Eleven Choice Sermons, Part 2 · Sermon 5
1 Corinth. 2. 2.
For I determined to know nothing among you, but Chriſt Jeſus, and him Crucified.
THe handling of the Word of God, is a divine kinde of husbandry. And this portion of Scripture is that parcell of holy ground which I began to till long agoe, but have not yet finiſhed: I have hitherto broken up the ground only: it remaines that I ſhould now breake the clods, which might hinder the fruitfulneſſe, and caſt out the ſtones, that ſo at laſt, I may ſowe the bleſſed ſeed of exhortation, in hope of a bleſſed harveſt.
Or rather this portion of Scripture is the ſeed, for ſo ſaith Chriſt, the ſeed is the Word, and I have hitherto beat this ſeed out of the eare onelyonly, and muſt now winnow and fanne it out of the chaffe, that at the laſt I may caſt it again into the ground of your heart, (for ſo ſaith Saint Paul, *foreign. 1 Cor. 3. 6 7you are the Lords husbandrie) in hope of a fruitfull increaſe, from the bleſſing of the Lord, the Lord of the harveſt, for Paul may plant, and Apollo may water, but it is the Lord that gives the increaſe: he that planteth is nothing, and he that watereth is nothing, but the Lord that giveth the increaſe, for without him, the ſeeds-man is but foreign, ſemini verbius, a babler, according to our tranſlation, as the Epicures ſcoffed at Paul, or foreign ſeminilegus, ſuch an one as they that ſtood in the Corne-markets, and gathered up the Corne that fell beſide the Sacks in emptying, as Caſaubon obſerves, that is, a man of no worth, an earthen veſſell, as the Apoſtle cals Miniſters elſewhere, and the word will beare it.
I preſume the meaneſt in this place conceives my meaning, yet I will endeavour to ſpeake more plainly, that if there be any ſeeming riddle, you may plow with my Heifer, as Sampſons companions did, and reed the interpretations. I have hitherto given you the explication of theſe words, and ſo, as it were, threſhed the Corne out of the eare, with the flaile of the Spirit: I come now to the application in two parts.
1. For confutation of popiſh errors, and ſo I will chide away the chaffe out of this ſtoore with the fanne of Chriſt.
2. For exhortation, and ſo I will caſt the ſeed into your eares, and charme it in the phraſe of the Spouſe in the Canticles, Ariſe ô North, and come ô South, and blow upon my Garden, that the Spices thereof may flow forth.
In the Explication I have handled alreadie theſe three points.
1. That Chriſt crucified is a ſufficient Saviour.
2. That Chriſt Crucified is the ſumme of the Scripture.
3. That Chriſt Crucified is the ſumm of Religion: Which may ſtand as ſo many reaſons, to warrant the wiſdome and equitie of Pauls determination, to know nothing among the Corinthians, but Chriſt Ieſus and him Crucified.
Now out of theſe ſhall be deduced, Firſt, for Confutation: out of the firſt two things.
1. That Saints are not Saviours, and therefore not to be invocated as Saviours.
2. That Sinners cannot be their owne Saviours; and therefore, that our works on earth, are not merits of Heaven.
Out of the ſecond, two things.
1. That the Scripture is moſt perfect, and therefore needeth not to be patched up with Tradition.
2. That the Scriptures are perſpicuous, and therefore neede not to be locked up from the Laitie.
From the third, two things.
1. How a man may know the true Religion, by Chriſt the corner-ſtone, the Lydius lapis, the Touchſtone of Religion.
2. How a man may unmaske Antichriſt, and his counterfeit Religion, by Chriſt, and his.
2. For Exhortation, out of all jointly.
1. For Miniſters, what is the true Rule of Preaching, the Art, (and that I may ſo ſpeak with reverence) the very tricke of Preaching, viz. to Preach Chriſt, and him crucified.
2. For all, what ſhould be all our chiefe ſtudy, the aime and ſcope of all our ſtudies, viz. only to know, believe, and love Chriſt Crucified. If any of you think any of theſe too farre fet, rather haled then drawn out of this Text, when I come to the particulars, I hope to give him a reaſonable ſatisfaction.
And thus I have drawne a Map of the holy Land: or rather as God brought Moſes to the top of Mount Nebo, where he ſhewed him a ſight, a Synopſis of the Land of Canaan, ſo have I you: but as it was then, ſo it is now, and ſo it will ever be, we muſt travaile ſome dayes journies, before we can enter into that good Land: we muſt winn it, and weare it, we muſt fight with the enemies of God, before we can fill our ſelves of the milke and honey, of that Land which flowed with milke and honey.
