Eighty Sermons, Whitsunday · Sermon 29
SERMON XXIX. Preached at S. Pauls upon Whitſunday. 1628.
JOHN 14.26.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghoſt, whom the Father will ſend in my Name, Hee ſhall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatſoever I have ſaid unto you.
WE Eipaſſe from the Perſon to his working; we come from his comming, to his operation, from his Miſſion, and Commiſſion, to his Executing thereof, from the Conſideration, who he is, to what he does. His Specification, his Character, his Title, Paracletus, The Comforter, paſſes through all. Therefore our firſt comfort is, Docebimur, we ſhall be Taught, He ſhall teach you; As we conſider our ſelves, The Diſciples of the Holy Ghoſt, ſo it is a meere teaching, for, we, in our ſelves are meerly ignorant; But wen we conſider the things we are to bee taught, ſo it is but a remembring, a refreſhing of thoſe things, which Chriſt in the time of his converſation in this world, had taught before; He ſhall bring all things to your remembrance, whatſoever I have ſaid unto you. Theſe two then, The comfort in the Action, (we ſhall be Taught) and the comfort in the Way and Manner, (we ſhall not be ſubject to new Doctrines, but taught by remembring, by eſtabliſhing us in things formerly Fundamentally laid) will be our two parts at this time. And in each of theſe, theſe our ſteps; Firſt. in the firſt we ſhall conſider the perſons, that is, the Diſciples, who were to learne; not onelyonly they who were ſo, when Chriſt ſpoke the words, but we, All, who to the end of the world, ſhall ſeek and receive knowledge from him; Vos, ye; firſt Vos ignorantes, you who are naturally ignorant, and know nothing, ſo as you ſhould know it of your ſelves, (which is one Diſcomfort) And yet, Vos, ye, Vos appetentes, you that by nature have a deſire to know, (which is another Diſcomfort, To have a deſire, and no meanes to performe it) Vos docebimini, ye, ye that are ignorant, and know nothing; ye, ye that are hungry of knowledge, and have nothing to ſatisfie that hunger, ye ſhall be fed, ye ſhall be taught; (which is one comfort) And then Ille docebit, He ſhall teach you, He, who cannot onelyonly infuſe true, and full knowledge in every capacity that he findes, but dilate that capacity where he findes it, yea create it, where he findes none, The Holy Ghoſt, who is not onelyonly A Comforter, but The Comforter, and not onelyonly ſo, but Comfort it ſelfe, He ſhall teach you; And in theſe we ſhall determine our firſt Part.
In our ſecond Part, The Way and Manner of this Teaching, (By bringing to our remembrance all things whatſoever Chriſt had ſaid unto us) there is a great largeneſſe, but yet there is a limitation of thoſe things which we are to learne of the Holy Ghoſt; for they are Omnia, All things whatſoever Chriſt hath taught before; But then, Sola ea, Only thoſe things which Chriſt had taught before, and not new Additaments in the name of the Holy Ghoſt. Now this largeneſſe extending it ſelf to the whole body of the Chriſtian Religion, (for Chriſt taught all that) all that being not reducible to that part of an houre, which will be left for this exerciſe, as fitteſt for the celebration of the day in which we arenow, we ſhall binde our ſelves to that particular conſideration, what the Holy Ghoſt, being come from the Father, in Chriſts Name, that is, Purſuing Chriſts Doctrine, hath taught us of Himſelfe, concerning Himſelfe; That ſo ye may firſt ſee ſome inſolencies and injuries offered to the Holy Ghoſt by ſome ancient Heretiques, and ſome of later times, by the Church of Rome; For, truly, it is hard to name, or to imagine any one ſin, nearer to that emphaticall ſin, that ſuperlative ſin, The ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, then ſome offers of Doctrines, concerning the Holy Ghoſt, that have been obtruded, though not eſtabliſhed, and ſome that have beene abſolutely eſtabliſhed in that Church. And when we ſhall have delivered the Holy Ghoſt out of their hands, we ſhall alſo deliver him into yours, ſo as that you may feele him to ſhed himſelfe upon you all here, and to accompany you all home, with a holy peace, and in a bleſſed calme, in teſtifying to your ſoules, that He, that Comforter, who is the holy Ghoſt, whom the Father hath ſent in his Sons name, hath taught you all things, that is, awakened your memories, to the conſideration of all that is neceſſary to your preſent eſtabliſhment. And to theſe divers particulars, which thus conſtitute our two generall parts, in their order thus propoſed, we ſhall now proceed.
