The Diseases of the Time, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. An Errour that forbids men, though mortally diseased, to be cured by a sicke Physician.
THere is an Errour, which though it possesseth not many, yet some it possesseth strongly; and this is a great mischiefe belonging to it, that they thinke themselues better then others for being deceiued, and so they become angry with those that would cure them, because they seeme to indeauour, not to take away an Errour from them, but to depriue them of their Eminence.
Their misbeliefe is this, That none but sanctified Preachers can teach vntounto Sanctification and Saluation. And first for a generall remedie, I desire these men to consider, that as in naturall, so in spirituall fi…e, there are two things of especiall and inseparable vse, the one is Light, the other Heate.
Let the heate of Nature make a mans body neuer so actiue and able, yet if the eyes be shut vp so that this heate by the inward light which it makes, cannot entertayne the outward light, the more actiue and stirring this man is, the more hee stumbles, and the more hee fals. Euen so in the things of Grace, if a man will separate heate from light, hee diuorceth those …hat in the spirit are ioyned together, and therefore it is likely that such are Saint Iudes men; separaters, sensuall, not hauing the spirit. For where the spirit is, there light is the guide of heate, and such are led by euident Truth, not by blind violence.
But to meete with their Errour more particularly, I will first lay my foundation, and it is this, An assured discouery of the true cause of mans Saluation. Not to runne into bywayes, the true way to life, is Christ, The Way, the Truth, and the Life. Christ our life shall appeare, saith Paul, and againe, Our life is hid with Christ in God. More particularly, Christ entring into man, doth abolish the olde man, which is the bodie of Sinne & Death, and giues vsus the new man, wherein is included a right of Inheritance vntounto Life Eternall. The bodie of sinne, by sinne had bound vsus vntounto death, and by Dominon had bound vsus to sinne, but Christ Iesus entring into vsus by his Spirit, by his Death freeth vsus from the Death, to which we were bound, and by his sanctifying Grace, freeth vsus from that Dominion by which wee were bound vntounto sinne. So from henceforth, neyther sinne nor death hauehave dominion ouer vsus, but the free and freeing Spirit of Christ dwels in vsus, whereby we are sonnes and heires of Life Eternall, Rom. 8.14. &c. I will summe all vp in the words of Saint Peter, 1.1.1. We are elect by God the Father, through the sanctification of the Spirit, and the sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus Christ. But this, thou wilt say, thou doubtest not, but confessest that the Trinitie by Christs humanity saueth vsus, but thou sayst, that this Saluation is imparted to vsus by the Ministery, and the defect of the Preacher may stop the benefit of the hearer. I confesse indeed if his defect be in preaching, then there is an abatement of the benefit of hearing, but if his preaching be sound and sufficient, Gods Word soundly vttered by him is able to saue vsus, without the Preachers Goodnesse or Sanctification. The Preacher is Vehiculum verbi, & verbum is vehiculum Christi, & Christus est fons vitae; The Preacher brings the Word, and the Word brings Christ, and Christ brings Saluation. If now the heart of man doe but open that the King of Glorie may enter in, saluation is come into his house. And surely if the spirit within open, when the Word without knockes, or Christ in the Word, there is an entrance of Life eternall:
So is it brought to this narrow poynt, That when the Spirit meets the Word in the heart, and opens to it, Christ enters in the Word, and there is but this left to say, That the Spirit hath so tyed himselfe to the goodnesse of the Minister, that he will not open the heart of the hearer, except he heare a holy Teacher. But this is a fearfull saying, and worthie of detestation. This is to tye the free Spirit of God vntounto Man whose libertie Christ hath taught, saying, The Spirit bloweth where it listeth. This were to make the Spirit to stand in need of his owne graces, and to bee beholding to the grace of the speaker, to giuegive grace to the hearer. This were to bring Christians not to receiue their saluation from the fulnesse of Christ, but partly from the fulnesse of the Minister. Then it might be truly sayd, that Paul were something, and Apollo something, whereas St Paul sayth, they were nothing, but God onelyonly that gaue the increase. Then might we be baptized into the name of Paul, for from whom wee receiue the grace of Baptisme, in his Name may wee receiue Baptisme. This were to ouerthrow St Pauls Assertion, and to breake his golden chayne in pieces, who sayth, that Faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by preaching, for by this noueltie hearing, doth not saue vsus except the Preacher bee also saued; so where Paul tyeth Faith to hearing, these hauehave vntyed Faith from hearing, except the Preachers goodnesse tye it vp againe. But what did our Sauiour Christ meane to cause his Disciples to heare the Scribes and Pharises in Moses chayre, whom he termed Hypocrites, and on whom he heaped his woes? Either Christ commanded them to doe that which was vnprofitable, or these men vainly condemne that which Christ commanded. And Paul reioyceth that Christ was preched by enuious and persecuting Preachers, and I hope persecutors are not likely to be sanctified. Surely it is the beauty of Christ Iesus, that rauisheth a soule, touched and warmed by the Spirit. It is not essentiall to the moouing of LoueLove, that the Painter himselfe be handsome, so his picture bee euident and liuely, and the comlinesse of the person represented admirable. If the Painter be vnlike his owne picture, the beauty of the picture disgraceth his vglinesse, but remaynes louely it selfe. Who is there, that if he were condemned to death (as wee are all naturally to death eternall) but would gladly receiue a pardon from the king by the hands of a condemned man? Surely the eye of a man touched by the Spirit, doth looke more stedily on the happinesse of the message, then the miserie of the Messenger. For God sends sometimes a message of happinesse, by a Messenger that is miserable, as hee sent blessings to Israel by the mouth of cursed Balaam.
