SIX SERMONS LATELY Preached in the Parish CHURCH of Govahurst in KENT.  
And afterwards, most maliciously charged with the Titles Of 

Odious,  
Blasphemous,  
Popish, and  
Superstitious,   Preaching.  
Now published by the Author, I. Wi●coks  TACIT. 
Si accusari fas est, nulli licebit esse innocenti.  
LONDON, Printed by I. Raworth. Anno Dom. 1641.   

blasphemy, false doctrine, and odious preaching, leading of souls to hell: I could have borne innumerable other outrages, and lashes of their tongues; but God only knows how much my soul hath been over charged with these imputations. It is not my case alone, others of my brethren, infinitely deso●ving better; have been engaged as deeply: Our backs are daily ploughed upon, they say unto our souls, lie down that we may go over. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The Lord will surely awake out of sleep; He seems to them, Non advertere quia non a●imadvertere; and because punishment is not presently executed, they swell in the prosperity of their proceed: But he will shortly show; that these things have been both visa & invisa, he hath seen that their time is coming, and therefore lets them rige. I shall with patience possess my soul; and commend my cause to God, and my just excuse to thee, Christian Reader, whose I am in Christ jesus.  
J. W.   

THE FIRST SERMON.  JOHN 20. Verse 19, 20. He said unto them, Peace be unto you: and when be had said, be showed them his hands and his side. 
THe words are the salutation of an Apostle, of an Apostle to the Apostles; he which was the Apostle of the Father's sending vers. 21. to them which were Apostles of his own; they are his own words a little after, as the father sent me, so send I you: But the sicut there, is not aequalitatis, but proportion is, saith Maldonate; in regard of the manner of his mission, and the matter of his commission there was indeed a non sicut; the work of mediation was only his, of ministration theirs; he was to purchase, they to publish; He was pax nostra, so saith th' Apostle; they but praecones pacis, saith the Prophet, messengers of peace; yet in regard of the authority of the mission, and the efficacy of the ministration, there was a similitude; their hard fortune in the world, their course entertainment amongst Wolves, (I might instance in other matters, but that it is not proper to this Text) may very well be suffered to carry some proportion; Amongst the rest there was a sicut in this, this salutation in the Text: when he sent them the first word, he appointed them to say were, Peace he to this house, Luke 10. 5. And now he whom the Father had sent comes un●o them with the same salutation, to show that he and they were of the same mission, Peace he unto you; and when he had said so, be showed them his hands and his feet. I shall not need to tell you that these words were a usual compliment amongst the Jews; they practise it within themselves ●o this present; Peace he unto you, is their salutation: even when war is in their heart, they would have peace in their mouths, and make the symbol of love and friendship, a mask of falsehood and treason: to that effect Joab greeted Amasa in the 2 Sam. 20. 9 Art thou in health my brother? but he shown him neither his hand nor his side; for there he covertly held his sword, with which treacherously he slew him. Little better is much of the only compliment of these times, whose words are smother than butter, and yet are they very sword's. But there was no matter of any such mistrust from these words of our Saviour, and to prevent all suspicion which possibly might arise, assoon as he had said them, He shown them his hands and his side.  
Indeed the Disciples were afraid, so Saint Luke saith, chap 24. 37. they had but lately beheld the sad Tragedy of their Master's sufferings, and like a trembling Herd when their choicest Hart was smitten down, fled amazedly distracted at the fall; they looked every hour when themselves should be marked out for the slaugh er by those hungry woodmen. They were at this time assembled together for fear of the Jews, (the words before my Text) and the doors were shut; and our Saviour's sudden and invisible apparition had been enough to have frighted them being in that terror, if he had not presently said unto them, Peace be unto you, and shown them his hands and his side.  
And yet whether they mistrusted some poison might lie in that courtship, remembering what treason was of late interred in a kiss; or whether fear had so much estranged them, that they werenot come to themselves when Christ spoke, and so gave no attention to what was said; he is fain to repeat the same over again; and that he might not lose in their acceptance that which he thought they would so highly prize, saith Maldonate, he saith unto them again, Peace be unto you, verse 21. and ●aint Luke saith, again he shown them his hands and his feet. Christ had received this praise in the Gospel, that he did both do, and teach, Acts 1. 1. and that he was mighty indeed, and in word, Luke 24. 19 He practised ever himself first, what he taught others, and though never man spoke like him, yet his works made a far better report of him then his words, joh. 5. 36. Indeed he was sent to bring the blessing, and those come to steal it rather which come with the voice of Jacob, but the hands of Esau: Those which will be right bringers of it, must when they come show their hands and their feet; then will they say like those in Esay 52. 7. How beautiful are the feet of them, which declare and publish peace! Christ had purchased peace; the wounds in his hands, and side, and feet were the chastisements of our peace, so the Prophet Esay calls them, Esay 53. 5. and now he comes to publish it to his Disciples; and that his last act might be made up of a perfect harmony, he brings the Trophies of his victory, the wounds of his body, to show them how and upon what terms he had purchased it for them: He said unto them, Peace be unto you, and when he had so said, he shown them his hands and his side.  
If we attend only the salutation of our Saviour, there were not much to be spoken, it was common to others as well; yet it is remarkable in this, His Disciples had all of them either cowardly forsaken, or shamefully denied him, they abode not by him at the first skirmish, he was left alone unto the shock, and there was none else; now he was returned a victorious champion, having broken through the steely ribs and braz●n bars of death and the grave; and that he should at the first word proclaim peace unto those traitors, that not sued, not sought unto, he should embrace those fugitives, is contrary unto most of the practice of the world, such a greeting doth ill agree with such as they; Curses upon such occasions are more in ure than blessings; the sword one would have thought had been more due than peace; but it becomes not Christ to be the messenger of war; He brought wounds but in his own hands and side; he would not give any, though he was content to receive. Such is the mercy of our God still unto us sinners, he is not Aestimator meriti, but largitor veniae, as our Church calls him in her Liturgy.  
But there is more in it then so, Aliter a Christo, quàm a mundo silutamur, saith Maldonate: it is not for nothing, that contrary to the form of salutation, he doth presently upon the matter repeat the same words, vers. 21. he goeth over it, and over it again, to show that he would not have it singly regarded; or as Pharaohs dreams were doubled to confirm the vision, so are his words to make good his salutation; Pacem subinde dicit, ut p● hello solamen afferat, saith Christ.  
And if we consider the quality of the peace, we shall find it to answer the greatness of the war; before war Jehues reply to Jehoram sorted well to every one of us, what had we to do with peace? after war, so chargeable a war as our Saviour had so lately undertaken, it is not likely an unworthy peace could be accepted; as is the man, such is his m●ssage, you shall hear more of the worth of both anon.  
I had ere now taken the Text asunder, but that I thought I ought not rashly to have entered it without some salutation: I must now a while disturb the peace of the Text, that I may the better discover unto you the Text of peace. The violation which shall be offered, will be redressed by the union: A division which is but moral, not mortal, will be the better relished in the close: I shall at last with more ease leave it as I find it, then find how or where to leave it.  
Two words take up the whole Text.  

1 Peace, and  
2 The price of it.   
1. The publishing of peace. 2. The purchasing of it. In the first is verbum pacis. In the second factum pacis: and when words and works concur, is like to be truest peace. Or else thus, There is first the blessing of peace, that is the matter of the Text. Secondly the author of peace, 1. Pax Dei. 2. Deus pacis. And he is  
Two ways the author of peace. 1. By Ministration. 2. By mediation. 1. By publishing. 2. By purchasing; the messenger, the maker is one, he which brought it in the first words of the Text, Peace be unto you, first bought it in the latter, and for that end he shown them his hands and his side.  
Again, the publishing of peace is two ways. First, optatively, by way of wishing. Secondly, imparatively, by way of commanding. In the first, Pax vohis, he wisheth peace to us, he wisheth us to it; and therefore some of the Fathers have called this more than a salutation, votum Christi; In the second, Pax vohis, is as much as, pacem habete in vohis; and therefore more yet, than votum Christi, it is mandatum Christi.  
And here will come in at last to be considered, the persons to whom it is proclaimed, for whom it was purchased, vohis, Peace be unto you: and when he had so said, he shown them his hands and his side.  
We begin with the first, the blessing of peace, 1. Pax Dei. It will be too hard a task to make you understand that which the Scripture saith doth pass all understanding. The Kingdom of God saith the Apostle consists in three things, (whereof peace bears the greatest part) Righteousness, Peace, and Joy, Rom. 14. 17. Opus justitiae, Pax Letitia, offectum pacis: Joy could not have been at all without righteousness, righteousness alone could not have brought forth joy; upon those terms we stood till Peace was brought into the world purchased and proclaimed: Those two extremes, God's justice and our joy had never come together, till Peace came in the midst and concluded for us.  
Now peace, is that which all things wish, it is votum, and summa vo●orum: Aquinas calleth it, the summum bonum of all things. Reasonable Creatures the Angels in Heaven they desire to bring the news of peace, Pax terris, Luke 2. The devils in hell would be glad of it to; The very enemy of peace to have peace himself, he would not be tormented, nor troubled that troubles all things else, unreasonable Creatures, fire and water, whiles they are together, nothing bustles more, when asunder nothing joys more in their separation, they fight that they may be at peace all: even senseless things are at an unrest till in their place, to which naturally they tend in, which only they be at peace; even God himself wisheth so well to peace, that as if he preferred it before all his other Titles, he loves to be styled Deus Pacis, the God of Peace.  
Saint Austin places it in order, and calls it tranquillitas ordinis: as the Symmetry among the members when none are out of place; the Harmony in music, when no one note is harsh, or out of tune, such is peace and order among estates. Maximus calls it, ejus quod gratissimum est plena possess●o, when the desire hath its full compliment of what most delights it: therefore happiness is by some said to be Pax desiderii, when our desire hath what it would, than it will be at rest, not before; than it will have peace; But that is not to be had here in this life, not that peace which may estate us in a full and quiet possession of all things we could wish for; it is but desiderium Pacis here; we must therefore make two sorts of peace with the School. 1. Perfecta. 2. Imperfecta, The one is Patriae of the blessed Saints and Angels there; the other is Viae of the tossed souls and Pilgrims here: that consists in a Union to one eternal good, this chief in Communion.  
The first, Pax vohis, sitting enough for Christ to wish, but not as yet for you to receive; you are yet but in the way to it; and yet that we may not altogether exclude from the Text. Christ purchased that for you, the peace of God, and therefore it belongs unto you. The glorified Saints in heaven enjoy it by right of redemption from him, by virtue of the price which he paid for it: you may joy in it here, but not enjoy it; the remembrance of it will make you love peace the better whiles you live, and teach you to keep peace here, which to the preservers of it, is a Symbol and token of that blessed peace there.  
But the peace is to be stated according to this life, and that is but imperfect; at the best but imperfectly perfect: it is threefold; and to note that Tribus vicibus pace● dicit.  
1. Peace in heaven with God above us, that is Pax aeterna, it is but begun here in this life, and they have it to whom Christ saith, Pax vohis; there was a war betwixt God and us; he was become our enemy, and in that great inundation had swept us all away for ever, but that Christ, like the Dove with the Olive Branch in his mouth, brought us peace, reconciled us to him; he is our peace which hath made of both one, saith the Apostle, Ephes. 1. 14. he which was factus u●us ex utraque one Person of two natures, was faciens utramque unam, two natures into one peace.  
2. Peace within us with our own hearts, Pax interna: that Caro semper militat contra Spiritum, saith St. Chrysost. Tom. 1. p 1. 41. It is not so much, that that war is to be still continued, there can be no peace there, till a●l the lusts be subdued: God forbade Israel to make any peace with the Cinaanite, victory only which will not be till death must put an end to the Battle. But besides, there is a war not only against the soul, but in the soul, in sinu, t●e soul itself is wounded and cast down, and overthrown; it lies upon a Bed of thorns, between hope and fear, between faith and fainting; some have been so deeply engaged in it, that they would have rid themselves of their souls to be rid of it, but now a peace here is concluded, a peace made with God above; and soon will there be peace in our hearts within: whiles the Lord of Hosts was up in arms the very powers and forces of the soul mustered themselves against herself, but now he is down, and is reconciled: Why art thou so vexed, O my soul? and why art thou so disquieted within me? and why say you then you rebelling fears, unto my soul, that she should fly as a bird unto the hill.  
3. Peace with others without us, Pax externa: the Angels proclaimed this from heaven at the Birth of our Saviour, pax terris: and all the world was then at peace, in token whereof Janus was shut up. I shall not doubt to say that this peace (peace amongst men) is part of our Saviour's wish, and of his will too, and therefore when he sent his disciples, he bade them ever say first, pax buic Domui, and we know how much the Apostles preach it, as their Lord commanded them. Civil peace is after spiritual, the greatest of God's blessings, with it an band full of herbs how sweet is it? without it an house full of Sacrifice, what good is it? Therefore the Primitive Church, saith Tertullian, ever used to pray for it, orbem pacatum; and the Psalmist bids us remember to do it, Oh pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love it, Psal. 122. 6. They shall have joy that counsel it, Prov. 12. 20. They shall be blessed that make it, Matth. 5. 9 How great a reward should he find in heaven? how glorious a name shall he leave upon earth that could bring it to pass?  
I pass unto the next, the Author and Giver of Peace, the God of peace. Christ himself is the Author of it; omnis benedictio a majore, saith the Apostle, and no blessing greater than peace, none greater to give it than Christ; when he was born, it was Zenium Christi, so St. Cyprian calls it, Encaenium Christi, so Bonaventure. The chief part of the Angel's song, Peace on earth; his first gift when he went away, it was Donativum Christi, my peace I give unto you, my peace I leave with you: his last Legacy; men use at the last, to give their best things unto their friends. and Christ had no better than peace to give; he gave it by way of Testament then, upon his Good-Friday farewell, by way of Testimony he renews it now as upon his Easter Salutation, that he might remember them afresh now, of what so late he bequeathed them then, saith chrysostom. It was the last thing he thought on before his death, it is the first thing he thinks on now after his rising, the first and the last with Christ, and yet for the most part the last and the least with us Christians; and to show how much himself was the cause of peace, he is called Pax nostra, Ephes. 2. 14. And every where in the New Testament, Deus Pacis, and God as if he took better liking to that Title, than any of his other, is not where since styled Deminus Sabaoth, but Sabbath, not of hosts, but of rest, not of power but of peace.  
1. Now he is the Author of peace; so the Church in one of her collects calls him two ways. 1. By Ministration, he was not content the Angels only should be Heralds of it, or that men alone should be Evangelizantes pacem: himself came to Minister, to grace our Function the better, and if of any thing, it is most fit that he should be the Minister of the best things; It was necessary that peace should be published, there will be no laying down of Arms till then: but why Christ himself should be the Minister of it, was sure to set the greater price on his peace, to show its dignity, his dignation, he which bought it, also brought it, the Make● of our peace would be the Messenger of it.  
1. And now he brings it. 1. Optatively, by way of wishing, Peace be unto you. Those ever ought to do that at lest which say it, there ought to be an intendment at least of peace, if it cannot be had, yet it were to be wished, to be sincerely desired; there should be votum pacis in cord, as well as vox pacis in ore: or else 'ttwere fairer dealing to march on furiously with Jehu, to say plainly, what hast thou to do with peace? then falsely with Jo●b and Judos to salute and kiss, and to betray and kill. It is pity that th● Language of Heaven should ever usher in any project of hell, that black purposes should come clothed with the whitest Ornaments, that dark fiends should speak like glorified Spirits, and under pretence of prayers devour up houses, under the colours of peace, contrive mischief and destruction.  
But our Saviour intended it sure, and therefore wisheth it to them, and in it whatsoever else goods to be wished for; Peace is the Breviary of all votes, Pacem te poscimus omnes: The Apostle calls Evangelizantes pacem, Evangelizantes bona, Rom. 10. 15. As if all good things were in peace, that is the best comment upon this compliment, they which wish us peace, wish us all good things: besides, both Bonum jucundum & foecundum, they are the chief goods; we look after pleasant and profitable goods. Peace is both th● Psalmist saith, Psal. 133. Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is, like A●rons ointment, it is bonum amabile, and like the dew of Hermon, it is bonum utile. Peace and plenty ever go together: Abundance of peace were not so fit a phrase, if it were not to show that abundance, is ever the effect, the fruit of peace. But Christ doth not only wish this, but also will it, he commends it to them, and commands it them both under one, his teaching was ever with authority.  
2. Imperatively. Pax vobis, is as much as, Pacem babete in vohis: if it were not good for us, he would never wish it, much less command it; and this here is but a remembering of them, saith Saint chrysostom, of what he had before so oft told them, of having peace one with another. If his authority was doubted then; sure it was sufficiently confirmed now: now he was risen from the dead, and had conquered all those enemies of peace, even death itself the last enemy of all. To speak of peace, to advise to it, to enjoin it was a very fit time: Dives in hell desired no more, then that one should rise from the dead to teach his brethren.  
Now the peace which commands us is 


