speech of the right reverend father in god, anthony lord bishop of meath, when the clergy waited on his majesty at his camp nigh dublin, july 7, 1690 : together with his majesty's most gracious answer. dopping, anthony, 1643-1697. 1690 approx. 5 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2007-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a36347 wing d1914 estc r30983 11753045 ocm 11753045 48621 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a36347) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 48621) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1483:15) speech of the right reverend father in god, anthony lord bishop of meath, when the clergy waited on his majesty at his camp nigh dublin, july 7, 1690 : together with his majesty's most gracious answer. dopping, anthony, 1643-1697. william iii, king of england, 1650-1702. 1 broadside. printed for b. took, and sold by randal taylor ..., london : 1690. reproduction of original in chetham's library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church history -modern period, 1500 great britain -history -william and mary, 1689-1702. 2006-10 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2006-10 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2006-11 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2006-11 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion speech of the right reverend father in god anthony lord bishop of meath , when the clergy waited on his majesty at his camp nigh dublin , july 7. 1690. together with his majesty's most gracious answer . may it please your majesty , we are some of the remains of the clergy that have ventur'd to stay behind our brethren in perillous times , and under great discouragements , for the discharge of our duty to god and the people . two of us are bishops , who , together with five more in the kingdom , thought our selves obliged to continue here , to preserve the succession of the clergy , by the ordination of priests and deacons , and the seminary of the church by confirmation . the rest of our members are the clergy of this city , and the rural clergy . the former of these have staid upon their charge , under great wants and discouragements , having not only been deprived of all their maintenance , but exposed to daily dangers , in and for the discharge of their duties : and the latter are persons driven from their cures , and forced to seek relief and sanctuary in this city . we may possibly be censured by those , who understand not the grounds and reasons of our continuance in this kingdom , as trimmers , or favourers of popery : from the first we are able to acquit our selves , having been guilty of no compliances , but such as were the effects of prudence and self preservation , such as were at once both innocent and necessary , and fit to be observed to a power , that was able to crush us far worse than it did : and we are so far from being guilty of the latter , that we humbly conceive , that we could not more effectually oppose the growth and inundation of popery , than by keeping up the publick assemblies , by sticking to our flocks , and preventing their seduction by the romish emissaries . we do not come to crave your majesties protection for our persons , our churches , our religion , or our properties , which have been all in some measure invaded . our persons have been imprison'd , our churches taken from us , our properties destroyed by a late act of parliament that took away our tithes ; and the free exercise of our religion for some time interrupted . a request of this nature might perhaps look like a distrust of your majesties care of us , and seem to contradict the glorious design of your coming into this kingdom . we are sensible that the generous end of your majesties presence is to rescue us from the oppressions and tyranny of popery ; and are well assured , that the same paternal affection , that moved your majesty to pity our distress , will still protect us now we are deliver'd . we come rather to bless god as the author of our deliverance , and your majesty as the happy instrument raised up by his providence for the effecting it ; to express our gratitude and duty to your majesty , who has a double title to our services , not only as our king , but as our gracious benefactor and deliverer : to pray for the success of your majesty's forces , for the consummation of that good work that you have with so much personal hazard undertaken : that you may carry your victorious arms into other countries , where the cries and the groans , and the oppressions of the afflicted protestants , are as great as they have been here ; that god would be an helmet of salvation to you in the day of battle , and deal with you as he did with nebuchadnezzar , when he promis'd him the kingdom of egypt for his hard service against tyrus : may he likewise recompense your hard labour in this kingdom , with the addition of another that is far more valuable : and may you prove as happy and successful an instrument in the succouring of others , as you have been of the poor afflicted people of this kingdom . his majesty's answer . i am come hither to deliver you from the tyranny of popery and slavery , to protect the protestant religion , and restore you to your liberties and properties ; and you may depend upon it . licensed july 22. 1690. london , printed for b. took ; and sold by randal taylor near stationers hall. 1690. the humble and earnest request of thomas iames, dr of diuinity, and subdeane of the cathedrall church of welles, to the church of england; for, and in the behalfe of bookes touching religion humble and earnest request for, and in the behalfe of bookes touching religion james, thomas, 1573?-1629. 1625 approx. 10 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 10 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2006-06 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a04340 stc 14455 estc s119327 99854534 99854534 19960 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a04340) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 19960) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1475-1640 ; 741:16) the humble and earnest request of thomas iames, dr of diuinity, and subdeane of the cathedrall church of welles, to the church of england; for, and in the behalfe of bookes touching religion humble and earnest request for, and in the behalfe of bookes touching religion james, thomas, 1573?-1629. 15, [1] p. s.n., [oxford? : 1625?] suggested imprint from stc. reprinted and explained in: james, thomas. an explanation or enlarging of the ten articles in the supplication of doctor james, lately exhibited to the the clergy of england (stc 14454). reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng criticism, textual -early works to 1800. church history -early works to 1800. 2005-11 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-12 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2006-01 judith siefring sampled and proofread 2006-01 judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the hvmble and earnest reqvest of thomas iames , dr of divinity , and svb deane of the cathedrall church of welles , to the church of england ; for , and in the behalfe of bookes touching religion . 1 that the latine-fathers workes , ( whereof diuers are already done ) the bookes of councels , and the body of the canon law , may be diligently reviewed and compared with the best manuscripts ; and the collections and needfull obseruations thence-from arising , printed ; together with the pieces and fragments of the fathers workes ( if any shall be found . ) 2 that the latine translation of the greeke fathers may be collationed by able and fit persons , by reason of diuerse christophorsons and iesuits , that haue too-too much abused the ignorant of the tongue . 3 that the jndices : expurgatory may be likewise perused , all of them , as many as can be gotten , the places forbidden to be transcribed , of which labour there is a third part at the least already taken either by me , or my procurement . 4 that lyra and the glosse , the great bibliotheea sanctorum patrum , platina , caietan , alphonsus de castro , and sundry others of all sorts of authors , may be compared with former editions , and manuscripts ( if need be ) to meet with their secret jndices expurgatorii , which are the more dangerous , because they print , and leaue out what they list , at pleasure , and yet make no words of it , neither haue any commission knowne for to doe it . 5 that the authors of the middle age , that wrote in the defence of that religion , which is now ( thankes be to god ) publikely established in the church of england , for the substance thereof , may be faithfully transcribed , diligently collated , & distributed into volumes , whereof many may be made of orthod oxe-writers ; ; if not so many as of their bibliotheca patrum probabilium : adding hereunto such writers , as being bred and brought vp in the bosome of the roman church saw the disorders , discouered their abuses both in doctrine and manners , and wished almost for the same reformation , that was afterward most happily wrought & brought to passe by martin luther and his companions : of the first sort are wickliffe , peacocke , gu. de s. amore , jo. p. mi●orita , normannus anon , nic. o●em & sundry others : of the later kinde , wesselus , wicelius , p. de alliaco , faber , gerson , cusarius , and such like . 6 that the catalogus testium veritatis , compiled by illyricus , may be rectified out of the originals , quoting booke , chapter , & edition ; & supplyed out of the vnprinted manuscripts . 7 that out of all these an anticoccius may be framed out of fathers , and middle-aged writers , that were in their times esteemed of the church of rome , and out of them onely : nothing doubting but we shall be able to match , if not exceed , his two large volumes both in greatnes and goodnesse ; quoting as before , precisely , our editions , and doing all fide optima & antiqua , religiously and vnpartially as becommeth diuines . 8 that the supposititious and bastard workes of the fathers , noted by doctor rivet , or master cooke , or any other , may be re-examined ; their exceptions scanned or weighed with indifferency , & other reasons added to their challenge , if any shal be found . 9 that the suspected places may be viewed in the true fathers , which are justly challenged of corruption , either by our own men , or the aduersary , with the like indifference of minds , and vnpartiality of judgments , being cōpared with the touchstone of the old manuscripts , and printed bookes , which are quasi manuscripts . tenthly and lastly , the perpetuall visibility of the church , more or lesse , and the history of the same religion that we professe for the substance thereof , throughout all ages , may be shewed to the eye , noting when those novelismes & superadditaments of the church of rome , came in as neare as may be guessed , the time when , and parties by whom they were opposed . all vvhich 10 propositions , ( needfull and important as they are ) i doe vvillingly commend vnto my deare mother the church of england , and from her to the cleargie & gentry of this land , to be proceeded in , as they shall see it most expedient for the common good ; promising nothing but my paines to be commanded in these publique seruices . and i make no doubt ( if god vvill ) but that all this may be effected , vvithin some fevv yeares , if the almghty giue grace , the rich vvhom god hath blessed vvith this vvorldly substance , incouragement ; & the rest their prayers . of the likelihood hereof i am the rather persvvaded , because already by my ovvne meanes , and small endeauours , there is almost a fourth part of the worke done in all these 10 articles . if one alone may doe so much vvithin such a time , vvhat may a dozen able schollers ( such as i knovv and could name ) doe vvithin 5 , 6 , 7 , or 8 yeares , vvhich is the vtmost in my conjecture ? for the raising of the charges , vvhich vvill amount to three thousand pound stock , or three hundred pound a yeare at the least , ( so much shal vvell cōtent both me and them , ) that shall be imploied in this happy worke : ( though if more be offered , vve knovv vvell hovv to vse and imploy it to the publique benefit : ) and of raising such a summe as this is , i doubt not , if some one of the cleargie or laitie shal not take vpon him the whole charge , as many in this kingdome are ( thankes be to god ) able , and would be willing , if they either knew of the good that is likely to come vnto the church , or the honor vnto themselues , and chiefly how much this busines doth concerne the glory of god , the assuring of the most materiall points controverted , whiles there are daily questions made , & doubts arising either about the editions , readings , translations , corruptions of whole bookes in pseudepigraphous writers , or of diuers hundreds of places in the true bookes , all which difficulties will easily be auoided ( as i trust ) by this one worke being once well done . but that such a stocke or annuall rent may be made , i doubt not ; but am somewhat confident , when i see how fruitfull our religion hath bin of good workes , and how many suttons and bodleyes , and other godly men it hath yeelded , no nation more : and herein no city , ( i except not rome her self ) without the hope of pardon , guile of confessours , and feare of purgatory , is able to match or equalize , much lesse to surpasse or exceed our famous city of london in the right vse and end of giuing as tokens of our faith , not as the meanes of our saluation . what shall i speak of the sages of our law , or innes of court ? but my desire is , and proposall shall be to offer this great honour , first vnto the cleargie of this land. the popish cleargie in france haue ( as i am informed ) at their owne charges printed the greek fathers , & shall not we be prouoked to doe the like for the latine , and many things else that import the weale publique of learning ? twelue pound out of euery diocese one with another , from the cathedrall churches , the reuerend bishops and cleargie , will make vp the sūme ; or if euery one of the cleargie of this famous church , will either giue yearely xij d , or but lend ij f , till any thing be printed , he shall haue the same againe with thankes , ( if it be demanded , ) deducted out of the booke , when any thing shall be printed ; i meane this xij d or two shillings of euery hundred pound , they making their own estimates of their liuings , and paying the same halfe yearely to the register of euerie diocese . but my intent is to desire , & not to prescribe vnto my superiours , who know better then i how to manage so weightie and important a busines , resting theirs wholly to command t. i. s. t. p. b. p. n. i approue of the things here proiected , & wish with all my heart they may take good effect lv. prideavx vicecanc . s. t. d. prof. reg. theol. rod. kettell preses coll. s. trinit . leon . hvtten aedis christi praebend . gvil . langton coll. magd. praeses . sebastianvs benefield lecturae margareticae professor . io. parkehvrst magister coll. ball. io. ravlenson principalis aulae s. edmundi . io. wilkinson aul. magd. praep. gvil . peirs decanus petriburgensis . sam . fell aedis christi praebend . tho. iles aulae cervinae principalis . ric. asteley custos coll. omnium animarum . rob. pinck novi coll. custos . gv. smyth coll. wadham . guard. io. tolson coll. oriel . praepositus . pavlvs hood coll. lincoln . rector . gvil . ivxon coll. d. io. praeses . the scotts declaration, in answer to the declaration, sent unto them by their commissioners now at london, from the honourable houses of parliament of england: expressing their care to prevent the effusion of christian blood; and their affections to reformation both to kirk and state. ordered by the lords and commons, that this be forthwith printed and published, h. elsynge, cler. parl. dom: com scotland. parliament. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a86194 of text r18646 in the english short title catalog (thomason e115_3). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 18 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 8 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a86194 wing h1438 thomason e115_3 estc r18646 99860444 99860444 112564 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a86194) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 112564) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 20:e115[3]) the scotts declaration, in answer to the declaration, sent unto them by their commissioners now at london, from the honourable houses of parliament of england: expressing their care to prevent the effusion of christian blood; and their affections to reformation both to kirk and state. ordered by the lords and commons, that this be forthwith printed and published, h. elsynge, cler. parl. dom: com scotland. parliament. henderson, alexander, 1583?-1646. scotland. convention of estates. 15, [1] p. printed, for edw. husbands and john francks, and are to be sold at their shops, in the middle temple, and next door to the sign of the kings-head in fleet-street, [london] : septem. 1. 1642. attributed to alexander henderson by wing. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng church history -early works to 1800. scotland -history -charles i, 1625-1649 -sources. a86194 r18646 (thomason e115_3). civilwar no the scotts declaration, in answer to the declaration, sent unto them by their commissioners now at london, from the honourable houses of par scotland. parliament 1642 3044 7 0 0 0 0 0 23 c the rate of 23 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the c category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-04 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-04 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-05 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2007-05 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the scotts declaration , in answer to the declaration , sent unto them by their commissioners now at london , from the honourable houses of parliament of england : expressing their care to prevent the effusion of christian b●ood ; and their affections to reformation both to kirk and state . ordered by the lords and commons , that this be forthwith printed and published , h. elsynge , cler. parl. dom : com : printed , for edw. husbands and john francks , and are to be sold at their shops , in the middle temple , and next door to the sign of the kings-head in fleet-street , septem. 1. 1642. the scots declaration . the generall assembly of the kirk of scotland having received a declaration sent unto them by the commissioners of this kingdom now at london , from the honourable houses of the parliament of england , expressing their care to prevent the effusion of christian blood in that kingdom , and their affections to reformation both in kirk and state : and having taken the same to such consideration , as the importance of so weighty matters , and the high estimation they have of so wise and honorable a meeting as is the parliament of england did require , have , with universall consent , resolved upon this following answer : i. that from the recent sense of the goodnesse of god in their own la●e deliverance , and from their earnest desire of all happinesse to our native king , and that kingdom , they blesse the lord for preserving them in the midst of so many unhappy divisions and troubles , from a bloody intestine war , which is from god the greatest judgement ; and to such a nation , the compend of all calamities . they also give god thanks for their former and present desires of reformation , especially of religion , which is the glory and strength of a kingdom , and bringeth with it all temporall blessings of ▪ prosperity and peace . ii. that the hearts of all the members of this assembly , and of all the well-affected within this kingdom are exceedingly grieved , and made heavy , that in so long a time , against the professions both of king and parliament , and contrary to the joynt desires and prayers of the godly in both kingdoms , to whom it is more dear and precious then what is dearest to them in the world , the reformation of religion hath moved so slowly , and suffered so great interruption . they consider , that not onely prelates , formall professors , prophane and worldly men , and all that are popishly affected , are bad counsellors and workers , and do abuse their power , and bend all their strength and policies against the work of god , but the god of this world also , with principallities and powers , the rulers of the darknesse of this world , and spirituall wickednesse in high places , are working with all their force and fraud in the same opposition , not without hope of successe ; they having prevailed so far from the beginning , that in the times of the best kings of iuda of old , and the most part of the reformed kirks of late , a thorow and perfect reformation of religion hath been a work full of difficulties : yet do they conceive , that as it ought first of all to be intended , so should it be above all other things , with confidence in god , who is greater then the world , and he who is in the world most seriously endeavoured . and that when the supreme providence giveth opportunity of the accepted time and day of salvation , no other work can prosper in the hands of his servants , if it be not apprehended , and with all reverence and faithfulnesse improved . this kirk and nation when the lord gave them the calling , considered not their own deadnesse , nor staggered at the promise through unbelief , but gave glory to god . and who knoweth ( we speak it in humility and love , and from no other minde , then from a desire of the blessing of god upon our king and that kingdom ▪ but the lord hath now some controversie with england , which will not be removed , till first , and before all , the worship of his name , and the government of his house be setled according to his own will . when this desire shall come , it shall be to england , after so long deferred hopes , a tree of life , which shall not onely yeeld temporall blessings unto themselves , but also shall spread the branches so far , that both this nation , and other reformed kirks shall finde the fruits thereof to their great satisfaction . iii. the commissioners of this kingdom in the late treaty of peace , considering that religion is not onely the mean of the service of god , and saving of souls , but is also the base and foundation of kingdoms and estates , and the strongest band to tye subjects to their prince in true loyalty , and to knit the hearts of one to another in true unity and love , they did , with preface of all due respect and reverence , far from arrogance or presumption , represent , in name of this kingdom , their serious thoughts , and earnest desires for unity of religion ; that in all his majesties dominions there might be one confession of faith , one directory of worship , one publike catechism , and one form of kirk-government : this they conceived to be acceptable to god almighty , who delighteth to see his people walking in truth and unity ; to be a speciall means for conserving of peace betwixr the kingdoms , of easing the kings majesty and the publike government of much trouble which ariseth from differences of religion , very grievous to kings and estates ; of great content to the king himself , to his nobles , his court , and all his people , when — occasioned to be abroad , without scruple to themselves , or scandall to others , all may resort to the same publike worship , as they were at their own dwellings : of suppressing the names of heresies and sects , puritans , conformists , separatists , anabaptists , &c. which do rent asunder the bowells both of kirk and kingdom ; of despair of successe to papists and recusants to have their profession , which is inconsistent with the true protestant religion , and authority of princes , set up again , and of drawing the hearts and hands of ministers from unpleasant and unprofitable controversies , to the pressing of mortification , and to treatises of true piety , and practicall divinity . the assembly doth now enter upon the labour of the commissioners , unto which they are encouraged , not onely by their faithfulnesse in the late treaty , but also by the zeal and example of the generall assemblies of this kirk in former times , as may appear by the assembly at edinburgh , decemb. 25. in the yeer 1566. which ordained a letter to be sent to england against the surplice , tippet , cornercoap , & such other ceremonies as then troubled that kirk , that they might be removed . by the assembly at edinburgh , april 24. 1583. humbly desiring the kings majestie to command his ambassadour then going to england to deal with the queen , that there might be an union and band betwixt them and other christian princes and realms professing the true religion , for defence and protection of the word of god , and professors thereof , against the persecution of papists and confederates , joyned and knit together by the bloody league of trent : as also , that her majesty would disburthen their brethren of england , of the yoke of ceremonies imposed upon them against the liberty of the word . and by the assembly at edinburgh , march 3. 1589. ordaining the presbytry of edinburgh to use all good and possible means for the relief and comfort of the kirk of england , then heavily troubled for maintaining the true discipline and government of the kirk ; and that the brethren in their private and publike prayers recommend the estate of the afflicted kirk of england to god . while now by the mercie of god , the conjunction of the two kingdoms is many wayes increased , the zeal of the generall assembly towards their happinesse ought to be no lesse . but besides these , the assembly is much encouraged unto this duty , both from the kings majestie and his parliament joyntly , in their answer to the proposition made by the late commissioners of the treaty , in these words , to their desire concerning unity of religion , and uniformity of kirk-government , as a speciall means for conserving of peace betwixt the two kingdoms , upon the grounds and reasons contained in the paper of the 10 of march ; and given in to the treaty and parliament of england . it is answered upon the 15 of june , that his majestie , with advice of both houses of parliament , doth approve of the affection of his subjects of scotland , in their desire of having conformity of kirk-government between the two nations ; and as the parliament hath already taken into consideration the reformation of kirk-government , so they will proceed therein in due time , as shall best conduce to the glory of god , the peace of the kirk , and of both kingdoms . and also severally ; for his majesty knoweth that the custody and vindication , the conservation and purgation of religion , are a great part of the duty of civil authority and power . his majesties late practise , while he was here in person , in resorting frequently to the exercises of publike worship , his royall actions in establishing the worship and government of this kirk in parliament . and in giving order for a competent maintenance to the ministery and seminaries of the kirk ; and his majesties gracious letter to the assembly ( seconded by the speech of his majesties commissioner ) which containeth this religious expression , where any thing is amisse , we will endeavour in a fair and orderly way a reformation , and where reformation is setled , we resolve with that authority wherewith god hath vested us , to maintain ▪ and defend it in peace and liberty , against all trouble that can come from without , and against all heresies , sects , and schismes which may arise from within . all these do make us hopefull that his majestie will not oppose , but advance the worke of reformation . in like manner the honourable houses of parliament , as they have many times before witnessed their zeal , so now also in their declaration sent to the assemblie , which not only sheweth the constancie of their zeal , but their great grief that the work hath been interrupted by a malignant party of papists and evill-affected persons , especially of the corrupt and dissolute clergy by the incitement and instigation of bishops and others . their hopes according to their earnest desire when they shall return to a peaceable and parliamentarie proceeding by the blessing of god , to settle such a reformation in the church as shall be agreeable to gods word ; and that the result shall be a most firm and stable union between the two kingdoms of england and scotland , &c. the assemblie also is not a little encouraged by a letter sent from many reverend brethren of the kirk of england , expressing their prayers and endeavours against every thing which shall be found prejudiciall to the establishment of the kingdom of christ and the peace of their soveraigne . upon these encouragements , and having so potent a doore of hope , the assemblie doth confidently expect , that england will now bestir themselves in the best way for a reformation of religion ; and do most willingly offer their prayers and uttermost endeavours for furthering so great a work , wherein christ is so much concern'd in his glory , the king in his honour , the kirk and kingdom of england in their happinesse , and this kirk and kingdom in the puritie and peace of the gospell . iv. that the assemblie also from so many reall invitations are heartned to renew the proposition made by the aforenamed commissioners of this kingdom , for beginning the work of reformation , at the uniformitie of kirk-government : for what hope can there be of unitie in religion , of one confession of faith , one form of worship , and one catechisme , till there be first one form of ecclesiasticall government ? yea what hope can the kingdom and kirk of scotland have of a firm and durable peace , till prelacie which hath been the main cause of their miseries and troubles first and last , be pluck't up root and branch , as a plant which god hath not planted ? and from which no better fruits can be expected , then such sower grapes , as this day set on edge the kingdom of england . v. the prelaticall hierarchy being put out of the way , the work will be easie without forcing any conscience to settle in england the government of the reformed kirks by assemblies , for although the reformed kirks do hold without doubting their kirk officers , and kirk-government by assemblies higher and lower in their strong and beautifull subordination , to be jur● divino and perpetuall , yet prelacie as it differeth from the office of a pastor , is almost universally acknowledged by the prelats themselves and their adherents , to be but an humane ordinance introduced by humane reason , and settled by humane law and custome for supposed conveniency , which therefore by humane authority without wronging any mans conscience may be altered and abolished , upon so great a necessity as is a hearty conjunction with all the reform'd kirks , a firm and well-grounded peace between the two kingdoms , formerly divided in themselves and betwixt themselves by this partition wall , and a perfect union of the kirks in the two nations , which although by the providence of god in one island , and under one monarch , yet ever since the reformation , and for the present also are at greater difference in the point of kirk-government which in all places hath a powerfull influence upon all the parts of religion then any other reform'd kirks , although in nations at greatest distance and under divers princes . vi . what may be required of the kirk of scotland for furthering the work of uniformitie of government , or for agreeing upon a common confession of faith , catechisme and directorie for worship shall according to the order given by this assembly , be most willingly performed by us , who long extreamly for the day when king and parliament shall joyne for bringing to passe so great , so good a worke : that all wars and commotions ceasing , all superstitition , idolatry , heresies , sects and schismes being removed ; as the lord is one , so his name may be one amongst us , and mercie and truth , righteousnesse ▪ and peace meeting together and kissing one another , may dwell in this island . st. andrews , august 3. 1642. johnston cler. eccl. at edinbvrgh , the eighteenth-day of august , 1642. the lords of secret councell having read heard , and considered the petition this day given in to them , in the name of the late generall assembly holden at saint andrews , by their commissioners appointed for that effect , desiring the councell to concur with them in their remonstrance to the parliament of england , toward the setling of vnity in religion , and vniformity in kirk-government in his majesties three kingdoms . and having also heard the petition directed from the assembly to his majestie , with their answer to the parliament of england , the scots commissioners of the treaty at london , and certain ministers of england concerning this matter . and finding the reasons therein express'd to be very pregnant , and the particular desired much to conduce for the glory of god , the advancement of the true christian faith , his majesties honour , and the peace and union of his dominions . the said lords , out of their duty to the furtherance of so much wished and important a work , and affection to their brethren of the kingdom of england , do unanimously and heartily concur with the said nationall assembly , in their earnest desires to the honorable houses of the parliament of england , to take to their serious consideration the particulars aforesaid , touching vnity in religion , and vniformity in kirk-government in the said three kingdoms , as a singular mean of his majesties honour , the good of the true christian faith , and happinesse of his majesties dominions ; and to give favourable hearing to such desires and overtures as shal be found most conducible for the promoting of so great and good a work . extractum de libris actorum secreti consilii s. d. n. regis , per me arch. primerose , cler. s. cons. edin . 26. aug. 1642. finis . the state of the church of christ in its militancy upon earth, and the duty of it, with respect to penal laws in a sermon preach'd at the assizes at chelmsford in the county of essex, 8 march 1687/8 / by richard golty ... golty, richard. 1688 approx. 42 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 16 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2009-03 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a41382 wing g1022 estc r1819 12775807 ocm 12775807 93769 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a41382) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 93769) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 983:2) the state of the church of christ in its militancy upon earth, and the duty of it, with respect to penal laws in a sermon preach'd at the assizes at chelmsford in the county of essex, 8 march 1687/8 / by richard golty ... golty, richard. [4], 27 p. printed and published by randall taylor ..., london : 1688. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church history. sermons, english -17th century. 2007-08 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-08 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2008-02 emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread 2008-02 emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the state of the church of christ , in its militancy upon earth , and the duty of it , with respect to penal laws , in a sermon preach'd at the assizes at chelmsford in the county of essex , 8 march 1687 / 8. by richard golty m. a. minister of hutton in the county aforesaid . quod tibi non vis , alteri ne feceris . london , printed and published by randall tayler near stationers-hall . 1688. this may be printed . svnderland . p. to the right honourable sir robert wright knight , lord chief justice of england , to the honourable sir john powel knight , one of the justices of his majesties court of kings-bench ; my lords , the judges at the assize holden at chelmsford , &c. and also to the right worshipful sir thomas manby knight , high sheriff of the county aforesaid . this sermon , at the appointment of the high sheriff , was preach'd before ▪ your lordships and the great assembly at the assizes ; and whatever unkind and sinistrous censures in this nice and critical age , may be cast upon me and it , yet it was honestly design'd by me , in service to the peace and vnity of the christian church , to affect that auditory with a sense of their obligation constantly to assert what is necessary to the support and honour of religion among us , and to allay our salt and eager differences and animosities , in what is impertinent thereunto ; to dispose us to a willingness to be rid of those apples of strife , that have been the notorious occasion of discord and contention in this unhappily divided kingdom . i can't but hope that there is such a general sense of our having been too long under those symptomes of gods disp●●asure , which the prophet isaiah 9. 21. observes , concerning the jews ( that while ephraim was divided against manasseh , and manasseh against ephraim , and both against judah , gods anger was not turned away , but his hand was stretched out still against them ) as may prepare our hearts to a chearful concurrence in , and compliance with such healing proposals , as are proper for the establishing amongst us a christian amity and brotherly reconciliation . i have humble considence that this , which was my end in preaching , is your lordships and worships , in laying me under such obligation to the publication of it , as i cannot in decency decline ; not doubting but that all such as bear good will to zion , will promote such uniting methods , that all single and narrow interests , may give place to that of common christianity ; that no unchristian heats and contests , may cause such alienation in affection among brethren of the same sacred family , as for trifles to fall out in their way to their fathers house ; but that we may all consent in the pursuit of the divine ends of religion , which are sincere devotion towards god , sound faith in christ , holiness in heart and life , humility , meekness , brother-love and charity towards men ; in service to which , that your honours and worship may be eminent in your respective stations instrumentally , is the most hearty prayer of your most obedient and humble servant ric. golty . s. matthew chap. xiii . the 29th and the former part of the 30th . verse . but he said , nay ; lest while ye gather up the tares , ye root up also the wheat with them ; let both grow up together until the harvest . the shortest preface will be an unseasonable remora to my entry into that spacious field in which my text ingages my travel ; it being by the most divine expositor , with respect to its extent , styl'd the world. i shall therefore observe to you , that in this whole parable of the tares and wheat , our blessed saviour doth first describe the state , and secondly prescribe the duty of his church in its militancy here upon earth . in the first of which 't is evident , that tho christ himself the seedsman , tho he sows only the good seed of pure and divine doctrine , yet when the blade springs up , the tares also appear : tho the church is styl'd here the kingdom of god , in which he in especial governs , yet there are in it too many rebellious and undutiful subjects : tho the apostle tells us , 't is the house of god , in which by his grace and spirit , he particularly resides , yet 't is not void of ungracious and disobedient servants . 't is magna domus dei , but in it there are not only vessels of gold and silver , but of wood and earth ; some to honour and some to dishonour . tho 't is that vine which gods right hand hath planted , yet it hath some dead and infertile branches . that this is the condition of the christian church in this world , is not only the purport of this but of the parable of the fold , consisting both of sheep and goats , of the barn floor , having both wheat and chaffe , and of the net inclosing fishes good and bad . to this purpose st. austine in his first book de civitate dei , saith , perplexae sunt istae duae civitates in hoc seculo invicemque permistae ; the city of god and the city of satan , are so intermix'd in this world , that they are not to be separated till the day of judgment . this from all that make common observation , commands such an universal acknowledgment , that i shall not waste the time in offering further enlargment upon it ; only from it observe the vnacaccountableness of the separation in the donatists of old , and some others , of late , from the visible church , upon pretence of spots and corruptions in it ; notwithstanding which , we are to be firm to that article in our creed , in believing one holy catholick church . denominatio sit a nobiliori ; and 't is one , tho one part is militant here on earth , and the other triumphant in heaven . it must be here in a state of imperfection ; 't is at the great harvest , then , and not till then , it will be perfect , consisting only of the righteous , as st. austine , contra donatistas , tandent ipsam unam & sanctam ecclesiam , nunc habere mixtos malos , tunc non habituram : now the holy church hath a mixture of unholy men in it , which then it will not have . at that great day christ will present it to himself without spot , and blameless . then , only the wheat will be gathered into his barn. but 't is the direction christ gives in this place [ that being the most seasonable and useful at this time ] to which i shall now confine my discourse . when the blade sprung up , the tarcs also appeared , the servants inquiring in this uneasie , and to them unexpected case , wilt thou that we go and gather them up ? in answer to this their demand , he said , nay , &c. where first he enters his denial . 2. he gives his positive sentence , let them grow up together . the reason of the negative , lest while ye gather up the tares , &c. and of the positive , why suffer'd in their growth ? because at the time of the harvest they could more seasonably , and with greater safety , be separated from the wbeat . then i will say to the reapers , &c. in my procedure upon this , i shall endeavour first to shew you what is meant by tares : 2. what christ intends in this his answer : and 3. to accommodate the whole of it to our use . first , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the greek word , is mention'd only in this place in the new testament , and it is rarely to be found in other authors , that its obscurity gives the occasion of variety in translations of it ; the frencb render it lolium darnel , and theophrast . saith , that corn doth sometime loliescere , degenerate into darnel . diodate thinks it some particular weed growing amongst corn in that countrey . dr. hammond translates it cockle . others give a more general interpretation of it , as mala herba & planta semini noxia ; we translate it tares : by which may be understood tyne , or a sort of wild fitches , which hath small fibrous roots , and in twisting about the roots of the corn , sucks away its nourishment , and hath claspers in the branches , that fastening upon the stalk , depresses it , and without greatest hazard to it , cannot be separated from it . since in this parable the devil is the sower of them , and the tares are wicked men , in this variety may be meant [ as in our marginal notes ] all noisome weeds whatsoever that are noxious to the corn , and particularly infelix lolium darnel , which naturally disaffects the head , and so may properly de●ote men erring in judgment , or more rank and unsavoury weeds , as carlock , mayweed , &c. which may properly describe men vicious in their lives , such as walk disorderly ; 't is the unhappy fate of the church to be infested with them both . infelix lolium & steriles dominantur avenae . but 2. what doth christ mean in forbidding his servants to gather these up , and in suffering their growth 'till the harvest , which himself being the expositor , is to the end of the world ? first , negatively , christ is not to be interpreted in this , as if he were at all pleas'd with the growth of these weeds . it would undoubtedly be most grateful to him to have only such pure grain in his field , as is fit to be gathered into his barn , beauxamis in locum , docetur hic non quale sit officium nostrum , sed quae sit futura ecclesiae conditio . we are advised here not so much in the duty of the servants , as in the condition of the field . yet neither 2. doth christ intend the least prohibition to the magistrates execution of justice in punishing malefactors . the sword of justice is not to be born in vain , magistrates are to be a terrour to evil doers ; in their rooting out them there can be no danger , but altogether safety to the wheat ; if they should be let alone , so as to proceed in impunity till the harvest , the world would be but magnum la ▪ trocinium , or a circean stable ; it would be an unclean stage , where only vice and villany would act its part ; it would be like to that field under the curse of job 31. 40. thistles would grow instead of wheat , and cockle instead of barly ; or like solomons field of the sluggard , nothing would appear in it to denominate it a field of corn , but 't would be all over-grown with briars and thorns . 't is observable , christ doth not say , regna hujus mundi , the kingdom of this world , but regnum coeli , the kingdom of heaven ; which is universally interpreted of the church , and tho in our saviours exposition of it , 't is styl'd the world , yet that is in respect to its catholicism and vniversality , as dispers'd over the whole world ; according to the prophesies of it , it extends from sea to sea , and christ sent his disciples to all nations , and the apostle tells us , that their sound is gone into all the world ; 't is properly his kingdom redeem'd by his blood , sanctified and enlightened by his spirit , and will at last be presented to himself without spot and blemish . that this parable is meant not of a civil and political , but of an ecclesiastical body , is generally agreed ; but then still the question returns , whether our saviour enters his noli pros — against ecclesiastical censures ? to this 't is answer'd 3. negatively , that christ here intends no prohibition to church censures for the punishing of offenders . st. austin puts and determines this case thus , ipse dominus cum servis volentibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 colligere dicit , sinite utraque crescere usque ad messem , premisit causam dicens , ne forte cum vultis colligere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eradicetis & triticum ; ubi satis ostendit , tum metus iste non subest , non dormiat severitas disciplinae . our lord to the servants appearing in readiness to gather the tares , requiring their growth together till the harvest ; he intimates the cause , lest with them ye root up also the wheat : in evidence that when no danger of that , then the severity of discipline is to take place . of which at large in his epistle contra parmen . & contra vincent . christ himself decreed that he that would not hear the church , should be as an heathen or publican , and the apostles by unquestionable authority gave sentence of excommunication upon the incestuous corinthian ; 1 cor. 5. 4. and upon hymenus and alexander , 1 tim. 1. 20. the church is not to be supposed an undisciplin'd rout , divested of power necessary to its consistence ; which it would be , if it were here or elsewhere , under prohibition of exercising its censures . what then do's our saviour mean in his thus expressing himself in this case to the servants ? to which positively , first in general , he expects patience , lenity , and tender caution , in eradicating those tares , he corrects the intemperate zeal of his disciples , in whom he foresaw a disposition with improper and undue severities to prosecute offenders ; of which they gave an early instance , in demanding fire from heaven to consume the samaritans . the mind of christ in this will be more particularly understood by considering his sentence first , with respect to the question , as put by the servants , wilt thou that we go and gather them up ? and secondly , with respect to his reason , why not ? lest while ye gather up the tares , ye root up the wheat also . now in their enquiry , wilt thou that we go and gather them up ? they signifie their intent of a sudden and immediate dispatch of them without the exercise of due patience , and necessary consideration ; thus , chrisost . in matth. interprets the servants intending to prosecute hereticks with fire and sword , and saith , that if by his negative they had not been obliged to alter their resolutions , bloodshed and war must have followed all over the world. the word in the original for gathering up , is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and signifies not so much a single collection , as a gathering them up in bundles ; they would at once have swept away these tares by some devouring judgment , like that of fire from heaven ; to this their proposition christ enters his dissent , and tho he well enough approv'd of the thing , yet by no means consented with them in the time and manner they would effect it , but gives check to that devouring zeal that would destroy all opposers ; and doth intend first , that this gathering together , or rooting up , be rather gladio oris then ore gladie ; that no other sword , then the sword of the spirit be used ; that by admonition by the sword of the spirit of meekness they be rather restor'd ; christ determines against their immediate and utter destruction in that way they design'd , lest in gathering them up , they root up the wheat . the sword tho never so well edg'd , is an ill distinguisher between wheat and tares , and war the most improper judge to determine religious controversies : 't is gladius delphicus , and strikes on both sides without difference to men or their doctrines ; it involves the innocent and the guilty in the same calamity ; like those dreadful thunderbolts , minutius faelix tells of , sine delectu tangunt sacra & profana , hominis noxios feriunt & religiosos ; they without distinction , strike places sacred and profane , and personsinnocent and nocent ; but 't is never more fatally devouring , than when in the hands of those in whom glesselius one of the anti-remonstrants in roterdam plac'd it , who defin'd , that if the prince or clergy neglected the reformation of a church , necesse est id facere plebeios licet ad sanguinem usque pro ea pugnent : that the plebeians must reform , tho it be with a resistance unto blood. theophylact makes the more christian comment upon the text , who saith , god would not by war have the tares pull'd up , lest in so doing the righteous suffer with the wicked . theophylact in loc. saith , the servants were so incens'd and inflam'd against these tares upon their appearance in their lords field 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to save the trouble of a dilatory process , were resolved by a rash execution to rid them from the troubles of this miserable and wretched life . this return of our lord to the servants , if it be not a strict prohibition of capital punishments , it is a severe caution , that due care be had in inflicting it , lest the wheat also be rooted up . 't is certain the primitive christians did interpret christ , in saying , he came to save mens lives , not to destroy them ; and here in my text , as entring not barely a caveat , but a prohibition of punishing with death upon the score of religion . they reckon'd such a process foreign to the temper and contradictory to the rules of christianity . it was once st. austin's opinion , neminem ad unitatem christi cogendum esse , that none were to be compelled to become christians : and when the insolence of the donatists made it necessary for him to alter his mind , yet as bellarmin confesses , semper excepit supplicium mortis ; he always excepted punishment with death . if it had been thought lawful to punish heresie with death , the apologies of tertullian and the primitive christians , would have been in a great part insignificant . 't is a modern maxime in christianity , but no where , that i can find , an article of faith , posse haereticos ab ecclesia damnatos temporalibus poenis & etiam morte mulctari : that herericks condemned by the church , were by the civil magistrate to be sentenced to temporal punishment , yea to death it self . it was calvin's opinion , haereticos jure gladii coercendos ; that hereticks were to be restrain'd by the power of the sword : which beza improves in his tract , de haereticis puniendis , where he lays down this thesis , haereticos interdum capitali supplicio a magistratibus coercendos : that hereticks are to suffer capital punishment . this question was better determin'd in the more early and purer times of christianity , as by lactantius lib. 5. cap. 10. defendendam esse religionem non occidendo sed moriendo . religion is to be defended rather by the exposing our own , than violating the lives of others . our saviour here forbids their thus being gathered up , lest the wheat be rooted up also ; it being evident if the servants had gone in that method , they had wrong'd the harvest ; for as st. austine saith , multi primo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt & postea triticum fiunt ; fieri potest ut qui noxio dogmate depravatus est cras resipiscat & defendere potest veritatem : as st. austin , once a manichee , afterwards malleus hereticorum . many at first appear tares , which afterwards become wheat ; he that is depraved with error now , may repent too morrow . upon this saith st. jerome , monemur non cito amputare fratrem , not rashly to cut off a brother , for they that are bad now , may be better hereafter ; nisi deus expactaret impium , non haberet unde glorificaret pium ; had not god patiently expected the repentance and conversion of such whom men would destroy , ad laudabilem mutationem non pervenissent , they had never attained to saving repentance . had f●●e at the instance of the disciples consumed the samaritans , they had been prevented in their after receiving the gospel ; had not gods patience given respite to the tares after their first discovery , nec mattheum de publicano evangelistam , nec magdalenam de meretrice penitentem habuisset ; si deus eradicasset paulum persecuentem , non haberet ecclesia paulum praedicantem ; matthew of a publican had never been an evangelist , nor magdalen the harlot become magdalen the penitent ; if saul had been rooted out when he was a persecutor , the church would ever have wanted paul the apostle . the meaning of christ in the text then is , that they might have space for repentance . st. chrysost . affirms , that a heretick , tho he persists with obstinacy in his heresie , yet is not to be punish'd with death , with whom euthimius consents . christ , saith he , in this parable would not suffer the plucking up the tares , lest the wheat should be rooted up with them ; forbidding the execution of hereticks , lest the orthodox suffer with them . it was therefore an unchristian heat in calvin , that sent servetus to the flames , and in the switzers , that commanded the execution of valentine gentilis at bazil ; and in maximilian the emperour in causing the priscillianists to be put to death ; tho sulpitius severus saith of them , that they were homines luce indignissimi ; yet he adds they were pessimo exemplo necati ; tho they were the worst of men , yet their execution was of dangerous consequence . and when alexius of constantinople caused the bongomili to be put to death , who ( if their opinions were candidly represented ) were sufficiently bad , yet the eastern bishops , disallow'd of the fact ; and baronius tells us , it was the ancient usuage of the primitive bishops in moving the secular power against hereticks , so to manage it , vt tamen a capitali supplicio inferendo dehortati sunt . 't is evident that capital punishment had its first rise from the heathen and arrian emperours , and in that it was after return'd by the christians upon their enemies ; it was because the man was too hard for the christian . thirdly , tho it is more generally interpreted , that the servants resolved by the above-mentioned severity , to cut them off from the body of mankind , yet others , that they intended only to cut them from the body of the church ; and lyra and gorran are of opinion , that the servants design to gather them up , was in such a way as was proper to the church , separando eos a communione ecclesiae , by separating them from church communion . christ may probably here intend a caution and lenity in that direful and solemn sentence of exmunication , which is an amputation or a cutting off from the body of christ ; 't is in the name and power of christ , a delivery over unto satan for the destruction of the flesh , that the spirit may be saved in the day of the lord jesus . in comport with the meaning of christ here , it was an old rule , non excommunicandam multitudinem , that a multitude were not to be excommunicated . there was to be no gathering up in bundles in this life : the church did only legere , select one out of many offenders , vt paena ad paucos esset , metus ad omnes ; tormenta paucorum exempla omnium : that the punishment of a few , might be caution to all . dr. taylor in duct . dubitant , tells us , the judgment of the church in this censure is an effective terrible declaration of the judgment of god , and therefore must not be exterminating and final for things of little concernment . the second canon of the council at worms , doth decree , vt nullus sacerdotum , quanquam rectae fidei , homines , pro parvis & levibus causis suspendat : that no priest , tho never so sound in the faith , may suspend men from church communion for a light cause . dr. taylor in his duct . dubitant . asserts , that no man is to be separated from the church , but he that separates himself from god ; and tells us , that he who for a trifling cause cuts off a man from church communion , is like him in the fable , who with an axe beat out his neighbours brains , that he might brush off a fly , which he espied on his fore-head : or like an indiscreet and severe nurse , that to clean the childs head of the dandruff , fleas off his skin . all endeavours ought first to be us'd , that he may be restor'd with the spirit of meekness , that by admonition and reproof , to which the scriptures are profitable , he may be reclaim'd , and till it appears vulnus immedicabile , he is not with that severity to be cut off . fourthly , the meaning of christ may probably be , that in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in religion , such as are mention'd rom. 14. in which the kingdom of heaven doth not consist , the obligation of christians is to exercise charity , mutual condescension , and forbearance one towards another . the apostle there directs to the alloy of all animosity and discord about such things , and provides that there be no censuring or grieving one another , and to this purpose he allows a liberty to men of either perswasion , informing us , that christ died for both , and that god receiv'd both : the controversie in these indifferent things , lies not between wheat and tares , but between wheat and wheat , and it may be is founded only because one grows in a more fertile soyl , and on a more florid stalk , or is of a brighter complexion than the other . that the true corn should thus go together by the ears , we may be sure is assignable to the hand of an enemy , and if our lord permits the concrescence of tares and wheat , much more that wheat and wheat grow together . 't is as natural and usual for christians to differ in their sentiments in matters of that kind , as 't is for men to be of divers statures and complexions , wherefore ( the apostle telling us ; that he who doubteth is damned if he eat ) by penalties to require a consent in one opinion in things so indifferent , would be as hard as for one to thrust out his neighbours eye , because not so strong and piercing as his own ; and would be a barbarity exceeding that of procrustes the robber , who measured all men by his own bed , and would bring them to that dimension , either by a rack or defalcation , he only torturing the bodies , while the other wounds the consciences , and cruciates the minds of men. 't is observeable in this parable , that the servants entred their complaint against such as appear'd tares , and it was for the rooting up of them they offer'd their service , to which our saviour answer'd as in my text , nay , &c. if they had address'd to their lord with their censures of their fellow servants , and had signified an inclination , because in every trifling punctilio they agreed not with the complainants that therefore they would go and gather them up our lord would have given them another kind of answer . if the pharisees were inexcuseable in their neglect of the great things of the law , through their zeal in the lesser things of it , christians are much more criminal in violating the great gospel law of charity and meekness , upon the score of such things as are not at all required by any divine law. if it were inimicus homo that sow'd those tares that endanger'd the wheat , certainly it is inimicissimus homo that would gather up the vvheat instead of tares . 't is here observeable , that tho the tares appeared to the eys of the servants , yet our saviour did not adventure the well-doing of his field upon their hand , so as to allow their eradication ; if he had given any intimation of the field , being committed to such a conduct , as without possibility of being injurious to the vvheat , the tares might be gathered up , the force of the reason of his prohibition , lest with them ye root up the vvheat , would be enervated . 't is probable our saviour design'd the prevention of this , when he respited them till the harvest , well knowing that they may then appear to be children of the kingdom , which through the passion or inadvertency of his servants , would as tares have been bundled up for the fire . thirdly , in the accommodation of all this to our use , though it may be indecent for me to insist too particularly on the parallel between the state of the field , and the condition of the church of christ amongst us , so as to charge the growth of the tares to the supineness or any other default in the servants , or to suggest , that those concern'd in gathering the tares , have not with the servants of the houshold consulted their lord , nor taken their measures from him : yet i shall adventure to give you the judgments of such as are of great honour and authority upon this subject ; and shall close my discourse with a recommendation of the example of the servants to our imitation . the authorities of such as have given their opinion in this matter : the lord chancellor hide his speech to the parliament 1660 , is fill'd up with the expressions of his sense of this case and directions for its cure. the honourable and pious lord chief justice hale , lamenting that the cause of love and piety was hindred by our present constitutions , did declare , that the only means to beal us , was a new act of vniformity , that should neither leave all at liberty , nor impose any thing but what was necessary : and with the assistance of the lord keeper bridgman and bishop wilkins , drew up the form of a bill to be tendred to the parliament to that purpose . the arch-bishop of armagh , for the healing of distractions , and for the return of a wished for peace and vnity , did contrive some prudent accommodation necessary . bishop taylor in his duct . dubitant , expresses himself abundantly in this case , as thus , with respect to our condition he gives it as a rule , that the ecclesiastical laws must be easie and charirable , and when they are not , they oblige not , and that ecclesiastical laws that are meerly such , can't be universal and perpetual . bishop davenant in his letter to dureus saith , that which makes schisms perptual , i st he exercise of a tyrannical power , so as not to acknowledge any for brethren , or admit any to communion with them , who will not receive from them , in any difference of opinion , a law both of believing and speaking . 't is the determination of a learned doctor of our church , that without controversie , the main inlet of all the distractions , confusions , and divisions , of the christian world , is by adding other conditions of church communion , than christ hath done . were it needful , i might fill a volume with quotations of this kind ; but , i shall only instance in these which next to that in my text , ought to be the greatest authority with us . king james the first of pious memory , as causabon in his epistle to cardinal perron , informs us , thought that for concord there is no nearer way than diligently to separate things necessary from the unnecessary , and to bestow all our labour , that we may agree in what is necessary , and that in what is not so , there may be christian liberty allow'd . the royal martyr charles the first of glorious memory , in consideration of the state of the kingdom in 1641 , speaks thus , as for differences among our selves for matters in their own nature , that are indifferent concerning religion , we shall willingly comply , with the advice of our parliament , that some law may be made for the exemption of tender consciences from punishment or prosecution for such ceremonies , which by the judgment of most men are held to be matters indifferent , and of some , to be absolutely unlawful . the late king charles the second of blessed memory , in his declaration from breda first , and in his declaration for indulgence to tender consciences afterwards , gave sufficient evidence of his concurrent opinion with his royal progenitors . thus it can't but be acknowledg'd , that some of the wisest and most learned , and the greatest of men in these three last reigns , were affected with a sense of a disease that the church and nation have been labouring under , and it appears that his majesties royal ancestors had it often in their thoughts , and upon their desires , that it might be heal'd . and as for our present gracious soveraign , that now wears the imperial crown , and sways the royal sceptre , whom god preserve ; it appears that what was in the heart of david his father , hath a long time been upon the heart , and now is upon the hand of our solomon his son , and his hand findeth to do it with all his might : he like a tender and prudent physician , experiencing the inefficacy and inconvenience of those corroding and acrimonious applications , that have been too long us'd , thinks it proper , instead of that salt and vinegar , which hath only increas'd and inflam'd our wounds , to recommend the lenitives of oyl and balsam ; most probably hoping , that the warm beams of an indulging sun will prevail to the laying of that viciousness of temper , which the rough and tempestuous wind had occasion'd . our healing soveraign observing the body politick and ecclesiastick , like the man in the gospel that fell among thieves , if not half dead , yet lying sorely wounded , like the good samaritan , is pouring in oyl and wine , and while he is so , let not any of us be like him that passed by on the other side , as all together unconcern'd , or like him that only vouchsaf'd to look , but offer'd nothing to relieve him in that distressed case ; but let us all to our capacities help to the quenching those common flames , and the allaying those threatning heats that have been so fatal to us , and contribute our utmost in this most christian service : some of us by humility and obedience , others of us by compassion and condescension , and all of us by our prayers and tears . lastly , to this we must reckon our selves oblig'd , by considering the example of the servants in the text , in servis habemus tam quod laudemus quam quod imitemur : we have in the servants both what is commendable and imitable . they cleared themselves from a treacherous betraying the trust repos'd in them , of the field , by reporting to their master the unexpected accident of the growth of the tares ; they being inform'd that an enemy had done it , offer'd their service to redress the mischief ; that if the enemy entred the field by their sloth , he might be expell'd by their zeal . st. austin to that inquiry , who is that man that is eaten up with zeal to gods house ? answers , qui omnia quae videt perversa satagit emendare : that if he sees the foundation of it too narrow and strait , will endeavour the inlargement of its basis to its due extent . if he perceives an inconvenience in the fense incompassing the field , will consult such an amendment of it as may neither keep out such as belong to christs fold , nor suffer the wild beast of the field , nor the wild boar of the wood , neither turk nor pagan , to enter in . and that our zeal in this , may not be an ignis fatuus to precipitate us into unsafe and dangerous methods , that it may not be a feavorish heat , that invades the health , and threatens the life of that body that cherishes it , but that it may be a coal kindled at gods altar , let us with the servants in the text , go to our lord. so , first , not to be too much influenc'd by our passions . solomon tells us , wrath is cruel , anger is outragious , and nothing can stand before envy , pro. 27. 4. so as , secondly , not to take our measures from the examples of others , to return to them in proportion to those undue severities which at any time have been received from them , the rule of our saviour , is not to do to others as they do , but as we would have them do to our selves . let us therefore receive our directions from christ , and acquiesce in them , referring all to our masters will , and then proceed according to his dictates , whose service consists altogether in the following of his own rules ; for in so doing we shall most promote our masters honour , and be most servicable to his field the church ; and best provide , that when we shall be translated from our stations in his kingdom here , we may be made partakers of his eternal kingdom in heaven ; and in the mean time , god in his infinite mercy , so direct the counsels and influence the hearts of men , that the tares which at the harvest shall be gathered , may not in the mean time be able either to suppress the wheat , or destroy the field ; and that our lord jesus , who loved his church , and gave himself for it , may sanctify and cleanse it , and at last present it to himself a glorious church without spot or blemish . to him , with the father and the holy ghost , be all honour , glory , and praise , both now and for evermore . amen . finis . the unreasonableness of a separation from the new bishops, or, a treatise out of ecclesiastical history shewing that although a bishop was unjustly deprived, neither he nor the church ever made a separation, if the successor was not a heretick / translated out of an ancient greek manuscript in the publick library at oxford, by humfrey hody ... anglicani novi schismatis redargutio. english. 1691 approx. 46 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 19 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-03 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a52277 wing n1076 estc r18833 12171540 ocm 12171540 55409 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a52277) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 55409) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 430:14) the unreasonableness of a separation from the new bishops, or, a treatise out of ecclesiastical history shewing that although a bishop was unjustly deprived, neither he nor the church ever made a separation, if the successor was not a heretick / translated out of an ancient greek manuscript in the publick library at oxford, by humfrey hody ... anglicani novi schismatis redargutio. english. nicephorus callistus xanthopulus, ca. 1256-ca. 1335. hody, humphrey, 1659-1707. [10], 26 p. printed by j. heptinstall for henry mortlock ..., london : 1691. the text of the original was published by hody with the title anglicani novi schismatis redargutio, and ascribed by him and wing to nicephorus callistus xanthopulus. written by an unknown author who lived about 1237. cf. bm. published by hody to illustrate his disapproval of the position taken up by the nonjuring bishops. cf. dnb. abstract of the treatise: p. 23-26. reproduction of original in huntington library. includes bibliographical references. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church history -middle ages, 600-1500. nonjurors -early works to 1800. schism -early works to 1800. 2003-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-12 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2004-12 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2004-12 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-01 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the unreasonableness of a separation from the new bishops : or , a treatise out of ecclesiastical history . shewing , that although a bishop was unjustly deprived , neither he nor the church ever made a separation ; if the successor was not a heretick . translated out of an ancient greek manuscript in the publick library at oxford , by humfrey hody , b.d. fellow of wadham college . london , printed by i. heptinstall , for henry mortlock , at the phoenix in s. paul's church-yeard , mdcxci . viro summo , sapientissimo , sanctissimóque , r. r. in christo patri ac domino d no johanni , divinâ providentiâ archiepiscopo cantuariensi , totius angliae primati & metropolitano , antistiti verè orthodoxo , tractatum hunc contra schisma , sincerissimo affectu , animóque pacis ac tranquillitatis ecclesiae cupientissimo , è tenebris suis jam editum , reverentiâ maximâ , quâque per est humilitate , dicat consecrátque hvmfredvs hodivs . the preface . the greek manuscript , from which this treatise is translated , is in that part of the publick library at oxon , that is called the baroccian ; the cxlii d in number , according to the order those books are set in at present ; where it may be seen by any , that either out of curiosity may desire satisfaction ; or have any suspicion , that the whole may be an imposture , or any part of it an interpolation . for as for the exactness and fidelity that has been used in this english interpretation , we appeal to the original greek ; which is now in the press , and will speedily be published with a latin version . 't is very likely that this at oxford is the only copy of this book now remaining in the world. and that it should be preserved till our times , and yet hitherto be overlooked ; and at this very juncture be taken notice of , and so opportunely brought to light , seems to be more than a fortuitous hit ; it appears to have something of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a singular providence in it . god grant , it may have that good effect upon those unsatisfied persons of the church of england ; which so many examples and authorities of antiquity ( that antiquity , which they profess to imitate , and pretend to allege ) may give us reason to expect . surely no uncharitable aspersions of time-serving , courting preferment , or the like , that might be cast upon any that should write now in this cause , can take place against this author , so remote from the present age and controversie . 't is pity we cannot know , whom we are obliged to for this excellent tract . there 's no name prefixt before it ; nor any characters in it , that may lead us to a probable conjecture about the author . but for his age , without question he lived cccc years ago : seeing that the last history he produces , is in the xii century ; and the latest author he cites , was in the beginning of the xiii . and as to his authority and credit , though we need be less concerned about that , because he relates every thing from the testimonies of others ; and much more than is here said , may be easily made out from approved and authentick historians : yet he himself appears to have been no inconsiderable person , and , i believe , no less than a bishop . that this treatise was a sermon , may be manifestly discover'd from two passages in the 18 * and 19 pages ; where he addresses himself to his auditor , and not his reader . and the bulk of it is agreeable to a greek homily . and that the author lived under the jurisdiction of the see of constantinople , will be granted without difficulty ; because he has confined himself to the histories in the succession of those patriarchs , and from his own words , page 22. that from five constantinopolitan bishops the ordinations of all the clergy were conveyed down to his time . the occasion of composing our ms. seems to have been this . a patriarch of constantinople ( right or wrong ) was deposed , and another preferr'd to the see. vpon this some friends and dependants of the deprived began to make a party , and stir up the people to a schism : giving out , that the former was still their genuine and canonical bishop ; that it was sinfull to have communion with the new one ; and that all his ordinations would be invalid . whereupon our author , probably one of the bishops that assisted at the new patriarch's consecration ( forty or fifty were often present on such occasions ) one that had a tender concern for the peace of the church , and was apprehensive of the sin and danger of such a separation , made this historical discourse to the people , as 't is credible , in the cathedral church of sophia ; wherein he has included all the memorable and parallel examples , that had happen'd to that see within the space of near a thousand years . he allows those advocates for a separation all that they would have ; he puts the case with all the advantage on that side . admit , that the deposed bishop was unjustly deprived ; suppose , that the new one was uncanonically promoted : even in these circumstances , if he was not a heretick , neither the people nor the ejected patriarch himself ever refused communion with him ; the sufficience of his ordinations was never question'd by any council ; there was no precedent for schism upon those accounts in all the history of the church ; the concord and tranquillity and prosperity of the whole were of more consideration in those ages , than private interest or hidden resentment , or the more tempting pleasure of being head of a party . god forbid , that the case thus stated by our author should be thought parallel to that of our new bishops ; or that this book should be now publish'd , as if they needed that kind of defence . but we propose and recommend our treatise as an argumentation a fortiori . if in the cases of unjust deprivation and uncanonical succession a separation is without example in ecclesiastical story ; how inexcusable will they be , that shall make faction and schism , where neither of those hard circumstances can be found ? as to the exception of s. chrysostom's case ; which , it seems , could not be comprehended in so short a discourse , and was put off therefore by our author to a particular disquisition ; which , if ever it was publish'd , is either lost or yet undiscover'd : we must confess there was something singular in the misfortune of that great and popular man. the western churches did a long time refuse communion with some bishops ; that out of envy and malignity , by sinister interpretations and the falsest calumnies , deprived him of the see , and the church of one of the best prelates it ever had : those men they justly detested , as the actors and contrivers of a good patriarch's ruin : for the * emperor ( the civil power ) was blameless in a manner , and but passive in the business . thus it was in the west at a distance , in which case the renouncing communion was only , as it were , a breaking off a correspondence . but how were matters carried nearer home ? 't is well known , that most of the eastern bishops , though they * would not be accessory to that unjust deprivation , however were not so far transported as to make a schism in the church . but then the populace of constantinople , they were so enraged at it , that they not only forsook , but ( like recusants , or a rabble ? ) set fire to the church , which took hold also of the † parliament house , and laid it in ashes . but as that case is quite foreign to this of our new bishops ; so was the separation no less contrary to the spirit of s. chrysostom . that good man ( as a bishop that was then present , has related it ) when he saw he must be deposed , advised and charged the bishops his friends more than once ; * that as they loved christ , none of them should leave his church upon his account : † that they must keep communion with his deposers , and not rend and divide the church . and he injoyn'd some devout women , that attended there , that * as they hoped to obtain mercy from god , they should pay the same service and good-will to his successor by a fair election , that they had done to himself : † for the church could not be without a bishop . how could he , if he had now been alive , have more clearly and expresly given his opinion in our case . if a man , otherwise never so worthy , will acknowledge no duty to the civil magistrate , which protects him ; if he shall refuse to act in his function ; if he will not be the bishop , somebody else must be : for the church cannot be without a bishop . this is not being deprived , but relinquishing ; and a successor does not invade , but is placed in the chair by the united efficacy of canons , law , and necessity . 't is supposed the reader knows , that for several ages the greek churches have erroneously maintain'd , that adoration is to be paid to the images of our saviour ; and therefore needs not be offended at one or two passages in this treatise , to which it is now time to dismiss him . imprimatur . georgius royse , r. r. in christo p. ac d no , d no johanni , archiepisc . cantuar. à sacr. domest . july 6th . 1691. errata . pag. 13. l. 10. read he 's constrain'd by . p. 19. l. 13. read , syncellus or . p. ibid. l. 16. read nicolaus . p. 21. marg. l. 7. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a treatise out of ecclesiastical histories , concerning such as at several times have been promoted to the patriar●hal see contrary to the canons , the rightfull patriarchs being depos'd and yet living . amongst whom we may observe , that not one of those that were unjustly depos'd , did ever separate himself from the communion of the church upon the account of his being depos'd ; provided that he , that was uncanonically promoted after him , was orthodox . excepting onely the case of chrysostome , which requires a particular consideration . the great john chrysostome , a most holy and excellent person , living within the jurisdiction of the antiochian see , was ordain'd deacon by meletius patriarch of antioch . this meletius having formerly been made bishop of sebastia by the arians , and afterwards translated to the throne of antioch by the suffrages both of the arians and orthodox , eustathius [ late bishop of sebastia ] being yet in banishment , was nevertheless because of his orthodoxy both accepted by and beneficial to the church . even the great basil was ordain'd deacon by the said meletius . now chrysostome being call'd from antioch , and seated upon the throne of constantinople , was afterwards unjustly depos'd , and thrust out of the city : and after him there was consecrated arsacius , the brother of nectarius , who was patriarch there before chrysostome . * he held the patriarchate 14 months , and , as cannot but be supposed , ordain'd presbyters , bishops , and deacons ; none of whom were rejected by the church . after his death the blessed atticus was consecrated , chrysostome , being yet alive and in exile . he raised a persecution against those that adher'd to chrysostome : and possessing the patriarchate 20 years , was approved by the church , both he himself , and those that he had ordain'd ; no one being troubled or called in question upon the account of his ordination . these things are deliver'd in the history of socrates . * from atticus , sisinnius , [ who succeeded him ] deriv'd his ordination ; and by sisinnius proclus was consecrated bishop of cyzicus . now if you would be certain that atticus was own'd and receiv'd by the church ; the divine celestine , bishop of rome , is a witness of that matter , who in an epistle to nestorius , praises and owns both atticus himself , and sisinnius , who was patriarch after him ; and ranks them as patriarchs after chrysostome . after sisinnius , nestorius was plac'd in the throne . and the third general council did not narrowly examine into the promotions of those patriarchs , or * about their ordinations : but only deposing the heretick nestorius , it receiv'd and own'd all those that had been made priests or bishops by arsacius , atticus , and sisinnius , and even by nestorius too , provided that they profess'd the orthodox faith , and confess'd the blessed virgin to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or the mother of god. after the council , maximian was consecrated patriarch by such as had receiv'd their ordinations from the aforesaid four patriarchs . after him the bl. proclus , who deriv'd his ordination from the same hands , was advanc'd to that dignity . these things are related in the history of zonaras . now the bl. proclus , and not only he , but likewise maximian before him , and atticus , and sisinnius , were receiv'd into communion by s. cyril . after proclus , by the same succession of ordination , flavianus obtain'd the patriarchate . see now the succession . * they that depos'd chrysostome consecrated arsacius ; the same , together with arsacius , consecrated atticus ; arsacius and atticus , sisinnius ; and sisinnius , proclus ; who , as i said , held church-communion with s. cyril . observe moreover , that severianus bishop of gabala , and acacius bishop of berrhea , who were the chief authours of all the calamities that befell chrysostome , being afterwards * call'd in question by pope innonocent , were neither depos'd nor reprehended by him ; the pope leaving their punishment to god. the bl. flavianus having condemn'd and depriv'd the heretick eutyches , the emperour theodosius commanded dioscorus patriarch of alexandria to inspect and examine again into the matters between them . dioscorus thereupon having call'd a council at ephesus ; the second of that place , judg'd , condemn'd , depos'd and murder'd the b. flavianus , contrary to all ecclesiastical order ; absolving eutyches , and consecrating anatolius in flavianus's room . you see that anatolius was consecrated contrary to the canons , seeing it was by dioscorus , a murderer and a heretick , that espous'd the cause and the heresie of eutyches . but observe further : juvenalis bishop of jerusalem , basil bishop of seleucia , * photius bishop of isauria in epirus , eustathius bishop of berytus , thalassius bishop of cesarea in cappadocia , and , in a word , all that whole council concurr'd and acted with dioscorus in the unjust ejectment of flavianus , and the unlawfull ordination of anatolius in his place . yet none of them were rejected in the fourth general council of chalcedon , only eutyches and dioscorus , that persisted in their heresie . for that holy synod concerned not it self about the ordinations of uncanonical and illegal patriarchs , but onely requir'd of every one the profession of the orthodox faith. now that anatolius was promoted against the canons , pope leo attests ; writing thus concerning him to the emperour marcian : that therefore he would make no inquiry about anatolius 's consecration , because he profess'd the orthodox belief . these things are written in the acts of the second council concerning flavianus . in the reign of the emperour anastasius , when the heresie of the acephali was rife , the emperour himself became addicted to it , and expell'd out of the city three patriarchs ; because they refus'd to embrace his false opinion , and anathematize the fourth general council , and communicate with severus : the first , * euthymius ; the second , macedonius , who succeeded him ; ( unlawfully indeed , but because he was an assertour of the catholick belief , he was not rejected by the church , neither did euthymius himself recede from his communion ) and the third , timotheus ; who himself likewise was unlawfully promoted in the room of macedonius : who yet was not rejected by macedonius , because he was a maintainer of the true faith. nay , even the great elias bp. of jerusalem , embrac'd the communion of all these three patriarchs , when all were alive together ; being troubled indeed at the ejectment of him in possession , but receiving the successour also , because of his orthodox faith. the same emperour anastasius deposed and banished the said b. elias from the see of jerusalem , because he would not come over to his heretical opinion , and constituted john in his place : whom , because he publickly preach'd the orthodox belief . contrary to the emperour's expectation , elias in no wise rejected , but continued in communion with him . and theodosius and sabas , those reverend fathers , the heads and chief of all the monks of the holy city , visiting and relieving elias in his exile , both lov'd him and communicated with him , as an injur'd patriarch ; and yet they communicated with john too , ( that sate then in the throne of jerusalem , ) as their patriarch . and therefore the names both of john and elias were written in the sacred diptychs of jerusalem , in these words : may the memory of elias and john be everlasting . these things are written in the * life of the holy and great sabas . in the days of athanasius the great , maximus the confessour was patriarch of jerusalem . now when a synod was called at tyre by the emperour constantine , to consider of the matters relating to athanasius ; and laying false things to his charge had * condemned and deposed him ; athanasius flies to maximus at jerusalem . maximus thereupon calls a private synod , and repeals what was done by the synod of tyre against athanasius , and restores him to his see , and establishes likewise the doctrine of the homoousion . upon that the * bishop of cesarea in palestine unjustly ejects maximus , and sets up cyril in his room , one that was then the chief of the arian party ; but afterwards becoming a convert to the homoousion ( or orthodox faith , ) he was willingly receiv'd and allowed as patriarch by the church ; and was stiled , the great , and , the holy cyrill . and observe that even maximus himself did not withdraw from cyrill's communion ; therefore both were acknowledged as saints [ ( that is , had their names in the diptychs of the church ) ] as both assertours of the same faith. these things are deliver'd in the life of the great athanasius . in the emperour justinian's reign , eutychius of amasia , being constituted patriarch of constantinople , a man holy and belov'd of god , was unjustly depos'd and expell'd the city , and john was preferr'd to the see. but eutychius did not upon that account separate himself from the communion of john ; and both therefore were receiv'd by the church . in the same emperour's time , athimus bp. of trebisond was translated to the see of constantinople . he being discover'd to be an heretick , was depos'd by pope agapetus ; who set up in his place the most holy menas : but his ordinations were allowed of , as valid . afterwards , when the heresie of the monothelites spread it self , and four patriarchs successively , * sergius , pyrhus , paul and another , were of that sect ; and as it must needs be suppos'd , ordain'd and consecrated many : not one so ordain'd or consecrated , provided he relinquished and anathematiz'd his heresie , was rejected by the church ; but all were receiv'd by the sixth general council , and by george , patriarch of constantinople . the emperour justinian , surnam'd rhinotmetus , coming the second time to the throne , depos'd and banish'd unjustly the most holy patriarch callinicus , and plac't cyrus a recluse of amastris in the see. now observe , that callinicus did not separate himself from the church and from cyrus , upon the account of his unjust deprivation : and that cyrus , together with those he had ordain'd , were received by the church . artemius , otherwise nam'd anastasius , being advanc'd to the imperial throne , * upon the death of the patriarch of constantinople , constituted in his place the most holy germanus bp. of cyzicus . then leo isaurus obtaining the empire , and furiously raging against the sacred images , banishes the holy germanus , and places anastasius in his throne . fifty six years after , the sixth general council was call'd , which tarasius was president of , who had been consecrated patriarch before the council was appointed ; but whether by bishops that were for or against images , is uncertain . and all that opposed the adoration of images , upon renouncing their heresie , were received by that council . now in the time of this holy tarasius there happen'd that which follows . constantine , then emperour , after he had put away his * lawfull wife , and shut her up in a nunnery , against her will , espoused * another , that had her self been a nun ; and so became , according to the express declaration of the gospel , a manifest adulterer . upon this the patriarch tarasius refusing to officiate in so unlawfull a marriage , joseph , * the steward of the church , was so hardy as to perform the office , and render'd himself thereby obnoxious to deprivation . the patriarch attempting to deprive him , was deterred by the emperour , who declared that , if joseph was ejected , he would set up the heresie of the iconomachi again ; which forc'd the patriarch to receive him , though much against his will. but the bl. theodorus , abbot of the monastery of studium , withdrew himself from the communion both of church and emperour too : from the emperour , as being adulterer ; from the church ; because it received joseph , the confirmer of that adulterous match : and upon that account , he suffer'd a thousand injuries from the emperour . after this , constantine had his eyes put out ; and his mother irene took the government upon her : she recalls the bl. theodorus , commends both him and tarasius ; the former , for his prudence in his care for the church ; and the latter , for his exact observance of discipline . then the patriarch ejects joseph , the cause of all this schism ; and he and theodorus are at unity again . after this , irene is depos'd , and nicephorus the * treasurer usurps the throne , and tarasius dies , and the holy patriarch nicephorus succeeds him : he constrains the emperour to receive joseph again , whom tarasius had deprived . upon which theodorus a second time withdraws from the church . a while after , that emperour and his son stauracius dying , michael curopalates gets the sceptre ; and the patriarch nicephorus taking hold of that opportunity deprives joseph again , and so he and theodorus are reconciled . but those opprobrious invectives , that theodorus during his banishment had used against the holy tarasius and nicephorus , were by no means approv'd of by the church , * as proceeding from littleness of mind . for the holy methodius , in his epistle to the monks of studium , has these words ; if your bl. abbot had not retracted what he spoke against the holy tarasius and nicephorus , he should not have been fellow-minister with us ; we would not have receiv'd him into our communion . these things are found in the second book of the holy nicon , in one of the epistles of methodius . the same holy methodius , in his last testament , which he made at his death , makes this ordinance concerning the monks of studium that refused to join in communion with the catholick church ; if they repent and come over to the catholick church , and renounce their schism , let them be receiv'd as barely christians , but by no means be advanc'd to the priesthood . thus * in the volume of councils , which is read in the church , as every body knows , all those things that were spoken and written against the holy patriarchs , tarasius and nicephorus , are made an anathema . and moreover , concerning the same affair of ( theodorus ) studites , this also is written , that the holy theodorus did not do well in separating himself from the communion of the catholick church , and the holy patriarchs , tarasius and nicephorus ; * for they were then the church . for if we cannot withdraw our selves from the communion of any ordinary priest * , without the sin of heresie ; how much less may we separate from the communion of such holy , orthodox patriarchs , the luminaries of the world ? and although the holy theodorus , now with god , was so far hurried away , as to make this schism ; yet afterwards he relinquisht it , and set himself right again , as the holy methodius manifests in the foresaid epistle . and the saying of the prophet david was fulfilled in this holy man , though he fall , he shall not be utterly cast down ; for the lord upholdeth him with his hand . after this , during the reigns of leo armenius , michael traulus , and his son theophilus , successively for the space of twenty six years , there was not one orthodox patriarch ; but all were of the sect of the iconomachi , and maintained the opinion of the emperours . but after the death of theophilus , his wife the blessed theodora , together with a synod , plac'd the holy methodius in the see ; who was suceeded by the great ignatius . * then michael reigning with his mother theodora , was , together with her , corrupted , and was therefore sharply reprov'd by the holy ignatius , and excluded the communion of the church : caesar therefore , being able to doe what he pleas'd by his imperial power , depos'd and banish'd ignatius , and establish'd photius in his stead . after this came basilius macedo to the crown , and he presently deposes photius , and reestablishes ignatius ; but after the death of ignatius , he again restores photius . which indeed is a thing to be wonder'd at . for if photius was depos'd as an adulterer and usurper of the throne , how comes he again to be promoted as innocent ? but be it as it will , the church however receives and acknowledges and honours them both , because orthodox : and thus she says ( in her diptychs ) may the memory of ignatius , photius , stephanus , and antonius , the most holy patriarchs , be everlasting : and whatsoever is spoken against ignatius , and photius , and stephanus , and antonius , the most holy patriarchs , is an anathema . now let the hearer observe again , that even the holy ignatius did not , because he was unjustly thrust out of the see , either recede from the communion of photius , or perswade the people to do so . for this is the scope and design of all the histories that are here produced , to shew , that not one of all those patriarchs , that were unjustly and uncanonically thrust out of their proper sees , did ever withdraw himself from the communion of his successor , or perswade the people to separate from the church ; but that both they and the people continued in communion , if so be their successors were orthodox . after this , leo , the son of basilius , being possess'd of the imperial sceptre , depriv'd that orthodox patriarch whom he found in the see , and promoted stephanus , his own brother , in his room ; one that was sound indeed in the faith , but nevertheless was made patriarch contrary to the canons . but no schism was made in the church upon that account . for stephanus likewise was own'd and receiv'd by her . so that thus she speaks ( in her diptychs ) may the memory of ignatius , photius and stephanus , the most holy patriarchs , be everlasting . the same emperor leo , surnamed the philosopher , ejected the most rightfull patriarch nicolaus , a man renowned for his orthodoxy , out of the see ; because he refused to consent to his fourth marriage ; and oppos'd him earnestly in his design of making it lawfull to marry the fourth time ; * and yet to continue in government , though in his room he advanc'd euthymius , who was syncellus's or nicolaus's assessor . here observe again , that the patriarch nocolaus did not separate himself from the catholick church or from euthymius , nor teach the people to do so ; and that undoubtedly because euthymius was orthodox . nay , when after the decease of the emperor leo , his brother alexander , that succeeded him , deposed euthymius , and replaced nicolaus , who was yet living , in the see , yet the ordinations of euthymius were not rejected , seeing that they were orthodox , and by an orthodox patriarch . these things are written in the history of zonaras . the emperor manuel very wrongfully ejected cosmas atticus the patriarch , a man full of piety and goodness , and advanc'd another to his see. but cosmas , though highly resenting this injustice , did not however either himself break off from the communion of the church , or incite the people to such a schism . but he made this denunciation ; that the empress should never have any male issue ; which accordingly came to pass ; for the emp. alexius was born of the second wife mary , that that was descended from the latins . upon this imprecation of cosmas , * contostephanus of scio , one of the by-standers , out of zeal for the empress , pressed toward him , to strike him , but was stopt by some body . let him alone , says cosmas , for he himself suddenly shall have a stroke from a stone ; which accordingly came to pass . for not long after contostephanus was kill'd with the blow of a stone in the war at corcyra . this is in the history of choniates . the emperor isaacius angelus finding basilius camaterus in the patriarchal chair , deposed him without any just cause , and promoted nicetas , * the chaplain of the church to the see. a year after , he deposes him too , upon pretence of his simplicity and old age , and promotes leontius , protesting that the blessed virgin ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) appear'd to him , and bid him prefer leontius , who was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that occasion . soon after not liking this leontius neither , he again averrs the blessed virgin had appear'd to him , and bid him depose him too ; which accordingly he does , and sets up dositheus bishop of jerusalem in his room . this giving general dissatisfaction , dositheus also is ejected , and * another put in his place . so in the space of nine years , that isaacius reign'd he made five patriarchs successively : by whom , as must needs be suppos'd , there were many persons ordain'd . and from them the whole order of the priesthood and all the church is brought down to our days . and 't is a matter of admiration , that in the reign of that emperor , five patriarchs succeeding one another , and all alive together , should not separate from one anothers communion ; because one was put in and another was put out , purely at the emperor's pleasure . to conclude all in a word ; one thing only was required by the church , that the new bishop should profess the same ( orthodox ) faith with the other that was depos'd ; but as for other complaints and accusations , that ever and anon were made upon such promotions , except it were heresie , she never made any strict examination into them . an abstract of this treatise : being an account , in short , of such patriarchs as at several times have been unjustly depos'd by the emperors , yet did not separate themselves from the communion of their unlawfull successors , nor perswade the people to do so , because the successors were orthodox . in arcadius's reign the great chrysostom was unjustly depos'd : his successors were arsacius , and the divine atticus . in theodosius junior's time the holy flavianus was depos'd by the heretick dioscorus : his successor was anatolius . in anastasius's reign , * euthymius was depos'd : his successor was macedonius ; and his , timotheus . in the same reign elias , bishop of jerusalem , was depos'd : his successor was john. in the reign of constantine the great , maximius , bishop of jerusalem , was depos'd by the bishop of cesarea in palestine : his successor was cyrill . in the reign of justinian , eutychius of amasia , patriarch of c. p. was depos'd : his successor was john. in the same reign , anthimus , once bishop of trebisond , then patriarch of c. p. was depos'd : his successor was the most holy menas . in the reign of justinianus rhinotmetus , callinicus was depos'd : his successor was cyrus , a recluse of amastris . in the reign of michael , the son of theophilus , the great ignatius was depos'd : his successour was photius . in the reign of basilius macedo , photius , the successor of ignatius , was depos'd : he was succeeded by the foresaid ignatius ; and ignatius again by him . in the reign of leo the philosopher , photius was again depos'd , upon some false accusations which the emperor brought against him : his successor was stephanus the emperor's brother . under the same emperor * nicolaus the mystical ( philosopher ) was depos'd : his successor was euthymius the syncellus . in the reign of alexander the brother of leo , euthymius the successor of nicolaus was depos'd , and nicolaus again restor'd . in the emperor manuel's reign , cosmas atticus was depos'd , and succeeded by theodosius . in the reign of isaacius angelus , basilius camaterus was depos'd , and succeeded by the chaplain nicetas mundanes . under the same emperor nicetas was depos'd , and succeeded by leontius theotocites . in the same reign , leontius theotocites was depos'd , and succeeded by dositheus b. of jerusalem . in the same reign , dositheus likewise was depos'd , and succeeded by georgius xiphilinus . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a52277-e260 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . pallad . p. 80. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . theod. c. 5. l. 34. † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . socrat. vi. 8. * pallad . vita chrys. p. 67. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . † p. 69. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * pall. p. 90. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . notes for div a52277-e1210 * add. * this arsacius , because of his brother nectarius's jealousie towards him , had formerly sworn , that he would never accept of the see of constantinople . so the ms. which in this place is written erroneously . * the words of the ms. are these . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in an uncommon acceptation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be thus translated . now they that had been ordain'd by atticus , ordain'd sisinnius . for that sisinnius , when atticus died , the 10th of october , was only a presbyter , and was consecrated patriarch the 28th of february following ; appears from socrat. lib. vii . c. 26. see the gr. and lat. edition . * ms. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i. e. or those that were ordain'd by them , as before . * ms. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . which may be thus translated . they that deposed chrysostome , consecrated arsacius ; the same , and those consecrated by arsacius , atticus ; those by arsacius and atticus , sisinnius ; and those by sisinnius , proclus . * or , discovered to pope innocent , ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * ms. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a mistake of the writer , and must be thus corrected . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i. e. basil bp. of seleucia in isauria , and photius bp. of tyre see the gr. & lat. edit . * so the ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . an errour of the writer , for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as all historians call him . * written by cyril of scythopolis , c. 56 , 57 , &c. cotelerii ecclesiae graecae monum . tom. 111. * ms. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i. e. had condemned him when he was absent : or , had condemned him for not making his appearance . * acacius . * ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . which is corrupted , the true reading being , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. sergius , pyrrhus , paul & peter . see the gr. and lat. edition . * so indeed the ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i. e. the bishop of constantinople being dead : allowing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( which i do not remember to have read ) to be for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . but this being not true in matter of fact , ( zonaras tom. 2. p. 98. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) i believe the author might write thus ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i. e. ejecting the present patriarch out of the see. * maria. * theodote . ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. one that was a nun too . theophanes and zonaras call her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , lady of the bed-chamber . * ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : which was the highest ecclesiastical office under the patriarch . * ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * so indeed the ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perhaps our author might use an innovated word , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i. e. that those contumelious aspersions proceeded from the bitterness and vexation of his mind , occasioned by his great sufferings . so demosth. orat. in midiam , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . or even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may admit of that interpretation : seeing that s. chrysostom seems to use it for quarrels and discontents between husband and wife , 17. hom. ad 1 cor. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . take which word you please , we may be certain that this is our author's meaning . * ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i. e. in the synodicon of the church . by which is peculiarly understood that decree that was made against the iconomachi by the synod at constantinople under michael and theodora , a.d. 842. appointed to be read in the greek churches every year upon the first sunday in lent. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . which may be thus interpreted ; if we may not separate from the communion of any ordinary priest , except it be for heresie . agreeably to the first and last paragraphs of this tract . psal. 37. 24. the ms. has here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , inspead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * this whole paragraph is thus in the ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . where , as such mistakes are too frequent in ancient mss. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . so that the passage must be read thus ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. caesar in those ages was not a proper name , but the title of one of the highest dignities of the empire . zonaras , tom. 2. p. 161. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same is said by leo grammaticus and cedrenus , &c. so that this passage ought to be translated thus ; in the reign of michael , bardas the caesar was sharply reproved and excommunicated by ignatius , because he lived incestuously with his daughter in law. the caesar having all the power in his hands , and leading the king's facility and ' dissoluteness whither he pleased , gets ignatius to be ejected , and photius set up in his place . all historians mention , that michael minded nothing but his pleasure , leaving all serious affairs to bardas , his chief minister of state. * ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is ; and to enact a general allowance of it for the future : or perhaps thus , adding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring his son after him into the administration of the government . the case was this , leo had buried three wives without any issue that lived ; but had a natural son constantine by one zoe , his concubine . being willing therefore that an heir of his body should succeed him , he marries this zoe , to legitimate the bastard son. but the fourth marriage had been declared by the canons to be downright fornication . leo therefore endeavoured to have those canons superseded by a new law , that should permit the fourth marriage : which the patriarch nicephorus endeavour'd to obstruct , and forfeited his dignity for it . or , it may be our authour wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to publish and promulgate it for the future . * ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which probably is an abbreviation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and must be thus translated , when one stephanus , surnamed contostephanus , that stood by . so nic. choniates , pag. 52. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and cinnamus , p. 55. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the second ecclesiastical office under the patriarch , next to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned p. 12. of this tract . * georgius xiphilinus . notes for div a52277-e6370 * ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as before . * ms. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which may be interpreted nicolaus , one of the privy-council . an explanation or enlarging of the ten articles in the supplication of doctor iames, lately exhibited to the clergy of england. or a manifest proofe that they are both reasonable and faisible within the time mentioned. james, thomas, 1573?-1629. 1625 approx. 84 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 20 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2008-09 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a04339 stc 14454 estc s107706 99843402 99843402 8133 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a04339) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 8133) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1475-1640 ; 741:15) an explanation or enlarging of the ten articles in the supplication of doctor iames, lately exhibited to the clergy of england. or a manifest proofe that they are both reasonable and faisible within the time mentioned. james, thomas, 1573?-1629. james, thomas, 1573?-1629. humble and earnest request for, and in the behalfe of bookes touching religion. aut [2], 36 p. printed by iohn lichfield and william turner, printers to the famous vniuersity, oxford : anno dom. 1625. by thomas james, reprinting and explaining his: the humble and earnest request for, and in the behalfe of bookes touching religion. reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate 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sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng james, thomas, 1573?-1629. -humble and earnest request for, and in the behalfe of bookes touching religion -early works to 1800. criticism, textual -early works to 1800. church history -early works to 1800. 2005-11 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2006-03 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-03 ali jakobson sampled and proofread 2007-03 ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an explanation or enlar●ing of the ten articles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supplication 〈◊〉 doctor iam●s , lately exhibited to the clergy of england . or a manifest proofe that they are both reasonable and faisible within the time mentioned . our law condemneth no man before hee bee heard . oxford , printed by iohn lichfield and william tvrner , printers to the famous vniuersity . anno dom. 1625. first concerning the first point of the latine fathers . the first point that the latine fathers works , ( whereof diuers are already done ) the books of councels , and the body of the canon law , may be diligently reviewed , and compared with the best manuscripts ; and the collections and needfull obseruations thence-from arising , printed ; together with the pieces and fragments of the fathers workes ( if any shall be found . ) explained . that all these ten points are necessary and fi● to be enquired into , i take as granted by the confession of all : that they are doubted by some , and plainely affirmed by others , whether within the time mentioned they may be performed , i know : and therefore i as much in me lieth ) endeuour to satisfie the one , and take away all manner of doubting from the other , with breuity and perspicuity ; grounding my selfe vpon good experience for some , and very probable reasons for the rest ; following the order prescribed . concerning the latine fathers therefore ( the greeke fathers being reasonably well done already , ignatius by a vedelius , b chrysostome by that learned and iudicious knight , c athanasius by some , and d clemens alexandrinus , &c. by others ) which doe in a maner implore our best helpe , and as the controuersies are mooued in relion , doe inforce our labour . there is not onely profession made by e lanfranke of old , but by diuerse of late ; gregory of the rome print , and augustine of paris , doe fullie proue the same ; that sundry things are purposely changed , whether for the better or the worse ? who knoweth not that we haue iust cause giuen vs to suspect the worst ? i will instance only in one place , & that a principall one , concerning transubstantiation , a chiefe pillar of the popish doctrine . the place is in f ambrose de sacramentis , the words , vt sint quae erant , & in aliud mutentur : this corruption is aboue 500 yeares old : but yet not receiued till of late into the g roman edition , and from thence deriued into the paris , and it may be in the lye-on edition , and others : and yet these words now suppressed and dashed cleane out of the text , are plainly to be found in all our mss. of what library , frō what monastery soeuer . adde hereunto , what sh●ffling and cutting there is betweene the master of the sacred palace , and the printer ; both hired to reforme say they , ( no doubt ) i to deforme and corrupt the fathers workes . i know it , and can prooue it by k manutius cyprian , and l dominicus basaes gregory , and ambrose of h rome . i can make an ocular demonstration of the manifold and manifest corruptions of these authors : we may easily ghesse at the rest , for all their m glorious pretence of two hundred copies , vsed in ●h●●ollation of saint augustine , and many in gregory and ambrose , i know not how many ; nor doe i , nor any man liuing wor , how many copies , or from whence taken , they haue vsed in this their double diligence . as for the councels , i can ( i suppose ) produce , or there may be produced twenty seuerall editions , all differing from themselues , and from the truth : and ( if there be any one true ) i doe ghesse it is that , whereof i doe heare tidings in a booke of the acts of the councell of trent , printed by arnold brickman , 1565. this was of likelihood a good ●dition . one celaunus had trauailed farre and neere , to gather all that could be gotten : but either this was neuer printed , or being printed , was purposely suppressed by them . for the canon law the sinke of all poperie , and fountaine , or puddle rather , of all kinde of popish corruption , to found the primaci● , and by necessarie consequence , all points of popery , out of blinde councels , and bastard , false , or falsified fathers : yet as bad as it is , neither text nor glosse is so bad as they haue made it . i speake vpon knowledge , semeca hath not in the old mss. statuimus , id est , abrogamus ; or dic romano , id est , constantinopolitano : these fooleries are of a later stampe , & stamped or printed they are , but i suppose hardly to be found in the written copies ; for gratian , questionlesse they haue vsed him ( nec enim lex iustior vlla est ) as he is knowne to haue vsed others ; they haue chopped and changed , curtailed and clipped his words , and workes ; notwithstanding gregorie the thirteenths pretence , of i know not how many copies , besides the labours of faber and acontius : i will instance onely in their palea . they haue first plaied with the word , making it a cardinall , or a man for chaffe , and long for short ; else should it be palaea , from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and not pal●a : they haue herein done vs a double wrong ; they haue made that palea which is not so , because it maketh against them : and on the contrary side , they haue omitted to put the true stampe of paleaes vpon that , which maketh for them , though they be inuisible and innominable in the old mss. we haue examples store , in both kindes : the right of emperors in making lawes , and commandements for the church , is casheered because it liketh them not : nor that of their married popes , dist . 96. cap. 2. osius papa , item decret . part. 2. cap. 27. q. 2. c. 18. against priests marriage . of the second sort are these : for drawing causes to rome . causa 3. q. 6. c. 16. neminem exhiberi , nisi praelatus sit qui accusetur , is forged , and came in not the right way , to proue appeales to rome . causa 24. q. 1. cap. 15. rogamus vos fratres : we reade these words for to estabblish the supremacy : nulla est ( sedes ) quae cius ( i. romanae ) non sit subiecta ditioni . againe , quanto magis non potest ( faemina ) imperare , as it were to strengthen the salicke law , causa 33. quaest . 5. cap. 17. mulierem constat , was thrust into the text by some french man. the solemne swearing vpon the gospell , and by the reliques of the saints , causa 3 3. quaest . 6. cap. 9. are found in some blind charnel house , or reliquiarie , not in the written gratian. in de consecrat . dist . 2. cap. 1. in sacramentorum oblationibus , for assuring of their impossible doctrine of transubstantiation ; we vse it ( say the papists ) vt a patribus accepimus , & ipsa ratio docet , which they haue thrust into the text violently : habemus confitentes reos . i could be large in this point , but i must but point at , and not treat de industria of their wilfull corruptions , and make whole iliads , or chiliads of them : but that which is expected of me now i haue prooued , that there is good reason , and high time to imploy some to perfit that worke , which was happily begun , and left off ( which i shame to speake of ) for want of paiment . i was , and am willing to be imploied in the painfull reuision of the rest ; but how shall i be able to imbarque others in that businesse ? but. non si male nunc & olu●sic erit : we had then , and i trust shall haue now in some proportion , men as willing and as able to doe the worke ; and i am sure that the world will beare me witnesse , that my labour was treble to any ones : and yet in a yeere and little more , we suruaied all gregorie , and cyprian , and all ambrose of the rome print : noting both the differences in the margent , whether materiall , or immateriall ; what copy each man vsed , when we began , and when we ended , and how farre we proceeded euery day ; neuer ceasing our sixe houres a day , ( sundaies and holy daies excepted ) god giuing me a body able , and a minde willing to fit it out : and that i may be thankfull to the diuine maiesty , my body , as if it had a dispensation for the time , was free from any knowne disease , that did , or might impeach the worke . my body ( i must confesse ) is much impaired since , by much sicknesse ; but on the contrary , my willingnesse and experience in these businesses , are much increased : and therefore i am perswaded , that if ambrose , gregorie , and cyprian , may be , and haue beene done within a yeare and something more : augustine may be done in another , and hierome in a third , and all the rest of the fathers in lesse then a yeare , and the councels and gratian in a fift ; whereof one , as i haue said , is happily passed already : i doe purpose to imploy onely sixe persons , foure to the mss , one to the last of the protestants , the sixt to the last of the papists edition ; which both shall be noted in the margent , and i will take vpon me as before , to be both notarie , and actuarie to the company , concluding ( as bellarmine doth ) if he be as true as his word : si semel inueniar mentitus in uita , omnem mihi in posterum fidem derogent . the second point that the latine translation of the greeke fathers may be collationed by able and fit persons , by reason of diuerse christophorsons and iesuits , that haue too-too much abused the ignorant of the tongue . explained . touching the second point , for the comparing of the latine translation of the greeke fathers : i purpose not ( vnlesse it shall be thought fit by my superiours ) to compare it with mss. copies in greek : we are left destitute of copies , especially now we are wholly bereft of all hope of helpe from the great palatine library : but ( as i haue said ) vedelius , and that worthy and thrise honoured knight and others , haue partly preuented , and partly supplied vs herein : that which i intend , is onely to suruay the translations in places controuerted onely , whether they be fitting and proper . a worke that may well be done , being diuided amongst our sages of the greek , whether in , or out of the vniuersitie , within a yeare : though if they list to follow vedelius in noting the corrupt translations , sundring the bastard treatises from the true a part by themselues , & answering the places obiected out of the fathers , with criticall obseruations , they shall deserue well of the fathers ; it may , and shall be done for the latine fathers : as vve may follow vedelius in the greeke , so if no other will vndertake the worke in the latine fathers , i will doe the like in them , as master crompton hath done before in saint augustine . the third point that the jndices expurgatory may be likewise perused , all of them , as many as can be gotten , the places forbidden to be transcribed , of which labour is a third part at the least already taken by me , or my procurement . explained . the third point concerneth the indices expurgatory , which no doubt are many , but all are not to be gotten , and of those we cannot get the editions mentioned in their bookes , without the which it cannot be done . neuerthelesse , to facilitate this worke , i haue in a readinesse an alphabeticall note of all the editions that are forbidden 〈◊〉 corrigantur : that those that haue them may send them vnto vs. i say onely that i , by my selfe , and others , haue already done a third part of the whole , perhaps it will amount to a second of all the bookes and editions that be found , and that men may know how farre i haue proceeded already , these authors following , with their seuerall bookes , are reseued out of the papists hands , and restored by me . abulensis or thostatus p. aerodius . leo bapt. alb●rti . amatus lusitanus . lud. ariosto . the annotations vpon s. aug. albertus argentinensis . iac. philippi berg●mensis . laurentius beyerlincke . biblia rob. stephani . biblia cum duplici translatione . bibliotheca ss . patrum . io. bodinus . p. de boll● . henr. breulaus . guil. budeus . ambros . calepinus . barth . cassnaus . greg. cappacinu● . io. campensis . index in ioh. chrysostomum . nic. cle●ardus . isid . clarius . p. crinitus cyprianus mon●●hus cistere . notae marginales index & textus cyrilli alex. dante 's . i mondi del doni . fr. duarenus . andr. eborensis . notae in engelbertum . enchiridion christianae institutionis . erasmi opera , almost . claud. espencaeus . eucherius . iac. faber stapulensis . barth . ferrariensis . io. ferus . barth . fumus . gilb. genebrardus . germanicarum rerum scriptores . tomis varijs . lilius greg. gyraldus . ant de gueuara . claud. guilliaudus . adamus kel●erus . albertus krantzius . iustus lipsius . iosephus luqui●● . andr. masius . christ . maffaeus . iac. à s. mearia . ianotius de ma●●●tis . lucius marineus siculu● ▪ marcus marull●● . iac. menochius . papyrius massonius . ben. arias montanus . tho. marus , miles . ioh. n●viza●us . annot. in nicephorum . hieron . ab oleastre . p. opm●erus . claud. paradinus . fr. petrarcha . fr. polygranus . io. iou. pontanus . procopius gazaeus . ant. de rampengolis . guil. ranchinus . p. rebuffus . eman. rodericus . alph. salmeron . eman. sa. io. de salas. iac. shoepperus . iul. caesar scalig●r . dimas serpe . laur. schraderus . raynerus suoygoudanus . rob. stephanus . did. stella . fr. suuertius . ale●● tartagni . iac. aug. thuanus . beniamin tudelensis . tuccius t●ccius . fr. vallesius . laur. valla. dan venatorius . diego de la vega. polyd. virgilius . alphonsus viu●ldus . lud. viues . geo. wicelius . theodorus zuingerus . all these forenamed authors , ( vnlesse it be zuinger and erasmus workes ) are ( if i may say ) repurged and restored vnto their former integritie , the rest that remaine may be well transcribed in halfe a yeere : for i can set at one time a hundred seuerall persons on worke ; it it is a businesse of labour , et quis ad haec non id●neus . i intend not ( vnlesse it be by commandement of my superiours ) to meddle with the expurgation of our protestant writers , which they haue vainely attempted ; nor of the thalmud of the iewes , or rabbinicall writers : but popish writers of what sect , sort , language , nation , or facultie whatsoeuer , tag and rag , are the subiectum ad●quatum of this businesse : and so i come vnto the fourth point , of collation of bookes . the fourth point that lyra and the glosse , the great bibliotheca sanctorum patrum , platina , caietan , alphonsusde castro , and sundry others of all sorts of authors , may be compared with former editions , and manuscripts ( if need be to meet with their secret jndices expurgatorii , which are the more dangerous , because they print , and leaue our what they list , at pleasure , and yet make no words of it , neither haue any commission knowne for to doe it . explained . touching this fourth point , herein giue me leaue to explaine my selfe out of my owne and others obseruations , especially of the learned bishop of meth : lyra and the gl●sse were reviewed and reuised by dadr●n● , cucilly , and fewardentius : and now lately by three benedictines : if their former did their best , what needed the second edition ? if they did not , why doe they pretend such exactnesse , so great paines ? but the truth is , lyra is somewhat touchy against them , and the glosse doth thwart their expositions : and therefore though closely , the three d●wists doe make profession , that they haue mended diuers things , wherein the former edition was wanting , according to the prescript of the mss , and some things they say , they haue thought good to expunge in thoringis about lyra : where he is thought delirare from their trent faith , or common tenets : a great labour , vndertaken , i am afraid , rather to suppresse the truth , than to expresse any good meaning . epicharmus precept will here serue , as doctor rainold sheweth vs , to distrust their workes of what kinde soeuer ; especially if the iesuites haue a finger in the setting forth of them : as you may see their notes infarced almost in euery tome of the bibliotheca probabilium patrum , which hath beene reprinted foure times within these few yeres , and twice within these two or three yeres : thinke yon that it was for nothing ? was not the romane correction sufficient to purge it , according vnto whose correction it was printed carefully at pa●is ? if the master of the sacred palace be not wise enough to mead it , we are like to haue it well amended . but who knoweth what harme is done in the middle aged writers ? bacon or ba●onthorpius , ( i am perswaded ) is corrupted in the late editions , aquinas , and scotus , blesensis and others ; doubt lesse , by that little that i haue seene , they carry the marke of the beast , and the print of their fingers : but if i may haue my will , no booke of note or worth shall goe vncompared : the worke is very easie , the parties are very many that may well be imploid in this worke , if they haue corrupted them vnder colour of correcting them . there hath beene reprinted of late , a phonsus de castro , onuphrius , sixtus se●ensis , and last of all , m●●cus de guadalaiara in spanish , of the liues of the latter popes , with the occurrences of those times : touching the former , the learned haue spoken enough to stirre vs vp to the diligent reuising and comparing of them . for alphonsus de castro , i leaue you to consider of that which hath beene strucke out of him in latter editions , in verbo papa , concerning the popes infallible authoritie , which true castro doth deny to be so great as it is made ; or that his person is inerrable , he thinketh no parasite of the popes , or flatterer of the world , wil dare to auouch . for onuphrius & others , i know what the learned iudgment is of that author & others , & i know and all the world shall know how this guadalaiara is vsed , or rather abused by the papists , and forced to say , & vnsay , for seruile feare of the spanish sandouall , both against his wil , & the truth : it is the latest , clearest instance of their cunning dealing , to their no small aduantage , to settle a wrong opinion in mens mindes about the powder treason . in the former edition , which is but an addition vnto illes●●● of the popes liues , hee hath truely reported the story of the gunpowder treason , out of gothardus arthus , and others : laying ( as we say ) the saddle vpon the right horse , the fault vpon certaine popish male-contents ; but it seemeth in a latter edition , now extant in the publique library , they haue mis-reported the treason , and put it as d. b. clermond had done before vpon the puritanes ; casting foule aspersions vpon our state , as if they had plotted that which the papists had acted out of a ragionamento del stato , or trigo del estado , or as cleremond saith , to get their goods and lands confisked vnto the exchequer , to inrich the kings cofers . that which i inferre out of these premises , are the iniury done vnto the estate of bookes , and sometimes vnto books of estate , inuoluing our king and counsellers within their secret censures . this booke is reprinted as i say , within few yeeres , composed by a man of great note , dedicated to philip the third , printed at the first with license and priuiledge , approued by diuers kindes of religious persons , no mention is made of any alterations in the second edition : and it is turned cleane cham . the fact is notorious , the fault inexcusable , say what can be obiected in his defence . he is perhaps liuing , and liuing men ▪ as they may alter their willes , so they may change their words . i admit it , so doe our masters of trent : but conditionally , so it be in matters of faith , and not of fact ▪ or if it be in matter of faith , so the author be conuinced , and his errour shewed : but in questions of fact , volat irreuocabile verbum , the rule must hold , quod scripsi scrips● , all the world cannot helpe it , it cannot be , as aeneas syluius sometimes said . but to come to guad●laia●a was that true that he had written in his former edition , why is it altered in this latter ? if it be not , why is not the contrary shewed ? howsoeuer it be , they should haue told vs so much in the frontisp●ce or first page , that vpon better aduise , and ●ruer rela●ions , leuys de bauia , hath altered some things : but i doe verily beleeue , it was not done by him , but mandato superiorum , by those that do ●yranni●e ouer m●●s books , and lod● it ouer mens consciences : this latter booke is now in the hands of a friend of mine ad facti fidem asserendam , and cannot possibly be denyed , doe they what they can , or el●e i am much deceiued . you see by that which hath bin spoke ▪ how needfull it is that all sorts of bookes as well of estate , as religion , should be diligently cōpared with former editions : it is to be presumed that all sorts of bookes are depraued by them , especially that come forth with glorious titles , faire paper , and chiefly with iesuiticall annotations : although they come not forth iuxta mandatum indicis expurgatory , or s. inquisitionis , whether of spaine or of rome , multa latent , quae non patent ; the truth of this will easily appeare by our labour , the labour will be farre more easie then the former , and if i haue causelesly suspected them , i will cry them mercy , and subscribe vnto the truth ; we may set not a hundred , but a thousand on worke ( if need require ) but i hast vnto the fift article . the fift point that the authors of the middle age , that wrote in the defence of that religion , which is now ( thankes be to god ) publikely established in the church of england , for the substance thereof , may bee faithfully transcribed , diligently collated , & distributed into volumes , whereof many may bee made of orthodoxe writers ; if not so many as of their bibliotheca patrum probabilium : adding hereunto such writers , as being bred and brought vp in the bosome of the roman church saw the disorders , discouered their abuses both in doctrine and manners , and wished almost for the same reformation , that was afterward most happily wrought and brought to passe by martin luther and his companions : of the first sort are wickliffe , peacocke , gu●de s. amore , jo. p. minorita , normannus anon , nic. orem and sundry others : of the later kinde , wesselus , wicelius , p. de alliaco , faber , gerson , cusanus , and such like . explained . the fift article concerneth the transcribing authors of the middle age , a point wherein ( if in any ) wee may seeme to be defectiue . but quaedam videntur & non sunt , store is no sore ; we haue ( thanked be god ) store of these writers , that haue witnessed the truth of our religion , both in their worthy and solide writings , and by their glorious deathes . if they failed in any point ( as seldome they doe ) it was the fault and darkene se of those times , the fault & number of those bastardly and beggarly treatises , which euer since vincentius lirine●isis time corrupted the lumpe and body of the true writers : here was no erasmus then liuing to hold the candle vnto them , no cookes or riuets liuing , to vnmaske or vnuaile them . hence it is that our magdeburg writers haue found so many naeuos and errours in the fathers : but all of them of whom they spake and so sharpely inueigh against are not fathers , nor true sonnes , but bastard impes , it were well they were well rooted out all , both branch and bowgh , as spuria vitulamina non dabunt radices altas . would it not trow we bee a glorious sight , to see wicleph and peacocke reuiued againe out of the dust of their graues , and our libraries , and to write in defence an apologie of our religion , as valiantly and pertinently as iuel or morton haue done , both bishops and glorious lamps and ornaments of this church of england ; and for want of others , we will be bold to craue aide of the papists , they haue giuen vs a good hent in their seuerall bookes of prohibition , and expurgation , and so directed vs , that we need not farre to seeke for witnesses : they though papists will beare witnesse vnto the protestant faith and orthodoxe doctrine , or else i do much mistake their writings , or our owne tenets ; and let wicelius or wesselus answere for vs. wicelius workes are printed , but i suppose his workes are in the hands of few : wesselus are extant and to be read of all . wicelius ( as shall be shewed ere long ) was almost wholly ours ; it will not serue their turns to say as harding doth , that he was first of our religion , or as gretser ( that neuer told lie in his life ) sometimes a lutheran preacher . i doe not absolutely deny it , it may be so , there is little written of , much by him : but in all his writings that i haue seen till of late , there cā be nothing gathered wheron they may ground this improbable cōceit . but what the ? as for wesselus , he was not vnworthily called lux mundi , not blasphemously , as certain of their parasites haue said of some popes ; papa lux venit in mundum , &c. but i will call him as the scripture calleth the righteous , as bright a starre as any shined in their horizon . whose workes are set sorth and published as well by their owne men , as ours , and his death greatly lamented of all . but why dwell i so long vpon this point ? the worke is as easie and faisible as the two last . we may imploy as many hands as we please , and authority shall thinke fit . two dutchmen of the palatinate haue tra●elled for me in this businesse , and are able and willing to write out a quire of paper in a weeke , which would come to an hundred quire in the yeare , able to set two presses or worke . their hand is legible , though not faire . i haue paid them xx s. for a quire ( their ingenuitie being schollars , craueth no lesse at my hands . ) some things i haue of wicleph both in english and latine ready for the presse : especially i haue imploide them in writing out his de verit ●te scripturae , or his aletheia ( as zuinger calleth it ) and i haue begun the rather with this booke , because it was his master-piece , and ( as was saide ) a good meanes of con●erting the bobemian nation , next vnder god. i haue likewise ready done the great and famous worke of guil. de s. amore : not that which is printed , but that which exceedet that farre , both in greatnesse and goodnesse : it is or shall be ready for the presse , and i will account no booke ready till it haue a good concordance in the margent , a table of the auctors cited , and matter contained therein , after he most exactest manner of an alphabet . the sixt point that the catalogus testium veritatis , compiled by illyricus , may be rectified out of the originals , quoting booke , chapter , and edition ; and supplyed out of the vnprinted manuscripts . explained : touching illyricus , the books printed , whose authorities are vouched , may be reuiewed by many ; but for the manuscrips ( as i would wish that all that are in oxford and cambridge , or else-where , may be viewed , qu●ad hoc ) i haue much in this kinde gathered to the hand , much more hath an industrious kinsman of mine : if i had no other imployment but this , wee two would vndertake that businesse , and to doe it as it should bee done , to no small profit of the church , and increase of illyricus catalogue of witnesses of the truth . the seuenth point that out of all these an anticoccius may be framed out of fathers , and middle-aged writers , that were in their times esteemed of the church of rome , and out of them onely : nothing doubting but we shall be able to match , if not exceed , his two large volumes , both in greatnesse and goodnesse ; quoting as before , precisely , our editions , and doing all fide optima & antiqua , religiously and vnpartially , as becommeth diuines . explained . for the anticoccius , it is already performed in a maner : i haue all the testimonies before luther , and before or since of papists , that prooued each point materiall of our religion , disposed after a double method : the first of time , descending downewardes from christ and his apostles : the second alphabeticall , that i may know and supplie what is wanting , there wants : but comparing of the testimonies with the originall : though i mis-doubt them not , being all taken out of the worthies amongst our writers : namely , bilson , and morton , and abbot , bishops ; field , and francis white , deanes ; iohn white , and beard , doctors of diuinity : as also iewell and mornay , and who dares suspect ? i know some haue challenged them , but the best is , they haue made their owne apologies . the eighth point that the supposititious and bastard workes of the fathers , noted by doctor rivet , or master cooke , or any other , may be re-examined ; their exceptions scanned or weighed with indifferency , and other reasons added to their challenge , if any shal be found . explained . concerning the eighth point of the bastard fathers : some are challenged by protestants , some by papists , some by both ; by whom , & the places where , i haue a reasonable good direction : the places may be seene , their reasons weighed , and accordingly on gods name let iudgement be giuen . i know some that are tainted of corruption , which will appeare vpon better iudgement , to be truly their proper workes ; i spare to speake my minde , or to instance and exemplifie in this point , for that it concerneth some greater & wiser men then my selfe : but thought is free , vincat melior sententia , & let that which is spoken by me , be spoken with due submission , & vnder correction , donec predeant censurae aliorum . the worke doubtlesse is of good moment , the doing of it will be no great labour , nor vnpleasant worke : so much i say before hand , for their and mine owne incouragement . the ninth point that the suspected places may be viewed in the true fathers , which are iustly challenged of corruption , either by our own men , or the aduersary ; with the like indifferencie of mindes , and vnpartialitie of iudgements ▪ being compared with the touchstone of the old manuscripts , and printed bookes , which are quasi manuscripts . explained . as concerning the ninth point , a matter as worthy as any of our best considerations ; there are a thousand places challenged of corruption , ( i speake within compasse ) most by protestants , mostly in the question of the supremacie , and iudge of controuersies , the carrying question : all which may be once well decided , either iudiciously out of the mss , or coniecturally out of the strength of wit or reason , and there is no third way allowed vs by the criticks , all that i haue seene , and some of the best , it hath been gods prouidence that i haue seene in my time , which may appeare by that , which here followeth ; gathered together and disposed into theses , for the better guiding of me and others , that shall busie themselues in examining or re examining these 1000. places , or more ; suspected or corrupted in the true fathers . theses or rules concerning the art criticke . 1 a criticke is a man naturally inclined to those kinde of studies , of a sincere iudgement , approued honesty , versed in all kinde of good literature , as a man would a say , a most exquisite and absolute grammarian . 2. the art criticke , is an art of inquiring into the truth , b and faith of such as haue written and put foorth bookes , according to certaine rules , examining and reading all maner of bookes , in what faculty soeuer : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , critically , c vpon coniecture , or vpon iudgement . 3. our coniectures are vncertaine , for the most part grounded onely vpon circumstances : iudgement proceeds from the mss , and is for the most part solide and certaine . 4. there are certaine rules and precepts to be obserued in both . 5. our coniectures must be made sparingly , discreetly , and warily , d and fortified with as many reasons as may be well brought together . 6. and this is a most certaine rule , that we e must neuer change a reading vpon a bare coniecture onely , against the constant and receiued reading of all the mss. f 7. in defect and want of mss ▪ ( which happeneth too often , god knoweth , and the criticks know it to their griefe ) the next and best helpe we haue , is from coniecture , it hath the second roome ; but the g first place doth by droict du canon in the iudgement of our most approued criticks , beginne , proceed , and end with the mss , more or lesse . h 8. it is a rule in criticisme , that caeteris paribus , the older the copy is , the better it is . i 9. there is another rule , that if the copie be old , it hath seldome its explicit , or time noted wherein it was written . 10. neuerthelesse , there are meanes and wayes left vnto vs , to difference and discerne old copies from new , former from latter , by the character . 11. bookes written in the longobard character , k are esteemed to be of great antiquity , and so are bookes written with a bigger letter , or ( as our antiquaries call it ) lirera formata , w●th a set hand , and both these as it hath beene iudiciously obserued , l haue few or no abbreuiations . 12. bookes that haue beene transcribed within these 500 or 900 yeares , haue come into our hands very corrupt and false , as rightly obserued lud. viues , and others : the corruptions came in , partly by the vnskilfulnesse and multiplied abbreuiations of those that vsually copied out bookes ; partly by the boldnesse and presumption of certaine scioli ; or lastly by the carelesnesse of writers . 13. all which must be vnderstood with this one exception , vnlesse the said bookes were diligently copied out and collated with the old and best mss ; for so being carefully done , they may be well nigh of as good credit , and stand vs in as good stead as the old mss. themselues , whereout they were transcribed . 14. this is to be knowne by these few markes : first , you haue it in some bookes in expresse tearmes , explicit such or such a booke , copied out such a yeare , and collationed the same yeare , or another . secondly , you shall finde it blotted and blu●red in certaine places , where the wrong wordes are put forth , and the right set downe , most commonly in the margent , or written ouer head . thirdly and lastly , by certaine prickes or points vnder so many letters or words as are to be expunged : a quaint deuise to preserue the beauty of their bookes , but very subiect to errour and mis-interpretation . 15. bookes that were printed long since , or at the first , when printing came in ( such as cyprian 1471. or 1478. ) are sometime in stead , and aequalled with some mss. 16. in collationing and comparing of old bookes with new , printed with the mss , ( a worke onely of industry , and properly belonging to our criticks ) as the antiquitie of the bookes must be regarded , so the number of the copies is to be well considered , and weighed in the libration of bookes . 17. as it is a sure and receiued rule , that there m lieth a kinde of impossibility to mend a booke without any mss : so to attempt to doe the same , without the aide of two copies at the least , may perchance proue but a fruitlesse , or bootlesse labour . 18. as the elder copies are to be preferred before the latter , so are the more to be regarded before the fewer . 19. if we finde a currant and constant reading in all the mss , without any varying , no man may be so bold as to change the same , be it neuer so contrary to sense , or repugnant to reason : all that we can doe in such a case , i● to glosse or expound it in the side of the booke , or in the end of the same , by way of annotation . 20. in variety of mss , n the reader is left free to choose what copy or reading liketh him best ; no one mans iudgement must preiudice another mans opinion , because neither one man alone , nor all iointly together , doe know all things . 21. there is o no assurance or infallibility in the art criticke : who dares absolutely to take vpon him to mend a booke , so as there shall be no fault or wrinckle in him ? we cannot , we dare not say it : it is sufficient for a criticke , to doe all that he may , or can , according vnto the rules of his art , and to vse his best industry , that is to say , if he haue good mss , to vse them ; if he haue them not ( because they also doe faile vs sometimes ) to vse the best that can be gotten , and when they cannot be gotten , to follow the thred of coniectures and likelihoods , which sometimes , and in some cases , ( though seldome ) are p as good as some mss. 22. the readings in the mss , q whether right or wrong , sound or vnsound , must be needfully , and heedfully preserued , and obserued . 24. sometimes the r inuersion or peruersion of a letter , the mis-pointing , false colon , or comma in a sentence , may ouerthrow the true meaning thereof , and draw it to a cleane contrary sense . 25. there is no fault so small , but must be mended , if it may , but noted it must be howsoeuer : these are but seeming trifles i must confesse , ſ yet such as with draw men from the true reading , and draw great consequences with them . 26. therefore our criticke must approue his honest and faithfull dealing vnto the world , dealing with the mss , as the mss dealt with him ; making choise of some good readings rather then other , t but noting both vnto the reader ; for a false reading many times , hath some footsteps of a truer lection , and what one cannot , another may obserue : these are the rules which wee intend to follow , till wee know any cause to the contrary . and for the practise of them , i will exemplifie them in two places , taken from one of the profoundest schollers , and of deepest iudgement that euer england yeelded . the first consisteth vpon iudgement , the other vpon coniecture , the two legs whereupon the art criticke standeth : my author is the famous bilson bishop of winton , whose learning was too great , and himselfe too good , ( as foolishly norrice said of him ) to be a protestant , and therefore hee praied for his conuersion after the time of his dissolution , i know not how he will answere this , he is not wont to be so charitable to others . my place ( as i said ) the one out of aug. de gen. ad lit . lib. 10. cap. 23. the other taken out of chrysostomes ep. ad innocent . the papists proue tradition out of the one , and norrice following bellarmine , the supremacy out of the other , but the papists faile in both : the bishops coniectures in neither , and my confirmations ( if any be needfull , or possible after him ) are partly out of the mss , and partly out of coniecture . touching the first place , thus we reade , consuetudo matris ecclesiae in baptizandis parvulis non credenda , nisi ecclesiae traditio esset : whereupon the iudicious bishop hath these wordes following , they being obiected to him in the person of the papists by his philander . the meaning of the speaker in this place , and the likenesse of the same speech in other places , makes me thinke that a letter too much is crept into these words , as through the iniurie of times , and variety of scribes , many thousand deprauations , and diuers le●tions were , and yet are in the works of saint-augustine and other fathers , not only by the iudgment of the learned , but by the very sight of the mangines : nifi apostolica traditio esset for esse , is a scape in writing soone committed , but a matter of some moment in altering of the sense . i take not vpon me to correct it , but leaue it to the indifferent reader . see here an euident argument of the learned bishops iudgement , and modestie : iudgement , or rather coniecture in ghessing it to be corrupted , modestie in not presuming to alter the reading vpon his owne coniecture , without furthet warrant from the mss : for then he is bold to say , as he doth else where ; know ye that there are sixe mss. in the new college that reade thus . this place was ( that i may ingeniously professe a truth ) it that drew my studies to the contemplations of the mss , and made me take a wearisome iourney to cambridge , and elsewhere , to compile my ecloga : this fiue and twenty yeeres at the least , i haue beene conuersant more or lesse in these kinde of studies , and some small proficient i haue beene , nothing repenting me of my paines bestowed , if they may profit my selfe and others , to the purpose . answerable to the bishops coniectures are most , if not all of our english mss : quos catholici maiores nostri reliquerunt , ( saith posseuine ) & thought to be as good as any are in the world besides . the second place suspected by the bishop of corruption , is taken out of chrysostomes ep. ad innocentium , in these words : the word is printed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , obscre vt scribas , which the wordes precedent and consequent import should bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obscro vt scribatis , and so the other part of the sentence doth plainely conuince where he saith : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : i fore is easily ouer-seene , and yet in the matter the difference is much , though not so much , that it should either helpe them , or hurt vs. and else-where obsecro vt scribas , the print or copie distrusted , the whole lettter goeth on with verbes of the plurall number — the whole petition made to them all . now whether obsecro ut scribas , can stand with these wordes , libris vestris ▪ firms concedite , or rather obsecro vt scribatis . a verbe of the singular number thrust in amongst verbes of the plurall to claw the bishop of rome . this selfe-same place i sent vnto a friend of mine , a batchelor learned in diuinity , to be farther considered of mee , who returned me this note thereupon . bell. de rom. pontif l. 2. c. 15. § septimo bellarmines obseruation out of these words is this . chrysostome was vniuslly deposed by theophilus antiochenus , and hereupon writeth to the bishop of rome , that he would be pleased by his authoritie to nullifie theophilus sentence , & to proceed both against him and his fellowes . therefore ( saith he ) chrysostome did acknowledge the bishop of rome to be chiefe iudge of controuersies amongst the graecians . thus farre he baronious is ready to daunce for ioy , that he hath found so pregnant a place for the popes supremacie , and is of opinion , that god in his diuine prouidence suffered this breach to happen betweene these two famous bishops , because there should a constat as it were remaine vpon record whether we ought to go vpon the like occasions : but by their leaues , both our cardinals , haue committed many fraudulent deportements in the carrying of this busisinesse . 1 first s. chysostome wrote not to innnocentius alone , but ioyntly to him and to his collegues : this is proued by the tenour of the whole epistle , which neuer speakes but in the plurall number . domini maxime , venerandi & pij quam haec ita se habere didiceritis , studium vestrū ad hibete , quo retundatur haec impietas ] againe , in the very same place aboue mentioned , obsecro vt scribatis , non vt scribas ] this reading is also well warranted by binius , in both his editions of the councels , as well of anno 1●06 . as the other of the yeare 1618. and in the greeke text set forth by sir henry sauill , not without deserued thankes and commendations of papists . to . 7. p. 157. we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : ) although some printed copies , read corruptly scribas , and some greeke ( if the iesuite deale with vs fide optima & romana ) which the learned knight doth not dissemble , and once more still in the plurall number literis vestris frui concedite ] 2 i was haled and pulled & carried away by maine force , the reason was because forsooth i had appealed vnto the synode ] vnto the synode , not vnto the bishop of rome . 3 he desireth the charity and fauour of the easterne bishops almost in euery place , and wisheth that he might haue the happinesse to come to their goodnesses , and enioy the benefit thereof : ] we haue therefore no acknowledgement of the popes power of omnipotency . 4 if it shall be lawfull for euery one to breake or rush into another mans diocesse , though from parts neuer so farre distant , & to determine what they list of their owne authorities , in short time all things will come to nothing ] he doth plainly allude vnto the canon of the councell of nice , wherein each patriarch ( the roman and all ) haue certaine bounds and limits , which all men were bound expresly to keepe . therefore without all peraduenture innocents authority alone ( which he well knew ) reached no further then his owne diocesse : further he could not goe extra regiones suburbicarias : that was not the thing sought after , but the aide of an oecumenicall vniuersall synode , to determine this controuersie . 5 besides , innocentius himselfe else-where doth plainly shew , and as it were demonstrate vnto vs a way for the composing of such like controuersies , in his epistle to the cleargie of constantinople , as we may read it in sozomen , l. 8. cap. 26. necessaria est inquit , &c. ] it is not onely expedient but necessary , that the bishops should meet in a synode , about the determining of these controuersies — , for these stormes cannot be quieted , nor these tempests allaide , but onely by a sober and temperate meeting of bishops in a synode ] by a synode onely , and not onely by the sea of rome . 6 in his 2. ep. to innocent , thus writeth s. chrysostome else where , — i must needs acknowledge , that your fatherhood hath piously , ( as much as in you lay ) composed all differences , and remoued all scandals . — but they notwithstanding cease not to goe on in their obstinate and wicked courses . ] therefore theophilus and his complices or copesmates , nothing cared for innocentius attempts in this very controuersie : but obstinately went on , and fomented this schisme ; nathlesse hee did intercede and mediate to the contrary . 7 the most and the vtmost indeed that innocent could doe , was ( which was common to him with other bishops according to the ancient custome of that age ) to deny all manner of communion and fellowship with theophilus or his theophilines : this was not to pronounce him banished from the catholike church , or to inualidate , or make his acts of none effect by his bare authority and onely command . so here you haue a small taste of that fruit in both kindes of criticisme , which the world is to expect at our hands , if god giue grace and the bishops leaue : and i should not thinke it much amisse or farre out of the way , if we did presently goe in hand with this eighth and ninth articles : of all others they are the most important , else in comparing the fathers workes , wee may happily mistake one for the other , or sonnes for fathers : and againe , who knoweth not but the worke of comparing the latine fathers works , the greekes translation , are in some sort inuolued and included in one of these two points , and these ( to my seeming ) may be well acted and peracted by , or not long after michaelmas , only with the helpe of these twelue and some few voluntaries : prouided that we begin before the next , easter as motus est in instanti , but i submit and pray . the tenth point tenthly and lastly , the perpetuall visibility of the church , more or lesse , and the history of the same religion that we professe for the substance thereof throughout all ages , may be shewed to the eye , noting whē those nouelismes and superadditaments of the church of rome , came in as neare as may be guessed , the time when , and parties by whom they vvere opposed . all vvhich 10 propositions , ( needfull and important as they are ) i doe vvillingly commend vnto my deare mother the church of england , and from her to the cleargie and gentry of this land , to bee proceeded in , as they shall see it most expedient for the common good ; promising nothing but my paines to bee commanded in these publique seruices . and i make no doubt ( if god vvill ) but that all this may be effected , vvithin some few yeares , if the almighty giue grace , the rich whom god hath blessed with this worldly substance , incouragement ; and the rest their prayers . of the likelihood hereof i am the rather perswaded , because already by my ovvne meanes , and small endeauours , there is almost a fourth part of the worke done in all these 10 articles . if one alone may do so much vvithin such a time , vvhat may a dozen able scholers ( such as i knovv and could name ) doe vvithin 5 , 6 , 7 , or 8 yeares , vvhich is the vtmost in my conjecture ? the approbation of the worke. i approue of the things here proiected , & wish with all my heart they may take good effect . io. prideavx vicecanc . s.t.d. prof. reg. theol. rod. kettell praeses coll. s. trinit . leon . hvtten aedis christi praebend . gvil . langton coll. magd. praeses . sebastianvs benefield lecturae margareticae professor . io. ravvlinson principalis aulae s. edmundi . io. parkehvrst magister coll. ball. io. wilkinson aul. magd. praep. gvil . peirs decanus petriburgensis . richardvs corbet aedis christi decanus . sam . fell aedis christi praebend . tho. iles aulae cervinae principalis . ric. asteley custos coll. omnium animarum . rob. pinck novi coll. custos . gv. smyth coll. wadham . guard. io. tolson coll. oriel . praepositus . pavlvs hood coll. lincoln . rector . gvil . ivxon coll. d. io. preses . i am now at length , happily ( as i trust ) arriued at the tenth point , which i will call the cape of good hope , because i conceiue very good hope that if the former were done , this with some labour formerly taken by me will suddenly follow of it selfe : it is almost done already ( thankes be to god ) and good mr. fisher he shall haue his buttery-booke ere long , ex malis moribus bonae leges , his iests may perhaps turne to earnests : we will out-catalogue his fellow dr. norrice , who is so mighty a goliah amongst our philistius , that he hath defied all the hoste of israel : as for field , or bilson , or abbots , or raynolds , they are but dwarfes in his hands , he maketh but a push at their writtings , and seemeth to be able to set them to schoole againe , if generall norrice had beene no better at his sword , then he is at his penne , the low-countries had been low enough by this time . i say no more but brag is a good dogge : and though i would not willingly fall into the same crime which i finde fault with in another , yet in this place in the vpshot and conclusion of all , i trust i shall finde pardon with the ingenious and discreet reader , if i speake somewhat of my selfe , and for to excuse my forwardnesse in pressing this worke . as when men shall vnderstand that i was borne of honest and religious parents , that are ( i hope ) now blessed saints in heauen , sometimes glorious confessors here vpon earth , and exiles for religion , that i haue studied this point more then 25 yeares , and petitioned , as i doe now , the bishops in the last parliament of the late queene , that i haue liued euer since in a place of some eminency for bookes ; where though i could not well study them my selfe , but carried and sometimes broke the bread like silenus asse , for others more then for my selfe , yet as one that standeth vpon an high tower , to discry the enemy , may doe good seruice , though hee bee not in the camp ; so i standing vpon this pharos of learning , haue seen somewhat that it greeueth me to see , that books in time wil decay if the estate of the church or common-wealth , doe not preuent our papists mischieuous plots & complots , to pull kings out of their thrones , and the king of kings out of heauen , if they may haue their wils , they are cunning marchants , close workers , all is in the darke , and in the vaut ; i feare more their secret , then their open indices : the truth is , i feare all , and beleeue none of them , i am so taught by d. raynold , d. raynold by epicharmus : they sow that now , which they meane to reape perhaps 40 or 50 yeares hence . i would gladly redeeme truth out of their hands , which is there not to be vsed , but suppressed , and to preserue religion entire , as it hath bin left vnto vs , & to preserue it frō the iniuries of times and men , & who knoweth whether the great city of rome be not to be assaulted and battered with these rams ? & the man of sin , that antichrist that exalteth himselfe aboue god , or all that is called god , be not to be ouerthrowne and cast downe to the ground , by this weake paper-shot of ours : i haue in gods name begun the battell in a good time , my bellum papale hath made a great and wide breach in their walls , my booke of corruptions hath touched them to the quicke , and drawne blood : but i shall re-enforce the battell ere it be long ; experience hath taught me to vse stronger weapons . i would haue them in print , that the aduersary should take no exception against them ; or rather that hee may iustly obiect what he can , and when it is done , what great mastery is it to conquer a poore feeble man , whom age hath made old , and not sickenesse , and god with the meanes of a learned physition hath made strong , contrary to all humane expectation . i must die when the appointed time shall come , it is good not to be found idle , or abroad out of my vocation . non omnes possunt esse maximi . sure i am i haue beene oftentimes buried in the mouthes of some ambitious men . i haue written , spoken , and done somewhat , when i might haue taken my pleasure of the world , ( as too many of my coat doe ) i haue ( thanked be god ) no cure of soules , and yet am not secure or willing to say to my soule , take thy rest : yet if my eyes may be so happy as to see the epilogue and catastrophe of this great businesse , i shall sing my nunc dimittis with great contentednesse of mind , though i haue neuer a penny for my labour : they deserue not ( to my seeming ) a reward for their labours , which labour for a reward . i shall finde some respect amongst my fellow protestants , and if it be but for my constant and vnfeined zeale : of the papists , i looke for nothing but contempt and disgrace : i haue tasted of this cup which my blessed sauiour began vnto me , it is very bitter , saue that the wood of his crosse hath sweetned it ; i neuer offended any of them willingly : all my reading is in their owne authors , are they offended for this ? the proofes of my religion , truth and antiquity are taken from them , is this that offendeth them ? nay i am contented , and fully resolued to stand to the determination of the materiall controuersies by their owne rules , and iudges of their owne making , or some of their owne appointment . my bookes are yet vnanswered , those that seemed to be answered ; here a sentence and there a sentence , i haue replied and reioyned vnto them : i am neither idle drone , nor wine bibber , or tipler , nor cutter and mangler , forger or counterfeiter of mss , i will leaue that to the papists , hardings , and posseuines of those times , i will not offer to take their trade out of their hands . they thinke not so meanly of my selfe , as my selfe doe , yet as iewell once said to harding , by the grace of god i am that i am , and that grace is sufficient for me : if i should depend vpon the praise of 〈◊〉 i were not the true seruant of god , it p●ffeth 〈…〉 vp , that i haue receiued priuate let●ers , and open testimonies from beyond the seas , to incourage me to goe on cheerefully in the course of my studies , and these from papists as well as protestants , some men of eminent learning , as well as nobility , from the greatest bishops within this land , as well as men of fame and name beyond the seas : all this ( as i say ) puffeth not me vp , and maketh not me neither idle , nor high minded , i thanke them for their good wils , and am thankfull to the almighty , if any thing be praise worthy in me , or bneficiall to others : but i account all this as nothing , and my selfe lesse then nothing , if i doe not religiously pay my vowes , which i haue solemnly made to god and the church in this kinde : and for a conclusion of all , to winde vp all , as it were into one clew . if the first point may be well accomplished in three or foure yeares , the second in one yeare , the third and fourth in halfe a yeare , the fift in a yeare or two , the 6. by two in two yeares , the 7. in a manner in a quarter of a yeare , the eighth and ninth in halfe a yere , the last within lesse then a twelue moneth : when all is done , quid stamus hic tota die otiosi . once againe i am ready my selfe , and so are twelue more as willing in some sort , more able then my selfe , to enter the lists , and vpon the worke : if wee shall bee thereunto required by our superiours , if our sister vniuersity will ioine hand in hand with vs , we shall march the more confidently , they reuising our labours , and we interchangeably theirs , the worke will the sooner and better be done , within halfe the time , by the rule of proportion . thus i haue laboured in this apology to satisfie others ( for if i should not do so much as in me lieth , i should not satisfie my self ) satisfie all i cannot , my superiours i hope i shal ; if by no other , yet by this , that in the end i may iustly sing my io poean , all honour , praise , and glory vnto god , not diuiding my praise as most papists doe , and bellarmine is said to diuide his soule betwixt god and the virgine mary , fowly and shamefully : contradicting his former position , supping vp as it were his owne words . tutissimum est , &c. the safest way of all is to relie on gods mercy . fjnjs . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a04339-e90 a geneua . 1623 b chrysos● opera g● . cu●n annot . etonae 1612. c ath●na●ij opera graec. & lat. 1600. d clem. alexandrini opera graece cum annot . 1542. e lanfrancus manuscri●ta ss . patrum secundum orthodoxam fidem correx●t , & immutauit , boston . in catalogo & io. anglicus in hist aurea . obserued by master rich. iames , of c. c. c. a kinsman of mine . f s. ambros . l 4. de sacram ● . 4. see paraeus in 1 cor. lyd. in annal . p. 172. hospin . de sacrament . l. 2. p. 69. juel . in defens p. 249. g ambr. opera romae . 1580. i i refer t●e reader to my vindicia g●e●orianae ▪ ●ow printing at geneua . k romae 1564. l s. gregorij operu romae to● 6. 1588. veterum exem lari●m collatione ( no copie named , no● whence taken ) & pristino suo spendori restituta , aucta & illustrata . in praef . to . 4. h there are six or seuen copies in my ecloga , i appeale to them all . m accipietis aug. nostratiu● opera , hoc est ge●manorum theol. studio illustratū , ad ●imā & incudem reuocatum : nec solum infinitis p●ope numero erroribus liberati● , sed etiam magna rerum accessione exornatum ep. thom. gozaeu● apostolicus ac regius lib. censor per belgium ope●am nauanit in restit . aug. ex varijs bibliothecis : exemplaria plusqua 200. mss. conquisierat . concilia edita per iac. meclinum 1524. per p. crabb 1530. & 1531. col. & ib. 1531. & ib. 1538. per surium 1567. ven. 1585. per zllettum . per b●n●um 1606 et 1618. & pauli 5. auctoritate 1608. & postremo par. 1623. see one or two mss. in the new college . vide indicem librorum , qui varij : ex locis sunt habiti . vide ea●de qui●●● ie●torem , in principio 〈◊〉 est ●●●onere . §. de nomine paleae corpus iuris canon ▪ rome 1582. gratian corrupted about taking away kingly right . about priests marriage . about appeales to rome . about the supremacy . about worshipping of reliques . about transubstantiation , besides infinite other deprauations . locuple tatum est caput hoc , ex orig●nali & caeteris collectoribas , prater anselmū qui habet vt antea gratianus habebat in annot. see my answer against a. c. and a. b. &c. when it shall come forth . my lord of canterbury promised & gaue 10 l. my lord of yorke 10 l. my lord of winchester bilson 10 l. the bishop of durham , doctor iames , 10 l. and sundry others did willingly promise and pay : others did willingly promise , but failed in payment , whose names i conceale . all the bookes that were hitherto vsed in our collation , were either at , or according to the rome print . see hereafter amongst the criticall thes . thes . 22. at that time was ( troubled , i cannot say , ) but subiect to the stone : since that , i haue beene afflicted both with the stone and the palsie , but recouered by doctor c●aitons meanes , my worthy friend , and learned brother , master of pembroke college , and our publike professour of physicke , and reader of the anatomie lecture . for a need i can giue them the places to be considered of , that are any wayes controuerted : almost all of thē before hand . the first , index exporgatrious that we haue , is the knowne one of junius , printed according to that of antwerp , lug● . 1586. the second , of madrill , 2582. the third , called greg. cappuccini e●chiridion ecclesiasticum ven. 1588. the fourth , by ge● . dalme●da , lat. & portugal●●cè , olyss . 1581. the fift , per io. m●riam bruschelle●s . 1601. tom. 1. the sixt and last , by bern. de sando●al . madr. 1612. the reprinting of that which they commanded to be left out , and in some bookes de facto left out , will keepe one presse going a yeere . as master casaubon and master d●usius workes , and sir adolphus m●●kerch● book are done already : but for the rest i think we may saue our labours . qui lyrani ope nt ●um glossa ordinaria , &c lugd. 1589. ab infinitis mēdis p●●gata , &c. per. fr. fewardentium ●rd . minorum , job . dadraeum , & iac. de cucilly , theol. doctores . the booke dedicated to sixtus s. patrum interpre●at . ad ipsos fontes reuocatis , ipsis per doctum lyra●um pestilli● d. lyrani ad ipsum autographum , exconuentis canobij vermoliensi diligenter collat●s . biblia ss cum glossa ordinaria , &c. to . 6. compre●●usa duaci , 1617. quid in hac edit . prestitum fit vltra omnes alias editiones ▪ etiam illam quam parisienses . theologi exbibuerum quam multa correcta , restituta , sup●leta , quam multa vtiliter ad ecta , opera & studio theologorum duace●sum , diligenter eme●data . they confesse they haue put forth the testimonies of the rabb●u●s & others . posseuine excuseth the former edition by haste of the printer , and ciuil wars . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . col ▪ agr. 1613. to . 14 ▪ and bibliotheca vet . patrum sen . edit . paris . 1609. to . 8. ex prescripto indicis expurgatorij romae vulgati emendata . if we compar● io. baconthorpes workes in sent . cremona , 1618. with the former mad. 1511 blesensis of m●gunce 1600. put forth by busaeus , with the ●ormer , 1519 and t●e ms● . whereof we haue store in the library . aquinas of rome 1570. o● antwerp 1612. with fomer editions and mss. scotu● works , ven. 1597. with that of nurembergi . 481. as also bed●s history i know to be ver● corruptly printed , being a leading author to all ou● late historians . alph de castro aduersu● haer●ses , is farre different from the latter editions about the popes authority , we haue all his editions . o●●phrius the old doth infinitely disagree with the latter , especially in iulius the third his life . see●ilson ●ilson de obed . p. 294. in lib. de haeres . inscript . paris . ●n fol●o à iod. bad. excus● anno 1534. l●el . lat . part . 2. p. 128. quarta pa●te de la historia p●ntifical gen● al●y catholica compuesta 〈◊〉 ordenada por fr. marco de guadalaiara 〈◊〉 xauier de la re●igion obseruante de nuestra sennora del carmen de aragon , d●rigida al m●y alto y poderoso monarca de espanna filip●● tertero rey y se●●or nuestro , anno 1612. con ●cencia y priuilegio j●●gr●ssa en carago● . por iuan de lanai● y quartane● . conforme a●● que be●eydo en gotardo dantiscano y otros auctores , vna troycion intentada contra el rey iacobo , sus huo● y muger , y contra todos les nobles y estado , del ●●yno : y descubierta mibagrosamente per lo que dios sabe , part. a. lib. 14 cap. 8. this booke is called vando y l●yes del rey iacobo contra la fe catholica , consu respuesta , y aduertentia al letor para la auerigu●cion è intellige● i● de●te caso prouecho●a para el mismo rey y para ●odos por el d. b. de cleremond : a booke in the ha●ds of master boswell parson of saint laurence in london , they haue craftily concealed the time and yeere wherein it is printed . the very same booke is reprinted thus as if it had been comp●sed by dr. lewys de bauia capell●● del rey ● . s. en ●● real capilla de gra●● da con priuilegio de madrid , po● luy● sanchez impressor del rey nuestro senior . anno de 1613. both editions dedicated to the king , made and published within one yeare , the first approued by maestro pedro geronymo cassiu●n . e , iuan perez de artieda offi●y reg●●te del vicari●do , padre fray esteuā de th●us prouincial de los carnelitas &c. f. miguel ripol 〈…〉 , ●uan munnoz . t●e latter is published , 〈…〉 del rey nuestro senior : su●scribed iorge de toua● , supe●uise● p●● pedro de valentia miguel vazquez de 〈…〉 granaca , & fra● pedro de granada . what a change is there here ? 〈…〉 as it were by a m●te● psychos●s changed into leuys de bauia , and fiue censors turned into foure , as it were foure kings warring against fiue . por el mandad● del rey , as is said . they know euery p●ny diuine would shun such editions that haue this skar-crow title in the forefront of the booke . of wi●liffes workes and peacocks , we ha●e th●se mss in oxford and cambridge . 1 io. w●clishes triangle transcribed . 2 his exposition vpon the epistles and gospels . 3 of the seuen commendaments . 4 of the ruines of the church . 5 of the church , and the members thereof . 6 of the liues of the priests , and his confession of the sacrament . 7 against the friars minors . 8 his com. on the psalmes ▪ and diuers other works . in latine these ▪ 1 de v●ritate scri●turae almost transcribed . 2 de ●o mandatis . 3 ded●mini● ciuili contra vnum m●n . in defence of kingly power , prouing the vnlawfulnesse of k. iohns donation ( if any such were ) see the rest in my ecloga . of peacocke his donate of christian life , and repressor of ouer much blaming the cleargy , mss. gro. wicelius works are printed in diuers yeares , from 153● . to 1559 he wrote almost as much as s. aug & would , if he had liued , haue reduced thē into tomes . wesselus works are printed at fas . 1524 and reprinted lately at marpurg . 1617. mr. harding would faine perswade mr i●ell to recant and apostate from the faith , because one staphylus , baldwinus , and wicelius , had done the like . iu●ll in his answere to m. hardings conclusion . ia● gretserus in excerptis de vita & moribus lutheranorum ex geo. wicelij libello qui inscribitur . retectio lutherismi , &c lips . 1538. haec wicelius olim lutherus praedicans . papa lux venit in mundum : fed dilexerunt homines tenebras magis quam lucem : omnis qui male agit , odit lucem ; et non venit adlucem vt non arguantur o● era eius i. quia mala sunt , oratio cornelij episcopi bipontini in conc. trid. sub paulo 3. p. 16. conc. trid. lovan . 1567. the vniuersity of oxford in an epistle to io. p. 22. about prouisions , haue the very same words in effect , as if cor. musse had there read them cut of a mss. of mr. allens before turgots booke of the bishops of duresine . it is not that which is printed . de periculi● nouissim●um temporum , which it seemeth mr. fox had seene , where are 25. signes , but a booke with this title , collecti● catholicae & canonicae scripturae , dinstructionē & praeparationē simplicium fidelium christi , contra pericula inuminetia ecclesiae generali per hypocritas , pseudo praedicatores , & penetrantes domes , & otiosos & curios●s & gy●●vagos , which is ready for the presse vpon a weekes warning . of c.c.c. see iewels defence and replie against harding , and mornayes resp . à l' euesque d' eureux sal●●● . 1602. in my ●nchi i●●ion theologicū mss. apud me , taken out of the most eminent amongst the popish or protestant writers , with quotations of booke , and chapters . i haue most of the places gathered together in numerate . a non. steph. l. 1. dissert . de criticis p. 24. b ib. p. 43. c h. steph. dissert . de criticis p. 247. d parc● prudenter , pudenter . e mar. victor . annot. in hieron . ep. p. 593. f lucas fruterus lib. verisi●● l. p. ●0 . g h. steph l 1. dissert de criti●● p. 22. h lucas brugen . nouantiq . lect . p. 171. i fr. luc. brug . nouantiq . lect p. 304. k mar. victor . annot. in com. p. 1. l angel. posit . p. 69. m goulart . annot . in cypr. p. 582. fr. brug . nouant . lect . p. 124 n mer victor . annot in com. p. 1. o hen. steph. lib. schediasm . p. 147. p lu●as fruteru●verisimilium , l. 7. p. 44. q luc. fruter . verisimil . p. 127. r h. steph. dissert . de ca●i● . p. 53 : & 65. ſ h. steph. dissert . de criticis p , 71. luc. fruter veris . l. 7. p. 20.23 . t angel. poli● . p. 69. bilson of obedience p. 583. whereupon d or . norrice giueth vs this wise note . master bilson and master field in append . 2 §. ●7 . haue no other shift to trauerse the euidence of this place , then by accusing it of some secret corruption . d.n. p. 47. how truly , the reader may iudge by that which followeth . cited by him about the place deu. 17. where the papists in their vulgar bible read ex for et . my ecolga oxonio-cantabrig . printed at london 1600 to the benefit of most protestant writers , and some papists , as poss●uin and pitsius , that haue partly mangled & curtalled my booke . i wonder how they durst keepe it being vtterly forbidden by io. maria master of the sacred palace . so costerius & others . see bilson . de o●●d . p. 53. iun. to . 2. p. 730. by pitsius . reasons why we should vndertake the 8th . or 9th . articles first . shall i here pose mr. bilson , shall i pose m. raynolds s.n. p. 200. & p. 81.91 . & 97. my father , m , richard iames was in the house when marsh was taken , and himselfe forced with his wife and children to liue all q. mar●es time beyond the seas . my petition is printed , and to be seene , that i preferred at that time vnto the bishops in convoc●tion . as shall be fully shewed ere long in a booke now in the presse , to be printed , if god will. from io. zamoscius the chancellor of poland , and generall of his army sent vnto me 23. yeares agoe from my lo. mornay from amandus polanus , iunius , gruterus , sch l. tetus , keckermanus , vossius , riuet , goulartius , and others , from beyond the seas . my small paines haue been approued and in some sort cōmended by my now lord of canterbury , dr : sutliffe , dr. bull●eley , dr. prideaux , dr. hakewill , dr. beard , master perkins and others . the siege of troy is said to haue lasted 10 yeeres at the vtmost . i wold not aske longer time to impugne and expugne this new troy , or troynouant , i haue it vnder their hands , i haue made the best choice of the best and most able schollers that neuer sued to me : i wil beare them witnesse , but i will attempt nothing but permissu superiorum . a relation of the christians in the world pagitt, ephraim, 1574 or 5-1647. 1639 approx. 100 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 51 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a08829 stc 19113 estc s5143 38160737 ocm 38160737 29313 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(eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a08829) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 29313) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1475-1640 ; 1933:1) a relation of the christians in the world pagitt, ephraim, 1574 or 5-1647. [7], 79, [1] p., 1 folded leaf of plates : map. printed by i okes, london : anno domini 1639. author's name appears at end of dedication: ephraim pagitt. errata: p. [1] at end. signatures: a-l⁴. reproduction of original in: union theological seminary (new york, n.y.). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints 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the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christianity -early works to 1800. christianity and other religions -early works to 1800. church history -early works to 1800. christians -early works to 1800. 2003-04 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-05 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-03 judith siefring sampled and proofread 2005-03 judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion perlegi tractatum hunv cui titulus est ( a relation of the christians in the world ) eumque typis mandari permitto . iulij 29. 1639. sa. baker . a relation of the christians in the world. revelations 7. 9. after this i beheld , and loe , a great multitude which no man could number , of all nations , and kinreds , and people , and tongues , stood before the throne and before the lambe . london : printed by i. okes. anno domini . 1639. reverendissimo in christo patri ac domino honoratissimo , domino gulielmo cantuariensi archiepiscopo , totius angliae primatiac metropolitae , regiae majestati à consilijs sanctioribus , academiae oxoniensis cancellario , & patrono suo colendissimo . habes in libello isto ( amplissime praesul ) ecclesiae catholicae statum , et pomoeria . in quo , augustam ecclesiam catholicam , non angustis modo romani pontificis limitibus , ( ut incassum somniant pontificij ) circumscriptam ; nec in obscuro aliquo , ut africae , angulo , ( ut non minus olim vane concluserunt donatistae ) coarctatam ; sed vere catholicam : hoc est , universaliter extensam , & ab oriente in occidentem , et a meridie in septentrionem sparsim diffusam videri licet . et mihi certe summa delectatio , et consolatio fuit , cum legendo invenissem , et contemplando intellexissem , quam magna sit domus dei omnipotentis ; quam ingens possessionis ejus locus ; quam fortis ecclesia , columna dei viventis ; contra quam , nec tyrannorum bujus mundi malitia , nec potestatum infernarum astutia , quicquam sint praevalitura . de dedicatione huius operis , ( cum argumentum sacrum sit , ac ecclesiasticum ) non diu deliberandum fuit , cuius tutelae consecrarem . tibi ( illustrissime ac reverendissime praesul , ( qui in anglia nostra summus es sacrorum praeses , et ecclesiae patronus , non vigilantissimus modo , sed et verissimus , ) optimo iure dicari debet . ignosce itaque ( reverendissime praesul ) huic meae in dedicando 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : et dignare etiam ( suppliciter oro ) hoc meum qualecunque sit opusculum , sub alarum vestrarum umbra protegere . ego sane iam annosus , et senio confectus , hoc opus non sine magno labore & multis vigilijs concinnatum , ad lucem publicam , ( reverentiae vestrae patrocinio fretus , ) fidens expono . mibi quidem , in istiusmodi rhapsodijs conscribendis , coepisse sat est . nunc , ut alij , longe me eruditiores , ad gumentum isthoc prosequendum et illustrandum instigentur , vestrum erit . quod ut usui publico sit , deum optimum maximum precor , per iesum christum , ut authoritatem vestram ecclesiae tranquillitati quam diutissime servet . amplitudini vestrae addictissimus , & reverentiae vestrae servus humillimus , ephraim pagitt . in europe are 4 sorts of christians the protestants papists moscouits greekes these two last agree with the protestants and are not subiect to the pope in africa are the cophtie under the patriarch of alexandria and the abassin christians in aethiope under theire abunna or patriarch in asia are the christians under the patriarch of ierusalem , and antioch , the armenians , georgians , circassians christians in cazan and astracan ect . under the patriarch mosco . of asia the lesse , & under the patriarch of musall , the iacobits , christians of s t thome maronites ect a relation of the christians in the world . having made a diligent enquiry of the estate of the church of god upon earth , i doe finde , that it is not confined to any one country or nation ; nor impaled within any one bishops dioces ; but truely catholick or universal , dispersed over the face of the whole earth . our blessed lord and saviour being ready to ascend into heaven , commanded his apostles , saying : goe yee and teach all nations , baptizing them in the name of the father , of the sonne , and of the holy ghost ; and this his commandement the holy apostles ( being inspired from above ) put in execution . they went forth and preached every where , the lord working with them . in the ecclesiasticall histories the countries and nations are named in which , and to whom , they preached . and although some are perswaded that those churches are altogether perished , or become hereticall ; yet according to our lords promise of assistance ( not only to his holy apostles , viz. i am with you alway but also to their successors preaching after them even to the latter end of the world ) christianity in the substantiall and essentiall points of it remayneth in many of these countries to this day . and truly it is to mee a matter of great consolation , ( in so many changes of this vvorld , and oppositions of wicked men against them that doe professe the name of our lord iesus christ ) to see the church of god preserved , and propagated upon the face of the earth : and not only the doctrine of christian religion but also the ancient ecclesiasticall policie and government of bishops to be mainted , and defended , ( through the providence of almighty god ) not only by christian princes , but also by mahumetan and pagan kings . the world may be divided into the old , known to the ancients which may be subdivided into europe , asia , africa , new , late found out which may bee sub-divided into america . the north and south unknown lands . evrope hath in longitude ( as some write ) from the further part of ireland west , and the river tanais east , about 2166 miles , and in latitude 2220 miles , or there abouts . affrica is about twice as large as europe ; and asia is esteemed to be larger than them both . i finde in europe foure sorts of christians : viz. protestants , romanists , muscovites , and greeks . the protestants who inhabit the kingdomes of england and scotland , being about 1836 miles in compasse , and ireland conteyning about 400 miles in length , and 200 in breadth . gildas writeth , that britanie received the faith in the time of tiberius . nicephorus , dorotheus , and others also write , that the ecclesia occidentalis , reformata in regnis , angliae . scotiae , hiberniae , daniae , norvegiae , succiae , transilvaniae . inhabitant etiam hi christiani , pontifi . cijs mixti , germaniam , poloniam , eranciam , helvetiam , rhetiam , hungariam , bohemiam , belgiam . pontificia , in hispania italia , francia . nhabitant etiam hi christiani , protestantibus mixti partem germaniae , poloniaae , franciae , belgiae , helvetiae , rhetiae , hungariae , bohemiae . orientalis graeca , sub patriarcha constantinopolitano , antiocheno , alexandrino , hierosolymitano , moscoviae , bulgariae , iberiae seu georgianorum . chaldaea , aut chaldaeis lingua vicina : haec ecclesia dividitur in eam cui imputatur , quod sit nestoriana sub patriarcha de mosul alijsque●hichristiani mahumetanis & infidelibus mixti , inhabitant , babyloniam , assyriam , mesopotamiam , parthiam , mediam , catthaiam , tartariam , indiam , &c. monophysitica armeniorum , iacobitarum , coptorum seu christianorum aegyptiacorum , aethiopum seu abassinorum . apostle simon zelotes preached in britanie , and that he was crucified , & lyeth buried there : some suppose that he came with ioseph of arimathea into britanie : which ioseph you may read in cardinal baronius his annals , to have arrived here about the five and thirtieth yeare of our lord. aristobulus , one of the seventy disciples , was one of the first bishops of britanie . the memory of these arch-bishops following , ( viz. ) of patrick in ireland , palladius in scotland , and of david in wales ; who preached the most sweete name of our lord and saviour iesus christ in these countries before named , will never be forgotten . in st. peters church in cornehill , london , remaineth a monument , declaring that king lucius founded that church for a bishops see , and of a succession of arch-bishops there for 400 yeares . elvanus sate arch-bishop there , by whose preaching , with others , king lucius had beene converted : as also restitutus , a married bishop , who with other british bishops subscribed the synode at arles , anno 350. neither is vodinus , one of the arch-bishops of london , to be left in oblivion , who was murthered for reproving king vortiger for putting away his wife , and marrying rowen daughter to hengist an infidel . reverend bede telleth us of many learned men and bishops , in britany before and about the comming of austin the monk : as also of bishop aidan and finan , who are at this day reckoned among the romish saints although they would have no communion with the said austin . likewise , arch-bishop cranmer , bishop ridley , bishop latimer , and others , who restored religion to the ancient purity , and sealed their confession with their blood , will be had in everlasting memory . there are now in the kingdomes above named eight arch-bishops , and about eighty bishops . the clergy in these kingdomes are learned , best provided for , and the most honorable of the reformed churches . the bishops are barons , and sit in their parliaments : and two of the english bishops , viz. durham and eley , have some regalities in their diocesses . in ancient time the kings of england placed clergy-men in the greatest offices of the kingdome . the protestants also inhabit the kingdome of denmark , with the balticke islands , and the great islands in the ocean , as islands part of freisland . the kingdome of norway being in length about 1300. miles , and not halfe so much in breadth . there are in denmarke and norway two archbishopricks , and foureteene bishoprickes . these kingdomes received christianity from the apostles or disciples , as merman * affirmeth . there were two danish bishops in the first councell of nice , viz. marcus metropolitanus & protogenes . the kingdome of sweden bigger then france and italy , in which kingdome is one arch-bishopricke , and seven bishopricks . the kingdome of transilvania in a manner intire . in the kingdome of poland ( being of no lesse space than spaine and france laid together ) the protestants in great numbers are diffused through all the quarters thereof ; having in every province their publicke churches orderly severed , and bounded with dioces . there are also in polonia many greeks , or russes , who have eight bishops , whose metropolitane is the arch-bishop of kiovia . these bishops are not beggarly , but well provided for , and of good esteeme . isidore , arch-bishop of kiovia , before named , went to the councell of florence , attended with 100. horse . there are also many armenians christians , whose bishop is resident in leopolis . in france the protestants had at the conference of poisie 2150 congregations . in this christian kingdome , philip the apostle , with many holy bishops , preached the faith : as dionysius disciple of s. paul , the first bishop of paris and martyrs , lazarus photinus disciple of polycarp , and irenaeus b. of lions , hilary b. of poicteurs , who tooke great paines to purge france from the arrian heresie ; remigius bishop of rhemes , who baptized clodoveus the first christian king of france . neither should wee forget germanus bishop of anxer , nor lupus bishop of tros , who crossed the seas to aide the british bishops against the pelagians . the protestants have also the greatest part of germany : all the temporall princes of note , being of late protestants , except the dukes of bavaria and cleere , and in a manner , all the free cities and hanse townes . the protestants detain also in their possessions the archbishopricks of magdenburgh and breame , with the bishopricks unto them belonging . as also the bishopricks of verdden , halberstad , osnaburgh , and minden . when magdenburgh was converted to the faith , albert was there bishop . cresceus disciple of saint paul was one of the first bishops in germany ; and winibrode an englishman , commonly called boniface , is famous amongst the archbishops of ments , whom the pagans murthered in hope of prey , and found only in his coffers a few bookes and relicks . the first bishop of wertburgh was burchard a britaine : this bishop is duke of franconia , and lord of part of vortland . the first archbishop of breme was ausgarius , who converted erick the third king of denmarke . also in these later times , the memory of doctor luther , ( who caused reformation in some parts of germany ) is very precious in the countries by him reformed . they have also halfe the netherlands : there were lately bishops in these parts , as amongst others , amandus bishop of utrecht , who converted the gauntois to the christian faith. as also frederick , bishop of the said see , who for reproving lodowick the emperour , for keeping iudith , was put to death , but now in these countries , and some others , they have no bishops : but appropriating the church-livings to themselues , they give their ministers pensions . but i fear , that in this their taking to themselves the church-livings , set apart by their fore-fathers for the service of almighty god , and paying their ministers pensions , they doe no otherwise than a king of spaine did , who taking very much from the church , built a monastery , or two ; of whom the proverbe went , that he had taken a sheep from almighty god , and given him again out of it the trotters . now what the miserable effects are , which follow upon the want of bishops in those countries , let the abundance of heresies , sects , schismes , and religions amongst them , testifie to the world . also , they have more than halfe switzerland , and the grisons country , in which countries have beene many bishops . the protestants also live mingled with the romanists in hungarie , austria , bohemia , piemont , and other places . severinus is accounted the apostle of austria . in those countries have beene many holy bishops and doctours , who have shined like stars in the firmament , illuminating the darknesse of the blind world , with the light of their celestiall doctrine . the second sort of christians in europe , are the roman catholicks : who inhabit spain , being in compasse 1893 miles , or thereabouts , in times past divided into many kingdomes ; but now united into one . in this great kingdome , are about eleven archbishops and many bishops , men of great dignity and estate . saint iames is affirmed to be the apostle of spaine , as also saint paul : osius bishop of corduba , ( whom constantine honoured for the marks of iesus christ that he bore ) and isidore bishop of sivill , are famous for opposing the arrian hereticks with illefonsus archbishop of toledo , isidorus scholer , fulgentius , and others . the revenues of the spanish bishops are very great . as the archbishop of toledo hath 250000 ducats per annum : more than some kingdomes . italie , being as some write 900 miles in length , and in breadth from the adriatick sea to the ligurian shoare 240 miles , growing narrower in breadth , untill it shut itselfe into two hornes , either of which are not above 14 miles in bredth . of this country the king of spaine hath a part ; as the kingdome of naples and the dutchie of millaine . in it also , the venetians ; the duke of florence , and other princes and common-wealths have severall dominions . in italie also resideth the bishop of rome , who as hee hath many cardinals , metropolitans , archbishops , and bishops under him ; so also many temporall dukedomes and principalities , of which he is absolute prince and lord. the bishops of rome for the first 300 yeeres , were most of them martyrs : as clement who was tied to an anchor , and cast into the sea : fabian , who did prohibit the emperour philip to enter the church without some shew of penitence : cornelius who was banished , revoked , whipt and beheaded , &c. paul and barnabas preached christ first in rome : and afterward , was the first bishop of millaine , where saint ambrose also sate . france , mingled with protestants as before , being about 200 leagues square , in which is reckoned , loraine , saboie , and avignion ( belonging to the pope ) and geneva with foure territories not subiect to the french king. the church gallican is best priviledged of all the churches in christendome , that are under the pope . it is more free from payments to the pope than the church of spaine : as also to the king they pay only the disme ; whereas in spaine the king hath his tertias , subsidio , pila , escusado , in all , a moitie of the church-livings . in france are reckoned 12 archbishopricks , 104 bishopricks , 540 archpriories , 1450 abbeyes , 12322 priories , 567 nunneries , 130000 parish priests , 700 convents of friers , 259 commendants of the order of the knights of malta : six of the french bishops are peeres of france , who are to aid the king with their councell . poland , mingled with protestants and greeks , as before : there are in poland two archbishopricks , and many bishopricks . the archbishop of guesne is primate , and in the vacancy hath regal authoritie , precedeth in councell , proclaimeth the new king , &c. some part of germany , in which country are reckoned seven archbishops , and about 47 bishops : three of their archbishops are princes electours . halfe the netherlands in which there are two archbishopricks , and many bishopricks . one third part of switzerland , and the grisons country , austria , hungaria , bohemia , and some other countries , mingled with protestants as before . the third sort of christians in europe , are the moscovites vnder the great emperour of moscovia , whose dominions in europe and asia : extend from narve to siberia , west and east about 4400 verstes , and from cola to astracan , north and south 4226 or thereabouts . a verst is about three quarters of a mile . they received the christian faith from saint andrew the apostle , as their histories report . they have the holy scriptures in their owne tongue translated by st. ierome , they use the service of st. chrysostome , translated into the vulgar ; neither is their clergy mean , base or beggarly . the now emperour michael honoured his father theodore with the patriarkship of mosco : their patriarke , metropolitanes , arch-bishops under him are men of great dignity and honour : what their clergy want in learning , they have and make good in devotion and holinesse of life . some of their bishops have 2000 , some 3000 rubbles per annum . the fourth sort of christians are the greekes vnder the patriarke of constantinople , who live mingled with the turks , and make two thirds and more of the inhabitants in many places of the turkes dominions . the grand signior alloweth the christians the liberty of their religion , they paying a tribute , and the bishops their ecclesiasticall government . the patriarkship of constantinople being voyd , sultan mahumet the emperour , that subdued constantinople , invested gennadius into it with great solemnity , giving to him his pastorall staffe , and many gifts . this patriarke had 28 provinces under his iurisdiction : and yet hath at this day many metropolitans , arch-bishops , and bishops under him . stachis was their first bishop , placed there by st. andrew , and now cyril governeth the patriarchall see , in a continued succession from stachis before named . in this church the holy apostles constituted many bishops : as st. paul placed timothy in ephesus , titus in crete , silas in corinth , silvanus in thessalonica , with others : as st. andrew constituted stachis ( before named ) bishop of bizantium , now called constantinople : philologus bishop in sinope , calistus bishop in nice , polycarp disciple to st. iohn , was bishop of smyrna . in time following , this church had many holy patriarchs , as st. chrysostome , gregory , nazianzen , paul the patriarch , ( whom the arrians banished , and strangled ) with others , who governed this church , whose memories shall remaine for ever . the patriarchs of constantinople , before the turkes conquest , were men of great dignity and estate : as theophylact about the yeare 936 , kept 2000 horse : and alexander , an. 1043 , died worth 800000 crownes . the patriarch now hath ( as chytraeus writeth ) about 20000 dollers yearely for his maintenance . he hath also out of moscovia some pension , which was in time past under his iurisdiction . the greekes of corcira , candy , and other islands , are subiect to the venetians , who have arch-bishops , and bishops under them . in asia are the christians 1 vnder the patriarch of ierusalem , who absolutely moderateth in iudea , and over all professors of the greek religion throughout syria . this patriarch hath had 101 bishops under him . st. iames ( called the iust and the brother of our lord ) was the first bishop there , and now theophanes sitteth in that see : simon cleophas succeeded iames : among these bishops cyrillus was famous , a man greatly hated by the arrians , and deposed by them . this church is most ancient : the law went out of syon , and the word of god from ierusalem . this city was emporium , the mart of the christian faith , and the mother of all churches , as theodoret saith . 2 vnder the patriarch of antioch , who had 141 bishops under him . their first bishop was st. peter , and now athanasius . the disciples were first called christians there . ignatius the holy martyr was bishop of this church , and cyril , who was slaine for denying numerian the emperour , sonne of charus , to enter his church , because he had sacrificed to idolls . charus was slaine by thunder , and numerian by aper . 3 the georgians in iberia , who have 18 bishops under their metropolitane , or patriarch . 4 the circassians who inhabite a country about 500 miles long , and 200 miles broad . 5 the mengrellians , who live as the circassians doe , ( by themselves ) not mingled with the mahumetans . 6 the christians in asia the lesse , who except , the cilitians and isaurians are subiect to the patriarch of constantinople . these churches of asia the lesse st. iohn governed , and placed bishops in them . 7 the christians in the kingdomes of cazan and astracan , and other countries in asia , under the dominion of the emperour of muscovia , who hath under him , in europe , and asia , a greater extent of land than the roman catholicks have in europe . all the asiatick christians before named are of the greek communion , and observe the greek rites . 8 the armenians , under their two chiefe patriarchs : one of these patriarchs liveth under the turke , the other under the persian . in cardinall ' baronius annals , you may read of 1000 armenian bishops : thaddaeus ( whom they much esteeme ) preached the faith to them : now i heare the patriarch of the greater armenia , to be called moses . as these christians live in armenia the greater and lesser , so also in many countries and cities of asia , africa , and europe . about the yeare 324 , gregory ( whom they call illuminator ) was bishop of armenia , who suffered martyrdome under licinius the emperour . in the yeare 1609 , abbas , the persian emperour , put to death 1000 of these christians , upon a letter fained to bee written from their patriarch to the pope of rome , acknowledging him to be head of the church . 9 the iacobites , who inhabit a great part of asia , and other places mingled with mahumetans and pagans . their patriarch having many bishops under him keepeth residence in caramite , the metropolis of mesopotamia : wee may reade of a patriarch of the iacobites , in the time of heraclius the emperour . 10 the chaldean and assyrian christians , with others , under the patriarch of mozul , who have many of them their services in the syrian tongue , being the language in which our lord preached . these christians inhabite , mingled with mahumetans and pagans , a great part of the orient ; for beside the countries of babylon , assyria , mesopotamia , parthia , media , &c. wherein many of these christians are found . they are scattered farre and neere in the east , both northerly in cathaia , and southerly in india . trigautius reckoneth 14 metropolitans , viz. of india , china , cambaia , mogor , hilam , nzivin , prath , assur , bethgarmi , halack , passes , mauzeor , xam raziqueor , besides many archbishops , and bishops . cardinall vitriacus in his history of the east , reporteth , these christians with the jacobites , to be more in number then the latines and greeks . these christians were converted by saint thomas the apostle : and in their service-book they have this hymne , as trigantius reporteth . the indians , the chinoises , the persians , and other islanders , and they that are in syria , armenia , grecia , and romania , in commemoration of s. thomas , doe offer prayse to thy holy name . 11 the maronites in mount libanus , who have a patriarch ; and eight or nine bishops under him . 12 the indians of saint thome , so called , because they received the christian faith from saint thomas the apostle . these christians inhabite many places in the east indies , as melia-par ( where saint thomas was buried , and hath a goodly temple erected to his name ) angamall ( where an archbishop resideth ) cranganor , negapatan , vaipecotan and others , trigautius writeth that when the portugals arrived at cochin , that the lord iacob ruled the malabar church , who stiled himselfe metropolitan of india and china , and that ioseph succeeded him . iosephus indus borne in cranganor , in east india also writeth of a great prelat , to whom twelve cardinals were subiect with two patriarchs , and many archbishops and bishops . 13 the chinoises possesse a countrey little lesse then all europe . saint thomas preached the gospel first amongst them , afterwards they had a supply of preachers from iudea . k. tay with neu huanti , reigning in the yeer 782. they erected a monument , declaring the bringing in of the gospell into china in what provinces it was promulgated , and how many yeeres it flourished . the monument is graven with syrian letters with these words : adam sacerdos presbyter & papalis zinostan seu regionis sinarum : in the margent of this monument , there are divers names engraven of them that brought the sweet name of our lord iesus christ among them , as constantinus saba cusio seu aethiops , dominus sergius , &c. paulus venetus writeth of a christian church in the great citie of quinsay . i read also of gaspara a china bishop . 14 cathaia is one of the largest empires upon the face of the whole earth , in which there be also many christians . they write of a christian king of tenduc , whose native subiects are christians : besides he ruleth farre and wide over many provinces , whose inhabitants are also for the most part christians . to conclude , there is neither speech nor language , but his voice hath beene heard among them . the sound of the gospell is gone out into all lands , and the word of god into the ends of the world. in africa are these christians following 1 vnder the patriarch of alexandria , whose iurisdiction hath been from the river of nilus , to the gaditan straits . in the city of caire only are thought to be 200000 christians , saint marke was their first bishop , and now metrophanes governeth and precedeth there , brought up in oxford , sent hither by cyrill the then patriarch to our late lord archbishop of canterbury . in cardinall baronious annalls , you may read of a succession of bishops from saint marke , to gabriell , the then patriarch . there is a service in the syrian tongue , set forth by severus patriarch of alexandria : also a service in the cophts language set forth in print by kirkerus . the cophts are the native eegyptians , and have a patriarch of their owne . moreover demetrius of thessalonica hath set forth a service used in cair , and among the christians in arabia . the holy bishop athanasius , who opposed the arrian world , was sixe and forty yeares patriarch of alexandria , with many other holy bishops , as among others poterius bishop of alexandria , who was slaine by the eutychian hereticks , haled through the streetes , his body cut in pieces , and his entrailes chewed by them . the patriarchs of alexandria have beene great princes , and weare a crowne : his title is oecumenick iudge . so many holy men lived in this church in ancient time , that it was called the paradise of god. 2 the abassine christians , under the emperour of aethiopia , who inhabit many kingdomes of affrica : they received the faith first from philip , and afterwards saint matthew the apostle preached among them : they have a patriarch , or abuna , a-man of great esteeme and estate . their abuna ( when alvares was in aethiopia ) was called marke , a reverend old man , aged about 110 , a man gracious in his speech , never speaking without blessing of god , and giving of thankes : when hee goeth out of his tent he rideth upon a mule , well attended : their churches are builded round , adorned with rich hangings and plate ; they have their service in their owne tongue . zago zabo bugana raze , that is , the vice-roy of bugana , an aethiopian bishop , was sent ambassadour from the aethiopian emperour , to iohn king of portugall , who remained in europe many yeares ; whose confession of faith is set downe by damianus a goes . as also the aethiopian rites are set forth in print by alvares , a portugall priest , who was some yeares leidger in aethiopia , sent thither by the king of portugall . thomas a iesuite writeth of a long succession of the abassin abunas . there is also a succession of the christian abassin emperours , from abraham called the saint , who reigned about the yeare 427 , to abbas and claudius their late emperours : it is reported , that the turke hath subdued much of the prets country ; yet the abassine religion may continue , which the turke taketh not from any . 3 the christians also inhabit the kingdome of cephala . thevet writeth that they received the faith by the preaching of the abassines . 4. moreover the matacasian kingdome received christianity by the means of the king of cephala . the matacasian king placed over his churches eight bishops , and over them a primate , or patriarch , whom they call elchadie , or ismael . in time past christianity flourished in the north-west part of africa . wee read of synods there of above 200 bishops , and in one province called zingitana , ( where carthage stood ) of 164 bishops to bee under one metropolitane . when these churches flourished , they opposed the iurisdiction of the bishop of rome over them , as appeareth by writings of st. cyprian , st. augustine , the sixt councell of carthage , and by a synod at melevis , in both which the african fathers forbad appeales to rome . in the north-west parts of africa doe remaine onely now two bishopriks : ( viz ) septa and tanger : and whereas in barbary , algier , and other places , there are many thousands of christians in captivity , they are allowed by their patrons , the moores , the liberty of their religion : and the learnedest or eldest , is to the rest in stead of a priest. 6 beside the subiects of prester iohn , very many people of the neighbour kingdomes , mixed with mahumetans , and heathen people doe professe the religion , and rites of the abassin christians , as miraeus affirmeth . 7 in congo , called by some manicongo , there are , or have beene some christians . miraeus reokoneth up a succession of nine christian kings in that kingdome . 8 in monomopata there have bin some christians : and they have had a king baptized . 9. in the isle of zocotora there are some christians , who have also a protomist , or bishop over them . 10 the portugals and spaniards inhabit certaine townes and forts in africa , as also the english and hollanders reside in some places of africa . miraeus setteth downe alphabetically the bishopricks of africa , and reckoneth about 430 ; but howsoever many of the bishopricks are not , but ruinated and dissolved ; yet the fame of the sanctity , and learning of their holy bishops heretofore , shall continue for ever : as of st. cyprian bishop of carthage : st. austin bishop of hippo : aurelius bishop of carthage : athanasius patriarch of alexandria ; origen , tertullian , arnobius , and others , who governed the church of god after a most singular manner , and having finished their course , rest with god in heaven . but by the way , to adde a word or two , for the better understanding of this my relation : vvhereas you have heard of many bishops in europe , asia , and africa , it will not be impertinent to set downe what manner of men these bishops in the primative church were : for some suppose bishops and elders to be all one , ( which was the herefie of aerius ) and that they lived meanly upon almes and stipends . for the first , the office of a bishop is set downe by st. paul , titus the 1. and 5. for this cause i left thee in crete , that thou shouldst set in order things that are wanting , and ordaine elders in every city . here we see elders , or pastors to be in every city : but titus , the bishop , had the charge to order , and ordaine elders for the whole island , in which wee reade 100 cities to have been , besides townes : titus was their first bishop , and there is now an archbishop residing there , who hath bishops under him . for the second , whereas some suppose that bishops then lived upon almes or stipends , heare what saint augustine hath left written of his little bishopricke of hippo , in africa . ( saint augustine was a patricians sonne , and had a faire estate from his father : ) i ( saith hee ) went not from riches , but to riches : my fathers estate left mee , was not the twentieth part in comparison of the farms & other estates which i was lord of by being bishop of hippo. in the 60 epistle of saint cyprian , you may perceive the estate of the church of carthage , of which place hee was bishop . also eusebius setteth downe the condition of the church of rome , under cornelius the bishop and martyr : who had under him 155 clergie men , besides a multitude of widdows and poor , who were abundantly relieved , and lest any man should thinke this to be done penuriously . the said cornelius , writeth to fabian bishop of antioch , that so great a multitude were by the providence of god made rich , and abounding in all plenteousnesse . in ancient time the church goods were divided into foure parts , one to the bishop for the mayntenance of his dignity and state , the second to the inferiour clergy , the third to the poore , and the fourth for building , repayring and adorning of the church , and other uses . but whereas , some think , the chiefe points of reformation to be put downe bishops , and to ceaze upon church-livings , and to put their ministers to stipends . i suppose it to be a great plague laid upon a church , to make their ministers stipendaries : and so to depend upon the benevolences of their people , it being the curse of god denounced upon the priests of the posteritie of elie , to bow for a piece of silver , and to crowch for a morsell of bread : for the miserable condition of stipendarie ministers , reade doctour saravia , who setteth downe the poornesse of their stipends , as also the difficulty of attaining those little pittances allotted to them , viz. that oft the ministers are compelled to travell no small iourneyes to their pay masters , in most humble manner ( as if it were begging their stipends ) and yet many times sent away with empty purses , and laden with reproachfull words , and this not only by the treasurers , but all by men of base condition , as shoomakers , taylors , curriers , &c. who are ready to reproach their poore ministers , saying , you are our servants , wee pay you your wages : he reporteth also that he heard some of their burgomasters say , wee must take heed to these our ministers , especially , that their stipends be not so great : they that too much pamper their servants , shall finde them stubborn and contumacious . the greatest of the primative persecutours , is affirmed , to be iulian the emperour : who although hee set forth no mandate to put christians to death ; yet hee endeavoured by subtile meanes to undoe christian religion : forbidding christian schools , and the use of learning , debarring them from all offices of government , and burthening them with heavie taxes and payments : he robbed the church , and spoyled spirituall persons of their revenues , and tooke away their mayntenance : whereas other tyrants persecuted presbyterors : the presbyters , or ministers iulian persecuted praesbyterium , the whole order of ministers , or priesthood : by which meanes none would apply themselves to the studie of divinitie , when after long , painfull , and costly study , they should have nothing to live upon . such reformations before-named , may rather be called persecutions than reformations of a church . is this a reformation , to dispoyle their bish●ps of their livings , which they enioyed from the very beginning of christianity amongst them , and to root out the very name of bishops from among them . is this a reformation to appropriate to themselves , or convert to prophane uses the livings of their learned pastors , set apart by their fore-fathers for their maintenance , and put them to poure stipends , and oft pay them as the souldiers are paid in some places with flemmish cheese ? is this a reformation to pilfer and pill churches of their plate and rich ornaments , which many a devout saint had offered to the service of almightie god , and to convert them to profane uses , which the very goths and vandals durst not touch ( no not in their enemies churches ) for feare of gods heavy indignation upon them ? is it a reformation to pluck down churches , built to the honour of god with great labour and cost ? ( i have heard one tell me , that he saw the great church at redding , overthrowne with a myne ) god be mercifull to us , and deliver all them that beare the name of christ from such reformations . but whom should i exclaime upon for this exercrable wickednesse : upon the reformers , god forbid ? they i hope , had no such intent , or upon the ministers who had delivered their magistrates from their slavery to the pope : alas , by this meanes they were brought to misery and slavery . but upon some covetous persons , men void of all religion , who under colour of religion and pietie , ioyning with the reformers , made a prey of the church , and brought it to this misery . how can these men expect an inheritance with christ in heaven , who have defrauded him here in earth ? but what do i telling them of heaven . if almighty god did punish ananias and saphyra with suddaine death , who gave much to the church , and kept back only some part dedicated to god , and that of their owne : how shall these men stand in iudgement that never gave any thing of their owne , but have seized upon those livings , which not they , but their pious forefathers , with many execrations had given and dedicated for the service of almightie god. in this their execrable dealing , they have given great offence , not only to the romanists , but to them who are displeased with the roman superstitions and doctrines , and would willingly make a separation from them : but they see in these reformations , not a secession from their enormities , but rather a defection from all antiquitie . in my poore opinion , to overthrow the policie and government instituted by christ in his church , and continued to this our age , and used in all churches else , cannot be a reformation , but rather a deformation . all this i write not that i blame that which is reformed , but for the amendment of that which is deformed , which almighty god grant in his good time . queene elizabeth of blessed memory , was wont to say , that it is in a manner all one to have no clergie at all , as a beggerly or base one . in america . there are some christians , both roman catholicks , and protestants . the king of spaine is said to have in america foure regions , or at least the maritine parts of the said regions . the regions are new spaine , castella , neuva , peru , and brasile . the hollanders have surprised a great part of brasile . some write that the indians had some knowledge of christ before the spaniards arriued there . for the estate of religion in west india , under the spaniard , most of the inhabitants of the inland countries , and wilder parts , continue in their paganisme . thomas a iesu writeth . although ( saith he ) the indians have long enioyed the husbandry of ministers , so that all are baptized , yet very many of them worship idols , who taking offence at the covetousnesse of their parish priests , blaspheme the christian faith. in america also are divers plantations of protestants , english and dutch , not onely in the ilands , but also in the continent . and thus much i have related of the christians in the world : but whereas many places of the world are unknowne to us , so also are the sheepe of our great shepheard , who cannot all be counted , wee being ignorant of the pastures in which they feed . the spaniards have in west india some bishops . 2 what manner of christians . as i have in the first place reckoned up these severall sorts of christians before named . so in the second place my purpose is to set downe what manner of christians these be , both for soundnesse of faith , and holinesse of life : for the first , these christians are all baptized in the name of the father , of the sonne , and of the holy ghost . they receive the holy eucharist in both kinds ; according to our lord and saviours institution . they believe the creed , retaine the canonical scriptures ; yea , from some of these churches , both we , and the roman catholicks , have received the sacraments , and holy scriptures . seeing then that these christians use the same sacraments as wee doe : seeing they believe in iesus christ , and professe to fight under the banner of christ crucified , and reioyce in their suffering for his sake : farre be it from us ever to thinke these christians to bee cast away and reiected from being of the houshold of faith. of these christians brocard the monke testifieth . moreover , those whom wee iudge to be damned hereticks , as the nestorians , iacobits , maronites , and georgians , and such like are found to bee , for the most part , honest and simple men , living uprightly towards god and man. but to answer some particular obiections made by some roman catholicke against these churches . and first for the greeke christians , whom some roman catholicks account erronious in their opinion concerning the proceeding of the holy ghost , whom they affirme to proceed from the father by the sonne . now they doe acknowledge the holy ghost to be the spirit of the sonne , as well as of the father ; because the apostle saith , he is the spirit of the sonne : and in the gospell he is called the spirit of truth . now seeing it is no other thing to be the spirit of the father and the sonne , then to proceede from the father and the sonne . they agree with us in iudgement , though they differ in words , so saith lombard , thomas a iesu , and also cardinall tolet affirmeth , the understanding greeke ( saying that the holy ghost proceedeth by the sonne ) signifieth thereby nothing but that which wee our selves professe . but for full satisfaction in this poynt , read the booke lately set forth by the most reverend father in god , the lord arch-bishop of canterbury his grace , ( my honourable patron ) in which it will appeare : the greekes to differ from us in forme of words onely : so the greekes deny not the holy ghost , whom they acknowledge to be the third person in trinity , god equall with the father : neither are they hereticall in this poynt , as some affirme them to be : so condemning and casting into hell so many millions of christian soules , redeemed with the precious blood of his dearest sonne iesus christ , and for this poynt onely : moreover guido the carmelite , prateolus , and others , impute unto the grecians divers errors , which lucianus of cyprus , a bishop , a learned dominican , and a worthy man ( as possevine the lesuite accounteth him ) sheweth to be falsely ascribed to them . as that they teach , simple fornication to be no sinne , that it is no sinne to lend upon vsury : that it is not necessary to make restitution of things uniustly taken away , with other things being meere slanders . thomas a iesu writeth , that one of the principall things that maketh the grecians so averse from the latins is , that they are wronged by them by untrue reports , and slanderous imputations . of the greeke communion are the muscovites , the russes in poland , the georgians , circassians , mengrellians , and melchites , all these observe the greek rites . 2 againe , a great part of the christians in asia , persia , tartaria , and other provinces are hereticks ; who affirme , that there were two persons in christ , as well as two names : but this errour they have reiected , as onuphrius writeth , they hold nothing savouring of that errour . these christians , indeed , make a scruple of calling the blessed virgin the mother of god , left they should seeme to make her the mother of the holy trinitie and divine essence . 3 the christians in aegypt , aethiopia , with the iacobites in syria , are accused to be infected with the heresie of eutyches , wheras they curse eutyches for an heretick , for confounding the two natures of christ. they affirme , the two natures in christ to be so united , that there is one personated nature arising of two natures , not personated without mixtion or confusion . as thomas a iesu , and others affirme . 4 they scandall also the abassine christians for using circumcision : if you be circumcised , you are falne from grace , and christ profiteth you nothing ; whereas they circumcise not for any religion ; but only it being an ancient custome of the aethiopians . they accuse them also of anabaptisme , for that they wash themselves yearly in the flouds , in memoriall of christs baptisme : as the spaniards do yearly in memoriall of saint iohn baptist : and the like are the imputations laid upon other churches . to conclude this point , through the mercifull goodnesse of god , all these different sorts of christians ( by reason of delivering certaine points of faith , mistaking one another ; or variety of opinion touching things not fundamentall ; yet ) agree in one substance of faith : and are so farre forth orthodoxe , that they retain a saving profession of all duties absolutely necessary to salvation , and are members of the true catholike church of god. as these christians are orthodoxe in the mayne : so for their holy lives and conversations they are to be admired , and may be exemplary unto others . holinesse of lives . first , for their reverence in churches , no man is allowed to walke , talke , or sit in them , especially , in the time of divine service . in aethiopia , old men are allowed to use crutches in the church , and weak men to leane against the wals . iohannes faber reporteth of the rasses , that he hath not seene the like of them , for their frequenting prayer , and devotion in their prayers ; who lying prostrate upon the ground , poure out their devout prayers unto almighty god. for their chastitie , they permit no stews , nor brothel-houses among them . they punish adultery with death . the adulterer ( among the aethiopians ) is accounted to dishonour the emperour from whom all honour is derived : adulterers among them are cast alive unto the lions . they are ( among other vertues ) great lovers of truth . among us ( saith pretegian ) if any man willingly tell a lye , hee is accounted a man worthy of death : for the first he is admonished ; for the second he doth penance ; for the third he is led by a rope about his necke , out of the towne or city , and banished into some desart , where commonly he perish for hunger . for their fasts , they keepe them very strictly , farre unlike the roman catholicks in the west , who allow men to drink wine and to eate sweete meates in their very fasts . thomas a iesu writeth , that the austere living of the greekes , causeth them to contemne the latines : but let the greekes know ( saith he ) that christian righteousnesse doth not consist chiefely in macerating the body ; but in charity , faith , hope , and other vertues . although these christians are not so learned as we suppose the christians in the vvest to be ; yet they got farre beyond them for godlinesse and devotion . and if these christians shall bee excluded heaven , who ioyne believing and doing , faith and vvorkes together : alas ! where shall they appeare that come farre short of them ? but as you have heard of the great multitude of christians in the vvorld ; of their religion , holy lives , and conversations : wee may in the next place consider what hath beene the bane of the church , ( viz ) ambition ; which was the ruine of the angels in heaven , and caused man to lose paradise : of this our lord gave speciall warning to his apostles , when they strove who should bee greatest . and st. paul , more especially to the romans : boast not thy selfe against the branches : be not high minded , but feare . a great controversie arose among the bishops in the west parts of the vvorld who should bee greatest . the bishop of rome sitting in the imperiall city , claimed superiority above his fellow bishops , precending a canon of the counsell of nice : as also the donation of constantine the emperour . likewise the patriarch of constantinople ( the emperours court being removed thither ) claimed the like preheminence , by the decree of a councell , also by donation of maurice the emperour . indeed the easterne church may challenge to her selfe some preheminence , in regard of her great priviledges and prerogatives , as having all the apostles sees , the greatest number of patriarchs , being the bigger church , and more ancient . the maiesty of the emperour of constantinople for above 1000 yeares , which hath with stood paganisme , and mahumatisme : and of the emperour of moscho , and trebizond , for some hundred of years . the authority of seven generall counsels held among them . the syrian language , in which the sonne of god delivered his holy oracles : the hebrew and greek tongues , in which they were registred : and which hath had not only the holy apostles , but also christ himself , when he was in his flesh , preaching among them . and this church we are forced to confesse ( with the bishop of bitonto ) to be our mother church , from whom the latine church hath received the holy scriptures , the creedes , the sacraments , and christianity it selfe ; as the very names of baptisme , eucharist , bishop , deacon , presbyter , and many other sacred things doe testifie , moreover , they have ( as they affirme ) st. peters chaire , who was bishop of antioch , and governed that church many a yeare : hee was there incathedrated , with great reverence received and esteemed : but going to rome , he was there most vily used , and put to a most cruell death , with his fellow apostle st. paul. they also affirme that the city of antioch ( commonly called theopolis , that is , the city of god ) must needs be much dearer to st. peter , which honoured and reverenced him , than the city of rome , which most unworthily used him , and put him to death . they moreover affirm , that he must rather leave the keyes to the greek church , than to the romish , defiled with simony , vsury , avarice , and all other vices whatsoever . the greekes also charge the latines with divers errours besides the challenging of the supremacy , which they hold to be most grievous and intollerable : to teach all , & to be taught of none , and dictator-like to give lawes to bind other churches , yea , in things against their consciences , as is their doctrine of purgatory , of image-worship , abusing their fasts , making no conscience to drink in them al day long : that they scarce reade the sacred rules , and holy scriptures ; ( saying ) that the popes commandements , who for the time sitteth in the see of rome , are their canons and lawes . that they make no account of periury , yea that the pope freeth them of all periury , whensoever they intend to breake any bargaine or covenant made with any man. that the pope and his priestly traine remit slaughter , periury , and all kind of crimes past , or to come ; by which remission there is a gate opened to villany : and that which is most ridiculous , for the future time , they will remit to a determined time of moneths or years , that the latine bishops are accessary to the death of christian people , the pope especially , who pronounceth the killer of christians , such as resist the papacy , blessed and happy . that they shut up by their lawes all priests and deacons from marriage , and hold it an abhomination to receive the sacrament from married priests . that there are many church men among them , that commit whoredome , and all kinde of uncleannesse most securely , without punishment . they accuse the latines of many more errors , both in their doctrine , as also in their manners ; some of which you may finde in cardinall baronius annalls . tome 11 anno christi 1054. with some answers to them by the cardinal . but this church god hath humbled , being subdued by the mahumetans , living as the israelites in their aegypticke bondage . we may see their lamentable estate in the late martyrdome of learned cyril , late patriarch of constantinople , who had long and wisely governed that church . and it seemeth that this his crowne of martyrdome was not to him unexpected : as appeareth by a clause of a letter , written by him to our late lord arch-bishop of canterbury , viz. for the name of christ ( saith he ) which we professe , and whose marks wee beare about in our bodies , it is a ioy to us to be afflicted and vexed . so also if it bee the will of god , to abide the utmost extremity of their cruelty ; that in the fiery tryall our faith may shine more bright , and god receive the greater glory . this church hath beene humbled ( as before ) but the bishops of rome have exalted themselves , not onely above their follow bishops , but also above their lords the emperours , and the whole church of god. for the first , pope boniface the third having obtained of phocas the tyrant , the glorious title of universall bishop , by little and little the bishops of rome , subdued divers bishopricks under them . as donus the first subiected ravenna , about the yeare 676. pope stephen the ninth subdued millaine , anno 1057. and so others . yea urban the 2. exacted an oath of bishops , for the further establishing of their authority . for the second , leo isaurus being perplexed with warre in asia , and constantinople it selfe being besieged by the caliph , pope gregory the second stirred up the princes of italy against the said emperour , who tooke italy from him ; of which the pope hath a part , now called st. peters patrimony , which the emperour could never againe recover : the bishops of rome dividing the empire into the east and west , pope leo the third proclaimed charles of france emperour , about the yeare 881. and pope iohn the thirteenth , translated the empire about the yeare 968 , from the french to the germans . thus by little and little the emperours waxed weaker , and the popes stronger , untill the time of gregory the seventh , who founded ( as aventine writeth ) the pontificall empire . to this man ( saith onuphrius ) the church of rome is beholding for her freedome , and that shee is preferred above all kings and emperours , whom before they obeyed as their lords , acknowledging themselves to bee their vassalls ; as manifestly appeareth among other records , by the dating of their ancient bulls and charters , thus expressed : such a one , our lord and emperour reigning . as also by the letters of the bishops of rome , written to the emperours ; as of pope leo the first to martian : by all meanes wee are to bee obedient to your piety , and most religious will : as also of gregory the great to maurice the emperour : i being subiect to your command ; and of divers others , as of liberius to constantius : leo the first to theodosius : simplicius to zeno : foelix to the same emperour : pope anastatius to anastatius the emperour : martin to constantine , with many more . and some of the bishops shew a reason of this their obedience to be , because they are commanded so to doe in holy scripture : st. peter himselfe commanding obedience to the king , as supreame . thus they were for many hundred yeares subiect to the emperours : but now they claime a superiority above kings and princes , and challenge to themselves plenitude of iurisdiction , to take away , and to give empires and kingdoms at their pleasures , bringing the emperours in subiection . pope constantine gave his feet to kisse to iustinian the emperour . gregory the seventh compelled henry the fourth to wait bare-footed at his doore three daies and three nights , craving absolution . alexander the third set his feete upon the emperour fredericks neck . and as they have lift up themselves over their fellow bishops , and their lords the emperours , so also over the whole church of god , ( viz. ) above generall councells : a generall councell is the representative church of god upon earth : they claiming power to iudge & controule all men , her selfe to be iudged of none : yea , to make new articles of faith. and as the donatists falling from the unity of the church , fell also into this hereticall opinion , that the catholicke church of god was no where to be found , but in a corner of africa , where they dwelt , and amongst them . so the romanists affirme the catholick church of god to be onely in rome , and in the countries subiect to their bishop . and therefore they tearme themselves catholicks , excluding all other christians in the world out of the catholike church , and so heaven , and putting them into the state of damnation , ( though never so orthodox and pious ) for not being subiect to their bishop onely . yet many of these christians , by them so damned ; suffer grievous persecutions for iesus christs sake ; which they might quit themselves of , if they would renounce their saviour ; and also attaine great priviledges and preferments . and that which is more , some of these churches so damned , and condemned by them , never heard of the bishop of rome . postel writeth a booke of the great multitude of christians unknowne to the latine world. before , the papacy of iulius the third ( writeth miraeus ) the name of the chaldean patriarch was unknowne to us : neither doe i find any mention of him in the popes records . and yet cardinall amuleius reporteth , that hee and his bishops had long kept the faith , and also many of them had suffered martyrdome for christs name . also the indian christians of taprobane , and the islands adiacent ( saith thevet ) nor their fathers never heard of the pope of rome , nor his cardinals , nor of the greek patriarchs , nor of the councells , untill the portugals came among them ; and yet they kept the ceremonies of the primative church , which they received from the apostles , and their disciples . god forbid that all these christians , and especially they that have given their bloods for iesus christs name , and glory in his crosse , should be excluded for having any share , or benefit by christs blood ; and this for not being subiect to the pope of rome , and for not being members of the roman catholicke church , which they never heard of . by this their uncharitablenesse , doe not the romish catholicks cut themselves off from the unity of the catholicke church : as firmilian writeth to st. cyprian , of pope stephen excommunicating other churches . thou hast cut off thy selfe from the unity of the churches : deceive not thy selfe ; he is a true schismaticke that maketh himselfe apostate from the communion and union of the churches : thou thinkest they are divided from thee , but thou onely art separated from them . as the church of rome hath exalted her selfe above all other churches , so also the roman catholicks are accused for devising , and adding some new articles of faith to the old ones , much advancing the state and profit of their clergy which the other christians will not , nor dare admit of , having received onely twelve from the holy apostles . as first , they have made the popes supremacy ( before named ) an article of the faith , ( viz. ) that their bishop is head of the whole church of god ; and that every soule must be subiect to him upon necessity of salvation . secondly , * that their bishop cannot erre in cathedra . thirdly , that their bishops hath power to depose kings , and to dispose of their kingdomes . fourthly , for the honour of the inferiour clergy , they have made transubstantiation a doctrine of faith , by which every priest hath superlative power given him . as a reverend bishop writeth ( viz. ) to doe a greater worke daily than god did in the creation : for therein almighty god made but creatures : but in this the priest ( as they say ) can make his maker . fiftly , for the more honour of the clergy , they allow them , the onely use of christs blood in the eucharist , prohibiting the laity the use thereof : vvhich all the christians in the vniverse enioy , but onely the romish catholick laitie , and for this they have made a decree flat against christs institution . viz. although the lord christ in his last supper did deliver this venerable sacrament in both kinds , &c. yet , non obstante , they doe approue and decree for a law , the custome of receiving in one kind . againe , for the better maintenance of their clergy , they have invented new devises ; as purgatory , with the horrible paines thereof , as with burnings , boylings , and roasting of soules ; they doe so fright simple people , that they get much mony from them . of this place the bishop of rome hath iurisdiction ( the other orthodox patriarchs having nothing to doe with it ) commanding out whom he will : much treasure is got hereby . 2 pardons , which are grounded upon purgatory . pardons began ( saith fisher , bishop of rochester ) when men were frighted with purgatory . 3 the inferiour clergy doth also share with the pope in the profits of purgatory ; for they have turnd the holy sacrament of the eucharist into a sacrifice , true , reall , and propitiatory , under the name of masse , in which they doe say , that the priest doth truely and really offer up christ to god his father : but this is done by way of bargaine and hire , for remission of sins , and freedome of soules out of purgatory . and of this they make great profit . 4 they have made a canon for the worshiping of images , ; and for this cause they have in every church an image or more of some of their saints ; many of which , simple people , and especially foolish women , are made to beleeve , to have some speciall vertue to helpe , as st. radegond can make barren women fruitfull . st. bartilmew can make women to conceive a male-child or a female , according to their desires . st. margart can give them easie labour . st. uncomber can make peace betweene married folk . st. edith can keepe corne from blasting . and to these saints simple people did trot with rich offerings , and worship these saints with kneeling , bowing , and praying before them : yea , the priests carry them about in procession with great pomp , playing at noddy with the simplicity of the people . 5 they have also devised a treasury , in which is reserved the surplussage of the sufferings of christ , & of the saints . whereas ( say they ) the least drop of christs blood had beene sufficient to have saved all the world. and that christ shed all his blood ; and also that many holy men suffered more than their sins deserved : least their sufferings should be in vaine , they are reserved in this treasury for the pope to bestow where he list . the other orthodox christian patriarchs having nothing to doe with this treasurie . with this , and such like devises they get much money from simple and silly people . for the confirmation of these things , although they have no scriptures , yet they will store you with multitudes of miracles and visions . these , with some other the church of rome hath canomzed for articles , or doctrines of faith : as if the apostles creed should be defective , which the other christians in the world thinke to bee compleate enough . about these additions is the contestation betweene the roman catholicks , and the other christians of the world . these are urged by the romanists under their popes curse ; and these additions are reiected by others fearing gods curse , being articles not left by the holy apostles , nor found in holy scriptures : the societies of christians before named ( excepting the romanists ) doe all genegenerally ( as i find ) deny the popes supremacy , viz. first , that every soule must bee subiect to him upon necessity of salvation . secondly , they affirme the roman bishops to be subiect to error , as other bishops are . thirdly , they deny that he hath power to depose kings , and to dispose of their kingdomes . fourthly , they teach not works of supererogation . fiftly , they admit not of purgatory . sixtly , nor pray for deliverances of soules , from any temporall punishment after this life . seventhly , they reiect the romish doctrine of pardons and indulgences . eightly , they allow not private masses . ninthly , they administer the communion in both kinds , daring not to keep the cup , the symbol of our lord iesus christs blood from the laity . tenthly , they believe not the romish transubstantiation . eleventhly , nor the now reall sacrificing of our lord iesus christ to quit soules out of purgatory . twefthly , they have married priests . thirteenthly , they make no image of god. foureteenthly , they have most of them their service in their owne , or a knowne language . and these are some of the causes of the bitter contentions between the roman catholicks , and these other churches : and as the roman church excommunicateth these churches ; so doe they excommunicate the roman church : for example ; the patriarch of constantinople doth yearely excommunicate the pope and his church for schismaticks : the moscovites doe the same , as counting the pope an hereticke . the patriarchs of ierusalem & antioch have done likewise . the christians under the patriarch of mozul , call the pope the reprobate bishop : other call him antichrist . the copts account the roman church hereticall and avoid the communion and conversation of the latines no lesse then of the iewes . thus some of the popes of rome have beene like ismael , whose hand was against every man , and every mans hand against him . the turkes in their mahumetan worship . the pagans in their adoration of the sun and moon . the aegyptians in the service of isis and osyris , use diversity of worships and rites , and yet still retaine the ill-tied knot of friendship in their idol-worship . but christians differing , thunder calumnies , & bolt out excommunications one against another , & after their excommunications usually follow eradications of kingdoms , people , & estates by conspiracies , rebellions , and hostile machinations by generall massacres , and particular torments : as how many kings and great persons have beene murthered by their desperate assassins . the said massacre in france is not to be paralelled by any ancient cruelty . the acharonticall powder treason , for the heinousnesse thereof , will seeme incredible in the ages to come . examples are infinite ; yea , so great is the uncharitablenesse and cruelty of the roman catholicks to the christians of the reformed churches , that if any of them dye among them ; they setting themselves ( as if it were ) upon gods tribunall , ( in whose secret cabinet is blessing and cursing ) give sentence of damnation against them , sending their soules packing to hell , and denying their bodies christian buriall . barbarous cruelty , voyd of charity ! as a tree is knowne by his fruit , so is the true church by charity : by this ( saith our lord ) all men shall know that yee are my disciples , if yee love one another . zaga-zabo , an aethiopian bishop , and sent embassadour from the emperor of aethiopia to the k. of portugall , complaineth : his words are these : the romish doctors ( i know not how piously ) forbad me the communion of our lords body , all the time i was in portugall , even the space of seven yeare ; and ( which i cannot relate without grief and tears ) i was reputed among the romanists as a heathen , and anathema : upon which their doings , let him that governeth all things looke : to whose iudgement i commit these their doings . this their uncharitablenesse doth not onely offend other christians ; but also it maketh the very mahumetans to loath our profession , to condemne our faith , and to persecute our persons . good iesus ! when shall these iarrings have an end ? when shall the church catholicke live in union of faith , and communion of charity ? o miserable christians , returne unto the lord , and he will cure you : earnest prayer , endlesse devotion , volumnes of penitentials , ninives fastings , peters weeping , pauls conversion , is the metredate and true alexipharmacon to cure this vlcer , to heale this never enough to be lamented schisme . alas , who shall furnish my eies with floods of water ? who shall make my head a living spring , that i might water my couch with sorrowfull teares ? as for us clergy men , let us not so much endeavour to make the christians our adversaries odious to our people ; as to move them to commiserate their estates , and so to make our ioynt prayers to almighty god , ( not for their confusion ) but for their conversion . oh would to god , the potentates and monarches of christendome would ioyne hand in hand , to make up the breaches of zyon , and to build up the wals of ierusalem . oh sweet iesus , that cleansed thy church by thy most precious blood , prince of peace , and author of love , grant us thy peace . to conclude , my most humble prayer to almighty god is , that he would vouchsafe us , most unworthy , to enioy that legacy which our lord and saviour iesus christ left unto us , viz. my peace i give unto you ; my peace i leave with you . and for this cause , i humbly supplicate his divine maiesty , that he would incline the great bishop of rome , pope urban , whom he hath endued with many gifts and graces ; with the hearts of the lord cardinalls and prelates of the church of rome ; that they would submit themselves to retrograde from some of their new canons , to the ancient primative canons of their church . viz. that they would restore to the church of god , of which they have cure , in the sacrament of the eucharist , the cup , the symboll of our lord iesus christs blood , according to our lords holy institution , and practise of the ancient roman church , and of all the other christian churches in the world. that they would suffer our lord iesus christs sheepe to drinke of the waters of life , ( viz. ) to have the use of the holy scriptures in the vulgar tongue , ( from which they are now restrained ) with their service in their own tongue . that they would permit marriage to all men , and represse stewes and brothel-houses , permitted by them , scandelous not onely to all the christians in the vvorld ; but also to them which are without : with some other like things ; which may admit of reformation . and also , whereas some other churches pretend to abhorre idolls , i wish from the bottome of my heart , that they would also abstaine from committing of sacriledge . and whereas they cry out of permitting of stewes and brothel-houses in the roman church ; that they would be as zealous in not permitting oppressing usury among them : both which are alike abhominable in the eyes of almighty god. sweete iesus ! what should not a man doe ? yea , what should he not suffer , to quench the fire of contention in the christian world ! there was a time , when the roman church did acknowledge her selfe a sister , and not a mistris . there was a time , when as , with an harmonious concord , she suffered with the rest of her sisters , even when as arrianisme had in a manner overwhelmed the world . there was a time , when she gave her helping hand ( as at the famous councells of nice , ephesus , constantinople , chalcedon ) and did not rule after a dictatory manner . let none foster schisme against conscience to maintaine themselves in dignities , wealth , and promotions , to the ruine of the christian world. christs coat is rent , his garment is torne in pieces : the world is distracted and distempered with the raging waves of opinions : by which meanes , the turke over-ruleth the flourishing and most famous parts of christendome : and have erected the worship of mahumet , even in the stately oriental basilisks . constantinople , the queene of beauty , is become a mansion of mahumetans : and , if these devisions continue stil , the rest of the christian world is likely to be in great danger . the good god of peace , make peace in christendome : and grant that all that confesse his holy name , may agree in the truth of his holy word ; and live in vnity and godly love. amen . finis . errata . page 5. in marg . read quod habetur . p 9. l. 5. r. lazarus first bishop of massilia . ibid. l. 18. r. cleve p. 10. l. 11. r. wertzhurg . l. 13. r. voitland . p. 14. tit. r. romanists . l. 14. r. barnabas . p. 15. tit. r. romanists . p. 24. l. 11. r. accounted . mar . r. sinas . p. 30. l. 20. r , a jesu . p. 36. l. 16. r. to put . p. 38. l. 12. r. presbyteros . p. 41. tit. r. bishops in ancient times . p. 43. l. 7. after continent . r. the spaniards have in west india some bishops . p. 53. l. 13. r. almost all . p. 59. l. 14. r. 801. p. 65. mar r. extra . mar . r. missae . p. 73. l. ● . r. l●te . p. 72. l. uit . assassinates . p. 7● . l. 22. r. hath . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a08829-e500 mat. 28. 19. mar. 16. 20. mat. 28. 20. the turks doe not only permit but defend every man in the exercise of his religion . the division of the world. 1 protestāts england . scotland . cambdens brit. pag. 2. ireland . ann. anno. 35. addit . mar . manu . s. quae habetur in bibliotheca vaticana . dorotheus . some write that the scots had a bishop calld palladius about the year 196. in the time of donald , who first of all the kings of scotland stamped the crosse upon his coin , being the badge of christianity . merm . de conv . p. 60 quorum sanctâ praedicatione rex lucius & totius britanniae primates baptismum susceperunt . lib. sa . teilai ecclesiae landaven . archiep. arles anno 350. as there have beene of the clergy about 160. lord chancellours of england , 80 lord treasurors , & all the lord keepers of the privy seale , were generally clergy men . the masters of roles were all clergy men untill the 26. year of k. henry 8. there have bin 12. clergy-men lord chief iustices of england . the victorious k. edward 3. having a great care to advance such persons in the great offices of his kingdō and houshold , as did excel others in innocency of life , about the 39. of his raigne , had these clergy mē officers . the lord chancellor , the l. treasurer , the l. privy seale , the mr. of the roles , the chancellor of the exchequer , the treasurer of the houshold , the mr. of his jewel house , with many others . vide stow , p 266. moreover in the absence and minority of the kings , divers clergy-men have bin custosses or vice-royes of the kingdome . * merm theatrū convers . pag. 83. mirae . de stat . relig . p. 128. transilvania . poland . brerw . enquire pref . matth. a micou . l. 2. france . lazarus was the first bishop of masillea . doroth. in synop. bed. l. 1. c. part of germany . thesaur . polit. apot. 6 mirae de stat . relig. lib. 1. cap. 33. mercat . pa. 134. theat . convers . pag. 57. parts of the netherlands switzerland , grisons . hungary . austria . bohemia . romanists . spaine . damianus à goes , reckoneth eight archbishops , and 48 bishops . eugenius was the first bishop of toledo . damian . à goes hispan . pag. 19. dam. p. 21. italie . merm . theat . convers. france . doroth. in synop. relation of the most famous kingdomes , pag. 174. bodin . poland . imper. mūd . catal. p. 40. part of germany . netherlands switzerland grisons . fletcher . fabr. relig . moscov . pag. 170. greeks . boter . relat . par . 2. grand . turco . godin . curiop . pag. 276. doroth. in synop. rom. 16. doroth. merman . convers . theatr. pag. 41. 42. cedreu . de stat . eccles . pa. 45. he hath yearly from them 500. scutes . poss. muscov . p. 1. 1 ierusalem . tyrr . histor . bells sacri , lib. 14. c. 12. isay 2. 3. hist. eccles. ●b . 5. cap. 9. 2 antioch . tyrr . histor . bel . sacr . lib. 14. pag. 247. 3 georgians . chyt . de stat . eccles. p. 22. 4 circassians . 5 mengrellians . 6 asia the lesse merman . theatrum conver . p. 93. 7. christians of casan & astracan . 8 armenians . annal. tom. 12. p. 319. relatio hist. duae duar . legat . colon. an. 1611. p. 5. nicephor . li. 7. cap. 12. herb. relat . 9 iacobites . thom à iesu. convers . l. 7. cap. 14. zonor , annal tom. 3. in heraclio brer . p. 150. chaldean under the p. of mozul . brerwood . enquire . hispan . exped . apud sinab . p. 125. hist. orient . c. 77. p. 149. hisp. exped . apud silias , lib. 1. p. 124. 11. maronites . 12 indians of st. thome . hisp. exped . apud sina , lib. 7. p. 125. inter relat . novi . orb . p. 145. 13. china . imp. mund . catal . p. 159 trigautius . hisp. exped . apud sinas , pag. 125. kirk . prodro . pag. 58. idem pat. eman. dia● in epist. 23. aug. 1625. pa. francis. vid , kirk . p. 58. de region . orient . lib. 2. cap. 64. 14 cathaia . africa . 1 alexandria . evagr. li. 2. cap. 8. merman , theat . convers . pa. 30. abassines . alvar. sect . 14 pa. 1089. purch . damian . à goes de aethiop . morib pag. 203. de convers . omnigent . pa. 373. vid gaulter iesuit in chronolog . 3 cephala . cosmograp . fol. 99. 4 matacassiās thevet . ib. 5 north-west of africa . miraeus de stat . relig. lib. 3. p. 196. idem ibid. monomopata . zocorara . herbert . relat . epist. 225. bishop of hippo , anno 395. cyp ep. 60. bishop of carthag . an . 250. euseb. lib. 6. cap. 42. cornel bishop of rome , anno 252. reade do. saravia , lib. 2. of honour due to prelates , c. 12. 1 sam. 2. 36. lib. honour due to prelats , c. 32. lord coke 2 part of his reports . breew . p. 20. de convers . omni gent. lib. 1. pag. 4. terr . sanct. descrip . pag. 325. greeks . gal. 4. john. 16. in ioan. cap. 15. not 25. pag. 24. 25. possevine biblioth . li. 6. cap. 1. convers. omn. gent. l. 7. par . 1 c. 33 in vita iulij 3. p. 389. edit . col. 1626. reverence in churches . godig . de abas . rebus pag. 133. religio moscov . pag. 188. chastitie . in epist. apud fra. hesse in itinerario . godig . lib. 1. cap. 16. de convers . omn. gent. p. 284. bane of the church . rom. 11. 4 gener. coun . at calcedon . can . 9. ibi . terminentur . allegations of the patriarch of antioch , & germanus patriarch of constantinople , excommunicating the pope . math. paris . p. 465 irenaus rodoginus . pag. 18. idem ibidem idem . p. 23. iren. rodog . pag. 30. anno. 606. annal. li. 5. a. 447. in vit . greg. 7. guichard . lib. 4. epist. 59. epist. 6. epist. 3. in sexta synod . constant . act . 4. epist. 1. 1. pet. 2. 13. to the k. as unto the superiour . comp. cosmog . miraeus de stat . relig . l. 2. cap. 5. narratio card. amulei . ad con-trident . pa. 195. acta conc . tridēt . cosm. lib. 12 cap. 2. fo . 421 cypr. ep. 75. p. 204. exttra . de major & obedient . cap. unam sanctam . * gregory the great the 62. pope of rome writeth that none of his predecessors tooke that name upon them . the word transubstantiation is not in our ancient writers , found first in hovenden . p. 304. who lived about the yeare 1204. biel canon missa . these saints we had in england . inquire for st. radegonds chappell in the temple london . the barren women were wont to knocke at one of the knights templat chāber doores , by whom she was brought to the saint for helpe . st. bartilmew was purveior to st. thomas becket : they that would have a male-childe , offered to him a cock ; they that would have a female offered a hen , vid. lamber . peramb. page . 511. enquire for st. uncomber in st. pauls church in london . to this saint they offered oates . shrined at wilton . adoration of images not used in england many 100 of yeares after christ. alcwine writ a booke against it subscribed by our bishops and princes . read roger hovenden , simon of durham . flores hisstoriarum . histor . of rochester . in praefatione ante acta theolog . witerberg . & hieremiam patriarcham . sacran . ca. 2. error 3. thevet . cos. lib. 9. catho . tr●● . quae 2. thev . cosm. lib. 10. brerw . enqu . pag. 159. john 13. 35. damian . a goes de aethiopum morib . pag. 235. an essay for the discovery and discouraging of the new sprung schism raised and maintained by mr simon henden of bennenden in kent. exhibited in some passages of writing which have gone between mr john elmeston of cranebroke, and the same m. henden. published according to order. elmeston, john. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a43313 of text r216858 in the english short title catalog (wing h1429b). textual changes and metadata 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(eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a43313) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 33005) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1965:15) an essay for the discovery and discouraging of the new sprung schism raised and maintained by mr simon henden of bennenden in kent. exhibited in some passages of writing which have gone between mr john elmeston of cranebroke, and the same m. henden. published according to order. elmeston, john. henden, simon, attributed name. [8], 42, [2] p. printed for c. meredith at the crane in pauls church-yard, london : 1652. "an essay" is signed: john elmeston. attributed by wing to simon henden. f.l. = "the printer to the reader". reproduction of the original in the bodleian library. eng henden, simon -early works to 1800. continuity of the church -anglican communion -early works to 1800. church history -early works to 1800. great britain -church history -17th century -early works to 1800. a43313 r216858 (wing h1429b). civilwar no an essay for the discovery and discouraging of the new sprung schism, raised and maintained by mr simon henden of bennenden in kent. exhibit elmeston, john 1652 19705 21 5 0 0 0 0 13 c the rate of 13 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the c category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2006-10 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2006-11 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-05 robyn anspach sampled and proofread 2007-05 robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an essay for the discovery and discouraging of the new sprung schism , raised and maintained by mr simon henden of bennenden in kent . exhibited in some passages of writing which have gone between mr john elmeston of cranebroke , and the same m. henden . love the truth and peace , zech. 8. 19. now i beseech you , brethren , mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine that ye have learned , and avoid them , rom. 16. 17. haereses inimicus invenit & schismata , quibus subverteret fidem , veritatem corrumperet , scinderet unitatem . cyprian . de unitate ecclesiae . the enemy the devil hath invented heresies and schisms , by which he might subvert the faith , corrupt the truth , and rend unity asunder . an esse sibi cum christo videtur qui adversus christi sacerdotes facit ? qui se à cleri ejus e●plebis societate secernit ? idem . ibid. doth he seem to himself to be with christ who sets himself against the ministers of christ ? who doth separate himself from the society of the ministery and people of christ ? published according to order . london , printed for c. meredith at the crane in pauls church-yard , 1652. to the reader . gentle reader , it is like thou hast heard the story of the trojan-horse , which the grecians built by the councel of pallas , and by subtle sinons perswasion procured to be received into troy , but to the ruine of that ancient and famous city : for in the next night issued out of it a warlike troop of the most valiant greekish captains couched secretly therein , which invaded the city , and laid it waste with fire and sword . much like unto this trojan-horse hath been set on foot here in england , an universall toleration for all wayes , and consciences in religion . no doubt it was by satans craft , and by the insinuation of some cunning sinons . it is like to redound to the great prejudice , if not ruine of our troy , i mean , of the church of god in this land , and the gospel of christ . for out of it have come forth , not some small bands , but numerous armies of ungodly blasphemies , heresies , errours , sects and schisms ; some whereof oppose the fundamental truths of the gospel ; some disturb the peace and unity of the churches : all this to the great joy of satan and grief of the godly , exceedingly hinders the thriving and progresse of the gospel . out of this womb have broken forth that execrable crue of ranters , which speak horrid blasphemies of god , of christ , of the scriptures : of the arians , secinians and antiscripturists , who , by their cursed doctrines break down some main pillars of our christian faith . out of this womb also are broken forth another sort of erroneous persons , not so pernicious as these former , though very dangerous , whose doctrines are , i doubt , like unto those waters into which the wormwood-star sell , and are become so bitter , that whoso drinks thereof is in danger to die : and of this rank are our arminians , antinomians , soul-mort lists , anti-sabbatarians , seekers , and such like . out of this womb also are come forth another brood , not so dangerous for their errors ( though some be grosse and absurd ; ) as grievous for the rents and divisions which they make , and delight to maintain : among which our anabaptists are the ●●ading men ; after whom come up close all those other separatists and dissenters from us , who have embraced such a truth and gospel , as in their sense about it , will admit of no unity with us of the presbyterian-way , in church , nay scarce in christian communion , and seem so strangely to be affected toward us , as if they would not willingly allow us a place in heaven with them , nor they willingly be in the same heaven with us . it is an ancient and approved axiom : quae conveniunt in eodem tertio , ea quoque inter se conveniunt , whatsoever things agree in some one third thing , they also agree between themselves . what a sad thing is this then that christians , and saints of god , meeting in the one and onely corner stone jesus christ , upon whom they endeavour to build the whole frame of their doctrine , worship and discipline , should so ill agree in their mutual conversation each with other ? so farre disagree in the joint-worship of the lord , that they seem to be possessed with as bitter a spirit of discord as the two brethren the poets fable of , eteocles and polynices , whose hatred was so unreconcilable , that after death the flame of the fire wherein their bodies were joyntly burnt would not close , but did divide asunder . and if that good man ( linaker ) were now alive , and should see this implacable division between the professours of the same gospel , would he not , and that justly , break out with indignation against us , into that his passionate speech : surely either these men professe not the right gospel of christ , or are not right professours of his gospel ? this is a lamentation , and this shall be for a lamentation . o god , who art the father of peace , o christ , who art the prince of peace , o holy ghost , who art the spirit of peace , work it in the hearts and affections of thy children , disciples and saints , that they may love and live in peace . but to come to mine intended matter . from hence also hath arisen this new forged sect of m. hendens , of the which these following papers will give thee a slight view ; and with the which i am at unawares more deeply engaged then at first i meant . the brief story whereof is this , m. henden hath been a man of good note these many years , for profession of religion ; no despiser of learning , but rather a lover of it . by his private industry he hath added to his grammar-school-learning , some knowledge of the original tongues . studious also he hath been of the scriptures ; ( unto which his retired life , partly upon some bodily infirmity , partly ( as some have thought ) upon some worldly discontents , gave him an opportunity ) and especially of the dark prophecies of ezekiel , daniel and the apocalyps . in the which his vein hath been to vary from the stream of other interpreters , and to produce some unusual notion of his own with no small confidence of its truth . this man was heretofore a great antagonist of the old separatists called brownists , and with much zeal did , against them , maintain our churches in england , and our ministery then , as the true churches and ministery of christ . but now of late , i know not how , on the sudden it was noised abroad , that he was changed in his principles , fallen from our communion , and had erected a new uncouth way by himself , and much purer then any other . and truly hereupon there was much flocking to him of unstable souls : much like as the poet describes the flocking of people after bacchus * his orgia when they were first brought in at thebes , turba ruit , mistaeque vi●is matresque nurusque , et vulgus proceresque ignota ad sacra feruntur . the rout rung headlong and all mixt together , mives , husbands , and their daughters each with other : the common people , and the noble peer after this unknown worship run carier . this noise caused me , who had some acquaintance with him , to write to him the first letter in this paper , not with a purpose to make any controversie of it , but to be informed from himself what his way was . hereunto in convenient time he returned kindely unto me an answer , as among these papers you may see . i was therewith satisfied , minding onely to seek into the truth of his way for mine own satisfaction without further medling . but lee i found that i had medled with a nest of wasps which would not let me so go off . for it was by and by noised and given out by his party amongst us , that m. henden had sent me a writing in which he had utterly blown up our churches , ordinances and ministery from the very foundation , and such an one as i could not answer . what should i do here ? if i had replied nothing , there would have been no end of their triumph which was already loud enough . will i , nill i , therefore i was fain to take up the bucklers , and return somewhat in reply to m. henden . i had a purpose only a little to come aboard their ship , and take a view of their commodities what they were , but by the contentious humours of fellow-venturers , i am forced thus to fall into some earnest grapple about the goodness of their wares . take these as some slighter beginnings of the business between us : some larger and more serious discourse is in time like to follow : if m. henden will be drawn to make his last writing more publick , which i desire . reade these , if thou canst spare so much time as to take notice of this no trifling controversie . and in reading take to thy self a free and full liberty to judge of the cause according to evidence of arguments on both sides . and know that at length the word of god must and will both judge of it , and thy judgement about it . august . 18. 1651. thine in the lord christ to learn of thee or any godly christian how in the best way to know and serve christ jo. elmeston . good m. henden , i have heard partly by common fame , but more certainly from m. williamson ( who lately had some conference with you ) that you are deviated of late from many of those principles and practices , wherein heretofore you did concurre with us . indeed there is now adayes great talk of much new light broke forth , and shining , to latter professours , and those many , but young men , above that which elder protestants and professours have been or are acquainted with . which boast occasioneth me to minde a story which i have met with among ancient authors , of one nauplius a king , who to revenge upon the greeks the death of his son palamedes , by them , as he conceived , wrongfully put to death , upon their return from troy , did set up in the night a great light on the top of the hill caphareus ; which they , in their course and sailing espying , and supposing it to be a friendly light to shew them the way to some safe harbour to anchor in , directed their course thither , and so fell upon many dangerous rocks and whirlpools , whereof that sea was full , to the wofull casting away of many ships and men . pardon me now if i think that satan the prince of darkness indeed , who yet can transform himself into an angel of light , hath a great hand in kindling and setting up much of this new light out of malice to the salvation of mankinde . this is certain and manifest enough , that too many , while they steer their course after and towards these lights , some make shipwrack of the faith upon the rock of dangerous errors ; others of peace and unity upon the rock of rash and unjustifiable separation from our publick , though well reformed assemblies ; others of christian meekness , and moderation , and charity , upon the rock of a bitter spirit , and base virulent railing . the more carefull had you need to be that you give not countenance too hastily to these new lights , nor forsake your old good way to walk after them who are not like to go astray alone , but to carry many along with you into errors . but notwithstanding all this which i have said , i do acknowledge gods rich grace to us in these times , in vouchsafing much fuller and clearer light to us in many things then in former dayes . and that opinion have i with many christians hereabouts , of you and your judicious piety , that you are like as soon to discern of old errors , and finde out some of those truths which have newly appeared , as some others , whose study hath been long and much bent to dive into dark and hard prophecies , and to search out their mysteries , to take notice of the church-controversies of our times , and to settle your self and others about them . the errand of these lines therefore is not to expostulate with you about your change ; but to request you in writing briesly to impart to me those new points you have pitched upon , & what your opinion is about our publick ministery , the presbytery and our church-assemblies . let me intreat you to set down plainly the positions you hold about these , and to annex your reasons thereunto . i am willing to learn what i know not , & shall account myself much beholding to you or any other who shall fight me from the least errour in divine matter , or discover unto me any truth of gods word to me yet unknown , the least whereof i esteem above all indian pearls and rubies . it is a saying of cato , though out of a young school-boyes-book and author , yet very worthy to be remembred , ne pudeat quae nescieris te velle doc●ri : scire aliquid laus est , ●udor est nil discere velle . be not asham'd willing thy self to shew such things to be taught as thou dost not know . to know some thing it is a commendation , to nill to learn ought is a shamefull fashion . wherewith i conclude , and am your much well-wishing friend and brother in christ , j. e. decemb. 11. 1649. most worthy sir , vvhom i highly esteem for piety , and reverence for gravity and learning : your letter i have received , containing a friendly admonition to beware of old errors intruded under the specious shew of new lights . it is true , satans subtilty was deep and deceivable in all ages ; but the main strength of his art and policy was combined in making up the man of sinne . all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse , the whole mystery of iniquity is in him contracted ; who , being now by the glorious beams of truth more clearly discovered in the romanist , episcopacy , &c. to be a false christ in the wildernesse , hath since entered into his secret chambers , where he seemingly puts on a more curious dresse of holinesse and purity neerly resembling the wedding garment of the primitive church , that by his glittering array he might , if it were possible , deceive the very elect . hereupon the spirit reckons it for a principal point of wisdom to know the full number of the beast . truly sir , i do with you confesse , that i have searched the scripture from my childehood , neglecting no part of the old and new testaments , and that i have much enquired into those mysteries couched under the visions of the prophets ; but especially those shewed by christ himself to john in his apocalyps , as that contracting the rest belonging to his and after times into a methodical abridgement . my ground for it was this , because i found a peculiar blessing attributed to those who read , hear and keep the words of this prophecie , as that containing the whole testimony of jesus , being so full as nothing can be added to or detracted from it , without a dreadfull curse , revel. 13. & 19. 10. & 22. 18 , 19. and from hence concluded , that there was a divine treasure of heavenly wisdom enclosed in this precious cabinet , and being a prophecie of all gospel-times , that the several dispensations of god proper to every period with satans opposite works , was here included , which no plain text of scripture so fully evidences ; and that the knowledge thereof would be as a pillar of cloud to direct us in every age to follow the lamb whithersoever he goes thorow his several administrations , and a true light to discover those rocks of error , which men running against hazard the wracking of their souls ; and that this being veiled from the sight of the world under dark types , that so antichrist fore-prophesied of , might have closer and freer entrance , requires the more industry to draw it out , neither was the highest reach of my capacity able to dive so farre into these secrets , as to discover the beast farther then the pope and bishops , till the spirit who only knows the deep things of god , removed farther from mine eyes that veil cast upon the eyes of all nations , isa. 25. 7. and revealed unto me , that the foundation of antichrist consisted in an usurped power of church-discipline footed upon man and his will without the call of god . and that the call of god in our times is onely for separation and rewarding ; being during the vials pouring , but in our journey toward sion visibly separated , and having but in part put off our babylonish garments , revel. 18 4 , 6. and 15. 8. and that the time for visible marriage is not till all enemies are down by the vials , and god onely reigns , revel. 19. 7 , 8 , 9. isa. 62. 5. and that all visible church-marriage from the apostasie till this reign is out of gods time ( whose prerogative it is onely to ordain the times and seasons ) and so being founded only on the will , call , name and power of man , and not on gods call , must be beastial . and that the breathing of the spirit in these both officers and ordinances in the primitive age , the life and soul of both , was since restrained , being as a carcasse without a soul , ezek. 1. 4. act. 2. 2. 1 timoth. 4. 14. revel. 7. 1. and then at the brightnesse of christs coming the same spirit of pouring and breathing returned , isa. 32. 15. ezek. 37 9. matth. 24. 27 , 28. psalm . 97. 4. now least any mistake me , as though i subverted all gospel . ordinances , we conceive that ordinances are of two sorts , 1. such as are founded more immediately on our spiritual union , and the covenant of grace , as ministery , baptism , the lords supper , prayer , profession &c. 2. such as are footed upon church-stating , and appertain to officials , as ordination , confirmation , excommunication , admission , absolution , &c. the first of these we say , the gates of hell never prevailed against them , but they were born up by the spirit of prophecie thorow the whole time of this deep apostasie . as teaching and baptism was overlasting , matth. 28. 19 , 20. isa. 55. 13. & 56. 5. revel. 7. so the bread and wine hold forth his death till he come , 1 cor. 11. 26. also prayer was alwayes , 1 thess. 5. 17. revel. 8. 34. & 9. 13. likewise profession continued , rev. 11. 3. the second sort , to wit , the keys deemed essential to officials , were not alwayes truly used . though the name was fore prophesied to be everlasting , yet {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} jad , the hand or the keys held forth by the hand , interpreted place , is not so specified * isa. 66. 5. but was wholly resolved in the pope , to whom another key was given with other smoke and officers , the locusts , revel. 9. neither was there any other face of officials , but amongst the papists in luthers time , who himself was a monk . nay the visible church , the foundation of these failed ; onely a sealed elect number remainod , revel. 7. 3. to 9. and 9. 4 , we destroy not these ordinances , but hold that they have a being in the scripture of truth , and in the minde and desire of the faithfull . and now in our return from babylon , we do as the israelites of old , carry these vessels of the lord along with us in this our journey of separation , isal. 52. 11. but dare not officiate in them in the territories of babylon , in which we are till we have passed by the sixth vial over the river euphrates , revel. 16. 12. these with many other discoveries i have received ; the full explanation whereof with all their scriptures and reasons would require a volume ; which neither the strength of my body , or my time , being now precious , will permit me largely to delineate with my pen . you shall command any thing which with convenience i am able to perform : and therefore , sir , let me beseech you to come unto me , who am not able to visit you , with what friends you shall make choise of , and you shall be really welcome , where i will ( as god shall inable me ) grant your request by a living voice , and freely hear your answers and objections against what i shall speak . for i desire to have it brought to the touchstone of truth , and there to be tried to the utmost . and if by our confeerence we cannot be united in our judgement , yee i shall desire to be joyned with you in my affection , as highly prizing my union with all the godly . with this proviso of aristotle , amicus socrates , amicus plato , sed magis amica veritas , socrates is my friend , plato my friend , but truth is my more speciall friend . the truths of god are to be valued above the nearest relations . thus with my best respect remembred , i rest and remain , your very loving friend simon henden . bennenden jan. 2. 1649. an essay for the discovery and discouraging of the new-sprung schism raised and maintained by mr simon henden of bennenden in kent . good mr henden , i thank you very much for your taking in good part my writing to you , for your pains taken to answer me , and your free imparting to me your principles on which you go in this new way , and embrace all this as no small testimony of your good opinion of , and good affections toward me . but having with some deliberation perused your letter , i must needs professe that your principles do not appear so clear and solid unto me as that i ean close with them . in which respect for a fuller debate and clearing of them , i have thought meet to propound to you in writing my doubts about them , since i can hardly finde leisure from my school-imploiments , nor since my weaknesse am hardly strong enough to come over to you in presence to conferre about them . first then , for what you glance at out of matth. 24 , 26. concerning the man of sinne , as being discovered in t he romanist and episcopacy to be a false christ in the wildernesse , and now retired into his secret chambers , in a curious dresse of holinesse and purity the more effectually to deceive : it cannot be made good by you that that place of matthew is particularly meant of the roman antichrist , it is meant of those who should take on them to be christ in their own person , or to shew unto men christ in person . some such of old did arise among the jews , as he in the time of the emperor adrian , that called himself ben cochab , the sonne of the starre , viz. that starre prophesied of by balaam , numb. 24 17. whom afterward the jews having discovered him for an impostour , called ben●coshan , the sonne of a lie : some such of latter years have been in england , viz. hacket with his companions in queen elizabeths daies , and some not long ago amongst us in these so fertile in seducers and seducements . and if it may be extended unto other seducers by way of allusion , who preach false doctrine in the name of christ , with a shew and pretence to discover christ unto men in a more clear and perfect way then others do , this cannot very fitly be applied , much lesse be appropriated to the roman antichrist , who hath not acted his part in a wildernesse or desert , as it is taken in matthew according to the proper sense of the word , viz , for a place not at all , or slenderly inhabited by some poor cottagers , but hath set as god in the temple of god , 2 thess. 3. 4. and ruled over kingdoms , nations and contries in much pomp and magnificence . revel 17. 15. indeed john , revel. 17. 3. was carried into the wildernesse that he might take the better view of the whore , i. e. this great antichrist , but she was presented to him as riding on a beast of seven heads and ten horns , and sitting on many waters , revel. 17. 13. as reigning in the great and stately city of rome , and ruling over multitudes of people , revel. 17. 9 , 10. 15. so farre was she she from flying into the wildernesse , or hiding her self therein : nor did the beast nor the frogs coming out of his mouth ever heretofore , or now more invite men into chambers under a colour and pretence to shew them christ , as not to be seen in the publick profession of the times , more then other hereticks may and have done , nay not more then the most orthodox christians may do and have done in some sad times of darknesse and persecution . finally , i wish you to consider , whether this calling men into chambers in these daies from publick assemblies to see christ , do not fully reflect upon the practice of brownists , independents , anabaptists , seekers , and the like , who leave our publick assemblies and ordinances , as if christ were not there to be seen and enjoyed , and call men into houses , parlours and chambers , with a specious pretext of more then ordinary holiness , and exact serving of god , and keeping themselves and others from the pollution of publick worship , and bringing men to nearer and fuller communion with christ then can be enjoyed in publick ordinances . i may say then touching this , as the poet doth of a witty fable he had told , and after doth apply to one who thought himself little concerned in it , — mutato nomine , de te fabula narratur — change but the name , if i may make so bold , of your own self , the story may be told . secondly , the diligent search you do make or have made to understand the visions of the prophets , and in special the mysteries of the apocalyps , is worthy commendation . but this i must adde , that you had need to be conversant in that search with much humility and self-denying , as not having any such conceit of your self that you are endued with a more excellent spirit of revelation and understanding in those mysteries then other learned and godly men that have with much pains and prayer studied that book , and published their meditations on it , but rather mistrusting your own conceptions , in which you go alone , and differ from the stream of most writers and interpreters , qui opinione blandiente gravidi sunt , nihil serium pariunt , tumidi tantumutres , saith one , whosoever they be which travel big with childe of some pleasing conceit of their own , or vain opinion of themselves , never bring forth any serious matter , being only big-swoln bottles . and if you hold forth any new conceit beyond or against them , judicious christians will advise upon it , and not hastily receive it , unlesse you can make it appear , that you have daniels spirit of wisdom and revelation for interpretation of dreams and visions given you , or can prove your interpretation by irrefragable arguments . for in such a case may it not be said to you , as paul said to the corinthians puffed up with some singular conceit of their knowledge above other churches , came the word of god out from you ? or came it to you onely ? 1 cor. 14. 26. came the spirit of wisdom or knowledge unto you only ? or came it from you to all others ? besides , if we desire to know christ in the whole mystery of our salvation , viz. the doctrine of his person , offices , and the means to apply him to our selves , the waies of his worship ; the nature of the church , and the ordinances belonging to it , and then what be the most dangerous errours in faith or worship : such things are better learned out of the doctrinal books of scripture then out of the apocalyps . that doth hold forth a prophetical story concerning the enemies of the church , who they should be , and where ; how they should oppresse the church , and at length be destroyed , and of the churches estate before these enemies rising , under their power , its deliverance and glorious estate in the end ; but it doth not doctrinally discourse of points of faith , worship and good works . those matters in other books are purposely handled , largely and fully discoursed ; in the revelation are but touched on by the way , in other parts of scripture they are plainly propounded , that common christians may conceive and come to the knowledge of them ; but the revelation is veiled with such mystical visions and allegorical phrases that very learned and most able christians cannot uncover the veil cleerly , and see to the end of them ; much lesse are they such as can be apprehended by christians of the lower sort , and weaker capacity . as the pillar of fire and cloud were such things as were open to the view of all the israelites ; so those books of scripture ( though i exclude none ) which are plainest and most obvious to the understanding of all christians , are specially to be accounted as our pillar of cloud and fire to direct us how and where in all ages we should follow the lamb . thirdly , it is strange to me that you should affirm , that the foundation of the beast doth consist in an usurped power of church-discipline footed on mans will without gods call . it is true , that what discipline is exercised only on mans will without gods call , is bestial , as you term it , and antichristian ; as 1. that which for the thing it self was wholly invented by antichrist not being once mentioned in the gospel , such was amongst others the popes interdicting of whole realms for having any service of god used in them upon their offending against his commands and ordinances . 2. and if for the matter it self it were christs discipline , yet it was managed not by the hands of christs officers , but of antichrist , and against christs faithfull servants ; such was excommunication exercised by the pope , papal bishops , commissaries , and the like . notwithstanding discipline , nor the usurped power of it cannot be the foundation of the beast . there are three things in christian , and so in antichristian religion , doctrine , worship and discipline ; and these so answer one another , that look what place any one of them hath in the one , the same it hath in the other religion . now none ever did or can affirm discipline to be the foundation of christian religion ; it is but as the roof , or at best but as the wals of it , and serves to beautifie or to guard and preserve it ; it is sound doctrine in the principles of faith that is the foundation of christian religion , 1 cor , 3. 11. so it is the false doctrine of the roman church that is the foundation of the beast and antichristian religion . and this the apostle s. john doth teach , 1 joh , 4. 23. every one that confesseth christ to be come in the flesh , is of god ; but every one that denieth christ to be come in the flesh is not of god ; this is the spirit of antichrist . it is in effect as much as if he had said : sound doctrine concerning christ his nature , person and offices , is the main ground and mark of christian religion ; and false doctrine touching these things the principal note and ground of antichristian religion . besides the popes extravagant exercise of discipline in excommunicating , suspending , &c. not onely single persons , but whole nations , and disposing all church-dignities , &c. was founded on that false doctrine which was first laid , that the pope was an vniversal bishop , vicar of christ , and the visible head of the church . doctrine then is the foundation of the beast , and not the usurped power of church-discipline . lastly , none can comply with the beast in the foundation of his estate without losse of his salvation , as who doth lie and relie on some other besides the onely foundation of salvation , which is jesus christ , and worshippeth the beast in acknowledging him for the vicar of christ in the church and supreme head under him , and submits to his decrees and new articles of faith ; but many may and have too much complied with the beast in the exercise of discipline , viz. excommunication , suspension , ordination , &c , managing it in a popish manner , whom yet we have just cause to acknowledge ( and should deal most uncharitably not to acknowledge ) for the main to have been godly christians , and out of doubt saved , such as were those diocesan bishops in queen maries dayes , ridley , latimer , hooper , &c. and grindal , jewel and others in queen elizabeths reign . fourthly , it is a new conceit not heard of before among interpreters of the apocalyps , and which i cannot imbrace , that in these our times we are called onely to separating from babylon , and rewarding her , so that upon separating from her , if gods people go further , as to set up reformed churches , and gather themselves into church-order , it is in your opinion against , or at least without gods command . but first , this is a course flat contrary to that which the lord hath followed and prescribed to his people in former times , whose separation from idolaters and prophane nations was still accompanied with a present setting up of a church-society for gods service and mutual edification . no sooner did god call abraham out of his idolatrous countrey , but he set up a visible church in his family , teaching him to call on god and set up alturs for his worship , gen. 12. 8 , and furnishing him with some power of discipline , genes . 17. 14. and 18. 19. so when the lord brought the israelites out of aegypt , he brought them not out to wander up and down as a confused multitude , but within short time formed them into a church , and within a year or thereabouts gave them the law , furnished them with a tabernacle , sacrifices , ministry and ordinances of all sorts . this did the jews also upon their return out of babylon take to be their duty in a church-way to set up gods worship , in building the temple , providing sacrifices , restoring the ministery , and ordering means for them . and when the jews slacked their hand this way upon a pretence that the due time to build the house of god was not yet come ( much like as you now say , it is not yet time to set up visible churches or church-discipline ) they were reproved for the slacknesse and vain pretence by the prophet haggai , hag. 1. 3 , 5. and did not the apostles the like also at the first preaching of the gospel , so call men from paganism and judaism , as those that did separate from them , and imbrace the gospel , were with all convenient speed gathered and formed into christian churches to exercise gods worship and discipline among themselves ? and what sound reason can be given , why the separation gods people are called to , revel. 18. 4. should not be thus presently followed , with joyning together in visible churches , to serve god aright , and enjoy all his ordinances , but that they must remain a separated people without any church-order among themselves , untill all the vials be poured out , that is none knows how long ? secondly , this is against a common rule for interpretation of scripture ; among which rules this is an approved one , that what scripture doth command the avoiding any thing as evil , the same doth virtually command the pursuing of the contrary good . hence commonly those two commands go together , flee evil and follow good , psal. 34. 14. isa. 16. 17. rom. 12. 9. and in many other places . the reason whereof is plain , because as the perfection of a good tree is not in wanting bad fruit , but in bearing good : so the true goodnesse of a christian is not in forbearing evil , but in doing good . this then is certain , that the voice from heaven which cals gods people to depart from babylon , as idolatrous , and to keep themselves from her sins , doth virtually call upon them to seek our sion , and to joyn with her in society for the worship of god ; which sion if it were not then extant or to be enjoyed , the command were vain , and their endeavour would be to no purpose . thirdly , this conceit and course doth cast a foul blot of gross ignorance or rash presumption upon all reformed churches ; which upon their breaking off from rome have not contented themselves with a bare separation , but did also set up evangelical churches opposite to the roman for doctrine , worship and discipline , some lesse , and some more pure and perfect . so hath all reformation been practised in germany , france , netherland , scotland , old and new england of late . and what man is he , or who be they , unlesse they can prove themselves new apostles or prophets , or have the pregnant word of god for it , and build not only upon their own conjectural interpretation of prophetical mysteries , about which other godly learned are at a stand , who will presume to tax and blemish so many famous churches , and so many godly and learned divines which were their guides and leaders ? surely it is not piety to condemn the generation of the righteous , psalm 73. 15. nor humility to slight the consent of so many churches of god , 1 cor. 11. 16. fourthly , it is well worth the while to scan the time when this call for separation revel. 18. 4. was given ; and if all circumstances be well weighed , this call was not proclaimed untill god had put it into the heart of some kings and states to joyn to invade and destroy rome itself , which preparation is intimated before , chap. 17. 16. and was surely about the pouring out of the last , or some of the last vials . and now being ready to give the on-set on rome , by this voice they are called on to plague her thorowly , revel. 18. 6. at which time this call is directed to such of gods people as might then be hidden in that idolatrous city , or the adjoining territories by a personal flight to forsake her and those places of danger , and provide for their safety . which things considered , it is not clear that the time of this call is yet come , since we see small preparation made as yet or intended by christian states or princes against rome , the throne of the beast , or italy his nest and fortresse . and how long it will be ere this be effected onely the lord knows . i am sure that most accounts that learned men have hitherto made of these things , have missed , and they are in a mist about the three or four last vials , not being able certainly to unfold them . so that if you have no other ground for your separation then that call ( as you produce none other ) you are in danger to prevent the due time of separation , and to do all you do in it meerly upon your own will without gods call . as for the spiritual separation made by protestant princes , and churches , from rome , in doctrine and worship , as they had a warrant for it from this call , the reasons whereof being such as belong to all times and persons , not to partake in romes sins , do sufficiently enforce it ; so had they pregnant grounds for it also from other general commands to flee idolatry , and set up gods worship . i may last ask , why you and your company go farther in your practice then bare separation ? for if by separation revel. 18. 4. you understand a separation meerly negative to be meant ( as you needs must to make it serve your turn ) by what warrant do you on the lords-day celebrate holy assemblies , and exercise the main parts of gods worship by your selves , and in opposition to our publick assemblies , which you account bestial ? for this kinde of separation allows no such practice , but confines it self to an abstaining from all communion in the publick worship if corrupt , and so farre as it is corrupt . but if it be a positive separation that the godly are called to ( as your practice doth interpret it ) then nothing lets , but others also may set up churches for the enjoying of all ordinances as well as you for some . and surely when the apostle did urge such a call for separation unto the corinthians , 1 cor. 6. 17. out of isa. 52. 11. he did conceive that the christians of corinth were not onely called barely to separate from paganish idolatry , but also to join together in the true worship of god . fifthly , here follow some things which i apprehend to be some reasons of this your assertion touching this point of separation . 1. we are yet , you say , but in our journey to sion , visibly separated , and not arrived thither , and so may not take on us to set up sion-like churches . answ. but why are we but on our journey unto sion ? visibly separated ? when as the apostle describeth this to be the estate of all imbracing the gospel , that they are come to mount sion and the celestial jerusalem , and the same not meerly invisible , but visibly separated from the impious world , heb. 12. 22. 2. st john saw many thousands revel. 14. 1. walking with the lamb on mount sion , and the same visible as seen by john during the time of the great apostasie , and before the time of this more publick departure and reformation . and why may not our late reformed christians be ranged among those thousands , and admitted to the same mount sion with them , since in their reformation they have endeavoured to conform unto them , 1. in bearing their fathers name in their forehead by an open profession of religion ; 2 , in restoring an orderly performance of gods worship by the ministery and church-assemblies , as they praised god before the four beasts and the elders ; 3. in ascribing their redemption only to god , and praising him for it , which is meant by the new song those hundred fourty four thousand did sing ; 4. by cleansing themselves from popish idolatry , as those kept themselves virgins and undefiled ; 5. by holding forth the practice of holinesse , as in the mouths of the other there was no guile . 3. admit that we be but in our way to this sion , what lets but that we may set up and use all gods ordinances as well as some , in this our journey ? the israelites whenas they were but in their way to canaan had all gods ordinances set up amongst them , and made use of them more or lesse , as their unsetled estate , and sudden occasions of removing would give leave . what you seem elswhere to conclude to this purpose from the jews bringing along the temple-vessels with them from babylon , but not officiating with them in their way , shall in its place be considered . about these matters you referre me to revel. 15. 8. where we read that the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of god , &c. that none could enter into it untill the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled . from whence it seems you would conclude , that we are not yet come to sion . answ. i wish you had made the argument your self , opened the place in your sense , and applied it to the purpose : for my part i finde a temple even under the apostasie measured out , and an altar , and some worshipping in it revel. 11. 1. yea , i finde angels , i. e. magistrates , ministers , and other persons of note , whom the lord would use to execute his judgements upon the antichristian world , revel. 14. 15 , 17 , 18. conversant in it , and the four beasts abiding in it , revel. 15. 7. the temple then which was before the seven last plagues fulfilled , was not so shut but some did enter into it and served god therein : yea that john during this time saw it opened in heaven , revel. 11. 19. and 15. 6. and if sion and the temple in your opinion be one and the same thing , and both note the state of a true visible church ( as you seem to think ) it is plain that before and under the vials there are acknowledged in the apocalyps visible churches , and the same true and right unto which christians had accesse , and in which they were conversant . you must pardon me then if herein i do not concurre with you , that none could enter into the temple , or arrive at sion , i. e. that no visible church could be found into which men might have entrance and admission , untill all the vials were poured out . i do rather agree with other godly interpreters , who do understand it of those people , who yet for their whole body are clean out of the church , viz. the jews and pagans , but chiefly the jews , of which , it seems , no full harvest sufficient to make up a church or churches shall or can come in , untill the vials be fully poured out to romes utter destruction . it doth not exclude those who were already admitted and entered into the temple , as were the reformed churches of the western world . the second thing which you adde is , that we have not yet wholly put off our babylonish garments . touching which i shall not say much , because you expresse not what you mean by these babylonish garments , nor wherein they are not put off . only two things i do reply , 1. that the retaining of some rags of the babylonish garments , though it be a deformity to a church , can no more keep a christian company or person out of sion , then sacrificing unto god in high places , somewhat after an heathenish manner , could or did put the church of the jews out of sion , or polygamy not warranted by the lords first institution of marriage , put abraham , jacob or other holy men out of the catalogue of the ancient and godly patriarchs ; or the remainder of some sinfull infirmity in a man regenerate , barre him of communion with christ . 2. those seven angels which had the last seven plagues , as they came out of the temple ; so also they were cloathed with white and pure linen , and were girded about the brests with golden girdles , revel. 15 6. now what are those angels but types of those instruments which the lord would use in executing those seven last plagues ? and what is the meaning of their coming out of the temple , but that they were persons belonging to some of the protestant reformed churches ? now surely as the habit of the members was , such was the habit of the churches to which they did belong : for how could they come so purely cloathed out of churches utterly impure ? these churches therefore which are our reformed churches of these dayes , had cast off their babylonish garments , and were clad with fine linen , which is the righteousnesse of the saints . the third thing , you say , is , that the time for visible marriage is not yet come , untill all enemies be brought down , and god only reign ; and that therefore all visible church-marriage since the apostasic taken up before the time , being onely founded on the will , name and power of man without gods call , must needs be bestial . answ. concerning this , i say first , that it is much the jews excuse hag. 1. 2. saying , that the time was not yet come that the house of the lord should be built : whenas the time for building it was seasonable enough , and nothing letted but their greater care to build their own houses then the lords house : so say you , the time is not yet come that visible churches should be gathered and married unto christ in visible manner , whe●as the time is seasonable enough , but that many have more minde to disturb the work by venting fancies of their own , then to contribute their endeavours towards the work . secondly , this is to make christ to have been a widower , as it were , or a bridegroom without a known or visible bride , an head without a visible body , a king without a visible kingdom for more then these thousand years ; and how long he is like so to continue none can determine . for what is christs visible spouse , body , kingdom , but a visible church ? and none such hath been , according to your opinion , right and true , all this time of the apostasie , nor yet is or shall be untill all the vials be poured out . thirdly , this is to make all the reformed churches , which since their breaking off from rome , have been erected , or are now in germany , france , netherland , scotland , old and new england , to be antichristian and bestial , which in all moderate and understanding mens judgement , will be thought a rash , uncharitable and audacious assertion . fourthly , it may as well be said by you , that there is no visible marriage between christ and particular christians before the time , as that there is none between churches and christ . for no particular christian can be a meet bride for christ , who is not cloathed with pure fine and shining linen , viz. the righteousnesse of the saints . and if no churches shall be found before that time fitly thus arrayed for their marriage with christ , what sound reason can be yielded , why any single christians can be so cloathed , when as commonly they receive their spiritual birth , being , cloathing , and all in visible churches where they live ? now nihil dat quod non hab●t , none can give that which they have not ; and if no visible churches can be found thus arrayed , it is not easie to imagine how single christians should obtain it . if private christians may be so cloathed before that time , and so fitted for visible marriage with christ ; so also may whole churches , whenas churches are made up of particular christians , and particular christians are thus cloathed , among other ends , that they may be fitted for members of visible churches . but to make this good , you referre us to revel. 19. 7. which , how that is understood not of reformed churches in general , but of the church of the jews , when that nation shall be converted to the faith , by the most learned interpreters of the apocalyps , i know you well know . and for my part , though i will not say as he did , malo cum platone errare , quam cum aliis vera sentire , yet i cannot but say , that it is farre safer to follow so many godly , learned and judicious divines , who have bent themselves to finde out the mysteries of that book , then any one man , though he would be held as singular in this mystical divinity , as plato was in philosophy . and that which you point unto farther out of isa. 62. 5. if they both concern one thing and time , as you seem to intimate , doth much confirm this interpretation . for it directly and expresly speaks of sion , and its restoring , as appears by the beginning of the chapter , and what follows ; which if it had not its full accomplishment in the jews deliverance out of babylon , and their church and commonwealth restauration thereupon , it cannot well be applied otherwise , then to the last conversion of the jewish nation , and to that excellent church-condition whereunto they shall then be brought . secondly , touching this allegation , and all other of the same kinde much used by you , i wish that that notable saying of irenaeus so much approved by learned divines , were known to , or regarded by you , omnis prophetia priusquam habeat efficaciam ▪ anigmata & ambiguitas sunt hominibus : cum autem venerit tempus & evenit quod prophetatum est , ●um prophetiae habent liquidam & certam expositionem . all prophecie before it be accomplished presents nothing but riddles and matters of doubt unto men : but when the time is come , and that is fulfilled which was prophesied , then prophecies have a clear and certain exposition . according to which most right sentence , i say , that the mystical prophecies of the apocalyps or other scripture which are but in part fulfilled , but specially such as yet are wholly to be fulfilled , and so subject to various interpretations , are too too weak grounds to build such lofty opinions and assertions upon , as befool all learned divines , over-turn all right and orderly ministry , and turn all latter christian churches into antichristian : for who is he that can infallibly say , what is meant by the vials poured out on euphrates or on the air ; by the marriage of the lamb , and of his bride , and sundry other things in the following chapters , as he ought to be able to doe , that will inferre and make good such high and destructive paradoxes , as are above-mentioned . there are many prophecies in that book already in part fulfilled , as many things about the two witnesses , the distinction of the first and second beast , the vial poured out on the sun , with divers things chap. 14 and 16. about which the learned which have searched into those mysteries do so differ that a man cannot finde from them any sure ground to rest upon . it is doubtlesse lawfull and profitable , as you and others do , to search into the mysteries of that book . but for a clear and full interpretation of some things already fulfilled , much more of things to be fulfilled , we must wait the lords time ( to which somewhat doth accord that proverbial speech , that veritas est temporis filia ) and his revelation of them by clear and indubitable events . but by these mistakes and differences of learned men , as diligent and understanding searchers as our selves , we should learn to be moderate and wary , how we did peremptorily determine matters so abstruse ; and upon such our private determinations lay the weight of such notable paradoxes and strange strains ; which to doe is rather rash presumption and self-confidence then true knowledge and wisdom . sixthly , now follows your fourth assertion , viz. that the breathing of the spirit both in officers and ordinances which acted in them in the primitive times , is now restrained , and ( as seems to be your meaning ) hath been restrained ever since the apostasie , so that they were all that while , and now are but as a carcase without a soul . answ. if this be so , what means have there been all this while for mens conversion and salvation ? for which the lord out of his goodnesse cannot but ever make due provision . from whence hath proceeded the conversion of thousands , which have been wrought on since the apostasie , if not from the officers and ordinances that have succeeded the primitive times , and in some measure continued under the corrupt state of the church , and the spirits breathing in and working by them ? st john saw , and that under the apostasie , a hundred fourty four thousand waiting upon the lamb in mount sion , revel. 14. 1. whence now had these their conversion but from the spirit in those times breathing in , and by the officers and o●dinances that then were ? again , s. john saw ( it seems ) after this on mount sion , upon the declining of antichrist a great number standing by a glassie-sea mingled with fire which had gotten the victory over the beast , his image , his mark , and the number of his name , singing a new song , and praising god for their deliverance , rev. 15. 2 , 3. whence had these their conversion ? they were not , i ween , aborigenes , a people sprung out of the earth , or let down out of the heavens , but surely had their spiritual birth and being from the spirit breathing in the officers and ordinances of those times . lastly , have not thousands in these latter times in the reformed churches ( and so are many , the lord be praised unto this day ) been converted to the faith by the preaching of the ministers in them ? and what more ample testimony can there be then this , that their ministery is not a carcase without a soul , but that the spirit doth breathe in the ordinance of pteaching and sacraments administred by them ? it may here by you be suggested perhaps , that in all these ages , and so now , they preached but as gifted men , and in that way the spirit went along with them not as ministers by office . answ. this is but said , and not proved , and so may as easily be denied , as it is affirmed . 2. they in all ages former and latter stood and acted as ministers by office , were so acknowledged and received by the churches , yea and also christians converted ( untill of late that they have been taught a new ungratefull lesson ) who felt the power of the spirit working on them by their preaching , did look on their conversion as a fruit of their true official ministry , and a seal thereof . 3 , the apostle paul doth produce the conversion of the corinthians by his preaching , not so much for a proof that he was a man sufficiently gifted for the work of the ministry , but as a seal of his apostleship , and as a divine testimony , that as he acted as an apostle in his preaching , so indeed he was , and so they were to acknowledge him , 2 cor. 3. 2. 2 cor. 9. 1 , 2. if therefore the conversion of the corinthians were proof sufficient for paul , that he was an apostle , that is , an official minister , though extraordinary , surely the work of conversion formerly and now wrought by them , doth suffice to make good , that the ministers of the reformed churches have been , and are right ministers of christ , and rightly in office under him . lastly , for that of revel. 7. 1. which you point to , of the four angels holding the four windes , that they should not blow on the earth , nor on the sea , &c. if it be certainly to be understood of the withholding of the spirit from breathing in the ordinances ( for others carry it fairly enough to another sense . ) 1. there is nothing said in that place for the continuance , how long the restraint should last , much lesse is it shewed , that it should last during the apostasie . 2. it may well be meant of a more sparing breathing in comparison of primitive times , not of an utter restraint . 3. if it be understood of an utter restraint , take notice , i pray , that the restraint is general , and cannot by any circumstance of the text be confined only to official preaching and preachers , as you speak , but as fully reach any preachers , even your gifted men as well as them , and so doth conclude an utter ceasing of the spirit , to breathe now or then in or by any means , ordinances or preachers whatsoever , which is grosly false , and to affirm it were exceeding derogatory to the lords free grace and mans salvation . seventhly , in the next place it follows that we take a view of your distinction of ordinances , and your opinion about them . touching which , you say , some are founded more immediately on our spiritual union ( with christ i conceive you mean ) and the covanant of grace and ministry , baptism , the lords supper , praier , profession , &c. 2. such as are footed on church-stating , such as appertain to officials , yea deemed essential to them , as ordination , confirmation , excommunication , admission , absolution , &c. the first of these have been kept up , you say , thorow all the time of the deepest apostasie , and are now used rightly , and to be used . the second have not been alwaies rightly used , but ( it seems to you ) have been , and are so lost , that as yet there is no due time or place for their exercise . this i take to be your meaning about this point of ordinances . if i mistake , it is because the matter is set down somewhat intricately by you . now touching this point we have many things to reply ; first , i would know , what ministry you mean hath alwaies been kept up ? whether a ministry exercised onely by virtue of gifts enabling men unto it , or such as is exercised by virtue of an office also , and right calling thereunto . if the first be meant , it is a matter in much question , whether such a standing ministry were ever allowed by christ ? and it must be proved before we can receive it . surely if such a ministry be currant and sufficiently authorized for ministring word and sacraments , there was no need of an official ministry ; and christ , it seems , therein ordained a superfluous ordinance , according to that common axiom , frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora . it is a vain thing , and not beseeming a wise man , to use many wayes to do that which may be done by a few . if the latter be meant , why are official ministers by you questioned ? secondly , it may be asked , why you put profession and prayer in general in the rank of ordinances . there is a wide difference between ordinances and duties . as to believe in christ is a duty , not an ordinance ; so to make profession of the christian faith is also a duty which appertains to particular christians in their own person , so to whole churches in their society . so likewise is prayer as it belongs to particular men , of which paul speaks specially , colos. 4. 2. onely publick prayer as it is performed by the minister in publick assemblies for gods worship , may come under the notion of an ordinance . ordinances , to speak properly of them , are those solemn means which christ hath appointed in his church according to his sovereign power and good-will to communicate his grace unto us , and to perform our solemn worship unto him , as the publick preaching of the word , celebration of the sacraments , publick prayer , publick thanksgivings , fastings ; or to provide for the right performance of these things , as combination of christians into church-societies , the election and ordination of ministers , and exercises of church-discipline . now profession and prayer are such duties as flow from that natural relation which is between god the creator and the creature , and were owing unto god without any special institution . thirdly , you say , that the last kinde of ordinances are essential to officials , an improper , yea false assertion , unlesse you mean no more then what you said elswhere , that they appertain to officers : for nothing is essential to a church-officer , or any other thing , but the matter and form thereof , which doth constitute them . the matter of an officer are gifts enabling him to perform it ; the form an orderly putting him into that office by such as have authority , and giving him a right to execute it . the exercise of some thing may properly and onely belong to officers ( as preaching the word and administring the sacraments to pastors and teachers rightly called ) which yet are not essential to them . nothing can subsist or have a being in nature wanting its essentials . a pastor or teacher may be such an one in office , and yet letted by sicknesse or some other wayes , that for many weeks together he neither preach nor administer the sacraments . fourthly , it is not truly said , that some ordinances are more immediately founded in our union with christ . for no ordinances can be said to be founded on our union with christ . such things onely can rightly be said to be founded on that union , which as the proper fruit and effects thereof do flow from it to our salvation ; as calling , justification , sanctification , &c. it may be granted , that an holy right to these ordinances , and the blessed fruit of them comes and proceeds from our union with christ , but not the ordinances themselves , of which many partake which have not , nor ever shall have union with christ . indeed they tend either to bring men to that blessed union , or to nourish and stablish them in it : to which purpose in their place serve those latter kinde of ordinances , yea excommunication it self , which is specially ordained for the good of the elect to heal and recover them if they fall scandalously , by cutting them off , to the end they may repent and be restored , or to prevent their infection by putting scandalous and infectious persons out of their society . but for the foundation of these and all ordinances , it is in the institution of our lord jesus christ , consisting partly in a command for the use of them , and partly in the promise of a blessing on the right use of them , as for teaching and baptism is to be seen , matth. 28. 19 , 20. and for the lords supper , 1 cor. 11. 24. fifthly , it may be granted you , that these ordinances are some way founded on the covenant of grace , if by founded you onely mean , that they are some effects of it . for as god by that covenant doth oblige himself to give grace and salvation to his elect : so by consequence to provide for them all means outward and inward , that should conduce to make them partakers of the covenant and benefits of it , causing them to imbrace it , and stablishing them in it . but then this is not a thing peculiar to the first kinde of ordinances , but belongs also to the latter , which have their use both in admitting men into fellowship with christ and his church , and maintaining them in it . sixthly , you grant , that these first ordinances have never been lost , but continued all the time of the apostasie . but what doth this grant avail for any benefit to gods people all that while , or now ; when you did before affirm , that they are but dead ordinances , and have not the spirit breathing in , or by them , nor shall have , untill the brightnesse of christs coming ? seventhly , how doth it appear that those latter ordinances have been lost , as you seem to imply , during the apostasie , more then the former ? 1. the use of them was held up all that while in the antichristian church , where was ordination , excommunication , absolution , &c. and that as ordinances of christ , as well as teaching , baptism , the lords supper , &c. and since the reformation have more or lesse been taken up , and used in the reformed churches . 2. to that you say , they were not alwayes rightly used , nor alway in right hands : i answer , that if that abolish them , upon the same grounds those former ordinances may as well be said to have been lost , as having been in many things corrupted and usurped by those who had little right to meddle with them . 3. what reasons soever are , or can be alledged for the continuance of the first sort , are as strong for the continuance of this latter kinde , 1. there is for these christs institution as well as for those . 2. they were instituted not only for a time , but to be continued untill the last day , ephes. ● ▪ 11 , 12 , 13. in the 11 verse there is the institution of an ecclesiastical and official ministry distinct one from another , as some to be such , and others to be such , so that they that were apostles , evangelists , &c. were not properly pastors nor teachers , nor they which were properly pastors and teachers , were not apostles nor prophets , &c. if they were all the same in office and power , what should need such an enumeration of so many kindes distinct one from the other ? verse 12. is specified the end for which they were given , namely the perfect knitting together of the saints , the work of the ministry , the edification of the body of christ . if that then during the apostasie christ had any saints among men to be joyned together , any work of the ministry to be done , any mystical body to be edified ( as doubtlesse he had ) all these things were to be performed by the officiall ministry which christ gave for that end . but these things could not be all that while performed by apostles , prophets , evangelists , and therefore were done by other officials , pastors and teachers , which christ gave for that end , and in some sort continued all those corrupt times . in the 13. verse is set down how long this ministry was to continue , even untill we all meet in the unity of the faith , and attain to a perfect man in christ , which will not be until the last day of the restoring and consummation of all things , 1 cor. 13. 9 , 10. now if christ did ordain such a ministry , and for such a time , he hath surely for the substance maintained and continued it hitherto , and so will to the end . and if he have not , or shall not do so , it is either for want of power in him to do it , or of love and care for his churches good : either of which to charge upon christ were sinfull . and if this continuance have not been in a successive order of apostles , prophets and evangelists ( which long ago have ceased ) it hath been continued in an official ministry of pastors and teachers , such as christ first gave and ordained . 3. there is a solemn commandment for the exercise and keeping up of discipline untill the coming of christ , 1 tim. 6. 13 , 14. there is a streight charge laid upon timethy to keep that course of discipline which he had prescribed him in that epistle , vntill the appearing of christ , now this command cannot concern timothy onely , who was not to survive so long , or to that day : but belongeth to the ministers and church-officers , who in after times were to succeed him in the care and rule of the church . and if pray continually which you alledge from 1 thess. 5. 17. to prove that prayer as a church-ordinance hath been alway continued , it being but a command for the continual use of it , and that rather of private prayer by christians in their common course of life , then of publick in church-assemblies , be valid enough to prove your purpose : this command of paul unto timothy for the exercise of discipline by him , prescribed to be continued unto christs coming , doth necessarily prove the continuance of it in the church . lastly , what you alledge out of matth. 28. 19 , 20. for the perp tuity of teaching and baptism , makes as much for the like continued use of discipline . for as the apostles there are bid to teach and baptize : so likewise are they commanded to teach the nations , to observe all things that he had commanded . among which the exercise of discipline was certainly one : for the maintenance of which , his promise is to be present with his ministers to the end of the world , as well as for the continuance of the other ordinances . now there are many other scriptures which you point at for proof of this and your other points , touching which i wish that you had shewed how the scriptures pointed at conclude your points . for my logick doth not suffice to conclude the one from the other . eighthly , there ensue some reasons ( as i conceive ) of them , why this second sort of ordinances are lost : first , this key of discipline was wholly resolved into the pope ; i take it that you mean , that it was wholly seised on by the pope , and no discipline was exercised but under and from him . answ. so was it with teaching , baptism and the lords supper , and other ordinances you speak of , they were so got into the popes hands , that they were administred and managed by none but those that were authorized by the pope , or by such as under him did conferre authority for the same : and if that did not null or abolish teaching , baptism , &c. why should it null or abolish discipline , or any part thereof , though ingrossed by the pope , and abused by him . it was the policy of satan and that great impostour under him ( the pope ) to seise into his hands all the ordinances of christ , that by the shew and pretence of them he might get the credit of religion , and upholding the christian faith , and so the more closely and effectually deceive the christian world , which he could not have done if he had wholly rejected and abolished them , and set up onely his own superstitions and inventions in the room of them : christs ordinances may and do still remain christs ordinances for matter and substance , though in wrong hands and abused : as the great seale of the kingdome is still the right and true seale , though in the hands of an usurping lord keeper , and imployed to wrongfull ends . obj. but the pope had another key given him , and other officers , as locusts , revel. 9. answ. let it be so , that another key was given to the pope , viz. when he claimed to be an universal bishop , christs vicar , and the head of the church under him , and so usurped an illimitted power in businesses secular and spiritual , and that he had with all other officers called locusts , viz. monks , friars , priests , abbats , cardinals , and the whole popish clergy ; yet with all subtilty he did retain the key of christs discipline in ordination , excommunication , suspension , &c. and made use of it to promote his own kingdom , yea and had for substance some of the officers ordained by christ , such as were preachers and administrers of holy things in particular congregations though under other names , as parsons and vicars , and not , without some corruption in their admission and administration . notwithstanding as amongst all the corruptions under popery , baptism for the substance remained true and right , in as much as such as were baptized , were baptized in the name of the father , sonne and holy ghost , according to the form by christ appointed . neither have any taught or affirmed , that baptism under popery was or is null , and to be repealed ; so for the substance , a true and right ministry might be , and was there found , viz. such a one , as by which men were called and set aside to preach the word , and minister the holy things of god . object . there was no other face of officials among papists , but of these locusts in luthers time , who himself was a monk . answ. there was among papists in and before luthers time , officials ( as you stile them ) which are not to be reckoned among these locusts , but such as the holy ghost in the apocalyps doth honour and account of , as true and worthy ministers of christ , though what outward calling they had , was from popish bishops and presbyters , and themselves were monks and friars , or of some such popish order . it cannot be denied , that many of those which during the apostasie for twelve hundred and sixty years , did stand up by writing and preaching to witnesse truth against popery , were bishops , priests , monks or friars , as in our england , bishop grosted , john wickliff a priest ; in other countreys taulerus a preacher , john hus and jerom of prague priests , savaralona a monk , and one sylvester a friar , with many other the like . all which notwithstanding that their ordination was according to the times from popish bishops , and their order superstitious , yet the holy ghost doth reckon of them as christs faithfull witnesses , and so his true and lawfull ministers , and not any of those locusts which came out of the smoke of the bottomlesse pit ; so chap 1● ▪ 6 , 8 , 9. there are three angels which in course follow one another preaching the gospel , and declaiming against babylon and the beast : who are these now ? not proper angels coming from heaven , but rather according to the currant of interpreters , a series and rank of ministers , which were raised up by the lord , by their preaching to make way for the ruine of the pope , and restoring the church , such as by some learned men are named in particular , viz. ockam , john of gaunt , dantes , our john wickliff , john hus , jerom of prague , luther , men that lived in the church of rome , had their external calling from that church , were of some of their popish orders , and yet are acknowledged to be angels , as well as those of the seven churches of asia , that is true ministers of christ , raised , sent , and authorized by him . it doth not then derogate from the truth of an official ministry , if he be a sound preacher of the gospel , that a man hath been ordained thereunto by a bishop popish , not only in regard of the office , but in doctrine also ; but this acknowledgment of such for angels doth approve such ordination good for substance ; though in some things it be corrupt and defective , as before i said of baptizing . it is then a frivolous cavil , and which by this sentence of the holy ghost is put to silence , that men make against our english ministers as antichristian , because ordained by bishops , when such so ordained are called angels , and their ordination is conferted on them by bishops which were sound in the profession of the gospel , presbyters and preachers of the gospel , and in the worke did joyne other presbyters with them . object . but the visible church it self failed , which is the foundation of these officials and latter ordinances , and so these must needs fail . answ. this is somewhat indeed : nay so much as will carry the cause if it be made good . it is not true , as is before shewed , that the visible church is the foundation of these officials or latter ordinances ; but christs institution and promise : but the visible church is invested with a power and right to use them , and that onely , and not any other civil or heretical society , and for the churches good and service , they were by christ appointed ; so that if there were in those times of the apostasie , no visible church , it may be granted that they failed since there was no church which had power to use them , or for whose service they were to be used : but me thinks for you to say , that the visible church hath failed , is much one as if you should affirm , that the pillars of the earth were broken down and overthrown . for the visible church standeth on as firm a foundation , as they , that is , gods ordinance , power and faithfulness . concerning which point , by a visible church may be meant a company of christians with their seed joyned together in one place , and setled in a right and compleat order for the worship of god , and exercise of all gods ordinances . now that there hath been such a visible church all along the apostasie in any one place , or in many places successively , cannot , i think , easily be shewed , nor is it needfull for this matter to be proved . next , by a visible church may be meant a company of persons professing the true religion , abstaining from false worship , and worshipping god in a pure way , though for the most dispersed in sundry places and meetings for gods worship , but in small companies : such a church of god certainly hath been and shall be perpetual ; such a church of god there was in israel under their great apostasie , viz. a company that did not bow the knee to baal , 1 king. 18. 19. and did in solemn times meet for the main parts of gods worship , as hearing of his word and prayer , 2 kings 4. 23. though not for sacrifice , which ordinarily was onely to be offered at the temple . such a one was there under the babylonish captivity , in which state the jews could not assemble , as in their own land to the temple , to perform all gods service , but as they were scattered into several cities and towns , could onely where they were , make open profession of their religion , and in smaller companies meet together for the word and prayer , and such main parts of gods worship . and such a one also hath continued under the popish defection . to speak to which point somewhat more largely , i affirm , first , that there never was , nor ever will be an utter failing of christs visible church . it is prophesied of christ , that he shall sit upon the throne of david , and his kingdom , to order and stablish it with judgement and iustice , from henceforth even for ever , isa. 9. and what is this throne and kingdome of david , but christs visible church , in which christ is to sit and reign visibly , as david did in his kingdom , and that for ever ? it is written , dan. 2. 44 , that the god of heaven should set up a kingdom which should never be destroyed : and what can this be meant of , but of gods visible church , set up in the view of the world , as those earthly kingdoms were , which it should break and destroy , but it self stand for ever ; but if this church have at any time wholly failed , it hath not stood , nor doth stand for ever , but hath been destroyed . 3. christ is set up by god his father with power , and a command given him , to rule in the midst of his enemies , psal. 110. 2. which how should he do , if his enemies should so farre prevail , as to abolish his visible church in which he is to reign ? besides , these are relatives , and depend one upon another , a king and kingdom , an head and body , husband and spouse . and what is christs kingdom , body , spouse here in the world ( as we have afore-said ) but his visible church ? so that it failing , christ should cease to be a king , head or husband in the view of men , or be a king without a kingdome , a head without a body , an husband without a wife , or as it were a forlorn widower . lastly , christ is the same yesterday , to day , and so for ever , heb. 13. 8. as therefore of old he hath had a visible church , so ought he to have in these latter times , now and for ever . if at any time he were , or be without it , he is not the same , but undergoeth a notable alteration in respect of this estate and relation . it will not salve the matter to say , that his invisible church never failed ; and so that his kingdom , headship , &c. did and doth ever continue , for they are visible things , whereby the relation between him and his church are deciphered , and so in all reason point out the visible state of the church . 2. the church invisible as so , is unknown and wholly unseen to men , and christs invisible rule and government over them , cannot by men be discerned . and what honour were this then to christ in the world to rule only invisibly , of which men can take no knowledge . 3. wheresoever christ hath an invisible church , there will a visible church appear ; for where true faith is , it will not be hid , but manifest it self to the world by open profession , and so those that are members of the invisible church will become visible to the world . secondly , i affirm , that christs visible church never wholly failed under antichrists apostacy . it was sometimes lesse for the territories it occupied , then at some other time , sometime more hid and lesse conspicuous for its shew unto the world , but it was ever extant , and so extant that it appeared unto men both in particular members , and in companies belonging thereto , by their profession of the true faith , witnessing against errours , worshipping god and suffering for the gospel , though not so acknowledged by the antichristian rabble . 1. there were two witnesses of christ all the time of antichrists reign . revel 11. 3. and what were they but a company of preachers and professors , which all that time successively witnessed for christs truth against popery ? whose profession as it was open and manifest ; so did it declare to the world , that christ had a company which professed his truth , and that they did belong thereunto . 2. there were saints so manifesting themselves by life and profession , so discovered by the beast and whore by their opposition which they made to their wayes , against which the beast made warre , and overcame them , revel. 13. 7. and with whose bloud the whore was drunken , revel. 17. 6. yet so that all christs saints were not destroyed , but some being slain , others arose in their rooms , or continued other where so still to uphold the profession of the gospel . now where visible saints are ( as we do see here were under antichrist ) that professe true religion and worship ; there is a visible church . 3. there was by s. john during the apostasie seen on mount sion with the lamb a hundred fourty four thousand , revel , 14. 1. whose description is such , as sheweth that christ in them , during that time , had a visible church . for , 1. they had their fathers , i. e. gods name written in their fore heads , vers. 1. that is , they made open profession of his true religion . 2. they did exercise themselves in singing before the throne , the elders and the beasts , vers. 3. and what is that but that they worshipped god together in holy assemblies ? 3. they were not desiled with women , ver. 4. but were virgins , that is , they kept themselves from being polluted with the spirituall whoredom , i mean , the idolatry of the times : and now tell me , are not such companies as openly professe true religion , worship god in holy meetings , and preserve themselves from common idolatry , visible churches ? what else can you make of them ? surely they are neither synagogues of satan , nor confusions of babylon . lastly , there was a temple during the time of the apostasie , in which also there was a company that did worship , revel. 11. 1. and what was this but the true church of christ , and the same visible : for it was measured : now measurement is of things visible , not invisible . again , while the apostasie lasted , saint john saw a temple in which angels were conversant , and with them ( no doubt ) other worshippers , revel 14. 15 , 17 , 18. yea he saw this temple opened , chap. 15. 5. in heaven before the seven last plagues were fulfilled : it seems that for the greatest part of the apostasie this temple was somewhat secret and hidden , yet not so , but that it was visible also in some that worshipped in it , and some open professors of the gospel . but withall it became more open and manifestly visible upon the reformation which was made by those worthy and godly ministers , whom god raised some hundred years ago , and so hath been ever since more visible and conspicuous : so far is it from being utterly lost and extinct . object . but all this while onely asealed elect number remained , rev. 7. 3 , &c. & 9. 4. answ. if you mean that there were none that made any visible profession of true religion , but those sealed ones ; you say that beside the book and without proof . for those sealed ones were ( as you truly say ) elect and saved ones . now in all ages many more have made profession of religion then the elect of god , many are called few are chosen , matth. 20. 16. and so here it is clear , that during the time especially at the beginning of the defection , as in jerusalem , ezek. 9. besides the godly mourners which were marked in the fore-head , there were sundry that made profession of the jewish religion , and were visible members , though not living members of the church : so during this apostasie , beside these sealed ones there were many that did professe the christian religion aright for the substance , and helpe to make up a visible church . secondly , if there were none else , yet that doth not prove , that the visible church did utterly fail . for even out of that number visible churches in sundry places , and several ages , in which successively they lived , might well be , and were constituted , as which were a company sealed in the fore-head , and making open profession of christ and his gospel in the places where , and in the ages when they lived : two things are about them to be taken notice of ; 1. that they were a sealed number , which doth import thus much , that in that great defection in which the greatest part of men perished eternally by wondering after , and worshipping the beast , yet there was a chosen number that were saved , that is , these sealed ones , and none but they , though there were many besides them which made visible profession of the gospel . 2. that they were sealed in the fore-head , which shews , that while the whole earth almost did worship the beast , yet there was a great number in those times that did not defile themselves with that idolatry , but did openly maintain and professe the true faith of christ and worship of god ; among which was found a visible church . for a conclusion you adde , that these latter ordinances have a being in the scripture , and in the minde and desire of the faithfull , and that you carry them along with you , as the israelites did of old the vessels of the lord ▪ but that you dare not officiate with them , as being in the territories of babylon , untill you be past euphrates . answ. what ordinances are instituted and commanded in scripture ( as you say they are , for how else have they a being there but by institution and command ? ) gods people are bound to practise them in all times and places , unlesse by some external violence of persecution , or so , they be letted . they must observe all things which christ hath commanded , matth. 28. 20. it will not then serve your turn , that you carry them along with you in your minde and desire , unlesse you officiate with them , as you phrase it . nor will the example of the israelites help here , who used not the vessels of the lord for any holy service while they were in the way to sion . of which the reason is very plain ; for their use was confined to a certain place , viz. the temple at jerusalem , and might not elsewhere be used . but so are not any gospel-ordinances , with which god may now be worshipped in any place , john 4. 21 , 23. and if you purpose to forbear the use of them , untill you be past euphrates , i would gladly learn from you , what this euphrates is : how farre from it , or near to it we be . as irenaeus above , said of prophecies not fulfilled , that they are dark , and so doubtfull riddles unto men : so about this , as not accomplished in your own judgement , i finde interpreters so to vary , that i know not where to fix my foot . presume not too much of your own insight into such mystical prophecies above other godly and learned men , but whatsoever your conceit be of it , count it but as a conjecture , and be content with us in sobriety and humility to wait untill the lord shall accomplish it , and by a clear event reveal to us the meaning of it . and thus having said somewhat to most of your new conceits , i should here have ended , but that there cometh to minde , an argument of some weight , with the particulars of it , much making against your new way , which i desire to profer to your consideration . it is thus , what way or opinion is contrary to any of the ten commandments , any petition of the lords-prayer , any commanded duty , and to the furtherance of mens salvation , cannot be of christ , but may justly be deemed antichristian . such is this of yours , which denies the setting up of visible churches in right order , official ministry , and calling thereunto , and the exercise of discipline : and therefore it cannot be of god , but a spirit of antichrist is in it . to make good the minor , of which onely the doubt can be ; it is , first , contrary to the second commandment , as the negative of that commandment doth forbid unto men all false and devised means of gods worship , so the affirmative , according to the received rule of interpreting the commandments , doth command to us the use of all means of worship appointed by the lord . now the lord hath appointed for that purpose two sorts of means , the one more principall , as directly tending to the exercise and nourishing of faith , hope and love , viz. preaching the word , administration of sacraments , publick prayer . the other lesse principall , as conducing to the right use of the former , and tending to gods worship , as their proper end : such are church-societies , official-ministry , and a due calling to it , exercise of discipline , which that commandment doth enjoyn as well as the former , and which cannot be wittingly and commonly omitted without breach of it . secondly , it is against the fourth commandment , which , as it commandeth the sanctifying of the sabbath , so according to the right interpreting of the commandments doth it withall prescribe and enjoyn the use of all means that are profitable to the better sanctifying of it . and who can deny , who is not wilfully wedded to his self-conceit , that gathering and ordering churches in distinct societies , and an official ministery rightly called doth much avail hereunto , and that the lords-day is much better sanctified in such societies , and such a ministry , then in confused assemblies that are without order , and without any orderly ministry ? now the ten commandments are moral , perpetual and binde alwayes . secondly , it is against the two first petitions of the lords prayer , wherein we are taught to pray , that gods name may be hallowed , secondly , that his kingdom may come . now what we ought to pray for , it is our duty to pursue the promoting of it by all gods means ; for to pray for this or that , and not to apply our selves to the use of all good means to obtain or promote it , is to dally with god and to mock him : now the setting up of visible churches ▪ of an orderly ministery and discipline , doe serve very much to the sanctifying of gods name , and promoting his kingdom , for they are gods ordinances , in appointing which his soveraign power , wisdom and goodnesse are set forth . secondly , particularly in and by a visible church his worship is upheld among men , his religion is professed , and the doctrine of the gospel published . it is therefore called , the pillar of truth , 1 tim. 3. 15. in and by an orderly ministery , the due honour and authority of that calling is maintained , gods holy things are ministred with the more assurance of gods acceptation , and hope of his blessing of them . by discipline scandals are prevented or healed , and licentious living much restrained . to deny therefore these things , as unseasonable , and so now unlawfull , is to hinder the sanctifying of gods name , and advancing of his kingdome . thirdly , it is against the commandment of christ , concerning scandals , which all christians are bound to doe their endeavour to prevent or take away , and for which discipline by christ is ordained the speciall remedy , which since you oppose , what doe you but set your selfe against this command of christ , and open a gate for sinnefull liberty in erroneous doctrine , and loosenesse of conversation ? lastly , it is prejudicial to mans salvation , which no rational man can or will deny , must needs be better furthered in a setled society of saints , under a constant ministery and due exercise of discipline , then where none of these are : but either an utter rejection of them , or confusion in them . and thus you have my notions touching your new revelations , for which i have made you long to wait . if you impute it to my dulnesse or sluggishnesse , i will not deny it . i am , i confesse , a man but of a dull apprehension , and slow motion : but i can more truely ascribe it to my late domestick troubles and sicknesse , which i did slowly recover , and to my want of time , who have but by-times for such studies , my greatest time being taken up with my school : and to my pains which i have been fain to take in writing out more then one copy . now for conclusion , i will onely adde a saying which saint augustine used unto one with whom he had debated some controversie , by writing , vbiparit●r haesitas nobiscum , quaeras nobiscum , ubi pariter certus es nobiscum , pergas nobiscum , ubi tuum errorem cognoveris , redeas ad nos ; ubi nostrum , revoces nos . where you are in some doubt with us , enquire with us ; where you are alike certain with us , go on with us ; where you shall perceive your errour , return to us ; where ours , recall us . and thus hoping that you will not take that with the left hand of mis-interpretation , which i reach unto you with the right of good affection , i rest your truly loving and much well-wishing friend in the lord john elmestone . a postscript . what place of the apocalyps i have before but touched upon , i think meet again to propound for further consideration ; it is chap. 15. 23. there john saw a sea of glasse mingled with fire , and multitudes standing by it , which had gotten the victory over the beast , and over his image , and over his mark , and over the number of his name , having harps of god , and singing the song of moses , and of the lamb . now i desire to know , who these can be but the reformed ministers and people that at the first reformation ( for john saw them before the vials began to be poured out ) renounced the pope and popery , and set up the pure worship of god , and sound doctrine of the gospel , meant by the sea of glasse there mentioned . if this be so ( as surely it is ) i ask , 1. how those reformed churches then , or ours in these times which are more reformed , or their ministery can be affirmed to be bestial and antichristian , when the holy ghost doth testifie for them , that they had gotten the victory over the beast , his image , mark , and the very number of his name ? 2. whether it be not a slander partly coming from ignorance , partly from malice , to brand the ordination of our ministers , though by bishops , much more when done by preaching presbyters , as now is in use with fasting and prayer , as a mark of the beast , when it is so plainly said , that all they , i. e. ministers as well as people had got the victory over the mark of the beast in expresse terms ? 3. whether the reformed churches which got such a victory over all these , yea even the number of the beast his name , have not cast off their babylonish garments . for what remains of that garment where the beast , his image , mark and number of his name are cashiered ? 4. whether it be not a perverse practice to reject singing of psalms in church-meetings for gods service , whenas that company which was with the lamb on mount sion , revel. 14. 3. and this by the sea of glasse , verse 3. are praised for giving this worship to the lord ? lastly , there are some passages in your letter seem to have slipped from you at unwares , as , that teaching and baptisme was everlasting , that prayer was alwayes , that you are in a return from babylon , and yet are within the territories of babylon ; a speech which i cannot handsomly reconcile , being meant of a spiritual departure from her . vive , vale ; siquid novisti rectius istis , candidus imperti ; sinon , his utere mecum . live and farewell ; if any thing you know righter then these , friendly do them bestow on me i pray ▪ if not , then lo with me make use of these , which to you offer'd be . a postscript . reader , i would have thee know that m. henden hath sent me an answer unto this my last here printed , large enough in words , if as solid in truth , to the which i have begun some reply , and the lord affording me strength and life mean to go thorow with it . but in this businesse it much increaseth my labour , that he hath sent to me a copy , in many places so closely written , so often interlined , and much blotted , that in such places mine eyes thorow age being dim , i cannot make out his full sense and meaning . i moved himtherefore by letter , either for a fairer copie , on to print it , as sometimes i was told was his intent . to this request made a moneth since , i can have no sair answer , but what uncertain report brings me , that i must content my self with that copy , as being not like to have any other from him : this then is one main cause of my publishing these for●er passages between us , that i may provoke m. henden in like sort to publish his last writing , that the christian world may the better know the whole mystery of his new way , and i may have a more plain copy to inform my self , and ground to proceed on in my intended answer . this is all , and so i commend all to their impartial scanning by the word of truth . j. e. finis . the printer to the reader . courteom reader , thou art desired to take notice that there are lately come out partly concerning the same subject , viz. 1 , a learned and full answer to a treatise , entituled , the vanity of childish baptism ; wherein the several arguments brought to overthrow the lawfulnesse of infants-baptism , together with the answers to those arguments maintaining its lawfulnesse are duly examined , as also the question concerning the necessity of dipping in baptism is fully discussed . by w. cook minister of the word of god at wroxal in warwickshire . 2. vindiciae redemptienis in the fanning and sifting of sam. oats , his exposition upon mat. 13. 44. with a faithfull search after our lords meaning in his two parables of the treasure and the pearl , endeavoured in several sermons upon mat. 13. 44 , 45. by john stalham pastor of the church at terling in essex . 3. the summe of a conference at terling in essex , held between three ministers john stalham , john newton , enoch gray , of terling , of little . baddo , of wickam , opponents pleading for infant-baptism , and two cata-baptists timotheus bat physician , thomas lamb sope-boiler of london respondents , denying infants-baptism . john geree's sifters sieve broken , or a reply to d. boughers sisting my case of conscience touching the kings coronation oath . two books of his in defence of infants-baptism in answer to m. tombs objections , &c. 4● . m. nehemiah rogers a learned and reverend divine now of new england , discovering the cause of gods continuing his wrath against this nation . all to be sold at the crane in pauls church-yard . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a43313e-350 see john hollands paper of the ranters . * pardon the simile , the man is unlike . ovid . meta. 3. notes for div a43313e-1590 * this in mr henden was quoted isa. 66. for 56. which errour i not finding out , said nothing in this writing to that place . a discourse of the excellency of christianity hallywell, henry, d. 1703? 1671 approx. 116 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 48 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2009-03 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a45356 wing h461 estc r25404 08951237 ocm 08951237 42066 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing 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(eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a45356) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 42066) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1286:5) a discourse of the excellency of christianity hallywell, henry, d. 1703? [2], 91 p. printed for walter kettilby, london : 1671. reproduction of original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng apologetics -early works to 1800. apologetics -history -17th century. church history -17th century. christianity -early works to 1800. 2008-04 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2008-06 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2008-08 john pas sampled and proofread 2008-08 john pas text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a discourse of the excellency of christianity . i. thess . v. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . london , printed for walter kettilby at the bishops-head in st. pauls church-yard . 1671. the epistle to the reader . reader , these papers having lain by me for some years in scattered parcels , i was at last perswaded to unite in this small discourse ; the subject is great and glorious , viz. to set forth christianity in all its native beauty and lustre , which has been too much sullied by the atheistically given : for whilst the speculative infidel soars aloft , and thinks to dispute god out of the world , and laughs at religion by pretences and shews of reason , ( though indeed he declares the greatest and vilest folly ) the practical atheist sits beneath in a crowd of lusts and passions , profits and interests , and though he believe there is a god and such a thing as religion , yet by reason of that firm bold sin and the devil have upon his mind , he acts in repugnancy to his faith , and frames wrong notions of god and religion , and if he may sleep securely in those sins he most delights in , he is well contented and at ease . and to reduce both these sorts of persons to a sober and fixed love of religion , and to the prosecution of whatever is virtuous and excellent , that christianity might not be an idle and fruitless notion , but an inward principle of life , daily perfecting the souls of men , till it bring them to their highest and most complete happiness , is the aim and only design of this present discourse . a discourse of the excellency of christianity . 1. religion in its usual and obvious sense is a devoting ourselves to the worship and service of the deity . for god , when he first made man , wrote this truth on his heart , that he was a creature , and beholden to something without him for his life and being , and therefore ought to worship and adore god as his only happiness , and by whose ever-present power he is as it were daily created anew , and kept and preserved in being . and indeed there is no man who searches into the perfections of human nature , that can find any principle or power in man of conserving and maintaining his own existence ; wherefore his existence being drawn through all the parts of time ( which have no connexion or dependence one upon another ) by some other more perfect essence , he must necessarily acknowledge that to be self-existent and sufficient , and consequently adore it as the author and conservator of his present and particular subsistence . 2. hence it is that religion is not a thing which is merely instilled into us by instruction and education : for let us be never so impiously diligent in rasing the venerable name of the deity out of his temple , and blotting his inscription out of our souls , 't is manifest to all , that we can never totally rid our minds of the apprehensions and fears of a supreme numen : and that some men have so far debauched their minds , and stifled the sentiments of reason , that they can swallow down the grossest impieties , as sacriledge , rebellion , murder , and adultery without the least regret ; proves no more that religion is not a principle of nature , than it doth of the non-existence of the sun , that some men wilfully live in darkness , and shut up themselves , that they may not see his beams ; for 't is evident , that such persons have put themselves into a preternatural state , and forced their minds and reasons to a constitution far different from the universal nature or reason of mankind . nor can it be eluded by fancying religion to be a piece of state-policy invented only to keep people in awe , and for the better cementing governments together , and so derived from one generation to another by the custom and example of their progenitors . for if there were no such faculty inherent in us , and contemporary with our very beings , which had a natural propensity and inclination to a religious veneration and worship , it could not be but that in time nature would return and cast off whatever is contrary to it . as a spring has always a conatus to unbend it self , and if at any time the impediment be removed , will infallibly reduce itself to its proper state ; so our faculties , though they may be long distorted and forced out of their due position , yet they have still an endeavour to free themselves and cast off that uneasie load which constrains and oppresses them , and will undoubtedly upon any due occasion offered return to their first and true state . and if there were no such being as god , the wiser ages of the world would soon discover the falshood and imposture , and chalk out a fair way and method for the natures of men to recover from that error and prejudice they lay under , and by their own genuine effort and strength reassert themselves into their ancient liberty . but besides this , the peace and tranquillity of kingdoms and states politick might sufficiently be conserved without the invention of religion , by severe laws and penalties . for although there were no immaterial being in the world , yet every person being so well satisfied with himself , and contented with the exercise of those faculties he finds in himself , no man would seek his own ruine and torment ; and therefore there would be little or no need of instilling into the minds of men such a notion as religion . 3. in the first times and ages of the world , the law of nature , which god hath equally implanted in all men ( and by which i mean nothing but reason , or that power in man which teaches him to distinguish and put a difference between good and evil , beauty and deformity , purity and impurity ) was the only rule and guide to direct them , and by the help of this they knew god and served him . for god being in himself an infinite rectitude and perfection , delineated himself and copied out his own nature in all moral agents so far as they were capable of receiving it . and herein god left not himself without witness , in that all mankind had means and helps sufficient to come to the knowledge of a deity by an inspection into the book of nature , wherein god has displaid himself in plain and legible characters , so that they were wholly without excuse . for if the law written in their hearts and discriminating between good and evil , together with the obvious reflections from the natures and proprieties of things , had not been enough to demonstrate and point out the existence of a god , men could not have been accountable , nor rendred obnoxious to punishment . but although this law sealed on the tables of mens hearts were sufficient to teach them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that which might be known of god , if they would have given heed to it ; yet in process of time it so came to pass , that through the iniquity and perversness of mens minds , whereby they gave themselves wholly up to their own lusts and passions , this light of nature became dull , faint , and obscure , and men were governed only by the dictates of their corrupt and lawless wills , and the whole earth was filled with violence and oppression , and the greatest part of mankind became so brutish in their imaginations , that they made themselves gods of gold and silver , wood and stone , and served the creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , beside the creator , who is god blessed for ever . 4. wherefore when this way proved unserviceable and ineffectual for mans restauration , god entred upon a new dispensation , and revealed himself more plainly to the jews , chusing jacob for his portion , and israel for the lot of his inheritance , and communicated to them laws and statutes and judgments , fencing and hedging in the impure eruptions of their natures by judicial decrees , and besieging vice and iniquity by the actual promulgation of a law. but this religion of the jews lying altogether in the performance of external duties , in types and outward rites and ceremonies , was not able to perfect the nature of man , and bring him to that happy state he was possessed of before his fall , ( for as the apostle tells us , rom. xiv . 17. the kingdom of god consists not in meat and drink , but ( which is far more valuable ) in true righteousness and peace and joy in the holy ghost ; and man being a man by his soul , and not by his body , it is plain , both that the religion whose grand purpose and intent is to instruct and perfect the mind , is much superior to that which concerns the body , and also that there is some degree of perfection that the nature of man is capable of which is not attainable by the observation of the law of moses ) therefore it is necessary that there be some other way sound out to recover all mankind from that sad and calamitous condition of vice and sin they now lie under . for we must know that the soul of man consists of a perceptive and plastick part , which is the same with st. paul's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the inner and outward man , and the judaical oeconomy being wholly fitted for the gratification of the plastical or animal life , it is impossible it should refine and purifie that more spiritual part of man , or in the scripture-phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , make him perfect that did the service . 5. wherefore when the fulness of time came , and mens minds were in some measure prepared for the reception of so heavenly a doctrin , almighty god resolved to put in execution his last and most perfect determination , which was to send down his beloved son into the world , who should by a plain and familiar way teach and instruct mankind , and recover the lapsed world to a state of righteousness and truth . now then , god walks no more at a distance , nor hides himself any longer under the obscurity of types and shadows , but hath dispelled the clouds and adumbrations of the legal services , by the full and bright approach of the sun of righteousness , who hath pitched his tabernacle amongst us , and teaches us his will by a way of condescending wisdom , suiting and proportioning himself to the most shallow capacities . this is that which the apostle 1 cor. i. 21. calls the foolishness of preaching , wherein god hath stooped down to us , clothing himself in the frailties of human nature , and adapting the results of his will to our narrow and weak apprehensions . and this is that oeconomy which in dan. ix . 24. is called an everlasting righteousness , which the messias should bring into the world : for when the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , those various schemes and exteriour dispensations of religion wax old , pass away , and vanish , this shall remain for ever , and never be abolished , as being nothing else but the essential prescriptions of holiness , those eternal rules of righteousness and goodness that are founded in the very nature and being of god. 6. the gospel then being of so great consequence and inestimable benefit to mankind , it will be necessary for every man to know and enquire into the reasons of his belief , upon what grounds he gives credit to the christian religion , that his faith being built upon a solid and sure foundation , he may not be ashamed of his profession , but according to the holy apostles advice , ready at all times and upon every occasion to give an answer to every man that asketh him a reason of the hope that is in him , 1 pet. iii. 15. now the excellency of the christian religion appears , i. that it is intelligible . ii. that it is true . iii. that it contains nothing light and trivial , but grave and sober truths , delivered in that decorous and becoming majesty , as well suited with that blessed spirit which inspired the prophets and apostles . iv. that it is every way fitted and accommodated for an effectual recovery of lapsed and degenerated mankind . chap. i. that the gospel is intelligible , cannot but appear to every one that is acquainted with it ; for though there may be some things wrapped in clouds and difficulties , yet they are such as do not so nearly relate to practice , but are of a more speculative consideration : but as for the whole duty of man in order to holiness , and a good and pious life , it is laid down in such easie and plain terms , that no man can have any reasonable excuse for himself , if he do not know and practise the will of god. for the divine wisdom foreseeing that the greater number of believers throughout the world would not be men of deep reason , but rather of great love and faith , and such as would cordially adhere to their saviour against all oppositions , though they could not syllogistically maintain the reasonableness of every part of the doctrin they professed ; god , i say , foreseeing this , hath suited the gospel to the meanest capacity , and there needs no great skill to be a good christian , but rather an hearty and sincere applying ourselves to the practice of what is so fully discovered to us . the goodness of almighty god is such , that he considers the several states and conditions of men in the world , and makes allowance for those whom his providence hath so placed , as that they are not in a capacity of attaining to any great measures of knowledge , and accepts of the constant and sincere inclination and bent of their wills in practising what they know , and they shall never be called to an account for what they had no opportunity of gaining . and although he that knows much and apprehends the reasons of things , and makes this knowledge instrumental to the purifying and purging his soul from vice , be far more excellent than he whom nature has made of a slower apprehension , yet this man is in no wise contemptible , but dear and acceptable in the sight of god , who never fails to reward honest simplicity and innocency , and to recompense every degree of hearty love with a suitable proportion of glory . but that we may see before our eyes the plainness and perspicuity of the gospel in all matters that concern the salvation and future happiness of a christian , we may take a brief abstract or sum of our duty , which is this ; to love the lord our god with all our hearts , and to have a firm and radicated faith in his goodness declared to the world by his only begotten son jesus christ ; an universal abstinence from all wrong and injustice ; a hearty love and good-will to all men whatever ; to hold fast that which is good , and to abstain from all appearance of evil ; to be of a compassionate and forgiving spirit , and if we have received an injury , not to recompense it again in any kind ; to abstract and withdraw our hearts and minds from earthly goods , and make treasures for ourselves in heaven , and to be no more solicitous for worldly concernments than the lilies of the field or the fowls of the air , but that having food and raiment therewith to be content ; to keep ourselves pure and undefiled , not only from outward and grosser , but inward and more refined pollutions ; to be ready to do good and distribute to the necessities of our brethren ; to live peaceably , if it be possible , with all men ; in a word , whatever things are true , whatever things are honest , just , lovely , and of good report ; if there be any virtue , if there be any praise , to think on such things . what can be plainer and easier than this ? nor is the simplicity of the gospel any derogation from it , though that impious epicurean celsus deride it upon that account , extolling the writings of plato above the scriptures : for , as origen acutely enough replies , the design of god in the gospel being to make men good and virtuous , it was necessary the precepts tending to that end should be delivered plainly and perspicuously , suitable to the capacities of the illiterate vulgar , who are better allured and won by a common and usual form of speech , than by the artificial deckings and gay schemes of rhetorick : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and therefore christ and his apostles did much more advance that which was their chief aim , the life and nature of god in the world by that ( as celsus calls it ) rude and rustical manner of speaking , than all the elegant writings of plato , which if they ever were advantageous for the rectifying and amending the lives of men , it was only to such whose intellectual faculties were raised and elevated above the plebeian strain . therefore did the holy jesus on purpose make choice of ignorant and illiterate persons , that it might appear that the things which they spake were not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth , but which the holy ghost teacheth , and that by the foolish things of the world god might confound the wise , and by the weak destroy the things that are mighty . object . but you will say , to what purpose is that intricacy and perplexity which is found in many places of holy scripture , and wherefore are many of the chiefest of its doctrines involved in such darkness and obscurity ? answ . 1. it was in some measure requisite that the scripture should be obscure to conciliate reverence , and to beget a greater esteem of its worth and dignity . for the gospel is often called a mystery , which supposes somthing venerable and secret , and hidden from the eyes of vulgar persons . and god as in nature , he hath hid many pretious things in the bowels of the earth , which cannot be obtained without great labour and diligence ; in like manner hath he veiled many inestimable treasures in the christian mystery , which are only attainable by the diligent search and sincere endeavours of pious men : for should the divine wisdom have displayed at once all the glories and beauty of this sacred and recondite method of recovering souls , it would appear contemptible and worthless , as being the easie purchase of every profane and impious person . 2. the reason of the obscurity of christianity lies not so much in the nature of the thing itself , as in the incongruity of mens minds and understandings with so high and raised an object . the eye cannot behold the sun unless it have some resemblance and similitude of it within itself ; for like is known by its like , and if mens minds be not purified and brought into some cognation and likeness with the truths offered to them , it is impossible they should ever have any true and genuine apprehension of them . there is a learning and knowing the truth as it is in jesus , in that god-like , meek , and resigned spirit , and till mens tempers be plain'd and smooth'd from the ruggedness of their passions , and the stubborn asperities of their lusts , and won to the embracing of the truth in the love of it , in that christ-like nature of humility and self-denial , they may fill their heads with sapless and lean notions , windy and turgent fancies , but never nourish up their souls with solid and substantial knowledge . the true sense of religion and christianity arises out of a mind devoid of passion , and in which the life of god has taken deep root and flourishes and spreads itself throughout all the powers of the soul , giving a tincture , relish and savour of itself to every thought , word , and deed in the whole course of a mans life . and without this purified sense , we feed upon nothing but the husks and shells of religion , and fall in love with shadows instead of lasting and durable substances . and this is no more than what the scripture speaks of itself . 1 cor. ii . 14. the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of god , for they are foolishness unto him ; neither can he know them , because they are spiritually discerned . there is required a spiritual sense , a life of holiness and justice , of benignity and righteousness , to the true discrimination of good and evil. and further , to the knowledge and understanding of divine mysteries , there is necessarily required the aid and assistance of that almighty and omnipresent spirit , who by his fostering incubation brought into being the goodly frame of heaven and earth , and that this holy spirit of truth may begin the efformation of the new and heavenly nature ( a considerable part of which is divine and spiritual wisdom ) there must be some previous preparations , and men must be morally good and virtuous , or else they will be perfectly incapable of the illapse of his celestial influence . and therefore it is no marvel , if to brutish and immoral persons the mystery of godliness be hid and obscure . 3. that there might be somthing still reserved for the gratification of all degrees of christians in all ages of the world. there are both weak and strong christians ; some that are babes in christ and are fed with milk , others that are of full age , and have a discriminating sense of good and evil. for the one there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a rudimental way of instruction , whereby men were led , as it were , by the hand through the principles of religion , as the author to the hebrews intimates , heb. vi . where the first thing required of them that embraced christianity , was repentance from dead works , and faith towards god , and upon this followed baptism , then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which i take to be catechizing , and after that confirmation by the bishop ; agreeable to this apostolical custom is the practice of the church of england , who after baptism appoints children to be instructed in the church-catechism , and then brought to the bishop to receive confirmation : for others whose intellectual capacities were fit for the reception of higher mysteries , there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a full and rational explication of the several dogmata of christianity ; and of these st. paul is to be understood when he says , we speak wisdom among them that are perfect , even the wisdom of god in the mystery of the gospel . and st. john distinguishes the several ages and growths of christians ; i write unto you little children , because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake : i write unto you young men , because ye have overcome the wicked one : i write unto you fathers , because ye have known him that is from the beginning . now that the stewards of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven may give every one his meat in due season , it is necessary there should be a diversity in the gospel , that every proportion and degree in grace may receive somthing which may both strengthen and gratify the knower . a man is not satisfied with that which will nourish and content an infant , and and he that is well grown in piety and holiness , leaving the rudiments and principles of christianity ascends to higher notions , and is infinitely satisfied and ravished with the contemplation of the works of nature and providence , in beholding the divine goodness and wisdom in the manifestation of that mystery which lay hid from ages and generations , and whose only design being revealed , is the complete restauration and perfection of human nature . and in this is the saying of the wise man verified , eccles . 2.26 . god giveth to a man that is good in his sight , wisdom and knowledge and joy . chap. ii. of the truth of christianity . the second illustration of the excellency of christian religion is , that it is true ; which will best be evidenced by these gradations : 1. it is certain that there was such a man as jesus in the world : and here i would desire the enemies of this truth , whether jews or heathens , to give me liberty to make use of the same arguments they themselves do in proving the truth of their histories ; for how are they assured that there were any such men in the world as moses and aristotle ? if they say they have it from a constant and unquestionable tradition , we can bring the same proof for the christian religion , the truth of which hath been delivered successively from one generation to another for above these sixteen hundred years . if they appeal to the writings of those who were contemporary with them , the christians have the same plea : for the very enemies of jesus , such as celsus the epicurean , and julian the apostate never questioned his existence and being upon earth . the words of celsus we have in the second book of origen , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and julian confesses as much , as we find by cyril in his sixth book , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i might here bring in the testimony of tacitus , pliny , and numenius the pythagorean who in his third book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( as origen tells us ) relates a certain piece of the history of jesus , which he afterwards allegorizes ; but i need not be copious in this , the jews themselves who never thought they could sufficiently detest and hate the name of the holy jesus , yet could not deny but he once lived among them , and therefore call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as lucian in derision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , him that was hanged on a tree . 2. it is likewise as unquestionable that jesus wrought many notable miracles while he conversed with men ; and they are such , as if we look into the quality and design of them , do evidently prove his mission from heaven , and therefore that all men ought to believe on him . and this miraculous power ought to have convinced the jews by their own law , for this was the sign or token left by moses to discern between the true and false prophet , deut. xviii . 21 , 22. and if thou say in thine heart , how shall we know the word which the lord hath not spoken ? when a prophet speaks in the name of the lord , if the thing follow not nor come to pass , i. e. if he do no miracles , that is the thing which the lord hath not spoken : and consequently , if there shall come one whose doctrine tends to the establishing the pure worship of the true god , and delivers nothing but what is for the promotion of piety and holiness , and shall confirm this his doctrine by miracles , both jews and gentiles ought to believe in him . but if any one come and seek to draw men from real and substantial holiness and the worship of the true god , and to gain credit to his pernicious design , shall work a miracle , we are not to believe him , because god sometimes permits such things to be done to try the constancy and stedfastness of men . deut. xiii . 1 , 2 , 3. to this the jews object and say , that our blessed saviour performed his miracles by magical and diabolical arts , for so they tell him , that he cast out devils by beelzebub the prince of devils . to this impious cavil we may return ( 1. ) the answer which our saviour made them , mat. xii . 25 , 26. every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation ; and if satan cast out satan , he is divided against himself , how shall then his kingdom stand ? for the doctrin of christ being so exactly opposite and destructive of the kingdom of unrighteousness and darkness ( as porphyry himself acknowledged , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ) if the head and prince of this wicked polity should abet the lord christ so far as to impower him to cast out his associates from their usurped habitations , it would undoubtedly beget an intestine war , and the powers of hell would be at an eternal variance and dissension with one another , which at last would be the cause of the ruine of their kingdom . ( 2. ) this were an invincible tentation put upon mankind , for there can be no surer manifestation of the presence and approbation of the deity , than when a man is inabled to work miracles : and it were irreconcileable with the goodness and wisdom of almighty god to suffer the most innocent and harmless persons in the world to be fatally and inevitably deluded . ( 3. ) the great synedrium consisting of the high-priests , the elders of the people , and the scribes or lawyers as their assistants , whose office and right it was to try the prophets , are said by the jews to be skilled in magick rites for the better and surer exploration of those who pretended to be true prophets , but wrought their wonders by the help of apostate spirits ; which , if it were so , is a very pregnant testimony that jesus performed his miracles by the divine power and approbation ; for otherwise his fraud would soon have been detected by that great council . ( 4. ) that there are prestigious and satanical miracles , is an evidence that there are likewise true and divine , as in nature the being of worse argues the existence of better , sophisms and falshood the reality of truth , and the operations of second causes lead us to the knowledge and being of a first ; wherefore if it be granted that evil and lapsed genii can work miracles , it is apparent that the first and best cause of all things may and does produce effects of a divine power and virtue ; and that the miracles of the blessed jesus were such , appears partly from the holiness and purity of his life and manners , in all parts of them blameless and irreprehensible , and partly from the design and intention of his miracles , namely to confirm and give credit to that sublime and heavenly doctrin he brought into the world , whose end was to correct and reform the lives of men , and disseminate the blessed life and nature of god upon earth ; which considerations are sufficient to beget a firm and undoubted perswasion that the immaculate soul of jesus was extraordinarily assisted and acted by a divine power and efficacy which enabled him to perform those stupendious operations that are recorded in the gospels . 3. we have reason to believe that there was a timely history of the life and transactions of jesus compiled . for we can no ways doubt but that the disciples of our blessed lord , bearing so tender and dear a love to their saviour , and being so fully convinced and satisfied in their minds that he was the promised messias , who should regenerate and renew the world , did compose and draw up an abstract or compendium of his life : and if we consider likewise how much it would conduce to the carrying on the design they were setting on foot in the world , that all men should believe in the holy jesus , and imitate his immaculate and faultless example , we cannot readily believe that they were so stupid as to neglect such an effectual instrument for the promoting their purpose , or so uncharitable as to envy mankind so great a good. 4. that the histories of the gospel were compiled by those whose names they bear in the forefront . and for this we have no greater reason to doubt , than we have to question whether the pentateuch or five first books of the bible were written by moses , or whether those writings which bear the names of cicero and virgil as their authors , were ever composed by them . suppose now we would know who was the author of some very antient writing ; to prove this , one testimony must be taken from those who were contemporary with the author , or at least very little distant from him , and from the perpetual consent of wise and learned men ; and in this the sacred volumes have infinitely the advantage above any other writing whatever . tertullian affirms that the archetypal copies written with the apostles own hands were extant in several churches in his time . age jam , qui voles curiositatem melius exercere in negotio salutis tuae , percurre ecclesias apostolicas , apud quas ipsae adhuc cathedrae apostolorum suis locis praesident , apud quas ipsae authenticae literae corum recitantur . and is it any more incredible that the very autographa of the apostler should be seen in tertullian's time , than that cicero's hand should be shown in quintilian's or virgil's in gellius his age ? but beside that , we have the concurrent testimony of justin martyr , irenaeus , and clemens alexandrinus , all of which were the very next to the apostolical age , we never find any controversie moved either by jews or pagans whether those writings were theirs whose names they bear . julian in cyril acknowledges that the epistles of peter and paul , the gospels of matthew , mark and luke are the very writings of those persons with whose names they are adorned . add to this further , that amidst the early differences and dissensions amongst christians , we never find any sober and grave person questioning this truth : indeed we read of the ebionites , a sort of judaizing christians who rejected the epistles of st. paul , but yet they denied not that he was the author of them , but refused them because they thought st. paul an undervaluer of and apostate from the law of moses . but suppose the author of any of the books of the new testament be to us unknown , as it is of the epistle to the hebrews , yet ought it not to be of any less credit and authority with us for either the doctrin or history contained in it , because the matter and substance of the book is more to be regarded than the name of the author ; and therefore because for example we find nothing in the epistle to the hebrews which may rationally invalidate our belief of the things contained in it , and over and above have sufficient evidence that it was never repudiated by the christians who succeeded the apostles , we deservedly receive it as canonical scripture . 5. that we have all imaginable reason to ground our faith upon those histories of the gospel delivered to us . and this appears , 1. because 't is not likely those who wrote them should be deceived . 2. neither is it probable they would deceive others . there is no likelihood they should be deceived , because they were either eye-witnesses of the things they delivered to posterity , or else wrote them from the mouths of those who were spectators of them ; and we never find a miracle recorded which christ did alone , without the company of two or three of his disciples ; when he was transfigured , he took with him peter , james , and john ; when he raised the ruler of the synagogues daughter , he carried the same three with him . matthew was one of them who perpetually accompanied our blessed lord , and saw the greatest part of those things which he wrote . mark , it is thought , was an associate of st. peter , and wrote his gospel from his mouth . and luke , beside that he was one of those who travelled about with st. paul , who had his commission and revelation from heaven , he also in his dedicatory preface to his gospel , professes himself to have had perfect understanding of all things from the very first , as they were delivered to him from those who were eye-witnesses of them . st. john was the beloved disciple , and always followed the lord christ where-ever he went , and setting aside the metaphysical sermons recorded in his gospel , he relates very few miracles or new things , but what are confirmed by the testimony of some one of the other three . as for that notable miracle of raising lazarus from the dead after four days burial , omitted by all the rest , it is capable of this account ; st. john lived long after all the rest of the apostles and evangelists , even to the destruction of jerusalem , and lazarus being then alive when the others wrote their gospels , they purposely omitted it , lest the reciting and recording so eximious and convictive a miracle , might exasperate the jews against him , and bring him to ruine , but being dead , st. john might safely transmit it to posterity in his gospel . again , it is very improbable they would deceive others ; for , cui bono , to what end or purpose , or what design could they aim at in deceiving the world ? honours and preferments they could not expect , they being all in the hands of the pagans or of the jews their bitter enemies , who hated the holy jesus with an implacable hatred , and for that very reason persecuted all his adherents ; nor could they hope for riches , when the profession of christianity exposed them to the loss of all temporal goods , neither could the gospel be preached without the neglect of mundane affairs . but perhaps some will say , they imposed upon the world , that they might be the authors of a new sect ; but ( 1. ) either they believed the doctrins which they taught to be true , or they did not ; if they did not believe them , we cannot easily imagine they should so far forth put off all humanity and good nature , which they so seriously and frequently inculcate in their writings , as to expose so many thousand innocent persons to death upon their assertion of a falshood : yet if they could be so prodigiously cruel to others , would they be so prodigal of their own blood as to throw it away upon an uncertain delusion ? if they thought them to be true , as it is most likely they did , their writings shewing that they were in good earnest , then 't is certain that it was not the poor and trifling glory of being the authors of a new and unheard of sect , but the real good and advantage of mankind which animated and encourag'd them to such an undertaking . ( 2. ) it is not the manner of cheaters to provoke to so many witnesses , as we find the apostles did . st. paul asserting the resurrection of our blessed lord , beside the testimony of the twelve apostles , brings in five hundred upon the stage at once to confirm the same truth , the major part of which were then alive when he wrote that epistle . 1 cor. xv . add to this that a lie is strictly forbidden by their writings , and those that delight in it menaced with eternal destruction . eph. 4.25 . col. 3.9 . rev. 21.8.3 . ( 3. ) suppose men could be so wicked , yet would the goodness of god suffer such a cheat to be put upon the world ? if we look upon the whole frame of the christian religion , it is such , that the more good any man is , the more likely to adhere to it , and the most harmless and innocent persons in the world are most apt to be charmed and overcome by it : but surely to them that believe a just and righteous providence governing the affairs of the world , it is apparent that god would not have suffered an error so universally to prevail , nor those who most of all resemble his blessed nature in justice , mercy , and compassion , to be involved in obscurity and ignorance , and eternally to perish in a delusion ; since he may , and acting according to his nature must , necessarily detect it . now because the glorious resurrection of jesus christ the son of god , dismantling the prisons of death , and freeing himself from the chains and fetters of the grave , is the great pillar and foundation of the christian doctrin ; therefore it will be requisite to wipe off those spots the mouth of envy and detraction hath cast upon it . to this end i shall examine that objection of the jews , who seeing the clear and evident proofs of the resurrection of jesus , invented this elusion of it , that his disciples came by night , and stole him away while the watch slept . to which , the many improbable and unlikely circumstances it is attended withal will be a sufficient answer and reply : as ( 1. ) how unlikely is it that his disciples , who just before fled every one from him , should now resume such courage as to venture to steal his body from a guard of souldiers ? ( 2. ) it is not likely that all the watch should be asleep at one time . ( 3. ) if they were , yet 't is hard to imagine that his disciples should come just at that time . ( 4. ) how could they roll away the stone and take out the body ( which surely would have made no small noise ) and yet none of the guard hear them ? ( 5. ) suppose they had taken away the body , quid ex cadavere emolumenti ? what benefit could they have expected from a dead carcase ? would the dead and infamous body of an impostor be a sufficient motive to induce them to deny friends and relatives , worldly interests and profits , yea , life itself to maintain his credit by telling the world a fair story of his resurrection , if indeed there were no such thing . this being then sufficiently evidenced , that christ rose from the dead , it is an undeniable confirmation that all his other miracles were true : and indeed it could not suit with the justice of god to leave his soul in hell , or suffer his flesh to see corruption : for the innocence of the lord christ was bright as the noon-day , and all his sufferings being undergone upon our account , and having made a full and perfect atonement for sin , the righteous providence of god was engaged to raise him up , and instate him in that blessedness which he merited for himself by his voluntary humiliation and condescent . according to what the apostle affirms of him , acts ii . 