As when our Saviour Chriſt received that confeſſion of all the Diſciples,1 Part. in the mouth of S. Peter, Thou art Chriſt, the Son of the living God, Chriſt replied thereunto ſome things,Mat. 16.18. which had a more ſpeciall, and a more perſonall reſpect to Peter, then to the reſt, yet were intended of the reſt too; ſo when Chriſt in this text, promiſes the Comforter, he does that moſt immediately, and moſt perſonally to them, to whom he then ſpoke, but he intends it to us alſo, and the holy Ghoſt ſhall teach us: us, that are in our ſelves Ignorant,Ignorantes. which is our firſt Diſcomfort. The Schooles have made ſo many Diviſions, and ſub-diviſions, and re-deviſions, and poſt-diviſions of Ignorance, that there goes as much learning to underſtand ignorance, as knowleg. One, much elder then al they, & elder (as ſome will have it) then any but ſome of the firſt Secretaries of the Holy Ghoſt in the Bible, that is Triſmegiſtus, hath ſaid as much as all, Nequitia animae Ignorantia, Ignorance is not onelyonly the drouſineſſe, the ſillineſſe, but the wickedneſſe of the ſoule: Not onelyonly diſ-eſtimation in this world, and damnification here, but damnation in the next world, proceeds from ignorance. And yet, here in this world, knowledge is but as the earth, and ignorance as the Sea; there is more ſea then earth, more ignorance then knowledge; and as if the ſea do gaine in one place, it loſes in another, ſo is it with knowledge too; if new things be found out, as many, and as good, that were knowne before, are forgotten and loſt. What Anatomiſt knowes the body of man thorowly, or what Caſuiſt the ſoule? What Politician knowes the diſtemper of the State thorowly; or what Maſter, the diſorders of his owne family? Princes glory in Arcanis, that they have ſecrets which no man ſhall know, and, God knowes, they have hearts which they know not themſelves; Thoughts and purpoſes indigeſted fall upon them and ſurpriſe them. It is ſo in naturall, in morall, in civill things; we are ignorant of more things then we know; And it is ſo in divine and ſupernaturall things too; for, for them, the Scripture is our onelyonly light, and of the Scripture, S. Auguſtine profeſſes, Plur a ſe neſcire quam ſcire, That there are more places of Scripture, that he does not, then that he does underſtand.
Hell is darkneſſe; & the way to it, is the cloud of Ignorance; hell it ſelf is but condenſed Ignorance, multiplied Ignorance. To that, David aſcribes all the diſtempers of the world, They doe not know, neither will they underſtand, they walke on in darkneſſe; and therefore,Pſal. 82.5. (as he adds there) All the foundations of all the earth are out of courſe. He that had made the moſt abſolute conqueſt of Ignorance in this world, Solomon, is the beſt Judge of it, the beſt Counſellor againſt it; and he ſaies, As thou knoweſt not how thy bones grew in thy Mother, Eccleſ. 11.5.even ſo thou knoweſt not the works of God, who worketh all. We are all equally Ignorant of all, of naturall, of ſpirituall things. What though? This; That man knoweth not his time, Eccleſ. 9.12.but is ſnared in an evill time, If he knew his time, no time would be evill unto him. Yet though he know not the preſent time, but let that paſſe inconſiderately, yet if he conſider the future, he may recover. But he does not that, he cannot doe that;Eccleſ. 10.14. Man cannot tell what ſhall be, ſaies Solomon; But may he not learne? No. For, who can tell him? ſaies he there. For, he knowes not how to goe to the City; In vulgar, in triviall things, he is ignorant of his end, and ignorant of his way. Bene facere neſciverunt, ſaies the Prophet,Ier. 4.22. They have no knowledge to doe good; and what followes? Erubeſcere neſcierunt, They are not aſhamed when they have done evill. Neſciunt cujus ſpiritus ſunt; Luke 9.15.It was Chriſts increpation upon his owne Diſciples, They knew not of what ſpirit they were, They diſcerned not betweene a zealous and a vindicative ſpirit. Neſcitis quid petatis, was Chriſts increpation upon his Diſciples too, You know not what you aske. And yet this Nequitia animae, Mat. 20.22.this wickedneſſe of the ſoule, this peſtilence of the ſoule, Ignorance, have men ventured to call The mother of devotion. But miſerable Comforters are they, in reſpect of the Comforter, the Holy Ghoſt: for, as that Cum perver ſo perverteris, is ſpoken of God,Pſal. 18.27. That God will learne of the froward, to be froward, ſo God will learne of the ignorant, to be ignorant; ignorant of us; and to thoſe that doe not ſtudy him here, he will ſay hereafter, Neſcio vos, I know not you. This then is our firſt diſcomfort, of our ſelves we are ignorant; and yet there is a greater vexation then this, that naturally we have a deſire of knowledge, and naturally no meanes to attaine to it.
