A Key Opening Mysterious Texts of Scripture, Collection of sermons 5 · Sermon 57
THE DEFORMITY OF HALTING THE LVII. SERMON.
1 KIN. 18.21.
And Elijah came to all the people, and ſaid, How long halt ye betweene two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him: and the people anſwered not a word.
Right Honourable, &c.
ELijah, who ſometimes called for fire from heaven, was himſelfe full of heavenly fire, the fire of zeale for the Lord of Hoſts. His words, like fire,
1 Give light,
2 Heate,
3 Conſume.
1 They give light to this undoubted truth, That one, and but one Religion is to be embraced: either God or Baal muſt be worſhipped, in no caſe both. Stand firme to one: How long halt ye betweene two?
2 They heate and enflame true zeale and devotion: If the Lord be God, follow him.
3 They burne up indifferencie and neutralitie: If Baal be he, goe after him. This paſſage of Scripture relateth a Sermon of Elijah; wherein we are to note more particularly,
1 The Preacher, Elijah.
2 The Auditorie, the whole Parliament of Iſrael.
3 The Text or Theame handled by him, viz. What God is to be worſhipped, what religion to be eſtabliſhed and maintained by Prince and people?
Now although I perſwade my ſelfe that there is none in this whole aſſembly who halteth betweene the Popiſh and reformed Churches, or hath once bowed his knee to the Romiſh Baal: yet becauſe Satan hath of late not only turned himſelfe into an Angell of light, to dazle the eyes of weake Chriſtians in point of Doctrine, but alſo into a Seraphim of heat and zeale, under colour of devotion to bring us to offer ſtrange fire upon Gods Altar; and eſpecially becauſe there is no lamp of the Sanctuarie that burneth ſo brightly, but that it needeth oyle continually to be powred into it to feed the flame: the opening of this Scripture cannot but be ſeaſonable and uſefull to reduce you into the path, if you ſwerve from it never ſo little; or to prick you on, if you are in the right way that leadeth to the kingdome of God. The key to open this Text is the occaſion of this exhortation of the Prophet: wherefore before I proceed to the expoſition of the words, I muſt entreat you to caſt a looke backwards to the occaſion of them, and the cauſe of the peoples haulting downe-right: a circumſtance not giving more light to the right underſtanding of the Prophets reproofe, than ſtrength to our ſtedfaſt ſtanding, and upright walking in the high way to Heaven. What the religious Father ſpake by way of Apologie, for handling controverſall points in the pulpit, Ideo non dubitavimus dubitare, ut vos non dubitaretis, We therefore make no ſcruple to move doubts, that yee may not doubt, but upon the ſolution of them, be more ſettled in your moſt holy faith; I may ſay truly, that therefore I hold it needfull to make a ſtay at the cauſe of the poeples haulting, that their haulting may be no ſtay to your godly proceedings, that you may never hault upon their ground, which was ſo ſlipperie that they ſlid now this way, now that way, not able to ſet ſure footing any where. Elijah by his divine commiſſion drew them to Gods Altar; but Ahab, eſpecially at the inſtigation of Jezebel, by his royall power enforced them to offer at Baals groves: between both they were miſerably perplexed, their minds diſtracted, and their worſhip divided betweene God and Baal.