Thus much I think I may be bold to ſay in generall, that he that is indifferent, if he thinke adviſedly on the matter, will ſay, that I have taken an indifferent courſe: I have taken theſe to try my ſelfe, but I have refuſed more which I might have taken, becauſe I would not tire my auditors: I have ſelected theſe to exerciſe my meditations, out of many other which I neglected, that I might not exceed the proportion of this exerciſe: for who ſees not that Antichriſtianiſme is nothing elſe but an oppoſition in a myſterie, to the myſterie of godlineſſe revealed in Chriſt, either by open oppugning, or ſecret undermining: or if there be any that cannot ſee, he may well heare the Proverb, Who is ſo blind, as he that will not ſee: ſo that if I had a minde to favour my ſelfe, I have a faire occaſion to make choiſe of mine enemie, among all the troopes of the Romiſh Antichriſt, and ſingle out the weakeſt: but I rather follow the direction of the lot that is falne into my lap, and ſet upon him that ſtands neareſt, though he ſtrout wide, and ſpeake boiſtrous, and looke big with horrour and diſdainfulneſſe.
I remember, how David with a little ſtone which he found by the brook, branded that proud Goliah in the forehead, and foundred the uncircumciſed Philistim, that defied the Hoaſt of Iſrael, and the Lord of Hoaſts. And Daniel makes mention of a ſtone that was cut out of the mountaine without hands, which brake the glorious image of Nebuchadnezzar, whoſe head was of gold, the armes and breaſts of ſilver, the thighs and legs of braſſe, the feet of iron, (a man would think all metall) and yet that little ſtone battered it all to peeces. Behold, I ſtand by the brooke of water, by the book of God, for the Scripture is the river, that makes glad the City of God: behold in theſe chriſtall ſtreames, the ſtone, the Lord Chriſt, for Christ is the ſtone which the proud builders of Babel refuſed, but is become the head of the corner, which the Maſter-builder hath put in Sion, and elect and precious ſtone: me thinks I want nothing but Davids hand, or Davids ſling, to check the ſcornefull Whore with a blow, and ſpoile the mysterie that is written in her forehead: and yet againe me thinks I need not Davids hand, ſince I have his ſtone: for his ſtone is the ſame, that Daniels ſtone, and Daniels ſtone (like the Phoenician ſhips in Homer) is guided by an higher Intelligence, and can doe the feat without hands: and as the ſtone without hands intimates, according to our interpreters, the Virginitie of Mary, out of whom Chriſt was hewen, without the help of man: ſo Chriſt in my Text, may be taken out without hands, without any great paines of man, to breake the clay feet, the brittle pillars of that braſen-faced Whore, to breake them like a Potters veſſell. And though I know the Fathers and Councels, like Sauls Armour, are not needfull for David in his combate: yet perhaps it were no hard matter for the happy champion, when he hath foyled his enemy with a ſtone out of the Scripture, and laid him grovelling in the duſt, to ſet his victorious foot upon his necke, and ſtrike off his head with the edge of the Fathers, as it were with his owne ſword, in which he gloried.
Perhaps you wonder wher's the point all this while: is that loſt? is that forgotten? tis true: but I chooſe rather to leade you into my further diſcourſe, though with an unſeaſonable preface, then trouble you with an unſeemely repetition of the former: though I might plead the preſcription of time, enough to ſecure me from exception or obloquie: and yet I preſume that, with your favourable conſtruction, I have erred indeed, but ſo as not praeter caſam, no nor praeter cauſam neither. I come now to it.
The firſt point of the Explication was, that Christ is a ſufficient Saviour: out of it I deduced, 1. That Saints are no Saviours, nor therefore to be invocated as Saviours: here is no ſuch magneticall and inviſible Sympathie, that any man ſhould wonder what neceſſity tyes theſe two together: neither is their any ſuch forced deduction, that a man ſhould need to pumpe or cherne to make it come: the dependance is eaſie▪ as it is in the links of a chain, draw one, and the reſt will follow: as it is in water ſpilt upon an even table, it is very docible to go which way ſoever the finger will lead it; ſo willingly doth this conſequent offer it ſelf to your conſideration, out of the precedent poſition. Well then, this is our Theme, for this time, that Saints are not Saviours, nor therefore to be invocated as Saviours: wherein I purpoſe firſt to repreſent unto your view a light adumbration, a rude draught of it, inſtead of an expoſition of the ſtate of the queſtion, which ſhall containe (as it were) a Sciagraphy of the truth, and a Sciamachy againſt the falſhood: I ſhall meaſure but three paces in this porch, before I bring you into the maine building, the firſt will be in the generall Idolatry of the Synagogue of Rome, which offends againſt Chriſt crucified: the ſecond, in that which is committed with the Saints in generall: the laſt, in that which particularly concernes the Virgin Mary.
For the firſt: It was ſaid of old Rome, that it was†foreign. The Epitomie of a Family, or rather of ſuperstitious folly. But it is more true of new Rome: good Lord! what a world of trinkets, and traſh, and trumperie, is their great Coloſſus ſtuffed withall? what apiſh imitation, what ſottiſh devotion, what popiſh ſuperſtition is among them? inſomuch that a man would doubt, whether he ſhould laugh, or ſcorne, or abhorre thoſe fardels of folly; whether hee ſhould laugh at the act, or weep for the actors; whether he ſhould pity their ſimplicity, or ſpit at their ſinfulneſſe.
