessor for piety and virtue. And if yet thou be ashamed to be known for a public well-doer, give us thy works and keep thy name to thyself.  
But if all this cannot draw thee out of thy den of singularity, I wish thou mayest be famished out of it, by the return of thine own reason and dealing upon thee. For it is a rule of justice, that which men do, they should suffer; and yet I would have thee suffer it no longer, but till thou dost it no more. Now that which thou dost and thy fellows do, is this: ye are a world by yourselves, and the rest are left as a world by themselves; Now as ye are men of another world, to this world, by the way of retribution should this world be a diverse world unto you. As your little world keeps his worth to itself, so should the great world keep his worth to itself. And then I doubt not, but hunger, and thirst, and labour, would teach you the laws of Traffic, and force you out of your Cells of separation. Then would nature teach to give, where there is a receiving, as grace hath already taught us. That it is more blessed to give, then to receive; And indeed where hath any man gotten this high privilege, to be so excellent a part of the whole, that the whole should only be a servant of that part. That a part is inferior to the whole, even as a member to the body, the ancient doctrines and examples of Heathens will teach thee if thou art a Heathen, for they have been prodigal of their lives to bring their words of this kind into Actions. But if thou art a Christian, the Word is near thee, even in thy mouth. That the members of Christ must love and cherish each other, as the members of a body. To this end, excellent is the exhortation of the great GREGORY, Qui audit dicat veni, etc. Let him that inwardly hears the voice of grace, outwardly call men by the voice of exhortation. But especially remarkable is that in his Pastoral Cure; Christ our elder brother being dead, we are bound to raise up seed unto our elder brother. And if any that are enriched with gifts, yet dote on the privateness of contemplation, and neglect the profit of the public, surely in the strictness of judgement, how much they may profit, so much they are guilty.  
Now a second cause of this mystery of silence, is a distemper of the body, when man are chained up with Melancholy, and durst not break prison. These love not the light, but enjoy darkness, and bring up their children, and bury them in the dungeon with them. To these I wish a bodily cure and outward physic. Yet with all the physic of grace, by which we are stirred up to resist and overcome the whole flesh, in the different vices of his several humours and complexions.   

CHAP. II. The Folly of Natural Wisdom, preferring the Handmaid before the Mistress, Philosophy before Divinity.  

D. Char. in his preface of Wisdom.  THere is a certain Wizard whose Morality outstrippeth his Divinity, that accordingly preferreth the practice of Morality before the practice of Divinity. He saith the virtue and honesty of Divines is deject, sad, fearful, and vulgar, but that of the Philosophers is pleasant, puissant, noble, and rare. These words have an unmannerly sound, though some of his Sectaries will perchance say they have a sound meaning, but if his meaning were good it had not been amiss in so weighty a matter to have bestowed other or more words upon us, that among some of them we might have found out the goodness of his meaning. For my part, I cannot perceive any justifiable sense in them, but hold them being radically and fundamentally examined full of danger and untruth. Dangerous they are especially to the unwritten Tables of young brains; for by the Proclamation of such notable excellence and transcendence in humane wisdom, the affections of such are lifted up to the more noble knowledge, and they look down with contempt on a lower and meaner Learning. But let those who by that Author are brought into danger know, that they are brought into danger by an untruth, & then perchance the knowledge of the untruth may prevent the hurt of the danger.  
And though to some it may seem, that because there are profitable truths to be found in this Author, therefore a few errors should be pardoned; I confess, I am even for this reason the more unwilling to pardon them. For therefore are the errors more dangerous, because they come in the company of some notable Truths, it being a ready and common course, that Errors accompanied with Truths are the more easily swallowed, the excellence of the Truths speaking for the Errors, and strongly persuading, that the Author of such Truths can hardly be also the Author of Errors. Besides it were far safer that he had kept both his Truths and Errors in silence, then that they should both have an equal acceptance. For he that learneth not those Truths from him, may learn most of them from others, for others have spoken much of that which he teacheth: and yet if they fail of a great part of them, there is truth enough beside to be had to make a man temporally and eternally happy. But he that receiveth these Errors, though accompanied with his notable Truths, the Errors will make him miserable, if believed, even in spite of the Truths. For certainly it is the most fearful misery of all to confine Mankind, within such a dungeon of wickedness and wretchedness as this world is, and though these Wizards charm their Disciples with their wittiest enchantments, yet they shall still be but wretches, the naughtiness of the world, and the crazy infirmities of their own bodies shall torment them, & the blackness of darkness, even the shadow of death shall terrify them. For that darkness is naturally fearful to Man, and the fearfulness of Morality may assuage or put off by fits, but it will still return upon them. Again, it brings a man to an amazement, and makes him to quarrel with his Creator, and to ask this question of that highest Wisdom, Hast thou made all men for nought? or in other words, Hast thou been wise in making Man to no purpose? For Man considered only in this life is merely vanity, and his life after death being cast up amounteth to nothing. Besides, such subtle and cunning Doctors pick not away the lower sort of wits, but the higher; in whom natural understanding being high, claspeth strongly with the chiefest natural reasons. For Nature without grace, the wiser it is, the more mad it grows upon natural reason. And now that I may rightly perform the cure of this Evil, I will take his own titles from Philosophy, and give them to Divinity, and I doubt not but to make the very same good on Divinity which he speaketh of Philosophy; even that Divinity is more noble, pleasant, puissant, and rare than Philosophy. And first for Nobility. That Nobility which this Man especially condemneth in Philosophy, I think to be the freedom and undependance thereof, even a mere practice of virtue for virtue's sake, without the respect of an higher Rule, judge, or End. But this which he termeth Nobility I believe to be baseness, and doubt not to prove it. For Divinity though it goes with Philosophy a little, yet it leaves it behind in the latter and higher degrees of Virtue. For Divinity commendeth goodness because it is good, but than it goes farther and judgeth it to be good, because it is conformable to the highest Rule of goodness; and so it teacheth the practiser to make God the Rule & Square of Virtue. It resteth not in this that goodness is supposed to be goodness, but it fetcheth the practice of goodness from God, and having fetched it from God it returns it to God; It borrowed it of God and therefore pays it to him from whom it was borrowed; It knowing it to be good because it is agreeable to the Highest goodness, for the same reason it doth it, even because it is agreeable to him. So the Divine in his highest degree is fare above the Philosopher, for he practiseth goodness for the same reason by which it came to be goodness, even because by a conformity it proves itself to be descended from the Highest goodness. And surely let them deceive themselves as much as they list. It is the happiest and rightest estate of a Creature to be conformed unto his Creator, to fetch derivative goodness from the primative, and to examine it thereby, and finally to return the derivative to the use of the primative. And here I might encounter another Gentilism of this Author, which is an opinion, that all virtues are not branches of piety, but piety is a branch of a virtue. True it is indeed in a Heathen, that virtue is not a branch of piety, both because he hath no true piety, and because his virtue and his piety issue both jointly and not subordinately, from distinct considerations of his natural reason. And even therefore his piety is not piety, nor his virtue, virtue. For true piety alone is the mother of true virtue, neither is there any true virtue that is not the true child of piety. For the Creator is the pattern and rule of virtue to his Creature, and the end of it. It is fetched from him, it is referred to him. By God we prove and justify our virtue, of God we have strength to perform it, and what by God we know to be good, and knowing were enabled to perform, that we justly return to God. So true virtue looks in all her actions toward God; it learns of him what pleaseth him, that which pleaseth him it knows to be virtue, and then it doth it, because it pleaseth him. The true pious man acknowledgeth God to be the beginning and Author both of his being and of virtue, and therefore he refers his being and his actions of virtue to the Author and Owner of both. So he doth virtue because it is Gods and because he is Gods. He is Gods and therefore justly endeavours to please God whose he is, and virtue is Gods, and therefore he wisely endeavours to please God by that which is his. God's wisdom and Dispensation, gave to Man both the seeds and laws of virtue, and therefore the pious man doth them with an eye to the Author, Rule, and End of them. And whosoever doth any virtue, without an eye to God as the Author and Rule of virtue, (both to enable and to approve it) or to the same God as the Owner and End of both, this man is a traitor to his Maker, and guilty of impiety, because he robs God of his Creatures, and the Creature of their true End. For he doth not his actions by whom nor for whom he should do them. But to true Christians it shall be a steadfast Rule of their actions, That by God and for God are all things, and therefore their virtues; And if all their virtues be fetched from God and done for God, then are all their virtue's fruits of piety, even of the worship and service of their Maker. But now having found out these premises, let us by their light discover & examine who is base, the Philosopher or the Divine.  
And first I say that the Divine is more noble in his Rule of virtue than the Philosopher. For the Philosopher hath got a Soul he knows not how, with some measure of reason in it (but I must tell him terribly ruined and degenerate) and having got it he hugs it, looks on it, and sets his rest, and contentment in the sight and operation of it, and compares it only with itself. But the soul having a derivative goodness, the true tryer and touchstone thereof must be the primative goodness. Therefore they do foolishly that examine their souls by their souls, and their Reasons by their Reasons, especially in this state of corruption, for if the soul be crooked it cannot serve for a Rule to rectify itself. But the primative Rule and goodness ought to be the Rule of the derivative, and to it must it have recourse to know whether it have swerved or no.  
Therefore the Philosopher while he dwells in himself, fails in judgement as well as in honesty. But the Divine (I mean the practiser of Divinity) escapeth these faults; and ennobles himself fare above the Philosopher, by a continual recourse to his original. For perceiving that from God he hath his knowledge & goodness, he looks up unto God as unto the highest Rule of all created goodness. Therefore he reason's not foolishly with the Philosopher, It is true, or it is good because I who am frail and imperfect think it to be so, but because the highest perfection, truth and goodness hath declared it to be so. For (as before) goodness is goodness, even because it is uniform unto God.  
Secondly, the Divine is more noble than the Philosopher in the means of acting virtue; for knowing that from God proceedeth all strength, he seeks strength for the action on of Virtue from the Author of strength: whereas the Philosopher makes use of an old decayed strength, which is the remainder of the gift of God, without either petition or thankes to God. The Divine indeed commends Virtue for the spark that it hath of the first Image of the Maker, but yet acknowledgeth great defects in it, and therefore desires to perfect it by the renewing of the same Maker, and then having renewed it by him, he refers it to him. So the virtue of a Christian, doubly acknowledgeth God the Author of it, and with double strength returns unto him; both as it came first from God by Creation, and after the Creation being defaced, as it was renewed by Regeneration.  
Thirdly, the Divine is more noble than Philosopher, in giving the Creator his right in his Creature; for knowing that his whole person came from God, he voluntarily, freely, and joyfully returns himself wholly to God, he gives the Creatue to the Creator, and makes him his end who is his true Owner by being his beginning. But the Philosopher cuts off the Creature from the Creator, either by denying the Creation (and yet he sees no man now adays spring out of the Earth) or otherwise by denying all traffic between the Creator and his Creature. As if God had cast out caresly from his hand, so admirable a Creation, and willingly lost it, and so became a Creator to no purpose, or else regardeth it only as a Spectator of Gladiators and Fighters with beasts, even as one that delighteth to behold the miseries that Mankind wreaketh on itself, which is a blasphemy against the Fountain of Goodness. But fare be it from us to account ourselves our own, but his, even his Creatures, Children and Servants. Indeed, if ourselves & our Virtues were originally ours, than might we rest in ourselves, & love both our own selves & our own virtues by themselves and for themselves. But God hath a property in us and our virtues, and therefore as to a father we ought to offer the service of Children. For a just & upright soul cannot but take delight in pleasing him who is to her the Author of being.  
Wherefore, I desire hereafter that the Philosopher will not despise the Son for a cheerful pleasing his Father; nor the Servant for a comfortable practice of Virtue, because it is acceptable to his Lord the true Owner both of him and his Virtues. For although himself be a fugitive Servant, and hath turned his Livery into a Suit of Apparel, and swaggers it up and down in his runaway freedom, yet the Master's property lies as a heavy burden & accusation upon him, and shall one day bring him to the Bar of the highest justice, and in the mean time he stands here below indicted for a Vagabond, and so is far worse in his stolen Gallantry, than a Servant is in a just & voluntary obedience. The service of a Christian is a service of love, and therefore it is a noble service. A Christian loves God, and therefore pleaseth him by doing that which God love's. Now this service of love is noble because it is voluntary, pleasant, and cheerful.  
Love casteth out fear, and takes delight in pleasing him whom it love's; and therefore it cheerfully obeys him, and indeed, such cheerful obeyers doth God only love; Therefore such should only be called Divines, and their virtue the only virtue of Divines. Which if it be granted, then is the slander of the dejection, sadness, and baseness, of the Divines wholly overthrown.  
Lastly, the Divine is more noble than the Philosopher in his Mark or End. For the fruition of God is proposed by the Divines in their practice of virtue, but that by these is turned to an objection while themselves have no other end but some transitory use of virtue. True it is, that Christians beholding the beauty of virtue, they love the look of it, and highly esteem it. But yet more Reasons of estimation do bind more, and the adding of strength doth not weaken but strengthen; else a threefold cord were easier to be broken, than a single one.  
Therefore, God knowing the corruption of man's nature, and that few men in this state of depravation have either understanding or worth to value goodness sufficiently, and accordingly to practise it, he hedgeth in the frailty of man with the double enclosure of punishment and reward, and all little enough (and too little as Experience shows) to keep him in his way.  
Though virtue be lonely to a clarified understanding, yet man's understanding being in the most pudled by the fall, and in every one sometimes dimmed by passions the fruits of the fall, the beauty of virtue than shines not to an un-seeing eye, but the will by fear or benefit is then most to be wrought on. If therefore to aid so great a weakness, there be a supplement of strength by the proposition of danger and profit, the nature of man is hereby the more succoured, and we are to blame, if we blame our helps. But they will say, they are most noble, that have no need of them; and that tread the path of virtue, neither for fear nor covetousness. I answer, that Goodness and Happiness being naturally linked together, and wickedness and misery, the understanding and will, more readily employ and bend themselves to the good, and from the evil by reason of that Union. And surely, Happiness being tied to Goodness by the Chain of Providence, we cannot but mend our pace to goodness, by the sight of annexed Happiness: and it were folly not to look on that which may both delight & encourage us.  
Our will desireth good naturally, and therefore good being tied to goodness, gives more appetite to the will. And surely herein was the same kind of Action in the Heathen, though by mistaking. For these did seek a sovereign good in virtue; and even for that sought it the more fervently. Now the odds is this, that we have a sovereign good with virtue, though not in virtue, conjoined but not confounded. So virtue is lovely to us, but God the Fountain of virtue is fare more lovely, and to him we walk in the path of virtue. Now there is no baseness in loving virtue well for itself, neither in loving the Author of virtue better than it, neither in loving virtue the more for leading us to the Author of virtue. So we may not be blamed but rather should be commended (virtue being the way to the Author of virtue) if we make this use of this little stream of goodness, by the guiding thereof to come to the infinite ocean of Goodness.  
Surely, we then love virtue best, when not contented with the drops of it, we labour earnestly to come to the fountain and fullness of it; and by practising a little virtue to come to the perfection of it. If one poor spark of virtue be to be loved for itself, much more is that infinite Rock of Orient and most shining virtue to be loved in God, and it is a most reasonable purpose and resolution to love the Higher Excellence more than the lower, and to love the lower the better if it lead to the Higher.  
When we find gold Oar in the top of the Earth, we value it highly, but we value it the more, because it leads us to the Gold Mine itself. Therefore the Philosophers were children in this, that having found a Myne-stone, they played with it, and sought no farther, but the Christians are truly wise, who having found it, follow the Vein until they come to enjoy the very Root and Treasury thereof. Another spot which is cast on Divinity, by the odious comparison or preferment of Philosophy, is this, That the virtue of Divines is more vulgar, and that of Philosophy more rare. Hear I cannot but stand still and wonder, how this man came to use speeches so flatly contrary to the speeches of Christ, and having spoken them, to propose them to Christians. Either he thinks himself herein wiser than Christ, or that we are no Christians, and therefore apt to believe him before Christ the Author and Finisher of our Faith: But it is an ancient truth, The natural man is blind in the things of God, Christ hath said, The way to Heaven is narrow, and few there be that find it, and I take it, that is rare which but a few do find. Israel was but a drop to the Ocean of Mankind, and Israel only had for a long time the Statutes and judgements of God.  
Again, at this time when Religion is let out into the World, how is it beyonded by Turkism, Atheism, Gentilism, Heresies, and Epicurism? Surely, a true Christian is a rare thing, and if it were not so, this man could not well have hoped to be generally believed that they are common. And if he means by vulgar (besides the commonness) to intimate that Christianity is incident to meanness, and so is fit for the common people, as well in that they are base, as in that they are many, I utterly gainsay him; For if Divinity be truly examined, it requireth the highest understandings to search it, the mightiest and noblest endeavours to perform it, for in Divinity they are Mysteries which are taught, and excellent things which are commanded. Therefore Christ tells things hidden and unsearchable to the very wise of the world, and enjoineth virtues excelling the ambitious holiness of the very Scribes and Pharises. Yea, he wyteth his hearers that contented themselves with ordinary virtues, saying, What great or excellent thing do ye? yet the truth is, that to sundry of the mean ones, God imparteth the light and grace of Christianity, but not because meanness is fit to apprehend it, but because by meanness God best expresseth his own excellence, and shows his power chief in infirmity, and his light in darkness. Therefore for his own glory he chooseth them and not for their ability toward Religion, but rather for their notabilitie in some respect. For whereas by their natural unableness, they were altogether uncapable of Divine Mysteries, God is sure to get glory to his Spirit, which entering into men so full of darkness and meanness, makes them lightsome, wise, able, and truly noble, For from henceforth being regenerate, They understand secrets, perform difficult virtues, aspire unto eternity, and despise temporal, though glorious vanity. Thus mean men receiu grace not by their meanness, but for their meannes, & receiving it are no longer mean, but are made excellent and noble. This is it which David says: Psalm 19 That God by his Word gives understanding to the simple. And Psal. 119. That by the fear of God he became wiser than his Teachers: And if we look for examples to omit those ancient Fishermen (a profession commonly most ignorant) whose words and writings cannot be matched by the world in spiritual, that is in the best wisdom: I will speak of our times, that in them I have seen Men admirable in Simplicity for worldly things, but miraculous in Divine knowledge, so that their speeches in the one kind have been contemptible, and in the other have sounded like Oracles. So that a great knowledge being found in a great simplicity, it may not be thought, That simplicity is the cause of Knowledge, but we must look a higher cause, even that the Creator is the cause of a new Creation. And the fountain of Wisdom is the cause of these drops of new and supernatural wisdom, poured into natural simplicity. And this hits right with Christ's speech unto Peter, Flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father in Heaven. And that Divinity is not a shallow knowledge fit to be waded through by dwarfish ignorance, the experience of the Fathers may confirm. For the chiefest of them were men of admirable wisdom, great learning, and unwearied study, and yet they found in Divinity Wisdom beyond their Understanding, Learning above their Learning, and Work beyond their Time. Therefore it shall remain a certain Truth, That Religion ordinarily requires Wisdom, and therefore though it often lights on them that lack it, yet than it brings Wisdom with it. And indeed Religion brings with it the best Wisdom. For that is the best Wisdom which teacheth us the most perfect virtues, and leads us to the most perfect, absolute, and eternal Happiness. Lastly, though God do show most often his strength in weakness, yet that Grace of God is no common work, neither, among the common people. But surely I think this man deceived himself thus; He saw in the blind Religion of his Country, the common people led with Ignorance and Superstition, and out of that superstitious Ignorance, to do many seeming works of Charity and Piety, and on these he bestowth the title of the virtue of Divines. But it is a great error to make Superstition the Root and Mother of Theological virtue; for Superstition is a Bastard begotten by an informed and ignorant fear of the Deity. Such people are as fare from true Divinity, as he is from the true commendation of it. And himself in his chapter of Piety, hath truly showed piety to be of so high a Nature, uniting Man to his Root the Godhead, that I wonder he could here make the superstitious dotage of the ignorant vulgar, to be the high and transcendent virtue of the Divines. For let him confess ingeniously, how many of the vulgar hath he known truly to return to their original, and to knit themselves unto it.  
Surely, it seems he forgot at last what he had written at first, or knew not at first what he would write at last. But say what he list, Theological virtue is of no base stamp, it containeth in it an union with God, and from hence issueth an Image of God, and from this Image the Love of God, Charity to our Neighbour, and Sobriety in ourselves. And in this path of virtue, it leads us to Felicity. And when he hath magnified his Philosophy to the highest, Divinity challengeth all the Goodness it hath as her servant, and adds more unto it. Now for the other two Epithets wherewith he decketh Philosophy, and whereof he robbeth Divinity, Pleasantness and Power; I have fitted several discourses for them, yet withal respecting other faults. But the Reader may set such pieces of them together, as being inlaid in his memory jointly with this, may serve for an entire Confutation of these errors. And that his memory may not travail fare for the doing of it, I here immediately adjoin them.   

CHAP. III. A healing of their Grief that are affrighted at Christianity, and run away from it, as from some terrible and ugly thing.  
THere are some that think on Religion, as upon some fearful Apparition, and accordingly receive the Image thereof into their Minds; in the likeness of a sour, grim, and austere visage. And surely some pharisees have given a Confirmation hereunto. But this is an especial deceit and fraud of the Devil, to rob us of the greatest joy by a false fear of the greatest sadness. Is there any more comfortable thing, than the union of Man with his Sovereign Good? Is there any thing more pleasant than light, and true Christians have in them the beams of the uppermost Light? Is there any thing more ravishing then Beauty, and these are delighted with the highest Beauty of the Creator, and with the lower Beauties of just and holy men, resembling the higher? What delights Man more than to love and to be beloved, and behold a Christian is the best lover, and loved of the best? Virtue was glorious in the eyes of the Heathen, so that in regard of her they despised all labours and sufferings, yea, life itself. Yet their Virtue was but of a bounded Nature, & as a standing Pool, whose waters are by measure. But the Virtues of Christianity are continual streams flowing from the eternal Fountain of the Deity; and have an unlimited power of daily increasing. I cannot, I would not say all that the joy of Christians can afford me, I have 
* Arté of Happ●nesse.  elsewhere saved this labour. Neither let men think but that these are matters of Fact, and not of mere Speculation, for the hearts of true Christians are at this day living Witnesses, and the Say of the Dead cry aloud to confirm it. Read DAVID rejoicing in his Psalms, and you will think him a man ravished, so doth every word swell with joy, praise, and exultation. See him dancing before the Ark, and if you be no wiser than a very woman, you will think him out of his wits, but if you be so wise as a good woman, you will say, his soul did magnify the Lord, and his Spirit rejoiced in God his Saviour.  
Again, read the Song of David, describing the ecstasies of love and delight, wherein the Church almost loseth herself, as unable to contain them, and you cannot but say, that there is a joy entered into the heart of man which cannot get itself wholly into it by comprehension; nor get out of it by expression. All the Instruments of Music, all the Creatures both sensible and insensible, are summoned together to help forth the utterance of an unutterable joy. And how can you blame him, for his soul is in the Courts of Heaven, Where to be a doorkeeper for one day, is better than to be a thousand years in the Courts of Princes, and yet most men think that Courtiers have great joy of their places.  
Again, God's Words are sweeter to him then the honey, and you know, Sweetness is the God of the Epicure. Yea, it is more precious than fine Gold, and Gold is the God of the Worldling. Thus a Christians joy surmounteth the joys of the Naturalist, even Honour, Pleasure, and Profit. But if this be true, you will say, how comes it that so few seek heavenly, and almost all seek earthly joys? and perchance thou which readest it art also of the same mind. Hereunto I answer, That the fault is in the Taste, not in the Meat; in the folly of the judgement, not in the Pearl; when a grain of Corn is preferred before it. To taste spiritual joys a man must be spiritual, for the spirit relisheth only the things of the spirit, and like loveth his like. Between a spiritual man and spiritual joys, there is as mighty an appetite and enjoying, as between fleshly meat and a carnal stomach. Therefore the want of this taste and apprehension condemneth the World to be carnal, but magnifies the joys spiritual, as being above a gross and carnal apprehension.  
Surely, the face of this world at the first view, shows us a plain evidence of its unacquaintance with these joys, it is so willingly soiled with the sweat of worldly labours, so defiled with wallowing in the mire of voluptuousness, so wrinkled with the cares of this perishing life. They still cry out, who will show us any good, but they would have this good showed them in their Corn, and Wine, and Oil.  
But on the otherside, if men did fully taste the sweetness, and rightly value the preciousness of heavenly joys, the World would run so fast from the World, and press so violently into the Kingdom of God, that we should extremely need Sermons to persuade to the labours of the six days, whereas now all Exhortations are too little toward the sanctifying of the Seventh. And indeed, the Primitive times gave examples hereof, when there was plain need of dehortation, to keep men from too much haste toward Persecution, and too much flying from the World. If thou therefore be as they were thou shalt be ready to do as they did. Do not as Fools do, who because they cannot taste the joys of a Christian, therefore leave to be Christians. But even because thou canst not taste them, be thou more vehemently desirous to be a Christian, that thou mayest taste them. For by being a Christian thou shalt taste the joys of a Christian, whereas else thou losest thyself and them, and sinkest down to the base degree of a gross and transitory creature, and so of base and transitory joys: yea, below them again into a bottomless pit of endless darkness. But rather strive thou by earnest Prayer to the Father of Spirits, to make thee spiritual, that so spiritual things may be pleasing to thee, and thou pleasing to him who is the chief of Spirits, for Conformity and Harmony is the Law of Pleasure and Delight. Therefore, also on the otherside tread down thy flesh and the taste thereof, whose exaltation is the abatement of spiritual Life, Taste, and Feeling, and whose abatement is the exaltation of spiritual favour and discerning.  
Another Objection is framed by the World, that Religion cannot be pleasant, because none speak more against Mirth and good Fellowship, than these forward Christians, and great Religionaries.  
To this I answer, That men truly wise and holy do not preach against Mirth, but Madness; and not against that Fellowship which is truly good, but against that which passing under the name of good, is full of all vice and wickedness. There is an honest and clean Mirth, which Oil to the bones, as the Wiseman saith, and this if the World could find, the Salt of the World would not correct and chasten. And indeed, this alone deserves the Name of Mirth, for the sport of sin is a laughter at things lamentable, and a joy in stead of sorrow, and is so unseparable from sorrow, that if it have not the sorrow of temporal Repentance, it shall have a far greater sorrow of endless penance. True it is, that God at first gave his creatures to man to be enjoyed, and now especially to Christians is that right renewed, so that Christianity is so far from taking them from us, that it only gives them truly to us.  
Again, God delighteth not in the sourness of face, in hanging down the head like a Bulrush, in tormenting the body, which though with some they may be esteemed as good outsides of Religion, and as Paul terms them, shows of Godliness, yet of themselves they are of no value with God.  
There is nothing in us lovely to God, but righteousness, and that which advanceth it, and there is nothing odious to God but sin, and that which serveth it. If therefore the Creatures of God be used toward the advancement, and encouragement of God's service in us, we please him in their use, yea, we offend him in their neglect. And the speech of jonathan concerning saul's forbidding of meat, will God himself use against us; these men have troubled the Land, for if they had eaten, they had done greater service against the Enemies of God.  
And for joy itself we may see that God hateth it not, For he himself in the old Law appointed many feasts, in which there was a plain precept of Rejoicing. And in the new Law. Paul tells Timothy that God gives us all things abundantly to enjoy, and in the Acts he testifieth that God filleth us with food and gladness. But our Mirth must be wise and reasonable, as becometh those that are men, and not Apes, even Creatures stamped with the Image and Character of God. And too true it is that the Mirth of Man, as the Wrath of Man seldom keeps such a measure that it fulfils the will of God. Yet this calls for Watchfulness and measure unto Mirth, but sets not unlawfulness on it, if it be measured and decent.  
I deny not but Sadness is sometimes necessary in Religion, but not as it is Sadness, but as Sadness is a Rod unto Vice, and as by humbling the Flesh it advanceth the Spirit. Sadness hath no worth by itself, neither is it in Religion the end of itself, but even Sadness itself tendeth to joy.. Religious men by Sadness walk unto Comfort, and indeed Comfort is an assured fruit of Spiritual Sadness. Sorrow for sin endeth in the joy of forgiveness, and sadness of meditation endeth in the joy of Divine contemplations. So are we made merry by Sadness, and the weed of sorrow changeth itself upon us into the garment of gladness.  
And this high privilege of joy hath a Christian above a Carnal man, that whereas the Man of earth being sad is only sad, and sad unto sadness, the Christian being sad is sad unto joy. How must not then a Christian be a most joyful Creature, whose very sadness endeth in joy, yea, it is a means of procuring and making joy. Fleshly mirth endeth in sadness, and spiritual sadness endeth in mirth, and so if that be well that ends well, the sadness of a Christian is better than the mirth of a Heathen.  
There is yet a third Objection. That Religion is attended with opposition and persecution, and these are terrible things to flesh and blood. I answer, that if this be so, yet is Religion a joyful thing. For these are not in Religion, but after Religion, and indeed they are qualities of Irreligion. Religion itself is busied about excellent things, as union with God, conformity to God, fruition of God; and persecution and opposition comes from Irreligion, Atheism and Malice.  
Religion must needs be the more excellent because it hath such Enemies, as wicked men and wicked spirits, as one commended Christianity because Nero persecuted it.  
If great Armies come to conquer a Land, it is likely to be a Land of pleasure and fertility, for barrenness and worthlessness seldom call for Conquerors. Envy the Devil's torment and pleasure, seethe some invaluable joy, which he would take from us by outward vexations, but certain it is, that as it is a joy whose fullness is beyond the reach of Man's heart, so the fastening of it is above the reach of the Devil's hand, for nothing can reach high enough to take it from us. Yea, when he reacheth to it by the persecutions of the body, he increaseth the joys of our souls, for as tribulations abound, so do consolations abound also. So in this point is a Christian also a most joyful Creature, whose afflictions breed consolations, and whose enemies are instruments of comforting them, even by afflicting them. So in all things are we more than Conquerors; joy is our part which nothing may take from us, but all changes by an unchangeable Law, do work our joy.. Therefore doth the Christian enjoy tribulations and takes them for advancements; yea, the disciples of Christ rejoice in their sufferings for Christ's sake, as testimonies of worth and estimation with their Lord. So a Soldier takes pleasure in that which to an ordinary man is a terror, yea he enjoyeth his scars and wounds as marks of valour, and steps unto Honour. And as the sight of future advancement doth cheer up the Heavenly Soldier, so do the present joys of the Spirit of consolation. As the body is pricked or scourged without the heart, is bathed within in the celestial oil of joy and gladness. The comforts within rise according to the sufferings without; yea with them, by them, and above them. God the Creator is within comforting, and they are but Creatures that are without afflicting, and how shall we not be full of Courage, of Comfort, since he that is in us and with us, is so infinitely greater than he and all they that are without us and against us?  
But as the Carnal Man hath had leave for his objections against Religion, so I desire leave of him a little to question the joys of his Carnality. For I am in great doubt that many sinners have more trouble and work to be damned then many Christians to be saved. I say it falleth out by Divine Mercy on the one, and justice on the other, that if some righteous men have the Devil for a hard Enemy, some sinners have him also for a cruel Master. Generally the peace of the wicked is fearful, hollow, interrupted, and finally ending in sorrow. If Affliction come to him (as the first Curse gives some taste of itself unto all) he receiveth the Curse with Cursing, he takes his Soul and tears it to pieces, by raging and repining, and, (contrary to Paul that rejoiceth) he raveth in Tribulations. The great pursuer of Virtue, whose love to his Country was admirable, though the fruits of it scarce justifiable, at his death defies Virtue itself, and in discontent renounceth her as a Vassal of Fortune. The end of pleasure is Loathsomeness, and the apprehension of an End saddeth the mids of it. Yea, in the main course of his Life he is in bondage by the fea●● of Death, and that fear of Death bittereth his Life. Accordingly have I heard one to fall out with his Life, because of Death, speaking in the plain, but pitiful language of a mere Naturalist, what avails me any thing that I do, since whatsoever I do I must dye? And indeed if Death end the whole Man, by that end the works of Man are to no end; for what can any works avail the Man that is not?  
And now if we consider another way the Carnal man's life, we shall find that very often he is put to hard services, and hath but a bad Master of the Devil. Take out some one of the chiefest and set him for a Pattern, and you shall see his Life to be a perpetual Drudgery, and he is no other than a Galleyslave, rowing hard for the execution of his beastly lusts. And if he sink down into some rest, the Devil spurs him up again with one Concupiscence or other, that he must needs go being Devill-driven. Perchance he hath a piece of whoredom in his head, and the house of his flesh is on fire about his ears, and he can never be quiet before he hath quenched it; and then also he is not quiet, but even by quenching grows more fiery. Before his beastly satisfaction, he hath the labour of watching, sending, giving and contriving, he fears the harlot's husband, or his own Wife, the parents, the friends of both, and generally the eyes of Men. Sometimes the Neck itself must be adventured in cruel Murders for the remoovall of Impediments, and sometimes for removing the Fruits. And if you mark what baseness such people put on in this sneaking Vice, sometimes equalling themselves with base persons, sometimes covering their filthiness with base shifts, a noble heart would scorn it for mere Nobility. But it is an excellent piece of justice that filthiness and shame are fast tied together, and he that will have one, must needs take the other for his labour. And after Satisfaction he is not satisfied, for one sin satisfieth but one lust; and the root of lust as soon as that one is satisfied, is ready to bud forth a new.  
Yea, Lust the more it is obeyed, the more it commands, the more fuel is brought to it the more it burneth, and when upon a call it is used to satisfaction, it will call the oftener for satisfaction. It is like a Child (begotten and taught by the same Lust) whom you do not still by giving that it cries for, but by giving you invite it to cry for more. Therefore denial is the best remedy for Lust, and the next way to quietness. For Lust used to denial, will grow fainter in ask, that which it hath often been denied. But your common granter of Lusts is a Dog in the wheel of Lust, still fetching down the top of satisfaction, and when that is under his feet, there is still another top above him to be fetched down again. So is his business never at an end, until the wheel be rotten, or the Dog old, and notable to travel any more. But perchance he is no Whoremonger, but he is a covetous man, and surely that man above the rest, is the Devil's Post-horse: his brains, or his body, or his eyes, or his Letters, are ever trotting abroad for bargains and sales, and sometimes he is tormented, because he cannot be more tormented by being in many places at once. He could gladly be scattered abroad into those diverse places, where are diverse good bargains, or diverse dangers of loss. One man had need to be wrought out of his Living for enlarging the Territory, the other must be tentred with a forfeiture, that the most may be made of him, a third must be vexed in Law for a profitable composition. And if any of these miss; our Ahab is heartsick, and cannot be cured but by a Plaster of Naboths' blood, of Iezebels, (of the Devils) own making. And still his head is full of Bullocks and Sheep, Hedges and Closes, Towns and Tenements, Markets and Fairs, Silver and Gold, Obligations and Feoffments. Over and above all this, he serveth his God Mammon, in great and painful Devotions, even in long Watch, most abstinent Fast, earnest Prayers for Profit, and hearty Repentance for a good Bargain lost; I wonder what greater pains would Grace have asked unto Salvation, than here sin hath voluntarily undertaken unto damnation.  
But if Ambition be the disease of the man of flesh, then doth he lie perpetually in a bed of Thorns, and too true it is for him, that Honour and Misery walk often together in the same path. He is like a short Man still standing on tiptoe to look over a tall Man's shoulder, and sure he cannot but be in much pain by his stretching. He hates them above, yet croucheth to them, and desires to be one of them whom he hates; he love's them below, yet looks big upon them, and cannot abide to be one of them whom he love's. So an Ambitious man may well be painted with two Faces or Aspects, the one looking upward and making many courtesies, the other looking downward, and making many Frowns and Terrifications. His life is full of labour, for he will never suffer his work to be done: for he proposeth ends, which when he hath attained, he suffers them to be ends no more. This man and the rest of his fellows I hold to be very miserable, because they buy Misery with Misery, and with temporal pains purchase eternal torments. And herein is there Misery more miserable, that they delight in their Misery, and this delight makes them willing to be still miserable.  
These are truly those Egyptian Israelites, that for love of the fleshpots and Onions; can be contented to carry straw, and make brick all the the days of their lives; yea, they prefer the labours of Egypt, before the freedom & rest of Canaan; they had rather to be set on work by lust, then to enjoy the rest and peace, and joy of the Holy Ghost.  
But I could wish those men would learn of the West India●s, whom perchance in scorn they will term Savages and Barbarians, but the worse thou callest them, the worse thou callest thyself, if thou be worse than they. It is recorded of some of these Indians, that they were weary of their gods, and willing to change them, because they had so much labour to please them. For their Devill-gods would not be pleased but with many Sacrifices of men, which cost them much war and bloodshed. Surely the Devil is the same here, that he is in the Indies, he sets as heavy tasks on them that will be so kind as to bear them; for even here also men must sacrifice to him the best endeavours and affections both of soul and body, in Ambition, Covetousness, and other toilsome Vices, and at last the very soul and body themselves must be sacrificed in an eternal fire. But be ye weary of your gods, O ye Heathen Christians, and serve the true God, who desires no other business but Holiness and Righteousness, and hath joined there with the joys of his heavenly and most comfortable Spirit, and hath annexed thereunto the joys of an eternal and most glorious Kingdom.  
And let no man hereafter be afraid of Religion, because of sadness, for by so doing he may condemn his sight or taste, that discerns or relisheth not the joys thereof, but then whiles Religion is still one and the same, even a most glorious and comfortable thing.  
Therefore let the Novice or Apprentice of Religion; especially, desire the grace of that Spirit which is the Author of Religion, to open his closed eyes to lighten his darkness, that he may see the brightness and beauty of Religion: and withal let him entreat the strength and supportance of the same Spirit, to support & establish him in the beginnings of this new Art and Science of joy, both because the beginnings of all new Sciences require labour and constancy, and because our Enemy the Devil knowing the excellency of these joys, grudgeth them to Mankind, and therefore mightily strives to tire men in the very entrance thereof. But be ye assured, that if ye once come to be freemen in Religion, being made free by the Spirit of Christ jesus, you will be ravished with the sweetness of God, and your hearts will pant for his joys as the Hart doth for the streams of waters; you will be enforced to say, That the strongest is the sweetest, & that his joys alone are pure and clear, and that the joys of the flesh which you drank so greedily heretofore, are but puddle and mud; Though the laughter of folly perchance were louder, as the fire of Thorns, yet the solid and massy joys of the Spirit are stronger, and give more true and kindly heat to the heart and soul.  
For certain it is in Divinity, as it hath been discovered by her servant Morality, sound joy is a solemn thing. And convertibly may we say, Solemn joy is your only sound joy. Wherefore let solid, wise, and sound Spirits seek this solid, pure and weighty joy, suffering these light, lose and muddy joys to be (as most often they are) the companions of folly and brutish sensuality. And herewith let your sour pharisees, and Monkish Heraclites, receive an admonition, that they do not act Religion in the Vizard of ugly sourness, nor dogged austerity.  
Religion is a loving and a lovely thing, and the Picture of it ought to be like itself. It is made all of light & love, and light and love are comfortable and amiable things, cheerfully communicating themselves to others, and alluring the eyes and hearts of others to behold and partake them. If Religion then be a drawer, be not thou a driver, neither do thou scare away with thy grimnes, those whom Religion would allure with her beauties. There is a cheerful gravity as well as a light mirth, or a lumpish terribleness, and it were good for the patterns of Religion to look as like it as they may. I confess, one look fitteth not all occasions, but I aim a general seemliness, leaving particular changes to be framed by their particular occasions. And though sorrow for sin be a virtue, yet the public show of it, except it be in a public cause, is not still a virtue, for it is a virtue many time to cover this Virtue, Christ himself counselling to cover the humiliation of Fasting, with the anointing of the face. But due exceptions being allowed, the Christians charge is, Rejoice continually, he is enjoined to be amiable, and of a winning conversation, that without the word, some may be won by their Eyes, that are not yet by their Ears.   