Men are led by examples more than precepts, eſpecially by the examples of Princes or Potentates, which carrie a kinde of Sovereigntie over mens affections and manners, as they themſelves have over their perſons: inſomuch, that their morall vices, yea and naturall deformities alſo, have beene drawne and patterned out by ſome of their ſubjects, as if they were vertues and gracefull ornaments.aJan. Grut. annot. in Tac. foreign. Diodorus Siculus telleth us in ſober ſadneſſe, that it was the cuſtome of the Aethiopians to maime or lame themſelves in that part or foot on which their Prince limped, becauſe they thought it a great diſparagement for their Prince, that any about him ſhould goe more upright, or have a more gracefull gate than hee. And Atheneus likewiſe reporteth of Dionyſius his familiars, that becauſe himſelfe was ſomewhat purblinde, they, as they ſate at table, reached towards diſhes as it were by aime, and ſometimes miſſed, that they might not ſeeme more quick-ſighted than he. And to make up the number, when Philip received a wound in his eye, Cliſophus, as if hee had got a blow on the ſame eye, putteth a patch on it: and when afterwards Philip was run thorow the right thigh, in comes Cliſophus all to be plaiſtered on that thigh, and out-halteth his Maſter. We can hardly hold laughing when we read or heare of the madneſſe, rather than folly, of ſo groſſe flatterie; yet wee have cauſe rather to weepe at the ſight of a farre worſe flatterie, and yet moſt uſuall, whereby ſome indeere themſelves into great perſonages, by imitating their vices and profane carriage. To expreſſe theſe, they account it a kinde of merit of favour, or at leaſt an homage due to their greatneſſe, becauſe (ſaithbLactant. divin. inſtit. l. 5. c. 6. Et quoniam regis vitta imitari obſequii quoddam genus eſt, abjecerunt omnes pietatem ne regi ſcelus exprobrare viderentur. & lib. c. 23. Homines malunt exempla quam verba, &c. Lactantius) to imitate the vices of Princes and Nobles, is a Court-complement, nay a part of the ſervice and obſequiouſneſſe due to their perſons: all men in Jupiters time caſtaway the feare of God, leſt they ſhould ſeeme to upbraid ungodlineſſe to their King. Wherefore no marvell ſith Ahab was ſtarke lame on his right leg, that the Iſraelites here, after the manner of Cliſophus, followed him limping, looking ſometimes to Gods Altar, ſometimes to Baals. O the ſubtiltie of the enemie of our ſoules! how many fetches and turnings hath that wily Serpent to get in his head? if he get it not one way by Atheiſme, nor the contrarie by Superſtition, yet hee hath a third way, to ſlide in by indifferencie. Whom he cannot bring to coldneſſe in the true religion, or hot eagerneſſe in the falſe, he laboureth with a ſoft fire to make luke-warme, as he did the people of Iſrael, to whom hee ſuggeſted theſe, or the like thoughts. Alas, what ſhall we doe? we are even at our wits end, our weake and weather beaten bark is betwixt two rocks, ſtand ſtill wee cannot, the wind is ſo ſtrong. If wee ſteere one way, wee make ſhipwrack of our lives and goods; if the other, of faith and a good conſcience: to this ſtreight we are driven, either we muſt forſake our religion, or trench upon our allegeance: God and the King ſtand in competition. Neither as the matter now ſtandeth, is it poſſible to ſerve, much leſſe pleaſe both: if wee cleave ſtedfaſtly to God, wee ſhall be cloven in peeces, and hewen aſunder by Ahab; if we cleave not to him, wee forſake our owne merciemercy, and the rocke of our ſalvation: if wee burne incenſe to Baal, we ſhall frie our ſelves in hell fire; if we ſacrifice unto God, Ahab will mingle our owne bloud with our ſacrifices. Wee muſt needs indanger, either our ſoules or our bodies, our eſtate or our conſcience. Why, is there no meanes to ſave both? Wee hope there is, by dividing our ſelves betweene God and Baal: God ſhall have the one, and Baal the other: our heart wee will keepe for God, but Baal ſhall have our hands and knees at his ſervice: though wee viſit Baals groves, Baal ſhall never come into our thoughts: even then when we offer incenſe unto Baal, we will offer the incenſe of our prayers on the Altar of our heart to the God of our fathers. By this meanes wee are ſure to hold faire quarter with Ahab, and we hope alſo to keepe in with God, to whom we give the better part. Yea, but this is no better than halting betweene both. Be it ſo, is it not better to halt, thinke you, than to loſe both legs? And what ſhame is it for us thus to halt, ſith the Prince and chiefe Prieſts doe no otherwiſe? They are our guides, and if they miſlead us, let them beare the blame.