If ever the ſaying of the Preacher were verified in ſimple truth, Vanitie of vanities, all is vanitie: here it is more then true, and that with advantage, by a kind of tranſcendent ſupereminency of truth, Vanitie of vanities, all is vanitie: or if there be any thing viler than vanitie, they ſhall vie with it for vileneſſe: or if there be any thing lighter then vanitie, they ſhall weigh with them in the ballance for lightneſſe.
The Egyptian blindneſſe was nothing comparable to this; the Egyptian darkneſſe, not halfe ſo palpable: or if that were more palpable, I am ſure, this is more culpable: The Egyptians worſhipt vile creatures, but yet living creatures; the Romanes worſhip ſtocks and ſtones, and dead carkaſes: they worſhip Oxen, and Owles, and Rats, and Mice, and Cats, and Crocodiles, and ſuch like vermin: theſe worſhip Iudas his Lanthorne, Francis his Cowle, Beckets ſhooes, and Ioſephs breeches, and a peece of ſtone that was in the Well where the Virgin Mary waſhed the ſwadling cloutes of Chriſt, as ſorry Saints I trow: They ſute at the Catadupes of Nilus, and their heauy eares were made deafe with his barbarous language, and (as it were) rockt aſleep: there fell no dew from Heaven upon their heads, that might wet their locks, that might ſoften their rockey hearts, and make them bring forth better fruits: no marvail then, if they worſhip Nilus, whoſe ſteps dropt to them fatneſſe, whoſe rich inundation filled their Vallies with Corne, and crowned their yeares with gladneſſe, ſo are the words of the Pſalmiſt: no marvaile if they worſhip't Nilus, and that curſed vermin, the fruitfull ſpawne of his too fruitfull wombe: but theſe men are brought up at the feet of Gamaliel: and if they did not preferr the ſeat of the ſcorners, they might be preferred to the chaire of Moſes: they ſit in the Temple of God, and heare the ſilver Trumpet of the everlaſting Goſpell of God, proclaiming war againſt ſuch idolatrie from the Lord of Hoaſts: and yet they heare no more, then their ſtocks and ſtones heare them: the dew of Heaven hath richly falne among them, and yet like Gideons fleece, they are dry, when all the Regions about them are wet: their ſtubborn hearts remaine as hard as the Adamant, to ſpeak with Iob, as hard as the neither milſtone,
But I pray tell me, what is the ſumme of their devotions, or, if you will heare me, I will tell you what it is, by my caſting a ſmooth-faced ſmiling picture, a Saintiſh ſtone, a rotten ragg of a naſtie Relique, a B in a box, a Crucifixe I meane, a pretty coſſet Agnus Dei, theſe are the particulars, now lay them altogether, and the Summe amounts to this (if my Arithmetick faile me not) pretty maumets, pretty puppets for ſuch wanton babies as they are to play withall, and as we uſe to promiſe children fine gay things of nothing: this is the ſumme of their devotion. Behold, theſe are thy gods, ô thou ſonne of the rebellious woman, ô thou daughter of Rome, thy gods in which thou truſteſt: this is the precious merchandiſe that hath drawne all the trafique of the World into thy ſtreets, theſe are the Apples after which thy ſoule luſteth.
Pardon me, if theſe termes ſeeme ſomething light: the toyes themſelves are ſo ridiculous, that I could not finde in my heart to vouchſafe them any graver ſpeech: but I will make amends, and turn them all away packing: only let me remember what your worthy Biſhop Claudius Taurinenſis ſaid excellently of ſome of them your Agnus Deies, Pictos adorant, vivos devorant, I will make bold to Engliſh it rudely, they worry the living Saints, while they worſhip the dead: but Chriſt did not ſay, Pinge Agnos tuos, frame thee Lambs that may repreſent me, but Paſce agnos meos, Feed the Lambes that doe repreſent me: but it ſeemes they do not much regard what hee ſaid: and yet he did not only ſay thus, but he conjured them alſo with the powerfull charme of love, if thou love me (Peter) feed my Lambs: and yet theſe devout adorers, like deafe Adders, ſtop their eares and will not heare the charmer, charme he never ſo wiſely. I conclude this point: As Ariſtippus once anſwered him that asked, what his ſonne ſhould be the better for learning, if he beſtowed it on him: Vt nihil aliud (ſaid he) certè in Theatro non ſedebit lapis ſuper lapidem: ſo may I make anſwer to him that ſhould demand, what ſhould any man be the better to come out of Babylon, out of Rome, and betake himſelfe into the boſome of the faithfull Spouſe of Chriſt, our Church, our Religion: Vt nihil aliud certè, in Templo non orabit lapis ad lapidem, blocks ſhall not proſtrate themſelves before blocks, nor ſtones proſtitute themſelves to ſtones, living ſtones, to liveleſſe ſtones; ſenſitive blocks, before ſenſleſſe blocks, beſide a thouſand priviledges.
