A Treasury of Similes, Part S · Part 5 – Part 13
Sinne, how carefully it is to be auoyded.
1 AS the diſeaſes of the bodie and corporall death, doo much diſquiet and trouble our mindes, that wee commonly tremble and quake at the onelyonly mention of them: Euen ſo, howe much more ought wee to feare the ſickneſſe of the ſoule, and death of the ſame, (which commeth by reaſon of ſinne,) then which there can bee no greater, nor more fearefull calamitie come vntounto vsus.
2 Like as euerie man dooth auoide (ſo much as in him lyeth) the paine, miſeries, diſeaſes, and death of the bodie: Euen ſo, howe muche more ought wee to decline and eſchewe the death of the ſoule, and the cauſes of theſe euilles, which bee Sinnes, and offences; and feare the anger of God, which wee ſo (by our tranſgreſſions) doo procure.
3 As the Phyſition ſeeing in a Glaſſe by the water, the diſeaſes within the body, by skill and learning, ſearches out the cauſe of the diſeaſe, and miniſters good things for the ſame: Euen ſo wee, in looking into the Glaſſe of Gods word, ſhall ſoone perceiue the diſeaſes and infections of Sinne, which are in vsus, and the cauſe thereof; and ſo wholeſomely miniſter ſome profitable and comfortable remedies for the ſame.
4 As little theeues beeing let in at a window, will ſet open great gates for greater theeues to come in at: Euen ſo, if wee accuſtome our ſelues to commit little Sinnes, and let them raigne in vsus, they will make vsus the fitter for greater offences, to get the aduantage of vsus, and to take hold on vsus.
5 As all kind of wild beaſtes eſcaping out of the ſnare, will take heede leaſt they come there any more; yea though they ſhould bee in bondage euen vntounto man, the moſt excellent of all other creatures: Yet man by Sinne falling into the ſnares of Sathan, cannot beware, though hee ſhall bee in bondage, to the moſt curſed of all creatures.
6 As a drunken man, whileſt hee ingorgeth aboundance of Wine, feeleth no diſcommoditie thereby, but afterwards he ſeeth and feeleth the inconuenience of the ſame: So in like manner, Sinne whileſt it is in committing, dooth darken the light of reaſon; howbeit afterwards, the conſcience aryſing, ſheweth both the vglineſſe of Sinne, and the abſurditie of the fact; and ſo vexeth the ſoule more grieuouſly, then if all the world accuſed him of the ſame.
Sacraments are not corrupted by the wickedneſſe of Miniſters.
1 LIke as there is no difference betweene the ſelfe-ſame image or figure of any thing imprinted or ſealed with a Ring or ſignet of Golde, and with a ſignet made of yron, or wood: Euen ſo the word and Sacraments, being miniſtred by a lawfull Miniſter, although otherwiſe a wicked, and an vngodly Miniſter, yet be the ſame Word and Sacraments, of the ſame vigour, ſtrength and efficacie, as when they be miniſtred by a man of excellent vertue and godlineſſe. For as the Father ſhall not die for the childe, nor the childe for the Father: So the Miniſter ſhall not die for him that receiues at him, nor the partie that receiues, for the euilneſſe of the Miniſter, for eueryevery one ſhall ſincke in his owne ſinne; ſo that the Miniſter, which doth ſo wickedly corrupt the holy Sacramēts and holy ordinances of God, miniſtreth them to his own damnation, and iudgement. Deut. 24.16. Ezech. 18.20. 2. King. 14.6. 2. Chro. 25.4. 1. Cor. 11.29.
2 Like as among men, if a Letter be ſent, ſo that the hand and feale of him that ſendeth it be well knowne, it maketh no matter, who, or what manner of man be the carrier: Euen ſo it ought to ſuffice, to know the hand and ſeale of our Lord in his Sacraments, by what lawfull Miniſter ſo euer they bee brought: for the malice or leaudneſſe of man, cannot change the nature of the ordinance of God. And therefore the vertue and efficacie of the word and Sacrament, conſiſt and depend, not vponupon the worthineſſe, or vnworthineſſe of the Miniſter; but in, and vponupon the commaundement, ordinance, power, and authoritie of God onelyonly.