This is true, though it bee obiected, that vnsanctified men are not called, and not being called, are not sent. For Iudas (a worse then Balaam) had the calling of an Apostle, was ordayned to preach, and to cast out deuils. Mark. 3.14. and obtayned part of the Ministerie. Act. 1.17. God giueth not his gifts in vaine, but they are for the edification of the Church. So is the gift of Prophecie. 1. Cor. 14.4. Eph. 4.12. yet many that hauehave this gift of edification shall be commanded to aSo it seemes the promise of shining like the stars for conuersion of soules, Dan. 12.3. hath an implicite condition of godlinesse which hath the promises of this life and that to come. 1. Tim 4.8.depart for want of Sanctification. Though they loose the priuate benefit of the gift of God, yet God will not loose the fruit of his owne gift which hee gaue for the publike.
Wherfore let not the Preacher looke into the soule of his Hearer, to find his saluation in his Hearers conuersion, for hee shall not find it there, but in his owne Soule, if there he find Sanctification. Neither let the Hearer looke into the soule of the Preacher, in his Sanctification to finde his owne Saluation, for hee shall not find it there, but in his owne Soule, if therein he can find Faith and Holinesse. Surely the dayes of persecution had not this wantonnesse of Hearing, but they reioyced (as the Spouse in the Canticles) by any meanes to heare newes of him whom their Soule loued.
But whereto doth all this tend? To giuegive encouragement to a wicked Ministery? God forbid. I wish verily that all the gatherers of Saints were Saints, and that those who expresse a scandalous bTit. 1.7. S. Gregor. de past. cura. lib. 1.2. Hooker lib. 5. see. 81.contrariety to Sanctification were remoued, if incorrigible. For no doubt, though such may quicken some by their doctrine, yet they kill others by their example, and a man-killer is not fit to be a Minister, whose very Trade is Saluation. Besides, though a Ministers goodnesse giuegive not the esse of Saluation, yet no doubt it giues the melius esse. For a Minister that liues well, is a double Preacher, hee preacheth both by words and workes; so he preacheth with a witnesse, and his life is a witnessing or Martyrdome of his doctrine. But the good Preacher and euill Liuer, is but a single Preacher; yea, he labors by his Life to confute his Doctrine.
Now where the Spirit speaketh twice by Illumination and Sanctification, he is more heard then where he speaketh but once. Surely the liues of Saints and especially of Ministers are the liuely bookes of the Ignorant, and in them should they reade the Characters of Vertue and Holinesse.
But my purpose is this; First, that God alone may hauehave the glory of our Saluation, and that with the Virgin, our spirits may reioyce in God our Sauiour. It is the singer of the Spirit, issuing from Christ Iesus that giues life to the Letter, and brings the aduantage of the New Couenant aboue the Old, by writing Gods Word in our hearts, which the old Law could not performe.
Secondly, I desire that the Ministers would turne away the eyes of the people from their goodnesse as the cause of their Saluation, saying with the Apostles, Why gaze ye on vsus, as if we by our owne power or vertu had made you whole. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, hath glorified his Sonne Christ Iesus, and his power, not our goodnes doth giuegive this perfect soundnesse.
Thirdly, I desire that Hearers would not refuse Christ Iesus, liuely offered and described vntounto them, though they know not the holinesse of the Preacher. Let not any turne the Church into a Iudgement seat, and censure their Ministers Life, while they should heare his Doctrine. This is to bee Iudges and not Hearers. I wonder what such Hearers would doe, if they had beene in Israel when Salomon preached after his many scandalous sinnes, which made his Sanctification doubtfull to many. But let the same Salomon aduise thee, Bee not rash with thy mouth, but bee more neere to heare, then to offer the sacrifice of fooles. Say with Samuel, Speake Lord, for thy seruant heareth; and not Heare Lord, for thy seruant speaketh; and what speakes hee? damnation of the Preacher. Let vsus rather looke on our own miseries and defects, then on the Ministers, and then we shall hauehave more mind to seeke our own cure from the Word: then to examine whether hee bee sicke that would cure vsus. Let vsus not doubt but if the seed be good, and the ground bee good, it will bring forth much fruit whatsoeuer becom of the Sower.