Ignorance may be ſaid to worke,Appetentes. as an in-appetency in the ſtomach, and as an inſipidneſſe, a taſtleſneſſe in the palate; But the deſire of knowledge, without meanes to attaine to it, is as a hunger in a dearth, or in a wilderneſſe. Ignorance is a kinde of ſlumbering, or ſtupidity, but this deſire without meanes, is a continuall racking, a continuall preſſing; a far greater vexation, and torment; ignorance may work as a Lethargy, but this deſire as a phrenſie.Eſay 37.3. This is the day of trouble, (ſaies Ezechias in the bitterneſſe and paſſion of his ſoule) and of rebuke, and of blaſphemy, for the Children are come to the birth, and there is not ſtrength to bring them forth. To a barrenneſſe, that is, never to have conceived, there belonged, amongſt that people, a kind of ſhame and contempt, (and that is our caſe in ignonorance, which is the barrenneſs of the ſoule) But to come to the throwes of Childbirth, and then not to have ſtrength, or not to have helpe to be delivered, that is the dangerous, that is the deadly torment; and that repreſents our ſoule, in this deſire of knowledge, without means to attain to it. And yet, this vexation no man can deveſt; It is an hereditary, a naturall impreſſion in man; every man naturally, ſayes the Philoſopher, deſires to know, to learne. And yet, nature that imprinted that deſire in every man, hath not given every man, not any man, in nature, meanes to ſatisfie that deſire; for, even by nature man hath a deſire to know ſupernaturall things. Solomon was extended with this deſire of knowledge,1 King. 3.11. but he found no ſatisfaction, till upon petition, and contracting all his deſires into that One,Dan. 9.23. he obtained it of God. Daniel was Vir deſideriorum, A man compoſed of deſires,Dan. 10.2. and of ſolicitude: He profeſſes that he mourned three full weekes, He eate no pleaſant bread,Ver. 8. neither came fleſh or wine into his mouth, nor oyle upon his body; His comlineſſe was turned into corruption, and he retained no ſtrength, till God by his Angel ſatisfied his deſire of knowledge. Conſider the anxiety and torture, under which that Eunuch was in the Chariot,Acts 8. till he was taught the meaning of the Prophet Eſay. And conſider the way that God tooke; God ſent an Angel, and that Angel ſent Philip to him. Inſtruction is from God, but yet by the Miniſtery of man, Philip askes him, Doeſt thou underſtand? He would have a confeſſion of his impotency from himſelfe. Alas, How can I, ſayes he, except ſome man ſhouldguide me? And Philip guides him; and then how ſoone he comes to that holy cheerefulneſſe,Ver. 36. and dilatation of the ſoule, I beleeve that Ieſus is the Son of God, Hieron.and, See, here is water, what doth hinder me, that I be baptized? Nec ſanctior ſum hoc Eunucho, nec ſtudioſior, ſaies S. Hierom of himſelfe; I cannot have more deſire to learne then he had; yet, in my ſelf, I have no more meanes neither; and therefore muſt be under the ſame paine, till the ſame hand, the hand of God relieve me. The ſoule of man cannot bee conſidered under a thicker cloud, then Ignorance, nor under a heavier weight, then deſire of knowledge. And therefore, for our deliverance in both, our Saviour Chriſt here comforts us with The Comforter; you, you that are in the darkneſſe of Ignorance, you, you that are under the oppreſſion of a hunger of knowledge, you ſhall be ſatisfied, for, He that comes from my Father, in my name, He ſhall teach you.
That which the Vulgat reads,Doeebit. Eccleſ. 6.9. Deſider are quod neſcias, To deſire to know that which thou knoweſt not yet, our Tranſlation cals, The wandring of the deſire, and in the Originall it is, The walking, the pilgrimage of the Soule; the reſt leſneſſe, and irreſolution of the Soule. And when man is taught that which he deſired to know, then the Soule is brought home, and laid to reſt. Deſire is the travaile, knowledge is the Inne; deſire is the wheele, knowledge is the bed of the Soule. Therefore we affect ſociety and converſation to know preſent things; Therefore wee aſſiſt our ſelves with Hiſtory, to know things paſt, and with Aſtrology, and ſometimes with worſe Arts, to know future things. The name of Maſter, of Teacher, that paſſes through the Scripture, is Rabbi, and Rabbi in the roote thereof ſignifies, Magnum, and Multum; It is a word that denotes Greatneſſe; And truly no man ſhould be greater in our eyes, nor be thought to have laid greater obligations upon us,Eſay 19.20. then he that hath taught us. When Chriſt is promiſed thus, The Lord ſhall ſend them a Saviour, and a Great one, there is this word Rabbi: The Lord ſhall ſend them a Saviour, which ſhall be Rabbi a great Teacher; Chriſt was a Saviour, as he paid God a ranſome for all; As he made man capable of this Salvation, he was this Rabbi, this Teacher; and in this capacity, did thoſe two Diſciples of Iohn Baptiſt, who firſt applied themſelves to Chriſt, apply themſelves, Magiſter ubi habitas? Maſter, John 1.38.where dwelleſt thou? where may we come to School to thee? where may we be taught by thee? S. Paul hath ſhewed us the duty of all true diſciples, in the practiſe of the Galatians; You received me as an Angel of God, even as Chriſt Ieſus, and I beare you record, Gal. 4.14.that if it had been poſsible, you would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. I thank him that brings me a candle, when it grows dark, and him that aſſiſts me with a ſpectacle, when my ſight grows old; But to him that hath given the eyes of my ſoul, light and ſpectacles, how much a greater debtor am I? I will not diſpute againſt nature, nor naturall affections, nor diſpute againſt Allegeance, nor civill obligations, nor diſpute againſt gratitude, nor retribution of Benefits; But I willingly pronounce, that I cannot owe more to any Benefactor, to my Father, to my Prince, then I do to them that have taught me; nor can there be a deeper ingratitude, then to turn thy face from that man, or from his children, that hath taught thee. This Chriſt preſents for the firſt Comfort, Doccbimini, You are ignorant, but that cloud ſhall be diſperſed, you would learne, but have no help, but that defect ſhall be ſupplyed, you ſhall be taught: And then, this comfort ſhall be exalted to you, in the perſon of the Teacher, Ille docebit, He whom the Father will ſend in my name, He ſhall teach you.