CHAP. FOUR That Religion is the true Root of Valour and Power, against the waking Dreams of the Philosophical Wizard, and the angry Ruffian.  
THere hath been an ancient slander cast upon the Christian Religion, and it is now either nourished or revived, that Christianity begets cowardice and kills fortitude. And that it is a slander, I hope it shall plainly appear; but in the mean time, I desire the carnal gallant to wipe his eyes clouded with the mist of fleshly Humour, that what doth appear may also appear to him, for except he bring sight, it is to no purpose for me to bring Light. As for the Philosopher he is so wise already and broad-sighted like the bird of the Night, that if I should persuade him to look wider and clearer, he would become blinder by Anger than he was before by Error, and therefore leaving him as being wise, if his own conceit be true, I begin with the description of Fortitude.  
True Fortitude, is an habitual strength and resolution of the Mind, which either leads a man constantly to a just and reasonable adventure of danger; or when he is overtaken by them, sustains him constantly in them. Now this true Resolution doth spring from Reason, and by Reason is brought forth into Action. So is true Valour wise and not blind, for it is the Valour of a Man and not of a Beast.  
Then here are cut off all those rash Braveries, and brutish Valours, that bestow their owners upon every Swaggerer, when he pleaseth to call for their lives, by some wild look or verbal Injury. Surely the reasonable Man is led into dangers either by Divine providence or precept, when GOD bids him undertake dangers, or bids dangers overtake him. He acknowledgeth no owner of his life but the giver of it, and he will then only adventure it when he may show the warrant of the giver: for he knows himself to be accountable, and therefore will so carry himself in dangers, that he may fairly pass his account. And surely a strange thing it is, because some wild beast is rude and unmannerly, therefore some honest and civil Man must hazard his Life, or else the Country will not be contented: For what hath the civil Man done why he should set his life in a balance with a Russian? If the Ruffian hath wronged him he ought to be punished, and the wronged ought not to hazard himself in an equal subjection to punishment with the doer of wrong; neither because he is wronged in his Name, is it Reason he should be farther wronged in his Limbs or Life; for in these Recreations the blind sword doth as often punish the wronged as the the wronger. The wager is unequal to lay the life of a Christian against the life of a Ruffian, and fare more than an hundred to one; and therefore he may well leave him upon that odds, and refer him over to fight with one of his fellows which is as well worth the kill as himself. If he rail give him an admonition for his railing, and do thou being a Vine bear grapes, though a Crabtree close by thy side bear crabs. To see a religious Man break out into an equality of Fury with a Madman, is just as I have sometimes seen a dog of the Land run into the Sea, when he hath seen a water-spaniel (the Emblem of a Ruffian) to leap in before him; Diversos diversa decent. But if you ask wherein this excellent Valour of Christianity doth express itself, I will show four glorious, virtuous, and commendable kinds of fight, wherein Christians excel all other, and cannot be matched.  
The first is the fight of Confession or Martyrdom, wherein the fire of the Spirit fighteth for God and his Truth, against bodily fire, and all other torments invented by the spirit of darkness. And herein is the very strength of God in a chief degree expressed, when by the supportation and encouragement thereof, flesh and blood stands still patiently, yea, joyfully to be tormented, yea, consumed for his sake who made and redeemed it.  
A noble and heavenly courage inspired from God, and aiming to God, who is the beginning and end of all solid worth and excellence. In this fight man riseth above himself, and being overcome by the animating spirit, he ceaseth in a manner to be flesh and blood, and is all spirit, and the spirit feeleth not torments, neither is the heavenly fire passive to the earthly, but active upon it.  
A second fight, is a fight, of Constancy and Patience in the ordinary Crosses and losses of this life, or in those extraordinary which (open Persecution ceasing) cease not to be cast on true Christians by the Law of the first enacted enmity between them, and the seed of the Serpent. Philosophers had the applause of their Sectaries, and many times of the People, but a Christian is sure to have the enmity of the world, to whose fashions his course is a professed enmity.  
He had need of courage not to be ashamed of Religion among Ruffians, & Mammonists, and Epicures; to whom, not to swear, not to cousin for profit, not to be drunk is called a Vice, and the Vice is called Puritanisme. But even herein the Spirit of God hardeneth and steeleth his Servants, that their faces are like Flint, and themselves like brazen Walls and defenced Cities, though otherwise soft in affection, and true professors of meekness.  
A third fight, is a fight against Lusts and Passions, wherein the Battle is terrible and difficult, and the Victory more glorious than a Conquest of the World. Solomon saith, That he which ruleth his desires, is greater than he that winneth a City. And humane Reason hath said, that he that overcomes himself, is stronger than he that overcomes the strongest walls. And a secret Reason there is that aggravates the difficulty of this fight, and that is, because with the Army of Lusts is conjoined an Host of Spiritual Principalities and Powers, and he had need of a supernatural courage and power, that must make war with a King of Spirits. Surely the greatest King of Spirits must be in us to resist and overcome this lesser King. And indeed, accordingly greater is he that is in us, than he that is in the World. And if the greater be in us, surely then are we greater than they in whom is the lesser.  
Now let the Ruffian or Fencerly Gallant talk of his bold adventures on the grass and stubble, and let him glory in being rashly or foolishly hazardous, but in these subjects of wise valour, he is but a Runaway, and your true Christian is your only man. I will fetch a Boy or a Woman that shall challenge the field of him, and the place of meeting sh●ll be in a fire, and the quarrel shall be for the honour of his Maker and Redeemer, but I tell you before, there is no hope of the Swaggerer, ●hat he will come thither, but if he came there is great hope he will certainly run away, if he be not bound the faster. Yet it is well known that many youths and women in this fight, have right valiantly adventured, and given away their lives unto death.  
Again, for crosses and losses, fetch me one among all Philosophers and Heathens, that can match job for misery and constancy: the greatness of his misery, magnifying the greatness of his constancy, because though it was excessive, yet it was exceeded by it. And if you examine the third kind of sighting, your Christian hath no fellow, for noble and valiant Conquests obtained against himself, and the infernal host of tempting spirits. The slaughter of his own lusts is his continual exercise, and he is well skilled in that difficult Art, wherein no Heathen ever could match him, nor any man of one only birth, and that is even of expelling Generation by Regeneration; the art of driving himself out of himself. He sets one foot on the Spirit, and with the other kicks the flesh out of doors, and by spiritual flames consumeth carnal suggestions.  
Again, if the Devil offer him the Kingdoms of the Earth, he despiseth them; if he threaten to set open the gates of Hell upon him, he is confident he shall not prevail against him. But take the Swaggerer at this fight, and he is most commonly a Beast and a Drudge to that Enemy, against whom (indeed) he should especially fight. He is led up and down by the Nose like a Swine, or a Bear by every base Lust and Concupiscence, as a Cup, a Whore, a Play, and a Pipe, and he durst not but follow them. Y●a, he is so very a slave unto Lusts, that in s●eed of fight against them, he fights for them, and the poor counterfeit valour he hath, is at no service readier, then in defence of one of his Concupiscences. Therefore if you meddle with his Harlot or his Cup, his Scabbard is instantly pregnant, and your life, (if you please) may be at his command.  
But to leave these Duelists, and to come to conquerors, which is to come from the killers of men to the killers of Mankind; surely in leaving them, I do not leave them; for I find their slavery and baseness, even in Alexander & Nabuchodonozer. Slaves they are of Drink, of Ambition, of Pride▪ and thereby most evidently appears the excellence of Christians, and the baseness of the sons of nature.  
The natural Man conquering the World, is himself conquered of his affections; and the Christian Conquerors that which conquers the Conquerors of the World.  
But now we talk of Conquests, perchance some martial man will call me into question, because he finds not here the commendable kind of fight for our Country and Nation; or some cunning Arithmetician, that being able to tell four, finds yet but three of my four promised kinds of valour.  
Wherefore to give an Answer to any such Question, I affirm, that no man hath more Reason to be valiant in the defence of his Country, or a lawful cause then a Christian. The greatest abatement of Valour, commonly ariseth from a fearful apprehension of death. But the Christian hath least Reason of any to fear death, for by it he is sure to gain the advantage of an eternal felicity. And therefore hath he most reason to be valiant.  
This belief of eternity, even a Heathen Poet commended as a principal root of valour, and he commended it in the ancient Britons, for (saith he) it is a foolish thing among them to be sparing of that life which will return again, and he calls them happy in this error, whereby they are freed from that greatest fear of death. And by common reason, He that believes nothing to be beyond life, should fear more to lose life, which is all that he knows, than another which knows a second life to follow this, which fare excelleth it.  
Again, as the Christian hath least cause of fear, so he hath most cause of valour, and where is more cause, there is to be expected a greater effect. Now it doth plainly appear, that a Christian hath more cause than a Heathen to be valiant. For besides the love of his Country, and the preservation and enlargement of Fame, which are reasons common to both, the Christian hath for his advantage, the highest Essence commanding him, confirming him and standing before him as his reward. God is his warrant for his action, he is his strength in the action, he is his happiness if he die in the action. So many advantages hath a Christian of a Heathen, and therefore his valour should by so many degrees be more excellent than a Heathen.  
Therefore if a Christian be not so valiant as a Heathen, it is not because he is a Christian, but because he is not Christian enough; and no question but he that is fearful being a Christian, would be much more fearful if he were a Heathen.  
For let the Philosopher rack up his wits to the highest tenters, to see if he can reach to higher causes of valour than these of a Christian. I am sure he can propose no greater reward then eternal felicity, he can conceive no higher encouragement than the word of the highest, & he can imagine no valour more full of force and virtue, then that which is infused by the original Fountain and Root of all might and power, who alone is justly termed the Almighty, and the Lord of Hosts, and the God of Battles. Who should be stronger than he that hath the Author of strength on his side? and who can fear that hath a greater with him then against him? Therefore Paul sends a challenge to swords and famines, and persecutions, crying out, if God be on our side who shall be against us? and though all things be against us, yet we be sure to be more than Conquerors through him that loveth us. So we need not to fear except we will fear to conquer.  
And indeed the patent of our salvation runs in those very words; We are delivered from our Enemies that we may serve God without fear. Accordingly David professeth that, because God is on his side, he doth not fear what Man can do unto him, and he would not be afraid if ten thousand enclosed him. And the true Root of his invinciblenesse he discovers in the eighteenth Psalm, which is this, Because he is backed and supported by the Deity. And since I am now met with him, I will set him forth to challenge the Ethnics, to give us one like him that being a boy slew a Bear, a Lion, and a Giant. Herein I think they will be fare short of David, and it will be well if they come to his thirty and his three. And as the Heathen magnanimity comes short of David, so I think will the Doctor's Philosophy.  
And indeed the Doctor meant to steal away the question, while under the name of Divines he intends certain Scholastical Ravens, that are themselves grown fearful with Melancholy, and under the title of Priesthood pick out the eyes of the sheep, committed to them by an implicit Faith, a slavish Ignorance. They pull out their eyes, and then lead them in the dark, bound up in the chains of scrupulous Superstition and timorous Devotion. And you know darkness of itself is fearful, and raiseth up in a man fearful Images and perpetual doubts.  
Surely the doctrine of such Divines is far inferior to that of the Philosopher. But the Doctor must know (though he profess not to equivocate, yet) these are but equivocal Divines, and from his equivocal Antecedent, he shall never deduce an univocal consequent. He might as well go into the house of a Painter, and beholding there the picture of an eloquent Orator, return to his scholars, and tell them that he saw such a man of late, and he hath the worst utterance of any man in the City.  
But renouncing these scrupulous and painted Divines, I will have David to be a true pattern of a true Divine, and let the Doctor take his Character from him, even of that wh●ch is written, both of him and by him, and then let him consider whither there be a more noble, puissant, confident, and free spirit then that of David. His Valour hath before been approved, and his cheerfulness in virtue and bold confidence, are ready to be manifest. He danceth before God with all his might, the laws of God are sweeter to him then honey, and more precious than gold, and he is confident beyond exception, for he calls God his Rock, his Fortress and his Refuge. His faith and holiness make him familiar with God, and he is bold to fetch from merciful Omnipotence whatsoever he wanteth; Now from this Divine let the Doctor fetch the pattern of Divinity, and see if he can ground thereon the baseness and dejection of his Monkish superstition. But the Doctor's Epistle had forgotten the Doctors own Chapter of Piety, for the one confuteth the other, while in the Chapter he saith, tha● God is not to be imagined as some terrible spectre, whose imagination frighteth men from him. Again, That Religion settleth a man in peace and rest, and lodgeth in a free liberal and generous Soul. Again, That the office of Religion is to reunite Man to his first cause as to his Root, wherein so long as he continueth firm and settled, he preserveth himself in his own perfection.  
Now if this Doctrine be more truly the doctrine of the Divines than his, then hath he vainly condemned it; for this doctrine agrees excellently with Nobility and Puissance, and rejecteth baseness and fear.  
This therefore I think was not meant to be censured by him, but it remains the● that the Religion of the Divines which he censured was not his Religion, but some other, and so they were not both Catholics; or else this difference arose because he could not knit his diverse common-places into an harmonious Unity. And indeed either of these may be true. For first where he discourseth of Superstition, he strongly consutes the practical religion of the Church of Rome, and so seems to differ from them, though he after creep again into their goodwill, under the covert of commanding an observation of Ceremonies, Customs and Ordinances. Secondly, I have heard it constantly affirmed in France by a Gascoigne, Montagnes countryman, and one that was himself an Author, that his Doctor was a great acquaintance of Montagne, and that his book was Montagnes pieces brought into a Method. And sure I cannot much blame the Doctor for not doing an impossibility; for it is a matter near impossible, handsomely to inlay all the ●agged pieces of Montagne, ●nd to reduce his infinite wanderings into the order of a steady path; for he seemed altogether to run after his own wit, and to take up whatsoever it did let fall; but the wit ●t self did seldom run after any Mark, nor walk by any Rule. And so might his Follower by the intricateness of the labour, well forget the different colours of some of the pieces, which he joined into one Body.  
And if we consider but this Chapter of Piety, we may find many contradictions in it. He maketh the Religion of Palestine, (which is the Religion of the jews) to teach this belief, that the cutting and punishing of ourselves & the massacring of beasts, is a most precious present unto God, as if God took pleasure in the torment of his Creatures. And yet after, out of the one and fiftieth Psalm, he saith, That the most acceptable Sacrifice unto God is a pure, free, and humble heart, And again, out of the fiftieth Psalm, Non accipiam de domo tua vitulos. Besides he saith, the judaical Religion retaineth many things of the 
a ●ose●●us in his first book against Apion writes, that the Egyptians and the jews, could not agree because of the diversity of their Religion. And Plessis in his 21. chapped. of Christian Religion, shows that the Oracles of A●o●o and the sibyl's preferred the Iew●s▪ as the best worshippers of God.  Egyptian Gentile, which is a great blasphemy, either in this sense, That the jewish Religion had any thing in it not delivered by God himself, or that God took his copy out of some of that Gentile-Egyptian Religion, thereout to make up a Religion for the jews. And herein is also an employed contradiction. For he that commends the Christian Religion, and condemns the jews Religion as parcel heathen, contradicts himself, for the jews Religion established by God and the Christians are all one in substance of Faith, and if they differ in the manner, I hope that manner was not borrowed of the Heathen, but the Heathen rather counterfeit the jews. Again, he speaketh of Religion as of some Art or Confection, saying, That Religion is so fitted, that it may be respected and had in admiration, yet he saith, It is composed of parts, some base, whereat high Spirits do scorn, and some high and mystical, whereat low Spirits are offended. So politickely is Religion framed to entrap all men, that it is fashioned to offend all men.  
But yet there remains an objection of the Heathen Martialists, who may tell us now as heretofore, That Rome being Hethen raised an Empire, and being Christian lost it. To this I answer that it was not Rome's Hethenisme that won it, nor her Christianity that lost it, but rather it might be said that Christianity won it, and want of Christianity lost it. There were three Empires before this, and they being all Heathen arose, and Heathen fell, and why should we not think that this would also fall if it had still been Heathen.  
It hath long been observed, that Kingdoms and Empires have 
* jer. 27.7.  Ages, and Periods aswell as private men. And when an Empire shall rise, there comes a spirit of Valour on Armies, and of Heroical Virtue on Chieftains; which the Empire being ripe departeth away, and then are they like Samson when his Locks are shaved, and Samson is said then to be like another man. And that Christianity raised the Empire, it may be justified in diverse senses. The first is, That God raised this Empire by the universality thereof, to spread his universal and Catholic Truth. The hedges and partitions of the World were broken down, that Christian Religion might have a free walk throughout the whole World.  
Again, this huge Kingdom was raised just to meet with Christ's Kingdom, that by the hugeness of the opposition, the greatness of the victory might be magnified. The spirit of Antichrist was mounted on this Beast, and fought then in the Emperors, and now fights in the Popes, against Christ & his Church, but the Dragon or the Beast, or the false Prophet may not prevail, ●or the Kingdom is the Lord Christ's, and his is glory, and honour, and dominion for evermore. This resisting and adversarious Empire, while it fought against Christ it served Christ, while it killed his Church it increased his Church, and while it fought against Religion, it became a means to spread and enlarge it. And that it was rather Heathenism than Christianity that lost the Empire, may appear by the Stories of the Degeneration, both of the Church and of the Emperor's Pride, Covetousness, contempt of Religion, deserving the removal of the Candlestick, which long afore was threatened to the Church of Ephesus, and in them to any other like parts of the whole Church. The time and work of the Empire was expired, it had fought against Christ and was overcome by it, and now (the sins and corruptions jointly requiring it) he that hindered was to be taken away, even the Emperor, and the man of Sin was to step in his place, by whom Antichrists second part was to be acted. And against him also doth the Kingdom of Christ prevail, though fight against Christ by the old weapons of the Heathen Empire, even fire and sword. And now small States and Kingdoms are animated & strengthened by the hand of Omnipotence, so that they stand the shock of his greatest fury; yea, they gain and grow upon him.  
A little bordering Country, that is but a piece of a former state, and the most despicable piece of it, standing in water, and therefore participating, left of the activity of fire, yet ●ow by the disposition of the Almighty, partakes of the wisdom and power of a fiery Spirit, and hath often consumed both the adverse policies and forces, preserving mightily; yea, in larging that Religion, which should have been taken from it by the cruel talents of the Inquisition. Wherefore be wise, O ye Kings, and be instructed O ye judges of the Earth. Kiss the Son and resist him not, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the midway. Make not your Hosts and Navies the vain Bulwarks of declining Antichrist, neither wrap yourselves in the ruins of him that is appointed to fall. When Christ will overcome an Host, is contemptible before him, and the greatness of your opposition can only magnify his Victory and your own ruin. And be ye rather of that joyful side, which shall say with triumph, It is fallen, It is fallen; Then of that sorrowful company, that shall cry with sorrow, Alas, Alas; that great City, clothed in fine Linen, Purple and Scarlet.   

CHAP. V A Canker in the mouth, from whence issues the loathsome breath of rank and superfluous swearing.  
YOur ordinary Swearers, wrongs GOD, wrongs his friends, and wrongs himself. For the wronging of God, he cares little, because he hath sworn so long, and the patience of God hath deferred his punishment, though 
* Medit.  (as elsewhere I have showed) God will right his own wrongs in his own time, and the length of delay shall be requited with the weight of the punishment. Yet not guilty of Divinity, he is somewhat touched with humanity, and so out of the Reason of Manhood, he starts at the accusations of himself and his Friend.  
For first for himself, which self is first in his own eyes, and is indeed his own God, he hath no malice in the World to himself; yea, as he gives out, he is ready to adventure his life to do himself right; yea, his swearing is most commonly in his own defence, and thereby to make 
* Ridiculum acri, Fortius & melius magnas plerumque secat res.  men believe he will fight, & so save himself from fight; for indeed it falls out most often, that where solid Magnanimity is wanting in the heart, there it must be supplied by the valour of the tongue. But yet he harkens still how it may be, & I doubt not, hath already sworn some oaths that it cannot be. But if it please him to lay his Canons aside, that we may talk of swearing without swearing, I will plainly prove it to him, and will ground my proof on the Rules of the most honourable Swearers. And thus I begin. To give a man the Lie, doth him an especial wrong and dishonour, (so that in some Countries it is punished by death, if the Iron be prompt and nimble.) But the Swearer gives himself the Lie; yea, makes himself a perpetual Lyar. Therefore the Swearer doth himself a great wrong and dishonour.  
Now I know he is angry with the lesser Proposition, or that he may understand it the younger; for he swears that he hath no intent in the World to make himself a Liar when he swears. For a reply, I might stand upon a received Axiom, That he that will swear will Lie; because that he who hath not conscience enough to forbear swearing, hath seldom any more to forbear lying, and if I would stand upon it, I think he could hardly remove me but by swearing. But I will leave these collateral proofs, and will draw my Reasons from the very root of Swearing, that withal if it be possible, I may draw up swearing by the roots. This than shall be the ground, That swearing is for a confirmation of things doubtful; Now things are doubtful, either in regard of themselves or of the speaker. But ordinary swearing is most commonly employed upon things plain & frivolous, wherein can be no doubt, (as sometimes in a question what a clock it is, and sometimes in an undoubted Affirmation that yesterday he drunk such a one under the board, and that he was at such a Play, and such a Brothel.) Therefore it now only remains, that the swearing must be in regard of the doubtfulness of the speaker, or if you will, Swearer.  
Now if a man bring himself into doubt and suspicion of a common Liar, by being a common Swearer, surely he bestows the Lie on himself by swearing; yea, the habitual Lie, and hath wronged his most dear, though most slight Reputation.  
But that we may walk a little aside out of this Logic (and indeed the Swearer may spare Logic, as the Logician may spare swearing, for the Swearer proves all by Oath without Reason, and the Logician all by Reason without Oath) we will go into the larger Field of Questions and Answers, an exercise which in his University of Recreation, it may be he hath heard of.  
And first I ask him, why he doth strengthen his evident matter with such a multitude of Oaths? either he must be a brute Beast (which he will by no means grant, though I cannot altogether deny it) to do things wholly without Reason, or if there be a Reason, it must be this, That a rotten Tree must have a leaning Post, and a lying Man must be kept up in credit and belief by swearing. And then I may well brandish against him this forked Argument: If thou mayest be believed, why dost thou swear? And if thou canst not be believed (which thy swearing imports) than thou goest for a Lyar. Therefore I persuade thee hereafter to leave thy swearing, that thou mayst be thought to have left thy lying; and if thou art not an ordinary Liar, believe it, thou hast no need to be an ordinary Swearer. Use but a while to speak the truth without Oaths, and thou shalt find no lack of thy Oaths, for thy word shall be taken by itself. Otherwise thou art like an ill credited Borrower, thou ride up and down the Country with Sureties, because thy own Band will not be taken. And surely such Bankrupt security, rather disgraceth than helpeth thee, Oaths being the common Sureties of the basest people, even the scum of highways and Alehouses.  
Now, for the third point, That the Swearer wrongs his Friend, I confess, my first proof is much prevented, and returns to me, leaving the business undone.  
For I had thought to have argued thus. It is a great wrong for a man idly to put his Friend to great pain: but the idle Swearer, idly puts an honest man to great pain by his idle swearing. But here the mischief of the matter is, that there is an honest man in the middle Proposition, and the Swearers friend in the former, which will not become one in the Conclusion; Now, if the Swearers Friend were an honest Man, it might save the life of the Syllogism, and perchance his own too. But there being little hope of such a man's honesty, I doubt me, that a towardly Syllogism is cast away. Wherefore giving him time to amend his honesty (& I wish he take not to long a day) I retire from him to reinforce my assault with some new Reasons, which thus marcheth towards him. He that often swears to his friend in trifles, gives cause to the World to believe, that his Friend will not believe him in trifles without an Oath, But he that gives cause to the World to believe, that his Friend will not believe him in trifles without an Oath, wrongs his Friend. Therefore he that often swears to his Friend in trifles, wrongs his Friend.  
Now it is certain to all Mankind, that there is no greater scandal to Friendship, then want of Trust; mutual Confidence being the main sinew and ligament of Friendship, and yet by swearing this scandal most unhappily lights on the Swearers sworn Brother. But perchance the Swearer hath a malice to the Vanguard of my Syllogism, and flies in the face of the first Proposition by a strong denial, that he swears not because he distrusts his friend's belief, but to procure grace to his words in the ear of his friend. A filthy Grace, and I doubt a beastly Friend, in whom such a Grace hopes for entertainment.  
But first I will answer, That howsoever his Friend may take it, yet the wifest part of of the World will not be persuaded, that he can have any other probable cause but Fear and Distrust, and so among Wisemen (which I know he doth not much respect) his Friend is subject to scandal. And secondly, if it be for a Grace (though indeed it is for want of Grace) in ridding his friend from the lesser dirt of Distrust, he casts him into the sink of the suspicion of Folly; and so that he may not be false, he is content to make him a Foole. And surely as I cannot much excuse him from want of wit, in being a Friend to a Swearer, yet it is a great wrong for men equally foolish, to call each other Fools. But he will examine me how he calls his Friend Fool? To this I cannot but answer with a Question, Is not he a very Fool, in whose opinion his Friend is graced by Foolishness? And is there more Foolishness, then for a man to bombast his speeches continually with unnecessary, impertinent, inconsequent, or to speak English, not-concerning, not-agreeable, notsensible, notreasonable words, and for which it is thought among some of the simplest sort, a man may chance to be damned? And yet by this madness, the Swearer thinks to grace himself with his Friend, which he cannot hope for, except he hold his Friend to be as mad as himself. Wherefore to take my leave of him, (which I much desire) I wish him in good will to his Friend to forbear this, and all the rest of his Follies together, or if he will needs whether I will or no, keep the rest of his (as he thinks) more necessary Vices, yet to give over this superfluous and very spareable Vice, and to break out to his Friend in these passionate parts of speech, I. or T. thou hast known me long, many times have we been drunk together, and being drunk, have drawn our Swords together, we have been together on the Plains, in the Dice-house, the Playhouse, & the other house, and I never yet failed thee in any lawful Action; by these evidences thou knowest my heart to be true to thee, and where there are such real poofes, there needs no verbal confirmation. Wherefore we will set up the Proverb for a Rule, Few words among Friends: & that the words may be the fewer, we will bate the Oaths, and so put a difference between our substantial Friendship, & that ●rothy, and mouthy Conversation of the Country-Swaggerers.  
Lastly, If this will not work for a private Reformation, yet in the Name of Civility, I beseech the Swearer to keep in his Oaths when he lights among good Company. He can but procure this fruit by his swearing, that he shall vex them, and they shall hate him. He will confess himself that it is a great uncivility, when Men are met together for honest Society and Comfort, to come in and throw stones, cups, or candlesticks, amidst the Company: yet so doth the Swearer, and he strikes not so much the head, as the heart of a Religious Man. And so he is the spoiler of true Mirth, though he think himself never so much to be a goodfellow. But if all this will not serve to persuade thee to leave some words, that may well be left without marring the sense, I must leave thee to be confuted by Fire and Brimstone. The Devil that now sets thee on work, will hereafter pay thee thy wages; and God whose name now serves thee but only for swearing, shall then make thee to serve his justice, in gnashing and weeping; Howling and cursing, shall be thy chief ease in Hell, to whom Blasphemy was an especial recreation on Earth.  
In the mean time, I would to God there were not only a strict Law against Blasphemy, but a strict observation of that Law, since if the Scripture be true, Blasphemy is very Treason to a State. For if the Scripture be true, 
Hose. 4.  then hath God a controversy with a Land for swearing, and when God and a Land fall out, the Land must needs have the worst. So the Swearers betray the Country they live in, and bring it into a quarrel with God, and I wish much rather that the land would have a quarrel with them, that so by quarrelling with them we may be at peace with God; for the Almighty hath spoken it, and that in Thunder and Lightning, That he will not hold them guiltless that taketh his name in vain. And though they should escape the penalty of a temporal Law, yet it were pity they should escape from Ecclesiastical Censures, which I wish may seize on Swearers as well as Adulterers; swearing being indeed the spiritual Adultery of the Tongue: for in swearing, either Gods pure and holy name is polluted, by the fleshly touch of a profane carnal and sensual Tongue, or if some other thing is set in God's stead to swear by, that is Idolatry, and Idolatry is known to be spiritual Adultery: Now spiritual Adultery is also known to make a divorce between God and Souls, yea between God and Nations.   