As the people thus reaſoned with themſelves, and after much ſwagging on both ſides, in the end came to fix and reſolve upon this middle way: out commeth the Prophet Elijah, and fearing no colours, preſenteth himſelfe firſt to Ahab, and afterward to the people: by Ahab hee is entertained with this diſcourteous ſalutation, Art thou hee that troubleth Iſrael? How dareſt thou appeare in my preſence? The Prophet as well appointed with patience to beare, as the King armed with rage to ſtrike, encountreth the King on this wiſe; It is not I that trouble Iſrael, but thou and thy fathers houſe; in that yee have forſaken the commandements of the Lord, and have followed Baal. Wee ſee here by the freedome of the Prophets reproofe, that though the ſervants of God may be in bonds, yet the word of God is not bound; nay it bindeth Ahab and all his ſervants to their good behaviour, they cannot ſtirre hand or foot againſt the Prophet. They are ſo farre from ſilencing him, that in Gods name hee commands them, ſaying; Send and gather unto me all Iſrael unto Mount Carmel, and the Prophets of Baal foure hundred and fifty, and the Prophets that eat at Jezebels table. The King taketh the word from Elijah, and gives it to the people, and a Parliament is on the ſudden aſſembled, wherein Elijah is the ſpeaker: his ſpeech is an invective againſt unſettled neutrality, and diſſembling in matter of religion: unſettledneſſe is taxed in the word halt; indifferency in the words, betweene two opinions; diſſembling and temporizing in the words following, if the Lord be God, follow him.
How long halt yee betweene two opinions? The Prophet here uſeth no flouriſh at all, no proluſion after the manner of Fencers, but preſently hee fals to blowes, and that ſo ſmart, that he ſtunned his adverſaries: for ſo we read, they anſwered him never a word? cCic. Catil. 2. Quouſ que tandem abutêre Catilina patientiâ noſtrâ? & Phil. 2. Qu…niam meo f…o fieri dicam P.C. & Muret. orat. Ergo hoc miſeris Gallis? &c.How long halt yee? An abrupt Exordium becommeth a man that is in a vehement paſſion: ſuch an one now ſurprized Elijah; the Baalites profaning Gods name, polluting his Altars, ſlaying his Prophets, heat him above his ordinary conſtitution. In ſuch a caſe as this was to have been luke-warm, had been little better than key-cold. When God is highly diſhonoured, the true religion wronged, groſſe idolatry patronized, not to bee moved, is an argument either of inſincerity or cowardice: Patientia digna omni impatientiâ: Such patience is inſufferable, ſuch ſilence is a crying ſinne, ſuch temper a diſtemper. Wherefore no marvell if Elijahs ſpirit, in which there was alwayes an intenſive heat, now flamed, and his words were no other than ſo many ſparks of fire.
How long halt yee betweene two opinions? Not why? but how? not doe ye now? but how long will ye? not loſe or miſſe your way, or goe awry, but halt? not in a wrong path, but betweene two wayes? How aggravateth the unſeemelineſſe of their gate by their manner, long by the continuance, halt by the deformity, betweene two opinions by the uncertainty. Is it not a moſt ſhamefull thing to halt after an unſeemely manner for a long time betweene two wayes, not certaine which to take or leave?
Out of the manner of Elijahs reproofe obſerve the duty of a faithfull Miniſter of God, when juſt cauſe is given to bee round with his hearers, and to reprove them plainly, calling halting halting: if they do not ſo they halt in their duty, and the vengeance of God is like to overtake them, denounced by the Prophet Jeremie; dJer. 23.31, 32Behold, I will come againſt the Prophets that have ſweet tongues, and ſay, He ſaith. Behold, I am againſt them that propheſie falſe dreames, ſaith the Lord, and doe tell them, and cauſe my people to erre by their lyes and by their lightneſſe, yet I ſent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they ſhall not profit this people at all. But becauſe this note ſorteth not well with this time and this queere, I leave it, and inſiſt rather upon thoſe that follow, the firſt whereof is the conſideration of the time, or rather duration of this infirmity in the people.