Quintilian requires no more of a School-maſter, but that either he be learned,Ille. or doe not think himſelf to be ſo, if he be not: Becauſe if he over-value himſelf, he will admit no Uſher, no aſſiſtant. Here we have a maſter that is both abſolute in himſelf, and yet undertaken for by others too; The Father ſends him, and in the Sons name, that is, to perfect the Sons work. Tertullian (a man of adventurous language) calls him Tertium numen divinitatis, & tertium nomen majeſtatis: The Holy Ghoſt hath but a third place, but the ſame God-head, but a third name, yet the ſame Majeſty, as the firſt, The Father, or the ſecond, The Son. Porphyry that denied the Trinity, is convinced by S. Cyril, to have eſtabliſhed a Trinity, becauſe he acknowledged firſt Deum ſummum, and then, Conditorem omnium, and after them, Animam mundi; One that is a ſupream God, One that was the Creator of all things, and One that quickens and inanimates all, and is the ſoul of the whole world: And this ſoul of the world is the Holy Ghoſt, who doth that office to the ſoule of every Chriſtian, which the ſoul it ſelf doth to every naturall man, informes him, directs him, inſtructs him, makes him be that he is, and do that he doth. And therefore as Tertullian cals Chriſt by the Holy Ghoſts name, (for he calls Chriſt Spiritum Dei, becauſe, as the office of our ſpirits is to unite the body and the ſoul, ſo Chriſt hath united God and man in one Emanuel) S. Baſil gives the Holy Ghoſt Chriſts name, for he calls the Holy Ghoſt Verbum Dei, The word of God, becauſe he undertakes the Pedagogy of the ſoul, to be the ſoules School-maſter, and to teach it as much of God as concernes it, that is, Chriſt crucified. Therefore when the Holy Ghoſt was firſt ſent, he was ſent but to teſtifie of Chriſt; At Chriſts Baptiſme (which was his firſt ſending) he was ſent but to eſtabliſh an aſſurance, and a beliefe, that that Chriſt was the Son of God, in whom he was well pleaſed; And this he did but as a witneſſe, not as a Teacher; for the voice that wrought this, and taught this, came not from the Dove, not from the Holy Ghoſt, but from above; The Holy Ghoſt ſaid nothing then. But when the Holy Ghoſt in performance of Chriſts promiſe in this Text, was ſent as a Teacher, then he came in the form of Tongues, and they that received him, were thereby preſently enabled to ſpeak to others.
This therefore is the comming, and this is the teaching of the Holy Ghoſt,Acts 2.3. promiſed and intended in this Text, and performed upon this Day, that he by his power enables and authoriſes other men to teach thee; That he eſtabliſhes a Church, and Ordinances, and a Miniſtery, by which thou maiſt be taught how to apply Chriſts Merits to thy ſoul. He needed not to have inveſted, and taken the form of a Tongue, if he would have had thee think it enough to heare the Spirit at home, alone; but to let thee ſee, that his way of teaching ſhould be the miniſtery of men, he came in that organ of ſpeech, the Tongue. And therefore learn thou by hearing, what he ſayes: And that that he ſayes, he ſayes here; here in his Ordinance. And therefore heare what he hath declared, inquire not what he hath decreed; Heare what he hath ſaid, there, where he hath ſpoken, ask not what he meant in his unrevealed will, of things whereof he hath ſaid nothing; For they that do ſo, miſtake Gods minde often. God proteſts, It never came into my minde, that they ſhould ſin thus; God never did it, God never meant it, that any ſhould ſin neceſſarily,Ier. 32.35. without a willing concurrence in themſelves, or be damned neceſſarily, without relation to ſin willingly committed. Therefore is S. Auguſtine vehement in that expoſtulation, Quis tam ſtultè curioſus eſt, qui filium ſuum mittat in ſcholam, ut quid magiſter cogitat, diſcat? Doth any man put his ſon to ſchoole, to learn what his Maſter thinks? The Holy Ghoſt is ſent to Teach; he teaches by ſpeaking; he ſpeaks by his Ordinance, and Inſtitution in his Church. All knowledge, and all zeale, that is not kindled by him, by the Holy Ghoſt, and kindled here, at firſt is all ſmoke, and then all flame; Zeale without the Holy Ghoſt, is at firſt, cloudy ignorance, all ſmoke; and after, all crackling and clambering flame, Schiſmaticall rage, and diſtemper. Here we, we that are naturally ignorant, we, we that are naturally hungry of knowledge, are taught, a free Schoole is opened unto us, and taught by him, by the Holy Ghoſt ſpeaking in his Delegates, in his Miniſters; (which were the pieces that conſtituted our firſt part) And the ſecond, to which we are now come, is the manner of the Holy Ghoſts comming, and teaching in his Ordinance, that is, by remembring, He ſhall bring to your remembrance, &c.
