The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven, Treatise 7 · Robber 6
THE SIXTH ROBBER IS the Popish Seminarie, with a shamelesse face and bloudie hand, stealing from the child of God the mediation and intercession of that sole Mediator God and man, euen the Man Christ Iesus, & putting in his hands the intercession of Saints.
TRue sauing prayer,Sauing prayer is a royall wise ambassadour. ô my soule, may iustly be styled, that royall ambassadour, prudent and couragious, who lodging alwayes in a cleane cabinate, is directed from that greatest king, towards that greatest monarch, and who can no wayes vponupon anie condition be moued to stay from iourneying forwards till he come before him, to whom he was sent; discharging that commission which he carrieth in his bosome: and besides him neither to minion, nor courtiour, nor anie of his subiects whatsoeuer. Tell me, ô my soule, can anie in heauen, anie vnderunder heauen, teach thee to pray for thy saluation, besides that great King, euen the spirit of the Father, and of his dearest Sonne? and therefore that great teacher of the Gentiles,Rom. 8. 26. can resolue thee thus: The spirit helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what to pray as we ought, but the spirit it selfe makes requests for vsus with sighes that cannot be expressed. This ambassadour of prayer comming from the spirit, cannot lodge but in the quickned soule, and reneued heart of Gods child. Reprobates I confesse may possesse manie delicates, but this delicate of sauing prayer they cannot hauehave, and therefore the said great teacher of the Gentiles, can marrie, as it were, Prayer & Saluation, after an inseperable manner, together saying:Rom. 10. 13. Whosoeuer calleth vponupon the name of the Lord (to wit, being led by the spirit of adoption, the onelyonly author of heauenly supplication) shall be saued. Sauing prayer besides this is so prudent, and couragious that being sent by the spirit, from the honest heart of Gods renued child, towards that onelyonly superexcellent monarch God his Father, it will not giuegive so much as a looke, let by a God-speed (as it were) to anie Angel, to anie Saint in heauen, vntounto anie man in earth, (being so directed by that spirit by whom it was sent) till it come before that great Maiestie of the God of heauen, with whom onelyonly it hath bene, & there in his bosome poured forth it selfe. O my soule, art thou not thus charged by God the Father, Call vponupon me in the day of thy trouble. Psal. 50 15.Art thou not thus charged by God thy Sauiour?Mat. 6. 9. when ye pray pray thus. Our father which art in heauen? art thou not thus charged by God thy comforter, and keeper.Iames 1. 5. If anie aske wisedome, let him aske it of God. Search, search, ô my soule, the whole old Testament, the whole new Testament and trie if thou there mayest gather, either with a precept directing thee to pray to any in heauen, or vnderunder heauen, besides thy God? or with anie, promise that if thou prayest vntounto anie beside his Maiestie, thou shalt speed? or lastly, with any practise, shewing thee that euer any of Gods children euer sent vp their prayers to any, beside that blessed God in whom they beleeued.Popish superstitious bablings be no prayers. Vnderstand, vnderstand, ô my soule, that the ignorant profane bablings of the blind superstious Papists, can be no prayers indited by the blessed Spirit of God; but windie, foolish, effectlesse words, comming from their owne deceiued braines and fond imaginations; for if they come from Gods Spirit, they would be directed vntounto God onelyonly.The Papist police in aduancing his lying doctrine of inuocation of Saints. But since they be drawne vp vntounto creatures, they cannot come from the true Spirit of that creator blessed for euermore, but from the lying spirit of base cursed creatures. The blind bloudie restlesse Seminarie compassing the earth to and fro with Satan, shewing alwayes where he commeth (any occasion being offered to him) he is poysoned, and poysoning people, either to impede the receiuing, or to hinder the grouth of the good wheate of Gods word; to the end that he may perswade men and women of all rankes, euen with greedinesse, to embrace his lying doctrine, touching the inuocation of Saints: hath verie highly heretofore, and doth still, verie farre aduance that foolish comparison taken from the courts