How long? They that are ſound in their limbes, may by a ſmall ſtraine or blow upon their legs halt for a while, but ſure long to halt is a ſigne of ſome dangerous ſpraine or rupture: now this people (as it ſhould ſeeme) halted in this manner at leaſt three yeeres. The ſtrongeſt and ſoundeſt Chriſtian ſometimes halteth in his minde betweene two opinions, nay which is worſe, betweene religion and ſuperſtition, faith and diffidence, hope and deſpaire: but hee halts not long, Chriſt by his word and ſpirit cureth him. As in our bodies, ſo in our ſoules we have ſome diſtempers; doubts ſuddenly ariſe in our minds as ſparks out of the fire, which yet are quenched in their very aſcending, and appeare not at all after the breath of Gods ſpirit hath kindled a flame of truth in our underſtanding. Hereſies and morall vices are like quagmires, wee may ſlightly paſſe over them without any great danger: but the longer we ſtand upon them the deeper wee ſinke, and if wee bee not drowned over head and eares in them, yet we ſcape not without much mire and dirt. HereofeConfeſſ. lib. 3. c. 11. Novem ferme anni ſunt quibus ego in illo limo profundi & tenebris falſitatis, cum ſaepius ſurgere conarer & gravius alliderer volutatus ſum. S. Auguſtine had lamentable experience during the ſpace of many yeeres, in which he ſtucke faſt in the hereſie of the Manichees: Had I but (ſaith he) ſlipt onelyonly into the errour of the Manichees, and ſoone got out of it, my caſe had beene leſſe fearefull and dangerous; but God knowes that for almoſt nine yeares I wallowed in that mud; the more I ſtrived to get out the faſter I ſtucke in. Beloved, if wee have not beene ſo happy as to keepe out of the walke of the ungodly, yet let us bee ſure not to ſtand in the way of ſinners, much leſſe ſit in the ſeat of the ſcornefull: if wee are not ſo pure and cleane as we deſire, at leaſt let us not with Moab ſettle upon the lees of our corruption: if wee ever have halted as Jacob did, yet let us not long halt with the Iſraelites, whom here Elijah reproveth, ſaying, How long
Halt yee? It may be, and is very likely that many of the Iſraelites ran to Baals groves and altars, and yet they were liable to this reproofe of Elijah. For though we run never ſo faſt in a wrong way, we doe no better than halt before God. Better halt (ſaith S. Auſtine) in the way, than run out of the way. This people did neither, they neither ran out of the way, nor limped in the way; but halted betweene two wayes, and miſſed both.
Betweene two opinions. Had they beene in the right way, yet halting in it, the night might have overtaken them before they came to the period of their journey; but now being put out of their way, and moving ſo ſlowly as they did, though the Sun ſhould hauehave ſtood ſtill as it did in the valley of Ajalon, they were ſure never to arrive in any time to the place where they would be. Yet had they beene in any way, perhaps in a long time it would have brought them, though not home, yet to ſome baiting place; but now being betweene two waies their caſe was moſt deſperate: yet this is the caſe of thoſe whom the world admireth for men of a deep reach & diſcreet carriage: they are forſooth none of your Simon Zelotes, Ahab ſhall never accuſe them, as hee doth here Elijah, for troubling Iſrael with their religion, they keepe it cloſe enough: whatſoever they beleeve in private (if at leaſt they beleeve any thing) they in publike wil be ſure to take the note from the Srate, & either fully conſort with it, or as leaſt ſtrike ſo ſoft a ſtroake, that they will make no jarre in the muſick. Beſides other demonſtrations of the folly of theſe men, their very inconſtancy and unſettledneſſe convinceth them of it: for mutability and often changing, even in civill affaires that are moſt ſubject to change, is an argument of weakneſſe; but inconſtancie in religion, which is alwayes conſtant in the ſame, is a note of extreme folly. Whence it is that the ſpirit of God taxeth this vice under that name, as, Oh yee fooliſh Galatians, who hath bewitch…d you? Are yee ſo fooliſh? fChap. 3.1, 3, 4.having begun in the Spirit, are yee now made perfect in the fleſh? Have yee ſuffered ſo many things in vaine? And,gEpheſ. 4.14. Be not like children toſſed to and fro, and carried about with everie wind of doctrine. If religion be not only the foundation of Kingdomes and Common-wealths, but alſo of everie mans private eſtate, what greater folly or rather madneſſe can there be, than to build all thehMatth. 