24. whom god hath raised up , having loosed the pains of death , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , because it was not possible , i.e. it was not meet , suitable or agreeable to the justice of god , that he should be holden of it . we have seen the objection of the jew , and i shall now conclude this particular by considering what the heathen and atheist hath to say against the resurrection of jesus ; and he brings his exception after this manner ; if jesus did really rise from the dead , why did he not then shew himself alive to all , or at least to the chief priests and rulers of the jews who condemned him to be crucified , and not only to his own company , and that not constantly to them , but like a spectrum or ghost appearing and then vanishing away ? but it is no wonder if impure and atheistical men do not apprehend the divine dispensation of jesus in the flesh , since there is a perpetual antipathy between their gross and feculent souls and the holy spirit of heavenly wisdom : but to them that are sincere there is nothing in this instance but may admit of a fair apology : we must know then that the soul of the holy jesus being vitally united to the eternal logos , and never lapsed from the pure and immaculate regions of blessedness with the rest of mankind , but so qualifying his glory as to fit himself for an union with a terrestrial body , must have even in these earthly habitations a very efficacious principle of life and virtue within him , which though shut up and constrained by the encumbrances of flesh and blood , yet shone through the veil , and sometimes broke forth into pure light and glory ; wherefore through the plenitude and perfection of this high and exalted life , it so came to pass that in the time of his converse with mortals before his death , he was not seen alike and after the same manner by all , but according to the measure and model of their frail capacities : and some such thing judas , who betraid him , seems to intimate by giving a sign to the apprehenders of jesus to know him , when yet it was true what christ said , that he was daily with them teaching in the temple . and certainly , we cannot but think somthing extraordinary to be in the blessed jesus , when the scripture tells us that the children of israel were not able to behold the glorious visage even of moses when he descended from his converse with god in the mount. although then in the frailties of his flesh , when he was a man of sorrows , and had not yet spoiled principalities and powers , nor died for sin , he suffered himself to be seen of all , yet when he had broken the powers of hell , and rose as a triumphant conquerour from his bed of darkness , the grave ; he was not then the object of every mans sight , his divinity being more refulgent when the oeconomy he undertook in the flesh was finished ; but to those who were capable of his presence he appeared and shewed himself alive to confirm and strengthen their faith , and yet spared their imbecillity and imperfection by staying but a little with them at a time . for even his apostles were not all capable of beholding him at all times , and therefore he selected peter , james and john , who alone were able to bear that glorious spectacle of his transfiguration , and behold moses and elias in their celestial robes , and hear not only their discourse , but the voice which came to them from the clouds . and hence we gather that he would not appear to those who insulted over him in his misery , and were the authors of his ignominious death , out of compassion towards them , lest they should be struck with blindness , as the wicked sodomites who sought to abuse those angelical personages that were hospitably received into the house of lot : and thus we read that saul in his journey to damascus , was struck blind by that excellent glory , which yet became an innocuous and recreating splendor to st. stephen a little before his death . chap. iii. that christianity contains nothing light and trivial , but grave and sober truths , delivered in that decorous and becoming majesty as well suited with that blessed spirit , which inspired the prophets and apostles . the third particular to be proved in order to the declaration of the excellency of christianity is , that it treats of no small and trifling things , but such as are of the greatest importance in the world . for what is more noble and generous than that which concerns the happiness and welfare of the whole creation ? what more sublime and excellent than that which tends to the unmasking the cloudy and obscure face of providence , and discovering the unsearchable wisdom of god in the harmonious order and symmetry of the world ? but to descend more particularly . 1. the gospel teaches us , that the true and genuine felicity of mankind is the participation of the nature of god. that the souls of men are in an undue and wrong estate in this world , that is , that their natures are by some means or other corrupted and vitiated and forced from their proper bent and inclinations ; needs no other confirmation than the great inquietude and dissatisfaction they find in the best terrestrial joys and delights , and their diligent and indefatigable inquisition after some noble and permanent good , which may be commensurate with the vastness of their capacities and desires . and although as men come into the world , their animal powers and faculties ( whose proper objects are the results of sense and corporeal motion ) are fully awake , and usurp the throne of reason and intellect , yet those lordly powers like an oppressed prince still lay claim to the soveraignty and dominion , and whenever any due occasion is offered , give an evident proof of their heavenly birth and extraction , and strive to free themselves from their unjust captivity , and regain their native liberty and command . and if by a favourable assistance and timely aid the minds of men conquer and suppress the rebellious passions and desires of the mortal body , and become in any measure healthy and strong to relish their proper food and nourishment , and amidst all the flattering appearances and fine shows presented to them from this outward world , discriminate between real good and evil , and select true and substantial from false and adulterate joys , they behold with pleasure and enravishment a perfect union and harmony between whatever truths shall duly be propounded to them and their rational natures . for the souls of men being in their general strictures and lineaments intellectual , it cannot be but that their highest felicity and truest accomplishments must flow from the exercise of their higher and more immaterial powers , and the more spiritualiz'd and refined they are from baser alloy , the more tender and apprehensive are they of whatever is noble and excellent , and agreeable to the purity of their natures . albeit therefore our faculties be depraved and debased as we appear upon the stage of this world , yet there being in us a strong propension to return to our first and primitive state , out of which we were forced by the unjust usurpation of iniquity and sin , truth and goodness , and all those beautiful forms and ideas which shone in our souls before their unhappy lapse and revolt from the blessed laws and government of gods own life , will upon a congruous proposal renew their antient league and friendship , and conspire the utter subversion of all irregular appetites and desires , and reduce the whole man into a strict obedience and observance of the dictates and prescriptions of that holy and exalted principle of life , which being once fully seated and radicated in our minds and spirits , is alone able to make us perfectly happy and blessed . for the souls of men are not devoid of innate knowledge , but are essentially stored through the gracious bounty and liberality of the first and blessed author of all things , with the principles of all manner of science and wisdom whatever , and hence cannot but embrace and receive every thing that hath any cognation and affinity with those first inscriptions on their natures . now the great happiness , delight , and satisfaction of every degree of life in the world consisting in and arising from the kindly and agreeable actings of its chiefest and best faculties and capacities , and the nature of man so far forth as it is capable of moral good and evil , being made up of such principles as are wholly intellectual , he will not only esteem the effluxes and emanations of the rational life to be the foundations of his felicity , but seek the amplification and diffusion of it , and reduce all exorbitant motions to its rules and determinations . and if we will not impose upon ourselves , nor degrade our minds below the folly and triflingness of children , but act like men who prefer things before empty sounds and names , the eternal rules of justice , righteousness , and goodness , will appear infinitely more eligible than any thing else in the world beside ; for let a man be possest of the most glorious and splendid advantages and satisfactions that possibly can grow out of the earth , and let him extract the flower and quintessence of sublunary delights , and he will find them at the best very dilute and flashy , and too base and disproportionate objects of a pure , active and indefatigable mind . and were it not that men are cheated into an esteem and approbation of them , partly from the example of others , who daily run the greatest hazards and labours in their acquisition and purchase , and partly , from the innate pravity and iniquity of their own spirits , which being preingag'd in an early contention after the things of sense , are more forcibly struck and moved by the emissions and radiations of the corporeal world ; it were exceeding improbable they should forego such valuable and excellent pleasures as those of virtue and holiness , for the small and inconsiderable , though the most refined joys of this region of mutability , especially when they are perpetually attended with such instant satieties and afflictive circumstances . that blessed author of our felicity the lord christ , who both knew the soveraign good of our spirits , and designed the cementing and restauration of the broken and distracted world by entring into it , makes it his first care and business to purge and refine our minds from the dross and pollution of material concretions , by bringing down the price of terrestrial love , and setting a low estimate upon what the world calls happiness , riches and honours and all the choicest gratifications of the inferior life , and propounding not only such precepts as in their own nature tended to the raising and elevating the powers and faculties of our souls to their highest and most enlarg'd perfection , and which by our conformity to them should fully satisfie all our rational thirsts and appetites , but likewise revives our languishing resolutions , and reinspirits our minds with new strength and vigour by his own example , as the most attractive and powerful means that possibly can be offered to an ingenuous nature . all the time that he conversed upon earth , he went about doing good , transcribing the fairest and most amiable perfections and attributes of the moral essence of god for our imitation , redressing and healing the imperfections of mankind , and casting a benign and auspicious influence upon the distempered world , by propagating and diffusing the holy life of god into all capable receptacles . and that he might shew us what a small and mean valuation he puts upon mundane and temporal felicities , and how little they contribute to the advancement of that which is the flower and summity of our souls , he commands great temperance and moderation both in the prosecution and use of them , and declares a high dislike against all exorbitancy and excesse , condemning all anxious and solicitous thoughts about these momentany concernments as criminous and faulty . and what he enjoined upon his disciples and followers , he himself always observ'd and practis'd , never disquieting his holy breast with doubtful and corroding cares , nor charging heaven with partiality and unkindness , though he became so poor for our sakes that he was forced by a miracle to pay his tribute-penny to the roman governour . his blameless and immaculate soul no impure touch of pleasure ever defiled , nor unjust and unhallowed action ever stained and sullied its native brightness , but remained to his dying upon the cross a spotless temple eternally consecrated to the divinity residing in it . but that which did most of all allure and attract the hearts and spirits of men , was his exceeding and superlative charity , which not only burnt bright within its own orb , but by a sacred influence and communication melted and thaw'd the benum'd and frozen world into a soft , pliable , and sequacious temper , and set abroad a godlike spirit of universal tenderness , pity , and compassion upon the earth . and that so illustrious a person might want nothing to recommend his life to mankind as the most complete pattern of the divine nature , his patience exhibited in a noble sufferance of all those ignominies and disgraces put upon him , made him no less conspicuous than those other radiant virtues rendred him acceptable to god and man. and if there be any thing more that is worthy and decorous , and perfective of the nature of man , it was eminently contained in the lord christ , whose glorious mind was too large and great to bring forth any poor and abject design , but took the whole world into his care , and folded the creation within the arms of dear compassion . by all this and much more we are taught wherein consists the greatest excellency , beauty and dignity of our souls ; namely , in the acts of goodness , righteousness , and mercy , in profound humility , and self-denial , in patience , longanimity , and uncorrupted purity of body and spirit . for these and such like heroical exertions of our minds bring not only a present delight and gratefulness with them , but pervade by a secret and insensible influence all our animal powers , and diffuse a certain savour and relish of themselves throughout our inferior faculties . as it is with vice and sin , every pitiful and degenerate production of which spreads its contagious nature , and leavens our whole man with its poysonous and infectious inspirations : so much more will truth and righteousness disseminate a healthful efflux , and hallow our vital capacities , as being the most congenerous and agreeable objects of our intellectual parts . the life of god which alone ought to have the soveraign command over the whole rational creation , and which will in due time conquer and triumph over the dark and apostate principality ; that life , i say , of universal sanctity and righteousness is an immortal thing like its great source and parent , and is always passing through the world , and will not rest any where but in such a fit and congruous subject , as bears some analogy and similitude with itself : and being once seated there ( unless it be forcibly driven out by rebellious lusts , to which it proclaims an irreconcileable war ) it will continually dispread its lovely nature , and enlarge its kingdom by the total consumption or conversion into its own likeness and quality , whatever resists and hinders its progress , and at last , when freed from the sluggish weight of mortality , like a quick and active flame carry up the soul with joy and triumph into heaven , to which it always breaths and aspires . heaven itself is nothing but the blessed mansion of righteousness , a state of pure and undefiled light , whose happy and glorious inhabitants are perfectly delivered from the bondage and servility of corruption , and goodness , and justice , and all the moral excellencies of divinity enthron'd within their sacred breasts . and every good man does not only presage , but really possesses in this life a part of his future happiness , when the divine nature throughly informs , possesses , and actuates the powers and faculties of his mind , and he faithfully attends to , and is guided and governed by its laws and suggestions . and he whose soul and spirit , thus becomes an habitation of righteousness , is in a sense deified , and god dwells in him , and he is united to that omnipresent spirit of love and purity . for that divine nature , the participation of which is the end and design of the whole gospel , is not power and wisdom , but something more precious and soveraign : for if a man had all power , that he could remove mountains , and with his breath stop the constant gyres and circulations of the earth ; and if he had all wisdom and knowledge , to understand the abstrusest theory in nature and providence , and could perswade with the rhetorick and oratory of an angel ; yet if he had not charity , the bond of perfection which not only consolidates and holds together the great body politick of heaven and earth , but is the root and center in which all the lines of beauty and excellence in human souls unite and meet ; he would have no more of the true life and spirit of christianity in him , than a tinkling and sounding piece of brass . love is the joy of men and angels , the glory of heaven , and the first pregnant spring and source from whence issued all the numerous productions of the spiritual and corporeal life . for god is love , and love is that ( to speak with reverence ) makes the divinity a uniform being , all other modes and attributes being too fluctuating , arbitrary , and unsetled to be the basis and foundation of that ever-to-be-adored author of all things . and as goodness is the most pretious thing in the deity , and for that reason alone obtains the first place in acting , so is it that which consummates and completes all moral agents that derive from him ; power and wisdom and all other modes being nothing but the several explications and diffusions of absolute goodness . but that we may not mistake ourselves , the philosopher tells us of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a harlotry as well as a heavenly venus , whereby the soul is enamour'd with these fading beauties , and ensnared by the powerful inescations of sense and corporeity , and this weakens and destroys the soul ; but 't is the celestial venus that is the beautiful and perfective object of human minds , and by its union with it changes and transforms the soul into its glorious image . and what we have hitherto said , is no more than what the natural sentiments of our own souls bear witness to , and all the moral part of ethnick philosophy attests , which was wholly employed in laying down rules and precepts for the regulating mens lives , and putting a stop to the bold intrusion of vice ; and this was universally acknowledged the only way to acquire a cognation and affinity with god : and what was judged laudable and decorous then , and approved as most excellent , is made much more so by the christian oeconomy , which sets the attainments of a rational soul at a higher pitch , than the secular wisdom and philosophy of the gentiles could arrive to . for what more ennobles and inspirits the mind of man with true glory and magnanimity , than the captivating his irrational desires , and suppressing all inordinate lusts and appetites , and the introducing a spirit of love , meekness , temperance , and sobriety ? what more divine and godlike than charity ? to bind up an aking head , and dry up watry eyes , and relieve him who was fighting with the pressures of want and poverty ? what greater pleasure can we reasonably imagine , than that which results from an act of goodness and bounty , whether it respect the souls or bodies of our fellow-creatures ; in extricating him who was involved in a labyrinth of misery , and bringing the cheerful day to him who sate in a night of ignorance and error ? which things , if duly considered , as they are very agreeable and proportionate to our higher and rational soul , so they depretiate the grosser satisfactions of our viler parts , and make good this first proposition , that the true felicity of human souls , results from their participation of the divine nature . 2. the gospel shews us the true way to obtain this complete perfection of our spirits , that it is by an universal purification of our minds from all pollution whatever , and an entire resignation of ourselves to the conduct of the divine life and light. but it will be said that philosophy teaches as much as this , and the pythagoreans , platonists , and stoicks asserted the highest perfection of the soul to consist in her union with god , which is obtained by a perfect extirpation of all irregular motions , and an abstraction of the soul from her love and sympathy with the body , and transforming her wholly into intellect ; for the passions and sensual affections being once subdued , and the rational life excited , the soul becomes presently like unto god , as porphyry speaks , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and hierocles shews us the scope and end of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or purgation of the mind , namely , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . wherefore although the heathens by the light of nature proceeded to the eradication of vice out of their minds , yet they retained still an arrogative life , ascribing the attainments and perfections of their souls , and their whole progress in virtue to their own solitary endeavours , and this their spiritual and subtle pride tainted and infected the best of their other performances ; so that though they were glorious lights in their generations , yet they fell short of the character of a true christian , which is an entire subjection of a mans self to the government and command of the life of god , being perfectly dead to all self-seeking and interest , and no otherwise affected to ourselves than if we were not : and this heavenly temper the divine providence reserved for the meek and humble soul of the messias to bring into the world , who hath resumed that as the most compendious way to blessedness , which was rejected by the wise men of the world. 3. he that shall impartially and without prejudice peruse the evangelical histories , shall find that there is not any thing recorded in them vain and trivial , but such as is of the highest moment and importance , and some way or other useful and advantageous for the propagation of christianity in the world : and for those things which seem most liable to the exceptions and cavils of vile and prophane persons , i shall endeavour to shew their reasonableness , and how becoming and decorous it was to insert them in the histories of the gospel . it is too well known that there are a sort of men in the world , whose minds are so deeply tinctured with sadducean and atheistical principles , that , being otherwise furnished with a quaint volubility of speech , and some smatterings of philosophy in this knowing age , deem it the highest improvement of their wit to laugh and jeer at that profound wisdom which is found in christianity , now accusing its dogmata of impossibilities and contradictions , and then scoffing at the historical part as fabulous and romantick , clearly discovering that their grand drift is to leaven the minds of men with that pernicious and venomous doctrin , that there is nothing but matter in the world. to begin therefore with the birth of the blessed jesus and the circumstances attending of it , as of the star which led the wise men to him , and of their adoration of him , that these things are not indecorous and ridiculous , nor impertinently recorded , but sutable and agreeable to the nativity of so great a person . that a virgin should conceive and bring forth a child , ought to be no such strange thing to the jew , since their prophets have foretold that it should so come to pass , particularly in isa . vii . 14. behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son , and shall call his name immanuel . and if this were not to be understood of a pure and immaculate virgin , where were that sign which god by his prophet ushers in with such solemnity ; ask thee a sign of the lord thy god , ask it either in the depth , or in the height above : for nothing is more ordinary in the world than that a young woman should bring forth a child : add to this , that the jewish rabbins teach , that the generation and nativity of the messias shall not be after the manner of other creatures by carnal copulation , but after an extraordinary manner , and his father shall be unknown till he himself reveal him . nor ought it to be thought a thing impossible by the gentiles , since they affirm many of their heroes to be the sons of the gods ; and plato is said to be begotten on perictione by apollo , who forbad aristo to have any familiarity with his wife , till plato was born . but to them that believe a just and righteous providence governing all the affairs of the universe , it is obvious to conceive , that all souls are sent into the world according to their demerits in a former life ; and therefore as a deeply lapsed soul descends into an inequal and monstrous body , from which adunation can result no other than a brutish , cruel , and intemperate life , and a pronity to all other vices arising from such an asymmetral and inhospitable society ; so the pure and immaculate soul of jesus , must assume a terrestrial body after an unusual manner , more pure than the rest , that it might be free from sin and pollution as well as fitted to converse with men , and that he might in it teach an extraordinary temperance , justice , and goodness , and all other virtues by his life as by his doctrin . for neither would the justice of god precipitate so great a soul into an unfit and incongruous habitation , nor its eximious purity admit of an union with an inquinated and filthy body . nor is it any whit incongruous that an unusual star should attend the rising of the glorious sun of righteousness ; for though it be commonly said of comets , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that no one appears to the world but portends some mischief , which historians plentifully observe , and hence is that of claudian , nunquam futilibus excanduit ignibus aether , et nunquam coelo spectatum impune cometen . yet origen in his first book against celsus affirms , that chaeremon the stoick in his treatise of comets proves by several instances out of histories that comets sometimes presage the approach of good things * . if then those great and wandring globes be looked upon as the presignificators of great changes and alterations in the world , what wonder is it that the birth of jesus who should work so mighty a mutation upon earth , and introduce a religion universal and common to all mankind , should be declared by a new and stranger star ? and if it be said , that it is impossible for a star in the heavenly regions , to design punctually so small a place as a particular house upon earth ; i answer , that the magi found the house wherein jesus was , not only by the disappearing and vanishing of the star over it , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by a diligent search and inquisition after the child , perhaps of the shepherds who were not far distant keeping watch over their flocks . it remains now , that we apologize for the other part of the history , viz. the coming of the wise men from the east to jerusalem ; to which purpose it will be requisite to consider the quality of these magi , who probably were none of these grosser sort of sorcerers that make an express compact with the devil , but such as receiving from others certain forms and mysterious conjurations , use them as they were delivered to them , without enquiring further into their nature : and perhaps the black society may oblige themselves to attend such dark and hidden mysteries , whether the transactors of them know them to be theirs or not . but whether these magi were such , or had a more open and visible commerce with evil spirits , it matters not , since this is certain , that the airy principality can act no further , where a more divine and excellent power intervenes . wherefore through the mighty virtue of the divinity residing in the soul of jesus , and the unexpected descent of a glorious host of angels to these terrestrial regions , singing an anthem of praise at the birth of jesus , it came to pass that the power of the airy principality was on a sudden restrained , and an universal chilness and horror ran through the dark kingdom , so that they were unable to attend their own hellish mysteries , which the magi perceiving , their usual incantations not succeeding , nor the accustomed effects following their secret rites and ceremonies , they began to think the cause of this unexpected accident to be extraordinary , and knowing the prophecy of balaam , that a star should come out of jacob , and a scepter rise out of israel , conjectured that the man foretold to come with the apparition of a star , was now born into the world , and believing him to have a transcendent power over the aereal agents , resolved to come and worship him , presenting him with the choicest gifts of arabia , gold and myrrh and frankincense , as to a king , a man , and a god. and if any man desire a further mystery , he may take the learned grotius his observation , that by these three are denoted those three evangelical sacrifices which through christ we offer unto god , viz. works of charity and mercy , phil. iv . 18. incorrupted purity of body , rom. xii . 1. and prayers , psal . cxli. 2. we that are christians are taught in the gospel , that jesus christ , the saviour of mankind , is god as well as man ; and this truth being of so high and great concern , we not only believe , but are ready to give all possible satisfaction to the jew and heathen : to the jew we say , that it was long ago declared by their own prophets , isa . ix . 6. for unto us a child is born , unto us a son is given , and the government shall be upon his shoulder ; and his name shall be called wonderful , counseller , the mighty god , the everlasting father , the prince of peace . this the more antient rabbins always interpreted of the messias , and 't is but a groundless conceit of r. solomon's to transfer it to hezekiah ; for who sees not that these appellations of the mighty god , and the everlasting father , cannot possibly agree to hezekiah ? again chap. vii . 14. behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son , and shall call his name immanuel : i. e. god with us , god dwelling and conversing in human nature . and by the heathens this mystery was not thought impossible , since julian believes that aesculapius the son of jupiter descended from heaven and was incarnate , appearing first at epidaurum , then in many other places , that he might cure the bodies and restore the souls of men to their pristine rectitude and perfection . and is there any greater difficulty in believing that the word , the blessed son of god , was once incarnate and dwelt among us ? but further to make out this great truth to those that already believe the histories of the gospel to be true : 1. we may take a view of those many operations jesus performed in the nature he assumed , some of which were incommunicable and only proper to the deity , such are , to work a true and real miracle , to forgive sins , and to institute true and religious worship . he was hungry , which shewed him to be a man , and yet fed above five thousand with five loaves and two fishes , whereby he manifested his divinity . he thirsted , yet to others he gave rivers of living waters to fertilize their souls , and quench and allay their thirst . he was weary , yet he calls to him all those that are weary and heavy laden , and promises refreshment : though he were dumb and opened not his mouth , yet was he that word by which all things were made : he lays down his life , yet had he power to take it up again . 2. there is nothing in the divine nature to contradict or prejudice this union , but very much to be drawn from thence for it . for divine goodness willing universally to communicate itself in measures and degrees , assisted by an eternal wisdom , found out this way of union with human nature , as most fit for an universal communication , wherein the divine life is perfectly exhibited , and all perfection is as it were epitomized . 3. there is a mighty congruity and sutableness in this mystery with the design of perfecting and restoring lapsed souls . for the eternal logos bringing out of his ideal fecundity into actual existence the whole rational creation , it is highly agreeable with divine wisdom , that by the same word all fallen beings should be again restored ; that the first and blessed cause of their existence should also be the author of their recovery and return to the perfect law of gods own nature . and if beside we consider that all the creatures are but the effects and emanations of that mighty and potent word , outwardly produced and brought into actual life and being ; the conjunction and union of the eternal mind with human nature will appear exceeding congruous . 4. no dishonour can accrue to the blessed nature of god by such a state in which there is no evil , turpitude , or defilement . the brightness of the divine sun is no whit obscured by the adjunction of the humanity , but the humanity is made more glorious and transcendent by being exalted into the fellowship of the divinity . 5. the obscurity and incomprehensibleness of this mystery ought not to prejudice our belief of it , since that many things in nature are in the dark to us , and that faint and glimmering knowledge which we have of them is only cojnectural , not demonstrative ; we know there is an union between soul and body , but the manner of it is unknown and hid from us , and if we believe no further than we can comprehend , we must be scepticks in religion as well as philosophy . yet somthing we may collect from the union of soul and body , as also of other natural compositions , that forasmuch as they are extremely distant and unlike in their nature and proprieties , and yet united to the making of one compositum ; therefore the immensity of the divinity can be no hindrance from taking humanity into an union and association with it . 6 we cannot doubt , but that god who is immense and omnipresent , may manifest a peculiar presence in this or the other particular place , as seems best to himself . that infinite nature which pervades and is extended through the vast capacities of immense space , can as easily actuate , inhabit and fill a human soul and body ; nor is the divinity contracted or diminished by being united to a creature , but being diffused through all places , manifests itself by a more special inhabitation in the sacred temple of the soul of jesus . we see the soul of man dilating itself through our corporeal fabrick , expressing its activity and presence by the exceeding quick sensibility of every part , and yet hath its peculiar center and residence in the brain ; and cannot god , in whom are found all possible perfections , manifest his peculiar and divine presence to the ever faithful and obedient soul of the messias ? hitherto i have declared the great excellency and becomingness of the truths of the gospel , and shall conclude this general head with the recitation of two or three objections more , made by the jews against our saviour , and recorded in the histories of the gospel . object . 1. the first we find in john vii . 48. have any of the rulers , or of the pharisees believed on him ? but this people who knoweth not the law are cursed . answ . 1. to this i return , that inasmuch as the great synagogue and rulers of the jews rejected jesus , and would not acknowledge him to be the expected messias , the more reason had others to believe in him : for their own prophets long ago predicted the rejection of the messias by the jewish nation , who should be so obstinately blind , that they should not know him when he came into the world ; as we read in psal . cxviii . 22. the stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner : so likewise in isa . vi . 10. make the heart of this people fat , and make their ears heavy , and shut their eyes ; lest they see with their eyes , and hear with their ears , and understand with their heart , and convert and be healed . to which purpose is that saying of r. judas in the talmud , that when the son of david shall come , there shall be few wise men in israel , and the wisdom of the scribes shall stink , and the schools of the prophets shall become brothel-houses . 2. the holy jesus wanted not disciples even among the wise men of the jews ; such was simeon the just , the scholar of hillel , who was filled with the holy ghost , and after whose death , that divine spirit which inspired the great synagogue , departed from them . john the baptist who not only acknowledged christ himself , but sent his disciples to him , as to that lamb of god , who came to take away the sins of the world : and gamaliel is said to have followed the apostles , and to have been simeon's scholar : and st. paul who was a man of great repute and esteem with the jews , and sate at the feet of gamaliel , yet was afterward an apostle of the holy jesus : and josephus further informs us , that the more sober and serious jews , who were lovers of the truth , were such as followed jesus , and those that were studious and zealous for the law , sharply rebuked ananus the high priest for commanding the disciples of jesus to be stoned . object . 2. acts i. 6. lord , wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to israel ? it was a current opinion among the jews in our saviours time , that the messias should be a temporal monarch , and redeem them from the yoke of the romans ; as appears from this question of the disciples , who doubtless spake the general sense of the jews ; but they finding nothing in the attempts and actions of jesus tending that way , hence they could not believe him to be the promised messias . answ . christ came into the world , such as he was foretold to be , that is , humble and meek , not with the splendor and glory of an earthly prince , but poor and despicable , a man of sorrows , and without form and comliness ; as it is predicted by zechariah the prophet , zech. ix . 9. and isa . liii . the end and design of his coming was to appease the anger of god , by devoting himself for the sins of men ; to destroy the kingdom of the devil , and to make one body of jews and gentiles , of which he himself should be the head. and 't is no way fit and agreeable for such an undertaking to appear in earthly splendor and glory , filling the world with blood and slaughter like another alexander or caesar , by the puissance of mighty armies . wherefore the holy jesus being to disseminate and promote the blessed life of god upon earth , shewed his divinity more refulgent by vileness and contempt , his power by weakness and infirmity , his glory by the scorns of men , and his almighty life and virtue by death and the grave . and if he had otherwise descended from the celestial mansions , than the scriptures relate , man had entituled himself to part of the glory of his undertaking , and the more splendid the divine life had appeared to outward view , with the fainter lustre had it shone in itself . besides that that doctrin which christ was to bring into the world , and render acceptable to men by his own example , was quite contrary to the gratifications of the animal life , and too vile and base to be essential to the perfection of human nature . object . 3. mat. xxvii . 40. if thou be the son of god , come down from the cross . answ . he that came into the world clothed with human flesh , and in the several actions of his life manifested himself to be a true man , would now in this last act keep a decorum ; that as he was born into the world like other men , partaking really of flesh and blood , and all the frailties and infirmities of mankind , sin only excepted ; so he would die like other men , and suffer a real separation of his soul from his body , that we might be conformable to him in his death , and die unto sin , crucifying all our inordinate lusts and affections , and descending into the grave with him by a profound humility and mortification ; which is a sufficient answer to this insulting cavil of the jews , that if jesus were the son of god , he must needs demonstrate it by a miraculous descent from the cross . chap. iv. that-christianity is every way fitted and accommodated for an effectual recovery of lapsed and degenerated mankind . to this purpose we must consider man as a rational being , endued with liberty of will , and a lord of his own actions , and consequently must be treated according to those faculties and qualifications bestowed upon him by the gracious bounty of his creator . and this being the nature of man , he is not to be dealt withal like a stock or stone , that is wholly inert and sluggish ; nor like a beast that is acted and led only by the impulse of sense ; but as indued with reason and intellect , and capable of discriminating between real good and evil ; and this principle in man cannot be forced without the destruction of his nature , but is allured and drawn by moral arguments . wherefore the design of god in the gospel being to wind men off from sin to a serious pursuit of virtue and goodness , he makes use of such arguments as are most powerful and efficacious for that end , and most sutable to the nature of man : as 1. what can more deter men from wickedness and vice , than the sober pressing upon them the consideration of a future day of judgment , wherein the just judge of heaven and earth will impartially look into their lives , and dispose of them according to the moral frame and disposition of their spirits ? to them who by patient continuance in well doing , seek for glory , honour and immortality , eternal life : but to them who do not obey the gospel , he will recompense tribulation and wrath. he that is convinc'd that the scriptures are the word of god , must likewise believe , that though god be patient and long-suffering , not willing that any should perish ; yet he is likewise just , and hates all sin whatever ; and to convince all unbelieving and atheistical persons of his displeasure against wickedness and vice , he has appointed a day wherein he will judge the world ; a day wherein jesus christ the blessed son of god shall visibly descend from heaven , accompanied with innumerable legions of mighty angels , before whose throne all wicked men and devils shall stand with paleness and horror , expecting the pronuntiation of that dreadful sentence , go ye cursed into everlasting fire ; which final doom and sentence shall presently be executed upon them ; for through the stupendious operation of the son of god , the infernal treasures of fire shall be opened , and an universal deluge of flame shall spread itself over the face of the aged earth , which shall be cleft and riven by terrible eruptions of sulphureous matter , breaking forth with horrible rage and fury from the lower regions , and this together with showers of fire raining down from thick and pitchy clouds , shall wrap universal nature in a sheet of flame , and complete an external hell , where the worm dieth not , and the fire is not quenched . tell me then , o man , thou that thinkest righteousness but an idle name , on whose hard and stubborn soul a discourse of another life can make no impression ; where will be the objects of thy love and joy , when the heavens shall be dissolved , the elements melt with fervent heat , and the earth with all the works therein be burnt up ? what shall support and bear up thy dying hopes , when all sensible things shall perish in this dreadful conflagration ? thinkest thou that the holes of the rocks , or the secret caverns of the mountains can hide thee from his eye which pierceth through obscurity ; who is every where present by his mighty power , and to whom the night is as bright as noon-day ? or will that just judge , who sits upon the life and death of all the sons of adam , be bribed with thy gold and silver , when the whole world is his , and the fulness thereof ? surely nothing but righteousness will then deliver from death , nothing but innocence and purity , white as the beams of light , can save the souls of men from eternal destruction : wickedness and sin like a talent of lead shall sink down those souls that have delighted in it , into that sulphureous lake where a most acute and searching pain shall stick close to them , and unspeakable torments weary their restless ghosts for ever . a sad and pitiable calamity ! but as just as great ; for the blessed author of all things does not make laws to ensnare the creation , nor does he directly and primarily intend punishment , but has entailed that upon disobedience , that men might consider and beware , and in time provide for their reception into all that happiness god made them for , and which he by threatning punishment , so affectionately desires they should enjoy . 2. that there might be nothing wanting to enforce the foregoing consideration , the scripture manifestly resolves our good or ill being in the other life to depend upon our deportment in this . it is in this life that we lay the trains of our future happiness or misery , and every moral action has an influence either good or bad upon eternity ; and here it is that we have a vital union and conjunction either with hell or heaven . to be born into this world , is not only a punishment , but a state of probation to us mortals , wherein he that acquits himself generously and nobly , fighting manfully against the world , the flesh , and the devil , and returns with the spoils and trophies of his conquered enemies to his beloved lord , shall be crowned with an eternal weight of glory ; but he that through faint-heartedness and cowardice yields himself a willing captive to his lusts and corruptions , sparing those rebellious sins and affections , with whom the captain of our salvation has sworn war for ever , he combines and unites himself to a living hell ; and no sooner is his soul dislodg'd from its earthly fabrick , but it descends into those regions of bitterness and sorrow , with which it so wilfully sought a cognation and affinity in this life . and he that will but patiently lend an ear to this , cannot so obstinately forsake his own good , nor delay and put off his repentance by imagining the day of judgment a great way off , and not likely to overtake him : for no sooner has death disseized him of his terrestrial tenement , but that universal nemesis which pervades the whole world , will fatally convey him to such a place and society , as he had prepared and accommodated himself for here on earth . and he that obstinately rejects the counsel of god , and sets at nought all his reproofs , will find that the wrath of the lord can reach him , and he will have little or no possibility left to better himself in the other world. 3. for the more ingenuous sort , who are rather attracted and won by the expressions of kindness and love , than the fear of external punishment ; what can more prevail with them , than to behold the ever-blessed son of god , who lived in the boundless tracts of truth and righteousness , forsake those celestial mansions , and come down and take a body of flesh and blood , and here lead an obscure and evanid life , persecuted and afflicted , never seeing good days , but always carrying an heart full of pensiveness and sorrow , and at last die a painful and ignominious death upon the cross ; and all this to recover and free the race of mankind from the tyranny and slavery of sin ? what can this but beget a suitable return of love in every ingenuous soul ? what kind heart is there that this spectacle will not fill with tears of love and joy , and with the most endearing expressions devote itself to a faithful obedience of so compassionate a saviour ? 4. the promises of the gospel are most suitable means for the reinstating men in the possession of gods own life , that possibly can be offered to the world. for he that considers how deeply vice and iniquity are radicated in our very natures ; and what great diligence and care is required to extirpate even a single habit , which of a long time hath gotten an entire and full possession of our minds ; and withal reflects on the crazy and sickly state of our most generous and manly faculties , how bedwarfed and unable they are to resist , through a continued imbibition of a sweet poyson from sense ; cannot but conclude the evangelical oeconomy would be very lame and imperfect , were it not instructed and furnish'd with arguments sufficient to countermand and outbalance the importunate solicitations of the degenerate principles of unrighteousness and sin. and indeed were not a crown of glory the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our holy faith , were not virtue countenanced with an appendent felicity , the face of the world would now appear as squalid and deformed , as in its first and greatest brutishness and barbarity : for who would seek the renovation of decayed righteousness , or who would entertain afflicted and oppressed holiness , if its reward did not fully answer and compensate whatever troubles , difficulties , and molestations do attend it ? who would buy religion with the expence of all his temporal interests , nay of his life itself , if he were not assured the happiness laid up for holy and incorrupt souls , did infinitely transcend and exceed the choicest pleasures and gratifications that are to be met withal in this region of mutability ? and that such a course and order of things should be taken , is not only a merciful provision of the good and wise creator of all things towards us sons of sense , but gives us a full evidence and assurance that his intentions for the recovery of the world are real and sincere , and renders unsuspected the grand dispensation of christianity . for had the gospel propounded only intellectual notions , and solicited our choice by things most remote from sense , while we were so fatally entangled and opprest with the incumbrances of dull mortality ; such a design would rather confound and amaze the faculties and capacities of men , than prove any whit serviceable for the regaining their antient liberty and command ; like a potent and vigorous light set before weak and distempered eyes , which rather blinds than affords them a true and faithful discrimination of objects . wherefore divine wisdom hath treated the sons of men after a sensible manner , and engaged them by arguments that more forcibly strike their fancies and imaginations , and have a greater influence for the promoting the indispensable duties of sanctity and truth , than any terrestrial pleasure can possibly be allective to the contrary . 't is true , if religion could consist with avarice , vain-glory , and ambition , the covetous miser who rips up the bowels of the earth for treasure , and spins out his life in a golden thread , would become a proselyte ; and he who seeks to ride upon the shoulders of the multitude , and lives upon the air and breath of popular applause , would need no inducements to turn christian : but when things go directly contrary , and he that will be a sincere disciple of the son of god , must crucifie his rebellious lusts , and descend into the grave of mortification , and cashier every inordinate motion and desire that hinders or any way obstructs his approach to so inestimable a good , as the possession of the blessed life of god ; and this not to be done without indefatigable industry and care , and as it were a dilaceration of himself from himself , that is , a forcible subjection of that grand principle of our apostasie and deviation from god , which is so mischievously powerful , to the commands and laws of our superior life ; there is no man can doubt , but that the promises of the gospel are infinitely necessary , in order to that weighty design eternal wisdom seeks to carry on by the promulgation of them to the world. which promises we may refer to these three general heads , 1. pardon of all our sins upon a true repentance and sincere conformity of our minds and spirits to the will of god. and this was the great end of christs coming into the world , that he might reconcile it unto god , and assure guilty sinners who had made themselves obnoxious to divine wrath and displeasure , that if they will return to their loyalty and obedience , and express an unfeigned repentance by sincere purposes and resolutions of a new life , god will forgive their past trespasses , and remember their iniquities no more . the whole gospel , what else is it , but a free and gracious declaration of pardon and forgiveness to the world ? which , as it takes away all direful and jealous thoughts , which criminal persons through a conscience of their own guiltiness and sin , and frequent presages of divine vengeance , are apt to retain of god ; so it gives them a true and faithful representation of his nature , that he is no dreadful and hurtful being encircled with tempests and devouring flames , no tyrant whose arbitrary love or hate are the rules and laws of his government ; but an almighty goodness whose pregnant fecundity gave life and being to the whole creation , and studiously endeavours the conservation of all things in all that happiness their natures are capable of . this was it to which the holy jesus bare witness , and published to the sons of men by going about doing good , and diffusing a spirit of real righteousness throughout the world : he took it upon his death that this was true , that god did infinitely desire the reconciliation of the world to himself , and that not for any self-ends or designs ( for what can accrue to him who is infinite life , and eternally possessed of whatever speaks perfection ? ) but for the sole good and welfare of things themselves , that every being might obtain that place and order in the universe , and enjoy all that felicity to which it was at first intended , and from which nothing but its own wilful wretchedness could degrade it . for gods justice is nothing but his goodness , power , and wisdom imployed for the maintenance and conservation of what is eternally just and right ; and if this may be done without extremity and rigour , his goodness doth as much oblige him to take the gentlest and mildest course , as any man can pretend his justice for exact punishment and severity . but that all the attributes of the deity might be at once secured , and fallen man restored to a capacity of being made happy again , christ appearing in human nature hath undertaken the cause of man , and given himself a ransom for all , the punishment due to us being transferred on him , and through the sacrifice and death of jesus , god is upon terms of peace and friendship with the world , and proclaims a free indulgence to all who will lay down their hostility and rebellion , and become obedient subjects to his kingdom . god takes no advantage against any man to destroy him , and 't is a horrid impiety in us , to suspect him of treachery and deceit ; and to represent god to our minds in such a fearful garb and image , as eternally wishing the destruction of the greatest part of his creatures , is no less idolatry , than to fall down and worship the works of our own hands . 2. the powerful assistance of gods spirit to enable us to perform his commands . when the great love the holy apostles bare to the lord christ , made them sorrowful for his departure , they supposing he would then leave them to the mercies of a faithless and perverse generation ; he takes compassion on his charge , and assures them that when the time comes that his bodily presence should be withdrawn from them , he would not leave them destitute and forsaken ; but send the comforter , the spirit of truth unto them , who should not only perform the office of an advocate , in pleading and maintaining the justice of his cause against the unrighteous world , but be a principle of love and purity in their hearts , and conduct them through the various windings and obliquities of error and falshood into the plain and easie paths of truth and righteousness . and for a confirmation of this promise , he appeals to common sense and the evidence of all mankind ; if ye who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children , how much more shall your heavenly father ( from whom all creatures proceed , and upon whom they depend more intimately , than faculties and actions upon the principles from whence they flow ) bestow his holy spirit upon them that ask it of him ? wherefore that no man might despair , and count it an impossible thing to atchieve a perfect victory and conquest over his lusts and corruptions ; god has promised , that the business shall not be transacted by our own single effort and solitary endeavours ; but that we shall have the powerful aid of his blessed spirit , than which nothing can be a more vigorous encouragement . for what can resist his almighty energy and virtue ? or what can be so stubborn and refractory , that he cannot render sequacious and obedient , who at first brought all things out of nothing ? be our lusts never so mighty and gigantick , and the powers of darkness never so resolutely armed against us , yet the strength and assistance derived to us from heaven , is able to put to flight all our enemies , and make us perfectly victorious . the spirit of god is no dull and sluggish principle , but a quick and active life ; and into whatever soul it enters , it is perpetually cleansing , and purifying , and refining it , till it have wholly extirpated and destroyed whatever beats no similitude with itself , and rendred the whole man an immaculate temple for the manifestation of its own glorious presence . let no man then pretend an invincible infirmity , or that he is fatally bound and enslaved to sin and vice ; for if we would but excite those powers god has given us , and by ardent breathings invocate the gracious auxiliaries of heaven , there would be wonders wrought upon our souls , the strength of our corruptions would abate , and our furious passions be restrained and reduced into discipline and order . 3. the last general head is the promise of a future and blessed immortality in heaven , when this present life is ended . the blessed jesus , while he lived upon earth , did not wholly obscure his glory in the mantle of flesh and blood , but gave a notable specimen of that efficacious life and power , which as he himself was already possessed of , so all those that believe in his name should hereafter be endued withal , which should melt their corruptible into incorruption , and translate them to the quiet and peaceful regions of immortality ; in his transfiguration upon mount tabor , which was enough to call off the thoughts and cares of men from the trifling concerns of this world , and teach them , that there was a better portion to be expected for all the sons of god and virtue in the pure and undefiled mansions of heaven , where dwells nothing but truth and goodness : but the most lively and pregnant evidence of the future subsistence of our souls , was his glorious resurrection from the dead , whereby as he was declared to be the son of god with power ; so it gives us a full assurance and convictive demonstration , even to outward sense , that the comfortless chambers of the grave shall not for ever detein us ; but that when he who is our life , shall appear and summon earth and sea to deliver up their dead , and open the secret receptacles of souls ; then shall all holy and righteous persons appear with him in glory , and take possession of their long expected joy , and receive the just recompence of all their pains and labours ; an inheritance incorruptible , undefiled , and that fadeth not away , reserved by a gracious providence in the heavens for them . all power is committed into the hands of christ , who hath vanquished death and hell , and captivated all the powers of darkness , and begotten us to a lively hope , that when we shall put off our mortality , and be released from all terrestrial pressures and incumbrances , he will cloth us with an heavenly body like unto his own body of light and glory . but lest we should undo ourselves with fruitless expectations , and flie to heaven in our vain dreams of salvation , before our sincere conformity to gods blessed will and commands has rendred us capable of that pure and holy state , fancying we can read our names written among the stars , before we have learnt the precepts of a holy life , god hath annexed conditions of obedience to all his promises , and resolved that no man shall be crowned , but he that with courage and perseverance maintains the war against sin and hell. and indeed the reward that is promised to all virtuous persons in the gospel , hath so great affinity and agreement with holiness , the condition of it , that in the nature of the thing itself , he cannot be capable of the one , who is not aforehand invested with the other : for what is heaven , but a state of spotless love and purity , where no envy nor malice straitens and contracts the boundless and enlarged , no clouds of passion or disordered lust obscure the brightness of that eternal day , where the sun of righteousness neither rises nor sets upon the horizon of time , but remains vertical for ever ? and now what concord can possibly be imagined between such transcendent beauty and glory , and the deformity and ugliness of the frame and temper of an unrighteous mans spirit , where every thing lies cross and untoward ; and his unruly desires , like the boisterous waves enraged by a sudden storm , sweep the bottom of his polluted soul , and throw up so much mire and dirt , that it defaces whatever is comely , and leaves not the least emblem of heaven to be discerned in it ? this is the grand importance of the promises of the gospel , which is enough to demonstrate the prudent care and dear affection of the son of god to the children of men , and a sufficient manifestation of the great ingratitude and unworthiness of those who do not believe in him , that it is not the want of reasons or convictive arguments , but their own careless and wretchless neglect of consideration , that makes them deaf to such charms of love , and stupid and unmindful of so important interests . but men seldom want objections against that which they have no mind to believe ; against this therefore 't is said , that if the promises of that eternal reward , christ has made to us in the gospel , be so framed as to be inevident to men , and leave them place of doubting ; it will be no such great crime in wicked persons , not to believe those promises , and so not to embrace them . to this i say , ( 1. ) that the gospel leaves no such place of doubting , as to make infidelity or a disbelief of it excusable . for unbelief can then only be excusable , when there are really wanting such arguments , as may beget faith in a rational and unprejudic'd person : but the gospel and the promises thereof being sufficiently confirmed by such prevalent reasons , as are apt to acquire belief and credence from an unbias'd nature , the pretended inevidence , where there is no just cause or suspicion of doubting , cannot at all patronize infidelity , nor be a reasonable ground to act contrary to what belief would otherwise incite them . it s true , were the arguments for the disbelief of the promises of life and salvation equal to , and strong as those that perswade us to the belief of them , there would be some colour and appearance of reason for rejecting them ; but when there can be no such doubting or fluctuation of judgment , as proceeds from an equilibration of arguments on both sides , it is impossible that infidelity should have any rational apology . for what can be more convictive , than to have some holy and divine person come into the world , who should by many infallible miracles , wonders , and signs , give an evident proof that he came from god ; and for a full confirmation of his doctrin , rise from the dead the third day after the suffering a painful and ignominious death ; and to shew that he was no spectrum or illusive phantasm , conversing with his disciples for the space of forty days , and afterwards ascending in their presence into the highest heavens , there to rule and govern his church till the end of the world ; to testifie which his apotheosis , he sends down his holy spirit upon his apostles , and enables them to speak with tongues and do miracles : which scheme of providence doth so palpably evince the interposition and efficiency of a deity , and that all these things hapned by his actual concurrence , that he must on purpose blind his eyes , who will not see it . 2. all the place of doubting , which is left to us in the belief of the promises of the gospel , is no other than what may be in the highest moral certainty imaginable . it only leaves a possibility that , notwithstanding all the arguments brought to confirm it , it may yet be otherwise . every thing is not capable of a mathematical demonstration , but the ways of probation are different according to the diversity of subjects . and certainly , he will be a very imprudent man , that will neglect an important affair , to the undertaking of which he hath highly probable reasons , only because 't is possible it may be otherwise . 3. it was a great piece of divine wisdom , so to order the gospel that the promises of life and salvation should not be so evident , as those things that are known by sense or demonstration ; but only so far as might conciliate faith in a rational person , that thereby the wicked tempers and dispositions of men might the more plainly be discovered . if the gospel had been so demonstratively certain , so as to exclude all doubting , i. e. possibility to the contrary , all men would have been forced and necessarily good , and all that praise which is due to the embracing of virtue , would have been lost ; but now that men believe , when notwithstanding there is a possibility to the contrary , the trial of their faith will be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of jesus christ . for what praise is due unto him , that believes not out of choice , but from the necessary and demonstrative truth of the thing itself ? let not any man therefore flatter himself with hopes , that this will patronize and defend his infidelity , that it was possible the evangelical promises might be uncertain ; but let him consider , upon what account his faith induces him to act in the affairs of the world. will a human faith be sufficient to perswade the merchant to commit his life and fortunes to the flattering waves , when he knows not but a merciless pyrat or the next succeeding storm may bereave him of both ? will the souldier march all day scalded with heat , or pinched with the northern cold , and expose his body to a storm of bullets and swords drunk with his companions blood , and all for the spoils of an uncertain conquest ? shall this be able to put us upon action , and shall not the belief of the gospel , which is not half so uncertain or inevident as this ? we need no such firm ground to build our faith upon in matters of the world , and therefore we are utterly inexcusable , if we do not believe in the son of god , who hath brought life and immortality to light . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a45356-e190 lib. 7. contra celsum . 1 cor. 2.13 . & 1.27 . 1 john 2.12 , &c. lib. 4 contra celsum . euseb . praepar . lib. 5. de praesc . adv . haereticos . lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . christ why born of a virgin . of the star. * the same the colledge of priests affirmed of the comet that appeared at the ludi veneris genet●icis instituted by augustus . plin. l. 2 c. 25. and virg. ecl 4. ecce dionaei processit caesaris astrum . of the vvise men. christ god and man. constantius the apostate being a short account of his life and the sense of the primitive christians about his succession and their behaviour toward him : wherein is shown the unlawfulness of excluding the next heir upon the account of religion, and the necessity of passive obedience, as well to the unlawfull oppressour, as the legal persecutour : being a full answer to a late pamphlet intituled julian the apostate, &c. bennet, john, d. 1686. 1683 approx. 125 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 49 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2003-01 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a27390 wing b1884 estc r24199 08047613 ocm 08047613 40781 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a27390) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 40781) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1222:5) constantius the apostate being a short account of his life and the sense of the primitive christians about his succession and their behaviour toward him : wherein is shown the unlawfulness of excluding the next heir upon the account of religion, and the necessity of passive obedience, as well to the unlawfull oppressour, as the legal persecutour : being a full answer to a late pamphlet intituled julian the apostate, &c. bennet, john, d. 1686. [26], 65 p. printed for walter kettilby, london : 1683. reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng constantius -ii, -emperor of rome, 317-361. church history -primitive and early church, ca. 30-600. 2000-00 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2001-11 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2002-02 tcp staff (oxford) sampled and proofread 2002-02 tcp staff (oxford) text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-03 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion constantivs the apostate : being a short account of his life , and the sense of the primitive christians about his succession : and their behaviour toward him. wherein is shown the unlawfulness of excluding the next heir upon the account of religion , and the necessity of passive obedience , as well to the unlawfull oppressour , as the legal persecutour : being a full answer to a late pamphlet , intituled iulian the apostate , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sopho. let us either deserve to have a good prince , or patiently suffer and obey such as we deserve . 1 hom. against wilfull reb. &c. london , printed for walter kettilby at the bishop's head in st. paul's church-yard . 1683. the epistle dedicatory to mr. iohnson , authour of ivlian the apostate . sir , the kindness you have for an apostate ( for certainly iulian was never better treated than by you ) makes me think constantius hath a particular title to your protection , especially since we are sure he revolted to arrianism , and not to popery . now whether these kind sentiments proceed from a diffusive charity , or rather a natural inclination whereby every thing favours its like , i shall not presume to determine , though the latter is ●he more probable , since , like iulian , you took holy orders , and like him too have , in effect at least , denied a passive crucified saviour : this will be plain to any one that considerately reades your book , and is the onely thing hath induc'd me to say what i have ; for i declare i am wholly unacquainted with any thing that belongs to you , but that , your name and your character in the church ; so that no personal grudge could be the occasion of these papers ; but a just sense of what i owe to my religion , and the civil government under which i live ; from which i ill deserve the protection and liberty i enjoy , if i should not use my utmost endeavour to sustain it , when it is so evidently supplanted ( as now it is ) by your pernicious principles . and i cannot think but your religion is as indifferent to you , as you would have the world believe that of the rippon-addressers is to them , since you so palpably explode the glorious end of it obedience . i say this after a due and carefull reading of your papers ; and i was more exact in the perusal , because your prejudic'd friends gave it out , that your book ought to be the perfect measure of our conduct in relation to his r. h. and the true state of that civil obedience we owe to a tyrant ; and added likewise , that the authorities you quoted were unquestionable , your inferences and deductions necessary and pertinent , and your arguments unanswerable : but after the most diligent and impartial search , not a syllable of all this appear'd ; and indeed when i considered the vouchers , i laught at my self for giving credit to any thing they so confidently asserted , since o● late all that have not a mind to b● impos'd upon , understand what they say , with the same precaution they believe women , or interpret dreams ; and indeed they have that quality of great lyars to have the contrary of what they affirm generally true . i hope , sir , you will not take this for a too severe reflexion upon your friends ; i am sure they value themselves upon these pious artifices ; and it would have been unkind in them , when you had taken so much pains in publishing so many notorious falsities to advance the cause , if they had not advanc'd the credit of your book by the same means . after these unwelcome truths i can expect little favour from you , and indeed entreat none ; all that i desire is , that you would reade this as patiently as i did yours , and then , if you please , censure as freely : but of all faults , i am confident you have no reason to accuse me of that , which is almost natural to dedications , flattery , and which would have been an unpardonable crime in your servant . the preface . since i intend to use the same method i● the account of the life of constan●ius , as is observ'd in julian's ; it will be necessary to take a view of the preface to that book , that i may clear all things as i go , leaving nothing unanswer'd , that has the least appearance of an argument . and that , what he urges may more evidently appear , i shall reduce the force of all he says , to these following propositions , and give my answers to them distinctly . 1. the rippon-addressers are very solicitous , lest his majesty should agree to the bill of exclusion ( pag. 4. ) and thence infers , that if they were protestants , they were men weary of their religion , p. 6. 2. the primitive christians conduct contrary to that of the addressers . 3. if they had known julian's religion before constantius's death , he had not succeeded . p. 7. 4. passive obedience necessary for the first christians , because the laws were against them ; ( p. 7. ) but not for those under julian , because they had the laws on their side ; for when 't is prescrib'd without law , and against law , 't is mahumetan ( p. 8. ) 5. passive obedience contrary to the gospel ; this he pretends to prove from 1 cor. 7. 21 , 22 , 23 verses , with dr. hammond's paraphrase : and by the example of st. paul , act. 22. 25 , 26 , &c. 16. 39 , &c. p. 9. 6. passive obedience contrary to the law of the land. as to the first of these . i don't find the addressers of rippon are fond of a popish , but a lawfull successour : and if mr. johnson infers from their aversion to the bill of exclusion , that they are weary of their religion ; certainly he doth not think them protestants now . for what can be a greater mark of that sacred profession , than to be severely cautious to prevent an action that would be contrary to all laws divine and humane ? they are strangers to that way of preserving their religion , by acting contrary to the dictates of it ; and will hardly venture to doe an unjust thing now , that they may go quietly to church hereafter . certainly we are not by this means to avoid persecution ; this is nothing else , but preferring the eternal torments of the next world , before the little pressures of this , and leaping into hell to avoid the cross. i should have made a far different construction of this address ; for if the gentlemen of rippon were sure his r. h. were a papist ( whereof no man yet ever made a legal proof ) yet what they did was their duty ; for they knew imperatores bonos voto expetendos , qualescunque tolerandos : and that this was the opinion of the primitive christians , as well as tacitus . which will be more fully made out in my answer to the second position , which is , that the conduct of the primitive christians , was quite contrary to that of the addressers . it will be hard to reconcile this saying of his , not onely to truth , but sense ; for if the primitive christians acted quite contrary to the addressers , then when these made it their humble petition to his majesty not to exclude his r. h. they supplicated to constantius to put by julian ; but this was not so , as he himself assures us ( p. 18. ) so that his saying the primitive christians acted contrary to the gentlemen of rippon , when he acknowledges they did nothing at all , must either be non-sense , or made out by a new definition of contraries . but i will suppose he means had the christians known julian's apostacy , they would have us'd all possible means to have prevented hi● coming to the empire . which is the substance ● the third position to be answered . certainly he ought to have good grounds for this assertion , and know of some presidents of their precluding the next heir upon the account of heresie or apostacy ; or at least that it is manifest , from some principles they own'd , that they would , if it had lain in their power : if he knows any thing of this nature , he would doe well to inform the world of it , and give us a second edition of his book , which onely such an addition could make considerable . for in his preface he gives no reason at all ●for what he asserts ; and in the second chapter of his book , where proofs of this kind would be very necessary , he onely tells as that gregory nazianzen [ highly before disoblig'd by julian ] in an invective long after his death tells constantius [ then in heaven ] that he did ill in s●ving and making julian king ; who was both ill sav'd , and made an ill king : and then concludes , constantius would not have done so , if he had known julian's apostacy . sure this gentleman has had the misfortune that the christian's children had under julian , to be deny'd the use of logick and rhetorick ; for how else could he make such an absurd inference , or understanding the nature of an invective , undertake to deduce a concluding argument from any thing that is deliver'd in one ? i declare , ( though i have the greatest veneration for the holy fathers imaginable , and especially for that great name gregory nazianzen ) yet i cannot think it my duty strictly to believe all they say in the height of a panegyrick , or an invective ; there are certain allowances to be made in our belief of speeches , that are the effects of either kindness or anger ; and the distinction may not be improperly ad●mitted , between the father , and the oratour : but this will be more evident , to any impartial man , when i shall prove that many things in gregory's invective said in favour of constantius , or against julian , are not precisely true : for every one knows constantius had faults ; for 't is acknowledg'd ( p. 29. ) that he was guilty of the murther of his kindred and innovation in matters of faith ( for 't is there said he repented of these things at his death ) and i shall add , of a severe persecution ( which will be seen anon . ) granting this to be true , how could he justly merit this complement from gregory ? you were led by the hand of god into every counsel and enterprize , whose wisedom was admir'd above your power , and again your power , more than your wisedom ; but your piety was valued above them both . ( greg. inv. ) if mr. johnson thinks this deservedly said of constantius , he must either think all histories that give us an account of that unhappy emperour's life , fabulous , or entitle god to his apostacy ; but i suppose he is not arriv'd to that height of folly , to believe the former , or of impiety , to admit of the latter . 't is probable he will rather conform to the general opinion of all understanding men , that gregory did , and might say more in an invective , than would be allowable in a history or a sermon . again , that he should make the devil steal in along with the consult ( p. 25. ) can onely be imputed to the uncontrollable liberty of an invective ; for st. austin tells us , god that gave the empire to the christian prince constantine , gave it also to julian the apostate . those things without doubt , that one and the true god doth govern and rule as he pleaseth , by causes , although hidden , yet not unjust . ( aug. de civ . d. 5. c. 21. ) origen likewise tells us , that bad and good princes are both the gift of god , si mali sunt actus nostri , & operamur malignum in conspectu dei ; dantur nobis principes secundum cor nostrum . [ orig. in lib. iud. hom. 4. ] now which is in the right , st. austin or gregory , let any man judge . but farther , can any man believe that the father spoke in earnest , when he tells constantius he did ill to save julian , ( p. 23. ) i. e. he had done well if he had murther'd him ( for there is no difference in the court of conscience , between doing an injury your self , and permitting it to be done by others , if it lye in your power to prevent it , ) if by that means he had prevented his succession ; since 't is contrary , not onely to scripture , but common prudence , to prevent a future inconvenience by a present ill , and by a sin endeavour to avert onely a possible misfortune . i can't tell how difficult it is to satisfie other people ; but for my own part , i think , i can justly conclude from these instances , that every thing in gregory's invective , is not to be urg'd for proof : and this doth not at all derogate from the truth and sincerity of his other works , because the nature of the thing gives him liberties now ; which , as they are not allowable in his other writings , so neither are they usual . but certainly nothing in the world is more senseless and ridiculous , than that which mr. johnson urges to enhanse the credit of this invective ( p. 27. ) where he says the things [ concerning julian ] were not deliver'd coldly , and nakedly set down , but with an emphasis , and the greatest vehemency : for all people know , the passion they were deliver'd with , ought to make us suspect the truth of them ; for angry men often speak what they don't think themselves ; they do not consider what ought to be said , but what makes most against their enemy ; and their fury improves every thing into a weapon to serve their revenge : for i would fain know of mr. johnson , which he thinks more exactly true , tully's offices , or his philippicks ; and yet how nakedly and coldly one is deliver'd , and with what vehemence and pomp of words the other , is easily seen . therefore ( with all submission ) i think gregory's authority in this invective , ought to have no more weight with us , than grotius allows to the sayings of orators [ prol. l. 1. de ju. bel. & pa. ] nos saepe iis utimur , non tam ut inde astruamus fidem , quam ut his quae dicere volumus , ab ipsorum dictis , aliquid ornamenti accedat . i can hardly imagine that holy father himself , had he been at the consult , would have encourag'd constantius to exclude julian , though he knew his apostacy ; because it cannot be easily suppos'd , that he would coolly have done an action , contrary to the law of nature : the reveal'd word of god : and the practice of the primitive christians . 1. that the exclusion of julian , would have been contrary to the law of nature , may be gather'd from what mr. johnson says of his title to the crown ( p. 19. ) viz. that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , so that destroying this , must needs be a great breach of the law of nature , which cannot be allowable upon any consideration ; for a heathen will tell us , nec derogari aliquid ex hâc [ lege naturae ] licet , neque tota abrogari potest : neque verò per senatum , aut per populum , solvi hâc lege possumus ; nec est quaerendus interpres , aut explanator ejus alius ; nec erit alia l●x romae , alia athenis , alia nunc , alia posthac : sed & omnes gentes , & omni tempore , una lex & sempiterna & immortalis continebit ; unusque erit communis quasi magister , & imperator omnium , deus ille legis hujus inventor , disceptator , lator ; cui qui non parebit ipse se fugiet , & naturam hominis aspernabitur ; atque hoc ipso luet maximas poenas , etiamsi caetera supplicia quae putantur effugerit . [ this is quoted lact. 6. inst. 8. out of cic. books de repub. that are lost . ] if this be true ( which i am sure no man of common knowledge will deny ) what becomes of the lawfulness of excluding julian ? 't would have been equally as just to have prevented his succession hy death as any other means ; for any thing tending to this had been a breach of the law of nature , and would onely differ from the former , as robbing a man doth , from cutting his throat . 2. that such an attempt is contrary to the reveal'd law of god , may necessarily be infer'd from the exact agreement there is between the scriptures and the law of nature ; this , being onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 legis illius architypae & aeternae quae est immensè divina ; and those , his reveal'd will : but 't is expresly set down in scripture , that the right of succession is entail'd on primogeniture ; for gen. 49. 3. when jacob blessed his sons , he call'd reuben his first-born the excellency of dignity , and the excellency of power ; and in 2 chron. 21. 3. 't is said , that jehoram succeeded jehosaphat , because he was the first-born . i might fill my margin with quotations to this purpose , but i shall onely add that great instance of the right of primogeniture , gen. 4. 7. where god tells cain of his younger brother abel , unto thee shall be his desire , and thou shalt rule over him ; which are the very words which god spake chap. 3. v. 16. when he gave the man dominion over the woman . now that this right extends to proximity of blood , no body questions ; so that unless we have some warrant from scripture to res●ind this title , it is the highest sacrilege imaginable to attempt it ; and i challenge all the world to shew where that warrant is . god himself , indeed , may dispose of the right that he first gave ; but i would fain know what people could ever lawfully pretend to alter the succession , without an express warrant from god ? david , i confess , made solomon king , but he declares 't was by god's immediate ●ppointment ; and of all my sons , for the lord hath given me many sons , he hath chosen solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the lord over israel , 1 chron. 28. 5. now i shall readily grant the authour of julian's friends , enthusiasts ; but i can hardly admit they have a particular revelation for what they would now be at ; and without this , i think the exclusion of the next heir utterly unlawfull . and that this was the sense of the first christians , will be evident from the apology of athenagoras to m. aurelius , and his son commodus : where having declar'd the christians were of all others most piously inclin'd toward god and their empire , he concludes with this profession : we pray for your empire , that the son ( as it is most fit ) may in the kingdom succeed the father , and that your empire may encrease and flourish , all being made subject to you , which would be much for our good , that we leading a quiet and peaceable life , may readily obey you in all your commands . i think nothing can be fuller than this to prove what i design'd , for that in these words he declar'd the sense of the church , we must necessarily grant , if we consider what his character then was , when he spake them . athe. legat. pro christ. but to come nigher to the business in hand ; the primitive christians did know julian's apostacy , before constantius died : for as soon as ever he was declar'd emperour by the souldiers , he laid by all pretence to christianity ; for going through every city , he open'd the temples , and call'd himself the high priest ( soz. ) so that , like mr. johnson , he did not lay by the name of priest , though he turn'd apostate . now that the army should be ignorant of what julian did so publickly in the face of the sun , is not to be imagin'd ; especially if constantius himself knew it ; which mr. johnson would have us believe , from the passage he cites from gregory naz. that constantius repented his declaring julian his successour ; which could onely be upon the account of his apostacy , so that he must needs know it . but if we give any credit to marcellinus ( whose authority i am sure mr. johnson seems much to value ) if constantius did know that julian was a pagan , it was impossible he should repent of his leaving him his successour : for he tells us ( l. 21. ) that upon his falling sick he did in his right understanding [ integro sensu ] nominate julian his heir , and ( l. 22. ) with his last breath [ supremâ voce ] pronounc'd hi● emperour : now that he spoke or shew'd any signs of his repentance after his death , mr. johnson will hardly allow , because that looks too like a popish miracle . i am rather inclin'd to believe that constantius thought the right of succession was so inviolable , that the highest provocation imaginable ought not to prevail with him to alter it ; for else why did he not endeavour to exclude him , when he had been guilty of the highest ingratitude , in procuring himself to be declar'd emperour by the army , and af●erwards in justifying his title by an open rebellion ? it had certainly been but justice to have proceeded with the greatest rigour against him for so insolent an vsurpation . but alas ! he knew his edicts in this case would be superseded by a greater law , and that they would be of little force against that title from which he first deriv'd the power to make them . i hope this is a sufficient answer to the second chapter , wherein mr. johnson pretends to shew the sense of the primitive christians about julian's succession , but makes one man's opinion the sense of the whole church , and takes that opinion too of his , from his invectives : this is so dis-ingenuous , it could never be excus'd : but that the badness of the cause he is engag'd in , can find nothing else to support it . as to the fourth position , that passive obedience was necessary for the first christians , because the laws were against them , but not to those under iulian , because the laws were for them . i answer ; that this distinction is frivolous ; for since the will of their emperour was a law ( as gregory acknowledges in. p. 92. ) if they were executed by his command , they died lawfully . but i shall refer the farther proof of this to a particular chapter of passive obedience . but since he urges the authority of holy scripture to confirm what he says in this place , we must , for method sake , take notice of it : which is the fifth thing to be answer'd , viz. that passive obedience is contrary to the gospel , as may be seen 1 cor. 7. 21 , 22 , 23 verses , with dr. hammond's paraphrase . 't is very strange , that when our saviour so often recommends sufferings to us as our duty , and the badge of our profession , that quietly and patiently submitting to them , should be contrary to the gospel ; certainly he has a particular bible to himself ; for we find in ours , that suffering is particularly the business of the gospel ; and is the great concluding beatitude , ( mat. 5. 11. ) nay 't is evident that misery and persecution were first entail'd on christianity ; for the jews had the prospect of temporal blessings : riches and honours were the lot of their inheritance ; but we are commanded to take up the cross , and despise the shame of it , that thereby we might imitate him , who condescended to be our great exemplar : but however , it will not be amiss to see what reason he has for this monstrous assertion ; and because every one has not dr. hammond's paraphrase at hand ( which i am confident is the reason he quoted it ) i shall give it you here with the text. v. 21. art thou call'd being a servant ? care not for it : but if thou mayst be made free , use it rather . para. [ in what condition of life soever a man is , when he is converted to christianity , let him contentedly continue in it , and not think that christian religion frees a man from any obligation that lay upon him before ; for that is to make christian religion a pretence to covetousness , or lust , or secular advantages , ( see 1 tim. 6. ) if either being a christian might manumit a servant , or free a husband , or a wife from former obligation . he therefore that being a bondman is converted to christianity , must not think that it is any disparagement to his christianity , that he continues a servant still , nor be solicitous of changing his condition . yet this is not so to be understood , but that if by any fair regular means , he can obtain his freedom , he may then make use of them , and prefer liberty before servitude ; for so he might have done , had he never been a christian . ] ver. 22. for he that is call'd in the lord , being a servant , is the lord's freeman ; likewise he that is call'd , being free , is christ's servant . para. [ for he that being in the condition of a servant , is converted to christianity , doth by his conversion become a freeman in respect of christ ; not that he ceases to be a servant to his former master , or reaps any secular advantages thereby , but his advantages are spiritual , viz. that by being a christian he is freed from many servitudes , that of sin , &c. that lye upon all others ; and to live in christ's family as one of his freemen , though in respect of the world he continue as a servant . and so on the other side , he that is a freeman , and turns christian , becomes thereby a servant of christ's , undertaking obedience to his command , though he lose not his liberty in the world by that means . ( by which 't is clear , that christ meddles not with the secular government of this world , nor changes any man 's outward condition by his becoming christian . ) ] ver. 23. ye are bought with a price , be not servants of men . para. [ ye that are christians , and not formerly servants to heathens , do not voluntarily put your selves in that condition , but chuse liberty rather . ] certainly mr. johnson has a different edition of dr. hammond , as well as of the bible , from that which is in use with us ; for from these texts above cited , nothing can be infer'd to prove what he designs , viz. that we are encourag'd by christianity to procure more civil liberties and franchises ; for it is positively set down in the paraphrase , that christ meddles not with the secular government of this world , nor changes any man 's outward condition , by his becoming christian. one would think , by this way of procedure , mr. johnson , like julian , onely reades the scriptures , to pervert other people by an ill application of them , and to use the gospel against his saviour . 2. his inference , that st. paul was against passive obedience [ act. 22. 26 , &c. ] because he told the captain ( that was ignorant of his condition ) that he was a roman , and consequently exempt from the punishment he was going to inflict upon him , is the most absurd reasoning imaginable . i perceive after all his bawling against passive obedience , he is perfectly ignorant what it is ; for to suffer torments when we can avert them by lawfull means , is not passive obedience , but stupidity : this is not taking up the cross ( as a great man observes ) but pulling it down upon us : christianity allows us to make a defence , but we are not to resist ; we may certainly tell our story ; but if that will not be heard , we must submit with patience . and these were the methods of the primitive christians , they pray'd to god , they supplicated to their emperours , to avert a threatn'd persecution ; but if these means would not doe , they had gregory nazianzen's comfort left still , to dye patiently . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . since passive obedience is not onely allow'd , but enjoin'd by the gospel ( as is briefly shown already , and shall be more fully prov'd by and by ) that it should be contrary to the law of the land ( which is the sixth and last thing he lays down ) cannot be admitted , since our laws must necessarily conform to the determinations of the holy scriptures ; and whatsoever is enacted contrary to them , is ipso facto void ; and i am sure whatever he says , will hardly induce any man in his right senses to think otherwise . i am sure the case he brings ( p. 9. ) is nothing to the purpose ; for he can onely infer from that , that a man may kill an aggressour , and the law take no hold of him . if he could prove from any instance that the law obliges a man ( if he can ) to kill one that offers violence to him , he had said something : but there is a vast difference between what the law permits , and what it commands ; he is not indeed obnoxious to any legal punishment here , but the verdict of a iury will not absolve him from a guilt he has contracted by disobeying our saviour , who has commanded us not to resist evil , [ evil not signifying a thing , but a person ] mat. 5. 39. so that the killing of a pursevant , though it be excus'd in the eye of the law , it will not be so hereafter in heaven ; for if he onely design'd an arrest ( as 't is own'd he did ) a man ought not to take away his life : this is plain from dr. hammond [ prac. cat. p. 164. ] where he tells us a private man may not by the law of christ take away another's life , to save his own goods , or to repell any such kind of injury , because life is more than goods ; nay , ' ●twould be better to avoid taking away another's life , though to save his own ; thereby imitating his saviour who laid down his life for his enemies . lbid . as to those arguments ( p. 15. ) from sir simon ewe's iournal to prove the lawfulness and necessity of excluding a popish successour . i hardly think them worth the least remark . for what can be more unreasonable , than that which they seem to enforce , that it had been just and warrantable not onely to have dis-inherited the queen of scots , but to have taken away her life too , for her religion ? for what just pretence could queen elizabeth have to condemn a princess altogether as independent as her self , and one that was onely accountable to god for her actions ? they might as well have addrest against the french king or the pope for endeavouring to pervert her majestie 's subjects , for the queen had equal power over these princes , though she had them not in possession : and though an act of parliament against them , would not perhaps have been of very great force , yet it would have been expedient to have shewn her good will ( as mr. johnson calls it . ) but we shall find the weakness of these arguments in the effect they bad on the queen ; for she was so far from being persuaded that the fact was lawfull , that she always deny'd her being consenting , or so much as privy to it , when it was done ; and though there might be some probable reasons to believe she was innocent , yet the very suspicion of her being privy to it , has fixt an eternal blot upon her ( otherwise unspotted ) reputation . so that these arguments will seem of very little weight to his present majesty , when all the world knows how unjustly , and unsuccessfully too , they were urg'd against his great ancestour , to a princess that was her mortal enemy , and one but too desirous of her destruction . there is nothing now left in the preface that is worth taking notice of , but the act of the 13 of queen elizabeth , whereby 't was enacted treason during her life , to affirm that she , and her parliament , could not make laws and statutes , of sufficient force and validity , to limit and bind the crown of this realm , and the descent , limitation , inheritance , &c. i shall not presume to determine of the equity and justice of this act , or whether it were in their power to doe as they did ; but the excellent authour of a late pamphlet , entituled , the great point of succession discussed , being an answer to the history of succession , &c. though he was a member of those very parliaments that were so hot for the bill of exclusion , freely declares that the crown of england is , and ought to be , inseparably annext to proximity of blood , by the laws of god , and nature , and this realm ; so that consequently any act , that pretends to alter the succession , is utterly unlawfull , and ipso facto void : and so it ought to be adjudged when it ever comes to the question before the reverend iudges , p. 35. if any one requires fuller satisfaction , i refer him to the book it self , which will convince not onely the diffiders , but the prejudic'd too , of the truth of what is here deliver'd . as for the great subscribers to that act , we have a hierarchy not at all inferiour to them , either in piety or learning , who are of the contrary opinion ; and till i know the reasons why they subscrib'd , i shall not be sway'd by their authorities , when i think i have as great to ballance them . 't will be time now to give some account of the ensuing work , but any considering man will reade the design in the title page , or at least will find it in the book it self , from which i shall no longer detain him . the editions of those authours that are cited . athanasius 2 vol. par. 1627. lactantius basil. 1563. origen con . cel. cantab. 1658. august . opera bas. 1569. gregory naz. par. 1609. tertullian par. 1616. ambrose bas. 1555. athenagoras par. 1577. theodoret par. 1673. rufinus par. 1580. nicep . call. fran. 1588. socratis and sozome . histor. eccl. par. 1668. homilies lon. 1623. the editions of dr. hammond , bishop taylor , &c. of the english divines , are not so various that i need to set down here the particular times or places when and where they were printed . constantius the apostate . chap. i. a short account of the life of constantius . constantine the great having by his last will divided his empire between his three sons , constantine , constantius , constance , died in the suburbs of nicomedia , no one of his sons being present at his death : but constantius , not so far off as the other two , first came to court ; where having paid the usual respects that are due to the memory of a deceased parent , as if all other tyes of nature were buried with his father , he commanded , or at least permitted , the execution of his uncle and cousins , constantius dalmatius and his sons . [ atha . p. 856. ] about three months after the brothers were proclaim'd emperours by the army , each took his share , though not without some dissatisfaction and disturbance ; but things being happily compos'd for the present , they retir'd to their respective provinces . this agreement did not last long , for constantine thought himself hardly dealt withall , and not content with his share of f●ance , spain and britain , would needs encroach upon his brother constance , who had italy and africk , but was slain in the prosecution : thus the empire of the west devolv'd to constance , but all this new accession could not prevent his being assasinated by magnentius an usurping rebel : who at length after many defeats by constantius , was forced to that degree of despair , that he slew himself , and left his conquerour in the quiet possession of all the empire . i was unwilling to perplex this brief account of his coming to the entire possession of the empire , with the relation of any of his particular actions , reserving it rather to this place where i may doe it with less interruption . constantius had not been long upon the throne , but by the insinuations of an arian priest , he was brought over to be a great favourer of that heresie ; the account of his perversion , is at large in most ecclesiastical histories ; and because it may be material , i shall give it at length out of theodoret [ l. 2. c. 3. ] constantia , sister to constantine the great , was very intimate with an arian priest , who , dissembling his own opinion , made it his business to defend or excuse arius ; this man , upon her death-bed , she recommended to her brother's care , who was signally kind to him ; and as a particular mark of his favour , entrusted his last testament in his hands : the delivery of which to constantius , when he came to court , was sufficient to recommend him to his favour ; and gave him an interest , that in a short time became pernicious to the whole christian world ; ●or he improving the opportunity he had of being nigh the emperour , and making his advantage of an inconstant humour that was peculiar to him , easily made him out of love with the true religion , and as zealous for the false . he perswaded the emperour , who was but too prone to hearken to any thing that was ill , ( ath. p. 883. ) that all the disturbances in the church arose from introducing the word consubstantial into the articles of faith , which was no-where to be found in holy scripture , and the blame of this was laid upon athanasius . thus was that unhappy emperour perverted to a heresie , the most dangerous that ever infested the church , for athanasius tells us ( who had certainly good reason to know ) they deny'd christ. [ p. 590. ] athanasius was the first man that suffer'd by the emperour's apostacy ; for his piety and learning rendring him formidable to those hereticks , they soon traduced him to constantius , who sent part of his army to seize him at alexandria , but by a miraculous escape , he prevented the danger and fled to rome . georgius an arian succeeded him in his diocess , who repeated all the cruelties of the former persecutions , which were ten times worse in him , than in the heathens , since he at least profest christianity ; he whipt the men with rods , stript the virgins naked , and brought them to the fire , [ nicep . cal. eccl. hist. ] and in fine , acted all those torments a busie malice could invent , or a blind fierce zeal could execute . but alexandria was not the onely scene of persecution ; it spread it self in a short time as far as the heresie that was the cause of it ; but it raged particularly in constantinople : for macedonius despising the known methods of cruelty as too mean for an arian to exercise , had recourse to those that were particularly of his own invention ; he did not onely punish those that would not communicate with him , with the ordinary punishments of whips , chains , death : but by an unpresidented cruelty , would force open their mouths with clubs , and then throw into them the sacred elements . women likewise and children , though not initiated nor baptiz'd , were preposterously forced to be partakers of the holy sacrament , and were made , as far as it lay in his power , hereticks before they knew what religion was . [ nic. call. ib. ] this certainly was a far greater wickedness than that of iulian ; when by adding the images of the heathen gods to his own , he design'd to deceive the christians into idolatry ; for this was down-right forcing them ( if it were possible ) into heresie . upon these unheard-of methods of persecution , and other bodily torments no less strange , that are at large set down in that history , the authour makes this severe remark : insolitum sane id , exoticumque supplicium , ab iis , qui christum professi sunt , inventum ; quod ea quae olim graecorum tyranni magno studio & ambitione excogitarunt , longè post se reliquit . ( ni. cal. ib. ) aegypt and lybia were depriv'd of all their orthodox bishops , whose places were supply'd by arians . ath. epis. ad soli. vi . liberius , hosius , paulinus , dionysius , eusebius , luciferus , were banish'd for refusing to subscribe against athanasius , who had been acquitted by so many synods before . ib. and constantius himself at length proceeded to that degree of cruelty against the orthodox christians , that he made an edict , not onely to banish them , but to put them to death . athan. p. 8. 53. and the same father tells us , that when maximianus ( constantine's father ) persecuted the christians , the heathens themselves would conceal them , and were so generous often as to suffer fines and imprisonment , rather than betray those that fled to them for protection : but the new hereticks act just the contrary , they voluntarily take upon them the office of searchers , and executioners , and think that he that hides a christian is as much their enemy as he that 's hid . and then speaking of constantius , he says ( atha . p. 8. 36. ) maximianus sent the confessours into one common place of banishment ; so that in all their mi●fortunes , they had one comfort left ( and that no small one ) of mutual society . but constantius industri●●●●●●●●rted those that were friends , that he might make the misery of their banishment more insupportable , and prevent the onely happiness they desir'd , not to be parted till they died . this was so great a cruelty , that never can be excus'd , and no body but a primitive christian could bear it without repining . it would be an endless piece of business to recount all the sufferings of the church , under this cruel apostate , who was no less a tyrant in civil affairs , than a persecutour in religious ; it being an observ'd maxim , that under him no one had escap'd condemnation , of whom it had been but whisper'd that he was guilty ; for he seldom heard above one side , viz. the whispering arian or eunuch , and 't was counted as insolent for any one accus'd to pretend to make a defence as to protest against arianism . ammian . in 21 tells us , si affectatae dominationis ansam quandam falsam reperiisset , aut leve● , hanc sine fine scrutando fasque eodem modo ducens ac nefas , caligulae , domitiani , & commodi immanitatem facile superavit . so that if a roman emperour can act contrary to the law ( as mr. iohnson affirms ) , certainly constantius did : for what can be more evident , than that no man should be condemn'd without being first heard , or his accuser appearing , was an establisht law of the empire ? but yet that he acted quite contrary to this , we may plainly see in athanasius : for how many were drag'd to death , without daring to offer at a defence ? which would have been so far from excusing them , that it would onely have rendred them more guilty in the eye of the judge ; who being always resolv'd to condemn , must needs res●nt any thing ill , that look't as if it design'd to prevent him . and if putting people to death upon pretence and shamms was the particular mark ( as mr. iohnson delivers ) of an arbitrary lawless tyrant , certainly constantius put in as fair for the title as any one ; for what could be more so , than the actions of his deputies in aegypt by his commission ? where innocent children , and ●oolish old women were executed ; these for prescribing , those for wearing an insignificant charm against an ague , under the pretence that they dealt in sorcery . the first time certainly that people ever died for being fools , or that old women suffer'd for superstition , which in them is as necessary an effect of age as grey hairs ; and they might as justly have been executed for being ugly , or having wrinckles . neither were the emperour's actions at home less unaccountable ; for when his sycophants had once persuaded him , that the safety of the world did so much depend upon his , that it must cease to be with him , ( wh●ch he vain man believed ! ) he suspected all that came nigh him to have designs upon him ; a whisper or a wry look was death ; discontent at any thing was mis-interpreted disaffection to the government ; and a man must not be angry , for fear it should be thought he was displeas'd at the emperour . these , and many o●her things of this inhumane strain , are recounted at large in the histories of that age . where , if any one will please to look , he will find that i have just occasion to say a great deal more than i have . if these provocations could not urge the primitive christians to have so much as ill thoughts of their emperour , what can doe it ? the benefi●s of constantine the great , the first patron of their religion , and establisher of their happiness , were still fresh in their memories , which must needs make their wounds deeper now ; for having once sound the joys of a peacefull settl'd church , where ( as they do in heaven now ) they enjoy'd the purest religion , and the most perfect peace ; certainly it must needs be matter of the highest discontent , to have all these comforts s●atch't from them , and by the son of the great constantine that gave them : here are the most aggravating circumstances imaginable ; but their patience was not to be conquer'd , they still made good that saying of athanasius , that persecution was the lot of christianity , atha . p. 836. but this will be more evident when we come , in the third chapter , to shew the behaviour of the christians toward him. chap. ii. the sense of the primitive christians about his succession . constantius came to the crown with the profession of that religion his father was so eminent a defender of ; so that the christians under constantine ( without the gift of prophecy ) could not well expect his apostacy . but i am induced to believe , that if they had , there would have been no petitions to the emperour to exclude his son , to secure their religion ; but rather assurances from them , that this was not a just way to preserve it ; there would have been no bill from the senate with a contradiction in the belly of it , to tell the emperour they would by no means attempt the violation of his prerogative , or the alteration of the fundamental laws of the empire ; and yet in the very next clause , offer at the exclusion of his lawfull heir ; the nature of the thing will not allow me to make any proof from history that it was so , but i don't question to make it more than probable it would have been so , if there had been occasion . for since the right of the next heir to the crown is so strongly secur'd by the laws of god and nature , ( as i hope has been sufficiently prov'd in the preface ) and that it is plain constantius had this right , being descended from constantine ; i can't imagine that the fears of the christians ( though they had the assurance of constantius being an arian ) could authorize them to attempt his exclusion ; for besides that it is contradictory to the principles of their religion , to prevent a future inconvenience , by a present ill , ( as is shown before ) if we may conclude what they would have done then , from what their forefathers did before , or they themselves afterwards , we shall find that they thought no reason great enough to put by the lawfull heir . for when a heathen was to succeed , there was not the least attempt to bar him ; not onely because they doubted their strength , and therefore thought their endeavours would be in vain , but because they thought the contrary their duty ; for they did not onely not make it their business to prevent his coming to the empire , but as much as in them lay assisted it ; for as 't is above cited from athenagoras , they declar'd they thought it most just that commodus , as rightfull heir , should succeed his father m. aurelius ; nay 't was their constant prayer to almighty god that he might : which certainly had been the greatest madness in the world ( he being a heathen , and consequently their mortal enemy ) if they had not thought it so necessary a duty incumbent upon them , that no consideration of their future quiet , or the unmolested enjoyment of their religion , could exempt them from . so that if the actions of these christians have any authority with us , if we have not disclaim'd their very principles as well as piety , we shall not think it so strange , as mr. iohnson would have the world believe we do , for christians not to oppose the succession of their lawfull prince , though part of his religion be to extirpate theirs . if it were our own case , we might lawfully pray for his conversion , and i don't question but we should doe it very heartily , for the free exercise of our religion is the greatest happiness we can wish for on this side heaven ; but if we could have it but for an evil thought , 't were much too dear , and not to be purchased at that rate : and therefore i have often look't with horrour upon that unchristian prayer of the protestants under queen mary , which was certainly ( whatever mr. iohnson declares to the contrary ) never heard or read , to have been us'd by any good christian man against any prince , though he were a pagan or infidel , &c. [ pream . to the act ] ( as shall be seen at large when i come to treat of the christians prayers ) and it was deservedly made treason then , for it was so long before in the eye of heaven ; for if an evil thought or wish against our neighbour , is made as much murther , by the gospel , as actually striking him to the heart , why such a notorious profession of our hatred to our princess , and desire of her destruction ( upon what consideration soever ) should not incurr a proportionable guilt , i cannot easily imagine . but to come nigher to the case in hand , 't will be evident to any , never so little conversant in the ecclesiastical writers , that most of those very people , that mr. iohnson represents to the world for such fierce excluders of a prince , that profest a contrary religion to theirs , did not think ( or at least did not act as if they thought ) that a prince could be barr'd of his right of succession , upon the score of religion ; for not two years after iulian's death , valens a furious arian , and bitter persecutour of those that dissented from him , was peacefully admitted to be emperour , and assisted too by the army ; whom we can't think in the least inclin'd to favour that heresie ( for they were iovinian's souldiers ) but they knew their duty to their prince . i hope these plain instances will satisfie any reasonable man , that the primitive christians did not think it consistent with the principles of their religion , to exclude a lawfull successour upon any terms , since we see that neither being a heathen or an arian ( two the most dangerous enemies to christianity ) could prevail with them to attempt it . 't would be easie here to answer all the pretended arguments and authorities mr. iohnson brings , to prove the contrary actions of the primitive christians toward iulian : but i suppose the reader remembers what has been already said of them particularly in the preface ; so that i shall not need to trouble him , or my self , with a repetition . but i shall hasten to give an account of their behaviour toward constantius , and leave the world to judge whether it be not more agreeable to the gospel , than that which mr. iohnson falsely scandalizes the christians , under iulian , with ; and consequently fittest for our imitation . chap. iii. their behaviour towards him in words . 't is a strange account mr. iohnson gives us of the christians behaviour towards their emperour , though a persecutour , and an apostate ; for railing is certainly so far from being evangelical , that it is contrary to the principles of common breeding . but perhaps these were some of those unhappy people the emperour had interdicted the benefit of going to school to , and now he deservedly found the effect of his cruelty . but then he ought to have told us so , and not to have laid it down in such general terms , as if it were the approv'd practice of the whole church : this is the strangest injustice to that famous age imaginable , and onely exposing those examples , one would think , by the end of his book , he designs we should imitate ; for from the scope of his book , i can conclude nothing but this , viz. that he intends to give us an account how the christians in former ages behav'd themselves toward an apostate , to inform us what we may doe on the like occasion . i must confess he has done most of his own party a considerable kindness ; for they hitherto have rail'd without president , as well as without cause : and i suppose greek e'er long will be much in fashion with them , as a language that will extremely accomplish them for that christian liberty . but as for us , we shall rather fetch the methods of our conduct from the graver writings of the fathers of those times ; and not imitate him , who , like our late travelling sparks , onely observes , and treasures up the vices and follies of the places he visits , and exposes them , when he comes home , for rarities and accomplishments . none certainly but the scum and rabble of that age could be guilty of those indignities to their emperour : but mr. iohnson tells us , no less a man than theodoret commends them for their nick-names and reproaches , and quotes his 3 d book and c. 22. for what he says ; i have look't with both eyes , and cannot find any thing like it : he commends indeed the antiochians for their zeal , but not their rudeness . as to the example of maris , which he brings as the second and last argument to justifie ill language given to an emperour , if an apostate , is of very little force ; for without all doubt , it was an indiscreet action , and nothing but his great zeal for religion could make any colourable excuse for it ; for who , unless he had a mind to be a martyr , would affront an emperour in the height of his devotion , and upbraid his gods when he was paying his adorations to them ? origen i am sure would have counted such an action down-right madness ; for he tells us , when we doe nothing contrary to the law and word of god , we are not so mad or furious as to stir up , against our selves , the wrath of the king or of the magistrate , which would bring upon us blows , torments , and divers kinds of death . and i have some reason to assert this , from the quite different conduct of all the fathers that liv'd under constantius ; that were so far from doing any thing of this nature , unprovok't , that all the cruelties that apostate emperour could inflict , did not extort the least mis-becoming expression from them . athanasius tells the emperour in his apology ; i am not mad , o king , neither have i forgot the voice of god that saith , curse not the king , no not in thy heart . and again , i did not oppose the command of your majesty , god forbid . i am not such a man as would oppose the very treasurer of the city , much less so great an emperour ; i was not so mad as to contradict such a command as yours ; i neither did oppose the command of your majesty , nor will now attempt to enter into alexandria , untill you , of your goodness , will please , i shall . and in another place of the same apology he tells constantius , if i had been accus'd before others , i had appeal'd unto your majesty , as the apostle appeal'd unto caesar — but seeing they have taken the boldness to calumniate me before thee , to whom shall i appeal from thee , but to the father of him who said , i am truth , that he may incline thy heart to mercy ? st. hilary tells him ( and in the time of persecution too ) your mild nature ( blessed lord ) agreeth with your gracious disposition ; and because of your great mercy , we don't doubt of easily obtaining what we desire of you ; we beg of you not onely with words , but tears , that the catholick church be no longer persecuted by our brethren . hilar. ad const. l. 2. and 20 bishops of the west , in the conclusion of a letter from a synod at ariminum , we beseech you , that you cause us not to stay from our charges ; but that the bishops , together with their own people , may with peace employ themselves in prayers and the service of god , making supplication for your kingdoms safety and peace , in which the divine majesty long preserve you . atha . epist. de syn. ari. &c. hosius likewise ( a man of an extraordinary zeal and courage ) though provok't by the severest persecutions imaginable , can't think it lawfull for him to speak so much as dis-respectfully of the emperour : but tells him , since he had receiv'd his imperial power from god , whosoever did detract any thing from that , should be look't upon as an opposer of the ordinance of god. it would be easie to seem very learned upon this point , that is , to stuff my margin with quotations ; but that 's a vanity i am not over-desirous to be thought guilty of . i hope the authorities i have already cited , will be sufficient to prove what i design'd , viz. that it was the judgment of the primitive christians , that no ill usage from their emperour , though a heathen or apostate , could authorize them to affront him ; and that difference of religion , doth not , by any means , cancell our obedience to him . now that the face of things should be so soon chang'd , as that it should be damnation to speak ill of the emperour under constantius ; and under iulian , his immediate successour , not onely permitted , but meritorious , to curse him ( as mr. iohnson acquaints us ) is very strange . i am confident if they did those actions he lays to their charge , they had no president for them in former ages ; and the doctrine they govern'd themselves by , was perfectly new and their own : for 't is well known all the first christians acted quite contrary ; they continually night and day pray'd for the safety of the emperour , [ cypr. ad demet . ] it would be easie out of the martyrologies of the first times , to give instances of the christians submission , as strange , as the cruelty of their persecutours : but this will be unnecessary , since their sufferings and patience are so well known , that mr. iohnson himself is forc't to own it ; but tells us withall , 't was their duty to suffer patiently , because they were persecuted according to law . this answer is of very little force , for there was no other law but the will of their emperours against them , or their edicts , which were onely their will manifested ; both which were as much laws in iulian's time , as n●ro's : therefore why the christians should think it their duty patiently to submit to all the inhumane cruelties of that first persecutour , and those under iulian rebell , or at least murmur at those lighter pressures of their emperour , i am not able to resolve . i am inclin'd to think , that mr. iohnson's christians were not so good as they should be ; for those that will onely submit quietly to persecution upon some conditions ( for he tells u● , though they resisted iulian , they would patiently have bore the cruelty of a heathen persecutour ) are govern'd rather by humour than religion ; for the gospel i am sure makes no distinction , and 't is a receiv'd maxim , ubi lex non distinguit nemo distinguere debet ; where the law makes no distinction , no man ought to doe it . but besides , it has been sufficiently prov'd , that constantius's proceedings were altogether as illegal and arbitrary , as those of iulian could possibly be ; they were both apostates , and though indeed the latter was less to be excus'd ( it being something a worse defection to paganism than arianism ) yet in respect of the quiet and security of the church , they were both equally dangerous . and yet we see from the examples of so many bishops , the prayers of all the people , that they were so far from cursing him or giving him to the devil for his due , that they seem to be fond of his life , and make the establishment and welfare of the empire , to be the first business of their prayers . for hence it is that we give respect to a heathen , if put in authority ; for though he be most unworthy of it himself , who holding god's place , gives the devil thanks for it ; but the honour we give him , his place challengeth . [ q. 35. exerc . nov. test. tom 4. op . av. ] chap. iv. ●h●ir actions . before i give an account of the christi●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their actions toward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●ll be necessary to make 〈◊〉 r●m●●ks upon those two actions of a souldier and a ●ishop under iulian , which mr. iohnson saith m●y manifest how the primitive christians despis'd him ( besides that it i● very foul pl●y to infer the general sense of the church from that of but two members of it ) i cannot grant that the primitive christians would by any means allow of these actions . as to the first , that of valentinian , i must needs own 't was far more excusable than what old gregory did , for his character , and the meanness of the person that suffer'd by him , may plead something in his behalf , striking in a souldier being more pardonable than in a bishop , and bea●ing a priest , more tolerable , than kicking an emperour ; but this will not justifie the violence , for it was undoubtedly a fault , though the praises the historian gives it , would seem to prove the contrary . for to this i answer , that the action deserv'd to be prais'd , not for its own sake , but because it shew'd an extraordinary zeal for christianity ; it was the motive , and not the fact , that was to be commended ; and that this is not purely a 〈◊〉 , but the real truth of the matter , we may i●fe● from this plain instance . in the primitive church many kill'd themselves , when they could by no other means avoid sacrificing to idols ; and they stand now upon record for martyrs . this action of theirs was certainly self-mur●her , and consequently criminal ; and dr. hammond aff●rms , that it was a fault in them too ; but the love of god , and the fear they should be polluted by idols , was the cause of it . and so though it might as a frailty be pardon'd by god's mercy in christ , yet sure this killing themselves was not that which made them martyrs ; but that great love of god , and resolving against idolatrous worship , which testified it self in their killing themselves for that cause : this it was that made them pass for martyrs , and that other incident fault of theirs , was not , in that case , thought so great , as to divest them or rob them of that honour , [ dr. ham. pr. c● . ] and 〈◊〉 highly probable that this was valentinian's case ; 't was not his striking the priest , but his confession , that gave him a title to two kingdoms , that of the empire and heaven . but i need not have said so much of this , for mr. iohnson himself allows it to be an unaccountable action , p. 44. as to the extravagant action of old gregory nazianzen ( for i can't justly give it a milder epithet ) certainly nothing but the partiality of a son can excuse it , and 't is a fault even in him to commend it ; for who can stretch forth his hand against the lord's anointed ( sure the foot is not excepted ) and be guiltless ( 1 sam. 26. 9. ) st. chrysostom's forbidding the empress eudoxia to come within the church , was not half so insolent as this act of gregory's , yet he severely repented of it , and tells us , in the cooler hours of his life , he did more than he could justifie . if i were to specifie the particular actions of the primitive christians under constantius , in opposition to those under iulian , i should be as prolix and tedious as mr. iohnson is in his comparison of popery and paganism ; i shall add in general terms , ( and i defie any one to disprove me out of the writings of the fathers , the histories , and the martyrologies of that age ) that the souldiers , ( though of a contrary opinion ) fought for him . the fathers ( though banish'd ) pray'd for him , as likewise did the martyrs under persecution , till the ex●cutioner put an end at once , both to their devotion , and their lives . chap. v. of their devotion , their psalms and prayers . i don't think there is so much difference between prayers and psalms , as to treat of them severally in two distinct chapters . but shall speak of them here together ( i hope ) without any great absurdity . i must confess there seems some weight in the instance mr. iohnson urges of the young martyr theodorus , who curs'd the emperour out of the psalms ; and when he suffer'd for it , by an extraordinary assistance from heaven , not onely surviv'd , but enjoy'd the torture : but ( like all the rest he writes ) 't is onely gloss , and onely fit to be swallow'd by those whose use he designs his book for , the prejudic'd and ignorant : these believe , because they don't understand ; those , because it makes for them . for this holy martyr repeated this with the same spirit that david first deliver'd it , by way of denouncing god's judgments , not delivering his own sentiments : and mr. iohnson may as well say the priest curses the people in the solemn service on ash●ednesday , as theodorus did the emperour then ; for the idolaters come in for their share there too . mr. iohnson says but little of their prayers , an● that little too he draws from gregory's 〈◊〉 where he ●lls the people what a champion his father had been against iu●● , how he had stricken him with the joint prayers of the people , &c. if he did , 't was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that the christians ●ver did before him . and then what may we judge of th●● p●●yers , but that they were as extraordinary and unjustifiable as his threat●●ing to kick the emperour ? the supplicati●●● 〈◊〉 predecessours were not of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will tell us [ that the scriptures enjoin us for shewing the redundancy of our charity , to pray to god even for our enemies , and wish well unto our persecutours . ] tertul. apol. cap. 31 , and 32. and in another place , [ we pray for the emperour's safety , we call upon the eternal god , the true god , the living god , whom the emperours themselves would wish above all others should be propitious to them . ibid. 30. ] and what is more , he tells them in the same place , [ having our arms thus spread out unto our god , let the hooks tear us , the crosses hang us , the fires lick us up , &c. the posture of a christian praying is fitted for all kind of torments : come ye good governours , wrest out the soul that is supplicating for the emperour : ] can any thing be greater ? this is the patience of a primitive martyr . by this we see not onely calmly to dye for the truth , but even to dye praying for the persecutour , was one of the great requisits to obtain so glorious a title . but perhaps mr. iohnson will tell us this is but one doctor 's opinion ; but if he will take the pains onely to look in the indexes of the fathers , he will be directed to many places , in each of them , to this purpose . cyprian speaking to the emperour , says , [ day and night continually and instantly do we pray , propitiating and appeasing god , for your peace and safety . ] cypr. ad demet . sebastian tells the emperour dioclesian , [ the priests of the temples do possess your majesty with an unjust suspicion of us , suggesting false tales , as if we were enemies to the commonwealth ; whereas by our prayers the commonwealth is better'd and increas'd ; for we cease not to pray for your empire and the roman army . ] but to come ●igher home , athanasius ( a man not over tame but when it was his duty ) gives this reason for celebrating prayer in the church of alexandria , before it was dedicated , that the people earnestly prest him , that they might all pray for the safety of the emperour in the church , which he himself had builded ; being ready otherwise to go out of the city , and assemble themselves in the desarts , at the solemnity of easter , which at that time was to be celebrated . and again , speaking to the emperour , [ you do not forbid , but are willing that all men should pray , knowing that this is the prayer of all , that you may live in safety , and continually reign in peace● — and again ( o emperour of god most belov'd ) many circuits of years , i pray , may you live , and accomplish the dedication of this church ; for those prayers that are made within for your welfare , don't at all hinder the dedication of the church . ] this will be enough to satisfie any reasonable man , that cursing an emperour is not so catholick a doctrine as mr. iohnson would have us to believe , and that all the fathers were not of old gregory's mind . i am inclin'd to believe , that if he could have found but one instance more of such a fiery zeal , it had certainly appear'd , and been improv'd to the best advantage : for we find by his transcribing so great a part of the book of homilies , he is of a good communicative nature , and keeps nothing to himself that may prove in the least beneficial to the publick . but i believe it will be a hard thing to find the least pretence for this doctrine , in all the orthodox writings in former ages ; and any of the fathers would look upon the broacher of such principles with as much detestation , and call him as many names as gregory did iulian the apostate . before i conclude this chapter , it will not be impertinent to shew , that prayers and tears were not so much out of fashion in the primitive church , as to be rediculous in ours ; as for their prayers , that they were not aim'd against the emperour , i hope has been sufficiently shew'd already , but onely intend●d for his safety . and though it may seem unmanly , yet that it was not unchristian to weep , st. ambrose will inform us ; who speaking to his flock at milane , tells them , [ willingly i will never forsake you ; being constrain'd , i know not how to make opposition ; i can sorrow , i can weep , i can sigh , against armour , souldiers and goths : tears are my weapons , for such is the armour of a priest , otherways i cannot , dare not , resist . ] amb. in ora. de bas. non trad. and this same father ( who had likewise to deal with an arian emperour , valentinian the younger ) did not defend himself with his hand or his weapon , but by fastings , and continual watchings , and continuing under the altars , by his prayers he procur'd god to be a defender both of him and his church . ruf. ec. h. l. 2. c. 26. and that prayers and tears do very well together , st. bernard tells us , writing to ●udovicus then king of france . [ indeed we will stand and sight even unto death , if need so requires , in our mothers behalf , with such weapons as we may lawfully use ; not with bucklers and swords , but with prayers and tears to god. ] i suppose if he had meant against the emperour , he would hardly have wrote him word so . ber. in ep. 221. ad ludo. re. chap. vi. constantius's death . constantius , after having reign'd 38 years , ( a great while for a roman emperour and persecutour , and yet not too long , for athanasius wisheth him many circuits of years ) making war in persia , heard the unwelcome news of iulian's being proclaim'd emperour by the army : 't is not to be imagined but he resented this treacherous action with the highest indignation ; but we do not hear that he attempted to exclude him for it ; he knew he had declar'd iulian's right to the succession , by making him caesar ; and that consequently it was not in his power to take away that right which was deriv'd from the law of nature , and confirm'd by his edict , and which could onely cease with iulian's life . that these were his thoughts , we shall best judge by his proceedings in this affair ; for he did not put out his edicts to take away the title of caesar from iulian ( which was equivalent to that of h●ir-apparent with us ) thereby shewing his design to dis-inherit him ; but leaving the prosecution of that war he had begun in persia , he carried his army against iulian , to be reveng'd of that ungratefull usurper , and to secure himself in the empire ; for he might kill iulian as a rebell , and so his right would fall of course ; but he could not dis-inherit him as such , because god , though he gave the power of life and death to the magistrate , hath yet reserv'd the disposing of kingdoms to himself . but to proceed in the narrative : constantius , whether from inward grief , or the toil of a long journey , or both ( is not material ) fell ill at mopsuecrene , a place between cappado●ia and cilicia , where in a very short time he died of a very high fever ; for marcellinus saith , that he burnt all over like fire , so that his servants could not so much as touch his body . socrates indeed gives us a far different account of his distemper , attributing his death to an apoplexy . i shall leave the reconciliation of these two historians to those that think themselves concern'd in it ; for it is not material here of what death he died : but it is certain the news of it was miraculously convey'd to iulian ; for after he had consulted his gods and priests about the event of things , and they had assur'd him of success above his hopes , yet he was dissatisfied still ; he look't upon what they said to be rather slattery than prophecy , and thought their predictions rather squar'd to his desires , than truth ; but he was quickly satisfied by an extraordinary revelation ; for at the very same time the emperour died in cilicia , a souldier that lif●ed iulian upon his horse ; he being seated , suddenly himself fell down upon the ground , and cried out in the hearing of all the company , that he who had rais'd him up so high , was fallen himself . marcel . lib. 21. having given this account of his death , i hope it will not be preposterous to speak a word or two of his repentance . socrates is silent in this matter , and the great athanasius positively affirms , that he continued in his damnable heresie till the last . [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] p. 907. and that dying , he desir'd to be baptiz'd , but not by a holy man , but by one euzoius ( this is also confirm'd by socrates ) that had been depos'd for arianism . ibid. if any one enquires into the credit of this great father , i shall refer him to gregory nazianzen's own speech in commendation of him , which he thus begins , [ in praising athanasius , i praise vertue it self , &c. ] greg. nazian . in land. athan. and to constantius's character of him ( who certainly might be believ'd when he commended one he hated ) in a letter he sent to the people of alexandria , wherein he highly commends his integrity , &c. athan. works . epist. 2. ad pop. alex. now which is to be believed , athanasius or gregory , in the account of constantius's dying a convert or an apostate , i leave the impartial reader to judge . but the authority he useth to induce us to believe a christian did that treacherous act , is much to be suspected ; for amm. marcell . lib. 24. is silent as to that , who was concern'd in the expedition , and an eye-witness of what past ; as likewise eutropius . but aurelius victor affirms the quite contrary , viz. that he was kill'd by a horse-man of the enemies , and one that was ●lying too . but theodoret tells us positively , cap. 25. lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; who it was that struck this just stroke , no man knows to this day . and that it was not probable that a christian would be guilty of this fact , will manifestly enough appear , from the passionate resentments they shew'd at his death . see marcell . l. 24. chap. vii . how they us'd his memory . the primitive christians were so far from offering any injury to the memory of constantius , that as if they had onely remembred he was their emperour ; and now by his being dead , own'd a new obligation superadded to that , to speak well of him ; they deplore his loss with all the demonstrations of a real sorrow : the eyes that were wet when he persecuted them , wept afresh at his funeral , as if they had perfectly learn't that great lesson of their saviour , not onely to bear with , but even to love their enemies . the souldiers you would think , by the extravagance of their grief , had forgot their character ; and constantine himself died not more lamented than his son. iulian , who had no great reason to be fond of his life , if he consulted his own safety , assisted at his obsequies , and made a very considerable figure in that sorrowfull procession ; and if we reade gregory nizianzen's description of his funeral , we must needs stand amaz'd at the greatness of their charity ; he tells us , that he was carried forth with all the solemnity the christians us'd to honour the corps of a pious hero with ; and would fain persuade the people to believe that the very angels themselves , in reward of his unusual piety , contributed their assistance to inhance the glories of his funeral ; but whether this is one of that father's flights , or really true , i shan't contend : this is certain from all the histories of that age , that he died generally lamented ; and that those that suffer'd by his edicts , did not presume to blaspheme the memory of him that made them . this was the conduct of the primitive christian ; and if they ever acted contrary , it was not to be imputed to their religion , but their passions . i shall easily grant that there are some severe reflexions upon iulian to be met withall in authours of very good note ; but i hope mr. iohnson will not infer from that , that they are warrantable . if he reades those very fathers thorough , he will find that their theory runs sometimes contrary to their practice , and that they don't always act according to their own principles ; and i don't know why he should draw those passages into presidents for us , which the authours themselves in their cooler minutes were asham'd to own . chap. viii . reflexions on the behaviour of these christians , wherein , of passive obedience . that the persecution under constantius was much severer than any of the ten former , is evident to any one that considers the cruel●ies that were daily acted by the arian hereticks ; who as they were much more zealous for their opinions than the heathens , so consequently they were more eager in prosecuting those that dissented from them : the loss of a trade or profession was not the punishment of their non-conformity , but of life too ; nay , there were penalties inflicted where death was the least part of the punishment : but all these heavy grievances did not make them question god's providence , or remonstrate to the decrees of the emperour ; they did not make their pressures just , by impatiently submitting to them ; nor frustrate the reward of their sufferings , by reviling their persecutours ; thereby by rendring their persecution onely an unprofitable affliction : they look't upon their miseries as necessary tryals of their faith , knowing that the power of even wicked and hurtfull kings is from god. what therefore can justifie the primitive christians carriage toward iulian , if it were according to the account mr. iohnson gives of it , p. 66 ? that they vext every vein in his royal heart ; said all their prayers backward ; and call'd down for vengeance upon his head , &c. and at last concludes , they seem to have broke all the measures by which all the ancient and suffering christians have gone by in their per●ecutions , p. 68. the reasons he brings to justifie their actions , are these : 1. that their case was different from that of the first christians , because christianity was now the establisht religion of the empire , and they were justly incensed at iulian in offering to disturb them in the exercise of it . 2. since constantius had repeal'd all the sanguinary edicts against them , they were persecuted contrary to law. to the first of these i answer ; that if he takes christianity for the true religion constantine profess'd and maintain'd , his assertion is utterly false ; for the emperour's religion , which is likewise the religion of the empire , as far as edicts can make it , ( and constantine had no other way to establish any thing ) was arianism ; for constantius had long maintain'd that damnable heresie , and had supply'd all the places of the orthodox bishops , who were banish'd for their confession with the most violent professours of it . so that when iulian came to the empire , the church was far from enjoying that peace and tranquillity mr. iohnson describes , p. 68. for it was miserably rent with divisions , and hardly visible but in a few persecuted , distressed members : for granting that constantius did at last repent , it was so late first , he had no time to settle the true religion , but left the empire infected with the heresie he first introduced : which was no more christianity then , than mahumetism is now ; for though they acknowledged a saviour , 't was one of their own making , and the notions they entertain'd of christ may perhaps onely entitle them to greater damnation , than the heathens that never heard his name : so that the quiet enjoyment of their religion could not make them so ●ierce against iulian , for designing to molest them , for he could not put them into a greater confusion than they were in already : nay , they rather found the contrary ; for whoever will take the pains to compare iulian's usage of the christians with that of constantius , he will find that the heathen was less a persecutour than the arian ; and that the church had more quiet minutes in the short reign of iulian , than in 30 years before ; for he ( upon what private designs matters not ) call'd home the banish'd bishops , and r●stor'd them to their places in the church : and though he ridicul'd christianity , he did not often persecute the professours of it ; he endeavour'd indeed to gain pro●●lytes , but yet , like arians , he did not compell people to his altars : nay if we will take mr. iohnson's word , he was rather a tempter than a persecutour . i hope this is enough to shew , that there is not a word true of all that gay description mr. iohnson gives u● , p. 68 , 69 , &c. of the flourishing condition of the church ; and consequently the just sense of the happiness they enjoy'd , and a fear to be rob'd of it , could not animate the christians to that degree that he tells us it did . 2. as to the second , that constantine repeal'd all the sanguinary edicts against the christians , and therefore if they were persecuted , 't was contrary to law ; it is a very ●hallow inference : for though that first christian emperour repeal'd all the sanguinary edicts , yet his successour was not in the l●ast ti●d up : one single word of his would put them all in force again . nay if we believe iustinian ( who certainly was a good judge in the case ) the emperour could not act contrary to law ; for what he did , was according to his pleasure , and his pleasure was a law , quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem , [ just. inst. l. 1. c. 2. ] and the edicts were altogether as arbitrary , for they were onely the emperour's will more publickly made known ; for theop. defines them , edicta sunt , cum princeps motu proprio , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliquid constituit ad honestatem & utilitatem reipublicae ; for whatever the emperour enacted , how ill soever , was suppos'd to be so ; for as his sentence was always presum'd to be just [ principis sententia praesumitur semper justa unde ab ea non appellatur ; ] so likewise were all his actions : so that whether iulian put the christians to death upon sanguinary edicts , or rather accus'd them of other crimes ( that he might avoid the invidious name of a persecutour ) and so destroy'd them , is not material , for ' ●is certain he commanded them to be executed ; and if he did , they dy'd lawfully , for his command was a law ; and that the emperour's command had this authority , is evident from the protestation of the people of alexandria , athan. p. 858. [ if it be the emperour's command we should be persecuted , we are all ready to suffer martyrdom ; but if there be no such thing , we beseech maximus , the governour of egypt , and all the magistrates , that they would entreat his majesty that no such thing may be attempted against us . ] so that what mr. iohnson means , p. 72. by saying the first christians suffer'd according to the laws of their country , whereas those under iulian were persecuted contrary to law , is hard to determine ; for every one knows the will of their emperours was the law of their country , for they were as arbitrary then as he that now usurps their throne ; and i hope no body will say the great turk persecutes his subjects contrary to law , when he kills 5 or 6000 of them for diversion : that he acts unjustly , i grant , but the laws ( that is , his will and pleasure ) are on his side . but to put an end to this matter , 't will be evident to any that have read the former part of this book , that all the sanguinary acts against christians were not repeal'd ; for those made by constantius , which were severe enough ( if we believe athanasius , p. 821. ) stood still in force till iulian his immedia●e successour came to the crown . but mr. iohnson need not have given himself all this trouble to justifie the actions of the primitive christians , for they were never guilty of any that wanted an excuse ; for the church under iulian never own'd those principles or practices that tended to the dishonour of their emperour , as has been shew'd at large in the 2 , 3 , 4 chapters , &c. of this book . i shall con●ine my self no longer to the actions of a particular people or nation , but consider what is our duty as christians in relation to our governours ; and what submission is due to them when they persecute us according to law , or destroy us by an uncontrollable arbitrary power . as to the first of these , the case is plain , and agreed upon on all hands , that submission is necessarily requir'd to a persecutour , that acts according to the laws of his country : this mr. iohnson allows , p. 92. in these words : [ when the laws of god and our country interfere , and 't is made death by the law of the land to be a good christian , then we are to lay down our lives for christ's sake . ] so that all the dispute is about our submission to a persecutour , that acts without the authority of the law , and contrary to it . mr. iohnson denies that submission is due to him by the gospel , [ ibid. ] but i shall make the contrary appear from the plain authority of the holy scriptures , the sense of the primitive christians , as likewise from that too of our present church . for , first , if we are not oblig'd to submit to a tyrant that acts contrary to the law , we may resist him , for there is no medium , flying being part of our passive obedience that is acknowledg'd due to a persecutour that acts according to law : but resisting is not in any case allowable ; for besides our saviour's own words , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 't is forbidden , rom. 12. 17. to return any man evil for evil . and again v. 19. dearly beloved , avenge not your selves , but rather give place unto wrath : for it is written , vengeance is mine , i will repay it , saith the lord. now if no man may pay evil to his brother that has injur'd him , but by the hand of the supreme power , how can it be allowable to render evil for evil to the supreme power it self ? it cannot be done but by a superiour , and he onely is god. we have redress indeed against the violence of our fellow subject , by applying our selves to the magistrate , who may punish the offender , being authorized by god so to doe [ rom. 3. 4. ] but we don't find the people have the like power over the magistrate : obedience is our business , which is inconsistent with the liberty of resisting . grotius tells us plainly , si , quia summum imperium habenti libet , injuria nobis inferatur , toleranda potius est quam vi resistendum ; for though by the law of nature we have the power of repelling injuries , yet we have a greater obligation from the civil government under which we live , that wholly devests us of this right . potest igitur civitas jus illud resistendi promiscuum publicae pacis & ordinis causâ prohibere , cap. 4. l. 2. de iu. bel. & pa. so that this patient submitting to the arbitrary determinations of the magistrate is not onely from the doctrine of our saviour , but from the principl●s of civil prudence : for the lawyers will tell us , that a mischief is better than an inconvenience ; not that the first formally consider'd is to be preferr'd to the latter , but that an inconvenience , whose consequence would reach unto the general , should be prevented rather than a mischief , that would onely endamage particular . hence it is that opposing the magistrate is forbid upon any terms whatsoever , since the indulgence of it would bring a train of ill consequences , ten times worse than all the mischiefs we can possibly suffer from the cruelty of a lawless tyrant ; for as grotius has it in his commentary on the 13 of the romans , reges constituuntur ut improbitate repressa tutiùs vivant boni , hoc autem plenissimè praestant boni reges , mali quoque aliquatenus vel sui causa , & quanquam aliquando vitii aliquid interveniat , nunquam tamen non tutiùs est esse principes , quam non esse : rectè ergo tacitus , vitia erunt donec homines , sed neque haec continua & meliorum interventu pensantur . it was a maxim the former heathens learnt from their philosophers , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and that this anger was not always suppos'd to be just , a latin saying , to the same purpose , will shew us , ames parentem si aequus est , si non , feras ; and that the same , if not much greater difference is to be paid to our common father , is out of question . in some cases i allow it is lawfull not to obey our parent , or our king , but in all cases 't is necessary not to resist . st. peter commands servants to be subject to their masters , with all fear ; not onely the good and gentle , but also the froward ; for this is thank-worthy , if a man for conscience-sake toward god endure grief , suffering wrongfully : and grotius will tell us , quod dicitur subjectionem dominis deberi etiam duris , idem ad reges quoque referendum . nay we owe a greater submission to our governours , than a servant doth to his master ; for if he complains of wrongfull usage , redress is to be had from the magistrate ; but we can onely appeal to god. but to put this matter beyond all controversie , let 's consider what st. paul says , rom. 13. 2. whosoever resists the power , resists the ordinance of god ; and they that resist , shall receive to themselves damnation . here is a general rule laid down without the least exception ; and that it belongs to us , will be evident , if we consider who gave it st. paul , who being the apostle of the gentiles , what he delivers is universal . and why should we presume to be wiser than the law , and make distinctions where we find none ? st. paul tells us , whoever resists the power , shall be damn'd . mr. iohnson tells us , we may resist one that acts contrary to law : this distinction might be plausible , if this wicked power were not the ordinance of god ; but since it is ( as i shall evidently make out by and by ) the resisting this ordinance contracts a guilt , that makes us obnoxious to eternal torments . mr. iohnson indeed quotes bracton to prove , that a magistrate can have no power from god , to act contrary to the law , quia potestas juris solius dei est , potestas autem injuriae diaboli : but i wonder what divine ●ver consulted a common lawyer before about a case of conscience ; for i believe westminster-hall divinity is as bad as pulpit-law : he may likewise , if he please , make use of scotch politicks , and he will find his friend● , knox and buchanan , of his opinion : but st. augustine will tell him ( praef. in enar. 2 ps. 29. ) [ every evil man hath in himself the will to hurt ; but to be able to hurt , is not in his power : in that he hath the will to hurt , he is already guilty ; but that he should have the ability , is permitted by the secret dispensation of god's providence ; toward some for punishment ; toward some for tryal ; toward some for obtaining a crown : for punishment , as the philistins were permitted to subdue the people of israel , because they had sinned against god : for tryal , the devil was permitted to assault iob ; but iob was tryed , the devil confounded : for winning the crown , the persecutours were let loose against the martyrs ; the martyrs were slain , the persecutours thought they had gotten the day ; these did falsly triumph in publick , the other were truly crown'd in secret : therefore that he is permitted to deal against any , proceedeth from the secret dispensation of god's providence ; but that he hath a will to hurt , cometh from the man himself . ] here we see opposing even a persecutour , is resisting the ordinance of god ( since he hath his power from above , ) and what the consequence of that is , no christian can be ignorant of . now that this was not casually spoken by that great father , but his setled opinion , is plain from his constant adhering to it : for in another place he says , ( l. 5. de c. d. c. 8. ) [ from whom [ god ] are all powers , howsoever all mens wills are not from him ; ] and again ( id. de na. bon. &c. ) [ the power even of hurtfull kings is from god. ] theod. likewise on the 13 to the romans , quum vult eos qui peccant castigare à malis magistratibus regi permittit . and isidore tells us plainly , [ hence we see both a bad and good power is ordained by god , bonam propitio , malam irato ; for we owe good kings to the gift of god , but evil ones to our sins ; reges quando boni sunt , ●uneris est de● , quando vero mali sceleris est populi . ] but some may say the fathers are men , and consequently may err ; to obviate this cavil , i shall add the undoubted authority of scripture , rom. 13. 1. there is no power but of god , and the powers that be are ordained of god : and iob 34. 10. god maketh a wicked man to reign for the sins of the people . since therefore 't is plain from these many instances , that the power of wicked princes is from god , our resistance cannot be any ways warrantable : we may as well quarrel with providence for sending plagues among us , or murmur at the almighty when he visits us with his judgments , as resist a persecutour ; for he is sent to punish us for our sins ; he is onely the instrument , the rod in god's hand , which we ought rather to kiss than burn . i hope it has been sufficiently proved from the scriptures , and sense of the fathers , that the power of wicked princes is from god , and consequently it is our duty to submit to them , though they act never so illegally . it remains now , that i should prove , that this is likewise the doctrine of our present church ; and here i might refer my reader to all the writings of our eminent divines since the reformation , whose business it has been to preach up obedience to governours , and have unanimously declar'd against resistance upon any terms whatsoever : i might transcribe great part of bishop bilson , bishop taylour and dr. hammond's tracts upon this subject , but i shall rather chuse onely to quote the homilies , it being agreed on all sides , that in them is contain'd the true doctrine of our church ; and mr. iohnson deservedly stiles them the next best book to the bible . i wish he could commend them upon his own knowledge ; but i am afraid he never read any more of them than serv'd for a present purpose , and cares as little for them otherwise as the country people do : for if he had met with the homilies against rebellion and disobedience , we should never have had that assertion , p. 92. that the onely case wherein the gospel requires passive obedience , is when the laws are against a man : for in the first homily against disobedience and wilfull rebellion , there are these words , [ we shall find in very many and almost infinite places in holy scripture , as well of the old testament as the new ; as well the evil as the good do reign by god's ordinance , and we are bound to obey them . ] and again — [ it cometh not of chance and fortune ( as they term it ) nor of the ambition of mortal men and women climing up of their own accord to dominion , that there be kings , queens and princes , and other governours over men , being their subjects ; but all kings and queens and other governours are especially appointed by the ordinance of god. ] — and again , [ what shall subjects doe then ? shall they obey the valiant , stout , wise and good princes , and contemn , disobey and rebell against children , or against indiscreet and evil governours ? god forbid , &c. ] and the reason follows — [ for a rebell is worse than the worst prince , and rebellion worse than the worst government of the worst prince that hitherto has been . ] — and in another place , [ shall the subjects both by their wickedness provoke god for their deserved punishment , to give them an undiscrect or evil prince , and also rebell against them , and also against god , who for the punishment of their sins did give them such a prince ? ] i am weary of transcribing out of a book that ought to be almost as well known to us as our bibles ; but i can't forbear to insert this passage , which is so pertinent to the business in hand , and makes it plain that we ought by our repentance to avert the miseries of a wicked prince , and not by resisting his power ; the words are these , — [ let us take away our wickedness , that provok'd god to set such an one over us , and god will either displace him , or of an evil prince , make him a good prince ; so that we first change our evil into good ; for subjects to deserve through their sins , to have an evil prince , and to rebell against him were double and treble evil , by provoking god more to plague them : nay , let us either deserve to have a good prince , or let us patiently suffer and obey such as we deserve . ] having thus secur'd the supreme magistrate from the violence of his subjects , it will be necessary to take some care of his under officers ; whose power , since it is the ordinance of god ( for epiphanius proves , that the many magistrates under one king are ordain'd of god , from the 13 to the romans ) ought no more to be resisted than the king 's . though this may seem something harsh in an english man's ears , who will acknowledge perhaps that the king can doe no injury , and is above the censure of the law , yet he knows his officers are accountable for any illegal act ; and the very command of the prince cannot secure them from being impeach't by the people : granting this to be very true ; yet i shall still assert , that the inferiour magistrate , though in the execution of an illegal act is not to be repell'd by force ; for though bracton tells us , ei qui vult viribus uti erit viriliter resistendum ; and the law in our own defence permits us to kill our enemy , yet ( as it is sufficiently declar'd before ) we sin in so doing ; and though we escape here , judgment will overtake us hereafter . let 's hear st. peter's opinion in the case , 1 pet. 2. 13 , 14 , 15. submit your selves unto every ordinance of man for the lord's sake , whether to the king as supreme , or unto governours , as unto them that are sent by him● — for this is the will of god , &c. — from this 't is plain that we ought to submit to inferiour officers for the lord's sake , as well as supreme ; this subordinate power being from god , though not immediately : this is sufficiently acknowledged in our saviour's answer to pilate , thou couldst have no power over me , except it were given thee from above ; and we all know he was under the emperour . i am not ignorant that the above-cited text from st. peter has been perverted to serve upon a far different occasion ; the improper proper translation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humane ordinance giving occasion to some ignorant or ill-minded people to infer , that all government is of humane institution ; but to any considering man 't is plain , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies a person , and not a thing , from the division subjoyn'd , whether it be to kings as supreme , or governours , &c. and therefore the best translation runs , submit your selves to every humane creature . here it may be objected , that this explication is too large , because undoubtedly we are not to submit to all men : to this i answer , that sentenc●s deliver'd in general terms are not always to be taken in their full extent ; but restrictions are allowable , provided they are had from parallel places in scripture ; for this command of subjecting our selves to all men , implies no more but this , we must submit our selves to all men to whom submission is due : of haymo in rom. 13. subditi estote omni creaturae , i.e. omnibus hominibus nobis praepositis . but that which gives colour for the allowance of this restriction , is the like expression in the same chapter , v. 17. where we are commanded to honour all men . certainly the meaning of this is not that the king should honour his subjects , or the father his children . but as dr. hammond in his paraphrase on the place , [ give every man the honour and obedience that is due to him : ] and st. paul confirms this , rom. 13. 7. give all men their due , tribute to whom tribute — honour to whom honour . but to make this point of our submission to under o●●icers , as plain a● possible , let us consider the example of our saviour , who when he was set upon by a great multitude with swords and staves , &c. who certainly acted very illegally , for they had no just commission for what they did , nor could have ( for our saviour tells them , luke ●2 . 53. this is your hour , and the power of darkness ; which dr. hammond explains in his paraphrase , [ this is the time when the devil and you are permitted to work your wills on me . ] yet he was so far from resisting them ( though he had ten millions of angels at his command ) that he severely rebuked peter for drawing his sword in his defence , and bid him put it up , for all that take the sword , shall perish by the sword . here we see our saviour doth not onely encourage us by his example to submit patiently to those that wrongfully assault us , but by his precept enjoy●s it as our duty ; he doth not leave it at our disposal , whether we will submit or no ; nor is this onely a counsel of perfection , which brings honour and reward to those that keep it ; but to those that doe not , no manner of danger at all ( as mr. iohnson speaks , p. 68. from greg. naz. ) for we see here a penalty threatned to the resister ; though if any case might be excepted , this ought to claim the privilege , for the sword could never be drawn in a better cause , or by a better hand : but the precept is universal and unalterable . st. peter himself must not resist , though to defend his saviour . this is a hard lesson ( i know ) to flesh and blood , but we must not consult them when we are to take up the cross ; which is the indispensable duty of every christian , 2 tim. 3. 12. and again , heb. 11. 6 , 7 , 8. for whom the lord loveth , he chas●eneth ; and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth . i hope i have not omitted any thing in mr. iohnson's book that might deserve the least consideration ; but to make the surer work , it will be necessary to make some particular remarks upon those five propositions , p. 92. into which he tells us there he has reduced the force and strength of what was formerly delivered in his book . 1. christianity destroys no man's natural or civil rights , but confirms them . ans. christianity doth not at all meddle with our civil rights [ 1 cor. 7. 20 , 21. with dr. hammond's paraphrase . ] and as for natural rights , some it has confirm'd , but destroy'd others ; for many things were lawfull to us as men , which are not so as christians . nay , there were many things allow'd under the iewish oeconomy , which christ hath absolutely forbid ; and particularly in this case of private revenge , and resisting the unlawfull oppressour . see matth. 5. v. 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43. with dr. hammond's paraphrase . 2. all men have a natural and civil right and property in their lives , till they have forfeited them by the laws of their country . ans. we had indeed a natural right to our lives , and we might have defended them by force , and those weapons that nature had bestowed upon us ; but this right is superseded not onely by the maxims of christianity , but civil policy too ( as has been shewn from grotius ) ; and we can no more defend our lives by violence , than we can destroy them upon private discontent ; both the preserving and destroying the subject being lodg'd in the hands of the supreme magistrate . 3. when the laws of god and our country interfere , and it is made death by the law of the land to be a good christian , then we are to lay down our lives for christ's sake . this is the onely case wherein the gospel requires passive obedience , namely , when the laws are against a man : and this was the case of the first christians . ans. 1. the rule of our obedience and submission is universal , there is no person excepted ; nay , 't is plain from scripture that we ought not onely to submit when the laws are against us , but when they are for us , and we are illegally opprest : for if our saviour commands us , matth. 5. 38 , 39 , &c. not to resist a private person that offer'd us an injury , ( which is certainly illegal , and acknowledged so all over the world , since he acts without so much as any pretended a●thority ) how much rather ought we to submit to the magistrate , though he acts contrary to law ; for besides the general obligation we have just now mentioned , there is another that more particularly restrains us , viz. st. paul's command , to submit to his power as he is a magistrate , and cons●quently ordained by god. 2. the laws were no more against the first christians , than they were against those under iulian ; for they suffered both by the same law , viz. the uncontrollable will of their emperour . 4. that killing a man contrary to law is murther . ans. i can't grant this universally true , for sometimes 't is more than murther , viz. treason , sometimes less , viz. manslaughter : but that murther is murther , i allow . i hope the reader will pardon the seeming lightness of this answer , since it is necessary to shew how hard it is for mr. iohnson to speak truth or sense in the most trivial concerns . 5. that every man is bound to prevent murther as far as the law allows , and ought not to submit to be murthered if he can help it . ans. how plausible soever this seems , 't is utterly false : we ought indeed to prevent murther by all the means our laws command , for they can command nothing contrary to the scriptures , but not by those they barely allow ; for 't is evident from what has been delivered already , that the law permits some means that are not warranted by the gospel , and those we must not , cannot use ; for we ought not to damn our selves to prevent the violence of a murtherer , though offered to our selves ; for our saviour assures us we don't lose our lives by this patient submission to death , but gain them . 't will not be impertinent now to take notice of some quotations pickt up out of bracton , to countenance mr. iohnson's doctrine , p. 83. who certainly has a peculiar way of perverting the sense of authours : for how else could he arm bracton against his prince ? who , good man ! little thought his authority should be made use of to countenance disobedience , or to pull down the prerogative , of which he really was so just and vigorous a defender : but our law-books may well be debaucht to serve the purposes of ill men , when the bible is , and bracton has not so much reason to complain of the injury , since he hath st. paul for a fellow sufferer : the substance of all he cites from bracton is this ; rex est sub deo & sub lege quia lex facit regem . if mr. iohnson would but let bracton interpret himself , we should have none of the absurd inferences he makes , p. 83. for he tells us , ● . 3. c. 26. rex habet superiorem deum item legem per quam factus est rex , item curiam suam , viz. comites & barones . here we see there is no more power allowed to the law , than there is to the earls and barons ; and that they can't civilly oblige the king to obedience , but onely morally oblige his conscience when he is persuaded their counsels are just , i am sure mr. iohnson himself will allow : therefore 't is evident that those words cannot relate to any coercive power , but onely directive ; for he says just before , nec factum regis nec chartam potest quis judicare ita quod factum domini regis irritetur : and what he delivers in the following words , onely implies a moral superiority , by reason of a directive power in the law , and likewise in the earls , &c. not any civil jurisdiction or coercive power ; for he declares , cap. 4. p. 17. that for all the ill the king can doe , god onely can punish him : satis sufficit ei pro poena quod dominum expected ultorem . this is enough to satisfie those that never did , and perhaps never may see bracton's books of the meaning of that great lawyer ; as for those that understand him , they know that he of all men is not in the least guilty of any saying that may derogate from the prerogative of the prince , for he has evidently made it his business to justifie it in its fullest extent . i might here conclude , but that mr. iohnson will give us another touch of the primitive christians , p. 93. where he tells us we have no occasion for that admirable example of the thebaean legion : if he had not forgot the service of the church , he would know the patience of martyrs was not onely the business of our imitation , but the subject of our prayers too : and though we have not always occasion to follow their example , yet it is our constant duty to thank god for it . and therefore in the most peacefully settled times this sad story is not impertinent from the pulpit ; we have solemn days to commemorate the sufferings of our blessed saviour and the apostles : and though the church has not thought fit to give this glorious action a place in the kalendar , it ought certainly to be eternally fixt in our memories ; for then if ill times should come ( and if we consider impartially god's justice and our own sins , we have little reason to expect otherwise ) the example and conduct of the thebaean legion will be of great use to us ; there we shall see souldiers dye with the same meen they used to triumph ; and chieftains not inspiring their souldiers with courage , but instilling the softer maxims of patience : eucherius tells the emperour ( after a second decemation of the legion , and upon his command to destroy them all ) [ despair it self , o emperour , which is strongest in dangers , hath not arm'd us against thee : behold we have weapons , and yet offer not to resist , because we had rather dye than overcome , chusing rather to dye innocent , than live guilty , &c. ] no body but mr. iohnson would say this great example is not universally to be imitated ; and his reason is , because they suffered according to the laws of their country . this shift of his has been sufficiently exposed already ; but that he may not have the least pretence to it hereafter , i shall shew that the christians under iulian had power to resist ( and he declares the laws were for them , ) and yet they did not ; so that his assertion , p. 94. that they would if they could ; and consequently that we may , is utterly false . now that the christians were able , appears from all the historians that speak of that age ; for not onely the greatest part of the world were christians , but iulian's army was entirely so ; for when they chose iovinian for their emperour , he refused the honour , telling them , that since he was a christian , he could not command over heathens ; but they all , with one accord , cried out , we are christians . ] rusin . l. 2. c. 1. theodoret is more full in this case ; for he makes the army tell him , that he shall command christians that were ever bred up to that profession [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] for those that were elder , had constantine for their teacher , the younger constantius ; nay , they assure him they could not be heathens , for iulian did not live long enough to pervert them : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . th. l. 4. c. 1. this mr. iohnson himself knew , for all he saith , p. 94. [ what would they have a few desenceless christians doe , when they had lost their strength , and so many of their numbers ? ] for in his preface , p. 25. he quotes st. aug. in ps. 124. who there saith , [ though iulian was an apostate , an oppressour and idolater , yet christian souldiers served under him . ] now whether these were unarm'd or defenceless when they were to fight , let any reasonable man judge ; and for their numbers , i appeal to the historians . thus i hope i have performed my promise , viz. 1. i have shewn the unlawfulness of excluding the next heir upon the account of his religion , and that it is a practice altogether unknown to the primitive christians . 2. i have proved the necessity of passive obedience from the scripture , the sense of the primitive fathers , and the doctrine of our present church . 3. i have not left any thing unanswered in iulian , &c. that opposed the right of the next heir , or justified resistance . as for the latter part of the book , since i am not concerned in the vindication of the papists , i shall leave it to the censure of those that are . but i must needs say , that mr. iohnson had more effectually routed the papists , if he had rather set down the arguments with which those great men confuted their doctrines , than onely the rhetorick they exposed them with ; for we , ( whether it be the civility or judgment of the age , i shan't determine ) are not much affected with the old elizabeth-way of railing . finis . advertisement . there is now in the press another answer to julian the apostate , entituled jovian . an answerto julian the apostate . by a minister of london . books printed for walter kettilby , at the bishop's head in st. paul's church-yard . dr . fowler 's libertas evangelica . octavo . mr. kidder's discourse of christian forti●ude . oct. mr. allen's discourse of divine assistence . oct. — christian justification stated . oct. — against ferguson of justification . oct. — persuasive to peace and unity : with a large preface against the quakers . oct. — mystery of iniquity unfolded , against the papists . oct. — serious and friendly address to the non-conformists . oct. — practical discourse of humility . oct. mr. lamb's stop to the course of separation . oct. — fresh suit against independency . oct. mr. long 's history of the donatists . oct. — character of a separatist . oct. — against hale's of schism : with baxter's arguments for conformity . oct. — non-conformists plea for peace impleaded , against mr. baxter . oct. dr. grove's vindication of the conforming clergy . quarto . — defence of the church and clergy of england . qu. — responsio ad celeusma . qu. — defentio suae responsionis ad nuperum libellum qui inscribitur celeusma . qu. remarks on the growth and progress of non-conformity . qu. baxter's vindication of the church of england , in her rights and ceremonies , discipline and church-order . qu. mr. halliwell's discourse of the excellency of christiani●y . qu. — true and lively representation of popery : shewing that popery is only new-modelled paganism . qu. — account of familism , against the quakers . oct. — sacred method of saving humane souls . qu. — discourse of the kingdom of darkness . oct. cleget's reply to the mischief of impositions , in answer to dr. stilling ●●eet's sermon . qu. the true english-man : humbly proposing something to rid us of the plot in state and contention in the church . qu. a persuasive to reformation and unity , as the best security against the designs of our popish enemies . qu. the harmony of natural and positive divine laws : by walter charleton , m. d. notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a27390-e4540 orig. l. 8. contra cel. atha . apol. ad const. ath. ibid. notes for div a27390-e6800 r●f 17. 18. the exceptions of mr. edwards in his causes of atheism against the reasonableness of christianity, as deliver'd in the scriptures, examin'd and found unreasonable, unscriptural, and injurious also it's clearly proved by many testimonies of holy scripture, that the god and father of our lord jesus christ is the only god and father of christians. nye, stephen, 1648?-1719. 1695 approx. 132 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 24 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2008-09 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a70688 wing n1506b estc r41202 12796736 ocm 12796736 93987 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a70688) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 93987) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 379:22 or 1750:3) the exceptions of mr. edwards in his causes of atheism against the reasonableness of christianity, as deliver'd in the scriptures, examin'd and found unreasonable, unscriptural, and injurious also it's clearly proved by many testimonies of holy scripture, that the god and father of our lord jesus christ is the only god and father of christians. nye, stephen, 1648?-1719. iv, 5-47 p. [s.n.], london : printed in the year mdcxcv [1695] this work appears at reel 379:22 as wing e3840 (number cancelled in wing 2nd ed.), and at reel 1750:3 as wing (2nd ed.) n1506b. erroneously attributed to john locke, despite the fact that it is dedicated to him, i.e., "to the author of the reasonableness of christianity." also appears as pt. 6 of a third collection of tracts. 1695. reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng edwards, john, 1637-1716. -some thoughts concerning the several causes and occasions of atheism. locke, john, 1632-1704. -reasonableness of christianity. antitrinitarianism. church history -17th century. christianity -early works to 1800. theology, doctrinal -early works to 1800. 2007-02 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-03 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-05 john latta sampled and proofread 2007-05 john latta text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the exceptions of mr. edwards , in his causes of atheism , against the reasonableness of christianity , as deliver'd in the scriptures , examin'd ; and found unreasonable , unscriptural , and injurious . also it 's clearly proved by many testimonies of holy scripture , that the god and father of our lord jesus christ , is the only god and father of christians . london , printed in the year mdcxcv . to the author of the reasonableness of christianity as delivered in the scriptures . sir , in reading your book of that title , i readily perceived your design , intimated in your preface , to be therein most industriously and piously pursued : so that you have , with full evidence of scripture and reason , shewed , against the manifold obscure and tedious systems , that the fundamentals of christian faith , necessary to constitute a man a true member of christ's church , are all comprehended or implied in this plain proposition , that jesus is the messiah : whereby you have happily provided for the quiet and satisfaction of the minds of the honest multitude or bulk of mankind , floating in doubts and fears , because either they cannot understand , or can find no clear evidence in holy scripture , of those intricate points requir'd to be explicitly believ'd upon pain of eternal damnation . you have also argued clearly the reasonableness and vsefulness of the christian revelation against atheists and deists . these things consider'd , 't was no marvel , that the systematical men , who gain both their honour and profit by the obscurity and multitude of their fundamental articles , should raise an outcry against you , like that of the ephesians magnifying their diana . they have more cause for it than demetrius had . but that they should traduce your work as tending to atheism or deism , is as strange from reason , as many of their articles are from scripture . and that mr. edwards has done it , and forc'd it in among his tendencies to atheism , is , i think , to be imputed to the co-incidence of your book 's being publish'd , and striking strongly upon his inventive faculty , just when it was in hot pursuit of the causes of atheism , rather than to any the least colour or inclination that way , which mr. edwards can spy in it in his cool thoughts : for i am much perswaded on the contrary , that there is no atheist or deist in england , but , if he were ask'd the question , would tell mr. edwards , that their obscure and contradictious fundamentals were one cause or inducement to his casting off and disbelief of christianity . in this mind i have undertaken to vindicate your doctrine from the exceptions of mr. edwards against it . but whether i have done it as it ought to have been done , i cannot be a competent judg. if i have mistaken your sense , or us'd weak reasonings in your defence , i crave your pardon : but my design in this writing was not to please you , ( whom i know not ) nor any man whatsoever , but only to honour the one god , and vindicate his most useful truths . i am , sir , your very humble servant . mr. edwards 's exceptions against the reasonableness of christianity , examined , &c. it seems to me , that mr. edwards , printing his causes of atheism , whilst the reasonableness of christianity was newly publish'd , was put upon it by his bookseller , to add some exceptions against that treatise so much noted for its heterodoxy ; that so the sale of his own tract might be the more promoted : whence it comes to pass , that his notes being writ in haste , are not so well digested as might be expected from a person of his learning and ingenuity . in pag. 104. he takes notice of a plausible conceit , which hath been growing up a considerable time , &c. but tells not his reader what that conceit was , till he hath charged it upon a very learned and famous author , whom he is pleased to call a wavering prelate , and another of the same order , and a third of a lower degree ; but more particularly , fully and distinctly , upon the late publisher of the reasonableness of christianity , &c. here at length in his next page , he tells us , that this author gives it us over and over again , in these formal words , viz. that nothing is required to be believed by any christian man but this , that jesvs is the messiah . i think if he had not been in haste , he would have cited at least two or three of those pages , wherein we might find those formal words , but he has not one , and i do not remember where they are to be found ; for i am almost in as much haste as mr. edwards , and will not seek for them . it 's true , he says , that all that was to be believed for justification , or to make a man a christian , by him that did already believe in , and worship one true god , maker of heaven and earth , was no more than this single proposition , that jesus of nazareth was the christ or the messiah . but then he takes to be included in this proposition , 1. all synonimous expressions , such as , the son of god ; the king of israel ; the sent of god ; he that should come , he of whom moses and the prophets did write ; the teacher come from god , &c. 2. all such expressions as shew the manner of his being the christ , messiah , or son of god , such as his being conceived by the holy ghost and power of the most high ; his being anointed with the holy ghost and power ; his being sanctified and sent into the world ; his being raised from the dead , and exalted to be a prince and saviour after the time he was so , &c. 3. such expressions as import the great benefits of his being the messiah ; as having the words of eternal life ; his having power from the father to remit sins , to raise the dead , to judg the world ; to give eternal life ; to send the h. spirit upon the apostles whereby they might work miracles , and preach the light of life to jews and gentiles , and the like . for all those quotations of scripture which the author ( as mr. edwards observes ) has amassed together out of the gospels , and the acts of the apostles , which take up about three quarters of his book , for the proof of his proposition , are indeed expository of the meaning of that proposition , and are included in it . not that it was necessary that every one , who believed the proposition , should understand and have an explicite faith of all those particulars : for neither the believers during the life of christ , nor the apostles themselves understood many of them , no nor presently after his death and resurrection ; for they had still divers erroneous opinions concerning the nature of his kingdom , and the preaching to the gentiles , and other things . and in the beginning of christ's preaching , though philip believ'd that jesus was the messiah , the son of god , the king of israel ; yet he seems to be ignorant of his being born of a virgin , for he calls him the son of joseph , john 1. 45. but as he that believes that william the 3d is the true king of england , &c. believes enough to make him a good subject , though he understands not all the grounds of his title , much less all his power and prerogatives that belong to him as king : so he that believes upon good grounds that jesus is the messiah , and understands so much of this proposition as makes him , or may make him a good subject of christ's kingdom , though he be ignorant of many things included in that proposition , he has all the faith necessary to salvation , as our author has abundantly proved . but mr. edwards says , this gentleman forgot , or rather wilfully omitted a plain and obvious passage , in one of the evangelists , go teach all nations , &c. mat. 28. 19. from which it is plain ( says he ) that all that are adult members of the christian church , must be taught as well as baptiz'd into the faith of the holy trinity , father , son and holy ghost , and then they must believe it : and consequently more is required to be believed by christian men , than that jesus is the messiah . he infers from this , you see it is part of the evangelical faith , and such as is necessary , absolutely necessary to make one a member of the christian church , to believe a trinity in vnity in the god-head ; or , in plainer terms , that though god is one as to his essence and nature , yet there are three persons in that divine essence , and that these three are really the one god. i must confess , that if mr. edwards's reasoning be good , the author is totally confuted , three quarters of his book at least are writ in vain , and the old systems must stand good ; and the bulk of mankind will certainly be damned , or it will be a wonder if any of them be faved . but give me leave to tell him i do not see , what he says we do see : that text will well enough consist with our author's proposition . for i would ask him , whether the apostles follow'd this commission or not : if they obey'd it , then in baptizing in the name of jesus the messiah , and exhorting those to whom they preached , to be baptiz'd in the name of the messiah , after their preaching the messiah to them , they did in effect baptize in the name of the father , son and holy ghost , otherwise they did not pursue their commission ; for we never find them baptizing in those express terms , but always in the name of jesus the messiah , or the lord jesus , or the lord , and the like . so that mr. edwards must either charge the holy apostles with ignorance of , or disobedience to their lord's command , or acknowledg that they did really baptize in the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost , when they did but expresly baptize in the name of the son or messiah ; forasmuch as all that were so baptiz'd , did believe in the father of that son of god , as implied in the son , and in the holy ghost , as the anointing of the son , and which also was given to those that were so baptiz'd . but as for his inference , viz. that it 's absolutely necessary to believe a trinity in vnity in the godhead ; or that god is one as to his essence and nature , yet there are three persons in that divine essence , and that these three persons are really the one god : this will condemn not only the unitarians , and the bulk of mankind , but the greater part of trinitarians , the learned as well as the vulgar . for all the real trinitarians do not believe one essence , but three numerical essences . here dr. sherlock , dr. cudworth , the bishop of gl. the late arch-bishop , mr. h — w , and all that hold as the council of nice did , with that council it self , and the whole church ( except some hereticks ) for many centuries , are by mr. edwards expung'd out of the catalogue of christian believers , and consequently condemn'd to the horrible portion of infidels or hereticks . the mystery-men , or ignoramus trinitarians , they are condemn'd too ; for they admit not any explication , and therefore not mr. edwards's . there remains only dr. south , and dr. wallis , and the philosopher hobbs , who ( mr. edwards says ) is the great master and lawgiver of the profess'd atheists , pag. 129. and that party which have the absolutely necessary faith of three persons in one essence . but if you ask these men what they mean by three persons : do they mean according to the common sense of mankind , and especially of the english nation , three singular intellectual beings ? no , by no means , that is tritheism , they mean three modes in the one god , which may be resembled to three postures in one man ; or three external relations , as creator , redeemer , sanctifier ; as one man may be three persons , a husband , a father and a master . this is that opinion of faith , which the antients made heresy , and sabellius the head of it . thus it is absolutely necessary to make a man a christian , that he be a sabellian heretick . but perhaps mr. edwards may be of mr. h — w's mind , for he says , these three persons are really the one god ; but then , no one of them singly is so , but every one a third of god : if so , mr. edwards is indeed a unitarian , for he gives us one god only ; but then he is no trinitarian , for he has put down the father himself from being god singly , and so the son and holy ghost . as to what he says of being baptized into the faith and worship of none but the only true god , that has been answer'd a hundred times . he cannot look into any of the unitarian books , but he will find a sufficient answer to that inference . were the israelites baptiz'd into the worship of moses ? but they were baptized into moses , 1 cor. 10. 2. or when the apostle paul supposes he might have baptized in his own name ; did he mean that he should have baptized into the worship of himself as the most high god ? then mr. edwards minds his reader , that the author had left out also that famous testimony in joh. 1. 1. in the beginning was the word [ jesus christ ] and the word was with god , and the word was god. whence ( saith he ) we are obliged to yield assent to this article , that christ the word is god. here mr. edwards must mean that this is a fundamental article , and necessary to salvation ; otherwise he says nothing against his author , who has prevented his urging any other text , not containing a fundamental , in his answer to the objection from the epistles and other scriptures . for ( saith he ) pag. 299. they are objects of faith — they are truths , whereof none that is once known to be such may be disbelieved . but yet a great many of them , every one does , and must confess a man may be ignorant of ; nay disbelieve , without danger to his salvation : as is evident in those who allowing the authority , differ in the interpretation and meaning of several texts . — vnless divine revelation can mean contrary to it self . the whole paragraph ought to be read , which i have abridged . and if this text of john 1. 1. be not one of those , that by reason of its difficulty and variety of senses , may not be disbeliev'd in mr. edwards's sense , then i will be bold to say , there 's no such text in the whole bible . to it i say , 1. he dares not trust his reader with the clear text , but thrusts in his own sense , in the beginning was the word ( jesus christ : ) and then 2. makes his fundamental article not from the text , but from what he has inserted into the text thus , christ the word is god. but will mr. edw. stick to that ? is he of socinus's mind , that by the word is meant the man jesus christ , born of the blessed virgin , and anointed with the holy ghost ? i think he is not . or does he mean that christ was the first-born of every creature , as he is called , col. 1. 14. the beginning of the creation of god , rev. 3. 14. by whom god made the worlds , and is therefore a god ? i think mr. edw. might be call'd an arian , if that were his sense . what then does he mean ? he does not mean that either the body or soul , or both united to constitute a man , or the anointing of the holy ghost added to that man , was the word ; though by reason of those he had the name of jesus , and by reason of this he had the name of christ . he means by the word , a second person or mode of god. now how fairly he calls this second person a mode of god , jesus christ , when it was neither jesus nor christ , nor any part of him , let his reader judg . in the beginning was the word ] that is , ( according to him ) before the beginning , and therefore from eternity , god in a second mode or person did exist : and the word was with god ] i. e. god in the second mode was present with god , even himself in the first mode or person : and the word was god ] i. e. god in his second mode was himself ; or otherwise , was the father himself and the holy ghost ; for he tells us before , that the three persons [ or modes ] are really the one god : but if the word is really the one god , as mr. edw. understands the term god in this text , then the word is the three persons , or else he is not really the one god , which the three persons only are . now if this be a clear text to build an article necessary to salvation , and the worship of another almighty and only wise person upon , besides the god and father of our lord jesus christ ; let all that have any reverence for god or his gospel judg ! besides , can he alledg one text out of all the old testament , or out of the three former gospels , where ever by the word or logos ( as they love to speak ) is meant any such preexistent eternal person ? if there be none such , it seems to be no little defect in the holy scriptures , that the world should be 4000 years old , before any part of it heard any thing of a second personal god , equal to the first , and who had therefore as much right to be known and worshipped as the first : nay , and that that person , the word , should have no mention made of him in the gospels or sermons of christ or the apostles till above threescore years after the ascension ; for it for it was so long ( as ecclesiastical historians tell us ) before the gospel of the apostle john was written , all the churches and believers we read of in scripture , having been gather'd and converted before . next mr. edw. tells us ( p. 107. ) there is added in verse 14. another indispensable point of faith , viz. that the word was made flesh , i. e. that god was incarnate , the same with 1 tim. 3. 16. god manifest in the flesh . one would have expected that mr. edw. undertaking in short to confute a proposition , that the author had spent three quarters of his book ( which consists of 300 pages ) in proving ; and for which he had alledg'd perhaps an hundred clear texts of holy scripture , should have produc'd some clear texts against him , and not such as need explanations ; and when he has explain'd them , leaves them far more difficult than before . we have spoken already of the word that was said to be god in the first verse of that chapter ; and now in the 14th the word must signify god : but , 1. are not the same words and terms taken in different senses in the same context , and that too , when they come nearer together than at thirteen verses distance ? thus the word light in ver . 5. signifies an impersonal thing ; but in the 7 , 8 , and 9th verses , it denotes a person , which john was not , but jesus was , to wit , the revealer of the word or gospel . 2. the father was god too , and if god was incarnate , how will it be avoided that the father was incarnate ? and if it cannot , then mr. edw. will be a patripassian heretick . 3. it must be acknowledged , that mr. edw. has given a wonderful learned explanation of the phrase — was made flesh ; far more learned than that of the old justice — invasion is invasion . the vulgar and unlearned may understand something , when it is said that one thing is made another thing , as when water was made wine : but i doubt they will stare and know nothing , when one tells 'em that a person was incarnate ; much more when they read mr. edw. saying , that god was incarnate , will they not gladly return from the explanation to the text ? and then it will run thus , god was made flesh . but was god indeed turn'd into flesh , and ceased to be god , as the water turn'd into wine ceased to be water ? i 'm sure mr. edw. never intends to make that an indispensable point of faith , as he calls this , that god was incarnate . but this is a very hard case , that the generality of the world ( which god so loved , that he gave his only begotten son , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life ) their salvation or damnation should still depend on the belief of , not only obscure texts , but of much more obscure interpretations of those texts . whether shall we go for the sense of god was incarnate ? he sends us to 1 tim. 3. 16. god manifest in the flesh . but he might know that that reading of the word god in that text is a corruption , and that instead of god was read which in the council of nice , as the accurate examination against mr. milbourn has fully prov'd ; however allowing that reading , has given a rational sense of it . thus we are sent for the sense of an obscurer interpretation of an obscure text , to a corrupt one. whither shall we go next ? it 's very like that mr. edw. may next time send us to the athanasian creed , when the scriptures fail him ; that creed saith , it is necessary to everlasting salvation , that one believe rightly the incarnation of our lord jesus christ , — that he is god and man — perfect god and perfect man — one christ , not by conversion of the godhead into flesh , but by taking of the manhood into god : so then the sense of the word was made flesh , will be this , god was incarnate , that is , not by being made flesh or man , but by taking man into god ; that is , god is now perfect god and man. well , but since god is a person , and man another person ; perfect god and perfect man must unavoidably be two persons : but this is the heresy of nestorius arch-bishop of constantinople , an. dom. 428. but how shall we help it ? for to believe god and man not to be two persons , we directly contradict our belief of god's being perfect god and perfect man. if we say with apollinarius , an. dom. 370. that god and man are not two persons but one , because the man had no human soul or understanding , then we contradict god's being a perfect man , and are condemn'd to eternal damnation , as apollinarian hereticks . and if for solving these difficulties , we should think good to hold , that indeed there were two natures in christ when god was made flesh , but upon the union the human was swallowed up of the divine , and so there was one nature made of two ; then we incur the anathema of the eutichian hereticks . and it follows ( saith mr. edw. ) in the same verse of this first chapter of st. john , that this word is the only begotten of the father ; whence we are bound to believe the eternal , tho ineffable , generation of the son of god. answ . could mr. edw. be so weak as to think any body but one deeply prejudiced , would approve of either of his inferences from that clause ? either the eternal generation , or that we are bound to believe it as an article necessary to salvation ? does he not know that jesus is the only son of god , by reason of that generation which befel him in time ? does he read of any other son that god generated of a virgin but jesus ? see luke 1. 35. did god ever sanctify and send into the world in such a measure and manner , any that were called gods or sons of god , as he did jesus our lord ? see john. 10. 35 , 36 , 37 , 38. and chap. 3. 34. did he ever give such testimony to any other ? did god ever beget any other son by raising him from the dead to an immortal life ( acts 13. 33. ) by anointing him with the oil of gladness above his fellows , heb. 1. 9. by setting him on his right-hand , making him to inherit a more excellent name than angels , even that of son in a more excellent sense , heb. 1. 3 , 4 , 5. by glorifying christ , making him an high-priest , saying unto him , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee ? is not isaac call'd the only begotten son of abraham , though abraham had other sons ? but for mr. edw's eternal generation , there is not one tittle either in this text , or in all the bible ; and yet he has the confidence to bind the belief of it upon mankind , upon pain of damnation : i wish he would not be so rash , but more reverent in so tremendous a point . next , he finds our author faulty in not taking notice , that we are commanded to believe the father and the son , john 14. 10 , 11. and that the son is in the father , and the father in the son , which expresses their vnity . wonderful ! did our author indeed take no notice that we are commanded to believe the father and the son ? when he all along in his treatise makes the messiah , christ , son of god , terms synonimous , and that signify the same thing ; and cites abundance of texts to that purpose ; so that the belief of the father & the son , is required by him in the whole three quarters of his book , which mr. edw. takes notice he spent in proving his proposition . did mr. edw. write these remarks ? or did some body else add them to his book of the causes of atheism ? as for the vnity of the father and son , exprest he says by these words , the son is in the father , and the father in the son ; does he think his reader never read that text in john 17. 21. that they [ believers ] all may be one , as thou father art in me , and i in thee , that they also may be one in us , with ver . 23. or that other text , 1 john 4. 16. he that dwelleth in love , dwelleth in god , and god in him ? but for the word vnity , which he uses , if he means by it any more than a close union , it implies a contradiction , that two should be one ; that a duality should be an unity . this ( saith he ) is made an article of faith by our saviour's particular and express command . he must mean , that mr. edwards's own sense of that text is commanded as necessary to salvation , else he says no more of that than the author allows concerning both that and other scriptures . if he means his own sense , then i think he 's an inconsiderate and rash man ; for i have shew'd that his sense is contradictious . here mr. edw. calls in question the sincerity of our author , and , pag. 109. says , it is most evident to any thinking and considerate person , that he purposely omits the epistolary writings of the apostles , because they are fraught with other fundamental doctrines , besides that one which he mentions . i will not question mr. edwards's sincerity in what he writes , but i question much his due considering what he writes against . does not our author make in effect the same objection against himself , pag. 291. and answer it in fourteen pages , even to the end of his book ? but mr. edw. takes notice of very little of it . and the most of that he does take notice of , he answers with a little raillery upon the bulk of mankind , the unlearned multitude , the mob , and our author . his note upon these phrases , is , surely this gentleman is afraid of captain tom , and is going to make a religion for his myrmidons . — we are come to a fine pass indeed ; the venerable mob must be ask'd what we must believe . thus he ridicules the doctrine of faith , on which the salvation or damnation of the multitude depends , and the grounds of our author's design ; who finding in holy scripture , that god would have all men to be saved , and come to the knowledg of the truth ; the gospel was preach'd to the poor , and the common people heard christ gladly ; that god hath chosen the poor in this world , rich in faith ; he concluded ( when he had overcome the prejudices of education , and the contempt of the learned , and those that think themselves so ) that the gospel must be a very intelligible and plain doctrine , suted to vulgar capacities , and the state of mankind in this world destin'd to labour and travel ; not such as the writers and wranglers in religion have made it . to this mr. edw. answers ( besides what i have noted above ) and is forced to agree , that all men ought to understand their religion : but then asks ( as of a positive thing not to be doubted ) if men may not understand those articles of faith which he had mention'd a little before , pretended to be found in the epistolary writings , [ which are generally form'd not in scripture-terms , and about which there is such endless contentions ] when they be explain'd to them , as well as our author's article , jesus is the messiah ? nay he is confident that there is no more difficulty in understanding this proposition [ the father , son and holy ghost , are one god or divine nature ] than in that other of our author ( see pag. 120. ) when yet the world knows to its cost , that this article has exercis'd all the greatest wits of the church these fourteen or fifteen hundred years to understand the terms , and take away the contradictions : and at this day the english trinitarians have most fierce contentions among themselves about the meaning of it . the nominal trinitarians agree with the unitarians , that the realists , that hold three real persons , are tritheists ; and the realists agree with the unitarians , that the nominals or modalists destroy the reality of the eternal son and holy ghost , and are patripassians or sabellians . besides , mr. edw. knows that each of these parties are at vast difference among themselves ; they easily find inconsistences or contradictions in one anothers explications ; so that supposing there be but ten different trinitarian hypotheses , ( i think there are more ) every one has mine against him , all which he looks upon as faulty ; and they on the other hand do all reject his . they reject them i say , not , as the bishop of sarum , in his letter to d. w. pag. 56. would paliate matter , as having the same acts of piety and adoration , though different ways of explaining , either the vnity of the essence , or the trinity of the persons ; but as having different acts , except we can have the same idea's when we worship three gods , as when we worship one only ; or when we worship one all-perfect person , as when we worship three such ; or when we worship one real person , and two nominal ones , as when we worship three equals ; or when we worship one self-existent god , and two dependent gods not self-existent , as when we worship three self-existents , and the like . again , mr. edw's proposition is never once found in holy writ ; but our author 's often expresly . he uses terms in such a sense as they are never us'd in scripture , for divine nature is never put there for god ; nor does the word god , or one god , ever signify father , son and h. ghost , but always one singular person ; and throughout the holy scriptures from the beginning to the end , god is spoken of , and spoken to , as one only person , and by terms and pronouns that signify singularly , and never otherwise . god indeed does twice or thrice speak of himself plurally , as persons of dignity and dominion do often . but our author both his words in form , and his explications are all taken out of scripture ; and in the days of our saviour and his apostles , there was no difficulty in understanding them . the most illiterate fishermen and shepherds , and women , knew what was meant by jesvs , and what by messiah : the only question was , whether the proposition jesus is the messiah , was to be affirm'd , or denied . but notwithstanding all this , mr. edw. says , truly if there be any difficulty , it is in our author's proposition ; why pray ? for here is an hebrew word first to be explain'd before the mob can understand the proposition : but by his favour , the word messiah is by our translators adopted into the english tongue , and the common people , the rabble ( as mr. edw. is pleas'd to call them ) understand it as well as they do the christ or the anointed , and also the explications of those terms , provided they use to read either themselves , or hear others read the holy scriptures . but the word messiah was in our saviour and the apostles time most common among the jews : therefore our author designing to represent the preaching and faith of that time , chose to use it more frequently than any other term , see pag. 30. but i presume mr. edw. brought in this objection , only as a diversion . if he really think as he says , it 's a sharp reflection upon all the learned trinitarian controvertists upon this point ; except they take it more candidly for an invitation to their reverences and right reverences , to come to the most learned mr. edw. to inform their understandings , and solve all the difficulties that make them at so great odds one with another : and it 's to be hoped he will give such a clear explication of the trinity , as will satisfy the mystery-men or ignoramus-trinitarians , that at length they may understand what they now profess to believe without understanding . but to return , for all this will seem a digression except the reader please to remember it is for a vindication of our author from mr. edw's hard charge , of purposely omitting the epistolary writings , because fraught with other fundamental doctrines besides that one which he mentions : among those , mr. edw. reckons chiefly and more especially — the doctrine of the ever to be adored trinity , eminently attested in those epistles . this doctrine he has given us in his proposition above discoursed , and has attempted to show ( against matter of fact in all ages , and especially in this present time ) that this fundamental ought not to have been omitted because of its difficulty or unintelligibleness ; for it is ( he saith ) less difficult than that of our author , jesus is the messiah ; but how successfully i leave to consideration . but if it be unintelligible , or contradictious , at least to the bulk of mankind , then it 's impossible it should be a fundamental article ; and therefore our author needed not purposely to omit the epistolary writings of the apostles , for fear of finding it there , since mr. edw. himself cannot find it there , nor in the bible . but what says he to our author 's full answer to the question , about the usefulness of the epistles , though the belief of many doctrines contained in them be not necessary to salvation ? our author answers , 1. that he that will read the epistles as he ought , must observe what 't is in them is principally aim'd at ; — for that is the truth which is to be receiv'd and believ'd , and not scatter'd sentences in scripture-language , accommodated to our notions and prejudices . what says mr. edw. to that ? 2. [ for i abridg ] there be many truths in the bible , which a good christian may be wholly ignorant of , and so not believe ; which perhaps some lay great stress on , and call fundamental articles , because they are the distinguishing points of their communion . what says mr. edw. to this ? 3. the epistles were writ to those who were in the faith , and true christians already ; and so could not be design'd to teach them the fundamental articles and points necessary to salvation . this he shows from the address of all the epistles , or something noted in them . 4. their resolving doubts and reforming mistakes , are of great advantage to our knowledg and practice . 5. the great doctrines of the christian faith are dropt here and there , [ he has cited some such passages in the proof of his proposition ] . — we shall find those necessary points best in the preaching of our saviour and the apostles . 6. the epistles , besides the main argument of each of them , do in many places explain the fundamentals , and that wisely , by proper accommodations to the apprehensions of those they were writ to . which he shows particularly in the epistle to the romans , and that to the hebrews ; also in the general epistles . at length , these holy writers ( saith he ) inspir'd from above writ nothing but truth ; and in most places very weighty truths to us now ; — but yet every sentence of theirs , must not be taken up and look'd upon as a fundamental necessary to salvation , without an explicite belief , whereof no body could be a member of christ's church , &c. for ( saith he , pag. 299. ) 't is plain , the contending parties on one side or t'other , are ignorant of , nay , disbelieve the truths deliver'd in holy writ , as i noted before . this little i have transcribed out of our author for the sake of those , who perhaps have not his book , but have mr. edwards's , and that it may appear how unfairly ( to say no worse ) mr. edw. deals with our author , saying , pag. 111. he passes by these inspired writings with some contempt ; also he suggests his insincerity to the reader . but i have seen a letter from a gentleman of no ordinary judgment , who says , — mr. edwards has not only mistook mr. lock , but abus'd and belied him : for he says , mr. lock cites only the gospels and acts , but declares ( or insinuates ) his contempt of the epistles , as if they were not of like authority with the acts or gospels ; but mr. lock has no where intimated any such opinion . his book ( saith he ) shows , he has read the scriptures with very great observation , as well as judgment ; he suffers nothing to escape him , that belongs to the subject he manages . he names our author mr. lock , which i am assured he does by common fame and conjecture ; he has no other grounds for it , as neither have i , no more than mr. edwards . whether we are mistaken or not in his name i know not , but i think i have proved that mr. edw. is much mistaken in his judgment concerning his book , or has perversly censur'd him and it . he is so far from contemning the epistles , ( as mr. edw. accuses him ) that whoever will take the pains to reckon , he will find he has quoted them , and refer'd to them near fourscore times . and mr. edw. is no less injurious in his censures upon other writers : in the very socinian doctrine it self ( saith he ) there seems to be an atheistical tang. for proof , he cites the considerations on the explications of doct. of trin. pag. 5. where ( saith he ) the self-existence of god , which is the primary , fundamental , and essential property — of the deity , is peremptorily pronounc'd by them to be a contradiction . it 's strange a man of mr. edwards's undertaking , should give forth such a calumny . his ldp. of worcester says , if god was from eternity , he must be from himself . that author answers , that that is an espousing the cause of the atheists , and he gives this reason ; if god is from eternity , he must be of none ; neither of ( or from ) himself , nor from any other ; not from himself , for then he must be before he was ; and neither from himself , nor from any other , because all origination of what kind soever is inconsistent with an eternal being . is this now peremptorily to pronounce , that the self-existence of god is a contradiction ? or is it not to vindicate the self-existence of god from a false notion of it , occasion'd by the bishop's words ? but what will mr. edw. say to the author of the xxviii propositions , &c. ( who , they say , is the bishop of glouc. ) who peremptorily denies , nay says , it is a flat contradiction , to say that the second and third persons ( of the trinity ) are self-existent ? ( prop. 8. ) consequently neither of them is god : because ( as mr. edw. says ) self-existence is the primary , fundamental , and essential property of god , which yet neither the son nor the h. ghost have . i wish mr. edw. would either reconcile himself to the bishop , or the bishop to him , before he charges an atheistical tang upon the socinian doctrine , upon account of the denial of god's self-existence , which he may see strongly affirm'd in the reflections on the said propositions , &c. as for socinus's denying the praescience of contingencies , i am not , nor is our author concern'd in it ; but which is more dishonourable to god , to be the author of all the sin and wickedness that ever was , or ever will be in the world ; or to deny his fore-knowledge of the certainty of that which is not certain . socinus and crellius have denied such an immensity of god , which makes him to be essentially and wholly in every point of space ; because such immensity would take away all distinction between god and creature , and has indeed an atheistical tang ; for the greater part of atheists hold the universe to be god ; hence lucan , jupiter est quodcunque vides , quocunque moveris . which opinion , some of the antient fathers have wrote against ; as clemens alexandrinus , and others . mr. edw. may charge them all with a tang of atheism if he please . as for god's spirituality , modest divines confess it easier to say , what it is not , than what it is . mr. edw. perhaps has attain'd to such a perfection of knowledg in that matter , as may make him able to teach them what they are now ignorant of : but socinus nor crellius , nor any other of them ever denied , contrary to most express , and often repeated scriptures , and common reason , the most glorious attribute of god's vnity , which gives excellency to all his other attributes : for were self-existence , omniscience , immensity and spirituality , and all other attributes common to more than one ; where would the excellency and majesty of god's name be ? how should we love and adore him with all our hearts and strength , when there are others that require it and have as equal right to it as he ? but mr. edw. will count himself highly injur'd , if i charge him with denying god's unity : but hold a little , be not angry ; if you be , take heed it be not more for your own sake , than for god's sake : do you not say , that the infinite nature of god is communicable to three distinct persons ? pag. 79. and pag. 120. that the father , son and holy ghost are one god , or divine nature ? are not these terms convertible ? namely , that one god is father , son and h. ghost , that is , three persons ? and what are three almighty and only wise persons , but three gods ? the father is one god , the son is one god distinct from the father , and the holy ghost is one god distinct from the father and son. thus your proposition amounts to this , that one god is three gods , that the unity of god is a trinity of gods. that vnity or oneness is no longer an attribute of god , but trinity or threeness . but we cannot be heard , let us make out your contradictions never so clearly : nay , you impute it to us as a heinous crime , that we make it an argument against the belief of your trinity , that it cannot be understood without contradiction . you impute to us most injuriously , that we are to admit of nothing but what is exactly adjusted to nature's and reason's light , pag. 68. that therefore the trinity is a doctrine that can't be born , because it can't be understood , pag. 69. and that the english vnitarians declare they cannot believe it , because reason does not teach it , pag. 72. this is a topick the trinitarians do always inlarge upon , and urge with a great deal of pomp in themselves , and ignominy in the unitarians , as persons that prefer their own reasonings before divine revelation how clear soever . and though this calumny has been answer'd and wip'd away , and retorted upon them a hundred times , yet mr. edw. will still confidently charge it . he cites the letter of resolution for proof of it , and therefore has read it , but passes by the answer to this imputation , which is to be found in the very first page of it , where thus ; first , 't is not true , that we prefer reason before revelation ; on the contrary , revelation being what god himself hath said , either immediately , or by inspired persons ; 't is to be preferr'd before the clearest demonstration of our reason . and in the consider . on explic. on 4 serm. and a sermon of the bishop of worcester , the author says : he utterly mistakes in thinking that we deny the articles of the new christianity , or athanasian religion , because they are mysteries , or because we do not comprehend them ; we have a clear and distinct perception , that they are not mysteries but contradictions , impossibilities , and pure non-sense . but now that the trinitarians do most expresly prefer their reasoning , consequences and wire-drawn deductions before holy scripture ; besides that it has been done in the notes upon the athanasian creed , and other tracts , i shall shew further from mr. edwards's fundamental doctrine , but now recited ; if at least the trinitarians will acknowledg him for their orthodox champion . 1. it 's manifest he means by the one god , not one divine almighty person , but three such ; but nothing is more evident in holy scripture , than that god is one person only . for proof of it , i have referr'd my reader to the scriptures from beginning to end , in more than twenty thousand texts , even as often as god is spoken of , or to , or speaks of himself ( except as i have said ) . but mr. edw. says expresly , that his god is three distinct divine persons , to wit , the father of the son , the son of the father , and the h. ghost which proceedeth from the father and the son. 2. he says , that these three distinct divine persons , [ each of which is god in the most perfect sense ] is the only true god , or the one god , or divine nature . the proposition which he advances , as necessary to salvation , and more easy to be understood than that jesus is the messiah , is , that the father , son and holy ghost are one god , or divine nature . whereby it 's manifest , that by one god he means not one person , but one divine nature ; and by one divine nature he means such a divine nature as is communicable to three distinct persons , see pag. 79. so that his three persons which are one god , are so one god as they communicate in one divine nature ; in like manner as peter , james and john are one man , because they communicate in one human nature , as do also all the men in the world. now i shall cite some texts of h. scripture , which do expresly declare that god is one ; and that cannot otherwise be understood than that he is one person , or singular intellectual nature , essence or substance . here let me premise first , how equivocally mr. edw. and the trinitarians express themselves in this great and necessary point , on which depends our eternal salvation ; and whereby the bulk of mankind ( for i think that 's a far more decent phrase than mr. edw's rabble , or captain tom and his myrmadons , or the venerable mob ) cannot escape being deluded . he and they confess also , that there is but one god , though three persons in that one god ; but by one god they do not mean ( as i have shewed from mr. edw. ) one singular intellectual nature , essence , or substance compleat , for that is a person ; and if they did , the contradiction would presently appear to every capacity , to wit , that three divine persons are one divine person ; but they ( as mr. edw. ) say , the father , son and holy ghost , or the three divine persons , are one god , or divine nature , essence or substance . hereby they conceal from their poor honest reader , thirsting after truth , that god is one intellectual perfect nature , essence or substance , and make him believe by that concealment , that though there are three divine intellectual perfect natures , yet there is but one divine nature or god. i am also willing to premise , that the grecism of a solitary adjective masculine , or article without a substantive ( where the discourse is of intellectual beings ) doth frequently , if not always connote person ; and our english translators have in many texts render'd it person , as the clear sense of the greek text , not as a word supplied in another character to explain the text , but in the same character as a verbal translation . instances of this rendring are these among many others ; mat. 27. 24. of this just [ person ] luke 15. 7. ninety nine just [ persons ] acts 17. 17. — the devout [ persons ] eph. 5. 5. — unclean [ person ] 2 pet. 3. 11. what manner of [ persons . ] in these places there is nothing in the greek to answer the word person , but what is implied in the adjective . to come now to the texts that assert the vnity or oneness of god , against mr. edw's trinity or threeness ; or that god is one intellectual nature , or one person , against mr. edws's one divine nature , or three persons : see jam. 2. 19. according to the greek , thou believest that god is one , thou dost well . gal. 3. 20. but god is one . mark 12. 29. the lord our god , the lord is one , saith our saviour out of the law , to the scribe that asked him , which is the first commandment of all ? and jesus answer'd him , the first of all the commandments is , hear , o israel , the lord our god , the lord is one . and thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thy heart , &c. and in the 32d ver . the scribe said unto him , well master , thou hast said the truth , for god is one , and there is none other but he . and ver . 34. — jesus saw that he answer'd discreetly . our bibles refer us to deut. 6. 4 , 5. whence our lord takes this his answer , and where we find the same words , which by ainsworth are also render'd , the lord our god , the lord is one . now in these scriptures the numeral adjective masculine , being without a substantive and singular , it forces us to understand in every place person . so that we nothing doubt but the translators would have render'd every where god is one person , if they had not been prepossessed with the opinion of god's being three persons ; the like to which they have done in many other places . but in that answer of the holy jesus to him that called him good master , mat. 19. 17. it 's not possible to avoid it ; 1. that god is a person ; 2. that he is but one person ; and 3. that he is good in an eminent sense above all other persons whatsoever . for thus he says , why callest thou me good ? none [ or no person ] is good but one [ person ] the god. how strangely perverse would it be to understand this text in the trinitarian sense , viz. none , or no person is good but one , the father , son and holy ghost ? or thus , none , or no person is good but one , i. e. the divine nature ? again , 2. consider we these texts , and see what sense we can make of them , if god be not one person only , mal. 2. 10. hath not one god created us ? must we say with mr. edw. hath not one father , son and holy ghost [ or one divine nature that is not a person ] created us ? rom. 3. 30. there is one god who justifies , &c. trin. there is one father , son and h. ghost that justifies , zech. 14. 9. hebr. in that day the lord shall be one , and his name one . how should the lord be one and his name one , if the lord be three distinct persons , and his name father , son and holy ghost ? isa . 37. 16. o lord of hosts , god of israel , thou dwellest between the cherubims , thou art the god , even thou alone , of all the kingdoms of the earth ; thou hast made heaven and earth ; psal . 86. 10. thou art great and dost wondrous works , thou art god alone . 2 king. 19. 19. — that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the lord god , even thou only . isa . 44. 24. &c. i am the lord that maketh all things , that stretcheth forth the heavens alone , that spreadeth abroad the earth by my self . nehem. 9. 6 , &c. thou even thou art lord alone , thou hast made heaven — the host of heaven worshippeth thee . isa . 37. 20. — that all the kingdoms of the earth may know , that thou art the lord , even thou only . 2 king. 19. 15. jude 4. — denying the only lord god , and our lord jesus christ . 1 tim. 2. 5. there is one god , and one mediator between god and men , the man christ jesus . ephes . 4. 6. one god and father of all , who is above all and through all , and in you all . isa . 46. 9. for i am god , and there is none else ; i am god , and there is none like me . 1 king. 8. 23. lord god of israel , there is no god like thee in heaven above , or in earth beneath . — ver. 60. that all the people of the earth may know that the lord is god , and that there is none else . isa . 44. 6. i am the first , and i am the last , and besides me there is no god. ver. 8. is there a god besides me ? yea , there is no god , i know not any . isa . 45. 5. i am the lord there is none else , there is no god besides me . verse 6. — there is none besides me , i am the lord and there is none else . ver. 14. — saying , surely god is in thee , and there is none else , there is no god. ver. 21. — have not i the lord ? and there is no god else beside me , a just god and a saviour , there is none beside me . ver. 22. look unto me , and be ye saved all the ends of the earth , for i am god , and there is none else . deut. 4. 35. unto thee it was shewed , that thou mightest know that the lord he is god , and there is none else beside him . 1 chron. 17. 20. o lord there is none like thee , neither is there any god besides thee . exod. 34. 14. for thou shalt worship no other god , for the lord whose name is jealous , is a jealous god. deut. 32. 39. see now that i , even i am he , and there is no god with me . 2 king. 5. 15. behold , now i know that there is no god in all the earth , but in israel . 2 sam. 22. 32. for who is god save the lord ? see the same words in psal . 18. 31. 1 cor. 8. 4. — there is none other god but one . i conclude with the first and chiefest of the ten commandments given from mount sinai , exod. 20. 3. thou shalt have no other gods before me — i the lord thy god am a jealous god : and that of the lord jesus , when himself was tempted , matth. 4. 10. thou shalt worship the lord thy god , and him only shalt thou serve . the meaning plainly is , i am a jew , and subject to the law of the jews , i am commanded therein to worship the lord my god , and to serve him only . these scriptures do so clearly prove , that god is a person , or a perfect intellectual nature or substance , and that he is only one such ; that to deny either of these propositions , is to me to deny the truth of holy scripture , not only in some obscure and doubtful text , but in the current of it , and in the chief fundamental of all religion . and mr. edw. in asserting there are three such persons in one divine nature , renders in effect the whole bible void and useless for the proof of any proposition whatsoever it be . if this , that god is an absolutely perfect being , and therefore a person , ( for persons are the most perfect of beings or substances ) and but one such , cannot be plainly and undeniably prov'd from scripture , it 's utterly in vain to attempt to prove any thing . for it 's manifest that to assert this , is the chief aim and design of all the holy writers , and that they are most zealous and vehement in it . and herein lies the controversy between the trinitarians and the unitarians ; we assert with the greatest plainness , and fulness , and clearness of holy scripture , as ever any thing was or can be exprest , that god is one in the most perfect sense of oneness , ( which is by all men that understand the word ) in a personal sense . but the trinitarians do on the contrary contend , that god is not one , but three in that personal sense , and one in a less perfect sense ; which is not personal , but common to many : which is a sense that dethrones god , and makes him either a third of the one god , or one of the three , that created and governs the world , and is to be ador'd by men and angels . for they cannot deny but that in worshipping the father our god , we worship one god ; but they rage against us , because we do not worship besides him , and distinct from him , the son as perfectly god as he ; as different from him as a real son is from a real father , and another person as really god as either the father , or the son , and as really different from the father and son , as he that is sent is from him that sent him . and this is so evidently true , that ( as i have observ'd ) almost one half of the trinitarians consent with the unitarians , in condemning the other party of trinitarians as confessors of three gods. but that i may give yet fuller evidence of this fundamental truth of the unity of the person of god against the trinity of persons in him , i shall in the third place produce some texts that ascribe some perfections to the person of god singularly , and with exclusion of all other persons in that sense and degree . such are those , where the holy jesus says , none [ or no person ] is good but one , the god , which i have urged before : and that in john 17. 3. where the blessed son in his prayer to god , ( wherein it were absurd to say that he pray'd to himself ) calls him father , and the only true god ; and that in distinction from himself , whom he describes by the names of jesus christ , him whom the father hath sent . this particle only , imports some excellency in the attribute of true , which is here given to god his father , above and with exclusion of all others , or it signifies nothing . rom. 16. 27. to god only wise be glory through jesus christ for ever . amen . here again the attribute of only wise is ascrib'd to the person of god in distinction from jesus christ as the medium of the glory which is given to the only wise god. 1 tim. 6. 15 , 16. god is called , the blessed and only potentate , the king of kings , and lord of lords ; who only hath immortality , &c. which are all personal titles , from which all other persons are excluded by the exclusive particle only : for there can be but one potentate who is king of kings in the highest sense , and much more when only is added . when christ is called king of kings , and lord of lords , ( rev. 17. 14. and 19. 16. ) it 's manifest it 's to be understood in a derivative sense , because all power in heaven and earth was given to him as the lamb that had been slain ; and therefore he is represented as clothed with a vesture dipt in blood , in that 19 chap. ver . 13. who only hath immortality : that is , ( as dr. hammond says ) god is immortal in himself , ( not in three selfs ) and all immortality of others is derived from him . in the same sense is the lord god almighty called , in rev. 15. 4. only holy , because he only is holy of himself ; and as it is understood , 1 sam. 2. 2. there is none holy as the lord. now in these and such-like passages of holy scripture , the trinitarians and mr. edw. must understand by god three persons ; by father , the father , son and holy ghost ; by thou , ye ; by him , them ; by himself , themselves ; and those words the scripture hath in the singular number , must be understood by them plurally . it 's no marvel then that they call their doctrine a mystery , and that there is so much dissension among themselves concerning it , since it cannot be understood in any sense , which is not either contradictious in it self , or so to the full current of holy scripture . in like manner , 4thly , all those texts ( which are not a few ) in which god is named the most high , the most high god , the lord the most high , god most high , the highest ; whether these titles be subject or attribute , must all be understood , not of one person , or a singular knowing and willing substance , but either of a substance that is not a person , or else of three equal persons : and all this by virtue of that scholastic and unreasonable distinction between person and essence ; or as mr. edw. words it , the infinite nature of god communicable to three distinct persons , ( pag. 79. ) which distinction being absurd in it self when understood , they obtrude upon the world under the name of mystery and incomprehensible . 5thly . besides , that the holy scriptures are so abundant in those texts that clearly shew him to be one person only , as i have fully manifested ; yet i may still urge from the same texts and others , that the father only , whom the trinitarians acknowledg to be but one person , is that god , that god alone , that one god , that god who is one , the most high god , and no person else besides him . i produced before the text in john 17. 3. to prove that the perfection of being the only true god , is ascrib'd to him as being one person only . now i urge from the same text , that that person is the father of the son , in express distinction from the son and all others . next , that text in 1 cor. 8. 5 , 6. though there be that are called gods , whether in heaven or in earth , ( as there be gods many , and lords many ) ; but to us there is but one god , the father , of whom were all things , and one lord jesus christ , by whom are all things , and we by him . which words do plainly assert , that that person who is the one god of christians in exclusion of all those that are called gods , ( and in some sense may be so ) is none but the father ; and in distinction from the lord jesus , who was made lord and christ in a most excellent manner , after his resurrection . this text must be understood by the trinitarians thus ; there is none other god but three almighty persons : — there are gods many , and lords many , but unto us [ christians ] there is but one god or divine nature , the father , son and holy ghost ; each of which is the one god of christians , and not the father only . see next ephes . 4. 4 , 5 , 6. there is one spirit — one lord — one god and father of all . where the one god and father of all is clearly differenced from the one spirit and the one lord. now see mat. 24. 36. but of that day and hour knoweth none [ or no person ] ( for of necessity it must be so understood ) no not the angels of heaven , but my father only . st. mark hath it — neither the son , but the father . these parallel texts prove , 1. that the person of the father is the person of god ; for none but that person could then know the day and hour of judgment : and , 2. that the father only is that person of god in exclusion of all other persons , both angels and men , and of the son himself . what shall we say of them , who in flat contradiction to this scripture , and the son himself , assert , that the son knew the day and hour of judgment as well as the father ? let us next compare that passage in 1 tim. 2. 5. ( which i cited before ) with 1 john 2. 1. the former saith , there is one god , and one mediator between god and men , the man christ jesus . the latter says , if any man sin , we have an advocate with the father , jesus christ the righteous . by which consider'd together , it appears that the one god and the father are the same person , for only a person is capable of being interceded to , and the mediator and advocate the same : so that the father is the person of god , as well as the advocate is the person of the mediator . but if the reader desire to see this point ( viz. that the father only is the most high god ) fully and learnedly argued and defended , let him read crellius's two books of one god the father , out of which i have transcribed much . in what a many places of scripture is christ called the son of god , and the holy spirit the spirit of god ? in every of which either god must be taken for the father only , or christ must be the son of himself , and the holy spirit the spirit of himself , both which are absurd . again , how many places of holy scripture are there , where some prerogative is given to the father above christ , as john 14. 28. my father is greater than i ? how asham'd are the more ingenuous trinitarians of that answer , to this objection against the deity of the son , which says , the son was less according to his human nature ? john 10. 29. my father is greater than all . it 's manifest from the context , that the son himself is included in that word all. 1 cor. 11. 3. the head of christ is god. christ is not the head of himself , therefore the father only is god. how often do christ and the divine writers call the father his god ? john 20. 17. i ascend to my father and your father , to my god and your god. in rev. 3. 12. he calls the father my god four times . mat. 27. 46. and mark 15. 34. he cries out , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ! his god was only the person of the father , and not god the divine nature , which according to mr. edw. is common to three persons . ephes . 1. 17. — the god of our lord jesus christ , the father of glory . heb. 1. 8. where christ is called a god , he is also said to have a god , who anointed him . was he his own god , and the god that anointed him ? or was the father only ? john 10. 18. this commandment have i received of my father . he only is god who gives commandments to the son. john 12. 49. the father that sent me , he gave me a commandment what i should say , and what i should speak . john 14. 31. as the father hath given me commandment , so i do . john 15. 10. as i have kept my father's commandment , and abide in his love. see chap. 4. 34. and 6. 38. and 8. 29 , 55. and 17. 4. and 18. 11. add those places wherein it 's clearly taught that christ obey'd god , rom. 5. 19. phil. 2. 8. heb. 5. 8. god calleth christ his servant , isa . 42. 1. mat. 12. 18. isa . 49. 5 , 6. with acts 13. 47. isa . , 2. 13. and 53. 11. ezek. 34. 23 , 24. and 37. 24 , 25. he is called — a minister of the sanctuary , heb. 8. 2. all these texts , and a hundred more ( say the trinitarians ) are answered by the distinction of a divine and human nature in one person , or the second person of god his having a human nature : so you are to understand that this person of god , who is here said to be a servant , to receive commands and obey them , &c. is yet as perfectly great as he , from whom he receiv'd those commands , who has no prerogative above him . the servant is as great as his lord , and he that obey'd as he that commanded , and he that is sent as he that sent him ; yea , the same god is servant and lord , the obeyer and commander , the sent and the sender . when all these prerogatives of the father above the son , and consequently above the holy spirit , will not prove the father only to be the most high god ; of what use can the holy scriptures be to us ? what shall be the difference between holy scriptures and profane writings ? may not all the greek fables of their gods , be justified by the same , or such like distinctions ? o father of mercies , enlighten their understandings , and remove their prejudices , that they may no longer , deny thee the glory due to thee above all ! neither is it to be passed by , that to the father only is ascrib'd in holy scripture , the creation of heaven and earth , to christ never ; though in a certain way of speaking , common to the sacred writers , many things , or all pertaining to the new covenant or gospel , are said to be created ( that is , medelled or put into a new and better state ) by him . so in that antient confession of faith , call'd , the apostles creed , the creation of heaven and earth is appropriated to the father ; and both in those apostolical times , and to this day , prayers and praises are offer'd to the father through-christ , and the gift of the holy spirit is begg'd of him ; which clearly shews the prerogative of the father above the son and holy spirit ; and consequently that he only is that person , whom we ought to understand by the name of god. in fine , the god of abraham , of isaac , and of jacob , the god of the fathers , and the father of christ , are descriptions of one and the same person : so acts 3. 13. — the god of our fathers hath glorified his son jesus : and heb. 1. 1. god who — spake in times past to the fathers by the prophets , hath — spoken to us by his son. so that they who make the son to be the god of the fathers , make him to be his own god and father . but because i think it may give farther light and evidence to this great point , wherein the glory of god , even the father , is so much concern'd ; i will yet further show from many plain texts , set so as they may give light one to another ; that the god of the fathers , and the god and father of christians ; or our god and father , and the god and father of our lord christ ; our heavenly father and his heavenly father ; his god and our god , is one and the same person . i present them by couples , the first speaking of christ , the second of us . see rom. 15. 6. that ye may glorify god , even the father of our lord jesus christ . phil. 4. 20. now unto god our father , be glory for ever and ever . 2 cor. 1. 3. blessed be god , even the father of our lord jesus christ , the father of mercies . rom. 1. 7. grace be to you , and peace from god our father , and the lord jesus christ . col. 1. 3. we give thanks to god , and the father of our lord jesus christ . eph. 1. 2. grace to you , and peace from god our father , and from the lord jesus christ . 2 cor. 11. 31. the god and father of our lord jesus christ knoweth that i lie not . 1 thes . 1. 1. grace be to you , and peace from god our father , and the lord jesus christ . heb. 1. 8. unto the son he saith , thy throne , o god , is for ever and ever . thou hast loved righteousness , and hated iniquity , therefore god even thy god hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows . phil. 1. 2. grace be unto you , and peace from god our father , and the lord jesus christ . ephes . 1. 3. blessed be the god and father of our lord jesus christ . 1 tim. 1. 2. grace , mercy and peace from god our father , and jesus christ our lord. eph. 1. 17. that the god of our lord jesus christ , the father of glory , may give unto you the spirit , &c. col. 1. 2. grace be unto you , and peace from god our father , and the lord jesus christ . 1 pet. 1. 3. blessed be the god and father of our lord jesus christ . 2 thess . 2. 16. now the lord jesus himself , and god even our father , &c. john 20. 17. jesus saith to mary , i ascend to my father and your father , and to my god and to your god. gal. 1. 4. who gave himself for our sins — according to the will of god and our father . mat. 27. 46. jesus cried — saying , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? philem. 3. grace be to you , and peace from god our father , and the lord jesus christ . rev. 3. 12. him that overcometh , will i make a pillar in the temple of my god , and write upon him the name of my god , &c. 2 thess . 1. 1. — unto the church of the thessalonians in god our father , and the lord jesus christ . john 17. 1. — jesus lift up his eyes to heaven , and said — father , glorify thy son. mat. 23. 9. one is your father which is in heaven . psal . 115. 3. our god is in the heavens . thus we see there is one god and father of all ( ephes . 4. 6. ) both of christ , and believers the children of god ; the same person is the god and father of both . it 's absurd to say , that christ the son is his own father , or his own god ; so it 's plainly contrary to scripture to say , that any other person is our god or our father ( in the highest sense ) but the same who is christ's god and father . that it is so , i appeal to the serious thoughts of every man and woman that reads the scriptures attentively , without the prejudice of scholastick and confus'd distinctions . now i shall further produce you many couples of scriptures , which prove expresly , that the name of god ( when taken by way of excellency ) and the name of father ( in christ's gospel ) do signify the same singular person . so that no one is or can be god , who is not also the father ; which term is acknowledged to signify but one person . this appears from the scripture , attributing the sending of christ , or the son , sometimes to god , sometimes to the father , and both frequently . john 3. 34. he whom god hath sent , speaketh the words of god ; for god giveth not the spirit by measure unto him . chap. 14. 24. the word which ye hear is not mine , but the father's who sent me . acts 10. 36. the word which god sent to the children of israel , preaching peace by jesus christ . john 5. 30. i seek not mine own will , but the will of the father which hath sent me . acts 3. 26. god having raised up his son jesus , sent him to bless you . john 12. 49. the father which sent me , he gave me a commandment what i should say , and what i should speak . 1 john 4. 10. not that we loved god , but that he loved us , and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins . chap. 4. 14. and we have seen and do testify , that the father sent the son to be the saviour of the world. gal. 4. 4. god sent forth his son made of a woman . john 6. 39. and this is the father's will that hath sent me . see ver . 44. 1 john 4. 9. in this was manifested the love of god toward us , because god sent his only begotten son into the world , &c. john 5. 24. he that heareth my word , and believeth on the father that hath sent me . rom. 8. 3. god sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh . john 20. 21. then said jesus , as my father sent me , even so send i you . joh. 3. 17. god sent not his son to condemn the world. chap. 5. 23. he that honoureth not the son , honoureth not the father which sent him . joh. 6. 29. jesus answered , this is the work of god , that ye believe on him whom he hath sent . chap. 17. 25. o father , these have known that thou hast sent me . john 17. 3. this is life eternal , that they might know thee ( father ) the only true god , and jesus christ whom thou hast sent . chap. 10. 36. say ye of him whom the father hath sanctified and sent into the world , thou blasphemest , because i said , i am the son of god ? john 16. 27. the father himself loveth you , because ye have — believed that i came out from god. ver. 28. i came forth from the father , and am come into the world ; again , i leave the world , and go to the father . ver. 30. by this we believe that thou camest forth from god. john 3. 16. god so loved the world , that he gave his only begotten son — . chap. 8. 18. i am one that bear witness of my self ; and the father that sent me beareth witness of me . john 8. 42. for i proceeded forth and came from god ; neither came i of my self , but he sent me . chap. 5. 36. the works that i do , bear witness that the father hath sent me . hence it appears most evidently , not only that god and the father are the same person , and that the same is as plainly distinguisht from our lord christ , as the sender is distinct from him that is sent ; but that the son is no more the same god that sent him , than he is the same father that sent him . if christians will still suffer themselves to be impos'd upon , under the notion of mystery , to believe that the son of god is the same numerical god as his father , who sent him to do his will , ( not his own ) and to be the propitiation ( or mercy-seat , heb. 9. 5. ) for our sins ; that the only begotten or well-beloved son , whom the father ( first ) sanctified and ( then ) sent into the world , is the same god who sanctified and sent him , that the miraculous works which the son did , did bear witness , not that the father even god had sent him , but that the son was that god , &c. they should no longer pretend , that their faith concerning god and his son christ jesus , in what is necessary to eternal life , is clearly and plainly reveal'd in holy scripture , but that they have learnt it by tradition from their teachers , which yet they can no more conceive the meaning of , without contradiction to scripture and reason , than the papists can their transubstantiation , which they also believe under the notion of mystery . let none say there is a wide difference between the faith of protestants and papists in these cases , because transubstantiation is contradicted by sense , the trinity only by reason ; for i appeal to any man of sense , whether we may not be as certain that one person is not three persons , nor three persons one person , as that bread is not flesh . if protestants think themselves excusable in that , let them not for shame blame the papists in this . and if both protestants and papists are faultless in these points , i see not but the heathen polytheists will be capable of the same charity . the new testament scriptures are so full of those clear distinctions , and opposite relations , and works of god , from the son of god , that a man must in a manner transcribe the whole volume to present them all . i have given my reader a great number of texts already ; i will yet point him to some more , which he may read at his leisure . see then 1 john 4. ver . 9 to 16. 2 pet. 1. 17. rom. 16. 27. john 6. 69. john 5. 26 , 27. as the father hath life in himself , so hath he given to the son to have life in himself , and hath given him authority to execute judgment also , because he is the son of man. the son of god had not this life in himself , till it was given him by the living god his father , not because he was god , but because he was the son of man. but what ears can hear , that life and authority were given by the same god the father , to the very same god the son ? or that any life and authority could be given to him that was god , who had always from all eternity , all life and authority in himself , and could never be without it ? but i am pointing you to some texts of scripture . read also rom. 1. 9. chap. 8. 3 , 29 , 31. chap. 5. 10. ephes . 1. 3. 1 john 1. 5 , 7. chap. 3. 21 , 23. chap. 1. 3. gal. 1. 15. col. 1. 10 , 13. 1 cor. 1. 9. 1 john 4. 15. whosoever shall confess that jesus is the son of god [ not that he is that god whose son he is ] god dwelleth in him and he in god. 1 john 5. 9 , 10 , 11. heb. 1. 1 , 2. john 3. 16 , 17. acts 3. 26. 1 thess . 1. 9 , 10. john 5. 18. 2 john ver . 3. gal. 4. 4. acts 3. 13. these texts do undeniably prove , that god is one person only , to wit , the father of the son ; and as the son cannot be his own father , so neither that god who is his father . but i proceed , see mat. 14. 33. and 16. 16. luke 1. 35. mark 1. 1. john 1. 34. and 20. 31. these are written that ye may believe that jesus is the christ the son of god , and that believing ye might have life through his name . the apostle john did not write his gospel ( as some pretend ) to prove that jesus was god , who was his father , but that he was the christ , or a man anointed with the holy ghost and power , the son of that god who anointed him ; and that so believing we might have life through him . mark 1. 11. mat. 3. 17. luke 3. 22. mark 9. 7. luke 9. 35. heb. 1. 5. 1 john 4. 14. mat. 11. 27. luke 10. 22. john 1. 14. and 3. 18 , 29. and 14. 28. and 15. 10. and 20. 17. against all these scriptures , and many more that might be alledged , it 's urged that the son is somewhere called god [ or rather a god ] in scripture . to which i answer , that both angels and men are called god , and gods , and sons of god in scripture ; see exod. 7. 1. — i have made thee [ moses ] a god to pharaoh . exod. 4. 16. compar'd with chap. 3. 2 , 5. an angel is called jehovah and elohim ; in english , the lord and god. psal . 8. 5. thou hast made him [ man ] a little lower than the angels ; in hebrew , than the gods. and judg. 13. 22. manoah said — we shall surely die , because we have seen god ; so he calls the angel that appeared to him . but the word god taken by way of eminency for the father of all , signifies also the god of gods , deut. 10. 17. joshua 22. 22. psal . 136. 2 , &c. the most high god , gen. 14. 18. heb. 7. 1. and the lord jesus being stoned and charged with blasphemy by the jews , for saying , that he and his father were one , as we read john 10. 29 , 30 , &c. he vindicates himself by the authority of that text , in psal . 82. 6. where it's divinely written , i said ye are gods , speaking of the judges and princes , who receiv'd their authority and power from god ; and all of you sons of the most high : and argues from it thus , say ye of him , whom the father hath sanctified and sent into the world , thou blasphemest , because i said , i am the son of god ? which is in effect to say , i may with far greater right than they , be called a god , or the son of god , who have received from god far greater authority and power ; being sanctified to such a degree , and sent among men to preach such a doctrine and work , such miraculous works , as plainly shew , that the father is in me , and i in him ; that is , there is such a close union between us , as if the father dwelt in me , and did the works which i do , ( dwelling as it were in him ) and which cannot be done by any other power . whence i argue , that if in any text of scripture , jesus is said to be god or a god , ( tho he himself never said he was god ; nunquam seipse deum dixit , as saith lactantius ) it is to be understood of that godlike power , authority and glory , which god his father has conferr'd upon him ; for which he is to be honoured as the father who sent him , who anointed him , who raised him from the dead , and set him at his own right hand . so in heb. 1. 8 , 9. where in the words spoken of solomon , psal . 45. he is called god , he is said to have a god above him , who anointed him . let them consider who say , the son is god in the same sense as the father , how they can clear themselves of blasphemy . such persons look upon the unitarians with amazement and horrour , because they will not take the term god in that sense as themselves do : what! deny christ to be god , so expresly spoken of him in holy scripture ! in the mean time , they do not reflect upon themselves , who make to themselves ( by understanding scripture in another sense than christ understood it in ) another god besides the father , who only is the true god. the unitarians acknowledg and celebrate one god the father , the trinitarians do so too , but they also acknowledg and celebrate two other persons , each of which is god in the same sense as the father , neither of which is the father . which of us are safer , and in less danger of being blasphemers , and worshippers of more gods than one ? there 's nothing more manifest in holy scripture , than that the only true god hath given to the son both his being , and all whatsoever that he enjoys ; he has exalted him to his right hand , given him all power in heaven and in earth , as pharaoh exalted joseph in egypt ; only in the throne ( saith he ) will i be greater than thou . but the trinitarians will not suffer the father to enjoy that privilege ; they are asham'd of that son of god ( and his words ) who is not as great as his father ; though he said , my father is greater than i. they are asham'd of his words , who said , of that day and hour — knoweth none , not the son , but the father only : and say in contradiction to him , the son did know that day and hour as well as the father , and not the father only . they are asham'd of his words who said , i can do nothing of my self ; i came not to do my own will , but the will of him that sent me ; my doctrine is not mine , but his that sent me ; i — do nothing of my self , but as the father hath taught me i speak these things ; i have not spoken of my self , but the father that sent me , he gave me a commandment what i should say , and what i should speak ; the word that i speak , i speak not of my self , but the father that abideth in me he doth the works . these and many other words and sayings of the same kind , they seem to be asham'd of , and say , and contend for it , that he could do all things of himself , that he came to do his own will , that his doctrine was his own , that he had no need of the father's teaching , &c. they are ashamed of those words of christ's ; mat. 19. 17. why dost thou call me good ? none is good but one , the god ; and say none is good but three , god and god and god , or father , son and holy ghost . here let me observe to the reader ( as i have hinted above ) that there is a considerable difference between that particle one in this text , and the same particle one in that supposititious text , 1 joh. 5. 7. these three are one ; for here one is of the neuter gender , as is manifest both in the greek and latin , and fignifies as the same word does in 1 cor. 3. 8. he that planteth and he that watereth are one : but in the text above , one is of the masculine gender , and must be understood of one person ( or intelligent being ) who is good , and none but he , to wit , the god. if they were not hinder'd by strong preiudices , they might easily see , that whatsoever they attribute to the son , be it eternal necessary existence , almightiness , or omniscience , &c. they take away from the father thereby , not only the glory of enjoying those divine excellencies alone , but also the glory of his free goodness , and the son 's , and our thankfulness for such unspeakable benefits both to him and us , as he has been graciously pleas'd to give unto the son , either in begetting him , or raising him up in time , or in rewarding him both for his and our good. nay , they make the son uncapable of receiving those great and glorious rewards , of all power in heaven and earth given to him , of an everlasting kingdom , of a name above every name , of exaltation to the right hand of god , and the like , which the scriptures are full of : for how could any of these blessings be given to him that was god always , even from eternity ? could god sit at the right hand of god in any sense whatever ? these are the absurd doctrines , which make the trinitarians contend so fiercely one with another , and with us . god will judg the world , and between them and us , by that man whom he has ordained to be judg of the dead and living . but to return to the consideration of those texts that are alledg'd for the son 's being called god ; that in john 1. 1. i have spoken of already , as also that in 1 tim. 3. 16. that in rom. 9. 5. is read without the word god in the syriac , and in the writings of st. cyprian , hilary and chrysostom ; whereby it 's probable it was not originally in that text. but erasmus acknowledges that for a good reading , which points the clause so as to render it a thanksgiving to the father thus , the god over all be blessed for ever , to wit , for his benefits in raising up christ of the fathers , &c. and it seems to have been so read by some of the antients , for they reckon it among the heresies to say , that christ was god over all , as origen contr . cels . and others . in 1 john 3. 16. the word god is not found but in very few greek copies ; and if it be read there , admits of a good sense , without making god to die , who only hath immortality . as also doth that text in acts 20. 28. which may be render'd , feed the church of god , which he hath purchased with the blood of his own son ; but the truer reading according to the syriac , the armenian , and most antient greek bibles , is , christ instead of god. most of the antient fathers read christ or lord. those words in 1 john 5. 21. this is the true god , which some refer to the son , are plainly to be refer'd to the father , signified by him that is true , through his son jesus . this [ he that is true ] ( whose son christ is ) is the true god. lastly , they urge that in john 20. 28. where thomas being convinced by the clear testimony of his senses , that christ was risen from the dead , answered and said unto him , my lord and my god : which words , whether they are words of admiration , respecting god that raised him from the dead , or him that was raised to be a prince and saviour ( acts 5. 30 , 31. ) a lord and a god ; the term god cannot signify in this latter sense , any other than a god or christ , made so by resurrection . 't is a clear case , that the evangelist could not intend by these words , to teach us that jesus was god , when he tells in the last verse , that they and his whole book were written , that we might believe that jesus is the christ the son of god , and that believing we might have life through his name . i have insisted long upon this point of the oneness of god , partly because it is a matter of the highest moment in religion ; partly to shew , that if our author had a design ( as mr. edw. says he had ) to exclude the belies of the trinity ( or threeness of god ) from being a point necessary to salvation , it was a pious and christian design ; and that mr. edw. has been so far from offering any thing to prove that faith to be so necessary , that he has not proved it a true doctrine ; but on the contrary , i have proved it to be false , and highly dishonourable to the ever-blessed god and father of christ , contrary to the clear and full current of scripture , obscuring the true glory of christ , and very injurious to the peace and hope of christians . but after all , whether our author is of my mind in this matter ; or whether he believes that the doctrine of three coequal almighty persons is a truth , but not fundamental , i cannot determine : but methinks mr. edwards's concluding him all over socinianiz'd in this point , is done upon such grounds , as will argue the holy evangelists to be also socinians : for he says , this writer interprets the son of god to be no more than the messiah : and i am much perswaded , that whoever shall read the gospels with any attention , will find the holy writers to be of the same mind ; and our author has fully prov'd it in his book , but more particularly from pag. 48. to 61. and pag. 95. yea the comparing the evangelists in the relation of one and the same story alone may do it ; for what in matthew is exprest by , thou art the messiah the son of the living god , chap. 16. 16. the same is in mark , chap. 8. 29. thou art the messiah ; and in luke 9. 18. the messiah of god. and if you compare 1 john 5. 1. with ver . 4 , 5. you will easily see the christ or messiah , and the son of god , are terms of the same import . besides , the very word messiah or christ signifying anointed , and so interpreted in the margin of our bibles , john 1. 41. is in the 49th verse , understood by nathanael to be the son of god , the king of israel . for the kings of israel in the letter and type , were constituted kings by anointing ; hence god is said to anoint david king over israel , 2 sam. 12. 7. and psal . 2. 2. he is called the lord 's anointed ; but in verse 7. upon that very account , the lord said , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee . now as the first and second verses of this psalm , are by the apostles and believers , applied to god's holy child [ or son ] jesus , who as david is called the lord's christ , acts 4. 25 , 26 , 27. so upon god's raising again of jesus to be a prince and a saviour , the apostle paul does expresly apply to him that glorious proclamation in the 7th verse , saying , as it is also written in the second psalm , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee , acts 13. 33. and the author to the hebrews , chap. 1. 4 , 5. speaking of the son 's being made better than the angels , proves it from this , that god said not at any time to any of them , as he did unto jesus , [ in his type david ] thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee ; and in his type solomon , i will be to him a father , and he shall be to me a son , 2 sam. 7. 14. moreover we have seen before , that our lord vindicates to himself the name of the son of god , by a text out of the 82d psalm , where the mighty judges and princes are called gods , and sons of the most high , john 10. these things consider'd , will i think justify our author in interpreting the son of god to be no more than the messiah , or will condemn the divine writers ( if not the messiah himself ) in the same crime . another evidence of our author's being socinian , is ( according to mr. edw. ) that he expounds joh. 14. 9 , &c. after the antitrinitarian mode , whereas generally divines understand some part of those words concerning the divinity of our saviour . he says , — generally divines , &c. by this mark those divines that do not so interpret , must be socinians : the socinians owe mr. edw. their thanks , for adding to their number many learned and able divines ; but i doubt those divines will not thank him for it . but mr. edw. has courage enough to call a most learned and right reverend father , wavering prelate , and to bring in his doctrine about fundamentals , as favouring the causes of atheism , if he and those other divines agree not with him in their sentiments . another mark of socinianism is , that our author makes christ and adam , to be the sons of god — by their birth , as the racovians generally do . that they both make christ to be the son of god by his birth , and that truly according to that text of luke 1. 35. cannot i think be denied by any that duly considers the place ; but that either the one or the other make adam , who was never born to be so , in like manner by his birth , is mr. edwards's blunder , and not their assertion . i have not taken notice of the other fundamentals which mr. edw. reckons in his system , ( divers of which are not found in holy scripture , either name or thing , expresly , or by consequence ) because he insists chiefly on the doctrine of the trinity ; which however it is believed by learned men , to be in some sense or other ( they cannot agree in what sense ) a truth ; yet some of the most learned of them do not believe it a fundamental and necessary truth , particularly mr. limborch ( than whom this present learned age does not afford a more learned and able divine ) could not defend christian religion , in his most famous and weighty disputations against the jews , without waving that point ; one of which we have in his amica collatio cum erudito judaeo , &c. the ablest jew ( i presume ) that ever wrote in defence of judaism against christianity . another conference i am informed we may hope shortly to see , in his reduction of an eminent person , who was upon the point of forsaking the christian religion , and embracing for it that of the jews at amsterdam , when first the ablest systemers had tried their utmost skill and could not effect it . perhaps mr. edw. means him for one , when he says , our author 's plausible conceit found reception ( if it had not its birth ) among some foreign authors besides socinians , pag. 104. indeed he had cause enough , for mr. limborch tells the jew expresly ( in the book i named , chap. 9. pag. 218. ) quando exigitur fides in jesum christum , nusquam in toto novo testamento exigi ut credamus jesum esse ipsum deum , sed jesum esse christum , seu messiam olim promissum , vel quod idem est , esse filium dei ; quoniam appellationes christi & filii dei inter se permutantur . when we are requir'd to believe in jesus christ , we are no where in all the new testament requir'd to believe that jesus is the very god , but that jesus is the christ or the messiah , that was of old promised , or which is the same , that he is the son of god ; because those appellations of christ and of son of god are put one for another . so that in company of mr. limborch and other eminent divines , as well as our english bishops and doctors , our author may still believe the doctrine of the trinity to be a truth , though not necessary , absolutely necessary to make one a christian , as mr. edwards contends . but why does he make mention of only the right reverend fathers , one reverend doctor , and the foreign divines and socinians , as favourers of this plausible conceit , of making nothing necessary and fundamental , but what is evidently contain'd in holy scripture as such ; and so is accommodated to the apprehension of the poor , that hear and read the scriptures , making them also capable of being saved , though they are either ignorant of , or do not believe aright those truths , which , though deliver'd in scripture , are yet either hard to be understood , or difficultly infer'd , or have no mark of fundamental , either in themselves , or in divine revelation ; and for those reasons cannot be made evident to the despised common people , which the lord jesus came to save as well as the learned ? he might also have charg'd the sixth article of the church of england with this plausible coneeit , which has so much evil and mischief in it , tending to reduce the catholick faith to nothing , pag. 122. for that article saith thus ; holy scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation , so that whatsoever is not read therein , nor may be proved thereby , is not to be required of any man , that it should be believed as an article of faith. observe here , that every necessary article must be read expresly , or at least proved thereby , and to whom is this proof to be made ? even to the weakest noddles of those that are requir'd to believe it . absolutely there is not one man or woman of the venerable mob , that ( according to mr. edw. ) can be saved , because they cannot possibly have the article of the three persons that are one prov'd to them from scripture ; for it 's evident the learned , even of the clergy , cannot prove it to one another , much less to vulgar understandings . and mr. chillingworth ( the ablest defender of the religion of protestants , that the church ever had ) says ( and ingeminates it ) — the bible , the bible , i say the bible only is the religion of protestants ; whatsoever else they believe besides it , and the plain irrefragable and indvbitable consequences of it , well may they hold it as a matter of opinion , but not as a matter of faith or religion ; neither can they with consistence to their own grounds believe it themselves , nor require the belief of it from others , without most high and most schismatical presumption , ch. 6. n. 56. will mr. edwards say , his fundamentals are such irrefragable and indubitable truths , about which there are among protestants such hot and irreconcileable contentions ? again , that most judicious author lays this as the unmoveable foundation of his whole discourse against the papists , viz. that all things necessary to salvation are evidently contain'd in scripture ; as the church of england does , ( see pref. n. 30. ) and he shows in the following paragraphs , to n. 38. that all the jesuits arguments against protestants are confuted by it . but that 's not all , the same author after dr. potter affirms , that the apostles creed contains all those points of belief , which were by god's command of necessity to be preached to all , and believed by all : and yet he says in the same paragraph , that all points in the creed are not thus necessary ; see chap. 4. n. 23. now what more or less hath our author asserted in his whole book ? for i have shewed out of him , and it 's evident to the impartial ; that his proposition , that jesus is the messiah or christ , does comprehend or clearly imply all the articles of necessary christian faith in the creed . for , though it was sufficient to constitute a believer during the life of christ , to believe him to be the christ , although they had no explicite belief of his death and resurrection to come ; yet afterwards those articles were necessary , being undoubted evidences of his being the messiah , as our author pag. 31. and therefore mr. edw. is very injurious to him , in representing his proposition , as if it were only the believing the man called jesus to be the messiah , an hebrew word , that signifies in english anointed , without understanding what is meant by that term , see pag. 121. but why should i expect that mr. edw. should have any regard to mr. chillingworth's judgment , and all those , the vice chancellour , the divinity-professors , and others that licensed and approved his book , when he has none for the pious and learned bishop jer. taylor , and those others ? nay , when those numerous plain testimonies , which our author has quoted out of the holy scriptures themselves , do but provoke his opposition and contempt ; though the divine writers add these sanctions to the belief of our author's proposition , or of those words and sentences that are of the same import , and comprehended in it , viz. he that believeth shall be saved , or shall never thirst , or shall have eternal life , and the like : on the contrary , he that believeth not shall be condemned , or shall die in his sin , or perish , and the like . however i doubt not but my impartial reader will consider both what my author , and what my self have said in this point . having thus made it appear , that the reducing of the fundamentals of christian faith to a few , or even to one plain article deliver'd in scripture expresly , and often repeated there , and in divers equipollent phrases , easy to be understood by the poor , and strongly enforcing the obedience of the messiah , ( as is our author's proposition ) is far from having any tendency to atheism or deism ; i shall now retort this charge upon mr. edw. and show that on the contrary , the multiplying of speculative and mysterious articles as necessary , which are neither contain'd in scripture expresly , nor drawn thence by any clear and evident consequence , but are hard to be understood , especially by the common people , having no rational tendency to promote a good life , but directly to the high dishonour of the one god , the god and father of our lord jesus christ , and the subversion of the hope and peace of christians , as i have manifested in one and the chief of mr. edw's fundamentals , and of other systemers : this i say has been , and is one great cause , or chief occasion of that atheism and deism that is in the world. 1. mr. edw. himself tells us , that undue apprehensions of a deity join'd with superstition , are the high road to atheism , pag. 34. — therefore imposing of false doctrines , concerning the attributes of god , is very pernicious , for they are destructive of his very being and nature . but i have shew'd that the imposing of the doctrine of three almighty persons , or personal gods , is a false doctrine , and destroys one of the chief attributes of god , therefore is ( according to mr. edw. ) destructive of his very being and nature , pag. 35. again , another of mr. edw's fundamentals is , that full satisfaction is made by the death of christ to the divine justice ; which doctrine does clearly destroy the attribute of the divine mercy : for every one may readily perceive , that full satisfaction to justice by punishment , cannot consist with pardoning mercy ; when a judg punishes according to full justice , he does not at all forgive or shew mercy . but that they may not be seen to destroy altogether the mercy of god , they make him to inflict that punishment upon himself in a human body and soul. will not these false conceptions of the deity expunge at last the belief of the true one ? mr. edw. says false ones will. 2ly . another occasion , mr. edw. says , atheists take from our divisions , broils and animosities , from the many parties and squadrons of sects that are in the world , to bid defiance to all religion . and is it not manifest that those divisions , &c. arise chiefly from those doctrines that are mr. edw's fundamentals ? i have intimated already , there are many divisions of trinitarians , and how hotly they contend with one another , and upon unitarian principles . and whoever shall but peep into ecclesiastical history , may soon see that their trinity has been such a bone of contention as has exercis'd the wits and pens of church-men these 1400 years ; for so long it is , and longer since christians departed from the simplicity of the faith , as it was preached by our lord christ and his apostles . and now when the unitarians and our author would bring christians back to that simplicity , in which the gospel was preached to the poor , and they understood it and receiv'd it ; this pious design is ridicul'd , and the salvation of the bulk of mankind is set at nought ; mr. edw. may well conclude that this conduct gives occasion to atheistical persons . 3ly . he says , pag. 63. when persons observe that the very divinity of our blessed lord and saviour is toss'd and torn by rude pens — what can they think of the other great verities of christianity ? but mr. edw. mistakes , it 's not the opposition that is made to the supreme divinity of the son of god , but the asserting it , that inclines men to disbelieve christianity . had many that are now deists , been sooner acquainted with the doctrine of one god even the father , and of one man the mediator between god and men , it 's very probable they would have continued christians ; for there are some that of deists have been reconcil'd to the christian faith by the unitarian books , and have profess'd much satisfaction therein . but i must confess it 's a very handsome rebuke mr. edw. gives to his own party , when he blames the antitrinitarians , that they have provok'd some of them to an undecent sort of language concerning these holy mysteries : so that some of these latter have hurt the cause , it may be almost as much by their defending it , as the others have by their opposing it . i must lay up this for a curious figure in rhetorick : he cuts some dignified persons through the unitarians sides ; and so whoever is in fault , they must bear the blame . but if the unitarians have truth , and necessary truth on their side , then they are not faulty , even as christ and the apostles were not faulty , though they preach'd the gospel which set the son against the father , &c. and produc'd not peace but a sword : and the reformers were not faulty in vigorously opposing the popish faith , even unto blood. but whoever will attentively consider it , may see it 's the nature of the trinitarian doctrine , that it cannot be defended without being exposed , so that when the most learned of the party labour to defend it , they necessarily run into one absurdity or other ; which being perceived by the next learned man , he exposes him : and a third sees the weakness of each of them : and a fourth man spies flaws in every of them . this produces various hypotheses , and makes them a scorn to atheists , and enclines others to deism . for the obscuring of a contradiction will not take it away . contradictions are stubborn things , and will never yield to any reconciliation whatsoever . god will never be more than one real person , and one person will never be three real persons . and if trinitarians will ( as they do ) make that a fundamental of religion , which contradicts the best reasonings of mankind , whereby they prove the existence of god and his unity , viz. that he is that being which is necessarily and by himself , and so consider'd not in kind , but in act ; wherefore if you suppose more gods , then you will necessarily find nothing in each of them why any of them should be . grotius de verit . chr. relig. in initio . and if the trinitarians cannot explain their doctrine to one another , so as to clear it from introducing more gods than one , no marvel then that loose men ( who yet reason as the incomparable grotius , and other learned men do ) do thence deny there is any god at all . the learned allow there is not necessarily any god , if you suppose more than one : the trinitarians say he is more than one ; men who think it their interest there should be no god , conclude thence , it 's equal in reason to believe there is no god as three . and mr. norris joins them with his suffrage in the point ; i think it ( saith he ) a greater absurdity , that there should be more gods than one , than that there should be none at all . reason and relig. p. 59. and if some men take occasion from such reasonings as these to turn atheists it may easily be conceiv'd , that men that are more sober , and find strong and irresistible reasons for the existence and unity of god , but see clearly that christians worship three , and besides that , hold divers other absurd doctrines for fundamentals ; such men ( i say ) must of necessity forsake christianity ; and turn deists . thus it 's most manifest , that the unitarians take the direct course to prevent atheism and deism , by letting the world see , that those fundamentals are no doctrines of christ ; but that the necessary faith of christ is a plain and short doctrine , easy to be understood by the poor , and clearly exprest in scripture , most reasonable in it self , and most agreeable to the unity and goodness of god , and other the divine attributes . i shall now in the 4th place shew how the obscurity , numerousness , and difficulty of understanding systematical fundamentals promotes deism , and subverts the christian faith , and that in a notorious instance . it 's matter of fact , and evident to the whole world , that the quakers are a very numerous people , and form'd into a compact body , in which they exercise strict discipline , as to what concerns their party . they will not own any other denomination of christians or others for the people of god , but themselves only ; all others are of the world. they utterly disown the scriptures as the rule of faith ; they decry it as letter , carnal , dust , &c. their principle is , that their religion is taught them by inspiration or revelation of a light within , whereof every man has a measure , but they only hearken to it , and obey it ; they give the scripture the place of bearing witness to their inward light , as the woman of samaria to christ . they turn the gospel into an allegory , and consequently make use of the words and phrases of the scripture ; as that christ is the word , the light , the teacher , the word in the mouth and heart ; that christ died , and rose , and ascended , and is in heaven , and the like ; but all in a mystical or spiritual sense , as they call it . by all which things , and indeed by the whole tenour of their books , preachings and professions , they appear to be deists and not christians . george fox's book ; titled , the great mystery , will give full satisfaction in this point . and they have all along been charg'd by other denominations to be no christians , and that quakerism is no christianity . however retaining still the words wherein the christian faith is exprest , though in an equivocal sense ; and having some among them ( as george keith and others ) who still believ'd the gospel in the proper sense , they made a shift to be reputed generally christians . and indeed this conduct of theirs deceived even many of their own party , which is manifest in william rogers of bristol , francis bugg , thomas crispe , john pennyman , and especially in george keith ; who having been a quaker about 30 years , yet did not till within these three or four years discover the infidelity of the primitive and true quakers , who are deservedly call'd foxonians , because holding the principles of george fox their author . but g. keith living in pensylvania , ( where the quakers were governours , and might be free to open their minds plainly ) did then perceive they did not believe the doctrine of the apostles creed , the summary of christian faith , which made him preach it and contend for it more earnestly . this provok'd the foxonians so far , that it came to a breach and separation , and at length to impeachment , fines and imprisonment . then g. keich returns to london , where the matters in contest between him and the foxonians of pensylvania , was taken into consideration , and had divers hearings by the general annual meeting of quakers , 1694 , who gave a kind of a judgment in the case , but no clearer determination of the principal matter concerning christ within , and christ without , and the other articles of christian faith , than their former equivocal expressions . the next year 1695 , at the like general meeting , they absolutely excommunicate g. keith , and make this the ground of it , viz. that he had not given due observance to their former order , and was troublesome to them in his declarations , &c. for he had still continued to preach frequently christianity as before . see a late book , titled , gross error and hypocrisy detected , &c. the reader i hope will excuse it , that i have detain'd him in this long story , because it was necessary for me first , to prove the quakers are deists , and then to proceed and shew , secondly , that the obscurity , ambiguity , and numerousness of systematical fundamentals , is that which is the chief cause of their being so : for not being able to satisfy themselves in understanding and determining the truth and certainty of those fundamentals , for the proof of which scriptures were alledg'd ; but those of so doubtful a sense , and variously interpreted by opposite parties , that they readily embrac'd george fox's only fundamental of the light in every man ; that is in reality the natural light , whereby we distinguish between good and evil in ordinary ; whence it is that ( as saith the apostle paul ) we ( as the gentiles ) are a law to our selves , and our thoughts accuse or excuse , rom. 2. 14 , 15. which is in truth an excellent doctrine , and has great certainty and clearness in it . but g. fox preaches this , not as a natural principle , but 1. as a supernatural revelation : and 2. christ being call'd in scripture , the light that lighteth every man , and the light of the world , because be brought the light of the gospel into the world ; george fox applies these terms and phrases , and almost every thing that is spoken of christ , to the light in every man , and so turns the plain sense of the gospel into a parabolical or mystical sense , and makes the christian scripture to speak nothing but deism . 3. g. fox adds certain observances of giving no respect in word or gesture , or title , nor speaking as others speak , nor saluting as others salute , nor paying tithes , nor using the sword , nor swearing in common form , &c. and all as inspired dictates , that so the only people of god might be separated from all the world , and they serve admirably for that purpose . now if you consider the experimented certainty of their principle , the light within , that accuses and excuses , and their perswasion that it was a divine inspiration , which also was confirm'd to them by their giving obedience to those ceremonies which were so contrary and offensive to the world , and expos'd them to much suffering ; [ all suffering for religion , especially for a clear revelation from god , confirming the sufferers in their perswasion : ] you may clearly perceive it was the uncertainty , obscurity , and intricacy of their former principles , which induced them to embrace g. fox's religion , which is all dictated by the spirit of god in every man. whence it is , they upbraid other professors with doubtfulness and fallibility ; and every one of them counts himself as infallible as the papists do the pope . how can ye but delude people ( says g. fox ) that are not infallible ? myst . p. 33. lastly , the obscurity , uncertainty , and multiplicity of fundamentals , is that which has given an argument to popish priests and jesuits , wherewith to seduce protestants to popery . for evidence of this , i shall mind you of a paper written by a jesuit , in the late king james's time , titled , an address presented to the reverend and learned ministers of the church of england , &c. the purport of which is , that all things necessary to salvation are not clearly contained in scripture , as protestants hold ; because the belief of a trinity , one god and three persons , is necessary to salvation , but not clearly contain'd in scripture . then he goes about to shew , that the scriptures commonly alledged for the trinity , admit of another sense . he goes the same way in the article of the incarnation . thus supposing these articles to be necessary to salvation ( as protestants hold ) and not clearly contain'd in scripture ; it follows that the undoubted certainty of them must be found in the determinations of the church ; and then that church which professes infallibility is the only refuge ; and i believe as the church believes , supplies all other articles . no certainty any where else ; but certainty must be had in these points . here the making of those articles fundamental , which cannot be clearly prov'd from scripture , subverts the sufficiency and clearness of scripture , and sends poor protestants to rome , for the certainty and infallibility of the christian faith. they did so glory in the strength of this argument , that the jesuit-preacher in limestreet , read their paper , and made the same challenge in his pulpit , where he had a great number of protestants that went out of curiosity to hear him . having thus ( as i presume ) vindicated our author , and shewn the mischiefs of mr. edw's fundamentals , i may now take my leave of my reader . only i am first willing to let mr. edw. know , that i have not undertaken this defence out of any ambitious humour of contending with so learned a man as he is ; nor would i have made opposition to him in any other point of learning or divinity : but fundamentals every man is concern'd in , and ought to know , and to be assured that he holds them all . eternal salvation is a greater thing by far than any empire , and will therefore justify and exact our utmost care and endeavour for the obtaining it . so that in these considerations of mr. edw's exceptions — i have done my duty to my self ; and that i have publish'd them , i am perswaded i have therein done a great charity to my neighbours , the poor and bulk of mankind , for whose salvation ( i hope ) i should not think it too much to lay down my life , however mr. edw. speaks so scoffingly of them , even where their eternal happiness or misery is deeply concern'd . the end . errata . pag. 9. col. 2 l. 0. for a read or . p. 11. col . 2. l. 14. r. perfect man. p. 14. col . 2. l. 8. f. mine r. nine ; l. 14. r. palliate the. a prospect of the primitive christianity, as it was left by christ to his apostles, by the apostles to their disciples saint polycarp and holy ignatius, both contemporaries with and disciples to the holy evangelist and apostle saint john whose lives follow in this short treatise, together with their famous epistles written to several churches / translated according to the best copies out of the original greek into english, by thomas elborowe ... elborow, thomas. 1668 approx. 178 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 72 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2008-09 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a38579 wing e323 estc r15095 13344581 ocm 13344581 99160 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a38579) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 99160) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 352:9) a prospect of the primitive christianity, as it was left by christ to his apostles, by the apostles to their disciples saint polycarp and holy ignatius, both contemporaries with and disciples to the holy evangelist and apostle saint john whose lives follow in this short treatise, together with their famous epistles written to several churches / translated according to the best copies out of the original greek into english, by thomas elborowe ... elborow, thomas. polycarp, saint, bishop of smyrna. epistola ad philippenses. english. ignatius, saint, bishop of antioch, d. ca. 110. epistolae. english. [8], 128, [1] p. printed by tho. newcomb for william grantham ..., in the savoy : 1668. reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng polycarp, -saint, bishop of smyrna. ignatius, -saint, bishop of antioch, d. ca. 110. barnabas, -apostle, saint. epistle of barnabas. -english. fathers of the church. christian literature, early. church history -primitive and early church, ca. 30-600. 2006-10 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2006-10 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-05 robyn anspach sampled and proofread 2007-05 robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a prospect of the primitive christianity , as it was left by christ to his apostles , by the apostles to their disciples saint polycarp and holy ignatius , both contemporaries with and disciples to the holy evangelist and apostle saint john . whose lives follow in this short treatise , together with their famous epistles written to several churches . translated according to the best copies out of the original greek into english , by thomas elborowe vicar of chiswick in the county of middlesex . in the savoy , printed by tho. newcomb for william grantham , at the sign of the black bear in westminster-hall . 1668. to the reverend father in god , robert lord bishop of worcester . my lord , i have been your debter these many years , and although i was perswaded formerly to appear in print in a short exposition upon the book of common-prayer , yet that small and imperfect piece did seek protection from the wings of another . it is my happiness now to make choice of a subject most proper and fit for your lordships patronage ; wherein christianity and the fence about it , the vine and the hedge are so delineated , according to the primitive patterns , that this present age , wherein we live , may blush and stand amazed to see how much short they are in the practise of that religion which they profess , and be ashamed of themselves that they of the first age should be christians indeed , whilst too many of this are onely christians in name . it hath been very well observed by the antient fathers , and as much by these two as by any , holy polycarp , and divine ignatius ( who fly to the sacred wings of your lordships protection to secure them from a second martyrdom , which the unkind world may threaten them withall ) that religion consists more in practice than in speculation , and is rather an occupation than a meer profession . but i will detain your lordship no longer from the reading of them in our plain english , whom you have so often conversed with in their own language . thus having discharged a small part of my debt , which yet your acceptance will double upon me , i remain your lordships debter still , ever praying for your lordships health and happiness . your dutiful and obedient son , thomas elborowe . the life and death of saint polycarp martyr , bishop of the church of smyrna , and disciple to saint john the evangelist . polycarp was a man of an excellent spirit , an eminent christian , fruitful in every good work , the disciple of the blessed apostle and evangelist saint john , not onely instructed by the apostles in the doctrine of christianity , and continually conversant amongst them , who had seen christ in the flesh ; but he was by the apostles themselves ordained bishop of the church of smyrna in asia . he was that famous angel so much commended for his pietie , patience , and constancie , revel . 2. 8 , 9 , 10. when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , very great persecutions disturbed and vexed all asia , and fell very heavie upon that city , where he was then metropolitan . irenaeus , who was polycarps disciple , makes mention of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , his conversation with john , and gives him this style , that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that blessed and apostolical presbyter . he further reports of him thus , that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , made bishop over the church of smyrna in asia by the apostles themselves . tertullian , shewing how the apostolical churches derived their successions , mentioned polycarp placed over the church of smyrna by john. he is styled by eusebius , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a person very familiar with the apostles , and is said by the s●me author to have obtained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the episcopacie of the church of smyrna , by the joynt suffrage of those , who had seen the lord , and were his ministers . jerom says he was a disciple of john the apostle , and by him ordained metropolitan bishop of smyrna , for he was totius asiae princeps , the prince of all asia . gildas saith , he was egregius pastor , christi testis , an excellent pastour , and witness of christ . the very heathens thinking to disgrace him the more did give him this honourable eulogie , that he was , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the doctor of asia , the father of the christians . this godly professor and great prelate lived to a very great age and finishing his life by a glorious martyrdom , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , did as it were seal up by his martyrdom , and put a period to the persecution which then raged . this happened under the reign of marcus aurelius philosophus , and lucius verus roman emperours . very memorable things are recorded of this great saint and martyr by eusebius , to whom i refer my reader . this briefly touching polycarp himself . i come now to speak as briefly of his works and writings . divers are by divers attributed to him . some make mention of many tracts , homilies , and epistles which he wrote , and of one entire book composed by him upon the death of saint john the evangelist , his master . suidas mentions epistles written by him to dionysius the areopagite , and to several churches . irenaeus , who was his disciple , mentions epistles written by him , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . to neighbour churches , and to certain of the brethren . but these shall not be a matter of my further enquirie , whether so , or not so . i shall now give you a brief account out of some of the ancients touching this epistle of his , written to the philippians . photius reports it to be read publickly in churches , his word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and gives it out to be an epistle , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , full of many admirable admonitions , clear and plain , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , according to the ecclesiastical form of interpretation then used . jerom styles it epistolam valdè utilem , a very useful epistle , and reports it to be read in the churches of asia to his very time . irenaeus saith it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a most full , and complete epistle , out of which all , who are willing to learn , and have any care or value for their salvation , may learn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the exact form of faith , and doctrine of truth . eusebius says the very same out of irenaeus . sophronius and suidas style it an epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , very admirable . maximus the scholiast reports him to have written epistles to the philippians , but that is supposed a mistake , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . this epistle so excellent for the building of us up in faith and love , and in whatever may adorn christian profession , i now offer to the charitable and courteous reader , translated into english , out of that greek copie , which was published by the right reverend prelate , and learned antiquarie , doctor vsher , primate of ireland , and printed at oxford , anno dom. 1644. the epistle of saint polycarp , bishop of smyrna , and holy martyr , to the philippians . polycarp , and the presbyters with him , to the church of god within the diocess of philippi ; mercy unto you , and peace from god almighty , and from the lord jesus christ our saviour be multiplied . i congratulate you highly in our lord jesus christ , in that ye have embraced those patterns of true love , and accompanied ( as became you ) those who were involved in holy bands , which are the diadems of those , who are truly the elected of god , and of our lord ; and because the root of your faith , which was preached to you , continues firm even from the beginning until now , and brings forth fruit unto our lord jesus christ , who suffred for our sins even to the death , whom god raised up , having loosed the bands of death , in whom , having not seen him , ye believe , and believing rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory . into which joy many desire to enter , knowing that through grace ye are saved , not by works but by the will of god through jesus christ . wherefore having your loyns girt about , serve god with fear and truth , forsaking empty vain babble , and the errour of many , believing in him who raised up our lord jesus christ from the dead , and hath given to him glory , and a throne at his right hand . to whom all earthly and heavenly things are subject , and every thing that hath breath pays service , who shall come to judge the quick and dead , and whose bloud god will strictly require at the hands of those , who do not believe in him . but he , who raised him from the dead , will raise up us also , if we do his will , and walk in his commandements , and love the things which he loved ; abstaining from all unrighteousness , incontinence , covetousness , detraction , fals-witness-bearing , not rendering evil for evil , reproach for reproach , railing for railing , cursing for cursing , but remembring what the lord said teaching in this wise , judge not that ye be not judged , forgive , and it shall be forgiven you , be merciful , that ye may obtain mercy , in what measure ye mete , it shall be measured to you again ; it is also said , blessed are the poor in spirit , and they , who are persecuted for righteousness sake , for theirs is the kingdom of god. these things ( brethren ) i write unto you concerning righteousness , not imposing any commands upon you as from my self , but because ye have moved me so to do . for neither i , nor any other like unto me , can attain to the wisdom of blessed and glorious paul , who , being amongst you , and conversing face to face with men then living , taught you exactly and firmly the word of truth ; who also being absent wrote epistles unto you , by which , if ye give heed unto them , ye may be built up in the faith , which was delivered unto you ; which faith is the mother of you all , being followed by hope , and led on by love , which directs you to god , and christ , and our neighbour . for if any man is possessed of these , he hath fulfilled the command of righteousness . he , who is possessed of love , is free from all sin ▪ but covetousness is the root of all evil ▪ knowing therefore that we brought nothing into the world , and that we shall carry nothing out , let us arm our selves with the armour of righteousness , and teach our selves in the first place to walk in the commandements of the lord. and let us in the next place teach the women , that they walk according to that rule of faith , which was delivered unto them , and in love , and holiness , and that they love entirely their own husbands with all sincerity , and all others equally with all continency , and that they instruct their children in the discipline and fear of god. and let us teach the widows to be sober and wise , according to the faith of the lord , and to make intercession for all without intermission , keeping themselves from all detraction , accusation , fals-witness-bearing , covetousness , and all evil , knowing that they are as the altars of god , who observes the faults of every one of us ; for nothing is hid from him , neither of our reasonings , understandings , nor secrets of our hearts , and because we know that god cannot be mocked , we ought to walk worthy of his command , and of glory . likewise let the deacons be unblameable in the presence of his righteousness , for they are the ministers of god in christ , and not of men ; let them not be accusers , nor double-tongued , nor covetous , but continent in all things , compassionate , careful , walking according to the truth of the lord , who was made the minister of all , from whom , if we please him in this world , we shall receive a future reward ; for he hath ingaged for us to raise us from the dead , and , if we have our conversation worthy of him , we shall also reign with him , as we believe . in like manner let the young men be unblameable in all things , chiefly let them study chastity , and restrain themselves as with a bridle from all that is evil . for it is a good thing to be elevated in our desires above all the desireable things of this world , because all concupiscence of the world warreth against the spirit , and neither fornicators , nor effeminate persons , nor abusers of themselves with mankind shall inherit the kingdom of god , nor they , who do absurd things . therefore it is necessary that ye abstain from all such things , being subject to the presbyters and deacons , as to god and christ . and let the virgins walk with a blameless and chaste conscience . let the presbyters be of tender bowels , compassionate towards all , converters of those who are in errour , visiters of all that are sick , careful of the widow , the orphans , and the indigent , always providing that which is good in the sight of god and men , not given to wrath , no respecters of persons , not unjust in judgement , keeping themselves far from all covetousness , not hastily believing any thing against any man , not rash in passing judgement against any , knowing that all of us are the debters of sin ; and , as we pray the lord would forgive us , we ought also to forgive , for we are continually in the sight of the lord god , and must all stand before the tribunal of christ , and every one of us give an account for himself . therefore let us serve him with fear and all reverence , as he hath given in commandement , and as the apostles have evangelized to us , and the prophets , who preached before-hand the coming of our lord. be zealous of that which is good , and keep your selves from scandals , avoiding the company of false brethren , who carry the name of the lord in hypocrisie onely to seduce vain men into errour . for every one , who doth not confess , that jesus christ is come in the flesh , is antichrist ; and he , who doth not confess , the martyrdom of the cross , is of the devil ; and he , who shall pervert the oracles of the lord to serve his own private lusts , and shall say that there is no resurrection , nor judgement , is the first-born of satan . therefore let us decline the folly of many , and their false doctrines , and give heed to that word , which was delivered to us from the beginning . let us attend unto prayers with all sobrierie , and unto fastings with all perseverance ; and in our supplications let us pray unto the al-seeing god , that he would not lead us into temptation , as the lord hath taught , for the spirit is willing , but the flesh is weak . let us endure without fainting , resting our selves upon our hope and pledge of righteousness , which is jesus christ ; who did bear our sins in his own body upon the tree , who did no sin , neither was guile found in his mouth , but he patiently endured all things for us , that we might live through him . therefore let us be the followers of his patience ; and if we suffer for his name , we glorifie him ; for he set us such an example in himself , as we believe . therefore i exhort you all to obey the word of righteousness , and to exercise all patience , as ye have seen it exemplified before your eyes , not onely in the blessed ignatius , zosimus , and rufus , but in others among you , in paul himself , and the rest of the apostles . for ye may be confident , that all these have not run in vain , but in faith and righteousness , and having obtained the place due unto them , are now with the lord , with whom also they suffered ; for they loved not this present world , but him , who died for us , and was for us by god raised again from death to life . stand fast therefore in these things , and follow the pattern of the lord be stedfast in the faith , immutable , lovers of the brotherhood , kind one to another , united in truth , performing all meekness each to other , and despising none . when ye can do good , do not deferre it , for alms delivereth from death . be subject one to another , having your conversation unblameable among the gentiles ; that your selves may receive praise from your good works , and the lord be not blasphemed by your means . but wo to that man , by whom the name of the lord is blasphemed . therefore teach all men sobriety , and be your selves conversant in it . i am very much troubled for valens , who was made a presbyter among you , because he is unmindful of his place , which was committed unto him . i therefore admonish you , that ye abstain from covetousness , and that ye be chaste and true . keep your selves from all evil . but how can he preach this to another , who cannot govern himself in these matters ? if a man keep not himself from covetousness , he will be defiled with idolatry , and accounted an heathen . but who knows not the judgement of the lord ? do we not know , that the saints shall judge the world , as paul teacheth ? but i have neither perceived , nor heard of any such thing among you , amongst whom blessed paul laboured , who are also in the beginning of his epistle . for he glories of you in all those churches , which onely knew god at that time , for as yet we had not known him . therefore , my brethren , i am grieved for him , and for his wife , to whom the lord give true repentance . and be ye sober as to this very thing , esteem not such as as enemies , but restore them as frail and erring members , that the whole body of you may be saved , for in so doing ye build up your selves . i trust that ye are well exercised in the holy scriptures , and that nothing is hid from you , which thing is not yet granted unto me . as it is written , be angry , and sin not ; let not the sun go down upon your wrath . blessed is he , who shall believe , which thing i believe to be in you . now the god and father of our lord jesus christ , and jesus christ the eternal high-priest , and son of god , build you up in faith , and truth , and in all meekness , that ye may be without anger ; and in all patience , longanimity , long-sufferance , and chastity ; and give you a lot and part amongst his saints , and to us together with you , and to all , who are under heaven , that shall believe in our lord jesus christ , and in his father , who raised him from the dead . pray for all saints . pray also for kings and potentates , and princes , for those , who persecute you , and hate you , and for the enemies of the cross , that your fruit may be manifested in all , and ye may be perfect in him . ye and also ignatius have written unto me , that , if any man go into syria , he may carry also your letters , which i will either do my self , if i have a fit opportunity , or he , whom i shall send upon your message also . according to your request we have sent unto you those epistles of ignatius , which he wrote unto us , and so many others of his as we had by us , which are subjoyned to this epistle , and by which ye may be very much profited ; for they , contain in them faith , and patience , and all that is necessary for the building of you up in our lord. signifie unto us what ye shall certainly know concerning ignatius himself , and those who are with him . i have written unto you these things by crescens , whom i formerly commended to you , and do now commend , for he was conversant amongst us unblameably , and i believe he was the same amongst you . ye shall also have his sister commended , when she shall come unto you . be safe in the lord jesus christ in grace , with all yours . amen . the life and death of holy ignatius , bishop of the church of antioch in syria , holy martyr and disciple of saint john the evangelist : together with a true account of these following epistles of his ; 1. to the smyrneans . 2. to polycarp . 3. to the ephesians . 4. to the magnesians . 5. to the philadelphians . 6. to the trallians . 7. to the romans . all faithfully translated out of the original greek into english , according to the most genuine copy found in the library of lawrence de medicis by the learned isaac vossius , and by him published at amsterdam in the year of our lord. 1646. this holy man ignatius was a man of an extraordinary zeal , vast charity , most clear apprehensions as to divine things , devout and religious , even to a miracle . he was styled theopherus , as he calls himself in all his epistles , either ( as is supposed by some ) because he was that little child mentioned in the gospel , which christ took up in his arms , when he would teach his disciples humility by the low character of childhood ; or because he did constantly bear god about with him in his holy and pure heart . my purpose is in brief , to shew you what he was , of what esteem in the church , and how he ended his life by a glorious martyrdom ; which i shall do out of those writers of antiquity , who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , persons worthy of credit , and of very venerable esteem in the church of christ . origen reports him , episcopum antiochiae post petrum secundum , the second bishop of antioch after peter . athanasius said he was , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . made bishop of antioch after the apostles , and a martyr of christ . irenaeus hath written of him thus , that he was , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for a testimony of his faith towards god condemned to beasts . chrysostom saith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that he was familiarly conversant with the apostles , nourished up together with them ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and that he was by them esteemed worthy of so great a principality ; meaning undoubtedly the episcopacie of the church of antioch , for he says presently after , that he was not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , worthy of so great a principality , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he obtained that dignity from those holy persons , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and the hands of the blessed apostles themselves were laid upon his holy head . theodoret says he was , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a most famous doctor of the church , and that he received , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the grace of the high-priesthood by the right hand of glorious peter , and that after he had governed the church of antioch , he was crowned with martyrdom . jerom says he was the third bishop of the church of antioch after saint peter the apostle . socrates says the same , and that he was very much a companion of the apostles . he is styled by evagrius , i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the divine ignatius . gildas in his time said , that the british clergy were not onely not good enough to be accounted priests , but scarce good enough to be esteemed mean christians in comp r●son of him . scaliger s ys he was vir singulari eruditione , a man of singular learning . neander says he was , vir magni spiritus , fidei , & zeli , a man of a great spirit , faith , and zeal . baronius styles him , copiosam apostolicarum traditionum apothecam , fortémque adversus haereticos armaturam . a copious store-house of apostolical traditions , and a strong armour against heretiques . he suffred a glorious martyrdom under the emperour trajan , and being brought bound from antioch to rome was condemned to be devoured by beasts . here i conclude touching ignatius himself . i come now to speak something of his writings . it is the judgement of learned men , that many epistles are ascribed to him , which were never written by him , but were the epistles of some latter supposititious writers , who did imitate his style , which are these epistles following . 1. the epistle written from philippi to the church of tarsus . 2. the epistle written from philippi to the church of antioch . 3. the epistle written from philippi to heron deacon of the church of antioch . 4. the epistle written to the philippians touching baptism , which epistle makes mention of several feasts , the quadragesimal fast , and the passion week to be observed , and from this very passage mr john calvin took his occasion to speak against the epistles of ignatius , or rather against that epistle ; now his objection being against that , which is not numbred amongst the genuine epistles , can make no thing against those epistles of his , which will hereafter appear to be genuine . 5. an epistle written from antioch to maria cassobolita is ascribed to ignatius . 6. two epistles written to saint john the evangelist . 7. one short epistle written to the blessed virgin mary ; these are all ascribed to ignatius . indeed in the forementioned epistles we may meet with much of ignatius spirit , style , method , matter , and his very expressions , yet they are not accounted his genuine epistles ; and in regard they are not received for the true epistles of ignatius , nor found in that sylloge or collection made by polycarp , at the end of his epistle to the philippians , therefore , though i have translated them , i have forborn the publishing of them , and yet there are many excellent things in them very much conducing to christianity . having hitherto given a brief account of those epistles which are supposed false , i come now to make enquiry after those , which are without all question true . first , that ignatius wrote epistles is not to be questioned , unless we will also question all antiquitie ; for the ancient fathers of the church make frequent mention of his epistles , and fetch citations out of them as being of great moment , and good authority . eusebius by name , tells us expresly what epistles ignatius wrote , and from whence he wrote them , and to whom . whilst he was at smyrna , and upon his voyage to rome , he wrote epistles from smyrna , to the ephesians , magnesians , trallians , and romans ; when he was gon from smyrna to troas , he wrote from troas to the church of philadelphia , to the church of smyrna , and to polycarp . here we have the just number of those epistles which were accounted his , being seven in all . well , though we have found out the seven epistles which were his , yet we have not brought our search to the full point , the proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; for there were several copies of these epistles found in several libraries , and manuscripts , by the diligent search of able and learned men fitted for such an imployment . now of these copies some were corrupt and interpolate , such were the epistles published in greek with the vulgar latine version by the right reverend father in god bishop vsher primate of ireland , and by him printed at oxford , anno dom. 1644. master isaac vossius published the same in an edition of his , which was printed at amsterdam , anno dom. 1646. i believe master john calvin , the centuriators , doctor whitaker , and some others made their exceptions and objections against these epistles , and justly enough rejecting them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , refuse and adulterate stuff ; for their quarrel was not against the epistles of ignatius , but against the corruptions , and interpolations inserted , and put into his epistles . and this is the opinion of doctor rivet , calvinum non in ignatium , sed in quisquilias & nanias depravatorum ignatii invectum esse . that calvin inveighed not against ignatius , but against those who corrupted and depraved him . but besides these , there is a later , truer , and more refined copie , wherein are the very epistles of ignatius found out , by the diligent search of master isaac vossius , all in greek ( the epistle to the romans only excepted ) which is called the laurenti●n copy , because it was found in the library of lawrence de medicis , and published by the said isaac vossius , together with the forementioned edition printed at amsterdam , anno dom. 1646. which copy agrees word for word with two ancient latine manuscripts lately found out by the right reverend bishop vsher , one in the publike library of gunwel and caius colledge in cambridge , the other in the private library of doctor richard montague late bishop of norwich , both which manuscripts are printed with the edition of bishop vsher , anno dom. 1644. this is judged to be the most true , pure , and incorrupt copy of ignatius , which is now exstant , containing in it all that ever was cited by the ancient fathers out of ignatius , and agreeing very exactly with the exemplar used by eusebius more then 1300 years ago ; in so much that doctor blundel upon the sight of this copy confessed , se gratulatum seculo nostro , quod illud ipsum exemplar , quo ante 1300 annos usus erat eusebius , novam ipsi propediem affulsuram lucem sponderet , that he congratulated our age , because that very copy , which eusebius used 1300 years ago , did promise now to bestow new light upon the present age . this is the copy which i have attempted the translation of , out of the original greek into our vulgar english , and that for the use and benefit of the vulgar and common people , that they may be able to discern the true state of the christian church , its regimen , doctrine , and discipline in those very times , which were , i am sure , neerest to the times of the apostles , for ignatius lived with , and was disciple to one of them . but before i set down my translation , i shall give you the account of master isaac vossius himself touching the edition by him published , and according to which i have made my translation , as it here follows translated out of latine , so exactly as i could ; most courteous reader , so it happens ( as thou and i may have very often observed ) that all things , which are either formed by nature , or framed by art , are of such a condition , that the most perfect in their kind do still appear the more beautiful , and artificial , as men imploy their study and indeavours in the contemplation of them . some such thing hath happened to me touching ignatius , in whose epistles , when ever i gave them a second reading , i still observed something not observed before , from which they challenged my further approbation . so often ( i say ) as i reassumed them into my hands , so often did something appear in them , by which i could make discovery of the genuine writer of them . one while that elegant simplicity , which was most suitable to the age wherein he lived ; another while the verity and harmonie of words and things so every way corresponding ; besides this the zeal and fervencie of the martyr , which as in other of his epistles so in that to the romans is most conspicuous . all these are a sufficient evidence unto me for the owning , and finding out of the true author . which raiseth the greater admiration in me , that there should be any persons , who do not onely deny these to be the very epistles of ignatius , but also doubt not to affirm that he wrote none at all . neither do they use any other argument to perswade us to think that ignatius wrote no epistles , but onely this , because ( say they ) no ancient author before eusebius makes mention of them . for they confidently affirm that those sayings of ignatius , which are extant in irenaeus , and origen , were not taken from the epistles of ignatius , but from his own mouth . certainly those very learned men took little notice of that place in origen , which is to be seen in his sixth homily upon luke , by chance ( saith he ) i found in an epistle of a certain martyr ( i mean ignatius the second bishop of antioch after peter , who in his persecution fought with beasts at rome ) it elegantly written thus , that the virginity of mary was a secret kept from the prince of this world. but we shall now make our approach to more ancient times , that so the antiquity and verity of this our ignatius may be the more apparent , and the errour of those men also be the more conspicuous , who are otherwise perswaded of him . the first therefore , who made mention of these epistles of ignatius is polycarp the martyr , in his epistle to the philippians , whose words are these , we have sent unto you those epistles of ignatius , which he sent unto us , and so many other epistles of his as we had by us , according to your desires , which are all annexed to this epistle , out of which epistles ye may reap very much benefit , for they contain in them faith and patience , and whatever is convenient to build us up in the lord. now it cannot be doubted by any man , but that polycarp had the epistles of ignatius , to whom amongst his seven , ignatius did in particular entitle one ; which polycarp himself gives testimony of ; when he saith , ye have written unto me , and also ignatius . now polycarp was about 60 years survivor to ignatius . so that i propound this question ; what appearance of truth can there possibly be , that ( so long as polycarp was alive ) these true epistles of ignatius should be suppressed , and others suborned in the place of them ? did polycarp destroy the first , that there should be a necessity to devise others in their stead ? i think no man will render himself so ridiculous , as to make an attempt to prove any such thing . now i proceed . if polycarp had these epistles , certainly irenaeus his scholar who cited them , had the same ; and origen received them from irenaeus , whose citation out of them we mentioned a little before . and i am of opinion that no man can imagine , that the epistles of ignatius cited by eusebius , were any other epistles then those which origen made use of : athanasius , jerom , chrisost●m , theodoret , antiochus , damascen , photius , and innumerable others , who all of them made use of the testimony of ignatius , did follow that copie , which eusebius had . so that ignatius was never accounted of by any as apocryphal , and yet all the books of the new testament had not the luck to escape so , but some were questioned as to their original and authority . seeing therefore we have such a continued succession of eminent men , who have given their approbation touching these epistles , i do not see by what argument they can possibly defend their opinion , who are otherwise perswaded of them . it is confessed his epistles have been corrupted , and abused , and been read over with their corruptions and interpolations to these present times ; yet there have not been wanting men of piercing judgements , who have discovered truth to be in those very interpolate epistles ; andrew rivet an eminent man makes this out sufficiently . however i now publish those epistles , which are genuine , and in all respects agreeing with the testimony of the antients ; so that they , who will deny these , must deny also that this martyr ever wrote any epistles . but let them enjoy their own opinion , for my part i am assured that they will meet with very few of the same , and none that can be of it with reason . but ( courteous reader ) thou art indebted to the medicaean library , that thou hast these writings of ignatius pure , and not counterfeit ; and thou art indebted to the most serene prince ferdinand the second , the great duke of etruria , through whose incomparable love to learning and study i gained an opportunity of having the use of that famous librarie , and so of finding out this incomparable treasure of ignatius , which we now exhibit and publish to the world . the epistles of saint ignatius . to the smyrneans . ignatius , who is also theophorus , to the church of god the father , and of the beloved jesus christ , which hath obtained mercy in all grace , replete with faith and love , failing in no good gift , most becoming god , and fruitful in holiness , which is at smyrna in asia , be very much joy in the immaculate spirit by the word of god. i glorifie the god jesus christ , who hath filled you with wisdom . for i understand that ye are perfected in an immoveable faith , and are as persons fastened with nails to the cross of our lord jesus christ , both in flesh and in spirit ; and well-grounded in love by the bloud of christ , having a full assurance in our lord ; who was truly of the stock of david , according to the flesh ; the son of god according to the will and power of god , truly born of a virgin , baptized by john , that he might fulfil all righteousness , and who truly suffered for us in the flesh under pontius pilate and herod the tetrarch . from the fruit of whom we are , even from his divinely blessed passion , that he might by his resurrection lift up an ensign to all ages , to the saints , and to all who do believe in him , whether they be jews or gentiles in one body of his church . for he suffered all these things for us that we might be saved . and he truly suffered , as also he truly raised up himself ; neither did he suffer onely in appearance , as some infidels affirm , who themselves are onely in appearance , and according to their wisdom shall it happen unto them being incorporeal and daemoniacks . for i my self saw him in the flesh after his resurrection , and do believe that he is risen . and when he came to those , who were with peter , he said unto them , take hold of me , handle me , and see me , for i am not an incorporeal spirit . and straightway they touched him , and believed in him being convinced by his flesh , and by his spirit . and hereupon they contemned death , for they found themselves to be above it . and after his resurrection he eat and drank with them as one in the flesh , though he was in spirit united to the father . touching these things ( beloved ) i admonish you , however i know ye are already of this perswasion . i do it to preserve you from beasts in the shape of men , whom it is necessarie for you not to entertain , but to avoid as much as possible . onely pray for them , if happily they may repent , which is a thing very difficult . but jesus christ , who is our true life , hath the power of this . but if these things were done by our lord onely seemingly , then am i also seemingly in bonds . and why have i yielded up my self to be put to death ? why to the fire , to the sword , to the beasts ? but because to be nigh to the sword is to be nigh to god , and to be inclosed with beasts is to be compassed about with god. only in the name of jesus christ do i endure all things , that i may suffer with him , who is himself made a perfect man , and now strengtheneth me . whom some ignorant men denie , but they are rather denied by him , being more the preachers of death than of truth ; whom neither the prophets have perswaded , nor the law of moses , nor yet the gospel hitherto , nor those suffrings of ours , which are according to man. for they are of the same mind concerning us . but what would it advantage me , should any man speak in my praise , and yet blaspheme my lord , denying him to have taken flesh upon him ? for he , who confesseth not this , hath perfectly denied him , and puts him to death . but i am unwilling to write down their infidel names ; neither may i make any particular remembrance of them , until they shall happily repent into a belief of the passion , which is our resurrection . let no man be deceived . for if things in heaven , and the glory of angels , and rulers visible and invisible believe not in the bloud of christ , it will be even unto them condemnation . he who receiveth it , may receive it . let place puff up no man ; for faith and charity is all , and nothing is to be preferred before them . but observe those who are otherwise opinioned of the grace of jesus christ , which came unto us , how contrary they are to the judgement of god. they have no regard at all of charity , they neither care for the widow , nor orphan , nor any afflicted person be he bond or free , hungry or thirstie they absent themselves from the eucharist and prayer , because they will not confess the eucharist to be the flesh of our saviour jesus christ , which suffered for our sins , and which the father by his goodness raised from death to life . therefore contradicting this gift of god , and disputing about it they die , but it would be better for them to love it , that they may rise again . it is very convenient that ye abstain from such persons , and that ye have no converse with them , neither privately , nor publikely . but that ye give heed unto the prophets , and chiefly to the gospel , wherein the passion is made manifest unto us , and the resurrection is completed . but avoid divisions as the beginning of evils . and be all of you observant of the bishop , as jesus christ was observant of the father ; and observe the presbyterie as the apostles ; and reverence the deacons as the command of god. let no man presume to do any thing belonging to the church without the bishop . and let that eucharist onely be accounted firm , which is either performed by the bishop himself , or by his licence . where the bishop shall appear , there let the multitude be , for where jesus christ is , there is the catholique church . it is neither lawful to baptize , nor to keep the love-feast without the bishop ; but whatever he shall approve of , that is well-pleasing to god , that so every thing , which is done , may be firm and established . furthermore , it is a blessed thing to grow sober , and whilst we have opportunity , to return to god by repentance . it is a becoming thing to know god and the bishop . he , who honoureth the bishop , is honoured of god ; but he , who doth any thing without the bishops approbation , performs a service to the devil . therefore let all things abound among you in grace , for ye are worthy . ye have every way refreshed me , and jesus christ will refresh you . ye have loved me both when i was absent , and present , god will requite you ; and if ye patiently endure all things for his sake , ye shall enjoy him . ye did well in that ye gave an honourable reception to philon , rheus , and agathopus as the ministers of god-christ , who have accompanied me for the word of god. they also give thanks unto the lord for you . because ye have every way refreshed them . nothing , which ye have done to them , shall be lost as to you . i could offer up this my spirit upon the service of your souls , and upon the same account carry about these my bonds , which ye have neither despised , nor been ashamed of ; neither will jesus christ the perfect faith be ashamed of you . your prayer reached as far as to the church which is in antioch of syria , from whence being carried a prisoner for god in most venerable bonds , i salute you all . and however i am not worthy of such an honour being the last that came thence , yet by the will of god i was accounted worthy , not from any thing which i know worthy in my self , but through his grace , which i pray may be perfectly bestowed upon me , that through your prayers i may obtain god. and that your work may be perfected as well on earth as in heaven , it would be an honourable service very much becoming your church , which is worthy of god , to appoint some fit person for the honour of god , and to dispatch him into syria , to congratulate them for their restored peace , that they have again received their proper splendour , and that their little body is re-established in such a way as is fit for them . indeed it seems unto me a worthy work for you to send some person from amongst you with an epistle to joyn in glory with them , for that tranquilitie , which is amongst them according to god , and that they are now come to the quiet haven through your prayers . being perfect your selves mind the things which are perfect . for if ye have but a will to do good , god is ready to assist you . the love of the brethren , who are at troas , saluteth you , whence also i write unto you by burrus , whom ye sent along with me together with your ephesian brethren , who hath refreshed me in all things . i wish all would become imitatours of him , who is the exemplar of the ministerie of god. grace shall remunerate to him according to all that he hath done to me . i salute the divine bishop , and most venerable presbytery , and the deacons my fellow servants , and all in the name of jesus christ man by man , and together , both in his flesh and bloud , passion and resurrection , carnally and spiritually , in the name and unity of god and of you . grace be unto you , and mercy , and peace , and patience always . i salute the houses of my brethren , together with the women , children , virgins , and select widows . be strong to me-ward in the power of the spirit . philon , who is with me , saluteth you . i salute the house of tavia , whom i pray that she may be established in faith and love both carnally and spiritually . i salute alke a name to me very desireable . farewel in the grace of god. to the smyrneans from troas . to polycarp . ignatius , who is also theophorus , to polycarp bishop of the church of the smyrneans , who hath rather god the father and the lord jesus christ for his bishop , be very much joy . having embraced thy judgement , which is according to god , founded as upon a rock and immoveable , i glory exceedingly that i was accounted worthy of thy unblameable presence , which i would enjoy in god. i exhort thee by that grace wherewith thou art endued , that thou wouldest add unto thy race in admonishing all men that they may be saved . justifie thy place by using all diligence both in a carnal and spiritual way . be careful to preserve unity , than which nothing is better . support all as the lord supporteth thee . bear with all men in charitie as also thou dost . find leisure to be constant in prayers . desire a larger understanding than yet thou hast . be watchful , keeping in thy possession a vigilant spirit . converse with all man by man as god shall inable thee . like a complete champion bear the infirmities of all , the more the labour is , the more is the gain . it is not so much for thy commendation to love eminent disciples , as by thy meekness to bring into subjection those who are more pernicious . every wound is not healed with the same plaister . mitigate their paroxysms by embrocations . be in all things wise as the serpent , and harmless as the dove . for this cause art thou carnal and spiritual , that thou mayest use a gentle hand in the managerie of those things , which are manifest to thee ; praying that those things also , which are concealed , may in time be made manifest , that so thou maist be defective in nothing , but abounding in every grace . this very season calls upon thee to desire the fruition of god , as governours of ships wait for the winds ; and he , who is tossed with the waves , covets after the haven . be watchful as a champion of god ; that which is deposited for thee , is incorruption and life eternal , of which also thou art persuaded . i would in all things freely offer up my self for thee , and these my bonds , which thou hast loved . let not those persons at all astonish thee , who seem to be persons worthy of credit , and yet are teachers of strange doctrines . stand thou firm as an anvil , which is beaten upon . it is the part of a gallant champion to be stripped of his skin and yet to overcome . and in this respect it is necessary for us patiently to endure all things for god , that he may patiently bear with us . be more diligent than yet thou hast been ; consider the seasons , and wait for him , who is above season , not limited to time , invisible , yet for our sakes made visible , not capable of touch or suffering , yet suffering for us , and enduring every manner of way for our sakes . let not the widows be neglected , under god do thou take care of them . let nothing be done without thy sentence , and do thou nothing without the sentence of god , that whatsoever thou dost may be established . let congregations be gathered more frequently , and take the names of all persons . let neither men nor maid-servants be despised by thee , neither suffer them to become proud , but let them be more and more servants to the glory of god , that so they may obtain a better freedom from god. let them not love the common freedom , that they may not be found the servants of concupiscence . flee evil arts , but especially have no conferences about them . bespeak my sisters that they love the lord christ , and that they furnish their husbands with all necessaries both for their fleshly and spiritual estate . and in like manner admonish my brethren in the name of jesus christ to love their wives as the lord loveth the church . if a man can continue chast to the honour of the flesh of our lord , let him remain so , but let him not glory . for if he glory in it , he will be destroy'd , and if he would be more taken notice of than the bishop , he is corrupted . it is meet that they who marry and are given in marriage should be joyned together by the sentence of the bishop , that so the marriage may be according to god , and not according to concupiscence . let all things be done to the honour of god. be mindful of the bishop , that god may be mindful of you . i could give my life for those persons who are subject to the bishops , presbyters , and deacons , and wish that i may receive my part in god together with them . labour together one for another , strive together , run together , suffer together , sleep together , awake together as the stewards , assessors , and ministers of god. do things pleasing to him , whom ye fight for , and whose souldiers ye are , from whom ye expect your salarie . let none among you be found a desertor of his colours . let your baptism arm you , faith be your helmet , love your spear , patience your whole armour , and your works your gage , that ye may receive a reward worthy of you . therefore bear patiently in meekness one with another , as god bears with you . let me enjoy you always . but in that the church , which is in antioch of syria , is at peace through your prayers , as it is manifested to me , i was therefore the more cheerful , and intent upon the things of god without distraction , that by any means i may through sufferings enjoy god , and be found your disciple at the resurrection . o polycarp , most blessed of god , it becomes thee to gather together a council most becoming god , and to appoint some worthy person , whom ye esteem highly in love , whom ye look upon as a diligent man , fit to be called a messenger of god ; and that this honour be bestowed upon him , to go into syria there to spread abroad your forward charitie to the glory of christ . a christian hath no power over himself , but is to attend the things of god. when ye shall have dispatched this business , tho work shall be ascribed to god and to you . for i believe that through grace ye are prepared for so good a work pleasing to god ; and knowing how compendiously ye are capable of truth , i have exhorted you in few letters . but because i cannot write unto all the churches , in regard i am suddenly to sail from troas to neapolis , as i am commanded ; thou shalt write to those other churches , who art possessed with the mind of god , that they do the same thing . that they , who are able , may send footposts , others epistles by thy messengers , that ye may all be glorified by an eternal work , as thou art worthy . i salute all by name , and the wife of epitropus , with her whole house , and her childrens . i salute my beloved attalus ; i salute him , who shall be accounted worthy to go into syria ; i pray that the grace which is in our god jesus christ , may be always with him . in whom do ye continue permanent in the unitie and visitation of god. i salute alke a name desireable to me . farewel in the lord. to polycarp . to the ephesians . ignatius , who is also theophorus , to the church blessed in the greatness of god the father with all fulness , praedetermined before ages to be ever permanent unto glory , immutable , united , elect by real sufferings , through the will of the father and jesus christ our god. to the church worthy of all blessedness which is in ephesus of asia , be very much joy in jesus christ , and in immaculate grace . approving of thy name in god highly beloved , which ye have possessed by a just title according to the faith and love , which is in christ jesus our saviour , i exhort you to continue followers of god , and that ▪ being re-inlivened by the bloud of god , ye perfect that work which is so suitable to you . for ye heard that i was a prisoner from syria for the common name and hope , and that i hoped through your prayers that i should be inabled to fight with beasts at rome , that so i might become through martyrdom a disciple of him , who offered up himself to god for us an oblation and sacrifice . i have compendiously apprehended your very numerous multitude in the name of god by onesimus your bishop in the flesh , whose charitie is beyond expression ; whom i beseech you to love according to jesus christ , and all of you to be like unto him . blessed be he , who hath bestowed so worthy a bishop upon you , so worthy of him . and i pray that my fellow servant burrus , who is your deacon , every way blessed according to god , may continue to the honour of you and the bishop . crocus also , who is worthy of god and of you , whom i have received as the exemplar of your charity , hath refreshed me in all things , as the father of jesus christ will also give refreshing unto him , and to onesimus , and burrus , and euplus , and fronton , in whom i have viewed you all in love . i would enjoy you always if i might be worthy of it . therefore it becomes you every way to glorifie jesus christ , who glorifies you ; that being perfected and knit up in one and the same subjection , and being of one mind and one judgement , ye may all speak the same thing , and being subject to the bishop and the presbytery , may be sanctified in all things . i do not give commands to you as if i my self was a person considerable ; for though i am a prisoner for his name , yet am i not perfected in christ jesus . for now i begin to be a disciple , and speak to you as my fellow teachers . for it is meet that i should be admonished by you in faith , instruction , patience , and long sufferance . but in regard my charity towards you would not suffer me to be silent , i have therefore taken the first hold of this opportunity to exhort you to concur in the judgement of god. as jesus christ himself , who is our incomparable life , did follow the judgement of his father , and the bishops designed to the ends of the earth follow the judgement of jesus christ . therefore it is a comely thing for you to concur in the judgement of the bishop as also ye do ; for your presbytery most worthy of praise , and of god is so adapted to the bishop , as strings are fitted to the harp , in so much that jesus christ is celebrated through your unanimity and agreement in love . ye are all made up man by man into one chorus , and keeping the melodie of god , which is vnitie , ye shall with one voyce glorifie the father by jesus christ , that he may also hear you , and acknowledge you by what you do to be the members of his son. so that it is profitable for you to continue in immaculate unitie , that ye may always be partakers of god. if i in so short a time have gained so great a conformableness in manners with your bishop , which is spiritual , and not after the manner of men ; how can i estimate of your happiness , who are continually united to him , as the church to jesus christ , and jesus christ to the father , that all things may be consonant in unity . let no man be deceived . if any man is not within the altar , he is deprived of the bread of god. for if the prayer of one or two is so effectual , how much more effectual is the prayer of the bishop , and all the church ? he therefore , that will not come into one place , ( or joyn with the congregation ) is a proud man , and hath separated himself , and it is written , that god resisteth the proud . therefore let us endeavour to be in subjection to the bishop , that so we may be god's subjects . and if any man take notice that the bishop holds his peace , let him fear and reverence him so much the more ; for we ought to receive him , whom the master of the family hath sent to govern his house , as we should receive the master himself , who sent him . therefore it is evident that we ought to respect the bishop as the lord himself . but onesimus doth himself very much commend your good order , which is according to god ; for ye all live according to truth , and there is no heresie amongst you , neither do ye hear any but jesus christ speaking according to truth . some indeed by an evil deceit have accustomed themselves to carry about his name , but they do things unworthy of god , and these ye ought to shun as beasts . for they are like mad dogs biting unawares , whom ye ought to avoid , and have a special eye upon , being persons very hard to be cured . there is one physitian fleshly , and spiritual , begotten , and unbegotten , god made in the flesh , and the true life in death , both of mary and of god , first passible , and then impassible . let no man seduce you , as ye are not yet seduced , being wholly of god. for so long as there is no contention amongst you , which may be hurtful to you , ye live according to god. i am made as an off-scouring for you , and as a purgatorie expiation for you ephesians famous to ages . carnal men cannot do spiritual things , nor spiritual men do the things which are carnal ; neither can faith do the things of infidelitie , nor infidelitie the things of faith. but those very things , which ye do as carnal men , are spiritual , so long as ye do all things according to jesus christ . i have known some passing from those parts , who held an evil doctrine , but ye would not suffer them to sow their seeds amongst you , but stopped your ears against them , that ye might receive none of the doctrine sowed by them . for ye are stones of the father's temple , prepared for the building of god the father , carried up on high by the engine of jesus christ , which is his cross , by the cord of the holy spirit . but faith is your guide , and charity your way , which leads unto god. ye are all therefore fellow-travellers , carrying about with you god and the temple , christ and sanctitie , being in all things beautified according to the commands of jesus christ , in whom i am exceedingly rejoyced , being vouchsafed so great a dignitie as to converse with you in writing , and to joy together with you , who live according to the other life , and love nothing but onely god. pray also without ceasing for other men , for there is hope of their repentance , that they also may attain god. admonish them , and let them be wrought upon by your works to become your disciples . oppose your meekness to their anger , and whilst they boast of great things , do ye mind the things of humility . pray for them who speak evil of you , keeping your selves firm in the faith against their errour . be mild how morose soever they are ; neither be hasty to requite them according to their own examples . let us be found their brethren by our mild carriage towards them , and endeavour to be the followers of the lord. though some among you may be injured , defrauded , despised , yet let no one amongst you be found an herb of the devil . keep your selves in all puritie and temperance both in flesh and spirit through jesus christ . the last times are come ; therefore let us reverence and fear the long-sufferance of god , that it be not our condemnation . for either let us fear the wrath to come , or love the present grace . one of the two is onely to be found in jesus christ , that we may live indeed . nothing can become us without this ; for this i bear about my bonds , which are as spiritual pearls , through which by your prayers i may rise again . and let me always be partaker of your prayers , that i may be found in the lot of those ephesian christians , who were ever of the same mind with the apostles , through the power of jesus christ . i know who i am , and to whom i write . i am a condemned person , but ye have obtained mercy . i am under danger , but ye are established ; ye are the passover of those who are killed for god , being the fellow-ministers of sanctified paul , who was martyred , worthily blessed , under whose feet i would be found , that i may enjoy god ; who in a whole epistle makes mention of you in jesus christ. make hast therefore to meet together more frequently to the eucharist of god and to glorie . for when ye often come together into one place the powers of satan are rendred frustrate ; and his enmitie is destroyed through your unity of faith. nothing is better than peace , by which all hostilitie of heavenly and earthly powers is made void . none of these things are conceal'd from you , if ye hold perfectly that faith and love in jesus christ , which are the beginning and end of life . for faith is the beginning , love is the end ; these two united are of god , and all other things tending to honestie do wait upon these . no man , who hath covenanted into the faith , committeth sin , nor doth he hate another who is possess'd of charitie . the tree is known by its fruit ; and they , who have solemnly engaged to be christians , shall be seen by the works they do . for it is not now the work of an engagement , but it is through the power of faith , if a man be found to the end . it is better to be silent and to be ; than to speak and not to be . it is a good thing to teach , if a man do as well as teach . there is therefore one teacher , who spake , and it was done , and the things also , which he did in silence , are worthy of the father . he , who is truly possess'd of the word of jesus , can hear also his silence , that he may be perfect , that he may do according to what he speaks , and be known according to those things wherein he is silent . nothing is hid from the lord , but our very secrets are nigh unto him . therefore let us do all things as having him dwelling in us ; that we may be his temples , and he may be our god in us ; for whatever is shall be made manifest to us , and therefore do we justly love him . erre not ( my brethren . ) they who are destroyers of houses shall not inherit the kingdom of god. therefore if they are dead , who act such things according to the flesh ; how much more is it death for any man by an evil doctrine to corrupt the faith of god , for which jesus christ was crucified ? such a one being defiled shall go into the unquenchable fire , and so shall he who hears him . for this cause the lord received the unction upon his head , that he might breathe into his church incorruption . be not annoynted with the doctrine of the prince of this world , which hath an ill odour ; neither let him lead you captive from the life , which is set before you . why are we not all wise having received the knowledge of god , that is , jesus christ ? why are we foolishly destroyed , being ignorant of that grace , which the lord hath truly sent amongst us ? my spirit is the off-scouring of the cross , which is a scandal to unbelievers but to us salvation and life eternal . where is the wise ? where is the disputer ? where is the boasting of wise men so called ? for our god jesus christ was conceived by mary according to the oeconomie of god , of the seed of david by the holy ghost , who was born and baptized , that he might through sufferings cleanse the water . and the virginity of mary , the child born of her , and the death of the lord , were hid from the prince of this world , being three crying mysteries yet wrought up by god in silence . how came he then to be manifested to ages ? a star in heaven appeared , which out-shined all the other stars , and the light of it was ineffable , and the noveltie of it did contain a strangeness in it . all the other stars together with the sun and moon were a chorus to this star , which did carry in it a brightness and splendour above them all . the world was troubled about it , to find out how this new-star should appear amongst the other stars so unlike unto them ; hereupon all magick was dissolved , and every bond of wickedness dis-appeared , ignorance was taken away , the old kingdom was destroyed , when god appeared as man for the renewing of life eternal . but that , which was perfect with god , took a beginning , and thereupon all things worked together to bring about the destruction of death . if jesus christ through your prayers shall make me worthy , and it be his will , in a second little book , which i am about to write unto you , i will lay open unto you how i began my oeconomie in the new man jesus christ , both in his faith , love , passion and resurrection , and i shall the rather do this , if the lord shall reveal it unto me . because all of you man by man through the grace of his name concur together in jesus christ , of the stock of david , according to the flesh , the son of man , and the son of god ; and ye are all obedient to the bishop , and to the presbyterie with an undivided mind , breaking one bread , which is the medicine of immortalitie , an antidote against death preserving to life eternal in jesus christ . i could give my life for you , and for him whom ye have sent to smyrna for the honour of god ; whence also i write unto you , giving thanks unto the lord , loving both polycarp and you . remember me as jesus christ also remembers you . pray for the church which is in syria ; whence i am led away a prisoner unto rome , being the last of the faithful there , if i may be accounted worthy to be found to the honour of god. farewel in god the father , and in jesus christ our common hope . to the ephesians . to the magnesians . ignatius , who is also theophorus , to the church blessed in the grace of god the father , through jesus christ our saviour , which is at magnesia neer to maeander , which i salute in him , and wish it very much joy in god the father and in jesus christ. knowing your most excellent order of love , which is according to god , i joyfully made it my choice to speak unto you in the faith of jesus christ . for being accounted worthly of the name most becoming god in these bonds , wherein i carry it about , i celebrate the churches , praying that they may be united in the flesh and spirit of jesus christ , who is our endless life , by faith and love , before which nothing is preferred ; but chiefly of jesus and the father , through whom having patiently endured every injury from the prince of this world , and escaping them we shall enjoy god. for i was accounted worthy to see you by damas your divine bishop , and the worthy presbyters , bassus and apollonius , and sotion the deacon my fellow-servant , whom i would enjoy , because he is subject to the bishop as to the grace of god , and to the presbyterie as to the law of jesus christ . and it becomes you not to make any use to your selves of the age of the bishop , but to give him all reverence , according to the power of god the father ▪ ( as i have known holy presbyters ) not presuming upon that juvenile order which appears , but as wise men in god , concurring with him ; yet not with him , but with the father of jesus christ the bishop of all . therefore for his honour , who wills it , it is meet we perform obedience without hypocrisie . for a man doth not deceive this bishop , whom we see , but puts a fallacie upon him who is invisible . this is not spoken in reference to the flesh , but to god , who knoweth secrets . therefore it is meet not onely to be called christians , but to be so . for some indeed there are , who own the bishop in name , but do all things without him . such men appear to me to be men of no good conscience , because they hold meetings not established by commandment . all works have some end , two are propounded , death and life , and every man shall go to his proper place . as there are two sorts of coyn , one of god , another of the world , and each coyn hath its proper stamp set upon it . infidels have the stamp of this world ; believers in love have the stamp of god the father by jesus christ , whose life cannot be in us , unless we can through him voluntarily die into his passion . but seeing i have in the persons prescribed taken a view of your whole multitude in faith and love , i admonish you to do all things in the unanimity of god ; your bishop being president over you in the place of god , and the presbyters in place of the council of the apostles , and the deacons most pleasant to me , having the diaconie of jesus christ committed to them , who was with the father before ages , and in the end appeared . having therefore all received manners like unto god , reverence one another , and let no man defraud his neighbour according to the flesh , but love one another always in jesus christ . let nothing be amongst you , which may possibly divide you , but be united to the bishop , and to those who are presidents over you , according to the type and doctrine of incorruption . therefore as the lord being united to him did nothing without the father , neither by himself , nor by the apostles ; so neither do ye act any thing without the bishop , and the presbyters . neither attempt any thing upon your own account however reasonable it may appear unto you . when ye come together into one place , let there be one prayer , one supplication , one mind , one hope in love and in immaculate joy . there is one jesus christ than whom nothing is better . therefore all concur together as into the temple of god , as to one altar , to one jesus christ , who came from one father , and being one is returned to him . be not deceived by strange opinions , nor old fables , which are unprofitable . for if we still live according to the law and judaism , we confess that grace is not received . for the most divine prophets lived according to jesus christ ; and therefore they were persecuted , being inspired by his grace , that they might work a perswasion in those , who were not perswaded , that there is one god , who manifested himself by jesus christ his son , who is his eternal word , not coming forth from silence , who in all things pleased him that sent him . therefore if they , who were conversant in the works of old time , came to the newness of hope , not sabbatizing any longer , but living according to the dominical life of that day , whereon our life did rise again through him , and through his death ( whom some deny ; ) through which mysterie we have received both to believe , and also to endure with patience , that we may be found the disciples of jesus christ our onely master ; how shall we be able to live without him , whom the prophets , being his disciples , looked for in spirit as their master ? and because they justly expected him , he , when he was come , raised them from the dead . therefore let not us be insensible of his goodness ; for if he should retribute to us according to what we do , we should cease to be . therefore being made his disciples let us learn to live like christians . for he , who is called by any other name than this , is not of god. therefore put away from you the evil leaven , which is old and corrupt , and be ye changed into the new leaven , which is jesus christ . be ye seasoned in him , that none of you be corrupted ; for ye shall be disproved by your savour . it is an absurd thing to profess jesus christ , and yet to judaize ; for christianism hath not believed into judaism , but judaism into christianism , that every tongue believing might be gathered unto god. but these things ( my beloved ; ) not because i have known any of you to be such , but because , though i am lesser then you , i would have you to be preserved , that ye may not fall into the snares of a vain opinion , but may have a full assurance in the nativity , passion , and resurrection , effected in that season when pontius pilate was governour , all truly and firmly accomplished by jesus christ our hope , from which hope may none of you be perverted . i would every way enjoy you , if i may be worthy ; for though i am in bonds , yet am i not to be compared to one of you , who are at libertie . i know ye are not puffed up , for ye have jesus christ among you . and i know the more i praise you , it doth but shame you so much the more , as it is written , the just man is an accuser of himself . make it your endeavour to be confirmed in the determinations of the lord and the apostles , that whatever ye do may be prosperous both in flesh and spirit , faith and love , in the son , and in the father , and in the spirit , in the beginning and the end , together with your most venerable bishop , and your presbyterie , which is as a spiritual crown decently platted , and the deacons , who are according to god ▪ be subject to the bishop , and one to another , as jesus christ to the father according to the flesh , and the apostles to christ and to the father , and the spirit , that there may be unitie both carnal and spiritual . knowing that ye are full of god , i have exhorted you but in few words . remember me in your prayers , that i may obtain god ; and that church which is in syria , from whence i am not worthy to be called . for i very much want your prayer united in god , and your love , that the church , which is in syria , may be accounted worthy to be watered by your church . the ephesians from smyrna salute you ( whence also i write unto you ) being present to the glorie of god , as also ye are ; who have refreshed me in all things together with polycarp the bishop of the smyrneans . the other churches also salute you in the honour of jesus christ . be strong in the concord of god , being possessed with a discerning spirit , which is jesus christ . to the magnesians . to the philadelphians . ignatius , who is also theophorus , to the church of god the father and the lord jesus christ , which is in philadelphia of asia ; which hath obtained mercy , is settled in the concord of god , rejoycing in the passion of our lord indiscernably , and fully assured of his resurrection in all mercy ; which i salute in the bloud of jesus christ , for she is my eternal and permanent joy , chiefly if they continue united with the bishop , and the presbyters with him , and the deacons manifested to be according to the sentence of jesus christ , whom he hath firmly established according to his own will by his holy spirit . which bishop i have known to have obtained the ministerie for the common good , not by himself , nor by men , nor out of vain-glorie , but by the love of god the father and the lord jesus christ , whose mild temper i have been amazed at , for by his silence he can do more than they who speak vain things . for ye are as harmoniously agreeing in commands , as the harp and the strings . therefore my soul blesseth that sentence of his , which is according to god , knowing that it is vertuous and perfect , and that he cannot be moved , nor provoked to anger , being in all the meekness of the living god. being therefore the children of light and truth , flie division , evil doctrines . where the pastour is do ye as sheep follow him ; for many wolves , who seem worthy of credit , do by an evil delectation lead captive persons running to god , but through your unitie they shall have no place . depart from evil herbs , which jesus christ doth not cultivate , for they are not the plantation of the father . not that i have found any division amongst you , but a resining us from the dreggs . so many as are of god , and of jesus christ are with the bishop , and so many penitents as come over into the unitie of the church , shall be of god , that they may live according to jesus christ . my brethren , be not deceived . if any man follows him , who is the maker of schism , he is no inheritour of the kingdom of god if any man walks about in a strange opinion , he is not conformable to the passion . let it be your endeavour therefore to use one eucharist ; for there is one flesh of our lord jesus christ , and one cup for the unitie of his bloud , one altar , as one bishop with the presbyterie and deacons my fellow servants , that whatever ye do , ye may do according to god. my brethren , i am very much poured out in love towards you , and exceedingly rejoycing strengthen you , yet not i , but jesus christ , for whom i am in bonds , and therefore am the more affraid , because i am not yet taken out of the world . but your prayer to god will perfect me , that i may obtain that lot to which i was chosen , flying to the gospel as to the flesh of jesus , and to the apostles as to the presbyterie of the church : we love also the prophets , because they preached the gospel , and did hope in him , and expect him ; in whom also believing they were saved in the unitie of jesus christ , being holy men worthy to be beloved , and most worthy of admiration , born witness of by jesus christ , being his martyrs , and numbred up together in the gospel of the common hope . but if any man preach judaism to you , hear him not . for it is better to hear christianism from one circumcised , than judaism from one uncircumcised . but if both of them speak not of jesus christ , they are to me as pillars and monuments of dead men , whereon the names of men onely are written . flie therefore evil arts , and the frauds of the prince of this world , lest being troubled with his opinion ye be weakned in charitie . be all of you made up into one with an undivided heart ; i thank my god that i have a good conscience as concerning you , and that no man hath wherof to glory , either privately or publikely , that i have been burdensom to any either in little or much . and i beseech all to whom i have spoken , that they possess not this as a testimonie . and although some would seduce me according to the flesh , yet my spirit , which is from god , is not seduced . he knows whence it comes , and whither it goes , and is a reproover of secrets . i have cried in the midst of you , i have spoken it with a loftie voice , attend unto the bishop , and the presbyterie , and the deacons . and though some have suspected me to have spoken these things as foreknowing the division of some ; yet he is my witness , for whom i am a prisoner , that i have not been taught it by man , but the spirit preached it , saying these things , do nothing without the bishop . keep your flesh as the temple of god. love vnitie . flie divisions . be ye followers of jesus christ as he himself is of the father . therefore i did what was proper for me as a man perfected unto unitie . but where there is division and wrath god dwelleth not . therefore the lord pardons all penitents , if they shall return by repentance to the vnitie of god , and the council of the bishop . i believe the grace of jesus christ , who will loose every bond from you . and i exhort you to do nothing with contention , but according to the discipline of christ . for i have heard some speaking in this wise , that if i find it not amongst the antients , i do not believe the gospel . and when i replied to them , that it is written . they answered me , it lies before us . but jesus christ is to me antiquitie , and the records not to be touched are his cross , and his death , and his resurrection , and the faith , which is by him , in which things i would be justified through your prayers . honourable are the priests , but more honourable the high-priest , to whom are committed the holies of holies , and with whom alone are deposited the hidden things of god. he is the door of the father , by whom abraham , and isaac , and jacob , and the prophets , and apostles , and church of god have entered . all these things are for the unitie of god. but the gospel hath something in it chiefly valueable , and that is the presence of our lord jesus christ , his passion , and resurrection . for the beloved prophets preached of him ; but the gospel is the perfection of incorruption . all things together are excellent , if ye believe in love. but seeing that through your prayers , according to the bowels which ye have in christ jesus , the church , which is at antioch of syria ( as is told to me ) is at peace ; it becomes you , as the church of god , to ordain a minister to go thither as an embassadour upon the embasie of god , to joy together with them that they are made one , and to glorifie his name . blessed in jesus christ shall that man be , who shall be accounted worthy of such a ministery , and ye your selves shall be glorified . this is not impossible for the name of god , if ye have but a will to it , as some neighbour churches also have sent bishops , others presbyters and deacons . as for philo the deacon of cilicia , he is a man that hath given a good testimonie , and now ministers to me in the word of god , together with rheus agathopus a choyce man , who accompanies me from syria , having renounced this life , these also bear testimonie to you , and i give thanks to god for you , because ye have received them , as the lord you . but they , who have dishonoured them , may obtain redemption by the grace of jesus christ . the love of the brethren , who are at troas , saluteth you , whence also i write unto you by burrus , who was sent along with me from the ephesians and the smyrneans for the word of honour . the lord jesus christ will honour them , in whom they hope , in flesh , soul , faith , love , and unanimitie . farewel in christ jesus our common hope . ignatius to the philadelphians . to the trallians . ignatius , who is also theophorus , to the holy church , beloved of god the father , of jesus christ , which is in trallis of asia , elect , and divine , having obtained peace in the flesh and bloud , by the passion of jesus christ our hope , and the resurrection grounded upon him ; which i salute in fulness , in an apostolical style wishing much joy . i have known you to have a blameless understanding , not to be severed in patience , and that not by use , but by nature , as polybius your bishop hath manifested to me , who by the will of god , and of jesus christ , was at smyrna ; and did so congratulate me a prisoner for jesus christ , that i did view over your whole multitude in him . therefore receiving from him that good disposition of mind , which is according to god , i gloried finding you as i had known you the followers of god. for in regard ye are subject to the bishop as to jesus christ , ye appear to me not to live as men , but to live according to jesus christ , who died for us , that believing in his death ye may escape death . therefore it is necessary , as ye do to do nothing without the bishop ; but that ye be subject to the presbyterie , as to the apostles of jesus christ our hope , in whom we should be found having our conversation . it behooves the deacons also , being the mysterie of jesus christ , to please all men every manner of way . for they are not the ministers of meats and drinks , but ministers of the church of god. therefore it is necessary for them to avoid accusations as fire . let all in like manner reverence the deacons as jesus christ , and the bishop , being the son of the father ; and the presbyters as the council of god , and companie of the apostles . without these a church is not called . of whom i am perswaded that ye are so informed , ( for i have received the exemplar of your love , and have it by me in your bishop , whose behaviour is a great disciplination , and his meekness power ; whom i think that very atheists do reverence ) being satisfied that i spare not my self . formerly though i might have matter to write , i thought not fit for this cause , lest being a condemned person i might seem to command you as an apostle . i am wise in god as to many things , yet do i measure my self , that i may not be destroyed by boasting . for now it behooves me to be very much affraid , and not to give heed to those , who would puff me up . for when such speak unto me they scourge me . truly i love to suffer , but know not whether i am worthy . for my zeal appears not to many , but i have the greater war within . i have need therefore of meekness , that by it the prince of this world may be defeated . cannot i write unto you of things celestial ? but i am affraid , lest i should give you some offence being yet but babes . therefore pardon me , for i would not perplexe you with those things , which ye are not able to bear . for it is not for a slightie matter that i am a prisoner , being acquainted with things celestial , and the angelical orders , and their governing constitutions , things visible and invisible ; and besides this i am now a disciple . for many things are wanting to you , that we may not fall short of god. therefore i exhort you , not i , but the love of jesus christ , to use only the christian nutriment , and to abstain from that strange herb , which is heresie . for the times are such , that persons worthy of credit seemingly do fold in heresie with jesus christ , like those , who administer deadly poison , and temper it with a drink made of honey and sowre wine , which the ignorant receives with pleasure , and so dies by an evil delectation . therefore preserve your selves from such , and so it shall be , if ye are not puffed up , being inseparable from god , jesus christ , and the bishop , and the orders of the apostles . he , who is within the altar , is pure ; that is , he , who does any thing without the bishop , presbyterie , and deacons , is of an impure conscience . not that i have known any such thing among you , but foreseeing the subtilties of the devil , i take care of you before hand being my beloved . do ye therefore , re-assuming your mild disposition , build up your selves anew in the faith , which is the flesh of the lord , in love , which is the bloud of jesus christ . let none among you have any quarrel against his neighbour . give no offences to the gentiles , that the multitude which is in god be not blasphemed by a few foolish men . for wo to him , through whose foolishness my name is blasphemed amongst some . therefore be deaf to him , who speaks to you without jesus christ , who was of the stock of david , and of mary , who was truly born , eat and drank , was truly persecuted under pontius pilate , was truly crucified , dead , things in heaven , on earth , and under the earth beholding him . and was truly raised again from the dead , his father raising him up according to his likeness , as his father will raise up us also , if we believe in him , through jesus christ , without whom we have no true life . but if , as some atheists , that is , infidels s●y , he suffered only in appearance , as they themselves are only in appearance , why am i in bonds ? and why do i pray that i may fight with beasts ? therefore do i not die without reward ? and am i not a lyar against the lord ? fly therefore evil plants , which bring forth deadly fruit ; which if a man taste of , he dies presently . for these are not the plantation of the father , if they were they would appear branches of the cross , and their fruit would be incorruptible . through which cross by his passion he advocates for you being his members . the head therefore cannot be born without the members , god having promised the vnion of them , who is himself . i salute you from smyrna , together with the churches of god , which are present with me , who have every way refreshed me both in flesh and spirit . my bonds , which i carry about for jesus christ , do admonish you , that i desire to enjoy god. continue in your vnanimitie , and in prayer one for another . for it becomes you all one by one exceedingly , and the presbyters to comfort up the bishop for the honour of the father of jesus christ and of the apostles . i beseech you in love to hear me , that writing unto you i may not be a witness within you . pray also for me , out of that charitie which is in you , for i need the mercy of god , that i may be accounted worthy of the lot , which i labour to enjoy , and may not be found reprobate . the love of the smyrneans and ephesians saluteth you . remember in your prayers the church which is in syria , whence i am not worthy to be called , being the last of them . farewel in jesus christ , being subject to the bishop as to the commandement , and likewise to the presbyterie . and love one another man by man with an undivided heart . my spirit shall be an expiation for you , not onely now , but when i shall enjoy god. for as yet i am in danger , but the father , who is faithful , will fulfil my petition and yours in jesus christ , in whom may ye be found unblameable . to the trallians . to the romans . ignatius , who is also theophorus , to the church which hath obtained mercy through the magnificence of the most high father , and jesus christ his onely begotten son , sanctified and enlightned by him who willeth all things , which are according to the love of jesus christ our god ; which is president over the churches about in the region of the romans , as over a quire , being divine , comely , most blessed , worthy of praise , in a becoming order , eminently chaste , and set up for a president of charitie , having the law of christ , and bearing the name of the father ; which i also salute in the name of jesus christ the son of the father , according to the flesh and spirit united in every command of his , filled with all the grace of god without any difference , and purged from every strange tincture , wishing very much joy in our lord jesus christ our god immaculately . having beseeched god , i happened to see your divine faces , as i much desired to receive you . and being in bonds for jesus christ i hope to salute you , if it be his will , that i may be accounted worthy to continue to the end . for the beginning is well ordered , if thereby i may obtain grace so as to obtain my lot unto the end without impediment . for i fear your charitie , lest it prove injurious to me . for to you it is easie to do what ye will ; but to me it is a difficult thing to enjoy god , unless ye are the more sparing to me . i would not have you to please men , but to please god , as ye do please him . i shall never have such an opportunity to enjoy god , neither shall ye be intituled to a better work , if ye can but be silent . for if ye be silent and let me alone , i shall be of god , but if ye love my flesh , i shall be but a voice , and to run again . ye cannot do better than to let me be sacrificed unto god , in regard the altar is already prepared . that ye being made up a chorus in love may sing to the father in jesus christ ; because god hath accounted the bishop of syria worthy to be found , and to be sent from the east unto the west , to set and go down gloriously from the world unto god , that i may rise again in him . ye have never bewitched me in any thing ; ye have instructed others , and i would that those things may be firm , which ye as teachers have commanded . onely pray for me to be inabled inwardly and outwardly , that i may not onely say it , but will it , and not only be called a christian , but be found so . for if i shall be found so , i may also be so called , and then be a believer , when i appear not to the world . nothing is good which is onely in appearance ; for our god jesus christ being in the father appeareth the more . a christian is not a work of persuasion but of greatness , especially when he shall be hated of the world . i write to all the churches , and lay my commands upon them all , that i may willingly die for god , if ye shall not hinder me . i intreat you that ye would not be unseasonably kind unto me . suffer me to be the meat of beasts that by them i may enjoy god. i am the wheat of god , and shall be ground by the teeth of beasts , that i may be found the pure bread of god. allure those beasts the rather to become my sepulchre , and to leave no reliques of my body , that when i am fallen asleep i may not be burdensom to any . then shall i be the true disciple of jesus christ , when the world shall not see my body . pray to the lord for me , that by these instruments i may be found a sacrifice to god. i do not give you commands as peter and paul ; they were apostles , but i am a condemned person , they were free , but i am a servant even until now , yet , if i suffer , i shall be made the freeman of jesus christ , and shall rise again free ; and being now a prisoner i learn to desire nothing . from syria even to rome do i fight with beasts , both by land and by sea , by night and by day , being bound to ten leopards , ( which are my military guard ) which are the worse for being kindly treated . but by their injurious dealings i am the more made a disciple , yet am i not therefore justified . i would enjoy the beasts which are prepared for me , and i pray that they may be found sharply set , nay i would entise them greedily to devour me , and not fearfully to decline the touching of me as they have avoided some . but if they shun me , and will not , i shall provoke them . pardon me . i know what is convenient for me . now i begin to be a disciple in that i have a zeal to nothing visible or invisible , but that i may gain jesus christ . let the fire , the cross , the violence of beasts , scattering of bones , concision or chewing of members , grinding of the whole body , buffetings of the devil come upon me , so that i may but enjoy jesus christ . the ends of the world will profit me nothing , nor the kingdoms of this age . it is good for me to die for jesus christ , rather then to rule over the ends of the earth . i seek him , who died for us , i will him , who rose again for us . he is the gain set before me . pardon me , brethren , do not hinder me to live , do not separate me by the world , who am willing to be of god , nor seduce me by that which is material . suffer me to receive the pure light , when i approach to that , i shall be a man of god. suffer me to imitate the passion of my god. if any man hath him within him , he may understand what i will , and sympathize with me , knowing what things have taken possession of me . the prince of this world would spoil me , and corrupt my judgement , which is according to god. therefore let none of you being present contribute any assistance to him , but rather be for me , that is , for god. do not speak jesus christ , and covet the world . let no fascination be amongst you . neither do i exhort you being present to believe me , rather believe the things , which i write unto you ; for i write unto you being alive , yet withal willing to die . my love is crucified , and the fire , which is in me , desires no water . but there is one living and speaking in me , who saith to me inwardly , come to the father . i take no pleasure in the meat of corruption , nor in the pleasures of this life . i will the bread of god , which is the flesh of jesus christ , of the seed of david , and the drink which i will , is his bloud , which is incorruptible love . i would live no longer according to men , and this shall be if ye will. will it therefore that ye also may be accepted . i intreat you by a few writings , believe me ; but jesus christ shall manifest these things to you , that i speak truth . that is no lying mouth , by which the father hath truly spoken . pray for me that i may obtain . for i have not written unto you according to the flesh , but according to the mind of god. if i suffer ye have loved me , but if i prove reprobate ye have hated me . remember in your prayers the church in syria , which in my stead hath god for its pastour . jesus christ himself shall watch over it , and your love. but i am ashamed to be named from them , for i am not worthy , being the last of them , and an abortive . but i may through mercy be something if i obtain god. my spirit saluteth you , and the love of the churches which have received me for the name of jesus christ , not as one passing by them ; for they did not meet me onely on the way according to the flesh , but conducted me to the citie . these things i write unto you from smyrna by the ephesians , worthy to be most blessed . crocus also is with me a name desireable , together with many others , who came from syria to rome to the glorie of god. i believe they are known to you , to whom ye may make manifest the things approaching me . for they are all worthy of god , and of you , and it becomes you to refresh them in all things . i have written unto you these things upon the day before the ninth of the calends of september . be strengthened to the end in the patience of jesus christ . finis . the life of saint barnabas the apostle . saint barnabas was a man of excellent and divine qualifications , beautified and adorned with singular gifts and graces for the propagating of christianitie , and promoting the kingdom of the lord jesus ; being one of the secundary apostles , which were in that age made choice of in imitation of the twelve , and chosen together with paul to this honourable imployment by god himself , act. 13. 2. all were not apostles , 1 cor. 12. 29. hoc magnum erat , & per paucorum privilegium , this was a great privilege , and onely of some few . christ was the apostle of god. heb. 3. 1. the twelve the apostles of christ , joh. 20. 21. and they , as the spirit gave direction , did constitute others in like manner . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , there being many apostles besides the twelve after their similitude . of this number was barnabas , who needs not any humane character , in regard he abounded with so much of divine approbation , for honourable mention is frequently made of him in the acts of the apostles written by saint luke . he and paul were tanquam jugati boves , as gods chief yoke of oxen , ploughing over much ground , and manuring the field of christianitie ; he was a person of very great eminencie and integritie in his place and office , often imployed upon honourable services for the church , sometimes alone , and sometimes in conjunction with holy and blessed paul , and when he had done the church all honest and faithful service he possibly could , and had improved his talents to his masters glorie , the churches benefit , and his own , he finished the course of his natural life by a glorious martyrdom , and under the power of nero the first of persecutors , and worst of men , was burnt at the stake for his religion , upon the eleventh of june , which day is annually observed by our church to perpetuate his memory , and to advance gods glorie . this briefly concerning the author ; his following epistle indeed may not prove so very acceptable to some , in regard of his strange explications of scripture , which are not after the modern and more refined mode . but it is to be noted that , when he wrote , christianity was but in the cradle , and scarce advanced into her morning dress , then god made choice of the weak things of the world to confound the mighty , and of rude and illiterate men to confound the learned . since that time christianity hath made a conquest over the world , heathen learning is become subservient to divine truths , the rudeness and first draught of christianity hath been polished over , and adorned by the most able and learned pens ; the following translation of this epistle is according to the original greek copy set forth by mr isaac vossius , and printed at amsterdam , anno dom. 1646. who himself gives this following account of it in his annotations upon it . some years have passed over , since it was my resolution to publish this epistle of barnabas , which i received from the incomparable salmasius ; but being prevented by a journey , i could not then perfect what i intended . when i went for england to make my self acquainted with that nation , another opportunity offered it self unto me , whereby i was encouraged speedily to make publike the epistle before mentioned , which had merited long before to be sent forth to the publike view . for the right reverend dr vsher , bishop of armagh , and primate of ireland was then preparing to publish a new edition of ignatius , and when he made it both his request and offer that this epistle of barnabas might be printed with his ignatian epistles , i not onely freely consented to it , but was very glad , that so very antient a monument should fall into those hands , from which i was assured it would borrow not a little splendour . and had not a great fire consumed a great part of the citie of oxford , and destroyed all exemplars , we had had long since a very fair edition of this author . however there were not wanting in france some learned men , who thought it a very unworthy thing that such a writing as this should be so long concealed . thereupon claudius menardus of the order of saint maurus lately fitted out for us a new edition ; and that he hath very well deserved of the publike for this act of his no man can deny . yet he had merited more had it been his good fortune to see more copies for seeing that edition of his was wholly taken out of one only book , it could not possibly come forth any other then very faulty . though fortune hath not so much favoured me as to minister occasion to any mans envie , yet this happiness hath been afforded me , to have the use of three manuscripts , whereby to correct that edition ; the medicaean librarie of florence supplyed me with the first , and that of theatins at rome furnished me with the other two ; and lucas hostenius an eminent man , who cannot be praised according to his deserts , is the person , to whom i am indebted for the use of them . what help these three manuscripts have afforded me , he will be best able to judge , who can think it worth his while to compare this with the other edition before mentioned . but i cannot imagine upon what grounds some men should think that this is not the epistle of barnabas , whereas clement , origen , and others ascribe it to him . learned men ( i believe ) may take offence at some unusual expositions of his , made upon some places of scripture ; but they can have nothing whereon to ground a perswasion , that those places should be misinterpreted by a man of so great authority , whom the holy scriptures make so frequent mention of , and who was always an inseparable companion of the apostle paul , and himself one of the minor apostles . but who could expect all kind of science and learning from those first christians ? and think that they might not as well be mistaken as their relatives , especially in things not appertaining to faith ? do we not meet with many things as strange in the epistle of clement ? which epistle was published by patricius junius the kings library keeper , and an eminent man , to whom i am so much a debtor , that he cannot possibly oblige me more . for who can well digest that fable of clement about the phoenix , and his many worlds beyond the ocean ? neither do i believe that some will easily admit of that exposition about the scarlet thred of the harlot rahab , that it should be a type of the bloud of christ , and other things of this nature which i could reckon up , but they are not so proper for this place ; yet was this clement called an apostle by as good right as barnabas was . therefore no persons ought to find fault with that in the one , which they excuse in the other . it is known to every one how very mystically , superstitiously , and almost impertinently , those first christians did interpret the scriptures . therefore if some things should be met with in this author , which may displease the learned , let them rather impute it to the manner of expression used by those ancient christians , than entertain the least thoughts that this writing is supposititious . nor let any persons therefore like the worse of this epistle of barnabas because eusebius , and other greek writers of a later date , have placed it amongst the apocryphal writings . for they did not question the author , only they approved not of those mystical interpretations of his , made upon many places of scripture . and for the same reason many works of clement of alexandria and of origen , were accounted apocryphal , whereas it was never yet doubted of , whether those very works so accounted of were their genuine works . and certainly if we should reject all writings , which have at any time been accounted apocryphal , we should reject the epistle of paul to the hebrews , and the epistle of jude the apostle , and that of clement to the corinthians ; which thing should we do how absurd would it seem to any man ? others have given out that they have discerned this epistle to be spurious both from the style , and manner of writing , and they have affirmed the very same things of the epistles of ignatius ; but they , who boast of such things , would seem more accute than becomes them . for it is not so easie to distinguish spurious writings from genuine , as it is to know true pearls from counterfeit . when true stones are compared with counterfeit , the fucus of the counterfeit soon appears , as a true people will discover a false one ; which is a thing ordinary in other traffiqueable commodities . but from what is it possible for these men to take the ground of their conjecture , who deny these to be the very epistles of ignatius and barnabas ? have they seen other writings of theirs ? certainly not . therefore how come they to know what style barnabas and ignatius used ? yet they go on and say , that what they think to be true , they know to be true , and if it be so with them , i will not adde one word more about them . the catholique epistle of saint barnabas the apostle . my sons and daughters , in the name of our lord jesus christ , who loved us , i wish you much joy and peace . knowing that there is in you an abundance of the great and comely graces of god , i am rejoyced above measure by your blessed and excellent spirits ; for by this means ye have received a natural grace . so that i am hereby very much comforted , hoping to be set at liberty ; because i verily perceive that the spirit is infused into you from the honourable fountain of god. and seeing i am of this perswasion , and know it the more fully so to be , in regard that , whilst i am conversing with you , many things have succeeded well with me , according to the equal way of the lord ; therefore is it happily brethren in my thoughts to love you more than my own soul ; because the greatness of faith and love dwelleth therein , and the hope of that other life . thinking of this ( and because it was my care to impart something unto you of what i have received ) that it would be a sufficient reward to do service to persons of such a spirit , i made it my proper business , as allotted to me , speedily to send unto you some few things , that together with your faith ye may have also perfect knowledge . there are also three constitutions of the lord , the hope of life , the beginning , and the consummation . for god hath made before-hand things plain to us , by his prophets , who are passed , and hath given unto us the beginnings of future things . but , as he hath said , it is a more honourable and high thing to approach to his altar . yet i shall not as a teacher or doctor , but as one of you , shew you a few things , by which ye may be the more joyful in many . seeing therefore that the days are most wicked , and that the adversary hath the power of this world ▪ we ought diligently to make enquiry into the equal ways of the lord. fear and patience are the coadjutors of your faith ; and the things , which fight for us , are longanimitie and continence . where these remain pure , according to the lord , wisdom , understanding , science , knowledge rejoyce together with them . for he hath laid it open to us by all the prophets , that he will not use our sacrifices , victims , nor oblations , saying in this wise , to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me , saith the lord , i am full of the burnt-offerings of rams , and the fat of lambs ; i delight not in the bloud of goats and bulls . neither do i regard you , when ye come to appear before me . for who hath required these things at your hands ? neither shall ye tread my courts . when ye bring your course bread it is vain , your incense is an abomination to me . your new moons , and sabbaths , and great day i cannot endure ▪ your fast , idle time , new moons , and feasts my soul hateth . god hath therefore made these void , as the new law of our lord jesus christ , which is without the yoke of necessity , hath made void the humane oblation . the lord saith again unto them , have i commanded your fathers , when they went out of the land of egypt , that they should offer unto me sacrifices and victims ? but this i commanded them , saying , let every one among you bear no malice towards his neighbour , and let no man swear falsly . seeing therefore that we are not without understanding , we ought to understand the counsel of the goodness of our father . for he being willing to seek us also going astray , hath told us how we should come unto him , saying , the sacrifice of god is a contrite heart , and one that is humbled , god doth not despise . therefore ( brethren ) we ought to enquire more certainly concerning our salvation , that nothing may have entrance into us , which may turn us away from our life . god speaks again unto them as concerning these things , saying , wherefore do ye fast to me , that your voice may be heard on high , as this day ? i have not chosen such a fast , nor a day for a man to afflict his soul ; neither shalt thou bow down thy neck like a bulrush , nor spread sackcloth and ashes under thee , nor shall ye call this an acceptable fast . but to us he saith thus , when ye shall fast , loose every bond of iniquitie , dissolve the obligations of violent contracts , set the oppressed at libertie , make void every injurious obligation ; break thy bread to the hungry ; bring the poor that are without shelter into thine house ▪ when thou seest the naked clothe him , and hide not thy self from thine own flesh ; then thy light shall break forth as the morning , and thine health shall spring forth speedily ; and thy righteousness shall go before thee ; the glorie of the lord shall be thy rereward . then shall thou call , and the lord shall answer ; thou shall cry , and he shall say , here i am : if thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke , the putting forth of the finger , and speaking vanity , and shall give thy bread to the hungry with all thy soul . therefore in this ( brethren ) god is provident and merciful , in regard the people , whom he hath acquired to his beloved , should believe in simplicity , and he hath shewn to all us , that we should not run as proselytes over to their law. and it concerns us to write much of the things in hand , which cannot heal . let us flie every work of iniquitie , and hate the errour of this time , and love things future . let us not give libertie to our soul , nor suffer it to wander with most lewd men and sinners . for the trail is consummate , as it is written , as daniel saith , it is at hand . for this cause doth the lord divide times and days , that his beloved may hasten to his inheritance . so saith the prophet , ten kingdoms shall reign upon the earth , and a little king shall arise , who shall depose three into one . concerning the kingdoms , and this very thing daniel saith again , i saw a fourth beast dreadful and terrible , and exceeding strong , having ten horns , and another little horn grew up in the midst of them , before whom there were three of the first horns plucks up by the roots . therefore we ought to understand , and i intreat you again , as one of you , loving you above mine own life , that ye would take heed unto your selves , and that ye would not be like unto those , who heap up their sins , and say , that their testament is also ours . but ours it is , for they have for ever destroyed that which moses received . for the scripture saith , and moses was in the mount fasting fourty days and fourty nights , and he received the testament from the lord , the tables of stone written with the hand of god. but they being turned unto idols destroyed that , for the lord saith to moses , go down quickly , for thy people , which thou broughtest out of the land of egypt , hath transgressed . and moses cast the tables of stone out of his hands , and their testament was broken , that the love of jesus might be signed upon your hearts unto the hope of the faith of him . therefore let us give heed unto the last days ; for all the time of our life and faith shall profit us nothing , if we do not endure unjust things , and future temptations , as the son of god saith , let us resist all iniquitie , and hate it . consider therefore the works of an evil life . ye ought not to separate your selves as being justified , but meeting together in one , to enquire what may be in common profitable and convenient for the beloved . for the scripture saith , wo to those , who are wise in their own eyes , and prudent in their own sight . let us being spiritual , be made a perfect temple to god , as much as in us lies . let us meditate upon the fear of god , and endeavour to keep his commandements , that we may rejoyce in his judgements . the lord accepting no mans person judgeth the world ; every man shall receive according to his deeds . if he be good , his goodness goes before him ; if wicked , the ways of his wickedness follows after him . take heed lest at any time being called , and at ease , we do not fall asleep in our sins , and the wicked one getting power over us , do not awake us out of our sleep , and exclude us from the kingdom of the lord. understand a little more ; having seen the great signs and wonders among the people of the jews , and that the lord doth so leave them ; therefore let us take heed , lest happily we be found , as it is written , many called , few chosen . for this cause , the lord endured to deliver up his body to death , that we might be sanctified by remission of sins , that is , through the sprinkling of his bloud . for it is written of him to the jews , and to us , in this manner , he was wounded for our transgressions , bruised for our iniquities ; by his stripes we were healed . he was led as a sheep to the slaughter , and as a lamb before the shearer dumb , so opened he not his mouth . therefore we ought exceedingly to rejoyce in the lord , because he hath shown unto us things past , and hath made us wise , neither are we without understanding of things to come . but he saith , the net surely is spread in vain in the sight of any bird . this he saith , in regard that that man shall justly perish , who hath knowledge of the way of truth , and yet will not refrain himself from the dark way . moreover , the lord endured to suffer for us , and yet he is the lord of the world , to whom he said upon the day before the world was consummate , let us make man according to our image and similitude . learn therefore how much he endured , who would suffer this from men . the prophets having the gift from him prophesied of him ; and he , that he might abolish death , and make manifest the resurrection from the dead , endured , because it was necessary for him to appear in the flesh , that he might make good the promise to the parents . and preparing a new people by his being upon the earth , he declared by making a resurrection the judgement , and in the end by teaching , and doing great signs and wonders , he preached to israel , and dearly loved him . then he chose proper apostles , who should preach his gospel , who were sinners above all sin , that he might shew that he came not to call the righteous , but sinners to repentance . then he manifested himself to be the son of god. for had he not come in the flesh , how could men looking on him have been saved ? for the sun , which is the work of his hands , men cannot look directly upon with their eyes intent upon the beams of it . therefore the son of god came in the flesh , that he might consummate the sins of those , who persecuted his prophets unto death . and for this he endured . for god saith , by the stripe of his flesh all are healed . and again , when i shall smite the shepherd , then shall the sheep of the flock be scattered . he would thus suffer , and it was necessarie that he should suffer upon the tree . for he saith , who prophesied of him , thou shalt deliver my soul from the sword . and , fasten my flesh with nails , for the congregations of wicked men are risen up against me . and again he saith , behold , i have given my back to scourges , and my cheeks to strokes , and set my face , as a firm rock . but when he had done the command , what saith he ? who shall condemn me , let him be set against me ? or who shall judge me , let him come neer to the servant of the lord ? wo unto you , for ye shall all wax old as a garment , and the moth shall devour you . again the prophet saith , he was set a stone for contusion . behold , i will lay in sion for foundations a pretious stone , elect , a chief corner-stone , honourable . what saith he after ? and he , who hopeth in it , shall live for ever . is our faith therefore placed in a stone ? far be it . but because the lord hath given strength unto his flesh . for he saith , and he bath set me as a strong rock . again the prophet saith , the stone which the builders refused , is made the head of the corner . and again he saith , this is the great and wonderful day , which the lond hath made . i write the more simply to you , that ye may understand . i am the off-scouring of your love . what saith the prophet again ? the congregation of wicked men came about me , they enclosed me as bees do the wax . and , they cast a lot upon my vesture . seeing he should be manifest in the flesh , and should suffer ; his passion was manifested long before . for the prophet saith to israel , wo to the soul of profane men , for they take evil counsel against themselves , saying , let us seize upon the righteous , for he is unpleasing to us . moses also saith unto them , behold these things saith the lord god , enter into the good land , which the lord hath sworn to abraham , and isaac , and jacob , and inherit the land flowing with milk and honey . learn what knowledge saith , hope in jesus , who will come in the flesh to be manifested unto you . man is a suffering land . for from the face of the earth was the figment of adam driven . why therefore saith he , a good land flowing with milk and honey ? blessed be our lord , who hath put wisdom and understanding in us of his secrets . for the prophet saith , who shall understand the parable of the lord , but onely the wise and the intelligent , and he who is a lover of the lord. seeing therefore he renewing us by remission of sins hath made us to be another figure , he hath made us to have souls like children and hath formed us anew . for what he saith to the son , the scripture saith concerning us , we will make man according to our image and likeness , and let them rule over the beasts of the earth , and the fowls of heaven , and the fishes of the sea . and the lord seeing man an excellent figure , he said , increase and multiply , and replenish the earth . these things to the son. again , i will shew you , how in the last days he made a second figure as concerning us . the lord saith , behold , i will make the last things as the former , and therefore did the prophet preach thus , saying , enter into the land flowing with milk and honey , and have dominion over it . behold therefore we are formed anew , as he also saith in another prophet , behold , saith the lord , i will take from them , that is , from those whom the spirit of the lord hath foreseen , their hearts of stone , and will give them hearts of flesh . for he was to be manifested in the flesh , and to dwell in us . for , my brethren , the inhabitation of our hearts is an holy temple to the lord. again the lord saith , how shall i appear before the lord my god , and how shall i glorifie him ? he saith , i will confess unto thee in the church , in the midst of my brethren , and will praise thee in the midst of the church of saints . therefore we are they whom he hath brought into the good land . but why milk and honey ? because a little child is first quickned with milk and honey , and nourished . so we also being nourished and enlivened by the faith of the promise and the word shall live , and have dominion over the earth . for he said before , let them increase and rule over the fishes . what can this be now , that a man should have power to rule the beasts , or fishes , or fowls of the heaven ? for we ought to be sensible . to govern , is of power and authoritie , and he shall bear rule who is thereto appointed . and if this be not now , he hath said that it shall be ; when ? when we our selves may be perfected to be made heirs of the covenant of the lord. vnderstand therefore ( sons of joy ) that the good lord hath before hand manifested all things to us ; that we might know whom we ought to praise with thanks-giving according to all ; therefore if the son of god being lord , who also shall judge the quick and dead , hath suffered , that his stripes may enliven us ; we ought to believe that his son of god could not suffer , unless it was for us . and when he was crucified he had vineger and gall given him to drink hear how the priests of the people have manifested this , there being a command written concerning it . the lord commanded that if a man would not fast the fast , he should be destroyed . because he would offer up in sacrifice for our sins the vessel of the spirit , that the type also which was made in isaac offered upon the altar might be completed . what saith he further by the prophet ? and let them eat of the goat offered on the fast for the sins of all . mark diligently : and let all the priests alone eat the entrails unwashed with vineger . why this ? because ye shall give me gall and vineger to drink , when i shall offer up my flesh for the sins of the new people . eat ye alone the people fasting and bewailing in sackcloth and ashes ; that he might demonstrate that it behooved him to suffer by them . therefore what hath he given in command ? observe ; take two goats fair and alike , and offer them ; and let the priest take one for an holocaust ; but what shall he do with the other ? he saith , let one he made an execration . mark how the figure of jesus is manifested . and ye shall all spit upon it , and pierce it , and put crimson wooll about the head of it , and so let it be sent into the wilderness ; and when this is done , he who bears the goat into the wilderness , shall take of the wooll , and put it upon a dry brushie thorn , called rubus , the berries of which we usually eat if finding them in the field . for the fruits of this thorn onely are pleasant . but what is the meaning of this ? observe ; one goat was for the altar , the other for an execration , and the goat for execration was crowned . why ? because they shall see him in that day having his flesh cloathed in scarlet , and they shall say , is not this he whom we have crucified , setting him at nought , piercing and mocking him ? truly this was he , who then said , that he was the son of god ; and he was used in like manner as those fair goats which were alike . so that when they saw him they mourned over him , who was to come under the figure of a goat . see therefore the type of jesus who was to suffer . but why did they put the wooll into the midst of thorns ? this is a type of jesus appointed to the church . he , who would take away the scarlet wooll , must needs suffer many things , for the thorn is terrible , and he who would rule over it , must endure affliction ; so , saith he , they , who would see me , and approach my king-dom , ought to receive me through tribulations and sufferings . but see what figure this was , when it was given in command to israel , that man , in whom sins were completed , should offer an heifer , and killing it should burn it , and then servants should take up the ashes , and put them into earthen vessels , and then the servants should take scarlet wooll and hyssop , and so sprinkle the people one by one , that they might be purged from their sins . understand in what simplicity it speaks unto us . this heifer is jesus christ , the men offering it are those sinners , who brought him to the slaughter ; for they seemed partly men , and partly sinners but the servants sprinkling were they , who preached unto us remission of sins , and puritie of heart . to whom he gave the power of the gospel , they were twelve in testimonie of the tribes , for they were the twelve tribes of israel , which they were to preach it to . but why were there three servants sprinkling ? these were in testimonie of abraham , and isaac , and jacob , who were honourable with god. but why was the wooll put upon wood ? because the kingdom of jesus was from the wood , and they therefore , who hope in him , shall live for ever . but why was there wooll and hyssop together ? because in his kingdom shall be evil and gloomie days , wherein we shall be saved . for he , who is wounded in the flesh is healed by hyssop cleansing away the filth . and for this cause are these things , which are made thus manifest to us , obscure to them , because they hearkned not unto the voyce of the lord. again the lord saith by the prophet something of the ears , teaching us thereby how we should circumcise our heart , saying , by the hearing of the ear hath he heard me ▪ and again he saith , they , who are afar off , shall hear with the hearing , what i have done , and shall know me ; and , ye shall circumcise your hearts , saith the lord. and again he saith , hear , o israel , for the lord thy god speaketh these things unto thee . and again the spirit of the lord prophesieth , who is he that would live for ever ? let him hear with the ear the voice of my servant . and again he saith , hear , o heaven , and give ear , o earth ; for the lord hath spoken these things for a testimony . and again he saith , hear the word of the lord , ye rulers of this people . and again he saith , hear , o children , the voice of one crying in the wilderness . therefore he circumcised our ears , that hearing we may believe the word . for the circumcision , of which they were perswaded , is abolished . for he said , there should be a circumcision not made upon the flesh . but they have transgressed , because a wicked angel hath taught them . he saith again unto them , these things saith the lord your god. here i find a commandment , sow not among thorns , but be circumcised to your lord. and what saith he further ? and circumcise your hard heart , and do not harden your neck . and again , behold the lord saith , all nations are uncircumcised having on the foreskin , but this people is uncircumcised in heart . but thou wilt say , the people hath received circumcision as a seal . but so every syrian , and arabs , and all the idolatrous priests , and the egyptians have received circumcision , therefore are they also within the covenants . learn therefore ( children ) abundantly concerning all nations , that abraham , who first gave circumcision in the spirit , did see so far as to the son , for receiving the definitions of three letters , he gave circumcision . for he saith , that abraham circumcised the males of his house , which were ten , and eight , and three hundred . therefore what knowledge was given to him ? learn , there were first ten and eight , then three hundred , the ten note 1. the eight note n , there ye have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and the cross , which should have the grace , was noted in the three hundred , for the numeral of that is t. therefore it is manifest that jesus was figured in two letters , and the cross in one . abraham knew the implanted gift of his doctrine , and gave it for a sign to us . no one hath learned a more genuine word from me , onely i know that ye are worthy . but where●s moses hath said , ye shall not eat swines flesh , nor the eagle , nor the hawk , nor the crow , nor any fish which hath not scales upon it ; undoubtedly he received in his understanding three constitutions . afterwards he saith to them in deuteronomie , i will give to this people my judgements . undoubtedly therefore the command of god was not that they should not eat , but moses spake in the spirit , when he spake of not eating swines flesh , he spake it to this effect , thou shalt not , saith he , be joyned to such men , who are like unto swine , who , when they are fed and wanton , forget their lord , but when they are in wants acknowledge him ▪ for the swine , when he hath eaten , knows not his lord , but when he is hungry , he cryes , & when he is filled again is still , and holds his peace . neither shalt thou eat , saith he , the eagle , nor the hawk , nor the kite , nor the crow . in this he saith , thou shalt not associate thy self with such men , who do not make provisions for themselves by labour and sweat , but live by rapine , and injurious taking from others , and however they appear to walk in simplicity , yet they observe what things may be offered to them without any labour , these they diligently prie out , and being idle themselves , and very pernicious creatures by reason of their wickedness , they devour and feed upon the flesh of others . he saith , thou shalt not eat the lampry nor the polypus , nor the cuttle-fish . that is , he saith , thou shalt not be joyned to , nor like unto those men , who are ungodly to the end , and condemned to death ; for these fishes alone being accursed , swim onely in the deep , not diving as other fishes , but inhabiting in the mud of the deep . he hath said again , thou shalt not eat the conie . why said he it ? only to shew , that thou shouldest not be alascivious lecherous person , nor like unto such ; for the hare or conie doth every year breed abundantly , and as many years as she liveth maketh her so many burrows . neither shalt thou eat the hyaena . this he saith , thou shalt not be an adulterer , nor defiler of men or women , nor like unto such . why so ? for this kind of animal every year changeth its nature , and is one while a male , and another while a female . again he well said , thou shalt hate the weasil ; this he saith , thou shalt not be like unto those , of whom we hear , by reason of their impurity , that they do unlawful things at the mouth , neither shalt thou associate thy self with impure persons , who commit iniquitie with the mouth ; for this animal conceiveth at the mouth . therefore moses by the spirit delivered three constitutions touching meats , but they understood them to be meant of meats in a fleshly sense ; but david took the true knowledge of these three constitutions , and spake in this wise . blessed is the man , who hath not walked in the council of the ungodly , as those fishes which walk in the dark down into the deep . and hath not stood in the way of sinners ; as persons seemingly reverencing their lord , and yet transgressing like swine . and hath not sat in the seat of pestilent men . like unto birds which sit watching for prey . thus have you a perfect knowledge of moses his constitutions about meats but moses saith , thou maist eat of whatever hath a cloven hoof , and cheweth the cud . wherefore saith he it ? because every such creature having received food doth seem to acknowledge his feeder , and being refreshed to rejoyce in him . he spake it well seeing the commandment , therefore what said he ▪ he gave in commandment that they should be joyned to those who fear the lord , and who meditate in the heart upon the command of the word which they have received , and to associate with those , who speak the judgements of the lord and keep them , and to those , who knowing that meditation is a work of joy , do ruminate upon the word of the lord. but what means the beast with a cloven foot ? this shews that a just man , though he walks in this world , yet he expects and lays hold upon another . observe how excellently moses gave his laws . but they could not know or understand these things : yet we rightly understanding the commands , do speak as the lord would ; therefore hath god circumcised our ears , and our hearts that we might understand these things . we shall now enquire , whether it was the lord's care to manifest any thing before hand touching the water , and the cross . as concerning the water it is written to israel , how they should not receive baptism , which should bring remission of sins , but should build up to themselves . therefore the prophet saith , be astonished , o heaven , and let ▪ the earth very much tremble at it , for this people hath committed two great evils , they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters , and hewed out to themselves broken cisterns . is my holy mount sion a desert rock ? ye shall be as the young ones of a bird fluttering about the forsaken nest . and again the prophet saith , i will go before thee , and will level the mountains , and will break in pieces the gates of brass , and cut in sunder the bars of iron , and i will give thee the treasures of darkness , and hidden riches of secret places , that they may know that i am the lord god. and he shall dwell in the deep cave of the strong rock : afterwards what saith he ? his water shall be sure through the son. ye shall see the king with glory , and your soul shall meditate on the fear of the lord. and again he saith in another prophet , he , who doth these things , shall be as a tree planted by the water-courses , which shall give its fruit in its season ; and his leaf shall not wither , and whatsoever he doth it shall prosper ; not so the ungodly , not so , but they shall be as the dust , which the wind scattereth before the face of the earth : therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement , nor sinners in the counsel of the just . for the lord knoweth the way of the rightcous , and the way of the ungodly shall perish . be ye sensible how he hath appointed water and the cross for the same thing . for this he saith , blessed are they , who , hoping in the cross have descended into the water . and whereas he saith , he will give a reward in its season . this he saith , i will retribute to them . the leaves shall not wither . this he saith , that every word which shall proceed out of your mouth in faith and love , shall be for the conversion and hope of many . again another prophet saith , and the land of jacob was praised above all lands . this he speaks of the vessel of his spirit which he will glorifie . afterwards what saith he ? and there was a river drawing from the right hand , and trees in their season grew up out of it , and whosoever shall eat of them shall live for ever . this he saith , because we descend into the water full of sin , and filth , and we ascend out of it , bearing fruit in the heart , having fear and hope in the son jesus through the spirit . and whereas he saith , whosoever shall eat of these shall live for ever . this he saith , whosoever , saith he , shall hear the things that are spoken , and shall believe , he shall live for ever . he determines in like manner concerning the cross by another prophet speaking thus , and when these things shall be consummate , and when the wood shall be bowed , saith the lord , and shall rise again , and when blond shall distit from the wood . thou hast something again touching the cross and him who should be crucified . for he saith again in moses , when israel was warred against by strangers , and that they were to be put in remembrance that they were warred against , that they might be delivered up to death for their sins , the spirit spake to the heart of moses , that he should make a type of the cross and of him who should suffer , to shew that unless they hoped in him , they should be warred against for ever . therefore moses laid the armour one piece upon another in the middle of a fountain , and standing higher than all , stretched out his hands , and so israel prevailed , and when he drew in his hands again they were put to death . why was this ? that they may know that they cannot be saved , unless they hope in him . and in another prophet he saith , all the day long have i stretched forth my hands to a people that will not be perswaded , contradicting my just way . moses again makes a type of jesus , because it was necessary that he should suffer , and give life , when they supposed to have destroyed him in the sepulchre . for when israel fell he made every serpent to bite them , and they died , because the transgression in eve was by the serpent , that he might reprove them , and convince them , that for their transgression they were delivered up to the anguish of death . in the end , though moses had commanded that there should be no molten nor graven image amongst them for a god , he made one to shew the type of jesus . for moses made a serpent of brass , and placed it gloriously , and by proclamation called the people . they coming together intreated moses that he would pray and make an offering for them , that they might be healed . then moses said unto them , when any of you shall be bitten , let him come to this serpent set upon a pole , and let him hope , believing that though it is dead , it is able to give life , and he shall be immediately healed ; and they did so . in this thou hast the glorie of jesus , for all things are in him , and to him . what saith moses again to jesus the son of naue , giving him , being a prophet , this name , that all the people should hear him only , because the father would reveal all things touching his son jesus to the son of naue . and when he gave him this name , and sent him to search the land , he said , take a little book in thine hands , and write what the lord saith . because the son of god in the last days will cut up all the house of amalek by the roots . behold again jesus , not the son of man , but the son of god , but manifested by a type in the flesh . and because they would say that christ is the son of david , he fearing and understanding the errour of sinners saith , the lord said to my lord , sit on my right hand , until i make thy enemies thy footstool . and again esaias saith in this manner , the lord said to christ my lord , i have holden his right hand , that the nations may hear him , and i will break in pieces the power of kings . see how david calls him lord , and the son of god. but let us see whether this people be the heir or first people , and whether the testament be ours or theirs . hear now what the scripture saith concerning this people . isaac prayed for rebekah his wife , because she was barren , and she conceived , afterwards rebekah came to enquire of the lord , and the lord said unto her , two nations are in thy womb , and two people in thy bowels , and one people shall prevail over the other people , and the elder shall serve the younger . ye ought to be sensible who is isaac , and who is rebekah ; and which of the two he hath demonstrated to be the elder people , this people , or that . and in another prophesy he saith , jacob spake more plainly to joseph his son , saying , behold , the lord hath not deprived me of thy presence ; bring thy sons unto me , that i may bless them . and he brought forth ephraim and manasses , desiring that the blessing might be given to manasses , because he was the elder , and he set him on the right hand of his father jacob. but jacob saw in the spirit a type of that people which should be . and what follows ? and jacob changed his hands , and put his right hand upon the head of ephraim the second and the younger , and blessed him . and joseph said to jacob , put thy right hand upon the head of manasses , because he is my first-born son . and jacob said to joseph , i know it my son , i know it , but the elder shall serve the younger , yet he also shall be blessed . see which of these he hath appointed to be this first people , and heir of the covenant . yet further , let it be remembred that through abraham we have a greater perfection of our knowledge . therefore what saith he to abraham , that because he believed , it was counted to him for righteousness ? behold , i have made thee a father of nations which should believe in the lord through uncircumcisions . but let us now enquire , whether he hath performed the covenant which he sware to the fathers , to this people ? he gave it , but they were not worthy to receive it , by reason of their sins . for the prophet saith , and moses was fasting in the mount sinai fourty days and fourty nights , that he might receive the covenant from the lord for the people ; and he received of the lord the two tables , written with the finger of the lord's hand through the spirit : and when moses had received them , he brought them down to deliver them to the people . and the lord said to moses ; moses , moses , go down quickly , for thy people have transgressed , which thou broughtest out of the land of egypt . and moses understood that they had made them molten idols , and he cast the tables out of his hands , and the tables of the covenant of the lord were broken . moses indeed received them , but they were not worthy . learn now how we received them . moses received them as a servant , but the lord himself gave them to us , who suffering patiently for us was made manifest , that they might be consummate in their sins , and we might be the people of the inheritance , and receive the covenant by the heir jesus christ . the prophet saith again , behold , i have set thee for a light of the gentiles , that thou maist be for salvation to the ends of the earth , saith the lord god who redeemed thee , who was prepared for this very thing , that he making discoverie of our evils destructive to death , and how wholly we were given up to the transgression of errour , might deliver us from darkness , and put his covenant in us by the word . for it is written how that the father commanded him to redeem us from darkness , and to prepare for himself an holy people . therefore the prophet saith , i the lord thy god have called thee in righteousness , and i will hold thy hand , and will strengthen thee , and i have given thee for a covenant to the nations , and for a light to the gentiles , to open the eyes of the blind , and to deliver those that are in bonds , those that sit in darkness from the prison-house . know therefore how we were delivered and redeemed . again the prophet saith , the spirit of the lord is upon me , because he hath anointed me , and sent me to preach the glad tidings of grace to the humble , to heal the broken-hearted , to preach liberty to the captives , to open the eyes of the blind , and to call an acceptable year of the lord , and a day of retribution , and to comfort all that mourn . it is also written concerning the sabbath in the ten words , wherein he spake in the mount sinai face to face to moses ; and ye shall sanctifie the sabbath of the lord with pure hands , and with a pure heart . and in another place he saith , if their sons shall keep my sabbaths , then will i put my mercy upon them . he calleth it a sabbath in the beginning of the creation . and god made in six days the works of his hands , and finished upon the seventh day , and rested on it ; and sanctified it . sons observe what he saith when he saith , he finished in six days . this he saith , that god the lord will finish all things in six thousand years ; for a day with him is a thousand years , he himself witnesseth it , saying , behold this day , a day shall be as a thousand years . therefore , children , in six days , in six thousand years all things shall be finished . and he rested on the seventh day , this he saith , when his son coming shall finish the works of his time , and shall judge the ungodly , and shall change the sun , and the moon , and the stars , then he shall rest honourably upon the seventh day . in fine this he saith , thou shalt sanctifie it with pure hands , and a pure heart . therefore how can any one now sanctifie the day , which god hath sanctified , unless he be of a pure heart in all things ? let us not be deceived . for if he resting gloriously doth sanctifie it , we being just , and doing just things shall be able to sanctifie it , when we have received the promise of iniquitie ceasing , all things being made new by the lord. then we shall be able to sanctifie it , when we our selves are first sanctified . afterwards he saith to them , your new moons and your sabbaths i cannot away with . see how he saith , that the sabbaths which are now are not acceptable unto me . but in that he rested , he made all things which he had made the beginning of the eighth day , that is , the beginning of another world . therefore we observe the eighth day with alacrity of mind , whereon jesus rose from the dead , and being manifested , ascended up into the heavens . i shall moreover speak unto you concerning the temple : how they being in miserie did erre in their hope upon the way , for they did not hope in the god of the temple , who made them , but in the temple as being the house of god , for almost , like the very heathens , they confined him within the temple ; but learn what the lord saith making void the temple . who hath measured the heavens with his palm , and the earth with his fist ? is it not i ? saith the lord. heaven is my throne , and the earth my footstool ; what house will ye build unto me ? and what is the place of my rest ? know that theirs is a vain hope . after this he saith again , behold they who destroy this temple , shall themselves build it . it is done . for when they warred it was destroyed by the enemies ; and the ministers themselves of those enemies shall build it . again he hath opened , how the city and people israel should be delivered up . for the scripture saith , and it shall be in the last days , that the lord will deliver up the sheep of the pasture , and their fence and their tower to destruction . and it is come to pass as the lord hath spoken . therefore we shall enquire whether there be a temple of god. there is where he saith he would make and finish it . for it is written , it shall be when a week is finished , that the temple of god shall be built glorious in the name of the lord. therefore i find that there is a temple . but how shall it be built in the name of the lord ? learn . before we believed god the dwelling of our heart was corrupt and weak as a temple built truly by the hand ; for the house was full of idolatry , by idolatry it was the house of devils , so that we did whatever was contrary to god. but it shall be built in the name of the lord. learn , that a glorious temple of the lord shall be built : but how ? learn ; we receiving remission of sins , and hoping in the name of the lord were made anew , and created again as from the beginning . so that in our house , that is , in us , god truly dwelleth . how ? the word of his faith , the calling of his promise , the wisdom of his judgements , the commands of his doctrine , he himself prophesying in us , he himself dwelling in us , opening to us the gates of the temple , who were before the servants of death , that is , opening that mouth which gives repentance to us , hath brought us into the incorruptible temple . and he , who desires to be saved , minds nothing but him dwelling in him , admires nothing but him speaking in him , desires to hear nothing but the words spoken from his mouth . this is the spiritual temple built unto the lord ; so far as he would in power and simplicity manifest it unto us . my soul hopeth with desire , that i have omitted nothing convenient for you , and conducing to salvation . if i should write unto you of things future , ye would not understand me , because they are shut up in parables : but these things are so . let us now pass over to another kind of knowledge and doctrine : there are two ways of doctrine and power , either of light or of darkness : and great is the difference of these two ways . over one are appointed the angels of god , the ministers of light ; over the other the angels of satan ; over the one is the lord from ages to ages ; over the other the prince of the time of iniquity . the way of light is this ; if a man would walk to the place designed , he will make haste by his works . therefore knowledge is given to us that we may walk in it , which is this . thou shalt love thy maker . thou shalt glorifie him who redeemed thee from death . thou shalt be simple in heart ; and being rich in the spirit , thou shalt not joyn thy self with those who walk in the way of death . thou shalt hate to do that which is not pleasing to god. thou shalt hate all hypocrisie . thou shalt not forsake the commandments of the lord. thou shalt not exalt thy self , but be of an humble mind . thou shalt not assume glorie to thy self . thou shalt not take evil counsel against thy neighbour . thou shalt not give boldness to thy soul . thou shalt not commit adultery , nor fornication , nor buggerie . thou shalt not refrain to correct the impurity of some by that word , which cometh from god ; and when thou reproovest transgressions , thou shalt not respect persons . thou shalt be meek and quiet , trembling at the words , which thou hast heard . thou shalt not remember evil things against thy brother . thou shalt not be of a double and wavering soul , doubting whether thus or thus . thou shalt not take the name of the lord in vain . thou shalt love thy neighbour above thy soul . thou shalt not destroy the child by abortion , nor kill it when it is born . thou shalt not take away thy hand from thy son , nor from thy daughter , but from their youth shalt teach them the fear of the lord. thou shalt not desire thy neighbours goods , nor be a covetous person . thou shalt not adhere in thy soul to proud persons , but be numbred amongst the just and humble . thou shalt embrace temptations , when they happen , as good things . thou shalt not be of a double mind , nor a double tongue ; for a double tongue is the snare of death . thou shalt be subject to the lord , to masters , as to the type of god , in reverence and fear . thou shalt not command thy maid or man-servant with bitterness ; especially those who hope in him , left thou be found destitute of the fear of god , who is over both . for he came not to call men by their persons , but those whom his spirit prepared . thou shalt communicate to thy neighbour in all things ; and shalt not call any thing thine own ; for if ye are communicative in incorruptible things , how much more in corruptible . thou shalt not be hastie in tongue , for the mouth is the snare of death . keep thy soul as chaste as thou canst . do not stretch forth thy hands to receive , and shut them when thou shouldst give . thou shalt love every man speaking to thee the word of the lord as the apple of thine eye . mind the day of judgement night and day . seek out every day the persons of holy men , and searching by the word go forth to exhort , and meditate to save a soul by the word . and thou shalt labour by thy hands for the redemption of thy sins . thou shalt not doubt to give , nor murmur when thou givest . give to every one that asketh of thee , but know withal who is the good recompenser of the reward . keep the things , which thou hast received , neither adding to nor taking from them . hate a wicked person to the end . judge justly . make no schism . make peace betwixt those who are at variance . confess thy sins . come not to prayer with an evil conscience . this is the way of light . but the dark way is crooked , full of that which is execrable . for it is the way of eternal death with torment ; wherein are things destructive to the soul , idolatrie , boldness , sublimitie of power , hypocrisie , doubleness of heart , adulterie , murder , rapine , pride , transgression , deceit , malice , arrogance , witchcraft , magick , covetousness , want of the fear of god , persecutors of the good , haters of the truth , men who love but know not the wages of righteousness , persons not adhering to that which is good , nor to just judgement , men who regard not the widow nor fatherless , being not watchful to the fear of god , but to do evil , from whom meekness and patience are far removed ; lovers of vain things , seekers of revenge , such as have no pity for the poor , nor endeavours to relieve the oppressed , ready to detract , nor knowing their maker , murderers of children , corrupters of the figment of god , such as turn away themselves from the needie , oppress the oppressed , advocates for the rich , unjust judges of the poor , and sinners every way . it is therefore an excellent thing for him who learns the righteous commands of the lord , which are before written , to walk in them ; for he , who does them , shall be glorified in the kingdom of god ▪ but he , who chooseth the other things , shall perish with his works . therefore there is a resurrection , and a retribution . i intreat those , who are eminent , to take the counsel of my good will. if ye have any amongst you upon whom ye may work , forsake them not . for the day is at hand , in which all things shall perish together with him who is evil : the lord is at hand , and his reward . i intreat you again and again , that ye be good law-givers to your selves , and that ye remain faithful counsellours to your selves . take away from amongst you all hypocrisie . and may god , who governs the whole world , give to you wisdom , science understanding , and knowledge of his righteous judgements in patience be ye taught of god , seeking out what the lord requireth from you , and do , that ye may be saved in the day of judgement . and if there be any remembrance of good , remember me , meditating on these things ; that my desire and watchfulness for you may come to some good . begging grace ▪ i beseech you , that as the good vessel is yet with you , ye may fail in none of these things ; but search them out diligently , that ye may fulfil every command . for they are worthy things . i therefore endeavoured the rather to write unto you of such things as i was able that i might cheer you up . be safe the sons of love and peace . the lord of glory , and of all grace , be with your spirit . amen . the end of the epistle of barnabas the apostle companion of saint paul the apostle . a postscript to the reader , the scope and designed end of this most excellent epistle of barnabas was to keep christians from judaizing , and to fix them upon the substantial duties of christ's oeconomie , whereof moses politie was but a shadow . he sets down the types , and the things typified , the figures , and the things prefigured , shews in the former part what of moses is done away , and in the latter part what of christ is come in place of it . the style is obscure , because the subject is so . if it please not ( reader ) now it is translated , thou maist , it is to be hoped , for that very reason , pity the pains , and pardon the mishaps and miscarriages in it of the translatour . farewel . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a38579-e390 iren. epist . ad florin . iren. lib. 3. advers . haeres . c. 3. tertul. in lib. de praescript . advers . haeres . euseb . eccles . hist . lib 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . jerom. in script . eccles . catalog . gildas in castig . cler . britan. euseb . l. 4. c. 12. euseb . eccles . hist . lib. 4. vid. halloix . vit . polycarp . c. 16. suidas in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . iren. epist . ad florin . photius in bibliothec . num . 126. jerom. in scrip. eccles . catal . iren. advers . haeres . lib. 3. c. 3. euseb . eccles . hist. lib. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . suid. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . notes for div a38579-e2100 homil. 6. in luc. in lib. de synod . arimin . & seleue. iren lib. 5. advers . haer s . c. 28. chrysost●in ignat encom . ●om . 5. edit . ●avil p. 499. theod r. dialog 1. jerom. scriptor . eccles . catalog . socrat. eccles . hist . l. 6. c. 8. evagr. eccles . hist . lib. 1. c. 16. gild as in cactig●● . cler. britan . jerom. in script . eccles . catal . calvin . instit . lib. 1. c. 13. sect. 29. vid. d. rivet . critic . sacr. c. 1. euseb . eccles . hist. lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . rivet . crit. sacr. c. 1. vid. d. blund . praef . in animad . contr . d. ham. p. 40. notes for div a38579-e11300 euseb . li. 1. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . isai . 1. isai . 58. dan. 7. isai . 5. matt. 22. isai . 53. gen. 1. isai . 53. zech. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . dissertation concerning the antiquity of churches wherein is shewn, that the christians in the two first centuries, had no such publick separate places for worship, as the papists generally, and some protestants also presume, and plead for. hill, joseph, 1625-1707. 1698 approx. 195 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 39 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2009-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a43790 wing h1999 estc r19760 12442953 ocm 12442953 62137 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a43790) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 62137) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 942:10) dissertation concerning the antiquity of churches wherein is shewn, that the christians in the two first centuries, had no such publick separate places for worship, as the papists generally, and some protestants also presume, and plead for. hill, joseph, 1625-1707. [4], 71, [1] p. printed for tho. parkhurst ..., london : 1698. reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. attributed to joseph hill. cf. wing. at head of title: ii. table of contents: p. [4] advertisement: p. [1] at end. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church history -primitive and early church, ca. 30-600. 2008-10 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2008-12 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2009-01 john pas sampled and proofread 2009-01 john pas text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion ii. dissertation concerning the antiquity of churches . wherein is shewn , that the christians , in the two first centuries , had no such publick separate places for worship , as the papists generally , and some protestants also presume , and plead for . london : printed for tho. parkhurst at the bible and three crowns in cheapside near mercers-chappel , 1698. nobilissimo domino , d o. roberto southwel , equiti aurato . summis virtutibus , perinde ac eruditione ornatissimo , longo rerum usu , & prudentia civili celeberrimo . magnis merito officiis & honoribus decorato . sub carolo ii. ad aulam portugalliae semel atque iterum , ad bruxellensem quoque , & brandeburgicam legato . necnon sanctiori concilio a secretis . gulielmo iii. in regno hiberniae ab epistolis . itemque regalis societatis praesidi . hanc qualemcunque dissertationem , quam humillime d. d. c. josephus hill . the contents . sect . 1. the question stated . sect . 2. the first argument , that the apostles , and primitive christians had no publick separate places for worship , taken from their persecution , vindicated and inforced . sect . 3. a second argument , from the defect of proof for churches so early . sect . 4. our adversaries proofs from scripture considered , and answered . sect . 5. what kind of places were used for worship . sect . 6. testimonies for our opponents in the first century answered . sect . 7. testimonies in second century answered . sect . 8. as also in the third century . sect . 9. their reasons answered , and of churches standing and worshipping towards the east . sect . 10. several considerations , for corroborating our assertion . sect . 11. testimonies of the persecution of christians , and how continued in the first ages . sect . 12. concerning the number of martyrs . sect . 13. testimonies that the christians had no churches in the two first centuries . sect . 14. and that they assembled frequently in the night , and always in the most private places , during their persecution under the heathens , dissertation ii. of the antiquity of artificial churches under the gospel . section i. having discoursed in a former dissertation , of the antiquity of temples in the times of the old testament : i proceed in this , with the consideration , of the antiquity of churches in gospel times under the new. wherein the common opinion of protestants is maintained , not only against bellarmine and baronius , but some protestants also , as fuller in his miscellanea sac. l. 2. c. 9. who undertakes to prove that christians had their churches or temples built , even in the days of the apostles : and more especially mede , who hath largely handled this subject in 's treatise of appropriate places for christian worship , both in , and ever since the apostles time . both these state and maintain the question as they do , and light their candles at their torches . in this controversie our adversaries take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( which we render , when taken for a religious assembly , by the word church ; from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , whence the saxon cyric , and the german kyrk , and we by adding a double aspiration chyrch , or church ) as it was in after ages ( not in the beginning ) taken for a publick place for worship . concerning which , here let me premise , that although we have no particular command for building of churches , as of old for the tabernacle ( which was a moveable temple ) or the temples , which were standing tabernacles , ( their names being frequently interchanged ; ) nor do they recommend our services to god , as those that were typical of our saviour did : yet are edifices very convenient for the worshippers , and are so far necessary for the advancing gods service , as appears by the light of nature , and the use of synagogues amongst the jews : that by such structures we are better defended against the injuries of wind and weather ; as also , the voice of the minister is in them more audible than in the open air , and that thereby we have greater conveniency of excluding such , as ought not to communicate with us : besides that after the spreading of the gospel , they were more necessary for the containing a greater number of christians , than could meet together in private houses , or places : which occasioned afterwards , as liberty was granted , or encouragement given by christian magistrates , the building of oratories and churches . so that tho we grant the primitive christians had always places for publick worship ; yet we deny they built any edifices publickly for the exercise of their religion , or had any such appropriate places , as our opponents call temples or churches ; but worshipp'd god in such numbers , as could conveniently meet together , only in private houses , or such places as were obscure , for above 200 years after our blessed saviour's ascension . altho in the third century , they had some oratories or conventicles , here and there , even in the roman empire , as well as in persia , and other nations , where the gospel was spread . for arnobius , who flourished about 285 , mentions , l. 4. the christian conventicles . and lactantius his schollar ( justit . l. 5. c. 2. ) a temple destroyed in bithynia . who being schoolmaster to crispus , the son of constantine , it 's probable , the publick places , granted the christians by galienus , were then enlarged , which were before called conventicles ; as he saith , one in phrygia set a conventicle on fire , and burnt all assembled therein , cap. 11. sect . 2. the reasons for this our assertion are , ( 1. ) the great persecutions the christians lived under for the most part , all that time . which is so apparent from all histories , sacred and civil , that i wonder fuller should say , that persecutions in the beginning were more rare , and for the most part private . both which are notoriously false , as appears from the acts. for no sooner had the apostles begun to preach the gospel , c. 2. & 3. but they were by the rulers imprisoned , beaten and charged to desist , c. 4 & 5. stephen taken and stoned , c. 6 & 7. and thereupon the church of jerusalem by a great persecution , scattered , c. 8. & 11. v. 19. after we have herods persecuting the christians , killing james , and imprisoning peter , with intention to put him to death , c. 12. the rulers persecute paul and barnabas at antioch , c. 13. and at iconium ; and at lystra paul is stoned , c. 14. he and silas whip'd and imprison'd by the roman magistrates , c. 16. persecuted at thessalonica , c. 17. a tumult against paul , &c. c. 19. he saith , bonds and afflictions wait for him in every city , and that grievous wolves should enter among them , not sparing the flock , c. 20. and what persecutions he suffered at jerusalem , not only from the rabble , but the chief , both of the jews and romans , may be seen in the following chapters . most of his epistles were written in bonds . and it s generally said , that he suffered at rome under nero , as peter , many say , did also . and st. john's banishment into the isle of patmos , is certain ( as 't is said ) by the emperour domitian . and hospinian hath observed , that from the apostles time , till bishop sylvester and the emperour constantine's , for above 300 years , not one of all those 30 bishops of rome , but suffer'd martyrdom . but fuller adds , that the same publick calamities were usually common to the jews with the christians ; and therefore if they kept their synagogues , why might not these their churches . mede also urgeth this of the jewish synagogues , because the jews religion was no more the empires than the christians . both which we deny , for the jews were the persecutors , and the christians the persecuted : they usually stirring up and incensing the gentiles against these , as the acts of the apostles testifie , and st. paul , 1 thes . 2.14 , 15 , 16. nor had the christians then any churches , as the jews had synagogues , tho they had in some cities separate meetings . of the jewish synagogues we read in scripture , but neither scripture nor history mentions any publick churches for 200 years . and afterwards , when they had some oratories , we read of courses taken for demolishing them : but not ( much less at the same time ) of the jewish synagogues . these having been long before , publickly tollerated in many places to the jews where they resided . and they having now renounced christ , the devil and heathen emperours had no cause to disquiet them , but made use of them in opposing christianity . as julian we know , employ'd them for building again their temple at jerusalem , to despite the christians . and no religion is more hated of a natural man than the true ; all others being prefer'd before this . mr. mede in answering the objections against his opinion , endeavours to enervate this of persecution two ways . ( 1. ) by asserting , that the greatest persecutions ( as the five last of the ten ) fell out in the third century , wherein 't is granted the christians had some oratories , and therefore why not in the two former , seeing their persecutions were not continual , nor of long duration . but tho we grant , in regard of the abundance of bloud-shed , the last were the cruellest ; yet was there always such as hindred , both the erecting and appropriating churches , and publickly assembling ( the laws and emperors being their enemies ) contenting themselves to meet as they could with the most safety in secret . and tho their persecution was not constant , yet were they constantly liable thereunto , as the apostle tells us , rom. 8.36 . for thy sake we are killed all the day long , we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter . histories also shew us , their sufferings were more continual , and less interrupted , in the two first , than third century . wherein after a sore storm under valerian , they enjoy'd a comfortable calm , under his son galienus , who restored to them their cemeteries , and all other places of worship ; which was such a favour or tolleration , as we read not of in the two first ages . ( 2. ) mr. mede argues from the credibility of the christians having oratories in the roman empire , as well as in the persian . which we deny , for 't is the roman empire only , that is represented under the shape of a red dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns , making war with the saints of god. nor are we now dealing with a matter of opinion , or credibility , but matter of fact and history ; which ascertains the persecution under the roman emperors for 300 years , but mentions little or none at all , under the persian monarchs , during that time , tho afterwards , as sozomen l. 2. c. 8. relates by saporez , which was long before isdigerdis , who was contemporary with theodosius . nor doth the churches of persia prejudice our opinion ; seeing they were but ( by mr. mede's acknowledgment ) in constantine's time . before which , there were some churches in the roman empire . for dioclesian his predecessor made an edict for the demolishing them . having thus vindicated our argument from several attacks : we may further enforce it , both by the experience of former ages , and also our own . the israelites in egypt , tho they dwelt together , a long time at least , yet we read not of any temples they built there . and when they were in captivity in babylon , tho we read of their building houses , jer. 29. yet nothing of synagogues . pass on from the heathenish to the popish persecutions , former and latter : where at this day , in italy , france , spain and portugal , are any churches built , or publick meeting-places for protestants ? nay even the lutherans will not allow the publick exercise of the reformed religion . the story of the german church under johannes a lasco , who fled from london , to avoid the persecution under queen mary , to the lutherans , and how barbarously treated , is well known , and lamentable to consider . and the same spirit continues , so that the dutch church at hamburg go to altena , and the english are confin'd to their own house . sweden is expelling them , and several princes persecuting them . nor need we go so far , the experience of these three kingdoms is sufficient . where altho the persecution of the nonconformists , was not from the heathens , ( as the primitive christians : ) nor from papists ( as the waldenses of old , and all dissenters from them generally ever since : ) or any protestants of a different denomination ; nor to death ; but only fines or imprisonments . &c. yet who went about to build any publick places for worship , or had such , till a tolleration was granted them ? who can imagine any so mad , as to build or buy publick places , where their enemies are rulers ; and having all civil power in their hands , would not only shut them up , or demolish them , but also severely punish such presumption . sect . 3. our 2d argument is from the defect of sufficient testimonies from scripture , of the christians having any publick appropriate places in the apostles time ; or from authentick authors , of any such the two first centuries . nor let any think it sufficient to say , that argumentum ab autoritate non valet negative ; an argument from authority negatively , is of no force . for in religion , scripture so argues , not only in matter of our duty , because never commanded ; but also in matter of history , as hebr. 7.14 . our lord sprang out of juda , of which tribe moses spake nothing concerning priesthood . whence by the way , we may gather , that our saviour never went further into the temple , not being a priest of the tribe of levi , than the outward court. and in matters of fact so many hundred years ago , this way of arguing is generally used and received . as baronius useth it in a like case , a. d. 48. and others also frequently . for how should we know , what was done so long since , but by history . now in all the diligent searchers into antiquity , as eusebius , hierom , clemens alexandrinus , and other ancient fathers and authors , we find no footsteps of any publick churches , the two first centuries ; but many against them . for the scriptures , whosoever reads the apostles acts , which contain their history about 32 years ; will find the church assemblies still in private houses , as c. 12. v. 12. so c. 20. v. 8. and to the very last , c. 28. v. 29 , 30. so also in their epistles . and the all places were indifferent to them in respect of holiness , yet not of conveniency ; so that according thereto , no doubt they were appointed ; and in the heat of persecution , such as were most secret and secure . and will never find the church therein taken for a place . it being the general opinion of protestants , which the learned lutheran , gerrard de eccles . c. 2. relates . in s. literis significatio ecclesiae pro loco non occurrit ; sed progressu temporis factum , ut à scriptoribus ecclesiasticis tandem reciperetur . sed quilibet videt hanc appellationem esse impropriam , & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in the holy scriptures , the church is no where taken for a place ; tho in process of time , it came to be so used in ecclesiastical writers . but every one sees , the taking of it in this sense , is improper and catachrestical . camero likewise , a learned calvinist , in 's tract . de ecclesia , and generally all of both professions . so that we may conclude as to the scriptures , that however the grand tyrant custom prevailed in after ages , to call the place by the name of church , yet from the beginning it was not so . and for human testimonies ; for the first ages succeeding the apostles , we might here produce very many , to prove the primitive christians had no such publick churches or temples . but in regard we sustain the negative part , and our opponents the affirmative , to whom the proof most properly belongs , according to the maxim , affirmanti incumbit probatio : and those that favour our adversaries opinion , will be apt to say , we do but beg the question ; for that they have both scripture , and good humane testimonies for them . we shall therefore first examine what they alledge ; and afterwards produce such witnesses against them , as we shall willingly submit to the judgment of all impartial men , on which side the truth lies . for if they can either by scripture , or approved authors , mantain their cause , we shall yield it ; notwithstanding the improbability therof , from the persecutions the christians were under in the first ages . but here we must profess , that this being matter of fact , we are not to be put off , nor shall we acquiesce with conjectures or probabilities , such as platina , polid. virgil , &c. urge , from the apostles and primitive christians zeal to promote religion , ( as if there could be none , without such appropriate and consecrated places , as they call churches ) but there must be authentick records , from approved authors , that there were such in the apostles days , and the two first ages after our saviour ; otherwise we can have no certainty of what was done at such a distance from us , so many ages agone . sect . 4. we shall therefore now enter the lists with our adversaries , and not decline any of their weapons , being well secur'd by the shield of truth . tho we take no notice of several flourishes they make , that being needless , in regard of the several editions of the authors , wherein they may be seen , and especially of mede , our principal adversary . from scripture , especially 1 cor. 11.18 , 20 , 22. which bellarmine c. 4. de cultu sanctorum , and baronius , produce for churches and oratories distinct from private houses in the apostles days . answered at large by vedelius in his exercitation upon ignatius's epistle to the magnesians . mr. fuller likewise , who argues that from that the apostle having said , v. 18. when you come together in the church , forthwith expounds it by v. 20. when you come together in the same place ; shewing by the church he denotes the place . but here he supposeth , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is to come together in the same place ; which is denied . for men cannot come , or meet together , but in some place , either natural or artificial . beza renders it in unum , others simul or conjuncti : i should ad idem . for the expression is hellenistical , and signifies not only a concourse in the same place , but agreement . in condition , and concurrence in the same action , tho in different places , according to the septuagint . even as in acts 2.44 . and other texts it must be understood ; for both the diversity of tongues , and multitude of christians , as five thousand , c. 4. v. 4. manifest it could not be in the same place . camero in his myrothecium , shews the phrase is taken from the septuagints version of psalm . 2.2 . where the princes assemble together , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not in reference to the same place , but to their conjunction in heart and counsel about the same thing . which sence dr. hammond follows , on acts 1.15 . if any object , if the church be not the place , but the people , 't is as much as to say , when you meet together in a meeting . but this is also denied , for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies only the general notion of coming together , or assembling , as acts 11.26 . but the church , a special , viz. a holy meeting . so that 't is not the place , but the imployment , that gives the denomination . for as it is not in every place , where the senators or parliament-men meet , that there is a senate or parliament . nor in every place , where the pastors of the church meet , is there forthwith a synod . seeing both sorts may come together at fasts or feasts , or other occasions . but there and then only , where and when they meet to deliberate about affairs , civil or ecclesiastical . so wheresoever the members of a church come together , they are not for that said to come together in the church , but only then and there , when and where they come together for the exercise of religion . but the chief argument all our opponents make use of , is from v. 22. where they assert an antithesis or opposition , between private houses proper to each , and the church which is common to all . let us therefore duly consider it . and ( 1. ) that tho the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be used above 100 times in the new testament ; yet this is the only place our protestants insist on for their opinion . altho bellarmine alledgeth also , 1 cor. 14.25 . which yet clearly proves the contrary . ( 2. ) we deny , as camero in his answer to fuller , ( tract . de eccles . c. 1. ) that the opposition here , is made between the doing of any thing in this or that place ; but in the presence of others , or not in their presence . as when one doth that in publick , which should be done at home ; we rate him saying , hast thou not an house of thy own ? dost thou despise the city ? understanding not the structures or streets , but the faces of the citizens who are there . and that this is the apostles meaning , appears both by the following words , and shame them that have not : that is the poor brethren , that had neither money to buy , nor provisions to bring for their feasts of charity ( then in use at the sacrament of the lords supper . ) so that 't is not despising the place , but the persons ; putting the poor ( who are a great part of the church ) to blush and be ashamed . and also by a parallel place in this epistle , c. 14. v. 34 & 35. where the apostle forbids their women to speak in the churches , and if they will learn any thing , let them ask their husbands at home ; for it is a shame for women to speak in the church . where we see a plain opposition , between the church and their own home ; which yet cannot be understood of the church as a place : the case being clear , that it was not unlawful for women to speak in such a place simply , but only at such a time when the congregation was at divine worship : otherwise , it would be unlawful for any woman , before or after publick worship , to speak in the place . nor was it sinful surely , for women to speak at their love-feasts , tho in the church . besides , 't is said , your women in the churches , which implies , there were more than one congregation in the church of corinth . i shall not stand to alledge commentaries on 1 cor. 11.22 . as cajetan , who is absolutely for the congregation , and aquinas , and carthusian , as also dr. pearson on the creed , p. 337. say , it may as well be so understood as of the place . but further prove the truth ( 3. ) by the argument which the apostle draws from the holiness of the meeting , and not from the holiness of the place , to take the corinthians off from their dissentions , v. 18. for in every meeting , dissentions are to be avoided ; but in a holy meeting , ordained for religion , they ought to be detested . and so from intemperance , v. 20 , 21. shewing unity in the truth of doctrine , and unanimity in affections are necessary for the right receiving the lords supper , in the following verses . and i would further argue with mine opponents , suppose their meeting had been on some mountain , or in some cave , ( which was not unusual ) and the faults here mentioned had been committed ; should they not have been liable to the same censure of despising the church of god ? but ( 4. ) should we grant the opposition they make , between the church and their own houses , yet will not this serve to overthrow our opinion , or establish their own ; except they can further prove , this church or place to have been publick , and not in a private house , like unto others mentioned throughout the acts. mr. mede carries this 22d verse , for a reproof of the corinthians , for using profane banquetings and feastings in a sacred place , to introduce his opinion of the holiness of churches , as bellarmine c. 5. de cultu sanct . saith , satis inn●it●r , tunc etiam ecclesiam aliquo modo sacratam fuisse , hence 't is sufficiently gathered , that even then the church was some manner of way holy ; which he saith , was for consecration . but mede runs against the stream of interpreters , who expound it of their love-feasts . neither doth the apostle reprove them for any such thing , but for their schismatical , unbrotherly and intemperate carriage therein . these love-feasts , a lapide , as austin , aquinas , cajet an , and others , think preceeded ; and justinian as chrysostom and divers others , that they followed after the communion . the opinions of the ancients concerning their order , are cited by these two learned jesuites upon the place , where they may be seen ; and the manner of them in kerchers roma subterranea l. 6. c. 27. as far as my reading reaches , tho these love-feasts sometimes were before as in the church of alexandria , ( as sozomen saith , l. 7. c. 19. ) and some others : yet more usually they followed after the sacrament . however , we have multiplicity of testimonies in the writings of the ancients , for them at the communion in the primitive church : and none i can find amongst them for mr. mede's opinion , except sedulius ; nor amongst the modern , but salmeroni ; and these quite contrary to the genius of the text. but he proceeds to tell us , that as most of the words signifying an assembly or company , are wont to be used also for the place ; so here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . which we deny not in common speech ; but then the expression is not proper , but figurative , continens pro contentis , the place containing , for the persons contained . he cites st. austin taking the church here for the place of meeting . it 's true , he does so , on leviticus , l. 3. c. 57. to which bede on the text refers , but only for the time wherein the congregation met , ecclesia dicitur locus , quo ecclesia congregatur : and it is apparent , that the faults mentioned by the apostle , are such only as were committed , at the time of their assembling for the worship of god. nor doth austin appropriate it to a place civil or artificial , as our opponents do , not considering such abuses have their course in their meetings in what place soever , natural or civil . the next author he produceth is basil , who pleads for the holiness of churches ; of which hereafter . commentators follow . the author of the comments on the epistles ( falsly ascribed to hierom ) a pelagian , seems to deliver the opinion of others , rather than his own , saying , quidam hunc locum ad illos referunt , qui epulas in ecclesia faciebant : facientes eam trielinium epularum . and sedusius ( whom the former author seems to point at ) is of that opinion , thinking it unlawful to keep their feasts in the church . wherein he is singular , and contrary to the apostle , who rectifies the abuse only , by admonishing them to stay one for another , and make their poor brethren partakers with them of their viands . furthermore , even those that take the church for a holy place , and cite this ( as sir h. spelman and several others ) of the corinthians making the church trielinium epularum , make it only a private room , for trielinium was never taken for a house , much less a publick one . to which may be added , the practice in after ages , in st. austin's time , when the christians kept their love-feasts in memoriis martyrum , or in their churches , as appears by his answer to faustus the maniche , l. 10. c. 20 , 21. at large . as for chrysostom , theodoret , theophilact and cecumenius , tho they take the church for a place ; yet none of them as mede , that the corinthiaws fault was , in keeping there profane banquetings : nor otherwise than in reference to the very time only , of their meeting therein . and whereas chrysostom says , the church as well as the poor were wronged ; he cannot , i suppose , mean it of the place , for time and place cannot be said to be despised or dishonoured , but by an extrinsecal denomination , when god is dishonoured , or our brethren , by our unchristian behaviour in the place . as here the latter member , being joyn'd thereto by a copulative , may fairly expound the former ( as usually ) viz. in shaming them that have not , you despise the church , as cajetan and piscator expound it . so that tho the grammatical opposition be between two places ; yet the logical and theological is between a place of many present therein , and a private place . from these testimonies , mede concludes there were places appointed , and set apart for christian worship , even in the apostles times . but tho no man doubts , that believes the gospel , that the christians had places for worship ; yet it follows not thence , that they were set apart from all other uses , for christian worship . neither doth he , or any other opponent prove this . places of meeting , the ancients suppose , but separate places they suppose not . it was 200 years and more , e'er they had publick oratories . and when the heathen objected they had no temples , altars nor images , they freely confess as much . having vindicated this text in the corinths , we shall briefly mention some others , alledged for separate and publick churches : tho some are so far-fetch'd , they deserve not mentioning . as mr. fuller from 1 cor. 14.40 . that all things be done decently , and in order , inferring that publick offices be done in publick places , as much as may be . and what , i pray , is more publick than the open air , mountains and fields where our saviour instructed his followers ? likewise from acts 19.9 . paul separated the disciples , disputing daily in the school of one tyrannus : as if this school was one of the temples of christians , which he confesseth was but borrowed , or hired for the urgent necessity . his next place is acts 15.21 . whence he argues , the israelites from the beginning of their commonwealth had synagogues ; so the christians from the day of pentecost , churches . but that is very dubious ; for tho i judge synagogues much ancienter than till after the captivity ( whence many learned men date them ; ) yet that they were so ancient as he makes them , cannot be proved . nor will ps . 74.8 . serve , admitting various translations . the 70 , they have put down the feasts ; hierome , tabernacula ; montanus , conventicula ; junius , synagogas , which denotes all kinds of assemblies , civil and ecclesiastical , in their places ; as gerhard de eccles . c. 1. § . 4. shews at large . nor that of ps . 83.12 of which sir h. spelman hath a discourse , at the end of his tract de non temerandis ecclesiis . and who sees not a vast difference ; the israelites were a free state of themselves , and had governours civil and ecclesiastical , supream and subordinate , in the land of canaan , of their own : whereas the condition of christians was quite otherwise , till constantine's time , as all know . his last scripture is james 2.2 . where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 synagogue , is much more pregnant to denote a place , than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the church ; for of above 100 texts where this is used , no one , except that in 1 cor. 11.22 . is with any colour alledged for a place ; whereas synagogue is frequently so taken , both in the 70 , and in the new testament , when applied to the jews , as acts 13.14 . & 14.1 . &c. tho sometimes for an assembly , and most usually so when applied to christians . as the syriac here renders it ; and beza , coetum : the vulgar latine ( which some say is the vetus italica , and make great account of it , ( as our bishop andrews , &c. ) conventum ; as our last version assembly , and the former company ; declining the word synagogue , for no other reason , that i can conceive , but because they judged , that christians had no separate places in those days , as the jews had ; james we know wrote to the twelve tribes dispersed , with whom the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , was in use , as hellenistical ; so that after they became christians , they might well call their metting , of what condition soever it were , by that name : for the word signifies all kinds of assemblies , civil and sacred , as dr. hammond shews on matth. 6.2 . from many texts ; and here in james , consistories for judicature , by 5 reasons . and the apostles having used the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or church , to distinguish the christians meetings from the jewish , and as more proper , &c. ( which gerhard in the chap. above cited , notes ; ) the name of synagogue was soon given over among christians , and such places called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; but whether before they became separate places , or after ; and about what time such were built for prayer , is the question . sect . 5. mr. mede from scripture , proceeds to enquire , what manner of places these appropriate were , before he produceth the testimonies of antiquity for such . where first he acknowledges ( as baronius had before him ) that they were not so goodly and stately , as after the empire became christian , and we now enjoy : but some capable and convenient room , within the walls or dwelling of some pious disciple , dedicated by him to the use of the church , usually an upper-room , such as that called caenaculum sionis , where the apostles and disciples after our saviour's ascension , usually assembled , and the holy ghost fell upon them , on the day of pentecost . concerning which place he brings a long train of traditions from nicephorus ; a most fabulous author , in the judgment of all learned men ; not worthy to be mentioned . here let me observe the difference amongst our opponents . ( 1. ) as to the place , bellarmine and baronius , as also our fuller , conclude from that text in the corinths , for appropriate houses or churches ; but mede only for one room , usually an upper , in an house . ( 2. ) bellarmine would have these houses to be holy temples , from the christian sacrifices therein , meaning the mass , which he thinks is alone sufficient for the denomination of a temple . for c. 4. de cultu sanctorum , he saith , templum nihil aliud est , quam locus altaris . a temple is no other thing than the place of an altar : called also , basilica , saith he , as erected at some saints sepulcher . baronius and fuller content themselves with the distinction of oratories , which tho poor and mean amongst christians , in comparison of the heathens temples , yet were those temples , as well as these . but mede will have his rooms , by reason of the owners dedication , to be oratories and churches : tho justinian distinguishes these , ( on 1 cor. 11. ) saying , christians had their meetings first in private houses , afterwards in oratories and churches . and whereas mr. mede discourseth of a room and house , in the singular number ( as best suiting his opinion of appropriate places , even in the apostles days ) meaning without doubt , wheresoever there was a church , as he instanceth in the coenaculum sionis , in jerusalem . all this is nothing better than building upon the sand. for considering the several circumstances in acts c. 1. & 2. its far more probable , that that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or upper room , was in the temple , than any private house as appears from several authors and arguments gathered together in pool's synopsis , on acts 1 13. to which i refer , being unwilling to transcribe such authors , as are common , and easily come at . then what room could contain such numbers , as 3000 acts 2.41 . which soon increased ( as some think ) to 5000 , or more probably , ( as others gather from the text acts 4.4 . ) were so many more . the ingenious potter on 666. ch . 36. from the multitude of believers in jerusalem , computes that each of the twelve apostles might have about 500 under his care . besides , the gift of so many tongues , implies their several meetings accordingly : for we must not fancy , as salmasius and some others , that whoever spake in any language , was understood by all : because this makes the miracle to be in the hearers , and not the speakers ; who were inspired for preaching the gospel abroad in the nations , whose languages they were ignorant of before . consider also that hot persecution that presently followed the year after , in the 8th of the acts , and whether this did not necessitate them , often to change the places of their assembling , it being neither safe to meet in great multitudes , nor always in the same place . it 's probable also , from v. 3. by saul's entring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into their several houses , was either when , or where they assembled ; for into every house ( as we render it ) of so many christians , as were in jerusalem , seems to me improbable . i pass over the fabulous traditions , and fictitious glosses on acts 10.9 . and 18.22 . especially , as unworthy the author , and the least consideration . and can grant him that which follows , of some giving whole houses , for sacred assemblies , as the multitude of believers increased ; tho this cannot be proved in the two first centuries . as also , that at length , they built structures in the coemeteries of martyrs ; which yet platina and polid. virgil say , were but sacella , chappels , and those in secret and unknown places sect . 6. we shall now proceed to examine their testimonies : which mr. mede having most fully gathered , and regularly , of all our opponents , ranked throughout the 3 first centuries : we shall therefore follow his order , and paticularly consider them , as he represents them . altho we think it not necessary to express all his words ; his works by many editions , being in most scholars hands . he begins with eusebius's relating a passage out of philo the jew , concerning the essenes , whose manner of life and worship philo describes ( p. 376. &c. and more fully in his following book de vita contemplativa , p. 893. &c. of last edition 1691. ) which place in eusebius l. 2. c. 17. hist . bellarmine before him had alledged , c. 4. de cultu sanctorum : tho they both knew eusebius's being generally censured , for his accommodating it to the christians . for its plain to any that peruses philo , that he speaks of a sect of jews , who were monks , and had each their proper place for worship , called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or common , wherein they assembled for worship every 7th day . whereas the christians neither withdrew into cells , nor observed the 7th , but the first day of the week , from christ's resurrection , and the day of pentecost , which fell on the first , and after , as appears by scripture . and however confident mede is , of eusebius being of his opinion , the contrary appears in 's book de prepar . evangel . l. 7. c. 6. & l. 13. c. 13. and philo's book of the cherubims , shews he was not of mede's mind . his next argument is from the apostles salutations of several persons , and the church in his or their house . which he understands not of families , ( as he grants 't is commonly taken ) but the congregation of saints . whence he infers , appropriate places , and their dedication by their owners , to be oratories for the church in their several cities . and he cites lucian's philopatris , for their description . to which we reply , ( 1. ) that this proves no more , than that christians had meetings in private houses , which none denies : which yet were often interrupted , not only in dioclesian's time , when they were examined if they kept their meetings in their houses , as appears in the acts of martyrs , but in tertullian's time also . ( 2. ) the place in their houses , was but a caenaculum , or dining-room , as mede grants ; which as it was incapable of salutation , so of containing the whole church in most of those cities . for who can think their houses , much less one room , so large , seeing aquila was but a tent-maker , banished from rome by claudius , after whose death he returned , before st. paul's epistle to the church there , wherein c. 16. v. 5 he salutes the church in their house . and not only at rome , but at philippi , or ephesus also , the church that was in his house , as 1 cor. 16.19 . and what the rest were that had churches in their houses , we read not . ( 3. ) the church in their houses is considered as distinct from themselves , that were masters and owners , and thus it is fairly applied to their families : but if to the whole congregation , the persons whose houses they were , being members thereof , as well as any others , it were very improper . for so when st. paul bids the church of rome , salute the church in aquila and priscilla's house , rom. 16.5 . his meaning is , that the romans should salute themselves . so in wishing the colossians ( 4.15 . ) to salute the church in nymphas's house , he desires them to salute themselves . and so of the rest . now to say these masters of houses , bestowed some part or place thereof to the churches use , needs no proof ( for none can lawfully enter into another man's house , without his allowance ) but that they dedicated them , doth : for if dedication was then used ( of which hereafter ) yet surely not by a private person . and whereas some singular thing must be meant , saith mede , he concludes , this of the whole church in their house , must be it . which is inconsequent . and tho it be unreasonable , to demand a reason of anothers actions , which himself conceals ; yet something may be gathered for this , from the apostle . as for aquila and priscilla from rom. 16.3 , 4. and acts 18.26 . and as they were his helpers in christ jesus , that is in reference to the promoting the gospel : so were nymphas also , and philemon , whom paul calls his fellow labourer . as for lucian , cited also by baronius , for proof of houses separate : vedelius answers , ( 1. ) that the dialogue philopatris , is none of lucian's , sed alterius alicujus scioli : and ( 2. ) that the place may as well be understood of a private as a publick house . his 3d proof is from tradition , that theophilus to whom st. luke inscribes his gospel and acts , converted his house into a church ; derived from the traditions of clemens . as indens likewise mentioned , 2 tim. 4.21 . a roman senator and martyr from the acta pudentis . this of theophilus mentioned by bellarmine c. 4. de cultu sanct . from clements recognit . l. 10. and baronius a. d. 58. num . 32. that had not found who he was , but in clements recognitions : vedelius answers , — ( in epist . ign. ad magnes . ) scriptis quae citat baronius tantum deferendum est , quantum citanti : to the writings cited by baronius we are to give as much credit , as to the citer . see the judgment of papists concerning these recognitions , in coci censura scriptorum , p. 20. of pererius , sixtus senensis , driedo , yea baronius himself , a. d. 51. num . 53. who saith , that out of these books , as out of a dirty sink , are taken such prodigious lies , and mad dotages , as are not only to be reproved , but extreamly rejected by the learned , &c. his last testimony is from clemens's epistola ad corinthios , who speaking of gods worship under the gospel , saith , he hath determined where and by whom , &c. whence mede concludes , places , as well as times and persons , were appropriate and distinct , in the apostles days . adding , that this divine ordinance is found in the analogy of the old testament . to which i answer ( 1. ) that 't is granted this epistle is authentick . grotius hath in a large epistle approved it . salmasius de epise . & presbyt . and blundel and hammond in their disciplinarian controversies , own it for genuine . junius and dr. fell , in their notes vindicate it ; tho i know , a late author , ernestus teutzelius a german hath largely answered them , and pronounces the epistle spurious ; especially for the mention of the phoenix therein . whom i have had thoughts to refute , and animadvert on some others that have nibled at it , when i get time to publish various observations i have upon it . for dr. wake in 's introduction to his translation , c. 2. hath only touched thereon . but ( 2. ) what needs mr. mede to make such a stir about clemens's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , when the scripture hath determined , that god under the gospel is to be worshipped every where , as malachy 1.11 . from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same . and our saviour himself signifies as much , john 4.20 , 21 , 22 , 23. where he declares who are the true worshippers of god under the gospel , without any reference to place , in opposition to the worshipping him , in this or that place ; whether on the mount where the patriarchs worshipped him of old , or at jerusalem where the jews worshipped him afterwards . as gorran observes , localitatem excludit : he excludes appropriation to any place , as necessary to gods worship ; and adds , non determinat locum orationis alienbi , sed ubique ; determines not the place of prayer to any particular place , but enlarges it to every place . to every private house , acts 9.11 , to the top of an house , 10.9 . to the sea shore , 21.5 . so the apostle , 1 cor. 1 , 2. in every place call on the name of jesus christ our lord ; and 1 tim. 2.8 . i will , that men pray every where . and undoubtedly clement could not be ignorant of this , considering the persecuting times wherein he lived , when the churches of god were driven from place to place , and constrained to meet as they could , with most safety . and mede's saying , that clemen's divine ordinance , for the place of church service , is to be found in the analogy of the old testament ; seems very strange . for the temple at jerusalem was the only place god appointed for the jewish worship . and should the christians by analogy have but one temple ? they had also many synagogues , which our churches more resemble ; yet where did god prescribe the place wherein they were to be built ? and as to his principle . that as the divine majesty is most sacred , and incommunicable , so the things wherewith he is served , should not be common , but appropriate to that end . this proves nothing of the place , but only its qualification , that it ought to be appropriate , whereof any place is capable : nor doth clemens mention any such separate or appropriate places ; of which we shall have occasion to speak more hereafter . as also how this analogy hath misled him and several others , to assert the holiness of places by dedication , and temples , priests , altars , and proper sacrifices under the gospel . sect . 7. in the second century , mr. mede begins with the testimonies of ignatius the martyr , a. d. 107. first with his confessed epistle ad magnesios ; and then with the spurious ad antiochenos . but had he lived to have seen what is now extant , of and concerning these epistles , by the great luminaries of learning in this age , a. b. vsher , dally , bp. pearson , larock , &c. he would never have laid such stress upon them . the manifest difference between the ancient genuine copies , and the latter , is evident by their translations ; particularly that of caius college in cambridge , which a. b. vsher prefers to the common greek copies . wherein this very place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. is quite differently rendred from mede's ; carrying the words for an unity in doctrine , not devotion : and that they should all come into christ , as into one temple and altar , making him both ; as alluding to 1 pet. 2.4 . where the one temple , into the which we are built up , coming unto him ; and one altar jesus christ , and spiritual sacrifices offered to god , in him as on an altar , whereby they become acceptable . not to insist upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or temple , no ways agreeing to the meeting places of the primitive christians : as both bellar. de rom. pontif. l. 3. c. 13. and vedelius hath shewn sufficiently , from the ancient fathers . and that which follows in mede , of one bishop , and one altar , in every church , is not only alien to the scope of ignatius , but the truth also . for the church of ephesus had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or bishops , acts 20.28 . so had the philipians , 1.1 . and of jerusalem , narcissus and alexander , who at the same time jointly governed the church , as eusebius relates . gersom bucer in 's answer to downam's sermon , p. 302. proves the like in other churches , by ten instances : and vedelius the same , exercit. 8. in epist . ignat. c. 3. and epiphanius of old , professed that the church of alexandria was singular in this , of having but one bishop . it 's true , the inscription of the 7 epistles , apoc. c. 2 & 3. each , to the particular angel of the church , seems to imply that they had but one apiece . which yet mr. mede himself sufficiently shews is inconsequent , in 's comment on apocal. p. 265. where he observes it the course in scripture , to attribute that to one angel , which is performed by the ministry of many . what 's alledged from justin martyr is answered by bucer ; and sozomen acquaints us , ( hist . eccl. l. 7. c. 3. ) that even villages had their bishops ; and no wonder then , if one lords table in each might suffice to make them correlatives . mr. mede proceeds with another proof out of ignatius's epistle ad antiochenos , ( wherein he salutes the keepers of the holy doors ) concluding thence holy houses . this epistle he endeavours to perswade us is genuine ( contrary to the judgment of all other protestants ) from sundry probabilities . but this is a strange way of reasoning , that it 's likely such a thing should be done , and therefore it was done . and to say , because the antiochians were his own flock , i think rather makes it improbable ; because he had sufficiently established them in the faith before he lest them ; which , when he went thence to rome , to receive the crown of martyrdom , he endeavoured by his epistles to do for other churches . and surely they would have been careful above all other churches , in keeping their own pastor's letter , if he had sent them one . and was not polycarp as likely to be acquainted with this , as the rest . besides that , if he or eusebius had had any inkling of such an epistle , surely they would have mentioned it , tho they could not meet with it . and how doth mede prove any such officers in the primitive churches ? that which he alledges for this from the apostolical constitutions , falsly father'd on clemens , is yet stranger . for besides others , my learned countriman cook , in 's censura scriptorum , hath detected so much vanity , and many lyes therein ( whereof he reckons eight ) besides the censures of athanasius , the 6 synod in trullo , binius , baronius , bovius and bellarmine ; that i wonder mr. mede , who knew all this , should once offer to produce them . i know mr. cook and many learned divines reject all ignatius's epistles : altho others , considering the testimonies of the ancients , acknowledge 7 for genuine , specified by eusebius , hierom and others , tho robbed of some passages mentioned by the fathers ; and also have a number of beggarly patches added to his purple , as a. b. vsher saith : of which 7 , this ad antiochenos is none , and therefore not genuine ; for more were not found nor acknowledged by polycarp ( who composed them together ) euseb . hierome , sophronius and ruffinus . what mede observes besides , is the argument of baronius an. 109. numb . 19. and gretser against whitaker de s. script . l. 4. c. 7. which i shall not need to answer , it being done already so fully by vedelius on ignatius's epistles ( whom mede more especially undertakes in this treatise ) in 's pref . c 3. ( wherein he refutes martialis , mastraeus , baronius and pellarmine ) and his exercitation on this epistle : that i need not mention , cook , scult●tus , rivet , gerhard , erockman , &c. mede's next testimony , is from two epistles of pius the first , bishop of rome ; relating in the former how euprepria , titulum domus suae pauperibus resignavit , ubt nune cum pauperibus nostris commorantes missas agimus ; resigned the title of her house to the poor , where now ( saith pius ) we residing with our poor , say mass . and in the latter of a presbyter that erected a titulus or church . to this , which baronius alledged before to the same purpose , an . 57. numb . 98 , 99 , 100. and vedelius answered : we further say , ( 1. ) these epistles are forged , as causabon's exercit . 16. shews , for if mass was so early , how came it , saith he , that no footsteps thereof is extant in approved authors , for above 300 years ? and bishop morton in 's book of the mass l. ● . § . 1. not before st. ambrose time , about a. d. 373. who uses it in another notion than papists do since . and morney of the mass , l. 1. c. 1. saith it was unknown for 400 years . not to mention the many authors , who have handled this argument of the mass , against bellarmine , and other papists largely . i shall only name du moulin on the mass in french , and more largely in latine , c. 1. for the pedigree of the mass . ( 2. ) we answer , this was most likely some room in the house ( seeing they dwelt therein ) where they said mass ; and were it the whole house , yet was it but a private one , which scarce any wise man would call a temple . and for the name of title , that was given at pleasure . so that were these spurious epistles authentick , they neither prove our adversaries opinion , nor disprove ours . mr. mede produceth next theophilus antiochenus , l. 2. ad antolycum ; who saith , god hath given synagogues , which we call holy churches , &c. which yet is confest by him to be doubtful . for ( saith he ) if it were probable synagogue was here taken , as usually in the new testament for a place , then church likewise for a place . to which we say , that if church , in a hundred places of the new testament , be taken for a congregation : then 't is most probable , it 's so taken here . and the sense of the words makes this evident ; for theophilus compares heresies to rocky islands ; and the wholesome doctrine of truth and holiness , to good and habitable islands ; and not the places of truth and heresies . the last author in this 2d century alledged , is clemens alexandrinus ; who useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or church , for the place , and not the congregation only , stromat . l. 7. and so again in the story of the young man , who had left the church , and betook himself to a mountain with robbers . that christians had places of meetings is beyond all doubt ; but we say in private houses and places for 200 years and upwards . nor doth clemens or any other , prove they had publick oratories . and vedelius , p. 74. upon this passage of clemens , shews , they did not think this appellation so proper and convenient . therefore salvian 200 years after , l. 3. de gub . dei , itaque ecclesias vel potius templa , &c. correcting the impropriety , in using churches , for the places of assembling , and preferring the word temples . and for the opposition of church and mountain , in the story of the young man , that became captain to a band of robbers : the sense is plain , that he left the company of christians , rather than the place of their assembly , to associate with robbers on the mountains . thus for the two first centuries , we have heard the noise of our adversaries artillery , which was nothing but powder , and vanished into smoak , without any shot , that might in the least wound our cause . sect . 8. mr. mede goes on with the 3d century , wherein we shall follow him at the heels , tho not obliged thereto , by our assertion . for i know no protestant that in this century denies christian oratories ; but only in the two first . and therefore 't is not fair to feign adversaries , and represent us as denying that we willingly grant . we know well , the church being considerably increased , oratories were built ; and the fate that followed them , namely , to be demolished . for eusebius relates , how before dioclesian's days , there was both an enlargement of churches formerly built ; and an addition of new , more large and stately than the former , which were also destroyed in his reign ; and towards the end of this 3d age the christians not only questioned for affording their private houses to meet in , but moreover tortur'd for it . add hereunto , that mede still goes on to pervert the state of the question : as if private houses and secret places in sore persecutions ( which none denies ) were publick oratories , churches or temples . the first author cited by him is tertullian in three places , whereof the first hath reference to the assembly ; and if to the place , yet only to the time of worship ; for which an upper room served ; as hospinian ( de orig . templ . c. 3. ) explains him ; and the second citation implies as much , where 't is said their house was in editis & apertis , in high and open places , as their coenacula or upper rooms were ; seeing in temples tho never so large , people are upon the ground . i shall not meddle with what is added of churches anciently looking eastward ; ( for which bellarmine gives ●ive reasons , c. 3. de cultu sanct . ) further than by referring to such antiquaries , as have treated thereof ; walfridus strabo , hospinian and others . the 3d is in 's book de corona militis ; several others being waved : ( all which are brought to the same purpose by baronius , a. d. 57. num . 99. except that one out of l. de spectaculis . ) there c. 3. it s said , those that were to be baptised , first made their abrenunciation of the devil , &c. in the church , and after again at the water . upon which mede , to serve his own hypothesis , supposeth their baptisteries , were not then , as now our fonts , within , but without the church , and often in places very remote from it . but how will he , or any other prove that there were any baptisteries in tertullian's time , distinct from the places of their assemblies . hospinian that was well versed in ecclesiastical antiquities , finds none before constantine's time , de orig . baptisterii , p. 30 , 31. for as no place for baptism was prescribed by christ , or his apostles , but lest indifferent , and accordingly used at first : so we find nothing certain concerning this in the primitive church . the history of basilides in euseb . l. 6. c. 5. manifests that some were baptised in prisons , and cyprian's epistle to magnus , that sick persons were baptised in their beds . nor doth it follow , the church here is not the assembly , because that was also at the baptistery . for if there were such ( as i think there was not ) yet a part more likely was only there ; and probably the abrenunciation was not the same day . however , without all doubt , it was not made but when the church was assembled , and respected the assembly and not the place . consider but those times , and what tertullian saith to encourage the christians to meet , notwithstanding the danger thereof , si fides transferre potest montem , annon potest militem ? can faith remove a mountain , and can it not remove a soldier ? and again , if you cannot keep your dominicals in the day , keep them in the night : and , then judge , if he can be thought a support to our adversaries . his next witness in hyppolytus , who in 's tract de antichristo , saith , then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the temples of god should be as common houses : and churches every where demolished , &c. this author is cited by the rhemists , to prove that antichrist should abolish their mass : but of small or no account with protestants . for he makes antichrist to be the devil , appearing in the shape of a man ; and that john the evangelist is not yet dead , but shall continue with enoch and elias till the time of antichrist . and lived in cryptis , or subterraneous vaults , as baronius writes a. d. 259. numb . 10. where he officiated also , as eusebius relates . so that mede's inference , that he was well acquainted with such places , as temples and churches , seems less probable , ( seeing we read of none before ) than that this tract is supposititious . besides that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agrees not to christian churches , as both bellarmine and vedelius have largely proved , which we mentioned before . for the same time lampridius an historian is cited , who reports , quod cum christiani quendam locum , qui publicus flier at , occupassent ; contra popinarii dicerent , sibi cum deberi ; alexander mammeae imperator rescripsit : melius esse , ut quomodo cunque deus illic colatur , quam popinarits dedatur . that when the christians had possest a publick place ; which the victualers challeng'd to belong to them ; alexander the emperour determined ; it was better , that god should be there any manner of way worshipped , than that the victualers should have it . this passage is brought by baronius , a. d. 57. num . 101. for the same purpose ; who yet afterwards , a. d. 224. confesseth , that at that time the christians had no church there , but chose that place to build one in . for which he alledgeth a fabulous miracle . but platina in the life of calixtus , believes not this , by reason of the frequent persecutions in those days . calixtus himself having suffered martyrdom . and baronius acknowledgeth , that persecution was frequent in this emperour alexander's days , and divers suffered martyrdom , even the bishop of rome himself . so that 't is doubtful , whether they built any publick oratory , in that publick place , during his reign ; and if they did , 't is the first we read of in any classic author . the next author is gregory of neocaesarea , sirnamed thaumatourgus , who in an epistle called canonica , describes the discipline then in use , with the distinct and regular places for penitents , ( who stood without the gate of the oratory ) auditors , and others that stood within , as the catechumens and faithful in distinct places . and further in 's life written by gregory nissen , 't is said , that he was a great founder and erecter of churches ; whereof that built by him at neocaesarea in fontus ( where he was bishop ) gregory nissen saith , was still standing in his time , having remained unshaken in a great earthquake , which had thrown down all other edifices both publick and private . now let it be granted , that this canonical epistle is genuine ; tho i will not say , as bellarmine , that without controversie 't is so ; even for that which he saith is certain . that this gregory made a short confession of faith , which he learned of john the evangelist , appearing unto him in the company of the blessed virgin , the mother of god : and the many monstrous fables father'd on this devout man , by the name of miracles . but because balsamon , the learned canonist , hath commented upon it , i shall not reject it ; tho neither christ our lord and lawgiver , nor his apostles , no nor the church of the first age , ( wherein like occasions were given by defection ) ever made such orders , or used such distinctions of places : which any considering man will judge , more befitting peaceable than persecuting times . and ( 2. ) we further grant , as we have several times suggested , that in this third century the christians had their publick oratories , small at the first , and afterwards enlarged , as eusebius testifies , hist . l. 8. c. 1. tho most in secret , by reason of persecution . so that neither this , nor the following testimonies , prejudice our assertion : nor prove theirs , of such publick and separate places of worship , both in and ever since the apostles times . but how gregory nissen came to believe , that the temple thaumaturgus built , continued till his time , i know not . for whosoever considers the many edicts , made by heathen emperors between these two gregory's days , for demolishing them all , will think this incredible . except some ruderaes remaining , and a temple after built upon them , was accounted the same ; like as that which we read in the gospel , of solomon's porch . or that it was preserved by a miracle , as baronius thinks , and that a greater , than its preservation in the earthquake . for the decree of dioclesian was very general and severe , for demolishing all churches ; which both theodoret and eusebius write , was so punctually executed , that all were pulled down , not one by them excepted . and this decree came forth from nicomedia , a city in bithynia , upon which pontus bordered , wherein neocaesarea stood , and therefore very unlikely this should be spared . but if any have so strong a faith to believe , what is reported of this great wonder-worker gregory , he may possibly think that he had sufficient power to restrain dioclesian's agents , and defend the church he built . for baronius at the year 253. num . 135 , 136 , 137. relates what power he had over devils , to cast them out of their temples , and drive them out of any place , whither he pleased , and restore them also at his pleasure : which he did , to shew his power , to one in writing under his hand , saith baronius , in these words , gregorius satanae , ingredere ; gregory to satan , enter in , that was into his temple again . and bellarmine relates another miracle of him upon this very argument , c. 4. de cultu sanct. saying , that when he would have built a church , and wanted room , by reason of a rock , that border'd on the place , where he would build it , he by his prayers removed it away . mr mede was wiser than to mention this , for gregory's building of churches . and indeed none can imagine , how much prejudice such fabulous miracles and lying legends ( decryed and detested even by many sober and learned papists ) hath done to christianity . let but any one read a pamphlet printed this very year , of a conference between a jew and a jesuite , at amsterdam ; concerning christ being the true messiah , which this undertaking to prove by his miracles ; was replied upon by the other , with a number as great , out of many popish authors , insomuch that the jew quite confounded the jesuite . and wheras mr. mede notes , that a litle before the persecution of decius ( which was a. d. 252. ) the christians erected oratories , in the name of christ . i desire baronius may be consulted , and then let any one judge , how improbable it is that christians had publick churches , with such distinction of places , as is mentioned or built such publick oratories , as our adversaries say . for decius gave express order to forbid all christian assemblies ; upon pain of death , threatning accurate observing them ; ( because many heathens were converted thereby to christianity . ) as appears by aemilianus his writing to dionysius bishop of alexandria in euseb . l. 7. c. 9. vel 10. and baronius ad a. d. 260. num. 17. who further relates , how their very coemateria or burying places ( which were vaults under ground , called cryptae , as baronius shews a. d. 259 num . 16. ) usually a mile or more from their cities ( which were often after some time discovered ; and then how dangerous it was to meet there , he shews . a 255 ) were now strictly forbidden them in particular , as well as in the general all other places whatsoever . cyprian contemporary with gregory , is next alledged for christian oratories . ( 1 ) in his book de opere and eleemosynis , by the name of dominicum brought also by bellarm. c. 4 de cultu sanct. ( 2 ) in 55 epistle , by the title of ecclesia . we never doubted , but christians had from the first oratories , or places of meeting : and that in this century some publick , which as the church increased , were inlarged . but that even in cyprian's time their assembling were in subterraneous vaults ; both at alexandria , as we have shewn ; and rome , as is clear by pope cornelius's letter to the bishop of vienna , as baronius testifies a. 255. n. 47. and here at carthage in africa , a. 260. n. 37. where the proconsul urged cyprian himself with the emperors edict , ne in aliquibus locis conciliabula fiant , nee caemeteria ingrediantur ; that the christians should not meet in any places , nor enter into their coemeteries . in which they usually celebrated the holy mysteries ; which pameltus calls the sacrifice ; but goulartius , the word , sacraments and prayers ; performed only , when the church assembled . nor is the opposition mentioned , of any force , as we shew'd on 1 cor. 11.22 . another contemporary cited , is dionysius alexandrinus in 's epistle to basilides , declaring his opinion , that women during the time of their separation , ought not to enter into the church , which he calls the house of god. by which we learn , saith mede , not only the christians had their houses of worship , but a religious respect also , to difference them from common places . to this we say , as formerly , that christians had always places for meeting in , but still whether in private houses , or in publick lies the question . and if but a chamber in a private house , where they worshipped god , it was sufficient to denominate it the house of god , as well as a cathedral . and that their assemblies then were very private , appears in that they were forbidden on pain of death ( as we have shewn ) and yet where this is related by eusebius , dionysius testifies , that nevertheless they kept them . but surely not in the usual places , where they had easily been discovered , to the loss of their lives ; but in all likelihood often changed the places , for their security . and whether every such , was thereby so sanctified , that it was unlawful for a menstruous woman to enter thereinto , let any one judge . nor was this a canon , as mede calls it , baronius hath made apparent against balsamon ; and by the equity of a contrary course taken by pope gregory , in regard that legalia or ceremonials are now abdicated . and if it were in force , it relates not to the place simply , but the offices there performed , and the time thereof , which suppose the congregation present , from which such an one was to be excluded , whether the meeting was on a mountain , or in an house , or under ground , in caves and dens of the earth . nor need mr. mede tell us , such places were known to the gentiles , and called worshipping places . for when the christians were grown so numerous , before this time of a d. 260. as tertullian thinks , near to equalize the heathens ; their assemblies could not possibly be concealed , whether above or under the ground ( especially when they enjoyed any tollerable freedom from persecution ) as appears by two rescripts of gallienus in euseb . hist . l. 7. c. 12. one for restoring all places in general to the christians , and the other their coemiteries in particular . nor doth aurelian's speech in vopiscus evince a publick place ; nor the opposition between the capitol and church imply the place ; but the congregation rather , that stands in congruous opposition to the sibyls oracles . for they might be masters of the christian oratories when they pleased , and there consult of what they list , even of setting forth the books of the sibyls . but mr. mede thinks his cause is supported by that of eusebius l. 7. relating how paulus samosatenus being deposed by the council , aurelian decreed , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the house of the church , should be taken from him , &c. this bellarmine c. 4. de cultu sanctorum , and also our fuller alledge to the like purpose . yet both ours confess , that some interpret it of domum epifcopalem , the bishops house . belike christopherson , tho a popish bishop in queen maries days , and zealous for the opinion of our opponents . so baronius takes it , a. d. 272. num . 18. and our learned antiquary sir h. spelman , de non temerandis ecclesiis , p. 64. for a house belonging to the church of antioch . and indeed 't is not reasonable to understand it , of a publick temple , as fuller calls it ; for to what purpose should he keep that , which could be of no use to him , neither for an habitation , nor for publick worship , being deprived of his bishoprick for heresie , and domnus in his place : and the congregation could keep him out of , without troubling the emperour . nor is it denied , that in the time eusebius mentions between the 9 and 10 persecution , for about 30 years , several old oratories or churches were enlarged , and new built ; like as 't is manifest they were demolished by dioclesian 40 years after . and were the 3 places of eusebius alledged , taken for the place ; they speak of no more than an house or houses , which denotes them private , not publick , as churches and temples . mr. fuller lays mighty stress on eusebius calling them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which he renders prisca aedificia , ancient edifices : and from thence infers , that therefore there were oratories or churches , even in the apostles times . for he tells us , the learned define saeculum , an age , to denote 100 years : and that one age is not sufficent to denominate houses prisca , or antient ; considering that monas an unity , is not to be accounted a number ; wherefore they must be of two ages at least , or more , to be termed ancient . but all this is very strange talk . for ( 1. ) eusebius hath nothing answerable to saeculum an age . ( 2. ) if monas an unity be no number ; then one hundred years , or one thousand . is no number ; and so should be insufficient to denominate any thing ancient . ( 3 ) the phrase may either import the distance of time , between their erection and amplification ; or the distance between their erection , and the time when eusebius wrote , which was considerably longer , and more probably i think to be here meant . ( 4. ) let it be considered , that we read of no edifices before decius and valerians persecution : and those specified only by coemiteria , places of burial , in which they had their cryptae , vaults under ground ; which were forbidden them , and again restored and granted them by gallienas . now this persecution by decius and valerian , was but about 40 years before dioclesian's : so that if we take the phrase for the time intervening , it imports no more than edifices formerly built , and those not very ancient . ( 5. ) new and old , are terms of respect , and taken in great latitude ; so that now a man of an hundred years , is truly accounted a very old man ; tho in the antedeluvian days , one of 200 but young , when men lived to eight or nine hundred . and tho some of our churches in england may be termed truly ancient , being perhaps of 6 or 700 years standing ; yet the eldest in eusebius's time , could not be 300 ; nor hath any yet been proved to have been then an hundred years old . such a critick as mr. fuller might have observed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is such , being both variously rendred , and applied in the new testament . sometimes to great antiquity , as mat. 11.21 . hebr. 1.1 . and jude 4. sometimes to things not long before , as 2 pet. 1.9 . he hath forgotten that he was purged from his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , old sins ; and sometimes to that lately past , as mark 15.44 . pilate asked the centurion , if jesus had been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , any while dead . but the latin version prisca aedificia , ancient edifices , better suited his hypothesis ; which made him adhere thereto rather than the original greek ; which may well be rendred priora aedificia , former edifices . mr. mede's last witness , which he saith will dispatch all at once , and depose for the whole , and thinks alone sufficient to carry his cause , is euseb . hist . eccles . l. 8. c. 1. where describing those halcyon days , from cyprian's martyrdom to the persecution of dioclesian , the shews the vast multitude of christians and their meetings , cum antiquis illis aedificiis ( i. e. oratories ) satis amplius loci non haberent , amplas spaciosasque in omnibus urbibus ex fundamentis , erexerunt ecclesias ; so that having no longer room enough in their ancient buildings , ( i. e. oratories , as he had named them ) they erected large and spacious churches from their foundations , in all their cities . here 's not only churches in those days , but such as might then be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ancient edifices , which how far it may reach , let others judge . but if this witness will depose for the whole , there 's no thanks due to mr. mede ; considering that long before , this was dispatch'd ; baronius having alledged the same , and vedelius answered him , ( as he could not but know ) exercit , in epist . ad magnes . tertio , eusebii l. 8. c. 1. citat baronius , & dicit eum asserere , longe ante dioclesiani tempora fuisse ecclesias . sed falsum est , &c. thirdly , baronius cites the 8th book of eusebius c. 1. and saith , that he affirmeth churches to have been long before dioclesians time . but 't is false to say , eusebius speaks of the time long before dioclesians reign . for he speaks only of that part of time , intermediating between the 9 and 10 porsecution , ( or according to the computation of others the 8th and 9th ) as the series of the preceeding story , and the text it self sufficiently shew . now the persecution preceeding dioclesian 's began a. d. 272. under the emperour valerian , and ended about 10 years after . and the persecution by dioclesian began , as some account , a. d. 306. whereby the ridiculousness of baronius 's inference appears , viz. there were churches long before the time of dioclesian ; therefore in the very days of the apostles there were such . as if i should say , eusebius testifies , that for about 30 years before dioclesian there were churches : therefore he saith that there were churches 300 years before dioclesian . but this course is frequently used by baronius , that corrupter of chronicles . but that mede insists on most , ( as others before him ) is that phrase in eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ancient edifices . which how far it may reach , faith he , let others judge . belike he trusted more to his readers forwardness , to embrace the suspicions this phrase might raise , at first sight in their minds , than his own improvement of it ; that he turns it off with so short and slender a remark , which in shew was his most pregnant proof . or knowing that fuller had done his best on the phrase , waved the speaking further thereon . however , having spoken sufficiently , i think , to it in the former paragraph , i need say nothing more in this . but that eusebius mentions there , and also c. 2. and 6. is very remarkable ; and lets us see , that tho prosperity be desired of all , yet few can use it aright : so that we may conclude , if it were best for god's people , they should enjoy it . for from valerian's persecution to dioclesian's , the church had a comfortable calm ( aurelian's edict made for persecution , being never signed by him , god having terrified him with lightning ( as eutropius and vopiscus affirm ) and so stopt his wicked tyranny . ) but alas , instead of being better'd , they extreamly degenerated : so that eusebius saith , god sent that direful storm of persecution on them under dioclesian , for the corruptness of their lives and manners . maximè vero ecclesiasticorum , in quorum vultu simulationem , in corde dolum , verbis fallaciam cernere licuit : livore , superbia , inimicitiis inter se certantes , tyrannidem potius quam sacerdotium sapere videbantur ; christianae pietatis omnino obliti ; divina mysteria profanabant potius , quam celebrabant . which i forbear to english . those that please may read more in fox's martyrology in the 9th primitive persecution ? tho he misreckon it , there having been no general persecution in aurelian's reign , who as he himself saith , rather intended , than moved persecution . but for their wickedness followed the 10th . when their churches were demolished , their bibles burnt , their persons punished with all kinds of cruelty ; neither courtiers , nor friends , not the empress prisca , nor daughter valeria spared ; his decree was aut deos gentilium , aut mortem eligerent ; that the christians should choose either the heathen gods or death . of this tenth and greatest persecution , eusebius in his 8th book of history . lactantius de mortibus persecutorum , from 7 to 49 chap. with the notes in latin of 1693 , which are 10 times larger than the text. and fox in his first book of martyrology , from eusebius and several others , have written largely ; which i shall not transcribe , but dismiss with this short remark ; that of all the 10 general persecutions , this last ( which was the forest , and continued above ten years , ) only reached england ; wherein albanus first , and very many after , sealed their faith in christ with their blood ; so that christianity was almost with the scriptures , and churches destroyed throughout the whole kingdom , tho shortly after revived by the blessed constantine . having now examined all our adversaries witnesses we leave the impartial reader to judge of their validity ; and whether they prove the christians to have had any publick appropriate places for worship in the two first centuries . which tho undoubtedly most sit and convenient always ; yet in times of persecution , men must do as they may , and meet as secretly as they can , and be constrained , often to change their meeting places , and when private houses will not serve for secresie , to seek out vaults under ground , where they may worship god. and yet not even in the most secret and retired places , without fear of their enemies , and danger of their lives : which shews our happiness in this regard , above theirs , who were much better than we . there is but one scruple , that i can imagine , remaining : and that is , tho these places were private , yet they might be , as mede terms them , appropriate . to which i answer , that his first argument for his opinion , which immediatly follows , from their worshipping towards the east , implies that he takes them for publick , and purposely built accordingly for that end . and ( 2 ) . who ever diligently peruses his treatise , will see that he founds their appropriation ( as also their holiness , of which in the next dissertation ) on their consecration , ( or as he sometimes calls it dedication . ) now if we consider when this begun , platina in vitis pontif. tells us , that telesphorus having suffer'd martyrdom , in the first year of antomus pius ( which was about the year of our lord 142. ) hyginus an athenian succeeded him . who ordained these two things . first the use of those witnesses we commonly call godfathers and godmothers , in the administration of the sacrament of baptism . which was then , i confess , more necessary , by reason the generallity of those amongst whom the christians lived , were heathens . and therefore in case the parents , on whom it is incumbent to see thei children educated in the christian religion , came to die ; they that were sponsors , might take care to see them brought up therein . which institution ( as likewise confirmation ) is now degenerated into a meer formality : few regarding their solemn engagements made for that end . and ( 2. ) he ordained also templorum consecrationes ; the consecration of temples , that or churches , being the usual names , given to all places for gods worship , in after ages . so that consecration being but introduced in the second century ; if mede takes it in the usual sense ; his opinion that there were appropriate places for christian worship both in the apostles days , and ever since , falls to the ground ; except it can be proved , that some of them at least , lived so long . but if he takes it for a private house , or some room therein , where the church met together , as he seems in the beginning , and by the expressions of the church in their house : then whensoever any owners thereof , gave leave for the christians to assemble therein , their permission was a consecration thereof , whereby they appropriated the same to the churches use ; and so , according to his tenets , employed them no more for their own civil use , being appropriate to a sacred . or else some pious christians , gave their houses , as he thinks , and dedicated them to the church for a meeting place , by which dedication it was appropriated . but neither of these can be reasonably imagined . considering ( 1. ) that we read of several that sold their possessions , for the maintenance of the poor : but we read of none that gave their houses to the church for meeting in . ( 2. ) the multitude of christians increasing , many houses were requisite to contain them , as we have formerly observed . ( 3. ) how often in those bloody persecutious , they were forced to shift their meeting-places , to shun the loss of their estates , liberties and lives , we may easily conclude . and lastly , had any either granted , or given any house , or certain place , for such an use , as therein constantly to assemble : they had thereby , without all doubt , been quickly discovered , certainly dispersed , and often times most severely punish'd . so that tho we are not to question the readiness of many that were able , nor their pious liberality : so we must also consider their prudence , the times wherein they lived , and what was most conducible to their preservation , that they might not run themselves on the rocks of destruction . sect . 9. our opponents besides the authorities mentioned , produce several arguments for their opinion ; whereof 3 are made use of by mede , which we shall now consider . first , it 's certain , saith he , that in their sacred assemblies , christians used then to worship and pray towards the east . which how it could be done , with any order and conveniency , is not easie to be conceived ; unless we suppose the places , wherein they worshipped to have been situated and accommodated accordingly , that is chosen and appointed to that end . this he had touched on before , from tertullian in the beginning of the 3d century ; for which no authority is vouched , but that only of the forged apstolical constitutions , falsly ascribed to clemens . here let me observe , whereas mede saith to worship and pray , bellarmine c. 3 de cultu sanct . rightly restrains to prayers only , and those made publickly in the temples . for having mentioned several authors for this , adds , et omnes illi veteres , qui scribunt apostolicam esse traditionem , ut oremus conversi ad orientem ; id praecipue servari par est , in solemnibus precibus , quae funduntur in templis : and all those ancients which write , that 't is an apostolical tradition , that we pray turned towards the east : that ought especially to be observed in the solemn prayers , which are made in temples . secondly , tho we grant this an ancient custom ; yet is it without command , or example in the scriptures ; for christ never required it , nor was it practised from the beginning of christianity . where 's the proof they then used so to worship ? or when this custom first came up ? for as to the constitutions , rightlier to be called apocryphal than apostolical ( as we have formerly observed ) they deserve no credit at all . thirdly , if this necessarily implies edifices so situated , which i question , and he supposes , ( but hath not proved ) then those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , upper rooms , the coenaculum sionis , that upper room in sion , and private houses , which were the first churches , he grants in the beginning of his treatise , were all so situate , which i hardly think , he himself thought . and much less that the coemeteries and vaults under ground , which so many authors mention for their meeting places ( as we shall shew hereafter ) were so : or had such light eastward , more than from other quarters of the heavens . fourthly , bellarmine there treating of the form of christian churches , saith only , vt plurimum eas ad orientem conversas fuisse , & quatuor latera habuisse quibus quatuor mundi partes aspicerent . that for the most part they were turned towards the east , and had four sides , turned towards the four parts of the world. likewise walfridus strabo de rebus eccles . c. 4. saith , majorem partem ecclesiarum ita fabricari ; that the greater part of churches were so made . so that by their saying , all were not so ; some might be round , as we have an ancient church in cambridge so built , which some say , was the usual form of the jewish synagogues , such as the lesser , at amsterdam . and some sited otherwise than eastward , as the church of antioch in syria , as socrates l. 5. c. 21. testifies . and if they were oblong , and stood east and west , seeing they had four sides , 't is meant doubtless of the chancel , which was eastward . of which distinction in churches ; when first it began , or who was the author thereof , is not set down by any writers i have met with . tho we know , in constantine's time , when stately churches were erected , this was used . and if we take this in the first ages , for private places , frequently stiled oratories and chappels , such as were in houses and vaults under ground , or above in the open air ; to say their aspect was eastward , is to beg the question , and cannot be proved . we may well imagine , those built , were rather according to the conveniency of the place , or pleasure of the founders . as the chappels of emanuel and sidney college in cambridge , which stood rather north and south . tho the former hath now a new one built in mode and figure ; and is no more to be derided , as formerly , by cart-wright , an oxford poet : much like the chappel ominous , of ' th colledge called god with us . nor the other now in danger to be demolished , as mr. mathews , an ancient fellow thereof , told me , was in the days of a. b. land , threatned therewith . i confess bellarmine brings several authors for this situation of churches ; but none that proves there was always such , nor that they were all such ; as also for the ceremony of praying towards the east , for which he produces 5 reasons , ( such as they are ) i shall briefly represent them , to shew the sorry grounds of this practice , which takes away the liberty christ hath left us , to advance a custom of humane constitution . 1. because paradise was in the east , and we being here but strangers , should labour to regain our ancient country , which we were cast out of . which is produced by several other papists , as the opinion of the fathers , and lately by the learned huetius c. 3. de situ paradisi . as if paradise , where ever it was ( the place thereof having puzzl'd so many learned inquisitors ) whether in or near mesopotamia , or elsewhere , was not as well west to the christians beyond it , as east to us on this side . or that we were to look after a terrestial paradise , more than a coelestial , whereof that was but a type . and as the saints in the old testament lookt from all parts toward the temple , as a type of our blessed saviour ; so under the new , we are directed to look towards heaven , as the habitation of our heavenly father , where christ sits at his right hand to make intercession for us . 2. because the sun rising there , 't is the most excellent part of the world. but supposing its motion , doth it not continually arise in the several horizons , to those of the same latitude throughout the world and there set to their antipodes ? so that the east of jerusalem , as gregory explains it , must needs be west , to the further parts of the world. and how can that be most excellent to any , which is equally alike to all ? 3. because christ whom we worship , is the light of the world , vir oriens , the man of the east . it s true that as the blessed god , is called light , which of all creatures is the most pure : so christ is called , the sun of righteousness , the light of the world , and the day spring from on high &c. but this is only metaphorically , in regard of his illuminating us , and not at all to the place of east or west , north or south , all being equally alike to him for that end . 4. because christ was crucified with his face westward , so that we look eastward to behold his countenance . and he ascended towards the east , and from thence shall come to judgment . but where 's the proof of that posture in his crucifiction ? not in the scripture sure . and how should the christians beyond jerusalem pray towards his face so , who lived in persia , and other eastern countries . math. 24.27 . is meant of his gospel dispensation , or his speedy coming to destroy jerusalem , as hammond and lightfoot think ; or by that emblem to judgment : the point of east in the heavens , being no where so to all the world he is to judge . 5. because the jews prayed , and pray towards the west , we towards the east ; to signifie theirs to be the killing letter , and ours the vivificating spirit , and that the veil still remains over their hearts , which we converted unto the lord , have laide aside . that the jews at the temple looked westward , was because the mercy-seat , in the most holy place was at the west end thereof . but that they do so still , as gregory also saith , i think is a mistake ; i never observed it in any of their synagogues , tho i have seen several , and their worship : yet i never saw any people so regardless therein as the present generation of the jews . but why may we not pray in the same posture with the jews of old , which were gods people , and had his direction ? as well as in the posture of those gentile idolaters that worshipped the sun ( ezek. 8.16 . ) as the persians and many other nations ? truly if you will believe the cardinal , because this posture signifies so much more excellent things than the jewish , which he there mentions ; even the difference between the gospel and christianity , from the present religion of the accursed jews , the enemies of our lord jesus christ . here recommend me to the man that hath so strong faith , as to believe a bare posture can denote such great things , to which it hath no tendency , or likeness at all . but if any one hath list and leisure , to see a deal of dry learning thrown away on this subject of praying towards the east ; they may peruse the 18th chap. of gregory's notes on zachary 6. v. 12. who had written also a treatise , he intituled alkibla ( i. e. the place toward which men worship ) as the publisher of his posthumous works acquaints us : the loss whereof he laments , tho for my part , i think it not great . before i pass to another argument , let me set down the opinion of strabo in the place fore-mentioned ; ( an author near 800 years old , when ceremonies and superstition were in vogue , and near their altitude ) concerning the site of churches eastward . et quia diversitas idololatriae , diversis modis templa extruxerat : non magnopere curabant illius temporis justi , quam in partem orationis loca converterent , dum tantum videretur , ubi eliminatae sunt daemonum sordes , ibi deum creatorem omnium , qui ubique est , coli & adorari . and because temples were built after divers manners , according to the different ways of idolatry : the righteous men of those days , did not much care which way the places of prayer stood ; their consideration being only this , that look where the filth and abomination of devils were cast out of doors , there god the creator of all , who is every where , might be worshipped and adored . now that by the righteous men of those times , which cared not which way they converted their places , or selves in prayer to god , were the times of the conversion of the empire from idolatry to christianity , is plain by what preceds , c. 3. where he saith , after the time was come , wherein the true worshippers in spirit and truth , not in jerusalem only , or in the hill of samaria , that is not locally but spiritually , began to worship the father , and the doctrine of salvation went forth into all nations , according to the commandment of the lord , the faithful began to seek loca munda , clean places ( which he interprets by that which follows ) and removed from tumults and affairs of men of carnal conversation , therein to celebrate pure prayers , and the holy mysteries , and the comforts of mutual edification . for tho we read in the gospel , the disciples were with the believers always in the temple , or in some upper room , praising god , and giving themselves to fasting and prayer ; yet after the coming down of the holy ghost upon them . we read act 1. & 2d chap. that they celebrated prayers and the eucharist circa domos , from house to house : and they met together not only within the city , in some house or other , but without also in secret places , as at philippi . acts 16.13 . but when the number of believers was multiplied , they began to make their houses , churches , as we often read in the legends of the saints . oftentimes also declining the rage of persecutors , they had their meetings in vaults under ground , and in places of burial , and in caves , and desert mountains and valleys . then as the miracle of christian religion profited more and more ; and the devil loosing ground , as christ gained : new oratories were built ; nor so only , but also the temples of their gods and idols , with the abominable worship thereof , being thrown away and banished , were changed into the churches of god. it 's true , that he dislikes not praying towards the east , but gives reasons for the congruity of it ; yet upon consideration of the temple at jerusalem , that the holy of holies was westward , and that solomon in 's prayer at the dedication thereof , turned his face that way , he concludes , his & aliis exemplis edocti , cognoscimus , non errasse illos , vel errare , qui templis vel noviter deo constructis , vel ab idolorum squalore mundatis , propter aliquam locorum opportunitatem , in diversas plagas altaria statuerunt ; quia non est locus , ubi non sit deus . by these and other examples , we learn that they who either in temples nowly built for god , or purged from the filthiness of idols , did according to the opportunity of places , set altars towards different coasts , did nothing erre , seeing there is no place where god is not present . and accordingly proceeds to shew , that in the temple built by helena at jerusalem , upon christ's sepulcher ; and in the pantheon at rome , converted to christian use ; as also , in st. peter's church there , altars were erected , not only towards the east , but also , other quarters of the heavens . and adds , haec cum secundum voluntatem , vel necessitatem fuerint ita disposita , improbare non audemus . so that tho he approves rather , of praying towards the east ; yet professeth , he dares not blame those , who otherwise ordered the matter , and that not only in case of necessity , but of meer will and pleasure . concluding thus , vnusquisque in suo sensu abundet , propè est dominus omnibus , invocantibus eum in veritate . let every one abound in his own sense , the lord is near to all that call upon him in truth . i must add to all these , the example of the church of england , in reading the liturgy , ministers prayers , and peoples practice ; and further shew , that tho mede joins the position of churches and prayers ; yet neither of these necessarily infer the other ; but i have run out too far on this argument already . the second is drawn from the discipline of the church , which required distinct and regular places in their assemblies , for penitents , auditors , catechumens and the faithful ; which argues , they had places accommodated for that purpose . we had this argument before , in the middle of the third century , where we answered the same ; and therefore shall be briefer here . where i shall not insist upon it , that distinctions might be made in private houses or places ; tho not so well or great as in publick churches . nor deny the authority of that obscure epistle ; however called canonical , of gregorius neocaesariensis , which was a little before alledged for this discipline , and also considered . but roundly answer , that no such distinction of places can be proved in the days of the apostles , or an hundred years after . it 's therefore a strange inference , that if there were such different places , for the several sorts of church members , in gregory's time ; which was about 250 years after the nativity of our blessed saviour ; that there were such in the apostles days , and ever since ; as our adversaries would perswade us . but they must have stronger reasons than these , before they gain our assent . for who seeth not , that such distinction of places is more sit for times of peace than persecution ( such as were mostly the first 300 years of christianity ) wherein men must be content to do as they may , and can , seeing they cannot do as they desire . the third argument is drawn from the example of the synagogues and proseucha's of the jews , whose religion was as contrary to the empires , as the christians , and yet in their dispersion amongst the gentiles , had appropriate places for the exercise thereof . who can believe that such a pattern should not invite the christians to an imitation of the same , tho we should suppose there were no other reasons to induce them , but that of ordinary conveniency . this reason supposes the christians might do , as the jews , who built them synagogues in those cities where they resided ; having a legal tolleration for the exercise of their religion ; whereas the laws of the empire were against the christians . which makes me wonder such learned men , as fuller , mede and others , that could not but know so much ; should produce this plea for their opinion . just as if they should argue , the jews in many popish countries , build and enjoy their synagogues , whose religion is more contrary to popery than the protestants ; and therefore the protestants should follow their example , and build themselves churches for their publick worship . to which the answer is easie ; that so they would if they had the like tolleration . but to what purpose should they build up that which the magistrates would throw down , and they should never enjoy , but instead thereof be more persecuted and punisht . whence in several great cities , where there are some protestants , ministers are sent them , which they call , sub cruce , or under the cross of persecution , as the learned professor hornbeck was in his younger years in collen , ( where i have seen the jews synagogue ) and others i have known at ghent , and elsewhere , incognito , or disguis'd , exercising their office with great secresie , for their greater security . not to mention the persecutions the christians were under in the first ages of christianity , when the jews enjoyed the liberty of their religion : having spoken something thereof in the second section , and shall more fully in the following . nor let any one stop me , with objecting the many thousands of jews under caligula and claudius reigns , for their tumults and insurrections : or the wars in the reigns of nero and vespasian , wherein eleven hundred thousand perished , jerusalem taken and demolished , with the temple burnt . nor after under aelius adrianus , about a. d. 130. who tho he built jerusalem , calling it aelia by his fore-name , ( as he did adrianople by his other ) yet made miserable havock of the jews and their country . for this was not by persecution , but by open wars with them for 6 years together , which they brought upon themselves . the occasion is said to be , quod mutilare genitalia vetarentur , arma corripuerant ; that being forbidden circumcision , they took up arms. instead of humbly addressing for a revocation , they betake themselves to warlike opposition ; being also set agog by bencochab , who gave himself out for their messias . in which wars this their false messias was slain ; and more thousands of the jews , than the number of the israelites that came out of egypt , as their rabbins report ; or as our historians , five hundred thousand , and a thousand of their villages burnt down to the ground . sect . 10. having now answered their reasons , we shall proceed to lay down several considerations for the corroborating our assertion . which amount not to a demonstration , i confess , that there could be no publick places erected , for the exercise of the christian religion , in the two first centuries ; yet compared with our adversaries arguments , will render our cause much more probable , and weigh down theirs so clearly , as to satisfie all unprejudiced readers . 1. let 's consider the state and condition of the world as to religion , when our blessed saviour , after his resurrection , sent forth his apostles to preach the gospel to all nations . in which were two sorts of men , jews and gentiles ; of whom 't is hard to say , whether were the more implacable enemies to the christian religion , and the professors thereof . as for the jews , what calumnies and tumults did they raise against the christians , not only in judea , but wheresoever they resided ; accusing their doctrine as blasphemous , their persons as factious and seditious , and setting up a new king instead of caesar . and where they had no power to persecute them , they stirred up the magistrates in the empire to do it , as we find frequently in the acts of the apostles . and as to the gentiles , what ignorance , wickedness , and abominable idolatries they lived in , scripture hath abundantly declared . god having in times past suffered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the gentiles , rather than as we translate it , all nations , to walk in their own ways . acts 14.16 . for the jews had the way of salvation made known to them ; but the gentiles ways were in gross idolatry , setting up to themselves multiplicity of gods , whom they worshipped and served ; although some of the wiser sort of them held one supream , whom they called jove , contracted from jehova , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the father both of men and gods. and this their idolatrous worship and religion was so ancient , even from time immemorial , and so universal in all the nations of the gentiles ; that none can imagine but the gospel , which opposed and condemned this wherever it came , should have the utmost opposition , and its publishers and professors persecutions , rather than a toleration or permission to set up a religion in publick , destructive of their own . 2. consider the power of the roman monarchy , which was then at the height ; having conquered the greatest part of the western nations , both in europe and africa , and eastward as far as euphrates , in which especially the gospel was to be preached , though it was carried also into the remoter parts elsewhere , over which the roman eagle never stretcht her wings . in the city of rome , tacitus reports , hist . l. 11. there were not fewer than 6944000. and what vast nations were then subject to its empire , is sufficiently known ; and what numerous armies they constantly kept up . all which power was unanimous for the defence of their idols , and their idolatrous worship , against all men and means that would defame them , or tended to their demolition . 3. consider also , that at that time there was not only the greatest power to oppose christianity , but also the greatest intellectual helps and means , learning being then in its full meridian of glory . they had subtle philosophers for defending their religion , and as good arguments for its verity , as bellarmine , and the papists , alledge for theirs , such as antiquity , universality , extent , succession of their priests , prosperity , and the like . they had eloquent orators to plead their own , and implead , tertullus like , the christian religion ; besides the vast multitude of priests , and those imployed for the training them up in their idolatrous worship , whereby they became prejudiced to the utmost against the gospel of christ , especially considering the nature and tendency thereof , either as to the credenda or agenda , things to be believed or practised , injoyned therein . for sinners to be saved by a crucified jesus , might well to the carnal and unbelieving jews and gentiles be a stumbling block , and accounted foolishness ; as the resurrection of the dead , and other articles of our faith , strange doctrines : and things so contrary to flesh and blood , as self-denial , mortification , suffering joyfully persecution , and even death it self for christ's sake and the gospel , might well be accounted hard sayings not to be born , but rather derided and rejected , as indeed they were generally by the wise men of the world. nor let any here object mahometism , for that was set up when the empire was broken to pieces under heraclius , by the irruption of the barbarous nations ; and in arabia , amongst an ignorant people , where few christians were , and no learning , but ready to embrace any innovations , and receive any impressions of religion , especially such a sensual one as the alcoran holds forth ; when there were neither men of knowledge and parts to oppose it , nor princes of power to persecute it , but worldly power to set it up and support it . so that 't is less wonder that soon grew publick : whereas it was quite otherwise with the gospel , which was neither set up , nor carried on , by might and power of arms , but by the spirit of the lord accompanying it all along , where it was carried , to make it efficacious . 4. consider how strongly gentilism was guarded by laws . for all nations , though they had several idol gods , and worship , yet accounted their religion to be of a divine original : as the romans from the goddess egeria , and others from some god or goddess they worshipped : and would never suffer their gods to be dishonoured , or their rites of worship , how ridiculous soever , to be defamed by any amongst them , though foreigners they could not hinder , did , as the romans , the jews and egyptians especially . i shall not abuse the reader 's patience , in citing histories and poets for these things , they are so many , and so well known ; nor how they always provided by their laws , security for their own , and prohibition and penalties against other religions . the romans , by the laws of the 12 tables , forbad nequis alios inducat deos , sed patriam sive romanam religionem sequatur . that none should introduce other gods , but follow the country's , or roman religion , and that under severe penalties . of which cicero , l. 2. de legibus largely . by vertue of which laws alone , many christians were extreamly punish'd by the praetors , and presidents of provinces , and put to death , without any edicts from the emperors ; though where these were added to enforce their execution , persecution was much more fierce and cruel : and this appears plainly by pliny's epistle to trajan ; who having condemned and executed many by the laws of the empire , deterr'd at length by the multitude of those that were to be punished , consulted the emperor what he should do in that case , the emperors having power to suspend execution , though not to abrogate the laws , which senatus populusque & principes romani decreverant ut non sint christiani : the roman senate , people and princes had decreed , as that no christians be tollerated . another early law made by the senate , mention'd by eusebius , 5.21 . non debere demitti christianos qui semel ad tribunal venissent , nisi propositum mutent : that the christians which once came to publick tryal , should not be dismist , except they changed their religion . 5. consider the policy of the state , which was against tollerating any diverse religion amongst them , and much more a contrary to their own . as the christian , which wholly changed the face of the world , accounted their deities idols , and their devotion gross idolatry ; which was therefore judged dangerous for raising tumults and commotions among the people , which might end in civil wars for religion : so that they unanimously concluded it best for the publick safety , to extirpate christianity , and the professors thereof . yea , so jealous were they , that all societies , or conventions , were forbidden , as appears by 42. & 43. epist . plinij , l. 10. and much more of christians , as ep. 98. acquaints trajan , how the christians forbore post edictum meum , quo secundum mandata tua hetaerias esse vetueram : after my edict , whereby i forbad , according to your command ; all conventions of societies . this consideration of state-policy , hath been the great argument and engine in all ages for persecution ; insomuch , that some christian writers of politicks , upon this account , justifie the heathens , and popish inquisition ; though s. james calls this wisdom earthly , sensual , devillish , quite contrary to that from above , which is , first pure , then peaceable , gentle and easie to be intreated , full of mercy , &c. and oh ! that it had not prevail'd amongst protestants , to the great scandal of the prince of peace , and his peaceable gospel , which they profess ! it was far more tollerable in the gentiles , who had only the light of nature for their guide ; as the romans , who yet tollerated the nations they conquered , to retain their religion , not only gentilism , but judaism also , both in judea , and in their dispersion in the roman territories : the jews having before submitted to the roman government , and become their tributaries , when subdued by pompey . by reason whereof , the christians coming from jerusalem , and passing in the empire , a while at the first for jews , whose synagogues they used then to frequent , passed undiscerned , without persecution ; 'till afterwards that they were discovered , and then both jews and gentiles became their implacable enemies , those frequently stirring up these ( as we read in the acts ) to persecute them . for they both accounted them setters up of a strange god and religion , in their worshipping christ , whom they both took for a meer man , whom their ancestors had crucified ; and that the gospel tended to overturn both their religions , and ways of worship ; which will yet more evidently appear , by that which in the next place follows . 6. consider the many and grievous false accusations brought against the christians , which greatly incensed all sorts of people against them . they were accused of atheism , and all manner of impiety , as killing and eating children , incest , and impure mixtures , magick , and every evil almost that might render them odious , which may be read in the primitive fathers , greek and latine , in their apologies for christianity ; summarily mentioned in spencer's annotations on the first book of origen . so that the christians for their impiety , were accounted the cause of all those publick calamities that befel the empire . if there was a famine , pestilence , &c. the people cryed out christianos ad leones , cast the christians to the lions , as tertul. apol. c. 40. cypr. ep. 75. and others . so when rome was taken by alaricus , it was imputed to the anger of the gods , for the contempt of their religion ; which occasioned s. austin to write that excellent book de civitate dei , and orosius his orchestra , for the refutation of their heathenish folly , which was so great , that they still thought to appease the anger of their gods , with the blood of the christians . nor were they less traduced for being enemies to the state , and such as turned the world upside down ; notwithstanding all their peaceable demeanour under the civil government ; because they would not pray to their idols ( though they did to almighty god ) nor offer sacrifices to them for the prosperity thereof . in like manner also were they accused , for being rebels to their emperors ; because they refused to frequent their solemn feasts and spectacles for their victories ; nor would swear , as others did , by their genius ; nor give them divine honours , by offering sacrifices to them , together with their idol gods. for as julius caesar , as suetonius tells us in his life , c. 76. decerni sibi passus est , templa , aras , simulachra , juxta deos : suffered temples , altars and images , to be decreed for him near the gods. so his heathen successors in the empire continued the same , as may be seen in pliny's epistle to trajan . hence they were called sacrilgi , sacriligious , and lawless , because this worship of the gods and caesar , was by law established : yea , the enemies of mankind , because by their contempt of the gods , they brought miseries upon the world. so that being accounted by the heathens enemies of their gods , and religion , their state , emperors , laws , manners , and all mankind : no wonder if they became the object of publick hatred , according to that of tertul. l. scorp . c. 11. odio habemur ab omnibus hominibus nominis causa . we are hated of all men for the name of christians , and his , and athenagoras , and justin , likewise in their apologies , as our saviour had foretold , matth. 10.22 . so 24.9 . and luke 21.12 . and it had been happy for after ages , since the world turn'd christian , if these calumnies had not been used , to represent the best sort of men , as enemies to princes and states , who could not in conscience comply to worship the image they set up . how have not only papists under such pretexts , all along persecuted all that would not submit to their impious impositions , but even protestants also , frequently for small matters , all such as refused to dance after the fidle of the times . 7. let us further consider the temporal interest of most , which carries all before it , with those that regard not their spiritual and eternal : the whole world turning continually upon the hinge of self-interest . and herein the vast number of those ingaged thereby against the christians ; some for preserving the dignities and revenues they had , and others for augmenting them . of the former sort were the several religious orders of priests , or flamines , and augurs or prognosticators , with the whole rabble that depended on them . which must needs be many , considering the multitude of places and people , as also of idols and temples they were to serve , by performing their religious functions in sacrifices , lustrations and supplications . all which had great credit , as in all religions such have , especially amongst an ignorant and superstitious people . and understood very well , that christianity , would ruine at once all their offices , honours , and profit . knowing that thereby their gods would be derided , their worship neglected , their oracles remaining contemned , and proved often false ; many of them being already silenced ; which the learned plutarch both confest and wondred at in 's book de defectu oraculorum , amongst his works , and with camararius's notes alone . which consideration stopt two of the heathen emperours , which had most kindness for christ , if we may believe lampridius in the life of alexander severus , who writes thus . christo ( alexander ) templum facere voluit , eumque inter deos recipere . quod et adrianus cogitasse fertur , qui templa in omnibus civitatibus sine simulachris jusser at fieri : quoe hodie idcirco , quia non habent numina , dicuntur adriani , quae ille ad hoc parasse diccbatur : sed prohibitus est ab iis , qui consulentes sacra , repererant omnes christianos futuros , si id optata evenisset , & templa reliqua deserenda . alexander severus would have made a temple for christ , and receive him amongst the gods. which adrian , also is said to have determined , who had commanded temples to be made in all cities without images ; which therefore still , because they have no gods , are called adrian's ; which he was said to have prepared for this ; but was prohibited by those , who consulting the oracles , found all would turn christians , if that had happened well , and all other temples would be forsaken . of the latter sort , that were for augmenting their estates , were especially the magistrates , both supream and subordinate . for knowing they might gain , by the execution of the laws : those especially that were superstitious , covetous , and cruel , were thereby induced to fly upon the spoil , by confiscating the estates of christians , who indured a great fight of afflictions ; were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions ; and were companions of them that were so used , and took joyfully the spoiling of their goods , heb. 10.32 , 33 , 34. and elsewhere their sufferings are set forth , comprizing their losses : yea , even felix the governour hoped to have got mony from poor paul for his freedom ; and communed with him oftner for this end , thinking belike , that his friends would contribute thereto , acts 24.26 . so that temporal interest ingaged all officers , sacred and civil , to prevent and suppress christianity , and the professors thereof . 8. to all the former considerations , which suggest sufficient reasons for the christians to keep themselves as private as possible , we may add several other particulars . as the vast multitude of their enemies , whose extream prejudice against christianity , and inveterate hatred of the christians , stirr'd them up frequently to raise popular tumults against their persons , families , and societies ; as we read in the acts of the apostles , and other authors . and if the people were supprest by the magistrates from exorbitant violence , they had always liberty to accuse them , and bring them to tryal . and such was their malice and rage , that sometimes they hurried them by violence before their rulers ; and sometimes exhibited multitudes in the same libel , or accusation . then were they strictly examined , and put to purge themselves upon oath . and if they denied , were commanded , for further proof thereof , not only to worship and sacrifice to the idol gods and emperours , but also to curse christ . and if they confest , were certainly condemned to punishment , which was of several kinds , most usually death . altho no other crime was alledged or proved then their christianity . their christian constancy , termed inflexible obstinacy , was judged sufficient ground for their condemnation . of which the primitive fathers apologies , and pliny's epistle to trajan , inform us sufficiently . and if they were brought to a publick tryal , where less tumultuousness , and more legal proceedings were used : yet how little hopes they could have , of escaping the utmost severities of the laws against them , may be easily imagined , seeing all that tryed them , as well as those that accused them , were their implacable enemies . for when an accusation was brought in , the pretor in rome , and the proconsul or supream governour in the provinces , having appointed the time of tryal , then came and sate on the tribunal , and the judges chosen by lot ( more or fewer , according to the quality of the cause ) sate on benches . and all the favour the accused had , was to object against those he thought good , ( as we are wont in england of the juries ) which the accuser had likewise liberty to do ; and the number of those rejected being again supplied by lot , the cause was pleaded , and the judges gave sentence , by capital letters in tables , a. absolvebat , absolved . c. condemnabat , condemned . n. l. non liquet , it s not manifest . as our juries pronounce , guilty , or not guilty , or ignoramus . i know the manner of the grecians passing sentence was otherwise , by casting small stones into an urne , the white and whole signifying absolution , the black and holed condemnation . but this only by the by . having thus laid down so many considerations , to support our assertion ; i submit them to the judgment of all impartial readers , if they do not preponderate our opponents reasons for theirs ; and proceed in the last place , to produce several testimonies , for defence of the truth we have laid down , and undertaken to prove . sect . 11. we come now to alledge several testimonies to make good our position ; which we shall take from such authentick authors , as are beyond all exceptions ; and not such spurious ones , as several that have been brought against us . and for the more distinct proceeding herein ; we shall reduce them to these three general heads . 1. such as speak of the persecution of the primitive churches ; whereby any one may judge , whether they were in a condition suitable to the injoyment of certain appropriate places , call them oratories , churches , or as some of our opponents falsly temples ( for that name came not in for them , till the fourth century ) if you please ; much less to build such publickly in the first ages , for their constant worshipping in . 2. such as declare , that for two hundred years at least they had no such , as our adversaries avouch . 3. what kind of places they then assembled in : which were the most private they could find or contrive for their security . as to the first of these , concerning the persecution of the primitive church , mentioned in the acts of the apostles ; we have spoken something already in the second section ; and shall therefore proceed to that part of nero's reign , that immediately succeeds . for st. paul's coming to rome , about the fifth of that emperour , and imprisonment there for the space of two years , concludes the acts. there he found a flourishing church , as appears by c. 1. v. 8. of that admirable epistle he had written to them , between two and three years before . whether founded by those strangers of rome that were at jerusalem in the day of pentecost , acts 2.10 . or by those mentioned in the 16. chapter of his epistle , or joyntly by them all , i determine not : but that it was not by peter , who had not as yet been there , is apparent by the series of history . during his imprisonment , he wrote several of his excellent epistles , as that to the galatians ( a people inhabiting tanium pessinunt , and anoyra in asia ) the ephesians , philippians , colossians , philemon , and as most think , even those that were last , as that to the hebrews , and those to timothy . tho' dr. cave and others judge , the first to timothy was written in 's return to rome , and the second in the year following . for both , some places of scripture , and many ancient fathers testifie , that being released after two years by nero , he went and preached the gospel , in the east , italy , france , and spain for about four years , and being apprehended and brought again to rome , was there beheaded . for nero now inraged at the increase of the number of christians , and the decrease of the worshippers of the idol gods , made that bloody decree , quisquis christianum se confitetur , tanquam generis humani convictus hostis , sine ulteriore sui defensione , capite plectitor . whosoever confesseth himself to be a christian , shall as thereby a convicted enemy of mankind , without any further defence of himself , loose his head. and orosius l. 7. c. 7. primus ( nero ) romae christianos supplicits & mortibus affecit ; ac per omnes provincias pari persecutione execruciari imperavit ; ipsumque nomen extirpari conatus , &c. nero was the first at rome , that punished the christians , and put them to death ; and commanded that through all the provinces , they should be tormented with like persecution ; and endeavoured to extirpate the very name of christians . where note , that tho' all authors generally make him the first persecutor of the christians , it must either be understood , as first of the emperors ; or the first general persecution , after the constitution of churches amongst the gentiles , which is usually reckoned from our saviours ascension , the time of twenty five years to nero. for that both particular persons , and the church at jerusalem , were persecuted before nero's time , is manifest in the acts of the blessed apostles . there is a passage in tacitus annals , l. 15. c. 44. transcribed by sulpicius severus , l. 2. hist . very remarkable , for congruity with scripture , and clearing some places therein . which i shall therefore , tho' somewhat large , relate , and improve . having set forth the burning of rome , attributed to nero , abolendo rumori subdidit reos , & quaesitissimis paenis affecit , quos per flagitia invisos , vulgus christianos appellabat . auctor nominis ejus christus , qui tiberio imperitante per proconsulem pontium pilatum supplicio affectus erat . repressaque in praesens exitiabilis superstitio , rursus erumpebat , non modo per judaeam , originem ejus mali , sed per urbem etiam , quo cuncta undique atrocia aut pudenda confluunt , celebranturque . igitur primo correpti , qui fatebantur , deinde judicio eorum multitudo ingens , haud perinde in crimine incendii , quam odio humani generis convicti sunt . et pereuntibus addita ludibria , ut ferarum tergis contecti , leniatu canum interirent , aut crucibus affixi , aut flamandi , atque ubi defecisset dies ; in usum nocturni luminis uterentur . hortos sui ei spectaculo nero obtulerat . nero to extinguish the rumor of his burning the city , falsly accused , and exquisitely tormented those , odious for their wickedness , which the common people called christians . the author of that name is christ , who in the reign of tiberius , was executed by his proconsul pontius pilate . and this pestilent superstition having been repressed for a time , broke out again , not only in judea , the original of that evil , but also in the city of rome , whither all heinous and shameful things from all parts flow together , and are had in estimation . first therefore they were apprehended , who confessed ; then a great multitude of them being discovered were convicted in judgment , not so much for the crime of burning the city , as the hatred of mankind . and mockeries added to their deaths , they were covered with the skins of wild beasts , that they might be torn in pieces by dogs , or crucified , or burnt , and when the day was spent , they were used for lights in the night . nero had offered his gardens for this spectacle . here we have the heathens opinion of christianity and christians : an attestation to that great article of our faith , christs suffering under pontius pilate : and the sufferings of his servants ( for which i alledge the place especially ) these caused that defection of many , the historian briefly touches in saying , this pernicious superstition ( meaning christianity ) was for a time represt . that is , by those former persecutions , we have frequently mentioned in paul's epistles ( and also those of james and peter . ) whereby some forsook the christian assemblies , others apostatized from the faith of christ , against which the apostle warns the rest , hebrews , 10.23 . to the end of the chapter . others mixt christianity with judaism ( which was tollerated ) lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of christ , gal. 6.12 . altho those sanguinary laws and bloody persecutions that followed , had not as yet fallen on them , as heb. 12.4 . shews , where the apostle saith , ye have not yet resisted unto blood. for these were begun by nero , about the seventh or eighth year of his reign . i suppose , before the conflagration at rome ( usually reckoned the tenth ) but for these , see the several notes on c. 2. of lactantius , de mortibus persecutorum . domitian about thirteen years after nero is made emperor , who in cruelty surpast him : taking pleasure in beholding those in torments , nor sparing some of his nearest relations . confirmatissimam toto orbe christi ecclesiam , datis ubique crudelissimae persecutionis edictis , convellere ausus est universali persecutione . saith orosius l. 7. c. 7. that is , he adventured to pluck up by the roots the church of christ , that was most firmly settled in the whole world , by universal persecution , edicts for most cruel persecutions every where being given out by him . so that how privately soever the christians kept their assemblies , most of their pastors were forced to fly , according to the verse of that time. vrbibus antiqui patres fugêre relictis . the ancient fathers leaving the cities fled . trajan about a year and four months after domitian , follows in the empire , under whom the third general persecution is reckoned . for that many christians suffer'd under him , by his governours executing the laws against them is manifest . for , suidas saith , tyberianus the president of syria writ him word , se non esse parem christianis occidendis , eo quod ultro illi se neci offerrent . that he was not able , or sufficient for killing the christians , because of their own accord , they offered themselves to death . and pliny his proconsul in bithynia , after he had put many to death , affrighted with their multitude , consulted the emperor what was to be done with them , in that excellent epistle to trajan , l. 10. epist . 98. ( mentioned by tertul. in apol. eusebius and others ) which i shall not transcribe , being in most mens hands . only let me observe , that so severe was the persecution , that many for fear , denied they were christians , tho' they had been they confest , but had forsaken it , some of them ante plures annos many years before ; and that after he had forbidden their societies , according to the emperors command , they had forborn them ; and having faithfully declared , their manner of worship , and innocency of life ; yet trajan answers him , they should not be sought after , but connived at , except they were accused and convicted , and then if they persisted , they should be punished . conquirendi non sunt : si deferantur , & arguantur , puniendi sunt , by which occasion , saith eusebius , l. 3. hist . c. 33. plurimi ex fidelibus multiplicis martyrii certamen subjerunt . many of the christian suffered manifold martyrdom . and thus i have gone through the first age , and the times of all the apostles ; st. john who out-lived all the rest , till the third year of trajan ( as iraeneus and hierom affirm ) and dyed 100. or more years of old age. from what 's said , let any impartial man judge , if in the apostles times as well as ever since , the christians had such places for worship , as our adversaries contend for . i design not a history , and therefore shall not proceed to the general persecutions that follows in the second and third century , which together with the former , are generally counted ten ( tho' differently reckoned ) that they may answer the ten plagues of egypt , but by some twelve in number . in regard 't is needless ; so many having related them at large , eusebius especially , at whose torch most after him light their candles . and in our own language , fox in the beginning of his martyrology . i shall only request , the considering the history of those general persecutions in the roman empire ; and it will appear , that tho' they were not continual , yet the christians in the first ages had not any long time of repose , tho' some lucid intervals sometimes , when the affairs of the empire were disturbed and turbulent , ( as is usual we know by modern examples ) especially from commodus to severus , and from severus to decius . so that it was the wonderful work of god , and power of his grace , that carried on the work of the gospel , against all opposition ; and let the world see how vain the attempts of men were , against what gods hand and counsel determined before should come to pass . as tertul . in c. 5. apolog. cruciate , torquete , damnate , atterite nos — . plures efficimur quoties metimur à vobis . semen est sanguis christianorum , torment , torture , condemn , break us to pieces . the oftner we are mowen down by you , the more we are made . the blood of christians , is the seed of the church . and because some pretend , the good nature of some of the emperors , and their peaceable reigns : it is not denied , that some were far better , comparatively than others , as nerva , domitians successor , who recalled those he had banished , as john the evangelist , with many others , and acquitted the christians from the rigour of the laws . but alas ! this was but a short breathing time , he having reigned but four months and nine days above a year ; so that it 's scarce accounted ; nor some that were longer , no nor any , as the effect of their clemency , but reason of state , and their being imbarrest in other affairs , or imbroiled in wars . for this we have theodoret's evident testimony , hist . l. 1. c. 38. quotquot imperatores ante constantinum m. regnarunt , contra veritatis professores insana rabie furere non desierunt . all the emperors that reigned before constantine the great , ceased not with mad fury to rage against the professors of the truth . so that we may conclude , there was no trusting to their friendship , or favour , further than their temporal interest , and their own safety , and security of the government were concerned . and therefore small opportunity or incouragement for christians injoying any publick places for worship constantly , much less for building any such . sect . 12. here occurs an objection , made against the greatness and cruelty of these persecutions , by reason of the paucity of the martyrs comparatively , with the common opinion of their great multitudes . which is especially managed , by my old friend , the learned mr. dodwel , in 's xi . dissertation on cyprian . but in this he seems not only singular , but to found his opinion upon a false foundation ; that because we find not so many mention'd in antiquity , therefore they were fewer , than we commonly account them . for some presidents of provinces prohibited the reserving the records of the martyrs tryals : and most of those that were recorded , and remained to the times of christian emperors ; afterwards by the irruption of the barbarous nations into the empire , were lost . so that we have little more than what eusebius had gather'd up , and published , in 's ecclesiastical history , and more particularly in two books of the martyrs ; the former a collection of the ancient martyrs , which is lost . the latter of those of palastine that had suffered in his time. besides , 't is observable , that great numbers were slain , both by the magistrates and people without any formal process of law , and so could not be taken notice of . propter confessionem torquetis . causa non judicata supplicia infertis , saith justin in 's apology , vpon our confession you torment us . no judgment being given of the cause , you punish us . and to the same purpose , tertul. in apologet. c. 37. the governours of cities and provinces , being stir'd up by the priests and people ; made no great difficulty many times , to sacrifice them to the popular fury . for things being carried often by tumults , many were slain quasi jure belli , as if it were in war , sometimes 10 , 20 , 30 , 60 , and sometimes 100 , men and women with their little ones were massacred in a day , as eusebius tells us , l. 3. c. 33. and l. 4. c. 8. and l. 8. c. 9. of his history . insomuch that the emperors were forced to give orders for restaining them , as hadrian ne quis posthac sine objectu criminis & legitima accusatione condemnaretur . let none hereafter be condemned without setting forth the crime , and a legal accusation . nor are we to reckon the persecutions , or number of martyrs , by the emperors edicts ; for 't is evident , the roman rulers and governors , waited not for any such decrees , but when any were accused , they tryed , condemn'd and executed them , according to the laws made against them . this is evident by pliny's proceeding , when he was proconsul in pontus and bithynia , without trajans order . yea , under some of the emperors that more favour'd the christians , as alexander severus , through his mother mammea's perswasions , though they emitted no edicts for prohibiting their persecution , many martyrs suffered in their reigns . but this question relating to matter of fact , cannot be determined otherwise , than by having recourse to the historians and ancient fathers that have written of those times . which whosoever peruseth , may soon see that vast army of glorious martyrs , which may astonish him , and sill him with admiration of their christian fortitude , under such direful sufferings as they underwent . it would be endless to recite their sayings , for the great number of martyrs . in the third general persecution there were innumerable martyrs . the menologia graecorum say , decem millia christianorum in monte ararat cruci suffixa sub trajano . that there were ten thousand christians crucified under the reign of trajan in the mountain of ararat . in the fourth under adrian , passim martyrum millena , there were frequently thousands of martyrs . and so in the following , many thousands in the general , are reckon'd by several authors . chytraeus in 's historical kalender , reports from the fore-mention'd menology , 28 decembris bis decem millia martyrum in nicomedia ustorum , that on the 28th of december twenty thousand were burnt in nicomedia . and if so many on one day , what numbers in so many years ? and if so many in one place , how great must the number be in all places ? but we must not stay upon particulars . euseb . l. 5. saith under the emperor antoninus , innumerabiles prope martyres per universum orbem enituisse ; that martyrs almost innumerable , were famous throughout the world. and if in the fifth persecution ( as that 's usually reckon'd ) alone , were so many , what were there in all the ten or twelve ? prudentius hymno xi . l. de coronis , saith , in●u●eros martyres ; rome ignoros fuisse ; that there were innumerable unknown martyrs at rome ; and if at rome alone , what in the whole empire ? and of them all cyprian saith , l. de exhort . ad martyr . non posse numerari martyres christianos novi testamenti ; that the christian martyrs of the new testament cannot be numbred . and st. augustin often in 's sermons de temp. mentions the millia martyrum , thousands of martyrs : and tract . 113. in joh. innumerabiles , innumerable . i shall only further recite what fox , l. 1. p. 44. saith from an ancient author , hierom or heliodorus , where he makes this calculation . nullus esset dies , qui non ultra quinque millium numerum martyrum , reperiri posset ascriptus , excepto die calendarum januarii , i. e. there is no day in the whole year , unto which more than the number of five thousand martyrs cannot be ascribed , except only the first of january . which by computation amounts to a million and eight hundred twenty five thousand . to animadvert on dodwels dissertation , is not necessary ; in regard the considerations laid down in the tenth section , with what is here added , i suppose sufficient . if any desire further satisfaction , i must refer them to such authors , as have industriously answered him . as monsr . jaquelot , in french , dissertation , 4. c. 5. in the general . pagius in critica baroniana , frequently in several places . mabellonius in itinere italico . and the notes of several on lactantius de mortibus persecutorum . but especially , theodor. ruinartius in praefatione ad acta martyrum , most particularly . to conclude this discourse of the primitive persecutions , i shall likewise refer the reader to such as have more largely treated thereof , besides those formerly mention'd . lactantius de mortibus persecutorum cum notis variorum . ultrajecti , 1693. 8vo . meisnerus de persecutionibus & martyriis christianorum veterum . witteb . 1654. 4to . gerhardi vossii commentarius in epist . plinii & edicta , caes . r. adversus christianos , amsterd . 1654. christ . cortholtius de persecutionibus ecclesiae primirivae sub impp. ethnicis , deque veterum christianorum cruciatibus . jenae . 1660. 8vo . a table of whose several sorts of torments , may also be seen in fox's martyrology . sect . 13. we shall now proceed , to confirm our opinion , by producing undeniable testimonies , from approved ancient authors , such especially as writ apologies for the christians against the gentiles . wherein they plead for those of former ages , as well as their own ; and in all places , as well as where they lived ; though especially where their enemies endeavoured to defame their holy profession . 1. minutius felix , who flourished as dodwel thinks about the end of m. antoninus's reign ; but bellarmine , under alex. severus , or about a. d. 206. and baldwin yet later . however cecilius the heathen objects , cur occultare & abscondere , quicquid illud colunt , magnopere nituntur ? cum honesta semper publico gaudeant , scelera , secreta sint ? cur nullas aras habent , templa nulla , nulla nota simulachra ? why the christians greatly endeavour to keep secret and hide , that they worship : seeing honest things may rejoice to be publick , but wicked things would be kept secret ? why they have no altars , no temples , nor known images ? to which octavius the christian replies , by way of concession , think ye that we hide that we worship , if we have no temples or altars ? what image shall i make of god , since man is his image ? what temple shall i build for him , seeing the whole world made by him cannot contain him ? concluding it better . he be set up in our minds and hallowed in our hearts . 2. origen , who flourished by bellarmin's account , about the year 226. in his excellent book against celsus , the epicurean philosopher . which he wrote at above sixty years of age , as euseb . saith l. 6. c. 36. therefore a. d. 245. having been born , 185. wherein celsus objects in the end of l. 7. that the christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , could not indure to see the temples , altars , and statues , and l. 8. p. 389 , 390 , and 391. of the cambridge edition , objects the same . to which origen replies , that the christians had for altars spiritual minds , and prayers out of a pure conscience for incense . for statues , the image of god their maker ; and temples agreeable to these ; holy bodies , and the most excellent temple of all , the body of christ , john 2.19 , 22. 1 pet. 2.5 . isa . 54.11 , 12. not regarding liveless and sensless temples , which sensless men admire : because taught to shun those counterfeit religions , which make all those impious , that depart from the religion of jesus christ , who is the way , the truth and the life . by which some might think , origen thought it unlawful to worship god in a temple , as when he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . we avoid to build liveless and dead temples to him that is the bestower of all life . but origen hath no such meaning , as the series of his discourse shews : but that wheresoever righteous persons are found , that offer up vows and prayers to god from a pure mind and conscience , there god is worshipped after the best manner , whether within a temple , or without , elsewhere . and lil. giraldus in 's hist . deorum syntagm . 1. commends this as a most acute discourse in origen . for , whereas the pagans thought they performed , a great piece of service and worship to god , by building temples to him : this origen opposeth , because a temple is a sensless or a liveless thing , and contributes nothing to the pleasing of god in his worship . our saviour and his apostles , having by word and prayers , worshipped god as acceptably often in the open air , as in the temple of jerusalem . so that hitherto the christians had no publick places of worship , but only in private , may be rationally concluded . 3. arnobius , who flourished by bellarmin's account about a. d. 285. or as other later , brings in the gentiles objecting against the christians as the greatest crime , that they had no temples , altars , nor images ; and answers not by denial , but granting what they said ; and for temples , in cujus rei necessitatem , aut dicitis esse constructa , aut esse ●ursus aedificanda censetis ? what necessity think you doth urge men to build them , or after they are pulled down , to repair and restore them ? see his reasons for the christians forbearing to build them temples , l. 6. he shews that temples were not necessary , though convenient for their religion . therefore when they had liberty , they built them oratories , in the third century , which were now demolished by dioclesian . for the christians in all times , and places of the empire , understood very well , that it was in the emperors power to pull down , whatsoever they built , whensoever they pleased . and therefore if their religion depended on temples or structures ( as the religion of the heathens did , who as lactant. saith l. 5. c. 19. found it all there , and left it there ) they had been in an ill case . if they have but a private house , or room , as our saviour when he instituted the sacrament of his body and blood , or the disciples met in at troas , their service is as acceptable to god , as if performed in a temple as glorious as solomons . and this is the meaning of arnobius , when he saith , neque aedes sacras ad venerationis officia extruamus , they did not build temples , to perform off●ces of worship . for that god is equally served , honoured , and worshipped , as well without temples as in them : which clemens alexandrinus , eusebius , athanasius , &c. have often asserted and proved . 4. lactantius , arnobius's schollar , condemns the gentiles for their temples , altars , and images . quid sibi templa , quid arae volunt ? quid denique ipsa simulachra ? what means your temples , altars , and images ? in his instit . l. 6. c. 25. non templa illi congestis in altitudinem saxis extruenda sunt : in suo cuique consecrandus est pectore . temples are not to be built to god , of stones raised on heighth , every one ought to consecrate him in his own bre●st so again , si deus non videtur , ergo his rebus coli debet quae non videntur . if god be invisible , he is to be worshipped with such things as cannot be seen . from these ancients , it appears , the primitive christians held it as a thing indifferent , as to the acceptableness of their worship to god , whether they performed it in temples , or without : and that gods worship being meerly of a spiritual nature , the place though never so magnificent and glorious , contributed nothing thereto : which was directly opposite to the opinion the heathen had of temples . and secondly , the gentiles objections against christians , shews that they had no temples in the days of minutius felix , and origen . for we deny not , that there were churches or houses of divine worship in arnobius or lactantius's time , who lived in the end of the third or beginning of the fourth century . for they both acknowledge them , though but in some places ( it being improbable that christians in all places had them ) lactan. l. 4. mentions a conventicle pull'd down , and l. 5. c. 21. of one burnt in phrygia with all the people therein . and l. 5. c. 2. of a temple of god demolished . for about his time , in the f●urth century , begun the christians to use the word temple , for the place of christian assemblies : which formerly , to distinguish them from the gentiles temples they called , oratories , assemblies , congregations , collects or gatherings together , churches , and sometimes also stations ; as bellarmin , and vedelius , formerly mention'd ; and bauldrus in 's notes on lactantius , de mortibus persecutorum , and spanhem have shewn . nor say we , that lactantius taxed the heathens barely for their buildings ; but for their error , in thinking , god was better served in temples than without : and that the more glorious they were , their service was more grateful to god. whereas the christian religion , tota in animo colentis est , is all in the mind of the worshipper . and this appears all along in his book , l. 2. c. 6. l. 5. c. 19. and l. 6. c. 1. and 25. also chrysostom , homil. 36. on 1 corinth . saith , that in the apostle's days , houses were churches , meaning private houses no doubt . and isidore pelusiota his schollar is very plain and positive , l. 2. epist . 246. that in the time of the apostles , when the church abounded with the graces of the spirit , and holiness of life , there were no temples , though ours now are adorned more than is meet . and having distinguished between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the church , and the place , as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the sacrifice and altar , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the councel , and place of their convention ; concludes that in the apostle's times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , there were no artificial churches . these with other of the ancients , are followed by many of the learned in after ages . gerhard the glory of the lutherans for learning , c. 2. § . 9. de ecclesia , saith , ex actis apostolicis , & seriptoribus vetustioribus constat , quod christiani . apostolorum tempore nondum habuerunt publica templa , sed in privatis domibus convenerunt . that 't is manifest from the acts of the apostles , and ancient writers , that the christians had no publick temples in the apostles time , but met in private houses . the learned jesuit justinian , in 's excellent comments on the epistles on 1 cor. 11.18 . saith , the christian assemblies were first in privatis domibus in private houses ; afterwards in oratoriis & ecclesiis , in oratories and churches : plainly distinguishing oratories from private houses , and shews by reason of persecution , they met very often in vaults , and burying-places . our renowned bishop pearson in 's comment on the creed , p. 337. having said acts 11.26 . and 1 cor. 11.18 . seem to take the church for the place , in the following page saith , it s not certain the apostle uses them in that sense , nor that there were any houses set apart for the worship of god , in the apostles times , which then could be called by the name of churches . and that the primitive christians thus continued , without publick oratories or churches , is concluded by vedelius in ignat. vltra ducentissimum annum , nullum oratoriorum publicorum vestigium apparet : that there 's no footsteps in antiquity of any publick places of worship for above the first two hundred years after christ : and upon the same grounds spanhemius in hist . saeculo 2d o. that templa adhuc christianis nulla , ex silentio veterum & conditione temporum liquet , &c. that the christians had no temples in the second century is apparent , from the ancient writers making no mention of any , and the condition of those times , by reason of persecution . so also cuperus in 's ep. ad p. voet. amongst the notes on lactantius de mortibus persecutorum . i shall add no more testimonies for this , that the christians had not any publick places to assemble in from the times of the apostles and ever after , as our adversaries affirm ; having shewn the opinions of clem. alexandrinus , eusebius and others , concerning temples in my first dissertation . but proceed to the third thing proposed , which will further clear this controversie : in shewing , what time , and in what kind of places they assembled , during their persecution under the heathens . sect . 14. first , how careful the primitive christians were , of keeping their assemblies for the worship of god , as private as possible ; appears by their holding them frequently in the night , of which we have unquestionable witnesses . pliny in 's ep. to trajan , writes se de sacris corum nihil aliud comperisse , quam caetus antelucanos , &c. that he found nothing concerning their religious worship , but that they held their meetings , in the night before day-light , wherein they sung hymns to christ as god , &c. the same is recorded in tertullian's apol. c. 2. euseb . hist . l. 3. c. 32. and hiecrom in chron. euseb . gerh. vossius in 's comment on the foremention'd epistle saith , it was necessary for them so to assemble in the night , because of the continual persecution they were under , persecutio totis sae●●lis duravit , ut passim necesse fuerit conveniri noctu . tertullian , l. 2. ad vxorem , disswading her from marrying an infidel , brings this as one argument , that he would not willingly suffer her to leave him in bed , to frequent the nocturnal assemblies of christians , if it were needful . quis nocturnis convocationibus , si ita oportuerit , à latere suo eximi libenter feret ? and the learned heraldus in 's notes on tertullian , de corona militis , saith , that the christians often assembled in the night , saepius noctu congregatos . and so do several others : whence the learned derive that ceremony , of burning wax candles before the shrines of saints even in the day time ( as is usual in all the popish . countries ) to retain that custom of the primitive christians , who in times of persecution met in the night , and usually in the burying places of the deceased christians . secondly , let us consider what kind of places , the primitive christians held their assemblies in , for worship : and we shall find them the privatest possible , that they might not be discovered . so that celsus p. 4 , and 5. in origen , makes this his very first objection against the christians in general , and not of that time only , that they held their meetings in private and obscure places . the which none ever doubted of or denied , that are not strangers in ecclesiastical history or antiquity ; wherein this is so frequently mentioned . alexander hales writes of the whole time in general , related by g. biel on the canon of the mass , lect. 13. ab episcopatu petri apostoli , usque ad tempus sylvestri , &c. that from peter to sylvester persecution raging , the episcopal station of the bishop of rome was uncertain : but wheresoever the present necessity constrained them to be , whether in vaults under-ground , or the houses of christians , or what other places soever ; there they celebrated mass upon an altar of wood , made hollow like an ark , which was carried by the priests to the place , wheresoever tho bishop of rome lay hid . and hierom on 40. chap. of ezekiel describes those vaults , which they often made their meeting-places , dum essem romae puer , &c. when i was a youth at rome , and instructed in liberal studies , it was my custom with others of the same age and profession , on the lords days to visit the sepulchres of the apostles and martyrs , and often to enter into the vaults , which were digged deep in the earth ; wherein were on each side as we went , the bodies of dead men buried . and all places there were so dark , that it might well be said of them , according to that of the prophet , the living go down into hell. and rarely light was let in from above , to qualifie the horror of the darkness , through a hole rather than a window . and again , going on foot by foot , and being compassed about with dark night , we are minded of that which virgil saith , horror ubique animos , simul ipsa silentia terrent . horror on every side , and silence therewithal affrights mens minds . a like description of these vaults where tho christians met , we have in prudentius his 11th hymn , in excellent verses , but too many to be here inserted . not that these burying-places were peculiar to the martyrs ; for other christians were also buried there , though not in the same graves , till under christian emperors , churches were erected in cities , into which the martyrs bodies were brought from without , and superstition prevailed to make them the common burying-places : which many learned men both papists and protestants have written against , and shewn how injurious 't is to the health of the living , with many other reasons ; but the tyrant custom hath always conquer'd the strongest arguments . nor when they met in such places , was it for their worshipping the reliques of the martyrs , as the papists thence infer : but ( besides their privacy , being remote from their cities , ) for the preserving their memories fresher in their minds , and by their examples be excited to constancy in the faith , and suffering martyrdom . and though onuphrius de caemiteriis , maintains , that structures were made for worship in these burial-places ; and hospinian grants it came to that at length ; yet were they but sacella , or chappels under-ground ; as platina tells us in the life of calixtus , who having said he did not believe that famous and large church which alexander the son of mammaea ( who began his reign , a. d. 225. according to baronius ) had granted the christians , to be the same , with that which calixtus was said to have built , on the other side of tiber , he gives this reason , cun●…a tempestate , ob crebras persecutiones , occulta essent omnia , & sacella potius , atque eadem abdita , & plerumque subterranea , quam apertis in locis & publicis fierent . for in those days , by reason of frequent persecutions , all things were carried secretly : and they had chappels rather , and those hidden , and for the most part under-ground , than in open and publick places . which last words are also recited by pol. virgil. if any desire further satisfaction , concerning the primitive christians meeting in those burial-places : he may find it in kercher's roma subterranea , l. 1. c. 2. de coemeteriis . but though these places after some time , and martyrdom under nero and following emperors , were used more especially by the christians , as appears by the edict of decius , nec usquam omnino vel vobis , vel aliis quibusque potestas erit aut celebrandi conventus , aut in ea quae coemeteria appellantur ingredi ; thus the christians in alexandria , and all others were prohibited their meetings , or entering into the coemiteries particularly . as also by the edict of valerian , whereby all their assemblies being strictly prohibited , these places in special were forbidden them ; and as gallienus his son by his rescript graciously restored the places of worship in general : so by another these coemeteries in special , euseb . hist . l. 7. yet as necessity required , by reason of persecution , their meetings in these places , being found out and known by the heathens , they met elsewhere some times in one place , and some times in another , as in woods , caves , mountains , &c. when they could not in private houses , that they might not be discovered . our learned hooker in 's fifth book of eccles . pol. § . 11. hath a short , but very comprehensive passage for this . the church of christ ( saith he ) which was in jerusalem , and hold that profession , which had not , the publick allowance , and countenance of authority , could not so long use the exercise of christian religion , but in private only . and as god gave increase to his church ; they sought out both there , and abroad for that purpose , not the sittest ( for so the times would not suffer them to do ) but the safest places they could . in process of time , some whiles by sufferance , some whiles by special leave and favour , they began to erect to themselves oratories . thus hilary also in his book against the arrians and auxentius , speaking of christians in the apostles days , affirms that they were , per caenacula & secreta coenutes , such as had their meetings in chambers , and secret places . afterwards most commonly in caemiteriis & cryptis , in subterraneous vaults . and in the time of his banishment warns them to whom he writes , to beware of antichrist , for you are unhappily taken with the love of walls , you do not well in venerating the church of god for structures and edifices : is it doubtful that antichrist shall sit in these ? montes mihi & sylvae , & lacus , & carceres & vordgines tutiores sunt , &c. mountains and woods , and lakes , and prisons , and gulfs , are more safe to me . for in these , the prophets either abiding or drowned , have prophesied by the spirit of god , and walafudus strabo to the same purpose , whose words we recited in ninth section , page 40. so polid. virgil , a good antiquary in 's book de inventione rerum , l. 5. c. 6. affirms that , à christi ascensu , ad dioclesianum & maximianum , toto fere temporis intervallo tantum aberat , ut aliquod templum à christianis , publicè aedificaretur ; ut etiam ommia essent occulta & sacella potius , atque etiam abdita , & plerumque subterranea quàm apertis in locis ac publicis fierent . that from christs ascension to dioclesian and maximianus , for that whole interval of time almost , the christians were so far from building any temple in publick , that all things were kept secret : and chappels rather , and those also hidden , and for the most part under-ground , than in open and publick places . though he thinks it credible , where the fury of persecuting tyrants reached not , the apostles might consecrate some temples , as matthew in aethiopia , bartholomew in india , and andrew in scythia , and james at jerusalem . but these are but this conjectures ( for which he brings no proof in founded upon the piety of the apostles , who always imployed their utmost power to propogate religion amongst all nations . for : we no where find that any of the apostles required the erecting of structures for worship , or consecrating any for that end : nor the least signification , that without such , religion could not be propogated . and the renowned sir h. spelman , p. 70. de non temevandis ecclesiis , having mentioned the consecration of churches in constantines time , adds , that the christians being in elder ages in persecution , might hardly build or dedicate any churches ; but were constrained to use private houses , and solitary places for their assemblies . the learned mr. robert cook viccar of leeds in 's censura quor . script . shews dionysius works to be counterfeit , because he mentions several things , and particularly stately temples , after the manner of that at jerusalem , having their sancta sanctorum divided from the rest , into which it was not lawful for the monks and lay people to enter . whereas there were no such things in those days , saith cook , but christians met together after the manner of the apostles , acts 1.13 . and 12.12 . and 20.8 . in private and secret places , and there had their prayers and sermons : publick temples they had none by reason of tyrants . i might bring in the like attestations from our famous jewel article 3. p. 145. willet's synopsis papismi , sixth general controversie , quest . 6. with several others : but i shall conclude all with the testimony of a great historian yet living ( of whose acquaintance and friendship i have the honour to partake ) viz , dr. spanhem the honorary professor at leyden , who in 's learned and useful ecclesiastical hist . of the new testament saith , loca sacrorum conventuum fuere saeculo secundo , partim aedes privatorum , caenacula , balnea , porticus , cryptae , loca abdita . partim caemeteria seu sepulchreta martyrum ad quae conventus indicerent , zelo accendendo , his constantiae exemplis . the places of the christians meetings in the second century , were partly private houses , dining rooms , baths , galleries , vaults , and secret places : partly burial-places or sepulchres of the martyre , which they appointed their meetings , for the inflaming their zeal , by those examples of constancy . and afterwards shews , the manner of notifying their conventions , was by their servants from house to house : for as yet neither the beating of wood , nor sound of bells , or brass , or voice of cryers were used for , this end , lost their assemblies should be known to the heathens . in the third century , whether the christians had any temples or churches dedicated or consecrated by sacred and christian rites is , saith he , a controversie amongst the learned . pol. virgil , durantus , baronius , bellarminus , ciaconius and valcsius affirm it . and of ours also wower , fuller , selden and others . that churches are frequently mentioned in this age , is out of doubt : at nec temptorum illis aut nomen , aut forma , aut splendor , aut species quaedam . aedes fuere privatorum , domus , caenacula , sed plorumque caemeteria , cryptae spatiosissimae , quas areas martyrum dixere ; etiam latibula , stabula , oremi , carceres , agri ex antiquis scripporibus , & ox conditione temporum , saeviente ut plurimum persecutions . quanquam sub . al. severo , & philippis , & gallieno , conveniendi libertas christianis major . hinc nulla esse christianis templa . quae memorantur templa , tituli , consecrationum ritus sacerdotales , à baronio , ciaconio , fr. bivario , aliis ; ea ex apocryphis decretalibus , ex pontific . vitis , ex flavii dextri chronico supposititio , id genus fontibus lutulentis hausta . but they had neither the name , nor form , nor splendor , nor shape or kind of temples . they were the dwellings of private persons , houses , dining-rooms , and for the most part burying-places , very spacious vaults , which they called the floors of the martyrs : also lurking-places , stables , wildernesses , prisons , fields , as from ancient writers , and the condition of those times is manifest , persecution then for the most part raging . allthough under al. sevetus , the philips , and gallienus , greater liberty was given for christian assemblies . hence we conclude , the christians yet had no temples . those temples , titles , and sacerdotal rites of consecration , mentioned by baronius , ciaconius , fr. bivarius , and others ; are all taken from the apocryphal decretals , the lives of the popes , and the supposititious chronicle of flavius dexter , and such like impure fountains . thus far that learned professor . to draw up all in a short conclusion . we read in eusebius of the christians building publick oratories after deeius and valerians days , not of any built before . these were by publick decrees , commanded to be pulled down by dioclesian and maximus , and not long after restored by consiantine . those formerly taken from the christians by decius and valerian , were expressed to be caemeteria places of burial in which they had their cryptae or vaults under-ground , formerly represented . so that for separate and publick places for worship , for two hundred years and more after christs . nativity , we have no records in approved history . finis . a catalogue of books sold by thomas parkhurst , at the bible and three crowns , in cheap-side near mercers-ckappel . the fountain of life open'd , or a display of christ in his essential and mediatorial glory ; containing forty two sermons on varions texts . wherein the impetration of our redemption by jesus christ is orderly unfolded , as it was begun , carried on , and finished by his covenant transaction , mysterious incarnation , solemn call and dedication , blessed offices , deep abasement and supereminent advancement . a treatise of the soul of man , wherein the divine original , excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened ; its love and inclination to the body , with the necessity of its separation from it , consider'd and improved . the existence , operations and states of separated souls both in heaven and hell immediately after death , asserted , discussed , and variously applied . divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls both philosophical and theological , stated and determin'd . the method of grace in bringing home the eternal redemption , contrived by the father , and accomplished by the son , through the effectual application of the spirit unto gods elect being the second part of gospel-redemption . the divine conduct or mystery of providence , its being and efficacy asserted and vindicated . all the methods of providence in our course of life open'd , with directions how to apply and improve them . navigation spiritualiz'd , or a new compass for seamen , consisting of thirty two points of pleasant observations , profitable applications , serious reflections , all concluded with so many spiritual poems , &c. two treatises , the first of fear , the second the righteous mans refuge in the evil day . a saint indeed , the great work of a christian . a touchstone of sincerity , or signs of grace , and symptoms of hypocrisie , being the second part of the saint indeed . a token for mourners , or boundaries for sorrow for the death of friends . husbandry spiritualiz'd : or the heavenly use of earthly things . all these ten by mr. john flavel . a funeral sermon on the death of that pious gentlewoman mrs. judith hammond , late wife of the reverend mr. george hammond , minister of the gospel in london . of thoughtfulness for the morrow . with an appendix concerning the immoderate desire of foreknowing things to come . of charity in reference to other mens sins . the redeemer's tears wept over lost souls , in a treatise on luke 19.41 , 42. . with an appendix , wherein somewhat is occasionally discoursed concerning the sin against the holy ghost , and how god is said to will the salvation of them that perish . a sermon directing what we are to do after a strict enquiry whether or no we truly love god. these five by mr. john howe . quadriga salutis, or, the four general heads of christian religion surveyed and explained ... with some few annotations annexed at the latter end. powell, thomas, 1608-1660. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a55565 of text r13515 in the english short title catalog (wing p3073). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 184 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 79 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a55565 wing p3073 estc r13515 12254959 ocm 12254959 57360 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a55565) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 57360) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 157:11) quadriga salutis, or, the four general heads of christian religion surveyed and explained ... with some few annotations annexed at the latter end. powell, thomas, 1608-1660. [28], 126 p. printed by sarah griffin for philip chetwind, london : 1657. written by thomas powell. cf. bm. reproduction of original in british library. eng church history -17th century. christianity -early works to 1800. a55565 r13515 (wing p3073). civilwar no quadriga salutis. or the four general heads of christian religion surveyed, and explained 1. first, in aphorisms or positive maxims. 2. seco powell, thomas 1657 31632 210 180 0 0 0 0 123 f the rate of 123 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the f category of texts with 100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 2003-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-06 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-02 ben griffin sampled and proofread 2005-02 ben griffin text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion qvadriga salvtis . or the four general heads of christian religion surveyed , and explained 1. first , in aphorisms or positive maxims . 2. secondly , resolved into questions and answers . with some few annotations annexed at the latter end . ita doce , ut cum dicus novè , non dicas nova . vincent : lirinen . commonitor . cap. 27 london , printed by sarah griffin , for philip chetwind , 1657. to the honorable and my worthily honored lady , the lady eleonor williams , of gwerneuet . it is the advice of one of the greek orators , that we should dedicate temples to the gods , and books to them that are like them , that is , to persons of honor and vertue . madam , we build no temples , but if we can contribute any thing towards the temple of god to repair the ruins thereof , it is the highest point of our ambition and hopes . this small treatise which is designed to that end , you have a double right in . 1. by the general obligation you have upon the author , whose best of services and endeavours , you may justly lay claim unto , by the constant favours , wherewith you have cherished him ( for many years ) through all the sceans of fortune : when the countenances of others were shut up and wrapt in clouds and darkness towards him , yours was alwaies open and serene ; whereby you gave a silent testimony to his innocency , and raised up his spirits when they were at their lowest dejection and abatement . 2. by a particular interest you have in this work , which you ( with some of your neerest and dearest relations ) have with a propitious hand promoted towards the press , especially the counter-part of it , whereby if our countrey-men shall reap any benefit ( which is my hearty wish ) they must bless god and you for it . it is my joy , and it will be your crown , that you and your children like that elect lady ( in st. john ) and her children , do walk in the truth and persevere therein , in these daies of apostasie : in this hour of temptation which is come upon all this kingdom , to try them that dwell therein . the principles which are here treated of , and upon which , your faith is grounded and your eternal hope is built , have been your ballast and anchor-hold , to keep you firm and stedfast in the day of your temptation , when you were beset with two contrary winds , one that would have fill'd your sailes for rome , and the other that would have hurried you a clean contrary way to the other extreme , for some spirits know no mediocrity or moderation . but by the strength of your own judgment and education , and by vertue of these catholick principles of the christian faith , which you imbibed in your younger years instead of romances , you have been able ( through god ) to defeat the designs and to withstand the suggestions of those that thought to lead you away captive , as easily as the first tempter did her , that was the first of sex . in the strength of the lord hold on your course , and finish your race , and hold fast your crown , that no man take it from you . madam , i am infinitely engaged to all the fair issue of your body , and since i cannot requite their kindness severally , i hope it will be some satisfaction of my debt and engagement that i pay this homage to you that are the fountain of them : as in ancient times , men payed certain rites and observances to the springs of those fair streams , which bathed their houses and watered their lands : magnorum fluminum capita veneramur , &c. indeed , so strong a pulse of gratitude beats in my breast , that if my power were equal to my will , i would erect a monument of brass to your memory , and unto all those , whose heroick charity durst look ( with favour ) upon the lords ministers in these sad and evil days : when some others ( of baser alloy ) would shun them , as things blasted , and would scarce speak with them , much less for them , or succor them , in the day of their distress , like that vulgar herd , in the poet : which follows fortune , ( t is their guise ) and men condemned , allwaies flies . but madam , you and yours are acted by nobler and more christian principles than these drossie and earthly things ; and i shall sooner meet with them that will envy , and secretly repine at this character , i give you , than such as will study to deserve the like ; though i shall never envy them the praise of well-doing , where-ever i shall find the least measure of desert . i do not know , whither i may live to finish a better piece than this , being long since taken away from the book , by secular cares and encumbrances , to make up the breaches of a ruinous fortune , seldom retiring within my self , and that but by snatches and broken intervals : i have therefore thought it best to record my gratitude upon these leaves rather than to leave the duty to future contingencies : and instead of a richer monument which i would erect to your vertues , i have shadowed forth my thoughts by an hieroglyphick or emblem in the ensuing page , which may chance last as long as some tombs of grosser materials , and serve to as good purpose . now the god of peace who brought again from the dead the lord jesus , the great shepherd of the sheep , make you perfect in every good work to do his will : until you have finished your course with joy , and be translated hence full of daies , honour , and contentment . madam , this is the hearty wish of him who doth unfeignedly pray for the wellfare and happiness of your whole family , even your ladyships ever engaged , tho. powell . i have delineated this tree in the precedent page , according to the description of benzo an italian , who spent 14 years in surveying the vast continent of america and the adjacent ilands . it grows in an iland called hierro or ferro , which is one of the canaries : there is no other tree in all the iland besides , neither any water to refresh the inhabitants but what this tree affords , the bowels of the countrey being iron , from whence it hath its name . it may be a fit emblem of a charitable person in an uncharitable countrey , and may have other fit and apposit applications . it is mentioned by sundry geographers and travellers , as hugh linschotten , petr : bertius in his description of the canaries : sir rich: hawkins in his navigations , and described by the excellent du bartas , thus , in the i le of iron , one of those same seven whereto our elders happy * name have given , the savage people never drink the streams of wells and rivers , as in other realms ; their drink is in the air , the gushing spring a weeping tree out of it self doth wring : a tree whose tender-bearded root doth spread in driest sand ; his sweaty leaf doth send a most sweet liquor : and like as the vine vntimely cut , weeps at her wound the wine in pearled drops , incessantly distills a royal stream , which all their cisterns fills . a preface . what books are abroad in the world , either of this kind or any other , i am but little acquainted with , of late times ; living remote from the kiriath-sephers , the common marts , and staples of such marchandises ; and being rendred both unable to buy and uncapable to employ them . yet my reason tells me , and it is the common voice and vote of divers others as i hear , that catechising is a very necessary expedient for the preservation of christian religion among us , and the most probable means , if not to recover the diseased from infection , yet to preserve the sound from being infected . the principal way of fortifying against false teachers , is to be well-grounded in the principles of true teaching , that is , of the doctrine of christ ; without which , men are like chaff , without any solid grain in them , which are soon blown away from the floor of the church ; and tossed to and fro , with every wind of vain doctrine , like a ship without ballast or anchor ; and like a building , that having no basis or foundation , is easily storm'd down , and demolished . and hence it is , that the master-builders of our sion ( who have spent much pains in the pulpit , yet ) because they have spent so little in foundation-work , have found that they did but aedificare in ruinam , and that all their labour was but lost in building . the smallest of gods creatures do often read lectures unto their master , man : the pismire reads a lecture of providence and industry : and the bee reads a lesson of wit and sagacity . for this wise little foul , when she goes abroad a forraging , and is ( perhaps ) surprised with windy-weather ; before she adventures back again , she takes up some gravel in her fangs , to balance her little body , and then she hoises sail , and steers her course home-wards , more stedily . — saepe lapillos ut cymbae instabiles , fluctu jactante , saburram tollunt , his sese per inania nubila librant . if men would learn the like providence , before they adventure forth in windy-weather , among the storms and counter-tydes of disputes and controversies in the world , as to take in the ballast of catholick principles which are here treated of , they would certainly hold their road and course with more safety , and less danger of making shipwrack of faith and a good conscience . they would not fluctuate like those unstable souls that optatus speaks of , inter licet nostrum et non licet vestrum , nutant & remigant populorum animae . for let the winds blow , and the waters flow , and the devil storm never so much , a well-principled christian knows how to steer his course , and where to rest and cast anchor . this is the benefit and advantage of catechistical exercises and of building up a christian methodically , from the foundation upward . such an edifice , being {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , an harmonious building ; the super-structure being cemented to the foundation , and the roof and covering being adapted to the super-structure , and all parts being framed and compacted according to the rule of proportion , is most like to last and bear up , and to prove storm-proof . now the subject matter of catechising ( as all know ) are the first principles of christian religion , which st. paul calls the elements , and the beginnings of the doctrine of christ . as there are principles in all sciences upon which the whole art depends , and upon which it is built as upon a foundation : so in this architectonical science , and the art of saving souls , there are certain principles which are of such moment and consequence , that he that hath not these , hath nothing ; he graspeth a cloud , his soul is empty , like a hungry man that dreameth he is eating , and loe , when he awaketh , he is empty . and the principles of this divine art , are these four : the creed , the commandments , the lord prayer , and the sacraments . these are the catholick principles of the catechism ( saith reverend perkins ) which have been agreed upon , ever since the apostles daies , by all churches of the world : these are fundatoria religionis , the foundations of that city that came down from heaven , which was four square ; these are the four elements that do constitute the christian faith ; the vials wherein the vital substance of religion consisteth . they are ( in brief ) the antient land-marks that have been settled since the foundation of christendom , and points that have been generally and universally received , wheresoever christ had a church ; being heyr-looms ( as it were ) and standing implements of the church from the beginng ; and descending down from age to age ( indisputably ) to the heirs of salvation . amidst all the garboils of the church when it hath been ( most ) torn with schi●ms and over-grovwn with the tares of heresie ; in those times , when it required some wit to be a christ●● , and to continue so , god reserved this seed unto his church and people , and preserved the vitals of christianity un-invaded , at least among most men , and in most parts of the world . true it is , that satans pioners have been busie ( in all ages ) with these foundations , and have turned up every stone in it yet that will not prejudice the universality of them , no more than some hills and vallies do perjudice the roundness of the earthly globe . so that , i may here fitly apply a piece of that remonstrance , which the renowned athanasius patriarch of alexandria ( together with the bishops under his patriarchate ) presented to the emperour jovinian , being newly advanced to the empire , to induce him to quit the arrian party and to embrace the orthodox faith . the confession of faith which we present unto your highness ( most sacred emperor ) is received by all the churches of god every where , as in spain , britain , france , italy , dalmatia , mysia , macedonia and all greece : by all the churches of africa , sardinia , cyprus , creet , pamphylia , lycia , isauria ; the churches of egypt , lybia , pontus , cappadocia , and the neighbouring regions of all the east , excepting some few of the arrian faction that do oppugn it , non tamen inde praejudicium fieri potest orbi universo : they are but as the dust of the ballance , and their paucity cannot prejudice the universal consent of the christian world , as bearing no proportion with it . i may say the same of these catholick principles that are handled in the ensuing pages : and therefore it is safe yea necessary to embrace , quod ab omnibus , quod ubique , & quod semper , &c. for there is nothing of this nature , that hath such an impress of universality , antiquity and consent upon it , that is not apostolical . for as the apostles , in all points that they preached , were unius labii , of one lip and language , though their bodies were far a sunder : so were the churches that were planted by them . they had all the same depositum , the same body of theology , form of doctrine , and system of saving and necessary truths , entrusted to them , which they also transmitted to the next generation , as faithfull trustees and depositaries , from whom they were handed over unto us , under the same trust and obligation of bequeathing them to our posterity , until christ himself cut off the entail . let none therefore over-look these things , or despise the day of small things , for by over-looking these , we have almost lost our religion : while we wander in vain fantasies , following after new notions , or new-nothings , chymical and chymerical divinity and such quelques-choses to please the fastidious and irregular appetites of this age , we are bewildred , like travellers that disdaigning the beaten and obvious road-waies , are alwaies seeking out short cuts and compendious traverses , till they be entangled in some thickets , and can hardly meet with the right way again . ardua dûm quaerunt , amittunt vera viaï . wherefore despise not ( i say ) these small things , without which , none ever came to be great , in solid and saving knowledge . god hangs great weights upon small wires : all religion hangs upon these few plain principles which are radical verities , from whence all others are extracted , as numbers from their rootes , and conclusions from their premisses . when the french called upon the english ( that came to the aid of henry the 4th . ) to hasten their slow march , one of the english commanders replyed : with this march , our forefathers did once over-run all france : we may say in like manner , that how meanly soever some may deem of these things , we know that by these waies and means the gospel marched over the world , the primitive christians won the field , subdued whole kingdoms unto christ , and at last , won heaven for themselves . by this means the protestants got ground of the papists , as the pope himself once did complain ; and divers * romanists have confessed that the protestants never used a more mischievous engine against rome than catechising ; and thereupon they fell to counter-work them by the same way , and fram'd catechisms of several sorts ; and surely if ever they get back of us that ground which they have lost , it will be ( as a reverend man hath long since premonished ) by this way , by their more exact care in requiring of this duty from the parochial ministers . i will preface no farther in this business , but advertise the christian reader that this synopsis was intended for an explanation of the church-catechism , and ( indeed ) to succeed it in the order and method of teaching : for this presupposeth the learning of the other , and the having it by heart before hand , as the {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , the milky way , which all children should first tread in , and learn to order their steps by . the romans caused their youth to learn the laws of the 12. tables by rote ; and why should not christian children learn that more excellent law of the two tables and the other heads of christian love in their tender years , when the memory is most receptive of good impressions , & most retentive of what is committed to it ? this ( indeed ) is fitted and set to the elevation of mens capacities at 12. and 13. years of age , when it begins to be day-breaks in their understandings in matters of this nature . a year or two will not serve to be discipulus catechismi , under the discipline of the catechist : this foundation-work will require more time & pains than so : let none make too much haste out of this lower form , till christ be formed in him , and until these prima fidei lineamenta , the first lines and traces of christ's face , be drawn upon the tablet of his mind . the variety and multiplicity of catechisms which i hear to be abroad , hath kept this ( a while ) under my wing : but at last i adventured it abroad , because i understand , there are but few of those fram'd according to the scheme of the church-catechism ; and another motive of the publication was , the counsel of a pious and learned father of the church , which was , that men should publish various tract● touching one and the same subject , that the same thing coming forth in various dresses , into mens hands , they might be reduced to read and affect them , one way or other . for sometimes the person of an author ( being familiarly known unto us ) invites us to read : sometimes a singular method , and sometimes neatness and elegancy of style , prefers a book to the readers acceptance . if any of these circumstances shall befriend this small piece , and procure it a favourable aspect from the christian peruser , i may hope of some good may be done by it . and god give a blessing to it , according to the sincerity of my intentions therein . and thine eares shall hear a word behind thee , saying : this is the way , walk ye in it , when ye turn to the right hand , and when ye turn unto the left . isa. 30.21 . young man , if thou wouldst christian be in truth , and in reality ; four things imprint upon thy mind whil'st it is tender ( yet ) and kind . 1. first learn the creed , that golden key of true belief , which lets in day . 2. the precepts next must be thy lore to guide thee safe from shore to shore . 'midst rocks of vices , and the sands which threat thy vessel on all hands . 3. then that most holy prayer take , which for thy use thy lord did make to teach thee to send fit desires , lest thou offend with foolish fires . 4. the sacraments in the last place with bended knees and heart embrace , the seals of thy redemption , and thy title to the holy-land : make use of these , if thou would'st fain that life which knows no death obtain . bis tria (1) sunt oranda tibi , credendaque , (2) bis sex : quae (3) peragenda , decem : (4) participanda , duo . of the creed . i. there are four general parts of christian religion , which are received and embraced of the whole church of god throughout the world , and do virtually contain the whole body of divinity : namely , the creed ; the commandments ; the lords prayer ; and the sacrament● . ii. as man was made after a differen● manner from other subluna●y creatures : so he was designed for a different end (a) , to weet eternal happiness after this life : for the attainment whereof , god hath shewed him what to do (b) , prescribed the means thereunto conducing , if he make use of them . iii. the means that god appointed unto man for to arrive at happiness , are chiefly these two . 1. to believe rightly in god . 2. to walk uprightly before him ; that is , according to his will and command , revealed in his word ; this is the whole duty of man . iv. the word wherein god declared his will , is the scripture , which is the authentick rule of faith and manners ; life & belief ; containing all points of necessary and saving truths to make the man of god perfect , and to carry him on to his designed end of happiness and glory . v. all the chief points of faith and right belief , and which are necessary of all men to be received ( to whom they are propounded ) are summed up in those 12. points or articles that are contained in the apostles creed : which creed is the key to all other doctrinal points of religion . vi . the patriarchs and servants of god in old time , were saved by the faith contained in this creed : every article thereof being revealed unto them , and to be sound ( dispersedly ) in the writings of moses (a) and the prophets : for as there was but one (b) church from the beginning of the world : so there was but one (c) faith , which is common to us and them , and to all that shall come after us . vii . of those twelve articles , some do concern god the father , as the first article : some concern god the son , as the six articles immediately following ; and some do concern god the holy ghost , as the eighth article . the four last , do set forth the state of the church , both in this world and in the nex● . viii . the article of christ's descent into hell may safely be understood and believed , either of these two waies . 1. that the soul of christ descended ( locally ) among the infernal spirits ; not to suffer , but to manifest the power of his godhead : which is the interpretation of the fathers , and divers eminent writers * of later age . 2. by descending into hell , no more is to be understood than that christ descended into the state of the dead , and was ( there ) continued for the space of three daies ; which is more generally received of the later writers . ix . to believe the holy catholick church , is to believe that among all the tribes (a) and nations of the world , god hath some chosen servants & a peculiar people , whom he hath taken (b) out for his name ; sanctified with his spirit (c) ; called unto the state of grace (d) ; and ordained unto eternal glory . x. to believe the communion of saints , is to believe that the saints and servants of god are knit ( by an invisible tye of faith and love ) to christ their head (a) ; and to each other , by common participation , and mutual communication of all good things , both spiritual and temporal , as if they were but one body , and were acted by one soul and spirit (b) . xi . to believe forgiveness of sins , is to believe that god doth freely pardon sin to penitent (a) sinners , thtough faith in christ (b) , without any other merit or satisfaction ; and that he hath given power to his church (d) to declare and pr●nounce this pardon ( in his name ) upon just and lawfull occasions . xii . the nicene creed and the creed of athanasius , are but paraphrases and explanations of the apostles creed , upon occasion of heresies that sprung up in the church ( about those times ) touching the holy trin●ty and the incarnation of christ : but they contain nothing material or substantial , that is not couched in the short symbol of the apostles . xiii . that little hymn of glory , called gloria patri , &c. is ( as it were ) a little creed , and an abridgement of the apostolical ; brought into the church about the time that arrianism prevailed , for to be a badge to distinguish the orthodox believers from the heterodox or mis-believers : for by giving glory to god in this form , they confessed the trinity in unity , which the arrians opposed . a prayer . blessed be thy holy name , o lord , for all the holy scripture which thou hast given us , for a light unto our feet (a) and a lantern unto our paths : and particularly for that part of it , which thy holy apostles have delivered for a summary of faith , and a rule of right belief ; to teach us , to know thee the onely true god , and jesus christ (b) whom thou hast sent . lord strengthen and confirm this faith in us more and more , that we being built upon the rock (c) , and the firm foundation of the prophets (d) and apostles , may stand up stedfast , unshaken and unmovable , against all the temptations of satan ; both against the strong blasts of persecution , when any shall arise ; and against the breath of seducers , which do daily lie in wait to deceive , and to beguile unstable souls . that so holding fast this (f) pledge , which was once delivered unto the saints , we may ( at last ) obtain the end (g) of our faith , even the salvation of our souls , through him , who is the author (h) and finisher of our faith , jesus christ the righteous . vnto whom , with the father and the blessed spirit , all glory be rendred , by all the church , as in the beginning , so now , and to all ages of the world , amen . of the commandments . i. the second general h●ad of christian religion are the commandments , which are the breviate of the law moral , and of all the practical duties of humane life : it is the rule of our obedienc● , the tree (a) of knowledge of good and evil , shewing what is good (b) and what is bad , what is to be followed , and (c) what to be eschewed . ii. our saviour christ did not abolish the ten commandments , for it is a law founded in nature (a) , and natural equity , and therefore is unmovable and unchangable . it is the eternal rule of justice to all persons , to the end of the world : for the gospel doth not exempt any persons from natural or moral obligations , at any time . iii. christ freed us from the ceremonial law ( which was grown to be (a) unsupportable ) but not from the law of good manners (b) , which was promulgated upon . mount sinai : he hath freed us also from the rigor , and punctuality of this law , but not from the regiment of it . and lastly he hath freed us from the curse (c) of this law , or the curse annexed to the breach of it , when he was himself made ● curse , by suffering an accursed death for our sins (d) . iv. this law called moral , is a holy (a) and perfect (b) law , having a spiritual (c) as well as a literal sense : being made to regulate the whole man , both outwardly in his members , and inwardly for the thoughts and intentions of the heart (d) . christ did fullfill this law by doing it , not by filling up the vacuities of it : for there was no defect or imperfection in it (e) . v. god summed all moral duties in ten general precepts , or ten (a) words as moses calls them . our saviour christ reduced these ten into two , and st. paul into one , even love : love (c) is the fullfilling of the law , and the end and complement (d) of it : (b) that is , love towards god , and love towards our neighbour ; this is the total sum of the moral law . vi . though the law be so nice and exact (a) in it self that we cannot perform it so fully as we ought , or as it requires (b) , nevertheless we may ( gods grace assisting us ) perform it so far as to find a gracious acceptance with him , through christ (c) : the doing the uttermost of what we can (d) , and the bewailing of what we cannot do , is all that the mercifull god requires at our hands in this point . vii the precepts of the first table do contain the duty of man towards god , being given to direct him in the service of his maker , and in performing both the internal (a) and external worship that is due unto him : for he that made both soul and body , expects the service of both , and to be glorified in both (b) . viii the precepts of the second table do contain the duty of man towards his neighbour , obliging him to love him (a) as himself , as his fellow-creature (b) , hewn out of the same (c) rock , made by the same hand , and bearing the same stamp impress and superscription with him , even the (d) image of him that made both the one and the other . ix . the commandements are but few in number , and short in words , but they contain much in a little : for where any particular virtue is commanded , all virtues of the same kind are ( under that name ) commanded : and where any vice is forbidden , all vices of that race and kind are forbidden likewise . x. where any virtue is commanded , there the opposite vice is forbidden : and where any vice is forbidden , the opposite virtue or duty is commanded , by the rule of contraries . as where stealing is forbidden , there honest labour frugality and industry in our calling is ( im●plicitly ) commanded , that men need not be forced to steal . xi . where any duty is commanded , there all lawfull means conducing to that duty are ( cacitly ) commanded : and where any vice is forbidden , there all the means and occasions (a) , as also the allurements and provocations that do any way tend or induce thereunto , are likewise forbidden . the prayer . most holy god , who art glorious (a) in holiness , and who wilt be sanctified (b) in all that come nigh unto thee : thou hast been graciously pleased to declare thy will unto us , and to shew how thou wouldest be served and obeyed (c) , and what thou (d) requirest of us , while we dwell in tabernacles of flesh . thou hast given us a holy and a perfect (e) law to be the rule of our obedience , and the square of all our actions ; lord open our eyes , that we may see the wonderous (f) things of this law , see the fullness , and purity , and perfection of it . write it ( we pray thee ) in the tables (g) of our hearts , that we may see it there , and do it ; and assist us with thy good spirit , that we may embrace and follow every virtue that is there commanded , and shun every vice that is forbidden , and study to be doers of the word , and not hearers onely , deceiving our own souls (h) . and though we are not able ( through our natural depravedness and corruption ) to perform thy law and commandments so exactly as we should , yet o lord our god , we beseech thee to accept of our sincere indeavours , who knowest our weaknesses and disabilities , knowest what is in man , and whereof he is made (i) , and dost often accept of the will for the deed , even so accept of our imperfect obedience , for his sake , who hath fullfilled all righteousness , and accomplished thy will in all points , even jesus christ , our onely mediator and redeemer . of the lords prayer ▪ i. there is none in this world that is so full and self-sufficient , but doth want somthing , and must seek out of himself for a supply of that want : nature (a) dictates and suggests , that prayer and supplication is an effectual means to obtain this supply ; and that humble address must be made to him that hath all , and wants nothing (b) . ii. though god be rich (a) in mercy towards all , and knows all our wants better than our selves , yet he expects to be asked before he gives (b) : he requires us to acknowledge our (c) wants and weaknesses , and to lift up a prayer in faith , and then he will meet our desire● , if they be just (d) and convenient . iii. most men are ignorant (a) in the duty of prayer , and know not how to pray as they ought (b) , or to pray according to gods will (c) ; therefore our saviour christ ( at the request of his disciples ) did prick down a lesson for that purpose , as st. john had done for his disciples (d) : he gave them a prayer which they might use without fear of offending , by presenting unfit or unlawfull desires . iv. that form of words delivered by christ in the sixt of matthew and the eleventh of luke , is not onely a pattern to pray by , but also a formal prayer , and a full comprehensive one ; being an inventary of all our wants , and suiting with all persons , times and occasions . v. as it is a prayer of it self : so it is the law and line of all our prayers : the rule and directory for composing of all prayers that suit with mens particular occasions ; and the standard whereby ●hose prayers are to be examined , whether they be made according to the pattern shewed in the mount * . vi . the lords prayer must ( in all reason ) be esteemed above the best of h●mane compositions . 1. by reason of the excellency of the author , who was the wisdom (a) of his father : and in whom were hid all the treasures (b) of wisdom and knowledge ; and unto whom the spirit was not given by measure (c) . 2. for the acceptableness thereof with god : for when we supplicate the father , not onely in his sons name (d) , but also in his sons words , we may ( with good reason ) suppose , that our requests will be the sooner heard , and return with better success . vii . yet , neither the eminency of the composer , nor the art of the composition , do recommend a prayer so much , as true saith (a) , and fervent affection (b) , as also humility (c) , and due reverence (d) ; which are necessary dispositions and qualifications in any person that shall send up this prayer , or any other . viii . a ●●ayer composed by another ( whither read or repeated by heart ) is as usefull and prevalent as any made by our selves , if devotion be in the heart . and the same prayer may be often used ( as (a) christ did ) if the same grace be still wanting : god is not delighted with varying of phrases , or suits of several dresses . ix . in the lords prayer we are taught to say , our father : in the creed to say , i believe , &c. to instruct us that every man must believe for himself , being to be saved by his own (a) saith : but we must pray for others (b) as well as our selves : for as charity begins at home but doth not end there : so doth prayer ; though it hath one foot in the center of a man's self , the other foot doth fetch a compass about the world . x. the lords prayer doth consist of six petitions , equally divided between god and man : whereof , the three first . 1. hallowed be thy name , 〈…〉 2. thy kingdom come ▪ 〈…〉 3. thy will be done , 〈…〉 the other three 1. give us this day , &c. do concern man . 2. forgive us our trespasses , do concern man . 3. lead us not into , &c. do concern man . xi . to pray in some language , not understood by the congregation , is unlawfull , because it is unfruitfull to edification (a) . to pray with an unprepared heart , and unpremeditated words , delivering rude and crude and undigested thoughts , doth not consist with that (b) reverence that is due to the majesty of god , when we make our addresses unto him . xii . he that composed this prayer did also impose it , and command it to be used , and therefore it is not warrantable to lay it quite aside , though we be qualified to make prayers of our own : for as this doth not exclude other prayers 3. so neither must other ●●●yers exclude this ▪ but it may be use● 〈◊〉 at the beginning of our devotion , or at the close of it , as the antient church indifferently used it . the prayer . most glorious lord god , whose essence is infinite , and whose majesty is incomprehensible , how little do we know of thee (a) , at this distance from thee ? we cannot order our speech unto thee by reason of darkness ; we are weak and feeble creatures , full of wants ; and we are vain things full of vain imaginations and fond desires , and therefore are often frustrated in our requests unto thee , and expectations from thee ; we (b) ask and have not , because we ask amiss , our very prayers being often offensive , because they are mingled with folly and vanity . thou hast therefore ( in great mercy and kindness towards thy servants ) given us a form of wholsome words , to direct us how to speak unto thee , to teach us what is necessary for us to ask , and fit for thee to grant . gracious lord , as thou hast put thy words (c) into our mouths : so put thy spirit into our hearts , that we may ●●●y in the power and demonstration of the spirit , that we may lift up clean hands and pure hearts unto thee , and put on reverence and godly fear in all our approaches unto thee , supported with this assurance , that thou art our father , though we be not worthy to be called thy sons (d) , and that we have an advocate with the father (e) , who hath taught us to pray , and say , our father , &c. of the sacraments . i. the new testament sacraments , are certain visible signs and seals , ordained by our saviour christ , relating to some invisible grace , represented by them , and conveighed in them to the meet and worthy partakers . ii. the sacraments are ordained in corporeal and visible elements or symbols , in regard of mans weakness and frailty , whose understanding must be instructed in heavenly mysteries ; and whose affections must be excited or stirred up to religious duties , by the help of visible forms , representations and objects . iii. the sacraments do not work grace of themselves , by some inherent vertue in them : but in regard of the strict (a) union and relation between the sign and the thing signified , and the spirit and power of christ concurring (b) with his own ordinances ( who doth not delude men with mock-shews ) much benefit is derived in them and by them ; where the partakers do not put a bar or obstacle by their own unworth●ness . iv. there are but two sacraments that are properly so called , and which are necessary ( for all persons ) unto salvation ; namely (a) b●ptism and the lords supper (b) : whereof the one , is a sacrament of our initiation or entrance into the visible church ; the other , of our continuation in it . v. the word and sacraments are essential characters of gods church , or tokens to know it by : where these are rightly dispensed , there is a true church (a) ; and where these are wanting , though there may be a convention or assembly of men , yet it is not ( properly ) a church of god . vi . baptism is not onely a sign of the new covenant (a) , made ●o christ , or a distinguishing ordinance between believers and unbelievers : b●t also a ( b ) seal to ratifie consign and make over ( as it were under seal ) the promises of god made in christ , unto every true believer . vii . the sleighting or neglecting of the baptism of water , where it may be had , or any other ordinance of divine institution , is a soul endangering sin , and imports a contempt of the author , and a rejecting of the counsel of god (a) . gods anger was highly incensed against moses (b) for not circumcising his child in due time , according to the command (c) . vii . the young children of believing parents are capable of baptism , as the children (a) of the israelites ( being but eight daies old ) were of circumcision . and where but one of the parents is a believer , the children are admitted unto those favours and privileges of the church that do belong unto that parent as a believer (b) . ix . the lords supper was instituted by christ , not onely for a memorial of his death (a) , but also for a means of applying his merits to the partakers (b) ; for the increasing of love and amity among the faithfull ; and for the strengthening of their faith and love towards god , by these outward tokens , and pledges of his love to them (c) . x. for the due receiving of this sacrament , it is necessary that a man (a) examine himself , but not so expedient that he should examine others , whether they be worthy or unworthy . no man is partaker of another mans sins , except he be accessary thereunto , either by counsel (b) , or consent (c) , or approbation , or some such way . xi . the frequent use of the lords supper ( in due manner ) besides other benefits , serves much to the advancement of piety and a holy life : for thereby we are called to a re-inforcing of our watch ; to descend to that most usefull and necessary duty of self-examination (a) , or searching our own (b) bosoms , to purge out (c) the old leaven and all impurity that is there contracted : and lastly to a renewing of our vows and promises ( made in baptism ) of serving god , with more circumspection and vigilance , xii . the sacraments are not temporary rites , but standing appointments in the kingdom of christ , and of perpetual use in his church , until his second coming (a) . none can arrive at such (b) perfection in this life , as to be above ordinances , or not to stand in need of them , for the uses before mentioned ; for which purposes all sober and humble christians , have found them usefull , and efficacious . xiii . onely those that are law 〈…〉 to ecclesiastical ministeries , 〈◊〉 (a) lawfully administrators of the sacraments ; they are the keepers of the seals , and are entrusted to apply and dispense them to such persons as desire them , and are meetly qualified for them . the prayer . blessed lord , thou hast been gracious unto thy people , and wonderfull in all thy doings towards the children of men : thou hast been pleased ( since thou hast created us for thy self ) to guide our steps unto thee , and to set us in the paths that lead unto everlasting life , by teaching us to believe (a) rightly in thee ; to walk (b) uprightly before thee ; and in all our addresses (c) , to speak advisedly and discreetly unto thee . and thou hast been farther pleased to afford thy servants suitable and convenient helps for the performance of those duties thou hast enjoyned them , even thy holy sacraments ; which thou hast ordained to nourish and strengthen our saith in thee ; to enflame our love towards thee , and to embolden our addresses unto thee , by assuring and sealing (d) unto us all the gracious promises that thou hast made unto thy church , in thy beloved son . lord teach us to use these helps and means discreetly , reverently and thankfully , as thine own holy institutions ; continue them still unto us , and let thy holy spirit be ever present with them , that they may be instrumental and effectual to those ends and purposes for which thou hast ordained them . lord hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place , and have mercy , and pardon the sins of this most sinfull nation ; heal all our rents and breaches : thou whose name is , the repairer (e) of the breaches and t●e restorer of the paths to dwell in , let this ruin (f) be under thy hand , and be thou a healer . say unto this nation , as thou didst ( once ) to thy antient people (g) : i will bring it health and cure , and i will cure them , and reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth . grant this for thy mercies sake , and make haste to help , o lord god of our salva●ion . how long o lord ! at length repent , and of our miseries relent : thine earely mercy shew . that we may unknown comforts tast , and for long daies of sorrow past , as long of joy bestow . the preceding aphorisms resolved into questions and answers ; for the better fixing of them in the memory , and a farther illustration of them to weaker understandings . this short abstract is fram'd and contrived first , axiomatically , by way of theses , aphorisms , or axioms , as hippocrates summ'd up the ▪ rules of his art in aphorisms ; piscator , junius and grynaeus have delineated the body of theology in the like form . in the second place , these theorems are handled dramatically , by inter-locutions , or by questions and answers ; which was the antient way , not onely of teaching philosophy , used by socrates and plato , but also of planting the christian faith , and propagating it over the world . this method and oeconomy will much conduce not onely to illustrate the matter in hand , and insinuate it to the understanding , but will serve also to rivet it the faster in the minds of the learners , that they may be as go●ds and nails , fastned by the masters of the assemblies . it is a command of moses concerning the law : thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children , deut. 6.7 . in the hebrew it is exacues , thou sh●lt sharpen these precepts , and set a point on them , that they may penetrate , as men sharpen a stake to drive it into the ground , or set an edge on a knife by often drawing it over the whetstone : so it is needfull that such rules should be often inculcated and repeated that they may pierce deeper and hold faster . and lest i might seem to obtrude any thing magisterially or like a dictator on any mans belief , i have pointed to the rock from whence they were hewn , by subjoyning scripture-citations to each of them . i have also confirm'd them by the authority of some ancient and modern writers , such as were the heads of their tribes , and renowned men in their generations . the protestants of france took just offence at the sorbon doctors , when they published the capital points of christian religion in 25. propositions , without any proofs of scripture for any of them , but obtruded naked conclusions and axioms , tanquam pro imperio , nullis rationibu● aut firmamentis adjectis ; but i hope i have prevented such objections , by what is added to these theorems . of the creed . how many parts be there of christian religion ? there are four general parts thereof , which are universally embraced of the whole church of god , through the world , and do virtually contain the whole body of divinity : namely the creed , the commandments , the lords prayer , and the sacraments . what is the preeminence and excellency of man above other creatures ? as man was made after a different manner from all other creatures here below : so he was made to a different end , namely eternal happiness after this life : for the attainment whereof , god hath shewed him what to do , prescribed the means thereunto conducing , if he make a right use of them . what are those means that god hath appointed unto man , for obtaining eternal happiness ? they are chiefly these two : first to believe rightly in god : secondly , to live uprightly before him , that is , according to his will revealed in his word . living and believing making up the whole duty of man . what word do you mean ? the word wherein god declared his will is the scripture , which is the authentic rule of faith and manners , life and belief ; containing all points of necessary and saving truth● ▪ to make the man of god perfect , and to carry him on to his designed end of happiness and glory . what are the chiefest points of faith and right belief ? the chief and fundamental points of faith and true belief , and which are necessary to be received of all to whom they are propounded , are summed up in these 12. points or articles , which are contained in the apostles creed ; which creed is the key to all other doctrinal points of religion . how did the patriarchs and servants of god ( of old time ) believe , before this creed was framed ? they believed as we do , and were saved by the saith contained in this creed ; every article thereof being revealed unto them , and to be found ( dispersedly ) in the writings of moses and the prophets : for as the●e was but one church from the beginning of the world ; so there was but one faith , which is common to us and them , and to all that shall come after us . what do these 12. articles contain or concern ? some do concern god the father , as the first article ; some god the son , as the six articles immediately following ; and some do concern god the holy ghost , as the eighth article : the four last do set forth the state of gods church , both in this world and in the next . what is meant by christ's descending into hell , which is mentioned in the creed ? that article or period , may safely be understood , either of these two waies : 1. first , that the soul of christ descended ( locally ) among the infernal spirits , not to suffer , but to manifest the power of his godhead : which is the interpretation of the fathers , and divers eminent writers of later age . 2. secondly , by descending into hell , no more is to be understood , than that christ descended into the state of the dead , and was continued under the power of death for the space of three daies : which is more generally received of the later writers . what is meant by this article , i believe the holy catholic church ? to believe the holy catholic church , is to believe that among all the tribes and nations of the world , god hath some chosen servants , and a peculiar people , whom he hath t●ken out for his name ; sanctified with his spirit ; called unto the state of grace ; and ordained unto eternal glory . what do you understand in the same article by the communion of saints ? to believe the communion of saints , is to believe that the saints and servants of god are knit ( by an invisible tye of faith and love ) to christ their head ; and unto each other by common participation and mutual communication of all good things both spiritual and temporal ; as if they were but one body , and were acted by one soul and the same spirit . what do you understand by this article , i believe the forgiveness of sins ? we believe that god doth freely pardon sin to penitent sinners through faith in christ , without any other merit or satisfaction ; and pronounce this pardon ( in his name ) upon just and lawfull occasions . are there not some other creeds besides that of the apostles ? yea ; the nicen creed , and that of athanasius : yet these are but paraphrases and explanations of the apostolical creed , upon occasion of heresies that sprung up in the church ( in those times ) especially touching the trinity , and the incarnation of christ ; but they contain nothing material , or substantial , that is not couched in the short symbol of the apostles . what is the use of that little hymn , called gloria patri ? it is ( as it were ) a little creed , and an abbridgment of the apostolical , brought into the church about the time that arrianism prevailed , for to be a badge to distinguish the orthodox believers , from the heterodox or mis-believers : for by giving glory to god in this form , they confessed the trinity in unity , which the arrians opposed . of the commandments . which is the second general part of christian religion ? the commandments , which are a breviate of the moral law , and of all the practical duties of humane life ; the rule of our obedience ; the tree of knowledge of good and evil , shewing what is good and what is bad , what is to be followed , and what to be eschewed . did not christ abolish these commandments ? no , for this is a law founded in nature , and natural equity ; and therefore is unmovable and unchangable ; it is the eternal rule of justice to all persons to the end of world . the gospel doth not exempt any persons from natural and moral obligations at any time . but it is said , that we are not under the law , but under grace : therefore we are freed from the law . indeed , christ hath ( wholly ) freed us from the ritual or ceremonial law ( which was grown to be unsupportable ) but he hath not discharged us from the law of good manner● promulgated on mount sinai : yet he hath freed us in part from this law , freed us from the rigor and severity of it , filed the teeth of it ( as it were , ) he hath freed us from the curse annexed to the breach of it , when he was made himself a curse , by suffering an accursed death for our sins . was this law a perfect rule of obedience , and such as needed no amendment ? yea , it was a holy and a perfect law , having a spiritual as well as a literal sense , being made to regulate the whole man , both outwardly in his members , and inwardly for the thoughts and intentions of the heart . christ did fullfil this law , by doing it , not by filling up the vacuities of it ; for there was no defect or imperfection in it . are not the duties of man very numerous in this life ? yea s●●e : but god in his wisdom , hath summed them all up in ten general precepts , or ten words , as moses calls them . our saviour christ reduced these 10. into two , mat. 22.40 . and st. paul into one , rom. 13 10. namely love ▪ love is the fullfilling of the law ; the end and complement of it ; that is , love towards god , and love towards our neighbour : this is the total sum of the moral law . is it possible for any to perform or fullfil this law ? though it be so nice and exact in it self , that we cannot perform it so fully as we ought , or as it requires : nevertheless we may ( gods grace assisting us ) perform it so far , as to find a gracious acceptance with him , through christ . the doing the uttermost of what we can , and the bewailing of what we cannot do , is all that the merciful god requires at our hands in this point . what do the precepts of the first table contain ? they do contain the duty of man towards god , being given to direct him in the service of his maker , and in performing the internal and external worship that is due unto him : ●or he that made both soul and body , expects the service of both , and to be glorifi●d in both . what do the precepts of the second table concern ? they do concern and contain the duty of man towards his neighbour , obliging him to love him as himself ; and that , as his fellow-creature , hewn out of the same rock , made by the same hand , and bearing the same ●●amp , image and super ▪ scription with him , ev●n the image of him that made both the one and the other . the commandments are but few in number , and short in words , have they not s●me farther latitude in sense , than in words ? yea surely : and there are certain rules to shew what latitude they bear , that is , how far they may be amplified and extended ; as , first , where any virtue is commanded , all virtues of the same kinde , are ( under that name ) commanded ; and where any vice is forbidden , all vices of that kind or race are forbidden likewise . what other rules have you to measure the latitude of these commandments ? take these two more : where any virtue is commanded , there the opposite vice is forbidden ; and where any vice is forbidden , there the opposite virtue is commanded , by the rule of contraries : as where stealing is forbidden , there honest labour , industry , and frugality is commanded , that men need not be forced to steal . what is the other rule ? where any duty is commanded , there all lawfull mean● conducing to that duty , are ( tacitly ) commanded : and where any vice is forbidden , there all the means and occasions , as also the allurements and provocations that do any way tend or induce thereunto , are likewise forbidden . of the lords prayer . what is the use of prayer ? since there is no man in the world so full , and self-sufficient , but doth want something , and must seek out of himself for a supply of that want , nature dictates and suggests , that prayer and supplication is an effectual means to obtain this supply ; and that humble address must be made to him that hath all , and wants nothing . god is of his own nature good , and also knows all our wants , what needs then of praying and intreating ? though god be rich in mercy towards all , and knows all our wants better than our selves , yet he expects to be asked before he gives : he requires us to acknowledge our wants and weakness●s , & to lift up a prayer in faith , and then he will meet with our desires , if they be just and convenient . will any prayer serve , however it be fram'd and composed ? no , therefore our saviour christ , knowing that most men are ignorant in the duty of prayer , and know not how to pray as they ought and according to gods will , did at the request of his disciples prick down a lesson for that purpose , as john the baptist had done before , for his disciples : he gave them a prayer , which they might use without fear of offending , by presenting unfit or unlawfull desires . are those words of our saviour , recorded in the sixt of ma●thew and the eleventh of luke a prayer ? they are a formal prayer , and not onely a pattern to p●ay by ; a full comprehensive prayer , and a general inventary of all our wants , suiting with all persons , times and occasions . may not other prayers be made and used besides this ? yea doubtless ; onely this prayer must be laid before us as the law and line of all other prayers ; the r●le and directory for composing of such prayers as suit with private and particular occasions , when every man shall touch his own sore (a) , and his own grief : this must be the standard or measure , whereby thos● prayers must be examined , whether they be made according to the pattern shewed in the mount . mat. 5. may not other prayers be esteemed as good as this ? no sure : this prayer must ( in all reason ) be reputed above the best of humane compositions . 1. first by reason of the excellency of the author who was the wisdom of his father , and in whom were hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge : and unto whom the spirit was not given by measure . 2. for the power or acceptableness thereof with god : for when we supplicate the father , not onely in his sons name , but also in his sons words , we may ( with good reason ) believe that our requests will be the sooner heard . is this prayer so acceptable , without any other conditions in the person that prayeth ? no , neither the eminency of the composer , nor the art of the composition , do recommend a prayer so much , as true faith and fervent affection , as also humility and due reverence ; which are necessary dispositions and qualifications in the person that presenteth this prayer , or any other . is a prayer made by another man usefull ? yea , a godly prayer composed by another , ( whether read or repeated by heart ) as may be usefull & prevalent , as one made by our selves , if devotion be in the heart : and the same prayer may be often used ( as our saviour did ) if the same grace be still wanting . god is not delighted with varying of phrases , and suits of several dresses . why are we taught to say [ our father ] in the lords prayer : and [ i believe ] in the creed ? to instruct us , that every man must believe for himself , being to be saved by his own faith : but we must pray for others , as well as our selves : for as charity begins at home , but doth not end there ; so doth prayer : if it hath one foot in the center of one's self , the other foot doth fetch a compass about the world . how many petitions are contained in the lords prayer ? there are six , equally divided between god and man : whereof the three first 1. hallowed be thy name , do concern god . 2. thy kingdom come , do concern god . 3. thy will be done , &c. do concern god . the other three 1. give us this day , do concern man . 2. forgive us our trespasses . do concern man . 3. lead us not into , &c. do concern man . is it any way usefull to pray in an unknown tongue ? no , neither to him that prays , nor to the congregation , because it is unfruitfull to edification : so to pray with an unprepared heart , and unpremeditated words , delivering rude , and crude , and undigested thoughts , is unlawfull , as not consisting with that reverence that is due to the majesty of god , when we make supplications unto him . may not this prayer be wholly forborne and laid aside by them that can frame prayers of their own ? no , the omission of it gives great offence to godly christians ; for he that composed this prayer did impose it , and command it to be used , and therefore it is not warrantable to lay it quite aside , though we be qualified to make prayers of our own : for as this doth not exclude other prayers ; so neither must others exclude this : but in may be used either at the beginning of our devotion , or at the close of it , as the ancient church did ( indifferently ) use it . of the sacraments . what is the end and use of sacraments ? the new testament sacraments are certain visible signs and seals , ordained by our saviour christ , relating to som invisible grace and goodness , represented by them , and conveighed in them , to the meet and worthy partakers . why were sacraments instituted in corporeal and visible elements ? it was in consideration of mans weakness and frailty , whose understanding must be instructed in heavenly mysteries ; and whose affections must be excited and stirred up to religious duties , by the help of visible forms , representations , and objects . can the sacraments work grace upon the soul ? no , as of themselves , or by some inherent virtue in them ; yet in regard of the strict relation that is between the sign and the thing signified , and the spirit and power of christ concurring with his own ordinances ( who doth not delude men with mock-shews ) much benefit is derived in them and by them , where the partakers do not put a bar or obstacle by their own unworthiness . how many sacraments be there ? there are but two , which are truly and properly so called , and which are necessary ( for all persons ) unto salvation : namely baptism and the lords supper , whereof the first is a sacrament of our initiation or entrance into the visible church ; the other , of our continuation in it . what are the marks to know the visible church by ? the preaching of the word and the administration of the sacraments are characters or tokens of gods church , whereby it may be known & discerned : for where these are rightly dispensed , there is a true church ; and where these are wanting , though there may be an assembly or convention of men , yet it is not properly a church of god . what is the intent or use of baptism ? it was ordained , not onely as a sign of the new covenant made in christ , or a distinguishing ordinance between believers and unbelievers ; but also for a seal to ratifie , consign and make over ( as it were under seal ) the promises of god made in christ , unto every true believer . what is the danger of wanting the rite of baptism ? there is no danger in the bare want of it , where it may not be had , but in the neglect or contempt of it , where it may be had ; this is a soul-endangering sin ; and imports a contempt of the author , and a rejecting of the counsel of god : gods anger was highly ince●sed against moses for not circumcising his child ( in due time ) according to the command . are young children capable of baptism ? yea , the children of believing parents are , as the children of the israelites ( being but eight daies old ) were of circumcision : and where but one of the parents is a believer , the children are admitted unto those favou●● and privileges of the church that do belong unto that parent as a believer . wherefore was the lord supper instituted ? it was instituted by christ , not onely for a memorial of his own death , but also for a means of applying his merits to the partakers ; for the increasing of love and amity among the faithfull , and for the improving and strengthening of their faith and love towards god , by these outward tokens and pledges of his love to them . what is necessary for the due receiving of the lords supper ? it is expedient that a man examine himself , but not so necessary that he should examine others , whether they be worthy or unworthy : for no man is partaker of another mans sins , except he be access●ry thereunto , either by counsel or consent , or approbation , or some such way . is it expedient that a man be a frequent partaker of the lords supper ? yea : for often approaching to the lords table ( in due mann●r ) besides other benefits , conduceth much to the advancement of piety and a holy life : for thereby we are called to a re-inforcing of our watch ; to descend to that most usefull duty of self-examination , or searching our own bosoms ; to purge out the old leaven , and all impurity that is there contracted ; and lastly , to a renewing of our vows and promises ( made in baptism ) of serving god with more circumspection and vigilance . are these sacraments to continue for some certain time onely , or for ever ? they are not temporary ●i●es , but standing appointments in the kingdom of christ , and of perpetual use in his church until his second coming : none can arrive at such perfection in this life , at to be above ordinances , or not to stand in need of them , for the uses before mentioned : for which purposes , all sober and humble christians have alwaies foun● them usefull and efficacious . who are lawfull administrators and dispensers of the sacraments ? onely such as are lawfully called to ecclesiasticall ministeries , are lawfull administrators of the sacraments : they are the keepers of the seals , and are entrusted to apply and dispense them to such persons as desire them , and are meetly qualified for them , and none other . finis . a review of the precedent aphorisms : wherein some of the most material points and passages that have been most liable to mistakes ( in these times ) are farther illustrated and verified . 1. of fundamentals . 2. of the authors and authority of the creed . 3. of the fullness and sufficiency of it . 4. of the patriarchs creed . 5. of believing the catholic church . 6. of the nicen and athanasian creeds . 7. gloria patri , a short creed . 1. of the obligation of the moral law under the gospel . 2. of the perfection of the moral , at the first enacting of it . 3. how this law is possible to be performed . 1. of mens ignorance in the duty of prayer . 2. that the lords prayer is a prayer . 3. it is the rule and law of all prayers . 4. surp●sseth all other compositions . 5. of set forms of prayer . 6. the lords prayer may not be laid aside . 1. sacraments , why instituted ? 2. their virtue and efficacy from the author . 3. they are seals as well as signs . 4. absolutely necessary , where they may be had . 5. infant-baptism more antient than christ and his apostles . 6. where the sacraments may not be had , desire supplies the defect . aphor. 1. of the four fundamentals of religion . most men do divide this sovereign science of theology into four parts . dr. nowel in his catechism , calls those four , by the names of faith , obedience , invocation , and sacraments ; which amounts to the same with this division which we here follow : for faith is summed up in the creed ; obedience in the decalogue ; invocation in the lords prayer ; and the sacraments make the fourth part . mr. perkins calls these four h●●ds the grounds and catholic principles of the catechism ; and dr. d●avenam ( that ●d . jewel of salisbury ) calls them the fundamentals of christian religion . by fundamentals , he understands such things as are absolutely necessary to salvation , and as such , to be embraced of all men , when they are sufficiently proposed unto them . and such are ( saith he ) not onely mysteries of faith comprized in th●creed , but also the dictates of the divine law , contain'd in the decalogue , which he calls symbolum agendorum , as the other is symbolum credendorum . a speculative knowledg of divine m●st●ries will not carry us one step forward towards heaven , without the practical knowledge of divine mandates , and it is no less damnable to er● in moral principles than in speculative , that is , it is as great a heresie ( dogmatically ) to imp●gn one of the commandments as one of the articles of the creed . for he that affirms that god is not to be worshipped , or that parents are not to be honoured ; or teacheth that theft and murther are no sins , is an absolute heretick : for every practical dictate of the moral law is a fundamental truth , and ought as firmly to be believed as any article of the creed : for it is implicitly contained in it . there are some general verities and propositions also in the doctrine of prayer , and sacraments , which are no less fundamental than the other ; and which to d●ny or oppose , would be both impious and heretical . those churches that are built upon these fundamentals and do firmly retain them , have that which may suffice them to salvation ; they have a foundation sufficient to bear that super-structure which they are intended for , even mans eternal salvation . and if men indeavour to live according to these principles , th●y are to be deemed members of gods church , and such to whom all christians should give the right hand of fellowship ; and not s●parate from , though they might be guilty of sundry failings otherwise . this is the substance of some chapters of that pious mans irenicon , or exhortation to peace , directed to the pro●estant churches of germany , which are divided into lutherans and calvinists . aphor. 2. of the authors and authority of the apostles creed . magno certè verterum consensu , &c. surely by a general vote & suffrage of the antient fathers , this creed is ascribed unto the apostles , saith mr. calvin . & ab ultimâ memoriâ , sacro-sanctae inter pios omnes authoritatis ●uit , as he goes on , and it was esteemed of sacred authority among all gods servants , from the first spring of christianity . ireneus one of the antientest of them , living in the year 160. saith , that the whole church of god dispersed through the world , received it from the apostles , and carefully preserved it entire ; who by their agreement in this faith , did seem to dwell in one house , and to be animated with one spirit . more testimonies to this effect are ama●sed together , by the worthy pains of mr. ashwell , in his fides apostolica . in this creed ( saith reverend perkins ) is the pith and substance of christian religion ; taught by the apostles , embraced by the antient fathers , and sealed by the blood of martyrs . it was composed ( saith he ) either by the apostles , or apostolical men , who were their hearers , and immediate heirs of their belief : and is of more authority than any writings of church or church-men whatsoever ; was approved by the universal consent of the catholic church in all ages , is next in authority to the scriptures : and the order of the words ought not to be altered . thus he . the creed is called the apostles quia ab ore apostolorum receptum , because it was taken from the mouths of the apostles , saith nowell ; or as v●sin doth express it , because they delivered that summary of doctrine to their disciples , from whom the succeeding churches did afterwards receive the same and transmit it to posterity . the substance or matter of it is ipsissima scriptura ( saith learned iunius ) pure scripture . et nihil in eo est , quod solidis scripturae testimoniis , non consignetur , saith calvin ; there is no article , joynt or limb in it , that hath not a scriptum est written upon it ; that is not found for the sense and substance ( though not terminis terminantibus ) in the authentic canon of scripture . the whole sys●●m or body of it , is mentioned or hinted ( at least ) by these circumlocutions in scripture : the {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , 1 tim. 6.20 . that precious ●ag● , jewel or depositum , that was betrusted ●o timothy ; the {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , 2 tim. 1.13 . that form , draught or pattern of wholsome words : and is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , rom. 6.17 . that form of doctrine , that is , that frame or system of doctrinal truths , which the apostles did ( in the first place ) deliver as the ground-work of all other super-structures : and such expressions . aphor. 3. the fullness and sufficiency of the apostolical creed . in this creed , there is neither want nor waste , nothing defective or redundant ; it is breve , simplex & plenum saith st. augustin , short and plain , but full and comprehensive ; doctis , indoctisque commune ; the meanest christian must know so much , and the greatest clerk need know no more , for the substance of his belief . we may say of this , as athanasius speaks of the nicen creed wch is ( for substance ) the same with it : that it is , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , a full and sufficient system of fundamental verities , for the averting of impiety and the establishment of piety in christ . it is regula , una , immobilis et irreformabilis , in the language of tertullian , the sole rule of faith , and such a one as is immovable and unreformable , that admits neither supplement nor correction . as in other sciences : so in this , there must be some principles that are {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , worthy of belief of themselves , and that are fixt and immovable and indemonstrable ; otherwise , there would be no end of disputes and controversies , or any satisfaction to the busie mind of man : for when a proposition is resolved into these principles , there we must take up our rest , there is the ultimate resolution and non-ultrà in that point . as in the mathematics , omne mobile movetur super immobili , every movable mo●●● upon somthing that is immovable : so in all discourses , every demonstrable proposition is reducible to some indemonstrable principle , which is the dernier ressort , the last appeal , and ( by consent of parties ) the final decision of all controversie . the church of rome , ( whose sea hath on shoar ) being not contented with this number of articles , and catalogue of fundamentals , which the apostles left us , hath doubled the cube and enlarged the philacteries of our creed as wide again , by an addition of a dozen articles more , qui pari passu ambulant , that are of equal dignity 4th . perfixed before them ; and spalato in confide and necessity with the others ; so material ( every one of them ) that there is no salvation to be expected without them ; a curse is denounced against every man that shall rej●ct or deny them . so that the pope is not onely dictator and lord of our faith , but is himself a prime article in it , and the very corner-stone of our religion , as a cardinal champion of his holiness hath given us to understand , in these words , romani pontificis potestatem & infallibilitatem esse rei christianae summam , ejusque sententiam pro normâ & regulâ fidei habendam , asserimus . erasmus a sober and learned man , doth wish that the christian world had been contented with that one creed of the apostles in lieu of all the several confessions that are in the world : for ( saith he ) there was never less faith in the world , than since the time that confessions of faith were multiplied . vbi caepit minùs esse fidei inter christianos , mox increvit symbolorum & modus & numerus . de ratione verae theologiae . aphor. 4. of the patriarchs creed . it were not difficult to demonstrate the truth of this aphorism ▪ by giving proof of each article in order : but in●●nding onely some strictures and short animadversions in this place , i may not take so much liberty , to expatiate . i shall ( at present ) onely show that the main substance of the christian faith was known to gods chosen , from the beginning , even long before christ came in the flesh . 1. the article of the blessed trinity , to wit , the triple personality of the godhead , was revealed unto them , as is proved by zanchius in his eight books de tribus elohim ; by petrus galatinus , de arcanis veritatis catholicae ; and by that learned noble man of france , sieur du plessis , de veritate relig : christ : cap. 6. 2. christ the second person of the trinity was abundantly revealed unto the fathers of the old testament , that they might be saved ( saith augustine ) by faith in christ that was to come , as we are saved by faith in christ who is come ; their faith and ours , had the same object ( there is but one faith , ephes. 4.5 . ) the difference was onely in the tense or time , but the effect was the same . all the periods and several acts of mans redemption by christ ( as his incarnation , passion , resurrection , &c. ) were not unknown to the servants of god in old time ; and the glorious fruits and effects of the● were not hidden from them , but were assured unto them , through faith . a redeemer was promised even to the first sinner after his prevarication : the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpents head , gen. 3 15. this was the first gospel in the world , extant in the first book of the bible ; this was proto-evangelium , and evangelii aurora , the first dawning of gospel-comfort . if ye believed in moses , ye would have believed in me ( saith christ to the jews ) for moses wrote of me , joh. 5.46 . moses wrote of christ , both in the forecited text and else where . abraham saw christ's day and rejoyced , john 8.56 . he saw the day of his incarnation , which god revealed ( by some means ) unto this his friend , & wch ministred cause of joy unto him ; this was the gospel which god preached unto him , gal. 3.8 . for there was gospel in the world before christ came to preach it . some of the prophets tongues dropt some of this balm now and then ; more especially esay , who was the evangelist of the old testament , & ante evangelia , evangelicus : isaias saw christs glory and spake of him , john 12.41 . now the gospel that was preached in those daies , was the same with ours , to wit , justification by faith in christ , remission of sins , and life and immortality through him , as a reward of faith and sincere obedience . habbakkuk preached , the just should live by faith , in case he was defective in obedience . circumcision was a seal of their justification , or righteousness which was through faith ; even a seal of pardon and remission of sins to all believers . 3. the resurrection of the body was a point that iob a gentile and an alien from the commonwealth of israel was well assured of : it is a point generally believed and embraced in the jewish church , as st. paul declares in express terms , acts 26. verse 6 , 7 , 8. verse 6. and now i stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of god unto our fathers , i. the promise of a resurrection from death . verse 7. vnto which promise , our twelve tribes instantly serving god day and night hope to come , for which hopes sake king agrippa , i am accused of the jews . verse 8. why should it be thought a thing incredible with you , that god should raise the dead ? nay , the women of the countrey were strong in this faith : for when christ told martha , that her brother lazarus should rise again , she replied , i know that he shall rise again , in the resurrection at the last day . 4. then for the last point or article of our belief , even everlasting life , i doubt not but they had knowledge and assurance of it , many of them : life and immortality was proposed to them as a reward of their obedience , if they had kept the law : which if a man do , he shall even live in them ; live , not onely a long life here , but an endless life hereafter . the law is the administration of death , saith st. paul , but that is not the proper work of it ; that is by accident , not in the primary intention of it ; the commandment was ordained unto life ( saith the same apostle ) but he found it unto death , by reason of his sins : the sting of death is sin ; it is sin ( and not the law ) that bites like a serpent and gives the mortal wound . the old and new testament do not differ materiâ promissionum , in the subject matter of the promises : as if the promises ( of old ) were onely temporal , and under the gospel onely eternal promises were propounded . the belgic remonstrants did teach so , indeed , and so did michael servetus , whom for this , and other heresies , calvin calls exitiale monstrum . these make no other esteem of the antient people of god ( the seed of abraham ) than of a herd of swine , who had their portion in this life without hope of any other : as if god had proposed no other guerdon to them ( nor they expected any ) but fullness of bread , carnal pleasures , worldly pomp and power , and children to inherit all these after them . michael servetus , whom calvin terms prodigiosum nebulonem in another place of his institutions , was by birth a spaniard of arragon , who of a physician became a divine , and did pass for a protestant : he was convented at geneva for sundry heretical opinions , that he had broached both there , and elsewhere , and persevering therein , without hopes of reclaiming him , he was by the counsel and consent of the divines of bearne , zurick , schaffhauson and geneva , burnt at geneva in the year 1555. you may see a catalogue of his errors in lucas osiander's epitome of eccles : history . l. 2. cent : 16. c. 21. and in schlusselburgius , and the anabaptists speak the same dialect , as calvin doth inform us in his institutions ; which pestiferous error ( as he terms it ) is there fully refuted by him ; and all protestant writers tilt at it with their pens , where ever they meet it ; among the rest , the church of england hath laid it under her feet ; if i do not mistake her meaning , in the 7th. article of her confession , where these words are to be found . in the old testament , everlasting life , is offered to mankind by christ : therefore they are not to be heard that feign that the old fathers did look onely for temporal promises . they looked for a city whose builder and maker was god , and for a heavenly countrey , heb. 11.10 , 16. fides abrahae non palastinae duntaxat regionem spectabat , sed caeleflem illam patriam & beatorum sedem , is a note of iustinian upon that place . aphor. 5. of believing the catholic church . we must remark that the phrase of this article runs : i believe the holy catholic church , not in the holy catholic church : for the particle [ in ] perfixed to the former articles , must be out here , and it is out in st. augustines exposition , and ruffinus , and other antient expositors upon this subject , and also in the trent catechism * . we may not believe in the church , because it is not dominus but domus , not the master of the house , but the house , as st. augustin gives the reason : we may credere ecclesiae , not in ecclesiam , we may believe the catholic church very far , and give it the highest credit next gods own word , in matters of fact and practice especially , and some points which the scripture doth not clearly define ; herein we may follow the practice and embrace the arrest or judgement of the catholic church : for it is a staple rule and maxim in st. aug : what is universally * received and retained in the church , we may rationally conclude , that it was derived from the first planters of it , even the apostles . but we may not rest or relie upon the church , as the chief guide of our salvation ; her authority is venerable , but it is not the rule of our faith . wherefore the word credo i believe , in the four last articles of the belief , imports no more than , credo esse , & meo bono esse , as alsted doth well expound it : i believe that such things ( mentioned in those several articles ) truly are , and that i have a share and interest in them . the catholic church here mentioned , is not visible : for it is an object of our faith , not of our sight , and faith is of things not seen , heb. 11.1 . this holy-guild society , fraternity of the rosie-cross ( as i may not unfitly term it ) is invisible ; for it is caetus praedestinatorum , a company of men predestin'd to salvation , whose names are written in the book of life , enroll'd in that sacred register , among the candidates of eternity . now who those are , and whose names are there registred , we are not allowed to know ; that such there are , we know and firmly believe , but who they are , we know not , having no certain {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} or infallible indication to know them by : for they do not carry the marks of their election in their foreheads ; god alone knoweth them that are his . we have not the gift of knowing men and discerning spirits by inspection : we may know their persons , but for their eternal state and condition , we may probably guess at , but not make a sure , and infallible judgement ; there is indaeus in occulto & judaeus in propatulo , we may know the one , but do not know the other : to know the reins and the heart is the prerogative of him that made and moulded both . as this church is not visible ; so it is not topical or confined to one place , but is catholic or universal , both for times , places and persons . they robb christ of his inheritance that confine his kingdom or church within one nation , canton or conventicle ; as donatus did arrogantly affirm , that god had no church in the world , but in that part of africa , where he and his party swayed : none was within the ark of gods church , but who had entered into his cock-boat . god gave his son the heathen for his inheritance , and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession : of his kingdom there is no end , no limits of duration or extension . they are therefore injurious to him , that would retrench his inheritance , and robb him of any part of his purchased possession , by denying a catholic church hear the expostulation of optatus with the old donatists upon this point . si sic pro voluntate vestrâ , in angustam coarctatis ecclesiam , si universas subducitis gentes , ubi erit illud quod silius dei meruit ? quod libenter largitus est ei pater , dicens , dabo tibi gentes haereditatem tuam ? ut quid tale infringitis promissum ut a vobis mittatur quasi in carcerem latitudo regnorum ? aphor. 6. of the nicen and athanasian creeds . the nicen creed ( which is extant in our liturgy ) was fram'd by the fathers of the first general council that was held at nice a city of bythinia , and was conven'd by the renowned emperour constantine in the year 325. where 318. bishop● were assembled ; whence st. hierom calls this creed fidem 318. patrum , the faith of the three hundred and eighteen fathers or bishops . in this council , the heresie of arrius , ( a presbyter of alexandria , who denied the divinity of christ , and thereby did much disturb the peace of the church ) was arraign'd and condemn'd . it is reported by sozomen that the arrians held another council at nice in thrace , in opposition to the former in the year 359. here was nice against nice , but the truth did at last {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} prevail and overcome , and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} canere trumph over error and heresie . athanasius was ( in those daies ) a stout opposer of the arrians , and stood up single in defence of the truth , when all the world was ( almost ) turn'd arrian , as hierom complains : whereby he got a fame suitable to his name . he was ( by their means ) four times banished , and oft times brought into jeopardy of his life , so violent was this storm in the church : so that vincentius lirinensis rightly terms the arrian heresie a bellona and a fury , for the bitternss of i. during his banishment at rome , this good man composed the creed that bears his name , and presented it to pope iulius , and afterwards to the emperour iovinian , when he was elected emperour , and when he himself ( after all troubles ) was advanced to the patriarchal dignity of alexandria . so that these creeds were made , not as supplements , but explanations of the apostolical creed ; occasioned by the turbulency of some spirits , who ( out of some vain glory or discontented singularity ) raised those sad tragedies in the church , which continued long , and sharp : for we read of 120 bishopt banished at one time , into the i le of sardinia by thrasimundus , an arrian king of the gothes . the 3. creeds , the nicen , athanasian and apostolical creeds , ought throughly to believed and received , because they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy scripture : so the 8th . article of the church of england , which is also received among the articles of ireland , in terminis . aphor. 7. gloria patri , a little creed . as the apostles creed was called symbolum , that is , a badge or token or mark of difference , quod fideles & perfidos secerneret , to distinguish believers from unbelievers ; or a certain watch-word ( as they have in the wars ) to know a friend from a foe : so this little hymn of glory ( which is symbolum parvum , a little creed ) was brought in , as a shibboleth , a privy mark or token to make discovery of dissembling professors and covert arrians , who desir'd to live in the bosom of the church , though they were enemies to the faith and peace of it . it was not ( as the great symbol ) to distinguish believers from unbelievers , but true believers from mis-believers , or such as believed amiss touching the article of the holy trinity . it was brought in use about the time of the nicen council , or as some say , before : for long before this period , we read that polycarpus ( that blessed martyr ) in the very place and at the hour of his martyrdom , had a kind of doxology , very neer and much like to this , who concluded his prayer and his lif●●n these words . therefore in all things i praise thee , i bless thee , i glorifie thee , o father almighty , through the eternal priest of our profession , jesus christ , thy beloved son . to whom , with thee o father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , now and for evermore , amen . as we have received , ( saith st. basil ) so we baptize ; as we baptize , so we believe ; and as we believe , so we give glory . his meaning is , that as we believe in three persons and one god , so we baptize into the names of these three : and as we baptize into their names , so we give glory unto them , joyntly and severally . so that in the most solemn offices of the church , as confessing , baptizing , and giving praise , the holy individual trinity is professed and acknowledged . this was the use and purport of the gloria patri , originally in the church . mr. cartwright ( in his exceptions against the public liturgy of our church ) thought it meet that both this and the athanasian creed should ( now at last ) be laid aside ; because ( saith he ) the fire of arrianism is well quenched : and the sore being healed , there is no need of a plaister . how well this fire was quenched in the first hearth of it , i know not : if it was extinguished in egypt or asia , it brake forth in other places far more neer unto us , as poland , transylvania , and other places ; and from thence the sparks have flown over into this kingdom , and the fire hath prevailed much and gotten no small strength since this hymn and creed have been cashierd among us : so that if this little bucket was of use to quench that fire at first , there is very great need to revive it and resume it again , for that purpose . of the commandments . aphor. 1. of the obligation of the moral law under the gospel . the moral law is legibilis honestas , as parisiensis terms it , honesty made legible in characters , and transcribed from that original coppy within us , which every man carries about him , in scrinio pectoris . it is the voice of common reason , prescribing nothing but what every man ( indued with reason ) would judge to be aequum & bonum , to be very honest , fit and reasonable to be done , if they had never been commanded : yea if there were neither heaven nor hell , neither reward for well-doing , nor punishment for evil-doing , after this life . cicero in his book de republica cited by lactantius , give● this character of it : it is the law ( saith he ) of right reason , agreeable to nature , a constant sempiternal law , that calls every man to his duty , teaching what he should , and what he should not do : a law that admits of no addition or defalcation , much less of dissolution ; which neither senat nor people can dispense with , and which needs no interpretation or comment . an universal law which binds all men , in all places ; and rules at rome as well as at athens , yea rules the rulers , and is irreversible and unchangeable . of this delineation , the same lactantius gives this elogy , quis sacramenta dei sciens tam significanter enarrare legem dei posset ? what theologue ( well verst in scripture ) could so graphically describe gods law as the pen of this heathen hath done ? this law is the fundamental law of all nations , the ●ared pandects : all the laws that are extant , are but the issues and emanations of the moral law . by this , civil governments do stand , and humane societies subsist . our saviour came not to dissolve this law , or to absolve men from it : some other rites and ceremonies and temporary ordinances he abrogated , but not this ; he did not mean that his followers should be a lawless crew , sons of belial without yoke , and the christian common-wealth a synagogue of libertines . let no man deceive himself or others , with scraps of scripture misunderstood , which too many ( being inchanted with this circean cup of liberty ) do often wilfully mistake and wire-draw to their own sense and destruction both . there is never a line in all the new testament to countenance disobedience to superiors , or a loose and licentious course of life : we were not called to uncleaness , but unto holiness , saith the good apostle paul , and without holiness we shall never see gods face , as the same apostle assures us . which holiness consists in a sincere and hearty desire , indeavour and study to walk in all gods commandments , and to live conformable to his pure and holy laws , quoad nôsse & posse , according to the best of our skill and power . they that pr●tend to the spirit , and yet wallow in all filthy and libidinous desires , ego nescio quem christum fabricantur , quem spiritum eructant : i know not ( saith mr. calvin ) what christ they profess , or what spirit they breath or belch rather , for surely it is not the spirit of god , which is a clean spirit , and loves clean bodies and souls to dwell in , as the dove ( which is its emblem ) loves a clean coat . it is a duty incumbent upon all ministers ( as a good man admonisheth ) to teach the people the perpetual obligation of the moral law : and that it must be retained and upheld , or else christ cannot be retain'd ; for the contrary perswasion i● destructive to piety and morality , and disposeth men to turbulencies and rebellions , and le ts loose the reins to all extravagant , and inordinate desires , as the experience of late ages hath made it evident and legible to the world . aphor. 4. of the perfection of the moral law at the first enacting of it . how that law that came forth from the mouth of god , & was by him prescribed as a rule of obedience to his chosen people israel , was an imperfect law , a kind of monogram or rude draught , that was to receive full proportion , colours and consummation by a skilfuller hand , i do not ( yet ) well apprehend . for king david who was a sedulous student of the law ( all the day long was his study in st ) tells us that the law of the lord is a perfect law , converting the soul . and the same student mooting this prime question : how shall a young man cleanse his way ? makes answer , even by ruling himself after thy word . so that the law is sufficient to cleanse a mans waies , that is , to keep him in an exact frame of dutifullness and conformity to gods will , and to regulate his thoughts , word● , and actions , which is totum hominis , the all of man . and ( sure ) no law can go higher or be screwed to a higher pitch : there is but internal and external obedience requlred by the most exact law that is imposed , and both these is included in every precept of this law : for the law , like the law-giver , is spiritual : there is not onely a literal but a spiritual sense in every mandate ; and this is the perfection of it , that i● reacheth to the thoughts and intentions of the heart , which other laws do not , nor cannot do . we are forbidden to worship , not onely the images of our hands , but also the imaginations of our hearts : false opinions and heresies , having no reality or existence in the word , ( and which some men do passionately dote upon ) come within the compass of the law of the second commandment . we are forbidden also to kill , not onely with the hand , but also with the tongue , by slander , and with the heart , by inveterate malice , and unmeasurable wrath , these are incruenta homicidia , dry murthers , which stain the soul as deeply as where life is destroyed . nay , all the legal administrations of the old testament did carry a spiritual importance and intendment : the circumcision of the foreskin did betoken the circumcision of the heart , which is inward in the spirit not in the better ; and gods whole drift and design in that oeconomy was to make men holy as he is holy ; a royal priesthood , and a holy nation , exod. 19.6 . the sacrifices of the law were not only figures of that great sacrifice that was to be offered ( once for all ) to put away sin , but the slaying of beasts did also import the killing of our lusts , the mortifying of our earthly members , & the offering up of our selves a holy and lively sacrifice : sacrifices of righteousness were the true sacrifices which god required , deut. 33.19 . these should have been done , and the other not left undone ; for both were under precept , the omission and neglect of the one , made the other unacceptable , yea , made them to stink before god . and the true servants of god were not ignorant hereof : and the doctors of the law were not wanting to teach it in the schools : sacrificia laudis & charitatis erant sacrificia primae intentionis , saith one of the best scholars of the jewish nation , to wit , r. moses ben maymon : of whom cunaeus gives this testimony , maimonides primus solusque in illa gente ( fato quodam nascendi ) rectè intellexit , quid hoc esset , non ineptire . de rep : hebr : indeed the greatest part of the jewish nation ( through corruption of manners , not any defect in the law ) did rest in outward performances ; and some that sate in moses his chair , did gratifie the peoples humors with false glosses upon the law ; and perswaded themselves first , and the people nex● , that they were righteous enough , if they kept the letter of the law , and had a varnish of sanctity enough to blind the eyes of men . but christ told his disciples : that except their righteousness exceeded that measure of pharisaical sanctity , they should come short of heaven ; and notwithstanding their frequent purifications and washings , yet except they were pure in heart , they should never see god ; and therefore in the first sermon that ever he made , he laid open the true and genuine sense and meaning of the law , to his present auditory , and did wind up the strings of each precept to its right key , and tun'd the * decachord of the commandments as it had been tun'd at first : which in process of time , had been disordered , some strings being stretched too high , and some being l●t fall too low . — medium tenuêre beati . the learned author of the fundamentals speaks right herein : that christ did bind some parts of the yoke closer than they were before thought to be bound upon them ; ex●ending the precepts farther than they were thought to extend ; and in raising them to more elevated degrees of perfection , sinking them deeper than the outward actions even to the purity of the heart . some men perswaded themselves , or were perswaded by others , that if they had an outside sanctity , they were well enough : which conceit our saviour christ doth every where reprehend , and beat down , and pronounceth a wo to the scribes and pharisees , hypocrites : who made clean the outside of the platter , and left the inside soul and nasty ; that seem'd lambs without , but within were ravening wolves . introrsum turpes , speci●fi pelle deco●● . aphor. 3. how the law is possible to be performed . noa● , gen. 6.9 ▪ jo● , job 1 1. lo● , 2 pet. 2.8 . are termed ●●ghteous persons by the spirit of god , that is , such as had kept gods laws , and fullfilled his commandments . but this is to be understood cum grano s●lis , in a sense of favour and ●q●ity , not precisely and categorically ; but either in comparison of others of their generation , or in a benign and courteous interpretation , they were esteemed righteous before god . it is said of david , that he kept gods commandments , and followed him with all his he●rt , to do that ( onely ) which was righteous in gods sight : and of good iosiah , that there was no king before him like unto him , that turned unto the lord with all his heart , and all his soul , and all his mind , 2 kin. 23.25 . so of asa 2 chro. 15.15 . these are high expressions and elogies , and yet we know that these men did bestow ( sometimes ) a piece of their heart ( that is of their affection ) upon the world and some carnal designes . the magnet is not so constant to the north , or pole-star , but it hath its variations and digressions from it ; and so the best of gods servants do not so wholly fix their eyes upon their master and maker , but they give an oeillad ( sometimes ) an amorous glance upon other objects . nevertheless , because god hath the best share of their love , and because they soon recall their hearts , and do not suffer their affections to wander far , nor to dwell long upon excentrical objects , and desire to love god sincerely and with an upright heart , non corde & corde , god accepts of their love : and so they are said to love their maker with all their hearts . and moreover , god is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , of a benign and gentle nature , not {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , as aristotle interprets the word , not rigid or severe to mark what is done amiss , or one that stands upon his points , and power , and strict terms of law with his subjects , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , one apt to extenuate faults , and give them a favourable gloss or construction , and being rather unwilling to find faults where they are , than to make some , where there are none . gods law is high and excellent , pure and exact in it self , worthy of that infinite wisdom and purity that did frame and enact it : but in exacting the duties of it , and in examining our obedience , mercy and benignity fit in commiss●●n with his iustice ; so that he never stand● upon the rigor of his laws , and nice puntilios of obedience , with humble and p●nitent sinners ( which he might do , and do no man wrong ) but remembers whereof we are made , that we are men , not angels , and that the best of men are but men at the best . wherefore , that the law is abs●lutely possible or impossible are both false e●●●tiations , if taken without l●mitation or distinction ; but with some restriction , both are true , and the question may be stated either way , with equal truth , though not with equal conveniency , or prudence . for ( with submission to better judgements ) i conceive , that it were more prudent to hold forth a possibility of fullfilling the law , than the contrary : for this later , damps all our indeavours , weakens our hands , dulls our edge , and makes all our hopes faint and languid : whereas a perswasion that gods law is feasible , though not facil , that it may be performed to such a degree and measure , that may find acceptance with him who sets us on work , makes us stretch and strein our faculties , and keeps us in heart , while we run the race that is set before us . non habeo vires , christus sed jussit , habebo : cur me posse negem posse quod ill● putet ? invalidas vires ipse excitat , & juvat idem quijubet , obsequium sufficit esse meum . in the arausican council it was made a canon : quod omnes baptizati , christo auxiliante & co●operante possent & deberent qaae ad salutem pertinent ( si fideliter laborare voluerint ) adimplere . dicat pelagius per gratiam nos posse implere legem dei ; & pax est . august : contra pelag : the lords prayer . aphor. 1. of ignorance in the duty of prayer . such ignorance and darkness doth possess our minds , that we often fail in our best duties , and those that do most concern us ; our very prayers are ( sometimes ) extravagant and offensive , as propounding things either unlawfull for the matter , or unfit for the condition of them that make them . of both which , since god is better able to judge than we our selves , let no man murmure or repine , when his prayers do finde a repulse , but let him rather suspect that there is somthing amiss on his part ; and make this inference , that god hath turn'd a deaf ear to his desires for his good , and denyed them in courtesie . for this is the confidence ( saith st. john ) that we have in god , that if we ask any thing according to his will , he heareth us : our prayers must be ( then ) according to gods will , not according to our own , e're they find admission or success . it was then a good advice of a heathen in this particular . — si consilium vis , permittes ipsis expendere numinibus quid conveniat nobis , reb●sque sit utile nostris : nam pro jucundis aptissima quaeque dabunt dî , charior est ipsis homo , quàm sibi : — consonant to which , plato cites a prayer of a greek poet , which he commends for the temper and prudence of it , and * calvin commends him for commending it : and it was thus : {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} : {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . mr. calvin gives this meaning of it . o iupiter , give us those things that are best and fittest for us , whether we beg them ( particularly ) or no : but such things as are hurtfull , keep them from us , though we earnestly desire them . nihil autem magis ignorari , quàm quid singulis expediat , aut quid petendum sit , ne gentiles ignorarûnt ; inter hos , qui scripsit . — evertêre domos totas , optantibus ipsis , dî faciles , &c. the disciples request to their master that he would teach them to pray , ( luk. 11.1 . ) did imply their ignorance and unskilfullness in this duty : and to prevent mistakes , and to succour mens ignorance in this performance , it was , that christ fram'd this prayer , as calvin rightly teacheth . càm videret quàm angusta esset nostra ▪ paupertas , quid aequum postulare , quid è re nostra esset , huic nostrae ignorantiae occurrit , & quod captui nostro deerat , de suo ipse supplevit ac suffecit . aphor. 2. that the lords prayer is a prayer , this is acknowledged by mr. perkins ( a man of some esteem once in this kingdom ) and the contrary perswasion condemned for error and ignorance by him . the assembly of divines in the directory for public worship do term it , a full and comprehensive prayer , and not onely a pattern . mr. calvin doth stile it orationem omnibus numeris absolutam , a perfect prayer in all points . beza , omnium christianarum precum summam ac formulam , a short sum and model of all christian prayers . since then it is a prayer , let no man doubt or fear to use it as a prayer , and do as christ bade him , when thou prayest , say , our father . the primitive christians did interpret this as a command : so that it was the ordinary and usual prayer of the church in tertullians time ; and i do believe that those that do forbear it now do construe it so , and that is a chief reason why they forbear it . tertullian in his exposition of the lords prayer ( which was made above 1400 year since ) hath these words , praemissâ hac ordinariâ & legitimâ oratione , tanquam fundamento , jus est accidentium desideriorum , & superstruendi extrinsecùs petitiones . of which words , this is the sum : 1. that the lords prayer was the most usual and ordinary prayer in his time . 2. that it was esteemed the legitimate , that is , the authentic and most current prayer of the church . 3. that this prayer was premised or used at the beginning ( as the foundation ) of all private and public oraisons : their service consisted of sundry other prayers , but this was caput caenae , the chief mess . in st. austine's time , it was used coronidis vice , for a close or up-shot of all their devotions , and for a crowning prayer , reserving their best wine untill the last . mr. cartwright who condemns the frequent repetition of it , in the service book , doth allow that the church should conclude the liturgy with it , and that ministers should end their sermons therewith ; as in the english church at geneva it is used with the prayer after sermon . the continuater of sulpit : severus tells us , that in the spanish church , the manner was ( for some time ) to use orationem dominicam tantum in die dominico , the lords prayer onely on the lords day . but the fourth council of toledo , which we● in the year 632. did condemn the practice , and commanded that it should be used daily in the publick services of the church . aphor. 3. it is the rule of all other prayers . this prayer is both forma precationis & norma precandi , both a form of prayer and a rule of praye● , or the law of prayer , as i may term it , in that sense that tertullian calls the apostle's creed legem fidei , the law of faith . we may call it the standard of prayer ; as we may also term the creed the standard of faith ; and the commandments , the standard of duty and obedience . now public standards or measures that were ( anciently ) kept in temples ( as the sacred shekle in the sanctuary ) or under the magistrates custody , had this use ; to be both measures themselves , and also patterns to make measures by . as that rare piece or picture made by polygnotus ( which for the excellency and artifice of it , was termed the canon , i. the rule ) was not onely a compleat picture of it self , but also an arch-type or idea , unde artifices artis suae lineamenta peterent , as pliny speak● of it , a sampler whence artists of that faculty , should learn the true lines , touches and strokes of a picture . whatsoever the mode or form , and language of our prayers may be ( saith * st. augustin ) we must fetch the matter and substance of them , from the royal mine of this prayer , if we pray regularly ; which is as copious in matter , as it is parcimonious in words , and in tertullians judgement breviarium totius evangelii . if any petition or request be made that doth not square with this prayer or is not reducible to it , it is a spark of strange fire that profanes the sacrifice : it is not secundum vsum sionis . aphor. 4. it surpasseth all other prayers . the lords prayer is the lady of all prayers : tertullian is of opinion that this prayer hath some kind of privilege in heaven above other prayers , haec oratio , suo animatae privilegio ascendit in coelum , &c. and st. cyprian ( who ●rod in his master's steps , for so he used to call tertullian ) speaks much like his master in this point : god the father ( saith he ) doth acknowledge his sons words , and gives a readier ear and a more favourable audience ( if faith and devotion doth accompany it ) when requests are presented to him in his sons language . hooker doth hit upon the same string : though men ( saith he ) should speak with the tongues of angels , yet words so pleasing to the ears of god as those which the son of god himself hath compos'd , are not possible for men to frame . we need not doubt ( saith another ) of a gracious hearing , since the prince that must hear , was the orator that did pen our prayer , and put words into our mouths . this is stylus curiae , it is a petition made in the style and form of the court , even the court of requests in heaven , and therefore is the more passable and current there . this cherisheth much confidence and consolation in us ( saith calvin ) that our requests contain nothing that is absurd or offensive to god , qui ( pene ) ex ejus ore rogamus , since we ask nothing , but what he himself did dictate unto us , and put into our mouths . the prayer which john the baptist prickt out for his disciples ( intimated luk. 11.1 . ) is not now extant upon record . it is probable that it soon grew obsolete and out of use , when this came up : as john himself gave place to christ : so did his prayer to christ's prayer , as the lesser lights use to vanish or grow dim , at the presence of nobler luminaries . sed quorsum perditio haec ? what needs this waste of words upon such a subject ? truly the aim is this , that since others have decried this prayer so much , not onely disusing , but abusing it ( with some derogatory expressions ) it is a duty we ow to it and the author of it , to cry it up again to its just value and no farther . and therefore i shall ( super-pondii loco ) add to the former elogies , this of dan : tilenus , a learned protestant of germany . nulla praestantior formula reperiri potest ●ut excogitari , quam quae à summꝰ illo pre●candi magistro , exauditionis mediatore christo nobis est tradi●a : nam sive sapientiam spectes , ipsamet sapientia dictavit ; sive perfectionem , omnia g●uera rerum expetendarum complectitur ; sive ordinem , divina sanè est methodus & artifictum . aphor. 5. set forms of prayer needfull for some , and lawfull for all . the truth of this aphorism was little questioned in former ages : the lords prayer , and other leiturgies may be read with feeling and understanding , saith mr. ainsworth , an eminent man in his generation . a form of prayer being read , doth not cease to be a prayer , if the spirit of prayer and supplication be not w●●●ing in the reader or hearer , saith mr. perkins , who taught england to preach ( as one saith of him , ) and who alwaies did use one form of prayer before his sermons . concerning the lawfullness of forms and book-prayers , i make no doubt to concur with bishop hall , in his soliloquies , saith mr. baxter , a late writer of good note . some reject forms prescribed , onely because they are prescribed , they affect freedom and liberty so much , that they would account their girdles and garters to be bonds and shackles , if they were commanded to wear them . davids psalms make no music in their ears ; their own ditties are more harmonious because they are their own , though they father them upon a better author . the saints of old times did not think such prescribed lessons to be restraints upon the spirit , or a quenching of it . for that royal composer david did give in writing the 105. psalm to asaph , and his brethren to praise the lord withall : and 7. they did not quarrel at it , for long after this king hezekiah commanded the levites , to sing praise unto the lord , in the words of david and asaph the seer . the 136. psalm , which begins , o give thanks unto the lord , for he is gracious , &c. was wont to be sung upon several occasions , as at going forth to war , by iehosaphat , 2 chro. 20.22 . and at the laying the foundation of the new temple by zerubbabel , ezra 3.11 . and the learned iunius in his notes on that psalm saith , that this ode epainetic , or song of praise , was sung daily in the congregations as the moral part of the public service . and it is vouched by good warrant , that the jews had set forms of praises and prayers in all ages ; and buxtorf saith , that the thirteen articles of the jewish creed , was collected by r. m●ses ben maimon , out of the antient jewish liturgies . a wise prince gives thee counsel not to be rash with thy mouth or hasty to utter any thing before god : but to be well advised what thou speakest , to take heed of too much familiarity with thy m●ker , and to remember thy distance , that he is in heaven and thou on earth ; he is a glorious god , and thou art but dust and ●sh●s . it was a rash vow of iephte ; the first thing that comes to meet me , shall be the lords , judg. 11.31 . so if thou sayest , the first words that come upon my tongue shall be the lords , they may prove rash , and foolish , and offensive , even the sacrifice of a fool . before thou prayest , prepare thy self , and be not as one that tempteth the lord ; it is an apocryphal text , but canonical counsel . hod●è majorem licentiam illicitis suis cupiditatibus homines in precibus indulgent , quam si pares cum paribus joco è fabularentur . calvin . l. 3. i●st . cap. 20 § 5. aphor. 6. prayer in a language not understood , unlawfull . i will pray with the spirit , and pray with the understanding also , saith st. paul , i will sing with the spirit , and sing with the understanding also ; else how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say amen to thy giving of thanks , seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest : for thou verily givest thanks well , but the other is not edified . from which words , it may be irrefr●gably concluded , that the congregation must understand the prayers that are put up in the ass●mbly , else they cannot say , amen , and they cannot be edified thereby . and this may be also cleerly inferred thence , that he that is the mouth of the congregation , or else prays in privat , must understand himself what he prays , else it is but the carcass of a prayer without soul or life in it , oratio sine ratione ; for the heart cannot be affected , with what it doth not understand : and praying is a work rather of the heart than of the tongue , no lip-labour . cardinal cajetan upon this text , doth ingenuously confess , that it would be more for the edification of the church , if public prayers were performed in a language that is common both to priest and people . pope john , the 8th . of that name , could not elude or resist the force of this text , or the reasonableness of the practice of the moravians , who did celebrate divine service in the sclavonian tongue , which was the vulgar or mother-tongue of that nation . for in an epistle written by the said pope in the yea● 808 to stentor prince of moravia , touching this point , he doth cite this parcel of pauls epistle , and saith , that he that made the hebrew and the latine tongues , did make other tongues also , for the glorifying of his name withall . when this business of having the public service in the vulgar-tongues , was hotly controverted in the church , there was a voice in the air heard to say : let every spirit praise the lord , and every tongue confess his name ; as z●inger reports , cited by dr. iames . manud : art 6. si populus intelligat orationem sacerdotis , meliùs reducitur in deum , & devotiùs respondet amen . aphor. 7. it is not warrantable to lay aside the lords prayer . if it be a prayer , and there is a command extant for the using of it , there cannot be any just pretensions for discarding it out of our liturgies . in the posie of godly prayers , this was ever held the most fragrant flower , it is sal omnium divinorum officiorum , the salt of the spiritual sacrifice ; for as every sacrifice under the law was seasoned with salt : so all devotion ( wch is a gospel●sacrifice ) should be seasoned with this prayer , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , left it prove insipid or unsavoury . let none suppose that it was intended onely for christians of the lower form : for st. austin assures us , that it was made , not onely for the lambs , but even for the rams of the flock ; arietibus gregis , i. apostolis suis dominus dedit ; and elswhere he adds it to be a form necessary for every particular believer . iustin martyr saith , that the apostles themselves did use this prayer at the celebrating of the eucharist , which was very frequently in those daies : and we may presume that he delivered but his knowledge herein ; for he living so neer the apostles , might very well understand their practice in this , or any other affair . if it hath been too often used heretofore , ( as some urge ) sure i am , it is ( now ) used too seldom , which is the worser fault of the two : as of two extremes , one may be far worser than the other . and it may be well supposed that they have too mean a conceit of this prayer , and too high an esteem of their compositions , that will not vouchsafe it a room among them . one of the reasons given for abolishing the common-prayer-book was , because it gave offence to divers godly christians : sure i am , that the omitting of this prayer , or casheering of it ( for company ) with our other prayers of the church , gives greatet offence to persons really godly ; who are as much grieved in spirit at this affront as at any other put upon the christian religion in these frantick corybantiasms that have ( of late years ) possessed this nation . the omitting of this prayer , and creed , and commandments , in the public assemblies , have made some men believe that they were but some grotesques , and superfluities in our religion ; some parentheses ( as it were ) or things indifferent , that might be used or omitted at pleasure : so that the people have often ( since ) mused what religion hath been taught them these 1600 in this land , when the very corner-stones of it are now taken away , and the foundations are digged up . where zeal ( not guided with discretion ) is in the commission of reformation , it knows not where to stop or stay , but is alwaies pulling down , but knows not how to build up or erect any thing , like an apollyon being onely skilfull to destroy , to unravel , and root up all , — et convellere tota fundamenta quibus nixatur vita , salusque . lucret : l. 4. of the sacraments . aphor. 1. sacraments , why ordain'd ? he that made man and knew best how to instruct and teach him in the great interest of his salvation , thought fit to inclose apples of gold in pictures of silver , heavenly mysteries in earthly representations and objects : because it is natural * to man to a●cend to super-natural verities , by natural help● : and to ●cale heaven by a ladder , whose rounds are made ( as it were ) of gross materials ; and whose bottom ( like that of iacob ) stands upon the earth , though the top reacheth to heaven . geom●ters do use certain schems , and diagrams ( drawn in the sands , or on paper ) to assist the weak capacities of their scholars , to understand some conclusions or problems of their art : so , god vouchsafes to instruct his scholars , not onely by words , but also by signs and symbols , to speak not onely to the ear , but also to the eye : the preaching of the word was not thought * sufficient to inform mens dull capacities , and to stir up their other faculties to their proper duties but sacraments are also added , which are a kinde of a visible word . both have the same use , the one to teach the minde by the sense of seeing , as the other by the sense of hearing . and to this purpose the sacrament is more effectual than the word , having a greater energy * and force upon the mind , because the eye is a better instructer than the ear * segniùs irritant animos demissa per aures quam quae sunt oculis sub●ecta fidelibus . horat : de arte poet : aphor. 2. their efficacy from the author alone . there is no such vertue inherent in the sacramental symbols to work good upon the soul , as there is in herbs or mineral waters , to work good upon the body : the very applying of the sacraments ( as an active to a passive ) or the opus operatum ( a● the romish writers express it , ) the very action or deed done doth not do the deed , as is pretended . god doth not tye his grace to the means , nor to the ministrators ; whose worthiness doth not contribute to , nor unworthiness derogate from the sacraments : but the work depends wholly upon the good pleasure of the ordainer and institutor of them , who doth preside in this grand agend of the church , and who doth exhibit grace therein to all ; but it is not effectual and beneficial to any but to the worthy receiver , qualified by previous dispositions , and expedients . we do not depreciate the sacraments , or make them lower , or lesser than what ( indeed ) they were intended to be , by asserting the efficacy and vertue derived from them , to him that ordained them . we do not over-value nor under-value them : we know who have offended in these extremes . we do not make them empty pageants , and bare shadows or dumb shews : the church of england declares otherwise , in few words . sacraments are not onely badges of christian profession , but also sure witnesses and effectual signs of grace : agreeable to the belgic confession ; sacramenta non sunt vana , & vacua signa ad nos decipiendos insti●uta , &c. for where they are administred and received , in the due form and manner , we acknowledge that they really give what they promise , and are what they signifie : on gods part , they give an investiture and possession of the heavenly promises , as firmly as a bishop is invested in his office , per baculum & annulum , as st. bernard makes the simile , serm : de caena dom. the unworthy receive● ( indeed ) doth frustrate , and defeat the good that is intended by them and presented in them , makes divorce between the sign and thing signified , eats the bakers bread , not the bread that came down from heaven , sacramentum , non rem sacramenti . if this romish fansie of the opus operatum were current , i marvel why the sacraments of the old testament did not confer grace as well as those of the new , which they deny , making that the main difference between them : whereas the truth is , they differed onely in the outward symbols , not in the inward sense , and substance , nor yet in the effects : for their sacraments had the same materiam substratam , the same invisible grace presented in them , though the visible signs were not the same ; and the worthy partakers did feed on christ as lushiously and savourly then , as others do now ; they did eat the same spiritual meat , and drink the same spirituall drink , which was christ , as st. paul doth expressely teach , 1 cor. 10.3 , 4. aphor. 3. they are seals as well as signs . the gospel is the grand charter of mans salvation , and the sacraments are ( as it were ) seals appendant thereunto , they are not onely signs of some grace exhibited , but also seals to ratifie and confirm the promises contained in the instrument before mentioned : as seals are put to civil contracts and indentures for a full and final ratification of them . this comparison is used by most writers of the reformation , but it is so foolish in bellarmine's conceit , that nothing can be more ; and which ought with all diligence ( saith he ) to be beaten down . sacramenta dici sigilla vel signacula , nusquam legimus nisi in evangelio secundum lutherum , is the cardinals witty sarcasm in the forecited treatise : that the sacraments are called seals ( saith he ) we read no where , but in the new gospel , according to st. lather . but he might have read it in an old epistle according to st. paul , who calls circumcision {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} the seal of the righteousness which is by faith , that is , a seal whereby it was ratified and made sure unto abraham , that he was justified or made righteous before god , through faith in christ . nay , the cardinal himself to prove the septenary number of the sacraments doth fetch an argument from the book with seven seals , rev. 5.1 . which was the new covenant with seven sacraments appendant thereto , as he interprets the place : if that text will be of force to evince the sacraments to be seven in number , it will also evince them to be seals for use . aphor. 4. absolutely necessary where they may be had . the divine precept hath layed the highest obligation ( that may be ) upon us of using the sacraments , and that with reverence and religion , saith dr. ames . if the sacraments be wanting unto us through our own default , it involves us in guilt ( saith augustin ) neither can that man pretend to a sincere conversion or love to god , that contemns any sacrament of his institution * . faith will not avail any man , who receives not the lords lords sacraments when he may , saith st. bernard . if this be a duty commanded , why may we not slight any other ( and all other ) duties as well as this ? what reasonable hopes hath any man that god will save him by some other means ( or without means ) when he hath declared , that by these means ( in conjunction with some others ) he intends to save ? ames calls baptism one of the ordinary means of salvation ; & ex istâ hypothesi , upon that account , he affirms it to be absolutely necessary to salvation , where it is to be had * . except a man be born of water and the spirit ( saith christ ) he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven . from hence the antient fathers did infer the necessity of baptism : but some later writers have ratified this water into spirit ; and interpret the words tropically : except a man be born of water , that is , of the spirit : for water is here but an emblem of the spirit ( say they , as fire is elsewhere , mat. 3.11 . but to these , i shall oppose the sense , and censure of the learned hooker , you shall have his own expressions , for they cannot be mended . i hold it an infallible rule in the exposition of scripture , that where a literal construction will stand , the farthest from the letter , is commonly the worst : there is nothing more dangerous than this licentious and deluding are which changeth the meaning of words , as alchimy doth or would do metals , maketh any thing what it listeth , and in the end , bringeth all truth to nothing . the general consent of antiquity , concurres in the literal interpretation , and must the received construction be ( now ) disguised with a toy of novelty ? we may by such expositions , attain in the end ( perhaps ) to be thought witty , but with ill advice ; so he . non possum quin simplicissimam theologiam , hoc est , quae minimè recedit a litera , caeteris ut commodiorem , praeferam . aphor. 5. infant-baptism more antient than the apostles . to secure the interest of children in this sacrament , who ( ex praerogativâ s●minis , as tert : speakes ) are entitled thereto , enough hath been spoken ( of late years ) by our english writers , to the conviction of all gain-sayers ; more particularly by the excellent dr. hammond , in his quaer●s . when we find the practice of baptizing infants in the christian church to be so antient , as the very next age to the apostles : and so universal , that it was received through all parts of the world , where christ had a church , i cannot see , how it could have any other original than from the apostles who founded the churches through the world . st. augustine speaking of this usage or custom , saith , that the church of god ever had it , ever held it , and received it hanc praxin ecclesia catholica ubique diffusa tenet home de adamo & eva . from the religion of former ages : and calvin saith , that the antientest writers that we have of our religion , do ( without any scruple ) refer the original of this practice to the apostles . nullus scriptor tam vetustus qui non ejus originem , ad apostolorum tempora pro certo , referat . but this practice did not begin with , or by the apostles neither : for they did but continue what was before in use in the jewish church , who admitted proselytes into their religion by this rite or ceremony of baptizing , besides that of circumcision ; as hath been observed unto us by men well verst in rabbinical writings , and the rituals of all ages , as ainsworth on gen. 17.12 . heins. his ex●r● : on act. 18.3 . lud : de dieu his append : on matth. 23.15 . and more fully and copiously doctor hammond in his fourth quaere . but indeed , the jewish and the christian baptisms had different purposes and designations : by the one , the proselytes were baptised into moses , that is , the mosaic law and o●conomie : by the other , into christ , that is , into his faith , rule and discipline . and it is farther observed by the forementioned writers , that of the jewish proselytes , not onely men of years were baptized , but their young children were also baptized with them , and received into the bosome of that church , to be instructed in their law , when they should come to years . which usage was taken up by john the baptist , and afterwards by christ and his apostles , and continued in the reformed common wealth , though to another purpose and design , as we touched before ; and this ceremony was thought sufficient to be retained for that end , when circumcision was abolished . if the issue of the question touching infants-baptism lay upon this : whether the apostles of christ did baptize infants ? the scripture ( by its own light ) doth not clear the doubt , it tells us they baptized whole housholds , which testimonies do ( of themselves ) make it but probable , that they baptized the children of those housholds : but if catholic tradition , and the voice of the church he allowed so much civility and credit with us , as to be believed for a matter of fact and story ; then the business would soon be put beyond all pretensions of scruple , and made as secure and firm to our sense , as any article of our creed : as upon the testimony of travellers , and credible men , i might be induced to believe firmly and undoubtedly , that there is such a city as constantinople , though i neither saw it , nor doth the scripture make any mention of it . aphor. 6. where it may not be had , desire supplies the defect . this must be understood of the adulti or men in years , that have not participated of the holy mysteries , but do earnestly desire and long for them , but by some impediment and invincible necessity , cannot obtain them : if the fault be not on their side , there is no danger , but the internal benefit of the sacrament , is communicated to them , without the external symbols . the penitent thief on the cross went to heaven without baptism , when simon magus went to hell with it : the children of bethlehem that were baptized in their own blood , were qualified for heaven by that baptism , without the baptism of water ; and martyrdom in any other , doth entitle them to a crown , even a crown of glory , though unbaptized . when the emperour valentinian died without baptism , but had determined to receive it , but that he was prevented by death ; st. ambrose doth state his case thus ; quem regeneraturus eram , amisi , sed ille no● amisit gratiam quam poposcit . i lost him ( saith he ) whom i was about to regenerate or baptise : but he hath not lost the grace o● fruit of that ordinance which he desired . in such cases , baptismus flaminis supplet baptismum fluminis , the baptism of the spirit doth supply the want of water-baptism ; and the spirit himself doth officiate for the minister sometimes . from hence we may infer , that the case of children dying without baptism , is not forlorne and disperate : we may not be such rhadamanths as to passe damnatory sentences upon them , for want of that which was not in their power to compass : god doth not tye any to those ordinary laws and methods whereby he saves man , but such as may have them , and are capable to use them . if the parents be wanting to their child in this duty , the sin ( sure ) lyes at their door and not the child's ; and god will require it at their hands , as he did at the hands of moses . in like manner the church of england , hath declared her judgement , touching the want of the eucharist , if there be no more than the bare defect . if any person by extreme sickness , or any other just impediment , do not receive the sacrament of the lords supper , if he truly repent him of his sins , and stedfastly believe that christ died for him , he doth eat , and drink the body and blood of christ profitably , to his souls health , though he do not eat the sacrament with his mouth . so the rubric for the communion of the sick . a prayer occasionally conceived , upon the entring into a ruinous church , where no prayers or sermons had been , in many years before . o eternal holinesse and immense goodness ! how sad and desolate is this place , which was ( lately ) frequented by a people called by thy name , to call upon thy name ; to seek thy face , and to find thee here , in thine own appointments and holy dispensations : how forlorne is it now become , being made a court of owls , and a place for satyrs to dance in ? i acknowledge the hand-writing upon the walls , and the charactets of thy just displeasure , who doest proportion punishments to the offences , and makest the one legible in the analogy , and suitablenesse of the other . lord , if my sins have drawn th●se lines of confusion and of stones emptiness ; if by any remisness or perfunctoriness in holy ministeries , if by want of zeal for thy glory , or any other way , i have awaked thy justice , lo , here ( in all humility , ) i prostrate my self before thee , imploring mercy and pardon , and confessing to thy glory , that thou art just in all that is come upon us . and if the sins of the congregation ( that used to meet here , ) have contributed to this judgement , and turned away thy presence from this place , either by sleighting the mysteries that were here dispensed , or the dispensers of them : we must say again , that righteous art thou , o lord , and true are thy judgements . thou hast been just in shutting up the doors of thy house against them , that did shut their ears and hearts against thee ; and in taking away that food from before them , which they loathed or lightly regarded . yet , o lord , be mercifull both to priest and people , and turn not away thy face utterly ( in displeasure ) from them ; as we confesse thy justice , so we implore thy mercy , lift up the light of thy countenance upon thy sanctuary that is desolate , and cause thy face to shine upon it . turn thee unto us , o lord , and renew our dayes as of old . have mercy upon a distressed church , and a distracted ●tate : behold thy ministers that are smit●en into corners , and their respective congregations that wander like sheep without a shepherd , that travel to and fro , ●o seek the word of the lord , and cannot ●ind it . gather them o thou shepherd of israel , ●nd do thou guide and lead them forth , ●nd let thy rod and staff comfort them . pi●ty the ruins of thy church , build up the old wasts , it is time that thou have mer●y upon them , yea the time is come . let not the watch-men that are set upon the wals hold their peace day nor night , nor those that make mention of the lord keep silence , nor give him any rest , until he establish his people , and make this church a praise on the earth , that it may no more be termed desolate or forsaken , but make it an eternal excellency , and a joy of many generations . and so shall we learn by thy punishments to amend our lives , and for thy clemency , to give thee praise and glory , through jesus christ our lord , amen . psal. 123. mr. sands ▪ 1. thou mover of the rolling sphears , i through the glasses of my tears , to thee my eyes erect . as servants mark their masters hands , and maids their mistresses commands , and liberty expect : 2. so we , deprest by enemies , and growing troubles , fix our eyes on god who sits on high ; till he in mercy , shall descend to give our miseries an end , and turn our tears to joy . 3. o save us lord , by all forlorne the subjects of contempt and scorn , defend us from their pride , who live in fluency and ease , who with our woes their malice please , and miseries deride . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a55565e-190 aristid . adrian . orat . 8. — vt sine faece dies . 2 joh. 1.4 . rev. 3.10 . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . mat. 4.3 . sen. ep. 47 virtus heroica est eminentia & splendor virtutis , qua homine supra conditionē humanam elevat , piccol : de mor : philosophia . — vulgus sequitur fortun● , ut semper , & odit damnatos . iuv. sat. 10. forced to be secular priests . heb. 13.20 , 21. notes for div a55565e-970 * {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} insulae fortunatae : notes for div a55565e-1300 josh. 15.15 sine magno molimine ab area excutitur , quod nullo pondere intra aream tenebatur . vinc. lir. c. 2 . 5.●rona sunt in ruinam quae sine fundamentis creverunt . sen. l. de ira . cap. 16. prov. 6.6 . apis sapi , entissima avicula . basil. hexaem . c. 8. ecclus. 11.12 . virg l. 4. georg. l. 3. contra donatistas . eph. 2.21 . rom. 12.6 . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . heb. 5.12 . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . heb. 6.1 . sermo qui rudes in christo inchoat . so beza renders it . ass artium , & scientia scientiarum est regimen animarum . esa. 29.8 . append : to the reformed catholick . cul. paris . rev. {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} & {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . haereditaria signacula , st. am●brose calls them . l. 3. ad grat. imper. communem thesaurum & haereditatem paternam , st. basil terms them , ep. 70. auguste sanctissime yheodor . l. 4 eccl. hist. c. 3. vinc lirin . cap. 3. quod universa tenet ecclesia , nec conciliis institutum , sed semper retentum , non nisi authoritate apostolica traditum rectissinè creditur . aug. l. 4. de bapt. {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} tim. 6.20 . zach. 4.10 . via trita est vita tuta . we would go to the heavenly canaan by the kings high way , and turn neither to the right hand nor to the left . numb. 20.17 . lucret. non contemnenda sunt parva , sine quibus magna esse non possunt . hiero. ep. ad laetam principia majora sunt vi quam magnitudine . arist. de coelo , l. 1. c. 5. sir , ro. williams his commentaries . pius the 4th . in his bull de motu proprio , perfixed to the trent-catechism * dr. gropper . stapleton . lud. carbo . mr. rich. greenham ▪ above 50. years agone . cyrill . catech. 4. ediscebant pueri 12. tabb . leges , ut carmen necessarium . m. tull. l. 2. de ll. debile fundamentum fallit opus . cypr. praefat ad opuscula . vtile est plures à pluribus fieri tractatus , diverso stylo , non diversâ fide , etiam de quaestionibus iisdem , ut ad plurimos res ipsa proveniat ; ad alios sic , ad alios autem sic . aug. de trint . cap. 3. notes for div a55565e-3860 (1) orat : dom : (2) symbolum . (3) decalogus . (4) sacramenta . notes for div a55565e-3980 in his capitibus catecheticis universae scripturae pomaeria , se● potiùs latifundia continentur . alsted th. catechet . c. 1. (a) god made him lower than the angels in this life . psal. 8.5 . but he shall be made equal to the angels hereafter . luk. 20.36 . (b) deut. 10.12 . micah 6.8 . st. paul doth reduce all to these two heads faith and love . 2 tim. 1.13 perfectus scripturae canon , ad omnia , satis supe●que ▪ sufficit ▪ vinc : lirin ▪ cap. 2. the patriarchs creed , see the annotations annexed . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . tit. 1.3 . (a) act. 26 22. (b) cant. 6.9 . eph. 4.4 , 5. (c) tit. 1.3 . the distribution of the creed into 4. parts . the desinto hell . dr. hammond's practical catechism , 2d . edition page 236. * dr. latimer . dr. nowel . dr. babington . dr. bilson . dr. crachanthorp in his defence of the church of england — c. 39. (a) rev. 5 20. (b) act. 15 14. (c) act. 20 32. rom. 15.16 (d) rom. 8 28. (a) col. 2.19 . 1 joh. 1.3 . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . eph. 4.4 . (b) phil. 2.12 . (a) luk. 24 47. act. 2.38 . (b) rom. 3.24 , 25 , 26. (d) mat. 18 18. joh. 20.25 symbolum patrum est tantum declarativum symboli apostolici , sic propter haereticos exigente necessitate . aquin : sum : p. 2. c. 1. the doxology , a little creed . as the word shibboleth distinguished the ephraimites from the gileadites , jud. 12.6 . (a) psa. 119 105. (b) joh. 17 3. (c) 1 cor. 10 4. (d) eph. 2.10 . (f) 1 tim. 6 20. (g) 1 pet. 1 9 (h) heb. 12 2. notes for div a55565e-5210 decalogus est symbolum agendorum . dr. davenant adhort : ad pacem cap. ● . (a) gen. 2 17. (b) deut. 30.15 . (c) rom. 3.20 . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . arist. eth. l. 5. c. 7. (a) r●m . 2 14 , 15. wherein christian liberty doth consist . (a) mat. 23 4. (b) mat. 5.18 . & 19.17 . rom. 3.31 . (c) deut. 27.26 . (d) gal. 3.13 . the moral law , a perfect law for parts & degrees . (a) rom. 7 12. (b) psa. 19.7 . (c) rom. 7.14 . (d) exod. 20.17 . (e) psa. 119 96. in the original it is in the abstract , viz : (a) {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} decas verborum . deu. 10 4. (c) rom. 13.10 . (d) joh. 14 (b) mat. 22.40 . how far the law may be performed by us . (a) deut. 6.5 . mat. 22.37 (b) rom. 3 20. (c) gen. 4.7 . (d) 2 chron. 30.18.19 ▪ this law of the two tables surpasseth all the laws of the 12. tables among the romans . (a) psa. 59 6. rom. 12.1 . (b) 1 cor. 6.20 . (a) lev. 19 18. mat. 22.39 (b) gal. 6.10 . (c) act. 17 26. isa. 58.7 (d) 1 cor. 11 7. jam. 3.9 . exemplumque dei quisque est sub imagine parvâ . manil : praecepta sunt angus●a , & augusta . zanch : in decalog : he that commanded us to hate the evill , did command us to love the good . amos 5.15 isa. 1.16 , 17. qui destinat ad finem , destinaat ad media . arist : 2. phys : (a) mat. 5.21 , 28. 1 joh. 3.15 . these ampliations and extensions of general precepts in the law , are virtually inherent in them ; and so by easie natural logick , and by a free and unforced inference , are deducible from thence ; whereof alsted in his theologia catechetica , zanchius upon the decalogue , perkins in his armilla aurea , and divers other commentators on the moral law have treated . (a) exod. 15.11 . (b) lev. 10 3. (c) deut. 10 12. (d) micah . 6.8 . (e) psa. 19 7. (f) psa. 119.18 . (g) 2 cor. 3.3 . (h) jam. 1 22. (i) psa. 103 14. notes for div a55565e-6490 deo nihil deest , he is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} self-sufficient and all-sufficient . — ipse suis pollens opibus : — (a) jonah 1.5 , 6. act. 10 2. (b) 2 cor. 3.5 . why we must pray . (a) eph. 2.4 . (b) mar. 6.5.21.22 . psal. 50.15 . phil. 4.2 . (c) jam. 1.6 . (d) jam. 4.3 . job 35.13 . (a) job 37 19. how we must pray . (b) rom. 8.26 . (c) 1 joh. 5 14. (d) luk. 11 1 , 2. see the notes annexed , upon this head . * the mountain whereon christ preached his first sermon , and delivered this prayer . mat. 5.1 . the preeminence of the lords prayer . oratio dominica est orationum domina . (a) 1 cor. 1 24. (b) col. 2.3 . (c) joh. 3.34 . (d) joh. 16 23. the best qualifications of prayer . (a) mat. 21 22. ja. 1.6 . (b) ja. 5.15 , 16. (c) luk. 18 13. (d) eccles. 5.1 . ephes. 3.14 : and jesus left them , and went again , and prayed the third time saying the same words . mat. 26.44 . mat. 14.43 . (a) mat. 26.44 . pacis doctor , & unitatis magister noluit sigillatim precem fieri . cypr : de orat. dom : (a) habh . 2 4. (b) 1 tim. 2.1 . jam. 5.16 . tres petitiones dei gloria destinatae sunt tres reliquae nostri curam gorunt . cal● : l. 3. inst : c. 20. of unpremeditated prayer . (a) 1 cor. 14.14 , 15 , 16 (b) eccle. 5.2 . (a) job 37 19. (b) jam. 4.3 . job 35.13 . (c) isa. 51 16. (d) luk : 15.18 . (e) 1 joh. 2.1 notes for div a55565e-7730 sacramenta sunt signa signantia , & obsignantia . the eye doth better instruct than the ear : {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , the virtue and efficacy of the sacraments . (a) 2 cor. 10.16 . (b) mat. 28.20 . (a) matth. 28.19 . (b) matth. 26.26 , 27 ▪ illud , est nasci de sp●ritu ; hoc , autem pa●sci . aug : de verb : apostoli . serm : 11. faciunt favos vespae ; faciunt ecclesias & marcionitae . tert : adv : marc : (a) mat. 18.20 . mat. 28.19 . act. 2.42 . (a) gen. 17.11 . rom. 4.11 . act. 2.38.22.16 . circumcision was a sign of the old covenant , and baptism cometh in the room of that . co. 2.11 , 12. the danger of sleighting baptism , where it may be had . see the annotat : (a) luk. 7.30 . (b) exod. 4.24 . (c) gen. 17 12. infants to b● baptized . see more in the notes . (a) gen. 17 12. (b) 1 cor. 7 14. rom. 11.16 . (a) luk. 22.19 : 1 cor. 11.24 . (b) 1 cor. 10.16 . verbum est fundamentum fidei ; sacramenta sunt firmamenta & columnae calv : l. 4. instit. c. (c) 1 joh. 4.11 . (a) ● cor. 11.26 . qui indignè manducat , sibi judicium manducat , non tibi . aug. (b) 1 sam. 12.9 . (c) act. 8.1 . act. 26.10 . (a) 1 cor. 11 28. (b) psa. 77.6 . (c) 1 cor. 5.6 . sacraments of perpetual use to the ●aithfull . (a) 1 cor. 11.26 . (b) phil. 3.12 . rom. 7.14 . (a) mat. 28 19 , 20. (a) in the creed . (b) in the command : (c) in the lords prayer . (d) rom. 4 11. (e) isa. 58.12 . (f) isa. 3.6 , 7. (g) jer. 33.6 . psal. 90. notes for div a55565e-8890 eccle. 12.11 i●●it studium & diligentiam , qu● pueris praecepta dei ●nculca●i debent . v●●abl : in locum . histor : of the counsel of trent l. 1. notes for div a55565e-10440 (a) 2 chro. 6.29 . notes for div a55565e-11690 append to the ref : cathol : pro fundamentalibus ea sola haebendae sunt quae omnibus cognitu & creditu necessaeria sunt : adhort : ad pacem cap : 7. instit. l. 2. l. 1. adv. haereses c. 1.2.3 . ep : dedicatory to the e : of bedford before his exposit : of the creed . in his preamble to the exposit : of the creed . parte 2 de doct : chrisstian●s . animadv. in bellarm : l. 2. serm : 115. de tempore epist. ad epictet . de velandis virginibus . cap. 1. see dr. potter's answer to charity mistaken . sect. 7. deerant quoque littora ponto . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} papistica . so the bull of pius the reditu . bellarm : prefat : ad lib : de rom : pontifice . pontificia potestas est cardo & fundamentum & summa fidei christianae . skulken : apol : pro bellarm. non latuit judaeos de trinitate fides , ut cunque sub evangelio multo sit explicatior prid : fasci : confess : l. 20. cap. 43. vna fides justificat universorum temporum sanctos . leo de pass : dom : serm. 14. prid : fasc : see deut. 18.15 . compared with act. 3.21 . 2 chro. 20.7 . isa. 41.8 . joh. 2.23 . lex promissiones misericordiae passim continet . calv●l . 2. inst : c. 10 ▪ chap. 2. v. 4. rom. 4.11 chap. 19. v. 25 , 26. dan. 12.2 . joh. ●1 . 23 , 24. ezech. 20.13 . legem servantibus , aeterna vita promissa est . mat. 19.17 . luk. 10.28 . raynolds . thes. 4. rom. 7.10 1 cor. 15.56 . vetus & novum testamentum , unum re , geminum ratione . raynold . thes : 4. fest hommius in specim . controvers : belgicarum cap. 25. l. 2● . iustit . c. 14. § 5. mich : servetus , veterem ecclesiam israeliticā in haram porcorum transfomavit . beza epist. 1. historia concilii tridentini . l. 5. li. 2. c. 10. §. 1. hâc syllabâ ▪ creator à creaturis secernitur ; divina ab humanis separantur . ruff : in symb : * and in petr : canisius his catechism . * quod universa tenet ecclesia , nec conciliis institutum sed semper retentum , non nisi apostolicâ authoritate traditum rectissimè creditur . l. 4. de bapt : contra donatistas . necesse est propter tantos , tam varii erroris ansractus , ut propheticae & apostolicae interpretationis linea , secundùm ecclesiastici & catholici sensùs normam dirigatur . vinc : lirin . c. 2. theol : catechetica . so whitaker de eccles : raynolds . mor●ney , and davenant on , col. 1.18 . luk. 10.20 heb. 12.23 2 tim. 2.19 rom. 2.28 tu vides quousque oculos habes , sed oculi domini sunt alti . tert : de praescript : oprat : l. 2. nisi in parte donati . august : de haeresib : psa. 2.8 . isa. 14.2 . huic ego nec metas rerum , neque tempora pono : imperium sine fine dedi . virg : act. 20.28 bishop of milevis in africa . l. 2. contra donatist : sulpit. severus l. 2. hist : sacrae . peuc : chro : l. 3. genebr . chron : epist. ad damasum . l. 4. eccl : histor. et in conciliis , & in doctorum collisionibus , semper tandem triumphavit fides de trinitate catholica . dr. prid : fasc : contr. p. 99. baron : an●nal : ad an : 340. {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} athanasius cap. 6. commonitorii . articuli fidei non possunt crescere quoad numerum credibilium , sed quoad explicationem . aquin. sum : p. 2. arrius erat vir laudis & gloriae , magis quam veri . tatis cupidus . platina in vitâ sylvestri . in vita b. fulgentii . russ : in symb : judg. 12.6 . euseb : l : 4. cap. 15. basil : ep. 78. notes for div a55565e-17290 l. de leg : sir w. raghleigh . 1. p. of his history . de vero 6. cultu l. c. 8. 1 thes. 3.13 heb. 12.14 l. 3. inst. c. 3. non ille spiritus , adulterii vel homicidii , vel fraudis patronus . id . legis doctrina retinenda est , sine quâ christus non potest retineri . dr. daven : ●dh : ad pacem . lex moralis est aeterna regula justitiae omnium gentium ac temporum hominibus praescripta , qui ad dei voluntatem vitam suam componere volunt . cal : l. 4. inst : c. 20. liberantur fideles à rigore legis , non regimine : habet enim in eos imperium politicum , non despoticum ; poedagogiam exercet , non mastigogiam , est index non judex nostrarum actionum . pride aux fase : contr : god spake these words and said . exod. 20.1 . psa. 119.97 psa. 19.8 . psa. 119. lex divinitùs traedita , perfectam nos justitiam docet . calv : l. 2. c. 8. lex est perfectissima norma justitiae . nowel . cat : est vitae regula perfectè absoluta . id. rom. 7.14 . interna & externa obedientia requiritur in singulis praeceptis , interprete christo mat. 5. ames : med : theol : l. 2. c. 5. leges hominum ligant manus , lex dei conscientiam . sculptile & con●latile reor dogmata esse falsa & perversa , quae ab his quibus facta sunt , adorantur . hieron : in habb : c. 5. qui falsum dogma componunt , auream statuam faciunt , & persuadent homines , ut cadentes , adorent idolum falsitatis . id. in dan. cap. 3. see ecclus 35 1 , 2 , 3. rom. 2.28 . lev ▪ 17.44 19.2 . rom. 12.1 . isa. 1.13 , ●4 . jer. 6.20 . mat. 5.10 . mat 5.8 . * so st. augustin calls the decalogue in his b●ok de o chordis . cap. 11. pers : sat : 2 1 kin. 14.8 . 2 chro. 12.33 . psa. 86.4 . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , benignior legis interpretatio , aristot. 5. eth ▪ c. 10. auson● ad theodos : imp●rat : concilium arausicanum . notes for div a55565e-19570 — paenam pro munere pascunt , like phaëton . ovid : metamo : l. 2. multos non audit deus ad voluntatem , ut exaudiat ad salut em . isid : de summo bon● . joh. 5.14 . iuv. sat : 10 * homo quidem ethnicus sapit in hoc , quòd judicat quàm periculosum sit a domino petere , quod cupiditas nost● a dictaverit . calvin . l 3. inst : c. 20. dan : heinsius exercit . in lu. 11. l. 3. inst. ● . 20. in his preamble to the exposition of the lords prayer . so mr. henry greenwood a godly man , in his exposition of the lords prayer . l. 3. inst. c. 20. in 6. c. matthai . luk. 11.2 . enchirid : ad laurent : c. 71. hooker . l. 5 eccl : polit : lib : de veland : virg : primum in unuquoque genere est mensura reliquorum . arist. 4. phy. exo. 30.13 nat: hist. l. 8. c. 34. * quamlibet alia verba dicimus , nil aliud dicimus , quàm quod in ista oratione positum est , si rectè & congruenter oremus . aug : ep. 21. de ora● : lev. 10.1 . ● . de oratione . de orat : da magistrum . eccles : pol. l. 5. § 35. sir r. baker's meditat : on the lords prayer . l. 3. inst. c. 20. §. 34. nox victa vagos contra●it ignes , luce renatâ cogit nitidum phosphorus agmen . sen: herefurens . syntag : theol : tit : 51. def. of the l. pr : expos : of the l. pr : saints rest p. 3. l. the spirit 1 chro. 16.7 . 2 chro. 29.30 . thornedike of rel : assemb. . c 7 synagoga judaica . cap. 1. eccl. 5.1 , 2 ecclus 1.2 ▪ hist : of the council of trent lib. 6 lyra in 1 cor. 14.14 . lev. 2.13 . ep : 89. de meritis & remiss : l : 2. c. 24. apol : 2. preface to the direct : notes for div a55565e-23180 pro. 25.11 . vel ut pythagorei qui parvas res magna . rum rerum tesseras esse voluêrunt . plat. qu : romanae . gen. 28.12 {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . vt prophe●tae olim prophetabant , non solùm sermone sed etiam visione & conversatione & actibus typicis quos faciebant . iren : l. 4. c. 37. * providentia divina unicuique rei providet secundùm modum suum . homini autem connaturale est , ut per sensibilia ad cognitionem intelligibilium perveniat . aquin. 2.2 . * quia infirma & languida est fides nostra , ideo deus , non contentus objectum ejus auribus nostris , per praedicationem evangelii inculcâsse , insuper illud , per sacramentum ( tanquàm visible verbum ) oculis ingerit , & auribus inserit . tilenus syntag : theol : p. 851. * hoc habent sacramenta prae verbo peculiare , quòd promissiones velut in hac tabula depictas , nobis ad vivum representent , & fub aspectum graphicè {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} expressas statuant . calv. l. 4. inst. c. 24. art. 23 panem domini , non panem . dominium . lambit petram sed inde nec mel sugit , ne ▪ oleum cyprian : nou tantum signa signantia , sed etiam obsignantia . comparatio tam inepta ut nihil inoptius . l. 1. de sacram. c. 14. rom. 4.11 rom. 4.3 . medull : theol : l. 1. c. 20. l. 4. contrà donat. c. 25 * sacramentorum vis inerarribiliter valet plurimùm , & ideo contempta sacrilegos facit : inipiè quippe contemnitur , sine quo non potest perfici pietas . aug : l. 19. contra faustum manich. c. 11. bellarm : enervat : l. 2. * baptismus est necessarius non rantùm ut res praecepta , sed etiam ut medium salutis ordinarium ; it a tamen ut non desperandum est de salute non-baptisatorum . amesius bellarm : enervat . l. 2. joh 3.5 . eccl : pol : l. 5 §. ●9 . dan. heins. exercit : in mar. 13.30 . lib. de baptismo . serm : 10. de v. ap. l 4. inst. c 16. in orat : funebri . notes for div a55565e-25710 1655. aula ululantium . isa. 34.13 : isa. 13.22 . isa. 34.11 . dan. 9.17 . lam. 5.21 amos. 8.11 isa. 62 ▪ 6. a most excellent and pathetical oration, or, declamation of gregory nazianzen's stigmatizing, and condemning the emperor julian for his apostatising from the truth and containing, by way of history, the persecution of the christians during his reign, the confutation of pagan abominations and the obscenity, as well as absurdity, both of the substance and ceremonies of their pretended religion, with respect unto its doctrine and the ... ceremonies approved of among the primitive christians. gregory, of nazianzus, saint. 1662 approx. 210 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 105 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2008-09 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a42036 wing g1879a estc r293 11941784 ocm 11941784 51284 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a42036) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 51284) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 31:17) a most excellent and pathetical oration, or, declamation of gregory nazianzen's stigmatizing, and condemning the emperor julian for his apostatising from the truth and containing, by way of history, the persecution of the christians during his reign, the confutation of pagan abominations and the obscenity, as well as absurdity, both of the substance and ceremonies of their pretended religion, with respect unto its doctrine and the ... ceremonies approved of among the primitive christians. gregory, of nazianzus, saint. [2], 206 p. printed by w. godbid for h. herringman ..., london : 1662. reproduction of original in yale university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng julian, -emperor of rome, 331-363. church history -primitive and early church, ca. 30-600. persecution. christian martyrs. 2007-10 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-10 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-11 elspeth healey sampled and proofread 2007-11 elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a most excellent and , and 〈◊〉 oration , or declamation of gregory nazianzen's stigmatizing , and condemning the emperor julian for his apostatising from the truth , and ●ontaining , by way of history , the persecution of the christians during his reign , the confutation of pagan abominations , and the obscenity , as well as absurdity , both of the substance , and ceremonies of their pretended religion , with respect unto it's doctrine , and the more , or lesse , consequential ceremonies , approved of among the primitive christians . london , printed by w. godbid , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the blew-anchor , at the lower walk of the new-exchange , m. dc . lxii . gregory nazianzen the divine . his upbraiding the emperour julian for his apostacy . hear this , all ye people , give ear unto me , every inhabitant of the earth ; for with a strong loud trum●et , and as mounted on a high ●ower , looking on all sides , every way , i call , to assemble you toge●her : hearken , countries , na●●ons , and languages , all sorts of men and ages , every one that ●ow is , or hereafter shall be : yea , ( to make my summons the more universal ) listen , i say , all ye powers of heaven , and angels altogether , by whose irresistable means a great tyrant was destroyed ; a great one , and not such a one as sihon king of the amorites , or ogge the king of bashan , petty potentates , and destructive to the israelites onely , a small portion of the universe , but the apostate dragon , the great wit , the all-daring assyrian , and common enemy of the whole world ; who not onely threatned ruine and destruction to all the earth , but also hatcht despiteful imaginations , and belched out most abominable blasphemies against the almighty . hear , o heavens , and give ear , o earth , ( for the times require i should use the loftiest terms of the most seraphical prophet , who spake the highest of all the rest ) neither is it to small purpose , he calling and invoking them for witnesses against a cast-down people of israel that had sinned against god , if i appeal unto the self-●ame creatures , against a dragon , a tyrant , who had as highly trans●ressed against the same god , to ●is own irrecoverable downfall , ●nd , as a just reward for that his ●●tragious wickedness . hear also , if thou hast any sense , ●ou soul of that great constance , 〈◊〉 the cristian souls of empe●ours that were before him : thou ●●ul , more especially , of constance , ●ho having attain'd the inheritance 〈◊〉 jesus christ , hast advanced his ●orship upon earth , and so well ●●ablished his authority with the ●●esent age , that , of all the emperors that ever were , mad'st thy self the most venerable , and commendable for the same . but , o dire misfortune ! the like whereof was never heard , that thou couldst not foresee an unlucky mishap , unworthy altogether , and incompatible with the merits of thine other illustrious acts , namely , thy making way for that man's rise unto empire and rule amongst christians , who , of all other , became the greatest enemy and persecutour of the christians . in which one act , to ill purpose , thou mis-imployed'st thy clemency and courtesie , by unfortunately preserving him to life , who was the death of so many , that far excelled him in all manner of vertue and piety , while they lived . nevertheless , that the soul of thou , the aforesaid constance , now receivest great solace , i verily assure my self , as well in perceiving that his wickedness long since extinguished , and christianity reduced to its pristine integrity , as in this my discourse , which , at present , i offer to god , as a more acceptable sacrifice , purer , and better , i suppose , than those of beasts , or other vain and detestable immolations of meats and drinks , the magnificence and greatness of which sacrifices declared more ●learly unto all the world their im●iousness , and ( as i may so term 〈◊〉 ) foolish wisdome in so doing . ●or the custome and practice of ●●esh and blood , siding with dark●ess , abandoned the light of truth , ●hich , while but glimmering upon ●●rrupt natures , the fruit thereof 〈◊〉 came dry , and in an instant withe●●d , together with the abomina●●e stock , that , for a time , sustain●● them . the rooting out of ●hich unfortunate wretches , be●●g men , sometimes of greater ●●rldly wealth than other worthi●●ss , hath rendred them equally 〈◊〉 famous , as well for their pre●●pitate downfal , as prophane 〈◊〉 worthiness , to all succeeding 〈◊〉 . as for my self , who offer unto god a sacrifice of thanksgiving , and pay my vows to the most high , who is he that can set up a theater of thankfulness , equal in any sort to the least grace we have received ? or , what voice thunder out thanksgiving in that manner as is most fit , for such ineffable benefits , as i would have it ? what auditors , with me , will entertain the words i am now a framing ? the retribution i am , at present , about to render unto the divine word through discourse in words , though not so agreeable perhaps to the efficacy of that gracious appellation the word , wherewith h● is so pleased ( among many other titles assumed by him ) to accep● of ? again , the sting of infamy b● reproach in words , as a deserve● and due punishment to him , wh● made it a crime unto christians i● the greek tongue to make use o● words ? in which regard , out of 〈◊〉 pernicious envy , and hatred towards us , he forbad all christian● the use and exercise of speaking that , which ought to be common to all men . in which his so doing , ●s if to him alone the propriety ●herein wholly belonged , thinking thereby to have more reason then ●ll other , he shewed himself thereby the most foolish and unreasona● of all men , and that for two rea●ons ; first , because thereby he ●eclared himself to be of opinion , ●hat the greek tongue was to be ●ade use of onely for the service ●f religious matters , and not like●ise as indifferently for all other ●urposes , according to the usual ●anner of uttering whatsoever no●●ons of the mind in that self-same ●ialect : just as if under the name ●nd notion of trading , he should ●orbid , at the same time , the use of ●ll manner of trades practised ●mong that nation . secondly , because he thought we were so dull , ●s not to perceive the things he ●id , to be done on set purpose , ●hereby greatly to deprive us of so ●onsequential a benefit : we making some account of the excellency of that language , and he fearing thereby his impiety , might the more easily be convinced . as if arguments had their force in the elegancy onely , and appropriating of greek words to the same purpose , and not in the knowledge rather of simple and sincere truth . besides , having a tongue , it 's less possible to hinder us from setting forth the truth therewith , than from otherwise adorning the same with eloquence in that language . so that , being inhibited by julian's ordinance to learn greek , he might hinder us onely to speak as the athenians did , that is to say , more elegantly , perhaps , and properly : but never the more , for all that , retain , or stop the currant of truth it self . whereby he made his weakness appear sufficiently , and yet never the more with-held himself from being reproved , and confuted , having over and above acknowledged , that in that he had nothing to doe to meddle , or to trouble his head with such matters . the truth is , it was not for a man who had no great assurance , either in the truth of his own re●igion , or in his own ability of ●eaking well , to go about to hin●er us from speaking ; no more ●han if he should think himself the ●aliantest champion in the world , ●nd thereupon forbid all gallant ●hen , either to fight , or to enter ●●to the lists with him . no , so to ●o would be thought rather a sign ●f a fearful coward , than valiant captain , seeing the prise is won of ●hose that fight , and not of them ●●at sit still ; of those that have ●●eir full strength allowed them , ●nd not of the maimed , or that are ●●ated in any part of their vigour 〈◊〉 try mastery with . if there●ore thou beest in fault , for hin●ering on thy part the means of ●ombating , and wilt not suffer 〈◊〉 to fight , therein thou shew●●t thy self overcome , and thence ●all i carry the victory against ●ee without contending , because thou permittest me not to fight . see then the fine doings of this wise emperor , and law-giver , who , that there might be nothing free , whatsoever , from his tyranny , hath published his own folly , by being , in the beginning of his reign , desirous , and undertaking after to exercise that his tyranny on words , and on the art of eloquent speaking . it will be a most fitting thing for me notwithstanding , to render all possible thanks to almighty god , with the words of my mouth , for recovering so to do through his providence to offer up unto him all kind of honorable sacrifice , not sparing any thing therein , either of goods , or other inheritance possessed by me ; who , having run the hazzard both of the times , and of his tyranny , have been preserved however , by the onely providence of god , for that purpose , whom , before all things , we are bound nevertheless , both with our words and deeds , to glorifie after that man●er . as out of an abundant harvest , ●herefore , common to all partakers ●ith me of such his grace , i 'l fi●●sh the intended discourse i have 〈◊〉 say of words , fearing , if i stretch 〈◊〉 speech farther , i be longer ●han is requisite , and somewhat ex●●avagant beyond the due bounds ●● that subject , for which i came ●ther to dilate of . and now , me-thinks , i perceive ●y discourse well-nigh approach●h , and advanceth it self , in a ge●●ral congratulation , to all that i ●●hold at present . and therefore , ●call unto a spiritual dance , and ●efreshment all you , who in fast●●g , weeping , and praying , pass ●●ys and nights to obtain deli●erance from oppressing evils , ●●ounding a most assured remedy ●●ereof on hope , that never fail●h . i call , in like manner , those , ●ho have suffered infinite pains , ●avels , and vexations , through ●●eat and d●verse torments of the times , been made a spectacle to men and angels , ( as the apostle speaks ) their bodies abased , but their souls remaining invincible , doing all things through christ that strengthneth , and comforteth them . and you , after the same sort , who , undervaluing ( the object of mortals malice ) wordly honors , have taken in good part the spoiling of your temporary goods , have , for a time , been injuriously separated from your husbands , wives , fathers , mothers , children , or any other , in whatever degree of blood , affinity or friendship , allyed unto you , were willing to participate with your saviour , in the fruit of his blood-shedding , and otherwise suffering for his name-sake , being now able to say and sing with the prophet unto god , thou hast caused men to ride over our heads , we went through fire and water , but thou broughtest us out into a place of safety . i call , on the other side also , to this famous banquet , all those , who , acknowledging god above all things , have hitherto re●●ined an assured faith , notwith●●anding the mysteries of provi●●nce , which , oftentimes out 〈◊〉 contrary accidents , draw un●oked for events , and by vertue ●●ereof , win us as evincingly to ●epentance , our reason being for●erly carried away with perverse ●●petuosity , which should have ●●en held out , or renewed it self , 〈◊〉 not being so envious at the fool●sh , ( as the psalmist hath it ) when 〈◊〉 saw the prosperity of the wick●● ; but rather conforming our ●●lves to the will of god , and con●●uing constant to the end , by put●ng little repose in what we saw ●resent before our eyes ; which ●eing brought to pass nevertheless 〈◊〉 we would have it , should con●●rm and further fortifie us in the ●●uth . i call , also , you , who have ●our minds wholly fixed on the ●ca●fold , and great theater of this ●orld . in doing whereof , i will 〈◊〉 the words of esdras , saying , ●ome hither , women , who come to see the plays , and stop the eyes of your minds , keeping them from errors and deceits , know , it 's the same god that 's exalted among the nations , exalted in all the earth : in all times , and things , he hath wonderfully and extraordinarily made himself known , but never so manifestly never so evidently , as at this time . moreover , would to god there were even in this good company , in this numerous troop , which heretofore chanted with us , not a feigned and unsavoury song , and whereunto we gave honorable way , have opinion they 'l one day render themselves worthy of reproof . but i wonder wherefore they are so retired apart from us , and marvel how , in so solemn a rejoycing , they are not present with us , and that contrarily they have made a particular dance , which falls not at all in any good cadence . they 'l pardon me though i speak after this manner , and that zeal encites me to declare and manifest things as they are . notwithstanding i will ●●eviate the stinging of my tongue , 〈◊〉 the honor of the hope and pre●●rvation of my brethren , having ●●w more respect to the antient ●●●endship , then to the neglect i 〈◊〉 . but yet because hereafter i ●●all be more patient , i will be ●ore vehement at present in chid●●g and reproving . i exclude then 〈◊〉 of this assembly with grief and ●●me trouble , a sort of men , la●enting at that they understand 〈◊〉 , grieving at that they feel for there lies the pity of their ●il ) however i reject it . these 〈◊〉 they who have not sowed on 〈◊〉 and firm ground , but their 〈◊〉 fell upon stony places , where ●●ey had not much earth ; the ●●me are they that hear the word , ●nd for a while with joy receive it , 〈◊〉 have they not root in themselves , ●nd therefore dure but for a time ; ●●r when tribulation or persecution ●riseth because of the word , by and 〈◊〉 they are offended . i will banish from this company yet further off those that are worse who departing from him that ha● purchased , and conducted them t● a place of greater safety , and magnificence , have given no manner o● resistance to the times , or to thos● that cousen'd them into a miserabl● and slavish captivity : but rather with obstinate alacrity , shewe themselves perverse , and of no reputation , being scandalized at th● good word of god , and suffere● themselves to be carried awa● without any affliction , or tentatio● at all assaulting them . nay rather , ( like inconsiderate wretches 〈◊〉 they are ) either to gain some littl● temporary estate , or retain other evil gotten goods , have sold their eternal salvation in exchange forsuch transitory trash , such riches ( falsly so called ) of short continuance . and now , seeing we have cut off from this noble assembly , that which is superfluous , let us take courage , and purifying our bodies and souls as much as is possible for us , all agreeing in one spirit , with one voice , sing the triumphant and ●●torious ditty that israel rejoy●●● in , at the time when the 〈◊〉 were swallowed up in the 〈◊〉 , ( meriam leading and be●●ning the tune , as followeth ) i 〈◊〉 sing unto the lord , for he hath 〈◊〉 gloriously , the horse 〈◊〉 his rider hath he thrown into 〈◊〉 sea. ( i change that of the 〈◊〉 ) but where it hath pleased 〈◊〉 , and as he thought fit and just , 〈◊〉 that doth , and disposeth all 〈◊〉 , even he that turneth the 〈◊〉 into the morning ( as the ●●●phet amos hath it ) and maketh 〈◊〉 day dark with night : — 〈◊〉 strengthneth the spoiled a●●●nst the strong : — he rules 〈◊〉 governs , as in a circle , all this ●●rld , that which agitated and t●●ubled , and which is not : all our 〈◊〉 that are subject to variation 〈◊〉 change , and that are carried ●●●etimes on this manner , and ●●●etimes on that , for our sakes , 〈◊〉 are immoveable , fix'd , and 〈◊〉 firm in the divine providence , however they seem to go ●● proceed contrarily . that whi●● is known to the world , ( viz. ●● divine wisdom of his father ) 〈◊〉 us is covered and hid : he hat● put down the mighty from th●● seats , and exalted them of low degree . also , ( which i have take from another text of scripture ▪ the arms of the wicked shall 〈◊〉 broken , but the lord upholdeth 〈◊〉 righteous . in like manner fro● another place , as my memo●● serves me , ( having abundance 〈◊〉 texts wherewith to compose th●● song , and which offer themselve● to this thanksgiving ) it 's he 〈◊〉 raisethg up the wicked above the 〈◊〉 , then putteth him down agai● that he appears no more : if we tak● heed to turn away readily , and 〈◊〉 the evil pass . who is he among them th●● treats of divine matters , that 〈◊〉 sufficiently sing , and make relatio● of these things ? who , that ca● worthily represent the power o● god , and make all his praises understood ? what voice or power of ●●●quence equal this miracle ? who 〈◊〉 that divided the sea by his 〈◊〉 , that brake the head of the 〈◊〉 in the waters , that brake 〈◊〉 head of the leviathan in pieces , 〈◊〉 gave him to be meat to the 〈◊〉 inhabiting the wilderness ? 〈◊〉 who hath shut up the sea with 〈◊〉 , when it brake forth , as if it 〈◊〉 issued out of the womb ? when 〈◊〉 the cloud the garment 〈◊〉 and thick darkness a 〈…〉 for it , and brake up for it my 〈◊〉 place , and set bars and 〈◊〉 , and said , hitherto shalt thou 〈◊〉 , and no further , and here shall 〈◊〉 proud waves be stayed ? truly 〈◊〉 hath appeased them , they not 〈◊〉 been long time furious and 〈◊〉 up . who is it that hath 〈◊〉 us the favour to go upon the 〈◊〉 of serpents and scorpions , 〈◊〉 laying not our selves in wait to 〈◊〉 their heels , that , at the same 〈◊〉 , assailed us publickly , and 〈◊〉 up their heads against us , 〈◊〉 also he ordained we should tread under our feet ? who is that hath done justice and judg●ment when it was not looked for who , that hath not for ever reac●ed out the rod of sinners upon 〈◊〉 righteous ? ( i say , upon the right●ous , if righteous any may be said be , while remaining upon eart● and no otherwise ) or ( to spe●● more humbly ) upon those 〈◊〉 knew god ? for the truth is , 〈◊〉 have not been afflicted as righteous for , as none simply are so , so , fo● being so none are afflicted but fo● their good , and to the end ( lik● brave champions ) they should pu● shame and confusion upon their afflicters . but , as sinners rather , w● had the punishment of sin through afflictions imposed upon us ; after which , the lord , in mercy , hath been pleased to shew his fatherly care and affection towards us , by his so having chastned us , that we might become wise , and ( as far as he thought needful ) to make us the more advised in our after return unto him . for , he hath not rebuked us in his anger , nor chastned 〈◊〉 in his heavy displeasure ; but 〈◊〉 shewed his mercy in the one , 〈◊〉 in the other , viz. in his chastise●●nt and pardon . who is it that 〈◊〉 done vengeance among the ●●●tions ? chid and rebuked his 〈◊〉 ? the lord strong and 〈◊〉 , the lord mighty in battel . 