CHAP. VI Against their Frenzy, that affirm a blind belief to be the Soul of Christianity: and make Christians to be mere slaves of Authority.  
THere is gone forth a saying, but it is among the brethren of Error, (and I take it the foresaid Doctors writings are not clear of it) That the Empire of Authority is in Religion, and that a blind Credo is a fundamental Law of it. But that this is a blasphemous untruth, both the experimental and documentall knowledge of Religion can plainly manifest. Let moral and natural Men brag of their Arts and Sciences, their demonstrations and reasons, and I will yet maintain, we hold Religion by a more Reasonable hand, and clearer Wisdom, than they do their Arts and Sciences.  
And first, I give them to know that the true lively and substantial Faith of a Christian is not an effect of blindness, nor a mere work of the will, that believes because it will believe; but therein the understanding plainly, clearly; yea, by the highest kind of sight discerneth that which it delivereth over to the Will and Affections to be embraced and depended on. And if Religion see and know that whereunto it trusteth, and trusteth to that which it seethe and knoweth, and if she know by the purest and Divinest knowledge, what more reasonable thing can be imagined then this, That a man should trust in that which by a most excellent Knowledge he knows most worthy to be trusted in.  
Now that a true Faith is grounded in Knowledge, Religion both by word and experience teacheth. The Apostle describing Faith, saith plainly of it, That it is the Evidence of things not seen, that is, by Faith we see Spiritually things unseen Carnally. Now I hope, where is sight and evidence, there is not blindness and darkness. Again, when Peter confessed jesus to be the Christ, Christ tells him that flesh and blood hath not revealed it to him, but his Father in Heaven, and I trow had not Peter reason to believe in Christ, when the Father in Heaven had revealed him; and have the Artists any such evidences of the ground of their Arts. Again, joh. 17. This is life eternal to know thee to be very God, and he whom thou hast sent, Christ jesus▪ So Christ must be known before he become our Life eternal. And joh. 10. I know my sheep and I am known of mine. And 1. Cor. 2.10. The reason of this our Knowledge is showed, God hath revealed to us by his Spirit the things that he hath prepared for us. And ver. 12. We have received the Spirit of God by which we know the things that are freely given us of God. And Vers. 15. A man made Spiritual discerneth all things; and himself is judged of no man that is not Spiritual, for how can a blind man judge the sight of a seer? And therefore even in this point which I now defend, we may well scorn to be judged by blind natural Men, that know not our fight, and therefore know not the things which they gainsay, but even for that cause deny them to be. Furthermore, Paul, Eph. 1. speaks of the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, by which the eyes of our understandings may be enlightened, to know the riches of our calling, and the great Power of God in the resurrection of Christ. And to conclude (excluding many more) with an evident testimony; let us consider that of the second to the Cor. 3.18. We all with open Face beholding as in a Glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed unto the same Image, from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord: which is presently followed in the next Chapter with these words: That God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the Face of jesus Christ: which indeed is but a comentary of Christ's short words, joh. 14.21. He that love's me; I will show myself visibly unto him. Now if God have so shined visibly in our hearts, that by the beams of his light we have a knowledge of his glorious work of our Redemption in Christ jesus; yea, if Christ hath showed himself plainly to us, who can hinder us to believe that we know, even to believe in an all-sufficient Saviour, revealed to us by the transcendent Light of an omnipotent Creator. Therefore will we triumph in the reasonableness of our Belief, we will boldly tell the natural Man, Quod vidimus testamur, and we worship that which we know. We will answer with Peter (joh. 8. ) We believe and know that thou art Christ the Son of the living God. And let the heart of every true Christian speak what it sees, and it cannot but affirm that it seethe an admirable wisdom in the mystery of Salvation, it beholdeth Christ a most absolute Redeemer, and Christ shines to him in an incomparable Beauty as the fairest of Men; And this evidence is not without a seal, for he feels power accompanying Light. A new Light he hath, which some years before he had not, and a new power he hath felt to follow that Light. The things which now seem glorious to him and are his chiefest Treasures, were before contemptible, and holiness which before was loathsome, is now his chiefest delight. And whence can such a change come, that a man should be clean turned out of himself, but by a hand that turneth hearts as Rivers of waters. Therefore truly may it be said, that the Light of Faith is sealed by the Spirit of Promise: Ephes. 1.13. So that we believe the Truth, not only by a single promise but even with a witness.  
But the natural Man will object two things. First, That this Sight of ours is but an Imagination, and we see only because we think we do see; but we answer first, That he that denies our sight is himself blind, and therefore cannot see that we do not see. Solomon saith, the Fool walketh in darkness, but a Wise man hath his eyes in his head. Now salomon's Fool is a Natural man, and the Wise man is a man Sanctified, and how can the Fool find by his darkness that the Wise man finds nothing by his Light? It is no argument that I do not see, because his blindness cannot perceive my Sight. But he will have me prove it to him that I see, But I answer, that though I should prove it, he cannot conceive it. For myself is Spiritual and he is Carnal; and if I describe to him a Spiritual sight or object, his carnality cannot conceive a Spiritual kind of seeing, but even the sight of the Spiritual man is folly to the Carnal man. If there were a people of perpetual blindness, and a seeing man should come among them, and tell them what glory there is in the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, I wonder by what Argument his sight can prove it to their blindness, for whatsoever his sight affirmeth, their blindness will either doubt or deny. And indeed except a man can communicate sight, he can hardly communicate an Image of his seeing. And as a blind man on the one side cannot receive undeniable proofs of Light and sight, but the belief thereof must be fundamentally grounded upon a trust of the Reporter, (and this indeed may be the blind belief which he means, which is indeed the belief of the blind believers, and not of the seeing, and therefore is not true belief.) So on the other side to prove the brightness and beauty of Light to one that sees, is as frivolous and vain as the other impossible. If he should come to a man of sight in a clear and cloudless day, and begin with him thus, Sr, I assure you the Sun shines, and I can prove it by most evident reasons: the hearer would doubt more of the Speakers discretion then of his assertion. So it is among the Children of Light. Christ jesus the Son of Righteousness, the Object of their Faith shines on their hearts with an open face, and for one of these to come to another, and to tell him that Christ jesus is the Son of God, the head of the Church, and the Saviour of his body, that in him are hid the treasures of true wisdom and happiness, he would answer as Elisha to the Prophets, speaking of the translation of his Master: I know it well, hold you your peace.  
And this was long agone prophesied, that such Demonstrations should be needless among the sons of GOD: For it was foretold, that true Believers should be all taught of God, and his teaching should save the need of humane Enforcements: Again, this is an excellent proof, that there is one general Teacher by a Divine Light, illuminating the Church (and it gives great comfort to the members of it) that in some matters of Religion, one man being many hundred miles distant, or borne many hundred years after another, receiveth some bright evident and glorious Truth, which he seethe plainly to be true and heavenly, but receiveth it not of man by hearing or reading, but of God alone by Meditation, and yet he shall meet with another man so fare from him, or with some works of one so fare afore him, which will tell the same Truths, as being by that one Teacher also revealed unto them.  
Again, there were among the Martyrs and Fathers, men of as great and sound understanding as any of these Wizards are; yea, they have at first as much contemned and rejected Christ by their natural knowledge, yet at length they have changed their minds and have sought him as ardently as before they contemned him despitefully. Now you cannot imagine that they would have forsaken the light of their natural Reason, but that they saw a more glorious Light, neither would they have spared their Candle, but upon the rising of the Sun. And surely these Seers do as much wonder at the natural man's, not seeing as the not-seers at the seeing. But the God of this World hath blinded their eyes that the glorious Light of the Gospel should not shine unto them, and this blindness cannot be taken away by Arguments, and being taken away, Arguments are needless. And this must be thought the true Reason why in the Council of Nice, the Reasons of the learned Fathers could not prevail with the Heathen Philosopher, yet the plain narration of the Faith by a simple Priest prevailed. The veil of the flesh lay on his heart, and their Reasons could not take it away, but the Spirit of God took it away, & then the evidence of a plain proposed truth perwaded him. And indeed God only hath the Key which unlocks the heart, and that is the spirit; Eloquence and Logical Demonstration are not those Keys which may open the Soul. That which is fastened in our generation, must be loosed by Regeneration, & the remedy must be equivalent; yea, prevalent to the Disease. It may not be a naked, bare and unactive word, that may cure the deed of excecation done to the heart, but it must be an operative forcible and effectual word that speaks what it does, and does what it speaks. If such a Word say, let there be light there shall be light; and then the light of our souls shall see the great Object of our Souls, the perfect Light Christ jesus. But before this light and sight be created in us, let that Infinite Light shine right into the eyes of blindness and darkness, the darkness will never comprehend it: And even to them that see they will deny their sight, and swear that they are blind also. But whither it be fit for us to believe their blindness, or our own sight, let every man judge. In their own wisdom they will hold, That Sensus non fallitur circa obiectum, And by that will prove the Sun shines, or the Swan is white, because the unhindered fence hath apprehended it to be so.  
And why should not we enjoy the same privilege, and say much more? That a soul clarified and illuminated by the purest spirit, is not deceived in spiritual Objects, but as Solomon saith, it seethe more and more truly than seven men on a Watch-towre, and as Paul saith, The spiritual man discerneth spiritual things. Surely the spiritual eye as properly and as naturally seethe spiritual things, as the bodily eye doth bodily things; yea, it should do it better and more assuredly, because this spiritual sight came more newly & immediately from the Maker, but our fight comes from him to us through many men, and many infirmities of those men much soiled and dimmed.  
And here comes in fitly to be answered a second Objection, which is an Imputation of captivity, undergone by our understandings in the matter of Faith. To this I answer, That in true Religion it is not a brutish captivity, by which the understanding yields up her eyes to be put out, & herself to be blindfold; but the understanding receiving a better sight, yields up the worse, and so doth not lose her light, but change it for a better; yea, it changeth captivity for freedom; for even that blindness that captivated is, is led into captivity, but the understanding is more free than before, as an eye that is freed from blindness. For the Son by his Spirit hath freed us from that natural darkness wherein we were borne, 2. Cor. 3 16, 17. But they will reinforce this Objection from the usual form of teaching young or new Christians. Their first instruction they say, is to believe, and they take Credo for their beginning. But do Christians herein otherwise then other Teachers of Sciences. It is known for a Maxim, without the bonds of Religion, Oportet discentem credere, He that learns an Art must at first believe the Teacher of the Art, and then after being skilful in his Art, he may look himself into the truth of his Art. So in Christianity, at first Religion must be received upon trust, but this is by Learners only, not true and form Christians.  
The Church must at first teach her Children until they be taught by Christ, and then indeed they are only true and form Christians when Christ himself hath taught them. Some of the Samaritans believed the woman at first concerning Christ, but being taught by Christ, they went beyond that belief, and believed himself: and they add their Reason, We now know that he is the Christ. So is Knowledge still the kindly foundation of our Religion, which herein outstrips other Arts. For the young beginners must at first believe the Artists themselves, and proceeding farther, must generally upon trust believe principles (which they hold most from Aristotle, who as the Doctor saith in his Preface, is often contrary to himself, and exceeds in gross absurdities all them that went before him.) And if some transcendent spirits shake off trust and authority, and search the Fountains of things, they find that the Principles themselves are indemonstrable, and what cannot be demonstrated I hope must be taken upon blind belief. But this favour they will not allow unto Christians, neither do we much desire it, for we see and know ourselves what we believe, & whereof we affirm, and we see by the highest, purest, and most undeceiveable light, and we want not the Glow-worm of demonstration to tell us, that we see the chiefest Light Christ jesus by our Faith, and the light which we see is the same Light by which we see. Herein only is the trouble, that we cannot communicate our sight unto blindesse, and they will not allow us to believe by seeing, what for want of seeing they cannot believe. Therefore when with Stephen, we say, that we see Christ jesus sitting at the right hand of God: the blind Wizards are ready to throw stones at us for confessing what we see, or for seeing that which is hid from them.  
But though our Reasons cannot open their eyes, yet God who brought Light out of Darkness can do it, and therefore we pray unto him with the Prophet for his Servant, Lord open their eyes, and then with Balaam, that illuminated Wizard falling into a trance, with their eyes opened they may utter their Parable; There comes a Star out of jacob, and a Sceptre out of Israel, out of jacob shall he come that shall have Dominion.   

CHAP. VII. Aphorisms of Predestination.  
THE root of Predestination is unsearchable, the wit of man is shor● and shallow, contentiousness is endless, because doubts are manifold, and humours incompatible; therefore I think it best in a perplexed matter to set down short and evident Truths, by light to chase away the errors of those that deceive being deceived, and by brevity to make knowledge portable, & so either easy or pleasant to the knower.  
First, it is fit for man to know, That no man doth know the secrets of God, but by the Revelation of GOD. Therefore, just as they are revealed, so they are to be conceived and believed. The revelation of God's secrets must inform and teach our understandings & judgements what they are, but our understandings or judgements must not tell themselves what these secrets are; so we must be passive in a submissive receiving them not active in an inventive contriving of them. Therefore, man's reason must lie still, and merely suffer when the highest Reason and Wisdom speaketh undiscoverable Mysteries, it must hear and believe as a Learner, and not instruct as a Teacher. For who hath known by his own wit the inward mind of the Lord? for his secrets are only known to his own Spirit, and to those to whom that Spirit reveals them. Therefore, just as the Scriptures speak, let us hear; and learn this secret of Predestination, especially, where it is handled, ex proposito, for in such places good Teachers set down plainly the state of the Question, and an especial place of that kind is the 9 and the 11. to the Romans.  
Secondly I affirm, or rather the Scripture before me, that though God discovers to us that he chooseth some and leaveth others, yet the reason of Gods will in choosing or leaving is hidden from us. Paul cries out, O depth, and how unsearchable are his counsels, and his ways past finding out. And again, he worketh all according to the pleasure of his own will, which indeed be the very words of one that hides his reasons of doing, referring us only the knowledge of his pleasure. Again, Where he will, he hardeneth; where he will, he showeth mercy. So his will is the Horizon and utmost extent of our revealed knowledge in this point.  
Thirdly, the will of God hath ever joined with it Wisdom and justice: it is not a rash Will without Knowledge, but whom he knew before those he predestinated, & Pharaoh is hardened not without advice, but that God may get glory upon him, and Paul thus expresseth the wisdom of this business in general; To show the riches of his mercy on some, and the severity of his wrath on others. Again, His will is just, for else how should God judge the World, for how can the judge of the World but do justly? but I say, some part of God's justice is to man in this life unsoundable; and is kept for the day of the declaration of the just judgement of God, and yet some part of his ways in this are discernible to have evident justice..  
Fourthly, the justice of God is thus far evident, That man being made righteous & freely falling, and in his fall ruining & corrupting his whole House, Family and Posterity, God, who by man's free falling is free from the fault of his falling, hath power to punish sin in all men, in whom he finds it. As sinne it is contrary to him, and so punishable, as sin contracted by man's freewill without God's enforcement or cooperation (quatenus sin) God is left free to be a judge, and not to be excepted at as a party.  
Fiftly, Man being in this state of misery & corruption without God's fault or partaking, and God knowing that it would be so even before the foundations of the World, before the same foundations of the World, might well and justly resolve to leave some part of man in this selfe-purchased misery, who cannot claim any right or merit of restoring, and he might choose another part to Mercy, God being by man's free act of sinning left free either to justice or Mercy, to leaving or choosing. And being free, he chooseth or leaveth as in his secret Wisdom he knows most advantageable to his glory.  
Sixthly, true it is that God fore-appointed Christ jesus to be the Saviour of his Elect, & his Elect to be saved by Christ jesus, and all these from eternity. Christ was a Lamb slain before the beginning of World, and the Elect were chosen to Salvation before the beginning of the World: though the Election purposed to execute itself by Adam's fall, yet the fall of Adam in itself was voluntary and not necessary; I say in itself it was not necessary, for the certainty of God's Decree did not lay any necessity on the freedom of Adam's will, and yet neither did the freedom of Adam's will, in danger the certainty of the Decree; yea, the freedom of Adam's will both clears God from necessitating it, and yet certainly and infallibly effects Gods Decree. For in that Adam's will is free, God doth not incline it to fall, and so therein is God cleared from enforcing his sin. And in that Adam's will is free, Adam will certainly fall, and certainly effect the Divine Decree. Adam left to himself, cannot accuse God for moving him to sin. Sure God is the stability of all his Creatures, & particularly of man's will, and if God purpose to get himself glory on man's fall, he need no other means to bring it to effect, but by giving him free will. For the will left free to itself, as it is ●ree from God tempting, so it is free from God supporting, & where God doth not support though the will might make man to stand if it would, yet it will not do it though it might. Therefore when Adam by his freewill will certainly fall, we ought rather to speak of a voluntary & certainty then an inward necessity. And indeed, God's Decree hath as clear & sure a passage to his mark by a voluntary certainty, as by a a necessity; yea, by coaction itself. For where God leaves the will free, this freewill will freely but certainly fall, and where it will certainly fall, by that certainty the certainty of the Decree passeth safely to his assured mark. So likewise to do right to God's purity, and that he is not the author of sin, it sufficeth that we find the fall of Adam, to be voluntarily certain. As for Necessity there is not a Necessitas actina, and therefore, if there be any, it must be Necessitas ociosa, and surely it seems idle to talk of an idle Necessity. For as causa sine qua non is called stolida causa, so I see not why Necessitas per quam non, may not be called stolida Necessitas.  
Seventhly, God is free to make Adam free; even to leave him in an aequilibrious estate, with a possibility to be overweighed by temptation is he listed; He might by his freewill have taken the Tree of Life and Stability, as well as the Tree of Death and Apostasy, and so he was thereby as near to Happiness as to Misery. But that God should establish him as he doth the Elect, he was not bound, for he that binds God must give first unto God; now the Creature cannot give first unto the Creator, for he must be before he can give, and even that being (which is man's first) he must first receive from his Creator. So is he first a Debtor in his very being, and a man by one Debt cannot make title to another.  
Eightly, though God is said to harden, yet he doth it not by influence of corruption, or supply of vice, but God herein is most absolutely clear, for he doth it by notdoing. And if God do not in sin, how can he be accused of doing sin? if God will that Pharaoh shall be hardened, let him but keep in his breath, even his blessed Spirit, by which hearts of stone are made hearts of flesh, and then fle●h will of itself and by the help of Satan, turn into stone. God is not the cause of sin no more than the Sun is the cause of Ice. The Sun is properly a destroyer and dissoluer of Ice, and God is a dissoluer of the sinful works of the Devil. But when the Sun withdraws his beams by his nightly and winterly departures, the cold hardens the waters which the Sun forsakes. So where God hideth his face, and contracts his spirit, there temptation hardens. He doth not put the hardness into the heart, but he leaves the heart and hath nothing to do with it, and then where God doth nothing to soften, there will quickly enough be done by sin and Satan to harden. Therefore when we are hardened, Let us rather complain that God doth nothing, then that he doth something in us.  
Ninthly, though the Children of Adam be necessarily sinful, yet they may be justly punished, because necessary sinning came from voluntary sinning. For this necessity of sinning came not from God, but from their own Father, but this freewill brought upon them this necessity. And surely if they had been in his place they would likewise have done the same, for Adam's Children would have been no better than their Father, the print no better than the stamp. When God gave a power of leaving a righteous seed, he may call into judgement the seed which he finds unrighteous, and he may be angry with sin wheresoever he finds it, because he gave a power that there should be no sin at all. We do the same and allow the same, and yet question what we do and allow; In a Snake and Toad, we make no question whither they could choose but be venomous, but without any question we kill them only for being venomous: neither may we excuse it because we made not their venom, for neither did God make the venom of sin. And surely sin is like poison in the sight of God, and we may rather wonder how his mercy can endure it in so many, then how his justice should punish it in any. A Traitor's children are impoverished by Laws for the offence of his parents, and when we see an oppressor, murderer, or extortioner, we expect it as a necessary piece of Divine justice, That his third heir enjoy not his estate. This is the sum. God is pure and righteous, Man is sinful without Gods partaking, a Righteous God may punish sinful men, whose sin he hath nothing to do with, but he finds it contrary and offensive to him.  
Lastly, in these and the like depths of God, let no man wade above his stature. Every Man should understand according to sobriety, that is, according to the measure which he containeth. Let not the Homer tear itself in pieces by stretching itself to be an Ephah: but let every member (for the members are different) aspire to his proper fullness, and though they reach not to such Mysteries, they may converse in points of more absolute necessity to salvation, and larger edification, as our graffing into Christ jesus by Faith, and our growth in him by Love, the stablishing of our hearts in the hope suggested by the earnest and testimony of the sanctifying Spirit.  
These things are main, general, and absolutely necessary employments, and concernments in our way to Heaven, and in them especially must we spend our meditations. And for the rest no doubt to their understanders, they are full of edification, yet all men cannot ceceive them. Therefore let every man receive that which is meet for his measure, according to that which he hath, & not according to that which he hath not, nor cannot have. Miserable it is to see (as I have seen it) a man possessed by pieces of this secret, rather than possessing them, and so uttering his distractions rather than resolutions, that one might pity his amazement sooner than conceive his meaning. But I have showed you a more excellent way.   

CHAP. VIII. Of the small health and great unhealthinesse of the Romish Church, wherein most conspicuous is a Wen grown to the likeness of a Head.  
Whosoever doth considerately behold the main body of the Romish Church, may find therein three sorts of Religion. The first may be called Religio Curialis, the Religion of the Court, which is indeed nothing else but Policy, paraphrasing Divinity, and an unkindly & froward Alchemy, by which gross things are drawn out of pure things, the flesh is limbecked out of the Spirit, and worldly pomp and supremacy is extracted out of a doctrine that preacheth sufferings, patience, and humility. An inconsequent conclusion, and fare vasutable to the premises; and like (though contrary) to the ancient Centones, wherein out of the Heathen works of Virgil, is gathered the Christian story of our Saviour's incarnation and passion. But these, contrarily, though in the same way out of the Christian and Spiritual Doctrine of the Gospel, draw a Heathen, Secular and Carnal Empire, even a perfect story of a Man of sin, and of one that sitteth as God in the Temple of God. The Pope hath gotten a Monopoly of of heaven and earth, and none may trade in either without some tribute to his supremacy. Thus is the Scripture brought to speak the Language of Babel; by a most cruel rack it is forced to deny itself, Christ is set on work to set up Antichrist. And whereas it is openly said, Vos autem non sic, by distinctions, metaphors, and inferences as loudly though not so truly it shall say, Vos autem sic. You shall not be as the kings of the Nations saith one Text, yet other Texts with their glosses will bring it so about, that the Kings of the Nations shall be but your Vassals, and shall be metamorphosed into Brutes, even Asps and Basilisks for Popes to tread on. And hither tend the main endeavours of diverse later Popes, even to settle a principality by the Gospel. Yea, and when the Gospel would not help them (for it will not) they strive to establish it by wars, by tumults, by treasons, things merely repugnant and forbidden by the Gospel. So necessary it is that the Pope must be the Head of the World, that he had rather kill the body than not be the Head; So is he a true and lively Antichrist, even an opposite to Christ; For Christ being the true Head of the Church, gave himself to death for the life of his body. But this Man being (as his own say) but a Ministerial head, giveth the body of Christ to distraction, for the life of this imaginary Head.  
On this Theme are spent the huge labours of Baronius. And to this end is the Pope's authority over Princes maintained by Bellarmine and others: and to this end is the doctrine of Treasons against excommunicated Princes taught, & printed by many of the Pope's Parisites, so that every Protestant Prince may truly be called a Confessor, for he confesseth the Christian Religion with the danger of his life. Which transcendence both of pride and sin, though the Court of Rome maintain, yet because some members of the same Church have confuted and disclaimed it, I may the more truly call it a different kind of Religion.  
Another sort shall be termed Religio Theologorum, the Religion of the Divines, or that doctrine which is ordinarily taught or acknowledged for the saving of learned souls: of this also there are three degrees. The first is Crassa doctrina, the grosser or less refined doctrine, which was both more common & more gross before Luther, and yet hath large entertainment among ●hem: such is the doctrine of Merits, of condignity; of Predestination, ex praevisis operibus; of worshipping of Images with the worship due to the sampler, etc. which assertions if any would farther learn, he shall find them in the confutation of their own ●eater Writers, who among the Heretics confute also their fellows grosser opinions. And those confuters are those which teach the second degree of Doctrine, which is Doctrina limita, a refined kind of Doctrine conceived by the genuine interpretation of Scriptures; yea, enforced by the evident light of the Word, and approacheth very near to that of the Reformed, so that though not out of one, yet out of all, our Doctrine may be proved and deduced. And this is that which yields the matter of such works as the Catholic Apology, Papa non Papa, and such other, which by the Romanists have confuted the Roman Religion. A third degree is Doctrina Spiritus aut Conscientia, the Doctrine of the Spirit or Conscience, which is, when Men taught by the Spirit of God, or enforced by the Light of their own Conscience, confess their own unworthiness, and wholly extol as the surest Refuge the mercy of God in the merits of Christ. This former is frequently seen in Barnard, Thomas Campensis and others, that lived in that Church; Men as I hope sanctified and taught by the Spirit. Others also, by the terror or conviction of their Conscience, have acknowledged the same as Stephan Gardiner at his end, and Bellarmine when after disputation of merits, he confesseth this affiance in God's mercy to be the safest rest of the soul. And no doubt when men are approaching by death to the bar of a supreme justice; before a perfect God with pure eyes, if they have any portion of the Spirit, they abhor themselves with job, and do so see and fear their own corruption, that they cannot find rest but in perfect merits, and a perfect satisfaction. So that I doubt not but of these there is a reserved number, even a number reserved by God's election, which is truly Ecclesia Electorum; having washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.  
A third and last sort of Religion, may be called Doctrina Idiotarum, even that Doctrine which is taught to the common people, apprehended and accordingly practised by them as sufficient to save their ignorant Souls. This is generally a Religion very near fitted to brute beasts, for it teacheth them to be saved in ignorance, and by believing as the Church believes. Which is upon the matter by believing that which they know not, and by not knowing what they believe. So is the Soul, which should be the principal agent in Religion, left out in Religion, and lies like the first Chaos, void and full of darkness, And the body is principally instructed. Accordingly they are taught by Images & Pictures more than by preaching, as men that have five senses without, but no sense within. They must confess they must do penance, they must say Creeds and Aue-maries' in Latin, and those they must mistake for prayers, they must worship Images, and adore the Sacrament; They must bring their bodies to the Church; & leave behind their understandings, for in their Liturgy there is only work for the ear, and none through the ear for the understanding. And as this teaching of Religion is brutish, so is the practice Mechanical. They work it out with their limbs, and the poor Soul stands by, and knows not a jot of the business. The mouth speaks, the knee bows, the hand moves on the beads, or knocks upon the breast, the eye looks up, the ear hears, and yet the soul and spirit which give the only life and being to the worship, that God a Spirit love's, knows nothing, understands nothing what the body is doing. And as for the Images, the poor wretches must needs commit flat Idolatry; for I never heard that any of their Doctors, did perfectly teach their common people to distinguish between Doulia and Latria, but as one of their own saith, If they worship them with all their heart, they think they have done it excellently. Surely it cannot be conceived, that the ignorant Papists who have no Commandment against Images, should in this point do better than the jews who had a plain Commandment against them. But the jews fell to Idolatry against an evident Commandment, yet these Doctors think that their people shall be held from Idolatry, only by a distinction: Surely they little regard the infirmity of miserable Man, fallen into so great an Ignorance and Corruption, that he is apt to learn Lies of a stock, and to be inflamed with Images under every green ●ree. Neither do they consider the strictness of jealousy, which in the Lord Almighty is as perfect and infinite as himself. Now perfect jealousy cannot abide to have a known Adulterer come near to his spouse, neither can it endure to have any thing come near to the worshipper, which hath been known to have drawn the worship aside from God to itself. And accordingly God in his jealousy was very careful that no Image should be seen in Horeb, lest what had been seen, should have been represented, & what had been represented, should have been worshipped. But these Men presuming beyond their Maker, have apprehended and condemned this his needless jealousy, & abandoning all fear, in their Horebs, even in the places where the Law is or should be published, have set up many Images before their ignorant and untaught people; even stumbling blocks before the blind. And all the remedy or satisfaction we can have from them, is this, that they teach the people a distinction whereby they need not be Idolaters. But to what purpose is this, when this distinction is not so universally taught as the Images are seen: neither (as before) so universally understood; neither if understood, so generally followed by reason of Man's corruption, which not being limited heretofore by a Divine Commandment, will less be limited by a humane Distinction. Therefore should these offences be wholly taken away from the places of worship, yea if they were as useful as the brazen Serpent itself, which was the Image of Christ; yea for their sakes must let them be taken down, for whom they are most set up; even for the Lay and ignorant people, for to these are they intended to give most instruction, and to these being lest capable of the distinction, they bring most destruction.  
And here as we pass, let us take notice of a great danger in that Mystery of Iniquity. For the Teachers and Masters of that Art, pretend at first to make good Christians, but they endeavour at last to make ill subjects; so that except there be some stop in the Disciples (which can hardly be when the ear is open to all that which the Church teacheth, and the Priests are the mouth of the Church) it is very hard to stay themselves within the just bonds of Religion and subjection. For if the Pope's temporal power over Princes be both taught & believed, as it commonly is, the more zealous he is that believes it, the more dangerous he is to the State where he life's. And lamentable patterns hereof may be. seen, since ingenuous and good disposition have been Instruments in most barbarous Treasons, and particularly in the greatest of all Treasons.  
Thus I have somewhat delineated the portraiture of the Romish Church, whereby it may be known both what a small Church of God is among them, and what a large Synagogue of Satan, what Temple of God, and what false god sits therein. So may we distinguish between the good and the evil, not condemning the good for evil, neither loving the evil for the good. For such is the craft of the Romish Circumcellions and Proselyte makers, that they go about to make men evil by that which is good, & by the best of their Religion bring men to the worst. Accordingly they do very much fish for men, to the first sort of Religion by the second, and sometimes by the best degree of the second, though among the vulgar where the third will serve, they save the labour of the second. Yea, many good souls seeing such Holiness in some of the Works of that Church (as before in the second and third of the second) they have of themselves conveyed themselves into the first, and so while they desired to be made fellow-members of the Saints by union, they have with the same become subjects of the Pope's Monarchy, and so warfared at once to Christ and Antichrist, which cannot be but by great loss & danger. We therefore to whom God hath showed the deceitfulness of these strong Delusions, though loving the virtues, truths and persons of those which among them receive a justifying and sanctifying Religion, yet let us not for love of them cast ourselves into a yoke of Tyranny, Error and Ignorance, neither for Zion's sake thrust ourselves into Babylon, but rather fly from it.  
It hath pleased Christ the true Head of the Church to set us free from the counterfeit head, and the cruel burdens thereof, both spiritual and temporal. Let us therefore stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath freed us, and not return willingly into the yoke of bondage. Whatsoever virtue and whatsoever Holiness is among them, the same is here open to us, and with a great advantage of freedom from abundance of Errors, Superstitions and Deceits. Now who would be so foolish, rather to seek Corn among a heap of Chaff, then to take it winnowed and cleansed? And who would seek Relgion among a heap of Errors, when he may have one purged and winnowed by the Fan of Christ, even the breath and Word of God? And let this be taken for a certain truth, That if we go but by a general experience, and without an enquiring of this particular case, we may find that in one thousand and five hundred years, any Church will gather rust, and moss, and tares. For certain it is, that in all that time, the Husbandman doth sometimes sleep, and as certainly as the Husbandman sleeps, so certainly doth the Enemy sow his Tares. The Church of the jews before Christ, (if we give Rome her own ask) was as very a Church, and as infallible a Church, & as only a Church as the Church of Rome. In jury was God only known, to them were only committed the Oracles, and to them were the promises made; yet we see what dross and Tares grew upon that Church, even in short returns, and if you will see it, do but mark what scouring and cleansing fell to the lot of the two good Kings, Hezekiah and josiah, and at last to our Saviour Christ himself, who was fain to sweep the Temple with a Whip, and to smite the Doctors of the Temple (even the Scribes and pharisees) with the rod of his mouth, Mat. 5. yet this while the Church of Rome is pure and spotless, neither in all these years since Christ is there any Error in their Doctrine. But the truth is, that she is no other than the Church of judea, yea, of Laodicea. She is blind, miserable and naked, but only she saith and will have it said, That she is rich, and hath need of nothing. She is not without faults, but she will be without correction. Having faults, she will have them to be no faults, that where there be no faults, there may be no amendment. Surely this is the top of the misery of that Church (as it is to us a chief justification of our departure from them) that they have left themselves no leave, or power of amendment. For they have sealed their errors, first unto them by a Council, the seal of the Pope's infallibility being set thereto. So are they bound eternally to the love and defence of their Errors; and must still err, that they may not seem to have erred. But this carnal policy is likely to be their destruction; for the Church of God seeing her desperatenes, hath nothing left but to cry continually, Come out of her my people, that ye be not partaker of her plagues; And God himself seeing her in the same remediless case, that he saw juda and Israel, 2. Chron. 36.16. being still the same God, will no doubt use the same justice, and according to his own Word, will send down that Angel of Power which shall lighten the Earth with his Glory, and cry mightily with a loud voice, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and become the habitation of Devils; and this is the reason of her torments, because she faith, I sit as a Queen and am no Widow, and shall see no sorrow. But if withal some plain particulars be desired by which men without labour may see that they have erred, who cannot err; and therefore err again in saying they did not err before; not to refer them to the large Treatises of these Controversies) let them consider some few positions which are direct Oppositions to the Word of God. S. john saith, 1. joh. 1.7. The blood of Christ purgeth us from all sin. Bellarmine saith, judic. de lib. concord. That good Works deserve remission of sins. Saint Paul saith, 1. Cor. 1.15. That when the people understandeth not, he cannot say, Amen, neither is edified, Vers. 16, 17. and withal commands, That all things should be done to edifying, and to that end, that when a strange tongue is spoken one should interpret, or otherwise the speaker in an unknown tongue should hold his peace, Verse 16, 17, 18. But the Council of Trent saith, (in the Decree of the Sacrament, cap. 9) That whosoever holds that Mass should be said in the vulgar Tongue, let him be accursed. Again, the Commandment saith, That no Image shall be worshipped, but Bellarmine says, they may be worshipped; and Azorius says, with the worship of the sampler, and so the Crucifix with the worship of Christ. Christ saith, That the Apostles shall not be like the Princes of the Earth in Dominion, but the Papists say, That to the Pope is given all power, and the use of both Swords; yea, they are set above Princes. And surely to sum up these four points together, Idolatry, magnifying of their own Merits, starving of Souls, and intolerable Pride, their Corruption is abominablyeminent, so that it must be a blind man that seethe it not, and a Whore's forehead that confesseth it not. And assuredly for four transgressions and for five, if not fifty, God will certain punish them, especially for these crying one's, by which God himself hath his honour communicated to Stocks, the Son of God hath this honour divided with the sons of men; Those which are called Gods are subjected to the pride of the Man of Sin, and the Church of God for whom Christ died and shed his blood, hath their blood spilt by ignorance, and not knowing the Council of God, Acts 20.27. So by these short patterns we may know what kind of stuff their Religion is made of; yea, to what a Religion they have tied themselves, by the sacred and fearful bands of Canons & Curses. Since than they have bound themselves to their diseases, what remains to us but this? Curavimus Babylonem, & non est sanata abeamus quisque in terram suam: Come out of her, come out of her my people, that ye be not prtakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her Plagues.   