And thus I paſſe to take the ſecond ſtep, which was concerning Saints in generall. Bellarmine hath a very tragicall and paſſionate preface to this controverſie: hee fals fowle with us Proteſtants, hee termes us ſcoffing Lucians, and Gyants, that make warre againſt the Gods, and ſuch like flowers of his wild Rhetorick, Canina facundia, dogged eloquence he beſtowes upon us: and perhaps he was at great coſt to gather them, but we conne little thanks: and then like ſome deſperate Fencer, that hath more heart then braine, more malice then might, he hewes, and laſhes, and foynes, and ſtrikes blindfold, he cares not where, and hits he cares not whom: or like ſome mad dogg, he hath a quarrell to every one he meets: he grins at Eraſmus, he ſnarles at Melancthon, and barkes at Illyricus, and ſnatches at Luther, and worries Calvin, as though hee had to deale with ſome carion carcaſe; this is the only difference, the teeth of a mad dogg are poiſon, but his tongue is no ſlander: at laſt, as a man newly awaked out of a trance or ſleepe, he throwes his envious eyes to heaven with great devotion, (forſooth) and wonders why the ſtarres are ſuffered to ſtand there, belike hee thinks to convince their workes of darkneſſe: hee wonders at the patience of God that ſuffers us hereticks to diſcover their Catholick abominations, in the falſe worſhip of Saints, and vindicate the glory of God, from their impudent impoſtures. Me thinks, this preface is like the Painters Table. One ſpake to a Painter to draw him a Horſe running in full ſpeed: he did, and gave it him, but gave it with the wrong ſide upward: the man diſliked it, and told him, he ſpake for a runner, this was a tumbler, no hurt, quoth the Painter, turne the Table and this will runne: ſo in that Preface, all may be true, but all is turned upſide downe; like the Horſe with his heeles upward, ſprawling toward Heaven: but change the perſons, and let that bee ſaid of the Papiſts, that hee would faine make the world believe is true of the Proteſtants, and I blame not the Picture: or as the Painter ſaid, turne the Table, and all may runne well enough, or at leaſt go currant. But what if we ſhould let the Jeſuite goe, perhaps he had as live be ſome where elſe, and as live be doing ſomething elſe, as bee brought in for a tumbler to play tricks: if you thinke ſo, I am content to diſmiſſe him: well then, to leave the Cardinall, and come to the cauſe.
The Papiſts have brought in ſo many new Saviours, that the true Saviour is gone out: I know not how they will find Heaven, but I am ſure, they have loſt Chriſt, they have loſt the way to Heaven: for he is the way. And if there be any ſpark of faith, any remnant of the faithfull flocke among them, they may well complain, as Mary did to the Gardener, when ſhe went to viſite the ſacred body of the Lord, and found it not, Sir, they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him: if there be (I ſay) any faithfull Mary among them, like a Lilie among thornes, which led with an holy zeale indeed, but miſled by ignorance, ſhould thinke to find him in their crowd of Saints, wrapt up in ſome of their reliques, as he was once in linnin cloaths, I thinke ſome Angell would tell her, as he did, He is not here; I thinke Chriſt himſelfe would take the paines to meet her, and inſtruct her thus: Mary, I ſee thou meaneſt well, but yet thou miſſeſt much, thou art in a right mind, but thou art in a wrong box: it is but loſt labour to ſeeke the living among the dead, the living Saviour, among the dead Saints: I would have thee know therefore, I have retired my ſelfe from this Garden, and ſhall not feed any more among theſe Lillies, but untill the day breake and the ſhadowes flee away, I go, my wel-beloved, I go to the mountain of ſpices.
But why do I preſume as it were to teach Chriſt to ſpeake, who is the word, in whom God ſpeakes to us? or why doe I relate his ſpeech, who am a child and know not how to ſpeake? I know the Criticks taxe Homers raſhneſſe, in reporting the ſong of the Sirens, becauſe it cannot be thought, how it ſhould be done, but it muſt needs fall many bowes ſhort of expectation: ſuch things are better ſuppreſſed, then expreſſed; or if expreſſed, better velo, then penicillo; that veile of ſilence is the beſt attire of ſobrietie: and I may feare a more juſt cenſure that have reported what Chriſt ſaid to Mary, ſince, never man ſpake as he ſpake: but you know the Lord himſelfe vouchſafes bal butire nobiſcum, and therefore hee will beare with Moſes ſtammering tongue, if he goe on his errand: nay which is more, though it do ſtammer he will have it go on his errand, on his Embaſſage: nay, he will admit of no excuſe neither, as you ſee in Moſes, ſo that I hope, I ſhall need no other Apologie or excuſe.