7.26. ſecuritie of our preſent and hope of our future well-fare upon a ſandie foundation? He that heareth my words and doth them not, is likened to a fooliſh man which buildeth his houſe upon the ſand. All the covenants betweene God and us, of all that we hold from his bountie, are with a condition of our ſervice and fealtie: which ſith a man unſettled in religion neither doth, nor ever can performe, hee can have no aſſurance of any thing that hee poſſeſſeth, no content in proſperitie, no comfort in adverſitie, no right to the bleſſings of this life, no hope of the bleſſedneſſe of the life to come: what religion ſoever gaine heaven, he is ſure to loſe it. Whether the Lord be God, or Baal be God, neither of them will entertaine ſuch halting ſervitours. Were he not worthy to be begged for a foole, that after much cautiouſneſſe and reſervedneſſe, would make his bargaine ſo, that he were ſure to ſit downe with the loſſe? ſuch matches maketh the worldly-wiſe man; howſoever the world goe, whether the true or the falſe religion prevaile in the State, while hee continueth reſolved of neither, hee is ſure to loſe the pearle which the rich merchant ſold all that he had to buy. What ſhall I ſpeak of inward wars and conflicts in his conſcience? Now he hath ſtrong inducements to embrace the Goſpel, ſhortly after meeting with a cunning Jeſuit, he is perſwaded by him that he is an Enfant perdue, out of all hope of ſalvation if he be not reconciled to the Roman Church: the next day falling aboord with the brethren of the ſeparation, he beginneth to thinke the Browniſts the onelyonly pure and refined Chriſtians; for all other Chriſtians, if we beleeve them, build upon the foundation hay and ſtubble, but they gold, ſilver, and precious ſtones. When he is out of theſe skirmiſhes, and at leiſure to commune with his owne heart, his conſcience chargeth him with Atheiſme, indifferencie in religion, and hollow-hearted neutralitie. Adde we hereunto the judgement of all underſtanding men, who eſteeme ſuch as double with God, and are of a changeable religion, to have no faithfulneſſe or honeſtie. By how much the graces and perfections of the mind exceed thoſe of the body, by ſo much the imperfections and deformities of the one ſurpaſſe the other: what may wee then judge of wavering inconſtancie, which is compared to a ſpirituall palſey, or an halting in the mind?
Halt yee. Though the metaphor of halting uſed in my text might ſignifie either a ſlackneſſe or ſlowneſſe in the way of godlineſſe, or a maime in ſome member or article of their faith: yet, according to the ſcope of the place, and conſent of the beſt Expoſitors, I interpret it unſettled wavering and inconſtancie. For he that halteth is like a man of a giddie braine in a cock-boat or wherrie, who turneth the boat ſometimes this way, ſometimes that way, not knowing where to ſet ſure footing. The oppoſite vertue to this vice is a ſtedfaſt ſtanding in the true faith; whereto S. Paul exhorteth the Corinthians,iCor. 15.58. Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye ſtedfaſt, unmoveable, alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. And the Coloſſians, If yee continue in the faith kChap. 1.23.grounded and ſettled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Goſpell: and for it he heartily prayeth; For this cauſe I bow lEpheſ. 3.14, 16, 17, 18, 19.my knees to the father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, that hee would grant you according to the riches of his glorie, to be ſtrengthened with might by his ſpirit in the inner man, that Chriſt may dwell in your hearts by faith, that yee being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the bredth, & length, & depth, & height: & to know the love of Chriſt which paſſeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulnes of God. The Pythagorians, who delighted to repreſent morall truths by mathematicall figures, deſcribed a good man by a cube; whence grew the proverb, Homo undi que quadratus, A perfect ſquare man everie way. The reaſon of this embleme is taken from the uniformitie & ſtabilitie of this figure, which conſiſteth of ſix ſides exactly equall, & on which ſoever it falleth it lies ſtedfaſt. As the needle in the mariners compaſſe, while it waggleth to & fro till it be ſettled & fixed to the North-point, giveth no direction: no more doth our faith till it be ſettled unmoveably, & pointeth directly to the true religion, which is the only Cynoſure to guide our brittle barks to the faire havens where we would be.
Between two opinions. It is bad to halt, but worſe (as I ſhewed before) to halt betweene two opinions: which may be done two manner of wayes.
1. Either by leaving both, & keeping a kind of middle way betwixt them.
2. Or by often croſſing from one to the other, and ſometimes going or rather limping in the one and ſometimes in the other.