Oris.  
Operis.  
Cordis.     
1. To speak peace for strife, like to flames gather life by breath; angry words are ever heralds unto war; they that will pursue peace must keep their tongue from evils, and their lips that they spoke no guile: Curses and reproaches are like arms of straw to the fire of wrath, saith Camerarius, they add fuel to it; but a soft answer, saith Solomon, allayeth it. The Apostles though they had tongues given them like fire, yet they were such as had light, as much as heat in them, and that heat which was, was cooled with a blast of wind, Acts 2. And heat can do no harm where it is governed by light; there must be habete potestatem in verbis, before there can be any hopes of habete pacem in vobis, they know not the way of peace, which know not how to do that.  
2. The next is Pax operis, To practise, peace: Christ did both, they heard him speak, and he shown them his hands and his feet, to confirm his practice, he was mighty in deed and in word: the Scripture places deed ever first where it speaks of Christ, Acts 1. 1. Luke 24 19 to show there was most worth in that; and Christ's action should be our imitation, when we speak peace, we should show our hands that we practise it, that we labour for it, not Joa● and Judas like, have peace only in our mouth, but a sword or staff in our hand: But it is possible our labour may be lost, as david's was in Psal. 120. I labour for peace, but when I speak unto them thereof, they make themselves ready for battle. It is likely we shall speed no better than Christ told his Disciples, when as he sent them forth with the like salutation, Pax buic domui: as it hits and meets with the Son of peace, so it will be retained, else returned back to us again; yet there must be still  
3. Pax in cord, a well wishing unto peace, an hearty desire of it; not to let enmity take up any room there, to express it by free motion of it, by glad receiving it, by seeking and suing for it, by sending after it and purchasing it; till this be seen, we show not our side, how it bleeds after peace: This is Christ's wish, that we would do thus; and this is not only commended unto us, but commanded us: Pax vobis (i. e.) habete pacem in vobis.  
And let it now pass for an injunction, and not only for a salutation: Love is of the same nature with peace: our Saviour calls it a new Commandment, John 13. 34. Peace hath somewhat the advantage of that our Saviour speaks of, and that only to Peter after his resurrection, but this he gives in charge to all his Disciples: Pax vobis, is he to them.  
We come to that now; the Persons to whom it is enjoined, his Disciples; they were then gathered together, and their Congregation did fitly represent the Church of God; only they were gathered through fear, these through love: Now peace is never so fit as at a meeting, be it from what cause soever, whether of love or fear, there to be published, then to be entertained.  
When men are simul, there aught lest of all to be simultas: Peace is the Cartilege which keeps the members together, the bond of peace the Apostle calls it, because the Church like a sheave, hath by it all her ears of corn kept from shattering together; This was the peace of Christ's principal intendment, Pax Ecclesiae, that they should always be, as their bodies were conjoined, so have their hearts and minds united: as they are of one place, so have all one peace: we cannot say with any success, Pax huic domui, if they be not of one mind in the house.  
Saint Basil reports with astonishment what he had by experience sound in his travels, that when in all Arts and Sciences, and societies, he saw peace and agreement: tantum in Ecclesiâ Christi pro quâ ipse mortuus, maximum dissidium, Ascet. p. 186. He reckons it among the judgements of God, and we can do no less, if any time we think seriously of it: he imputes the cause of that to men's contempt of their heavenly King, as Israel's calamities in the time of Judges, because every man did what they list, and there was no King in Israel; they which are rebels to the King will not be ruled by his Law, sine Rege, & sine Lege ever go together; and they do little better but deny his sovereignty which reject his commands; they forgo their obedience, which cast of his cognizance; nay with greater rage than the soldiers used him, they rend in sunder his seamlesse coat and break even his bones in pieces, so Saint Austin speaks of the Schismatic Donatus.  
There will be ever in the Church of God haters of Peace. The enemy of peace will be still sowing tares of dissension, ever since the opening of the second seal, Revel. 6. 4. There was power given to take peace from the earth: then was Pax terris, that part of the Angel's song turned into vaeterris. Jehnes' fury, and Jereboams schism carry all away before them: The Gospel they pretend to both, as if it had gotten new colours, war and the sword, and not peace, and love.  
Yet shall Christ's wish take no effect: Pax vobis, will sure be welcome to the Disciples: Pax domui huic, to the sons of peace here: Those to whom Christ wisheth it, are the same to whom the Angels proclaimed it, Luke 2. Pax terris, but quibus? saith Saint Bernard: 〈◊〉 hominibus magnae scientiae, & dignitatis, sed bone voluntatis.  
But what and if you will needs reject it? shall it be said in vain, Pax vobis? if it find no sons of peace, it will return to us again; the blessing of peace will be returned to them that plead for it: and that our Saviour pronounceth, blessed are the Peace makers.  
And blessed for ever, blessed be that Peacemaker who did not only plead for peace all his life, but purchased it by his death, who paid the prize of it, his own blood, who was not only the messenger of it, but the maker of it: and to show that, he shown them his hands and his side.  
2. I come to that now, the second way of Christ's being author of our peace, by mediation, by purchase; he said; Peace be unto you and when he had so said, he shown them his hands and his side.  
O hers were Evangelizantes pacem, the Angels from Heaven, the Apostles on earth; but procurantes pacem, none but he: they by ministration having received commission from him, he only by mediation having his mission from the Father: they may be messengers, he only the maker, and in that respect he, and not they, is called Pax nostra.  
If you require a sign of it, there is the Prophet Jonabs' in such a storm which would have soon swooped up the ship and all her passengers; Take me saith he, and cast me into the sea, and then the sea ceased from her raging. Adam was the Carack, in him all mankind was embarked, and that was ready to be swallowed up in the Abyss of God's high displeasure: take me saith Christ, and let me pass through those angry wounds; only with this difference, Jonahs' truly said it, Propter me haec tempestas; but of him saith Esay, He was wounded for our transgressions: and those wounds which he then received, here he shows unto his Disciples: He shown them his hands and his side.  
Christ would have the wounds of his passion to be seen after his resurrection, for many good reasons. It is probable he hath them still to show: In a vision which Zachary saw, 13. 6. there is one whether Saint or Angel, is bold to ask him, what are those wounds in thy hands? and his answer is, These are they which I received in the house of my friends. Saint Austin saith of the Martyrs, Omnes suas cicatrices in caelo habituros, non tanquam vitia sed veritatis testimonia. de Civit. lib. 22. chap. 20. Not as arguments of their frailties, but as testimonies of their virtue. Among the rest there are three not the least.  
1. To confound his enemies when they shall look upon him whom they have pierced. Herod was affrighted when he heard of Christ's works, and said it is John Baptist whom I beheaded; even so shall they be daunted when they shall see his wounds, and say, it is Jesus whom we crucified.  
2. To confirm his friends: Ad sananda infidelium cordium vulnera, servata clavorum & lanceae vestigia, saith Leo. Except I see (saith Thomas) the print of his nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe, verse 25. & vidit & credidit: the mouths of his wounds spoke most effectually to his faith, he read best in the print of those nails, the resurrection of his master. The report of Christ's rising, was as strange to him, as to Jacob of joseph's living, till he saw the wagons which Joseph sent for him, and Thomas the wounds which Jesus suffered for him.  
3. That he might carry in his body the Trophies of his victory and our peace, saith Maldonate; that the wound in his side might be like the bow in the Cloud, the rainbow about the Throne, which John saw in his vision, Revel. 4. 3. or like the blood on the lentell, Exod. 12. or the red thread in the window, Joshna 2. 18. that God when he sees it, might remember his Covenant, that the godly might fly to his side as their sanctuary, to the holes of that rock, to the secret place of the stairs of his Cross, and hid themselves in that great and terrible day of the Lord. This was the purchase of his passion, a place to hid us in: there is no finding of any peace for us murderers, out of these Cities of refuge; no way for us to happiness, but through these gates of the righteous, in at these everlasting doors: Of the wounds of his side, may very truly be said those words of the Psalmist, This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter in there at.  
Now, he might well speak of peace, which was made our peace, and wish us to peace which was wounded for it: Peace after war is ever welcome, nay it is the honour of peace, that war is made for it. The emblem of a soldier is a sword in one hand, and fire in the other, with this motto, Sic quaerimus pacem, and it is Christ's our Captain's word, Veni quaerere & sanare; and war destroys all, Peace only saveth.  
And now me thinks I hear those wounds in his hands and side, like so many mouths (for Quot vulnera, tot ora) saying unto you, Peace be unto you; Videte quantum constitit mihi pax vestra, put your fingers here and see mine hands, put forth your hands here, and put them into my side; make not my wounds greater by your infidelity, than the Jews did with all their cruelty; will you not believe except you see them bleed afresh in my members, in my spouse the Church? can you slight that for which I paid so dear? prize you my blood at so low a rate, that upon such slight occasions you contemn the purchase of it; will you sell me again for thirty pence, and cry out so many crucifies, rather than put up any little injury? Can you for a ceremony cashier all your charity, and so readily break the bond of peace; for which I was content to be bound over to insupportable pains? will you use me more despitefully than those ●urrish Soldiers did? they neither rend my garments, nor broke my bones, and will you tear in pieces that seamlesse coat of charity, in which I have put my Spouse; as if you were wild beasts? and like fierce Tigers, make wide wounds in my body which is the Church? Had I never bought it for you, or being bought, had I never brought it to you, you could not have been more strangely careless of it. All I can say unto you, is Peace be unto you; these wounds in my hands and side will say more, and he shown them his hands and his side.  
And it will make you think the better of peace whiles you live, if you consider one thing more, whose hands they are which deliver it unto you; if there were any better thing in the world, those hands would not have kept it from you; that side would have afforded blood sufficient enough to have procured it for you; and you may be sure it is worth the receiving which Christ gives you, you ought not to refuse that which he bought at so dear a price.  
I would here wind up all, lest while I be a factor for your peace, by too much tediousness I forfeit mine own; but that in Christ's showing his hands and his side, after he said, Peace be unto you; is as me thinks imported something of a moral intendment. Saint Luke saith, they were his hands and his feet; it is likely he shown them all. 1. His side, how it desired their peace. 2. His hands and his feet, how they laboured for it.  
In this sense we are to imitate him, the words of our commission are the same with his; Pax vobis, and Pax. buic Domni are much at one; and himself saith, sicut misit me Pater, etc. We cannot show you our side how it hath bled for it; our hands and feet how they were wounded for it, that only Christ can do, and those wounds he hath yet to show; yet in a moral meaning, we show you our side, how earnestly we desire it, our hands and our feet, how we labour for it. Else  
The voice of peace, if the heart be not to wish it, the hands to work it, will do little good; those which come with it on that fashion, art but like the bramble in Jothams' parable, Judges 9 15. which promised peace to those that trust on him; and is likely first to scratch them that lay hold on it: Though one once carried away the blessing from old Isaac, I no where find any ever brought it, which came with the voice of Jacob, and the hands of Esau. The Scripture joins salt and peace together, habete salem & pacem, Mark 9 50. and that is sal scientiae & conscientiae, which are matters of the heart and hands, and not merely of the tongue. Indeed they must be all three seasoned, our words, our wishes, our works; before habete salme, there will be no habete Pacem.  
How ever, let those which are sal Terrae, not lose their season: let their feet be shod with the preparations of the Gospel of peace, Eph. 6. 15. and that preparation is especially in patiented putting up of wrongs: There is no true way of peace to be had there without it. And then will others say; Quare speciofi sunt pedes Evangelizantium pacem? their feet must be seen in the ways of Peace, as well as well as their voices heard, with the words of peace; it is no right coming to come with the voice of a Turtle, and the talon of an Harpy. To such as you are Christ especially commends peace, in Pax vobis, and commands it too, in Pacem habete in vobis: do you pray for peace, and plead for it, and practise it, be benefactors for peace, that you may one day receive the blessing of peace.  
And now Pax vobis, to you all; I promised you to end as I began, Pece be unto you. Christ wisheth it to you, and adviseth you to it: you can do no less than return him praise for it, Glory unto Heaven, for peace on earth. The Angels taught us that way in their heavenly Hymn; and there is no way like that to keep peace here, than by giving glory there. Unto him therefore in the lighest Heavens, who is the Author and giver of Peace, be given all Glory, and praise, now and ever, Amen.   

THE SECOND SERMON.  LAMENT. 5. 16. Woe now unto us, That we have sinned. 
HEre is Flebile principium, a lamentable beginning: This Text comes like man himself into the world, crying; you could not look that this day should bring forth any other child, than a child of sorrow: Benonies are ever the fruits of true fasts: If the day itself could speak. you should have no other voice from it then that which Isaiab heard: A voice saying, Cry, Isai. 40. 6. Now if you ask with him, what shall I cry, my Text will direct you in that; Woe now unto us, that we have sinned.  
Here is a cry to be taken up by all of us; and there is good reason for it. There have been divers cries already, only we ourselves have not cried, God himself hath cried in the Proverbs, Chap. 1. Verse 20. Turn you at my correction: His Ministers have cried, and never left crying, Isaiab, Jeremy, and Jonab; our sins have also cried, Unto heaven hath their cry ascended, it hath come unto the ears of the Almighty; Judgement also hath begun to cry, and her voice to be exalted above mercy; only we, as if we were senseless, have stood still at this time, and not cried at all: But now we do begin, and it is well thought on, before we come into the cry of Egypt, a cry of midnight, we die all, Exod. 12. 33. Or that dismal cry which shall be in the last night of all, a crying to the rocks to hid us, and the mountains to fall upon us. The way not to cry then, will be to cry now: to make ourselves cry before we be made to cry; the cries of repentance prevent the cries of vengeance, especially when we join all of us in this cry. It hath been reported, that the cry of an huge Army hath intercepted the flight of Birds, they have not been able to pass over for it, but have fallen down in the midst: so are Gods flying Judgements to be intercepted: if we cry all of us, as we are appointed. I will only add that advice of a King concerning this crying, and at such a time as this was: that it may be a strong cry, Let us cry mightily unto God, Jon. 3. 8.  
But are we to cry indeed? me thinks that were fittest to be done in secret; tears shed in private, are commonly the tru●st; Ille dolet verè qui sine teste dolet, they speak loudest which make least noise; this is to be done, and done often by us: Yet we are to do it in public too; to weep with them that weep, was ever held seasonable, especially when there is a just cause of weeping as now there is; it will be an unanswerable fault, if the Church shall have just cause to complain of us, We have mourned unto you, and you have not wept.  
And here we are not as upon a stage, only to personate a crying; we must act our own parts; like him which was to act a lamentable part, that he might do it the better, call to remembrance the death of his only son, whom he most dearly loved, and fell indeed into true tears; none of us but have cause enough, if we but call it unto mind, to make us to weep, if not for others sins, yet for our own; hinc illae lachrimae. They, they alone are a sufficient motive to make our hearts seek vent at our tongues, to make uss●y at least thus much, Woe unto us, that we have sinned.  
We should not need this ado, if we were but of David's, or Jeremies, or Peter, or Mary magdalen's temper, apt to cry: they could water their Beds, and mingle their drink with their tears; The Poets fain that Prometheus, when he made man, tempered his clay with tears; and yet how hardly come they from us, as if our natures were of another mould? I must needs grant a Corporal Calamity hath fetched too many our of some, even to a prejudicating of their faith, but when hath a spiritual done the like? is nature such an enemy to the soul, that the can be prodigal of her tears, when any temporal affliction moves her, and so base and niggardly, when a spiritual afflicts her? Woe is me that I have not Moses rod, to strike these Rocks; I have not the art to make you weep, no not to weep myself. The Angel of God descend this day, and stir our pools; he touch our hearts, that they may teach our eyes true tears, and our t●ngu●s strong cries, that we may with unfeigned sorrow say, though it be but the words of this Text: Woe now unto us, that me have sinned.  
I might have fitted you with a Text of more words, but not of more matter: long speeches are not always strong ones: Magnum in parvo, is nature's best work, so it is reasons, so it is religions: Those which are run out in length have commonly lest spirits in them. How short was Moses cry, yet how forceable? Nay, when he had said least, he spoke loudest, Exod. 14. 45. our Saviour's cries are by the Apostle called strong, yet they were long none of them: how short is that which he hath taught us to utter, and yet not the less effectual? how powerful was the Publican in that short petition, God he merciful to me a sinner? The Pharisee said more, but went home with less. There are but three syllables in peccavi, yet quantum valent, saith Saint Ambrose. David received pardon only for them: it is but little we are to say now, we may say it in a moment, if we say it right; and that we may do that, we must say somewhat of the manner of saying it.  
If you please but to observe the Text where it is placed, you will find two necessary attendants on it: The Book is a Lamentation, the Chapter a Petition; it is as Augustus Caesar said of himself, when he sat between Horace and Virgil, inter suspiria & lachrimas: The Author of it was a Petitioner with tears in his eyes, he was like a Dove upon the Rivers of waters, Can. 5. 12. His heart mourning, his head dropping: prayers and tears, are the true acconts of his voice, he spoke with his eyes, aswell as with his tongue: Lamentations, mourning, and woe are not severed, they are joined by Ezekiel in God's Book, they are not parted by Jeremy in his: so it is the manner of repentance to assume what is due by vengeance, she doth freely undergo whatsoever justice doth award: they belong to her by her own judgement, whatsoever is due by Gods: So she useth to judge herself before hand: This is her manner, and to be practised by us now, with Lamentation, and mourning, to pronounce our woe. Woe now unto us, that we have sinned.  
I may well term my Text, the lamentation of a sinner, or rather the lamentation of sinners, for we are not in our private Closets now; the time hath made it public, we are to join all of us in doing of it, so the Text takes us in all, it is not to be said by one alone, but by many, all of us that are hear present: Woe now unto us, that we have sinned.  
Now in saying this, we say two things, 


1. Our misery, which is the cause of our Lamentation, Woe now unto us.  
2. Our sin, which is the cause of our misery, That we have sinned.     
We begin with the first, the sense of our misery, and that will bring us afterwards to a sight of our sin; and in that we have two things to be considered.  