The word of God, in the deſcription of the holy Land, hath foure things obſervable in the golden line that directs our paſſage thither: two for the way, and two for the end: for the way,
1. That it is ſtreight without crooke.
2. That it is narrow without croud.
For the end, that the gate of the Royall City, 1. Is narrow, 2. Is one: but the Popes Itinerary, made out of the lying Legend, the coſoning Calender, the Ephemerides of the Saints, contradicts the Kings map, the word of God in all theſe: there is a lying ſpirit gone out, and gone into the mouths of the Prophets of Iezebel, to ſend Ahab upon an unhappy voyage: and as the Iſraelitiſh ſpies, (all beſide Caleb and Ioſhua) ſpake evill of the good Land, ſo the Romiſh ſpies, which they have ſent to view this Land, ſpeake falſe of the true way, which the Iſrael of God muſt walke in, if they meane to come to the God of Iſrael.
1. They have made the way crooked: As the man in the Goſpell that offered himſelf to follow Chriſt, would faine have taken a vagarie, and fetched a circuit by his fathers houſe, that hee might have ſaluted him, and bidden him farewell with a kiſſe: and another, would have viſited his fathers tombe, and ſeen him honourably interred, whereas they ſhould have followed Chriſt directly: ſo the Papiſts will not goe the neareſt way to Heaven, by Chriſt, but will needs coaſt about, by the Sepulchers of Saints, for feare belike, that if they ſhould make too much haſte, they, ſhould come too ſoone thither: But the Lord commands us, to make ſtreight ways for our ſteppes, *foreign.and to make ſtreight ſteps in that way: but the crooked crabs in the dead Sea of Rome, will not learn to go ſtreight: their crooked lives, muſt needs runne on in crooked lines: and their blind workes, will needs finde blind wayes, rather then they will keepe the Kings high-way to Heaven: as ſuperſtitious travellers, that turne aſide to worſhip*foreign. every greazie ſtone: or as the Iewes, (perhaps as they went to the Temple) would make a ſtay at every greene hill, and everyſhadie grove (the Lord complains thus) as ye have ſeen ſome hackney Jades at every green banck, with a moneths minde to bait there, and ſteale a ſweet bit, a mouthfull of Idolatry.
2. They have made the way wide. You know the man who ſaid, he would not leave his part in Paris, for his part in Paradiſe: And I thinke it not impoſſible to finde ſome daintie minion in the Whores lap, that would not exchange his Cardinals Hat, for a Martyrs Crowne. But for this time, we will thinke, that they thinke at leaſt, that they would come to heaven: But when they heare Chriſt ſaying, I am the way, they thinke in their conſcience that's too narrow; and when they heare him ſay plainly, that the way is narrow, they ſay plainly that's an hard ſaying, who can beare it? And as the young man that came to Christ, went away griev'd at a like ſpeech: ſo they are grieved indeed, becauſe they were as covetous as he was: but they will not goe away becauſe they are not ſo ingenuous as hee was. But why was the young man grieved, and why are they grieved, as the young man was? becauſe he was rich, becauſe they are riotous: they are afraid that narrow way will not receive their goodly traine, their great retinue: fond men, that cannot be contented to go to heaven, except they goe in ſtate: very fooles, that will not (as the Proverb is) leave their bables for the Tower of London, their towers of Bable for the Lord▪ that will not ſhake hands with that folly, that they imbrace this felicitie. But why will not they goe away as the young man did? hee was a young man they thinke, and they are grown gray in miſchievous deviſes: they meane to try concluſions ere they goe away. What doe they then? they hire a raſcall rout of hungry ditchers to breake up the fence, that the word hath made, to make the way broader then the merits of Chriſt, and then they eke it out with the forged merits of Saints: and being ſo drunken with ſuperſtition, that they cannot paſſe the lake that burnes with fire and brimſtone for evermore, upon that one planck of Chriſt, as they ſay the barbarous Turkes doe, when they meet a deepe river in the way that interrupts their courſe, they ſlay their poore vaſſals, and make a bridge of their dead corps: ſo they inlarge that bridg with the rotten boords of Saints mediation: but it is to be feared, that while they, in their Pontificall fancies imagine the bridge (by their deceitfull moone-ſhine) wider then it is, they find themſelves deeper then they would, plunged in that Lake that burneth with fire and brimſtone for evermore.
3. They have made the gatewider: They are ſo cram'd with the ſinnes of the people, and fed ſo fat with their follies, and ſo puft up with the winde of pride, that they have no hope to get into Heaven, if all that get in muſt do as Christ ſaid, Strive to enter into the ſtrait gate: beſide their great. Maſter would faine have the gate ſo large, that he might goe in with full ſoope, top and top-gallant, without vailing his triple crowne, or bending his ſtubborn knees: for he is as ſtiffe as though he had eaten a ſtake: his joynts are like the Elephants, they are no joynts: and like Nebuchadnezzars Image, their leggs are of braſſe, they cannot bow, ſo much as to him that made them: they are like ſome nice and cold hearers of the word, that are willing to heare and make toward the Church (perhaps they made a ſhort dinner for haſte) but when they come there, and ſee a little doore beſet with a great throng about it, they ſhrinke their heads into their ſhell againe: they meant to heare, but they never meant to croud for the matter: the Cat loves fiſh, but will not wet her foot: they had rather ſwell and putrifie, and die with ſin and ignorance, then be ſo ſweezed. But what doe they in this caſe to helpe themſelves▪ they have ſet on worke many skilfull Carpenters (perhaps ſome apprentiſes of that jolly Carpenter, that made a gate of a window by his learned interpretation of a place in the Acts) they have furniſhed them with ſtore of timber out of the Popes ſtorehouſe of Saints Reliques, and theſe have promiſed to give ſo much ſcope to the gate, that the moſt profound bellies may ſtep in and not complaine for want of elbow-roome.