They had wont to call Pictures in the Church,2 Part. Reminiſcentia. the lay-mans book, becauſe in them, he that could not reade at all, might reade much. The ignoranteſt man that is, even he that cannot reade a Picture, even a blinde man, hath a better book in himſelf; In his own memory he may reade many a hiſtory of Gods goodneſſe to him. Quid ab initio, How it was in the beginning, is Chriſts Method; To determine things according to former precedents; And truly the Memory is oftner the Holy Ghoſts Pulpit that he preaches in, then the Underſtanding. How many here would not underſtand me, or not reſt in that which they heard, if I ſhould ſpend the reſt of this houre in repeating, and reconciling that which divers authors have ſpoken diverſly of the manner of Chriſts preſence in the Sacrament, or the manner of Chriſts deſcent into Hell, or the manner of the concurrence, and joynt-working of the grace of God, and the free-will of man, in mens actions? But is there any man amongſt us that is not capable of this Catechiſme, Remember to morrow but thoſe good thoughts which you have had within this houre, ſince you came hither now: Remember at your laſt houre, to be but as good as you are this minute; I would ſcarce ask more in any mans behalf, then that he would alwayes be as good, as at ſome times he is; If he would never ſink below himſelf, I would leſſe care, though he did not exceed himſelf: If he would remember his own holy purpoſes at beſt, he would never forget God; If he would remember the comfort he had in having overcome ſuch a tentation yeſterday, he would not be overcome by that tentation to day. The Memory is as the concluſion of a Syllogiſme, which being inferred upon true propoſitions, cannot be denied: He that remembers Gods former bleſſings, concludes infallibly upon his future. Therefore Chriſt places the comfort of this Comforter, the Holy Ghoſt, in this, that he ſhall work upon that pregnant faculty, the Memory; He ſhall bring things to your remembrance; And then, Omnia, All thoſe things which I have ſaid unto you.
Chriſt gave the Holy Ghoſt to the Apoſtles,Omnia. Mat. 18.18. John 20.22. John 15.15. when he gave them the power of abſolution in his life time. He gave them the Holy Ghoſt more powerfully, when after his Reſurrection,He breathed on them, and ſaid, Receive ye the Holy Ghoſt. He opened himſelf to them, in a large fulneſſe, when he ſaid, All things that I have heard of my Father, I have made knowen unto you; But in a greater largeneſſe then that, when upon this day, according to the promiſe of this Text, the holy Ghoſt was ſent unto them; for this was in the behalf of others. And upon this fulneſſe, out of Tertullian it is argued, Nihilignorarunt, crgo nihil non docuerunt, As the Apoſtles were taught all things by Chriſt, ſo they taught the Church all things. There is then the ſpheare, and the compaſſe, and the date of our knowledge; not what was thought or taught in the tenth, or fourteenth Century: but what was taught in Chriſt, and in the Apoſtles time. Chriſt taught all things to his Apoſtles, and the Holy Ghoſt brought all things to their remembrance that he had taught them, that they might teach them to others, and ſo it is derived to us.
But it is Omnia & Sola; Sola. John 15.26.It is All, but it is Only thoſe things. He ſhall teſtifie of me, ſaith Chriſt concerning the Holy Ghoſt; Now the office of him that teſtifies, of a witneſſe, is to ſay all the truth, but nothing but the truth. When the Romane Church charges us, not that all is not truth, which we teach, but that we do not teach all the truth, And we charge them, not that they do not teach all the truth, but that all is not truth that they teach, ſo that they charge us with a defective, we them with a ſuperfluous religion, our caſe is the ſafer, becauſe all that we affirm, is by confeſſion of all parts true, but that which they have added, requires proofe, and the proofe lies on their ſide; and it reſts yet unproved. And certainly many an Indian, who is begun to be catechized, and dies, is ſaved, before he come to beleeve all that we beleeve; But whether any be ſaved that beleeve more then we beleeve, and beleeve it as equally fundamentall, and equally neceſſary to ſalvation, with that which we from the expreſſe word of God do beleeve, is a Probleme, not eaſily anſwered, not ſafely affirmed. Truly I had rather put my ſalvation upon ſome of thoſe ancient Creeds, which want ſome of the Articles of our Creed, (as the Nicene Creed doth, and ſo doth Athanaſius) then upon the Trent Creed, that hath as many more Articles as ours hath. The office of the Holy Ghoſt himſelf, the Spirit of all comfort, is but to bring thoſe things to remembrance, which Chriſt taught, and no more.
They are many; too many, for many revolutions of an houre-glaſſe.Spiritus Sanctus. Therefore wee propoſed at firſt, That when we ſhould come to this Branch, for the proper celebration of the day, we would only touch ſome things, which the Holy Ghoſt had taught of himſelf, that ſo we might detect, and deteſt ſuch things, as ſome ancient, and ſome later Heretiques had ſaid of the Holy Ghoſt. Now thoſe things which the ancient Heretiques have ſaid, are ſufficiently gain-ſaid by the ancient Fathers. The Montaniſts ſaid the Holy Ghoſt was in Chriſt, and in the Apoſtles, but in a farre higher exaltation in Montanus, then in either; but Tertullian oppoſed that. Manes was more inſolent then the Montaniſt, for he avowed himſelfe to be the Holy Ghoſt, and S. Auguſtine overthrew that. Hierarchas was more modeſt then ſo, and did but ſay, That Melchiſedech was the Holy Ghoſt, and S. Cyprian would not indure that. The Arrians ſaid the Holy Ghoſt was but Creatura Creaturae, made by the Son, which Son himſelfe was but made in time, and not eternally begotten by the Father; but Liberius, and many of the Fathers oppoſed that; as a whole generall Councell did Macedonius, when he refreſhed many Errours formerly condemned, concerning the Holy Ghoſt; and few of theſe have had any Reſurrection, any repulullation, or appeared again in theſe later daies. But in theſe later times, two new Herefies have ariſen concerning the Holy Ghoſt.