First, The greatness of it.  
Secondly, The nearness of it.   
First the greatness of it, it is expressed in one word, but that the most significant, and full that can be, if any expression may be infinite, and take in all the intentions of misery, that is it, Woe now unto us, it is in that word Woe.  
S●condly, the nearness of it for miseries a fare of, do not so much affect our senses, we are not so much touched with them, as to go about to prevent them It was St john's wo●d●r, Quit vos prae●nonuit fugere ab irâ venturâ, that any should take so much thought as to think of that: But this is near two ways: First, in respect of persons, it is our own and not others. Secondly, of time, it is not to come, but is come already. Woe now unto us.  
And by that time we have considered these we shall find cause enough for lamentation, and finding th●se off●cts, look further to the true cause of our misery, which is our sin, take a full sight of that, and that is properly opus Diei; I humbly beg of God his assistance, while I dispatch it.  
1. Our Misery. That takes up the first place: So it useth in all complaints, especially where our pain is as it is here, Woe is the wor●, we have it expressed by;  
Woe, is a word of malediction and commination, there i● a cursing and a threatening ●ver employed in that: any mean Grammarian knows the meaning of that interjection. Two ways only do we find it used in Scripture. 1. By God, when he denouncethany judgement upon others: So it is often in the Prophets, Isai. 5. Ezek. 13. and by our Saviour in the Evangelists, Matth. 23. by the Angel in the Apocalypses, Chap. 18. and Chap. 9 2. By others when they lament any judgement already fallen, or likely to fall upon themselves, in jeremy we fin●e it often, jere. 4. 31. Woe is me now, for my soul fainteth, jere. 10. 19 Woe is me for my destruction, and my grievous plague, jere. 15. 10. Woe is me my Mother, that thou baste born me a contention's man, a man that striveth with the whole earth: Of this sense is this Text: we do even curse ourselves in saying of it, at least we make application of that curse which doth belong unto us.  
And this is very proper to this time, we are now in hand with that which the Apostle else where adviseth us unto, To judge ourselves, that we may not be judged of the Lord, by denouncing of a curse●, we take upon us to be Judges; in the Court of Conscience, we are allowed to do it to ourselves; it is the part of the discipline of repentance, to award that unto ourselves, which the Justic● of God hath threatened unto sinners; such we are; nay the very cl●i●fest of sinners: we do not do it potestative, but approbative, we consent that the judgement of God is just: and we cannot ju●ge l●ss● doth belong unto us then this; this is the least that we can ju●ge, Woe unto us. Now repentance is rightly called by the School a pe●ce of justice, it consists especially in awarding due punishment: poenitentia à puniendo, saith the Master, L. 4. d. 14. We are apt in this matter to follow Peter's counsel, Master favour thyself: either we see not fully what we have committed, that part of the wallet we commonly cast behind, or we are but partial judges to determine what we have deserved: but true repentance may not so spare herself; she is to assign all that doth belong unto herself, to appoint in her own judgement, whatsoever divin● judgement hath threatened.  
And then once Woe will be too little, we find it thrice threatened Revel. 8. 13. Woe, woe, woe, and when these are passed with St Bernard, we sha●l find a fourth, it will be but injustice with the King of Israel to smite but thrice, when we should do it five or six times, it will be but to repeat the words so much the oftener, and four woes we shall in justice award unto ourselves, and those four, from four places. First, From Heaven above us. Secondly, From the world without us. Thirdly, From our own consciences within us. Fourthly, From hell beneath us; in respect of every one of these, we have just cause to say, Woe now unto us.  
1. From heaven above us.] ●hen we do contemplate the greatness and power of an incensed Judge, how the Lord of H●asts is up in arms against us, how justice musters up her clouds, a●d winds, and storms; how thousand thousands, and ten thousand thousands, Dan. 7. d●ily march in his Army; how he cometh with flames of fire, rendering of vengeance; how with him Judgement cannot be prevaricated; no bribes will blind his eyes; no friends corrupt his affections; mercy dares not plead; tears will not be heard to speak; who is able to stand before consuming fire; who can dwell with everlasting burn? How the very Earth shall melt at his presence and the heavens be rolled up, as in a scroll before him; how he will ●ip up the bowels of the heart itself, and search the secrets of the soul; how he found not steadfastness in his Angels, and even the Stars are unclean in his sight: How much more is man a worm, even the Son of man, which is but a worm? If Moses could not abide his back parts, how shall we endure his presence? what can we conclude from this contemplation, but with my Text, Woe is unto us?  
2. One woe is past, but behold a second: If heaven do abandon us, how shall the Earth comfort us? If the Lord be against us, how can I help? was said by a King, one as likely to help, as any in the world. We may well look about us, but we shall find with jeremy, our plague is desperate, our wound is incurable: When God is angry, he infatuates even counsels, quos perdere vult dementat. He mak●s abortive all policies; you may learn it by Achitophel's; he suffers the Prophets themselves to provelyers, as they did in persuading Abab to battle: he turns the swords of Armies against themselves, and their bows into their own bowels; he makes them bring in a strong people, to scourge themselves, as Israel the Egyptians, as children their own rod. He smites them with blindness, and astonishment, as he threatened Israel, Deut. 28. 28. If we look to the Church, we find giddiness; to the Common-weal madness; if without us to the North, vae malum, there is a mist; to the South there ever and anon ariseth a cloud, threatening a storm; if within us, we may say with the Apostle, we are in perils by false Brethren; there are Vipers which will eat up the bowels of the Mother that bred them; treasons, and conspiracies fill us with fears; divisions, and distractions add unto our woes: The world is by Plato compared to a shop, almost whatsoever we look upon, we may say with the buyer in Solomon, malum est, malum est, it is naught, it is naught. We have cause enough, if we consider it, to say the second time, Woe is now unto us.  
3. And yet behold a third, though there be never so many troubles, without us; yet peace within us, would afford us comfort: but let us look within us, and ask, is it peace? There is no peace unto the wicked, our own consciences will tell us that; They are witnesses to accuse us of sin, and judges to condemn us to woe. If they be quiet and trouble us not, our woe is the greater, because our consciences are secure; but if troublesome, how great is our woe! They are the Books by which we shall be judged hereafter: nay, by them we may become our own judges now. Search and see if in our own judgement, we may not pronounce against ourselves another woe: how unsufferable are their checks; how evident their accusations; how faithful their records: others cannot read them, and may judge us better than we are; we which know them ourselves, if we will deal truly, must needs pronource a righteous judgement, and that is; Woe be unto us, because we have sinned.  
4. Three woes are past, but behold a fourth. It is St Bernard's woe, of his adding; if we look below us, we shall have cause to say it, and there we shall find the compliment of all woe: can you endure to hear that fearful sentence, depart you cursed, without saying, Woe be unto us? how ready is the cruel executioner of souls, the devil, to hale us thither? how wide hath hell opened her mouth to receive us there? could we but hear the dismal groans, and yelling cries which they make, that are swallowed up into the river of Brimstone; Let Dives speak for the rest of his fellows, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I am grievously tormented; did we but believe the woeful extremity which they are in, that are in utter darkness. Let our Saviour's report work it into our faith, it is weeping, a●d wailing, and gnashing of teeth; night the duration of it not pass for a fable; we have the everlasting Truth to confirm it, there the worm dyeth not, and the fire is not quenched: have we not sufficient cause to cry out, Woe be unto us?  
How shall I make you say it, if this will not? hither we are judged, if our judgement be right: we must not favour ourselves and say, this shall not be unto us: repentance cannot be true if partial: we must thus judge ourselves, that we may not be judged, non sumus bis judicandi, saith St Bernard: God will spare us, if we spare not ourselves. Let us cast ourselves down at the footstool of his judgement Seat, and confess what we have deserved; Let us come as Benbadads' servants did to the King of Israel, with Sackcloth about our loins, and ropes about our heads, 1 Kings 20. 32. such coming becomes us best this day; Let us cast ourselves out of heaven, as expecting only wrath from thence; out of the world, as finding only miseries there; out of ourselves, as feeling nothing but terrors there; down even to hell itself, whether we deserve to be for ever plunged; Let groans fill our souls, and tears our eyes, vae vohis qui ridetis, in such a day as this is; and let our mouths be filled with cries, saying it often; Woe now unto us, that we have sinned.  
But, If the greatness of our misery have not sufficiently brought us to that; yet the nearness of it, will work some true effects. Things a fare of, work upon our apprehension somewhat, but not much upon our passion; but passion must be set to work now; this day is the passion day of repentance. In two respects we shall find it near enough. 1. Of Person. 2. Of Time. Those two will ad●e sufficiently to the greatness of our misery, we shall not be put to in choir further.  
1. Of Person, it is our own misery; it belongs to ourselves: Woe now to us. Others miseries affect us not much, they work according to their distance, of place, or person, Pacis cum proximus ardet, there gins our perplexity. When ourselves come to be touched, and repentance toucheth no where else, it swells in her own banks, it keepeth sessions at home, and pasleth judgement only against itself; We, we are the men, to whom woe doth appertain; nostra res agitur, we must not put it of from ourselves, lest God I●y it on: To us belongeth shame and confusion of face, saith Daniel, Dan. 9 repentance threatens none but itself, vae nobis, is the voice of it: Woe unto us.  
2. Of Time Neither doth it defer its judgement, nor put of the evil day fare from us, we deserve to have it brought upon us presently, and repentance judgeth according to our deserts. Woe now unto us: now indeed were it justice with God, to bring upon us all this woe, he hath forborn and given u● many times of trial, but we have despised the riches of his grace, and his goodness hath not lead us to repentance. He hath come these many years, looking for fruit, and found nothing but leaves; now might he in justice lay his Axe to our root, and bid cut us down; now might he pronounce a curse against us, and make us whither away; he might now speak unto us in his displeasure, depart you cursed, and power upon us all his storms of indignation and vengeance. If we were now to stand before God's tribunal, and to be judged according to our deserts, and there we are now placed by repentance; even now presently, were all this misery to come upon us.  
Now if any thing will work true apprehension in us, it must be this: Iraventura. Makes not any deep impression in many of us: the day of death, though we see it a fare of, may strike us into so ne dumps; but they are never so true as— 〈…〉 Cum sit inbeforae similis, jam jamque tenere.  
When we see an hand writing with Baltazer, or hear a voice speaking our doom with Nabuch adnezzar, then will our joints he loosed, and our knees tremble: Saint Gregory reports it of himself, that when he expounded that sentence of Abraham unto Dives, now thou art tormented, he was not able to on in his Sermon. Pavore potius indigent quam expositione, saith he, to his Auditors; the apprehension of the present, wrought so much upon him, as if the jam vero, were iam verum, now to be said to any of us, as it was to him; indeed we are to say it ourselves now, Woe now unto us: This certainly will make us sufficiently apprehensive of our misery.  
And now as men brought unto some dangerous disease, ever look unto the cause that brought them to it, being in a storm as Jonahs' Mariners were, they cast about to find the fountain of it: it is the great consultation of this Kingdom at this time, to find out the Authors of those great distempers that are in it: So the sense of our misery will bring us to a sight of our sin, for indeed hinc illae lachrimae; all our sorrows come from thence, we must lay all our fault upon our sins, our sins are the troublers of ou● Israel, and that leads me to the second part of my Text. Woe now unto us, that we have sinned.  
We came not till now to the cry of true repentance; it is not her misery she is under, but the sin she hath committed makes her cry: it is all the note that they have in hell, Woe now unto us; but they never come to say that we have sinned; for there is no place for repentance, the sense of their miseries makes them only cry, not any sorrow or remorse for their sins: But it is these we must now cry of; if we be true penitents, our sins must trouble us, and not any other troubles whatsoever.  
And now it is fittest to be troubled for them, for in times of other afflictions, we cannot so well spend our tears upon our sins; torments of the body, will drink up our spirits, the pains which we endure, take up our complaints, our sins are not so well thought on, when our senses are otherwise perplexed; sorrow often proves too late, which is let alone till then; but now we do but make ourselves miserable, we willingly assume woe unto ourselves, those woes we spoke of (we bless the goodness, and long suffering of our God) are not as yet forced upon us, but freely assumed by us; other sorrows go not so near unto our hearts at this time, that there may be the better room for the sorrow, for our sins; sins are best lamented, when we are otherwise well, and not afflicted: Pharaoh and Abab have done it in extremity, but it came not freely from them, but by force; besides they lamented their plagues, not their sins: But it is for these that we are troubled; not that we are punished, but that we have sinned.  
And that we may thoroughly be troubled for them, we must be sure to take a good sight of them; not cover them as Cain, nor hid them as Adam; not cast them behind our backs, but bring them before us, set them in our sight, that God may cover them, while we discover them, that when we bring them before our faces, he may cast them behind his back: Sin cannot be hid, but when God hides it, we may rake it up, as we do fire in embers, but at the day of Revelation, God will bring it to light.  
But then to say that we have sinned, will not be enough to make us see our sins; we have spent enough in the commission, Saint Peter tells us; shall we be short in our confession? If we did go about it, we could not bring all our sins to our remembrance: Holy men though they have studied the Art of Arithmetic, have fain to set down at the foot of their account, an indefinite number; my sins are more than the hairs of my bead, saith David, than the sands on the Sea shore, than the stars in the firmament. Our secret sins, St Bernard calls them, maris magni reptilia, they are like the creeping creatures of the great Sea, innumerable: yet as an huge army, though the common soldiers be not to be mustered, the heads and chieftains are: in the firmament the stars are not to be numbered, yet those of greatest influence, and magnitude are: among our sins there are leaders, Captains over their hundreds, and thousands; there are some of more transcendent magnitude, and malign influence; we may take sight of them, and we shall not transgress the limits of the Text neither; it is to say, but so much the ofner; that we have sinned.  
We begin with Pride, that Primum pec●atorum, as Syrach calls it; a sin which first began in heaven, and tumbled the first abetters of it down to hell; That Epidemical sin which hath infected the race of all mankind; and like a most malignant disease runs through all his veins, from that man of sin, the King of all the children of Pride, as Job terms the Leviathan, who hath the horns of the Lamb, but the mouth of the Dragon, with which he speaketh proud words. Unto the lowest sinner amongst the sons of men, is this pestilence dispersed: those which have seemed most to trample upon pride, and made pretences of voluntary humility, have done it with greater pride, as Plato said of Diogenes, when he ●ord upon his chair with greater Pride, than ever he sat in it: greater pride below often goes about to pull down lesser pride above; I must not stand to tell you what the pride of ourselves conceit is, the magnifying of ourselves, the despising of our Brethren, our high looks, and proud stomaches, the height of our apparel, the glory of our Pomp, how we perch up to the highest twig of our estate, till the boughs will not bear us, how we look down like the sons of Anack, upon our brethren as Grasshoppers; how full every vain of us is of this vice, it is enough to see it, and to say, Woe now unto us, that we have sinned.  
The next sin is covetousness, Amor sceleratus habendi, the root of all evil, as the Apostle calls, because it gives nourishment and groweth to all other sins; even pride itself hath grown up by it, Idolatry, Profanation, Sacrilege, Extortion, and infinite others, are troupers in this band: the love of Mammon hath begotten it, the wages of Balaam, and the booty of G●bazi, and the Vineyard of N●both have maintained it. This also is our sin, and woe is unto us, that we have sinned.  
These two, Pride and covetousness, have their residence in the heart, have usurped God's mansion, and left him no room there; But  
The third sin is Swearing, which is a canker in the mouth, an open Sepulchre in the throat, a s●ink that doth ascend to heaven, which infects the sacred name of God, the true General of Blasphemies; perjuries, lyings, etc. It is a sin which crucifies Christ a new, and tears his very wounds and body in pieces, and sheds his precious blood again, a sin which never goes without a curse a long with it, which the jealous God will not let go unrevenged. This also is our sin, and woe is unto us, that we have sinned.  
I will but name another, a capital sin among the Armies of Lucifer, it is Drunkenness the ring leader to adulteries, quarrels, wounds, distempers, to profaneness, uncharitableness: swearing flies into the face of God, but drunkenness defaces the image of God; he is the sepulchre of the creatures of God, nay he is his own sepulchre, being entombed in his own bowels; It is a sin which began with the new world, and hath been cried down by the Prophets, Apostles, Fathers, Pastors of the Church, and yet they have not prevailed; it is a crying sin which maketh a loud noise in God's ears; and it is our sin also, woe now unto us, that we have sinned.  
I have named these four, because of the four woes we spoke of before; and indeed if you peruse but the fifth chapter of Isaiah, you shall find a several woe threatened to each of them. I must not go about to number the rest, I cannot do it, I must say with the Psalmist, Oh how great is the sum of them! and set that at the foot of the account; I can show you but a part of this great Army, as Balack shown B●laam, but let that be enough to make you curse them all, and say, ●●●●● unto us, that we have sinned.  
Let us not now put them off, and say, these are indeed the sins of the times; with Saul, the people have sinned▪ Justus est accusator su●, true repentance accuseth none but itself; I have sinned, saith David. we have sinned, we have done wickedly, saith Daniel. We ourselves are the men, me, me, adsum qui fici, in me convertite flaminat; they are our sine that have troubled Israel, say it, though to the shame of our faces: 
●ertul.  Let not us be ad delinquendum expandentes frontem, ad deprecandum subducenter; Let us say it, and give God glory by our saying it, as Joshnah taught A●han, but to our own shame, and the consusion of our faces; Fo● woe now unto us, that we have sinned.  
I'll give you one observation more from the Text, woe now unto us; the pain, that is present, so we are to judge, so it would be i● that great Judge of all do not forbear us: but the sin: that is past, the pleasure that was in it, that i● gone; that we have sinned, this is ever the sting of sin. The fruit that it brings forth, is shame, the reward it leaves behind is death; all the worth of it is woe. Woe now unto us, that we have sinnod.  
What remains now, but that the sense of our misery, and the sight 
Exod. 31. 31.  of our sins like, A●ton and Hur make us, bold up our hands, with Moses unto God in crying? That ceremony is not out of season now, it is all that remains, and let us cry a great and a strong cry unto God, saying: O Lord we have sinned a grievous sin, therefore if thou pardon our sin, thy mercy shall appear: and let us withal believe assuredly, that for the strong crying of his son, he will hear our faithful, and unfeigned, though but weak, and feeble cries; for his satisfaction which be once made, he will forgive our sins, and accept of our repentance. To whom with the Father, and the holy Ghost, three Persons, but one God, blessed for ever, be all praise and glory, now, and ever. Amen.   