4. They have made many gates inſtead of one: The Grammer of the Goſpell writes it foreign the gate, not the gates: and Chriſt ſaith, Ego ſum oſtium, I am the doore, not the doores: I am, and no other, as the Lord ſpeaketh in another place: But theſe fooliſh Florentines, (I think Florentines, I know fooliſh) theſe fooliſh Florentines, have a ſtrong conceit, upon a weak ground, that the more gates go out of their City, the more gaine comes in, and therefore have made ſo many Saints as are gone to heaven, ſo many gates to goe to heaven. Excellently ſaith the Spirit of God in the Revelation, Revelation 21. and the 21. And the twelve gates were twelve Pearles, every ſeverall gate was one Pearle: the tranſlation abates ſomething of the worth, for thoſe Pearles in Engliſh, are Margarites in Greek, and thoſe Margarites are the beſt of Pearles, and repreſent Chriſt himſelfe, and that moſt ſweetly: for thoſe Margarites are begotten of the divine influence of the ſtarres, and conceived of the pure dew of Heaven, though a poore ſhell gives them entertainment: ſo was Christ the Sonne of the moſt High, begotten by his eternall father, and conceived by the Holy Ghoſt, though he did not abhorre the wombe of the Virgin, though the Virgin Mary brought him forth.
But here ſeemes to be many gates. I pray mark: there is a double number, and a double unitie: there is a number of twelve, and a number of three: of twelve, round about for the twelve tribes of Iſrael: of three, on each ſide for the Gentiles in all quarters of the world, three to the Eaſt, three to the Weſt, three to the North, three to the South: twelve, that the fulneſſe of the Iewes may come in by thoſe gates; three, that the fulneſſe of the Gentiles may come in and ſit with Abraham in the Kingdome of God. Againe, there is a double unitie, an unitie of matter, all theſe gates are made of Margarites: an unity of forme, they are all made of one Margarite a peece; and that Margarite I told you was Chriſt: ſo that in effect, there be many goers, but one gate: there be many Iewes and Gentiles to enter,*foreign. this gate will receive them all, both Iewes and Gentiles, that ſhall be gathered from all the foure winds of the earth.
This is the gate which the Angell of God hath meaſured with his golden reed: but the leaden meetwand of the Popes Canonization hath laid us our gates made of the rotten wood of Saints, if it did but chance to glow a little in a gloomy night of darkneſſe.
I will end now this point of Saints in generall. We read of ſome that take the Kingdome of Heaven by force: Mat. 11, 12For the Kingdome of Heaven ſuffers violence, and the violent take it by force, ſaith Chriſt▪ and yet theſe men are commended: for it ſuffers them, grata eſt vis illa. We read of ſome againe, that purchaſe the Kingdome of Heaven, Mat. 13. 46for the wiſe Merchant ſold all that he had, to purchaſe the field, in which he knew there was a rich Margarite, and that Margarite was Chriſt, and that field was Heaven: and yet this Merchant is commended: but we doe not read of any that crept into the window, but thievs and robbers, and they are condemned: but ſuch thieves and robbers are the Papiſts, that thinke to ſteale in by the windowes of Saints prayers: and that when the gate ſtands wide open, when Chriſt ſtands forth and invites all, Come unto me, all yee that are heavie laden, and I will eaſe you: and yet theſe thievs had rather pray to Saints, and neglect Chriſt.
But me thinks, their prayers without Chriſt, are like the womans Beere, when ſhe forgat to put in the Malt: they are prayers of their owne brewing, and they are like to drinke as they brew, faint beere, faint prayers, thin beere, thin prayers. What if they be ſtrong of the Hop of Saints, yet when there is no graine of faith in Chriſt, not ſo much as a graine of Muſtard-ſeed in them, I hope I may well terme them thin beere, thin prayers, faint beere, faint prayers. Let me then ſay to them, Behold, theſe are thy Saviours, ô thou ſonne of the rebellious woman, ô thou daughter of Rome, thy Saviours in whom thou truſteſt: and let mee ſay to you, Sonne of man, ſeest thou theſe abominations? then learne to ſay with me, O the patience and long ſufferance and gentlenes of God, toward vile ſinners!
