Gods Arraignment of Hypocrites, Title page – Dedication
GODS ARRAIGNEMENT OF HYPOCRITES: WITH AN INLARGEMENT concerning Gods decree in ordering ſinne.
AS LIKEWISE A DEFENCE of Mr. CALVINE againſt BELLARMINE; and of M. PERKINS againſt ARMINIVS.
foreign.
Cernit Deus omnia vindex:
GEN. 18.13.
Shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right?
PRINTED BY CANTRELL LEGGE, Printer to the Vniuerſitie of Cambridge. 1615.
❧ TO THE RIGHT Worſh. Sir WILLIAM AYLOFE, Knight Barronet, and chiefe Iuſtice of the liberties of HAVERING vponupon the Bower: Grace and peace from the Father, Prince, and Spirit of Peace, AMEN.
TRVTH ſpeakes with plainneſſe, and modeſtie beares with patience; the plainneſſe of the one, might diſturbe the patience of the other; but truth keepes modeſtie from bluſhing, and modeſtie preſerues truth from ſhaming: No ſhame for plainneſſe, whoſe plainneſſe is the truth; nor bluſhing for modeſty, whoſe forbearance is patience; which is hardly angred, but ſoone reconciled; eaſily iniured, but ſeldome offending; ſparing much, but ſtirring little: theſe two are ſo priuiledged, that they may keep their court where they pleaſe, without controlment of the proudeſt. But alas, the faſhion of this world is changed, and all is become complement; hee is no compleat Gentleman, that cannot be as humble as the toe; as plaine, as if he meant to open all his heart; and as modeſt, as though hee had learned a whole yeare to compoſe his geſture: but nature forced, is alwaies moſt vnruly; and the face that hath moſt fluſhings of heat, hath the coldeſt heart; and burnings without, are coolers within. Maskes once ſerued for ſporting, but I feare them now to bee vſed in good earneſt: painting was but a circumſtance, but now it's the beſt ſubſtance: yet let me tell this diſordered age, that painting is meeter for ragged walls, then fine marble; for an unruly Iezebel, then a chaſt matron: in a word, all ſtrange complements, they are no better then court holy water, or a Popes bleſſing; and I am ſure, where hee bleſſeth, God curſeth. The earth is full of faire words, but they pay no debts, neither is any man the richer for them. And I would to God the faſhion had reſted in the bodie; but woe is me, it is crept into the ſoule, and makes all learning but a flouriſh: Therefore I thought it (right Worſh.) verie good to abſtaine from the faſhion, becauſe in all kinds, we may finde them by experience to he but a daies wearing: The Taylors care is ouer, if he hit the cut; the Shooemaker, if his ſhooe hold the pulling on: and eueryevery tradeſ-man thinkes his ſhop then beſt furniſhed, when his wares wil ſerue the time: but for my part, I know not how to cut out the truth, better then by plainneſſe; to plucke it on, then by modeſtie; and make it ſerue the time, then by patience. I care for no more, if ſo be I may but be a friend of the bridegroome, to wooe his ſpouſe; or as one of his eunuches to trimme her for himſelfe: neither euer did I intend to intreat for welcome by flatterie, which is alwaies intertained as long as ſelfe-louelove is at home: and to what purpoſe ſhould I be more curious? I am ſure that the painting of windowes ſtops the light, and that plainer glaſſe, would permit the ſunne a clearer entrance: a black ground beſt beſeemes a white counterfeit; and a faire countenance needs no varniſh: where the wine is neate, there needeth no ivy-buſh; neither the right corall any colouring: So where the truth it ſelfe bringeth credit, the man with his gloſſe, winneth ſmall commendation: where the matter is of ſufficient excellencie, there is more ſhew of a pregnant wit, then perfect wiſedome to vſe ſuperfluous eloquence: the naked tale moſt ſets forth the naked truth, and the plaineſt ſtyle, is the ſooneſt vnderſtood. I do not condemn eloquence or humane learning in diuine myſteries; it is lawful, I confeſſe, for the Iſraelites to take iewels, gold, ſiluer, and other precious ornaments; but let them take heede how they vſe them, leaſt they make a calfe, and then they looſe their beautie, hauing loſt their true ſeruice. Neither would I be ſo curious in trimming vp of the truth, as though my greateſt care ſhould be for the habit of words: for I know that skilfull Apelles, coueting to mend the noſe, marred the cheeke; and often the fooliſh dyer, is not content with the die of his cloth, vntill he hauehave burned it. I know the word of God hath been ſufficiently tryed to my hands, and the holy Ghoſt hath giuen it a ſufficient tincture of beautie. Indeede, in nature there is no tree, but hath ſome blaſt; no countenance, but hath ſome blemiſh; the faireſt leopard is not without his ſpots; the fineſt cloth is made with his liſt, and the ſmootheſt ſhooe with his laſte: But the word of God is a tree of life that is neuer blaſted, a glaſſe that doth neuer ſhew vsus a blemiſhed countenance, a ſtore-houſe of all garments to be worne without liſt or ſeame; and as ſtrong as a leopard, without any ſpot or blemiſh; a goſpel of peace, prepared without any wooden laſte of humane eloquence, and yet ſits as cloſe to the feete of the ſoule, as heart can wiſh. Neither doe I ſpeake this to excuſe my ſelfe; for I might well learne wiſedome from the Estrich, that though ſhe taketh greateſt pride in her feathers, yet is content to picke ſome of the worſt