3 Like as Gold is Gold, of whom ſo euer it be giuen or receiued: Euen ſo likewiſe is the Sacrament, whether it be giuen by a good or bad Miniſter: For Iudas although he were a theefe, yet hee Preached, and baptized; whoſe doctrine and baptiſme, was as well the doctrine and baptiſme of Chriſt, as was Peters, and Andrewes, Iames, and Iohns. Ioh. 6.70. & 12.6.
4 Like as if the Treaſurer or Receiuer of a Prince, doo deliuer forth falſe & counterfeit money, in ſtead of good, the Office whereunto hee is called, cannot make it other, then falſe and counterfeit money, becauſe he dooth not execute his Office faithfully, but doth chaunge the good money, which hee receiued, to diſtribute by the commaundement of his Lord and Maiſter, into that, which is not the ſame that he receiued to be diſtributed; and by this meanes, they which ſhall hauehave receiued the ſame, ſhal be deceiued and ſpoyled. On the other ſide, although he were wicked and vniuſt, if hee did diſtribute it good, and ſuch as he was commaunded, the ſame could not let at all, but that it ſhould be good currant money; and that they which ſhould receiue it, ſhould very well make their profit thereof: Euen ſo the Miniſter, (although he bee lawfully called, and hauehave ſufficient giftes to Preach) yet if hee doo not adminiſter the Sacraments according to the Lords ordenāce, or do either diſguiſe, & peruert them, or elſe doo adminiſter other in ſtead of them; in thus doing the caſe is altered; but otherwiſe the vitiouſneſſe of the perſon, cannot, nor may hinder the vertue of the Lordes miniſterie.
5 As the word of God, although it bee Preached by mortall men, yet ought the ſame to bee receiued of all good Chriſtians, not as the word of men, but as the word of God, and as it were proceeding out of the mouth of Chriſt. 1. Theſſ. 2.13. Euen ſo the holy Sacraments, although they bee miniſtred by frayle and lewd Miniſters, are to bee receiued of the godly and religious, not as proceeding from men, but as it were from the hand of God himſelfe, the firſt and principall author thereof.
How Sinne dependeth on God.
LIke as the Phyſition comming vntounto the ſicke perſon, doth by medicines draw corrupt humours out of his body, and bringeth them out either by a Purgation, or by a ſweate, or vomit, or letting of bloud, as hee iudgeth it beſt; yet dooth hee not graft in the ſicke perſon naughtie and corrupt humours: Euen ſo God cauſeth to bee brought to light our malice, which was not brought forth before, but lay hid within, to make manifeſt his iuſtice, and to open our Sinnes; and yet hee ſuffereth them to breake foorth by chaunce, or raſhly, but ordereth and gouerneth them, according to his iudgement; that euen by them, he doth fulfill the limits of his prouidence. Eſay. 10.6, 7.15, 16.
The Scripture not hard.
LIke as if one ſhould affirme, that becauſe there bee ſome bones in a ſhoulder of Mutton, therefore it is nothing but bones, and no fleſhe thereon at all: Or becauſe ſome places in the riuer bee deepe, therefore all the riuer from head to foote is deepe, and no ſhallow to bee found therein, which were moſt rediculous to affirme: Euen ſo is this opinion of the Papiſts, that becauſe ſome places in the Scripture bee hard, therefore all the whole body of the Scripture is hard, ſo as lay people may not read them. Deut. 6.6, 7. Pſal. 19.7, 8. Col. 3.16. Iohn. 5.39. 2. Pet. 3.15.
Secrecie.
1 AS ſilence is a gift without perrill, and containeth in it many good things: So it were better our Silence brought our ſimplicitie into ſuſpition, then to ſpeake either inconueniently, idlely, or vnneceſſarily.
2 As the Viper is torne in ſunder, when ſhee bringeth foorth her little ones: So Secrets comming out of their mouthes, that are not able to conceale them, doo vtterly vndoo and ruine ſuch as reueale them.
3 As we muſt render account for euerie idle word: So muſt we likewiſe for our idle Silence.
No Seruice pleaſeth God, but ſuch as he teacheth.
AS the Lord in the firſt Commaundement, wholly demaundeth the ſoule, will, vnderſtanding, and hart, that is our faith; feare, louelove, thankefulneſſe, inuocation, and ſpirituall adoration, or worſhipping, to bee giuen to him onelyonly, and for his ſake, as he ſhall appoint: So in the ſecond Commaundement, Thou ſhalt not make to thy ſelfe, &c. Hee generally requireth for the outward Seruice of him, that we ſhould follow his word, in ſeruing of him, and take and account it no leſſe then Idolatrie, or Image Seruice, whatſoeuer thing is inuented by man, Saint, or Angell, and not by him, concerning his worſhippe and Seruice. Leuit. 26.1. Exod. 34.13, 14, 15. Deut. 4.23. Pſa. 97. 7 & 106.36. Eſay. 44.19. Iere. 2.27.