of earthly Princes; and this comparison he hath hatched, to the end he may the more subtily aduance the grandour & wealth of that vile court of Rome and with this draw away, not onelyonly poore simple people from being truly courteours, with that King of glorie blessed for euer; but also to stirre them vp (albeit he abhorreth to confesse this) to make themselues grosse and auowed traitors against his Maiestie.While the Papist cō pares Gods kingdome vntounto a court, they trauell to m…ke vsus traitors to the king of that court. O shamelesse Papist is not this thy fond allegance! As subiects (considering the grandor of their Princes, and their owne basenesse) are accustomed to go to their kings by courteours and noble men. So the children of God, considering the excellencie of that Maiestie wherewith their God is clothed, being sensible in the meane time of their owne vilenesse by reason of these sinnes wherewith they are clogged, should not attempt to go to their God, but by these Saints which are in heauen. Hadst thou, ô effronted Papist, hearkened vntounto yt answer, (now neare by twelfe hundred yeares ago) giuen to this purpose,Ambr. on Rom. 8. by that famous Bishop of worthie memorie, Ambrose: thou wouldest hauehave bene affrayed from receiuing gredily without any shew or reason, that effectlesse comparison; and from keeping it so pertenatiously, euen to this day, without any kind of shame? for this cause men and women are moued to go to kings, by noble men and courteours; because kings be but men, and know not to whom they should commit the gouernment of their countrey: but while a man hath to do with his God, from whom nothing can be hidde (for all men are knowne by him) we hauehave neede of no such mediator, but of a deuout humble holy heart: for whensoeuer such an heart shall speake, God shall louingly answer it. But deceiued, and deceiuing Seminarie! to what purpose will this thy comparison serue thee in that countrey where the king with whom thou hast to do, hath by a speciall Edict, vnderunder his great seale and publicke proclamation raised thereupon, authorised his eldest Sonne, to be the onelyonly mediator, by whom his subiects great and small, any wayes offending him, or standing in neede of any thing at his hands, should hauehave recourse vntounto him; discharging them herewith vnderunder the highest paine, to make any suite by the mediation of any other whatsoeuer? Secondly, if the Prince the Kings eldest sonne, being thus authorised by his father, hauehave by his publicke proclamation (hauing receiued from his father speciall warrant so to do) certified all his fathers subiects, that none of them possibly can come to him but by him? Thlrdly, if the Lords of the Kings secret counsell, being certified of the truth hereof, would beside this (being commanded by the King and his sonne) charge all the subiects to come to the Kings sonne, yea, to his sonne onelyonly, whensoeuer they hauehave to do with the King his father. Now, ô blind bold Seminarie, I appeale thy conscience, vnlesse thou hast layed aside all conscience, and made that whore of Babell thy God, if thou be acquainted with that voyce which was sounded from the heauens, that day in the which that blessed sole Sauiour of the world was baptized?Mat. 3. 17. This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased. Yea, hearest thou not this voyce sounded ouer againe with an addition, that day in the which that holy one was transfigured:Mat. 17. 6. This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him. O Seminarie, wilt thou not heare the sonne saying to thee?Iohn 14. 6. I am the way, the verity, & the life, no man comes to the Father, but by me. Hearest thou him not thus secretly inuiting thee to come directly to him?Mat. 11. 28. Come vntounto me all ye which are wearie and laden, and I will ease you. Yea, ô Seminarie possessed with a deafe diuell, when God speaketh to thee by his word: wilt thou not heare that great Apostle Paul, who was well acquainted with the whole counsell of God saving vntounto thee? There is one God and one Mediator betwixt God and man, euen the man Christ Iesus. Bernard from his heart, subioyning with his hand vntounto this sounded by Saint Paul, could say:1. Tim. 2. 