out, and burne them: ſo might I picke out many things and purge them in the fire. Alexander laid his ſinger on his cheeke, leaſt Apelles ſhould paint his skarre: but it is my mind to hold my finger off my skarres, leaſt ſome skilfull Apelles paint the finger, not couering but pointing at the skarre; and ſo lay open as much hypocriſie in the writer, as blemiſhes in the writing. Therefore (right Worſh.) ſeeing I am to vndergoe cenſure, and bee brought before euerie mans iudgement ſeat, I hauehave great cauſe to ſeek out my aduocate and patron: Iudicem aditurus? patronum quare; muſt you before a Iudge? ſeeke out your patron. In duty and louelove I could ſeeke none beſide your ſelfe, & my confidence of your acceptation is ſo ſtrong, that I feare not the leaſt deniall: you gaue me the firſt entertainement that euer I had abroad, and therefore in reaſon I could not but preſent you with the firſt fruits of my labours. I doubt not but that your ſelfe doth both ſee and bewaile the miſerie of theſe wretched times, in which Atheiſme, and Policie (falſly ſo called, beeing indeed little better then plaine villanie) and Tomporizing, hauehave like a canker, fretted out the verie heart of pietie. Few there are that ſeeke for eſtabliſhed hearts, and to know preciſely whether God or Baal bee the true God: and for reſolution, they reſolue that the beſt courſe is to halt betweene two opinions, that ſo all times might ſerue their turnes. But you hauehave not ſo learned Chriſt: for this can I teſtifie of your paine & diligence, that you labour for nothing more, then the gaining of aduiſed reſolution. If I ſhould ſay all that I know, the world would cenſure me of flattery: and if I knewe that ſelfe-louelove were at home with your ſelfe, then ſhould I neuer feare want of intertainment in learning to diſſemble: but both the world, and your ſelfe muſt pardon my boldneſſe; for I ſpeake not to blaze abroad your praiſe, but to intreat that kindneſſe, that men would admit of your example, as a patterne for imitation. Three things conſtraine mee to vtter my mind: Firſt, that continuall care which you hauehave for reſolution of many difficulties in diuinity: the means which you hauehave vſed are but practiſed of few: one is, that you hauehave not bin content to take your reſolution of diuine truth from tranſlations; but hauehave taken that paines, that you are able to fetch it from the originall, and drinke of the pureſt fountaine: A ſecond meanes is, that of the Philoſopher, foreign, to make queſtion of matters of religion, whenſoeuer you hauehave ſeene iuſt opportunitie, and fit perſons to reſolue; neither hauehave you been content to admit of ſuperficiall anſwers, but hauehave preſſed argument vponupon them to ſee the true tryall; and often your own reſolutions hauehave bin more agreeable with the truth and context of Sciptures, then that which others hauehave ſaid: let this teach men of your place, beſides their continuall imploiments, to ſet ſome time apart, for this excellent knowledge of the originalls of the Bible, and knowledge of that art. A ſecond good example is, your continual care that the legges of iuſtice may not lie broken in the ſtreets, and no man to raiſe it vp: A happie thing when men of place count their dignities to be conferred, as a common good for Church and Commonwealth. Thirdly, for all manner of election, this you onelyonly hauehave not affirmed by word, but performed by action, that the place, more then the perſon, might hauehave cauſe to reioyce. For my ſelfe, I confeſſe I had no cauſe to be i…ticed from you, as the Leuite was from Micah, Iudg. 17. to become a Prieſt vntounto a Tribe or familie in Iſrael: but leaſt through ignorance I ſhould as ſoon ſerue in the miniſtery of Idols, as the true God, I deſired to be a little longer trained vp in the ſchooles of the Prophets. For my louelove vntounto your familie, whereof once I was a member, it is this, that all of them might knowe the God of their fathers, and ſerue him with a perfect heart, & a willing mind. For your vertuous Lady, whō God hath made as a fruitful vine on the ſides of your houſe, that ſhe might likewiſe grow into the true Vine, Chriſt Ieſus; and be fruitfull vntounto her owne ſaluation. For all your children, that they might be as the Oliue plants of God round about your table. For your eldeſt ſon Beniamin; (I hope in name and nature the ſonne of your right hand) the Lord make him the ſtrength and crowne of your age, the excellencie of your dignitie, and the excellencie of your power. But I feare I hauehave alreadie offended; your deſire is breuitie: therefore to conclude, I commend and commit this ſmall labour to your patronage: the text I am ſure is excellent for theſe dayes: but for my manner of handling it, I leaue it to the cenſure of Gods Church: How-euer it be, I do more then hope, that you will kindly accept it from me, and entertaine it as a teſtimonie of my louelove; and not onelyonly ſo, but vſe it for your comfort. Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Ieſus, the great Shepheard of the ſheepe, through the blood of the euerlaſting couenant; make you perfect in all good workes, to doe his will, working in you that which is pleaſant in his ſight: to whom be praiſe for euer, and euer. Amen.
Yours in all good affection, IOHN YATES.