About foure hundred yeares ſince,Euangelium Spiritus Sancti. came out that famous infamous Booke in the Roman Church, which they called Euangelium Spiritus Sancti, The Goſpel of the Holy Ghoſt; in which, was pretended, That as God the Father had had his time in the government of the Church, in the Law, And God the Son his time, in the Goſpel, ſo the Holy Ghoſt was to have his time; and his time was to begin within fifty yeares after the publiſhing of that Goſpel, and to laſt to the end of the world; and therefore it was called Euangelium aeternum, The everlaſting Goſpel. By this Goſpel, the Goſpel of Chriſt was abſolutely abrogated, and the power of governing the Church, according to the Goſpel of Chriſt, utterly evacuated; for, it was therein taught, that onelyonly the literall ſenſe of the Goſpel had been committed to them, who had thus long governed in the name of the Church, but the ſpirituall and myſticall ſenſe was reſerved to the Holy Ghoſt, and that now the Holy Ghoſt would ſet that on foot: And ſo, (which was the principall intention in that plot) they would have brought all Doctrine, and all Diſcipline, all Government into the Cloyſter, into their religious Orders, and overthrown the Hierarchy of the Church, of Biſhops, and Prieſts, and Deacons, and Cathedrall and Collegiate Churches, and brought all into Monaſteries. He that firſt oppoſed this Book was Waldo, hee that gave the name to that great Body, that great power of Men, who attempted the Reformation of the Church, and were called the Waldenſes, who were eſpecially defamed, and eſpecially perſecuted for this, that they put themſelves in the gap, and made themſelves a Bank, againſt this torrent, this inundation, this impetuouſneſſe, this multiplicy of Fryars, and Monks, that ſurrounded the world in thoſe times. And when this Book could not be diſſembled, and being full of blaſphemy againſt Chriſt, was neceſſarily brought into agitation, yet all that was done by them, who had the government of the Church in their hands then, was but this, That this Book, this Goſpel of the Holy Ghoſt ſhould be ſuppreſſed and ſmothered, but without any noyſe, or diſcredit; and the Booke which was writ againſt it, ſhould be ſolemnly, publiquely, infamouſly burnt. And ſo they kindled a Warre in Heaven, greater then that in the Revelation, Rev. 12.7.where Michael and his Angels fought againſt the Dragon, and his Angels; For, here they brought God the Son into the field, againſt God the Holy Ghoſt, and made the Holy Ghoſt deveſt, dethrone, diſſeiſe, and diſpoſſeſſe the Sonne of his Government.
Now when they could not advance that Hereſie,Scrinium pectoris. when they could not bring the Holy Ghoſt to that greatneſſe, when they could not make him King to their purpoſes, that is, King over Chriſt, They are come to an Hereſie cleane contrary to that Hereſie, that is, to impriſon the Holy Ghoſt, And ſince they could not make him King over Chriſt himſelfe, they have made him a Priſoner, and a flave to Chriſts Vicar, and ſhut him up there, In ſcrinio pectoris, (as they call it) in that cloſe impriſonment, in the breaſt and boſome of one man, that Biſhop: And ſo, the Holy Ghoſt is no longer a Dove, a Dove in the Ark, a Dove with an Olive-Branch, a Meſſenger of peace, but now the Holy Ghoſt is in a Bull, in Buls worſe then Phalaris his Bull, Buls of Excommunication, Buls of Rebellion, and Depoſition, and Aſſaſſinates of Chriſtian Princes. The Holy Ghoſt is no longer Omni-preſent,Pſal. 139.7. as in Davids time, (Whither ſhall I goefrom thy Spirit?) but he is onelyonly there, whither he ſhall be ſent from Rome in a Cloak-bagge, and upon a Poſt-horſe, as it was often complained in the Councell of Trent. The Holy Ghoſt is no longer Omniſcient, to know all at once,1 Cor. 2.10.. as in S. Pauls time, when the Spirit of God ſearched all things, yea the deep things of God, but as a Sea-Captaine receives a Ticket, to be opened when he comes to ſuch a height, and thereby to direct his future courſe, ſo the Holy Ghoſt is appointed to aske the Popes Nuntio, his Legate, what he ſhall declare to be truth. So the Holy Ghoſt was ſent into this Kingdome, by Leo the tenth, with his Legate, that brought the Bull of Declaration for Hcnry the eights Divorce; but the Holy Ghoſt might not know of it, that is, not take knowledge of it, not declare it to be a Divorce, till ſome other conditions were performed by the King, which being never performed, the Holy Ghoſt remained in the caſe of a new created Cardinall, Ore clauſo, he had novoyce; and ſo the Divorce, though paſt all debatements, and all conſents, and all determinations at Rome, was no Divorce, becauſe he that ſent the Holy Ghoſt from Rome, forbad him to publiſh and declare it. So that the ſtyle of the Court is altered from the Apoſtles time;Acts 15.28. Then it was, Viſum eſt Spiritui Sancto, & nobis, It ſeemed good to the Holy Ghoſt, and to us; Firſt to the Holy Ghoſt, before others; and when it is brought to others, it is to us, to others in the plurall, to many others. But now it is Viſum eſt mihi, & Spiritui Sancto, It ſeemes good unto me, to one man alone; and when it does ſo, it ſhall ſeeme good to the Holy Ghoſt too. And of theſe two Hereticall violences to the Holy Ghoſt, we complaine againſt that Church, firſt, that they put the Holy Ghoſt in a Rebellion againſt the Son of God, from whom he proceeds; And then, (as for the moſt part, the end of them, who pretend right to a Kingdome, and cannot prove it, is to lie in Priſon) That they have impriſoned the Holy Ghoſt in one mans breaſt, and not ſuffered that winde to breathe where it will, as Chriſt promiſed the Holy Ghoſt ſhould doe: For neither did the Holy Ghoſt bring any ſuch thing to their remembrance, as though Chriſt had taught any ſuch Doctrine, neither can they that teach it, come nearer the ſin, The unpardonable ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, then thus to make him a ſupplanter of Chriſt, or ſupplanted by Antichriſt.