〈◊〉 a voice , a verse , that hath 〈◊〉 to the great graces we now 〈◊〉 , which isaiah uttered to 〈◊〉 ages , and is very agreeable 〈◊〉 this season , and sutable to the 〈◊〉 of benefits , at present , 〈◊〉 by us : sing , o heavens , be joyful , o earth , and break 〈◊〉 into singing , o mountains : god hath comforted his people , will have mercy upon his afflict●●● ▪ for all creatures , all 〈…〉 have knowledge , as i 〈◊〉 , of these things . for the 〈◊〉 was made subject to 〈◊〉 not willingly , but by reason of 〈◊〉 who hath subjected the same 〈◊〉 . because the creature it 〈◊〉 also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption , into th● glorious liberty of the children 〈◊〉 god. for we know , that the wh● creation groaneth and travelleth 〈◊〉 pain together untill now . the apostle also enters further into the sam● celebration , and rejoycing , to 〈◊〉 god's children have the enjoyin● of this contentment and delight now then , sing , o barren , ( for cannot pass by the alledging 〈◊〉 scripture ) thou that didst not bear● break forth into singing , and 〈◊〉 alond , thou that didst not travel wit● child , for more are the children 〈◊〉 the desolate , than the children of th● married wife . rejoyce also all you , who hav● been wrapt up in this unpleasan● and irksome winter of adversity for god hath had pity of his people , and hath not forsaken his inheritance : he hath done wonderful things , his antient determination and purpose is true , which 〈◊〉 to satisfie those that fear him , tha● hope in his mercy . for he hat● broken the gates of brass , and 〈◊〉 th● bars of iron in sunder . ●t's true , because of our 〈◊〉 he hath humbled us ; but 〈◊〉 ●ave been comforted , and the 〈◊〉 being broke , we have been 〈◊〉 by the grace of god , which 〈◊〉 called us , and which comforts 〈◊〉 that are lowly of heart . see 〈◊〉 i compose this hymn with 〈◊〉 words , and divine 〈◊〉 ▪ and truly , i know not how to 〈◊〉 merry , and recreate my soul 〈◊〉 any other , being transported 〈◊〉 my self ( as it were ) with ●●●lowing content . so that i 〈◊〉 no esteem of low and 〈◊〉 things , fitting and alledging 〈◊〉 many matters , which are 〈◊〉 unto me by the holy 〈◊〉 . ●ell then , there have been 〈◊〉 ( in the first place ) the 〈◊〉 of god's providence in 〈◊〉 translation of enoch , and 〈◊〉 of elias ; in noah that 〈◊〉 , and , with him , a 〈◊〉 of all things , in a little 〈◊〉 of wood , containing the whole world , from the deluge the universe , to the intent 〈◊〉 the earth after might be f●nished with more righteous in●●bitants . again , in old abraha● that was called , and gratifi'd in latter days with an off-spring , make faith of an other seed , 〈◊〉 promised posterity : who willing presenting , according to go● command , his onely son , that 〈◊〉 free-born , in sacrifice , in stead him found a ram in a bush , god's appointment , to offer 〈◊〉 unto the lord. the ruine 〈◊〉 of the wicked sodomites , 〈◊〉 were swallowed up with fire 〈◊〉 brimstone , was wonderful , wh● at the same time , righteous 〈◊〉 and his family were onely save● and , which is yet more wonder● the pillar of salt into which 〈◊〉 wife , for looking back , was tu●ed , remaining after , to represe● unto all faithless people , what fearful thing it is , when on called of god , to return 〈◊〉 unto the acting of what ever thi● expresly forbidden by him . we ●ead likewise of joseph , who was ●old into egypt , and being filled with the wisdom of god , was after made governor next under pha●aoh of that whole land , to make ●he better provision in a time of ●earth and scarcity , for his father ●acob , and all his houshold . moses ●ad the honor to see god , received , ●nd gave the law to the israe●●tes , and , being appointed by god 〈◊〉 to do , was their conductor out ●f egypt to the land of promise . the ten plagues of the egyptians , ●nd the deliverance of the israe●ites , at the same time inhabiting in ●he midst of them , was very won●erful . so was the sea its turning ●ack with a rod , and going toge●her again upon a word spoken by moses , at what time the israe●●tes had passage through the same , 〈◊〉 on dry ground , and the egypti●ns were drowned , and utterly ●ver-whelmed with the waters ●hereof to their final destruction . what can be spoken enough of those two canopies ( as i may 〈◊〉 speak ) carried over the heads 〈◊〉 the israelites by god himself , in their passage unto the land of canaan through the wilderness the pillar of the clowd which l●● them by day , and the pillar of fire which gave them light by night ? of manna , rained among●… them in their camps , as they went , from the lord out of heaven , and quails sent them from the same hand of providence enough to glut six hundred thousand persons in the wilderness ▪ of the just quantity of that heavenly manna measured out 〈◊〉 them by god , whereof they ha●… never the more to store up , th●● gathered more at a time then wa● commanded them , nor they 〈◊〉 less , to suffice nature , that gathered not so much ? of waters some drawn out of a stony rock others , of bitter made sweet ? of amaleck's being fought against b● prayers , in a mystical and hidde● manner ? the sun its standi●● still , and the moon staying her ●ourse ? jordan divided , and the walls of jericho falling upon the ●ound of trumpets made of rams ●orns , after compass'd about seven ●ays ? the earth , and the fleece 〈◊〉 wool , interchangeably wet ●nd dry ? strength in samson's long ●air , equal in power to a whole ●rmy ? a little company that ●ap'd water carrying away the ●ictory , and with as small a num●er vanquishing , beyond their ●nemies expectation , many thou●●nds of their adversaries ? i need ●ot , i perswade my self , recite so ●any wonders as followed upon ●he incamation , and happy comming of jesus christ into the ●orld by birth , or that which the ●oly apostles after did in his ●ame . many books and histo●●es there are , that plentifully bear ●itness of those matters . but of 〈◊〉 which is come to pass in these ●●mes , i shall again further make 〈◊〉 manifest unto you . hearken then , and i will relate the same to all you that fear god , to the intent that the generation that is next to come , and the succession of generations after that , may know the wonderful power of god. in which regard , because it s not so easie a matter to declare these things , without representing the greatness and quality of the peril wherein we were formerly plunged , and that cannot be done without discoursing of the evil complexion of his nature , and of what principles and seed of malice he came , who was the author thereof , to such outrages ( having by little and little encreased his impiety , even as poison that comes from cruel beasts , and venomous serpents ) referring the larger and more ample discourse of those acts , to those that have a purpose to compose tragical books and histories , ( for having not the leisure to dilate much of things too far from our present subject ) i shall , in reciting part among many others , leave something printed and engraven on your memory , as on a pillar , to be communicated to them that shall come after us , and betake me to his more principal and apparent actions . he then ( viz. julian ) having been first preserved by great constance , succeeding in the empire of his father , when the troops were armed against their chiefs , making some stirs , and ●he imperial house governed by ●ew captains : then , i say , ●eing saved with his brother by ●ncredible and extraordinary means , ●e gave not thanks either to god ●or his preservation , or to the emperor , by whose means he was preserved ; but persisting ungrateful both to the one and to the ●ther , shewed himself an apo●tate to god , and rebellious to constance his foster-father . now you must know , there was ● palace wherein these two bro●hers , who alone remained of the ●lood of the emperors , were , by ●he commandment of that most gracious prince , brought up , and there served according to the fashion of emperors . that he ( viz. constance ) did , to justifie himself in part , that the disasters , happening in the beginning of his reign , came not from him . then ▪ to shew the freedom and magnanimity of his courage , in calling them to the association with him in the empire . finally , for the better , and more firmly establishing of his estate . in which , notwithstanding , there fell out more goodness than prudence , with respect unto himself . they then , being at rest and tranquillity from all business , becaus● they had not yet the imperial dignity , but by destination , and i● hope , their age not permitting tha● they should be employed i● places of command ; received by the care of the emperor , who wa● their uncle , perfect instruction i● all sorts of sciences . certainly they gave themselves the more to philosophy , not onely that which treats of reasons and ●iscourses , but also moral , and which concerns piety , frequent●●g and conversing with persons ●ccomplish'd , and who made their ●ertues appear in their honest and ●●olish'd actions : so that they made ●hemselves to be enrolled in the ●rder of church-men , so far , ●hat they read the gospel to the ●eople , not thinking it any de●aing , or disparaging themselves ●n point of honor , so to do : but ●n the contrary , supposing there could not be in a prince or potentate a more excellent ornament , than to be actively employed in their own persons about offices touching religion . so that ●n them a great affection to moral philosophy , and christian doctrine , appeared , building for the saints and martyrs magnificent tombs , giving great gifts to churches , and being conversant about such like acts , which were evident tokens , and shined in both of them , for a time , as lively characters of christian philosophy , and the fear of god. one of them indeed was trul● and vertuously inclined to piety for , though of a stirring and troublesome nature , yet , for matte● of faith , he was constant and firm ▪ but the other dissembling , an● gaining time , hid under the appearance or shew of simplicity ▪ an evil intention of mind , ( a● one may guess at the matter . ) to which purpose i cannot conceal 〈◊〉 miracle that then hapned , a goo● one , and such as may serve for instruction to many , that are not so sincere as they should be in the truth of religion , of which openly they seem to make much profession . these two brothers being employed in beautifying the monuments of martyrs , and a jealousie between them who should bestow most magnificence and liberality in building a chappel they set up with great costs and charges ; as they did not proceed with the like design , so the masons wo●k thereabout did not go on with the 〈◊〉 success of dispatch to the one ●●rty , as to the other : for where●● what the eldest set workmen out , proceeded on to some tol●●able perfection , god being ●●eas'd to accept the same , as ●●metimes he did the sacrifice of 〈◊〉 , that , as an offering of the ●●rst-born , with a pure and sincere ●art , was presented unto him . ●he other's work , viz. of the ●●ungest , ( see , alack , the lord 's ●●ghting of the wicked in things ●●nder'd by them unto his ser●●ce , who by small discovereth ●●eater matters ) his work , i say , 〈◊〉 the sacrifice of cain , was ab●●minated by the martyrs . the ●artyrs indeed he made to smile at ●hat he did , but the ground , ne●●rtheless , sunk under that part 〈◊〉 the fabrick which was built by 〈◊〉 . which , so soon as perceived 〈◊〉 him , made him bestir himself 〈◊〉 taking pains to erect the same ●●ain out of hand ; but , after all 〈◊〉 labour and pains-taking , it disdained , for all that , to receiv● foundation from a person so d●famed , so blasted in his reput●tion ; as if thereby proclaiming 〈◊〉 the world the after-ruine whic● necessarily should befall it for 〈◊〉 own unworthiness ; or , as if in 〈◊〉 hapning , it would honor the ma●tyrs , by the neglect and litt●● esteem it seem'd to make of 〈◊〉 detestable a person . which ce●tainly was an undoubted presa●● of his folly and arrogance , as 〈◊〉 of the contempt he should 〈◊〉 afterwards towards holy ma●tyrs , together with many othe● outrages purposed by him to 〈◊〉 put in practise against the church● of the christians , and other th● like places destinated by the●unto sacred uses . with respe●● whereunto the almighty , aft●● this sort , ( though for the prese●● it was not known apparently 〈◊〉 any , yet ) at a distance seemed 〈◊〉 persecute , as it were , the persec●tor , and well nigh declared the reward and recompence of those 〈◊〉 impious doings . o the subtle nature of corrupt ●ypocrisie to do evil ! which , not●ithstanding , could not avoid the ●…ain that was set to catch him , ●nd into which he fell afterwards ! o how admirable is the lord , in manifesting what was to happen , ●y cutting down wickedness , and ●aking further declaration of his ●●acious providences ; a miracle ●…uly paradoxal , yet true . o the ●●eat fore-sight and heroick mind ●f the martyrs ! that for the pre●●nt , would not receive honor●…●rom him , who , for the future , ●hould disparage them , that re●used monuments and gifts from ●im , who should make many a ●rave champions faith , against ●is will , illustrious , and envy ●hem , at the same time , in their ●ombats and victories , for so fight●ng ! to say truth , they would not , ●y any means , permit themselves ●…lone should receive scandal , and ●e injuriously dealt withal ; viz. that their monuments should be ●uilt by so wicked hands , and other churches served with more holy , neither give occasion after to the author thereof thereby to boast in such his profaneness , 〈◊〉 setting up with the one hand 〈◊〉 some , and pulling down with the other to the rest , certain chapels dedicated to holy martyrs , some of them reproached , and other in outward shew reverenced and respected by him ; vailing , under a counterfeit appearance , ever , the true neglect and contempt he usually made of all things . wherein , nevertheless , 〈◊〉 found no great matter to glory of , though never so well advised in deceiving men , god almighty , at the same time , being undeceived , who understandeth all things , and confoundeth , in their ow● subtlety , the most crafty , though never so cunningly masking themselves under the colour of what ever appearances otherwise . for , although the lord with-held not , for a se●son , this indignity done to the martyrs , neither the forecast and hidden malice wherewith the 〈◊〉 was put in practice , nor stop●●d the current of such wicked in●●ence from falling upon them , 〈◊〉 causes ever just , and best ●●own unto himself , according to his inscrutable wisdome , 〈◊〉 secret disposal of all things , even as 't was his will to have 〈◊〉 iniquity of the amorites come ●its full , before their destruction ) ●et requisite it was nevertheless the story , that this malignant ●●ture should be detested of all 〈◊〉 , and the honour done by him the martyrs , as unworthy of 〈◊〉 , be utterly rejected . a thing , heeded , which may serve well 〈◊〉 the edification of many , there●● to discern the equity and justice god in his all-wise acceptance all things , in what manner so 〈◊〉 offered , and presented unto 〈◊〉 . for it is he that saith to israel ●hen they had sinned : bring no ●ore vain oblations , incense is an ●bomination unto me , the new moons , and the sabbaths , the calling of assemblies i cannot 〈◊〉 with ; it is iniquity , even the s●lemn meeting . neither doth 〈◊〉 that is sincere and down-right towards god , need any thing depe●ding upon men to take delight i● that 's unworthily presented unt● him , the lord no less abhorri●● him that killeth an oxe , then th●● slayeth a man ; that sacrificeth 〈◊〉 lamb , then that cutteth off a dog neck : casting out of his temp●● the hire of a whore , receiving 〈◊〉 holding suitable to his acceptan●● the sacrifice that is presented un●● him with pure and innocent hands with a mind lifted up to heave● and clean from taking pleasure 〈◊〉 whatsoever sin committed by hi● no marvail then , if he refused th● honour that julian after offered 〈◊〉 to him , seeing wickedly , and from 〈◊〉 malignant heart , he presented th● same unto god ; who regards 〈◊〉 as man , neither casteth he his 〈◊〉 upon the outward appearance , b● penetrateth even into the bottom of the heart and thoughts , whenc● virtue and vice fetch their appro●●l , and receive either recom●ence of reward , or punishment ●ccordingly , from the almighty . ●hus fared it with julian in this ●atter . if any difficulty of be●●ef therein remains , so that the ●●uth thereof may be called into ●●estion , there are witnesses yet ●●ving to be produced that saw the ●●me , who related , and represented 〈◊〉 miracle unto us , and who have 〈◊〉 purpose also to communicate a ●ore ample and full description ●●ereof unto posterity . well then , after become men , ●●ey should have entred into the ●recepts of philosophy ( would to god such their entrance had never ●een , or that they had attained ●nto the perfection thereof ; which , 〈◊〉 them that are well born , serves as 〈◊〉 weapon of true virtue , to defend ●hem from the impostery of all ●anner of contrary inconveni●●nces , though , to the perverse and ●●ase minded , it becomes sometimes 〈◊〉 spur , to set them forward in their untowardness , ( as in julian , wh● to give the devil his due , was we●● vers'd in the study of whatev●● profane literature . ) it 's true , 〈◊〉 was a great philosopher , and ye● for all that , 't was not possible 〈◊〉 him to conceal his disease , to kee● close in his mind the deceit of impiety that therein lurked . for , 〈◊〉 fire in wood , though the flame appears not , is known by the smo●● and sparkles that ascend from 〈◊〉 or , as water that runs in hollo● places , in time of great wind● having no way to expatiate it sel● nor issue free , but is oftner troubled , and mingled with earth , an● other filth , renders a sad noise fro● within , being prest with the violence of the wind , and kept bad by the force of other accident● meeting together with it : so thi● man , though he concealed much o● his profound wickedness by reaso● of the time , and instruction of th● emperour , it not being for a whil● either lawful , or safe to make known his irreligion openly , ye● discovered he nevertheless , some●●●●g then of the inwards of his ●●…ghts to men of more under●●●●ding and subtle in paganisme , 〈◊〉 in the true religion , and do●●●●… of jesus christ : also , in the 〈◊〉 which he had with his bro●●●● , wherein he maintained the ●●●…eks ( that is , the gentiles ) ●●●…ing then befitted him , under pre●●●…e of disputing to uphold the ●●●…ker side : but it was , indeed , a ●●…ourse , or exercise meerly a●●●●…st the true religion , and which 〈◊〉 much contented them who 〈◊〉 the character of a more impi●●● religion imprinted in their ●●●…ts . ●ut so soon as the emperour had ●●…ared his brother gallus king 〈◊〉 ●he romans , giving him , with 〈◊〉 government , a great part of 〈◊〉 land ; and that to julian also , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 permitted full power , and 〈◊〉 , to keep company with the ●…ctors and freely to hear the dis●●●rse of the gentiles : and also , 〈◊〉 asia was as a school to him of the false religion , whose in●●bitants , the most part of them , 〈◊〉 conversant and much verst in ast●●logy , and prognostication ; that 〈◊〉 can fore-tell things to come , 〈◊〉 likewise in sorcery , and in incha●●ments , ( a science ordinarily f●●lowing the other ) there remain no thing but one , viz. that 〈◊〉 and authority were joyned to i●piety . now , it was long befo●● that the great iniquity of some ●●quired this for him to our 〈◊〉 : as who say , the health , ● good constitution of the christi●● body being arrived to the 〈◊〉 of its perfection ; power , hono●● and plenty of all things brough● change . for , the truth is , it● harder matter to keep , then to ●●tain unto what is desired , an eas●● thing by care , and pains-taking , call back , and cause lost felicity return again , then to conserve after gotten : seeing , when in p●session of this world's goods 〈◊〉 any great aboundance , we are 〈◊〉 to wax proud , and a man's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wise man tells us ) shall 〈◊〉 him low : but honour shall 〈◊〉 the humble in spirit . 〈◊〉 , being humbled after afflicted 〈◊〉 our pride , ( for after pride , hu●●lity often follows , as after hu●●lity , honour ; god resisting the 〈◊〉 , and giving grace unto the 〈◊〉 , ) we are thereby the more ●●nestly enforced to seek after 〈◊〉 lost condition till we obtain 〈◊〉 same : which , after found , we 〈◊〉 not so heedful in preserving till 〈◊〉 made more wise by having the 〈◊〉 in the whole , or , at least in 〈◊〉 taken away from us . in this 〈◊〉 ( as it should seem ) it befel 〈◊〉 christians at that time , god , 〈◊〉 weigheth all things equally , ●●asureth all things justly , being ●●eas'd to oppose , after this man●●r , one contrary to , or with an 〈◊〉 . which , that holy man after ●od's own heart , david having 〈◊〉 much experience of in his life●●me , puts usually in the number of 〈◊〉 gracious mercies the lord 〈◊〉 done for him by abasing him , and then restoring him , not bei●● unmindful , upon any occasion , 〈◊〉 thankulness to acknowledge 〈◊〉 good he thereby received fr●● him . to which purpose , what 〈◊〉 he ? before i was afflicted , i 〈◊〉 astray : but now have ▪ i kept 〈◊〉 word : putting by this method ●●mility between sin and repe●tance , as if it were engendred 〈◊〉 the one , and likewise did engen●●●● the other . which , if ye mar●● is most true ; sin , for the 〈◊〉 part , being the mother of hu●●lity , and humility of repentan●● so we , after humble , have 〈◊〉 lifted up , and whereas heretof●●● being by little and little , thro●●● the good conduct of god brou●●● to such an estate , and measure 〈◊〉 happiness , as we are now in 〈◊〉 ( as i may so say ) at such his m●●cies , it seemed good unto god 〈◊〉 cast us down . among many other sad thin● that then befell us christians , ' tw●● none of the least , that the kin●dome , and life of caesar ( viz. 〈◊〉 gallus ) came to an end . how 〈◊〉 fell out , or by what means , i 〈◊〉 forbear to tell you , as being ●illing to offend either the 〈◊〉 thereof , or him that suffered it , that respect i owe unto the pie●● of them both . nevertheless , 〈◊〉 approving of them in their ●●●knesses , but considering them ●hey were men , they could 〈◊〉 of them be exempted from 〈◊〉 faulty , and in that regard both enough to be reprehended , were not possible that the reasons 〈◊〉 we shall use to accuse the 〈◊〉 , might be the justification of 〈◊〉 other . this man then ( julian i mean ) 〈◊〉 the appointment of constance , 〈◊〉 presently heir , not of the 〈◊〉 but of the kingdome of his ●ther gallus , and soon after was 〈◊〉 also with him , who gave him 〈◊〉 estate , being forced to pay the ●●mmon tributeof all men , as over●●me , and carried away by death , 〈◊〉 the loss , and destruction of all 〈◊〉 survived him . and now , what shall we touching this most divine , this 〈◊〉 christian emperour ? i care 〈◊〉 for addressing my complaint 〈◊〉 any but to thee , o thou 〈◊〉 soul , as if thou sawest , and he●est me , while , at present , dire●●ing my speech unto thee ! 〈◊〉 know , that it can offend thee in 〈◊〉 thing , who art now resident 〈◊〉 god , who inheritests his 〈◊〉 who art gone from us here 〈◊〉 to exchange thy earthless 〈◊〉 for a better , and more durabl●● heaven . tell me , neverthele●● who was it that suggested 〈◊〉 counsel unto thee of leaving 〈◊〉 thy successour ? who gave to 〈◊〉 that advice , which comes so 〈◊〉 short of that sublime subtlety ; 〈◊〉 great judgement , wherewith 〈◊〉 wa' st indued ; not onely above 〈◊〉 the princes of thine own 〈◊〉 but above them all , in like 〈◊〉 that ever were before thee ? th●● who hast purged our horizon 〈◊〉 barbarisme , and subdued do●●stick tyrants , the one by reas●● 〈◊〉 other by force , but with such ●●●terity both , that the one did no 〈◊〉 , was no let , or hinderance 〈◊〉 other : and whose trophees ●●●eived by armes and battles , 〈◊〉 fair , and great ; but those 〈◊〉 without effusion of blood , 〈◊〉 yet more excellent , and ap●●●red more glorious to all the 〈◊〉 . thou , to whom from all 〈◊〉 of the universe● embassa●●● , and deputies were sent : 〈◊〉 , to whom all nations yield●●● obedience , or , at least , were 〈◊〉 the point of obeying , so that 〈◊〉 , who were not yet 〈◊〉 , carried themselves in that 〈◊〉 , as if already they had been ●●●rcome : thou that wa'st led by 〈◊〉 hand of god in all thy delibe●●●ons and actions : thou whose ●●●gment seemed to surmount all 〈◊〉 force ; and thy force , on ●●other side , to surmount all ●●●gement : but the glory , or fame 〈◊〉 piety , bore the bell away , 〈◊〉 from the one , and the other . 〈◊〉 then , in this onely act of thine shewedst thou thy self 〈◊〉 , and hast been surprised ? 〈◊〉 what purpose , i beseech thee , 〈◊〉 that easie propension of this 〈◊〉 inhumane goodness ? which of 〈◊〉 infernal spirits was it that 〈◊〉 the same into thy mind ? 〈◊〉 was it possible that thou shoul● deliver , in an instant , to a 〈◊〉 villain , to a common murdere● ▪ 〈◊〉 fair an inheritance , so 〈◊〉 an ornament ? ( i mean the c●●●stians under thy dominion , in 〈◊〉 life time . ) the flock 〈◊〉 through the out-spreading 〈◊〉 of that bright morning-star , good sheepheard jesus christ shining upon them , is so 〈◊〉 in all the world ? the royal pr●●●●hood of god multiplied , 〈◊〉 spread abroad with so much 〈◊〉 and travail here on earth . it may be ( my brethren ) i 〈◊〉 seem unto you to have shewed 〈◊〉 self partial and malicious in 〈◊〉 discourse , in that , among the 〈◊〉 sons of my accusation , i do 〈◊〉 readily adde what is true . but , if observe what i have declared , ●●u'l find by the same arguments 〈◊〉 my complaint , i have suffici●●tly justified what i said , and ●●●ewise that the absolution is fix●● to the accusation . for , when i ●●oke , and used this term good●●ss , i thereby declared his inno●●nce . and now , who is he , among ●●em who have known him but ●●eanly , who knowes not that be●●use of his zeal to religion , and ●●fection to us-ward , wishing all ●●od , and prosperity to the chri●●●ans , he made so great account 〈◊〉 julian ? as also , that he made 〈◊〉 so much reckoning of the ho●●ur of his race , or of the increase 〈◊〉 the empire , as of us ? but , on 〈◊〉 contrary , would have given all ●●ings , the empire , life , and all ●hereof any thing is dear , and ●●ecious , for our assurance , and ●●eservation ? there having been ever man living , that desired a ●●ing more to heart , then he the ●●gmentation of christianity , and to see it attain to the height of glory , and power in his days . for certainly , neither the su●duing of nations , nor the goo● policy of his empire , nor 〈◊〉 abundance of his wealth , nor 〈◊〉 hieght of his honour , nor the co●templation that , in name , and e●fect , he was king of kings , 〈◊〉 any other things , in which 〈◊〉 ground their felicity in this wor●● ever brought him so much conte●● as that we by his means , and he 〈◊〉 , prospered both with go●● and men , and thereby ( as in a mi●rour ) saw the authority of 〈◊〉 church established indissolubly 〈◊〉 ever : raising thereon his consid●rations higher , and more royal● then many others , in clearly di●cerning that the roman estate ●●thered its greatness , and increas● with that of the christians . an● in consideration ( it seems ) th● untill the coming of christ in 〈◊〉 flesh , they attained not unto 〈◊〉 highest point of rising into an ●●solute empire of monarchy , 〈◊〉 perfection of government , which 〈◊〉 , and not before , could ever ●rought to pass , or accomplish●● : he remembred our cause , ( as 〈◊〉 reason he had to do so ) with 〈◊〉 much zeal , good will , and all ●●rty affection . so that , if it ●●pened at any time , that it was 〈◊〉 somewhat harsh to us , it 〈◊〉 not that he the less esteemed 〈◊〉 or would do us a dispeasure , or ●●●tifie others to our prejudice : 〈◊〉 his seeming severity tended 〈◊〉 to reduce us to one and the ●wor● belief , and not otherwise to ●●ide , and separate us by schismes . 〈◊〉 for all this , he was but little ●●tchful ( as we have formerly 〈◊〉 ) on his own guard through his ●●●plicity , as also , in his clemency 〈◊〉 appeared a kind of weakness : 〈◊〉 he that is without malice thinks 〈◊〉 of malice , and therefore he 〈◊〉 not of that which was to 〈◊〉 , by his not knowing what it 〈◊〉 to dissemble . by such means as these impiety 〈◊〉 in by little and little , two contrary affections meeting togethe● the one in a good people , the ●ther in the wickedest and 〈◊〉 atheistical man of the who●● world : who fretting without ca●● against the christians , had nothi●● to say against our doctrine : 〈◊〉 having no considerable precepts 〈◊〉 the gentiles school , that could 〈◊〉 maintained by reason , without e●ample , sought by his impiety 〈◊〉 render himself renowned and ●●mous , beginning , in a new ma●ner , a war with him , who ma●● him emperour . but when 〈◊〉 knew he could not carry it 〈◊〉 vertue , and lawful means , he 〈◊〉 do it by the contrary , namely 〈◊〉 the same affection , that he broug●● about his other mischeif and wic●edness . behold then the apolo●● made to christians in the 〈◊〉 half of constance : which 〈◊〉 not but seem just and equitable 〈◊〉 men of judgement . howev●● there are some who finding themselves satisfied in this matter , 〈◊〉 not yet be satisfied therewith , but ●●cuse him of simplicity , and small ●●resight in imparting the empire , 〈◊〉 thereby putting the authori●● , and forces into his hands , who ●as his enemy , and whose brother 〈◊〉 had formerly put to death . hereupon , it is necessary for us little to discourse upon this , though 〈◊〉 be but to shew that this act of 〈◊〉 was not wholly against reason , 〈◊〉 humanity both , no , nor yet un●ecoming altogether the grave ●●ovidence , and good judgement 〈◊〉 the emperour . for , it would 〈◊〉 a shame to us , having received 〈◊〉 much honour from him , and ●●owing him to be so accomplish●●d , and excellent in piety , not to ●●eak further in his just defence : 〈◊〉 especially , seeing he is dead , 〈◊〉 hath now left us . in which ●●gard we cannot justly be re●●oached for using flattery , having 〈◊〉 liberty to speak freely , with●ut any suspition , in proposing law●●l onely , and true grounded argu●ents on his behalf . to which purpose , who wou●● not have thought the honours co●ferr'd upon him should have re●dred him more mild , and peac●able ? as also , the confiden●● wherewith too assured of hi● more ingenious , and just ? lik●wise , in that the two brothers ha●… by a royal judgement , and sentence , the one received punishment , the other advancemen● there was no possibility of believing , that he , who had adorned j●lian's youth with dignities and honours greater then could ever b● hoped for by him , would ever punish the eldest without a just ●nd lawful cause . so that , for resolution of the thing in question so f●●… it may be answered , the one 〈◊〉 constance his acts ought to be attributed to the temerity of gal●● who was punished , and the oth●● to the good nature of himself , wh●… gave those honours unto julian or , to say truth , constance had no● so much assurance in julian's fait● and oath , as in the power that wa● then remaining in his own hand . some thinke , under the same ●elief alexander the great gave ●orus , not his life onely ( who ●ravely on the other side , fought ●or the crown ) but also the king●ome of the indies . neither ●ould he make his magnanimity ●etter appear , then by such an act ●f his , who being alexander , ●hought there went more of him 〈◊〉 overcoming , then by armes ; ●eeing 't was in his own power ( as 〈◊〉 conceived ) if the other , viz. ●orus , had shewed himself un●rateful , and rebellious thereupon , ●o have overcome and utterly vanquished him afresh . so his great ●ssurance , great constance his confidence , i mean , in his own strength , was the cause of his so liberally ●estowing those great honours , that ●ut of a magnanimous mind , and heroick spirit , he so profusely conferred upon julian . but what need i debate so much of this , seeing its easie for me , although i let go this reason , to gain my cause ? for if he that truste● another man , doth ill , how muc● more he that is trusted , if he fa●● in such his trust ? and if it b● blameable , not possibly to fore ▪ see an evil inclination ; in wh●● degree of blame and baseness sha●● we put that perverse nature , tha● so foully deceived him , who so fairly , and ingeniously trusted thereunto ? but certainly it 's a thing , whereof we cannot soon beware , unles● we be as malicious in our selves . besides , let us do what we can , it 's a hard matter to make a wicke● man good . for reason would , that this man should have shewed himself faithful to constance : an● if there had been any sparke of ill-will towards him , to have utterly extinguished the same . but , on the contrary , in recompense of so many benefits , he conceived against him an evil affection , became ● malefactor towards him his benefactor , making it his design to do evil unto that gracious emperour , who had no other design , then to do ●ood unto him . behold , good people , the do●trine that the platonists , the ●hrysipsians and the famous peripa●●ticks , the stoicks , and other , who ●orme their pallats to speak so ●rettily , have taught him ! take ●otice of the geometrical pro●ortion , the discourse of justice , ●nd of those patient philosophers , that maintain , it 's better to take , ●hen to do wrong . see also what ●rave preceptors , what great coun●ellors of state , what grave law-makers he took to him in the quar●ours , and drew out of taverns ; and of whom he was wont to say that [ he approoved not their manner of living , but rather admired their eloquence : ] nor it neither , but , possibly , rather their impiety . these alone were the men , whom he thought good to advise with , and to ask counsel of , in whatever to be done , or , otherwise , left undone by him . and , are we not well advised ( think ye , ) to admire this kind 〈◊〉 people , who forme idea's of co●mon-wealths in their discourse , th●● can never be reduced into act who sooth up cruell tyrants 〈◊〉 their oppression , with fair speechs and present to the gods a half pen●● with a grave look of the forehead ? of this sort , some believ● there is no god at all ; others n● p●ovidence , but that all thing● come to us by hap-hazzard , ●● chance : some , that we are governed by the stars , and figures ●● fatal necessity ; ( i know not where they have it , nor from whom ) others , that all things tend to voluptuousness , and therein the quintessence of humane life consists ; but , as for virtue , they give it a fine name onely , and extend its relation no further then the limits of this life , positively putting it down for granted , that [ the faults we commit in this life dyes with us , and no further account to be made for them after death . ] the ablest of all their wise men are endued ( it seems ) with no bette●●nowledge , but being wrapt up in ●he muddy and obscure darkness of ●rrour , and ignorance , never lifted ●p the understanding to discern ●ver so little the beams of saving ●ruth , but rather troubling them●elves with things here below , and that fall under the cognisance of the senses , never comprehended ●ny thing about the nature of devils ( as most reasonable it is that god , the creator of them , should be ) if there were any one among them , that had dived never so little further into the abstruse secrets of nature , being destitute , at the same time , of the grace of god , he rested upon that which to him seemed easier to understand , and brought the vulgar multitude to conforme themselves thereunto . is it then any great wonder , that he , who was endued with such precepts , and taught by such masters , should prove a traytor to him that trusted him ? a felon , and rebell to him that raised him up ? if there be yet any other question of defending , by accusing him , he could not ( i should think ) be much troubled in mind for the death of his brother , who was his brother's enemy by reason of his religion , and so much displeased to see christianity flourish . no , but being transported with rage rather against true piety , he the sooner troubled the state , to establish and give liberty to his false , and foolish opinions : it being requisite , according to their reasons , to annexe the empire to philosophy , and ( as it fell out after ) rather to complete , then to cause the evils of the common-wealth to cease . now the first act of his rebellion , and temerity was , to make himself be crowned , and to procure , or rather assume to himself the sublime title of emperour ; which , in times past , was wont to be obtained , not as a rape , or prey of fortune but by succession , or by the will of the emperour , or else ( as anciently practised ) by order from the senate . but he would 〈◊〉 acknowledge , as author of his ●●nour , him , who was the true ●●rd of the monarchy . then ●●ving forged in his mind a foolish ●●cessity of taking up armes , which 〈◊〉 was so rash , and un-advisedly ●●ld to undertake , ( see but what 〈◊〉 contrived , and to what point he ●●duced his oversight and folly , o 〈◊〉 extreme fury of this man ! ) 〈◊〉 went armed with great forces ●gainst his prince , and part of the ●est , under the colour and covert 〈◊〉 excusing himself for taking up●● him the crown . i say under 〈◊〉 colour , &c. because , as yet he ●●ssembled , and endeavoured to ●ver his disloyalty , and madness 〈◊〉 a time , when indeed , his whole ●ope , and full intention was to ●●tablish himself in the empire , ●nd by his ingratitude render him●●lf notable to all the world . wherein his hope ( as it fell out ●fter ) did not deceive him , was ●ot in vain . with respect where●nto , i would not that they should be ravish't with admiration , 〈◊〉 mind not the incomprehensib●● height of god's providence governing all things , and ascribe litt●● or nothing to him in the all-wise di●posing , and regulating of state● who , whatever they imagine to th● contrary , as sweetly , as secretly ordains whatever he will hav● brought to pass , in its due seaso● and the same for the better alway● though silly men sometimes mislike thereof , and are not , perhaps , satisfied in their understanding wherefore he doth so . no● this divine providence ( you mu●● know ) induced not this man 〈◊〉 do evil : for , god is not the author of evil , but of all goo● things , sin proceeding never from him , but from the party alone tha● makes choice thereof . as for this wicked impe of satan , ( i mean julian ) he stayed no● his restless motion , but readil● running to those companies thi● were of his government , and unto a part of the marches of the barbarians , whereof , rather by craft , ●hen by open war , he became ma●ter , approached the imperial court ( as instructed so to do , say ●ome of his party , by prognosti●ation , and the advertisement of devils , who promis'd him an hap●y adventure , and a change of ●hem that then governed the af●airs : ) or , according to the saying ●f those who know truth , he the ●ooner advanced , thereby to arrive , ●t a day prefixt , to effect horrible ●nd secret wickedness , as hasting to ●e at the murder , whereof himself was the author , covering the con●piracy then by means of one of ●is domesticks . so that , it was ●ot divining , but knowing certain●y , and the act it self a work of wickedness , and not a benefit the devils had granted him : who by ●hat which fell out in persia , have ●ade the power they had well ap●ear of luckily conducting his af●airs . let them be quiet then , who attribute to devils his celeri●y , or quick dispatchin that matter , however , we cannot deny but th●● the foul act of his consulting with d●vils was damnable . nevertheles● had not the disease of the emperour prevented the incursion of th●● tyrant , and the secret war bee● stronger then the disclosed army the villain had soon felt , that 〈◊〉 hasted to his ruine , and that , before he was chastised by the astonishment he was put into by 〈◊〉 persians , he had carried the punishment of his deserts to the r●man territory , where he , befo●● that , had contrived his wicked conspiracy , which was likely enough because as then he discovered no● himself , although enclosed with th● army of the most valiant emperor , that he might have no way of escaping : as it was easie to judge by that which happened afterwards , there being but little expectatio● of cutting off the means of retreat to him that had already th● empire in his hand . but , as th● emperour marched vertuously against perfidiousness and impiety ( good god what a mischeif do i 〈◊〉 make mention of ! ) he dyed 〈◊〉 the middest of the way , repen●●●g himself to god , and men , 〈◊〉 he had been so kind unto julian , 〈◊〉 , as much as it was then 〈◊〉 for him to do , shewed the af●●●tion he bore to the true religion . years , at present , mixt with joy 〈◊〉 down my cheeks , and , as the 〈◊〉 and floods , strive together , 〈◊〉 , in their meeting , mingle , and ●●●uble one an other , while i am ●●●covering what happened after . 〈◊〉 the end and issue was pleasant 〈◊〉 agreeable to us , as the begin●●ng had been sad and heavy , not ●●ely in regard of the christians , 〈◊〉 their afflictions , which pro●●eded , either by the instinct of 〈◊〉 evil spirit through the will of ●od , who knows the cause there●● ; or ( it may be ) from our ar●●gance , which had need of being ●●strained , and purged : but also 〈◊〉 the regret of that wicked soul , 〈◊〉 of those , carried together with 〈◊〉 ▪ to perdition . there are some , who bewail onely the last plagu● and torments they endure here below , as having no respect at al● but to this present life , and , 〈◊〉 their mind , regard not the futur● nor believe any chastisement sh●●● be imposed upon , or recompe●●● done them for the things commi●ted by them in this world , leadi●● the lives of beasts , and mindi●● nothing but the present time onely placing their soveraign good in h●mane tranquillity , and , contrarily attributing misfortune , and infelicity to adversity , and to thing that happen crosse to their desires ▪ but , as for my self , i deplore mo●● the torments they shall receive i● the other world , and the which 〈◊〉 surely , though secretly prepare● for the wicked ( to say nothing 〈◊〉 that which is more grievous , viz. to be deprived , to be banished from the presence of god for evermore . alas what sore punishmen● will that be ! ) but how can i refrain bewailing of this miserable man ? how otherwise chuse but more lament ●●ose , who , of their own accord , 〈◊〉 self-motion have retired them●●lves to his false worship , then ●●ose that compelled thereunto by ●●rsecution ? and how can i hinder 〈◊〉 lamenting yet more him , that ●●rried others , then those who vo●●ntarily rendred themselves , and 〈◊〉 part , or sided with the wicked 〈◊〉 their profaneness ? contrarily , it 's a thing neither ●rievous , nor irksome to christians 〈◊〉 suffer for the name of christ , ●ut a happy contentment , not one●y in consideration of the heavenly ●●fe , but also of the constancy and ●lory he hath made way for them to ●ttain unto here below among pe●ils . whereas to the followers of ju●ian , the evil that 's already befallen ●hem is beginning of future torments that are threatned , and destined for them hereafter . so that , it had been much better , they had been longer punished here , then to be reserved to that high seat of justice in heaven . but i will not in●● hereon further , that i may 〈◊〉 the law , that forbids rejoycing 〈◊〉 the fall of an enemy , when he 〈◊〉 cast down ; and that rather , bei●● our selves in better condition , 〈◊〉 should shew our compassion towards him in his greatest nece●sity . i will resume therefore the chi●● scope of my discourse , and spea● of him from whom proceeded 〈◊〉 unlimited a desire after vice , 〈◊〉 immense a zeal to all manner 〈◊〉 wickedness . how came it to pa●● that he ran so fast to mischief● from whence was that his enmity to jesus christ ? he entre● and entituled himself his disciple he had the knowledge , by conference , touching many subtle discourses of truth , proposed by himself , and heard , from others , fin● precepts of saving health , or eternal salvation . and behold , no sooner came he to be emperour , but he made open profession of paganisme , as if he had been ashamed of being formerly a chri●●●an , and for that reason would ●ischief the christians , because ●●mself had been a christian in the ●●ginning . but here was the ori●●nal of his audaciousness , ( as they 〈◊〉 , who boast of their being of his 〈◊〉 counsel ) having washed 〈◊〉 ground with filthy and dete●●●able blood , ( see , into what foul ●●rms i am constrained to fall ! ) 〈◊〉 had a purpose to have establish●d abominable ceremonies in op●osition unto ours , being himself ●according to the proverb ) as the ●ow that wallows in the mire . he ●rofaned his hands thinking to wash ●nd purge them with that , that ●●uched the sacrifice , which is done ●ithout effusion of blood , by means ●hereof we participate with god ●n his passion , and in his divine nature . the royal palace was ●mployed in dissections and sacrifices , serving himself in his wicked reign with wicked coun●ellers . and now , while making mention on of dissections , and of the foolis● or rather damnable affection he bore to them , i know not , whethe● i should put in writing , a common and triviall miracle , or give credi● unto what is said of it . for , the truth is , my mind hangs , as in 〈◊〉 ballance , not knowing which way to incline , there being some thing● worthy to be beleived , others not ▪ neverthelesse , it being no new thing , but oftentimes happening that upon the change of grea● estates , by means of such vai● dissections of beasts , &c. som● prodigious things have been presignified ( though , in this manner to fall out after , is that which seem● worthy of admiration , both to me , and to all them , who are willing , and have a desire that holy thing● should be declared , and handled holily ) i shall take the boldnesse to make further relation of what 's reported . behold then what happened . one day as he sacrificed , the standers by saw in the entrails of the beast [ a crosse crowned in a circle ] which ●●ought astonishment , and troubled ●●me of his own party , as if there●●… had been signified that we ●…ould carry away the victory : ●…t the prince of impiety being ●ore couragious , replyed that it ●●pressed rather we should be shut 〈◊〉 , and enclosed . behold then 〈◊〉 miracle that i spoke of ! if it 〈◊〉 false , the wind will blow it ●●ay , if true , it 's balaam prophe●●…ng ; and samuel coming again , ●●d appearing unto the witch of ●●ndor , and saul ; the devils con●●●sing christ , whether they will 〈◊〉 no , and the truth , to procure ●●lief , proved by its enemies . it ●…ay further be that this was done , 〈◊〉 ordained , to reduce this man ●●om his impiety . for god , who 〈◊〉 prone to mercy , can , and doth ●●ten use many extraordinary waies 〈◊〉 lead men unto salvation , through 〈◊〉 knowledge of the truth . see an other thing ( reported of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any , and credible ) one day , ●●…ing into a hideous , and almost inaccessible cave ( would to 〈◊〉 from thence he had fallen i● hell , rather then gone on furth●● to such mischiefs ) and having man in his company worthy of 〈◊〉 hells , who took himself to be great master in this science , 〈◊〉 rather sophistry ( for among th●● they have a fashion to devine 〈◊〉 conferring of future things 〈◊〉 devils in obscure places , wheth●● it be they love darknesse , beca●●● they are darknesse it self , and exc●lent work-men in the darkn●●● of sin , or , be it they avoid meeti●● with good people on the face of 〈◊〉 earth , least such , after seen them , might take any power fro● them in their devining ) he 〈◊〉 struck into a great fear . now , astonishment had seised on 〈◊〉 villanous man at his first entra●●● into the cave , before spoken 〈◊〉 and increased more and more aft●● ( for it 's said such dealers with 〈◊〉 devil have strange and inward b●ings , and representments ) and 〈◊〉 there appeared unto him ph●tasmes of fire , with ( i know not ●hat ) other follies , and raving ●●ymeras ; being surprized there●ith ( for he was a novice in this ●●ctrine ) he had recourse to the ●●rosse of christ , and call'd to his 〈◊〉 him against whom he then re●●●ted . ( that which followes is ●●ore notable . ) the crosse of ●hrist had the better of it : for the ●evils were overcome thereupon , 〈◊〉 the frights vanished ; but what 〈◊〉 out afterwards ? mischief took ●●eath again , he again grew hardy , 〈◊〉 begins , as formerly to play his ●●anks afresh ; whereupon the ●●me frights , in an instant , repre●●nt themselves . what then ? he ●as fain to addresse himself , once ●ore to the crosse of christ ; im●ediately after the devils are qui●●ed : whereat , the novice being in a great perplexity , the master 〈◊〉 the sacrifice , that was near 〈◊〉 perceiving the matter , pervert●● both the truth , and him , told 〈◊〉 the devils were not affraid of 〈◊〉 crosse of christ , but had both 〈◊〉 and christ in abomination . 〈◊〉 evill speech of that leud man c●●ried him away quite : for as he sai● so he immediately perswaded hi● and thereby drew this untowa●● disciple of his into the gulfe 〈◊〉 utter destruction . wherein th●● was nothing strange , for a vicio●● nature will sooner follow the co●●sell of a wicked man , then retire 〈◊〉 the advice of a good . what he 〈◊〉 and what he said more in the cave and what illusions he was cheat●● with before he came up , they 〈◊〉 learned the same , and since instr●cted others therein , know very we●● he came up i am sure , much tro●bled in mind , making the sa●● appear more evidently in his ou●ward gestures , and in the gastlyn●● of his looks , as also by those mean● further manifested , who they we●● whom he adored , continuing on 〈◊〉 that time more especially 〈◊〉 he was alwayes full of 〈◊〉 ) to commit all manner of ●●●kednesse . i say , from that time , ●●●ause then he shewed , and made 〈◊〉 be more seen . insomuch ( as i ●●●eive ) he gave it out to be taken 〈◊〉 of , that he had not lost his 〈◊〉 in descending , and having fel●●wship with devils , calling the ●●aviour , in that his being inspired , ●●ball , and appropriating there●●th to himself fair , and honourable 〈◊〉 . these were his beginnings . but 〈◊〉 that which he hatched was ●●●closed , and the mind that he had 〈◊〉 persecute us appear'd , he thought 〈◊〉 an other device worthy of a man ●●rowly flush't , and perfect in ●●ckednesse , or else , that had 〈◊〉 the same of those , who had 〈◊〉 exercised in such doctrine . for 〈◊〉 it was a thing too bold , and gross , 〈◊〉 declare war openly , and consti●●te himself captain of paganisme , ●hich had brought some difficulty to that whereat he aimed : so w● had made our selves more couragious , if they had not taken us b● force , and had opposed to tyrann● the great affection which we ha● to the true religion : it being th● disposition of generous courages t● be bent against those , who woul● carry things by force : even 〈◊〉 the flame , that 's excited by th● wind increaseth so much the more as the wind is more vehement grounding his judgment therein , no● onely by the reasons he had to● comprehend it , but also by precedent persecutions of the christians which had brought to christianity more glory , then diminution , in tha● christians had setled their minds i● piety , and , as hot iron in water , hardned them against perills . bu● he thought that making war wit● subtlety , and adding force with perswasion , also mingling a mild manner of dealing with his tyrannical power ( which was nothing else , but to cover the fire with abait , ) he thought ( i say ) that this manner of proceeding was ground●d on reason , and would carry the ●atter . for , above all things , he ●●vyed them , who were champi●ns of martyrdome , and therefore ●rove , with all his might , to force , ●nd constrain people to return to ●aganisme , and proceeded so sub●ely in it , that none perceived it : ●nd contrarily we endured punish●ents without having the honour ●f martyrdome . but , it was ●reat-simplicity in him , for all that , 〈◊〉 to do . first , because he per●waded himself , we knew not the ●ause why we were in trouble , ●nd that by this sophistry , and ca●illation , he thought to cover the ●ruth , not seeing that the more he ●aboured to take away these honors , ●o much the more he made us ap●ear greater , and fairer . secondly , ●or that he perswaded himself , that what we did , was for the desire of ●ain-glory , and not for the zeal of truth . as on their part , for the ●ame cause , they were wont to make use of empedocleans , of aristeans , of empedotineans of t●●phonians , and a troop of such li●● wicked juglers . one of whi●● casting himself into the gulphs 〈◊〉 sicily , to make men beleive 〈◊〉 should become a god , and be ●●ken from them , to change this 〈◊〉 for a better , was discovered 〈◊〉 his chamlet cloak , which the flam● cast out , to be dead , and cons●quently no god , but a lover on●● of vain glory , and an ignorant , 〈◊〉 silly asse . others , secretly retiring in pl●ces under ground , sick of the sam● disease of vain-glory , and love 〈◊〉 themselves , being discovered after got not so much renown by the●● secret retreats , as reproach for suc● their impostures . but , as for christians , its thei● only joy , to suffer for gods cause for the true religion of christ : i● comparison whereof , we ma●● little account of pleasing men have no other aim , but to be accepted of the almighty . besides which consideration , they ●●at are truly wise , and lovers of ●eavenly , and divine matters , 〈◊〉 to be joyned with christ alone , 〈◊〉 christs sake , without any other ●●ward : they that do good works ●ith intention of receiving recom●ence for the same , being in the ●econd degree of vertuous people : ●nd they that abstain from evil do●ng for fear of punishment , in the ●hird . thus is it with us , that are ●rue beleiving christians , and the proof that we are so minded indeed , ●s easie for them to find , that will undertake it . but , iulian desirous to deprive us that are christians of the chief honours , ( for many judge by their own affections , the affections of others ) above all , set upon our fame and reputation . wherein he proceeded not openly , as former persecutors , but tyrannically invented alwayes something against us , that it might be to him a chief crime , to force the people of the habitable earth and to tyrannize over the most perfect , and accomplish't doctrine that ever was . but certainly , he made war wit● us , and persecuted piety in th● cowardliest , and basest manner tha● might be , in regard , among th● persecutions wherewith he astlicte● us , he caused frauds , and decei● to interveene in troubling us . for , whereas power branche●● it self into two considerations , th● one consisting in perswasion , th● the other in force , and violence ▪ he made use of that part of his power which was the hardest and most inhumane , namely force ; ( reflecting for the most part unto tyranny , through the unrulinesse of the common people both in city and country , whose audaciousnesse is otherwise intollerable , being carried inconsiderately unto all attempts sometimes , without either wit , or discretion ) this force he put in practice against the christi●ns without any expresse edict , or ordinance , for what he would have them do , but onely that he would establish an unwritten law , by ●hich he forbad any one of them ●ould be sought after for his good ●ill , and affection to religion . the ●●ntlier part of his power , which ●as perswasion , he reserved to him●●lf , although he kept not the same ●●violately . for , as nature cannot ●ermit , that the leopard should ●uit his spots , or , the moore his ●lacknesse , or fire its heat , or ●he devil the hatred he bears to ●han ( who from the beginning was 〈◊〉 murderer ) so it could not suffer ●hat this man should abandon his ●ruelty , wherewith he was fully ●ncensed against us . but ( as they 〈◊〉 ) the cameleon changeth her self ●iversly , and can take all colours , ●ut while i leave there this fabu●ous sophister , proteus the egyptian iulian did the same to the christians , bearing towards them all affections of the soul , except mildnesse , his very mercies to them being cruell , and his perswasion mixt with much violence ; covering , under the outside of equal dealing , all manner of injustice , and oppre●sion . which the more easily 〈◊〉 be guessed at , by those subtle me●● usually put in practice by him , 〈◊〉 draw us to his lure : his perswasio● to this purpose being alwaies bri●● but his violence , which follow●● after , if not yeilded unto in wh●● he would have , lasting long . in 〈◊〉 word , his accustomed manner 〈◊〉 dealing with us , was after the fashion of hunters seeking to catch thei● game , viz. either with snares 〈◊〉 of fair words to take us , 〈◊〉 with other weapons of violence 〈◊〉 make after us , untill reduced unde● him as his prey . having resolved in his mind , and made good this division of hi● power into seeming mildnesse , an● force , he betook himself to another stratagem ( which only was resolved upon , though otherwise very inconstant , and extreamly variable in all his proposals ) and t' was this , to begin the execution of his wickednesse upon those of his own house , and guard ( a way practiced by all persecutours ) there being no hope ●f invading those that are further ●ff , if those nearer hand be not ●●rst looked after . even as an ar●y cannot fight its enemies , if , at ●he same time , it be revolted ●gainst it's chief . for this reason , ●e changed all the officers of the ●mperial house , putting some away , ●thers to death , neither , for that wanting in their several respects ●articularly to this great emperour , ●ut because they then shewed it most of all , and at the highest . for which two considerations they ●ecame ( it should seem ) unprofita●le and might not be suffered to serve him . he gained the souldiery afterwards , partly by himself , partly by means of their commanders : and esteeming it easier to perswade , he won some by offices and dignities , others , ( who knew no other law but the will of their prince ) by their simplicity : and ( to say more ) he drew to him a great part of the army , viz. as many as he found weak , and inclinable , and who then , and before , were servants of the times . having gained some , and in hope to gain others , he was not nevertheles● master of all , neither could he th●● persecuted us , procure to himself such a multitude by his ministry , but that yet there remained more then seven thousand , who bowed not the knee to the baal of his power , who worship't not the image of his gold , and who , though bitten perhaps with his serpentine words , by looking after on the brazen one , or on one that was a type of christ on the crosse , received no hurt by him . of which number there were not a few , that had honours and dignities , whom , a man would have judged in appearance , might have suffered themselves to be wrought upon , either by fear , or hope . there were also very many of low condition , of no great esteem , but for their number , unto whom having given the assault , he was by them repulsed : even as a great , and thick wall by a thin and ●●eak engine . moreover , he angred not him●●lf any more , because those that ●ot from him had courage , and ●onquered : for he was so much out ●f his senses , that those , whom he ●oped to overcome , seemed to him ●s all won already . yea , he had ●he boldness to undertake against ●he great standard , which being ●oftily displayed , with the cro●s woven therein , conducted , and magnificently guided the army , that had the vertue ( as the latine word bears the name ) of comforting , and lessening labours and trawails , and which ( as a man may say ) is the king of standards , as well of them adorned , and enobled with the pictures of emperours , enrich't with devises by embroderies of diverse colours , as of those carried at the end of a lance , and flying in the air , with faces of horrible dragons , and jaws gaping , casting flaming lights , and embroidered with ranks of shels represented to the life in cloath of gold , & thereby affording both applause , and pleasures to the beholders . after then that with content he had ordered his house , and thought he was on the top of all his businesse and out of whatever fear and danger , he attempted that which followes . what was that ? to suppresse the truth of god , by labouring , tooth and nayl , ( as we say in the proverb ) utterly to subvert , and root out , not onely the christians , but also christianity it self , from off the earth . o foolish , wicked , and ill taught man in things out of thy reach , and of highest concernment ! dared'st thou thus obstinately to undertake so silly , and unlikely an enterprise against that fair portion of gods inheritance , and manna of the habitable earth , which had penetrated throughout all extremities by means of the profit , and facility of preaching of the gospel , ( that thou childishly calledst folly , and yet had subdued the wise , withstood devils , and resisted time ) as being old , and new together , accordingly , as those of thy party , the heathens have composed one of thy gods ? the first , viz. the truth of the old testament , declared but to a few , the last , viz. that of the new to very many : the former , as the draught or discription of a shadow , the latter as the accomplishment of the same mystery folded up , and reserved for a certain time onely , and to be revealed after . again , who , and from whence art thou , that thou daredst to set upon so rich an inheritance of christ ? so rich , and great , i say , both , and which shall never perish , although there were never so many more furious , and more out-ragious then thou wast : but shall advance itself , and grow more and more famous for ever ? in regard i beleive the prophesies of old , and those things in like manner which are manifest at present before our eyes , things that as god he hath created , and as man inherited , which the law hath set forth , but grace accomplished , the prophets fore-told , the apostles confirmed , and the evangelists consummated , or made good and perfect from the beginning unto all ages . hast thou been so bold as to approach near the holy sacrifice of jesus christ with thy abominations ? and to come with the blood of thy beasts in opposition to his divine blood , that hath washt and purged all the world ? diddest thou dare to make war against peace ? to lift up thy loose hand against him that was fastned both for thee , and by thee upon the tree ? hast thou set , or composed thy tast against gall ? wouldest thou set up a trophee in defiance of the crosse of christ ? erect against his death a destruction ? against his resurrection a rebellion ? against the truest martyr that ever was ( if a martyr we may call him ) those that were no martyrs ? persecutor as herod , traytor 〈◊〉 judas , but that thou never shew●d'st thy repentance in an halter as ●e did ! thou who hast crucified ●esus christ in like manner as pi●ate ! enemy of god's as the iews ! who , to thine own inevitable , ●hough future destruction , wast ●eserved , for a time , to be author ●f so much mischeif ! dost thou ●othing respect those that have ●een sacrificed for the name of je●us christ ? hast thou no regard to ●hat great st. iohn baptist ? to st. pe●er , st. paul , st. iames , st. steven , ●nd a world of other valiant cham●ions , that both before , and since ●heir time , have miraculously main●ained gods truth in peril of their ●ives and goods ? manfully fought ●gainst fire and sword ? powerfully ●ubdued beasts and tyrants by pre●ent torments , and denounced condemnations , as if they had only borrowed their bodies , or , indeed , had no bodies sensible at all of what they suffered for gods cause ? now wherefore all this ? that with their mouth , at last , they should renounce the true religion ? so belike or , otherwise , thou wouldst never have caused honour● to be ordained for them , together with praises , and feasts . but so far off was this devil iulian from bringing this to passe , that the christians in his reign , for the most part , not onely still perfisted in their former profession , and defence of gods truth , but also by them devils were cast out , diseases cured , apparitions and prophesies followed , their humane bodies upon touching , or repairing unto , had vertue and power given them a● well as their sanctified souls , to work miraculous effects : yea further , drops onely of their blood , or , the like little remains of their martyrdome , had the same efficacy and power , &c. what sayest thou ▪ wilt thou still slight , and not yet have a reverent esteem of such like persons ? thou , who admirest the burning of hercules , caused upon a disaster of having offended women ? and the dismembring of pelops , either for the love of strangers , or gods ? with respect whereunto the pelopides rendred themselves noble and remarkable both by the shoulders , and by the ivory : who admirest the gelding of the phrygian preists , that receive their shame with the sweetnesse of musical instruments , wherewith appeased after ? the torments and cruelties used in the mysteries of mythra , and his burnings , as well just , as mystical ? that murdering of strangers kil'd by bull 's the sacrifice of that kings daughter , because of the city of troy ? and the blood of meniceus which was shed for the thebans ? then that of the daughters of scedasus at euctres ? thou that makest so great account of those young laconicks , who whipt one another till the blood followed , and besprinkled the altar for the delight of that chast goddesse , and virgin ? who makest so great esteem of the hemlocke of socrates ? of the thigh of epictetes ? of the belly of anaxarchus ? whose patience was more by necessity then of good will : who commendest also the precipices of cleombrotus , moved to cast himself from thence by the reading of the discourse of the soul ? the dispute of pythagoras touching his beanes ? the content of death by theanes ? or of i know not what other of his school , and sect ? neverthelesse , thou most wise and generous , if thou wilt not admire the things i have said came to passe heretofore because of our religion : at least contemplate on that which is present , and consider the patience of our scipioes , and epam●nonda's : seeing thou marchest with thy army , and causest thy self be served with meats common , and not delicate to eat : that approvest very much of those emperors , who make war , and conduct their armies themselves : that savourest of i know what generosity , and discretion in honouring the virtue of thine enemies , and makest more esteem of the valour ●f thine adversaries , then of the ●owardlinesse , and idlenesse of whosoever of thine own party : ●eest thou not many among us , ●aving in their possession neither ●ouses nor goods , stript likewise ●f their flesh and blood , and yet ●hrough such their sufferings approaching near unto god ? who ●ye on the bare earth , their feet ●as homer speaks of a certain devil that desired to honour him ) all ●irty ! who are humble , and yet ●levated above all here below ? who are on earth here with men , ●nd yet , at the same time , in heaven above with god ? who are bound , and yet free ? forced , and yet invincible ? who possesse nothing in the world , and yet injoy all things that are in the world ? who consist of two sorts of lives , the one which they make no reckoning of , the other , whereof they esteem very much ? who dye to live ? who through the dissolution of body and soul , are re-united unto god ? who live exempt from all inordinate affections , and yet filled with the holy and true love of god ? to whom appertains the fountain of light , whose beams already penetrate their souls : who are spiritually nourished , as it were , with angelicall singing of psalms ? and kept turns , whole nights , together in praising god ? who have thei● minds already in heaven , by a divine rapture , before they dye ? to whom appertains cleannesse and purity ? who know its all one to depart from this world , and to be with god ? to whom belongs rocks , and also paradise ? to be cast down upon the earth and yet to be set upon thrones in heaven ? to be naked in their bodies , and yet cloathed with incorruption in their souls ? to be here in deserts , but yet in heaven with good company ? who neglecting and repressing the sensualities of the body , injoy , for all that , a perpetual , and un expressible content of the soul ? whose tears are the deluge ●f sin , and restauration of the ●orld ? whose extended hands put ●ut fire , tame the raving of wild ●easts , dull the edge of the sword , ●ake whole troops fly away ? and ●now thou also , that , at length , ●hey shall withstand , and triumph ●ver thy impiety , although , for a 〈◊〉 , thou bravest it , and , with thy ●evils , dancest ( as i may so say ) 〈◊〉 the delights of thine own hearts ●●sts , and heathenish devices . nevertheless , o impudent fel●ow as thou art ! how can it be ●hat , in the mean time , thou better ●onsiderest not of these things ? ●hou , who art as liable to death , as ●ny other worldling ? how can'st ●hou find in thine heart to make no ●reater esteem of those before ●poken saints of god , neither to ●everence them as thou oughtest ? ●re not the gifts and graces , where●ith those clear lights of heaven ●hine so bright , far to be preferred ●efore the unsatiable covetousness ●f solon that wise man , whom craesus made tryal of with his lydian gold ? or the philocaly of s●crates , that is , an affection in doating upon fine things ? for i am ashamed to think of , much less b● in love with his foul sin ( of sod●my , i mean ) although , with ver● much artifice , heathen men hav● strove to cover it , and are commended for their so doing . o● the licourishness plato shewed i● sicily ? which brought him to suc● a condition , that he was sold without being redeemed by any of hi● own disciples , or other of th● greek nation ? or , the glutton● of xenocrates ? the cinicalne●● of diogenes ? who made a tun hi● house , wherein he more accounte● of beggars , then of princes ; o● barly-loaves , then of fine manche●● ( as the tragedy hath it . ) or , th● philosophy of epicurus ? who kne● no other soveraign good , then th● pleasure he took to please hi● senses . you , make great account o● crates . certes , 't was an exploi● worthy a brave philosopher , vo●untarily to quit himself of his ●reat revenues : and , that they not ●inder him in his study of philo●ophy , to cast away much riches ●ormerly possessed by him in great ●ontempt , but the manner of his ●penly making known the same , ●y boastingly publishing the know●edge thereof to posterity , is a ●●gn he was ambitious of popular ●pplause : a mark whereby we dis●ern him to be affected as well with ●he tumour of vain-glory , as with ●he humour of being a philosopher . ●ou admire him , who being at ●ea , and commanding all his goods , 〈◊〉 a tempest , to be cast over●oard , thanked fortune that she had ●educed him to a sultan , or to a ●hilosophers cloak . also anthiste●es , who , as a quarreller , having all ●is face broken , made no more ac●ount of it , then the writing on his ●prehead , as on a table the name ●f him that had beaten him ; to ●he end , peradventure , he might make his complaint more hainous against him , when time should serve . thou highly prizest 〈◊〉 other , that lived not long since who making his oraisons to th● sun , stood upon his feet as long a● the day lasted , observing , it ma● be , to begin then when it came nea● the earth , that such his prayer● might be the breifer , and finishing them when the sun set . thou als● makest great account of him , who in winter , being on the guard , too his charge so to heart , that he passe● the whole night , which froze hard in contemplation , and had hi● mind so intent thereon , that he fel● not the cold at all . thou praises● also the curiosity of homer's desir● to know the riddle of arcadia● and aristotle , who stayed sometim● on the bank of euripus , to understand the cause of its ebbing an● flowing ; neither of which bein● perfectly understood by either o● them , was the cause of the one an● of the others death . thou esteemest also of the wells of cleander of the girdle of anaxagoras , an● of the weeping of heraclitus . now tell me , how many hast thou of these ? and how long have they ●asted ? and wonderest thou not at so ●any thousand of ours , that have ●ollowed the like philosophy , and ●ar more admirable , all their lives ? ●eest thou not how , in all parts of ●he world , as well men , as women ●f our religion , have striven one ●ith an other , even unto admira●ion on all sides , who should be ●ost renowned for vertuous living , ●orgetting even the laws of nature , ●hen endeavouring to appease god 〈◊〉 their chast conversation and pa●ence , not onely the meaner sort ●f people that are wont to live of ●odily labour , but the great and fa●ous also for their ancestry and ●ignities ? who changed their for●erly accustomed delicious man●er of living in all plentifulness 〈◊〉 variety of delights , for the ●rder discipline of a more severe 〈◊〉 , to follow christ : who , though 〈◊〉 attaining to the grace of eloquent speaking , ( true piety not consisting in rhetorical straines , and in the fruit of wisdome proceeding from the lips ( according to the opinion of one of your own poets ) and being of little value , ) yet most excellent they were , notwithstanding , in the sweet disposition of their souls , in the sincere and exact government of their lives and actions , to the will of god. but this man , shutting his eyes to all this , and aiming onely to please devils , ( which already many times , justly overwhelmed him ) before he made any ordinances for common affairs , rush'● upon the christians : and , althoug● he had two things which gave hi● trouble , viz. the galileans ( for 〈◊〉 he was pleased injuriously to ca●● us ) and the persians , who , bearin● troubles patiently , continuall● made war against him : so it was he had a business came so near him that the persian war seemed 〈◊〉 him but as a play and fable : where of , though he made no shew , yet he was so transported with fury , that every one took notice of him : but this so prudent person , so good a common-wealths-man , considered not , that in the first persecutions , there happened but a little confusion and trouble , because our doctrine was not then spread among so many people , the knowledge of the truth as then made manifest but to few that had need of more light , but now that the word of our saviour is so far spread , and so well establish'd among us , to strive to pull it up , and to shake christianity , it 's no other thing , then to overthrow the roman empire , to expose to all manner of danger and ●azzard the whole state of the republick : which is the worst that our greatest enemies can wish to us , namely to see us receive these evils from our selves , and by the means of this new and admirable philosophy and policy , by which we become so happy , and return to the first age , and golden condition of the world that was without trouble , without all kind of dissention , or warring one with another . but they 'l tell me , the people are gently governed , taxes remitted , magistrates worthily chosen , theeves punished , and such like things , with respect unto temporary felicities , and make it good . for it must needs be we should have our ears tingle with such manner of applauding him in his government . but the divisions , neverthelesse , and commotions of towns and countryes , the destruction of families , the quarrels of private houses , the separation of married folks , that were likely to follow such a mischief , and , as the truth is indeed , have followed the same , brought they any augmentation to his glory , or commodity and benefit otherwise to the common-wealth ? who is he , that is such a partizan of paganisme , so void of common sense as to avow the same ? for , even as in a mans body , when a member or two are out of order , the other cease not to do their office , and to conserve the welfare of the rest that are in health , and the greater number , by means whereof , even those that were ill affected , ●ut of frame often come again to their naturall constitution : but when too many parts are ill affected , there 's scarce any remedy , but ●hat the whole body becomes in danger to be overthrown : so in ●tates and republiques , particular defects may sometimes be made ●p , when , at the same time , it fares well with the generall : but when ●he greater part is weak , without doubt the general is in much haz●ard to be destroyed . a case so obvious and trivial to every common understanding that the grossest enemies we have cannot possibly ●ut soon foresee the same , especi●lly at this time that the christians ●re so increased . but the malice of this man hath ●o blinded his reason , that hand over head he ceaseth not to molest ●ll manner of christians , little and great : yea , so tainted he is with all kind of wilfull hatred against us , not onely unworthy of a judiciou● emperour , but also of a far meane● man in understanding and place that , as if , with our name , h● could take from us the beleif whic● we repose in christ , he hath commanded our name should b● changed , and that we should be no longer called christians : yea , 〈◊〉 make us ashamed , as if thereby w● were accused of some great crime● he made a new edict touching th● same , calling us therein , and o●daining we should be called galileans , in stead of christians ; she●ing indeed thereby that the name o● christian is a glorious and honourable title , otherwise , certainly , 〈◊〉 would never have taken it from us ▪ and , in lieu thereof , given us a● other lesse famous , and not of the like reputation . or , whether fearing some vertue to lye hid under tha● name , which might cause those o● his party tremble , so oft as spoken in their hearing [ in like manner as those devils in the gospel are reported to have trembled at the name of christ ] took away the occasion of their being so troubled , by forbidding us to be called after that name . as for us , we desire not to change those names whereby he is called , knowing nothing more ridiculous , then those appellations of phales , isiphales , venerable pan , &c. wherewith he takes a pride to be stiled : being names not onely infamous , and shamelesse , but such , as upon consideration of the reasons wherefore at first they were taken up , cannot otherwise then give offence unto modest ears that take notice thereof , neither envy we his title of caball , whereof he boasts so much in his follies , or that other epethice of hercules kill-cowe , &c. worshiped as a god , because , in his thirteenth labour , he begot with child in one night fifty daughters of thyestes . if endeavour to find out new names , wherewith to reproach him for his fouler , and more villanous actions , we are not ignorant how to fit him with a great many more to the purpose , then those , whereby to vilifie us , he hath invented against the christians . the history of his unworthy acts is not so altogether unknown to us , but that it 's an easie task , thereout to furnish our selves with names more then a good many , whereunto to intitle him , as due to his deserts , though much unbeseeming the man he would be taken for , being not content to be stiled by the title of emperour of the romans onely , but also would be called emperour of the whole world . for so he perswaded himself , he should be before his death , as being bewitched into such a beliefe by those devils , and magicians that thereinto infatuated him . as for our being call'd galileans , that are ch●istians , we are no whit ashamed thereof , seeing christ our blessed redeemer was so called . yea further , seeing he that is lord , creatour , and governour of the universe , son , and word of god the father , sitteth on the same throne , with him , mediatour , and high priest , and , for the love of us , ( that despised , and cast his image in the dust , as ignorant , perhaps , a great many of us , of that high mistery of his deities conjunction with our flesh ) took upon him the forme of a servant , and ●ore our sins in his own body on the ●ree , that they might dye with him : if he , i say , suffered himself to be called a samaritan , and ( which is worse ) a devil : ( to whom it was an easie matter with an hoast of angels , yea , a word speaking only to vindicate himself , and repulse a whole world of wicked men ) and was neither offended thereat , nor made complaint against them that did him that injury , but sent them gently away , ( shedding tears to obtain pardon from god his father for them that crucified him ) shall we , that are vile worms , however christned in his name , hold it an unseemly thing , think it much to be defamed , after that sort , or troubled therewith , when , in the same manner , reproached for his sake ? god forbid . nay rather , — being reviled , we blesse : being persecuted , we suffer it , esteeming more of such injuries , and other scoffings , wherewith reproachfully thou tauntest us , then to be otherwise made rich by thee , for a time , with the muck of this worlds goods , then to be advanced by thee to fleeting honours , and offices , and whatever other earthly preferment that 's in thy power , and choice to confer upon us . yea , moreover , whereas it 's thy whole delight , thi●● hearts content is solely fixed on such matters , we stick not to make open profession unto thee , and unto all the world besides , in the words of the apostle , that we determine not to know , ( much lesse to be affected , and hunt after ) any thing among you , save jesus christ , and him crucified . he had one quality more in him , an unworthy and dishonest one both , and that was , he accustomed himself , when covertly ayming to gain us to his party , at the same time to put on the fox his skin upon that of the lions , or , ( as i cannot better express the same ) to cloth , under the mask of minos his justice , his own cruelty , and oppression . to abridge my discourse , the rest of his abominable actions i 'le leave further to be dilated , unto those hereafter that shall be pleas'd more largely to pen the whole history thereof , not doubting , but many will strive to make posterity acquainted with things of such consequence , and whether tragedy , or comedy , ( call them as you list ) deserve not to be concealed . as for my part , i 'le reduce unto those passages before spoken of , one , or two of his most signal acts , to let them who admire his deeds , and count him praise-worthy for the same , know , a man cannot invent charges enough , is not able to find faults so many , or reproaches so great and shameful , as he deserved . it 's a maxime among emperours , ( i know not whether it be practised with other monarchs , but among the romans it 's exactly observed ) viz. that , in honouring them , they set up for the reigning emperours , publick statues ; for , as for crowns , and diademes , they suffice not ( it should seem ) no , nor scarlet , nor solemne ordinances , nor taxes , and tributes , nor great number of people to applaud them at their first entrance into supreme authority : but it 's their pleasure , over and above , like gods , to be adored , that thereby they may be held for more majestical and sublime . they will also have the same adoration done , in like manner , even to their very pictures , and images , that thereby their eminency may be set forth more absolutely , and completely . among these images , and representations , each emperour chuseth severally unto himself certain of them : e. g. some , setting forth to the life great cities making presents : others , a famous victory crowned with triumph : some , magistrates on their knees , with devises expressing their charges and offices : others , cruell beasts kill'd with arrows , directly shot through again ; others certain vanquished barbarians laid prostrate at their feet , or otherwise kill'd in diverse manners . for they desire not onely the truth of things , whereof they assume the glory to themseves , but also , to have representations , and pictures thereof . see now how this man plotted , what craft by him was used against the christians . as those , who in drinks sometimes mingle poison , so he infused , upon a time , abomination among his imperial ceremonies , confounding together the adoration of idols with the ordinance of the romans . for which purpose , among the effigies of emperours , and other usual pictures , he caused to be interposed the resemblances of devils , and that done , exposed them to the people , cities , and principle governours of provinces . these images , or pictures were after that manner contrived , that who so adored the emperour , the mischief could not be avoided , but , at the same time , he must , of necessity , adore therewith devils , the effigies , or pictures of devils , being so cunningly interweaved with those of the emperour . now who so adored not those representations , the imperial majesty was offended therewith , and the party refusing to give honour thereunto found guilty of high treason against the emperour . there were some wiser , and more advised , who finding out the deceit , were not taken with this so artificially invented snare ; who were afterwards punished for such their prudence , under the pretence , they had not honoured the emperour : when as the true cause was , for their being faithful rather to the great monarch of heaven and earth , and to the true religion . a great number of the simpler and poorer sort of people were ensnared herein : who , in my opinion , deserved to be pardoned for their innocency , being by subtlety thereunto inforced . after this sort , matters being thus deceitfully handled , 't will be sufficient to make this person infamous , and worthy of just reproof , in regard private persons , and princes , should not govern themselves alike in their affairs , their actions being of different weight and importance , a private person not so much to be blamed when he doth any thing by subtlety , and after a covert manner , because otherwise , perhaps , he is not able to compass what he would have , by force , and therefore is constrained to use art , and dissimulation : but , as for a prince , it should be otherwise , because , as it is a shame to be overcome by force , so , i esteem it yet a greater , to cover his designs with craft , and faining . there 's beyond this an other matter , which , though it came from the same forge and conception , is yet worse , because the evil of greater consequence . i will annex it here unto what i have spoken formerly . there was a certain day , wherein the emperour would bestow a largesse , whether accustomed and ordinary , or more solemn and at a prefixt time , to manifest his inward malice towards us , it skills not . 't was ordained then , all the army should assist therein , that every one , according to his degree ▪ and dignity , might receive his largess and pay. ( behold here another mistery of villany , see here how iniquity playeth its part ) under the colour of liberallity he would bring it to passe , by alluring the souldiers with money , ( who for the most part , are ordinarily covetous enough , if not too unsatiable ) the businesse was this . being pompously set in great state , and also very powerful through his wiles , by reason whereof , ( as if he had been an other melampus , or pro●heus ) he could change himself into whatsoever formes , at his pleasure , ●ccording to the quality of affairs he had in hand , ( the story that i am ●bout to tell , would move compassion in whosoever of any good nature , or tollerable apprehension , whether beholding this sad specta●le with their eyes , or otherwise ●earing the samerelated unto them : ) there was before him gold , there was incense , and just against him fire ; close by stood the master of the ceremonies , who gave notice what was to be done : the outward pretence was , the making ●se of certain more ancient , and honourable ceremonies in that their reception of the emperours largesse , but the issue after was , they were to sacrifice incense in the fire , and receive from the emperour the wages of such their perdition ( very little indeed for a thing of so great concernment , for the losse of so many souls , by their committing therein so hainous and execrable an offence against the almighty . ) o wretched gain ! o miserable recompense ! wherewith the souldiery were betrayed , and sold by such an invention they who had conquered the whole universe , by means of a little fire , a little gold , and a little incense , were discomfited and destroyed ▪ 〈◊〉 ( which was more pitiful ) thought not upon their death and ruine . such as went thither , for the lucre of 〈◊〉 little money lost thereby their souls , kissing the emperours hand , and perceiving not , that , at the same time , they kist the hand o● their assasinate , and were nothing the better by so easily suffering themselves to be carried away , a● by an inviolable law , unto such simplicity , and unadvisednesse ▪ how many thousand persians should there have been to have made such a defeat ? how many archers , and slingers of stones ? how great a number of armed souldiers ? what engins to beat down walls could have done that , which one onely hand , one only journey , and one wicked counsel brought to pass , and accomplished ? i will insert here one story more lamentable then the former but ●ow recited . 't is reported that some of the before-said souldiers having been deceived by ignorance , after the act committed , and re●iring to their houses , as they were at table with their companions , and about to drink water ( as accustomed to doe ) not thinking of the mischief which they had brought upon themselves , but taking the cup in their hand , and lifting up their eyes on high , began to call upon the name of jesus christ : whereat , one of them more sensible of what they had done , then the rest , said to them , after this manner . [ what mean ye to invoke jesus christ , after renouncing him ? ] with which words being astonished , and stricken ( as it were ) half dead , what strange thing ( say they ) do you affright us withall ? tell us , when was it that we renounced him ? unto whom the other replying , when ye burnt incense before the emperour , which was a sign of such your renouncing him ; presently these poor souls leapt from the board , as men bereaved of their wits , and , incensed with despite and choler , ●an to the market-place , crying aloud , [ we are christians , we are christians , we have not been traitors to thee , o saviour christ ! let all the world know it , and principally our good god , for whose sake we are content to live or dye , as seemeth good to him : we have not wilfully abjured the confession of thy holy name ; if with our hands we have transgressed , our hearts never gave consent thereunto : we have been deceived with the emperors gold ; that was it , whereby we were contaminated : but such our unperceived abomination , when time was , we have since the knowledge thereof , utterly abandoned , and desire our blood may be shed in expiation for ●hat great offence formerly committed by us . ] after which out●ries openly made by them , they an directly to the emperour , furi●usly throwing the gold received ●rom him formerly , before his face , ●n presence of the standers by , unto ●he earth , exclaiming with a loud ●oice , we have not been call'd by ●hee to receive honour , but to be markt with the infamy of repro●ates : do us the honour , who are ●hy souldiers , to kill and sacrifice ●s to christ , who is our king : for ●he fire of incense burned by us at ●hy command , command us to be ●urned with fire ; and for the ashes ●hereof , reduce thou us to ashes : cause our hands to be cut off , which ●nwittingly have been advanced to other gods : honour others with thy gold , who will not repent the ●eceiving of it : as for us , the riches which we look for , is to gain christ , which gain vve prefer before all other gain , before vvhatever other riches , or honour , or things of this life , that thou art able to impart unto us . this vvas it they said , and advertised others to take notice of th● craft that vvas put upon them , t● purge themselves from the sins o● this intoxication , making satisfaction , or leastvvise endeavouring so to doe , by their blood , unto christ jesus that dyed for them with vvhich resolution of their the emperour being exceedingly irritated , vvould not , neverthelesse command them to be put to death publikely , for fear of rendring them martyrs in his so doing : but gav● order they should be sent forthvvith into exile , punishing them that vvay , the more reservedly , fo● the neglect , the little regard the● seemed to shevv unto his person i● their speeches , and actions before him , but novv specified . had he pu● them to death , there could nothing be more acceptable unto them and , as for his banishing of them , they vvere so far off from being troubled therevvith , that they too● it as a great favour from him , rejoycing with inward delight in their souls , ( i dare say ) in that thereby they conceived themselves the more freed , or at least , they were the more removed out of sight from being upon every occasion , defiled and deluded further with his enchantments and deceits . having this intention , and imploying otherwise his malice diverse wayes ( for his mind was nothing setled ) and inflamed more with a diabolicall fury , than with ●ny naturall reason , being uncon●tant in his resolutions , he concea●ed alwayes the secrets of his wick●dnesse . but as 't is said of the ●●re of mount aetna , that it is hid●en in the bowels of the earth , ●ourishing and increasing its self in ●eing retained by force , or some ●ther thing , ( viz. the breath of a gyant in torments ) rendring hor●ible murmurings continually from ●he low pits thereof , casts out a moke on the top , ( an inevitable sign of the calamity aproaching , if the fire become so great that it cannot be stayed ) and then with violence breaking its bounds , ascendeth upwards , and enlarging its widenesse , makes a strange vomiting , which spoiles and corrupteth the land neer adjoyning : so was it with this man , who sometimes commanded , and helped himself in our affairs with the frauds , and impostures of his deceitfull , and sophisticall edicts . but , since his untamed fury was let loose , he could not by any means conceale his malice . fo● from that time , he began to persecute those of our religion openly . where , passing over thos● ordinances he made against ou● sacred churches , ( which wer● generally published ) together wit● robbing us of those offerings , an● money consecrated to god , proceeding no less from avarice , the irreligion ; the forcibly taking a way of our holy ornaments , whic● were pulled from us by filth● and profane hands , the priests and sextons , for keeping them , being dragged up and down , and tormented , defiled also and covered over with blood streaming from their bodies torn with lashes of rods , when their hands at the same time , were fastned to pillars ; the crosse-bow-men running through provinces , and cities , wickeder and crueller then himself , who gave the command that we should be utterly routed instead of the persians and scythians : forbearing ( i say ) the speaking of these things , who is it that knoweth not the sa●agenesse of them of alexandria ? who , among many other enterprises which furiously they put in practice against us , making use of the licenciousnesse of the times , without any either honesty , or modesty in ●o doing , ( being a people furious ●nd turbulent by nature ) so far ●eightned after destruction , their ●hirst , that ( as 't is reported ) they fil●ed our holy temple with two sorts of blood , viz. the blood of beasts sacrificed , and of men. in which barbarousness of theirs an officer of the emperours army was chief , who , for this onely cruelty , got him a name , and made himself famous amongst them . who is he , moreover , that hath not heard of the swarms of the heliopolitans , and rashnesse of the gazeans ? who , for their mercylessenesse towards us , in recompense thereof were honoured and applauded by him , and had experience of his liberality . who is he that hath not been made acquainted with the fury of the arethusians ? who till then being altogether unknown , were since had by him in great reputation , it not being vertuous actions alwayes that bring reputation and credit to persons , but also superlative wickednesse sometimes , and , never the like heard of , brutish invention pu● in practice to punish innocen● christians . i will onely recite tha● which may seem horrible and crue● to very atheists themselves . certain chast virgins knowing little of worldly affairs , as excluded from the sight of almost all other save themselves , by these barbarous arethusians having been dragged stark-naked into the market-place , to the intent they might be put to the more open shame , were commanded to have the hair of their head cut off , after which , their flesh cut in peices , ( my god! scarce have i the patience to repeat it ) was immediately thereupon by them savagely devoured with their teeth in a feast sutable to that their execrable fury , filling their bellies also then with the raw livers of those virgins , and after that , common meat being brought in , some of them took the bowells and guts of the aforesaid virgins , yet reaking hot , and mingling them with hog-wash , threw them to the swine , before the others faces , that they might see their hungry hogs tear the same , and , together with barly mingled amongst it , eat it up all . a dish of meat which till then , never the like was fed upon , and wherewith the inventer thereof should have endeavoured to glut the devil onely : as , the truth is , the devil after made a fine meal of the blood of the wounds which that wicked emperour julian received in his bowells , and whereof he was slain when shot into his body in the last wars that he ever fought upon earth , with the persians . again , who is such a stranger in our affairs , as hath not heard of marcus arethusius a famous man among us ? who ignorant of the story of him , except i relate the same at present ? who in the raign of constantine's giving full liberty to the christians to exercise their religion , pull'd down one of the gentiles temples , or rather a retreat , or habitation of theirs for devils , and converted a great number of them that were pagans unto the christian faith , to the right way thereby unto everlasting life , as well by the excellency of his manners , as by his eloquence : and for the same cause , was not well liked of by the arethusians , or , at least , those among them that were followers of devils ? but , since the affairs of christians were troubled , and that those of the greeks , and other gentiles began to rise high , he could not avoid the violence of the time . for the vulgar , being wont ; for a time , to retain their passions . as fire that is hid in wood , or , as a stream of water that is stopt , upon any the least occasion riseth , and breaketh through all . he then observing the madnesse of the people , who were not a little animated against him , and threatned him , was resolved at first to flye from them , not so much for want of courage , as to obey the command of christ , which wills us to retire from one city to an other , and thereby to give way to our persecutours . for good christians must not onely regard their own particular , though never so vertuous and constant , as beware of their enemies , and that , on their part , they give not the least occasion to do them an injury , which , without scandall to their weak brethren , and to the prejudice of true religion which publikely they make unfained profession of , 't is in their choice to put by , or make prevention of . it so fell out , neverthelesse , that perceiving many to be apprehended , and dragged before magistrates because of him , and that there were some in danger of the losse of their souls , by reason of the cruel persecutions wherewith they were afflicted in their bodies for his sake , he would not altogether neglect them , who for the making sure of his person , were in hazzard to lose their own . wherefore , being first holily and well-advised , he returns back from his retirement , and offering himself to the people , resolved with patience to undergo whatever calamities of the times : with respect whereunto , what injuries and oppressions were there , unto which he was not exposed ? what could be more lamentable ? every one brought ( i know not what ) resolution to adhere to that foul sin of diversly afflicting him , carrying neither any regard to the constancy of him , nor to the quality of his persecutours ; who were the more irritated against him through a supposition , that his return to them proceeded rather from a contempt , or neglect that he made of their persons , then of any virtue , or constancy in himself to undergoe vvhatever tribulations to be inflicted upon him by their fury . whereupon , this holy old man , this voluntary souldier of jesus christ vvas led through the city ( venerable for his age , but more for his life to all the vvorld ) exposed to these tyrants , and hang-men , and conducted by people of all manner of qualities , rich and poor , young and old , men and women , some of one sort , and some of another , hurried together : yea ( and which was more strange to behold ) those who had estates , and were of the wealthiest , strove together , were emulous among themselves , who should punish him most , all indifferently esteeming it a commendable thing to inflict whatever torments upon him , and to triumph over him ; whom all the people of the town villanously handled , some halling him through the streets , other thrusting him into the kennels : these plucking him by the hair of his head , those smiting him upon every part-of his body : using further , shamelesse reproaches , and not to be spoken of , among so many other mischiefs ; just as those are wont to be done unto , vvho vvere punished in those paganish mysteries of mythra . he vvas also lifted up in the air as in a svving , too and fro tossed from one side to the other : he had his precious body received naked upon the points of their pen-knives , who acted their parts in this mournfull and sad tragedy against him : yea further , they put his legs in a presse , and squeesed them to the bones : they cut off his ears with a fine slender thread , making him , in the mean time , stand upright in a basket , and rubbing , or besmeering him all over with honey and salt , they exposed him to waspes and bees about noon , when the sun shined hottest and clear : which made his flesh seem , as it were , to melt , and gave those animals a warm throat full of this happy meat . i call the meat , this flesh happy , because , however tortured , yet suffering patiently for christs sake , he rendred every part of his body happy , as a blessed sacrifice , and most acceptable in the sight of god. there 's an other story as well worthy to be remembred , and spoken of him , and that is this . this good old man and young both ( for the dolours which he underwent in his old age caused him not to abate of the lively chearfulnesse he was indued within his youth ) smiling in the height of his torments , was heard to utter these famous and most remarkable words unto his tormentours , saying , [ i esteem very much the posture wherein you have put me in thus lifting me up , it 's a good omen to see my self exalted , and others below me . ] he had as much to say touching the different condition wherein himself was , in comparison of those that persecuted him : the contemplation whereof seemed to make him feel no more pain , then as if he had been onely an assister at the tormenting of another , taking those his sufferings for an honour , and not for a punishment , wherewith they seemed after a sort , but indeed were no way able to afflict him . where is there a man never so little gentle and debonaire , that is not affected with this gallantry , that reverenceth not this holy martyr for these brave acts ? but the times permitted not to shew pity in such cases to the christians , neither the irregular passions of the emperour , whose unrelenting will it was still , that the people , cities , and magistrates should , by all means , carry themselves cruelly unto us , though many of them , for all that , were utterly ignorant of the bottome of his wicked heart . thus went the affairs with this constant old man. if you ask the reason ? 't was because he refused to give five shillings to his executioners : which was an argument evident and plain , that he had the patience to suffer for the cause of god , and his true religion only . in regard , whilst they demaunded at first a great sum of money , in lieu of the temple it's being pull'd down by him , and would abate nothing of that price , but either the whole sum was to be laid down by him , or else he rebuild it at his own charge , one would have thought this refusall of him came from want of means , and disability to satisfie what was demanded , rather then from zeal to the true religion : but after that by his constancy he had gained to be abated in part , and continually had something cut off with respect unto the price formerly required , so that the demand in the end amounted but to a little in value , yea so little that it was easie for him to pay it , the difference between them was who should remain master , they in making him give something , though never so little , or he , on the contrary , ( who was not to be forced , ) to pay any thing at all , although very many there were that voluntarily offered to give for him more then they desired , not onely because of his unparallel'd piety , but also in consideration of his invincible and unconquerable constancy . at what time a man might cleerly see , he fought not in this list for money , but for religion . let then those that so much admire this philosophicall emperour , resolve us , whether these , and the like actions of his , were signes of mildnesse and gentlenesse , or contrarily , of much pride and cruelty . as for my part , i beleive the question is soon answered . i have not as yet declared how this sufferer was one of them , who had formerly saved this detestable prince , when all his race was in dangers , by secretly conveyhing him away from those that sought to destroy him . the reason , it may , be , of his deserving to be so grievously punished , namely , for his imprudent preserving him then , who became after so great a plague to all the world . in consideration of which whole businesse , with respect unto the patient suffering all manner of cruell torments , and other lamentable reproches by this martyr of ours , a certain greek , that is to say , a pagan in religion , ( though in his behaviour otherwise , somewhat above , and beyond all other of his kind that ever lived either before or since his time , to be admired at ) being not able any longer to behold the tormentours on his own party , and the constancy of him that endured thus all manner of punishment on the other , brake forth into these noteable words unto the emperor , and in the presence of the whole company that was then assembled together , & spake after this sort . [ are not we ashamed , sir , to fee our selves so overcome of the christians , that we have not the power to be masters over one poor old man , who hath gone through all sorts of torments , and of whom , if we had had the better , it had been no great matter ? is it not a great impeachment of our credit , when all 's done , to retire vanquished by him ? whereupon ( as it seemed then ) the other officers blush'd , but those kings , that is to say , the pagan priests mock'd at it . could any thing in the whole earth be more shameful and wretched , not with relation so much to him that suffered the same , as , on the other side , especially , who caus'd these mischiefs , and other the like abominable outrages to be put in practice ? in this sort , after a most barbarous , and never the like heard of inhumanity , dealt they with arethusius ? so that the cruelty of phalaris , and of echetus will seem small , in comparison of theirs ; more espcially of his who compelled them thereunto , and was author thereof . o that i could meet with the creature , that had the gift to infuse into me the knowledge of herodotus , the eloquence of thucidides , whereby to paint out the wickednesse of this man ; to set forth in livly colours to posterity , the whole history of those severall passages of profound villanies that were acted by him throughout all his whole life . i pass to make mention of orontes , or of them who had their throats cut in the night , which he hid in favour of the emperour , being staid because of the body of him to whose death he seemed to consent , for that would be more proper to be put in verse . neither will i speak of the caves , and places under ground in the imperial pallace ; or , of that which was done in ponds , and in pits , and in ditches filled with the pernicious treasure , and detestable mysteries , not only anatomies and dissections of children and virgins ( made use of to cause divels appear by divinations , & in other abominable and irregular sacrifices ) but also , of them who were in trouble for the true religion . concerning all which , it 's my advice not to tax him openly ; and that because himself was ashamed thereof . and good reason , for it 's certain , had he not endevoured to keep them secret , they had turned to his confusion , after made known and discovered . as for the christians of caesarea , a magnanimous people , and constant in piety , who were so injured , and cast down by him , it 's not a matter , it may be , which deserves reproach ; because that being irritated against fortune , ( which sometimes was contrary to him ) in time of prosperity he had ( in his opinion perhaps ) just cause of vengeance ; as also , we must excuse somewhat the injustce that then bore sway , and wherewith ●hey were then so much infested . who is it that knows not how ●he multitude furiously incensed ●gainst the christians , killed a great number of them , and threatned ●et worse ? and thereupon the governour of the province keeping a middle way betwixt the time present , and the edicts then already made , and esteeming it , on the one side , better to comply with the season , and on the other , to carry some respect unto the laws ; after putting a great number of the christians in prison , chastised also some pagans . whereof , being afterward accused , he was brought before the emperour , and thereupon deprived of his government : whom ( although alleadging the emperours ordinances , on which he had grounded his judgement ) it failed but a little of his being condemned thereupon unto death ; thoug● in the end , he experimented hi● clemency , and was banished only ▪ his reply , nevertheless , to th● emperour , was gallant and brave for , when extolling unto him th● valour of the pagans above the galileans , in that one paga● sometimes brought under his subjection many galileans . [ wha● great matter is it , ( quoth th● governor to the emperor ) if on● pagan overcome or subdue a multitude of galileans ? hath not you● highnesse made an edict for th● pagans to do thereafter ; are no● they backed by your command , to use all manner of violence against them , when whosoever will , is not only permitted , with all sor● of injustice , to molest them , but also assisted , and may call for what help as he thinks fit , at his pleasure , to wrong and confound them ? when as he that is most cruell , is most commended ; he reputed the best subject that exerciseth his wit most to vex them ? when for a pagan , in the least manner , to be courteous to a ga●ilean , is to be criminous in the ●ighest degree ? when noneless with●tand , none sooner yeild themselves ●o our fury , than those galileans ? when not only a few , but many ●undreds of them , though of force to resist , yet in obedience to your majesties pleasure and will , patiently submit themselves to one poor pagan executioner , to be punished ? to beat then those that resist not , and after to boast of their manhood that do so , what is it , but to publish rather their violence , than to make good their valour to posterity ? besides , the pleasure of a prince , or emperor , is a law not written , which , being upheld by force and authority , hath much more power in it , than when written , and not upheld by the same force to maintain it . this should not be so ( say they ) who have set forth unto us a new god , good and gracious . contrarily , your highness publickely hath forbidden us to trouble the christians , as also commanded that christians should not be injured at every mans pleasure ; so that thereby the christians are discharged from our causing them any more wrongfully to be afflicted . the hydra , though you cut of● one of its heads , is never the less hurtfull , because , in stead of tha● one cut off , other nine succeed in the place thereof . and ( if we must beleeve fables ) did we ever see a patarical chimaera gentle and pleasant , because it had three divers formes , which should rather cause the same to be thought hideous ? or , must that infernall cerberus , or scilla , the plague of sea-men , be counted harmless , because the upper parts thereof ( as 't is said ) are pleasing and beautifull to the sight , as resembling a faire creature of humane kind , when the rest of it are full of the figures of dogs-heads , and of other wild beasts , that commit all manner of mischief ? when it swalloweth up whole fleets of ships , and is as dangerous as charybdes , right over against the same ? but what ? wilt thou find fault with the arrowes and stones , and excuse the crosse-bowes , and those that shoot in them ? or , shall we condemn the hunters dogs for greedily running after their prey , and worrying of it , and at the same time , hold them excused and innocent , that make use of them ? 't will be very far from reason so to conceive , and needs some sophisticall cheat to cover over , and wrap up the truth by the force of a fair speaking tongue , to defend these vices . their 's a means ( i confesse ) to warrant ( in some sort ) him that would disguise himself with these subtleties , by taking to him the helmet of pluto , the ring of gyges ; which , in turning the beril or broad part , makes him that wears it , become invincible . on the contrary , this great impostor , by how much the more he striv●● to walk in the dark , and no body see him , to dance in a net ( as we say in the proverb ) and not be perceived , by so much the sooner ( as it happened ) was he descried and laid open by the judgement of truth : at least , by those that had eyes in their heads to perceive , that he alone was author of these mischiefs , of those actions , which himself with all his subtlety , was never able to make good . so easie a matter it is for wickednesse , we see , to be convinced and made manifest unto all men , when , however daubed over , for a time , with fair shewes , it hath recourse still unto its own naughtinesse , and falls foul upon the head alwayes of its first contrivers . if the acts thus committed by him untill this time were very uncouth , and far strange from magnanimity , or whatever other imperial vertue , may we say that what he fore-thought to put in practice for the time to come would prove better , and more ingenuous ? no such matter : yea , it had been somewhat more tolerable , if what he purposed to do , had not been far worse , and crueller , then that which we have already recited . for , even as a dragon , when he raiseth part of his scales , and beginneth to set up his bristles , the other being sin a readinesse , it s not possible for him , but he must also raise , and set them up , in like manner , although ; till then , they were composed , and stirred not : or , as in thunder , when rumbling in the clouds , the lightning thereof we di●cern with our eyes , before hear with our ears the great claps that follow after : so , this fulminating emperour had already hatched in his mind , and contrived in design those abominable enterprises which after he intended to bring to pass , and was fully bent most barbarously to put in practice against us which were so strange and unusuall till then , that to him alone it appertained both to invent , and to cause them after to be executed . it s true , before his time , the christians had been made sensible of grea● troubles and vexations that dioclesiaen their first persecutour , an● maximinian ( who succeeded him being worse , as also maximi● ( the cruellest of the three , whos● statues beaten down in publiqu● places , and yet to be seen , serv● as a memoriall of the hurt done b● him , and in which are engrave● for ever the deformities of his person ) ▪ brought upon them . but neither of these three , no , nor an● tyrant that ever preceded them at any time thought of , or invente● the like stratagems , wherewith 〈◊〉 torment us , had he lived to hav● finished such his diabolical desig● and hellish purposes against us . these then were his drifts , ( 〈◊〉 those of his privy councel averr● but he was prevented by the grac●ous providence of god , and 〈◊〉 the tears of many a good christia● that shed them in abundance , applying no other remedy against the venome of this their persecutour . it was in his intention also , to take all manner of liberty from christians : and to inhibit them all things : viz. the conference of publique assemblies , of markets , and of all places also , wherein any jurisdiction was held : as being none of them capable of such rights , if first he had not presented incense before the altar , and thereby discharged the salary of such , and so signal a mystery . o emperours , o kings , o law-makers ! have not yee ( even as the influence of heaven , the light of the sun , the benefit of the air , by a gracious and universall decree , are common to every one ) established laws , and ordinances for all the world freely and indifferently to make use of ? yet this wicked man , this perverter of all things would go about to deprive us christians thereof . so that though never so much injured in our persons , cheated in our goods , or receiving what ever other intollerable wrong from them , it should not be permitted us , by way of justice , to have any recourse to whatever laws , or ordinances , to right us . in this regard , they began to assume liberty to themselves to mock and flout us , yea to assault us with blowes unto that excesse , that they scarce suffered us to fetch our breath , or enjoy one quiet hour amongst them . which nevertheless , was so far from disheartning us for making ever the lesse profession of the faith and repose that we put in christ jesus , that it heightned in a great many of us who were so injured , a greater constancy to go●s glory , howbeit to the authors of our persecution , greater sham● and reproach for so troubling us . but le ts hear the reason , of all this ( i beseech you ) of this assasinate , of this apostate-law-givers thus dealing with us . you shall have it in his own words , your law ( quoth he ) permitteth you neither to defend your selves , nor to demand reason of justice , nor to possesse any thing in particular : but rather to make no account of this world , or , of the things that are in it , as being all of them transitory , and vain . mo●eover that , it 's not for you to render evil for evil , but whosover shall smite you on the one cheek , to turn to him the other also : again , to one suing you at the law , to take away your cloake , to let him have your coat also . it may be , he will adde , we must pray for them which despightfully use , and persecute us . for , how should not he have the exact knowledge of all things commanded , and permitted us christians ? he , i say , who before attaining to the empire , was entred into the order of a reader of the holy scriptures , and who had the honour to serve at the high altar , as also , to adorne our martyrs with churches , and chappels ? above all , i admire one thing of him , that , seeing he had exactly studied our books , he took no notice , ( or else , in good earnest , would not see that which is written elsewhere ) viz. every wicked man that goes away from god shall perish : in like manner , he that troubles them , who remain faithfull , and contrives punishments , whereof himself is worthy . with respect whereunto , if we must needs be such , as he will have us , and govern our selves according to those aforesaid precepts of our saviour , concerning the regulating our actions thereunto : and , as for himself , in the mean while it may be lawful for him to live as wickedly as he lists , in all manner of ungodliness , by using oppression , and whatever other deceit against christians , that desire to live more quietly , in all righteousnesse towards god , and good conversation towards their neighbour : if the actions ( i say further ) of mans life , being either vertuous or vicious , the gods , whom those of his own party seem to worship and obey , approve of vertuous men , and reject those that are vicious : if this be a thing confessed by the testimony of our very enemies , and of those that persecute us , we have then gained what we desire to have granted , we have obtained our cause . if it be said by them moreover , that on their side also , they have any honesty , or fair deportment , though but in word onely , and not in deed towards us , and are not so impudent and accomplished in wickedness ( thereby supposing to please themselves , though not their prophane gods ) as to maintain , that vice appertaines to them as their proper inheritance : let them shew us how , and what justice there is in it , that we should be so constant in our suffering afflictions , and they not to pardon such as pardon them ; considering we have the better at one time , and you at another ; seeing the affairs of this world rowle and change , first of one fashion , then of another . have the christians ever used you , as you have used them ? what libertys have we deprived you of ? against whom is it , we have incited the peoples fury ? to whom have we sent captains , that that did more than was commanded them ? what people have we reduced into the danger of hazarding their lives for us ? who are they we have deprived of their places and honours , appertaining unto them , as to honest men ? in a word , what did we ever commit like unto many things which you have in part executed , and in part , threatned to practise against us ? truely , you cannot say what : you ( i say ) who so reproach us for being defective , for our coming short of that meeknesse , and gentlenesse , that by christ our masters counsell is required of us . moreover , thou , who art so wise , and well advised , in shutting us up within the narrow precincts of christ's stricter advises in the gospel , why markest thou not , that in those very places , some things are injoyned us , upon promise of reward , if we do thereafter , which are not imposed for all that , upon necessity of obeying , under pain of punishment , if we not performe the same ? for , though it be a thing very excellent , and to be wished that all were perfect , and if possible , attain to the top of well-doing , in whatsoever commanded , or forbidden us : yet , seeing there 's a great difference between those that do those duties whereunto injoyned , some obtaining to a great height of perfection ; others unto a mediocrity only : what reason hast thou , to make ordinances , whereunto all are not bound for observance , and yet punishest such as performe them not ? every one , not deserving a reward for what he doth , being not liable presently unto punishing for what he doth not . and therefore , in binding our selves unto what we should observe , as much as may be , through the whole course of our lives , it becometh us , at all times , to regulate our manners and actions , by the laws of true philosophy ; which , as it rewardeth ever , where rewards become due to our deserts , by doing what it commands ; so it punisheth no● at any time , where punishments are not due for our not doing that , whereunto , by way of counsell we are onely , lovingly and most tenderly advised . but , i will again embarque my self in the discourse of what he [ julian ] did touching sciences , and the use of tongues ; it not being possible to ref●●in from often making mention of him , and forcing my self to defend him in what lies in my power to speak truely in his behalf , and yet justly otherwise , rendring him worthy of neglect , where he deserves the same . in which regard , he never did , ( i may speak it impartially ) a more unjust and insufferable action , than when he would have prohibited us christians the study thereof . which perverse resolution of his , barbarously intended against us , every man , me thinks , that with delight , addicteth himself to the profession of good literature , should contemn , even as i do , who cannot hold from revealing my self to be of that number , and who , by reason , and in comparison , thereof , have quitted altogether , and wholly abandoned all other things of this life ; whether they be goods , money , jewels , plate , authority , honours , or the like trash , depending upon those unappeaseable tormentours ; the vexatious desires of this world , that as in a dream , bring fading pleasures , but no true joyes to the beholders thereof with their eyes . but , as for my self , i have embraced the onely study of tongues , and other sciences , having no manner of regret at the pains i have endured , aswell by sea as land , to attain thereunto ; desiring that i , together with all my freinds and well-wishers , may be abundantly furnished , and fortified therewith : and which i have allwayes cherished , and chosen above all things , next unto that soverain good , the glory of god , and salvation of the elect , depending on him in his son , and our saviour je●us christ , through the grace and powerfull operation of the holy ghost . so that if every one ( as pindarus hath it ) feels , or is sensible of his own losse most , it 's necessary for me to discourse of this subject ; not any thing that can be imagined being so agreeable therewith , as to render all possible thanks to the word or son of god the father , by the words and benefit of the tongue , for that the study of tongues , and other liberal sciences have hitherto been left free to us . but , what ayled thee ? or from whence proceeded it ( o thou light and unsatisfiable man ! ) that thou wentest about to forbid the christians this study of sciences and tongues ? which was , not onely in the number of those evils , wherewith we were threatned , but also , well neer ordained and published . why so ? and wherefore i pray ? whose counsell , reason ( i beseech you ) hath carried thine understanding ? ( call'd by thee , in thine own terme , and fancied phrase , mercury . ) what willfully wicked men , what inchanted devils have suggested the same unto thee ? if thou wilt , we will tell the truth , why . it was requisite and meet for thee , after committing so many foul and enormous things , that thou shouldest be reduced unto such a passe , as to be hurried into thine own confusion , by , in what thou reputed'st more prudent and wise , therein unwittingly to make thy self appear to all the world a very fool through thy much over-sight , and indiscretion . for , say , i pray ; to what did this thy ordinance tend ? what reason therein had'st thou , for that thy new and strange prohibiting us the leave of attaining to the knowledge of the tongues , and other sciences ? if any equall , and indifferent ? produce the same , and wee 'l quietly be satisfi'd without further complaining . for , as accustomed we are to overcome with reason , so will we never ( with gods help ) be so destitute of common sense , so void of tolerable understandi●g , as not to yeild , and give place to reason , in like manner . yea , but reply you , sciences and the greek tongue belong to us ; even as barbarisme , and ignorance to your religion ; which consists in no other great matter , then to say only [ i beleeve . ] but they among you , nevertheless that follow the sect of pythagoras , will they not laugh you to scorn for so saying ? seeing [ ips● dixit , the master said it . ] was enough among them : viz. their great principle , and of more account , than whatever answer else , though never so prudent , and to more purpose . for after this first , and so much esteemed maxime of theirs , in making no further answer , ( which was injoyned all them that followed his philosophy , ) he accustomed himself to speak little : it being certainly observed among them , upon whatever question asked , or reason demanded to reply onely , [ so pythagoras is of opinion . ] and therewith without other satisfaction , or further resolution given , to rest content . so that , it was in a manner the same thing , though with some little change of words and syllables ; for them to remain satisfied with pythagoras their master 's [ i have said it . ] as for us , with respect unto what said by christ our master , to say [ we must beleeve . ] all this notwithstanding , you forbear not still to mock , and detract us , for that , by our religion , we have bound our selves to give credit unto that , which persons filled with the spirit of god , have transmitted unto us . whereas , their very authority , were there nothing else , is proof sufficient for what they have written , being of more power , and force , to convince the gainsayers , than all the ipse dixit's of pythagoras , all the demonstrations , and positions of whatever other philosophers , and humane doctors since the beginning . but suppose the tying our selves to believe certain doctrines , delivered unto us after that sort , be lyable in good earnest , to be reproved , and justly contradicted by you : how can you prove the use of tongues to be in your power only ? if so , how comes it to pass , that we , against your laws , and ordinances , have a share therein ? for , to whom belongs the greek tongue ? to whom to speak , and understand it ? i say , to speak , and understand it , thereby to distinguish the force of words , with which you aequiocate , when diverse things are comprehended under one , and the same expression ; some understanding one thing , and some another ? but thou must confesse , the greek tongue depends either on the service of thy religion ; or else , on the pleasure of those that first invented , and established the same . if on thy religion , tell me where , and by what preists , it was first ordained , that the greek tongue should be spoken therein ; as we see it hath been resolved , whereof , and to what divels , we should sacrifice ? for , according to the statutes , and rules of your doctors and preists , it 's not lawfull unto all , to use all alike ; or , to one , to use all after the same manner . in what place , ( as in the countrey of the lydians ) is it a holy thing , proper and pecu●iar unto them , to render curses unto hercules ? and to beleive , they do this fained god a great honour in singing reproachfully unto him ? or , ( as to the inhabitants of taurus ) to kill strangers ? and ( as in lacedemonia ) to be whip'd till the blood springs forth untill it touch the altar ? to whom is it a holy matter , ( as to the phrygians ) to be gelt , as they were , the musick sweetly sounding , and they losing their genitals in dancing ? or , ( as in other places ) to use sodomy , keep brothel houses , and make use of such other the like mysteries ? there was a custome , and ordinance also , to speak greek unto some of their devils . which , if still it should be used , it could not prove , or thereby be inferred as a proper , and peculiar thing for the greeks , or pagans to apply to some one of their gods , or devils that whereof every one might be served , every one of them make use of : . even , as it is ordained to sacrifice very many things that are vulgar and common : which , if thou sayest , it 's not so , and the dialect of this tongue appertains properly to thee , as of thy domain , and in this right , repellest us : i answer , it cannot be comprehended what reason thou hast for it , or how thou can'st appropriate it to devils . for , although the service , or caball of thy religion be performed in the greek tongue , it followes not therefore , that the greek tongue depends on religion : neither is it a sufficient reason to proscribe , and exclude us from making use of so good a dialect : the conclusion would not be pertinent . as if two qualities happen to be in one subject , it followes not , those two are one same thing . for , supposing one same man to have the art of drawing pictures , and melting gold , it should then follow that his gold-mel●ing , and picture-drawing should be one and the same thing : which but to suppose only were a very vain , and most absur'd conceit . i demand then of thee , ( who art so jealous of the greek tongue , ) what thou meanest , in not permitting , but rather going about to hinder us from making use of it ? forbiddest thou us thereby the down-right , and trivial manner of speaking thereof , accordingly as the common people are accustomed to speak it ? or , that of speaking more elegantly therein , and with choicer tearms , that are not so intelligible of the unlearned , or of those that are not so well ver'st in the knowledge of tongues . a tongue is not proper , or peculiar to them , who have invented it , or to any art , or profession comprehended in the mind : but to all that can understand it . for , even as in the artificial tuning of musical instruments , the string heightned , or loosed , renders divers sounds , yet all , according to his mind , that , to make good harmony therewith , playeth ; and governeth the instrument : so useth the divine word , the great and soveraign work-man , for matter of sciences , and so forth , with us ; it being , according to his pleasure , that this man should invent one art , that an other , and communicate the same , without appropriating either , to their first inventors : and thereby render out lives more pleasing , more acceptable , or more tunable each to other . tell me , then ? the greek tongue , appertains it to thee alone ? what ? the rudiments of letters , were not they the invention , first of all , of the phoenicians ? or ( as ●ome say ) of the egyptians ? or rather of the hebrewes , a wi●er peo●le then either of them , who maintain their law in tabl●s of stone , was first written by the finger of cod ? belongs it to thee alone , to speak elegan●ly , as those of athens ? and measures ( i ought first to have named the science of encamping , and making war ) to whom belong they ? belongs not that of war-like inventions to the euboeans , if it be true palamedes was of that nation , and for the same reason , evil spoken of , accursed , envyed , and after condemned by those that set forward to the conquest of troy ? well then , if the egyptians , phoenicians , and hebrews , of whose inventions we make use , in our doctrine : if the inhabitants of the isle of euboea , claim that as theirs properly , the same reason that thou alleagest : what shall we do ? or how justifie our selves to them ? w●… being liable , by the same law , tha● thou wouldest make , to be deprived of many excellent arts , descended unto us from others , and , consequently , our selves forced to render them back again to their firs● inventors ; till , at length afte● returning what we had from them ▪ it befall us , as it did the jaye i● the fable , who , when she had restored unto other birds the feathers that she borrowed of them her self afterwards remained naked and became deformed . to give an instance , or two , in certain particulars . the art of poesy , doth it belong to thee only ? or may it not rather be ascribed to a poor old woman ? who being punch'd on the shoulder ( as the tale goes ) by a young fellow passing by , and affronting her , she fell thereupon into such a fury , that unadvisedly , and upon a sudden she rapt out a verse : whereat the fellow taking delight , with more curiosity after skanned the feet thereof upon his fingers : and , by this means , the admirable art of poesy was first occasioned . again , if thou braggest , and art so vain-glorious because of thine armes , tell me , brave sir , from whom haddest thou them at the beginning ? were not the cyclops they that first invented the art of forging ? if scarlet also be so much prised by thee above all things , who made thee so cunning and knowing a man therein , as not to ascribe the first finding out thereof to the tyrians ? in whose countrey a shepheards dog of theirs browsing upon a swad of red beans , and his chapps becomming all over , as it were , bloody therewith , gave his master a hint thereby , to take notice of the flower thereof : and from thence sprang the first attempting to die , with the juice of it , that cloth which is now in so great esteem with you , o ye emperours ! and great persons . what sayest thou in thy claime farther unto husbandry , touching plowing , and tilling the earth ? as also , to the art of making ships ? when the athenians deny thee the right , to be the sole master , and proprietor thereof , by ascribing the first invention therein , to ceres , triptolemus dracon ; as also to celeus , icarus , and to the rest of that fabulous rout . where took your filthy mysteries , ( fit onely to be celebrated in the night ) their first rise ? to pass by these foolish matters , and have a fling again at thy fury , or rather impious acts : from whence hadst thou the invention of taking thy first imitation of formalityes , and giving the same to thy paganisme , as also other of thy most abominable ceremonies in serving thy false gods , are they not from the thracians , ( as the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies ; ) and thy manner of sacrificing from the caldeans , and cypriots ? even as astronomy from the babylonians ; magique , from the persians ; the art of divining by dreams , from the telinesians : as that , by birds , from the phrygians , who first observed the motion , and flying of them . to avoid prolixity ; from whence hath sprouted every science put in practise by thee ? hath not some one , or other , gathered from each of them a particular invention , and through reducing the whole altogether into one mass , thereby forged out unto thee a false , and foolish religion ? may we not then openly avow it to thy face , that when thou shalt have rendred up each art of thine , to it 's own authour and inventor , there will remain nothing behind to thee , but thine own folly , together with thy new ordinance of denying us all things , for the further establishing of thy fond and wicked religion ? thou being the first of the christians that hast plotted a revolt against jesus christ thy master ; as in former times , the scythian slaves rose up in rebellion , and revolted against the scythians that were their masters . in my conceit , thou hadd'st done better , to have endevoured the discomposing , the overthrowing of our union ; who , in relation to thy laws and ordinances , seem wicked , and perverse ; that thereby the remainder of thy empire being at rest from such like fighting businesse , a man might see the roman republique ( as in it's first splendor ) delivered from all civill warrs , which are far worse than forrain : even as we should rather prevent the destruction of our own bodies and flesh , than that of strangers . now , ( howbeit all the actions of this our impostor towards christians , in relation to what before spoken of , fall out to appear frauds , only cover'd over with courtesies , & consequently , far unworthy of imperial majesty , ) i shall yet produce some finer , and fuller of subtlety , that were acted by him . to which purpose , he perceiving after all this , that in confideration of the precepts , doctrines , and divine testimonies , aswell of the old , as new testament , ( of the old , by prophesies , and evident inspirations of gods spirit : likewise of the new , by the revelations of the son of god , and of miracles , great , and remarkable to confirme us in those things , which , by the fundamental positions of our religion , we make open profession of , ) we began to become most constant , and confident in the truth , and faith of christ ; that we might not be quitted in these respects without his assaulting , and offending us for the same , as he did others , upon the like occasion . behold he contrives and puts in execution his designes against us ! as rabsheketh ( leiuetenant to senacherib king of the assyrians ) sometime did against the jews , who entered with an army , into the country of judea , and having with great power , laid seige before jerusalem to take it , when he saw he could not carry it by force , and that the traitors within could not deliver him nothing according to his expectation , he endevoured with fine words , and in the jews own language , to make himself master thereof ; which the besieged taking notice of , demanded first that , addressing himself to them , he would speak in the assyrian tongue , and not in the hebrew , for fear , least under the sweetnesse of their own language , they might cunningly be brought into servitude : so this man [ the emperour julian ] after the same manner , desiring to bring us under his subjection , was upon the device of founding colledges in all towns , of erecting pulpits to preach in , and chairs to read and expound his pagan instructions , as well , those that concerned manners , as other pretended holy mysteries : likewise , of publishing a form of prayers sung by them , and answered one toanother : also , touching the discipline of those who should happen to be faulty in the preface of their caball ; and , generally , imitated all good orders , and establishments that are observed in our religion . for he had well-nigh brought to passe an ordinance for building of hospitals , and other publique houses , also recluses for virgins , and other that for devotion desire to retire themselves from worldly affairs : again , other places , where care to be taken in making provision for sick folke , and other sort of distributions to poor people : also , as we are wont to use letters of recommendation from one countrey to an other in favour of the necessitous , as occasion offered it self , so would he have ordained to be done on his party : with the like wholesome constitutions borrowed from us , and seemingly much approved , and liked by him , in like manner . behold then , what this new sophister , and teacher of strange doctrines had resolved upon ! but , in that , touching these matters , the purpose and intention of this man was not accomplish'd and effected , i cannot say whether it was more advantagious to us , ( that were forthwith delivered from him , and his ) or to him , ( whose enterprises were vain as dreams : ) because , easie it had been presently to discern the difference betwixt the actions of men , and the imitations of apes : of whom , though it be said , they can counterfeit some subtleties which men use , and do b●fore them , to deceive them , yet herein they are to seek , in that not able through their imitation to discover the reason of our craft in so doing . whereby it falls out , that neither the thessalonicall mare , nor the woman of lacedem●n , nor those who drink of the water of arethusa , i mean the sicilians do better carry away the price among them of their kind , then the ceremonies and customes of christians : which , though comely , significant , and grave , as also of laudable use , are such , not withstanding , as cannot be attained unto of any other sort of men , that go about to imitate them : their original being taken , not so much from the invention of men , as from the assistance of god , in their making , and continuing the same still to his church , and people . but , there 's nothing prettyer , then ( as on a theater ) to observe , and heed well the admirable imitation of these men , and excellency wherewith they endeavour to counterfeit us . what then , i trow , is the manner of their teaching ? what the end of their assembling together ? is it not , that ( as plato saith ) we may see this city move and wag ? which is but a discourse in words . whereas true philosophy , in the generall , consisting of two parts , viz. theoreticall , and practique : the former more hard and sublime , the latter , though lower , yet more profitable ; both of them , helping each the other , are in perfection in our religion . because , as we make use of the theory for the knowledge of heavenly things , so we establish the practique as the basis thereof : it not being possible to participate with , or to attain unto true knowledge in the theory , without endeavouring to do thereafter in the practique . as for their manners , i know not whether therein they are , either more ridiculous , or vile , and abject , their law-makers destitute of divine inspiration while compofing them , and the laws themselves thereupon resembling roots of trees undermined and carried away with water , floating up and down , without having any firm foundation whereupon , for any long time , to repose them . to compare , neverthelesse , our our condition with theirs in this regard ; as they give unto themselves the liberty to sport and play in many passages of their fables : so we , in like manner , are not debar'd of all mirth , when commanded , in scripture , to rejoyce with them that tejoyce : neither free , more then they from sadness , when advised to mourn with them that mourn &c. there being with us , as well as with them , a time ( as solomon speaks ) to weep , and a time to laugh : a time to dance : — a time to keep silence , and a time to speak . a time to love , and a time to hate : a time of war , and a time of peace . let their theater then ( i know not what else to call their temple ) be set up , and they of the better sort in the common-wealth , o● that have attained unto gray hairs , be placed in the highest chairs , o● whoever else make themselves taken notice of for the honour of their race , or wisdome in things of this world , ( wherein there is more false and fading pleasure , then true piety ; ) for wee 'l agree to them in this point . what then ? as for their after rejoycing , let themselves , in what they have a mind , please themselves , be cloathed with scarlet , honoured with flags and garlands : if this be true felicity , and above that which the common sort can attain unto , let them ( a gods name ) enjoy the same , esteem the estate that is vulgar and low to bring with it neglect and contempt both : contratily , the other , that 's more magnificent and exquisite , to gain authority , and beleif : never will they abase themselves so much , i am sure , as to esteem it , as we do , a point of honour to be humbled ; and , not in the fashion of clothes , but in the manner of well living to make true estimation of what represented before our eyes , imploying our whole time , not about trifles , and curiosities , but in that which depends on the inward man , and consists , not in seeking after popular applause , but in well governing all manner of unruly passions , and affections incident unto our souls . on which point , for the present , wee 'l set up our rest . now what followes after ? thou , for thy part , wilt represent unto thine auditory riddles , or dark , and hard matters to be interpreted [ divine oracles ] ( as thou callest them ) thou wilt read , and expound unto them books , that treat of the mystery of thy religion , and of the world. but , tell us , what are those books ? and who be the authours thereof ? will it not be a fine thing ( think ye ) to sing of the generation of the gods fained by hesiod , and of their wars set forth by him ? of the rebellions of tyrants and giants , with their deaths ? and of other horrible accidents and disasters that befell cottis , giges , briareus , enceladus ? of your gods , some described , by the same author , to have dragons feet , othe●s cloathed with thunder ? of your isles thrown down upon them , and serving for receptacles , and graves , to those that they are cast upon ? again , to sing of the sundry foul swarms , and diversity of imagined hydraes , chimera's , gorgon's , and the like monstrous mass , and confused rabble of all manner of other wickednesse , and profannesse ? are not these sweet things to gather out of hesiod , and to feed the ears of the people withall ? also , the bewitching story of orpheus following thereupon , with his harp , and song drawing after him wild-beasts , and birds ? to relate of jupiter his magnificent titles , and the many significations thereof ? with his being the most high soveraign among the gods , and yet covered with dung ( whether of sheep , of horses , or of mules , i know not ) that thereby he might make the power of his god-head understood , by his producing from thence a great number of small insectile creatures , and giving life unto them upon their productions ? after all which , to make mention of that impure goddesse of theirs , who more immodestly , than became her feminine deity , shewed her self half naked ; to make her worshippers ( i think ) as well in love with her , as with the religion , wherein she was publickely adored , and represented after that fashion , by her images , and other pictures in her temples , and else-where , to be look'd upon ? neither doth herein the totall or whole sum of their foolish fopperies consist but unto these , ( as upon a stage ) are made to appear phanes , euricapeu● , and he that swallowed the other gods , and vomited them up again , or discharged his stomach of them afterwards , to make himself known the father of gods , and men. are not here , in these high points of their religion 's mystical matters , sound and subtle doctrines of edification for the common people to gather out , and to make use of for their souls health . besides these , and a number of the like ridiculous toys , certain allegoryes are invented , by their doctors imaginations therein , transcending humane capacity by which they precipitate as weltheir own , as their auditorsunderstanding unto confusion . again , touching homer , and those many fond stories fabled by him , where wilt thou affixe the same ? for it 's he , who of old , composed comedyes , or rather tragedyes concerning your fained gods. you 'l finde ( i beleeve ) both the one , and the other in those redoubted poesies of his , whereof some cannot chuse but move and stir up their laughter , as well as other , tears . the truth is , 't was not a matter of small consequence for oceanus to be reconciled to thetis : and therefore , well might she run about , and rave like a mad woman , upon the thought only , that through the abstinence , for a time , of conjugall duties ; viz. in not commixing dry things with moist ; there might eminent danger follow after , to the prejudice of the whole world . be it so . but what tolerable reason may be given ? what the least sober interpretation can be made of that meeting of jupiter and juno , the same time , when at mid-noon , not at mid-night , juno so shamelessely entreated , and entised him also , mostlasciviously to accompany with her ? your poets endevour , indeed to dissemble it in their verses , strewing for them a bed of fresh hearbs , and renewing the same with flowers of safron , and hiacynths . but where ? and from whom had they these things ? to what end further ? and what reason is there yet among you , that the same juno , sister , and wise of the aforesaid jupiter , should sometimes hang in the air , and in the cloudes counter-ballanced with chaines of i●on , together with manacles of gold ? she , i say , who had her arms so white , and her fingers so rosie ? had any of the other gods demanded a reason of jupiter , wherefore that his fair goddesse was put into such a posture by him , without first asking pardon of him , for that his presumption , he had cast himself in danger of jupiter's displeasure , for that his good office shewed towards juno . at another time , the said juno , neverthelesse , sportingly encompassing her slender waste in the loose girdle of sweet love , put on , together with it , such blandishments of enticing affections , such winingly bewitching charmes of wanton expressions , that with his own lips thereupon , he could no longer refrain , from giving sentence on her behalf ; protesting she so irresistibly surprized him , in those her amorous allurements , that , of all his other mistrisses , there was none to be compar'd to her . what means also that divine mystery of the brown eye-brows , and the shaking of those locks that made all the heavens tremble ? what the wounding of mars , that dull lover ? and of that indiscreet adultresse venus the fair , shut up in a brazen nett , bound , and manacled by lame vulcan , who , to his own shame and confusion , assembling the gods together , to see this spectacle , for a little money let them depart again ? if able to render a reason of such like toyishness , tell us further , i pray , what was meant by that fright , and stir among the gods , touching that unchast helena , that by reason thereof , the heavens fell on such a thundring , the earth on such a cracking , that it wanted little , but both had been removed out of their places : the sea likewise turned upside-down ; the gates of hell opened , and thereupon , what before , so long time lay hid , made known and discovered . all which , and more , a great many the like strange things , having been as strangely and diversly delivered unto posterity ; who is he among you , so subtle and profound , yea , though he had the understanding of jupiter , that with what ever discurring imaginations higher than the cloudes , can reduce them to common sense , or in any kind of mediocrity , make them as much as tolerable to be understood ? which if true , & they are not ashamed to confess as much ; in like manner acknowledge them to be base and dishonest things ; then the proof thereof , ( without having recourse to a mythologie to serve them for a covering , with respect unto what they suppose so finely to have found out and invented , ) will be apparent and manifest enough . what shall we say further ? is it not a handsome thing , think ye , for those men , that hold so firmly & constantly unto what in the ceremonial circumstances of their profound religion , they make profession of , to abuse and fool themselves after this sort with obstruse and non-sense fables ? thus , neverthelesse , they are accustomed to do , for the most part , who thereby would endeavour in what ever , though never so weakly said , or done by them , to escape from being reprehended . but they 'le reply , perhaps , the businesses before spoken of are but meer conceptions , matters , which they so greatly stand not upon , but invented on set purpose onely to take up the peoples thoughts , and delight their fancies withall . if so , then let them produce , and shew us other things of their theology , that are more solid , and naturall , that we may further confer with them about the same , and , in the interim , tell us , whether it be not great sottishnesse to boast , and make a more then ordinary account of matters that are onely fabulous , and to be blushed at ? again , whether it be not a foul shame , to publish to all the world hidden things , and unknown to many ( sor every one is not learned ) with pictures , and figures , and ( which is worse ) with great losse of money in temples , altars , statues ? also by sacrifices , which put men to the cost of so many crowns ? when a man may be pious enough in the true religion without much cost , is it not a folly to desire rather to follow error , and falsehood with infinite charges ? but , let them say , they are fictions and jeasts , wherewith poets abound in their measures , and in fables , to delight , and tickle their ears therewith that hear them , mixing , after that sort , hidden and covered senses , that few but learned and discerning men know how to make use of : i ask the question , how can others make account of , or have those deites in any great estimation , when those poets of theirs , themselves abuse after that grosse manner , the gods they would have honoured , that it's reward enough for them , that they are not punished for their so doing ? for seeing , by their law , under pain of death , they are prohibited , in any manner , to use whatever blasphemy , or reproach towards the gods , what punishment , ( suppose ye ) are they worthy of , that frequently , and in publique mock , and jest at them , in their poesies , after the foulest manner , with the filthyest , and most injurious taunts can be thought on ; yea , and leave the same after , as in a comedy , unto posterity , for , a long time , to be laughed at ? touching their having some things more covered , other more manifest in their religious worshipping of their gods , i acknowledge that in our religion it is so also , but with this difference : in our books concerning the same , the common and litteral sense hath nothing foul , or dishonest in it : and that which is hid to the vulgar , to the learned therein it 's very admirable and clear : even as if a body perfect in beauty were in some secret place , covered with a vestment fit , and correspondent thereunto . moreover , representations and resemblances of divine things , ought , methinks , to have nothing therein dishonest , or , unworthy of what they signifie : or , be such as men would take ill , if the same should be done unto them . yea rather , they ought to be things exquisite in beauty , or , at least , not vile and base : that , either discreet men may justly take exception at , or , the vulgar be thereby scandalized . on the contrary , what you practise , there 's no credit to be given unto , and what outwardly represented by you , is as detestable . for , what sense is there , to make a man's self be led in the streets through the dirt , and drawn to the port among rocks and shells ? what is the end ? and to what purpose are such like things recorded by you ? as for thine own part , thou wilt forge us jests , and allegories , of thy travels and imaginations , but no body will give credit unto , o● beleeve the same . and why ? because what already in sight , and above-board , is plain eno●gh , and intelligible . whereby , as thou gainest none that will give eare unto thee , so thou losest lookers on , to behold and see what thou wouldest have taken notice of : men , aswell stopping their ears , as with-holding their eyes , the while , from the apprehension of such unlikely , and impertinent matters . again , the reason of your theory , and allegories is such , and so far from the purpose intended by you , that it is easier too bring together things far apart and seperated asunder , than to make agree , and reconcile in one and the same person , your fictions and figures . it being thus with them touching their religious mysteries fought and derived from naturall philosophy , what may , or will be said by them with respect unto their morality ? what principles and maxims have they in use therein to forme men unto vertue ? what remonstrances to better by degrees and make them more perfect ? they 'l reply , perhaps , and say , for example , first , that concord is a fine thing , viz. to see cities united , people , and families agree well together , and every one , for his own particular , to govern himself according to the right rules of uncorrupted nature ; which separating , and yet reuniting all things , hath composed , though of many parts , yet but one onely frame , or fabrick of the whole world . and this they 'l not stick ( it may be ) to shew , and set forth by diverse examples . but in relating to the wars of the gods , their seditions and revolts one with another , and an infinite number of mischiefs , and evils which they suffered , and procured thereby , and whereof the most part of their poesies are full : instead of peaceable , they make their auditory mutinous ; in stead of wise , vain ; rather than thereby render the proud , humble ; or the audacious , modest , and well mannered by such examples . for if , without having such ( as it were ) pictures before their eyes , it be an hard peice of business , to bring them from evill to good , from vice , to vertue ; who naturally are inclined , and given over , in a manner , to all filthinesse . how may we imagine it a thing possible , to perswade such unto a more orderly life , unto more peaceably behaving themselves : when in prosecution of such their other evilly inclined affections , they seem but only to conform themseves , in so doing , unto the examples of their false gods ? which profain deities of theirs , being diversly set forth unto them by poets , their only preachers , ( as i may so say ) some as patterns of one vice , some of another : what are they , the people , otherwise thereby , then as it were , encouraged unto the same ? what their gods , but their guides ( i mean the peoples conductors ) in whatever manner of evill concupi●cence ? neither are those foul feinds patterns only , but also pat●rons of all kind of abomination : and in consideration thereof , are as severally honoured , and served by their several worshippers and servants , with severall altars , and sacrifices , dedicated , and sacred unto such , and such foul enormities , &c. with respect whereunto , your party , having their full swing , and liberty to wallow in as licenciously as their hearts can wish ; would it not be a hainous matter to punish by law , things established by law ? for their gods to take vengeance on those men , for acting those things , in regard whereof , themselves are especially acknowledged to be divine , and more particularly , adored as the only patrons of such affairs , and in whose behalf , it 's rather an honourable , than reproachfull matter , to be vicious ; ( if vicious in such a case , it be lawfull to cal● any ? ) would any man beleeve this ? or , can there be any such in justice ? any supposed wrong o● offence taken so oppressive , an● not to be tolerated among you as this ? secondly , if we prefer , and extoll the honour and respect due to fathers , and mothers , and for that they are the first mediate cause of our entrance by birth into the world , give them honour with the first : doth not theology , and reason both teach that we should do so ? to which purpose , doth not their god saturne do well ? hath he not left them a fine example ? he , who gelt vranias , that he should beget no more gods , and then threw his genitals into the sea , whereof a god was after engendred ? and jupiter , that , in imitation thereof , rebelled against saturne his own father ? such examples of cruell paricides among the gods , and the like , do they not well to insert in their books to be imitated of children , in honouring their fathers and mothers , after the same fashion . the third point , shall be neglect of riches ; as who can say , the not procuring of them at all hands , is no matter how , though never so wickedly . to which end , in what matter shall their mercury be represented ? what shall we say to that sharke ? what honour ? and after what scene , are we to atribute the same to his budget ? to the vertue and gift of grace that this filching god had to steal , and carry away , with a trick of nimble conveyance , whatsoever he once laid his prolling fingers upon ? what to phoebus also , who is said to give nothing without gold ? unto whom , nothing is so welcome as ready coin ? behold ! are not these rare encouragements and examples , to put men , though by nature otherwise never so covetously affected , into an utter detestation of the muck of this world , money , so perniciously sought after . moreover , with what face can jove's preists exhort his worshipers unto continency , when jupiter , sometimes , wholly applyes himself to the love of women ? at other , to phrygian boys ? for whose sake ( if poets say true ) he turn'd himself into an eagle . &c. also , wherefore is it , that at a drinking match , wherein , meeting with other of your inferiour gods , to the end those profane deities might be more voluptuously attended upon , you feign him to cause them to be served , and waited upon by those boys , he so much delighted withall , in stead of butlers , and other servitours ? let hercules , ( if you please ) be there also , who deflowered fifty of the daughters of thyestes in one night : and then i know no reason , wherefore having put an end to this thirteenth labour of his , he may not be put likewise into the number of those other gods. their furious , as well as fighting god mars , will he not be a fine fomenter of peace ? a ready resolver upon all occasions , to cut of ●holler ? bacchus their god of wine , a sober deity to encourage his worshipers unto a due moderation in quaffing and drinking ? and that crafty companion of theirs cost●er , to withhold men from deceipt and cozenage ? again , when others are sad , that move from place to place , upon seeble and weak legs ; will not that limping god of theirs , that halts both on the one side , and on the other , be a notable bar , and obstacle to keep light and unseasonable jesters from scurrill mockery , and unbridled laughter ? jupiter , who together with a foul company of other devouring devils , ran so fast to that pompous , and magnificent feast of the aethiopians , without reproach ; a jolly means to remove and take away gluttony ? in like manner hercules [ kill-cowe ] ( as he is sometimes styled ) who , tormenting upon a time , a poor labourer , devoured one of the oxen of his team : and for that rare act of his , got himself a name , or title of renown ? and generally all those other gods , that make so much hast to be fed with the fumings , and incensings , and pourings out of all manner of offerings made unto them , in their sacrifices . these heathenish customes , hatefull doings , horrible abominations usually put in practice by those of your party , approach they any thing near ( think ye ) to that innocency , that excellency , that integrity of sound faith , and good life , whereunto we are exhorted , and which we [ all that unfainedly desire , not only to be thought , but also to be indeed christians ] are commanded in our religion , and doctrine ? no such matter . besides , we have other manner of light to lead us , other teachers , ( namely christ , and his apostles , and prophets , &c. ) to instruct us otherwise , and to instill into our hearts obedience , and reverence unto what enjoyned we are , or , upon whatever terms , councelled and advised by them . from whom we , upon every occasion ( whatsoever too many of us , god knowes , either through weaknesse , or , at least , willfulnesse , have not the power , or goodnesse to perform as becommeth their disciples ) are nevertheless at all times lovingly invited in the words of our saviour , [ — whatsoever ye would that men should do to you , do ye even so to them : for this is the law and the prophets . ] again , it is , with us a sin , not only to commit an evil actually either in word , or deed , but also to do the same in thought , as being liable thereby unto punishment before god ( who discerneth the secrets of the heart ) thought not so easie to be taken notice of by men , who cannot see the same , and consequently punish the offenders by that means . yea , so exactly are we bound to carry our selves in point of continency ( according to the rules of christ our master ) that even the eye is by him forbidden us , thereby onely to lust after any unlawfull thing . in point of anger not only the bloody hand , but also the bloody heart is restrained . in case of swearing , not onely that we swear not falsly , but also that not lightly in like manner , or , not at all : not at all , that is , in our common and ordinary discourse and talke , or , when as not legally called before a magistrate , thereby to attest the truth . as for our [ goods ( of fortune ] as we usually call the wealth of this world ) to possesse them , as if we possessed them not , by not valuing them in comparison of our chief good reposed in heaven . with respect whereunto , some , among us , have taken little thought for possessing any ; some , instead thereof have imbraced poverty : and , not a few , having first renounced the voluptuousnesse of the belly , and vice of gluttony ( a dangerous mistrisse , and mother of many sins ) have after that so consumed the part mortall , by means of the immortal , ( it may be said of a truth ) a man could not discern almost any flesh on them , having acquired a law of vertuous living to themselves by not being carried away so much as unto smaller sins , and whereof there is no account made that they are so . is it not an excellent thing , thus , whereas others punish onely acts outwardly committed against god , or man , we , the evil intentions of our hearts likewise ? and thereby endeavour , at least to cut away not onely the branches , but the root also , to stay not onely the streams , but to stop up also the head of that impure fountain from casting forth that noysomness which would quite poison us after , through its more violent , and dangerous defluxions ? tell me , in what place among you , and what people they are , that wish well to these that injure them ? where is it ( i beseech you ) that your men do good to those that hurt them ? as if reproaches offended nothing , but the truth ? who are they on your party , that take it patiently when persecuted ? that upon with-holding from you your cloak , will render unto them your coat also ? pray for those that curse you ? and ( in a word ) by a singular sweetnesse , overcome evil with goodnesse , endeavouring , by innocently suffering wrong , to make those that afflict you therewith better , if it be possible ? but admit we should grant you , that by your manner of endoctrinating your disciples , in time , you might cause them thereby to cut off somewhat from their former excesse , and superfluity of naughtinesse : how could you , for all that , by your never so much instructing them in your precepts , make them , or your selves attain unto that perfection , whereunto our religion aspireth ? seeing we are not content with well doing only for the present , but think ill of our selves , if not make a dayly progresse further and further in godliness so long as we live in this world , and also cause the same to appear evidently unto all that are acquainted with us . if not endeavour , with all our power , to do thereafter , we should be very sorry , and fitly enough might be thought only to resemble moles , who are said to move continually , and yet not to stir far from the same place : or otherwise to appear unto those that look upon us , like horses in a mill , who , by the force of a whip , turn all day incessantly in the same room , without advancing from where they began at the time , when they were first set about their work in the morning . for whatever mediocrity you suppose sufficient for those of your party , by the laws of your heathenish religion , to consist in : we hold it our duty to strive still , and labour more and more to add vertue to vertue , grace to grace , one good work still to another : as never thinking our selves perfect enough , or to have done all that is commanded us , while living in this world : till , at length , our race being run out here , we are brought unto the end of our journey , unto that glory which is above , and after shall be revealed unto us , for which we were created at first , and whether , through gods mercy , we doubt not but we shall attain at last , if , by the operation of the holy ghost , we fail not to set our mind , and thoughts for recovering the same , on the love of god the father , through a lively faith in his onely son , and our alone saviour jesus christ : who , by the mighty working of his power , whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself , will , without all peradventure , change these vile bodies of ours , and make them like unto his glorious body , take off from us the corruption of our flesh , and put on upon us the incorruption of his spirit , give us in exchange for this bochin , or vail of tears here , the endlesse comfort , and everlasting joyes of that heavenly jerusalem which is above : or that secure haven , after all our storms in this life , of never failing happinesse in the life to come : where we shall hunger no more , neither thirst any more , neither shall the sun light on us , nor any heat : where there shall be no more death , nor sorrow , nor crying , neither any more pain : where the lamb of god , that taketh away the sins of the world , shall feed us , and cloth us , and cherish us , and lead us continually unto flowing waters of the fountain of all felicity , and content for evermore . to whom , with the father , and holy ghost , three persons , and one ever living , and wise god , be all glory , and honour , and dominion , and might , and majesty , and thanks-giving , now at present , and world without end , amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a42036-e190 esa . 1. 2. in orations and speeches , the antients heretofore made to set forth , sometimes the goodness of famous men by way of ●postrophe , they spake unto them as if they had ●●en present , and had sense and apprehension of ●●at they spake ( whereof they were yet doubtful , ●appeareth here by our author gregory nazian●●n ) and not contented thus to commune with ●●em , they intreated them , that if they had any 〈◊〉 ( as here ) or knowledge of things in this ●●rld to do so and so . this was a kind of doubtful ●mpellation and solliciting of them , if their state 〈◊〉 such as that they could take notice of these 〈◊〉 , that then they would , &c. and no otherwise 〈◊〉 dr. fie●d of the church . lib. 3. cap. 20. ps . 50. 14. in the beginning was the word , and the word was with god , and the word was god , joh. 1. 1. 1 cor. 4. 9. ps . 66. 12. ps . 73. 3. ex. 15. 1. amos 5. 8 , 9. luk. 1. 52. ps . 37. 17. isa . 49. 13. rom. 8. 20,21,22 . isa . 54. 1. of the 10. commandements . isa . 1. 13. pro. 29. 23. psal . 119. 67. admit we grant this history to be true , and that satans flight at the sign of the cross made by iulian , was inforced , might not god , for the confusion of the apostate and for the glory of the cross , which iulian , out of spight , 〈◊〉 hate of christ despised , put that terrour into satan , 〈◊〉 the sign of the crosse , that he was affrighted there●ith ; i think the●es no orthodox christian , who will 〈◊〉 , but that god might do it for such an end : and so , 〈◊〉 suppose , g. nazianzen here , with respect to this mira●●e of the crosse , may be understood . 1 kin. 19. 18. d●n . 3. 18. num. 21. 8. janu● the persians worshiped the sun under the name of mythra , by offring up men as a sacrifice unto it . phil. 2. 7. 1 pet. 2. 24. 1 cor. 4 , 12. 1 cor. 2 , 2. mar. 5. 39. 40. 5. 44. ps . 73. 37. 2 king. 18. 17. ecles . 3. 4 , 7 , 8. mat. 7. 12. rev. 7. 16. martyrologia alphabetikē, or, an alphabetical martyrology containing the tryals and dying expressions of many martyrs of note since christ : extracted out of foxe's acts and monuments of the church : with an alphabetical list of god's judgements remarkably shown on many noted and cruel persecutors : together with an appendix of things pertinent to martyrology by n.t., m.a.t.c.c. [i.e. master of arts trinity college cambridge] actes and monuments. selections foxe, john, 1516-1587. 1677 approx. 262 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 125 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2003-03 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a40369 wing f2042 estc r10453 12927379 ocm 12927379 95562 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a40369) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 95562) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 692:29) martyrologia alphabetikē, or, an alphabetical martyrology containing the tryals and dying expressions of many martyrs of note since christ : extracted out of foxe's acts and monuments of the church : with an alphabetical list of god's judgements remarkably shown on many noted and cruel persecutors : together with an appendix of things pertinent to martyrology by n.t., m.a.t.c.c. [i.e. master of arts trinity college cambridge] actes and monuments. selections foxe, john, 1516-1587. n. t., m.a.t.c.c. [10], 239, [1] p. printed for r. butler ..., and are to be sold by samuel wooley ..., london : 1677. errata: prelim. p. [4]. advertisement: prelim. p. [4] and p. [1] at end. an alphabetical list of god's judgments remarkably shown on many noted and cruel persecutors. london : printed for richard butler, and an appendix of things pertinent to the ... preceding martyrologic ... london : printed for r. butler, [n.d.] both have special t.p.'s. reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng martyrs. church history. persecution. 2002-10 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2002-11 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2002-12 rina kor sampled and proofread 2002-12 rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion μαρτυρολογια αλφαβετικε or , an alphabetical martyrology . containing the tryals and dying expressions of many martyrs of note since christ . extracted out of foxe's acts and monuments of the church . with an alphabetical list of god's judgements remarkably shown on many noted and cruel persecutors . together with an appendix of things pertinent to the understanding this martyrology . by n. t. m. a. t. c. c. — these all dyed in the faith , hebr. 11.13 . — in all these things we are more than conquerors . rom. 8.37 . london , printed for r. butler in barbican , and are to be sold by samuel wooley bookseller in louth , in lincolnshire . 1677. errata , in the epistile page 3. read 2 cor. 4 , 7 , 8 , 9. in the book p. 25. l. 17. read iames bainham . p. 27. l. 18. put out then . p. 9. l. 5. read pomponius . p. 53. l. 21. put out so . p. 69. l. 13. read cruel . p. 79. l. 2. read sparer in words . p. 80. l. 16. read wind. p. 140. l. 20. read wounds . p. 150. l. 17. read trailed . p. 167. l. 22. read must . p. 169. and 170. read thiessen . p. 172. l. 24. read confuted . p. 185. l. 8. read fool. p. 224. l. 10. concerning dr. london's punishment in the former part of the book . add page 174. p. 226. l. 12. read maximinus . p. 230. l. 7. read sute . advertisement . two sermons of hypocrisie , and the vain hope of self-deceiving sinners . a vindication of oaths , and swearing in weighty cases , as lawful and useful under the gospel : and the quakers opinion and practice against oaths and oath-taking , proved to be unscriptural , and without any just reason ; as also against their own principles . both written by iohn cheney , minister of the gospel . printed for r. butler , and are to be sold with the rest of his works by iohn miller , at the rose at the west-end of st. paul's church . to the christian reader , all encrease of grace here , and all fulness of glory hereafter . so great an enmity hath satan evidenced , ever since his own apostasie , against mankind , that he must be conceded to have bin very sedulous and vigilant in all ages to destroy souls , one while alluring them to sin against god , by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of worldly or sensual propositions , or else deterring them from adhering to god , vi & armis , by his assaults and persecutions ; the verity of which hath been continuedly evidenced in the successive ages of god's church , wherein the first member dying , dyed a martyr on the account of his religion , and the several prophets and children of god before christ have been so persecuted , sawn asunder , cast into dungeons , fiery furnaces , lyons dens , &c. that if to these we add the consideration of st. paul's martyrology in heb. 11. we may propose our saviour's enquiry ; which of the prophets have they not slain ? nor did the fury of satan and his instruments terminate there ; but when christ the son of god was incarnated and became man for our salvation , satan the arch-enemy of man , assails him as tempter ; but being put to flight so , he becomes accuser , and by his instruments persecuted our dearest saviour , not desisting till they had crucified the lord of life : which being effected , this serpentine seed continued its enmity againg christ in his members ; so that few of christ's apostles or followers have escaped tribulation ; as the writings of the sacred writ aver , and the succeeding pages will much evidence , which seem in respect of their matter to be serviceable to the church of god many wayes : 1. in demonstrating the verity of our religion , and the great and sure foundation of our faith , sealed by the blood of many thousand martyrs , who have as witnesses thereof , attested the verity of their professions by their deaths . 2. in evidencing the state of god's people here , whose life is but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a warfare , whilst they remain members of the church militant on earth , which may disswade us from singing requiem's to our souls , and may excite our constant watch . 3. in assuring us of the triumph of christ the captain of our salvation , who in himself and members hath verified that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the seed of the woman's breaking the serpent's head , in that in the midst of all troubles the saints of god have experienced joy , which may engage our running with patience the race that is set before us . 4. in declaring god's fidelity to his people , who in the greatest misery hath shown them the greatest mercy , and often then hath most given his people assurance of their living with him , when they were going to dye for him ; which may support our spirits under pressures , in that they cannot separate us from god here or hereafter , rom. 8.38 . 2 cor. 7.8 , 9. 5. in proposing the examples of many thousands of constant martyrs , who chose rather to suffer than sin ; and found more joy in dying for christ than ever they did trouble in serving of christ. 6. in shewing the sad effects of apostasie upon many of god's people , who found all the wordly enjoyments without a christ but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , bitter sweets , and have not acquiesced , till through god's spirit they did reassume the profession of christ , and at last did dye for christ , which may incite our holy jealousie over our selves . 7. in setting before us the care of god for his people in their lives , and death , and after death , by supplying their wants , comforting their souls , mitigating their pains , and preserving their names to succeeding generations , verifying his own assertion , that the memory of the just shall be blessed . 8. in representing the efficacy of christianity and its champions constancy , so as often to have influenced the very persecutors of it and them ; not onely to pity them , but also to close with their principles , and dye for the same faith ; so that we have no need to be ashamed of the gospel of christ. 9. in demonstrating the frustration of the grand design of christ's enemies ( the extirpation of his faith and religion by persecution ) it being evidently manifested that christianity hath been more propagated , the more it hath been persecuted ; and it was long since observed that sanguis martyrum was semen ecclesiae . so that against all opposition the faith of christ and its professors have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , more than conquerors ; nor hath the gates of hell hitherto prevailed against the church of christ. 10. in manifesting god's mercy and justice . his mercy in preserving his true religion and its professors amidst all their enemies , and his iustice in his divers inflictions of punishments upon their persecutors . insomuch that some have confessedly acknowledged christ conqueror , his cause true , and themselves because persecutors of it , damned . this is the matter of the pages humbly offer'd , and unfeignedly recommended to thy perusal . and as to the manner of the epitome , an alphabetical method , both as to sufferers and persecutors , seemed most apt for thy reaping advantage . the reasons moving the epitomizing the voluminous works of the author were these : 1. because many who probably would read those greater volumes , either cannot acquire them being scarce , or cannot purchase them being dear , or perhaps have not time to peruse them being great , to occur all which this abstract may suffice . 2. the chief things in these volumes desired by the vulgar ( whose instruction is chiefly designed hereby ) is the lives and deaths , the constancy and comforts of the martyrs , which here are briefly contained as to the most remarkable martyrs ever since christ's time ; which being portable , may serve as a manual to be oft in our hands to be perused , till we get their experiences on our hearts . and although in these halcyon dayes of the church ( which god long continue ) these endeavours way seem to some supervacaneous ; yet if we consider that while we are in the world we must expect troubles , it is no small prudence to prepare for it . however , the ten premised reasons may plead for thy acceptance of what is humbly tendred , and sincerely published for god's glory , and thy soul 's good , by thine in the service of god , n. t. an alphabetical martyrology . a a andrew the apostle , and brother of peter , being conversant in a city called patris in achaia , brought many to the faith of christ. egeas the governour hearing of it resorted to him , and with threats of the cross disswaded him by his proconsul ; but andrew said he would not have preached the honour and glory of the cross , if he had feared the death of the cross. and being condemned , when he saw the cross he said , o cross , most welcome and long looked for , with a willing mind , joyfully and desirously i come to thee , being the scholar of him who did hang on thee , because i have always been thy lover , and have coveted to embrace thee . and so being crucified he gave up the ghost the last of november . see vol. 1. pag. 42 , 43. one alexander under the tenth persecution standing near the bar , at the examination of the christians , beckned to them with signs to confess christ ; which the multitude perceiving , made it known to the judge , who examining what he was , and being answered by him , i am a christian , condemned him to be devoured of wild beasts . and he having endured sad torments never sighed , but from the bottom of his heart praised and prayed to the lord. vol. 1. p. 62. apollinia an ancient virgin , under the seventh persecution , having her teeth dashed out , and being threatned to be cast into a great fire made before her , unless she would blaspheme with them , and deny christ ; she paused a while , and suddenly leaped into the fire , and was burned . vol. 1. p. 80. ammonarion , an holy virgin , told the persecuting judge , that for no punishment she would yield to his request ; and constantly she performed her words , under very severe torments , and was at last slain with a sword. vol. 1. pag. 80 , 81. alban the first english martyr , under the tenth persecution , did receive a clerk into his house , flying for religion , by whose precepts and precedents he of a pagan became a christian ; and when the emperour sent to apprehend the clerk , alban put on the clerks habits , and offered himself to the souldiers as the clerk , and so was had away ; and being commanded on pain of death , by the emperour , to sacrifice to idols , he said , i am a christian , and worship the true and living god , who created all the world ; and the sacrifices offered to devils can neither help them that offer them , nor can they accomplish the desires of their supplicants ; but they whoever they be that offer sacrifice to devils , shall receive everlasting pains of hell for their portion . whereupon he was cruelly beaten , and at last beheaded . vol. 1. pag. 115. agnes a virgin of rome , in the tenth persecution , of noble parentage , before she was marriageable she was dedicated to christ , and boldly resisted the wicked edicts of the emperour , who by fair and foul ways induced her to renounce her faith , yet she remained constant and courageous , and offered her body to suffer any torment or pain , not refusing to suffer whatsoever it should be , though death it self : but the tyrant threatned to expose her chastity to danger , by sending her to the stews , unless she would ask minerva pardon . whereupon she inveighed against minerva , and said , christ is not so forgetful of those that are his , that he will suffer violently to be taken from them their golden and pure chastity . thou shalt , saith she , bathe thy sword in my blood if thou wilt , but thou shalt not defile my body with filthy lust , for any thing thou canst do . after which the tyrant commanded her to be set naked in the open street , to the shame of himself and all present , who went from her ; and she returned god thanks for this deliverance of her chastity : and an executioner being sent to kill her , she willingly met him and prayed , o god vouchsafe to open heavens gates , once shut up against all the inhabitants of the earth ; and receive , o christ , my soul that seeketh thee . and so she was beheaded . vol. 1. p. 121 , 122. anselm , an italian , born and brought up in the abby of beck in normandy , and afterwards made archbishop of canterbury , said he had rather be in hell without sin , than in heaven with sin . vol. 1. p. 240. augustinus a barber , about hennegow in germany , being an embracer of the gospel , yet naturally so timerous that he fled twice when he was sought for , was so bold when he was apprehended that he confounded all opposers : and being desired to pity his soul and recant , he said he evidenced his pity to his soul in giving his body rather to be burned , than to do any thing contrary to his conscience . and being set at the stake , and the fire kindled , he heartily prayed unto the lord , and patiently departed , 1549. vol. 2. pag. 124. aymond de lavoy at bourdeaux in france , a preacher of the gospel , being persecuted and sent for ; his people and friends perswaded him to flye ; to whom he said , he had rather never have been born than so to do ; it was the office of a good shepherd not to flye in time of danger , but rather to abide the peril lest the flock be scattered ; or lest some scruple might by his flight be left in their minds , that he had fed them with dreams and fables , contrary to gods word ; wherefore beseeching them to move him no more therein , he told them he feared not to yield up both body and soul in the quarrel of the truth which he had taught , saying he was ready , with s. paul , acts 21. not only to be bound , but also to dye for the testimony of christ. and when the sumner came to apprehend him , being in the city of bourdeaux three days , aymond preached each day a sermon , and in his defence the people flew upon the sumner , till aymond desired them not to stop his martyrdom , since it was the will of god he should suffer for him . being apprehended , his greatest accusation was , that he denyed purgatory : he was nine months in prison , in great misery , bewailing his former life , though no man could charge him with any outward crime ; and enduring more severe torments by the officers afterwards , he being of a weak body , comforted himself thus , this body ( said he ) must once dye , but the spirit shall live ; the kingdom of god endureth for ever . and swooning , when he came to himself , he said , oh lord why hast thou forsaken me ? but his tormentors further vexing him , he said , o lord i beseech thee forgive them , they know not what they do . and when sentence was given against him , he comforted himself with s. paul's words , rom. 8. saying , who shall separate us from the love of god ? shall the sword , hunger , nakedness ? no , nothing shall pluck me from him . and being brought to the place of execution , he sang the 114. psalm , and testified he dyed for the gospel of christ , and said , o lord haste thee to help me , and tarry not : and desired all to study the gospel , and not to fear them that kill the body . he said he found his flesh to resist marvellously his spirit , but he should soon cast it off : and then begging the people to pray for him , he said often , o lord my god into thy hands i commend my soul. in the often repeating of which he dyed , being strangled and burned . vol. 2. p. 129 , 130. anne audebert , an apothecaries wife and widow at orleance in france , being judged to be burnt for religion's sake , when the rope was about her neck to strangle her , she called it her wedding girdle wherewith she should be married to christ : and as she should be burned on a saturday , she said , i was first married upon a saturday , and on a saturday i shall be married again . and martyred she was with such constancy as made the beholders to marvel . vol. 2. p. 135. somponius algerius a young man , burnt at rome 1555. being in prison at venice , ( from whence he was sent to rome ) he wrote an epistle to the persecuted and afflicted saints , wherein he declares the many ways he was tempted to recant , to which tempters he said , god forbid i should deny christ , whom i ought to confess , i will not set more by my life than by my soul , nor will i exchange the life to come for this present world . vol. 2. p. 180 , 181 , 182. mrs. anne askew being 1545. apprehended , and often examined as an heretick , subscribed two of her confessions thus , by anne askew that neither wisheth death nor feareth his might , and as merry as one that is bound towards heaven , god have the praise thereof with thanks . she always concluded her letters with pray , pray , pray . she was racked till almost dead , to discover her confederates , but she would not ; then was she by flattery tempted , but was not so won to deny her faith , but said she would rather burn than deny it . in newgate before she suffered she made a confession of her faith , clearing her self from errours , and proving her self a christian ; and then prayed for support against the malice of her enemies , that they might not overcome her ; and that god would pardon their sins , and open their eyes and hearts to do what god pleased , and to set forth his truth without errour . she was of a family that she might have lived in great wealth and prosperity , if she had loved the world more than christ , but she being constant , was at last ( being unable to go by reason of her racking ) brought in a chair to smithfield , and there chained to a stake , when wrisley then lord chancellor sent her pardon , and bad her recant ; but she refused to look once on them , and said she came not thither to deny her lord and master ; and so was burned in iune 1546. with whom suffered also iohn lacels , iohn adams , and nicholas belenian , which three men though courageous before , yet by her exhortation and example were emboldened , and received greater comfort . vol. 2. p. 580. iohn ardeley an essex man , being burnt iune 10. 1555. was examined and perswaded by bishop bonner to recant ; to whom he said , bear as good a face , my lord , as you can , you and all of your religion are of a false faith , and not of the catholick church . god foreshield i should recant , for then should i lose my soul ; and if every hair on my head was a man , i would suffer death in the faith and opinion that i now am in . and so he did . vol. 3. p. 253. will. allen a norfolk man , burnt at walsingham 1555. in september , because he would not go in procession and kneel to the cross ; he was in such favour with the justices of peace , for his tryed conversation amongst them , that he was permitted to go to his sufferings untyed , and there being fastned with a chain , stood quietly without shrinking till he dyed . vol. 3. p. 419. rose allen of much bentley in essex , being fetching drink for her sick mother , in a morning with a light candle , who was also with her self and father apprehended by edmond tyrrel esq to be all three carried to colchester goal for the gospel , who perswaded this rose allen to counsel her parents well ; who said , they had a better counsellor than she , to wit , the holy ghost , who i trust will not suffer them to erre . and being for this accused of heresie by him , she said , with that which you call heresie i worship my lord god : to whom he then said , i perceive you will also burn for company's sake : and she answered , not for company's sake , but for christ's sake ; and if he call me to it , i hope in his mercy he will enable me to bear it . so tyrrel took her candle and held it to her hand , burning it crossways the back of it , till the sinews crackt asunder ; and asked her often during that tyranny , what you whore will you not cry ? to whom she said , she had no cause to weep , if he considered it well he had more cause to weep , for she had none she thanked god , but rather had cause to rejoice ; and she said , that though at first burning it was some grief to her , yet the longer it burnt the lesser she felt , or well near no pain at all . vol. 3. p. 830. iohn alcock , a young man in suffolk , apprehended at hadley because he would not move his cap as the priest came into church with a procession , and being bid to take heed of the priest , he said , i fear not , for he shall do no more than god will give him leave ; and happy shall i be if god will call me to dye for his truths sake . and being sent up to london he dyed in prison at newgate , and was buried in a dunghil 1558. vol. 3. p. 883. richard atkins burnt at rome 1581. he was born in hartfordshire in england , and travelling to rome he came to the english colledge , knocking at whose gates several english scholars came out , and bid him go to the hospital , and there he should receive his meat and drink : but he declared he came not to any such intent , but to reprove the great misorder of their lives , which ( said he ) i grieve to hear and pity to behold : i came also to let your proud antichrist understand that he doth rob god of his honour , and poyseneth the whole world with his blasphemies : so declaming against their idolatry he was put into the inquisition by one hugh griffith a welchman , and a student in that colledge , where after a few days he was set at liberty : but one day going in the streets , and meeting a priest which carried the sacrament , which offended his conscience , he catched at it to have pulled it down , but missing of it he was let pass : a while after he seeing divers persons in s. peter's church at mass , he stept up without any reverence , and threw down the chalice of wine , and would have gotten the wafer-cake out of the priest's hands ; for which he was much beaten with persons fists , and cast into prison ; and upon examination why he would do such a crime , he said , i came for that intent , to rebuke the popes wickedness , and your idolatry . upon this he was condemned to be burned : which sentence he gladly received , he said , because the sum of his offence pertained to the glory of god. a while after he was set on the bare back of an ass , stript from the head to the waist , and so carried in the streets , who called to the people and told them they were in a wrong way , and willed them for christ's sake to have regard to the saving of their souls ; all the way as he went he had four men that did nothing else but thrust at his body with burning torches , whereat he never moved nor shrunk , but with a chearful countenance often bended his body to meet the torches , and would take them in his own hand and hold them burnig to his own body ; which posture he continued in near the space of half a mile , till he came at the place of execution , before s. peter's church ▪ then made they a device not to make the fire about him , but to burn his legs first , which he suffered marvellously chearfully ; then they offered him a cross , but he put it away , telling them they did ill to trouble him with such paltry , when he was preparing himself for god , whom he beheld in majesty and mercy ready to receive him into the eternal rest : and so he dyed . vol. 3. p. 1022. francis d' alost in flanders , beheaded may 1. 1566. said to his apprehenders , now ye think to deprive me of life , and so to do me a great hurt , but ye are deceived ; for it is all one as if ye took counters from me , to fill my hand with a great sum of gold. being at the place of execution , he said , seeing ye thirst after my blood , i willingly yield it unto your hands , and my soul into the hands of my merciful lord god almighty . and so he was beheaded , and his body given for a prey to the fowls of the air . addition to vol. 3. of massacre in france and flanders , p. 34 , 35. b b bartholomew the apostle is said to have preached to the indians , and to have converted the gospel of s. mathew into their tongue : he continued there a great space doing miracles , at last in albania , a city of greater armenia , after divers persecutions , he was beaten down with staves , and then crucified ; and after being excoreate was at length beheaded . vol. 1. p. 42. blandina a woman , under the fourth persecution , was so tormented that the tormentors for weariness gave her over , admiring at her strength and courage , who became stronger and stronger ; and as oft as she spake these words , i am a christian , neither have we done any evil , it was a marvellous comfort , and emboldened her to abide the torments . vol. 1. p. 60. she afterwards was fastned to a stake , and cast to ravening beasts , but no beast would come near her ; so the persecutors took her down , and laid her in prison till another time . at length she was put in a net , and cast to the wild bull , and after she was sufficiently gored with his horns she felt nothing of pain , but was thus slain ; of whom the very persecutors said , never woman was put to death of them that suffered so much as she did . vol. 1. p. 62 , 63. barlaam a martyr , under the tenth persecution , having endured many torments , was at last laid on the altar by the persecutors , where incense was offered to their idols , and they put incense into his hand , thinking that fire would cause his hand to scatter the incense , and so he have sacrificed , but the flame eat round about his hand , which remained as though it had been covered with hot embers , when as barlaam recited that of the psalmist , blessed be god who teacheth my hands to fight . vol. 1. p. 118 , 119. ioane boughton , mother to the lady young , was burned april 28. 1494. ( and in the ninth year of king hen. 7. king of england ) in smithfield , for holding of wickliffe's opinions , from which all the doctors in london could not turn her : and being told that she should be burnt , she defied them , saying , she was so beloved of god and his holy angels , that she passed not for the fire ; and in the midst of it she cryed to god to take her soul into his holy hands . vol. 1. p. 956. iohn brown of ashford was burned 1517. at ashford , being taken away by force from his own house , the same day his wife was churched , and he was carried to prison at canterbury , for no crime but for asking a mass-priest , where the soul was when he began mass and when he had done mass ? who answering he knew not ; iohn brown asked him then , how he could save the soul ? for which he was continued in prison from low-sunday till fryday before whitsontide , his wife not knowing where he was all this time ; till the night before he was burned being set in the stocks at ashford , she came and sat up by him , to whom he declared the whole passage , and said that the bishops , warham and fisher , heated his feet on the coals , and burned them to the bones , to make him deny his lord ; which i will never do , added he , for if i should deny him in this world , he would deny me hereafter . i pray thee , said he further , good elizabeth , continue as thou hast begun , and bring up thy children vertuously in the fear of god. and the next day being whitsonday-eve this godly martyr was burned ; standing at the stake he thus prayed , holding up his hands , o lord i yield me to thy grace , grant me mercy for my trespass , let never the fiend my soul chase : lord i will bow , and thou shalt beat , let never my soul come in hell heat . into thy hands i commend my spirit , for thou hast redeemed me , o lord of truth . and so he ended . vol. 2. p. 13. iohn bertrand , a forester in france , 1556. being condemned for the gospel's sake , he being to enter a cart , to be carried to execution , gave thanks he was not there for any evil action , but for the quarrel of our saviour ; and when tyed to the post he sang the 25. psalm ; and with eyes looking up to heaven , seeing the place of execution , he said , o the happy journey , and fair place prepared for me . he in the fire cryed , o lord give thy hand to thy servant , i recommend my soul to thee : and so meekly yielded up the ghost . vol. 2. p. 150. dominicus de basana , an italian , burned at placentia , 1553. being asked whether he was a priest , said , not of the pope , but of christ ; being asked if he would renounce his doctrine , answered , he maintained no doctrine of his own , but of christs , which also he was ready to seal with his blood , and gave hearty thanks to god which so accepted him , as worthy to glorifie his name with his martyrdom : and being cast into prison , he continued constant ; yea at his execution he did preach , and pray for his enemies , and so finished his days . vol. 2. p. 167. a bookseller of avinion was burned by the means of the bishop of aix , for selling some bibles in the french tongue ; and as a sign of the crime for which he was burnt , he had two bibles hanged about his neck , one before and another behind him . vol. 2. p. 191. maurice blane , a young man in merindol in france , being one of the waldenses , and taken by one iohn miniers lord of opede , who went as captain against merindol , was shot to death with harquebusses , and though he was not very well instructed , yet in all his torments he lifted up his eyes to heaven , and with a loud voice ceased not to call on god ; and the last words he was heard to say were , o lord god these men take from me a life full of misery , but thou wilt give me life everlasting , by thy son iesus christ , to whom be glory . vol. 2. p. 198. thomas bilney , being brought up under popish ignorance , and did in order to his obtaining pardon of sins , use fasting , watching , buying pardons , &c. and at last hearing that the new testament was translated into latine elegantly by erasmus , out of a love to the latine more than to the word of god ( which he then knew not what it meant ) bought one and did read it ; and at his first reading he happened on 1 tim. 1.15 . it is a faithful saying , &c. which sentence through gods instructions , and co-workings , exhilerated him , and was a means of his conversion to the faith of christ , learning that all travels and watchings without christ availed nothing : and having tasted of the sweetness of christ himself , he greatly endeavoured the promoting of christ's gospel , and opposed popery in its abuses of pardons , &c. vol. 2. p. 268. he was instrumental to the conversion of mr. latimer , p. 271. he was of trinity hall in cambridge , and first framed that university to the knowledge of christ , vol. 2. p. 274.276 . he once recanted , and was absolved , which created such trouble to him , that for two years he almost despaired , nor could any scripture comfort him , till at length god , by the means of mr. latimer , comforted him . and he propagated the doctrine of christ in norfolk , and was burned at norwich 1531. the night before which eating an ale-berry chearfully , some friends said they were glad to see him so merry , to whom he said , he did as husbandmen , repair the ruinous house of his body . he often tryed the heat of the fire , by putting his finger in the candle flame , saying , i feel and know fire to be naturally hot , yet i am perswaded by gods word , and by experience of some in it , that in the flames they felt no heat . and i believe howsoever that the stubble of my body shall be wasted by it , yet my soul shall be thereby purged : it is a pain for a time , on which follows joy unspeakable . vol. 2. p. 277. richard bayfield , a monk of s. bennets belonging to berry , converted by means of one dr. barnes , was november 20. 1531. degraded and condemned ; and being struck with a crosier he fell backward , broke his head , and swooned ; when he came to himself again , he thanked god that he was delivered from the malignant church of antichrist , and was come into the sincere church of christ militant here on earth : and i trust anon , said he , to be in heaven with christ , and that church triumphant for ever . and being in a slow fire was half an hour alive , and when the left arm was on fire and burned , he rolled it with his right hand , and it fell from his body ; and he continued in prayer to the end without moving . vol. 2. p. 293. iames beinham , a lawyer , in king henry the eighth's days , for knowledge of the new testament was burnt , april the last 1532. who first abjured , but soon relapsed , declaring he would not suffer the like hell he did when he was abjured for all the world ; and when he was again taken and burning , he in the fire , when his legs were half consumed , said , o ye papists , ye look for miracles , here ye may see one , for in this fire i feel no more pain than if i were in a bed of down , and it is to me as a bed of roses . vol. 2. p. 301. thomas benet , master of art in cambridge , thinking after his conversion not safe to stay there , went to exeter , and there taught a school : and at last abhorring the blasphemy of the papists , he fixt up bills against the popes supremacy , &c. for which , after much enquiry being found out , he at length suffered , all their endeavours being not able to reclaim him to popery , to whose perswaders he mildly answered ; desiring them to desist , for he was resolved , and did more desire to dye for christ , than to live longer and partake of and behold their detestable idolatry . at the fire he prayed so fervently , and his sayings were so pious , and himself so constant , that his very enemies counted him a good man , and god's servant ; yet was he burnt : and at stake being commanded by one esq barnhouse to pray to saints , he would not , it being god on whom only he must call : to whom the esquire said , he should pray to saints , or else he would make him , and therewith thrust a fir-bush on fire at his face : to whom the martyr said , alas , sir ! trouble me not ; and prayed , father forgive them . whereupon the esquire caused the fire to be kindled , and then the martyr lifted up his eyes and hands , saying , o lord receive my spirit ; and so continuing prayers , did never stir nor strive , but abode the flames until he ended . vol. 2. p. 314. dr. barnes of cambridge , in king henry the eighth's days , burned in smithfield 1541. iuly 30. he much promoted good learning in cambridge , and then religion , yet afterwards recanted twice , but at length preached christianity again ; for which , he being apprehended , was to be burnt ; who making his confession , said , he dyed for the faith of christ , by whom alone he doubted not but to be saved : he prayed for pardon : and whereas stephen gardner bishop of winchester caused his martyrdom , he there said , i pray god forgive him , as heartily , and as freely , and as charitably , and without feigning , as ever christ forgave them that put him to death . and then putting off his cloaths , made him fit for the fire , and patiently took his death , and was burnt with mr. garret and mr. hierom. vol. 2. pag. 517. see more mr. hierom. george bucker : see adam damlip . iohn bradford a lancashire man , a good scholar , servant to the lord harrington , afterwards went to cambridge , and after one years time was made master of arts and fellow of pembroke hall ; and some time after ordained by bishop ridley , and made prebend of s. paul's in london . vol. 3. p. 380. he was a zealous preacher and a good liver , yet in queen mary's days silenced and imprisoned ; although but three days before he appeased the people in london , by preaching against sedition , and perswading them to obedience , who were incensed much against one bourn ( who afterward was made bishop of bath ) who preached against king edward 6. and pleaded for popery , so that a dagger was thrown at him , till this mr. bradford appeared in the pulpit , and then the people cryed out , god save thy life , o bradford . he slept but four hours in the night , and spent most of the other hours in prayer and studying ; so that he counted that hour lost , he said , in which he had done none good with pen , study , or exhorting : he preached twice a day in prison , unless sickness hindred him . when the keepers wife with sorrow brought him news of his burning next day , he said , i thank god for it , i have looked for the same a long time ; it comes not on me suddenly , but as a thing waited for every day and hour , o lord make me worthy of it . when he went from the counter to newgate , he prayed , and gave every servant and officer in the house money , wishing them to serve god and eschew evil , and prayed to god to effect it in them : he was imprisoned two years , lacking one month and a half . he being upon examination offered mercy , if he would recant , said , mercy with god's mercy i desire ; but mercy with god's wrath god keep me from ; his good will be done , life with his displeasure is worse than death , and death with his favour is true life . vol. 3. p. 283. one creswel , an acquaintance of his , after this came to him , and proffered him his service to make suit to the queen for him : to whom he said , if the queen will give me life , i will thank her ; if she will banish me , i will thank her ; if she will burn me , i will thank her ; if she will condemn me to perpetual imprisonment , i will thank her . vol. 3. p. 292. at the stake he freely forgave all persons , and beg'd all persons to forgive him : he prayed and kissed the stake and faggot , crying , o england , england , repent thee of thy sins , repent thee of thy sins , beware of idolatry , beware of false antichrists , take heed they do not deceive you . vol. 3. p. 307. his letters were many and pious , exhorting to constancy : 1. from god's love to us : 2. god's power over our enemies , and care for us : 3. the necessity of dying once : 4. the shortness of the troubles : 5. the eternity of our joys : 6. examples of christians : 7. the conjugal relation engageth both soul and body to christ : 8. all worldly enjoyments , and life it self , but tokens of god's love to us , and must not be denyed if call'd for by god , as tokens of our love to him : 9. death is our due for sin , but when for christ , prepares a greater glory : 10. god's care over their children and families that dye for him : 11. our cross from god as a father . vol. 3. p. 307. to 337. roger bernard , a suffolk man , burned with two others at s. edmunds-bury , iune 30. 1556. he being diversly flattery allured to turn , yet though a poor labourer continued constant ; and when he was threatned with punishments , he said , friends , i am not better than my master christ , and the prophets , whom your fathers served after this sort ; and i for his names sake am content to suffer the like at your hands , if god shall so permit , trusting that he will strengthen me in the same , according to his promise , in spite of the devil and all his ministers . and so constantly he endured the flames with prayer and praises . vol. 3. p. 710. agnes bongeor , one of 10 prisoners at colchester , who with another woman , one margaret thurston , was not executed with the other 8 , because of the mistake of her name in the writ , being there written bowyer instead of bongeor ; which mistake caused much sorrow to the poor woman , who was thereupon dejected , even almost to despair , because she was left and the rest taken and burnt , as if god did not think her worthy of that honour ; in order to the receiving of which , she had disposed of a sucking child that morning to another nurse , and had habited her self fit for the fire : but at last with much endeavours she was comforted , by a friend 's proposing the instance of abraham , whose will in offering his son was by god accepted , as if isaac had been sacrificed ; and so her desire to have offered up her self , had god pleased ; and also the real offer of her child , disposed of already to another nurse , in order to her self being burnt , might be acceptable before god. and she being thus comforted in due time , september 17. 1557. was also with the said margaret thurston burnt at colchester . vol. 3. p. 849 , 850. bergerius , being imprisoned for the gospel's sake , met there with one iohn chambon a thief , imprisoned also at lions in france 1553. which chambon was almost famished for want of food , eating only such things as horses and dogs refused , and was also almost devoured of lice , insomuch that he cryed out against god , and cursed his parents that bare him , till by the prayers and endeavours of this bergerius he was converted ; and he declared to divers persons by letters , that his lice left him the next day after his conversion , so that he had not one ; and he was sufficiently provided for by the alms of persons , so that he fared very well . vol. 2. p. 140 , 141. iohn badby an english martyr 1409. martyred for opposing transubstantiation ; he , though he felt the flames , which were immediately quenched , and he invited to recant by the kings eldest son , with promises of great revenues , and with threats of being burned , if he would not recant , could not not be perswaded to recant . vol. 1. p. 681. guy de brez , prisoner at tournay in flanders 1567. writeth to his wife thus ( after the declaring what conflicts he had with his flesh , and the victory which through christ he had in order to suffering ) be comforted , our separation shall not be for ever , it will not be long e're we be gathered together under one head , iesus christ : the world is not the place of rest : heaven is our home , and the world but our place of banishment : let us aspire after our country : consider the honour god doth you , in that you have a husband who is not only called to be a minister of christ , but highly advanced to partake of the crown of martyrdom , which honour the angels in heaven are not capable of . i rejoice in my sufferings , i am filled with the abundant riches of my god. i now taste and see gods goodness , i feel by experience he never forsakes them that trust in him ; i have profited more in the school-house of my prison than in all my life time before ; i would not change my condition with them which are my persecutors , i eat and drink and rest with more hearts-ease than they . additions to vol. 3. concerning massacre in france and flanders . p. 37 , 38. francis le bossu , with his two sons , martyred at lyons in france in the massacre there 1572. he encouraged his two sons to suffer with him for the gospel , exhorting them thus , children , we know the enmity of the wicked and the world against gods people is no strange thing : let not their drawn swords affright us , they will be but as a bridge whereby we shall pass over out of a miserable life into immortal blessedness ; we have breathed and lived long enough among the wicked , let us now go and live with one god. and so all three embracing each other , were found slain . additions to vol. 3. concerning massacre in france . p. 68. c c calocerius seeing the great patience of the christians in so great torments and persecutions , cryed out , vere magnus deus christianorum , that is , truly the god of the christians is a great god. which words being heard , he was apprehended , and brought to the place of execution , and made partaker of their martyrdom . vol. 1. p. 53. cecilia the virgin brought valerian her espoused husband , and tiburtius his brother , to the faith of christ , and with her exhortations made them constant to martyrdom ; after whose sufferings she was apprehended and brought to offer sacrifice to idols , but refusing , she was had to the judge to be condemned ; in the mean time the serjeants and others began to perswade her to favour her self , and not cast her self away ; to whom she so reply'd with reasons and godly exhortations , that by the grace of god they were converted also , and divers others were with them baptized , to the number of 400 persons ; which being done she was condemned , and was inclosed in a hot bath a day and a night without hurt , and was afterwards ordered to be beheaded in the bath . vol. 1. cyprian , being also named statius , he was an african and born in carthage , an idolater and a gentile , altogether given to the study of magical arts , who was converted to the christian faith , through the grace of god , by the means of cecilius a priest , and by the occasion of hearing the history of the prophet ionah ; and was after his conversion ordained priest and bishop of carthage : soon after in which office and dignity he so shined in gifts and vertues , that he had the covernment of all the east church , and church of spain , and was called the bishop of the christian men : and was beheaded in the 259. year of christ , under the eighth persecution . he is said to observe 12 abuses in mans life . 1. a wise man without good works . 2. an old man without religion . 3. youth without obedience . 4. rich men without alms. 5. a woman shameless . 6. a guide without vertue . 7. a christian contentious . 8. a poor man proud . 9. a king unrighteous . 10. a bishop negligent . 11. people without discipline . 12. subjects without love . vol. 1. p. 89 , 90 , &c. christians to the number of 2000 being assembled in their temple at nicomedia , to celebrate the nativity of christ , and fire being caused to be set to the temple by the order of maximianus , under the tenth persecution , with a cryer , that all that would have life should come out of the temple , and do sacrifice upon the next altar of iupiter . one in the behalf of all the rest answered , they were all christians , and that they would do sacrifice only to christ , his father , and the holy ghost , and that they were all now ready to offer . whereupon they all and the temple were burned . vol. 1. p. 102. iohn clardon , a currier of london , was burned only for having english books in his house , which as his enemies said contained heretical opinions , which he owned against the popish party , 1415. year of christ. vol. 1. p. 842. iohn clerke of meldon in france , a wool-carder , for saying the pope was antichrist in a bill he set upon the church doors against the pope's pardons , was to be whipt three several times , and each time marked on the forehead with a note of infamy , whose mother being a christian woman , and seeing those things done to her son , courageously emboldened him , crying , blessed be christ , and welcome be these marks . he afterwards removing to metz in lotharing , the night before the people idolatrously , according to their custom , was to go out of town to worship some images , he brake them down ; and the next day the monks and people coming to worship , found their images broken , whereof they suspected this clerke , who being examined confessed the fact , and shewed his reason for it ; whereat the people were enraged , and cut off his right arm , and with pinsers pulled off his nose , arms , and breast , and then burnt him , an. 1514. who patiently endured it , singing , their images be of silver and gold , the work of mens hands . vol. 2. p. 107. dr. iohn castellane , a french divine , was degraded and burnt only for religion , in which he continued constant to death , and so patiently underwent it , 1525. that many ignorant people were thereby drawn to the knowledge of the truth , and many weak were greatly confirmed . vol. 2. p. 107 , 108 , 109. george carpenter burned in munchen in bavaria , feb. 8. 1527. whose crimes were , because he held a priest could not forgive sins , nor call god out of heaven , that god was not in the bread in the sacrament , nor that the element of water in baptism did confer grace ; which four articles he refused to recant : and being asked if he was let go if he would not go to his wife and children : he answered , if i was let go , whither should i go rather than to my wife and well-beloved children ? and being told if he would recant he should be set at liberty ; he said , my wife and children are so dearly beloved of me , that they cannot be bought from me for all the riches of the duke of bavaria ; but for the love of my lord god i will willingly forsake them . and being led to the place of execution , he promised a sign of his faith , that while he could open his mouth , he would not cease to call upon the name of iesus ; and being in the fire he cryed aloud , iesus , iesus , and so gave up his spirit joyfully . vol. 2. p. 114. one cowbridge burnt at oxford , he was a person distracted , and knew not what he said , and yet burned for an heretick , who in the midst of the flames , lifting up his head to heaven soberly and discreetly called upon the name of the lord jesus christ , and so departed . vol. 2. p. 437. roger clarke , a suffolk man , taken at ipswich , and judged 1546. with one kerby , by my lord wentworth ; who , after sentence given , talked with another justice on the bench a good while , to whom clarke said , my lord , speak out , and if you have done any thing contrary to your conscience , ask of god mercy , and we from our hearts do forgive you ; speak not in secret , for ye shall come before a iudge , and then make answer openly , even before him that shall judge all men. he was burn'd at berry , and at stake , kneeled down , and said , my soul doth magnifie the lord , &c. vol. 2. p. 569. dirick carver , a beer-brewer in bright-hamsted in sussex , an ancient and pious man , though not understanding a letter of the book , was apprehended for having , with some others , been at prayer in his house ; and after his apprehension he so improved his time in learning , though ancient , that before he suffered , through gods blessing , he could read any english printed book . at the stake in lewis , iuly 22. 1555. he went into the barrel , having stript himself , and there spake to the people . dear brethren and sisters , witness to you all that i am to seal with my blood christs gospel , because i know it is true ; and because i will not deny gods gospel , and be obedient to mens laws , i here am condemned to dye . dear brethren and sisters , as many as believe on the father , son , and holy ghost unto everlasting life , see ye do the works pertaining to the same ; i ask ye all , whom i have offended , forgiveness , for the lords sake , as i heartily forgive all you who have offended me in thought word and deed . lord have mercy upon me , for unto thee do i commend my soul , and my spirit doth rejoice in thee . and so the fire being kindled , he said , oh lord have mercy upon me , and sprang up in the fire calling on the name of jesus , and so ended . vol. 3. p. 386. richard colliar of ashford in kent , being examined and condemned for the gospels sake , as soon as he was condemned he sang a psalm , and was afterwards burnt with five more kentish men , at three stakes in one fire , in august 1555. vol. 3. p. 394. tho. cranmer , a gentleman of a family ancient as the conquest , born at arselacton in nottinghamshire , brought up at school , and at cambridge was fellow of iesus colledge , and afterwards one of the heads of the university , used to examine all graduates in divinity , who would not admit any to be batchellors or doctors in divinity , but those who were well read in the scriptures ; whereby he refused many fryars , some of whom by being thereby brought to consult the word of god were converted , and afterwards returned him thanks . this cranmer was afterwards by king hen. 8. made arch-bishop of canterbury , for his service to him in endeavouring to satisfie his conscience about the divorce of his queen , catherine his first wife , the widow of his late deceased brother : he was of a mild nature , soon reconciled to his enemies , and so ready to do them good that it grew proverbial , do my lord of canterbury a displeasure , and then you may be sure to have him your friend whilst he lives . vol. 3. p. 637. he was by many endeavours tempted to recant , and after much resistance did at last recant , chiefly out of a design to compleat an answer against a papish book which he had begun ; but though he subscribed , the papists were ordered to burn him , march 21. at oxford , by the queen , who had ordered doctor cole to have a funeral sermon in readiness against that day ; and accordingly at the day appointed , the doctor did preach , and cranmer was had to the church not knowing the design ; but as he was perswaded to publish his recantation publickly , and after sermon , when it was expected he should declare his recantation , he with many tears and earnest desires did entreat the people to pray for him to god for pardon of his sins , amongst which , none troubled him more than his subscribing to popery with his hand , which he hated in his heart ; but , saith he , for as much as my hand hath offended , it shall be first punished ; for may i come to the fire , it shall first be burnt ; and so he began to cry against the papists and popery , whereby the papists expectation were frustrated and they grew mad at him , stopping his mouth , and pulling him down , and led him forthwith to the town-ditch to be burnt , where in the fire he put forth his right hand into the flames as soon as they came near him , and held it there till it was burnt , his body being unburnt ; often saying , oh unworthy right hand ; and saying often , lord iesus receive my spirit , he stood immovable in the flames , and dyed march 21. 1556. vol. 3. p. 670 , 671. iohn carter , a weaver of coventry , dyed in the kings-bench a prisoner for the gospel , who expected and desired to have been burnt . in a letter to mr. philpot he writes thus , my friends report me to be more worthy to be burnt than any that was burnt yet , god's blessing on their hearts for their good report , god make me worthy of that dignity , and hasten the time , that i might set forth his glory . he wrote divers letters of encouragement to the persecuted brethren ; and in one letter to his wife he begs , and chargeth her to rejoice with him in this his state of sufferings for christ's sake . vol. 3. p. 716. &c. peter chevet : see peter . mrs. gertrude crockhay , wife to mr. robert crockhay at st. katherines by the tower in london , being for the gospel persecuted , fled 1556. to gelderland , beyond sea , to look after some estate that should fall to her children by a former husband : but there also she was betrayed , and came to trouble at antwerp ; where , at the request of her friends , she was set at liberty , and she came for england , where she was infested again by the papists ; and being very sick : they told her daughter , that unless her mother would receive the sacrament she should not be buried with christian burial : who hearing the same , said , oh how happy am i that i shall not rise with them , but against them : the earth is the lords and all the fullness thereof , and therefore i commit the matter to him . soon after she dyed , and was buried in her husbands garden . vol. 3. p. 1013 , 1014. christians to the number of 30000 slain in the massacre at paris in france , 1572. which was effected by the french king 's inviting the chief captains of them , and all other that would , to the wedding between the prince of navarre , and the kings sister ; at which being kindly received , some of them after the compleating of that marriage were slain , and all the souldiers in paris charged to be in arms at a watch-word , so that within three days 10000 of them were slain , besides many other in the days following in paris , and the persecution in other places in a months time compleated the number of 30000 aforesaid ; which news being sent to the pope , he solemnly gave thanks for it as a mercy ; and the french king also did the like ; and the messenger of the news had 1000 crowns for his news : but the poor protestants were much troubled , of whom some turned , others fled , and all had been destroyed , had not those in rochel by god's mercy been courageous , and resolved to be stedfast and fight for the faith ; which being known , the french king besiegeth it , and chargeth all his nobles and gentry , on pain of great punishment , to besiege it ; which was done with great vigour by the whole force of france , and also of the duke of anjou , duke of alanson , navarre , and condee , which forces assaulted it seven times and were resisted , so that they lost 122 captains ; and at last the duke of anjou being made king of polony , which news coming to the camp they rejoiced ; whereat the new king treated with them of rochel , and finding them not unconformable , made peace with them , and prevailed with the french king by edict to let them have peace , and the liberty of religion in that and other cities , 1573. vol. 3. p. 1028 , to 1030. d d dorotheus and gorgoneus , persons of dioclesian's privy chamber , seeing the sad torments inflicted on peter their houshold companion , said to dioclesian , why , o emperour , do you punish in peter that opinion which is in all of us ? why is this accounted in him an offence , that we all confess we are of that faith , religion , and iudgment that he is of ? wherefore he commanded them to be brought forth , and to be tormented almost with like pains to peter's , and afterwards to be hanged . vol. 1. p. 101 , 102. iohn diazius , a spaniard , was murthered 1546. by his brother alphonsus diazius , who hired a man with an hatchet to cleave his own brother's head , as he was reading some letters , under a pretence sent to him by his brother , who was by when the fact was done , and forth with fled with the murtherer : but he being the popes lawyer , and procuring his companion in rome on purpose to murther his brother being a protestant , escaped punishment . vol. 2. p. 109. dennis a french martyr 1528. burnt at melda , for saying the mass is a plain denying of the death of christ ; he was wont to have always in his mouth the words of christ , he that denyeth me before men , him also will i deny before my father , and to muse on the same earnestly . he was burnt with a slow fire , and did abide much torment . vol. 2. p. 128. adam damlip , alias george bucker , a great papist , in his travels at rome seeing the great profaneness and impiety of that place , where he expected so much goodness , loathed popery ; and at calice reforming , he preached against it , and was at length sentenced to death . when the news was told him by the jaylor of the marshalsee in london on a saturday night , that on monday he must for calice , and suffer there , he did eat his supper chearfully , insomuch that some asked him how he could do it , being to dye so soon ; to whom he said , ah masters , do you think that i have been god's prisoner so long in the marshalsee , and have not learned to dye ? yes , yes ; and i doubt not but god will strengthen me therein . he was at calice the next saturday following hanged , drawn , and quartered as a traytor , in king henry the eighth's time . and his greatest enemy , who at his death said he would not depart till he did see his heart out , ( one sir ralph ellerken ) was soon after slain amongst others by the french , and his enemies cutting off his privy members , cut his heart out of his body ; which cruelty they did to none other of the company , and may be looked on as a just judgment of god on him , who so desired to see damlip's heart . vol. 2. p. 564 , 565. iohn denley , a gentleman of maidstone in kent , burnt for the gospel's sake at uxbridge , august 8. 1555. who in the flames sang a psalm ; whereat dr. story caused one to throw a faggot at him , which hurting his face did cause him to lay both his hands on it , and to leave singing ; whereupon the doctor said to him that flung the faggot , you have spoiled a good old song ; but mr. denley being yet in the flame put abroad his hands again and sang , yielding up his spirit into the hands of god. vol. 3. p. 390. alice driver , a suffolk woman and a labourers wife , persecuted for the gospel of christ , said that quen mary , for her persecuting the saints of god , was like iezebel ; for which she had her ears cut off presently , which she suffered joyfully ; and said , she thought her self happy that she was counted worthy to suffer any thing for the name of christ. being examined by several doctors , she reasoned with them so , and silenced them all . she perceiving which , said , have ye no more to say ? god be thanked you be not able to resist the spirit of god in a poor weak woman : i was never brought up at the university , but often drave the plow before my father ; yet , in the defence of gods truth , and in the cause of my master christ , by his grace i will set foot to foot against any of you in the maintenance of the same ; and if i had a thousand lives , they should all go for the payment of it . she being at stake , and a chain put about her neck to bind her with , she said , here is a goodly neck-kerchief , blessed be god for it . she was burned november 4. 1558. vol. 3. p. 886 , 887 , 888. iohn davis , a school-boy of twelve years of age , was , because he had a bible , and had written some things against the papists , betrayed by his aunt , one mrs. iohnson , in worcester , 1546. with whom he lived ; and he was imprisoned from august 14. till 7. days before easter , with fetters and bolts ; and one perswading him from burning , advised him first to try the candle , who holding his finger , and the other holding a candle under it a good space , he cryed not , felt no pain , nor was his finger scorched . he was afterwards arraigned , and should have been punished with death , but that king henry the 8 th . dyed , and the law was thereby out of force . vol. 3. p. 919 , 920. e e eulalia , a virgin of noble parentage in eremita , a city in portugal , of twelve years of age , refusing great marriages and dowries , being a christian , joined her self with gods children under the 10 th . persecution ; and being kept close by her parents , lest she should hasten her own death , she by night stole out and ran to the judgment seat , and cryed out , i am a christian , an enemy to your devilish sacrifices ; i spurn your idols all under my feet , i confess god omnipotent with heart and mouth : isis , apollo , venus , what are they ? maximinus himself , what is he ? the one a thing of nought , because the work of mens hands ; and the other a cast-away , because he worshippeth the same work . whereat the judge incens'd , threatned torments , but first perswades her to return and offer incense ; whereat she spits in his face , spurns abroad with her feet the incense ; and then was miserably tormented , scratched and cut to the bones , she singing and praising god , saying , o lord i will not forget thee ! what a pleasure is it , o christ , for them that remember thy triumphant victory , to attain to these high dignities ? and so she was burned . vol. 1. p. 120. edmund , king of eastangles , in the saxon heptarchy in brittain , being summoned to submit to inguar , a dane , returned an answer , that he , a christian king , would not , for the love of a temporal life , subject himself to a pagan duke , unless he became a christian first ; whereupon he was taken , and fixt to a stake , and shot to death . vol. 1. p. 148. f f fructuosus , bishop of tarraconia in spain , being by emilianus under the eighth persecution , in the year of christ 262. to be burned , because he would not worship idols , said , he worshipped not any dumb god of stocks and blocks , but one god the creator of all things : and being cast into the fire with his hands tyed behind him , his bands were by the fire dissolved , his hands unhurt , and his body remained whole , and he lifted up his hands and praised god , praying also that the fire might speedily dispatch him ; which then was soon done : in the mean time a souldier in the house of emilianus , with the daughter of emilianus , said they saw the heavens open and the martyr to enter in . vol. 1. p. 96. nicholas finchman burned in dornick 1549. who being condemned , blessed god which had counted him worthy to be a witness in the cause of his dear and well beloved son ; and patiently took his death , commending his spirit unto god in the midst of the fire . vol. 2. p. 124. iames faber an old man , about the year of christ 1562. being apprehended , said , he could not answer or satisfie them in reasoning , yet he would constantly abide in the truth of the gospel ; and so was martyred . vol. 2. p. 127. ioannes filieul , or filiolus , and iulianus leville , suffered both at sanserre in france 1554. who having their tongues cut out , yet had some utterance given them of god , that at their death they said , we bid sin , the flesh , the world and the devil farewel for ever , with whom never we shall have to do hereafter . vol. 2. p. 145. fininus at ferraria , an italian , was burnt 1550. who being apprehended , by the perswasion of his friends he recanted , and then was in so great horrour that he almost despaired , till he publickly again preached the gospel ; for which he being again taken , could not by all the solicitations of his wife and children be drawn from it , but told them that his lord had commanded him not to deny him for taking care of his family , wherefore he desired them to depart : and being afterwards commanded by pope iulius the third to be executed , he returned thanks to the messengers of the news , and much rejoiced at it : and being asked what would become of his wife and children , if he so left them : he said he had left them to a good overseer , christ the lord , a faithful keeper of all committed to him . one seeing him so merry before his death , asked the reason , since christ wept and sweat drops of blood before his passion ? to whom he answered , christ sustained in his body all the sorrows and conflicts of hell and death due to us , by whose death we are delivered from sorrow and fear of them all . and at the stake , after his prayers to god , he meekly gave his neck to the cord , with which he was strangled , and was afterwards burned . vol. 2. p. 165 , 166. iohn frith burnt at one stake in smithfield 1533. with one andrew hewet , this frith willingly embraced the stake , and whenas one dr. cooke bad the people pray for them no more than for a dog , he said smiling , father forgive them ; and the fire being by the wind more blown to his partner than himself , he , though in so great torments , rejoiced ; and seeming to feel no torments , comforted his fellow-sufferer rather than was careful for himself . vol. 2. p. 309 , 310. henry filmer , a preacher of the gospel , in king hen. 8. days , about windsor , was brought to be burnt by the envy of dr. london , and the false accusations of his own brother , induced to it by promises of maintenance from the doctor : to which brother , filmer ( seeing himself like to suffer by reason of his accusations ) said , ah , brother , what cause hast thou to shew me this unkindness ? i have been always a natural brother to thee ; and is this a brotherly part , to reward me now so ? god forgive thee it my brother , and give thee grace to repent . he suffered with one testwood and anthony persons . as he came to his brothers door , as he was going to suffer ; he called his brother three or four times , but he appeared not : and then filmer said , and will he not come ? then god forgive him , and make him a good man. he being with the other two at the stake , drank to each other ; and filmer said , be merry , for i trust , that after this sharp breakfast , we shall have a good dinner in the kingdom of christ. vol. 2. p. 553 , 554. dr. robert farrar , bishop of s. davids in wales , being to be burnt , and much pitied by a knights son , who lamented the painfulness of the death he was to suffer ; to whom ferrar said , if ye see me once stir in the pains of my burning , you shall not believe my doctrine : and as he said , so it was ; for he stood so patiently that he never moved ; but as he stood holding up his stumps , so he continued till he was struck down by a staff , march 30. 1555. in the reign of queen mary . vol. 3. p. 216. william flower , alias branch , a cambridgeshire man , brought up a monk , at last was reformed ; and after removing from place to place , he came to lambeth , by london ; and on an easter-day went to westminster , and in s. margarets church he , out of zeal for gods cause , drew his hanger , and wounded the priest as he was administring the sacrament ; for which he was imprisoned , and though he much lamented the fact as done amiss , yet did he justifie his faith against them . and bishop bonner threatning him one while , and then perswading him by proffers of gifts , he thankt him and said , whereas it was in his power to kill , or not kill his body , he was contented he should do what he pleased ; but he knew over his soul he had no such power , but that being separated from the body is in the hands of no man , but only of god , either to save or spill . at length he was burnt in westminster-abby yard , april 24. 1554. where his right hand was cut off , he not shewing any sense of pain ; and at last , burning in the fire , he cryed out , o thou son of god have mercy on me , o thou son of god receive my soul ; and dyed by much torment , his lower part being burnt when his upper part was untouched , by reason of want of fuel . vol. 3. p. 243 , 244. 246. elizabeth folkes , an essex maid , being imprisoned and condemned for the gospel , kneeled down and lifting up her hands , prayed to god and praised him that ever she was born to see that most blessed day , that the lord would count her worthy to suffer for the testimony of christ ; and , lord , said she , if it be thy will , forgive them that have done this against me ; for they know not what they do : and going to the stake at colchester , august 2. 1557. and the people not permitting her to give her petticoat to her mother ( who was present and kist her at the stake , and exhorted her to be strong in the lord ) she threw away the coat , saying , farewel all the world , farewel faith , farewel hope ; and then taking hold of the stake , she said , welcome love. she was burned with five more , who all clapped their hands for joy in the flames . vol. 3. p. 832. iohn frith being in the tower as an heretick , because he held against transubstantiation . and being afterwards sent for to croydon by my lord of canterbury , cranmer , in king henry the 8 th's time , the lords men who were sent for him advised him to submit to the bishops and doctors opinion : to whom frith said , my conscience is such , that in any wise i neither may , nor can , for any worldly respect , without danger of damnation , start aside from that true knowledge , though i should presently lose twenty lives if i had so many . the servants , still endeavouring to save him , contrived how he might fly , and so escape ; which they imparted to him : to whom he said , should you leave me , i would surely follow you ; should you bring the bishops news ye had lost frith , i would bring them news i had found him , and brought him again : for , though before i was taken , i being at liberty , fled , to make use of my liberty ; yet i being taken , cannot fly , but run from god , and should then be worthy of a thousand hells . and so he went chearfully to the bishops at croydon , and there disputed the point ; and after was sent to bishop stokesteys , the bishop of london's consistory ; and soon after was burnt . vol. 3. p. 990 , 991 , 992. see more of frith p. 59. of this book . g g germanicus , a young devout man , being by the proconsul of antoninus verus in the 4 th persecution , perswaded to favour himself being in the flower of his age ; he would not be allured , but constantly , and boldly , and of his own accord provoked the beasts to come upon him to devour him , to be delivered the more speedily out of this wretched life . vol. 1. p. 57. gordius , a centurion of caesaria , in the 10 th persecution , willingly exiled himself , till a publick feast of mars was celebrated , and much people was assembled ; and then appearing in the theatre , cryed out , i am found of them that sought me not : and being examined by the sheriff , he said , i came hither to publish that i set nothing by your decrees against christian religion , but i profess christ to be my hope and safety : hereupon he was scourged , and he said , it would be an hindrance to him , if he could not suffer divers torments for christ. and having more torments tryed on him , he sang , the lord is my helper , i will not fear the thing that man can do unto me ; i will fear no evil , because thou lord art with me . after this , being with prayers and entreaties dealt with , he derided the madness of the magistrates ; who being thereby incensed , condemned him . and he being much importuned by divers acquaintance to deny christ with tongue , and to keep his conscience to himself ; he said , my tongue , which by the goodness of god i have , cannot be brought to deny the author of it . and to those who wept for him , and by tears importuned him to save himself ; he said , weep not , i pray , for me : but weep for the enemies of god , which always make war against the christians , who prepare for these a fire , and purchase to themselves hell fire ; but molest not , i pray , my setled mind ; truly i am ready to suffer for the name of christ a thousand deaths if need were . vol. 1. p. 117. iohn goose in the time of king edward the 4 th , being to be burnt , desired of the sheriff somewhat to eat , and he did eat as if he had been towards no manner of danger , saying , i eat now a good and competent dinner , for i shall pass a little sharp shower ere i go to supper : and having dined , he gave thanks , and desired that he might be shortly led to the place where he should yield up his spirit to god ; and was burned on tower-hill in august 1473. vol. 1. p. 939. lawrence ghest , in king henry the seventh's days , being to be burnt at salisbury , and having his wife and seven children shewn him , and his wife desiring him to favour himself , he desired her to be content , and not to be a block in his way , for he was in a good course , running toward the mark of his salvation ; and so he was burned . vol. 1. p. 1012. galeasius trecius , an italian , burned at aus pompeia in italy 1551. for professing the gospel . he having professed it a while , and then by the perswasion of friends denying it , felt great sorrow , and , as he declared , never greater in all his life ; but recovering by the grace of god , he longed for a time to evidence his return by confession of his faith again , affirming he never felt more joy of heart than when by papists examined , nor more sorrow than when he recanted , declaring that death was much more sweet to him , with the testimony of the truth , than life with the least denyal of the truth and loss of a good conscience : and being imprisoned , he could not be prevailed with to recant , but confirmed his first faith , and burned . vol. 2. p. 167 , 168. franciscus gamba , an italian , burn'd at comun 1554. being accused for an heretick , and importuned to recant ; he defended his doctrine by manifest scriptures , and proved his opinions to be the true doctrine of christ , and rather than he would deny them he was ready to stand to the effusion of his blood : and being long and often assailed by his friends to recant , he could not be expugned , but gave thanks to god , that he was made worthy to suffer the rebukes of the world , and civil death for the testimony of his son ; and so went chearfully to death : and when at his death the fryars held a cross before him , he said that his mind was so replenished with joy and comfort in christ , that he needed not them , nor their cross : and declaring many comfortable things to the people , he was strangled and burned . vol. 2. p. 180. garret , a great promoter of christianity in oxford , was at last iuly 30. 1541. by gardner bishop of winchester to be burnt , who professing his faith , and detesting all heresies , beg'd pardon of god for his sins , and of all persons whom he had offended : he resigned up his soul to god , whom he believed would through christ save him , and pardon his sins , and desired the persons present to pray for him ; and dyed christianly with barus and hierom. vol. 2. p. 528. william gardiner , born at bristow , and there dealing in merchandise under one mr. paget a merchant , at 26 years of age sailed to spain , but by chance the ship arrived at lisborne the chief city of portugal , where he stayed and merchandised , and learning their tongue , he acted for many english merchants , and had much knowledge in scripture and the reformed religion : and being there , and happening to be at the solemnizing of a marriage between the king of portugal's son , and the king of spain's daughter , and beholding great pomp and greater idolatry acted by the kings , and all the assembly's adoring the mass , praying , kneeling and worshipping the external sacrament , he was much troubled , and could he have got near the altar would have interrupted them ; but being hindred by the throng of the people , he was very sorrowful for his neglect of that opportunity to declare against their idolatry , which neglect he much lamented , and contrived how to redeem it ; to effect which he cast up all his accounts , and bad adieu to worldly concerns ; and giving himself to reading , meditating , fasting , weeping , and praying : he being cleanly drest the next sunday , when the like solemnity was to be done , he gat to the altar betimes , and there stood with a testament in his hand till the cardinal came to solemnize it , and till he consecrated , sacrificed , and lifted up on high the host , shewing his god to the people , who with the kings and nobles gave great reverence to it ; and at last , when the cardinal came to begin to toss it to and fro round the chalice , making several circles , this gardner stept in , and with one hand took the cake and trod it under foot , and with the other hand overthrew the chalice , in the presence of the kings , and the nobles and citizens , which abashed them all ; and one cut him with a sword , but the king commanded he should be saved ; and being examined , he confessed himself to be an english-man and a protestant , and decryed much against their idolatry ; for which after several torments to cause him to confess others , he taking all the blame on himself , they put a hard roul of linen with a string into his throat , and so often pulled that up , and then cut of his right hand , which he took in his left and kist , then in the market-place they cut off his left hand , and he kneeling down kissed it , then was he carried to execution , and being hung on high a fire was made under him , and he by degrees let down into it , so that only his legs at first felt the fire , yet would he not recant ; and being bid to pray to saints , he said , that when christ leaves off to be our mediator and advocate , then he would pray to our lady and the saints . and then he prayed , o eternal god , father of all mercies ; i beseech thee look down upon thy servant . and the more terribly he burnt , the more vehemently he prayed ; which his enemies desiring to hinder , he said the 43. psalm ; before the close of which , the rope was burnt asunder , and he fell down into the fire , and was burned to death , 1552. whose death was not unpunished , for among the king of portugal's ships ready to sail , being in a haven hard by , one was burnt by a spark of fire blown from the martyrs fire ; and within half a year the kings son dyed ; and the king himself within a year . vol. 2. p. 745 , 746 , 747 , 748. robert glover was apprehended to be burnt at coventry , being very sickly in prison , said , he found daily amendment of body , and increase of peace in conscience ; many consolations from god , and sometimes , as it were , a taste and a glimmering of the life to come : but he was much assaulted by satan , from his unworthiness , to do or suffer for christ. which objection he answered from gods mercies , and the unworthiness of like servants in all ages , who have been accepted . yet , three days before he was burnt , he had a sad dulness of spirit , and was desolate of all spiritual comfort ; against which he prayed much , and earnestly ; but yet finding no ease , nor comfort , he told it to his friend , one austin , who advised him to wait god's time for the manifestation of himself , and to continue stedfast in the faith and willing to suffer ; knowing his cause to be right , not doubting but god in his due time would replenish his heart with spiritual joy ; requesting him to shew it by some token , if he felt any such thing : and as he went to burning , as soon as he came in sight of the stake ▪ he cryed out , being suddenly full of comfort , clapping his hands together , austin , he is come , he is come ; with so great joy and alacrity , as if he had been one risen from some deadly danger , to liberty of life ; and so dyed chearfully in september , 1555. vol. 3. p. 427 , 428. bartlet green , a londoner , brought up at oxford ; converted from popery by peter martyr , reader of divinity in oxford ; and afterwards he was student in the temple , and at twenty five years of age , ianuary 28. 1556. he was burnt , with six others , for the gospel of christ. he often repeated , as he went to the stake , and at the stake , this distich . christe deus sine te spes est mihi nulla salutis , te duce vera sequor , te duce falsa nego . in english thus . o christ my god , sure hope of health , besides thee i have none ; the truth i love , and falshood hate , by thee my guide alone . vol. 3. p. 627. he wrote to one in a letter , thus : man of woman is born in travel , to live in misery ; man , through christ , doth dye in joy , and live in felicity : he is born to dye , and dyes to live ; whilst here he displeased god , when dead he fulfilled his will. vol. 3. p. 629. charles le roy de gand , once a fryar carmelite , but reformed , had a canonship promised him by the magistrate , if he would but yield a little : to which , he said , you proffer me a canonship , that i might live quietly , and be in security ; but know , sir , that rest is no true rest , which is obtained against peace of conscience ; and so he was burned at bruges , april 27. 1557. addit . to vol 3. of massacre of france , p. 5. h h john husse , a bohemian , was burned 1415. about iuly , by the council of constance ; where he often desired to be heard , to clear himself of the errours they impeached him of , and could not . then he requesting their proving by scripture any errour he held , they would not ; but , because he held wicklif's doctrine they degraded him , and left him to the secular power , to sigismund king of the romans ; by whom he was condemned , and burned , and all this cruelty against a safe conduct , sealed by the emperour , and promised by the council . when he was to be burned he prayed often , and especially for his enemies ; and after the kindling of the fire he sang aloud , iesus christ , the son of the living god , have mercy upon me . vol. 1. p. 821 , 822. richard hunn burned in smithfield , december 20. 1514. sixteen days after he was privately murdered by the papists . vol. 2. p. 19. mr. hierom was condemned in king henry the 8 th's time , 1541. by bishop gardner , bishop of winchester ; and at the stake he confessed his faith , and exhorted all persons to duties to god and man , considering what price christ paid for us ; and exciting them to bear their cross with christ , considering his example of patience under sufferings ; and at last prayed them to pray for him , that he , barns , and garret , who were all three together burnt , might have their souls , leaving these wretched bodies , constantly depart in the true faith of christ ; and so , committing his soul to christ , he dyed . these three , which at this fire were burnt together , took each other by the hand ; and kissing each other , quietly , and peaceably , offered themselves to the tormentors hands ; and took their deaths christianly , and patiently . vol. 2. p. 528 , 529. mr. iohn hooper , student in oxford , flying , in king henry the 8 th's time , beyond sea , because of persecution for the six articles ; was at zurick acquainted with mr. bullinger , and married a burgonian woman : but , in king edward the 6 th's days , he returned , and did promise his friends they should hear from him : though , saith he , the last news of me i shall not be able to write ; for there , saith he , where i shall take most pains , there shall you hear of me to be burnt to ashes : which prophesie came to effect : he preached at london often twice a day , but alwayes once a day : he was , in his sermons , earnest ; in his tongue , eloquent ; in scriptures , perfect ; in pains , indefatigable ; he was spare of dyet , sparest of words , and sparest of time . he was , by king edward the 6 th , made bishop of glocester and worcester ; in both which diocesses he preached at , and visited them : and , at worcester , his manner was every day to have a certain number of poor beggars of the town dine in his pallace with whole and wholsome meat , four at a mess ; whom he examined , or caused to be examined , in the lords prayer , creed , and ten commandments , before himself sate down to dinner . he was with one iohn rogers the two first that were condemned in queen mary's days : to which rogers bishop hooper said , brother rogers , must we two begin first to fry these faggots ? fear not but god will give us strength . he suffered amongst his people , at glocester ; where sir anthony kingston , his old friend , did desire him to accept of life , and not dye ; saying , life is sweet , and death bitter : to whom bishop hooper answered , true , but eternal death is more bitter , and eternal life most sweet ; in respect of which , i value not this life . vol. 3. p. 145 , 146 , 147. he was after that perswaded much , but he said , death to me for christ's sake is welcome . at the fire a box was set on a stool before him with the queens pardon ( as it was said ) if he would turn ; but he cryed , if ye love my sonl away with it , if ye love my soul away with it : he was prohibited to speak to the people , and permitted only to pray : he begged of the sheriffs for a speedy fire to dispatch him ; but when he was to be burnt , what through the wetness of the wood and greatness of the frude , three fires one after another were made before he was consumed ; in the first fire he prayed mildly , as one without pain , lord iesus thou son of david have mercy on me , and receive my soul. after the second fire was spent he wiped both eyes , and looking on the people , beg'd for gods sake more fire : and in the third fire he cryed out , lord iesus receive my spirit , lord iesus have mercy on me ; and so spoke no more , continuing motion of his lips , till they shrank to his gums ; and beating his breast with his hands till one arm fell off , and the other by fat , water , and blood , stuck to the iron , by which he was fastned to the stake ; and so he dyed . vol. 3. p. 156. in a letter he wrote out of prison to divers friends , he undervalues the worldly joyes and troubles , in comparison of hells misery , or heavens glory ; and exhorts them to constancy , thus : it was an easie thing to hold with god and christ , whilst the prince and world held with him ; but now the world hateth him , it is the true tryal who be his : let us not run when it is most time to fight ; none shall be crowned , but them that fight manfully : beware of beholding the worlds felicity , or misery , too much ; whose love , or fear , draweth from god : think the felicity of the world good , but yet no otherwise than stands with gods favour : it is to be kept , yet so as we lose not god ; of adversity , judge the same : imprisonment is painful , yet liberty , on evil terms , worse : i must be alone , and solitary ; yet that is better , and to have god with us , than to enjoy the company of the wicked : loss of goods is great , but loss of gods favour greater : i shall dye by the hands of cruel men ; but he is blessed that loseth a life full of misery , and findeth a life full of eternal ioyes : neither felicity , or misery , in the world , can be great , if compared with joys , or pains , in the world to come . vol. 3. p. 156 , 157. in another letter he exhorts the godly to meet often , and pray and confer together of their ignorance , before their knowledge of god ; and their state , by their knowledge of god in his word ; and to compare their popish principles with gods word , being careful to do all things for three ends ; gods glory , the churches edification , and their souls profit . p. 158 , 159. in another letter , exhorting to patience under the cross , he saith , that our enemies cruelty hath no further power than god permits , and what comes to us by the will of our heavenly father , can be no harm , but felicity to us . we , as men , suffer these evils ; but as christians we overcome them , nor can they separate betwen gods love and us ; they can but last our short life , and then must give way to our partaking of eternal joyes . vol. 3. p. 161. nothing can hurt us that is taken from us for gods cause , nor can any thing do us good that is kept against gods commandment ; let us surrender goods and life to his will , and then it matters not whether we keep or lose it . vol. 3. p. 163. william hunter , an apprence to one thomas taylor , a silk-weaver in london , fled at nineteen years old for religion's sake , to burntwood , to his fathers house ; and being at burntwood , in the church , found a bible , and did read in it , till a sumner came in and threatned him for it , telling him he was an heretick and deserved death ; and called one thomas wood vicar of southwel ( being then in the town ) to him , who said to hunter , he ought not to read , and that he was an heretick ; and threatned him much . to whom hunter said , i would you and i were now fast tyed to a stake , to prove whether you , or i , would stand strongest to our faith ; i dare set my foot to yours , even to death . yet being thus threatned , whilst the vicar went to inform , he fled into the country ; but his father was sent for , and forced to go and seek him , and to bring him into his enemies hands : who , much against his natural affection and will , rode two or three days into the country to seek him . and his son , meeting him , did conjecture the cause of his fathers journey ; and said , he would return with him and save him harmless , whatever came of it : and as soon as he came home he was laid in the stocks , and had before one justice brown ; who soon sent him to bishop bonner , who a while flattered the young man ; but at last , seeing he would not recant , threatned to make him sure enough : to whom william said , you can do no more than god will permit you , i will never recant while i live , god willing : then was he imprisoned for three quarters of a year , and allowed but a halfpenny a day , and at length condemned : to whom , after condemnation , bonner said , if he would turn he would make him freeman of the city , and give him forty pound to set up with ; or else would make him steward of his house : to wom william hunter said , i thank you for your offers , yet if you cannot perswade my conscience by scripture , i cannot find in my heart to turn from god for the love of the world ; for i count all things but dung and loss , in respect of the love of christ. when he came to burntwood to be burnt , his parents came to him , and desired of god heartily that he might continue to the end in that good way he had begun ; and his mother said , she was glad she was so happy to bear such a child that could find in his heart to lose his life for christ's sake : to whom william hunter said , for my little pain which i shall suffer , which is but short , christ hath promised me a crown of joy ; may you not be glad of that mother ? who answered , yea , i think thee as well bestowed as any child i ever did bear ; and prayed to god to strengthen him to the end . he was burnt march 26. 1555. as he went to the stake he met his father , who said to him , god be with thee my son william : and he answered , god be with you my good father ; be of good comfort , for i hope we shall meet again when we shall be merry . and , taking up a faggot , he kneeled down and prayed , and read the 51. psalm , and then went to the stake , standing upright , begging the people to pray for him and to dispatch him quickly : he still had his pardon offered , if he would recant ; but he refused . at his request for the peoples prayers , one justice brown said , he would pray no more for him , than for a dog. to whom william hunter said , you now have , sir , what you sought for ; i pray god it be not laid to your charge , howbeit i forgive you . and soon after he prayed , son of god , shine on me ; and immediately the sun in the element shone out of a dark cloud so full in his face , that he was forced to turn away his head ; whereat the people mused , because it was so dark a day a little time before . then william hunter took and embraced a faggot in his arms , and when the fire was kindled , he lift up his hands to heaven , and said , lord , lord , lord , receive my spirit , and so dyed . vol. 3. p. 191 , to 194. thomas hawks , an essex gentleman , being threatned by bishop bonner if he would not recant , said always , ye shall do no more than god will give you leave ; and at last at his condemnation being urged to recant , he said , no , had i an hundred bodies i would suffer them all to be torn in pieces , rather than recant . as he went to execution , iune 10. 1555. being desired by his friends that he would shew them some sign in the flames , if he could , whereby they might know more certainly , whether the pain of the burning was so great that a man might not therein keep his mind quiet ; which he promised to do , and that if the pain was tolerable he would lift up his hands towards heaven before he gave up the ghost : and being at stake , he mildly and patiently addressed himself to the fire , and after he had been in the fire , his fingers burnt and gone , and skin so drawn together , that all men thought he had been dead , he suddenly reached up his hands burning of a light fire over his head , to the living god , and with great rejoicing as seemed struck or clapped them three times together , and then sinking down into the fire he gave up his spirit . he wrote to his wife and children to fear and serve god , and to continue fervent in prayer , for then god would provide for them better than he was able to do ever ; yea , saith he , god will cause all men that fear him to pity you , to help you , to succour you in all your necessities ; so that if any would do you wrong , he will be avenged on him . vol. 3. p. 265. iohn hullier , fellow of kings colledge in cambridge , was burnt for the gospel ; who being degraded said chearfully , this is the joyfullest day that ever i saw , and i thank you all that ye have delivered me from all this paltry . he was burned on iesus green in cambridge ; he said he dyed in the right faith , and desired the people to take notice that he dyed in a just cause , and for the testimony of the truth : and feeling the fire , he called earnestly on god ; and many books being burnt with him , he gat one which was cast into the fire , and fell into his arms , and was a communion-book , which he did read in till the flame and smoke hindred him from seeing : and then laying the book next his heart he prayed again : and when all the people thought he had been dead , he suddenly said , lord iesus receive my spirit , dying very meekly : and after his flesh was burnt his bones stood upright , as if he had been alive . vol. 3. p. 827 , 828. thomas hudson , a glover , of ailsham in norfolk , an ignorant person till he learned the english tongue , about one or two years before the reign of queen mary ; and then he detested the mass and popish idolatry , and became a zealous protestant , reading , praying , singing psalms ; and being sought for , he prayed , if it was gods will , he might suffer persecution for the gospel of christ : and when persons came to apprehend him , he said , welcome friends , welcome ; you are they that shall lead me to life in christ : and so he went with them . and being by bishop hopton ( then bishop of norwich ) his commissary berry , asked to recant , he said , god forbid , i had rather dye many deaths , than do so . then was he sent to norwich to the bishop , and went as merrily as ever he was ; and was burned with two more , may 19. 1555. and being bound with them to the stake by a chain , he not feeling the joyes of christ , came from under the chain , being troubled in mind , and fell down and prayed earnestly to god , who hearing him , and restoring to him comfort , he arose and went to the stake again , saying , now i am strong , and pass not what men can do unto me . vol. 3. p. 869 , 870. roger holland , son to a lancashire gentleman , and apprentice to a merchant-taylor in london , a zealous man ; to whom this roger was a great trouble , being a debauched lad , and a great papist , yet did he trust him with his accounts ; but it hapned one night that roger lost thirty pound at dice , and not being able to pay it , resolved next morning to go to france , or flanders ; but acquainted his fellow-servant , a maid , whose name was elizabeth , a woman of great christian profession and practice ; to whom he gave a bill to give his master for the thirty pound , that his master might not acquaint his friends with it ; and that if ever he was worth it , he would pay it to his master : and so he going to leave the house , the maid , having money by her , brought him thirty pound , and gave him ; saying , i will take the bill my self , and conceal the thing from your friends , and my master ; and you may have this thirty pound to pay my master , on condition that you will throw away your popish books and read the bible , and attend all christian lectures ; nor more swear , curse , drink , whore , nor play : but if you do those things again , and i know of it , i will then tell my master of the business . but in half a years space roger was so reformed , and so zealous a protestant , that he was admired by his associates : and going into lancashire to his friends , he was , by his books he carried , and by his discourse , instrumental , that his father and his friends began to try the truth of god , and to hate popery . and at his return to london his father gave him fifty pound to set up with ; and then he paid the maid elizabeth her thirty pound , and soon after married her ; and they lived heavenly together , till he was apprehended for the gospels sake , and by bishop bonner persecuted ; to whom he openly told the impurity of their principles , the corrupt tendency of their confessions from his own practice , who cared not what sin he used to commit so long as he was a papist , since the popish priest would , for money , absolve him . and when he was condemned , he told bishop bonner , that his cruelty should be but short , nor after that day should he burn any more : which came so to pass . at the stake , he said , lord , i humbly thank thy majesty that thou hast called me from the state of death to the light of thy heavenly word , and now into the fellowship of saints , that i may sing and say , holy , holy , holy , lord god of hosts ; lord , into thy hands i commend my spirit : lord , bless these thy people , and save them from idolatry : and so praising god he dyed in the flames , with two more , in smithfield , iuly 27. 1558. vol. 3. p. 874. to 878. bartholomew hector , burnt at turin in piedmont , iune 19. 1556. being bound to the stake , and gunpowder and brimstone placed about him , he lifted up his eyes to heaven , and said , lord , how sweet and welcome are these to me ? addition to vol. 3. concerning massacres in france , p. 5. philibert hamelin , a minister in tournay , being perswaded to fly , said , no , i esteem it altogether unbeseeming for a man called to preach the gospel to others to run away for fear of danger , but rather to maintain its truth even in the midst of the flaming fire : and he was executed 1557. at tournay . additions to vol. 3. of massacres of france . p. 5. iohn herwin , a souldier of flanders , of very dissolute prophane life ; but coming over to england was , by means of a beer-brewer in london ( with whom he was a servant ) converted , and became a zealous protestant , and a pious liver . and afterwards , returning to flanders , he was apprehended for the gospel , and imprisoned ; which he took patiently , and chearfully : and in prison he sang psalms , and testified his inward joy by a letter to the brethren , whom he exhorted to persevere constant in the faith. after sentence of death he blessed god for that honour to dye for christ ; and being led out to execution , he said , see how the wicked world rewards the poor servants of christ. whilst i gave my self to drinking , carding , dicing , and such like vices ; i was let alone , and accounted a good-fellow ; and who but i ? and no sooner began i to look after a godly life , but the world wars on me , imprisons me , persecutes me , and will put me to death . at the stake he sang the 30. psalm ; and said to the people , i am now going to be sacrificed , follow ye me , when god of his goodness shall call you to it . he was burned at honscot , november 4. 1560. additions to the 3. vol. concerning massacre in france and flanders . p. 18. i i james , the son of zebedee , and brother of iohn , brought by a person to the tribunal seat of herod , and condemned ; the person seeing he should now suffer death , being moved therewith in heart and conscience , did confess himself , of his own accord , a christian ; and as he and iames were led together , he desired iames to forgive him what he had done : after that iames had a little paused with himself upon the matter , turning to him , peace ( saith he ) be to thee brother , and kissed him ; and both were beheaded together , anno christi 36. vol. 1. p. 42. iames , the brother of our lord , who was bishop of ierusalem ; called , for his holiness , iames the just , had knees like camels knees by praying ; being by the iews set upon the pinacle of the temple to give testimony concerning ( as they expected against ) jesus , he declared jesus to be the christ : whereupon the iews threw him down , and he not being dead , they came to stone him ; who turned on his knees and prayed , saying , o lord god , father , i beseech thee forgive them , for they know not what they do : yet they stoned him , and at last , with a fullers instrument , struck him on the head , and he dyed . vol. 1. p. 43 , 44. iohn the evangelist was banished into pathmos the 97. year of christ ; and after the death of domitian was recalled by pertinax the emperour ; and being returned to ephesus , he was desired to resort to the adjacent places to appoint bishops : where he committed a comely ingenuous young man to the bishop of the place , to be by him kept with great diligence ; in witness hereof , christ and his church : which young man the bishop received , and with diligence brought up , baptized , and at length committed to him a cure in the lords behalf . the young man now having his liberty , through the corruptness of his companions , became dissolute , a thief , and a murderer , yea , the captain of them : and s. iohn being sent for again into those parts , demanded of the bishop , the charge committed to him ; who said , he was dead to god , and become an evil man , a thief frequenting this mountain : whereat s. iohn rent his cloaths , and said , i have left a good keeper of my brother's soul : and got him a horse and presently fell into the company of the thieves , and was designedly taken , desiring to be brought to their captain who was well armed , yet beginning to know s. iohn , fled ; but when recalled by s. iohn , he threw down his arms and became truly penitent , and was received into church again . after this , s. iohn going to bathe himself , and seeing cerinthus the heretick in the bath , would not go in lest the bath should fall on them . vol. 1. p. 47 , 48. ignatius was given to be devoured of wild beasts the 111. year of christ ; when he was going to the lions , he said , oh , would to god i were come to the beasts prepared for me , which i wish with gaping mouths were ready to come upon me ; whom i will provoke , that they may without delay devour me . i esteem nothing visible or invisible , so i may get or obtain christ ; let the fire , gallows , devouring of beasts , breaking of bones , pulling asunder of members , bruising , or pressing , my whole body , and the torments of the devil , or hell it self come upon me , so that i may win christ : and when he heard the lions roaring , he said , i am the wheat , or grain , of christ ; i shall be ground with the teeth of wild beasts , that i may be found pure bread. vol. 1. p. 52. iustin martyr was a profound philosopher , and became a christian by seeing the constancy of their sufferings ; whence he gathered they could not endure carnality or vice , who could thus easily lay down their lives ; and being a christian , he wrote divers apologies in their behalf , and prevailed not a little for their good ; and was at last martyred , soon after polycarpus , in the 4 th persecution ; he dyed chearfully , and with honour . vol. 1. p. 58.63 , 64. iulitta being spoiled of her goods by the emperours officer under the 10 th persecution ; and complaining to the emperour , that so she might have her goods again , the officer pleaded her to be a christian , and therefore not to have her goods ; which being proved , and owned , she was sentenced to lose goods and life : whereupon she said , farewel life , welcome death ; farewel riches , welcome poverty : all that i have , were it a thousand times more than it is , would i lose , rather than speak blasphemy against god my creator . i yield thee thanks most hearty , o god , for this great gift of grace , that i can despise this transitory world , preferring christianity above all treasures . and whenever she was examined , she said , she was a servant of christ , and did detest their idolatry . and as she past to the fire , she exhorted the women thus , o sisters , stick not to travel after true piety , cease to accuse feminine frailty ; are not we created of the same mould with men , and made after gods image as well as they ? god used not flesh only in creating woman to declare her weakness ; but bone also , in token that she must be strong in the living god ; all false gods for saking , constant in faith , and patient in adversity : wax weary of your lives my sisters led in darkness , and love my christ , my god , my redeemer : perswade your selves there is a future state , wherein the worshippers of idols shall be perpetually tormented , and the servants of the high god crowned eternally . with which words she embraced the fire . vol. 1. p. 122 , 123. ierome of prage , a bohemian , burnt 1415. being condemned , and to be crowned with a paper mitre painted with red devils ; he willingly received it , saying , he would wear that for christs sake , who wore a crown of thorns for him . and going to execution he sung psalms , and prayed ; and after the fire was kindled , he said , o lord god father almighty , have mercy upon me , and be merciful unto mine offences ; for thou knowest how sincerely i have loved thy truth . and so the fire consumed him ; whose ashes , as also the ashes of iohn husse , were gathered up and cast into the river rheine . vol. 1. p. 837 , 838. ioris of aschen in flanders , hanged on a gibbit for the gospel , 1567. being condemned , wrote to his parents ; he said , comfortable news , namely , that in all my life i never saw one day so pleasing to me as this is , in which the lord hath counted me worthy to be one of his champions to suffer for his holy name ; for which i give him most humble thanks . — i do take my last farewel of you , till we meet in heaven ; be not grieved , i pray you , but be patient ; for the affliction which is befallen me is most acceptable to me ; for which i bless and praise god. additions to vol. 3. concerning massacre in flanders . p. 96 , 97. k k leonard keyser , of bavaria , was , for maintaining justification by faith , degraded and to be burned ; who as he went to execution spake and said : o lord jesus ! remain with me , sustain me and help me , and give me force and power . and when the wood was fit to be set on fire , he cry'd with a loud voice , o jesus ! i am thine , have mercy upon me and save me ; and so was burned august 16. 1526. vol. 2. pag. 114 , 115. kerby , a suffolk man , being apprehended at ipswich 1546. was to be condemned ; and one mr. wingfield much perswading him to accept of mercy and not burn , he said ; ah m. wingfield , be at my burning , and you will say , there stands a christian souldier in the fire ; for i know that fire , water , sword , and all things are in the hand of god , who will suffer no more to be laid upon me than he will give me strength to bear . being condemned , he said , praised be almighty god ; and at the fire he shew'd himself a christian , and died calling upon god , and holding up his hands . vol. 2. pag. 569. l l lucius hearing ptolomeus unjustly condemned by urbicius , in the 4 th persecution , reproved the judge , who said to lucius , methinks thou art a christian ? which being granted by lucius , the judge forthwith condemned him to be had away to the place of execution : whereupon lucius said , i thank you with all my heart that you release me from most wicked governours , and send me to my most good and loving father , who is the king of gods . vol. 1. p. 59. laurence a deacon of xystus bishop of rome , seeing him going to be martyred , earnestly desired to die with him , and cry'd out to him , saying ; oh dear father ! whither goest thou without the company of thy dear son ? hast thou proved me unnatural ? now try whether thou hast chosen a faithful minister or no ? grant that the body of thy scholar may be sacrificed , whose mind thou hast beautified with good letters . to whom xystus said , he should follow him after 3 dayes . and when this laurence was to be persecuted , he being as deacon , treasurer of the church , and commanded by his persecutors to produce the treasure , caused a number of poor people to come together , and said ; these were the church's riches in whom christ dwells . whereat the persecutors raged , and caused the fire to be kindled , and he was laid on a hot burning iron-bed , or grid-iron , and held down with hot forks , who said to the tyrant : this side is roasted enough , turn up o tyrant that , assay whether roasted or raw thou thinkest the better meat . this was done under the 8 th persecution , vol. 1. pag. 92 , 93. simon laloe burned at dyon in france 1553. shew'd such faith and constancy , that his executioner , iames silvester , seeing it , was so compuncted with repentance , and fell into such despair , that they had much adoe with all their promises of the gospel to recover any comfort in him ; at last through christ's mercy he was comforted and converted , and he with his family removed to geneva . vol. 2. pag. 142. iohn lambert being much examined concerning the sacrament , and released by reason of the death of archbishop warham , was at last by the malice of stephen gardiner bishop of winchester brought before king henry the viii . and many nobles , and ten bishops caused to dispute him 1538. and against reason by popish instigation the king was perswaded to condemn him ; and he was burned in smithfield , who was very chearful the day of his sufferings ; and when in the fire his legs were burned to the stumps , the tormentors withdrew the fire , so that a small fire and coals were left under him , and two persecutors ran their halberts into him ; then he lifting up that hand he had with fingers flaming cry'd out , none but christ ! none but christ ! and so being let down from their halberts fell into the fire , and died . vol. 2. pag. 427. iohn lacels servant to king henry viii . was burnt with mrs. anne askew about iune 1546. who in a letter against transubstantiation , subscribed himself thus , iohn lacels late servant to the king , and now i trust to serve the everlasting king with the testimony of my blood in smithfield . vol. 2. pag. 581. iohn lawrence burnt at colchester march 29. 1555. he was so badly used in prison that he could not go to the stake , but was carried in a chair and burnt sitting . whilst he was burning the young children came about the fire and cry'd as well as they could speak , saying : lord strengthen thy servant , and keep thy promise : lord strengthen thy servant , and keep thy promise . vol. 3. pag. 200. hugh lawrence , a kentish man , being august 2. 1555. examined by the bishop of dover , dr. thornton and dr. harpsfield , stood constantly against popery ; being required to subscribe to their articles , he took a pen and writ , ye are all of antichrist , and him ye fol. intending to write as appears , follow ; but was prevented , condemned and burned with 5 more kentish men at 3 stakes in one fire . vol. 3. p. 393. hugh latimer writing to bishop ridley , saith , pray for me , for sometimes i am so fearful that i would creep into a mouse-hole , sometimes god doth visit me again with his comfort ; so he cometh and goeth to teach me to fell and to know my infirmity . vol. 3. p. 441. he was a leicester-shire man , and went to cambridge at 14 years of age ; he was a zealous papist , till by gods will and mr. bilney's endeavours he was converted , and then he became a zealous protestant , p. 450. and openly preached against popery in cambridge , and other places , for which he was imprisoned , p. 456 , 457. yet was he by god long preserved , and by the lord cromwell in king henry the 8 th's days made bishop of worcester , p. 460. but some years after he lost his bishoprick , because he would not comply to the six articles ; and when his rotchet was pulled off , he leaped for joy of being lightned of so great a burden as his bishops office ; he was usually studying both summer and winter by two of the clock in the morning , p. 462. he was a great prophet , foretelling most plagues that came on england , and used to say his preaching the gospel would cost him his life , as it also did ; he prayed earnestly and often , so that being aged he could not get up again from his knees ; in his prayer he much and earnestly desired the restoring the gospel again to england , which god granted in a short time by queen elizabeth ; he also beg'd that as god had called him to be a minister of the gospel , he might have grace to stand for it to death , and to give his hearts blood for it ; which god answered and effected ; for at the stake in the greatest extremity he lifted up his eyes to heaven , and with an amiable countenance said , god is faithful who hath promised not to suffer us to be tempted above our strength ; and by and by fire breaking his body the blood of his heart was shed for christ , in such abundance , that the standers by did marvel , as if all the blood of his body was gathered to his heart . p. 463. the bishops according to custom presenting the king each new-years-day with a gift , he being bishop of worcester , whilst others presented gold , silver , &c. presented king henry the 8 th with a new testament with a napkin having this poesie , whoremongers and adulterers god will judge , pag. 486. he being at the stake in his shirt , to be burned in oxford with bishop ridley , the executioner brought a faggot kindled with fire and laid it at ridley's feet , to whom latimer said , be of good comfort mr. ridley , and play the man , we shall light such a candle this day by gods grace in england , as i trust shall never be put out ; and in the flame he cryed , oh father of heaven receive my soul ; receiving the flames , as it were embracing them , he soon dyed feeling little or no pain . vol. 3. p. 503. hugh laverock , a lame man of 68 years of age , going on crutches , and one apprice a blind man were burned , 1556. by bishop bonners command ; and at the stake this laverock the cripple threw away his crutches , and turning to apprice did comfort him saying , be of good comfort , my brother , for my lord of london is our good physician , he will heal us both shortly , thee of thy blindness , and me of my lameness . and so they both suffered . vol. 3. p. 701. mrs. ioice lewis , a gentlewoman of manceter , was burnt for the gospel in queen maries days ; who was at first in her days a great papist , till the burning of one laurence saunders by the papists for the mass , which put her upon an enquiry into it ; and she consulting some persons about it , declined it , nor would frequent mass ; for which she was punished , and at last condemned : and when in the morning before she suffered , the sheriff told her of it , after one years imprisonment , giving her but one hours time to prepare for it ; she said , your message is welcome to me ; and i thank god that he will make me worthy to adventure my life in his quarrel . going to the stake she prayed against popist idolatry , and drank to all them that truly believed the gospel : in the fire she neither struggled nor stirred , but only held up her hands to heaven , and so dyed soon . vol. 3. p. 839. mrs. elizabeth lawson , an ancient gentlewoman of 60 years of age of bedfield in suffolk , was sent to berry goal 1556. because she would not go to mass , and at last she was condemned to be burnt : she continued in prison two years and three quarters , in which time her son and many more were burnt , and she hearing of it , said often , good lord what is the cause that i may not yet come to thee with thy children ? well good lord , thy blessed will be done , and not mine . but by the death of queen mary she was delivered . vol. 3. p. 916. m m martyrs to the number of 300 at carthage under the 8 th persecution , being offered near lime-kills , either to offer incense to iupiter , or to go into the furnace of lime , did all together rush into the kill , and were there , with the dusty smoak of the lime , smothered . vol. 1. p. 94. a mother exhorted her child of seven years of age , suffering under the 7 th persecution , to suffer joyfully ; and while it was tormenting and slaying , she sang to god thus , all laud and praise with heart and voice , o lord we yield to thee ; to whom the death of all thy saints we know most dear to be . vol. 1. p. 116. mary . see ursula . michael michfote , a taylor in france , burned 1547. being apprehended for the gospel's sake , and put to his choice whether he would turn and be beheaded , or not turn and be burnt ; he said , god who had given him grace not to deny the truth , would also give him patience to abide the fire ; and so he was burned . vol. 2. p. 134. lodovicus marsac , being with two others , at lyons in france , apprehended and condemned 1553. they all sang psalms ; and the other two having a rope put about their necks , and he having not one , did desire that he might have one of those precious chains about his neck , in honour of his lord ; which request was granted , and they all three were cast into the fire . vol. 2. p. 141. 88 martyrs murthered at calabria in italy , 1560. whom the executioner , bringing out one by one with a muster , on a stage before the people , took a knife and slew , by cutting the throat , of one , and leaving him half dead , bleeding , went for another ; and so served every one till the 88 were murthered ; which sight amazed the people , and shamed even some of the romanists . vol. 2. p. 184.188 . walter mille , a scotch man , 1558. was condemned to be burnt ; whom the popish party could neither affright with threats , nor allure with proposals ; but he said to them , i am accused of my life , i know i must dye once , and therefore ye shall know i will not recant the truth : i am corn , not chaff ; i will not be blown away with the wind , nor burst with the flail , but will abide both : and at the stake , the bishops being constrained by the people to give him liberty to speak , he made his humble supplication to god on his knees ; and then said to the people , dear friends , i suffer this day not for any crime laid to my charge ( albeit i be a miserable sinner before god ) but only for the defence of the faith of christ iesus ; for which i praise god that he hath this day called me , of his mercy , amongst the rest of his servants , the martyrs , to seal up his truth with my life ; which as i received on him , so i willingly offer it to his glory ; and so he dyed : and was the last martyr that dyed in scotland for religion . vol. 2. p. 626. george marsh , of deane in lancashire , married , and was a farmer ; but after his wife's death he went to cambridge to study , and was a minister of gods word , and zealous against popery , for which he was imprisoned : his mother , and divers other friends , advised him to fly : to whose counsel , saith he , my flesh would gladly have consented , but my spirit did not fully agree . whereupon he prayed earnestly to god for direction , and unexpectedly in the morning he had a letter from a friend , whose bearer said to him , before he looked on the letter , that his friends advice was , not to flee , but to abide boldly and confess the name of christ ; which he did . he was many wayes , and much sollicited to turn upon the account of his children : whom , he said , he would gladly keep , could it be with a pure conscience ; and he would have accepted of queen mary's mercy , should he not thereby , by denying christ , win everlasting misery . he was burned april 24. 1555. with a firkin of pitch over his head ; which melting and dropping on him , added much to his torments ; yet after much misery when they thought him to be dead , he spread his hands , saying , father of heaven have mercy upon me , and so he dyed . vol. 3. p. 228. menas , an egyptian , under the 10 th persecution , lived a retired life a great while ; at length returning to the city cotis , in the open theatre , at a time of pastimes , he loudly proclaimed himself a christian ; and being brought to pyrrhus the president , and demanded of his faith , he said , it is convenient i should confess god , citing rom. 10.10 . and being most painfully pinched and tormented , he said in the midst of his torments , there is nothing in my mind that can be compared to the price of one soul ; and said , i have learned of my lord and king , not to fear them who kill the body , and have no power to kill the soul. and being sentenced to be beheaded , he said , i give thee thanks my lord god , which hast so accepted me to be found a partaker of thy precious death ; and hast not given me to be devoured of my fierce enemies , but hast made me to remain constant in thy pure faith to my life's end . vol. 1. p. 117 , 118. n n saintinus nivet , being a cripple , burnt at paris 1546. when apprehended and asked if he would stand to what he said , he asked his judges if they dare be so bold to deny what was so plain in express words of scripture , and did so little regard his own life , that he desired his judges for gods sake , that they would rather take care of their own souls and lives , and consider how much innocent blood they spilled daily , in fighting against christ and his gospel . he suffered at paris . vol. 1. p. 133. noblemen 100 , and others , of alsatia , were burned and martyred the 1212. year of christ , under pope henricus 3. for holding every day was free for eating flesh , so it be done soberly ; and that they did wickedly who restrained priests from their lawful wives . vol. 1. pag. 336. iohn noyes , a shoe-maker of laxfield in suffolk , burned 1557. in september , when he came to the place of execution he kneeled down and sang the 50 th psalm ; and being bound at the stake , he said , fear not them that kill the body , but fear him that can kill both body and soul , and cast it into everlasting fire : and seeing his sister weeping , he desired her not to weep for him , but for her sins . having a faggot thrown at him , he kissed it , and said , blessed be the time that ever i was born to come to this . and in the fire he said , lord have mercy upon me , christ have mercy upon me , son of david have mercy upon me . he wrote a letter to his wife containing nothing but consolation from texts of scripture , and bidding her farewell , he desired his wife and children to leave worldly care , and see that they were diligent to pray . vol. 3. p. 850 , 851 , 852. nichaise of tombe , born in tournay , martyred for the gospel , being condemned , he said , praised be god. at the stake he said , lord they have hated me without a cause ; and prayed thus , eternal father ! have pity and compassion on me , according as thou hast promised to all that ask the same of thee in thy sons name . and so he continued praying until his last gasp . additions to vol. 3. of the massacre in france and flanders . p. 33. o o origen at 17 years old wrote to his father leonides , to encourage him to suffer martyrdom under the fifth persecution , began the 205. year of christ. he wrote about 7000 volumes , as much as 7 notaries and as many women could pen. vol. 2. p. 70. cicely ormes , wife of edward ormes a worsted-weaver in norwich , was burnt september 23. 1557. at norwich . she was an ignorant simple woman , yet zealous in the lord's cause ; and being threatned by the chancellor of norwich , she said , he should not be so desirous of her sinful flesh , as she would by god's grace be content to give it in so good a quarrel . being condemned , at the stake she pray'd and repeated her faith , and then said to the people : i would not have you think that i believe to be saved in that i offer my self here unto death for christ 's cause ; but i believe to be saved by the death of christ 's passion , and this my death is and shall be a witness of my faith unto you all : good people , as many as believe of you , i pray you pray for me . and then she coming to the stake , she kissed it , and said : welcome sweet cross of christ ; and so was bound to it : and in the fire she said ; my soul doth magnifie the lord , and my spirit hath rejoyced in god my saviour ; and so she yielded up her life . vol. 3. p. 833. robert oguier , of the city lile in flanders , his wife and two sons bardicon and martin were apprehended 1556. and first the father and bardicon suffer'd , who upon examination confessed their faith ; and bardicon being apprehended , as he went , said : o lord assist us with thy grace , not onely to be prisoners for thy sake , but so as to seal with our bloods thy truth : and told the emperor's commissioners the tenour of their prayers ( in their meetings ) for god's glory , and the empires and emperors felicity . and then he and his father submitted themselves to the judges ( while martin his brother chose to accompany his mother , who was still detained in prison . ) and these two were by their judges condemned to be burnt , which sentence being past , they returned to prison , rejoycing that the lord had honoured them to enroll them amongst the number of martyrs . the day of execution being told them , they blessed god who delivering their bodies out of prison , would receive their souls into his kingdom . the father being advised to pity his soul , said : you see what pity i have of it , when for the name of christ i willingly abandon my body to the fire , hoping to day to be with him in paradise . at the stake he and his son sang the 16. psalm ; and being chained , the son said to his father ; be of good comfort , the worst will be past by and by : and often repeated these words ; o god , father everlasting , accept the sacrifice of our bodys for thy wel-beloved son jesus christ 's sake : and lifting his eyes to heaven , he spoke to his father , saying ; o father ! behold i see the heavens open , and millions of angels ready to receive us , rejoycing to see us thus witnessing our truth in the view of the world. father , let us be glad and rejoyce , for the joyes of heaven are set before us . fire being kindled , he oft repeated to his father thus , yet a little while , and we shall enter into the heavenly mansions ; and their last words were , jesus christ thou son of god into thy hands we commend our spirits . and within 8 dayes the mother iane oguier and martin her son , were brought forth ; but in prison iane by the papists , was perswaded to recant , and to endeavour her son's return to popery ; who hearing of it , said to her ; oh mother , what have you done ? have you denyed him that redeemed you ? what evil hath he done you , that you should requite him with so great an injury ? ah , good god! that i should live to see this day , which pierceth my heart . and his mother hearing his words , and seeing his tears , began to renew her strength in the lord , and with tears cry'd , father of mercies be merciful to me , miserable sinner , and cover my transgressions under the righteousness of thy blessed son. lord enable me to stand to my first confession , and to abide stedfast in it to my last breath : and when the papists came to her again , she said ; avoid satan , get thee behind me ; for hence forth thou hast neither part nor portion in me , i will by the help of my god stand to my confession , and if i may not sign it with ink , i will seal it with my blood. and so she and her son were condemned to be burnt , and their ashes to be cast into air ; who rejoyced at the sentence , and accounted it a day of triumph over their enemies ; and martin being profer'd an hundred pound if he would recant , said , he would not lose an eternal kingdom for it . addition to vol. 3. of massacres of france pag. 1. to 5. p p philip the apostle , after he had much laboured amongst the barbarous nations , in preaching the word of salvation to them , at length he suffer'd in hierapolis a city of phrygia , being there crucified and stoned to death ; where also he was buried , and his daughters with him . vol. 1. pag. 42 , 43. peter the apostle , being to be crucified under domitius nero , would be crucified with his head downwards , and his feet upwards ; because he said he was unworthy to be crucified after the same manner and form as the lord was . vol. 1. pag. 45. as he was a crucifying , he , seeing his wife going to her martyrdom , was greatly joyous and glad thereof , and spake to her with a loud voice , called her by her name , and bidding her remember the lord iesus . vol. 1. p. 45. polycarpus , three dayes before he was apprehended saw in a vision his bed on fire , and consumed ; and when he awaked he told them with him , how that he should die in the fire for christ : and when he was pursued , having removed once or twice , and might still have fled , he would not , but said ; the will of god be done : and came down to his pursuers as soon as he heard they were come , and spake to them with a chearful voice and a pleasant countenance , and caused the table to be spread , and they to dine with him ; and begg'd of them an hours time for prayer : which he made so , as the hearers thereof were astonished and sorry they had pursued him : and going to the place of execution , in an uproar of the people , when he could not be heard , there came a voice to him from heaven , saying : be of good chear , polycarp , and play the man. many heard the voice , but none was seen to speak . and after this , polycarp being advised by the proconsul to defie christ , he said ; 86 years have i been his servant , and in all this time he hath not so much as hurt me ; how then can i speak evil of my king and soveraign lord who hath thus preserved me . being to be fixed to the stake , he would not ; but said , god who had given him strength to suffer , would give him power to abide , and not stir in the midst of the fire . so he stood , and thank'd god that he should now become a martyr ; and though the fire was kindled , yet could it not burn his body , but the wind kept it off ; and when the persecutors saw that , they order'd his body to be thrust thorow with a sword ; and so much blood issued out as quenched the fire . he suffered the 167. year of christ , about ianuary 24. and was martyred in his own church at smyrna . vol. 1. p. 55 , 56 , 57. ptolomeus being demanded , whether he was a christian , declared that he had taught and professed the verity of the christian doctrine ; for whoso denyeth to be what he is , either condemneth in denying the thing that he is , or maketh himself unworthy of that , the confession whereof he flyeth ; which thing is never found in a true and sincere christian. he was condemned to suffer . vol. 1. p. 59. ioannes pistorius , one of holland , preaching and speaking against the masses and other popish abuses , was committed to prison with ten other malefactors , whom he comforted ; and to one of them , being half naked , he gave his own gown : he was condemned and degraded , and had a fools coat put on him ; his fellows at his death sang te deum : and he coming to the stake gave his neck willingly to the band , saying , o death , where is thy victory ? 1524. vol. 2. p. 116. stephen peloquine , burnt at ville france in france , 1553. being half burnt , ceased not to hold up his hands , and call on the lord , to the admiration of people . vol. 2. p. 141. mrs. philips , a gentlewoman of paris , 1558. being apprehended and condemned for the gospel's sake , received it couragiously ; and being to be distongued , she said , shall i , who do not stick to give my body , stick to give my tongue ? and being distongued , though she was in mourning for her husband , a lord of that country , then late deceased ; she laid aside her mourning , and on the day of execution she decked her self in her best aray , as if she was going to another marriage ; nor did she alter her colour or countenance , during her suffering . vol. 2. p. 156. anthony persons , a great preacher of the gospel in king henry the 8 th's days , 1544. and was , by dr. london , condemned ; who answering to his indictment , said , so long as i preached up the pope and his superstition , so long ye favoured me ; but since i took on me to preach christ , ye have alwayes sought my life ; but it makes no matter , for when ye have taken your pleasure on my body , i trust it shall not be in your power to hurt my soul. he , with one testwood , and filmer , were condemned to suffer : and the night before they suffered they spent almost wholly in prayers for strength under the cross , and comforting one another that their master christ who had led the way before them , and had so far made them worthy to suffer for his sake , would give them stedfast faith and power to overcome these fiery torments ; and of his free mercy , for his promise sake , receive their souls . praying that god would forgive their enemies and turn their hearts , which out of blindness and ignorance had done they knew not what . this persons afterwards coming to the stake , did embrace it , saying , now welcome mine own sweet wife ; for this day shall thou and i be married together in the love and peace of god. vol. 2. p. 152 , 153 , 154. iohn philpot , a knights son of hampshire , brought up at oxford ; a great scholar , and a zealous preacher , who in king edward the 6 th's days was arch-deacon of winchester ; and in queen mary's days , with a few others , opposed popery , and stood in the vindication of the gospel in the convocation-house at london , against all the other prelates called by the queen to determine of religion . vol. 3. p. 538. being apprehended and examined by bishop bonner , and told that the next day he should be judged , he said , i am glad hereof , i look for no other but death at your hands , and i am as ready to yield my life in christ's cause as you are to require it . p. 547. and being in discourse with dr. story , he said , i am sure i have the iudge on my side , who shall justifie me in another world ; and however you now unrighteously do judge me , yet sure i am , in another world , to judge you : and after , when dr. story hastned his death , and said to philpot , he came to hasten it ; which he came to tell him , he said , that he might thank no body else for it : to whom philpot answered , i thank you with all my heart , and i pray god forgive you . and going again to prison , meeting with bishop bonner , who proffered him any pleasure he could shew him , he only requested this pleasure , that his lordship would hasten his judgment , and dispatch him out of this miserable world to his eternal rest , p. 151. at last he being condemned , and having word of it the night before , to be ready next morning to be burnt , he said , i am ready , god grant me strength and a joyful resurrection : and so retiring to his chamber , he prayed and praised god , that he had made him worthy to suffer for his truth . in the morning , coming to smithfield where he was burnt , he kneeled down at the entrance into it , and said , i will pay my vows in thee , o smithfield ! and then coming to the stake he kist it , saying ▪ shall i disdain to suffer at the stake , seeing my redeemer did not refuse to suffer on his cross for me : and then he said the 106 , 107 , 108. psalms ; and was burnt december 18. 1555. his letters were many and pious , comforting the penitent sinners : from , 1. examples of penitents . 2. god can pardon more than we can sin , and will pardon him who with hope of mercy is sorry for his sin . 3. god permits his people to see the evil of their sins , and to sorrow for it , to let them experience his superabounding grace : he brings to hell , that with greater joy he might lift up to heaven . 4. satan's conflict in you tempting , and your strife against sin , is an evidence you are the child of god , whom he may unawares cause to fall by sin , but he shall never overcome ; for god doth it but to try your faith , and he beholds your resistance , is pleased with it , and will never forsake you : the just falls 7 times a day , but yet he riseth again . 5. rejoyce therein , in that your temptation and sorrow shall add to your glory . pag. 598. in divers letters he much exhorts to martyrdom ; and in one to the lady vane , he thus writes : the world wonders we can be merry in such extreme misery , but our god is omnipotent who turns misery into felicity . believe me , dear sister , there is no such joy in the world , as the people of god have under the cross : i speak by experience , therefore believe me , and fear nothing that the world can do ; for when they imprison our bodies , they set at liberty our souls ; when they kill us , they bring us to everlasting life : and what greater glory can there be than to be at conformity with christ , which afflictions do work in us . pag. 603. in another he writes to her , he saith ; i that am under the cross have felt more true joy and consolation in it than ever i did by any benefit that god hath given me in all my life before ; for the more the world hates , the nigher god is unto us , and there is no joy but in god. pag. 604. in another to that lady , he writes thus : we have cause to be glad of the times of persecution as to our selves ; for if we be imprisoned , we are blessed ; if we lose all we have , we are blessed a hundred times ; if we die , we are blessed eternally : so that in suffering persecution all is full of blessings . vol. 3. pag. 605. agnes potten , an ipswich woman , burnt with ioan trunchfield in q. mary's dayes . they being undressed for the fire , with comfortable words of scripture exhorted people to constancy against popery ; and so continuing in the torment of the fire , they held up their hands and called on god constantly , so long as life endured . vol. 3. p. 678. iulius palmer , born at coventry , and student and fellow of magdalen colledge in oxford , who in king edward the sixth's dayes was a great papist , for which he was expelled the colledge , till queen mary's time , when he was received again to his fellowship ; and about 24 years of age by scriptures , and peter martyr's books , and calvin's institutions , god so wrought that he became a zealous protestant , nor would be revoked from it , declaring the pope to be antichrist ; whereupon for his safety he left the colledge , and went to reding to teach a school , where in a short time by false pretended friends he was betray'd and forced to fly . and he thinking to receive some legacy due to him by his father's will , went to his mother in this his need , and begging her blessing on his knees , she saluted him thus ; you shall have christ 's curse and my curse where ever you go : to which words of his mother , he said , being amazed at the salutation : your curse , o mother , you may give me , which ( god knows ) i have not deserved ; but god's curse you cannot give me , for he hath already blessed me . then she said , you went out of god's blessing into the warm sun , when you went from your religion ; for i am sure you believe not as i and your father , and our fore-fathers believed , but art an heretique : and know your father bequeathed nothing for heretiques : as for money and goods , i have none for you ; faggots i have to burn you ; more you get not at my hands . to whom he answer'd , i am no heretick , but do embrace a religion as old as christ and his apostles ; and though you curse me , yet i pray god bless you : and so softly spoke to her , that she threw after him an old angel to keep him honest . so he went away from his mother , going privately to reding again , to gather up some money due to him , where he was basely betray'd , and brought to examination , and was condemned ; and about one hour before his execution , he comforts himself and two others who suffer'd with him , with christ's words , mat. 5.10 , 11 , 12. and by these sayings ; be of good chear in the lord ; faint not we shall not end our lives in the fire , but make a change for a better life ; yea , for coals we shall receive pearls . and in the fire they three lifted up their hands , and quietly and chearfully as if feeling no pain , they cry'd , lord jesus strengthen us , lord jesus assist us , lord jesus receive our souls : and so called on iesus till they dyed , being burnt at newbury iuly 16. 1556. vol. 3. pag. 733 to 741. one prest's wife of exeter , being a protestant , but seeming to be a simple ignorant woman , left her husband and children , because they were papists , and went up and down to work for her living ; and being taken and examined , she said , in the cause of christ and his truth , she must either forsake christ or her husband ; i am content to stick only to christ my heavenly spouse ; and renounce the other ; whom i left not for whoredom , theft , or the like , but because they by their superstition and idolatry persecuted me , rebuked and troubled me , when i would have had them leave their idolatry . the doctors further talking with her , she said : you do but trouble my conscience ; you will have me follow your doings , but i will first lose my life ; i pray depart . she openly reproved and argued against their idolatry , and that they went about to damn souls by their doctrine , and perswading them to idolatry . she seemed to be a very simple woman , yet could she rehearse many places in scripture . and when ( she being condemned ) was desired to ask pardon , because she was an unlearned woman , not able to answer in such high matters ; she said , i am not indeed able to answer in such high matters , yet with my death am i content to be a witness of christ 's death . and being again proffer'd a pardon if she would recant , she said ; nay , that i will not ; god forbid i should lose life eternal for this carnal and short life ; i will never turn from my heavenly husband to my earthly ; from the fellowship of angels to my mortal children : and if my husband and children be faithful , i am theirs . god is my father , god is my mother , god is my brother , god is my sister , my kinsman , my friend most faithful . and at the stake she continued crying , lord , be merciful to me a sinner . vol. 3. p. 890 , 891. peter chevet , burnt at maubert near paris march 11. 1559. being threatned to suffer , he said ; truly i do not think to escape your hands ; and though ye scorch and roast me alive , yet will i never renounce my christ. being asked by the official , if he would not be absolved , he said , it is a question , oh poor man ! whether thou canst save thy self ; and wilt thou take upon thee to save others ? who being thereat angry , threatned him with longer imprisonment ; to whom the martyr said ; alas ! alas ! though i should rot in prison , yet shall you find me still the same man. and at the stake , having his cloaths pull'd off , he said : how happy , how happy , oh how happy am i ? with eyes lift up to heaven ; and so he died . additions to vol. 3. concerning massacre in france , pag. 9. r r romanus , a great encourager of the christians in antioch , when they were persecuted in the 10 th persecution , was himself by galerius , then emperour , called out , apprehended , and sentenced to all the torments the christians should have undergone , who said , o emperour , i joyfully accept of thy sentence , i refuse not to be sacrificed for my brethren ; and that by as cruel a means as thou may'st invent : then he was scourged , and under the lashes he sang psalms , and laughed to scorn the heathens gods ; affirming the christian's god to be the only true god , before whose judicial seat all nations should appear : then was his side launched till the bones appeared ; yet he still preached christ , and exhorted them to adore the living god ; then were his teeth knockt out , his eye-lids torn , his face cut ; and he said , i thank thee that thou hast opened to me many mouths whereby i may preach my lord and saviour iesus christ ; look how many mouths i have , so many mouths i have lauding and praising god. after that he was brought to new wounds and stripes , and distongued ; who still spake and said , he that speaketh christ shall never want a tongue . at length he was had to prison , and there strangled . when some pleaded he was of noble parentage , and it was not lawful to put such a one to an un-noble death ; he said , he required them not to spare him for nobility-sake ; for , said he , not the blood of my progenitors , but chrstian profession maketh me noble . vol. 1. p. 116 , 117. iohn rogers , a cambridge scholar , and chaplain to the merchants of brabant beyond sea , where he was acquainted with mr. tindal , and helped him and mr. coverdale in the translation of the bible ; he threw off the yoak of popery , and becoming a protestant , he married and went to live at wittenberg in saxony , vol. 3. p. 119. and there learning the dutch tongue , he had a congregation committed to his charge , where he staid till king edward the 6 th's time ; and then being orderly called , came into england and preached there , and was by bishop ridley made prebend of paul's ; but in queen mary's days he suffered much , and was burned feb. 4. 1555. he was the first that suffered in queen mary's days ; he prophesied of rome's downfall , and that e're long in england true gospel ordinances should be again restored , and the poor people of england should be brought to as good , or a better state : his wife , and ten children that could go , and one at her breast , met him going to burn ; but he was not moved , but continued constant , and suffered . vol. 3. p. 130 , 131. bishop ridley , born in northumberlandshire , had his education in newcastle , was master of pembroke-hall in cambridge , vol. 1. p. 432. then chaplain to king henry the 8 th , who made him bishop of rochester ; and in king edward the 6 th's days he was made bishop of london . he preached every sunday , and holyday , in some place or other , if not hindred by great affairs : he was kind and affable , one that presently forgave injuries ; and was wont to tell his relations , that if they acted evil , he should esteem them as strangers to him ; and they who did honestly , should be to him as brothers and sisters . as soon as he was ready each morning , he alwayes prayed for half an hour , and then spent most part of the day and night in study , he not going to bed usually till eleven of the clock , and then praying . he did read every day a lecture in his family , gave every one of his family a new testament , and hired them to learn several chapters , especially the 13. of the acts. he being advised , by one that was his chaplain formerly , to consult others , and to turn papist , he said , i would have you know that i esteem nothing available for me , which also will not further the glory of god. vol. 3. p. 447. he being condemned at oxford , was kept close prisoner in mr. irish , the major's house ; where he being at supper the night before he was to suffer , he was very merry , and invited the guests at the table to his wedding next day ; for to morrow , saith he , i shall be married ; which the major's wife hearing , wept ; to whom he said , you love me not now i see , for i perceive you will not be at my wedding , nor are contented with my marriage ; but quiet your self , though my breakfast be sharp and painful , yet i am sure my supper shall be more pleasant and sweet . vol. 3. p. 502. and at the stake , he suffering with mr. latimer , he chearfully ran to him , embraced him , kissed him , and said , be of good chear brother , for god will either asswage the fury of the flames , or else strengthen us to abide it : and then he went to the stake and kissed it , and prayed effectually . being stript into his shirt , he held up his hands , and said , o heavenly father , i give thee most hearty thanks that thou hast called me to be a professor of thee , even to death . and fire being kindled , he often said , into thy hands o lord , i commend my spirit ; lord , lord , receive my spirit : but through the badness of the fire he burned on one side , and below on the legs , a great while , and yet his upper parts were not burned , so that he leaped under the faggots ; and calling to the lord for mercy , did call on the persons by to let the fire come to him , for he could not burn , he said ; and shewed them one side clean shirt , and all untouched , whole , and the other burnt . p. 504 , 505. he writing to his friends , and taking leave of them , desires them not to be astonished at the manner of his sufferings ; and said , i assure you i esteem it the greatest honour that ever i was called to in my life ; and i thank my lord heartily for it , that he hath called me to the high favour to suffer death willingly for his sake , which is an inestimable gift of god ; therefore , o ye that love me , rejoice , and rejoice again , with me ; and render , with me , thanks to god that hath called me to this dignity . vol. 3. p. 505. could queen mary have been entreated for bishop ridley , or could his life have been purchased , the lord dacres in the north , his kinsman , would have given her 1000 marks , or 1000 pounds , rather than he should have been burned . vol. 3. p. 996. iohn rabec , burned at aniers in france , april 24. 1556. had his tongue cut out , because he would not pronounce iesus maria , joining them both in one prayer ; and being urged thereto with great threats , he said , if his tongue should but offer to do so , he would himself bite it asunder . additions to vol. 3. concerning french massacre , p. 5. anthony ricetto , a martyr at venice , 1566. being , by his son of twelve years of age , perswaded to recant , that he might not be fatherless ; said to his child , a good christian is bound to forego goods , children , yea life it self , for the maintenance of god's honour and glory : and so he was drowned , having an iron hoop about him , and to a chain fastned to that hoop a great weight fastned ; and so carryed in a wherry into the sea : where being laid on a board , and that board laid cross on two wherries , the wherries removing he fell into the sea ; which was the manner of the venetians punishing their martyrs . additions to vol. 3. p. 44. s s sanctus , being under the fourth persecution grievously tormented ; and by the tormentors asked , what he was , answered nothing , but said he was a christian : and notwithstanding his being scorched by hot plates in the tenderest parts of the body , so that his body lost the shape of a man ; yet he never shrank : and declared , that nothing was terrible or ought to be feared where the love of god is , and nothing grievous wherein the glory of christ is manifested . and when he was again punished , though his body was so misfigured before his second punishment , yet now was it reduced to its first shape of a man , and suppled in all its contracted parts . soon after he was again tormented , and set in an hot iron-chair ; nor yet would he confess any thing but that he was a christian : and after this , being made a sad spectacle to the people , he was beheaded . vol. 1. p. 60.61 , 62. souldiers , being put to their choice by the marshal of the camp by diocletian's order under the tenth persecution , whether they would sacrifice to idols at the emperours command , or lay aside their offices and weapons : they unanimously answered , they were ready not only to lay down their weapons , but their lives also if by the emperour's tyranny required , rather than they would obey the wicked decrees of him . vol. 1. p. 101. simeon archbishop of seleucia , being by sapores king of persia , under the tenth persecution , called and examined , confessed himself to be a christan : and being demanded , why he kneeled not before the king as he used to do , he said , that before he observed what the custom of the realm did require of him ; but now it is not lawful , for i come to stand in defence of our religion and doctrine . he was beheaded . vol. 1. pag. 125 , 126. see usthazares in the latter part of this book . henry sutphen monk , an associate of luthers 1524. converted breme , and being sent for after two years time to deithmar to preach amongst those great idolaters , he at last went , designing only to lay the foundation of a reformation , and so to return to breme , to satisfie the importunity of his friends . he being at breme , the monks and friars conspire against him , and consult his destruction ; accordingly they sent minatory letters to the inhabitants at deithmar , and also to their parish priest , who had received him : but sutphen's ananswer was , that being called by them to preach the gospel , he would do it ; and if it pleased god he should lose his life at deithmar ; there was as near a way to heaven as in any other place : for he doubted not at all that once he must suffer for the gospels sake . upon this courage he preached divers times , and popish priests were sent to supplant him , and to trap him in his sermons ; many of whom were converted by them , and did declare them to be agreeable to the word of god. after this many ways were used to destroy him ; and at last the franciscan friars conspired with some presidents of the country to kill him , before the inhabitants of the town of deithmar should know of it , or before his cause were try'd , not permitting him to speak to them for himself , lest ( as they said ) he should perswade them to be hereticks : whereupon the presidents assembled 500 husbandmen , to whom ( when met together ) they imparted the business ; who detesting it would not do it , but would have returned home ; but were forced to obedience by the threats of their governour ; who to fit them for the work , gave them three barrels of hamborough beer , and then about midnight they came to deithmar to the priest's , and first wofully abused him , and then trained sutphen out of bed naked , and tying his hands behind him , forced him on so fast that his feet were much wounded by the ice ; whereof he complaining and desiring a horse , they said he should go on foot whether he would or no : and in the morning after much misery by him suffered , without any examination they condemned him to be burnt ; and accordingly they bound him hands , neck and feet , and brought him to the fire , which was not oftner kindled than it went out , nor could they make the wood burn . as he passed by to the fire , a woman , seeing the sad usage of him , wept bitterly : to whom he did reply , weep not , i pray , for me . and at the fire , being condemned , he said ; i have done no such thing as they accuse me of : and holding up his hands , he said ; o lord , forgive them , for they offend ignorantly , not knowing what they do . in the mean time , a certain woman offer'd to suffer 1000 stripes , and to give them much money , so they would but keep him in prison till he had pleaded his cause ; but they were the more enraged , and threw down and trod upon the woman . and seeing the fire would not burn sutphen , they smote him with their hands , and prick'd and struck him with divers weapons , and then bound him to a ladder by the neck to strangle him , so strait and hard that the blood gushed out of his nose and mouth ; the doer of it treading upon his breast the while , not permitting him to prate or pray ; and being tyed to a ladder , one iohn holmes ran to him , and struck him with a mace till he was dead . vol. 1. pag. 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106. mr. peter spengler of schalt , in the countrey of brisgois 1525. a vigilant preacher and a peaceable good man , often reconciling differences with great prudence , and much lamenting the corruptness of principles and practises of the popish monks , and especially their vow of single life and its consequents , which moved him to marry ; for which crime chiefly he was afterwards apprehended , and condemned to die : and being led to execution , he answer'd all persons gently , but desir'd the monks to let him alone , who troubled him with their babling about confession , when he was striving in his spirit against the horror of death , and making his prayer to god , to whom he said also that he had confessed his sins to god , not doubting but he had received absolution and forgiveness of them . and i , said he , shall be an acceptable sacrifice to my saviour jesus christ ; for i have done no such things whereof i am condemned , which might displease my god , who in this behalf hath given me a good and quiet conscience : saying also , he being very lean , it is all one , for i must shortly have forsaken my skin , which scarce cleaves to my bones : i know i am a mortal and corruptible worm ; i have oft desired my last day , and have made my request that i might be delivered out of this mortal body to be joyned with my saviour jesus christ. i have deserved through my sins my cross , and my saviour hath born the cross ; and for my part i will not glory in any other thing but in the cross of christ. presently he was cast into the river ; he strugling a while in it , the water was red with blood , which the people looked to be a miraculous sign to shew that innocent blood was that day shed . this was done at enshesheim 1525. vol. 2. p. 111 , 112. wolfgangus schuch , a german , at st. hyppolite 1525. a town in lotharing ; a reverend and godly pastor , there preached he justification through christ by faith. he was apprehended willingly , offering himself to tryal by scripture , rather than to see the town of st. hyppolite be exposed to the danger threatn'd to it by anthony duke of lorrain for his sake ; and being apprehended , he was imprisoned in sad misery a year , where disputing with divers friars he confounded them all by scripture . at last he was condemned to be burnt ; at which sentence he sang , and being at the place of execution , he sang the 51. psalm till smoke and fire choak'd him . vol. 2. pag. 112. george scherler , a german preacher near saltzburg , was taken and imprisoned and condemned to be burnt alive ; but at last it was granted he should be first beheaded . he going to his death , said , that ye may know that i die a true christian , i will give you a manifest sign : which he did by god's power ; for after his head was off his body , falling on his belly , and so lying a good while , it easily turn'd it self on the back , and crossed the right foot over the left , and the right hand over the left ; at which sight the spectators marvelled , and the magigistrates burned not but buried the body amongst the christians ; and many were hereby brought to believe the gospel . vol. 2. p. 117. peter serre , was burned 1553. in france ; who having his tongue cut out stood so quiet looking up to heaven at the time of his burning , as though he had felt no pain , bringing such admiration to the people , that one of the parliament of france that condemned him , said , that way was not best to bring lutherans to the fire , for that would do more hurt than good . vol. 2. p. 143. mrs. smith near coventry , condemned and burnt for having the lord's prayer in english , april 4. 1519. vol. 2. p. 225. hellen stirk , a scottish woman , seeing her husband go to the stake 1543. for christ's cause , and being her self condemned , did desire to suffer with her husband ; but when it was not permitted , she went to him and exhorted him to perseverance , and with a kiss parted , saying ; husband , rejoyce , for we have lived many a joyful day together ; but this day in which we must die together ought to be most joyful unto us both , because we must have joy for ever ; therefore i will not bid you good night , for we shall suddenly meet with joy in the kingdom of heaven . and after that , she parting with her sucking child from her breast , recommended her self to god and the child to nurse , and so was drowned . vol. 2. pag. 615 , 616. laurence saunders , brought up at eaton , and then at king's colledge in cambridge three years ; then by his mother , having a great estate , was bound apprentice in london to a merchant , sir william chester ; but he not liking his apprentiship , his master gave him his indentures , perceiving his inclinations to study ; and being himself a good man , he wrote letters to his mother and friends ( who were great persons ) about it : whereby he went again to king's colledge , and after several years was a minister in leicestershire , and then in london till queen mary's dayes , when he had two livings , not being permitted to lay down either of them by reason of the troubles ; and as well as he could he preached at both , though at length at london he going to preach was disswaded for fear of danger , but he would not cease : and preaching , he did ( as he often had ) speak against popish tenets , for which he was examined by bishop bonner , and gardiner ; and at last imprisoned , he prayed much ; and in all spiritual assaults , he prayed and found present relief ; and he said , while bishop gardiner examined him , he found a great consolation in spirit , and also in body he received a certain taste of the communion of saints , whilst a pleasant refreshing issued from all parts of his body to his heart , and thence did ebb and flow to and fro . he in a letter to bishop gardiner , proved popery a whoreish and ravening religion , robbing god of his honour and worship in truth ; and also our consciences of peace and true comfort . he disswaded his wife and friends from sueing for his liberty : he , in his letters , spoke much of his own experience through god's grace , of christ's sweetness ; and how loath his flesh was to go forward in god's path , and also his hopes with the godly to be shortly singing halelujah in heaven ; and as he saluted those to whom he wrote with grace and mercy and peace , and assured them of his prayers for them , so also he generally begg'd their prayers , ending his letters with pray , pray , pray ; and after 15 months imprisonment he was condemned , who said , my dear lord iesus christ hath begun to me a more bitter cup than mine can be , and shall not i pledge my most sweet saviour ? yes i hope . as he went to stake he oft fell down and prayed ; and at the stake he took it in his arms and kissed it , saying , welcome the cross of christ , welcome everlasting life ; and so being fastned , was burned with green wood to make his torments greater ; yet he stood quietly , and slept sweetly in the fire . vol. 3. p. 132. to 136. robert smith burnt , 1555. at uxbridge , august ; who being at the stake , comforted the people , willing them to think well of his cause , and not doubt but that his body dying in that quarrel should rise again to life : and i doubt not , said he , but god will shew some token thereof : at length , being near half burnt , and cluster'd together on a lump like a black coal ; all men thinking him to be dead , he suddenly rose upright , lifting up his stumps of his arms , claping them together as a token of rejoicing ; and then bending down again he dyed . in a letter to his wife , he writes thus , if ye will meet with me again , forsake not christ for any pain . vol. 3. p. 410 , 411. he wrote this exhortation to his children . give ear my children to my words , whom god hath dearly bought ; lay up my law within your heart , and print it in your thought : for i , your father , have foreseen the frail and filthy way , which flesh and blood would follow fain , even to their own decay ; for all and every living beast their crib do know full well ; but adam's heirs above the rest are ready to rebell : and all the creatures on the earth full well can keep their way , but man , above all other beasts , is apt to go astray ; for earth and ashes is his strength , his glory , and his reign ; and unto ashes , at the length , he shall return again : for flesh doth flourish like the flower , and grow up like a grass ; and is consumed in an hour , as it is brought to pass , in me the image of your years , your treasure , and your trust ; whom ye do see , before your face , dissolved into dust : for as you see your father's flesh converted into clay , even so shall ye , my children dear , consume and wear away . the sun and moon , and eke the stars , that serve the day and night ; the earth , and every earthly thing , shall be consumed quite ; and all the worship that is wrought , that have been heard or seen , shall clean consume and come to nought , as it had never been : therefore that ye may follow me , your father and your friend ; and enter into that same life which never shall have end . i leave you here a little book for you to look upon , that ye may see your father's face when i am dead and gone ; who for the hope of heavenly things , while he did here remain , gave over all his golden years in prison and in pain ; where i , among mine iron bonds enclosed in the dark , not many dayes before my death , did dedicate this work to you , mine heirs of earthly things which i have left behind , that ye may read and understand , and keep it in your mind ; that as you have been heirs of that which once shall wear away , even so ye may possess the part which never shall decay ; in following of your father's foot , in truth , and eke in love ; that ye may also be his heirs for evermore above : and in example to your youth , to whom i wish all good ; i preach you here a perfect faith , and seal it with my blood : have god alwayes before your eyes in all your whole intents , commit not sin in any wise , keep his commandements ; abhor that arrant whore of rome , and all her blasphemies ; and drink not of her decretals , nor yet of her decrees : give honour to your mother dear , remember well her pain ; and recompense her in her age in like with love again : be alwayes aiding at her hand , and let her not decay ; remember well your father's fall , that should have been her stay . give of your portion to the poor , as riches do arise ; and from the needy naked soul turn not away your eyes : for he that will not hear the cry of such as stand in need , shall cry himself , and not be heard , when he would hope to speed . if god hath given great increase , and blessed well your store ; remember ye are put in trust to minister the more . beware of foul and filthy lust , let whoredom have no place ; keep clean your vessels in the lord , that he may you embrace : ye are the temples of the lord , for ye are dearly bought ; and they who do defile the same shall surely come to nought . possess not pride in any case , build not your nests too high ; but have alwayes before your face that you were born to dye . defraud not him that hired is your labour to sustain , but give him alwayes , out of hand , his penny for his pain : and as ye would that other men against you should proceed , do ye the same again to them when they do stand in need : and part your portion with the poor , in money , and in meat ; and feed the fainted feeble soul with that which ye should eat ; that when your members shall lack meat , and cloathing to your back , ye may the better think on them that now do live and lack : ask counsel also at the wise , give ear unto the end ; refuse not ye the sweet rebuke of him that is your friend . be thankful alwayes to the lord with prayer and with praise ; desire you him in all your deeds , ever to direct your wayes , and sin not like the swinish sort , whose bellies being fed , consume their years upon the earth from belly unto bed . seek first , i say , the living god , set him alwayes before , and then be sure he will bless your basket and your store : and thus if you direct your dayes according to this book , then shall they say that see your wayes how like me you do look : and when you have so perfectly upon your fingers ends , possessed all within this book , then give it to your friends ; and i beseech the living god replenish you with grace , that i may have you in the heavens , and see you face to face : and though the sword hath cut me off , contrary to my kind , that i could not enjoy your love according to my mind ; yet i do hope that when the heavens shall vanish like a scrowl , i shall receive your perfect shape in body and in soul. and that i may enjoy your love , and ye enjoy the land ; i do beseech the living god to hold you in his hand . farewel , my children , from the world where ye must yet remain . the lord of hosts be your defence till we do meet again . farewel my love and loving wife , my children , and my friends , i hope to god to have you all when all things have their ends : and if you do abide in god as ye have now begun , your course , i warrant , shall be short ye have not far to run . god grant you so to end your years as he shall think it best , that ye may enter into heaven where i do hope to rest . vol. 3. p. 405 , 406. robert samuel , a suffolk minister , was imprisoned by dr. hopton bishop of norwich , and kept sadly , being chained bolt upright , so that he stood on tip-toes day and night , and was kept without meat and drink , save only three mouthfuls of bread and three spoonfuls of water a day : and at last being to be burned he said to his friends , that when he was imprisoned and almost pin'd away 2 or 3 dayes together , he fell into a slumber , and one clad in white seem'd to stand by him , and comforting him , said ; samuel , samuel , be of good chear , and take a good heart to thee , for after this day thou shalt never hunger nor thirst more . which thing was effected , for from that time to his sufferings , he felt neither hunger nor thirst ; and it is said that his body when it was in the fire , shone as bright and white as new try'd silver . vol. 3. p. 414 , 415. iohn spicer , burnt at salisbury , march 24. 1556. with 2 others : at the stake said , this is the joyfullest day that ever i saw . vol. 3. p. 680. agnes stanley , burned at smithfield with four more april 12. 1557. she being by bishop bonner threatned with death if she would not recant , said ; i had rather every hair of my head were burned , if it were never so much worth , than that i should forsake my faith and opinion , which is the true faith. vol. 3. p. 788. thomas spurdance , one of queen mary's servants , being apprehended for the gospel , and examined at norwich by the bishop , who bad him submit to the queen's laws , he said ; you must know , my lord , that i have a soul as well as a body ; my soul is none of the queen's , but my body and goods are the queen's : and i must give god my soul , and all that belongs to it . that is , i must do the laws and commandments of god , and may not do commandments contrary to them for losing of my soul , but muct rather obey god than man ; if i save my life i shall lose it , and if for christ 's sake i lose it , i shall find it in everlasting life : and was burned at bury in november 1557. vol. 3. pag. 855. william sparrow of london , burnt in november 18. 1557. who being examined said , that that which the papists called heresie was true and godly , and if every hair of his head was a man ( he said ) he would burn them , rather than go from the truth . vol. 3. p. 857. cuthbert simpson , a minister in london , was wrakt often in one day to discover his confederates , but he would not ; and at last was burnt . he writing to his wife , perswades her to constancy , pleading god's promises to help us ; and that nothing shall befal us but what is profitable to us , either a correction of our sins , tryal of our faith , to set forth his glory , or for all together . vol. 3. p. 866 , 867. archambant scraphom , martyred 1557. in flanders , for speaking that the pope was the antichrist st. paul described : and being willed to subscribe his saying , reply'd , yea , yea , i am ready to sign it with my blood , rather than with ink. when he looked on his hands , he used to say , o flesh ! you must suffer and be burned to ashes , till the last day . additions to vol. 3. concerning the massacre of france , p. 6. t t theban souldiers a legion , having mauritius their captain , being sent for by maximinus the emperour , under the tenth persecution , to go against and persecute the christians , would not ; for which every tenth man was kill'd : and being still urged , they made a notable oration to the emperour , declaring , though they were his souldiers , yet were they god's servants ; and would not persecute the christians , nor sacrifice to the emperour 's devillish idols : whereupon again every tenth man was slain ; and afterwards their whole army totally destroy'd , who made no resistance , but laid down their armour and gave their naked bodies to their enemies fury . vol. 3. p. 104 , 105. nicholas and francis thressen , being brought up in christianity by their father andreas thressen , who flying into england ( out of germany from their mother and two other children ) died there : and then these two sons returned into germany to their mother and the two children with her , and instructed them in christianity : with whom the papists laboured to make them recant ; and the two youngest being not well grounded , did so : the mother would not , and was condemned to perpetual prison . these two sons inveighed against popery , and despising torments were condemned to the fire ; and desiring to speak , had gaggs put into their mouths and balls of wood to hinder it ; but they with vehemency of speaking drave them out : and desiring for the lord's sake that they might have liberty to speak , they sang the creed with a loud voice , and went and were fastened to the stake , praying for their persecutors and exhorting each other , they did abide the fire patiently . the one feeling the flame to burn his beard , said ; ah! what a small pain is this to be compared to the glory to come : and so committing their spirits to the hands of god , they died . vol. 2. p. 121. giles tilleman , a cutler , born at brussels , burned 1544. he received the gospel at 30 years of age , and was very charitable to the poor , and so zealous in prayer that he seem'd to forget himself , and neither to hear nor see those that stood by him , till he was lift up by the arms . so patient was he of private injuries , that he would not speak again to revilers , insomuch that they said he had a dumb devil , though in the cause of religion he had words and scripture enough . when tidings came to him of the sentence against him , he gave hearty thanks to god that the hour was come that he might glorifie the lord ; and at the place of burning , when the hangman would have strangled him first , he would not let him , saying , there was no need that his pain should be mitigated , for , said he , i fear not the fire . and lifting up his eyes in the middle of the flames , he died . vol. 2. pag. 119. william tracy of todington in glocestershire esq 1532. in his will and testament ordained his executors not to make any funeral pomp at his burial , neither passed he for any mass , saying , he trusted only in god , and hoped by him to be saved , and not by any saint . he said there was but one mediator between god and man , christ iesus ; and therefore he gave nothing that any should say or do any thing to help his soul after his death ; for which will he was near two years after his death taken up and burnt as an heretick , by the archbishop of canterbury's order to dr. parker chancellor in worcester diocese , whom king henry viii . made it cost 300 pound . vol. 2. p. 317 , 318. william tyndal of magdalen colledge in oxford removed thence to cambridge , and thence to glocestershire , where in the house of one welch a knight he resided sometime , disputing with the clergy , priests and abbots , and refuted them by scripture evidences , so that they hated him , and brought him to trouble : at last he intending to translate the bible into english for the good of his native people , and to deliver them from the blind idolatry and superstition of popery ; and finding england would not bear it , nor afford a place to do it in , he fled to saxony , and there translated the new testament 1527. and after he translating 5 books of moses , intending to print at antwerp , to which place he sailing did suffer shipwrack , and lost all his labour ; but he lodged at antwerp , and with the help of one coverdale performed the five books , and printed them ; and residing there he was basely betray'd by one henry philips an english-man , whom he had received lately as an intimate acquaintance : and being so persecuted that though many letters were for his delivering , he was executed ; who in prison converted the keeper , his daughter , and others . by the testimony of his condemner , he was a learned pious good man , who died with this earnest prayer , lord , open the king of england's eyes . he was martyred at filford castle in flanders 1536. vol. 2. p. 361 , to 367. robert testwood about windsor , in king henry eight's reign 1544. for opposing idolatry and image-worship , was apprehended and persecuted by the bishop of london ; vol. 2. p. 543 , 544. at last being condemned , he suffered with one filmire and persons , who kissed each other at parting from the prison , and at the stake drank to each other ; and then this testwood lifting up his eyes and hands , desired the lord to receive his spirit . see persons and filmire . their persecutors , symons and dr. london , soon after convicted of conspiracy against some nobles , and being perjured , did ride with papers on their heads , and their faces towards the horse tails , round about windsor market-place . vol. 2. p. 555 , 556. rowland taylor , dr. of both canon and civil laws , and a perfect divine ; parson of hadley in suffolk , where he resided , calling his people together and preaching to them every sunday and holiday , when he might . he was humble and meek , and his life an example of piety . he was ready to do good to all , forgiving all enemies readily ; and never sought to do evil to any one . to the poor , blind , lame , and sick , he was a very father , a careful patron , and diligent provider . when mass was contrived to be set up in his church , he opposed it , and said it was against god's word , the queen's honour ; and tended to the utter subversion of the realm of england . whereupon he was sent for up to london , by the bishop of winchester , stephen gardiner : and his friends perswaded him not to go , saying he could not be heard for himself , but must expect imprisonment , and death ; and that christ advised to fly from one city to another : and the people of god would in time want such godly preachers . to whom he said , dear friends , i thank you for your care ; yet i know my cause so good , and the truth so strong on my side , that i will , by god's grace , go and appear before them ; and to their beards will resist their false doings . god will not forsake his church , but will raise up more fruitful teachers than i , who shall never have again so glorious a call as i now have ; wherefore i be seech you to pray for me , and i doubt not but god will give me strength and his spirit , that all my adversaries shall have shame of their doings . and so taking care of his people , he and his man , iohn hull , went towards london ; but his man advised him to fly , proffering his faithful service to him in all affairs : to whom the doctor replyed , oh john , shall i give place to this thy counsel , and leave my flock in this danger ? remember christ , the good shepherd , who not only fed his flock , but dyed for them also . him must i follow , and by god's grace will ; therefore , john , pray for me ; and if thou seest me at any time weak , comfort me ; and discourage me not in this godly enterprize , and purpose . when he came to bishop gardiner , who reviled him much , and asked him how he durst look him in the face , and if he knew who he was ? dr. taylor said , yes , i know who you are , dr. stephen gardiner , bishop of winchester , lord chancellor ; and yet but a mortal man i trow : but if i should be afraid of your lordly looks , why fear you not god the lord of us all ? how dare ye look any christian man in the face , seeing you have forsaken the truth , denyed christ , and done contrary to your oath and writing ? with what face will ye appear before christ's iudgment seat , and answer to your oath against popery in king henry the 8th 's time , and in king edward the 6th 's dayes , when you both spoke , and wrote against it . vol. 3. p. 167 , 168 , 169. when he was condemned with mr. bradford , and others ; they joyfully gave thanks , and stoutly said to the bishops , that god would require their blood at their hands , and that one day they should repent this their tyranny against the flock of christ. p. 174. when bonner , bishop of london , came to degrade him ; and brought with him the vestments , according to their popish manner ; he bad him put them on , but dr. taylor would not , so bonner caused another to put them on ; and then dr. taylor set his hands by his side , and walked up and down , saying , how do you like me now ? how say you my lord , am not i a goodly fool ? how say you my masters , if i were in cheapside now , should not i have boys enough to laugh at me , and at these apish toys , and toying trumpery ? so the bishop performed his ceremonies of degradation , and cursed him : to whom dr. taylor said , though you curse , god will bless : you have done me wrong , and violence ; yet i pray god , if it be his will , forgive you . the next day his wife and son and man , supped with him ; and he exhorted his son to obey god and his mother ; and exhorted her to be stedfast in the faith , and to shun popery ; and then wrote his last farewel to his people of hadley , perswading their stedfastness in the doctrine he had preached amongst them against popery . vol. 3. p. 175. the next day after he was carried out towards hadley to suffer , and his wife and children suspecting as much , lay all night in botolph's church-yard ; and as he went early in the morning , she cryed to him , rowland , rowland , and came to him ; who took his daughter mary in his arms , and then all of them kneeled and said the lords prayer ; then kissed he his wife , saying , farewel my dear wife , be of good comfort ; for i am quiet in my conscience , and god shall stir up a father for my children ; and kissing his two daughters , mary , and elizabeth , he said , god bless you : and so praying them all to keep close to god's word , and to flye idolatry , he went on : to whom his wife said , god be with thee my dear rowland , i will meet thee at hadley : and after this speech to his wife , he did see his son thomas , and his man iohn hull , whom he commanded to lift up his son , whom he blessed and prayed for ; and then gave him again to his servant . at burntwood as they went , they made a hood for the dr. with holes only to see and breathe through , that none might know him , nor he speak to any . the dr. was very pleasant all the way , as if he was going to a banquet . and when he came to chelmsford , the sheriff of suffolk met him ; and as they were at supper , the sheriff of essex perswaded him to turn to popery ; pleading his strength of body might live long , and he would be in great esteem , because all loved him for his sweetness and learning , and a pardon might still be had , and so drank to him , and so did all the yeomen of the guard , his attendants . and when the cup came to the dr. he considered a while before he spake , and at last thanked them for their counsel ; and said , to be plain with you , i perceive i have been deceived my self , and am like to deceive a great many of hadley of their expectation : at which words they rejoyced , saying , gods blessing on your heart , hold you there still , why should you cast away your life ? but he said , my meaning is this ; i am deceived , and , as i think , i shall deceive a great many : i am , ye see , a man of a great carcass , which i thought should have been buried in hadly church-yard , but herein i see i am deceived : and there are a great many worms in hadly church-yard which would have had a jolly feeding upon this carrion , but now i know they will be deceived , for this carcass must be burned to ashes : which sayings astonished the sheriff , that he should but jest at death now at hand . within 2 miles of hadly , he desired to alight to make water , and fetched a frisk or two as men do in dancing , saying he was very well , never better ; for now i know i am almost at my father's home . and after that he did understand he should go through hadly , he blessed god that he should once more see his people before he died , whom he prayed god to bless and keep stedfast in word and truth ▪ and at hadly a poor man and 5 children meeting him , begg'd an alms , and pray'd to god to comfort him , as he had done often him and his children . and the people of hadly stood in the streets weeping and praying for him , saying ; there goes our good shepherd ; oh god! what will become of us poor lambs : to whom the dr. all along said , i have preached among you god's truth , and am now come to seal it with my blood . and at the almes-house he gave them all the money he had : his care was once a fortnight to visit with the gentry the poor inhabitants , and whom he found to blame he reboked , whom he found to want he supply'd . at last coming to aldam common , ( the place of his suffering ) he would have spoke , but was not permitted ; onely he said to the people , he had preached and was now to seal the truth of the gospel with his blood , for which saying he was struck . and being ty'd fast to the stake in a pitch-barrel , he held up his hands , saying , merciful father of heaven , for jesus christ 's sake my saviour , receive my soul into thy hands : and so he stood with his hands joyned until one with a halberd knocked his brains out , and the dead corps fell down into the fire . vol , 3. p. 176 , 177 , 178. thomas tomkins , burnt march 16. 1555. a london waver , to whom bishop bonner used cruelty ; and at his own palace hall at fulham , to terrifie the poor man , burnt his hand with a taper till the veins and sinews broke , and the water spirted in the faces of the standers by , who being moved with pity , requested the bishop to stay , saying he had try'd him enough : but the bishop stay'd not till he had effected his burning in smithfield . this tomkins never shrank at the burning his hand , but said he was wrapt in spirit , so that he felt no pain . vol. 3. p. 187 , 188 , 190. iohn taylor , otherwise called iohn cardmaker , prebendary of wells and a franciscan fryar , burnt with one warn may 30. 1555. in smithfield , where the sheriff talking much with taylor , and the papists having noised abroad his recantation , the people began to suspect it ; but at last taylor suddenly went and pray'd , then stript himself to his shirt , went to the stake and kissed it , and shaking his fellow-sufferer iohn warn by the hand , comforted him ; and then heartily gave himself to be burned : whereat all the people cry'd out for joy , god be praised , the lord strengthen thee , cardmaker , the lord jesus receive thy spirit ; till such time as by fire he was consum'd . vol. 3. p. 246 , 248. george tankerfield , a zealous papist in king edward vi. dayes , a cook in london ; but in queen mary's dayes seeing their popish persecution and cruelty , hated their doctrine , prayed to god for direction , and studied the word of god , and became a zealous protestant , who for the gospel was condemned and was burnt at st. albans , august 26. 1555. in the inn before he suffered , he called for some malmsey and a loaf to eat and drink , in remembrance of christ's death and passion , which he said he did not in contempt of the ministry , or to detract from the ordinance , but because he could not have it administred to him according to god's word . and after he had with prayer and thanksgiving received , he caused a good fire to be made in his chamber , and he sitting by it , pull'd off his hose and shoes , and stretched out his feet towards it , and when the flame had touched his foot he quickly drew back his leg , shewing how the flesh did perswade him one way , and the spirit another . the flesh said , oh! thou foot , wilt thou burn and need not ? the spirit , be not afraid , for this is nothing in respect of fire eternal . the flesh said , do not leave the company of thy friends which love thee : the spirit said , the company of iesus christ and his glorious presence doth exceed all fleshly friends . the flesh saith , do not shorten thy time , for thou mayest live if thou wilt much longer : but the spirit said , this life is nothing to the life in heaven which lasteth for ever . and after he coming to the stake , pray'd , and with a joyful faith said , that although he had a sharp dinner , yet he hoped to have a joyful supper : and in the fire he calling on the name of the lord , was quickly out of pain . v. 3. p. 397. william tyms minister , burnt with several others april 14. 1556. wrote to his sister thus , i take my leave of you till we meet in heaven , you shall find me merrily singing , holy , holy , holy , lord god of sabboth at my journey's end . and at the end of his letter , he wrote his name in blood , in token that he would seal the doctrine of christ with the rest , and also he wrote in blood these words , continue in prayer , ask in faith , and obtain your desire . in another letter to his parishioners at hockley in essex , exhorts them to constancy to his doctrine which he now was about sealing with his blood , praising god that ever he lived to see that day , and blessing god that ever he gave him a body to glorifie his name by . vol. 3. p. 685. iohn tuscaen , a young man of 22 years of age , of audenard in flanders , hearing of the popish idolatry in worshiping the host , determined to demonstrate to them that the worshiping of that breaden-god was abominable and execrable sacriledge : to effect which , on may , 30. 1566. called corpus christi day he went to a church in pamelle , which stood near to audenard , and seeing the priest at elevating the host , and the people ready to prostrate themselves before a breaden-cake , he stept to the priest , and snatched the cake out of his hands , broke it in pieces , and cast it unto the ground , saying unto the people , see here , my masters , your goodly breaden-god , who you see is not able to help himself , but is here broken all to pieces : how long , how long , o ye senseless priests , will ye thus defile the holy supper of the lord ? shall we never see an end of your filthy idolatries ? if the authority of the holy scriptures can nothing move you , yet at length be admonished by the present example , that there is not one jot of divinity within that bread , seeing it is subject to be thus handled ; will ye worship a dead idol , your selves being living men ? for which actions , and expressions he was imprisoned , and had first his hand cut off , which he took patiently , saying , o lord god , it is for the glory of thy name that i endure these things , enable me now with strength from above that i may finish this sacrifice . then was he burnt , and his ashes cast into the river escaut . additions to vol. 3. of the massacre of france and flanders , p. 356. du tour , deacon of the church at bourdeaux 1572. in the massacre there . he had been a priest of the romish church , but now was a protestant , aged and sick in bed ; who was haled into open street , and asked if he would go to mass and save his life : but he said , no , especially now drawing so near its end , both in regard of my sickness and years : i hope i shall not so far forget the eternal salvation of my soul , as for fear of death to prolong this life for a few dayes , for so should i buy a short term of life at too dear a rate . and so they massacred him . additions to vol. 3. concerning massacre in france . p. 72. v v victor , a theban souldier , under the 10 th persecution ; being dismissed for his age , and coming suddenly to the emperours souldiers , who had even then destroyed a legion of theban christian souldiers , and were very merry , inviting him also to sit down as a guest ; but he inquiring into the cause of their mirth , and feasting , detested it and them , and would not eat : and being demanded whether he was a christian , he said he was , and ever would be a christian ; whereupon they rushed on him and killed him . vol. 1. p. 105. usthazares , under the 10 th persecution , having been tutor to sapores king of persia , and a professor of christianity , which afterwards he denyed again , yet was again reduced to it by occasion of simeon the arch-bishop of seleucia ; who being led to prison for christ , and saluted by usthazares as he passed by him ; the arch-bishop cryed out against him in great anger for his cowardice in revolting from christ ; whereupon usthazares wept bitterly , saying , with what face shall i look for my god who have denyed him ; when as this simeon , my old acquaintance , so much disdaineth me for it . and he went and acquainted the king he was a christian , nor would again be so foolish as to deny christ ; and being sentenced to be beheaded , he requested it might be proclaimed that he dyed not for treason , but for the name of christ ; that so those who had fallen away by his example , might also by him learn constancy . vol. 1. p. 125 , 126. henry voes , and iohn esch , two augustin fryars , being converted to lutheranisme , adhereing to the word of god , and obeying and believing decrees of councils , or fathers , no farther than they agreed with scripture , were condemned by the papists to be burned . then they began to bless god which had delivered them from that false and abominable priesthood , and made them priests of his own holy order ; receiving them unto him as a sacrifice of sweet odour . their greatest errour , as by their bill of accusation appeared , was , that they said men ought to trust in god alone , forasmuch as men are lyars , and deceitful in their words and deeds . as they were led to execution , iuly 1. 1553. at bruxels , they went joyfully and merrily , making continual protestation that they dyed for the glory of god , and the doctrine of the gospel , as true christians believing and following the holy church of the lamb of god , saying , this was the day they had long desired : and at the place of execution they joyfully embraced the stake , patiently and joyfully enduring whatsoever was done to them , and singing , te deum laudamus , that is , we praise thee , o god ; and rehearsing the creed in testimony of their faith. and a doctor bidding henry voes take heed he gloried not so foolishly in himself : he answered , god forbid that i should glory , save in the cross of christ. one of them seeing the fire kindled at his feet , said , methinks they strew roses under my feet : finally , the smoke and flame choaked them . vol. 2. p. 102. ursula and mary , two sisters of a noble family in delden in lower germany , were burnt 1545. who being instructed in the book of god , defended the benefit of our salvation to come only by faith in christ , and all the other merchandise of the pope was needless . and mary being first ( though the younger ) put to the fire , she prayed ardently for her enemies , commending her self to god ; at whose constancy the judges greatly marvelled , and exhorted ursula the other sister to turn , or to desire she might be beheaded ; to whom she said she was guilty of and defended no errour , but defended what was consonant to scripture , in which she trusted to persevere to the end ; and as for the kind of death or punishment , she said she feared not the fire , but rather would follow the example of her dear sister . the bodies of these two could not be consumed by fire , but they were left by the executioners whole , lying on the ground white : but certain good christians privily in the night took them up and buried . vol. 2. p. 120. two virgins in the diocess of bamberg , 1551. being led to slaughter , did sustain it with chearful countenances and patient hearts ; they had garlands of straw set on their heads , whereupon one said to the other , going to their martyrdom , seeing christ bare a crown of thorns for us , why should we stick to wear a crown of straw for him ? no doubt but the lord will render to us again better than crowns of gold. vol. 2. p. 125. w w wendelmuta , a widow in holland , was martyred 1527. of christ , who being extremely beloved , had many importuning her to recant , but she would not ; and amongst the rest , a certain noble matron communing with her , perswaded her to keep silence , and to think silently in her heart what she believed , that she might prolong her days : to whom she said , ah you know not what you say ; it is written rom. 10. with the heart we believe to righteousness , and with the tongue we confess to salvation . and thus she remained stedfast and firm in her confession , and was november 20. condemned to be burnt to ashes ; which sentence she took mildly and quietly : and being at the place of execution , a monk brought her a blind cross , willing her to kiss it , and worship her god ; to whom she said , i worship no wooden god , but only that god which is in heaven : and so with a merry and joyful countenance , she embraced the stake , and by an ardent prayer commended her self to the hands of god. vol. 2. p. 115. waldenses began 1200 years after christ , and were so called from waldo who first instructed them ; and they delivered their doctrine from father to son successively . they had indeed divers names according to the places where they lived : in the northern parts they were called lollards ; about lyons in france they were called pauperes de lugduno ; in flanders , terraelupins , of a desart where wolves did haunt ; in dolphine , chugnards , by way of despite , because they lived harbourless . they taught at first in caves of the earth , and in the night for fear of persecution , and were a people fearing god , living uprightly and justly , yet they suffered much persecution , especially in merindol and calabria , whither they came from piedmont vallies , and though those places were desarts , yet were they by them so cultivated that they proved very fruitful . vol. 2. p. 185 , 186. they were charitable to the poor , hospitable to strangers , and were known by these marks , they would not swear , nor name the devil ; were true to their promise , and would not take an oath , unless in judgment , or in making some solemn covenant ; nor would they in any company talk of dishonest matters , but whenever they heard wanton or swearing talk , they presently departed out of that company ; and also they always prayed before they went to any business , and opposed generally images , crossing , and other popish fooleries , as was testified by their very enemies , and their neighbouring inhabitants , to the french king. vol. 2. p. 193. they were also called albigenses , from the place where they frequented in tolouse ; and merindolians , from merindol a place of provence in france , which with cabriles were laid waste , burned and rased , their inhabitants cut asunder , and their women and maids ravished , those with child cut open , by one iohn minerius lord of opede , at the command of francis the french king , april 12. 1545. vol. 2. p. 196 , to page 200. their principles were these : 1. one god the creator of all things . 2. the son the onely mediator and advocate of all mankind . 3. the holy ghost the comforter and instructer of all truth . 4. they acknowledged the church to be the fellowship of the elect of god whereof iesus christ is the head. 5. they allow'd the ministers of the church , wishing such as did not their duty were removed . 6. magistrates they granted to be ordained of god to defend the good , and to punish the transgressors , and that they ought to the magistrate love and tribute , and that none herein was exempted . they acknowledged baptism to be an outward and visible sign representing to us the renewing of the spirit , and mortifying of the members . 8. they confessed the lord's supper to be a thanksgiving , and a memorial of the benefits received through christ. 9. matrimony they esteemed holy , instituted of god , and inhibited to no man. 10. good works they observed , and thought them to be practised of all men , as scripture teaches . 11. false doctrine leading from the true worship of god ought to be eschew'd . 12. the order and rule of their faith was the old and new testament , protesting they believed all contained in the apostolique creed . vol. 2. p. 200. they at they burying of their dead used to accompany the dead to the grave reverently , with a sufficient company , and made exhortation out of the word of god to the living , and to comfort the parents and friends of the party deceased , and to admonish all men diligently to prepare for death . vol. 2. p. 203. they were much persecuted by henry the ninth french king , and often delivered miraculously in angrogne , lusern and other places , valleys of piedmont ; till 1559. when a peace being made between france and spain , those valleys were ( as due ) given to the duke of savoy , who entreated these waldenses gently , till by the pope and his legates he was instigated to persecute them , which was very severely and cruelly done , vol. 2. p. 204 , 205. they were persecuted in all their places ; and one called the lord of trinity , and one trunchet were their great enemies . the waldenses used to go and pray before battel , and after battel gave thanks ; and though they were but few in number and without armour , only by slings and stones , and a few harquebusses , they so amazed and put to flight their enemies often , that they flying said , god fought for them . and at last ( though after much misery and cruelty ) they had a peace brought them by the lord of raconis from the duke of savoy , which was obtained by the mediation of his dutchess . vol. 2. p. 218 , 219 , 220 , 222. so much of the waldenses rise and actions , vol. 1. p. 299. george wisehart , a scotchman , burnt march 1. 1546. being condemned by david beton archbishop of st. andrews , although he answered all the articles he was accused of . who going to the stake sat down on his knees , and rose again , saying three times , o thou saviour of the world , have mercy on me , father of heaven i commend my spirit into thy holy hands : and then turning to the people , he said : i desire you not to be offended with the word of god , for which i suffer ; and exhorted them to embrace it , and to continue stedfast . for which , saith he , i suffer this day , not sorrowfully , but with a glad heart and mind : consider and behold my visage , ye shall not see me change my colour ; this grim fire i fear not , and so i pray you to do if any persecution befal you ; i know that my soul shall sup with christ , for whom i suffer this , within these six hours in heaven : then pray'd he for his enemies , saying , father , i beseech thee to forgive them that have ignorantly or of evil mind forged any lies upon me ; i freely forgive them with all my heart , and i beseech christ to forgive them , who this day condemned me to death . and being to be hang'd on a gibbet , and so burn'd , the executioner begg'd his pardon ; whom he kissed , saying , there is a token that i forgive thee , do thine office : and so he was burnt . vol. 2. p. 618 , 620 , 621. adam wallace , a scotchman , burnt 1549. as an heretick . he passed over the night of his condemnation in singing and lauding god , having learned david's psalter by heart to his great consolation ; and being tempted by several to recant , he ( though a poor mean learnned man ) said , he would adhere to whatsoever could be proved by scripture , but he would consent to nothing that had not scripture evidence , though an angel from heaven came to perswade him . and on the day of his sufferings he asked , whether the fire was fit , saying , as it pleaseth god i am ready soon or late ; and so desired the faithful to remember him to all the brethren , being sure to meet together with them in heaven . as he went to the fire , the people said , god have mercy on you ; and on you too , said he . at the fire he lifting up his eyes two or three times , said to the people , let it not offend you that i suffer for the truth's sake ; for the disciple is not greater than his master . but he was not permitted to speak , and so was burned . vol. 2. p. 623. rawlins white , a welchman , a fisherman of cardiff , was very superstitious in time of popery , till afterwards through god's grace , he , upon the reformation , began to give ear to good men , and searched out the truth ; but being a very poor ignorant person , he knew not how to be informed ; and so resolved to put his child to learn to read , whom he caused , when he could read , to read every night summer and winter after supper , a piece of scripture or some good book , which profited him so much through god's grace , and the blessing of a good memory , that he soon became very perfect in scriptures , did see his former errours , and was enabled to admonish others ; by which means he was instrumental for the conversion of many others , whom he instructed ; for which he expected to be apprehended ; and his friends desired him to fly , but he said , no : he had learned , that if he should presume to deny his master christ , christ in the last day would deny and condemn him . i will therefore by his favourable grace bear witness of him before men , that i may find him in everlasting life . and at last was taken and imprisoned for a year ; where as oft as his friends visited him , he would spend the time in prayer and exhortation : and after many means of threats and flatteries used by bishop of landaffe to bring him to a conformity , but in vain : he resolved to condemn him , yet exhorted he his fellow-assistants to pray to god for grace for rawlins to convert him : whereat rawlins rejoyced , and commending them , said , go and pray , and i also will pray . after prayer , the bishop asked him , if he would recant , and he said , no. rawlins ye left me , and rawlins ye find me , and by god's grace rawlins i will continue . certainly if your petitions were just and lawful , god would have heard you ; but ye honour a false god , and pray not as ye ought to pray , and therefore hath not god granted your desire ; but god hath heard my complaint , and i trust will strengthen me in his own cause . then the bishop would have a mass , at which rawlins went , and begg'd the brethren or but one brother to bear witness that he did not worship that idol the host over the priest's head : and so , soon after he was condemned : who then sent to his wife for a shirt to be burnt in , which he called a wedding-garment . and going to the stake , seeing his wife and children there , who made great lamentation , his heart was pierced and he wept , but soon after , being angry with himself for that infirmity , he struck his breast , saying , ah flesh ! wouldest thou fain prevail ? well , i let thee do what thou canst , thou shalt not through god's grace have the victory . and being in the fire , he cry'd whilst he could open his mouth , o lord , receive my soul ; o lord receive my spirit . vol. 3. p. 219 , 220 , 221. thomas watts , an essex man , a linen-draper , expecting every day to be sent for and imprisoned for the gospel , did dispose of his things ; and sold , and gave to the poor , his cloath , and at length was imprisoned ; and not recanting by the flatteries and threats of bishop bonner , he was condemned ; and going to take leave of his wife and six children , he said to them thus : i must now depart from you , therefore henceforth i know you no more ; but as the lord hath given you to me , i give you again to him , whom i charge ye see to obey , and beware ye turn not to popery ; against which , by god's grace , i shall anon give my blood : let not the murdering of god's saints cause you to relent , but take occasion thereby to be strong in the lord's quarrel ; and i doubt not but he will be a merciful father to you : and so he went to the stake , kissed it , and was burned , iune 9. 1555. vol. 3. p. 268. christopher ward burned at dartford , 1555. who coming to the stake , being in a pitch barrel fastned to it , he held up his hands and eyes to heaven , saying , with a chearful and loud voice , the last verse of the 86. psalm , shew some good token upon me for good , that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed ; because thou lord hast helped me and comforted me : and the fire being kindled , he cryed with a loud voice , but without any impatience , lord iesus receive my soul ; and when his voice could not be heard , his hands were held up , and continued clasped together and held up towards heaven , even when he was dead and altogether roasted , as though they had been stayed up by some prop ; which token god granted as it were an answer to his prayer . vol. 3. p. 382. thomas whittle , a priest , burnt with six others , ian. 28. 1556. was , by the perswasions of the papists , brought to recant ; but after that , he felt such an horrour of conscience , that he did earnestly beg to see again the bill he had subscribed ; and seeing it , he rent out his name , and then was right glad : and in a letter , after his condemnation , he said , now i am condemned to dye , my conscience and mind is , i praise god , quiet in christ , and i am willing and content to give this body to death for a testimony of his truth against antichrist ▪ in another letter he thus writes ; the world i do forsake , to christ i me take ; and for his gospel's sake , patiently i death take ; my body to the dust , now to return it must ; my soul i know full well , with my god shall dwell . vol. 3. p. 615.621 . ioan waste of derby , born blind , yet by hearing the word of god did become knowing ; and purchased a new testament , which she gat sometimes one prisoner to read , and sometimes another , by giving them often some money to read a chapter or two in it to her : by which means she grew understanding in the scriptures , could say much of them by heart ; and at last was burned for the gospel , august 1. 1556. who told the great doctors that opposed her , that if they would take it upon their consciences to answer for her at the day of judgment , that their doctrines were true , she would embrace it ; but they would not ; and burnt her because she would not recant : who in the flames , while life lasted , did continue praying the prayers she had learned by heart , and calling on christ for mercy . vol. 3. p. 756 , 757 , 758. richard woodman of warbleton in sussex , imprisoned for reproving their priest who preached in queen mary's days contrary to his doctrine in king edward the vi. time , which he then averred to be true , and charged his people to believe no other . woodman was imprisoned one year and a half , and then dismissed , and afterwards sent for again , whom the commissioners found in his fields at plough , and its news made him tremble and fear ; but he said he would not go with them , they not having their commission about them : and he much reproved himself for his carnal fear , thus , they can lay no evil thing to my charge , and if they kill me for well-doing , i may think my self happy . and assoon as i was perswaded in my mind to dye , i was as merry and as joyful as ever i was . but having now escaped them , he fled home , and for six or seven weeks in a wood near his house , he lived under a tree , where he had his bible pen and ink and his provision brought dayly by his wife to him ; and then the country being sought for him , he went into flanders , and soon returned again , and was betray'd into his enemies hands by his father and brother . being taken , he was bound , which much rejoyced him , he said , that he should be bound for christ's sake : and he took leave of his wife and children , thinking never to see them again ; because it was said , he should not live six dayes ; yet he said , he knew it was not as they would , but as god pleased . i know , said he , what god can do , but what he will do i know not ; but i am sure he will work all things for the best for them that love and fear him . and so they went away with him . vol. 3. p. 800 , 801 , 802 , 803. x x xystus bishop of rome , was martyred under the eighth persecution with his six deacons : and one deacon of them named lawrence , following him , desired to dye with him ; to whom xystus said , i am a weak old man , and therefore run the race of a lighter and easier death ; but you are young and lusty , and after three days you shall follow me . and so he did . vol. 1. p. 92. see lawrence , pag. 104 of this book . y y forty young men souldiers under the tenth persecution , being charged by the emperour's officers to disown christ. they freely and boldly all with one accord confessed themselves to be christians , and told him their names ; and being endeavour'd with to win them by fair words as well as by threats of torments , they said , they desired not life , liberty , honours or dignities , or mony , but the celestial kingdom of christ : for the love of whom and faith in god they were ready to endure the cross , wheel , fire ; and were sentenced to be all that night in a pond of water in cold weather , and next day to be burnt ; who when they were putting off their cloaths , said , we give thanks , o lord , that with these our cloaths we may also by thy grace put off the sinful man ; for by means of the serpent we once put him on , and by the means of jesus christ we put him off . vol. 1. p. 118. elizabeth young , apprehended for selling some good books , and was examined many times and punished severely , and should have been burnt , had not queen mary lain irrecoverably sick . she being committed to prison , and charge being by dr. martin that she should have one day bread , and another day water onely for her provision , she said chearfully , if ye take away my meat , i trust god will take away my hunger . vol. 3. pag. 911. an alphabetical list of god's ivgments remarkably shown on many noted and cruel persecvtors . 2 thes. 1.6 . it is a righteous thing with god to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you . london , printed for richard butler , next door to the lamb and three bowls in barbican . 1677. an alphabetical list of gods iudgements . a a antiochus , a persecutor of agapetus a martyr , suddenly fell down from his judicial seat , and cry'd that all his inward bowels burned ; and so he gave up his breath . vol. 1. p. 76. alexander , the keeper of newgate-prison , a cruel enemy to god's people , who often hastened their death , dyed himself so miserably swell'd and so stinking , that none could endure the stench of him . and his son within 3 years spent all his estate ; and it being wondred how he could have wasted it so soon , he said , evil gotten , evil spent : and in newgate-market he fell down suddenly , and dyed miserably . and his son-in-law iohn peterson after dyed rotting above ground . vol. 3. p. 257. arundel archbishop , giving sentence against the lord cobham , dyed before him , and his tongue was so smitten that he could neither swallow nor speak . vol. 3. p. 960. b b berry , commissary to the bishop of norwich , a great persecutor , as he came from church on a sunday after even-song , fell down on the ground , and never breathed more . vol. 3. p. 870. blanchenden , who would have had a poor man's legs cut off , who fled from him and others , following him to apprehend him for the gospel's sake , was soon after slain by his own servants . vol. 3. p. 931 , 932. burton , the bailiff of crowland in lincolnshire , a pretended gospeller in king edward vi. time ; but in queen mary's dayes a zealous papist : a prophane swearer , and one that threatned the curate there to sheath his sword in him if he would not say mass : but soon after , he riding with a neighour on the fenne-bank , a crow flew over him , and shit on his nose , so that the excrements ran from the top of his nose to his beard ; which poyson'd scent so annoy'd his stomach , that he never ceased vomiting till he came at home , and there for extreme sickness went to bed , not being able for the stench in his stomach and his painful vomiting , to eat any meat , and cry'd out of the stink , cursing the crow ; and soon after dyed desperately . vol. 3. p. 956. robert baldwin , a persecutor , at the taking of one seaman , was struck with lightning , and so pined away . vol. 3. pag. 957. beaton , archbishop in scotland , a great persecutor of george wisehart , was soon after slain in his bed , and lay seven months unburied ; and at last was buried like a carrion on a dunghil . vol. 2. pag. 621. bishop bonner , bishop of london , and the greatest persecutor in queen mary's dayes ; being imprisoned by queen elizabeth , died in his bed unrepentant , and was deny'd christian burial , being at midnight tumbled into a hole amongst thieves and murderers . vol. 3. p. 974. c c caiaphas , who wickedly set upon christ , was deposed from the high-priest's room by caligula . vol. 1. p. 40. clarke , a great persecutor , hanged himself . vol. 3 p. 957. coxe , a great promoter in king edw. vi. and in queen mary's dayes , going well to bed at night , was found dead next morning . vol. 3. p. 957. d d dr . dunnings , chancellor in norwich , a great persecutor in the midst of queen mary's reign and his rage , died suddenly in a chair in lincolnshire . vol. 3. p. 954. dale , a great papistical promoter , was eaten into his body with lice , and so died , vol. 3. p. 967. e e emperours , who were authors of persecution against christians , all of them came to sad ends : either staying themselves , or being slain by others , or dying by unheard of deaths . vol. 1. p. 41. sir ralph ellerken , a knight at calice , who at the martyrdom of adam damlip said , he would not stir till he see his heart out , had his own heart soon after cut out of his body by the french. see damlip pag. 51 of this book , and see vol. 2. p. 564 , 565. robert edgar , executing the office of a parish clerk against his conscience , was bereft of his wits , and kept in chains many years . vol. 3. p. 960. f f dr . foxford chancellor to bishop stoksely in king henry the 8 th's dayes and a great persecutor , dyed suddenly . vol. 3. p. 957. bishop fisher , bishop of rochester , who with bishop warham caused one iohn brown to have his feet heated and burnt to the bones by coals to make him recant his religion , was soon after beheaded for opposing kings supremacy . vol. 3. p. 957. with sir thomas pure another great papist . see iohn brown , pag. 19. of this book . the wife of iohn petty of clerkenwel parish in london , being the occasion of her own husband 's taking , was immediately struck mad . vol. 3. p. 960. a dominick fryar , inveighing in the pulpit against the gospel , was suddenly struck with lightning , and so ended his life . vol. 3. p. 964. g g grimwood , a false witness against one iohn cooper , a suffolkman ( whereby the poor man was proved guilty of treason falsly , and was hang'd , drawn , and quartered , and his wife and nine children turned out of their estate , ) was afterwards sadly , and suddenly , afflicted ; for in harvest time , as he was stacking corn , and was very well , fearing no evil , his bowels suddenly fell out of his body , and he dyed most miserably . vol. 3. p. 955. bishop gardiner , a cruel persecutor , dyed despairing ; and having a bishop with him , who put him in mind of peter's denying his master , he said , i have denyed with peter , but never repented with peter . vol. 3. p. 957. he rejoycing at the news of bishop ridley's , and latimer's burning , at a dinner that day , was that instant struck sick , denyed the use of nature , either by urine , or otherwise , for fifteen days ; and then dyed with a sad inflamed body . vol. 3. p. 527. h h herod , the murtherer of iohn baptist , and condemner of christ ; was , by caligula caesar , condemned to perpetual banishment ; where he dyed miserably . vol. 1. p. 40. hoeimester , an arch-papist , going to ratisbon to dispute against the defenders of the gospel , dyed suddenly , and miserably in his journey , with roaring and crying . vol. 3. p. 963. i i jews , who refused christ , and also were persecutors of him , were forty years after christ's passion destroyed by titus , and vespasian his father , to the number of 1100000 , besides them which vespasian slew in subduing galilee , and them which were sold and sent into egypt , and other provinces to vile slavery , to the number of 17000 , and 2000 were brought with titus in tryumph ; of which , part were devoured by wild beasts , and part of them were otherwise cruelly slain . vol. 1. p. 40 , 41.17 . l l thomas leland , a justice of peace in lancashire , sitting in his chair , talking with his friends , fell down dead suddenly , not moving a joint : he was so great an enemy to christians , that he was called persecuting tho. leland . vol. 3. p. 925. leyson , sheriff , at the burning of bishop farrar , fetched the bishop's cattel into his own ground ; but many of them would not eat , but continued bellowing till they dyed . vol. 3. p. 954. iacobus latomus having , at brussels , made an oration against luther ; and being in his publick lecture at lovane , he fell into an open fury , uttering words of blasphemy and despair , that the divines there did carry him away and shut him up ; who , to his last breath , said nothing , but that he was damned and rejected of god , and that there was no hopes of salvation for him ; because he wittingly , and willingly , withstood the manifest truth of god's word . vol. 3. p. 964. dr. leyson , a civilian , a justice of peace , who would not let bishop farrar speak a word at the stake , about half a year after died ; and in his sickness , when he would have spoken his mind , could not . vol. 3. p. 1002. dr. london , persecutor , punished . see the former part of this book . queen mary , while she promised her protection of the gospel she prospered , and by the help of the gospellers she gat the crown ; but after , she breaking her promise and bringing in of popery , and burning of god's people for the gospel's sake , she and her nation was much punished . she was , especially , punisht these several wayes ; 1. her best ship , yea , the best ship in all europe , called the great harry , was burned . 2. she was opposed in her endeavours to restore the abby-lands . 3. her subjects suffered almost a famine , so that the poor , for famine , were forced to eat acorns instead of bread. 4. she lost calice in france , which had been the english king 's right through the reign of eleven kings . 5. she was deprived of children which she greatly desired , and the whole nation were cheated in the rumors of her bringing forth a son. 6. she having married philip , king of spain , and so subjugated her subjects to a stranger , with whom she promised her self much felicity , was very unhappy by his withdrawing from her . vol. 3. p. 953. m m malicia accusing eugenia , ( who for fear of the 8 th persecution had put on mans apparel to preserve her life and chastity , and called her self eugenius , ) to philippus , the judge , and father of the unknown eugenius , that he would have deflowered her , the said malicia ; the falsity was made apparent by eugenia's discovering her self to be a woman in mans habit ; and malicia , the accuser , was doubly ashamed , and was smitten with lightning . vol. 1. p. 95. iohn martin of briqueray , boasting he would cut off the nose of a minister of angrogn , one of the waldenses , 1555. had his own nose bitten off by a woolf , so that he dyed thereof mad . vol. 2. p. 202. maximus , the great persecutor of the christians in the 10 th persecution , was smitten with a dreadful ulcer in his privities and entrails , so that the physicians durst not come near him , nor could they cure him ; for which he caused them to be slain : and being put in mind of god's judgment herein for persecuting the christians , he ordered their peace ; yet after he again commanded their torments , ascribing plenty and peace to iupiter , and war and pestilence and famine , as caused by the christians ; but it did happen contrary : for , famine , war , and pestilence , destroyed most of his heathenish subjects ; while the christians , amongst them , relieved one another , and them also ; and were preserved to the enjoyment of peace : for maximus was afterwards forced to acknowledge the true god ; and being oppressed by his disease , he repented and glorified the christians god ; and made an absolute law for the christian's safety and welfare . vol. 1. p. 106. to 113. bishop morgan , bishop of s. david's , who usurped bishop farrar's place , after he had condemned him , was so afflicted that his meat would not go down , but rise up and come out of mouth and nose ; and so he continued to death . vol. 3. p. 954. morgan , the justice , that condemned the lady iane grey , fell mad not long after , and so dyed ; having ever in his mouth , lady iane , lady iane. vol. 3. p. 954. domitius nero began to reign the 56. year of christ : reigned 14 years with great tyranny ; he slew most part of the senators ; set rome on fire , and laid it to the christians ; and caused them to be persecuted : at last he was , by the senate , declared a publick enemy to mankind ; and commanded to be drawn from the city and whipt to death : for fear whereof he fled into the country to a mannor of his servants , and slew himself vol. 1. p. 40. p p a person being hired , by pope hildebrand , to murther henricus , the 4 th emperour of germany , as he was at prayers ; by throwing a great stone upon him from a place directly over him . as the person moved the stone to do this horrid act , he broke the plank he stood on , and fell down , the stone falling on him ; and so was killed by that stone he designed to slay the emperour by , the emperour being safe . vol. 1. p. 229. pilate , under whom christ suffered , was apprehended under tiberius nero , and accused at rome ; deposed , and banished to lyons ; and at length slew himself . vol. 1. p. 40. a persecutor seeking three dayes for dionisius , that he might be persecuted , was struck with blindness . vol. 1. p. 81. portugal king , and his son , who persecuted william gardiner , dyed soon after . see p. 73. of this book . a persecutor of one iames abbyes , a martyr , in berry , told the people that abbyes was a mad-man not to be believed . after that abbyes was burnt , this reviling persecutor , being one of the sheriff's men , pulled off his cloaths , and was struck with a frenzy , running about and crying , abbyes was a good man , and is saved ; but i am damned : and though the sheriff did endeavour what he could to bring him to his right senses , yet could it not be done ; but he alwayes cryed out to his dying day , abbyes was a good man , and saved ; but i am damned . vol. 3. p. 956. iohn peters , ( son-in-law to one alexander , the keeper of newgate prison , who dyed miserably , ) did also dye sadly ; for his use in all his affirmations was to say , if it be not , true , i wish i rot e're i dye : and so he did rot away , and dyed miserably . vol. 3. p. 957. ponchet , an arch-bishop of towres , made sure to erect a chamber to be called chamber ardent , therein to condemn the protestants to the fire : and he was soon after stricken with such a disease , called the fire of god , which began at his feet and burned upwards , that he caused one member after another to be cut off ; and so he dyed miserably without any remedy . vol. 3. p. 967. s s scribes , and pharisees , who refused christ , and chose rather to be subject to caesar ; were at length destroy'd by their own caesar , when as christ's subjects were preserved . vol. 1. pag. 39. smith , a great papist and persecutor , fell down suddenly in the street , and dyed . vol. 3. p. 957. william swallow , a cruel tormentor of one george egles , shortly was so plagued that all his hair came off , his nails of fingers and toes came off , his eyes were near closed that he could not see , and his wife was stricken with the falling-sickness , which she never had before , vol. 3. p. 960. symons , a persecutor of robert testwood , soon after was convicted of conspiracy , and rode round about windsor market-place with his face towards the horses tail . see 174 page of this book . t t tartarians army of 5000000 waring against polonia 1241. and having killed old and young of both sexes , were discomfited by thunder and lightning , at the instance , and prayers , of god's people . vol. 1. p. 442. twiford , in london , an executioner of several martyrs , and a suborner of false witnesses against one merial , at last died rotting above ground , so that none could abide him . vol. 2. p. 603. bishop thornton suffragan of dover , a cruel persecutor , coming to canterbury on a saturday ; on sunday , seeing his men playing at bowls , was taken with a palsey , and had to bed ; and being bid to remember the lord , he said , yes so i do , and my lord cardinal too ; and so soon died . vol. 3. p. 954. v v valerian , the butcher of the christians in the eighth persecution , was taken in wars against persia ; and sapores , king of persia , made him his foot-stool for him to mount on horseback by , to his life's end . vol. 1. p. 96. w w woodriffe , a sheriff in london , a cruel persecutor , was not above a week out of his office before he was smitten with a lameness all on one side , that he lay bed-rid 7 or 8 years untill his dying day . vol. 3. p. 955. an appendix of things pertinent to the understanding the preceding martyrology . containing the times , and authors , of the ten persecutions ; and other remarkable occurrences necessarily to be explained . london , printed for r. butler , next door to the lamb and three bowls in barbican . an appendix , &c. the first persecution was raised by nero domitius , the 6 th emperour of rome ; who thought , by raising a persecution in all his provinces , to abolish the name of christians . it was done in the year of christ , 67. vol. 1. p. 44. the second persecution began in the 69. year of christ by domitian , who began mildly , yet did after so rage in pride , that he commanded himself to be worship'd as god : he slew most of the nobles , and all of the seed of david : he intending to destroy all of the seed of david , lest christ should come and cast him out of his empire : and sending for two nephews of iude , the brother of christ , who were then alive ; and demanding of them concerning christ's kingdom , upon their information that it was not an earthly kingdom , but an heavenly kingdom , to be manifested in the consummation of the world , when he should come again to judge the quick and dead . domitian stayed the persecution , and dismissed them . vol. 1. p. 48. the third persecution began by trajan , 100 years after the other . he was a very just man in matters of the commom-wealth , but in religious things he was very cruel . vol. 1. p. 57. the fourth persecution began by marcus antoninus verus , who began to reign in the 162. year of christ , and was very sharp and severe against christians : which christians , when the armies of this emperour were warring against the vandals , and had like to have perished for want of water five dayes , did , to the number of a legion , withdraw themselves suddenly from the camp , and prostrated themselves before god ; and by ardent prayer obtained of god , by and by , a double relief ; rain for themselves , and lightning , discomfiting their enemies , who were many of them put to flight : which miracle so pleased the emperour , that he abated his fury against the christians ; grew milder , and ordered his rulers to give thanks to the christians , no less for his victory , than for the preservation of himself ; and also ordered that their accusers should be burned alive . vol. 1. p. 54. to 66. the fifth persecution was raised by severus , the emperour ; who , in the year of christ , 215. proclaimed , and commanded , no christian should be suffered . vol. 1. p. 70. the sixth persecution began by maximinus , about 237 years of christ , against the teachers of the christians ; thinking thereby to destroy the rest the sooner . vol. 1. p. 76. the seventh persecution was raised by decius , in the 250. year of christ. vol. 1. p. 77. the eighth persecution was raised by emilianus , president of egypt , 259 years after christ. vol. 1. p. 88. the ninth persecution was raised by aurelian , in the 276. year of christ. vol. 1. p. 98. the tenth persecution was raised by dioclesian , in the 308. year of christ , and lasted 10 years . this dioclesian and maximinian , deposed the emperial office willingly , 309. and lived retiredly . vol. 1. p. 100.105 . king henry 8. king of england , by the instigation of stephen gardiner , and other popish prelates , was forced to make , and decree , these 6 articles , to be observed by his subjects , 1540. which were cause of great persecution . 1. that in the sacrament of the altar upon the efficacy of the words of christ exprest by the priest , christ's natural body is really present , water , bread , and wine ; and that after consecration there remains no bread , nor wine , nor any other substance ; but the substance of christ , god and man. 2. that the communion in both kinds is not necessary absolutely , by the law of god , to all persons ; and that in the flesh , under the form of bread is the very blood ; and with the blood , under the form of wine , is the very flesh ; as well apart , as they were both together . 3. that the priests , after the order of priesthood , may not marry by the law of god. 4. vows of chastity and widowhood , advisedly made by the law of god , ought to be kept ; and exempteth from other liberties of christian people , which else they might enjoy . 5. that it is meet and necessary , that private masses be continued in the english church and congregation . 6. that auricular confession is necessary , and expedient to be retained , used , and frequented in the church of god. the opposers of those articles were to be esteemed fellons , and to lose both life and goods ; which occasioned great and cruel persecutions . vol. 2. p. 441. these articles , and all other popish articles , were repealed by king edward the 6 th . vol. 2. p. 654. finis . books printed for , and sold by , r. butler , next door to the lamb and three bowls in barbican . 1. a skirmish made upon quakerism , being a brief confutation of a most gross principle , or point of doctrine , published and maintained by one william penne , a quaker , in two sheets . 2. the shibboleth of quakerism , or that which they call the pure language , proved as used amongst us , to be only a matter of indifferency , and not of absolute necessity , as you-ing and thou-ing , and the naming the days and the months , &c. in two sheets . 3. one sheet against the quakers , detecting their error and mis-practice , in refusing to reverence men outwardly by word and behaviour after the manner in use among us , which is proved to be good and lawful . 