THE THIRD SERMON.  1 COR 10. 16, 17. 
The Cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ? the bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the body of Christ?  
17. For we that are many, are one bread and one body, because we are partakers of one bread.  
THese words are an argument of the Apostle, and such an argument which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, taken ab axiomate concesso, against which there could be no disputing: he appeals to themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which were able to judge of the truth of it; and if to judge, then to contradict it if not true.  
1. Two things are to be taken notice of about it. 1. The Coherence. 2. The Inference; the cause of it, and the case.  
The first is the point of Idolatry, from which he dissuades his Corinthians, verse 14. My beloved, flee from Idolatry, for Idolaters have fellowship with Devils; and I would not have you which drink of the Cup of the Lord, drink of the cup of devils; which are partakers of the Lords table, be partakers of the table of devils, verse 20, 21. Neither indeed can there be any communion between Christ and Belial: now they might possibly except; Though they did eat of things sacrificed to Idols, yet they did not believe they had any communion with devils, or that they were in so doing made partakers of the table of devils The Apostle answers that reply by a double argument; The one taken from Israel after the flesh, which did still observe the ceremonies of the Law, and the legal sacrifices; are not they which eat of the sacrifices, partakers of the Altar? verse. 18. and if of the Altar, then of the Idol which is over the Altar: and though the Idol be nothing, yet of the Devil to whom the Gentiles sacrifice in the Idol, verse 19 The other argument taken from the Christians which are after the spirit, which have an Altar too, Heb. 13. 10. though only mystical, and far superior to theirs, because more spiritual, of which they which are partakers, all worthy receivers have a communion with the things signified upon the Altar. The Corinthians themselves were not ignorant of that; the Apostle speaketh unto them as men that understood it was so, verse 15. he carries it not out upon his own authority, bu● with their knowledge and assent: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the body of Christ? and if there be communion in these, there is communion in those; if with God and Christ in his Altars, then with the Idol and the Devil in his Altars. This is the coherence, and the inference of the Text.  
This being already affirmed by the Apostle, and acknowledged by the Corinthians; for his interrogation, is it not? is Emphatica affirmatio: the whole argument is grounded upon an Hypothesis which must not be denied; we ma●e no more work to prove it, but wait upon the Holy Ghosts further illustration of it, as he shall enable me, and your patience permit.  
There is one word for the most part predominant in every Text, in this the word Communion is it; it is the chief vein in the body of it, and runs through every line and part, and it is very fit for the season: Communion now especially to be spoken of; when there is so much need of Communion, when faction and division have made the thoughts of our hearts otherwise too great, there to have some thoughts of communion. That you may know what it is the better, you may consider three Communions in the Text; they make each of 
3 Communions.  them a several part.  
The first is Sacramental, between the signs, and the things signed; 
1 Calicis.  The Cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ?  
The second is the Spiritual, between the things signed, and the 
2 Capitis.  receivers; We are all partakers of one bread, which though last in the Text, is the second to be inserted; because by the Apostle it is made the cause of  
The third Communion which is mystical, between the receivers, 
3 Corporis,  and themselves one with another; for we that are many, are one bread, and one body; or to read the words more agreeable to the original, and therein I have the judgement of Beza; Because there is but one bread, we that are many are one body.  
The first of these is peculiar to the season, the Sacrament at the solemnity of the Sacrament; and the ground of the other two. For first there is Communio Calicis; and from thence springs the second, our Communion with Christ, which is Capitis; and the third, our communion one with another, which is Co●poris: Saint Austin affirms them all. Sacramentum Pietatis, vinculum charitatis, signum unitatis, in Johan: Tract. 27.  
I call them all Communions, because they are all cum union; and where there is union, there needs must be communion. Though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the original be said only of the first which is Sacramental; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the other, which is mystical; yet they are made to differ but as the effect and the cause; the ancient translations know no difference between them, these last ought to have as full and as firm communion as the first: the end of that being to effect these, the Sacramental Communion for our spiritual, which is with Christ our head; and for our mystical which is with one another, our body; Ideo institutum ut corpus in terris capiti quod est in Coelis coadunetur. Aug. Ser. 28. in Erem.  
I begin with the first, Communio Calicis, the Sacramental Communion; and that because it is the seal of all the rest, the cement of all our 
2 Calicis.  Communions, the Union of Communion. The Cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ? The Bread which we break, etc.  
Now a Communioni●s rightly defined a relation between two, or 
2 Peace.  union of two or more in one thing which is common. In the sacrament are two things; 1 The signs, 2 The things figned: These two, by the 
1 Outward sign.  virtue of Divine operation, are made one, and thence is the Sacrament rightly styled, A Communion: until this Union come, there is no Communion at all, res terrena, & Coelestis, which Iraeneus makes the parts of the Sacrament, never come together, they are at distance: look how high the heaven is from the earth, nec verit as signo, nec virtus Sacramento, saith Cyprian, till they meet in one conjunction; no truth there 
2 I ward grac●.  in the sign, no mercy here from the things signed, till mercy and truth both meet: all the virtue in the Sacrament is in the Union of the parts, and when that Union is, there is then a Communion.  
Take we a view of the parts; we must know them first, before we can say any thing of their Union, or of the Communion of them.  
The first is res terrena, the outward and visible sign, which is in 
1 Outward fight.  effect but one, though in number two, even as the thing signed, one invisible grace, or as St. Bern: saith, rather unus Christus, in quo est omnis gratia: formally the signs and the things figned, are but one, but materially two, saith the School.  
They are two in number, so delivered by Christ at the first Institution, so exhibited by the Apostle, at the reinstauration; and so received by our Church, and all places where rightly received, at the Solemnisation; and these two severally considered, and not jointly, the Bread asunder from the Wine, the better to illustrate the death and passion of our Saviour, which was in the separation of his Blood (which is the life) from the Body: but after they are received, they come together again, as they did this day, the Resurrection, Christ now dying no more. The Commemoration is of Christ's death, butthe Communion of Christ alive.  
The signs being two in number, are severally to be represented, so in the Text, as they are at the time: we consider them in that Order the Apostle lays them down, and content ourselves with that reason which Hiereme and Anselme give for his speaking of the Cup first, because he had more to speak of the bread last; not to invert the Order by a figure, but to divert his speech whither he first intended it, Bread being a more proper Symbol of Union than Wine, not so soon falling into parts, not so easy a subject of separation as that is; and of Union his intent was to speak.  
The Cup] that is first mentioned in the Text: by a Synecdoche, it is 
1 The Cup.  put for the Wine in the Cup: That which is in the cup, St. Chrysost. reads it: The Papists which boast so much of their keeping the literal sense of the Sacrament, allow of this figure, no man was ever so much est ranged from common speech, as not to understand it: The Wine is the signe, the Cup by a figure put for it; but yet it is not the Wine in any cup. The Psalmist speaks of one, In the hand of the Lord there is a Cup, and the Wine is mixed, his enemies shall drink the dr●gs of it. And in Jeremy there is a cup of Wine of indignation, those that did drink of it did spew and fall, and rise no more. The Apostle disting●●es from that, and calls it, The Cup of blessing.  
The Scripture useth commonly to express the blessing of God by the Metaphor of a cup: the abundance of blessing by the filling and overflowing of a cup, Psal. 23. 5. The Navel of the Spouse was as a round Cup, Can●. 7. ●. The Heathen used to crown their cups in the time of plenty; and Calvin reports that the Jews seats had their cup, an holy drinking, in which consisted the solemnity of their action, and thence seems to come the Cup of Salvation the Psalmist speaks of, which they used to drink at their solemn meetings, in a gratulatory remembrance of their Deliverance; these are all fare inferior unto that our Apostle speaks of, which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he calls the Cup of blessing.  
Two ways it may be called the Cup of blessing. First, from God's blessing for us. 2. From our blessing of God for it.  
1. God's blessing of it for us; the words of Institution are, He took the Cup and blessed it: in which there is a double power. 1. A power of Consecration. 2. A power of Sanctification. By the first the Cup is made a Symbol, separated from a civil or common use, to a religigious and holy intendment. By the second, the Symbol is made effectual, to incorporate a right receiver into Christ, whereof it is made a Symbol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will extend to both, whichis the word for both. Oecumeni us taketh it for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which is consecrare. Beza for the other, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which is sanctificare. Of the first there are infinite examples in the old Testament, blessing of the Sacrifices, the consecrating of them. Of the second we have a pregnant one in thenew: every Creature of God is good, and is sanctified by the Word of God, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 1 Tim. 4. 5. Both these make the Sacrament necessarily to beof Divine Institution; none but God may appoint his signe, none blesseit but he, to make it effectual to the receiver; other Creatures are of his blessing, in his first Institution they had that, Gen. 1. and by his blessing of them, we receive all our benefit from them; but that was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, his bare word; and man lives by that, Every word which coneth from the mouth of God, Matth. 4. 4. But in his second Institution, there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good Word of God; much good must needs come from that; the Creature, the Cup which is blessed with it, is indeed the Cup of blessing.  
Besides the true effects of it in a worthy receiver, make it appear a Cup of blessing: it is the only fap of our Spiritual life, the Autidote against the deepest Consumption, the water of life, which whosoever drinks worthily, shall never thirst any more. Haustus ej us neihi Nectar erit, it is the Wine of Angels, the Cup of Salvation, the Waters of Comfort, the Springhead of eternal happiness. In many things Christ hath deserved well at our hands, but in none so much as this. Super omnia it reddit amabilem, bone Jesus, Calix redemptionis meae, saith Bernard, it is a Cup of spiced Wine, Cant. 8. 2. Christ kept the good Wine till the last, and then gives it to his friends to drink: to his well-beloved to ●ake her merry, Cant. 5. 1. it is a cup for the sad heart to cheer it, for the merry heart to confirm it; to quench our spiritual thirst, to cure our spiritual grief: well may it receive from us these Eulogies, which receive by it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; so much blessing. There is Isaac's blessing, The Dew of Heaven in it; and Calebs' blessing, the springs above in it; and that which is above all, and worth all, there is God's blessing, it is the Cup of blessing: from his blessing of it for us, that first, and that is poculum benedictum, as well as benedictionis.  
2. From our blessing of God for it; The Cup of blessing which we bless: there is the same word for it. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but yet not altogether of the same sense: Aliter nos Deum, aliter Dens nos: God blesseth with power, and maketh that to be of force, which he saith, we bless God withpraise; God's blessing is real, ours but verbal: His cum effectu, ours at the best, but cum affectu: his is operatiuè, his word is ever a work with all, ours only optatiuè: it is the greater only that can bless the lesser, according to that of the Apostle, effectually: and he is the greatest, we the least; but ei benedicimus, cum de co bene dicimus; we bless him, when we speak well of him, when we confess his praise, when we speak well of him: though so well as he hath deserved of us, we cannot speak. And hence is the Sacrament called Eucharistia, which is a giving of praise and thanks, which is the word of institution, Matth. 26. 27. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original are Synonimons, saith Beza, to give praise and thinks, and to bless.;  
And yet this is not all the blessing is intended, Cui benedicimus: hath reference to the Cup, we bless the Cup as well as God for the cup: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saith Oecumenius. The consecration of it is the blessing of it, the setting it a part to an holy use, the praising of God for it, the praying unto God for a blessing upon it; all these doth the word of blessing extend unto: and one thing more than these which is not to be forgot. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word for benevolence, and charity, The Sacrament itself was wont by the Ancients to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Collection, a Gathering; because there used ever at such gathering of the people to receive, to be a gathering for the poor withal. Let not this slip, call it a Cup of blessing from thence, let the poor receive a blessing from you, that you may from God. Calix 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, of God's benevolence and charity to you, of yours to his poor members for him; The first of these belongs only unto us, which have the ministerial power of consecration: We bless, the Apostle speaks it in our persons: but the other belongs to you, as well as us, to bless God for it, to pray for his blessing upon it, but than you must remember that your blessing is not operatiuè, but only optatiuè, a wish; not a work; that belongs to God, as I said before, but this to us: so the words cui benedicimus, may be said of all: and that is all needs be said of it: The first sign, the Cup of blessing.  
I pass to the second: the Bread which we break; Th●se signs are 
The b●ead.  one, as Joseph said of Pharoabs' dreams; one in nature, yet two in number, they make both but one part of the Sacrament: one thing is in effect signified by both; yet one was not thought sufficient for usby our Saviour, either to show his death, which is the end of the Sacrament: or to seal to our faith, which is the use of it, and by two signs, as by twowitnesses will be an end of strife.  
We may yield three reasons for it, why these, and why both these are exhibited by our Saviour.  
First, in both these consists the chief maintenance of our life, they are the principal supporters of it; Bread alone will not serve, Man li●eth not by bread only; nor yet wine alone, there is no living alone by the Cup, though some make a shift to stay by it long enough, yet they cannot live by it; man is made of flesh and blood, and needs both to feed him, Bread and Wine; and in our spiritual food, Christ would have no want: he takes them both, they are the best, the cleanest food of our life, and so fittest to represent the food of the soul.  
Secondly, There are no such things to show the death of Christ by, as these: mark how the Bread is thrashed, and ground, and sifted, and baked before it can be fit good; And the wine, stripped and trodden, and pressed, pressum antequam expressum, before it is made fit to drink: So was Christ's body, The Plowers ploughed upon his back, the soldiers thrashed him, the Jews sifted him, the teeth of the Lions to Ignatius, the teeth of death to him, ground him small enough, the grave was the Oven to bake him; So was his blood; the Cross was the press: The Prophet might well ask him, why are his Garments red? So many thorns, and nails, such a wound in his side, were windows enough to let out all his blood: The Bread and the Wine, very aptly intimate all this; and this is even all, the end of the Sacrament.  
Thirdly, The natural body of Christ, is not only signified by the Sacrament, but also his mystical, which is his Church, which is one made up of many believers, and is not the Bread one, made of many grains? and the Cup one, made of many grapes? no such symbols of Union as these are. So are the faithful kneaded, and knit together, so incorporated into one: and therefore saith Saint Austin, Christ commends unto us his body and blood in those things, quae ex multis redigunt in unum, that so the Sacrament might be signum unitatis, a very Communion, as it shall appear after: and to be this is another end of the Sacrament.  
The signs than are both fit, other reasons might be given, but these are the chief: but yet a reason would be given, why the Apostle calls not this sign, the Bread of blessing, as well as he did the other, the Cup of blessing; it is to be observed besides, that in the 11 to the Corinthians, Verse 24. where the Apostle falls upon this matter again, there he mentions blessing only of the Bread, and not of the Cup at all; belike he thought once naming it in both, was enough for both, and that his saying of it once was enough to send us to his, quod accepi à D●mina, to the first institution of it, and there we find them both blessed a like, Matth. 26. 26, 27. and it is worth the marking: that the word which the Apostle useth for the blessing of the Cup, is the same that the Evangelist useth there for the blessing of the Bread; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both; and the word which the Apostle useth in the other for the blessing of the Bread, is the same that the Evangelist useth for the blessing of the Cup: it is Eucharistia in both, to show that the words are both of one sense, and that the signs were both alike blessed.  
But besides, he speaks not here of the blessing of the Bread, because he was to mention a necessary Ceremony, belonging to the sign, being indeed a part of it, which may not be left out; and that is, the breaking of the Bread, and that alone made the words of the Text full: The Bread which we break; and of this mind is Pareus.  
Breaking of the Bread is a most significant Ceremony annexed to the sign, it doth best show the Lord's death of any: not that any such thing was done to Christ's body, a bone of him could not be broken: I will not say with Saint chrysostom, he suffereth that to be done in the Sacrament, which he could not suffer to be done him upon the Cross, we may not think that he doth suffer any thing there, neither doth that Father think so: but it is broken to show his many sufferings, of what nature, of what number soever they were, breaking is a Metaphor to express them, and the Prophet Isaiah hath it of his passion; He was broken for our iniquities, Isai 53. and the Apostle speaks it fully, Hoc est Corpus meum quod pro vobis frangitur.  
This Ceremony our Saviour himself used at the institution, He broke the Bread: to show indeed that he was not only broken in his passion, but he was willingly broken, that he did break himself; for indeed, the nails, and the thorns, and the spear could not have broken him, not so much as his skin, no more than the soldiers could break his legs, had not he been willing to have it done, to be broken; had not he been principal agent in it, as well as sole Patient of it, and broke himself.  
As he used it then, from his institution, we use it still. The Bread which we break: and indeed, the rather to show that we ourselves were chief act ours in his breaking, it was for us, for our sakes he was content to be broken, we did sit, our sins, all of us had an hand in breaking him: and in sign of that it is sti●l, The Bread which we break.  
But the chief cause of our breaking of it, is that which Saint chrysostom gives patitur frangi ut omnes impleat; every one could not take a little; if Christ did not suffer himself to be made so little; and to show he gave his body to be crucified for all, he appoints his sign to be broken for all. This Ceremony and no other, he appointed for this sign, we may not so well away with that of the Papists, which use round Wafers, and give to every one, one, no breaking at all; nor yet, so properly allow of that of ours in some places, cutting and mangling of the Bread, and not any sign of breaking; Christ was known at first in the miracle of five Loaves, and there was breaking of Bread, after the Resurrection he was made known unto the Disciples by breaking of bread: The Apostles practice in the Primitive Church was, breaking of Bread, and in the Sacrament he makes it his Ceremony, He broke the bread: all Authority, all Antiquity makes especially for this Ceremony, and being itself of such use, it behoves us to make much of it too: and so much to be spoken of it, and of the first part of the Sacrament, The outward sign.  
We be come now to the second part of the Sacrament, Res caelestis, 
1 part. The inward Grace.  The inward and spiritual grace: which answers to the signs in number; yet is in nature but one; Vnus Christus in quo omnis gratia, saith Bernard, yet Christ gave both: His body to be crucified, and his blood to be shed: his body to be meat indeed, his blood to be drink indeed: and in the Sacrament he instituted signs of both: The Cup which we bless, the Bread which we break: they are both as yet to be considered severally, till we come to the Communion; to their coming into one, the joining of them both together. As yet we take the Text in parts; the second part is now to be taken notice of, and in that, according to the order of the Apostle.  
1 The Blood of Christ] Some take it Metaphorically for the soul 
1 The blood.  of Christ, so in the Law: Sanguis est anima. Christ indeed gave himself, and he did consist of soul and body both, he had not took upon hi● our nature else, if he had not had a perfect humane soul, neither had he redeemed any soul at all, if he had not had a soul himself: Tolle animam Christi & Praesta quid Deus redemit, saith Tertullian to Martion. And in his soul he suffered more than in his body; the fears, the sorrows, the wounds of it, are past any man's expression; witness his heavy complaining, Anima mea tristis est: his strong crying: Pater si possibile est: his bloody sweeting, his fear, his whole Agony, none but he could ever feel such wounds, the guilt of a world of sin, the sense of the wrath of God, none but his soul could carry such sorrows: Something it is meet should be to remember them, as well as those of his body: the soul cannot be resembled by any thing: the blood carries the nearest resemblance. Sanguis est anima, or at least, in loco animae, we may allow of that.  
If not that, then take it literally: his natural blood, the very substance of it, that which he gave so liberally to be shed upon the Cross: the Blood of the Paschall Lamb, the blood of all the Jewish sacrifices, were but Commonstratives of that: that is not now to be had, not to be shown again. Christ suffered once for all: his offering of himself was but once substantially to be made, and made by himself; his flesh, and blood are now glorified with his Godhead, and become impatible, Care & sanguis usurpàrunt regnum Dei in Christo, saith Tertullian, only we remember that: and the Wine in the Cup is the nearest resemblance of it; not Commonstrative as the Type, but Commemorative, of the Truth; of his Blood. That  
We may add to it: the Blood of Christ Metonimically, the merit of his Blood; that which he effected by shedding of his Blood, the remission of sins, our reconcilement, and peace with God, our Righteousness. Sanctification, Redemption, 1 Cor. 1. 30. All these through his Blood, through Faith in his Blood. His Blood which speaketh better things than the Blood of Abel: this cried for vengeance, his was Sanguis clamans too, but it spoke, Father forgive them: it cried for mercy and reconcilement. The benefit is specially intended by the Blood, the purging of sin, and purchasing of peace: this is chief to be remembered, and we do this when we say the Blood of Christ. For it is not the substance of his Blood, that cleanseth, it comes not to all, it comes not at all: but the merit of it by the efficacy and virtue of it; this was the end of our showing it, and this is the sum of what may be said of the first: The Blood of Christ.  
The next is the Body of Christ, we consider that also two ways, 
2 The Body.  and both of them are intensive in my Text: First, Substantiam Corporis: Secondly, Efficaciam & meritum, both are to be remembered in this part.  
First, The Body the substance of it, The same Body which was crucified: Corpus quod pro vobis traditum est, are the words of the institution. The Syrian interpreter renders it, Pagra, which saith Beza is properly, Corpus mortuum, it is to show his death, and it cannot be showed plainer than by such a word, which signifies his dead Body; That we must show: the Bread which is broken is his sign, Corporis quod frangitur, which is broken for you, 1 Cor. 11. 24. And when we show that, we show his wounds, and stripes, his beating, and bruising, and bearing, all that he did suffer on his body; the Commemoration is to be of his passion.  
Secondly, we remember the merit of his passion; that, for which he gave his Body to be crucified; the purchase for which he paid such a price: the remission of sins: they were all laid upon his Body: David's sin upon David's son; Dominus transtulit peccata tua, are the words of Nathan to him; not abstulit, but transtulit, from thee upon him; and not only his, but ours, he bore our sins, faith Isaiah 53. He bore them on his Body on the Tree, 1 Pet. 2. 24. we were sold to sin, to death; our body to the grave, our soul to hell. To corruption to torment he gave himself for us, both body and soul, ut redimeret, saith Saint Paul, Tit. 2. 14. Remission, Redemption, are the main effects of his passion; we cannot remember his death, but we must remember the desert, and merit of it. So I have done with the parts severally, the outward sign, the inward grace: Rem terrenam & C●lestem: we come now to the Communion, or their coming into one, to make up the Sacrament: though the one part be on earth, the other in heaven; and look how high the heaven is from the earth, yet they may meet, they must meet, else there will be no Sacrament at all: Nulla virtus Sacramento, saith Cyprian; they must be in Common, or there will be no Communion: and then the Text will not be true, which saith; The Cup of blessing, which we bless, is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ? The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ?  
Communion is ever, cum union; when two or more meet in one, 
2 The Co●●●en.  there is a Communion. It is divers ways: either by nature, which is Physical; as when soul and body are united into one person, there is Communion between them, by reason of tha● union. Secondly, by miracle, which is Metaphysical; as when two Natures, God and man were united into one Christ. There is also Communion between them by virtue of that Union: neither of these is this here; for it is no substantial, no Hypostatical V●ion, and yet the Fathers have used both these to illustrate this Communion. Thirdly, by local coberence; as when many stones are in one heap. Fourthly, by actual inexistence; as where accidences, as colours, etc. are in one ubject, none of these yet: for the body and blood of Christ may not be thought to be, Locally, Actually, any where but in Heaven: The Heavens must contain him till his second, and last coming. There is yet another way. Fiftly, Intellectually, Sacramentally, which consists in mere relation, which is the nature of Communion.  
Sacramental Union is that Communion we speak off: and it consists in a Mystical, and Mutual relation, between the signs, and the things signed: Sacramentum est rei Sacrae signum, is Saint Augustine's definition, and allowed, and approved by all, when the sign comes to signify the sacred thing, it comes to be a Sacrament; and this coming is the Communion. We look to two things: 1. The cause of it. 2. The effects.  
First, Divine institution is the cause. The Rainbow (it is generally 
1 The cause.  agreed upon, was before the flood, yet) was not any sign of the promise of God, of not destroying the world with a deluge, till after the flood; it was in nube to be seen there, but not signum in nube, till God first appointed it his sign to No●h. The Wine in the Cup, the Bread on the Table were in use before, blessed in their creation for temporal food; but not in any use to a spiritual life, till blessed again at their institution; they were not signs of any sacred things, till God appointed them his signs to his Apostles; and as words which come to the ears, are signa rerum, of those things which the mind means to express: if aptly appointed, and do convey the very things to the understanding of the Auditor: if he be quick, you would wonder at it, to see how soon, at a word speaking, a thing of never so great distance can come to his knowledge: so these earthly things, which are signa rei sacrae, which come unto the eyes, and the other senses, being aptly appointed by the first institutor, do convey unto the faith of the worthy receiver, the very things themselves; and though they were before at never so much distance, they come to be present to our faith, as other things expressed by words, are to our reason and sense. To make signs of such, belongs only unto him which can give the things: and his body and blood none can give but himself; none can make a sign to be a means to convey it, to be apledge to confirm it, but he: the Elements are empty and none significant; Accedat verbum ad Elementum, saith Austin: his word▪ his work that comes, and it becomes a Sacrament; the sign is made effectually, to signify the sacred thing: and that making a sign, is the cause of the Relation of the Communion first.  
Secondly, being so made by the virtue of the Divine Institution, 
2 The effects.  the effects of Sacramental Communion follow. The signs themselves, have a Communication of the Proprieties of the things signs: Communicatio Idiomatum is the chief effect: As by the Hypostatical Union of the two natures in Christ, the humane nature is invested into the Divine, the manhood being assumed, is allowed to carry away the properties of the Godhead, in the person of Christ. And thence comes it, that the Son of God is called, the Son of man: and the Lord of life was crucified and slain. The Mother of God, the Blood of God, are usual speeches with the Fathers: so in this Sacramental Union by virtue of that Communion, in the words of institution, the Bread is called the Body of Christ, the Wine his Blood. When we give the Bread we say: The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, etc. the Cup, we say, The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ: The Bread, though it be res terrena, is called Panis vitae, the food of Angles, the Bread which came down from Heaven, The food of the soul: Panem Dominum, S Cyprian calls it, and not only Panem Domini: and all this per Metonymiam signi, because of the Communion it hath with the things signed, with the Body of Christ.  
Neither is this Communion only nominal, but also real: the very substance of Christ's Body and Blood is by it communicated to worthy receivers: they are verily, and indeed, taken and received of the faithful, saith our Church. Not in the signs essentially, but by the signs effectually; for we must hold us to this, that the Union is not Physical, nor Metaphysical, not Essential, nor Local, but Intellectual, and Sacramental, and yet real, and not only nominal. Ask what the Bread, and Wine is, I answer the Body and Blood of Christ. Ask me how or which way: I answer Sacramentally; because they are the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, and not that properly neither; for a substance cannot be a Relation, but by a Metonymy of the effect; because they make us partakers of the Body and Blood of Christ, they are called the Communion of his Body and Blood.  
And being Communis substantiae, they are also Communio efficaciae, they make us partakers of the merit of Christ's Body and Blood; those things ever bring their worth and dignity with them, remission of sins, redemption, sanctification, salvation; all graces come along with Christ, in quo est omnis gratia. Habent omnia qui habent deum habentem omnia. St August.  
And as there is Communion with them, so there is communition from them: we may not amiss take the word Communio, a Communiendo: that is to be reckoned among the benefits we receive; so our Church reckons it, the strengthening of our souls: Vis semper fortior in Vnione; nothing can prevail; against earth, when heaven is joined to it: if God be with us who can be against us? and he is with us here by Sacramental Union he comes into the Communion.  
Thus have we made the signs, and the things signed to meet, and but to mere, for we may go no further; my Text calls it but a Communion, and I take it to be a full exposition of our Saviour's words at the Institution; This (speaking of the Bread) is my Body, saith he, A Communion of his Body, saith the Text: This (the Wine) is my Blood: A Communion of his Blood, saith the Apostle. If a Communion of it, than not it, as the Papists will have it; Sacramentally we allow it to be it, signum rei; not it substantially, but only a Communion of it. Had it been it, grossly, carnally, The Apostle should have said, not the Cup, but the Blood, not the Bread, but the Body; For the Bread, and the Wine both according to their Doctrines are gone, only accidences remains, than he had committed no small Tautology. The Bread which is my Body, is the Communion of the Body of Christ: The Wine in the Cup, which is the Blood itself, is a Communion, of the Blood of Christ; Indeed they do not well away with the Communion, it crosseth them too much, therefore they almost cross it out. It may appear by other particulars. Their private Mass shuts it out quite: Their public Mass justles it out not a little: They have no Communion of the Cup at all; The Laity are not allowed it: and if there be no Cup, there is no Communion there: neither is there any Eucharist, if not it; (I do only observe that by the way) for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from whence comes the name of Eucharist, is not where used at the Institution, but at the Cup, and if no Cup, no giving of thanks for it, of the People's part none, which have part of none: So Communion and Eucharist they shuffle out; and worse than this, Christum denuo crucifigunt, while they separate his Blood from his Body, without any Communion, without any coming together again. But this is no place for controversies: be we sure to keep it right, as we do call it right: and from this very Text we call it a Communion.  
And that we may keep it right, there must be on our parts a coming on to the Communion: where the dead body is, there the Eagles will be gathered together: and no where is the dead Body of our Saviour more plainly represented: G●t we up upon the Wing of pure Devotion, of holy Meditation, sore we aloft like Eagles: Sursum Corda: if we come not, there may be Communion for others, none for us: for only those that receive, are of the Communion, those that eate of the things of the Altar, are partakers of the Altar; if ye cat not, you are not of the Communion of the Body of Christ; If you drink not you are not of the Communion of the Blood.  
But yet, look how you come, for if you come unworthily, you will not be of that Communion neither: we may not so tie the things signed to the signs, the Body and Blood, to the Bread and Wine, as if whosoever receives the one must also receive the other. Saint Cyprian resolves it well: Tantum utilitatis quisque reportat quantum Vasculo fidei Colligit; others which come without faith, Lambunt Petram, sed nec inde mel sugunt, nec oleum: They go away without joy; because they came without faith: Like Mary Magdalen, they see the Lord Corporal, the clean Linen lie, wherein our Saviour was wrapped, but find him not, and say without any comfort; They have taken away the Lord. Panem Domini they find, but not Panem Dominum; neither do I know how they should; he is present only to the eye of faith, not of sense: Non ventris sed mentis cibus est; The hand, the mouth, the teeth, the stomach of Faith: Credere est edere. Come with this then, and we come right, we shall no doubt be of the Communion.  
And as you come with Faith, so you must come with Love: giving and forgiving, are the tenor of it: both are done to you here by Christ, he gives you his Body and Blood, and they are given for the remission of sins: both must be done by you, unto your brethren. Then there will be a full Communion on all sides: of Christ with us by mercy and truth, of us with Christ by Faith and Love? of the outward signs, and the inward graces, of both with the worthy receivers: of the receivers with themselves; for so from this Sacramental Communion, will spring our spiritual with Christ our head; and from thence our Mystical, with h●s Body the Members, till at last we come to a perfect Union with the Communion of the Saints, which are complete in Heaven, which with our Saviour still drink of the fruit of this Vine, new in the Kingdom: Wither he bring us all for his Infinite merits, and mercies, Amen.   