CHAP. IX. A cure of that Monastical Melancholy, that cuts off a Christians hands, and turns him all into eyes.  
CHrysostome speaking comparatively of an active & contemplative life, 
* De Sacer. lib. 6.  preferreth ●he virtue of the active before the contemplative, of the Priest, before the Monk; as of a King before a private Man. For he saith, the contemplative Man saileth in the Harbour and passeth a good life, but it is in safety and quietness: But the active Man goes through the World, and yet is none of the World, he meets with tentations, fights with them, and overcomes them, he steereth his course aright, through stormy and tempestuous Oppositions. Again, he saith, that the Minister labours with his mind, the Monk with his body. On the other side, Gregory 
* Moral. in job l. 6. c. 18. & Ezek. l. 2. Hom. 3.  preferreth the Contemplative before the Active, and to prove it, saith, that the Contemplative Man enjoyeth his Creator, is already in Heaven, the World is trodden under him, and he feasteth on Blessedness, so that he is as fare above the Active, as Heaven is above Earth, as bliss is above this miserable and sinful World.  
Now there being but one Truth, how shall we find this one Truth in this seeming diversity of Opinions? For Truth is only to be found in Unity, and not in contrariety. Yet by the Candle of God's Spirit and Word, let us seek this Groat of Truth, that otherwise may be lost in the dark.  
First, true it is which Gregory saith, That Contemplation is herein more excellent than Action, That Contemplation seems to gather the fruit and Action but to sow it. So as gathering is more excellent than sowing, so Contemplation seems to exceed Action. And as attaining the Haven, is more comfortable than tossing in the Sea, so Contemplation is fare sweeter than Action. But yet on the behalf of Action, must we consider two assured Truths; First, that this World is made for another World, and it is not the place of Rest, but the way to Rest, and our business in this World is to provide for a happiness to be enjoyed in another World. Then though enjoying in itself be better than working, yet upon this consideration of circumstances, it may be better to work then to enjoy; For if working here increase our enjoying hereafter, and enjoying here diminish our enjoying hereafter, doubtless, it is better to work in this place of working, that we may enjoy in the place of enjoying, then by imperfect enjoying here in a place of working, hereafter to diminish our joys in the place of perfect enjoying. To gather fruit in an undue time, abateth of the bigness and sweetness. We must not think to have our Heaven here, but we must labour in the six days of this life to enjoy an eternal Sabbath hereafter. We must here be turners of our Talon, that being faithful in little, we may rule over much, and not think that binding up our Talon we may be idle here and glorious hereafter: we may not imagine that man had a body given him to live only in his soul, but the Maker of the body will also have the service of the body, and that not in works of Piety alone, but of Charity also; even of mutual help and benefit, as being part not of a Separation, but of a Communion of Saints.  
Therefore though Peter thought it good to be still in the contemplation of Glory, and would fain have built Tabernacles therein. Yet Christ carries him down again from the Mountain of Vision, into the World of Action, into the company of persecuting jews, seducing and hypocritical pharisees, yea, into the winnowing of Satan himself. And indeed, generally the Apostles lives were lives of Action, and lives of Passion. And if these Apostles be the foundation, and Christ the Corner stone, then are Active men the chiefest in Heaven, as being next unto Christ, and no Contemplative men may ever sit above them: for the foundation will still be nearest to the corner stone, and nothing may go between them.  
Contemplation indeed is absolutely necessary, and in her own turn and time more necessary than Action, as Mary's hearing in the time of Christ's preaching, was more necessary than Marthaes' serving; but the same Maries action of anointing Christ in a due season, is as famous as her hearing of Christ. Contemplation must not end in itself, but it must proceed, and the due proceeding of it, is to end in Action. When Contemplation ends in itself, we may reap some pleasure to ourselves, but nothing is reaped to God. But so it may not be, for the end of our life is the service of God, and the service of God is Faith, working by Love, and the fruits of Love are good Works; therefore we must proceed as fare as these good Works, or else we are short of the end and scope of our life appointed by God.  
And Gregory himself confesseth, that the Contemplative Life is barren like Rahel, and the Active fruitful like Leah, even fruitful in saving of souls. Now Rahel pleased not herself in her barrenness, nor should the Church of God, but it should cry as hearty, though not so impatiently, Give me Children or else I die. Neither doth Christ the Husband of the Church, love or reward barrenness, but he desires that we bear much fruit, and the especial fruit, especially crowned with the glory of Stars, is saving of souls. Accordingly, Christ when thrice he had questioned Peter of his loving him, & Peter had thrice affirmed it, Christ doth not say to Peter, If thou lovest me, be thou still looking on me, sit still and enjoy me, and read and think only of me, But Peter, If thou lovest me, feed my Sheep, Feed my Lambs; which shows that a life of Action and Edification is the most noble Fruit, & notable Effect which Christ expects from his Lovers. And accordingly shall the last Sentence be pronounced: Come ye blessed of my Father, not who have continually carried me in your thoughts, and beheld me with your Contemplations, but ye who have spiritually and corporally fed me, clothed me, visited me in my members.  
Therefore let us take heed that we take not heaven too soon, neither spend so much ou● time, in enjoying the earnest that we abate the inheritance assured us by that earnest. And indeed (which is the second thing) God deals so with us in this life, that contemplation cannot be a whole employment to Man. Therefore as before it appeared to be unlawful, now it also appears to be impossible: For well doth every Saint of God know, that the glory and comfort of contemplation lasts but some turns, and then comes an ebb of grace, a night of vision, and perchance a long storm of Satan's buffet. Either the Spirit withdraws his glorious beams from the soul, or the soul itself is forsaken of the body, as not able to endure a long bend of high Meditations; or else the flesh hath leave to take us down by temptation, that the height of Contemplation may not hurt us by an equal height of Pride. For the height of Contemplation, is made most safe and profitable to us by the lowness of Humility, and Infirmity is a chief preserver of Humility. And even in these times though we have not the joy & ability of Contemplation, yet are we outwardly able for Action, and we can profit others when we seem wholly unprofitable to ourselves. Therefore to fall into a true moderation and indifferency between Contemplation and Action, let this be our Rule, that Contemplation nourish and feed Action but not devour it; that we contemplate to know God and to love God, that we know and love him to please him, and serve him in the Actions of some profitable vocation. We may not quench Contemplation, for it warms the soul, cheereth and heateth her to action; Again, we must not exclude Action, for that is to water the root and to pull away the buds, and so to prevent the fruit.  
The excellency of Contemplation and Action is the Concord of them, therefore let us be contemplative that we may be active, and in our activeness strive verily to express our Contemplation. For Contemplation is then most commendable when it is expressed in deeds, and not when it is merely borne and buried in thoughts. And it shall be more true glory to a true Christian, amid the world to despise the world, to resist it, to overcome it, then wholly to run away from it. Yet briefly for caution, let no man take any more to his task, than he is duly called to, and his strength can bear: let not the horse take on him the burden of an Elephant, neither let men endanger themselves farther in secular employments, than grace gives them good hope to return with safety.  
I will conclude in the saying of 
c Gregor. in Ezek. ho●il▪ ●. & in job. lib. 10. c. 11.  Gregory. The holy beasts did go and return, and did go and not return: So the Saints they go from their sins, and return no more to them, but in another kind of going, they go from Contemplation; to Action, and return again from Action to Contemplation; for these continual returns nourish and refresh each other, and it is unprofitable or impossible for a Christian to continue still in one without returning to the other. Thus doing, we shall be those labouring Contemplators, who only are the blessed ones that dye in the Lord, we shall rest from our labours of Action, and our works shall follow us; and then our good Actions shall be turned into the joys of an eternal Contemplation.   

CHAP. X. Against hungry and pinching Holiness, a foolish craft of some, that if they may save much here, they care not though they be saved but a little hereafter.  
IT is a lamentable thing to see, not so much how the men of the world, but how some men of Religion do fit their service for God. For in these men is the greatest wonder, who profess friendship and familiarity with God, and yet deal deceitfully with Him. So steadyly doth Nature work on her work of Corruption in the Children of Nature, though having undertaken a profession of Grace; yea, even in the very Children of Grace, though not wholly or finally, for even Peter in something is to be blamed, and Barnabas is seduced. Gal. 2. Nature I say continues her old work, even the same which in the days of old she wrought in the inhabitants of the Land of Israel, who being taught by the Priest to serve the God of heaven, were also led by Nature to join the worship of their own Idols to the service of the true God. The same do we too much at this day, we have given our names to God, we will needs be Citizens of of the new jerusalem, and be Pilgrims to the heavenly Canaan, yet we strive to build houses in Egypt, and spend our main strength for the things of that world, wherein we profess ourselves to be strangers.  
So do we join two incompatible ends together, as our mark and scope, East and West, God and the World; we join together what God hath put asunder, which is as bad as to put asunder what God hath joined together. And as those Inhabitants of judea, which served God and Idols, did neither serve God nor Idols, so these men serving God and the world, yet cannot be perfect servants of both; For true is that of our Saviour, No man can serve two Masters. But of these men which wear a double badge of a two fold service, there are diverse degrees.  
One is the palpable and gross professor, that weareth the badge of the world on the right side, and the badge of God on the left. This man in his heart writes the world first, and God after; yet as long as they two go one way, he will walk on among the foremost; He will hear and pray, and say as other Christians do, (I mean outwardly) as long as jobs hedge which the Devil spoke of is safe and sound, or as long as the glory and wealth which the Devil offered to Christ, do not call him aside. But if the hedge be broken up, and the wild beasts of crosses or losses rush in upon him, than he falls to the language of jobs Wife, Curse God and dye: or to that of the King of Israel, Why shall I serve God any longer? and the keys of Peter even of Devotion being cast into the river, the sword of Peter even of a carnal wit cutting and hewing with shifts and devices, is drawn and brandished forth: or if that hedge remaining strong, the Devil do but take him up into his Mountain of wretched preferment, and there show him this man's living, or that man's goods, which may be had with a little straying from the path of Holiness, he presently takes leave of his Master, and steps aside to fetch the two Talents of gold and the two changes of Raiment; and eftsoons comes again, wipes his mouth like an Harlot, and stands before his Master as afore-time. Miserable Creature that he is, being contented with the bare show of happiness; but though it please him to be contented with shows, yet substantially, really, and without dissimulation to him belong all the woes pronounced on the Scribes and pharisees, Hypocrites. Yet this benefit he doth the Church, that he can hardly scandal her to any man of understanding. For his works bewray him that he is not of us, and his prickles being very sensible make it known that he is a Thorn, and therefore a Vine, though growing by him cannot well in a slander, be joined with him. But let such a one be assured, that between his two Masters he shall be without a Master; for his chief Master the World will turn him out of service, and then God his pretended Master will not receive him. Death shall strip him of the World's favour and advancement, and God shall strip him of his show and vizard of Religion, and so being stark naked, poor, and miserable, he shall be thrust out of the gates of the City, and shall have his portion with Hypocrites, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  
A second sort is, of those that in earnest propose to themselves the service of God, yea they think not to serve the World, but yet they study and strive how to serve God most thriftily, and to please him as good cheap as they can.  
These men endeavour mightily to find out the utmost Confines of good, and to see how fare honesty may possibly be brought to reach. For they have resolved not to do evil, though they may get by it, but they are resolved to go for gain, as near evil as they can possibly, and miss it. So can we outwardly perceive God's badge on their sleeve, yet I must needs say, that in the lining and inwards of the same, there is a secret badge of the World. And surely I doubt the World is their chief end, and only that they make some reverence to God as they pass by Him to the World. Toward the discovery hereof, let us lay the rule or level to this doubtful man: If we look on a face of perfect proportion, and presently behold another, though but of a little disproportion, we shall soon find the fault by the comparison.  
So let us here behold the beauty of a sanctified Man, of a man crucified to the World, of a man of Heaven, and then shall we find even the lesser blemishes of a man of Earth. The man truly renewed hath his treasure in Heaven. There is his Rest, there is his Happiness, there is his Country. This heavenly Man looks upon his earthly Gods, and casts with himself, how much he may in good spiritual Husbandry lawfully return for Heaven, how much he may fitly give unto God, and lay up in the hands of his Saviour, and being a good Steward (though like that unjust one) by all lawful diminutions, he provides for the increase of his welcome and welfare in the place of his last and eternal Residence. Therefore doth this Man also seek out the bounds of goodness, but it is to another end, even to find how fare he may righteously convert his temporal Riches to the glory of God, and advancement of his Soul. He casts with himself how much he may well spare for holy and charitable uses, and withal not be worse than an Infidel that provides not for his Family.  
Now having found out the right purpose of this Man, thereby as by a Rule may we find the crookedness of the other. Whereas the man of heaven hath God for his main end, and therefore levels the World unto God, studying to convert the world to the most glory and pleasure of God; the other mainly studies and intends the World, desiring to have Gods good will towards the most obtaining of the World. One strives to return as much as he may, for Heaven, the other strives to return as little as he may, so he do not wholly lose Heaven; one endeavours most to please God, the other rather not to offend him then to please him.  
In sum, one strives how much good he may do, by a lawful conversion of his riches into good works; the other strives how much he may purchase, & how much riches he may increase by a lawful diminution of his good works.  
Now the man strives to that increase in riches rather than good Works, can hardly be that good Christian whose duty is to bring forth much fruit, john 15.8. Besides Experience shows, that such as stretch their actions to all possible lawfulness, many times offend in doing things not expedient, and in leaving undone things commendable & excellent. For things in themselves lawful, grow to be unlawful by such circumstances as make them inexpedient. This Saint Paul proveth strongly, and examples it in the lawfulness of eating meat, and in the unlawfulness of eating with scandal. But these hungry Christians too readily digest the Scandal.  
Again, they offend often in the sins of omission, leaving good things undone, and contenting themselves in the absence of positive evil: yea, many times they please themselves well, when they have done a less good work, when they might very well have done a greater. If money be not taken for a Presentation yet it may be taken for an Aduowson, though the greatness of the price plainly shows, that it is not all given for the liberty of choice, but part of it with an eye to the annual value: And yet this annual value is the very wages of the Labourer, and I hope wages should be bought by nothing but labour.  
Again, when thou sellest thy Aduowson, thou puttest from thyself an excellent privilege, by which thou mights do God an especial service, and thou wilt give another leave to do God the service, so thou mayst serve and please thy Mammon. I wish this traffic of Aduowsons' would cease, except when they be bestowed on Colleges, or some such persons as would amend, not impair the disposing of them.  
Another perchance is no Patron, but a Purchaser, and this man hath conscience enough, not to work his Neighbours out of their Live. But his Neighbour's poverty hath need of money, and his need can coin no money but out of his Living. Therefore the poor man's Living comes and offers itself for the rich man's money.  
And here first we may observe, that to strengthen the hand of the poor when it shakes, is thing commanded in the old Law, but perchance by this man scarce thought to be Moral: Next he sees the living come a begging to him, he hath not wrested it from him, but it walks voluntarily toward him; and therefore he thinks it not unlawful to take a good Bargain, when it offers itself to him. So the man that is thriving, gets by the man that is undoing, and the poor man's need makes him poorer, and the rich man richer.  
As for Alms, though the wants of many do call for them, and the reward of supplied wants doth persuade to them, yet the yearly surplusages shall be converted into an unnecessary increase of the HEIRS Estate, (which perchance is to great already) rather than into the satisfaction of necessities; and so Ambition shall have more service than Charity, though Charity promise a reward in Heaven.  
The Sabbath perchance, is kept by the minute, and the question mainly disputed when it begins and ends, But the great Sabbath of Sanctification, which should begin and never end, even a rest from sin, from the works of the flesh, from laying on yokes and burdens on our Brethren (which are indeed the mayneayme of the other) is fare less respected, and by many minutes, if not hours profaned. Worldly cares and carnal desires, like the Ox and the Ass are ever toiling in the minds of many, and with their feet, trouble and defile the pure waters of Sanctification, which then are especially waters of purity, when they are waters of rest. But let us hasten from the Disease to the Remedies.  
And first let those that abate God's service, for the service of the World, know that the World was made by God to serve man, and man to serve God; So is the World God's Servants Servant; but then how crooked and perverse a course do they take, that will seem to be God's Servants, and yet take their Servant, and make him a Competitor with their Master? Yea sometimes they will do more for their Servant then for their Master. But God is a jealous God, and his jealousy burns like fire, when he is not loved in his right place and degree, his Creature being put into a comparison with him. God will be loved, chief, and wholly, not secondly and niggardly. The cretures may have their due regard when GOD comes not in place, but when God comes to be served, let the whole Creation, stoop, yield, and bow unto him. Yea, he is so fare displeased with the dividing of his place unto riches, that he hath sealed it with the indissoluble seal of Impossibility, when he says, ye cannot, or it is not possible for you to join in one service, God and Riches. Let therefore our hearts give the main ●●oome ●●to God, and let the Creature● therein way●e upon the Creat●●●.  
Secondly, Let not men content themselves in the forbearing of both good and evil, for neither can these be knit together in one man. For if thou forbearest good, thou art guilty of evil, not to water a Plant when it is day, is to kill it, and the last sentence of condemnation lays hold on men, not for taking away Christ's clothes and meat, but for not giving them to him when he needed them.  
Thirdly, let not men approach to near to the confines of evil, because it is both dangerous and odious. Dangerous it is, for it is no other than the walking on Turrets, on the brinks of Bridges, and the edges of Praecipices. And it is a true saying of the Wiseman, He that loveth danger shall perish therein. When a man walks in such extremities of good, the least slip of his foot makes him fall into Evil, and the falling into Evil, is the way of falling into Hell.  
Therefore the wisest of men (Prou. 14.15.) adviseth thee, Avoid the way of the wicked, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. And in the Chapter following, he adviseth the Children of Wisdom, to remove their way fare from the Harlot, and not to come nigh the door of her house.  
Again, it is odious for this neighbourhood with Evil, makes a man a doubtful Christian, as the borderers between two Countries, are not perfectly known what Countrymen they be. God cannot abide a Twilight of Righteousness; he loveth not a doubtful Holiness, for he commands a shining Light, an eminent Goodness, and therefore asks his Servants, What excellent thing do ye? God will be evidently glorified in his Saints, and he cannot be evidently glorified but in evident good works. As God loseth his glory, when good works are done for ostentation, so he loseth his glory when the goodness of works cannot well be discerned: So worthless is a work when it is wholly done to be seen, and when it is done so slightly or scantly, that it can scarce be seen at all.  
Let men therefore do good works not because they should be seen, yet such as may be seen by their frequency, by their bigness, by their lustre and excellence. This is to walk as patterns and examples, 1. Tim. 4.12. This is to provide things honest in the sight of all men, Rom. 13.17. This is to have an evident Holiness, Mat. 5.16.  
Fourthly, let men know & renounce as an extreme folly, that temporal Thrift which causeth an eternal loss. Surely if that Lord who is Wisdom itself, commended the Steward for a Wiseman, that abated his temporal Reckon, to increase his eternal Rewards, he cannot but dispraise for a Fool, that man that will increase a little perishing vanity, that he may decrease an exceeding weight of eternal glory. Whereas a hundred abated here would increase a thousand hereafter, this man by a most foolish thrift will save fifty here, that he may lose five hundred hereafter. Ill Husbands they are in the midst of their good husbandry, and the Husbandmen of this generation shall rise in judgement against them, for these will not sow sparingly, that they may reap sparingly, but with a full hand do sow, that with a full hand they may mow. Let us therefore pray the Lord of the Harvest, he that as he increaseth our seed will also increase our sowing; that as he outwardly ladeth us with the bounty of his blessings, he will inwardly fill us with the bounty that giveth these blessings, that partaking of his good things, we may also partake of the goodness that bestoweth them. Then by the same goodness which gave unto us, shall we give unto others; the goodness of God supplying us both within and without; inwardly giving us the power of giving, and outwardly giving us the matter of giving. And to these men that are filled with this goodness (the Mother of good Works) is especially recommended that saying of S. Paul, He that provides not for his own, is worse than an Infidel. To such I say it belongs, who are likely to stray too fare on the right hand of Bounty, and not to such who most commonly abuse it for the defence of their lefthanded Parsimony. This place is to limit those that are excessively good, not to stop and bond those that are not yet good enough. Wherefore go on boldly a good way farther, for there is yet a good distance between this place and thee, except thou art in doubt of being too good.  
There is yet a third sort, which I would only name, and I wish that there might be no Examples of such hereafter known in Gath, nor spoken of in Ashd●d▪ and that is, when they that bear the true mark of God in their foreheads, and have ripped off the Badge of worldly love from their hearts, yet in some sleep of their consciences, the enemy soweth some Tares of worldly Lust, Covetousness or Ambition. David sinned in one kind, and no doubt, men of perfect hearts sin in other kinds, and single Actions of sin, issue from them that have an habit, or rather a nature of Grace. God hath left the Canaanite in us to exercise us, to humble us, that we may have an Enemy to fight against, before we wear the Crowns of Glory, and that we may have a pattern of our corruption to humble us as the Valleys, before we receive his showers of Grace and Mercy from those hills from whence cometh our Salvation. What remains but that we fight like men, for the kill of that old man which fighteth to kill us? While we stand, let us stand in humility, taking heed lest we fall; and this humility which makes us take heed lest we fall, will best keep us from that falling whereof we are to take heed. And if we do fall (as what man lineth that sinneth not) let us rise by giving our hand to Christ in Faith and Repentance, who by his blood washing us, and by his Spirit quickening us, will raise us again & set us on our feet, That we may run the way of his Commandments. Neither let the wicked in the falls of the Godly magnify themselves, and despise the other, as such pharisees use to do, for though these two did the same kind of fact, yet the fact is different. The godly man falls by infirmity, as by the weight of his body, or slip of his foot, the wicked falls with the swinge of his will, as if he ran his head against the Rocks. The godly man hates his own fault and ariseth from it, the wicked man never truly hates it, never hearty forsakes it. Yea, the godly man is bettered by his falls, and by falling stands the more strongly, because the more humbly and warily. And finally, though he pass by some particular frailties, yet upon the whole he is still better, and grows from strength to strength until he appears before God in Zion.   

CHAP. XI. An Error that forbids men, though mortally diseased, to be cured by a sick Physician.  
THere is an Error, which though it possesseth not many, yet some it possesseth strongly; and this is a great mischief belonging to it, that they think themselves better than others for being deceived, and so they become angry with those that would cure them, because they seem to endeavour, not to take away an Error from them, but to deprive them of their Eminence.  
Their misbelief is this, That none but sanctified Preachers can teach unto Sanctification and Salvation. And first for a general remedy, I desire these men to consider, that as in natural, so in spiritual fi●e, there are two things of especial and inseparable use, the one is Light, the other Heat.  
Let the heat of Nature make a man's body never so active and able, yet if the eyes be shut up so that this heat by the inward light which it makes, cannot entertain the outward light, the more active and stirring this man is, the more he stumbles, and the more he falls. Even so in the things of Grace, if a man will separate heat from light, he divorceth those ●hat in the spirit are joined together, and therefore it is likely that such are Saint judes' men; separaters, sensual, not having the spirit. For where the spirit is, there light is the guide of heat, and such are led by evident Truth, not by blind violence.  
But to meet with their Error more particularly, I will first lay my foundation, and it is this, An assured discovery of the true cause of man's Salvation. Not to run into byways, the true way to life, is Christ, The Way, the Truth, and the Life. Christ our life shall appear, saith Paul, and again, Our life is hid with Christ in God. More particularly, Christ entering into man, doth abolish the old man, which is the body of Sin & Death, and gives us the new man, wherein is included a right of Inheritance unto Life Eternal. The body of sin, by sin had bound us unto death, and by Dominon had bound us to sin, but Christ jesus entering into us by his Spirit, by his Death freeth us from the Death, to which we were bound, and by his sanctifying Grace, freeth us from that Dominion by which we were bound unto sin. So from henceforth, neither sin nor death have dominion over us, but the free and freeing Spirit of Christ dwells in us, whereby we are sons and heirs of Life Eternal, Rom. 8.14. etc. I will sum all up in the words of Saint Peter, 1.1.1. We are elect by God the Father, through the sanctification of the Spirit, and the sprinkling of the blood of jesus Christ. But this, thou wilt say, thou doubtest not, but confessest that the Trinity by Christ's humanity saveth us, but thou sayest, that this Salvation is imparted to us by the Ministry, and the defect of the Preacher may stop the benefit of the hearer. I confess indeed if his defect be in preaching, then there is an abatement of the benefit of hearing, but if his preaching be sound and sufficient, God's Word sound uttered by him is able to save us, without the Preachers Goodness or Sanctification. The Preacher is Vehiculum verbi, & verbum is vehiculum Christi, & Christus est fons vitae; The Preacher brings the Word, and the Word brings Christ, and Christ brings Salvation. If now the heart of man do but open that the King of Glory may enter in, salvation is come into his house. And surely if the spirit within open, when the Word without knocks, or Christ in the Word, there is an entrance of Life eternal:  
So is it brought to this narrow point, That when the Spirit meets the Word in the heart, and opens to it, Christ enters in the Word, and there is but this left to say, That the Spirit hath so tied himself to the goodness of the Minister, that he will not open the heart of the hearer, except he hear a holy Teacher. But this is a fearful saying, and worthy of detestation. This is to tie the free Spirit of God unto Man whose liberty Christ hath taught, saying, The Spirit bloweth where it listeth. This were to make the Spirit to stand in need of his own graces, and to be beholding to the grace of the speaker, to give grace to the hearer. This were to bring Christians not to receive their salvation from the fullness of Christ, but partly from the fullness of the Minister. Then it might be truly said, that Paul were something, and Apollo something, whereas St Paul saith, they were nothing, but God only that gave the increase. Then might we be baptised into the name of Paul, for from whom we receive the grace of Baptism, in his Name may we receive Baptism. This were to overthrew St Paul's Assertion, and to break his golden chain in pieces, who saith, that Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by preaching, for by this novelty hearing, doth not save us except the Preacher be also saved; so where Paul tieth Faith to hearing, these have untied Faith from hearing, except the Preachers goodness tie it up again. But what did our Saviour Christ mean to cause his Disciples to hear the Scribes and Pharises in Moses chair, whom he termed Hypocrites, and on whom he heaped his woes? Either Christ commanded them to do that which was unprofitable, or these men vainly condemn that which Christ commanded. And Paul rejoiceth that Christ was preached by envious and persecuting Preachers, and I hope persecutors are not likely to be sanctified. Surely it is the beauty of Christ jesus, that ravisheth a soul, touched and warmed by the Spirit. It is not essential to the moving of Love, that the Painter himself be handsome, so his picture be evident and lively, and the comeliness of the person represented admirable. If the Painter be unlike his own picture, the beauty of the picture disgraceth his ugliness, but remains lovely itself. Who is there, that if he were condemned to death (as we are all naturally to death eternal) but would gladly receive a pardon from the king by the hands of a condemned man? Surely the eye of a man touched by the Spirit, doth look more steadyly on the happiness of the message, than the misery of the Messenger. For God sends sometimes a message of happiness, by a Messenger that is miserable, as he sent blessings to Israel by the mouth of cursed Balaam.  
This is true, though it be objected, that unsanctified men are not called, and not being called, are not sent. For judas (a worse than Balaam) had the calling of an Apostle, was ordained to preach, and to cast out devils. Mark. 3.14. and obtained part of the Ministry. Act. 1.17. God giveth not his gifts in vain, but they are for the edification of the Church. So is the gift of Prophecy. 1. Cor. 14.4. Eph. 4.12. yet many that have this gift of edification shall be commanded to 
a So it seems the promise of shining like the stars for conversion of souls, Dan. 12.3. hath an implicit condition of godliness which hath the promises of this life and that to come. 1. Tim 4.8.  departed for want of Sanctification. Though they lose the private benefit of the gift of God, yet God will not lose the fruit of his own gift which he gave for the public.  
Wherefore let not the Preacher look into the soul of his Hearer, to find his salvation in his Hearers conversion, for he shall not find it there, but in his own Soul, if there he find Sanctification. Neither let the Hearer look into the soul of the Preacher, in his Sanctification to find his own Salvation, for he shall not find it there, but in his own Soul, if therein he can find Faith and Holiness. Surely the days of persecution had not this wantonness of Hearing, but they rejoiced (as the Spouse in the Canticles) by any means to hear news of him whom their Soul loved.  
But whereto doth all this tend? To give encouragement to a wicked Ministry? God forbidden. I wish verily that all the gatherers of Saints were Saints, and that those who express a scandalous 
b Tit. 1.7. S. Gregor. de past. cura. lib. 1.2. Hooker lib. 5. see. 81.  contrariety to Sanctification were removed, if incorrigible. For no doubt, though such may quicken some by their doctrine, yet they kill others by their example, and a man-killer is not fit to be a Minister, whose very Trade is Salvation. Besides, though a Minister's goodness give not the esse of Salvation, yet no doubt it gives the melius esse. For a Minister that life's well, is a double Preacher, he preacheth both by words and works; so he preacheth with a witness, and his life is a witnessing or Martyrdom of his doctrine. But the good Preacher and evil Liver, is but a single Preacher; yea, he labours by his Life to confute his Doctrine.  
Now where the Spirit speaketh twice by Illumination and Sanctification, he is more heard then where he speaketh but once. Surely the lives of Saints and especially of Ministers are the lively books of the Ignorant, and in them should they read the Characters of Virtue and Holiness.  
But my purpose is this; First, that God alone may have the glory of our Salvation, and that with the Virgin, our spirits may rejoice in God our Saviour. It is the singer of the Spirit, issuing from Christ jesus that gives life to the Letter, and brings the advantage of the New Covenant above the Old, by writing God's Word in our hearts, which the old Law could not perform.  
Secondly, I desire that the Ministers would turn away the eyes of the people from their goodness as the cause of their Salvation, saying with the Apostles, Why gaze ye on us, as if we by our own power or virtue had made you whole. The God of Abraham, Isaac and jacob, hath glorified his Son Christ jesus, and his power, not our goodness doth give this perfect soundness.  
Thirdly, I desire that Hearers would not refuse Christ jesus, lively offered and described unto them, though they know not the holiness of the Preacher. Let not any turn the Church into a judgement seat, and censure their Minister's Life, while they should hear his Doctrine. This is to be judges and not Hearers. I wonder what such Hearers would do, if they had been in Israel when Solomon preached after his many scandalous sins, which made his Sanctification doubtful to many. But let the same Solomon advice thee, Be not rash with thy mouth, but be more near to hear, then to offer the sacrifice of fools. Say with Samuel, Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth; and not Hear Lord, for thy servant speaketh; and what speaks he? damnation of the Preacher. Let us rather look on our own miseries and defects, then on the Ministers, and then we shall have more mind to seek our own cure from the Word: then to examine whether he be sick that would cure us. Let us not doubt but if the seed be good, and the ground be good, it will bring forth much fruit whatsoever become of the Sour.   