There is no Sinne whatſoeuer, but it is forbidden by the Law of God: nor any good worke, but it is there commaunded.
LIke as if a King being reſolued, to forgiue no offence worthie of death, and thereupon pretending to ſet downe a Law, which if his ſubiects keepe truely in euerie point, they ſhall eſcape the edge of his ſword and be well promoted; yet one man for all that omitteth ſome matter worthie of death; which beeing done, the King conuenteth him before his iudgement ſeate as a malefactor, layeth to his charge the committing of that euill, or omitting of that good, which is not contained in his Law; and vponupon confeſſion thereof, giueth ſentence of condemnation againſt him; the partie might well anſwere his King, that hee were vniuſt, and his Law vnperfect: Euen ſo in like ſort, for as much as the Lord hath decreed death, to bee the certaine reward of euerie Sinne. Rom. 6.23. and hath giuen his Law for this intent, and to teach man to avoide whatſoeuer is damnable, and that whoſoeuer obſerued all things written in this Law, might liue thereby; If there be any Sinne, that is any thing that he will damne a man for, not forbidden, or any good worke, not commaunded in this Law, then is God vniuſt, and the Lawe vnperfect; of which neither is true: for as for God hee is not vnrighteous. Rom. 3.5, 6. And as for the Law it is perfect. Pſal. 19.7. Iam. 1.25.
Sacraments be commonly called by the names of thoſe things, which they be Sacraments off.
LIke as when a Noble man or Gentleman, deliuereth a letter of Annuitie or rent, to any one of his ſeruants, he ſaith, he giueth him an Annuitie of ten pound by the yeare: No man is ſo ſimple, to thinke that the letter, is the money it ſelfe, but an aſſurance, confirmation, ſigne, or gage, of ſuch a Summe of money; in ſuch ſort, that hauing ſuch a letter, he is full aſſured of the money: Now no man is ſo blockiſh, to thinke that hee hath euill ſpoken, for ſo much as euerie man doth well know, that the ſignes hauehave the names of the things which they ſignifie: After this manner of ſpeech alſo; as an Ambaſſadour of a Prince, being demaunded of the authoritie hee hath receiued of his Lord, to deale in ſuch or ſuch a matter, dooth vſe to ſhew foorth his letters of credite, or Commiſſion, and to ſay; Here is mine authoritie: albeit that the letters are not the power it ſelfe, but onelyonly the teſtimonie of the ſame: Euen ſo the bread and the Wine, are the remiſſion of ſinnes, or the body and bloud of Chriſt: to wit, they are as ſeales and letters, whereby we are aſſured, that the body of Ieſus Chriſt crucified, and his bloud ſhed, hauehave purchaſed vntounto vsus the forgiueneſſe of Sinnes, and eternall life. Gene. 33.20. & 41.26. Ioh. 10.7. & 14.6. & 15.1. 1. Cor. 10.4, 16. Ezech. 4.1. & 5.2. 2. Cor. 5.21. Ioh. 1.14.
Saluation is to be ſought, in and by the appointed meanes, though God could ſaue vsus without all meanes.
AS God by his omnipotent power, could preſerue aliue our mortall bodies, extraordinarily and ſupernaturally, without naturall foode and ſuſtenance, as hee did Moſes and Elijah, the ſpace of fortie dayes; they not receiuing in that time any bodily meate or drinke, according to the order of nature; yet neuertheleſſe, no man ought to refuſe meate and drinke, beeing the ordinarie meanes that God hath appointed, for the preſeruation of our bodily life: Euen ſo God could ſaue vsus without all meanes, and giuegive vntounto vsus a liuely faith, through the wonderfull working of the holy Ghoſt; and that without either preaching, or hearing of his word, or elſe without prayer and miniſtration of the Sacraments; yet neuertheleſſe, is it his ordinance not ſo to do. Exod. 28.18. & 34.28. Deut. 9.9. 1. Kin. 19.18. Act. 9.1. &c.