4. quakerism proved to be gross blasphemy , and antichristian heresie , in four sheets ; all stitch'd together , price , nine-pence . julian's arts to undermine and extirpate christianity together with answers to constantius the apostate, and jovian / by samuel johnson. johnson, samuel, 1649-1703. 1689 approx. 307 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 121 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2007-01 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a46955 wing j832 estc r16198 12724886 ocm 12724886 66311 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a46955) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 66311) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 694:4) julian's arts to undermine and extirpate christianity together with answers to constantius the apostate, and jovian / by samuel johnson. johnson, samuel, 1649-1703. constantius ii, emperor of rome, 317-361. jovian, emperor of rome, ca. 331-364. [8], xv, 214, [1] p. printed by j.d. for the author, and are to be sold by richard chiswell ..., and jonathan robinson ..., london : 1689. errata: p. xv and p. [1] at end. includes bibliographical references. a tract written in 1683 against the succession of the duke of york (later james ii). "the present impression of this book, was made in the year 1683 ...": prelim. p. 2. "an answer to constantius the apostate" and "an answer to jovian" have caption titles. reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng james -ii, -king of england, 1633-1701. julian, -emperor of rome, 331-363. church history -primitive and early church, ca. 30-600. 2005-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2006-05 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2006-06 jason colman sampled and proofread 2006-06 jason colman text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion julian's arts to undermine and extirpate christianity . the present impression of this book , was made in the year 1683 , and has ever since lain buried under the ruines of all those english rights which it endeavoured to defend ; but by the auspicious and happy arrival of the prince of orange , both they and it have obtained a resurrection . jvlian's arts to undermine and extirpate christianity . together with answers to constantius the apostate , and jovian . by samuel johnson . licensed and entered according to order . london , printed by j. d. for the author , and are to be sold by richard chiswell at the rose and crown , and jonathan robinson at the golden-lion in st. paul's church-yard , mdclxxxix . to the ever glorious memory of william lord russel , the author having written this book in his lordships service , does most humbly offer and dedicate it . the preface . before the reader engages in the perusal of this book , i shall entreat him to take this following account of what he shall find in it . having given as large an account in my former book concerning julian's vsage of the christians , and their behaviour towards him , as might satisfy any reasonable man , i have since found it necessary to add some new matter of fact upon that subject , both to confirm the old , and to free it , if it be possible , from wrangling and dispute . and that i might not deliver this fresh matter in a way of loose and incoherent quotations , which would have been tedious , i took a hint from gothofredus his julianus , to put it into a discourse , which will at once give an account of julian's devices to worm the christians out of their religion , and likewise shew how well studied the papists are in those arts. my answerers have been so many , that i cannot number them on the sudden ; and i think it has been drudgery enough for one man to read them over ; but yet because two of them especially have been applauded as the champions of the cause , i thought my self concerned to give them an answer ▪ not in the least to vindicate my self from their reflections , ( which i value not , tho it were stupidity not at all to resent them ) but to do what service i could to truth , and to the rights of my native country ; for either of which , if god will have it so , i hope i shall not be unwilling to lay down my life . the author of constantius , in the late shamming way , has set up a mock-apostate , to give a diversion , and take off the force of what has been said concerning julian ; but i hope it will prove to be with the like success as the mock-plots have had , which have always confirmed men in the belief of the true one . he has likewise abused a great deal of scripture , to expose the freemen of england , and their established religion , to violence , oppression , and extirpation ; and if i have rescued those texts which he has so employed , from such mischievous applications for the future , i shall think my pains well spent . the author of jovian , by coming last , has had the advantage of summing up the evidence , which he has done so faithfully , that he has not omitted heraclitus's charge against me , that i raise an induction from one particular ; which he backs with as true an observation of his own , that i call the few months of julian 's reign an age , p. 139. i say this , to shew the compleatness of this author's performance , and that in his answer we read the substance of all the rest ; and not to rob him of the honour of having added many things of his own , as particularly the history of broken succession in the empire , ( which may be a true one for ought i know , for it is of so small concernment in this controversy , that i never examined it ) ; his outlandish notion of a soveraign , which is such a deceit to a common reader , as a scale of dutch miles would be in a map of middlesex ; and his distinction of imperial and political laws , which is the master-piece in his book . this distinction i am apt to think is his last refuge ; and therefore i shall , first , shew how this author was driven to it ; and , 2dly , how false and groundless it is ; and 3dly , what are the immediate consequences of it . 1. in my former book i laid down this undeniable truth , that we are bound not to part with our lives , but to defend them , unless when the laws of god , or of our country require us to lay them down . now it is not death by the law of god , but our duty to be protestants ; and by the law of the land it is so far from being death , that , on the other hand , it is death to forsake the protestant religion , and to turn papist . and therefore , in case protestants should be persecuted under a popish successor , i ask'd , by what law they must die ? that question would admit no direct answer ; for no man can say , that we ought to die for being protestants , either by the law of god , or the law of the land : and therefore the author of jovian , being resolved to cut a knot which he could not untie , has found out the most wretched expedient of a distinction that ever was : for , first , he splits and divides one and the same law of the land into imperial and political ; and then says , that by the imperial or prerogative law we ought to submit to be murthered . 2. now in the second place , there never was a more horrid slander cast upon the prerogative , than this is : for whereas the law of england says , that the king's prerogative stretcheth not to the doing of any wrong ; this author has found a way to stretch and extend it to the subversion of all the laws , and to the destruction of all his liege subjects . by the law of england , the king is inviolable , and by the same law he can do no wrong ; and there is all the reason in the world , that he who is above the doing of any injury , should be placed out of the reach of any manner of resistance . but tho the king can do no wrong , and therefore we can suffer none from him ; yet to make way for passive obedience , our author will have a sort of subjects , call'd the sovereign's forces , to be irresistible too , tho in the most outragious acts of destructive violence . that 's too plain a juggle ; for as the king can do no wrong , so he can authorize no single person , much less numbers of men , to do any wrong : or , to borrow the words of a great lawyer , the king cannot do injury ; for if he command to do a man wrong , the command is void , & alter fit autor , and the actor becomes the wrong-doer . now whether men , by authorizing themselves to do mischief , and to commit capital crimes , are thereby entitled to an uncontroulable imperial power , to the rights of sovereignty , and to the prerogative of being irresistible , i leave all the world to judg . 3. in the last place , i shall shew the immediate consequences of this new distinction of imperial laws , to which we must pay our passive obedience . we have many people amongst us , who are very much at ease , and wrap up themselves in the security of this one consideration , that popery can never be established in england : which i believe to be true , provided men may be allowed to hold their own , and to maintain those laws which establish the protestant religion , as they are bound to do : and therefore i was perfectly of the same mind , till i saw the blind slavish passive obedience set up , and so industriously promoted amongst us ; for that passive obedience is popery established by a law , when ever the prince shall please . for what was popery established by a law in q. mary's time ? or what other mischief can protestants suffer by the establishment of popery at any other time , but only to be reduced to this choice , either to turn papists , or else to submit to be destroyed ? now so soon as ever a popish successor shall give the word , popery is as surely established by the imperial laws , as it can be by ten thousand political acts of parliament : for if we are as much bound to submit , when we are turned over to the secular arm of a brigadeer , as when by a writ de haeretico comburendo , we are turned over to the secular arm of a sheriff , where is the difference ? so that we may be driven to smithfield by droves , and be piled up , and burnt , like loads of faggots , without the trouble of repealing one protestant political act. vnless a protestant nation , a kingdom fly , they are in a state of damnation , according to our author , if they will not submit to this vsage ; and i am sure a popish prince according to his religion , is in the same state , ( to say nothing of the loss of his kingdom ) if he do not destroy hereticks , as far as fire and sword will go . thus far , as protestants , we are beholden to this new doctrine of imperial laws ; and , as english men , we shall suffer more by them , than the nation ever did under popery : for those that will be papists , shall not be excused from being slaves , but their lives and liberties shall be wholly at the discretion of their prince . this is so clear a consequence , that our author himself owns it , and says expresly , p. 242. in all sovereign governments , subjects must be slaves as to this particular . whereas the subjects of england never were slaves in any particular , nor ever would be , in the darkest times of popery . besides , i would fain know in what particular they are free-men , who are slaves as to this particular of their lives and liberties ; i cannot but think that they must needs be slaves all over . neither can i see the necessity of our author's must be slaves ; for sovereignty in the government , does not at all imply slavery in the subject in any one particular , as i will prove to him , even in his own way , by the notion of a sovereign : for tho he talks much of the essence and essential rights of sovereignty , p. 241 , and in many other places ; yet i doubt not of convincing him , that the notion of a sovereign implies nothing in it but superiority ; and as for the terms and measures of this superiority , they must be known some other way , and are not involved in the formal conception of a sovereign , nor are all out so certain and demonstrable , as the properties of a cube or a sphere . for in the law of england , every master of a servant , for instance , is a sovereign , he is his servants immediate sovereign , as our author may find it twice in one short act , 12 hen. 7. cap. 7. and a hired servant , who is a free-man , owes to this immediate sovereign a natural and obliged duty , as he may see in the same act. and yet i am certain , our author will not undertake to prove , that the rights of an absolute and arbitrary sovereignty do belong to every master of a servant ; or that that servant is a slave as to his life or liberty , either by the common laws of sovereignty , as his phrase is , or by the laws of christianity . and truly it is not the least aggravation of this slavery , to be put into chains under pretence of our christianity , which for that end must go under the name of a suffering religion , and be called the doctrine of the cross , in such a sense , as if it would not suffer the professors of it to live . whereas i have heretofore shewed , from 1 cor. 7.21 , 22 , 23. that christianity is so far from enslaving us , or devesting us of those rights and priviledges which we have already , that it encourages us to procure more liberties and franchises , if we can come honestly by them : v. 21. but if thou mayest be made free , use it rather . it forbids men likewise to enslave themselves , v. 23. ye are bought with a price , be ye not the servants of men. i might now from this place , charge all those that are for the slavish passive obedience , with denying the lord that bought them ; as the author of constantius does me , with denying a passive crucified saviour ; or , as the author of jovian does , with burlesquing the doctrine of the cross : but i abhor all such abuse of scripture , to abuse an adversary ; for i know that all honest men will sooner renounce an hundred such silly doctrines , which it may be hitherto they had no occasion to examine , than either renounce their blessed saviour , or any part of his religion . but to return , it is plain therefore , that christianity does not alter mens condition for the worse , nor turn free-men ( as the people of england have always been ) into slaves , as to their lives and liberties ; neither , under the pretence of passive obedience , does it give their persons or estates into the hands of violence , when the law bids them keep them , and protects them in defending them . but on the other hand , it charges them , be ye not the servants of men : which indeed is a dictate of the law of nature , and what men of themselves would observe , if they were not degenerate ; for voluntary slavery is a sin against the law of nature , which no man in his right mind can be guilty of . and therefore the canon-law says , that if there had been no drunkenness , there had been no slavery . it seems it was the product of a blind drunken bargain . and we have hitherto seen no better fruits of our drunken healths and huzza's , but much worse : for it is a greater sin for a man to betray others into slavery with him , than only to make bold with himself ; and it is still a greater sin to betray a trust to do it , and to break oaths , and be perjured , to betray that trust ; for that is making themselves the captives of the devil , that they may be the servants of men , and enslaving themselves body and soul , to enslave others . good god! i what will become of us , when such wickedness as this shall dare to assume the name of loyalty ! and irreparable injury to the subject , shall pass for duty to the prince ! is not this , thou shalt not forswear thy self , thou shalt not defraud , be ye not the servants of men , as much scripture as , render unto caesar the things that are caesar ' s ? and that as much scripture as this ? why then shall we set them at variance , and make them inconsistent ? why must one duty drown another ? or that which indeed is no duty , drown those that are ? for where is it said , render unto caesar the things which are not caesar's ? where do you find that duty , to render that which by the law of god and man is your own , or indeed not wholly your own , but other mens too , with which you are entrusted : and not theirs neither , but the children's which are yet unborn ; and made sacred to them all , by the oath of god which is upon you ? it is a madness , beyond that of drunkenness , to do all this in a complement . men must be under some stronger delusions , and think there is a great deal of merit in it , before they could be brought to do it : and therefore i believe these effects are wrought by the power of that turkish passive doctrine , which enables those slaves to break their own necks , out of profound obedience to their grand signior , and fills them with conceits of going to paradise for their pains . if that be so , what have those men done , who have ventured to adopt this doctrine into christianity , thereby removing our old landmarks , and undermining those banks and walls of english rights and liberties , which alone , under god , could keep out popery and slavery from overflowing us . i beg of them , for the love of god , and of their country , and of their own souls , and in the behalf of posterity , which had better never see the light , than be born under popery and slavery , that they would seriously consider what will be the end of these things , and how they will be able to account for it ; and then let them do as they shall think fit . i must not omit to say somewhat to one fallacy of our author , which he has repeated so often in his book , that perhaps he now believes it himself , as he would have others to do ; and that is , that self-defence does more mischief than the most outragious and bloody oppression . the learned call that the fallacy of non causà pro causa ; for self-defence never did any mischief in this world ; and it is impossible , that one man's righting himself can do another man wrong . the mischief that happens in that case , is wholly to be charged upon those that invade mens lives and liberties , and thereby put them upon a necessity of defending them . and if that mischief fall upon the heads of the invaders themselves , it is well placed , it is their own mischief , which they intended for others : if by accident it involve innocent persons , who were not aimed at , still they are answerable for it , who were the cause of it . but for men to abandon their lives , and all their english rights and liberties , for fear of accidental mischief , is to throw away their bibles for fear of heresy , of which mischief the scripture it self is never the cause , but very often the unwilling occasion . in a word , our author's doctrine of a slavish passive obedience , is an encouragement , a provocation , and an irresistible temptation with wicked men , to all manner of lawless oppression , which is manifestly to the destruction of the government , and against the king's crown and dignity , as the law sets forth such offences : whereas the doctrine of a just and necessary defence , and that no man should invade or destroy his fellow subjects , but at his own peril , has a direct tendency to the welfare and preservation of a nation , by putting an awe and restraint upon all lawless and destructive insolence ▪ so that no man can be offended at it , but he who would exercise that cruelty , and do that mischief which the law will not suffer him to do . as for our author's introduction , and other parts of his book , wherein he directly charges me with burlesquing the doctrine of the cross , and insinuates therein a charge of blasphemy upon that account ; i leave the reader to judg , who brings the greater reproach upon the cross of christ : he that says , the doctrine of the bow-string is the doctrine of the cross ▪ or he that says and pro●es , that the doctrine of martyrdom only is the doctrine of the cross , but that the slavish doctrine of the bow-string is a mischievous turkish doctrine , and no evangelical principle . but this man would have faced down the prophet , when be derided baal , for a god who was hunting , or upon a journey , or fast asleep , and must be awakened , that all that while he was blaspheming the deity : for when i do the same as the prophet did , by popish idolatrous prayers , and by the mischievous cant of prayers and tears , which these men employ as a tool and an instrument of arbitrary government and oppression ; which destructive way of prescribing and applying them , was the only thing i called a mountebanck receipt , ( as the words which immediately follow in that place , chap. 2. do fully testify ) this by all means must be represented as irreligion and prophaneness . i shall say nothing to his libels , which are scattered quite through his book against persons of sacred memory , of honour , and of great learning and integrity ; for their own worth has given them so secure a reputation , that it would be a ridiculous officiousness in me to vindicate it : i should rather be inclined to bid him rail on ; for tho his reproaches are no slanders , yet i know not what his commendations might be . errata . page 101. there is a mistake in history , but it is not material . julian's arts to undermine and extirpate christianity . by being born an english-man , i am become a debtor to my country ; and by being a clergy-man , to the church of god : and i cannot better discharge my duty to both of them at once , than by laying open those wicked arts and stratagems , which heretofore distressed a flourishing empire , and wanted but little of extinguishing the christian name all over the world. for , as my lord bacon has wisely observed , to discover these wicked arts , is to disarm them ; which ( as the fable goes of the basilisk ▪ ) kill those only that are not aware of them , but are disabled from doing mischief , by being seen first . before i come to treat of these in particular , i shall say somewhat in general of julian's dissimulation , a vein of which you will see runs through all his actions : and likewise of those peculiar advantages which he had to further all his mischievous designs , and those were the reputation of his great moderation and justice . chap. i. julian's dissimulation . and indeed nothing of truth and sincerity could be expected from him , who had dissembled for ten years together , in that which is the most sacred and solemn thing in the world : for so long he counterfeited in the matter of religion . a practice so false and odious , that we know little of julian , unless we view him a while in his religious disguise ; which is patch'd up of the basest , and most mischievous vices that are in the world. for there is in this practice a mixture of cowardise and impudence at once ; it prostitutes religion , and makes it truckle to a poor worldly interest ; and it destroys the foundation of all belief and confidence amongst men. for at this rate oaths , vows , protestations , appeals to heaven , and such-like , the greatest assurances amongst men , come to nothing . this then is ammianus's hero ; that mighty man , who durst not own his gods for ten years together ; but was such a slave as to fall down and worship the carpenter's son , that son of mary , whom he so much vilifies and disdains in his writings . that false man , who worship'd the eternal sun by moon-light , and yet in the very face of him went and worship'd the obscure galilean , and turn'd his back upon his own glorious deity . that degenerate heathen , who to gain the favour of the galileans , whom he inwardly scorn'd and hated , did that which an honest-hearted heathen abhorr'd , that which socrates would not do to save his life , but preferr'd hemlock before it . in a word , that man , who if he would have bespoke mens belief , as he used to do their attention , hear me , to whom the french and germans before now have hearkned ; must have said thus : believe me , christians , whom no body can believe ; who can swear by no gods , to whom for many years i have not been false . believe me , christians , to whose prayers i have said many a false amen , whose sacraments i have turn'd into biting and supping , and whose whole religion i acted as a part for ten years together . be you fools to believe me now , and i will give you leave to be wiser , and to speak sentences hereafter : and when you have served my designs , you may then say if you please , there is no faith in man. chap. ii. his moderation . besides the great gift of dissembling in general , julian had the advantage of furthering his designs by pretending great moderation ; which st. gregory calls a shew of gentleness , and theodoret calls his vizor of meekness : and this he chiefly wore , in these two cases . first , in pretending to be reconciled to those that had opposed him , and in telling the world he could readily forgive . i shall make choice of this instance out of very many . as he was sacrificing to jupiter , of a sudden he saw one lying prostrate on the ground , begging to have his life and pardon given him . and when julian ask'd who it was ? answer was made , that it was theodotus , one that belong'd to the governour of hierapolis ; and that waiting upon constantius at his departure out of that city , in an ugly way of flattering him , as if for certain he would have the victory , he begg'd , just as if he had been crying , of the emperour , that he would please to send their city the head of julian , that ungrateful rebel , in the same manner that he remembred magnentius's head was carried about , which was on the top of a pole : which when julian heard , i have heretofore , says he , heard this saying of yours reported by many . but go your way home , secure and free from all fear by the clemency of your prince , who has resolved , in prudence , to lessen the number of his enemies , and , out of choice , does what he can to encrease his friends . but notwithanding this melting passage , he that shall believe julian to be the mildest and most merciful prince that ever lived , will be grosly mistaken . for when he shewed full as much gentleness to maris bishop of chalcedon , who told him his own very publickly , sozomen neither imputes it to his vertue , nor to his good nature ; but represents it as only a copy of his countenance , and a meer amusement . the emperor , says he , making no answer , passed it by . for he reckoned that hereby he should confirm heathenism the more , having shewed himself so surprizingly meek and patient before a great number of christians . and that he did it out of design , appears further , by taking his time to reckon with the old bishop afterwards . 2 dly . his vizor of meekness went on again , when there was any occasion to speak of differences in religion : for there he breathed nothing but gentleness , and seem'd to have a very tender regard of mens consciences . he was not for pressing any body against their inclination in matters of religion , but for leaving all men in their native liberty , and as free as thought . if any man would be perswaded to come over to his religion , he was welcome ; but he would not allow of compulsion by any means . and thus , by an edict , he orders his heathens at bostra to treat their galilaean neighbours ; telling them that men ought to be won by reason and instructions , and not by beating and reviling , and corporal punishments . and if the galilaeans notwithstanding should continue obstinately in their error , he bids them not to be angry at them for it ; but to look upon them as objects of compassion , and rather to pity them , as lying in a state of irreligion , which is the greatest calamity in the world. he never speaks better sense than upon this occasion ; and when he inveighs against force and compulsion , he does it with a good grace . and yet all this was no more then queen mary's court holy-water to the men of suffolk ; or her compounding afterwards with the londoners in guild-hall , for the liberty of her own conscience ; while gardiner and bonner were framing quite other arguments of conversion , than those of reason and instruction . chap. iii. his justice . but the reputation which he had for his temper and moderation , seems to be short of that which he had for justice , to which he was a great pretender , and under the covert of it did infinite mischief . this gave him a fair opportunity of undermining christianity : for who could suspect that he would not do all men right , who had brought astraea back again from heaven , and took care to administer justice himself , that it might be well done , and valued himself mightily upon it . and not only the heathens were always filling mens ears with their praises of him for it , but the donatists too , like true flatterers , who use to give men those praises which they most willingly hear , told him , that he was the person with whom only justice took place . whereas he plainly turn'd the sword of justice into a backsword : for it was very keen towards the christians , but blunt and harmless towards the heathens . for tho the christians were destroyed in most parts of the empire , yet it was sore against his will if any of the heathens suffered for their outrages upon them . he spoke big indeed , and threatened the alexandrians for their barbarous murder of bishop george ; but his blood was put up . for before he concludes his terrible letter , he tells them , that for the sake of some of his kindred , and their god serapis , he still reserves a brotherly kindness for them . but when the like barbarities were acted at gaza upon eusebius , nestabus , and zeno , only for their former zeal against heathenism ( the description of whose usage would make a man's heart bleed ) the historian expresly says , that the emperour did not so much as send a chiding letter thither ; but on the other hand , turned out the governour , and in great favour banish'd him , instead of putting him to death ; because he had apprehended some of the men of gaza , who were said to be ring-leaders in the riot and murders which had been committed , and had put them in prison to abide the law. for why should they suffer , says julian , who had revenged themselves upon a few galileans , for the injuries which they had often done both them and their gods. st. gregory relates this as a well-known and famous passage . who is ignorant how that a certain people having raged against the christians , committed many murders , and threatned a great deal more , because the governour of the province went the middle way , betwixt the times and the laws ; for as he thought he must serve the times , so he had some small reverence for the laws ; and therefore having put to death many of the christians , and punished but few of the heathens , and being accused for this before the emperor ; though he pleaded the laws , according to which he was entrusted to govern , he had like to have been put to death : at last , obtaining favour , he was condemned to be banished . and how admirable and gracious was this expression of julian at that time ? for says the just judge , and no persecutor of christians , what great matter were it if one heathen hand had killed ten galileans ? is not this bare-fac'd cruelty ? is not this an edict of persecution ? surely there never was a greater juggle of tyranny in the world , nor more odly managed , than this of julian : to make no sanguinary laws against the christians , because he would not be thought a persecutor , and yet to take care that they should be as effectually destroyed , as if all the laws of the empire had been against them : and after that to lay open the contrivance , and betray his own plot ! as gregory's words are upon a like occasion , he could not keep his own wicked counsel , but discovered the secret : for we need no further light to understand what his justice was , than this one aphorism of it from his own mouth . chap. iv his methods of conversion . jvlian finding the christian religion , as constantius had left it , in power and authority , having had an establishment of well nigh fifty years under the glorious emperour constantine the great , and his sons ; and heathenism being driven into corners by a great number of edicts , which amongst other things had made it death to sacrifice ; had reason to complain , as secretary coleman did upon a like occasion , that he had a very great work upon his hands , no less than the conversion of a whole empire . only there were two sorts of men , who saved him the labour , and did his work to his hands . first ; the volant squadron , that running camp , which immediately wheels about upon the least signal of a change in religion . those very forward people , who as soon as they knew how julian stood affected , and what he would be at , presently took the hint , and were special good heathens in an instant ; and afterwards were immediately as good christians again , at jovian's service . there are always such wretches as these in the world ; who , as themistius excellently says , do not worship god , but the purple . and as one of our own historians speaks , concerning the same sort of people in the beginning of queen mary's reign , are so forward to worship the rising sun , that to make sure work of it , they will adore the dawning day . 2 dly , a sort of simple , unthinking , and stupid men ; who , tho they are slower , are no less sure than the former . they do not indeed anticipate an alteration in religion , but when it is made , they no more scruple the prince's religion , than they doubt whether his coin be lawful money . they count it their duty and their loyalty to acquiesce , and very ill manners to think themselves wiser than their betters , concluding that god and the czar know all . their conscience is , that they ought to be guided by the publick conscience ; and they please themselves mightily in believing , that if they be misled , the fault will lye at their door who have misled them , and that they must answer for it . whereas it is suppposed , if a man out of complement to the eyes of his betters , should neglect to use his own , and run his head against a post , that he himself would have the worst of it . julian presumed to find this implicit temper chiefly in the army , who are so used to a blind obedience , that , as st. gregory's words are , some of them know no other law , than the will of their prince : and accordingly he did find it , for many of them presently followed their leader , tho it were to heathenism and the worship of devils . but , 3 dly , where he could not meet with this stupidity and indifferency , which makes men so easy , that no religion comes amiss to them , there he used his utmost endeavour to convert them by argument , and all the arts of perswasion . for being a zealous prince , he thought it meritorious to engage in the work himself and not to leave it to i know not whom . and this he did partly by way of discourse and conference , and partly by writing . 1. by discourse and conference . in this way , amongst many others , he set upon caesarius his treasurer , gregory naz's brother , and employed a great deal of sophistry in the dispute ; but caesarius was too hard for him , and baffled him ; and when he had done so , proclaimed with a loud and clear voice , that he was a christian , and would be a christian . and this victory which his brother thus gained , gregory prefers before julian's great power , and noble purple , and rich diadem . 2. when he had not the opportunity of personal conference , he conveyed his arguments by writing . in one of his letters to the alexandrians he tells them , i am ashamed by the gods , that so much as one man in alexandria should confess himself a galilaean . for this weighty reason forsooth ; because the hebrew fathers of the galilaeans had been slaves to the egyptians , and the egyptians themselves had been conquered by the alexandrians , and therefore it would be a stark shame for them , after all this to submit themselves in a way of voluntary slavery to the galilaeans ; who , as one may say , had been their slaves slaves . i know not what force this argument may have in heraldry ; but i am sure it has none at all in logick . he further tells them , that alexander , the founder of their city , was a religious worshipper of the gods , another-guess man by jove , than any of the galilaeans , or any of the hebrews before them . and so was ptolemy the son of lagus a better man than any of them . and as for all the ptolemies , they did not nurse up their city to that greatness with the sayings of jesus , nor render it a well-ordered and flourishing city even to this day , with the doctrine of the hateful galilaeans . and when it fell afterwards into the hands of the romans ; augustus exprest great kindness to it for their god serapis's sake . just as father cressy insults , when he is got into the saxon , danish , and norman times . and presently after you have a whole cluster of the pope's own arguments . julian would not have them worship jesus , whom neither they , nor their fathers have seen ; but the great sun , whom from all eternity , the whole race of mankind does see , and behold and worship , and by worshipping , prospers . now here is the utmost of antiquity , universality , succession , visibility , and what not ? arguments not worth the stooping to take up , and therefore i conceive , neither worth fetching from rome , nor carrying into egypt . 4. if his arguments were unsuccessfull , and he could not get men to apostatize gratis , then he wrought upon their covetousness and ambition ; for amongst too many , a very bad religion , with money or honour to boot , is reckoned a great bargain . and in this field it was that julian conquered , as st. asterius says , what drew those who had been christians and communicants to the worship of devils ? was it not the desire of great possessions , and to be lords of other men's estates ? who having received promises from wicked heathens , of being governours as long as they lived , or of having large pensions out of the king's treasury , presently shifted their religion like a garment . we have some instances of these things from former times , and our own age has given us the experience of others . for when that emperour , who of a sudden laid down the masque of a christian , impudently fell to sacrificing to devils himself , and propounded many advantages to them that would do so too , how many were there who left the church and ran to the altars ? how many catching at the bait of honours , swallowed the hook of apastacy together with him ? but now they go up and down the cities as stigmatized persons , hated and pointed at by all : look , these are the betrayers of christ for a little money ; they are put out of the catalogue of christians , as judas was out of the number of the apostles , and are as well known by their denomination from the apostate , as horses are known by their brands : as st. gregory's words are , some he drew with money , others with dignities , others with promises , others with honours of all sorts , which he exposed in all men's sight , not like a king , but in a very servile manner . which made that honest clergy-man , basilius , take a great deal of necessary pains , to fortify the christians against that temptation , by warning them not to part with their religion upon those wretched terms . when julian was emperour , says the historian , he went all up and down , publickly and openly exhorting the christians to stick fast to their religion , and not to be defiled with the sacrifices and libations of the heathens , and that they should reckon for nothing the honours which were bestowed by the emperour , declaring that they were but for a season , in respect of the wages of eternal destruction . making this his business , he was hated by the heathens : and standing and looking upon them as they publickly sacrificed , he fetch'd a deep groan and prayed , that no christian might ever know by experience that false religion . upon this he was apprehended and delivered to the governour , and after several torments , manfully finished his martyrdom . i cannot but observe , that both st. asterius and gregory make mention of julian's tempting men by promises , which was a cheap way of corrupting great numbers . for ( as the cardinal advised the gentleman , who told him that he intended him the present of a very fine horse , but he unhappily fell lame by the way . go , says his eminency , to such and such , naming half a dozen other cardinals , and tell every one of them the very same story ; and you may oblige more with your lame horse , than if he had come well to town ) . it is plain that one single preferment in this way , is capable of engaging a multitude of expectants . o base and low-priz'd souls in the mean time ! which once could not be redeemed with silver and gold , but are now bought with the very chincking of money in one's hand . it is no marvel therefore , that immediately after julian's death , these men became a publick scorn , and were as vile in all men's eyes , as cattel that been sold in a market , and wore their master's brand upon them . gregory sufficiently expresses himself against those that had not the courage and resolution to hold out , in that short and weak assault of the devil , as he calls julian's persecution . but they are worse than these , says he , and more deserve to be prohibited from coming to this assembly , that would not oppose the times never so little , nor them that drew us into a miserable captivity away from him , who ascended up on high , and made us happy captives , but of their own accord , and needlesly shewed themselves to be wicked and vile , neither making the least resistance , nor being offended because of the word , for any affliction or trial that was upon them ; but the wretches bartered away their salvation for transitory profit , or worship , or a little honour . a little indeed ; a snuff of honour , which soon expired , and went out in a stink . chap. v. his choice of magistrates . and now we might congratulate all the good christians , who had escaped julian's snares , if he had so done with them ; but , alas ! this deliverance only exposed them to new and fiery trials : for those whom he could not catch in his nets , he left to be hunted down by the rage of the people . and , in order to this , he had magistrates for the purpose ; men that would countenance and encourage the people , in their outrages upon the christians , instead of restraining or punishing that illegal violence . the government of provinces ( says gregory ) was not put into the hands of the best natur'd and most moderate men , but of the most inhumane . and he not only put into office the worst natur'd heathens , who were of a disposition inclined to cruely , but apostates , who never give quarter , and are found , by the experience of all ages , to be the fiercest persecutors . the christians knew this very well , in the beginning of julian's reign , before they felt it . for sozomen tells us , the church was in great fear of persecution , because of julian's hatred to the christians ; and was the more exceedingly afraid , because he had formerly been a christian . now it is very plain , that julian took care to bestow offices upon those that were like himself . for gregory tells us , that apostacy was the road to preferment , and expresly says , that it was the only recommendation to a place in the government . so that if the poor christians were trampled upon by heathens , they must seek relief at the hands of renegadoes , more implacable and irreconcilable enemies than the others . for while there was one christian left in the world , who persevered and was true to his religion , that man was a standing reproach to their falseness and treachery . and thus it has been in later days , the renegates that have gone over to popery , have always been fiercer than others ; and they are forced to be so in their own defence : they must be cruel papists , that they may be believed to be papists at all . chap. vi. his different carriage towards cities another effectual course which julian took to advance paganism , and to suppress christianity , was , by giving encouragement to those cities which turned heathens ; and by setting all marks of his displeasure upon those , which were firm to their religion . he often writ to the * common council of cities , if he understood they were converted to heathenism , bidding them to ask of him what gifts or grants they would . but he manifestly hated those cities which continued christian , so that he would neither endure to come at them himself , nor receive the messages of those who were sent to complain of their grievances . for example , when it was expected at that time , that the persians would make an invasion , and the inhabitants of nisibis ( a city upon the frontiers ) sent a message about it ; because they were christians , and neither opened temples nor sacrificed , he threatend that he neither would give them any aid , nor receive their message , nor come into their unhallowed and accursed city , till such time as they would be perswaded to turn heathens . and objecting the like faults to the citizens of constantia , he gave away their city to the men of gaza . for , whereas that city was the sea-port to gaza , and therefore called majuma : constantine understanding that it had a very great regard for the christian religion , advanced it to the dignity of being a city , and called it by the name of his son constantius ; accounting it an unjust thing , that it should be subject or tributary to the men of gaza , who were bigotted heathens . but as soon as julian came to the empire , the men of gaza commenced their suit against the constantians . and julian himself fitting judg , annexed constantia to the city gaza , tho about two miles distant from it , which being deprived of its former name , is now called the maritime part of the city gaza . about the same time cesarea , that great and wealthy city , and metropolis of cappadocia , was by julian struck out of the catalogue of cities , and deprived of its denomination from caesar , which it had under claudius , its original name being mazaca . for he had formerly born an implacable hatred against the inhabitants , because they were generally christians , and had formerly destroyed the temples of jupiter , patron of their city , and apollo guardian of their country . and because withal the temple of fortune , which only was left standing in his reign , was overthrown by the christians , he was grievously enraged at the whole city ; and chid the heathens that were there very severely , tho they were few in number , that they did not revenge it ; and if any calamity was to have been suffered , that they did not undergo it readily for the sake of fortune . whereupon he ordered all the goods and money which belonged to the churches of caesarea , and those that were in the confines of it , should be discovered by tortures , and brought forth into the midst . that they should presently pay three hundred pounds of gold to the treasury : that all the clergy should be entred into the roll of souldiers which served under the governour of the province , which is look'd upon as very chargeable , and very disgraceful in the roman armies : and that the multitude of christians , with their wives and children , should be taxed , as they are in villages . and moreover , he threatned them , and bound it with an oath , that unless they suddenly rebuilt these temples , he would not leave raging and plaguing them ; and that the galilaeans should not keep their heads upon their shoulders , for so in scorn he called the christians . and perhaps he had been as good as his word , if he himself had not the sooner come to his end . thus far the historian . it is worth the while to read what gregory says , in a very pleasant way , concerning this last passage . as for what julian did to my country-men the caesareans , those generous and zealous christians , which were so harassed by him , perhaps it is not fit to be mentioned by way of reproach : for he seemed to be justly angry upon fortunes account , who was unfortunate in a fortunate time , and so to have proceeded to this recompence : because one must yield somewhat to injustice when it is got into power . chap. vii . his arts divide the church . jvlian's whole design was to have the christians ruined ; but no doubt it would please him best , if he could contrive and order the matter so , that they should do it themselves , and fall by their own hands : and therefore he took all the ways he could think of to embroil them , and engage them in a civil war of contention among themselves . because in all other things he vexed and afflicted the church , and never meant any thing but mischief ; sozomen is thereby induced to believe , that his very calling home the orthodox bishops was not out of any kindness to them , but with an intent to revive the quarrel betwixt the orthodox and the arians , that in the scuffle they might both lose their religion : or else , as he adds , that he might cast a reproach upon constantius for banishing them . for julian took all occasions to blacken both constantius and constantine the great ; and by traducing these , who were the happy founders of the christian establishment , he laid the ax to the root of the tree , and wounded all sorts of christians at once . in his caesars he represents constantine in the same manner as the papists use to do our henry the eighth ; and else-where he wishes his enemies instead of one constantius , a great many . and by the way , we owe as little thanks to them , who call themselves protestants , and yet at every turn dare vilifie the blessed instruments of our reformation ; when such a sweet prince as edward the sixth , cannot escape their virulent pens , nor the memory of the glorious elizabeth , from being assaulted with their false and foul-mouth'd slanders . i am sure the homilies teach them another lesson , and put better words into their mouths . honour be to god , who did put light in the heart of his faithful and true minister , of most famous memory , king henry the eighth , and gave him the knowledg of his word , and an earnest affection to seek his glory , and to put away all such superstitious and pharisaical sects by antichrist invented ( speaking of their monks and friars ) and to set up again the true word of god , and glory of his most blessed name ; as he gave the like spirit unto the most noble and famous princes , jehosaphat , josias , and ezechias . to return from this necessary digression : julian never shewed kindness to orthodox or arian ( old elizabeth church-of england-man , or laudensian , as we are now taught to speak ) but in order to destroy them both ; which appears by this , that when he found they both agreed to preserve christianity , he presently fell to picking holes in their coats , whom he had lately restored ▪ and st. athanasius particularly made a very hard shift to escape with his life . just so kind he was to the people of bostra , when he took their part against their bishop titus ; who , as he pretended , had accused them of being seditiously inclined ; the story is thus . julian understanding that there was a great number of christians in bostra , threatned titus and his clergy , that they should answer for it , in case the people were guilty of any stir or sedition . titus and his clergy send a writing to the emperour , wherein he testifies , that the christians indeed were equal in number to the heathens , and one to one , but nevertheless were very quiet , and , led by his admonitions , had not any manner of seditious intention . out of these very words he contrived to bring titus into the hatred of the people , and writing to them , represented him to be no better then a base informer against them , as if they were restrained from sedition , not by their own inclination , but by his admontions ; and therefore by his proclamation , commanded them to drive their enemy and accuser out of their city . now sozomen , in the same chapter , tells you the mystery of this pretended zeal for to have the bostrians do themselves right . julian used all diligence to drive the bishops and clergy from the cities . and to tell you the truth of the matter , he indeavoured , by their absence to dissolve the assemblies of the people , and their meeting at church . for by that means they could have no body to assemble them , nor preach to them , nor could they receive the sacrament , and so in tract of time would forget their religion . chap. viii . his edicts . i come now to his laws , some of which seem at the first sight to be light and frivolous , and yet carry a sting with them ; whereby they were the fitter for julian's purpose , which was to do the christians what mischief he could , with as little noise as he could . his first edict commanded that the christians should be called galilaeans . gregory indeed looks upon this as a ridiculous law , and rather like a childish or waggish conceit than an edict , and so all wise men will account it , and yet withall it was a very popular way of disgracing the christians , and consequently of weakening and destroying them . for every body knows that so much reputation is so much power , which is like to be little enough , when men are once made a publick scorn . by this device julian both assaulted the constancy of weaker christians , who cannot all of them digest reproaches , and despise the shame as their great master did ; and likewise laid a great stumbling-block in the way of all converts to christianity . for a reproachful name is the same with the disguise of an ill dress , which is always to the disadvantage of him that wears it . this the popish inquisitors understand very well , no men in the world better , when they clap a sanbenit upon the back of a poor condemn'd heretick , to make the people believe , the wretch has as many devils within him , as they see there pictured upon his frock . and in queen mary's days the like course was taken to run down the protestants with reproachful names . their religious assemblies were by law called conventicles , their common-prayer fantastical and schismatical services , and themselves hereticks , which of the two is a worse name than galilaeans , for it implies all those devils , which the sanbenit represents , and is indeed but another unblest coat to burn men in . his next edict prohibited christians from being schoolmasters and tutors , and having the education of youth : which was a great temptation to the learned men amongst them to turn heathens for a livelihood : but if he failed in that design , as for the most part he did , this was nevertheless a sure way to keep the christians low and ignorant , and at length to bring darkness upon the face of the church . one prooeresius indeed , notwithstanding this edict , had the liberty given him by julian to continue in his profession ; but he generously refused it , and would not receive the favour at his hands : for which st. jerom has chronicled him , to his immortal honour . prooeresius a sophist at athens , when a law was made that no christian should be a teacher of the liberal arts , and julian gave him a special licence , that tho he were a christian he might teach , of his own accord left his school . this was the temper of those christians ; they were so far from courting an enemy to their religion , that they scorn'd the very favours which he offered them : and for doing the contrary , as i have heretofore mentioned , the donatists carried a brand of infamy along with them for some generations . nay , st. chrysostome upbraids the very jews with those favours , which they were willing to receive from him who was a wicked pagan , and for imploying his impure hands to build their temple . you see they thought it a reproach , even to a jew , to desire or make use of his kindness . to return to julian's edict : st. chrysostom reckons up the physicians likewise amongst those which were put out of their imployments ; whereby they also had the temptation of changing their religion . and all other christians had this further difficulty put upon them : either to want the help of a physician in the extremity of sickness , or else to trust their lives in the hands of their enemies : in which case , to speak modestly , one heathen hand might easily kill ten galileans . if julian had been that mirrour of justice which the heathens cried him up for , he would at least have made another edict , commanding the christians never to be sick . in his next edict he proceeded to disarm the christians , by putting them out of all places in the government and militia , which he did with this plausible pretence , that the christian religion did not permit them to use the sword. it seems it was his notion too , that christianity was to be a suffering religion , and he made it so before he had done with it . bishop jewel has fully exprest the purpose and design of the foregoing edicts in these words . he gave command that no christian man's child should go to school ( so he understood it ) devising thereby to keep them rude and barbarous ; that no christian should bear office , or live in any manner of authority , thereby to make them vile : that they should never be captains or souldiers , that so they might be kept in weakness . hitherto the goods of the christians were in peace : but julian having thus disarm'd them , presently fell to dividing the spoil . he took the revenues of the church and applied them to the maintenance of heathen priests , as having first belong'd to them . he took away their church-plate , ( for which gregory calls him nebuchadnezzar ) as being too rich for the son of mary to be served in . by an edict be sent his souldiers to plunder their publick-stock , and to ease them of their money , that they might go the lighter to heaven , as his words were upon a like occasion . he levied money likewise from those that would not sacrifice , to supply him in his war against the persians . and this exaction , says socrates , was screwed up upon those that were true christians : for every one paid according to the proportion of his estate . and socrates tels us moreover , that the christians were opprest very much beyond what the emperour's edicts required , but though he knew it , he did not regard it : and when the christians came to him about it , he told them , it is your part when you are ill used to bear it ; for this is the commandment of your god. as good passive doctrine as a man would desire ; only julian was fain to be his own chaplain , and to preach it himself . after his return from persia , julian intended to have so straitned the christians , by some other edicts , that they should hardly have breathed : for he would have denied them the liberty and freedom of common life . he resolved to drive them from all assemblies , markets , publick-meetings , and even from the courts of justice ; for no man should make use of these , who would not sacrifice upon an altar which should be there placed . upon this occasion st. gregory cannot contain himself , but breaks forth into an exclamation , that he should offer to bar the christians from the benefit of the laws ! which were intended for all freemen to enjoy equally , and upon equal terms , as they do a prospect of heaven , or the light of the sun , or the common air. chap. ix . his mingling heathenism with laws . none of julian's laws drew blood , unless it were in the forcible and barbarous execution of them ; nor indeed was it his business to make sanguinary laws against the christians , and to destroy them fairly , ( which he might have done with a dash of his pen , and with as much ease as he could speak or write ) for then he had proclaimed himself a persecutor , and them martyrs , which was an honour , says gregory , which the gentleman envied the christians . it was therefore more agreeable to his treacherous malice , to do the thing , and not to be seen in it , and to put the christians to death , not as martyrs , but as unpitied malefactors . in order to this , he twisted heathenism so artificially with the legal expressions of their loyalty and duty , that it was impossible to separate them ; but they must of necessity either offend against the laws of god , or the laws of the empire . he did this particularly in that famous contrivance of his pictures , which he had so clogg'd with idolatry , in joining the figures of the heathen gods with his own , that the poor christians were reduced to this strait ; either to rob god or the emperour of his honour ; and either to sin as idolaters , or suffer as traitors . but all the good christians of that age determining their choice to the latter of these two , have thereby taught us , that our duty to man ceases , when it becomes inconsistent with our duty to god ; and that when our religion is concern'd , we must beg our temporal lord's excuse , as s. austin's distinction is . those christians never valued themselves upon a false and hairbrain'd loyalty to the prejudice of their religion ; but on the other hand , they would not render unto cesar the things which were cesars , when in so doing , they must of necessity alienate from god the things which were god's : when they found julian in company with heathen gods , and when he had inseparably interwoven his own lawful rights with idolatry and with the worship of those false gods. in this place it will not be improper to mention an other device of his , whereby he mingled heathenism , not as before with the laws of the empire , but with the more rigorous laws of nature for , as theoderet tells us , he defiled the fountains that were in antioch and daphne with impure sacrifices , that every one who used the water might take part of the abomination . afterwards he filled with pollution all things that were to be sold in the market : for the bread , and meat , and fruits , and herbs , and all other things that were to be eaten , were sprinkled with holy-water . they that were called by the name of our saviour , seeing these things , groaned indeed and made lamentation , detesting what was done : but withal they eat of them , obeying the apostle's law , for says he , all that is sold in the shambles , eat , making no difference for conscience sake . julian , no doubt , by this barbarous act , intended either to starve the christians out of their religion , or at least to perplex them , and to render their lives uncomfortable . for how great an affliction this was to the christians , and how much they laid it to heart , appears by this instance which immediately follows . there were two persons of no mean account in julian's army , for they bore shields , and were of the emperour's lifeguard , who , being at a feast , did more bitterly bewail the abomination of those things that were done , and made use of the admirable expressions of the young men that behav'd themselves so bravely in babylon ; for thou hast delivered us , said they , to an unrighteous emperour , an apostate beyond all the nations of the earth . some body that sat at the same table informed against them : whereupon julian presently has these brave men brought before him , and askt them what they had said ? they taking the emperour's question for an occasion of speaking freely , whetting a zeal which was praiseworthy , said after this manner : o king we having been bin bred up in the true religion , and having lived under the commendable laws of constantine and his sons , are grieved to see all things now filled with abomination , and our meat and drink defiled with accursed sacrifices . we have lamented these things at home , and do now bewail them in thy presence . this is the only grievance we bave under thy government . the most meek person , and the most a philosopher ( for so he was called by those that were like himself ) laid by his vizor of clemency , and shewed a bare face of impiety : and ordering them to be grievously used , he deprived them of this present life ; or rather he delivered them from those calamitous times , and procured them the crowns of conquerours . and he fitted an accusation to answer to their punishment : for he did not charge them with their religion , upon account of which they were cut off , but with ill language ; for he said they were punished for reviling the emperour . he commanded this accusation to be published abroad , envying the champions of truth the title and honour of martyrs . their names were juventius and maximus . the city of antioch honouring these men as champions of the true religion , laid them up in a costly tomb , and to this day they are honoured with an anniversary holiday . now this was right julian , to give publick order that the christians should not be forced to sacrifice against their wills , and yet to find out such indirect ways of cramming his heathenism down their throats . for affinity-sake i shall here set down the snare of his donative to the souldiers , which was strangely complicated , and full of invention . for there was in it an appearance of law , there was the awe of the emperour's presence , there was the temptation of mony , and withal there was a perfect surprise in it . it was a custom for the emperour at some solemn times to bestow a largess upon the army , and accordingly there was a day set for julian's donative . whether it were an anniversary solelmnity , or whether julian took any other day that came next to hand on purpose for this wicked prank , gregory cannot tell . but when the day came , he himself sate in great state and majesty , in the place where the souldiers were to recieve their money , with an altar before him , and frankincense and gold ready placed . and when the souldiers came in , there were officers ready to prompt and manage them in the form they were to observe ; which was , first , to throw a little frankincense upon the altar , and then to take their money , which was placed at the emperours right hand . those christians , who had notice before-hand of this contrivance , found excuses to absent themselves ; but the others who knew nothing at all of it , were miserably caught . for , first of all , they had no time to consider or delibrate whether it were lawful to throw this frankincense on the altar or no , and were plainly hurried to it : there was the sight of their money to prevent all such troublesome scruples ; and the emperour looking on to over-awe them : and there was a very probable shew and appearance ( as gregory's words are ) that this was the law of the emperour's donative , at least in the more ancient and honourable way . but when these unhappy men came afterwards to understand what they had done , and were made sensible that they had sacrificed , and in effect renounced christ , there followed one of the saddest scenes that ever the world saw . for they presently broke out into the most doleful lamentations , and fell to tearing their hair off their heads , and ran up and down the market-place , recanting what they had done , and crying out , they were christians , and that they were over-reach't and decieved by the emperour 's wiles . with these outcries they went to court , exclaiming against the fallacies and juggles of the tyrant : they threw him back his money , as gregory tells us , and desired to be burnt , out of indignation against themselves for what they had done ; that being polluted by one fire , they might be purged by another . these and the like words made julian mad ; who thereupon ordered them to be beheaded : but when they were at the place of execution , and romanus the youngest of them ( who , at the request of the oldest christian , was put to dy first , that he might not be dismayed with seeing the other executions ) was kneeling down , and the executioner just drawing his sword , there came a messenger in great haste to stop the execution , which reprieve the young man was troubled at , and said , no truly , romanus was not worthy to be called a martyr of christ . however julian banished them to the farthermost part of the roman empire ; that is , says gregory , he did them the greatest favour in the world , to send them a great way off , out of the reach of his pollutions and of his snares . chap. x. his turning innocent actions into crimes . i am come now to the last and most effectual means , which julian used , of destroying the christians ; and that is in one word , by turning the most innocent , lawful , and commendable actions of their whole lives into capital crimes . as gregory says , it was his device and contrivance that we should not so much as have the honour , which belonged to the combats of martyrdom ( for the gentleman envied the christians that ) and he ordered it so , that those who suffered for their christianity , should be punished as evil doers . and truly there was no need for julian to take upon him the odium and disgrace of putting christians to death for their religion , contrary to his publick and repeated declarations , which promised them all security , when he had more plausible pretences at hand , and might execute them as sacrilegious wretches ; and so cut off both their lives and reputations at one blow . it 's true , if the christians had been really guilty of sacrilege , their blood had been upon their own heads , and they had died justly ; but there was nothing at all of that , it was all sham , and juggle , and pretence . when constantine the great was converted to christianity , he presently learn'd it was his duty to suppress idolatry , in which he proceeded very far ; in some places destroying temples , in some places again only shutting them up , and for the most part taking out the images , and spoiling them of their religion , by making them serve for common and ordinary statues . his son constantius went further in destroying these nests and implements of idolatry , and gave the christians authority to pull down temples , and build churches in the place of them ; to throw down altars , and break images in pieces ; and so , as far as it was possible , to drive heathenism and root the memorial of it out of the world. instead of a number of proofs which i could produce , i shall give you this one clear testimony , that the christians were impowred to do this : gregory , speaking of marcus bishop of arethusa , has these words ; this person in the reign of the famous constantius , in pursuance of that authority which was then given to the christians , destroyed a certain house of devils , and built a church in ●he room of it . julian afterwards comming in an ill hour to the throne , and professing himself a pagan , gave order to have the temples opened , the gods worshipt , and fires to be new kindled upon the altars . but , alas , the heathens in some places had no temples to open , in others their gods were flown , and their altars demolish'd . hereupon they revenge the quarrel of their gods , as julian words it , and barbarously murder , and more barbarously torture those who had been most active in making havock of their idols . this way of proceeding would not do every where , and might be of ill consequence where the christians were too many for the heathens ; and therefore julian has this further fetch , he reckons with the christians for sacrilege , and fairly dispatches them by law. as st. chrysostom tells us , if any one in former times , when godly kings had the government , had either broken their altars , thrown down their temples , taken away their oblations , or done any such thing , he was presently hurried away to the tribunal : and sometimes the innocent were executed , when they were barely accused . the innocent , that is , those that never did the matter of fa●t : for it is plain that none of them were guilty of sacrilege . what stealing or pilfering of holy things could that be , when they publickly destroyed things detestable , and devoted to destruction , and were armed with authority so to do ? but if julian's judges were minded to say ears were horns , who could help it ? and i doubt not but the papists , when time serves , can frame as good an inditement of sacriledg against those , who have reformed their idolatrous glass windows , or burnt crucifixes , our saviour , as they term it , in effigie , or even the bawble of barkin : nay i doubt not , but they can make a riot of mens going to church , and find away to destroy us by those very laws , which were made for our safeguard and protection . st. chrysostom speaks as if very great numbers of the christians had suffered for sacrilege , and by this single passage it will appear , with what infamy they fell , and under what character they stand recorded in history . at the same time , says the historian , artemius , who had bin duke or general in egypt , was beheaded , the alexandrians accusing and loading him with a great heap of horrible crimes . now theodoret will tell us what horrible crimes he was charged with . julian not only stript artemius of all that he had , but also severed his head from his body , because ( when he had his government in egypt under constantius ) he had broken very many idols . one would have thought by ammianus's words , that artemius had been some monster , made up of all the seven deadly sins ; but it seems the whole business amounts to no more than this , that he was a good , godly , lawful , wicked , prophane , sacrilegious image-breaker . so much for sacrilege . at another time treason or rebellion is the word , and then the christians go to wrack for that . juventinus and maximus , as we have seen before , fell under that accusation . and it is very plain that those other , whom st. chrysostom mentions in his homily upon those two martyrs , suffered also for the like crime . when these two men were in prison , says he , the whole city flockt to them , notwithstanding the great terrors , and threatnings , and dangers which hung over their heads , who should come at them , or discourse them , or have any communication with them . but the fear of god dispelled all those things ; so that because of them many were made martyrs for conversing with them , despising this present life . we have another instance of this at gaza , where the governour went the middle way betwixt the times and the laws ( though rather inclining towards the times ) for having executed a great many christians , he punished but a few of the heathens . they seem to be punished on both sides for the same crime , the partiality and disparity lies in the numbers : so that the case is thus . the heathens raise a riot , and commit outrages upon the christians , killing several of them ; the other poor christians make what defence they can to save themselves , but they had as good not : for they shal suffer in great numbers for this riot , and the mouth of the law shall be stopped with a very few of the heathens that began it . this was the motly justice of gaza ; but when the case comes to an hearing before julian , he storms and says , the governor ought to be hang'd for punishing any of the heathens at all : for they did but their duty ; the galileans were well killed ; nay , the work was meritorious , the heathens not only righted themselves , but their gods too . those christians , who in julian's time fled into deserts , and took up their habitation in the wilderness ( as st. chrysostom assures us several did ) were certainly in the right : for there , if they made their escape from a beast of prey , they were safe for that time , and needed not to fear answering for it : whereas they that rescued themselves from julian's blood-hounds , only reserved themselves for a more infamous death , and to be executed as rebels : just as much rebels , as the former were church-robbers ; who were executed indeed by a lawful governour , and in a form of justice , but not according to law , nor to satisfie that , but to serve the times . an answer to constantius the apostate . it would be endless to confute the gross errors and wilful mistakes of which this book is , for the most part , composed ; and therefore i shall think it sufficient to shew that the design of the whole is nothing but fraud and imposture ; wherein a christian emperour is made an apostate , and worse than he was , only to render the christians that lived under him the more eminently passive . which may be done , by shewing these two things . first , that this author has not given a true character of constantius : nor secondly , of the fathers that lived under him . 1. this author has not given a true character of constantius , nor indeed has he taken the way to do it . for first , he takes a great part of that character out of ammianus , a bigot heathen , who had a hero of his own to set off , by the shadowing and black strokes which he bestowed upon constantius and jovian : which is much the same , as if a man should write the life of queen elizabeth out of the memoires of the jesuits . 2. he imputes to constantius all those cruelties , which were acted during his long reign by any of the arians , though i am sure , he cannot prove that constantius any way encouraged very many of them . for on the other hand , when he found his authority had been abused to mischievous purposes , he would never forgive it in his greatest favourites , as i might instance in macedonius , for whom upon such an occasion he had an aversion ever after . now if you draw together all the ill humours which are dispersed in a man's whole body and make them settle in his face , it will certainly make him look very ugly . i grant , constantius had faults , but withall they are not so much to be imputed to any wilfulness in him as to his weakness , which was continually wrought upon by some subtile arians which were about him , to the disturbance of the church . however take him with all his faults , and still he is a saint to julian ; and so the fathers make him , when they mention both at the same time . when they had an apostate in earnest , then cappa had never done them any wrong , and then they wish'd for him again . and theodoret gives a very fair account of him , and represents him as a prince who had a great sense of religion , giving this for an instance , that he caused his whole army in one of his expeditions to receive the sacrament of baptism , and would not allow any souldier to stay with him , who would not put himself into that good posture and preparation for death . 't is true , he dealt hardly with several orthodox bishops , and opprest them contrary to law or equity , particularly athanasius and the other banish'd bishops ; and i must grant this to be true for their sakes . for otherwise there never was such a sort of passive subjects in the world , and they would be ten times worse than this author has made constantius ; and even as they are , i desire this gentleman and mr. long to take notice that i disclaim them , and do by no means propound them as examples , but shall set down their words as matter of fact only . and with this necessary proviso , that the sayings of their own holy fathers may not be treacherously turn'd upon me , as mr. long knows one of sozomen's has been , i come to the 2 d thing ; that this author has not given a true character of the fathers under constantius . he tells us , pag. 17. the conduct of all the fathers that lived under constantius was such , that all the cruelties which that apostate emperour could inflict , did not extort the least mis-becoming expression from them . and pag. 37. all their heavy grievances did not make them remonstrate to the decrees of their emperour ; they did not make their pressures just , by impatiently submitting to them . in short , a discovery of the passive obedience of these fathers , was the glorious end of his book , as that obedience he else-where tells us , is the glorious end of religion ; and had it not been for this , constantius had never been made an apostate . there were about half a dozen orthodox bishops who suffered banishment ; for i will not reckon pope liberius nor hosius into the number , as our author does , because they both subscribed heresie . of all these there are but three that i know of , whose writings have come down to us , and they are st. hillary , lucifer calaritanus , and athanasius ; some of whose expressions i shall here set down , and leave it to our author to justify that they were not misbecoming . i shall begin with st. hillary , who has a little book intituled , contra constantium augustum , written in the emperour's life-time , notwithstanding the false title which is now clap'd upon it ( for it was written a year before constantius's death , as appears by the book it self ) wherein he calls constantius antichrist , tells him , he is the cruelest and wickedest of all men , for he was such a persecutor as deprived those that fell of pardon and forgiveness , and those that stuck to their religion of the honour of martyrdom : but your father the devil , says st. hillary , taught you this way of persecuting . and presently after he accosts him thus , thou ravening wolf , we see thy sheeps clothing . constantius had said he would have no words used in matters of faith , which were not found in scripture , which made him reject the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; but says hillary , i will shew the decietful subtilty of your diabolical contrivance . and not long after , know , says he , that you are an enemy to god's religion and to the memories of holy men ( i suppose he means the nicene fathers ) and are the rebellious heir of your father's piety . if any man pleases to peruse that book , he will find much more of the same strain , together with st. hillary's reasons for using such language after his milder and gentler writings had done no good : for , as he thought silence his duty before , so now , as he tells us , he thought it his duty to break silence ; and i leave the world to judg whether he does not speak out . the next is lucifer calaritanus , of whom st. jerome gives this account . lucifer calaritanus was a man of wonderful constancy , and of a mind prepared for martyrdom ; he writ a book against constantius , and sent it him to read , and not long after he returned to calaris in julian 's reign , and died in valentinian's . there is no one book of lucifer which bears that title , but all his little tracts being directed to constantius , and written against him , st. jerome calls them all one book , and so does florentius and lucifer himself , whereas athanasius calls them books ; which variety is usual amongst the antients , as jerome calls gregory's two invectives a book against julian . lucifer's books in defence of athanasius , and his other tracts have very severe and wounding expressions in them ; but the book de regibus apostaticis , and the other de non parcendo delinquentibus in deum , tell us before-hand what we are to expect from them , and proclaim themselves afar off . i shall give the reader but a taste of them ; and because mr. long says , i only weed the fathers , i shall desire him to put those few books into english , which is the best way of convincing the world that i pick out nothing but the worst . thus therefore he speaks to constantius : emperour , when you saw your self worsted on all sides by the servants of god , you said , you had suffered , and do suffer despiteful vsage from us , contrary to the admonitions of holy scripture , &c. if ever any one of the worshippers of god spared apostates , let what you say of us be true . and in another place , pray shew but one of the worshippers of god that ever spared the adversaries of his religion . and then he reads him his own doom out of deut. 13.1 . if there rise among you a prophet , or a dreamer of dreams , saying , let us go after other gods ( for the orthodox always charged the arians with idolatry ) that prophet , or dreamer of dreams shall be put to death ; you see what you are commanded to suffer . and again , hear what god has ordained by moses , is to be done with you for perswading me to revolt from god ; deut. 13.6 . if thy brother , the son of thy mother , or thy son , &c. entice thee secretly , saying , let us go and serve other gods , thou shalt surely kill him , &c. here it is commanded that you shall be put to death for inviting me to forsake god. he ignorantly says , lucifer uses me contumeliously , or will you deny that you have invited us to idolatry ? if you think fit to deny it , the expositions of the bishops of your sect , those fellow-blasphemers of yours , shall convict you , &c. do not you perceive what darkness of errour you have run into ? do not you see which way you may perish ? and to avoid prolixity , i will set down but this one passage more . let us see what they did , who remembred that none was to be feared but god , in the time when your fellow-tyrant antiochus was a persecutor of our religion ; but first you are to know what he , whom you are like , ordained : for so you will be able to understand , that those servants of god , whom we desire to be found like , did resist antiochus's sacrilege , even as we by the grace of god may resist you . 1 maccab. 1.43 , to ver . 29 of chap. 2. see the place . what have you seen done by us like that passage , that you are pleased to say , lucifer uses me ill ? mattathias kill'd with the sword not only the king's officer , but him also of his own nation , whom he saw rather obedient to the king's laws than to god's : whereas i , for resisting you and your party with words , am judged by you to be guilty of contumelies . if you had been in the hands of that same mattathias , who was zealous for god ; or in the hands of phinees , to whom god bears record by moses in the book of numbers , and should have gone about to live after the manner of heathens , without doubt they would have killed you with the sword ; i tell you over again , they would have slain you with the sword. and i , because i wound with words that soul of yours which is imbrued with the blood of christians , am reckoned contumelious . why , emperor , do not you revenge your self of me ? why do not you please to defend your self from ill usage , and to be avenged of a beggarly fellow ? in short , i challenge all the world to shew me such a book again , written by any man concerning his sovereign prince while he was alive , much less sent to him for a present . and therefore i do not wonder that constantius could not believe that he himself sent it , tho it were brought in his name : as appears by this letter of florentius , a great officer at court , to lucifer : there was one presented a book in your name to our lord and emperor ; he has commanded it to be brought to your sanctity , and desires to know whether that book was sent by you : you ought therefore to write the certain truth , and so send back the book , that it may again be offered to his eternity . to which letter lucifer returns this answer : these are to inform your religious prudence , that the bearer of that book , whom your honour mentions to have come to the emperor in my name , was sent by me . athanasius , hearing of this book sent to constantius , desires lucifer to send him a copy of it in these words : we have advice that your sanctity has written to constantius the emperor , and we wonder more and more , that living in the midst as it were of scorpions , you notwithstanding use your freedom of mind ; that by admonition , or instruction , or correction , you may bring those that are in error to the light of the truth . it is my request therefore , and the request of all the confessors that are with me , that you would please to send us a copy of it , that they may all understand the greatness of your soul , and the confidence and boldness of your faith , not only by hearsay , but from your own writings . which accordingly he did send him . and now this book is in good hands : for the great athanasius , who has been misled by flying report to think well of it , when he comes to examine it , and finds it so contrary to the evangelical doctrine of passive obedience , and to the primitive practice of nè verbo quidem reluctamur , which was , not to resist so much as with a word speaking , and of so different a stamp from some of his own smooth and soft sayings to constantius , can do no less then anathematize it , or write a book against it . and yet never trust me more , if he and all his confessors do not applaud and magnify it beyond all that i have said of the homilies . we have received your letter , and the books of your most wise and religious soul , in which we have plainly seen the picture of an apostle , the boldness of a prophet , the magistery of truth , the doctrin of the true faith , &c. you truly answer your name , for you have brought the light of truth and set it upon a candlestick , that it may give light to all . you seem to be the true temple of our saviour , who dwelling in you , speaks these things himself by you . believe me , lucifer , you alone did not say these things , but the holy-ghost with you . how came you to remember scripture at that rate ? how came you to understand the sence and meaning of it so perfectly , if the holy-ghost had not assisted you in it ? well , having gotten such an infallible interpreter of scripture as we cannot meet with every day , if his voucher say true , let us see what he says concerning that passage of titus 3.1 . with which constantius had rubb'd him up for his behaviour towards him , and had said , that it was the office of a bishop according to st. paul , to put men in mind to be subject to principalities and powers , to obey magistrates , to be ready to every good work , to speak evil of no man , &c. the apostle , says he , admonishes us to be subject in good works , not in evil , &c. i add further , that the apostle spoke of those princes and magistrates , who as yet had not believed in the only son of god , that they by our humility , and meekness , and suffering long under adversity , and all possible obedience in things fitting , might be won over to christianity . but if you , because you are emperour , feigning your self to be one of us , shall force us to forsake god , and imbrace idolatry ; what , must we quietly submit to you , for fear of seeming to neglect the apostles precepts ? does not he tell you as plainly as ever plowden did , that the case was alter'd ? now suppose this lucifer had afterwards died in a ditch , as he did not , but in his own see , and in the communion of the catholick church ; or suppose he had afterwards been a schismatick , as he was not , but only some of his friends , who too far espoused his severe opinion against re-admitting the arian clergy into the communion of the church ; yet this would not have affected his book ; especially since the great athanasius , who before now , has been ballanced against the whole world , has laid his hand upon it , and given it his blessing , and made it his own by undertaking so largely for it . but as i said before , i have no further use to make of these fathers writings which i have here cited , than only to shew that they run in quite another strain than the apologies of the fathers , who lived before the establishment of christianity , and that they are a compleat answer to constantius the apostate . tho i could name other excellent uses which might be made of them ; particularly by those , who think themselves concern'd to stuff out their sermons with dissenters sayings . for here they might have them in abundance , and by clusters , without the trouble of gleaning them in sermons , which were made in the heat of a flaming unnatural war ( when bloody things were done as well as said on both sides ) ; and here likewise they might have such as might be repeated without the breach of the act of oblivion , and without renewing such mischievous heats amongst protestants , as afterwards produced those sayings . having thus defeated the chief purpose and main design of this gentleman's book , i shall give the reader two or three instances of what sorry materials his answer to my book consists , which he had interwoven with every chapter , and which if you please , you may call the under-plot of his farce . the strength of his second chapter about succession , lies in this passage , p. 13. that the christians in julian 's time were not for exclusion upon the score of religion : for not two years after julian's death , valens a furious arian , and bitter persecutor of those that dissented from him , was peacefully admitted to the empire , and assisted too by the army ; whom we cannot think in the least inclined to favour that heresie ( for they were jovinians souldiers ) but they knew their duty to their prince . now this is inexcuseable prevarication ; for he knows , when valens was admitted emperor , he was neither furious arian , nor any arian at all ; nor like to be a persecutor of the orthodox , for he was one of them himself , and so continued for a good while after . theodoret's words are these : valentinian sending for his brother out of paeonia , ( o that he had never done it ! ) made him colleague with him in the empire , when he had not as yet imbraced a different perswasion . lib. 4. cap. 5. and a considerable time after , cap. 11. he gives an account of his turning arian . upon which consideration , theodoret looks upon his being made emperour as an ill day's work , and what his own brother ought not to have done . again ; he has a pleasant distinction , which i doubt not gives the intelligent reader as good divertisement , as an asse's mumbling thistles gave the philopher ; pag. 16. theodoret he finds commends the antiochians for their zeal , but not for their rudeness : whereas what he calls rudeness ; theodoret in that place , makes the only instance of their zeal . and pag. 23. he says , valentinian had the empire , not for striking the priest , but for his confession : whereas his striking the priest , in detestation of that holy water wherewith he had sprinkled him , was his confession , and he suffered his imprisonment upon that account ; and when theodoret comes to give a relation of his being elected emperour , he then remembers this meritorious act , and says , they chose valentinian , him that struck the priest . and so again theodorus's psalms will go down with our author , because ( he says , ) they were repeated with david 's spirit . but why were not the same psalms repeated with david's spirit the day before , by the whole church of antioch ? why were not publia's psalms repeated with the same spirit ? why not gregory's prayers , &c. with the same spirit ? for all these were taken out of david , and no looker-on can tell but that they were accompanied with his spirit . however if they were not , it was their fault , who spoil'd good scripture for want of devotion , and a suitable frame of spirit . to conclude , he tells us , pag. 32. that constantius might kill julian as a rebel , and so his right would fall of course , but he could not disinherit him as such , because god , tho he gave the power of life and death to the magistrate , hath yet reserved the disposing of kingdoms to himself . never was any cause blest with such subtile advocates ! they contend that the magistrate cannot disinherit , and yet in the same breath they grant he can do that and ten times more ; he cannot disinherit directly , and yet he can do it most effectually by the by ; he cannot dispose of a man's fortune , but he can dispose of his life and fortune both : and their reason is , because god hath reserved the disposing of kingdoms to himself . but does not this exclusion by the by more effectually dispose of a kingdom than a bill of exclusion ? he that stands only excluded , has still a chance for it ; but he that is disabled in this other way , can have none ; there is no such bar as that . in a word , the power of life and death does manifestly over-rule all reversions , and it is a truth of mathematical evidence , that the longest liver will have all . answer to the chapter of passive obedience . i come now to the last chapter of this author , which begins with reflections upon the behaviour of constantius's christians , of which he has brought in a very false reckoning , by writing down passive obedience for the sum-total of the account ; for it is evident that s. hilary , lucifer , and athanasius , were not the most obedient wretches that ever lived ; but could make shift to use ( what our author calls it ) their christian liberty in latine , as well as julian's christians used it in greek . the reason which i gave for solving that strange phaenomenon of the behaviour of julian's christians , namely , that they were illegally opprest , is unanswerable . for it is matter of fact that the christians were under the protection of the laws ; their religion stood unrepealed , though heathenism was revived ; nay , they were under the protection of julian's own edicts ; and yet contrary to the faith of those edicts , they were harassed and destroyed all over the empire , by julian's connivance and secret encouragement , in a base , under-hand , tricking , treacherous way : so that what the christians suffered was the effect of tyranny and bloody oppression , and not of any legal proceedings . and tho our late blundering transcribers have not observed the different state of christians , when they had the laws against them , and when they had the laws for them , nor their different behaviour thereupon ; yet learned men in former times have , particularly robert abbot , the learned bishop of salisbury , in these words . atque in hoc causa eorum à veteris ecclesiae ratione distinguenda est , quae absque ullo juris sui titulo , mero imperii placito subjacebat ; quamdiu vero ita se res habuit , caedebantur christiani non caedebant , qui tamen sub constantino principe jure publico armati non tam caedebantur quam caedebant , &c. when the primitive christians had not law on their side , they took blows and gave none ; but when they had the law on their side , they were rather for giving blows then taking them . to say with our author , that julian might have made sanguinary laws against the christians if he would , is to say nothing . for if our author has an 100 l. owing to him upon bond , and because he does not care for the trouble of waging law , and has declared against it ; or , because he would have the honour of giving up this bond , and frankly forgiving the debt , shall thereupon go and steal this 100 l. from his debtor , and be taken in the act , and treated as any other thief , i can say nothing in his behalf ; neither can i for julian , who having the law in his hand , notwithstanding for much the same reasons persecuted the christians by stealth , who thereupon presently raised hue and cry against him . the next thing is , our author's discourse about passive obedience to no laws , or submission to illegal violence : which having no foundation in * law or reason , but being contrary to both , all my answerers have endeavoured to support with religions pretences ; and to that purpose have quoted ancient fathers , and modern divines , and scripture in abundance , which puts me in mind of pompey's theater , as bishop jewel tells the story . there was sometime a proclamation made in rome , that for considerations no man should erect or build up any theater , and that if any were set up it should be razed and pulled down . pompeius built a theater , contrary to the proclamation and order before taken ; but doubting lest the next magistrates should destroy it , he caused a place of religion to be set upon it , and called it the temple of venus ; whereby he provided , that if any would overthrow it because it was a theater , they might yet spare it for the temple's sake ; for to pull down a temple was sacriledg . the very same course is now taken by these men , to erect their new frame of passive obedience , or arbitrary government , call it which you will , ( for whether another has right to my goods , or if he demand them i have no right to keep them , it is all one ; whether he has a right of sending the bow-string , or if he send it , i have no right to refuse it , they both come to the same rekoning ) . it is prohibited by law , and therefore the law would quickly pluck it down ; but to prevent that , they clap a jus divinum upon it , and so the prohibited theater takes sanctuary in the church . i shall therefore endeavour to spoil it of all its religious pretences , and so leave it to the law , which knows what to do with a common nuisance . these religious pretences , are , first , the doctrine of the ancient fathers . as for what the fathers say , who lived in the old world before the establishment of christianity , it does my answerers no service at all , because it is all forreign , and does not concern the present case . and as for quotations since constantine's time , i think i am not in their debt . which quotations of mine make the more against this passive doctrine ; because the fathers all along lived under a more absolute and arbitrary government : in which case , men are very apt to take up slavish principles , as we see it in our neighbours the french. and therefore , if the fathers had breathed nothing but bondage and absolute subjection , i could easily have accounted for it : whereas their dissenters sayings can never be solved by all the passive doctors in the world , but must remain unaccountable for ever . secondly ; the next religious pretences are the doctrine of the homilies , and of our eminent divines , such as bp. jewel , bp bilson , &c. wherein i very much wonder at the confidence of these men ; for any man that has read the homilies and writings of our first reformers , or indeed any thing of the history of that age wherein they lived , will as soon be perswaded to believe that they were a sort of men who went upon their heads instead of their feet , as that they were for this new-fashion'd passive obedience . for , 1. the homilies of obedience do no-where teach submission to lawless violence , but only to lawful authority ; and never require us to suffer wrongs and injuries patiently , but expresly in such case , and in that case , when the laws are against us ; and in a word , they direct all our obedience and submission to common authority , for they conclude : thus we know partly our bounden duties to common authority , now let us learn to accomplish the same . and the author of jovian is grievously out , pag. 226. when he makes as if the subjects of this realm could suffer no injury nor wrong , but in a way of lawless oppression . for did not queen mary wrong and injure both the suffolk , and all other protestants , when she burnt them alive for being protestants , tho she burnt them by a law ? and was she not a wrong-doer , and did she not abuse her power in reviving that wicked law ? for whithout that law , she had had no power at all to burn them ; and if it had been done without a law , it had not been done by an abused power , but by one assum'd and usurp'd . and then as for the homilies against rebellion ( which is resisting or withstanding common authority , as the homily of obedience defines it ) they speak not one word of lying down , and submitting to unauthoritative and lawless violence : but on the other hand , they propound david for an example of loyalty , and give him the character of a person the farthest off from all manner of rebellion , then whom , there never was a greater instance of self-defence . i confess , i took it somewhat unkindly , to have these homilies alledged against me , when i was doing the very work of them . when i was alienating men's minds from the popes of rome , against whom these homilies are particularly levell'd , and of whom they give us this caution . wherefore let all good subjects , knowing these the special instruments and ministers of the devil , to the stirring up of all rebellions , avoid and flee them , and the pestilent suggestions of such forreign usurpers , and their adherents . when i was endeavouring to render men averse from worshipping the babylonical beast of rome , who had then lately procured the breach of the publick peace in england ( with the long and blessed continuance whereof , says the homily , he is sore grieved ) by the ministry of his disguised chaplains , whispering in the ears of certain northern borderers ; upon occasion of whose rebellion these homilies were written , wherein they are described , as ready to kill all that shall or dare speak against their false superstition and wicked idolatry . but , 2. if these homilies must be urged against me , for maintaining that a lawful defence may be made against illegal oppression , why are they not likewise urged against bishop jewel himself , who wrote them ? for in the defence of his apology , he has these words . neither doth any of all these ( luther , melancthon , &c. ) teach the people to rebel against their prince , but only to defend themselves by all lawful means against oppression , as did david against king saul ; so do the nobles in france at this day . they seek not to kill , but to save their own lives , as they have openly protested by publick writing unto the world. as for us we are strangers unto their case ; they themselves are best acquainted with the laws and constitutions of their country ; and therefore are best able to yield account of the grounds and reasons of their doings . now here is a bishop of a different mind from our author , for he would have consulted a common lawyer about a case of conscience , and clearly thought westminster-hall divinity to be much better in this case than pulpit-law . why are not these homilies urged against bp bilson ? who in his book of the true difference betwixt christian subjection and unchristian rebellion , dedicated to queen elizabeth , being a dialogue between theophilus a christian and philander a jesuite , ( so that a jesuite in that age was not thought worthy to be accounted a christian ) has several large discourses , which do not at all accord with the passive doctrine ; tho my answerers have used great force and violence towards him , to get him on their side . the author of jovian particularly , p. 229 has strangely wrested him : for what the bishop , physician-like , prescribes to the papists , who had the laws mortally against them , deliverance if you would have , obtain it by prayer , and expect it in peace , those be weapons for christians ; that author applies in his old way to those , who ( blessed be god ) have the laws on their side , and deliverance by them already . and so in the next passage , the bishop speaking of the same case , says , the subject has no refuge against his soveraign , but only to god , by prayer and patience : but this is not the case of men who are under the protection of the laws , which were made on purpose to be a defence and refuge against all lawless oppression whatsoever ; or else , as chancellour fortescue says , the people would be cruely cheated . afterwards that author skips over a large defence of the french protestants , and of luther's doctrine ( concerning which i may say to him in the bishop's words , and this i ween you will hardly refute or convert to your purpose ) and sets down a passage , which i will supply by adding the words which immediately follow in bilson . phil. what their laws permit , i know not ; i am sure in the mean time they resist . theo. and we , because we do not exactly know what their laws permit , see no reason to condemn their doings without hearing their answer . phil. think you their laws permit them to rebel ? theo. i busie not my self in other men's common-wealths as you do ; neither will i rashly pronounce all that resist to be rebels : cases may fall out even in christian kingdoms , where the people may plead their right against the prince , and not be charged with rebellion . phil. as when , for example ? theo. if a prince should go about to subject his kingdom to a forreign realm , or change the form of the common-wealth from imperie to tyranny ; or neglect the laws established by common consent of prince and people , to execute his own pleasure : in these and other cases , which might be named , if the nobles and commons joyn together to defend their ancient and accustomed liberty , regiment and laws , they may not well be counted rebels . phil. you denied that even now , when i did urge it . theo. i denied that bishops had authority to prescribe conditions to kings when they crowned them : but i never denied that the people might preserve the foundation , freedom and form of their common-wealth , which they foreprised when they first consented to have a king. lastly ; why do they not urge these homilies against all the compilers of them , and the whole clergy of england ? who in several convocations in queen elizabeth's reign , not only maintained in words the justice of the french , scotch , and dutch defences which the protestants of those countries made for the safeguard of their lives , liberties and religion , but laid down their purses to help them ; and charged themselves deeply with taxes , in consideration of the queen 's great charges and expences in assisting them : as you may see in the preambles of the clergies subsidy-acts in that reign . 5 eliz. cap. 24. amongst other considerations , for which they give their subsidy of six shillings in the pound , they have these words : and finally , pondering the inestimable charges sustained by your highness , aswell of late days in reducing the realm of scotland to unity and concord , as also in procuring , as much as in your highness lieth , by all kind of godly and prudent means , the abating of all hostility and persecution within the realm of france , practised and used against the professors of god's holy gospel and true religion . the first thing in this passage is the queen's assistance of the scotish nobility in their reformation , in which the queen of scotland resisted them to her power , by bringing french forces into scotland : which is set down at large in our chronicles . the temporality in their subsidy-act call this assistance , the princely and upright preservation of the liberty of the next realm and nation of scotland from imminent captivity and desolation . the other thing is the godly and prudent means , for abating hostility and persecution within the realm of france . now history will inform us , that those were the forces , sent under dudley earl of warwick to newhaven , to assist the hugonots , who were then in arms. we have some modern illuminated divines who would not stick to call this the abetting of a rebellion ; but the whole bishops and clergy , and amongst them the compilers of the homilies , call it the use of godly and prudent means to abate hostility and persecution , practised against the professors of god's holy gospel and true religion : for so that charitable clergy could find in their hearts to call a parcel of calvinists , who never had a bishop amongst them , whom some in this degenerate age would sooner unchurch and destroy , than aid or assist . again ; the clergy grant another subsidy , 35 eliz. c. 12. in consideration of her majesty's charges , in the provident and needful prevention of such intended attempts as tended to the extirpation of the sincere profession of the gospel , both here and elsewhere . the temporalties subsidy-act at the same time will explain this to us , in these reasons for their tax : besides the great and perpetual honour which it hath pleased god to give your majesty abroad , in making you the principal support of all just and religious causes against usurpers — besides the great succours in france and flanders , which we do conceive to be most honourable in regard of the ancient leagues , the justice and equity of their causes . and to the same purpose again the temporalty , 39. eliz. cap. 27. this land is become since your majesties happy days , both a port and haven of refuge for distressed states and kingdoms , and a rock and bulwark of opposition against the tyrannies and ambitious attempts of mighty and usurping potentates . neither are the clergy in their subsidy-act , 43 eliz. cap. 17. at all behind them , either with their money , or acknowledgments . for who hath , or should have a livelier sense , or better remembrance of your majesties princely courage and constancy , in advancing and protecting the free profession of the gospel , within and without your majesties dominions , than your clergy ? from hence i argue , that if the french and dutch protestants were rebels , in defending themselves against illegal and destructive violence , then the bishops and clergy of england , quite through queen elizabeth's reign , by their assisting of them , involved themselves in the same guilt . for it had been utterly unlawful , and an horrid sin , to assist subjects in the violation of their duty and allegiance , and to turn , at least , a whole years revenue of all the spiritual promotions in england , into swords , to be employed in resisting the ordinance of god. those men must needs have a great mind to partake of that damnation , wherewith st. paul threatens this sin , who were willing to purchase it at so dear a rate . by which it appears , that this modish passive doctrine of submitting for conscience sake to illegal violence , and all sorts of lawless oppression , is all madness and innovation ; and a thing wholly unknown to the compilers of the homilies ; who dream'd as little of it , as they did of the late unnatural destructive war , which it produc'd . and hereby likewise the reader will be enabled to judg between me and my adversaries , who is truer to the doctrine of the church of england , they or i , and who are really guilty of apostacy from it ; they that retain the primitive sense of the first reformers , or they that follow the upstart and new-fangled opinions of a few mischievous and designing innovators . 3. the last thing to be answered , are the religious pretences which are fetch'd from scripture , for the support of this passive doctrine . before i come to examine the particular texts which this author has alledged , i shall say somewhat in general concerning the great impertinency of interessing scripture in this controversy , for this reason : because christ meddles not with the secular government of this world , as dr. hammond infers from the scripture it self , 1 cor. 7.22 . and our author in his preface allows that inference : or , as luther expresses it ; because , the gospel doth not bar nor abolish any politick laws ; which position he always held , and bishop bilson did believe that it could not be refuted ; the truth whereof i shall prove both by direct argument , and by parallel instances . 1. the scripture does not meddle with the secular government of this world , so as to alter it : for to alter government is to overthrow the just compacts and agreements which have been made amongst men ; to which they have mutually bound themselves by coronation-oaths and oaths of allegiance ; whereby the duties of governours and subjects are become the moral duties of honesty , justice , and righteous dealing ; which no man will say , it is the work of the gospel to destroy or abolish . 2. if scripture has made any alteration in the secular government of the world , then that alteration is jure divino , and all governments which are not reformed according to it , are unlawful ; which if it be said concerning our own constitution , is treason ; and if it be said of all other governments in christendom , is very ill manners ; for none of them pretend , much less can be proved , to agree exactly with any such pattern given in the mount. in the second place therefore , christianity has given no new measures of rule and government , nor of obedience and subjection ; but on the other hand , has forbidden men to remove the old land-marks , by confirming and re-inforcing the known duties of morality in this case , as it has done in like cases . it has charged masters to be just to their servants , and servants to be obedient to their masters , whereby it has created no new right on either side : for masters were always bound to allow their servants that which is just and equal , and servants to yield obedience ; but in what measures or proportions we must not expect to find in scripture , for that is left to be determined by former particular contracts , or by the laws and customs of every country . for even those precepts of absolute obedience , for servants to obey their masters in all things , and to please them well in all things , do not alter any of those measures of obedience , which the parties themselves shall agree upon , or the usage of every country does prescribe . for an english servant is not bound to obey his master in all lawful things , if they be inconvenient , and no part of his bargain . it is lawful for a servant to obey his covetous master and to please him well , in taking but one half of his wages in full of all ; but i presume he may do better to disobey , and displease him too in that matter , and to insist upon having his whole due . it is certainly lawful , according to mr. long , for an english servant to obey passively , nay suffering , tho wrongfully , is his calling ; and yet if he refuse to serve in chains , and to be used like a gally-slave , and so disobey and displease in that matter , it is no breach of his christianity : for st. paul himself could not abide to be smitten contrary to law , tho it were at the command of the high-priest , acts 23.3 . he presently indeed recalled his reviling language , but he did not correct his sharp resentment of that injury . if some men could find such texts as these for subjects , what iron yokes , and what heavy burdens would they not presently lay upon them ? and yet they would no more bind english subjects , than these texts which were directed to roman slaves , are the duty of english servants . i might instance in several other relative duties in the same manner , if it were needful . accordingly such precepts as this , render unto caesar the things which are caesars , do not alter or destroy the laws of our country , but plainly refer us to them ; for we know not who is caesar , nor who caesar is , but by the law of the land. and the things of caesar , or what belongs to him , are not whatsoever he may demand ; for then when we are bid to render all men their dues , we are as much bound to satisfy their demands , let them be what they will , and never so unjust and unreasonable . and as for that new device in jovian , of learning our allegiance , or legal duty from the notion of a soveraign , it is a sort of conjuring ; for i may as well know the just sum of money which one man owes to another , meerly from the notion of a creditor . having said this in general , i shall now particularly examine those texts of scripture , which this author alledges ; he begins with rom. 13.1 , 2. let every soul be subject to the higher powers ; for there is no power but of god : the powers that be , are ordained of god. whosoever therefore resisteth the power , resisteth the ordinance of god : and they that resist , shall receive to themselves damnation . from which text epiphanius proves , that the many magistates under one king , are ordained of god ; and thence our author infers , that the power of under-officers , since it is the ordinance of god , ought no more to be resisted than the king 's . adding this further , though this may seem harsh in an english-man's ears , who will acknowledg perhaps that the king can do no injury , and is above the censure of the law , yet he knows his officers are accountable for any illegal act ; and the very command of the prince cannot secure them from being impeach'd by the people : granting this to be very true ; yet i shall still assert that the inferiour magistrate , though in the execution of an illegal act , is not to be repelled by force . to this i answer , i grant that inferiour magistrates , rightly constituted , and duly executing their office , are the ordinance of god ( for government would be an impracticable thing without them ) ; but as you shall see anon , the text it self carries this limitation in the bowels of it ; for it excludes both the usurpation of an office , and the illegal and malicious exercise of it . if our translators in this place had rendred the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , authorities instead of powers , as they were forced to do , 1 pet. 3.22 . and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , authority , that is , a just and lawful power , as they have rendred it in other places , and as it constantly signifies , they had effectually prevented the false application of this text. but now it is easy to shelter illegal commissions , unauthoritative acts , and all manner of unlawful and outragious violence under the word power ; for these are might , tho they be not right . however i shall make short work with this imposture ; for if these things before-named , be really contained in this text , under the word power , and by virtue of this text are forbidden to be resisted , why then let us put them into the text ( which is the surest way of trying the sence of any scripture ) and let us see how they will become the place . and then it runs thus , there is no illegal destructive commission , nor outragious violence of inferiour officers , but of god. the rapines , burglaries , assassinations , massacres , which are commited by inferiour officers , are ordained of god : whosoever therefore withstands these , resists the ordinance of god. what blasphemous stuff is this which men dare to affix upon a text of scripture , which is no other than the voice of god approving all lawful government , and confirming from heaven those moral duties of subjection , obedience , and non-resistance , which were always due to lawful authority ; but you plainly see are not due to illegal violence , for that is clearly shut out of the text , the text it self will by no means admit it , but spues it out . in the same manner you may likewise try , whether usurped power , or those that intrude into the government , and get into office by wicked and undue means , be the ordinance of god. in the next place , our author quotes st. peter in these words , let 's hear st. peter 's opinion in the case , 1 pet. 2.13 , 14 , 15. submit your selves unto every ordinance of man for the lord's sake , whether to the king as supream , or unto governours , as unto them that are sent by him — for this is the will of god , &c. from this 't is plain that we ought to submit to inferiour officers for the lord's sake ▪ as well as supream ; this subordinate power being from god , tho not immediately . i shall hot trouble my self , as our author does , about the question , whether the true rendring of this place be , submit to every humane creature , meaning divine creature ; or , submit to every ordinance of man , as our translation has it ; which , he says , is an improper translation , and has given occasion to a dangerous error : for let the lawful government be of what extraction it will , every subject must submit to it for the lord's sake . the present question , which wants st. peter's resolution , is , whether we are bound to submit to the illegal violence of under-officers ? which i suppose will prove to be in the negative : for st. peter plainly limits our submission to such governours , as are in subordination to the king , and are sent by him , and come on this errand ( which it was not over honest in our author to conceal ) for the punishment of evil-doers , and for the praise of them that do well . whereas it is evident , that the illegal violence of inferiour governours , crosses the very end of their institution : besides , they are not in any such act sent by the king , but come of their own head ; and which is more , they do this in contradiction to the king 's declared will and pleasure , which is his law , and against his crown and dignity , as an indictment does fully set forth such offences . for i must remember our author of his acknowledgment a little before , that the king's officers an accountable for any illegal act , and the very command of the prince cannot secure them from being impeach'd by the people . now if they may be prosecuted and hang'd by the people , as any other private malefactor ( but by the way , is that submitting to them for the lord's sake ? ) why may not a just and necessary defence be made against them , as against any other evil-doers ? for that very reason , says our author in his preface , because it is a sin to resist any evil-doer , for our saviour has commanded us not to resist evil , ( evil not signifying a thing , but a person ) mat. 5.39 . and thence he infers that we ought not to damn our selves , to prevent the violence of a murderer , though offered to our selves . i am much confirmed in the truth which i maintain , when i see that no man can fairly oppose it , without falling into the very dregs of quakerism , and into those pernicious principles , which surrender the quiet and peaceable part of mankind to the discretion of a few mischievous and blood-thirsty men , and in effect put a sword into their hands to slay us . if this be gospel , gaudeant latrones , 't is good tydings not to the true man , but to the thief , to the cyclops , to the canibal , to the hungry irish woolf , and to the mauritanian lyon , but to all others it is a very hard saying . but to shew that this argument may be otherwise answered , than with a shrug , it is plain , 1. that this precept of our saviour requires great limitation ; for else , among other things , a christian magistrate himself might not resist an evil-doer . 2. that it carries a limitation sufficient for my present purpose along with it . for all the instances in which our saviour forbids resistance , are matters of a light nature , as dr. hammond expresses it . and the bearing of such tolerable evils and inconveniencies is no peculiar duty of christianity , for any wise moral man would rather take a flap on the face patiently , than turn such a ridiculous battery into a fray and bloodshed ; and rather receive two slight injuries ▪ one after another , then revenge the first . for i shall here take occasion to inform our author , that revenge never was a natural right , as he affirms , p. 57. but a sin against the light of nature ; and that the necessary preservation of a man's life or livelihood , or the moderation of a just and unblameable defence , do mightily differ from revenge . and as our author wholly wrests our saviour's doctrine ; so , in the next place , he wilfully mis-represents his case , as every man knows who has read the four gospels . for he was not set upon in an illegal manner , but apprehended by lawful officers , who had a warrant from the sanhedrin , the supream court of judicature , the lords spiritual and temporal amongst the jews , and were aided by the roman guards for fear of a rescue ; or , as the chief priests and elders exprest it , lest there should be an uproar among the people : and in opposition to this authority st. peter drew his sword , and wounded malchus , a servant or officer of the high-priest's , mat. 26.51 . dr. hammond there says , he was the chief officer , or foreman of them that had the warrant to apprehend our saviour . so that if ever sword was wrongfully drawn , and in opposition to lawful authority , st. peter's was ; and therefore was deservedly charm'd into the sheath again . this being so , we cannot admit one syllable of our author's inferences . i should now confute his answers to my five propositions , but every ordinary reader will be able , from what i have already said , to do it himself . i quoted bracton to prove that the prerogative is bounded by law , and made no further use of his words ; but i should have been ashamed of such an inference as our author makes , when from these words of his own citing , rex habet superiorem deum , item legem , per quam factus est rex , item curiam suam , viz. comites & barones . he infers , that there is no more power allowed to the law , then there is to the earls and barons ; who can only morally oblige the king's conscience , when he is perswaded their counsels are just . what their power is in bracton i need not say , for bracton is an author sufficiently known , and what it is in the mirror , that very ancient law-book , need not be told the world ; but any man may as well infer from this passage , that there is no more power allowed to god than to the earls and barons ; which absurd inference is enough to shew the weakness and folly of his . in the next place he tells me , that i have forgot the service of the church , if i do not constantly thank god for the example of the thebaean legion . i do thank god for this , that the service of our church is purged from such fopperies , and legendary stories ; or else i would never have declared my assent and consent to it : but when i thank god for the marvellous confirmation , which the seven sleepers have given us of the last resurrection ; i shall then remember to do as much for the example of the thebaean legion . for tho i admitted it as a case to be argued upon , as i would any feigned case of john-a-nokes and john-a-stiles , and shewed that it was not our case ; yet when it is obtruded as matter of religion and devotion , i must take the boldness to call it a fable . and i have very good reason to believe it to be so , when eusebius , the very father fox of the primitive church , who lived in maximian's persecution , and wrote many years after , has not one word of it , nor any of the voluminous fathers of the fourth century ; but eucherius , who lived about a hundred and fourty years after the thing is said to be done , is the first author who is quoted for it . so that maximian not only cut off this feigned army of martyrs , but buried them under ground for 140 years , and then they rose up again , as the pied pipers children did in a far country . and our author easily confirms me in the belief that it is a romance , when he here tells us , that eucherius made that brave resolute speech to the emperour ; for many a true word is said by mistake . as for our author's performance , i leave that to the judgment of the world ; and so he might have done my comparison of popery and paganism , without endeavouring to slur what he cannot answer . but tho i have forgiven him all his abuses of me , yet i cannot his reviling the homilies , when he calls what they say against popery , the old elizabeth-way of railing . and i hope all they that have subscribed the homilies , as godly and wholsom doctrine , and fit for these times , will never endure them to be run down by pretended church-of england-men , and vipers in her bosom , both as unseasonable and ungodly ; as what is now out of fashion , and as what , according to them , ought never to have been in . and thus i have answered what i thought material in this author , and have consulted the reader 's ease as well as my own , in passing over the rest of his book ; of which i must needs say , that i never saw so great a number of falsifications in so small a volume in my whole life : whereby i perceive that the design of these men is not in the least the service of truth ; but their business is to impose upon the world , to blind and inslave men at once ; just as the philistines did by sampson , they put out his eyes , and then made him grind in a mill. and therefore the just suspicions which i otherways have , that this author is a known papist , are not at all removed by his pretending to be of our church ; for he that will write an hundred untruths , will certainly write one more . an answer to jovian . answer to the preface . it has been the extream felicity of this author , to give such a pregnant title to his book , as does alone in effect answer julian : for as we learn from the beginning of this preface , jovian proves that the empire was elective ; secondly , jovian proves the christians to have bin quiet and peaceable under julian ; thirdly , proves the antiochians zeal to have been abusiveness ; and fourthly , proves , that julian's army in persia were christians . but how if jovian proves not any one of these particulars , but directly the contrary ? for , first , the election of jovian , after constantine's family was extinct , does by no means prove , that that family did not inherit the empire ; but it proves the contrary , if the historians say , that the army elected jovian , and on the other side say , that the army and senate proclaimed and recognized the sons of constantine to be the emperors of the romans , but never talk of their electing them . neither does procopius prove that family not to be extinct in julian : for pretended kindred , and much more impudently pretended kindred , is not kindred . an house in cilicia , from which procopius descended , was not the flavian house ; no more than a man , who lived all his life in the quality of an vnder-writer , or clerk , was a great man , and of the blood ; or than a sorry pen-and-inkhorn-fellow , as themistius describes him , can be said to make a great figure in the times of constantius and julian . i thought very innocently , a man might be allowed to say , that the line male of the house of york ended in richard the third , without telling the world a long impertinent story of simnel , and perkin warbeck ; but now i see , that upon such an occasion , unless a man writes the memoirs of such impostors , and vagabond landlopers , he shall be represented by our author as an impostor himself . however , i regard it the less , because i had not more diversion in reading heretofore the tragi-comedy of this impostor , than i have now in our author's management of him : to see julian's cousin procopius , standing by himself at the bottom of a genealogy , just like a cipher , without father , without mother , and without descent ; where the noble algernon's cousin might as well have stood , if the herald had so pleased . but after all , if this famous procopius must needs be brought into play , he is clearly on my side : for his setting up for emperor , under pretence of being of the constantine family , is a strong proof , that the empire was look'd upon as hereditary ; as perkin warbeck's imposture did suppose the kingdom to be so here . neither , lastly , does the passing by of varronianus , the infant-son of jovian , signify any thing ; when edgar atheling was set aside thrice , and several other saxon princes were put by for their minority . whereas on the other hand , valentinian being made emperor at four years old , is a greater argument that the empire was hereditary , than the setting aside ten at that age , is to prove the contrary . secondly ; jovian's quiet behaviour is no proof that valentinian , as much a confessor as he , behaved himself quietly , when he struck the priest ; nor that all the other christians behaved themselves quietly under julian , when they did not ; particularly the generous and zealous caesareans , as st. gregory calls them , who destroyed the temple of julian's great goddess fortune in his reign , and made her unfortunate in a fortunate time. for which julian was enraged at that whole city , and gave his own heathens there a severe reprimand , for not hazarding themselves to defend their goddess ; but they durst not , for the christians in that city were too many for them . now on the other hand , how if jovian himself was as generous , and as zealous a christian , as any of them ? for tho he had laid down his commission , and was cashiered for not sacrificing , and obeying the commandment of the wicked king ; yet julian , in his expedition for persia , by necessity of the approaching war , had him amongst his commanders , as socrates's words are . i have been often puzled , to imagine what that necessity should be , and have sometimes been inclined to think that julian stood in need of him for his conduct , to command some part of his army , who indeed , for his abilities , was fittest to have commanded in chief . but that cannot be , for the great jovian was but a pike-man in that expedition , and was not entrusted with any command , so much as that of a sergeant , and was no more than a common foot-souldier , when he was chosen emperor . and therefore julian could not be without him , nor leave him behind him , upon some other account ; and whether that were , lest in his absence he should go and live at caesarea , which was close by nazianzum , where old gregory dwelt , or upon what other account , i desire to be informed by our author . thirdly ; jovian's being libelled and abused by none but the heathens of antioch , for making a dishonourable peace with the persians , which reproach the christians always wiped off from him , and justly laid it upon julian's rashness , or for his being a christian , ( which is undeniably true , as baronius has already proved it in jovian's life , and as i could further prove , if it were worth the while ) does by no means prove , that the christians of antioch abused him as well as julian , and consequently would have abused any body . whereas it is evident , both from the misopogon it self , and from the express testimony of theodoret , that the instances of the antiochian christians hatred to julian , did proceed purely from the height of their christianity , and their fervent love to christ . it is too much in reason to tell men a story , and to find them ears too ; but i will do it for once , as to this story of theodoret. the words were these : that the antiochians , who had received their christianity from the greatest pair of apostles , peter and paul , and had a warm affection for the lord and saviour of all , did always abominate julian , who ought never to be remembred ; you have his own word for it : for , for this reason he wrote a book against them , and called them the beard-haters . now the same men , that derived their christianity from the chiefest apostles , and had a great love for our saviour , were the men that could not endure julian , and against whom , for that reason , he writ his misopogon . so that , according to theodoret , that book was caused by their hatred to julian , and their hatred to julian was caused by their love to christ , and their love to christ proceeded from their pure and primitive christianity . and let our author find any new ways of shuffling , to call this zeal scurrility , if he can . and , fourthly , jovian is so far from proving julian's army in persia to be all christians , or almost all christians , ( as my divided answerers say ) or christians at all , that it is demonstrable from his election , that they were heathens ; for he therefore refused the empire , because they were heathens . he refused it at first , when he was chosen by the army , in the absence of the commanders ; and afterwards , when the commanders had agreed to the army's choice , and had set him upon a high stage , and given him all the titles of majesty , calling him caesar and augustus ; still he refused it , not fearing the princes nor souldiers altering their minds for the worse , but told them plainly , i cannot , being a christian as i am , take the government of such men , nor be the emperor over julian's army , which is principled in a wicked religion ; for such men , being left destitute of god's providence , will become an easy prey and sport to our enemies . the souldiers having heard these words , cried out with one voice : o king , let not that doubt trouble you , neither do you decline the government of us , as a wicked government ; for you shall reign over christians , and men bred up in the true religion : for the elder amongst us were bred under constantine , and the rest under constantius ; and the reign of this man , who is now dead , has been short , and not sufficient to establish heathenism in the minds of those that have been seduced . now this is a demonstration , that julian's army were profest heathens : for it is nonsence to say , that jovian , who was so well acquainted with the army , and was all along with it in that expedition , did not know what religion the army profest . or i would fain know what danger he was in , for declaring against heathenism in a christian army ; that theodoret should say , this brave man , using his accustomed boldness , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( that is , says our author , p. 105. confessing christ boldly in the midst of his enemies , in apparent danger of torture or death ) not fearing the princes or armies alteration for the worse , said , i cannot , being a christian , take upon me the government of such men. it may indeed be demanded , why the army , knowing his religion as well as he knew theirs , should nevertheless chuse him for their emperor ? but all the ecclesiastical historians furnish us with this ready answer , that the army was in miserable straits and perplexity , and had been all lost , without a man of his matchless courage and conduct to head them : and then their own declaration shews , that they were heathens only upon liking , and had not been long enough to contract an aversion to that religion , in which they were bred . for my part , i never read of any other profest christians in julian's army in persia , besides jovian and valens , ( for i can assure our author , that valentinian was not there , unless he march'd like an elephant , with his castle on his back , for he was then in prison for striking the priest ) except we should likewise add him , whom libanius and sozomen talk of . but when jovian had thus resolutely declared himself , the army likewise declared themselves christians , and gave him a very good reason , why he should not distrust their sudden conversion . they were such christians , as we have in great plenty at the end of every one of the primitive persecutions , who turn'd heathens to save themselves , and when the danger was over , immediatly return'd to the church again . which was the worse in these christians , i mean jovian's christians , and julian's heathens , because , as st. jerome observes , julian's persecution was a winning persecution , rather leading , than driving men to heathenism . however , this is less to be wondred at in an army , when we have seen the same unsteadiness and volubility in universities , clergy , and convocations , who , to the reproach of this nation , without so much as julian's persecution , or jovian's declaration , have been papists or protestants , as their princes were inclined ; and have made more haste to turn to and fro , than these souldiers did . this plain matter of fact , which i have therefore set down the more at large , does evidently shew the falshood of that assertion , that julian's army in persia was for the most part christian . it may be my answerers fell into this mistake , if it be not wilful , by jumbling together the beginning and latter end of julian's reign . for our author might easily see , that gregory mentions the remnant of more than seven thousand , which had not bowed the knee to baal , before julian had made any edict against the christians in any kind , so much as to call them galileans ; before he had ensnared them with his donative , and used many other arts of corrupting them , or made his edict of cashiering the christians . and it is intolerable false reasoning , to conclude , that the state of affairs in the end of julian's reign , was the same that it was in the beginning : for , as gregory observes , in the beginning of julian's reign , christianity was the establish'd and prevailing religion ; and therefore for julian to attempt to alter and disturb it , was no other thing than to shake the roman empire , and to hazard the whole commonwealth ; and that afterwards the empire was actually filled with sedition , confusion , and fighting , on that account . but now let us take a view of the face of things in the latter end of his reign , at which time he had set the jews on work to repair their temple at jerusalem ; but fire came out from the foundation , in such a wonderful violent manner , as killed many of them , and forced them all to desist . these things did not happen , says st. chrysostom , in the reign of godly emperors , but at a time when we were in a miserable low condition ; when we all went in danger of our lives , when the common freedom of mankind was taken from us , when paganism flourish'd ; when the christians either hid themselves in their houses , or were fled into the wilderness , and were not to be seen in publick , then these things happened , that no manner of impudent pretence might be left the jews , and that they might not be able to say , that the christians came upon them , and put a stop to the work. no , alas ! they were not in a condition to disturb any body , if they had had never so much mind to it . impudence it self cannot say , that the christians were able to hinder the jews in this work. that is the father's reasoning in this place . you have seen already , what strength of numbers the christians had , in julian's army : and as for what force of arms and ammunition they had out of the army , appears fully by julian's edict , a considerable time before , wherein he charges all the christian laity in the empire , not to be persuaded by their bishops to take up stones , and disobey the magistrate . truly , a very dangerous magazine ! can any thing be more plainly said , to shew that the christians were disarmed , and naked , and defenceless , even to contempt ? and that they might well complain , with gregory , that they had neither arms nor ammunition , nor wall , nor weapon , nor any defence left them , but their hope in god , as being deprived and retrench'd of all humane aid : that is , as our author explains this passage , p. 178. they had walls , and weapons , and humane aid ; and they had them not : not that they wanted strength and numbers , but by the principles of their suffering religion they could not use them . now they never had them to use , contrary to the principles of their religion ; why then does gregory say , they had them not left ? it seems they once had them , in the same sence in which they now wanted them . did ever any man complain that he wanted bread , meaning , that he had a peck-loaf standing by him , but wanted a stomach , or inward principle of eating ? if a thousand transcribers interpret authors at this rate , i shall beg all their pardons . as for that indefinite speech of st. austin , that christian souldiers served under julian , it is very true , if they did so in any part of his reign , or if to the number of two served under him ; and therefore proves nothing in this matter : for christiani milites is either units , or tens , or tens of millions . and when our author tells me how many they were , and when they served under him , i will give him a further answer . the next thing he touches upon in his preface , is , that the roman empire was not entailed , ( he should have said , unless it were entailed by the law of nature , or else he uses eusebius very uncivilly ) from whence he concludes , that it was either great ignorance , or great deceitfulness in me , to assert it to be hereditary . i desire to know which of the two it was in bishop bilson , who asserted it almost an hundred years before i did , in these words : the roman empire it self , from constantine the great , and before , till the time of otho the third , that is , seven hundred years , and upwards , went by succession , save where the right-lines failed , or sedition disturbed the heir . where he likewise matches it with the hereditary kingdoms of england , france , spain , scotland , and others . and further , i desire to know , at what time afterwards the empire began to be hereditary , if it were not so in constantine's family , where there was an uninterrupted succession of five from herculeus maximianus to julian ? but besides such an instance of uninterrupted succession , which is a great rarity in kingdoms that are undoubtedly hereditary , which , tho it be matter of fact , is no proof of right , the express testimony of eusebius is so full and convincing , that it descended from father to son , like any other patrimony , that i needed not to have added other proofs , for i see that alone cannot be answered . i was not in the least concern'd to prove , that the empire descended in a right line , from the twelve caesars down to constantine , and therefore our author needed not to have writ his long impertinent history of broken succession ; which , i confess , i did slight when i heard of it , but not so much as now i see it : for who would go to use such a deceitful medium , as a history of broken succession , to prove an empire to be elective ? i am sure , if our author consider that argument better , he will not abide by it . without thinking my self bound therefore to follow him in his knight-errantry , quite through a succession of three hundred years , ( which in the first constitution of it was hereditary , as he confesses , and quotes dio for it , p. 9. and was propagated by adoption in the julian family , to the emperor nero ; and afterwards , when it was broken , was often pieced again by adoption , which still shews the nature of it to be hereditary ) i shall prove , with all the clearness and brevity i can , that the empire was hereditary in constantine's family , both as to matter of fact , and matter of right . first ; they were not elected either by the senate , or the army , who only declared , recognized , or proclaimed the new king to be emperor , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . euseb . vita const . lib. 1. cap. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , lib. 4. cap. 68. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , cap. 69. 2dly ; during that family there was no interregnum . at chlorus death eusebius says , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . vit. const . lib. 1. c. 16. and afterwards says , there was not an interregnum , no , not for a minute , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 3dly ; they were either testamentary heirs , or heirs at law to the empire , all lawful and undoubted heirs : const . chlorus , as the adopted son of maximian ; constantine , as eldest son to his father ; constantine's sons , as testamentary heirs ; and julian , as heir at law. i shall in a few words clear the titles of constantine , and his sons , and especially of julian , which is the only one that i needed to insist upon . first ; of constantine ; eusebius says , that the throne descended to him from his father , as a patrimony . socrates says , that he was declared king in his father's stead , the very word which is used to describe the jewish succession . eumenius says , he was his father's lawful successor , and undoubted heir . secondly ; constantine , being possest of the whole roman world , which indeed was too large for the government of one single person , wisely divided it amongst his three sons , and made them heirs by testament . theod. socrat. ruffin . he left them heirs , he made them heirs , he wrote them heirs . and accordingly st. ambrose calls constantius , ( who survived the others , and had it entire again ) the heir of his fathers dignity . thirdly ; julian was heir at law : he had the empire by blood and birth , it fell to him by ordinary right . and if jovian had been elected emperor , while julian was living , he had been injured , and should have had wrong done to him , as i shall make appear by these following testimonies . 1. julian was lawfully possest of the empire after constantius's death , but not before ; for tho he were chosen emperor by the army in constantius's life-time , yet that choice only made him an usurper . so ruffinus tells us , lib. 1. cap. 27. post quem ( scil . constantium ) julianus praesumptum priùs , deinde ut legitimum , solus obtinuit principatum . 2. this lawful title was a title by birth and blood. so themistius , a senator , and the governor of constantinople , in his speech to jovian , speaking of the constantine family , and julian especially , tells him : you having received the empire ( meaning by election ) have maintained it better than they who received it in a way of succession by birth and blood. and this , i doubt not , is what ammian . marcell . means by ordinario jure , where he says , that when julian had news of constantius's death , he , and his whole army after him , marched merrily for constantinople ; for they saw that the empire , which they were going to take away by force , with the apprehension of the utmost hazards , was now unexpectedly granted in the ordinary way of right . that is , by constantius's death , it was julian's of course : for as for that flam , that constantius named julian his successor with his last breath , it is so ridiculous a falshood , that the meanest sutler in julian's army was not silly enough to believe it , when it was so notorious , that constantius was coming to advance him the other way . 3. this ordinary right by birth , as he was the sole heir of the constantian family , was so just a title , that if jovian had been elected emperor , while julian was alive , he had been injured by it , and should have had wrong done him . so the same themistius , in the same place , where he tells jovian , that the empire was before owing to him for his father's vertue ; but at constantine's death he deferred to take the debt , that he might not be thought to usurp upon the last of the constantine succession , and was reserved till now , so as to receive his father's debt , without doing wrong to any body . it seems julian had been wronged , if he had been put by his succcession , therefore he had a right to it , and the setting him aside had been a proper exclusion . and yet gregory and basil , who did not wear one beard , and constantius on his death-bed , thought the whole christian world much more wronged , in that he was not set aside . q. e. d. to answer forty of our author's trifling objections at once , such as , whether the law of nature be for primogeniture and gavelkind too ? &c. i affirm , first , that there never was a succession in the world , that was not alterable , and which might not be directed and governed , either by the prince , or people , or , as it is here , by both . the jewish succession , which was establish'd by god himself in the line of david , was not so establish'd , as to exclude the peoples governance and disposal of it . a clear instance you have of this , 2 chron. 36.1 . and 2 kings 23.30 . then the people of the land took jehoahaz , the son of josiah , and made him king in his father's stead , in jerusalem . jehoahaz was the younger brother , and yet the people of the land excluded his elder brother , to make him king. and tho he were the younger brother , by about two years , the scripture approves the title and birth-right , which the people of the land gave him , for it allows and records him to be the first-born , 1 chron. 3.15 . and the sons of josiah were ; the first-born , johanan ; the second , jehojakim , &c. this johanan is the same with jehoahaz , as all commentators are agreed ; such variety of names being very usual in scripture for the same person . 2dly ; that the government of the succession in the roman empire , was in the hands of the emperor ; which is the reason that gregory blames constantius alone , and neither souldiery nor senate , for julian's succeeding to the crown . and , 3dly ; that in all hereditary kingdoms , the succession has been variously ordered and disposed upon occasion , and that justly , by those who had the government of it . and therefore chlorus might do as was most fit , to give his empire to his eldest son alone ; and yet constantine do as well , to divide his larger empire amongst his three sons . both which ways of inheriting , according to the fathers , were still by divine right . we have a plain instance of this likewise in the articles of philip and mary's marriage , in the united kingdoms of those two princes . i shall add , by way of supererrogation , that the empire ( after jovian's untimely and sudden death ) went on again in a way of hereditary succession , first in valentinian's , and afterwards in theodosius's family . gratian , and valentinian the younger , succeeded valentinian , as his lawful heirs . so symmachus , praefect of rome , expresses it : eum religionis statum petimus , qui divo parenti vestro culminis servavit imperium , qui fortunato principi legitimos suffecit haeredes . one of them was emperor when he was a child ; but it was all one for that : for as st. ambrose says by theodosius's young sons , arcadius and honorius , who likewise succeeded their father ; nec moveat aetas , imperatoris perfecta aetas : no-body is to mind their age , for an emperor is always at age. the descent of the imperial crown took away all defects . and st. ambrose exhorts the people and army to pay the same duty to these minors , as they would to theodosius himself , or rather more ; and tells them what sacrilege it would be to violate their rights : plus debetis defuncto , quàm debuistis viventi . etenim si in liberis privatorum , non sine gravi scelere minorum jura temerantur ; quanto magis in filiis imperatoris ? in a word , if the empire were not hereditary , in that period of it which my discourse led me to speak of , and for a long time after , the christians , as well as heathens , have not only imposed upon the world , but , which is far worse , have mocked god in their prayers . firmicus prays the great sun and stars , together with the most high god , to make the government of constantine , and his sons , perpetual ; and grant , says he , that they may reign over our posterity , and the posterity of our posterity , in a continued series of infinite ages . sozomen prays , that god would transmit theodosius's kingdom to his children's children . to which prince , cyrill , archbishop of alexandria , says , the queen , glorious in having children by you , gives hope of perpetuity to the empire . now from any one of these expressions , it is plain that the empire was not elective ; for every one knows , that the present king's children , in an elective kingdom , are farthest off from succeeding : whoever succeeds , they shall not , for fear they should alter the constitution of the kingdom , and make it hereditary . it is indeed otherwise in the empire of germany , but there is a peculiar reason for it : none but the house of austria , which has so large hereditary dominions and countries , and so scituate , as to be a bulwark against the turk , being capable of defending and preserving that empire . after all , to shew how much our author is mistaken , in thinking the stress of my argument lies upon this assertion , that the empire was hereditary in julian's time , ( which nevertheless i desire him to confute , if he can , in fourscore pages more , ) i do assure him , that the conclusions which are drawn from his own premises , will serve my turn as well . our author says , pag. 51. that the caesarship only made a man candidate , and expectant of the empire ; or , as he expresses himself afterwards , it was a recommendation to the augustus-ship . tho by the way , candidate or expectant is not the english of spartianus's latine , which he there quotes ; for designed or appointed heirs of the imperial majesty are more than candidates ; and eumenius , who understood the roman empire and language better than any modern man , opposes those two words to one another : sacrum illud palatium , non candidatus imperii , sed designatus intrasti . however , to take the character of a caesar at the very lowest , he was recommended to the empire , and stood fairest for it . and because the empire had generally gone that way , he might plead custom , tho not a strict right ; and at the least , was next to the chair . nevertheless the christians were for setting aside one that had these pretensions to the empire of the roman world , meerly because he was not of their religion ; they would not have a heathen to reign over them . now i did not go to ask their opinion concerning the 13 th of elizabeth , and half a dozen acts of parliament more ; or whether our king and parliament have not equal power to exclude a popish successor , as constantius had to degrade a pagan caesar ? of which i never doubted , nor dare our author deny it . but my enquiry was , whether paganism was a sufficient bar to hinder a man from an empire ? and whether it unqualified him from reigning over christians ? and their answer was , as i have faithfully reported it , that it was a great sin in those who could prevent such a person 's coming to the crown , if they did not do it . and whether an act of parliament cannot govern the norman entail , we will never ask the fathers . to conclude , if my comparison of popery and paganism hold true , which this author has been pleased to grace and fortify with his approbation ; then the case of conscience is thus resolved by the fathers : that it is not only just to prevent a popish successor ; but that it is a very great sin in those who can legally prevent him , unless they do it . again ; if julian's title were not a right of inheritance , but lay in the choice of the legions ; then julian was already lawful emperor , while he was in france , as well as gordianus , philip , decius , p. 37. and others in other places of our author . and yet julian durst not then own himself a pagan , tho he had been so for ten years ; but , as ammianus confesses , went to church a long time after , to curry favour with the christians , and to avoid impediments . it seems he was afraid , even then , that the christians would put a spoke in his cart , and was so apprehensive of meeting with some dangerous rubs from them , that he slavishly dissembled his religion . the next thing in the preface , worth observing , is , our author 's taking offence at my general way of speaking concerning the behavior of the christians under julian , that i say they , and their , when only particular persons are mentioned . i answer ; where i have made a general inference from the behaviour of particular persons , either those persons were fathers themselves , who by common construction are representatives , and deliver to us the sence of the church ; or else the thing which is done by them , is commended and applauded by the fathers , which is the same thing as if they had done it themselves . but a great part of the instances which i give , are the general and publick acts of great numbers in the church , a congregation , a city , or the like ; not to mention what was done by the whole church . and therefore these instances ought not to be levell'd with those which our author produces in queen mary's days , of things which were done but not owned , and which , as we use to say , no-body did : for our author might have had the reward of twenty marks , and thanks , if he could have inform'd who it was that hang'd up the cat. and as for wyat's rebellion , it was upon account of the spanish match , and religion was only pretended , as our author 's own quotation from mr. bradford does acknowledg . i shall overlook the rest , till i come to his discourse about the bill of exclusion ; where , in the first place , we meet with a subtil defence for the addressers : for it was not the popish successor , as popish , but the succession , which they promised to maintain . i like the distinction very well , only our author applies it by the halves ; for i wonder he does not say , that they made this promise too , not as protestants , but as addressers . but it seems , the suffolk-protestants did thus maintain the succession of queen mary . they did so , but the case was very different ; for then there was no possibility of a bill of exclusion : q. mary , by virtue of an act of parliament , was actually queen ; and yet they gave her no assistance , but upon her promise to maintain the established protestant religion : which promise was so well and truly performed , that we may well be excused from trusting any popish prince , as those poor men did , who afterwards had the opportunity of seeing their error , from the vantage-ground of a pillory , and by the fire-light in smithfield . as for archbishop cranmer's disclaiming and recanting his being concern'd in setting up king edward's will against an act of parliament ; it manifestly makes for me , and shews what authority cranmer ascribed to an act of parliament , which gave queen mary all her title , after he himself had been the greatest instrument of rendring her illegitimate , by causing her mother's marriage to be declared null and void from the beginning . tho i might well have taken no notice of it , because our author is pleased to do the same by bishop ridley's sermon at paul's-cross , where he put by the appointed preacher , only to have an opportunity of telling the people , what reason they had to put by queen mary . would that brave martyr have been against a bill of exclusion , who was so zealous for exclusion without a bill ? presently after , we have objections thick and threefold , against the bishops reasons in q ▪ elizabeth's time , recorded by sir sim. d'ewes . he will not allow the bishops by any means to be the authors of them , that so he may take the greater liberty in vilifying , and speaking his pleasure of them : just as p. 236. he dissembles his knowledg of a book to be my lord hollis's , which , to my knowledg , he knew to be his as well as i , only that he might the more safely persist in calling it impious and treasonable . and because he appeals to me , whether i think the bishops of the church of england could pen such a popish or presbyterian piece ? i answer ; 1. that i do verily believe they did pen that piece ; and further , that there were few others in those days , who were able to pen so learned a piece . and , 2. i will join issue with him when he pleases , that it is neither a popish nor presbyterian piece , but worthy of the zealous prelates of that age , and agreeable to the doctrine of the homilies , to which all the clergy of england have subscribed ; which is more than can be said of dr. hickes's peculium dei. first , there is no ground in the world to suspect , but these arguments were part of the reasons presented to the queen in parliament , because the title says they were , and it is manifest that they are all in the same strain , and of a piece ; and further , sir simonds says , that then , which was above fifty years ago , there were written copies of them remaining in many hands ; at which time it was very easy , if they had been forged , to have discovered it . 2dly ; this paper of reasons ought not to be called anonymous ; for in the body of it , the bishops are named as the authors of it , whereby the certain authors of a book are better known , than by a title or inscription . 3dly ; there is nothing in those reasons , but what was fit for bishops in parliament to urge ; i say , in parliament , where there was full authority to have enacted all their conclusions ; but had been very improper to urge to a judg at an assizes : which very different cases i am afraid the peculium doth not distinguish . in short , those reasons are foully misrepresented by this author , and rendred as only fit to proceed from a scotizing presbyterian . suppose now i should do the same by jovian , and with more justice say , it was a book written by the priests in newgate ; as not believing that a book , which manifestly carries on coleman's design , and is made up of the very doctrine of his declaration for dissolving the parliament , could come from a minister of london . this would not be well taken ; therefore our author must pardon me , if it raises my indignation , to have a bench of as reverend bishops as ever were in the world , treated in the same manner . and i do again renew my promise , that if he will please to print the reasons of that parliament at large , as i desired the reader to peruse them at large , and add a confutation of the bishops arguments , it shall not want an answer . is it a popish piece , because it was for having a law to put an idolater to death ? why then our homilies are popish too , for commending the christian iconoclast emperors , who punished image-worshippers , and image-maintainers with death . or a presbyterian piece ? truly that is very notably guessed . what ? because it talks of godly bishops , where it says , we see not how we can be accounted godly bishops , or faithful subjects , if in common peril we should not cry and give warning ? a scotizing presbyterian would as soon have talkt of black swans . well , but according to our author , from excluding the next heir to the crown out of the world , there is no consequence at all to excluding him from the crown : i thought there had , but this it is not to be skilled in jewish learning : for , he says , a rebellious first-born amongst the jews might be put to death , but not disinherited . this is the prettiest argument in the book , if it were true ; but it is like the rest , and notoriously false . for his own selden , whom he quotes for such a saying as pax est bona , in the 24 th chap. of the very same book , shews him several ways how the first-born , or only son , or any son might be disinherited , and defeated of his succession . i see every body has not a petavius to direct him . however , a man that could but read the english translation of the bible , might know that a jewish father had power to disinherit , because , deut. 21.15 . that power is restrained in one particular case . grotius upon the place gives the reason of that restraint ; says he , the father might for just cause transfer the right of the first-born to a younger brother ; but the law took away that liberty from a man who had two wives together , where there was danger it might be done upon light and trifling occasions . and truly the case of an hebrew heir had been very hard , if it had been neck or nothing ; if he might by the law have been put to death for that , for which he might not be disinherited . tho , by the way , the rabbins say , that law of putting a son to death was never practised , no more than that of retaliation , an eye for an eye , and a tooth for a tooth . he falsely and invidiously says : i challenge the house of lords , the three estates of scotland , &c. to give but one reason to prove a bill of exclusion to be unlawful . i did not look so high , nor think of those great persons , but of those whom i have often conversed with , and who , according to the character i there gave of them , have furiously reproached three successive houses of commons upon account of that bill : and i am afraid i shall have occasion to call upon them for their reasons , even after this author's performance . i always meant those men who have misled too many , and too great persons into a belief , that a bill of exclusion is against both law and conscience ; that it is such injustice , as ought not to be done to save the world from perishing : and after they have asserted this , and laid it down for gospel , are not able to say one wise word in defence of it ; and till they do , i am sure all the world will give me leave to follow them with this reasonable demand . i. his first argument is , that an act of exclusion is void , because it tends to the disherison of the crown . this is so far from being true , that an act of parliament , which should deny the king and parliament a power of governing the succession , would be a proper act of disherison of the crown , because it would destroy one of the greatest prerogatives of the crown , and devest the king of such a power as is part of his crown , and which alone , in many cases , can secure the whole to him . according to what serjeant manwood affirm'd in parliament , 13 eliz. that as for the authority of parliament ( in determining of the crown ) it could not in reasonable construction be otherwise ; for whosoever should deny that authority , did deny the queen to be queen , and the realm to be a realm . the truth of it is , it tears up the very foundations of our government : for as bishop bilson has exprest it , the foundation of all the laws of our country is this , that what the prince , and most part of her barons and burgesses shall confirm , that shall stand for good. but to come to the point , this unalterable norman entail , whence is it ? it was certainly made with hands , tho all the roman emperors had not the art of making one . now i assert , that the king in his parliament , when ever he pleases to call one , has all the power upon earth , and full as much as ever was upon english ground ; and consequently can govern this norman entail , as shall be most for the preservation of his majesty's sacred person from popish plots , and of this protestant realm from the hellish power of rome . and to deny this , were to disherit and disable the crown , and as mr. mounson , in the 13 th of eliz. expresses it , were an horrible saying . as an appendix to this first argument , first , he asks a shrewd question , if the acts of hen. viii . about succession were valid , by what authority was the house of suffolk excluded , and king james admitted to the crown , contrary to many statutes against him ? if our author will shew me but one of those many statutes whereby king james stood excluded , i will yield him the cause . in the mean time , i wonder a man should offer to make acts of parliament no more than waste paper , when he knows nothing of them ; and to talk of the house of suffolk's exclusion , when it was never included , nor ever had any title or pretensions to the crown ; and above all , to be so very absurd , as to quote the recognition of the high-court of parliament , 1 jac. cap. 1. where king james's succession is owned for lawful , when at the same time he is invalidating all acts of parliament , which limit and determine of the succession . for as the same mr. mounson argues , it were horrible to say , that the parliament hath not authority to determine of the crown ; for then would ensue , not only the annihilating of the statute 35 hen. 8. but that the statute made in the first year of her majesty's reign , of recognition , should be laid void ; a matter containing a greater consequent than is convenient to be uttered . so that if our author disables acts of parliament , which limit and bind the descent of the crown , he likewise disables that act of recognition . our author's partner , mr. long , has urged this act of recognition 1 jacobi , more strongly than any one argument in his book besides ; for because it was made since the 13 th of elizabeth , he opposeth it to that , and gives it all the power of a last will. to which i shall only say thus much , that the very same recognition , to a tittle , might have been made to king james , tho mary queen of scots had been still living , and had only stood excluded by act of parliament : for , as mr. long may see by the act before the common-prayer-book , 14 carol. 2. the law can make great numbers of men as if they were dead , and naturally dead , before their time ; yea , tho many of them had a jus divinum to preach , as being episcopally ordained , and were descended in a right line from the very apostles . 2dly ; our author quotes two authorities : the one says , a bill of exclusion , if it should pass , would change the essence of the monarchy , and make the crown elective ; or , as another ingenious ( but i am sure very scurrilous and irreverent ) pen saith , it would tend to make a football of the crown , and turn an hereditary kingdom into elective . the same answer will serve them both , namely , that an act of disinheriting from the crown , does own , and proclaim , and prove the kingdom to be hereditary . and further , i would be glad to know in what part of the globe that elective kingdom lies , where the very essence of it is this , that the present possessor of the crown shall have power in declaring or disabling his successor . ii. his next argument is from the oaths of allegiance and supremacy , wherein a minister of london especially ought to have used no sophistry , because oaths are sacred things , and ought not by false glosses and interpretations to be turn'd into snares , to entangle the consciences of those who hereafter shall be desirous to secure the protestant religion ; and withal , to involve three successive houses of commons in the guilt of perjury , only for discharging their consciences to god and their country . and because our author , after he has done thus , stands upon his justification , and calls his way of arguing plain and honest , and says , he is not conscious of the least sophistry in it ; i shall endeavour to make his sophistry stare him in the face . i shewed him before in my preface , by the most convincing proof that could be produced , that by the heirs and successors mentioned in these oaths , are meant kings and queens of this realm of england : and if the old oath of allegiance at common-law , which i there quoted , had not expresly said so ; yet common-sense would have taught us the very same : for allegiance sworn to a subject must needs be treason . and therefore , as i there argued , it is a falshood of very dangerous consequence , to say , that any person besides his majesty hath now any interest in those oaths , or can lay claim to any part of them . our author had done well to have answered that argument , before he had fallen to new-vamping of old baffled fallacies , which i shall now examine . by the oath of supremacy , ( as he says true ) we are sworn , to our power to assist and defend all jurisdictions , privileges , preheminencies , and authorities , granted or belonging to the kings highness , his heirs and lawful successors , united and annexed to the imperial crown of this realm . now one of these jurisdictions , granted or belonging to the king's highness , his heirs and lawful successors , united and annexed to the imperial crown of this realm , is this , that the king , with and by the authority of the parliament of england , is able to make laws and statutes , of sufficient force and validity to limit and bind the crown of this realm , and the descent , limitation , inheritance , and government thereof . and therefore i ask , if they be not the perjured persons , who by asserting an unalterable succession , endeavour to destroy this jurisdiction , privilege , and authority , which they are sworn to maintain ? but our author 's honest way of arguing , is to have four terms in a syllogism . as thus ; we are sworn to defend the rights of supremacy vested in the king ; ergo , we are bound to defend an unalterable succession , which is contrary to the rights of this supremacy . again , we are sworn to defend all privileges belonging to the king's heirs and successors , that is , kings and queens of england ; ergo , we are sworn to defend all the privileges belonging to such as are neither kings nor queens , but subjects of england , and if they be excluded , never can be kings or queens of england . and therefore to our author's first question , i answer : no subject can possibly have undoubted , transcendent , and essential rights , privileges , and preheminencies , united to the imperial crown of england ; for if so , then the imperial crown of england is united to his rights ; which i would desire our author to take heed of affirming , for we can have but one soveraign , as there is but one sun in the firmament . to his second question , i answer ; by lawful successors , is meant kings and queens of england , which have not been always next heirs by proximity of blood ; witness henry 7. q. mary , and q. elizabeth , who could not be both heirs in that manner to edward the 6 th . and further , i say , that the oath of supremacy only binds us to the king in being , and not to the whole royal family , otherwise we should have a great many soveraigns at once ; and it is made in our author's phrase , for the behoof and interest of the crown , and not for the behoof of him who may never be concern'd in it . in the next place , we have these words : some indeed have said , with our author , that the oath of supremacy is a protestant oath , and so could not be understood in a sence destructive to the protestant religion ; which is a meer shift , and proves nothing , because it proves too much . sir , i think it was much more a shift , to find out a way to drive on the popes interest by an oath , which does most solemnly renounce him ; and under a pretence of unalterable succession , of which there is not the least shadow in this oath , but the direct contrary , to abandon this protestant kingdom to the hellish tyranny of rome , which we are sworn to oppose , and all protestants will oppose , even under a popish successor , if any such can be in england ; and let dr. watson prove it , if he can , to be no less than resisting the ordinance of god. but methinks it had been time enough to offer to prove that , after the pope's power had been re-established by a law , and not to go about it now , when it is treason to endeavour to reconcile men to the church of rome . thus much the oath of supremacy proves , which is not nothing , nor a jot too much . and further , it proves , that we are bound , in order to the keeping out the pope's power , which we have utterly renounced , humbly to beg of his majesty to foreclose a popish successor , who will infallibly let it in . i am sure , this way of assisting and defending the jurisdictions and authorities of the crown is in our power , and so is within the compass of our oath ; and therefore we are treacherous to the crown , and false to our oath , as well as to god , and to our religion , if we will not do so much for any of them as this comes to . and i do seriously and earnestly recommend this consideration to all that have taken the oath of supremacy , and especially to the clergy of england , who have taken it several times over . as for our author 's saying , that moderate papists will take the oath of supremacy ; i shall only say this to it , let him shew me a man that has taken this oath , and prove him to be a papist , and i will prove him perjured . again , he says , as these are protestant oaths , they bind us the more emphatically to assist and defend the king against the vsurpation of the pope , who pretends to a power of deposing kings , and of excluding hereditary princes from the succession . answ . we are bound emphatically to renounce all power of the pope , and therefore this among the rest ; but we are bound to assert many instances of that power to the king , which we deny to the pope , of which i have proved the power of excluding a popish prince to be one : which if the pope himself exercises upon protestant princes , where he but pretends to be supream ; he is a wretch if he complains , or any body for him , that the like is done by them who really are supream . this , in short , is your plain and honest arguing : we are sworn to deny the pope's usurped power ; ergo , we are sworn to deny the king 's just and lawful power , which by the same oath we are bound to maintain . in the next paragraph , our author protests to all the world , that he has sworn allegiance and supremacy to subjects , or to the unalterable succession , or to i know not what , for he is not very clear . but as for all others , who have taken no such rash and unlawful oath , they need no absolution from it ; and consequently , there had not been such a world of popery in the bill of exclusion upon that score . and therefore i desire our author not to trouble his head about it ; and he may speak to the great man , whom he quotes for that notable observation , to do so too . if he himself has been so forward , as to swear before-hand to a subject , he has done it in his own wrong , and he knows how by repentance to disengage himself from a rash , void , and unlawful oath ; for he ought to have sworn only to our sovereign lord the king that now is , and to his highness heirs and lawful successors , kings or queens of this realm of england , and other his dominions depending on the same . i never in my life read any thing of that kind with greater pleasure , than his conclusion of this second argument ; to see a man bewildred , and confounded , and lost in his own sophistry . i took notice in my preface , of an abuse in common speech , where men that are only in possibility of being heirs , are called heirs , next heirs , &c. in which absurd and dangerous sence some weak men have taken the heirs and successors mentioned in the oaths of allegiance and supremacy , and thereupon were against a bill of exclusion . i then proved it , and therefore had the confidence to call it a deceitful prejudice , and must now add , that it is a very silly prejudice , because every bill , bond , release , and almost any other writing , that passes in common intercourse among men , wherein heirs are mentioned , is sufficient to correct it ; for where men are concerned to speak properly , heirs are always understood to be those who actually inherit . now as in a covenant , i promise to pay a. b. and to his heirs , the yearly rent of , &c. without promising , one farthing to his eldest son , or without being bound that his eldest son shall be his heir after his death , or without being obliged not to express a desire that a. b. would disinherit his eldest son , if he have given manifest proof that he will utterly ruine the estate and family : so it is in these oaths , with this difference , that it would be only the absurdity and inconvenience of paying my rent twice over , to take heirs , for possible heirs , in this lower and more familiar instance of a covenant , whereas it would involve us in treason , to take heirs in that sence in the oaths of allegiance and supremacy . but this unconscionable man will have them taken in both sences in these oaths . heirs and successors , in the very same place , shall signify subjects , and not subjects , but kings and queens . heirs shall stand for those that actually inherit , and not for them , but for those that may , and may not inherit , and in case of exclusion never shall : and lawful successors shall stand for such as lawfully succeed their predecessors , and in the self-same place shall stand for unlawful successors , a sort of successors before their time . in one word , heirs and lawful successors , in the oaths of allegiance and supremacy , must either signify kings and queens , ( as the oath of allegiance at common-law expounds it self , which the lawyers call , benedicta expositio ex visceribus causae , a blessed exposition out of the bowels of the cause ) or else they must signify subjects ; for it is contradictious , and transubstantiation-non-sence , to say they signify both . if they signify kings and queens , then we are no ways bound to any person under that degree by those oaths ; and they have been very unfairly as well as mischievously urged against a bill of exclusion . if any man say , they signify subjects , then this grievous inconvenience unavoidably follows , that we have promised , from henceforth , that is , from the time we were sworn , and so onwards , to bear them faith and true allegiance ; which , i suppose , no minister of london , nor minister of state in england , will think fit to affirm . iii. and now comes his third argument , atttended with a marginal superfaetation of little sucking arguments , such as dei gratiâ , dieu & mon droit , &c. all equally concluding against a bill of exclusion . the main argument , for which he quotes cook upon littleton , of tenures , is this : the inheritance of our lord the king is a direct dominion , of which none is the author , but god alone . the king holds of none but god ; he has no superiour lord , as cook explains himself in the same place ; the crown is no norman fee : ergo , the king cannot bind and limit the succession . i thought he could the sooner for that ; for what shall hinder him from disposing of his own , for the welfare , and with the consent of his kingdom , who have a greater interest in their king than our author is aware of . from the aforesaid principle , he gives us to understand that the wise and the learned infer this conclusion , that it would be vsurpation , without a manifest revelation from god , to preclude any person of the royal family from succeeding to the crown . the learned may do much ; but i will go upon his errand an hundred miles an end , who will shew any other man how to infer that conclusion from that argument . but for all that , they shew themselves neither learned , nor wise , in calling for a manifest revelation from god for a bill of exclusion , because that may occasion others to demand a manifest revelation for any papist's right to succeed in a protestant kingdom , where , by the laws of that kingdom , if he be reconciled to the church of rome , he has not a right to live : a manifest revelation to shew , why a * natural fool or mad-man , who cannot help it , may be put by the succession , as not fit to govern ; but a papist , who is more dangerous and destructive to a protestant kingdom than both of them , and that by his own fault too , may not be prevented . in a word , a manifest revelation to shew , how a publick enemy , as every person who is reconciled to the church of rome is in the eye of the law , can possibly be the fountain of justice and mercy , which is the true notion of an english king. these things do stand more in need of a manifest revelation to clear them up , than a bill of exclusion does , which is as manifestly lawful , as that the king and parliament have power to make a just and necessary law. besides , where was the wisdom of our author , or his friends , in demanding a revelation from god for a necessary alteration of the succession , when they themselves cannot pretend to one for the establishment of it ? since it is an undeniable maxime , both in law and reason , that things are dissolved , as they be contracted ; and an obligation only by word of mouth , needs not hand and seal to discharge it . for by these unreasonable demands , which are contrary to the known laws of the kingdom , they put men upon enquiries nice and unprofitable : as how , and for what cause the monarchy of england came to be hereditary ? and whether a popish prince does not perfectly overthrow that excellent constitution , and disinherit himself ? this is laid down for a known and acknowledged truth , in the reasons of the house of commons , 14 elizab. against mary queen of scots . queen elizabeth was contented to disable the queen of scots , as a person unworthy of any hope or title , preheminence or dignity within this her land ; and the law so to run , that if any should enterprise to deliver her out of prison after her disablement , either in her majesty's life , or after the same , to be convicted immediatly of high-treason ; and her self assenting thereunto , to be likewise adjudged as a traytor in law. this the commons in their large answer represent both as needless , and as insufficient : whereas it is said , that it standeth to very good purpose , to proceed only in disabling of the scotish queen for any claim or title to the crown ; we take it , by your majesty's favour , that such an especial disabling of the scotish queen , is in effect a special confirmation of a right that she should have had : quia privatio praesupponit habitum . and further , we do take it for a known truth , that by the laws and statutes of this land now in force , she is already disabled ; and therefore it is to small purpose , rem actam agere . and now i have done with our author's arguments , as they are his ; for as they are scotch or newmarket positions , i have nothing to say to them . only it would be worth our author's pains , and he may get the addressing part of the university to help him , to reconcile this scotch act , which makes such a brave shew in his preface , with the history of succession in scotland ; lest , while he is so industrious to serve the interest of a popish successor , he be found overthrowing the titles of all the kings of scotland for these three hundred years , not excepting his present majesty's title to that kingdom , no , nor the expectations of that very person to whom he is so much devoted . the history in short is this : robert stuart , the hundredth king of scotland , and first of the family of the stuarts , had a concubine named elizabeth more , the daughter of sir adam more , by whom he had three sons , and two daughters ; and himself marrying eufemia , the daughter of the earl of ross , took care to marry elizabeth more to one giffard , a noble-man in the county of louthien . by eufemia he had issue , walter and david , earls of athol and strathern , and eufemia , who was afterwards married to james duglass , son to the earl of that name . the queen eufemia dying , and giffard , the husband of elizabeth more , dying much about the same time , the king marries elizabeth more , his former concubine , and presently ennobles the sons which he had by her , creating john earl of carrike , robert earl of menteith , and alexander earl of bucquhane . nor was he content with doing so much for them , but he also obtained from a parliament at scone , that ( the children which he had by eufemia being past by ) these should come to the crown in their course . no man will offer to say , that the children of elizabeth more were made inheritable by that after-marriage : for , besides the apparent insufficiency of it for that purpose , what need was there then of obtaining an act of parliament to make them so , and to set by the children of eufemia ? now , if no law , or act of parliament , made , or to be made , can alter or divert the right of succession , according to the known degrees of proximity in blood ; what then becomes of the scone act ? but if an act made at scone , can set aside three persons at once , with all their numerous descendents , for no fault nor forfeiture at all ; why might not an act made at westminster , have done as much for one single person alone , especially when that westminster act would have been in some respects as favourable as an act of grace ? if our author can tell why , he shall be a greater oracle to me than the great apollo . there is nothing betwixt this , and the end of the preface , worth answering , which has not already been answered , unless it be that passage where he withdraws his general approbation of what i had written against popery , as rashly given , because i seem to deny that the church of rome is a true church of christ . i desire our author to make but one business of it , and at the same time to withdraw his hearty subscription to the homilies , which do more than seem to deny it , especially in the second part of the homily for whit-sunday ; for that whole sermon is spent in shewing , first , what the true church of christ is , and then in conferring the church of rome therewith , to discern how well they agree together ; and , lastly , in concluding , that because the church of rome is not the true church of christ ; and the bishops of rome , and their adherents , are not in the church , therefore they have not the holy-ghost , tho they have for a long time made a sore challenge thereunto ; but by their practices make it plain to all the world , that they have the spirit of the devil . it affirms , and , which is more , proves , that the church of rome is not a true church , nor has been these nine hundred years , and odd . so that our author must go a great way back to seek his true church of england , in his true church of rome . i wonder in my heart what those gentlemen mean , who pretend to be the only sons of the church of england , and yet make nothing of blowing up whole homilies at once , and are continually disgracing all the protestant principles of our glorious reformers with one odious name or other ; and above all , are so very desirous to have it believed , that the pretended church of rome , but real synagogue of satan , is a true church of christ ; which they are no more able to make out , than to prove the devil to be a true angel of light. for instead of being a catholick church , it is a plain catholick apostacy , as the protestation of archbishop vsher , and the rest of the irish bishops , novemb. 1626. does justly term it . an answer to the book . having now done with the preface , before i return an answer to any part of the book , i shall set down the substance of it , whereby the reader will be enabled to judg what parts of it do require an answer . the design of my book was to shew , that the primitive christians would have been for a bill of exclusion ; which i proved , by shewing how much they were against a pagan successor , both by their hearty wishes he had been fore-closed , and by their uneasiness under him , when he was emperor . our author answers the former of these proofs , by endeavouring to shew that the empire was not hereditary , which i have already considered in the preface . and as for the other proof , which was the behaviour of the christians toward julian , when he was emperor , it is all matter of fact ; and therefore , tho our author wrangles , and raises many cavils about it , some of which i shall examine anon , yet he cannot disprove one syllable of it . now this argument concludes à fortiori thus : would not the christians have petitioned at least for julian's exclusion , when he was a subject , seeing they spent so many prayers and tears for his destruction , when he was emperor ? would that whole church , which leaped for joy , and triumphed at his untimely and violent death , have scrupled his exclusion ? would they have thought julian wronged , in being barred from succeeding to the empire , who thought themselves wronged and injured , in that constantius did not kill him , instead of making him caesar ? which julian himself represents as the sence of the city of antioch . the behaviour of the christians was so very rough towards julian , that i could not ascribe it wholly to his being a pagan , but shewed , that his illegal oppression and tyranny was also the cause why they pursued him with so much hatred . the substance of our author's answer to this is , that julian could not oppress them illegally , if he would , because it was his royal pleasure to have the christians suffer after this manner ; and his will , according to gregory , was an unwritten law , and much stronger than the written ones , which were not back'd with power and authority . yes , that is gregory's complaint , and the very illegal oppression against which he exclaims , that when the christians were under the protection of the publick laws and edicts , yet they were destroyed by dumb signs , and private hints , and oftentimes upon a meer presumption of the emperor's pleasure . and whoever will please to read jacob. gothofredus his vlpianus , sive de principe legibus soluto , will see how much our author has perverted and misapplied all the shreds of civil law , which he hath made use of upon this occasion . in short , our author grants , that the christians were highly provoked against julian ; but then he says , p. 182. the main ground of their displeasure against him was this , that he would not formally persecute them , nor put them to death enough . as for the word , formally , we find that explained , p. 133. he put them not to death formally , as christians , but accused and condemned them for other crimes . now this is one instance which i gave of his illegal oppression and tyranny , that being it did not stand with his conveniences , to enact sanguinary laws against christianity , he found out ways of putting the christians to death , upon false and pretended crimes of sacrilege and treason : so that tho they died meerly for their religion , yet they had not the honour of dying for it , but suffered under the character of the greatest malefactors , and both they and their reputation were murdered at once . this indeed was a just cause of their displeasure against julian ; but i cannot say , with our author , that they were displeased at him , because he did not put them to death enough ; for i thought he had given them their belly-full of that . does gregory call him dragon , murtherer , common cut-throat , or as the scholiast renders it , bloody devil , for this , because he did not put them to death enough ? were there no halters nor precipices in the roman empire , but must heaven and earth be moved against julian for this , because he would not put them to death enough ? i can only say , 't is very much ! this discourse about julian's illegal oppression of the christians , and their behaviour thereupon towards him , led me to speak of the duty of passive obedience , or suffering for our religion , which i asserted to be our duty only then , when the laws are against our religion ; and shewed , that christianity does not oblige us to submit to illegal violence , but to defend our selves against it . i found a necessity for the true stating of this duty , because the doctrine of passive obedience has been so handled of late , as to tempt oppression and tyranny into the world , by pressing it upon mens consciences as a necessary duty , that they ought to submit to the most arbitrary oppression , and illegal destructive violence . i shewed , that by this doctrine , in the case of a popish successor , ( which is no impossible case , witness the expedient at oxford ) we should be ready bound hand and foot , to invite the popish knife ; it would expose a whole protestant people and nation at once , and give them but one neck , which a popish successor , by the principles of his religion , is bound to cut off . in defence of this doctrine our author spends the remainder of his book ; to which , as being a matter of the greatest consequence , i shall immediately apply my self , and consider the arguments which he has brought for it . that i may avoid all obscurity in an argument of this weight and importance , wherein the lives of all english protestants , and their posterity , are concerned , i shall , 1. shew how far this author and i are perfectly agreed . 2. state the difference betwixt us . we are both agreed , 1. that the king's person is sacred and inviolable by law. 2. that inferior magistrates , acting by the king's authority according to law , may not be resisted . and therefore neither the king's person , nor his authority , are any ways included in this controversy . but in the second place , it is somewhat more difficult to state the difference betwixt us ; for never was there such a proteus of passive doctrine as this is . nevertheless , by tracing him carefully quite through this argument , i find his sence to be this : that by the imperial laws , or laws of the prerogative , in case the forces of a popish and tyrannical prince do outrage and murther the liege people of england , contrary to the political laws , that is , the common and statute-laws , which declare the fundamental propriety that the people of england have in their lives , liberties , and estates , those forces may not be resisted ; for they who in their own defence do resist them with arms , may be legally hanged for it in this world , and ( without repentance ) will be damned for it in that which is to come . and yet this author , pag. 274. asserts , that the laws of all governments allow every man to defend his life against an illegal assassin ; and he that doth not so when he can , dies not like a martyr , but a fool. now forces thus employed are no other than illegal assassins . but , it may be , the damnableness of resisting lies in resisting them with arms ? no , it is not that ; for our author in the same place says , contra sicarium quilibet homo est miles : any man is a lawful souldier against a cut-throat ; that is , may use a sword against him , and not only a switch . neither is it their being called the king's or sovereign's forces , which makes them irresistible ; for , p. 280 , he allows , that a man may defend himself against an assassin sent by the king's order ; because , says he , the king's law , which is his most authoritative command , allows us ( as i suppose ) that benefit . and therefore it remains , that the damnableness of resisting them lies in this , that they are forces , and murther in troops : so that tho any man is a lawful souldier against a cut-throat , yet no man is a lawful souldier against cut-throats ; and indeed this last particular is the only thing , wherein our author has not been pleased to answer himself . now in opposition to our author , i hold , that if the sovereign cannot authorize one single person to do an act of illegal violence ; much less can he authorize forces , or great numbers of men , to do such illegal acts : and that there is just the same reason , law , and conscience , a thousand times over , to resist a thousand murtherers , that there is to resist one . his conclusions , i confess , are very terrible to flesh and blood ; but i take comfort , when i look back upon the principles from whence he infers them , which are absurdly false , and so far from supporting that battery which he raises upon them , that they fall with their own weakness , rottenness , and incoherency . his principles are , an unlimited , boundless , soveraign power ; two tables of laws , which break one another ; some preambles of statutes , which he stifles , and will not suffer to speak out , and a false pretence of the soveraign's honour . first ; he begins with the notion of a soveraign , p. 200. by which all the world may see , that he no more understands what an english soveraign is , than i know what prester john is . does not every body know , that the very same titles of power and office have a several notion in several countries ? as , to compare great things with small , a constable in england is conceived under another notion than a constable in france . and so tho an assyrian king were conceived under the notion of absoluteness , whom he would , he slew ; and whom he would , he made alive ; whom he would , he set up ; and whom he would , he pulled down ; and his will did all : yet this is quite contrary to the notion of an english king ; as bracton tells us , non est enim rex , ubi dominatur voluntas , & non lex : where will governs , and not the law , the notion of a king is lost . nay , the laws of king edward , confirmed by william the conqueror , and sworn to be kept by all succeeding kings in their coronation-oath , have these words : rex autem , quia vicarius summi regis est , ad hoc est constitutus , ut regnum terrenum & populum domini & regat , & ab injuriosis defendat , &c. quod nisi fecerit , nec nomen regis in eo constabit , verùm nomen regis perdit . these , i hope , are better authorities in this matter , than sam. bochart , our author's french oracle , who , like a forreigner as he was , fetch'd his notions of our government from the motto of the king's arms , dieu & mon droit . i need not trouble my self in examining our author's scheme of soveraign power , or the rights of the soveraign , which is full of equivocation and fallacy ; witness the last particular of it , where he attributes to the soveraign the whole legislative power : which methinks he might have left out , as well as he has done another main branch of the soveraign power , which writers of government call vniversale & eminens dominium , or a power of laying taxes upon the subject . but therein our author had reason ; for if he had but mentioned that right of soveraignty , every english-man , who had ever read a subsidy-act , or money-bill , would immediatly have discovered the fraudulent contrivance of that whole discourse . and because our author writes , as if he were better studied in the modern french monarchy , than in the ancient , equal , happy , well-poised , and never enough to be commended constitution of this kingdom , as king charles the first calls it ; i shall take this occasion to set down these few words of that wise prince concerning it : there being three kinds of government amongst men , absolute monarchy , aristocracy , and democracy ; and all these having their particular conveniencies , and inconveniencies , the experience and wisdom of your ancestors ha●h so moulded this out of a mixture of th●se , as to give to this kingdom ( as far as humane prudence can provide ) the conveniencies of all three , without the inconveniencies of any one . but we have some little people risen up amongst us , who with a dash of their pen will new-mould the government , endeavouring , as much as in them is , to dissolve this excellent frame , and to change it into an absolute monarchy . the establish'd constitution does not agree with the new models they have seen abroad , nor with the new notions they have got by the end ; and therefore , tho it be the product of the long experience , of the deepest insight , and of the united wisdom of a whole nation ; yet it must give place to new inventions , and submit to be regulated by an epistle of a french author . the two houses of parliament , which have a joint authority in making laws , as the king expresly says , in this kingdom the laws are jointly made by a king , by a house of peers , and by a house of commons ; as also every act that is made , in the very enacting of it , tells us , shall , by the new common laws of soveraignty , only perform a ministerial part , of preparing bills and writings , and finding a form of words for the soveraign alone to enact . and so likewise the prerogatives of the king , which are built upon the same law of the land , upon which is built the propriety and liberty of the subject , and which is the most firm and stable bottom in the world , shall , in this new and treacherous way , be founded upon a floating notion of soveraignty ; which is a notion indeed , any farther than it is supported by the law of the land. and therefore , if any man would know for certain what the king's prerogatives are , he must not take his information from notions of sovereignty , which are as various as the faces of the moon , but from the law of the land , where he shall find them granted or belonging , united and annexed to the imperial crown of this realm : amongst which this is not the least , that the king can do no wrong ; the king is god's lieutenant , and is not able to do an unjust thing . these are the words of the law , says judg jenkins . consequently he cannot overthrow the laws , nor is he able to authorize any forces to destroy his liege subjects ; for this would be the highest wrong and injustice : and therefore forces so employed , act of their own heads ; and upon their own wicked heads , let their own mischief fall . and yet our author is pleased to call such wretches , so employed , the soveraign's forces , and his armies , p. 203 , 221 , against which we must not , upon pain of damnation , defend our selves . i appeal to all the lawyers of england , whether the law will own any number of men to be authorized by the king , in outraging and destroying his liege people ; or whether it be not a great aggravation of their crime , to pretend a commission from the king , to warrant such illegal and destructive violence ? but this author , who is resolved to be an advocate for bloodshed and oppression , will shelter an association of murtherers under his common laws of soveraignty ; and if they ravage and destroy in the king's name , which doubles the crime , will make that their protection : and lastly , ( which is the great cheat that runs through this whole discourse ) to make them irresistible , he shrouds and covers them under the name of the soveraign . for it is plain , that in his answer to my five propositions , p. 204 , 205. and generally throughout the following chapters , by sovereign he means such forces of the soveraign ; for he bears me witness , p. 221. that i acknowledged even a popish soveraign to be inviolable , as to his own person . i know that deceiving men for their good , has heretofore been excused as a pious fraud ; but i am sure , that such foul practice as this , to ensnare mens consciences , and to cheat them out of their lives , is an impious fraud ; and as such , i leave it with the author of it , and pass to the second thing ; his distinction of imperial and political laws . common law we know , and statute-law we know ; but who are ye ? i confess , i have heretofore seen something not unlike that distinction in aesop , where there was a political law or compact , fairly made betwixt the lion , the fox , and the ass ; but while the ass was proceeding by the measures of that law , of a sudden the imperial lion-law broke loose , and tore him in pieces . it concerns us therefore to examine , upon what foundation this dangerous distinction is built ; and if it prove to be false and groundless , the good people of england have little to thank this gentleman for . pag. 210. we have these words : thus the learned chancellor fortescue grants the king of england to have regal or imperial power , altho it be under the restraint and regulation of the power political , as to the exercise thereof . that distinction in the last clause is false , as i shall shew anon . from that perverted passage of chancellor fortescue , where he speaks of regal and politick dominion , i doubt not but our author , or some body for him , framed his new distinction of imperial and political laws , and contrived them into two contradictious tables ; by one of which the subjects rights and properties are secured and established , and are all overthrown by the other . the lord chancellor fortescue is the first english lawyer that used the terms of regal and politick government , which he owns to have borrowed from thomas aquinas , in his book de regimine principum , dedicated to the king of cyprus , by which phrase that old schoolman exprest a mixed and limited monarchy : for any man that pleases to read those books , will see , that aquinas understands by regal government , an absolute monarchy ; and by politick government , such governments as the common-wealths of rome and athens ; and by regal and politick , a king ruling by a senate , and prescribed rules of law. and that chancellor fortescue , in his dialogue with the prince of wales , makes no other use of the phrase than thomas aquinas did , will sufficiently appear , by setting down his discourse at large ; wherein i desire the reader 's patience , because i intend it as a specimen of this answerer's faithfulness in quoting his authors : in which discourse , that great lawyer sometimes calls this government regal and politick , sometimes a politick kingdom ; but what he means by it , is best exprest in his own words . chap. 9. you stand in doubt , most worthy prince , whether it be better for you , to give your mind to the study of the laws of england , or of the civil laws , because they throughout the whole world are advanced in glory and renown , above all other humane laws : let not this scruple of mind trouble you , most noble prince ; for the king of england cannot alter nor change the laws of his realm at his pleasure . for why , he governeth his people by power , not only royal , but also politick . if his power over them were royal only , then he might change the laws of his realm , and charge his subjects with tallage , and other burdens , without their consent ; and such is the dominion which the civil laws purport , when they say , the prince's pleasure hath the force of a law. but from this much differeth the power of a king , whose government over his people is politick : for he can neither change the laws without the consent of his subjects , nor yet charge them with strange impositions against their wills. wherefore his people do frankly and freely enjoy their own goods , being ruled by such laws as they themselves desire ; neither are they pilled by their own king , or by any body else . like pleasure also and freedom have the subjects of a king ruling by power royal only , so long as he falleth not into tyranny . of such a king speaketh aristotle , in the 3 d book of his politicks , saying , that it is better for a city to be governed by a good king , than by a good law. but forasmuch as a king is not ever such a man , therefore st. thomas , in the book which he wrote to the king of cyprus , of the governance of princes , wisheth the state of a realm to be such , that it may not be in the king's power at pleasure to oppress his people with tyranny , which thing is accomplished , only when the power royal is restrained by a politick law. rejoyce therefore , most worthy prince , and be glad , that the law of the realm wherein you are to succeed , is such ; for it shall exhibit and minister to you , and your people , no small security and comfort . with such laws , as saith st. thomas , should all mankind have been governed , if in paradise they had not transgressed god's commandment : with such laws also was the synagogue ruled , while it was under god only as king , who adopted the same to him for a peculiar kingdom ; but at the last , when at their request they had a man-king set over them , they were then , under royal laws only , brought very low . chap. 10. then the prince thus said ; how cometh it to pass , good chancellor , that one king may govern his people by power royal only , and that another king can have no such power ? seeing both these kings are in dignity equal , i cannot chuse but much muse and marvel , why in power they should thus differ . of which difference in authority over their subjects , the chancellor in the next chapter promises to shew the reason , which is grounded upon the different originals of those kingdoms . and accordingly , chap. 12. he shews , that an absolute monarchy is founded in the forced consent of a subdued and inslaved people ; and , chap. 13. that a kingdom of politick governance is founded in the voluntary consent of the community . and after he has illustrated the first institution of a politick kingdom , by shewing how it resembles the formation of a natural body , he thus proceeds in the 13 th chapter . now you understand , most noble prince , the form of institution of a kingdom politick , whereby you may measure the power , which the king thereof may exercise over the law and subjects of the same . for such a king is made and ordained for the defence of the law of his subjects , and of their bodies and goods , whereunto he receiveth power of his people , so that he cannot govern his people by any other power . wherefore to satisfy your request , in that you desire to be certified , how it cometh to pass that in the power of kings there is so great diversity : surely in mine opinion , the diversity of the institutions , or first ordinances of those dignities , which i have now declared , is the only cause of this foresaid difference , as of the premises by the discourse of reason you may easily gather . for thus the kingdom of england , out of brute's * retinue of the trojans , which he brought out of the coasts of italy and greece , first grew to a politick and regal dominion . thus also scotland , which sometime was subject to england , as a dukedom thereof , was advanced to a politick and royal kingdom . many other kingdoms also had thus their first beginning , not only of regal , but also of politick government . wherefore diodorus siculus , in his second book of ancient history , thus writeth of the egyptians : the egyptian kings lived at first , not after the licentious manner of other rulers , whose will and pleasure is instead of law ; but as it had been private persons , they were bound by the law ; neither did they think much at it , being persuaded , that by obeying the laws they should be happy : for by such rulers , as followed their own lusts , they thought many things were done , whereby they should incur divers harms and perils . and in his fourth book , thus he writeth : the ethiopian king , as soon as he is created , he ordereth his life according to the laws , and doth all things after the manner and custom of his country , assigning neither reward nor punishment to any man , other than the law made by his predecessors appointeth . he reporteth much the same of the king of saba , in arabia faelix ; and of certain other kings , which in old time reigned happily . chap. 14. to whom the prince thus answered : you have , good chancellor , with the clear light of your declaration , dispelled the clouds wherewith my mind was darkned ; so that i do most evidently see , that no nation did ever of their own voluntary mind incorporate themselves into a kingdom , for any other intent , but only to the end that they might enjoy their lives and fortunes ( which they were afraid of losing ) with greater security than before . and of this intent should such a nation be utterly defrauded , if then their king might spoil them of their goods , which before was lawful for no man to do . and yet should such a people be much more injured , if they should afterwards be governed by foreign and strange laws , yea , and such as they peradventure deadly hated and abhorred . and most of all , if by those laws their substance should be diminished , for the safeguard whereof , as also for the security of their persons , they of their own accord submitted themselves to the governance of a king. no such power for certain could proceed from the people themselves ; and yet , unless it had been from the people themselves , such a king could have had no power at all over them . now on the other side , i perceive it to stand much otherwise with a kingdom , which is incorporate by the king 's sole power and authority , because such a nation is subject to him upon no other terms , but that this nation , which was made his kingdom by his will and pleasure , should obey and be governed by his laws , which are nothing else but the same will and pleasure . neither have i yet , good chancellor , forgotten that , which in your treatise of the nature of the law of nature , you have learnedly proved , that the power of these two kings is equal ; while the power of the one , whereby he is at liberty to deal wrongfully , is not by such liberty augmented ; as to have power to decay and die , is not power , but because of the privations which are added to it , is rather to be called impotency , and want of power , because , as boetius saith , power is not but to good. so that to be able to do evil , ( which the king who rules regally is more at liberty to do , than the king that has a politick dominion over his people ) is rather a diminution than an increase of his power : for the holy spirits , which are now established in glory , and cannot sin , do in power far excell and pass us , who have a delight and pleasure to run headlong into all kind of wickedness . it is plain to any attentive reader , that throughout this long discourse , fortescue speaks but of two sorts of kingdoms , an absolute monarchy , and a limited monarchy ; the latter of which he sometimes calls a politick government , and sometimes he calls the very same regal and politick , to distinguish it more expresly from an aristocracy or democracy . but i will prove this beyond contradiction , by some other passages in fortescue , where he tells us , that some of the former kings of england would fain have changed the laws of england for the civil law , and did all they could to shake off this politick yoke of the law of england , that they also might rule , or rather rage over their subjects in regal wise only ; and for this end , endeavoured with might and main to cast away their politick government . this is what our author would have , and very agreeable to his hypothesis ; for then the regal or imperial power had been discharged of the politick clog , and had governed all alone ; and the notions of sovereignty and passive obedience , had been as clear as the sun. but then in some other unlucky places , the same fortescue , speaking of the self-same thing , says , that those former kings of england would have parted with their law politick and regal too , and would fain have changed them both for the civil law. it seems , they were as weary of the one as of the other , which could not possibly be help'd , because they were all one . and now i appeal to all the world , whether here be any foundation for a table of imperial laws , which can at pleasure destroy the lives , liberties , and properties of the subject ? and whether , on the other side , according to fortescue , the safety and security of the people be not the supream law of a regal and politick kingdom ? but because our author is mighty troublesom with his imperial laws , and imperial power , and boundless power , and such like terms of his own coining , which is a presumption at least , that what he writes is not law , but his own dreams , which no terms of english law can express ; i shall tell him , from these passages of fortescue , that the greatest power the king of england has , is this , that he can do no wrong ; that he cannot authorize any man , or number of men , to destroy his subjects contrary to law ; consequently , that all such illegal destructive acts , tho attempted in his name , are inauthoritative , and do neither bind any man's conscience , nor tie any man's hands , from using those remedies , which the laws of god and nature , as well as the common and statute-laws of the land , do allow to be used against all evil-disposed persons . i shall tell him likewise from these following authorities , and many more which might be produced , that his assertion of an absolute unbounded power in the king , which is limited only in the exercise of it , is perniciously false : for the law gives the king his power and dominion , says bracton . we hold only what the law holds , saith judg jenkins . the king's prerogative , and the subjects liberty , are determined , and bounded , and admeasured by a written law , what they are : we do not hold the king to have any more power , neither doth his majesty claim any other , but what the law gives him . accordingly , king charles the first acknowledges , that his prerogatives are built upon the law of the land ; which , in another place he declares , are the justest rule and measure for them . i shall add but one remarkable passage more , out of the king's answer to both houses concerning the militia , feb. 28. 1641. and his majesty is willing to grant every of them such commissions , as he hath done this parliament to some lords lieutenants by your advice ; but if that power be not thought enough , but that more shall be thought fit to be granted to these persons named , than by the law is in the crown it self , his majesty holds it reasonable , that the same be by some law first vested in him , with power to transfer it to these persons , which he will willingly do . now this is demonstration : if the law be the measure of the king's power , then he has no power beyond the bounds of the law ; and whatsoever is pretended in the king's name beyond those bounds , is void , and carries no manner of authority with it . whereas to say , the king's power is absolute and boundless , is to say , the government is absolute and arbitrary , and requires absolute and unlimited subjection . for it is nonsence to say , that boundless power can be limited in the exercise of it ; for boundless power , which has in it the whole legislative power , can at pleasure make a law to take away that limitation ; and he that is limited only by his own pleasure , is not limited at all . and again , that is not power , which cannot be exercised ; and therefore a fountain full of boundless power , which cannot be brought into act , is a fountain full of inauthoritative authority , or full of emptifulness . so much for our author's fountain , pipes , and channels . we have his other illustration of a boundless limited power in these words : to be confined in the exercise , doth not destroy the being , nor diminish the perfection of sovereign power ; for then the power of god himself could not be sovereign , because there are certain immutable rules of truth and justice , within which it is necessarily limited and confined . i answer ; as god exercises no power which is inconsistent with truth and justice , so he has no such power in him in the root or being , for it is all imperfection and weakness : and that he neither exercises , nor has any such power , is not to be imputed to any intrinsecal limitation or confinement , but to the infinite and illimited perfection of his nature . and if such a miscalled power , or possibility of doing wickedly , be found in the creature , it is because he is a creature , it proceeds from finiteness and defect . and to shew our author , how much more light there is in a few plain words , than in his similitudes and illustrations ; i say , it is self-evident , that a man has no more power in any kind than he can exercise : a man has no more natural power , than he can naturally exercise ; he has no more moral power , than he can morally exercise ; he has no more civil or legal power , than he can legally exercise : for to say he has more power than he can exercise , is to say , he can do more than he can do . and therefore an ocean of our author 's boundless lawful power of doing what cannot lawfully be done , will not fill an egg-shell , and is such a new-nothing , as even children will despise . before i pass from this distinction of imperial and political laws , i must say somewhat to a heap of authorities , which we have , p. 208 , 209. to prove that the realm of england is an empire , that the crown of it is an imperial crown , and that one of the saxon kings stiled himself , basileus , imperator , & dominus . well , what of all that ? the realm of england is an empire , has an imperial crown , and is as independent upon any foreign realm , as the empire of turkie ; therefore the freemen of england are as very slaves as any are in turky , and under imperial or bowstring law. if that be your consequence , i will give you your whole life's time to make it good . but edgar stiled himself basileus , imperator & dominus : and carolus rex signifies a great deal more than all those three titles did . i am ashamed to see rolls of parliament quoted for such poor trifles ; for it is plain , by all the remains which we have of the saxon times , by history , by the saxon laws , by king alfred's will in asser menevensis , and by the mirrour , that the saxon kings were far from being absolute emperors , having no other power than what was limited and restrained by law , and rules of right , as is largely set down in the mirrour , p. 8. es●ierent de eux un roy a reigner sur eux , & governer le people d'dieu , & a maintainer & defendre les persons & les biens en quiet per les rules d'droit ; & al comencement ilz fieront le roy jurer que il mainteindroit la sanct foy christian ove tout son poyar , & sa people guideroit per droit , sans regard a ascun person , & serroit abbeissant a suffre droit come autres de son people . and , p. 9. in case the king did wrong to any of his people , that he might not be judg and party too , convient per droit que le roy ust compaignions pur oyer & terminer aux parliaments trestouts les breves & plaints de torts de le roy , de la roigne , & de lour infans , & de eux especialment de que torts leu ne poit aver autrement common droit . and for this purpose , as well as to make laws for the good government of the people , it was ordained in king alfred's time , for a perpetual usage , that a parliament should meet twice a year at london , and oftner , if need were , as you have it , p. 10. and you have a great many particular laws , which were made in those parliaments , p. 15. amongst other things it was ordained , that all plaintiffs should have writs of remedy in the king's court : aussi bien sur le roy ou sur la roigne , come sur autre del people , d' chestun injury , forsque en vengeances d' vie & d' membre , ou pleint tient lieu sans brief . and in the last place , to avoid prolixity , this book , speaking of the abusions of the common law , that is , practices which are frauds to the law , and repugnant to right , pag. 282. hath these words : la primier & la soveraigne abusion est que le roy est oustre la ley , ou il duist * ceste subject ; sicome est contenus in son serement . 2 abusion est que ou les parlaments se duissent faire pur le salvation des almes de trespassors , & ceo a londres & deux foits per an , la ne se font ils ore forsque rarement , & a la volunt le roy pur aides & cuilets de tresore , &c. vide abusion 153 , p. 308. i hope this pure old french , of which chancellor fortescue says the modern is but a corruption , will inform our author what power a saxon king had , and what basileus , imperator & dominus signified . i come now to the next head , to examine some preambles of statutes , which he either quotes to no purpose , or else mangles them , in the same manner as scripture was once quoted to our saviour , and for the self-same end , namely , to teach men to tempt god and danger at once . his first collection of preambles , pag. 212 , 213 , consists of declarations , that the crown and realm of england is not in subjection to the pope : which make nothing at all to our author's purpose , but very much against it , if he did not stifle them with et caetera's , and long strokes ; for the truth of which i refer the reader to those statutes , and shall only set down 25 h. 8. cap. 21. for i am not at leisure either to transcribe the statute-book , or to winnow all our author's chaffe . he says , pag. 212. the parliament directing their declaration to the king , enacted and declared , that this your graces realm , recognizing no superiour under god , but only your grace , hath been , and is free from subjection , &c. now the following words are these : to any man's laws , but such as have been devised , made and ordained within this realm , for the wealth of the same , or to such other , as by sufferance of your grace , and your progenitors , the people of this your realm have taken at their free liberty , by their own consent , to be used amongst them , and have bound themselves by long use and custom to the observance of the same ; not as to the observance of the laws of any foreign prince , potentate , or prelate , but as to the custom and ancient laws of this realm , originally establish'd as laws of the same , by the said sufferance , consents , and custom , and none otherwise . it standeth therefore with natural equity and good reason , that all and every such laws humane , made within this realm , or induced into this realm , by the said sufferance , consents and custom , your royal majesty , and your lords spiritual and temporal , and commons , representing the whole state of your realm in this your most high court of parliament , have full power and authority , not only to dispence , but also to authorize some elect person or persons to dispence with those , and all other humane laws of this your realm , and with every one of them , as the quality of the persons or matter shall require ; and also the said laws , and every of them , to abrogate , adnull , amplify , or diminish . now our author , it is possible , may find out of these words an unalterable humane law of succession , or that the king has the whole legislative power , or that there are imperial laws ordained within this realm , which are not for the wealth of the same , but may destroy the political laws at every turn : and so may any body else make the same discoveries , who is resolved before-hand to do it . his other collection is , p. 218 , 219. not one of which concerns the present question , no , not that wherein he triumphs , and slavishly braggs , that the very doctrine of the bow-string is declared by act of parliament . 't were better the doctrine of the bowstring were about his neck , tho his name were legion . i see that if the whole nation were enslaved , we have some of the brood of cham amongst us , who would rejoice at it , and make themselves as merry with it , as nero was at the flames of rome , and would dance after his harp. but such impotent malice , and poor-spirited insolence , is below an english-man's indignation , and therefore i shall calmly desire our author to look over again that declaration , 13 car. 2. cap. 6. and to tell me , in which clause , word , or syllable of it he finds the doctrine of the bow-string declared . for my part , i have read it very often over , and cannot see any more in it than this , that it is unlawful for both , or either of the houses of parliament , to raise or levy any war offensive or defensive against the king ; which was always treason for any subjects to do . but was ever a legal defence against unauthorized illegal violence of subjects , called by the name of levying war against the king ? shew me that in any authentick book of common-law , in any statute , or in any resolution of all the judges in england , and i will be as passive as any man. before i go any further , i must not forget a passage which does more nearly concern me , p. 221 , 222. wherein i am taxed for going contrary to my declaration and acknowledgment , ordered by the act of uniformity : wherein i have abhorred that traitorous position , of taking arms by the king's authority against his person , or those that are commissionated by him . upon which he adds : it was apparently the design of the three estates in this act , to secure the nation of such ministers , as would preach up the doctrine of non-resistance without distinction . but if it were , they are very much disappointed ; for our author himself , who is as good at indistinction and confusion in other matters as any man , does not preach the doctrine of non-resistance without distinction , but handles it with the subtilty of a schoolman . for he grants , p. 280 , that one who is sent by the king's order to assassinate or destroy his subjects , is not commissionated by the king , for he may be resisted by the king's law , which is his most authoritative command : but great numbers or forces so employed , may not be resisted . so that his doctrine is this : that if twenty men come , one by one , with the king's order to do an illegal and destructive act , they are not commissionated , and may be resisted ; but if the same number come together , rank and file , with the same order , and upon the same errand , then they are commissionated , and may not be resisted . is this preaching up the doctrine of non-resistance without distinction ? or rather , is it not making a silly distinction without a difference ? again , in the same place he has distinction upon distinction , in these words : the doctrine of passive obedience allows a man to resist , or use the sword to defend his life , when the laws [ from which i except all laws destructive of the king's crown and regality ] authorize him so to do . this is preaching up , and preaching down the same doctrine in the same breath , upon a wicked supposition , that the laws of the land , which protect the subject , are destructive of the king's crown and regality . now on the other hand , all faithful ministers of the church of england preach obedience to the laws , and non-resistance of those who are commissionated by the king , without distinction , and without deceiving the people to their destruction , and telling them those are commissionated by the king , whom the law declares are not commissionated , nor can be commissionated , as no man can be to destroy lawful subjects . such illegal commissions are declared by magna charta to be null and void , and so we ought to account them , as you may see by the following words : and for this our gift and grant of these liberties , and of others , contained in our charter of liberties of our forrest , the archbishops , bishops , abbots , priors , earls , barons , knights , freeholders , and other our subjects , have given unto us the fifteenth part of all their moveables : and we have granted to them on the other part , that neither we , nor our heirs , shall procure or do any thing , whereby the liberties in this charter contained , shall be infringed or broken . and if any thing be procured by any person , contrary to the premises , it shall be had of no force or effect . so that what st. paul says of an idol , may be fitly applied to a commission contrary to law : for we know that an illegal commission is nothing in the world. and accordingly we find in acts of grace , that men who act upon such commissions , do stand in as much need of pardon as other men , and had the benefit of the act of oblivion in the first place , as you may see by the particulars which are there pardoned . first , all and all manner of treasons , misprisions of treason , murthers , felonies , offences , crimes , contempts , and misdemeanours , counselled , commanded , acted , or done , since the first of january , in the year of our lord 1637 , by any person , or persons , before the 24 th of june , 1660 , ( other than the persons hereafter by name excepted , in such manner as they are hereafter excepted ) by virtue or colour of any command , power , authority , commission , or warrant , or instructions from his late majesty king charles , or his majesty that now is , or from any other person or persons , deriving , or pretending to derive authority , mediately or immediately , of or from both houses , or either house of parliament , or of or from any convention or assembly , called or reputed , or taking on the name of a parliament , &c. be pardoned , released , indempnified , discharged , and put in utter oblivion . his fourth and last principle , upon which he builds his false passive obedience , is a false pretence of the sovereign's honour ; concerning which he says , p. 279. the laws are more tender of our sovereign's honour , as he is god's minister , than of his subjects lives . as if the king's honour , and his good subjects lives , could ever stand in such a dangerous competition , that one of them must of necessity destroy the other ; and as if the laws of england had provided , that the lives of the people of england should be sacrificed to the king's honour . has our author been abroad to fetch home pour ma gloire , and to render it into this english ? he might have had sounder and safer notions at home , out of judg jenkins , whom he often quotes to no purpose . pag. 134. we have these words : the gentleman says , we do not swear , ( meaning in the oath of supremacy ) that the king is above all law , nor above the safety of his people . neither do we so swear ( says judg jenkins ) but his majesty and we will swear to the contrary , and have sworn , and have made good , and will by god's grace make good our oath to the world , that the king is not above the law , nor above the safety of his people : the law , and the safety of the people , are his safety , his honour , and his strength . and accordingly it has been always declared in parliament , to be the honour and glory of the kings of england , that they were kings of freemen , and not of slaves ; whereby they have been enabled to do greater things , and to make a larger figure in the world , than princes of five times their territories . but this author has pick'd up quite contrary notions , and thinks it a dishonour to the king , if the generous people which he governs , be not slaves to every parcel of criminals , who , against the king's crown and dignity , shall wickedly destroy them in his name . i have now done with every thing that looks like an argument in this discourse of passive obedience ; for as for the following chapter , there is nothing new in it ; he only chews the cud upon his notions of sovereignty , and rings changes upon his imperial and political laws . and then in the 12 th chapter , after he has bound us hand and foot , and prepared us for the popish knife , he has the face to tell us , that notwithstanding this doctrine of non-resistance , or passive obedience , we shall be secure enough of our lives , properties , and religion under a popish successor . for after he has given us the security of god's care and providence , which we always forfeit , unless we take care of our selves ; and the security of a popish prince's conscience , against which we desire counter-security ; and the security of a popish prince's honour , which is to be sainted for extirpating the pestilent northern heresy , and for driving all protestants and their religion out of the world ; and the security of the political laws , which he has proved to be bankrupt , and not half so good security as a broom-staff . in the last place , to our unspeakable comfort , he tells us that the imperial laws cannot be put in execution : for in such a violent vndertaking , all good men would withdraw from the service of the king , and the bad durst not serve him . so that according to our author , a popish prince will be left to do his work all alone ; for no popish cut-throats , no irish ruffians , no forces can be had , for love or money . now people may take this security which our author offers them , if they please ; they may have their throats cut with a feather , if they have a mind to it : but for my part , i must acknowledg my own infirmity , i cannot swallow such gross shams , i cannot believe incredible things , upon any man's authority whatsoever , not tho he deliver them with all the seeming gravity and seriousness , as if he were saving a soul. to our author's conclusion in praise of a martyrdom , i have only this to say , that there is a time for all things ; and god be thanked , that that discourse is very impertinent . as it would have concern'd us , so it would have edified us more , if magna charta , and all the laws which establish the protestant religion , had been repealed ; but for all that , i hope they will stand , when he , and his invention of imperial laws are forgotten . the discourse is a good discourse , but methinks it would have look'd more in earnest , if it had been dated , as the last page of it was , e carcere : for , considering all circumstances , i am no otherwise affected with it , than i was with the precious passive doctrine , and the good protestant religion of our good church , in coleman's declaration for dissolving the parliament . if by the providence of god , in some such calamity as a casual fire , i fall into poverty , and a fellow-sufferer with me bids me possess my soul in patience , and comforts me with considerations proper for such a condition , telling me , that our blessed saviour himself had not where to lay his head ; and that the apostles , of whom the world was not worthy , nevertheless had no certain dwelling-place in it , and yet were contented in that low condition ; i shall look upon him as an angel from heaven . but if a company of us be travelling near shooters-hill , with all that we have in the world , and the whole subsistence of our selves and families , about us ; and a gentleman well mounted and accoutred , shall come and preach up to us the advantages of poverty at a strange rate , telling us likewise , that by our saviour's precept , and the apostles example , we ought not to carry money in our scrips ; and that in case we be set upon , to be rifled of all we have , we are by no means to defend our selves , but , like the primitive christians , whom the apostle commends , to take joyfully the spoiling of our goods : i believe this kind of discourse would look very suspiciously to all of us , and ( god forgive me for it if i wronged him ) i should hardly take him for a true-man , but for the confederate of some mischievous gang hard by , who , as a famous captain of them heretofore used to say , would ease us of our vnchristian incumbrance , and send us lighter to heaven . and i should think not one jot the better of him , but much the worse , for his abounding with scripture , and applying it in that manner . having in the beginning of this discourse made mention of our author's cavils , which he has raised against matter of fact , i shall here give the reader a taste of them . our author may call them my whole store , as he speaks , p. 109. with which passage i shall begin ; and in answer to a heap of falsifications , i shall tell him the very words of juventinus and maximus , to which i referr'd , and which they spoke publickly , and for which they were accused , and which theodoret calls admirable expressions : for thou hast delivered us , said they , to an unrighteous emperor , such an apostate as is not again upon the face of the earth , cap. 14. but three or four lines before what he himself quotes out of the same chapter , to sham us ; which too much discovers the man. as for the souldiers , who were trepann'd into sacrificing , of whom i said , that they did not spare julian in the least , of whom our author discourses , p. 111 , &c. theodoret says this concerning them , they went to court with their outcries , exclaiming against the juggles and fallacies of the tyrant , insomuch , as the historian adds , that they made julian mad . but because these souldiers did not form themselves into a posture of defence against such a lawless tyrant as julian , our author threatens , p. 114. that they , together with juventinus and maximus , shall be the thundring legion for the time to come ; and the musty thebaean legion , as he calls it , shall be laid aside , and give place to this . now suppose these souldiers had been a legion compleat , into what posture of resistance could they have formed themselves , to have beaten eleven legions ? for a roman army consisted of twelve . but this terrible legion wherewith we are menaced , which , because it did not confound julian , must ruine us , consists of a dozen or fourteen men at the most , ( for they all rose up from one table ) and together with juventinus and maximus , are sixteen men effective ; so that we have just 6650 faggots . for fallacies , and for false musters , i never yet knew our author's match . it would be tedious to shew , how he shuffles with the stories of maris bishop of chalcedon , the nobleman of berea , and publia , which cannot be parallel'd in any other age , ( for julian's reign , tho very short , and yet much too long , did happen in a certain age of the world ) . the first of these made a hard shift to go to court , on purpose to tell julian his own very publickly , whither , i am well assured , some other men would have gone crouching with their baise mains . the other , besides disinheriting his son for turning to the emperor's religion , told the emperor to his face , that his son was a villain , and hated of god for it , and had embraced a lie instead of the true religion . so that julian might well complain to his dearest brother libanius , of his ill usage at beraea , which cut him to the heart , as you may see in his letter to libanius ; where he says , that he had some talk with the senate about religion , but to no purpose , for they behaved themselves impudently towards him ; and wonders , by the gods , that some men should be ashamed of vertue , and others again should pride themselves in sacrilege and sottishness . and then as for publia's counting julian fit to be despised and derided , and picking out proper psalms for him , and watching for opportunities of bestowing her blessings upon him , it cannot be match'd by all antiquity . for i do not wonder , that in the midst of agonies , or upon the sight of a martyr's being put to death , the zeal of some former christians did break forth into such like expressions : but all these that i speak of , were in cold blood ; and julian was so far from provoking them , that they were fain to whet their own zeal themselves . according to our author , p. 127. the psalms of the antiochians , at which julian was so enraged as he never was in his life , and could not contain himself , did only wish julian what they themselves counted the greatest happiness in the world , namely his conversion to christianity , and that to be wrought by no harsher penance than a deboist , which every fresh-man at cambridg has often undergone , upon much smaller accounts , and which , the learned say , comes from our author's hebrew word , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . but i must crave leave to inform our author , that the word confounded , ( and so the word ashamed ) in david , signifies much more than being put to the blush ; for it implies some very great evil , some astonishing calamity , and terrible rebuke . and therefore these words are frequently put together , let them be confounded and perish . psal . 71.11 . confusion is opposed to deliverance and safety ; and , psal . 53.6 . which is the mildest acceptation of the word , thou hast put them to confusion , is as much as , thou hast broken their bones . but it may be our author , when he says the last verse of te deum , which is taken from the first verse of the 25 or 71 psalm , o lord , in thee have i trusted , let me never be confounded ; prays only that he may never blush : which i am apt to think , or else we had had none of this stuff . again , p. 139. the joint and publick prayers , the common-prayer of a whole city , in their cathedral church , for julian's destruction , must not be called their prayers . that 's hard ! when old gregory himself , being a bishop , might write we , and yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and words of multitude must not be called they. further , if the practice of the purest church in that age , a church that was called the new jerusalem , and noah ' s ark in those days , and which nazianzen says , was like bethlehem , the metropolis of all the world , must not pass for the practice of the church ; then there is no such thing in antiquity as the practice of the church , and it is in vain to talk of it . in the same page , our author put me in great hopes , that he would shew me a prayer for julian's conversion , by saying that he could produce one example , and by upbraiding my wilful blindness in missing such a barn-door , when i was so near it ; but i was grievously disappointed , when i found that this example was sozomen's account of dydimus his prayer and fasting : for there is not one word or syllable in sozomen , of julian's conversion or repentance ; neither do i know by what authority he forges and foists words into authors at his pleasure . but on the other hand , the miraculous answer of dydimus's prayer is a strong proof that he prayed for julian's destruction : for it was at that time , in a very wonderful manner revealed to him , that julian was that day killed , and he was bid to tell the news to athanasius the bishop , who , i suppose , was another that contributed to julian's destruction , as well as the two gregories , and the church of nazianzum ; and as the historian adds , immediatly upon this he fell to eating , as if his fasting had now attained its end. and further , the whole design of that chapter in sozomen is to shew , that julian's death and destruction was from god , because he laid waste his churches . upon which account the prophets and apostles entred into a consultation against him , as you have it in the first vision of that chapter ; and two of their number going out in all haste , as it should seem , to dispatch him , returned the next night to the assembly , with an account of his death . and i had not room in a little book for all those stories , or else the reader should have had them . as for valentinian , our author says , p. 116. that if he had shaked the holy water off his cloaths , it had been all one , and he had thereby owned his religion , as well as by striking the priest. now valentinian the confessor not only shook the holy-water off but tore off that part of his cloaths upon which the holy-water fell , and said he was polluted by it : and yet that did not serve his turn , but he struck the priest too before julian's face , which julian resented as a high contempt , and punished him thereafter . and it lies upon our author to prove , that ever valentinian excused himself , and begg'd the emperor's pardon . the next thing , in the same page , is the instance which i gave of old gregory's behaviour , against which our author raises such a multitude of little exceptions , as will not all of them amount to one real objection . however , in answer to them i say , that he , the person in controversy , is julian : for besides that elias cretensis renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , impius ille , and there is no construction in words , if it be understood of any other person , as every school-boy knows ; there is likewise a transubstantiation-solaecism in our author's way of rendring it : for then the captain ( being included in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ) must lead himself , and march at the head of himself ; which , tho it goes down in the mass for mystery , will never pass in an author for sence . again , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is falsely rendred , with the emperor's orders , for it signifies , with peremptory commands , jussis , or in an imperious way he demanded the church . but above all , his rendring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to be ill , shews the depth of his grecianship ; for according to his own quotation of phavorinus , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is to suffer a beating , or to be beaten passively . so that if our author will have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify to be beaten on the feet , or drubb'd , instead of kickt , i shall not contend ; provided he will first agree the matter with billius , who renders it calcibus caesus , and with the only elias cretensis we have , who renders it pedibus contusus , to whose authority i purposely and expresly referred my self , knowing i had to do with captious persons ; and provided he will let the english word , kick'd , serve to express a contemptuous beating , because in this country , the way of setting a man upon his head , and beating the soles of his feet , is not so well understood . and as upon these conditions i will not fall out with him upon this one criticism , so he has reason to take this concession kindly ; for i do assure him , that i will not make him such another again , nor bate him one syllable in my whole book besides . lastly , as for the vncanonicalness and eccentricity , as our author calls it , of gregory's intentions in this passage , let both the gregories , and the church of nazianzum , who thought it a great part of the old man's praises , look to 't ; i am no ways concern'd . in the same chapter , p. 122. he finds a plot against the chaplains , and the government , in rendring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , chaplain . it is always rendred aedituus in latine , which gouldman says , is the prelate of the temple or church , the parson : now as from aedes comes aedituus , so from chappel comes chaplain ; and that was the very reason of my chusing that word ; which i did the rather , because julian's temple of fortune was but a chappel , and stood within the palace . there is likewise in the same chapter , p. 124. somewhat that is like the letter from legorn , from on board the van-herring ; but that being a mysterious sort of writing , is out of my way , and therefore i shall say nothing at all to it . our author 's frequent inconsistencies and contradictions would fill a book . the roman empire , he says , was elective , and yet , p. 9. in the fundamental constitution of it , it was decreed by the senate to julius caesar , and the sons of his body . p. 222. he calls this an atheistical principle , that all power is radically in the people ; and yet it seems it was otherwise at sparta ; for , p. 240 , he tells us , the kings of sparta had only the exercise of the sovereign power , but not the sovereign power it self ; that was radically and originally in the people : and so in the same page , the magistrates in switzerland derive their power from the people . now i thought , that what was really atheism in one country , would never prove to be good divinity in another , but must be atheism every where . but because our author is pleased to call this an atheistical as well as an illegal principle in england ; i shall here set down the words of mr. hooker , as great a man , perhaps , as ever england bred ; whose book has been deservedly recommended by several kings , and admired by all men , and who does not use to be charged with broaching atheistical and illegal principles . eccles . pol. lib. 1. cap. 10. all publick regiment , of what kind soever , seemeth evidently to have risen from deliberate advice , consultation , and composition between men. and after a large discourse to that purpose , he has these words : that which we spake before concerning the power of government , must here be applied to the power of making laws whereby to govern ; which power god hath over all ; and by the natural law whereunto he hath made all subject , the lawful power of making laws to command whole politick societies of men , belongeth so properly unto the same entire societies , that for any prince or potentate , of what kind soever , upon earth , to exercise the same of himself , and not either by express commission , immediately and personally received from god , or else by authority derived at first from their consent , upon whose persons they impose laws , it is no better than meer tyranny . it is wonderful to see what a dust he raises about the pursuivant , p. 276 , 277 , &c. which yet may be all layed by one word , and by only saying , that brownlow's reports were writ for those that understood the word homicide , which amongst other things is chance-medley , or se defendendo , as well as man-slaughter . and in this very case , simpson's case , which you have over again in coke's 4 th part inst . of eccles . courts , p. 333. with more exactness of circumstances ; my lord chief-justice coke says expresly , it was se defendendo in simpson . and yet how many reflections does our author load me with , upon occasion of that ignorant mistake , just as he has done in many other places of his book ! but it would be hard indeed , if one man's honesty and integrity were to be all forfeited by another man's ignorance . there is , i confess , in that large abusive discourse , one material question , which he puts to me in these words : will he make the law the compleat and adequate rule to walk by ? which i should answer my self , but i will get bishop hall to do it better for me , in these words : what then if the thief , after his robbery done , ceasing any further danger of violence , shall betake himself to his heels , and run away with my money ? in such a case , if the sum be so considerable , as that it much imports my estate , however our municipal laws may censure it , ( with which , of old , even a killing se defendendo was no less than felony of death ) my conscience should not strike me , if i pursue him with all my might , and in hot chase so strike him , as that by this means i disable him from a further escape , for the recovery of my own ; and if hereupon his death shall follow , however i should pass with men , god and my own heart would acquit me . sir , you see the bishop is so far of your mind , that he does not think the law a compleat and adequate rule to walk by ; for he would have exceeded and transgress'd the law , in defence of his own right ; nay , he would not have thought himself hindred by his clerical character , but with his own episcopal hand , whether the law had given him leave or no , would have slain a thief , running away with his purse . and yet simpson must make a narrow escape , by repentance and his neck-verse , from hell and the gallows , for strugling to rescue himself from a man-catcher , who was running away with his person . our author's law , and casuistical divinity are so well match'd , that it is pity they should ever be parted ; of both which i shall take my leave at present , because i intended a little book , and not a folio . finis . errata . pag. 17. l. 4. apastacy , r. apostacy . p. 20. l. 23. cruely , r. cruelty . p. 29. l. 7. admontions , r. admonitions . p. 41. l. 26. delibrate , r. deliberate . p. 71· l. 1. religions , r. religious . p. 118. l. 1. constantine's , r. constantius's . p. 205. l. 7. after psal . 71.11 . insert 83.17 . & psal . 71.1 . p. 199. l. 6. dele a. p. 208. l. 8. such a multitude of , r. a multitude of such . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a46955-e260 〈◊〉 of law , book 2. chap. 1. p. 85. ephemeris parl. p. 146. vide concil . lat. sub innocent 3. cap. 3. manebat antequàm vinum inveniretur , omnibus inconcussa libertas ; nemo sciebat a consorte naturae suae obsequia servitutis exigere . non esset hodie servitus , si ebrietas non fuisset . gratian. dist . 35. sect . 14. this was written upon occasion of delivering up charters . notes for div a46955-e1280 amm. marcel . l. 22. saepeque dictitabat , audite me , quem alemanni et franci audierunt . amm. l. 22. p. 244. sozom. lib. 5. cap. 4. julian epist . 52. august . ep. 48 , & 166. julian ep. 10. sozom. lib. 5. cap. 8. invect . 1. pag. 91. one of constantius's edicts . poena capitis subjugari praecipimus eos , quos operam sacrificiis dare vel colere simulachra constiterit . invect . 1. p. 75. greg. naz. orat. 10. p. 167. jul. ep. 51. ibid. hom. cont. avarit . biblioth . pat. paris , tom. 2. p. 585. orat. 10. p. 167. sozom. lib. 5. c. 10. invect . 1. pag. 53 , 54. invect . 2. pag. 120. sozom. lib. 5. cap. 2. inv. 2. p. 120. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . sozom. lib. 5. c. 3. ibid. sozom. lib. 5. c. 4. invect . 1. p. 91. sozom. lib. 5. c. 5. third part sermon of good works . tom. 1. p. 38. sozom. lib. 5. cap. 14. jul. ep. 52. invect . 1. p. 81 , 82. hieronym . chronic. anno 366. chrysost . orat. adversus judaeos 3 iâ . chrysost . hom. 40. de ss . juv. & max. socrat. lib. 3. c. 13. bp jewel serm. p. 165 invect . 2. p. 111. julian ep. 43. ecebolio . socrat. lib. 3. cap. 13. socrat. lib. 3. cap. 14. invect . 1. p. 93 , 94. orat. 10. in caesar . p. 167. inv. 1. p. 83 , 84. sozom. lib. 5. cap. 16. august . in psal . 124. theod. l. 3. c. 14. ibid. invect . 1. pag. 84 , 85. theod. l. 3. c. 15 , 16. ibid. orat. 10. in caesar . p. 167 inv. 1. p. 88. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . hom. de juvent . & max. amm. marcel . p. 240. alexandrinis urgentibus atrocium crimin . mole . theod. lib. 3. cap. 17. hom. 40. de ss . juvent . & max. p. 549. greg. in. 1. p. 91 , 92. soz. l. 5. c. 8. ibid. orat. adversus judaeos tertia . notes for div a46955-e6560 jul. misop . p. 89. lib. 3. cap. 3. epist . dedic . pag. 94. at nunc pugnamus contra constantium antichristum . pag. 95. scelestissime mortalium , &c. vestem ovis tuae lupe rapax cernimus ibid. pag. 96. sed diabolici ingenii tui , &c. intellige te divinae religionis hostem , ibid. pag 94. nihil in tempora maledictum nihil famosam in antichristi synagogam scripsi aut locutus sum . jerom. cat. eccles writers . biblioth . ver . patr . tom. 4. colon. superatum te , imperator a dei servis , &c. p. 164. e. des unum , quaeso , qui pepercerit , &c p. 170. d. cognoscis quid pati jussas sis , p. 164. h. praeceptum te interfici , &c p. 165. b. non conspicis quo possis perire modo ? ibid. — videamus etiam quid tempore quo contyrannus tuus antiochus &c sicut & nos tibi deo propitio resistamus . si fuisses inter manus mattathiae istius zelantis deum , &c. sine dubio te gladio interficerent , illi te gladio fuerant interfecturi . ibid. pag. 186. ibid. pag. 186. f. pag. 186. h. sed spiritus s. tecum . pag. 178. d addo illud , quod illorum principum & magistratuum apostolus fecerit mentionem , &c. ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 4. cap. 5. pag. 25. jul. ep. 43. ecebolii ep. 7. artabio . dem. antich . dedicated to king james , cap. 7. p. 91 , 92 , 93. greg. orat. 10. p. 166. * this he sufficiently acknowledges , p. 47. where he blames me for consulting bra●on , &c. bp jewel 's serm. p. 190. pag. 74 compared with pag. 72. pag. 77. pag. 75. pag. 285. pag. 310. pag. 316. pag. 302. defence of apol. p. 16. chap. 14. and of this intent should such a nation be utterly defrauded , then their king might spoile them of their goods , which before was lawful for no man to do . bilson , p. 520. edit . 1685. stow. p. 640. 5 eliz. c. 27. stow. p. 650. cap. 13. the true difference , &c. p. 517 , 518. coloss . 3.22 . titus 2.9 . pag. 52. pag. 53. pag. 60. pag. 55. pag. 61. pag. 62. pag. 65. notes for div a46955-e12260 constantianam praetendenti necessitudinem . ammian . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . themist . orat. 9. p. 206. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. ibid. p. 194. see the genealogy in jovian , p. 41. invect . 1. p. 91. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . sozom. l. 5. c. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . socrat. lib. 3. cap. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . lib. 3. c. 22. socrat. lib. 3. cap. 22. theod. lib. 4. cap. 1. chronic. an. 365. blanda persecutio illiciens magis quàm impellens ad sacrificandum . invect . 1. p. 75. ibid. p. 80. chrysost . adversus judaeos . orat. 3. julian ep. ad bostrens . in. 2. p. 123. in psal . 124. christ . subject . oxon. 1585. p. 515 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as the law of the same empire says . vit. const . lib. 1. lib. 1. cap 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . pan. 8. successorem legitimum , neque enim erat dubium , quin ei competeret haereditas quem primum imperatori filium fata dedissent . epist . 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 themist . p. 277. lib. 22. ad init . themist . pag. 274. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . primo mar. parl. 2. c. 2. — apud ambros . ep. 11. concio in obit . theod. lib. 1. cap. 4. dedicat. histor . de rectâ fide ad theod. pan. 8. utque omnes , nullo impediente , ad suum favorem alliceret , inhaerere cultui christiano fingebat , &c. lib. 21. but how if the house of lords did not think the bill of exclusion unlawful ? sir sim. d'ewes journ . p. 165 christ . subject . p. 536. journal , p. 164. quere , whether dei gratiâ , written with the very same letters and syllables in the stile of the king of poland , and of the duke of venice , does also prove an hereditary , and , which is much more , an unalterable succession , in those two countries ? * bp. bilson , pag. 420. extreme folly and frenzy be just causes to remove princes from bearing the sword. margin . and in the text thus : as if the right heir to any crown be a natural fool ; or he that is invested in the crown , wax mad , and run besides himself : in either of these two cases , any realm , by publick consent and advice , may chuse another . sir simon d'ewes , p. 216. genealogy of the kings of scotland , in sir tho. murrat's collect. of statutes , printed at edinburgh , 1681. p ▪ 230. appendix to king alfred's life , dedicated to the king. sanderson's life of king charles , p. 230 , 231 , &c. concerning the descent of the earl of strathern . rerum scoticar . lib. 9. fol. 96 , 97. nec hâc munisicentiâ contentus , comitiis ad sconam indictis obtinuit , ut praeteritis eufemiae liberis , in rege creando gradus aetatis observarentur . holinshed's hist . of scotland , p. 245. sanderson's life of k. charles , p. 66. misopog . p. 89. pag. 90 , 91. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 schol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . lib. 1. cap. 8. leges edovardi regis , quas confirmavit gulielmus bastardus . de regis officio , cap. 17. p. 201 , 202. answ . to 19 prop. p. 96. ibid. p. 97. k. charles's message from nottingham , aug. 25. works , pag. 41. de laudibus leg. cap. 9. * comitiva . regnorum amborum , fol. 30 a. reges ambo , fol. 28. a. horum duorum regum , fol. 35. a. cap. 33. fol. 78. a. cap. 37. f. 88. a. cap. 35. f 83. a. cap. 36. f. 86. a. quod lex attribuit ei , videlicet dominationem & potestatem . lib 1. cap. 8. works , p. 131. declarat . to the ministers and freeholders of the county of york . pag. 110. pag. 111. k. edward's laws , cap. 17. de officio regis , confirmed by the conqueror , and sworn to by all succeeding kings . testam alfredi . et m●cum tota nobilitas west-saxonicae gentis pro re to jure consentiunt quod me oportet dimittere eos ita liberos sicut in homine cogitatio ipsius consisti● . * vid. leg. estre . chap. 37. toties emptae & redemptae libertates . 12 car. 2. cap. 11. judg jenkins works , p. 134. julian . ep. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orat. 19. p. 297. sozom. lib. 6. cap. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . resolutions of practical cases of conscience , dec. 2. case 1. dalton , p. 244. see the same case , p. 100 , 101. the church militant historically continued from the yeare of our saviours incarnation 33. untill this present, 1640. by william vaughan, knight. vaughan, william, 1577-1641. 1640 approx. 408 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 195 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a14290 stc 24606 estc s119035 99854242 99854242 19651 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a14290) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 19651) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1475-1640 ; 943:5) the church militant historically continued from the yeare of our saviours incarnation 33. untill this present, 1640. by william vaughan, knight. vaughan, william, 1577-1641. [24], 345 [i.e. 355], [3] p. printed by tho. paine for humfrey blunden, at the castle in corn-hill, london : 1640. in verse. the first leaf is blank. p. 355 misnumbered 345. "at least 1 [harvard] copy has errata on aa4r"--stc. reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church history -poetry -early works to 1800. 2004-06 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-11 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-01 jonathan blaney sampled and proofread 2005-01 jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the chvrch militant , historically continued from the yeare of our saviovrs incarnation 33. untill this present , 1640. by william vaughan , knight . london : printed by tho. paine for humfrey blunden , at the castle in corn-hill . 1640. to the right honovrable richard , earle of carbery . the argument . the authour here my noble lord acquaints what paths they tread who lead the lives of saints , what comforts he shall finde , what good successe , while he walks in the new-mans diocesse . i sound not forth old souldours turn'd to swine by harlots charmes , by fulsome cheere or wine ; but the new-borne ( a theame to worldlings strange ) ● sing the minds more then the bodies change ; i sing the churches change , eclipse , decrease , her east , and west , with her full moones encrease . such newes i blaze , which no good protestant shall justly taxe for sparkes exorbitant , like to those brats expos'd to brambles flame by midwives doome to hide the parents shame , or those , for which of late our pauls church-yard and smith-field in the spoiles with vulcan shar'd . truth smites the chast : while wantons long to heare false tales , at which they nod , or fondly ieere , fooling away the time , their pretious time , lent them for better use in prose or rime , to win some strayes by meanes of vertuous books , not soules to tempt with fornications hookes . there , with much gall gulls one another flout : hoere for mistakes , the lie , or toyes they pout , forgetting satans ambush for good wits , tongues trip , pens blur , none free from passions fits , and yet for words and names , externall things , they persecute their christian mates with stings , ●ill tir'd at last with conscience-griping cares , both parties howle within the divels snares . others by lines and cubes aspire to know the higher orbes , or in the globe below they levell spires , the climates , or the lawes , ●nto whose depth they pry no more then dawes ; and yet to gaine applause , or golden fees , they hope for swans to chop their gaggling geese . some court faire dames with fancies madrigalls , chaulking the way to paphian lupercalls , which they frequent with uncontrouled lust till honour , wealth , and health lye in the dust. sometimes pelagian-wise they ruminate on mans free-will , and the predestinate , till they from grace quite excommunicate doe pitch on hell , and on the reprobate . now , of long-handed kings the mounted state , anon , their slips or fall they personate with satyres sting , untill themselves are stung ; or else they sooth great men with glozing tongue , untill they feele worse racks with conscience sear'd , then poets faign'd for stroaking of joves beard . some other whiles they dare more curious peepe into the concaves of th' infernall deepe , of limboes vault , or purgatories paine redeem'd for gold the long-white robe to staine . with such bald stuffe most writers doe oppresse , in hope to purchase fame , the printers presse . which shewes , that soules , like seas tost with unrest , wave , till they set into gods port of rest ; or else that they , like swine , fall to worse seas then gaderens for their prodigious pleas , remonstrances , and problems , which they pend , of rampant zeale the churches peace to rend ▪ so busie is mans braine : it alwayes workes and seekes to know what from the sences lurkes , abstruse and hid , like planets moving still ; but in default of objects good or ill , because it findes no businesse from without , turnes monke within , an ideot , or a lout ; or on it selfe with atomes and chymeres playes whirligig , untill it ends in feares , distractions , lies , and schismes , just penalties due for the search of knotty novelties . for want of grace , and of celestiall armes , sighes , teares , & vowes , thus by the serpents charmes are men seduc'd old adams tree to tast , and with vaine fruit to break their needlesse fast. because gods word , whereby they might be sav'd , they slighted , 't is no marvell though they rav'd . but our new man wean'd from the carnall teat by truths calme breath , the flaming paraclete , with drier braine holds a cleere intellect , so solid , that he others can direct a safer course of knowledge to affect then what the wind-mill grinds of satans sect. though natures sting in our originall hath made us prone into the snare to fall : yet we new-borne fight with the spirits sword , and triumph by the second adams word over the dragons false enchanting arts , with constant faith repelling all his darts , those sober cates contenting our repast , which lawfull are for tender soules to tast . we would seeme inward more then outward wise , yet both addresse with saints to sympathize . for carnall samians transubstantiate change , ( the old mans quirk ) the new man we exchange . instead of lethes lake , or phlegeton , ●e tophets paine sing due to babylon . for limbus patrum , or th' elizian camp. gods paradise for saints renewes our lamp. a dolphin bore arion from the seas ; ●mphions harp , they say , did thebes appease : but jesus christ the third day to have rose from josephs tombe , we really disclose , or by a whale we jonas bring to land , who niniveh converted out of hand . for cerberus , we blaze proud satans losse ; for hercules his club , our saviours crosse. for triviall tales , and sence-alluring toyes , we read on bookes soule-ravishing to joyes . for thalmuds we the scriptures native sence ; and for nice schoole-mens glosse , in our defence , we can produce by truths prerogative the chiefest starres of the church primitive , or those , who in the last and present age with volumes rare repair'd our new mans stage . to banish humane lies , and brain-sick dreames , what tree more full ? what field yeelds riper theames then christ his life , and the new testament ? or in her swathes the churches fragrant scent ? this lady here my new man warbles forth , though fully not according to her worth , yet so , my lord , that you may cleerely see : though she was long obscur'd , she now raignes free , cloath'd with the sunne , crown'd with a dozen starres , and no eclipse you from her influence barres . but out alasse ! how many boast of faith ? who never markt what christian scripture saith : for what is faith without good works , or fruit , but a dead stock ? not worth a moores pursuit ? unlesse he dreames of mechaes fond delights ? or millenairs to snare voluptuous wights ? or of vaine works of supererogation , soules to bewitch with babels fornication ? our saint is not with such conceits defil'd , nor turnes with such extravagances wild , for he well knowes , that as good trees will bud , and beare good fruit , so saints doe alwayes good , and never scorne to greet the simplest man ; to call home strayes they labour what they c●● . such is our saint the naked he actires , and helps to warme their soules with zealous fires . according to his power great or small , he saves distressed saints from tyrants thr●● . he sues for peaoe , and grieves to see debate . and daily prayes lawes rigour to abate . if he be forc't to law in his defence . he doth it without spl●●n , or saints offence . and if his clapper hap to clatter wild , before sun-set he growes more calme and mild ; or if that filmy piece in others blabbs his shame , he counts it like the noise of drabbs . he sets not out his lipps to farme , nor slander , nor lets his tongue before his wits to wander . he holds his word as pretious as his seale , and scornes false cards unto the least to deale . he dares not plot revenge , nor scoffe , nor raile , but beares with knaves and fooles for saints availe . he covets no mans goods , but if at play he winnes , he gives it to the poore away . he spends his vacant howres in thrifty course , lest idlenesse corrupt him worse and worse . he prizeth coine but excrementall drosse , and toiles for others good , though with his losse . he doth his best to curbe promooting scribes , lest god require of him their winkt-at bribes . at night he scores the deedes he did that day , and the next morning scowres their rust away . the sabbath , like the puritan , he waighes , and , like the papist , keepes the fasting dayes : the former mindes him of the spirits mart , the latter helpes to stint the sensuall part. he daily strives so to compose his minde , that seldome him doe idoll-passions blinde , nor cause him long to doat on pleasures shape , be it a horse , or hawke , a dog , or ape , he kindly speakes , meanes well , doth good to all , but most to saints , and helpes up them that fall . god root these works in me , lest whilst his way i others teach , my selfe a cast-a-way become , like him , anothers floore that sweepes , and yet his owne new house most nasty keepes . the heart still moves : it loves and spreads with joy or wrung with gall and griefe it feeles annoy . the former flow , because gods flames inspire it , the latter chance in absence of his spirit . of these affects our inward man partakes , amidst his joyes sometimes his spirit akes : yet his griefes smart spring not for worldly cause , but for mens breach of the creators lawes , for the encrease of idols , avarice , of drunken healths , or the like heath'nish vice , for concords breach , for christian blouds effusion , for losse of time , our talents vaine profusion ; or else because he sees the church of christ opprest by fiends , and saints by antichrist . sometimes he feeles strange qualmes , neer destitute of zeale-bred heat , till entring to dispute with his proud foe , he like one cheer'd with wine , threats him with thumps , to make his pride decline : he calls him monster , belly god , and slave , and vowes his fare to shorten , if be ra●e : with davids sling he knocks gollahs down● , for standing out against his masters crowne . though he enjoyes an outward faire estate , and seemes to some to be most fortunate ; ●et in his mind he waighes the cause , th' event , mens frailty , and his owne coincident , whereat he lion-like for braver prey his courage lifts at full , not giving way to poore conceits , but to the noblest end ▪ his cares , his thoughts , and his designements bonds ; which he effects by a new sacrifice to god , who gave those undeserv'd supplies with knowledge of his mysteries divine , and prudent rules old passions to confine , when thousands of his brethren want that store , who would perhaps have glorifi'd him more , and never ceas'd , like angels here on earth , to praise those helpes , since others dye of dearth . his spirit scornes that which the body joyes ; and checks that lump , because it did rejoyce in aiery toyes , in things meere transitory , which draw the sence from the bright sun of glory , and like to golden clouds may passe away by humane plots , or by death in a day . he reapes content to see his neighbours thrive , and their amendment doth his soule revive , for he the poorest saint in christ preferre● before the greatest potentate that erres . he ioyes , that he breathes of the common aire ; which is allotted for the saints repaire , with whom he sings , grieves , and communicates , swell for sacred rites , as needfull rates . 〈◊〉 joyes , that he had learned from his youth , ●●ke timothy , the word of sacred truth , ●●at taught to serve one god , one advocate , 〈◊〉 could not brooke of balaams snares to prate . joyes , that he no raking money owes , ●●en what to pay he on short warning knowes , without grim sergeants threats , or suerties thrall , 〈◊〉 without robbing peter to pay paul. 〈◊〉 glories more of soules and bodies health , ●●en in the blaze of honour , fame , or wealth . 〈◊〉 cheere his noblest part he soares aloft , and viewes the starres of holy stories oft ; he courts the of-spring of faire memory , aswell divine as humane history ; by which true glasse he findes how short and vaine those pleasures are , which worldlings hold for gaine , though cause of paine eternall after deuth ; if not before of dolour-racking breath . another while wraths cornet to prevent , which he observes with burning arrowes ●●●t to aime at change , by learned art he strives to blunt their shafts , and into physick dives aswell by prayer as by galens quill , with zealous heart , as by arabian skill , like good saint luke , for the foure humours foule he studies cure , as solace for the soule . for which i●●●●t , and the complexions good he for 〈◊〉 f●●d , which might insta●● the bloud : for what exceedes the temper oily warme , or mayes mild heat he knowes breeds after-harme . lest nature dro●p● , he breathes his park-horse oft , not on the rheumy vale , or marish soft , but on dry hills to suck most wholesome aire , there , with pure gales the spirits to repaire . while gulls fly out with golden wings excesse , 〈◊〉 lives at home content with fortunes lesse , ●●t daring by anothers idoll-store 〈◊〉 mete his wants , where saints do languish more : ●●d if he should lash out in pompe like those , 〈◊〉 pompe and store would cause him after-woes , ●●en the great judge requires his talents use , ●●th strict account of stocks and times abuse . drinks no more then doth a saint befit , ●●d ever riseth with an appetite , ●●r , as a type of blessed abstimence , joyes to sing of diets excellence ▪ ●●d to relate , when girald liv'd , that they ●f cambriaes soile did feed but once a day ; ●s how the greekes thought platoes tale a lye , that twice a day they meal'd in sicily . no beauty , wine , nor musicks harmony ●ontents our saint more then good company , knowing their vowes , and mutuall hearts consent availe him more then worldlings blandishment . to end his joyes , on this he sets his rest : that a good conscience is his daily feast . these harmelesse steps a christian ought to tread and the same life i strive and hope to lead . and if these rules my hopefull nephew scan , he then shall passe for a right noble man , excelling vulgar wits as porcellan , course vessels , as the new the outward man , by vertue rankt within true honours file among the brave heroes of this i le , crown'd with a faire and brighter coronet , then one with gold and pretious stones beset , and be so skill'd in both the fortunes cures , that poore mens cries tend not to you nor yours . while vengeance strikes a nembrodizing lord. and his proud race with fates two-edged sword , ●ke mordecai , unwearied in your wayes , ●●u shall we are out on earth most happy dayes ; and after death when they feele endlesse paine , ●●u shall with christ in peace for ever raigne . ●●ch blisse pursues a pious-minded peere , and such i hope attends you there and heere , which to seale up , and to set forth your traine , ●eere take your choise of posies various straine : without the new-mans robes none are indeed true noble-men , but borne of mongrell seed . to be borne great , great honour some esteeme it : but to doe good i greater honour deeme it . vertue so farre excells sires heraldry , as doth day-light the darke , the sap the dry. a noble minde surmounts a noble birth ; but who hath both-shines like sunne on earth . magnus honor nasci praelustri stemmate , major stemma piis factis nobilitare suum . " quantò lux tenebras , siccum vel succidus hum● tanto depictos mens pia vincit avos . " virtus naturam superat , sed amictus utrisque dotibus ut lumen solis in orbe nitet . the chvrch militant here on earth fovnded and renewed by ovr saviovr christ . who is this that comes from edom , with red garments from bozrah ? esay . 63. the argument . the church is built on christ , who under-went the curse , rose up , and then to heaven went. this wonder-rapt some angels of that spheare , that they with ioyes speake of his comming there . in paradise the church of christ began , whē after breach god opened unto man the hopefull meanes , whereby he might deface the sting of sinne , and bee restor'd to grace ; if on the promise of the womans seed man would rely , he might redeme his deed. but bloody cain with his accursed race went whoring after satan , sleighting grace . and then the church in seth , methusalem , in noe and his arke , in godly sem and iaphet fix't : from whence no liking cham she downeward past to iob , and abraham , and settled in the circumcized ligne , vntill the promis'd seed with light divine and gospels sound arriu'd , graft things anew , and by his crosse our charter did renew . the gentiles then by his apostles blest from heaven gain'd the holy ghost for guest , to cheere their church , within her to reside , and evermore her christian broode to guide , as long as they him for their rock protest , whome peter thrice for all his mates confest . so thousands did with angels gifts encrease from age to age , and found in conscience ease , as testify the pulpet and the presse , which holp our church to bloome with good successe . others , since the word late came in vse , ●pir'd have wrot and preacht of faiths abuse . 〈◊〉 so likewise we see , that in our dayes 〈◊〉 feele the heate of that bright spirits rayes . 〈◊〉 them our new man reapes the fruits of truth , ●●●nsformes old wily age to saintlike youth , ●●y for eve , for adam christ he sings , ●●ose blood then abels speakes forth better things , ●●rancing soules with gifts propheticall , ●●d otherwhiles with numbers sphericall , ●●at by those meanes and sweet enchanting layes ●●ey might confirme themselves , as call home strayes . ●irst like babes with bells , smiles mixt with threats , ●weanes the weake before their sence he bea●es ●●th zealous charmes from worldly vanities , ●●apting them for purer qualities , ●hich our good sire with metaplastick mould ●●nds ready to infuse more fine then gold. this prudent course some take in verse as prose for stilling swarming bees , or stubborne foes , to winne applause to their more waighty work , which in their braine , like ember'd fire , did lork . they tickle first with smooth conceptions youth , laurell their name ▪ and then gaine roome for tru●● to spread without repulse , or sowre distast , before they dresse rare manna for their tast , clozing their feast with healths from sions fount like petrarch , beza , and m●randols count , who with ripe fruite by good mens suffrages ransom'd their froth , and greener passages . such wits i wish with lines of sacred truth from carnall dreames to scare our straggling youth and such i hope by grace here to produce , as types of vertue drawne for holy use . ●n the lords day , though not with full content , ●ate sung christs from olives mount ascnt 〈◊〉 to that orbe , whose height no earthly scribe 〈◊〉 by the booke , or astrolabe describe . though galilees new glasse a world espies within the moone , yet moone-sick are the spies , while clog'd with flesh , not spirit-rapt , they pry ●o gods thrones transcendent mystery . 〈◊〉 heav'n i glaunc'd , wherein his man-hood rests , ●●eparing roome for his beleeving guests , who su'd to christ , mens advocate alone , ●ot parcelling his worship into halves , 〈◊〉 iewes for moloch , baal , and golden calves ; ●hat so the sabaoths change at pentecost ●ucceede with gifts sign'd by the holy ghost , the comforter , which should the church renew , and grace thenceforth the gentile and the jew , till the returnes , as man-emanuell within the cloudes to iudge the world and hell ▪ here now againe with fiery flights i horer , and his ascent more spaciously runne over then i did late , because our church hath drest and cookt upon another day this feast . the way of christs up to gods orbe ascention transcends above fraile natures apprehention . i dare not wrest , christs body , nor confine his god-head . there , he raignes a man-divine , as man he s●es for men. as god he sends the holy ghost to gratifie his friends , and by infusion heere his church to grace , if we beleeve , and love and pray for grace . although as god his presence never ●ayles us , his bodies absence heere yet more availes us , as he is man , or else his bodi●s sight had made us carelesse of the spirits light. his manhood by his owne experience saw our natures weakenesse , & how fiends would draw vs from gods will , and from true innocence , whereby none could avoid hells pestilence . unlesse himselfe did stand within the gap ●etwixt our sinnes and wraths fierce thunderclap ; ●nd that made him remove his person hence ●o heaven , there to ease our punishments , ●y suing to gods grace , as advocate , ●hat for his sake he would repayre our state. great were the angels ioyes , when iesus came ●n humane shape with such imperiall fame vp to th' empyrean sphere , where none before of that new forme could like a phaenix soare . ●s by his crosse lay husht hells damned crowd , so wondring heere some angels sung alowd : what 's he that mounts , and sits on gods right hand , with bozraes robes , come from red edoms land ? clad like to one , who hath the winepresse trod , yet looking like unto the sonne of god , who did ride on the cherubins and fly , yea , fly upon the wings of winds most high ? perhaps he is a new melchisedeck , gods spouse to grace , or her with gemmes to deck ? or else the cause of this new mans ascent might be her vowes and offrings to presert ; or for her strayes to sue as advocate , those whom the gospels light reclaimes of late . his comming here with such triumphant port doubtlesse to men salvation doth import . this mystery and ioyfull spectacle above all wonders prove a miracle vnparalell'd , that by divinity infus'd in flesh , men gaine eternity ; and that the gentiles , as the iewish tribes , in truths rare secrets grow most learned scribes , pertaking grace without disparity , made onely iust by faiths dependency , not by their owne , but by anothers deedes , t is strange how they are clear'd of their misdeedes . what sparkling eyes more beautifull then wine ? ●●ose teeth like milke ? whose body lookes divine ? ● mild aspect , yet of s. michaels strength ●●epard , to plague and foile our foes at length ? ●hose haires more white thē wooll , or the full moone ●●d whose bright face outshines the sun at noone ? ●hose voyces tunes like silver brookes resounds ? ●●d whose faire feet like finest brasse doe sound ? ●hat is he ? a prophet ? prince ? or peere ? ●ho in mans shape climb'd up our highest sphere ? ●●d there instal'd with the divinest light ●●eares now a crowne more bright then chrysolite ? what can he be then said others , the lord , ●ho to save men became th' incarnate word ? ●nd having led on earth an humble life ? ●e hath trod on the dragons crowne of strife ? who preacht to soules with hideous mists perplext , ●et for his love by his owne nation vext , who slaine at last by romes authority , yet spite of hell rose up with majesty ? this new man god the third day rais'd from dead to be our king , and comforts more to breath ; who made light things , or spirits , to descend , now upwards holp christs body to ascend ; whose body now we see incorruptible , most glorious , new , of strength invincible , divine aswell as humane , not with hands of mortalls wrest , as errour understands . yet his long hands , i meane , his spirits armes , extend to shield his church from deadly harmes . his clearest eyes all penitents behold , and his white teeth doe temperance infold . his silver haires his knowledge ripe declare , and his bright face foretells his favours rare . out of his mouth flowes truths melodious word , but his just wrath darts forth a lightning sword. from heaven he survayes each holy place , and raps with mystick trance men chang'd by grace at their great feast he is the soules colleague , spirit matcht with hypostaticke league 〈◊〉 really , as in one horoscope ●wo soules that plight with hands their mutual hope , ●hilst up to him with thankes she lifts and heaves 〈◊〉 ravisht thoughts , like wheates ripe eared sheaves , 〈◊〉 captive he hath led captivity , 〈◊〉 gifts to men , and doth their chaines unty , ●●solving quite lewd passions linkes a sunder , 〈◊〉 knots of eeles , or swarmes of waspes by thunder ●preme there he all creatures overswayes , ●●d there in his high manhoods person stayes , ●ill all th' elect , the gentile as the iew , ●al'd up for grace come in , and till they rue ●th shamefull guilt their rancour , guile , & pri●●● ▪ ●ho his pure word and deity still deride . ●is garments red shew , that he trod alone ●he winepresse , how in need him succour'd none . ●is robes likewise resembling bozraes graine 〈◊〉 crimsondipt , imply , that men againe will in his members him oppresse and gore , as they their head and master did before , with aspicke tongues hir'd to empoyson fame with strife and losse , or plots surmizing blame whereby weake natures brood torne by dissention might lose the hopefull use of christs ascention ; or with crosse flames more fiercely violent , them in their lives last period to torment , because false christ's they would not every where kisse , and adore christs body heere , and there . bvt leaving them for antichristians limbs , let us applaud , and greet with ioyfull hymnes the reall forme and body of the lord from mangling now to lasting life restor'd ; this crowned lambe , the first fruits of the dead , whom god ordain'd to be our prince and head : great iesus christ borne on sinnes necke to tread , and to divide the right from the misse-led : the sonne of our iehovah elohim , ●●om saints their saviour call , and none but him ; 〈◊〉 unto him our maker hath resign'd 〈◊〉 creatures sway with power unconfin'd , 〈◊〉 whose dread name all angels , saints , and men ●ust bow , and at his praise vent forth amen , ●ot onely with loude sounding tunes expression , ●t likewise with loves inward flames impression . the new mans cloze of thankesgiving for our saviours ascending up into heaven . ●ll glory be to god for evermore , ●ho with new layes hath multiplied our store , ●nd taught us by the holy gholy to finde where christ remaynes rais'd in his humaine kind . that the new man put downe our carnall sence , 't was well therefore that he departed hence , ●is body rapt till doomesday from our fight , ●et by his great victory infusing light with wondrous gifts on the apostolick , and ever since on the church catholik , or more or lesse , as she with zealous hope dayes turret climb'd , or in nights vale did grope . for these high flames more bright then sunny rayes we sing to three in one , new songs of prayse . the most memorable occvrrences , which ●apned in our christian church , from the thirtieth three yeere of our saviours ●●carnation ; and from the eighteenth yeere ●f tiberius caesars raigne the roman emperour , untill the yeere of our lord 100. at which time trajan the emperour began his raigne . the argument . behold what thanks from worldlings worse then mad for preaching truth , the chiefe apostles had . ●ot one escapes a sad tormenting fate , which holpe to build at first the churches state . vvhat better fruit can a new sparkling muse produce then holy odes for christians use ? ●hen by th' apostles glasse of peace to chime ? 〈◊〉 from late iarres to scare the world with rime ? o would i could , like roman arato , in english tune such labours undergoe , as might display th' apostles acts and lives , gladding our age with their pure honey-hives ! which spite of drones , false brethren , stormy blast and tortures stood through watchings , vows & fa●● forear'd against the foemen of the crosse , as to prevent from hell ensuing losse . although our latter be not built as well , nor may that church in glory paralell , yet our good will availes in stead of spice , and our new man helps us to sacrifice ; for we have had our martys , like the first , yea , and the living rocke to quench our thirst ; we have beheld the spirits lightning sword ; onely , i feare , we want the flames of love , which primer saints with mutuall heate did move . this want some may with their ambrosian food supply , sound forth , and publish for our good , if , as they have begunne , they warble out ●hat i to bring about do stand in doubt . ●his taske pauls faithfull mate in physicke sk●ll'd , though more for soules then bodies cure , fulfill'd ●cring two workes to greeke theophilus , 〈◊〉 monuments , and by his lamps to us ; 〈◊〉 left them us to shew what legacies ●●e heavens lent for christian sacrifice . ●ence , as his ape , by imitations straine ●ope some light for brittaines church to gaine , ● least to serve as sparkes , babes to revive , ●ho faile for want of torches store to thrive . ●hen that our new-mans sire , the holy ghost ▪ ●●h cloven tongues , like fire , at pentecost 〈◊〉 lighted on th' apostles visible , ●he some times inspir'd invisible ●●s prophets : then faith , love , and christian ioye● ●●ighd delphick dreames , and babels●arring noise ; then , men that learnd no language save their owne amid ' strange folkes rung fo●th the lords renowne and blaz'd his deedes in every forraigne tongue , like angels quire , with sweet harmonious song as perfectly , as they their natives were , so that those aliens stood entranc'd with feare , for how could they but be agast to heare iewes speake with tongs peculiar to their eare. some others deem'd them mad , or drunk with win● till peter prov'd them rapt with joyes divine . he prov'd them rapt by gods immediate rayes , with ectasies above all humane wayes . and not alone the gifts of tongues , but zeale to preach they had , and without drugs to heale . some prophesi●d , some sung , whil'st others told what wondrous acts the lord performd of old. those mystick sparkes , which by degrees we learne god then infus'd , as of more blessings earne , to paralell iob , abraham , salomon , for patience , faith , and wisedome thereupon . 〈◊〉 who can blaze the wonders of that day ? ●e more i muse on them , the more dismay 〈◊〉 spend my sence , lord , rayse up my desires , ● sing th' . event of that dayes glorious fires , ●hich comforted the gentile as the iew , ●rich'd the barren will , made old things new. 〈◊〉 such rare signes came first the mystèry three in one , the sacred trinity 〈◊〉 be more knowne unto the church on earth , ●●d since old rites were past at our new birth , ●at she might name at her solemnities ●e holy ghost colleaged to baptize . ● working we agnize , feele , and admire , 〈◊〉 who but he could stony hearts inspire ? done as with gifts this holy flame appear'd , ●uls chaos melt , and their dull wits had clear'd , ●ds word then from melchisedechs choice towne , ● from the earths fixt meditullium blowne , pierst egypt , greece , damascus , babilon , the temperate , yea , and the torrid zone , where negroes , though of circumcised race , converted by an eunuch looke for grace . the gospell pierc'd each countrey and each towne , truths sound went forth to all the world then know whereby no nation might excuses pleade , but that they might be linkt with christ their head. with like successe the christian faith did bloome , and flourish there where brave triumphant rome prepard the way by morall arts and aw , that grace mens hearts might so the sooner draw . while tatling newes fond athens itch'd to tell , the romans dri'd her aristotles well . these second meanes for planting christian rites , in those dayes much avayld romes proselites . arts usher faith. faith quick by hearing growes , but most of all when the good spirit blowes . there wanted none of these in ancient rome , where vowes & teares for grace had purcha●'d roome . rome was the empires head , great caesars seat , the westernes mother church , where then complete from salem s●one the crosses radiant starre , which in pauls time enlightning neere and farre transferr'd on linus , clemens , anaclete , the martyrs crowne with flaming stones beset , and thence bespred truthes universall course , ●or then all men to tiber had recourse . ●ut though i much commend old christian rome , 〈◊〉 should forget my selfe and christendome , 〈◊〉 that faire towne of memorized fame which first profest to beare the christian name , 〈◊〉 chance to passe by vnsaluted now , not doing homage which all christians ow. had i rich tassoes veine to set her forth , or godfreyes strength to vindicate he●worth , 〈◊〉 would possesse all christians catholicke , that antioch was s , peters bishopricke . and that it well becomes a christian knight , who first bore christian badge to doe her right . i would redeeme her from proud ottoman from mufftie 's sway , and mechaes alcoran . in iowry land arose the gentiles light , from antioch came the name , which fiends doth frig●● and shall out last all names , untill our head , as god and man shall judge both quick and dead , till christ resignes to the supremest mace , to all in all , his intercessors place . this light and name the sire of antichrist , in envie unto man , and spite to christ : with his blacke-guard that were depriv'd of light , and for their pride enwrapt in errours night : they all conspir'd , and strove to prejudice with all their might , the new-mans sacrifice . for this designe , their malice to effect , they seiz'd the wits of annas and his sect . they first plaid on the soules of saducees , ●nd gull'd such braines as idolld golden fees : ●hrist in his limmes to crucifie againe ; and all for pomps support and worldly gaine . the creeple rais'd in iesus christ his name , ●y fishermen , that wonder put to shame the iewish scribes , so that they burn'd for ire , and fear'd least christ might di●● their levites fire , or quite abate their old traditions gaine , which holpe their present glory to maintaine . at first they silenc'd them , and then with gall they thundred out big words ses●uipedall : that if thenceforth they acted miracles in iesus name , they would as spectacles of infamy their bodies publickely afflict , or make them in iaile-shackles ly . but since th' apostles them regarded not , nor car'd for threats , nor scourging , then they shot their church-darts out of excommunications , till a law doctour calm'd their combinations . by this advice , that no devise of man might stop the will of god , do what they can . on this the levites rested for a while , and ceas'd their hande with murther to defile . the which advise if romes late catholikes , had ●aigh'd for them whom they call'd here tickes , rome might have held a reverend mothers sway , she had ere this turn'd easterne nights to day : where ministring now scandall to the turkes , both they and we detest their bloudy workes . for ten yeares space , till claudius casar raignd , the scribes lay still , their spleene a while restrain'd , and seem'd to winke at the apostles fame , whilst in that breathing truce the christian name , the church encreas'd , had all her wants reliev'd , antioch receiv'd , s●maritans believ'd , ioppa ●rejoyc'd , caesare a gained grace , ●●d many iewes joyd of the christian race ; ●well the gentiles , as the circumtiz'd ; ●n'd in one league for christ to be baptiz'd . ●hat good time saints gaped not for gold , ●liv'd in common , their possessions sold , ●●d without guile the price did distribute , ●hereby they barr'd the cause of wrangling suite , ● mine and thine . their care was bread and wine 〈◊〉 sacred use , and for the heavenly vine ; 〈◊〉 build christs church upon the new-mans rock , 〈◊〉 on the sand , false keyes , or stumbling block . ●●at wonders wrought they of stupendious sort ●●ove fraile sence ? or carnall wits report ? 〈◊〉 words they made the cripled wight to walke , ●he dead to rise , blinde see , the dumbe to talke . 〈◊〉 words they strooke a lying couple dead , ●nd blinded one , who men by charmes misseled . through iesus name they wrought such miracles , and freed themselves from tyrants manacles . the fame of such faire deedes in salem rung , as nettle prickes the envious clergy stung . that gentiles should partake with israels tribes of gods good grace , they brookt not without ●i●es they flouted that the new-mans troupes aswell , as their old scribes should ●ame the fiends of hell and the most part , like unto snarling curres in manger lay'd , found fault with others cures . repining thus at progresse of the word , since that no trickes could stop it , by the sword. ●ebedees sonne they caus'd to lose his breath , as they by stoning wrought the deacons death ; by caesars minion king they weav'd their plot , who would have cast on peter the like lot , but that an angel came to free his chaines , to plague with wormes the tyrant for his paines . ●his puts my muse in mind of phillips queene , ●ho wreakd on saints her gall with swelling spleene , ●ill with her gods , her states , and calleis losse , ●e felt the weight of a more heavie crosse ; ●nd of the royall brothers styl'd valois , ●ho di'd in blood for blood , and bloody ioyes , ●riaes rings can testifie likewise , ●hat they have got by belgiaes bloudy cries . more mild yet dealt agrippa with saint paul , ●ot barring him from romes appeale at all , ●t would have join'd with feftus to enlarge , ●nd save for his appeale him to discharge . much lesse would once that sage praetorian peere ●or words & names the iewes mad clamours heare . how many snares with tumultes , spite , and rage did they spread forth for christians in that age ? by all the meanes , which satan could devise , men sought to stop the new mans sacrifice . but all in vaine , like trod on cammomell it grew the more , and with a fragrant smell . not elimas , nor magus with hell charmes , nor could dianaes smith knock down their armes , or quench in them the holy spirits flame , which they conferr'd in jesus christ his name , that like themselves at first enthusians rapt , for holy trances they made others apt . vnwearied they in their vocation went , and acted deedes to arts astonishment . no by-respects to glory , wealth , or ease , no emulations sting could make them cease from the pursuit of the immortall prize ; no servile feares , detraction , nor surmize , could let their maine intent , and ghostly race , from setting forth gods charter of free grace . no choller 's heate , debate , nor casuall brawle . as fell betwixt saint peter and saint paule for iewish rites , as likewise came to passe for chusing mark twixt paule and barnabas ; or as it chanc'd to abraham and lot : their passions sway'd not so , that they forgot the progresse of the word , the worke in hand , but that they ranne , and toil'd by sea and land. in accidentalles , though as men they err'd ; yet , as divines , the substance they preferr'd . their elder man they stoupt in spite of vice , and their new-man went on to sacrifice . here paule and silas preach , apollos there , while barnabas and marke , doe teach else where . mathias , iude , and simon burn'd alike to execute their charge apostolicke . with the like zeale all the apostles rapt transformed soules for mysticke trances apt . they catechiz'd , and sought their saviours praise , their soveraigne ioyes were to reclaime some strayt with constant faith the gospel they did blaze , and daily wrought great wonders of amaze ; till by romes mace the type of antichrist , which slue their master christ , they di'd for christ. in all their deeds they were so farre from pride , that when some gentiles would have deified good barnabas and paul with glorious shout in stead of yeelding thankes they ranne about with cloathes all rent among the wondring throng , and beg'd of them the deity not to wrong , nor by detracting from their makers grace with sacrifice his servants to disgrace . they vilified themselves , tooke up the crosse , contemning pompe and gold , like seumme or drosse . they varnish'd not gods word with glosse of schooles but sought the wholsome spring , not muddy pooles , and spar'd their new built church to interrupt , with knotty doubts of phantasies corrupt . now for a type of their essentiall gare , ● will produce this one example rare , when proselites of pharisaicall sort , would gentiles to strict moses lawes exhort : ●● salems councell the apostles sate , and in few lines resolv'd their questions state : whereas by some ye were perplext with feare ●bout old rites , we warne you to forbeare from meates prophane at idolles sacrifice . from beastly lust , or wives pluralities , from strangled flesh , and shedding humane blood , ●f as your owne , yee carke anothers good : and do abstaine from the said sinnes withall , yee shall doe well . by barnabas and paul. and two of the chiefe brethren moe they sent these pithy actes the gentiles to content . whereby i note on weaklings they impose no heavier yoake then what the new-man chose . they combred not the church with needlesse lawes , nor with traditions superstitious flawes . they could not brooke food drest with satans 〈◊〉 nor at christs feasts to glut their hungry mawes . thus we observe how easie is christs yoak , that to cleare doubts faith beares the soveraign 〈◊〉 faith linkt with love requires us to forbeare , and not for toyes christs seamelesse coate to teare . how wondrously did the good spirit breathe the new-mans gifts , from darkenesse & from death to raise up soules ? and heathen clouds to cleare ? dispersing christs disciples heere and there ? by visions he immediate lighted on cornelius and saint peter , both for one ●●fect , to let the wavering gentiles know , ●●at god tooke care within their hearts to sow ●s seed of grace , which stubborne iewes abus'd , ●●d christ their head , gods husbandman refus'd : ●●d that without respect of high or low , 〈◊〉 loves all them , who to his service bow ▪ ●hat travels did good peter undergoe ? sea and land he did undaunted goe , ●●ough wanting meanes , unfurnished of money , ●t for himselfe to gaine a patrimony 〈◊〉 corruptible mould , or brittle masse ▪ ●●ich like fond dreames in time away doe passe ? 〈◊〉 for his master christ soules wrapt with mists , 〈◊〉 ignorance he made good catechists , ●od catholicks apostolickes he made , ●●●tructing them in his soule-fishing trade . ●●d as some write , when simon with his whore. ●●ene brag'd , hee like a god would soare above the clouds , by peters vowes he fell , and brake his necke , left by his guard of hell. to iewes and gentiles he the gospel taught , but chiefly he the iewes conversion sought ; deputed for the circumcisions charge , unto the elect , dispenst hee shew'd at large the patent of his ●eald apostleship ; yea , and , if fame belies him not , his ship and fishing-nets hee left at tibers streame , where some then so journ'd of ierusalem , as in the acts wee read ; there he baptiz'd , ( if there he was ) till nero tyranniz'd . now whether rome hath cause of him to boast , as for his seate more then the holy ghost , which living peter gave to men of faith , some since have strove , not following peters path● 't is certaint , that he w●re no triple crowne : none kist his foot , nor ●rod he princes downe . 't is knowne , that gold and silver he hast none : a tanners house was of his lodg●ngs one. 't is credited , that to the crosse he bow'd , a kind of death which onely rome allow'd , till : constantine in love to christ for bad this cruell paine and spectacle most sad ; that being old against fraile natures will , others did peter lead his bloud to spill , as christ foretold ; but his crosse-fixed place ( romes empire lay so large ) i dare not trace . but sure i am saint paul in bloudy rome , when nero raign'd , endured martyrdome . there , having twice before that tyrant stood , his faiths defence he sealed with his bloud about the time when that mad bouteseu , had fir'd the city with his wanton crew , because he ●ong'd to sing the sacke of troy , and by such types would execute his toy , to cloake the fact , and stop the mutiny , yet not repenting of his villainy , he authour'd christians of those dismall cryes , and butcher'd them to bleare the peoples eyes . among that guiltlesse troupe then suffered paul , who had fore-wrote what should him there befall . this chosen saint hath left brave monuments unto the church , which satans ambushments can never trap , nor canker-fretting age consume , but they stand firme in spight of rage . in albions orbe an arched stately roome , the chiefest pile , i thinke , in christendome , of pauls sole name , revives his memory , till doomes-dayes blast the river thames shall dry ; in the meane time grave saint-like ministers , accompanied with asaphs quiristers , sing praise to god for gracing of saint paul , who once had beene a bloody-minded saul . of late repair'd it shines with zealous fire , ●s erst with flames rag'd the stupendious spite . blest be their zeale , their cares , and good intent , which have re-built this famous monument , resembling that of salems second one , renew'd by iewes , first built by salomon . like these , so did all christs apostles fish , and on some coast or other never miste to catch for christ some choise and dainty prey , bartholomew and thomas knew the way ●nto the east , and there engrav'd their names . ●aint mathewes paines sev'n flouded nilus fames , and pretious iohn the bel●ll abissine , from him and philip claimes christ a faith divine . achaia vaunts of good saint andrewes cares , with whom he pawn'd his bones , till those rich wares , some scottish saints by a greeke monke redeem'd , them and their worth , like precious gems , esteem'd . while mark from peters mouth gods word compil● , to leave it her , niles alexandria smiles , sea-spousing venice too did sacrifice unto saint mark a goodly edifice . the latter james , christs kinsm●n by the flesh , in salem liv'd , disorders to redresse , where hee , though stiled just , as spectacle of shame , was throwne downe from the p●●●a●le , which satan mov'd to christ. there he expir'd , and roman force the place soone after fir'd , yet hath his fame to after-ages spred , his bishops seat with christians flourished , by princes grac'd , and for antiquity puts antioch downe , and romes priority . at the first councell iame● ●a● president . there , s●in●t cloz'd up the circumcised ren● . in salem ●ate the high commission court , where they decided doubts of most import . galicians since built up a sacred 〈◊〉 at compostell , which later wits profane , adoring ●●mes , as if humanity should offer vowes due to the trinity . about the time of iames his death , to 〈◊〉 the fatall web for sinfull salem spunn● , upon the siege the christian iewes fore-warn'd by oracle from christ , fled thence una●●'d with humane helpes , but guarded by divine supplica , themselves to ●ella they confine , where they on i●rdans b●●ks securely lay , while rebell-iewes were slaine , and fold away . so stood the church with them , who flourish'd first , next christs ascent most pure , untill accurst , the iewish nation for their crying sinne , and hardned hearts deep woes were plu●ged in , and then god pleas'd for iewries unbeliefe , the gentiles to adopt to iewries griefe , and our church seemes to them a stumbling sinne , till all th' elected gentiles be come in : as unto them of antichristian race she seemes , till babel feeles her last disgrace . but why were saints , like christ , so foulely slaint : because the more they suff●red here , more gaine they reape , the nobler crowne in heav'n they gai●● ; and shall judge those , who put them hereto paine . if you would know by times gradation m●c , domitius and domitian yeelds you store ; read tacitus , when rome lay wast with fire , how christians felt the formers franticke ire : some crucifi'd ▪ some burnt , and some were ●as'd in wild beasts skins , by mastives torne and chasd so cruelly , that who did them contemne , in hate to n●●●●s spleene then pittied them . though christians were to manifolded paine , throughout the twelfe yeere put of neroes raigne , ●et like to palme supprest , the more they grew ; the church the more by martyrs did renew . athmos with romes whole empire tells what paine , the church endurd in the last flavians raigne , ●ith greater numbers martyrs calendar ●anonizing then in mad neroes yeare : ●uring which rage some brethren false did rove , the deacons sect , lewd family of love ; ●nd hee that durst afore christs darling bath , ●ut felt the doome of his incensed wrath ; the bath-walls fell , crushd cerinthe underneath , as soone as iohn had menac'd him with death . the occvrrances of the second age from the yeere of our lord 100. untill the yeere 200. at which time severus raigned emperour of rome . the argument . saint john deceas'd , fiends seedes of error sow , yet doth the church , though persecuted , grow , and from her wombe spring up a learned crew of saints , who with their bloud do truth renew . he that desires a saint-like life to lead , let him the steps of ancient fathers tread , who neerest liv'd unto th'apostles times ; thence i collect the course in raptur'd rimes , which christ his church then for her members held what pathes they trac'd , and wherein she excelld , if wee mislike her plainenesse , or their marts , love bids us chastely gaze , and winke at warts ; for like the moon at full , sometimes the church , raignes knowne from her , who lives upon the lurch , dispersed through the world , apostolicke , yet , like our god in three , one catholicke , in sundry shapes repleat with sacred fire ; with many tongues , in spirit yet entire and essence one ; who , though diversifi'd for rites or forme , 〈◊〉 yet ●ustifi'd by faith with him , who tryes mens consciences , beares with their ●●ips , and heares her grievances . returne , quoth hee , ye● people full of strife , who me have wrong'd , like a rebellious wife . alluding to which challenge in his word : before the lord and ange●●s i record , that i beleeve no church on earth this day , then britaines church goes a more knowing 〈◊〉 ▪ in substance pure , and in her good intents , seal'd rightly with the newmans sacraments . and with the best her elders i conferre , yet dare not say her troupes doe never erre , nor brag that shee hath neither mole nor wen , while shee cohabits heere with mortall men : but pray , that she in fruit more pregnant thrive , as shee in shape is like the primitive ; and that with flames of mutuall love wee glow , as forward as in height we seeme to grow . one thing i adde against her foes in briefe , and therewithall to ease our weaklings griefe ; although i honour with my heart and pen , the couneclls , fathers , and the ancient men , who wrote before the seventh century became bewitcht with babels mystery , yet we no more give credit to their lore , their matter , tropes , and topick maximes store derived from old adams double tree , nor further then wee finde them to agree with gods owne word , or oracles divine , dare wee consent with them in every line , for men may erre , yea , learned countells erre by faction● sway'd , as other whiles they were ; and , as eusebius markt , the church began to be unchast , soone as th' apostles ranne the hower-glasse out of their lives pilgrim age , by cerinths toyles , and nicholaites rage ; or by those fogges , which epiphanius brands for heresies of antichristian bands ; or sects , whose augustine expells the mists , be they pelagians , or the donatists . at the new rising of the second age , in the first yeere came trajan on the stage , adopted caesar by good nerv●es choise , broiles to prevent , and cares to counterpoise . in his precedent raigne domitians act against the church in rome was somewhat slackt ; but otherwhere the praetours for their gaine by christians goods escbeat , renew'd againe the old decree , and in their liberties practiz'd on saints their former cruelties . but leaving them a while to racke and rage , i now glance on the wonder of that age. of him i sing , who would have kneeled downe , but was forbod , unto an angel , knowne of all the apostles longest to have seene the churches course eclips'd by tyranis spleene . one while assail'd , anon strong militant iohn saw her curbe conetits exorbitant . thou haft , o glorious saint , beheld her pure , like to the ●unne dispelling clouds obscure . when shepheard pan deceas'd , then oracles from that time ceas'd through christian miracles ; for when tiberi●t swayd , fiends waild their losse , while they shipt tam●● forc'd to bruite ●he crosse , and to proclaime in midland seas with dread : that pan , the great god pan , was newly dead . thou hast survivd thy brethren , and thy mates , thou hast beheld strange turnes of worldly states , the temple sackt , ierusalem destroyd , thy native soile all harried and annoyd , thou liv'st to see weedes of blacke heresies , amidst the church spring up , apostafies grownerife , the saints with persecutions flame scorcht every where , and put to open shame , thou hast out-dar'd a dozen emperours , since thy good lord triumphed over powrs , when thou beganst to shine , tiberius raignd , they saw thy lifes sun-set , whom trajan paind . what dangers , wrackes , and buffetings of fiends , hast thou oft felt ? what snares of glozing friends ? portents to make the patient●● iob dismaid ; thou hast out-liv'd thy charge , the widow-maid , thy mother deare adopted on the crosse , to thee his minion left , to ease thy losse , when therehence out thou tookst her to thy house , as a true nunne , to helpe thy christian vowes . how long shee liv'd with thee , to calculate , an angel must the certaine time relate , or name the place where her blest body lyes , whether she was in body enoch-wise , immediately to heaven assumed up ? or dwelt with iohn till age made her to stoup ? and payd her debt as other mortalls doe to nature , much it skills not us to know ? since now with christ her soule triumphant rests , and as her life deserv'd with him she feasts : admitting no such mediatrix style , or goddesses , as some themselves beguile , that she doth oftentimes command her sonne to heare a sinners suite , or orison ? save that i might be into whirle-pooles brought , or for my guesse be too sagacious thought , i would conjecture at the time when iohn , before the siege of salem undergone , departed into corinth , ephesus , or other coasts , where titus and timotheus , were by saint paul ordain'd to over-see , there , to confirme each saint in his degree , as they by him , who all those churches bare upon his shoulders first , were bred with care. there , he consum'd the remnant of his age , untill to pathmos by domitians rage confin'd , he saw in spirit christ againe , who then and there by revelations plaine to his rapt sence , though hid from carnall braine , did prophesie the future churches staine . for comfort of th' elect the lord appear'd unto this saint , and his wits sences clear'd , to understand what plagues he will effect in the last dayes for his true words neglect . these mysteries christ opened unto iohn , whom he reserv'd so long . and thereupon i humbly glance by leave of holy wits , to whom my muse her raptures here submits : that when one asked christ , what iohn should do ? whether he should remaine behinde or go ? his answer was unto this bold assay . if my will be to have him here to stay untill i come , what matters that to thee ? and long he staid , as all may cleerely see . before his death he did so settle things , that greece his praise aswell as asia rings . in norvaes raigne he came with his release to ephesus , where he deceas'd in peace , while trajan sway'd , as graecian clearks relate , having escap'd an oily scalding fate , impos'd on him by fierce domitians rage , who then exiled him to pathmos cage , where , though cub'd up a while from christians sight , he saw what cheer'd his soule , his masters light. both in his time , and after , soone began the divels plots to scare the christian man , which valentinian and menander spred , and many moe , which weaklings then misled : for whose mistakes saint irenaeus griev'd , two hundred yeeres ere epiphanius liv'd , to blazon them and other heresies , which then obscur'd the new mans sacrifice , after saint iohns decease , till adrian raign'd , the roman praetours still the christians pain'd , who so confirm'd were for the fiery crosse , they fear'd not death , nor paine , nor fortunes losse . the truth when rackt by inquisition strict , that christians much were wrong'd by romes edict , great trajan then did unto pliny write , to mitigate the fiery trialls spight ; yet not to spare them , if they were brought in . ( damn'd policie so cloaking bloody sinne ) in which implicite snare ignatius bound , like christs fine corne , by lions teeth was ground . next after this , the second century points at some saints of glorious memory , as pillars of that age , with whom as chiefe , succeeding those fore-nam'd i ranke in briefe a martyr'd sire of naples palestine , one that foretold his death to antonine , when shortly after did a cynickes hate conclude with flames the swans prognosticate , having first wrote , to calme the emperours spleene his defence , and to romes senatours . in iustines time , which by the yeeres account , since christs ascention up from olives mount , one hundred shone , good christians liv'd content with simple meanes , and scorn'd the blandishment of gaine or pompe , with all false worldly wares : but fixt on christ , and cure of soules their cares . platoes and moores eutopiaes common-wealth , compar'd to them seemes but promethean stealth , phant asticke dreames , or speculations flame , which being unpractiz'd breed the authours shame , they taught and wrought with reall charity , as if that day they were arraign'd to dye ; not like to stoicks dissembling lookes austere ; but against sinne with discipline severe , with vowes and fasts the outward man to tame ; not for repute , or superficiall fame , but with intent to keepe their vessels pure , and to seale up their christian calling sure , they promis'd not but what they did performe , and squar'd their deedes to the apostles forme , such pious deedes with zealous sparkes beset , as i for saints have in my preface set . from justines workes likewise i apprehend the eucharists religious use and end : we take no common bread nor common wine , ( saith he ) but like as christ by the divine bright word became true flesh , and for our good , tooke on him our attire of flesh and blood , so we by vertue of his word , record that food to be the body of the lord ; yet sacramentall wine and sacred bread , which have our soules by the remembrance fed . with this short course the presect of the feast , insinuates vowes into each sacred breast ; they fed with zeale : the throng thanksgiving sing , and deacons did unto the absent bring the consecrated food , that they likewise might have a taste of the soule-sacrifice : such was the ancients forme , to distribute the holy food without quirkes or dispute . in those dayes crosse to food blest by the word , was sacrifice of flesh at heathens boord to idoll-gods , which christians did refuse , by reason of the cursed end and vse , ( as we likewise that carnall food despise , which some create a god at sacrifice ) and yet the food , ere it was so disgrac'd , could not pollute the honest takers taste . so when gods word hath blest ours to record our saviours crosse , it quickens by that word , which full of life breathes spirit , life , reliefe , if it be tane by soules firme of beliefe ; for otherwise the present ectasy doth uanish , and away those blessings fly : they at their feast emanuels presence lose , his presence , whose rare forme some clearks appose . though they beleeve , that christ is god and man , and stiled god with us , his forme they scan , and question , how could paul and stephen see emanuel , while on earth men living be ? as to the pure this mysti●ke trance turnes pure , so t is damnations bait to the impure . and when faiths feast becomes a sacrifice to idoll gods , it tends to prejudice ; for this grave cause good christians doe refuse false altars meate , where satan poison scrues . what shall i write of mark aurelius raigne ? when all his campe distrest for want of raine , were at the point to perish , christians then , by miracle gain'd showres to save his men ? while hopelesse pagans dig'd , by prayers they gain'd in one night what they had toyl'd by day . such wondrous deedes of the church primitive , like those blest showrs , will cause our m●se to thrive , if therewithall we moisten thirsty soules , which long to taste of our nectarean bowles , in hope from bruites to be trasnform'd anew to better shapes , then ovid could renew , or samian forge . our new-man sings more strange , of manners , not of bodies , the exchange . within this age liv'd irenaeus knowne a bishop , where france built her lions towne . he stoutly did the marriage-state defend , whose foes , he writes , blame god and natures end. he taxed romish victors lightnings flash , and qualifi'd his squibs denounced rash , which he presum'd against the east to throw , for easters date with supercilious brow : ( or did perhaps not excommunicate , but barre with them rome to communicate . ) so likewise did grave policrates blame his censure-causing schisme , and christians shame . this reverend man , to win the more applause for his defence of that propounded cause , demonstrated , that his seven ancestours , and he the eighth from those progenitours , were bishops all of ephesus , and held their yearely course of easter unrepeal'd , implying , that his lineall holy race , confirm'd the truth to cleare that wrangling case . next unto those shone athenagor as , tatian , and he , who with his sire would passe to martyrdome , and but for mothers teares partake , like adamant , not shrunke with feares . he gloss'd gods word , & would have bin more priz'd , if he had not too much allegoriz'd . severus sent for him ( such was his fame ) to antioch , where he stuck to christ his name , and blaz'd his word with such rare eloquence , that he return'd by caesar grac'd from thence , dismiss'd with gifts , and courtiers good report , he came againe to the sev'n flouded port , where he much oyle in alexanders towne , consum'd , untill his errour put him downe . where well he wrote , no better writer knowne : where ill , none worse then origen is showne . famous for this : he termes christs flesh and bl●●●● the spirits type , his word soule-quickning food ; most infamous for this : that first he gelt himselfe , and then for feare he should have felt a buggering rape by a black-hired moore , he sacrific'd to idolls ( a farre more scurfe-spreading sinne ) for which with bolts accurst , by alexandriaes church , to teares he burst , whenlighting on a text in salmes towne , and there desir'd to preach , he found his owne unhappy act by lot , nay by divine appointment : how the precepts which are mine , dar'st thou presume within thy mouth profane to teach or read , o thou ungodly man ? upon which text poore origen abasht , with teares his crime and his presumption washt . the state of the bishops of rome during the time of persecvtion , and while they were subject to the emperours . it may be heere some curious wits expect , that i their lives and deedes should recollect , whom priestly votes h●ve voyc'd for roman popes in peters chaire , on whom they sixt their hope● to binde and loose their manifolded cri●e● both then and now , and in ensuing times . but such a taske i dare not undergoe , nor will i have with fraudfull styles to doe : the servant when of servants one proclaimes himselfe , and yet a monarques power claimes . let them who build on flesh and blouds desires , entangling their beliefe with needlesse fires of high ambitious thrones , not warranted by gods deare lambe , who for our sakes here led an humble life : let them i say bow downe before the gold-cross'd shooe and triple growne . but i am sure they no record shall finde , nor chronicle , that mentions in that kinde the least reflexe of royall majesty due to romes popes with both swords soveraignty , untill the french the lumbards overcame , till charlemaine did desiderius tame since phocas time they nine score yeeres before , above all priests the chiefest mi●er wore : since constantines , who phocas did precede three hundred yeeres , a patriarchs sway i read they had heere in our west . but till that time they scarce found space to breath , much lesse to climb , or claime a mace , and to be called lord , a style , which christ forbad , and saints abhorr'd ; for till the raigne of constantine the great , thirty they were , which grac'd romes pastours seat , and of those thirty bishops there were none , but they were slaine , or did through troubles grone . as english saints were in queen maries dayes by tyrants spleene distressed sundry wayes , imprison'd , rackt , and put to open shame , depriv'd of all their goods , and burnt in flame : so christs new church , tho with rare dowries blest , neere for three hundred yeares was sore opprest . caefars without , and herteickes within , did persecute , and plunge her members in so many toiles , that hardly they could meet in private place , nor one another greet with common shewes of neighbours amity ; how then could they thinke on priority ? and stand on points of prelates primacie , without distrust of some conspiracie ? the truth is this : who were styl'd bishops then , they fish'd not for fraile wealth , but soules of men , not to enrich themselves with private store , but like saint paul , the crosse they thought on m●●● from christian caesars they got liberties , but not so great to claime regalities , about the yeare sixe hundred sixty sixe , we finde that rome began to play more tricks then she durst act within the ages past , as paul and john fore-told her breach at last ) and never left to lift her lofty crest , till she gods word had darkned in the west , and dar'd upon the caesars state to prey , the maine great let to her prodigious sway. she never ceas'd to stirre up raging fires , till she at trent concluded her desires , repugnant to the vow , which she profest at her first rise , sixe hundred yeares at least , at such wild fits i onely glance , not carpe ; this taske i leave for an iambicks warpe . the occvrrances of the third age , from the yeere of our lord 200. untill the yeere 300. at which time dioclesian and maximinus raigned emperours of rome . the argument next to the greekes the latine scribes begin , idolaters unto christs church to win ▪ romes tyrants fret , and saints they martirize . saint anthony into a desart flyes . within this age the church most militant and cautious , strove to shun exorbitant attempts of foes ; one while to secret caves constrained to retire ; sometimes to tame the braves of her owne tribe , domesticke mutineers , shee us'd the spirits sword ; 〈◊〉 the jeeres and flou●ing stuffes of f●rrainers to daunt , which did at her poore robes and altars taunt , she fought against caetilius and his traine , and prov'd their vaunt for outward glories vaine . her state was then unsetled ▪ new , and poore , but time to come might make her flourish more . a thousand of such taunts and fiery darts , a thousand of great dangers , envious arts , by satans plots she daily underwent , while caesars sought their pagan-gods content . the neerer that the church drew to her time of liberty , least that too high she climbe , satan suborn'd his agents in this age , against her race to shew their utmost rage . he knew her thraldomes date to iohn foretold , would shortly end . and that made him so bold . as otherwhiles a woman chast and faire . dishevel'd seemes , or with loose dangling haire : so without art , and in her native dresse the church at first for want of time to dresse , and to compose her outward ornament , came forth to spread her saviours testament , not carking much for superficiall wea●e , but in the heart the new mans gifts to beare ; and yet both chaste and faire she comely shone , with constant faith built on the corner-stone . and though she liv'd and raign'd of men unseen with carnall eyes , yet of good angels seen , heard in the quire , which to the lambe belongs , answer'd by saints with sympathizing songs , nay , seene and knowne of men reborne anew both then and now , who never kneel'd to baal , but to one christ , the saviour of us all , who by his word , and bright di●rnall light , hath late disperst the tempests of the night , sav'd us , like peter , out of her●ds iayle , from babels powder-traine , for saints availe . for which sweet grace , redintegracious love , the saints on earth with those of heaven above , united in one league shall ever sing melodious songs to our triumphant king. our latine west unto the church of greece , acknowledge must her selfe in some degrees inferiour and oblig'd , from her she had the forme of christian rites false altars to reforme , as she the substance from ierusalem , more neere to greece then rome , the church supreme , from her she borrow'd her prime words of art , those second coin'd intentions , to impart from man to man by termes , discourse , and tongue , what otherwise would dormant lye unstrung . her noblest name of christian catholick , the eucharist , the faith apostolick , types , symboles , and ecclesiasticke lawes , what be they but greeke words for christian cause disguis'd in latine robes faith to expresse ? and to worke on mild hearers more or lesse ? the sev'nty soribes translated iewries ioyes to the greeke tongue by philadephus choise . saint paul and luke divulg'd in graecian tone christs mysteries , yea , and saint iohn wrought on his auditours in graecian vestiment , fit in that age to further his intent . greece more to praise , ere rome saw christ his light , some greekes of philip cray'd his masters sight . no marvell then , that greeks , ere latinists did publish workes , fought in our christian lists with infidells against their rites obsceane . towards the period of the second sceane , to celebrate this age , tertullian rose , with tullian phrase to daunt the churches foes , false heretickes and jewes , whom he refells ; and but for dreaming fasts his part excells , whilst he , gainst marcion makes christs body good , truths figure , not imaginary food , since figures shew not false , but things indeed . and in another place , quoth he , we feed by hearing on the word in●arnate blest , with understanding chew , through faith digest . saint cyprian him succeeds , who famous made by monuments , which cannot faile nor fade , the churches union ; and the martyrs crowne , which since himselfe receiv'd in carthage towne . this saint bids us the holy bread to part , and breake by faith , not with sharpe teeth nor art , while we confesse : that , which is broke to parts , divine-humane both god and man imparts . out of his bookes we cull , at carthage towne how he did fr●t , and all the councell frowne to heare , that any should romes pope install , the bishop of all bishops generall . next after him minucius foelix came in roman robes , caecilius overcame with dialogues , and foil'd his heath'nish dreames . so did arnobius by the spirits beames , in the like garbe the gentiles rage abate ; and shewes the cause , why christians idolls hate . by fabian bath'd he grac'd this centers age , who first of caesars wore the christian badge . long had the church been rackt with bitter woes , in travell , like a woman tir'd with throes , to bring that faire light forth , and blessed birth , which in th' elect shines with harmonious mirth , the inward man , i meane , whose praise we sing , grac'd to that end with will by heavens king. through all the roman empire tortured , and by fierce tyrants hands sore martyred in every age during her pilgrimage heere in this world , untill maxentius rage , became supprest by zealous constantine , she felt what dioclesian , maximine , and what their praetours could impose of force upon her limmes without their least remorce she felt , christ in his members felt againe , what hangmen could inflict of hellish paine , and what their predecessors could inflict upon her lambes by proclamations strict , ( prefiguring our late new christian fry , whom men professing christ in flames did fry ) and yet they fail'd by their decrees severe , or wolvish decius them to daunt with feare , but that in midst of paine , by satan stung , they to the lambe allelujaes sung . slighting the gridiron through the holy ghost : now chuse thy flesh , quoth lawrence , raw or rost. faire theodora to the stewes confin'd , ●er friend holp her to scape in masked kind , ●ay'd in her place , he thrall'd , she came againe ; ●et did the iudge for martyrs both arraigne , mauger all rackes and flames saint alba● here ●n brittaine first , and noble george appeare , who arm'd on horse-backe with a sangaine crosse leagu'd salems knights , and oft fear'd englands foes , as ancient wits conceiv'd their aiery signe , like that , which meteour'd once to constantine . which signe they might more fitly to their head impute then with his members quartered . their crimson gore transform'd to robes of white , by vertue of their faith beames-darting-bright . with amphibale they live yet in our west and with those twaine , whom of her martyrs best , with sacred bayes at vsk carleons towne saint aaron , and saint iulius still doth crowne . within this age , like to th' essences sect , good men of life austene did cells erect of christian hermites or anachorites , in aegypts desarts , there , that convertites might solitaty dwell , from passions free , and from those baites , wherewith we daily see the greatest part , ev'n of the churches brood , ensnar'd ( a mystick point not understood by libertines in these our carnall dayes ) there , cloystred up from soule temptations stayes alone and farre from mortalls company the holy saint , the long-liv'd anthony , his life sustaining onely by the fruit of one palmitoe tree , whose rind did suit and cloath his limmes , as did the fruit him feed . his patterne then good saint macarius trac'd , whose presence since the nicen councell grac'd , o happy types ▪ if superstition since for hypocrites some came not to convince ; as savoyes hermite through confessions shrow'd , since cuckolded the best of all the crowd . about the end of this third century , when dioclesians rage and butchery did persecute the saints , god raised up lactantius to confirme them not to droup , for now their time of liberty drew neere , which by gods grace did after soone appeare : for saving philip , whom pope fabian blest , all caesars hitherto christs flocke opprest . the church as yet fixt on no constant formes of government . so grievous were the stormes of persecution rais'd by tytants rage , the first three ages of her pilgrimage , that she could not correct , but now and then , judge , nor with tythes reward industrious men . as lollards were by our lancastrians curb'd , and huguenots in france by kings disturb'd , so her aw'd st●rres durst scarce a synod call by stealth , much lesse a councell generall , where her chiefe watchmen of the christian race , might congregate in one convenient place . popes stood not then on high prerogatives , glad oft to flye , to lurke , and save their lives : but christians now began to be more bold , the time in the apocalipse foretold , the two and forty monthes being full expir'd ( monthes counted for yeares sabbaths ) they aspir'd ▪ by the imperiall leave to settle things in order without gall , or envious stings , as shall appeare after licinius death . meane while i le rest , so to resume more breath . the occvrrances of the fourth age , from the yeare of our lord 300. untill the yeare 400. being the second yeare of the raigne of arcadius and honorius the sonnes of theodosius the roman emperour . the argument . the glorious church , which constantine ●uil● vp . at his decease , by arrians vext doth droupe . for schooles restraint of julian she complaines ▪ which rise againe through theodosius paines . though i be slow the strumpet to 〈◊〉 , yet i contend to blaze the new-man● taske , and to performe enough to satisfie my noble friends , where the true church did lye . since christ his time untill our present age , mauger hells spight during her pilgrimage : because she did on no foundation stand but christ , none shall her name with errour brand ; because she built upon the living rocke , which peter voucht , she shunn'd the fatall shocke of the fierce dragons floud , in darknesse shin'd , though to a desart rude she seem'd confin'd . because she squar'd her doctrine and her rites according to gods word , her opposites can never blacke her fame and memory , nor need she feare proud babels mystery , that errours spirit can obliterate the gospels text , which she enjoyes of late . i will make good , that though some curse & 〈◊〉 , yet by gods rayes , or his saint michaels banner ; she spreads christs name , in saints and martyrs blest , in dangers oft , and seldome times at rest ; one while in tents , in warres against her foes : another time beleaguer'd , feeling woes , when seeking christ in time of superstition , the watchmen smote her in the inquisition , as salomon sung in his canticles ; as christ himselfe by scribes conven●ic●●s , and roman doome in person felt what grace his limmes with men finde in their holy race . by martyrs bloud and spoiles of the old man , our new man first his sacrifice began , continues still his feast , though some conspire to marre the same , and our good church to fire . and yet for all mens hate , our mother lives , yea , from her flames the new man buds and thrives , not much unlike the phoenix , whom they say , that being burnt her like revives alway , though alway not so vigourous or faire , by reason of the climate , food , or aire , too high conceit of her splendidious worth , or of the keyes to shut the stubborne forth ; or other accidentall le ts she seeme but vile , or lacking tythes , in poore esteeme , nipt with hard winters frost , or scorcht with hear , course dyet , or with changing soile or seate . yet at the last the bridegroome in extreames shewes her the way to his spirituall streames , to pray with zeale , more cautiously to watch , least fiend-like pride her or her brood attache , to feed his flocke , though they ungratefull be , combining to keepe backe his tythes , her fee. for whether poore or sicke by dankish aire , she sleepes not , till she doth to christ repaire with contrite thoughts , and lusts mortification , with the new-mans and soules resussitation , of whom she begs , and humbly sues for grace , which on her teares she gaines , then sees his face , the splendour of his spirit working wonders ; with mildest gales restraining sinaies thunders ; and thereupon is throned on a hill , with large command , according to his will. to bind or loose her childrens sinnes to keepe , to watch , and feed , but not to flay his sheepe , like her with triple crowne on seven hills , who with false fires now sits as god , and fills mens consciences with smoaky pardons , wares of the beasts marke , with lies and bug●e are cares , a bout three hundred yeares the gospels light , had through our saviours bloud acquired might and rooting , when restrain'd it faster spred , enlightning soules whom forged tales missed . when die had foil'd maxentius , maximine , and to a nooke licinius did confine , the christian church was rear'd by constantine , most glorious on a hill , with rires divine , and decent states , as well from foes contempt , as from home-scandalls to become exempt . soone as that signe had meteour'd in the aire , which conquerour him styl'd , he did repaire the ruines of the church , recalled home those whom late tyrants had proscrib'd from rome . such grace she found : but soone her sonnes forgot to thanks our god the author of their lot , who had inspir'd th' imperiall majesty with zeale to serve one god in trinity , and at the nic●ne councell to restore by publick acts what prostrate lay before , to build up temples with large liberties , there , to serve god with vowes and sacrifice , to chuse grave mitred sires to over-see , least christ his flocke by wolves should scared ●e , and by decree to quashall idolls downe at synod held in eliberi● towne . this course he tooke by his good mothers lore , whose birth much fame to brittains did restore ; and helens name deserves to be engilt , for finding christ his crosse , for temples built . five bishopricks he rais'd to mighty height , whereof each one possest a severall right ; and none of these in one anothers charge to meddle , but their owne taske to discharge , o're-seeing their proper flockes . the chiefest roome he gave the popes of new and ancient rome : the third he granted to jerusalem : then antiochs fell and alexandriaes stem . this stinted course they long observ'd , and none swarv'd from the stem at nice agreed upon , but brethren-like liv'd in true amity , not striving for more seates priority , then constantine out of his bounteous grace allotted them in their distinguish'd place . the first , that sithence kickt , was he of rome , who at bizantiums councell would become the chiefest priest as of old rome the pope , sometime the empires head of spatious scope ; the which the pope of new-built rome gaine-sayd , and there to hold the prime place he assayd ; at which vigilius did so powte and frowne , he would not meet with them , though then in town . thus they , who should a lowly minde possesse , began to climbe to lordly loftinesse , perverting to wrong sence the living rocke , gods word , the keyes , and feeding of christs flocke . that they might raigne here in this world a while , for a few yeares pufft with a princely stile : when they know in their consciences they erre , that after death they fall , like lucifer . but they for faith lean'd unto humane worth , and scatt'red doubts against gods spirit forth . they mutined against the holy ghost ; apostate arrians raung'd through every coast. they soone forgot the mysticke crosses sence , the new-mans vewes , and the words excellence . their plenty pufft them up , and the sunnes light bedazzeled them , like gazing birds of night . for the true substante , shadowes they ador'd , for the creator , creatures they implor'd ▪ the late baptiz'd enur'd to pagan rites , to saturnalian feasts , and idoll sights , could not away with that religions forme , which typing christs their lives ought to reforme , their flamiues grudg'd , that the new-●lergy held the conquest over soules , themselves expelld . the lay-men wav'd betwixt the old and new , like aethiops loath to change their pristine hew . to punish these , when constantine was urg'd , not so , said he , mad men should rather purgd by physicke be . we must , though curres do bark , with gentle gales to port bring christ his ark. this prince , when he paphnutius saw at ni●e , his hollowes kist , whom focs depriv'd of eyes . the roman empire was most fortunate under his sway. he rais'd romes falling state to such a height , that never kingdome since his paralell enjoy'd , nor any prince succeeded like to him in pieties true practice , farre exempt from avarice and crying sinnes . his palace with the poore then with praetorian bands abounded more . he was not serv'd in gold or silver plate , though he might set on all the world a rate , but earthen vessels or of wood he chose . he curbd himselfe , because he would not lose his wavering subjects hearts . and what he spar'd above the pensions of his souldiers , guard , the publike troup , and his owne private charge , he yeerely did conferre the same at large to pious use , and temples up to build , but more christs living temple to rebuild . blest was the church while ▪ his good monarch raign● having peace , freedome , wealth , and honour gain'd ▪ but after his decease by arrians vext , she like a widow stood long time perplext , but not with open force , for satan then was for a thousand yeares from murthering men , for the faiths sake begun to be restrain'd , yet so , that saints for tryall might be pain'd . since i my taske for constantine have spun , i must not leave constantiaes web unspun . this zealous princesse , whether fancies flame , or to become cortivall of her fame ▪ who late had found the crosse in calvary , or satans plot into her creed to pry , whether these tempting baites wrought on her will , to shake her faith , and her best part to spill : she sought the picture of our saviour christ , as if her creed did on the same consist to bring to passe her project frivolous , she wrote unto euscbius pamphilus , requiring him to send it her to greece , to make her happy in that graven peece . the holy father with disdainefull eye perus'd her lines ; he feard idolatry , lest the connivence at such passages , might blurre the new-mans ghostly images . he therefore answer'd her with piety , in zealous lines , not without majesty : your grace desires , christs portraiture to have , but which of his two persons would you crave ? which doe you meane ( quoth he ) his shape divine , that beares the ●●kenesse of the first in trine ? or else the image of a servants forme , to which for us he did himselfe transforme ? if you aspire his god-heads shape to see , take heed you touch not on old adams tree ; none knowes the father but the sonne alone , and none but by the father knowes the sonne . but if that persons-picture you demand , borne of our flesh , you must then understand , that none by art and oily colours di'd , can limne his bodies frame now glorifi'd ; for since that his disciples could not see his shining face at tabor , how shall wee view his bright face and persons lineaments , which till doomes-day he hath removed hence ? on this monition the good empresse staid , and of such carnall types became afraid . while luke-warme thoughts contended much with zeale , false arrius crept into christs common-weale , where six score yeares his sect good men so griev'd , that in those dayes the most part mis-believ'd . two councels then the arrian side preferr'd , the millaine stray'd , the ariminian err'd : yea , bishops both of new and ancient rome , subscribed , and to hereticks gave roome . against them all did athanafius warre , and therefore may be stil'd that ages starre . by his true zeale and pen the arrians quail'd , and truth at last with victory prevail'd . during soules time of blindnesse , satans warre began againe both neere at hand and farre . against false hearts , not by blouds violence , but by fly arts to try saints innocence . to dim the churches splendour , he sent out his slyest fiends to compasse them about ▪ mad iulian he stirr'd up , till he perforce did yeeld unto the galileans force : where magick spells , nor his deare ●orphiry , could stop gods doome due for his trechery , which unto christians interdicting schooles , made wits more ho● , his counsellors but fooles . as bad prov'd valens , since to arrians sold , but gothes by fire purg'd his presumption bold . what iulian spoild , did valentinian raise , and gra●ian grace . but theodosius praise deserves much more . he by pope damasus , and millains starre did arrian tumults crush . blest be his name , who barr'd for his amisse from church refrain'd , till he gain'd ambrose blisse , and though a king of kings , yet not withstood checks for rash doome of thessalonians blood. o godly prince ! who when he might command a pardon , yet most humbly demand . of him one sung : each thing with him prevailes : so winds conjurd descended to his sailes : for him the heavens fought , the waves went backe , and natures course for all his foes ran slacke . this claudian blazd with panegyrick straine , and ambrose of his death did much complaine : i lov'd this prince , quoth he , because he car'd , more for the church then his owne wea le regard . much owes the church unto his memory , for after he had chasd idolatry , and calm'd the arrians rage to catholicks content , he setled christian bishopricks ▪ and least the church for want of meanes should ●ade , confirm'd the act which good iovinian made for tythes to pastours , which hath ever since reviv'd the fame of this religious prince . what good this act hath done in ages past , till mungrell monkes the churches hire defac't , encroaching on the clergy seculare , for their support of sloth and private care , let godly states observe , and waigh what losse ensues of soules by such as doe ingrosse impropriate tythes , while many thousands pine for want of meanes to spread the seed divine . the occvrrences of the fifth age , from the yeere of our lord 400. untill the yeere 500. at which time anastasius raigned emperour of rome . the argument . priests marriages confirm'd . foule heresies burst out . false christians plagu'd by enemies . what wondrous wits that age brought forth divine . now bloom'd the irish church and abissine . that parcell of false babels mystery , broacht at the end of the last century inhibiting priests marriage , in the rise of this new age returnes to hell , and dyes . for while the arrians heat began to slake , siricius made romes clergies hearts to ake , when he would them in the last age constraine , to live without their wives in tantales paine , without their plightd mates , whom christ had joy'nd as type of his church-mystery , injoyn'd from strangers sheets , as well with holy seed to store his church , as to partake some meed for solace of their lives anxiety , while they soil'd not chast society , like heathen men , with wives pluralities , or haunted whores in surreptitious wise . but quickly was this cloud disperst and gone , as not by mortalls to be undergone , when wiser men condemned his decree , and prov'd the marriage state for all men free , aswell by lessons out of sacred story , as nicens warrant to paphnutius glory , who though himselfe had never married been , yet he to barre priests marriage deem'd it sinne. and so the councell held at gangren past , the like decree for evermore to last , that married priests might safely minister , and who enacted otherwise did erre , with thundring doome accursing every wight , that dares maintaine that tenets opposite . saint nazianzen sung that he was borne , the third yeare since his si●e a priest was sworne . though this and other fire-drakes choake in snuffe , yet did not other clouds leave off to puffe and poison soules . each one must have his guard of angels two both good and bad , to ward or tempt his soule , that the sect manicbee might conjure them , but not without a fee. to ayde them with free-will and merits charmes , pelagius offers now to lend them armes . for these two sects together with the mists breath'd forth by arrians and the donatists , the world then suff'red condigne punishments , in lives and fortunes with distracted rents . that ages church was so with heresies beset , and from the truth seduc'd with lies , that though she fled into a wildernesse , to sojourne there safe from their wickednesse , and damned plots , yet did the dragon spew a floud of 〈◊〉 in hope to 〈◊〉 he●hew . but missing her he persecutes her seed , and seekes by open force to slay her breed . which though he fail'd because of his restraint , yet he prevai'ld her luke-warme race to taint . for this great warre he rais'd up bloudy foes , gothes , vandalls , hunnes , all prest at his dispose , by rhadagase , alaricke , totilas , by him , whom , aetius foil'd , proud a●tilas , who had proclaim'd himselfe the scourge of god , to chastise mortalls with an iron rod ; besides the vandall arrian gensericke , who sackt at austines death his bishopricke . by these whom rome had sometimes kept in thrall , god suff'red fiends for sinne to worke romes fall , to let lewd worldlings know , that when they faile in zeale and love , then satan will prevaile . before these stormes , when as the church was like to perish quite , god grac'd her catholike againe by meanes of athanasius creed , by ambrose , jerome , and good austines deed. besides those foure , how many radiant lamps did the good spirit raise against the damps of hellish fiends in that fam'd century ? from gratians time , till zenoes empery ? no age before nor since hath ever seene such lights to crowne theology a queene , no age more wise , more learned wits brought forth , since the apostles time of better worth then those fore-nam'd , then famous hi●●ary , theodoret , eusebius , gregory , and basil his deare mate , then chrysost omes rare ho●●ties , whose fluent golden tomes ravish the dullest sence , or who can share with epiphanius ? or for skill compare with both the cyrills , or with emissene ? and others , who renown'd that ages scene ? extirping arrians , and the m●●ichees ? daunting donatus , and his complices ? and striving to keepe downe pelagians pride ? orfor a time to stint their swelling tide , which but for them had sooner made the way for sale of soules , and antichristian sway ? these shone as starres within the fir●ament , and did then satan in that age prevent from his deep reach . and we might doe as much , if next gods word upon their stone we touch discreetly without passion , or selfe-love , since men are pro●e the worst things to approve . tempted by fiends , which wheele about the braine , to misconceive the right for worldly gaine . such bred in errour from their infancie , will hardly see the truths resplendencie . but soone relaps'd that ages proselytes , they whoor'd againe as did the israelites . on which relapse he that for abrams seed could raise up stones , a stony-hearted breed , stirr'd from the north his blessings to partake , which christians soil'd . these did in time forsake their pagan gods , and the true faith embrac'd in milder climes , which hypocrites disgrac'd . at last they fell likewise through pamp'●ing ease , and with grosse sinnes their saviour did displease . so stood where caesars raign'd the churches state : but now i must looke backe where belul sate , the southerne queenes successour , sabaes heire , who was baptiz'd in the fourth hundred yeare . long had the church of th' equinoctiall line , candaces clime , since stil'd the abissine , been tost on nilus lakes by mungrell windes , compos'd of iewish rites and heath'nish mindes . but now those stormes allay'd , att●nements made , that christians might through circumcision wade , and each partake of others lawes and love , both leagu'd , both vow'd baptized to approve the christian eunuches faith by philip taught , and long before to ethiopia brought . above three hundred yeares the gospels spring had cheer'd their parched zone , and every thing began to grow with various faire encrease of ghostly gifts and homilies of peace by their abunaes care , and clergies toyle , onely the great ones still did them embroyle with carnall snares to crosse their good attempts . like as the romaine caesars saints intents by tyranny had interrupted long , till constantine redrest the churches wrong . so likewise saints among the abissines were trod upon , or by sore mulcts and fines , opprest , that some kept close , some fled away , some as it were in hugger mugger lay : others for feare recanted from the light , dissembling what they knew to be the right , as many here gloz'd in queene maries dayes , and some in france with our reformed wayes ; untill their foes were calm'd , and liberty of conscience sign'd to the new christian fry ; about which time hells rage became allay'd , which for three hundred yeares the saints oreswayd . but now on the approach of this fifth age , by his grave counsaile and abunaes sage . the emperour of ethiopiaes land the gospel more began to understand , and rais'd the christian faith with publike vowes , yet mixt with iewish rites and levites showes , and though their formes appeare extravagant , in substance yet their faith is protestant , and little diff'ring from the primitive which we professe . like ours their clergy wive ; they minister the cup unto the lay ; they honour saints with a memoriall way , but worship not shrines , nor imagery , lest they might fall to flat idolatry . sound christians , were it not that thēy too much on moses lawes the observation touch : or else that they for their dispense do plead , that to eate bacon , hares-flesh , or the like , might make them leprons , and their bodies sicke , their climates sunne diseasing bloud and braine : that what agrees with us procures them paine . perhaps they ranke their circumcisions use , and shrowd it with indifferent things excuse . devout they are , when in the church they meet , they spit not there , nor come with durty feet . their lent is long , which by their foes observ'd , they oft surprize thē through their feasts halfe starv'd . some ancient bookes among us lost they hold , which they esteeme as gemmes , more deare then gold , the oracles of enoch , and the booke of the apostles canons they o're-looke , and the lost acts of one of calcedons old councells they retaine like precious stones . the patriarch still of alexandriaes bay claymes from saint marke their sacerdotall sway. these negroes here for christians i assigne , to shew that christ his church doth elsewhere shine , and that she might grow strong within the south , when in our west she seem'd a dwarfe in growth . out of the christian church exil'd by romes fierce caesars for the faith some left their homes , and fled for shelter to remoter climes , in hope to shun the malice of the times ; to shun the ten great persecutions rage , many were forc't their fortunes to ●ngage , some past the bosphors straights , som gibraltars , others reti●'d themselves where sunne-burnt carres , twice yearely touch on both the hemispere● , that they might live secur'd from worldly feares . the like , whilst that mad dioclesian rav'd , our brittaines did , and neighbours succour crav'd , who giving them corporeall nourishments , were by their guests with soule-food recompenc'd . a saint-like bounty , where both parties blest partake of love , the greatest with the least . ) among these nations , now my muse invites the reader to review some neighbour lights . that humid westerne i le , whose soile resists twists , snakes , toads , and moules , whose wood no cob-web stor'd with true saints a saint-like stile now gaines , trampling pelagians downe by patricks paines . for while they skream'd in brittain , france , & rome , he preacht free grace to reeling christendome ; he preacht sweet peace , dehorting men from jarres , from crying sinnes , from murther , spoiles & warres ; though some of late in printed legends tell , that by his word he thousands packt to hell. ( a strange narration , that a saint should act so opposite to christ a bloudy fact. ) but after his decease , hybernia lost within few yeares the style which grac'd her most : and then mad broils her members prickt like goads , worse than the stings or bane of snakes and toads . yea , god with wolves plagu'd her back-sliding fry , because they like samarians went awry : in mingling with gods worship , idoll sights , traditions flawes , and superstitious rites . the occvrrences of the sixth age , chiefly what hapned in the i le of brittaine after the arrivall of the saxons from the yeare of our lord 500. untill the yeare 600. being the sixteenth yeare of the raign of maurice the romaine emperour . the argument . the christian church , which greeks & latins rear'd , in brittaine lyes with pagan rites besmear'd , trod on by saxons troupes , and wodens brood , but worse by her owne natives sheading blood. five hundred yeares from christ not fully told , when arrians stopt , then stept pelagians bold with more sly tricks of humans worth to boast then tha● dull sect , which wrongd the holy ghost . wherefore new broiles infested christ endome , to chastife men for schisme , as to make roome for antichrist the head of heretickes , which mystick wise from mungrell catholickes deriv'd his birth , and will a tyrant grow . because men loved lies , such plagues did flow . great plagues indeed ; which since defil'd the east with carnall baites by an arabian drest , and with soule-tainting charmes by popes profest , cookt by pelagians first within the west , confounding faith by whimseyes of the braine with flesh and blouds desires , and merits staine , so that our ile her former glory lost ; there was no roome left for the holy ghost , pelagi●s had her motions so engrost and then her north to hu●ler all was lost by scots and ficts usurpt with dismall woes . because she grace blasphem'd , god sent her foes , which like a del●ge broke through adrians wall , till strangers came with armes to end the brawle . yet ended not her stinke of ghostly sinne , nor carnall snares , where she involv'd had beene . the sunne had run one hundrid yeares at full , ere heathnish hands could all her feathers pull , or part asunder her old seamelesse weare , which christ his font had dipt with reverend feare , in dies sent her from eleuthere in graine , and by great helens sonne confirm'd againe ; plaine without staine , i meane , and free from pride , or that foule schisme , which did her since betide by her abortive brood , pelagian crew , the sect that made millions of soules to rue . plaine robes she wore without embroidery , or worldlings garbe , when antient hillary greeted his brethren here in brittany ▪ those whom faith linkt to saints sweet company . so well had damian and fugatius bore christs ensigne here two hundred yeares before , that at the councell grave theodoret rejoyc'd to see our brittish elders met . with purest flowres our brittain church did bloom , till in honorius raigne , gothes ra●sackt rome . she flourish'd under romaine legions long , but those being gone , she faded and went wrong ; and then fiends watcht the time while heresie possest weake albions braine with lunacie . they saw how she cosseted her child pelagius , how she was by him beguil●d , they loath to lose advantage , nurst the hate betwixt her and her aydes . although of late the remnant which the romaine caesars left of souldiers here to guard this i le from theft , were with the ablest brittish youth to france , transported there to lead a warre-like dance against romes foes , where by warres-casualties few liv'd to see their home-calamities : yet brittaines rather here for empire fought then to gaine soules for their redeemer sought , or rather romaine fry in brittaine borne , their factions made our brittish church a scorne : their church , which late with twenty eight did towre since counted sev'n , and ebb'd to bishops foure . their temples and romes legionary townes , were quarter'd out for teutons garrisons ; before the sunne had forty yeeres his race run through , since hengist rais'd old wodens mace , those germains then did them , like wolves , devoure , since home and forraigne saints did faile to scoure their vessels cleane from filth , since both did faile saint german and saint lupus to prevaile . after these starres declin'd to natures course , for thirty yeares the church oft fared worse , some times aloft she mounted ; other times she stood amaz'd at change of worldly climes ; peace setled her in a calme aire againe , when dubrice did pelagian blasts restraine , about the time of great justinians raigne , and then a while our church renew'd againe , when after home bred jarres and civill strife , our petty kings chose val●ant arthur chiefe over their troupes in brittaines westerne lands against fierce wodens race , and saxon bands , but soone relaps'd the brittaines , proud of spoiles , not caring for devotion , all for broiles . they one another strove more to supplant for elbow-roome , then christian faith to plant . such impious blurres observ'd by hellish fiends , they sow'd debate betwixt them and their friends , made them so slight their patriarchs grave advise , that in dispaire he from carleon flies ; whence cause he brookt not the silures crimes , demetia beg'd his crozier , hapre , and chimes . but why didst thou , saint david , fly from usk , to smell of herrings , when thou mightst have musk and frankincense to offer unto god , neerer then where thou fixest thy abode ? amidst the craggy hills and foaming floud , so farre remote to doe the saxons good ? why mightst not thou beat downe idolatries , as thou didst daunt pelagian mysteries ? which by free-will had strove gods grace to rend , and on mans owne poore merits to depend ? feare caus'd thy flight , or else thy clergies hate brookt not the glory of a rising state ; or discontent to finde the want of love , among thy flocke procured thy remove . meane while behold thy country-men at ods , struggling for brittle sway , like demy-gods . at the decease of that brave martiall prince , whose tombe was found in glastenbury since , all went to wracke , like alexanders state , they parted that which he had gain'd of late , and by their strife with fell intestine rage the victours lost the saxons vassalage . while they obey'd one soveraigne generall , nor scots nor picts could work their finall fall. their foe-men paid them tribute , and the east of wodens brood cring'd to the brittaines west . but sussex now out-braves proud constantine , while vortipore south cambria makes to whine , looke how the nymphes of dee and severne grone to beare the yoak of conan and malgon ; how mone and man with the lancastrian lasse cry out : alasse , that they serve cunoglasse , who , though the greatest of the brittaine kings , shames christians more then humbers pagan stings . these leagu'd with arthur late for states defence against their foes , now for preheminence contend , and kill their kinne , like sheep or beeves , and , which to blaze as yet my nation grieves , more prone to smother truth with glozing cardes then heare their twnysogs fall by honest bardh's : two harmelesse youths of arthurs princely ligne were slaine in wintons church by constantine , that cornish wolfe , who had usurpt their right , he slew them there in their owne mothers sight , without regard unto that sacred place , to christ his altar , or their noble race . and as their kings , so did their iudges rave . sheading inferiours bloud , whom christ forgave . they sit on theeves , themselves the greatest theeves , defloure the daughter , whilst the father grieves . their plighted mates they murther or divorce , and spare not altars to profane with force . the bruit of these misdeeds inhumane strikes such odiousnesse , such horrour , and dislikes , that their owne bloud , whom brinish seas divide , gaules britonants , disdaine with them to side ; and their old friends of patricks iland scorne to ayde a wicked state through discord torne ; nay worse , instead of aide gurmundus came from thence for spoiles , and soone them overcame , the brittaines thus forlorne , nort humbria gaines , mercia starts up , and the west-saxon raignes , which last will last , and shall chalk out the way in times to come for a monarchique sway. no wonder that rude strangers gained roome , and banishd them from their best native home , sith neither dubrice , david , nor such starres could them reforme , god sent them bloudy jarres ; not all at once , but by degrees he sent his whips of wrath whereby some might repent ; but all in vaine . no threats could brittaines tame , they did those sinnes which paini●s blush to name . hengist at first did but east brittaine 〈◊〉 , and thirty lustres past ere angles prease durst severne passe , and longer yeares then tho●● , ere offa could his marches meeres enclose during which terme had brittaines tr●●●he path of penitence , they might have calm'd gods wrath , exchang'd with foes the chain of thraldomes yoak , and scap'd what since they felt , bellon●es stroake . so sung a swan of claud us caesars towne , whose birth fell out that yeare , when brittaines won the day with trophees at the 〈◊〉 , and did their trench with saxon coarses fill . he not a rush did for lewd tyrants passe , but against five stood like a wall of brasse . he shew'd what heavy plagues would them befall , how they and none but they caus'd brittaines fall ; their incests , thefis , and their loud crying sinnes , which to commit they car'd no more then pinnes , with tragick buskin and proph●ticke straine , he fear'd not of their treasons ro complaine , who though but weake against the common foe , divided kings , at home yet raged so with bloudy spoyles , that through their tyranny , they lost the most part of west brittany , for all , which they possest from winchester to cornewall , pagans got with glocester . now sussex , and the mercian kings arise on seve●●es shoare to plant dutch colonies . such threnes of thine , good gildas , proved true , as christians felt ●q that which did ensue . their champions then to woods & mountains fled , where savage bent , and with such rancour led for the long knives complot , which like a torch from time to time did their gall'd entrailes scorch , their clergy at no hand would joyne to preach the gospel , not the saxon rout to teach , unlesse they would to them againe restore their country back , which they had snatch'd before : untill at length romes blessed gregery dispatcht a monke of famous memory to englands kent , where soone he did convert prepar'd by his faire queene king et●el●ert . whence thousands moe with all their kings became by austines paines baptiz'd , to brittaines shame . for which neglect of theirs , and neighbours scorne , their state all rent , and through dissention torne , northumbers since did to west-chester rush , slay bangors monkes , and b●o●maels forces crush so deadly , that thenceforth they seldome dar'd to try the fields event with foes prepar'd . and this sore blow in judgement them befell , as gildas first , and austine did foretell . thus stood the case with brittains commonwealth , because they gave themselves to rapines , stealth , to fraud , revenge , and chiefly to contemne those , whō they might have made good christian men without the helpe of more competitours , brought from proud rome to build up babels tow●es , for austine , when he came , began to strive with them for rule , and romes prerogative , which compli'd not with saints of christian sort , as an old hermite guess'd by austines port , who pope-like set disdain'd to rise and greet sev'n christian bishops with love-congies meet . such harsh salutes , or inhumanity , so farre remote from sage urbanity , what could they but distracted rents produce ? ending in schisme , and holy things abuse ? our saviour christ was meek , all made of love : the devill proud , and so his servants prove . o what adoe they kept ? what coile ? what sturres ? with synods pleas , with quillets , and demurres ? like turkes for turbants , monkes for ●rizes hew , so christians then did one another sue . the easters time procur'd this factious brawle , the romish claim'd from peter and from paul , the brittish by prescription from saint iohn , and their feasts date the greek church grounded on . but nothing could appease the adverse side , till force at last the quarrell did decide , untill saint colman and the scottish clerkes for unions sake were faine to yeeld to quirkes , pope foelix now sign'd the last unctions use , which did in time a sacra●ent produce , that by more fees priests might enrich themselves for sacring oiled feet from aiery elves . one thing of note must not forgotten be , how in the yeare five hundred fifty three . then at a councell in bizantium held the romaine pope vigilius was refell'd for heresie , judg'd excommunicate , and doom'd to be deprived of his state. for which and murthers prov'd the emperour , with slender diet starv'd him in a tower , a just reward for claiming all that scope of liberties due to the westerne pope , which nicens councell under constantine , did long before betwixt five popes assigne , betwixt them of both romes , of salems flocke , of antioch , and of alexandriaes stocke , so that our popes in the west franchise watcht the soules , which peters net for christ then catcht , not with hells husks , traditions , dreames , and lie● but them to feed with scriptures homilies . so wily was the serpent to begin with our prime men and starres , to plunge them in the gulfe of worldly pride and avarice , that by their meanes they others might entice , for when the head feeles pestilentiall flame ; how soone puts it the members out of frame ? if , like saint peter , he that claimes his place , had liv'd , romes church had stood in better case . but how should then the prophesies of paul , and of saint iohn beene verifi'd at all ? ●n vaine the man of sinne , perditions sonne , long time by caesars pompe barr'd in that throne to sit as god , and in gods temple too , the use of meates and marriage to undoe ; to wrong the church by carnall sacrifice , of soules and bodies making marchandise ; in vaine great babels whore the scripture hath describ'd , if rome had kept her former faith : by thrall'd vigilius mark , that popes were then , ev'n for six hundred yeares to mighty men , eaths lords , enthrall'd aswell for life as state ; yea , christ our head to caesar paid a rate both for himselfe and peter from a fish without excuse , grudge , or repining pish , as they did since , which challenge peters chaire , under pretext romes ruines to repaire . and herewithall let all true christians know : " as long as men are kept in aw and low , " at some high powers beck , whom they doe feare , " so long they vertuous are , or so appeare . this of the popes may well be verified , " while they were by the caesars terrified , " and subject to the lawes , so long they thriv'd " in goodnesse , preacht the crosse , in order liv'd . but when they once obtain'd the primacie above their peeres , and the supremacie above the caesars , then they wantoniz'd , grew avaricious , proud , and ill adviz'd . but this great flame will not breake throughly out , untill th' eleventh age shall wheele about , when with false christs , like capernaites chymeres , the dragon more will charme great babels eares . thinke on these sparks , yee states and people all , from the kings bench to the poort coblers awle . the occvrrences of the seventh age , from the yeare of our lord 600. untill the yeare 700. in which tract of time the romaine pope got the style of the universall bishop , and mahomets sect began . the argument . what heresies sprang up ere antichrist broke from his swathes into the church of christ. he growes . but not to full maturity , till he hath got the two-fold soveraignty . next to gods word , or oracles divine , contemplating on matyriz'd iustine , tertullian , irene , tatian , clementine , lactantius , euphreme , ierome , origen , eusebius , leo , cyrill , nazianzen , on epiphanius , basil , hillary , theodoret , ruffinus , gregory , and their more ancients cyprian , chrysostome , with those of af●rick , asia , greece or rome , whither they in th' abissines libraries , or vaticans immur'd for antiquaries ; whether in pri●● , or manuscripts they be , musing , i say , on them with insight free , who wro●e within the first six hundred yeare , besides the synods of the sacred peeres , chiefly at nice ( to sort new things with old ) i wish this post serit set in stamps of gold : those wits , who can grave epiphanius scan , may helpe to fan romes church from the old man , like wheat from chaffe , or gold from dust and drosse . i wish this done , but dare not it ingrosse , or undertake my wishing to fulfill or want of time , of strength , of levites skill . though while proud caesars rav'd , some christians pain'd , yet pliny shewes their state when trajan raign'd ; nor could their rage , nor victors thundring schisme , for easters rites impeach faiths catechisme . curst were those weeds sprung of idolatries , which by truths flame good epiphanius tries : and blest the flowres , or herballs of the fields , for quintessence which epiphanius yeelds . there , millenaires , and grosse monothelites , with other clouds dim the first churches lights . there , see wise men then ●ire drakes more unsure , yet others there more sure then cynosure , though origen and cyprian in some things have err'd , yet saints by union calm'd their stings . while arrians rage chiefe rulers of the rost , the orthodox proclaime the holy ghost . while capernaites christs flesh most grossely take , true saints by faith that mystick food partake . where ebionites and manichees taxe marriage , there , gods elect dissolves so strict a carriage . where montanists for merit fasts erect at times prefixt , there , saints a snake suspect . priscillians teach men to equivocate , but christian saints all double-dealing hate . caianes sect did angels help implore , and with fond vowes their mystick shapes adore : as likewise did those doating heretickes , whom some in austines time term'd angellicks . but saints christs father serve , that mighty one in persons three , and three in one alone , not creatures , nor the members , but the head of creatures life , the iudge of quick and dead . all others help they utterly disclaime , save that , which they through christ his merits claime . some to our lady offer'd sacrifice , but epiphane blames them of heath'nish vice , suites womens cakes for her idolatriz'd with trash , which to heav'ns queen were sacrifie'd , equalls their deed to that which snared eve , yea , to the serpents which did eve deceave , and likewise teares the vaile where christ was painted forbidding dead mens pictures to be sainted ; wherewith by letter he upon this theame , acquaints the bishop of ierusalem , advising him not to endure the like scandall , or crime within his bishopricke . this of the veile at anablata hung was then from greek turn'd to the latin tongue . novatus damn'd men after baptismes breach , but no despairing fate mild christians teach ; they rather will raise up the br●ized reed , then thunder out what is not in their creed . such lamps this holy worke of ancient date exemplifies for us to imitate such damps likewise expressed in that work may warne th' elect , where doth the dragon lurk . there , heretickes in sundry formes appeare , there , christ his church you may discerne most cleare , and how good christians liv'd in dayes of yore , with what they taught before that rome turn'd whore , or which of either church are growne of late in faith , or manners more adulterate , there , with some paines we might gaine knowledge more , which worke i wish , but want the lydian lore to touch , to try the spirits , and apply the extracts to the moderne policy . let some grave elder with seraphick love , indifferent , just , and mild , the spirits prove . let usher , hall , or learned montague , my mate sometimes in eaton those renew , which , if my mindes presaging augury faile not , will yet to us more newes discry ; or if affaires afford them not the leasure , to levy , rate , and draw the hidden treasure , some good professour of judicious braine , which wants a flocke , may undergoe the straine ; orsome brave spirit of our academes , start up blaze those sacred theoremes , which adding wings to our reformed flights , would serve to guard our new-born lambs from kites and shew them gentle bathes , when to the brim , old tiber fill'd cause elephants to swim ; while honest swains them greet : god blesse the weak , and grant they not their christian vowes do breake , while saints doe saints salute : god speed the plow , and make us all content with what we sow . so that their seed be pure , full well we know , they with increase and peace shall reap and mow. the harvest great , no doubt but christ enow of workemen will provide , though i be slow . i now review another century : about the sev'nth of christ , the mystery of ghostly sinne began to domineere , and here-hence-out a pilot false will steere the churches ship exalted by his mace , who durst usurpe his lords imperiall place , bereaving him , his wife , and babes of life , ( an omen sure portending future strife ) from phocas first receiv'd pope boniface investiture of his supremest place , and to be styl'd , the churches soveraigne lord , which some have wrested since to peters sword , which smote off malchus eare. in the meane while hypocrisie did all the world beguile , for from the yeare since boniface began , the dragon wrought upon the braine of man , with more sly trickes then in the times before on hereticks , or wits of weaker lore . pope gregory fore-saw this mystick cloud , and new romes patriarch therefore warn'd aloud : that who aspir'd to be the soveraigne priest , he was fore-runner of false antichrist . this gregory fore-told , although himselfe had left his ship on a suspected shelfe ; when here in england he gave austine leave to winke at heathen feasts , to interweave their stuffe with faith , which some resemblance had with christian formes , to weane them form their bad and damned garbes , that so by easie steps they might ascend , and not by sodaine leapes . these pagan rites by saints conniv'd at first , like tainted vessels savour'd of the worst , and long retain'd their mixt religions taint , till the last age , on the new mans complaint , had purifi'd what the good spirit knew expedient in the church christ to renew . that monster , which since the apostles age crept mysticke-wise , grew big , began to rage , and raigne soone after gregories decease , under the keyes pretence disturbing peace , and shall for gold assume iehovahes might , to thunder , blesse , or curse each mortall wight ; for now henceforth a mixt religion flowes , to marre good seed the tempter darnell sowes . with dreggish dreames , which here pelagians first , and monkish braines had brew'd , they quench their thirst. with reliques , shrines , and lies , monastick cells abound , and darknesse now the light expells . foule sodomy instead of lawfull flames , and now our west blacke superstition shames . as mungrells of samaria sacrific'd some unto god , some creatures idoliz'd : some this besaint , that image they observe , but really the most part mauzzim serve . on creatures they the god-heads right conferre , and while they kneele to shrines most grossely erre ; the sunne 's eclips'd , the gospel they misprise , and slight the crosse , the new-mans sacrifice : the fiery crosse they slight , and hope by deedes and humane craft to blot out all mis-deedes . both east and west , since mahome● began , since mecha roar'd the moorish alcoran , find much adoe their credit to excuse , but must confesse the new-man they abuse , while the old man with his voluptuous store , traditions , and his trident they adore ; while dust and ashes they extoll too much , gods word concealing , where they inly grutch at him , who did poore fishermen inspire with sundry tongues appearing then , like fire , unlesse they will mad iulians cause support , restraining light from all the vulgar sort , who burnt the scriptures , interdicted zeale , and forbad schooles to christians common-weale : as from the yeare six hundred sixty sixe , rome did obscure gods word to raise her pixe ▪ and what more signe of a tyrannick sway could be , then with one tongue to oversway the christian church compos'd of many sounds ? the catholick of unrestrained bounds ? within this age likewise the agarens , by changing of their names to saracens , intruded on the right of abrams heire , on christs as moses lawes , and on the faire possessions of the church in siriaes land , with aegypt , which to his arabian strand now mahomet doth adde , that by those three the hornes in daniel might accomplishe be , with hodgepodge-dreames cookt for a fairy feast . and so himselfe of those three realmes possest dar'd to spue out the most presumptuous thing , the alcoran , i meane , against our christ , whereby he grew one of great antichrist his chiefest limbs to lord it in the east , as popes already crept into the west ; and save for christian name , which they doe beare , shall over-match him in our worldly spheare , for as the one himselfe styles lord of lords : so ours shall goe beyond him by lowd words , and thundring bulls accursing men to hell , dethroning kings , and seating soules aswell in heaven , as in purgatory-cells : in which attempts the pope the turk excells . but whether for pelagian heresie , or for her fraud romes great apostasie fell out ? ( for though pelagius she may blame , yet his conceptions with implicite flame she hugges ) or when she turned courtezan ? or when was satan curb'd ? i leave to scan , loath to resolve such questions scrupulous , till fresher gales , for their more cleere discusse , shall quicken up my gravell'd intellect from ancient scribes the truth to recollect . i had almost forgot here downe to quote among these broiles one memorable note ; about the yeare six hundred sixty foure , when sarasens and popes began to rore , a female-saint of yorke did prophetize , and speake against romes new enormities : she stood against the shaving of the crowne , which then the romish church , to know her owne false prophets by , as publike mark or seale , had forc'd on priests with a lowd thundring peale . against the same , and easters romaine date good hilda spake , but popes said she did prate : for since they durst the new-mans course exchange , why might not they all ancient orders change ? adde to the church new sacraments , as lights ? and alter times aswell as outward rites ? he , that presumes above all councells , kings , and states , will do farre more prodigious things . thus popes have done . therefore i strongly fixe upon the yeare six hundred sixty sixe . when gog with force advanc'd the alcoran , when magogs wiles set up the outward man : then did those foes , though diff●ring in their wayes , begin with filth to soile the churches rayes . the occvrrences of the eighth age , from the yeere of our lord 700. untill the yeere 800. at which time irene raigned empresse of constantinople , being the mother of constantine and nicephorus . about which time ecbert began his monarchy in england . the argument . the churches brood seduc'd with monkish lies and mechaes dreames , the gospel they misprize ; mungrells themselves , then mixt religions flow , yet some reclaim'd , their mothers voyce did know . about the yeare six hundred sixty sixe , strife dimm'd the use of the true crucifixe . for pictur'd saints the greek imperiallists began to taxe our westerne latinists , whose right or wrong serenus , gregory , and epiphane did long afore descry . some priz'd those types , like bookes , to edifie : some them defi'd , least gulls them deifie . some thought their sight did quicken much the sence , whilst others held they dull'd the conscience . but to summe this : we must our bodies yeeld as mindes to serve the lord , or lose the field . we outwardly must to gods rites attend , as inwardly on his good gifts intend , for what the heart adores , the tongue sounds out , the knee bowes to , the sight puts out of doubt . then , agars seed prevail'd to tyrannize , popes to usurpe , and both to sympathize with satans genius , by false masked zeale to over-sway christs church and common-weale , fraud taught them first to crouch and to dissemble , then fiends train'd thē to make their foes to trēble . thus darkned stood our westerne hemisphere , till she that 's with the sun cloth'd did appeare . by trumpets sound , and printings mystery , recalling home her strayes from p●pery . among which lutes harmoniously divine , would i could thrust this oaten pipe of mine . but was our church on earth invisible till luthers time ? no sure . most visible she lay to saints , though to some romish hid , like diamonds in mines , yet clearly did she breath in christ , although not eminent to carnall eyes , or on a hill transparent , yet catholick , and through the world diffus'd , she sojourned with holy rayes infus'd , like a poore pilgrim , one while in the east she liv'd retir'd . another while the west , she put in mind of jeremiaes threnes : anon the northerne-iles , and isters fennes she visited , and oftentimes the south , or all at once she wakened from their sloth , which ●ruitfull greece , and rich arsaces land could testifie with ethiopiaes strand : which c●●ms tartaria and the moguls ground could blaze how she nestorians did confound . which snow● mos●ho●s clime could justifie ; yea , many in our west could verifie , that she , good soule , with teares and doctrine soun● sought to red●●me them in hells fetters bound , and on christs merits onely to rely without distrust or ambiguity , tendring her glosse christs gospel to expound , but most were deafe , or would not heare her sound , for either in a tongue unknowne , by roat , or ●arnally they would her d●ctates note . nay , when she would indifferent things to use p●rmit her b●bes , her love they would abuse ; and for her care , her champions they would raze out of their files with curst anathemaes . yet some of better mould attentively ga●e ●are ; and these i praise deservedly ▪ some godly mo●kes , and the old saxon bede shew us what life a christian ought to lead . he d●ing wisht , a● cutber● wrote , that men would read gods word , and humane dreams contemn to which good end himselfe in english to●e christs gospel left according to saint iohn . those holy monks liv'd not on others sweat , nor idly did by strangers tythes get meat , but earn'd repast in gardens by the spade , or in foule weather by some houshold trade . to keep their thoughts frō sensual plots they wrought , and on high dayes or fest●●als they taught their auditours what sence christs mystery beares to imprint his passions m●mory ; or catechis'd the weake and tender braine with scriptures text , and intelligible straine ▪ but when the lumbards were by cha●lemaine represt , then popes rais'd up their pe●cocks traine ▪ with carnall sence and carnall meanes support , transforming rites ingrosse stupendio●s sor● , and by degrees transferr'd to catholickes traditions hatcht by former heretickes . what wheele is this ? what strange extravagance ? religious rome , like dina , gads to daunce . nay more , she paints her face , like jezabel , darkning those gifts , wherein she did excell , she that most honour'd was next salems church , spreads lying dreames , and now lives by the lurch . she , that was once the westernes sacred dame , converting heathen soules unto the lambe , usurps saint peters place with lofty style , depraves gods gifts , and reares up babels pile . she , that was chast , delights to play the queane , and more then good to practize deeds obsceane , but these are tri●les in respect of those great sinnes , to which she will henceforth dispose her wh●●rish will , for wicked sodo●y she will commit , cheat men with alchimy ; she will proud nembr●d from damnation free , and will besamt false magus for a fee. she will create new christs , burn saints , force hell , mew up gods word , and vertue quite expell . she christendome will topsie-turvie turne , dethrone her kings , and make their subjects mourne , but here the comfort lyes : though rome playes false , and nero-like , debauch'd , yet all her brawles , plots , menaces , and tortures cannot stop the pens of some the truth to underprop with learned workes , to blaze in every age her breach of faith , and tyrannizing rage . the strong conceit of the states holinesse , saint peters keyes , and shrines did so possesse remoter braines , that rome they did prefer before all climes . thither cadwallader our brittish king for refuge in distresse , and sundry others went for happinesse , as they then dream'd : some for monastick rest : some to become there by such merits blest . and if ravennaes feare , and lumbards sway had not then blockt them in their pilgrims way , with dangers by banditi in some straight about the alpes , where theeves for preyes awaite , ( such was the blindnesse of that ages zeale ) romes mart had greater been ; more lowd her peale , as sithence for her marchandize encreafe fell out , though to their losse of inward peace . while rome thus vaunted of imagery , greece seconded her sinfull mystery . and though new rome long struggled with the old , yet now her keyes then ice become cold : and so prevail'd damn'd errour at the last , that nicens second councell made agast our christian church , when that romes glorious head she saw accurst , and yet themselves mis-led would set forth acts for images adore , which their greek church condemned had before . honorius was most justly censured , but idolls use they ill determined . for heresie the romaine pope they quail'd , yet heresie within themselves prevail'd ; and what the former age brookt as a booke , an image now like to a god they tooke , and held an idoll in no l●sse esteeme then pagans did to honour dagon seeme , this ages griefe i point at , that the east we may conclude as faulty as the west . none can excuse themselves . aswell new rome , as did the old , for antichrist made roome . because , like rome , a mungrell faith they those ; the greeks their fame of iconomaches lose . yet this stole in but like an ague fit , they soone recover'd , and confounded it . they did not since so superstitious grow , to vow that service which to christ they owe , they kneel'd not downe , nor orav'd d●a●● idoll● ayd● , as if their church to baal they had betray'd . they minister the cup unto the lay ; their clergy-men doe marry to this day ; and in the mother-tongue the gospel read , not like the westernes rome so much misled . and yet no doubt their church went much astray in many points , though not so grosse away , as rome . they held , and made apparant boast of idle quirkes about the holy ghost , that they might share , and be in tangled in the mystery of the lewd man of sinne. for which foule crime , and d●pravation , christ did then with-draw his grace , and in that mist , the dragon did worke on their enemies , as on their wi●● , their empire to surprize , and to prey on their chiefe metropolis , as turkes still doe . and all for their amisse . ere i conclude this ages century , i must not over-slip , how zachary the romaine pope against gods word gave way from childerick the crowne to put away , and to depose the french mens lawfull king on pipins plea , and for no other thing then for a slothfull life , and that a bee was fitter then a drone to over-see and rule a realme , that he tooke all the care , while childerick lay still in pleasures snare , or lull'd a sleep , not caring but for ease , whereby he did the common-wealth displease . on this surmize ; the pope gave his assent , that the poore king be to a cloister sent and shorne a monke , that pipine weare the crowne , the lawfull heires from native right quite thrown . for this good turne the pope to gratifie , the franks new king combin'd to fortifie saint peters seat against the lumbards strength , that he ravenna forc'd to yeeld at length . the yeare of christ seven hundred fifty sixe , when men did much on outward objects fixe , then constantine to pipine in the west sent first the use use of organs from the east , in imitation of king davids harpe , a godly use , though some thereat doe carpe , which though pope paul the first did not abhorre , yet afterwards he dar'd that emperour with curses for opposing images : on these popes doated so with passages of glorious shewes , that adrian peter all in silver cloath'd , and paul with golden pall. thus by degrees rome that was fam'd for chaste , began to paint her face , and prove unchaste . but though popes daub'd , & were more proud become , others went plaine like old religious rome ; and in our west will so continue still , till to adore false christs , fiends bane their will. all were not bad ; although the head was craz'd , the lord yet some of romes poore members grac'd . no doubt , he blest some of the romain brood ; caiphas was bad , but nichodemus good. when that elias thought the church downe reel'd , sev'n thousand were to baal that never kneel'd . as in the east , so in the west there were thousands which then from idolls did forbeare , fixing their onely faith on maries seed , the churches head , which ransom'd evaes deed. now the first use to christen bells began , whereby ( i thinke ) they baptisme did profane , when they deprav'd the rites of sacred font , wherewith to type the new-man we are wont . the occvrrences of the ninth age , from the yeare of our lord 800. ( about which time charles the great of france after his conquest of the lumbards , was crowned by pope leo the third emperour of the west ) untill the yeare 900. about which time the danes