The former is their hainous ſinne who in diverſitie of religions are of none, the latter of them who are of all. The former S.mConfeſſ. l. 6. c. 1. Cum ma… indicaſſem non me quidem j… eſſe Mani…ae…m, ſed nec Catholicum Chriſtianum. Auſtine confeſſeth with teares to have beene his piteous caſe, when being reclaimed from the hereſie of the Manichees, and yet not fully perſwaded of the truth of the Catholique cauſe, he was for the time neither Catholique nor Manichee. Which eſtate of his ſoule he fitly compareth to their bodily malady, who after a long and grievous diſeaſe, at the criticall houres, as they call them, feele ſuddenly a releaſe of paine, yet no increaſe of ſtrength or amendment: at which time they are in greater danger than when they had their extreme fits on them, becauſe if they mend not ſpeedily they end. For there can be no ſtay in this middle eſtate betweene ſickneſſe and health. The wiſe Law-giver of Athens, Solon, outlawed and baniſhed all thoſe, who in civill contentions joyned not themſelves to one part. How juſt this Law may be in Common wealths on earth, I diſpute not: this I am ſure of, that our heavenly Law-giver will baniſh all ſuch out of his Kingdome, who in the Church civill warres with Heretiques, joyne not themſelves to one part, I meane the Catholique and Orthodox. The Praetor of the Samnites ſpake to good purpoſe in their Senate, when the matter was debated whether they ſhould take part with the Romans againſt other Greekes, or carrie themſelves as neuters.nMedia via neque amicos patit, neque ini…icos tolli…. This middle way (ſaith hee) which ſome would have us take as the ſafeſt for us, becauſe thereby we ſhall provoke neither partie, as bolding faire quarter with both, is the unſafeſt way of all; for it will neither procure us friends, nor take away our enemies. Of the ſame minde was the great Stateſman Ariſtenus, who after hee had weighed reaſons on all ſides,oRomanos aut ſocios habere, aut hoſtes oportere, mediam viam nullam eſſe. Liv. Dec. 4. l. 1. Macedonum legati Aetolis; ſ…ò, ac nequi…qu…m cum Do…inum Romanum habebitis, ſocium Philippum quaeretis. reſolved that the Romans ſo peremptorily demanding aid of them as they did, they muſt of neceſsitie either enter into confederacie & ſtrict league with them, or be at deadly fewd; that middle way there was none. Apply you this to the Roman faith, and it is a theologicall veritie; upon neceſſitie wee muſt either hold communion with the Roman Church, or profeſſedly impugne her and her errours. God curſedq…udg. 5.23. Meros for not taking part with the Iſraelites againſt their and Gods enemies: and Chriſt in the Goſpel openly profeſſeth,rMatt 12.30. He that is not with me is againſt me. Media ergo via nulla eſt.
The ſecond kinde of halting betweene two opinions, may be obſerved in thoſe, who are ſometimes of one and ſometimes of another. Men of this temper, though they ſeeme to be neerer health than others, yet indeed they are in more danger; as the Angell ofſApoc. 3.16. Laodicea his cenſure maketh it a cleare caſe. For though they may ſeem to be more religious than they who profeſſe no religion: yet ſith it is impoſſible that truth & falſhood ſhould ſtand together, all their religion will be found to be nothing elſe but diſſimulation, and ſo worſe than profeſſed irreligion. Here that ſpeech of Philip concerning his two ſonsuPlut. Apoph. foreign. Hecaterus and Amphoterus, may have place: Hecaterus is Amphoterus, and Amphoterus is Udeterus, that is, hee whoſe name is Either of the two, is worth Both, but he whoſe name is Both is neither. The Nazarean Heretiques (ſaith S. Auſtine) while they will be both zAug. de haer. Ad quod vult Deum. 2 Kings 17. 29, 30, 33.Jewes and Chriſtians, prove neither one nor the other. Doth zealous Auſtine ſay ſo only? doth not the holy Spirit confirme it, that they who embrace or maintaine more religions are indeed of none? How read we? The people of divers nations (ſaith the text) whom the King of Aſſur planted in Samaria feared the Lord, but ſerved other gods. Now let us hear the cenſure of the holy Ghoſt, which followes, To this day they doe after the old manner: they neither feare God, nor doe after their ordinances, nor after the Law, nor after the commandement which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob; Feare no other gods, nor bow to them, nor ſacrifice to them. Hence we may ſtrongly infer, that Ambodexters as they are called, are Amboſiniſters, & Omnifidians are Nullifidians: and that there is no greater enemie to true religion than worldly policie, which under pretence of deliberation hindreth ſound reſolution, under pretence of diſcretion extinguiſheth true zeale, under colour of moderation ſlackeneth or ſtoppeth all earneſt contention for our moſt holy faith; yet without contention no victorie, without victorie no crowne. How ſhould they ever hope to bee incorporated into Chriſt, whom hee threateneth to ſpue out of his mouth? But I hope better things of all here preſent, though I thus ſpeake, and things that accompanie ſalvation, through the ſincere and powerfull preaching of the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt among you. Cui, &c.