The Diseases of the Time, Title page – Table of contents
THE DISEASES OF THE TIME, Attended by their Remedies. By FRANCIS ROVS.
LONDON, Printed by William Stansby for Iohn Parker, and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard, at the signe of the three Pigeons. 1622.
TO THE RIGHT Worthy and my truely honorable Friend, Sir Beniamin Rudyerd, Knight.
SIR,
I Doubt not but diuers doe direct the Dedications of their Heauenly Labours, according to earthly respects. But incongruous and vntunable Dedications, hauehave euer been harsh to my Iudgement, and it hath grieued mee much, when I hauehave seen a heauenly p…arle offred to the hand, but trodden on by the foot of an earthy and sensuall Patron, To auoyd this Incongruity, I thought it best …o dedicate a Worke that concernes the prosperity of the Church of Christ Iesus, to a louer of the same Iesus, of the same Church, and the same Prosperity For such a one beares the face and presence of Iehosaphat, which being seene incourageth a Prophet to speake, and not seene, dot… make him speechle…se. And surely I doe but testifie the Truth, when I say, that by ancient and inward knowledge, I hauehave beene assured of your louelove vn…o Sion, and your w…l-wish…g to the prosperity of Ierusalem. And euen from this Root of Heauenly LoueLove, doe I beleeue that our particular Friendship hath suck… most part of its nourishment; which I thinke the rather, because it hath beene hitherto durable, whereas worldly Friendships do vsually alter with worldly Changes. Wherefore as to a louer of Gods House, I present vntounto you these parcels of Purple and blue Silk, which I hauehave consecrated toward the reparation of the Tabernacle. And I desire that when you receiue these words from mee, I may receiue Prayers from you; that God will daily adde to the Beauty of his Church, and that hee will prosper these and the like Workes, that indeuour to increase it. Neyther shall your Prayers be altogether vnrequited, for I will offer vp my hearty des…res, for your inward and outward Aduancement, and that as you grow outwardly in the World, you may grow inwardly in Christ Iesus. For growth in Christ, is the growth of a holy happinesse that shall flourish for euer.
But growth out of Christ is the growth of Fuell, euen of an euer-burning but a neuerdying Miserie.
Yours in the best, that is in Christian affection, Francis Rous.
A Light in the Porch for him that enters.
I Confesse the World is very tedious in the Multiplicity of his corruptions, and it would make a worke of the like tediousnesse, if all the particulars of the one should become the contents of the other. But I hauehave by diuers winnowings abated the Heap; desiring to set some shape, if not on the Matter (for Vice cannot bee made handsome) yet on the manner of handling it. Ordinary Vices, which hauehave ordinary (if iust) Cures, I mostly omit, & leaue the World to practise on themselues, that which they know already. Other euils there are, which for their insolent growth, scorne to bee slaine by a Pen, but like the Princes of Midian they call for Gideon himselfe, euen the power of the Magistrate to fall on them. These being generally referred to their proper cure, yet if some bee touched (for I hauehave heard of a Gyant slayne by a Sling and a stone) they are incountred with the kindly Weapons of this Warfare, euen Spirituall and not Carnall. Another sort of Euils like the Plague, by comming abroad infect farther & become Documents of Vice and not Reproofes. And I wish there were not another sort of Diseases like the same Sicknesse, which taking the Ayre in a Worke of reproofe, may strike backe to the heart of the same Worke, and make it to dye like Ieremies Roll, if it meete with that kind of humour which vseth to cast away all, if any one thing differ from it. In such a Case, Addition may bring forth Substraction, and a little more in the writing, may cause a great deale lesse in the reading. Lastly, there are other Vices, which heretofore in some Meditations I hauehave discouered, for which the labour of Repetition may be saued.