Follow me but a little further with your attention, and I will ſhew you greater abominations then theſe: for now I come to the third ſtep, concerning their Idolatry with the Virgin Mary in particular. Revelation 9. There is mention made of a bread of Locuſts out of the ſmoake of the bottomleſſe pit, which are at large deſcribed there: among other, this is one particular, that they have womens haire, according to the judgement of learned Interpreters: theſe Locuſts typifie the flocks of Eaſterne Saracens' and the Westerne ſwarmes of Monkes: but how can ſhaven crownes (for ſo Monkes are, and it went before, that they had like crownes upon their heads, which notes, that round ſhaving in forme of a crowne, which was indeed as precious as a crowne to them, to keepe them ſacred and inviolable) how can thoſe bald-pates be ſaid to have womens haire? yes, not litterally, but myſtically; becauſe they gloried in womens haire: the thing is plaine in ſtorie. The Saracens deſcended indeed of Hagar the bond-woman, as it were of purpoſe to verifie this type, will needs be called Saracens, of Sarah the free woman: and ſo they boaſt of their womens haire. And who knowes not, how the Monks brag of the Virgin Mary, and ſo their bare skuls have borrowed a periwig (as it were) of womens haire. But what doe they with it? As the Carthaginian Matrons once ſuffered themſelvs willingly to be ſhorne, that the men might make Engines of their haire, for the defence of their Citie: ſo the Carthuſian Monkes, and other of the ſame rabblement, have made an engine, an foreign of the Virgins haire to take heaven withall; and let me tell thoſe bold climbers, in what danger they are of an irrecoverable fall, as the Proverb is,*foreign. the ſword hangs over their head in a ſlight haire, as it did for Dionyſius his Paraſites: let them looke backe to their originall, the rocke out of which they were hewen, the pit from whence they came. If the clew of the Virgins haire hath led them to a poſterne doore of Heaven, the key of him that is the Angell of the bottomleſse pit muſt open it: but let me tell them, that pit is bottomleſſe, there is no hope of getting out, and therefore that key is bootleſse, there is no hope of getting in.
The Helvidians of old, cal'd the perpetuall virginitie of the Virgin Mary into queſtion: but ſhee might have beene*foreign a perpetuall Virgin, as well as ſhe was†foreign borne of God, if ſhe had not falne into the Prieſts hands: they have ſhrived her but ill favouredly: for though her ſpotleſſe virgin-ſoule, injoy an innocent ſleep (I do not meane, an*foreign. everlaſting ſoule-ſleep) in the boſome of Abraham, yet theſe artificiall leachors, have made ſhift to find a trick, by a vertuall, I cannot ſay, becauſe it is moſt vicious; by a ſpirituall, I cannot ſay, becauſe it is moſt carnall; but by that which the ſonnes of the Philoſophers call, a vtrtuall or ſpirituall contact, to contaminate her memorie, which ſhould be bleſſed, and to commit folly with hervery name.
For what I pray you, are†foreign. thoſe flattering titles which they give her in their prayers, Queene of Heaven, Mother of grace, Port of Paradiſe, &c. but ſuch uncleane and unchaſt names for a Virgin, that if ſhe ſhould heare them with patience, I would not be afraid to ſay, ſhe were the moſt impure harlot that ever was: but her bleſſed ſpirit abhorres their curſed breath, and they, while they thinke to ſowe theſe ungracious ſeeds of ſpirituall whoredome in her moſt gracious eares, doe but imbrace a cloud, inſtead of a Queene; a Ione, inſtead of a Iuno, as he did; and ſo beget miſhapen Centaures, I may ſay, centuries of misbegotten Orizons. Or, what are their ſtrange devices, that God hath given her his Kingdome, and reſerved only that other halfe to himſelf, the half of mercy to her, and the halfe of juſtice to himſelfe: that he contents himſelfe with his Bench of Iustice, and hath placed her in the Mercy ſeat: and that this was prefigured in Ahaſueroſh, who promiſed Heſter the halfe of his Kingdome? a goodly ſtratagem to drive men from God to Mary. Againe, that there are two Ladders up to Heaven; a red Ladder by Chriſts blood, and a white Ladder by Maries beautie, which is farre the eaſier: me thinks theſe men miſtake Iacobs Ladder, but yet ſomething like it was, for they are in a dreame, as Iacob was. But I will not rake this dunghill of ſtinking blaſphemies.