CHAP. XII. Spiritual Wickedness in high places, and the Remedy of it.  
IT hath been a great cause of the misery of the Church in general, and of the members of the same Church in particular, that spiritual exaltations have begotten carnal gloriations, and that the Flesh hath lifted itself up by the increases of the Spirit, as the Froth mounts by the flowing of the Water. And how can it choose but draw Misery, when it procures an Almighty Wrath, which Wrath is attended with an equal Vengeance. And if any would doubt how it should procure so terrible a Wrath, let him but behold the misshapen ugliness and absurd inconsequence of this Sin, and it cannot but anger his eyes, and much more the pure eyes of a most holy God, who cannot abide to sow good seed and to reap Tares, to plant the noblest Vines and to gather the sourest grapes. But first let us consider this sin how it grows, and then how ugly it is when it is grown. This Sin comes to his growth thus. When God out of the riches of his Grace, poureth on man the gifts of his Spirit, by which he riseth unto a spiritual excellence, and perchance thereby to some outward dignity, than the Flesh mounts up strait to manage and enjoy the fruits and issues of the Spirit; So what hath been gotten by the Spirit, hath been eaten and digested by the Flesh, and so Grace have been brought to nourish her whom she should chief have slain. This is the infirmity of wretched Mankind. Sin is so fast woven into our Flesh, and among sins especially Pride, that the Flesh most unsensibly will be proud, when her Foe the Spirit prospers, though indeed the prosperity of the Spirit by the kindly operation of it, should be the destruction of the flesh. Occidat modo imperet, saith the Flesh, I will adventure my life, so there may be that excellence by which I may advance my Pride. And as this is strong in the Root, so it hath been general in the Fruit, it hath spread his effects from the Cedar of Lebanon, to the Hisfop on the wall, from him that ascends above the clouds and will be like unto the most High, to the lowly shrub that grows in the humble Vale. For this very Sin hath puffed up the Man of sin unto his monstrous hugeness, that he is grown to he the king of the children of Pride, and this infirmity endangered the most humble St Paul, who gloried in distresses, so that he had need of buffetting. In the one the Horns of the Lamb defend and maintain the mouth of the Dragon, and in the other the transcendence and abundance of Revelations, which were above the utterance of Man might have lifted up his conceit to have thought himself to be more than a man. And as I can hardly think any prouder than the king of Pride, so I can scarce think any humbler than St Paul, and therefore I think all men have a degree of this Corruption, and that more or less as they approach i● likeness to the pride of the man of sin, or as they come near to the humility of blessed St Paul. And let not men altogether look upward or outward, to find this sin either above or without them, but let them look into themselves, and they may find as much Geometrical Pride in themselves as they do Arithmetical Pride in others, as much Pride proportionably to their Low places and Graces, as others have to their Higher gifts and Dignities. Yea, it was not true only in the Time of Diogenes, but it is true now also, That sometimes a greater Pride below, goes about to pull down a lesser Pride above. Yet I must needs confess that a little Pride above is in this more offensive, because more conspicuous, and there an example of Pride doth most harm, where a pattern of Humility would have done most good. But now let us go aside to behold the ugliness of it, and perchance the very sight of it may serve for a Remedy. What is more monstrous than that which is most unreasonable, and what is more unreasonable then on Christ to build Antichrist, on the Spirit to graft the Flesh, and upon Grace to mount the corruption of Nature. What agreement hath a carnal tumour with Spiritual excellence, what interest hath Corruption in Sanctity, the Old Man in the New? Wherefore let the house of Israel be the Flesh, and the house of David the Spirit, and then Israel may truly say, What portion have we in DAVID, and what inheritance in the Son of ISHAI? Neither let any think that the height of the Flesh can be any grace or preservative to the eminences and dignities of the Spirit. For Pride cannot procure safety or prosperity, since it draws the resistance of God and the hatred of men. But there is a Spiritual vigour and authority, which agrees both with humility and eminence, and this keeps men in a true state of mind, free from that Pride which makes a man the enemy of God, and free from that baseness which makes a man the scorn of men. For we may not think of an humility which is opposite to the dignity of the Spirit (ye true Nobility of the Soul) nor to dispensative vigour; (for virtues are not contrary) but on that which is contrary to a carnal Tumour, a needless swelling, a weed of the Flesh. And surely (that we may farther see the absurdity of this Pride) we can use no better means for the begetting of Humility, than the consideration of those excellencies on which the Flesh usually begetteth Pride. For dost thou enjoy a great measure of God's chief Graces? Do but as jacob did, Take but one of the least of these Graces and set them in one balance, and thyself in the other, and the voice of Humility cannot but break out of thy mouth, Lord I am less than the least of thy blessings. If with David in one sight thou beholdest thy own natural corruption & misery, and the great works which God hath wrought both in thee and for thee, Humility must speak out of thy mouth as it did out of David's, Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou regardest him? And thy Psalm shall begin and end not in thy own excellence, but in the excellence 
a Psal. 8.  of God; Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth? Surely if thou takest a true account of what thou hast received of God, thou hast taken a true account of what thou owest him; now the more thou hast received, the more thou owest, and the more thou owest, I hope thou wilt not be the more proud, but the more humble. Though God alloweth thee enjoying of his graces, yet thou owest him the service & glory of them, therefore think as well of the greatness of thy obligement as of the greatness of thy exaltation by them. The more graces thou hast received, the more service doth God expect, and a larger account. And though the man that sits down and swells in Spiritual excellencies, seems to be at his Rest and journey's End, yet be not thou emulous of him, for he hath taken his reward before his time. The true and kindly reward of Spiritual graces is a Spiritual happiness, which being put over to another life (which also is Spiritual) he is altogether short of it, who in this life endeavours to find it. He that in Spiritual graces aims at temporal rewards as his chief ends, this man makes the Spirit a drudge to the Flesh, he makes the Israelite to build Towers for the Egyptian, he hath begun in the Spirit and ends in the flesh, and woe be to him whose end is worse than his beginning. 2. Pet. 2.20. But let Spiritual honour and advancement, be used and employed by the same Graces by which they were gotten, and let Grace then flourish and fortify most, when it is most manured, dressed and encouraged. The higher Grace is advanced and rewarded, the more power, and the more matter it hath for good works. A man truly Spiritual knows his own dignity and nobililie, that he is a son of God, a Citizen of Heaven, an inheritor of a kingdom, and he doth not value any worldly honour equal with this. Therefore for any outward additions, he will not abate his inward excellence, neither will he give away the greater for the meaner. But he saith to outward dignities as God said to the Prophet; Let them return to thee, but return not thou to them. He will have outward things by a Spiritual use to become Spiritual, but he will not suffer himself who is Spiritual, by Carnal things to be made carnal. If Religion beget wealth, he will not suffer the daughter to eat up the mother, but the mother commands the daughter & keeps her in obedience to that which bore her; otherwise it were a most notable sacrilege, to take the things of the Spirit from the Spirit, and to give them to the flesh, and the very profaneness of Belshazzar, to drink carnal carouses in the spiritual Vessels of the Temple.  
But let us remember the hand of God was against him on the Wall, and the hand of God was quickly upon him with a final overthrow. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, let us strive to please him, let us fear to offend him, and this shall we do if we follow our Saviour's counsel, by giving the things of God unto God. Neither let any man think it an easy thing in outward advancements, to continue inwardly spiritual, or to use outward things in a spiritual manner. For prosperity hath been found a most dangerous temptation, and it requires great care and a strong spirit rightly to manage it. There is ancient league between our flesh and the World, the knot where of though it be cut by the Circumcision of the spirit, yet the smiles and glances which the World casts on us in outward glory and prosperity, do easily awake the love that was laid to sleep, and entice the flesh to renew her first Friendship with the World. Therefore hath he need of the faith of Moses, that will refuse the pleasures of sin, and change them for the coldness and abstinence of Mortification. But let him▪ with Moses have an eye to the recompense of the reward; and that sight will make him resolute. Let him remember the good Servant, who the more Talents he received of his Master the more he increased (not to himself) but to his Master, And the more Talents he increased to him, the more Cities he received of him. Let him, with Saint Paul, not look on the things that are seen, but on the things that are not seen, because the things seen are but temporal, but the things not seen eternal; and than if he be wise he will use things temporal for the advancement of things eternal, and not lose things eternal by a carnal fruition of things temporal.  
To conclude, if the man that hath inward Graces, by those Graces have gotten a spiritual Eminence, that he shines as a greater Star from which the lesser differ in Glory, let him endeavour to preserve and increase his excellence, as well as to obtain it. This shall he do if he add one Grace more to the rest of his Graces, and that is Humility. For Humility is a Grace that is the keeper of Graces, yea, it is an increaser of them. So a Christians chief way of aspiring is by Humility, and by lowness to be exalted. On the otherside, if Grace be followed by Pride, Pride lessens that wherein it seeks to fasten her roots, so that the more proud a man is of Grace, the less cause of Pride he is likely to have, for Grace will lessen as Pride increaseth.  
Again, hath thy inward excellence received the addition of some outward Dignity, let the spirit that got it command it, do thou make it spiritual, and let it not make thee carnal. Do not thou lose that which thou art, for that which thou hast, but be thou still thyself, and let the things of Nature be the servants of Grace. Be thou still spiritual in thy affections, in thy actions, for if thou abide in the spirit, thou abidest in thy excellence, and if thou go from the spirit to the flesh, thou goest down really, though thou mountest imaginarily, for the top of the flesh is too bad to be the footstool of the spirit. But if thou abide constant in the spirit, & thereby art possessor of thy own soul, and a commander of things transitory, thy sowing to the spirit shall make thee to reap of the spirit, and thy Harvest shall be life everlasting.  
Thou shalt also stop the mouths of them that speak evil of Dignities, and for the abuse would take away the use. Thou shalt be called a builder of Zion, and a repairer of the breaches of jerusalem. But on the otherside, They that sow to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption. They that build up a Babel, shall be stricken with confusion. They that partake with the Harlot in her sins, shall partake with her in her plagues: and 
* Reu●. 18 7, 8.  one of her chief sins is Pride, and her plagues are Mourning, Famine, Death and Fire. Their souls shall be banished from the Tree of Life, which is the extremity of hunger, They shall be sent into weeping and gnashing of teeth, which is the most bitter mourning, and to the second Death, where the Worm dyeth not, and the fire never shall be quenched.   

CHAP. XIII. A double fault in teaching, one that fretteth the whole flesh, the other nourisheth the proud flesh; one thinks to save men by angering & despising them, the other will not save them, rather than offend them.  
Our Saviour CHRIST saith, W● to you when all men speak well of you: and Saint Paul saith, I seek to please all, that by all means I may win some. In these two Say, there is a show of Contrariety between the Master and the Servant. Christ accounts them accursed with whom all are pleased; and yet Paul strives to please all, though those with whom all are pleased be accursed. And according to the misinterpretation of these two places, have risen two Errors, the one of them that think their Ministry never well set on work, or sufficiently confirmed, until it hath stirred up the whole World against them: The other of them, that think it the chief discretion of their Ministry, not to speak any thing which by a reproof of evident sins may hazard the love of any of their hearers.  
But Verity being ever the Companion of Unity, and Christ and Paul speaking both infallible Verity, they are certainly at Unity. Now this Verity like a right Line will plainly show the crookedness of both these Errors: and this Unity will condemn their contentiousness that fall out about the defence of Errors.  
Christ speaks not to this end that the Ministers should labour for hatred, or strive that men should speak ill of them but he saith; That the ill speeches of men, are ordinary consequents of a faithful Minister, yea, a faithful man. He doth not tell the Ministers that they should follow hatred, but he tells the Ministers that hatred will follow them He doth not set the Minister by the ears with the World, but he saith, the World will take the Minister by the ears. He is of Saint Paul's mind, that he would have the Minister in all indifferent things to please all, but yet he denounceth that, though such courses be taken of pleasing, yet the very exercise of the Ministry will mostly get displeasure. And hereof no better example than Paul himself, with whom though striving to please all, yet the most of all were much displeased. So that both these Say may be harmoniously contracted into one sentence, Strive to please all that you profit some, yet striving to please all be ye sure that some will be displeased; For the Seed of the Serpent will hate Seed of the Woman and the World that only love's her own, will hate them that are not of the World. But that we wander not on either hand into these diverse Errors, let us find out the right paths of truth, even the true Laws of pleasing and displeasing. In pleasing let this be the first Law, That Ministers are to propose a good end in their pleasing; they must not please men to their damnation, nor please them to God's dishonour, nor for their own vain glory; but they must please them to save them, and to bring them to serve and glorify their Creator.  
Secondly, they must please them in things lawful; even in things good, or at least indifferent. They may not please them in evil, that good may come thereof, neither may they soothe them in their sins, which is to edify the Kingdom of Satan, but if there be at anytime a connivency (at no hand may there be a combination, nor encouragement) it must be for the more profit; even to watch a better opportunity; And still be it provided, that no perfect peace by any means be made with sin. Above all, let a Minister strive to please in holiness of life; for the beauty thereof hath often stolen away the hearts of the gainsayers, and gained their affections even against their wills. Yea, let his Gesture have an amiable comeliness, befitting one that is a Man of God. And such is a grave Humility even without Pride or Baseness, not carnally but spiritually, both confident and humble.  
Thirdly, let them please them in the wisdom and discretion of their Dispensation. Let them give the great Ones their Honours and Respects, let Festus be called Noble, and let King Agrippa have his commendations of believing the Prophets, for this is not to give Titles or to call good evil, but to speak truth and to give honour to whom honour belongeth.  
A wicked Man may be outwardly honourable, and thou mayst not rob him without, because he is already rob within. Thou mayst cast him down by spiritual judgement, but not degrade him of his temporal dignity; thy weapons are spiritual not carnal, and thy Master's Kingdom is not of this World. If thou do otherwise, rail on the Pope as much as thou wilt, thou art surely a limb of him; for he robs men wholly of temporal honour, for spiritual offences, and thou robbest them in part. 
Eccl. 12.12.  But thou shalt prove thyself an ill Fisher for souls, if thou wilt not bait thy doctrine or behaviour, with that sweetness or ceremony by which the fish will bite the better, and be the sooner caught.  
In sum, know the estate of thy Flock in particular, & to be to every one a several Man in thy private conversation, and still one man in the public. Be that to every Man by which thou mayest win him most; For thou must be all for gain, a true Worldling, but of another World.  
Thirdly, in indifferent things, as lawful and decent recreations allow them; yea, sometimes therein join with them. God that filleth us with food and gladness, allows these blessings especially to his blessed ones, the rest have it by stealth. Let us not make the gate of Heaven narrower than God hath made it, neither let us make Religion a ghastly thing by unnecessary opposing of Nature, for the business of Religion is not to cross Nature created, but Nature corrupted; even our Corruption, not our Creation. Yet in Recreation both Decency and Sobriety must be regarded. Besides, thy presence may restrain or reform sin; But indeed if there be anunreformable course of sin, as blsphemy, etc. I know not well how to allow any patience of wickedness, neither how the conversation of the Sodomites can be at the same time unto Lot both a recreation unto his mind, and a vexation to his soul.  
Lastly, please them by outward profiting them. If alms, hospitality, a mild exaction of dues may win them, show with Paul, that thou seekest not theirs, but them. And now as concerning a general displeasing, fare be it from us to make it either a virtue or a touchstone. It is not to be prosecuted as a business, nor taken for a mark. Christ indeed makes general pleasing an ill sign, but general displeasing he makes not an infallible good sign, for even the wicked jews, as Paul saith, are contrary to all men, Yea to all men they are a reproach. But the true and laudable displeasing must be imposed, not sought and imposed for duties absolutely necessary, and performed in due manner. It must be for the profession or practice of that Truth, which to conceal will be to the loss of God's glory, or for the reproof of those sins which the same glory cannot suffer to be unreproved. Yet must these things be done with a hearty desire, that they may please since it is a true Rule, That it is a foolish kind of Rhetoric to alien his affections, whose judgement thou seekest to gain; And most That a Christian ought to seek peace with all men, and to do all things in love. Vnavoydable and imposed persecution is the Crown and rejoicing of a Christian, and he is nearest the twelve Thrones, that is nearest the Apostles in necessary losses for Christ's sake. But let us not snatch such glory out of God's hands, nor with the sons of Zebedee, intrude ourselves into the right and left hands of Christ, for they only shall have these seats to whom they are appointed of the Father. If God call us to Confession or Martyrdom, let us run to it, or at least run to him by Prayer that he will enable us to run, and that so we may obtain. But if God call not, but we run without his call, let us know, That that running makes Confessors and Martyrs of the Devil.   

CHAP. XIIII. The Diseases of Representation, which infect by the eye and ear.  
IT was a clear Truth which the Poet said; That pierceth deeper into the heart which enters by the eye, then that which enters by the ear. Hereupon grows the excellence of representation, which as it hath been useful, so it hath been also in great use, and the usefulness of it hath been so eminent, that men have employed the strength of their wits, to turn Ears into Eyes, even to fasten on their imaginations, the same character & shape by hearing which hath been beheld by seeing. So that though the outward gates were diverse, yet by that diversity, almost the same inward apprehension and knowledge, either of persons or actions are received into our minds. Hence is it that the Poet, Orator, or Historian, describes a person or a quality, with such life, that though the Ear hear but words, yet the Eye sees the things, at least thinks it sees them.  
And by this lively portraiture of wit, the matter is so evidently presented to the imagination, and so steadyly rivitted to the memory, that it is our own, and pregnantly ready for use upon every occasion. But this use hath been likewise poisoned with abuse, and that excellent Pencil of the Soul, wit and conception, which should have paterned and fastened virtue to our affections, in her truly amiable feature, and have stripped vice before our eyes into her natural ugliness; contrarily it hath given a painting of Pleasure unto Vice, and made it lovely by the adornment of wit, which of itself is most foul and abominable. So in steed of being helpful to the mind, by a vigorious impression of virtue, it hath been made a stamp of the Devil, mightily to print vice into our souls, by representing the Images of Death unto Life.  
Another kind of representation of the manual Pencil, hath also been useful for the lively expression of persons, actions and stories. In the Histories of Martyrs, this hath conveyed their sufferings to the minds of men with a mighty current, that the dead similitude hath set life in the affections, and that which moved not itself, yet moved the beholder both to compassion and indignation. But this kind also hath been abused and that most grossly unto spiritual & corporal uncleanness. It hath been abused to Idolatry, either while that which is worshipped is painted, or that which is painted is worshipped.  
To paint the Godhead (which only for itself is to be worshipped) is a dumb blasphemy, and a silent Lye. It says, God can be represented by colours, or that he is visible to the Eye, and so makes us believe we see what indeed cannot be seen. So to speak truth, it shows to us what God is not, and not what he is, not a likeness but an unlikeness of God; and whereas they pretend it to be God's Picture, it is merely a Picture of not God.  
A gross fault it is also, to worship that which is painted; For though the body of Christ himself to be pictured, (and yet I never knew any sound proofs that he hath a true Picture) yet may not the Picture be worshipped with the honour due to Christ. Though his Humanity may be worshipped, yet that is for his union with the Deity, even a true real and hipostaticall union; But the union between the Image and the pattern, is only Imaginary, not real or hypostatical, so that while we may well say we worship Christ because he is God, we cannot say we worship the Image because he is Christ. A fare more real union there is between the Saints & Christ, even the members and the head, for Christ says, The Father is in him, and he in them; yea, if Christ's Prayer be heard, we are one with him, yet because it is not a personal and hypostatical union with the Godhead, even Peter himself forbids Cornelius to worship him.  
Therefore fare be it that a bare likeness should deserve worship, when a real and participating union doth not, This Pencil of the hand hath been also a Factor for uncleanness, while it presenteth incendiary spectacles to the eyes of humane frailty. Surely Concupiscence is a free horse, and wanteth not sharp spurs but a strong bit, it is ready of itself to carry away the soul and break her neck, by a high fall into a low place, even as low as Hell. But these men, lest damnation should not be swift enough, set wings on her arms and spurs on her sides, that she may fly away with the soul, by an extreme and irrevocable celerity.  
Thus are they quite contrary to the Spirit of God, for that sees and pities the blind fury of our lusts, it comes into us to quench their heat, and to abate their rage. It gives us also sober counsels, by restraining our senses under discipline and custody, so to put off the dangerous temptations which by the senses would break in upon us. But these men have a contrary business, they kindle that which the Spirit quencheth, they set fire on the body which is the house of the soul, they give life unto that which is man's death, and strive to kill men better that are already too much dead in sins and concupiscences, Brokers for the Devil that make wares for hell, and the return of their merchandise is the souls of men. But leave off this needless as well as wicked Trade, Lust is as good an evil Painter as yourselves, it needs no objects nor representations, for itself chooseth objects fast enough, and makes to itself too many imaginations and pictures. But if you will show the excellence of skill, do something of rarity, and make such Images that may fright away Lust, by the apparition of torments and miseries attending it, or may persuade Temperance by some lively patterns and characters of Sobriety, and the excellent benefits following it. Another kind of Representation, and which is done most to the life, is that which is done most by the living, so that life itself dwells in that Representation. Hence things so represented, though past, are freshly animated by the spirits of others, and live in them again, and that so naturally that they seem not to be others but the same, and not so much to be the second as the first. And surely if this Representation were of profitable & commendable things, in a profitable and commendable manner, I do not see how it can be condemned, except a thing may be condemned for being profitable, or for being a Representation. The first, no man will affirm, and I think the latter can hardly be defended, for the personating of others may be patterned, even by Divine examples. One Prophet takes to him the representation of a foolish Shepherd, another of a man wounded by him whose prisoner he set free, a third of a man fettered in chains; and all these to teach more lively, and to move more forcibly. But such great abuses, have defiled this kind of Representation, that it hath not only left the true and natural profit of it, but it hath seemed to many grave and godly men rather fit to be taken away then hopeful to be cured. On the other side, I see no hope of the taking away, and therefore I desire it may be cured, and to that end am willing to show the chief corruptions of it, so that either the diseases may be healed, or the whole may abstain from being infected.  
A first Abuse of this kind of Representation, is in the person represented, when such are represented for pleasure, whose representation to wise men is loathsome, or to weak men is dangerous. I should here begin with the transfiguring of men into fools, so to make men merry with the depravation and abasement of a Creature made to God's Image, yea of the very Image of God in that Creature. For this feeds that evil humour and condition of foolish men, that useth to rejoice in folly, and make itself merry with that which makes a wise man either angry or sorry. But the world is inexorable in this point, and they will not have the fool taken from them, but will needs delight in their like, and therefore I will pass to points of more hope and greater possibility.  
A second Fault in this kind is the Representation of Women by Men, which I think is a most dangerous▪ and pestilent Spectacle. I need not go to the old Law for proof, but only appeal to new and lamentable experience, and desire the confession of them that know the times, whether the shape of a woman hath not made masculine loves, and whether the maid hath not procured love to the boy. I am loath to speak of that whereof the very speech is loathsome, but it may not be that sins should have privilege to prosper, because they are loathsome to be mentioned, but even because they are loathsome they should the more terribly be reproved. But I will go a middle-way between saying all and nothing, and wish that there were not so much merchandise of Playboys, nor so much counterfeiting enticement to that traffic. Sure I am in some Countries at some times, the purchase and attendance of a play-boy, hath been a special ornament: and if there be faults issuing of this fountain, I only say thus much, That for such, Lands use to spew out their Inhabitants, Heaven rain down Hell on Earth, and men of Earth go down alive to Hell.  
A third Fault is, when the persons of men either holy by profession or conversation, are brought forth to the mocks and scorns of profane Herod's. In such God himself is sacrilegiously derided, while either his functions or graces are turned into laughing stocks. It is a cursed laughter that laughs at him by whom we laugh; and he who made laughter doth also make weeping, and as certainly as they now laugh, and his Spirit is grieved, so hereafter will he laugh and they for grief shall weep, and that weeping shall be eternal, for it shall be caused by a worm that dieth not, and a fire that never shall be quenched.  
A second sort of Abuse is, when evil speeches (that corrupt good manners) are represented. Of these I will name three sorts.  
A first is rotten and filthy language, wherein one defiles his own tongue that he may defile another man's ears, he takes the fire of his own lust, and by his tongue flings it in at the windows of the ear, to set young or youthful souls on fire. And left this poison should do no harm, filthiness very often is conserved and sugared in wit, that death may be sure to be swallowed, and that the filthiness may enter and pierce the deeper, being pointed by the sharpness and pleasantness of wit. Surely such men become devils unto men, and turn wit into temptation, perverting that excellent issue of the Soul to be a Factor for the Flesh, yea to carry errands of beastliness between Flesh and Flesh, the inventor and the hearer. Yea, the Soul by this means becomes a destroyer of Souls, for while it foldeth up the Flesh in sweetness, it killeth the Soul that made it, and the Soul that hears it, if with hearing it be loved, as it will be if wit can do it. But besides this low debasing of so high and excellent a power of the Soul, Let me tell them for an advantage, that it is often the sign of an hungry and needy brain, for as filthiness sometimes borrows of wit to make it handsome, so a bad wit often borrows of filthiness to make itself toothsome; for a little wit with a great deal of filthiness, hath often among vulgar and muddy ears, more favour than much wit if it be over cleanly. But let the best strive to please the best, and I know there are wits of that excellency that can give sufficient delight by clean and clear conceits, even such as flow from pure wit, and borrow no bastardly generation, of the filth and mud of the baseness, shame and corruption of Man. And I know there are also neat and noble Auditors, that relish wit best by itself, when it is not farded nor tainted with the mixture of slime and dross. And I do not see but the chaste wife of one (whose friendship while he lived might have brought me into suspicion of partiality, but now he is gone, against my will doth leave me at liberty to commend him) hath been as fair and amiable, as the Venus of many decked up with the colours and paintings of lustful and incendiary wit.  
A second Fault in representative speaking, is the using of holy words to profane ends, or in a profane manner. Oaths are sacred, prayers are holy, and the name of God glorious, yet they must serve the recreation of Man, and man must be delighted though God be blasphemed. A fearful thing it is, for Man to delight himself in that wherein God is dishonoured; If there were no other thing but the abuse of God's name, of sentences of Scripture, and such holy things, this were enough to make Plays of this nature (and such are most) abominable to every good Christian. For I tell thee this, That if thou art a Christian, thou art like unto Lot, and thy righteous Soul will be vexed with the dishonour of thy God. Now if thou art vexed therewith, how canst thou go to be vexed? Canst thou take delight in vexation, and wilt thou give money for it? And if thou be'st not vexed, than art thou no good Christian. Again, if thou be a Christian, God is thy best friend, and wilt thou go where thou thinkest thy best friend shall be abused, and thou must hold thy peace. Take heed for God's sake that thou take not delight there where thou shouldest be vexed; and take heed for thy own sake, that if thou must needs be vexed, that thou go not to seek vexation.  
I might here add for a third Fault, ●he scandalous depravations and detractions, which diminish the honour of some, to add to the pleasure of others, yea beyond this the doctrines rather than reproofs of vices, the prodigal expense of time, the stuff of which life itself consists, but I wish the former faults were first amended, and the amendment of those would best give encouragement to a farther cure. Sure I am as the case now stands, that generally these theatres are the Churches of Satan, and do by the means forementioned edify unto damnation. While the Preacher works for Heaven, the Player plays (for his working is playing) for Hell, and many Souls receive there those lessons of Darkness, which lead them steadyly unto eternal darkness. And if exhortations may not prevail, I wish Authority would, and that at least the same course may be taken for the Scene that is for the Press, that nothing might be acted, but that which first had been examined, that so if this Representation shall be thought fit to remain, yet at least the foul spots and corruptions of it may be cleared, that so it may be restored to all possible beauty, and become (if not profitable) yet infinitely less hurtful.   

CHAP. XV. Of the Pharises Disease, the Love of uppermost seats.  
THE Emphasis lies in the word [Love] for to love prelation out of a tumour of the Flesh is a sin, but to receive it humbly being justly given, may be a work of the Spirit. Our Saviour consutes not superiority and inferiority, he is not the Author of confusion, but of order; but that which he condemns is the lifting up of the heart in pride, and the proud hearts lifting up of the body in place. If therefore thou seest the Disease, learn also the Remedies, and if thou art not yet provided, I will help thee a few.  
In the First place, That thou mayst cure thyself by contraries; by true judgement and humility, grow first into patience, and after into liking with the lower place. Let thy judgement tell thee that there is no odds in the place, but in the mind; for the same place doth please or displease, as the mind likes or dislikes it. I have known a man take a pleasure if not a pride in sitting lowest; if thou do the same thou shalt find the place will do nothing to thee to discontent thee.  
Secondly, Know that the true height of a man is eminence in virtue, and an especial virtue is humility, and humility is very much expressed in a good digestion of inferiority. So if thou art high in virtue; sitting lowest, thou sittest highest; yea, by sitting low thou dost sit high, for humility doth exalt thee. Surely the true excellence of man is virtue guided by knowledge (and indeed otherwise it is no virtue) for wherein a man is more excellent than other creatures, therein is one man more excellent than another man. By how much a man riseth above the creatures toward the Creator, by so much is his excellence increased, and so fare every man excelleth another, as he goes beyond another in the Image of God. Therefore strive thou for that which makes thee inwardly higher, though thou be outwardly lower, for if in this thou excellest thy Neighbour, thou art higher than he in worth though lower in place. So a pearl is richer than gold, though in a pendent the gold sit above the pearl. And we say often that a valiant short man, is a taller man than a long coward; so that he is above him in worth, though below him in stature. And no less is it thought that a consequent Lady is preferred before an antecedent Vsher.  
Thirdly, Know that this present order is but an orderly confusion enforced by necessity, & sorting with the confused misery of the fall of Man. It was not the appointment of God's first Creation that Princes should go on foot, and Fools ride on horseback, but by Adam's fall, rich folly takes place of poor wisdom. The heart of Man is deceitful, and inward excellence cannot truly be judged, therefore outward stuff for the present is usually the dull touchstone of eminence, and where there can be no better, the worst must serve. But here meets me a case that is vanity itself and vexation of spirit. Two men there are of equal means, the one lives like a Man and a Christian, and equals his means by his expenses in hospitality, services of his Country, relief of the poor: The other he is neither Man nor Christian, doth nothing for God nor his Country, but by sacrilege, oppression, and extortion, robs God and the Country; yet by this no goodness, yea by his wickedness he trebleth his goods, and fare surmounteth the other. Now let any man tell me which of these should be taken for the better Man, whether the worse man or the better? Surely by the rule of riches, the latter which is stark naught must be the better man, and if it be so, Love if thou canst this admirable excellence & superiority, which sets thee up higher in place by being worse in wickedness. wouldst thou be this better man if thou mightst, or rather wilt thou not rather scorn this so much valued place, which is to be gotten by excelling in wickedness? Surely a most pitiful eminence, which is bought by the depravation of a man's chiefest excellence, the Image of God. A lamentable dignity where the price of the soul must pay for the preferment of the body, and thou must inwardly be most ugly, that thou mayst outwardly be glorious; It were fare better for thee to be the better man that thou mayst be the worse, then to be the worse man that thou mayst be the better. But to give thee comfort against this confusion, I will tell thee.  
Fourthly, That this confused order, shall be righted by an order without confusion. The day draweth near wherein every man shall be seated in his right place, even according to true, real, and inward excellence. That (as I told thee) is the Image of God, wherein whosoever now shines above the rest by grace, shall hereafter shine above the rest in the eminence of Glory.  
Therefore lift up thy heart from earthly dignity, unto heavenly honour, and set thy heart on that which shall be thine by true judgement, by due administration and in an eternal fruition. Thy worth shall be truly valued, and accordingly thy glory shall duly be given thee, and this glory shall be given thee in a Kingdom which hath no end. And then shalt thou see those glorious slaves whom vice here preferred, tumbled down into a bottomless Pit, and as fare below thee as hell is below Heaven: Then shall it be no grief of heart to thee, that here thou wert misplaced by mistaking, but thou shalt rather grieve for them, that they were preferred by wickedness unto eternal misery. It only remains, that some of that thought that then shall fully possess thee, partly be taken up before hand, that so thy future superiority may make thee fully pleased with thy present lowness, and the preferment of others by sin may move in thee no other passion but pity.  
We see the son of a great Man, can endure to be below in the School, because he knows he shall be high in the Country, and quietly suffers those to take place of him, of whom he knows by him place shall be taken. We walk by faith and not by sight, by the sight of the soul, and not of the body; and the soul seeing that heavenly exaltation, let not bodily sight depress us, but let that glorious eminence which we see by faith erect and cheer us.  
And now because by that universal variety of events, all things coming alike to all, or otherwise by divine favour & immediate blessing, wealth and honour comes sometimes to grace and goodness; I thought it not unfit to add some cautions how the great good man should make use of superiority.  
First the love of Pride, which hath with it a swelling conceit of himself, and a lesning contempt of others, must be fare from being the cause of his being first, but he must take it for order's sake, which commonly brings two Companions, Comeliness and Quietness.  
Secondly, if there be any doubt of the right of priority, let him rather incline to the humble side then the proud, and rather seek to go before in Humility, then in place, which is indeed Saint Paul's 
* Ro. 10.12  going before in going behind.  
Thirdly, let Charity accompany Humility, which sometimes will give priority for love; for some such there are whom you may win by this Rattle, and make them friends of enemies, as children are pleased with Apples. It is a bad Neighbour that is not worth more than his place, though indeed he be not very good that will break friendship for love of the place. But love sometimes seeketh not her own, especially where love must be lost by seeking her own, for love above all things seeketh love.  
Fourthly, in the difference of place remember the Community of Nature: yea, perchance the priority of Grace; so shalt thou not be lifted up in thy heart, as thou art in thy place, above men of thine own dignity by Creation, & perchance better than thyself by the eminent Graces of Sanctification. And where greater Graces sit below thee, Let thy love and courtesy acknowledge their inward dignity, as their inferiority doth acknowledge thy outward eminence.  
For as I told thee, their excellence is the chiefest excellence, and it is fare from justice that he should respect thy outward worth which is the meaner, and thou shouldest not acknowledge his inward worth which is the better. But let each have his due, thou the honour of outward eminence; and he the honour and respect due unto inward excellence.   