sore afflicted england . the argument . charles builds new schooles , subjects the westerne broiles , and with the pope shares faire ravennaes spoiles . though some rare wits renowned then that age , two monstrous deeds yet shame the romaine stage . brave charlemaine , like romes bifronted sire , whom pagans at the former yeares expire , and at the newes approach renew'd with bayes : so merited this prince redoubted praise , for clozing up in the last falling age our westerne wounds made by barbarian rage . no fate of worldly wheeles , nor length of yeares shall cancell martells deedes , nor the twelve peeres dimme , nor expunge from honours calendar , for their exploits and memorable warre against the moores , with whom they did so cope , that they quite lost their proud ambitious hope of conqu'ring france , as they subjected spaine , but left behinde two hundred thousand slaine of moorish coarses for a pawne or signe , that none shall france but christians make to whine . charles after broiles in this ninth age began three academes to found for the new-man , to propagate in france and italy , by whose faire patterne moe did fructifie in other christian lands , from whence some rose , some rome to ayd , and some her to oppose : for though the head of the vertigo wheel'd , some members yet there were , which never reel'd . and surely charles the name of great deserves aswell as constantine , but that he serves too lavishly in my conceit to prop rome with more states , when she had need of stop . he desiderius for her sake immur'd , and her with him to share the spoiles endur'd . he did to her that patrimony signe , which since she falsely forg'd from constantine ; for which henceforth we must expect but force , spirituall rapes , and the new-mans divorce , truth crying out , that they the lumbards wrong'd , and that the fee to irens sonne belong'd , great constantines successour , new romes lord. but how should then proud babel be ador'd ? alasse , that such effects from kings did streame , to taint the springs of new ierusalem , since what they gave out of their love and zeale , redounded to corrupt christs common-weale ▪ the more rome had , the more she coveted , ( ambition perkes with reines unlimited ) and never will the pope in quiet rest , till he rides on a scarlet colour'd beast , till he crown'd with a triple diademe shall both his mates and emperours contemne . but the red dragon yet workes covertly , he spues not all his dr●gges but lees them ly at randome , whilst this age amaz'd doth passe like to a dreame ; and that the next an asse shall turne , extinct of light , and learnings fruit , which charles had left for honours faire pursuit : whereby more roome shall for ambitious rome enlarged be for soules abroad to roame . about the yeare eight hundred sixty six , romes church being growne of late a meretrix , chast marriage more to bring into decay , and to promote the antichristian sway by sodomes snares and brothelries accurst , consented that pope nicholas the first , with lucifers and all the monks applause should then enact these grosse tyrannicque lawes : that no lay-men receive the sacrament by married priests , though with devout intent ; as if gods mysticks from john baptists sire , or peter savour'd of profaner fire ; and that thenceforth no priest should celebrate within precincts of all the christian state gods service in the vulgar mother tongue , but in the latine , which did all belong , as he surmiz'd , to peters government , and so to him by reason consequent , excepting onely the sclavonian rout and polanders , whom he of grace left out ▪ thus hath romes lord the devils doctrine broacht , and falsely on the new-mans right encroacht . where was christs church the while ? gone from that elsewhere ( perhaps a thousand yeares ) to chime , that so rome being for her unthankfulnesse cut off , the gospels sound might others blesse . but while this eighth centurian age did last , some wits barr'd sinne from spreading too too fast . of these i praise good bertrams unity and haymons cares , because the verity of our late doubts about the sacrament of the lords feast they quote , and what is meant by that divine and mystick ordinance , which carnall clerkes by transubstantiate trance broacht to confound our weaklings apprehension for his true bodies forme , site , and dimension : ae●●gera then gloss'd the sacrament 〈◊〉 them , from which our moderne popes dissent . so learned raban did , and isidore , who held those points , which bertram held before . no clarks then cloy'd christs flock with heavy mast but drest his feast fit for the new-mans tast : they christ receiv'd by intellectuall trance , and upwards taught by faith soules to advance . they taught their flocke the old man to deface , and to embrace the holy spirits grace : the chaine 'twixt christ and us incorporate , christs flesh and bloud with ours regenerate : the sacrament not taken in one kinde . ( who would bar wine from guests but men unkind ) the reall forme whereof unspeakable if i describe , the saints will say i babble , for carnall reason knowes not to define , how christ descends at our great feast divine . upon our faith the holy ghost alights , and he with christ our rapt-up soules unites , makes us in minde and body sympathize with christ his humane nature mystick-wise , but then before this century expir'd , the romish church two monstruous meteours fn'd , and by their dampe gave warning to those times , that vengeance was at hand , unlesse betimes they would new babel shun with her false charmes , and damned plots po●tencing after-harmes . the one fell out when the whore moguntine in a mans habit plaid the false divine , so blear'd the romaines eyes , that they for pope elected her , to shew how they did grope , and stumble in re-building babels walls , which they should let , lest they become her thralls . a reall signe , that rome then turned whore with carnall soil'd , with ghostly traffick more . the other prodigy pope sergius spred , when he the corps of pope formosus dead dig'd from his grave , beheaded him with shame , and into tybers streame then flung the same . how well romes head deserves the name by john fore-told of old : the whore of babylon ? by these two flaming brands and papall jarres , good watch-men may dissever fiends from starres , and by the fruit proud antichrist discerne , if foggy mists impeacht them not to learne . his empires wound which long since goths had made by constantines remove , had for his trade of soules beene soone recur'd , yea , antichrist been sooner knowne : but god that cloudy mist permitted by degrees the west to blinde , which grew of wild degenerated kinde , untill romes cup of fornications full were mounted to the height the world to gull , that so his word fulfill'd , her fearefull fall amaze them more , who her a queen install . while she deferres her coron●tion day , the next farre duller age prepares her way , to climbe above all christian states and kings , and to invert for gold gods sacred things . marke , reader , but with feare ; and glory not in that old churches fall , lest that thy lot for thy proud peacocks vaunt of thine owne worth , may hap , like her , from grace to be cast forth . while thus the popes their monarchy contrive , within the yeare eight hundred ninety five : in imitation of brave charlemaine , who founded schooles poore students to maintaine , and likewise of the saxon sigebert , who rear'd the like in cambridge to convert two ages past rude wits from ignorance : king alfred built for schollers maintenance an academe , or universitie at oxford , which with men of pietie , men skilfull in the tongues and arts he stor'd , such as could well expound gods sacred word , whereof himselfe a present patterne was , and might be stil'd true vertues looking-glass● ; ev'n as our iames was learnings oracle , styl'd faiths defender , brittaines miracle ; for as the one clad part of davids h●mnes in saxon garbe , wrote bookes , and carechismes : so did our king of famous memory new-clothe those psalmes in verse , and popery convince with sundry bookes , and babylon , for which our age inscribes him salomon . in turne of time , as faith did ebbe and flow , or as the moone eclips'd , or winds did blow , religion wav'd , sprung up another fry , which grounding faith on vaine imagery , and their owne merits puffe , for penance sake , or with great rome to part vaine-glories stake , took up good alfreds taske , to build more roomes in the oxonian towne , upon whose tombes faire violets and roses sithence grew , because they living strove arts to renew . this moved wainflet , wickam , chiches●ey , and others with more fabrickes to supply that nursery ; some brought in wood , some clay , some stone , aswell the clergy as the lay. hence as from sinons horse minervaes knights came forth , well skill'd in fences and in fights . hence as from saplings shot up goodly trees , hence as from hives came up industrious bees , whereof some did the conscience edifie , the common-wealth some others beautifie . hence wickli●se rose , bale , and laborious foxe , who holp to build our temple orthodoxe , though not in zeale to match the primitive , thrive , yet by such good mens cares through grace wee by martyrs acts fetcht from old registers to stop the mouthes of false interpreters , as by those wits nurst up with food divine on oxfords paps , which now in london shine , and likewise by a thousand other starres , whose radiant rayes excell the sunny carres , at whose rare gifts and voyce our brittains wonder , when they strike sinne , like to the sonnes of thunder . the occvrrences of the tenth age , from the yeere of our lord 900. untill the yeere 1000. at which time raigned emperour otho the third , whom the almaines call the worlds wonder . about which time king et heldred raigned in england . the argument . the dulnesse of this age. the pope supreme in rule unto the latine tongue binds them who are his th●alles . yet to the truth some stand most firme . th' electours now grace teutons land. o who can count the churches dolefull teare● , her woes , her fits , and manifolded feare● by sarace●s , the popes , and heat●nish bands , who forraged , and rackt all christian lands ? no sooner had victorious charlemaine parted with popes the scepter soveraigne , adding unto the keyes a diademe , but rome grew proud of that brave state supreme , although as then it was a single crownc , and not , as since , like gerions , triple growne ; so seem'd to have her former wound heal'd up , which caesars gave by their remove ; her cup o're-flow'd , her mac● renewe'd , which gorhes had rent . she frolicks now , forgets her banishment ; she hopes , that the like blow shall never light upon her limbs , nor work her more despight . she stands secure , and builds up babels walls , and by new kings , her tributary thralls , whom she hath train'd with fetches into serve her turne , and as their god , her to observe , she stores her palace with the price of bloud , with sinnefull spoiles vail'd with an angels hood . while thus she vaunts of carnall dignities , and slights the serpent , which concealed lies , religion goes to wrack : and few there be , which will , or dare the gospels splendour see . dumbe are her priests , and mu●fled are the flock ; both honour stocks more then the living rocke . instead of scriptures now , traditions strange , the divels huskes , disperst . lord ! how those range ! which th●ugh but light at first in wise mens eyes , none fannes them , lest they might disgrace the keyes usurping lord , who , whilst he grac'd those toyes , stopt strangers murmure at the latine noise . o tyranny , worse than our norman kings ! such was great henries spleen , and such his stings towards the welsh or brittish nation bent , because they had by their troupes ambushment neere snowdon hills defeated in their woods and straights his forces , in his angry moods he meant , if hesped in a victours way old cambers tone quite to exile away , and force the vanquisht from their native tongue to learne the english tone . but of this wrong consulting with an hermite , when he heard how hard that plot would prove , he seem'd afear'd : that though their persons he might subjugate , yet he could not that tongue obliterate , which was so ancient , but it should endure till doomesday came , the pure from the impure to separate , and that this sound among the chiefe should vent allelujaes song . much then hath rome to answer for this wrong , and they have cause to waile , who were so long barr'd from soules-comfort in the mother-tongue by rapsodies unknowne , or parrats song . before this ninth centurian age began , although the head turn'd giddy , the new-man forsooke not to reclaime the chiefest parts of the church-body from the serpents arts. in all the course of the church-pilgrimage , from the apostles time untill this age , i apprehend no pleas in that long tract of time , nor reall motives to substract , ( some schismaticques excepted , and some few , who seiz'd on rights to their creator due ) from her essentiall worth , and purity● but that romes church leagu'd in integrity with cyprian , ambrose , ierome , augustine , for the resolve of mysteries divine ; and that with those , whom i have named last , we hold true faith in spight of babels blast , the faith , which they did catholicke professe ; yea , and the very same untowardnesse of factious spirits , which they scorn'd , we scorne , hating to see our masters rayment torne . did any farnous writers from christs age ? or in eight hundred yeares since christ engage their auditors to credit those lewd points , which with lewd threats trents councel late appoints did either popes , or councels then ordaine from wedlock bonds the clergy to refraine ? did they compell their flockes gods word to heare in a strange tongue , as if they sencelesse were ? did they without their troupe communicate ? or let them without wine participate the holy bread alone ? with curst intent so maiming halfe our christian sacrament ? did they kneele downe to images or shrines ? or offer bribing gifts ? or pay them fines ? did they believe the pope dispenc'd with oathes ? or could dispose of realmes to franks or gothes ? did popes within sev'n hundred yeares exempt states from their kings , or kings hold in contempt ? did they beleeve that popes could pardons sell ? and ransome soules from purgings flames of hell ? or do the greeks , the east , or abissine hold to this day , like rome , their rites divine ? but rather joyne with us in most of these ▪ holding her sick of schismaticques disease ? did they before the councell popes preferre ? as though , like other men , they could not erre ? no romainist , although he loves the pope , unlesse he rackes too much , will prove i hope , that any doctours broacht that dostrine out untill the sunne the ninth age brought about ; or till indeed long after by degrees popes thundring spells forc'd monarques on their knees against christs rule , who never grud●'d to pay caesarean toll , nor pilate did gaine-say . and if they should by romes type patronize those errours , which the true church doth despise , let them looke backe upon the word divine , and see if there they can such points define ; or if before , or after constantine , till this tenth age from purenesse did decline , they apprehend that saints did sympathize with those grosse dreams , which now they dearly prize . onely some shrines in austins time began to be in some request , by their old man devis'd to soile the new , but not , as since , that they might from gods adoration flinch , with an all haile to the triumphall wood , to martyrs ashes , or saint benets hood . though in our west some us'd thus to comply , the east remembred yet saint anthony , who at his lives last gaspe , sinne to prevent , requir'd his friends , that not with monument they would enclose his corps , but secretly conceale the same , lest men might foolishly it idolize in zeale to doe him grace , which would redound at last to their disgrace . to iohn the twelfe now caesar homage swore , and that the mid-time of this age did gore . of all the ages since the word made flesh first rose on earth none for the church had lesse of learnings light then this tenth century , dull'd through the damps of hells great mystery . full fourescore yeares os ignorance prevail'd , that knowledge seem'd extinct , the gospel fail'd . who could repeat the pater-noster , creed , and ave maries oft , though with small heed , or gloss'd on shrines , or mumbled latine masse , in schooles he did for a good graduate passe . but if he made monastick legends knowne , a doctours cap became his shaven crowne . whether this chanc'd by romes deep policie , that none might dive to her supremacie , which she had newly crown'd , or that the warres , anxiety embroyling soules with cares prevented learnings growth , we find small signes in that tempestuous time of vertuous lines , or monuments to move posterity not to accuse them of impiety . such was the blindnesse of this darkned age , that none scarce acted on the muses stage parts to be seene of gotams auditours ; so busie were old fooles in building towres and strong monastick cells , where they found peace , or to defend their reliques from the prease of souldiers stormes , which from the north did fall , norwegians , danes , and pirates robbing all . onely some foppish tales they left behinde , thereby to cheat , not edifie the minde : what miracles were wrought in such a place , which they conceiv'd their monkish haunt to grace , how dunstan hookt , catcht satan by the nose , with many moe absurder lyes then those ; like oberons imagin'd fairy dance , or arthurs knights , or the twelve peeres of france ; how patrick kill●d five hundred yeares before thousands of irish kernes by charmed lore ; how david did a mighty mountaine move , and by his word the massy earth remove . with such fond tales they gull'd the multitude , that 't is no marvell we account them rude . yet o're his church the spirit vigilant neglected not their dreames extravagant to interrupt , by raising up the wit of aelfrick to reforme their raving fit , which worke perhaps not usefull for that age , but for our doubts we doe conceive them sage , i meane for christ his body in suspence with some , which till this age in ghostly sence , i dare be bold to say , saints ever tooke , not carnall-wise , but by the new-mans booke . this reverend clerk in ancient saxon style describes what blots the sacrament defile , and proves the sence and manner of the feast to suit with none , but with the spirits guest . from the tenth chapter of the corinths first he thus compares : the israelites a thirst dranke of christs rock with a spirituall tast , and on his flesh , though clouded , brake their fast. as our new-man , or zealous catechist admires christs body in the eucharist : so they prais'd god for manna and rock-water , types of the churches twinnes , how he begat her . out of the forrest of this century , excepting , rudenesse , broiles , and butchery , i apprehend no memorable course to beautifie my lines ; but worse and worse all things decline . this onely i conclude imperiall otho to extinguish fiend , and mortall jarres for chusing emperours on sev'n conferr'd the first elective pow'res , eternizing the period of this sceane , whose former acts we count rude and obsceane . this otho by pope gregories assent did to assure the almaines government , and to content the rhines count palatine , because he next of charlemaine his ligne deserv'd that honour , which his race hath held , till force of late the golden bull expell'd . for this brave act the authour got the praise , to be enstil'd the wonder of those dayes , as they , who do that order violate , shall be proclaim'd usurpers of the state. for an appendix to my register , i must not over-passe pope sylvester , who by hell-charmes , spells , negromantick lies , and magick arts defam'd the papall keyes , preparing roome by that catastrophe to the next age tost with a sinnefull sea. the occvrrences of the eleventh age , from the yeare of our lord 1000. untill the yeare 1100. about which time godfrey of lorraine became king of ierusalem , and henry the first raigned king of england . the argument . hells highest sleights a thousand yeares restrain'd , breake out , when priests the searlet hat had gain'd . the clergy barr'd of wives . the masses cake turnes flesh. the holy land now christians take . now to glance on the churches darken'd wane , who can deny but rome became profane ? when satan was let loose a thousand yeares after st. iohns prediction , as appeares even till these times with curses , fire , and sword , and secret slights to martyrize gods word ? both sun and moone stood then eclips'd of light , and starre-like men from grace declined quite . the heav'ns were mov'd , strange meteors scar'd the east , but earth-quakes most appall'd the troubled west . mens consciences o're-clouded were with mists , when satan rang'd from his confined lists , with leave to prey upon those romanists , who had forsooke christs word for antichrists , in giving heed unto erroneous spirits , cashiering marriage , and their saviours merits : yoaking their flockes , not of necessity , but to subvert true christian liberty , ( i meane the spirits freedome , and gods word , not that which fooles do to the flesh afford ) by pilgrimage to saints , idolatry , with wonders wrought by fiends their faith to try , by lies and dreames bred in scholastick braine for belly-work , ambitious ends , or gaine : with carnall sence advancing superstitions , and spotting faith with needlesse mens traditions . with such flim-flams , since satan was let loose , and since romes clergy christ his rivall chose , were there false church possest ; and to this day some goe in those strange labyrinths astray , not willing to be won ; nor to decide by scriptures light the quarrells of their side . about this time the cardinalls arose unto their sway , till then a secret close , for though the name were knowne of cardinalls , yet were they rankt but deacons , principalls , or parsons of romes parishes to serve the severall cures , not prelates to conserve the papacies resplendent majesty , as since they grew by satans subtilty . on each of these his holinesse conferres a scarlet hat , to higher place preferres , and amplifies with bishopricks their state , whereby they might live eminent , from hate and envy safe , the better to support their princely pompe , and his magnifique port. at their install he so much scarlet shares to cloth their mules , that by those scarlet wares saints may divine where babels whore abides , which on a beast of scarlet colour rides . these men shut up within the conclave close , and having by most suff●ages him chose , who stands for pope , they then his usuall weare pluck off , and in their stead bring glorious geare : a scarlet suit , red stockings , and red shooes , on which , because he claimes that he can loose or bind mens sinnes , a golden crosse they place , that some might kisse the same whom he would grace a girdle red then they about him clap with buckles all of gold , and a red cap present to him with band of gold and pearle , wrought and engirt fit for a king or earle . thus trimm'd , they put him on a scarlet cloak ; and to puffe up him more with glories smoak , upon his head the triple crowne they set with carbuncles and diamonds beset . at last they mount him , though a mortall clod , and on an altar throne him , like a god , the holy place , where their masse-god remaines : there none of them to kisse his foot disdaines . his chaplaines now turne politick divines , more prone to spoile then prop up sions vines . thus every age hath added royalties , since first the pope affected soveraignties in ghostly things above his ghostly mates , to scandalize the church . this animates the turks and moores to counterpoize his crowne with the like tares by their arabian sowne . for when they saw religion mixt with theames of humane stampe , they forged idler dreames , that by such carnall baites their sect like those of christian name , might with such wordlings glo●e as loved pompe , and by their muffry hope the like soule-blisse as christians from the pope , whereby both sects make up the antichrist , turkes openly , popes sl●ly crossing christ. the former rav'd , and quickly were reveal'd , the latter grew by stealth , so lay conceal'd in mystick sort from carnall drowzie braines , because gods word was hid , none took the paines , or durst indeed proclaime with open lippes the pope christs foe , or by th' apocalipse depaint him out in coulours , least that hire , which saints reapt since , they should have felt by fire . but who would once suspect within the church a grave divine to live so by the lurch , as to deprave the holy spirits gifts ? and in a saint-like shape with satans shifts , wherewith he tempted in the desart christ , to take the place of a monarchique priest ? and by the keyes pretence for gold to sell mens soules ? and to dispose of realmes , aswell as to encroach upon the churches ark , that none should preach of christ without his mark ? not onely in the westerne enpery , but o're the world he claimed soveraignety ; and not alone he claim'd this massy round , but other worlds , and the abisse profound , to order there , like heathens rhadamant , soules torment due for deedes extravagant . how on the psalmists clause have school-men gloss●d ? thou hast all things under his feet dispos'd ? as cattell living men , as fish pain'd soules , as aiery foule high saints the pope controules . among the rest of antichristian blots , i may not overpasse romes damned plots about th'inhibiting of nuptiall rites unto the clergies ranke by romish kites ; that divellish doctrine of the latter dayes by paul fore-warn'd now babels strumpet waighes in a false ballance by hells oracle , slighting the type of cana●s miracle ; and , as from christ by revelations new authentick firm'd , she doth the same renew , although that plea three hundred yeares before , had ordred been against the remaine whore by the sixth councell in bizantium held , and by th' apostles canons there upheld : that deacons , priests , or clergy-men might marry , and if they should from this position vary , the priest not with his wife cohabiting , they censur'd him with deprivations sting ; and if he should his wife repudiate , they then judg'd him for excommunicate . but notwithstanding all the councells three at gangren , nice , and this , they would decree suborn'd by peevish monks to lay that yoak , which they in younger yeares could hardly brook . for quenching of this sodomiticque flame , we finde two workes under volusians name , to prove the weaknesse of that canons worth , by ausburgs bishop huld erick set forth . pope nicholas the second of that name by this and other acts quite out of frame set romes weake church . ev'n he by hildebrands lewd counsel scorcht the church with burning brāds and coram nobis brought good berengare , that babels masse might prove as market ware. about that time rome fram'd a god of bread turn'd into flesh , like him , whom she had read in genesis created of red earth , unto which wight she motion gave and birth . to this new god with supercilious brow she strictly charg'd her subjects all to bow . her courtiers , and the multitude confus'd obey'd the charge , but gods elect refus'd . good men refus'd , and berengarius sought with monkes support and prelates underwrought , to contradict the transubstantiate masse , or not to leave it unreformed passe . but factious wits with worldly policie , tooke that to clinch and pinch romes primacie . yet this good soule , though since for feare of death enforced to recant , consum'd his breath with reasons sound , and arguments profound , till tyranny his patience did confound , in opposition to their sacrament , which derogates from the man christs ascent ; and left behind what hell can never blot , the sence of that , which seemes to some a knot . nor wanted he applauses in that age of abbots , monkes , and prelates wise and sage ; and hildebert a norman bishop wrot his praise at large , which time shall never rot . t is strange to me how faction then prevail'd , that they had not in disputations quail'd , ashamed of their ghostly mans relapse , having been nurst upon the churches paps , as they suppos'd , and of the spirit borne , yet they the sence did intellectuall scorne of that blest food , which christ himselfe fed on before his death , and gave thereof construction spirituall plaine , as all the fathers did , that saints might finde with ease the treasure hid . but what they spake by oratories trope rome wrested since her masse to underprop . sometimes the fathers by syne●doche , by metonymy , or hyperbole spake to advance the sacred mystery , thereby to print in ravisht memory soules healthfull cure 'gainst passions insurrection typ'd by our saviours crosse and resurrection . towards this ages end pope hildebrand attempted by maine force and armed hand , to wrest from caesars gift the papacies elections grant , and paramounting sway , which popes receiv'd from them untill that day . at least they tooke their confirmations wea le not sure without the high imperiall seale , and so did other bishops in his land , assume their worldly states from caesars hand . but now the pope by romes new cardinalls more pow'refull growne into his party calls aswell the lay , as clergy-men to ayde him in his warres , which caesar sore dismay'd ; for by his bulls he gave his realmes away , and blockt from him and his the heavens way . thus he that tooke himselfe to be the head of christ his flocke claim'd rule unlimited aboue all kings , and earthly potentates , and by the keyes would alter worldly states . the emperour accurst , he sends a crowne to rodolfe with this posie written downe : the rock to peter gave the rule supreme , and he to rodolfe gives the diademe . upon this warrant of his ghostly sire against his lord proud rodolfe did conspire . the members rav'd , and turn'd irregulare , as if they felt the cramp or riding mare . then , thousands rag'd with frenzies calentures , till thousands let them bloud , or tooke their cures . this quarrell made all germany to quake ; with rodolfe some , with henry more partake . the crosse and eagle rear'd for bloudy signes , yet caesar foil'd saint peters false assignes ; and rodolfe in the last great battell fought , lost his right hand , which to him dying brought he shew'd it to the bishops standing by , lo , here the guerdon of disloyalty , that hand , quoth he , which did to caesar vow , i lost by your advise . behold it now . but notwithstanding all these cruell broiles , proud hildebrand , late gregoriz'd , embroiles himselfe againe , will hazard soule and body , but he will prove the emperour a noddy , his soveraigne selfe comparing to the sun , and caesars person to his vassall moone . so long he play'd , till caesar sacked rome , doom'd him , and set another in his roome : as others his successours herods sword drew out so oft crosse to their masters word , that now of late popes odious in their place , twice burbon did and alva rome deface . about this time our rufus to enlarge new forrest , there to have a chase more large , pull'd many churches downe . but while he plies the game , into his heart an arrow slies . er● i proceed to the next ages stemme , i must reflect upon ierusalem . our westernes now by romes croisadoes spurr'd made a brave league ; and like good brethren stirrd with christian zeale , they having antioch won to salem went , and took that famous towne , mauger the forces of the saracens , erected there the crosse for christian mens encouragement then living in those dayes , wherewith the sight they might , as star-like rayes , behold a glimpse of some pathetick love home-frozen there renew'd , of force to move compunction in their hearts on calvaries and olivets survey , a sacrifice well pleasing unto christ , while they with teares mus'd on his griefes , his bloudy sweat , and feares , his passion undergone for their amisse , his fathers wrath for sinne appeas'd , and blisse restor'd to them , and to the penitent by his deserts alone and punishment , who without help the bloudy wine-presse trod , and seal'd for us a new contract with god. this citty by victorious godfrey gain'd , when all his host would have him there constrain'd as king to weare a golden crowne : shall i most sinnefull man , quoth he , unworthily yeeld to be crown'd with gold in that same towne , where christ was forc'd to weare a thorny crowne ? farre be that thought from me , weak mortall clod , to slight his crosse , my duty unto god. such carnall pomp i utterly contemne : pitch we our thoughts on new ierusalem , where every saint the vassall as the king , shall crown'd with blisse alleluiaes fing . the new-mans complaint in the name of our saviour christ for the romaine churches apostasie and adulterate religion . whilst in thy name i vent this just complaint , beare with my song , o christ , my soveraigne saint . but thou , romes cause of sinne , thou dotards clod , pack hence , or humbly waigh the word of god ; i am truths light , yet none from r●aming cease : i am the prince of peace , yet none loves peace : i am the hill , yet none climbes sions mount : i am the spring , yet none drinks of my font : i am the shepheard , yet none heares my call : i am gods priest , yet none heedes me at all . i am sinnes death , yet none from sin will rise : i am soules health , yet none me gratifies . i am the way , yet none will tract my pace : i am lifes vine , yet none aff●ords me place : i am faiths quintessence , yet none partakes me : i am soules manna , yet aright none takes me . i am most true to man , none true to me : i am rais'd up , yet none my forme will see : i am mans baile , yet none doth con me thankes : i am hells scourge , yet none hates satans prankes : i am the golden meane , none waighes my center : i am heavn's doore , yet none the doore dares enter . i am gods word , yet none will heare his word : i am their iudge , yet none regards the sword : i am heavens strength , yet none sticks to my fame : i am zeales-mover , yet none heedes the flame . i am the starre of the new-eastern morne : i am the new-mans head , yet none 's new-borne . i am the thundrer , yet none feares my stroake : i am free-hearted , yet none beares my yoake . i am the lambe , none will my nature take : i am the sunne , yet none sinnes cloudes forsake . i am truths rock , yet none will now believe me : i am mens hope , yet none will cease to grieve me ; but in these times with coulour of my rock , the dragons seed doth persecute my flock , and all romes clergy now doe listen more unto the popes decrees then to my lore . no wonder with hells plague that soules are stung , when such foule mists rise from the monsters dung. o wretched man ! whom neither christ his path , nor gospel moves , nor yet his threatning wrath ! [ nemo ] yet if the romaine none thou backward spell , [ omen ] i may to thee a converts luck fore-tell , thou soone shalt chase our aiery foes to hell , if thou by faith seekst in the heavens to dwell , and by the crosse the old man to expell . here lyes our task : think on it , and farewell . the same complaint reiterated in latine measures . dum novus erumpo vates sub nomine christi , da veniam justae , rex sacrosancte , querelae . sed , romae terrene senex , tu causa malorum , i procul , aut humili pende haec oracula mente ; sum lux , sed nemo tenebras latebrasque relinquit : sum rex pacificus , sed nemo est pacis amicus . sum mons , sed montem conscendit nemo sionis : sum fons , sed potat nemo de fonte pere●●i . sum pastor , sed ovilis adest mihi nemo vocanti : sum mystes , sed nemo tenet mea mystica mente . sum mors peccati , nemo expergiscitur insons : sum rediviva salus , sed nemo rependit amorem . sum via , sed nemo sequitur vestigia nostra : sum vitis vitae , sed nemo hanc corde reponit . sum liquor , at nemo me spiritualiter haurit : sum panis coelestis , edit sed pectore nemo . sum fidus , sed nemo fidem mihi praestat ad-●●●● sum sursum positus , sed me vult nemo videre . sum datus obses , agit mihi grates nemo libe●ter : sum satanae domitor , sed vitat nemo gehennam . sum modus & centrū , tamen hac duo nemo revolvit , sum pia porta poli , sed nemo precatur , ut int●et . sum praeco , sed nemo sacris accommodat aures : sum judex , sed nemo fugit modò vindicis ensem . sum coeli virtus , sed adhaeret nemo vigori : sum zeli motor , sed flammis nemo movetur . sum matutinum sidus , vates que diei : sum restaurator populi , sed nemo renat●● . sum , deus altitonans , melior sed nemo fit●ictu . sum mitis , sed molle jugum fert nemo modernus . sum patiens agnus , sed me vult nemo patronum . sum sol exoriens , sed nubila nemo retractat : sum rupes fidei , sed nemo sideliter orat . sum spes sola hominum , sed nemo lacessere probris meque meumque gregem petrae sub imagine cessat . sic hodie semen solet insanire draconis , ut papae decreta magis quam dogmata nostra , iura hominum non iussa dei bibit aure sacerdes . nec mirum ; nubes ortae de stercore monstri inficiunt animas : ecclesia pestc laborat ; o vetule infoelix ! qui christi calle , nec aris , nec sacris monitis , nec moveare minis ! sin nomen nemo supplex inverteris , omen destinat , & christo sic anagramma placet . aëreos hostes cit● profligabis in orcum , si modo rimaris caelica claustra fide , proditor ille senex tunc evanescet in auras , succumbit christi cum tu● massa cruci . hoc opus , hic labor est ; perlege , pende , vale. the occvrrences of the twelfth age , from the yeere of our lord 1100. untill the yeere 1200. at which time king john raigned here in england , who to be absolved of the popes excommunications made himselfe tributary to his holinesse . the argument . the councell lateran confirmes the masse . the canon lawes for romes maine profit passe . the pope mounts up on caesars humbled back . schoole-men new use . and salem goes to wrack . those whom rome styl'd the berengarian sect , because her masse they ventur'd to correct , were censur'd at the councell lateran , as at l'ercelli the like act prophane against them past that politician wh●re , for her trades sake , in the last age before . and here likewise such labours went to pot , as joachim a latian abbot wrot , to prove : the man of sinne , the antichrist , and babels whore jumpt with the romaine priest , o valiant man ! who for this mystick point on truths behalfe adventur'd his best joint ! no better sorts the churches pilgrimage in this obscure eclipse , and carnall age : popes struggling still for worldly dignity with emperours , and for priority . amidst these broyles , although eugenius storme , yet bernard dar'd his popedome to enforme , how he in striving both the swords to hold , might lose them both for his encroachment bold . and sure if popes had not on princes play'd , nor warr'd with worldly states , but onely pray'd , and sought the health of soules by lenity , they might have raign'd in long prosperity , and by their doctrine linkt with holy life drawn wrangling states from faction , bloud & strife . whereas for peace they rather quarrels spun , not caring by what sleights they places won . so that some call him pope a yeare or two , and that great kings or dukes doe kisse his shooe , old adrian wreakes not how he came to mount , nor by what meanes , so he his peeres surmount . and yet this fate with a repenting breath this pope perplext lamented at his death , and said , that he , who got the papacy by murther , trac'd the steps and policie of romulus , who slue his brother rheme , alone to weare romes new-found diademe . when that eleven hundred yeares and ten had wheel'd from christ his birth , a bishop then of florence preacht , that the proud man of sinne , the antichrist , who long conceal'd had been , was surely come , and in gods temple sate , pretending right to sway the christian state. the mystick let of caesars glorious traine , which made him hide his head , and did restraine his haughty thoughts and plots unlimited , was thrust away , and neere extinguished by the popes tumults , threats , and stratagemes , subjecting bodies , soules , and diademes . priests ghostly charge into an earthly chang'd : the spirits gifts simoniously exchang'd : the words eclipse : idolatries encrease and sodomies : with want of christian peace : these hellish crimes , or deedes irregulare , demonstrate , who the churches foe-men are . when pope paschalis second of that name had heard diuulg'd his hierarchies shame , most politick to stop the bruit at first of such new sparkes , by his old wayes accurst , he sent his briefes at florence to appoint a councell there to right things out of joint , as he surmiz'd , where coram nobis brought the bishop there was fore'd to be new taught , with babels glosse to palliate what he knew , the cole-black for snow white , the false for true , and so to leave the pope in peters chaire chaffring for soules , till saints disturbe the faire . but in the midst of all these brandling cares , which rackt the church , succeeded other snares , soules to subject unto the vultures clawes , renewd with glosse voluminous of lawes by azoes , gratians , and accursius paines , that so mens wits by such divertive traines , in hope of worldly fees to●ld might not pry into sinnes deep concealed mystery , but nimbly helpe to execute the bulls and briefes , wherewith his thralls the tyrant gulls , emptying their store , sacking their substance dry , that he might joy at clients misery . and though the one the elder sister were , the younger yet and canon law did beare the primest sway , and kings durst not gainesay but must appeare at rome on a set day . for when the pope enthrall'd the emperour , romes keyes then caesars lawes did over-towre . to fortifie the canons glozing glosse , about that time our schoole-men then arose , quaint wits , who spun divinity anew , and by distinctions would the gospel mew . such knots and wiles did curious wits compose , that they to rome might all the world transpose , and so heale up , and cloze the grievous scarres , which she sustain'd deservedly for jarres . and for her breach of faith at christ his spring vow'd , that to him she 'gainst the world would cling . but in the next ensuing age shall rise bald friers sects to help baals sacrifice . to temper , or to stint these busie braines , there shall start up men of unwearied paines , who seeme to raise devotion at a pinch : 'mong which i ranke poore francis sainted since , who innocent in life , by poverty would faine restore the old integrity , to imitate , as much as in him lay , the ancient monks , or the essences way , or rather benets rules ; but afterward the dragon brib'd his mates to be his guard ; his sect soone stray'd , and his fraternity with merits boast corrupted purity , pestring the church and christian common-weale , with dreames adverse unto the founders zeale . out of their dung did other orders grow , austere in life , of sanctimonious show , pretending holinesse in outward sight , but inwardly in melancholick plight , now spending dayes and nights neere in dispaire , anon blowne up , like bladders in the aire , with meritorious wind , pelagian worth , and humane workes they set their doctrine forth , they lash'd their flesh to keep the old man downe , and , like that sect from craz'd montanus flowne , they stupifi'd through fasts their brawny sides in hope of grace , and worldly fame besides . meane while the bloud of christ they frustrate made , and by such blasted buds faiths tree did fade . yet by their deedes , and seeming sacrifice the scarlet whore thought to redeeme her vice ; and that their workes of supererogation suffis'd at least to win a prorogation of vengeance due for her high pamperd pride , if not to purge what christ had left untri'd : like those who bought , to ransome iudas sinne , blouds hire , a field to bury strangers in . o what a rabble doth my muse descry of croakers from the dragons mouth to slye within the space of the next ages rowle ! all bent the praise of babel to enrowle ! the domini●ks , cartbusians , augustines , the carmelites , capouchins , iacobines , besides the order of the ierome crowd , to whom of late castiles great monarch vow'd his marbled palace of th' escuriall mount , whose structure cost him many millions count. these orders , though of despicable forme , in beggers rags , yet holp they to reforme some things amisse at their first shooting up , or else the wh●res abominations cup had quickly been by kings descri'd and spilt ; her flock had flinch'd , and soone espi'd her guilt . but the conceit of these mens sanctity , and manner of their lives austerity gain'd them repute of wiss propheticall , whose vowes would shrowd sinnes ne'r so capitall . yea , though a man had both his parents slaine , romes pardons and their vowes salv'd all againe . this blindnesse lasted long , till christ his spouse returned from the desart soules to rowze from superstitious sleep , and ignorance , to brighter light , and a more lively trance . like ravens , frogs , scritchowles , and dismall fowle , whose auguries type weather faire or foule , so did those flying spirits of that age seale up dark minds a prey for satans rage , and on th' elect betoken calmer gales to blow , when tir'd with old fanatique tales , they should in time to come gods spirit see , the martyrs slaine reviv'd , from sodome free . while canonists , the school-men , and those swarmes of lawyers rose , the romaine popes with armes and curses still , leaving the lawes dispute to spurre their league , did caesars persecute . no treaties , wars , nor spoiles the popes could tame ' till one of them of alexanders name on caesars humbled backe got on his mule , as foot-stoole to a a lord of mad mis-rule , detracting from christs power : thou shalt tread on basiliskes , and bruize the serpents head. i doe to peter this , and not to thee , said caesar : both to peter and to me , repli'd the mounted priest ; for peters throne on earth i hold , and he and i are one. o where was then romes boast of innocence ? of catholick consent , and penitence ? their actions shew what spirit raignes in them , who durst assume the triple diademe , and manage both the swords with more disdaine then bajazeth complain'd of tamberlaine . but had not caesars sonne in navall fight by the venetians been captiv'd , such spite he could not have endur'd so patiently , nor let such wrongs long unrevenged lye . now for this age to winde up babels height , one thousand , and one hundred eighty eight , about that yeare the machiavellian pope , to settle surer his imperious hope , and to confirme his proud investiture , found out a plot his rapines to assure , and to employ his neighbours farre from rome , lest they more pry into his arts at home . by his croisadoes charmes cri'd sanctifi'd in christ his name , but by his word untri'd , he packt from hence many a valiant band , under pretence to conquer iewries land , and there to build jerusalem againe , like iericho sometime not curst in vaine , and to regaine it back from saladine , who late had won the land of palestine . but as no good flowes from a tainted spring . so hence then losse ensu'd no other thing . caesar romes curses thinking to compound , took up the crosse , and by the way was drown'd . yet could not so the fathers death appease ; the popes his sonnes by curses barre from peace . and to redeeme their bloudy spoiles with deedes of merit , they spread meritorious seedes , as that fond age then dream'd , they prostitute to meloch first , and then they institute the orders of the begging friers , so to calme gods wrath , which kept such lowd adoe at rich mens doores , that superstition more and more confirm'd baals power then before . about this time my learned country-man archdeacon girald wrot , by whom i can disprove out of his bookes of pilgrimage which he set forth of cambria in that age , the wonders of the well of winifride ; which friers braines in after-times discri'd , when the fourth henry raign'd , that then , ev'n then they coin'd those tales to gull poore simple men , to haunt their cells , and impious sacrifice grac'd from the pope with novell liberties , and leave to build a chappell or a fane , as men were wont for the like use profane ; and as they did in this fond age erect most stately shrines to becket and his sect. because some monkes night apparitious saw , which k●aves or fiends invented there to draw concourse of pilgrims , and oblations store , they built such shrines , and nois'd their dreames the more . but our new-man slights all such miracles , as derogate from scriptures oracles , not ignorant of the old serpents sleight , that he may seeme an angel of the light. because men loved lies more then gods word , and tri'd them not by the spirituall sword , he suffered satan to pervert their will , that they believ'd what did the spirit kill . to let our blinded strayes to know their crimes , derived from the course of faultring times , i warne them to looke back into this age , and there to waigh what cunning mixt with rage popes practiz'd then by more of councels store to raise their crest then in the times before , how many councels did the romish clerks assemble in our west for their vaine quirkes support ? what age before hath ever seene of councels held one hundred and fifteene ? ( for just so many did this century produce ) some to confirme sinnes mystery with attributes of the divinest style : that as the head conspired to enstyle a wafer cake a god , so they likewise , as members would a god him solemnize with power rais'd above the caesars farre , since he could soules from purgatory barre . some councells leagu'd to send croisadoes out to palestine against the persian rout. others were call'd the married priests to curbe ; and some were held the caesars to disturbe , exempting from their lawes the clergies crew , though nere so faulty , whence great scandalls grew . some councells did against all kings contest of bishops their investiture to wrest unto the popes . and some pluralities , of popes restrain'd and their enormities . and which seemes most uncharitable , foule , and schismatick , some councells did controule , nay , put to silence the reformed flock , who built their faith upon the new-mans rock , i meane , that flock , which lions waldus won from darknesse to look on the gospels sun. such acts above one hundred councells tomes contain'd to please the popes , like hecatombs , within the space of the twelfe century ; and all to prop great babels empery . the occvrrences of the thirteenth age , from the yeere of our lord 1200. untill the yeere 1300 at which time king edward the first raigned here in england . the argument . the waldois and albigians rome oppose , caesars with popes for r●le contesting lose . the gransire , sire , and nephewes feele the smart . pope celestine is gull'd by waly art. in wofull case remain'd the church of christ , through bloudy broiles , that how she could subsist on earth , while this age lasted , it might dull a sparkling muse , but that i learn'd at full the cause of her retire , the difference betwixt her wane , and her lights excellence , her catholick , and her subordinate commanion , which false rome would faine perswade that she alone doth owne without respect unto her mat●s , or betters growne by grace , where none can see her universall face save god himselfe . the world is large , our skill at stint : how then know we her spatious hill ? the waldo is and th' albigians in our west , the a●issines , and others doe suggest , that they partake her influence , and her head , ev'n him that shall dispose of quicke and dead . peter and paul we know . but who are yee , who meere the church of nembrods proud degree ? pope innocent in the last puddled age by canons strict , but neither wise nor sage , our english clergy now did here so gore , as hildebrand and lanfrank did before . that they without more shifts , delayes , dispence , or hopes to calme romes spleen through bribing pēce must turne away their plighted mates to grasse , or be accurst , and to refraine from masse ; a heavy doome , and not to be recall'd . this made our clergy winch , when they were gall'd , and causelesly thus curb'd without remorce of that , which christ condemned the divorce . against this flash walter de mapes wrot oxfords archdeacon stout ; he tax'd the blot and scandall which the romaine church encurr'd . he shew'd the flames , which her poore guard endur'd by such unlawfull acts , those very flames , which popes themselves not without branded names could well avoid in their more youthfull yeares , nor cardinalls , nor any of their peeres , they did enjoyne for tolerable paine . this moved mapes in old romaine straine to gird and nip the popes usurp'd decree , and to prove marriage for the clergy free . but now my muse more bloudy deedes must tell , which then the church endur'd from fiends of hell. about the yeare twelve hundred thirty one , the greek and latine church could not attone their diff'rence new sprung up for christian rites , but a sore schisme then chanc't , for romish kites would rake ev'n to the bone all churches else . they would yoake to romes soveraignty excelse the easterne church , and force investiture of all their bishops , and their ghostly cure under the keyes pretence to romes proud mace. but they would not subject , nor so abase their pastours staffe , alleadging old decrees of synods made for ordring of their fleece and liberties in their prefixed spheare , at chalcedon , at nice , and other where : that every patriarch in their proper charge , should onely deale , and their owne place discharge , not medling with anothers stinted cure , but watching still their owne flocks to secure , not striving for high seates of prelacie , as gregory then did for primacie . to this effect bizantiums patriarch wrot to gregory the ninth , that he could not consent to thrall his church unto his will , which , as a tyrants law , might spill or kill . at which resolve romes lofty prelate frown'd and by his lowing bulls accursed sound anathemated him and all the east , because they would not bow to his behest , and there withall proclaim'd the crosse to fight , and to deprive them of gods blessings quite . according to his will false christians went , and martyrs did with cypriots bloud augment . before this rupture both the east and west till then agreed , on union fixt their rest , and though for clericks wives , and masses rites they varied , yet romes popes play'd not the kites till then on them , as in our westerne spheare , from whence they rak'd much treasure every yeare ; they both agreed , acknowledging one head , one christ , one faith , one iudge of quick and dead , one universall church , one bond of love , and that one spirit ought them all to move : all patriarchs linkt in mutuall amity , coequalls grac't with honours parity . but through this rent by babels whore begun , a bloudy flag was for both churches spun . this schisme 'twixt east & west obscur'd the crosse and to them both fore-doom'd a two-fold losse , of worldly states to greece in time to come ; but losse of ghostly gifts to haughty rome , together with the losse of both the swords , as bernard to eugenius well records ; when she shall see how many potentates will flinch from her , and free themselves and states ; when she shall heare one with a dreadfull tone proclaime the fall of whor●sh babylon . when babel saw , that her croisadoes mist ierusalem to win againe for christ , as she , but in disguise , suggested then , now she proclaimes them against christian men ; the waldois and alb gians feele her spite , for against them she is resolv'd to fight . some yeeld unto the fiery crosse. some stay , some stray , recant , and others fly away with all their kinne into calabriaes soile , where till of late they liv'd safe from romes broile . nor could that age , nor yet the ages since extirpe their seed , nor cause their faith to fl●nch . yee darkned ghosts of those inveagled times , who merit well damnation for your crimes , doe what yee can , these new-sprung waldois shall with their good mates albigians you appall , and shall out-last your cursing thunder-blasts till luther comes and gives you more distasts , at which appointed time with lowder crack your camerades shall tremble , or fall back from ralaams league unto a nobler head , whose spirit them will into sion lead . well neere 300. yeares the popes have fought with emperours and kings , their downefall sought , depos'd the sire , and rais'd a rebell sonne unnaturall the father to dethrone . they poyson'd some , and others by degrees they forc'd to cry peccavi on their knees ; and all for worldly rule . nay , kings durst not curbe homi●ides ( such was the clergies lo● ) in those dayes , that if they to rome appeal'd , they were exempt , and had their pardons seal'd . while rebell be●ket for poore things withstood his king , the pope his shield most firmely stood ; and others of his ranke hal'd to their nets , two english kings of our plantagenets . when milan rose against the emperour , with other townes , though not to babels towre subject at all , yet did pope gregory , because the rebels sought his amity , accurse the third time caesars majesty : and though some pleaded then a nullity , yet no submission served frederick , but he stands barr'd from the church catholick . about the yeare two hundred thirty eight with the one thousand past , for his owne right the emperour was then compell'd to fight , the while the pope all caesars league did smite with thundring darts pretended from saint paul and from saint peter to affright them all . but seeing that such blasts small terrour strooke , he then proclaim'd the crosse , and thereby shooke th' imperiall league , yet not so fatally , but that his gibellines stood really , as with the pope remain'd the guelphian side , which two did long all italy divide . heere ends not all this centuries complaint : with farre more dismall stirres the pope did taint those cloudy times . the father dead , he shootes upon the sonne his bolts . it little bootes him to submit . the sonne alike must beare his fathers curse , and so to sway forbeare . conradus dead , he doth for conradine as much and more , for him he doth confine not onely from the empire ; but his owne of naples realme with the sicilian crowne he gives away for prey to charles of france , whose banners there pope clement did advance , and never left ( such was his choller 's flame to conradine for his dead grandsires fame ) till he and austriaes prince by a sly way were taken and beheaded in one day ▪ judge , readers , now , if popes liv'd like to christ , or whether they resembled antichrist . so sly and cautious were this ages states , that none for feare to have with popes debates for seventeene yeares durst hazard on the mace imperiall , but the same lay for that space still vacant . for alphonsus king of spaine had flat refus'd the cumbers to sustaine , least of an ancient friend , his ghostly sire become his foe , and so his love expire ; he would not leave , he said , astronomy which he then studied , for all germany . th' electours then chose richard cornewalls duke , the romaines king , but he with some rebuke was since put off , because his holidome expected more of others for that roome ; and thereupon he hasburgs earle enthrones , since austriaes head , with him the pope attones in old lausannaes towne ; but could not get him once to rome , lest that his footing set in that unlucky place , some jealous fit might nip the popes rash braine and crazed wit , that he from thence should never more returne , but perish there , except he serv'd his turne , as caesars were before his time to doe constrain'd , or else his wrath to undergoe . and to that end the prudent emperour rehears'd the tale , how to the lions bowre who fain'd him sicke , the fox saw many beasts to enter in as complementall guests , but not the steps of any comming back . and that made him to rome his visit slacke . now at this ages period celestine the romish pope was cheated by a fine and cunning sleight , the popedome to resigne to boniface , himselfe and to confine into an hermites cell , to end his dayes with prayers , fasts , and such religious wayes . this by a whispring cane or hollow reed he acted , and his wish did so succeed . thus boniface began . but as such plots thrive seldome , so entangled in those knots , which he for others warp'd , he waged warres in italy . in france he moved jarres against the king , with fulminating darts against his realme , till spite of all his arts his holinesse captiv'd , in prison fast , for very griefe then he deceas'd at last , with this memoriall fixed on his clog : he came a fox , raign'd a wolfe , di'd a dog. but to encrease romes superstitious store , before his death he coin'd one custome more , the jubilees great teare , wherein all such , who came to rome , were ●as'd of sinne and pouch : eas'd of sinnes paine from purgatories flame , eas'd of their gold as ransome for the same . this pope decreed it first with balaams fire , when that one hundred yeares did full expire ; but since to fifty yeares popes chang'd the course , that they might reap more gaine by gulls recourse , and pilgrim-visits of the lateran , and other sainted-fanes late made profane , since freedome was proclaim'd by romish sires for many thousand yeares from purging fires . so doth the mystick whore entangle soules to credit dreames , which raise her market tolles . and now likewise for her gods adoration popes first decreed the messes elevation . thus i winde up this popish age , the while i warne thy wits to greet , o patricks ile , thy prelate fitz-raphe , primate armachan , who 'gainst the upstart friers playd the man , and provd their begging orders vaine and false before the pope and all his cardinalls . so shone that time this learned mans renowne , that when his death was through avinion knowne , a cardinall was heard of him to say : the church hath lost a pillar strong this day . and yet for all such good mens prophes●es , rome would not quit her pedlers marchandise , which to her use those croaking frie●s truckt , but by their li●s she all our horey suckt . ( their legends wrought such superstitious feare . ) they saw our lady here , our lady there , at mountserrat , lorrette , walsingham , whereby they got , as to th' ephesian dame , to isis , baal , and moloch temples built , and images with gold and azure gilt , by which false specious showes , old satans mists , rich offrings they procur'd to romish priests . then , miracles were rife , of wise men knowne for ghostly wiles , now to a proverbe growne ; that to conclude some for notorious liers , it is enough to say , that they are friers . the occvrrences of the fourteenth age , from the yeare of our lord 1300. untill the yeare 1400. at which time henry the fourth ra●gned king of england . the argument . the fratricells soone up , and quasht . at masse by papall plot then caesar pois●ed was . pope john maintaines , he can all kings depose . our wickliffe now romes doctrine doth oppose . about the dawne of this new century , the fratricells of anabaptists fry in germany disperst their arguments , that christians should not perk to governments ; but that all things lay common to the poore as to the rich. no creature lesse or more then others must possesse . equallity they taught of states and lives conformity , much like to that , which plato chymeriz'd , or the utopian weale , which moore devis'd . but their opinions vanish'd into smoak , and they themselves endur'd the churches stroak , censur'd for bedlems of corrupted zeale , offensive to the church and common-weale , which without hope of gaine would slothfull grow : yet by the fruit a christians faith we know . i wish in wealth a meane , from mizers store a miracle extended to the poore . o how my heart doth grieve to see their cures neglected , whilst our dr●nish epicures most idly waste what godly families would save from dearth , and serve as sacrifice to cover sinnes . we car●y hence no gold nor land ▪ eight foot alone a coarse will hold . a friers act yet hapned to his liege , great luxemb●roughs caesar , at the siege of florence more prodigious by the popes procurement , which quasht sodainely the hopes and life of the imperiall majesty , ( deciphring babels black iniquity ) by a black frier with a masses cake envenomed , and taen his heart-strings brake . and so whom force , nor flashes could out-brave , one hallowed bit dispatcht him to his grave . nor did the next succeeding emperour much better speed , for he likewise the sowre and crabb'd aspect felt of proud anti br●st . he lewis dar'd out of the church of christ by thund●ing bulls to shut , and made his boast , that he had power through the holy ghost both emperours and princes to dispose , and at his will their kingdomes to transpose . thus john the two and twentieth of that name on caesar play'd , and scriptures did defame , untill some grave and learned men arose in that tempestuous age him to oppose . among which occam started up with quill of cherubs wing , and prov'd that doctrine ill . he prov'd the rule of all this earthly ball to appertaine unto states temporall , and by the light transferr'd from holy scrowles , how truth exempts no priviledged soules , no not the pope himselfe from caesars doome , since peter felt by nero martyrdome . so to the glory of the english race , who with the first withstood the papall mace , he , whom the godly for his learned workes then styl'd , the hammer of the romish church , on grosted i reflect , grave lincolnes sire : he stoutly wrot against his forged fire , which netled him so much , that out of hand he would have cited him before his band of pharisees at tiber to appeare , but that admonish'd by his councell there , sage cardinalls , he was content to passe him over , lest the bishop might surpasse them by his rare incomparable lore , and winde them in more mazes then before . two ages past had abbot ioachim against romes gaine a prophet been to grim . o glorious ile , most happy is thy fate , which hadst the luck first to descry thy state , thy churches dolefull state by babel torne , and with the first to be in christ new-borne , to shake her yoak quite off , and to flye out from her dark jaile , mauger her guardians stour . from time to time we read in antiquartes , god rais'd up some to sound forth romes vagaries . before that wickliffe stretcht his lions paw , one robert gall soule-rapt in paris saw the romish church by name with head like death , and with a body leane , and scant of breath : an angel then , while this sight did appeare , bad him the romish church mark standing there . she in our west was then of small extent , perhaps retir'd else-where , like abrams tent ; or she far'd in that antichristian age , like babels jewes , or saints through neroes rage . heav'ns path is narrow , stiep . hells broad , down hill , good men but few , the greatest part are ill : yet of those few 't is hard to know their scope : some sicke , some weake , or of potentiall hope , yet of those few the true church is compos'd , and of those few some were , like starres , dispos'd by our good god of dangers to fore-tell , whereby the rest might save themselves from hell. so petrarch sung in two-fold latian style , and others did in learned workes compile glauncing , nay striking at romes antichrist , and drawing soules from darke cimmerian mist. so boccace had , although with tales disguiz'd , the friers wanton thefts epitomiz'd . as likewise those three nunnes canoniz'd saints , like babels iewes , or sybills made complaints : good katharine , bridget , and hildegard fore-told our new-mans armes of safest ward , and that a new reform'd presbytery their liturgy should quash and popery . thus by records the churches race i try , and by faiths light her orient face descry , like the new moone approaching from the wane , and shine more bright in consciences humane . by which and by romes owne historian platine , i finde how liv'd the head of the church latine , by simony , and lewd magicians spells , by murthers , fraud , and coining of new hells , by setting all our christ endome at ods , because they kneel'd not to his maumet gods. with factious guelphes , his hurliburles assignes , he warr'd against the imperiall gibellines . amidst these broiles and crimes exorbitant , christ whistled home his flock extravagant . some knew his sound , and to his fold return'd , some staid behinde , and refractaries turn'd . the first he linkt with his church catholick , but left the latter of the staggers sick , and for a prey to fiends , because his call they flighted , and his cures angelicall . such to be gull'd he left by aiery elves , but his true ark he steered free from shelves . now with faire light from famous oxford rose our wicklisse , romes foundations to oppose , by certaine lords and londoners support , which though some crost , yet gave a lowd report , so lowd , that husse and icrome heard from prague the noise , and learn'd to flye from babels plague , and left to after-times such fruitfull seed , that the true church now glories in the breed . then chaucer by the freedome of his rimes unsilenc'd scan'd the darknesse of those times : ( of such strange force are tunes of raptur'd wits , that they have charm'd and still'd wild tyrants fits ) he plainely pointed at romes antichrist , admiring at the clergies stormy mist , which did so long our west exagitate . like them in zeale , though with unequall fate , did the lord cobham since , the bohemes husse , and those good soules in brittaines i le discusse religions state , those whom the papists then nick-named for their faith just and fast men. whose manner neere was such as pliny writ to trajan earst . they , as did saints befit , assembled in the night , sung psalmes , receiv'd the holy food , and with sweet trance conceiv'd christs mystick gifts , the new-mans sacrifice , the spirits flame , which carnallists despise . they liv'd as brethren , leagu'd in unity with mutuall love , and goods community , relieving one anothers need alwayes , their owne iust fast mens need without delayes . for pauls epistles , or th' apocalipse in english pen'd , because there babels slips were prophesied , they grudg'd not to defray five sterling marks , a scriveners royall pay , if we regard the scarcenesse then of coine , before castile did perues oare purloine . and which is strange , they seldome mixt their seed , but with their mates , lest they might taint their breed . fooles styl'd them then , as they now lutherans , the knowne men , or wicklevian puritans , the iust and fast , or with a brow more sowre , them lollards markt , frō whence came lollaras towre . in wales , about this ages latter end , did blasts from hell to friers braine ascend ; false miracles these merit-●onging crew pretended done by winifride did brew neere to a well deriv'd from rocky lime , which holy they enstyld in that dark time , because the bloud of that good virgin there , as they surmizd , was shed , and not else-where : lord , how they roamd , like wild geese , on the fame ! and unto baal with fat oblations came ! all to enrich the forgers of the bruit with what they never toyld for , strangers fruit ! before which feat for their monastick weale , their beggars wants they knew not how to heale . 't is strange to see how soon the world turn'd whore , when girald past two hundred yeares before that very place with an exact survay , yet could not learne what men did since display . the occvrrences of the fifteenth age , from the yeere of our lord 1400. untill the yeere 1500 at which time henry the seventh raigned king in england . the argument . our churches slighted state . bizantium lost . the papacie in strife . the hussites crost for husse raise war , with ziscaes conquests crown'd . strange lands by gama and columbus found . as i of late old rubbage diggd , i felt ( with flaming force my perturbations melt , my passions curbd , my outward man of might deprivd . and then i had a ghostly sight of robert galls parisian iack-a-lent , whereof the pope by carnall mindes consent is supreme head on earth . but soone i saw both head and body burne away like straw ; for both indeed wore brittle ornaments , and so dissolvd to the first elements , his soule descending into lower spheares then those of purging , which he farm'd for yeares . anon i saw with intellectuall eyes , from a dark iaile a comely dame arise , when seeing me she stopt her modest pace , and like my saviours mother , full of grace , thou mortall man , quoth she , dost wonder now , why on poore thralls my favours i bestow , and not on scarlet robes in midst of plenty ? i dwell not with the proud ; not one of twenty , that spends the time in carnall jollity , enjoyes my love , heat , or society ; which caiphas-like , pope adrian true confest , he saw not how romes scepter could be blest , since he , to whom christ left the churches care , shun'd worldly rule , pompe , and simonious ware. the consciences , where i frequent me most ; are styl'd the temple of the holy ghost . and there , no swine , no beasts of prey , nor curres dare enter once , nor any thing that blurres . notorious sinnes with penance i commute , but common slips to nature i impute . i never sold the holy spirits gifts , but i receive strayes gratis without shifts . though i enjoy the keyes to bind or loose , i seldome curse , nor yealding reedes do bruize . 'gainst hereticks i warre , but not with sword , my fence is vowes and teares , my sword gods word . for my chast faith to christ i am belov'd , and by his fiery crosse i am approv'd . if thou desirest then to finde me out , looke , vaughan , not for me among the rout , but with my babes , which beare a loving mind , wise , constant , sad . and there thou me shalt finde . with such i liv d in superstitious times , and so proclaime me in thy new-mans rimes . with such i dwelt by worldlings scorn'd , the while my beldame foe christs altars did defile , with carnall sence and sacrilegious rape moulding th' immortall in fraile mortall shape . thus stood our church , though not so faire of face as she seemes now , yet by elections grace , christs merits , and his blouds prerogative she breathed free from sinnes imputative , and though her seed were not so pure as our , nor ours , as saints , yet may the man-gods pow'r for their faiths sake old passions purifie , when doomedayes flames shall bodies change or try or rather at deaths gaspe to paradise convaigh them like the theefe , with saints to rise , the iudge will cloth them with his robes of grace , and them enroule with his true churches race . thus stood our church most visible to saints , ere luther broke into his just complaints . here in our west she persecuted lay , while rome made sale of soules and open prey . she in the house of mourning at the stake lay patient , while rome forg'd the masses cake . how did they her with racks and tortures touze within their jail●● and inquisition house ? how in old times did berengariu● fare , for daring to controule cotrupted ware ? nay , how in spain● doe they speed at this day , who christ alone for advoca●e display ? a thousand yeares the dragon with restraint of bloudy force ●y close . till then a saint possest his conscience free from tortures fi●e , or hells const●aint . no synod f●ll of ire , till the fourth henry raign'd , did signe a law by massacres poore england to withdraw from preaching christ. no councell generall doom'd saints to flames to end religions bra●le , till sigismond at constance suffred husse and ierome to be burnt without discusse of their true cause . yet sautre first of martyrs did appease the bloudy thirst of antichristian priests in the first yeare of the said henries raigne . next badby here thorpe , purvey , taylour , white , and hoveden , with the lord cobham , floure of noblemen , who did before the bishops of this land , with burning zeale the romish church withstand , for the faiths sake , and the wicklevian sect did by their bloud , and martyrs seales erect an altar up in honour of our christ as members of their head 'gainst antichrist , how many soules were forced to abjure and to recant ▪ no saint then liy'd secure in the three henries sway of lancaster , who preacht gods word , as he of chichester grave peacock felt , and many moe , that far'd as bad because they babels whore out-dar'd ▪ kent , herefords , and norwich diocesse saw men styl'd lollards then with like successe take up the crosse , and yeeld for christ their breath . ( so prelates saints pursu'd with spite , and death ) and not content the living to torment , they one degree beyond the pagans went , for wickliffs bones from out the grave they tore , and burnt , which lay there forty yeares before . with solemne pomp and degradations maske , those gotam-scribes perform'd that gothish taske . o would the lines of this epitome could move our strayes , which haunt the romish sea , to meditate on times old monuments , and there to marke what savage punishments one hundred yeares , ere luther rose , were then inflicted by mad priests on christian men , for seeking to reforme old things amisse , and by gods word to win blind strayes to blisse : i might then hope some would relent and turne to our new-man , and with new zeale would burne , not heeding dreames and superstitious mists , which spred abroad by false masse-monging priests , and idoliz'd by haughty hildebrand , lay yet on rome an ignominious brand ; but noting what the new-man put in ure the first six hundred yeares , they hold most pure . for such our martyrs did , and such i know great brittaine now extolls , at least in show . but to review the churches history , the looking-glasse of sacred memory : whilst halfe this age with doubtfull chance embroils , which france shall feel , or england bloudier broules ? the center of this age melts into teares , and cryes out shame upon 〈◊〉 westorne p●●res , for suffring turkes bizantium to possesse , and by that meanes quite to subvert the peace of all the easterne church , and there for christ to fiixe a mighty limbe of antichrist . had they in time bu● seconded the duke of burg●ndy when he thralls a rebuke with a check-mate receiv'd in hungary , the ottomans had not faire bulgary subjected , nor the graecian iles fince won to christians losse , and mahome●s renowne . but as with cunning plots the dragon rac'd our westernes faith , so then he there defac'd with open force the easternes primest seat , the city of new rome ; in which defeat he glories , that the same with salems towne , and antioch he from servile christians won . their sinnes them servile made , that so before the iudgement day their fall might others more rowze up from sloth and dull security to watch , least they feele more indignity . and then neere thirty yeares were past , since popes branding each other for false antipopes copartners , at a councell generall by sigismonds good cares they stint the brawle . at which i cannot in my zealous trance unnamed leave a chancellour of france , grave gerson , whom our chronicles record , that for truths rights to be againe restor'd he motion'd to bring back the light divine , as in the dayes of paul or constantine . this he crav'd in the councell generall most zealous , but the state pontisicall would not assent to heare of reformation , lest they might clinch their court of augmentation , like politicks , who winke at theeves or stewes , at spoiles or bribes , at barrettours or iewes , encreasing sinne , and what to vengeance tends for private gaine , and their owne idoll-ends . this motion made that clerk magnanimous about the time , when there they burned husse , that husse , who sung , that tho they broil'd the goose , within one hundred yeares should be let loose a swan out of those flames , as white as snow , whose pow'rful tune wuld make more ear●● to glow . which prophesie fell true , for the events gamaliels-like since answered the contents ▪ yet did that councell doe one piece of worth , for they depos'd three popes , and chose a fourth . but afterwards the caesar sigismond for breach of faith by deare experience conn'd , that though , as toyes , wrongs mortalls over-passe , yet god will them not unrevenged passe , for of the breach soone as bohemia heard , the safe-conduct infring'd , the cause unheard , and that the councell had condemned husse and ierome to be burnt without discusse of the maine points of faith , for which they 〈◊〉 by safe-conduct sign'd in th' imperiall name : and now affronted with this fond reply , or rather jeer'd with a priseillian lye : that promise , faith , and vowes to hereticks were voyd in law , if made by catholicks ; the taborites repin'd , faire prague laments , and all bohemia moves with sodaine rent● , for their late prophets death , and guil●l● 〈◊〉 blo●d shed for no cause , but that they rome withstood . then valiant zisca , like the sonne of nun , heads against caeser , many battels won , and with small numbers to all the papists wonder great armies daunts , as st●ook with claps of thunder . the bohemes so against their foes prevail'd , that they their losse , and breach of faith bewail'd ; and to this day those rites in boheme last , which first to husse from english wickli●●e past . nor was that doctrine in bohemia close , and england kept alone , but to oppose the romish sid● by vertue of the light deriv'd from thence there daily came more might . the bishop of cr●atia then did rise by wickliffes lamp , and did romes fall comprise in measur'd lines , which with prophetick glosse 〈◊〉 did for that dark age disclose . cameracums good cardinall then wrot , and laid on rome an everlasting blot , as others in those dayes the like reveal'd what from old muddy pates stood long conceal'd . so m●ntuan did and savonarola , clemangis , and the count mirandola boldly declaime against great babels pride , ere luther rose to write against her side . for now had god in his appointed time refin'd more wits the gospel out to chime . though for their sinnes he pius tooke away the best of popes , who whilst he liv'd , gave way some errours to reforme , and meant that wives should licenc'd be to priests , yet still he lives for his good will enrowl'd in lines of fame , that silvius thought to cover babels shame . for like effect god sent the printers presse , that with good bookes we might his truth confesse , for till this age faire printing lay unknowne , and so for want of workes truth was prest downe . gunnes likewise came within this ages list , invented by by a frier alchymist ▪ now beades came up , where sixtus was not wary for penance sake to linke the ave-mary . and after him , by the next raving pope , who for his fact was worthy of a rope , romes stewes came up , for whom he builded roomes , and got the whores to pay him yearely summes , under pretence to keep some women chaste , but more for gaine , and for his priests unchaste , as though the brothels could knaves temptings let , by suffring ill , sinne hidraes to beget . what now hath rome to plead ? what colour ? shift ? or false demurre to cloak her wanton drift ? that she be not indited hereupon a baud ? and styl'd the whore of babylon , not onely ghostly , but a carnall whore she stands arraign'd ; for , as yee heard before , a whore indeed , a woman moguntine sate pope in rome , and acted rites divine . if this be not sufficient evidence , examine well their lives and fr●●dulence , what paramours popes keptd what bloudy da●ce they led ? what plut● their bastards to advance ? that very pope , which shall cloze up this age , can restifie with what tumul●uous rage he rais'd his sonne and daughter to great states caesar made duke , a duke lucreti● mates . about the yeare six hundred sixty six , the antichristian fiend began his tricks and lullabies to act through carnall ease , that men might fall to scorbuts foul● disease , or to some prantick fits. nor was it long but at the time foretold , who did belong to the great cities d●●● , by sea and land playd the fond bed●ems at their heads command . her huge impostume broke out at the last , that is five hundred yeares she made ●uch wast of ragges for tenes to keep her issuer running , to serve her still it past our westernes cunning . the prince of fiends such humours , spleen , and gall envenom'd had this mystery withall , that for gu●iat●m she must india riste , for europes drugges seem'd to her lims a trifle . who durst oppose her what she went about ? she had the keyes of heaven and hell to boot : of all the world she was chiefe governesse , and of what christ scorn'd in the wildernesse . only there wanted to supply her state the gen●●es map , and isabellaes fate . before her wane gods glory to extend , it chanc'd about this ages latter end , that gama first from lisbon tri'd the course , to passe by sea to the east-indian shores , where having found the load-stone since in use , he pilots did from the pole-starre reduce ; by which and printing was the gospels sound dispers'd , and both within this age new-found . west-india then was was by columbus seene , at the expence of that castilian queene ; who pawn'd her jewels for the finding out of those new lands , whose gold made spain so stout , that aiming at the westerne monarchy . she musters , fights , holds kings in jealousies and babels whore hopes in that new-found soilo by mart of soules to keep more revell coile , and what she here hath by the gospel lost , that to repaire in indiaes sun-burnt coast. our seventh henry might have made his boast , had he but been as prone as ferdinand to take the tendred map of that new land. but though the tract was large , yet portingall and castiles king contended , till the brawle by the high priests imaginary lines umpir'd , they claim'd more then their right confin●● . and so romes rites erected in that coast. satan repaires what he in europe lost , unlesse our ile , to countepoise his craft , had lately aim'd into that north a shaft , which may perhaps some consciences so wound , that savages may heare the gospels sound , which others damps with superstitious fire have there conceal'd , and hindred to inspire . the occvrrences of the sixteenth age , from the yeere of our lord 1500. untill the yeere 1600. the argument . where lay our church ●re wickliffe first arose : by prodigies rome warn'd ere luther rose . no tyrants plots could let our churches sound , but englands queens did all her foes confound . from age to age i shew'd the churches race , her wane , her wens , & her rèfulgent fa●e ; and some i nam'd for prophetizing wits times against our beli●ls fit● , who labour'd to suppresse what christ prescribes ? besides th● abissines under pret●ous iohn , th' armenians , greekes , and some in babylon , or otherwhere ( for who dares bound our guest ? since we are ti'd likewise to judge the best ? ) and not to bind gods free unbounded grace to any certaine climate , time , or place ? ) christ had his church , a remnant sav'd by grace alwayes inspir'd in some or other place ; whether our scribes pretend them coloieros , nesto●●n● , m●nkes , or saint iohns cavoll●res ; whether they hold of persian iacobites , the hi●●ies forme , or of georgiaes rites ; of maronites , or coftics of the east , or catbelicks so craking in the west , or hermites , nunnes , and l'olyntaries 〈◊〉 , whose humbled hearts then pomp saints honor more because they side with christ , beare christian name , though much in blame , yet i will spare their fame ; and let our weaklings know , that some were wise , and did of old in babel sybillize ; by speciall signes and symptomes generall , but most by sacred starres authenticall , denouncing for her slips gods wrath , her fall , unlesse she would repent her at their call. and so things came to passe , as they divin'd , her spires for rookes we now demolisht find , some by the force of furious ottoman , some forfeited for what the lawes did scan : her chappels turn'd to barnes , or nests for owles , her nunneries first built for harmelesse soules lye wast with her rich temporalls and rents ; yea , and gods tythes , our church-emoluments , by what just warrant let the lawes dispute , some keepe away as yet ; and i am mute , because i see sometimes that innocence , aswell as vice , dies of the pestilence , an order laid pope alexander downe for the new world. but shortly of his owne most wretched states and life shall be bereft , and for usurpers an example left . for after this usurpt partition made , his bastard sonne to try his former trade of pois●ning those , whom he suppos'd would barre the proud designes of his complotted warre , his motto blaz'd , the hazards die is cast , caesar , or nothing , now by poisons tast he meant to rid suspected cardinalls out of the way , but hereby both their falls , his fathers and his owne , he sodaine wrought , for he soone as the fat all wine was brought , charged his page , that he the bottle watch , and when he call'd for wine that he should reach it for his guests ; the pope came in the while , and thirsty call'd for wine : the page the wil● not knowing , thought the wine reserv'd was choise , and without more adoe , or answers noise , fill'd him a cup of the empoisned wine , and by just doome , as writeth gui●ciardine , came in the authour , his accursed sonne all thirsty too , and tasted thereupon the cup which he for others brew'd , and lost his father out of hand , himselfe almost ran the same fate , but that by nature strong , he for that time escap'd to doe more wrong , still quarrelling , till he was thrall'd and slaine . so caesar borgias liv'd and di'd a caine. pope julius now to tiber slung his koyes , then fought , and lost by french his enemies . a token that romes church to wrack began to fall , as you may by the sequele scan . the ourward crosse in teutons soile appear'd of martyrs forme , and with that signe besmear'd their palaces , and houshold ornaments , their windowes , doores , and bodies vestiments ; a signe to shew the fiery trialls doome by factious gogs and magogs force to come , veil'd with the crosse , the keyes , with peters net , with iesus , with the lawes , or mahomet . this miracle in maximilians time fell out , not long before the gospels chime at wittemberge with motions life began by luthers zeale , that good samaritan , who , when most shunn'd to helpe the wounded man , cheer'd up , and bath'd christs members pale and wan . and after this another prodigy befell to rome , which no apology of idolists can cover the mis-hap ; when little iesus from his mothers lap was in the church remov'd , and peters keyes throwne from his pictures hand , both in a trice vvithout respect of persons by the stroke of thunders crack and sacred sulphures smoake just in that church , where one and thirty priests vvith the red hat that day , like minstre●●ists , installed were by leo there with state in the same yeare , when lutber to abate his loftinesse began with greater fame then cardinalls support , in christ his name . our kings and states of westerne christendome complain'd and sought for some redresse to come of faiths abuse , and romes impiety , but still the head was deafe to piety , he would no member be , but the church whole , himselfe sole iudge , and church , without one mole , or sinfull spot , by which prerogative he tyrannized so , that none could thrive ; he watcht with vultures clawes all stakes to sweep : he watcht to flay , but not to feed the sheep , like maltaes iew , or those of la●lesse kind , who under maske of law cease not to grind christs members , till they feele hells measures heapt , or till they reape what old masse-mongers reap● . so blinded were the popes by doome divine , till a poore man , a frier augustine , since started up to doe that glorious deed , which gregories , and austines doth exceed , which kings af●ay'd , but failed to performe : nay , kings durst not what luther did reforme . would god that some like prophet took the paines to bring back love for which our church complains . this wonder god wrought in our latter dayes , that before doome he might recall some strayes , that satans pride he might by sucklings tame , and by the weak the worldly wizz and shame . well neere upon our luthers sacrifice , grave reuclin did and valla breake the ice , as london was prepar'd by golets flame , and dutch-land by the clerk of rotter da●● ; as swizzer land , when luther first began , by zuinglius was stirr'd up romes zeale to scan . but none then our iust fast men triumph'd more , whose race had held full sixscore yeares before vvith faggots fire , and lollards branded paine pursu'd till now , and now rejoyc'd againe , to see that faith , which with the hussites they had long maintain'd , found out an open way by luthers zeale , stigelius ravish● mus● , and by melancthons flowres with blooming newes . babel her fall in henries time foresaw , vvhen premunire englands ancient law her clergy rackt . but most the quakt for dread to heare him styl'd the churches supreme head : for by that style what rome usurped heere of aunates , far●●s , and duties every yeare , our parliament had on the king conferr'd to aide him in his warres . these spoiles transferr'd from forraigne use to help the natives want : 't is strange to mark how soone men did recant their carnall dreames ; and blind idolatries , to celebrate the new-mans sacrifice . blest be young edward , our iosiaes name , who next commenc'd this work of pio●● fame . but as the former brood , when constantine deceas'd , then prou'd ingratefull , the next lig●e of caesars fell to arrian heresie , and their old vomits with apostasie : so wavering england in the marian raigne quickly return'd to babels yoak againe , untill some martyrs blood , the churches seed , true members of their head in time of need had through gods grace behind them left a fire , as latimer foretold , which would inspire , and never be extinct in albions ile , whilst that our kings beare faiths defenders stile . this by our virgin queene of tydirs race , great debora , was since made good to raze , and quite demollish here romes strongest fort , and chiefest nerves , which did her pride support . and surely , if romes tributary thralls would take that course , she on a sodaine falls . her lofty towres would yeeld so loud a crack that they , which court her now , would soon go ba●k , when slartled up at the new wondrous sight , they see a church more catholick of light : they would ●vouch no advocate but one , and build their faith upon the corner stone , that was hewne from the mountaine without hand , male-borne without male-sire in iewry land. they would exalt our church apostolick above their owne , the car●all catholick , and by gods word , truths ground , the churches no●e , they would conclude what now they ●on by roat . about the midst of this strange century , iniquities prodigious mystery began at trent , or city tridentine , againe to play upon the word divine by canons propt with iulians tyranny , more fit for moores then councells harmony . least that the gospel should romes captives free from their old doating dreames , they did decree , that all such bookes , which protestants had pen'd to blaze gods word , they should in pieces rend ; or if they toucht her carnall copy-hold , to martyr them , since babel aimes at gold ; and that who did gaine-say in word or deed , or tooke it not as parcell of their creed , that the whole masse both for the dead and quick suffic'd , those men they doom'd no catholick ; that , who beleev'd not all the romish crewes traditions , they were worse then turks or iewes . such acts at trent were last determined by the fourth pi●s , romes most impious head , with thundring threats . frō whence arose those jars , combustions , powder-plots , and bloudy warres , which ever since embroiled christendome , and will ( i feare ) untill the day of doome endure , unlesse our head-strong strayes afford , while time remaines , more passage to gods word . none can deny , but that this councell gave more liberty for papists to out-brave the church reform'd by inquisitions strict to rack poore soules , and by severe edict on forfeiture of life and goods escheat , if they would not adore the papall seat. from hence began the civill warres in france , which ended not but by most bloudy dance . and various sort of massacres and spoiles . they ended not for all their leaguers broiles , untill their kings , the guisians , and their chiefes , who sided in the quarrell , di'd in griefes , in anguishes and bloud . and this the starre in seventy two , which past all comets 〈◊〉 for strange portent and blazing-hearded rayes , did then denounce with woes to stubborne strayes , for belgiaes injur'd states did thereupon incenc'd by alv●es duke , and austria●● iohn , who would have forc'd to masse mens consciences , breake into warres against spaines out-r●●es ; which last as yet . so likewise portingall , with her sebastian did in affrick fall . enduc'd to fight with moores by iesuites traine , that philip by his death might ceaze all spaine , excluding don antonio and his race quite from the sway of lis●ons royall mace. but to retire to our french leaguers back , how fatall prov'd their plots ? they thought to sack and ransack all the townes , which protestants , for their defence then held . but in their wants god aided these , and on their foes return'd the tragick flames , wherwith they would have burn'd their neighbors roofes . guise arm'd agaist his king , the king 'gainst him , till both felt judgments sting , both di'd in bloud , yea , which appear'd most rare , the king was caught in the same bloudy snare , where he in time fore-past had leagu'd the death of saints , whereby catillion off his ●tea●h , for in that very roome the king was slaine by friers hands , where first was laid that traine . long liv'd our queen to build things out of square a virgin v●w'd to christ , of dowries rare , excelling in the gifts of tongues and arts ; but more then all ●●one her diviner parts . church-elders she propt up , when some their fall , as if their state toucht not the temporall , for lucre sake had plotted to deface our churches forme , her frame , and outward face , whereby her sway had prov'd an an●rchy , of scorned stemme , the house of god a sty , and learning held in vile contempt for lack of wages due ; yea , all had gone to wrack , if this good queene had not supported them , who holp to build our new ierusalem . in her buddes-time , to counterpoize , or let our churches growth , or in her te●ts beset to ruin● some of our good souldi●rs , sp●●●g the iesuites sect with the false serpents tongue disguis'd with zeale , and promising to youth mountaines of rules , new documents for truth . upon which newes , and newne●●● of their name , degrading antioch , and the christi●● fame , they wan repute in babel . but of ●are discreeter states their bloudy doctrine hate . among these frogs croakt mariana first against all kings , who were by popes accurst , and by blacke rules deriv'd from hells abysse , dethron'd them of their states for their amisse . yea , and their lives subjected unto slaves . with such lewd points , wherein this jesuite raves , he campians braine so stuff'd , that irelands realme and desmonds crew he poisned with the streame ; for which his plots and false conspiracies , himselfe became a damned sacrifice ; as well deserv'd the authour for his bookes entangling christians with such hellish hookes ▪ but all their plots of pi●●olls , poison , swords , nor romish bulls , nor briefes lowd thundring words , could shorten or impeach elizaes raigne , but that she thriv'd in spight of rome and spaine , while they prevail'd with fatall wound to sting one whom they tooke for the most christian king ; which deed so pleas'd pope six●●● , that he durst with iudith ranke the malefactour c●rst . this sixtus dar'd to excommunicate our famous queene , her empire to translate , as much as in him lay , and leave to gore her person gave , as pius did before . but all their roaring bulls and thunderclaps with interest return'd , with heavy raps upon themselves , their faction , and on those , to whom they dream'd her kingdomes to transpose under his shrowd , who from a fishes craw did toll for christ and his owne person draw . in the meane time faire englands zealo●s queene , like char-coale sparks , contemn'd their flashing spleen . and for her zeale god blest her brave attempts , that she cri'd quittance for his slight contempts of neighbours love with the great king of spaine , who suff●ed still his inquisitions traine , under pretext of their religions lawes , to prey upon her merchants without cause , and on their goods : or sheading of their bloud ; or galley-slav'd ; or to weare benets hood . these wrongs by drake and candish she redrest , and fear'd not to encounter him at best with all his navall force in eighty eight , and afterwards at cales she shew'd her might . nor went his indies free from her revenge , nor belgiaes soile , but that she did avenge her quarrell full , by force of armes transverse the belgian state , and free the hollanders from th' inquisitions yoake by alva laid , and sithence train'd their milk-sops by her aide to turne brave souldiers both on sea and land , to weary spaine , and on their guard to stand . after that bloudy feast in seventy two , when sions church french herods would undo , besieged rochell with munitions store by sea she furnish● , and reliev'd her poore . againe , france tasted of her lenity , as burbon tri'd and his posterity , which but for her good cares , and troupes supply , had stoupt unto iberiaes tyranny ; and lorra●nes league then mammo●kt into parts had thrall'd all france to spaines superiour darts . she planted ireland , civilliz'd the rude , rebellious , wild , and kernish multitude ; and neere her set by valiant mountjoyes cares , with triumph there o're spaine she cloz'd her warres . so stood out state of church and common-weal● , in spight of romish bulls , spaine , and oneale , secur'd frō schismes , home-broyles , and hostile traine , as long as great elizabeth did raigne . hereby our strayes , who taxe the gospels sound , may feare how they gods church do meore and bound within romes fold by popes prerogative , as if our faith were pinn'd unto his sleeve . here they may see what ignominious spoiles romes champions reapt for all their bloudy broiles ; whilst that our princes in set peace have stretcht their limmes , in bloud their latest gasp they fetcht . not austria , france , nor rome with steely dint , nor marian fire could christ his gospel stint , nor could they raze the name of hugueno●s , or protestants for all their bloudy plots . much lesse could their school-doctors plead her cause against the brightnesse of the spirits clause , which by saint iohn had prophesied her fall , and likewise her forewarned by saint paul , that she , whom for her faith renowned fame then blaz'd , should be at last cut off with shame , if she continued not , as she begun , chast to her spouse the great iehovahs sonne . gods charter still goes with a whilest , or if thou honour me , i will remove thy griefe . not her decline could all her clergy stop , nor canonists her doctrine underprop ; not gratian , nor her best , panormitan , nor all her routes of thalmudists prophane ; not wolsey , poole , nor learned cajetan , kings-mating cardinalls in pomp humane , the mystick remnant of the dragons band , could vengeance stay , nor iudgements lees withstand . their martyrs urnes can no way paralell our holy ones , nor can their legends tell five bishops burnt for their religions sake , where we can name consumed at the stake great cranmer , ridley , hooper , latimer , and ferrar sainted in our register , with many moe , whom the force secular , hells magogs , hois'd to martyrs calendar , though them they knew to be the churches seed , by hearing at their death their christian creed : which creed , lest it might move a conscience soft , their torturers have interrupted oft in midst of flames , by hurling staves or stones , to wound the more their heads and broiling bones . o valiant men , true members of our head ! who like to him for him to death have bled ! o glorious saints , who left such monuments surpassing farre the seven-fold wonderments ! who to prevent soules dearth built granaries , like josephs store , inough for sacrifice ! whose martyrdomes refulgent memory puts downe romes palles , and shrines imagery ! who have , like starres deriv'd from heavens light , left spectacles and torches for our sight ! god grant they may increase devotions flame , and dul those schismes , which the next age wil shame . in briefe , no age since christ saw greater change of manners , knowledge , states , and which is strange , great rome twice sackt . the cōmon foe more bold , whilst our chiefe west wav'd with the spanish gold. the occvrrences of the seventeenth age , from the yeere of our lord 1600. untill this present yeere 1640. being the 16. of king charles his raigne over great brittaine . the argument . our church escapes the dragons powder-traine ; and is confirm'd in james , and charles his raigne . abroad the bloudy crosse her members s●ites ; in brittaine some blame types , and outward rites . the third yeare past of this our present age , our sun-set queen expir'd her pilgrimag● a virgin on our virgin ladi●s eve ▪ to see her starre death did her hence b●●●av● . elizabeth then folding up her raigne of forty foure , triumphant over spaine , the popish side , tirone , and irish kernes ; faire englands crowne to him whom it concernes by right of bloud descends , to salomon , our phoenix iames , who like the radiant sunne shot forth his rayes , of kings the paragon ; a writer most acute , for natives tone unparalell'd by any regall scribe , next to that starre , the honour of his tribe . whether in prose or measur'd lines he steeres , the loadstone of his labours still appeares directly aim'd unto the new mans white . his davids psalmes our belials so appall , none dare them now geneva-jigges mis-call . this posthume fruit hath learned sterline late set forth , the fainting soule to recreate . his workes endure the light , his lamp the night of ignorance repells , and none our iames , his bockes , his life , or raigne , save envie blames . he vorstius foil'd , restrain'd superfluous doubts , and by his pen convinc'd scholastick routs . while here he liv'd , o how did knowledge shine ! the church renew her hopes , the grave divine affoord us daily manna for soule-food , and by his royall rayes all things did bud , yea , his rayes made the wildest red-shanks tame , dri'd irish bogges , and spred virginiaes fame . nor lackt this king the gift of prophesie , to pry into the jesuites secrecie , whereby they thought to blow up albions state with powder-traine hells next obnoxious fate . for though that tressams lines seem'd intricate , flowing from sphynx , or coedipus his pate , a riddle , darke , and scorn'd by other men , yet this wise prince the same did not contemne , but pointed at the mine , and their intent , which they kept close sworne on the sacrament . this peacefull king upon the least disgust among his neighbour states , or warres mistrust , spar'd for no paines nor charge to mediate a christian end , their passions to abate . how many treaties hath vienna seene ? what embassies to calme fierce austriaes spleen ? that without bloud the palatine might gaine his owne , he sent his onely sonne to spaine . in hope to shunne th' events , which hapned since , to dangers he expos'd our darling prince , that by that gentle course or sacrifice , he might prevent ensuing prejudice . no age paints out , nor points at the like type of princely love , offence away to wipe . like iames in zeale came young iehosaphat , our royall charles , whose sweet and moderate condition yeeld us hopes , that , like his sire , he will retaine unquencht the sacred fire , which in his soule burnes calmely by the heat of heavens flame , the holy paraclete . now in his raigne we plant virgini●es north with colontes , and hope by setting forth the gospel there the savages to winne in christ his name from lust and bloudy sinne : our dr●nes turne bees in his auspicious raigne , remov'd to forraigne iles in hope of gaine , and by his famous glasse , who built of old , for tharsus ships to fetch thence ophirs gold , this prudent prince preparts a warre-like flees to scowre the seas , and force with force to mees , as testifie of late his admiralls , which forced moores to yeeld home english thralls . but more then all , the new man he doth grace , and the divine holds in his counsaile place . while m●●s went on the electours wings to pull , against the charter of the golden bull , distressed teutons limmes found both reliefe and succour of our charles , to ease their griefe . and while their church with tortures lay opprest , her babes exil'd : our brittaine mother blest thrives by the cares of our religious charles , secur'd from schisme , and superstitious snarles . o happy brittaine , couldst thou know thy good where neighbor-states ore-flow with spoiles & bloud ! to calculate who were by warres extinct in belgia , france , and germanies precinct , or the late troubles of the valroline , the grisons griefes , or rochels to define , a buskin craves more then poeticall , or algebraes points mathematicall . nay , he that counts the scarres in christian lands , on christian folkes late made by tyrants hands , shall sooner tell the names of magogs bands , which iohn compares unto the ocean sands . all which the saints , though in their tents beset by fiends , yet them from vowes no crosses let . all which gods church , though oftentimes she feares , and vents forth angels mones , with patience beares . our king bewailes their case , stands on defence ; he armes , and yet not ministers offence . we feele their griefes , with them we sympathize , and pray for cure , which passion mollifies . when austriaes caesar had with eagles wings aspir'd , and lift against the king of kings his lofty head , and muster'd all his force to trample on christs flocke without remorce , having begun the electours plumes to pull against the germane lawes and golden bull : ev'n then ( o wonder ! ) unexpected aide was by the lord from swethens land convai'd , from the farre north brave king gustav●s came , who came like thunder , fought , and overcame . and though this heros perish'd for our sinnes in battell late , yet to the philistines , like sampson , he full dearely sold his breath , confounded them , and triumph'd by his death ; yea , from his cinders since sprung up a flame , which tyrants threats , and turncoats puts to shame . long may thy trophees last , great macchabee , all terrour to our foes , untill they see , that they who wittingly shead christians bloud , like romaine pilate , and the iewish croud , stand guilty all of christ his death againe , and cannot purge , or wash away the staine with bribes , or ransome of sophistick kind , besides the scandall which they leave behind , that tearing bonds of christian unity confirmes the turke by their hostility to flout , and them with faigned leagues to wind , as shortly his confederates may find . meane while they wast a christian monarchy , and teutons land becomes an anarchy . but leaving them with fire and sword to skuffle , i saw our churches f●es begin to shu●●●e strange cards , in hope by arts legier-de-maine to win . the stake is soule prodigi●● gain● , which god avert , and grant that we take heed of sheep-skin'd wolves , who sacrifice their seed to moloch , and expect for ioviall nunnes to be confest by romes unmarried so●●●s . this women styld the iesuitrices , did lately presse , that they by their accesse to ladies might for their conversion speed , and work upon their owne fraile sexes creed with greater sleight , and with more fervency then priests oft blurr●d for carnell privacie . this femall sect , before it grew to height , was by the present pope , urben● the eight , dasht in the spring . a prudent actinde●d , to stine the growth of antichristian s●●● . god grant him more such sparkes , that as his book . of poems bruites his skill , so he the hook and fishers ner convert to better use then other popes have done to faiths abuse , the which he may , like peter or saint paul , soone bring to passe by counsell generall ; yea , and perhaps he may there reconcile thòse worldly jarres , which blur old antiochs stile . for what poor things wuld some disguiz'd with zeale disturbe the peace of christ his common-weale ? some startle at the altars ancient name ; others our setled forme of vowes defame . because they want some businesse from without , to make their badies sweat , or smart , they pour , and peevish grow , not knowing what they aile within their sickly braine , till eits prevaile ; like idle maias with the greene-sicknesse vext , they loath what 's good , and in ward are perplext with bra●kish fleame , with moodes extravagant , and longings oft from reason discrepant . because they cannot have their owne chymeres and whimseyes of their will , they wast with feares , repining at their neighbours store of grace , and yet their crazed selves will not embrace the tendred forme , nor joine in the soule-cure , as others do , and with sweet sauce procure , whereby they may with understanding pray , and not by roat , nor rashly vowes rep●● . glutted with quailes , and ma●maes precious fare , their stomacks long for onions , homely ware , and simple trash , which may the bloud iuflame more then that wholesome food , which they defame . have we not seene more pride in course attire then in rich robes ? yea , some , who did aspire under the mask of plaine sincerity , yet afterwards strove for priority ? let him , that blames the surplice comely weare , looke how the saints in long-white robes appeare before the highest throne , and then no doubt at such a sight he will no longer pout . and who is he so frowardly severe , that rayles at graduates hood of minnivere ? the scarlet robe ? or at the corner'd cap in academes matriculated lap , like laureate wreathes , borne and produc'd to grace industrious wits , the churches hopefull race ? that with such types and tokens garnished the bees from drones might be distinguished ? and that by vertues hire , faire honours crowne , some might , as starres , from lesser lights be known ! much more distinct the sacred ranke had need from vulgar garbes of grave and reverend weed , aswell to move regard by outward hew of surplices and miters , as to shew to hardned romaine strayes , that without stings we joyne with them in all indifferent things , and that to shun offence , faiths essence say'd , we can for beare , and yeeld to them that rav'd in clozing rents , for some traditions , rites , and outward formes , so to renew their lights . the iewes lost not by aaro●● bells their hopes : and what lose we by miters sight , or copes ? thus stands our church be●et with schismaticks , and romish routes pretended catholiks : the former raising jarres for triuiall things , the latter seemes to taint the new mans springs . and yet she shines most bright , while like a storme , the formers faction quailes , and may reforme their slips with ease , at least , when mellow age shall by degrees compose their passions rage . and there is hope the other will renounce dependencies on saints , and so pronounce : ( as did those saints themselves ) faith justifies , and christ his bloud alone doth us suffice without our owne , or other merits boast , to gaine salvation through the holy ghost . for want of tythes the one a sect contrives : and discontent tempts babels fugitives . thus hath our christ●an church by grace divine , past through the seventeenth age till thirty nine , and sixteen hundred yeares from christ his birth are fif●ly told by mortalls here on earth ; in spight of tyrants , schismes , idolatry , the dragons floud , and babels butchery . o would my muse knew wayes to ●●oncil● the stubborne straye● and hot-spurs of this 〈◊〉 that , as we all ex●oll one christian creed , and what wer● in six hundred yeares decreed by the first synods of the east and west , so we might meet at our communion feast in mutuall love , without distrust or st●ngs , to pay our vowes untō the king of kings , like brethren with harmonious ravishment in spirit , with one will , and one consent . accounting copes , bells , organs , surplices , or shaven grownes , a● rites , not ●●●●ances to barre the faith or conscience of a saint , as some with such conceits the church would ●aint . " a christian should be mild in temporall things , " which breeds not sin , nor soul-●ick scandall brings . " so that gods word be preacht and faith encrease , " i will accept what outward g●rbes they please . " il●●kneele , sit , stand , or else in sack-cloth fast ; " so that i may win soules , no flesh i le taste , " ile weare the sa●t● robe , saint be●●●s hood , " or friers cow●e , to doe our weaklings good . " such shapes i take for harmelesse policie , " as adi●p●ors with 〈◊〉 " expedient for some persons more then other , " so to shake hands , and wrangling quillets smother ; not like old 〈◊〉 of corrupted zeale , who rackt sometime the romish common-weale , and wanting wit to chuse frige black , or grey , or white , at last they made a bloudy fray. about such outward formes the fiend of late with bloudy broiles thought to enwrap our state. but he , that left at his departure hence against m●ll . ●l●t ● god 's spirit for defence , inspir'd our king with mercy , to forgiv● them for whose faul●s he more th●n they did griev● . when some for fam● , and others for their hir● , when some for spoiles glad of cambustions fir●● and some for doubts with swelling spleen did hope in savage fight with martiall 〈◊〉 & to cop●● our charles , though strongly 〈◊〉 extended the●● in christian love grace unto ●●●ing men. like him , who 〈◊〉 chose o●e citizen tus●●e then s●●y ● thousand h●stise men. by this rare act of sacred clemencie he paralells , nay , gets precedencie above all kings that sway this worldly spheare , whose subjects more their frownes and rigour fe●● then honour them for ballanc'd equity , or reall deedes surmounting quality . had theodosim so his passions squar'd , he surely had the the ssalonians spar'd , and not been warn'd by ambrose to refraine erō ●illains church , til conscience wrought some pain o happy prince , that knew'st thy s●viours will o happy land where sover 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to kill now , yee that vaunt of al●ious al●●nact , or of fergusim sway , appla●d ' this act with thankfull layes set forth in charles his pr●ise , vvho when he might destroy forgave your s●●●yes . but o what dolefull newes 〈◊〉 in my b●●es that discords flame , late quencht , againe appeares ? vve shall , they say , have war●s , and bl●●dy 〈◊〉 , new m●sters , taxes , toile . ou● wizzards starres , and malt-worme braines inculcate like b●g-beares , in luke-warme breasts effeminated feares . my censure now of our late vulgars bruit , who blinded in their owne would seeme acute in heavens affaires , is this : that if our god smite them or us , who can resist his rod ▪ some ranke of ease-require pblebotomy : some craz'd : some leane , like an anoatmy : their sinnes are great , and we excuse not our . our feasts , rich rob●s , law-suites , and humors flore bloud-letting need , and purge of hellebore . but , if as oft as me● offend , god powre the vialls of his wrath and vengeance downe , who now had liv'd to have his mercies knowne ? whether we dye at sea , or on the land by 〈◊〉 , pl●gues , or blowes from butchers hand , that 〈◊〉 string'd whip , which doth us here attend for temporall revenge , or trialls end , gods will be done . yet whilst his church on earth stands ●●me , i feare ●o wars , no pl●g●e nor d●●rt● ; for worldly things ( so fates have weav'd the plot ) rowle , reele , and squierme like eeles within a pot. how shall we then weare out these worldly broiles ? so voluble of course , so full of toiles ? just as some deal● with a cumultuous crew of leaguer'd god●s . when first the quatre●● grew , and shepheards met with mind to trounce them all , a swains did thus their so daine doome recall : what shall we do● with these bold animalls : which pill our ple●ts , and spile our vegetalls ? which gathering into w●●ords ca●e not for words ? nor with their ●aliant tappe● doe feare our swords . as if they would out-bear'd , they threaten us , that cats enrag'd may turne as perilous as greater beasts . some thi●de them to immure , lest other beasts to follies they i●ure . they custo●● claime , and native li●erties , to pill our b●●k , and brouze on grafts of price , but what bald custome can their bucks inferre ( not in their r●tring time , for then to erre vvas frenzies fit ) the peace to violate ? with skreames to seare our melt●●●● state , vvhen prudent p●● with councehance severe assay'd by law the mutineers to feare ▪ what shall we doe with this long bearded kind of castell , which presume to read the ri●● and beauty of our woods without to●●roule ? slighting our w●●s like a vain blank or serowle ? these out-●ages are great . yet 〈◊〉 with pitty mixt warnes our pi●●gerency over gods crea●nes to provid●some course , that beasts of gaine may thrive , no● fare the worse . fire and blood-latting are the last of cures : so , to be mild hurts not , but u●secures ; and though it seemes ● while , like to a block contemn'd of frogs , yet lasts it like the rock . the oxe must not he muzzled , no● these goates depriv'd of food , ●or horses tob'd of o●tes . what forrests are reserv'd for straggling deere , which retribute small profit in the yeare ? we foster greedy hounds and swilling swine : and shall we now lesse hurtfull beasts confine ? what cares take we for drones more then for bees ? and yet to kiddes grutch a few sapling trees ? if we hemme in their dammes , both dye of dearth , and so we lose some of the best on earth for profits breed . they rough and hardy are in aires extremes , content with simple fare : ( a gift which many beasts , nay men do want , a gift which lessens crimes exorb●tant . ) a little them sustaines . and yet their does yeeld store of milk to countervaile some cowes . they doe bring forth two or three kiddes a piece within the yeare ; their milk doth cordialize , natur'd like what they eate . feed them with spurge or lettice , then their milk doth humours purge . the male-goats bloud refines the diamond ; it breakes the stone , and makes the gravell'd sound . when it is bakt , or into powder done , and strew'd on liquid food , it cures the stone sooner then leeks , or alisanders broth , which seemes with it compar'd but skummy froth . a hivers pasty tasts like venison ; the buffe defends from frost as from the sunne . i skip the stuffe wrought of goats stately beard , lest not a goats-haires worth be what i heard ; nor mention i borrachoes spanish case , which pilgrims vow with healths to bacc●us grace ; nor yet their flesh , which portingalls do dresse and lay with salt for indiaes voyages . so usefull are these goats that none for want of them in wild and new-found lands can plant : which is the cause that brittaines colonies thrive not there like the spaniards progenies . now for my vote or cloze particulare , which i submit to your more silver haire : it is not safe the moody to constraine ; tread on a worme , and it will turne againe . the fits o're-past : we may cull out the bad , divide their troupes , and cure in time the mad. if we permit the weanelings of their flocks , their tender kiddes , which cannot shift on rocks for stronger food , to champ on weaker boughes ; and their moone-sick on plants sometimes to brouze : both these will , when their constitution growes to abler nerves , eat hay in time of snowes , and be right glad to taste of stronger food aswell to our content , as for their good. and let the rest live in their craggy soile , in hope they will no more keepe revell coile ; lest if we thence provoke their wilder whelpes , they may turne mad with tupping and with yelpes , unlesse in the mid-summers moone we chaine those whom we finde most crazed in the braine . 't were well we could their teeth with safety file , and not our hands with streames of bloud defile if they disband , and of their crimes repent , and will with griefe redeeme their punishment , let 's suffer them to spend their windy breath upon the rocky hills and barren heath , that it may be ingross'd in after-rowles : we left them there , where bustling boreas cooles the hottest spleen , in hope that they would grow more usefull farre then we doe finde them now . when riper time shall humours purifie , they will conforme themselves , at least their fry. since forraigne coasts to beares & wolves submit , i thinke we may lesse harmefull goats admit to their old haunts our dai●es to encrease , so that henceforth their buckes from tupping cease . let us not then root out these beasts with beards , weakning our stock ( an honour to our heards ) lest we give cause of jeering to our foes , who , if our stock decayes , may worke us woes . they pill our barke : that 's it you now will says so did our iron-men and tanners play : so others have by causelesse brawles and fees , and h●athnish spoiles , forc'd men to sell good trees . but here one whisperd him : touch not that noat , lest you be term'd a rash-promoting goat , incurring scorne with hoobubsand out-cries , for glancing at our modernes robberies . the swaine sbash'd , his face to crimson di'd ; and the goats cause lies in suspense untri●● : where though great pan an higher skill relies , yet scornes he not a rusticks poor● supplies , in all extreames on this i set my rest. of ills to ●●use the least , of good the best , and if i misse the latter to attaine , yet i will hope the golden me●ne to gaine . concerning other points of faiths abuse , as purgatories paine , false idolls use , courting of saints , to christs apparant wrong , gods sacred word kept from the vulgar tongue , additions to the masse , the papall keyes , and priests debarr'd of wives : let him that waight● the dreames of balaams priests , this passage know : pride made the pope a simon magus grow , and then he chang'd the spirits gifts for gaine . for after the decease of charlemaine , who sceptred popes , in the ensuing yeares , they to maintaine their pomp , the christian meere● of modesty transcended , got elbow roome to spread the divels huskes in rampant rome . which to reforme , as we of late have done in brittaines orbe , by wickliffs cares begun about three ages past , so let all them , who hope to see the new ierusalem , looke backe upon the first sixe centuries ; or if that seeme too tedious to revise , let them the next sixe ages well review , and they shall finde romes faith then patcht anew , that by degrees the popes by phocas first , and by great charles since rais'd , became accurst ; and that our church the very same of old , which was at nice , and chalcedon enroll'd for orthodoxe , is catholick and true , onely , because new-scour'd , enstiled new. lohere , deare countrey-men , in pithy phraze , what some have whirl'd about with winding maze , and some , i hope , these short analyses , will rellish more then long remonstrances , since substances yee like , i simply shew where lay our church pure , catholick and true , before we tooke the name of protestants at auspurg late , which our extravagants by transmarine and false exotick glo●●e would soile , like pitch , with appellations grosse of hugueno●s , or luthers hereticks ; while they usurpe the name of catholicks , like hagars brood , which moores terme saracen ; like hypocrites ; who passe for godly men. for why should they alone be in our west call'd catholicks , when thousands in the east , the abissines and others doe contend for the like name in substance , use , and end ? why should the parts above the whole presume ? one sister church the mothers stile assume ? the catholick , which spreads in every coast with mutuall gifts powr'd by the holy ghost ? why should the beames against the sunne compact ? the branches from the oakes good name detract ? our churches are ( waigh the comparison ) as boughes or beames : christs spouse the oak or sun. and for our church , more yet i could relate , to manifest her wane , eclipse , and fate in popish times , but that each novice knowes what meanes the desert , where she powr'd her vowes during the raigne of that great mystick whore , which preacht false christs by the red dragons lore . but mauger constance , trent , and lateran , the night is past of skreeching ignorance , and we embrace the spirits countenance , which at this day shines bright in brittaines ile , and may doe long , if we shun hate and guile . not ecchius , moore , poole , fisher , posstvine , not dowayes fry , nor copious bellarmine can match our calvin , zanchius , bullinger , frith , jewell , foxe , fulkes , raynolds , whitaker , andrewes , usher , and those whose melodies mount up to christ , like a new sacrifice , with many moe in our great brittaines orbe , surviving yet , and able them to curbe : whose praises web more curious if i spun , i should then light a candle in the sunne ; or undertake saint michaels warre to pen , a taske more fit for angels then for men. yet by that mystick type saints may discry the battels issue , and our victory : for such a palme the fiery crosses signe hath gain'd , as in the dayes of constantine . but now in embers clozing up my fire , i silently into my thoughts retire , oft looking backe to babels mystery , oft musing on faire stons victory , where first six hundred sixty six i fixe , one thousand then six hundred fifty sixe , times pedegree from mans creation cast , till fatall showres for sinne the earth defac't , i ruminate in mind , least sodainly while i deferre my duty to supply , the last great trumpets sound concludes the day to worldlings woe , and sinners sore dismay . warres in faiths house proclaim'd , and babylon discover'd shew great doomes-dayes signs neer gone : from which extreames , lord , save our church as well as thou elias didst from iezabel , that with the spirits streame she quench her thirst untill that day , while babel lies accurst . as long as sun and moone , or raine-bowes signe shall last , preserve our king like constantine , assigning us from stewarts regall ligne good stwards still to over-see what 's thine . remove not hence our churches candlestick , while firmely we to thy sonnes pledges stick , but for his sake who paid the costly price in judgement due for our enormities , whereas some led by fiends as yet do stray , if they repent , reduce them to thy way , that ismaels brood henceforth no christians flout for lutherans , or the wicklevian rout , for huguenots , novatians , schismaticks , for puritans , or mungrell catholicks . when these with peter vouch gods living sonne , with paul one god , one advocate alone exploding school-mens dreames , hypocrisies , soules-marchandize , and winding fallacies , we then shall soone for other points agree , without recourse to edens curious tree . this fruit the church reapes by her childrens peace : when they from jarres , then foes from jeering cease . the pictvre of the trve catholick and apostolick church represented in english and latine numbers . the argument . the authour last this corollary knits , to help our church against mad wrangling wits : till the sixth age the spouse of christ 〈◊〉 pure ; so doth our church . and here 's her portraiture . the spouse of christ shone in her prime 〈…〉 liv'd neere th' apostles time. but afterwards ecclips'd of light , she lay obscure from most mens sight ▪ for while her watch hugg'd carnall ease , and loath'd the crosse , she felt disease . because they did gods rayes contemne , and maumets serv'd , grace fled from them . then starres fell downe , fiends blackt the aire , and mungrells held the churches chaire . but now dispelling errours night , by christ his might , our new-mans light , she may compare for faith alike with famous romes first catholick , and paragons for vertue bright the royall scribes sweet sulamite , who train'd to zeale , yet without traps , her poore young sister wanting paps ; without traditions she train'd her , or quillets , which make soules to erre . so feedes our church her tender brood with milk , the strong with stronger food . she doth contend in grace to thrive , reformed , like the primitive . she hates the darke , yet walkes the round , and joyes to heare the gospels sound . she hates their mind in judgement blind , who swell with merits out of kind . in christ alone lies all her hope , not craving help of saint or pope . poore saints , to shew her faith by deedes , she fills their soules , their bodies feedes . she grants no weapons for offence ; save vowes and fasting for defence ; and yet she strikes . but with what sword ? the spirits sword , gods lightning word . indiff'rent toyes , and childish slips she slights , but checks grosse sinnes with stripes . yet soone the strayes her favour winne , when they repent them of the sinne. so mild is she , still loathing ill , and yet most loath the soule to kill . such is the lady , whom i serve ; her goodnesse such , whom i observe , and for whosee love i beg'd these layes borne from the spheares with flaming rayes . but who can paint the dowries forth of this new mary to the worth ? o let us for her gifts restor'd then sacrifice to heavens lord our hearts with psalmes , like trumpets lowd , for sending her to curbe the proud , and to beare downe romes antichrist , as she types her that brought forth christ , the object of our second birth , and the prime cause of all our mirth . thus is our church in essence like the ancient true apostolick . god grant this dame , our brittaines long to sway , whereby they may to christ new vowes repay ; and blesse thee , reader , with like happinesse , to hold his pledges firme with godlinesse . candidore fides lustrabat lumine mund●m , 〈◊〉 propi●s tetigit saecula prima 〈◊〉 ▪ lumen at ecclipsin 〈◊〉 labenti●●● 〈◊〉 reddidit obscuram , quae fuit 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 nec mirum turbans tantas senfisse 〈◊〉 , carnem plus vigiles quam sap●ere 〈◊〉 ; seria cum nugis miscentes sacra prof●●● ▪ idolis flame● post posuere dei. stellarum laps●s , 〈◊〉 fra●● , nubil●● 〈◊〉 , haec t●ia corrupti causa fuers thro●i . sed●●d● dispers●● tene●● is no●● de●●uit a●●● , spo●sa●●dit christi , cr●scit & altar home . crescit sponsaredux hominis fulgore novati , dum legitur christi pagina sacra choro . nec minùs est sponsa salomonis nostra pudica , vel grege primaevo quem pia roma tulit . uberibus vacuam parvam prior illa sororem allexit zeli lacte ; sed absque dolo , absque venena●is prudens allexit elenchis gentes quae tenebris delituere diu . quin & nostra greges solet enutrire tenellos lacte , magis fortes sed refovere cibo . odit nostra nigrà mentis caligine captos coetus , qui meritis intumuere suis ▪ non carnale sapit , nec papae numen adorat , horret enim christi commaculare thorum . pectora con●i●●is , sanctorum corpora victa pascit , ne fieret fabula vana fides . arm● virago gerit : sed qualia ? flaminis arma enthea , nempe dei mystica , metra , preces . condonat facili leviuscula crimina v●ltu , f●eda sed orbilii vindicat acta minis . non animam jugulat ( tanta est clementia divae ) sed resipiscentes laeta reducit oves . talis imago dei sponsae , nostraeque magistrae , in cujus laudes aetheris igne feror . tanta novae fulget virtus divina mariae ; sed sua quis calamo pingere dona potest ? sat ●ihi pro donis tantum si psalmata dentur , dum placet aethereo cor holocauma patri , qui nuper sponsam naevis maculisque solutam transtulit , ut fidei roma nitore ruat , utque novi dotes hominis caeloque renati liberiore canam pectore , voce , tubâ . sic & nostra viget similis jam sponsa priori , quae visit quondam tempora prisca patrum . det deus , ut longum regat haec sulamitha britannos , que possint alacres nova vota rependere christe , concedat que purem ribi , lector candide , sortem , ut pi● christigene conserves pignora sponse . another hymne to the same effect , as how to discerne the true catholick church . the crosse , on which our saviour di'd , for many yeares lay undiscri'd with rubbage soil'd in calvary , till , to renew christs memory , the mother of great constantine searcht , found , and left it for a signe , that converts then might understand , christ di'd for them in jewries land. in the like sort the church of christ , lay long eclips'd through carnall mist , resembling gold obscur'd with drosse , as was with earth that woodden crosse. and though some wisht to find her out , they could not bring their wish about , ( so strong of might , so full of sleight was babels whore to bleare their sight ) untill gods word perform'd the deed with martyrs bloud , the churches seed ; till wickl●●●e first , and luther next stept up , her babes stood sore perplext . now ( o looke up ) this gracious queene on sions hill is to be seene , with her new man , gods hopefull sonne , rayes darting like the glorious sunne . but they , who would descry her right , must her descry with inward sight , not like the old brasse-serpent , which idolaters did earst bewich , but like the crosse , which saints took up ere some to that since found did stoup . thus stands the church seen and unseen , unseen of sots , of saints well seen . these by gods word her presence waigh , those by false dreames and worldly sway. now , brother , mark , which of these crew of christ his church are children true ? the one kneele to the new mans rock , the other to an outward stock , like manichees , which they doe paint for angellick , or guardian saint . there , they meet men , who live by lurch , but never saints of the true church . the conclvsion to the readers . the argument . the authour here from the new-man derives the churches web , condemnes the dronish hives , blames labans saints , and false poetick dreames , which he reformes , and so concludes his theames . i blunder forth no quirkes , nor captious theames , no triviall toyes , nor fond lascivious dreames . while carnall wits were pleas'd to weave such tales , of late i found the new-mans wormes in wales , whose entrailes spun in my retired home for me some silk , which suits with englands loome , without engagement to a 〈◊〉 shore , for 〈◊〉 , romes , or the hesp●rian 〈◊〉 . and now my silk-wormes store domestick spun i have divulg'd before the fates have run their period out for my poore 〈◊〉 of life , before strong passions wave my thoughts with strife , my sences with more griefe , or what might ●et the s●rious task which christ on me had set . though hydr●es hiss'd , and 〈…〉 bray'd , yet could not all their coile 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 , nor daunt my free-borne muse from setting forth to publick view some usefull w●res of worth ; nor could romes canons noise ●oa●'d out from trent deterre my zeale , nor seare my faire intent ; where they have doom'd the books of protestants , the new-mans fruit , for wild extrav●g●●ts . such ●●●ick goblin feares i leave to them , who slighting truth the spirits rayes contemne . not tempting wine , nor feasts delition ; bait could make me sound a cowards base retrait ; nor could the stormes of our late adverse times disturbe , or shake my forme of sacred rimes , where i have limm'd in a two-folded frame our saviours life , and his true churches flame , whereof the latter here i first produce to usher that of the divinest use. no pamper'd sloth , nor housholds netled care , nor natures nets could my resolves ensnare to hide from you her tents , and war-fares wayes from christs ascent untill our present dayes , but that i would to yeeld you some content , strow her good tents with leaves of rosy scent , and to recure the saulish moone-sick braine , i would enchant the sence with musuks straine . i lock not up my use of labour'd houres , nor poast it o're unto executours , like miser-churles , who worldly goods conceale , and wrong thereby the christian common-weale , who at their death the same most madly leave to such as may their hoped trust deceave . the authour dead : who cares to mend his bookes ? no step-dame well to orphans breeding lookes . no nurse respects a tender suckling wight like her , who claimes the native proper right , as iudaes wisest king long since descri'd , when he gave doome on the true mothers side . unhappy are those scribes , who catch no soules for christ , if so they may , by holy scroules ; and much too blame are those of carnall brood , who loath to taste of intellectuall food , yet surfeit on old tales of robin hood , of friers cowles , or of saint benets hood , of patricks broiles , or of saint georges launce , of errant knights , or of the fairy daunce . but yee , who are borne of immortall seed , scorne your best part with honey'd-gall to feed . fly , readers , fly , and shunne such baites as these , which though they for a time the sences please , at last they breed a soule-sick ravery , which will from truth distast your memory . fly from such cates , which shining sinnes suggest , and from their sauce , though by a prophet drest , like that , which on the may the man of god from bethel tooke , although by him for bod . read vertuous bookes , which manners rectifie , and may help up the soule to edifie ; for even as the spirits cleere and fresh excell in worth the massy pulpe of flesh : much more essentiall joy and true delight , we must conceive , spring from the new-mans light , where we by grace may hap to be like paul in spirit rapt above this earthly ball , to paradise , or the third fleaven , where he learn'd more nemes then he away could beare . o doe not then the spirits gifts suppresse , since they beare up the soule , beat down the flesh. they mount the soule tho●e the chris●dlli●● and starry orbes to view with sight div●●● those mysteries , for which the greatest g●●●k ; unlesse 〈◊〉 imes he stoupts , gropes in the 〈◊〉 , and never shall attaine to that brare pi●ch , because his wings are soil'd with clammy pitch , or borrow'd of the peacocks ●ately traine , which either lead him to despai●e and p●●●e , or to presumptuous s●●●e , 〈◊〉 l●●●●ers , and then , as lampes , false mereours he preferres before the light of gods etarnal word . and the soules bauquet , at his sa●ed 〈◊〉 . then , humane shrines , and monks mythology he more be●●ints then true theology . for as the greeks plurality of gods devis'd , whom they confest to live at ods among themselves : so superstition since cr●pt in ●●●ng the 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 at a 〈◊〉 , to further hells 〈◊〉 like to fall , when romes great empire won'd , if 〈◊〉 shall had not been 〈◊〉 with fait●● resterati●● by satans-craft , to 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 with calendars of canonized saints , to whom they fram'd instead of christ complaints , as in old time those poets did approve the lesser gods , as advocates to iove . and by the like distinctions in the schooles vvould them create subordinated fooles , or courtiers of th' olympian majesty to intercede , or ay● mortality . to which they kneel'd in various idol-shapes , like babels head of gold , calves , cats , or apes . so babels babling dawes saints help exact : saint margaret lucin●●● part must act , saint anthony relieves them of the po● with reliques charmes fetcht from old ●●la●ms box. for the twin-brother gods they consecrate saint nic●●●●s at sea their advocate ▪ saint eu●●ace must uphold the forrest game , for which old pagans us'd dian●es name . vvith a huge club saint christopher they please , as with the like those painted hercules . yea , every soile possessed teutelares , small gods , to ease them of their heavy cares . iun o holp carthage , mars rome , pallas greece , ceres blest corne , pan sheep , pomona trees . so denis france , george england , iago spaine , and the like saints to guard their coast they faigne , the scottish folkes were of saint andrewes ward , ireland of patricks , wales of davids guard. unto saint mark the rich venetian bends , and he that venice wrongs with mark contends . but above all saint peter beares the bell : he rome protects , and rome must all excell . nùm●es aegeria peter hath supprest , vvith romul●● saint peter doth contest . nay , peters keyes the eagle bruiz'd , out mist ian●● his peacefull do ores to shut for christ. but we , which are of gods spirit borne lament to see christs seamelesse rayment torne , or parted from the fashion primitive , but joine , like saints , in sacred love to thrive . we fly vai●e dreames , which oft enchant the sence from worshipping the god-heads excellence . we slight the tales of poets ranke vaga●ies , as vowes to saints with needlesse ave-maties . while others steale to paths unknowne , or ●●ay to stranger coasts , we goe the surest way for feare of wolues , or what may else ●●tide a man that loseth christ , his chiefest guide . while some in tongue unknowne , like 〈◊〉 , ●h●● , and aske of god by ●oat they know nor what : our churches , ba●●s doe pray in christ his name for what they want , 〈◊〉 he doth grant the same for his deare sake , who pleades for humane race , while they with understanding crave his grace ; and having gain'd their suit they sing his praise with cheerfull hearts , new tongues , & thankful layes : not grounding faith on saints pluralities , on angels , pow'res , or principalities . as for the garbes of poets antick fables , they are but vaine , though moralized bables , vaine like themselves , who pip'd for hire , or fame , while saints of zeale set out their 〈◊〉 name . so david rap● with bliffe compos'd his layes : but horace broacht for need m●cen●●s praise . so ieremy ierusalems annoy bewail'd of zeale ; when homer beg'd for tr●y . our straines therefore sprung from celestiall light shal scur●ile songs scourge hence , like works of night ; our truth shall soile their dreames ; our 〈◊〉 their ap●s , our faith their heat●●ish consciences . and in their stead , to help devotions heat , our new man here cookes various sorts of mea● , vvith musick apt thy spirits to refresh , if thou suppresse the motions of the flesh. our adam first shall hurle prometheus downe ; then , noes floud shall their deucalions drowne , with titans brood , whom they for giants hatch ; and babels towre will pelions mount o're-match . by hemors sonne our gadding dinaes rape doth unto sires a faire example shape what foule effects by cock'ring love ensue , since indulgence both parties then did rue ; more true then helens rape , by theseus first , and last by paris of old trojans curst . our moses shall convince their faign'd mistakes , as did his rod th' aegyptians charmed snakes . for niobe into a stone estrang'd , we sounds lots wife to a salt-pillar chang'd . for ioves descent to be philemons guest , our abram for three angels made a feast ; and for the formers gift from iupiter , our salomon did wisdomes choise preferre . our sampson with the jaw-bone of an asse , doth hercules and his twelve labours passe . our iepthes vow for his maid-child too grim , doth the grek prince his iphigenia dim . our zealous davids sling doth farre exceed their persem shield , and ariadnes threed . if hylas they and hercules object : or theseus and pirithous loves select ; our david lov'd his ionathan more deare , as may yet by his epitaph appeare . if they fetch rites from babel , rome , or creet : gods lawes from sinai we and salem greet . if midas they with asses eares bewray : we humane speech in balaams asse display . if they gaze on the coach of phaebus sonne , we iosuah sing commander of the sunne ; ot else we can the sunnes degrees produce , backward to goe for hezechi●es use . but while they lift the creatures excellence , we glory bring to our creatour thence . thence we derive a subject to commend gods friendship showne ●o man as to his friend . if they ●●ne odes in aes●●lapius praise , because from death he these●s sonne did raise : from holy writ we many can transferre , who really to life restored were . if they insist on delphick ora●les ; true prophesi●s confirm'd with miracles we can from gods choise servants more rehearse , then may be coucht , or s●ng in stinted verse . and if they chaunt loves rapes by carnall jave : we canticles sing of divinest love : and with our vowes prevent asmode●s craft , mauger loves golden wings and poisned shaft . let halcion grieve for c●ix her husbands death , till fabled for a bird sobs stop her breath : we for slaine bethlems babes count rachels teares . or the sad badge we sing , which salem weares ? or else our churches threnes for her late losse of christian bloud spilt causelesse at the crosse. whilst that they bath in aganippes spring , of jordan we and of bethesda sing . and while they climbe parnassus forked hill , on sions mount we shew our sacred skill . instead of pagan baites with calvary , and olives fruit we sauce our poetry according to christs gifts infused new , we leave those dregges , which the old man did brew . as oracles ceas'd after christ his death among the gentiles by the apostles breath : so faile those lees , which satan since did brew , by our religion , of some termed new. so that for their false metamorphosis of men to earthly formes , our purpose is , soules to convert into immortall shapes by our new man , that foiles their apes and rapes . and for that dame ephesian idoliz'd , we christ his mother-maid evangeli●'d doe bl●sse and praise , but worship not of lat● as goddesse , least from god we derogate . for hermes , pall●s , or ap●llo●● lore , we crave the holy ghost to blesse our store , for tantalus in hell , or lxions wheele , we dives preach their racking aine to feele . soules iudges they serv'd minos , r●adamant , and aeacus : but christ our iudge we chant , christ we looke for to doome both dead and quick , the dead in faith and the church catholick : meane while his spirit raignes in every place , yet craves as man for men his fathers grace . with this prime saint we satisfie our selves , and for him scorne all shrines , and labans elves ; whom with the father and the holy ghost , one god in three , we found through brittains coast , as we were bound at our new second birth , gods angels all applanding us with mirth . now , eies , pack hence , whether elizian greece , th' hesperides yee faig●e , or colches flecce : whether yee gull weake soules , or them controule with benets hood , or the franciscans cowle ; whether yee ●low spring pooles poeticull , from tophets lake , or streames papisticall ; and farewell dreames , whether from ch●llers stea●● , from dragons gull yee ●low , or bloud and fleame . and in their stead , come truth , thy name we bla●e , for thy bright lampe doth men and fiends ama●e . thou art the life of a true prophets song , and they who slight thy sound , gods spirit wrong . then come , o blessed truth , correct our ods , as thou long since hast quail'd the pagans gods ; and suffer not the dragons sorteries to be commixt with christian mysteries , nor legends of vaine men to prejudice the gospels light , or our new sacrifice . on thee i built the churches history ; by thee i found , that babels mystery eclips'd the church from the seventh century , till wickliffe did into romes whoredomes pry , and by his pen that subject more dilate , which thousands now as copiously relate , which i among the rest , as they began , have warbled forth to daunt the outward man , who by nick-names doth taxe our church for new , and to her spouse out-face to be untrue . now to wind up my task , i adde this ode , in hope no saint will my intent explode : lest i the doome of wrath encurre , which slugges doth for bad stewards blurre , i looke about with watchfull cares to see who wants some holy wares . my talents use i freely give to cloath some soules , whilst yet i live . divide the web , friends , as yee please ; the weare is light producing ease . the hew not ga●dy , nor yet base , but like white robes , which temples grace . from our new man i fetcht the stuffe , let none then take the gift in snuffe , or taxe the matter for the forme , since what i could i did performe , they came from love , the spirits dove , let that suffice good mindes to move . finis . imprimatur , tho. wykes . decemb. 20. 1639. the kingdom of god among men a tract of the sound state of religion, or that christianity which is described in the holy scriptures and of the things that make for the security and increase thereof in the world, designing its more ample diffusion among the professed christians of all sorts and its surer propagation to future ages : with the point of church-unity and schism discuss'd / by john corbet. corbet, john, 1620-1680. 1679 approx. 379 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 148 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2004-11 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a34538 wing c6258 estc r23940 07929459 ocm 07929459 40498 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a34538) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 40498) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1203:13) the kingdom of god among men a tract of the sound state of religion, or that christianity which is described in the holy scriptures and of the things that make for the security and increase thereof in the world, designing its more ample diffusion among the professed christians of all sorts and its surer propagation to future ages : with the point of church-unity and schism discuss'd / by john corbet. corbet, john, 1620-1680. [11], 210, [4], 67 p. printed for thomas parkhurst, london : 1679. note written in manuscript on the verso of t.p., colophon, and preliminaries to the point of church-unity and schism discuss'd. 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remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church history -17th century. christianity -early works to 1800. dissenters, religious. 2004-08 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-08 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2004-09 john latta sampled and proofread 2004-09 john latta text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the kingdom of god among men ; a tract of the sound state of religion , or that christianity which is described in the holy scriptures ; and of the things that make for the security and increase thereof in the world ; designing its more ample diffusion among professed christians of all sorts , and its surer propagation to future ages . with the point of church-unity and schism discuss'd . by john corbet . london , printed for thomas parkhurst , at the bible and three crowns at the lower end of cheapside . 1679. the preface . a disquisition concerning religion and the state ecclesiastical , wherein several parties are vehemently carried divers ways , whether right or wrong , according to their different interests or apprehensions , is apt to stir up jealousie , and to meet with prejudice in a high degree , and therefore had need be managed as advisedly as sincerely . it is humbly craved , that the present management thereof may find a favourable reception so far as it hath in it self the evidence of its own sincerity and sobriety . this treatise is not framed for a present occasion or any temporary design ; but insists upon those things that concern the church universally and perpetually . it aims at the advancement of meer christianity , and with respect to the common concernments thereof , it leaves the things that are more appropriate to the several parties and persuasions , to stand or fall . it ingageth not in the controversies of these times , touching forms of church government , but in any form such depravations or deficiencies are blamed , as hinder the power , purity , unity , stability , or amplitude of religion . nothing prejudicial to government , to the rights of superiors , and civil pre-eminences , or to decency , unity , and order in the church , is here suggested . sedition and faction are evicted to be a contradiction to this interest , which can hold its own only in those ways that make for the common good , both of rulers and subjects . our design carries no other danger than the more ample diffusion of true christianity , and the power of godliness among men of all degrees , and the surer propagation thereof to future ages . here be some things that are the vitals of christian religion , and cannot be removed ; and here be other things of conscientious or prudent consideration , and let these so far pass , as they are found clear and cogent . i had rather be charged with any defect or weakness than with uncharitableness , and therefore am ready to renounce every line , and every expression in this book , that cannot stand with true christian charity in the utmost extent thereof . let it not be taken amiss , that to obviate suspicion or prejudice i declare my self in the things here following . i am one aged in the ministery , and by reason of age and experience am not eager for any party , but mellowed with charity towards real christians of all parties . i have vehemently desired the union of the more moderate dissenters , with the established order by reasonable accomodation , as for others that remain dissatisfied about such union , yet believe and live as christians , i do as earnestly desire an indulgence for them within such limits as may stand with publick peace and safety . though i am cast into the state of nonconformity , yet i am willing to exercise the ministery under the present ecclesiastical government , if i were made capable thereof by the relaxation of some injunctions . my principle is for a closing with things that are good and laudable in any established government , and for a bearing with things that are tolerable . and the wisdom of the governours of the church will direct them to turn away from such principles , orders or practices , as tend to the ruine or the great indangering of any ecclesiastical polity that retains them , whilest the apostolick doctrine ( as it is now established in the church of england ) is maintained . the contents . chap. i. the nature of christianity and the character of true christians . chap. ii. of things pertaining to the sound state of christian religion , viz. holy doctrine . chap. iii. the ordering of divine worship sutable to the gospel dispensation . chap. iv. the due dispensation of gods word , or publick preaching . chap. v. the due performance of publick prayer . chap. vi. the right administration of ecclesiastical discipline . chap. vii . religious family-government . chap. viii . private mutual exhortations , pious discourse and edifying conversation . chap. ix . the prevalence of true religion , or real godliness in the civil government of a nation . chap. x. christian unity and concord . chap. xi . a good frame of ecclesiastical polity . chap. xii . of the corrupt state of religion , and first externalness and formality . chap. xiii . the sectarian and fanatical degeneration . chap. xiv . of the way of preserving religion uncorrupt . chap. xv. the enmity of the world against real godliness , and the calumnies and reproaches cast upon it considered . chap. xvi . religions main strength next under the power of god lies in its own intrinsick excellency . chap. xvii . religion may be advanced by human prudence ; what ways and methods it cannot admit in order to its advancement . chap. xviii . the interest of true religion lies much in its venerable estimation among men . chap. xix . the most ample diffusion of the light of knowledge , is a sure means of promoting true religion . chap. xx. the advantage of human learning to the same end . chap. xxi . the general civility or common honesty of a nation , makes it more generally receptive of real christianity or godliness . chap. xxii . the increase of religion is promoted by being made as much as may be , passable among men . chap. xxiii . the observing of a due latitude in religion , makes for the security and increase thereof . chap. xxiv . the care and wisdom of the church , in preventing and curing the evil of fanatical and sectarian error . chap. xxv . the advancement of the sound state of religion by making it national , and the settled interest of a nation . chap. xxvi . of submission to things imposed by lawfull authority . chap. xxvii . the surest and safest ways of seeking reformations . chap. xxviii . considerations tending to a due inlargement and unity in church-communion . chap. xxix . whether the purity and power of religion be lessened by amplitude and comprehensiveness . chap. xxx . factious usurpations are destructive to religions interest . chap. xxxi . of leading and following , and of combinations . chap. xxxii . the wisdom of the higher powers in promoting the religionsness of their people . chap. xxxiii . the churches true interest to be pursued by ecclesiastical persons . the conclusion , a book intituled , the interest of england in matter of religion , in two parts , formerly published by the same author . pag. 7. lin . 3. read service , pag. 19. l. 11. read whereas , pag. 27. l. 24. read so , pag. 28. l. 14. read is , pag. 29. l. 14. read regardable , pag. 31. l. 16. read this , ib. l. 18. read apposite , pag. 39. l. 14. read is able to make , pag. 41. l. 31. read affect , pag. 53. l. 19. read for the , pag. 59. l. 5. read face of , pag. 60. l. 12. read exercises , pag. 67. l. 3. read religions , pag. 71. l. 12. read sacraments , pag. 77. l. 3. read condescention , pag. 96. l. 22. read orall , pag. 99. l. 2. read rites , pag. 116. l. 13. read abasing , ib. l. 25. read noting , pag. 117. l. 25. read transform it into , pag. 121. l. 21. read levities , pag. 144. l. 21. read exalt , pag. 149. l. 20. read effected , pag. 150. l. 20. read smatch , pag. 157. l. 13. read exercise , pag. 162. l. 7. read vainly , pag. 163. l. 11. dele love , pag. 167. l. 9. read concerns , pag. 171. l. 3. read enemies , ib. l. 9. read regulation , ib. l. 19. read and , pag. 189. l. 6. read be not , pag. 202. l. 22. read and are withall . a tract of the sound state of religion , &c. chap. i. the nature of christianity , and the character of true christians . the names and titles , by which real christians are in holy scripture distinguished from other men , are not mean and common , but high and excellent , as , a chosen generation , a royal priesthood , a holy nation , a peculiar people , the first-fruits of gods creatures , the houshold of god , children of light , children of wisdom , heirs of the heavenly kingdom , and the title of saints , was one of their ordinary appellations . doubtless the true difference between them and others lyes not in mere names , but in some peculiar excellencies of quality and condition thereby signified . and so much is abundantly set forth in the several expressions of christianity , as , the regeneration , the new creation , a transformation in the renewing of the mind , a participation of the divine nature , the life of god , conformity to the image of the son of god , and such like . thus from the scripture stile it is evident , that true christianity is of an other nature then that carnal , formal , and lifeless profession , with which multitudes confidently take up ; and that in its true professors there must needs be found something of a higher strain and nobler kind ; and which indeed makes them meet for that holy and blessed state to come , unto which it leads them . it is indeed an excellent name and nature , the regenerate state and divine life , which is begun in the new birth , wherein the soul retaining the same natural faculties , is changed from a carnal into a spiritual frame , by the sanctifying power of the holy ghost , and the word of truth . in this change the mind is illuminated unto an effectual acknowledgment of the truth which is after godliness , as containing the highest good , and appearing in such evidence as makes earthly things to be seen ( what they are indeed ) but as dross and dung in comparison thereof . the will is drawn by the force of the truth , acknowledged to an absolute conversion and adhesion to god , as the great and ultimate object of the souls love , desire , joy , reverence , observance , acquiescence , zeal , and intire devotion . in this absolute conversion to god , is included the renouncing of all self dependence , and of that perverse self-seeking , which follows the lapsed state , and an unlimited self resignation to god , which is the only true self-seeking and self-love . for god having made our felicity immutably coherent with his glory , but subordinate thereunto , a true convert turning from poor , empty , nothing , self to the infinite god , exchanges insufficiency , poverty , vanity and misery for immensity , almightiness , all-sufficiency and infinite fullness ; and so he loseth self , as it is a sorry thing and a wretched idol , and findeth the blessed god , and self-eternally blessed in him . and forasmuch as all have sinned and fallen away from god , and cannot be brought back to him , but in the hand of a redeemer and reconciler , our religion stands also in the sensible knowledg of sin , and of our deplorable state under the power and guilt thereof , with an humiliation sutable thereunto ; and in a lively faith towards our lord jesus , the eternal son of god made man in the fulness of time , who gave himself for us to redeem us from sin and death to a life of grace and glory . which faith is the worthy receiving of him in the full capacity of a redeemer , the intire and hearty acceptance of the grace of god in him , the souls resignation to him , to be conducted to god by him , and the securing of all that is hoped for in his hands , with an affiance in his all-sufficiency and fidelity . this faith worketh by love towards god and man. for through faith we love god , because he loved us first , and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins . and through faith we resolve , that if god so loved us , then ought we also to love one another . and this love eminently contains in it all the virtues of moral honesty towards men , as truth , justice , mercy , peaceableness , kindness , faithfulness , humility , meekness , modesty , and towards inferiors moderation , equity , and condescention , and towards superiors reverence , and submission . christianity is a root of true goodness that brings forth its fruit in due season , in the first place the internal and immediate actings of faith , hope and love , which may be called radical duties , as lying next the root ; then the inseparable effects thereof , such as are holy meditation and prayer among the acts of devotion towards god ; and among the acts of charity towards men , justice , fidelity , mercy , which are called the weightier matters of the law. and further , it shoots forth into an universal regard of gods commandments in all particularities , not slighting the lowest or remotest duties , which indeed cannot be slighted without the contempt of that authority , which injoyned the greatest and most important . the spirit of christianity is a spirit of wisdom and prudence , that guides in a perfect way . it sets right the superior governing faculties , and holds the inferior under the command and government of the superior . it awakens reason to attend to the souls great concernments , to mind the danger of temptations , the madness of depraved affections , and the mischief and banefulness of all sin . it is no inconsiderate , licentious , presumptuous , dissolute spirit , but strict , circumspect and self suspitious , solid serious and universally conscientious . it is pure ; grave , sober , shunning every unseemly speech , all foolish and light behaviour , and much more that which hath a filthy savour , and smels rank of impurity and dishonesty . it watcheth the motions of the animal life and sensitive appetite , and curbs them , when they are extravigant , and renounceth whatsoever things tend to vitiate the soul , and work it below its spiritual happiness . it is a spirit of patience , and of true rational courage , and of resolved submission to the will of god. it is above wordly riches and poverty , and glory and ignominy , and fleshly pain and pleasure . but self-conceit , excessive self estimation , asperity towards others , and domineering cruelty over conscience , is no part of the above-mentioned and commended strictness and severity . for as it hates flattery and base compliance with others in prophaness or lukewarmness , so it is ever qualified with meekness , lowliness of mind , peaceableness , patience , that it may gain upon others and win them to its own advisedness , steddiness , purity and soberness . this new nature , while it is lodg'd in the earthly tabernacle , is clogg'd with many adverse things , especially the relicks of the old nature , which cause much vanity of thoughts , indisposedness of mind , motions to evil , and aversations from good , and somtimes more sensible disorders of affections , and eruptions of unruly passion , and aberrations in life and conversation . the same divine principal is in some christians more firm , lively and active than in others , yet it is habitually prevalent in them all ; and it resists and overcomes the contrary principle , even in the case of most beloved sins and strongest temptations , and perseveres in earnest and fearful indeavours of perfecting holiness in the fear of god. and whatsoever degree of sanctity is obtained , it ascribes wholly to the praise of gods grace in christ , and the power of his spirit . christianity being known what it is , it may easily be known what it is not , and so the false disguises of it may easily be detected . forasmuch as it looks far higher than the temporal interests of mankind in the settlings of this life ( though it doth not overlook them ) it cannot be thought to have done its work in making men meerly just-dealers , good neighbours and profitable members of the common-wealth , for such may be some of them that are without christ , without the hope of the gospel , and without god in the world . moreover , it cannot lie so low , as in a bare belief of the gospel , and an observance of its external institutes , accompanied with a civil conversation . as for such as rest in these things , what are they more in the eye of god , than the heathens that know him not ? and wherein do they differ from them , except in a dead faith , and outward form taken up by education , tradition , example , custom of the country , and other such like motives . nor doth it lie in unwritten doctrines , and ordinances of worship devised by men , nor yet in curiosities of opinion or accidental modes of worship , discipline , or church-government ; nor in ones being of this or that sector party , nor in meer orthodoxality , all which being rested in , are but the false coverings of hypocrites . it is not the lax and easie , low and large rule , by which libertines , and formalists , yea some pretended perfectionists do measure their own righteousness , who assert their perfectness by disannulling , or lessening the law of god. in a word , it is not any kind of morality or vertue whatsoever , which is not true holiness , or intire dedication to god ; and therefore much less is it , that loose and jolly religion of the sensual gang , who keep up a superficial devotion in some external forms , but give up themselves to real irreligion and profaneness , and bid defiance to a circumspect walking and serious course of godliness . and now it is too apparent , what multitudes of them , that prophess the faith of christ , are christians in name only and not indeed . their alienation from the life of god , and their enmity against it , and their conformity to the course of this world in the lusts thereof , doth testifie , that they have not received the grace of god in truth . but christians indeed according to the nature of christianity above expressed ( which is now in them though not in the highest , yet in a prevalent degree ) do make it their utmost end to know , love , honour and please god , to be conformable to him , and to have the fruition of him , in the perfection of which conformity and fruition , they place the perfection of their blessedness . in the sence of their native bondage under the guilt and power of sin , they come to the mediator jesus christ , and rest upon him , by the satisfaction and merit of his obedience and suffering , to reconcile and sanctifie them to god , and accordingly they give up themselves to him , as their absolute teacher and ruler & all-sufficient saviour . having received not the spirit of the world , but that which is of god , they are crucified to the honours , profits and pleasures of the world , and have their conversation in heaven , and rejoyce in the hope of glory , and prepare for sufferings in this life and by faith overcome them . the law of god is in their hearts , and it is the directory of their practice from day to day , by the touchstone of gods word they prove their own works , and come to the light thereof , that their deeds may be made manifest to be wrought in god. they draw nigh to god in the acts of religious worship of his appointment , that they may glorifie him , and enjoy spiritual communion with him , and be blessed of him , especially with spiritual blessings in christ : and as god is a spirit , they worship him in spirit and in truth . it is their aim , care and exercise to keep consciences void of offence towards god and towards men , and to render to all their dues both in their publick and private capacities , and to walk in love towards all , not excluding enemies , and to do all the good they can both to the souls and bodies of men ; but those that fear god they more highly prise and favour . the remainder of corruption within themselves they know feelingly , and watch and pray , and strive that they enter not into temptation , and maintain a continual warfare against the devil the world and the flesh , under the conduct of jesus christ their leader , according to the laws of their holy profession , with patience and perseverance . in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation , they indeavour to be blameless and harmless as the sons of god , and to shine as lights in the world , and by the influence of their good conversation to turn others to righteousness . such is the character of those persons upon whose souls the holy doctrine of the gospel is impressed , and in whom the christian religion hath its real being , force and vertue . these are partakers of the heavenly calling , and set apart for god to do him service in the present world , and afterwards to live in glory with him for ever . these are the true church of god ( the church being here taken as mystical , not as visible ) and these are all joyned together by one spirit , in one body under christ their head , in the same new nature , having one rule of their profession , and one hope of their calling . these are a great multitude , which no man can number of all nations and kindreds , and people and tongues , yet hitherto not proportionable to the rest of mankind . and they continue throughout all ages , but in greater or lesser numbers , and more or less refined from superstition or other corruptions , and more or less severed from the external communion of the antichristian state , according to the brightness or darkness of the times and places wherein they live . chap. ii. things pertaining to the sound state of religion . and first holy doctrine . the advancement of the christian life , which hath its beginning in the new birth , being the great end propounded in this discourse , in reference to this end , the things here principally looked after are , the receiving and propagating of holy doctrine , drawn out of the pure fountain of sacred scripture ; the right administration of true gospel worship , by which god is glorified as god , and the worshippers are made more godly ; the due preaching of gods word , and dispensation of other divine ordinances by personslawfully called thereunto , for the conversion of sinners and edification of converts ; holy discipline truly and faithfully administred by the pastors , as the necessity of the church requires , and the state thereof will bear ; religious family government ; private mutual exhortations , pious conferences and profitable conversation ; the predominant influence of religion in the civil government of a nation , yet without usurpation or incroachment upon the civil rights of any , especially of the higher powers ; the unity of christians and their mutual charity conspicuous and illustrious ; and lastly , in order to all these intents a good frame of ecclesiastical polity . holy doctrine is the incorruptible seed of regeneration , by which the new creature is begotten . it is not here intended to represent a perfect scheme thereof , for it sufficeth to signifie that extracts thereof from holy scripture , are drawn out in the ancient catholik creeds , and in the harmonious confessions of the present reformed churches . nevertheless our design requires the observation of some most important things about the doctrine of salvation , as that there be first an earnest and hearty belief of the existence and providence of god , and his government of mankind by laws congruous to their nature , and of the immortallity of human souls , and of a life of retribution in the world to come ; which is the foundation of all religion . 2ly . right apprehensions of gods nature and attributes , more especially of his holiness comprehending as well his purity and justice , as his mercy and goodness ; that as he is ready to procure his creatures happiness , and refuseth none that come unto him , so that he cannot deny himself , and that he receiveth note but upon terms agreeable to his holiness . 3ly . an idea of godliness in themind not as shaped by any private conceptions , but as expressed by the holy ghost whose workmanship it is , that christianity in the hearts and lives of men may be the same with christianity in the scriptures . 4. the receiving of the great mystery of godliness , not as allegorized in the fancies of some enthusiasts , wherein it vanisheth to nothing but as verisied in the truth of the history , wherein it becomes the power of god to salvation ; and so not to sever the internal spirit of the christian religion , from its external frame , the basis whereof is the doctrine of the trinity in the unity of the godhead , and of the incarnation of the eternal word . lastly , soundness of judgment in those great gospel verities , that are written for the exalting of gods grace , and the promoting of true godliness , and the incouraging of the godly , in opposition to ungracious , ungodly , and uncomfortable errours , of which sort are these following truths . that the study and knowledge of the scriptures , is the duty and priviledge of all christians , that according to their several capacities , being skilfull in the word of righteousness , they may discern between truth and falshood , between good and evil , and offer to god a reasonable service according to his revealed will. that internal illumination is necessary to the saving knowledge of god , the holy spirit in that regard not inspiring new revelations , but inabling to discern savingly what is already revealed in nature and scripture . that man was created after the image of god in righteousness and true holyness ; and that in this state he was indued with a self-determining principle called freewill , and thereby made capable of abiding holy and happy , or of falling into sin and misery according to his own choice , and that god left him to the freedom of his own choice having given him whatsoever power or assistance was necessary to his standing . that the first man being set in this capacity fell from god , and it pleased god not to annihilate him , nor to prevent his propagating of an issue in the same fallen state , which would follow upon his fall ; but left the condition of mankind to pass according to the course of nature , being now fallen . that by the sin of adam all men are made sinners , and corrupt in their whole nature , and are under the curse of the law , and liable to eternal condemnation , and being left to the wicked bent of their own wills , are continually adding to their original sin a heap of actual transgressions , and so are of themselves in a miserable and helpless condition . that the lord jesus christ according to his full intention and his fathers commandment , hath made propitiation for the sins of the whole world , so far , as thereby to procure pardon of sin and salvation of soul , to all that do unfeignedly believe and repent . that man being dead in sin cannot be quickned to the divine life , but by the power of gods grace , raising him above the impotency of lapsed nature . that the culpable impotency of lapsed nature to saving good , lies in the fixed full aversation of the will , by a deplorable obstinacy nilling that good to which the natural faculties can reach , and ought to incline as to their due object . that the root of godliness lies in regeneration and inward sanctification . that god calleth some by the help of that special grace which infallibly effecteth their conversion and adhesion to him , without any impeachment of the natural liberty of the will. that whatsoever god doth in time , and in whatsoever order he doth it , he decreed from eternity to do the same , and in the same order ; and so he decreed from eternity to give that special grace to some , and by it to bring them to glory , which decree is eternal election , to which is opposite the pure negative of non-election . as for preordination to everlasting punishment it passeth not upon any , but on the foresight and consideration of their final abode in the state of sin . that the more common convictions , inclinations and endeavours towards god in persons unregenerate are good in their degree , and the ordinary preparative to a saving change , and they are the effects of that divine grace which is called common . that deligent seeking after god by the help of common grace is not in vain , it being the means to some further attainment towards the souls recovery , and it is regarded of god in its degree , and god doth not deny men further degrees of help , till they refuse to follow after him , by not using the help already given them , and by resisting his further aid . that god hath made all men savable , and though he doth not simply and absolutely will the conversion and salvation of all , yet he willeth it so far , and in such manner as is sufficient to encourage the diligent in their endeavours , and to convict the careless of being inexcusable despisers of his grace towards them . that there is an inherent righteousness , by which the faithful are truly named righteous , not only before men , but in the judgment of god himself ; and which can be no more without good works then the sun without light . that this is so perfect , as not to lack any thing necessary to the true nature of righteousness , nor to be maimed in any principal part thereof , though in respect of degrees and some accidental parts , it be imperfect . that the faithful cannot by this inherent righteousness abide the strict tryal of divine justice , but they are acquited from the guilt of sin , and their deserved punishment by the meer grace of god in christ. that christs righteousness is so far bestowed on believers and made theirs , that in the merit and consideration thereof they are freed from the curse of the law , and the condemnation of hell , are justified unto eternal , life and adopted to the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom . and imputed righteousness in this sense cannot be gain-said . that no faith is justifying , but that which works by love , and brings forth the fruit of good works . that the condition of the new covenant for the remission of sins and everlasting life is faith alone , not as excluding repentance and new obedience , but as excluding the works of the law , or legal covenant ; and this is no derogation from the freest grace . that the faithful keep the commandments of god and in some sense may be said to fulfill the law , that is not in the strictness of the covenant of works , but in the observance of duty without reserves , in the sincerity of love towards god and man , as the scripture saith , love is the fulfilling of the law. that obedience every way perfect is required of the faithfull as their duty , but not under the penalty of eternal death , yet under that penalty they are obliged to sincere obedience . that good works have relation to eternal life as the means to the end , in that manner , as the seed to havest , as the race and combat to the prize , as the work to the reward ; not according to equality or condignity , or merit strictly so called , but according to free compact or congruity . that the faithfull may be assured of their own justification by a true fixed persuasion , that excludes hesitation and suspense , and causeth holy security , peace and joy ; and that they ought to labour for such assurance , which ariseth partly from the divine promises , and partly from the sense of their own infeigned faith . that though godliness stands not in absolute perfection , yet it stands in that integrity of heart and life , an indubitable evidence whereof cannot be had without a very carefull and close walking with god , and continued earnest endeavours of perfecting holiness in his fear . that all human actions must have an actual or habitual reference to gods glory , and that all things are to be done in the best manner for that end . that notwithstanding the power of divine grace , which works mightily in gods chosen , whosoever will be saved must watch and pray and strive , and bestow his chiefest care and pains therein , and so continue to the end , and particularly in the constant exercise not of a popish , outside , formal , but a spiritual and real mortification , and self denial in continual dependance on gods grace , who worketh in us to will and to do of his own good pleasure . in the positions aforegoing , all nice , obscure , perplexed and unnecessary notions are avoided , and the plain sense of gospel doctrine is attended . this simplicity and plainess makes the truth much more intelligible , and less controvertible , where a multitude of nice terms and notions are vain and hurtfull superfluities , that muffle the truth , and cloud mens judgments and multiply controversies , and cause much confusion . chap. iii. the due ordering of gospel worship . forasmuch as divine worship , is the first and nearest act of piety , and aims immediately at the glorifying of gods name , and the keeping of the soul devoted to him , the due ordering thereof must needs be one of the highest concernments of true religion . whereupon such an order thereof must needs be most desirable , as hath most tendency to exalt the honour of gods name , and to advance the souls pure devotion . and doubtless that hath most tendency thereunto , which is most according to the nature and will of god. notwithstanding the fetches of mens wit in commending their will-worship , god best knows , what service will please him best , and do us most good . it becomes us , neither to contemn gods authority in the neglect of his institutions , nor to controle his wisdom in the addition of vain inventions . and this will bring us into the way of a reasonable service , most acceptable to god and profitable to our selves . in the fulness of time our lord christ , being to establish a more perfect way , than what had been before , lays this foundation , god is a spirit and they that worship him , must worship him in spirit and truth . accordingly he antiquated the old legal form , great in outward furniture and visible spendor , but comparatively small in substance and inward power ; and instituted an other of a far different strain , wherein the rituals and externals are few and plain , but their substance and inward power is great and mighty . and when he abrogated former things , which for their time had the stamp of divine authority , because they suited not with the gospel state , and were in a comparative sense called , carnal ordinances that were not good ; doubtless it was not his mind and will , that men should erect new frames of their own devising after the similitude of those old things , that are passed away . to worship god in the spirit after the simplicity that is in christ , according to the gospel dispensation , as it is most agreeable to the nature of the divine majesty , which is worshipped , and best fitted to glorifie him as god indeed ; so it is also most efficacious to make the worshippers more knowing in religion , more holy and heavenly in spirit and conversation , and every way more perfect in things pertaining to life and godliness . irreverence , rudeness , sordidness , or any kind of negligence in the outward service of god , is not here commended under the simplicity and spirituality of gospel worship . due regard must be had to all those matters of decency , the neglect whereof would render the service undecent ; such as are convenient places of assembling commonly called churches , comely furniture and convenient utensils therein , a grave habit not of special sanctity , but of civil decency for a minister , all which should not be vile and beggarly but gracefull and seemly ; likewise a well composed countenance and reverent gesture , is requisite in all that present themselves before the lord. sitting or lolling or covering the head , or having the hat half-way on in prayer , is among us unseemly , except natural infirmity call for indulgence herein : but laughing , talking , gazing about in our attendance on religious exercises , is no better than profaneness ; and to come into the congregation walking with our hats on our heads , is by custom taken for irreverence and incivility , and therefore to be avoided as offensive . all matters of necessary decency , are in their generals of the law of nature , and in the particulars to be ordered by human prudence . all natural expressions of devotion , as kneeling , and lifting up of the hands and eyes in prayer , are allowed by all sorts . we call them natural because nature it self teacheth to use them , without any positive institution divine or human ; and a rational man by the meer light of nature is directed to use them , yet not without some government and discretion . for herein nature it self is subject to some variety , and is in part determined and limited by the custom of several ages and countries , as for instance , in the prostration of the body in the act of adoration , in the wearing of sackcloth , and renting of clothes in time of great humiliation , which in former ages were sutable , and that according to nature , but not now adays in regard of the variation of custom . and i suppose that in this sense st. paul speaks against wearing of long hair as contrary to nature . but there hath been much controversie about such ceremonies as contribute nothing to the aforesaid necessary decency , and are no natural nor civil and customary expressions of reverence and devotion , but are of human institution and of a mystical and meerly instituted signification , and made visible stated signs of gods honour , and the immediate expressions of our observance of him , and obligation to him , and by some supposed to be not meer circumstances , but parts of divine worship ; and yet more especially if they be designed in their use , for that significancy and moral efficacy that belongs to sacraments , and made no less then the symbals of our christianity . it lies not on me to determine on either side in this controversie ; nevertheless it is easie to apprehend this , that it can be no danger nor dammage to be sparing in those things , which being at least doubtfull and unnecessary , have turned to endless strife and scandal between those that own the same doctrine of faith , and the same church communion . likewise it can do no hurt to reformed christianity , not to insist on that latitude in devised rites of worship , that will acquit the greatest part of the ceremonies used in the church of rome , from the charge of superstition , and which makes way for the oppressing of the churches , and the sinking of religion under a luggage of unprofitable institutions . to make any thing necessary and commanded of god , which he hath not commanded , and to damn any thing as forbidden by him , which he hath left indifferent , and to dread left god should not be pleased , unless we do somethings which we need not do , and lest he should be displeased , when we do somethings not forbidden , is no doubt the crime of superstition ; but it is not the whole extent of that sin . for it is no less superstition to feign god to be pleased with mens vain inventions , yea though they be not injoyned or observed as divine precepts ; and this also is , to teach for doctrines the commandments of men . and who are the greater controlers of gods wisdom , and usurpers upon his authority ? they that fear to do what god hath allowed , supposing it to be forbidden , or they that presume to add their own inventions for the bettering of his service , and make the omission thereof as criminal , as the neglect of divine ordinances ? doubtless it is a more tolerable superstition to be over solicitous and scrupulous , about the commandments of god , than to be over-confident and vehement in the unwarrantable or questionable traditions of men . human devices multiplyed in gods worship , ingender to much vanity and superstition in the zealous observers of them , and are apt to extinguish the inward life of godliness , as rank weeds choak the corn ; and they are commonly made a cloak to real ungodliness . and if some of them were first introduced with pious intention , yet they are commonly maintained and multiplied to serve a carnal interest . and they are the more easily entertained and observed , because it is easie to the flesh to buy out the inward service of god and the subjection of the inward man , by superficial bodily exercise . but the depretiating of these devices , serves to pluck off the mask of hypocrisie , made up of meer formalities , and to invigorate the life and spirit of true religion . to be the ministration of the spirit , is the excelling glory of the gospel ministration , wherewith a grave and sober decency and comely ornament doth well accord ; but excessive gaudiness , pompous and theatrical shews , various gesticulations , and affected postures , are vanities too much detracting from its dignity and spiritual majesty . chap. iv. the due dispensation of gods word . when our lord jesus ascended up on high , he gave gifts unto men , appointing and furnishing spiritual officers for the service of his kingdom , some extraordinary and temporary , as apostles , prophets , evangelists ; others ordinary and successively perpetual , as pastors and teachers . wherefore the interest of christianity lies much in a right gospel ministery , which is sutable and serviceable to our lords design , and the ends of his gospel . and it is a ministery , which is pure and uncorrupt , dispensing the truth as it is in jesus , whereby men are brought to sound faith and true holiness ; which is vigorous and powerful , apt to take hold of the conscience and reach the heart ; which is sollicitous and laborious , travelling in birth till christ be formed in the hearers and the man-child the new creature be born into the world ; which is assiduous and instant in preaching the word , by instruction , reproof and comfort , that as much as in it lies , it may present every man perfect in christ ; which comes with full scripture evidence and cogent reason , with solid matter in stile and language not negligent , much less undecent , yet not too curious and elaborate , but free , vehement , grave , serious and fit for the work in hand , which is not to tickle ear , but to break open the heart ; which is exemplary in faith , purity , charity , self-denial and contempt of the world ; and finally which is not mercenary , but naturally cares for the state of the flock , and accommodates it self thereunto , as its great charge and chief concern . and who is sufficient for these things , saith the great apostle ! doubtless much wisdom and grace is needfull , in an able minister of the new testament , and a workman that needs not to be ashamed . it being pre-supposed that he holds fast the form of sound words , and that he is throughly instructed in the mystery of godliness , which he is to impart to others , in the first place , his prudence will be concerned for the judicious management of the dispensation committed to him . a prudent dispenser of the word , will take care to deliver nothing to others , but what is very intelligible to himself ; and whereof he can make good sense , and render a reason to those that ask it . he doth not trifle with holy things , he shuns vanity and curiosity , and doth not ramble into impertinences , and cares not to utter any thing for ostentation . he hath in his eye the end of his ministry , and the usefulness and importance of what he hath to communicate , that ( as it said of the scripture from whence he takes it ) it may be profitable for doctrine , for reproof , for correction , for instruction in righteousness , that it may come home to the hearts and lives of men , and be fit to raise their attention by their own concernment in it . he considers withall what the hearers can best receive , that is , not what the flesh can well digest ( for then the most necessary truths must be forborn ) but that which carries its own evidence , to that it must be owned , or the gain-sayers must be self-condemned . and this is to prepare mens minds , and to make way for such harder sayings and stricter precepts , as must be manifested in due season . moreover the dispensation of the word of god should be , as the word it self is , quick and powerfull , and in all reason that is to be most esteemed such , which is most apt to be effectual to the end , for which god hath ordained it , which is to open mens eyes , and to turn them from darkness to light , and from the power of satan to god , that they may receive forgiveness of sins , and an inheritance among them , that be sanctified through faith in christ. that kind of preaching that hath most tendency to convince , direct and move toward this end , is without controversie the most powerfull . the pressing of doctrines with solid and cogent reason , provided they be made plain and obvious to the capacity of the hearers , appertains to this manner of preaching , and in a chief point therein . strong reason may be so delivered as to be too hard , and strong for plain people to receive and digest it . here condescention is a great duty , and perspicuity a great gift . but the bare evidence of reason doth not all . for to gain the will ( which is the man ) besides the judgment , the fancy and affections had need be gained . we find it the condescention of god himself in his word , to deal very much with these lower faculties , which belonging not to brutes only , but to men also , it is not brutish but human , to be moved by them in subordination to the judgment . even the most learned and prudent men , are found to take no small impression from them ; and therefore the most proper ways of soliciting and exciting them , are not to be neglected , much less contemned . now dry reason though strong enough , is not so fit to take the affections or raise the fancy . wherefore some other helps , among which there are comparatively little things , are herein used , as familiar expressions , apt similitudes , expostulations , lively representations , and such like ; to which may be added a voluble tongue , a moving tone , and taking gesture . and though much noise and action make not a powerfull preacher ; yet earnestness of speech and elevation of the voice , is not of little force , and especially with vulgar hearers , who being the greatest number in most auditories , are very regarnable . and truly the weight of the business requires due fervour . should the matters of life and death eternal be delivered without feeling , as by men half asleep ? and people's drowsiness doth no less require it . yea , possibly the apprehensions and affections of the common people may better be roused up , by a somewhat boysterous way of excitation ; which for this reason should not displease the learned or most judicious sort , who are in this case to consider not what would most affect themselves , but the greater multitude , who stand in greatest need of help , and whose souls are not less precious , nor redeemed with a lesser price , than the souls of the greatest scholars , and sages of this world . indeed much judgment and and circumspection is here called for , that all rudeness and homeliness of expression , all curiosity , levity and loathsom affectation , and all manner of undecency be avoided ; and that what is comely and congruous and apt to convince and move be used , and that nothing be overstrained . and in this matter self-distrust , if not too excessive , will do better than self-confidence and conceitedness . here it should be considered , that very worthy men may have some indecencies in voice and gesture , which they cannot well remedy ; and others , who are very usefull , and whose service in gods church could not be well spared , may be liable to some lesser mistakes and incongruities in expression , which critical hearers may discern , yet they hinder not the efficacy of the word . and withall let it be considered , whose work they do , that aggravate such weaknesses to make sport for themselves , and others to the contempt of gods ordinance . and for them that pour out scorn upon the most pious , serious , solid and profitable kind of preaching , and make ridiculous representations of it to the world , because it suits not their seeming wisdom ; i am rather inclined to lament their folly , then to emulate their wit , or envy their applause with some men . we read that the wise preacher sought out acceptable words , that is words pleasing to edification , that would reach home and were piercing as goads and nails . the preachers inward feeling of what he speaks , hath a secret force to cause his words to be felt by others , and what comes from the heart is aptest to go to the heart , by a sympathy in the spirits of men . and that any should speak of seeing and feeling in some sort , the things that are written in gods word , will not seem strange to them who have tasted that the lord is gracious . the powerfull dispensing of the word depends chiefly on the assistance of the holy spirit , though both natural and acquired parts , and the industrious exercise thereof be likewise necessary . for which cause the spiritual man hath unspeakable advantage of the meerly natural man in this service . the special presence of the spirit with him and the grace of god in him , causeth him to speak in a strain more apposite , and sutable to the forming of the new creature . yea , such illumination and conviction and tast of heavenly things , as proceeds from a more common , or less than regenerating grace , will do more in this business with less abilities of art and nature , than far greater abilities in those kinds can do by themselves alone . the common sense of the faithfull , is a witness to the truth hereof . and it must needs be so , that he who hath some savour of the things of god , should speak more savorily of them , then he can , to whom they are tastless or unsavory . wherefore there is a spiritual kind of preaching not indeed opposite to rational , nor taken so to be by any that talk of it with understanding , though the assertors of it have been abusively personated , as holding such a dotage . they do not say , that the spirit shews any thing about the sense of scripture or divine matters , which is not consonant to right reason , or that whatsoever is darted into their mind , is to be taken for an irradiation from the holy ghost , or that any may presume upon the spirits immediate help , in the neglect of rational search and study . but their meaning is , that as heretofore in extraordinary persons there were extraordinary inspirations ; so there have been , are , and always shall be , the ordinary teachings and inspirations of the spirit ; in regard whereof it is stiled in scripture the spirit of wisdom and revelation , which teaching as all the faithfull stand in need of , so more especially the ministers of the gospel ; and that this divine assistance doth elevate , or heighten the gifts of nature and learning , and guides us to sound reasoning , yea , and sometimes brings things into the mind without previous reasoning , yet rational and found to be so upon due scanning . there is no great evidence in reason , that st. pauls demonstration of the spirit and power , is to be restrained to the miraculous confirmation of his doctrine , or any extraordinary gift ( though that sense be not excluded . ) for the contexture of his discourse in that chapter , sets forth a certain faculty , perceptive and expressive of the things of the spirit of god , belonging unto spiritual men as such . and they are no fanaticks , that to this day own the more common interpretation of the words , namely to preach from the special help of the illuminating and quickning spirit , with a lively perception and feeling of the things that are delivered . but whatsoever the meaning of those words be , verily they are besotted with reason , that in the pride thereof regard not this illumination from above , and scoff at those that look after it . to preach christ is the matter of this dispensation , and to preach moral duties is not extraneous to the preaching of christ , but comprized under it . yet it must be acknowledged , that morality in its best estate ( as it is vulgarly taken for temperance and righteousness towards men , and other vertues of that rank , as proceeding from a meerly natural principle , which an aristotle might describe in his ethicks ) is far below christianity . for it is found in many that are alienated from the life of god , and lead meerly by the spirit of this world . but this name may be given to some higher thing , as first , to the whole observation of gods moral law founded in our creation , and that not only in the outward work after a common manner performable by the unregenerate , but in a duemannerfrom a right principle to a right end , that is from the love of god unto his glory . and in this sense we acknowledge that it is a great part , but not the whole of the christian religion ; nor indeed the whole of morality taken not vulgarly , but theologically , and that in its full extent . for so taken , it is no other then the conformity of our minds and actions to god and his laws , and faith in christ , is a main part thereof . indeed to preach christ , is to preach the whole duty of man , and more especially those duties that are consequent to , and founded in our redemption ; as also to set forth the whole mystery of the gospel , which is the ground and reason of our duty . for god was in christ reconciling the world to himself , and accordingly hath ordained the ministery of reconciliation , by which there is made known the lapsed and lost estate of mankind , the abundant grace of god in christ for their recovery , remission of sins , and free justification through his righteousness , regeneration and inward sanctification , the inhabitation of the spirit in believers , and their mystical union with christ , their living by the faith of him , and deriving of spiritual life and strength from him , and growing up into him , till they be filled with all the fulness of god in him , their spiritual warfare and conflicts between the flesh and spirit within them , their temptations , desertions and renewed consolations , and the earnest and sealing of the holy spirit given unto them . surely these are fit subjects to behand led by a gospel preacher , though the preaching of these matters or of many of them , is by some called canting and phrase divinity ; yet they are the sacred expressions of the holy ghost in scripture . and dare any say they are but a sound of words without matter agreeable to the stile ? no , they are real and deep mysteries , and intelligible to them that obey the truth . it is heartily here asserted and earnestly contended for , that the gospel calls us as much to vertue as to glory , and that its true intent is to reduce us to a holy life : yet withall , the counsel of god therein is to set forth the glory of his free grace , the all-fulness of jesus christ , and the mighty working of his spirit , and the wonderfulness of salvation through him , to the intent that we might glory , not in our selves but in him , who of god is made unto us wisdom , righteousness , sanctification and redemption . and indeed , who do more powerfully and successfully preach christian duty , than they that most insist on this unspeakable grace , and lay open the treasures thereof ? the love of christ is so to be spoken of , as to beget in us a love towards him , not imaginary and conceited , but real and substantial , made good by an intire subjection to him . and therefore the doctrines of free grace and of good works are to be sounding together in our pulpits . what christ hath done for us is not to save us the pains of a continual mortification , and of the agony to be endured therein , and of aspiring to the most perfect state of holiness that is attainable . we are to live as strictly as if we were to be saved by the perfection of our own obedience . and indeed none lead more holy lives than they , that desire to be found in christ , and when they have done all that they can , rely wholly upon the mercy of god in him . it is most true that gospel mysteries do not lie in meer phrases , nor is new matter always brought with new forms of speech , nor are people much the wiser by having their heads filled with them . there are empty sounds and terms unintelligible , swelling words with windy notions , expressions that seem to draw deep , whose meaning is but shallow . there is a sollicitous stating of points with a seeming exactness , that is indeed weak and injudicious , and a niceness in distinguishing , which is but frivolous . many controversies much agitated are but a strife of words , and too great stress is often laid upon little fancies . and a greater mischief there is , that in cloudy language pernicious doctrines take shelter , and dangerous sects are known to hide themselves in this covert . and therefore he that doth his work rightly , will know the true significancy and import of what he utters . he vents not meer words , but sound matter and good substance ; for the souls of men are fed with solid sense and not with phrases . howbeit as touching expressions , there is a certain spiritual strain , which is most agreeable to the things of the spirit of god , and which as coming from life and spirit , is better discerned than described . there is a speaking , not in words which mans wisdom teacheth , but which the holy ghost teacheth . and though this more eminently took place in the apostles , and such other extraordinary persons , yet there is no sufficient reason to restrain it to them alone . st. paul may well be understood to speak of this as a gift received by them , that had received not the spirit of the world , but that which is of god , and as something suted to the perception and taste of all spiritual men . it doth not exclude the use of human wisdom , though the wisdom of the spirit sway in chief . for no doubt , even paul's human learning and prudence was herein serviceable , though in subserviency to the influence and conduct of the spirit . this spirituality of expression , is conformable to that of the spirit of god in scripture , though not confined to the words thereof . surely the mysteries of salvation cannot be better handled ; than in those terms in which they were first delivered , to wit , in scripture expressions , or others consonant thereto , solidly and pertinently used , and to call this canting , savours to much of that spirit , to which holy language is unsavory . without controversie , the strongest reason is of greatest force to gain the wills of men , to imbrace true religion . for that which crosseth sensuality , selfishness and all the depraved appetite of our lapsed nature ( as religion doth ) must needs have its greatest strength , next under the power of divine grace , in the force of right reason . but care and skill is requisite , that it be so prepared , offered , and set home , that it may be sutable to them that should receive it , and that the cogency thereof may so reach unto , and fasten upon their judgments , as to gain their wills . philosophical ratiocinations are too remote not only from low and dull capacities , but also from the greater part of them , that are competently apprehensive and intelligent , and so being too much estranged from them , they do not touch them to the quick . a familiar , natural , plain and obvious way of reasoning comes home to all men , and is most felt at the heart , and that by scholars themselves , though their intellect may be more delighted in more accurate or reserved speculations . scriptural preaching is indeed the most rational , as coming with such reason as is of greatest force with men in matters of salvation . for gods written word is a treasure of divine wisdom , that throughly furnisheth the man of god. besides , the infallible testimony thereof hath more authority , than philosophical reason , though sound and true , can have , upon christian hearers ; and it peirceth deeper and sticks closer . and arguments taken , and words spoken from scripture , wherewith the people converse dayly , are more easily apprehended and retained ; and so are more instructive , and every way more usefull than other reasonings . though numerous citations of sentences out of human authors be an unprofitable kind of ostentation ; yet the sentences of holy writ , which is the evidence of our christian hope , and the testimony of him , who is truth it self , are most effectual to edification . and whosoever is able to speak reason in divine matters , is to make a rational use of scripture : and if any quote it impertinently and absurdly , it is through defect of reason , and they would be as injudicious in their sermons without those quotations . but nice and haughty wits mostly cavil without cause , and charge profitable preachers with injudiciousness , meerly through their own vain curiosity and inconsiderateness . scripture quotations are sometimes used by way of allusion , or for illustration , not for strict proof ; and that which is brought for proof , if it be not full and cogent , yet it may add some weight , and then it is not abused . besides , if a passage be used in a sound and pious , though not in its proper sense , it is pardonable . it is fit indeed that in citing texts , we know their true import , and go more by weight than number , shunning impertinency and superfluity ; yet it is not unfit to note , that all sound and good preachers are not alike judicious , and those that are very solid may be guilty of some oversights : and 't is a bad matter that their ministery , which god hath owned and honoured with good success in his service , should be set at nought for a few mistakes ( perhaps more pretended than real ) about the sense of some scripture , when it is not applyed otherwise than the analogy of faith will bear , and nothing is defended but known truth . i have known a pious but strangely mistaken sense of a scripture sentence cast into the mind , and there fixed to have been the first occasion of seriousness in religion , to one that afterward lived and dyed a godly christian. now that which was causal in this conversion was the godly truth it self , which was written in gods word ; and the mistaking it to lie in such a sentence where it did not , being but accidental , was no hinderance . i do in no wise countenance the irrational use of scripture , but am sensible of the importance of good judgment and due care about the sense thereof : yet i cannot approve the scornful haughtiness of some men , who deride godly persons well instructed in the scripture , as having nothing but words and phrases and senseless notions ; either because they come short of scholar-like exactness , or because they speak of the things of god in a more evangelicall and spiritual strain , than these can well bear . in speaking , the best use of art is to speak to best purpose , and for that end , in divine matters to speak with greatest majesty and authority . and this is done not by ostentation of wit , by puerile and effeminate rhetorications , by a rapsody of flanting words , by starched speech , by cadency of sounds , or any too elaborate politeness , that please the shallow fancy , but by the evidence of reason set forth in a masculine and unaffected eloquence , that hath power over the wills of men , which are tough and knotty peices . perspicuity is a great vertue and felicity in discourse , for hereby what is offered gains attention , and enters the mind , and abides therein : but intricacy and obscurity is a bar to its entrance and entertainment . hereunto an easie and obvious method , evident coherence , and plainness of expression conduceth mainly . wherefore he that minds what he hath to do , is not careful by a more curious artifice to please the fancies of some itching hearers , but hath most regard to that composure , that makes most for a general benefit and edification . and for this cause as he would not multiply words without need , and become tedious ; so he would not be too succinct and close ; and by that means either too dark , or too quick to inform or effect the people . in vulgar auditories a dilating of the matter is most necessary , so that idle tautologies and prolixity be avoided : and it may be spread forth in such fulness and plainess of speech , as will not be unacceptable even to scholars , that are not wise in their own conceit . but the careless and confused speaking of incoherent and undigested matter , rudeness or baldness of expression is no part of this commended plainness , which is orderly , comely and weighty , agreeable to the majesty of gods word . a true preacher of the gospel rightly divides the word of truth , and gives to all their portion . he doth not make distinction , where the rule of faith makes no difference , nor doth he confound things , that ought to be distinguished . he is not partial towards parties for interest or affection . and so he doth not promiscuously justifie or condemn the evil and the good together on any side ; but as he accounts it an odious thing to rail upon one party in the ambiguous terms of false church , false worship , false ministry , idolatry , superstition , formality : so he accounts it no less odious , confusedly to inveigh against those of an other persuasion , under the no less ambiguous terms ( as they are now commonly used ) of hypocrites , pharisees , fanaticks , enthusiasts , separatists , humorists and such like . he is constant in preaching the word , instant in season and out of season . for in preaching frequently , he doth not do the work of the lord negligently , but duely feeds the flock , and that with better prepared food , than they use to bring that preach but seldom upon pretence of greater preparation . he watcheth over the flock with diligence , and naturally cares for their estate ; for he knows the worth of precious souls . he condescends to persons of low degree , and is concerned for the souls of the poor and simple and illiterate , as well as of the noble , rich and learned ; for he knows their redeemer paid alike dear for both . and however the proud and covetous judge , he doth not think it below him to intermeddle , for the reducing of the simple that go astray , and he seeks to recover them with gentleness and patience ; for he prefers the gaining of one soul , before all the preferments of this world . he earnestly looks after that , which some do little regard , to wit the seal of his ministery in the saving efficacy thereof on the hearers , and when he finds it , he makes it the crown of his rejoycing . and this seal he takes not to be their meer owning of sound doctrine , or following an orthodox party , much less their abounding in notions , their talking and outward guarb of profession ; but their new birth or their spiritual growth , the promoting whereof is the scope of his labours , and the dayly travell of his soul. chap. v. the due performance of publick prayer . prayer being a main part of gods worship and chief act of devotion , and such as doth accompany and sanctifie every other religious duty , and the publick management thereof pertaining to the work of the ministry ; its due performance must needs be of no small import to the increase of true piety , and no small part of the ministerial excellency and sufficiency . among spiritual gifts , i doubt not to number the gift of prayer also , and i judge they speak too low of it , that make it only a natural gift , or acquired by practice and imitation . much indeed may lie in natural parts , and observation and exercise , but not all ; for over and above these things , the spirit of christ presiding perpetually over his church sets in , and by a secret influence on men designed of god for this service , indues them with a peculiar aptness of knowledge and utterance , as well in prayer as preaching , for the edifying of the church . and some unsanctified persons being thus gifted , may preach and pray with a notable tendency to the saving of others , when themselves prove cast-aways . private christians also according to their measure , are partakers of this gift in much diversity of degrees , god giving to every man severally as he will. besides this , there is a special and saving gift , the spirit of prayer , and praying in the holy ghost , or by his gracious assistance in a holy manner , according to the will of god , which is indeed lively and powerfull , and apt to kindle a holy fervour in them , that joyn in the service so performed . and why that , which is performed in such a manner , and by such assistance , may not be called a praying by the spirit , i see no reason . they who thankfully acknowledge and bless god for so great a gift of his grace , do not intend thereby a miraculous inspiration , or an absolute infallible guidance of the holy ghost . much less do they think that their prayers are such dictates of the spirit , as would infer that the very matter and word● thereof , being written would become canonical scripture , to which is requisite not only an infallible spirit , but also an attestation thereof by the same spirit , sufficient to convince others . but this they maintain , that the spirit helps them against their indisposedness of mind , and deadness of heart , and manifold infirmities , and strengthens their faculties , and quickens their graces , and enlarges their desires , and elevates their souls , and brings things to their remembrace , specially the divine promises , yea , and in some particulars may guide the heart and tongue by a present immediate suggestion . for why must the spirit of god be thought to do less in exciting to good , then the devill ordinarily doth in prompting to evil ? and yet they are not to depend on the spirits immediate suggestion , for matter , words and method , without taking care or thought before hand . it is an ordinary and not miraculous assistance which they expect , and which is usually given according to mens preparations , and suted to their several capacities . the spirit of prayer is not confined to this , or that exterior frame or order of prayer ; but is ever found there , where the heart hath a due sense of the matter . a particular form , whether stinted or not stinted is not of the essence of prayer , but only its outward shape , and it pertains to it not as it is a sacred thing , but as an action in general ; and for that no action can possibly be performed but in some particular mode , this holy action cannot otherwise be performed . and whereas there are divers modes thereof , they may be used as they are congruous to the substance of the duty according to mens choice and judgment , unless they were ( as indeed they are not ) bound up to one by a divine determination . the lawfulness of set-forms is further evinced from the lords prayer , and other forms in scripture , and as much is owned by the general custom of singing davids psalms . wherefore to turn the back upon the publick prayers of the church , meerly because performed in this manner , is unwarrantable . and there is a● little warrant to restrain all publick prayer to a stinted liturgy , and leave no liberty at all to the ministers godly zeal and prudence . in this particular , the interest of true godliness will be much better advanced by moderation , than by contests and rigor on either hand . for it is very discernable , that the antipathy against either way , is mainly caused by the animosity and mutual opposition , between the parties of different persuasions and inclinations in this matter . they are too weak and ill-advised at least , if not humorous and self-conceited , that reject all sett-forms : and on the other hand to suppress the gift of prayer in our selves or others , is to sin against the grace of god and to hinder much good . the use of a set-form without an imperious restraint of prayer thereto , will obviate the objection of stinting the spirit , which means ( if there be any thing to the purpose in that phrase ) a suppressing or undue restraining of this spiritual gift , against which a caution is here given . in our addresses to the great god it concerns us to look well both to thoughts and words , that in both he may be sanctified by us , and glorified as god indeed . and in our publick addresses to him a more special care must be had , that nothing be uttered before him , that is unmeet to be offered to his dreadfull majesty . rude , clownish , and homely expressions , as also quibling , jingling , and all levity and trifling is very loathsome in preaching , but in prayer much more . affectation of words , curiosity and politeness becomes not the weightiness and awfulness of this duty . yea abruptness , obscurity , and all incongruity of speaking is to be shunned herein , as much as possible : and that only is to be used which is plain , clear , seemly , weighty , savory and affectionate . in like manner all indecency of voice , and gesture is to be watched against , as an offensive thing , and apt to expose the service to the derision of proud scorners . yet a seasonable elevation of the voice , or other apt expression of earnestness is not to be counted rudeness . sometimes a worthy man may not be aware of some uncomeliness in his tone , or in the posture of his countenance , or some other bodily gesture , by reason of the fervour of his spirit , in the duty joyned with inadvertency towards those exterior and lesser things . and sometimes an ill habit or custom is not easily broken off . these inconveniencies are prevented or redressed by a wariness of disposition , and a moderate self-distrust , and the actual observation of what is gracefull or uncomely in others . prayer is a holy converse with god , wherein an humble confidence , and son-like freedom of spirit with him is acceptable ; yet withall it calls for the greatest prostration of soul , and the deepest reverence and subjection . wherefore humbly to expostulate with god , is no sauciness . the whole current of the prayers of saints in scripture doth warrant it , and that not only now and then in extraordinary cases . indeed our ordinary concerns with god , are no less than the safety of our immortal souls , the pardoning of our great and numberless offences , the subduing of inveterate corruptions , our escaping of many deadly dangers , our victory over the adverse world , the powerfull presence of his grace , the light of his countenance ; as also the interests of his glory , and of his church and people , and of the world in general , that poor souls may be delivered from the power of darkness , and translated into the kingdom of his dear son ; all which are of the highest moment , and of themselves exceeding difficult ( though to god all things are possible ) and they all require vehemence and importunity , not as if god needed to be moved or stirred up , but that we may declare our selves duely affected . howbeit even the best things may be over-done , and this over-doing is the marring thereof . if in the expostulations of prayer , men shall utter perverse or frivolous things , or speak absurdly , daringly , or irreverently , they are highly culpable and guilty of abusing the most holy things , and of contemning the most glorious and fearfull name of the lord their god. our freedom of access to god and converse with him , must not be turned into an irreverent and presumptuous familiarity . those that are guilty of this rashness are worthy of great rebuke . but i-know well , that the spirit of luke-warmness and profaness , doth usually cast reproaches and scorns upon that zeal and fervency of spirit , that well becomes the servants of the lord , and labours to make the most accceptable , and profitable kind of prayer to seem ridiculous . it is against reason to think that the ministers of the present age , brought up under such eminent advantage for ministerial abilities , should not be able to speak to god in good and solid sense , in an orderly method , and in affective , grave and seemly language , as becomes the solemnity of gods worship . experience will justifie the sufficiency of serious , pious and painfull preachers in general , though the captious and curious , and such as love to cavil , have found fault , and despised the profitable endeavours of those , whom god hath owned . besides , the offences that are committed in this matter , proceed more from inadvertency and imprudence than from insufficiency , and may be corrected by care and causion , and good advice . and it is no vanity to suppose such a competency of prudence easily attainable by all those , that are competently qualified for this office. indeed it cannot be expected , but that some will be less able and less perfect than others in this performance , and that the same persons may not be alike perfect therein at all times : nevertheless , there is no such want of security , that the churches service will be well performed , if any prayer be used in the church besides a prescribed form. for who can doubt , but that persons of competent ability and prudence , may upon due incouragement be spread throughout a nation , in such an age of learning and knowledge ? and to say otherwise , were to disparage the reformed religion . and there is no just cause of doubt , but that an able minister may make use , either of a precomposed or of an immediately conceived form of words . yet in this matter there is great diversity of judgment and affection , even unto much prejudice and opposition . but the same minds might well be conciliated to both ways , if rightly ordered . the question is here supposed to be of the outward mode , in which two things are mainly to be regarded , to wit , that it be reverend and affective . such , as are best persuaded of a pre-composed form , and find it expedient for them , doubtless may rightly manage it to the edifying of themselves and others . for which end they must needs in some parts thereof make use of occasional variation and inlargement ( though premeditated ) as minding the more particular requiries of several times and occasions . but others by a habit of ready utterance and much exercise , are well prepared to pray by the immediate conceptions of their mind in proper and decent words , and can do it without any straining of invention , and with much freedom of spirit . no more is here spoken , that what impartial men will grant . and why should any forbid them that are thus qualified to use their gift ? but if any should be rash with their mouths , and hasty to utter any thing before god that is unmeet , they are subject to the discipline of the church to be censured for their errour . moreover heightened affections inlarge the heart , and open the mouth , and do not make a man at a stand for want of words . indeed astonishing affection or an extasie of spirit may put one to such a stand , but that rarely takes hold of any in a pubick performance . but a calm admiration and reverence of god , and seriousness and earnestness of address to him , doth not hinder but further ap●expressions . for the use of one constant form , it hath been pleaded that a stranger may thereby the better know how we worship god , and that the people better understand and remember that , to which they are continually used . but on the other hand variety and newness of matter , and words are more apt to quicken the affection , and perfect the understanding also , especially of the attentive , whenas under the constant rehersal of one thing , the faculties grow flat and dull . besides , in the use of this liberty and variety , the prayer being ordinarily the same for substance in the main , the vulgar apprehension and memory is help'd , by the sameness of the main substance and scope , and the affections are raised , and the understanding further edified by that which is new in the frame , and method and particular matter , and the peoples more particular variable concernments , are provided for by a more peculiar accommodation and respect thereto , as occasions vary . and by the received doctrine of faith , a stranger may be sufficiently ascertain'd of the substance of the worship to be celebrated . for a doctrine of a church governs its worship ; and it is well known , that one & the same tenor thereof will pass through the several congregations of a nation , that are not confined to a stinted form , yet combined in the same faith and order . and when all is said , that management and performance of this service is the best , that is most effectual to make the comers thereunto more perfect in knowledge , more devout and zealous towards god , more pious and blameless in their conversation , and every way more perfect in the divine life ; and it will be so acknowledged by them that are discerning and serious in the things of god. but to conciliate the minds of men diversly affected in this matter , and to prevent the inconveniencies , and to obtain the good of either way , a prescribed form and a free prayer will do best together , in reference to the churches peace and edification . chap. vi. the right administration of ecclesiastical discipline . the ministers of christ , and stewards of the mysteries of god are pastors of the church , and pastoral authority includes both teaching and ruling , and implies the peoples subjection in the lord to their doctrine and discipline . to bereave the church of discipline , is to leave it unfurnished of that means , which is necessary to the preservation of all orderly socities of mankind . it is to turn the garden of the lord , by plucking up the fence thereof into a common or wilderness . the power intrinsecal to this office , is not secular and coercive by temporal penalties , but purely spiritual ; which is in the name of christ , and by authority from him the chief pastor to watch over the flock , to encourage them that live conformably to the gospel by the consolations thereof , and to warn them that walk disorderly , and if any continue obstinate therein , to declare them unworthy of church-communion and christian converse , and to require the faithful to have no fellowship with them , to the intent that they may be humbled and reformed . as the discipline of all societies is to be regulated by their true interest and and chief scope , so is this of the church of god. now the christian church looks mainly to the honour of christ , and the glory of gods grace in him , and to the salvation of men , for which ends it was ordained . and consequently its true interest lies in the conservation and augmentation of true christianity or the power of godliness : but that church interest which is elsewhere fixed , and levelled to an other mark , appertains to a carnal and worldly state set up in the room , and pretence of this spiritual society . the churches true and proper excellency lies not in worldly splendor , opulency and power ; nor in outward rites and formal unity ; nor in the stability and amplitude of a meer external state : but in the inward light and life , in the unfained faith and love , in the purity and spiritual unity of believers , and in the security and advancement of this internal state , and of the external state in order to the internal . wherefore the right end of discipline is not to promote temporal glory , and opinions and formalities thereunto subservient , but the apostolick faith and worship , and the regeneration of the professors thereof , and their sincere devotion , godly unity , sobriety , righteousness , brotherly-kindness , and common charity , and all the vital parts of christianity : and to keep and cast out heresie , superstition , profaness , unrighteousness and all wicked error and practice , that tends to frustrate the designs of christs gospel : as also to prevent and remedy the causless tearing and renting of churches , and those alienations and animosities among christians , that proceed only from the wills and lusts of men . and the management hereof to this right end , is of far greater consequence , than any scrupulosity or preciseness about its external form and order . nay , if an external order could be proved to be primitive and apostolical , and were perverted and abused to inforce corrupt doctrines , scandalous and insnaring inventions and impositions ; and in a ceremonial strictness to indulge real profaness , and discourage true godliness , it were no other then the mystery of a carnal state under a spiritual name , having a form of godliness , but denying and suppressing the power thereof . the right end of discipline being such as hath been declared , it follows that its proper work is to incourage godliness , and to disgrace open sin . accordingly being rightly managed it admonisheth the unruly , casts out the obstinate , and restores the penitent . about these things it is active , watchfull and vigorous . what severity it hath , it exerciseth in correcting real scandals and gross breaches of gods law , and in maintaining the churches peace against those that cause divisions , and offences contrary to the doctrine which we have received , that is the doctrine of christ and his apostles . but it careth little for those matters , wherein the life and power of religion , and the churches peace and edification is unconcerned . much less doth it seek to quench godly zeal , and to hinder the necessary means of the increase of true godliness , or to afflict peaceable and pious christians by any needless rigors . chap. vii . religious family-government . in the time of the law the solemn dedication of houses was in use , the solemnity expressing that holy exercises should be performed in it , and that the houshold should be holy . in the first times of christianity , the scripture makes mention of churches that were in particular houses , teaching that christian families should resemble churches for piety and godly order . by family-godliness religion thrives exceedingly , and decays as much by the neglect thereof . by domestick instruction knowledge is much increased . for this private particular teaching is apt to be more heeded than that which is publick and general ; and persons are hereby prepared to attend with profit upon the publick preaching . good principles are infused , and impressions of good are made upon those that live under such government . and where much may not be wrought at present towards conversion , something may stick upon them , which may afterwards appear , when the grace of god shall visit them more powerfully . moreover national , and church reformation should here begin . nations will be wicked , and churches corrupt , while families remain disordered : but by the reformation of these lesser societies the larger are easily reformed , as the whole street is made clean , where every one will sweep his own door , which is but an easie task . it were most desirable that houses of eminent persons were exemplary in this kind , as it appears king davids was by that profession , i will walk within my house with a perfect heart , i will not know a wicked person , he that walketh in a perfect way shall serve me . but it is lamentable , that in so many families of professed christians of high and low degree , wickedness carries it with a high hand in drunkenness , swearing , cursing , open profanation of the lords day , in hatred of godliness , and contempt of gods ordinances : and that in many others free from debauchedness and open lewdness , there is no face , religion , no divine worship performed , no godly discipline , no instruction in the way of godliness observed . should any professing subjection to god , maintain under his charge and government an open rebellion against god , or at least a totall neglect of him ? should not god rule , where his servant rules ? wherefore it is the proper work of christian housholders in their several houses , to offer prayers and praises to god dayly , both morning and evening as the dayly sacrifice ; to sanctifie the lords day in prayer , singing of psalms , reading the scriptures and other holy books , in repeating sermons , instructing children and servants , and in taking account of their diligence and proficiency under the means of grace ; and this to be done not formally and customarily , but conscienciously in good carnest and to good effect . it is their charge also to hold a prudent hand over children in their minority , and not to indulge them in a course of idleness , sensual pleasure , or any inordinate liberty ; also to make intercession to god for those under their tuition , to allow servants time for secret duty ; lastly to purge their families of sinfull disorders , and to remove scandals , as carefully as the israelites cleansed their houses from leaven , at the time of the passover . as the religious care of superiors , so the submission and teachableness of inferiors is injoyned . children , servants and sojourners in godly families , being come into the lords heritage and portion , and under his special protection , and the dispensation of his grace , should not think it a yoke of bondage to live under such a discipline , and to be held unto such exercies ; but should improve the advantage and be followers of whatsoever is good and praise-worthy . and whatsoever imperfections they find therein , they should not malignantly aggravate the same , but bless god for the good , and consider the defects as the remainders of human weakness . chap. viii . private mutual exhortations , pious discourse and edifying conversation . it is also of great advantage when christian people are inured in the way of religious converse , and discourse for edification . for by this means they propagate the knowledge and love of the truth , and keep themselves in spiritual life and vigor , and daily building up one another on their most holy faith , advance heaven-ward . and it is as comely as advantageous . the royal prophet understood what was seemly and worthy of him in his conversation , and he saith , i will talk of thy commandments before princes and not be ashamed . is it not seemly for those that are risen with christ to speak of the things above , and for fellowtravell rs towards the heavenly kingdom , to mention the affairs of their own country ? it is also sweet and lovely , a partaking of that grace that was poured into christs lips , and it is pleasant to all such as savour the things of god. yea , are not converts bound by all means to seek the conversion of others ? we have received this holy commandment , let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth , but that which is good for the use of edifying , that it may administer grace to the hearers . indeed holy language proceeding from the mouths of scandalous persons or detected hypocrites is disgraced , and loseth its savour . if affectation and vanity appear therein , it hath not so sweet a relish . but this can be no disparagement to gracious words , which holy and humble men of inoffensive lives speak feelingly from the abundance of the heart ; and those that judge them hypocrites , god will judge . moreover , honest minds may be sometimes guilty of imprudence , and thereby occasion some disgust , and make that which is good and wholsom to be unacceptable and ineffectual . nevertheless t is a bad matter for any one from the baseness of some hypocrites , and the weakness of good christians to take occasion of pouring out contempt upon this godly practice . yea , whosoever gives a check to it , upon pretence of its unseasonableness and impertinency at some times , are not well advised for the interest of true religion , because for one that is overforward herein a hundred are too backward , and that among the wise and able , who might reap a harvest of much good , if they were not too shie or sluggish . the most have need rather of the spur than the bridle in this case . wherefore discretion will mind the season in which every thing is beautifull , and not inconsiderately force discourse , and run on therein when it will not be entertained , as in the set times of other mens sports or business : nor will it press any beyond due measure , and what they can well receive , lest that which in it self is precious become nauseous or untastfull . opportunity and leasure will sufficiently offer it self for set and solemn conference ; and besides this , there will be room almost continually to put in by the by , a word that may take effect . how forcible are right words ! it hath sometimes come to pass , that a short saying occasionally let fall upon a prepared mind , hath entred deep , and stuck close . yea , that which takes not much at present , may be remembred , and have its effect after a long time , and then be matter of much blessing and praise . the counsel of the wise preacher looks this way . in the morning sow thy seed , in the evening with-hold not thy hand , for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that , or whether they shall be alike good . whatsoever scornfull or careless men conceit hereof , the divine wisdom hath made it praise-worthy and precious . the tongue of the just is as choice silver , and the lips of the righteous feed many . and to good hearts this practice will not be burdensom , for they will recreate their minds herewith , as an holy divertisement and serious pastime , while others spend their leasure in that mirth and laughter which the wise man calls madness . chap. ix . the prevalence of religion or real godliness in the civil government of a nation . in christian states and kingdoms religion being gods interest , ought to have the preeminence in all things . and its preeminence is no incroachment upon the rights of the higher powers , but their establishment . god alone hath an underived and unlimited empire over man his creature . the people are primarily gods subjects , and then are subject to princes , as to his vicegerents , and obedience to him is the grand interest both of prince and people . none can doubt that god hath made his own glory , and mans salvation the supreme ends of government and subjection . and consequently , that is the best policy which gives these ends the highest place , and makes temporal advantages and the wellfare of the outward man subordinate thereunto . and this requires that the constitution give the highest regards to gods laws , and maintain their authority , and that the whole publick administration tend to the promoting of righteousness and true holiness , and to the suppressing of all unrighteous and impious practice . as it is the church's duty and honour to teach and command her children to do whatsoever christ hath commanded : so it is the proper work and chiefest glory of the magistrate , who is gods minister to defend the faith , and uphold the ordinances of the gospel , and to further the most lively and powerfull dispensation of them , and to incourage and command obedience to the divine law written in nature or scripture . in subserviency hereunto his power is to determine such things as are requisit in general , but in particular are left undetermined of god , and therefore called indifferent , and are to be ordered by human prudence according to the general rules of gods word . and for these ends the chief magistrate hath a supremacy in all causes , and over all persons , civil and ecclesiastical . but it is no diminution of his authority to remove from it things unnecessary , unprofitablē , and offensive in their use , and for their doubtfull nature apt to perplex the subjects conscience . and he is the general bishop of his dominions in a political sense , without any incroachment upon that authority , wherewith christ the king of the church hath invested spiritual pastors . as he is such an officer , it is worthy of his chiefest care to provide , and send forth able and faithfull dispensers of the word , that may teach the people the good knowledge of god , after the example of the good king jehoshaphat ; and to see that every one , who hath the cure of souls , be resident with his flock , and constantly instruct them by preaching the word , and catechizing them in the principles of religion ; and not to suffer pluralists to seise upon several congregations as a prey , to fleece but not to feed them ; to incourage laborious ministers , that watch for the peoples souls , as those that must give an account ; and strictly to injoyn the sanctification of the lords day , which was sanctified to the publick worship of god by the apostles of our lord , who were guided by an infallible spirit in setling this , as all other ordinances pertaining to christs kingdom , and was observed by the apostolick churches , and so hath continued in all ages , and in all places of christianity , and is conveyed down to us by as unquestionable tradition as the scripture it self . it is not of little moment to suppress , or at least to bring into disgrace whatsoever customs serve for nought , but to feed inordinate sensuality , and to make those that use them profane , vicious and licentious . there are frequented shews and pastimes well known , that increase unto all ungodliness , and may be called the devils ordinances . those that wish well to piety have an ill part to act , when they take upon them to defend some exercises , from which an extreem abuse is inseperable , and which are made a trade of gain arising from the impurity and profaness of them , and therefore are incorrigible , and can admit no reformation . the piety of any nation is not to be measured by formalities and opinions and uniformity in little things , but by substantial devotion , by solid zeal in the weighty matters of the law , and main concerns of religion , by righteousness of life , by sobriety , purity , modesty , by peace and concord with mutual forbearance in those differences that should not , and need not make breaches among brethren , by dutifulness in all relations , by industry , frugality , and by abounding charity that is full of good works . happy is that state where religious influence is predominant , where the pious and prudent bear sway , not by intrusion , but by lawfull admission ; also where it ariseth to that strength , as to carry along with it the affection and interest of a nation , not by setting up the faction of a few , but by making the generality , or at least the greater number of considerable men , some of them truly regenerate christians , and the rest orderly and well affected . one would think it were out of question , that it were more desirable , that religiousness should be in fashion , than open dissoluteness and profaness . for uncontrolled profaness will run down all religion . but when those that reach not the power of godliness indeed , come so far , as to take up an outward garb thereof , it is a great external advantage to true religion , and shews its prevalent influence on the publick state. if any should demur upon this assertion , by making it a question whether phariseim or profaness be the worser evil , let him know first , that profane and dissolute christians are notorious hypocrites , for professing to know god , when in works they deny him . besides phariseism is not simple insincerity , but a compound hypocrisie , wherein malignity and enmity against the power of godliness is the chief ingredient , it is a kind of strict externalness that seeks to destroy the inward life and spirit of that religion , which it pretends to own . i have no list to say that such malignity is less mischievous than filthy lewdness or debauchery . but the garb of strict profession here mentioned , is of another nature , and serviceable to the churches good , though we must continually and strictly charge all men to beware of resting in it to the ruine of their own souls . chap. x. christian unity and concord . all faithfull christians are members of one mystical body , having all one spirit , one lord and head , one faith , one baptism , and one god and father of them all , one hope of their calling , and one heaven to receive them all . their union and fellowship being chiefly mystical and invisible , their unity is far greater , than what outwardly appears to the world , and sometimes than what themselves can discern among themselves in particular , by reason of many inferior , yet very disquieting differences and discords . nevertheless it behoves them to provide , that it might appear as much as may be , what it is indeed , and that it be conspicuous and illustrious in the sight of men , by their walking in love and peace . unity is the churches strength and beauty , the honour of the faithfull , and an argument for the certainty of their most holy faith. it makes religion lovely , and draws forth blessing & praise from the beholders of it , and wins the world to a love and reverence of that piety , which makes the professors of it to live in brotherly kindness and mutual charity . but division is the church's weakness and deformity , the reproach of christians , and a scandal against christianity , and an objection put into the mouths of infidels against the faith , and an occasion of stumbling unto many . in the present divided state of religion , each party is apt to appropriate godliness to themselves , or at least to carry it towards others , as if they did so . and they , that are loudest in accusing dissenters of uncharitableness in this kind , are themselves as uncharitable as any others . it is true , that god hath a peculiar people , distinguished from all others by a peculiar character , but it is not confined to any party of this or that persuasion or denomination , that is narrower than meer christianity . and all true christians are to receive one an other , as god hath received them . indeed the best christians are to be best esteemed , and their fellowship is most desired . but if they should be severed from the universality and in a strict combination set up as divided party , it tends to the churches ruine : for a kingdom divided against it self cannot stand , and if the nobler parts of the body forsake the rest , the whole must needs die . christian concord doth not signifie an aggregation of things inconsistent , as the fellowship of righteousness with unrighteousness , the communion of light with darkness , the concord of christ with belial . to set up unity against piety , is a conspiracy against christ , who is king of righteousness , and to pretend piety against unity , is to oppose christ the prince of peace , whose kingdom is the reign of love in the soul : holiness and peace must kiss each other , and as inseperable companions walk together . it is the unity of the spirit we are charged to keep in the bond of peace : but concord in any external order without fellowship in the divine life , is not the unity of the spirit , which is to partake of the same new nature , and to walk together in the same holy way . this is far more excellent than the greatest compliance in matters of meer external order , and consequently much more regardable in our estimation and reception of persons . though to meet in one place , be not of so great importance as to be joyned in one spirit , yet it must not be counted a small matter . the unity of faith and love is much concern'd in the unity of church communion : it will be a matter of some difficulty for them to live together in love , whom one church cannot hold . church divisions commonly divide affections , and draw men into parties and divided interests , and make them seek to strengthen their own party , by weakening all others , to the great dammage of true religion in general . for which cause the unchurching of churches and renouncing of communion with them that are sound in the doctrine of faith and sacrament , and in the substance of divine worship , should be dreaded by all sober christians , yea , all unnecessary distances should be avoided , least they lead to greater alienations , and direct enmities and oppositions . those churches that cannot hold local communion one with another , by reason of differences that destroy not the essentials of christianity , should yet maintain a dear and tender christian love one to another , and profess their owning of each other as churches of jesus christ , and should agree together upon certain just and equal rules , for the management of their unavoidable differences , so as may least prejudice charity and common good , and least harden the ungodly and grieve the weak or dishonour god , or hinder the success of common , great and necessary truths upon the souls of men , amicably promoting the common cause of christianity , and every part thereof , in which they are agreed , and opening their disagreements to the people as little as they can . schism is an unwarrantable separation from or division in a church , and without controversie it is a heinous sin , and to be detested both for its exceeding sinfulness , and wofull consequents . but it hath been so disguised , and the odious name hath been so confusedly cast abroad , and so unreasonably and maliciously misapplied , that it is too slightly thought of , where it should be sadly laid to heart : for it is common with the strongest party , be it right or wrong , to call themselves the church , and to have no better name for others than schismaticks ; and so the reproach is but contemned by them that suffer it , and the sin it self is too little feared on all sides . but it is not a temporal law nor secular power , nor any prevalence of strength or interest , that makes a church ; and none of these things will excuse them from schism , that act uncharitably against their brethren , and obstruct the progress of the gospel , and the increase of godliness ; nor are they forthwith to be counted schismaticks , who cannot in all points observe the commandments of men , and cannot neglect to yield their help to the saving of souls , that would otherwise want due means of salvation , when god hath called them to that service , with a woe unto them if they preach not the gospel . for as much as all must dread the guilt of schism truly so called , let it be well considered , that ecclesiastical superiors are as much concerned to take heed of schismatical impositions , as the people are to shun schismatical recusancy and disobedience : as well the pastors wisdom as the peoples due submission , is here importunately called for . when superiors know how to command , and inferiors how to obey , things will go as well as may be hoped for in this our imperfect state here upon earth . as the peace of a corrupt state of religion is best assured by suppressing all conscientious inquiries into its decrees ; so the peace of the true church and of the sound state of religion , is most secured by the most perfect exercise of sound judgment and upright conscience in all its adherents . that church that claims to her self an infallibility , or challenges and obtains from her partakers an implicit faith in her determinations , without further enquiry , needs not fear the breaking of the bond of her peace , if she multiply constitutions and impose any devised doctrines and ordinances sutable to her own estate . on the other hand it is most evident that a rational conscientious and truly pious concord among such christians , as know and care what they believe , can never be procured without avoiding the imposition of things unwritten and unnecessary , in which it is morally impossible for men of sound faith and good conscience generally to agree . but when necessary things only are injoyned , their weight and truth will soon be known , and owned of all honest minds , or at least are most likely so to be ; and much sooner and easier than the weight , and truth of little and doubtfull things ; and by this means they would more easily move with joynt consent in one godly order , the matters of their difference being before hand taken out of the way . this moderate course being held , the union of unseigned faith and love will become a sure foundation of true christian concord with sound judgment and good conscience , and do that for the suppressing of schism in the right state of christianity , which implicit faith and blind obedience doth in false , corrupt and antichristian state. here it is mainly requisite , that those things that most promote or hinder the new birth and spiritual life , be by pastors and people universally most regarded ; and those that make little for or against the same , be looked upon as of little moment . and the truth is , when the greatest and weightiest matters are duely prized and most contended for , contentions about little things will soon expire . and if this course be taken , hypocrites will lose their advantages of seeming religious by zeal for those things , wherein religion doth not consist , and carnal designs and interests that now rend the churches , and trouble all things , would be defeated and abandoned . moreover to maintain peace , they that rule had need consider what mistakes and weaknesses are competible to true believers , and sometimes to the best and choicest of them , that they might not bear too hard upon them . and they that are ruled must consider that the best polity or constitution , so far as it is of mans regulating , hath defects and inconveniences , and affairs will be complicated ; and therefore they must not be too unyielding , but bear with what is tolerable and not easily remediable ( though they may not in any wise do a sinfull act , or omit a duty in the season of it . ) for by want of such forbearance , they may sooner destroy the good part than mend what is amiss . it is not seldom in such cases that men seek remedies , that prove worse than the disease . if the healing of breaches require an yielding or receding from what hath been stood upon , it should be on that part where equity and necessity declares it should be . it is not so easie for every christian to resolve what is right in many opinions and usages , as for those in power to omit the inforcing of them . unnecessary injunctions may easier be parted with , than mens judgments can be altered , or their doubting consciences well setled . this tenderness and forbearance is no lessoning of the church ' s honour and power . and a little diversity i● little things , cannot rationally move derisi●… in the irreligious , nor justly give scandal to any . but there be things of that slightness that an over-precise and importunate unifo● mity in them , may occasion contempt and suspition of hypocrisie or superstitious folly unity of faith and life is the glory of the tr●… church , and uniformity in external order is 〈◊〉 be indeavored with sobriety , and is best effecte● by cutting off superfluous institutions and lay ing no greater burden on the faithfull tha● things necessary . and this pacifick state may b● as well hoped as wished for , if the guides o● the church would seek the things of christ mor● than their own things . but alas , the usurpations and impositions o● proud and selfish men , even in pretence o● suppressing schism , have hindred christia● people from uniting in the true center of unity which is jesus christ , as set forth in the doctrin● of the apostles and prophets , and which 〈◊〉 the same yesterday and to day and for ever . in deed , they that prevail by power to advanc● their own devised ways , and crush disenters may make a desolation and then call it peace an● union ; but it is not the peace of christs kingdo●… divisions are caused by men of corrup● minds , and partly by the weakness of good men ascribing too much to their own apprehen sions and inclinations , and not considering th● condition of others as their own , nor minding the necessity and usefulness of lawfull compliance , or of mutual forbearance and discention . chap. xi . a good frame of ecclesiastical polity . the promoting of true christianity , and all the things before named pertaining to the sound state of religion , depends much upon a good frame of ecclesiastical polity . undoubtedly our lord jesus christ hath appointed spiritual officers to guide and rule his church ; and in the government thereof there be some things of divine right , and unalterable by the will of man ; and there be many things necessary to the support and due managment thereof , that are of humane determination as to the particulars . both kinds are liable to depravation and great abuse . things of divine right may be corruptly managed and perverted to wrong ends ; and things of mans appointment are sometimes not only ill managed , but ill ordained , as being wholly incongruous and perhaps pernicious to the right ends of goverment . now a good polity is the whole compages of things laid together in the fabrick of the church fitted and directed to promote the christian life , or the power of godliness , and to prevent or remedy the decay thereof . and the more notably and powerfully conducible it is to this end , it is by so much the more excellent . according to this rule , it hath most regard for sincere christians , and insists most upon their incouragement and the increase of their number , and it makes all its external orders and interests subservient to the prosperity of the church regenerate . the order wherein it excells , is an orderly management of those things , which are of divine command , in matter of doctrine , worship , discipline and conversation , in such manner as is most effectual for the obtaining of their ends , by such necessary rules of prudence , as are requisite in all human actions . it prefers purity and spirituality before external pomp , though it neglects not those necessary decencies and ornaments that should attend the service of god , according to the awfull regard that is to be had thereto , and the reverend demeanor to be used therein . it provides able ministers of the gospel , and that every pastor be resident with his own flock , and that he duly feed them , and labour in the word and doctrine , and that the people be not left in the hands of a mercenary procured at the cheapest rate . it provides by a liberal maintenance worthy endowments and priviledges , for that meet support and honour of the ministery , which is requisit to preserve the authority and reverend esteem of their persons and office ; yet it regulates the same as much as may be , to prevent ambition , avarice , sensuality , idleness , haughtiness ; that the worst of men may not be incouraged to aspire to its promotions , and that good men may not degenerate , and that the sacred name of the church may be held by a society of men , not carnal but truly spiritual . it is constituted as much as may be , to secure a succession of wise and godly pastors and teachers from age to age , which is the surest means of the church's perpetual good estate . it is not framed to uphold things only serviceable to a carnal interest , but to inforce things acceptable to god and profitable to men ; and to suppress whatsoever tends to defeat the power of the gospell , or disgrace the profession of it ; and to reform abuses impartially and effectually . according to the true end of ecclesiasticall authority ( which is for edification , and not for destruction ) it inlargeth the power of doing good , and restrains the power of hurting , as much as the ends of goverment will permit such restraint ; accordingly its greatest severity takes hold of the worst men , and the best are left most at liberty , and secure from unnecessary molestation . it is directed to the satisfying of the just and reasonable demands of conscience , which is a choice and tender thing , and therefore it is very tender of intangling and perplexing the same unnecessarily . it makes the pastors government truly pastoral , that is , not imperious and violent , but paternal , proceeding by exhortation and doctrine , and gentle instruction and love , and when correction is necessary , by the rod of discipline . it aims at the forming of mens minds , and the governing of their conversations by good and sound principles , and to make them , a●… much as may be , a law to themselves : yet a●… supposing the exceeding pravity of mans nature , and the infirmities of the best of men , i●… leaves not the safety of religion meerly to mens good dispositions and inclinations , bu●… by due restraints curbeth the remainder o●… mans perverseness . it seeks not to debase the people and de press their faculties , that they may be the more easily led captive by politick men at their pleasure ; but to ennoble them , as much as they are capable , and to advance their understandings to the best improvement ; and accordingly it takes care , that they may be throughly instructed in things pertaining to faith and godliness . in a word , it would make even the lowest and meanest of them not brutes bu● men ; and not meer natural men , but christians or spiritual men. the subject here described hath different degrees of excellency , as it is more or less answerable to its rule , and available to its end . but notwithstanding divers defects and errours , if that which is wholsom and good be predominant , it is to be esteemed a good constitution : yet the best is most desirable . of such consequence is the structure of ecclesiastical polity , that if it be naught , it hath a continual evil influence on all church affairs , and perverts the whole course thereof ; and the making of many particular good laws , or rules will not help it ; for in that case they are rendred almost useless . it is notably observed by a person of eminent worth . church government is a fort or castle , if traitors to the kingdom of christ get the possession of it , it were desirable , that the castle were ruin'd , and the christian religion left to support it self by the innate evidence of its own truth , than be forcibly maintain'd for contrary ends , and prove a mystery of ungodliness and tyranny . chap. xii . the corrupt state of religion ; and first externalness and formality . every kind of excellency in the present world hath its counterfit or false resemblance , which in things of a moral nature is the depravation or degeneration thereof . and so the true religion hath its degeneration which is destructive to it ; yet in this corruption of mankind is easily mistaken , and exalted in the room of it . it is a dead image of christianity without the inward life of christ , and the works thereof are dead works being not wrought in god. it is the dominion of the spirit of the world , and of unmortified lust under pretence of the rule of the spirit of god. it is a zeal of some unnecessary opinions and unprofitable observances , received sometimes from a more peculiar and private fancy , sometimes from the general custom and tradition ; or at the best , a zeal of orthodoxality , when that form of sound doctrine is not obeyed from the heart . it is a self-chosen godliness , and not of gods making , taken up to delude the conscience , and lift up the soul with high but ill-grounded hopes , and in the mean while to excuse it from that which is the root of the matter , the renouncing of the carnal life and all worldly lusts , and the obtaining of the spirit of power , love , and of a sound mind . and a life of purity , goodness , and impartial righteousness . the best of it is but a gloss or varnish of superficial religiousness , accompanied with a dead kind of morality , which hath its rise from education , or from complexion ( otherwise called good nature ) but springs not from the root of love towards god , and of a living faith in jesus christ. the several impostures , disguises and false pretences , by which men delude themselves , and abuse the world in this matter , are almost numberless : yet they generally fall into one of these two main currents of religious aberrations , either the political , popular and broad way of externalness and customariness , or the devious path of sectarian dissetledness and extravagancy . the more ample degeneration of christianity is the meerly formal , external and political state thereof , that hath prevailed far and near over the christian world. this externalness is very plausible and specious , but very consistent , and for the most part accompanied with a large indulgence to the flesh , and with much licentiousness of principles and practice , and it casts the mind into a deep forgetfulness of that which is spiritual , and substantial in religion . it is the common rode and broad way , because most obvious and easie to the carnal spirit of all sorts of men , who having some conscience of religion , gladly take up with a form , that with more security and peace they may deny the power thereof ; as also because it seems most servicable to superiors for shaping and swaying the consciences of inferiors to their wills , and to the ends by them designed . accordingly as it gets ground , it erects a frame of things which hath a shew of piety , unity and order , but is really an engine devised to destroy whatsoever may be truly called by those lovely names . when mens false and vain inventions rule instead of gods oracles ; when the truth of the gospel is mingled with such doctrines , institutions , and observances , as corrupt the purity , enervate the power , and frustrate the ends of the gospel ; when the misapprehension or misapplication of true doctrine depraves the mind , and begets a false notion of godliness or christianity ; when regeneration or true conversion is prevented , by being made in effect no more than civility , joyned with a dead conformity to the exterior part of the christian institution ; when religion is placed in an outside pharisaical holiness , in some bodily severity , and it may be in meer forms and empty shews , without internal and real mortification and devotion ; when the exterior ordinances of the gospel are retained , but used after another manner , than what becomes the gospel-church , or sutes the ends of gospel-worship ; when a sapless and fruitless generation of men are nourished in holy orders , who cherish the people in ignorance , profaness or lukewarmness , who shew them a way to heaven , that is smooth , broad and easie to the flesh , who serve , or at least spare the lusts of men , who humour the vulgar sort in rude follies , who give absolution upon formal and loose terms , and therewith a false repose to poor deluded souls ; when the great interest of churchmen is to promote superstition , blind devotion , and implicit faith , and to hold people in the chains of spiritual darkness , and in the pleasing bondage of carnal liberty , their consciences being in the mean time secured by the belief of certain tenents and articles of religion , and the devout observance of certain external ordinances ; when the policy of the church is contrived to maintain fleshly ease and pleasure , worldly pomp and power , and the chiefest glory of the ecclesiastical state lies in outward order , without inward life and spirit in sacred administration ; when the weapons of its warfare are not spiritual but carnal , sutable to an earthly and sensual state ; when submission to the wills of masters upon earth is called obedience , and their peaceable possession of wealth and honor is taken for the churches peace ; when concord in the unprofitable or hurtfull dictates of men is made to pass for the unity of the spirit ; when the constitution it self ( the general corruption of mankind being considered ) is found defective for the true end of government , and le ts loose the rains of depraved appetite , and by carnal allurements alienates the mind from the things of the spirit of god , and turns it after the pomps and vanities of the world , and serves the voluptuosness , covetousness and pride of its adherents , for which cause its yoke is easie to the sensual part of men , but it is scandalous to them that know the truth , and becomes a stepmother to the most serious and conscientious ; when these and the like things prevail , the christian religion is turned into another thing than what it is indeed , by men of corrupt minds , who serve their own lusts , and by the wisdom that descends not from above , but is earthly , sensual , devilish , square out to themselves , and those that live under their influence , a loose form of christianity not after christ , but after the course of this world . but this corruption is more or less enormous in different ages and countries , according to its greater or nearer distance from the times and means of purer knowledge . and a less corrupt state may be severed from that which is more grosly vicious and impure , and yet remain a degeneration in the same kind though in a lower degree . and let this be noted that in a degenerate state , the doctrines and institutions of christ may be so far retained , as to contain things absolutely necessary to christian faith and life , which may beget and preserve the vitals of christianity in them , that do not mingle with the other poisonous ingredients , or at least not in their full extent . yea , the degeneration may happen to be in a lower degree , and less pernicious , and perhaps only as a scab upon some part , and not overspreading the whole body of the church , and great multitudes therein may profess and practice the truth as it is in jesus . thus the judaical church in its corrupt state retained the vitals of true religion , which were a sufficient means of grace to them that escaped the pollutions of those times , and were not seasoned with the leaven of false teachers . chap. xiii . the sectarian and fanatical degeneration . the other deviation lies more out of the common rode of the generality of carnal gospellers , and this is usually stiled sectarian , whereof the particular by paths are numberless . but let this be noted , that whatsoever way swerves from the main ends of religion , and the great design of the gospel , is no other than a sect or faction , yea , though it spread so far and wide , as that they who walk therein , do for their huge multitudes presume to appropriate to themselves alone , the title of the catholick church . wherever the interest of a party bears sway to the detriment of the universal church , and the common cause of godliness , where inventions false or useless are made the necessary symbols of religion , there a sectarian interest bears sway , and the gaining of the secular power will not wipe off the blot of such a party . the name of sectaries may fit proud usurpers as well as blind zealots . this necessary proviso being made , it remains to speak in this place of the more incoherent , unstable , and ungovernable sort of sects . the root of the evil in this kind is commonly a heightened fancy , and complexional zeal bearing rule instead of sober judgment , and a more intellectual , spiritual and pure love . it shall suffice to set down some notable instances , for it were endless to recount them all . some have been so far transported with the hatred of church tyranny , and persecuting pride and cruelty , that they mind not the good of church unity , order and government ; and they run so far from implicit faith in the dictates of proud men , that themselves have proudly slighted the churches directive judgment , and all pastoral authority as a thing of no value , and have fiercely impugned it , as opposite to christian liberty . of the like strain are they , that upon pretence of higher attainments and greater spirituality have rejected external ordinances ; as the dispensation of the word and sacraments , and the publick ministery , and ecclesiastical discipline as low and beggarly rudiments , while they declare themselves hereby to be carnal , and vainly puffed up in their fleshly minds . some through abuse and mistake of divine promises concerning the spirits teaching , have forsaken the sure guidance of gods law , and betaken themselves to the uncertain intimations of providence , and the dangerous impulses of their own spirits , and pretended immediate inspirations , which are for the most part the delusions of an exalted fancy ; and sometimes they have really fallen under satanical impressions . because there is the fleshly wisdom of the carnal mind , that is enmity against god ; some have disclaimed reason it self as corrupt and carnal , and in the mean while follow their own wilfull imagination under the pretence of the light within them , and delight in things irrational and unintelligible , and render themselves uncapable of sound instruction . a fanatick fury hath hurried some under pretence of erecting the fift monarchy , to rend and tear kingdoms and nations , to attempt the dissolving of all government in church and state ; which is indeed the most ready way to subvert gods kingdom by the subversion of christian magistracy and ministery , and to dispossess the gospel of the territories it hath gained . some have proceeded so far in the pretended reign of the spirit , as to abrogate the external frame of the christian religion , and to turn the gospel history into mystical allegories , yet such as might be conceived and shaped in a vulgar fancy , and are low and despicable things in comparison of the great mystery of godliness , according to the historical sense of scripture . and which is yet worse , some have been so gross as to turn into an allegory the great hope of our christian calling , even the resurrection of the dead , and the life of the world to come , and so pervert the mysteries of the gospel into a mysterious infidelity and apostacy from jesus christ. yea , some perverting the high expressions of fellowship with god , and dwelling in god , and being made partakers of the divine nature and the like , have impiously talked of their begodded condition , and blasphemously intituled the most high and holy one , to their abominable extravagancies and impurities . and besides all these , some are perpetual seekers , having no fixed belief in the most important points . persons so far inlightened as not to see the necessity of a higher way than the common dead formality , and having some tast of spiritual things , and thereby raised above the general indifferency , and luke-warmness unto a kind of strictness , seriousness , and fervour of spirit in religion , yet falling short of true conversion , and especially if they be well conceited of their own gifts and parts and seeming graces , are apt to be carried away with a full gale of fancy into the gulf of these delusions . and a tincture of this contagion , though in a lower degree , may sease on some , who stand in the true grace of god , being deceived by a shew of purity and spirituality , and peradventure lying under the disadvantage of some insnaring occasions , which work upon the remainder of pride , levity , curiosity , and other corruptions , which the present imperfect state leaves in the hearts of real christians . and some of these may sooner fall into absurd opinions , than many that receive not the truth in love , who may easily abide among the orthodox , either because they do not concern themselves in religious inquiries , or because they are held by worldly advantages which stand on truths side . the fancy is sooner filled with notions and the affections thereby raised , than the judgment is well informed and the heart established in grace . hence proceed a sickliness in the souls appetite , a satiety of plain saving truths , and of sound wholsom preaching , a desire of novelty , self-conceitedness , pragmatical confidence , rash censures , partiality in hearing the word , a lessening of the pastoral authority , incroachments upon the pastors office , dividing principles and practices , and innumerable , inconveniences . moreover , well meaning people associated in a stricter profession , are apt to be sequacious of some leading persons among them , and some will follow the rest for company . and the high pretensions and heightened confidence of enthusiasts , is a kind of enchantment to bewitch those that unwarrantably approach to near them , especially such as are predisposed by temper or complexion towards enthusiasm . in these things men forsake the law and the testimony to walk by false lights , and to follow blind guides . the holy ghost bids us trie the spirits , and hath given us an infallible rule of tryal , and leaves us not to any unaccountable impulse or impression . the whole tenor of evangelical doctrine shews that the christian spirit is both pure and peaceable , that it doth not divide , break and scatter a christian people , but unites , heals and settles them , that it doth not overturn churches and civil states , nor inflame rulers against subjects , nor subjects against rulers , nor dissolve magistracy and ministery ; but that it turns the hearts of the fathers to the children , and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just ; and conciliates the minds of magistrates , and ministers and people of all degrees in righteousness and peace , which is the right and sure way of erecting gods kingdom . it doth not cancel reason , but maintain its interest in religion , as being under the power of god , and the great prop and proof of the christian faith. it is a spirit of judgment , and soberness , and suppresseth the wild dominion of the unruly imagination . it doth not turn men from humanity and civil behaviour , unto a surly and cynical pride , and fanatick melancholy and austerity ; but it disposeth them to all the duties of human life , and civil converse . but there must be heresies , and it is impossible but that offences should come . where the light of the gospel is broken forth , sectarianism and fanaticism is the devils after-game . so it sprung up in germany upon the birth of protestantism , so it sprung up in the primitive church upon the birth of christianity , in the gnosticks , and such like sectaries , and so it continues in our times . these irregularities and extravagancies are a great dammage , and reproach to a serious , zealous and strict profession , and it is a stone of stumbling before many . nevertheless the greatest and most dangerous degeneration from the sound state of religion lies not this way . the conceptions and motions of fanaticism , having a kind of spiritual strain though in a delusion , take not with the greater number whether of high or low degree , the learned or unlearned sort . and in case it seases on a greater multitude , it may trouble and unsettle a state , but it can never settle it self ; and if it domineer a while , its tyranny cannot hold , because it hath no foundation , and it can never obtain to be a national religion , because it is inconsistent with the stability of civil government . it s greatest mischief to a state is , that it may serve the designs of others to work out a more lasting misery . for which cause , the romish emissaries under a vizor have overacted this wild spirit , that by its confusion and anarchy , they might make way to introduce their own tyranny . but the more extensive , dangerous , and lasting depravation of christianity lies on the same side with popery , which is formidable indeed being founded in power and policy and suted to worldly interests , and to which mens innate propensions do generally more incline them . for that their fancies and affections are inveagled with its outward wealth and glory , and their consciences laid a sleep by its loose principles and lifeless forme of devotion . chap. xiv . the way of preserving religion uncorrupt . the truth and purity of religion lies in its conformity to its rule , which is gods revealed will or law , and its deviation from it , is its depravation . from this rule men are easily drawn aside , being inticed by their own vain imaginations , perverse inclinations , and carnall interests , to false ways and vain inventions . for which cause it behooves the zealous religionist to be carefull even to jealousie , that he be not imposed upon by himself or others , and in this care heartily and intirely to resign , and conform himself to the law of god. by such resignation and conformity he secures his own soul , and what in him lies the sound state of religion . it is here acknowledged , that what is written in nature is gods law , as well as what is written in scripture , and that natural revelation as well as supernatural is divine , and whatsoever is known of god by the light of nature in the matter of religious worship , is to be received as well as that , which is known by the light of scripture ; and the divine goodness is to be owned in both , though in the latter it hath appeared more abundantly , because therein is given us a full instruction in all things pertaining to gods kingdom , which in the other is not given . for the great mysteries of the gospel could not be known by nature ; and in things that could be known thereby , the light is but weak and glimmering , and not easily able to fix the heart therein , not so much for want of evidence in the object , as from the pravity of our mind , reason being laid asleep and all our faculties being sunk into the brutish life . what is the utmost capacity of that light among the heathens , is hard for us to define ; and though it be harsh to determine that they were all utterly and universally forsaken of god ; yet it is evident both by scripture and the lives of the gentiles , that gentilism was a very forlorn state . this is enough to shew the high favour of god toward the church in supernatural revelation , by which he hath not only instructed us in things supernatural , not otherwise to be known in this life ; but also more perfectly in the laws of nature , now transcribed into the books of the old and new testament , so that there is nothing of religion or morality that may not be found therein . besides the law of god written in nature and scripture , what certain and stable rule of doctrine , worship , discipline , and conversation , hath the church to walk by : that there can be no certainty or consent in meer or all tradition , or in the judgment of the ancient fathers , or the ancient practice of the catholick church , is so evident as needs no confirmation : and there can be no acquiescence or accord in the determinations of any visible , universal , supream power . for whereas all christians acknowledge the divine authority of the scripture , they neither do , nor ever did , nor will , unanimously acknowledge that there is such a power in being . and the main body of them that maintain'd such a catholick supremacy , cannot agree in what subject the same resides , whether in the pope , or a general council . and as several popes , so have several councils of equal amplitude and authority , often crossed one another ; and consequently some of both kinds must needs have erred : and it still remains a controversie undeterminable , which councils are to be received , and which to be rejected , unless the whole christian world hitherto disagreeing herein , will be bound up by the resolves of one party , that can bring no better proof than their own pretended infallibility : to all which may be added that an oecumenical council truly so called , or a representative of the universal church , was never yet congregated . wherefore let the faithfull rest upon the old right foundation , the doctrine of the prophets and apostles , whose infallibility is unquestionable . such being the fulness and perfection of holy scripture , which was given by divine inspiration ; and that for this end , that the man of god might be perfect , throughly furnished unto all good works , it must needs be safest in divine matters not to be venturous , without its warrant . they best secure themselves from error , who keep to that rule which is both perfect and infallible , some pretending to lay open the folly of the way which they call puritanism , affirm that the mystery thereof lies in this principle , that nothing ought to be established in the worship of god , but what is authorized from the word of god : indeed there are those of that denomination , who disallow whatsoever instituted worship is not so authorized ; but they are not so ignorant , as to suppose that all particular circumstances belonging to divine worship , which admit of endless variation , are defined in the word of god ; such as are those natural and civil circumstances without which , actions are not performable but they suppose a wide difference between these matters , ( such as time , place , method , furniture , &c. ) and those ordinances of religion which they take for parts of worship , as being made direct and immediate signs of honour given to god by their use : and all of this kind some do judge or at least suspect to be unlawfull , that are not of gods appointment . my design obligeth me to shun the intangling of this discourse with controversie , and therefore i write not either for or against the lawfulness of such uncommanded worship ; but it is sufficient for me to shew that the purity of religion is more safe by acquiescence in that only which god hath prescribed , than by addition of new ordinances of worship devised by men , who even the best of them may too easily deviate from the truth : and who knows not that too much yielding to mens devised forms and rights , which had a shew of wisdom , made way for the departure of so great a part of christendom , from the primitive christianity . all duties of the law of nature , may be clearly proved from scripture , though the particular instances thereof that are innumerable , and their infinitely variable circumstances cannot be there expressed . as for instituted worship , it is unquestionable that there is no such defect in those parts thereof that are of divine authority , as needs to be made up by the human addition of other new parts . and it is granted on all hands that there are things meerly circumstantial belonging to it , which are necessary in general , but in particular not determined of god , and must be ordered by the light of nature and human prudence , according to the general rules of gods word . none that know what they say in magnifying the written word , will teach the people not to rely upon impartial reason , which no true revelation did ever contradict . but we are so conscious of the weakness of human understanding , that in case of any seeming contrariety between scripture and reason , not to give the scripture the preeminence , we know is most unreasonable . is scripture liable to be perverted ? so is reason . is there obscurity and difficulty in the interpretation of scripture ? so in human ratiocinations much more . whosoever can apprehend right reason , can rationally apprehend gods written word , which is its own interpreter , and whose authentick interpretation of it self , we are inabled to discern by rational inferences and deductions , as well as the sense of any rational discourse whatsoever . and the evidence of gods testimony is much more effectual , than the arguments of human reason to command assent , and quiet mens minds and appease their contests . and if we yield not our controversies to be finally decided by this sacred rule , whither shall we go , or wherein shall we all be bound up ? the truth is , when men seek out vain inventions to please their own fancies , or to serve their own ends ; and find their devised ways condemned by gods word ; then they fall to derogate from its authority and sufficiciency , and talk much of the impertinency , and folly of those , that insist upon it , and cry up tradition , and reason , and that wisdom of man , that is but foolishness with god. when things will not be as well as they should , they must be as they may . there be some usefull truths and practices that may be too dearly bought , if purchased with the breach of the churches peace and unity , and the hazard of its whole estate . howbeit then is the best state of things , when the apostolick doctrine and discipline is the standardmeasure of all , and nothing is retained , but what is plainly agreeable thereunto . and the safety of pure religion lies in as through a reformation according to this rule , as the times will bear . let the severest reason that is impartial , weigh the following words written by one of a catholick spirit , and true to the interest of reformed christianity , touching our departure from rome . we should leave upon us no string or tassel of our ancient captivity , such as whereby they may take hold of us to pull us back again into our former bondage , but look upon our selves as absolutely free from any tye to them , more than in indeavouring their conversion and salvation , which we knowing so experimentally , not to be compassed by needless symbolizings with them in any thing ; i conceive it our best policy , studiously to imitate them in nothing ; but for all indifferent things , to think rather the worse of them for their using them , as no person of honour would willingly go in the known garb of any lewd and infamous persons : whatsoever we court them in , they do but turn to our scorn and contempt , and are more hardened in their own wickedness . wherefore seeing that needless symbolizings with them doth them no good , but hurt , we should account our selves in all things indifferent , perfectly free to please and satisfie in the most universal manner we can , those of our own party , not caring what opinions or customs , or outward formalities the romanists and others have , and may have had from the first degeneracy of the church . as for the word popery , it is not more odious than ambiguous among protestants . on the one hand some , that will speak hard words against it , have drawn it into so extreamly narrow a compass , as to place it in little more than a secular interest of power controverted between the pope , and the princes and prelates of christendom : and others that make it broader , are yet very tender , if not fond of many gross corruptions of the roman church . on the other hand some have extended it so far , as to disparage things good and laudable , and requisite , and ignorantly call by that name whatsoever they fancy not . nevertheless those useless and offensive things taken up by the papal church since the time of their known apostacy , both doctrines and customs , and that are theirs more peculiarly , may justly be called popish , though they were not imposed as apostolick commands , or means of obtaining pardon of sin , or of working grace . why should we be tenacious of their forms , to the scandal of those of our own belief ? how are we obliged or concerned to conform to their usages more than they are to ours ? have they any authority over us , or are they any way a rule unto us ? are not the holy scriptures of right both their rule and ours ? or can they upbraid us for departing from them in these at least unnecessary opinions and customs , unless they upbraid us upon those grounds which we have rejected , together with their usurpation , and and which if we receive again , we must quit protestancy it self ? this striving to come so near them whether tends it , but to reduce us again into that church ? for by all approaches to them , they are not drawn one step towards us , but are the more hardened , and still they rest unmoveable on the rock of their pretended supremacy and infallibility . the impurity of the romish church lies chiefly in its superstition and sensuality . in the grosser part of its superstition is manifold gross idolatry ; and any way of symbolizing with idolatry which is spiritual whoredom , should be dreaded by the chast spouse of chirst , as the retaining of such images as have been , and are apt to be made objects of religious adoration , and the making choice of the peculiar garbs and fashions of idolaters in their worship . moreover where the gross pollutions are avoided , if their pomp and train of ceremonies be retained , they will be apt to take up the heart of such as are busied in them , and to corrupt the worship of god , and make it a dead work and carnal service , and so the spirit and power of godliness will decay and die among the people by this means . sensuality the concomitant of idolatry and all gross superstition is likewise manifested in their devotions . of the israelites idolatry it is written , the people sat down to eat and drink , and rose up to play . sensual sports and pastimes are mingled with the devotions of carnal worshippers , as is notably seen in the popish festivals . and this makes the sensual part of men addicted to such a way . to pray a while , and then to play is the business of their sacred solemnities . but this course alienates the mind from true holiness , and tends to much profaness , and not only the piety , but the civility of a nation will hereby much abate . a church that would maintain the purity of religion , the power of godliness , had need have its solemn days of divine service distinct from the appointed times of carnal sport , mirth and jollity . chap. xv. the enmity of the world against godliness , and the calumnies and reproaches cast upon it considered . the security and increase of true religion is a matter of no small difficulty . the enmity against it is general and perpetual , in the first race of mankind it brake forth even to bloud , and throughout all ages it hath been propagated , & that with great rage , as well within as without the pale of the visible church . the adverse world knows not the new nature what it is , for it knows not god , whose image it is . the world is not only alienated from the life of god , but opposite to it by the antipathy of the carnal life , and so not only wants the true relish , but hath a strong disrelish of the divine and heavenly nature . moreover true christianity is a light , by which all things that are reproved , are made manifest ; and the world that lives in sin and loves darkness , hates the light , by which it is condemned , not only with an hatred of aversation , but of hostile persecution . nevertheless , the unregenerate sort of men in general , cannot and would not abandon all sense of religion , which is so deeply imprinted in human nature , and the form whereof may be acceptable even to corrupt nature . wherefore they own the name , while they hate the thing ; and keep up a shew and form thereof , while they deny the truth and power . and having a false apprehension of christ they adore him , while they trample upon his present members , that really bear his image ; and having a false idea of godliness , they honor the memory of the saints of former ages , while they vilifie those of their own times , in whom godliness really exists , which shews , that if christ and the former saints were now on the earth to appear what they were indeed , they would be no less hated and scorned than the faithfull that are now living . the manifold ways of destruction and misery wherein the wicked walk , though contradictory to each other , do all conspire in this enmity ; and godliness is put to conflict not with one sort of enemies , but with the various corrupt parties of the divided carnal world. yet worldly interests often make their advantages of christianity , and have their designs upon it , and complicate themselves with it in some external and accidential ingagements for a season , and then the enmity is restrained . and not a few , that fall short of regeneration , may be so illuminated and wrought upon , as not only to cease from malignancy and hostility against it , but to promote and strengthen its external interests . but for all this , the serpentine nature hath hitherto been more predominant in this lower world , and gods kingdom hath had far greater opposition , than assistance from the powers thereof . now we are noting the injury and despight that is done to godliness , the calumnies and reproaches , heaped on the serious professors of it to render them hatefull and contemptible , requires some animadversion . their adversaries set them forth as proud , froward , stubborn , false , rash , fierce , petulant , sullen , fanatical , hypocritical , censorious , pragmatical , unruly , schismatical , seditious , unpeaceable , presumptuous , selfish and such like . if we would judge rightly of these imputations , we are to mind many things , viz. the intrusion of hypocrites , the multitude of half converts , the great weakness of grace , and defect of wisdom in the greater part of sincere christians , and the imperfections of the best and chiefest of them . it is further to be considered that faults real or seeming , are more remarkable in strict professors than in any others , as spots in a white garment ; also that the common malignity will aggravate the same above measure ; likewise that the things , they are charged with ( were they truly charged ) are not peculiarly theirs , but the corruptions of the world in general ; and that some degrees thereof are found in all , in whom human weakness is found , and that they are less and in a lower degree in this party of men than in any other . add hereunto that the faults of some are commonly objected against all , and the sins of men not yet made perfect , are cast upon that holy and perfect way , which condemns those sins , and hath broken the dominion of them . moreover , when it is undeniable that this sort of men in general have renounced palpable dishonesty , injustice , filthy lewdness , wantoness , intemperance , luxury and other gross pollutions of the world , they are burdened ( according to the true method of calumniation ) with matter of suspition or evil surmise , as hypocrisie , self-conceitedness , fancicalness and secret pride , things mostly belonging to the hidden man of the heart ; or with spiritual wickedness , as envy , malice , bitterness , vain-glory , ambition , self-admiration and contempt of others , things of more close and covert nature , and as not easily proved , so not easily disproved where they are objected ; or with the ambiguous charge of schism , faction , turbulency , singularity , peevishness , perversness , obstinacy ; which opposite parties are continually casting upon each other , faults and duties , vertues and vices happening to be called by these names . and in this method of of accusation , the innocent are sooner injured than cleared , and slanderers do their work , for the reproaches are boldly cast abroad , and something sticks . but notwithstanding all the obloquie and calumny , the whole world may be challenged to produce an instance of any sort or sect of men , that have exceeded or equal'd the serious professors of the true christianity in things honest , and just , and comely , and usefull , and praise-worthy . it must not be exspected , but that during their imperfect state obliquities & aberrations will be found more or less in them , as they are more or less remote from perfection . but if true honesty and vertue be a reality and not an empty name , and if it be not perished out of the world , it exists and resides in them . howbeit in this way there are inevitable occasions of stumbling , not given but taken , and such fall thereat , as do err in their hearts , and have not known gods ways . the practice of true piety lying out of the common road , is misjudged as a kind of humorous singularity . to speak feelingly of divine things , seems folly or meer fancy to them , who have no knowledge or tast thereof in themselves . to express with zeal or vigor such things as seem to others incredible , though they be most true and excellent , is taken for madness . tenderness of conscience , strictness of life , servour of devotion , mortification and heavenly-mindedness , is by sensualists , formalists , and carnal politicians , judging by their own measure taken for hypocrisie , designing the applause of men , or some eminency and advancement in a party , or some other self-interest . a pious regard to the lesser as well as the greater commands of the law , and a dread of despising the least commandment , is commonly esteemed peevishness and needless preciseness . to distinguish between the holy and profane , the zealous and lukewarm , the carnal and spiritual in the visible church , and to judge of both sorts as they are , is a great offence to the world , for which the religious are thought to be proud , boasters , dispisers of others , uncharitable , censorious ; and formalists are magnified against them for their large charity towards all , which is indeed no charity , but indifferency in religion , not seldom accompanied with bitterness towards the godly . to speak as the scripture doth of a peculiar people , and as christ himself , of the fewness of gods chosen among the many outwardly called , is accounted the confining of godliness to a party , and the fancying of themselves to be the only people of god. now such arrogance is justly charged on those that place religion in narrow opinions , and platforms , and methods of their own chosing , and judge of all men as they are nearer or farther from them : yet nothing is surer than that god hath a peculiar people , who are comparatively a small number distinguished from the world by his own mark , which is no other than his own image in righteousness and true holiness . to discern a laborious , lively , faithfull ministery from that which is lazy , lifeless and deceitfull , and to regard the one and the other accordingly , to note the ignorant , foolish , profane and scandalous of that function , to contemn a vile person , and to honor them that fear the lord , to take notice of the serpentine seed , and to turn away from such , to abhor impiety , and to have no fellowship with the wicked in their evil deeds , provokes an evil generation that are hereby reproved and judged , and they raise an outcry against the godly as factious , unsociable despisers of government , makers of parties , and enemies to peace . to examin the doctrines , precepts , traditions , and customs of men by gods word , to use all just means to discern his will , and to choose to obey god rather than men , when their commands are contrary to his , is reviled for proud perverseness , contempt of ancient customs , and the authority of superiors , disobedience to kings and laws . to be zealous for gods honour , and the purity of religion , to be earnest and active in stopping the course of sin , and promoting piety and the means of salvation , and to be concerned for gods interest in the world more than the common sort are , make the religious to seem pragmatical , turbulent , and unpeaceable . not to run into the common excess of riot , nor to comply with mad mirth and jollity , offensive gallantry , or any extravagancy that is in fashion , is accounted stoical superciliousness and morosity . strictness of profession , seriousness and necessary preciseness of conversation seems to many to be the same thing with phariseism , wherewith the most conscientious are commonly most reproached , and so the hatefull name of christs worst enemies is cast upon his true and faithfull followers . wherefore it is worth the while to note who and what they were . it is evident from the gospel-history , that the pharisees were a strict sect , and in great reputation for seeming-holiness , no separatists from the jewish church , but of chiefest sway therein , and of great esteem among the rulers . they little cared for the ordering and government of the heart , and placed perfection in outward works , and in rituals more than morals , and chiefly in the ceremonies of their own devising , and the traditions of the elders , and in zeal for the corban or the churches treasure , and to these things they made the weightiest duties of the law give place . they wore broad phylacteries , and affected a proud reservedness and formal gravity . those fastings , prayers and alms-deeds , that should have been done in secret , they made a shew of openly to be seen of men. they would be counted rabbies , and owned for absolute teaching masters and leaders of the people , and would have all subject to their dictates . and they were maligners and opposers of the power of godliness , and persecutors of the true israelites to maintain their own institutes and interest . now for our part we have no need , nor mind to vindicate the true off-spring of such forefathers . it concerns all christians , as christ warn'd the disciples to beware of this leaven . but the truth is , something of phariseism may be found among some of all parties , as self-confidence , vain-glory , self-praise , censoriousness , arrogance , partiality , perverseness of conscience , or straining at gnats and swallowing of camels . and peradventure , those that most object it to others , may be most deeply infected with it themselves ; but however , it concerns all sorts to beware of it , and do as much as is possible to purge it out from among them , and every christian should strive to keep himself from any smatch of it , seeing it was so unsavoury to christ. it is thus very discernable from the manifold misapprehensions of the way it self , how godliness falls under the hard thoughts and speeches of the mistaken world. but wisdom is justified of her children . and if godliness it self by misapprehension become a rock of offence , no wonder the world is scandalized at the hypocrisie of false pretenders , and at the real faults and weaknesses of sincere professors . but christ hath said , blessed is he that is not offended in me . undoubtedly the making of an higher profession doth not exempt any from a just conviction and reproof . that hypocrites should be detected , and the scandalous faults even of sincere christians noted , is the interest of true piety . and charity both towards them that give offence , and towards them that take it to their hurt ; requireth such discovery . the godly lay to heart no evils more , than the scandals of professors ; and they know they are most concerned to take heed , lest any root of bitterness bearing gall or wormwood should spring up among them . and those , that sin before all , their discipline is to rebuke before all , that others may fear . but the great mischief is , that some so speak and write of hypocrites and offences , as to reproach godliness it self , and bring the profession of it into disgrace . when they take notice of any thing amiss in men professing godliness , whether the matter of fact be true or false , or the scandal be in reality or appearance only , they presently say these are your professors , they are all such , and the whole pack affords no better . the real or seeming hypocrisie , pride , covetousness , unrighteousness , uncharitableness , selfishness of some is cast upon all . from some instances of aberration they argue against a godly tenor of conversation , and deny sincerity where they see a falling short of perfection . they disparage a serious and circumspect course of life , by pretending it may be but a meer guise or shew , there may be lurking vices , and they who have scaped gross sensuality may be guilty of spiritual sins , as pride and envy ; and so they ground their detraction upon suppositions and surmises of what may be , though not appearing . they inveigh against hypocrisie in that manner , which hardens the vicious in their de●auchery ; and they incourage libertines in ●dleness and excess of vanity , by telling them , that the precisians may do worse . those godly exercises that lie out of the common road ( as to instance in holy conference ) they bring into contempt , by objecting an unseasonable and preposterous use thereof , or the impertinency and weakness of some therein . they censure inordinate transports of zeal , and whimsies in religion more bitterly than lewdnesses , outrages , gross impieties , and daring wickedness of dissolute persons . they will burden the sober-minded , that are zealous for their god , with the inexcusable madness of some intemperate zealots . the failings of the religious they aggravate above measure , and particularly some passionate disorders , that are commonly complexional , and have less of the will , and consequently of sinfull malignity in them , than many sins that make lesser noise , and raise less clamour : and they magnifie the eveness , moderation , mildness and other humanities of loose or lukewarm persons for the true christian spirit . they upbraid the godly with their solemn confessions and aggravations of sin before the lord , and with their acknowledgment and bewailing of such scandals before the world , as have been given by some among them ; as also with their publick testimonies against errors and corruptions , that have risen in their times ; and so they reproach them for their humility , sincerity , and impartiality in abusing themselves and giving glory to god , and condemning sin where ever they find it . they scoff at those that speak of communion with god , spiritual experiences , desertions , and the like matters ; and use in scorn scriptural words and phrases , and other holy expressions used by the religious ; and profane the terms of holy , godly , saint , sanctified , by the use thereof in scandalous ironies , and so they make sport for profane men , and harden them in their irreligion . they would render holy things contemptible by nothing , some little oversight and indecencies ( mostly involuntary ) in those that perform the same , as perhaps in the preachers tone or gesture . and to say the truth , it is one of the easiest things in the world for licentious wits to play upon the most serious and sacred things , and to make the most acceptable service of god and his choicest servants , seem ridiculous . these are some of the many vile and wretched ways of disgracing true religion : and i will add one more , to wit , that madness of opposition , on what side soever it be , which to make a different party odious , will not fear to expose godliness it self to the contempt and scorn of them that scorn all religious parties . surely it is a fearfull thing to be a hater , reviler , and scorner of persons , and things dear to god , and precious in his sight : what is it to provoke the lord to jealousie , if this be not ? wherefore he doth no ill service that detects this perillous folly : and men would easily shun such mistake and prejudice , as makes them misjudge and condemn the pious , if they would but deal fairly , and exercise the same equity and candor towards them , which is due to all sorts , and which towards themselves all do justly challenge . but godliness will be still godliness , let presumptuous wits imploy their tongues and pens to transform into never so ugly shapes , invectives , sarcasms , odious , and ridiculous tales and stories , scenial representations and disguises will not confound it , nor sink its authority and reputation . on the other hand the fairest coverings , and best contrived apologies , the most notable and advantageous policies , will not make corrupt things savoury , nor insipid things relishable , nor little empty things great and weighty , nor uphold the estimation of a degenerate , carnal , outside , lifeless state of religion , where better things are known . the wit of man may adorn or palliate any folly , and deform true wisdom : but in a lucid region , where knowledge is diffused , wisdom will shew it self , and the folly of fools cannot be hid . but let the religious know , that it behoves them to take care that they suffer not so many things in vain ; for these indignities may do them more good , than the vain applause of men : if their enemies give them advantage ( as indeed they do ) for the learning of more wisdom , sobriety , and circumspection , let them receive it ; it is pity they should not make the most of such harsh instructions . what manner of persons should they be in all holy conversation and godliness , that as much as in them lies , there might not be that wo to the world because of offences ; and that with well doing , they might put to silence the ignorance of foolish men ; more especially they should do their uttermost to shun even the appearance of the sins more peculiarly charged upon them , as hypocrisie , pride , wildness of fancy , affected singularity , and self-flattery ; and to be adorned with a conspicuous sincerity , humility , and charity . and whatsoever contumely they indure , let them by no means retaliate in the same kind , remembring their blessed lord , who being reviled , reviled not again , but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously . wickedness cometh from the wicked : scurrility , petulancy , bitterness and all intemperate language , is more agreeable to their adversaries , than to them : and it is observed , that the flinging of witty sarcasms , biting jears and scoffs , and railing words against a party , do vex and gall more than hurt or break them ; and provoke , but not convince them ; and serve indeed to feed a humour , and make sport , and do some present feat , but do not carry the main cause , or prevail in the end , but turn rather to the dammage and blemish of those , for whose service they were designed . chap. xvi . religions main strength next under the power of god , lies in its own intrinisick excellency . the propagating of true christianity , and the sound state of religion , agreeable thereunto against the enmity of the adverse world , is worthy of the utmost indeavours of all pious men ; and to search into the right ways and means thereof , is a necessary and noble speculation . but it must first be known , that its stability and victory in the world depends primarily upon the wisdom , truth , and power of god ingaged for it , and therefore it cannot fall by the power and policy of adversaries , nor sink and lose it self by the weakness or defectibility of its professors ; but it remains firm and sure , and the same for ever . next after the power of god , its main strength is its own intrinsick excellency . it is upheld chiefly by its own principles , which are mans perfection , and place our nature in its due state , and put both persons and societies into the only right frame , and reduce all things into their own place and order . they have nothing in them of iniquity , impurity , vanity or unfitness ; but are perfectly holy , just , and good , and give unto god his due , and unto men theirs , and that upon the most excellent grounds that can be laid ; as the glory of god , our conformity to him , our fellowship with him , our reward from him and in him , and all in and through a mediator , who is god and man in one person , and the head of all the faithfull , who are his body . the godly practice conformable to these principles , is from a cause that faileth not , to wit , the inhabitation and influence of the holy spirit of god. though true christianity be far above the strain and reach of meer nature , yet it is practicable by divine grace ; and notwithstanding the imperfect state of its professors , it faileth not of its end , which is to bring into the possession of the heavenly kingdom , the fruition of god and everlasting glory : yea , it doth effect great and excellent things in the present world . its rules are pure and perfect , its motives are great and high , and of indubitable verity . they that live after it , are a law to themselves and an aw to others . no other institution philosophical or religious , is so powerfull to restrain inordinate affection , and to settle the minds and affairs of men in the greatest peace and order , as far as human imperfection can arrive . it denies all vicious excesses , and sensuall pollutions , yea all offensive levites , and unchristian irregularities , and all fellowship therewith : yet morosity and sowreness of spirit , it by no means approves ; but serenity of disposition , and freeness and sweetness of conversation is both commanded and caused by it . it reacheth the hidden man of the heart , and awes the conscience ; it forbids the inward motions of intemperance and injustice , it condemns and loaths hypocrisie , and makes all external works to be nothing without sincerity . it makes sincere love the principle , and placeth it at the bottom of our whole behaviour towards others , and therefore prompts and powerfully ingages to mutual succour in the time of need . it maintains a charity unknown to the infidel world , and which is a vertue peculiar to it in the greatest vigor and extent . it injoyns the love of enemies . it exalts humility , meekness and mutual forbearance as chief vertues , which were contemned by the pride of moral heathens ; and therefore it makes men just and peaceable : and yet withal it hath the best grounds of true fortitude and magnanimity ; and therefore damns that pusillanimity and foolish softness of disposition , which betrays truth and vertue . self-denial is one of its grand precepts , without which none can live under its discipline and so it over-rules and controles that selfishness which is the arch-rebell against god , and the root of all mischief , and turns the world upside down . it teaches men to live above the honors and riches of the world , and takes off the heart from them . its principles most intirely accord with the true interest of the higher powers , it declare their authority to be from god as they are his vicegerents , and teacheth them to rule in subordination to him according to his laws ; and it awes the consciences of subjects to obdience . if rulers command any thing repugnant to the laws of god , it forbiddeth subjects to perform such-commands , yet withall obligeth to submit with patience to the unjust penalties of non-performance , and to avoid mutinies and rebellions . it also teacheth the people in spiritual matters to receive the churches directive with their own discretive judgment , and so not to derogate from the just authority of ecclesiastical superiors . it is indeed the chiefest strength of all just governments and societies . the truth is , it doth hedge in with thorns the lusts of men , as pride , malice , revenge , covetousness and sensuality ; but it secures and inlarges their wholsome comforts and injoyments , their proprieties , immunities and all just priviledges . it advanceth righteousness , temperance , beneficience and all other duties appertaining to mankind . wherever it roots and spreads , it makes no small part of the prudence , courage , industry and frugality , and by consequence of the wealth and strength of a nation . there is no aggregation of men in the world , wherein appears more of that which is good and profitable to men , than is found where the influence of this profession becomes predominant , whether in a nation or kingdom , or city or family . the spirit of christianity is the spirit of power , of love and of a sound mind , which gives great advantage for prudence , soberness , steddiness of conversation . the seriousness and gravity of this way disposeth not to futil talking , childish credulity , easiness and rashness , but to a considerate freeness , and direct dealing with a generous caution and reservedness in due season . though its followers cannot link themselves to factions , and serve all times and occasions , and go along with the men of this world in their designs throughout : yet they shall not fail of interest in a nation not wholly vitiated ; nor is it hard for them to maintain an influence upon the publick state , if they accommodate themselves to serve it so far as conscience and prudence leads them . considerate men will not contemn them , and they that own them shall know where to find them , and in pursuing good designs shall find them fast friends . religion doth not cast men down into stupidity , pusillanimity , or sluggish neglect of opportunity ; but erects them to a prudent , and temperate vigor of spirit , and regular activity , whereby they become fit for the affairs of human life in a higher or lower sphear , according to their different capacities . chap. xvii . religion may be advanced by human prudence ; what ways and methods it cannot admit in order to its advancement . though true religion stands by an unchangeable law , and depends not upon the mutable things of this world , and varies not according to their variations , nor is to be governed by the common policy of secular kingdoms : nevertheless its affairs may be much advanced by prudence , and disadvantaged by indiscretion . there is a lawfull use of human policy , being refined from hypocrisie and all iniquity . the author of this profession , the holy and just one , in whose mouth was no guile , adviseth his disciples to be wise as serpents , and harmless as doves . st. paul one of his chief ministers was attentive to all the methods of gaining people , and became all things to all men that he might win some ; and he was bold to tell some , that being crafty he caught them with guile : but it was the guile of abounding charity and self-denial , managed with prudence for the service of christ , and the saving of souls . in secular kingdoms the reasons of state are locked up from the common view . but the maxims and methods of this interest may with great advantage be disclosed as well to aliens and enemies , as to friends and fellow-citizens . for by this discovery the powers of the world , who through their own misapprehensions , or others malicious suggestions are sometimes turned against it , may become more propense and indulgent towards it ; and the more sober part of men may be inclined to favour it , and greater numbers both of high and low degree may be brought intirely to close with it , when they shall behold the goodness and usefulness , the innocency and integrity of its principles . as for the enemies counterworking we need not dread it . for the stratagems of this warfare are not carnal , and cannot be counterwrought with carnal stratagems . it remaineth therefore as the business of this inquiry , to consider how we may improve the intrinsical and innate advantages before mentioned ; and to gain all extrinsical and adventitious ones , that may be made , and to make th● most of them all for the designed end . but due care must be had , that the wisdom of this world or human policy have not too great 〈◊〉 stroke . for many are the arts and method●… that serve secular interests , which the sincerity and purity of true religion can by no mean admit . it cannot stablish it self in bloud and cruelty nor murther the innocent for its own security nor hold people in subjection by the horro● of a spanish inquisition , which is not the policy of the city of god , the spiritual jerusalem , but of babylon . it cannot make use of such impostures , as are used to uphold the mystery of iniqui●y , and which is the way of those church politicians that make men stupid and foolish , that they may the better lord it over them as besotted vassals . it cannot invite or ingage any to its side by ●arnal allurements , and provisions made for ●he lusts of men. the making of such provisions would extinguish its life and power , and bring forth a spurious carnal brood , that always with deadly hatred pursues its true pro●essors . it cannot lift up it self by serving the de●●gns and lusts of earthly potentates ; though it ●ives them their due honour to the full , yet it ●empts them not by flattery to think of themselves above what they are , nor doth it pro●itute its sacred rules to patronize any enor●ities in their conversations , or political ad●inistrations . it cannot subdue a people , and hold them un●er by armed violence and usurpation , for his were to subvert it self , and undermine its ●wn foundation , which is truth , meekness and ●●ghteousness . it seeks not by any irregular motions to per●rb a settled state , though adverse and injurious to it . it cannot enter into the recesses 〈◊〉 wicked policy ; its principles will not bear 〈◊〉 out in the cunning and close ways of dishon●… sty . it abhors such ingagements , as draw o●… necessity of proceeding in unrighteous or da●… gerous counsels , and especially such iniqui●… as would not pass away in a transient action but would hold up a lasting usurpation or i●… jury to its perpetual reproach and repugnan●… to it self . it neither hath , nor in human judgment 〈◊〉 like to have the sufficiency of an arm of fles●… or worldly puissance , for its intrinsick and a●… biding strength , untill it comes in a more ex●… tensive power , and more ample victory that hath been yet manifested in the world. th●… mutable advantages of certain times and occa●… sions are but loose and hollow ground , and n●… settled foundation for it to build upon . it is not furthered by a course of subtilties and of intricate and cloudy projects , which be get suspition of evil ; but by an openess an frankness of dealing in all certainty and clearness . for in it self it is clear as the sun , an●… regular and certain as the ordinances of he●… ven , or the motions of the celestial bodies whatsoever degree of obliquity or uncertainty happeneth to it , is only extrinsical proceeding from mens corruptions and frailties , who ne●… ther are , can be here absolutely exact and perfect in it . it rejects the fury of passion , bitterness , clamours , wrath , tumult , and all outrage . in a word , it can admit nothing that is inconsistent with intire honesty . and it is not weakened by this strictness . for truth is great and powerfull ; and by a weak and gentle , yet sound and solid manifestation of it self , it maintains a conquest answerable to its own condition in this present world. chap. xviii . the interest of true religion lies much in its venerable estimation among men. a corrupt state of religion nourishing pride and sensuality , and yielding it self managable to the designs of men after the course of the world , is commonly upheld by an arm of secular power , which by ways of its own it can make sure to it self . but pure religion abhorring base compliances ; and residing in the hitherto lesser number that walk in the narrow way , is not so well suted for a settled and continued potency in that kind . wherefore by how much the more it fails of an assurance of worldly power and greatness , by so much the more it needs the advantage of venerable estimation for its own intrinsick excellence . a desire of vain glory , and an ambitious catching at the praise of men is opposite to this interest , and destroys the ends thereof . but because things that appear not , are of the same reason with things that are not , in regard of influence upon the minds of men , christianity should be made appear to be what it is indeed , that it is not a meer idea in the imagination or intellect , but a wisdom and power that may be practiced : and its glory is displaid in a life of integrity , purity and charity by the brightness of which graces in the primitive times it became illustrious , and was exalted over all the learning , and vertue , and potency of the heathen world , in such an age as had all civil disciplines in their perfection ; and it is never so much indangered , as when the sanctity of its professors is fallen , or exposed to scandal . eminent holiness is after miracles the next great testimony to the truth , and is now in the room of miracles , and its influence is very powerfull . wheresoever it is , it invigorates others of this fellowship that are near it , and it commands aw and reverence from all men. t is a great happiness , when persons indued herewith are in proportionable number fixed like stars of the first magnitude throughout the firmament of the church , when there are men of strong parts , much prudence , active spirits , firm resolution , who are filled with the holy spirit , inflamed with love to god , and devoted to seek the things that are christs , and fitted thereunto by real mortification and self-denial , also when persons of a lower sphere for the perfections of nature or learning , have attained to a large measure of the primitive spirit of faith , love , meekness , brotherly kindness and charity , whereby they are made ready to every good work , and provoke others thereunto . as the eminent piety of some , so the appro●ed piety of the generality of serious professors imports exceedingly to the reputation and reverence of true religion . the spiritual man discerneth the excellency of the divine life , and the beauty of holiness ; and the natural man also can discern humility , chastity , tem●erance , patience , charity , integrity , as things morally good and profitable to men , and by ●…ese things the truth is vindicated and main●…ined . to defile the purity of this professi●… is to stain its glory , and to stain i●s glory , is 〈◊〉 render it weak and despicable . none there●…re may pass for the allowed disciples of this ●ay , but such as keep themselves pure from 〈◊〉 foul sins of sensuality , and from all palpa●… dishonesty . howbeit the lawfull favour ●…d assistance of any others may with due cau●… be admitted in its concernments . a harmless life if barren and unprofitable is of little value in it self , and also of little force to advance any profession . nay a fruitless life is scandalous and unchristian . they are the words of christ , herein is my father glorified that ye bear much fruit , so shall ye be my disciples . the root of such fruitfulness in good works is love out of a pure heart , and good conscience , and faith unfeigned , to which belong those praises , that it is the end of the commandment , and the fulfilling of the law. now because they that walk circumspectly are often censured by the looser sort to be uncharitable , it doth the more concern them really to shew forth the laudible fruits of charity , and to maintain all good works before men , though not to be seen of men , and to hate narrowness of soul and base selfishness . what do ye more than others ? saith the author of our profession . when the religious apparently excell the choicest part of unregenerate men , then is wisdom apparently justified of her children . natural men may have some amiable vertues by which they aim to commend themselves both to god and the world , yet in other matters of no less manifest and necessary concernment they are licentious and remiss . but the true christian make it his business to fulfill all righteousness . and as the principle of true piety causeth an intirene●… in all the parts of good life ; so being duly improved and stirred up , it will cause them that have it , not only to acquit themselves in whatsoever things are acceptable , and praise-worthy among the meerly vertuous part of men , but also to perform those things that are far above them , and both a wonder and a reproof unto them . religion hath a good savour among all men , by the due observance of all relative duties ; and nothing renders it more unsavoury , than the violating of those bonds , and the non-performance of those dues , which arise from natural or civil relations ; for these things are our proper sphere , our dayly walk and constant business , wherein we are most accountable to god , and usefull to men . industry and providence in the affairs of this life , conduceth to reputation ; but idleness and improvidence is very scandalous . upon this account , godliness is sometimes reproached by occasion of some idle pretenders , and others that are pious , but inconsiderate and imprudent . religious exercises must be attended seasonably , and in due order : idle and careless persons , that wander from their callings , how full soever of good words , must be numbred among those that walk disorderly . when the rules of christianity are so agreeable to the temporal well being , and so indulgent to the present necessities of mankind , it is a great shame to expose it to contempt and prejudice , by such perversness or improvidence , as if it were inconsistent with industry and prudence , in the necessary concernment of this world. in like manner a discreet and moderate use of riches , a generous frugality , and frugal liberality , avoiding fordid covetousness on the one hand , and vain ostentation and deliciousness on the other , is of good report and gains esteem ; but to live either too narrowly , or too profusely , taints a mans reputation , and derogates from the honour of his profession . to be constant or always the same , is a noble property , and is had in much honour . and hereunto true christianity gives the greatest adnantage . it s main principles are evident and unchangable ; with the allowance of prudential accommodations according to time and place in things indifferent . it is a chief point of wisdom to bring our might and main to the great & weighty things of the law , and to watch with jealousie against every devise of man that would undermine them ; but to be more cautious and sparing in points of less importance , yet the occasions of much contest among them that own the same doctrine of faith . we are ill advised if we lay our main stock where our main interest is not touched . several matters touching religion have been carried in a vicissitude according to the change of times , and yet the substance of religion not altered . it is not safe to fix a necessity upon such things , from which the urgency of after-times may inforce us to drawback , unless we will desert our stations , before we have a discharge from our master in heaven . the espousing of some controverted forms and doctrines may end in a divorce , dishonourable enough , although it be conscientious : and the reproach hereof may be aggravated by the pretended constancy of others in erroneous ways , when it is indeed no other than the pertinacy of a selfish mind , or an adhering to a worldly interest . when there is a liberty some forms may be safely chosen , as most advantageous , and yet not asserted to be the only necessary ; and again ; some others may be laid aside , as inconvenient : and yet not damned as impious , or simply evil . the parent of true constancy is godly wisdom , having the sure foundation of evident and unchangable truths , with a just latitude in things not determined by the positive laws of god. and so there may ordinarily happen to the same man some diversity of practice at different times , that deserves not the brand of time serving , which is often too rashly objected . for the same fixed principle of knowledge and integrity will direct to this way or method of a sacred action at one time , and at another time to that which is far different ; yea , and ( when it cannot be avoided ) to a submitting to what hath sometime been rejected , i mean rejected not as in it self unlawfull , but as inconvenient or less profitable . when we are at liberty , we are obliged to take the best way ; but when confined , we must do as well as we may in that state . and the submission signifies an acknowledgment of the simple lawfulness , but not of the comparative goodness or desirableness of the thing imposed . since our blessed saviour hath given his church a legacy of peace in him , with tribulation in the world , to suffer with reputation , is not of little moment . it sometimes comes to pass , and that inevitably , that the godly suffer much in such cases which the looser sort account niceties , and needless scruples ; in which cases , their sufferings are precious in the sight of god , who highly values the jots and tittles of his law : but they are not so honourable in the sight of men . but when their cause is so unquestionable , that all sober spirits of orthodox belief must needs regard it , their suffering hath much more glory , and all the faithfull will be more constant and uniform in adhering to such a cause . howbeit if they suffer for conscience sake in such things as the world accounts niceties ; yet an upright and prudent walking with a peaceable spirit , submissive in things clearly indifferent , and bearing with others intolerable differences , will be an ample defence unto them , and gain respect , and peradventure mollifie those that do the injury . furthermore let it be here noted , that to the sufferer it is no less honourable , to suffer for the life and power of christianity , in opposition to the immorality , malignity , and hypocrisie of carnal christians , than in the defence of the christian faith , or any article thereof , in opposition to infidels , hereticks , or blasphemers . for the christian life and practice is the end of the christian faith and doctrine , and therefore cannot be of less regard . yet this kind of suffering is more dishonourable to christ , in respect of the persecutors , who are his professed servants , and therefore in this respect , it is more grievous to the persecuted , than if they suffered from those that disown his name , or are his more avowed enemies . chap. xix . the most ample diffusion of the light of knowledge , is a sure means of promoting true religion . false and corrupt ways bear sway by a peoples ignorance ; but religion in its right and sound state as a jewel that hath its greatest lustre by the brightest light , is maintain'd by the clearest knowledge . in bright times , the impostures and carnal designs of devised doctrines , and superstitious vanities will be made manifest ; and the hypocrisie being detected , the merchandize thereof will be quite marr'd . in such times even the vulgar sort will expect from those in sacred functions , at least the appearance of a sober , righteous and godly conversation , with diligence in holy administrations . then the enemies of real sanctity are put to hard shifts , and forc'd to appear either in some colours of truth , or in the shame of their own nakedness . for this cause the followers of truth make it their special interest , as throughly to promote the most ample diffusion , and universal increase of knowledge among all ranks and sorts of men , as the adverse partly seek to oppose and debase it . we do not hereby mean an intermedling in difficult matters , a smattering in controversies , and certain curiosities of opinions , a store of unnecessary notions , and of meer words and phrases , which things are commonly erroneous , and at the best but injudicious , and puff up the half-witted and self-conceited , and make them troublesom to themselves and others . but that which is here commended for an universal increase and propagation , is to understand the principles of the essential truths of christianity , to see their evidence , to judge rightly of their weight and worth , and to view their coherence ; and besides these , to know so much of other truths as the different capacities of men will inable them , for the bettering of their knowledge in the essentials . the means of diffusing this light are well known , as the constant preaching of the word , and the opening of the principles of religion in a due form of cathechism , the strict observation of the lords day , repetition of sermons , ●…ious conferences , reading the word , and prayer in families , profitable communication among neighbour-christians in their daily converse , the spreading of practical books written by men of sound judgment , and ministers private applications to those of their own charges with prudence and meekness . for the same end that main principle of protestanism , the judgment of discretion , as ●elonging to all christians , is to be asserted and ●…indicated against that popish and brutish do●…trine of implicit faith , in the church's de●…rminations . this is not to subject matters of ●aith to a private spirit ; but to refer them to ●…e divine authority of the holy scriptures , to ●…e apprehended in the due and right use of ●eason , which is a publick and evident thing , ●…d lies open to the tryal and judgment of all men. and to men of sober minds , serious for the saving of their own souls , the analogy of faith in the current of scripture is easily discernable . moreover , the general increase of knowledge lies much in the ingenuous education and condition of the common people , in opposition to sordidness , slavery and brutish rudeness . though some look upon the vulgar sort with contempt , and seem to value them no more than brute animals , and think it enough that their governors understand and consider for them , and not they for themselves : yet christ hath shed his blood as much for the redemption of that sort , as of the noble and mighty , and prudent ; and he hath made no difference between the one and the other in the conditions of salvation , and in the priviledges and ordinances of his kingdom . as for the receiving of the grace of god , the scripture casts the advantage on the poorer and meaner side . not many wise men after the flesh , not many mighty , not many noble are called , was the observation of st. paul , and st. james witnesseth , that god hath chosen the poor of this world , rich in faith , and heirs of his kingdom . and those whom god hath chosen , must needs be instructed in his will. that reasonable service that he requires , none can perform without knowledge . ignorance is opposite to the nature and being of true christian piety , which is not at all where it is not received with understanding . this general increase of knowledge hath fallen under a great suspicion of evil , and it may be under the jealousie of rulers , as disposing men to sedition , rebellion , herisie and schism . but how great a reproach is hereby cast upon human nature , or political government , or both , that the more rationally apprehensive the body of a people are , they are so much the more ungovernable , as if government could not stand with the proper dignity and felicity of human nature ? what manner of civil state is that , which degrades the subjects from men to beasts , for a more absolute dominion over them ? what manner of christian church is that , which to prevent heresie and schism , takes order that its members be no christians ? it is an unchristian , inhuman policy in church or state , the foundation whereof is laid in the peoples ignorance . as for the true interest of rulers , it is not weakened , but strengthened by their peoples knowledge , which in its right and proper tendency makes them more conscientious , and however , more circumspect and considerate , and consequently more easily manageable by a just and prudent government . but gross ignorance tends to make them barbarous and belluine , and in their mutinies and discontents uncounsellable and untameable , and therefore very incongruous to a state governed by the principles of christianity or humanity . chap. xx. the advantage of human learning to the same end . though religion rests not on human learning , as its main support ; yet it seeks and claims the necessary help thereof . those whom god designs for eminent service , he indues with eminent gifts either by means or miracle ; and he gives every intrusted servant a measure answerable to his degree . the apostles who laid the foundation were wise master-builders : and surely it was not the mind of christ that wisdom should die with them , when he settled his church to indure throughout all ages , and promised to be with it to the end of the world. it is said indeed , that the foolishness of god is wiser than men , and the weakness of god is stronger than men. but that which is so called , is not foolishness and weakness indeed , but only so accounted by the pride of carnal wisdom . in this learned age the antichristian state in christendom is forced to advance learning in its own defence . and now without learning either divinely inspired or acquired by means , we cannot defend our selves against it . wherefore to destroy the supports of learning , is the way to subvert religion . yea , though we were not ingaged by such strength of the adversary to provide for our own defence ; yet solid human learning doth of it self notably advance divine truth . the learning that was spread over the world in the primitive times of christianity , apparently made way for that sudden and ample spreading of the gospel . and the reviving thereof after an universal decay , no less apparently made way for the breaking forth of this clearer light of the gospel after the long night of popery . unlearned and barbarous times are noted among the causes of depraving religion with multiplied superstitious absurdities and deformities . indeed that great mystery of iniquity , the romish synagogue is favoured by many wise and learned ones ; but the interest of great power and wealth , and other carnal al●urements ingage them to uphold that babel , and so to detain the truth of god in their own ●nrighteousness . the papal kingdom of darkness hath amply provided for an eminent measure of learning in their superior clergy , and certain religious orders designed for theological controversies , and the propagation of the roman ●aith , being necessitated thereunto by the learnedness of the present age. but for the vulgar priests , who dayly converse with the common people , that are ignorant and unlearned , it matters not how little knowledge they have ; and the grandees care not that they should be conversant in learned books , no not in their own bellarmine . as for the laity , t is a principle in that church , that ignorance is the mother of devotion . a corrupt ecclesiastical state , upheld for worldly ends , hath no reason to desire the advancement of learning any further , than is requisite to defend it sel● against learned adversaries , and to hold the vulgar in admiration of it . it would hav● the people wholly to trust their teachers , and it is not well relished , when learned gentle men of the laity are exact , and studious i● theological inquiries . the supports and rewards of learning may be so inordinately apportioned and confe●… red , as to exalt boundless ambition and avari●… in some , and to nourish a dronish idleness and epicurism in others , and to cast the residue●… and those the greatest number into ignoranc● beggary , baseness and superfluity of naught●… ness . such a disposition of things , besides th●… ruine of religion would in the ruines there●… bury learning it self ( as it hath done in for mer ages ) if the industry of some were n●… kept waking by the increase of knowledge a●… mong another sort of men. but whatsoeve● abuse corrupts that which in it self is excellent , the supports of learning are always necessary in the true church ; and to settle a way for a perpetual succession of wise and learned guides of the flock in this intire and sound state of religion , is to build the same on a rock . the spirit of this profession being sober , solid and serious , is happy in disposing towards the attainment of much perfection in all profitable science , and especially towards that which is most excellent and usefull in human affairs , to wit solid and deep judgement . in this respect the children of true wisdom stand upon the vantage ground ; and the scope of their business directs them to excell in the more substantial part of learning , which perfects reason and falls in with practice , and makes them able effectually to converse with men both in religious and civil matters . these do not spend their days in a cloyster living to themselves alone , but are seasonably called forth to sacred or civil functions , and so by study in conjunction with practice and experience , they become more perfect in science . the same ●ntents and purposes direct them to understand the end and use of their acquisitions , and to have their learning at command , and ma●ageable for present business . chap. xxi . the general civility or common honesty of a nation makes it more generally receptive of real christianity or godliness . religion having considerateness and soberness in its nature , hath great advantage by the sober and serious temper of a nation , city or country , where its advancement and propagation is designed . civility is a good preparative to piety , and experience witnesseth , that among the serious & temperate sort of people , and in the most civilized places religion takes best ; and that it takes least in those places where debauchery and sensuality raign in those of the higher rank , and a heathen-like rudeness and stupidity seiseth the common multitude . wherefore that sort of men , whose spirit or interest leads them to uphold a corrupt and carnal church-state , seek to gratifie the most sensual and vicious part of a nation , because they cannot so easily gain the considerate and soberminded , who are more inquisitive into the principles and practices of different parties , and look more than others into the inside of mens devotions . a nation may be generally brought to civil conversation and the external part of religion . for the restraining of filthy lewdness , gross excesses and rudeness best comports with the health of the body , the security of the estate , and the quietness of the mind . therefore when it is in use , it is no burden but an ease even to unregenerate nature , and so may pass generally among a people . likewise natural men being convinced and awakened , will easily observe religious duties so far as the peace of the natural conscience doth require . the conversation of the pious is exemplary and of great authority , especially when their strictness and seriousness is tempered with the amiable vertues of meekness and moderation . by this they may do much towards the civilizing of those that live about them , and to conciliate the minds of men towards them , and bring them to good thoughts of religion . but the harshness of some rigid honest men may exasperate and beget hatred in some , whom condescension and sweetness of conversation might have gained , or at least mol●ified . likewise by a discreet and seasonable use of christian liberty in the temperate injoyments of outward comforts in harmless recreations , and sober cheerfulness in honest company , the religious may bring over others to a friendly converse with them , and may be a means to keep them from the more gross and scandalous pollutions of the world . yet as they ought to shun an excessive reservedness and austerity , so they must take heed of too great compliance with others in carnal liberty , upon pretence of a friendly converse with them . they may not spend their time in recreations , fruitless visits , merry meetings and the like exercises , wherein there is enough of idleness and vanity , even when there is nothing of dissoluteness or gross immorallity . for by such a trade of life they would lose themselves in a sober kind of epicurism , or sensuality under a form of godliness ; and they would harden others in their loose walking , or make them think that professors are but as other men , except in a name and outward form. wherefore they may be sociable no otherwise , than that it may appear they make religion their business , and walk circumspectly and redeem their time from vanity , for the serious duties of their general and particular callings . it may be further noted , that whatsoever promoteth knowledge among the meaner sort , promotes civility . likewise where a people are generally settled in a way of industry and frugality , and those of higher extract or education are bent unto exercises truly noble and worthy , that nation will be disposed to a more considerate and apprehensive habit of mind , and to a more sober and regular course of life ; but the state of things is corrupt and tends to general debauchedness , when those of higher rank and quality live in idleness and sensual excesses , and have a proportionable number of the meaner sort waiting upon them in much idleness , for the service of those lusts and vanities . this course would vitiate the whole mass of a people , did not some powerfull opposite means preserve some parts more intire and sound in morals . now an order and frame of things settled for frugality is not unworthy of a generous nation . it is a noble thing for persons of higher birth and breeding to improve their parts , and wealth , and leasure in usefull and liberal studies and exercises , whereby something may be added either to their own fortunes , or to the common stock and treasure of mankind . where this considerate and sober disposition of a people is affected , it should be esteemed a great happiness , and worthy of the best improvement for the advancement of religion . discreet and well minded persons are in no wise to be discouraged or disobliged . if they cannot be raised to a higher pitch , it is better to keep them where they are , than by any matter of disgust to occasion them to fall back first to disrelish , then to loath and oppose a strict profession . chap. xxii . the increase of religion is promoted by being made , as much as may be , passable among men . such is the course of this world , that a necessity of being singular lies upon those that imbrace the power of godliness . and because all singularity is obnoxious to disgust and censure , it concerns them to make it evident , that theirs is not humorous and affected , but necessary and conscientious ; and so to shun all affectation of odd conceits and practises , or any unnecessary reservedness . the meer departing from evil and the impartial discharge of duty will set them too much alone and aloof off from too too many . and truly it is the grief of sincere and humble minds , that they can have no more company in the way that is called holy . but the humour of needless singularity , hath a snatch of pharisaical leaven in it . to be affable and of easie access , and free in harmless compliances avails much to remove or lessen prejudice . it is not of little moment to discern and keep the right path in the matter of conformity to the decent civilities of this world . to be sollicitous and exact about idle and tedious curiosities of habit , gesture and complemental converse , to run with the formost after new garbs and fashions , is inconsistent with the purity , gravity and moderate severity of true religion . on the other hand , to neglect the decencies of the age is taken to proceed from a sordid or a peevish humour . a mediocrity in such things is most acceptable and advantageous . the truth is , the extravagancy of our times hath tempted some to strain christian liberty beyond the bounds of soberness , and there is need that some check be given to this excess of vanity . nevertheless the other extreem will gain no honour . morosity truly so called is very offensive , and is indeed but a severe and serious folly . it is not to be expected that all should be of the same strain , guarb or humour in these indifferent matters pertaining to human life , wherein is found so great diversity among vertuous and worthy persons . the more free , gentile and chearfull may not despise them that be more shie , reserved and solemn in their behaviour , nor may these judge the other . for godliness stands on neither side , but is indifferent towards both . and importunate zeal , and strictness about things of indifferent or doubtfull interpretation doth oft-times great disservice to religion , and hinders that reception that was ready to be given to it . when too great a stir is made about little matters , men of loose principles will suggest against all godly care and strictness , as needless scrupulosity and preciseness . and the urging of some hard things , as indispensable duties upon weak and uncertain grounds , hath alienated the minds of some from that course of life , which was necessary to their salvation . it is most true , that the faithfull in christ have their conversation in heaven , as being redeemed from this present evil world , and having jerusalem which is above the mother of them all . nevertheless as yet they dwell upon earth , and converse with natural men , and therefore may not speak and act in such a strain , as if they were taken out of the world . provided they deny no principle of faith , it behoves them to shew themselves in nothing estranged from the principles of human reason , and moral prudence according to men upon earth , and in that regard to act as citizens of this world ; though in regard of their heavenly spirit and conversation , which is their life indeed , they must walk as fellow citizens with the saints now in glory . i urge this the rather because they are by scornfull men numbred among fanaticks . upon the same ground in all publick affairs , they must consider what the kingdoms of this world with bear ; they must be discreet and temperate in their incounters with peoples vanities , especially inveterate customs ; and in all things they should approve themselves fit and able for the service of human society . this will make them appear considerable , and befool and shame those that slight them . there is no difference in christ , between bond and free , high and low , rich and poor ; but they are all one in him : wherefore the scripture saith , let the brother of low degree rejoyce in that he is exalted , but the rich man that he is made low . and accordingly it testifies against the having of the faith of our lord jesus christ , with respect of persons . howbeit this indistinction of persons respecteth priviledges that are meerly spiritual , to which there is no inequality of right upon any civil pre-eminence : but in all civil priviledges , christianity maintains the different rights of the several ranks of men , and injoyns us to render honour to whom honour is due . and there is more in it than a meer gracefulness of behaviour , or pleasingness of humane conversation ; for it is necessary to maintain government , and to keep the world in order . religion therefore doth not countenance a levelling humour , nor any insolence and irreverence towards superiors , but condemns their pride and folly , that presume to ●arry it in that sort , upon the account of an equality in christ , or a conceit of their own pre-eminence in him above others . the profession of godliness cannot be more prejudiced , than by such a spirit and behaviour discerned in those that pretend to it . the mighty , the noble , and the wealthy , will not indure to be confronted by mean persons ; but are tempted to hate and crush that profession , which they think makes men forget those distances and due observances , which civility calls for . but religion is made more passable and acceptable , especially with those at the upper end of the world , by the discretion and modesty of its professors , in upholding civil distinctions and degrees of honour among men , and in rendring to all their dues according to those degrees . chap. xxiii . the observing of a due latitude in religion , makes for the security and increase thereof . christianity is not to be extended to such a latitude , as to take in hereticks , 〈◊〉 idolaters , or real infidels , because they ar●… named christians ; nor is it shut up in severe●… parties distinguished by certain doctrin●… rites and platforms , which the tyranny 〈◊〉 ancient tradition , national custom , politic●… interest , or passionate zeal hath exalted : but it incompasseth all those that hold christ the head in the unity of faith and life . wherefore the constitution of the church must be set as much as may be for the incompassing of all true christians , which indeed makes for its most fixed and ample state . and the taking of a narrower compass , is a fundamental error ●n its policy , and will always hinder its stability and increase . the true state of the church ( as of any other society ) lies in the universality , or the ●hole body , and not in any divided or sub●ivided parts thereof . accordingly , its true ●nterest leads not to the things that make for the exalting of this or that party , but to those common and great concernments that uphold and increase the whole body . and it is but just and equal to accomodate the publick order , to the satisfaction of all parties , not in what their several designs and humors crave , ( which is impossible ) but in what they all may justly challenge by their christian liberty , and which is possible ; namely , that their consciencies may not be perplexed and ●…rdened with things unnecessary , how high●… soever magnified by some one party . they that seek worldly wealth and glory 〈◊〉 a church state , think it as good to yield 〈◊〉 all , as to relinguish any thing of their ●…nstitutions . for although they know that moderation might make for a general peace , and for the lasting good of a christian people , yet they foresee that by removing offences , and reforming abuses , they should open a door to men of such principles , as may subvert the foundations of their building . therefore they think it safer to immure themselves by institutions sutable to their own estate , and to adhere to them unalterably . according to this reason in the council of trent , the pope gave his legates instruction so to proceed , that the lutherans might despair o● peace , without a total submission . for h● regarded not their return upon such term● as would diminish the authority and revenue of his court , or weaken any of th● foundations of papal power . such a party value all men , whether they draw nearer t● them , or keep further from them , as they stand affected to the interest which they maintain . but true religion stands upon another bottom , and pursues other ends , to wit , holiness and peace , and that without partiality and without hypocrisie . it hath no privat● carnal interest to uphold , and therefore need not such carnal devices for its own securit● and advantage . by comprehensiveness loseth nothing , because it seeks not gre●… things upon earth , nor serves the designs of an● faction ; and as it loseth nothing hereby , s● it gaineth much , both in amplitude and st● bility . in church affairs , those things are to be held fast which christ our lawgiver hath by his unalterable rule determined , and made necessary to the building up of his church , such as are the spiritual ordinances and officers of his institution . but things of meer human determination are not unalterable , and the alteration thereof in a season that requires it , doth no whit weaken religion , or darken the glory of it . and doubtless they ought not to be more regarded , than integrity of life , and ministerial ability and industry , for the churches edification in faith and holiness . the exercises of christian meekness and charity in such things , is far more glorious to the church , than a forc'd uniformity ; and that constraining rigor which doth but debase mens judgments into servility , and teaching them to strain their consciences , ●ends to make them less conscientious and religious . besides , the said moderation in those matters , wherein uniformity of apprehensions is unnecessary and imposible , will keep the church in a better consistency , and deliver it from those contests and breaches wich may end ●n its dissipation . but what glory or safety ●s there in a publick order that is , and ever will be made the subject of controversie , more than the rule of unity ? the hinderance of the most important things of christs kingdom , is a mischief that always follows the promoting of narrow principles , and partial interests in religion , whereof these instances among many others may be noted , the obstructing of the liberty of publick ministerial service , to be given to ministers that lie under restraint , lest some that accept it not should be weakened in their severed interest ; also the opposing of a publick order of catechizing the people in the uncontroverted principles of religion , lest the petty liberties of a party in their severed way should be impaired . but the concerns of any particular party are set behind the common interest of christianity , by a true catholick spirit which is ready to joyn hand in hand with any that seek the increase of faith and godliness , in the unquestionable means thereof . and no detriment can accrew by concurring even with men of adverse principles , in setting on foot those things received in common , that have a sure tendency to advance true religion : of which sort , are all good means of introducing knowledge and civil conversation among a people rude and ignorant . the fixing of divine right upon matters of meer prudence , and the damning of things indifferent for unlawfull , is an error of evil consequence . it causlesly breaks a people into parties , and excites them to subvert their opposites , and the opposition seems unchangeable . hereby publick affairs are discomposed , the cause of religion is imbroiled , and the propagation thereof obstructed ; and perhaps at length , after tedious contests , either both parties being weary of endless strife , sit down in silence ; or the weaker being vanquished , is crush'd , or yields with shame and loss . into the snare of this error , men are brought by narrowness of judgment , or strength of fancy , or hurry of prejudice , driving from one extream to another , to which may be added the private interests of leading men . wherefore we should take care that we lay no bonds upon our selves , in those things wherein neither the law of nature , nor any positive law of god hath bound us up . furthermore , it doth not stand with the settlement or inlargement of any church interest , to enter into such religious bonds , as must needs conflict , not only with the opposition of perpetual adversaries , but also with the dissentings and dissatisfactions of friends considerable for number and quality ; in as much as they are too narrow for the common interest , and biass too strongly to a party of one persuasion . for which cause their pre●alence is not lasting , but by usual and easie changes , their weakness is discovered . to tie a people to certain little rules and methods in church discipline , that are ge●erally displeasing ; as the necessary terms of ●hurch priviledges , when the ends of discipline may be as well obtained without them , is at the best but the vanity of a needless trouble , in doing that with much ado , which might be done with less ; and it may occasion an incurable breach , and the rejection of the whole form of government . narrow and uncertain boundaries of church communion , and arbitrary and rigid rules of admission , are contrary to that ample and fixed church state , which is necessary to uphold and propagate true religion . the faith of christ hath been propagated and perpetuated in large kingdoms and nations , by incompassing under its external rule and order , the multitude that made profession , though they might fa●… short of the new birth , and those things tha● accompany salvation : and it doth not roo● or spread in any sort considerable in a region , where the order of admission is set by the rigid and narrow principles of a small party , and the general multitude lies open as wa●… ground for any to invade or occupy . the strength and security of the protestant reformation , came by the taking in of kingdom● and whole dominions within its compas● . the external kingdom of god must needs be much wider than the internal . it is like the draw net that gathered fishes good and bad , and like a corn field , wherein whea●… and tares grow together till the harvest . moreover , the increase of professed christian makes way for the increase of regenerate christians and converts to the power of godliness , are generally made out of the mass of people , of an orthodox profession : and few of them are turned immediately from infidelity , popery , or any heresie . chap. xxiv . the care and wisdom of the church in preventing , and curing the evil of fanatical and sectarian error . among the wiles of satan , whereby he depraveth the spiritual excellency of pure religion , and mightily hinders its advance in the kingdoms of this world , fanatical and sectarian aberrations , are not the least . if these follies were but heeded by those that are most in danger , before they are ingaged and drunken with errour , it were in great part an antidote against this mischief . for the well minded that are but weak , and of easie impression , are lead aside chiefly for lack of attention and observation . many are children in understanding , and many are passionate and inconsiderate , and an innate levity , and inconstancy of mind is very common . it behoves the guides of the flock to possess the minds of the people with sober principles ; and to have a watchfull eye upon the first rising of any pragmatick fancies that feed on notions and novelties , under a shew of a more discerning spirit in gospel mysteries , than others have . such being vanity puff'd up , will be starting questions and multiplying slight exceptions against the received truth , and will please the itching ears , and slight spirits of some pretenders to godliness , who will become their hasty proselytes , and join with them to unravel one thing after another , in the texture of holy doctrine . and by the repute of their good parts and seeming piety , may stagger others of good intentions , but weaker judgments . and of this sort , none are more dangerous than vain-glorious teachers : ambitious of leading parties , and by plausible indowments furnished for such designs . these to raise their own fame , and make to themselves a devoted people , will become absolute sect-masters ; and those that close with them , they hold with pleasing devices , and serve their humours , that they may serve themselves of them . there is also in some persons a right sectarian leaven , which is evermore to follow peculiar opinions , and some separated party in religion , and they speak security to their own souls , by being of such an opinion or of such a party . against the sectarian and fanatick spirit , it concerns the church to keep a continual watch and ward ; but not so as to imprison the truth , to lock up the key of knowledge , to stifle godly zeal , to detain a people in dead and dull principles , that will not reach to the new birth and divine life . for this were all one as to prevent or cure a frenzy by causing a lethargy , or some other such like stupidity . moreover , a superstitious formal love , and sensual way of religion , will in no wise be able to prevent or suppress this evil , but will give occasion to its rise and growth , except in times of profound ignorance and silence , as in the depth of popish darkness . but whensoever the light breaks forth , and the people see with their own eyes , and the ecclesiastical governours will not admit a true reformation , but persecute those that seek it , then are many in danger of falling into this opposite extream . for they are cast upon it , both by the hatred of the present corruptions , and by the weakness of their own judgment , being not throughly instructed in the solid truth . and so they ●un hastily from superstition and externalness into delusion and wild fancies ; from the common dissoluteness and remisness of those that call themselves orthodox , into a vain boasting of perfection ; from the usurpations of proud men incroaching upon christs prerogative and their false constrained unity , into anarchy and confusion ; and from a wrathfull zeal and persecuting cruelty , into a disorderly promiscuous and familistical love , or indulgence towards all . on the contrary , a church state that is agreeable to the spiritual ministration of the gospel , and truly apostolical , is the surest remedy against sectarianism and phanaticism , truly so called . when the church abandons romish tyranny and superstition , and yet is settled in a regular and stable polity ; when the publick order throughly promotes the means of sound knowledge , and incourageth real godliness , it satisfie the minds of them who justly expect in a gospel church and ministry , more than an outward form , even the manifestation of truth and spiritual light , and life and power ; an● it prevents their wandring to seek after it i● the devious paths of sectaries . it is of great moment , that of the mo●… learned , able , and judicious persons of orthodox profession , there be many eminently pious , whose authority and reputation may b●… able to hold in those , whose affection an●… fancy is apt to outrun their judgment ; likewise that the pastors of the church , who a●… called the light of the world , do so walk i●… the light , as that there be no occasion o●… stumbling in them through notorious prid●… covetousness , self-seeking , inordinate sensuality , or the vehement appearance of any gross evil . for the weaker sort is commonly undone by offences . and because seducers are very active and spare no cost nor travel , but as they have done of old , do compass sea and land to gain proselites , it behoves the pastors carefully to keep their people , and the people carefully to keep themselves out of the hands of these hucksters . the common remisness in this matter is deplorable . sometimes the manner of opposition against seducers , is unadvised and prejudicial . to contend for truth by wrath , and clamour , and contumelious language and usage , inhanceth the price of error , and adds to its reputation . but the surest way is to converse much with our plain hearted people , and to season them with right principles , and to detect the subtile methods of deceitfull workers , and the dangerous issues of their allurements , and by honest and inoffensive applications to prepossess those holds , of which deceivers seek to possess themselves . and here it is of chief importance , that the influence of the pastors and other prudent and able persons , upon the common multitude of professors , be more prevailing , than the influence of the common multitude upon the pastors and other prudent leaders . servile temporizing with vulgar fancies , degrades the authority and wisdom of prudent guides , and lifts up a vulgar spirit , and will bring it to that pass , that the weakest and most inconsiderate shall sway the churches interest . let persons of approved worth be more faithful and noble , than by such servility and treachery , to raise to themselves a power in the hearts of the weaker sort . let them rather commend themselves by their known integrity , wisdom and goodness , and by being ready also in all condescention , to serve and please them to their edification . and such faithfulness is the surest means to gain them love and honour . let the religious beware of seeking to be admired and magnified among one another , or of overprizing each others esteem . this latter seems to be the cause that drew peter to a fit of dissimulation and separation from the believing gentiles , while he sought too much to please them that were of the circumcision . sometimes we know not our own spirits . it is good to beware of provocations like to be given or taken . upon a supposed affront or injury , men of parts have been hurried into dangerous contests , and to make head against petty passionate opposition , they have run beyond their own thoughts , and wrought strange confusion . discretion and charity seeks to convince and satisfie , and not to exasperate an offended brother . it is well observed , that no turbulent opinion or party doth usually arise in the church , but by the church's neglect of some truth or duty . wherefore if an evil spirit seek an occasion of mischief , reform the abuse , and so prevent his working upon the simple . and forasmuch as some of upright hearts being deceived with a fancy of a more sublime and perfect way , may pass into the tents of sectaries so far as conce●ns church order and external worship , a compassionate regard must be had of such as walk honestly , and retain those fundamental truths , that may be a ground-work for saving faith and godly life . now towards such , the greatest charity is exercised in labouring to remove the stumbling-block of their error , and to make it plain before them , that the faithfull whose communion they forsake , contend for the perfection of holy scripture , and the explicit knowledge of the doctrine of salvation , and the reasonable service of god according to his word , and spiritual worship sutable to the gospel dispensation , and the lively use of holy ordinances , in opposition to unwritten traditions , mens inventions , implicit faith , ignorant devotion and meer formality ; that they declare by word and deed against the iniquity and impiety of this evil world , and therefore the world hates them ; that they insist upon no forms or usages in religion , but what are commanded by the positive laws of christ , or are necessary in their general reason by the law of nature ; that they seek no worldly advantages or advancements in the church , but what are necessary for the support of the truth , according to gods ordinary providence ; and lastly , that human infirmities must not be thought strange in them , that have not obtained angelical perfection . these and the like things should be laid open before honest people that have been seduced into sectarian error . chap. xxv . the advancement of the sound state of religion by making it national , and the settled interest of nation . christs little flock cannot go out of the world , nor retire within themselves alone from the nations of the earth ; but they must needs remain a part of kingdoms & commonwealths with the world in general . they must take themselves to be concerned in the civil powers , for the powers that are will take themselves to be concerned in them , and their ways . for which cause their aims and actions ( as far as their sacred rule allows ) must be fitted to the capacity of the civil government , and directed unto the generall peace and quietness of the nation , whereof they are , & in which they enjoy their civil rights . by this means religions interest may incorporate with the general interest of a nation , & run in the same channel . that pure religion may take root , and spread and prosper , it is necessary to bring its external frame to the consistency of a national settlement . the just ●a●aude hereof is laid in the doctrine of faith , and substantials of divine worship , and things necessary to church unity and order , but it goes not beyond these . and being fixed in this extent , it is in a way to gain besides the support and power of the law , the nations unstrained compliance and approbation . as on the one hand ecclesiastical tyranny is a root of bitterness always bearing gall and wormwood : so on the other hand unfixedness , and unlimited liberty consists not with that stability , wherein all prudent governors would settle their own affairs , as also with that general tranquillity and repose which is the health of any people . if one were raised to empire by a meer fanatick party , he cannot settle himself , nor stand upon firm ground , till he wind his interest out of their hands , and turn himself to the way of general satisfaction . to the same intent and purpose it is of great importance so to fix the terms of church communion , as not to set a perpetual bar against the main body of the people . a church state so barr'd , though it were asserted with , a veterane army , and could inclose all preferments both of honor and profit within it self to be at its disposal , yet it is hard to see how it could ever obtain a firm establishment . for a christian nation in general being shut out of the church , or barr'd of such privileges , as are supposed to belong to them as christians , are inraged , and likely to be ingaged as one man to oppose that which they take for intolerable oppression . or if they care not to be admitted , they will turn to a contrary interest and party in religion , or to infidelity , barbarism , atheism , or some destructive way or other . now the intention here propounded may take effect , if the constitution shut out none from sacred and spiritual priviledges , but such as make not profession of true christianity , or be destitute of that knowledge which is absolutely necessary to true faith in christ , or to the profitable use of those ordinances whereof they would partake ; or by publick tryal can be evicted in their deeds to deny christ , to whom they profess subjection ; or be guilty of such scandalous enormity or disobedience , as is reproachfull to the christian name . it is likewise to be considered , that discipline is a work of time , and that people are to be brought on by degrees , when they have lain long undisciplined . for a nation is not born in a day . right ecclesiastical discipline grates hard upon mens corruptions , and stirs up many nemies . likewise the civil powers are often jealous of it , lest it should move excentrick to their motions . therefore being a tender point , it requires so much caution as nothing more . cogent reason persuades those that are herein concern'd , most willingly to put themselves under the regulation of the civil magistrate , and to contain themselves within all tolerable limitations prescribed by him , ( i mean such as defeat not the ends of discipline ) and by clear and moderate actings within their own sphere to render their office less invidious . chap. xxvi . of submission to things imposed by lawfull authority . whosoever duly prizeth the publick peace of his own liberty for publick service , will consider the utmost lawfull boundary of submission to things imposed by lawfull authority , that nothing possible to be done , be left undone . but what is sinfull , ●…s in a moral sense impossible . we may not ●…ie for god. nothing erroneous may be asser●ed , nothing simply evil may be admitted in our own practice . but in an established church not infected with heresie or idolatry , nor defective in any vital part of religion , it is duty to bear with much , that we conceive to be amiss in others practice , to which we make not our selves accessary by neglecting any means of redress within our power and calling . yea , being constrained by others rigor we may stoop to the use of some things , which profit little , if they be not simply evil , nor by an evil consequent destructive to the main service , to which they are superadded . the yoke of such subjection may cause grief of heart , but doth not wound the conscience . indifferent things are not made unlawfull meerly by being injoyned ; and it is necessary that some things indifferent in specie should be determined for orders sake . but forasmuch as things not in themselves unlawfull , may some times be so pernicious in their consequents , a● by a vehement appearance of evil to draw others into sin , and by a strong tendency to evil , to lead and settle them in a way that is not good , i dare not say that the latitude of conformity to things in their own nature indifferent , is unlimited . rulers have received their power of injoyning , and subjects their liberty of conforming for edification and not for destruction . in a case of this nature we are led on to consider , whether the scandal of compliance with things indifferent in themselves but of harmfull consequence , be not of lesser moment than the scandal and misery that may follow upon non-compliance . though of things simply evil neither may be chosen : yet of things evil only in their consequents , either the one or the other inevitably coming upon us , that must be chosen , upon which the lesser evil follows . peradventure the scandal of submission may be overballanced by the apparent consequence of a more important good , by which also it may in time be quite removed . the wisdom of the prudent must herein direct their way . though the ruler be judge of what rules he is to prescribe ; yet the conscience of every subject is to judge with a judgment of discretion , whether those rules be agreeable to the word of god or not , and so whether his conformity thereto be lawfull or unlawfull . otherwise he must act upon blind obedience , and might be excused in doing things either simply evil , or pernicious in their consequents . a general certainty , that rulers must be obeyed in lawfull things , is no security to the conscience for obedience to this or that injunction , when we doubt of the lawfulness of the thing injoyned . for we cannot be sure that obedience in this case is a duty and not a sin , because we are sure it is a sin to obey in things unlawfull , and such the thing now in question is or may be , for ought that we discern , and our ignorance cannot change gods law. therefore the doubtfulness of the thing it self , makes the obligation to obedience likewise doubtfull . and perhaps the danger may be greater on the part of obeying than refusing . for possibly , the injunction of an heinous sin may be the matter of the uncertainty ; and in this strait we apprehend it more unsafe and less excusable to choose the greater before the lesser sin , on which side soever it be , though indeed it be lawfull to choose neither . indeed it is much easier for rulers to relax the strictness of many injunctions about matters of supposed convenience , than for subjects to be inlarged from the strictness of their judgment . and blessed are they that consider conscience , and load it not with needless burdens , but seek to relieve it i● its distresses . and as this forbearance and tenderness i● superiors is the praise of their government , and advanceth peace and concord ; so doth moderation and a submissive disposition commend inferiors , and much advantage their godly zeal . for it stops the mouths of clamourous men , it obviates the ensnaring designs of adversaries , and it gives greater boldness in contending for weightier matters . howbeit sometimes that submission , which all circumstances considered , both prudenc● and upright conscience declareth necessary , may be liable to a reproach as a matter of temporizing . the truth is , a ministers reputation is of great moment to the ends of his ministery ; and he is not to be blamed , that is loth it should suffer shipwrack ; and an appearance or suspition of time-serving doth greatly indanger it . if a man should forbear some compliances , which he clearly foresees will bring him into a vehement suspition thereof , in charity it should be taken not for an undue valuation of his own credit , but for a tender regard to the honor of the gospel . when an exalted party shall set themselves to profligate the credit of those that are brought under , by constraining them to such compliances , they have more regard to their own particular triumph than to the honor of the common faith , and all true religion , which is by this means exposed to the contempt of the irriligious , as if it were meer hypocrisie and matter of interest on all sides . as for inferiors , in this case they are in a strait between ●wo , and which way can they turn themselves ●o avoid-all inconveniences . for the same ●ersons that reproach them as temporizing , would in case of non-submission clamour against them as humorous and factious . herein i shall offer the aptest remedy i know , ●amely , neither in word nor deed to abandon or disown the truth , and in these burdensom yet not unlawfull compliances not to run with the foremost , but to proceed in such manner and so far , as the standing in necessary libertie● may require , and as the more considerate pa●… of men will justifie to be discreet and honest , but above all to indeavour by a godly and blameless life to make it manifest , that conscience hath been duly satisfied and not trifle● with . in doubtfull matters and difficult times , th● all good men should keep the same latitud● of judgment and practice in all wisdom , for th● true interest of religion , may be wished b●… not expected . for some will be more , other less inlarged by the diversity of their apprehensions . also some by their natural dispositio● are more timerous or more complying : other again are more hardy and less flexible , or mor● reserved and resolute in their opinions . many are injudicious , and the best have their passion● and some lie under disadvantages that may biass the judgment this or that way , where th● matter is somewhat disputable : others ma● have weightier reasons , either for assent or di●… sent though not obvious , and perhaps not 〈◊〉 expedient to be declared . mens cases bein● so exceeding various , they must needs vary●… practice . some inconvenience , but no d● structive mischief will follow this diversity , it do not ( as one would think it should not disunite affections . for then these several pa●…ties , or persuasions rather , are one in their main cause , and may with one spirit , though walking in several paths , carry on the great concernments of it . if religion were but the bond of a faction , or the strength of a worldly interest , the asserters thereof might lose or lessen it by taking such several ways ; but it depends not upon parties , and their designs , nor is obnoxious to such ingagements , but in it self perfectly free from them . therefore it is advanced in any way that gives it liberty and opportunity , to display it self to the world in the evidence of its own truth and goodness . chap. xxvii . the surest and safest ways of seeking reformations . when a corrupt state of religion is inveterate or deeply rooted in a nation , ●he work of pious men , is convincingly to re●rove that corruption by the light of holy doctrine , and of holy walking ; and to pro●agate and press home with zeal , the great and ●nquestionable truths of christianity : but to ●e more silent and sparing in matters more con●overted and of less importance , the vehement ●rging whereof will not convince the world , nor silence the adversary . likewise by humble addresses to the higher powers in a fit season , they may seek the redress of such enormities , as are evidently scandalous , absurd and odious , and yet perhaps the chief props of that corrupt state. for this may be done without scandal or hazard , and much is done if it take effect . clamorous contests about doubtfull forms and customs , and in comparison but by matters , do serve to animate the opposite party , and afford them matter to work upon : but the vigorous maintenance of the vital parts of religion , and the detecting of gross abuses , bears them down . it is time that ripens all things , and every thing in its season is beautifull and successfull . then the redress of evils will run in its prepared channel , and a plain path will be found through passages formerly inaccessable . and then rulers themselves may see what one of deep judgment observes , that when time of course alters things to the worse , wisdom and counsell had need alter them to the better ; they may find the necessity and utility of reformation , and by their authority make it warrantable . if the friends of truth walk in sober counsels , and sure ways , and follow the truth in peace and love , and be serviceable to the common good , they retain their innocence and maintain their honour , which is their surest interest , and shall be found though the fewer number to have a considerable influence upon the publick state. both religious and civil affairs are apt to be carried in extreams , for which cause reformations commonly are suspected , and their credit is much impaired . in avoiding superstition , some have run into rudeness and undecency . in divine worship the natural expressions ofreverence and devout affection , and things necessary to decency and order , should be observed carefully by those that turn away from superstitious vanities , that it may appear that a well informed conscience , and the spirit of a sound mind doth guide and rule them , and that their principles are no way defective ; but sufficient and ample unto all regular devotion . these necessary decencies and natural expressions of devotion , are plain and obvious to all intelligent persons ; and the modes of civil reverence and seriousness in use among us , do much guide herein . a compliance with sober and grave solemnities affected by a nation in general , helps to procure a good esteem , and to get ground among them ; whereas opposition and singularity may beget a general dislike . men do but mispend their zeal in opposing prevalent customs , that have nothing in them contrary to sound doctrine and good life . among other things i may instance in religious performances at funerals , which may well be ordered without superstition or any other abuse , and improved to the peoples benefit , who are then met together in the house of mourning . some churches being in the midst of false worshippers to prevent all superstition , have forbidden the making of prayers or sermons at the interment of the dead . but in things of this nature , several churches may have their peculiar reasons , and accordingly their different orders . as concerning heathenish pastimes , and vanities sometimes affected by the rude vulgar , and perhaps countenanced by some of higher degree for ends well known , they tend indeed unto much profaness , and may trouble the minds and stir the zeal of good men . nevertheless , when the power of reforming is beyond their line , it sufficeth that the weighty and unquestionable matters of true religion , be constantly inculcated upon the people , and the spreading of sound knowledge indeavoured , both by publick doctrine and by private instruction . and those humorous fooleries , which opposition often heighteneth , would soonest fall to the ground by contempt and silence . in a happy season , when the power of religion hath a potent influence upon a nation , the laying of a good foundation for time to come , is mainly to be regarded . an opportunity in this kind may be lost , not only by a sluggish neglect , but also by an impetuous overstraining of it . it is overstrained , when things are carried forth beyond what a nation will ever bear . it may be more advisable to stop at moderate reformations , than to proceed to such extream alterations , as must needs stand in opposion ( if so be they can so stand ) to a contrary fixed inclination generally prevailing . the consequents of such proceeding , need not to be here discoursed . besides , the more healthfull state of religion may stand not in a total change of things long in use , but in reforming the abuse thereof . and it should be minded that sometimes in curing a lesser evil , there is a real hazard of a greater mischief ; and in hasty attempts of changes , things may be carried on beyond the commendable end designed , even to its utter ruin . for commonly men are not masters of what they get in such precipitate ways . chap. xxviii . considerations tending to a due inlargement and unity in church-communion . an unhappy kind of controversies about forms of divine worship , ecclesiastical government , and qualification of church members , hath been the calamity of our times . the differences in these points have made a sad breach upon church unity , and divided brethren of the same reformed profession , both in affection and interest , and have been the occasion of much misery . in regard whereof , some things that make for an amicable condescention among brethren , and for humble submission to superiors , are here propounded for consideration , but not as peremptory resolves . though many or most of them seem to me to carry their own evidence ; yet it becomes one who is sensible of human weakness , and of his own meaness , to write modestly in these points about which there is so great a variety of apprehensions . the communion of saints , is the communion of the catholick church , and of particular christians , and churches one with another as members thereof ; and therefore we may not restrain our fellowship to any particular church or churches , so as to with-hold it from the rest of the catholick church . our communion with the catholick church , is as well in religious worship , as in christian faith and life . as there is one faith , so one baptism , and one communion of the body and blood of christ , and we being many , are one bread and one body . though we cannot at once locally communicate with the whole church in external worship , because it cannot possibly meet in one place ; yet according to our capacity and opportunity , we are so to communicate with the several parts thereof , and not unwarrantably withdraw from any , and this is a vertual communicating with the whole . church discipline and government , as to the particular form thereof , hath much more obscurity than the doctrine of christian faith and life , and is much more controverted among the godly learned . and in more dark and doubtfull points , humility , charity , and good discretion , teacheth mutual forbearance . in ecclesiastical regiment , all church members are not so concern'd , as church guides and pastors are . christ hath not left the affairs of his kingdom in so loose a posture , as to give a liberty of leaving or chusing the communion of a church according to our own affections , without regard to order . a particular visible church being a body politick , cannot subsist without rules of stable policy . her censures and judgments ought to be clear , certain and uniform , or of the same tenor ; and therefore may not proceed upon such a kind of evidence , as at the most is but conjectural , and of variable apprehension . our arbitrary conjecture of an others regeneration , is but an uncertain way of admission to sacred priviledges , wherein no uniform judgment can be held between several churches , nor the several members of the same church , nor by the same person with himself at several times . for mens apprehensions about the spiritual estate of others , are exceeding different and inconstant . but whether a person make a credible profession , or be competently knowing , or grosly ignorant ; whether he be scandalous or walk orderly , is capable of certain evidence , and of constant regular proceeding thereupon . let it be considered whether of these two , either to proceed with men according to our private hopes and fears about their internal state , or according to stated rules and certain evidence , be the surer way to preserve the church in peace , and to propagate true piety . also , whether persons passable by such publick rules , can in ecclesiastical tryal be judged to be ungodly , or to make a false profession , whatsoever our private fears are concerning them . and if their profession be not proved false , whether it be not to pass for credible in that tryal . human laws and publick judgments presume them to be good , that are not evicted to be bad . private familiarity is at every ones choice : but our church-communion being a publick matter , must be governed by publick and common rules , and not by private will. if a church impose such laws of her communion , as infer a necessity of doing that which is unlawfull , there is a necessity of abstaining from her communion , so far as those unlawfull terms extend . churches mentioned in scripture , had their corruptions in doctrine , worship , and manners ; yet the godly did not separate from them for those corruptions , nor were commanded so to do . indeed they are commanded to come out of babylon , which is no other than to separate from idolatrous , heretical , antichristian societies . yet in suggesting this , i do not encourage to a stated communion in such churches as have no other ministers placed in them , than such as are altogether unfit to have the charge of souls commited to them , that is , who are unable to teach , or teach corruptly ; either teaching pernicious doctrine , or abusing , mishandling , and misapplying sound doctrine , to encourage the ungodly , and discourage the godly . for the scripture bids us beware of blind guides and false prophets . by continuing in church-communion , we partake not of the sins of others , which we have no power to redress , nor are we made guilty by their leaven , if it doth not infect us ; and profane persons are no more countenanced by our presence , than those lewd priests the sons of eli were by the peoples coming to sacrifice . in communicating in holy things , we have internal communion only with the faithfull , and as for the meer external communion , it is with those that have as yet an outward standing in christ , till they are cut off by the hand of god , or due order of discipline . when a minister hath done his part to keep off the unworthy , in the dspensing of the sacrament to such , he is in a moral sense meerly passive ; so that their unworthy participation cannot be imputed to him . nor in such an administration is a practical lie or any falshood uttered . for the sacrament seals the mercy of the covenant not irrespectively , but conditionally , and the words of the application must be so understood . if we have not power to separate an obstinate scandalous offender from the church , yet the withdrawing of our selves from him , is an excommunication in some degree , and the effect thereof is hereby in part obtained . when ministers and people do their duties in their places , without usurpation of further power than they have warrant for , then all will be , though not so well as it might , yet as it can be at present . of several modes and methods of publick action , prudence makes choice not always of what is simply best , but of that which is most passable , if it be not so disorderly as to marr the substance , or frustrate the end of an administration . in sacred adminstrations we may yield without sin to others sinfull weaknesses . and though we may not please them in doing that which is evil ; yet we may in that which is lawfull , but less edifying ; and so we may let go some good in the manner of performance , rather than omit the whole service . here is indeed a sinfull defect , yet not on our part , but on theirs who urge the way that is less edifying , and refuse the better . the exercise of church discipline being a means and not the end , must be govern'd by rules of prudence , among which this is a chief one , that the means must not be asserted so stifly as to indanger or destroy the end . the exercise of spiritual authority is necessarily more regulated by the determination of the civil magistrate , in a state that maintains the true religion , than in a state that either persecutes or disregards it . if it were supposed , that spiritual power is radically the same in all ministers of the gospel , let it be considered , whether the exercise of that power may not be more restrained in some , and let forth to a larger extent in others , upon prudential grounds ; provided it be not inlarged in some to an exorbitancy , and streightened in others to an extream deficiency . likewise if there be a dissent or doubting about a superiority or pre-eminence of spiritual power in some distinct ecclesiastical office , let it be considered how far submission may be yielded to a power objectively ecclesiastical , but formally political , derived from the civil magistrate , and seated in ecclesiastical persons by temporal laws . lastly in reference to things imposed , there is a wide difference between a quiet submission , and an approving free choice . it may be the duty of subjects to do that , which may be the sin of governors to command . for in the same things wherein governors refuse the better way , subjects may do their parts and choose the best way they can . if these considerations or others of the like catholick tendency be found allowable , and will pass among brethren of different judgments , they may prevent and heal many breaches , and unite dissenters in the bond of peace and love , and afford unto such as have been intangled , a more free scope and large capacity for publick aims and actions . chap. xxix . whether the purity and power of religion be lessened by amplitude and comprehensiveness . a doubt may arise in this place , whether it ben ot safer to make the church-doors narrow , and to keep a strict guard upon the entrance into it , and to insist upon the exactest purity , that religion may continue uncorrupt , and that the church be not defiled , nor its interest ravished by strangers . in resolving this doubt , i forget not that the way is narrow and the gate is straight that leadeth unto life . but self-denial and real mortification and a conversation in heaven , and not strictness of opinion in church order , is this narrow way and straight gate ; and our salvation lies upon purity of heart and life , and not upon church purity . besides , god hath made the gate of the visible church , much wider than the gate of heaven ; and church discipline cannot be set in that strictness , in which the doctrine of salvation is to be preached . for doctrine directly judgeth the heart ; and requireth truth in the inward parts ; but discipline judgeth only the exterior conversation , and must be satisfied in the credibility of profession . in walking by rigid rules of discipline , though with an aim to advance purity , we may easily shut out those whom christ hath taken in . true piety may be found in many , who retain such things as some godly christians judge erroneous or superstitious ; and godly sincerity may be found in many , whom some of greater zeal , but too censorious , may judge to be but formalists . it is not good to neglect sober and serious people , though in a lower degree of profession , who conform to gods ordinances , and regard a sound ministery , and shew themselves teachable , lest we reject those that would help to uphold and honour religion , more than many who will put themselves forward among the strictest sort , but indeed are either carnal projecters or busie bodies , or froward and fickle persons , and a stain to the profession in which they seem to glory . this narrowness of church-communion , and other reservedness of some strict professors , tends neither to the increase nor stability of pure religion . zealous christians are a kind of good leaven , like that in the gospel parable , which if kept alone , is of no efficacy , but being diffused will season the whole lump . if they sever themselves into distinct visible societies from the body of a nation , professing the true religion , their vertue cannot spread far ; but they leaven the whole mass of people by being diffused throughout the whole . and then they gain reverence and reputation , and by their example profane and dissolute persons may be convinced and much reformed , and among those that walk orderly , many may be carried on from common to saving grace . hereunto may be added this inestimable benefit ; to wit , the apparent hope of the propagation of true religion to the generations to come , which otherwise being unfixed , might in time wear away and fail in such a nation . furthermore , sincere christians are comparatively but a little flock , and of that little flock , the greater number are of low capacities and very defective in political prudence ; and if they were wholly left to govern themselves in separated societies , they might easily be insnared into parties and breaches , and manifold inconveniencies . indeed those of them that are best able to govern themselves , are most convinced of the need of publick government . wherefore it is the security of the faithfull to live under a publick and fixed rule and order , and consequently to be imbodied with a nation , if it may be , in one way of communion . chap. xxx . factious usurpations are destructive to religions interest . religion is by the maligners of it too often called faction . but the name is not more reproachfull , than the thing it self is hurtfull to it . and the prudent promoters of it , will avoid factious usurpations and all such ways , as would turn to a general greivance . but if any number of men in a higher degree of profession , should seek the ingrossing of profits and preferments within themselves , upon the account of their being religious , and the assuming of such power as cannot be maintained , but by injury or disregard really , or in appearance offered to all others , and should so act in civil affairs , as if they only were the people , and think to do this for the advancement of religion , they would much mistake their way . for besides the iniquity of this practice , the vanity and weakness of it is manifest . the intrinsick and permanent strength of strict religion must be well considered . for that which is adventitious , is very mutable and may be soon turn'd against it . occasional advantages may suddenly raise it up to reputation and power among men , and as suddenly leave it to sink and fall again . wherefore its friends and followers may well reckon that they have made the most of their advantages , when they can secure its interests in the common interest of a nation . a firm liberty and security founded in a national interest , is more agreeable to the condition of regenerate christians , than an intire potency to themselves alone . for they would scarce well comport with so great a weight of power . hypocrites for carnal ends would addict themselves to their party and overact them . the sincere would prove but men , corruptions would appear , and miscarriages would marr their reputation , which is not their least support . hereunto may be added many incongruities that would happen to them . the gallantry and splendor of the world will be no help to that humble and contrite frame of spirit , and real mortification , and holy walking , and heavenly mindedness which is the power of christianity . the various and versatile ways of worldly policy turning to innumerable occasions , are not very passable to truly tender consciences . besides , if the power were inclosed within these narrow limits , many of low birth and breeding must needs be lifted up , both to the envy of the excluded party , and the disesteem of magistracy . and persons of low condition being raised above their own sphere upon the account of religion , may be easily tempted to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think , and to grow busie , peevish and rigid in needless matters , which will provoke a people and fire their spirits , and though the rage be pent up for a season within their breasts , it will at length break out into a flame . the power of christianity , as to human strength , is best established and extended , by leaning upon some common interest with which it falls in , as the vine is born up , and spreads abroad by the support of a wall or frame . it is therefore most sutable to the terms upon which it stands in this world , to be in a complex state with some other just , large and stable interest , such as is the common peace and safety both of prince and people . and being a holy and wise profession , it leads its followers in safe and right paths , and teacheth them to wait therein with patience . the nature of its interest will bear such patient waiting . for it is not carnal consisting of the great things of this world , which may call for an eager and quick pursuit , and daring interprizes . but it is the upholding of such a cause as needs not fear a sinking , if it catch not hold of every sudden offer , that is not clear in regard of conscience or prudence , but by an unchangable reason it indures throughout all ages , and if it fall it shall rise again . it needs not the making of parties , and drawing people to its side by a pragmatical importunity , nor to enter into any suspected ways ; but wheresoever it is managed like it self in righteous and prudent counsels , it makes the fairest progress and of longest continuance . the reasons aforegoing , do hold in due proportion against the ingrossing of privileges , in particular in corporate societies , and the making of parties to interrupt the settled order of promotions and to keep back persons legally intitled , that the religious alone might be promoted . such practises make sad breaches , and upon change of affairs will turn to the great detriment if not the depression of the party so advanced . chap. xxxi . of leading and following , and of combinations . gods providence useth to dispose into all quarters , some men not only of known integrity , but eminent for wisdom and reputation , who see more than the ordinary sort of good men , and are able and meet to give advice like those children of issachar , men that had understanding of the times to know what israel ought to do . these are much the stay of this profession , and by their influence keep things right , and preserve the weaker sort from manifold aberrations . it is supposed that they seek not their own glory in being made heads of parties ; but that in sincerity and self-denial they follow truth and peace , and use their authority and ability , to promote a catholick interest , and true concord among all christians . nevertheless sometimes the understanding of the prudent fails , and counsel is hidden from them . it pleaseth the only wise god , sometimes to permit strange resolves to proceed from good and wise men , that our main stress of hope might rest upon him alone , and on his infallible word ; and that we might not become the absolute disciples of any masters upon earth . one or two eminent men in a country , though wise and faithfull , may not be followed as it were by implicit faith , which may lead into great mistakes . it is to be supposed , that there be many discreet persons , though not of eminent ability , whom it may become to hear and reverence their eminent men , yet to see with their own eyes , that is , to judge by their own reason . in this matter there be two extreams , either to be too morose or too sequacious , the one being the effect of a sullen pride and self-conceit ; the other of pusillanimity , temerity , and such like weakness , and both tending to make breaches and lead into parties . we may have the persons of worthy men in due veneration , but not in excessive admiration . avoid precipitate leaders , for though the service of hot spirits may be sometimes prosperous ; yet in this temperate cause their conduct is pernicious . and there is as much reason to avoid such leaders as care not , or at least consider not , what they do against the common interest of christianity , to advance a particular form or party . but above all beware of such persons , whose apparent worldly interests lead them to adhere to some divided party , & to cherish faction . if much be committed into such hands , we shall be lead into a wrong course , or disabled to follow the right , though we see it plain before us . yea , the cause of religion will be inthralled to the service of a faction , and be left with disgrace enough when men have serv'd their turns of it . a people of honest zeal may easily be over-credulous of great and powerfull men that pretend to favour religion , and take it into their patronage . yet the more discerning sort will look to it , that , while grandees retain them with such favour and friendship , they overact them not to the dishonor and dammage of this profession , which is more worthy than to be held in vassalage , and made to lackey after corrupt designs ; and more noble than to bear such indignity . it is good for the younger sort of professors to reverence the ancient and more experienced ; and for all sorts in their choice of guides and patterns , to prefer solid judgment with integrity of life and conversation before taking parts , heat of zeal and high affections . amidst diversities of parties and persuasions , it is safe to hold communion with the generality of serious and pious christians , and yet to receive with love the several disagreeing parties , who for the main walk in the truth , and to have communion with them all , as far as catholick principles will give leave . in pursuing the ends of this interest , there is no need of private or unauthorized persons entring into such stated combinations and correspondences , as the jesuits and other orders under the papacy , have setled in their societies throughout the world. for all pious christians are taught of god , and have one spirit touching the main of this design , and are inclined to pursue the same with one accord . and indeed so it is , that only the sincere friends of truth , men of upright hearts , and humble spirits , and honest lives , will observe and follow the rules of this interest . and it sufficeth , if they keep close to their common rule of faith and life , and follow after the things that make for peace , and know the present state of gods israel , and acquaint themselves with each other , as opportunity of converse offers it self , and so govern themselves , and carry on the advancement of religion by such honest and harmless means , as need not shun the light , but may stand before the face of all opposers . chap. xxxii . the wisdom of the higher powers in promoting the religiousness of their people . the advancement of true religion is the interest of the higher powers , if to maintain gods honour and mans chief good be their interest , and if the defying of god and the utter undoing of men be against it . yea , if the tranquility and peace of governours and the stability of government be regarded , human wisdom will direct to promote that way which is no other than the exercise of a conscience void of offence towards god and towards man. godliness includes prudence , justice , temperance , fortitude , and all goodness . it is an internal law effectually subduing them that have it to all external laws that are just and good , and the example of it goes far to the bettering of many others in things pertaining to humanity . it is regular and harmonious in every part , it leads to order , peace and unity , and there is nothing in it inconsistent with right policy . it is the way of true wisdom , and apt to take most among the serious and well advised part of the people , and when it hath taken hold of them , it makes them wise and serious more abundantly . it corrects rash , rugged , wrathfull , and fierce natures , and to say the least , whatsoever turbulency may afterwards remain in such , it makes them of far more sedate and castigate spirits than otherwise they would be . and though it doth not forthwith exterminate , yet it so debilitates all complexional distempers , that they cannot break forth into a course of mischief ; and ordinarily it works an evident notable change . of so great force is an attentive and active conscience over all human passions . and doubtless it is the strongest bond to hold subjects in obedience to their governours . for the conscientious are held in by the terrour of the lord and the dread of the wrath to come , besides the sense of mans wrath , which they have in common with all considerate persons . wherefore it is clearly the princes interest that his subj●cts universally ( if it can be ) should be religious , and consequently it is the wisdom of his government to indeavour it as far as it is attainable . and if he would bring them to such a state , he is to take care to exalt gods immediate soveraignty over their consciencies , and under that soveraignty to hold them in subjection to himself . for where conscience is not preserved in its awfull regard to gods law as its supream rule , true religion is extinguished . and they are the patrons of irreligion , who propagate such principles as tend to alienate the conscience from its true soveraign and proprietor , and either to make it servile to those who have no just dominion over it , or to debauch it into searedness or dead security . one way most needfull and advantagious for preserving gods authority over conscience , is most effectually to bind gods laws upon the people ; and to order what things else are necessary for the due observation thereof , and to lay no other yoke upon them in things pertaining to god. and as this way imports much to the sincerity and reality of religion , so it doth no less to the keeping of religious minds in unity . for in what center will the judiciously conscientious unite , if not in the revealed mind and will of god , as it is apprehended by them ? will the injunctions of the civil magistrate , or the authority of ecclesiastical superiors better resolve the doubts of such men , or silence their disputes ? this is not urged to prove that superiors can injoyn nothing in religion , but what is particularly before enjoyned of god ; or that the consciences of inferiors are not bound by their commands in subordination to gods commands : but only that they take the best course for the unfeigned piety and truly christian concord of their people , that by their injunctions , seek mainly to promote obedience to the divine laws , and add no more of their own than what is clearly necessary thereunto . and what more just and prudent course than to forbear things that are unnecessary , and unserviceable to the promoting of truth and peace ; yet with a perplexity and a stumbling block , an easie inlet to all dissolute or ductile spirits , and a bar against many of known sincerity : and to use that moderation in the publick rule and standard , which takes away or exceedingly lessens , dissents , and consequently the occasions of dissention . the spirit of christianity forbids christian magistrates to destroy sincere christians , for their little differences and narrow principles in forms of church order . and no reason of state will oblige them to that severity , how importunately soever some interessed men may urge it . judicious charity or a prudent indulgence towards such , cannot undermine religion or the civil state. and a sound ecclesiastical polity set for the increase of true godliness , will receive no dammage by it , but it will rather gain upon those dissenters , and if their scruples be not removed , it shall abide firm and stable , and grow in strength by the reputation of its own goodness and sufficiency , in that it is not hazarded or impaired by this charity and forbearance . the higher powers by granting some limited liberty do more universally protect the faithfull , and having no interest in competition with the advancement of christs kingdom , are able and wise enough to provide against any dangerous inconveniencies . the bounds and rules of this indulgence are not so undiscoverable as to make it a vain proposal : yet , it is but an idle demand of those that require an enumeration of all particulars , than which , nothing more or less may be tolerated in any case . all particularities in any human affairs are not easie nor necessary to be known at one view , nor are they so fixed , but they may admit considerable variations according to the different state of things . there be general rules of prudence that are a sufficient indication of what ought to be done at any time , as the present case requires . as the wisdom of a housholder will direct him how far to bear with faults and weaknesses in his family ; so the magistrate by wisdom will discern what may be born with in his common-wealth , so far as is sufficient to the true and just ends of government . chap. xxxiii . the churche's true interest to be pursued by ecclesiastical persons . nothing is more precious , and among christians nothing should be more valued , than the good of gods church , for it is christs and gods great interest in the world : but the misery is , that the churches name is abused , and its interest mistaken most perversly . for none have more pretended for the church than they , whose business is to get and keep worldly pomp , and power with carnal ease and pleasure ; and to make laws and rules serviceable to these ends ; and to corrupt the minds and debauch the lives of men , that they may bring them into blind obedience to such laws , and maintain their worldly dominion over christs heritage , and who value all men howsoever qualified , as they stand affected to their estate , and accordingly stick not to reject the eminently good , and to receive the notoriously bad . in the romish church all this is palpable . now let these be called the church , by them that list to give that name , to a state of pride and luxury , of tyranny and oppression , of carnal and devilish policy , under which the souls of people are betray'd to everlasting perdition . wherefore those in the ministery that are sollicitous of the churches welfare , should state the interest thereof aright , which indeed is not for the service of the flesh or the carnal mind ; but for the promoting of the divine life in men , and the increase of the mystical society of regenerate persons , united in christ their head by his spirit dwelling in them ; and in order thereunto , for the increase of the visible society of persons externally owning such an internal state. and therefore it is to promote and propagate the sound knowledge of god in christ , and to make the people of their charge really good , and to advance them what they can in grace and wisdom according to their several capacities , and to deal with them in meekness and love , and to walk before them as examples of all purity and goodness , and to be more sensible and sollicitous about the corruptions and sinfull disorders , than the sufferings of the church , and to be more zealous for gods honour and the good of souls , than for their own honour , wealth or power , and in a word to seek the things of christ more than their own things . the ministers that discharge their office well , are in scripture declared worthy of double honour . and that they be indowed with honorable settled maintenance , is necessary for the support of a religion , that for its excellency requires to be supported by the help of excellent gifts , as learning , eloquence and prudence , not now to be obtained by miracles , but in the ordinary use of means with much cost and labour . and questionless the withdrawing of these supports tends to the churches ruine , nevertheless an inordinate and licentious collation , and accumulation of preferments making for the service of covetousness , ambition and depraved appetite , and for the decay of sobriety , vigilancy and industry in the pastors , is no less dangerous . this exorbitancy after the roman empire became christian , allured and brought in the men of this world , who have their portion in this life , and gave them advantage by carnal arts , to possess themselves of the chief seats of power in the church , by which means religion degenerated into externalness and carnality , and that which was then named the church was at length turned into a worldly state , which grew more and more corrupt till the mystery of iniquity was fulfilled in it . where christianity hath recovered it self out of the degeneracy of the later times , and knowledge is generally diffused among the people , the sufficiency , industry and faithfulness of ecclesiastical persons will be inquired after , negligence in their administrations and irregularities in their lives will not pass without noting , the ignorant , idle and scandalous will fall into contempt , outward formalities will be no covering , as in darker times they were , distinctive habits and reverend titles alone will not procure veneration , the ecclesiastical authority will sink and fall without remedy , if real worth doth not uphold it . in such times men will not be to learn that an arm of flesh doth not constitute a christian church , and that the aid of the secular power is not enough to prove one party to be orthodox , and the rest heretical or schismatical . external violence , which is the common support of false religions , will in this case do little good , but it will render them that call for it the more odious , and more discover the weakness of their cause . wherefore the clergy must resolve to do worthily and fulfill their ministery , or they must extinguish the light of the gospel , or the light of the gospel will extinguish them . but if as faithfull shepherds they watch over the flock , and tender the state thereof , if they labour in the word and doctrine , and teach with meekness and patience if they pitty and succour the weak , and heal that which is lame , that it may not be turned out of the way , if they use the rod of discipline with judgment and paternal affection , if they discard and lay by mens unprofitable institutes , and maintain all divine ordinances in their due honour , and chiefly urge the observance of the indispensable commands of god , and turn men from externalness , and make it their chief aim that christ by his word and spirit may reign in the hearts of professed christians ; then shall they magnifie their office and establish their authority , and hold their flocks in an unfeigned reverence and submission , as feeling the force of the ministerial warfare in their consciences . and the inferior differences shall not be able to cause disgust or aversation , or break those strong bonds of the peoples sincere regard toward their pastors : but they would rather be swallowed up in love , which is the bond of perfectness . the conclusion . no greater thing can fall under the consideration of mankind , than the security and increase of true religion . the glory of god among men and their eternal salvation depends upon it . t is as far above the concernments of the kingdoms of this world , and their politick administrations , all secular affairs , and philosophical speculations , as the heavens are high above the earth . an inquiry into the sound state and true interest thereof , is a contemplation worthy of the greatest minds , and the advancement of it is the chiefest honour of the highest powers . t is the royal interest of that potentate , who is king of kings and lord of lords , and of that blessed society which are incorporated under him their lord and head. and who that in any degree hath truly known the felicity of this kingdom , and hopes for a lot of inheritance in the glory of it , doth not value the concerns thereof above all his chief joys that are but of this world ? a zeal for the common faith , and a constraning love to all the faithfull , hath excited a very mean and weak one to do what he was able on this important subject , impartially searching after their common good . let the prince of this society , one of whose names is counsellour deliver his flock from all dangerous and disadvantageous error , and from wandring in broken parties by unstable and divided counsels , and shew them graciously the right way of maintaining a consistency among themselves , and of gaining upon the reconcilable part of men . and forasmuch as this prince and leader is the lamb of god whose banner is love , let his people every where be acted by the spirit of love , and shew forth the meekness of wisdom in all good conversation , with humility , patience and long-suffering , having this principle deeply imprinted in them , the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of god. the point of church-unity and schism discuss'd . chap. i. of the church and its polity . the church is a spiritual common-wealth , which according to its primary and invisible state is a society of regenerate persons , who are joyned to the lord christ their head , and one to another as fellow members by a mystical union through the holy spirit , and are justified , sanctified , and adopted to the inheritance of eternal life ; but according to its secondary and visible state , it is a society of persons professing christianity or regeration , and externally joyned to christ , and to one another by the symbals of that profession , and made partakers of the external priviledges thereunto belonging . there is one catholick church , which according to the invisible form , is the whole company of true believers throughout the world ; and according to its visible form , is the whole company of visible believers throughout the world , or believers according to human judgment . this church hath one head and supream lord , even christ , and one charter and system of laws ; the word of god and members , that are free denizons of the whole society , and one form of admission or solemn initiation for its members , and one kind of ministery and ecclesiastical power . this church hath not the power of its own fundamental constitution , or of the laws , and officers , and administrations intrinsecally belonging to it , but hath received all these from christ its head , king and lawgiver , and is limited by him in them all . nevertheless , it hath according to the capacity of its acting , that is , according to its several parts a power of making secondary laws or canons , either to impress the laws of christ upon its members , or to regulate circumstantials and accidentals in religion , by determining things necessary in genere , not determined of christ in specie . as the scripture sets forth one catholick church , so also many particular churches , as so many political societies distinct from each other , yet all compacted together as parts of that one ample society , the catholick church . each of these particular churches have their proper elder or elders , pastor or pastors , having authority of teaching and ruling them in christs name . an ecclesiastical order of presbyters or elders , that are not bishops , is not found in holy scripture . for all presbyters or elders , being of a sacred order in the gospel church that are any where mentioned in scripture , are therein set forth as bishops truly and properly so called , and are no where set forth as less than bishops . these elders or bishops are personally to superintend all their flock , and there is no grant from christ to discharge the same by delegates or substitutes . a distinction between bishops and presbyters , and a superiority of the former over the latter , was after the scripture times anciently and generally received in the christian church . yet it was not a diversity of orders or offices essentially different , but of degrees in the same office , the essential nature whereof is in both . the bishop of the first ages was a bishop not of a multitude of churches , but of one stated ecclesiastical society or single church , whereof he was an immediate pastor ; and he performed the work of a bishop , or immediate pastor towards them all in his own person , and not by delegates and substitutes ; and he governed not alone , but in conjunction with the presbyters of his church , he being the president . though several cities in the same kingdom have their different municipal laws and priviledges according to the diversity of their charters , yet particular churches have no divine laws and priviledges diverse from each other , but the same in common to them all , because they have all the same charter in specie from christ. therefore each of them have the same power of government within themselves . and the qualifications requisite to make men members or ministers of the universal church , do according to christs law sufficiently qualifie them to be members or ministers of any particular church , to which they have a due and orderly call . local , presential communion in gods ordinances , being a main end of erecting particular churches , they should in all reason consist of persons , who by their cohabitation in a vicinity are capable of such communion , and there may not be a greater local distance of the persons than can stand with it . a bishops church was anciently made up of the christians of a city or town , and the adjacent villages , who might and did personally meet together , both for worship and discipline . all christians of the same local precinct are most conveniently brought into one and the same stated church , that there might be the greatest union among them , and that the occasion of straggling and running into several parties might be avoided . yet this local partition of churches is not of absolute necessity and invariable , but if there be some insuperable impediment thereof , the partition must be made as the state of things will admit . no bishop or pastor can by divine right or warrant , claim any assigned circuit of ground as his propriety for ecclesiastical government , as a prince claims certain territories as his propriety for civil government ; so that no other bishop or pastor may without his licence , do the work of the ministery , in any case whatsoever within that circuit . it is not the conjunction of a bishop or pastor with the generallity or the greater number of the people , that of it self declares the only rightfull pastor or true church within this or that circuit . for many causes may require and justifie the being of other churches therein . seeing particular churches are so many integral parts of the catholick church , and stand in need of each others help in things that concern them joyntly and severally , and they have all an influence on each other , the law of nature leads them to associations or combinations greater and lesser , according to their capacities . and the orderly state that is requisite in all associations , doth naturally require some regular subordination in the several parts thereof , either in way of proper authority or of mutual agreement . and the associated churches and particular members therein , are naturally bound to maintain the orderly state of the whole association , and to comply with the rules thereof , when they are not repugnant to the word of god. a bishop or pastor and the people adhering to him , are not declared to be the only true church and pastor within such a precinct , by their conjunction with the largest combination of bishops or pastors and their churches . for the greater number of bishops may in such manner err in their constitutions , as to make rightly informed persons uncapable of their combination . a national church is not a particular church properly so called , but a combination or coagmentation of particular churches , united under one civil supream , either personal as in a monarchy , or collective as in a republick . and the true notion thereof lies not in any combination purely ecclesiastical and intrinsecal , but civil and extrinsecal , as of so many churches that are collected under one that hath the civil supremacy over them . the national church of england truly denotes all the churches in england united under one supream civil church-governour , the kings majesty . civil magistrates as such , are no constitutive parts of the church . the christian church stood for several centuries without the support of their authority . but supream magistrates have a civil supremacy in all ecclesiastical matters , and a political , extrinsecal episcopacy over all the pastors of the churches in their dominions , and may compell them to the performance of their duties , and punish them for negligence and mal-administration ; and they may reform the churches , when they stand in need of reformation . the possession of the tithes and temples doth not of it self declare the true pastor and church , nor doth the privation thereof declare no pastor and no church . for these are disposed of by the secular power , which of it self can neither make , nor make void a pastor or church . a diocess is a collective body of many parishes under the government of one diocesan . if the several parishes be so many particular churces , and if their proper and immediate presbyters be of the same order with those which in scripture are mentioned by that name , and were no other than bishops or pastors ; then a diocess is not a particular church , but a combination of churches , and the diocesan is a bishop of bishops , or a governour over many churches and their immediate bishops . if the parishes be not acknowledged to be churches , nor their presbyters to be realy bishops or pastors , but the diocess be held to be the lowest political church , and the diocesan to be a bishop of the lowest rank , and the sole bishop or pastor of all the included parishes ; i confess , i have no knowledge of the divine right of such a church or bishop , or of any precept or precedent thereof in scripture . for every particular church mentioned in scripture was but one distinct stated society , having its own proper and immediate bishop or bishops , elder or elders , pastor or pastors , who did personally and immediately superintend over the whole flock , which ordinarily held either at once together , or by turns personal , present communion with each other in gods worship . but a diocess consists of several stated societies , to wit , the parishes which are constituted severally of a proper and immediate presbyter or elder having cure of souls , and commonly called a rector , and the people which are his proper and ●…rge or cure . and the people of th●… not live under the personal and in●…rsight of their diocesan , but under ●…legates and substitutes . nor do they o●…ly hold personal present communion with each other in gods worship , either at once together or by turns . nevertheless , which way soever a diocess be considered , i have nothing to object against submission to the government of the diocesan , as an ecclesiastical officer established by the law of the land under the kings supremacy . there is nothing in the nature of the office of presbyterate ( which according to the scripture is a pastoral office ) that shewe it ought to be exercised no otherwise than in subordination to a diocesan bishop . christ , who is the author and only proper giver of all spiritual authority in the church , hath not so limited the said office , and men cannot by any act of theirs enlarge or lessen it as to its nature or essential state , or define it otherwise than it is stated of christ in his word . no power ecclesiastical or civil can discharge any minister of christ from the exercise of his ministery in those circumstances , wherein christ commands him to exercise it , nor any christians from those duties of religion , to which the command of christ obligeth them . as the magistrate is to judge what laws touching religion are fit for him to enact and execute , so the ministers of christ are to use a judgment of discretion about their own pastoral acts ; and all christians are to do the same about their own acts of church-communion . the too common abuse of the judgment of discretion cannot abrogate the right use thereof , it being so necessary that without it men cannot act as men , nor offer to god a reasonable service . chap. ii. of true church-unity . when the names of unity and schism are by partiality and selfishness commonly and grosly abused and misapplied , the nature of the things to which those names do of right belong , ought to be diligently inquired into , and clearly and distinctly laid open . for a groundwork in this inquiry i fix upon two very noted texts of scripture . the one is eph. 4. 3. indeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace . the other is rom. 16. 17. mark them that cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine that ye have learned , and avoid them . the former guides us to the knowledge of true church-unity , and the latter shews us the true nature of schism . by the former of these texts , all christians are obliged to maintain that spiritual unity , which they have one with another under christ their head , by the holy ghost in all due acts of holy communion in peace and concord . several important things are here to be taken notice of . 1. there is a spiritual unity between all christians in the form of one mystical body , as there is a natural unity between all the members of the natural body . the members being many are one body and members one of another . 2. this unity is under christ as the head of it . what the head is to the natural body , that is christ and much more to his mystical body the church . 3. this unity of christians one with another under christ , is by the holy ghost , and therefore called the unity of the spirit . the spirit of christ the head , doth seize upon and reside in all the faithfull , by which they become christs mystical body , and are joyned one to another as fellow-members . 4. this unity of the spirit among christians is witnessed , maintained , and strengthened by their holy communion of love and peace one with another , but is darkened , weakened , and lessened by their uncharitable dissentions . hence it is evident that the unity here commended , is primarily that of the church in its internal and invisible state , or the union and communion of saints , having in themselves the spirit , and life , and power of christianity . t is the unity of the spirit we are charged to keep in the bond of peace . but concord in any external order with a vital union with christ and holy souls , his living members , is not the unity of the spirit , which is to partake of the same new nature and divine life . secondarily , it is the unity of the church in its external and visible state , which is consequent and subservient to the internal , and stands in the profession and appearance of it , in the professed observation of the duties arising from it . where there is not a credible profession of faith unfeigned and true holiness , there is not so much as the external and visible unity of the spirit . therefore a sensual earthly generation of men , who are apparently lead by the spirit of the world , and not by the spirit that is of god , have little cause to glory in their adhering to an external church order , whatsoever it be . holy love , which is unselfed and impartial , is the life and soul of this unity , without which it is but a dead thing , as the body without the soul is dead . and this love is the bond of perfectness , that cement , that holds altogether in this mystical society . for this being seated in the several members , disposeth them to look , not to their own things , but also to the things of others , and not to the undue advancement of a party , but to the common good of the whole body . whosoever wants this love , hath no vital union with christ and the church , and no part in the communion of saints . the church is much more ennobled , strengthened , and every way blessed by the communion of holy love among all its living members , or real christians , than by an outside uniformity in the minute circumstances , or accidental modes of religion . by this love it is more beautifull and lovely in the eyes of all intelligent beholders , than by outward pomp and ornament , or any worldly splendor . the unity of the church as visible , whether catholick or particular , may be considered in a three-fold respect , or in three very different points . the first and chief point thereof , is in the essentials and all weighty matters of christian faith and life . the second and next in account is in the essentials and integrals of church state , that is , in the christian church-worship , ministery and discipline , considered as of christs institution , and abstracted from all things superadded by men . the third and lowest point is in those extrinsecal and accidental forms and orders of religion , which are necessary in genere , but left in specie to human determination . of these several points of unity , there is to be a different valuation according to their different value . our first and chief regard is due to the first and chief point , which respects christian faith and life ; the next regard is due to that which is next in value , that which respects the very constitution or frame of a church ; and regard is to be had of that also which respects the accidentals of religion , yet in its due place and not before things of greater weight and worth . things are of a very different nature and importance to the churches good estate ; and a greater or lesser stress must be laid upon unity in them , as the things themselves are of greater or lesser moment . the rule or law of church unity is not the will of man , but the will of god. whosoever keeps that unity which hath gods word for its rule , keeps the unity of the spirit ; and whosoever boasts of a unity that is not squared by this rule , his boasting is but vain . an hypothesis that nothing in the service of god is lawfull , but what is expresly prescribed in scripture , is by some falsly ascribed to a sort of men who earnestly contend for the scriptures sufficiency , and perfection for the regulating of divine worship , and the whole state of religion . god in his word hath prescribed all those parts of his worship , that are necessary to be performed to him . he hath likewise therein instituted those officers that are to be the administrators of his publick worship in church assemblies , and hath defined the authority and duty of those officers , and all the essentials and integrals of church state . as for the circumstantials and accidentals belonging to all the things aforesaid , he hath laid down general rules for the regulation thereof , the particulars being both needless and impossible to be enumerated and defined . in this point god hath declared his mind , deut. 4. 2. ye shall not add unto the word which i command you , neither shall ye diminish ought from it . deut. 12. 32. what soever thing i command you , observe to do it , thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it . the prohibition is not meerly of altering the rule , gods written word by addition or diminution , but of doing more or less than the rule required , as the precept is not of preserving the rule , but of observing what is commanded in it . such human institutions in divine worship , as be in meer subserviency to divine institutions , for the necessary and convenient modifying and ordering thereof , are not properly additions to gods commandments . for they are of things which are not of the same nature , end and use with the things which god hath commanded , but of meer circumstantials and accidentals belonging to those things . and these circumstantials are in genere necessary to the performance of divine institutions , and are generally commanded in the word , though not in particular , but are to be determined in specie by those to whom the power of such determination belongs . they that assert and stand to this only rule , provide best for the unity of religion , and the peace of the church . for they are ready to reject whatsoever they find contrary to this rule , they are more easily kept within the bounds of acceptable worship , and all warrantable obedience , they lay the greatest weight on things of the greatest worth and moment , they carefully regard all divine institutions and whatsoever god hath commanded , and they maintain love , and peace , and mutual forbearance towards one another in the more inconsiderable diversities of opinion and practice . those things that are left to human determination , the pastors , bishops or elders , did anciently determine for their own particular churches . and indeed it is very reasonable and naturally convenient , that they who are the administrators of divine institutions , and have the conduct of the people in divine worship , and know best what is most expedient for their own society , should be intrusted with the determination of necessary circumstances within their own sphere . but forasmuch as the supream magistrate is intrusted of god with the care of religion within his dominions , and hath a civil supremacy in eclesiastical affairs , and a great concern in the orderly management of publick assemblies , he is authorized of god to oversee the determinations and actings of ecclesiastical persons , and may assume to himself the determination of the aforesaid circumstantials for the honour of god , the churches edification and the publick peace , keeping within the general rules prescribed in gods word . for the maintaining of church-unity , that is according to gods word , it is the part of subjects to submit to what their governours have determined , so far as their submission is allowable by the said rule ; and it is the part of governours to consider well the warrantableness of their determinations . more especially their wisdom and care is much required in settling the right bounds of unity . in this regard the terms of admission to the communion and ministery of the church must be no other , than what the declared will of god hath made the terms of those priviledges , and which will shut out none , whom god hath qualified for and called to the same . the setting of other boundaries , besides the iniquity thereof , will inevitably cause divisions . the apostles , elders and brethren assembled at jerusalem , acts 15. 28. writing to the blieving gentiles declare , it seemed good to the holy ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things . from which it is evidently inferred that the burden of things unnecessary ought not to be laid on the churches . the things injoyned by that assembly were antecedently to their decree , either necessary in themselves or in their consequents according to the state of things in those times and places . and whatsoever is made the matter of a strict injunction , especially a condition of church communion and priviledges , ought to have some kind of necessity in it antecedent to its imposition . symbolical rites or ceremonies instituted by man to signifie grace or duty , are none of those things , which being necessary in general , are left to human determination for this or that kind thereof . they have no necessary subserviency to divine institutions , they are no parts of that necessary decency and order in divine worship , without which the service would be undecent . and indeed they are not necessary to be instituted or rigidly urged in any time or place whatsoever . the being and well being of any rightly constituted church of christ , may stand without them . st. paul resolves upon the cases of using or refusing of meats , and the observance or non-observance of days , which god had neither commanded nor forbidden , and of eating of those meats which had been offered in sacrifice to idols , rom. 14. and 1 cor. 8. that no man put a stumbling block , or an occasion to fall in his brothers way . the command here given , extends to pastors and governours as well as to other christians , and is to be observed in acts of governments as well as in other acts . st. paul was a church governour and of high authority , yet he would not use his own liberty in eating flesh , much less would he impose in things unnecessary to make his brother to offend . in the cases aforementioned , there was a greater appearance of reason for despising , censuring or offending others , than there can be for some impositions now in question among us , viz. on the one side a fear of partaking in idolatry , or of eating meats that god had forbidden , or of neglecting days that god had commanded , as they thought ; on the other side a fear of being driven from the christian liberty , and of restoring the ceremonial law. nevertheless , the apostle gives a severe charge against censuring , despising or offending others of different persuasions in those cases . and if it were a sin to censure or despise one another , much more is it a sin to shut out of the communion or ministery of the church for such matters . the word of god , which is the rule of church-unity , evidently shews that the unity of external order must always be subservient to faith and holiness , and may be required no further than is consistent with the churches peace and edification . the churches true interest lies in the increase of regenerate christians , who are her true and living members , and in their mutual love , peace and concord , in receiving one another upon those terms which christ hath made the bond of this union . the true church unity is comprized by the apostle in these following unities ; one body , one spirit , one hope , one lord , one faith , one baptism , one god. but there is nothing said of one ritual or set form of sacred offices , one policy or model of rules and orders , that are but circumstantial and accidental in a church state and very various and alterable , while the church abides the same . chap. iii. of schism truly so called . here i lay down general positions about schism without making application thereof ; whether these positions be right or wrong gods word will shew ; and who are , or are not concerned in them , the state of things will shew . schism is a violation of the unity of the spirit , or of that church-unity which is of gods making or approving . this definition i ground on the afore-cited text , mark them that cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine that ye have learned . separation and schism are not of equal extent . there may be a separation or secession where there is no schism . for schism is always a sin , but separation may be a duty , as the separation of the protestants from the church of rome . moreover , there may be schism where there is no separation . the violation of unity or the causing of divisions may be not only by withdrawing , but by any causing of others to withdraw from the communion of the church , or by the undue casting or keeping of others out of the church , or by making of any breaches in religion contrary to the unity of the spirit . by looking back to the nature , and rule , and requisites of true church-unity , we shall understand the true nature and the several kinds and degrees of schism . as holy love is the life and soul of church-unity , so that aversation and opposition which is contrary to love , is that which animates the sin of schism , and is as it were the heart root of it . whosoever maintains love , and makes no breach therein , and whose dissenting or withdrawing from a church is no other than what may stand with love in its extent , is no schismatick . the unity of the spirit being primarily that of the church as mystically , the breach thereof lies primarily in being destitute of the spirit and life spiritual , much more in being opposite thereunto , under the shew of christianity ; also in the languishing or lessening of spiritual life , especially of the acts of holy love . the unity of the spirit being secondarily , that of the church as visible in its external state , and the first and chiefest point thereof being in the essentials and weighty matters of christian faith and life ; the highest violation thereof and the chiefest point of schism , lies in denying or enormously violating the said essentials or weighty matters . and it is directly a violation of the unity of the catholick church , and not of particular churches only . not only particular persons , but churches , yea a large combination of churches bearing the christian name , may in their doctrine , worship and other avowed practice , greatly violate the essentials , or very weighty matters of christian faith and life , and be found guilty of the most enormous breach of unity . it is no schism to withdraw or depart from any the largest combination or collective body of churches , ( though for their amplitude they presume to stile their combination the catholick church ) that maintain and avow any doctrine or practice , which directly , or by near and palpable consequence overthrows the said essentials . the next point of external unity being about the essentials and integrals of church state , the sacraments and other publick worship , the ministery and discipline of the church considered as of christs institution , the next chief point of schism is the breach hereof . and this may be either against the catholick , or a particular church . of such schism against the state of the catholick church , there are these instances . 1. when any one part of professed christians how numerous soever , combined by any other terms of catholick unity , than what christ hath made , account themselves the only catholick church , excluding all persons and churches that are not of their combination . 2. when a false catholick unity is devised or contended for , viz. a devised unity of government for the catholick church under one terrene head , personal or collective , assuming a proper governing power over all christians upon the face of the whole earth . 3. when there is an utter disowning of most of the true visible churches in the world , as having no true church state , no not the essentials thereof , and an utter breaking off from communion with them accordingly . of schism against a particular church in point of its church state , there be these instances . 1. the renouncing of a true church as no church , although it be much corrupted , much more if it be a purer church , though somewhat faulty . 2. an utter refusing of all acts of communion with a true church when we may have communion with it , either in whole or in part , without our personal sin of commission or omission . 3. the causing of any divisions or distempers in the state or frame of a true church contrary to the unity of the spirit . but it is no schism to disown a corrupt frame of polity , supervenient to the essentials and integrals of church state in any particular church or combination of churches , like a leprosie in the body , that doth grosly deprave them , and in great part frustrate the ends of their constitution . the last and lowest point of external unity lying in the accidental modes of religion , and matters of meer order , extrinsick to the essentials and integrals of church-state , the violation thereof is the least and lowest point of schism , i mean in it self considered , and not in such aggravating circumstances as it may be in . those accidental forms and orders of religion , which are necessary in genere but left in specie to human determination , are allowed of god , when they are determined according to prudence , and charity for peace and edification , and accordingly they are to be submitted to . consequently it is one point of schism to make a division from or in a church upon the accountal of accident forms and orders so determined according to gods allowance . but if any of the accidentals be unlawfull , and the maintaining or practicing thereof be imposed upon us as the terms of our communion , it is no schism but duty to abstain from communion in that case . for explicitly and personally to own errors and corruptions even in smaller points is evil in it self , which must not be committed that good may come . in this case not he that withdraws , but he that imposes causeth the division . and this holds of things sinfull either in themselves , or by just consequence . and herein he that is to act , is to discern and judge for his own practice , whether the things imposed be such . for gods law supposeth us rational creatures able to discern its meaning , and to apply it for the regulating of our own actions ; else the law were given us in vain . submission and reverence towards superiors obligeth no man to resign his understanding to their determinations , or in compliance with them to violate his own conscience . persons meek , humble , peaceable and throughly conscientious and of competent judgment , may not be able by their diligent and impartial search to see the lawfulness of things injoyned , and t is a hard case if they should thereupon be declared contumacious . seeing there be several points of unity , the valuation whereof is to be made according to their different value , mens judgment and estimation of unity and schism , is very preposterous , who lay the greatest stress on those points that are of least moment , and raise things of the lowest rank to the highest in their valuation , and set light by things of the greatest moment and highest value ; as indeed they do , who set light by soundness of faith and holiness of life , and consciencious observance of divine institutions , where there is not also unanimity and uniformity in unscriptural doctrines and human ceremonies . and they that make such an estimate of things , and deal with ministers accordingly , do therein little advance the unity of the spirit , or indeavour to keep it in the bond of peace . seeing the word of god is the rule of church unity , a breach is made upon it , when other bounds thereof are set than this rule allows . an instance hereof is the devising of other terms of church-communion , and ministerial liberty , than god hath commanded , or allowed in his word to be made the terms thereof ; also any casting or keeping out of the church or ministery such as gods word doth not exclude from either , but signifies to be qualified and called thereunto . god doth not allow on the part of the imposer such tearms of church communion or ministerial station , as are neither scriptural nor necessary to peace and edification , nor are any part of that necessary order and decency , without which the service of god would be undecent , nor are in any regard so necessary , but that they may be dispensed with for a greater benefit , and the avoiding of a greater mischief . and they are found guilty of schism that urge such unscriptural and unnecessary things unto a breach in the church . such imposers are not only an occasion of the breach that follows , but a culpable cause thereof , because they impose without and against christs warrant , who will not have his church to be burdened , nor the consciences of his servants intangled with things unnecessary . nevertheless , such unscriptural or unnecessary things , if they be not in themselves unlawfull nor of mischievous consequence , may be of gods allowing as to the submitters . thereupon they are guilty of schism , who meerly for the sake of those unnecessary things yet lawfull as to their use , though wrongfully urged upon them , forsake the communion of the church or their ministerial station , where things are well settled as to the substantials of religion , and the ends of church order , and when they themselves are not required to justifie the imposing of such unnecessaries . here i speak of contumacious refusers , who will rather make a breach than yield . but refusers out of conscience believing , or with appearance of reason suspecting the said lawfull things to be unlawfull , are either accquitted from schism , or guilty but in a low degree , and much less culpable than the imposers , who might well forbear to impose . be it here noted that when superiors sin in commanding a thing exempt from their authority , it may be the subjects duty to observe the thing commanded . in this case the said observance is not an act of obedience , for that can arise only from the rulers authority to command . but it is an act of prudence , equity and charity , and it is good and necessary for the ends sake , and in that regard t is an act of obedience , though not to the earthly ruler , yet to god who commands us to follow peace and maintain unity in all lawfull ways and means . in the judgment of the apostle it is no slight matter to act against conscience rationally doubting , or suspecting a breach of gods law , rom. 14. 5. let every man be fully persuaded in his mind , v. 14. to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean , to him it is unclean , ver . 23. he that doubteth , is damned if he eat , because he eateth not of faith , for whatsoever is not of faith is sin . the command of rulers is no good security for acting against a rational doubting conscience . when i am in doubt touching the lawfulness of the thing injoyned , i have no certainty of being on the safer side , by complying with rulers . for though in general obedience to rulers be a certain duty , yet in the particular doubted case , i cannot be certain that my compliance is right and warrantable obedience , and not a breach of gods law. is it plain that i ought to obey the commands of rulers in things that have gods allowance ? so t is as plain that i ought not to obey their commands in things which god hath forbidden . moreover , it is as plain that i ought not to act against my own conscience , which as being the discerner of the will of god concerning me , is of right the immediate director of my actions . indeed my conscience cannot alter gods law , or make that which god hath made my duty to be not my duty , yet it will not suffer me to act in disconformity to its directions . seeing the unity of the spirit is always in conjunction with faith and holiness , to which the unity of external order is always to be subservient , it follows that when unity of external order doth not tend to advance but hinder sound faith and true holiness , then a false unity is set up , and the true unity is abandoned , and divisions and offences are caused . and it is no schism but a duty not to adhere to a unity of external order so set and urged , as that it tends to the destruction or notable detriment of faith and holiness , which are the end of all church order . the means are good in reference to their end , and must never be used in a way destructive to it . of the hinderance of the said ends , there be these following instances . here laid down in general , without intendment of particular application to any churches now in being , which are left to be tryed and judged by that rule by which all must stand or fall . 1. when a church or churches , a congregation or congregations have an establishment of external polity , and an ordained ministery , and a form of divine worship , but are destitute of such ministers as are qualified to feed the flock , and are burdened with such as are altogether unfit to have the charge of souls committed to them , who are either unable to teach , or teach corruptly , either teaching corrupt doctrine , or abusing , mishandling and misapplying sound doctrine , to encourage the ungodly and discourage the godly . 2. where there are some ministers able and apt to teach and duly qualified ; but their number is in no wise proportionable to the number of the people , and there be multitudes that cannot have the benefit of their ministery , so that if they have no more placed among them than those few , they have in effect none . 3. where sincere christians , or credible professors of christianity are cast out of an established church by wrong sentence , or are debarred from its communion by unlawfull terms injoyned them , or unnecessary terms which are to them unlawfull by real doubts of conscience , and which christ hath not authorized rulers to injoyn as terms of church communion . 4. when ministers , whom christ hath furnished and called , are driven out of their publick station by unlawfull terms injoyned , or by terms unnecessary and to them unlawfull by real doubts of conscience , and which christ hath not authorized rulers to injoyn as terms of the publick ministery . upon the cases here mentioned , i inquire whether the said ministers and people may not draw together into new congregations . let it be considered whether the determinations of men may be a perpetual bar to true visible christians , ( it may be to multitudes of them ) against the injoyment of those most important priviledges , to which god hath given them right . yea , suppose their consciences were culpably weak in scrupling things imposed , yet they may suffer wrong by such an excess of punishment , as so great a deprivation . and christ doth not reject them for such weaknesses . let it be also considered , whether such injured as christians are wrongfully excluded from gods ordinances , and such neglected souls as are left destitute of the necessary means of salvation , may lawfully be deserted by christs ministers . should not the stewards of the mysteries of god indeavour to supply what is lacking to such by reason of the rigourousness or negligence of others ? if it be said , we may not do evil that good may come , nor break the laws of unity for such respects , the answer is , that this is not to do evil , but a good work and a necessary duty , and here is no breach of unity that is of gods making or allowing . the necessary means of saving souls are incomparably more pretious than uniformity in external , accidental order , especially when t is unwarrantably injoyned , and attended with such evil consequents . if within any local bounds assigned for the pastoral charge of any ecclesiastick , the people be left destitude of competent provision for their souls , it is no intrusion or breach of unity if an other pastor perform the work of the ministery within those bounds . subjects may not by coercive power reform the publick state and change the laws , which is the work of the supream magistrate . but let it be considered whether they may not have their voluntary assemblies for gods worship , when they are driven from the communion of the legal churches by the imposition of unlawfull terms , or unnecessary terms apprehended by them to be unlawfull . for in this case they are forced either to hold such assemblies , or to abide perpetually without those spiritual priviledges which are their due , and the ordinary means of their salvation . there is a great difference between inimical separation , like sedition in a common-wealth , and secregation upon necessary causes without breach of charity . and among the necessary causes this may be one , that all sober christians , who for conscience sake cannot submit to the way of the established churches , may be relieved ; and that none may be exposed for lack of that relief to be lead aside into the error of the wicked , as heresie , infidelity , or any other course of impiety . indeed here is some variation from the ordinarily regular bounding of churches . but the partition of one church from another by local bounds , is not of absolute necessity and invariable , but naturally eligible from the convenience thereof , when it may be had . but the state of some christians may be such , as to compel them to vary from it . the scope hereof is not to set up churches against churches , but either occasional and temporary assemblies , or at the most but divers churches distinguished by their several places of assembling , or by diversity of external order , as the allowed congregations of foreigners in london , are distinguished from the parish churches . if any object the inconveniencies that may follow the permitting of church assemblies besides those of the established order , the answer is , that the wisdom and clemency of rulers in any nation where this case may be supposed can provide , that as few as may be should stand in need of that permission , by fixing the terms of church communion and ministerial liberty to such a latitude , as may comprehend all the more moderate dissenters . and after such comprehension , christian charity will plead , that all tolerable dissenters ( that is , all who believe and live as christians ) may be tolerated within such limits , as may stand with publick peace and safety . that which is here proposed , may make for the relief of many thousand serious christians without breach of the external order , which is necessary to be maintained , and is not set up to the hinderance of things more necessary . it is to be noted that the offenders expresly marked out by the apostle in the text , rom. 16. 17. were ungodly men that opposed or perverted the christian doctrine , and being sensualists and deceivers disturbed and polluted the christian societies , and seduced the simple into destructive error and practice . wherefore the text is ill applied to the rigorous condemnation of honest and peaceable men , that dissent only in some accidental or inferior points of religion , for which the apostle forbids christians to despise or judge one another . yet not only false teachers , but all schismaticks are here condemned under this description , viz. those that cause divisions and offences . and though they be not direct opposers of sound doctrine , yet being dividers or disturbers , they practice contrary to the doctrine of christ , which teacheth unity , love and peace . but still it must be observed that the reality of schism lies not in being divided or disordered , but in causing the division or disturbance , or in a voluntary violation of or departing from true church-unity . they that cause divisions are not excused from schism by the support of secular power , nor are others convicted of it meerly by the want of that support . the magistrates power in sacred things is accumulative , not destructive or diminitive to the rights of christs ministers and people . it takes not from them any thing that christ hath granted them , but gives them a better capacity to make use thereof . chap. iv. of the schisms that were in the more ancient times of the church ; and the different case of the nonconformists in these times . of those parties which were anciently reputed schismaticks , as violating the unity of the church , yet not hereticks , as denying any fundamental point of the christian faith , the novatians and donatists are of the chiefest note . forasmuch as both these are looked upon as the greatest instances of schism , it may be requisite for me to consider the true state of their separation from the main body of the christian church , passing by accidental matters , and insisting on the merits of their cause according to their main principles and practices . as concerning the donatists , the breach made by them had this rise . donatus with his complices vehemently opposed cecilianus , who had been chosen bishop of carthage , in design to thrust him out of his bishoprick . they accuse him of being ordained by one that had been a proditor , and of having admitted into ecclesiastical office one that was guilty of the like fault . this cause was by the emperor constantine's appointment heard before several councils and many judges . the accusers still fail in their proofs of the things objected , cecilianus is acquitted and confirmed in his office. the party of donatus failing in their design , were carried in a boundless rage of opposition to a total , and irreclaimable separation from all the churches that were not of their faction , and became very numerous upon a pretence of shunning the contagion of the wicked in the communion of the sacraments . their principles were , that the church of christ was no where to be found but among themselves in a corner of africa ; also that true baptism was not administred but in their sect. likewise they proceeded to great tumult , and violence , and rapine . and a sort of them called circumcelliones gloried in a furious kind of martyrdom , partly by forcing others to kill them , and partly by killing themselves . the novatians took their name and beginning from novatus a presbyter , first at carthage , afterwards at rome , who held that they who lapsed in times of persecution unto the denying of christ , were not to be readmitted unto the communion of the church , though they repented and submitted to the ecclesiastical discipline of pennance . he separated from the roman church , and was made a bishop by bishops of his own judgment , in opposition to cornelius bishop of rome . cyprian gives a very bad character of him , as a turbulent , arrogant and avaritious person . but of what spirit soever he was , his judgment and canon was received among many that were of stricter lives ; and he himself is reported to have suffered death in the persecution under valerian . at the council of nice , acesius bishop of the novatians being asked by constantine , whether he assented to the same faith with the council , and to the observation of easter as was there derceed , answered that he fully assented to both . then being again asked by the emperor , why he separated from the communion , he recited for himself things done in the reign of decius , and the exquisite observation of a certain severe canon , that they who after baptism had fallen into that kind of sin , which the scripture calls a sin unto death , ought not to be partakers of the divine mysteries ; but to be exhorted to repentance , and to expect the hope of remission not from the priest but from god , who hath power to forgive . by this it appears that the novatians did not deny the salvability of the lapsed , or others that had fallen into a sin unto death , but only refused to admit them to sacerdotal absolution and church-communion . and thus they made a very unwarrantable separation , grounded upon an unjust rigor of very bad consequence . nevertheless their error was no other , than what holy and good men might be ensnared in by the appearance of a greater detestation of sin , and its tendency to prevent the lapse of christians into idolatry , and to make them more resolved for martyrdom . and by as credible history as any we have of the ancient times , they are reported to have had among them men eminently pious , and some famous for miracles . they unmovably adhered to the homousian faith , and for the maintenance of it together with the orthodox , suffered dreadfull persecutions . they had some bishops remarkable for wisdom and godliness , and such as were consulted with by some of the chief of the catholick bishops , and that with good success for support of the common faith against the arrians and such like hereticks . under a certain persecution , wherein they were companions of the self same suffering , it is said that the catholicks and novatians had prayers together in the novations churches , and that in those times they were almost united , if the novations had not utterly refused that they might keep up their old institutes ; yet they bare such good will one to another , that they would die one for another . these and many other things of like nature are reported of them by socrates , whom some indeed suspect to have been addicted to them , yet upon no other ground , but because he gives them their due upon evident proof . and besides what he hath reported , sosomen thus testifies of them , l. 2. c. 30. that when other sects expired , the novatians because they had good men for the leaders of their way , and because they defended the same doctrine with the catholick church , were very numerous from the beginning , and so continued , and suffered not much dammage by constantines law for suppressing of sects ; and acesius their bishop being much favoured by the emperor , for the integrity of his life greatly advantaged his church . also l. 4. c. 19. he reports the great amity that was between them and the catholicks in a time of common persecution . whether the case of the dissenters from the uniformity now required , be in point of schism of the same or like reason with the above mentioned , or any other anciently reputed schismaticks , is now to be considered . and it is the case of those that dissent not in the substance of religion , but only in things pertaining to the ecclesiastical polity or external order in the church , that is here taken into consideration . of these , some being persuaded of the necessity of their own church-order , desire to remain as they are in their severed societies ; yet they do not nullify the legal churches or ministery , or the dispensation of the word , sacraments and prayer therein performed . others being satisfied in the constitution of parochial churches , and in the substance of the established form of worship , would gladly embrace a freedom of communicating and administring therein , upon the removal of some bars that lie against them , and which they think may well be removed . thereupon they seek an accommodation and union by a sufficient comprehensiveness in the publick constitution ; and withall a reasonable indulgence towards those brethren , who for the straightness of their judgments cannot be comprehended . neither party of the dissenters here described can be charged with any thing like the donatistical fury before expressed . if austin sought the suppression of that sect by the secular power , in regard of the horrible outrages committed by them , it cannot reasonably be urged for a precedent ( as it hath been by some ) for the suppression of men sober and peaceable , and sound in the main points of christian faith and life . nor can either party of us be charged with that intolerable presumption and arrogance of the donatists , in confining the flock of christ to their own party , or the disannulling and utter denouncing of all churches besides their own . nor is the ground of our dissatisfaction like theirs , which began in a quarrel against a particular bishop , and was maintained by animosity against those that would not condemn him . it is well known that another manner of account is to be given of our dissents . if it be objected , that those dissenters whose principles bind them up to persevere in their severed societies , seem in this respect to be as the novatians , who would not admit a re-union with the other churches ; it may be answered for them , that reasons have been offered in the foregoing parts of this discourse for indulgence to conscientious people , who are intangled by the narrowness of their principles touching church-order . besides , they do not stand off upon so harsh and rigorous a point as the novatians did , viz. the utter repelling of the lapsed , though penitent from the communion of the church . and they have ordinarily communion in the word and prayer with congregations that are not of their church way , and occasionally in the sacrament with those congregations , where they apprehend a care of the exercise of discipline . nor may they be judged so irreconcilable to the established order , but that the holy lives of those in the publick ministery , and their lively preaching , and a greater care of true and real church-discipline , might do much to their recovery . in the mean time , why may not these be upon as good terms under the present government , as the novatians were under the government of their times ? church history reports that they were cruelly persecuted by the arrian emperours and bishops , and that they had great indulgence under orthodox emperours , and with many catholick bishops and patriarchs , whose prudent and moderate government did best provide for the peace of their churches . but those orthodox bishops , who took from them their churches and estates , were chiefly either such as took to themselves a secular power , and ruled imperiously and with violence , or such as with their zeal had more of wrath and rashness than of meekness and prudence . this can be easily proved in the particular instances , if need were . but this is not the case of all nonconformists . for part of them ( and upon good experiment made , they may be found the greater part ) do not seek to abide in a severed state , but desire a union . it is well known they are as sensible of the evil of schism , and as studious of the churches peace and concord , as any others . and though they have not the same latitude of judgment with others in some points , yet they have a right catholick spirit to promote the common interest of religion , and more especially the protestant reformation , and dread the weakning and shattering of it by needless divisions , and are ready to go as far as conscience will allow in compliance with the injunctions of rulers . but they are cast and kept out of the established order by the injunction of some terms , which in regard of their present judgment , they can not comply with , but under the guilt of so great a sin as dissembling in the matter of religion . touching church-government , they admit the episcopacy that was of ancient ecclesiastical custom in the time of ignatius , yea , or of cyprian . bishop usher's model of government by bishops and arch-bishops with their presbyters , was by some of them presented to the kings majesty for a ground-work of accommodation . they acknowledge the kings ecclesiastical supremacy according to the oath in that case required . his majesty in his gracious declaration concerning ecclesiastical affairs , gives a testimony concerning the ministers that attended him in holland , in these words , viz. to our great satisfaction and comfort , we found them persons full of affection to us , and of zeal to the peace of church and state , and neither enemies ( as they had been given out to be ) to episcopacy or liturgy , but modestly to desire such alterations in either , as without shaking foundations might best allay the present distempers . they are ready to engage that they will not disturb the peace of the church , nor indeavour any point of alteration in its government by rebellious seditions , or any unlawfull ways . those points of conformity wherein they are dissatisfied , are but some accidentals of religion and external modes , and the declarations and subscriptions importing an allowance of all and every thing contained in the liturgy . and they think that these points are not so necessary in themselves or in their consequents , but they are very dispensable as the wisdom of governours shall see cause . if it be objected , that if any thing should be yielded to them , there would be no end of their cravings , that which i have to say is , that reasonable men will be satisfied with reasonable concessions ; and if subjects know not what is fit for them to ask , governours know what is fit for them to give . by granting the desired relaxation , the church would not ( as some alledge ) be self-condemned , as confessing the unlawfulness of her injunctions , or as justifying the opinions of the dissenters . for it can signifie from her no more than either her indulgence to the weak , or her moderation in things less necessary and more controverted , which would not turn to her reproach , but to her greater justification . i have here nothing to say to them that object against any relaxation after that manner , as if they desired not our conformity but our perpetual exclusion . such may be answered in due season . and i have here nothing to do with those that argue against us from politick considerations , respecting a particular interest too narrow for an adequate foundation of church-peace and christian-concord . but my scope is to consider what may be done by the higher powers and church guides for the healing of breaches , according to the wisdom which is from above , which is first pure , then peaceable , gentle and easie to be intreated , full of mercy and good fruits , without partiality and without hypocrisie . i have made particular observation of those too most remarkable parties , which have been looked upon as the chief instances of schism in the more ancient times . the other schisms that i find of any remark in those times were raised , sometimes by persons cast out of the church for their crimes , and thereupon drawing disciples after them , as was that of meletius a bishop in egypt , who was desposed for having sacrificed to idols . sometimes by offence unjustly taken at some supposed faultiness in a bishop , as was that of an orthodox party in antioch , against another meletius , an orthodox and right worthy bishop of that city , only because he was at first brought in by the arrians ; sometimes by the exasperations of the people for injuries done to them or their pastors , and outrages committed by their opposites , as was that of the johannites at constantinople upon the banishment of chrysostom ; and somtimes by meer animosity and humor of discontentment , as was that of lucifer a bishop in sardinia , who separated from eusebius bishop of vertellis and others , because they disliked his rash act of ordaining paulinus to be bishop of antioch , as tending to perpetuate the schism there begun . touching all the said parties , it may be observed that they did not plead that any opinions or forms were imposed on them , to which their consciences did reluctate , nor did they desire others forbearance towards them in such things as might bear too hard upon them ; but they themselves would not bear with others in that which they supposed faulty , but did nither choose wholly to abandon the communion of the churches , and did not seek nor care for accomodation with them . but this is not the case of at least a great part of the dissenters of these times . for they importune an accommodation with the churches of the established order , and for peace sake , are willing to bear with the practice of others in that which themselves dislike or doubt of ; but they cannot obtain a dispensation from others , in some things which are very dispensable points according to their judgment , but are forced to abide in a severed state , unless they will profess what they believe not , or practice what they allow not . now because the judgment and practice of antiquity is much insisted on , i pray that it may be considered , whether in the primitive , or ancient times of christianity , men , yea , many hundreds of men duly qualified for the ministery by sound faith and good life , as also by their learning and industry , and offering all reasonable security for their submissive and peaceable demeanure , were or would have been cast and kept out of the church for their nonconformity to some opinions , forms and ceremonies , which at the best are but the accidentals of religion , and of the truth or lawfulness whereof , the dissenters were wholly dissatisfied , and which the imposers judged to be but things in themselves indifferent . and i further pray that it may be considered , whether it be easier for the nonconformists to be self-condemned in conforming to some injunctions against their consciences , and in deserting the ministery to which they are dedicated , than for superiours either by some relaxation to make them capable of conforming , or to bear with their peaceable exercise of the ministery in a state of nonconformity , while some of their injunctions confine them to that state . chap. v. of making a right estimate of the guilt of schism , and something more of taking the right way to unity . the confused noise about schism , and the unjust imputation thereof , that is commonly made , hath greatly disordered the minds of many . some have been thereby swaid to an absolute compliance with the most numerous or the most prevailing parties . others discerning the abuse of this name , but forgetting that there is something truly so called , have made light of the thing it self , which is indeed of a heinous nature . i have been engaged in this disquisition by a deep sense of the evil of schism , and an earnest care of keeping my self from the real guilt thereof , and what is here written , i willingly submit to a grave and just examination . errare possum , haereticus , schismaticus esse nolo . i am liable to errour as others are , but i am sure i am no wilfull schismatick . it is commonly given to men to pass a severe judgment upon every dissent from their own opinions and orders . whereupon , as that hath had the character of schism stamped upon it , which is not such indeed ; so that which is schism in a low and tolerable degree , hath been aggravated to the highest , and prosecuted against all rules of prudence and charity . to make an equal judgment of the guilt of schism in persons or parties , the degree of the schism is duly to be considered . our saviour teacheth that reviling language , contemptuous words and rash anger , are breaches of the sixth commandment , yet in degree of guilt , they are vastly different from the act of wilfull murther . and indeed in the kind of delinquency here treated of , there are as great differences of degrees as of any other kind . the case of those that are necessitated to a non-compliance in some lawfull things by them held unlawfull , yet seeking union would gladly embrace a reasonable accomodation , is much different from theirs , who upon choice and wilfully sever themselves , because they love to be severed . in like manner the case of those who desire and seek the conformity of others , and would gladly have fellowship with them , yet through misguided zeal , are approvers of such unnecessary impositions as hinder the conforming of many , is much different from theirs , who designing the extrusion of others , contrive the intangling of them by needless rigors . many other instances might be given to express the great disparity of cases in point of schism , all which may teach us in the estimate that we are to make thereof , to put a difference between honest minds , that by mistake are drawn into division , and those that out of their corrupt minds and evill designs do wilfully cause division . in many things we offend all , and therefore it behoves us to consider one another , as subject to the like errours and passions . we should not judge too severely , as we would not be so judged . there be many examples of schismatical animosities and perversnesses , into which in the ancient times such persons have fallen , as were otherwise worthily esteemed in the church . cyril with the greater number of bishops in the ephesine council , too rashly deposed john of antioch , and his party of bishops upon a quarrel that arose between them . and john with his adherents returning to antioch , did more rashly depose cyril and his party , and yet both parties were orthodox , and in the issue joyned in the condemnation of nestorius . but the most remarkable instance in this kind , is the disorderly and injurious proceeding of so venerable a person as epiphanius , against so worthy a person as chrysostom , to which he was stirred up by the instigation of that incendiary theophilus of alexandria . the said epiphanius goes to constantinople , and in the church without the city held a sacred communion , and ordained a deacon ; and when he had entred the city , in a publick church he read the decree made by himself and some others in the condemnation of origens books , and excommunicated dioscurus and his brethren called the long monks , worthy and orthodox men persecuted by the anthromorphites . and all this he did without and against the consent of chrysostom the bishop of the place , and in contempt of him . i may further instance in the long continued division between paulinus and meletius , with their parties at antioch , though both of them were of the nicene faith ; likewise in the long continued separation made from the church of constantinople , by the followers of chrysostom after his banishment , because they were exasperated by the injuries done to their worthy patriarch . these weaknesses in good men of old times , i observe not to dishonour them , but that we may be thereby warned to be more charitable and less censorious towards one another , in case of the like weaknesses and disorders , and to be sollicitous to maintain peace , and to prevent discord among all those that are united in the substantials of christian faith and practice , and for this end to be more carefull in avoiding unreasonable oppositions , unwarrantable impositions , and all causless exasperations . true holiness is the basis of true unity . for by it the faithfull cleave to god , and one to another in him and for him , and are inclined to receive one another on those terms , on which god hath received them all . and by it they are turned from that dividing selfishness , which draws men into several or opposite ways according to their several or opposite ends . let not a carnal wordly interest in a church state , be set up against holiness and unity . let the increase and peace of the church visible , be sought in order to the increase and peace of the mystical . let no one party be lifted up against the common peace of sound believers ; and let not any part of the legitimate children of christs family be ejected or harassed upon the instigation of others , but let the stewards in the family carry it equally , and so gratifie one part in their desired orders , that the other part be not oppressed . let not them be still vexed , who would be glad of tolerable terms with their brethren . in church-governours let the power of doing good be enlarged , and the power of doing hurt restrained , as much as will stand with the necessary ends of government . let the discipline of the church commend it self to the consciences of men . let the edge of it be turned the right way and its vigor be put forth , not about little formalities but the great and weighty matters of religion . zeal in substantials and charitable forbearance in circumstantials , is the way to gain upon the hearts of those that understand the true ends of church-government , and what it is to be religious indeed . let the occasions of stumbling and snares of division be taken out of the way , and let controverted unnecessaries be left at liberty . discord will be inevitable , where the terms of concord remain a difficulty insuperable . the conscientious that are willing to bid high for peace ; cannot resign their consciences to the wills of men , and humility and soberness doth not oblige them to act contrary to their own judgments out of reverence to their superiors ; they cannot help themselves , but their superiors may . t is the spirit of antichrist that is fierce and violent ; but the spirit of christ is dovelike , meek and harmless , and that spirit inclines to deal tenderly with the consciences of inferiours . tenderness of conscience is not to be despised or exposed to scorn , because some may falsly pretend to it . the head of the church and saviour of the body is compassionate towards his members , and he hath said , whoso shall offend one of these little ones , that believe in me , it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck , and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. as the way of unity lies much in the wisdom , equity and charity of superiours , so in the humility and due submission of inferiours , in their ready closing with what is commendable in the publick constitutions , in their bearing with what is tolerable , in making the best improvement of what is therein improvable for their own and others edification , in a word , in denying no compliance , which piety towards god and charity towards men doth not forbid . matters of publick injunction , which inferiors stick at , may be considered by them either as in themselves unlawfull , or as inexpedient . now it is not only or chiefly the inexpediency of things commanded , but the supposed unlawfulness of divers of those things that the nonconformists generally stick at , whereof they are ready to render a particular account , when it will be admitted . howbeit a question may arise about the warrantableness of submission to things not in themselves unlawfull but inexpedient , especially in respect of scandal , the solution whereof may be requisite for the clearing of our way in such things . upon this question it may be noted , that in those cases , wherein there is no right of commanding , there is no due of obedience . nevertheless , things unwarrantably commanded are sometimes warrantably observed , though not in obedience , yet in prudence , as to procure peace , and to shew a readiness to all possible compliance with superiors . moreover , rulers have no authority to command that , which in it self is not unlawfull , when christian charity forbids to do it in the present circumstances by reason of evil consequents . for all authority is given for edification and not for destruction . likewise our christian liberty includes no licence to do that act at the command of rulers , the doing of which in regard of circumstances , is uncharitable . but here it must be considered , how far the law of charity doth extend in this case , and when it doth , or doth not forbid my observance of what the ruler hath unwarrantably , because uncharitably commanded . true charity doth not wholly destroy christian liberty , though it regulates the use thereof ; and it doth not extend it so far one way as to destroy it self another way . if i am bound up from doing every indifferent thing , at which weak consciences will take offence , my liberty is turned into bondage , and i am left in thraldom to other mens endless scrupulosities . this is i think a yoke which christians are not fit nor able to bear . this bondage is greater and the burden lies heavier upon me , if by reason of others weakness , i must be bound up from observing an indifferent thing at the command of rulers , and by them made the condition of my liberty for publick service in the church , when my conscience is fully satisfied that it is lawfull , and otherwise expedient for me to do it . as for the warrantableness of enjoyning , the ruler must look to that . are some displeased and grieved that i do it ? as many or more may be displeased and grieved if i do it not . do some take occasion by my necessary use of a just liberty , to embolden themselves to sin ? my forbearing of it may be an occasion of sin to others , as their persisting in some troublesom errour to their own and others spiritual dammage , and in unwarrantable non-compliance with their governours . and the loss of my liberty for publick service consequent to such forbearance , must also be laid in the ballance . when both the using and forbearing of my liberty is clogged with evil consequents , i know no safer way than duly to consider of what moment the consequents are on either side , and to incline to that which hath the lesser evil . herein the wisdom of the prudent is to direct his way upon the impartial view of all circumstances which come under his prospect . and if good conscience and right reason , guided by the general rules of gods word , lead me to make use of my christian liberty in compliance with my superiors , i must humbly and charitably apply my self to remove the offence , that some take , by clearing the lawfulness and expediency of my act to their judgments . but if that cannot be discerned by them , i am by my christian good behaviour to make it evident to their consciences , what in me lies , that what i do , i do sincerely and faithfully , and that i am no temporizer , man-pleaser and self-seeker . i humbly conceive that that high saying of the apostle , if meat make my brother to offend , i will eat no flesh while the world standeth , doth admit such equitable interpretation , as the circumstances of time , place , person , and the whole state of things declares to be most reasonable . a humble representation of my own case touching the exercise of the ministery . i have been in the ministery near fourty years , having been ordained presbyter according to the form of ordination used in the church of england . and being called to this sacred order , i hold my self indispensibly obliged to the work thereof , as god enables me and gives me opportunity . the nature of the office is signified in the form of words , by which i was solemnly set apart thereunto . viz. [ receive the holy ghost , whose sins thou dost forgive , they are forgiven , and whose sins thou dost retain , they are retained : and be thou a faithfull dispenser of the word of god and of his holy sacraments , in the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost , amen . ] the former part of these words being used by our saviour to his apostles , in conferring upon them the pastoral authority , fully proves that the office of a presbyter is pastoral , and of the same nature with that which was ordinary in the apostles , and in which they had successours . likewise , this church did then appoint that at the ordering of priests or presbyters , certain portions of scripture should be read , as belonging to their office to instruct them in the nature of it , viz. that portion of act. 20. which relates st. pauls sending to ephesus , and calling for the elders of the congregation with his exhortation to them , to take heed to themselves and to all the flock , over which the holy ghost had made them overseers , to rule the congregation of god. or else 1 tim. 3. which sets forth the office and due qualification of a bishop . and afterwards the bishop spake to them that were to receive the office of priesthood , in this form of words , ( ye have heard , brethren , as well in your private examination , and in the exhortation and holy lessons taken out of the gospels and writings of the apostles , of what dignity , and how great importance this office is whereto ye are called , that is to say the messengers , the watchmen , the pastors and stewards of the lord , to teach , to premonish , to feed , to provide for the lords family . i mention my ordination according to the episcopal form , because it is of greatest esteem with them , to whom this representation is more especially tendred . nevertheless , i own the validity of presbyterial ordination , and judge that ministers so ordained , may make the same defence for exercising the ministery , in the same case that is here represented . christ is the author and the only proper giver of this office ; and though he give it by the mediation of men , yet not by them as giving the office , but as instruments of the designation , or of the solemn investiture of the person to whom he gives it . as the king is the immediate giver of the power of a mayor in a town corporate , when he gives it by the mediation of electors and certain officers , only as instruments of the designation , or of the solemn investiture of the person . i am not conscious of disabling my self to the sacred ministrations , that belong to the office of a presbyter , by any opinion or practice , that may render me unfit for the same . touching which matter , i humbly offer my self to the tryal of my superiors to be made according to gods word . nothing necessary to authorize me to those ministrations is wanting that i know of . i am christs commissioned officer ; and i do not find that he hath revoked the authority which i have received from him ; and without the warrant of his law no man can take it from me . nor do i find , that the nature of this office , or the declared will of christ requires , that it be exercised no otherwise than in subordination to a disocesan bishop . that i do not exercise the ministery under the regulation of the bishop of the diocess , and in other circumstances according to the present established order , the cause is not in me , who am ready to submit thereunto ; but a bar is laid against me by the injunction of some terms in the lawfulness whereof i am not satisfied , whereof i am ready to give an account when it is required . i do not understand that i am under any oath or promise to exercise the ministery , no otherwise than in subordination to the bishop , or the ordinary of the place . the promise made at my ordination to obey my ordinary and other chief ministers , to whom the government and charge over me is committed , concerns me only as a presbyter , standing in relation to the bishop or ordinary , as one of the clergy of the diocess , or other peculiar jurisdiction , in which relation i do not now stand , being cast out and made uncapable thereof . moreover , in whatsoever capacity i now stand , the said promise must be understood either limitedly or without limitation . if limitedly , as in things lawfull and honest , ( as i conceive it ought to be understood ) then i am not bound by it in the present case . for it is not lawfull nor honest for me to comply with the now injoyned conformity against my conscience , or in case of such necessitated non-compliance , to desist from the ministery that i have received in the lord. if it be understood without limitation , it is a sinfull promise in the matter thereof , and thereupon void . absolute and unlimited obedience to man may not be promised . let it be considered also that the objected promise could not bind me to more than the conformity then required . but since my ordination and promise then made , the state of conformity hath been much altered by the injunction of more , and to me harder terms than formerly were injoyned . when i was ordained , i thought that the terms then required were such as might be lawfully submitted to . but young men ( such as i then was ) may be easily drawn to subscribe to things publickly injoyned , and so become engaged , before they have well considered . the ordainer or ordainers , who designed me to this office of christs donation , and not theirs , could not by any act of theirs lessen it as to its nature or essential state . nor can they derogate from christs authority over me , and the obligation which he hath laid upon me , to discharge the office with which he hath intrusted me . that a necessity is laid upon me in my present state to preach the gospel , i am fully perswaded , in regard of the necessities of souls , which cry aloud for all the help that can posibly be given by christs ministers , whether conformists or nonconformists . the necessary means of their salvation is more valuable , than meer external order or uniformity in things accidental . i receive the whole doctrine of faith and sacraments , according to the articles of the church of england , and am ready to subscribe the same . i have joyned , and still am ready to joyn with the legally established churches in their publick worship . the matter of my sacred ministrations hath been always consonant to the doctrine of the reformed churches , and particularly of the church of england . i meddle not with our present differences , but insist on the great and necessary points of christian religion . i design not the promoting of a severed party , but of meer christianity or godliness . i am willing to comply with the will of my superiors as far as is possible with a safe conscience , and to return to my ministerial station in the established churches , may i be but dispensed with in the injunctions , with which my conscience , till i be otherwise informed , forbids me to comply . in the whole of my dissent from the said injunctions , i can not be charged with denying any thing essential to christian faith and life , or to the constitution of a church , or any of the weightier matters of religion , or with being in any thing inconsistent with good order and government . my case , as i have sincerely set it forth , i humbly represent to the clemency of my governours , and to the charity , equity and ●●●●●r of all christs ministers and people . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e i design to follow after the things which make for peace ; and i hope i am not mistaken in the way to it . i. c. finis . books lately printed for tho. parkhurst at the bible and three crowns in cheapside . one hundred of select sermons upon several occasions , by tho. horton , d. d. sermons on the 4th . psal. 42. psal. 51. and 63. psal. by tho. horton , d. d. a compleat martyrology , both of foraign and english martyrs , with the lives of 26 modern divines , by sam. clark. a discourse of actual providence , by john collings , d. d. an exposition on the 5 first chapters of the revelation of jesus christ , by charles phelpes . a discourse of grace and temptation , by tho. froysall . the revival of grace . sacramental reflections on the death of christ as testator . a sacrifice and curse , by john hurst . a glimps of eternity to awaken sinners and comfort saints , by ab. coley . which is the church , or an answer to the question , where was your church before luther ? by rich. baxter . the husbandmans companion , or meditations sutable for farmers , in order to spiritualize their employment , by edward bury . mr. adams exposition of the assemb . catechism , showing its harmony with the articles and homilies of the church of england . the present state of new-england , with the history of their wars with the indies . popery an enemy to truth and civil government , by jo. sheldeck . spelling book for children , by tho. lye. principals of christian religion , with practical applications to each head , by tho. gouge . almost christian , by matth. mead. godly mans ark , by edmund calamy . heaven and hell on earth in a good or bad conscience , by nath. vincent . little catechism for children , with short histories , which may both please and profit them , by nath. vincent . ark of the covenant , with an epistle prefixed by john owen , d. d. this author hath lately published this book intituled , the kingdom of god among men . a tract of the sound state of religion , or that christianity which is described in the holy scriptures , and of things that make for the security and increase thereof in the world , designing its more ample diffusion among professed christians of all sorts , and its surer propagation to future ages . printed for tho. parkhurst . the reasonableness of christianity as delivered in the scriptures locke, john, 1632-1704. 1695 approx. 363 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 157 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a48888) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 60354) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 216:5) the reasonableness of christianity as delivered in the scriptures locke, john, 1632-1704. [5], 304 p. printed for awnsham and john churchil ..., london : 1695. written by j. locke. cf. wing. first ed. cf. nuc pre-1956. errata: p. [5]. advertisements: p. 304. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church history -17th century. christianity -early works to 1800. philosophy and religion -early works to 1800. apologetics -early works to 1800. apologetics -history -17th century. 2002-06 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2002-07 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2002-08 olivia bottum sampled and proofread 2002-08 olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the reasonableness of christianity , as delivered in the scriptures . london : printed for awnsham and iohn churchil , at the black swan in pater-noster-row . 1695. the preface . the little satisfaction and consistency is to be found in most of the systems of divinity i have met with , made me betake my self to the sole reading of the scripture ( to which they all appeal ) for the understanding the christian religion . what from thence by an attentive and unbiassed search i have received , reader , i here deliver to thee . if by this my labour thou receivest any light or confirmation in the truth , joyn with me in thanks to the father of lights for his condescention to our vnderstandings . if upon a fair and unprejudiced examination , thou findest i have mistaken the sense and tenor of the gospel , i beseech thee , as a true christian , in the spirit of the gospel ( which is that of charity ) and in the words of sobriety , set me right in the doctrine of salvation . errata . page 35. line 22. read on the. p. 62. l. 26. r. bethesda . p. 63. l. 26. r. little of any thing ; p. 64. ult . r. it was . p. 65. l. 6. r. them at ierusalem . ibid. l. 10 r. ing in that place . p. 67. l. 17. r. that remained . p. 69. l. 23. r. a king , or rather messiah the king , p. 75. l. 6. dele these . ibid. l. 14. r. nor 〈◊〉 . p. 112. l. 4. r. bethesda . p. 161. l. 2. r. and of . p. 165. l. 20. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 present world. p. 194. l. 11. r. availed not devils . p. 217. l. 11. r. in his sermon in the. p. 263. l. ● . r. before observed . p. 264. l. 24. r. custom . p. 271. l. 2. r. apophthegms . ibid. l. 24. r. themselves ; and deduces . p. 282. l. 〈◊〉 . r. no touch of . p. 284. 1. 〈◊〉 confusion . p. 287. l. 17. r. life and. p. 295. l. 22. r. the apostles . p. 203. l. 20. r. treatise ? p. 304. l. 4. ● abstract . ibid. l. 14. read them , the reasonableness of christianity , as delivered in the scriptures . t is obvious to any one who reads the new testament , that the doctrine of redemption , and consequently of the gospel , is founded upon the supposition of adam's fall. to understand therefore what we are restored to by jesus christ , we must consider what the scripture shews we lost by adam . this i thought worthy of a diligent and unbiassed search : since i found the two extreams , that men run into on this point , either on the one hand shook the foundations of all religion , or on the other made christianity almost nothing . for whilst some men would have all adam's posterity doomed to eternal infinite punishment for the transgression of adam , whom millions had never heard of , and no one had authorized to transact for him , or be his representative ; this seemed to others so little consistent with the justice or goodness of the great and infinite god , that they thought there was no redemption necessary , and consequently that there was none , rather than admit of it upon a supposition so derogatory to the honour and attributes of that infinite being ; and so made jesus christ nothing but the restorer and preacher of pure natural religion ; thereby doing violence to the whole tenor of the new testament . and indeed both sides will be suspected to have trespassed this way , against the written word of god , by any one , who does but take it to be a collection of writings designed by god for the instruction of the illiterate bulk of mankind in the way to salvation ; and therefore generally and in necessary points to be understood in the plain direct meaning of the words and phrases , such as they may be supposed to have had in the mouths of the speakers , who used them according to the language of that time and country wherein they lived , without such learned , artificial , and forced senses of them , as are sought out , and put upon them in most of the systems of divinity , according to the notions , that each one has been bred up in . to one that thus unbiassed reads the scriptures , what adam fell from , is visible , was the state of perfect obedience , which is called justice in the new testament , though the word which in the original signifies justice , be translated righteousness : and by this fall he lost paradise , wherein was tranquility and the tree of life , i. e. he lost bliss and immortality . the penalty annexed to the breach of the law , with the sentence pronounced by god upon it , shew this . the penalty stands thus , gen. ii. 17. in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die . how was this executed ? he did eat , but in the day he did eat , he did not actually die , but was turned out of paradise from the tree of life , and shut out for ever from it , lest he should take thereof and live for ever . this shews that the state of paradise was a state of immortality , of life without end , which he lost that very day that he eat : his life began from thence to shorten , and wast , and to have an end ; and from thence to his actual death , was but like the time of a prisoner between the sentence past and the execution , which was in view and certain . death then enter'd and shewed his face , which before was shut out , and not known . so st. paul , rom. v. 12. by one man sin entred into the world , and death by sin ; i. e. a state of death and mortality : and 1 cor. xv. 22. in adam all die ; i. e. by reason of his transgression all men are mortal , and come to die . this is so clear in these cited places , and so much the current of the new testament , that no body can deny , but that the doctrine of the gospel is , that death came on all men by adam's sin ; only they differ about the signification of the word death . for some will have it to be a state of guilt , wherein not only he , but all his posterity was so involved , that every one descended of him deserved endless torment in hell-fire . i shall say nothing more here how far , in the apprehensions of men , this consists with the justice and goodness of god , having mentioned it above : but it seems a strange way of understanding a law , which requires the plainest and directest words , that by death should be meant eternal life in misery . could any one be supposed by a law , that says , for felony you shall die , not that he should lose his life , but be kept alive in perpetual exquisite torments ? and would any one think himself fairly dealt with , that was so used ? to this they would have it be also a state of necessary sinning , and provoking god in every action that men do : a yet harder sense of the word death than the other . god says , that in the day that thou eatest of the forbidden fruit , thou shalt die ; i. e. thou and thy posterity shall be ever after uncapable of doing any thing , but what shall be sinful and provoking to me , and shall justly deserve my wrath and indignation . could a worthy man be supposed to put such terms upon the obedience of his subjects , much less can the righteous god be supposed , as a punishment of one sin wherewith he is displeased , to put man under a necessity of sinning continually , and so multiplying the provocation ? the reason of this strange interpretation we shall perhaps find in some mistaken places of the new testament . i must confess by death here i can understand nothing but a ceasing to be , the losing of all actions of life and sense . such a death came on adam , and all his posterity by his first disobedience in paradise , under which death they should have lain for ever , had it not been for the redemption by jesus christ. if by death threatned to adam were meant the corruption of humane nature in his posterity , 't is strange that the new testament should not any where take notice of it , and tell us , that corruption seized on all because of adam's transgression , as well as it tells us so of death . but as i remember every ones sin is charged upon himself only . another part of the sentence was , cursed is the ground for thy sake ; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life , in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread , till thou return unto the ground : for out of it wast thou taken ; dust thou art , and to dust shalt thou return . this shews that paradise was a place of bliss as well as immortality , without toyl , and without sorrow . but when man was turned out , he was exposed to the toyl , anxiety , and frailties of this mortal life , which should end in the dust , out of which he was made , and to which he should return ; and then have no more life or sense than the dust had , out of which he was made . as adam was turned out of paradise , so all his posterity were born out of it , out of the reach of the tree of life , all like their father adam in a state of mortality , void of the tranquility and bliss of paradise . rom. v. 12. by one man sin entered into the world , and death by sin . but here will occur the common objection , that so many stumble at : how doth in consist with the justice and goodness of god , that the posterity of adam should suffer for his sin ; the innocent be punished for the guilty ? very well , if keeping one from what he has no right to be called a punishment . the state of immortality in paradise is not due to the posterity of adam more than to any other creature . nay , if god afford them a temporary mortal life ' 't is his gift , they owe it to his bounty , they could not claim it as their right , nor does he injure them when he takes it from them . had he taken from manking any thing , that was their right ; or did he put men in a state of misery worse than not being without any fault or demerit of their own ; this indeed would be hard to reconcile with the notion we have of justice , and much more with the goodness and other attributes of the supream being , which he has declared of himself , and reason as well as revelation must acknowledge to be in him ; unless we will confound good and evil , god and satan . that such a state of extream irremidiable torment is worse than no being at all , if every one ones sense did not determine against the vain philosophy , and foolish metaphysicks of some men ; yet our saviour's peremptory decision , matt. xxvi . 24. has put it past doubt , that one may be in such an estate , that it had been better for him not to have been born . but that such a temporary life as we now have , with all its frailties and ordinary miseries is better than no being , is evident by the high value we put upon it our selves . and therefore though all die in adam , yet none are truly punished but for their own deeds . rom. ii. 6. god will render to every one , how ? according to his deeds . to those that obey unrighteousness , indignation and wrath , tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil , v. 9. 2 cor. v. 10. we must appear before the iudgment-seat of christ , that every one may receive the things done in his body , according to that he has done , whether it be good or bad . and christ himself , who knew for what he should condemn men at the last day , assures us in the two places where he describes his proceeding at the great judgment , that the sentence of condemnation passes only on the workers of iniquity , such as neglected to fulfil the law in acts of charity , mat. vii . 23. luke xiii . 27. mat. xxv . 42. but here is no condemnation of any one , for what his fore-father adam had done , which 't is not likely should have been omitted , if that should have been a cause , why any one was adjudged to the fire with the devil and his angels . and he tells his disciples , that when he comes again with his angels is the glory of his father , that then he will render to every one according to his works , mat. xvi . 27. adam being thus turned out of paradise , and all his posterity born out of it , the consequence of it was , that all men should die , and remain under death for ever , and so be utterly lost . from this estate of death jesus christ restores all mankind to life ; 1 cor. xv. 22. as in adam all die , so in christ shall all be made alive . how this shall be , the same apostle tells us in the foregoing v. 21. by man death came , by man also came the resurrection from the dead . whereby it appears , that the life , which jesus christ restores to all men , is that life , which they receive again at the resurrection . then they recovered from death , which otherwise all mankind should have continued under lost for ever , as appears by st. paul's arguing , 1 cor. xv. concerning the resurrection . and thus men are by the second adam restored to life again : that so by adam's sin they may none of them lose any thing , which by their own righteousness they might have a title to . for righteousness , or an exact obedience to the law , seems by the scripture to have a claim of right to eternal life , rom. iv. 4. to him that worketh ; i. e. does the works of the law , is the reward not reckoned of grace , but of debt . and rev. xxii . 14. blessed are they who do his commandments , that they may have right to the tree of life , which is in the paradise of god. if any of the posterity of adam were just , they shall not lose the reward of it , eternal life and bliss , by being his mortal issue : christ will bring them all to life again ; and then they shall be put every one upon his own tryal , and receive judgment , as he is found to be righteous or no. and the righteous , as our saviour says , mat. xxv . 46. shall go into eternal life . nor shall any one miss it , who has done what our saviour directed the lawyer , who asked , luke x. 25. what he should do to inherit eternal life ? do this , i. e. what is required by the law , and thou shalt live . on the other side , it seems the unalterable purpose of the divine justice , that no unrighteous person , no one that is guilty of any breach of the law , should be in paradise ; but that the wages of sin shold be to every man , as it was to adam , an exclusion of him out of that happy state of immortality , and bring death upon him . and this is so conformable to the eternal and established law of right and wrong , that it is spoke of too as if it could not be otherwise . st. iames says , chap. i. 15. sin when it is finished bringeth forth death , as it were by a natural and necessary production . sin entred into the world , and death by sin , says st. paul , rom. v. 12. & vi. 23. the wages of sin is death . death is the purchase of any , of every sin . gal. iii. 10. cursed is every one who continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them . and of this st. iames gives a reason , chap. ii. 10 , 11. whosoever shall keep the whole law , and yet offend in one point , he is guilty of all : for he that said , do not commit adultery , said also , do not kill : i. e. he that offends in any one point , sins against the authority which established the law. here then we have the standing and fixed measures of life and death . immortality and bliss belong to the righteous ; those who have lived in an exact conformity to the law of god , are out of the reach of death : but an exclusion from paradise , and loss of immortality , is the portion of sinners , of all those who have any way broke that law , and failed of a compleat obedience to it by the guilt of any one transgression . and thus mankind by the law are put upon the issues of life or death ; as they are righteous , or vnrighteous ; iust or vnjust ; i. e. exact performers , or transgressors of the law. but yet all having sinned , rom. iii. 23. and come short of the glory god , i. e. the kingdom of god in heaven , which is often called his glory , both iews and gentiles , v. 22. so that by the deeds of the law no one could be justified , v. 20. it follows , that no one could then have eternal life and bliss . perhaps it will be demanded , why did god give so hard a law to mankind , that to the apostles time no one of adam's issue had kept it ? as appears by rom. iii. and gal. iii. 21 , 22. answ. it was such a law as the purity of god's nature required , and must be the law of such a creature as man , unless god would have made him a rational creature , and not required him to have lived by the law of reason , but would have countenanced in him irregularity and disobedience to that light which he had ; and that rule , which was suitable to his nature : which would have been , to have authorized disorder , confusion , and wickedness in his creatures . for that this law was the law of reason , or as it is called of nature , we shall see by and by : and if rational creatures will not live up to the rule of their reason , who shall excuse them ? if you will admit them to forsake reason in one point , why not in another ? where will you stop ? to disobey god in any part of his commands ( and 't is he that commands what reason does ) is direct rebellion ; which if dispensed with in any point , government and order are at an end ; and there can be no bounds set to the lawless exorbitancy of unconfined men . the law therefore was , as st. paul tells us , rom. vii . 12 , holy , just , and good , and such as it ought , and could not otherwise be . this then being the case , that whoever is guilty of any sin , should certainly die , and cease to be , the benefit of life restored by christ at the resurrection would have been no great advantage , ( for as much as here again death must have seized upon all mankind , because all had sinned ; for the wages of sin is every where death , as well after as before the resurrection ) if god had not found out a way to justifie some , i. e. so many , as obeyed another law , which god gave , which in the new testament is called the law of faith , rom. iii. 27. and is opposed to the law of works . and therefore the punishment of those who would not follow him was to lose their souls . i. e. their lives , mark viii . 35-38 . as is plain , considering the occasion it was spoke on . the better to understand the law of faith , it will be convenient in the first place to consider the law of works . the law of works then , in short , is that law , which requires perfect obedience , without any remission or abatement ; so that by that law a man cannot be just , or justified without an exact performance of every tittle . such a perfect obedience in the new testament is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which we translate righteousness . the language of this law is , do this and live , transgress and die . lev. xviii . 5. ye shall keep my statutes and my judgments , which if a man do he shall live in them . ezek. xx. 11. i gave them my statutes , and shewed them my judgments , which if a man do he shall even live in them . moses , says st. paul , rom. x. 5. describeth the righteousness which is of the law , that the man which doth those things shall live in them . gal. iii. 12. the law is not of faith , but that man that doth them shall live in them . on the other side , transgress and die ; no dispensation , no atonement . v. 10. cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them . where this law of works was to be found , the new testament tells us , ( viz. ) in the law delivered by moses . iohn i. 17. the law was given by moses , but faith and truth came by iesus christ. cap. vii . 19. did not moses give you the law , says our saviour , and yet none of you keep the law. and this is the law which he speaks of , where he asks the lawyer , luke x. 26. what is written in the law ? how readest thou ? v. 28. this do and thou shalt live . this is that which st. paul so often stiles the law , without any other distinction , rom. ii. 13. not the hearers of the law are just before god , but the doers of the law are justified . 't is needless to quote any more places , his epistles are all full of it , especially this to the romans . but the law given by moses being not given to all mankind , how are all men sinners ; since without a law there is no transgression ? to this the apostle , v. 14. answers , for when the gentiles which have not the law , do ( i. e. find it reasonable to do ) by nature the things contained in the law ; these having not the law , are a law unto themselves : which shew the work of the law written in their hearts , their consciences also bearing witness , and amongst one another their thoughts accusing or excusing . by which , and other places in the following chapter , 't is plain , that under the law of works is comprehended also the law of nature , knowable by reason as well as the law given by moses . for , says st. paul , rom. iii. 9. 23. we have proved both iews and gentiles , that they are all under sin : for all have sinned , and come short of the glory of god : which they could not do without a law. nay , whatever god requires any where to be done without making any allowance for faith , that is a part of the law of works . so the forbidding adam to eat of the tree of knowledge was part of the law of works . only we must take notice here , that some of god's positive commands being for peculiar ends , and suited to particular circumstances of times , places , and persons , have a limited and only temporary obligation by vertue of god's positive injunction ; such as was that part of moses's law which concerned the outward worship , or political constitution of the jews , and is called the ceremonial and judaical law , in contradistinction to the moral part of it ; which being conformable to the eternal law of right , is of eternal obligation , and therefore remains in force still under the gospel ; nor is abrogated by the law of faith , as st. paul found some ready to infer , rom. iii. 31. do we then make void the law through faith ? god forbid ; yea , we establish the law. nor can it be otherwise : for were there no law of works , there could be no law of faith. for there could be no need of faith , which should be counted to men for righteousness , if there were no law to be the rule and measure of righteousness , which men failed in their obedience to . where there is no law , there is no sin ; all are righteous equally with or without faith. the rule therefore of right is the same that ever it was , the obligation to observe it is also the same : the difference between the law of works and the law of faith is only this ; that the law of works makes no allowance for failing on any occasion . those that obey are righteous , those that in any part disobey are unrighteous , and must not expect life the reward of righteousness . but by the law of faith , faith is allowed to supply the defect of full obedience ; and so the believers are admitted to life and immortality as if they were righteous . only here we must take notice , that when st. paul says , that the gospel establishes the law , he means the moral part of the law of moses : for that he could not mean the ceremonial or political part of it , is evident by what i quoted out of him just now , where he says , the gentiles that do by nature the things contained in the law , their consciences bearing witness . for the gentiles neither did nor thought of the judaical or ceremonial institutions of moses , 't was only the moral part their consciences were concerned in . as for the rest , st. paul tells the galatians , cap. iv. they are not under that part of the law , which v. 3. he calls elements of the world ; and v. 9. weak and beggarly elements . and our saviour himself in his gospel-sermon on the mount , tells them , mat. v. 17. that whatever they might think , he was not come to dissolve the law , but to make it more full and strict : for that that is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is evident from the following part of that chapter , where he gives the precepts in a stricter sense than they were received in before . but they are all precepts of the moral law which he reinforces . what should become of the ritual law he tells the woman of samaria in these words , iohn iv. 21. 23. the hour cometh when you shall neither in this mountain , nor yet at jerusalem worship the father . but the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth , for the father seeketh such to worship him . thus then as to the law in short . the civil and ritual part of the law delivered by moses obliges not christians , though to the jews it were a part of the law of works ; it being a part of the law of nature , that man ought to obey every positive law of god , whenever he shall please to make any such addition to the law of his nature . but the moral part of moses's law , or the moral law , ( which is every where the same , the eternal rule of right ) obliges christians and all men every where , and is to all men the standing law of works . but christian believers have the priviledge to be under the law of faith too ; which is that law whereby god justifies a man for believing , though by his works he be not just or righteous , i. e. though he came short of perfect obedience to the law of works . god alone does , or can , justifie or make just those who by their works are not so : which he doth by counting their faith for righteousness , i. e. for a compleat performance of the law. rom. iv. 3. abraham believed god , and it was counted to him for righteousness . v. 5. to him that believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly , his faith is counted for righteousness . v. 6. even as david also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom god imputeth righteousness without works ; i. e. without a full measure of works , which is exact obedience . v. 7. saying , blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven , and whose sins are covered . v. 8. blessed is the man to whom the lord will not impute sin . this faith for which god justified abraham , what was it ? it was the believing god when he engaged his promise in the covenant he made with him . this will be plain to any one who considers these places together , gen. xv. 6. he believed in the lord , or believed the lord. for that the hebrew phrase believing in , signifies no more but believing , is plain from st. paul's citation of this place , rom. iv. 3. where he repeats it thus : abraham believed god , which he thus explains , v. 18-22 . who against hope , believed in hope , that he might become the father of many nations : according to that which was spoken , so shall thy seed be . and being not weak in faith , he considered not his own body now dead , when he was about an hundred years old , nor yet the deadness of sarah's womb . he staggered not at the promise of god through unbelief ; but was strong in faith , giving glory to god. and being fully perswaded , that what he had promised , he was also able to perform . and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness . by which it is clear , that the faith which god counted to abraham for righteousness , was nothing but a firm belief of what god declared to him , and a steadfast relying on him for the accomplishment of what he had promised . now this , says st. paul , v. 23 , 24. was not writ for his [ abraham 's ] sake alone , but for us also ; teaching us , that as abraham was justified for his faith , so also ours shall be accounted to us for righteousness , if we believe god as abraham believed him . whereby 't is plain is meant the firmness of our faith without staggering , and not the believing the same propositions that abraham believed ; viz. that though he and sarah were old , and past the time and hopes of children , yet he should have a son by her , and by him become the father of a great people , which should possess the land of canaan . this was what abraham believed , and was counted to him for righteousness . but no body i think will say , that any ones believing this now , shall be imputed to him for righteousness . the law of faith then , in short , is for every one to believe what god requires him to believe , as a condition of the covenant he makes with him ; and not to doubt of the performance of his promises . this the apostle intimates in the close here , v. 24. but for us also , to whom it shall be imputed , if we believe on him that raised up iesus our lord from the dead . we must therefore examine and see what god requires us to believe now under the revelation of the gospel : for the belief of one invisible , eternal , omnipotent god , maker of heaven and earth , &c. was required before , as well as now . what we are now required to believe to obtain eternal life , is plainly set down in the gospel . st. iohn tells us , iohn iii. 36. he that believeth on the son , hath eternal life ; and he that believeth not the son , shall not see life . what this believing on him is , we are also told in the next chapter . the woman saith unto him , i know that the messiah cometh : when he is come , he will tell us all things . iesus said unto her , i that spake unto thee am he . the woman then went into the city , and saith to the men , come see a man that hath told me all things that ever i did . is not this the messiah ? and many of the samaritans believed on him ; for the saying of the woman , who testified , he told me all that ever i did . so when the samaritans were come unto him , many more believed because of his words , and said to the woman ; we believe not any longer because of thy saying , for we have heard our selves , and we know that this man is truly the saviour of the world , the messiah , john iv. 25 , 26. 29. 39 , 40 , 41 , 42. by which place it is plain , that believing on the son is the believing that iesus was the messiah ; giving credit to the miracles he did , and the profession he made of himself . for those who were said to believe on him for the saying of the woman , v. 39. tell the woman , that they now believed not any longer because of her saying ; but that having heard him themselves , they knew , i. e. believed past doubt that he was the messiah . this was the great proposition that was then controverted concerning jesus of nazareth , whether he was the messiah or no ; and the assent to that , was that which distinguished believers form unbelievers . when many of his disciples had forsaken him , upon his declaring that he was the bread of life which came down from heaven , he said to the apostles , will ye also go away ? then simon peter answered him ; lord , to whom shall we go ? thou hast the words of eternal life . and we believe , and are sure thou art the messiah , the son of the living god , iohn vi. 69. this was the faith which distinguished them form apostates and unbelievers , and was sufficient to continue them in the rank of apostles : and it was upon the same proposition , that iesus was the messiah the son of the living god , owned by st. peter , that our saviour said , he would build his church . mat. xvi . 16-18 . to convince men of this he did his miracles : and their assent to , or not assenting to this , made them to be , or not to be of his church ; believers , or not believers . the iews came round about him , and said unto him , how long dost thou make us doubt ? if thou be the messiah tell us plainly . iesus answered them ; i told you , and ye believed not : the works that i do in my father's name they bear witness of me . but ye believe not , because ye are not of my sheep , john x. 24-26 . conformable hereunto st. iohn tells us , that many deceivers are entered into the world , who confess not that iesus , the messiah , is come in the flesh . this is a deceiver , and an antichrist , whosoever abideth not in the doctrine of the messiah has not god. he that abideth in the doctrine of the messiah , i. e. that jesus is he , hath both the father and the son , 2 john 7. 9 , 10. that this is the meaning of the place , is plain from what he says in his foregoing epistle , whosoever believeth that iesus is the messiah , is born of god , 1 john v. 1. and therefore drawing to a close of his gospel , and shewing the end for which he writ it , he has these words : many other signs truly did iesus in the presence of his disciples , which are not written in this book ; but these are written , that ye may believe that iesus is the messiah , the son of god ; and that believing ye might have life through his name , john xx. 30 , 31. whereby it is plain , that the gospel was writ to induce men into a belief of this proposition , that iesus of nazareth was the messiah ; which if they believed , they should have life . accordingly the great question amongst the jews was , whether he were the messiah or no : and the great point insisted on and promulgated in the gospel was , that he was the messiah . the first glad tidings of his birth , brought to the shepherds by an angel , was in these words : fear not , for behold i bring you good tidings of great joy , which shall be to all people ; for to you is born this day in the city of david a saviour , who is the messiah the lord , luke ii. 11. our saviour discoursing with martha about the means of attaining eternal life , saith to her , iohn xi . 27. whosoever believeth in me shall never die . believest thou this ? she saith unto him , yea , lord , i believe that thou art the messiah , the son of god , which should come into the world . this answer of hers sheweth what it is to believe in jesus christ , so as to have eternal life , viz. to believe that he is the messiah the son of god , whose coming was foretold by the prophets . and thus andrew and philip express it : andrew says to his brother simon , we have found the messiah , which is , being interpreted , the christ. philip saith to nathanael , we have found him of whom moses in the law , and the prophets did write , iesus of nazareth , the son of joseph , iohn i. 41. 45. according to what the evangelist says in this place , i have , for the clearer understanding of the scripture , all along put messiah for christ. christ being but the greek name for the hebrew messiah , and both signifying the anointed . and that he was the messiah , was the great truth he took pains to convince his disciples and apostles of ; appearing to them after his resurrection : as may be seen , luke xxiv . which we shall more particularly consider in another place . there we read what gospel our saviour preach'd to his disciples and apostles ; and that , as soon as he was risen from the dead , twice the very day of his resurrection . and if we may gather what was to be believed by all nations , from what was preached unto them ; we may observe , that the preaching of the apostles every where in the acts tended to this one point , to prove that jesus was the messiah . indeed , now after his death , his resurrection was also commonly required to be believed as a necessary article , and sometimes solely insisted on : it being a mark and undoubted evidence of his being the messiah , and necessary now to be believed by those who would receive him as the messiah . for since the messiah was to be a saviour and a king , and to give life and a kingdom to those who received him , as we shall see by and by , there could have been no pretence to have given him out for the messiah , and to require men to believe him to be so , who thought him under the power of death , and corruption of the grave . and therefore those who believed him to be the messiah , must believe that he was risen from the dead : and those who believed him to be risen from the dead , could not doubt of his being the messiah . but of this more in another place . let us see therefore how the apostles preached christ , and what they proposed to their hearers to believe . st. peter at ierusalem , acts ii. by his first sermon , converted three thousand souls . what was his word , which , as we are told , v. 41. they gladly received , and thereupon were baptized ? that may be seen from v. 22. to v. 36. in short this ; which is the conclusion drawn from all that he had said , and which he presses on them as the thing they were to believe , viz. therefore let all the house of israel know assuredly , that god hath made that same iesus , whom ye have crucified , lord and messiah , v. 36. to the same purpose was his discourse to the jews in the temple , acts iii. the design whereof you have , v. 18. but those things that god before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets , that the messiah should suffer , he hath so fulfilled . in the next chapter acts iv. peter and iohn being examined about the miracle on the lame man , profess it to have been done in the name of jesus of nazareth , who was the messiah , in whom alone there was salvation , v. 10-12 . the same thing they confirm to them again , acts v. 29-32 . and daily in the temple , and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach iesus the messiah , v. 42. what was stephen's speech to the council , acts vii . but a reprehension to them , that they were the betrayers and murderers of the iust one ? which is the title by which he plainly designs the messiah , whose coming was foreshewn by the prophets , v. 51 , 52. and that the messiah was to be without sin ( which is the import of the word just ) was the opinion of the jews , appears from iohn ix . v. 22. compared with 24. acts viii . philip carries the gospel to samaria . then philip went down to samaria , and preached to them . what was it he preached ? you have an account of it in this one word , the messiah , v. 5. this being that alone which was required of them , to believe that iesus was the messiah ; which , when they believed , they were baptized . and when they believed philip 's preaching the gospel of the kingdom of god , and the name of iesus the messiah , they were baptized both men and women , v. 12. philip being sent from thence , by a special call of the spirit , to make an eminent convert , out of isaiah preaches to him jesus , v. 35. and what it was he preached concerning iesus , we may know by the profession of faith the eunuch made , upon which he was admitted to baptism . v. 37. i believe that iesus christ is the son of god : which is as much as to say , i believe that he , whom you call jesus christ , is really and truly the messiah that was promised . for that believing him to be the son of god , and to be the messiah , was the same thing , may appear by comparing iohn i. 45. with v. 49. where nathanael owns jesus to be the messiah in these terms : thou art the son of god ; thou art the king of israel . so the jews , luke xxii . 70. asking christ , whether he were the son of god ; plainly demand of him , whether he were the messiah ? which is evident by comparing that with the three preceding verses . they ask him , v. 67. whether he were the messiah ? he answers , if i tell you , you will not believe ; but withal tells them , that from thenceforth he should be in possession of the kingdom of the messiah , expressed in these words , v. 69. hereafter shall the son of man sit on the right hand of the power of god : which made them all cry our , art thou then the son of god ? i. e. dost thou then own thy self to be the messiah ? to which he replies ; ye say that i am . that the son of god was the known title of the messiah at that time amongst the jews , we may see also from what the jews say to pilate , john xix . 7. we have a law , and by our law he ought to die , because he made himself the son of god ; i. e. by making himself the messiah , the prophet which was to come , but falsely ; and therefore he deserves to die by the law , deut. xviii . 20. that this was the common signification of the son of god , is farther evident form what the chief priests , mocking him , said , when he was at the cross , mat. xxvii . 42. he saved others , himself he cannot save : if he be the king of israel , let him now come down from the cross , and we will believe him . he trusted in god , let him deliver him now , if he will have him ; for he said , i am the son of god ; i. e. he said , he was the messiah : but 't is plainly false ; for if he were , god would deliver him : for the messiah is to be king of israel , the saviour of others ; but this man cannot save himself . the chief priests mention here the two titles then in use whereby the jews commonly designed the messiah , viz. son of god , and king of israel . that of son of god , was so familiar a compellation of the messiah , who was then so much expected and talked of , that the romans it seems , who lived amongst them , had learned it ; as appears from v. 54. now when the centurion , and they that were with him , watching iesus , saw the earthquake , and those things that were done , they feared greatly , saying , truly this was the son of god ; this was that extraordinary person that was looked for . acts ix . st. paul exercising the commission to preach the gospel , which he had received in a miraculous way , v. 20. straitway preached christ in the synagogues , that he is the son of god ; i. e. that jesus was the messiah : for christ in this place is evidently a proper name . and that this was it which paul preached , appears from v. 22. saul increased the more in strength , and confounded the jews who dwelt in damascus , proving that this is the very christ , i. e. the messiah . peter , when he came to cornelius at cesarea ; who by a vision was ordered to send for him , as peter on the other side was by a vision commanded to go to him ; what does he teach him ? his whole discourse , acts x. tends to shew what he says god commanded the apostles to preach unto the people , and to testifie ; that it is he [ jesus ] which was ordained of god to be the iudge of the quick and the dead . and that it was to him that all the prophets give witness , that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall have remission of sins , v. 42 , 43. this is the word which god sent to the children of israel ; that word which was published throughout all judea , and began from galilee , after the baptism which iohn preached , v. 36 , 37. and these are the words which had been promised to cornelius , acts xi . 14. whereby he and all his house should be saved : which words amount only to thus much , that iesus was the messiah , the saviour that was promised . upon their receiving of this ( for this was all was taught them ) the holy ghost fell on them , and they were baptized . 't is observable here , that the holy ghost fell on them before they were baptized ; which in other places converts received not till after baptism . the reason whereof seems to be this ; that god by bestowing on them the holy ghost , did thus declare from heaven , that the gentiles , upon believing iesus to be the messiah , ought to be admitted into the church by baptism as well as the jews . whoever reads st. peter's defence , acts xi . when he was accused by those of the circumcumcision , that he had not kept that distance which he ought with the uncircumcised , will be of this opinion ; and see by what he says , v. 15 , 16 , 17. that this was the ground , and an irresistible authority to him for doing so strange a thing , as it appeared to the jews ( who alone yet were members of the christian church ) to admit gentiles into their communion , upon their believing . and therefore st. peter , in the foregoing chapter , acts x before he would baptize them , proposes this question to those of the circumcision , which came with him , and were astonished , because that on the gentiles also was poured out the gift of the holy ghost : can any one forbid water , that these should not be baptized , who have received the holy ghost as well as we ? v. 47. and when some of the sect of the pharisees , who believed ▪ thought it needful that the converted gentiles should be circumcised , and keep the law of moses , acts xv. peter rose up and said unto them , men and brethren , you know that a good while ago god made choice amongst us , that the gentiles , viz. cornelius , and those here converted with him , by my mouth should hear the gospel , and believe . and god , who knoweth the hearts , bear them witness , giving them the holy ghost , even as he did unto us , and put no difference between us and them , purifying their hearts by faith , v. 7-9 . so that both jews and gentiles , who believed jesus to be the messiah , received thereupon the seal of baptism ; whereby they were owned to be his , and distinguished from unbelievers . from what is above said , we may observe , that this preaching jesus to be the messiah , is called the word , and the word of god ; and believing it , receiving the word of god. vid. acts x. 36 , 37. & xi . 1. 19 , 20. and the word of the gospel , acts xv. 7. and so likewise in the history of the gospel , what mark , chap. iv. 14 , 15. calls simply the word , st. luke calls the word of god , luke xiii . 11. and st. matthew , chap. xiii . 19. the word of the kingdom ; which were , it seems , in the gospel-writers synonymous terms , and are so to be understood by us . but to go on : acts xiii . paul preaches in the synagogue at antioch , where he makes it his business to convince the jews , that god , according to his promise , had of the seed of david raised to israel a saviour , iesus , v. 24. that he was he of whom the prophets writ , v. 25-29 . i. e. the messiah : and that as a demonstration of his being so , god had raised him from the dead , v. 30. from whence be argues thus , v. 32 , 33. we evangelize to you , or bring you this gospel , how that the promise which was made to our fathers , god hath fulfilled the same unto us , in that he hath raised up iesus again ; as it is also written in the second psalm , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee . and having gone on to prove him to be the messiah , by his resurrection from the dead , he makes this conclusion ; v. 38 , 39. be it known unto you therefore , men and brethren , that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins ; and by him all who believe are justified from all things , from which they could not be justified by the law of moses . this is in this chapter called the word of god over and over again : compare v. 42. with 44. 46. 48 , 49. and chap. xii . v. 24. acts xvii . 2-4 . at thessalonica , paul , as his manner was , went into the synagogue , and three sabbath-days reasoned with the iews out of the scriptures ; opening and alledging , that the messiah must needs have suffered , and risen again from the dead : and that this iesus , whom i preach unto you , is the messiah . and some of them believed , and consorted with paul and silas : but the iews which believed not , set the city in an uproar . can there be any thing plainer , than that the assenting to this proposition , that jesus was the messiah , was that which distinguished the believers from the unbelievers ? for this was that alone which , three sabbaths , paul endeavoured to convince them of , as the text tells us in direct words . from thence he went to berea , and preached the same thing : and the bereans are commended , v. 11. for searching the scriptures , whether those things , i. e. which he had said , v. 2 , 3. concerning jesus his being the messiah , were true or no. the same doctrine we find him preaching at corinth , acts xviii . 4-6 . and he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath , and perswaded the iews and the greeks . and when silas and timotheus were come from macedonia , paul was pressed in spirit , and testified to the iews , that iesus was the messiah . and when they opposed themselves , and blasphemed , he shook his raiment , and said unto them , your blood be upon your own heads , i am clean ; from henceforth i will go unto the greeks . upon the like occasion he tells the jews at antioch , acts xiii . 46. it was necessary that the word of god should first have been spoken to you : but seeing you put it off from you , we turn to the gentiles . 't is plain here , st. paul's charging their blood on their own heads , is for opposing this single truth , that iesus was the messiah ; that salvation or perdition depends upon believing or rejecting this one proposition . i mean , this is all is required to be believed by those who acknowledge but one eternal and invisible god , the maker of heaven and earth , as the jews did . for that there is something more required to salvation , besides believing , we shall see hereafter . in the mean time , it is fit here on this occasion to take notice , that though the apostles in their preaching to the jews , and the devout , ( as we translate the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , who were proselytes of the gate , and the worshippers of one eternal and invisible god , ) said nothing of the believing in this one true god , the maker of heaven and earth ; because it was needless to press this to those who believed and professed it already ( for to such , 't is plain , were most of their discourses hitherto ) yet when they had to do with idolatrous heathens , who were not yet come to the knowledge of the one only true god ; they began with that , as necessary to be believed ; it being the foundation on which the other was built , and without which it could signifie nothing . thus paul speaking to the idolatrous lystrians , who would have sacrificed to him and barnabas , says , acts xiv . 15. we preach unto you , that you should turn from these vanities unto the living god , who made heaven , and earth , and the sea , and all things that are therein . who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways . nevertheless he left not himself without witness in that he did good , and gave us rain from heaven , and fruitful seasons , filling our hearts with food and gladness . thus also he proceeded with the idolatrous athenians , acts xvii . telling them , upon occasion of the altar dedicated to the unknown god , whom ye ignorantly worship , him declare i unto you ; god who made the world , and all things therein : seeing that he is lord of heaven and earth , dwelleth not in temples made with hands . — forasmuch then as we are the off-spring of god , we ought not to think that the godhead is like unto gold , or silver , or stone , graven by art , and man's device . and the times of this ignorance god winked at ; but now commandeth all men every where to repent : because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness , by that man whom he hath ordained : whereof he hath given assurance unto all men , in that he hath raised him from the dead . so that we see , where any thing more was necessary to be proposed to be believed , as there was to the heathen idolaters , there the apostles were careful not to omit it . acts xviii . 4. paul at corinth reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath-day , and testified to the iews , that iesus was the messiah . ver. 11. and he continued there a year and six months , teaching the word of god amongst them ; i. e. the good news , that jesus was the messiah ; as we have already shewn is meant by the word of god. apollos , another preacher of the gospel , when he was instructed in the way of god more perfectly , what did he teach but this same doctrine ? as we may see in this account of him , acts xviii . 27. that when he was come into achaia , he helped the brethren much who had believed through grace . for he mightily convinced the iews , and that publickly , shewing by the scriptures that iesus was the messiah . st. paul , in the account he gives of himself before festus and agrippa , professes this alone to be the doctrine he taught after his conversion : for , says he , acts xxvi . 22. having obtained help of god , i continue unto this day , witnessing both to small and great , saying none other things than those which the prophets and moses did say should come : that the messias should suffer , and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead , and should shew light unto the people , and to the gentiles . which was no more than to prove that jesus was the messiah . this is that , which , as we have above observed , is called the word of god ; acts xi . 1. compared with the foregoing chapter , from v. 34. to the end . and xiii . 42. compared with 44. 46. 48 , 49. and xvii . 13. compared with v. 11. 3. it is also called the word of the gospel , acts xv. 7. and this is that word of god , and that gospel , which , where-ever their discourses are set down , we find the apostles preached ; and was that faith , which made both jews and gentiles believers and members of the church of christ ; purifying their hearts , acts xv. 9. and carrying with it remission of sins , acts x. 43. so that all that was to be believed for justification , was no more but this single proposition ; that iesus of nazareth was the christ , or the messiah . all , i say , that was to be believed for justification : for that it was not all that was required to be done for justification , we shall see hereafter . though we have seen above from what our saviour has pronounced himself , iohn iii. 36. that he that believeth on the son , hath everlasting life ; and he that believeth not the son , shall not see life , but the wrath of god abideth on him ; and are taught from iohn iv. 39. compared with v. 42. that believing on him , is believing that he is the messiah , the saviour of the world ; and the confession made by st. peter , mat. xvi . 16. that he is the messiah , the son of the living god , being the rock , on which our saviour has promised to build his church ; though this , i say , and what else we have already taken notice of , be enough to convince us what it is we are in the gospel required to believe to eternal life , without adding what we have observed from the preaching of the apostles ; yet it may not be amiss , for the farther clearing this matter , to observe what the evangelists deliver concerning the same thing , though in different words ; which therefore perhaps are not so generally taken notice of to this purpose . we have above observed , from the words of andrew and philip compared , that the messiah , and him of whom moses in the law and the prophets did write , signifie the same thing . we shall now consider that place , iohn i. a little further . ver. 41. andrew says to simon , we have found the messiah . philip , on the same occasion , v. 45. says to nathanael , we have found him , of whom moses in the law and the prophets did write , iesus of nazareth , the son of joseph nathanael , who disbelieved this , when upon christ's speaking to him , he was convinced of it , declares his assent to it in these words ; rabbi , thou art the son of god , thou art the king of israel . from which it is evident , that to believe him to be him of whom moses and the prophets did write , or to be the son of god , or to be the king of israel , was in effect the same as to believe him to be the messiah : and an assent to that , was what our saviour received for believing . for upon nathanael's making a confession in these words , thou art the son of god , thou art the king of israel ; iesus answered and said to him , because i said to thee , i saw thee under the fig-tree , dost thou believe ? thou shalt see greater things than these , v. 51. i desire any , one to read the latter part of the first of iohn , from v. 25. with attention ▪ and tell me , whether it be not plain , that this phrase , the son of god , is an expression used for the messiah . to which let him add martha's declaration of her faith , iohn xi . 27. in these words ; i believe that thou art the messiah , the son of god , who should come into the world ; and that passage of st. iohn , chap. xx. 31. that ye might believe that iesus is the messiah , the son of god ; and that believing , ye might have life through his name : and then tell me whether he can doubt that messiah and son of god were synonymous terms , at that time , amongst the jews . the prophecy of daniel , chap. ix . where he is called messiah the prince ; and the mention of his government and kingdom , and the deliverance by him , in isaiah , daniel , and other prophesies , understood of the messiah ; were so well known to the jews , and had so raised their hopes of him about this time , which by their account was to be the time of his coming to restore the kingdom to israel , that herod no sooner heard of the magi's enquiry after him that was born king of the iews , mat. ii. but he forthwith demanded of the chief priests and scribes , where the messiah should be born , v. 4. not doubting , but if there were any king born to the jews , it was the messiah : whose coming was now the general expectation , as appears , luke iii. 15. the people being in expectation , and all men musing in their hearts of john , whether he were the messiah or not . and when the priests and levites sent to ask him who he was ; he understanding their meaning , answers , iohn i. 19. that he was not the messiah : but he bears witness that jesus is the son of god , i. e. the messiah , v. 34. this looking for the messiah at this time , we see also in simeon ; who is said to be waiting for the consolation of israel , luke ii. 21. and having the child jesus in his arms , he says he had seen the salvation of the lord , v. 30. and anna coming at the same instant into the temple , she gave thanks also unto the lord , and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in israel , v. 38. and of ioseph of arimathea , it is said , mark xv. 43. that he also expected the kingdom of god : by all which was meant the coming of the messiah . and luke xix . 11. 't is said , they thought that the kingdom of god should immediately appear . this being premised , let us see what it was that iohn the baptist preached , when he first entred upon his ministry . that st. matthew tells us , chap. iii. 1 , 2. in those days came john the baptist preaching in the wilderness of judea , saying , repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand . this was a declaration of the coming of the messiah ; the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of god being the same , as is clear out of several places of the evangelists ; and both signifying the kingdom of the messiah . the profession which iohn the baptist made , when sent to the jews , iohn i. 19. was , that he was not the messiah ; but that jesus was . this will appear to any one , who will compare v. 26-34 . with iohn iii. 27. 30. the jews being very inquisitive to know whether iohn were the messiah ; he positively denies it , but tells them , he was only his fore-runner ; and that there stood one amongst them , who would follow him , whose shoe-latchet he was not worthy to untie . the next day seeing jesus , he says , he was the man ; and that his own baptizing in water , was only that iesus might be manifested to the world ; and that he knew him not , till he saw the holy ghost descend upon him . he that sent him to baptize having told him , that he on whom he should see the spirit decend , and rest upon , he it was that should baptize with the holy ghost ; and that therefore he witnessed , that this was the son of god , v. 34. i. e. the messiah . and chap. iii. 26 , &c. they came to iohn the baptist , and tell him , that iesus baptized , and that all men went to him . iohn answers , he has his authority from heaven ; you know i never said , i was the messiah , but that i was sent before him ; he must increase , but i must decrease ; for god hath sent him , and he speaks the words of god ; and god hath given all things into the hands of his son , and he that believes on the son , hath eternal life ; the same doctrine , and nothing else but what was preached by the apostles afterwards : as we have seen all through the acts , v. g. that jesus was the messiah . and thus it was that iohn bears witness of our saviour , as jesus himself says , iohn v. 33. this also was the declaration was given of him at his baptism , by a voice from heaven ; this is my beloved son , in whom i am well pleased , mat. iii. 17. which was a declaration of him to be the messiah ; the son of god being ( as we have shewed ) understood to signifie the messiah . to which we may add the first mention of him after his conception , in the words of the angel to ioseph ; mat. i. 21. thou shalt call his name iesus , or saviour ; for he shall save his people from their sins . it was a received doctrine in the jewish nation , that at the coming of the messiah , all their sins should be forgiven them . these words therefore of the angel we may look on as a declaration , that jesus was the messiah ; whereof these words , his people , are a further mark ; which suppose him to have a people , and consequently to be a king. after his baptism , jesus himself enters upon his ministry . but before we examine what it was he proposed to be believed , we must observe , that there is a three-fold declaration of the messiah . 1. by miracles . the spirit of prophecy had now for many ages forsaken the jews : and though their common-wealth were not quite dissolved , but that they lived under their own laws , yet they were under a foreign dominion , subject to the romans . in this state their account of the time being up , they were in expectation of the messiah ; and of deliverance by him in a kingdom , he was to set up , according to their ancient prophesies of him : which gave them hopes of an extraordinary man yet to come from god , who with an extraordinary and divine power , and miracles , should evidence his mission , and work their deliverance . and of any such extraordinary person who should have the power of doing miracles , they had no other expectation but only of their messiah . one great prophet and worker of miracles , and only one more , they expected ; who was to be the messiah . and therefore we see the people justified their believing in him , i. e. their believing him to be the messiah , because of the miracles he did ; iohn vii . 31. and many of the people believed in him , and said , when the messiah cometh , will he do more miracles than this man hath done ? and when the jews , at the feast of dedication , iohn x. 24 , 25. coming about him , said unto him , how long dost thou make us doubt ? if thou be the messiah , tell us plainly . iesus answered them , i told you , and ye believed not ; the works that i do in my father's name , bear witness of me . and iohn v. 36. he says , i have a greater witness than that of john ; for the works which the father hath given me to do , the same works that i do , bear witness of me , that the father hath sent me . where , by the way , we may observe , that his being sent by the father , is but another way of expressing the messiah ; which is evident from this place here , iohn v. compared with that of iohn x. last quoted . for there he says , that his works bear witness of him : and what was that witness ? viz. that he was the messiah . here again he says , that his works bear witness ? of him : and what is that witness ? viz. that the father sent him . by which we are taught , that to be sent by the father , and to be the messiah , was the same thing , in his way of declaring himself . and accordingly we find , iohn iv. 53. & xi . 45. and elsewhere , many hearkened and assented to this testimony , and believed on him , seeing the things that he did . 2. another way of declaring the coming of the messiah , was by phrases and circumlocutions , that did signifie or intimate his coming ; though not in direct words pointing out the person . the most usual of these were , the kingdom of god , and of heaven ; because it was that which was oftnest spoken of the messiah , in the old testament , in very plain words : and a kingdom was that which the jews most looked after , and wished for . in that known place , isa. ix . the government shall be upon his shoulders ; he shall be called the prince of peace : of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end : vpon the throne of david , and upon his kingdom , to order it , and to establish it with iudgment , and with iustice , from henceforth even for ever . micah v. 2. but thou , bethlehem ephratah , though thou be little among the thousands of judah , yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me , that is to be the rvler in israel . and daniel , besides that he calls him messiah the prince , chap. ix . 25. in the account of his vision of the son of man , chap. vii . 13 , 14. says , there was given him dominion , glory , and a kingdom , that all people , nations , and languages should serve him : his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away ; and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed . so that the kingdom of god , and the kingdom of heaven , were common phrases amongst the jews , to signifie the times of the messiah . luke xiv . 15. one of the jews that sat at meat with him , said unto him , blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of god. chap. xvii . 20. the pharisees demanded , when the kingdom of god should come ? and st. iohn baptist came , saying , repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand : a phrase he would not have used in preaching , had it not been understood . there are other expressions that signified the messiah , and his coming ; which we shall take notice of as they come in our way . 3. by plain and direct words , declaring the doctrine of the messiah ; speaking out that jesus was he : as we see the apostles did , when they went about preaching the gospel , after our saviour's resurrection . this was the open clear way , and that which one would think the messiah himself , when he came , should have taken ; especially if it were of that moment , that upon mens believing him to be the messiah , depended the forgiveness of their sins . and yet we see that our saviour did not : but on the contrary , for the most part , made no other discovery of himself , at least in iudea , and at the beginning of his ministry , but in the two former ways , which were more obscure ; not declaring himself to be the messiah , any otherwise than as it might be gathered from the miracles he did , and the conformity of his life and actions with the prophesies of the old testament concerning him ; and from some general discourses of the kingdom of the messiah being come , under the name of the kingdom of god , and of heaven . nay , so far was he from publickly owning himself to be the messiah , that he forbid the doing of it : mark viii . 27-30 . he asked his disciples , whom do men say that i am ? and they answered , john the baptist ; but some say , elias ; and others , one of the prophets . ( so that it is evident , that even those who believed him an extraordinary person , knew not yet who he was , or that he gave himself out for the messiah ; though this was in the third year of his ministry , and not a year before his death . ) and he saith unto them , but whom say ye that i am ? and peter answered , and said unto him , thou art the messiah . and he charged them that they should tell no man of him . luke iv. 41. and devils came out of many , crying , thou art the messiah , the son of god : and he rebuking them , suffered them not to speak , that they knew him to be the messiah . mark iii. 11 , 12. unclean spirits , when they saw him , fell down before him , and cryed , saying , thou art the son of god : and he straitly charged them that they should not make him known . here again we may observe from the comparing of the two texts , that thou art the son of god ; or , thou art the messiah ; were indifferently used for the same thing . but to return to the matter in hand . this concealment of himself will seem strange , in one who was come to bring light into the world , and was to suffer death for the testimony of the truth . this reservedness will be thought to look as if he had a mind to conceal himself , and not to be known to the world for the messiah ; nor to be believed on as such . but we shall be of another mind , and conclude this proceeding of his according to divine wisdom , and suited to a fuller manifestation and evidence of his being the messiah ; when we consider , that he was to fill out the time foretold of his ministry ; and , after a life illustrious in miracles and good works , attended with humility , meekness , patience , and suffering , and every way conformable to the prophesies of him , should be lead as a sheep to the slaughter , and with all quiet and submission be brought to the cross , though there were no guilt nor fault found in him . this could not have been , if as soon as he appeared in publick , and began to preach , he had presently professed himself to have been the messiah ; the king that owned that kingdom he published to be at hand . for the sanhedrim would then have laid hold on it , to have got him into their power , and thereby have taken away his life ; at least , they would have disturbed his ministry , and hindred the work he was about . that this made him cautious , and avoid , as much as he could , the occasions of provoking them , and falling into their hands , is plain from iohn vii . 1. after these things iesus walked in galilee ; out of the way of the chief priests and rulers ; for he would not walk in iewry , because the iews sought to kill him . thus , making good what he foretold them at ierusalem , when at the first passover after his beginning to preach the gospel , upon his curing the man at the pool of bethesday , they sought to kill him , iohn v. 16. ye have not , says he , v. 38. his word abiding amongst you : for whom he hath sent , him ye believe not . this was spoken more particularly to the jews of ierusalem , who were the forward men , zealous to take away his life : and it imports , that because of their unbelief and opposition to him , the word of god , i. e. the preaching of the kingdom of the messiah , which is often called the word of god , did not stay amongst them : he could not stay amongst them , preach and explain to them the kingdom of the messiah . that the word of god , here , signifies the word of god that should make jesus known to them to be the messiah , is evident from the context : and this meaning of this place is made good by the event . for after this , we hear no more of jesus at ierusalem , till the pentecost come twelve month ; though 't is not to be doubted but that he was there the next passover , and other feasts between , but privately . and now at ierusalem , at the feast of pentecost , near fifteen months after , he says very little , and not a word of the kingdom of heaven being come , or at hand ; nor did he any miracle there . and returning to ierusalem at the feast of tabernacles , it is plain , that from this time till then , which was a year and a half , he had not taught them at ierusalem . for , 1. it is said , iohn vii . 2. 15. that he teaching in the temple at the feast of tabernacles , the iews marvelled , saying , how knoweth this man letters , having never learned ? a sign they had not been used to his preaching : for if they had , they would not now have marvelled . 2. ver. 19. he says thus to them : did not moses give you the law , and yet none of you keep the law ? why go you about to kill me ? one work , or miracle , i did here amongst you , and ye all marvel . moses therefore gave unto you circumcision , and ye on the sabbath-day circumcise a man : if a man on the sabbath-day receive circumcision , that the law of moses should not be broken , are ye angry with me , because i have made a man every way whole on the sabbath-day ? which is a direct defence of what he did at ierusalem a year and a half before , when he last preached to them there ; which is reported , iohn v. 1-16 . and it is at that very time when he told them v. 38. ye have not the word of god remaining among you , because whom he hath sent ye believe not . whereby , i think , he signifies his not staying and being frequent amongst them , preaching the gospel of the kingdom ; because their great unbelief , opposition , and malice to him would not permit his stay and preaching amongst them . this was manifestly so in fact . for the first miracle he did at ierusalem , which was at the second passover after his baptism , brought him in danger of his life ; which made him forbear preaching again there till the feast of tabernacles , immediately preceding his last passover : so that till half a year before his passion , he did but one miracle , and preached but once publickly , at ierusalem . these tryals he made there : but found their unbelief such , that if he had staid and persisted to preach the good tidings of the kingdom , and to shew himself by miracles among them , he could not have had time and freedom to do those works which his father had given him to finish , as he says , v. 36. of this fifth of st. iohn . when upon the curing of the withered hand on the sabbath-day , the pharisees took counsel with the herodians , how they might destroy him ; iesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea : and a great multitude from galilee followed him , and from judea , and from ierusalem , and from idumea , and from beyond jordan , and they about tyre and sidon a great multitude ; when they had heard what great things he did , came unto him , and he healed them all , and charged them that they shovld not make him known : that it might be fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet isaiah , saying : behold my servant whom i have chosen ; my beloved , in whom my soul is well pleased : i will put my spirit upon him , and he shall shew iudgment to the gentiles . he shall not strive , nor cry , neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets , mat. xii . and mark iii. and iohn xi . 47. upon the news of our saviour's raising lazarus from the dead , the chief priests and pharisees convened the sanhedrim , and said , what do we ? for this man does many miracles . v. 53. then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death . v. 54. iesus therefore walked no more openly amongst the iews . his miracles had now so much declared him to be the messiah , that the jews could no longer bear him , nor he trust himself amongst them ; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness , into a city called ephraim , and there continued with his disciples . this was but a little before his last passover , as appears by the following words , v. 55. and the iews passover was nigh at hand : and he could not , now his miracles had made him so well known , have been secure the little time that now remained till his hour was fully come ; if he had not with his wonted and necessary caution withdrawn , and walked no more openly amongst the iews , till his time ( at the next passover ) was fully come ; and then again he appeared amongst them openly . nor would the romans have suffered him , if he had gone about preaching that he was the king whom the jews expected . such an accusation would have been forwardly brought against him by the jews , if they could have heard it out of his own mouth ; and that had been his publick doctrine to his followers , which was openly preached by the apostles after his death , when he appeared no more . and of this they were accused , acts xvii . 5-9 . but the iews which believed not , moved with envy , took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort , and gathered a company , and set all the city in an uproar ; and assaulted the house of jason , and sought to bring them out to the people . and when they found them [ paul and silas ] not , they drew jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city , crying , these that have turned the world upside down , are come hither also , whom jason hath received : and these all do contrary to the decrees of caefar , saying , that there is another king , one iesus . and they troubled the people and the rulers of the city , when they heard these things : and when they had taken security of jason and the other , they let them go . though the magistrates of the world had no great regard to the talk of a king , who had suffered death , and appeared no longer any where ; yet if our saviour had openly declared this of himself in his life-time , with a train of disciples and followers every where owning and crying him up for their king , the roman governour of iudea could not have forborn to have taken notice of it , and have made use of their force against him . this the jews were not mistaken in ; and therefore made use of it as the strongest accusation , and likeliest to prevail with pilate against him for the taking away his life ; it being treason , and an unpardonable offence , which could not scape death from a roman deputy , without the forfeiture of his own life . thus then they accuse him to pilate , luke xxiii . 2. we found this fellow perverting the nation , and forbidding to give tribute to caesar , saying , that he himself is the messiah , a king. our saviour indeed , now that his time was come , ( and he in custody , and forsaken of all the world , and so out of all danger of raising any sedition or disturbance , ) owns himself , to pilate , to be a king ; after having first told pilate , iohn xviii . 36. that his kingdom was not of this world : and for a kingdom in another world , pilate knew that his master at rome concerned not himself . but had there been any the least appearance of truth in the allegations of the jews , that he had perverted the nation ; forbidding to pay tribute to caesar , or drawing the people after him , as their king ; pilate would not so readily have pronounced him innocent . but we see what he said to his accusers , luke xxiii . 13 , 14. pilate , when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers of the people , said unto them , you have brought this man unto me , as one that perverteth the people ; and behold , i having examined him before you , have found no fault in this man , touching those things whereof you accuse him : no , nor yet herod , for i sent you to him ; and lo , nothing worthy of death is done by him . and therefore finding a man of that mean condition , and innocent life , ( no mover of seditions , or disturber of the publick peace , ) without a friend or a follower ; would have dismissed him , as a king of no consequence ; as an innocent man , falsely and maliciously accused by the jews . how necessary this caution was in our saviour , to say or do nothing that might justly offend , or render him suspected to the roman governour ; and how glad the jews would have been to have any such thing against him ; we may see , luke xx. 20. the chief priests and the scribes watched him , and sent forth spies , who should feign themselves just men , that might take hold of his words , that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governour . and the very thing wherein they hoped to entrap him in this place , was paying tribute to caesar , which they afterwards falsely accused him of . and what would they have done , if he had before them professed himself to have been the messiah , their king and deliverer ? and here we may observe the wonderful providence of god , who had so ordered the state of the jews at the time when his son was to come into the world ; that though neither their civil constitution , nor religious worship were dissolved , yet the power of life and death was taken from them ; whereby he had an opportunity to publish the kingdom of the messiah ; that is , his own royalty , under the name of the kingdom of god , and of heaven : which the jews well enough understood , and would certainly have put him to death for , had the power been in their own hands . but this being no matter of accusation to the romans , hindred him not from speaking of the kingdom of heaven , as he did : sometimes in reference to his appearing in the world , and being believed on by particular persons ; sometimes in reference to the power should be given him by the father at his resurrection ; and sometimes in reference to his coming to judge the world at the last day in the full glory and completion of his kingdom . these were ways of declaring himself , which the jews could lay no hold on , to bring him in danger with pontius pilate , and get him seized and put to death . another reason there was , that hindred him as much as the former from professing himself in express words to be the messiah ; and that was , that the whole nation of the jews expecting at this time their messiah , and deliverance by him from the subjection they were in to a foreign yoke , the body of the people would certainly upon his declaring himself to be the messiah their king , have rose up in rebellion , and set him at the head of them . and indeed , the miracles that he did so much disposed them to think him to be the messiah , that though shrouded under the obscurity of a mean condition , and a very private simple life , and his passing for a galilean , ( his birth at bethlehem being then concealed ) and he not assuming to himself any power or authority , or so much as the name of the messiah , yet he could hardly avoid being set up by a tumult , and proclaimed their king. so iohn tells us , chap. v. 14 , 15. then those men , when they had seen the miracles that iesus did , said , this is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. when therefore iesus perceived that they would come to take him by force to make him king , he departed again into a mountain himself alone . this was upon his feeding of five thousand with five barley loaves and two fishes . so hard was it for him , doing those miracles which were necessary to testifie his mission , and which often drew great multitudes after him , mat. iv. 25. to keep the heady and hasty multitude from such disorder , as would have involved him in it ; and have disturbed the course , and cut short the time of his ministry ; and drawn on him the reputation and death of a turbulent seditious malefactor : contrary to the design of his coming , which was to be offered up a lamb blameless , and void of offence ; his innocence appearing to all the world , even to him that delivered him up to be crucified . this it would have been impossible to have avoided , if in his preaching every where , he had openly assumed to himself the title of their messiah ; which was all was wanting to set the people in a flame ; who , drawn by his miracles , and the hopes of finding a deliverer in so extraordinary a man , followed him in great numbers . we read every where of multitudes ; and in luke xii . 1. of myriads that were gathered about him . this conflux of people , thus disposed , would not have failed , upon his declaring himself to be the messiah , to have made a commotion , and with force set him up for their king. it is plain therefore from these these two reasons , why , ( though he came to preach the gospel , and convert the world to a belief of his being the messiah , and though he says so much of his kingdom , under the title of the kingdom of god , and the kingdom of heaven , ) he yet makes it not his business to perswade them that he himself is the messiah , or does in his publick preaching declare himself to be him . he inculcates to the people , on all occasions , that the kingdom of god is come . he shews the way of admittance into this kingdom , viz. repentance and baptism ; and teaches the laws of it , viz. good life , according to the strictest rules of vertue and morality . but who the king was of this kingdom , he leaves to his miracles to point out to those who would consider what he did , and make the right use of it , now ; or to witness to those who should hearken to the apostles hereafter ; when they preached it in plain words , and called upon them to believe it , after his resurrection ; when there should be no longer any fear that it should cause any disturbance in civil societies and the governments of the world. but he could not declare himself to be the messiah , without manifest danger of tumult and sedition . and the miracles he did , declared it so much , that he was fain often to hide himself , and withdraw from the concourse of the people . the leper that he cured , mark i. though forbid to say any thing , yet blazed it so abroad , that iesus could no more openly enter into the city , but was without in desart places ; and there they came to him from every quarter . and thus he did more than once . this being premised , let us take a view of the promulgation of the gospel by our saviour himself , and see what it was he taught the world , and required men to believe . the first beginning of his ministry , whereby he shewed himself , seems to be at cana in galilee , soon after his baptism ; where he turned water into wine : of which st. iohn , chap. ii. 11. says thus , this beginning of miracles iesus made , and manifested his glory , and his disciples believed in him . his disciples here believed in him , but we hear not of any other preaching to them , but by this miracle , whereby he manifested his glory ; i. e. of being the messiah the prince . so nathanael , without any other preaching , but only our saviour's discovering to him that he knew him after an extraordinary manner , presently acknowledges him to be the messiah ; crying , rabbi , thou art the son of god ; thou art the king of israel . from hence , staying a few days at capernaum , he goes to ierusalem to the passover ; and there he drives the traders out of the temple , iohn ii. 12-15 . saying , make not my father's house a house of merchandize . where we see , he uses a phrase , which by interpretation signifies that he was the son of god , though at that time unregarded . v. 16. hereupon the jews demand , what sign dost thou shew us , since thou doest these things ? iesus answered , destroy ye this temple , and in three days i will raise it again . this is an instance of what way jesus took to declare himself : for 't is plain by their reply , the jews understood him not , nor his disciples neither ; for 't is said , v. 22. when therefore he was risen from the dead , his disciples remembred that he said this to them : and they believed the scripture , and the saying of iesus to them . this therefore we may look on , in the beginning , as a pattern of christ's preaching , and shewing himself to the jews ; which he generally followed afterwards , viz. such a manifestation of himself , as every one at present could not understand ; but yet carried such an evidence with it to those who were well disposed now , or would reflect on it when the whole course of his ministry was over , as was sufficient clearly to convince them that he was the messiah . the reason of this method used by our saviour , the scripture gives us here , at this his first appearing in publick ; after his entrance upon his ministry ; to be a rule and light to us in the whole course of it . for the next verse taking notice that many believed on him , because of his miracles , ( which was all the preaching they had . ) 't is said , v. 24. but iesus did not commit himself unto them , because he knew all men ; i. e. he declared not himself so openly to be the messiah , their king , as to put himself into the power of the jews , by laying himself open to their malice ; whom he knew would be so ready to lay hold on it to accuse him . for , as the next verse 25. shews , he knew well enough what was in them . we may here farther observe , that believing in his name , signifies believing him to be the messiah . v. 22. tells us , that many at the passover believed in his name , when they saw the miracles that he did . what other faith could these miracles produce in them , who saw them , but that this was he , of whom the scripture spoke , who was to be their deliverer ? whilst he was now at ierusalem , nicodemus , a ruler of the jews , comes to him , iohn iii. 1-21 . to whom he preaches eternal life by faith in the messiah , v. 15. & 17. but in general terms , without naming himself to be that messiah ; though his whole discourse tends to it . this is all we hear of our saviour the first year of his ministry ; but only his baptism , fasting , and temptation in the beginning of it ; and spending the rest of it after the passover in iudea with his disciples , baptizing there . but when he knew that the pharisees reported that he made and baptized more disciples than john , he left judea , and got out of their way again into galilee , john iv. 1. 3. in his way back , by the well of sichar , he discourses with the samaritan woman ; and after having opened to her the true and spiritual worship which was at hand , which the woman presently understands of the times of the messiah , who was then looked for ; thus she answers , v. 25. i know that the messiah cometh : when he is come , he will tell us all things . whereupon our saviour , though we hear no such thing from him in ierusalem or iudea , or to nicodemus , yet here to this samaritan woman , he in plain and direct words owns and declares , that he himself , who talked with her , was the messiah , v. 26. this would seem very strange , that he should be more free and open to a samaritan , than he was to the jews ; were not the reason plain from what we have observed above . he was now out of iudea , with a people with whom the iews had no commerce ; v. 9. who were not disposed out of envy , as the iews were , to seek his life , or to accuse him to the roman governour , or to make an insurrection to set a iew up for their king. what the consequence was of his discourse with this samaritan woman , we have an account , v. 28. 39-42 . she left her water-pot , and went her way into the city , and saith to the men , come , see a man who told me all things that ever i did : is not this the messiah ? and many of the samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman , which testified , he told me all that ever i did . so when the samaritans were come unto him , they besought him that he would tarry with them : and he abode there two days . and many more believed because of his own word : and said unto the woman , now we believe not because of thy saying ; for we have heard him our selves ; and we know , ( i. e. are fully perswaded , ) that it is indeed the messiah , the saviour of the world. by comparing v. 39. with 41 & 42. it is plain , that believing on him signifies no more than believing him to be the messiah . from sichar jesus goes to nazareth , the place he was bred up in ; and there reading in the synagogue a prophecy concerning the messiah out of the lxi of isaiah , he tells them , luke iv. 21. this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears . but being in danger of his life at nazareth , he leaves it , for capernaum : and then , as st. matthew informs us , chap. iv. 17. he began to preach , and say , repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand . or , as st. mark has it , chap. i. 14 , 15. preaching the gospel of the kingdom of god ; and saying , the time is fulfilled , and the kingdom of god is at hand , repent ye , and believe in the gospel ; i. e. believe this good news . this removing to capernaum , and seating himself there in the borders of zabulon and naphtali , was , as st. matthew observes , chap. iv. 13-16 . that a prophecy of isaiah might be fulfilled . thus the actions and circumstances of his life answered the prophesies , and declared him to be the messiah . and by what st. mark says in this place , it is manifest , that the gospel which he preached and required them to believe , was no other but the good tidings of the coming of the messiah , and of his kingdom ; the time being now fulfilled . in his way to capernaum , being come to cana , a noble-man of capernaum came to him , v. 47. and besought him that he would come down and heal his son , for he was at the point of death . v. 48. then said iesus unto him , except ye see signs and wonders , you will not believe . then he returning homewards , and finding that his son began to mend at the same hour in which iesus said unto him , thy son liveth ; he himself believed , and his whole house , v. 53. here this noble-man is by the apostle pronounced to be a believer . and what does he believe ? even that which jesus complains , v. 48. they would not believe , except they saw signs and wonders : which could be nothing but what those of samaria , in the same chapter , believed ; viz. that he was the messiah . for we no where in the gospel hear of any thing else had been proposed to be believed by them . having done miracles , and cured all their sick at capernaum , he says , let us go to the adjoyning towns , that i may preach there also ; for therefore came i forth , mark i. 38. or , as st. luke has it , chap. iv. 43. he tells the multitude , who would have kept him ▪ that he might not go from them , i must evangelize , or tell the good tidings of the kingdom of god , to other cities also ; for therefore am i sent . and st. matthew , chap. iv. 23. tells us how he executed this commission he was sent on . and iesus went about all galilee , teaching in their synagogues , and preaching the gospel of the kingdom , and curing all diseases . this then was what he was sent to preach every where , viz. the gospel of the kingdom of the messiah ; and by the miracles and good he did , let them know who was the messiah . hence he goes up to ierusalem , to the second passover since the beginning of his ministry . and here discoursing to the jews , who sought to kill him , upon occasion of the man , whom he had cured , carrying his bed on the sabbath-day ; and for making god his father ; he tells them , that he wrought these things by the power of god ; and that he shall do greater things : for that the dead shall , at his summons , be raised ; and that he , by a power committed to him from his father , shall judge them ; and that he is sent by his father ; and that whoever shall hear his word , and believe in him that sent him , has eternal life . this , though a clear description of the messiah , yet we may observe , that here to the angry iews , who sought to kill him , he says not a word of his kingdom , nor so much as names the messiah ; but yet that he is the son of god , and sent from god , he refers them to the testimony of iohn the baptist , to the testimony of his own miracles , and of god himself in the voice from heaven ; and of the scriptures , and of moses . he leaves them to learn from these the truth they were to believe , viz. that he was the messiah sent from god. this you may read more at large , iohn v. 1-47 . the next place where we find him preaching , was on the mount , mat. v. and luke vi. this is by much the longest sermon we have of his any where ; and , in all likelihood , to the greatest auditory . for it appears to have been to the peple gathered to him from galilee , and iudea , and ierusalem , and from beyond iordan ; and that came out of idumea , and from tyre and sidon ; mentioned mark iii. 7 , 8. and luke vi. 17. but in this whole sermon of his we do not find one word of believing , and therefore no mention of the messiah , or any intimation to the people who himself was . the reason whereof we may gather from mat. 12. 16. where christ forbids them to make him known ; which supposes them to know already who he was . for that this xii . chapter of matthew ought to precede the sermon in the mount , is plain , by comparing it with mark ii. beginning at v. 13. to mark iii. 8. and comparing those chapters of st. mark with luke vi. and i desire my reader once for all here to take notice , that i have all along observed the order of time in our saviour's proaching ; and have not , as i think , passed by any of his discourses . in this sermon our saviour only teaches them what were the laws of his kingdom , and what they must do who were admitted into it , of which i shall have occasion to speak more at large in another place ; being at present only enquiring what our saviour proposed as matter of faith to be believed . after this , iohn the baptist sends to him this message , luke vii . 19. asking , art thou he that should come , or do we expect another ? that is , in short , art thou the messiah ? and if thou art , why dost thou let me , thy fore runner , languish in prison ? must i expect deliverance from any other ? to which jesus returns this answer , v. 22 , 23. tell john what you have seen and heard : the blind see , the lame walk , the lepers are cleansed , the deaf hear , the dead are raised , to the poor the gospel is preached ; and blessed is he who is not offended in me . what it is to be offended or scandalized in him , we may see by comparing mat. xiii . 28. and mark iv. 17. with luke viii . 13. for what the two first call scandalized , the last calls standing off from , or forsaking ; i. e. not receiving him as the messiah ; ( vid. mark vi. 1-6 . ) or revolting from him . here jesus refers iohn , as he did the jews before , to the testimony of his miracles , to know who he was ; and this was generally his preaching , whereby he declared himself to be the messiah : who was the only prophet to come , whom the iews had any expectation of ; nor did they look for any other person to be sent to them with the power of miracles , but only the messiah . his miracles , we see by his answer to iohn the baptist , he thought a sufficient declaration amongst them , that he was the messiah . and therefore , upon his curing the possessed of the devil , the dumb , and blind , mat. xii . the people , who saw the miracle , said , v. 23. is not this the son of david ? as much as to say , is not this the messiah ? whereat the pharisees being offended , said , he cast out devils by beelzebub . jesus shewing the falshood and vanity of their blasphemy , justifies the conclusion the people made from this miracle ; saying , v. 28. that his casting out devils by the spirit of god , was an evidence that the kingdom of the messiah was come . one thing more there was in the miracles done by his disciples , which shewed him to be the messiah ; that they were done in his name . in the name of iesus of nazareth , rise up and walk , says st. peter to the lame man whom he cured in the temple , acts iii. 6. and how far the power of that name reached , they themselves seem to wonder , luke x. 17. and the seventy returned again with joy , saying , lord , even the devils are subject to us in thy name . from this message from iohn the baptist , he takes occasion to tell the people , that iohn was the fore-runner of the messiah ; that from the time of iohn the baptist the kingdom of the messiah began ; to which time all the prophets and the law pointed , luke vii . and mat. xi . luke viii . 1. afterwards he went through every city and village , preaching and shewing the good tidings of the kingdom of god. here we see , as every where , what his preaching was ; and consequently what was to be believed . soon after , he preaches from a boat to the people on the shoar . his sermon at large we may read , mat. xiii . mark iv. and luke viii . but this is very observeable , that this second sermon of his here , is quite different from his former in the mount. for that was all so plain and intelligible , that nothing could be more so : whereas this is all so involved in parables , that even the apostles themselves did not understand it . if we enquire into the reason of this , we shall possibly have some light from the different subjects of these two sermons . there he preached to the people only morality ; clearing the precepts of the law from the false glosses which were received in those days ; and setting forth the duties of a good life in their full obligation and extent , beyond what the judiciary laws of the israelites did , or the civil laws of any country could prescribe or take notice of . but here in this sermon by the sea-side , he speaks of nothing but the kingdom of the messiah , which he does all in parables . one reason whereof st. matthew gives us , chap. xiii . 35. that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet , saying , i will open my mouth in parables , i will utter things that have been keep secret from the foundations of the world. another reason our saviour himself gives of it , v. 11 , 12. because to you is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven , but to them it is not given . for whosoever hath , to him shall be given , and he shall have more abundantly : but whosoever hath not , i. e. improves not the talents that he hath , from him shall be taken away , even that that he hath . one thing it may not be amiss to observe ; that our saviour here in the explication of the first of these parables to his apostles , calls the preaching of the kingdom of the messiah , simply the word ; and luke viii . 21. the word of god : from whence st. luke , in the acts , often mentions it under the name of the word , and the word of god , as we have elsewhere observed . to which i shall here add that of acts viii . 4. therefore they that were scattered abroad , went every where preaching the word : which word , as we have found by examining what they preached all through their history , was nothing but this , that iesus was the messiah : i mean , this was all the doctrine they proposed to be believed . for what they taught , as well as our saviour , contained a great deal more ; but that concerned practice , and not belief . and therefore our saviour says , in the place before quoted , luke viii . 21. they are my mother , and my brethren , who hear the word of god , and do it : obeying the law of the messiah their king , being no less required than their believing that jesus was the messiah , the king and deliverer that was promised them . mat. ix . 13. we have an account , again of this preaching ; what it was , and how . and iesus went about all the cities and villages , teaching in their synagogues , and preaching the gospel of the kingdom ; and healing every sickness , and every disease amongst the people . he acquainted them that the kingdom of the messiah was come , and left it to his miracles to instruct and convince them that he was the messiah . mat. x. when he sent his apostles abroad , their commission to preach we have v. 7 , 8. in these words : as ye go , preach , saying , the kingdom of heaven is at hand ; heal the sick , &c. all that they had to preach , was , that the kingdom of the messiah was come . whosoever should not receive them , the messengers of this good tidings , nor hearken to their message , incurred a heavier doom than sodom and gomorrha at the day of judgment , v. 14 ▪ 15. but v. 32. whosoever shall confess me before men , i will confess him before my father who is in heaven . what this confessing of christ is , we may see , by comparing iohn xii . 4. with ix . 22. nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed in him ; but because of the pharisees they did not confess him , lest they should be put out of the synagogue . and chap. ix . 22. these words spake his parents , because they feared the iews : for the iews had agreed already , that if any man did confess that he was the messiah , he should be put out of the synagogue . by which places it is evident , that to confess him , was to confess that he was the messiah . from which give me leave to observe also ( what i have cleared from other places , but cannot be too often remark'd , because of the different sense has been put upon that phrase ; ) viz. that believing on or in him ( for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred either way by the english traslation ) signifies believing that he was the messiah . for many of the rulers ( the text says ) believed on him ; but they durst not consess what they believed , for fear they should be put out of the synagogue . now the offence for which it was agreed that any one should be put out of the synagogue , was ▪ if he did confess that iesus was the messiah . hence we may have a clear understanding of that passage of st. paul to the romans , where he tells them positively , what is the faith he preaches ; rom. x. 8 , 9. that is the word of faith which we preach ; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the lord iesus , and believe in thine heart , that god hath raised him from the dead , thou shalt be saved : and that also of st. iohn iv. 14 , 15. we have seen , and do testifie , that the father sent the son to be the saviour of the world : whosoever shall confess that iesus is the son of god , god dwelleth in him , and be in god. where confessing jesus to be the son of god , is the same with confessing him to be the messiah : those two expressions being understood amongst the jews to signifie the same thing , as we have shewn already . how calling him the son of god came to signifie that he was the messiah , would not be hard to shew . but it is enough that it appears plainly that it was so used , and had that import amongst the jews at that time ; which if any one desires to have further evidenced to him , he may add mat. xxvi . 63. iohn vi. 69. & xi . 27. & xx. 31. to those places before occasionally taken notice of . as was the apostles commission , such was their performance ; as we read , luke ix . 6. they departed , and went through the towns , preaching the gospel , and healing every where . jesus bid them preach , saying , the kingdom of heaven is at hand . and st. luke tells us , they went through the towns , preaching the gospel ; a word which in saxon answers well the greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and signifies , as that does , good news . so that what the inspired writers call the gospel , is nothing but the good tidings that the messiah and his kingdom was come ; and so it is to be understood in the new testament ; and so the angel calls it good tidings of great joy , luke ii. 10. bringing the first news of our saviour's birth . and this seems to be all that his disciples were at that time sent to preach . so luke ix . 59 , 60. to him that would have excused his present attendance , because of burying his father ; iesus said unto him , let the dead bury their dead , but go thou and preach the kingdom of god. when , i say , this was all they were to preach , i must be understood , that this was the faith they preached ; but with it they joyned obedience to the messiah , whom they received for their king. so likewise when he sent out the seventy , luke x. their commission was in these words , v. 9. heal the sick , and say unto them , the kingdom of god is come nigh unto you . after the return of his apostles to him , he sits down with them in a mountain ; and a great multitude being gathered about them , st. luke tells us , chap. ix . 11. the people followed him , and he received them , and spake unto them of the kingdom of god ; and healed them that had need of healing . this was his preaching to this assembly , which consisted of five thousand men , besides women and children : all which great multitude he fed with five loaves and two fishes , mat. xiv . 21. and what this miracle wrought upon them , st. iohn tells us , chap. vi. 14 , 15. then these men , when they had seen the miracle that iesus did , said , this is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world ; i. e. the messiah . for the messiah was the only person that they expected from god , and this the time they looked for him . and hence iohn the baptist , mat. xi . 3. stiles him , he that should come ; as in other places , come from god , or sent from god , are phrases used for the messiah . here we see our saviour keeps to his usual method of preaching : he speaks to them of the kingdom of god , and does miracles ; by which they might understand him to be the messiah , whose kingdom he spake of . and here we have the reason also , why he so much concealed himself , and forbore to own his being the messiah . for what the consequence was , of the multitudes but thinking him so , when they were got together , st. iohn tells us in the very next words : when iesus then perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king , he departed again into a mountain himself alone . if they were so ready to set him up for their king , only because they gathered from his miracles that he was the messiah , whilst he himself said nothing of it ; what would not the people have done ; and what would not the scribes and pharisees have had an opportunity to accuse him of ; if he had openly professed himself to have been the messiah , that king they looked for ? but this we have taken notice of already . from hence going to capernaum , whither he was followed by a great part of the people , whom he had the day before so miraculously fed ; he , upon the occasion of their following him for the loaves , bids them seek for the meat that endureth to eternal life : and thereupon , iohn vi. 22-69 . declares to them his being sent from the father ; and that those who believed in him , should be raised to eternal life : but all this , very much involved in a mixture of allegorical terms of eating , and of bread , bread of life , which came down from heaven , &c. which is all comprehended and expounded in these short and plain words , v. 47. & 54. verily , verily i say unto you , he that believeth on me , hath everlasting life and i will raise him up at the last day . the sum of all which discourse is , that he was the messiah sent from god ; and that those who believed him to be so , should be raised from the dead at the last day to eternal life . these who he spoke to , were of those who the day before would by force have made him king ; and therefore 't is no wonder he should speak to them of himself , and his kingdom and subjects , in obscure and mystical terms ; and such as should offend those who looked for nothing but the grandeur of a temporal kingdom in this world , and the protection and prosperity they had promised themselves under it . the hopes of such a kingdom , now that they had found a man that did miracles , and therefore concluded to be the deliverer they expected , had the day before almost drawn them into an open insurrection , and involved our saviour in it . this he thought fit to put a stop to ; they still following him 't is like with the same design . and therefore though he here speaks to them of his kingdom , it was in a way that so plainly bauk'd their expectation ; and shock'd them ; that when they found themselves disappointed of those vain hopes , and that he talked of their eating his flesh , and drinking his blood , that they might have life ; the jews said , v. 52. how can this man give us his flesh to eat ? and many , even of his disciples , said , it was an hard saying , who can bear it ? and so were scandalized in him , and forsook him , v. 60. 66. but what the true meaning of this discourse of our saviour was , the confession of st. peter , who understood it better and answered for the rest of the apostles shews : when jesus asked him , v. 67. will ye also go away ? then simon peter answered him , lord , to whom shall we go ? thou hast the words of eternal life ; i. e. thou teachest us the way to attain eternal life ; and accordingly we believe , and are sure that thou art the messiah , the son of the living god. this was the eating his flesh , and drinking his blood , whereby those who did so had eternal life . sometime after this , he enquires of his disciples , mark viii . 27. who the people took him for ? they telling him , for iohn the baptist , or one of the old prophets risen from the dead ; he asked , what they themselves thought ? and here again peter answers in these words , mark viii . 29. thou art the messiah . luke ix . 20. the messiah of god. and mat. xvi . 16. thou art the messiah , the son of the living god : which expressions , we may hence gather , amount to the same thing . whereupon our saviour tells peter , mat. xvi . 17 , 18. that this was such a truth as flesh and blood could not reveal to him , but only his father who was in haven ; and that this was the foundation on which he was to build his church . by all the parts of which passage it is more than probable , that he had never yet told his apostles in direct words that he was the messiah ; but that they had gathered it from his life and miracles . for which we may imagine to our selves this probable reason ; because that if he had familiarly , and in direct terms , talked to his apostles in private that he was the messiah the prince , of whose kingdom he preached so much in publick every where ; iudas , whom he knew false and treacherous , would have been readily made use of to testifie against him , in a matter that would have been really criminal to the roman governour . this perhaps may help to clear to us that seemingly abrupt reply of our saviour to his apostles , iohn vi. 70. when they confessed him to be the messiah . i will , for the better explaining of it , set down the passage at large . peter having said , we believe , and are sure that thou art the messiah , the son of the living god. iesus answered them , have not i chosen you twelve , and one of you is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ? this is a reply seeming at first sight nothing to the purpose ; when yet it is sure all our saviour's discourses were wise and pertinent . it seems therefore to me to carry this sense , to be understood afterwards by the eleven ( as that of destroying the temple , and raising it again in three days was ) when they should reflect on it after his being betray'd by iudas : you have confessed , and believe the truth concerning me ; i am the messiah your king : but do not wonder at it , that i have never openly declared it to you : for amongst you twelve , whom i have chosen to be with me , there is one who is an informer , or false accuser , ( for so the greek word signifies , and may possibly here be so translated , rather than devil ) who , if i had owned my self in plain words to have been the messiah , the king of israel , would have betrayed me , and informed against me . that he was yet cautious of owning himself to his apostles positively to be the messiah , appears farther from the manner wherein he tells peter , v. 18. that he will build his church upon that confession of his , that he was the messiah . i say unto thee , thou art cephas , or a rock , and upon this rock i will build my church , and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it . words too doubtful to be laid hold on against him , as a testimony that he professed himself to be the messiah ; especially if we joyn with them the following words , v. 19. and i will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven ; and what thou shalt bind on earth , shall be bound in heaven ; and what thou shalt loose on earth , shall be loosed in heaven . which being said personally to peter , render the foregoing words of our saviour ( wherein he declares the fundamental article of his church to be the believing him to be the messiah ) the more obscure and doubtful , and less liable to be made use of against him ; but yet such as might afterwards be understood . and for the same reason he yet here again forbids the apostles to say that he was the messiah , v. 20. from this time ( say the evangelists ) jesus began to shew to his disciples , ( i. e. his apostles , who are often called disciples ) that he must go to jerusalem , and suffer many things from the elders , chief priests , and scribes ; and be killed , and be raised again the third day . these , though all marks of the messiah , yet how little understood by the apostles , or suited to their expectation of the messiah , appears from peter's rebuking him for it in the following words , mat. xvi . 22. peter had twice before owned him to be the messiah , and yet he cannot here bear that he should suffer , and be put to death , and be raised again . whereby we may perceive , how little yet jesus had explained to the apostles what personally concerned himself . they had been a good while witnesses of his life and miracles ; and thereby being grown into a belief that he was the messiah , were in some degree prepared to receive the particulars that were to fill up that character , and answer the prophesies concerning him ; which from henceforth he began to open to them , ( though in a way which the jews could not form an accusation out of ) the time of the accomplishment of all , in his sufferings , death , and resurrection , now drawing on . for this was in the last year of his life ; he being to meet the jews at ierusalem but once more at the passover , who then should have their will upon him ; and therefore he might now begin to be a little more open concerning himself : though yet so , as to keep himself out of the reach of any accusation , that might appear just or weighty to the roman deputy . after his reprimand to peter , telling him that he savoured not the things of god , but of man ; mark viii . 34. he calls the people to him , and prepares those , who would be his disciples , for suffering ; telling them , v. 38. whoever shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation , of him also shall the son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his father with the holy angels : and then subjoyns , mat. xvi . 27 , 28. two great and solemn acts , wherein he would shew himself to be the messiah the king : for the son of man shall come in the glory of his father , with his angels ; and then he shall render every man according to his works . this is evidently meant of the glorious appearance of his kingdom , when he shall come to judge the world at the last day ; described more at large , mat xxv . when the son of man shall come in his glory , and all the holy angels with him , then shall be sit upon the throne of his glory . then shall the king say to them on his right hand , &c. but what follows in the place above quoted , mat. xvi . 28. verily , verily , there be some standing here , who shall not tast of death , till they see the son of man coming in his kingdom ; importing that dominion , which some there should see him exercise over the nation of the jews , was so covered ; by being annexed to the preceding v. 27. ( where he spoke of the manifestation and glory of his kingdom at the day of judgment ) that though his plain meaning here in v. 28. be , that the appearance and visible exercise of his kingly power in his kingdom was so near , that some there should live to see it ; yet if the foregoing words had not cast a shadow over these later , but they had been left plainly to be understood , as they plainly signified , that he should be a king ; and that it was so near , that some there should see him in his kingdom ; this might have been laid hold on , and made the matter of a plausible and seemingly just accusation against him , by the jews , before pilate . this seems to be the reason of our saviour's inverting here the order of the two solemn manifestations to the world of his rule and power ; thereby perplexing at present his meaning , and securing himself , as was necessary , from the malice of the jews , which always lay at catch to intrap him , and accuse him to the roman governour ; and would , no doubt , have been ready to have alledged these words , some here shall not tast of death , till they see the son of man coming in his kingdom , against him , as criminal ; had not their meaning been , by the former verse , perplexed , and the sense at that time rendred unintelligible , and not applicable by any of his auditors to a sense that might have been prejudicial to him before the roman governour . for how well the chief of the jews were disposed towards him , st. luke tells us , chap. xi . 54. laying wait for him , and seeking to catch something out of his mouth , that they might accuse him : which may be a reason to satisfie us of the seemingly doubtful and obscure way of speaking used by our saviour in other places ; his circumstances being such , that without such a prudent carriage and reservedness , he could not have gone through the work which he came to do ; nor have performed all the parts of it , in a way correspondent to the descriptions given of the messiah , and which should be afterwards fully understood to belong to him , when he had left the world. after this , mat. xvii . 10 , &c. he , without saying it in direct words , begins , as it were , to own himself to his apostles to be the messiah ; by assuring them , that as the scribes , according to the prophecy of malachy , chap. iv. 5. rightly said , that elias was to usher in the messiah ; so indeed elias was already come , though the jews knew him not , and treated him ill : whereby they understood that he spoke to them of john the baptist , v. 13. and a little after he somewhat more plainly intimates that he is the messiah , mark ix . 41. in these words : whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name , because ye belong to the messiah . this , as i remember , is the first place where our saviour ever mentioned the name of messiah ; and the first time that he went so far towards the owning , to any of the jewish nation , himself to be him . in his way to jerusalem , bidding one follow him , luke ix . 59. who would first bury his father , v. 60. iesus said unto him , let the dead bury their dead ; but go thou and preach the kingdom of god. and luke x. 1. sending out the seventy disciples , he says to them , v. 9. heal the sick , and say , the kingdom of god is come nigh unto you . he had nothing else for these , or for his apostles , or any one , it seems , to preach ; but the good news of the coming of the kingdom of the messiah . and if any city would not receive them , he bids them , v. 10. go into the streets of the same , and say , even the very dust of your city , which cleaveth on us , do we wipe off against you : notwithstanding , be ye sure of this , that the kingdom of god is come nigh unto you . this they were to take notice of , as that which they should dearly answer for ; viz. that they had not with faith received the good tidings of the kingdom of the messiah . after this , his brethren say unto him , iohn vii . 2 , 3 , 4. ( the feast of tabernacles being near ) depart hence , and go into judea , that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest : for there is no man that does any thing in secret , and he himself seeketh to be known openly . if thou do these things , shew thy self to the world. here his brethren , which the next verse tells us did not believe in him , seem to upbraid him with the inconsistency of his carriage ; as if he designed to be received for the messiah , and yet was afraid to shew himself : to whom he justified his conduct , ( mentioned v. 1. ) in the following verses ; by telling them , that the world ( meaning the jews especially ) hated him , because he testified of it , that the works thereof are evil ; and that his time was not yet fully come , wherein to quit his reserve , and abandon himself freely to their malice and fury : and therefore , though he went up unto the feast , it was not openly ; but as it were in secret , v. 10. and here coming into the temple about the middle of the feast , he justifies his being sent from god ; and that he had not done any thing against the law in curing the man at the pool of bethesday , v. iohn v. 1-16 . on the sabbath-day ; which , though done above a year and an half before , they made use of as a pretence to destroy him . but what was the true reason of seeking his life , appears from what we have in this vii . chapter , v. 25-34 . then said some of them at jerusalem , is not this he whom they seek to kill ? but lo , he speaketh boldly , and they say nothing unto him . do the rulers know indeed that this is the very messiah ? howbeit , we know this man whence he is ; but when the messiah cometh , no man knoweth whence he is . then cryed iesus in the temple , as he taught , ye both know me , and ye know whence i am : and i am not come of my self , but he that sent me is true , whom ye know not . but i know him , for i am from him , and he hath sent me . then they sought [ an occasion ] to take him , but no man laid hands on him , because his hour was not yet come . and many of the people believed on him , and said , when the messiah cometh , will be do more miracles than these which this man hath done ? the pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him ; and the pharisees and chief priests sent officers to take him . then said iesus unto them , yet a little while am i with you , and then i go to him that sent me : ye shall seek me , and not find me ; and where i am there ye cannot come . then said the iews among themselves , whither will he go , that we shall not find him ? here we find that the great fault in our saviour , and the great provocation to the jews , was his being taken for the messiah ; and doing such things as made the people believe in him ; i. e. believe that he was the messiah . here also our saviour declares , in words very easie to be understood , at least after his resurrection , that he was the messiah : for if he were sent from god , and did his miracles by the spirit of god , there could be no doubt but he was the messiah . but yet this declaration was in a way that the pharisees and priests could not lay hold on to make an accusation of , to the disturbance of his ministry , or the seizure of his person , how much soever they desired it : for his time was not yet come . the officers they had sent to apprehend him , charmed with his discourse , returned without laying hands on him , v. 45 , 46. and when the chief priests asked them , why they brought him not ? they answered , never man spake like this man. whereupon the pharisees reply , are ye also deceived ? have any of the rulers , or of the pharisees believed on him ? but this people , who know not the law , are cursed . this shews what was meant by believing on him ; viz. believing that he was the messiah . for , say they , have any of the rulers , who are skilled in the law , or of the devout and learned pharisees , acknowledged him to be the messiah ? for as for those who in the division among the people concerning him , say , that he is the messiah , they are ignorant and vile wretches , know nothing of the scripture , and being accursed , are given up by god to be deceived by this impostor , and to take him for the messiah . therefore , notwithstanding their desire to lay hold on him , he goes on ; and v. 37 , 38. in the last and great day of the feast , iesus stood and cryed , saying ; if any man thirst , let him come unto me and drink : he that believeth on me , as the scripture hath said , out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water . and thus he here again declares himself to be the messiah ; but in the prophetick stile ; as we may see by the next verse of this chapter , and those places in the old testament that these words of our saviour refer to . in the next chapter , iohn viii . all that he says concerning himself , and what they were to believe , tends to this ; viz. that he was sent from god his father ; and that if they did not believe that he was the messiah , they should die in their sins : but this in a way , as st. iohn observes , v. 27. that they did not well understand . but our saviour himself tells them , v. 28. when ye have lift up the son of man , then shall ye know that i am he . going from them , he cures the man born blind , whom meeting with again , after the jews had questioned him , and cast him out , iohn ix . 35-38 . jesus said to him , dost thou believe on the son of god ? he answered , who is he , lord , that i might believe on him ? and iesus said unto him , thou hast both seen him , and it is he that talketh with thee . and he said , lord , i believe . here we see this man is pronounced a believer , when all that was proposed to him to believe , was , that jesus was the son of god ; which was , as we have already shewn , to believe that he was the messiah . in the next chapter , iohn x. 1-21 . he declares the laying down of his life for both jews and gentiles ; but in a parable , which they understood not , v. 6. 20. as he was going to the feast of the dedication , the pharisees ask him , luke xvii . 20. when the kingdom of god , i. e. of the messiah , should come ? he answers , that it should not come with pomp , and observation , and great concourse ; but that it was already begun amongst them . if he had stopt here , the sense had been so plain , that they could hardly have mistaken him ; or have doubted , but that he meant , that the messiah was already come , and amongst them ; and so might have been prone to infer , that jesus took upon him to be him . but here , as in the place before taken notice of , subjoyning to this the future revelation of himself , both in his coming to execute vengeance on the jews , and in his coming to judgment mixed together , he so involved his sense , that it was not easie to understand him . and therefore the jews came to him again in the temple , iohn x. 23. and said , how long dost thou make us doubt ? if thou be the christ tell us plainly . iesus answered , i told you , and ye believed not : the works that i do in my father's name , they bear witness of me . but ye believed not , because ye are not of my sheep , as i told you . the believing here , which he accuses them of not doing , is plainly their not believing him to be the messiah , as the foregoing words evince , and in the same sense it is evidently meant in the following verses of this chapter . from hence iesus going to bethabara , and thence returning to bethany ; upon lazarus's death , iohn xi . 25-27 . jesus said to martha , i am the resurrection and the life , he that believeth in me , though he were dead , yet he shall live ; and whosoever liveth , and believeth in me , shall not die for ever . so i understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , answerable to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the septuagint , gen. iii. 22. or iohn vi. 51. which we read right in our english translation , live for ever . but whether this saying of our saviour here can with truth be translated , he that liveth and believeth in me , shall never die , will be apt to be questioned . but to go on . believest thou this ? she said unto him , yea , lord , i believe that thou art the messiah , the son of god , which should come into the world. this she gives as a full answer to our saviour's demands ; this being that faith , which whoever had , wanted no more to make them believers . we may observe farther , in this same story of the raising of lazarus , what faith it was our saviour expected ; by what he says , v. 41 , 42. father , i thank thee that thou hast heard me . and i know that thou hearest me always . but because of the people who stand by , i said it , that they may believe that thou hast sent me . and what the consequence of it was , we may see , v. 45. then many of the iews who came to mary , and had seen the things which iesus did , believed on him : which belief was , that he was sent from the father ; which in other words was , that he was the messiah . that this is the meaning , in the evangelists , of the phrase of believing on him , we have a demonstration in the following words , v. 47 , 48. then gathered the chief priests and pharisees a council , and said , what do we ? for this man does many miracles ; and if we let him alone , all men will believe on him . those who here say , all men would believe on him , were the chief priests and pharisees his enemies ; who sought his life ; and therefore could have no other sense nor thought of this faith in him , which they spake of , but only the believing him to be the messiah : and that that was their meaning , the adjoyning words shew . if we let him alone , all the world will believe on him ; i.e. believe him to be the messiah . and the romans will come and take away both our place and nation . which reasoning of theirs was thus grounded . if we stand still , and let the people believe on him , i.e. receive him for the messiah ; they will thereby take him and set him up for their king , and expect deliverance by him ; which will draw the roman arms upon us , to the destruction of us and our country . the romans could not be thought to be at at all concerned in any other belief whatsoever , that the people might have in him . it is therefore plain , that believing on him , was , by the writers of the gospel , understood to mean , the believing him to be the messiah . the sanhedrim therefore , v. 53 , 54. from that day forth consulted for to put him to death . iesus therefore walked not yet ( for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies , and so i think it ought here to be translated ) boldly , or open-fac'd among the iews ; i.e. of ierusalem . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot well here be translated no more , because within a very short time after , he appeared openly at the passover , and by his miracles and speech declared himself more freely than ever he had done ; and all the week before his passion taught daily in the temple , mat. xx. 17. mark x. 32. luke xviii . 31 , &c. the meaning of this place seems therefore to be this : that his time being not yet come , he durst not yet shew himself openly , and confidently , before the scribes and pharisees , and those of the sanhedrim at ierusalem , who were full of malice against him , and had resolved his death ; but went thence unto a country near the wilderness , into a city called ephraim , and there continued with his disciples , to keep himself out of the way till the passover , which was nigh at hand , v. 55. in his return thither , he takes the twelve aside , and tells them before hand what should happen to him at ierusalem , whither they were now going ; and that all things that are written by the prophets concerning the son of man , should be accomplished . that he should be betrayed to the chief priests and scribes ; and that they should condemn him to death , and deliver him to the gentiles ; that he should be mocked , and spit on , and scourged , and put to death ; and the third day he should rise again . but st. luke tells us , chap. xviii . 34. that the apostles understood none of these things , and this saying was hid from them ; neither knew they the things which were spoken . they believed him to be the son of god , the messiah sent from the father ; but their notion of the messiah was the same with the rest of the jews ; that he should be a temporal prince and deliverer . that which distinguished them from the unbelieving jews , was , that they believed jesus to be the very messiah , and so received him as their king and lord accordingly . we see , mark x. 35. that even in this their last journey with him to ierusalem , two of them , iames and iohn , coming to him , and falling at his feet , said , grant unto us , that we may fit , one on thy right hand , and the other on thy left hand , in thy glory ; or , as . st. matthew has it , chap. xx. 21. in thy kingdom . and now the hour being come that the son of man should be glorified , he , without his usual reserve , makes his publick entry into ierusalem , riding on a young ass ; as it is written , fear not , daughter of sion , behold , thy king cometh fitting on an asses colt. but these things , says st. iohn , chap. xii . 16. his disciples understood not at the first ; but when iesus was glorified , then remembred they that these things were written of him , and that they had done these things unto him . though the apostles believed him to be the messiah , yet there were many occurrences of his life which they understood not , at the time when they happened , to be fore-told of the messiah ; which after his ascension they found exactly to quadrate . and all the people crying hosanna , blessed is the king of israel , that cometh in the name of the lord ; this was so open a declaration of his being the messiah , that luke xix . 39. some of the pharisees from among the multitude said unto him , master , rebuke thy disciples . but he was so far from stopping them , or disowning this their acknowledgment of his being the messiah , that he said unto them , i tell you , that if these should hold their peace , the stones would immediately cry out . and again , upon the like occasion of their crying hosanna , to the son of david , in the temple , mat. xxi . 15 , 16. when the chief priests and scribes were sore displeased , and said unto him , hearest thou what they say ? iesus said unto them , yea ; have ye never read , out of the months of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise ? and now , v. 14 , 15. he cures the blind and the lame openly in the temple . and when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did , and the children crying in the temple hosanna , they were enraged . one would not think , that after the multitude of miracles that our saviour had now been doing for above three years together , that the curing the lame and blind should so much move them . but we must remember , that though his ministry had abounded with miracles , yet the most of them had been done about galilee , and in parts remote from ierusalem : there is but one left upon record hitherto done in that city ; and that had so ill a reception , that they sought his life for it ; as we may read , iohn v. 16. and therefore we hear not of his being at the next passover , because he was there only privately , as an ordinary jew : the reason whereof we may read , iohn vii . 1. after these things , iesus walked in galilee , for he would not walk in jewry , because the iews sought to kill him . hence we may guess the reason why st. iohn omitted the mention of his being at ierusalem at the third passover after his baptism ; probably because he did nothing memorable there . indeed , when he was at the feast of tabernacles , immediately preceding this his last passover , he cured the man born blind : but it appears not to have been done in ierusalem it self , but in the way as he retired to the mount of olives ; for there seems to have been no body by , when he did it , but his apostles . compare v. 2. with v. 8. 10. of iohn ix . this , at least , is remarkable ; that neither the cure of this blind man , nor that of the other infirm man , at the passover above a twelve month before at ierusalem , was done in the sight of the scribes , pharisees , chief priests , or rulers . nor was it without reason , that in the former part of his ministry he was cautious of shewing himself to be the messiah ; and by repeated miracles done in their sight before the people , of provoking the rulers in ierusalem , where he was in their power . but now that he was come to the last scene of his life , and that the passover was come , the appointed time wherein he was to compleat the work he came for , in his death and resurrection , he does many things in ierusalem it self , before the face of the scribes , pharisees , and whole body of the jewish nation , to manifest himself to be the messiah . and , as st. luke says , chap. xix . 47 , 48. he taught daily in the temple : but the chief priests , and the scribes , and the chief of the people sought to destroy him ; and could not find what they might do , for all the people were very attentive to hear him . what he taught , we are not left to guess , by what we have found him constantly preaching elsewhere ; ( the kingdom of god's being come , and requiring repentance . ) but st. luke tells us , chap. xx. 1. he taught in the temple , and evangelized ; or , as we translate it , preached the gospel : which , as we have shewed , was the making known to them the good news of the kingdom of the messiah . and this we shall find he did , in what now remains of his history . in the first discourse of his , which we find upon record after this , iohn xii . 20 , &c. he fore-tells his crucifixion ; and the belief of all sorts , both iews and gentiles , on him after that . whereupon the people say to him , v. 34. we have heard out of the law , that the messiah abideth for ever ; and how sayest thou , that the son of man must be lifted up ? who is this son of man ? in his answer he plainly designs himself , under the name of light ; which was what he had declared himself to them to be , the last time that they had seen him in ierusalem . for then at the feast of tabernacles , but six months before , he tells them in the very place where he now is , viz. in the temple , i am the light of the world ; whosoever follows me , shall not walk in darkness , but shall have the light of life ; as we may read , iohn viii . 12. & ix 5. he says , as long as i am in the world , i am the light of the world. but neither here , nor any where else , does he , even in these four or five last days of his life ( though he knew his hour was come , and was prepared for his death , v. 27. and scrupled not to manifest himself to the rulers of the jews to be the messiah , by doing miracles before them in the temple ) ever once in direct words own himself to the jews to be the messiah ; though by miracles , and other ways , he did every where make it known to them , so that it might be understood . this could not be without some reason ; and the preservation of his life , which he came now to ierusalem on purpose to lay down , could not be it . what other could it then be , but the same which had made him use caution in the former part of his ministry ; so to conduct himself , that he might do the work which he came for , and in all parts answer the character given of the messiah in the law and the prophets ? he had fulfilled the time of his ministry ; and now taught , and did miracles openly in the temple , before the rulers and the people , not fearing to be seized . but he would not be seized for any thing that might make him a criminal to the government ; and therefore he avoided giving those , who in the division that was about him enclined towards him , occasion of tumult for his sake ; or to the jews his enemies , matter of just accusation against him out of his own mouth , by professing himself to be the messiah , the king of israel in direct words . it was enough , that by words and deeds he declared it so to them , that they could not but understand him ; which 't is plain they did , luke xx. 16. 19. mat. xxi . 45. but yet neither his actions , which were only doing of good ; nor words , which were mystical and parabolical ; ( as we may see , mat. xxi . & xxii . and the parallel places of matthew and luke ; ) nor any of his ways of making himself known to be the messiah ; could be brought in testimony , or urged against him , as opposite or dangerous to the government . this preserved him from being condemned as a malefactor ; and procured him a testimony from the roman governour his judge , that he was an innocent man , sacrificed to the envy of the iewish nation . so that he avoided saying that he was the messiah , that to those who would reflect on his life and death after his resurrection , he might the more clearly appear to be so . it is farther to be remarked , that though he often appeals to the testimony of his miracles who he is , yet he never tells the iews that he was born at bethlehem ; to remove the prejudice that lay against him , whilst he passed for a galilean , and which was urged as a proof that he was not the messiah , iohn vii . 41 , 42. the healing of the sick , and doing of good miraculously , could be no crime in him , nor accusation against him . but the naming of bethlehem for his birth-place , might have wrought as much upon the mind of pilate , as it did on herod's ; and have raised a suspicion in him as prejudicial to his innocence , as herod's was to the children born there . his pretending to be born at bethlehem , as it was liable to be explained by the iews , could not have failed to have met with a sinister interpretation in the roman governour , and have rendred iesus suspected of some criminal design against the government . and hence we see , that when pilate asked him , iohn xix . 9. whence art thou ? iesus gave him no answer . whether our saviour had not an eye to this straitness , this narrow room that was left to his conduct , between the new converts and the captious jews , when he says , luke xii . 50. i have a baptism to be baptized with , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how am i straitned till it be accomplished , i leave to be considered . i am come to send fire on the earth , says our saviour , and what if it be already kindled ? i.e. there begin already to be divisions about me , v. iohn vii . 12. 43. & ix . 16. & x. 19. and i have not the freedom , the latitude , to declare my self openly as i am , the messiah , till after my death . my way to my throne is closely hedged in on every side , and much straitned , within which i must keep , till it bring me to my cross ; in its due time and manner , so that it do not cut short the time , nor cross the end of my ministry . and therefore to keep up this inoffensive character , and not to let it come within the reach of accident or calumny , he withdrew with his apostles out of the town every evening ; and kept himself retired out of the way , luke xxi . 37. and in the day-time he was teaching in the temple , and every night he went out and abode in the mount that is called the mount of olives ; that he might avoid all concourse to him in the night , and give no occasion of disturbance , or suspicion of himself in that great conflux of the whole nation of the iews , now assembled in ierusalem at the passover . but to return to his preaching in the temple . he bids them , iohn xii . 36. to believe in the light whilst they have it . and he tells them , v. 46. i am the light come into the world , that every one who believes in me should not remain in darkness . which believing in him , was the believing him to be the messiah , as i have elsewhere shewed . the next day , mat. xxi . he rebukes them for not having believed iohn the baptist , who had testified that he was the messiah . and then , in a parable , declares himself to be the son of god , whom they should destroy ; and that for it god would take away the kingdom of the messiah from them , and give it to the gentiles . that they understood him thus , is plain from luke xx. 16. and when they heard it , they said , god forbid . and v. 19. for they knew that he had spoken this parable against them . much to the same purpose was his next parable concerning the kingdom of heaven , mat. xxii . 1-10 . that the jews not accepting of the kingdom of the messiah , to whom it was first offered , others should be brought in . the scribes and pharisees , and chief priests , not able to bear the declaration he made of himself to be the messiah ; ( by his discourses and miracles before them , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , iohn xii . 37. which he had never done before ) impatient of his preaching and miracles ; and being not able otherwise to stop the increase of his followers ; ( for , said the pharisees among themselves , perceive ye how ye prevail nothing ? behold , the world is gone after him , iohn xii . 19. so that the chief priests , and the scribes , and the chief of the people ) sought to destroy him , the first day of his entrance into ierusalem , luke xix . 47. the next day again they were intent upon the same thing , mark xi . 17 , 18. and he taught in the temple ; and the scribes , and the chief priests heard it , and sought how they might destroy him ; for they feared him , because all the people were astonished at his doctrine . the next day but one , upon his telling them the kingdom of the messiah should be taken from them ; the chief priests and scribes sought to lay hands on him the same hour ; and they feared the people , luke xx. 19. if they had so great a desire to lay hold on him , why did they not ? they were the chief priests and the rulers , the men of power . the reason st. luke plainly tells us , in the next verse : and they watched him , and sent forth spies , which should feign themselves just men , that they might take hold of his words ; that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governour . they wanted matter of accusation , against him , to the power they were under . that they watched for ; and that they would have been glad of , if they could have entangled him in his talk ; as st. matthew expresses it , chap. xxii . 15. if they could have laid hold on any word that had dropt from him , that might have rendred him guilty or suspected to the roman governour ; that would have served their turn , to have laid hold upon him , with hopes to destroy him . for their power not answering their malice , they could not put him to death by their own authority , without the permission and assistance of the governour ; as they confess , iohn xviii . 31. it is not lawful for us to put any man to death . this made them so earnest for a declaration in direct words , from his own mouth , that he was the messiah . 't was not that they would more have believed in him , for such a declaration of himself , than they did for his miracles , or other ways of making himself known , which it appears they understood well enough . but they wanted plain direct words , such as might support an accusation , and be of weight before an heathen judge . this was the reason why they pressed him to speak out , iohn x. 24. then came the iews round about him , and said unto him , how long dost thou hold us in suspense ? if thou be the messiah , tell us plainly , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; i. e. in direct words : for that st. iohn uses it in that sense , we may see , chap. xi . 11-14 . jesus saith to them , lazarus sleepeth . his disciples said , if , he sleeps , he shall do well ; howbeit , iesus spake of his death ; but they thought he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep . then said iesus to them plainly , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , lazarus is dead . here we see what is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , plain direct words , such as express the thing without a figure ; and so they would have had jesus pronounce himself to be the messiah . and the same thing they press again , mat. xvi . 63. the high-priest adjuring him by the living god , to tell them whether he were the messiah , the son of god ; as we shall have occasion to take notice by and by . this we may observe in the whole management of their design against his life . it turned upon this ; that they wanted and wished for a declaration from him , in direct words , that he was the messiah : something from his own mouth , that might offend the roman power , and render him criminal to pilate . in the 21 st . verse of this xx of luke , they asked him , saying , master , we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly ; neither acceptest thou the person of any , but teachest the way of god truly . is it lawful for us to give tribute to caesar or no ? by this captious question they hoped to catch him , which way soever he answered . for if he had said , they ought to pay tribute to caesar , 't would be plain he allowed their subjection to the romans ; and so in effect disowned himself to be their king and deliverer : whereby he would have contradicted , what his carriage and doctrine seemed to aim at , the opinion that was spread amongst the people , that he was the messiah . this would have quash'd the hopes , and destroyed the faith of those who believed on him ; and have turned the ears and hearts of the people from him . if on the other side , he answered no , it is not lawful to pay tribute to caesar ; they had had out of his own mouth wherewithal to condemn him before pontius pilate . but st. luke tells us , v. 23. he perceived their craftiness , and said unto them , why tempt ye me ? i. e. why do ye'lay snares for me ? ye hypocrites , shew me the tribute-money ; so it is , mat. xxii . 19. whose image and inscription has it ? they said , caesar ' s. he said unto them , render therefore to caesar the things that are caesar's ; and to god the things that are god's . by the wisdom and caution of which unexpected answer , he defeated their whole design . and they could not take hold of his words before the people ; and they marvelled at his answer , and held their peace , luke xx. 26. and leaving him , they departed , mat. xxii . 22. he having by this reply , ( and what he answered to the sadducees concerning the resurrection , and to the lawyer , about the first commandment , mark xii . ) answered so little to their satisfaction or advantage ; they durst ask him no more questions , any of them . and now their mouths being stop'd , he himself begins to question them about the messiah ; asking the pharisees , mat. xxii . 41. what think ye of the messiah , whose son is he ? they say unto him , the son of david . wherein , though they answered right , yet he shews them in the following words , that however they pretended to be studiers and teachers of the law , yet they understood not clearly the scriptures concerning the messiah ; and thereupon he sharply rebukes their hypocrisie , vanity , pride , malice , covetousness , and ignorance ; and particularly tells them , v. 13. ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men : for ye neither go in your selves , nor suffer ye them that are entring , to go in . whereby he plainly declares to them , that the messiah was come , and his kingdom began ; but that they refused to believe in him themselves , and did all they could to hinder others from believing in him ; as is manifest throughout the new testament : the history whereof sufficiently explains what is meant here by the kingdom of heaven , which the scribes and pharisees would neither go into themselves , nor suffer others to enter into . and they could not choose but understand him , though he named not himself in the case . provoked a new by his rebukes , they get presently to council , mat. xxvi . then assembled together the chief priest , and the scribes , and the elders of the people , unto the palace of the high-priest , who was called caiphas , and consulted that they might take iesus by subtilty , and kill him . but they said , not on the feast-day , lest there be an vproar among the people . for they feared the people , says st. luke , chap. xxii . 2. having in the night got jesus into their hands , by the treachery of iudas , they presently led him away bound to annas the high-priest , iohn xviii . 13. 19. the high-priest then asked iesus of his disciples , and of his doctrine . iesus answered him , i spake openly to the world ; i ever taught in the synagogue , and in the temple , whither the iews always resort ; and in secret have i said nothing . a proof that he had not in private to his disciples declared himself in express words to be the messiah , the prince . but he goes on . why askest thou me ? ask iudas , who has been always with me . ask them who heard me , what i have said unto them ; behold , they know what i said . our saviour we see here warily declines , for the reasons above mentioned , all discourse of his doctrine . annas getting nothing out of him for his turn , v. 24. sends him away to caiphas , and the sanhedrim ; who , mat. xxvi . 59. sought false witness against him : but when they found none that were sufficient , or came up to the point they desired ; which was to have something against him to take away his life , ( for so i think the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mean , mark xiv . 56. 59. ) they try again what they can get out of him himself , concerning his being the messiah ; which if he owned in express words , they thought they should have enough against him at the tribunal of the roman governour , to make him laesae majestatis reum , and so to take away his life . they therefore say to him , luke xxii . 67. if thou be the messiah , tell us . nay , as st. matthew hath it , the high-priest adjures him by the living god to tell them whether he were the messiah . to which our saviour replies : if i tell you , ye will not believe ; and if i ask you , ye will not answer me , nor let me go . if i tell you , and prove to you , by the testimony given of me from heaven , and by the works that i have done among you , you will not believe in me , that i am the messiah . or if i should ask you where the messiah is to be born ; and what state he should come in ; how he should appear , and other things that you think in me are not reconcileable with the messiah ; you will not answer me , and let me go , as one that has no pretence to be the messiah , and you are not afraid should be received for such . but yet i tell you , hereafter shall the son of man sit on the right hand of the power of god , v. 70. then said they all , art thou then the son of god ? and he said unto them , ye say that i am . by which discourse with them , related at large here by st. luke , it is plain , that the answer of our saviour , set down by st. matthew , chap. xxvi . 64. in these words , thou hast said ; and by st. mark , chap. xiv . 62. in these , i am ; is an answer only to this question , art thou then the son of god ? and not to that other , art thou the messiah ? which preceded , and he had answered to before : though matthew and mark , contracting the story , set them down together , as if making but one question ; omitting all the intervening discourse ; whereas 't is plain out of st. luke , that they were two distinct questions , to which iesus gave two distinct answers . in the first whereof , he , according to his usual caution , declined saying in plain express words , that he was the messiah ; though in the latter he owned himself to be the son of god. which , though they being iews , understood to signifie the messiah ; yet he knew could be no legal or weighty accusation against him before a heathen ; and so it proved . for upon his answering to their question , art thou then the son of god ? ye say that i am ; they cry out , luke xxii . 71. what need we any further witnesses ? for we our selves have heard out of his own mouth : and so thinking they had enough against him , they hurry him away to pilate . pilate asking them , iohn xviii . 29-32 . what accusation bring you against this man ? they answered , and said , if he were not a malefactor , we would not have delivered him up unto thee . then said pilate unto them , take ye him , and iudge him according to your law. but this would not serve their turn , who aimed at his life , and would be satisfied with nothing else . the iews therefore said unto him , it is not lawful for us to put any man to death . and this was also , that the saying of iesus might be fulfilled which he spake , signifying what death he should dye . pursuing therefore their design , of making him appear to pontius pilate guilty of treason against caesar , luke xxiii . 2. they began to accuse him , saying ; we found this fellow perverting the nation , and forbidding to give tribute to caesar ; saying , that he himself is the messiah the king : all which were inferences of theirs , from his saying , he was the son of god : which pontius pilate finding ( for 't is consonant , that he examined them to the precise words he had said ) their accusation had no weight with him . however , the name of king being suggested against jesus , he thought himself concerned to search it to the bottom . iohn xviii . 33-37 . then pilate entred again into the iudgment-hall , and called iesus , and said unto him , art thou the king of the iews ? iesus answered him , sayest thou this of thy self , or did others tell it thee of me ? pilate answered , am i a iew ? thine own nation and the chief priest have delivered thee unto me : what hast thou done ? iesus answered , my kingdom is not of this world : if my kingdom were of this world , then would my servants fight , that i should not be delivered to the iews : but my kingdom is not from hence . pilate therefore said unto him , art thou a king then ? iesus answered , thou sayest that i am a king. for this end was i born , and for this cause came i into the world , that i should bear witness to the truth : every one that is of the truth heareth my voice . in this dialogue between our saviour and pilate , we may observe , 1. that being asked , whether he were the king of the iews ? he answers so , that though he deny it not , yet he avoided giving the least umbrage , that he had any design upon the government . for though he allows himself to be a king , yet to obviate any suspicion , he tells pilate his kingdom is not of this world ; and evidences it by this , that if he had pretended to any title to that country , his followers , which were not a few , and were forward enough to believe him their king , would have fought for him ; if he had had a mind to set himself up by force , or his kingdom were so to be erected . but my kingdom , says he , is not from hence ; is not of this fashion , or of this place . 2. pilate , being by his words and circumstances satisfied that he laid no claim to his province , or meant any disturbance of the government , was yet a little surprized to hear a man , in that poor garb , without retinue , or so much as a servant or a friend , own himself to be a king ; and therefore asks him , with some kind of wonder , art thou a king then ? 3. that our saviour declares , that his great business into the world was , to testifie and make good this great truth , that he was a king ; i. e. in other words , that he was the messiah . 4. that whoever were followers of truth , and got into the way of truth and happiness , received this doctrine concerning him , viz. that he was the messiah their king. pilate being thus satisfied , that he neither meant , nor could there arise any harm from his pretence , whatever it was , to be a king ; tells the jews , v. 38. i find no fault in this man. but the jews were the more fierce , luke xxiii . 5. saying , he stirreth up the people to sedition , by his preaching through all jewry , beginning from galilee to this place . and then pilate , learning that he was of galilee , herod's jurisdiction , sent him to herod ; to whom also the chief priest and scribes , v. 10. vehemently accused him . herod finding all their accusations either false or frivolous , thought our saviour a bare object of contempt ; and so turning him only into ridicule , sent him back to pilate : who calling unto him the chief priests , and the rulers , and the people , v. 14. said unto them , ye have brought this man unto me , as one that perverteth the people ; and behold , i having examined him before you , have found no fault in this man , touching these things whereof ye accuse him ; no , nor yet herod ; for i sent you to him : and so nothing worthy of death is done by him : and therefore he would have released him . for he knew the chief priests had delivered him through envy , mark xv. 10. and when they demanded barrabbas to be released , but as for jesus , cryed , crucifie him ; luke xxiii . 22. pilate said unto them the third time , why ? what evil hath he done ? i have found no cause of death in him ; i will therefore chastise him , and let him go . we may observe in all this whole prosecution of the jews , that they would fain have got it out of iesus's own mouth , in express words , that he was the messiah : which not being able to do with all their art and endeavour ; all the rest that they could alledge against him , not amounting to a proof before pilate , that he claimed to be king of the jews ; or that he had caused or done any thing towards a mutiny or insurrection among the people ; ( for upon these two , as we see , their whole charge turned ) pilate again and again pronounced him innocent : for so he did a fourth , and a fifth time ; bringing him out to them , after he had whip'd him , iohn xix . 4. 6. and after all , when pilate saw that he could prevail nothing , but that rather a tumult was made , he took water , and washed his hands before the multitude , saying , i am innocent of the blood of this just man ; see you to it , mat. xxvii . 24. which gives us a clear reason of the cautious and wary conduct of our saviour ; in not declaring himself , in the whole course of his ministry , so much as to his disciples , much less to the multitude or the rulers of the jews , in express words , to be the messiah the king : and why he kept himself always in prophetical or parabolical terms : ( he and his disciples preaching only the kingdom of god , i. e. of the messiah , to be come ) and left to his miracles to declare who he was ; though this was the truth , which he came into the world , as he says himself , iohn xviii . 37. to testifie , and which his disciples were to believe . when pilate , satisfied of his innocence , would have released him ; and the jews persisted to cry out , crucifie him , crucifie him , iohn xix . 6. pilate says to them , take ye him your selves , and crucifie him : for i do not find any fault in him . the jews then , since they could not make him a state-criminal , by alledging his saying that he was the son of god ; say , by their law it was a capital crime , v. 7. the iews answered to pilate , we have a law , and by our law he ought to die ; because he made himself the son of god. after this , pilate was the more desirous to release him , v. 12 , 13. but the iews cried out , saying , if thou let this man go , thou art not caesar 's friend : whosoever maketh himself a king , speaketh against caesar. here we see the stress of their charge against jesus ; whereby they hoped to take away his life ; viz. that he made himself king. we see also upon what they grounded this accusation , viz. because he had owned himself to be the son of god. for he had , in their hearing , never made or professed himself to be a king. we see here likewise the reason why they were so desirous to draw , from his own mouth , a confession in express words that he was the messiah ; viz. that they might have what might be a clear proof that he did so . and last of all , we see the reason why , though in expressions , which they understood , he owned himself to them to be the messiah ; yet he avoided declaring it to them , in such words as might look criminal at pilate's tribunal . he owned himself to be the messiah plainly to the understanding of the iews ; but in ways that could not , to the understanding of pilate , make it appear that he laid claim to the kingdom of iudea , or went about to make himself king of that country . but whether his saying , that he was the son of god , was criminal by their law , that pilate troubled not himself about . he that considers what tacitus , suetonius , seneca , de benef. l. 3. c. 26. say of tiberius and his reign , will find how necessary it was for our saviour , if he would not dye as a criminal and a traytor , to take great heed to his words and actions ; that he did , or said not any thing , that might be offensive , or give the least umbrage to the roman government . it behoved an innocent man , who was taken notice of for something extraordinary in him , to be very wary ; under a jealous and cruel prince , who encouraged informations , and filled his reign with executions for treason ; under whom words spoken innocently , or in jest , if they could be misconstrued , were made treason ; and prosecuted with a rigor , that made it always the same thing to be accused and condemned . and therefore we see , that when the iews told pilate , iohn xix . 12. that he should not be a friend to caesar , if he let iesus go ; ( for that whoever made himself king , was a rebel against caesar ; ) he asks them no more , whether they would take barrabbas , and spare iesus ; but ( though against his conscience ) gives him up to death , to secure his own head. one thing more there is , that gives us light into this wise and necessarily cautious management of himself , which manifestly agrees with it , and makes a part of it : and that is , the choice of his apostles ; exactly suited to the design and fore-sight of the necessity of keeping the declaration of the kingdom of the messiah , which was now expected , within certain general terms during his ministry ; and not opening himself too plainly or forwardly , to the heady jews , that he himself was the messiah ; but leaving it to be found out by the observation of those who would attend to the purity of his life , and the testimony of his miracles , and the conformity of all with the predictions concerning him ; without an express promulgation that he was the messiah , till after his death . his kingdom was to be opened to them by degrees , as well to prepare them to receive it , as to enable him to be long enough amongst them ; to perform what was the work of the messiah to be done ; and fulfil all those several parts of what was foretold of him in the old testament , and we see applyed to him in the new. the iews had no other thoughts of their messiah , but of a mighty temporal prince , that should raise their nation into an higher degree of power , dominion , and prosperity than ever it had enjoyed . they were filled with the expectation of a glorious earthly kingdom . it was not therefore for a poor man , the son of a carpenter , and ( as they thought ) born in galilee , to pretend to it . none of the iews , no not his disciples , could have born this ; if he had expresly avowed this at first , and began his preaching , and the opening of his kingdom this way ; especially if he had added to it , that in a year or two he should dye an ignominious death upon the cross. they are therefore prepared for the truth by degrees . first , iohn the baptist tells them , the kingdom of god ( a name by which the jews called the kingdom of the messiah ) is at hand . then our saviour comes , and he tells them of the kingdom of god ; sometimes that it is at hand , and upon some occasions , that it is come ; but says in his publick preaching little or nothing of himself . then come the apostles and evangelists after his death , and they in express words teach what his birth , life , and doctrine had done before , and had prepared the well-disposed to receive ; viz. that iesus is the messiah . to this design and method of publishing the gospel , was the choice of the apostles exactly adjusted ; a company of poor , ignorant , illiterate men ; who , as christ himself tells us , mat. xi . 25. and luke x. 21. were not of the wise and prudent men of the world : they were , in that respect , but meer children . these , convinced by the miracles they saw him daily do , and the unblameable life he lead , might be disposed to believe him to be the messiah : and though they with others expected a temporal kingdom on earth , might yet rest satisfied in the truth of their master ( who had honoured them with being near his person ) that it would come , without being too inquisitive after the time , manner , or seat of his kingdom ; as men of letters , more studied in their rabbins , or men of business , more versed in the world , would have been forward to have been . men great , or wise , in knowledge or ways of the world , would hardly have been kept from prying more narrowly into his design and conduct ; or from questioning him about the ways and measures he would take , for ascending the throne ; and what means were to be used towards it , and when they should in earnest set about it . abler men , of higher births or thoughts , would hardly have been hindred from whispering , at least to their friends and relations , that their master was the messiah ; and that though he concealed himself to a fit opportunity , and till things were ripe for it , yet they should ere long see him break out of his obscurity , cast off the cloud , and declare himself , as he was , king of israel . but the ignorance and lowness of these good poor men made them of another temper . they went along in an implicite trust on him , punctually keeping to his commands , and not exceeding his commission . when he sent them to preach the gospel , he bid them preach the kingdom of god to be at hand ; and that they did , without being more particular than he had ordered ; or mixing their own prudence with his commands , to promote the kingdom of the messiah . they preached it , without giving , or so much as intimating that their master was he : which men of another condition , and an higher education , would scarce have forborn to have done . when he asked them , who they thought him to be ; and peter answered , the messiah , the son of god , mat. xvi . 16. he plainly shews , by the following words , that he himself had not told them so ; and at the same time , v. 20. forbids them to tell this their opinion of him , to any body . how obedient they were to him in this , we may not only conclude from the silence of the evangelists concerning any such thing , published by them any where before his death ; but from the exact obedience three of them paid to a like command of his . he takes peter , iames , and iohn into a mountain ; and there moses and elias coming to him , he is transfigured before them : mat. xvii . 9. he charges them , saying ; see that ye tell no man what you have seen , till the son of man shall be risen from the dead . and st. luke tells us , what punctual observers they were of his orders in this case : chap. ix . 36. they kept it close , and told no man , in those days , any of those things which they had seen . whether twelve other men , of quicker parts , and of a station or breeding which might have given them any opinion of themselves , or their own abilities ; would have been so easily kept from medling beyond just what was prescribed them , in a matter they had so much interest in ; and have said nothing of what they might in humane prudence have thought would have contributed to their master's reputation , and made way for his advancement to his kingdom ; i leave to be considered . and it may suggest matter of meditation , whether st. paul was not for this reason , by his learning , parts , and warmer temper , better fitted for an apostle after , than during our saviour's ministry : and therefore , though a chosen vessel , was not by the divine wisdom called till after christ's resurrection . i offer this only as a subject of magnifying the admirable contrivance of the divine wisdom , in the whole work of our redemption , as far as we are able to trace it by the foot-steps which god hath made visible to humane reason . for though it be as easie to omnipotent power to do all things by an immediate over-ruling will ; and so to make any instruments work , even contrary to their nature , in subserviency to his ends ; yet his wisdom is not usually at the expence of miracles ( if i may so say ) but only in cases that require them , for the evidencing of some revelation or mission to be from him . he does constantly ( unless where the confirmation of some truth requires ▪ it otherwise ) bring about his purposes by means operating according to their natures . if it were not so , the course and evidence of things would be confounded ; miracles would lose their name and force , and there could be no distinction between natural and supernatural . there had been no room left to see and admire the wisdom , as well as innocence , of our saviour ; if he had rashly every where exposed himself to the fury of the jews , and had always been preserved by a miraculous suspension of their malice , or a miraculous rescuing him out of their hands . it was enough for him once to escape from the men of nazareth , who were going to throw him down a precipice , for him never to preach to them again . our saviour had multitudes that followed him for the loaves ; who barely seeing the miracles that he did , would have made him king. if to the miracles he did , he had openly added in express words , that he was the messiah , and the king they expected to deliver them ; he would have had more followers , and warmer in the cause , and readier to set him up at the head of a tumult . these indeed , god , by a miraculous influence , might have hundred from any such attempt : but then posterity could not have believed that the nation of the iews did at that time expect the messiah , their king and deliverer ; or that iesus , who declared himself to be that king and deliverer , shewed any miracles amongst them , to convince them of it ; or did any thing worthy to make him be credited or received . if he had gone about preaching to the multitude which he drew after him , that he was the messiah , the king of israel ; and this had been evidenced to pilate ; god could indeed , by a supernatural influence upon his mind , have made pilate pronounce him innocent ; and not condemn him as a malefactor , who had openly , for three years together , preached sedition to the people , and endeavoured to perswade them that he was the messiah their king , of the blood-royal of david , come to deliver them . but then i ask , whether posterity would not either have suspected the story , or that some art had been used to gain that testimony from pilate ? because he could not ( for nothing ) have been so favourable to iesus , as to be willing to release so turbulent and seditious a man ; to declare him innocent ; and cast the blame and guilt of his death , as unjust , upon the envy of the jews . but now the malice of the chief priests , scribes , and pharisees ; the headiness of the mob , animated with hopes , and raised with miracles ; iudas's treachery , and pilate's care of his government , and the peace of his province , all working naturally as they should ; iesus , by the admirable wariness of his carriage , and an extraordinary wisdom visible in his whole conduct , weathers all these difficulties , does the work he comes for , uninterruptedly goes about preaching his full appointed time , sufficiently manifests himself to be the messiah in all the particulars the scriptures had foretold of him ; and when his hour is come , suffers death ; but is acknowledged both by iudas that betrayed , and pilate that condemned him , to dye innocent . for , to use his own words , luke xxiv . 46. thus it is written , and thus it behooved the messiah to suffer . and of his whole conduct , we have a reason and clear resolution in those words to st. peter , mat. xxvi . 53. thinkest thou that i cannot now pray to my father , and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels ? but how then shall the scripture be fulfilled , that thus it must be ? having this clue to guide us , let us now observe how our saviour's preaching and conduct comported with it , in the last scene of his life . how cautious he has been in the former part of his ministry , we have already observed . we never find him to use the name of the messiah but once , till he now came to ierusalem this last passover . before this , his preaching and miracles were less at ierusalem ( where he used to make but very short stays ) than any where else . but now he comes six days before the feast , and is every day in the temple teaching ; and there publickly heals the blind and the lame , in the presence of the scribes , pharisees , and chief priests . the time of his ministry drawing to an end , and his hour coming , he cared not how much the chief priests , elders , rulers , and the sanhedrim were provoked against him by his doctrine and miracles ; he was as open and bold in his preaching and doing the works of the messiah now at ierusalem , and in the sight of the rulers , and of all the people , as he had been before cautious and reserved there , and careful to be little taken notice of in that place , and not to come in their way more than needs . all now that he took care of , was , not what they should think of him , or design against him , ( for he knew they would seize him ) but to say or do nothing that might be a just matter of accusation against him , or render him criminal to the governour . but as for the grandees of the iewish nation , he spares them not , but sharply now reprehends their miscarriages publickly in the temple ; where he calls them , more than once , hypocrites ; as is to be seen , mat. xxiii . and concludes all with no softer a compellation , than serpents and generation of vipers . after this serve reproof of the scribes and pharisees , being retired with his disciples into the mount of olives , over against the temple ; and there fore-telling the destruction of it ; his disciples ask him , mat. xxiv . 3 , &c. when it should be , and what should be the signs of his coming ? he says to them , take heed that no man deceive you : for many shall come in my name ; i. e. taking on them the name and dignity of the messiah , which is only mine ; saying , i am the messiah , and shall deceive many . but be not you by them mislead , nor by persecution driven away from this fundamental truth , that i am the messiah ; for many shall be scandalized , and apostatize , but he that endures to the end , the same shall be saved : and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world : i e. the good news of me , the messiah , and my kingdom , shall be spread through the world. this was the great and only point of belief they were warned to stick to ; and this is inculcated again , v. 23-26 . and mark xiii . 21-23 . with this emphatical application to them in both these evangelists , behold , i have told you before-hand ; remember ye are fore-warned . this was in his answer to the apostles enquiry concerning his coming , and the end of the world , v. 3. for so we translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; we must understand the disciples here to put their question , according to the notion and way of speaking of the iews . for they had two worlds , as we translate it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; the present world , and the world to come . the kingdom of god , as they called it , or the time of the messiah , they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the world to come , which they believed was to put an end to this world : and that then the just should be raised from the dead ; to enjoy , in that new world , a happy eternity , with those of the jewish nation who should be then living . these two things , viz. the visible and powerful appearance of his kingdom , and the end of the world , being confounded in the apostles question , our saviour does not separate them , nor distinctly reply to them apart ; but leaving the enquirers in the common opinion , answers at once concerning his coming to take vengeance of the iewish nation , and put an end to their church , worship , and common-wealth ; which was their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which they counted should last till the messiah came : and so it did , and then had en end put to it . and to this he joyns his last coming to judgment , in the glory of his father , to put a final end to this world , and all the dispensation belonging to the posterity of adam upon earth . this joyning them together , made his answer obscure , and hard to be understood by them then ; nor was it safe for him to speak plainer of his kingdom , and the destruction of ierusalem ; unless he had a mind to be accused for having designs against the government . for iudas was amongst them : and whether no other but his apostles were comprehended under the name of his disciples , who were with him at this time , one cannot determine . our saviour therefore speaks of his kingdom in no other stile but that which he had all along hitherto used , viz. the kingdom of god ; luke xxi . 31. when you see these things come to pass , know ye that the kingdom of god is nigh at hand . and continuing on his discourse with them , he has the same expression , mat. xxv . 1. then the kingdom of heaven shall be like unto ten virgins . at the end of the following parable of the talents , he adds , v. 31. when the son of man shall come in his glory , and all the holy angels with him , then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory , and before him shall be gathered all the nations . and he shall set the sheep on his right hand , and the goats on his left . then shall the king say , &c. here he describes to his disciples the appearance of his kingdom , wherein he will shew himself a king in glory upon his throne ; but this in such a way , and so remote , and so unintelligible to a heathen magistrate ; that if it had been alledged against him , it would have seemed rather the dream of a crazy brain , than the contrivance of an ambitious or dangerous man designing against the government : the way of expressing what he meant , being in the prophetick stile ; which is seldom so plain , as to be understood , till accomplished . 't is plain , that his disciples themselves comprehended not what kingdom he here spoke of , from their question to him after his resurrection , wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to israel ? having finished these discourses , he takes order for the passover , and eats it with his disciples ; and at supper tells them , that one of them should betray him : and adds , iohn xiii . 19. i tell it you now , before it come , that when it is come to pass , you may know that i am . he does not say out the messiah ; iudas should not have that to say against him if he would ; though that be the sense in which he uses this expression , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i am , more than once . and that this is the meaning of it , is clear from mark xii . 6. luke xxi . 8. in both which evangelists the words are , for many shall come in my name , saying , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i am : the meaning whereof we shall find explained in the parallel place of st. matthew , chap. xxiv . 5. for many shall come in my name , saying , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i am the messiah . here in this place of iohn xiii . jesus fore-tells what should happen to him , viz. that he should be betrayed by iudas ; adding this prediction to the many other particulars of his death and suffering , which he had at other times foretold to them . and here he tells them the reason of these his predictions , viz. that afterwards they might be a confirmation to their faith. and what was it that he would have them believe , and be confirmed in the belief of ? nothing but this , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that he was the messiah . the same reason he gives , iohn xiii . 28. you have heard , how i said unto you , i go away , and come again unto you : and now i have told you before it come to pass , that when it is come to pass , ye might believe . when iudas had left them , and was gone out , he talks a little freer to them of his glory , and his kingdom , than ever he had done before . for now he speaks plainly of himself , and his kingdom , iohn xiii . 31. therefore when he [ judas ] was gone out , iesus said , now is the son of man glorified , and god is also glorified in him . and if god be glorified in him , god ▪ shall also glorifie him in himself , and shall straitway glorifie him . and luke xxii . 29. and i will appoint unto you a kingdom , as my father hath appointed unto me ; that ye may eat and drink with me at my table in my kingdom . though he has every where all along through his ministry preached the gospel of the kingdom ; and nothing else but that and repentance , and the duties of a good life ; yet it has been always the kingdom of god , and the kingdom of heaven : and i do not remember , that any where , till now , he uses any such expression , as my kingdom . but here now he speaks in the first person , i will appoint you a kingdom ; and in my kingdom : and this we see is only to the eleven , now iudas was gone from them . with these eleven , whom he was now just leaving , he has a long discourse to comfort them for their loss of him ; and to prepare them for the persecution of the world ; and to exhort them to keep his commandments , and to love one another . and here one may expect all the articles of faith should be laid down plainly ; if any thing else were required of them to believe , but what he had taught them , and they believed already ; viz. that he was the messiah , john xiv . 1. ye believe in god , believe also in me . v. 29. i have told you before it come to pass , that when it is come to pass , ye may believe . it is believing on him , without any thing else . iohn xvi . 31. iesus answered them , do you now believe ? this was in answer to their professing , v 30. now are we sure that thou knowest all things , and needest not that any man should ask thee : by this we believe that thou comest forth from god. john xvii . 20. neither pray i for these alone , but for them also which shall believe on me through their word . all that is spoke of believing , in this his last sermon to them , is only believing on him , or believing that he came from god ; which was no other than believing him to be the messiah . indeed , iohn xiv . 9. our saviour tells philip , he that hath seen me , hath seen the father . and adds , v. 10. believest thou not that i am in the father , and the father in me ? the words that i speak unto you , i speak not of my self : but the father that dwelleth in me , he doth the works . which being in answer to philip's words , v. 9. shew us the father , seem to import thus much : no man hath seen god at any time , he is known only by his works . and that he is my father , and i the son of god , i. e. the messiah , you may know by the works i have done ; which it is impossible i could do of my self , but by the union i have with god my father . for that by being in god , and god in him , he signifies such an union with god , that god operates in and by him , appears not only by the words above-cited out of v. 10. ( which can scarce otherwise be made coherent sense ) but also from the same phrase used again by our saviour presently after , v. 20. at that day , viz. after his resurrection , when they should see him again , ye shall know that i am in my father , and you in me , and i in you ; i. e. by the works i shall enable you to do , through a power i have received from the father : which whoever sees me do , must acknowledge the father to be in me ; and whoever sees you do , must acknowledge me to be in you . and therefore he says , v. 12. verily , verily i say unto you , he that believeth on me , the works that i do shall he also do , because i go unto my father . though i go away , yet i shall be in you , who believe in me ; and ye shall be enabled to do miracles also for the carrying on of my kingdom , as i have done ; that it may be manifested to others that you are sent by me , as i have evidenced to you that i am sent by the father . and hence it is that he says , in the immediately preceding v. 11. believe me that i am in the father , and the father in me ; if not , believe me for the sake of the works themselves . let the works that i have done convince you that i am sent by the father ; that he is with me , and that i do nothing but by his will , and by vertue of the union i have with him ; and that consequently i am the messiah , who am anointed , sanctified , and separate by the father to the work for which he hath sent me . to confirm them in this faith , and to enable them to do such works as he had done , he promises them the holy ghost , iohn xiv . 25 , 26. these things i have said unto you , being yet present with you . but when i am gone , the holy ghost , the paraclet ( which may signifie monitor as well as comfortor , or advocate ) which the father shall send you in my name , he shall shew you all things , and bring to your remembrance all things which i have said . so that considering all that i have said , and laying it together , and comparing it with what you shall see come to pass , you may be more abundantly assured that i am the messiah , and fully comprehend that i have done and suffered all things foretold of the messiah ; and that were to be accomplished and fulfilled by him , according to the scriptures . but be not filled with grief that i leave you ; iohn xvi . 7. it is expedient for you that i go away : for if i go not away , the paraclet will not come unto you . one reason why , if he went not away , the holy ghost could not come , we may gather from what has been observed concerning the prudent and wary carriage of our saviour all through his ministry , that he might not incur death with the least suspicion of a malefactor : and therefore though his disciples believed him to be the messiah , yet they neither understood it so well , nor were so well confirmed in the belief of it , as after that he being crucified and risen again , they had received the holy ghost ; and with the gifts of the holy spirit , a fuller and clearer evidence and knowledge that he was the messiah ; and were enlightned to see how his kingdom was such as the scriptures foretold , though not such as they , till then , had expected . and now this knowledge and assurance received from the holy ghost , was of use to them after his resurrection ; when they could then boldly go about , and openly preach , as they did , that iesus was the messiah ; confirming that doctrine by the miracles which the holy ghost impowered them to do . but till he was dead and gone , they could not do this . their going about openly preaching , as they did after his resurrection , that iesus was the messiah ; and doing miracles every where to make it good , would not have consisted with that character of humility , peace , and innocence , which the messiah was to sustain ; if they had done it before his crucifixion . for this would have drawn upon him the condemnation of a malefactor , either as a stirrer of sedition against the publick peace ; or as a pretender to the kingdom of israel . and hence we see , that they who before his death preached only the gospel of the kingdom ; that the kingdom of god was at hand ; as soon as they had received the holy ghost after his resurrection , changed their stile , and every where in express words declare that iesus is the messiah , that king which was to come . this , the following words here in st. iohn xvi . 8-14 . confirm ; where he goes on to tell them ; and when he is come , he will convince the world of sin : because they believed not on me . your preaching then , accompanied with miracles , by the assistance of the holy ghost , shall be a conviction to the world that the iews sinned in not believing me to be the messiah . of righteousness , or justice : because i go to my father , and ye see me no more . by the same preaching and miracles you shall confirm the doctrine of my ascension ; and thereby convince the world that i was that iust one , who am therefore ascended to the father into heaven , where no unjust person shall enter . of iudgment : because the prince of this world is judged . and by the same assistance of the holy ghost ye shall convince the world that the devil is judged or condemned , by your casting of him out , and destroying his kingdom , and his worship where ever you preach . our saviour adds , i have yet many things to say unto you , but you cannot bear them now . they were yet so full of a temporal kingdom , that they could not bear the discovery of what a kind of kingdom his was , nor what a king he was to be ; and therefore he leaves them to the coming of the holy ghost , for a farther and fuller discovery of himself , and the kingdom of the messiah ; for fear they should be scandalized in him , and give up the hopes they had now in him , and forsake him . this he tells them , v. 1. of this xvi . chapter : these things i have said unto you , that you may not be scandalized . the last thing he had told them before his saying this to them , we find in the last verses of the precedent chapter : when the paraclet is come , the spirit of truth , he shall witness concerning me . he shall shew you who i am , and witness it to the world ; and then ye also shall bear witness , because ye have been with me from the beginning . he shall call to your mind what i have said and done , that ye may understand it , and know , and bear witness concerning me . and again here , iohn xvi . after he had told them , they could not bear what he had more to say , he adds ; v. 13. howbeit , when the spirit of truth is come , he will guide you into all truth ; and he will shew you things to come : he shall glorifie me . by the spirit , when he comes , ye shall be fully instructed concerning me ; and though you cannot yet , from what i have said to you , clearly comprehend my kingdom and glory ; yet he shall make it known to you wherein it consists : and though i am now in a mean state , and ready to be given up to contempt , torment , and death ; so that ye know not what to think of it ; yet the spirit , when he comes , shall glorifie me , and fully satisfie you of my power and kingdom ; and that i sit on the right hand of god , to order all things for the good and increase of it , till i come again at the last day in fulness of glory . accordingly , the apostles had a full and clear sight and perswasion of this , after they had received the holy ghost ; and they preached it every where boldly and openly , without the least remainder of doubt or uncertainty . but that they understood him not , yet even so far as his death and resurrection , is evident from v. 17 , 18. then said some of the disciples among themselves , what is this that he saith unto us ; a little while , and ye shall not see me ; and again , a little while , and ye shall see me ; and because i go to the father ? they said therefore , what is this that he saith , a little while ? we know not what he saith . upon which he goes on to discourse to them of his death and resurrection , and of the power they should have of doing miracles ; but all this he declares to them in a mystical and involved way of speaking ; as he tells them himself , v. 25. these things have i spoken to you in proverbs ; i. e. in general , obscure , aenigmatical , or figurative terms . ( all which , as well as allusive apologues , the jews called proverbs or parables ) hitherto my declaring of my self to you hath been obscure , and with reserve ; and i have not spoken of my self to you in plain and direct words , because ye could not bear it . a messiah , and not a king , you could not understand ; and a king living in poverty and persecution , and dying the death of a slave and malefactor upon a cross , you could not put together . and had i told you in plain words that i was the messiah , and given you a direct commission to preach to others that i professedly owned my self to be the messiah , you and they would have been ready to have made a commotion , to have set me upon the throne of my father david , and to fight for me , that your messiah , your king , in whom are your hopes of a kingdom , should not be delivered up into the hands of his enemies , to be put to death ; and of this , peter will instantly give you an example . but the time cometh when i shall no more speak unto you in parables ; but i shall shew unto you plainly of the father . my death and resurrection , and the coming of the holy ghost , will speedily enlighten you , and then i shall make you know the will and design of the father ; what a kingdom i am to have , and by what means , and to what end , v. 27. and this the father himself will shew unto you ; for he loveth you , because ye have loved me , and have believed that i came out from the father ; because ye have believed that i am the son of god , the messiah ; that he hath anointed and sent me ; though it hath not been yet fully discovered to you , what kind of kingdom it shall be , nor by what means brought about . and then our saviour , without being asked , explaining to them what he had said ; and making them understand better , what before they stuck at , and complained secretly among themselves that they understood not ; they thereupon declare , v. 30. now are we sure that thou knowest all things , and needest not that any man should ask thee . 't is plain thou knowest mens thoughts and doubts before they ask . by this we believe that thou comest forth from god. iesus answered , do ye now believe ? notwithstanding that you now believe that i came from god , and am the messiah , sent by him ; behold , the hour cometh , yea , is now come , that ye shall be scattered ; and as it is , mat. xxvi . 31. and shall all be scandalized in me . what it is to be scandalized in him , we may see by what followed hereupon , if that which he says to st. peter , mark xiv . did not sufficiently explain it . this i have been the more particular in ; that it may be seen , that in this last discourse to his disciples ( where he opened himself more than he had hitherto done ; and where , if any thing more was required to make them believers , than what they already believed , we might have expected they should have heard of it ; ) there were no new articles proposed to them , but what they believed before , viz. that he was the messiah , the son of god , sent from the father ; though of his manner of proceeding , and his sudden leaving the world , and some few particulars , he made them understand something more than they did before . but as to the main design of the gospel , viz. that he had a kingdom , that he should be put to death , and rise again , and ascend into heaven to his father , and come again in glory to judge the world ; this he had told them : and so had acquainted them with the great council of god , in sending him the messiah , and omitted nothing that was necessary to be known or believed in it . and so he tells them himself , iohn xv. 15. henceforth i call ye not servants ; for the servant knoweth not what his lord does : but i have called ye friends ; for all things i have heard of my father , i have made known unto you ; though perhaps ye do not so fully comprehend them , as you will shortly , when i am risen and ascended . to conclude all , in his prayer , which shuts up this discourse , he tells the father what he had made known to his apostles ; the result whereof we have iohn xvii . 8. i have given unto them the words which thou gavest me , and they have received them , and they have believed that thov didst send me : which is in effect , that he was the messiah promised and sent by god. and then he prays for them , and adds , v. 20 , 21. neither pray i for these alone , but for them also who shall believe on me through their word . what that word was , through which others should believe in him , we have seen in the preaching of the apostles all through the history of the acts , viz. this one great point , that jesus was the messiah . the apostles , he says , v. 25. know that thou hast sent me ; i. e. are assured that i am the messiah . and in v. 21. & 23. he prays , that the world may believe ( which v. 23. is called knowing ) that thou hast sent me . so that what christ would have believed by his disciples , we may see by this his last prayer for them , when he was leaving the world , as well as by what he preached whilst he was in it . and as a testimony of this , one of his last actions , even when he was upon the cross , was to confirm this doctrine ; by giving salvation to one of the thieves that was crucified with him , upon his declaration that he believed him to be the messiah ; for so much the words of his request imported , when he said , remember me , lord , when thou comest into thy kingdom , luke xxiii . 42. to which jesus replied , v. 43. verily i say unto thee , to day shalt thou be with me in paridise . an expression very remarkable : for as adam , by sin , left paradise ; i. e. a state of happy immortality ; here the believing thief , through his faith in iesus the messiah , is promised to be put in paradise , and so re-instated in an happy immortality . thus our saviour ended his life . and what he did after his resurrection , st. luke tells us , acts i. 3. that he shewed himself to the apostles forty days , speaking things concerning the kingdom of god. this was what our saviour preached in the whole course of his ministry , before his passion : and no other mysteries of faith does he now discover to them after his resurrection . all he says , is concerning the kingdom of god ; and what it was he said concerning that , we shall see presently out of the other evangelists ; having first only taken notice , that when now they asked him , v. 6. lord , wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to israel ? he said , unto them , v. 7. it is not for you to know the times , and the seasons , which the father hath put in his own power : but ye shall receive power after that the holy ghost is come upon you ; and ye shall be witnesses unto me unto the utmost parts of the earth . their great business was to be witnesses to iesus , of his life , death , resurrection , and ascension ; which put together , were undeniable proofs of his being the messiah : which was what they were to preach , and what he said to them concerning the kingdom of god ; as will appear by what is recorded of it in the other evangelists . the day of his resurrection , appearing to the two going to emmaus , luke xxiv . they declare , v. 21. what his disciples faith in him was : but we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed israel ; i.e. we believed that he was the messiah ▪ come to deliver the nation of the iews . upon this iesus tells them , they ought to believe him to the messiah , notwithstanding what had happened ; nay , they ought by his suffering and death to be confirmed in that faith , that he was the messiah . and v. 26 , 27. beginning at moses and all the prophets , he expounded unto them in all the scriptures , the things concerning himself ; how that the messiah ought to have suffered these things , and to have entred into his glory . now he applies the prophesies of the messiah to himself , which we read not that he did ever do before his passion . and afterwards appearing to the eleven , luke xxiv . 36. he said unto them , v. 44-47 . these words which i spoke unto you while i was yet with you , that all things must be fulfilled which are written in the law of moses , and in the prophets , and in the psalms concerning me . then opened he their vnderstandings , that they might understand the scripture , and said unto them ; thus it is written , and thus it behoved the messiah to suffer , and to rise from the dead the third day ; and that repentance , and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations , beginning at ierusalem . here we see what it was he had preached to them , though not in so plain open words , before his crucifixion ; and what it is he now makes them understand ; and what it was that was to be preached to all nations , viz. that he was the messiah , that had suffered , and rose from the dead the third day , and fulfilled all things that was written in the old testament concerning the messiah ; and that those who believed this , and repented , should receive remission of their sins through this faith in him . or , as st. mark has it , chap. xvi . 15. go into all the world , and preach the gospel to every creature ; he that believeth , and is baptized , shall be saved ; but he that believeth not , shall be damned , v. 20. what the gospel , or good news was , we have shewed already , viz. the happy tidings of the messiah being come . v. 20. and they went forth and preached every where , the lord working with them , and confirming the word with signs following . what the word was which they preached , and the lord confirmed with miracles , we have seen already out of the history of their acts ; having given an account of their preaching every where , as it is recorded in the acts , except some few places , where the kingdom of the messiah is mentioned under the name of the kingdom of god ; which i forbore to set down , till i had made it plain out of the evangelists , that that was no other but the kingdom of the messiah . it may be seasonable therefore now , to add to those sermons we have formerly seen of st. paul ( wherein he preached no other article of faith , but that iesus was the messiah , the king , who being risen from the dead , now reigneth , and shall more publickly manifest his kingdom , in judging the world at the last day ) what farther is left upon record of his preaching . acts xix . 8. at ephesus , paul went into the synagogues , and spake boldly for the space of three months ; disputing and perswading concerning the kingdom of god. and acts xx. 25. at miletus he thus takes leave of the elders of ephesus : and now behold , i know that ye all among whom i have gone preaching the kingdom of god , shall see my face no more . what this preaching the kingdom of god was , he tells you , v. 20 , 21. i have kept nothing back from you , which was profitable unto you , but have shewed you , and have taught you publickly , and from house to house ; testifying both to the iews , and to the greeks , repentance towards god , and faith towards our lord iesus christ. and so again , acts xxviii . 23 , 24. when they [ the jews at rome ] had appointed him [ paul ] a day , there came many to him into his lodging ; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of god ; perswading them concerning iesus , both out of the law of moses , and out of the prophets , from morning to evening . and some believed the things which were spoken , and some believed not . and the history of the acts is concluded with this account of st. paul's preaching : and paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house , and received all that came in unto him , preaching the kingdom of god , and teaching those things which concern the lord iesus the messiah . we may therefore here apply the same conclusion , to the history of our saviour , writ by the evangelists ; and to the history of the apostles , writ in the acts ; which st. iohn does to his own gospel , chap. xx. 30 , 31. many other signs did iesus before his disciples ; and in many other places the apostles preached the same doctrine , which are not written in these books ; but these are written , that you may believe that iesus is the messiah , the son of god ; and that believing , you may have life in his name . what st. iohn thought necessary and sufficient to be believed , for the attaining eternal life , he here tells us . and this , not in the first dawning of the gospel ; when , perhaps , some will be apt to think less was required to be believed , than after the doctrine of faith , and mystery of salvation , was more fully explained , in the epistles writ by the apostles . for it is to be remembred , that st. iohn says this not as soon as christ was ascended ; for these words , with the rest of st. iohn's gospel , were not written till many years after not only the other gospels , and st. luke's history of the acts ; but in all appearance , after all the epistles writ by the other apostles . so that above threescore years after our saviour's passion ; ( for so long after , both epiphanius and st. ierome assure us this gospel was written ) st. iohn knew nothing else required to be believed for the attaining of life , but that iesus is the messiah , the son of god. to this , 't is likely , it will be objected by some , that to believe only that iesus of nazareth is the messiah , is but an historical , and not a justifying or saving faith. to which i answer ; that i allow to the makers of systems and their followers , to invent and use what distinctions they please ; and to call things by what names they think fit . but i cannot allow to them , or to any man , an authority to make a religion for me , or to alter that which god hath revealed . and if they please to call the believing that which our saviour and his apostles preached and proposed alone to be believed , an historical faith ; they have their liberty . but they must have a care how they deny it to be a justifying or saving faith , when our saviour and his apostles have declared it so to be , and taught no other which men should receive , and whereby they should be made believers unto eternal life ; unless they can so far make bold with our saviour , for the sake of their beloved systems , as to say , that he forgot what he came into the world for ; and that he and his apostles did not instruct people right in the way and mysteries of salvation . for that this is the sole doctrine pressed and required to be believed in the whole tenour of our saviour's and his apostles preaching , we have shewed through the whole history of the evangelists and the acts. and i challenge them to shew that there was any other doctrine , upon their assent to which , or disbelief of it , men were pronounced believers , or unbelievers ; and accordingly received into the church of christ , as members of his body , as far as meer believing could make them so , or else kept out of it . this was the only gospel-article of faith which was preached to them . and if nothing else was preached every where , the apostles argument will hold against any other articles of faith to be be believed under the gospel ; rom. x. 14. how shall they believe that whereof they have not heard ? for to preach any other doctrines necessary to be believed , we do not find that any body was sent . perhaps it will farther be urged , that this is not a saving faith ; because such a faith as this the devils may have , and 't was plain they had ; for they believed and declared iesus to be the messiah . and st. iames , chap. ii. 19. tells us , the devils believe , and tremble ; and yet they shall not be saved . to which i answer , 1. that they could not be saved by any faith , to whom it was not proposed as a means of salvation , nor ever promised to be counted for righteousness . this was an act of grace , shewn only to mankind . god dealt so favourably with the posterity of adam , that if they would believe iesus to be the messiah , the promised king and saviour ; and perform what other conditions were required of them by the covenant of grace ; god would justifie them , because of this belief . he would account this faith to them for righteousness , and look on it as making up the defects of their obedience ; which being thus supplied by what was taken instead of it , they were looked on as just or righteous , and so inherited eternal life . but this favour shewn to mankind , was never offered to the fallen angels . they had no such proposals made to them : and therefore whatever of this kind was proposed to men , it availed them not , whatever they performed of it . this covenant of grace was never offered to them . 2. i answer ; that though the devils believed , yet they could not be saved by the covenant of grace ; because they performed not the other condition required in it , altogether as necessary to be performed as this of believing , and that is repentance . repentance is as absolute a condition of the covenant of grace , as faith ; and as necessary to be performed as that . iohn the baptist , who was to prepare the way for the messiah , preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins , mark 1. 4. as iohn began his preaching with repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand , mat. iii. 2. so did our saviour begin his , mat. iv. 17. from that time began iesus to preach , and to say , repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand . or , as st. mark has it in that parallel place , mark i. 14 , 15. now after that john was put in prison , iesus came into galilee , preaching the gospel of the kingdom of god , and saying ; the time is fulfilled , and the kingdom of god is at hand : repent ye , and believe the gospel . this was not only the beginning of his preaching , but the sum of all that he did preach ; viz. that men should repent , and believe the good tidings which he brought them ; that the time was fulfilled for the coming of the messiah . and this was what his apostles preached , when he sent them out , mark vi. 12. and they going out , preached that men should repent . believing jesus to be the messiah , and repenting , were so necessary and fundamental parts of the covenant of grace , that one of them alone is often put for both . for here st. mark mentions nothing but their preaching repentance ; as st. luke , in the parallel place , chap. ix . 6. mentions nothing but their evangelizing , or preaching the good news of the kingdom of the messiah : and st. paul often in his epistles puts faith for the whole duty of a christian. but yet the tenour of the gospel is what christ declares , luke xii . 3. 5. vnless ye repent , ye shall all likewise perish . and in the parable of the rich man in hell , delivered by our saviour , luke xvi . repentance alone is the means proposed of avoiding that place of torment , v. 30 , 31. and what the tenor of the doctrine , which should be preached to the world , should be , he tells his apostles after his resurrection , luke xxiv . 27. viz. that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name , who was the messiah . and accordingly , believing iesus to be the messiah , and repenting , was what the apostles preached . so peter began , acts ii. 38. repent , and be baptized . these two things were required for the remission of sins , viz. entring themselves in the kingdom of god ; and owning and professing themselves the subjects of iesus , whom they believed to be the messiah , and received for their lord and king ; for that was to be baptized in his name : baptism being an initiating ceremony known to the iews , whereby those , who leaving heathenism , and professing a submission to the law of moses , were received into the common-wealth of israel . and so it was made use of by our saviour , to be that solemn visible act , whereby those who believed him to be the messiah , received him as their king , and professed obedience to him , were admitted as subjects into his kingdom : which in the gospels is called the kingdom of god ; and in the acts and epistles often by another name , viz. the church . the same st. peter preaches again to the iews , acts iii. 19. repent , and be converted , that your sins may be blotted out . what this repentance was ; which the new covenant required as one of the conditions to be performed by all those who should receive the benefits of that covenant ; is plain in the scripture , to be not only a sorrow for sins past , but ( what is a natural consequence of such sorrow , if it be real ) a turning from them , into a new and contrary life . and so they are joyned together , acts iii. 19. repent and turn about ; or , as we render it , be converted . and acts xxvi . repent and turn to god. and sometimes turning about is put alone , to signifie repentance , mat. xiii . 15. luke xxii . 32. which in other words is well expressed by newness of life . for it being certain that he who is really sorry for his sins , and abhors them , will turn from them , and forsake them ; either of these acts , which have so natural a connexion one with the other , may be , and is often put for both together . repentance is an hearty sorrow for our past misdeeds , and a sincere resolution and endeavour , to the utmost of our power , to conform all our actions to the law of god. so that repentance does not consist in one single act of sorrow ( though that being the first and leading act , gives denomination to the whole ) but in doing works meet for repentance , in a sincere obedience to the law of christ , the remainder of our lives . this was called for by iohn the baptist , the preacher of repentance , mat. iii. 8. bring forth fruits meet for repentance . and by st. paul here , acts xxvi . 20. repent and turn to god , and do works meet for repentance . there are works to follow belonging to repentance , as well as sorrow for what is past . these two , faith and repentance ; i. e. believing jesus to be the messiah , and a good life ; are the indispensible conditions of the new covenant . the reasonableness , or rather necessity of which , ( as the only conditions required in the covenant of grace , to be performed by all those who would obtain eternal life ) that we may the better comprehend , we must a little look back to what was said in the beginning . adam being the son of god ; and so st. luke calls him , chap. iii. 38. had this part also of the likeness and image of his father , viz. that he was immortal . but adam transgressing the command given him by his heavenly father , incurred the penalty , forfeited that state of immortality , and became mortal . after this , adam begot children : but they were in his own likeness , after his own image ; mortal , like their father . god nevertheless , out of his infinite mercy , willing to bestow eternal life on mortal men , sends jesus christ into the world ; who being conceived in the womb of a virgin ( that had not known man ) by the immediate power of god , was properly the son of god ; according to what the angel declared to his mother , luke i. 30-35 . the holy ghost shall come upon thee , and the power of the highest shall over shadow thee : therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee , shall be called the son of god. so that being the son of god , he was , like his father , immortal . as he tells us , iohn v. 26. as the father hath life in himself , so hath be given to the son to have life in himself . and that immortality is a part of that image , wherein these ( who were the immediate sons of god , so as to have no other father ) were made like their father , appears probable , not only from the places in genesis concerning adam , above taken notice of , but seems to me also to be intimated in some expressions concerning iesus , the son of god. in the new testament , col. i. 15. he is called the image of the invivisible god. invisible seems put in , to obviate any gross imagination , that he ( as images use to do ) represented god in any corporeal or visible resemblance . and there is farther subjoyned , to lead us into the meaning of it , the first-born of every creature ; which is farther explained , v. 18. where he is termed the first-born from the dead : thereby making out , and shewing himself to be the image of the invisible god ; that death hath no power over him : but being the son of god , and not having forfeited that son-ship by any trangression , was the heir of eternal life ; as adam should have been , had he continued in his filial duty . in the same sense the apostle seems to use the word image in other places , viz. rom. viii . 29. whom he did foreknow , he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son , that he might be the first-born among many brethren . this image , to which they were conformed , seems to be immortality and eternal life . for 't is remarkable that in both these places st. paul speaks of the resurrection ; and that christ was the first-born among many brethren ; he being by birth the son of god , and the others only by adoption , as we see in this same chapter , v. 15-17 . ye have received the spirit of adoption , whereby we cry , abba , father : the spirit it self bearing witness with our spirits that we are the children of god. and if children , then heirs ; and ioynt-heirs with christ : if so be that we suffer with him , that we may also be glorified together . and hence we see that our saviour vouchsafes to call those , who at the day of judgment are through him entring into eternal life , his brethren ; mat. xxv . 40. in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren . and may we not in this find a reason why god so frequently in the new testament , and so seldom , if at all , in the old , is mentioned under the single title of the father ? and therefore our saviour says , mat. xi . no man knoweth the father save the son , and he to whomsoever the son will reveal him . god has now a son again in the world , the first-born of many brethren , who all now , by the spirit of adoption , can say , abba , father . and we by adoption , being for his sake made his brethren , and the sons of god , come to share in that inheritance , which was his natural right ; he being by birth the son of god : which inheritance is eternal life . and again , v. 23. we groan within our selves , waiting for the adoption , to wit , the redemption of our body ; whereby is plainly meant the change of these frail mortal bodies , into the spiritual immortal bodies at the resurrection ; when this mortal shall have put on immortality , 1 cor. xv. 54. which in that chapter , v. 42-44 . he farther expresses thus : so also is the resurrection of the dead . it is sown in corruption , it is raised in incorruption : it is sown in dishonour , it is raised in glory : it is sown in weakness , it is raised in power : it is sown a natural body , it is raised a spiritual body , &c. to which he subjoyns , v. 49. as we have born the image of the earthy , ( i. e. as we have been mortal , like earthy adam our father , from whom we are descended , when he was turned out of paradise ) we shall also bear the image of the heavenly ; into whose sonship and inheritance being adopted , we shall , at the resurrection , receive that adoption we expect , even the redemption of our bodies ; and after his image , which is the image of the father , become immortal . hear what he says himself , luke xx. 35 , 36. they who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world , and the resurrection from the dead , neither marry , nor are given in marriage . neither can they die any more ; for they are equal unto the angels , and are the sons of god , being the sons of the resurrection . and he that shall read st. paul's arguing , acts xiii . 32 , 33. will find that the great evidence that jesus was the son of god , was his resurrection . then the image of his father appeared in him , when he visibly entred into the state of immortality . for thus the apostle reasons ; we preach to you , how that the promise which was made to our fathers , god hath fulfilled the same unto us , in that he hath raised up iesus again ; as it is also written in the second psalm , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee . this may serve a little to explain the immortality of the sons of god , who are in this like their father , made after his image and likeness . but that our saviour was so , he himself farther declares , iohn x. 18. where speaking of his life , he says , no one taketh it from me , but i lay it down of my self : i have power to lay it down , and i have power to take it up again . which he could not have had , if he had been a mortal man , the son of a man , of the seed of adam ; or else had by any transgression forfeited his life . for the wages of sin is death : and he that hath incurred death for his own transgression , cannot lay down his life for another , as our saviour professes he did . for he was the just one , acts vii . 57. and xii . 14. who knew no sin . 2 cor. v. 21. who did no sin , neither was guile found in his mouth . and thus , as by man came death , so by man came the resurrection of the dead . for as in adam all die , so in christ shall all be made alive . for this laying down his life for others , our saviour tells us , iohn x. 17. therefore does my father love me , because i lay down my life , that i might take it again . and this his obedience and suffering was rewarded with a kingdom ; which , he tells us , luke xxii . his father had appointed unto him ; and which , 't is evident out of the epistle to the hebrews , chap. xii . 2. he had a regard to in his sufferings : who for the joy that was set before him , endured the cross , despising the shame , and is set down at the right hand of the throne of god. which kingdom given him upon this account of his obedience , suffering , and death , he himself takes notice of , in these words , iohn xvii . 1-4 . iesus lift up his eyes to heaven , and said , father , the hour is come , glorifie thy son , that thy son also may glorifie thee . as thou hast given him power over all flesh , that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him . and this is life eternal , that they may know thee the only true god , and iesus the messiah , whom thou hast sent . i have glorified thee on earth : i have finished the work which thou gavest me to do . and st. paul , in his epistle to the philippians , chap. ii. 8-11 . he humbled himself , and became obedient unto death , even the death of the cross. wherefore god also hath highly exalted him , and given him a name that is above every name : that at the name of iesus every knee should bow , of things in heaven , and things in earth , and things under the earth ; and that every tongue should confess that iesus christ is lord. thus god , we see , designed his son christ iesus a kingdom , an everlasting kingdom in heaven . but though as in adam all die , so in christ all shall be made alive ; and all men shall return to life again at the last day ; yet all men having sinned , and thereby come short of the glory of god , as st. paul assures us , rom. iii. 23. ( i.e. not attaining to the heavenly kingdom of the messiah , which is often called the glory of god ; as may be seen , rom. v. 2. & xv. 7. & ii. 7. mat. xvi . 27. mark viii . 38. for no one who is unrighteous , i. e. comes short of perfect righteousness , shall be admitted into the eternal life of that kingdom ; as is declared , 1 cor. vi. 9. the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of god ; ) and death , the wages of sin , being the portion of all those who had transgressed the righteous law of god ; the son of god would in vain have come into the world , to lay the foundations of a kingdom , and gather together a select people out of the world , if , ( they being found guilty at their appearance before the judgment-seat of the righteous judge of all men at the last day ) instead of entrance into eternal life in the kingdom he had prepared for them , they should receive death , the just reward of sin , which every one of them was guilty of . this second death would have left him no subjects ; and instead of those ten thousand times ten thousand , and thousands of thousands , there would not have been one left him to sing praises unto his name , saying , blessing , and honour and glory , and power , be unto him that sitteth on the throne , and unto the lamb for ever and ever . god therefore , out of his mercy to mankind , and for the erecting of the kingdom of his son , and furnishing it with subjects out of every kindred , and tongue , and people , and nation , proposed to the children of men , that as many of them as would believe iesus his son ( whom he sent into the world ) to be the messiah , the promised deliverer ; and would receive him for their king and ruler ; should have all their past sins , disobedience , and rebellion forgiven them : and if for the future they lived in a sincere obedience to his law , to the utmost of their power ; the sins of humane frailty for the time to come , as well as all those of their past lives , should , for his son's sake , because they gave themselves up to him to be his subjects , be forgiven them : and so their faith , which made them be baptized into his name ; ( i.e. enroll themselves in the kingdom of iesus the messiah , and profess themselves his subjects , and consequently live by the laws of his kingdom ) should be accounted to them for righteousness ; i.e. should supply the defects of a scanty obedience in the sight of god ; who counting this faith to them for righteousness , or compleat obedience , did thus justifie , or make them just , and thereby capable of eternal life . now , that this is the faith for which god of his free grace justifies sinful man ; ( for 't is god alone that justifieth , rom. viii . 33. rom. iii. 26. ) we have already shewed ; by observing through all the history of our saviour and the apostles , recorded in the evangelists , and in the acts , what he and his apostles preached and proposed to be believed . we shall shew now , that besides believing him to be the messiah their king , it was farther required , that those who would have the priviledge , advantages , and deliverance of his kingdom , should enter themselves into it ; and by baptism being made denizons , and solemnly incorporated into that kingdom , live as became subjects obedient to the laws of it . for if they believed him to be the messiah their king , but would not obey his laws , and would not have him to reign over them , they were but greater rebels ; and god would not justifie them for a faith that did but increase their guilt , and oppose diametrically the kingdom and design of the messiah ; who gave himself for us , that he might redeem us from all iniquity , and purifie unto himself a peculiar people , zealous of good works , titus ii. 14. and therefore st. paul tells the galatians , that that which availeth is faith ; but faith working by love. and that faith without works , i.e. the works of sincere obedience to the law and will of christ , is not sufficient for our justification , st. iames shews at large , chap. ii. neither indeed could it be otherwise ; for life , eternal life being the reward of justice or righteousness only , appointed by the righteous god ( who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity ) to those only who had no taint or infection of sin upon them , it is impossible that he should justifie those who had no regard to justice at all , whatever they believed . this would have been to encourage iniquity , contrary to the purity of his nature ; and to have condemned that eternal law of right , which is holy , just , and good ; of which no one precept or rule is abrogated or repealed ; nor indeed can be ; whilst god is an holy , just , and righteous god , and man a rational creature . the duties of that law arising from the constitution of his very nature , are of eternal obligation ; nor can it be taken away or dispensed with , without changing the nature of things , overturning the measures of right and wrong , and thereby introducing and authorizing irregularity , confusion , and disorder in the world. which was not the end for which christ came into the world ; but on the contrary , to reform the corrupt state of degenerate man ; and out of those who would mend their lives , and bring forth fruit meet for repentance , erect a new kingdom . this is the law of that kingdom , as well as of all mankind ; and that law by which all men shall be judged at the last day . only those who have believed iesus to be the messiah , and have taken him to be their king , with a sincere endeavour after righteousness , in obeying his law , shall have their past sins not imputed to them ; and shall have that faith taken instead of obedience ; where frailty and weakness made them transgress , and sin prevailed after conversion in those who hunger and thirst after righteousness ( or perfect obedience ) and do not allow themselves in acts of disobedience and rebellion , against the laws of that kingdom they are entred into . he did not expect , 't is true , a perfect obedience void of all slips and falls : he knew our make , and the weakness of our constitutions too well , and was sent with a supply for that defect . besides , perfect obedience was the righteousness of the law of works ; and then the reward would be of debt , and not of grace ; and to such there was no need of faith to be imputed to them for righteousness . they stood upon their own legs , were just already , and needed no allowance to be made them for believing jesus to be the messiah , taking him for their king , and becoming his subjects . but whether christ does not require obedience , sincere obedience , is evident from the laws he himself pronounces ( unless he can be supposed to give and inculcate laws only to have them disobeyed ) and from the sentence he will pass when he comes to judge . the faith required was , to believe iesus to be the messiah , the anointed ; who had been promised by god to the world. amongst the iews ( to whom the promises and prophesies of the messiah were more immediately delivered ) anointing was used to three sorts of persons , at their inauguration ; whereby they were set apart to three great offices ; viz. of priests , prophets , and kings . though these three offices be in holy writ attributed to our saviour , yet i do not remember that he any where assumes to himself the title of a priest , or mentions any thing relating to his priesthood : nor does he speak of his being a prophet but very sparingly , and once or twice , as it were , by the by : but the gospel , or the good news of the kingdom of the messiah , is what he preaches every where , and makes it his great business to publish to the world. this he did , not only as most agreeable to the expectation of the iews , who looked for their messiah , chiefly as coming in power to be their king and deliverer ; but as it best answered the chief end of his coming , which was to be a king , and as such to be received by those who would be his subjects in the kingdom which he came to erect . and though he took not directly on himself the title of king till he was in custody , and in the hands of pilate ; yet 't is plain , king , and king of israel , were the familiar and received titles of the messiah . see iohn i. 50. luke xix . 38. compared with mat. xxi . 9. and mark xi . 9. iohn xii . 13. mat. xxi . 5. luke xxiii . 2. compared with mat. xxvii . 11. and iohn xviii . 33-37 . mark xv. 12. compared with mat. xxvii . 22. mat. xxvii . 42. what those were to do , who believed him to be the messiah , and received him for their king , that they might be admitted to be partakers with him of this kingdom in glory , we shall best know by the laws he gives them , and requires them to obey ; and by the sentence which he himself will give , when , sitting on his throne , they shall all appear at his tribunal , to receive every one his doom from the mouth of this righteous judge of all men. what he proposed to his followers to be believed , we have already seen ; by examining his , and his apostles preaching , step by step , all through the history of the four evangelists , and the acts of the apostles . the same method will best and plainest shew us , whether he required of those who believed him to be the messiah , any thing besides that faith , and what it was . for he being a king , we shall see by his commands what he expects from his subjects : for if he did not expect obedience to them , his commands would be but meer mockery ; and if there were no punishment for the transgressors of them , his laws would not be the laws of a king , that had authority to command , and power to chastise the disobedient ; but empty talk , without force , and without influence . we shall therefore from his injunctions ( if any such there be ) see what he has made necessary to be performed , by all those who shall be received into eternal life in his kingdom prepared in the heavens . and in this we cannot be deceived . what we have from his own mouth , especially if repeated over and over again , in different places and expressions , will be past doubt and controversie . i shall pass by all that is said by st. iohn baptist , or any other , before our saviour's entry upon his ministry and publick promulgation of the laws of his kingdom . he began his preaching with a command to repent ; as st. matt. tells us . iv. 17. from that time iesus began to preach ; saying , repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand . and luke v. 32. he tells the scribes and pharisees , i came not to call the righteous ; those who were truly so , needed no help , they had a right to the tree of life , but sinners to repentance . in this sermon , as he calls it , in the mount , luke vi. and matt. v , &c. he commands they should be exemplary in good works . let your light so shine amongst men , that they may see your good works , and glorify your father which is in heaven , matt. v. 15. and that they might know what he came for , and what he expected of them , he tells them , v. 17-20 . think not that i am come to dissolve or loosen the law , or the prophets : i am not come to dissolve , or loosen , but to make it full , or compleat ; by giving it you in its true and strict-sense . here we see he confirms , and at once reinforces all the moral precepts in the old testament . for verily i say to you , till heaven and earth pass , one jot or one tittle , shall in no wise pass from the law , till all be done . whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments , and shall teach men so , he shall be called the least , ( i. e. as it is interpreted ) shall not be at all , in the kingdom of heaven . v. 21. i say unto you , that except your righteousness , i. e. your performance of the eternal law of right , shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees , ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven : and then he goes on to make good what he said , v. 17. viz. that he was come to compleat the law , viz. by giving its full and clear sense , free from the corrupt and loosning glosses of the scribes and pharisees , v. 22-26 . he tells them , that not only murder , but causeless anger , and so much as words of contempt , were forbidden . he commands them to be reconciled and kind towards their adversaires ; and that upon pain of condemnation . in the following part of his sermon , which is to be read luke vi. and more at large , matt. v , vi , vii . he not only forbids actual uncleanness , but all irregular desires , upon pain of hell-fire ; causless divorces ; swearing in conversation , as well as forswearing in judgment ; revenge ; retaliation ; ostentation of charity , of devotion , and of fasting ; repetitions in prayer ; covetousness ; worldly care ; censoriousness : and on the other side , commands loving our enemies ; doing good to those that hate us ; blessing those that curse us ; praying for those that despightfully use us ; patience , and meekness under injuries ; forgiveness ; liberality , compassion : and closes all his particular injunctions , with this general golden rule , matt. vii . 12. all things whatsoever ye would have that men should do to you , do ye even so to them : for this is the law and the prophets . and to shew how much he is in earnest , and expects obedience to these laws ; he tells them luke vi. 35. that if they obey , great shall be their reward ; they shall be called , the sons of the highest . and to all this , in the conclusion , he adds this solemn sanction ; why call ye me lord , lord , and do not the things that i say ? 't is in vain for you to take me for the messiah your king , unless you obey me . not every one who calls me lord , lord , shall enter into the kingdom of heaven , or be sons of god ; but he that does the will of my father which is in heaven . to such disobedient subjects , though they have prophesied and done miracles in my name , i shall say at the day of judgment ; depart from me ye workers of iniquity , i know you not . when matt. xii . he was told , that his mother and brethren sought to speak with him , v. 49. stretching out his hands to his disciples , he said , be hold my mother and my brethren ; for whosoever shall do the will of my father , who is in heaven , he is my brother , and sister , and mother . they could not be children of the adoption , and fellow heirs with him of eternal life , who did not do the will of his heavenly father . matt. xv. and mark. vi. the pharisees finding fault , that his disciples eat with unclean hands , he makes this declaration to his apostles : do ye not perceive , that whatsoever from without entreth into a man , cannot defile him ; because it enters not into his heart , but his belly . that which cometh out of the man , that defileth the man : for from within , out of the heart of men , proceed evil thoughts , adulteries , fornicati-murders , thefts , false witnesses , covetousness , wickedness , deceit , laciviousness , an evil eye , blasphemy , pride , foolishness . all these ill things come from within , and defile a man. he commands self-denial , and the exposing our selves to suffering and danger , rather than to deny or disown him : and this upon pain of loosing our souls ; which are of more worth than all the world. this we may read , matt. xvi . 24-27 . and the parallel places , matt. viii . and luke ix . the apostles disputing amongst them , who should be greatest in the kingdom of the messiah , matt. xviii . 1. he thus determines the controversy : mark. ix . 35. if any one will be first , let him be last of all , and servant of all ; and setting a child before them adds , matt. xviii . 3. verily i say unto you , vnless ye turn , and become as children , ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven . mat. xviii . 15. if thy brother shall trespass against thee , go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone : if he shall hear thee , thou hast gained thy brother . but if he will not hear thee , then take with thee one or two more , that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established . and if he shall neglect to hear them , tell it to the church : but if he neglect to hear the church , let him be unto thee as an heathen and publican . v. 21. peter said , lord , how often shall my brother sin against me , and i forgive him ? till seven times ? iesus said unto him , i say not unto thee , till seven times ; but until seventy times seven . and then ends the parable of the servant , who being himself forgiven , was rigorous to his fellow-servant , with these words ; v. 34. and his lord was worth , and delivered him to the tormentors , till he should pay all that was due unto him . so likewise shall my heavenly father do also unto you , if you from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses . luke x25 . to the lawyer , asking him , what shall i do to inherit eternal life ? he said , what is written in the law ? how readest thou ? he answered , thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thy heart , and with all thy soul , and with all thy strength , and with all thy mind ; and thy neighbour as thy self . jesus said , this do , and thou shalt live . and when the lawyer , upon our saviour's parable of the good samaritan , was forced to confess , that he that shewed mercy , was his neighbour ; jesus dismissed him with this charge , v. 37. go , and do thou likewise . luke xi . 41. give alms of such things as ye have : behold , all things are clean unto you . luke xii . 15. take heed , and beware of covetousness . v. 22. be not sollicitous what ye shall eat , or what ye shall drink , nor what ye shall put on ; be not fearful , or apprehensive of want , for it is your father's pleasure to give you a kingdom . sell that you have , and give alms : and provide your selves bags that wax not old , and treasure in the heavens that faileth not : for where your treasure is , there will your heart be also . let your loyns be girded , and your lights burning ; and ye your selves like unto men that wait for the lord , when he will return . blessed are those servants , whom the lord when he cometh , shall find watching . blessed is that servant , whom the lord having made ruler of his houshold , to give them their portion of meat in due season , the lord , when he cometh , shall find so doing . of a truth i say unto you , that he will make him a ruler over all that he hath . but if that servant say in his heart , my lord delayeth his coming ; and shall begin to beat the men-servants , and maidens , and to eat and drink , and to be drunken : the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him , and at an hour when he is not aware , and will cut him in sunder , and will appoint him his portion with vnbelievers . and that servant who knew his lord's will , and prepared not himself , neither did according to his will , shall be beaten with many stripes . for he that knew not , and did commit things worthy of stripes , shall be beaten with few stripes . for unto whomsoever much is given , of him shall be much required : and to whom men have committed much , of him they will ask the more . luke xiv . 11. whosoever exalteth himself , shall be abased : and he that humbleth himself , shall be exalted . v. 12. when thou makest a dinner or supper , call not thy friends , or thy brethren , neither thy kinsmen , nor thy neighbours ; lest they also bid thee again , and a recompence be made thee . but when thou makest a feast , call the poor and maimed , the lame , and the blind ; and thou shalt be blessed : for they cannot recompence thee : for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the iust. v. 33. so likewise , whosoever he be of you , that is not ready to forego all that he hath , he cannot be my disciple . luke xvi . 9. i say unto you , make to your selves friends of the mammon of vnrighteousness ; that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations . if ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon , who will commit to your trust the true riches ? and if ye have not been faithful in that which is another mans , who shall give you that which is your own ? luke xvii . 3. if thy brother trespass against thee , rebuke him ; and if he repent , forgive him . and if he trespass against thee seven times in a day , and seven times in a day turn again to thee , saying , i repent ; thou shalt forgive him . luke xviii . 1. he spoke a parable to them , to this end , that men ought always to pray , and not to faint . v. 18. one comes to him , and asks him , saying , master , what shall i do to inherit eternal life ? iesus said to him , if thou wilt enter into life , keep the commandments . he says , which ? iesus said , thou knowest the commandments : thou shalt not kill ; thou shalt not commit adultery ; thou shalt not steal ; thou shalt not bear false witness ; defraud not ; honour thy father , and thy mother ; and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self . he said , all these have i observed from my youth . iesus hearing this , loved him ; and said unto him , yet lackest thou one thing : sell all that thou hast , and give it to the poor , and thou shalt have treasure in heaven ; and come , follow me . to understand this right , we must take notice , that this young man asks our saviour , what he must do , to be admitted effectually into the kingdom of the messiah ? the jews believed , that when the messiah came , those of their nation that received him , should not die ; but that they , with those who being dead should then be raised again by him , should enjoy eternal life with him . our saviour , in answer to this demand , tells the young man , that to obtain the eternal life of the kingdom of the messiah , he must keep the commandments . and then enumerating several of the precepts of the law , the young man says , he had observed these from his childhood . for which , the text tells us , jesus loved him . but our saviour , to try whether in earnest he believed him to be the messiah , and resolved to take him to be his king , and to obey him as such , bids him give all he has to the poor , and come , and follow him ; and he should have treasure in heaven . this i look on to be the meaning of the place . this , of selling all he had , and giving it to the poor , not being a standing law of his kingdom ; but a probationary command to this young man ; to try whether he truly believed him to be the messiah , and was ready to obey his commands , and relinquish all to follow him , when he his prince required it . and therefore we see , luke xix . 14. where our saviour takes notice of the jews not receiving him as the messiah , he expresses it thou ; we will not have this man to reign over us . 't is not enough to believe him to be the messiah , unless we also obey his laws , and take him to be our king , to reign over us . mat. xxii . 11-13 . he that had not on the wedding-garment , though he accepted of the invitation , and came to the wedding , was cast into utter darkness . by the wedding-garment , 't is evident good works are meant here . that wedding-garment of fine linnen , clean and white , which we are told , rev. xix . 8. is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteous acts of the saints : or , as st. paul calls it , ephes. iv. 1. the walking worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called . this appears from the parable it self : the kingdom of heaven , says our saviour , v. 2. is like unto a king , who made a marriage for his son. and here he distinguishes those who were invited , into three sorts . 1. those who were invited , and came not ; i.e. those who had the gospel , the good news of the kingdom of god proposed to them , but believed not . 2. those who came , but had not on a wedding-garment ; i.e. believed iesus to be the messiah , but were not new clad ( as i may so say ) with a true repentance , and amendment of life ; nor adorned with those vertues , which the apostle , col. iii. requires to be put on . 3. those who were invited , did come , and had on the wedding-garment ; i.e. heard the gospel , believed iesus to be the messiah , and sincerely obeyed his laws . these three sorts are plainly designed here ; whereof the last only were the blessed , who were to enjoy the kingdom prepared for them . mat. xxiii . be not ye called rabbi : for one is your master , even the messiah , and ye all are brethren . and call no man your father upon the earth : for one is your father which is in heaven . neither be ye called masters : for one is your master , even the messiah . but he that is greatest amongst you , shall be your servant . and whosoever shall exalt himself , shall be abased ; and he that shall humble himself , shall be exalted . luke xxi . 34. take beed to your selves , lest your hearts be at any time over-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness , and cares of this life . luke xxii . 25. he said unto them , the kings of the gentiles exercise lordship over them ; and they that exercise authority upon them , are called benefactors . but ye shall not be so . but he that is greatest amongst you , let him be as the younger ; and he that is chief , as he that doth serve . john xiii . 34. a new commandment i give unto you , that ye love one another ; as i have loved you , that ye also love one another . by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples , if ye love one another . this command , of loving one another , is repeated again , chap. xv. 12. & 17. john xiv . 15. if ye love me , keep my commandments . v. 21. he that hath my commandments , and keepeth them , he it is that loveth me : and he that loveth me , shall be loved of my father , and i will love him , and manifest my self to him . v. 23. if a man loveth me , he will keep my words . v. 24. he that loveth me not , keepeth not my sayings . john xv. 8. in this is my father glorified , that ye bear much fruit ; so shall ye be my disciples . v. 14. ye are my friends , if ye do whatsoever i command you . thus we see our saviour not only confirmed the moral law ; and clearing it from the corrupt glosses of the scribes and pharisees , shewed the strictness as well as obligation of its injunctions ; but moreover , upon occasion , requires the obedience of his disciples to several of the commands he afresh lays upon them ; with the enforcement of unspeakable rewards and punishments in another world , according to their obedience , or disobedience . there is not , i think , any of the duties of morality , which he has not some where or other , by himself and his apostles , inculcated over and over again to his followers in express terms . and is it for nothing , that he is so instant with them to bring forth fruit ? does he their king command , and is it an indifferent thing ? or will their happiness or misery not at all depend upon it , whether they obey or no ? they were required to believe him to be the messiah ; which faith is of grace promised to be reckoned to them for the compleating of their righteousness , wherein it was defective : but righteousness , or obedience to the law of god , was their great business ; which if they could have attained by their own performances , there would have been no need of this gracious allowance , in reward of their faith : but eternal life , after the resurrection , had been their due by a former covenant , even that of works ; the rule whereof was never abolished , though the rigour were abated . the duties enjoyned in it were duties still . their obligations had never ceased ; nor a wilful neglect of them was ever dispensed with . but their past transgressions were pardoned , to those who received iesus , the promised messiah , for their king ; and their future slips covered , if renouncing their former iniquities , they entred into his kingdom , and continued his subjects , with a steady resolution and endeavour to obey his laws . this righteousness therefore , a compleat obedience and freedom from sin , are still sincerely to be endeavoured after . and 't is no where promised , that those who persist in a wilful disobedience to his laws , shall be received into the eternal bliss of his kingdom , how much soever they believe in him . a sincere obedience , how can any one doubt to be , or scruple to call , a condition of the new covenant , as well as faith ; whoever read our saviour's sermon in the mount , to omit all the rest ? can any thing be more express than these words of our lord ? mat. vi. 14. if you forgive men their trespasses , your heavenly father will also forgive you : but if ye forgive not men their trespasses , neither will your father forgive your trespasses . and ioh. xiii . 17. if ye know these things , happy are ye if ye do them . this is so indispensible a condition of the new covenant , that believing without it will not do , nor be accepted ; if our saviour knew the terms on which he would admit men into life . why call ye me lord , lord , says he , luke vi. 46. and do not the things which i say ? it is not enough to believe him to be the messiah , the lord , without obeying him . for that these he speaks to here , were believers , is evident , from the parallel place , matt. vii . 21-23 . where it is thus recorded : not every one who says lord , lord , shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doth the will of my father , which is in heaven . no rebels , or refractory disobedient , shall be admitted there ; though they have so far believed in jesus , as to be able to do miracles in his name ; as is plain out of the following words . many will say to me in that day , have we not prophesied in thy name , and in thy name have cast out devils ; and in thy name have done many wonderful works ? and then will i profess unto them , i never knew you , depart from me ye workers of iniquity . this part of the new covenant , the apostles also , in their preaching the gospel of the messiah , ordinarily joined with the doctrine of faith. st. peter in his first sermon , acts ii. when they were pricked in heart , and asked , what shall we do ? says , v. 38. repent , and be baptized , every one of you , in the name of iesus christ , for the remission of sins . the same he says to them again in his next speech , acts iv. 26. vnto you first , god having raised up his son iesus , sent him to bless you . how was this done ? in tvrning away every one from yovr iniqvities . the same doctrine they preach to the high priest and rulers , acts v. 30. the god of our fathers raised up iesus , whom ye slew and hanged on a tree . him hath god exalted with his right hand , to be a prince and a saviour for to give repentance to israel , and forgiveness of sins ; and we are witnesses of these things , and so is also the holy ghost , whom god hath given to them that obey him . acts xvii . 30. paul tells the athenians , that now under the gospel , god commandeth all men every where to repent . acts xx. 21. st. paul in his last conference with the elders of ephesus , professes to have taught them the whole doctrine necessary to salvation . i have , says he , kept back nothing that was profitable unto you ; but have shewed you , and have taught you publickly , and from house to house ; testifying both to the iews and to the greeks : and then gives an account what his preaching had been , viz. repentance towards god , and faith towards our lord iesus the messiah . this was the sum and substance of the gospel which st. paul preached ; and was all that he knew necessary to salvation ; viz. repentance , and believing iesus to be the messiah : and so takes his last farewel of them , whom he should never see again , v. 32. in these words . and now brethren , i commend you to god , and to the word of his grace , which is able to build you up , and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified . there is an inheritance conveyed by the word and covenant of grace ; but it is only to those who are sanctified . acts. xxiv . 24. when felix sent for paul , that he and his wife drusilla might hear him , concerning the faith in christ ; paul reasoned of righteousness , or justice , and temperance ; the duties we owe to others , and to our selves ; and of the judgment to come ; till he made felix to tremble . whereby it appears , that temperance and iustice were fundamental parts of the religion that paul professed , and were contained in the faith which he preached . and if we find the duties of the moral law not pressed by him every where ; we must remember , that most of his sermons left upon record , were preached in their synagogues to the jews , who acknowledged their obedience due to all the precepts of the law : and would have taken it amiss to have been suspected , not to have been more zealous for the law than he . and therefore it was with reason that his discourses were directed chiefly to what they yet wanted , and were averse to ; the knowledge and imbracing of jesus their promised messiah . but what his preaching generally was , if we will believe him himself , we may see acts xxvi . where giving an account to king agrippa of his life and doctrine , he tells him , v. 20. i shewed unto them of damascus , and at ierusalem , and throughout all the coasts of iudea , and then to the gentiles , that they should repent and turn to god , and do works meet for repentance . thus we see , by the preaching of our saviour and his apostles , that he required of those who believed him to be the messiah , and received him for their lord and deliverer , that they should live by his laws : and that ( though in consideration of their becoming his subjects , by faith in him , whereby they believed and took him to be the messiah , their former sins should be forgiven ) yet he would own none to be his , nor receive them as true denizons of the new ierusalem , into the inheritance of eternal life ; but leave them to the condemnation of the unrighteous ; who renounced not their former miscarriages , and lived in a sincere obedience to his commands . what he expects from his followers , he has sufficiently declared as a legislator . and that they may not be deceived , by mistaking the doctrine of faith , grace , free-grace , and the pardon and forgiveness of sins and salvation by him , ( which was the great end of his coming ) he more than once declares to them ; for what omissions and miscarriages he shall judge and condemn to death , even those who have owned him , and done miracles in his name ; when he comes at last to render to every one according to what he hath done in the flesh ; sitting upon his great and glorious tribunal , at the end of the world. the first place where we find our saviour to have mentioned the day of judgment , is ioh. v. 28 , 29. in these words ; the hour is coming , in which all that are in their graves shall hear his [ i. e. the son of god's ] voice , and shall come forth ; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil , unto the resurrection of damnation . that which puts the distinction , if we will believe our saviour , is the having done good or evil . and he gives a reason of the necessity of his judging or condemning those who have done evil , in the following words ; v. 30. i can of my own self do nothing . as i hear i judge ; and my iudgment is just : because i seek not my own will , but the will of my father who hath sent me . he could not judge of himself ; he had but a delegated power of judging from the father , whose will he obeyed in it , and who was of purer eyes than to admit any unjust person into the kingdom of heaven . matt. vii . 22 , 23. speaking again of that day , he tells what his sentence will be , depart from me ye workers of iniquity . faith in the penitent and sincerely obedient , supplies the defect of their performances ; and so by grace they are made just. but we may observe ; none are sentenced or punished for unbelief ; but only for their misdeeds . they are workers of iniquity on whom the sentence is pronounced . matt. xiii . 14. at the end of the world , the son of man shall send forth his angels ; and they shall gather out of his kingdom all scandals , and them which do iniqvity ; and cast them into a furnace of fire ; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth . and again , v. 49. the angels shall sever the wicked from among the ivst ; and shall cast them into the furnace of fire . matt. xvi . 24. for the son of man shall come in the glory of his father , with his angels : and then be shall reward every man according to his works . luke xiii . 26. then shall ye begin to say ; we have eaten and drunk in thy presence , and thou hast taught in our streets . but he shall say , i tell you , i know you not ; depart from me ye workers of iniquity . matt. xxv . 21-26 . when the son of man shall come in his glory ; and before him shall be gathered all nations ; he shall set the sheep on his right hand , and the goats on his left : then shall the king say to them on his right hand , come ye blessed of my father , inherit the kingdom prepared for you , from the foundation of the world ; for , i was an hungred , and ye gave me meat ; i was thirsty , and ye gave me drink ; i was a stranger , and ye took me in ; naked , and ye cloathed me ; i was sick , and ye visited me ; i was in prison , and ye came unto me . then shall the righteous answer him , saying , lord , when saw we thee an hungred , and fed thee ? &c. and the king shall answer , and say unto them ; verily , i say unto you , in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren , ye have done it unto me . then shall he say unto them on the left hand , depart from me , ye cursed , into everlasting fire , prepared for the devil and his angels . for i was an hungred , and ye gave me no meat ; i was thirsty , and ye gave me no drink ; i was a stranger , and ye took me not in ; naked , and ye cloathed me not ; sick and in prison , and ye visited me not . in so much that ye did it not to one of these , ye did it not to me . and these shall go into everlasting punishment : but the righteous into life eternal . these , i think , are all the places where our saviour mentions the last judgment ; or describes his way of proceeding in that great day : wherein , as we have observed , it is remarkable , that every where the sentence follows , doing or not doing ; without any mention of believing , or not believing . not that any to whom the gospel hath been preached , shall be saved , without believing iesus to be the messiah : for all being sinners , and transgressors of the law , and so unjust ; are all liable to condemnation ; unless they believe , and so through grace are justified by god for this faith , which shall be accounted to them for righteousness . but the rest wanting this cover , this allowance for their transgressions , must answer for all their actions : and being found transgressors of the law , shall by the letter , and sanction of that law , be condemned , for not having paid a full obedience to that law : and not for want of faith. that is not the guilt , on which the punishment is laid ; though it be the want of faith , which lays open their guilt uncovered ; and exposes them to the sentence of the law , against all that are unrighteous . the common objection here , is ; if all sinners shall be condemned , but such as have a gracious allowance made them ; and so are justified by god , for believing iesus to be the messiah , and so taking him for their king , whom they are resolved to obey , to the utmost of their power ; what shall become of all mankind , who lived before our saviour's time ; who never heard of his name ; and consequently could not believe in him ? to this , the answer is so obvious and natural , that one would wonder , how any reasonable man should think it worth the urging . no body was , or can be , required to believe what was never proposed to him , to believe . before the fulness of time , which god from the council of his own wisdom had appointed to send his son in ; he had at several times , and in rent manners , promised to the people of israel , an extraordinary person to come ; who , raised from amongst themselves , should be their ruler and deliverer . the time ; and other circumstances of his birth , life , and person ; he had in sundry prophesies so particularly described , and so plainly foretold , that he was well known , and expected by the jews ; under the name of the messiah , or anointed , given him in some of these prophesies . all then that was required before his appearing in the world , was to believe what god had revealed ; and to rely with a full assurance on god for the performance of his promise ; and to believe , that in due time he would send them the messiah ; this anointed king ; this promised saviour , and deliverer ; according to his word . this faith in the promises of god ; this relying and acquiescing in his word and faithfulness ; the almighty takes well at our hands , as a great mark of homage , paid by us poor frail creatures , to his goodness and truth , as well as to his power and wisdom ; and accepts it as an acknowledgment of his peculiar providence , and benignity to us . and therefore our saviour tells us , iohn xii . 44. he that believes on me , believes not on me ; but on him that sent me . the works of nature shew his wisdom and power : but 't is his peculiar care of mankind , most eminently discovered in his promises to them , that shews his bounty and goodness ; and consequently engages their hearts in love and affection to him . this oblation of an heart , fixed with dependance and affection on him , is the most acceptable tribute we can pay him ; the foundation of true devotion ; and life of all religion . what a value he puts on this depending on his word , and resting satisfied in his promises , we have an example in abraham ; whose faith was counted to him for righteousness ; as we have before remarked out of rom. iv. and his relying firmly on the promise of god , without any doubt of its performance ; gave him the name , of the father of the faithful ; and gained him so much favour with the almighty , that he was called the friend of god : the highest and most glorious title can be bestowed on a creature . the thing promised was no more , but a son by his wife sarah ; and a numerous posterity by him , which should possess the land of canaan . these were but temporal blessings ; and ( except the birth of a son ) very remote ; such as he should never live to see , nor in his own person have the benefit of . but because he questioned not the performance of it ; but rested fully satisfied in the goodness , truth , and faithfulness of god who had promised ; it was counted to him for righteousness . let us see how st. paul expresses it ; rom. iv. 18-22 . who , against hope , believed in hope , that he might become the father of many nations ; according to that which was spoken , so shall thy seed be . and being not weak in his faith , he considered not his own body now dead , when he was above an hundred years old ; neither yet the deadness of sarah 's womb. he staggered not at the promise of god through unbelief , but was strong in faith , giving glory to god ; and being fully perswaded , that what he had promised , he was able to perform . and therefore , it was imputed to him for righteousness . st. paul having here emphatically described the strength and firmness of abraham's faith , informs us ; that he thereby gave glory to god ; and therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness . this is the way that god deals with poor frail mortals . he is graciously pleased to take it well of them ; and give it the place of righteousness , and a kind of merit in his sight ; if they believe his promises , and have a steadfast relying on his veracity and goodness . st. paul heb. xi . 6. tells us ; without faith it is impossible to please god : but at the same time tells us what faith that is . for , says he , he that cometh to god , must believe that he is ; and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him . he must be perswaded of god's mercy and good will to those , who seek to obey him ; and rest assured of his rewarding those who rely on him , for whatever , either by the light of nature , or particular promises , he has revealed to them of his tender mercies ; and taught them to expect from his bounty . this description of faith ( that we might not mistake what he means by that faith , without which we cannot please god , and which recommended the saints of old ) st. paul places in the middle of the list of those who were eminent for their faith ; and whom he sets as patterns to the converted hebrews , under persecution ; to encourage them to persist in their confidence of deliverance by the coming of iesus christ ; and in their belief of the promises they now had under the gospel : not to draw back from the hope that was set before them ; nor apostatize from the profession of the christian religion . this is plain from v. 35-38 . of the precedent chapter : cast not away therefore your confidence , which hath great recompence of reward . for ye have great need of persisting , or perseverance ; ( for so the greek word signifies here , which our translation renders patience . vid. luke viii . 15. ) that after ye have done the will of god , ye might receive the promise . for yet a little while , and he that shall come will come , and will not tarry . now the just shall live by faith. but if any man draw back , my soul shall have no pleasure in him . the examples of faith , which st. paul enumerates and proposes in the following words , chap. xi . plainly shew , that the faith whereby those believers of old pleased god , was nothing but a steadfast relyance on the goodness and faithfulness of god , for those good things , which either the light of nature , or particular promises , had given them grounds to hope for . of what avail this faith was with god , we may see , v. 4. by faith abel offered unto god a more excellent sacrifice than cain ; by which he obtained witness that he was righteous . v. 5. by faith enoch was translated , that he should not see death : for before his translation he had this testimony , that be pleased god. v. 7. noah , being warned of god of things not seen as yet ; being wary , by faith prepared an ark , to the saving of his house ; by the which be condemned the world , and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. and what it was that god so graciously accepted and rewarded , we are told , v. 11. through faith also sarah her self received strength to conceive seed , and was delivered of a child ; when she was past age . how she came to obtain this grace from god , the apostle tells us ; because she judged him faithful who had promised . those therefore who pleased god , and were accepted by him before the coming of christ , did it only by believing the promises , and relying on the goodness of god , as far as he had revealed it to them . for the apostle , in the following words , tells us , v. 13. these all died in faith , not having received ( the accomplishment of ) the promises ; but having seen them afar off : and were perswaded of them , and embraced them . this was all that was required of them ; to be perswaded of , and embrace the promises which they had . they could be perswaded of no more than was proposed to them ; embrace no more than was revealed ; according to the promises they had received , and the dispensations they were under . and if the faith of things seen afar off ; if their trusting in god for the promises he then gave them ; if a belief of the messiah to come ; were sufficient to render those who lived in the ages before christ , acceptable to god , and righteous before him ; i desire those who tell us , that god will not , ( nay , some go so far as to say ) cannot accept any who do not believe every article of their particular creeds and systems ; to consider , why god , out of his infinite mercy , cannot as well justifie man now for believing iesus of nazareth to be the promised messiah , the king and deliverer ; as those heretofore , who believed only that god would , according to his promise , in due time send the messiah , to be a king and deliverer . there is another difficulty often to be met with , which seems to have something of more weight in it : and that is , that though the faith of those before christ ; ( believing that god would send the messiah , to be a prince , and a saviour to his people , as he had promised ; ) and the faith of those since his time , ( believing iesus to be that messiah , promised and sent by god ) shall be accounted to them for righteousness , yet what shall become of all the rest of mankind ; who having never heard of the promise or news of a saviour , not a word of a messiah to be sent , or that was come , have had no thought or belief concerning him ? to this i answer ; that god will require of every man , according to what a man hath , and not according to what he hath not . he will not expect the improvement of ten talents , where he gave but one ; nor require any one should believe a promise , of which he has never heard . the apostle's reasoning , rom. x. 14. is very just : how shall they believe in him , of whom they have not heard ? but though there be many , who being strangers to the common-wealth of israel , were also strangers to the oracles of god committed to that people ; many , to whom the promise of the messiah never came , and so were never in a capacity to believe or reject that revelation ; yet god had , by the light of reason , revealed to all mankind , who would make use of that light , that he was good and merciful . the same spark of the divine nature and knowledge in man , which making him a man , shewed him the law he was under as a man ; shewed him also the way of attoning the merciful , kind , compassionate author and father of him and his being , when he had transgressed that law. he that made use of this candle of the lord , so far as to find what was his duty ; could not miss to find also the way to reconciliation and forgiveness , when he had failed of his duty : though if he used not his reason this way ; if he put out , or neglected this light ; he might , perhaps , see neither . the law is the eternal , immutable standard of right . and a part of that law is , that a man should forgive , not only his children , but his enemies ; upon their repentance , asking pardon , and amendment . and therefore he could not doubt that the author of this law , and god of patience and consolation , who is rich in mercy , would forgive his frail off-spring ; if they acknowledged their faults , disapproved the iniquity of their transgressions , beg'd his pardon , and resolved in earnest for the future to conform their actions to this rule , which they owned to be just and right . this way of reconciliation , this hope of attonement , the light of nature revealed to them . and the revelation of the gospel having said nothing to the contrary , leaves them to stand and fall to their own father and master , whose goodness and mercy is over all his works . i know some are forward to urge that place of the acts , chap. iv. as contrary to this . the words , v. 10. & 12. stand thus : be it known unto you all , and to all the people of israel , that by the name of iesus christ of nazareth , whom ye crucified , whom god raised from the dead , even by him doth this man , [ i. e. the lame man restored by peter ] stand here before you whole . this is the stone which is set at nought by you builders , which is become the head of the corner . neither is there salvation in any other : for there is none other name under heaven given among men , in which we must be saved . which , in short , is ; that iesus is the only true messiah ; neither is there any other person but he given to be a mediator between god and man , in whose name we may ask and hope for salvation . it will here possibly be asked , quorsum perditio hoec ? what need was there of a saviour ? what advantage have we by iesus christ ? it is enough to justifie the fitness of any thing to be done , by resolving it into the wisdom of god , who has done it ; whereof our narrow understandings , and short views may utterly incapacitate us to judge . we know little of this visible , and nothing at all of the state of that intellectual world ; wherein are infinite numbers and degrees of spirits out of the reach of our ken or guess ; and therefore know not what transactions there were between god and our saviour , in reference to his kingdom . we know not what need there was to set up a head and a chieftain , in opposition to the prince of this world , the prince of the power of the air , &c. whereof there are more than obscure intimations in scripture . and we shall take too much upon us , if we shall call god's wisdom or providence to account , and pertly condemn for needless , all that that our weak , and perhaps biaffed vnderstandings , cannot account for . though this general answer be reply enough to the forementioned demand , and such as a rational man , or fair searcher after truth , will acquiesce in ; yet in this particular case , the wisdom and goodness of god has shewn it self so visibly to common apprehensions , that it hath furnished us abundantly wherewithal to satisfie the curious and inquisitive ; who will not take a blessing , unless they be instructed what need they had of it , and why it was bestowed upon them . the great and many advantages we receive by the coming of iesus the messiah , will shew that it was not without need , that he was sent into the world. the evidence of our saviour's mission from heaven is so great , in the multitude of miracles he did before all sorts of people ; ( which the divine providence and wisdom has so ordered , that they never were , nor could be denied by any of the enemies and opposers of christianity , ) that what he delivered cannot but be received as the oracles of god , and unquestionable verity . though the works of nature , in every part of them , sufficiently evidence a deity ; yet the world made so little use of their reason , that they saw him not ; where even by the impressions of himself he was easie to be found . sense and lust blinded their minds in some ; and a careless inadvertency in others ; and fearful apprehensions in most ( who either believed there were , or could not but suspect there might be , superiour unknown beings ) gave them up into the hands of their priests , to fill their heads with false notions of the deity , and their worship with foolish rites , as they pleased : and what dread or craft once began , devotion soon made sacred , and religion immutable . in this state of darkness and ignorance of the true god , vice and superstition held the world. nor could any help be had or hoped for from reason ; which could not be heard , and was judged to have nothing to do in the case : the priests every where , to secure their empire , having excluded reason from having any thing to do in religion . and in the croud of wrong notions , and invented rites , the world had almost lost the sight of the one only true god. the rational and thinking part of mankind , 't is true , when they sought after him , found the one , supream , invisible god : but if they acknowledged and worshipped him , it was only in their own minds . they kept this truth locked up in their own breast as a secret , nor ever durst venture it amongst the people ; much less amongst the priests , those wary guardians of their own creeds and profitable inventions . hence we see that reason , speaking never so clearly to the wise and vertuous , had never authority enough to prevail on the multitude ; and to perswade the societies of men , that there was but one god , that alone was to be owned and worshipped . the belief and worship of one god , was the national religion of the israelites alone : and if we will consider it , it was introduced and supported amongst that people by revelation . they were in goshen , and had light ; whilst the rest of the world were in almost egyptian darkness , without god in the world. there was no part of mankind , who had quicker parts , or improved them more ; that had a greater light of reason , or followed it farther in all sorts of speculations , than the athenians : and yet we find but one socrates amongst them , that opposed and laughed at their polytheism , and wrong opinions of the deity ; and we see how they rewarded him for it . whatsoever plato , and the soberest of the philosophers thought of the nature and being of the one god , they were fain , in their outward professions and worship , to go with the herd , and keep to the religion established by law ; which what it was , and how it had disposed the mind of these knowing , and quick-sighted grecians , st. paul tells us , acts xvii . 22-29 . ye men of athens , says he , i perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious . for as i passed by , and beheld your devotions , i found an altar with this inscription , to the vnknown god. whom therefore ye ignorantly worship , him declare i unto you . god that made the world , and all things therein , seeing that he is lord of heaven and earth , dwelleth not in temples made with hands : neither is worshipped with mens hands , as though he needed nay thing , seeing he giveth unto all life , and breath , and all things ; and hath made of one blood all the nations of men , for to dwell on the face of the earth ; and hath determined the times before appointed , and the bounds of their habitations ; that they should seek the lord , if haply they might feel him out , and find him , though he be not far from every one of us . here he tells the athenians , that they , and the rest of the world ( given up to superstition ) whatever light there was in the works of creation and providence , to lead them to the true god , yet they few of them found him . he was every where near them ; yet they were but like people groping and feeling for something in the dark , and did not see him with a full clear day-light ; but thought the godhead like to gold , and silver , and stone , graven by art and man's device . in this state of darkness and error , in reference to the true god , our saviour found the world. but the clear revelation he brought with him , dissipated this darkness ; made the one invisible true god known to the world : and that with such evidence and energy , that polytheism and idolatry hath no where been able to withstand it . but where ever the preaching of the truth he delivered , and the light of the gospel hath come , those mists have been dispelled . and in effect we see that since our saviour's time , the belief of one god has prevailed and spread it self over the face of the earth . for even to the light that the messiah brought into the world with him , we must ascribe the owning , and profession of one god , which the mahumetan religion had derived and borrowed from it . so that in this sense it is certainly and manifestly true of our saviour , what st. iohn says of him ; i iohn iii. 8. for this purpose the son of god was manifested , that he might destroy the works of the devil . this light the world needed , and this light it received from him : that there is but one god , and he eternal ; invisible ; not like to any visible objects , nor to be represented by them . if it be asked , whether the revelation to the patriarchs by moses , did not teach this , and why that was not enough ? the answer is obvious ; that however clearly the knowledge of one invisible god , maker of heaven and earth , was revealed to them ; yet that revelation was shut up in a little corner of the world ; amongst a people by that very law , which they received with it , excluded from a commerce and communication with the rest of mankind . the gentile world in our saviour's time , and several ages before , could have no attestation of the miracles , on which the hebrews built their faith , but from the iews themselves ; a people not known to the greatest part of mankind ; contemned and thought vilely of by those nations that did know them ; and therefore very unfit and unable to propagate the doctrine of one god in the world , and diffuse it through the nations of the earth , by the strength and force of that ancient revelation , upon which they had received it . but our saviour , when he came , threw down this wall of partition ; and did not confine his miracles or message to the land of canaan , or the worshippers at ierusalem . but he himself preached at samaria , and did miracles in the borders of tyre and sydon , and before multitudes of people gathered from all quarters . and after his resurrection , sent his apostles amongst the nations , accompanied with miracles ; which were done in all parts so frequently , and before so many witnesses of all sorts , in broad day-light , that , as i have often observed , the enemies of christianity have never dared to deny them ; no , not iulian himself : who neither wanted skill nor power to enquire into the truth ; nor would have failed to have proclaimed and exposed it , if he could have detected any falshood in the history of the gospel ; or found the least ground to question the matter of fact published of christ , and his apostles . the number and evidence of the miracles done by our saviour and his followers , by the power and force of truth , bore down this mighty and accomplished emperour , and all his parts , in his own dominions . he durst not deny so plain matter of fact ; which being granted , the truth of our saviour's doctrine and mission unavoidably follows ; notwithstanding whatsoever artful suggestions his wit could invent , or malice should offer , to the contrary . 