Yet if a man would take the paines, to turne over their ſtinking Roſaries, but as often as they do their beads in a day, he ſhould ſoone perceive, that the name of Chriſt is out of faſhion, out of date, and the name of the Virgin in the freſheſt honour: the withered Lawrels of Chriſt, are faine to vaile the Bonnet and give place to the flouriſhing, prime, and greene Garlands of the Virgin: as Lucullus did once to Pompeys: and ſome merrie Courtier might aske no more, whether Mary were gracious with Chriſt, but whether Chriſt were with Mary; as they did ſcoffingly, whether Alexander were gracious with Hephaeſtion: Mary hath all the ſutors, Mary hath all the preſents, Mary doth all in the Court of Heaven. It is not here, as it was once ſaid of Themiſtocles his ſonne, that he ruled all Greece, becauſe his father ruled all, and his mother ruled his father, and he ruled his mother: For the Popes Sophiſti call Logick in a Sorites, and ambitious Rhetorick in a Climax, is cleane contrary: God rules the World, his Sonne rules him, and Mary rules his Sonne; therefore Mary rules the World. She is become, againſt the Lex Salica, I am ſure, againſt the Lex Coelica, the new Queene of Heaven, at leaſt, as though her ſonne were in his minority, the Queene Regent. She complaines her ſelf in Eraſmus, that ſhe hath ſo many Clyents, ſo much cuſtome, tantum non enecant, ſhee hath much adoe to take reſpite enough, to take breath enough, to keepe life and ſoule together: belike they meane to kill her with kindneſſe, to preſſe her to death with loads of honour; as the perfidious Virgin was ſerved that betrayed the Capitoll: they come ſomething neare alreadie, tantum non enecant. But if there be any that make ſhew to kiſſe the Sonne, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeakes, it is to be feared, that it is not becauſe they are afraid-least he, but leſt ſhe be angry: or according to our commonſpeech, many kiſſe the child for the nurſes ſake: they kiſſe the child, but their mouth waters at the mothers lips, they make much of the child and dandle it in their armes, but it is but to inſinuate themſelves into the ſweet embraces of the mother.
And yet theſe filthie monſters of luſt (for they are no better then monſters, bewitched out of the ſhape of men, by the powerfull charmes of the Romiſh Circe, and her golden Cup offornication) theſe filthie monſters do ſo pleaſe themſelves in their filthineſſe, that as the Apoſtle Peter ſpeakes, they ſpeake evill of us, as of thoſe that do evill, and thinke it ſtrange, that we doe not runne with them into the ſame exceſſe of riot.
Like ſome fond and amorous Bridegroome newly wedded, that dotes may chance upon an homely ſpouſe, and wonders that all his neighbours doe not meet him with their mouths full of wonder and gratulation, that they doe not worſhip her whom he adores: becauſe forſooth, ſhee is written for a Saint in the Calender of his heart, he thinks ſhe ſhould be received for a Queene in the Charter of their Pariſh: becauſe ſhe is the Idoll of his fancie, he thinks ſhe ſhould be the goddeſſe of their faith: he is ſo well acquainted with the zeale of his owne private devotion, that hee cannot but admire, what cold blaſt of ſtupid ignorance or envie, (for he hath not the power to think it any other) hath ſo frozen and congeald them, that they do not melt into his mold, that they will not be reduced to his temperature.
But to give them their anſwer. The Old Iewes baked for the Queene of Heaven, and the New Collyridians did the like for the Virgin Mary, whom they cald the Queene of Heaven, and ſo do the Papiſts, the ſole heires of both their follies. But let Epiphanius anſwer them all: The Virgin is to bee honoured, ſhe is not to be adored; ſhee is bleſſed among woemen, but not God bleſſed for ever▪ or, that I may allude to thoſe cakes, ſhee may be honoured, that is frumentum, corne that growes in Scripture, a Chriſtian ſtomack may digeſt it: but ſhe muſt not bee adored, that's fermentum; it is ſo ſowre of the leven of the Phariſees, that a Chriſtian ſtomack (as Eraſmus ſaid, he had Animum Catholicum, ſtomachum Lutheranum, a Catholike minde, and a Lutheran maw, becauſe he loved no fiſh) I ſay, a Chriſtian ſtomack cannot brooke it: in a word, their Cake (as we uſe to ſay) is dow baked: and it were to be wiſhed, that theſe blinde Collyridians, if their mouth be out of taſte, at leaſt would annoint their eyes with that Collyrium, commended to the Angell of Laodicea, Revelation 3. ſome eye-ſalve of the Scripture, that they might ſee the groſſeneſſe of their Idolatrie.
If they could but open their eyes, I doubt not, but they might ſee that we give more to the Virgin then they, that we are not Hereticks, becauſe wee doe not give ſo much to the Virgin as they doe; but they are Atheiſts, that give ſo much as they do: and yet to ſay truth, we give her more then they do; they would make her worſhipfull, we would have her honourable: an eaſie Herauld would decide the controverſie, which is the better title: and ſo would an eaſie Divine, which are the Antidicomarianites, they or we. But if they will needs ſleep ſtill, loth to part with this pleaſant dreame: let us call and ſee if we may awaken them: Behold thy gods, ô thou ſonne of the rebellions woman, thy gods in whom thou trusteſt! Awake thou that ſleepeſt, and ariſe from the dead, and Chriſt ſhall give thee light. But why doe I ſpend ſo much breath in vain, they are not deafe, but dead in ſinne: let me rather ſpeak to you that heare me: Son of man, ſeeſt thou theſe abominations? then learne to ſay with me, O the patience, and long ſufferance, and gentleneſſe of our God, toward vile ſinners!
I am come you ſee to the higheſt ſtep: I have now finiſhed my narration or generall explication of Popiſh Idolatry, and I ſtand (as it were) upon the higheſt pinacle of the Tower of Babel: I ſhould begin to pull downe: but the time will not ſuffer.