THE FOURTH SERMON.  1 COR. 10. 17. For we that are many, are one Bread and one Body: because we are all partakers of one Bread. 
WE be come now to the second part of the Text; the second Communion, that which is spiritual, between the things, and the receivers; Vnus Christus in quo est omnis gratia, he is the thing signed between him and us, and it is properly called Communio 
Communio. Capitis.  Capitis.  
Communio Calicis was well premised, because it is the ground and foundation of the other Communions; for thence issues this our Communion with Christ, They that eat of the Sacrifices are partakers of the Altar, Verse 18. By eating we enter into it, and upon that we pitch it, in the last words of the Text, We that are many, are one Bread, because we are all partakers of one Bread.  
Alimentum fit Alitum, saith the Philosopher; so it is in our spiritual food: Except we eat the Body of Christ, he dwelleth not in us; but if we eat him, if we digest him, both which are to be done by faith, as hath been showed before, Participatione ea 
a Respectu Communicationis Idlomatum dictum.  corporaliter nobis inerit Christus, saith cyril; his very flesh is made ours, as we are in him by a certain Physical Identity in the Hypostatical Union, our humane nature and his Divine made one: so he shall be in us though neither by transubstantiation, nor by consubstantiation, not by natural, nor corporal contract; but by spiritual and real Union, his person, and ours made one. Sacramentally he is in his sign; Spiritually in the receiver.  
The receivers are all those, which do worthily partake of one Bread; their Union with Christ, was the end of that Institution of Christ: that Sacramental Communion was to be a mean to ●ffect, and a seal to confirm our spiritual: ideo institutum ut Corpus in terris capiti quod est in Coelis coadunetur, saith Saint Austen: Panis Daminus to the right receiver comes along, cum pane Domini. They that eat of the Sacrifices, are partakers of the Altar, is a Proposition unquestionably true; and then by consequence, if they partake of one Bread, they also partake of one Body, and of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith my Text. We are all partakers of one Bread.  
And it needs not trouble us, that the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, when before it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; there Communion, but partaking h●re; as if the Communion between the signs, and the things signed, were fuller, than it is between the receivers and them. Take one as the effect, and the other as the cause, so Beza will have it, because by the partaking of the Bread, we come into the society, and Communion of Christ: So the Apostle seems to intent it, we are one body, one with him, because we are all partakers of one Bread; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 symbolorum, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rerum, we place not our Union with Christ in participation, but in the effect of that which is Communion, we fetch it thence, not seat it there; and as from Christ's participation with our nature, where the Apostle useth the same word, because the Children were partakers of fl●sh and blood, he also likewise, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 took part, Heb. 2. 14. did result the Hypostatical Union of our nature with him: So from our participation of one Bread, the Symbol of the Sacrament, of which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth result the spiritual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Union of his person with us. Saint Ambrose upon my Text saith it; non participatione taniùn & acceptatione, sed Vnitate Communicamus: Quemadmodum enim corpus unicum est Christo; ita & nos per hunc panem union conjungimur. So that, though not in that, the act of partaking of that one Bread; yet by that, we come to the Communion of Christ, though the Bread be but the Symbol of this Society, yet upon the partaking of that, we come into the Communion of the thing it s●lf, which is signed by it, so that there is full out as firm Communion hence, as was before;  
And being a Communion between Christ and us, we call it rightly Communio Capitis, in the Allegory of a Body, (which the Apostle he●r alludes unto) Christ will not away with any other place then the head in the Body Mystical, the supreme Head: In all other Allegories as of the Vine, and the branches, he will be the R●ot which bears all, Rom. 11. 18, and Radix arboris Caput est; of the family, he the Master; and Dominus is ever Capu● domus: In the Building caput Anguli; in the Book, in Capite libri; and our tenor if it be right, must hold in Capite too. All the Communion we have with him, depends upon this Relation, and it is enough, we need desire no more. Communio Capitis, is near enough.  
This Communion of the Head with the Body, is neither Physical nor Corporal, but Spiritual: the natural man cannot perceive it: how the Head in Heaven may be united to a Body in Earth, is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a riddle to humane reason. Who shall fetch down Christ from above, or if he must be above still, Quomodo teneb● absentem, saith Saint Austen, in the person of a natural man? This is chief to be explained, and about it two things.  

1. What this Union is. 
2 Parts.   
2. Wherein it doth appear.   

1. Esse,  
2. Cognosci, are the material points about it.   
1. It is Spiritual: the eye of Faith, and not of Sense can discern 
1 Esse.  it, Mitte manum fidei, & tractasti, saith Austen in answer to Quomodo tenebo absentem. That there is a Union, a being one with Christ, is plain from that prayer of our Saviour for his Disciples, and not for them only, but for all believers: Father I pray thee that they may be one in us, as thou art one in me, and I in thee, John 17. 21. but that being one is tanti●m spiritu & fide, saith Maldonate; and that sicut, there is not aequalitis, but cujusdam similitudinis, saith chrysostom; for essential Union, which is eternal, between the Father and the Son; or Hypostatical Union, which is substantial between the Son and our nature, it cannot be; our personal Union is spiritual, and no more.  
Spiritual, because it is wrought by the Spirit; Faith is the fruit of Spirit, and it is that which is the very essence of this Union, the nearest symbolically quality that can be, between Christ and us. In every Union of natural things, vis unitiva, some quality or other there must be, by which they agree in one, something Medie Naturae. Fire and water can never be reconciled alone, because they have none: in that greatest union of all, of God and Man, Christ himself was factus Mediae Naturae. a Mediator: Earth and Heaven had never met, but by his being exalted in Medium locum, the Cross was between both, and Heaven there was content to stoop lowest, Earth being able to rise no higher. In this Union of our persons with Christ, cum Capite, Faith is that, vis unitiva, the Cement by which Caput Anguli is joined to the building, and yet that is but a conjunction; no thing is conveyed into the other parts from it: it is therefore more, the Ligament and sinew by which the Head is united to the Body, and thorough which is conveyed all the benefit of being, and motion to the members. Similitudo imaginis, that likeness, after which man was created, had united him to God; but that was so defaced by the fall, God knew him not for his Creature; nothing like in the world was left, all similitude between God and him lost, till Christ repaired that Image again, washed it with his Blood, and set Faith in the face of it; by that they may meet, there is something like to bring them into liking, to make an union.  
Neither is this Imaginary, a device for speculation; but real spiritual things have the best and truest reality in them: The Fathers Illustrate it divers ways: as fire is united to red hot Iron, actually and virtually both, it is no where more visible, more powerful for the time; as the Beams of the Son are united to the air; as Wine and water contemperated and mixed together; as wax to wax, and made into one lump: The Apostle giveth a plain instance, he that is coupled with an Harlot is one body; Erunt duo in carne una, is the cousummation of marriage: in that sense it is called a Mystery, between Christ and his Church: So he that is joined unto Christ, is one Spirit.  
One Spirit, is but Metalepsis: one spiritual body is the meaning: Faith on our parts, the Spirit on his part concur, and make a union.  
You may see more, the ground of this will confirm the truth of it, and it is in the words of the Text. We are all partakers of one Bread. There are four sorts of unions, both Scriptures and Fathers use to Illustrate. First, Eternal, between the Father and the Son. Secondly, Hypostatical, between the divine nature and humane. Thirdly, Conjugal and Matrimonial, between husband and wife. Fourthly, Allegorical, as between the Vine and branch, between Head and Members, between Bread and the receivers: each would afford matter for a Sermon, I must insist only on that last.  
That which we eat turns in carnem & sanguinem; alimentum fit alitum, if so be, it be digested first, else it doth not: Cibus jadigestus famem satiat animalem, non naturalem. It comes not into union with the body, by which it might grow stronger, but is forceably cast out, though it stay the stomach for a time: So it is in our spiritual food; they which know not how to digest it by faith, have their appetite stayed, not their groweth, and strength augmented; but if it be digested, it comes into one, it becomes one with us.  
Thus are Christ and we made one: We have the Symbol, the Sacrament, the Seal of it, of which we all eat, and wherefore do we eat, but ut uniamur? What is more ours then that we have eaten? A nearer Symbol could not possibly be thought on, of our incorporation, and making one with him; and yet St Bernard saith more; Et manducat nos & m●mducatur à nobis quo arctiùs illi astringamur. In one and the same action he feeds on us, we feed on him: his joy fills us; our faith feeds him: his body, his blood, his sufferings, his righteousness are meat and drink to us; our faith, our repentance, our obedience, our salvation, are meat and drink to him: and those are one, (though the comparison be without comparison, yet) our Saviour himself prays it may be so; John 17. St Bernard proves it is so, between Christ and us: we one with him abiding by faith and love; he one with us, abiding by peace and truth: yet not in that manner one, as they are; the d●ffer●nce of our nature and substance still remains, which are one in the Father and the Son: only the diversity of our 
a Non c●hrrent a●essennarum, sed co●tinentia voluntar●m Lern.  wills reconciled, makes us one, one with the Father and the Son, and so one, ut Deus & homo unus spiritus certa & absoluta veritate dicantur, si sibi glutino amori● inb●reant. So sure are we one, so real is our spiritual Union with Christ our Head; if we eat the Bread, if we digest it, we are sure of it: in reason, that we eat is the same with us: in Religion it is so too, and eat it we do, we all are partakers of one Bread.  
That this union is we are sure of, the Scripture every where beareth witness of it, we could not be branches, he the Vine; not members, he the head; not precious stones built upon him, he the foundation, the chief corner stone; we need not eat his fl●sh, nor drink his blood, the Cup which we bless, need not be the Communion of his Blood, the Bread which we break the Communion of his Body, no Communion at all indeed, but for this union: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might well be spared, but for this, ut uniamur: it is the sign of it, the seal of it, the ground of it, the cause of it: ut corpus in terris capiti in caelis: to make them one, to make this union between Christ and us, Christus erat faciens utrumque in unum. Christ's whole work was to do this, to make us one: our nature one in the Hypostatical union; our persons one in the spiritual: nec pr●judicat rerum pluralitas huic unitati: for we that are many are one bread, and one body, one bread partaking all of one bread; one body united all to one head: one sign, one thing; we all though never so many partake of it: All the believers bade one heart, and one mind, Acts 4. All of them are joined into one head.  
That this is, that was the first: I have been the longer, because it is a matter of so much importance, and not so easily conceived: all our hope of that union, Quae glorificat, which the blessed Angels and Saints enjoy, consists in this our spiritual union, quae justificat, which is with Christ by faith: illa praemium, haec meritum est, saith Bernard, all cur●m rit is to be joined with Christ. There is yet another work to be done to make this appear: else non apparentis & non existentis, eadem est ratio, as good not be at all.  
And yet, appear we cannot make it, to the eye of sense, Caput in 
2 Cognosci.  coelis, corpus in terris est: it is much too weak to be able to ken so fare; neither indeed is it necessary, that the hand or foot should see the heal; if they feel it, if they find the use and benefit of it, that will be appearance enough to them: and that is to be had of him.  
Two ways it will appear.  