5 Ber. ser. in cant. 48. Vnus est vitae dator, vnus mediator Dei & hominum, homo Christus Iesus, qui dicit sponsae suae: Salus tua ego sum. There is one giuer of life, and one mediator betwixt God and man, the man Christ Iesus: who saith vntounto his spouse, I am thy saluation. Sure I am, were old Christome aliue, he would as farre condemne the auowed profane mad folly of the superstitious Papist in this point, as he commanded the holy wisedome of that sincere woman, whose daughter was possessed with a diuell: for speakes he not thus touching her? Behold the wisedome of the woman, Chrysost de Cana.saith he, she prayeth not to Iames, she maketh not her supplication to Iohn, she goeth not to Peter, neither respecteth she the companie of the Apostles, requiring helpe of any of them, but in stead of them all, (taking happily vnfained repentance for her companion,) she goeth directly forward to blessed Iesus, that onelyonly well which was able to yeeld out that sweet water which she thristed for. Amb. in lib. Isak.Ambrose saw this while he could say: Christus est os nostrum, per quod patri loquimur; oculus noster, per quem patrem videmus; dextra nostra, per quam patri nos offerimus; quo nisi intercedente, nec nobis nec sanctis omnibus quicquam cum Deo est. Christ is our mouth by the which we speake to the father; our eyes by the which we see the father; our right hand, by the which we offer our selues to the father: without whose intercession, neither we, nor any of the Saints hauehave any interesse in, or accesse to, God. And therefore what wonder that Irenaeus before Ambrose writeth thus:Iren. lib. 2. cap. 57. Non rationibus angelicis fiat aliquid, nec aliqua praua curiositate; sed mundae & purae orationes dirigantur ad Dominum, quia omnia fecit, & nomen Domini nostri Iesu Christi, cuius nomen omnia praestat, & curat, non autem alterius cuiusquam. Let nothing be done by the counsels of Angels, or through any wicked curiositie; but let our cleane and pure prayers be directed to that God who made all things, and to the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, whose name helpes and cures all things, and not to the name of any other whatsoeuer. But will the restlesse Seminarie rest, ô my soule, when these things are brought from the very mouth of God vntounto his eares? no, no, for the tricking Seminarie who can cunningly catch simple soules by his entrapping subtilties, will confesse, that blessed Iesus that onelyonly Son of that great King, is the onelyonly Mediator of reconciliation betwixt God and man; but with this he will maintaine, that there be other Mediatours of intercession besides him, who may make and do make request vntounto God for vsus. Spare not, spare not, ô my soule, to say vntounto the shamelesse pert Seminarie when he speaketh thus, Auoide Satan: as one sent ou… by that craftie foxe, and cruell dragon, first by his subtiltie to snare thee, and then by his crueltie to slay thee; demanding him euen from a strong heart and with a good countenance thus: O Seminarie, out of what booke, out of whose mouth, learnedst thou to put a difference betwixt the Mediatour of reconciliation and intercession?None can be the Mediatour of intercessiō but who is the Mediatour of reconciliatiō. for out of Gods Booke, out of Gods mouth, speaking to thee by Scripture, thou learnedst it neuer; albeit no booke besides Gods booke, no mouth besides Gods mouth, must in this point informe thee: for telleth not Gods booke me, and so Gods mouth, first, that we hauehave no mediatour who can possibly intercede for vsus at the hands of our God, but that mediatour who hath reconciled vsus to our God, for be not these the words of Paul: There is one God and one Mediatour betwixt God and man, the man Christ Iesus. If Paul had spoken thus, There is one mediatour betwixt God and man, the man Christ Iesus; he had spoken enough to conuince the lying Seminarie, but he will say more, euen this: There is one God and one Mediator betwixt God and man, the man Christ Iesus, to make the Seminarie ashamed (if he could be) of his subtiltie; for hereby he would tell thee, ô my soule, that as there is one onelyonly true God, and no waies in any respect another, euen the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost; so there is onelyonly one true Mediator, and in no respect another. Secondly, telleth not Gods booke, and so Gods mouth me, that this Iesus Christ could not possibly hauehave bene a Mediatour of intercession for vsus, praying to God for vsus, vnlesse he had bene a Mediatour of reconciliation for vsus, by his bloudie sacrifice, satisfying his Fathers iustice for our sinnes. O vile Seminarie, darest thou giuegive that great disciple (whom Iesus loued, and who lay in Iesus bosome) the lye? for speakes he not thus. If anie man sinne, 1. Ioh. 2. 