CHAP. XVI. Anti-Circe. A potion that turns Beasts into Men, being before turned from Men into aBests.  
MAny are the sores that afflict the mind of corrupt and miserable Man. But of these many, there are diverse that be contented with the hurt of one single part or faculty of the soul, as a Mote in the Eye, and a Thorn in the Foot. There is a single error in judgement, a particular straying of the will, and a measured disordinatenesse of the Affections. In which cases the amending of that one part where the grief lies is sufficient.  
But there is a kind of Men (for such they were once) that will not be contented with such small sores, but they will needs turn their mind into one whole sore; Fancies dicatur an ulcus? you shall not distinguish the face of their (once-reasonable) souls, from that of the brutish and still unreasonable souls of Beasts. They cast so much moisture on the Lamp of their understanding, so much mud upon their wills, that the light of their understanding is put out, and the feathers of a divine and celestial will are unable to mount; and so the soul in her faculties is slain, and there remains nothing but the husks and shells of Men, for the Men themselves are turned out of doors.  
To such, mending will not serve the turn for they are dead. They must go beyond mending, and had need to go to new making. For where the principia be not only laesa, but as it were coesa, an almost indelible Character of darkness and sensuality, being stamped on the soul, how shall the soul be new lighted, but by the first inlightner, and how shall she of sensual be made spiritual, but by a newbegetting of the Father of Spirits? This mass of moisture is like the first Chaos, void and without form, and darkness is upon the face of it.  
What remedy remains, but that now as then the spirit move upon the waters, even upon this informed lump of Humidity; There needs another fiat, even a voice from Heaven, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead. But here is the difficulty, The spirit can new make him, but it is almost impossible to lead him to the thought of the spirit, much less to the Spirit itself.  
If a Prophet would preach of Wine or strong drink, he should have a plentiful Audience, but the spirit to moist men, is but a dry doctrine. Yet I will not despair to please them, for I will also promise to bring to them the best new Wine, a Wine that will comfort and cheer their hearts above all the Wine in the World. And I doubt not, but if they once truly taste it, they shall tell the Master of the Feast, even the God of consolations: Thou hast kept the Wine until the last. And that I may assuredly lead them in the right way to him, who will both new make them, and cherish them being new made, I will set them in the same path, where I see S. Paul a follower of Christ, leading his followers; for he long since used the same kind of remedy for the same disease, leading the Ephesians from the excess of Wine to the fullness of the quickening and renewing Spirit.  
The Apostle Paul in that place sets down a Vice and a Remedy, and he strives to make the Vice abhorred, and the Remedy loved. To do this he needs no other art but evidence, even to set forthlively the true portraiture of Vice, and the true feature of Virtue, for Vice being truly represented, like a fury or ghast of Hell, frights away her Spectators with her own ugliness, and Virtue by her amiable & glorious aspect, ravisheth and commandeth hearts and affections.  
Let us therefore with patience or impatience, if you will, behold this Monster, whereof though the sight maybe offensive, yet that offensivenesse may perchance prove a cure to the sick; and as for the whole we will recompense them again, when the Virtue is compared with the Vice, for Contraries are a foil to each other; And ugliness being more ugly by the side of Virtue, Virtue will again be the more glorious by the compared ugliness of Vice. This Vice than is here deciphered to us by three things, Hear is the matter of it, here is the measure or unmeasurableness of it, and here is the house & residence of it.  
The Matter of Drunkenness is Wine, the Measure is Excess, the house where it dwells, but should not dwell; is ye, even miserable Man. But what will they say, Doth the matter of this Vice any way set forth the ugliness of it? Is not Wine an excellent Creature? and is it not commended in the Scripture? and to say truth (rejoines one of the Throat-Gyants) it is for the excellence of it that we take so much of it; And here if I would give him the hearing, he would gather a Doctrine out of salomon's Text, yet clean contrary to the intent of it: That the colour is amiable, the motion sprightly, and the effect comfortable. But when thou hast spoken this, thou Sepulchre of God's Creatures, I answer thee, that even for these reasons thou & thy beastliness are most abominable.  
For is Wine such an excellent Creature, and hath GOD given it such Virtues? Then art thou a very Swine to abuse so excellent a Creature, to defile that which is precious, to tread on a Pearl with thy feet; yea, thou art a true beast for debasing thyself by that which is excellent. Is Wine an excellent Creature, why dost thou bestow it so filthily as thou dost? thou knowest the issues of it, and I am ashamed to name them, thy deeds are too foul for my words, I only say thus: If it be so excellent, why dost thou throw it about Chimneys, floors and corners? Is this the fruit of an excellent gift that thou shouldest cast the gifts before the giver's face on the ground; yea, by their excellence lose thy own excellence, and by spoiling them rob thyself of thyself. The excellence of them should incite thee to an excellent use of them, the goodness of God in giving so good a gift, should raise up goodness in thee in the use of his gift, and to say truth, if there were any good nature in thee, thou wouldst please him that hath pleased thee, by using the gift just according to the will of the giver.  
Thou takest all other Grants under the Covenants of the Grantor, so shouldest thou do this even to the same end, and under the same measure by which he affordeth it; And if thou ask what that is, Just so much as may make man better and not worse, as may add to the man, and not take from him, that the lower and bodily part of man may be so strengthened and comforted, that the higher part of man remain sound and entire.  
If thou do otherwise, the Wine doth accuse thee by his excellence, and makes thee the more loathsome. For if it could speak as it can take away speech, it would complain unto thee that itself is excellent, and man is excellent, but in this beastliness both the excellencies are lost, for the excellent Wine hath spoilt the excellent man, & excellent man hath spoilt the excellent Wine. So doth the Swallower prevent the Day of judgement, for than it is said: That God shall destroy both the meat and the belly, But this man will not stay so long, he will before hand destroy both the drink and the belly, for the occupation of this man is to destroy the Wine, by his belly, and his belly, soul and body by the Wine.  
And as the virtue of this Creature hath been one motive to restrain us from the vice of abusing it, so the unmeasurableness & monstrousness of it in the word Excess, is a second retractive, & that a mighty one. There is a danger in this wine saith Paul, even the danger of an excess, and the excess of Wine hath this mischief with it, that by how much the Wine exceeds, the man diminisheth; as much as the Wine is too much, so much the man is too little, and what loss is greater than when a man loseth his own self? Therefore if any thing will move thee, Let the greatest loss move thee, rather lose thy Wine then lose thyself: yea, indeed thou savest thy Wine by saving thyself, for in excess you are both cast away. This thing excess is worse than the sting of an Asp, for by it Wine poisoneth the very Soul and Reason of Man. Hence it is that Wine is a mocker, and makes a Fool of a man, for the look of it promiseth pleasure, the pleasure provoketh excess, & excess brings a man out of his wits, and so he becomes a Laughingstock to Fools, & a Lothing-stock to the Godly; And indeed as Idols are most truly called stocks and stones, so may these men also, for they have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, neither do they perceive any thing. Now ought not this to be a most fearful and odious thing unto man, That where man's chiefest excellence and honour is the Image of God, this Vice flies mainly at the face of this Image, and seeks to scratch it out of the soul; and so to leave man as base and dishonourable as the Beasts, whom man despiseth most. So is this excess a notable kind of murder, for it kills that which is indeed the man, even Reason and Understanding. And as it is thus contrary to the Creation by defacing that Image of God, which the Creation planted in us, so it is also contrary to Regeneration, and the recovery of that decayed Image. So is it a murder of the second Adam in us as well as of the first, even a murde● of life eternal. The new man saith Paul, is created in knowledge and true holiness, but drunkenness (it is a foul word and an honest ear is troubled with the sound of it) quencheth the shining Lamp of knowledge, and the spiritual fire of holiness, and leaves the soul of man as den of darkness and uncleanness. It thrusts a finger into the very eye of the soul, even the understanding, and puts it out; and it leaves such a dross and muddiness on the will, that it grows base and downward, the fiery mountings of the spirit being quenched by the fogs and clouds of moisture, 
Namque affigit hums divinae particulam Aurae;   
Such lamentable effects of excess you shall ordinarily see in these thirsty men, or men-fish (for their life is only in liquido) they have commonly rebated and dull understandings, and base, gross and muddy affections. They love base company, base places, and base courses.  
But if it be not yet odious enough, behold the Monster itself as you go in the streets (for you can hardly miss him) and that will best affright you; A certain thing it is that perchance was lately a man, but now hath nor soul nor body; That little mouth of his hath swallowed down his whole self, he is entombed in his own bowels, and that which is buried in him is his Sepulchre. He is now only Belly, Foolishness and Sickness; his paunch hath buried the Wine, and in the Wine is his wit buried, his soul, his hands, his feet, and perchance his last wealth.  
Thete can be nothing said of him now, but that he is a mere Cask, the shell of wine, yet worse than that, a Cask that mars the Wine, and itself is marred by it. You may strike him if ye will, he feels it not, for he is dead as well as buried, and whosoever would speak with him, he must stay till he come home; for the drink hath turned him out of doors. But to what end do I cast away my words? If I speak to such a one, I speak to the dead, and how can he hear? And if I speak to the living, He is not such, and he hath no need of my speaking? Surely I will here take up the saying of Solomon, of the other general death, That it is good to see the house of death, because the living shall lay it to his heart. So though I have small hope of the dead in excess. A Lazarus of that kind being very seldom raised unto life, yet let the living behold this house of death, and he may lay it to his heart.  
Let those that stand by the fall'n take heed lest they fall, Let the ugliness which they see & abhor in others, make them strive not to be that which they do abhor. Beware of Wine, because it tempts to excess, and therefore handle it with fear (I speak now chief to them that excuse themselves by being overtaken) because it hath a sting in it: But especially beware of excess, for without this sting the wine will hurt thee. Be an equal judge between thy taste and thy whole self, even thy body, thy soul yea Grace the soul of thy soul. Be not partial to thy base sensuality, but rather ●● thyself, and favour those excellent things, God's Grace, thy own soul and body; Abate that which would abat● thee, and lose any thing rather than thyself.  
A third dehortative is th● consideration of persons, for the persons whom he dehorteth, are men and Christians and such of all other it worst becometh. A Swine, o● a Heathen, or (a Heathens fellow) a Swa●geret it becomes somewhat kindly; But men of understanding, servants & members of Christ jesus it fits by no means; yea, it is a miserable incongruity. A man that hath some remnant of God's Image, yea, which is more, that hath God's Image renewed in him: yea, is bought and brought to the wearing of this Image by the precious blood of the Son of God that such a one should defile and deface God's Image in himself, this is a great absurdity.  
Therefore he coniureth them by their Manhood, and by their Christanity, that they would not put on this wilful madness, by which both Manhood and Christianity may be lost. Christ hath died for thee, do not spoil him with thy drink for whom Christ died. Do not thou defile with thy Wine that which Christ hath washed with his blood, and where Christ endured so great a pain as accompanied the shedding of his blood, and nailing on the Cross for thy salvation, do not thou shed thy Wine upon thyself to procure thy own damnation. Surely thou preferrest Wine before the blood of Christ, and before the Spirit of Christ. Thou art not a Christian but a Gadaren, or rather the Hog of the Gadarens, now in carrying by the Devil into the Deep, if thou prefer a Swinish pleasure before the most precious blood of the Saviour of the World.  
Therefore, behold thy dignity and that may suffice thee. Thou art elect according to the foreknowledge of God, by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ and the sanctification of the Spirit; and is there a greater excellency than this, to be a son of God so freely elected, so preciously redeemed, so divinely sanctified? And now put this filthiness by the side of it (a loathsome and odious comparison, I confess, but profitable by the loathsomeness) and can any man endure to lose the Trinity, that he may gain Sensuality, to leave to be a Saint, that he may be a Beast, to lose Heaven, that he may gain Hell? Me thinks a man had need be drunk beforehand, in this case to make a choice of Drunkenness.  
And now Paul passeth from the Vice to the Remedy. An admirable fit and sovereign Remedy, as which helpeth it three ways. First by a contrariety, for cures are most commonly by contraries, and as excessive wine hath been showed to be contrary to the spirit, so is the spirit to it. Secondly, by a conformity with it, but excelling it, and so the eminence of it calleth us away, from that which is meaner to that which is more precious, as the offer of gold calls us from silver or brass. Thirdly, by a privilege wherein it differs from it, as not having the danger of wine, which is excess; for there is no excess in the spirit, but excess is a virtue in it, and the greater measure the more commendation. Now that thou mayst be glad to b●e cured of this Vice by the contrariety of the Spirit, see wherein the contrariety consists. The surfeit of wine makes darkness in thy Understanding, and the Spirit light: It makes brutish sensuality, strong and heavy upon the Will and affections, and the Spirit exalts and purifies the Will by a clean and celestial grace. Now if I leave it to thy choice whether thou wilt come out of Darkness into Light, from a servile sensuality, a true equality with Beasts, into the glorious liberty of holy clean and heavenly Minds; I know thou wilt tell me that there is no doubt in this choice, but that Light is fare better than Darkness, and a heavenly Mind is fare better than a sensual. Then do but believe what thou sayest, and do what thou believest, and thou art cured. Prefer in thy works as well as thy words, the light of the Deity shining on thy Soul, before the darkness of excess sent up from the gross vapours of Moisture. Be thou fare more glad to have thoughts of Purity, thoughts of Felicity, thoughts of Eternity, than the beastly imaginations of filthy Lusts, inflamed in thy Soul by the Lake of Brimstone that lies in thy Bowels. Let neither the colour nor the taste of Wine be thought a fit counterpoise to those excellencies of the Spirit, but when Wine would tempt thee by them, call him Mocker, and tell him that pleasure is but a pretence, but darkness, sensuality, and eternal death is the drift of it. Tell it thou hast a Light in thee more precious than the light of the Sun (the Father of Wine) yea more excellent than any Creature, and thou wilt not change this excellent light into darkness, for so small a price as a sight and a taste. Say thou hast a quickening and purifying flame of heavenly Fire sent down into thy heart, and thou wilt not quench it for the World, by the inundation of a brutifying Moisture. And having chased away this tempting Ammonite, that will not make peace with thee but by pulling out thy best eye, retire into the Light and Virtue of the Spirit, inflame it, blow it, kindle it by Meditation, by Prayer, by Reading, and the increase of this Light and Virtue, wi● increase in thee loathing of the Darkness and Beastliness of excess. The Light of the Spirit and the graces thereof, will be so highly precious in thy sight, that thou wilt wonder that any man should go down from that Heaven of the Soul, into the dark and miry Dungeons of a stupefied sightless, filthy, sensual and senseless Mind. Thou wilt admire that a man should wilfully put out so glorious a Lamp as the Light of the Spirit, and that a man should quench that fire by which in some measure he is partaker of the Divine Nature, and all this to get into him the nature, habit and condition of a Swine, an Ape, a Goat, or a Lyon. Wherefore take heed to the new Creature of God, created in knowledge and holiness, which is fare more glorious than all the old Creatures; Let that by all means be preferred in its dignity and supremacy, let all Creatures serve it, for so the Creator allows, but let itself be brought in bondage to nothing. Let it be kept bright and pure for the service and pleasure of the Creator, who therefore beautified Man with a likeness to his own Heart, that his heart might take pleasure in that likeness. And if the chief pleasure which God takes on Earth be this Beauty of Man, than man himself should take his chiefest pleasure in preserving and adorning this Beauty; Otherwise he is an ungrateful Wretch, not ca●ing to gratify the Creator with the pleasure of his own Gifts, and he is an ignorant Fool, for not taking a chief pleasure in that wherein the highest Wisdom is especially delighted. But whosoever is the truly begotten son of that supreme Wisdom, cannot but love and cherish the Wisdom and Graces of the inner Man, wherein stands the beautiful Image and likeness of the most glorious Father. And whosoever loveth and cherisheth it, cannot but hate and abominate that Excess, that casts blackness and filth on so bright ravishing and celestial a Beauty.  
Neither doth here the Spirit of God bid us to our loss, but (which is the second Remedy) even in those things wherein Wine is desirable, the Spirit offers us advantage. If the Wine be pleasant to the eye, the sights of the Spirit are fare more excellent, for they are such as eye hath not seen. The Spirit of God reveals sights unutterable, and our soul's anointed with that eye-salue, Look into heaven and see him that is invisible. Glorious and delectable are the Contemplations of the Saints, even such, that they grow rapt by the sights which they behold, and are loath to come down from that high Tabor of Vision, into the low and base valley of outward and gross conversation. The light of the body is the eye, but the eye of Man is the Soul; The Spiritual sight is man's most excellent Sight, and Spiritual objects are his most excellent objects. When we see outward things, we see but that which beasts may see with us, but when we see Spiritual things, we see that which none but Men and Angels can see wherefore be thou filled with the Spirit, whereby thou mayst see the true and kindly objects of Men and Angels, and dwell not in thy outward eyes wherein Beasts may excel thee. By thy inward sight thou shalt in some measure behold God, thy chief Felicity, the love of God in Christ jesus given for our Ransom, the admirable Graces and Virtues of a holy and sanctifying Spirit. In sum, thou shalt see such divine Sights, that thou wilt not give thy Contemplations for a Kingdom. For at what price will a heavenly Soul sell his Meditations? 
a Gregor. in ps. p●ni●. 4.  Zion is by interpretation a Watch-towre, and Zion is a type of the Church. The Church of God stands on a Watch-towre, and it sees more than seven men on a Watch-towre; and as her height is exalted on the tower of contemplation, so her foundation is settled beneath on the Rock of stability. So as she sees fare by her height, she is also stable by her foundation; which amounts to this, That Zion is a Watch-towre, that cannot be removed from her Contemplation. Now if this heavenly Sight be the most excellent Sight of Man, dwell no longer in thy outward eyes, to behold either the colour, spirit, or motion of Wine, or of any earthly object; But in the steadfast Watch-towre of divine Contemplation, behold sights worthy of a Creature endued with a heavenly Soul. Scorn to dwell in an equality with Beasts, when thou mayst come into a parity with Angels, and if thou wilt needs look on Wine, Look on the new Wine of the kingdom of Heaven, which Christ now drinks above, and for which he hath left the old, having professed that he will drink no more of it. But of this Wine more hereafter.  
Secondly, If thy taste delight thee, how much is that exceeded by the delights of the Spirit? The Church confesseth, that the kisses of Christ jesus (who kisseth his Church by the Spirit) are pleasanter than Wine. Quam dulcia faucibus meis eloquia tua, saith David. He is fain to ask how sweet, because he cannot tell nor express the sweetness of it; What is sweeter than honey, saith Samson, and yet David saith, The Word of God, being tasted by the Spirit is sweeter than honey. How many Saints have left their meat and drink for the Wine of the Spirit? How many have beaten down their bodies by abstinence, that they might the more fully taste the Sweetness of God? Wherefore if thou wilt indeed taste sweetness, get thee a Spiritual taste, & receive the Wine of heaven given by Christ jesus the Wisdom of God: For he it is that (Pro. 8.) calleth the sons of men, promising to fill them with delights (vers. 31.) And surely those must needs be the chief delights which issue from the taste of the Deity, which is the uppermost Sweetness. Wherefore desire thou rather to taste God in himself then in his Creatures, for that is the highest pleasure of tasting, which flows from the taste of the sweetness of the Highest.  
Thirdly, If thou desire Wine for the cheerfulness and joy which it breedeth, know that the Spirit of God is the Fountain of Consolation; and then choose thou whether thou wilt drink of the stream or of the fountain. The Spirit of God hath in it the joy and comfort of Wine. Yea, Wine hath his joy and comfort from the Spirit, for the Spirit of God, as once by miracle, so still by course of Nature turns water into Wine. But there is another, even a new Wine in the kingdom of God, and this is the best wine. A new Wine it is to us, but not in itself; new to us, because we were first filled with the old Wine of our fall, and secondly with this Wine of excess, and after we come to drink this wine of regeneration and glorification. So it is new to us, but it is old in itself, as flowing eternally from an eternally from an eternal Deity. This is the true Wine which recoyceth the heart, not of the body only but of the soul also, to which the outward Wine cannot reach. This is the Wine of blessed Spirits, the drinking whereof is the cause of those unutterable joys which dwell in the dwellers, with God. In this the Spirit gives not some gross and bodily relish, thereby to become comfortable to the bodily part of Man, but in this the Spirit communicates the sap, taste and relish of its own primitive sweetness, vigour and cheerfulness, so that we do not so much taste comfort, as the Comforter himself. In the drinking of this Wine show thy manhood, Drink deep and true healths, for with this drinking is joined true and eternal health. The more thou drinkest of this, the wiser, the holier, the more sober thou art, for in the same Spirit wherein is cheerfulness, is also Wisdom and Virtue. The taste of this Wine is a bequeath of dying Christ jesus to his beloved Spouse the Church, whom he comforteth and supporteth, with the flagons thereof in his absence before the Day of his great Marriage, where it shall be given in fullness. And the comforts of it are sufficient to strengthen us against all sorts of grief, yea they make us cheerfully to scorn and despise the pleasures of sin; they make us to look on death with disdain, as upon a Snake whose fling and teeth are pulled out, Death where is thy sting, Grave where is thy victory? They make us to long for heaven, and stir up the stomach of the soul by these measured tastes of God, to taste him perfectly in a most blessed, full, and eternal fruition. But perchance thou wilt tell me that thou tastest no such sweetness in God; thou hast heard him spoken of in Churches and Pulpits, and thou sayest thy prayers as others do, and yet thou perceivest no such matter as I talk of. Surely I must confess, This Wine is not for every mouth, neither is every mouth for this Wine. The holy Wine must be put into holy Vessels, for it is fare holier than the shewbread, for the receiving whereof Abimelech would that the young men's Vessels should be clean. The corrupt and lustful Flesh, as it tasteth not this Wine, no more doth this Wine endure to be tasted by it: this fruit of the tree of Life cannot be received, but where the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil is spit out and denied. The lovers of Egyptian Onions, are no true tasters of celestial Manna: therefore strive to cast out the old Man, corrupt with deceivable Lusts, which makes thy taste gross and earthly, and then thou shalt taste the sweetness of God and his consolations. And having tasted it, thou shalt despise the taste of thy former gluttonies and drink, and thou shalt say with David, Thou hast put more joy into my heart, then formerly there was when the Oil and Wine were plentiful. This is a privilege of Saints: be thou a Saint, and enjoy the privilege.  
Thirdly (for drunkenness had need to be haled out with a threefold cord) behold a benefit of this Spiritual wine, which the other wanteth; yea, behold the same thing commendable in the one, & damnable in the other, and that is excess. Thou must drink too much of the outward wine, but canst not drink too much of the inward, and therefore if thou love safety better than danger, love the wine of the Spirit rather than the fruit of the Vine. If thou knowest a Physician that heals all that he meddles with, and another that hath killed as many as he hath undertaken, dost thou not show thy folly to prefer the killer before the saver.  
Surely the spirit saves all that it undertakes, and wine hath slain many souls and bodies by excess, O love life, and seek not death by the errors of this life. Drink the Spirit without fear, but drink wine still in fear; thou mayst not fear in the drinking of the spirit except thou wilt fear increase of comfort, of light, of holiness. Thou canst not drink freely of wine without fear, except thou do not fear the loss of light, the loss of reason, of goodness, of thy whole self.  
The spirit by how much it groweth in thee the wiser, the better, the more larger thou art; But by how much more thou drinkest the wine of excess, the foolisher, the wickeder, the lesser thou art. Therefore when thou takest the Cup of Salvation, open thy mouth wide that it may be largely filled, but when thou takest thy cup of wine, know it is a cup of danger, and let in danger as sparely as thou mayst. It is the saying of a Wiseman, He that loveth danger shall perish in it, and surely he that loveth wine, loveth danger, and therefore he that lowine, is likely to perish by it. While thou fitst at thy wine, the wine seems to thee to be still the same, because it is still of the same colour, and the same taste, and taken out of the same Vessel; but I tell thee that the wine at the fourth or fifth draught is not the same that it was at the first or second. The wine at the first or second draught perchance was comfortable or physical, but at the fourth or fifth it is furious and unwholesome. It refresheth thy spirits at first, but it destroys them at last, and so the same wine which was at first thy comfort, is at last thy poison. Therefore hold thy hand from wine when it begins to be poison, know the time when it changeth, and take heed thou keep thyself on this side of the Change.  
On this side, thou art Master both of it & thyself, and thou mayst rule both thyself and it; beyond, the wine will be thy Master, and thou shalt do what it pleaseth. Then shall thy mouth speak lewd things, and by speaking or not speaking it shall proclaim thy shame. Wherefore if thou love thy liberty, if thou love the possession of thyself, stop thy appetite between the wine that refresheth and the wine that destroyeth. And that thou mayst be the more strong in this power of Abstinence, with a purified soul thirst after the wine of the Spirit, with which they that thirst shall be filled, and with which they that are filled, do scorn both the thirst and fullness, & especially the excess of earthly wine.  
Thus have I made a Whip of a twice threefold Cord out of this exhortation of S. Paul, there withal to whip these devourers of drink not out of the Temple, but into the Temple from the Chapels of Satan. I wish they would in this point be Papists, and whip themselves also, if not withal, yet with some of these cords, that so by such wholesome wounds, their evil might be purged. I confess, I have left out one word of this verse, which word seems to be the occasion of the whole Verse, and it is the word (drunken.) I might say for an Answer, that I wish it were wholly left out in deeds as it is here in words, but if that will not serve for an Answer, Let it be this. The matter of the word is the subject of this Discourse, and the word excess reacheth close unto it.  
But for the word itself, as I have for the most part avoided the loathsome naming of it, So I desire that the loathsomeness of the name may make the owners leave it, and entreat them to this end, to preach sometimes to themselves, and their Sermon shall be only an hour's repetition of this word, Drunken. I doubt not but the beastly sound of it in the ear, the muddy cadence of it on the tongue will be so fulsome, so odious to them, that in the ugliness of the word, beholding the loathsomeness of the deed, they will hate and annoyed the deed, whereof the word is so abominable.   

CHAP. XVII. Certain false Appetites that distaste the Food of life, though dressed in it own kind, if not dressed to their own mind.  
THere are at this day many several tastes that affect several manners of delivering the Word of God. Some affect roughness, some verbal Rhetoric, some a short, and sandy Eloquence.  
The first pretends for himself, that the profit of the Word consisteth in supernatural power, not in humane elocution, and that the enticing words of man's Wisdom rob that divine power of the glory of conversion. But the man of the man of this opinion must know first, that he finds no precept of rusticity, harshness or roughness of speech in the Scripture.  
Secondly, on the contrary, he shall find in the Preacher, Prophets and Apostles, yea, in Christ himself, pleasant words, delightful comparisons, persuasive exhortations, & often very eloquent and moving expressions.  
Thirdly, God speaking by man unto man, though the power of God be the very effectual cause of conversion, & only baptiseth with fire, yet the outward powerful expression joining and conspiring with the inward, converting power may give a degree thought not a being, and may blow the fire which the Spirit kindles. The Spirit in the speaker or writer, according to his degree, commonly stirreth, inflameth, and exalteth the Spirit in the hearer, and that so much the more strongly, by how much more swift & forcible penetration ithath, through the outward man into the inward.  
Now a clear sound and masculine expression openeth wide the door of the utter man, so that the spiritual meaning contained in the words passeth in fully, strongly and swiftly; And so the active vehemence thereof doth as it were struck hard on the soul, and leaves a print thereon. The Word is the Looking-glass bearing the Image of the Spirit that speaketh, and therein is the Spirit speaking discerned by the Spirit hearing. The more this spirit is discerned, the more beauty, and so the more love, and so the more power. Now the clearer the Glass is the more discerning; therefore the spirit made more excellent in an evident word is more lovely and more powerful. Surely if we could see spiritual thoughts in their Primitive beauty without the gross mediation of words, their excellence would ravish us, & their glory would command and master us. But now thoughts shining to us thorough the Lantern of words, the clearer the Lantern is, the more bright and cheerful is the Light, and the thicker it is, the less doth it direct, and the less doth it comfort.  
Fourthly, besides the benefit of evidence, handsome expression helps the memory; and God speaking to man by man, no doubt, well knows their mould to whom he speaks, and is willing that all favour, especially by the Ministry of man, Rom. 6.19. should be done unto man, and that words should be fitted to the best advantage of Nature. A Parable of Christ, a tuned and proportioned Psalm of David, a Proverb of Solomon, yea, one of the Father's harmonious Sentences, sometime take more hold of the memory, than a rough and ragged exhortation. Yet I speak not this (that I may use Paul's words) to shame them that have not, to condemn Moses, Exod. 4.10. for want of utterance, but to exhort others from condemning, and that they do not condemn but desire the more excellent gifts: for God gave Moses & Aaron, even to divine knowledge, an eloquent utterance. God hath given diverse gifts unto men, & all to edification; now all together shall edify most, if the higher employ their Talents, not condemning but encouraging the lower, & if the lower exercise their gifts, rather imitating than envying the higher. But in imitation, let every Man hold this Rule, That he imitate no further than his strength will make it good. Otherwise while he seeks to be another, and leaves to be himself, being short of the other he loseth both himself and the other, even what he would be, and what he might be.  
The second is a hunter of mere words, and the outside of speaking with a neglect of the inside; such a one is a Pharisie in words, as the ancient ones were in deeds. Against these especially do the Reasons of the first oppose, for these go about to entice men, and to slack their affections with Eloquence, not to turn them, not to conquer them with power. These draw men to themselves rather than to Christ, for their hearers (if they be not of the wisest, as most are not) commend the Sermon much, and the Preacher more, and Christ lest of all.  
And indeed they leave their audience commonly as they found them for profit, but somewhat better for pleasure. Their mishap is this, that the ear is not the soul, for if it had been so, then so many souls by them had been gained, as hearers were pleased. Surely this eare-teaching, or eare-scratching pierceth not home, but it is like an Arrow without an head; It hath indeed the wooden head of the flesh, but it wanteth the mettle and steel of the spirit, by which it should enter into the heart, and divide between the soul and the Spirit. Let these men therefore remember that the Kingdom of God, though it may be advanced by words that make power evident, yet it consisteth not in words but in power.  
The spirit speaking though in course and plain words, may save a soul, but the top of humane Eloquence, not edged with the spirit, will never enter in deep enough to save the hearers. The third sort affect a language of ends, and such a style as is all of inlaying. They are full of short breaths, and if they persuade you not on a sudden, they have done.  
Again, they darken the sense by not allowing it room enough. Surely it hath been a misery of these latter times, to affect both in Latin and English, such a speech of parcels that hurts the memory, travails the understanding, & doth both nibble and sting the will, not gripe it, not lift it, not wield or manage it. When the memory would clasp it, it is all one as if you did clasp a handful of sand, the harder you squeeze it, the more it flits. When the understanding beholds it, either it is pained in opening the fast and hidebound shells of it, or if it have some ease in that kind, it spies but a short glimpse of Light, and but a Glow-worm of Reason, and be the way never so dark, it must be content with that flash of Lightning. When the will and affections meet it, they rather find in it the taste of an Epigram, then of a doctrine, of sauce, then of meat. And if there be any strength in it, yet it is so bound in by brevity, that it gives but a pluck to the will, and draws it not by a continued might: so if the mind will not be moved with the pang of a sentence, it may scape well enough from this kind of teaching.  
Surely these minutes of style, and littlenesses in discoursing, do not well express Majesty and Power. And that should they strive to express who are the mouths and pens of the highest Majesty and the highest Power. Again, in regard of the hearers or readers, that which should enter with power, should issue with power, that which should go to the heart, should issue from the heart, and not be only a flash or firework of the brain.  
And now that I may the better free my Reader and myself from mistaking, and being mistaken, I am ready to tell him what I intent not, and what I intent.  
First, I intent not to lessen their deserved estimation, and so their edification, whose natural gift is a clear and concise expression; I know there are of this sort that merit good Readers, and have many of them, and I wish them prosperity in the Name of the Lord. Such men are themselves when they write and not others, and if they should be forced from this kind, they should (like Diamonds) be lessened by new fashioning; and I think verily that wherein a man strength lies, therein should he glorify his Creator, and not by going out of his strength, seek to serve and glorify God by his disability. And this do they commonly who leave that Character whereunto they were fashioned, and reach after another but reach not to it. To such the Apostles counsel is good Physic; Let every man understand according to sobriety, and his own measure. But secondly, I intent to show and prove that a continual Discourse or Treatise made all of parcels, though it may have good things in it, yet it is not the best kind of Language for edification.  
And besides the reasons shown before (that it often darkens the matter, that it hurts the memory, that it wants the power and majesty, which the Word of God both requireth and deserveth) to make up an absolute proof I will add a most absolute example, and the reason of the example. The example is Saint Paul, that strong Writer of Epistles, (as the very malice of his Enemies did confess) who knew the best kind of delivering Divinity, 1. Cor. 2. and both told it us in writing, that spiritual things must be fitted with spiritual words, and as there he saith in writing practised that which he told us. If you will see his practice, search his Epistles, and among them that to the Romans, which indeed is a Masterpiece.) There you shall see that his manner of teaching is deep in knowledge, strong in reasoning, pregnant in expression, powerful in persuasion. He doth not truss up his words too close, neither doth he thin them so much that they can scarce be discerned, but to a full and substantial matter he giveth the fullness of speech and expression. Yea, where he seems most to excel, he sometimes doubles and makes returns, and gives two or three sights or countenances of the same matter, that our knowledge and memory may be assured, and that he may not be thought to grudge us his matter by grudging us words.  
And yet Epistles I think may best plead brevity. Besides in his persuasions and exhortations, he expresseth vehemence of affection and ferour of spirit, which small ends do smally and weakly perform. And secondly, if we will search into the reason of this Example: by searching what is spiritual, we shall find that the Spirit worketh man's conversion, especially by light and power, as having to do with a dark and impotent Mankind, and therefore it expresseth itself best, & makes itself most evident by a lightsome and powerful speech, even words of brightness and fervour. So both by Paul's example and the reason of that Example, I have fetched the pattern of most profitable Language. If yet you would have more proof, behold also noble Esay, the very primate of the Prophets; and the Ambassador of God, whose tongue was touched with the fire of Heaven; This great Prophet doth not usually skip and leap in the short steps of broken Sentences; but he walketh with Majesty in the full paces of an expressive, just and mighty Language. He doth what we should do, even make sweetness to wait upon strength, & not make strength to melt itself away into sweetness. Let the Bees come unto Samsons Lion, but let not the Lion spend his strength in running after Bees. Now the use which hence I would gather, is a double Medicine for a twofold Disease. The one is for the Readers or hearers disease. For many of these are sick of judgement, and will not read or hear any but those that are short and sweet, even such as convey Religion into them by Pills and not by Potions. They are like chicken that cannot eat bread except it be in crumbs. But let such get unto them the true appetite of a true Christian, and then spiritual matter delivered spiritually, that is with evidence & force, will be very good (if not the best) food to their souls. And I would wish them to condemn their own stomaches, and to seek to amend them, when they condemn or neglect a sound and Apostlicall delivery of the Word. For certainly that Soul is not very spiritual in her appetite, that relisheth not spiritual Doctrine delivered in it own, that is in a spiritual manner. For true in this it is also, That Like love's his Like, and on the otherside, where there is no love, there is no likeness, but that which love's not is unlike to that which is not loved. So the appetite that love's not a spiritual kind of teaching, is to be suspected, that itself is not spiritual, and that want of likeness, is the true cause of the want of love. And if it be so, then let men look into themselves for the fault, and not out of themselves, and after let them look themthemselues to the Physician of our souls Christ jesus, praying him to touch their hearts, as he did the heart of Lydia with his opening Spirit, and then no doubt, shall they be attentive hearers of the man that speaks spiritual things in spiritual words. The other is for the Writers or Speakers disease, and this very often is affectation. Every man must be of the fashion, and so if this Language of pieces be the fashion that must be affected; But the affectation hereof is vicious, both because it affects a vice in speaking, and likewise because it mars the natural ability, in which the Affectator would have better excelled, and whereby he would have been more persuasive. So have I seen a good Trotter make a bad Ambler, and fall into a Rack which is neither of them both. Wherefore to draw all to a sum; Let edification be the end of speaking and hearing, writing and reading, that it may be so, spiritual things must be fitted with a spiritual Language. The excellence and moving of divine Music, is then chiefest when the Tune speaketh like the Ditty.  
So if the light and power of the Spirit utter themselves in words of light and power, it speaks most movingly to our souls. Wherefore let spiritual words have in them spiritual evidence and spiritual fervour, for so do they best speak to the Understanding, Will, and Affections. And let the whole matter have a sufficient allowance of words, for so doth it best speak to the memory. Yet this we may know, that with a large and full expression, a sententious, definitious and comprehensive Position, is often a very good Companion. The largeness gives a full appearance of the matter to the understanding, and works a full impression of it into the memory, & then the brevity becoming the model and pith of the largeness, makes it more portable and ready for use. And we may see a string which by the sudden turn of a Key hath broken by a leisurable winding, hath risen beyond the degree where it broke. Lastly, if with the Preacher to the words of Truth, and an upright writing, there arise pleasant words, let every man make use of his Talon, to the profit of the lender. Instruction pointed with delight, pierceth the more sharply, and sticks the more steadfastly. And these be the very Nails of Solomon, the fastening of which he commends in the Teachers. But let every man serve God in his own place, and not break his rank to do some strange Exploit. For as there is not an expectation of doing God service, where God hath not given ability, so neither is there an acceptation of that service which is done without an ability given of God. 1. Pet. 4.11. For such a Work is not the fruit of the power but of impotence, and it cannot please him because it is done without him. For as every good thing comes from God, so that which comes not from God is not good, and that which is not good, can never please God.   