1. By that which the head is to the body. 
2 Ways   
2. By that the body is to the head.   
There are four things required to our head, all four to be known 
4 Ways  of him. That it be, 1. Verum. 2. Perfectum. 3. Vnicum. 4. Pe●petuum. Christ is all these unto the body.  
1. Verum of the same nature with the body, not like Nabuchadnezzars 
1 Ver●●.  Image, whose head was of Gold, the breasts of Silver, the thighs of Brass●, the feet of Iron, and Clay. And that he might be of the same nature, you know he took upon him our nature: and therefore God, saith the Apostle, hath made him head of the Church, Ephes. 1. and that he is of the same nature appears. First, by his suffering for us; he had not what to offer, till he had Corpus aptatum, Heb. 10. he had not been the Saviour of the body, if he had not had that: Tolle caruem Christi & praesta quid Deus redemit, saith Tertullian to Martion. He redeemed not the Angels, quia non assumpsit, he took not upon him their nature. Secondly, By his suffering with us, therefore saith the Apostle, it behoved him to be in all things like his brethren, that he might be a merciful high Priest. And again, that by the things which he suffered, when he was tempted, he might secure them that are tempted: for he is not an high Priest which may not be touched with our infirmities: when he cried out upon the way, Saul, Saul, why pe●secutest thou me? he was nearly touched: he could not be an head, if he had not this, a sense of the bodies grievances. Secondly, Again, to make him a true head, he must be united to the body. An head severed from the body, is not the head; as good no head at all: a wrong head set on, a right head cut off are much a like: the Joints, and Ligaments, and Nerves, are all for that end derived from the head, that it may be set on. And of what nature they are, you have heard b●fore: Spiritus sanctus est nexus, and thence is this union called spiritull. Thirdly, Again, ut sit verum debet esse vivum: a true head, must be endued with the same soul the rest of the members are; and such is Christ our head: the Spirit is the life of both, in the lead that is fully, we have all received from his fullness: that member which hath not his Spirit is not of his body, his children are led by his spirit: We may know by this, whether we be in him or no, by the Spirit which he hath given us. A true head we may know him by this.  
The second is a perfect head: such an one which hath, First, 
2 Perfectum.  Reason. Secondly, Sense. Thirdly, Motion, Fourthly, Soundness. Fifthly, Beauty in it. A●l are in him. First, The faculties of the soul, understanding, will, prudence, providence, he knoweth all things, sustaineth, quickeneth, governeth all things. Secondly, he seeleth our miseries, seethe our wants, heareth our prayers, smelleth our sacrifices, tasteth our charities, he speaketh and pleadeth for us, makes intercession for us. Thirdly, he moveth us, all spiritual motion in the body comes from him, holy d●sires, good works, pure thoughts; in nature, in religion, life and motion, is a Capite: We see it in those Creatures which are insectilia; cut them in pieces, that part lives longest which cleaves to the head, the other soon dies: so it is in others: so in our spiritual body: whatsoever is from the head is dead presently. Fourthly, He is a sound and perfect head; ill humours which do infect the body, flow not from him. All is like Aaron's oil, which runs down from the head to the skirts of the clothing: or like Hermons Dew which waters the Valleys: His Influence ha●h no malignity in it, but rather healing to the members. Fifthly, he is a fair and beautiful head, admits of no deformity, The fairest of ten thousand, fairer than the children of men. All these show him to be a perfect head.  
The third, he is an only head, to have no head, acephali, to have 
3 Vnicum  more heads policephali, are both a like monstrous: privations of one, divisions into many, ever tend to desolation: God and nature ever affect one, and but one. God himself being Principalis Vnit as, loves unity best, especially in the best. And de ratione capitis est, unum esse: and therefore, God after all things had been scattered both in Heaven and Earth by division, by harkening unto more heads than one, to the Serpent's h●ad, in the dispensation of the fullness of time, would gather them altogether again into one, the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. And that is properly a gathering together unto one head; all gathering together is into one, as of sheep into one flock, of materials for building into one pile, of many numbers into one sum, of many grains into one loaf; but none so emphatical, so fit in expression, as of many members unto one head; and that one head is Christ. Him God hath given to be head of his body, which is the Church: and he is caput unicum, only one head: all the heads of divinity, as great Maps in a little compass, as many plots in a small Module, bring them together, contract them to one, they make but one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one head, and that is Christ.  
The fourth is, he is an head that never dieth, death hath no dominion 
4 Perpetuam.  over him: even in Heaven when his body shall be removed thither, he will do the part of an head. And while there is life in him, he will preserve it in his body, the Church cannot die, while her head lives, nor want while it hath sense and motion, and speech, and understanding to provide for it: Sum up all that need be said of an head: all is in him, Verum, Vaum, Perfectum, Perpetuum, all to be said, to be seen of him.  
We have made this to appear sufficiently: the Communionis not ye● full, if all come from the head to the body, and nothing back again, from the body to the head; two things it owes to the head at least.  
1. Obedience.  
2. Maintenance.  
First Obedience to be ruled and governed, and moved by the head: 
1 Obedience.  it hath the eyes to see, the brain to counsel, the will to put on, and all to be sit to govern: if it go without the head, Mole ruit suâ: shall the soot or the hand say unto the eye, we have no need of thee? the Apostle makes this his chief argument for obedience, Ephesians 5. 22, 23. Let Wives be subject to their Husbands, for the Husband is the head of the Wife; as Christ is of the Church. The head wheresoever it be, in the body Natural, Political, Spiritual is to be obeyed.  
The second is Maintenance, if the head be hurt or gone, as good all 
Maintenance.  the members be away; be the body never so entire, the members right in their places, if the head hap to be away, as good they all asunder; Therefore all Creatures strive most to defend their head; they had rather receive blows any where else then there: The Serpent herself exposeth her whole body to keep, her head from bruising; you may mark how she guardeth it with her whole train, the rather because she knows, that is laid at most: her head was to be broken ever since the prevarication; so it is in others: In the body Politic the enemy gives that charge that the Kings of Aram did, not to fight against great or small, but only against the King, 1 Kings 22. 31. Therefore David's men had a care of him, ten thousand of them were not so good as he; the light of Israel was out if he were gone. So it is in other heads. All fencers play is most against it; it concerns the body to defend it most, ibi fortiter opponere ubi fortiter oppugnatur. So do Pagans, Infidels, Heretics, strike at our head; our chief care if it be right, must be to defend it against them.  
These are due from the body to it: and then there will be Communis cum Vnione, which is best on both sides: of spirit and life from the head; Of Duty and Defence from the body; it to guide, this to guard; it to lead, this to be lead; this agreement if it be in all things, will make the union to appear sufficiently, which is corporis cum capite, with Christ our head. Let us look back once to the ground of this union which is in the Sacrament: by which we that are many are one, one with Christ, because we have all partaken of one bread.  
The Communion was for this union: he comes to the outward signs, that by them he may come nearer unto us; if we eat, we have him in us: nisi manducaveritis, Ye shall not have him in you: and manducantibus verè ac realiter unitur corpus Christi sicut panis, though the manner differ: This corporally the bread is, that spiritually Christ is.  
It concerns us much then, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we may be of the other, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: esse participes ut simus consortes: to be of the Communion that which is Sacramental, to be of it, to be at it, to eat, to eat often, that we may be of this union with Christ here, quae justificat, which will bring us to that, quae glorificat, our blessed union with God hereafter. Wither he bring us all. Amen.   

THE FIFTH SERMON.  1 COR. 10. 17. We that are many, are one Bread, and one Body. 
WE are still upon this theme: Bonum est nobis esse hic: therefore what the Apostles would, we have done: Aedificavimus tria Tabernacula. We have stayed a time in two of them, we must not dwell there, Tents are not for mansions, we must remove to the third: Communio corporis, which is mystical, will now take up our 
Communio Corpor●s.  employment.  
Yet we pitch this upon the same ground, we did the other. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is still causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, our spiritual Communion which is capitis, our mystical Communion which is corporis, spring from thence, from the Sacramental, which is calicis: we are one bread and one body: because we are all partakers of one bread.  
One body; there it is; we need not seek it by induction from the Text, which is there literally, as we did the other, our Communion with Christ, cum capite: that was as much intended as truly effected as this, though not so fully expressed. And that must have been first: if not for honour which is ever due to the head, yet for necessity, we must have premised that; there could be no talk of the members growing into one body, if they be not first united into one head: and in this sense Christ is caput Ecclesiae, because all begin there, as the branches at the root, if they be not held to it by Ligaments and Nerves, the skin, the flesh, and the veins never grow to them, never feed and nourish them: But we have done with that, and now the body in its right place comes next to be thought on.  
One body is but one term of the Communion; duas oportet esse essentias ad minus, ut sit Communio, seu unitio: two at least are required to all relation, the Relatum is one, but the correlata are many, as many, as we are many; there are many members, but one body: though we retain unity there, for the body can be but one; yet we must admit of Multiplicity here, the members must be many. Si omnia essent unum membrum, ubi corpus? saith the Apostle; and so they are in the Text. We that are many, are one Body.  
The ground of this Relation is necessarily to be thought on, to make it up, and it comes into the Text; one Bread, that is it: the Sacramental Communion is the cause of the Mystical: that hath ever been considered in all the parts of the Text, and the Apostle will not have it left out here; two ways it comes to be considered.  
1. As it is the sign of it; bread, of the body, one bread of one body: signum unitatis, Saint Austin calls it; for many grains go to make up that; many members to make up this; Bread and Wine both of them, ex multis rediguntur in unum; so we that are many are one body: this is Sacramental; and if we read the Text right, as both the Original hath it, and all the Ancient, both Translators, and Expositors render it, 'tis thus; for there is one bread, we also that are many, are one body, one as that is one, say chrysostom, and Ambrose, etc. Yet I doubt not but a good Spirit moved our modern Translators to render it as my Text reads it: We that are many, are one bread, and one body, one bread first; because we all eat of one bread, and vi fidei are in a manner become one with that, as alimentum & Alitum are one, and one body by virtue of that, one bread spiritually, one body mystically; yet the other is easier, less strained, and therefore we will keep to that.  
2. It is not only as a sign, but also as a cause of it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a causal; because that is but one, the bread, as the Paschall Lamb was but one, to all the house of Israel, one in a Mystical, and Spiritual sense, though Numerically many; and we all partake of this one, all the Church of God, all over the world, partakes of one and the same bread: in civil commerce to eat of one bread, at one board, hath ever been a pledge of unity and concord; so it is in our mystical society, we are all of one Corporation, one body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because we all partake of one bread. All these will come to be considered in their places.  
We begin with the Text: The Correlatives, We that are many. To the Church at Corinth are the words directed, but may be assumed by us, by all that are in the Church of God, wheresoever they be; place and time matter not in this matter, nos illi multi, so Beza reads it: we are those many.  
We: the Jews, and Turks cannot read this Text; illi multi, 'tis true, too many they are, but such which come together into one, they are not materials of this building, not sheep of this flock, not grains of this bread not members of this body, at the best they are but of those other sheep our Saviour speaks of, Qui non sunt hujus Ovilis, or nondum sunt; in Gods good time they may be brought, but as yet are not.  
Besides them the Schismatics cannot read it, illi multi, many they are, so many as that the world wonders at it. The Arians and Donatists' never overspread the East and West part of the Church more in their times, than these in ours: Like Egypt's frogs, the whole Land is full of their croakings: But yet they are many still, there is some good in that they come not into one, Quot homines, tot sententiae, their perpetual differences among themselves, show they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not animated with one Spirit; they would be fearful to the whole Church if they could be that, and like the Cake of Barley in the seventh of Judges, they might tumble down into the Hosts and Armies of Israel, and overturn them, but that they cannot be: their Cake which a flash of zeal hath heated, will prove dough, or rather like grains, not ground, they will not be kneaded or knit into one Loaf: if at any time they come together, it is with the sour leaven of malice, and uncharitableness, or of heretical and Pharisaical doctrines, the Leaven of the Law, which was to be cast out; not with the Leaven of the Gospel, the Leaven of Faith and Charity. They soon fall of having not the right Leaven, into many pieces, being not united by the cement of the Spirit into one Body: sowing is all they are fit for, and to that employment the enemy of the Church puts them, the whole field is every where oversown with them: These are many, but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those many the Apostle speaks of; for those being many are one bread, and one body.  
But besides all these, there are many, of whom this Text may be said, which are Materials of one building, sheep of one sold, branches of one Vine, grains of one bread, members of one body: Which though they be dispersed on the Mountains, are of one flock, belong to one shepherd, and know and understand his call, though they be as divided members, here one, and that a little one on this Page, and over leaf another, yet being cast up make but one sum, are reckoned to one head; though they lie scattered like the dried bones in Ezekiel's vision, yet they shall come bone to bone, and the sinews, and the flesh, and the skin shall come unto them, and their breath that they may live, and shall be made up into one body; though they be but as an handful, in comparison of others in the world, yet like the gleanning of Ephraim, they are better than the whole Vintage of A●iezer: A little flock, a remnant, and other such terms the holy Ghost calls them by, when he opposeth them against the numerous multitudes of others; yet they are many, enough stones for the building, enough members for the body; God will not let any part be lacking, and there must be many members to one body, and here they are many in the Text.  
And that which is above all, nos illi multi, we for our parts, and whosoever else which is of the Sacramental Communion, which is Calicis, and of the spiritual which is Capitis; it needs not be disputed in what places we are, while we are parts, whether the ear, or the eye, or the hand, or the foot, whether of the honourable or less honourable, while we be members: the administrations and functions are divers, but they all serve the necessities of the body. The whole Church is the Body of Christ; and we for our parts members of it. 1 Corinth. 12. 27. We may sure say the Text, We that are many, are one Body.  
But then that we may say it right (and it concerns us much) we must know what it is to be one body, what ties and bonds belong to this union, how necessary it is to be of it, what danger there is in being out of it: And this discourse will take up the second part of my Text, The Relatum, in which all the Correlates meet into one, We being many are one Body.  
There are divers ways for many to come into one. First, Natural; so the soul, and the body are made one. Secondly, Conjugal; so man and wise. Thirdly, Political; so all the Inhabitants within one City, or house are made one. Fourthly, Moral; so friends are made one. Fifthly, Hypostatical; so Christ and our nature were made one. Sixthly, Sacramental; so the sign, and the thing signed, are made one. Lastly, Mystical; so all the faithful, like so many members are made one, being many, are one Body. I am not to say any thing, of any one of them, but the last, our Mystical making one, one Body in Christ. And this the Scriptures and Fathers have sought divers ways to illustrate by other Allegories; one building the Materials many; one flock, the sheep many; one tree, the branches many: and many such, yet it is but one. The last of these, I must insist upon, We being many, are one Body.  
Yet there are three sorts of Bodies, especially considerable. First, the Body Natural. Secondly, the Body Political. Thirdly, the Body Mystical. The two first of these we cannot be, no man will imagine it, in a literal sense, one Body, or in a civil sense, one Body: the Church of Christ cannot be one so, which consists of many natural bodies itself, and is in many remote places, never likely to come into one civil Polity, The Body Mystical is only to be considered.  
And that is but Metaphorical; so called by a similitude, taken from the natural body, otherwise it is not properly a body, which is made up of many bodies. But so the holy Ghost is said to speak improperly to condescend to our capacity, to show us what the Body of Christ is, his Church, by that we know already, what the body of man is, Visibilibus rapere ad invisibilia, saith Gregory, That is his way. That way we take and consider four things, belonging to a body natural, and under that similitude, observable in the Mystical.  
1. A sufficiency of parts.  
2. The Union of them into one.  
3. Their Symmetry and Agreement.  
4. Their Offices and Administrations.  
I begin with the first: A sufficiency of parts. No body can be without them, trina dimensio, belongs to every body at least: but a perfect body, such as the natural body of man is, or the Mystical Body of Christ is, cousists of many parts. All the body is not one member, Multa membra, unum corpus. It belongs to the Philosopher, and when he hath done to the Physician, to take an exact survey, of all the parts which do belong to a body, it is enough for us, that there are parts enough. God in framing of the natural body, would not suffer any redundancy or deficiency, we may not but think the same of the Mystical. In thy Book, saith David, unto him are all my members written; he keeps a Book of all the members of his body; the Church as well; by him they are numbered, and to him only known; we may not deny the Body of Christ to be perfect, which hath a full enumeration of parts.  
But yet the parts are not come together to make it perfect, God hath a day Book, Liber vitae bujus, wherein lie some scattered members not yet recollected, they are not yet summed up, till God comes to his verbum abbreviatum; yet they are to be reokoned in the accounts. In nature the generation of the form is in an instant, but the parts stay their time of production, and when they are all come, the body is not perfect, till it have the degrees: the state of this life is, but the womb of the body of Christ, there is a still repairing of the Saints, and an edification of the Body, till we all meet together unto a perfect man. Here as in the Mount, the Materials are all cut out, and squared for that great building; no noise of any instrument shall be heard hereafter, but such stones as will serve shall be laid upon the pile, the rest put away with the rubbish; God only knows how many, and which they be will serve; we take all that are any way prepared to belong to it, wheresoever the Axe of the Gospel, and the Hammer of the Law have come; till the great builder shall have reprobated them. There shall no stone be lacking to this building, no member to this Body, though they lie sca●terred, yet there will be a Collection: Bo●● to his bone; though they be wounded, yet there is a repairing, not one of them shall be lost: the hair and nail, and such excrements may well be let fall, and perish, but no part shall be missing: A sufficiency of parts there will be: Tha● is the first.  
But yet they make not a body, unless they come together, the dried bones till they were new set, and the Nerves, and flesh, and skin came upon them could not be said a body: ti●l the Union of the parts in one come, there is no Communion; many members there be, but by that; and that is the next, they come to be one body.  
In the natural body there are Nerves, and strings, and ligaments, and irteries, by which all the parts are firmly united; Such there are in the Mystical by which the body is knit and coupled together in every joint; Ephes. 4. 16.  
1. Spirit us sa●ictus est nexus: he is the prime principal bond. The Tendon by which all the parts are knit and coupled; The Body to the head by him, and the members to the body: he is the sap, which runs from the root into all the branches, that a●me dies, and withers, and soon falls off, which hath not him; He is the Leaven, by which the whole lump is compacted, and grows into one loaf; nothing keeps soul and body together, but he; all would soon fall off, like ears of Corn, if not by him bound up into one sheaf: he is the cement of the whole building, there is nothing else to hind too the Materials, if they b● laid lose they cannot last long: no Union can be firm without the spirit.  
And to this quasi ad Tendonem, all the Nerves and other jointures tend, here they meet: they are many, as in the natural body.  
2. Religion is a main tye, it is a religando; like Gordions' knot, it will not be untied, it may well be forced. There is a story, how true I know not, yet of no mean Author, how four strong horses in an whole hour's space, were not able to strain the joints of one man in his several quarters; and not then, till the executioner with his sword hacked them in pieces: it is in nothing so true as in this tye of Religion. Non dissolvi possunt quos vera religio conjunxit; it only makes true Yoak-followes, which like the two Kine, as Saint Bernard sweetly compares them, bore the Ark of God to Bethshemesh, 1 Sam. 6. though their Calves were left behind them, and kept one path, and went up lowing together. Neither Policy, nor Villainy, can make so firm brethren as Religion: Fratrum gratia is no where kept so sure, as between these; Quos Deus Conjunxit, is said of marriage knot, Let no man put asunder, let them not, but if they will do it, and it hath been done, who shall let them from it? And it is likeliest done, where both the parties are not of one Religion, or if they profess one, yet they are not, what they profess, both: but of these which by it are made one, quis separabit? Like Saul and Jonathan, they are lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death not divided: neither indeed can they be divided: see but what strings they are tied together with.  
1. One Faith: & quisquis fidem se tenere credit, unitatem teneat, saith St Cyprian. He falls from that, which falls out of this: Faith is imitatis Monimentum & Munimentum. Therefore the Ancients hold that the Apostles Creed, Summa fidei, was made for that purpose: ut esset unanimitatis indicium: that all professors might there meet in one; though dispersed never so much in place. The Doctrine of Christian Religion is but one, one Faith materially. The gi●t of Faith, by which we have Faith in the Faith, to speak with Athanasius Creed; though it be numerically Divers, yet is in all but one, one Faith formally: one Faith, there is union by that.  
2. One Hope: Heaven, and our eternal inheritance, we all hope for; one mark the prize of our high calling, we all contend to; in the world men take divers ways, because they pitch upon divers ends: he saith unto gold thou art my hope; another to his honour: but they that hope all for one thing, like a ship under sail, where there be many passengers, steer their course unto one and the same Port Can they think to meet there, and go every one their own ways here? As if we had many heads, as one said of the Christian Armies. Quid absurdius quàm nos in terris dissidere qui fruituri sumus omnes eadem felicitate in coelis? By one hope there comes more strength to this Union.  
3. But the Bond of perfection is love, Coloss. 3. 14. and that is also one: it is called Christ's garment; Faith and Hope never go apparelled in any other, and that was, non de parte consutilis, sed per totum textilis, saith Cyprian, without any seam, not to be ripped, nor rent, but delivered whole: If we have that on, and we being Christians would not be thought without it, it will not be too little for us to put on; sufficit & mihi & tihi tuni●● Christi, saith Bernard, it will cover us, and withal a multitude of sins, of offences, of breaches, which must else make us fall off on all sides. And indeed the cause of all our rents is, the want of having that on; and it is not such charity, which we commonly reckon of such which hath but a thread between it, and enmity, or so little difference, as that they might not be distinguished asunder. Christ's Garment is not like Jeroboams, wherein were made twelve rents at once: Integra vestis accipitur: the soldier to whose lot it fell took it whole: men of that calling seldomest of any have it, yet than it was had to show, that it may be had by men of any condition ●● of that: and being had whole, it will serve to cover the whole body; the ear from hearing, the eyes from spying, the lips from speaking, the hands from practising any thing, that may tend to the breach of Union, to differences, and dissension: now a threefold cord is not easily broken: one Faith, one Hope, one Love, make the bond of perfection, make the Union firm.  
But besides these three are other which are as Nerves and Sinews to unite all the parts, The Apostle reckons them up in Ephes. 4.  
4. One Baptism, The Font is the womb of our new birth, sumus fratres, As Abraham said to Lot: It was strange to Rebecca to have striving in her womb, but there was some reason for that, two nations and two manner of people, were in her bowels: But they are all of one people, whom the womb of the Church bears, if they be right bred. Indeed it is not the Baptism of Water which makes them one; many Lepers might have washed in Jordan, and yet not come out as Naaman the Syrian did: The Baptism of the Spirit doth only that, and those that are so born, not of flesh nor of water only, but of the spirit, will keep this union, will be one, as that is one.  
5. One House, where we are all brought up together the Church Domus Dei, is but one; I speak not of the material house, but of the mystical, one Catholic Church, in which we su●k of the same breasts, we are fed with the same milk, are tutored under the same Government, partake of the same Sacrament: Habitare fratres in unum, to be of one mind which be of one house: this is no small strengthening of the Union. These all of them and many more, are Ecclesiastica vincula, and belong to the chief Tendon, by which this union is made, the spirit.  
There are others not to be passed over with silence: Humane necessity, Civil Commerce, natural Relations, are all of them Ligaments to bring the parts together to make up this union. Religion and Nature both lean to it: Their main intendment is to effect it. And yet when this is done, and the parts joined, the body is not perfect, if there be not a Symmetry and agreement between them, if they be not of the same nature all: 'twill be but Humano capiti cervicem jungere equinam: if not of a just proportion, both will be a like monstrous. Their nature we have touched already, being in one womb, we doubt not of that: of the other there may be some question made, in the natural Body, it is the wonder of the Creation, to see in what perfect meeter all the parts are made; yet there may be some aberrations there; the same should be in the mystical Body: The Body of Christ can be no less perfect, and yet the jarring of the parts, as if they had not that Symmetry we speak of, their falling into pieces, as if they were not in their places, makes us make a question of it. Look a little into the cause of it.  
God saith the Apostle, hath so tempered the parts of the body, that there might be no schism, no division in it. but that the members should have the same care one for another: he hath done the like sor the Church. Apostles, Prophets, Teachers, workers of miracles, gifts of healing, helpers, governors, diversity of tongues, etc. are all of them members of this body; all of them set by him in their right places to their right offices. There are divers causes of the schism that is among them.  
Dislike of their own places: The foot would be the hand; or else not of the body: it aspires higher yet, to be the eye or the ear, in the seat of Magistracy, as it did of late among the Anabaptists in Germany: and in the seat of Ministry as in the experience of our times. So it was in that great rent of the Body of Israel, in Jeroboams days, the meanest of the people, Mechanics among them, were made their Priests; and if they may not be that, they will not be of the Body, and indeed, Gratulandum est cum tales de Ecclesia separentur, saith Cyprian: utinam abscindantur, was Saint Paul's hearty prayer. Such were Corah and his company: Moses answer might serve their turns, Seemeth it a small thing, that the Lord hath separated you, to take you near to himself? Is it not enough that you are of the Body? Were all the body an eye, where were the smelling? Hath not he placed lesser lights in the Firmament as well as great ones? All are not there primae Magnitudinis: hath not he ordered meaner servants in his family, as well as greater ones? All are not there primae distributionis: There will be degrees of glory in Heaven, as there are of places in earth. Besides to avoid this dangerous schism, hath not God so tempered the body, that he hath given the more honour to that part which lacked? the onus is ours, the hones yours: The head cannot say, unto the feet, I have no need of you; nor the eye to the hand, I have no need of thee: This schism, whether it be in Church or state, one Menenius Agrippa in Livy very fitly confuted, by telling to the factious Romans, the tale of the falling out of the Belly, and the members: because it seemed to devour all, the hands would not work, the feet would not stir, the mouth refused to receive any food, till they sound themselves to languish through the emptiness of the stomach, and by bad experience proved the belly no less profitable to the body, than the other members; and that the safety of the whole depended upon the society and concord of the parts. This Emulation hath been the cause of the dissensions, which have ever been in the Church.  
Yet there are some others causes, The neglect of their own offices, and impertinent surview of others, which belongs to the head to censure, and not to the parts: The want of Sympathy with the infirmities of the fellow members, if one suffer, not caring to suffer with him, not considering if a Joint be loosed or strained, all the parts ought to be painted with it: neither of these but are causes of this schism, and these lead me to the fourth particular: the offices and administrations of the body.  
A sufficiency of parts, a uniting of them into one body, a placing them in a true Symmetry and Proportion, are all of them for this, for their administrations and functions, and for them they have received diversities of gifts, and by them are to be exercised in several operations: all three are specified by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 12. 4, 5, 6. All the Body is not one member but many; all the members have not the same gifts but divers; all their gifts are not for the same operations, but several: altogether are most wisely disposed, both in the natural and mystical Body, for the furniture thereof, edifying of itself in love, Ephes. 4. 16. We have not leisure now to take a short view of them in particular.  
All that hath been said tends to this conclusion, we are the Body of Christ, and Members in particular: We that are many, are one Body, a Body in the parts, in the union of the parts, in the Symmetry and Agreement of the parts, in the offices and Administrations of the parts; and if we be of his body in earth, we shall be sure to be joined to our head in Heaven; Vsurpavimus regnum Dei in Christo, we hold Heaven in C●pite already. But then if we be all one body, there must be no schism between us, no falling off from the parts, no falling out without them. Ad regnum pervenire non potest, qui eam quae regnatura est, pacem derelinquit, saith Cyprian: Hath God tempered them all, that there be no division, and shall we distemper them by schism, and dissension? Will it be enough to hang by one Artery, and have the rest disjointed? By faith, and hope, and not by love, which is the bond of perfection? If we be wounded, there is a repairing; if loosed or strained, there is a re-establishing; if we be of the Body, we must have love to all the members, care of them all, we must suffer with them, suffer for them; we must cover the blemishes, hid the deformities of the parts, upon those parts which we think most unhonest, we must put more honesty, and give the more honour to that part which lacketh. Nature and religion both, can by no means away with a schism in the body. If there be, you be not of the body; you cannot say the Text. We that are many, are one Body.  
And if we be not of this Communion which is Corporis, we cannot be of the other which is Calicis: that is Fundamentum Relationis: and one bread, of one body, and of it sumus participes, we all partake. That of this simus consortes, we may be all members; To eat of that, which is one all over the world; as there was but one Lamb to an house, so but one bread to the whole Church; is the Symbol and Sacrament of one Union with the Body. Non ex alio tu, nec ex alio ille, sed ex eodem omnes nutrimur, saith chrysostom; It is but one mystically though numerically many. And if but one bread, shall we make the Table of the Lord, the table of devils? And partake of that, with bitterness and wrath? If but one body, shall we take the member of Christ, and make it the member of an harlot? of schism and contention? God Almighty grant that we may be all of one mind, in one house, being all members of one body; that being united by one Spirit, in one Religion, in one Faith, in one Hope, we may serve one God the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, in one Love, being entered by one Baptism, confirmed and strengthened by one Bread, coupled and knit into one Body; there be no schism, no division among us, but that all the members have a care one of another, and endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace, Till we all meet together into a perfect man, and the Measure of the Age of the fullness of Christ. To whom with the Father, and the holy Ghost, be all praise, and glory, now, and ever. Amen.   