2. next to the knowledge of one god ; maker of all things ; a clear knowledge of their duty was wanting to mankind . this part of knowledge , though cultivated with some care , by some of the heathen philosophers ; yet got little footing among the people . all men indeed , under pain of displeasing the gods , were to frequent the temples : every one went to their sacrifices and services : but the priests made it not their business to teach them virtue . if they were diligent in their observations and ceremonies ; punctual in their feasts and solemnities , and the tricks of religion ; the holy tribe assured them , the gods were pleased ; and they looked no farther . few went to the schools of the philosophers , to be instructed in their duties ; and to know what was good and evil in their actions . the priests sold the better pennyworths , and therefore had all the customs . lustrations and processions were much easier than a clean conscience , and a steady course of virtue ; and an expiatory sacrifice , that attoned for the want of it , was much more convenient , than a strict and holy life . no wonder then , that religion was every where distinguished from , and preferred to virtue ; and that it was dangerous heresy and prophaneness to think the contrary . so much virtue as was necessary to hold societies together ; and to contribute to the quiet of governments ; the civil laws of commonwealths taught , and forced upon men that lived under magistrates . but these laws , being for the most part made by such who had no other aims but their own power , reached no farther than those things , that would serve to tie men together in subjection ; or at most , were directly to conduce to the prosperity and temporal happiness of any people . but natural religion in its full extent , was no where , that i know , taken care of by the force of natural reason . it should seem by the little that has hitherto been done in it ; that 't is too hard a thing for unassisted reason , to establish morality in all its parts upon its true foundations ; with a clear and convincing light . and 't is at least a surer and shorter way , to the apprehensions of the vulgar , and mass of mankind ; that one manifestly sent from god , and coming with visible authority from him , should as a king and law-maker tell them their duties ; and require their obedience ; than leave it to the long , and sometimes intricate deductions of reason , to be made out to them : which the greatest part of mankind have neither leisure to weigh ; nor , for want of education and use , skill to judge of . we see how unsuccessful in this , the attempts of philosophers were before our saviour's time . how short their several systems came of the perfection of a true and compleat morality is very visible . and if , since that , the christian philosophers have much outdone them ; yet we may observe , that the first knowledge of the truths they have added , are owing to revelation : though as soon as they are heard and considered , they are found to be agreeable to reason ; and such as can by no means be contradicted . every one may observe a great many truths which he receives at first from others , and readily assents to , as consonant to reason ; which he would have found it hard , and perhaps beyond his strength to have discovered himself . native and original truth , is not so easily wrought out of the mine , as we who have it delivered , ready dug and fashon'd into our hands , are apt to imagine . and how often at fifty or threescore years old are thinking men told , what they wonder how they could miss thinking of ? which yet their own contemplations did not , and possibly never would have helped them to . experience shews that the knowledge of morality , by meer natural light , ( how agreeable soever it be to it ) makes but a flow progress , and little advance in the world. and the reason of it is not hard to be found ; in men's necessities , passions , vices , and mistaken interests , which turn their thoughts another way . and the designing leaders , as well as following herd , find it not to their purpose to imploy much of their meditations this way . or whatever else was the cause , 't is plain in fact ; humane reason unassisted , failed men in its great and proper business of morality . it never from unquestionable principles , by clear deductions , made out an entire body of the law of nature . and he that shall collect all the moral rules of the philosophers , and compare them with those contained in the new testament , will find them to come short of the morality delivered by our saviour , and taught by his apostles ; a college made up for the most part of ignorant , but inspired fishermen . though yet , if any one should think , that out of the sayings of the wise heathens , before our saviour's time , there might be a collection made of all those rules of morality , which are to be found in the christian religion ; yet this would not at all hinder , but that the world nevertheless stood as much in need of our saviour , and the morality delivered by him . let it be granted ( though not true ) that all the moral precepts of the gospel were known by some body or other , amongst mankind , before . but where or how , or of what use , is not considered . suppose they may be picked up here and there ; some from solon and bias in greece ; others from tully in italy : and to compleat the work , let confutius , as far as china , be consulted ; and anacarsis the scythian contribute his share . what will all this do , to give the world a compleat morality ; that may be to mankind , the unquestionable rule of life and manners ? i will not here urge the impossibility of collecting from men , so far distant from one another , in time , and place , and languages . i will suppose there was a stobeus in those times , who had gathered the moral sayings , from all the sages of the world. what would this amount to , towards being a steady rule ; a certain transcript of a law that we are under ? did the saying of aristippus , or confutius , give it an authority ? was zeno a lawgiver to mankind ? if not , what he or any other philosopher delivered , was but a saying of his . mankind might hearken to it , or reject it , as they pleased ; or as it suited their interest , passions , principles or humours . they were under no obligation : the opinion of this or that philosopher , was of no authority . and if it were , you must take all he said under the same character . all his dictates must go for law , certain and true ; or none of them . and then , if you will take any of the moral sayings of epicurus ( many whereof seneca quotes , with esteem and approbation ) for precepts of the law of nature ; you must take all the rest of his doctrine for such too ; or else his authority ceases : and so no more is to be received from him , or any of the sages of old , for parts of the law of nature , as carrying with it an obligation to be obeyed , but what they prove to be so . but such a body of ethicks , proved to be the law of nature , from principles of reason , and reaching all the duties of life ; i think no body will say the world had before our saviour's time . 't is not enough , that there were up and down scattered sayings of wise men , conformable to right reason . the law of nature , was the law of convenience too : and 't is no wonder , that those men of parts , and studious of virtue ; ( who had occasion to think on any particular part of it , ) should by meditation light on the right , even from the observable convenience and beauty of it ; without making out its obligation from the true principles of the law of nature , and foundations of morality . but these incoherent apohtegms of philosophers , and wise men ; however excellent in themselves , and well intended by them ; could never make a morality , whereof the world could be convinced , and with certainty depend on . whatsoever should thus be universally useful , as a standard to which men should conform their manners , must have its authority either from reason or revelation . 't is not every writer of morals , or compiler of it from others , that can thereby be erected into a law-giver to mankind ; and a dictator of rules , which are therefore valid , because they are to be found in his books ; under the authority of this or that philosopher . he that any one will pretend to set up in this kind , and have his rules pass for authentique directions ; must shew , that either he builds his doctrine upon principles of reason , self-evident in themselves ; or that he deduces all the parts of it from thence , by clear and evident demonstration : or must shew his commission from heaven ; that he comes with authority from god , to deliver his will and commands to the world. in the former way , no body that i know before our saviour's time , ever did ; or went about to give us a morality . 't is true there is a law of nature . but who is there that ever did , or undertook to give it us all entire , as a law ; no more , nor no less , than what was contained in , and had the obligation of that law ? who , ever made out all the parts of it ; put them together ; and shewed the world their obligation ? where was there any such code , that mankind might have recourse to , as their unerring rule , before our saviour's time ? if there was not , 't is plain , there was need of one to give us such a morality ; such a law , which might be the sure guide of those who had a desire to go right ; and if they had a mind , need not mistake their duty ; but might be certain when they had performed , when failed in it . such a law of morality , jesus christ hath given us in the new testament ; but by the later of these ways , by revelation . we have from him a full and sufficient rule for our direction ; and conformable to that of reason . but the truth and obligation of its precepts ; hath its force , and is put past doubt to us , by the evidence of his mission . he was sent by god : his miracles shew it ; and the authority of god in his precepts cannot be questioned . here morality has a sure standard , that revelation vouches , and reason cannot gainsay , nor question ; but both together witness to come from god the great law-maker . and such an one as this out of the new testament , i think the world never had , nor can any one say is any where else to be found . let me ask any one , who is forward to think that the doctrine of morality was full and clear in the world , at our saviour's birth ; whether would he have directed brutus and cassius , ( both men of parts and virtue , the one whereof believed , and the other disbelieved a future being ) to be satisfied in the rules and obligations of all the parts of their duties ; if they should have asked him where they might find the law , they were to live by , and by which they should be charged or acquitted , as guilty or innocent ? if to the sayings of the wise , and the declarations of philosophers ; he sends them into a wild wood of uncertainty , to an endless maze ; from which they should never get out : if to the religions of the world , yet worse : and if to their own reason , he refers them to that which had some light and certainty ; but yet had hitherto failed all mankind in a perfect rule ; and we see , resolved not the doubts that had risen amongst the studious and thinking philosophers ; nor had yet been able to convince the civilized parts of the world , that they had not given , nor could without a crime , take away the lives of their children , by exposing them . if any one shall think to excuse humane nature , by laying blame on men's negligence , that they did not carry morality to an higher pitch ; and make it out entire in every part , with that clearness of demonstration which some think it capable of ; he helps not the matter . be the cause what it will , our saviour found mankind under a corruption of manners and principles , which ages after ages had prevailed , and must be confessed was not in a way or tendency to be mended . the rules of morality were in different countries and sects , different . and natural reason no where had , nor was like to cure the defects and errors in them . those just measures of right and wrong , which necessity had any where introduced , the civil laws prescribed , or philosophy recommended ; stood not on their true foundations . they were looked on as bonds of society , and conveniencies of common life , and laudable practises . but where was it that their obligation was throughly known and allowed , and they received as precepts of a law ; of the highest law , the law of nature ? that could not be , without a clear knowledge and acknowledgment of the law-maker , and the great rewards and punishments , for those that would or would not obey him . but the religion of the heathens , as was before observed ; little concerned it self in their morals . the priests that delivered the oracles of heaven , and pretended to speak from the gods ; spoke little of virtue and a good life . and on the other side , the philosophers who spoke from reason , made not much mention of the deity in their ethicks . they depended on reason and her oracles ; which contain nothing but truth . but yet some parts of that truth lye too deep for our natural powers easily to reach , and make plain and visible to mankind , without some light from above to direct them . when truths are once known to us , though by tradition , we are apt to be favourable to our own parts ; and ascribe to our own understandings the discovery of what , in truth , we borrowed from others ; or , at least , finding we can prove what at first we learnt from others , we are forward to conclude it an obvious truth , which , if we had sought , we could not have missed . nothing seems hard to our understandings , that is once known ; and because what we see we see with our own eyes , we are apt to over-look or forget the help we had from others , who first shewed and pointed it out to us , as if we were not at all beholden to them for that knowledge ; which being of truths we now are satisfied of , we conclude our own faculties would have lead us into without any assistance ; and that we know them , as they did , by the strength and perspicuity of our own minds , only they had the luck to be before us . thus the whole stock of human knowledge is claimed by every one , as his private possession , as soon as he ( profiting by others discoveries ) has got it into his own mind ; and so it is : but not properly by his own single industry , nor of his own acquisition . he studies , 't is true , and takes pains to make a progress in what others have delivered ; but their pains were of another sort , who first brought those truths to light , which he afterwards derives from them . he that travels the roads now , applauds his own strength and legs , that have carried him so far in such a scantling of time ; and ascribes all to his own vigor , little considering how much he ows to their pains , who cleared the woods , drained the bogs , built the bridges , and made the ways passable ; without which he might have toiled much with little progress . a great many things we have been bred up in the belief of from our cradles , ( and are notions grown familiar , and as it were natural to us , under the gospel , ) we take for unquestionable obvious truths , and easily demonstrable ; without considering how long we might have been in doubt or ignorance of them , had revelation been silent . and many are beholden to revelation , who do not acknowlede it . 't is no diminishing to revelation , that reason gives its suffrage too to the truths revelation has discovered . but 't is our mistake to think , that because reason confirms them to us , we had the first certain knowledge of them from thence , and in that clear evidence we now possess them . the contrary is manifest , in the defective morality of the gentils before our saviour's time ; and the want of reformation in the principles and measures of it , as well as practice . philosophy seemed to have spent its strength , and done its utmost ; or if it should have gone farther , as we see it did not , and from undenyable principles given us ethicks in a science like mathematicks in every part demonstrable , this yet would not have been so effectual to man in this imperfect state , nor proper for the cure. the bulk of mankind have not leisure nor capacity for demonstration ; nor can carry a train of proofs ; which in that way they must always depend upon for conviction , and cannot be required to assent till they see the demonstration . wherever they stick , the teachers are always put upon proof , and must clear the doubt by a thread of coherent deductions from the first principle , how long , or how intricate soever that be . and you may as soon hope to have all the day-labourers and tradesmen , the spinsters and dairy maids perfect mathematicians , as to have them perfect in ethicks this way . hearing plain commands , is the sure and only course to bring them to obedience and practice . the greatest part cannot know , and therefore they must believe . and i ask , whether one coming from heaven in the power of god , in full and clear evidence and demonstration of miracles , giving plain and direct rules of morality and obedience , be not likelier to enlighten the bulk of mankind , and set them right in their duties , and bring them to do them , than by reasoning with them from general notions and principles of humane reason ? and were all the duties of humane life clearly demonstrated ; yet i conclude , when well considered , that method of teaching men their duties , would be thought proper only for a few , who had much leisure , improved understandings , and were used to abstract reasonings . but the instruction of the people were best still to be left to the precepts and principles of the gospel . the healing of the sick , the restoring sight to the blind by a word , the raising , and being raised from the dead , are matters of fact , which they can without difficulty conceive ; and that he who does such things , must do them by the assistance of a divine power . these things lye level to the ordinariest apprehension ; he that can distinguish between sick and well , lame and sound , dead and alive , is capable of this doctrine . to one who is once perswaded that jesus christ was sent by god to be a king , and a saviour of those who do believe in him ; all his commands become principles : there needs no other proof for the truth of what he says , but that he said it . and then there needs no more but to read the inspired books , to be instructed : all the duties of morality lye there clear , and plain , and easy to be understood . and here i appeal , whether this be not the surest , the safest , and most effectual way of teaching : especially if we add this farther consideration ; that as it suits the lowest capacities of reasonable creatures , so it reaches and satisfies , nay , enlightens the highest . and the most elevated understandings cannot but submit to the authority of this doctrine as divine ; which coming from the mouths of a company of illiterate men , hath not only the attestation of miracles , but reason to confirm it ; since they delivered no precepts but such , as though reason of it self had not clearly made out , yet it could not but assent to when thus discovered ; and think itself indebted for the discovery . the credit and authority our saviour and his apostles had over the minds of men , by the miracles they did ; tempted them not to mix ( as we find in that of all the sects of philosophers , and other religions ) any conceits ; any wrong rules ; any thing tending to their own by-interest , or that of a party ; in their morality . no tang of prepossession or phansy ; no footsteps of pride or vanity , ostentation or ambition , appears to have a hand in it . it is all pure , all sincere ; nothing too much , nothing wanting : but such a compleat rule of life , as the wisest men must acknowledge , tends entirely to the good of mankind : and that all would be happy , if all would practise it . 3. the outward forms of worshipping the deity , wanted a reformation . stately buildings , costly ornaments , peculiar and uncouth habits , and a numerous huddle of pompous , phantastical , cumbersome ceremonies , every where attended divine worship . this , as it had the peculiar name , so it was thought the principal part , if not the whole of religion . nor could this possibly be amended whilst the jewish ritual stood ; and there was so much of it mixed with the worship of the true god. to this also our saviour , with the knowledge of the infinite invisible supream spirit , brought a remedy ; in a plain , spiritual , and suitable worship . iesus says to the woman of samaria , the hour cometh , when ye shall neither in this mountain , nor yet at jerusalem , worship the father . but the true worshippers , shall worship the father , both in spirit and in truth ; for the father seeketh such to worship . to be worshipped in spirit and in truth ; with application of mind and sincerity of heart , was what god henceforth only required . magnificent temples , and confinement to certain places , were now no longer necessary for his worship ; which by a pure heart might be performed any where . the splendor and distinction of habits , and pomp of ceremonies , and all outside performances , might now be spared . god who was a spirit , and made known to be so , required none of those ; but the spirit only : and that in publick assemblies , ( where some actions must lie open to the view of the world ) all that could appear and be seen , should be done decently , and in order , and to edification . decency , order , and edification , were to regulate all their publick acts of worship ; and beyond what these required , the outward appearance , ( which was of little value in the eyes of god ) was not to go . having shut out indecency and confusions out of their assemblies , they need not be solicitous about useless ceremonies . praises and prayer , humbly offered up to the deity , was the worship he now demanded ; and in these every one was to look after his own heart , and know that it was that alone which god had regard to , and accepted . 4. another great advantage received by our saviour , is the great incouragement he brought to a virtuous and pious life : great enough to surmount the difficulties and obstacles that lie in the way to it ; and reward the pains and hardships of those , who stuck firm to their duties , and suffered for the testimony of a good conscience . the portion of the righteous has been in all ages taken notice of , to be pretty scanty in this world. virtue and prosperity , do not often accompany one another ; and therefore virtue seldom had many followers . and 't is no wonder she prevailed not much in a state , where the inconveniencies that attended her were visible , and at hand ; and the rewards doubtful , and at a distance . mankind , who are and must be allowed to pursue their happiness ; nay , cannot be hindred ; could not but think themselves excused from a strict observation of rules , which appeared so little to consist with their chief end , happiness ; whilst they kept them from the enjoyments of this life ; and they had little evidence and security of another . 't is true , they might have argued the other way , and concluded ; that , because the good were most of them ill treated here . there was another place where they should meet with better usage : but 't is plain , they did not . their thoughts of another life were at best obscure : and their expectations uncertain . of manes , and ghosts , and the shades of departed men , there was some talk ; but little certain , and less minded . they had the names of styx and acheron ; of elisian fields , and seats of the blessed : but they had them generally from their poets ▪ mixed with their fables . and so they looked more like the inventions of wit and ornaments of poetry , than the serious perswasions of the grave and the sober . they came to them bundled up amongst their tales ; and for tales they took them . and that which rendred them more suspected , and less useful to virtue , was , that the philosophers seldom set on their rules on men's minds and practises , by consideration of another life . the chief of their arguments were from the excellency of virtue : and the highest they generally went , was the exalting of humane nature . whose perfection lay in virtue . and if the priest at any time talked of the ghosts below , and a life after this , it was only to keep men to their superstitious and idolatrous rites ; whereby the use of this doctrine was lost to the credulous multitude ; and its belief to the quicker sighted , who suspected it presently of priest-craft . before our saviour's time , the doctrine of a future state , though it were not wholly hid , yet it was not clearly known in the world. 't was an imperfect view of reason ; or , perhaps the decay'd remains of an ancient tradition ; which rather seemed to float on mens phansies , than sink deep into their hearts . it was something , they knew not what , between being and not being . something in man they imagined might scape the grave : but a a perfect compleat life of an eternal duration , after this ; was what entred little into their thoughts , and less into their perswasions . and they were so far from being clear herein , that we see no nation of the world publickly professed it , and built upon it : no religion taught it : and 't was no where made an article of faith , and principle of religion till jesus christ came ; of whom it is truly said , that he at his appearing brought light and immortality to light . and that not only in the clear revelation of it ; and in instances shewn of men raised from the dead ; but he has given us an unquestionable assurance and pledge of it , in his own resurrection and ascention into heaven . how hath this one truth changed the nature of things in the world ? and given the advantage to piety over all that could tempt or deter men from it . the philosophers indeed shewed the beauty of virtue : they set her off so as drew mens eyes and approbation to her : but leaving her unendowed , very few were willing to espouse her . the generality could not refuse her their esteem and commendation ; but still turned their backs on her and forsook her , as a match not for their turn . but now there being put into the scales , on her side , an exceeding and immortal weight of glory ; interest is come about to her ; and virtue now is visibly the most enriching purchase , and by much the best bergain . that she is the perfection and excellency of our nature ; that she is her self a reward , and will recommend our names to future ages , is not all that can now be said for her . 't is not strange that the learned heathens satisfied not many with such airy commendations . it has another relish and efficacy , to perswade men that if they live well here , they shall be happy hereafter . open their eyes upon the endless unspeakable joys of another life ; and their hearts will find something solid and powerful to move them . the view of heaven and hell , will cast a slight upon the short pleasures and pains of this present state ; and give attractions and encouragements to virtue , which reason , and interest , and the care of our selves , cannot but allow and prefer . upon this foundation , and upon this only , morality stands firm , and may defy all competition . this makes it more than a name ; a substantial good , worth all our aims and endeavours ; and thus the gospel of jesus christ has delivered it to us . 5. to these i must add one advantage more we have by jesus christ , and that is the promise of assistance . if we do what we can , he will give us his spirit to help us to do what , and how we should . 't will be idle for us , who know not how our own spirits move and act us , to ask in what manner the spirit of god shall work upon us . the wisdom that accompanies that spirit , knows better than we how we are made , and how to work upon us . if a wise man knows how to prevail on his child , to bring him to what he desires ; can we suspect , that the spirit and wisdom of god should fail in it ; though we perceive or comprehend not the ways of his operation ? christ has promised it , who is faithful and just ; and we cannot doubt of the performance . 't is not requisite on this occasion , for the inhancing of this benefit , to enlarge on the frailty of our minds , and weakness of our constitutions ; how liable to mistakes , how apt to go astray , and how easily to be turned out of the paths of virtue . if any one needs go beyond himself , and the testimony of his own conscience in this point ; if he feels not his own errors and passions always tempting , and often prevailing , against the strict rules of his duty ; he need but look abroad into any age of the world to be convinced . to a man under the difficulties of his nature , beset with temptations , and hedged in with prevailing custom ; 't is no small encouragement to set himself seriously on the courses of virtue , and practise of true religion , that he is from a sure hand , and an almighty arm , promised assistance to support and carry him through . there remains yet something to be said to those who will be ready to object , if the belief of jesus of nazareth to be the messiah , together with those concomitant articles of his resurrection , rule , and coming again to judge the world , be all the faith required as necessary to justification , to what purpose were the epistles written ; i say , if the belief of those many doctrines contained in them , be not also necessary to salvation ? and if what is there delivered , a christian may believe or disbelieve , and yet nevertheless be a member of christ's church , and one of the faithful ? to this i answer , that the epistles were written upon several occasions : and he that will read them as he ought , must observe what 't is in them is principally aimed at ; find what is the argument in hand , and how managed ; if he will understand them right , and profit by them . the observing of this will best help us to the true meaning and mind of the writer : for that is the truth which is to be received and believed ; and not scattered sentences in scripture-language , accommodated to our notions and prejudices . we must look into the drift of the discourse , observe the coherence and connexion of the parts , and see how it is consistent with it self , and other parts of scripture ; if we will conceive it right . we must not cull out , as best suits our system , here and there a period or a verse ; as if they were all distinct and independent aphorisms ; and make these the fundamental articles of the christian faith , and necessary to salvation , unless god has made them so . there be many truths in the bible , which a good christian may be wholly ignorant of , and so not believe ; which , perhaps , some lay great stress on , and call fundamental articles , because they are the distinguishing points of their communion . the epistles , most of them , carry on a thread of argument , which in the stile they are writ , cannot every where be observed without great attention . and to consider the texts , as they stand and bear a part in that , is to view them in their due light , and the way to get the true sense of them . they were writ to those who were in the faith , and true christians already : and so could not be designed to teach them the fundamental articles and points necessary to salvation . the epistle to the romans was writ to all that were at rome beloved of god , called to be saints , whose faith was spoken of through the world , chap. 1. 7 , 8. to whom st. paul's first epistle to the corinthians was , he shews , chap i. 2. 4. &c. vnto the church of god which is at corinth , to them that are sanctified in christ iesus , called to be saints ; with all them that in every place call upon the name of iesus christ our lord , both theirs and ours . i thank my god always on your behalf , for the grace of god which is given you by iesus christ ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him in all utterance , and in all knowledge : even as the testimony of christ was confirmed in you . so that ye come behind in no gift ; waiting for the coming of the lord iesus christ. and so likewise the second was , to the church of god at corinth , with all the saints in achaia , chap. i. 1. his next is to the churches of galatia . that to the ephesians was , to the saints that were at ephesus , and to the faithful in christ iesus . so likewise , to the saints and faithful brethren in christ at colosse , who had faith in christ iesus , and love to the saints . to the church of the thessalonians . to timothy his son in the faith. to titus his own son after the common faith. to philemon his dearly beloved , and fellow-labourer . and the author to the hebrews calls those he writes to , holy brethren , partakers of the heavenly calling , chap. iii. 1. from whence it is evident , that all those whom st. paul writ to , were brethren , saints , faithful in the church , and so christians already ; and therefore wanted not the fundamental articles of the christian religion ; without a belief of which they could not be saved : nor can it be supposed , that the sending of such fundamentals was the reason of the apostle's writing to any of them . to such also st. peter writes , as is plain from the first chapter of each of his epistles . nor is it hard to observe the like in st. iames and st. iohn's epistles . and st. iude directs his thus : to them that are sanctified by god the father , and preserved in iesus christ , and called . the epistles therefore being all written to those who were already believers and christians , the occasion and end of writing them , could not be to instruct them in that which was necessary to make them christians . this 't is plain they knew and believed already ; or else they could not have been christians and believers . and they were writ upon particular occasions ; and without those occasions had not been writ ; and so cannot be thought necessary to salvation : though they resolving doubts , and reforming mistakes , are of great advantage to our knowledge and practice . i do not deny , but the great doctrines of the christian faith are dropt here and there , and scattered up and down in most of them . but 't is not in the epistles we are to learn what are the fundamental articles of faith , where they are promiscuously , and without distinction mixed with other truths in discourses that were ( though for edification indeed , yet ) only occasional . we shall find and discern those great and necessary points best in the preaching of our saviour and the aples , to those who were yet strangers , and ignorant of the faith , to bring them in , and convert them to it . and what that was , we have seen already out of the history of the evangelists , and the acts ; where they are plainly laid down , so that no body can mistake them . the epistles to particular churches , besides the main argument of each of them , ( which was some present concernment of that particular church to which they severally were address'd ) do in many places explan the fundamentals of the christian religion ; and that wisely ; by proper accommodations to the apprehensions of those they were writ to , the better to make them imbibe the christian doctrine , and the more easily to comprehend the method , reasons , and grounds of the great work of salvation . thus we see in the epistle to the romans , adoption ( a custom well known amongst those of rome ) is much made use of , to explain to them the grace and favour of god , in giving them eternal life ; to help them to conceive how they became the children of god , and to assure them of a share in the kingdom of heaven , as heirs to an inheritance . whereas the setting out , and confirming the christian faith to the hebrews , in the epistle to them , is by allusions and arguments , from the ceremonies , sacrifices , and oeconomy of the jews , and reference to the records of the old testament . and as for the general epistles , they , we may see , regard the state , and exigencies , and some peculiarities of those times . these holy writers , inspired from above , writ nothing but truth ; and in most places very weighty truths to us now ; for the expounding , clearing , and confirming of the christian doctrine , and establishing those in it who had embraced it . but yet every sentence of theirs must not be taken up , and looked on as a fundamental article necessary to salvation ; without an explicit belief whereof , no body could be a member of christ's church here , nor be admitted into his eternal kingdom hereafter . if all , or most of the truths declared in the epistles , were to be received and believed as fundamental articles , what then became of those christians who were fallen asleep ? ( as st. paul witnesses in his first to the corinthians , many were ) before these things in the epistles were revealed to them ? most of the epistles not being written till above twenty years after our saviour's ascension , and some after thirty . but farther , therefore , to those who will be ready to say , may those truths delivered in the epistles , which are not contained in the preaching of our saviour and his apostles , and are therefore by this account not necessary to salvation , be believed , or disbelieved without any danger ? may a christian safely question or doubt of them ? to this i answer , that the law of faith , being a covenant of free grace , god alone can appoint what shall be necessarily believed by every one whom he will justifie . what is the faith which he will accept and account for righteousness , depends wholly on his good pleasure . for 't is of grace , and not of right , that this faith is accepted . and therefore he alone can set the measures of it : and what he has so appointed and declared , is alone necessary . no body can add to these fundamental articles of faith ; nor make any other necessary , but what god himself hath made and declared to be so . and what these are , which god requires of those who will enter into , and receive the benefits of the new covenant , has already been shewn . an explicit belief of these , is absolutely required of all those to whom the gospel of jesus christ is preached , and salvation through his name proposed . the other parts of divine revelation are objects of faith , and are so to be received . they are truths whereof none that is once known to be such , may or ought to be disbelieved . for to acknowledge any proposition to be of divine revelation and authority , and yet to deny or disbelieve it , is to offend against this fundamental article and ground of faith , that god is true . but yet a great many of the truths revealed in the gospel , every one does , and must confess , a man may be ignorant of ; nay , disbelieve , without danger to his salvation : as is evident in those , who allowing the authority , differ in the interpretation and meaning o several texts of scripture , not thought fundamental : in all which 't is plain the contending parties , on one side or tother , are ignorant of , nay , disbelieve the truths delivered in holy writ ; unless contrarieties and contradictions can be contained in the same words , and divine revelation can mean contrary to it self . though all divine revelation requires the obedience of faith ; yet every truth of inspired scriptures is not one of those , that by the law of faith is required to be explicitly believed to justification . what those are , we have seen by what our saviour and his apostles proposed to , and required in those whom they converted to the faith. those are fundamentals ; which 't is not enough not to disbelieve : every one is required actually to assent to them . but any other proposition contained in the scripture , which god has not thus made a necessary part of the law of faith , ( without an actual assent to which he will not allow any one to be a believer ) a man may be ignorant of , without hazarding his salvation by a defect in his faith. he believes all that god has made necessary for him to believe , and assent to : and as for the rest of divine truths , there is nothing more required of him , but that he receive all the parts of divine revelation , with a docility and disposition prepared to imbrace , and assent to all truths coming from god ; and submit his mind to whatsoever shall appear to him to bear that character . where he , upon fair endeavours , understands it not ; how can he avoid being ignorant ? and where he cannot put several texts , and make them consist together ; what remedy ? he must either interpret one by the other , or suspend his opinion . he that thinks that more is , or can be required , of poor frail man in matters of faith , will do well to consider what absurdities he will run into . god out of the infiniteness of his mercy , has dealt with man as a compassionate and tender father . he gave him reason , and with it a law : that could not be otherwise than what reason should dictate ; unless we should think , that a reasonable creature , should have an unreasonable law. but considering the frailty of man , apt to run into corruption and misery , he promised a deliverer , whom in his good time he sent ; and then declared to all mankind , that whoever would believe him to be the saviour promised , and take him now raised from the dead , and constituted the lord and judge of all men , to be their king and ruler , should be saved . this is a plain intelligible proposition ; and and the all-merciful god seems herein to have consulted the poor of this world , and the bulk of mankind . these are articles that the labouring and illiterate man may comprehend . this is a religion suited to vulgar capacities ; and the state of mankind in this world , destined to labour and travel . the writers and wranglers in religion fill it with niceties , and dress it up with notions ; which they make necessary and fundamental parts of it ; as if there were no way into the church , but through the academy or lyceum . the bulk of mankind have not leisure for learning and logick , and superfine distinctions of the schools . where the hand is used to the plough , and the spade , the head is seldom elevated to sublime notions , or exercised in mysterious reasonings . 't is well if men of that rank ( to say nothing of the other sex ) can comprehend plain propositions , and a short reasoning about things familiar to their minds , and nearly allied to their daily experience . go beyond this , and you amaze the greatest part of mankind : and may as well talk arabick to a poor day labourer , as the notions and language that the books and disputes of religion are filled with ; and as soon you will be understood . the dissenting congregations are supposed by their teachers to be more accurately instructed in matters of faith , and better to understand the christian religion , than the vulgar conformists , who are charged with great ignorance ; how truly i will not here determine . but i ask them to tell me seriously , whether half their people have leisure to study ? nay , whether one in ten of those who come to their meetings in the country , if they had time to study them , do or can understand , the controversies at this time so warmly managed amongst them , about justification , the subject of this present treatise . i have talked with some of their teachers , who confess themselves not to understand the difference in debate between them . and yet the points they stand on , are reckoned of so great weight , so material , so fundamental in religion , that they divide communion and separate upon them . had god intended that none but the learned scribe , the disputer or wise of this world , should be christians , or be saved , thus religion should have been prepared for them ; filled with speculations and niceties , obscure terms , and abstract notions . but men of that expectation , men furnished with such acquisitions , the apostle tells us , i cor. i. are rather shut out from the simplicity of the gospel ; to make way for those poor , ignorant , illiterate , who heard and believed promises of a deliverer ; and believed jesus to be him ; who could conceive a man dead and made alive again , and believe that he should at the end of the world , come again , and pass sentence on all men , according to their deeds . that the poor had the gospel preached to them ; christ makes a mark as well as business of his mission . mat. xi . 5. and if the poor had the gospel preached to them , it was , without doubt , such a gospel , as the poor could understand , plain and intelligible : and so it was , as we have seen , in the preachings of christ and his apostles . finis . printed for a. & j. churchil , in pater-noster-row . a view of universal history from the creation to 1695. wherein the most remarkable persons and things in the known kingdoms and countries of the world are set down in several columns , by way of synchronism , according to their proper centuries and years . in 16 copper plates . by f. talents , a. m. a compleat journal of both houses of parliament throughout the whole reign of q. elizabeth . by sir symonds dewes , knight . fol. notitia monastica : or , a history of all the religious houses in england and wales , &c. 8vo . by tho. tanner . the resurrection of the ( same ) body , asserted from the tradition of the heathens , the ancient jews , and the primitive church . with an answer to the objections brought against it . by humph. hody , d. d. octavo . bishop wilkins of prayer and preaching , enlarged by the bp. of norwich and dr. williams . octavo . the gentleman's religion , with grounds and reasons of it . 20. by a private gentleman . dr. patrick's new version of all the psalms of david . 120. to be sung in churches . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a48888-e280 gen. iii. 17-19 . the abridgment of eusebius pamphilius's ecclesiastical history in two parts ... whereunto is added a catalogue of the synods and councels which were after the days of the apostles : together with a hint of what was decreed in the same / by william caton. ecclesiastical history. english eusebius, of caesarea, bishop of caesarea, ca. 260-ca. 340. 1698 approx. 404 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 135 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2003-05 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a38744 wing e3420 estc r1923 08740654 ocm 08740654 41717 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a38744) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 41717) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1259:25) the abridgment of eusebius pamphilius's ecclesiastical history in two parts ... whereunto is added a catalogue of the synods and councels which were after the days of the apostles : together with a hint of what was decreed in the same / by william caton. ecclesiastical history. english eusebius, of caesarea, bishop of caesarea, ca. 260-ca. 340. caton, william, 1636-1665. the second ed. with larg editions by another hand. 32, [4], 130 [i.e. 230] p. printed for francis holden, london : 1698. "part i. a compendious commemoration of the remarkablest chronologies which are contained in that famous history. part ii. a summary or brief hint of the twelve persecutions sustained by the antient christians with a compendious paraphrase upon the same." "some passages out of a letter of a person of quality : giving a true relation in general concerning the heavenly lives of the primitive christians"--p. 209-130 [i.e. 230] reproduction of original in the harvard university library. includes bibliographical references and index. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng church history -primitive and early church, ca. 30-600. persecution -history -early church, ca. 30-600. 2003-01 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-02 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2003-03 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2003-03 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an abridgment of eusebius pamphilius's ecclesiastical history , in two parts . part i. a compendious commemoration of the remarkablest chronologies which are contained in that famous history . part ii. a summary or brief hint of the twelve persecutions sustained by the antient christians , with a compendious paraphrase upon the same : whereunto is added a catalogue of the synods and councels , which were after the days of the apostles ; together with a hint of what was decreed in the same . by william caton . wickedness proceedeth from the wicked , as saith the proverb of the antients , 1 sam. 24. 13. the second ed. with larg editions by another hand . london : printed for francis holden , in the passage going into white-hart-yard , in lombard-street , 1698. to his well beloved friends the christian quakers , in england , or else where : william caton , your dear brother in the truth ; wisheth that , mercy and peace , with every good and perfect gift , necessary for your salvation , and consolation , may be plenteously multiplied among you , from god the father of our lord jesus-christ . my beloved , since i have heard of your manifold tribulations and frequent sufferings , which of late have befallen you , in your native country ; my heart hath often been filled with heaviness , not only ●hrough the report which plenteously have had thereof , but much rather ●hrough the sensible feeling which i have ●ad of the same : well , my friends , this the day which we have looked for , having foreseen its coming in the light the lord ; and therefore did some of th●… brethren often put you in mind of it , 〈◊〉 ( i believe ) many of you can testifie : a●… since this gloomy and dark day came upo●… the nation , i know your tryals have bee●… sharp , your burthens many , your tribulations great , and your temptations no●… a sew : yet nevertheless many of our ancestors , who have striven for the same fait●… and suffer for the same truth , for whic●… you suffer at present , have endured a gre●…ter fight of torments , exilements , and m●… terrible afflictions , then as yet you hav●… sustained , as may in part appear by this fo●…lowing treatise : yet in their days the fir●… had a time to kindle , before it brok o●… into such a vehement and consuming flame in which many of the antient believing christians were tryed , and their faith and patience thereby exercised , and when th●… lord had sufficiently proved and trye●… his jewels , as in a fiery furnace , then the vigor of the fire ceased , the flame came to be quenched , and then the jewels they were gathered , spared , and treasured up , in th●… closset of the lord's sanctuary : where neither moth , rust , nor thief could in any wise enter . this seems to be a day of your eternal trouble ( my dearly beloved ) wherein your faith and patience must be yet tryed , as in a furnace of hot persecution , and surely the flames thereof have lowed , and blazed already about you , though as yet it doth not appear that the vehemency thereof hath so much as scorched that vesture wherewith the lord had adorned you ; although the fury of man's wrath and indignation hath been greater against you ( that would not fall down to worship ) then against many malefactors and truce-breakers : but o will not the lord open their eyes , that they may see , that through the fiery indignation of their wrath and jealousie were kindled seventy times hotter than ever it hath been against any others , yet shall it not be able to consume your faith , nor to burn that garment wherewith your god hath arrayed you ; would they but see this , i know they would stand astonished ; yea and fall down in submission to the power of god , in the light of his son ; to worship him with you , o ye worshippers of the only true god , who can bow to no imag●… that is formed in the likeness of the true faith , true worship , true religion , but is it not that which it resembleth , neither conform to , or obey any decree , which enjoyneth you to act contrary to the righteous and royal law , which god the father hath put in your hearts , neither can purchase any freedom or liberty by fraud , guile , treachery , falshood or deceit ; surely your liberty shall be glorious , your reward shall be great , and your fame and renown shall spread among the godly and upright , who when they hear of your constancy and fidelity will be glad and rejoyce therein , and offer sacrifice of praise unto the highest on your behalf with me . wherefore my dearly beloved lift up the heads that droop , and the hands that hang down , yea strengthen the mind that is fee ble , and cheer up the heart that is heavy and sad , for your redeemer is at hand , and his salvation is very nigh , yet not withstanding his pleasure may be farther to try you that for the future you may be more precious in his sight , and his delight may be more and more in you ; who above many of the children of this world have obtained great favour in his sight , o loose not , loose not the same , but rather grow and increase therein ; to the enriching of your souls , with the coelestial or heavenly treasure which will remain when that which is uncertain is vanished and gone . i have here , composed a little treatise which consisteth chiefly of a cloud of witnesses who have been ingaged in the same case , for which you now suffer spoyling of your goods , the external ruin of some of your families & estates , the deprivation of your liberties , and what not ? and now through perusing of the same you may behold ( as in a glass ) what the antient christians have suffered ; first by the jews , secondly by the gentiles or heathen and finally by false christians ; yet i do believe that the notion of these things to some will be but as the shell to the kernel , or as the chaff to the wheat in comparison of that internal , sweet joy , comfort , and living refreshment which ( i do not doubt , but that ) many of you plentiously injoy , yea even in the heat of these troublesome and perilous times . this same abridgment of remarkable things which i have found upon record , i have thought good to dedicate unto you , in as much as you above many in the nation , are aquainted with the christian suffering state and condition , who heretofore have been men of sorrows and well acquainted with grief , as by that which followeth will more palpably and evidently appear . let not the innocent and simple be offended at it , because it is extracted out of some ecclesiastical histories ; for this i say , that many frivolous histories which frequently are perused by such as are prone and inclining to that wisdom and knowledge which is from below , are not to be compared to this ; for they being oft-times stuffed with forged fables , and lying tales , they stir up the vain , light , frothy minds in people : but the perusing of this which i have here collected , will rather stir up zeal , love and tenderness to the truth , and such as now suffer for it , as the antient christians heretofore have done . moreover through the viewing over of this , a litteral knowledge may in part be obtained , of the fruits , doctrines , principles and practises , of the apostatized christians , after their degeneration , of their synods and counsels , and what they decreed ; of the temptations , and provocations , which they had ( who retained their integrity ) both from the heathen and from the false christians , and how sad and lamentable their conditions were that did not continue faithful : which may serve for examples , to such among you ( beloved ) as are inconstant and of a doubtful mind , let them look upon origen and hear what he saith in his lamentation after his fall : and let them consider the faith and patience of such as chuseth rather to die than they would swear , or sacrifice , renounce the faith , or deny their lord and master , and therefore were some torn in pieces of wild beasts , some crucified , some beheaded , some stoned to death , some stifled , some fryed or rosted , some burned to ashes , some hanged , some brained , some had their eyes pulled out , and the empty place seared with a hot iron , some were drowned in the sea , some fettered and famished to death , in noysome prisons and dungeons : oh the torments that they endured are hard to be uttered , and that about the exercise of their conscience and the worship of their god. and truly i must tell you ( o beloved ) that i was constrained to lay those things before you , that if peradventure they might in any wise tend to the confirming and strengthening of the faith of some , to the forewarning of others of shrinking in the time of tryal , and to the strengthening of the hands of the weak and feeble against their persecutors ; who also hereby may see what judgment and misery came upon sundry of their persecuting fore-fathers : so that in my judgment it may be of use not only to you who are persecuted , but also to your oppressors and persecutors ; who now persist in their wickedness and impiety as if they should never come to judgment for the same : well my dearly beloved , be not you discomforted and cast down in your spirits , because the wicked is set up , and the ungodly prospers in his ways , and the workers of iniquity they are counted happy yet it was not thus in the beginning , neither shall it allways so continue ; for the lord our god in his due time , will strik the hook into the jaw of the leviathan , so that he shall be restrained , and the pure and upright in heart shall be delivered out of his paw , and snare , into the glorious liberty of the children of god : wherefore let none be afraid who are called to follow the lamb in this notable day , for i am perswaded , that tribulation , nor persecution , exilment nor banishment , fire nor sword , things present nor things to come ( though all these do come ) shall not be able to seperate us from that love which we are made partakers of , in christ jesus our lord , in whom i bid you farewel ; my dearly beloved . a general epistle for young schoollars and little children . dear children , remember your creator , and the end wherefore you were created , now in the day , of your youth , before you grow old in sin , and take rooting in corrupt ground of unighteousness , incline your hearts to holiness and to the fear of the lord , that you may abound in wisdom and knowledge ; learn you to know a tender principle in your hearts , to teach and instruct you to withhold and restrain you from folly and wantonness , from frivolous or vain gaming , and sporting your selves with idle toyes , and unprofitable playes , which do not only strengthen that which is thereunto addicted in your selves , but doth toyle and weary your tender bodies ; and when you sit down at night some times hungry , and often weary , consider then what you have reaped by your playes , sports and pastimes , have you not thereby some time provoked your tutors , to wrath and anger against you for neglecting of your books and learning ; have you not also offended and grieved your parents , by your neglect of your business and imployment , and then you being sencible of your fault and transgression , the shew of your countenance that witnesseth against you , and inwardly you are perplexed and terrified , partly through fear of your tutors and partly through fear of your parents , when through your folly you have procured their displeasure , and then are you afraid of chastisement ; now if for the time to come you would be freed from this fear , do that which is good , by being diligent and keeping in the fear of the lord , and then shall you obtain praise and commendation both of your parents and tutors . again ( o children ) when you are together , whether in families schools , or else where , be not wild , rude , brutish , nor provoke not one another to folly , and wantonness , but be sober , gentle , meek and civil , and let the fear of the lord be before your eyes , least you sall into condemnation . and you that are of a mild , gentle and tender nature , who seel something in your hearts restraining you from the evil , which abounds among your fellows ; if you cannot get dominion over it while you are with them , then separate your selves from them at convenient seasons , and pertake not with them in their wantonness in their . folly , plays , sports and pastimes , but rather betake your selves to your books ; or in some retired place , to wait upon the lord : and if they that be wild and wanton through their play and wantonness do get recreation to their bodies , you through your stillness and waiting upon the lord shall get refreshment to their souls , in which you shall have joy and pleasure , when they shall be ashamed of their folly and have trouble and sorrow for the same . when i was a school boy , i was for many years as much inclined to wantonness , and play , as my fellows , though sometime i was enticed and drawn by them into things which i knew then certainly , to be evil , and contrary to the tender principle of god in my conscience , yet rather than i would be behind them in their wonton childish follies , ( and thereby have come to have been jeered and derided by them ) i chused rather at that time to run with them to the same excess of vanity , though i knew for certain i ought not to have done it , and when for the same i came to be corrected by my tutor , and judged of the lord , i was made to confess , that it was just , and that i had justly deserved the same . afterwards through the mercy and goodness of the lord i came to be farther illuminated or enlightned before i left the school ; and come to have a perfect sense of true judgment being set up in my heart , and then i came to be filled with sorrow and heaviness , for the loss of my mispent pretious time , and the sins of my youth , ( even while i was yet a youth ) were brought exceeding fresh into my remembrance , and became in those daies my great burthen , and withal in those daies my study and learning became also burthensome , and not these alone , but especially the wantonness and rudness , folly and naughtiness of my school fellows , that also became grievous unto me at times , and a dread and fear was upon me , ( when i minded the lord ) that i durst not run with them to folly and wantonness as i had done before ; so that when they have gone to play , i have retired my self into some private place to ponder upon the things which the lord put into my heart . and when with a retired mind and upright heart , i came in sincerity to wait upon the lord , then came my soul to feel some secret communion with him , and to receive some crummes of living refreshment from him ; and then was i joyful in him at night , whereas formerly i had sorrow and heaviness by reason of my folly and wantonness . but then again at other times , when i neglected waiting upon the lord in the light of his son in my heart , and that i came to be enti●…ed by my school-fellows or some of them to go with them too , or to joyn with them in , or partake with them of one vanity , or another ; and some time rather ▪ then i would displease them ( or one especially unto whom i was then obliged ) i have consen●…ed to their request , and some time i have seemed to be cheerful and merry among them in the time of our pastime , when it was more in appearance than in my heart , that being smitten , and i inwardly wounded , for my folly and vanity , unto which i had condescended , yet i allowed not of it , nevertheless that which i ( the light ) hated and would not , that i ( that was born in sin ) did , and ●…mbraced ; and even then a good desire was present with me in my heart , but how to perform it , knew not otherwise then through the cross ; yet on these daies when i did well through keeping in the fear of the lord , then was it well with me ; but when i condescended to evil , and was thereby overcome inwardly and outwardly , then was my troubles and sorrow great , and my stripes many , and that in the daies of my youth ; but since , i have seen it to be the everlasting love of god to me . these things i rehearse unto you whereby you may understand how the lord dealt with me , and how it was with me , while i was yet a scholar ; to the end that you may somewhat the better know how to behave your selves ( i mean you that are tender , among them that are wild and rude ) in schools where you are appointed to learn and to be instructed . moreover ( dear children ) i have considered , how that many of you are naturally inclining to knowledge and understanding in the things which are laudable , or worthy of praise , among juditious men : and these things which i have here composed , being worthy not only of recording , but also of perusing , i have thought them very fit for you to learn or read at home and at schools , yea fitter then other writings which are hard to be understood , and beyond your weak childish capacity to comprehend : for the much reading of such deep things , which you can not perceive nor comprehend , doth rather dull your understanding , then enliven your senses , and rather mitigates your desires , then kindles your inclinations to reading and learning : but as for many of those things which i have here published , they are so worthy to be looked into , and the knowledge of them may be so good and profitable , that after you are entred into the reading of them , your desires may be augmented or enlarged , not only to look over part of them , but even to see the end and conclusion of them ; that henceforth they may be retained by you , in your minds , that when you see things fall out of the same nature in this your age , then you may remember h●…w that many of our ancestors have suffered and sustained a great fight of sore afflictions , and that the same you may communicate to your children , that they also may hear of them and learn them : for irenaeus in his epistle to florinus said , i remember better the things of old , then the affairs of late ; for the things we learn in our childhood , sink farther into our minds and grow together with us : euseb. lib. 5. ch. 18. now for your furtherance and profit ( o little children ) have i in part taken some what the more time in this matter , that so i might explain and interpret the most hard words i met withal , in this abridgment ; and that as i found them ; that you might understand them even as you read them ; for i believe there are but few of the school-masters that do teach those children that do only read english , rightly to understand such hard words when they meet with them in their lessons , as you may find in this following treatise explained : and thus may you know my interpretation of them which i have commonly written in a parenthesis as for example . let the whole clergy mourn ( i. e. bishops , priests , deacons , or the whole number of them that take upon them the ministry ) again the antient christians were forbidden formerly to hold conventicles ( i. e. private assemblies ) or meetings that are small in which there is plotting and conspiring against the powers ; or that are for other evil ends , such are commonly called conventicles ; these two letters ( i. e. ) serve for id est , which is as much as to say , that is , likewise , in the margent of the first part of my book you may often find lib. and a certain figure with it as lib. 4. know ye ( o little children ) that lib. serves for liber , which by interpretation is a book as lib. 4. the forth book ; and ch. serves for chapter ; and such as the figure is , that followes ch such is the chapter , as lib. 4. ch. 15. that is the fourth book and fifteenth chapter . moreover the use of the index or table is this : suppose you would know something concerning the christians formerly , whether of their prosperity , or sufferings ; then turn to the table , which i have placed in the begining of the first part of my book , and see for the letter c , which when you have found , then see in what book or chapter that is to be found which you desire to see . and then , and there , with very little trouble , ( when you come to understand my directions aright ) may you find the thing : so that the choicest things in the first part of my book , may you soon find out , by the help of the index , if your time will not permit you to look through the whole . yet this ought you to note , that the aforesaid index serves only to the former part of my book in which some of the things contained in the latter part , are to be found more at large . and as concerning the twelve persecutions which i have here inserted ; they are so exceeding largly treated on in the book of martyrs , that there are but few that will take the pains to look them through , nor not many of the vulgar or common sort of people that will , or can well buy them , they being of such high prices : and again they being locked up in chaines in steeple-houses , and so in the custody often times of persecutors , where you can have little bénefit by them ; therefore was there the more necessity of such an abridgment as this , which will neither cost much mony to buy it , nor yet very much paines to reàd it . as for the martyers that have suffered in our own nation formerly , i have scarce medled with them , their sufferings being yet fresh in the remembrance of many , and may yet be brought up fresher into the remembrance of many through the * present lingering martyrdom , which may become more sharp and bloody if a high hand prevent it not . wherefore record , record , as with a pen of iron , and as with a point of a diamond , the noble observations and transactions of this age , which your eyes ( o ye little children ) shall see and behold ; let them be told to your childrens children . in the mean time ( o you little ones ) mind you the fear of the lord , and be not you intangled in , or with the snare of satan , though he would give you all the glory of the world , yea and all that which your eyes in the world can behold , which may as truly now be accounted vanity of vanitis , yea , and all to be concluded to be vanity , as in the daies of solomon ; who said that all things under the sun were vanity , and vexation of spirit . one thing more must i add , as a very testimony indeed of truth unto you , ( towards whom my bowels yearnes ) and that is this , the sooner that you take up the cross , the lighter will it be for you , the sooner that you stoop under the yoak , the easier it will be for you , the sooner you imbrace the truth , the more natural it will become unto you , and the sooner that you forsake the divel and all his works , together with the world , and the pomp and vanity thereof , the easier it will be for you , and the more blessed and happy will you become : these things as my own experience do i commit unto you , in as much as in the daies of my youth , i obtained great mercy from the hand of my god , through whose unspeakable love i am at times constrained to intreat , and perswade them that yet are young to learn the fear of the lord , and the perfect knowledge of his way , into which god almighty of his infinit love , bring all you whose eyes may see , and hands handle this same book , that every one of you , in your generation , may become faithful and true witnesses , in your generation , unto him , who is your creator , and who created you to serve him in righteousness and true holiness , in the creation ; therefore , i say again , remember him in the days of your youth , and love him with all your hearts , ( who gives you life and breath , and thorugh whose blessing you obtain food and raiment ) that when your parents have finished their testimony , and sealed it with their blood ; that then you ( their off spring ) may stand up in the name , strength and power of our god , to the bearing of your faithful testimony to , and for the same blessed cause , for which many of your dear parents at this day do suffer ; and if it be the good will and pleasure of our god , to honour any of them with banishment , or to crown any of them with martyrdom ( as he hath done many of his pretious saints before them ) be you therewith content , without murmuring against the lord , or entertaining a revengful spirit in your hearts , and peradventer that you shall ( in your days ) see him repay , to whom vengeance belongs , who hath said unto his seed and off-spring , i will never leave thee , nor forsake thee ; this faithful creator is he unto whom you must look , and unto whom you must come , then will he not leave you comfortless , though you be deprived of many external comforts , yet behold ( o ye dear little ones ) he hath enough reserved in store for to comfort and refresh you withal ( if you love him and keep his commandments ) yea and all the comfortless that come unto him , who is said to be a father to the fatherless , a comforter of the comfortless , with whom there is mercy that he may be feared to whose disposing , and protection i commend you , wishing your good success and prosperity in all vertue , and in every goodwork , farewel dear children ; your real and entire friend w. c. rotterdam in holland the 6 of the 3 mo. 1661. a father's advise to his child , or the maidens best adorning ; being a directory for youth , setting forth the greatest beauty by a holy conversation . dear child these words which briefly i declare let them not hang like jewels in thine ear . but in the secret closet of thy heart safe lock 'em up that they may n'er depart . give first to god the flower of thy youth take for thy guide the blessed word of truth . adorn thy self with grace , prize wisdom more than all the pearls upon the indian shore . think not to live still free from grief and sorrow the man that laughs to day may weep to morrow . nor dream on joys unmixed ; here below the fragrant roses on the thorn do grow . scorn the deluding world , that most bewitches and place thy hope in everlasting riches . make room for christ , let not so base a guess as earth have any lodging in thy breast . bad company as deadly poyson shun ; thousands by that are ruin'd and undone . the giddy multitude still go a stray turn from the broad and chuse the narrow way . keep death and judgment always in thine eye non's sit to live , but who are fit to dye . make use of present time because thou must shortly take up thy lodging in the dust . 't is dreadful to behold a settin sun , and night appearing e're our work be done . let not thy winged days be spent in vain when gone no gold will call 'em back again . strive to subdue thy sin when first beginning custom when once confin'd is strangly winning . be much at prayer , it is the begging trade by which true christians are the richest made . of meditation get the blessed art and often search thy own deceitful heart . fret not , nor envy at thy neighbours wealth , preferment , beauty , learning , strength or health . abhor the lying tongue , vile fraud detest , plain hearted men by providence are blest . take heed of idleness , that cursed nurse and mother of all vice ; ther 's nothing worse . and fly from pride , high hills are barren found but lowly vallies with christ fruits are crownd . short sinful pleasures and delights eschue , eternal torments are their wages due . i' th race of temperance run and always keep a mean in eating , drinking , and in sleep . nor costly garments weare , let men admire thy person most , and not thy rich attire . lay treasures that are good up in thy heart which by discourse , thou wisely mayst impart . to profit others , holy thoughts within will guide thy tongue , and guard thy lips from sin , learn to distinguish between faithful friends , and fauning flatterers , who for base ends will speak thee fair , whose words are soft and oylie and make a shew of friendship to beguile thee . the secrets of thy friend do not disclose , left in so doing thou resemble those whose ears are leaking vessels , which contain nothing , but what 's pour'd in runs out again at the mouth , these fools proclaim themselves unfit for any trust , and to be voyd of wit. if thou resolve to change a single life and hast proposed to become a wife , c●…use then thy husband not for worldly gain , not for his shape or air ; these things disdain . if money draw , or thou by lust art lead , expect no blessing of thy marrage bed . but if the fear of god most excellent , be thy chief end , then look for true content . cast off all needless and distrustful care , a little is enough , o're much a snare . our journey from our cradles to our grave can be but short , no large provision crave . for such conveniences as must be had confide to god who hath so richly clad the fragrant meadows , with fresh ' silver show'rs send down to nurse up tender plants and flowers . he for the chirping birds provides a nest , and gives each creature that which feeds 'em best . to him give thanks for mercys which before thou hadst receiv'd , and that makes way for more , for faults before his face , reprove thy friend but all good deeds behind his back commend . labour for peace , chuse to contend with none let reason , with sweet clamours , keep the throne , treading fierce wrath , and lawless passions down the grace of meekness is the womans crown . be loving , patient , courteous and kind , in doing these thou'lt praise and honour find , here on the earth ; and when all conquering death thy body shall desoul , and stop thy breath ; upon the golden wings , of faith and love thy soul shall fly to paradise above ; when sin , and sorrow shall for ever cease , and there be crown'd with endless joys and peace . greshon boate. catonis disticha . rumores fugè , ne incipias novus autor haberi : nam nulli tacuisse nocet , nocet esse locutam . shun rumors , least thou beest as th' author nam'd ; silence hurts none , but some for words are blamed . cum rectè vivas , ne cures verha malorum arbitrii nostri non est quid quisque loquatur . when thou livest well , mind not what lewd folks say : it is not in our power their tongues to sway . dilige non oegrâ charos pietate parentes nec matrem offendas , dum vis bonus esse parenti . thy parents love , the one as well as th' other ; to please thy father , doe not cross thy mother . tranquillis rebus quoe sunt adversa cave to : rursus in adversis melius sperare memento , when things go well adversity beware ; again , when things go ill , do not dispair . veritati adhaereto . stick to the truth . this historiographer eusebius is accounted by many , to be a witness unto whom credit may be given ; he was a bishop of caesarea , and one that was said to be very studious in the holy scripture ; he flourished chiefly under the emperour constantinus magnus , and his son constantius , about the year 316. the index , or table . a. adrian the emperours remarkable epistle in the christians behalf . lib. 4. chap. 23. agbarus epistle unto iesus . l. 1. c. 1●… . antioch citizens stirred up against the christians . l. 9. c. 2. antonius pius epistle in the behalf of the christans . l. 4. c. 13. apphianus zeal and boldness . l. 8. c. 22. apollonarius touching montanus and the false prophets that then were entred , l. 5. c. 14. 16. 19. attalus revelation . l. 5. c. 3. b. basilides courtesie to a virgin martyr , how he would not swear , and so was beheaded . l. 6. c. 4. biblis restored again to the faith in the time of torment . l. 5. c. 1. bishops bribed with presents and sums of money . l. 10. c. 1. bishops divided about a lay-mans preaching . l. 6. c. 19. blandina refreshed in her suffering and torments . l. 5. c. 3. c. christians name , dwelling , and foundation . l. 2. c. 17. christians suffering by proclamations , or edicts . l. 4. c. 25. christians terribly threatned , and some converted by beholding their innocent sufferings . l. 4. c. 8. christians prosperity , & also calamity . l. 8. c. 1. christians were generally summoned to appear at the idols temple . l. 8. c. 22. clements and of his epistle . l. 3. c. 14. clements bishop of alexandria touching the scriptures . l. 6. c. 13. clergy freed from paying tax or tribute . l. 1●… . c. 7. d. definition of a christian . l. 1. c. 5. doctrine of christ approved of by tiberius , l2 . c. 2. dioclesians proclamations against the christians . l. 8. c. 3. dionysius epistle concerning the martyrs . l. 6. c. 40. dionysius epistle to the romans . l. 4. c. 22. dionysius epistle to novatus . l. 6. c. 44. dionysius vision . l. 7. c. 9. dionysius fidelity and constancy in the time of tryal . l. 7. c. 10. e. easter and the controversie about that fast. l. 5. c. 23. emperors begun to favour the christians . l. 10. c. 2. emperours proclamation concerning christian religion . l. 10. c. 2. the emperour refered the bishop to the judges , for them to take acours●… with troublesome persons . l. 10. c. 6. the encratits and their heresie . l. 4. c. 27. f. the frenchman's epistle unto the church l. 5. c. 1. g. the gospel of the evangelists . l. 3. c. 21. vide l. 3. c. 35. h. how heresie crept into the church , when persecution ceased . l. 4. c. 6. hereticks were a slander unto christian religion . l. 4. c. 7. hereticks and false prophets among the christians . l. 4. c. 21. herod was smitten of an angel. l. 2. c. 10. i. james was slain with a sword l. 2. c. 9. the martyrdom of james the brother of jesus . l. 2. c. 9. a history of john the apostle , and a young man. l. 3. c. 20. ignatius his valourous courage . l. 3. c. 32. josephus testimony of christ. l. 1. c. 12. justinus the martyr . l. 4. c. 16 , 17 , 18. the jews would not allow of carved images . l. 2. c. 6. what irenaeus wrote concerning the holy scriptures . l. 5. c. 8. l. law against the christians l. 5. c. 19. licinnius cruelty towards the christians . l. 10. c. 8. m. why mark wrote his gospel . l. 2. c. 15. see. l. 3. c. 35. maximinus impiety , & proclamations . l. 6. 8. c. 16 , 17 , 18. maximinius conquered , his proclamation and iudgment . l. 9. c. 2. money given to ministers . l. 10. c. 6. n. nero's persecutions l. 2. c. 25. nicolas and his sect. l. 3. c. 26. novatus beresie and impietie . l. 6. c. 24. o. origen's zeale while he was young his l●…vs to the martyrs , how he sold his philosophy books . l. 6. c. 2. origen's tryall , fall , and bitter lamentation . l. 7. c. 1. p. paulus samosatenus's heresie . l. 7. c. 19. persecutions against the christians . l. 8. c. 6. persecution suddenly revived againe against the christians . l. 8. c. 27. pilate became his own murtherer . l. 2. c. 7. plinus secundus the christians great friend . l. 3. c. 30. polycarpus's nobility , and , constancy untill death l. 4. c. 15. pothinus dyed in prison . l. 5. c. 1. polycrates of the death of john , and philip the apostles . l. 3. c. 28. a proclamation against the christians . l. 6. c. 40. priests sedition among themselves about tythes . l. 2. c. 20. r. roman empire prosperous wh●…le the christians injoyed their liberty in it . l. 8. c. 14. s. sanctus's constancy and martyrdom . l. 5. c. 1 concerning the scriptures . l. 5. c. 28. sects among the jews . l. 4. 21. simeon the bishops martyrdom . l. 3. 29. simon magus the 〈◊〉 . l. 2. c. 13. the church of s●…yrna's epistle to other churches . l. 4. c. 15. a synod summoned to rome . l. 10. c. 5. t. thaddaeus cured king agbarus but would receive no money for his cure , nor for his preaching . l. 1. c. 14. theodisia a virgins suffering . l. 8. c. 25. theudas the soycerer beheaded . l. 2. c. 11. v. valerianus was at the first mild and gentle towards the christians , but afterwards he became exceeding cruell . l. 7. c. 6. urbanus a cauel persecutor fell into great misery . l. 8. c. 25. y. young and old were injoynd to sacrifice unto the gods of the heathens . l. 8. c. 27. hoc genus literarum non cum credendi necessitate , sed cum judicandi libertate legendum est . this kind of writings is to be read , not with a necessity of believing them , but with a liberty to judge of them . the first book of eusebius pamphilus . the definition of a christian. eusebius saith , in his first book of his ecclesiastical history , in the fifth chapter , that he that will express the name of a christian , must be such a man as excelleth through the knowledge of christ and his doctrine , in modesty and righteousness of mind , in continency ( i. e. chastity ) of life , in vertuous fortitude ( i. e. srength ) and in confession of sincere piety ( i. e. godliness ) towards the one and the only universal god. of the martyrdom of john baptist ; and the testimony of josephus touching christ. in the 12th chap. of the aforesaid book , euseb. speaking of iohn baptist , relates how that when divers flocked together , ( for many greatly delighted in hearing of him ) herod fearing least that so forcible a power of persuading , which was with him , should lead the people into a certain rebellion , he supposed it far better to bereave him of his life , before any novelty were by him put in use , than that change , with danger , being come in place , he should repent him and say ; had i wist . thus iohn because of herod's suspicion was sent toward , and there beheaded . in the same chapter he repeats what iosephus wrote of christ ; saying , there was at that time one jesus , a wise man ( if it be lawful to call him a man ) a worker of miracles , a teacher of them that received the truth with gladness ; he drew after him many , as well of the jews as gentiles . this same was christ ; and though pilate by the judgment of the chief rulers amongst us , delivered him to be crucified , yet there wanted not them , which from the beginning loved him . of him the christian people borrow their name . the epistle of king agbarus unto iesus christ. agbarus governour of edessa , unto jesus the good saviour shewing himself in ierusalem , sendeth greeting ; i have heard of thee and thy cures which thou hast done , without medicines & herbes . for as the report goeth , thou makest the blind to see , the lame to go , the lepers thou cleansest , foul spirits and devils thou castest out ; the long diseased thou restorest to health , and raisest the dead to life . when that i heard these things of thee , i imagined with my self one of these two things , either that thou art god come from heaven , and dost these things , or the son of god that bringest such things to pass ; wherefore by these my letters i beseech thee to take the pains to come unto me , and that thou wilt cure this my grievous malady ( i. e. disease or sickness ) wherewith i am sore vexed : i have heard moreover , that the jews murmur against thee , and go about to mischief thee , i have here a little city and an honest , which will suffice us both . the epistle of christ unto agbarus . agbarus , blest art thou , because thou hast believed in me , when thou sawest me not ; for it is written of me , that they which see me shall not believe in me , that they which see me not , may believe and be saved . concerning that that thou wrotest unto me , that i should come unto thee ; i let thee understand that all things touching my message are here to be fulfilled , and after the fulfilling thereof , i am to return again unto him that sent me ; but after my assumption ( i. e. taking up ) i will send one of my disciples unto thee , which shall cure thy malady , and restore life to thee , and them that be with thee . unto these epistles there was a narration added in the syrian tongue , which sheweth how that after jesus ascention , there was one of his disciples sent to the city where agbarus resided , and when the king heard of him , he sent for him ; and when thaddaeus the disciple , and one of the 70 heard the message , he said , i go , for it is for his sake that i am sent thus mightily to work : and when he was come to the king , he asked him , saying , art thou of truth a disciple of jesus the son of god , which made me this promise ; i will send unto thee one of my disciples , which shall cure thy disease , and shall shew life unto thee and all thine ? to whom thaddaeus made answer , because thou hast greatly believed in the lord jesus which sent me , therefore am i sent unto thee ; but in case that thou believest in him as yet , thy hearty petitions according unto thy faith thou shalt obtain . to whom agbarus said , i have continued so believing in him , that i could have found in my heart , mightily to destroy the jews which crucified him , were not the roman empire a lett unto my purpose . thad . said again , our lord and god jesus christ , fulfilled the will of his father , which being finished he is ascended unto him . agb. answered , and i have believed in him and in his father : to whom thad . replies ; therefore in the name of the same lord ●…esu i lay my hand upon thee , which when he had done he was forthwith cured of his malady , and delivered of the pain that pressed him sore . agbarus marvelled at this , that even as it was reported to him of jesu , so in truth by his disciple and apostle thad . without apothecary stuff , and vertue of herbs , he was cured with many more : so afterwards agb , being desirous to know many things concerning christ , he commanded his citizens to be gathered together to hear the sermon of thaddaeus , which being ended the king charged that gold coined , and uncoined should be given him ; but he received it not , saying , in so much that we have forsaken our own ; how can we receive other mens ? the second book of eusebius . tiberius approved of the doctrine of christ , but so did not the senate . the emperour tiberus , would have had christ canonized in the number of the gods , in whose time the christian name was spread abroad in the world ; and when this doctrine was signified to him , he communicated the same unto the senate , declaring withal that this doctrine pleased him right well ; but the senate rejected it , because they had not allowed the same ; but he persevered in his opinion , threatning them death that would accuse the christians . the jews would not allow of carved images . the jews formerly judged it an hainous offence , that any carved image should be erected in the city , yea so great was their indignation against pictures , that upon a certain time when the pictures of caesar were conveyed by night into jerusalem , they that were nearest unto them , at the sight thereof , when the day appeared , stamped them with their feet , as if they had been abrogated laws ( i. e. laws abolished or disannulled ) . the death of pilate . pilate that was president in the time of christ under cajus , fell into such misery , that necessity constrained him to use violence upon himself , so that he became his own murtherer . of the martyrdom of james the apostle . when king herod stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the church , he slew james the brother of john with the sword ; and it is recorded , that he which drew him before the tribunal-seat , when he saw that he would willingly suffer martyrdom , was therewith moved , and voluntarily confessed himself to be a christian ; then were they both brought together , but he in the way requested james the apostle to pardon him , which after he had paused a little upon the matter , turning unto him , answered , peace be unto thee , and kissed him ; and so they were both beheaded together . how herod was smitten . upon a certain time king herod put on a silver robe wonderfully wrought , which yielded so gorgeous a glistering to the eye , that the shining thereof seemed terrible , and intollerable ( almost ) to the beholders : flatterers forthwith , one one thing , and another another thing , bolt out such sentences , as turned , in the end , to his confusion , and saluting him as god , they added therewith all , be gracious ; for though hitherto we have feared thee as man , yet henceforth we confess thee to be above all mortal nature . these things the king rebuked not , neither repelled this impious flattery ; but after he was smote of an angel , and then he said , i which seemed to you a god , and was saluted immortal , am now constrained to end the race of this life : for we have lived not miserably , but in that prosperous estate , which is termed blessed . of theudas the sorcorer . there was a certain sorcerer named theudas ( of whom the scripture makes mention acts 5. ) who perswaded a great multitude to follow him unto the river jordan , bringing with them their whole substance ; for he reported himself to be a prophet , and that at his commandment the rivers should divide it self , parting in the midst , yielding unto them free passage through ; and in so saying , he seduced many who afterwards were suppressed , and theudas being taken was beheaded , and his head was brought to jerusalem . of simon magus . simon magus , was esteemed and accounted in the city of rome for a god , and honoured as a god , with a picture between two bridges upon the river tibris , having this roman superscription , simoni deo sancto ; to simon the holy god ; and in manner all the samaritans , and certain also of other nations did worship him , acknowledging him for the chief god ; he is said to have been the first author of heresie ; they that have followed his heresie , have much overflowed in filthiness , and obscenity ( i. e. silthy talk ) for it is said of them , that whatsoever may be imagined more foul than any filthiness , the same hath their damnable heresie surpassed , and poor wretched women they have deluded , with a heap of all kind of evils . of the gospel written by s. mark. it is said that the romans were not satisfied with hearing peter once , nor yet sufficed with the unwritten doctrine that he had delivered ; and therefore did they injoyn s. mark ( whose gospel is now spread abroad ) that he would leave in writing unto them the doctrine , which they had received by preaching , neither ceased they until they had perswaded him , and so given an occasion of the gospel to be written , which is now after mark. what the christians were called . the christians were called worshippers , either because like cunning physitians they cured and heald such as came unto them of their malicious passions , or that religiously they worshipped the celestial god-head with pure and sincere worship ; it is said they renounced their substance , and that they which professed philosophy abandoned ( that is , forsook or cast of ) their own proper goods , and severed themselves from all the cares of this life : and forsook the cities , and lived solitary in fields and gardens . further ( he saith ) they did contemplate ( that is , behold in their minds , or think upon ) not only divine things , but they made grave canticles , or songs and hymns unto god , &c. moreover , saith he , they placed continency ( that is , chastity ) in the mind , as a certain foundation ; next they built there upon other vertues . and among them there were divers elderly virgins to be found , who despised corporal lust , &c. what sedition was among the priests about tythes . the aforesaid eusebius relates something out of josephus concerning a dissention that was between the high-priests and the inferior-priests , and chief of the people at jerusalem ; they skirmished among themselves , saith he , they vexed one another , they slinged one at another ; yea so impudent and past all shame , saith he , were the high-priests become , that they stuck not to send and take away from the barn-floors the tythes due unto the inferior-priests ; so that in the end it fell out , that the priests were seen to perish for poverty . of the martyrdom of james , who was called the brother of jesus . james the brother of christ , was termed a just and perfect man ; it is said that he took in hand the government of the church after the apostles ; and when many of the princes were perswaded , there arose a tumult of the jews , scribes and pharisees , saying , it is very dangerous least the whole people look after this jesus , as though he were christ. and being gathered together , they said to james , we pray thee stay this people , for they err in jesu , as though he were the true christ ; we pray thee perswade this people concerning jesu , for we all obey thee , yea we and all the people testifie of thee , that thou art just , and respectest not the person of any man ; stand therefore upon the ●…innacle of the temple , that thou mayest be seen aloft , and that thy word may be heard plainly of all the people . the aforesaid scribes and pharisees placed james upon the pinnacle of the temple , and shouted to him and said , thou just man , at whose commandment we are all here : in somuch as this people is seduced after jesus who was crucified , declare unto us which is the door , or way of jesus crucified ? and he answered , with a loud voice , why ask ye me of jesus the son of man , when as he sitteth at the right hand in the great power in heaven , &c. when as he had perswaded many , so that they glorified god at the testimony of james , and said hosanna , ( i. e. save now i beseech thee ) in the highest to the son of david . then the scribes and pharise●…s said among themselves , we have done very ill in causing such a testimony of jesus to be brought forth ; but let us climb up and take him , to the end that the people may be stricken with fear , and so may be brought to renounce his faith ; and they shouted , saying , o , o! and the just also is seduced ; so they climbed up , and threw justus down headlong , saying , let us stone james justus ; and they begun to throw stones at him ; for after his fall he was not fully dead . and he fell upon his knees , saying , i beseech thee lord god and father , forgive them for they wote not what they do . and as they were a stoning of him , one of the priests , the son of rechab , the son of charabim , whose testimony is in ieremy the prophet , cryed out , cease , wh●…t do you , this just man prayeth for you ? and one of them that were present , taking a fullers ●…b , stroke iustus on the head and brained him , and so he suffered martyrdom . of nero's persecution and wickedness . it is recorded of nero the emperor , before whom paul appeared , that he was so wicked that he tormented his own mother with divers kinds of death , his bretheren , his wife , and many of his nearest kinsfolks , as if they had been enemies , and deadly foes unto him . he was counted the first enemy , of all the emperors , unto the service of god ; yea some boasted and said , they which knew him , may easily perceive that this our doctrine had never been condemned by nero , had it not been passing good : it is written that paul was beheaded , and peter crucified of him at rome . the third book of eusebius . of clemens and his epistle which was read in churches . when anacletus had been bishop of rome twelve years , clemens succeeded , whom paul , writing to the philippians , calleth his fellow labourer , when he saith : with clemens and the rest of my fellow labourers , whose names are written in the book of life ; one undoubted epistle there is of his extant , both worthy and notable , the which he wrote from rome unto corinth , when sedition was raised among the corinthians ; the same epistle we have known to have been read publickly in many churches , both of old , and among us also ; at that time there was raised a sedition among the corinthians . an history of john the apostle and a young-man . ensebius hath a certain relation of a passage concerning the apostle iohn , in the 20 ch. of his third book there he sheweth ; how that when iohn was come unto a certain city , and among other things he having recreated the brethren ; he beheld a young man of a goodly body , gracious face , fervent mind , whom he committed unto him that was appointed chief over all the bishops , saying , i commend this young man unto thy custody , with an earnest desire as christ and the church can bear me witness ; so iohn returned to ephesus . but in process of time , this young man became very dissolute ( i. e. wanton , loose , or given to much vain pleasure ) and perniciously accompanyed himself with them of his own years , that were idle , dissolute , and acquainted with ill behaviour ; first , they brought him to sumptuous banquets , next they guided him in the night to steal and to rob , so after he forsook the right way , he brought himselfe unto a bottomeless pit of all misorder and outrage : and a rout of thieves being gathered together he became a most violent captain of thieves wholly bent to slaughter , and murther , and extreame cruelty . in the mean while ( necessity so constraining ) the bishop sent for iohn ; he , when he had ended and finished the cause of his coming ; go to ( saith he ) o bishop restore unto us thy charge which i and christ have committed unto thy custody , the church whereof thou art head bearing witness . the bishop at the first was amazed , supposing some deceit to be wrought touching money , which he had not received , yet was he not able to answer them for that he had it not ; but when iohn had said , i require the young man and the soul of our brother ; then the elder looking down with a heavy countenance sobbing and sighing said : he is dead . to whom iohn said ; how ? and by what kind of death ? he answered he is dead to god , for he is become wicked , and pernicious , and to be short a thief for he keepeth this mountain together with his associates ; the apostle then rending his garment , and beating his head with sorrow , said , i have left a wise keeper of our brothers soul ; prepare me a horse and let me have a guide . he hastened and rode in post , being come unto the place appointed he is straight wayes taken of the thievish watch , he neither fled nor resisted , but exclaimed : for this purpose came i hither , ( said he ) bring me unto your captain ; who in the mean time as he was armed beheld him coming , but as soon as he saw his face and knew it was iohn , he was stricken with shame , and fled away : the old man with might pursued him , and cryed , my son why flyest thou from thy father unarmed and old ? o son tender my cause , be not afraid , as yet there remaineth hope of salvation : i will undertake for thee with christ , i will die for thee , if need be , as christ did for us , i will hazard my soul for thine ; trust to me , christ sent me . but he hearing this , first stood still casting his countenance to the ground , next shook of his armour , anon trembled for fear , and wept bitterly . he embraced the old man , and coming unto him , answered as well as he could for weeping : so afterwards the apostle brought him unto the church again . concerning the writing of the gospel . it is reported that matthew and john were constrained to write their gospels , for matthew when he had preached unto the hebrews , and passing unto other people , wrote his gospel in his country language , supplying by writing in his absence , that which was desired in his presence . when mark and luke had published their gospels , john ( say they ) in all that space , preached without writing , but at length was moved to write for this cause . it is reported , that when the books of the three evangelists were much spread , and coming unto iohns hands he allowed of them , and yielded of them a true testimony , wishing that the declaration of such things had been printed in their books which were done at the first preaching of christ. iohn passeth over with silence the genealogy ( i. e. of the birth or pedigree ) of our saviour according unto the flesh , being before amply laid down by matthew and luke , and beginning with his divinity reserved of the holy ghost for him as the mightier : the cause why mark wrote his gospel we have declared before : and luke in the beginning of his history , sheweth the occasion of his writing , signifying , that divers now had already imployed their diligent care , to the setting forth of such things as he was fully perswaded of , necessarily delivering us from the doubtful opinion of others , when by his gospel he declareth unto us , the sure and certain narration of such things , whereof he had received the truth sufficiently . concerning the books of the new testament . it shall also be convenient ( saith easebins ) if in this place we collect briefly the books of the new testament ; in the first place must be set the fourfold writings of the evangelists , next the acts of the apostles ; then the epistles of paul are to be added , after these the first of iohn and that of peter , which are authentick ( that is , undeniable or approved of all ) lastly , if you please , the revelation of iohn , all these are received for undoubted . the books which are gainsaid , though well known unto many are these , the epistle of iames , the epistle of iude , the later of peter , the second and third of iohn : whether they were iohn the evangelists , or some others of the same name . divers do number the gospel to the hebrews among them that were disallowed , which was used especially of them , which received christ of the hebrews . of nicolas and his sect. concerning nieolas of whom the revelation of iohn makes mention , it is written of him , that he was one of the d●…acons ordained , together with stephen , by the apostles to minister unto the poor , but thus it is written of him ; this nicolas having a beautiful woman to his wife , after the ascention of our saviour , was accused of jealousie , and to clear himself of that crime , he brought forth his wife and permitted him that listed to marry her . but his followers say that their doing is agreeable with that saying ; that is , the flesh is to be bridled : and so following that doing and saying without all discretion , they sin without all shame , in filthy fornication . concerning iohn , and philip with his daughters , it was wrote thus by policrates unto the bishop of rome , for in asia ( said he ) the great founders of christian religion died , who shall rise the last day , at the coming of the lord when he shall come from heaven with glory to gather all the saints ; philip , one of the twelve apostles was buryed at hierapolis , and two of his daughters , which led their lives in virginity ; and iohn who leaned on the breast of our saviour rested at ephesus . the martyrdom of simeon the bishop . simeon the second bishop of ierusalem , being accused for being a christian , was scourged several days , and when he was a hundred and twenty years old , he suffered martyrdom , anno dom. 110. it is reported , that unto those times the church of god remained a pure and uncorrupted virgin , for such as endeavoured to corrupt the perfect rule , and the sound preaching of the word ( if then there were any such ) hid themselves unto that time in some secret and obscure place , but after that the sacred company of the apostles , was worn out and come to an end , and that generation was wholly spent , which by special favour had heard with their ears , the heavenly wisdom of the son of god , then the conspiracy of detestable error through deceipt of such as delivered strange doctrine , took rooting . and because that not one of the apostles survived , they published boldly with all might possible , the doctrine of falsehood , and impugned , ( that is , resisted or assaulted ) the open , manifest , known truth . how. plinius secundus wrote to the emperour in the christians behalf . under trajan the emperour there was a grievous persecution of the christians , and it seems that plinius secundus , a notable president , was stirred up to write unto the emperour in the christians behalf , who wrote as followeth , saying , that he found nothing in them that was impious or wicked , but that they refused the worship ing of images , signifying this withal , that the manner of the christians was to rise before day , to celebrate christ as god , and to the end their discipline might strictly be observed , they forbid sheding of blood , adultery , fraud , trayterous dealing , and such like . and for answer hereunto , the emperour wrote again , that there should be no inquisition for christians , but if they were met with , they should be punished . through which meanes the grievous persecution was somewhat qualified , yet nevertheless there was scope enough left for such as were willing to afflict them . concerning ignatius his valour and courage . it is reported that one ignatius , bishop of antioch , was sent from syria to rome ( for the confession of his faith ) to be food for wild beasts , who passing through asia , curiously guarded with a great troop of keepers , confirmed the congregations throughout every city where he came , with preaching the word of god , and wholsome exhortations , and specially giving charge to avoid the heresies lately sprung and at that time overflowing , &c. and in his journey he wrot unto several churches ; saying i strive with beasts by sea , by land , nights and days , fettered among ten i eopards , ( that is a band of souldiers ) and the more they receive , the worse they become . i thus exercised with their injuryes , am the more instructed , yet hereby am i not justified . now do i begin to be a diciple , i weigh neither visible nor invisible things , so that i gaine christ , let fire , gallowes , violence of beasts , bruising of the bones , racking of the members , stamping of the whole body , and all the plagues invented by the mischief of satan light upon me , so that i win christ-jesus : this he wrot from syria to the churches . concerning mark the evangelist . eusebius rehearseth one thing touching mark the evangelist , as followeth : the elder ( meaning iohn ) said : mark the interpreter of peter , look what he remembred , that diligently he wrot , not in that order , in which the lord spake and did them , neither was he the hearer , and follower of the lord , but of peter , who delivered his doctrine , not by way of exposition , but as necessity constrained ; so that mark offended nothing in that he wrote , as he had before committed to memory . of this one thing was he fearful , in omitting nothing of that he had heard , and in delivering that was false . concerning matthew it is thus written ; matthew wrote his book in the hebrew tongue , which every one after his skili interpreted by allegations . the fourth book of eusebius . when heresie crept into the church . when persecution ceased then heresie begun to spring apace among the christians , among whom iuglers and imp●…stors crept in as euseb. relates , who bear the same name and title , and in shew professed the same doctrine with them , thereby the sooner to insnare the faithful in the slippery way of perdition , and under pretence of reducing them to the faith , over-whelmed them in the whirl-pool , and deep dungeon of damnation . what a slander hereticks were unto christian religion . eusebius shews , how that some hereticks taught , how that they that would attain unto the perfection of their mysteries , or rather abominable devices , they were to work such facts though they were never so filthy , otherwise they could not overcome the secular ( i. e. worldly potentates ) unless every one played his part after the secret operation . and through the subtilty of satan came many thereby to be seduced , and great occasion was given to the infidels to blaspheme against the divine doctrine , and a great slander came to be spread , in that the fame of them was bruted abroad throughout christendom ; and by this means it fell out often , that the infidels of those times conceived a wicked , absurd , and shameful opinion of the christians , saying , that they used the unlawful company of mothers and sisters , and that they fed upon the tender infants and sucklings . how the christians were threatned , and how some were converted by beholding their innocent sufferings . in the judaical wars it was commanded that the christians should be grievously punished , except they would renounce christ and blaspheme god , but some were converted , by beholding the patient and innocent suffering of the christians , from paganism to piety , as one said ; for my self , saith he , delighted with the doctrine of plato , hearing that the christians were led captive , neither fearing death , nor any torments which are accounted terrible . i thought it could not be , that this kind of men were subject unto malice , and set on pleasure ; for what voluptuous person , or intemperate , or delighted with devouring of man's flesh , can so imbrace death , that he be deprived of his desire , and not rather endeavour that this may always last , that he be able to deceive princes , and not betray himself to death . moreover iustinus writeth how that adrianus receiving letters from a noble president , signifying in the behalf of the christians , that it was very injurious , that for no crime but only at the cut-cry of the people , they should be brought and executed . an epistle of adrian the emperor , who ordered that no christians should be accused neither suffer without just cause . unto m. f. proconsul of asia , adrian sendeth greeting ; i received an epistle from s. g ▪ thy predecessor ; the occasion whereof i cannot with silence leave untouched , least that thereby men be troubled , and a gap left open to the malice of sycophants ( that is , talebearers ) wherefore , if your provincials can prove ought against the christians , whereof they charge them , and justifie it before the bar , let them proceed on , and not appeach ( that is , accuse or bewray ) them only for the name , with making out-cryes against them : for it is very expedient that if any be disposed to accuse , the accusation be thoroughly known of you and siftod ; therefore if any accuse the christians , that they transgress the laws , see that you judge and punish according to the quality of the offence : but in plain words , if any upon spite or malice in way of cavillation complain against them , see you chastise him for his malice , and punish him with revengment . antoninus pius epistle in the behalf of the christians . the emperor caesar marcus , &c. sendeth greeting unto the commons of asia ; i know , saith he , the gods are careful to discover hurtful persons ; for they punish such as will not worship them more grievously than ye do those whom ye bring in trouble , confirming that opinion which they conceive of you to be wicked and ungodly men. it is their desire in gods quarrel rather to die than to live ; so that they become conquerors , yielding their lives unto the death rather than to obey your edicts : it shall seem very necessary to admonish you of the earth-quake , which have and do happen among us , that being therewith moved , you may compare our estate with theirs . they have more confidence to god-wards than you have : you during the time of your ignorance , despise other gods , contemn the religion of the immortal god , banish the christians which worship him and persecute them unto death ; in the behalf of these men , many of the provincial presidents have written heretofore unto our father of famous memory , whom he answered in writing again ▪ that they were not to be longer molested , unless they had practised treason aganst the roman empire . and many have given notice unto us of the same matter , whom we answered as our father did before us ; if any therefore hereafter be found thus busied in other mens affairs , we command that the accused be absolute and free , tho he be found such an one , i mean faulty , and that the accuser be grievously punished . this edi●…t was proclaimed at ephesus in the hearing of that great assembly of asia . an extract out of the epistle of the church of smyrna , unto all the congregations of the holy catholick church throughout pontus ; mercy peace and the love of god the father , and of our lord jesus christ be multiplied . we have written unto you brethren , of such as suffered martyrdom ; the beholders of them were amazed , seeing their flesh rent with scourges , even unto the inner veins and sinews , so that the most secret entrails of their bodies , their bowels and inward privities were piteously to be seen ; beholding again the sharp shells of sea-fish , and pibble stones strowed under the martyrs backs and bruised bodies , with every kind of torment that could be devised ; last of all they were thrown to be torn in pieces , and devoured of wild beasts . but there was a certain phrygian , by name quintus , that trembled at the fierce rage of the terrible beasts , and shrinked at the sight of their grim visage , and betrayed his own safety with slackness of courage ; for the same epistle testifieth of him , that he personally appeared , together with the rest before the bar , more of rashness than of any religion ; and being taken he publickly professed , that none ought to intrude himself among such men without good devotion , neither to intermeddle in matters wherewith he hath not to do . the same chapters sheweth how that after polycarpus was apprehended , he was brought to the city upon an ass on the great sabbath day : and a justice of peace , with his father , meeting him , they received him into their chariot , and perswaded him , saying , what harm is it to say , lord caesar , to sacrifice and so be saved ? at the first he answered nothing ; but when they urged him he said , i will not condescend unto your counsel . they perceiving he would not be perswaded , gave him very rough language , and tumbled him down out of the wagon , and afterwards he was brought upon the theatre , or stage ; and when the multitude saw him they were in a great rage : the proconsul , or deputy-counsel , demanded of him whether he were that polycarpus , beckning that he should deny it , and saying , tender thy years , with such like perswasions , swear by the fortune of caesar ; repent thee of that is past , say , remove the wicked . but polycarpus beholding with unmoveable countenance the multitude round about the stage , pointing with the hand sighing , and looking up to heaven , said , remove o lord these wicked : when the proconsul urged and said , swear , and i will let thee go ; blaspheme and defie christ : polycarpus answered , fourscore and six years have i served him , neither hath he ever offended me in any thing ; and how can i revile my king which hath thus kept me ? the proconsul still urged him , and said , swear by the fortune of caesar. to whom polycarpus said , if thou requirest this vain glory , that i protest the fortune of caesar , as thou sayest , feigning thou knowest me not who i am , hear freely , i am a christian ; and if thou desire to know the doctrine of christianity , appoint the day and thou shalt hear it . afterwards the proconsul said , i have wild beasts to devour thee , unless thou repent ; polycarpus answered , bring them forth , for it is determined among us not to pass from the better unto the worse by repentance ; but we count it a thing commendable to turn from the thing that is evil , to that which is good and just . again the proconsul said , i will quiet thee with fire , if thou regard not the beasts nor repent : to whom polycarpus answered , thou threatnest fire for an hour , which lasteth a while and quickly is quenched ; but thou art ignorant of the everlasting fire at the day of iudgment , and endless torments reserved for the wicked : but what lingerest thou ? dispatch as it pleaseth thee . so the proconsul being amazed , commanded the beadle , in the midst of the theatre , thrice to cry , polycarpus confesseth himself a christian. at which saying , the multitude both of the jews and gentiles inhabiting smyrna , shouted with a great rage , this is that doctor of asia , the father of the christians , the overthrower of our gods , who hath taught many that our gods are not to be adored : and they craved of the president , that he would let loose a lion to devour him ; and when he would not do that , then they cryed with one voice , that polycarpus should be burned quick . and in a short while all things necessarily required for the execution were applyed . and when as they would have nailed him to the stake , he said , nay suffer me even as i am , for he that gave me patience to abide this fire , will give me also an unmoveable mind to persevere within the fiery pale , without your provision in fastning my body with nails . cencerning the expressions of justinus the martyr . iustinus ( who reprehended , or reproved the philosophers , as gluttonous and deceiptful persons ) was by the malicious means of crescens the philosopher martyred , which he foresaw and signified in his apology ( i. e. defence , or speech ) in these words : i look for no other thing then this ( said he ) that i be betrayed by some one of them called philosophers : it is not indeed requisite to call him a philosopher , which ignorantly reporteth that the christians are impicus and irregulous , to the end he may please and flatter such , as are overshadowed with the mist of errour and darkness , for if he impugne or resist the doctrine of the christians , having neither read nor known the same , then is he full of malice , and far worse than idiots ( i. e. fools ) that sometime beware they reason not of unknown matters , least they speak falsly : or if he hath read them , he understandeth not the mistery and majestical meaning thereof : or if he do understand them , he doth this , that he be not taken for such an one , and then is he again far more wicked and spiteful , the bondslave of vain glory and brutish fear . what justinus reehearsed in his apology . the aforesaid iustinus makes mention of a certain woman , that had been given unto lasciviousness and lewdness , but when she learned the doctrine of christ , she repented of her former life , and imbraced chastity , and she exhorted her husband likewise to repent , but he continuing still in his former lewdness by his unlawful actions alienated his wife from him : for she said that it was thence forth unlawful for her to use company at bed and board with that man , who contrary to the law of nature , beyond all right and reason sought means to satisfie his filthy lusts , and therefore would she have been divorced from him : but through the perswasion of her friends , who counselled her , a little while quietly to live together , that there was yet hope at length of his repentance , she revoked her sentence , changed her mind , refrained her self , and continued with him in wedlock ; but he accused her for being a christian ; but having no other colour nor cloak to accuse her , his malice turned against ptolomaeus who instructed his wife in the christian faith ; and after he had suffered much in prison , he was examined whether he was a christian , or no ? whose conscience bearing him witness of no crime , but in a just cause , confessed that he had preached the true and heavenly doctrine of christ. for he which denieth himself to be that he is , either condemneth that which is in him , by denial , or knowing himself unworthy and estranged from the matter , refuseth to confess ; whereof neither is found in a true christian ; and when urbitius commanded that he should be brought forth : one lucius ( that was also a christian ) seeing the sentence given contrary to all reason , said to urbitius , what reason is it ( o urbitius ) that thou shouldst condemn this man for confessing the name of christ , which hath comitted neither adultery , neither fornication , neither man-slaughter , neither theft , neither robbery neither any wicked offence , that he may justly be charged withal ? urbitius answered nothing to these things , but said to lucius , and thou seemest to me to be such a one : lucius answered , i am so ; and he commanded him to be brought forthwith to the place of execution . of the spite that was in the jews . the aforementioned iustinus wrote a dialogue ( i. e. a communication betwixt two or more ) against the jews , wherein he declared their spite against the doctrine of christ , saying , you have not only hardned your selves from repentance , but have sent chosen men from ierusalem , which should pass throughout the world , and pronounce that there was a certain christian heresie sprung up ▪ slandering us , as the rest do which know us not , so that hereby you proved your selves authors of falshood ; not only to your own people , but to all other nations : he writeth also that unto his time the gift of prophecy flourished in the church . of hereticks among the christians , and sects among the jews . egesippus wrote , how that after iacobus iustus was martyred , in such sort as christ himself was put to death : his uncle simon cleophas was chosen bishop , and then they called the church a pure virgin ; for , as yet ( saith he ) the devil had not sown there any corrupt seed of false doctrine . but thebulis , because that he was not chosen bishop , went about to corrupt the same , being one of the seven hereticks among the people : he writes of many more hereticks , as of simon , ●…cobius , dosithaeus , gortaeus , machotaei , menend●…anises , carpocratians , valetinians , basilidians , and saturnians , whereof every one ( saith he ) hath set abroach a proper and a several opinion . of these ( saith he further ) sprang the false christs , the false prophets , the false apostles , rending asunder the church with their false doctrine , directed against god and christ ; the same author describeth likewise the old heresies of the jews , saying , there were in the time of the circumcision sundry sects among the children of israel , varying in opinions , and set opposite against the tribe of iudah and christ ; namely these , the esseans , the galileans , the hemerobaptists , the masbotheans , the samaritans , the sadducees , and pharisees . and by occasion the aforesaid egesippus reasoning of the scriptures called apocrypha , that is , hidden , doubtful , or unknown , he said that in his time , divers of them were published by hereticks , that is , such as make choice , of themselves , what points of religion they will believe , and what they will not . of dionysius epistle to the romans . moreover there remaineth an epistle of dionysius , bishop of corinth , unto the romans , as eusebius saith , wherein it is thus written ; it hath been your accustomed manner , saith he , even from the beginning , diversly to benefit all the brethren , and to send relief throughout the city , supplying the want of the poor , by refreshing them in this sort , and especially the want of the brethren appointed for slavish drudgery and digging of metals . the same author reporteth of his own epistles , that they were patched and corrupted ; in these words , when i was entreated of the brethren to write , i wrote certain epistles , but the messengers of satan have sown them with tares , pulling away some things , and putting to other some . for whom condemnation is laid up . no marvel then ( saith he ) though some endeavour to corrupt the sacred scriptures of god , whenas they went about to counterfeit such writings of so small authority . concerning the christians sufferings . melito , the bishop of sardis , in his apology to the emperour , reporteth some of the things practised against the christians , writing thus ; the godly people were grieved by reason of new edicts , which were published throughout asia , and never before practised , now suffer persecution . for impudent sycophants , ( that is , tale-bearers or slanderers , ) and greedy gapers after other mens goods , having gotten occasion , through these proclamations , openly to rob and spoil , day and night , such as commit no trespass at all . and after a few lines , he saith , the emperour that is just never putteth in practice any unjust thing , and we willingly will bear away the honour of this death ; yet this only we will crave of you , that you ( after notice and tryal had of the authors of this contention ) do justly give sentence , whether they are worthy of death and punishment , or life and quietness . of the encratits and their heresie . out of the school of syternius and marcion sprang the hereticks whom they call encratits , ( that is te say , contient or chast persons ) who taught that marriage was to be aborred , contemning the ancient shape and mould of man framed of god ; and so , by sequel ( or consequently ) reprehending him that made the generation of mankind ; again they have commanded abstinence from living creatures , for so they call them ; shewing themselves ungrateful towards god , who made all things for the use of man. after that iustinus was martyred , tatianus fell from the chureh , and being puffed up with presumptuous estimation and self-opinion of doctrineship , as though he passed all other , invented a new form of doctrine . he dreamed of certain invisible worlds with the valentinians : some report that he presumed metaphrastically ( i. e. by a metaphor to change one word from its natural sence into another sence like unto it ) to alter the words of the apostle , correcting , as it were , the order of the phrase . the fifth book of eusebius . the servants of christ inhabiting vienna , and lions , cities of france , unto the brethren throughout asia and phrygia , having with us the same faith and hope of redemption , peace , grace , and glory from god the father and iesus christ our lord be multiplied . when they had premised certain things by way of preamble , they pr●…ceed in these words : the greatness of this our tribulation , the fury of the gentiles against the saints , and what things the blessed martyrs had suffered , we are not able exactly to express by word , or comprehend in writing ; for we are not only banished our houses , baths , and common market-places , but altogether every one one of us are straitly charged not to shew our faces . and many have born all the vexations that the multitude have laid upon them , as examinations , scourgings , draggings , spoiling , stoning , fettering , and the like whatsoever the heady savage multitude accustomed to practise against their professed enemies . next , being had unto the open market-place , and examination had , they were condemned in the presence of the people , by the tribune ( that was , a certain officer that ought to have defended their liberty ) and the other chief potentates of the city , and were cast into prison until the presidents coming : after that , when they were brought before the president which had exercised all kind of extream cruelty against us : vetius epagathus , one of the brethren , ( whose conversation was so perfect , that he was thought comparable with zachary the priest ) allowed not of the sentence unjustly pronounced against us , but with vehement motion required that audience might be given him , to plead for the brethren , alledging that we had committed no impiety , which being denied him , of such as compassed the tribunal ( that is , the iudgment-seat ) and the president rejecting this just petition , only demand whether he was a christian ? which he confessed with a loud voice , and so he was received unto the fellowship of the martyrs : and was called the advocate ( that is , one which pleadeth for another in a consistory , or in a iudgment place ) of the ghristians . there was certain found unready and as yet weak , not of abillity to bear the burthen of so weighty a combate ( in number ten ) which fell through the frailty of the flesh , to our great heaviness , , and sorrowful lamentation , quailing the chearfulness of others , which were not as yet aprehended , but accompanied the martyrs , what torments soever befell them , and severed not themselves from them ; then trembled we all for fear , and that greatly , because of the uncertainty of confessions ; being not terrified with any torments , but careful for the end , least any should fall from the faith , daily there were apprehended such as were worthy to fulfil the number of the faln weaklings , so that out of both these churches , as many as ruled and bore the greatest sway were taken and executed , and also certain of the ethnicks ( i. e. heathens ) being our servants were taken ( for the president had commanded publickly a general inquisition to be made for us ) who being overcome by the subtil slights of satan , and terrified with the sights of the torments which the saints suffered , through the perswasion of the souldiers , feigned against us , and reported that we used the feastings of thiestes and the incest of oedinus , with divers other crimes , which may neither godlyly be thought upon , neither with modesty be uttered , neither without impiety be believed . these things now being bruited , ( or reported ) abroad , every body ( almost ) was moved and incensed against us , insomuch that they which for familiarity sake , used moderation before , now were exceedingly moved and mad with us , great then was the rage both of people , president and souldiers against the martyrs : and among the rest there was a woman called blandina , by whom christ shewed , that those things which in the sight of men appear vile , base and contemptible , deserve great glory with god , for the true love they bear to him indeed without boasting in shew . for when as we all quaked for fear , yea and her carnall mistress ( which also was one of the persecuted martyrs ) was very careful least that peradventure , at the time of her answer , by reason of the frailty of the flesh , she would not persevere constant : yet she was so replenished from above with grace , that the executioners , which tormented her by turns from morning to night fainted for weariness and ceased , confessing themselves overcome : and that they were no longer able to plague her with any more punishments , &c. for she like a noble wrestler , was nenewed at her confession , for ( as it is reported of her ) as oft as she pronounced : i am a christian , neither have we committed any evil : she was recreated , refreshed , and felt not pain of her punishment . sanctus also bare nobly and valliantly ; yea above the nature of man , all such vexations as man could devise ; his constancy was so great , that he uttered neither his own name , neither his kindred , neither the country whence he was : nor whether he were bond or free , but unto every question , he answered in the roman tongue , i am a christian. this confessed he often instead of all other things , of his name , and city and kindred ; neither could the gentiles get any other language of him ; wherefore the president and the tormentors were feircely set against him ; and when as now there remained scarce any punishment unpractised , at length they applyed unto the tenderest parts of his body , plates of brass glowing hot , which ●…ryed , scared and scoarched his body , yet he remained unmovable , nothing amazed , and constant in his confession , being strengthened and moistened with the dew which fell from the celestial ( that is , heavenly ) fountain of the water of life . over all his body his flesh was wounded , his members bescarred , his sinews shrunk , so that the natural shape , and outward hew was quite changed . and when as the wicked tormentors a few days after had brought him to the place of torment , and well hoped , that if they punished him now they should overcome him and prevail : or if that he dyed in torment , they should terrifie the rest , and so warn them to take heed : none of all these things happned unto him , but beyond all mens expectation in the latter torments his body was released of the pain , recovered the former shape ( as it is recorded of him ) and the members were restored to their former use ; so that the second plague through the grace of christ , was no grievous malady ( i. e. disease ) but present medicine , again , satan going about blasphemously to slander us , procured biblis a woman ( one of them which had fainted before ) to be brought forth , supposing her frail and fearful mind , now to be quite altered from the christian opinion , consequently through her blasphemous denial to be in danger of damnation . but she at the very hour of torment , returned unto her self , and waking as it were out of a dead sleep , by means of these punishments temporal , considered of the pains of eternal fire , and unlooked for , cryed out unto the tormentors , and said , how could they devour infants , which were not suffered to touch the blood of bruite beasts ? therefore when she confessed her self a christian , she was appointed to take her chance among the martyrs . afterwards the saints were imprisoned in deep and dark dungeons , and were fettered in the stocks , and their feet stretched unto the fifth boord chink , with other punishments , which furious ministers or goa●…ers , full of devilish rage are wont to put in ure ( i. e. use ) and practise upon poor prisoners : so that many were stifled , and strangled in prison . and when many of the saints were so weakned with grievous torments , that life seemed unto them unpossible , they remaining shut up in close prisons , destitute of all mans aid ; yet even then were they comforted of the lord , and confirmed in body and mind , so that they stirred up and comsorted the rest , several of the younger sort that were newly apprehended , whose bodys had not before tasted of the lash of the whip , loathed the closeness of the prison , and were choked up with stinch : and pothinus bishop of lyons being above four score and ten years old , weak of body , scarce able to draw breath , because of the imbecillity ( i. e. feebleness or weakness ) of nature ; he was carried of the souldiers and laid before the tribunal ( i. e. iudgment ) seat accompanied with the potentates ( i. e. princes or great rulers ) of the city , and the whole multitude diversly shouting , as if he had been christ ; he hath given a good testimony : and being asked of the president who was the god of the christians ; he answered , if thou become worthy , thou sholt understand . after this answer , he was cruelly handled , and suffered many stripes ; for such as were nearest to him , struck at him both with hand and foot , and such as stood afar off , look what each one had in his hand , that was thrown at his head ; and such as ceased from pouring out their poisoned malice , thought themselves to have grievously offended ; supposing by this means to avenge the ruine of their rotten gods. afterwards he was cast into prison , where after two days he departed this life . moreover , as many as fainted in the first persecution were all alike imprisoned , and partakers of the affliction , neither did they prevail , or the denial profit them ; it was thought sufficient fault , that they confessed to have been such ; but these as murtherers and hainous trespassers , were twice more grievously plagued . the joy of martyrdom , the hoped promises , the love towards christ , and the fatherly spirit , comforted the one company ; the other were vexed in conscience , so that their outward countenance bewrayed their inward apostacy , i. e. their revolting or falling from the true religion ; for the former went cheerfully with great majesty and grace , their fetters becoming them as the skirts of the new-married spouse , garnished with sundry colours , and laid over with gold , and withal yielding a christian fragrant , ( i. e. sweet-smelling ) smell , so that many supposed their bodies to have been outwardly perfumed : but the other all sad and mournful , as vile ond abject caitified i. e. base , naughty , mis-shapen creatures , full of all deformity , derided of the gentiles themselves , deserving death as degenerating cowards , destiture of the most precious , glorious , and lively name of christianity ; with the sight hereof many are confirmed , so that suddenly being apprehended , without stay they professed their faith. a little after , in the same epistle , it is shewn , how that maturus , sanctus , and blandina , were led unto the brute beasts in the popular and publick spectacle of the heathenish inhumanity , even at the day appointed of set purpose , where maturus and sanctus were diversly tormented with sundry sorts of punishment , as if they had suffered nothing before ; and whatsoever the outragious multitude craved and commanded , that they suffered ; but above all , they patiently suffered the iron chair , wherein their bodies boiled as in a frying-pan ; yet could they get no other sentence of sanctus , save that confession which he cried at the first . and because caesar had commanded that such as confessed themselves christians should be executed , and such as renounced should depart the frequented solemnity ( which by reason of the concourse of the gentiles from every country was at the beginning very populous ) he brought forth from prison the blessed confessors ( for so it seems the christians were sometimes called ) into the open spectacle , or view , and presence of the people , to be scornfully gazed upon , and when he had again made inquisition them , as many as he ( to wit , the president ) found to be priviledged persons of rome , those he beheaded , the rest he threw to be torn asunder of wild beasts . but attalus was burned in the iron chair ; and being demanded what name god had , he answered , god is not called after the manner of men. and after these things , blandina , together with ponticus ( a young man of fifteen years of age ) was brought forth , and compelled to swear by their idols names : but they constantly persevered in their opinion , and contemning their idols , set the multitude in such a rage against them , that they neither pitied the years of the young man , nor spared the womankind , but plagued them with many torments used in their theaters ( i. e. certain places made for people to sit and behold solemn games and plays ) urging them now and then to swear ; which when they could not bring to pass , ponticus , being encouraged of the sister in presence of pagans ( i. e. heathens or infidels ) who then beheld how she exhorted and confirmed the young man , after he had suffered many torments , yielded up the ghost . and blandina was afterwards wrapped in a net , and tumbled before a wild bull , who fanned and tossed her with his horns to and fro , yet , it is said , she had no feeling of these things ; her mind being fixed and wholly set upon the conference which she had with christ ; and finally she was beheaded . the rage and cruelty of the gentiles did not herewith cease against the christians ; for as many as were choaked up with the noisome stink of the prisons , were thrown to be devoured of dogs , and a continual watch set day and night , that none of them should be buried ; and some fretted and fumed at them , with the gnashing of their teeth , seeking further revengement of them ; others derided and scoffed them , magnifying their idols , as causers of the chrishians calamity . and such as were of a milder nature , and somewhat sorrowed at our sufferings upbraided us ( i. e. cast them in the teeth ) and said , where is their god ? and what profited them this religion , which they preferred before their lives ? and after they had kept the dead bodies six days unburied , at length were burned to ashes ; the ashes also they gathered and scattered in the river rhoanus , ) which passed by , so that no jot or relick thereof should longer remain upon earth . this they did , to the end they might overcome god , and hinder the reviving of the saints , lest that , as they said , there should be any further hope of the resurrection , whereof , say they , the christians being fully perswaded , bring among us a strange and new religion : they contemn ( i. e. despise ) punishment , and hasten themselves cheerfully unto death : now let us see whether they can arise , and whether their god can help and deliver them from our hands . of attalus's revelation . in the aforesaid epistle , there was a certain narration contained , concerning one alcibiades , who lived miserably , feeding only on bread and water , when he had determined with himself to live in prison : it was revealed to attalus , after his first conflict on the theater , that alcibiades did not well , in that he used not the lawful creatures of god , and also gave an occasion of doubting unto others . hereof when alcibiades was perswaded , he used all things indifferently , and praised god : for they were not destitute of the grace of god , but had the holy ghost for their director . what irenaeus wrote concerning the holy scriptures . eusebius relates what irenaeus hath writ concerning the four evangelists ( i. e. the bringers of good tidings ) saying , matthew delivered unto the hebrews the history of the gospel , written in their own tongue . when peter and paul had preached at rome , and planted the church , aftheir departure , mark the disciple and interpreter of peter also , delivered us in writing such things as he had heard peter preach . and luke accompanying paul , comprised in one volume the gospel preached of him . after these , iohn the disciple of our lord , which also leaned on his breast , published a gospel unto the posterity remaining at ephesus . moreover , in the same chapter it is said , that in the captivity of the iews under nebuchadnezzar , the scriptures were perished ( the iews returning into their own region , i. e. country , after seventy years , in the time of artaxerxes king of persia ) he inspired esdras the priest , of the tribe of levi , that he restored again all the sayings of the former prophets , and delivered unto the people the law given by moses . apollinarius concerning montanus . it is now a great while ago , well-beloved a. m. since thou didst enjoin me this task , that i should publish some book against the followers of the heretick montanus , whereupon i doubted unto this day what was best to be done : not because i was not able to confure their falshood , and give testimony unto the truth , but that i feared greatly , lest by writing i should seem to add something to the doctrine of the new testament , whereto nothing may be added , and wherefrom nothing may be taken away , by him that will lead a life agreeable to the gospel . i being of late at ancira in galatia , found the church through pontus , not with prophets , as they call them , but rather , as it shall be proproved , with fal●…e prophets ; where through the lord , as much as in me lay , i disputed in the chuhch , the space of many days , against them and their several objections , so that the church rejoiced , and was thereby confirmed in the truth ; but the contrary part yet repined , and the gainsayers were very sorrowful . it is written of montanus , that he was puffed up with an immoderate desire of primacy , i. e. chief authority , opened a gap for the adversary to enter into him ; and being mad and estranged suddenly , and bereft of his wits , waxed furious , and published strange doctrine , contrary to the tradition and ancient custom of ancient succession , now received , under the name of prophecy ; they which then were auditors of this unlawful preaching , some chastised and checked him for a lunatick ( i. e. one possed with lunacy , who at certain times of the moon is distracted in his wits ) and one that was possessed with the spirit of errours , and forbad him to preach , being mindful of the forewarnings and threatnings of our saviour tending to this end , that we should take diligent heed of false prophets . others waxed insolent ( i. e. proud ) and boasted and bragged of him not a little , as if he had been endued with the holy ghost and gift of prophecy ; so that through disobedient persons , he came to be more honoured than his merit did require : and two women being possessed of a foul spirit , spoke fond , foolish , and fantastical things , even as he had before , and they gloried and rejoiced in that spirit which pronounced them happy , and puffed them up with infinite fair promises ; yet sometimes by signs and tokens he rebuked them to their faces , so that he seemed a chastising spirit . there were few of the phrygians seduced , notwithstanding that bold and blind spirit instructed them to blaspheme and revile generally every church under heaven , because they neither did homage ( i. e. a servile ceremony of some tenants , which by duty they owe to their lords ) neither courteously received among them that false spirit of prophecy . those things he wrote in his first book ; and in his second book he writeth thus of their ends : these , say they , are the prophets which the lord promised to send his people . let them answer me : i charge them in the name of the living god , o ye good people , is there any of the sect of montanus , and these women which have been persecuted by the jews , or put to death by any tyrant ? not one of them bearing the name was either apprehended or crucified , neither was their any woman of them in the synagogues of the jews either scourged or stoned at all , but montanus and maximilla are said to die ' another kind of death . moreover , when the bishops went about to rebuke the spirit which spoke in maximilla , they were hindred by others that wrought by the same spirit , saying , let not the spirit of maximilla say , i am chased as a wolf from the sheep : i am no wolf , i am the word , the spirit and power ; but let him manifestly express the power by the spirit , and prevail . apollonius against the montanists . he wrote in this manner , saying , but what kind of new doctrine this is , his works and doctrine do declare . this is he which taught the breaking of wedlock , i. e. marriage ; this is he which prescribed laws of fasting : this is he which called p●…puza and tymium ( pelting parishes of phrygia ) jerusalem , to the end he might entice all men from every where to frequent thither . this is he which first ordained tollgatherers and taxers of money ; this is he which under pretence and colour of oblations , hath cunningly invented the art of bribing ; this is he who giveth great hire unto the preachers of his doctrine , that by feeding of the paunch his prophecies may prevail . moreover , he addeth , saying , doth not the whole scripture forbid that a prophet should receive rewards and money ? when i see a prophetess receive gold and silver , and goodly garments , how can i chuse but detest her ? again , of another he saith , and besides these , themison also , inflamed with the burning thirst of covetousness , tasted not of the tart cognisance of confession before the tyrant ; but shuffled himself out of fetters with much money . and whenas therefore he should have humbled himself , yet he all in bragery as if he were a martyr , i. e. one that died for righteousness sake , after the example of the apostle , wrote a catholick , i. e. universal or general , epistle very presumptuously , to instruct them which believed better than himself , and to exhort them to strive with him for this new doctrine , and to revile the lord and his apostles , and his holy church . again , speaking of one of their highly esteemed martyrs , he writes in this sort : and that we trouble not our selves with many , let the prophetess tell us touching alexander , who called himself a martyr , with whom she hath banqueted , whom also many do adore , i. e. worship , whose thefts and other heinous crimes , which he suffered for , i will not presently rehearse , for they are publickly known and registred , whose sins hath he pardoned ? whether doth a prophet yield theft unto a martyr , or a martyr an immoderate desire of gathering unto a prophet ? for as when christ commanded , you shall not possess gold , neither silver , neither two goats ; these , on the contrary , seek after the possession of unlawful substance ; for they whom they call prophets and martyrs , have extorted money , i. e. wrested it from people per force , not only of the rich , but of the poor , the fatherless and widows . but if they plead innocency , let them stay and join with us in the issue in the matter , upon this condition , that if they be overthrown , at leastwise from henceforth they will cease to commit the like sin again . the fruits of the prophets are to be tried ; the tree is to be known by its fruit. and that the case of alexander may be known of such as desire it , he was condemned at ephesus by aemilius frontinus , not for his profession , but for his presumptuous and bold enterprised theft , being a lewd person : and then with a false pretence of christian profession , seducing the faithful of that place , he was pardoned and set at liberty . again , in another place , he writeth of their prophets thus . if they deny their prophets to have been bribers , let them affirm it conditionally that if it be proved , they be no longer prophets . for all the works of a prophet are necessarily to be proved . tell me , i beseech ye , is it seemly for a prophet to painthimself in colours ? is it seemly for a prophet to smooth himself with the white glittering stibi●… ? i. e. a certain stone which maketh the skin look very fair , when it is rubbed with it . is it seemly for a prophet to pinch and gingerly to set forth himself ? is it seemly for a prophet to dice and cards ? is it seemly for a prophet to be a usurer ? let them answer me . of apollonius's apology before the senate . apollonius , who was said to be a christian philosopher , i. e. a lover of wisdom and learning , was brought before the tribunal , i. e. judgment-seat , at rome ; and being earnestly intreated of the judge to render an account of his faith before the noble senate , i. e. the council , he exhibited , i. e. gave , or presented , in the presence of them all , a notable apology , i. e. defence or speech , of his faith , in which he suffered martyrdom , i. e. a suffering of grievous torment unto death , for constant perseverance in true religion . for the antient deeree was of force , and prevailed among them , that the christians which were once presented before the tribunal-seat , and not revoked , i. e. called back again , their opinions should no more be set a liberty . a controversie among the bistops about celebrating easter . immediately upon this , victor bishop of rome goeth about to sever from the unity in the communion , all the churches of asia , together with the adjoining congregations , as savouring not aright , and inveighing , i. e. speaks bitterly , against them in his epistles , and pronounceth flatly all the brethren there for excommunicated persons . but this not pleasing all the bishops , they exhorted him to seek after those things which concerned peace , and unity , and love between brethren . and one amongst the rest wrote to him , saying , neither is this controversie only of the day , but also of the kind or manner of fasting ; some think they ought to fast one day , some two , some forty ; and telling the hours throughout day and night , they count a day . moreover , he added how that they that were bishops before soter , of the see which thou governest , neither did so observe it themselves , neither left they any such commandment unto their posterity ; and yet they ( though not observing the same custom ) were at unity with them , which resorted to them from other churches , and did observe the same , although their observation was contrary to the minds of such as observed it not . the sixth book of eusebius . concerning origen . this origen , when he was yet young , bear in his mind fervent desire of martyrdom . he exhorted his father not to faint , when he was in close prison . he was of a child trained up in the holy scriptures , and he contented not himself with the bare and casual ( i. e. that which happened by chance , or uncertain ) reading of the words , but sought farther , searching the perfect profound understanding thereof . when his father died a martyr , he was left an orphan , i. e. one that wanteth father or mother ; of the years of seventeen , he was also afterwards received of a certain matron , i. e. a grave motherly woman , who was very rich , and also religious . he was one that detested the doctrine of hereticks he purchased unto himself a famous opinion among the faithful , in that he cheerfully embraced , in the heat of persecution , all the martyrs , not only of his acquaintance , but such as were unto him unknown : he visited not only such as were fettered in deep dungeons and close imprisonment , neither only such as looked for the last sentence of execution , but after judgment given and sentence pronounced . he was present with the martyrs , boldly accompanying them to the place of execution , putting himself in great peril oftentimes , boldly embracing them ; so that once the furious rage of the fond multitude of the gentiles ( i. e. such as did not profess the faith of christ , or heathen ) had stoned him to death , if the divine power of god had not marvelously delivered him . souldiers were commanded to watch about his house , because of the multitude that came to be instructed of him in the christian faith. it is said of him , that as he taught , so he lived ; that as he lived , so he taught . when he perceived many disciples to frequent unto him , and that the charge of the school was now by demetrius the bishop committed unto him alone , he supposed the reading of humanity ( i. e. courtesie or pleasant manners ) to be out of season , and transformed the school , as altogether ●…nprofitable , by reason of prophane literature , to the exercise of godly discipline ( i. e. instruction . ) after good advice taken for necessary provision , he sold the prophane writers , which he had diligently perused , and laid by him , enjoing the buyer ●…ay by day four half penny of the set price , wherewith he contented himself . of the martyrdom of potamaiaena a virgin , marcella her mother , and basilides a souldier . it is said that potamaiaena for the chastity of her body , and purity of mind , strove very stoutly with her lovers ; and that after she had suffered very much for the faith of christ , with her mother marcella , she was burnt with fire , and consumed to ashes ; after sentence pronounced , potamaiaena was taken and led to basilidos , a souldier of authority among the host , to execution . and when the multitude molested her fore , spitefully handling her with opprobrious , i. e. repro●…chful , terms ; basilides repressed and rebuked their raging speeches , pitying her very much , and practising great courtesie towards her : and , on the other side , she approved and acknowledged his courteous dealings towards her , and bade him be of good cheer , &c. when she had done speaking to him , pitch scalding hot was poured by little and little over all her body . and such was the suffering that this worthy virgin sustained . but not long after , basilides being required by his fellow-souldiers to swoar for some occasion or other , he refused , and said that it did not become him , or it was n●…t lawful for him to swear , for h●… was a christian. at the first he was thought to dally ; but when he constantly a vouched it , i. e. affirmed it boldly , he was brought before the judge , and there confessing the same , was clapt in prison , afterwards he was beheaded and suffered martyrdom . clemens bishop of alexandria , of the canonical scripture . the epistle unto the hebrews he affirmeth to be paul's for undoubted , and therefore written in the hebrew tongues for the hebrews sakes , but faithfully translated by luke , and preached unto the gentiles . it is not to be misliked at all , saith he , that paul an apostle is not prefixed to this epistle ; for , saith he , writing unto the hebrews , because of the ill opinion they conceived of him , very wisely concealed his name , lest that at first he should dismay them , i. e. astonish them . afterwards of the order of the evangelists , according unto the tradition of the elders , he writeth thus : the gospels which contain the genealogies ( i. e. a description of stocks , lineages , or pedigrees ) are placed and counted , first , the gospel after mark was written upon this occasion : when peter preached openly at rome , and published the gospel by rote , many of the auditors intreated mark , being the hearer and follower of the apostle a long while , and one that well remembred his words , to deliver them in writing such things as he had heard peter preach before ; which thing when he had signified to peter , he neither forbad him , nor commanded him to do it . iohn last of all , seeing in the other evangelists the humanity of christ set forth at large , being intreated of his friends , and moved by the holy ghost , wrote chiefly of his divinity . bishops were divided about a lay-man's preaching . origen was intreated of the bishops to dispute in the open church , and to expound the holy scripture , before he was called to the ministry : which may evidently appear , by that which they wrote in defence of the fact unto demetrius concerning him , after this manner : ( he laid this down in his letters , that there was never such a practice heard of : that there could no where the like president be found , that lay-men , i. e. such as are not of the clergy ) in presence of bishops have taught in the church . we know not for what cause he reporteth a manifest untruth , whenas there may be found such as in open assemblies have taught the people ; yea , whenas they were present learned men that could profit the people : and moreover , holy bishops at that time also exhorting them to preach ; as several might be instanced . dionysius bistop of alexandria reporteth in his epistle , the constancy of such as were martyred at alexandria , under decius ; as followeth . dionysius unto rabius bishop of antioch . this persecution was not begun by the emperour's edict ( i. e. proclamation or decree ) but one whole year before : for there came unto this city a certain southsayer , and inventer of mischief , who moved and stirred up the whole multitude of the heathen against us , and excited ( i. e. stirred up ) them to defend the superstition of their native soil : by whom they being thus provoked , and having won to their side such as were of power and authority , to perpetrate ( i. e. to commit any unlawful thing ) all impious acts , they perswaded themselves , that the only worship of devils and our slaughter was piety ( i. e. godliness ) it self . first then , they apprehended a certain minister , and commanded him to utter blaspemy ; who for disobedience therein , was beaten with clubs , his face and eyes they pricked with sharp quills ; afterwards they led him forth , and stoned him to death . again , they brought into the temple of idols , a faithful woman named quinta , and constrained her to worship ; who contrarying and abhorrying their idols , had her feet bound together , and by them trailed and lugged all along the streets . which were paved with sharp stones ; and withal being beaten against mill-stones , and sore scourged , she was brought forth to the place and executed . which being done , they all almost with one accord violently rushed into the houses of the religious , and and the wicked led the heady multitude unto their neighbours houses , whom they knew to be godly and well-disposed , and they destroyed , spoiled , stole , and bore away the precious jewels ; but the vile , the base , and the wooden stuff they threw out into the street , and burned it to ashes ; shewing forth thereby a resemblance , or spectacle of a city taken and ransacked by the enemy . but the brethren took it in good part , and very cheerfully suffered they the loss of their goods ; much like unto them of whom paul hath testified , so great was the rage of the heathen , that there was no way left for us to pass , no not the common high-way , nor any by passages either by day or night ; they cried out all , and exclaimed every where ; there was no other choice , but either to utter blasphemy , or to be drawn and burnt at a stake . but in the end , this sedition and civil war overtook the seditious persons themselves , and turned upon them the self-same cruely , which they before had practised upon us ; so that for a little season we refreshed our selves , their fury wherewith they raged against us being somewhat abated . but a while after , the alteration of the imperial scepter was made known unto us , which before-time had been very favourable unto us , but now threatned great mischief to ensue , and the emperours edict or proclamation was proclaimed ; and that most dreadful saying of our saviour prognosticated ( i. e. foretold ) long before , then took place , that if it had been possible , the very elect themselves should have been offended .. then did all tremble and quake for fear ; some forthwith of the mightier sort fled away , doubting what would befall them ; some of their own accord were carried away with their worldly affairs , some were perswaded by their neighbours , and being called by their names , were present at their profane and impious sacrifices : some waxed pale and trembled , not as though they would sacrifice , but like to become sacrifices and oblations ( i. e. offerings ) to the idols , so that the whole multitude derided them ; for they seemed manifestly to be timerous both to die , and also to sacrifice ; some went stoutly to their altars , and affirmed boldly that they never were christians ; some other there were that held with both sides ; some fled , and some were taken , whereof divers endured fetters and imprisonments : othersome after long imprisonment , before they came unto the tribunal ( i. e. judgment ) seat , renounced ( i. e. forsook or denied ) their faith ; yea , some denied christ , after they had endured torments . but iulianus and cronion ( who confessed and acknowledged the lord with a sound faith ) were burned to ashes in the presence of the people , which compassed them round about . whenas they were brought forth , a certain souldier rebuked such as reviled them , wherefore they exclaimed against him , so that he was brought forth in that great skirmish for the christian faith , and was beheaded . dioscorus , a young man of fifteen years old ( with others ) were committed : first of all the judge took the young man in hand with fair speeches , as though he were easie to be intreated ; afterwards with torments , as though he were soon terrified ; but he for all his perswasion , would neither bow at his flatteries , or break at his threats . the rest , after they had endured cruel rending and dis-jointing of their bodily members , he commanded to be burned with fire : but dioscorus he set at liberty , wondring at his gracious countenance ( which gave a glittering shine ) and the wise answers which proceeded out of his mouth , saying he would grant him longer space to repent and remember himself , for his tender years sake . moreover , nemesion an egyptian was accused of theft , whereof , after he had openly purged and cleared himself before the centursion ( i. e. captain of 100 men ) again he was accused of christianity , wherefore he was bound and brought before the president ( i. e. a ruler or judge . ) but the most cruel and unjust judge delivered him among the thieves , to be twice more grievously tormented and vexed . there stood before the tribunal-seat certain souldiers , and together with them old theophilus , who ( when any of the christians came to hear the sentence or judgment , and then was ready to shrink ) so strugled , that they were ready to burst within themselves ; they nodded with their countenance , and beckned with their hands , exhorting them to constancy , with many signs and gestures of the body ; the which when the multitude in compass had perceived , before that any laid hands on them preventing their doings , they stept forth before the bar , and proclaimed themselves to be christians ; so that the president and his assistants were amazed , and the christians upon whom the sentence had past , were thereby emboldened to suffer , and the judges marvellously afraid . these therefore departed from the tribunal ( i. e. judgment ) seat cheerfully , and rejoyced in the testimony of their faith , god gloriously triumphing in them . ischyrion martyred by his master . many others ( saith dionysius ) throughout the cities and villages , were quartered and dismembred by the ethnicks ( i. e. heathens ) whereof for example sake i will rehearse one . isohrion , being a noble-man's hired servant , and by office his stoward , was commanded by his master to do sacrifice , and when he obeyed not , he was contumeliously ( i. e. reproachfully ) reviled . the heathen master seeing his christian servant so constant , p●…rsisting in his former opinions , taketh a great cudgel in his hand , and beat his body and bowels till breath departed . what shall i say of the multitude of them which wander in the desart , and waste mountains , consumed with famine and hunger , and cold and diseases , spoiled by thieves , and devoured by beasts , whose blessedness and victories , they that remain alive are able to testifie . these things ( brother ) i write not in vain , but that thou mayest understand , what and how great evils and mischiefs have happened among us , whereof they know more , which among all others have felt most . of novatus his heresie and impiety . there was a certain priest of rome that was puffed up with pride , became himself the author and ringleader of his own heretical sect ( to wit ) of such as through their swelling pride did call themselves kathrous ( i. e. puritans ) whereof there was a synod ( i. e. a general or universal assembly ) gathered together at rome , of threescore bishops , besides many ministers and deacons : and it was decreed , that novatus , together with such as swelled and consented unto his unnatural opinion , repugnant , i. e. disagreeing , or contrary , to brotherly love , should be excommunicated and banished the church , &c. it is said , that this novatus longed of old after a bishoprick ; and to the end he might conceal his own peevish desire , he used the cloak of arrogancy , i. e. pride or loftiness , who chose two men of a desperate condition to be partakers of his heresie : these being simple men , not knowing their crafty and malicious fetches , they were unclosed by such lewd persons as were suborned , i. e. were brought in for false witnesses , for the purpose ; and a●…ut ten a clock when they were somewhat tipsie , i. e. wanton , or somewhat drunk with wine , and well crammed with victuals , were constrained to create him bishop , with imaginative , or devised and frivolous , i. e. vain laying on of hands , the which craftily and subtilly , not compatible for his person , he challenged unto himself . it is said of him , that he being loth to die , and desirous of life , in the time of persecution , denied himself to be a priest : and when he was intreated by the deacons , and admonished to come forth of the house ( wherein he had enclosed himself ) and to minister unto the necessity of the brethren which wanted ; he was so far from yielding to the deacons , that he went away , and departed in a chafe , saying , that he would playno longer the priest , but addict himself unto another trade of phylosophy . it is said of him , that when he distributed the oblation to people , that he caused them to swear unto him , by the body and blood of our lord iesus christ , that they would never forsake him . an epistle of dionysius bishop of alexandria , unto novatus . dionysius unto the brother novatus , sendeth greeting : if thou wast constrained against thy will , as thou saist , thou wilt declare the same , if thou return willingly . thou shouldst have suffered rather any thing , than to have rent asunder the church of god ; neither is this martyrdom which is suffered for not severing and dividing the church of less glory than that which is tolerated , i. e. suffered , for denial of sacrifice unto devils , yea , in iudgment , it is of far greater glory . for in the one martyrdom is suffered for one soul , in the other for the universal church ; i. e. the church in general , or the whole church . for if thou either perswade the brethren , or constrain them to return to unity , this notable act will be far greater than the fault that went before ; and the one will be imputed , i. e. laid to his charge , the other will be commended : if thou canst not perswade the rebellious and disobedient , save at leastwise thy own soul. i desire thy health in the lord , and thy embracing peace and unity . the seventh book of eusebius . concerning origen . origen is said to have suffered much affliction for christ's sake , being famous , eloquent , trained in the church even from his youth up ; but through envy he was brought before the rulers and magistrates , and through the despiteful subtilty and crafty invention of satan , he was brought into great slander and blemish of infamy . they say , that the authors of iniquity devised that a man should work the feat ; that is , they prepared an ethiopian , or foul black-moor , beastly to abuse his body ; but he not being willing to away with , neither willing to hear of so horrible an act , brake out into loud speeches , and exclaimed at both the things which were given him in choice : rather than the one , he would do the other . the choice was , that either a black-moor should play the sodomite with him ; or he himself should sacrifice unto idols : and in the end he consented to sacrifice ; whereof when they had put frankincense crifice in his hand , they threw it into the fire upon the altar . by this means he was by the judge put from martyrdom , and also banished the church . after that , he was intreated by the priests of jerusalem , to bestow a sermon upon the people in the church ; after great intreaty , and in a manner constrained by the priests , he rose up , took the bible , opened it , and happened upon this parcel of scripture : unto the ungodly , said god , why dost thou preach my laws , and takest my covenant in thy mouth ? when he had thus read , he clasped the book , sate down , and burst out into tears , together with all the audience , i. e. the assembly of people , which wept with him . he lived till he was threescore and nine years old : and after his fall , he wrote his lamentation , out of which i have drawn this following extract . o ye saints and blessed of god , with waterish eyes and wet cheeks soaked in d●…lour ( i. e. sorrow ) and pain ; i beseech you to fall down before the mercy-seat of god for me , miserable sinner : wo is me , because of the sorrow of my heart : wo is me that my soul is thus afflicted ; wo is me that i am compassed thus on every side , and shut up in my sin , and that there is no health in me : wo is me , o mother , that ever thou broughtest me forth for a skilful lawyer , to be overthrown in his unrighteous dealing ; for a religious man to fall into extream impiety ( i. e. ungodliness . ) wo is me , o mother , which broughtest me forth a righteous man to be conversant in unrighteousness ; an heir of the kingdom of god , but now an inheritor of the kingdom of the devil ; a perfect man , yet a priest found wallowing in impiety ; a man beautified with honour and dignity , yet in the end blemished with shame and ignominy ( i. e. infamy ) a man beset with many evils , and choaked with infamous doings : wo is me , o mother , which broughtest me forth as an high and lofty turret ( i. e. tower ) yet suddenly turned down to the ground ; as a fruitful tree , yet quickly withered ; as a burning light , yet forthwith darkened ; as a running fountain , yet by and by dried up . wo is me that ever i was bedecked with all gifts and graces , and now seem pitifully deprived of all . but who will minister moisture unto the temples of my head , and who will give streams of tears unto my eyes , that i may bewail my self in this my sorrowful plight ( i. e. estate . ) alas , o priesthood , how shall i bewail thee ? alas , o ministry , how shall i lament thee ? o all you my friends tender you my case , pity my person , in that i am dangerously wounded . pity me , all ye my friends , in that i am now become an abject person ( i. e. a cast-away , or one cast down in mind , almost desperate : ) pity me , o ye my friends , in that i have now trodden under-foot the seal and cognisance ( i. e. notable token ) of my profession , and joined in league ( i. e. peace , truce , or friendship ) with the devil : pity me , o ye my friends , in that i am rejected and cast away from the face of god : it is for my lewd life that i am thus polluted , and noted with open shame : bewail me whom the angels have bewailed ; bewail me whom the saints have bewailed ; bewail me , o all ye nations under heaven , in that i am fallen from my glory . the lord hath made and engrafted me a fruitful vine , but instead of pleasant clustered grapes , i have brought forth pricking thorns : bewail me also , for that instead of grapes i have brought forth brambles . alas , what have i felt , and how am i fallen ? alas , how am i thus come to naught ? there is no sorrow comparable unto my sorrow ; there is no affliction that exceedeth my affliction ; there is no bitterness that passeth my bitterness ; there is no lamentation more lamentable than mine , neither is there any sin greater than my sin , and there is no salve for me . alas that ever i was doctor , and now occupy not the room of a discipl●… : thou knowest , o lord , that i fell against my will , whenas i went about to enlighten others , i darkened my self ; when i endeavoured to bring others from death to life , i brought my self from life to death : when i minded to present others before god , i presented my self before the devil ; when i desired to be found a friend and a favourer of godliness , i was found a foe , and a furtherer of iniquity : when that i set my self against the assemblies of the wicked , and reproved their doings , there found i shame and the most pestilent wound of the devil : when that i was ignorant and unskilful in the divers slights of strivers which commonly entrap men ; i allured and exhorted them to the knowledge of the son of god ; wherefore after much sifting , they promised me , unhappy man , crafty conveyances to avoid the subtilty of satan . but after that i departed from them , the devil in the same night transformed himself into an angel of light , and reasoned with me , saying , when thou art up in the morning , go on , and perswade them , and bring them to god ; if they demand ought of thee , if in case they condescend and hearken unto thee , do it , and cease not , staggering nothing at the matter , to the end many may be saved . and again , the devil going before to prepare the way , whetted their wits to devise mischief against me silly wretch , and sowed in their minds hypocrisie , dissimulation , and deceit . but i , o unhappy creature , skipping out of my bed at the dawning of the day , could not finish my wonted devotion , neither accomplish my usual prayer , but wishing that all men might be saved , and come unto the knowledge of the truth , folded and wrapped my self in the snares of the devil . i got me unto the wicked ; i required of them to perform the covenant made the night before . o blinded heart , how didst thou not remember ? o foolish mind , how didst thou not bethink thy self ? o witless brain , how didst thou not understand ? o thou sense of understanding , where didst thou sleep ? but it was the devil which provoked thee to slumber and sleep , and in the end slew thy unhappy and wretched soul. he bound my power and might , and spoiled me of my knowledge ; he bound my power and might , and wounded me . i answered but in word , and became reproachfully defamed : i spake without malice , yet felt a spight . the devil raised an assembly about me , and pronounced against me that unjust sentence : origen hath sacrificed . o thou devil , what hast thou done unto me ? how hast thou wounded me ? i bewailed sometime the fall of sampson , but now have i felt a far worse my self ; i bewailed heretofore the fall of solomon , yet now am i fallen far worse my self ; i have bewailed heretofore the state of all sinners , yet now have i plunged in them all . sampson had the hair of his head clipped and cropped off , but the crown of glory is fallen off from my head : samson lost the carnal eyes of his body , but my spiritual eyes are digged out . it was the wiliness of a womon that brought him to his confession , but it was my own tongue that brought me to this sinful fall : and even as he wanted after that the loss of his earthly possession ; so my tongue having bolted out this wicked saying , deprived me of the spiritual gifts , which sometimes have flowed with heavenly riches . and even as he being severed from the israelites , and cleaving unto foreigners , endured these things ; so i going about to save notorious sinners , brought my self captive unto captives , and the bond-slave of sin. alas , my church liveth , yet am i a widdower ; alas , my sons be alive , yet am i barren : alas , every creature rejoiceth , and i alone am forsaken and sorrowful : alas , o church , wherein i was gladsome : alas , o seat , wherein i sate full merry : alas , o spirit , which heretofore camest down upon me , why hast thou forsaken me ? i am forsaken , and become desolate , because of the corruption and filth of mine iniquity . bewail me that am deprived of all godliness ; bewail me , o ye blessed people of god , who am banished from god ; bewail him who is bereaved of the holy ghost ; bewail me that am thrust out of the wedding-chamber of christ : bewail me who once was thought worthy the kingdom of god , but now altogether unworthy : bewail me that am abhorred of the angels , and severed from the saints of god : bewail me for that i am condemned to eternal punishments : bewail me , for that i am here on earth , and now tormented with the prick of conscience : and what shall i do i wot not , being thus on every side beset with misery . if there be any man that can , i beseech him now to help me with his earnest prayers , and with his sorrowful tears ; for now it behoveth me to shed infinite tears for me great sin. who knoweth whether the lord will have mercy upon me , whether he will pity my fall , whether he will tender my person , whether he will be moved with my desolation , whether he will have respect unto my humility , and encline his tender compassion towards me , who have no taste nor relish of him , but am as the unsavoury salt. now let the elders mourn , for that the staff whereto they leaned is broken : now let the young men mourn , for that their school-master is fallen : now let the virgins mourn , for that the advancer thereof is defiled : now let the priests mourn , for that their patron ( i. e. a great friend ) and defender is shamefully fallen : now let all the clergy ( i. e. bishop , priests , deacons , &c. ) mourn , for that their priest is fallen from the faith : wo is me that i sell so lewdly ; who is me that i fell most dangerously , and cannot rise again . now all ye which behold my wound tremble for fear , and take heed that ye slumber not , neither fall into the like crime ( i. e. fault or offence ; ) but come jointly which have the same measure of faith , let us assemble together and rend our hearts , and provoke streams of tears to gush out of the temples of our heads : i mourn and am sorry from the heart root , o ye my friends , that ever i fell from aloft ; i have fallen , and am bruised , there is no health in me . let the angels lament over me , because of this my dangerous fall : let the garlands and crowns of the saints lament over me , for that i am severed from among their blessed assemblies : let the holy-church lament over me , for that i am ruinously decayed : let all the people lament over me , for that i have my deaths wound . i was constrained of the holy bishops to break out into some words of exhortation , and taking the book of psalms in my hand , i prayed and opened ; and i lighted upon that sentence , the which i am ashamed to repeat , yet compelled to pronounce , unto the ungodly said god , why dost thou preach my laws , and takest my covenant in thy mouth ? but bewail me , and lament this my bitter sorrow ; bewail me who am in like case with the reprobate jews ( i. e. cast-aways ) for that which was said unto them by the prophet , now soundeth alike in my ears ; what shall i do that am thus beset with many mischief . alas , o death , why dost thou linger , to wit , that thou mayst spite and bear me malice ? o satan , what mischief hast thou wrought unto me ? how hast thou pierced my breast with thy poisonous dart ! thinkest thou that my ruine will avail thee any thing at all ? thinkest thou to procure unto thy self ease and rest , while that i am grievously tormented ? who is able to signifie unto me whether my sins be wiped and done away ? whether that i have escaped the pains which greatly i feared ? who is able to signifie to me whether again i shall be coupled , and made a companion of the saints ? alas , o the bosom of the father which i am deprived of ! alas , that i became partaker with the rich man of his condemnation in the horrible pit , and partner of his thirst , in the bitter place full of sorrow and heaviness ; why hast thou broke down my hedge and strong hold ? the wild boar out of the wood hath destroyed me , and the wild beast of the field hath eaten me up ; rid me , o lord , from the roaring lion. the whole assembly of saints do make intercession unto thee for me , which am an unprofitable servant ; have me , o lord , out of the mouth of the ravenous wolf , and suffer me not to become the sacrifice of sin , but let down upon me thy holy spirit , that with his fiery countenance he might put to flight the crooked fiend of the devil , that i may be brought home again unto thy bosom ; that the bill of sin written against me may be blotted out ; that my lamentation may cease in the evening , and receive joy in the morning : let my sack-cloth be rent asunder , and gird me with joy and gladness ; let me be received again into the joy of my god ; let me be thought worthy of his kingdom , through the prayers and intercession of the saints , through the earnest petition of the church , which sorroweth over me , and humbleth her self unto jesus christ , to whom with the father and the holy ghost , be all glory and honour for ever , amen . dionysius professed that he was profited by reading the books of the heretick . dionysius writeth thus unto philemon a roman minister , i have read over the traditions and commentaries ( i. e. registers , or records ) of he eticks , not infecting my mind with their impure cogitations , ( i. e. unclean thoughts or thinkings ) bu●… profiting my self so much thereby , that i reprehend ( i. e. reprove ) them with my self , and detest , i. e. abhor , them utterly : and when i was brotherly and charitably forbidden by a ●…ertain minister , who feared lest i should wallow in the puddle of their maliciour writings , whereby my soul might perish , who as i thought said the truth . a certain vision came to me from heaven above , plainly commanding and saying , read all whatsoever cometh into thy hands , for thou shalt be able to weigh , to prove and try all , and by this means at the first thou came unto the faith. concerning valerianus the emperour . we have to consider , how that above all his predecessors , i. e. those that were in place or office before , he was disposed at the first , gentle before all the men of god , meek , friendly-minded ; for there was none of all the emperours , so courteous and friendly affected towards them , no not they which openly were accounted christians ; he at the first embraced our men most familiarly , most lovingly , and that openly , so that his place was replenished with professors of the faith , and accounted for the church of god : yet afterwards he became so exceeding cruel and wicked , that he brought to pass impure ceremonies , i. e. unclean rites or customs , execrable , i. e. herrible or wicked , enchantments , and abominable sacrifices : he made a slaughter of miserable children : he sacrificed the sons of unfortunate , i. e. unhapy , parents : he searched the bowells of newly born babes , spoyling asunder the shaped creatures of god , as if by such hainous offences he should become fortunate , so that he became a deadly foe unto the catholick , i. e. universal or general , christian faith , under which was raised the eighth persecution against the christians . of dionysius constancy , and fidelity in the time of tryaly ; of his banishment and suffering . in as much , saith dionysius , as it is commendable to conceal the secrecy of the king , and glorious to publish abroad the works of god , forthwith then will i shew the willfulness of germanus ( a bishop who at times backbited dion : ) i came unto aemilianus with some of the brethren : and aemil. said not unto me specially raise no conventicle ( i. e. a small assembly commenly for evil ) for this would have been superfluous , ( i. e. that which is too much ) and the last of all he having recourse unto that which was first , his speech was not of making no conventicles but that we should be no christians at all , and commanded me to cease henceforth from christianity , for he thought that if i altered mine opinion divers others would follow me . i made him answer neither unreverently nor tediously , that we ought to obey god rather than man. yea , i spoke with open protestation : i worshiped god which is only to be worshiped , and no other , neither will i be changed , neither cease henceforth from being a christian : this being said , he commanded us to depart to a certain village adjoyning upon the desert called cephro , afterwards dionysius , with others were brought forth , and aemilianus sat in the presidents room , and said , i have here signified by word unto you the clemency , i. e. gentleness or mercy , of our liege and lord the emperours towards you . they have granted you pardon , so that you turn unto that which nature it self doth bind you unto , so that you adore , i. e. worship the gods which guard the empire , and forget the things which repugn , i. e. resist nature : what answer make you unto these ? i hope you will not ungratefully , i. e. unthankfully refuse their clemency , insomuch as they counsel you to the better . dionysius answered , all men do not worship all gods , but several men do worship several gods , whom they think good to be worshiped : but we worship and adore the one god the worker of all things , &c. then aemilianus the president said , what lett is there , i beseech you , but that naturally you adore that your god ( insomuch as he is a god ) together with these our gods ? dionysius said , we worship no other gods ; to whom aemili . the president said , i see you are altogether unthankful , you perceive not the clemency of the emperour ; wherefore you shall not remain in this city , but shall be sent into the parts of lybia unto a place called cephro ; this place by the commandment of the emperour , i have picked out for you . it shall not be lawful for you and others to frequent conventicles , neither to have recourse , as they call them , unto church-yards . if any of you be not found in that place which i have appointed for you , or in any conventicle , let him under his peril . there shall not want sufficient provision ; depart therefore whither you are commanded . so he commanded me , saith dionysius , although sickly , to depart with speed , not deferring no not one day . afterwards he wrote thus ; truly we are not absent , no not from the corporal congregation of the lord ( i. e. from some that were of or belonging to the body ; ) for , saith he , i gather such as are in the city as if i were present , being indeed absent in the body , but present in the spirit . and there continued with us in cephro , a great congregation , partly of the brethren which followed us from out of the city , and partly of them which came out of egypt ; and there . god opened to me a door unto his word ( that was in the place to which he was banished ) yet at the beginning we suffered persecution and stoning , but at the length not a few of the painims ( i. e. country-men ) forsaking their carved images , were converted . for unto such as before had not received , then first of all we preached the word of god , and insomuch as therefore god had brought us among them , after that the ministry was there compleat , he , to wit , aemilianus removed us unto another place , which was thought to be more rough : i hearing we must depart from thence , and knowing not the place whither we were commanded to go , neither remembred i that ever afore i heard it named , for all that , took my journey willingly and cheerfully . yet here i will accuse my self ; for at the first i fretted and took it very grievously . if places better known and more frequented , had fallen unto our lot , it should never have grieved me ; but that place whither i should repair , was reported to be destitute of all brotherly and friendly consolation , subject to the troublesome tumult of travellers , and violent invasion ( i. e. assault ) of thieves . moreover , he relates how germanus peradventure gloried of many confessions , and could tell a long tale of the afflictions which he endured : but what can be repeated on our behalf ? sentences of condemnation , confiscations ( i. e. forfeiture of their goods to the emperor or king's use ) prescriptions ( i. e. banishment , or open sale made of their goods ) spoiling of substance , deposition of dignities ( i. e. deprivation of honour ) no regard of worldly glory , contempt of the praises due unto presidents and consuls , threatning of the adversaries , the suffering of reclamations ( i. e. gainsayings ) perils , persecutions , errors , griefs , anguishes , and sundry tribulations , &c. yea , there were men , women , young men , old men , virgins , and old women , souldiers and simple men , of all sorts and sects of people ; whereof some after stripes and fire , were crowned victors ( i. e. conquerors ) some after sword , some other in small time sufficiently tried , seemed acceptable sacrifices unto the lord. and yet to this day ( said he ) the president ceaseth not cruelly to slay some that are brought forth , to tear in pieces othersome with torments ; to consume other with imprisonment and fetters , commanding that none come nigh them , and enquiring daily if any such men be attainted ( i. e. convicted , or proved guilty of some great crime . ) yet for all that , god refresheth the afflicted with chearfulness , and frequenting of the brethren . how persecution ceased . when valerianus's son got the supremacy ( i. e. chief place , rule , or authority ) he wrote unto the bishops , as followeth : the emperor caesar p. l. &c. unto d. p. d. together with the rest of the bishops , sendeth greeting : the benefit of our gracious pardon we command to be published throughout the whole world , that they which are detained in banishment , depart the places inhabited of pagans ( i. e. heathens . ) for the execution whereof , the copy of this our edict ( i. e. proclamation or decree ) shall be your discharge , lest any go about to molest you . and this which you now may lawfully put in ure ( i. e. use ) was granted by us long ago . marinus a souldier suffered martyrdom . the cause was this ; there is a certain dignity among the romans called the centurions vine , the which whosoever doth obtain , is called a centurion , i. e. a captain of a hundred ; when the room was void , the company called marinus to this degree ; and he being preferred , another came before the tribunal , or judgmen-seat , and accused him , affirming that it was not lawful , by the antient laws , for him to enjoy that roman dignity , because he was a christian , and sacrificed not unto the emperor , and that it was his turn next to come in place . the judge being very much moved with this , first demanded what opinion marinus was of , and when he saw him constantly confessing himself to be a christian ; he granted him three hours space to deliberate , i. e. advise or consider . this being done , theote●…nus bishop of caesarea took marinus in hand with exhortations , and shewed him the sword that hung by his side , and pulled out of his pocket the new testament , and set it over against the sword , and bade him chuse whether of these two he preferred or liked best , for the health of his soul , when he immediately stretching out his hand , had taken up the book of holy scriptures : hold fast then , saith theote●…nus unto him , cleave unto god , and thou shalt enjoy the things thou hast chosen , being strengthned by him , and get in peace . after he had returned thence , the crier lifted up his voice , and called him to appear at the barr , the time granted for deliberation being now ended . standing therefore at the barr , he gave tokens of the noble courage of his faith , wherefore in a while after as he was led , he had the sentence of condemnation , and was beheaded . several bishops wrote unto dionysius bishop of rome , and to others , concerning paulus samosatenus , who was rejected as a heretick by them . they say that neither by art , trade , or exercise he attained unto the abundance of wealth he enjoyed , but with lewd acts and sacriledge ( i. e. robbing of a church , or stealing of holy things ) by injurious or wrongful and tyrannical oppressing of the brethren , whom he made to tremble for fear with his guileful gain , and wily promise of hired patronship , i. e. defence or protection , by which subtilty and deceit he gained so much , that procured the givers to be liberal , to the end they might be delivered from their adversaries , and so he turned godliness into gain . neither need we declare how that he being puffed up with pride , usurped secular d●…gnities , i. e. took into his use contrary to right , worldly honours and would rather be called a warlike captain , than a bishop of the church , walking stately through the streets and market-place reading letters , and withal openly inditing ; maintaining about him a great troop to guard his person , some going before , and some coming after ; so that our faith and religion ran to great spight , slander and hatred , by reason of his swelling pride and haughty disdain . neither will we rehearse the monstrous figments , i. e. lyes , which he feigned , his glorious brags , the uglisome spectacles , i. e. horrible sights , he devised to amaze the minds of the simple sort . he made for himself a lofty seat and high throne , not like the disciple of christ , but severed , in shew and title after the manner of the princes of the world , smiting the thigh with the hand , pouncing the foot-stool with his feet : if any extolled him not as the use is upon theaters , i. e. places where people sit to behold solemn games or plays , with clapping of their hands , with shouting and hurling of their caps ; if any also both of men and women had not skipped to and fro with busie-bodies and undescent obeisance , i. e. uncomely obedience by bowing the knee ; if any as in the house of god had behaved themselves honestly and decently , i. e. comely or handsomely , the same he checked and all to be reviled . he licensed the bishops and ministers of the adjoining villages and cities , which honoured him to preach unto the people ; the elders and deacons which accompany with him know his wickedness , but dare not accuse him , insomuch as they themselves are guilty of the same crimes ; for he enricheth them , wherefore he is both beloved and honoured of them that gape after the like gudgeons , i. e. gift or reward . we know , beloved brethren , that a bishop and the whole order of priesthood , ought to be a patern of good works unto the common people ; neither , are we ignorant of this , that many are fallen by reason of the closely kept women , and many again are subject to suspicion and slander . the eighth book of eusebius . concerning the peace and prosperous success of the christian affairs , and calamity which followed after . the clemency , or mercy of the emperors was so increased towards the christians , that they committed the government of the gentiles to them : and for the great favour they bore to our doctrine , saith eusebius , they granted liberty and security to the professors of christian religion : what shall i say of them , who in the very palace of the emperours , and in the presence of princes lived most familiarly . yea the bishops of all churches came to be in great reverence and favour among all sorts of men , and with all magistrates , who can worthily describe those innumerable heaps , flocking multitudes , throughout all cities and famous assemblies , frequenting the places dedicated or appointed unto prayer ; because of which circumstances , they not contented with the old and antient buildings ( which could not receive them ) have throughout all cities builded them from the foundation wide and ample churches . but then after that our affairs through too much liberty , ease , and security , degenerated , i. e. turned out of kind , from the natural rule of piety ; and after that one pursued another with open contumely , i. e. disgrace or reproach , and hatred ; and when that we impugned , i. e. resisted or assaulted , our selves by no other than our selves , with the armour of spite , 2nd sharp spears of opprobrious , i. e. reproachful , words , so that bishops against bishops , and people against people raised sedition , i. e. discord or strife : last of all , when that cursed hypocrisie and dissimulation had swom even to the brim of malice , the heavy hand of gods high iudgment , after his wonted mann●…r , whilst as yet the ecclesiastical companies , i. e. them of , or such as belonged to the church , assembled themselves nevertheless , began softly by little and little to visit us ; so that the persecution that was raised against us took its first original , i. e. first beginning , from the brethren which were under banner in camp , whenas we were touched with no sense or feeling thereof , neither went about to pacifice god ; we heaped sin upon sin , thinking like careless epicures , i. e. such as are given to excess in gluttony , that god neither cared , nor would visit our sins . and they which seemed our shepherds , laying aside the rule of piety , practised contention and schism among themselves , i. e. division in matters of religion ; and whilst they aggravated , i. e. made things worse and worse by words , these thing , viz. contention , threatnings , mutual , i. e. that which passeth one from another , hatred and enmity , and every one proceeded in ambition , i. e. pride , or immoderate desire of soveraignty , much like tyranny it self ; then , i say , the lord , according to the saying of ieremiah , made the daughter of sion obscure , and overthrew from above the glory of israel , and remembred not his foot-stool in the day of his wrath. of dioclesians proclamations against the christians . in the nineteenth year of dioclesian's reign was there proclamations published , in which it was commanded , that the churches should be made even with the ground , the holy scriptures by burning them should be abolished , i. e. disannulled or destroyed ; such as were in honour and estimation should be contemned , and such as were of families , if they retained or held the christian faith , should be deprived of their freedom . and such were the contents of the first edict . but in the proclamations which immediately followed after , it was added : that the pastors , i. e. shepherds , throughout all parishes , first should be imprisoned , next with all means possible constrained to sacrifice : afterwards some endured bitter torments ; others fainted for fear , and at the first onset , or first violent assault , were quite discouraged : some were tortured and launched with more intolerable pain , some failed of the purposed end , some were found constant and perfect . yet the enemies of truth triumphed and laboured to bring their purpose to effect . concerning the persecution . the persecution against the christians grew so exceeding great , that some after many torments endured , were broiled to death ; some were hanged , and some were beheaded . and about that time , some of the emperour's palace hapned to be on fire , and when the christians were taken in suspicion to be the authors thereof , by the emperors commandment the whole troop generally of all the godly there , at that time was executed , whereof some with the sword were beheaded ; others burned with fire , others carried in a boat , and thrown into the deep sea. and such were the practices in the beginning of the persecution at nicomedia . afterwards the emperor commanded all the pastors throughout every church , to be imprisoned and kept in hold ; multitudes were inclosed or shut up , and the prisons of old appointed and ordained for murderers , diggers of sepulchres ; and riflers of graves , were then replenished with bishops , ministers , deacons , &c. so that there was no room in prison for such as were condemned for hainous offences . again , when the former edicts had taken place , there followed others , by virtue of which , such as sacrificed were set at liberty , and such as resisted were commanded to be tormented with a thousand kind of torments . concerning the roman empire . before the roman empire waged battel against us , saith eusebius , in the space the emperors favoured us , and maintained peace , it may not sufficiently be declared how prosperously the commonwealth flourished and abounded with goodness , &c. and whenas the empire after this sort increased without offence , and daily was enlarged , they had no sooner removed peace from among us , but they stirred up battels as could not be reconciled . not fully two years after this hurlyburly , i. e. tumult or stir , there was such a change happened unto the whole empire , which turned all upside down . for no small disease overtook the chief emperour , and bereaved , i. e. deprived , him of his wits : afterwards the empire was divided into two parts , the which was never remembred to have come to pass before that time . not long after constantius the emperor , passing all others throughout his life-time in clemency and goodness towards his subjects , when he died his son constantine supplied his room : in his life he was most benign among all the emperors ; who alone of all the emperors in our time governed most gloriously and honourably during the whole term of his reign , shewing humanity and bountifulness unto all men , &c. the dissimulation of maxentius . maxentius , who exercised tyranny at rome , in the beginning of his reign dissembled our faith egregiously ( i. e. some time basely ) creeping into credit by flattering the people of rome ; and therefore he commanded his commonalty or vulgar people , to cease from persecuting of the christians , whereby he might pretend a show of piety , i. e. godliness , and seem tractable and more benign , i. e. favourable , than his ancestors that went before him : but in process of time , he was not indeed found the same which men took him for , and hoped he would be ; for he fell into all kind of enormities ( i. e. he went out of rule or measure ) omitting no heinous offence , how detestable and lascivious soever it was unessayed ( i. e. untried ) wherefore all , both high primates ( i. e. archbishops ) and inferiour people , trembling for fear of him , were oppressed with his intolerable tyranny ; yet neither by silence , neither by suffering this grievous servitude ( i. e. bondage or base estate ) could they be free from the bloody slaughter and imbrued murther of this tyrant . concerning maximinus , and his proclamation in the behalf of the christians . it seems his behaviour towards the christians was very cruel , and the persecution long and tedious in his day , which continued for 12 years : he exceeded many in hypocrisie , superstition , idolatry , oppression , prodigality , in drunkenness , lechery , &c. wherefore a plague lighted on him , which took root in his flesh , and afterwards proceeded even unto his soul. at length being thus tormented , and lying in this miserable condition , he began to ponder with himself the rash enterprises he had practised against the holy worshippers of god : wherefore returning unto himself , first he confessed his sins unto god , next calling unto him such as then were about him , he gave commandment , that with all speed they should cease from persecuting the christians ; and that by the commandment and decree of the emperor , they should build again their churches , &c. and his proclamations were published throughout the cities , containing a re●…antation of these things formerly prejudicial unto the christians . in the third year of our persecution under the reign of maximinus , the second hurly-burly was raised against us ; and the tyrants letters were then first of all brought to urbanus , charging all the people of what degree or calling soever , that they should sacrifice unto their gods ( the magistrates also throughout every city busily applying themselves to the same ) and that the beadles throughout all the city of c●…sarea , should , by virtue of the presidents edict , summon the fathers , the mothers and their children , to appear at the idols temple ; and that the tribunes should likewise out of a scroll ( i. e. a piece of paper or parchment which might be called a bill ) call every one by his name ; by reason whereof , there was no where but heaviness , sobbing and sighing . and apphianus went cheerfully unto the president as he was sacrificing , and boldly took hold on his right hand , and stayed him forthwith from doing sacrifice , exhorting him thenceforth to cease , and to be no more seduced ; saying moreover , there was no reason that he should despise the one , and the only true god , and offer sacrifices unto devils , immediately after he was haled of the presidents train as of savage beasts furiously raging againest him , and tormented over all his body with many stripes , the which he patiently suffered ; and for a while was clapt in prison ; and afterward shas brought before the judge , and was tortured with many torments , and was finally cast into the se. great persecution against the christians . a young virgin called theodosia coming to salute certain prisoners , she was apprehended , as if she had done some heinous and horrible offence , and she was haled before the president , and he forthwith like a mad man bereaved of his wits , scourged her bare sides with bitter and grievous lashes , and afterwards she was drowned in the sea. afterwards many were condemned to the mine-pits : , not for commodity and profits sake , but for affliction and misery ; some burned ; three martyrs enjoyned to buffet , if not to kill one another ; and some were torn of wild beasts ; and some of the christians were g●…lded , and afterwards condemned to the quarries ; and others were condemned grievously , and chastised with imprisonment and fetters . of which number was pamphilus , of all my familiars , saith eusebius , my dearest friend , a man who among all the martyrs of our times , excelled for every kind of virtue . but not long after this villany exercised upon pamphilus and others , vengeance from above began on a sudden to take hold on urbanus their persecutor , while as yet he governed in this sort ; so that after great shame and ignominy being convinced of hainous crimes , and horrible treachery , he was condemned to die ; then he whined like a child , and cried for the help of the whole nation which he had ruled . the punishment of 130 confessors , and of persecution reviving again , against the christians . not long after there were 130 valiant champions out of the country of egypt , protesting their faith in christ and religion to god-wards , which at the commandment of maximinus , suffered in egypt the like torments ( viz. ) that their right eyes should be sticked upon the point of a bodkin , and all to be digged out , and searched to the inner veins with a hot scalding iron , and that the left leg should be sawn alunder in the knee-sinews : but with these hainous and horrible treacheries practised against the noble and renowned martyrs of christ , the great heat of persecution was asswaged , and the flame thereof ( as it seem'd unto us ) by reason of their blood was quenched , and now pardon and liberty was granted unto the confessors , for so the christians ( it seems ) were then called of thebias , who were then oppressed with drugery in the digging of metais , growing in that region : and we poor silly christians , went about to recreate our selves in this calm season of quiet peace : but he in whose hand it lay to persecute us , i wot not how , neither by what motion , was again throughly and wonderfully incensed , i. e. stirred up to anger against the christians . therefore , upon a suddain the letters of maximinus were sent to raise persecution against us in every province , whereupon the president and the grand captain of the emperors whole host gave out commandments by writs , by epistles and publick decrees unto the wardens in every city , unto the governours and rulers of garrisons , unto auditors , i. e. officers of account , and recorders , that the emperours edict with all speed might take effect : and charged moreover , that withal celerity , i. e. swiftness or speed , they should repair and build again the idol-groves , and temples of devils , lately gone to ruine : and also they should bring to pass that men and women , their housholds and families , their sons and their servants , together with their tender sucklings hanging at their mothers breasts should sacrifice , and in very deed taste of the sacrifice themselves , &c. these things being come to this pass , and the christians being ( as it is most like ) altogether dismayed at these sad sorrowful plunges wherewith they were held : and the ethnicks , i. e. heathens themselves complained , of the intolerable , and adsur'd , too too shameful a dealing , for they were cloyed with too much cruelty and tyranny , and this lamentable season hanging every where over our heads , the divine power of our lord jesus christ again gave unto these his champions such valiant courage of mind , that they set at naught , tread down , and stamped under foot , all the terrors and threats which the enemy could devise . three therefore of the faithful christians linked together in one mind , went unto the president as he sacrificed , and with a loud voice exhorted him , to reform himself , to rev●…ke his errour , and to leave his folly , affirming there was no other god but he , who was the author and finisher of all things : and being demanded who and what they were , boldly made answer , that they were christians : whereat firmilianus being vehemently moved , without any more ado or farther punishment , commanded forthwith , they should be beheaded . the ninth book of eusebius . maximinus forbad assemblies in church-yards . this tyrant who bore rule in the eastern parts , would not suffer the christians to live in peace , no not six whole months , but pur in ure every mischievous practice , to the overthrow of peace and tranquility , first by a certain pretence he goeth about to bar us of our liberty of meeting in church-yards ; next , by sending certain malicious men , he incited , i. e. stirrod up , and provoked against us the citizens of antioch , that they should buy of him for a great benefit , that he would permit no christian at all to dwell within his dominions . maximinus waged battel with licinnius and was overcome , and then published an edict in the behalf of the christians . maximinus became so furious and mad that he broke the league made with licinnius , and he raised an irreconcilable war ; and in a short space therefore with all might he molested in manner every city , and having gathered all his host together and mustered a multitude of many myriads , i. e. ten thousands of souldiers , he marched to battle , trusting in devils whom he took for gods , and was arrogant , i. e. proud or insulting , because of his great multitude of armed souldiers , but he was overcome , and became subject to most vile shame and reproach , and being stricken with rage and madness , he slew many priests and prophets of their gods ; afterwards he ordained a most perfect absolute decree in the behalf of the christians liberty . wherein he said ; that if any were disposed to cleave unto such ceremonies ( i. e. rites , or customs , or to addict themselves unto the observation of that religion , it might be lawful for them without offence to follow their own will ; and that they should be hindred or forbidden , by no man. our pleasure is moreover , that without fear and suspition , they should use that service which pleased every man best , wherefore we have decreed to publish this edict , wherby it may appear manifest unto all men , that it may be lawful for them as many as will follow that opinion and religion , by this our gracious gifts and letters pattents , i. e. writs , or commissions from the prince , as every one listeth and is delighted , so to use that religion , which him pleaseth , and after his own manner to exercise the same , besides this also is permited unto them that they may build places of prayer for the lord : last of all , that this our gift may be the greater we have vouchsafed to decree that also : that if any house or mannors , i. e. farm-houses without the walls of the cities , heretofore belonging unto the christians title , by the commandment of our ancestors have passed unto the crown , either presently enjoyed by any city , or otherwise sold or given to any man for a reward , all these we have commanded they should be revoked , to the ancient rights of the christians , whereby all may have experience of our piety and providence in this behalf . these words of the tyrant , not one year being fully past , followed the edicts or proclamations which against the christians were ingraven in pillars . afterwards he was smitten of god with a plague from above , and his flesh wasted by an invisible fire , so that it consumed and dropped away , and lost all the fashion of the old form , being become like a painted image , dryed up of a long time ; his eyes passing their bounds , left him blind ; at length he confessed he suffered those things justly , and gave up the ghost . foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cantum . happy is he , whom other mens harms do make to beware . the tenth book of eusebius . the heathen were glad of the christians success : the emperor favoured them much . the heathen being delivered and rid of the former mischiefs , confessed diversly , that the only true god was the defender of the godly christians : but unto us there was an unspeakable joy ( saith eusebius ) which with incessant hope did depend upon christ the anointed of god : moreover , the most puissant , i. e. mighty , emperors by their often constitutions , i. e. appointments , published in the behalf of the christians , have amplified and enlarged the things granted to us by the free bountifulness of god. unto the bishops also there came favourable letters from the emperor ; dignities were bestowed , summs of money and presents were sent them . the edicts of constantine and licinnius , touching christian religion , and the liberty thereof . weighing with our selves , said they , that of old the liberty of religion was not to be hindred , and every one had licence after his mind and will ; we have presently commanded , that every one shall handle the holy affairs at his pleasure , and that the christians shall retain their faith of their former opinion and wonted service . whenas with prosperous success we came to milan , and enquired of the things which made for the commodity and profit of the commonwealth , these amongst many other things seemed expedient , yea , before all other , we purposed to decree ; wherein the reverence and service due to god is comprised ( i. e. contained ) that is to say , by which we might grant unto the christians altogether free choice to embrace what service and ceremony pleased them best , to the end the divinity of the celestial ( i. e. heavenly ) affairs now every where received , might in some part be pleasing unto us , and to all our subjects . then according unto this our pleasure , we have decreed , with sound and most right judgment , that licence any liberty be henceforth denied unto none at all , of chusing and following the christian service or religion , but that this liberty be granted unto every one , to addict his mind unto that religion which he thinks fit for him , to the end that god may grant unto us his wonted care and goodness . and now whosoever freely and firmly is disposed to retain the christian religion , let him do it without all molestation or grievance . and because that we have granted liberty to use their observance and religion , if so please any ; it manifestly availeth for the tranquillity , i. e. ease and quietness , of our times , that every one have liberty to chuse and worship what god pleaseth him best . this have we done , lest ought of our doings seem prejudicial unto any service or religion . and because the said christians are known not only to have enjoyed the place of their meetings and assemblies , but also certain other peculiar ( i. e. proper ) not to every one privately , but belonging by right unto their whole society ; see that thou command all those according unto the decree mentioned before , to be restored unto the christians . afterwards the emperor summoned a synod i. e. a general or universal assembly , of bishops to meet at rome , for the uniting and reconciling of the churches ; for it seemed unto him very grievous , that there should be found in his provinces , a multitude of people prone , i. e. inclining unto the worse , and disagreeing , and that among bishops there should be variance . money granted unto ministers by the emperor . constantine the emperor unto decilianus bishop of carthage , sendeth greeting : inasmuch as it pleased us to administer something for expences sake , unto some certain ministers of the approved and most holy religion , throughout all the provinces of africk : i have signified unto ursus , that he should cause three thousand poles of silves ( i. e. certain weights , one contain-in 222 pounds and six ounces , the other weighing 208 pence ) to be told unto thy fidelity . and forasmuch as i understand that some troublesom persons were supposed to pervert by some lewd corruption , to people of the most holy and catholick ( i. e. universal ) church ; wherefore if thou perceive such men to persist in their folly , without any more ado have recourse unto the judges , and make them privy thereof , that they consider of these as i charged them when they were present . a copy of the epistle , by the which the emperour freed the bishops from paying tax or tribute . we greet you , most honourable anilinus : because it appeareth diversly , that if the religion wherein great estimation of holiness is maintained be set at nought , great danger will ensue to the publick affairs : and again , if the same be orderly handled and maintained , great prosperity and special felicity ( i. e. happiness ) will follow unto the roman empire , and the affairs of all men , the goodness of god exhibiting ( i. e. giving ) the same . it seemed good unto us , that those men which labour in this godly religion , with due holiness and diligent observation of this law , shall receive recompence of their travels : wherefore our pleasure is , that they of the province committed to thy charge , whom we commonly term clergy-men ( i. e. bishops , deacons , and priests , &c. be wholly free and exempt ( i. e. free from any service or payment ) from all publick burthens , lest by any errour or cursed swerving they be withdrawn from the service due unto god , but rather may occupy themselves about their profession , without any molesting at all , who , while they perform the great ministry of the holy worship , do seem to profit very much the publick affairs . licinnius's cruelty towards the christians . afterwards licinnius began to imitate the wickedness and impiety of cruel tyrants , and secretly endeavoured by little and little to impugn , i. e. resist or assault , the saints under his dominion , who never molested or endamaged his empire , neither hurt him any kind of way at all : yet by his injunctions commanded , that no charity by any man should be extended towards them which were afflicted in prison , neither compassion should be had on them , which in fetters were like to perish with famine ; neither was it lawful for any to be honest , or to practise charity towards their kinsfolk , whom they were bound to pity , even by the law of nature . the law was indeed shameful and cruel , and far from a good nature ; unto the which there was a penalty annexed , that such as had shewed compassion , were punished alike with them unto whom they had been merciful ; and such as had shewed any kindness towards them , were fettered , imprisoned , and punished alike with the afflicted . such were the constitutions ( i. e. decrees or appointments ) of licinnius . so that the flattering presidents , to gratifie the mischievous tyrant , tormented some without cause that had done no evil , as if they had been murtherers ; whereof some endured a strange death , their bodies being cut in small pieces as butchers do use , and after this cruel and horrible spectacle , thrown into the bottom of the sea , to become food for fishes . but in a short time after , licinnius was overcome by constantine , who favoured the christians , and restored unto them external peace . the end of the first part. a summary , or brief hint of the twelve persecutions sustained by the ancient christians : with a compendious paragragh upon the same ; and a catalogue of the synods and councils which were after the days of the apostles : together with a hint of what was decreed in the same ; as also the judgment of some wise men concerning such convocation . like-wise an appendix of some observable things concerning the christians which lived about a thousand and four hundred years since ; with whose state , principle , and condition , is parallell'd the suffering christians of this age. part ii. qui est crucianus , non est christianus . he that beareth not the cross of christ , is no disciple of christ. for unto you it is given in the behalf of christ , not only to believe on him , but also to suffer for his sake , phil. 1. 29. london : printed for francis holder , in the passage going into white-hart-yard , in lombard-street , 1698. part ii. how from the beginning the enmity of satan hath been great against the reghteous and innocent people of god. of a truth , he that is born after the flesh , persecuteth him that is after the spirit ; and that irreconcielable enmity which god ( after many transgression ) put betwixt the seed of the woman , and the seed of the serpent , hath in all the ages of the world , appeared in satans instruments against the righteous and harmless people of the most high , who since the fall have suffered through many generations : and it is observed , how that when the adversary of mankind had got possession in cain ( adam's first son , gen. 4. 1 , 8. ) that then did cain rise up against his brother abel , and slew him : and this same adversary is he , who hath been a murtherer and a lyar from the beginning , who until this day hath retained a place in the hearts of cain's posterity ; and one remarkable token whereby he might be known in all ages hath been persecution . and after he had gotten dominion in mans heart , the wickedness of man became great in the earth , and the imaginations and thoughts of his heart were evil continually ; so that the earth came to be corrupted , yea to be filled with violence . and then did the wicked and ungodly often offer violence unto the just and righteous , even as the wicked sodomites did unto just lot , whose enmity was not only against him , but also against the angels whom he had entertained , gen. 19. 5. and likewise this adversary of god and good men , had gotten place in the hearts of joseph's brethren , who conspired together to slay him ; but they not being suffered of the lord to do that , they cast him into a pit in the wilderness . moreover , it appears that satan ( i. e. an adversary or devil ) had a possession in pharoah , and in the egyptians , who did much perplex and afflict the righteous in those days ; for they were grieved with them , and therefore did they make the lives of the righteous bitter with hard bondage , &c. again , the enmity of this adversary was great in many of the potentates of the earth , against the people of god in the days of old , as appears in sundry places of the old testament . and it may be observed , how that when they that were called the lords people departed from his counsel , that then this adversary got place in them also ; which plainly appeared by their murmuring against the lord , when they were wroth over his servants , and cried out , stone them with stones , &c. numb . 14. 10. again , this adversary of god , and of good people , got possession , yea dominion in the sons of belial ; who beset the house of him that entertained the way-faring levite , and intended to have slain him . again , we may see how that when saul departed from the gounsel of the lord , then did the evil spirit of this adversary enter into him ; and then commanded he his footmen to slay the lord's priests ; and although they would not do it , yet doeg slew fourscore and five of them upon one day , 1 sam. 22. 17 , 18. again , the evil persecuting spirit of this adversary appeared also in jezebel , ahab's wife , who stirred up the elders and the nobles to procure two false witnesses against naboth , to testifie falsly against him , as if he had blasphemed against god and the king ; and the people of the city being leavened with the aforesaid spirit , they carried him out of the city , and stoned him to death . again , when the israelites were departed from the lord , then did the enmity of this adversary of god and all goodness appear in them , which manifested it self by the wrath and indignation which appeared in them against the prophet jeremiah , whom they cast into prison , and against zechariah , whom they slew betwixt the temple and the altar . yea , so mightily did the enmity of satan's persecuting spirit prevail over them , that in the end they killed and crucified those whom god sent among them , and scourged them in their synagogues , and persecured them from city to city , mat. 23. 24 , 25. from these few examples which i have here alledged , it doth most plainly appear , that satan , this adversary of god , of the creation , and of mankind , hath of old had a mighty enmity against the righteous , yea before the coming of the messiah , of whom the prophets that were slain testified ; and it is manifest , that it was his persecuting power and spirit which appeare in cain , in joseph's brethren , in the sodomites , in the sons of belial , in the egyptians , in saul , in jezabel , and in the jews : and the same enmity hath often appeared in the same persecuting power and spirit of this old adversary against the true christians since the coming of the messiah ; which may more clearly appear from that which followeth . when the jews had crucified the lord of glory , then did they raise a terrible persecution against the apostles , and that under pretence of religion ; yet they sought to conceal their blood-thirstiness , through their carrying on their wicked design by the romish authority ; for they said expresly , it was not lawful for them to put any man to death ; yet in the mean time they could hale them before their councils , where the high-priest was president , and there did they judge and condemn the christians , as they had done christ ; and afterwards they delivered them to the earthly powers , to be punished according to their sentence ; calling the christians the sect of the nazarites ; and said they set the whole world in an uproar , and sought to annihilate ( i. e. to bring to nothing ) the law of moses , whereupon they presently got the help of the rude multirude to persecute the christians , and that under pretence of defending of religion . note , are not the true christians now called a fanatick sect ? and are they not accused for making uproars and tumults , when they are as free from such things as the christians were in the days of the apostles ; who were not only accused for making uproars , but also for setting the law of moses at nought , even as true christians now are falsly accused for making void the scripture , and of setting it as nought ; whereupon many now suffer about their religion ( by such as pretend to defend and propagate it ) even as the ancient christians did then under the jews , who resisted the spirit of truth , and the holy men that spoke as it gave them utterance ; and being filled with an evil spirit of malice and enmity against the lord and his truth , they whipped the apostles , and haled stephen before their council , and procured false witnesses against him . and when stephen in his answer laid open their wickedness , they were pricked at the heart , and gnashed their teeth at him , and stopped their ears , and run forceably upon him , and stoned him to death . and after that , a mighty persecution of the christians arose , insomuch that they came to be scattered throughout the land of judah and samaria . after that the jews did bring much suffering upon the christians , against whom their indignation was great , and especially against paul , whose life they earnestly sought after , and sometime did they stone him , and sometime they did whip him , and often were they moved with envy against him and the brethren , and upon a time , took unto them certain lewd fellows of baser sort , and gathered a company and set all the city upon an uproar , and assaulted the house of jason , and drew him out with others of the brethren unto the rulers of the city , crying they that have turned the world upside down are come hither also , and these all do contrary to the decrees of caesar. note . hath it not been so of late in england , that when the true christians have come to one of their friends houses in a city , some evil affected person or other , hath gathered a company of rude people , and have haled the innocent out of their friends houses , when they have been edifying and building up one another in the most holy faith : so that oftentimes the anti-christians have behaved themselves like the unbelieving jews , and through their tumultuous uproaring have they caused the peaceable and harmless to suffer , when they who were guilty have gone free . moreover , the professing jews manifested their envious spirit against paul , when they stirred up the people and laid hands upon him , crying out ; men of israel help : this is the man that teacheth all men every where , against the people , and the law and this place ; and all the city was moved , and all the people ran together , and they took paul , and drew him out of the temple , and had him before their council , and accused him to the governor ; but when they could not prevail , neither by righteousness nor by violence , then did a company of them bind themselves by an oath , neither to eat nor to drink until they had killed paul. thus much concerning the jews . note , since that the gospel hath been preached again in the power and demonstration of the eternal spirit , some cities in england have been as in uproars , where the true christians have so preached the gospel as before mentioned ; and at the same time they have been accused for teaching people against the scripture , and for incensing of them against magistracy and ministry , yea against their laws and discipline ; and thereby have some professing antichristians , stirred up the rude rabble shamefully to intreat the good christians , who at this day are found in the footsteps of the ancient suffering christians . object . but some will say , who dost thou call the true and good christians , whom thou dost at this time parallel with the ancient christians ? we know not whom thou meanest , nor do we know whom thou callest the anti-christians ; thou mightest do well to inform us a little . answ. i call them the true or good christians , who walk in the light of the lamb , who follow him through honour and dishonour , through evil report and good report , who bear his daily cross without murmuring , who do unto others as they would be done unto , who renounce the vain customs of the world , and forsake the frivolous traditions of men , tógether with the hidden things of dishonesty ; who are truly contented in suffering when they are therein exercised , and that for the exercise of their conscience in matters pertaining unto religion , who for conscience sake cannot swear , because their master forbids them , nor pay tithes , because their lord is come who ends the first priesthood that took tithes , and is become their priest , unto whom they could freely give tithe , sacrifice , oblations , &c. but these that be external he wills not , therefore do they freely offer that unto him , which they are sure he will not reject nor despise , to wit , a clean , contrite , and broken heart , &c. and they who live godlily and unreprovably , as becometh right christians , such i do call good and true christians . and foras much as i find the people ( who in contempt are called quakers oftner than christians ) in the light of the lamb , in his doctrine , and in the practices in which the antient christians were exercised , therefore it is meet that they now should be called the good or true christians . and for the anti-christians ( i. e. opposers of , or adversaries to true christianity ) such i call so , as are found professing christianity in words , but deny it in works , as some that professed in words they knew god , but in works they denyed him ; so they that profess to be christians , and live in all manner of unchastity , they by their works deny that which they profess in words , and so are not worthy to be called christians , while they are found in that which is against , or contrary to christianity , in which thousands of persecuting false christians are found ; and therefore do i call such antichristians . how the ancient christians suffered by the heathen ; and how true christians now suffer by the same spirit of enmity and persecution , which is entered into the false christians , alias antichristians . the first persecution . when that the jews were bereaved of their power by the heathen , and that the time was expired wherein they had so cruelly used the people of god , nevertheless the christians were not therefore freed from suffering , for they were therein exercised under the heathens power , and nero was said to be the first tyrannical emperour that persecuted the christians ; it was called the first persecution , because it was under the emperors power , and it began in the year 66 , after the birth of christ , and at that time was chiefly within the city of rome : about that time did people begin to accuse the christians , with all manner of wickedness , and to esteem them as reprobates , because they did not honour the gods. note , have not the true christians suffered in england , under the sundry powers that have been of late , even as the antient christians suffered under the iewes . and it appears that when the iewes were deprived of their power , then did the heathens persecute the christians ; and did not both protectors and parliaments persecute the innocent when they were in authority ? but since they have been deprived of the power , and turned out as the iewes were , when the gentiles came to have the preheminence , hath not the king himself become guilty of their sin in persecuting or suffering the innocent to be persecuted within his dominions ; and hath not all manner of evil been spoken of them , and they been accounted unfit to live in either kingdom or commonwealth , and that chiefly because they could no more honour that proud and ambitious spirit which is gotten up in the hearts of men , then the antient christians heretofore could honour the gods of the heathen ? the second persecution . in the year of our lord 93. did the second persecution begin under the emperour domitianus , under whom several were put to death , and about the same time was the apostle iohn banished unto the island pathmos , where he wrote his revelation ; in those days the christians were so little esteemed , that the people called them cobler , weavers , combers of wool , illiterate and exceeding rustick , or clownish , yea such as knew no good fashions . note . have not some of the true christians been put to death of late in new england ? and have not many of them suffered the spoiling of their goods , and their bodies to be cast into prison , to be whipt , and shamefully intreated by the anti-christians , and that about their religion ? and have not many of the true christians been in derision called coblers , taylers , weavers , plowmen , &c. so little esteem have the true christians now among the children of this world , as the antient christians heretofore have had among the children of men. the third persecution . in the year 102. did the third persecution begin under the emperour trajanus , who tho' he was called a good emperour , did nevertheless persecute the christians , out of humility to the gods , in which persecution several bishops were put to death , as the bishop of rome , the bishop of ierusalem , &c. and at that time the bishop of antioch testified , that sufferings made us like unto christ , who had suffered for us himself , preparing a way through suffering unto eternal life : about the same time did a governour write unto the emperour in the christians behalf , whereupon the emperour wrot , that they should seek no more of them , but those they had in prison should they put to death . note . without controversie the bishop or pope of rome , must needs be much degenerated from that state in which those bishops then were ; forasmuch as he now ( by that power through which they were put to death ) doth put others to death about their religion , for which they then suffered martyrdom : from hence it may be observed that the bishops now , which persecute tender consciences about religion , are found rather in the footsteps of the heathen , then in the condition of those bishops that suffered martyrdom : moreover in these latter days the lord hath stirred up some at times to speak a word , or to write a few lines in the behalf of the true christians unto them in authority , whereby their hearts have been so far moved and reached , that they have done something in order to the mitigating of the sufferings of the innocent , who at this day share with their brethren in the fellowship of the suffering of the gospel . the fourth persecution . in the year , 164. was the fourth persecution of the christians , which arose under the emperour , marcus aurelius and lucias verus , in which polycarpus bishop of smyrna was put to death , who had been a disciple of john , and had been many years in the service of the lord , as he himself acknowledged ; about the same time was iulianus put to death at rome , in whose time the christians were accused for having a fleshly conversion one with another , which he marked to be lyes by their willingness to die , and thereby he coming to be converted , became an eminent teacher of the christians . at lyons in france did there go forth a proclamation , that the christians might not dwell in their houses , nor that they must not converse upon the streets , nor shew their faces ; which being impossible for them to perform , their sufferings became exceeding great ; and in the mean time some of the slaves gave out that the christians lived in filthy lasciviousness among themselves : in this persecution there was one lucius put to death , for reproving the judge for puting the christians to crueller deaths then any other transgressors . note , though the true christians now are vilified and falsly accused by anti-christians as the ancient christians were in former ages , yet wise men can see their innocency , and therefore do they love them in their hearts , and some time some have been convinced , by beholding the patience , long-suffering , and innecency of the innocent in these latter days : who now some time do suffer the loss of their liberty , and the spoyling of their gods , if not banishment , either by vertue of proclamations , or of decrees , or of corrupt laws , which true christians now can no more observe and obey , then the antient christians observed the aforesaid preclamation of the king ; and this hath been evident , that sundry of the true christiant in these later days have died in prison [ as some did in the aforesaid persecution ] where they-sealed their testimony with their blood , as many have done before them : and sometimes it hath hapened that affliction hath been added to the bonds of some of the true christians , when they have told a judge or an inferior officer , that malefactors have had more freedom and liberty then they , and more favour shewn them , by such as were in place of trust ; and this hath been manifest enough in many parts of the nation as is well knowd to many . the fifth persecution . in the year 201. did the fifth persecution begin under the emperor severus , which was hence in part occasioned ( to wit ) when the emperor had a war , and had gotten the victory , the christians kept themselves still , without making tokens of joy , with fires or may-polls , or other triumphs , according to the manner of the heathen : whereupon they accused the christians out of envy , as if they had despised and hated the emperour , and the rather , because the christians would not swear by his fortune : again , they reported that the christians blew out their candles in their meeting in the evenings , and that they did behave themselves unseemly one towards another , so that the christians were despised of ( almost ) all : something to this purpose tertullian rehearseth , saying , the heathen accused the christians of meeting together to sacrifice a child , and after they had taken away his life in a barbarous superstition , that then they committed incest , ( i. e. carnal knowledge betwixt near kindred ) they also added , that the christians had doggs which served to overthrow the candles , and loosing all shame in taking the lights from them , and covering their actions under the vaile of darkness , emboldened them to seek the use of ungodly and sacrilegious ( i. e. abominable ) pleasures . again , ( said he ) the christians were accused of sacriledge , ( i. e. an abusing of sacraments or holy misteryes ) for they did not solemnize with the heathen the days they feasted on in honour to the emperours with all kind of beastly ceremonies , repugnant ( i. e. contrary ) to the christians modesty , chastity , and purity . in those days it was a manner among the christians not to go to any comedies or stage-plays , for they understood , that if they did forsake the devil and all his works , with the world , that then they must forsake comedies and stage-plays : moreover the christians said , we renounce ( i. e. resign or refuse ) your shews , as we condemn their divers originals by the knowledge we have , that they are effects of superstition and idolatry , &c. note . doth it not from hence plainly appear , that the tokens of triumph which are used by anti-christians in england , are heathenish inventions and traditions , in which many have been found of late who profess themselves to be christians : did not many of our english people [ who glory so much of christianity ] make bone-fires [ so called ] set up may-poles , and in , and with such like heathenish inventions , tryumph when the king was proclaimed , when he came to london , and when he was crowned ? and did not then the true christians that feared the lord , keep themselves still and quiet , like unto the antient christians ? and were not they judged to be enemies to the king , and despisers of him , because they did not run with the multitude to the like excess of vanity : but renounced their idolatrous superstitious shewes , which many did not only produce upon the times before mentioned , but which are produced by popishly affected anti-christians upon their popish holy [ but rather prophane ] days : and upon their mayor days , even like unto the heathen , whose manner was to set forth such vain shews upon the days on which they feasted , in whose practise the anti-christians are now found , who also are offended as the heathen were , when they that fear the lord do not observe their days and times , which they , or the heathen have appointed to be solemnized , which sometime they spend in voluptuousness , fulness , and excess , with all kind of beastly ceremonies , ( as tertullian well calls them ) which are now indeed as disagreeing and contrary to christians modesty , chastity , and purity , as the ceremonies were , which the heathen joyned the christians to observe . moreover the true christians have been the rather supposed to be evilly affected to the king , and to be despisers of him , because they can no more take the oaths of allegance ( i. e. obedience of a subject to his prince ) and supremay ( i. e. chief authority ) then the christians heretofore could swear by the emperours fortune , for the true christians now are of basilides mind , who said , it did not become him to swear , because he was a christian , neither would it become them now to do that which their lord and master hath forbid , who said , swear not at all . again , have not the true christians been also upbraided with such false accusations , as if they put out their candles and did behave themselves uncivilly in the evening meetings ; but let such as have thus falsly accused them see in whose steps and practise they are found . moreover it appears , that it was the practise of the heathen to have comedies , or stage-playes , but the christians manner then , was not to go to them , and behold it is not the manner now of antichristians to have comedies , but the manner of the good christians is not to come at them , except it be to bear a testimony against them ; wherefore may not even little children judge , that they who have their comedies for their pastime , at set times and appointed places that such are in the nature and practise of the heathen , who derided the christians and said ; their pleasures were not the christians , and therefore they had reason to reject the things which pleased them as they said : even as anti-christians now reject piety and godliness which pleaseth the true christians , who have pleasure in the lord , and not in unrighteousness , in which the apostatized christians now take pleasure , as the heathen herefore have done . the sixth persecution . in the year 237. did the sixth persecution under the emperour maximinus arise , who partly out of envy to his kinsman alexander ( who had been favourable to the christians ) did persecute the christians : in which persecution there were many put to death ; for the heathen in those days were so spiteful against the christians , that when there was an earth-quake , or a storm , or the like , they laid the blame upon the christians , saying , their gods were angry , because their honour went to nothing through the christians ; this emperour did not raign very long , therefore did this persecution cease the sooner . note . the same spirit of envy which was in the heathen , hath often appeared in the anti-christians , against the true christians in these latter days , who have boren a faithful testimony against the vain honour of false christians , which must be brought to nothing by the power and people of god , even as the honour of the gods , of the heathen was brought to nothing , by the antient-christians , who could not bow to the gods of the heathen , no more then the true christians now , can bow to the corrupt wills of ambitious and unreasonable men , and though the innocent suffer therefore for the present , yet for their sakes , will the lord shorten the days of the wicked , as he did the days of that persecuting emperour . the seventh persecution . in the year 253. did the seventh persecution arise under the emperour decius , who with excessive cruelty did persecute the christians , in this persecution several of the bishops were put to death and such as were the chief among the christians did they torture with many torments , and the houses of the christians they plundred , and that which the plunderers did not esteem that they burned ; in this persecution many suffered martyrdom , some being burned , some beheaded ( women so well as men ) some being whipt to death , and some souldiers ( for incouraging these martyrs in their suffering ) were put to death ; in this terrible persecution several departed from the faith for fear of the torments , yet afterwards came to be restored again , the suffering of the christians was great under this emperour , but his days were also shortened , for he had not raigned two years but was caught in a whag of mire , where he met with a check or reproof for his cruelty . note . thus it appears that the christians that lived godly in christ-iesus , suffered persecution , according to what the apostle hath said ; 2 tim. 3 , 12. and many now that live godly and righteously do suffer not only the imprisonment of their bodies , but also the spoyling of their goods , which have been spoyled both by priests and people , who have sometime ( as it were ) plundred their houses for their dishonest gain , and they have shewed themselves in their carriage and behaviour to be liker unto the heathen then the suffering christians ; who suffered their houses to be plundred , but we do not read that they then plundred the houses of any , but with patience suffered the plundring of their goods , and in this patience and long suffering are the christians ( that are so not in name only , but in nature ) found , in these perillous times . again , have not some souldiers been turned out of their places , yea and brought into suffering for countenancing and favouring the sober , innocent , true christians , among whom some for fear of suffering , may in some respect desert the truth , as some faithless ones among the ancient christians did ; yet we know certainly there are a remnant that cannot bow their knee to baall , but would chuse rather to die the death which many ancient christians suffered , then they will forsake the lords truth , or transgress his righteous law , by breaking his commands . the eighth persecution . in the year 259. did the eighth persecution arise under the emperour valerianus , who put forth a proclamation against the christians , wherein he forbad their meetings , and when this proclamation or order was not observed , then did there follow a great persecution of the christians , in which there was very many put to death , and some were banished , and they converted of the heathen in the place to which they were banished ; but the emperour under whom the christians thus suffered , did not go unreproved for his cruelty , for he was taken prisoner by the king of persia , who made use of him for a foot-stool when he got up upon his horse , &c. note . hath it not happned so in england , that by the kings proclamation the meetings of the true christians have been forbidden ? and when that , they observed the kings proclamation no more then the antient christians observed the emperours ; hath not a great persecution followed ? have not many of the prisons he silled with them , partly because they could not swear , and partly because they continved their meetings , when they were forbidden by the kings proclamation , as the religion of the christians was forbidden by the laws of the heathen ; and therefore did the heathen with much rigour pronounce these words unto the christians , your religion is forbidden by the laws &c. and did not anti-christians the like , when they abused them in their meetings , and broke them up with much violence ; did they not also pronounce these words with much rigour , your meetings are forbidden by the kings proclamation , &c. and forasmuch as the true christians now have chused rather to suffer bonds and imprisonment , yea the spoyling of their goods , and what not ? then they would renounce the faith , deny their religion , or forsak the assembling of themselves together ; it doth therefore appear that the same mind is found in them now , which was heretofore in the antient christians , who chused rather to suffer the loss of their lives , then to forsake him , for whose cause they suffered ; yet we see their persecutors did not always go unreproved ; oh! that other kings , princes , and magistrates , would take warning from that which happened to these persecuting emperours . the ninth persecution . in the year 273. did the ninth persecution arise under the emperour aurelianus , but this persecution was not so great as the other , because he was cut off by death soon after he had determined the same : yet in this persecution was felix the bishop of rome put to death , with several others here and there in divers places . note . often doth the lord frustate the purposes , and determinations of such as conspire mischief against his people , yea have we not seen sundry powers overturned in england , and parliments broken up , and councels ( if not committees also ) shattered to pieces , when they have been determined to do wickedly ? so that sometime they have not had power to bring that forth which they had conceived and brought to the birth , so mightily hath the lord confounded their conspiracies and brought their devices to nought , and this the true christians have concluded to be the lords doing , which they have beheld , and which thing hath been indeed marvelous in their eyes . the tenth persecution . in the year 302. begun the tenth persecution , which was so great , that it exceeded all that had been before it , not only in cruelty , but in continuance , for it continued 12 years , eusebius ( who lived at that time ) writes of it at large in his eclesiastical history ; saying , it was occasioned through the freedom of the christians , who were come into great reputation , and were put in places of office , to rule in countrys and cities , but through their prosperity and voluptuousness , brotherly love came to decrease , haughtyness and pride got up , and in stead of the worship of god , an insolent authority begun to get up in the church of the christians ; and at that time the emperour diocletianus gave forth a proclamation , wherein he commanded that all the christian churches should be pulled down , and the holy scriptures burned , and that the christians should be turned out of their places , with other such like things . after that there came another order that they should cause the chief of of the church to offer unto idols , or else they were to be put to death , then did they begin to rack , torture , and put to death such as resisted , and some were constrained to offer . this persecution hegun as a little sparke , but it spread over the whole church , and the persecution was so hot and great that the persecutors themselves were troubled if not wearyed ; in syria there was so many of the chritians in hold that their prisons were filled with them , and with joy they went unbound to their death , eusebius writes how that many of the christians had their ears cut off , and their noses slit , and other of their members were cut off also , but they who caused it to be thus done unto the christians , did not escape the hand of the lord , for diocletianus who had endeavoured to root out the name of christians , did nevertheless see in his old age that the christians flourished , at which he was troubled and killed himself ; and maximinianus another persecutor , was terribly perplexed with pain in his bowels and other misery which came upon him , the hand of the lord was heavy upon others , who had persecuted the christians , yea and some was made to confess that they had deserved the iudgement from the hand of the lord. note . as the christians were then much prejudiced by their external prosperity , and preferment , so have many thousands been since ; and ( it's like ) the most of the sects that are yet in being among the christians may experience somthing of this ( to wit ) that their great external liberty , and prosperity in the flesh , with their promotion and preferment in the world hath been a great snare unto them , as it was unto the antient christians , who afterwards felt the chastizing hand of the lord , and if all wanton persecuting christians in europe and all the world over felt the same , it might ( i am perswaded ) be good for the humbling of them , who have exalted themselves higher then ever the lord exalted them ; and so are become haughty and insolent , the brotherly love being extinguished , and so have set up an usurpation of authority in matters of religion , concerning the worship of god ; but oh , will not the lord visit for these things , will he not avenge his soul of such hypocritical anti christians , who are now found persecuting and shamefully intreating the lambs of god , with whom in those latter days prisons have been filled , and some of them have had their ears cut off , and the lives of others have been taken away , and that by professing [ but persecuting ] christians who have run on in their blind zeal in persecuting the innocent and harmless christians ; and sometime the remakeable hand of the lord hath been upon their persecutors , though others have not laid it to heart , yet they that have felt it , have mourned under it , and therefore true is that saying . qui ante non cavet , post dolebit the eleventh persecution . in the year 316 did the eleventh persecution of the christians arise , under the emperour licinius ; who formerly had been inclining to the christians and a favourer of them , yet afterwards did he imitate the wickedness and impiety of other tyrants , for he by his injunctions gave commandment , that no charrity should be extended to the christians , for they that shewed them favour were to be punished like the rest . in this persecution the bodies of some were cut in small pieces and thrown into the sea , for to feed the fish : and the flattering presidents to gratify this tyrant tormented such as had done no evil , even as if they had been murtherers , but when the emperour constantine could bear his wickedness no longer he made war with him and overcame him , then did this persecution cease , by whose means also the christians lived in external peace and tranquillity , but after this peace there ensued wars and deadly hatred among the christians themselves . note . many were the tribulations of the antient christians , during the time of these persecutions whereof i writ , howbeit it is very like that then true brotherly love abounded among them , and that they had a perfect fellow feeling of one anothers sufferings , for their hearts was bound up in the bond of love , while they were kept in the unity of the faith , and exercised together in the fellowship of the sufferings of the gospel ; but when these profitable chastizments ceased , and that they who succeeded in the places of those persecutors became the great friends and favourers of the christians , so that they thereby came to enjoy external peace , ease in the flesh , and liberty in the outward ; how soon then did they entertain prejudice and evil , surmizing one against another , how then did they begin to rend and tear one another , and that often about their bishopricks , an benefects ? how then did they run into sects , heaps , and partys , and how did they weary the emperour [ their special friend ] with their complaints one against another , and with the perpetul strife , and division that superabounded among them ? to demonstrate these things at large , would require . a greater volum then i intend to make at this time , and particularly to prescribe them would ask more time then at present i have to spend about this matter , yet thus much i may avouch or boldly affirm , that in those days many evils crept in among christians , which unto this day could not be totally excluded root and branch ; and about that very time when the church was thought to flourish most of all , did many hurtful weeds and degenerat plants took rooting , which have much more thriven and grown among the anti-christians , then the seed of the kingdom , which seed hath been so overgrown and overtopt , that , that little which yet thereof remains , is as hard to be found now in the children of men , as faith wili be to be found upon the earth at the coming of the son of man. the twelfth persecution . in the year 362 did the twelfth persecution arise under the emperour julianus the apostate ( i. e. one that revolted from true religion who had been accounted a christian , but was an hyprocritical dissembler , and counterfeated a monkish life , who being sent into france by the emperour to make war with the barbarians , and obtaining some notable victories was afterwards proclaimed emperour by the souldiers , and then did he set wide open the temples and idoll groves , and sacrificed to pictures and intituled himself an high priest. then the pagans at alexandria stomaked the christians , and that the more , because they went about to disclose unto the world the pagans pictures , to the end their fond ceremonies might be derided of all men : whereupon they boyled within themselves for anger , and took what first came to their hands , set upon them ; and slew of them every kind of way , so that some were run through with swords , some others brained with clubs , other some stoned to death , some strangled with haltors about their necks ; in the end ( as commonly it falleth out in such hurly-burlies ) they held not their hands from their dearest friends ( for one brother sought the other brothers . life , one friend fell upon another , yea the parents put their children to death , and to be short , the one cut the others throat . moreover the emperour julianus gave out a proclamation , that such as would not renounce the christian faith mould warfare no longer in the emperours palace , likewise that all should prepare themselves to sacrifice , and that no christian should bear office in the common wealth ; for their law ( saith he ) forbideth the use of the sword unto such as deserved death , and therefore they are not fit to be magistrates . afterwards he devised a certain slight to wring money from the christians , for he set a great fine upon the heads of such as would not sacrifice , and the tax was very grievous and duly demanded of the christians ; then did the heathen insult over the christians , and the governours of provinces , suposing now that it was high tyde for them under colour of the emperours religion to make up their bagges , vexed the christians far sorer then the emperours proclamation bore them out , demanded greater tax then they were sessed at , and some time tormented their bodys . the emperour understanding of their doings winked at them , and answered the christians , which complained unto him in this sort , it is your part when you have injuries offered unto you , to take the same patiently , for so your god commanded you . the emperour made a law that the christians should not be trained up in prophane literature ( i. e. learning , or cunning , grammer writing ) for ( saith he ) seeing they have the gift of utterance so readily , they shall easely be able to overthrow the quirks of logick wherewith the gentills ( i. e. heathen ) do uphold their doctrine &c. note . as this apostatized emperour julianus exceeded many of his predecessors in subtilty and wickedness , even so have many apostatized professing christians , exceeded the common sort of ignorat people in hypocrisie and craftiness , in deceipt and spiritual wickedness , so that the sufferings of the true christians have been very great under such , as they were , under this emperour iulianus , and as theirs are at this present ; whose sufferings are augmented oftentimes through the covetousness and cruelty of inferiour magistrates , whose wickedness now is not only wincked and connived at , but tollerated and countenanced by their superiors : hath not this been appearent enough at sundry times in englland , where the chief officers have been privy to the unjust and illegal proceedings of their under officers , and yet they have passed it by , as if it had not been worthy of reproof ; in the mean time the innocent , harmless and true christians they have suffered the spoyling of their goods , and that because they would not swear , nor pay tythes to an hireling priest , nor be conformable to the national way of worship for conscience sake , no more then the antient christians could sacrifice , or uphold the worship of the heathenish gods , for the refusing of which they suffered as before mentioned , but it was indeed by and under the heathen , who did neither owne nor profess the doctrine of christ , like as the antient christians doe , who in many things are found as much out of it , as the heathen were , and so consequently rather in the practise of the heathen , then in his doctrine , who said , love your enemies , bless them that curse you , do good to them that hate you , and pray for them which dispitefully use and persecute you . math. 5. 44. but this doctrine is little more regarded by some anti-christians , then by the heathen themselves , whose manner was to uphold their doctrine by quirks of logick , even as the priests do now , for when they cannot uphold their doctrine , and maintain their religion by spiritual weapons , then will they betake themselves unto their quirks of logick , and when they are insufficient for them , then do they ordinarly make their addresses unto them in authority , for to crave their help and assistance , but this was not the practise of the ancient christians , neither is it the matter of the true christians now , but the custom of the anti-christians , who are found in the practise of the heathen . i have read , how that when the nicene counsel was sommoned , which consisted of above three hundred bishops , besides the priests , deacons and others which were heard to be numbered , the logicians busied themselves , propounding against divers others certain preambles of disputation , and when divers were there drawn to disptuation , and allured as it were by bait ; a lay-man ( that is not one of the clergy , who was of a simple and sincere mind , set himself against the logitians , and told them thus in plain words , that neither christ nor his apostles had delivered unto us the art of logick , neither vain falacies ( i. e. crafty devises ) but an open and plain mind to be preserved of us with faith and good works . afterwards the logitians quieted themselves and held with his sentence , logick . note . thus we see that this art of logick ( in which the heathens were very expert , and by the quirks of which they upheld their doctrine was not approved of by all the ancient christians , tho is begun to creep in amongst them when they appostized , but by some it was testified against then , as it is now , by the true christians , who are in the life and power of godliness , which was before this sophiestical and deceitful art was , by the quirks of which , persecutors have upheld their doctrine , and by the quirks of it , persecutors do uphold their doctrine ; but so did not christ , nor his apostles , nor the ancient suffering christians , neither doth the true christians now , who abide in the light and doctrine of their lord and master , who is king of kings , and lord of lords , blessed for ever more . the histories do relate , that in these twelve persecutions which were against the christian church , the blood of about five hundred thousand was shed ; and that among all these that suffered , there was not one that by weapons revenged himself , but patience was their armour , and thereby did they conquer the severity of the emperours : relig. vryh . lib. 1. fol. 198. note . therefore such christians now as suffer patiently for righteousnes sake , without resisting or revenging themselves by violence with carnal weapons , are rather found in the spirit and practise of the ancient christians , then revengeful persecuting men , who are commonly called christians , yet do not only do wrong to their brethren and fellow creatures , but are also found revenging themselves of the wrong done unto them by others , contrary to the doctrine of the apostle , and contrary to the practise of the ancient christians , in which doctrine and practise the true christians are found . thus have i very briefly run through these twelve remarkable persecutions which were sustained by the antient christians under the heathen . here followeth a short relation of some persecution , which was by some false christians after they were apostatized from the faith , and patience , love and long suffering , which the true christians retained while they abode in the doctrine of their lord and master . the first persecuting christians were called arians from one arius a priest at alexandria , a man very skilful in the subtilties of sophistical logick , who reasoned thus , saying , if the father begat the son , then had the son which was begotten a beginning of essence ; hereby it is manifest ( said he ) that there was a time when the son was not , and the consequent to follow necessarily , that he had his essence of nothing . when he had with this strange kind of doctrine concluded and laid down this position , he provoked many to reason hereof , so that of a small spark a great fire was kindled ; and for the debating of this , with a controversie that was in the church about the feast of easter , was the nicene counsel sommoned ; and when the arians had got the emperour on their sides , then did they set up themselves and did boast of the emperours religion , and by force of arms did they instal ( i. e. consecrate ) one lucius an arian in the bishoprick at alexandria ; and they laid hands or peter that before was bishop and clapt him in prison , and the rest of the clergy the banished , some unto one place , and some unto another ; and horible acts was committed afterwards against ' such as inhabited the rest of egypt , by imprisoning of some , tormenting of others , exileing ( i. e. banishing ) of the rest ; then did the world begin to favour the ariens much , and after the emperours edict ( i. e. ordinance or proclamation ) was proclaimed , the houses of the righteous in the desert were spoiled , overthrown and cruely beaten to the ground ; the armed souldiers set upon the silly and unarmed people ( who stretched not out a hand for their own defence ) and slew them miserably : the history saith , that the manner of the slaughter was so lamentable , that it cannot sufficiently be manifested unto the world , and when the emperour valens , had by law ordained that persecution should be raised against all that maintained the faith of one substance , then was many brought before the bar , many clapt up in prison , others diversly tormented , for they vexed them with sundry punishments which led a peaceable and quiat life , and many of them were set at nought , scourged , spoyled of their rayment , fettered in prison , grushed with stones , beheaded with bloody swords , shut up in the desert , covered with sheep and goats skins , destitute of aid and succour , grievously afflicted wonderfully troubled with the adversary , many wandred in deserts and dangerous ways , they hid themselves in mountains , in denns , in caves , and hollow rock's ; these afflctions they suffered for their faith , and for their works ; after that these notable men through their invinciblé patience and sufferance had overcome the sundry and manifold torments : lucius ( that persecuting bishop ) perswaded the captain to exile the father and ring leaders of these religious men , and they were banished into an island , where there was not a christian , yet it is said , that they converted both priest and people unto the christian faith. when the world favoured the arians in this sort , they set up themselves , they crowed insolently over the christians , they scourged , reviled , imprisoned , and laid upon them all the grievous and intollerable burthens they could devise ; the true christians being thus oppressed with extream dealing went unto the emperour , besought of him , that if not altogether , yet at least wise , he would ease them of some part of their troubles : but he was their deadly foe and the cause of their calamity ; for when eighty of the clery were sent in the name of all the rest to him , to open their grief unto him , and they certified unto him the injuries which they sustained at the hands of the arians : he , altho' he was very much incensed against them , yet concealed he his displeasure until that privily he had commanded his lieutenant to lay them in hold , and to punish them with death : and then he made them believe that he would banish them the country , which they seemed to take in good part , and they going aboard and taking shiping , as if they were to be conveyed into forrain and far countries : but the lieutenant charged the marriners , that when they came in the main sea , they should set the ship on fire , so that dying in that sort they should have none to bury them , and so they did , and in the end , the ship , with the christians that were in her , were consumed to ashes , but it is reported that this horrible act was not long after revenged , for immediately the land was plagued with a sore and lamentable famine . again there was a certain man called moses , who led in the desert the monastical ( i. e. solitry or comfortless ) trade of life , but for his zeal , faith and godliness , and for the strange miracles wrought by him , he was famous among all men : and a certain queen called mavia , required of the romans this moses to be her bishop . moses therefore was taken from the wilderness , and sent to alexandria for orders , and when moses was come in the presence of lucius , the persecuting bishow before mentioned , he refused to receive orders at his hands , reasoning with him in this sort : i think my self unworthy of the priestly order ; yet if it be for the profit of the common wealth that i be called unto the function , truly thou lucius shalt never lay hand upon my head , for thy right hand is imbrued with slaughter and bloodshed . then lucius said again , that it became him not so contumeously to revile him , but rather to learn of him the precepts of christian religion ; moses answered , i am not come now to reason of matters of religion , but sure i am of this , that thy horrible practises against the brethren , prove thee to be altogether void of the true principles of christian religion ; for the true christian striketh no man , fighteth with no man : for the servant of god should be no fighter : but thy deeds in exileing of some , throwing of others to wild beasts , burning of some others , do cry out against thee : yet are wee surer of the thing we see with our eyes then of these we hear with our ears : this happened in the year of our lord 272 : in which time it came to pass that the meetings of the christians were forbidden : and upon a certain time there was a woman that went very zealously with her child towards the meeting of the christians , and being asked of the judge whither she was going , she replyed and said , to the meeting of the christians , to die there a martyr with this child : with which answer the judge was so smitten that he ceased persecuting . in the 1035 did berengarius with the bishop bruno in france begin to teach against infants babtizm , and transubstantiation ( i. e. a changing of one substance into another , as the papists imagine the bread and wine to be changed into the body of christ , through , or after consecration , which doctrine begun presently to spread it self through france and germany ; against which pope leo ix . held two synods in the year 1050 one at rome and another at vercle , in which the opinion of these two were condemned . in the year 1126 did peter de brusius teach against infants babtizm , transubstantiation , praying for the dead and such like things , which he preached near upon twenty years , and finally because of this doctrine , was he burned : for then was the pope begun to follow the foot steps of the arrians , in persecuting men to death for their religion , though it was not the practise of the apostles . in the year 1139 did arnaldus teach against infants babtism , transubstantiation and other things , but the pope innocentus the second , commanded him to be silent , fearing least he should spread this doctrine much ; there was one peter abailardus of the same opinion : and to this opinion many of the clergy were brought , insomuch that three popes had enough to do , one after another , to reduce them to their superstition : afterwards this abailardus was apprehended and burned to ashes in rome . moreover there arose some who suffered themselves to be called apostolical , because they said they walked in the footsteps of the apostles : they rejected infants babtism , the purgatory , praying for the dead , and calling upon the saines with other of the romish ceremonies , they also rejected the priests that led a sinful life ; these were called unlearned blockish clowns . in the year 1176 , there was a people raised up in the province of albi in france , whose opinion was ( as baronius writes ) that infants babtism was not necessary to salvation ; that an unworthy sinful priest , could not administer the sacrament , that none should be bishops except they were unreprovable , that men should build no churches to the honour of god , nor to the honour of the saints , and that it was unlawful to swear , neither would they receive the doctors interpritations . these people ( saith baron ) were taken into the protection of some princes and rulers , against whom the pope made war because they would not persecute them , and expel them out of their country . in the year 1178. the king of france and the king of england , observing how these people did daily increase ; they concluded together per force of arms to expel them out of their coasts ; but changing their mind , they first laboured to convert them by the clergy : and to that end was there many bishops and learned men sent to convert these ( whom they juged to be heriticks ) by their sermons : but withal they sent several men with their clergy : that in case they with their sermons , reasons and arguments could not overcome them , that then the other should fall upon them and drive them out . and when the bishops with their traine were come to the city toulous , where the aforesaid people were ; they ingaged the citizens by an oath to discover them they knew to be of this people . and among the rest there was one peter moranus discovered , and being examined he made a confession of his faith freely , and therefore was he presently condemned for a heritick , and all his goods were confiseated , with his sumpteous house in which he had holden meetings , and part of it was demolished : but this faithless peter when he saw this storm , begun to fear and begun to be sorrowful seemingly , and begged forgiveness ; and it was granted him with this condition , that one bishop with another man should whip him , he going naked and barefoot towards the church , and that three years long he must go pilgrimage to ierusalem , ( which then was become a fashion among the apostazed christians ) and when the three years were expired , he was to have his confiseated goods again . now others of the aforesaid people observing this , begun somewhat to fear , and some seemed to recant , but when there was an oath required of them , they refused to take it , whereupon they were rejected as heriticks and afterwards were banished : and it was commanded that all the catholicks should shun them ; and that all princes should expel them out of their countrys . in the year 1199 the the aforesaid people begun to be dispersed in many citys and countrys , and their doctrine begun to spread exceedingly yea through the most part of europe that the popes with the assistance of the princes and secular powers , had enough to do to root out the same , first they endeavoured by disputing and afterwards by banishment , and lastly by all manner of torturing , burning hanging and cruell bloodsheding , so that the whole world seemed to be as in an uproar : and this was all about religion . when that the christians had gotten the power into their own hands ( i mean the secular or earthly power ) then did they by that power persecute as they had been persecuted , compel , as they had been complled , and put men to death about their relegion , as their bretheren had been put to death for their religion ; and with this thing the church of rome hath not only corrupted her self , but the most of the sects that have come out of her , when they got the carnal sword in their hands , then did they endeavour to defend their sect , their religion , their worship , and their discipline with that sword , which may kill the body , but connot slay nor destroy the spiritual wickedness in the body , which at this day abounds among anti-christians , who are yet persecuting about worship , faith , religion and things of this nature , as their forefathers , the arrians did ; in whose steps most of the professors have been found , who wrestle with flesh and blood ; and when that their clargy could not prevail with their original , with their philosophy , with their quirks of logick ; nor with their strong reasons and arguments ; then were they to have the help of the civil magistrate , unto whom they have cryed for help , as the jews did unto the men of israel , and often have they combined together for to kill and destroy , that which god had made alive , yea and to extinguish that which he had kindled , as appears from what i have rehearsed ; and the same spirit of enmity ( which hath been in the world since the beginning ) hath appeared often , against the work of god and his instruments , as it now hath appeared against the true christian-quakers , who are found in the footsteps of the suffering ( but not of the persecuting ) christians . i might here add , very much concerning the terrible and redious persecution in iermany , and in the low-countrys , which begun in the year 1524. and continued untill the year 1641. about the beginning of which , the emperour put forth a proclamation , wherein it was contained , that all such as were found stained or polluted with the cursed sect of anabaptism ( for so he called it ) of what state or condition soever they were , their adhaerents and compliences , were to forfeit both their lives and estates , and were to be brought to the utmost punishment without any delay , especially those that continued constant , and that had baptized any , likewise they that had the name of prophets , apostles , or bishops , they were to be burned : and all other sorts of people that were baptized , or had entertained any of the aforesaid anabaptists , though they renounced that oppinion and were truly sorry for what they had done , yet were they to be drowned : and for the better manifesting of the wederdoopers the emperour expressly commanded all his subjects , that they manifested the same to the officer , of the place where they lived , or where they were found : and if any knew of them , and did not manifest the same to the officer , or officers of the place , such were to be punished , as favourers of , complyers , with , and adhaerents to the aforesaid sect : and such as did discover the same , were to have the third part of the partys confiscated goods . moreover he forbad all his subjects , to re-require or further any mercy , favour or forgivness , for the aforesaid wederdoopers , or anabaptists , or to occasion request , or shew any petition on their behalf in pain of being arbitrarily punished ; forasmuch as he would not allow that any of the aforesaid people ( because of their wicked oppinion as he called it ) should be received into mercy or favour , but they should be severly punished , to be made examples to the rest , without any dissimulation , favour or delay . this was given out at brussel and printed the 10 day of iuly ( so called ) anno 1535. when this same came to be proclaimed , most terrible persecutions did follow , and great havock was made of these people , the cruelty of their persecutors towards them , the severity ▪ o●… their punishments , by terrible tortures and sad imprisonments , with the sundry sorts of cruel deaths which they suffered in this sore persecution , would be to tedious for me now to rehearse perticulerly , together with the reproach of the wicked , the threatning of tyrants , how they would not fly when they were apprehended , though sometimes they had oppertunity , how they were hindred from praying at the time of execution , how the rulers were devided among themselves concerning them , and somtimes the wrath of the furious magistrats was mitigared , and they brought to a sence of the suffering sufferers , and laid down their commissions , comforted the sufferers , and prayed for forgiveness : and likewise how the sufferers were prevented from speaking , sometimes with bridles , sometimes with balls in their mouths , and sometimes with cords or ropes , sometimes by drums , sometimes having their tongue bound , with other inhumane devices : and what iudgment fell upon their persecutors ? these things to demonstrate at large , ( i say ) would require a far greater volume than i am now determined to publish ; and them to compose , translate , and transcribe , would ask more time than i can now well spare , having the weight of a weightier service upon me ; yet for the reader 's better satisfaction , i shall here rehearse what articles were charged against one of them , with a hint of the manner of this suffering , whereby he may the better judge how and for what the rest suffered . first article . that he and his adhaerents had done contrary to the emperours proclamation . 2. that he had taught and believed , that the sacrament was not the body and blood of christ , 3. that he had taught and believed , that infant baptisme was not profitable to salvation . 4. that he had rejected the sacrament of anointing with oyle . 5. that he had rejected and despised mary the mother of god. 6. that he had said , that men should not swear to , or before the magistrate . 7. that he had begun a new and an unheard of custome of the lords supper , laying bread and wine in a platter , and hath eaten the same . 8. that he was gone out of the order , and had taken a wife . 9. that he had said , if the turk came into the country he would not resist him , and that if it were lawsul to fight , he would rather draw●…a sword against the christians , than against the turks . these were the articles that were drawn up against him , which were looked upon as hainous things against their holy faith , and their mother the holy church ( as they called it and especially the last of the nine , concerning which he gave them this reason , saying , den turck is een rechten turck , ende en weet van dat christen geloove niet , ende is een turck mae den vleesche : maet shy wilt christenen zijn , ende veroemt u christi , maer ●…hy vervolght de broom getuygen christi ende zijt curcken na den geest . which by interpretation is , the turk is a right turk , and knoweth nothing of the christian faith , and so is a turk according to the flesh ; but you will be christians , and you will glory of christ ? and yet persecuted the honest or faithful witnesses of christ , and so are spiritually turks . afterwards the magistrates laughed at his answer and reason , cast their heads together , and the recorder spoke to him , saying , yen , thou infamous , devil and monk , should men dispute with thee ; yea the hangman shall dispute with thee , believe me that . michael sadler ( for so he was called ) said , what the lord will , that shall come to pass . recorder , thou devilish heretick i tell thee , that if there were not a hangman , i would hang thee my self , and think that i did god good service thereby . after other words that passed betwixt them , there was one that stood by m. s. and drew out a sword that lay upon the table , saying to m. with this shall men dispute with thee . when some asked him , why he did not continue a lord in the cloyster , he answered and said , that according to the flesh he was a lord , but , said he , it is better to be thus : after these things had passed , his sentence was read , which was to this purpose , that he should be delivered over to the hangman , and that he should cut out his tongue , and that afterwards he should be cast upon a waggon , and that his flesh should be twice torn with hot glowing tongues , and that afterwards he should be brought withhot the port , and there tortured , and afterwards as a heretick burned to ashes . thus it was done to him , and so was he martyred ; his brethren were executed with the sword , his wife and sisters were drowned , anno 1527. and these were the fruits of the false christians , who were become as cruel persecutors , as the iews and heathen had done of the true christians : which thing i determined to manifest according to what i have in part done , through the help and assistance of him that put it into my heart to undertake this matter . the people that suffered in this persecution were upbraided with ian van leyden , his consorts , and that bloody and ambitious insurrection which happened at munster , even as the christian-quakers have been upbraided with that infortunate and unhappy insurrection , which of late happened through wilful men at london . note . the baptists themselves do confess , that they are very much fallen and degenerated from that state and condition , in which they were , that then suffered martyrdom . how the papists once cryed out against forcing of conscience : how calvin was against it , and for it : how luther and they that owned him were intreated , when they renounced popery , and when the protestants begun to persecute . the papists themselves ( who have been the greatest persecutors of any that ever professed christianity ) when they were much conquered in the low-countries , and came to be persecuted by such as they had persecuted ; then they themselves cryed out against forcing of conscience as an unfitting thing , and then could they say also , that the conscience ought to be free , &c. this appears by their remonstrations , requests , and apologies : vide merckteyck , pag. 126. calvin , swinglius , and others , before they had gotten the power in their hands , they carried themselves meek and lowly , and condemned persecutors , but when they were become strong and mighty , then did they glory in their magnificence , and begun to beat their fellow creatures ; yet when calvin was persecuted himself , he blamed such as sought to compel others to believe by corporal punishments ; but afterward he himself taught that hereticks might be punished with the sword : merck-teyck , pag. 151 , 153. when luther renounced popery , then was he looked upon as a devil in man's shape , and as a veterator ( i. e. an old experienced crafty deceiver , or a subtle knave ; ) yea , as a wicked shameless man that bewitched people ; and the lutherans were looked upon in the general for the shamefull est people that were to be found upon the earth , and not worthy that the sun should shine upon them , and in those days people were to burn them for hereticks , without shewing them mercy . bond. hist. lib. 40. f. 449. afterwards when they were grown mighty , then they contended with others about religion , and run out in bitter scolding , blaspheming , partial judgment , and condemning others that came out of popery , so well as the papists , and that not only in their pulpits , but also with their libels . likewise in the low-countries the reformed remonstrants scolded at , and reviled the contra-remonstrants ; notwithstanding the proclamation of the lords , the remonstrants were cryed out against as pelagians , socinians , &c. yea , as papists , traytors , and enemies of the country . acerba●… fratrum bella , prov. 18 , 19. as for the arminians , they were accused for bringing in atheism , ( i. e. the damnable opinion of the atheists ) for being hereticks ; yea , more hurtful and more dangerous than the arrians , macedonians , and other sects , and it was said of them , that they damned themselves before god ; with all that heard them . and upon a certain time , when the priests were met together at harlem , they desired ( for the defence of their religion , that the proclamation against the arminians might be renewed , published , and put in execution . thus the priests manifested the same evil spirit of persecution to be in their hearts , which was in the papists , whom they pretended to renounce in words , yet they retained their envious spirit , which could bear others no more that differed from them , than the papists could bear them . the histories do shew how that after the protestant church , had been about ten years , then did they put forth a proclamation against the wederdoopers , ( i. e. such as were baptized again , or anabaptists as they are commonly called in england ) wherein they commanded all the inhabitants of the land , to discover unto their officers the wederdoopers , to prevent their multiplying , ( it is said ) they were determined to put them to death , with their adhaerents , according to their laws , &c , merck-teyck , pag. 154. thus it appears from what i have here briefly instanced , that the protestants so well as the papists , have been out of the right way , and that they have run in the way of the persecuting iews , persecuting gentiles , and persecuting arrians , who are said to be the first that persecuted under the name of christians ; but since many sects have followed their pernicious ways , rather than the practise of the ancient christians , who stretch'd not forth a hand in their own defence ( as it is said ) when they were persecuted , but both papists , lutherans , calvinists , ( otherwise presbyterians ) arminians , independants , and many of the wederdoopers have shewed themselves to be of another spirit since they degenerated from that glory and power ; love and life , meekness and long-suffering , patience and purity , which abounded among the ancient christians in the primitive church , unto which the eternal god hath again restored a remnant , who at this time suffer , as the manner of their fellow citizens hath been who are gone before . and such as are now found in the life and power of the truth , they are at this day judged by papists , by lutherans , by arminians , by presbyterians , by independants and paptists , &c. as the lutherans and others were , when they renounced popery : and the sects now , that are among the protestants , are as apt to hate and cast out their brethren from among them , when they come to walk in a more excellent way than the rest of their sect , as the papists were , to persecute them that renounced popery ; therefore are the protestants so well degenerated as the papists ; witness their daily practises . a catalogue of the synods and counsels . which were summoned after the days of the apostles : as also the cause for which many of them were summoned ; together with a hint of what they decreed , likewise shewing in what year several of them were held , &c. in asia sundry synods were held , in which montanus was excommunicated and his heresie condemned . euseb. lib. 5. ch . 14. anno 193. there was a synod held at rome touching the time of the celebration of the feast of easter , where victor excommunicated all the eastern churches euseb. lib. 5. ch . 23. anno 195. there was five or six synods held in sundry parts of the world about the celebration of the seast of easter , in which the bishop or pope of rome had no more authority then the other bishops , he in his city and they in theirs were chief , and when he went obout to challenge authority over the eastern churches , irenaeus bishop of lyons in france sharply reproved him for it , euseb. lib. 5. ch . 23. there was a synod held at carthage , which is said to have erred about the rebaptizing of hereticks . anno 287. there was a counsel of 300 bishops called together at sinvessa where the bishop or pope of rome , was condemned for denying christ and sacrificing to idols . therefore the pope of rome , hath erred , and may erre . anno 311. there was a counsel held at neocaesarea , where among other things it was decreed , that none should be made priest before he was thirty years old . constantine called a counsel to remove the dissention risen among the bishops . anno 330. a general counsel was called at nice of three hundred and eighteen bishops by constantinus magnus , where they condemned arrius , debated the controversie about easter , laid down a form of faith , &c. silvester called at rome 284 bishops in the presence of constantine , where they laid down canons ( i. e. laws ) for the government of the clergy . anno 336. a counsel held at eliberis in spain in the time of constantine , decreed , that the usurer , should be excommunicated : that tapers ( i. e. candles ) should not burn in the day time in church yards ; that images should be banished the church , that nothing should be painted upon the wall to be worshiped , &c. but are not usurers now admitted without any scruple to be members both of the papist , and also of the protestants churches ? and are not images errected in their masshouses , ( which they call churches ) and many painted upon their walls , and in their glasswindows ? the vanity and evil of which this aforesaid counsel saw , and therefore were they prohibited then , though they are practised and upheld now , by the apostatized christians . anno 340. the counsel of gragra condemned the heretical opinions of tustathius , and allowed the marriage of the priests . a counsel held at carthage , decreed that there should be no rebaptizing , and that clergimen should not meddle with temporal affaires . a counsel of arrian bishops met at antioch , where they endeavoured to abrogate ( i. e. to take away , abolish , or disannul ) the nicene creed . thus like the builders of babel were they devided , for that which one synod decreed and set up ; that did another synod abolish and throw down . anno 350. a general counsel was summoned at sardis , for the hearing of them whom the arrians had exiled ( i. e. banished ; ) the counsel restored them , and deposed ( i. e. put down ) their accusers , and condemn the arrians , and confirmed the nicene creed . anno 355. a counsel of arians held at sermium scourged among them osius , and made him subscribe unto atheism ( i. e. the damnable opinion of the atheist . ) but the like was never done by the apostles , for they never sought to bring any from atiheism , or to atiheism , by scourging but ●…ather suffered themselves to be scourged by iews and atheists . a general counsel was summoned to meet at millian , where the east and west chruches brawled about athanasius and dissolved the counsel agreeing upon nothing . the meletians assembled at antioch , where they laid down the macedonians opinion of the son of god , jump between the arians and the true christians , where they proved themselves neuters i. e. an indiferent party , not on the one side , nor the other . anno 368. a counsel at laodicea decreed that the laity , or common people should not chuse the priest : that lissons should be read in the church , between certain psalmes , and service should be morning and evening , that the gospel should be read with other scripture on the sunday ; that lent should be observed righteously without solemnizing the feasts of the martyrs and that christians should not dance at bride houses &c. a counsel was called at illytini where the truth in the blessed trinity ( i. e. three joyned in one ) was confessed . a counsel held at valentia in france decreed priests should not marry . the first counsel held at toledo in spaine , decreed that priests should marry . therefore one of those counsels have erred , though the papists say they could not erre . there was a councel held at chalcedon , where chrysotom was condemned : of spite , and for no other crime . a counsel was called at cyprus , where through the spite of theophilus bishop of origen were condemned . the third counsel held at carthage decreed ; that the cletgy in their yeirs of discretion should either marry or vow chastity ; and that the chief bishop should not be called prince of the priests or highest prles●… , but only the bishop of the chief see ( i. e. seat. ) if the counsel erred not in decreeing this decree , the popes have erred since , who have been called the prince of all the world , and hath been said to have the place of the everlasting king upon earth , unto whom all power in heaven and earth was given , and whom all nations should serve , &c. therefore may the pope through arrogancy err , so well as counsels which have erred ; so that we may conclude that both popes and counsels ( which are erred from the spirit ) are fallible and have erred , as doth and may more fully appear . anno 417. a counsel held at hippo decreed that bishops and priests should look well to their children , that the head bishop of the head see should not be called the chief priest , and that no scripture should be read in the church but canonical ( i. e. approved by exact rule . ) the counsel held at taurinum was held for the reformation of the clergy , which then was corrupted ; but since much more . the counsel of matta condemned the pelagians and donatists and concluded that infants were to be baptized . the counsel of agatha decreed that none should be made priest before he was 30 years old ; and that the clergy should wear such attire as became their profession , with many other constitutions . the first and second counsel held at vasio decreed that in such churches , where preachers were not , deacons should read homelies ( i. e. sermons or speeches . ) a counsel held at carpentoracte decreed , that the bishops should not poul the parishes ( that i●… not to rob , pillage , or take mony from them by extortion or deceit . it would be good that every bishop now in being , observed well this decree , and kept clear of pouling their parishioners by extortion and deceit , which many of their forefathers have been guilty of , and it is expected now by many , that they who have of late been installed will in this particular follow their example , rather then the apostles , who covered no man's bishoprick , nor benefice , no man's tithe nor augmentations , no man's gold , silver nor apparel , &c. a counsel held at venice decreed , that no clergy man should be at wedding dinners , dancings and hearing of wanton sonnets , or vain songs , &c. all the bishops of affrick came together by the commandment of honoricus the arrian , where his heresie was confirmed and 444 bishops exiled or banished . anno 492. a synod of 70 bishops were called together at rome where the canonical scripture ( i. e. such as were approved by exact rule ) were severed from such as were apocrypha ( i. e. doubtful or not well known . ) a synod met at epaunis and decreed , that no clergy man should either hunt or hauk ; that throughout the province such divine service as the metropolitan ( i. e. chief city , or arch-bishop ) liked of , should be retained . it is to be noted , that though this uniformity was thus decreed by the synod in the apostacy , that through the province such divine service as the chief city , or arch-bishop liked of should be retained , yet the apostles decreed no such thing that the scripture makes mention of . a counsel held at aurelia decreed that lent should be solemnly kept before easter , the rogation or gang week with the emberdays about the assention , a counsel held a gerundia in spain decreed , that every province should observe one order of divine service , that baptism should be ministred only at easter and whitsontide , and at other times if necessity so required , and that the lord's prayer should be said at evening and morning prayer , a counsel held at caesar augusta , accursed such as received the sacrament , and eat it not in the church . a general counsel was called at constantinople , which decreed , that mary should be called the mother of god. anno 583. the first and second synods were called at lyons for the removing of schism ( i. e. divisions in matters of religion ) raised in the church . six synods were held at rome touching the electon of a bishop and the preservation of church goods , &c. malum consilium , consultori pessimum . these things have i thought good here to recapitulate or briefly to rehearse , to the end that the great apostasie ( so often spoken of ) might be evidently manifest to all , and the great fall and revolution of the church from the apostles doctrin and practise : for when they assembled together it doth not appear that there was such discord and divisions , such strife and a●…tipathy , such brawling and contention , in their general assemblies , as there was in the counsels before mentioned , neither did they manifest such a bitter spirit of enmity and discord , when they chused mathias in the room of judas , nor yet when they chused the seven disciples , acts 1. chap. 6. moreover when the apostles and elders and brethren were assembled together to determin what was best to be done touching the doctrin sowed by certain that came from judea , which taught the brethren saying ; that except they were circumcised after the manner of moses they could not be saved ; after they had debated the matter they decreed with one accord to send chosen men unto the gentiles and to injoyn them to abstain from things offered to idols and blood , from that which was strangled and from fornication , &c. but it doth not appear that they out of spite condemned or excommunicated those of iudea , and held them forthwith for acursed , because of their error , like as the apostatized bishops and clergy men have done one with another and one unto another , as appeareth from what i have before rehearsed . again when paul came to ierusalem he went with the brethren unto iames , where all the elders were assembled ; and there they determined what they thought best to be done , and decreed that paul should purifie himself according unto the law , &c. these counsels or general assemblies o●… the apostles and brethren the scripture makes mention of , yet it doth not appear from the scripture , that the apostles and brethren , decreed the celebration of the feast of easter , or that none should be made priest till they were thirty years old , neither doth it appear that they brawled about men , and agreed upon nothing ; nor yet that they ordered lessons to be read in the church between certain psalms ; neither doth it appear from the scripture that they decreed that lent should be righteously observed , and that the priests should not marry , nor yet that infants should be baptized ; neither doth it appear that they decreed that the clergy should wear a different attire from other men , or that such divine service as the metropolitan liked of , should be retained ; i say it doth not appear that they ( to wit the apostles and brethren ) decreed these or such like things in their counsells , but that since the apostles days they have been decreed by the synods and counsels , which have been in the apostasie , and yet at this day many of them are taught for doctrins , though they be but the traditions of fallible synods and counsels , as i have shewn . inclinemus igitur aurum verbo dei in corde , & non ex conciliis contendentium episcoporum non ex disputationibus novitiis , non ex forensibus & manicipalibus gestis , sed in nostris cordibus veritatem quaeramus . the iudgment of some notable men concerning synods , ( i. e. general or universal assemblies ) ●…nd counsels , together with their effects . i. in the days of berardus the church of rome was polluted with many superstitions ; and baudaert said , that the bishops were rather biters of sheep then true shepheards ; and upon a time when he was in a counsel of the clergy , and had seen how unchristianly they dealt , he said ; sometime i have admired , that among the little number of the twelve apostles there was a traitor ; but now do i wonder much more , that among this great number of so many bishops and prelats , that one upright disciple of christ cannot be found , apop . chr. lib. 13. pag. 260. daar geen godvreesendheid bij en is , daar is 't , hoe geleerder , hoe verkeerder . where ther 's neither god's fear , nor godliness , ther 's the more learn'dess , the more perversness . ii , gregorius theologus ( who lived about three hundred years after the birth of christ ) said , that he had promised and determined never to come at synods , forasmuch as he observed that always there came more evil then good out of them , for the ambitiousness and contention of the bishops is above measure ( said he ) anno 300. iii. the reformed protestants testified ; that synods and counsels which strove upon the earth might err , and with the most voyces conclude lies , in this or the other point , according to what experience in all ages hath taught , eub. ch . 28 , 29 , &c. iv. d. calvin testified that prophets and pastours , the church counsels have erred ; and that god hath often discovered that in counsels which was humane ; to the end that people should not rely or depend too much upon men , instit. 4. ix . ch . 3. v. boudaert said in gilterland's synod ; soffragia non ponderanda sed numeranda esie , ( i. e. that voyces were not to be pondred but numbred ) but said he , if the church reign in this manner or deal with voyces , shall not the most evil surprize the best which is the least , for is it not so most commonly ? and when that the shepheards come to be changed into wolves , are not the innocent , harmless sheep then in pittiful danger ; espetially ( saith he ) when rulers of cities are stirred up by passionate priests . vi. d. pareus said , often hath the truth suffered wrong in synods , because all that were assembled agreed in one error , so that the truth came often times to be abandoned , and with silence passed by . iren. 57. p. vii . it hath been said , the church judged of the doctrine of the church . according to this saying , shall the papists church judge of the the doctrine of popery , the lutherans , the calvinists , the anabaptists and every one of them ; but what such a judgment is this ? otherwise then that which is daily practised , by their one condemning another , and every one maintaining his own sect : so saith hilarius . what unity or edification is there in such work , and in so much following partial counsels or conferences ? none at all , said he . viii . beza declared expresly that the church and counsel might err , and that they had often erred , and that the devil in some old counsels had sitten as president in them . ix . the professors of leyden said , we see that particulars have not only erred , but general counsels , for shepheards may also be devoures ; isai. 56. 10. ezech. 34. jer. 23. and the church being gathered into a synod , may be a church yet not of god , but of malignity ; likewise they that profess the name of god , may abuse their power against the truth : yet they that do so , will not say that of themselves , not yet acknowledge themselves to be guilty ; may not every one then judge of synods , and declare their opinion concerning them ? x. museulus said , concerning the synods of priests , which the unexperienced think to be the only remedy against differences , yet they are nothing else ( said he ) but fencing-schooles . nevertheless the complaining church cryeth , after the synod then , after the synod , will they not do that , &c. xi . gregorius nazianzenus used to say , that he never had seen any good end of any counsel or synod , vide inst. calv. 4. lib. 9. ch . 11. xii . the states of holland said to the lords of amsterdam ; this hath men heretofore observed , that the reformation was not accomplished by synods : for the remedy was not to be expected from the clergy , who were the cause of the desease : anno. 1616. mark-teeck . forasmuch as many at this day have great expectations in their minds of peace and tranquillity , together with an uniformity and settlement in ecclesiastical affaires , which they suppose might be procured through the means of a synod or convocation , which some imagin would be a speedy remedy for their deplorable disease : i have therefore thought good not only to give a brief hint of the many synods , of which i have spoken , but also in short to instance the approbation and judgment of them that were accounted wiser men in their generation , then the christian-quakers are accounted by this generation , that if peradventer i might thereby in any wise convince them , through alledging that which some that are renowned among them have affirmed ; even as paul when he sought to convince the athenians of the lords being near unto them , he instanced their own poets who also said the same , acts 17 27 , 28. in like manner have i alledged the sayings of those noted men , to the end , that they whose expectations , are to see such great things produced by synods or convocations , may the rather be perswaded ; that the notable work of real reformation●… and the true and perfect establishing of the church or people of god , in lasting peace and pure tranquility , must be the lord's work by his eternal power and spirit , and not by the consultations of synodal conversations , nor yet by the arm of flesh : far that is not the means which god chuseth , but that which the sons of men have chosen in the apostasie , and therefore hath these excessive persecutions ensued , of which i have made mentlon : and now let england take heed how she heaps up counsels or convocations , least she look and run more unto them for help , then unto the lord ; for i testifie unto her in the name of the god of the living , that they shall not be able to heal her deseases , nor yet to bind up her breaches : oh that she would therefore fly unto the lord and look unto him , rather then unto the convocations or synods of mortal men , how soon would he then heal all her backslidings , bind up all her breaches , and with everlasting loving kindness gather her . an apendix unto the abridgment . whein is contained , many notable things which passed betwixt the antient christians and the heathen ; which are extracted out of tertullian's apology , ( the which he made in the defence of the christians against the accusation of the gentiles . ) to the end , that all may see , how the like railing accusations which are , and have of late been so frequently produced against the true christians of this age , have also been produced by the heathen against the antient christians 1406. years ago . section 1. the heathens opinion of christianity , how they vilified them and their god , how they were judged when they denied to sacrifice , and how they were condemned . the heathen believed a man could not make profession of christianity , without being tainted with all sorts of crimes , without be●…g an enemy to the gods , to princes , to the law 's , to good manners and to nature , neither could a christian at that time be acquitted unless he denied himself to be a christian. tert. apol. pag , 12. are not many now of the like opinion , that a man cannot be a true christian-quaker without being an enemy to the worship of god , to the king , to the laws of the kingdom , to good manners , and to nature ? the heathen reproached the christians as wiched superstitious persons , whom they accounted worthy the infamy of punishment , and in conclusion objects of laughter and contempt , and with much rigour did the heathen pronounce these words unto the christians , your religion is forbidden by the laws , &c. page 19. are not such now become objects of laughter and contempt , as cannot run with the multitude to excess of riot , and be conformable to the workers of iniquity in their vain customs and frivolous fashions , which the true christians are redeemed from , and cannot be conformable unto , though they therefore be accounted worthy the infamy of punishment , and have it inflicted upon them , by vertue of unwholesom laws , which prohibit their liberty now , as the laws of the heathen prohibited the true christian religion . such were the calumnits ( i. e. false accusation ) that were invented against the christians religion , that upon a certain time a picture of their god was shewn by a certain infamous person , who openly shewed the same with this inscription therein , this is onochoetes ( i. e. the god of the christans ) this supposed god pretended by him , had the ears of an asse , a hoof on his foot , carried a book and was cloathed with a gown . page 71. hath there not been something of the like nature acted among the stageplayers of this age , in contempt and derision of the religion ( if not of the god himself ) of the true christians , whose profession is now reproached and vilified by infamous lewd men , as the profession of the antient christians was by the heathen . the christians were forbidden to have their religion apart , though none besids them were forbidden the like , and because they did not serve the gods of the romans , therefore did they offend the romans , and were accounted unworthy the name of romans . page 105. have not many in the nation laboured and endeavoured much to have the like brought to pass , concerning the true christians , who are not conformable to the national way of worship , which is much rather formal then spiritual , and therefore is it renounced by the true christians , who worship god in the spirit as the antient christians did . when the christians were injoyned to offer sacrifice , they resisted ; then said some , there was folly in their resistance , and that they might sacrifice when they were prest to it , and preserve their lives without injuring their consciences in keeping a secret resolution to remain firm in their religion : and that in neglecting their security , they preferred a vain self will before their welfare . p. 113. in like manner have many of the people of god in these latter days been injoyned to do things , which have been as absolutely against their consciences , as it was against the consciences of the christians to sacrifice ; and when the true christians now have resisted , when they have been prest thereunto ; it hath been said of them , that they were selfwill'd and obstinate , when they could not dissemble ( to avoid sufferings ) like other hypocrits , who asfumed unto themselves a liberty , which the spirit of god never allowed of ; so that the true christians have often been judged , and have suffered deeply , when time serving dissembling hypocrits have gone sree . the heathen caused the christians to undergo such punishment as was ordained for their wretched slaves ; for the christians they shut up in prison , and caused them to be condemned to work in the mines , or to some other servile work of the like condition , page 114 , & 115. the punishments and sufferings which many of the true christians have undergone in these perillous times , have exceeded the sufferings which many malefactors have sustained for their transgressions , for thousands of the innocent and harmless christians have been shut up in close prisons , where ordinary necessaries could scarce be gotten to them for several days together , and others of them have been sent to houses os correction to work there like slaves and dissolute persons , when they have been as harmless and blameless as the antient christians were , section 2. how the christians societies were called factious , how unprofitable they were judged to be in commerce , who could gain nothing from them , how they renounced the heathenish superstitions in peril of their lives , &c. the societies of the christians were called factious ( i. e. troublesom or contentious ) but saith tertullian to such as called them so , tell me , did we ever assemble to procure the hurt of any one ; as we are in the particular , so we are in the general , that is to say , in whatsoever state we are found , we offended no body , we injure no body : and farther saith he , when any vertuous or godly people are associated , when any pious or chast persons assemble together , their union should not be called a faction , but a lawful society , page 142. are not the societies of the true christians called factious at this day also ? because they worship god in the spirit , and meet at places distinct from the common ordinary places of the national worship , though they by their peaceable assembling procure the hurt of none now , no more then the antient christians heretofore did . the heathen cryed out against the christians , and said , they were not any way profitable in commerce ( i. e. entercourse , or marchandise ) of the world : yet tertullian saith , neither were they without their publick places , their markets , their shops , their inns , &c. pag. 150. have not the true christian in like manner been upbraded , when they have been diligent in their places in the creation , and have frequented both faires and markets , &c. about their lawful callings ; for their religion did not separate them from their ordinary and lawful commerce , but from the superfluity of needless and frivolous words , and from the deceit therein ; though its true some have laid aside that kind of commerce in the world , which was neither useful to god , nor beneficial unto man , but prejudicial to the creation , and it is very like the antient christians did the like , after their illumination and conviction . there were certain persons that did complain of the christians , as people of whom there was nothing to be gained for them , but they were such saith tertullian , as were infamous corrupters of chastity , who meddled with giving poyson , and magicians ( i. e. conjurers ) and finally southsayers , diviners , and astrologers , to whom it is very profitable in this life to be unuseful , saith tertull. p. 152 , 153. some such like men have of late als●… accused the true christians , together with taverren and alehouse-keepers , musitioners and stage players , with some sort of shop-keepers , that have sould gold , and silver-lace , with jewels , pearles , rings and ribbins , with such other unnecessary toys , such like men , with the priestly merchants of babilon , may in part complain so well as southsayers and astrologers , of the true christians now , as some such heretofore among the heathen have done , of the antient christians : but most commonly they that do complain of them without a cause , are infamous corrupters of chastity , who are adicted to speak evil of dignities . the heathen tollerated the sects of the philosophers without punishing of them , but the christians doctrine which they published was forbid by the laws , and they were exposed to all sorts of punishments ; but the philosophers were not so forced to sacrifice , to swear by their gods , and light candles at noon , which things were imposed upon the christians as necessary , which they refused on peril of their lives . page 158. it is well known in the nation of england , how that the christian-quakers have been much more restrained of their liberty then other sects , and their doctrine hath been more prohibited by the laws of the land then others , which have been much more pernitious , nevertheless it hath been tollerated if not upheld by a law ; when that the true christians have been exposed to grievous punishment , and others that have been guilty have gone free : yea have not many observed how their adversaries have endeavoured to force them to come to their places of worship and likewise to take the oathes of allegiance and supremacy , which have been hard imposed upon them , and which they have refused on peril of being shut out of the kings protection , and of forfeiting their estates , goods and chattels unto him , yet others are connived at as the philosophers were by the heathen , and in the mean time the true christians are exposed to sundry sorts of punishments , as the antient christians were by the heathen , some said that even among the christians there were a people , that gave themselves the liberty of doing evil ; but said tertullian so soon as they fall into this disorder , we own them no more for christians . pag. 162. with the like thing have the true christians been upbraded in these latter days by many , who have cast the failings and disorder of the unfaithful and disorderly upon the innocent , who have no more approved of their evil , then the antient christians did of the disorder of the disorderly among them , whom they did not judge worthy of the name ; which at this day is not a little dishonoured by the life and conversation of antichristians , who until this present , have retained the name , but are wholly degenerated from the nature , as their fruits do abundantly declare . section 3. how they that were not of the christian religion , had more liberty then the christians , what prejudice many had against the name christian , how some were praised before they became christians , and how both men , women , children and servants suffered for becoming christians . when men that were not of the christian religion were , accused of the same crimes they imputed to christians , it was permitted them to have their innocency made known , and to defend themselves by word of mouth , they also were suffered to give an answer to what was objected against them and to make their justification : for the laws did not allow those to be condemned , whose offences were not heard : but the christians had not the like liberty : for they were condemned for the confession of the name christian , and their confession only exposed them the publick hatred . pag. 7. hath it not been thus in our days , have not many malefactors had more liberty to plead for themselves then the true christians could have for some years last past ? and was not this one great reason ( viz. ) because malefactors could bow and stand uncovered , and withal given flattering titles unto men , but because the true christians could not do the like , therefore have they at times , been condemned before they have been permitted to speak in their own defence ; so that the wills of many now ( who are called christians ) have been more wicked and unreasonable , then some of the ancient laws of the romans . the heathen did certainly believe that the confession of the name christian carried enough with it of all crimes , and they also held , that to confess the name christian made the christians guilty . are there not many of the like opinion concerning the name quaker , against which many have received as great prejudice as the heathen did against the name christian , and therefore do they not only hate the name , but also them that are called by it , though their fruits ●…e never so good . the heathens believed all that was published against the christians , though they saw no proof , and they took occasion to condemn the name , which was the object of their hatred , and the only confession they made of the name was sufficient for the conviction of those crimes they attributed to it , without any other ground then their own opinion pag. 14. have not many done the like concerning the true christians in these latter days , who have born the name of quakers , which name yet remains the object of many ones hatred , who know little of the life , doctrine and conversation of them that bear it , yet the acknowledgment of it , causeth many to be judged as criminals or offenders , in the opinion of many , who judge now with evil thoughts , as the heathen did , and so with a prejudiced spirit condemn the righteous , without any just ground or cause ; and thus it happeneth now unto the true christians , as heretofore it hath unto the antient christians , whose life , doctrine , and practise , is lived in by the righteous now , and therefore must the same , or the like measure , be measured unto them , which heretofore was to the other . upon a certain time in a conferrence one of the heathen said , truly he of whom you speak is an honest man , if he were not a christian , and his life would be free from blame ? and others said do you know such an one ? who had the reputation of a wise and discreet man ; he is lately turned a christian , there were others that said , how pleasant and of what a good humour was that woman ? how sociable ( i. e. kind or loving ) and jovial ( i. e. merry ) was that man , its pitty they should be christians . pag. 15. hath there not often been the like communication among many people concerning the christian-quakers ? and have not many of them been lamented by their friends and acquaintance , after their conversion in such a manner , as the christians were lamented for by the heathen , and wherein differs that pitty now , from the pitty that was in the heathen ? who would praise and extol the christians while they lived in the vanity of the world with them , but when they were redeemed from the same , then were they bewailed by them that continued in the same ; and surely thus it is at this day with the true christian , who are now bewailed by such as continue in that which they through mercy are redeemed and saved from . thus is it written in tertullian's apology ; a man who heretofore had his mind full of jealousie , could no longer endure the company of his wife , what assurance soever he had of her chastity , after once he perceived she was turned christian. moreover , a father who of a long time endured the disobedience of his son , resolved to take from him the hope of succeeding him in his inheritance for turning christian. and a master that used his servant or slave gently when his carrage gave some cause of distrust , afterwards put him far from him , when he became a christian. pag. 16. thus hath it been with true christians in these latter days , for some honourable and devout women , have not only been excluded for some certain time , out of their husbands company , but they have also been shut up as close prisoners in their own houses , through the aversness of their husbands , whose wrath and fury was become great against them , and that chiefly because they were become quakers . item , sundry men who have long dispensed with the wantonness and disobedience of their sons ; aster they have been truly converted to god , and came to live righteously and soberly , then have their parents threatned them to disown them from being their children , &c. and that because they were become quakers . item , some masters who have born much with their servants when they had cause to distrust them , and sharply to reprove them , have upon their conversion and reformation from the evil of their ways , either turned them out of their places , or at least frowned very much upon them ; ( though they had more assurance , of their fidelity then formerly ) and that because they were become quakers . but may not we say as tertullian said : it 's committing of a crime to correct the disorders of a man's life , by the motions of a holy conversation to the christian faith , and the good which is produced by so happy a change , works not so powerfully on the minds of men , as the hatred they have conceived against us ; indeed this hatred is strange , and when i consider that the name of a christian , ( or the name of a quaker ) only maketh it to be so , i would willingly know , how a name can be criminal , and how a simple word can be accused ; me-thinks a word cannot be condemned , unless it be barbarous , or expresseth some evil speaking , or represents some unchast thing , and of ill report page 16. section 4. how the christians were haled out of their assemblies , what honour they rendred to the emperours , the heathens testimonies of affection to the emperour , how the christians would not revenge themselves , how they suffered themselves to be killed ; their order concerning their collections , how they disposed of them ; and how their sufferings were prejudicial to the comon wealth . when the christians saw themselves every day besieged and betrayed , and when they were very often taken in their assemblies , and prest to sacrifice to the gods , then they cryed out and said ; we cannot hinder our lives from being in danger , if we will be faithful to god. pag. 31 , and 116. it is well known unto many , how that the innocent and harmeless christians have of late been often haled out of their assemblies , and prest to do things contrary to their consciences , upon the refusal of which , their liberties and estates , have not only been in peril . but their lives also ; so that the true christians may well conclude as the antient christians did , ( viz. ) that they cannot hinder their lives from being in peril , if they will be faithful to god. the christians were accounted publick enemies to the emperours , because the honours they rendred to them , were neither vain flattering , nor rash ; but mark what tertullian saith to the heathen concerning this particular ; think you ( saith he ) these are such great testimonies of affections , to kindle fires in the midst of the streets , to set up tables there , to make feasts in the publik places , to change the face of the city into that of a great tavern , &c. must a publick shame be the mark of a publick joy ? ( saith he ) must these things be accounted seemly on the solemn days of princes , which at no other time , or on other days , are fitting or decent . pag. 126. in like manner have the true christians been accounted enemies to the king , because they could not honour him with any vain flattering honour , like unto that wherewith , the heathens honoured their emperours , who manifested their affections to him , by kindling fires in the midst of the streets , and by changing ( as it were ) the face of the city into that of a tavern , &c. now let our english apostatized christians come forth , and parallel their bonefires , which they used to make in the midst of the streets ; their causing the conduits to run with wine , and their setting up scaffolds with shews , &c. which they did , when the king was proclaimed , when he came into the realm , and at his coronation , let them ( i say ) come forth and compare their practises then , with the practises of the heathen , and they may see how they resemble one another , to their great shame that profess christianity , and are yet manifesting their publick joy , by glorying in their publick thame , which is neither comly , decent nor profitable , either to the king , the kingdom , or to the subjects , nor yet in any wise becoming christians , therefore are they now to be testified against , as they were heretofore , when they were up held by the heathen , and were witnessed against by the antient christians the antient christians confessed they were commanded to love their enemies , and that they were to hate none , and that they were forbid to revenge injury received , though the sword and sire was imployed against them , and they were often by people assaulted with stones , yet they endeavoured in no wise to ressent the evil treating they had received , though they wanted not an occasion , if it had been permitted them to render evil for evil , but god forbid ( said they ) we should do so . pag , 132. the same mind is now found in the true christians , whose principle leadeth them to suffer injurie done unto them , rather then to revenge themselves on such as injure them , and therefore is it manifest that they are of the same spirit which the antient christians were of , who suffered violence to be done unto them but did not with violence resist nor defend themselves , like as the apostatized christians do now , who at times assault the true christians with stones , with pistols , with swords , &c , all which they suffer patiently without rendring evil to them that thus intreat them , and therefore may we conclude that they are found in the practise and condition of the antient christians . the christians suffered themselves willingly to be killed , saying , in their religion it was rather lawful to let themselves be killed then to kill others ; nevertheless they were declared to be the romans enemies , though they did them no hurt , and thus much they confassed , it 's true said they , we are enemies , yet not of men , but of their errors , pa. 133. 134. the true christians now that are of the pure religion say yet the same , though apostatized christians be imprisoning , banishing and killing their fellow creatures about their religion , but so did not the antient christians , who kept the faith and abode in the truth , in which the true christians are now found ; though at this day they are accounted enemies both to priests and professors , yet they hurt none , neither are they enemies to their persons as men , but to their error and deceit , which lodgeth in their hearts where it ought not , in the church of god there was nothing done ( saith tert. ) by allurement of gifts , for in the assemblies of the antient christians , every one contributed a little sum at the end of the month , or when he would , but it was if he would and could , for none were constrained to give ; and if they got any almes it was of good will , and riches gathered in this manner , they accounted them pledges of piety , and imployed them in feeding the poor and burying them ; in comforting children that were destitute of parents and goods ; in helping old men that had spent their best days in the service of the faithful , and in assisting them that served in mines , and were banished into islands , and shut up in prisons , because they confessed the religion of the true god , that so during the time they suffered for the confession of his name , they might be nourished with the stock of the church ; and these actions caused the heathens to wonder , and to cry out saying , see how they love one another , and how they are ready to die for one another , pag. 137 , 138. this is also the practise of the true christians now , whose faith worketh by love , and not by the allurement of gifts and rewards , which have blinded the eyes of apostatized antichristians , who have lost the charity , and are departed from that faith which worketh by love , and therefore must they often times ●…orce and constrain one another , by a secular power , not only to contribute to the relief of the poor , fatherless and widdows , but also to their priests , who is allured to preach among them by gifts , and who without gifts and rewards will not preach , and also by sumes of mony may be allured from one place to another , and that more out of love to the gifts , then the souls of the people : but it is not thus with the true ministers , nor yet with the true christians , who give freely that which they have received freely , and are ready to serve the lord with their whole substance , and freely to communicate thereof unto one anothers necessity , even as they would have others to communicate unto them in the time of their necessity ; and that brotherly love , which in this particular hath been manifested among the true christian quakers , hath caused their adversaries much to admire and wonder , even as the heathen did , over that entire love , which was among the antient christians . tertullian told the gentiles there was cause to wonder their passion was so irregular ( i. e. contrary to rule ) that in prosecuting the christians they made no difficulty to take away the life of men that were profitable to the common-wealth ; farther he said , the state received by their injustice an evident damage and important loss , and yet no body looks to it ( said he ) no body weighes of what consequence the sufferings are , of so many persons of good life and the punishment of so great a number of innocent . pag. 153. there hath also been cause to wonder at the rashness and imprudency of many bitter , willful antichristians , whose foolish indiscreet behaviour towards the true christians , hath been not a little prejudicial to the nation , in which no great difficulty hath been made , of casting thousands of them into prison , and they who have done it , or have been the cause of it , have fought and endeavoured thereby to procure the ruine of their families and estates , which thing certainly hath brought no honour to the king , neither hath it been any profit or advantage to his kingdom , but certain external inconveniencies , have been thereby procured to some of his faithful subjects the true christians ; yet few in authority seemed to lay to heart , nor yet see seriously to consider of what sad consequence the undeserved sufferings of so many harmless people might be . thus have i briefly stated the suffering condition of the antient christians , with which i have truly parallelled the true christians state in this present age ; and let now the upright in heart judge how far both papists and protestants ( that are accustomed to prosecute about religion ) are degenerated from the same , and how disagreeing their principles and practises are , to the principles and practises of the antient christians , yet notwithstanding will they glory of their antiquity , and condemn others , as new upstart sects , and unheard os religions that differ from them , and worship god in the spirit ; but by these things which i have re-capitulated in this treatise , the wise in heart may see , how that the christian-quakers , have whereof to glory , so well as others , ( if not beyond many others ) who at this day glory so much of their antiquity ; but this i know to be their resolution , and determination ( viz. ) that they will glory in the lord , and in the fellowship of the sufferings of his dear son , their lord and saviour ; this knowing , how that , he that was born after the flesh , persecuted him that was born after the spirit . thus it hath been yea thus it is , and thus it will be until he reign whose right it is . a register of the death , sufferings and martyrdome , of the prophets and apostles ; according to the testimony of the scripture , and other historical records . isaiah was sawn asunder with a woodden saw . ierimiah was often persecuted , and imprisoned , yea he was thrown into a deep dungeon , where ( it is said ) he stood in the mire to the head , and at length was stoned to death in egypt . ezekiel was slain in babylon , by the duke of the people . daniel was thrown among the hungry lyons yet the lord preserved him . the three children were thrown into the fiery furnace ; but the fire did them no harm . micah was thrown down , and his neck broken . amos was smitten with a club on the temples of the head , and so brained . zachariah was stoned to death . the life of peter . peter was born at bethsaida , formerly an obscure and inconsiderable village , till lately re-edified and inlarger by philip the tetrarch , cituate it was upon the banks of gallile , and had a wilderness on the other side , called the desert of bethsada , whither our saviour used often to retire the privacies and solituds of the place , advantageously ministring to divine contemplation ; but bethsaida was not so remarkable , as it self was memorable for a worse sort of barrenness , ingratitude and unprofitableness , under the influence of four sermons and mericles , thence severely upbraided by him and threatned till one of his deepest woes , woe unto the chorarin , woe unto thee bethsaida , &c. a woe that stuck close to it , for according to one who surveyed it in the last age , it was sunk again into a very mean and small village , consisting only of a few cottages , of moors and wild arabs ; and travellers have since assured us , that even these are dwindled away into one poor cottage , so fatally does sin undermine the greatest , the goodliest places ; so certainly does god's word take place , and not one jot either of his promise or threatning fall to the ground , the particular time of his birth cannot be recorded ; in general , we may conclude him to be at least two years elder than his master ; his married condition and setled course of life , at his first coming to christ and that authority and respect , which the gravity of his person , procured him amongst the rest of the apostles can speak him no less ; the name given him at his circumcision was simon or symeon , a name common among the iews ; our saviour adds thereunto cephas , signifies a stone or rock , was hence derived into the greek , and by us peter , his father was ionah , probably a fisherman of bethsaida , for the sacred story take no farther notice of him , than by the bare mention of of his name , and i believe there had been no great danger of mistake , thought metaphrastes had not told us , that it was not ionas the prophet , who come out of the belly of the whale ; brother he was to andrew the apostle , and it was as certain that he was a fisherman by trade , a very survile course of life , as besides the great pain and labour it required , exposing him to all the injuries of wind and weather , to the storm of the sea , the darkness and tempestuousness of the night , and all to make a very small return ; but meanness is no bar in god's way , the poor if vertuous are as dear to heaven as the wealthy , and the honourable equally alike to him , with whom there is no respect of persons . nay our lord seemed to cast a peculiar honour upon this profession , when afterwards calling him and some others of the same trade , from catching of fish , to be ( as he told them ) fishers of men. and hear we may justly reflect upon the wise and admirable method of divine providence , which in planting and propagating the christian religion in the world , made choice of such mean and unlikely instruments , that he should hid these things from the wise and prudent , and reveal them unto babes ; men that had not been educated at the accademy , and the schools of learning , but brought up to a trade to catch fish , and mend nets ; most of the apostles being taken from the meanest trades , and all of them ( paul excepted ) unfurnished of all arts of learning , and the advantage of liberal and ingenious education , and yet these were the men that were design'd to rund down the world , and to overturn the learning of the prudent ; certainly had humane wisdom been to manage the business , it would have taken quit other measures , and chosen out the profoundest rabbins , the accutest philosophers , the smoothest oratours , such as would have been most likly , by strength of reason , and arts of rhetorick , to have triumphed over the minds of men , to graple with the stubbornness of the iews , and baffle the the finer notion and speculation of the greeks ; but it being otherways , it is plainly evident , that they taught christianity by a divine power , the sum of the discourse is in the apostles words , 1 cor. 1. 27. 28. that god chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise , the weak to confound those that are mighty . in the enumeration of the apostles , all the evangelist constantly place peter in the front , and matthew expressly tells us , that he was the first , that is , he was the first called to be an apostle ; his age also , and the gravity of his person , more particularly qualifying him for a primar of order amongst the rest of the apostles : yea , our lord chose him , to be his more intimate companion , whom he admitted more familiarly than the rest , in all the most secrets , passages , and transactions of his life . peter preached such a sermon in the name of iesus of nazareth , the effect of which was so strange and wonderful , there being that day added to the church no less then three thousand souls , a quit and plentiful harvest ; and though the converting so vast a multitude , might justly challenge a place amongst the greatest miracles ; yet the apostles began now more particulars , acts 3. 1 , to exercise their miraculous power , and peter and iohn going up to the temple , about the hour of prayer , they found a poor impotent criple , who , though above forty years old , had been lame from his birth , lying at the beautiful gate of the temple , and asking an alms of them , peter carelessly looking on him , told him he had no mony to give him , but that he would give him , that which was much better , restore him to his health , and lifting him up by the hand , commanded him in the name of iesus of nazareth to rise up and walk , the word was no sooner said than the thing was done ; while peter was this working miracles , and discoursing to the people in one place , we may suppose that iohn was preaching to them in another , and the success was answerable , there being by this means no fewer than five thousand brought over to the faith , acts 4. 4. whilest the apostles were thus preaching , the priests and saduces who hated christianity , intimated to the magistrates the danger thereof , seized on the apostles , and cast them into prison , acts 4. 1. the next day they were brought before the jewish sanhedrims , and being asked by what power and authority they had done this , peter resolutely answered , in the name of iesus of nazareth , whom they themselves had crucified , and god had raised from the dead , and made head of the corner , and that there was no other way to expect salvation but by him , &c. great was the boldness of the apostles , admired at by the sanhedrim it self , especially when this was the very court , that had so lately sentenced and condemned their master ; the council commanded them to preach no more in the name of iesus , but peter and iohn replied , that they could by no means yeild obedience thereunto , appealing to themselves , whether it was not more fit that they should obey god rather than them , and that they could not but testifie what they had seen and heard : the church exceedingly multplied by these means , and that so great a company ( most whereof were poor ) might be maitained ; they generally sold their estates , and brought their mony to the apostles to be by them disposed in one common treasury , and thence distributed , according to the several exigent of the church , which gave occasion to the dreadful instance , ananias and his wife , acts 5. 1. saphire , having taken upon them the profession of the gospel , according to the free and generous spirit of those times , and had consecrated and devoted their estates , to the honour of god , and the necessity of the church , and accordingly sold their possessions and turn'd them into mony , but as they were willing to gain the reputation of charitable persons , so were they loth wholy to cast themselves upon the divine providence , by letting go all at once , and therefore privately with-held part of what they had divoted , and bringing the rest , laid it all at the apostles feet , hoping thereby they might a deceived the apostles , though immediately guided by the spirit of god ; peter at his first coming in , treated ananias , with these sharp inquiries ; why he should suffer satan to fill his heart with so big a wickedness , as by keeping back his estate , to think to dceive the holy ghost , that before it was sold , it were holy at his one disposing , and after , it was perfectly in his own power , fully to have performed his vow , so that it was capable of no other interpretation , then that herein he had not only abused and injured men , but mocked god , and what in him lay , lyed too , and cheated the holy ghost , who they knew was privy to the most secret thoughts and proposes of his heart : this was no sooner said , but suddenly to the great terrour and amazement of all that were present , ananias was arrested with a stroke from heaven , and fell down dead to the ground , not long after his wife come in , whom peter , entertained with the same severe reproofs , wherewith he had her husband , adding that the like sad fate and doom should immediately seize her , who thereupon drapt down dead , as she had been copartners with him in the sin becoming sherer with him in the punishment ; an instance of great severity filling all that heard it , with fear and terrour , and become a seasonable prevention of that hypocrisie and dissimulation , wherewith many might possibly think to have imposed upon the church ; this severe case being extraordinary , the apostles usually exerted their power in such miracles , as were more useful and beneficial to the world , curing all manner of diseases , and disposessing devils , acts 2. 12. insomuch that they brought the sick into the street , and laid them upon beds , and couches , that at least peter's shadow , as he passed by might come upon them , these aftonishing miracles could not but mightily contribute to the propagation of the church , and convince the world , that the apostles were more considerable persons than they took them for , poverty and meanss being no bar to true worth and greatness ; thus peter , who converted the world not by power of arms , not by engins or artificers of pomp and gradeur , but by faith in the power of christ ; the jewish rulers alarm'd with this news , and awaken'd with the growing numbers of the church , sent to apprehend the apostles , and cast them into prison , but god who is never wanting to his one cause , sent that night an angel , from heaven to open the prison doors , commanding them to repair to the temple , and exercise their ministery , which they did early in the morning , and there taught the people , how unsuccessful are the projects of the wisest states-men , when god frowns upon them , how little do any councils against heaven prosper , in vain is it to shut the doors , where god is resolved to open them , the firmest bars , the strongest chains cannot hold , when once god has designed and decreed our liberty ; the officer returning the next morning , acquainted the council , who much wondered at it , sent for them , and asked them how they durst propagate that doctrine , they had so strictly commanded them not to preach , peter in the name of the rest , told them , that they must in this case obey god rather than men , so vexed was the the council with his answer , that they began to cosider how to cut them off , but gamaliel a grave and learned senatour prevented it by commanding the apostles to withdraw , and then bid the council take heed what they did , putting them in mind that several persi●…ns had heretofore raised partys and factions in great numbers but came to nothing , and therefore they would do well to let these men alone , for if their doctrine and design were mearly humain , they would in time , of themselves fall to the ground , but if of god , all their power and polisie , would never be able to defeat and overturn them , and that hearing they themselves would appear to appose the council and design of heaven , with this prudent answer , they gave them their liberty , commanding them to be only scourged , and charged them no more to preach this doctrin , but their hard usage , did not in the least discourage them , to their duty to god , or less zealous , and diligent , both publick and private , to preach christ every where . peter was dispatched by the apostles to consirm the church newly planted at samaria , where he baffled and silenced simon magus ; he is again cast into prison by herod agrippa , but as miraculously delivered by an angel. he is again with paul cast into prison by nero the emperor , who is resolved now the apostles shall fall as a victime and sacrifice to his cruilty and revenge ; peter is desired by his companion to make his escape , and accordingly did , but meeting his lord , peter asked him lord whether art thou going , who answered i am come to rome , to be crucified a second time , by which peter apprehended himself to be reproved , and that our lord ment , he was to be crucified a second time in his servant , and so returned back to the prison , and it is reported that in the stone where our lord stood , while he talked with peter , he left the impression of his feet , which stone hath been ever since preserved as a sacred relique ; before his suffering , he was no question scourged according to custom , and having saluted his brethren , more especially paul , he was brought out of prison , and led to the top of the vatican mount , near to tybur to be executed ; the death he was adjudged to , was crucifiction , but he intreated the officer that he might not be crucified the common way , but might suffer with his head downwards , affirming he was not worthy to suffer in the same posture as his lord suffered , ( as chrysostom glosses ) to be set in the rediest posture of travelling from earth to heaven ; his body being taken from the cross , is said to have been embalmed by marcellinus the presbiter , after the iews manner , and was then buried in the vatican near the triumphant way . the description of his person . his body if we may believe the description given him by nicephorus , was somewhat slender , of a midle size , but rather inclining to tallness , his complection very pale , and almost white , the hair of his head curled and thick , but withal short , his eyes black , but speak with read , which baronius will have to proceed from his much weeping , his nose long but rather broad and flat than sharp ; such was the case of that jewel that was within , he was very eager in his temper , which like a whetstone sharpned his soul for all bold and generous undertakings . the life of paul. though paul was none of the twelve apostles yet had he the honour , of being an apostle extraordinary , and to be immediately called in a way peculiar to himself , he justly deserves a place next peter , for in their lives they were pleasant and lovely , so at their deaths they were not devided , especially if it be true that they both suffered , not only for the same cause , but at the same time ; paul was born at tarsus , the metropolis of cilicia , a city infinitely rich and popular , and what contributed more to the fame and honour of it , an academy , furnished with schools of learning , where the scholars , so closly plyed their studys , that as strabo informs us , they excelled in all arts of politeck learning and philosophy , his parence was iews , and that of the antients stock , not entring in by the gate of proselitism , but originally desended from that nation , which surely he meanswhen he says , that he was an hebrew of the hebrews ; his parents belonged to the tribe of benjamin , whose founder was the younger son of the old patriarch iacob , who thus provisied of him ; benjamen shall raven as a wolf , in the morning he shall devour the prey , and at night he shall devide the spoyl ; this prophetical character tertullian and others will have to be accomplished in our apostle , as a ravening wolf , in the morning devouring his prey , that is as a persecutor of the church , in the first part of his life , destroying the flock of god ; in the evening deviding the spoyl , that is in his declining age as doctor of the nation , feeding and distributing to christ sheep ; we find him described in scripture by two names , the one saul , a name common in the tribe of benjamen , his other was paul asumed to him as some think at his conversion , to denote his humility ; in his youth he was brought up in the schools of tarsus , fully instructed in all the liberal arts and sciences , whereby he came admirably aquainted with famous and external authors ; having run through the whole circle of the sciences , and laid the sure foundation of humain learning at tarsus , he was by his parance sent to ierusalem to be perfected in the study of the law ; it is said when stephen was executed paul stood by , and kept the clothes of them that did it , whether he was any farther conserned in the death of this innocent man , we do not find ; however it was enough loudly to proclaim his approbation and consent , and therefore we find him indicting himself for this fact , and pleading guilty , when the blood of thy martyr stephen was shed , i also was standing by , and consenting unto his death , and kept the raiment of them that slew him , acts 22. 20. god chiefly inspects the heart , and if the vote be passed there , writes the man guilty , though he stur no farther in all moral actions , god values the will for the deed ; the storm thus increased apace , and a violent persecution began to arise in which our apostle was a prime agent and minister , raging about in all parts , with a mad and ungoverned zeal , searching for the saints , beating some , imprisoning others , and procuring them to be put to death ; indeed he was a kind of inquisitor , imployed to hunt and find out these upstart hereticks ; accordingly took a warrant and commission to go down to damascus , in fury and a misguided zeal , whether many of those persecuted christians had fled for shelter , but god who had designed him for a work of another nature , and separated him from his mother's womb , to the preaching of the gospel , stopt him in his journey as acts 22. 9. and he fell unto the ground , and heard a voice saying , saul , saul , why persecutest thou me , and he went to damascus another man , from a persecutor he became one of the persecuted ; from hence he traveled to arabia and spent three years in the ministery there , and then retunned to damascus , a great and populus city , from hence he went to ierusalem and converst with peter and iames ; it was at antioch about the beginning of claudious's reign , ten years after christ's ascension , where the desiples was first called christians , being usually stiled before nazarens ; from jerusalem he set sail to cyprus and planted christianity there , and now the old spirit of the iews did begin to hunt and persue them , who coming from antioch and iconium , exasperated and stired up the multitude , and they who just before accounted them as gods , used them not only worse then men but slaves , for in a mighty rage , they fell upon paul , stoned him , and as they thought dead , and then drag'd him out of the city , where the christians of that place coming probable to inter him , he suddenly revived and rose up among them , and the next day went hence to debe , and so traveled to several places to confirm the new planted church , he was imprisoned and ill-used at phylippi . his parents were tent makers by trade , preaching christ at jerusalem , italy , spain , labouring much among the gentiles , suffered at rome under nero ; as he was leading to execution it is said three of the soulders that guarded him , seeing his courage , become christians , and suffered death , he kneeled down and his head strucken off with a sword , as some write in the 68 year of his age , and was buried with peter . the description of his person . he was a man said to be of low and tittle stature , and somewhat stooping , his complection fair , his countenance grave , his head small , his eyes carried a kind of beauty and sweetness in them , that he was low himself plainly intimates , when he tells us they were wont to say of him , that his bodily person was weak , and his speech contemptable , in which respect he is stiled by chrysostom a man three cubits ( or a little more than four foot , ) high , and yet tall enough to reach heaven . the life of andrew . history which hath hitherto been very large and copius in describing the acts of the two first apostles , is hence forward very sparing in its accounts , giving us only now and then a few oblique and accidental remarks concerning the rest , and some of them no farther mentioned , than the meer recording of their names , for what reason it pleased the divine wisdom and providence , that no more of their acts should be consigned to writing by the pen men of old , is to us unknown ; andrew was born at bethsaida a city of galile , standing upon the bank of the lake of genesareth , son to john or jonas a fisher-man , of that town , brother he was to simon peter ; he had scythia and the neighbouring country primary alloted him for his provinces , first then he traveled through cappadocia , galatia , and bithynia , and instructed them in the faith of christ. passing all along the euxine seas , formerly called axenus , from the barbarous and inhospitable temper of the people , who were wont , to sacrificed strangers , and of their skulls make cups to drink in at their feasts and banquets , he was brought before the proconsul , who perswaded him that he would not foolishly destroy himself , but live and injoy with him the pleasures of this life ; the apostle after many more words replyed , that now he saw it was in vain any longer to deal with him , a person incapable of sober counsel , and hardened , in his on blindness and folly , he might now do his worst , and if he had one torment greater than another , he might heap that upon him , the greater constancy he shewed in his suffering for christ , the more acceptable he should be to his lord and master , the procounsul first commanded him to be scourged seven lashes successively , whipping his naked body , and seeing his invincable patience and constancy , commanded him to be crucified , but not to be fastned to the cross with nails but cords , that so his death might be the more lingering and tedious ; as he was led to execution , to which he went with a chearful and composed mind , the people cried out , that he was an innocent and good man , being come within sight of the cross , he saluted it with this kind adress , that he had long desired and expected that happy hour , thus having prayed and exhorted the people to constancy and perceverance in that relgion , he was fastned to the cross , whereon he hung , two days teaching and instructing the people all the time , and when great importunities in the mean while was used to the proconsul to spare his life , he earnestly begs of the lord that he might at this time depart , and seal the truth of his religion with his blood , god heard his prayers , and he immediately expired , in the 9th month , though in what year , no certain account can be recorded ; his body being taken down and embalmed , was decently and honourably interred by maximilla , a woman of great quality and estate . james the son of zebede , a fisher-man , by birth a galilean , suppos'd to be one of the brethren that their mother asked , that one might sit at the right hand and the other at the left hand of jesus in his kingdom ; he preach't christ unto the 12 tribes , some write that he came to spain , and other western parts , and also britain , ireland ; he was slain with a sword by herod the tetrach of the jews in judaea , where he was buried . john the brother of james , by birth a galilean , preach't christ in asia , coming near rome was accused to the emperor as an assertor of athesim , and subvertor of the religion of the empire , whereupon he was sent bound to rome , and put into a coldron of boyling oyl in which he had no harm , banished by trajan the emperor into the isle of patmos , and there he wrote his gospel , being releast in the reign of vertinax , and in the 100 year of christ , as written by some , return'd to asia , chiefly residing at ephesus , his constant practise to his dying day ( being led to the metting ) saying no more than little children love one another ; he lived as some write to the age of 120 years . philip , born at bethsaida , near the sea of tiberias , brought up in learning , t is said he preach'd christ in phrygia , and the city hierapolis , many having reciev'd the faith , he was seized and carried to prison , was cruely scourged and hanged by the neck against a pillar , at which time as some write , was a terrible earth-quake ; he was buried at hierapolis , and his daughters some say was crucified at paimimes . bartholomew , who some think to be nathaniel of cana in galile , preach'd christ unto the indians , buried in albania , a city of armenia the great , where he was crucified with his head downward and slain alive , and some wright that he was beheaded at the commandment of polemis king of india . matthew , otherwisé levi , born at nazareth , a city of zebulon , the son of alpheus a tax gartherer , preach'd christ to the ethiopians , which is called presbiter iohn's kingdom , by hurtychus's command thrust through with a sword , he dyed at hieropolis in porthia , and was buried , suppos'd to be 70 years of age. thomas , a iew , and fisher-man , as some write , preach'd christ unto the parthimans , medes and persians , and to the caramans , hixcans , bartrians , and magicians , he rested at calamica a city in iudea , where the heathen priests , as he was praying a lone in a solitary place , they coming upon him with a dart called a spear or javelin , run him thorow . simon zelotes , born at cana in galile , preach'd christ throughout mauritania , and africk the less , and persia , egypt and bretania , where he was , as some write crucified and buried . jude , and sometime called thaddaus and sebbaeus , as some writ , brother of iames , preach'd christ in iudaea , samarie , throughout all mesapotamia ; he was slain in the time of agbarus king of edesse , and buried . matthias , one of the 70 disciples , and numbred among the 11 apostles in room of iudas , he preach'd in macedonia in ethiopia , about the haven hyssus , and the river phasis , a barbarous nation and ravonous of flesh ; he dyed at sebastobilus nigh the temple , stoned by the iews , at last beheaded with an ax , anno 59 some say 64. mark , of iews parents , of the tribe of levi , preach'd christ at alexandria and all the bordering regions from egypt unto pentapolis , in the time of tarmin , he had a cable rope tyed about his neck , some write his feet , at alexandria ; by which drawn from a place called bucolus to the place called angeles , where he was burned to ashes by the furious idolaters in the month pharmuthi , with us call'd april , on the 25th day . luke , the evangelist , born at antioch the chief city of syria , brought up in learning , toyled with the apostles , epiphanias writes that he preach'd in dalanatia , galatia and france , and italy , and macedonia ; authours do not agree where he suffered martyrdom , but it is suppos'd at ephesus , he died and was buried . timothy preach'd at ephesus and illyricum , and throughout hellas in achaia , where he died and was buried . thus did these faithful wittnesses finish their testimony , and through their constancy and fidelity obtained not only a good report , but also a crown immortal , through faith in christ iesus , to whom be glory and dominion for ever . some passages out of a letter , writ to a person of quality : giving a true relation in general , concerning the heavenly lives of the primitive christians . such was the beginning , and first institution of the christian church ; that in it we find men , who voluntarily became little children , children who in wisdom exceeded patriarchs , virgins , who had the prudence and gravity of matrons , and matrons endowed with virgininal modesty , and chastity . men of gray hairs , and old in years , but children in malice , pride and ambition ; and it was hard to say , which were the old , and which the young disciples , for the younger sort strove to qual , if not exceed the elder in devotion . holiness was their ornament , and men were counted great , as they arriv'd to high degrees of piety ; and the more religious any man was , the greater majesty and respect he was thought worthy of . the light they came attended withall fill'd the world , as the sun doth the universe , which comes forth from its eastern conclave , and presently diffuses , and spreads its light over all the surface of our hemisphere . so soon did the world feel the influence , and operations of these new stars , and were focred to acknowledge their divine power and virtue ; for they pressed through the c●…aos mankind lay in , as souls do pierce through bodies , and the life , sense and understanding they taught them , was wholly new , so different from what was in the world before , that men gaz'd at the spectacle , and lost themselves in admiration . what advantages the soul can be supposed to give the body , the same did the first christians afford to the benighted world ; and whatever inconveniences the body puts the soul to , the same did the besotted world bring upon the first christians ; for as the soul tenders the bodies welfare , so did they the worlds ; as the soul directs the body to do things rational , so did they the world ; as the soul restrains the body from doing mischief to it self , so did they the world ; and as the soul makes the members of the body instruments of righteousness , so did they attempt to reform the deluded world into holiness : on the other side , as the body afflicteth the soul , so did the world persecute those first christians ; as the body makes the soul live uneasie , so did they incommode these excellent men : as the body puts ill constructions on the actions and admonitions of the soul , so the world did put the same on theirs ; and as the body seems to long for nothing so much , as the ruine of the soul ; so the destruction of those saints , was the great thing the world then did aim at . they were a commonwealth made up of great and low , of rulers and underlings , of governours and subjects ; and yet nothing was more hard , than to distinguish one from the other ; for what-ever the difference might be , they esteemed one another epual , and by their carriage one would have concluded that they had been all of the same degree and condition . their p●…stors and chief men were more known by their munificence and good deeds , than by their coats of arms , or splendour of their offices . they seemed to be all of the same kindred ; for the aged they honoured as fathers , and the youths they tendred as their children . those of the same age call'd one another brethren , and these were the names they gave one another ; and in these titles they gloried more , than men now-a-days do in the lofty epithers of duke , earl , baron , knight , or gentleman . you might see amongst them abundance of mothers that never had any children , and virgins took care of innocent babes , as if they had be●…n mothers , no family complained of barrenness or unfruitfullness , for they never wanted children to provide for ; and and those that had none of their own , would be sure to find some to take care of . none wanted paternal care , while so many fathers studied to do good , and men were readier to give , than others were to ask , and seemed to be sorrowful if they had not objects , upon which they might exercise a paternal charity . there was hardly a widow among them , that complained of solitariness , or sought comfort in a second husband , and second marriage was counted little better than adultery . their widows were the same , that they were whil'st their husbands lived ; and finding that upon their husband's death , they were become sisters of many brethren , they aimed at no other contract , but that with christ , who , if they were found worthy , would , as they thought , marry them at last to the service of the church , where they might exercise that material care to the poor and needy , which formerly they used to express to their own children . here you should see none rejoycing , that he had any thing of his own ; for what-ever he had , he look'd upon his fellow-christians as co-heirs ; and was so well contented , that they should inherit with him , that he thought , that which he had , a burthen , if his neighbours were not to share in his possessions . this present life was the least thing they minded , while that to come , engrossed their thoughts and considerations . they were so entirely christians , that in a manner they were nothing else , and cared not for being any thing else , lest if they should be something else , they should be suspected of deviating from their master's footsteps . hence it was , that the pagans accused them of unrighteousness , and unprofitableness , as if they were dead weights in the world , contributing nothing to the welfare and prosperity of manking , and as if they stood for cyphers in humane societies , though none were more ready to communicate of the profit of their labours to others than they , and did therefore on purpose keep close to their calling and profession , that they might be able to relieve the needy . and though they were loath to take upon them the employment of magistrates and governours , lest the empero's and god's commands should clash , and they lye under a temptation of obeying man more than god ; yet , when-ever they were thought worthy to bear office in the church , they readily embraced the charge , that they might be in a greater capacity to improve the talents god had given them , to his glory , and his people's good , and were pleased with the trouble of the office , that the world might see they had no design of gain , or worldly interest in the administration . they spake little , but their thoughts were always great and heavenly : and as they look'd upon sublunary object●… , as too mean for their lofty minds to rest on , so their care was to keep the eyes of their understanding fix'd on that world , which fades not away . their communications or answers in common discouries were yea , yea , and nay , nay . an oath they shunn'd as much as perjury , and a lye among them was more rare , than a sea-monster is to the inhabitants of a continent ; for they said , that in their baptism they were signed with the mark of truth , and that they could not be servants of the god of truth , if they should yield but to the least appearance of falshood . in the cities and towns where they lived , none was unknown to the other ; for they pray'd together , heard the word together , met frequently at meals together , and were continually helpful one to the other ; in-so-much that where-ever they met , they knew one another ; and when they durst not with their lips , yet with their eyes and gestures , they would salute one another , send kisses of peace one to another , rejoyce in the common hope , and if permitted , assist one another in adversities . this is one of us , saith such a saint , for we have seen him in our oratories , we have prey'd with him , we have been at the lord's table together , we have heard the scriptures read together , we have kneeled together , we have been instructed together . o happy kindred ! which comes by prayer , and communion of the body and blood of jesus ! o blessed relations ! where men are not called brothers of the sun or of the stars , as the antient tyrants styled themselves , but brethren of christ , children of god , and citizens of heaven ! when a christian , who was a stranger , came to them , before ever he shew'd his testimonias . they knew him by his lean visage , and meager face , which his frequent fasting had brought him to , by the modesty of his eyes , by the gravity of his speech , by his gate , and habit , and mortified behaviour , for something divine did shine through their looks , and one might read the characters of the spirit in their countenance . nor is it very strange , that a good man should be known by his carriage , for to this day , a serious person , though he says nothing , something in his lineaments , and features , and postures , will betray the inward zeal , and sincerity of his soul ; and his deportment will discover , there is something more than ordinary in him , as much as the roman senator was betray'd by the perfumes about him . whenever they were thrust : into the croud of malefactors , there fellow-christians soon guessed who they were ; for they hastned with meekness to their martyrdom , and without expressing any impatience , or indignation , submitted their necks to the stroak of the axe , prepared for them . they used to look frequently up to heaven , and one might by their smiles see that between god and them there was more than ordinary correspondence . sometimes they would provoke the executioners to begin their tortures , and be earnest with the hangman , not to delay their agonnies . sometimes they would laugh at the pain they suffer'd , and in the very jaws of death betray a taste of immortality . they looked upon christianity , as a religion , that taught them to suffer valiantly ; and to them it was no other but a science , to instruct men to dispise riches , honours , and torments too , in order to everlasting glory . their presidents , and pastors , were known by no other character , but that of officiousness , and charity , nor had their shepherds any other mark to be distinguish'd by , but their willingness to advance the good of the sheep , and their readiness unto every good word and work. and indeed so were the christians in general known by their mutual love , and kind offices . if any fell sick , the rest did chearfully run to comfort him ; and this employment their women were chiefly ambitious of , who seldom stirred out of their own houses , but upon such occasions , and when they resorted to their oratories . they were seen but rarely in the streets , except such charitable employments called them forth ; for none denied her neighbour her care , nor could any worldly rspects discharge them from that officiousness . if any were rich , or noble , they were the readier to express their compassion , and women of the highest descent were the forwardest to assist the calamitous in their need ; for religion had mortifi'd in them all punctilio's of honour and state , and made them remember that in christ they were all equal . she in whose veins the noblest blood did run , would say of her poor distressed nighbour , she is my sister , my fellow-member , one that hath part with me in my dear redemer . if she be antient , she is my mother , said she , if younger , she is my daughter ; nor were these expressions names of course only , but they were written in their hearts , and their lips spoke what their minds believed , and these words were at once pronounced , and thought . hence it was , that the greatest ladies touch'd their poorer neighbours sores , bound up their wounds , applied plaisters to them , made their beds and tended them , as the meanest servants . here you might see the industry of one , there the sweetness and patience of another ; one would turn the sick sister , the other help her up , the third dress her , the fourth feed her , and in all this , the sick creature saw , as it were , the face of the lord jesus . she that tended the sick , look'd upon christ in her that was sick , and she that was sick , thought she saw christ , in the person that tended her . so divine , so heavenly were their works of mercy , that one was to the other in god's stead , and that saying of christ , what you haue done unto the least of these my brethren , you have done it unto me , did not depart from their memories . thus stood the case with the holy women then , and this advantage they reapt by their charitable care , that when their husbands died , they were taken as deaconnesses into the church , and thus they prepared themselves for christ , and the church's service . if any were imprisoned upon the account of religion , all that knew them would fly to them . no keeper so hard-hearted , but they would find out a way to smooth him ; no lock , no bar so strong , but they would make a shift to break it , either by their gifts , or their soft answers , not to make the jaylers false to their trusts , but to get an oppertunity to see their suffering friends ; and when they saw them , one would kiss their chains , and fetters , another lay his lips to their wounds , a third give their bruised members and tired bodies such refreshment as was needful . 〈◊〉 any of them were driven into exile , in every place they met with brethren , and feliow-christians , and these would run to to them , comfort them , lead them into their houses , and treat them as members of their own family , especially when by letters from their brethren , they understood , that for christ his sake they were driven from their native home . were any condemned to work in mines , or quarries , the neighbouring christians , that that heard of it , would presently come together , help the innocent man , endeavour to make his burthen light , feed him with victuals , and assist him in the performing of his task . were any of them sent through the malice of the heathen governors to the correction-house , or forced to labour hard in caves and dens , or lamentably scourg'd , beaten , and abused for the name of the lord jesus . the rest that heard of it , would not complain , nor think their brethren unhappy , but rather count themselves so , because they were not counted worthy to suffer for the name of jesus , and therefore would wish that this might be their lot and portion too . if the fury of tyrants abated , or remitted at any time , and the imprison'd and afflicted believers got leave to return home again , some wounded , some bruised , some with disjoynted bones , some half burnt , some maimed , some with one arm , some with one eye , some with one leg only ; their friends would run out to them , and strive , who should first receive them into their houses . happy the man that could kifs their wounds . and refresh them with necessaries and conveniences ; and the longer any man could harbour such a christian at his house . the happier he thought himself to be . and such men as had thus suffer'd for christ , they honour'd for the future , and esteem'd them equal with their pastors and presidents . indeed out of these , they chose their bishops , thinking those fittest to serve at christ's altar who had already made themselves a sacrifice for him . thus men purchased the degree of pastours by their holiness , and their eminent sanctity , which pressed even through wounds and tortures for the name of christ prepared them for that function . men that were strong to suffer , they justly thought might be fittest to lalabour in god's church , and they that had been such champions for the truth , they looked upon as the properest instruments to defend it to their death . nor did their kindness extend only to their friends , but reacht even to their greatest enemies ; and they that jush before were persecuted by them , if their persecutors fell fick , or were afflicted , or the plague of god came upon them , these injured christians would offer their services , support them , comfort them , admonish them , attend at their beds side , and lend them their helping-hand , cherish them , supple their sores , relieve them , and with a pity great and magnanimous , weep over their calamitious estate to the amazement of the pagan world , who were now ready to look upon them as angels , when but just before they thought them as bad as devils . poverty was the least thing that troubled them ; nor did want sit so heavy on their souls , as it doth on ours , for they had learned to undervalue riches ; and that which made them slight it , were these two impressions the apostles doctrine had made on their souls this sunk deep into their hearts , that here we have no continuing city , but we seek one to come . that all we see here , is but shadow , and imagery , but the substance is not yet visible ; that the fashions of this world will pass away , and the gaudes and glories below the moon afford no real satisfaction . this made it ridiculous in their eyes , to snatch at a butterfly or a flying feather ; and they rationally believe , that what-ever is subject to time , and change , will certainly make it self wings , and flee away , and leave the soul as empty as it found it , and that therefore their thoughts must be turned another way , even there where constant satisfaction , lasting content , permanent happiness , perfect beauty , and uninterrupted joys are to be found ; and indeed , this duly weigh'd , will breed a mighty contempt of temporal things , and a certain expectation of future bliss . nor did the care of their children fill their hearts with anexious thoughts , for they were sensible , that when-ever the church had notice of their want , they would certainly be relieved , and looked after ; for as many fathers and mothers left their estates , and what they had to the church , so the church imploy'd those legacies , or gifts , to support all those that should be necessitous . besides this , their pastors both by their doctrine and example admonish'd them to be diligent in working with their own hands , that they might get something not only to be beneficial to themselves , but to others too , and indeed they thought they did little or nothing , if of what they got , they did not communieate to those , who were not able to help themselves . they had nothing that was superfluous and hence it was , that there was but little striving about what they left . to lay up much goods for many years , they thought was fitter for heathens that for christians ; and having seen no such thing in their master , they could not tell , how it could be proper in his servants . love of mony , and admiration of riches , and anxious worldly cares and desires of hoarding , were things they had an antipathy against ; and though out of that stock they provided themselves with necessaries , yet for engrossing any thing to themselves , besides , was a thought as far from their minds , as the heaven they longed for was from that earth , on which they trampled , and looked upon with pity and scorn ? for , alas ! what greediness could there be in them after temporal means , who were already greater than the world could make them , and took delight in nothing , but surveying that glory , which ere long they should rejoyce , and triumph in ? if any were so malicious as to traduce their teachers , and brand them with the guilt of covetousness , or slander them , their pastors used no other weapon to put by the sting , but meekness to the back-biter , and their own innocence by degrees dashed , and wiped away all aspersions , hence the christians gave them their own freely , for they believed they could lose nothing by it , and long experience had so confirm'd that belief , that envy it self could make no impressions upon them to the contrary ; when it was in their hands , they thought it was safer than in their own ; and being hereby freed from abundance of cares , and incumbrances , they pressed more chearfully to the promised mark. if any christian kept any land in his hands , his care was so to use his income , as to give god the first fruits of it , to bring his gift to the church , to lay by somewhat for alms , to help and assist the sick , and to relieve the prisoners and captives , not only such as were within the verge of the town he liv'd in , but others also . thus did those men live under riches , as under thorns , and were sensible of nothing so much as this , that great wealth is but a great temptation to be vain , and sensual , which made them use this self-denial in their incomes . he that for a kindness , he did to his neighbour , expected a recompence , was look'd upon as a person greedy of filthy lucre ; and he that could do nothing for his friend , without a reward , or prospect of some profit to himself , was censured as a person ignorant of the fundamental law of their religion . usury , interest , and such names , were scarce heard of among them ; and oppression was a thing , which they thought none that named the name of christ could be guilty of . in a word , they desired nothing so much in this world as to be quickly gone from it , and they thought it the joyfullest news imaginable to understand , that they were to be dissolved , and to go to christ. this was the temper nature , and constitution of that commonwealth . the members of it look'd mean , and contemptible . nothing about them was pompous , either in cloaths , or dyet , or habitation , or houshold-stuff . such among them , as were noble or learned , or of a gentile extract laid aside their pride , and all their swelling titles , forgot that they were better born , or educated than others , and became like their brethren . plaiting and curling the hair was a thing that both their men and women proscribed from their care , and they thought that labour lost , which was employ'd on such superfluities . they were jealous of their serious frame of spirit , and therefore all such dresses , as might serve to infuse vanity into their minds , or damp their zeal to religion , they shunn'd , as they did houses infected with the plague . they minded no such thing as modes and fashion , nor did any new habit , or ornament that came up , entice them to imitation . decency was their rule , and modesty the standard of their habit , and conversation . they wore nothing about them that was either costly or curious , and there greatest study and contrivance was , how to advance their souls , and make them fit for the wedding of the lamb ; laying on either white or red upon the face , or disfiguring it with something black , and of kin to hell , they knew not what it meant . their garments were either linnen or woollen , or furr , or sheeps-skin , and their furniture mean and homely . without god , they attempted nothing ; and whatever enterprize it was , they betook themselves to , they sanctified it by prayer , and suplication . if they went out either to sow , or to plough , or to reap , or to build , god's blessing was first sought , and begg'd , and they never put on their cloaths , but entertained themselves all the while with some holy reflections . theaters and seeing of plays they hated , as a thing contrary to their profession ; and though the heathen despised them for it , look'd upon them as unsociable , men of pitiful spirits , strangers to the art of conversation , melancholy wretches , brethren of worms , and no better than vermin of the earth ; yet they mattered not their censures , and triumph'd more in a good conscience , than the other could do in all the vanities and glories of this present world. the worlds contempt , was their glory , and they were proud of being scorn'd and undervalued by the vulgar crowd , that they might with greater earnestness long after a better inheritance . if any wanted business , he would find some ; and they that had no need to work for their living , work'd for the poor . idleness they had an aversion from , as from the root of evil , and great men and women would do something , which the needy might be the better for . the greatest lady would not disdain to spin , or sow , or knit for her distressed neighbour , and like bees , they were ever busie , and employed for the common good. love of the world was death to them ; and they thought it a certain sign , that they had no portion in christ if they did serve both god and mammon . to be in the world , and not of the world , was their motto ; and to be other men , than they seemed to be , was the thing they chiefly aimed at . they seemed to be profane , because they would worship no heathen gods , but were the devoutest persons in the world to the true god ; and they forgot to be men , that they might be the better christians . not a few left their high places , and great dignities to become christians , and chose to be low , and contemptible in the world , that they might have no impediments in their way to heaven . servants never concern'd themselves to get their freedom , for their masters were christians , and themselves were so ; both cheerfully discharged their duties one to another , and consequently lived in perfect peacé , and unity . many servants , that might have had their freedom , would not , because they lived sufficiently happy under their believing masters ; and while they saw nothing but love in their masters , their very bondage was perfect freedom . if one wept , his neighbour did weep with him ; if one mourned , his neighbour mourned with him , as if both had committed the same sin ; in a word , they had their joys and sorrows common , and they might be said to be all in one , and one in all : in their meals they were temperate . their houses were open to strangers , as well as to their friends and neighbours ; and where the traveller could produce a certificate , that he was a practical christian , he could not fail of a most hearty welcome . hospitality was their badge , and he that would not receive a brother into his house , because poor , and ragged , was either forbid the church , or not suffer'd to come into it . and though they never had studied pythagoras , yet both their faith and reason told ●…hem , that as the body waxes stronger by the ●…eath of the soul , so the soul becomes more ●…aliant , and lively by the death of the body . this made them conquerours of those pleasures of the flesh , which in all ages have weakned the bravest men. and women , melted hearts of iron , and conquered the greatest conquerours of the world. to suppress such satisfactions of the flesh , they were so watchful , so couragious , so magnanimous , that they seemed angels more than men , and were actually nearer to god , to whom they lived , than to the world , in which they lived . in their lives , chast and modest ; in their married estate , moderate and holy ; and not a man came near his wife , after he perceived , or had notice that she was with child , till she was deliver'd ; and even then when they came together , their thoughts were so innocent , that they proposed no other end but procreation of children to be brought up in the fear and nurture of the lord. in the very works of their calling , they would sing of christ , and make spiritual objects so familiar to them , that in their very sleep and dreams , they rolled in their imagination ; they were always ready for prayer , and holy ejaculations ; and so addicted to the love of goodness , that they could not endure a vitious person ; and if they met with any such in their assemblies , did thrust him out of their communion , and made it criminal for any christian either to eat , or drink , or converse , or talk , or keep company with him . of their teachers they were so observant , that without them they would begin nothing , and go no-where without their letters of recommendation . without their advice , they would not marry , nor do any thing considerable in their civil affairs without asking their counsel and approbation , for they looked upon them as their fathers , and as religion had made them so , so they thought the obligation to consult them upon all occasions was the stronger . and when they were beaten , would not beat again ; when reviled , would not revile again ; and when abused , would not abuse again , nay look upon an unjust calumny as a piece of martyrdom , and therefore bear it undauntedly . their meeting or coming together to pray , they esteem'd a thing so sacred , that no frowns , no thunders , no threatnings of tyrants could make them forbear it ; andbeing conscious of their innocence , they justly thought , their enemies might bytheir authority forbid , but could not with any colour of reason prohibit their assemblies . this made them flock to their oratories , though it was death to go ; and parants with their children would run , though the next news , they were like to hear was christianos ad leones , throw those dogs to the lions . though they were thrust into mines , and prisons , yet they would find opportunities to pray . some travelled into far countries , preach'd the gospel , and when they had laid a good foundation there , went farther , and spent their lives in pains and labours , and doing good . with this kind of life , the first christians amazed the unbelieving world , and their power and number quickly grew so formidable , that the emperours themselves began to be startled at their progress , and therefore employ'd their might and greatness to oppose it . to crush their towering piety , the heathens shewed them racks , flames , gibbets , grid-irons , cauldrons , boyling oyl , lions , bears , wild bulls , and set before them the worldly prudence of philosophers , but by the grace and assistance of that iesus , who strengthned them , they were more undaunted at their torments , than their hangmen , did fight with lions , and smile , and were more daring than the flames they suffer'd in , firmer than the racks , that broke their bones , and by their practises surmounted all the great acts that were ever done by hero's , and the most famous conquerours . they overcame death by a desire of death , and were more willing to die , than their executioners to suffer them . their blood proved the seed of the church , and the more they massacred , the more their numbers grew , till at last the emperors themselves became christians , and were forced to yield to the faith , and patience of iesus , and the christians at last gave law to those , who at first did stab , and murder them , and conquer'd them in the end , who in the beginning butcher'd them like dogs , and such inconsiderable animals . the end notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a38744-e1360 * being in 1661. notes for div a38744-e8450 lib. 1. chap. 5. lib. 1. chap. 12. concerning john baptist and herods iealousie . what josephus wrote of christ. lib. 1. ch . 14. agbarus wrote to iesus . euseb. lib. 1. ch . 14. the conference which thaddaeus had with agbarus . agbarus was cured . thad . would not receive a reward of gold. notes for div a38744-e9180 euseb. l. 2. ch . 2. euseb. l. 2. ch . 6. euseb. l. 2. ch . 7. ch. 9. lib. 2. ch . 10. a prosperous estate , sometime miserable . theudas beheaded . lib. 2. ch . 13. ch . 15. the occasion of s. marks writing the gospel . christians renounced their substance . is forsook , or cast off . what foundation the christians laid formerly . ch . 17. lib. 2. ch . 20. the priests miserable end . the jews conspiracy against the truth . lib. 2. ch . 23. lib. 2. ch . 25. notes for div a38744-e10510 lib. 3. chap. 14. euse. lib. 3. chap. 14. the same epistle or another of clemens is extant in holland , and i hear in english. lib. 3. chap. 20. of mat. of john. euse. l. 3. chap. 21. of luke . lib. 3. chap. 22. chap. 26. lib. 3. chap. 28. lib. 3. chap. 29. how long the church was said to remain as a pure virgin . when error begun to take rooting in the church l. 3. c. 30. what the christians refused to do , and what they did . euseb. lib. 3. ch . 32. ignatius epistle to the church chap 35. notes for div a38744-e12410 lib. 4. ch . 6. lib. 4. ch . 7. christians ●…andered . lib 4 ch . 8 ▪ how wrongfully the christians were executed . lib. 2. c. 23. the accusers were so well to appear at the bar as the accused . mark what justice and eqtity . lib. 4. c. 13. the desire of the christians . the christians were not to be molested nor accused . l. 4. 6. 15. 〈◊〉 . 15. a warning to forward spirits . a temptation and provocation . polycarpus was provoked to lye and swear , but would do neither . nota. lib. 4. ch . 16. t is folly to speak evil of that one knrweth not . lib. 4. ch . 17. christiani ty brought chastity . impatiency wisdom . submission truth giveth boldness . nota. lucius's godly zeal against injustice . lib. 4. ch . 18. the jews spite against christianity which was accounted heresie . prophecy then not ceased . lib. 4. ch . 21. hereticks . false christs and false prophets were entered then too among the christians . many sects among the iews . lib. 4. ch . 22. the christians relieved the brethren . some corrupted the scriptures . lib. 4. chap. 25. the christians were made a prey upon , yet innocent . nota. lib. 4. ch . 27. notes for div a38744-e15150 lib. 5. chap. 1. the epistle of the frenchmen unto the churces of asia and phrygia . extraordinary sufferings . of the love that was among the suffering christians . slanders falsty raised against the christians . their familiar acquaintance were offended at them . cruel torment . a wonderful thing if true . the saints cast into dark and deep dungeons . they were comforted of the lord when destitute of mans aid . recantation availed not . the difference betwixt the faithful & unfaithful terrible cruelty . a s●…d time . the christian martyrs would not swear . the martyrs were not be buried . the christians upbraided . christian religion termed new and strange . chap 3. the spirits of the christians were subject one to another . ch. 8. of the evangelists . concerning the scriptures . chap. 14. false prophets were entered . a deceitful spirit . saints did no homage false prophets are not persecuted to death . first inventer of bribes . gives hire to the preachers of his doctrine . bribes becometh not prophets . false prophets covetous . note . chap. 19. a cruel law against the christian●… chap. 23. a division among the christians when they apostatized . their opinions concerning fasting . notes for div a38744-e18040 chap. 2. nota. origen sold his philosophy books . chap. 4. basilides compassion basilides would not swear . chap. 13. note . why mark wrote . why iohn wrote . chap. 19. demetrius answered . chap. 40. a martyr stoned . heathen cruelty . proclamation a-against christians a young sufferer . souldiers compassion . chap. 41. souldiers zeal . chap. 42. ch. 44. notes for div a38744-e19980 chap. 1. twotkings put to his choice . his fall. psal. 50. he was guilty . the serpent's subtilty . it is sasd origen gelded himself . chap. 9. chap. 6. cruel inhumanity . nota. chap. 7. dionysius and others banished . heathens converted . chap. 7. christians sufferings . nota. chap. 2. the emperors edict . chap. 13. chap. 19. who licensed bishops &c. to preach . notes for div a38744-e22000 chap. 1. christians honoured . note . chap. 3. cruel proclamation . chap. 6. prisons filled with christians chap. 14. note . chap. 15. ch 16 , 17 18. judgment on a tyrant chap. 22. chap. 1. chap. 27. a new persecution . sacrifised young and old . cruelty to heathen●… courage of the christians . notes for div a38744-e23630 chap. 2. chap. 2. an edict in behalf of the christians liberty granted . a judgment upon this persecution . notes for div a38744-e24170 liberty of conscience granted . a synod called . chap. 6. chap. 7. chap. 8. notes for div a38744-e25120 gen. 6. 5. 12 , 13. gen. 37. exod. 1. 12 , 14. ier. 37. john 18. 31. acts 24. acts 6. acts 8. acts 13. 50. chap. 14. chap. 17. who are christians psal. 51. 16 , 17. who are antichristians . tit. 1. 16. baron . 66 num . 1. origen lib. 13. christians . now vilified as formerly . baron . an. 164. num. 2. euseb. l. 4. c. 16. christians no●… are in the same mind as formerly . baron . an. 100. num 2. tertul. 30. pag. 127. the antient christians would not go to any ceremonies . heathnish inventions . euseb. l. 6. ch . 4. the heathens pleasures were not the christians the honour of the gods decayed . how some fell from the faith , in the time of tryal . tertul. apol. pa. 19. prisons fill'd with christians socra . 1. l. ch . 2. how evils crep in amongst the chrstians . luke 18. 8. socrat. l. 3 c. 2. thap . 11. chap. 12 how the wickedness of officers was tollerated . how the priests help themselves with the quirks of logick . socrat. li. 1. c. 5. christ nor his apostles the author of logick . socra . lib. 1. ch. 3. a porsecuting bishop set up . the christians defend not themselves . the calamity of the faithful . socra . lib. 4. ch . 19. the cruelty of false christians the emperobrs hipocrysie . socra . lib. 4. ch . 29. ruffin lib. 11. ch . 8. the courage of a woman . bar. an. 1050. num. 1. bar. an. 1116. num. 6. bar. an. 1145. num. 3. anno. 1148. num. 11. the popes cruelty . bar. an. 11 78. num. 3 , 4. how the false christians behaved themselves after they had got the power in their hands . acts 21. 28. a cruel preelamation of the emperours calvin's apostasie . how luther and his adherents were reviled and what spirit they were of . protestants degeneration . notes for div a38744-e34050 acts 15. acts 21. synop. d d. acad . l●…id disp. 49. thes. 70. 71. nota. 't is the lord's work to establish his people in peace , and not the work of synods . good advise for england notes for div a38744-e37520 tertull. parallel . tertull. nota. parallel . tertull , parallel . tertull. parallel . tertull. parallel . tertull. parallel . tertull. parallel . pertull . parallel . nota. tertull. parallel . tertull. parallel . tertull. parallel . tertull. parallel . tertull. parallel . tertull. parallel . the name quaker now the object of hatred , as the name christian hath been . tertull. nota. parallel . tertull. parallel . the name of a christian procured hatred as the name of a quaker doth now . tertull. note . parallel . tertull. parallel . tertull. parallel . tertull. note . parallel . tertull. what order there was among the christians , concerning their collections . parallel . how gifts alure priests to preach . tertull. parallel . notes for div a38744-e40060 matth. 11. 21.