CHAP. XVIII. That the Use of the Keys, is an excellent Remedy for the Diseases of the Church (if itself be not diseased) and that it is not to be taken for a privilege, to be free from Remedies and not from Diseases.  
WHen I read 
a Cyprian. Epis. 10.11.55. & de ●a●●s.  the practice of Penitence in the Times of the first Love, it rejoiceth me greatly to see the beauty of the Church, which could not choose but shine in a notable fairness, when the spots were so duly and carefully taken away, the faces of the spotted being throughly washed by the tears of repentance. Open Sinners were not admitted into the Communion of Saints, neither was the bread of the Children given unto dogs, neither by an equal bounty to the godly and the wicked, was there an equal encouragement to godliness and iniquity. But a separation was made between the sick and the whole; and this separation had no other intent but edification, even an edification of the Spirit by the destruction of the Flesh. So could men find no fault with the dispensers of this power, having nothing to complain of, but that their lives thereby were sought to be amended, and their souls to be saved.  
I confess the cause was weighty for which the gates of Heaven were to be locked; great in matter, or great in manner, great in the thing done, or great in the wilfulness of the doer. And this not without reason, for the doom is heavy, and fit for the back of a strong & mighty Evil. It was a short damnation, a temporal Hell, a measured delivery unto Satan, man being shut out of Heaven upon Earth, even the company of Saints, and shut out of Heaven in Heaven, even the joys and comforts of the Spirit of Consolation. Neither could it but be an excellent Remedy, because it was so fitted to the Disease. A degree of Presumption is encountered with a degree of Despair; the Scorpion is made a medicine against the Scorpion, and Satan is set on work to take him down by Terror unto Salvation, whom before he animated and puffed up to destruction. He that said at first, Sin boldly, for ye shall not die at all, now he changeth his voice and saith, Thy sin is greater than can be forgiven thee. But the Wisdom of dispensation suffered this roaring Lion no longer to terrify, but until his Terror did mollify. He aimed indeed at despair, and destruction, but the Church aimed at Humiliation and Conversion, yea to Consolation and Salvation. For indeed Humiliation for Sin is the way to Conversion from Sin, and Conversion from Sin is the way to the consolations of the Spirit, and the comfortable Spirit is both the guide and way to Life eternal. Therefore when the man is humbled, Satan is cashiered, the Horseleech is taken away when he hath sufficiently abated the vicious and superfluous blood. And now the man formerly forsaken by all, is comforted of all, the gates of Heaven are unlocked to him, and he is restored to both the Heavens, the Communion of Saints, and the joys of the Spirit. Thus are we healed by wounding, and by humbling we are exalted. O admirable use and command of Satan! He is an enemy to God, yet doth him service; he is an adversary to Man, and yet helps him. A strange thing it is, that Satan should help the incestuous Corinthian, to the destruction of his flesh, and the edification of his soul. A strange thing that Satan should teach 
b 1. Tim. 1.20.  Himeneus and Alexander not to blaspheme. His Kingdom is seated in the Flesh, and yet the Flesh he destroys. He is the Author of blasphemies, and yet he teacheth not to blaspheme. But is Satan contrary to himself, and is his Kingdom divided in itself? No surely. But one that is stronger than he, both in wisdom and power, manageth both his craft and malice to ends which himself intendeth not. The Devil is one and the same still, even purely malicious. And in this malice he tempts men being in high blood unto a presumption of sinning. And by the same malice, he tempts the same men being cast down unto a despair of Mercy. Now as Remedies are by contraries, so a measure of despair is medicinable to a measure of presumption. And just so fare doth God suffer Satan to go on in his temptation, as temptation is profitable, and no farther. Therefore while Satan is driving the Offender to despair, God stops his course when the Sinner is come to due humiliation. And then as it was with Christ in the Wilderness, so it is with the humbled Sinner, Satan is dismissed, & the Angels come and minister to him. And as God doth publicly administer this Remedy to the members of his Church in public Evils, so also doth he privately exhibit it to his choicest Saints in their private Necessities. And so a messenger of Satan was sent to buffet Paul, that by the strokes of him who is the king of pride, God might teach his servant Humility. But what shall we say to these things? Are men at this day willing to take this physic, of the Physician of our Souls Christ jesus? or do not most men that are of any growth, think themselves too great to be taken by this Net of Mercy, but are willing to break through, that they may be taken in the Net of judgement? I wish we had not fare more need of the words of Saint Ambrose, than he had when he used them. 
c S. Ambros. apologia David, cap. 2.  What great or rich man (saith he) shall ye now find, that will take it well to be reproved of a fault? Yet this man (David) being glorious in Kingly power, and often approved by Divine Oracles, when he was reproved by a subject, because he had grievously offended, did not repine in a rage, but confessing re●ented by Repentance. And a little after: Other men when they are reproved of the Priests, increase their fault by going about to deny or diminish it, so that by the same means by which they should have been amended, they increase their sickness. Had this holy Man a cause to complain, to whose keys the Emperor Theodosius submitted himself both for binding and losing, and have not our days much more, wherein men of a fare inferior greatness think it a special privilege, belonging to their dignity to sin without controlment? And yet if we look clearly into the matter, a privilege to sin quietly, is but a privilege quietly to be damned. But I think it much rather a miserable in convenience of greatness, and a mere abuse of it, when the terror thereof is employed, to fright away grace, & so terrify salvation. These are they of whom it is said, Potentes potenter cruciabuntar, The mighty by the abuse of their own might shall be most mightily punished. And if greatness would but take a proportion of wisdom and patience, and thereby sound examine why he is angry, when he is justly reproved, I think he will be so fare from finding a reason for his anger, that he will on the other side find a reason of thankes and rejoicing. For put the case (as it is too often) that a great man hath offended, to him the Man of God speaks or writes, in due or respective manner, and discovers his Sin and his danger by sinning. The main intent of God's servant, is but to take away the Sin that would slay him, and instead of Sin and Death, to recommend unto him Grace and Life. Now wherein hath this man offended? whose only business is to take from greatness Sin and Misery, and to give it Virtue and Happiness? Surely thou hast nothing to dislike, except it be to be less wicked, and less miserable, and to be more virtuous and more happy. Yet (though without a reason) greatness will in this case often be angry, though it have most reason to be angry with itself, for being angry without a reason. But when reasons fail I think this must represent one, That it is a dishonour for a superior to be reproved of the inferior, and it is commonly a little great Man that doth not think more honourably of himself then of most of the Priesthood. To this I answer, that this exception is made all of stomach & nothing of reason. And first I could confute much of it, by proving and proposing the dignity of Priesthood from whose Spiritual power (it being as the Scripture says a power unto edification) of exhorting, teaching, reprooving; yea, binding and losing, I think no true member of Christ's Church should desire to be exempted. Besides, Saint Paul without any distinction writes to the Thessalonians, to acknowledge those that laboured among them, who (as he affirms) were over them in the Lord. Whence might be deduced this Doctrine, That the Laiety in general is the Flock, and the Priests are the Shepherds, and spiritual Shepherds in the administration of spiritual things, are over their Flocks. But flesh & blood is loath to hear of any Eminence, though it be but spiritual, and not of this world. Therefore I must talk with it in a Language more natural to it, and thereupon I reply, That an Inferior, which in his manner of speaking, keeps safe and whole the dignity of the Superior to whom he speaks, and in his matter only strives to take away his sin, this Inferior hath in nothing disgraced the Superior, for in the manner he hath given him respect, and in the matter he offers him Amendment. So upon the whole he hath not disgraced, but graced him in respective words, and in profitable matter.  
And surely a man so reproved, may if he please be more honourable after reproof than he was before, if by the reproof he become better than he was before. Naaman was an honourable man, but a Leper, and at first he took exceptions to the Prophet, because he came not out to him, but sent him health in a manner that distasted him. But if Naaman had continued in his anger, he had continued a Leper, whereas by harkening unto the Prophet's direction, he returned honourable as he was before, and healthy which he was not before. Surely every man though never so honourable, hath a spiritual Leprosy, and if a Prophet advice him to wash and be clean, by refusing it, he may continue an honourable Leper, but by obeying it, he may have spiritual health added to his temporal honour.  
Wherefore let every man do that for the health of his soul, which this mighty man did for the health of his body, let him wash according to the words of the Prophet. Christ's business is to wash us in this world, that he may present us spotless to his Father in another world. As he washeth us chief by his own Blood & Spirit, so he washeth us ministerially by his Word, by his Sacraments, by his Keys, for by these the Blood and Spirit which wash us are more nearly applied, and more fully communicated. Therefore love and embrace the outward means of thy inward purity, and take willingly not one but all the helps that may beautify thee.  
Some think it too much to be hearers of the Word of Christ, and cry out that preaching (indeed a foolishness to such, but a foolishness that saves others) hath turned the world upside down. Act. 17.6. Another can endure preaching, because he can endure to sit at his ease, while the preacher takes pains in uttering that for which before he took pains in gathering; but the Sacrament he will take but once in the year, and not once, except his Charity fall out right with the time of the year. A third, will endure both Word and Sacrament, and with Herod will do some things gladly, but if he be threatened with a binding in Heaven for unlawful Lust, john Baptists head must dance from his shoulders. But o thou man whosoever thou art that desirest to see the face of God, give leave unto God to sit thee for his presence, by all his means of washing and cleansing. For there is nothing purer than our God of purest eyes, and there is nothing fouler than a man of natural corruption, therefore think no washing too much, to bring the most defiled thing on earth to the purest Essence in Heaven, Believe that Christ knew the glory of God sufficiently, for he came from it immediately to us, and that he knew sufficiently the filthiness of Man, for he came to wash it with his blood, and therefore let no man think that he hath prescribed any thing too much, to bring us from so great a filthiness to so infinite a Glory. Wherefore let no man limit the Highest, and tell him the Word and Sacraments might have served for his cleansing, but yield to his Wisdom, which hath thought chastisement sometimes as necessary as food. Therefore be thou like David (and be not better than he who was both a Saint and a King) and then shalt thou say with David, That God's rod and his staff do comfort thee, as well as that he maketh thee to lie down in green pastures, and leadeth thee by the still waters. So to sum up all, Let the dispensers of Christ's ordinances, and his spiritual Stewards, give to all his servants due meat in due season. Let them take the Towel and the Basin wherewith once Christ washed and wiped his Disciples feet, and at this day wash the feet, even the spots of his blessed spouse. He hath told you that he did it to give you an example, if ye follow not his example, you go about to make his giving of it in vain. Wash them with the Word, for Christ hath testified, Now are ye clean by the Word. Wash them with the Sacraments, for the blood of Christ, and the Spirit of Christ, the chief means of our Spiritual cleansing, are thereby communicated to us. Wash them with the rod of censure and chastisement, which purgeth out the evil by the blunesse of the wound, and by the destruction of the Flesh saveth the Spirit in the Day of the Lord. 1. Cor. 5.5. And let the Flock of Christ strive for the utmost cleanness, and not for privileges of uncleanness, for as they are purified, they shall be glorified, the more white we are here in Grace, the more bright we shall be in Glory. And let every man though outwardly great, seek to make himself as much within as he is without, and to that end, let him encourage his spiritual father freely to tell him the sins that bind in Heaven, that he may be freed from them whiles he is here on Earth. And let every great one that means to be saved, account it an especial benefit, if he meet with a messenger of God (job 33.23.) which may by wholesome admonition, take from him those sins which may lose or lessen his salvation. For it is a certain Truth, that as the more purity the more glory, so the more spots, the less glory and the greater damnation.  
Now unto him that hath loved us, 
Reuel. 1.  and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us Kings & Priests unto God his Father, To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever   