THE SIXTH SERMON.  1 JOHN 4. 1. Dear beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God; for many  Prophets are gone out into this world. 
I Must begin where the Text ends: the last words of it are the reason of the first: Quoniam is a causal: Many false Prophets are gone out into this world; Why what then? Only this, believe not therefore every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God.  
I could not think of any subject more proper to this season, or more profitable for ourselves; the old complaint is now, if ever proved true, the days are evil. The world was never more rightly compared to a Sea, than now; men upon dry Land, as if they were tossed in a rough Sea, through staggering and giddiness of their brains, are driven to their wit's end: they look through the waves of their unconstant humours, and prejuducate conceits, which make the straightest things, which have been so well settled with mature consideration, and unquestioned authority, seem to them crooked: they complain that the shores and trees are moved, not perceiving how themselves are silently transported, and that they move, and not these: they do not look that way which they row; and yet as if they rushed not fast enough to their own destruction, they hoist up their sails of fury and madness, to precipitate them forward. They think to make away in the Sea, in which they cannot so much as spy out any prints of their steps, which have gone before them, nor must hope to leave any impression to be found by those which shall follow after. God only knows what Port they are bound for, I fear me the distraction, if not destruction both of Church and state: what else do so many fiery discursions abode, the perverting of Scriptures, pretending of Prophecies, wracking of consciences, the bold determinations of ignorant Mechanics, flying into the face of dignities and authority; wounding through the sides of Ecclesiastical Discipline, the head of Monarchy, and Government? Do they not all huddle in at one gap, to let in confusion and ruin? Are they not fruitful seeds, which bring forth such a Monster, which hath so frighted Germany these hundred years, and will eat out the very bowels of the Mother which conceived them? Is it because there is no Prophet in our Israel, at whose lips may be inquired the knowledge of the Law? Or is it not rather because there are too many? Such which will take upon them tp be Prophets, and are not called as was Aaron: Which Prophecy in my name, saith the Lord, and I have not sent them, neither did I command them, neither spoke I unto them, and yet they ran, Jere. 14. 14, 15. Is not Saul among the Prophets, madness and cruelty? And the devil gotten again into samuel's mantle, malice and hypocrisy? Is there not a lying spirit got into the mouth of these Prophets? As was in Ababs' days, 1 Kings 22. 22. Do they not prophesy lies unto us, in the name of the Lord? This, this the true cause, the Apostle tells in the last words of the Text; For many false Prophets are gone out into this world.  
This being the cause what Counsel is to be followed? There are two rocks which we must necessarily avoid: to believe all, to believe none: by believing all, we rush presently into heresies and scisime; by believing none, we fall upon irreligion and Atheism: against the first, the Apostle gives us a Caution; Believe not every spirit: Against the second, this Counsel; But try the spirits whether they be of God. This is his to them, to whom he writ; this is mine to you, to whom I speak. Dear beloved, Believe not every spirit, etc.  
So the Text you see plainly supplies us with two parts. First, A premonition. Secondly, A premonition. First, For praemoniti, Secondly, Praemuniti. First, A warning of us, Secondly, An arming of us. They are but two, but we may say of them as our Saviour did of the Disciples two swords, it is enough; we need no more, if we be well accoutred with them, if thoroughly instructed about them; if we know how to prove them, we shall by the grace of God, quit ourselves like men; not to be put to turn to the right hand, or the left, but be able to stand fast in our faith, till we be removed from our station, from faith to fruition; from these earthly Tabernacles, unto heavenly Mansions; from waging of war, and wrestling in combat against sin and error, to wearing of Crowns, in immortality and glory. We begin with the first part, though the last in my Text, the Premonition.  
Many false Prophets are gone out into this world. It is that which all the Prophets, all the Apostles ever complained of, I need not quote you places of Scripture to prove it. Look but into, Jere. 14. 14. and Chap. 23. Verse. 21. Our Saviour himself foretells us of them, Matth. 24. 24. Saint Peter, 2 C. 2. v. 1. is evidence enough, There were false Prophets among the people, even as there shall be false Teachers among you, Which privily shall bring in damnable Heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift damnation. To be told of them aforehand, is the way to take heed of them; to be warned of them, to be armed against them.  
And indeed we had need to be warned, there are five reasons to be yielded from the very Text, I need not seek further for more.  
1. From their name, They are Prophets.  
2. From their fame, They are false Prophets.  
3. From their number, There are many false Prophets.  
4. From their time, being now present, are gone out.  
5. From the place whither they are gone, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. I know not what spirit moved our Translators, to render the Article so significantly, sure it was a good one: Into this world.  
1. They are Prophets. Who would fear to be seduced by such a name? The very name of a Prophet hath been in all ages venerable. Whither should she go for truth but to a Prophet, for instruction not destruction? But this hath ever been the Devil's policy, to bring in damnable heresies under Heavenly Titles: he which skils to transform himself into an Angel of Light, knows how to make his Agents seem like Saints. It is the old Proverb, in nomine Domini incipit omne malum. God himself complains of it: In my name have they prophesied lies, Jere. 23. The enemy dares not appear himself, nor send in his own name: Sub praetextu Divinitatis delit●scentes omnia polluitis, as Constantine told Novatus Centu. 4. This hath been his way, he hath his Prophets, as well as God, he hath been ever styled God's ape: and therefore though they be Prophets which come unto us, yet you are to be warned concerning them. that is the first reason.  
2. They are false Prophets; such are all of his sending, be their shows never so glorious: the very mahometans would be called Maslulinen: the damnedest Incendiaries style themselves Jesuits: the horridst Treason hath been hatched in a Disciple: the lying spirit comes in the mouth of a Prophet, so do wolves in sheep skins: gilded pills are ever bitterest; painted posts rotrennest.  Hic dolus est magnus, Lupus est qui creditur agnus. 
Such as these do soon seduce, for they have Siren's voices, Crocodiles tears, and most dangerous they are, because the least suspected. This is another reason, and enough alone, if they be proved false, to take heed of them: and such as these then, false Prophets.  
3. They are many; Legion may be their name, as well as his, who is the Master of them, Mark 5. 9 Ye are many, saith Eliah, 1 Kings 18. 25. So they were indeed, 450. to one; odds enough. And a little after 400. to one Michaiah, 1 King. 22. 6. Our Saviour himself notes out their number, Matth. 24. 5. Many shall say, Lord have we not prophesied in thy name? False Prophets all, not of his sending, such as he will profess unto, that he never knew them, Matth. 7. 22, 23. It was the complaint of the Church still. Many dogs are come about me, Psal. 22. 16. And they are false Prophets; look to Isai. 56. 10, 11. Greedy dogs which cannot understand, which look to their own way, for their own advantage, for their own purpose. By the many heresies they have scattered, you may well guess at their number: Epiphanius in his days reckons up two hundred. Ecclesiastical Histories muster them up by thousands. In Luther's time in Germany, they grew to 100000. Now if a small number were to be despised, yet so many may not; we well say of the true ones in comparison of the false, as the Disciples did of the Loaves, what are those among so many? All our hope is that which the Lord told Gideon, he saveth not by many; This is another reason, why we should take heed of them. Quia multa sunt.  
4. They are already gone out] like the Locusts out of the dark smoke, Revel. 9 3. In the Apostles time, the mystery of iniquity began to work. Alages since have been pestered with them. Semper aut exortae sunt novae Haereses, aut renovatae veteres, hath been the complaint of the whole Church; Satan never sleeps, he hath like the Philistimes, his spoiling bands still abroad. God hath no sooner his Prophets out, but he hath his: Moses presently met with the Magicians: they were then, so they are still; no times have ever had so just cause to complain as ours: we may take up Saint Jeromes cry, changing but the name; ingemuit totus Orbis, & Miratus est se Arianum factum.  
And yet is it worth the noting that the Apostle saith, they are gone; true Prophets are always said to be sent, they go not till they be commanded; but these run, and yet I spoke not to them, saith the Lord; of their own heads, they are gone out: this is another reason, why you must beware, quia multi exierunt, many false Prophets are gone out.  
Lastly, they are gone out into this world, all the Emphasis lies in the Article: this present world, now as well as then: this place of the world, here as well as there: nullibi satis tutum, nullibi satis cautum, saith Bernard: this world as much as that hath been troubled with them. Europe as well as Asia: toto divisos Orbe Britannos: we which are a world by ourselves, have a world of them; like the Frogs of Egypt, they crawl in all places of the Land; the King's houses, the Ovens, and the kneading troughes are not free from them. Here is cause enough why we should take warning; Quia multi, for many false Prophets are gone out into this world. Besides these all from the Text, we might render some reason out of the Text: They are gone out, for what purpose think you?  
First, To seduce: non Doctores sunt, sed Seductores, saith Tertullian, and that they may better do it, they begin as the Serpent did, with the woman; and they creep into their houses, as he did, for Serpentis est serpere: the Apostle speaks it plain, They Creep into houses, and lead captive simple women, which are laden with sins; which women are ever learning, and yet never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth. 2 Tim. 3. 6, 7. And that they do under a show of godliness, making long prayers, Luke 20. 44. And then,  
Secondly, When they are got in, wherefore come they there? Our Saviour resolves you; the Wolf cometh not, but to devour and destroy; and for that they come, to devour widows houses, their substance and estates: there can be no good looked for, from their coming, They are of their Master's Profession, and his name is Apollyon, a destroyer, and do but mark, how they do ply his work; they destroy even foundations themselves, Faith, Hope, Love, Obedience; and if foundations be destroyed, what shall the righteous do? Other Reasons we might yield, but these are enough to make us follow the Apostles counsel, to mark those which make divisions and contentions, which with fair speech, and flattering, deceive the hearts of the simple, Rom. 16. 17, 18. Indeed to warn us of them, it is enough alone, but to remember the Text itself: Many falls Prophets are gone out into this world.  
I pass to the second part.  
The Premonition.  
To be warned of them, and not Armed against them, is to little purpose; we may be armed two ways, by the Text. First, Negatively, non credendo. Secondly, Affirmitively, probando.  
First, Non Credendo: Believe not every spirit. Spirit and Prophet are here Synonimons, so Beza and the best expound it, Metonimically it is put for him. Every Prophet pretends, he hath the Spirit: Mabomet himself, that grand Impostor, stuck not to affirm that the spirit was his teacher; By the name of the spirit they gain authority unto their Doctrines, So as you have heard already; The devil sendsforth his agents under the pretence of divinity: But there is a lying spirit, as well as a true one, and here we have a caution, de non Credendo: Believe not every spirit.  
It is not safe for any soul to be too credulous in matters of salvation; to believe every report, is in civil affairs, an argument of greatest Levity, much more in religious: Credulity was the sin of our first parents: Eve believed the Serpent, Adam believed her. I know when God speaks, to believe him presently; ea Credulitas semper magni fuit & ingentis animi, saith Saint chrysostom; it was Abraham's praise, and the Virgins Maries; But since lying spirits are gone out in the name of God, credulity must needs be dangerous: The foolish will believe every thing, saith Solomon, Prov. 14. 15. And the son of Syrach, Eccle. 19 4. He that is hasty to give credit, is light minded. This de non credendo then, cannot but be a good watch word. Believe not every spirit.  
And the reason of it is.  
It is always best policy to watch that place, where the enemy strives to enter, ibi fortiter opponere, ubi fortiter oppugnatur. Satan's chief battery is against our Faith; we need not fear him much, if he get not in at that: poison hath no hurt in it, if it be not received; nor false doctrines, if not believed: therefore his Agents work most upon credulous natures, they commonly begin with weak and silly women, which are easy to believe and creep into them, and then by them, wind themselves into the opinions and bosoms of weak and effeminate men. The Devil never could do any thing, if you would not believe him: He requires Faith in his Auditors, as well as God doth in his.  
Belief is the only passage of all good or evil to the soul; if that be easy to God, he enters, and with him all graces: if open to the devil, he enters, and with him all vices. Therefore, Solomon bids us keep our heart with all diligence, and especially that passage, at which Satan so much seeks to enter, which is believing.  
And that we may the better keep our heart, we should keep our ears too: stop those outward passages, harken not to them, Deut. 13. 3. Thou shalt not hearken to the words of the Prophets, or dreamer of dreams, etc. We let him in too near, if he get into the ear; that passage he seeks to get first: if he can, have free access to the ear, he will command the heart too, ere he have done.  
And that we may keep both our heart and ear, we should keep our houses too, not let them lie open to them; it is not safe letting them come so near us, their desire is to creep in there first, 2 Tim. 3. 6. But no deceitful person shall dwell in my house, He that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight, saith the Psalmist: and these are Deceivers, Matth. 24. 5. and Liars, 2 Thes. 2. 9 2 Pet. 2. 1. Beloved let me not be mistaken, I mean those false Prophets which are spoken in my Text, which are gone out into the world, which come unto you with damnable doctrines, novelties, schisms, which sow divisions, contentions, debates among you; which call themselves Prophets, but are not sent, and come in the name of the spirit, but are not to be received; for it is the Apostles caution. Dear beloved, believe not every spirit. But I mean not to insist longer upon this. The second take up more time, which is affirmative. Probando.  
But prove the spirits whether they be of God,] There is good reason for this rule: to believe all tends to heresy and schism; for there are lying spirits. 1 King. 22. 22. Evil spirits, Judges 9 23.  spirits. Luk. 4. 23. Spirits of error, 1 Tim. 4. 1. And therefore you have heard of the Apostles caution, de non credendo. Believe not every spirit. But yet to believe none tends as much another way, to irreligion, and Atheism; for there is a spirit, which is of God; nay, there are the seven spirits of God, which are sent abroad into the world; and these are to be believed, Revel. 5. 6. What is to be done, that we may not be deceived? We are now to hearken to the Apostles counsel: Prove the spirits, whether they be of God.  
Now proving them is all the way we have to be safe from error; the false and lying spirit comes in the name of God to us, as well as the righteous and true spirit: dicit Dominus is the prologue ever to their lie. 1 Kings 22. 11, 12. In my name do they prophesy lies, saith the Lord himself, Jere. 14. We cannot but mistake, if we take all, if we take none: to take the right, is to be take us to the rule; to prove the spirits whether they be of God.  
And now if ever we have need of proving, we live in the last and perilous days, where many spirits of errors are gone abroad, and many are deceived by them; those that are yet free, or not so fare gone, have reason to be both more thankful unto God, and more vigilant over themselves: the name of the spirit is able to deceive the best and wisest. If a bad one but come, and as once the good spirit did, Gen. 1. 2. incumhehat aquis; be but incumbent there, or rest and stay there, God knows what he may produce; it concerns such especially to take heed to this rule: to prove the spirits, whether they he of God, or no.  
And it is but the same which Saint Paul else where bids us, Prove yourselves, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Prove what things are well pleasing unto God, Ephes. 5. 10. That ye may allow these things which are best, Phil. 1. 10. Try all things, and keep that which is good, 1 Thes. 5. 21. Try the spirits whether they be of God.  
And now we go about the Trial; there are but two ways that I know of, but both are Demonstrative; we may not in this case content ourselves with probabilities or possibilities: shows, and appearances are no good grounds for our souls to take any thing upon trust; our proof must be armour of proof, or else we shall not be well appointed against them.  
The first is à Priori; the second à Posteriori: from their calling, from their conversation; those two are the grounds we can only go upon.  
First, From their calling, for they must have that, or else they cannot be right. No man takes upon him the honour, unless he be called as was Aaron, Heb. 5. 4. God himself renounceth them from being his, if they come, and be not sent, if they run and be not commanded, Jere. 14. If they be not sent by him, you may soon conclude that they be not of God.  
That you may understand this point more fully, being a matter these times so much stand upon. You must observe that there is a twofold calling by God:  
1. Extraordinary.  
2. Ordinary.  
First, Extraordinary, which was in old times: either spiritus Oris, as Abraham, Moses, Samuel, so the all the Apostles: They were called by the voice of Christ; and sent into the world. Or else, ore spiritus, by special instinct, whereby they were inwardly furnished with all the gifts of the spirit, necessary to that service, whereto they were designed, so were many of the Prophets; Elias in the deplored estate of the Jews.  
These ways of calling are now ceased, and not to be looked for. The Anabaptists, and their brood the Brownists, which pretend Revelations and Dreams are not to be regarded: By the instinct of the spirit of arrogancy and error do they take upon them to prophecy, and of no other spirit at all: though they come unto you in a mighty wind, yet God is not in that wind; you may not take those spirits to be of God.  
2. The other way of calling by God, is his Ordinary calling, and that is twofold:  