But what sayth the Man of Exception? Are not these the Times of Light and Purity, and therefore how can there be many faults where there is so much Light? Surely I willingly and thankfully acknowledge the purity of our Doctrine, and am assured that in many it hath brought forth the purity of Heart and Life. But I say, euen because the Light is so cleere, therefore doth sinne the more appeare, and appearing, is the more to be blamed. For the more light, the more Direction; and the more Direction, the more shame, and sharper reproofe belongs to the strayer. Againe, the more light, the more manifestation, and the more manifestation, the more sinnes appeare; yea, sinnes appeare the more sinfull. So, in some sense, Light may be said to increase sinnes, but that is not in their number, but in the knowledge of the numberer. Therefore must our Light discouer those to be …, which ancient Ignorance accounted to be none; and the Manhood of a Christian m… t…e vp to that height of Vertu…, which his child-hood could not reach vntounto; yea perchance did think it vnpossible or vncomely. Againe, where the Deuill hath lost much, there hee labours much for the recouery of his losses, and the Husbandmen not being stil awake (prosperitie often inticing to se…urity) the Enemy finds times to sow his tares: so that the good dayes of Iosiah had matter of reproofe for the Prophet Zephaniah, and the flourishing Church of Thyatira was taxed for a mixture of the Seruants of Iezabel.
Lastly, it is an obseruation of secular Policie, That all States, with time gather rust, and therfore by often reuiews, they are to bee reduced to the first grounds of Vertue and Iustice, which setled their Foundations. This is no lesse true in the Church, and if any doubt of it, let the Church of Ephesus resolue him. There was no long time betweene the planting of that Church, and the receiuing of the Reuelation. Of their first Estate Saint Paul a Master-workman in that Plantation, testifieth, that their Faith in Christ and LoueLove to the Saints made him incessantly to giuegive thankes to God for them. And of their second Estate at the time of the Reuelation, Christ restifieth, that this Church was fallen from her first LoueLove and her first Workes. Therefore the Church, and eueryevery member of the Church out of the experience of humane frailty, by contiunall turnes should suspect and examine themselues, to see what the Flesh hath gotten vponupon the Spirit, and so with Ephesus, remembring from whence they are fallen, returne and amend, and doe the first Workes.
Thus it appeares that there is matter of reproofe, euen in the purest Churches, and if where there is matter, there reproofe should bee denyed, this were to encourage Diseases, and to forbid Physicke. Surely there is at this day a libertie, yea a necessitie of reproouing, and it dyed not wholly when Iohn Baptist dyed, but the House of God in all Ages hath it, and hath need of it. But I confesse, there is a wisdome of reproouing, as well as a libertie, and I wish that they who hauehave this wisdome, did especially, if not only, make vse of this liberty; and I wish, that they who take the liberty, tooke also the wisdome with it. The occasion and maner of reproouing oft-times makes the reproofe effectuall, and an especiall part of the manner is this. That it proceed from a visible Charitie. Splenaticke and eager reproofes harden those affections, which they pretend to soft…n, because these reproofs looke like a quarrell or reuenge, and no… like the incisions of LoueLove, which hurt only, that they may heale. Surely, the ayme and end of all admonitions should be, the good of the admonished; and those are most commendable which are most effectuall to this end, and not those which fit most with the humour of the Reproouer. Now if such meanes of aduantage bee sought and practised, a shame and a curse must needs light on that Man, who being sought by LoueLove to be amended, returnes hatred for the best office of LoueLove. Most commonly to such a one belongs the speech of the Prophet to Amaziah; I know that the Lord will destroy thee, because thou refusest my counsell.
As for Babylon, let her not think, because of such reproofs that her deeds are better then those of Sion. For euen because of such reproofes, the deeds of Sion are better then those of Babilon. For Sion growes more beautifull and glorious, by seeing her spots, by acknowledging them, and by washing them away. But a speciall marke and brand it is of the sonne of perdition, to hide sinnes as Adam, yea to bind them fast with the cartropes of Iniquity. And this hath the Church of Rome done; for by Canons and Councels they hauehave bound their errours fast to them, and by a kind of perpetuity, hauehave intayled Errour to them and their heires for euer. Now it is a certaine Rule, when there is no Remedie by perswasion, then God vseth the Remedie of Destruction. This did God with his owne People, 2. Chro. 36.16. This did hee with the first Babilon, Ierem. 51.9. And this will hee doe with the last, Reuel. 18.5, 7, 8. Secondly, here is not one corne of our Doctrine pulled vp, but only the tares that hauehave beene mingled among it, by humane errour and infirmity, or by the malicious diligence of Satan. Thirdly, among these Tares, shall they find their owne Doctrines, so that part of this businesse is to shew, that the mayne Body of their Religion, is a Body of Sores, that vponupon the knowledge of Babilons vnholsomnesse, Sion may flye from her infection.