1. 2we hauehave an Aduocate with the Father, Iesus Christ the Iust, and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes. Thus ioyntly ioyning Christs intercession and reconciliation together; and from his reconciliation of vsus, proouing that he hath onelyonly right to intercede for vsus; for if he had not reconciled vsus, he could no wayes hauehave any right to pray for vsus, neither durst we hauehave attempted to hauehave had any recourse to him as to our Mediatour; yea, which is more ô my soule, if he had not bene our onelyonly Reconciler, he could not hauehave bene our Mediatour at all. Augustine writing vponupon this place out of the sense hereof speaketh thus: Ioannes non dixit aduocatum habetis sed habemus, August.nec me habetis (dixit) sed Christum posuit nonse, maluit se ponere in numero peccatorum, vt haberet Aduocatum Christum, quam ponere se pro Christo aduocatum, & inueniri inter damnandos superbos fratres. Iesum Christum ipsum habemus aduocatum ad patrem, ipse est propitiatio peccatorum nostrorum; hoc qui tenuit, haeresin non facit. Inde enim facta sunt schismata, cum dicunt homines nos iusti sumus, nos sanctificamus immundos, nos iusti ficamus impios, nos petimus, nos impetramus. Iohn said not ye hauehave an Aduocate, but we; neither said he, ye hauehave me, but putting Christ for our aduocate not himself; for he had rather hauehave put himselfe amongst the number of sinners, to the end he might hauehave Christ for his Aduocate, then to make himselfe aduocate in Christs stead, and so in the end to be found among those proud brethren who shall be damned. We hauehave Iesus Christ the iust himselfe for our Aduocate with the Father, he is a propitiation for our sinnes, whosoeuer holds this maintaines no heresie, makes no schisme; for schismes proceed of this, when men say, we are iust, we sanctifie the vncleane, we iustifie the wicked, we pray, we obtaine. O when shall the blind Popish Seminarie thinke and write as honorably of that excellent worke of mediation, as Tertullian thought and wrote of it, for sees he it not to be so excellent, that he can find neither Angell nor man any wayes fit for it? yea, that he must affirme that none can be mediatour betwixt God and man but he who was God. And therefore prouing Christ to be God amongst other arguments he vseth this:Tert. in lib. de Trin. Cur homo in orationibus inuocatur, cum inuocatio hominis ad praestandam salutem inefficax iudicetur? cur spes in illo ponitur cum spes in homine maledicta referatur? Wherefore is man called vponupon in our prayers, seeing the calling vponupon man for the obtaining of saluation must be thought altogether ineffectuall? Wherefore do men trust in him, seeing the confidence which is put in man is cursed? Augustine after Tertullian saw this also, when he said: Quem i…uenirem qui me reconciliaret tibi?Aug lib. 10. conf. cap. 42. an eundem fuit mihi ad Angelos, qua prece, quibus sacramentis? multi conantes ad teredire, neque per seipsos valentes sicut audio, tentauerunt hos, & inciderunt in desiderium curiosarum visionum, & digni habiti sunt illusionibus. Mediator autem inter Deum & homines, oporteret vt haberet aliquid simile Deo, aliqu…d simile hominibus; ne in vtroque similis hominibus, longe esset à Deo, aut in vtroque similis Deo, longe esset ab hominibus. Whom could I finde who was able to reconcile me to thee? should I hauehave gone to the Angels, by what prayer, by what allegation? many pressing to returne to thee, and not being able by themselues, as I heare, hauehave assayed to do this, and hauehave fallen headlong in the louelove of curious visions, and hauehave bene thought worthie of mocking and scorning: for it behoued that he who should be Mediatour betwixt God and man, should hauehave some thing like vntounto God, and some thing like vntounto man; lest being in eueryevery thing like vntounto man, he should hauehave bene farre from God, or lest being in eueryevery thing like vntounto God he should hauehave bene farre from man: and so be no mediatour. I wonder if euer the Papist Seminarie read that ancient Father