Internal,  
Externall.   
1. Internal; and that is when a man finds himself furnished with gists' fit sore that calling, so saith Musculus and Zanchie: They are the Talents with which Christ hath endued him for his service. The search of this is left to every man's Conscience which desires the Ministry, he shall be reckoned an Intrudor, if he find not these in some measure in himself: and therefore in our Form of Consecration, the Bishop asketh every one which cometh to be Ordained, whether he do think himself to be inwardly called. I confess outward abilities others may judge of, humane learning, skill in Divinity, sound Intellectuals, by discourse, by examination, they come to be discovered; but inward preparations, they are from the Lord: It is the height of arrogancy for any to take upon them to judge of them in others than themselves, for what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 2. 11. God only is the tryer of the heart and reins. He proudly enters into God's Judgement Seat, which takes upon him to determine that. If it be internal and secret, how cometh it known to thee or me? Let other judge of my abilities for the Function, but the preparations of my heart are known only to God and myself.  
2. Externall, and that is Mediante Ecclesiâ: Christ hath left the power unto his Church, he called his Apostles, they called others after them; Titus had precept from Paul to ordain Ministers in every City, Tit. 1. 5. So had Timotby by Imposition of hands, 1 Tim. 5. 2. Christ cannot be visibly present, the Heavens must contain him till his last Coming: but by his Spirit he is present with his Church, he calls by it: those whom it balls lawfully, we are to acknowledge to be called by God.  
But whether it calls lawfully or no, that is now called in question; whether this Calling only belong to the chief of the Church, which are so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to all the multitude of believers: Those that question it, do withal question the Doctrine of our Church, and if that, which they dare not deny but was well settled by  Authority, cannot satisfy them, how shall I? Yet I shall adventure to lay my Axe unto the root of this Tree of pride and arrogancy, which doth oppose it, if so be it prove not as the young Prophets did, which was but borrowed.  
They that are for a populary election, pretend two Arguments for the Confirmation, The Scriptures, and the Primitive times. I shall satisfy both with their own principles.  
1. For the Scriptures, their own rule is this; That nothing binds to a necessity of observation, which hath not there an affirmative precept enjoining it: Let them stand but to this, and be tried by themselves, whether there be any such or no, and whether they do well in imposing a necessity of things which are besides the rule: Is there any? let them demonstrate it, and carry the cause; Is there none? let them see the invalidity and weakness of their Argument, and relinquish it. But  
They object the practice of the Apostles in their times; there are many things which must go to make that an everlasting rule, and not temporary: those times and ours are not like, and therefore not the like discipline: I will name but one reason, an essential one, the true cause of that alteration that hath been in this point: All the believers were then of one mind, there was no danger of any schis● 〈◊〉 any rent to be made in the Church then, of which innumerable have been since. But yet that they cannot prove: the multitude of the 〈◊〉 were present, we will grant that, and not only with silence, as some think, but with suffrages, as others, without which there was no laying on of hands. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is suffragiis creare, as Erasmus argues in the Election of Mathias to the Apostleship, and the seven to the Deaconship: let it be granted they were there, that they s●●e not only still, but said some what, but gave their consent, yet that was only to their Ordination, not to their Institution, at the giving them power to preach, not assigning them any place: and I report me to any indifferent Judge, whether that be not so done in our Church's Form of Ordination.  
2. For the Primitive times which succeeded the Apostles, we may most admite of their inference from thence, which have been ever most enemies to true antiquity: you I now how Episcopacy and Ceremony is opposed, which themselves cannot deny, but be grounded in Antiquity: we may say most truly what Saint Augustine saith, to some of the same sort: Qui in Evangelio, nihil nisi quod vultis creditis; vobis potiùs quam Evangelio creditis: so vobis potius quam antiquitati creditis. I confess ingeniously there is something favours their saying, especially from the African Churches, but proves it not to be of a binding nature at all times and places: Potest esse diversa consuetudo in diversis Ecclesis, s●ith Calvin: I condemn not those Churches that have it not, saith Zanche: our Church may truly say with the Apostle, we have no such custom. In things which are indifferent (as all things that are not commanded, or forbidden in Scripture are) no man in his right wits will deny, but the power of the Magistrate may determine. The Judgement of so many counsels, which have passed upon this point; The Laws established in this state wherein we live, are enough to satisfy any spirit that is not contentious, which desires not rather to steal into the calling under the pretence of Antiquity, then to come in by the door of Legal and established Authority. Of whom we may well say, as Saint Cyprian doth of Novatus, Adulter & extraneus Episcopus ille est qui fieri à desertoribus per ambitum nititur, Epist. 52. Sec. 16. The sum of all is, but the Doctrine of the Church of England, that those which come into their Ecclesiastical charges, by those which are in Authority, do come in lawsully, and their calling is of God.  
I must not stay upon this point which would take up a book, and is not to be contained in a Sermon. I return to my Text: the other way to know false Prophets by.  
2. A Posteriori, and this is the surer, because best seen by us: it is the same which our Saviour gives his Disciples; You shall know them by their fruits: give me leave at once, to present you with a bundle of them.  
The fruits of the spirit are Love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, Gal. 5. 22. These you may be su●e, they are of God: and so are those spirits, that do come with these: But contrarily, the fruits of the flesh, are Adultery, fornication, uncleanaeesse, wantonness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, debate, emulations, wrath, contentions, seditions, heresies, etc. Verse. 19 20. These ye may be sure they are not of God, neither are those spirits which come with them: Look in another place that true Character of false Prophets, and of such which our times are especially forewarned of 2 Tim. 3. 1, 2. In the last days shall come perilous times, men lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, disobedient to parents, cursed speakers, unthankful, imholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, intemperate, fierce. And Verse 5. Having a show of godliness, but deny the power of it. And Verse 6, 7. Creeping into houses, and leading captive silly women. And if you please to make up their Character out of, 2 Peter 2. 1. Such which privily bring in damnable herefies, Verse 3. Which through covetousness, and feigned works make merebandize of you. Vers. 10. Which despise government, and stand in their own conceit. Verse 12. which speak evil of those things which they know not, and make their liberty a cloak for their maliciousness. None of these are of God, neither are those spirits which do come with them. By these you may be able to discern them; and this is a trial you may trust unto.  
But as in a disease there may some Symptoms be missing, especially before it come to be Epidomicall, until it come to the height of it: so it may fall out in the discovery of this great sickness of these times, all will not appear; especially where there is so much art and cunning used in the concealing them. I will pitch upon some few, which will not fail you, as soon as you perceive them, you may be able certainly to prove them.  
1. If they come not in Love: the Spirit of God is a loving Spirit: This is the touchstone of the spirit: By this shall all men know that ●ou are my Disciples, saith Christ, if you love one another. It is an experiment upon which our Apostle himself concludeth a Probatum est: Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error, Verse 6. Saint Cyprian is down right, Quisquis ille est, qualiscunque ille est, Christianus non est, qui in Christi ecclesia non est: And in the next words he tells us, whom he means, even No●atus the Schismatic, Qui nec fraternam charitatem, nec Ecclesiasticam unitatem tenuit. Epist 52. sec. 16. The unity of the Spirit cannot be kept, but in the bond of Peace and Love: those than which come with malice, and contention, and hatred; which come with wrath, and envy, and debate; which are such as the Apostle speaks of, some which can never be appeased (pray mark that) Rom. 1. 30. are justly to be suspected, and you may be sure that they are not of God; and by this rule you may try not only false Prophets, but false professors.  
2. If they come in Meekness and Humility: the Spirit of God is an humble Spirit: and it is our Saviour Lesson to his Disciples, discite ame quia mitis sum. I am near unto him, saith the Lord, which is of an humble spirit. This is another argument to try them by, a Symptom of the Spirit of God: if they come with pride, and arrogancy, if contemning of their brethren, conceiting of themselves, above themselves: you may know by this, that they are not of God.  
Yet there is a voluntary humility, they may possibly creep, till they be got in; but this vizard will drop off in a short time, you shall soon discover them by this, whether they be of God.  
3. If they come in Gentleness. The Spirit of the Lord is a gentle Spirit. Wis. 1. 5, 6. God himself came not in the fire, nor in the Earthquake, nor in the strong wind, but in a soft and still voice, 1 King. 19 12. Gentleness and love are the fruits of the spirit, Gal. 5. 22. They know not of what spirit they are which come otherwise. The feet of the Messengers of the Gospel are to be shod with the preparations of peace: Isaiah delivers them their Message, Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, will your God say.  
This is another rule to try the Spirit, it marcheth not suriously like Jebu; it is not madness, but mildness which comes with it. They prosecute their own cause, as he did, and not Gods, which come otherwise.  
Again fourthly, Truth, is the trial of them; the Spirit of God is a Spirit of truth; by their doctrines you must try the Spirits. He that denies that Christ came in the flesh, is the spirit of Antichrist, Verse 3. There are other Doctrines which proceed from the lying spirits. Saint Cyprian notes it for a notable one in Novatus, for taking upon him to make a separation of the good from the bad, as if he were the searcher of the hearts and reins; a lying Doctrine and contrary to the precept of our Saviour himself, who commandeth the tares, and wheat, to be let grow together: And to the Apostle who saith, that in agreat house there are vessels of wood and earth, as well as of gold, and silver. Such is the shutting up of the Gate of mercy unto a sinner, after he hath miss their set time of his call; The denying of hope of repentance to such as have gone on long in their wickedness, and have fallen from their professions: The cutting off, of most part of the visible Church, from a possibility of being saved, by God's secret and eternal decree of reprobation: desperate and damnable, and lying doctrines, contrary to Gods own protestations; As I live saith the Lord, etc. At what time soever, etc. And the whole tenor of the Gospel, and indeed a denying of Christ's coming in the flesh; These and such as these are but lying spirits, and you may be sure they are not of God.  
5. I will but add one more, If they hate the light; The privily bringing in their Doctrines, is an argument of salfity, 1 Pet 2. 1. Our Saviour's main reason to confirm the truth of his Doctrines was this, In private have Isaad nothing, John 18. 20. Veritas non quaerit angul●r. The dangerous●st treasons have been nourished, and conceived that ways: All estates have justly disallowed of private and frequent convenings.  
The Disciples were commanded what they had heard in secret, to preach it upon the house top: These dare not do it, for they dare not come to light, lest they be reproved. This is another rule if they come privately, if they seek privacy they are not of God. Christ himself forbids you to look after him in the desert or Chamber. I must not add any more lest I trespass too much on your patience; I will shut up all in that exhortation of the Apostle, Rom. 16. 17, 18.. I beseech you brethren mark them diligently, which cause division, and offences, contrary to the Doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them: for they that are such, serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own bellies, and with fair speech, and flattering, deceive the hearts of the simple: and I conclude, as I began: Dear beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, etc. Now to the eternal God, who is able to make you stand, be all praise, etc.  
FINIS.