CHAP. XIX. The Discovery of some main Causes of Wars and Wounds in the Church, and the means of their Cure.  
THat the Church and Rebecca are alike, and that the Womb of both is lamentably perverted into a place of wrestling, grief (though unwilling) cannot but confess it, because Contention is so violent that it will not suffer it to be hidden. Therefore a question as fitly ariseth from the Church as from Rebecca, if it be so why am I thus? Though she desired to be fruitful, yet she loved not to, be a breeder of quarrels, and therefore preferred a quiet sterility before a contentious fruitfulness. And to this question, of both there is fitted an Answer for the satisfaction of both.  
There are two Nations in thy Womb, and two kind of people come from thy bowels; one visible Church, one womb, and the same bowels, yet two sorts of people, and not two only in distinction, but two in contrariety of disposition. The difference of their inclinations makes a division in their affections, and this division is inflamed into opposition and contention.  
The man of flesh is Esau, a strong Hunter of carnal lusts, or of present pleasures, or of natural apprehensions. The man of the spirit is jaacob, a spiritual discerner, a heavenly Citizen, of a sanctified reason, of a divine (or godly) will, of affections set on high. But the wretched Antiquity of this contrariety and contention, reacheth beyond Rebecca, even to the beginning of days, when Time itself was not a week old. For even in Paradise, it was enacted as a punishment on the sin of Man, even the trouble and vexation of a perpetual Enmity. Therefore as it was early in Antiquity beginning, in the beginnings of Time, so it is like to be la●e in continuance, and to endure to the end of Time.  
And no doubt these last Remnants of Time, are likely to have most of it, for in them love doth wax cold, and as love waxeth cold, contention groweth hot. Therefore let every Christian take to himself a twofold care. One is, that the more evil the days are, the more he strives to redeem both his time and himself from the evil of the days. As the Infection increaseth, so is it fit he should increase his Preseruatives. A second is, That since in contention of two parts, there is but one part that hath the Right, he must strive to be on that part which hath the Right. The Flesh hath no right to hate the Spirit, much less to persecute it, for therein Darkness persecuteth Light; Corruption, Cleanness; an earthly and sensual grossness, a Divine and Spiritual Purity. But good right hath the Spirit to hate the Flesh, for no man can forbid Light to chase away Darkness, Purity, Grossness, Cleanness, a spotted Corruption. Yet so giddy is man grown by his Fall, that the Flesh justifies itself in the Opposition of the Spirit, and the Spirit is condemned for opposing the Flesh. And as this is done by those that are without, against those that are within, so is it done by those that are within, one against another, and in that degree of heat, which is proportionable to the degree of the Flesh, that possesseth either their judgements or Affections. For even within the visible church the flesh possesseth the judgements of many, and fasteneth Errors upon them; and the flesh the while takes itself for the Spirit, and therefore will err by Authority. Yea, this counterfeit spirit fighteth with the true Spirit, and by Religion would condemn Religion, and under the show of Truth, striveth against Truth itself. And if you will guess only by heat and vehemence, you will hardly find out which is the Truth, yea, sometimes you shall have the more heat with the less Truth.  
For Error hath many times the odds of contentious Eagerness, which shall the less deceive us, if we carry about us Saint Paul's little note, That the true Churches of God have no such custom as contention. Yet my business at this time is to find out such, within the pale of the visible Church (not meddling with those that are without) and to search for them in that Dragge-Net which taketh up both good and evil. And I wish that by my finding them, they may learn to find themselves; that so finding themselves carnal, they may strive to be spiritual; and so by being once found in the flesh, they may ever hereafter be found in the Spirit.  
A first way by which the flesh becomes extremely Religious, and by the Extremity of Religion, extremely quarrelsome is custom. For too true it is that many are Christians, and this or that sort of Christians by custom and anticipation. Christians I call them because they are such in the opinion of themselves and others; yet must I needs tell them, that true Christianity is not fastened to the heart by custom and prejudice, but it is knit unto it by the Spiritual bands of illuminating and sanctifying Grace. True it is, that man hath in him by Nature an Instinct of Religion, even an Inclination to fear & serve some Higher Power; and this general Inclination is commonly specificated by Birth and Education, which by Custom knit a Religion to this Instinct, which knot of Nature is many times mistaken for the knot of Grace. Now this Religion so taken in by Nature, is commonly violent, peremptory and dangerous, strongly opiniated of itself, and as strongly hating all Religions different or opposite. The Reasons of the violence of this Bastard Religion is diverse.  
First, because the Religion itself being natural, the affections and passions which are moved by it are also natural; now it is truly observed, that the motions of nature are commonly more vehement, I am sure more tempestuous & turbulent than those of grace. Quicquid agit Natura valde agit. Nature marcheth furiously in the execution of her purposes, and the satisfaction of her desire. But grace is little, like a grain of Mustardseed, or she is by her difference from Nature forsaken of it in her actions and affections, so that the body often either tarries behind, or comes slowly toward her for the seconding of her purposes, or she is more orderly peaceable and temperate, which is indeed the Character of her in S. james 3.17.  
A second reason of this violence may be, because custom is a thing strongly rooted in the heart, and the sinews by which it is fastened are extremely sensible. Therefore if you would cut away a custom, you cut the heart itself, and if you will pull it up, you pull out the heart and all with it. Thence it was that Alexander could not persuade the Indians to bury their Parents, having still used to incorporate them. Neither could he persuade the Grecians to swallow down their Parents, being ever used to inter them.  
And here by the way an Answer fitly ariseth to a twofold Objection of ancient or 
* char.  modern Pagans. One is, That it is a fearful thing to see the strong diversity of Religions in the World, maintained by equal constancy and assurance; from which either is inferred or deduced by the Master or Scholar, that where there are so many and every one denied by all the rest, they may be all false, because all are severally denied. But this follows not; for first I have showed a reason of the manifold diversity of Religions, and the equal violence in their Professors. As many Religions as Custom hath delivered to Mankind, so many are usually retained & strongly maintained. But yet the diversity of Errors cannot annihilate the unity of Truth; but Truth which is indeed but one, may and shall stand justified by herself and her children, though the numberless variety of Errors, may be justly confuted and overthrown. Though the Heathen have as many Gods as Cities, and not one of them true, yet this hinders not, but that there may be one true God that made Heaven and Earth, which even by diverse Heathens hath been confessed.  
A second Objection is this, That Religion hath been the Author of many cruel outrages, 
Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum,  
Que peperit saepe seelerosa asq impia facta.   
But henceforth let the Obiector cease from this Language, for here I have brought him to the Dam of these Monsters. This customary natural, unnatural Religion is the very Mother of them; For Nature having received a Religion by custom, this Religion like a Spirit possesseth it, and drives it headlong like the Gadaren Swine into desperate actions. Nature grows mad upon a Religion knit by custom to her instinct, and in her violence she thinks the Extremity of Devotion to be the very Mark of Perfection. Therefore she goes furiously onward, and overthrows all that stands in her way, thinking than she pleaseth God best, when she is most furious in his service, and therefore sometimes she will do Massacres and Murders, that she may be sure to have served him sufficiently. So mad and brutish is this carnal Devotion, that it thinks to please the judge of the World, by those cruelties which a just man doth loath and detest. And detestable as it is to good men so much more to true Religion, which is the Doctrine of Goodness, and hath been before described to be peaceable and temperate.  
Therefore fare be it from any man, to accuse true Religion of that which itself doth accuse. But let this Brat be brought to the true Dam of it, and that shall be found to be the flesh, but never the Spirit. The Spirit maketh Sheep and not Wolves, 〈◊〉 hath armed many with Patience to suffer Tyranny, but hath taught none to be Tyrants. Quem videris gaudentem sanguine, Lupus est. Whosoever delights in blood for conscience sake, is a Limb of Antichrist, the great Wolf of of the Church, the Flock of Christ.  
But let us hasten from this diseased Religion, and seek out a Remedy, even a Remedy for this Devotion of Custom; which Custom is an equal Nurse to all Religions; A Nurse it is to all Religions, a like Mother of most unlike Children. The unity of the Mother cannot reconcile the Differences of the Children, but like the Earth she nourisheth all Herbs, even of contrary qualities. But this while the Contention of these Children is most foolish, for each striveth to be right heir when not one of them is lawfully begotten.  
Therefore a first Remedy for these Bastard Religions, is to know the Whoredom of their Mother, and a second, to know the true Father of true Religion. The falsehood of the Mother hath been already expressed, but it must be known as well as told, they must take notice of it, as well as hear of it. And let them take this for an assured sign of a Whorish Mother of Religion, when they find the same and no other Fountain of Religion, but that which will serve to beget a Religion contrary to that which is held. If thou holdest thy Religion because thou art accustomed to it, for carnal Reasons, and by a common hand, thou holdest not Religion truly; yea, though thou hold the true Religion. But because Truth best reproveth Falsehood, and Rightness, Crookedness, I will set forth the true Father of true Religion, that the Adulterous Mother may the better be known and avoided. God is a Spirit, and therefore the Religion that pleaseth God must be spiritual.  
But man is carnal, defiled by a carnal Generation, and therefore can neither know nor give unto God a spiritual Service. Therefore is it needful that the supreme Spirit, teach this carnal man a spiritual service, which his Carnality cannot find out. Yea, farther it were 〈…〉 give him a spiritual Understanding, to discern and approve a spiritual Service, being ●aught unto him which fl●sh and blood cannot do. So we see there is need of a spiritual Doctrine, and a spiritual Mind. Man hath nothing in him to please God withal: He is all Darkness and Pollution, therefore God must send from Heaven, tha● which he will have man to send acceptably unto Heaven. Man that is now most contrary to God, must be conformed to him▪ before he can receive from God, and return to God a Service conformable unto God.  
So it remains, that true Religion must be a spiritual Doctrine, taught by God unto Man, and the true means of receiving a spiritual Doctrine, is a spiritual Mind. This is the right hand of Religion, and Nature is the left, and these right-handed Men are the only true receivers of true Religion.  
For a spiritual Mind, meeting with a spiritual Religion, by Uniformity grow to an Unity; they kiss, embrace, and clasp one another, and the gates of Hell cannot pluck them asunder. The Spirit that gave the Word, seasons the Heart, and the Heart meeting the Word, borne of the same Spirit with itself, joins itself to it in a brotherly Affection and Unity. Now this only true admittance of true Religion, hath notable Privileges annexed to it, which are both marks of Excellence & Difference, above and from other false means of receiving Religion. One excellent and necessary Prerogative is this, That the spiritual Man hath God for his Teacher; he learns the counsels of God, of that Spirit which only knoweth God's Counsel, and only acknowledgeth it. He holdeth divine things by a Divine hand, and receives them from the Deity itself. Though his outward Man receive Elements and Rudiments of Religion by Birth or Education, yet his inward man receiveth them by Heavenly inspiration, the same Spirit which moved holy men to speak, moving holy men to hear and believe. For in the Saints the Spirit of God is the last resort, rest and Pillar of Truth; and how can they but believe when a spiritual Mind plainly discerneth the Truth of spiritual things? It hath also a second privilege of safety, and in that safety, a third of rest and quietness.  
For a Religion being once ●ruly discerned, approved & knit to the heart by the Spirit, the Spirit which leads us into the Truth, doth establish us in the Truth, by the same Light by which it shows us the Beauty of Verity, it discovers the deformity of Error; yea, it will join hands with no Religion, but that which is kin to it. Show the Spirit the whole Milliner's shop of Religions, which Mountebank Satan hath set to sale in the world, & none of them will fit his hand, though never so much flourished over with the imbrodery of humane wit and earthly Glory. The Spirit which gave the Word, will acknowledge no other, but the Word of the Spirit. My Sheep, saith Christ, hear my voice, but a stranger's voice they will not hear, john 10. And now what an admirable privilege of rest and quietness is hereunto annexed? The carnal man, if he escape the Restinesse gotten by Custom, or imposed by Authority, he runneth like the dispossessed spirit, through all places both wet and dry, seeking rest for his Religion. And how can he find rest, since there is no true rest but in the Truth, and that Truth being hidden from flesh and blood, all other Religions that appear are but Errors, and who can blame a man to run from an Error as soon as he hath found it? This I doubt was the Disease of Montagne, who professeth that he continued in the Romish Religion, because if he left that he believed he should run through all and never be at rest. So he kept that Religion it seems for his own sake, and not for the goodness of the Religion, because he would find rest, not because he had found the Truth. But much better do they, that by the Spirit embrace true Religion, because by the Spirit they discern it to be true. Such men seek Truth rather than rest, for having found Truth, they know rest comes in upon the Bargain. They follow that truth which is followed with rest, but they by no means will follow that rest which is divorced from Truth. They seek for Truth, and Truth gives them rest, but the other seeks for rest, though rest hold him in Error. So he is resolved to be sure of his rest, though he be not sure of his Religion. But as this is a Bastard holding of Religion, so is it a bastard rest, for it is a wrong rest that is grounded on Error, and Truth only giveth a true rest. By the same reason might a Pagan or Mahometan, establish himself in Paganism and Mahometisme, because Custom hath given each of them a Restinesse in their Religions.  
But let that man who desireth by a right hand to rec●●ue the Truth, and from the Truth to receive rest, and with that rest safety from Error▪ Let him I say lift up his eyes on high, Beccause he hath his Chair in Heaven, who teacheth the hearts on Earth. Let them vehemently entreat God, that by the Spirit which only knoweth his counsels, he will reveal his counsels that by the Spirit which gave the Word to the Speaker, he will fasten the Word in the Hearers, and that by a spiritual and heavenly mind, they may discern and hold Spiritual and Heavenly Truth. And this let them do importunately and uncessantly. Importunately, both in regard of the weight of the Petition, for the very weight of our Salvation lies on this spiritual receiving of Religion; and in regard of the efficacy of Importunity, to which Christ hath promised the holy Ghost, Luke 11.8, 13. Uncessantly, because God may delay thee, yet hopeful that he will not finally deny thee. He calleth some at all hours, & it is to no purpose to go from him, for he only hath the words of eternal life, and he only can give them to thee, and settle them in thee.  
A second reason of difference in Religion, is difference of Complexion; for many times that is called a War of Religion, which is but a War of Complexion. And surely pity it is, That the Religion of many, or at least the zeal of it, is but their Complexion, and yet they think themselves to excel all others in the zeal of Religion, when they do but exceed them in the heat of Complexion. And yet under this forged Banner of Religion, they combat boldly with other Complexions: yea, sometimes with the Spirit itself, the true and only root of true Religion. For indeed it falls out, that Complexions being different, by their difference they fall into discord, and not so only but they are at difference with the Spirit itself, both because the Spirit is of no Complexion, and because the Spirit upon occasion maketh use of any Complexion; which when it doth, it gains the displeasure of that Complexion, which is contrary to that whereof it makes use. So by several turns, every Complexion combateth with the Spirit in those whose Religion is Complexion, and whose Complexions are not commanded by the Spirit, the true Author of Religion. This in patterns will more evidently appear.  
Set before you a man of Choler; his humour is hot, and this heat being applied to Religion, he calleth Zeal. Then he infers, the more heat, the more Zeal; & the more Zeal, the more Religion. Hence he blows that fire of his flesh, until he hath kindled in himself some flame of Intemperance, or perchance, hath set the House of God on fire about his Ears.  
On the otherside, behold a Phlegmatic; His Complexion preacheth to him, that Religion consists all in Quietness, and living peaceably among his Neighbours. Therefore he praiseth Moderation so much, that his Religion takes cold, and he love's an easy Ignorance more than a diligent Knowledge. He is dully patiented in dishonour done to God, he is contented with quiet profaneness and well settled Superstitions. Whence I guess this man to have been the first father of this Position, Malum bene positum non debet moveri.  
But now as we have seen these two asunder●, so bring them together, and you shall presently see a battle. But the Choleric man is first in the cowbane, and hath the Phlegmatic by the collar ●re he be ware. At the first ●low, he denounceth damnation to him for key-coldness, ●or doing Gods work negligently, for his ungodly Patience, for man-pleasing, for temporizing, and at last he calls him Formalist. On the other side, the Phlegmatic (when he is awaked by the clamour of the Choleric) calls him an angry gospeler, a Fyer-flinger, a Schismatic, a Sour of dissension, and perchance a Puritan, (though that word sometimes be also bestowed on the very grace of the Spirit.) Besides, if the Phlegmatic be throughly spurred by the Choleric, so that he arise to any height from the cushion of his Flesh, he will then look over into the life of the Choleric, and tell him his discoveries. He will say, that all his heat is not zeal, because he is as hot in his own quarrels, as in the quarrels of God, yea in matters of Earth as much or more than in matters of Heaven, that he will sooner be reconciled when God is offended, then when himself is touched; that his heat is not spiritual, because it hath Pride joined with it, and that out of Pride he pretends to pull down Pride, and that he is angry with dignities because he hath them not, and that if he had them, he would presently be at friendship with them. Thus do we see these two in a miserable and vehement conflict, where it is pity to leave them long. But another spectacle calls us aside, from which being returned, I shall desire to part them by that Spirit of Love, which puts asunder those that come together in combats, and brings together by Love those that went asunder in Hatred.  
The first Man that I take notice of in this new spectacle, is of a Sanguine Complexion. This man being of a pleasant constitution, will have a pleasurable Religion. He thinks that the Text, Rejoice continually, is to be taken literally and strictly, and he will not endure any doctrine that may not manifestly arise from this Text. He likes well pastimes & recreations on the Sundays, though Service be the shorter, and he says, That some Ales with a little spice of Drunkenness, maintain Love.. He understands not the word Mortification, but thinks it is killing of a man's self, and he is never in earnest with his Soul, much less in sober sadness, but he life's in ●est, and in sum is of a festival Religion.  
But with him, though against him appears a Melancholist, the ruggedness of whose brows shows the roughness of his Religion. His Complexion is fed by a sad, sour, and harsh humour, and accordingly his Religion consists all of terror, censuring, severity, cutting and paring, much binding, with little or no losing. He thinks a sour countenance is the very Visage of Religion, and not to be like any that are many, is the true difference of a Christian. He hates form and believes Religion must have nothing but substance; he is himself a soul (almost) without a body, and he would have all the Church to be like him. He is full of scruples, and therefore both seeks and finds many faults where are none, and is so jealous of abuses, that he is ready to forbid all uses for fear of abuses. He is exceeding querulous, and therefore more apt to complain for supposed Corruptions, then to thank God for real Reformation, & is more troubled with a little spot on a finger, than he is cheered with the comeliness of a whole Face. With Superstition he hates Superstition, yea sometimes he nourisheth it by hating it. For his hatred of Superstition, continues the memory of diverse Superstitions, which if his opposition did not make known, they had been most quietly confuted by Forgetfulness. Besides, he is filled with Superstition by a swarm of strange and extravagant Imaginations. By them he sometimes sees Visions, receives Revelations, and approacheth to an Anabaptist or a Seraphim; like Bonaventure. This he doth if his Melancholy be lightsome, but if it be wholly dark, than he is nothing but fear, every Atom is a Mountain, and he falls into judaical scruples of touching, tasting, and handling. And now these two being brought together (though the Melancholy man will hardly be drawn into Company) you shall be sure to see a combat in these also. The Sanguine man tells the Melancolicke of faction, separation and pride, and says he is like the Pharisie, that justified himself and despised others. He tells him, his name is Stand farther off, which if he says, because he thinks that he is holier than others. He accuseth him of malice and spitefulness, and says, that Love is much decayed, since these pure Gospelers came up. He hates him as the Enemy of Mirth, yea the enemy of Life, for he holds him a walking deadman, and doubts he seeks to make others as dead as himself. Therefore he shuns him as he shuns Death, and is resolved to forsake any Religion or Salvation, that is of his Complexion. On the other side, the Melancolicke counts the Sanguine for a Reprobate, and his titles for him are, Goodfellow, and Carnal Gospelers. He tells him the Love which he talks of is not Charity, but a brotherhood in Iniquity, and that such Unity is but a conspiracy of the Wicked, not a Communion of Saints. He taxeth him for being merry with Sin, and for pretending the furtherance of spiritual virtues by fleshly liberties, wherein God is offended, that he may be pleased. Briefly, he accounts the Sanguine but a man of this World, and he accounts himself to be none of the World. Because the Sanguine is of the World, therefore the Melancolicke thinks it fit to hate him, because he hath undertaken not to love the World; and because himself is not of the World, therefore he thinks it fit to be hated of the world, and in this word World, he includeth the Sanguine.  
Thus do these diverse Complexions afflict one another, and each one thinks that Religion is on his side, and Irreligion on the other, and that with Religion, he batters and assaults Irreligion, whereas in deed, it is Humour that fights with Humour, Complexion with Complexion, the Flesh with the Flesh. And because the one Humour finds faults, and perchance true ones in the other, therefore he condemns him bodily, and approoues himself securely, because he is contrary to him. For he thinks that his contrariety to Vice must needs be a Virtue. But the whiles he sees not that Vices have a great contrariety between themselves, and therefore a Vice may fall out with a Vice, Prodigality with Covetousness, Dullness with Impatience, & dissoluteness with hidebound Severity. Therefore we ought to look wherewith it is that we resist Vice, as to be sure that it is Vice which we do resist; For a Vice is an evil medicine for a Vice, and a beam in thine own eye is a bad help, to take out the mote of another's eye. Yet this is man's Infirmity, the same blindness which can see nothing in ourselves, will perceive much in others, and the same Humour which preiudiceth us to judge ourselves, makes us strong and confident judges of others. And this doth every Humour in his Turn; for every one will take on it some work in Religion: but especially Choler and Melancholy are busiest, the one in practical busi-headednesse, which often tends (in their opinion) to a holy sedition, and a religious schism; and the other in speculative conceits, scruples, and apprehensions, in the abundance whereof they seek faults and are willing to find them; and by the prejudice of that willingness find some, where are none; they call a whole Church to the Bar, and their private speculations must be the laws of her trial, and if some word or action be capable of two senses, a good and a bad, they arrest the Church upon suspicion, that the bad sense is hers, and not the good. And both these Humours get themselves often much glory among the Vulgar, the Melancholy man for deadness, being thought guilty of Mortification, and the Choleric for his vehemence, being accused of Zeal. Yea, these and the rest of their fellows are often in a mixture, according to the variety whereof, happeneth an infinite change of conceits and affections in Religion.  
Neither is this to be found in one Church alone, but no doubt it works in all Churches, all Churches being made of men, and all men having different Complexions. There are no doubt elsewhere, molles & rigidi, easy and rough Professors, Phlegmatic and Sanguine, Choleric and Melancolicke. If you will go aside with Saint john into the Wilderness of Contemplation, and behold the great Harlot of the World, the Church of Rome, you shall see the diverse operations of these different Complexions. The Woman herself that sits on the Beast, even the Heads and Managers of that Tyranny, are of a sanguine and scarlet Complexion. They have turned Divinity into an Art and Mystery, of purchasing pleasures, honours, and dignities. And thence she bears this Motto, I sit as a Queen, and shall see no sorrow. For Choler repair to the jesuite, a man of an active and busy heat, full of designs and travails, and if the craft of his Choler do not effect his projects, the mischievousness of it shall, and then he sheds the blood of War in the time of Peace. His very character is Choleric, for it is a Locust, that hath the tail of a Scorpion, and a sting in his tail, etc. Reu. 9 But for Phlegmatickes there are no patterns like the Monks, whose Life in general is pain by ease, and labour in eating. And in this pain and labour they express a wonderful patience. This is the man whom that excellent pencil of the Spirit Saint Paul describes weeping, whose end is damnation, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is their shame. And if you will see the face of Melancholy, behold your Anchorite or Stillite, who often by a sullen humour falls out with the world and falls into a corner, and at best undertakes voluntary temptations, that he may escape necessary ones. This man also Saint Paul describes, when he calls his Religion a show of wisdom, in will-worship and humility, and punishing the body. And these differences have also bred oppositions among them. The Pope's turning Religion to be a Pander for pride, lusts and pleasures is condemned by diverse, as Barnard, Cassander, Mantuan, etc. The jesuite is condemned by the Priest, yea by the founder Romanists, for being too pragmatical, and the whole world cries out on the Monckes, and the Poets make songs on them. But the Melancoly Christian seems most reverend as he doth among us, yet they have been censured by men of judgement, as Cornelius Agrippa de vanit. sci. cap. 62. and Barnard in Cant. sermo 35. and others, who condemn that life which life's to itself, profiteth not others, and runs into salomon's Vaesoli. And no doubt by the laws of flesh and blood, the Pope in his glory cannot but laugh at their Penury, and he that rejoiceth in his gain by Fabula de Christo, which was the blasphemous speedy of an impious Pope, must needs think them mad that lose thereby either pleasure or profit. No doubt, as fitly by the Pope may be given to these men of penance, that saying which was bestowed on the common people that sought a fatherly benediction. Quando populus hic decipi vult, decipiatur. Again, the Philosophers had Sects agreeable to different Complexions, The Epicure fitted either the Sanguine or Phlegmatic, the Stoic and Cynic, the Choleric and Melancolicke. So much in all men that are merely natural, doth the Body work on the Soul, and the Soul by the same blindness which it suffers from the Body hath this defect, that it sees not that it is blind; and therefore believing that it sees▪ it calls that an opinion, which is indeed but a prejudice. Now the Remedy of this Disease, as of others, is by contraries. Surely as these Complexions of the Flesh in their extremities fight with the Spirit, so doth the Spirit with them, and therefore the Remedy of the Flesh is the Spirit, and we shall be safe from the extremities and superfluities of the Flesh, if we keep ourselves in the uprightness, unpartialnesse, and indifferency of the Spirit. Now this shall we perform, if we be guided by certain rules, whereof it may be truly said, that he that keepeth these rules, keepeth his way, and he that keepeth his way, keepeth himself in the Spirit, and he that keepeth himself in the Spirit, keepeth his Life. And most true it is, that they that walk by these rules, peace shall be upon them, for they are the very Israel of God.  
The First of these is this, That every man truly judge himself, his Complexion and Constitution in the outward glass of the eye, and the inward glass of the soul, so to find out the exuberant, abounding and reigning Complexion; and that being found, to be fare from favouring and defending it in the things of God, which is the usual manner of flesh and blood. But rather on the contrary, let him suspect and stop himself in that way to which his inclination over-hurries him, and condemn his error when he goes astray, and having condemned it, return back to his true way. Surely in this we must imitate the Navigators. The Navigators know the right Line that leads to their intended Haven, and to that Line by the Compass they set the course of the Ship. But if contrary winds overrule them, & turn them from this right proposed Line to any one side, than they reckon how fare they have gone on the one side, and by another return they requite it, and so bring themselves again into their right intended way. Doubtless our Life is a Voyage, our Haven is the City of God, the Line of our course is Sanctification, and the Spirit is our Compass; This Spirit pointeth us our way, and our Souls must resolve to run in that way. But it so falls out that the tempests of the Flesh of Complexion, of exorbitant Constitution, carries us aside, what remains but that we find out this Error, and finding it, allow a return as long and as large as our wand'ring. But fare be from us that foolish and dangerous Custom of those blind Souls, who being hood winked by Humour and Complexion, do make their Humours and Complexions the Guides of their Souls, and not their Souls guided by the Spirit, the Guide of their Humours. Yea, they think that Humour is the Spirit, and so they err by authority, and are therefore fare more incurable. This is to make the wind the Guide of the Ship, and not the Compass, and surely such men shall be sure never to come to their pretended Haven. For the end of the Flesh is Death, and the fruit of the Spirit only is Life. Neither is it hard for each man to find out the superfluities of his flesh, and to correct them if he follow the Second Rule, which is this. Man must not compare himself with himself, nor measure himself by himself, for every man is as tall as his own measure, and he cannot thereby find out his shortness or tallness. But Man must seek out for his patterns, both the words and persons of men truly sanctified, or rather the words and deeds of the Spirit, speaking and living in them, even such whose unpartial uprightness hath wholly given them up from the Flesh to the Spirit. The chiefest is Christ himself, whose upright temper rectified and guided by an unmeasured Spirit, settleth him in a perpetual equilibriousnesse, apt upon occasion to the effects of any Complexion, yet unapt without to be led by any of them.  
Next to Christ are his Apostles, And among them most conspicuous and most known in S. Paul. In him shall ye see the reasonable use of each Complexion, while he chideth the Galathians and Corinthians, while he rejoiceth for the Romans, while he expresseth a fervent love to Timothy and many other Saints; yea, to his own Nation, wishing with his own peril that they might be saved, while he speaks weeping of those whose end is Damnation, and being still one and the same man; he is full of anger when Elimas resisted him, and full of patience when the jews afflicted him. And even at this day are there patterns to be found of an upright, even a spiritual conversation, and their followers should we be that so follow the followers of Christ. Neither must that backward reasoning be heard among Christians, to argue from their own apprehensions or virtues, thereby to prove what is Truth and Goodness, which is to reason from themselves to Christ, but they must reason from Christ to themselves; they must say, This Christ did, therefore I must do so: and not this I do, therefore Christ did so. For that were to make thyself Christ, and Christ a Christian. Yet this many do, and from their own inclinations fashion the shapes of patterns to themselves, not themselves to them.  
And as we must conform ourselves to the deeds of the Spirit, so we must to the words of the Spirit, and to do both, we ourselves must be spiritual, even the freemen of God. Upon which is grounded the third Rule, which is this, That every Saint and son of God, by the aid of the Spirit inwardly freeing him, and outwardly teaching him, must strive to have an universal liberty of soul, free and inclinable to the approving of all Truths, and to the love and practice of all goodness. I say this is a great and glorious liberty of the sons of God, and of them alone, that their souls being li●ted up from the hinges of the flesh, and new fastened to the spirit, thereby they have a freedom to move whensoever the Spirit moves, and to love whatsoever the Spirit love's. All Truths are gladly received, all Goodness is highly esteemed, be it in a Complexion different, yea, contrary. For this Freeman of God must have the liberty both of his judgement and Will, he will be bound Prentice to no Sect, partiality or piece of Truth or Goodness, but will be as large as Truth and Goodness itself.  
And if you will know his Sect, the truth is, he is only of the Sect of Truth and Goodness; And that is no Sect. For these he approves wheresoever he finds them, in what Complexion, Religion, or Nation soever, and it seems Saint Peter himself was of this Sect; yea, God himself favoureth it, for Saint Peter saith, that of a Truth he perceived, That God in all Nations accepted those that fear him and work Righteousness. Therefore henceforth, Let no man tie himself to a part, by some corporeal likeness, or prejudice of birth or education, and so separate himself from the whole; but let every true Christian be a true Catholic, even an universal thing entertaining Truth and Goodness in all persons and Complexions, yea, entertaining all persons and Companies if there be Truth and Goodness in them.  
For let the great and little Sectaries, Romanists and Separatists know, That the name of Catholic is most properly his, whose judgement is free to the receit of all Truths, but especially and actually of the Fundamentals of Salvation, and whose will is free to the embracing of all persons endued with sanctified Goodness, issuing from the knowledge of Truth. The true Saint is a lover of all sanctifying Truth, and a lover of all that are sanctified by the Truth.  
This Saint john testifies, when he boldly assumes, That the elect Lady was loved in the Truth, of all them that love the Truth. Therefore let men boast of singularity and separation, that is fearful to me which is to them preeminence. For they that cut off Saints from them, cuts themselves off from the Communion of Saints. Yea, let not a difference in small Truths make separation. It may be that Complexion hath only made this difference, and hath made him or thee, I know not which, too straight or too large, but take heed that thou do not for a difference in Complexion separate thyself from thy own Brother. The great and certain Truth and main Goodness that are in him, are more strong to bind thee to an union, than the difference in small Truths and Duties be to make a Division. Yea, that great Goodness that is in him, except with the pharisees thou think better of thyself then others, may make thee to suspect thyself rather then him. And suspect thyself and spare not, if thou dost not find in thyself this universal liberty of soul, which approves all solid truth and sanctified Goodness in any person; yea, love's the persons of that Truth and Goodness.  
Let not the flesh part what the Spirit hath joined together; let not the difference of bodies put asunder what the unity of Grace hath conjoined, neither do thou know men hereafter according to thy own flesh, but according to God's Spirit. But if thou wilt try whether thou dost make a true spiritual discord, see whether thou dost equally make it with men of thy own Complexion & Constitution, if they be void of Truth and Goodness; and whether thou dost love and entertain any Truth and Goodness, though he be never so much outwardly different that professeth it. But if thou stick at either of these, thou art not yet a Freeman of the Spirit, but a slave of thy flesh, thy love and hatred are thy own and not Gods.  
And surely so it appears in many of this kind, for a spiritual hatred dwells in a spiritual heart, and a spiritual heart is a charitable heart, and a charitable heart even where it hates, there it wisheth that it might have cause to love. Accordingly these spiritual and charitable haters of Vice, rather than Person, seek the amendment of those that they hate, they strive as much as is lawful and possible to live in peace with all men, they attend if at any time they may recover them from the snare of the Devil. But the Complexionary Zelots, think more of Confusion than Conversion, they seek out Reasons to maintain a Rent and Difference, and to account men of Infirmity, Enemies rather than Brethren, and except a man will presently be saved, they will presently dam him. But wisdom is justified of her Children, & this is the wisdom of the Spirit, even to unlade ourselves of the flesh, to free ourselves from all the prejudice, burden and bondage of it, and to dwell in that pure, peaceable and universal spirit, which entertaineth gladly all Truth, and loveth willingly all Goodness; yea, where they are not, it wisheth they may be, and expecteth until they be.  
But before I leave this subject, I must both magnify and pity the Man truly spiritual. He ought to be magnified, because he that is mighty hath magnified him, and hath set him in a high degree. The Knife of the Spirit hath ripped off the flesh from his soul, and the flesh doth no more command him, but he is a spiritual Freeman. His soul is free from darkness by a marvellous, even a Celestial Light, and his will is free from the bands and chains of the flesh by a severing, cutting and absolving Spirit. He is taller than the sons of men, and as much higher than they, as the Spirit is higher than the flesh, and by that step of advantage he looks into Heaven, which they see not. He is inwardly and really more noble, for he hath a free, large, and emancipated soul, which they have not. He is more powerfully valiant, for he fighteth the battles of the Lord against spiritual powers, and against the whole Kingdom of darkness. But with this honour that is to be magnified, is adjoined a misery to be pitied.  
For as he fighteth for God against the World, and the Prince of the World: so the World, with all the Complexions thereof; yea, with the Prince thereof, fight together against him. His Sword is against every man, and every man against him, and though he be not evil: but a true Israelite, in whom is no guile, yet therefore the evil World hateth him, because he is not like them. Surely the quarrel of the World with the sons of God, is not because they are naught, but because they are unlike, and unlikeness is to them as sufficient a cause of debate as wickedness. Yea, where there is an unlikeness, there false wickedness shall be imputed, that which of itself is faultless may seem justly to be condemned, as being guilty of that which is truly faulty. Because they are unlike, they are hated, and because they are hated, they must be accused.  
To say truth, they are not hated because they are wicked, but they are made wicked because they are hated. Now this slanderous odiousness arising from unlikeness, is thus hatched: Either because a man believing fully his own rightness, makes himself a rule unto others, & condemns them when they swerve from this Rule, or because viewing his own crookedness in a comparison with a goodman's righteousness, he finds this comparison of righteousness to be a check and reproof to his crookedness. But whatsoever the cause is, Too true it is; That unlikeness hath made many Quarrels between them, and these Quarrels of unlikeness too often flow from the opposition of Complexion, against Sanctification.  
The sanctified man being free from all Complexions, yet sundry times upon sundry occasions serves himself of sundry Complexions, & then commonly he is censured by the servants of those Complexions, that are contrary to those that are his Servants.  
For indeed the spiritual man is the Lord of Complexions, but the carnal is their servant. Hence, as they fight among themselves, so most commonly they fight all with him: For the spiritual being of no faction, nor severalty, but affecting universal Goodness, serves himself of the goodness of each Complexion, and refuseth the vices and extremities of it. So by reason son of his different temper from all, he hath Enemies of all, being Virtus in medio vitiorum.  
Hence the Styptic, and hidebound or angry Christian, when he sees the spiritual man conversing with Sinners, though perchance with hope of edification and cure, or some evidence of smoking grace, he cries out against him, and calls him goodfellow, an eater with Publicans and Sinners. If he see him using some lawful comfort & recreation, he calls him a Glutton, a Drunkard, a Libertine. If he see him conversant with men of the contrary Faction, or excusing a Ceremony for the love of Peace, he doubts of his Salvation, and holds him to be fallen from the Faith, and takes him for little less than one of the damned. If the sociable, sanguine, and neighbourly Christian see the spiritual man with a notable difference to affect those that excel in Virtue, to condemn the Drunken meetings of carnal Feast, the lascivious gestures of dancing provocations, the beastly mirth of Tongues tipped with filthiness, the profanations of times consecrated to divine uses, the contempt of God's Word, and the careless burying it in fleshly recreations; He cries out upon his purity, and defies it, and says, too much Religion hath made him mad. If the Lazy Phlegmatic hear the right Christian cry aloud to the sleeper in security, Away thou that sleepest, and stand up from the dead; if he see him painful in study, abstinent in fasting, not slothful in service, but zealous to good works, angry with Sinners, and reproving them for their amendment, he accounts him a busi-body, one that hates his own quietness, and (he saith, as Acts 17.6.) These men that have turned the World up-side down, are come hither also.  
Lastly, your melancholy man he is angry also with the Communion of Saints, with the Physicians being among the sick, with the peace of the godly, if their Coats be not all of one fashion, or if one have a dust on his Coat, which the other hath not. He condemns the spiritual man for being at Feasts of Love, for drinking a little Wine, though he have an infirmity in his stomach, and he is angry with any visible glory of the visible Church. If the true Christian receive any preferment, he holds him a Demas, and one that hath forsaken Paul, and hath embraced the World: and if he converse with any that are less hidebound than himself, though perchance more honest, he takes him for a Formalist and a Time pleaser. So the spiritual man escapes not his blows neither, and thus he is beaten of all sides.  
But though this to many be a great disheartening, to be as jeremy, a man against all men, and all men against him; yet to the Children of Wisdom it is a Testimonial and encouragement. That is indeed true Wisdom which is contrary to the corruption of all humours, and by reason of this contrariety is refused of all, both piping merrily, and mourning dolefully. Carnal mirth hateth spiritual sadness, and carnal sadness hateth spiritual mirth, yet the wisdom of of the Spirit is still true Wisdom, even the Wisdom of God, and is justified still both by the Father and the Children.  
Therefore stand thou strong in the path of the Spirit, and let this opposition on all sides be unto thee a testimony and approbation, that thou art on no side, but in the midst. Thy business is to turn neither to the right hand nor to the left; though terrors assail thee both on the right and on the left, keep thou the narrow way of Verity, that leadeth to Eternity. Thou art going to Canaan, look aswell for unkindness of thy Cousin the Edomite, a seeming professor, as of thy Enemy the profane Amalakite. Thou artfighting a good fight for the Crown of Righteousness, expect to be in perils, not only by Robbers, but in perils by false Brethren: the Crown when it comes will pay for all.  
Lastly, I note one Combat of the flesh, yet seeming to be of the Spirit, and that is the Combat between Zeal and Discretion. A Combat, I confess, which I grieve to speak of, for it is the falling out of Brethren, or rather of Man and Wife. I had much rather to contemplate how blessed is the Marriage and unity of these two, and how fair and beautiful is their issue. Surely the fruits of this Union are fare more glorious than the Apples of Gold with Pictures of Silver. For it is the absoluteness of each holy Work, when it is fashioned by the Zeal of Discretion. Such works are excellent both in matter and form, and so they are both good and reasonable.  
But on the other side, how lamentable are the defects in either, when Zeal wants Discretion, or Discretion wanteth Zeal. Where Zeal wants, Discretion can never do a good Work for the matter of it is naught, where Discretion wants, a good Work is never well done, for the manner of it is naught. And then again how lamentable are the Wars which proceed from these defects? Where Discretion abounds, but Zeal is defective, there order is commonly the chief object; calmness, quietness, and outward prosperity are chief regarded.  
But on the other side, true Zeal is sometime condemned of business, of tartness, of giddiness, and the Prophet is demanded, who hath made him a Counsellor? But if Discretion fight against true and sanctified Zeal, let it know that it fights against the Spirit of God, and then let Gamaliel dissuade him from being found a fighter against God; yea, let Wisdom bear with smaller Indiscretions, if accompanied with the true Zeal of Sanctification, for God gives his Graces many times to the weak, and by weak and contemptible Instruments we know that God showeth his own strength; by their weakness casting down the strong holds of the flesh, and setting up his glorious Kingdom. And when we come into the Kingdom of God, and see what great return of Souls and good Works some weak Saints have made, it shall be no grief of heart to the men of Wisdom, that they have winked at some lesser indiscretions and infirmities.  
Yet on the other side there grow sometimes intolerable inconveniences, where Zeal abounds and Discretion is much defective. For by such, holiness is altogether proposed, but the fitting & shaping of things best to effect that holiness is not well conceived. Good things are not done with the best advantage, but lose part of their goodness for want of good handling. Zeal without discretion is but a wild kind of goodness, and like a metaled horse without a bridle, it carries the Rider into waves that are out of the way, and makes him run against all that are in his way. And to take a view of it in some particulars, I first obseru, that it is unreasonable, and full of extremity by following reason beyond reason. It is just overmuch, and knoweth not the right bounds of Right and Truth, but with Peter when the feet only should be washed, it will have the head washed also. It straineth after things beyond possibility and fitness, and if perchance the things be good in their matter which it aimeth at, it doth it in too violent a manner, and not proportionably to the value or weight of the things. There are some things which ought to be done, and other things that should not be left undone, and as we see some odds between Cummin and Righteousness, so we see odds in Christ's enjoining them. But inconsiderate Zeal knowing that the paying of Cummin should not be left undone, with an equal heat sometimes prosecutes both that & Righteousness; yea with a great heat pursues a small Truth, and a greater Truth with less heat. Such was the Zeal of the Pharises, whom Christ therefore justly taxed as strainers of Gnats and swallowers of Camels. And I wish there were none nowadays that are vehemently hot against small matters of form, and cold even to death in Covetousness, Pride, Extortion & Oppression. And to go on a little farther after these that go on too fare, we shall find that they follow little Truths at too unreasonable expenses. Mark we the Law of God in his ten Words, mark we the Gospel of Christ jesus, the Epistles of his Apostles, and we shall find Love to be the Soul of the Law, the new Commandment (by excellence) of the Gospel, the special charge of all the Epistles. Above all things put on Love; there abide these three, Faith, Hope, and Love, and the chiefest of these is Love.. Love is the bond of perfectness, it is the most excellent way, it goes into heaven with us, and there it testifies for us (as john saith) that we were the Children of God on earth.  
Now if this be the most excellent thing, if it be to be put on above all things, and is not to be put off when all things else shall be taken from us, how is this precious jewel rashly undervalved, and too often put off by inconsiderate Zeal? In the difference of small Truth, you shall see Love thrown aside, like a Cloak by one that goes to wrestling, and (as between beasts, whom I am ashamed to name in a comparison with Christians) a little bone causeth great and gaping wounds. I deny not but all Truth is valuable, but all Truth is not equally valuable with Love, but Love is to be maintained, even with those in whom some Truths are defective, and some such defects of Truth are to be tolerated, where they cannot be amended but with the breach of Love.. I speak not God knows, but with a desire that Truth were perfectly embraced, but I give advice in that case where lesser Truths are remedilessly unreceived. And in this case I say, that this most excellent Love is not to be sold for the buying of such little Truth's, neither may we lose a thing absolutely necessary to Salvation, for things not so absolutely necessary. There is a Truth of the foundation, even a fundamental Truth that is necessary to Salvation; a Truth by the belief whereof we are fastened into Christ jesus, and whosoever denies this Truth, is without the compass of that Love which is due to the sons of God. But whosoever holdeth this fundamental Truth, and is thereby become a member of Christ jesus, Love is due to that man, even the Love of a son of God, and do not thou dare to hate him whom Christ loveth. Though by infirmity of judgement he deny some lesser Truth, or by weakness of humane nature fall into some small offences, cut not thyself off from him, for if thou do, thou canst not cut him off from Christ, but thou cuttest thyself off from him who is one with Christ. Therefore beware of this cutting and concision, for where Love wants, it hurts the man most where it wanteth, and not the man toward whom it is wanting; for where Love is absent, there Christ is not present: if Faith work not downward in our hearts by Love, it works not upward into union with our Head Christ jesus. Let not Zeal therefore buy Truth at too dear a rate; but let it be equally earnest for the maintaining of Love and Truth. What God hath put together, let no man put asunder. We are commanded to follow the Truth in Love, and therefore woe be to them that divide the following of the Truth from Love, yea follow the Truth in malice and hatred. The Law was abrogated, yet Paul would not have the cessation urged with violence and rigour; yea he tells the judgers and condemners, What are they that judge, and of the judged he saith, He shall be holden up, for God is able to make him stand. The different decency of hair is justly recommended by Paul to different sexes, yet if any man will be contentious herein, he will not join battle with him, but tells him, that neither he nor the Churches of God have any such Custom as Contention. I wish we could truly say so too, and that the fight begun about Easter, even Love lost for a holiday, were not now renewed in the like kind, though on other occasions. But I desire the saints of God seriously to consider this, That if the Church of God have no such custom as Contention, how can they that have such a custom as Contention, be the Church of God? Let the Zealous consider, that the kindly heat of the fire of the Spirit is Love, and not Contention; but if this heat grow contentious, it ceaseth to be Spiritual. Wine is no longer wine, but vinegar, when it hath lost his comfortable and sprightly heat, and hath fret itself into sourness and tartness. And surely the heat & Zeal which is degenerated from edifying and comfortable charity, into opposition, biting, and judging, is no longer the heat of the Spirit, but a rage of the Flesh. A Second mark of indiscreet Zeal is, that it is unseasonable, and full of confusion. It will have perfection to be the fruit of a moment, and it will not stay for seasons and occasions. The Pharises would have the old bottles presently filled with new wine, and the Children of the wedding to fast while the Bridegroom was with them. If they would have stayed until the bottles had been renewed, or the Bridegroom had been departed, their Zeal had been approoveable, whereas now it was unseasonable. In many cases we are advised to bear evil men patiently, and not to break out into a fury, if at such times as we would, they cannot break the snares of the Devil; but our patience is to expect if at any time God will that they may escape. Many there are that are impatient of evil men, and drive them away by terror and despite, if they be not presently converted; yet it directly breaks this precept, and shows that they would be masters and authors of men's salvation, and not waiters upon God, that only gives the increase. When they have spoken, it must be done, whereas it shall not be done until God speak. What if God will have him called at the twelfth hour, wilt thou damn him if he be not converted at the ninth hour; wait thou on God's leisure, for God will not wait on thy pleasure: he may save him at last, if thou drive him not from hearing, by thy fierceness; and if thou do so, thou edifiest to Hell, and art not Gods but Satan's Minister.  
Again, others are unseasonable, in not being as wise Fishers for Souls, as men are for Fishes. They seek not with Paul to catch them by craft, neither strive so fare to please, as pleasing may be an advancement of profiting. Yea, there is a delight taken sometimes in falling right overthwart an error, or infirmity, & so a boisterous wind makes the man hold his cloak the faster, which a warm sunblast would have gently persuaded from his back. It is not amiss to ground the persuasions of things not believed, on things believed; of duties unpractised, on duties practised; and reproofs of faults, on commendations of virtues. Paul telling King Agrippa he believed the Prophets, had won him almost to be a Christian; and when he means to chide the Corinthians, as in some points Carnal and not Spiritual, he begins his Epistle with the title of Saints, and thankes to God that they were rich in utterance and knowledge. And since we have fallen into mention of Paul's behaviour to Agrippa, by that and other such examples may we learn the comeliness of discreet admonition, and the ragged harshness of indiscretion. Agrippa before Paul spoke with him was much less than a Christian, for he was but almost a Christian when he had done with him. Yet Paul doth not call him Vnbeleever, but takes hold on that belief which he gave to the jewish Religion, by that to bring him to the Christian. David shed the blood of Vrtas, but Nathan did not call him Murderer, but first gained his own judgement from him, and set it against himself. He took David by craft, and Nathan did not at first condemn him, before he had set David against David, and made him to pronounce sentence upon himself. Saint Ambrose admonisheth Theodosius of his cruel execution of the Thessalonians, but we doth it with such reverence to his person, with such expression of Love, and mere seeking of his Salvation, That a most valiant Emperor could not but receive patiently the Spiritual bonds wherewith he tied him below, that he might take a course to free himself above. No doubt but the like occasions may still befall, and Princes may need Admonition, and why should they not have them if they need them? for else were they more miserable than common men, and salomon's woe were especially upon them, because when they fall, there were none to help them up. But it being granted that they may fall, and that falling they are to be raised by Admonition: Let the matter of the Admonition be fitted to the Fault (be it Murder, Adultery, unhallowing of God's name, etc.) but let the manner be framed to the best advantage of prevailing, which generally is with a regard to the dignity of the person, and the remainder of his Virtues. Let it appear, that that which speaks is Love, and that for which it speaks is Salvation, and how can any heart, if it have goodness in any proportion to greatness, shut itself against Love, bringing with it Salvation? I doubt not but there are certain fiery Spirits, that like no example but that of the Prophet, See how this Murderer's son hath sent to take away my head▪ but they know not that one kind of Spirit fits not all persons, times, and occasions; but they ought to know, That is the best Spirit which fits best with these particulars, and is most likely to effect that good which it intends. The others do but drive away the birds with noise, which they pretend to take with nets. This Art of Admonition is most excellently described by Gregory the Great, in his Morals upon job, lib. 12. cap. 3. and upon Ezekiel, libr. 1. homil. 11.  
And now let us go down from the top of mankind to the bottom, and there see how ordinary men may be discreetly dissuaded from ordinary sins. For example, If you would get Usury from a man, I think it not best to fly suddenly into his face with the cudgel of Damnation, for that may make him stand upon his guard, and fall to the defence of his sin, but deal with him upon confessed grounds, and on those build that which is not confessed. Tell him at first that which he cannot deny, that men must all live one by another, and that for one man to fret out all others, and to live by himself, is in humane. That Charity in one sight regards the benefit of another, with her own. That in Usury, usually the benefit goes most, if not all, of one side, yea sometimes the benefit of the one riseth out of the loss of the other. Now where these things are, there such lending is the cause of fretting and undoing. So it remains they must either grant what they first denied, that men may fret and undo one another, or else they must condemn their lending which is so fretful and injurious.  
In brief, let us first work upon men's judgements by informing them, and not presently at the first sight fly on their wills and affections, to rack and force them.  
Again, where there are great and little faults to be amended, let us not be more busy for the little than the great, nor equally importune an amendment of all together. For verily I believe, good occasions of Reformation have been lost, because too many faults have been brought together to amendment, yea little and doubtful faults, and such as might be healed with a good construction, have been brought in equally upon the File with those of greater moment. And what doth this course do, but magnify the tediousness of the work, and increase the difficulty of it? What doth it but bring this answer to use, That changes are dangerous, and evils well settled, are better than much unsettling by much amending? What doth it but bring a doubt that nothing will satisfy, since faults seem more to be sought then found? But I wish that always there might be an advised and temperate demand in matters of Reformation, and though it be unadvisedly demanded, yet there may be given a just and solid answer, and such as might regard to please God by maintaining the purity of his Spouse the Church, rather than to satisfy or unsatisfy the indiscretions of men. Let God's cause ever be maintained, whether proposed or opposed by our own enemies.  
A third fault of indiscreet Zeal is, That it is censorious, and passeth easily into condemnation both of things & persons. Not to speak of indifferent things, too often censured, I say some men, and some matters, are condemned either not heard or not understood; and yet the Heathen Romans used not to condemn any before hearing, and much more we that are Christians ought to know those things whereof we affirm.  
There are heights of Dispensation, which mean understandings reach not unto, and yet for such sometimes they despise dominion, and speak evil of Dignities; Christ is censured for being among the sick, yet a Physician; for the waste of a precious Ointment, yet going to burial. So the blame which belongs to their own incapacity, they cast on that which deserveth commendation; and that which is in itself good, is by them called evil, only because they are not wise enough to see the goodness of it.  
Again, there are many good actions of good men, that by censorious Zeal are taxed as evil, and yet are only known in some outside of probability, but the inside (wherein the life of the action lies) is not known. The jews were in a rage with Peter for going to the Gentiles, yet when the cause was known, his fault was found to be a Virtue. The Reubenites, Gadites, and half Tribe of Manasseth, were indicted of Apostasy for building an Altar: but that which was thought to be Apostasy, was indeed a memorial and means of cleaning to the true God.  
Wherefore let us not be hasty to judge according to appearances, but let us take time to judge righteous judgements. For if thou judge another rashly and falsely, GOD shall judge both him and thee truly: He shall judge over the matter again, and shall acquit him whom thou condemnest, and shall comdemne thee for condemning him. So thy judgement of another shall return upon thyself. And surely in this point, Let every good Conscience comfort itself in itself, and pass little to be judged by another, in that which another knows not; for thou standest to the judgement Seat of the Highest Wisdom and Mercy; and not to the Bar of humane Ignorance or Malice.  
Fourthly, indiscreet zeal is often in the flesh when it thinks it is in the Spirit, yet will not believe it, and so will not be cured.  
First, I noted, that by following heat to fare, it outgoeth the Spirit, and runs out into the flesh. And now I observe, that it being gotten into the flesh, it still believes itself to be spiritual, and so in steed of retiring it fortifies itself there. Hence it comes, that many fleshly contentions are maintained by Scriptures, yea, Sermons and Scriptures are fitted to passions, not passions to Scriptures. So flesh and blood fights carnally with spiritual Weapons; yea, which is fearful, turns spiritual Weapons into carnal. Malice sometime raileth in Scripture Phrases and beateth his Enemies with Divinity; and thinks it may speak what it will, so it be in the words of Scripture; if it have a seeming opposition of vice, it cares not how angry it be, though indeed Pamphlets of that kind be no other than Libels, and Sermons than Philippics. Yet this abuse of Divinity shall be maintained by Divinity, and so she is miserably forced to justify and continue her own wrongs. But let Baal plead for himself, let not God be forced to speak for Baal, nor the Spirit for the flesh; Add not sin unto sin.  
It is a sin great enough, to come out of the Spirit into the flesh, and to turn the business of God into a Quarrel with men: do not add this other sin of abusing the spiritual Word unto the maintenance of thy fleshly contentions; so by the Spirit to fight the battles of his Enemy the flesh.  
But to draw to a Conclusion, Let all true Christians strive, that their Works be the true Issues of Zeal, ma●ryed with Discretion, for such Works are the acceptable Salt and savoury Sacrifices of Wisemen, and not the loath some Sacrifices of Pools. Let them know, that the fire of the Spirit, the Mother of all true Zeal, hath light in it aswell as heat, and the heat should follow the light, and not go before it; otherwise if the heat go before the light, or without it, it may set on fire, where it should but warm, and so may breed a Confusion, whereas the business of it is edification. Let us by joining the wisdom of Serpents with the innocence of Doves, become those excellent and perfect Stewards whom the Lord commends both for being wise and faithful, whose faithfulness gives meat to the Servants, and whose Wisdom doth it in season; even in fitness of manner, measure, and order. And fare be it from any sound Christian to put a Divorce between that incomparable pair, whose Marriage was in Heaven; Zeal and Discretion: or to think, that one alone of them can be a sufficient Parent of good Works. Much less let any man, if he find these separated by wretched Division, seek to bring them together in a more wretched Contention. The parting of so lovely a couple is lamentable; but a malicious meeting of them is far more doleful. For by their own good nature they incline to love and unity, and therefore cursed is that Malice, that changeth into Enmity the most excellent Unity. He that sets Virtues by the ears, is as he that sets Brethren by the ears; yea, as one that makes Quarrels between Men and their Wives. Surely if the Peacemakers be blessed being the Children of the most High, than such Quarrel-makers be accursed, and are the Children of the Lowest; even the most infernal spirit.  
To conclude, Let us as the new borne sons of the Spirit, lay aside all Maliciousness, and lust of Contention, which are the vices of the old man, and express the true Virtues of a godly Nature, received with the new man, even Charity, Peace and Unity. Let not the difference of Education or Complexion, or the unkindly opposition of Zeal & Discretion, be powerful to a separation, where the Unity of one and the same Spirit hath made a conjunction. But let the Spirit be more followed, leading us to love, than the flesh provoking to hatred. And surely if we be not in love, we are not in the Spirit: for whosoever is in the Spirit is in love, yea, he is in love with love. And as love is commended by the Author of it, which is the Spirit, so it is also praised by the excellent fruit of it, called Edification; for by love the members of Christ cherish each other, and by that cherishing increase in their growth. Besides, as Zion inwardly prospereth by love, so by the love of Zion, Babylon decayeth. For the more Love and Unity in Zion, the more strength, & the more strength in Zion, the more terror, yea, the more ruin of Babylon. When the Banners are brought into the Union of an Army, than they are terrible, (Cant. 6.) And when Israel joins together in the Unity of a Shout, then are the walls of jericho most near to their Downfall.  CYPRIAN, de Vnitate Ecclesiae. 
Pacificos esse oportet Dei filios, cord mites, sermone simplices, affectione concords, fideliter sibi unanimitatis nexibus coherentes. Et post,  
Erant perseverantes omnes unanimes in oratione: & ideo efficacibus precibus orabant, ideo impetrare cum fiducia poterant, quodcumque de Domini misericordia postularunt.  
FINIS.