It is now time, that the Reader bee admitted into the house, but I thinke he will be content to stay till hee know what I hauehave done, as at first I told him what I hauehave not done. I hauehave aymed to the Vices, not vsually discouered, not rightly cured, or not thus cured. Vices I call them, that are found in the Vnderstanding, as well as the Will; for error and ignorance are faults, …s wel as outward, visible, and bodily disorders. But when all …his is done toward the cu…e …f Man, there is nothing done, vntill the same God, who giues the word to the mouth, speake… the same word to the heart. Therefore with the Centurian, let vsus intreat the Lord, that hee will but speake the word, and wee his seruants shall be whole.
HIERON, ad Demetriadem de virgin. seruanda.
Sermo offendit plurimos, dum vnusquisque in se intelligens quod dicitur; non quasi monitorem libenter audit, sed quasi criminatorem sui operis auersatur.
THE CHIEFE Heads and Contents of this Booke.
CHAP. I. Two d…uers Diseases, of them that louelove to publish All and Nothing.
CHAP. II. The Folly of Naturall Wisdome, preferring the Hand mayde before the Mist is, Philosophie before Diuinitie.
CHAP. III. A h…aling of their Griefe, that are …ffrighted at Christianity, and run away from it, as f…om so…e terrible and ugly thing.
CHAP. IIII. That Religion is the true Roote of Ualour, against the waking D…ea…es of the Philosophicall Wizard and the angry Russian.
CHAP. V. A C…n…er in the Mouth, from whence issu…th the loths…me Breath of Rank… and …uperflueus Swearing.
CHAP. VI. Against their Frenze, that affirme a b…ind Beliefe to be the Soule of Christianitie, and make Christians to be the meere Slaues of the Authoritie of Man.
CHAP. VII. Aphorismes of Predestination.
CHAP. VIII. Of the small Health, and great Vnhealthynesse of the Church of Rome, wherein most conspicuous is a Wenne growne to the likenesse of a Head.
CHAP. IX. A cure of that Monasticall Melancho…y, that cuts off a Christians Hands, and turnes him all into Eyes.
CHAP. X. Against hungry and pinching Holinesse; a foolish Craft of some, Wh… if they may saue much here, care to be saued but a little hereafter.
CHAP. XI. An Errour that forbids men though mortally diseased, to bee cured by a sicke Physician.
CHAP. XII. Spirituall Wickednesse in High Places, & the Remedie.
CHAP. XIII. A doub…e fault in teaching; one that f…etteth the whole Flesh; another that nourisheth the proud Flesh; one thinkes to saue men by angring and despising them; the other will not saue them, rather then offend them.
CHAP. XIIII. The diseases of Representation, that infect by the Eye, and the Eare.
CHAP. XV. Of the Pharisies Disease, The love of vppermost Seates.
CHAP. XVI. Anti-Circ…. A Potion tha… turnes Beasts into Men, being before turned from Men into Beasts.
CHAP. XVII. Certaine falfe Appetites, that dis…aste the Foo… of Life, though drest in it owne Kind, if not drest to their owne Mind.
CHAP. XVIII. That the vse of the Keyes is an excellent Remedie for the Diseases of the Church, if it selfe be not diseased, and that it is not to bee tak…n for a Priuiledge to bee free from Remedies, and not f…om Diseases.
CHAP. XIX. The Discouery of certaine mayne causes of Warres, and Wounds in the Church, and the meanes of their cure.