But we hold you no longer in this ill Aire,Chariſmata Spiritus. blaſphemous and irkſome contumelies againſt the Holy Ghoſt: we promiſed at firſt, to diſmiſſe you at laſt, in a perfume, with the breath of the Holy Ghoſt upon you; and that is, to excite you to a rectified ſenſe, and knowledge,Auguſt. that he offers himſelfe unto you, and is received by you. Facies Dei eſt, qua nobis innoteſcit; That is alwaies the face of God to us, by which God vouchſafes to manifeſt himſelfe to us: So, his Ordinance in the Church, is his face. And Lux Dei, qua nobis illuceſcit, The light of God to us, is that light by which he ſhines upon us; Lex Dei, Lux Dei, his word, in his Church. And then, the Evidence, the Seale, the Witneſſe of all, that this face which I ſee by this light, is directed upon me for my comfort, is, The Teſtimony of the Holy Ghoſt, when that Spirit beares witneſſe with our ſpirit, that he is in us. And therefore in his bleſſed Name, and in the participation of his power, I ſay to you all, Accipite Spiritum ſanctum, Receive ye the holy Ghoſt. Not that I can give it you,2 Cor. 3.5. but I can tell you, that he offers to give himſelfe to you all. Our ſufficiency is of God, ſayes the Apoſtle; Acknowledge you a ſufficiency in us, a ſufficient power to be in the Miniſtery; for, (as the Apoſtle addes) He hath made us able Miniſters of the New Teſtament: Not able onelyonly in faculties and gifts requiſite for that function, (thoſe faculties and gifts, whether of nature, or of acquiſition, be, in as great meaſure, in ſome that have not that function) but able, by his powerfull Ordinance, (as it is alſo added there) to miniſter, not the letter, (not the letter onelyonly) but The Spirit, the Spirit of the New Teſtament, that is, the holy Ghoſt to you. Therefore as God ſaid to Moſes, I will come downe, Numb. 11.17and talk with thee, and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and put it upon them, God, in his Spirit does come downe to us in his Miniſtery, and talke with us, his Miniſters at home, that is, aſſiſt us in our Meditations, and lucubrations, and preparations, for this ſervice here, and then, here, in this place, he takes of that Spirit from us, and ſheds upon you, imparts the gifts of the holy Ghoſt to you alſo, and makes the holy Ghoſt as much yours, by your hearing, as he made him ours, by our ſtudy: Be not deceived by the letter, by the phraſe of that place; God does not ſay there, that he will take of the Spirit from us, and give it you, that is, fill you with it, and leave us without it; but he will take of that Spirit, that is, impart that Spirit ſo to you, as that by us, and our preſent Miniſtery, he will give you that that ſhall be ſufficient for you, to day, and yet call you to us againe in his Ordinance, another day. Learne as much as you can every day, and never thinke that you have learnt ſo much, as that you have no more need of a Teacher; for though you need no more of that man, (you may be perchance as learned as he) yet you need more of that Ordinance: We give you the holy Ghoſt then, when we open your eyes to ſee his offers.
Thoſe words of the Apoſtle, Our ſelves have the firſt fruits of the Spirit, Rom. 8.23.S. Ambroſe interprets ſo, Our ſelves, we the Miniſters of God, have the firſt fruits of the Spirit, the pre-poſſeſſion, the pre-inhabitation, but not the ſole poſſeſſion, nor ſole inhabitation of the Holy Ghoſt; but we have grace for grace, the Spirit therefore, to ſhed the Spirit upon you; that that precious Oyntment, Pſal. 133.2.(the Holy Ghoſt is this Unction) which was poured upon the Head, upon Chriſt, may run downe, upon Aarons beard, and from thoſe gray, and grave, and reverend haires of his Miniſters, may alſo go downe to the skirts of his garments, to every one of you, who doe not onelyonly make up the garment, that is, the viſible, but the myſticall body it ſelfe of Chriſt Jeſus.Ver. 3. The dew of Hermon deſcends upon the mountaines of Sion; But the waters that fall upon the mountaines, fall into the valleyes too from thence; The Holy Ghoſt fals, through us, upon you alſo, ſo, as that you may, ſo, as that you muſt finde it in your ſelves. The Holy Ghoſt was the firſt Perſon, that was declared in the Creation, The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, Gen. 1.2.that was the firſt motion. This is eternall life, to know God, and him whom he ſent, Chriſt Ieſus. But this you cannot doe, but by him whom they both ſent, the Holy Ghoſt;1 Cor. 12.3. No man can ſay, that Ieſus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghoſt. Iohn Baptiſt who was to baptize Chriſt, was filled with the holy Ghoſt from the wombe. You, who were baptized in Chriſt, were filled, (in your meaſure) with the holy Ghoſt, from that wombe, from the time that the Church conceived you in Baptiſme.