Epiphanius in his 74. heresie, where by nine strong arguments he proues that the Virgin Marie should hauehave no prayer made to her, and so be vsed as a mediatrix by any. O how sweetly brings Augustine in the Christian soule, when death is drawing neare it, speaking thus touching the onelyonly Mediatour Iesus, and to the onelyonly Mediatour Iesus:August. Tutius & incundius loquor ad meū Iesum, quam ad aliquem sanctorum spirituum Dei; plus debet mihi Christus quam alicui caelestium spirituum: Quod ego sum, fieri dignatus est Deus, non factus est quod est Angelus; ad curiam Dei sui, Dei tui, praecess… Deus tuus, homo tuus, tunica tua polymitica indutus: illic assidue pro nobis interpellat. Quem igitur habes intercessorem, habes Mediatorem, constituet ibi propitium adiutorem; & si Deus prote, quis contrate. I speake more surely, more ioyfully vntounto my Iesus, then I can speake vntounto any of the holy spirits of God: Christ is all and more vntounto me then vntounto any of those heauenly spirits. God dained himselfe to be that which I am: he was not made that which the Angels is. Thy God, thy man, clothed with thy particoloured coate hath gone before thee into the court and hall of this God, of thy God. There he doth alwayes intercede and make request for thee; and therefore make him to be thy gracious helper, whom thou hast for thy Intercessour and Mediatour: and if God be with thee who can be against thee. When I consider this, ô my soule, I shall neuer wonder that Bernard knowing with Peter and Iohn, That among men there is giuen no name vnderunder the heauen whereby a man can be saued beside the name of Iesus, spake thus of the name of Iesus.Bernard. Nomen Iesus est mel in ore, melos in aure, iubilis in corde; nomen quod instar olei lucet praedicatum, pascit recogitatum, lenit & vngit inuocatum. The name of Iesus is honie in the mouth, pleasant melodie in the eare, aiubile and exultation in the heart. The name of Iesus is a name which being preached shines like oyle, being meditate vponupon feedes, and which being called vponupon comforts and annoints. O when shall the Papist be moued to see and confesse that to be true, which Augustine confesseth both truly & chearfully?Aug. ep. 49. Quanto magis pia est creatura, & subdita Deo, tanto minus se tali honore dignatur, quem scit non deberi nisi Deo: sancti Angeli non appetunt sacrificium, nisi quod ex doctrina vera sapientiae veraeque religionis offertur vns vero Deo, cui sancta societate deser…iunt. Pro…de sicut impia superbia, siue hominum siue daemonum, sibi hos diuinos honores exhiberi, vel iubet, vel cupit; ita pia humilitas, vel hominum vel Angelorum sanctorum, haec sibi oblata recusauit, & cui deberetur ostendit. The more religious and subiect vntounto God a creature is, it accounts it selfe to be lesse worthie of that honour which it knowes belongs to God. These holy Angels allowes no sacrifice, but that which according to the doctrine of true wisedome and religion is offered vp to that onelyonly one true God. Therfore as the wicked pride, either of men or of Angels, commands or desires these honours to be giuen to them which be due to God; so the religious and holy humilitie either of men or of Angels, hauehave forsaken these things, and hauehave shewed men vntounto whom they be due. And so holy Angels, holy men, true worshippers of the true God, do alwayes crie with that Angell which was sent to Iohn, Reuel. 22. ….Worship God.
FINIS.
THREE MOST FEAREFVLL ROCKES layed in the way of Gods babes, iourneying towards heauen: threatning their present ouerthrow, if they be not escheued by the light of the Spirit, their leader; and of the word their lanterne; holden forth by the man of God their watchman.
2. TIM. 2. 19.The foundation of God remaineth sure, and hath this seale: The Lord knoweth who are his, and let euerie one that calleth vponupon the name of the Lord depart frō iniquitie.
PSAL. 130. 4.MercieMercy or forgiuenesse is with thee that thou maiest be feared.
ROM. 6. 15.Shall we sinne because we are not vnderunder the Law but vnderunder grace? God forbid.
MAT. 7. 22.Not euerie one that saith vntounto me Lord, shall enter into the kingdome of heauen, but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen.
TIT. 1. 16.They professe that they know God, but by their workes they denie him, and are abominable, and disobedient, and to euerie good worke reprobate.