And therefore, as the Twelve ſaid to the multitude,Acts 6.3. Looke yee among ye ſeven men full of the holy Ghoſt, So we ſay to the whole Congregation, Looke every man to himſelfe, that he be one of the ſeven, one of that infinite number, which the holy Ghoſt offers to fall upon; That as ye were baptized in the holy Ghoſt, and as your bodies are Temples of the holy Ghoſt, ſo your ſoules may be Prieſts of the holy Ghoſt, and you, altogether a lively and reaſonable ſacrifice to God, in the holy Ghoſt.Eph. 1.13. That as you have beene ſealed with the holy Spirit of promiſe, you may finde in your ſelves the performance of that promiſe, finde the ſeale of that promiſe, in your love to the Scriptures; for, (as S. Chryſoſtome argues uſefully) Chriſt gave the Apoſtles no Scriptures, but he gave them the holy Ghoſt in ſtead of Scriptures; But to us, who are weaker, hee hath given both, The holy Ghoſt in the Scriptures; and, if we neglect either, we have neither; If we truſt to a private ſpirit, and call that the holy Ghoſt, without Scripture, or to the Scriptures without the holy Ghoſt, that is, without him, there, where he hath promiſed to be, in his Ordinance, in his Church, we have not the ſeale of that Promiſe, the holy Ghoſt. Finde then that promiſe in your holy love, and ſober ſtudie of the Scriptures, and finde the performance, the fruits thereof in your converſation, and then you have an Autumne better then any worldly Spring, A vintage, a gathering of thoſe bleſſed fruits,Gal. 5.22. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-ſuffering, gentleneſſe, goodneſſe, faith, meckeneſſe, temperance; where (by the way) theſe are not called ſeverally the fruits of the Spirit, as though they were ſo many ſeverall fruits, which might be had one without another, but collectively, all together, they are called the fruit; It is not Love alone, nor Joy alone, no nor Faith alone, that is the fruit of the holy Ghoſt; Love; but not love alone, but that love, when betweene the holy Ghoſt and you, you can joy in that love, and not repent it; Joy, but not joy alone, but that joy, when betweene the holy Ghoſt and you, you can finde peace in that joy, that you be not the ſadder after, for having beene ſo merry before, this, theſe, theſe and all the reſt together are the fruit of the holy Ghoſt; and therefore labour to have them all, or you lacke all.
And then laſtly, as we purſuing Gods Ordinance, have beene able to ſay to you Accipite Spiritum ſanctum, Behold the holy Ghoſt in your ſelves, behold he appeared to you, when he moved you to come hither, behold he appeared to you, as often as he hath opened the window of the Arke, your hearts, to take in this Dove, this houre, ſo we may ſay unto you, as we ſay in the Schoole, There is an infuſion of the holy Ghoſt; liquor is infuſed into a veſſell, if that veſſell hold it, though it doe but cover the bottome and no more: The holy Ghoſt is infuſed into you, if he have made any entry, if he cover any part, if he have taken hold of any corrupt affection. There is alſo a diffuſion of the holy Ghoſt; Liquor is diffuſed into a veſſell, when it fils all the parts of the veſſell, and leaves no emptineſſe, no drineſs: The holy Ghoſt is diffuſed into you, if he overſpread you, and poſſeſſe you all, and rectifie all your perverſneſſes. But then, in the Schoole, we have alſo an effuſion of the holy Ghoſt; And liquor is effuſed then, when it ſo fils the veſſell, as that that overflowes, to the benefit of them, who will participate thereof. Receive therefore the holy Ghoſt, ſo, as that the holy Ghoſt may overflow, flow from your example, to the edification of others; That you may go home, and ſay to your children, receive ye the holy Ghoſt, in the Spirit of contentment, and acquieſcence, and thankfulneſſe to God, and me, in that portion that I can leave you, And ſay to your ſervants, receive ye the holy Ghoſt, in the ſpirit of obedience, and fidelity, And ſay to your neigh bours, receive ye the holy Ghoſt, in the ſpirit of peace and quiemeſſe, And ſay to your Creditors, receive ye the holy Ghoſt in the ſpirit of patience, and tenderneſſe, and compaſſion, and for bearing, And to your debtors, receive ye the holy Ghoſt in the ſpirit of induſtry, and labour in your calling. You ſee, Preaching it ſelfe, even the Preaching of Chriſt himſelfe, had beene loſt, if the holy Ghoſt had not brought all thoſe things to their remembrance. And if the holy Ghoſt do bring theſe things, which we preach to your remembrance, you are alſo made fiſhers of men, and Apoſtles, and (as the Prophet ſpeaks) Salvatores mundi, Obad. 1.21.men that aſſiſt the ſalvation of the world, by the beſt way of preaching, an exemplar life, and holy conveſation. Amen.