The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 5
CHAPTER V.
AT his comming to Oxford it is apparent,At his comming to Oxford ſomwhat Po piſh. Poſsid. in vita Auguſt. Cap 1. Omnes nos qui in Christo evedimus, de Jdololatriae errore venimus. Non eaim naſcimur, ſed renaſcinur Chriſtiani. Hieron. adv. Vigilant. that hee brought up with him ſome ſeeds, and weeds alſo of Popiſh errours, which had beene either ſcattered by others, or gathered by himſelfe by that which he did heare and ſee in the countrey before his comming. So much hee doth acknowledge himſelfe, that he was then, as Paul ſaid of the men of Athens, very ſuperſtitious. Anguſtine confeſſeth of himſelfe, he was firſt a Manachy before he was a Preacher or profeſſor of the true Religion, And Paul himſelfe acknowledgeth he was firſt a Phariſie, before he was called and entruſted in Chriſts ſervice. Every man indeed by nature is a Phariſie, and more or leſſe a friend to Popery, there being no religion ſo agreeable to carnall reaſon, and fleſhly wiſedome, nor ſo pleaſing and plauſible to naturall affection, as phariſaicall devotion and hypocriſie, and popiſh ſuperſtition and idolatry. Which is not ſpoken to this end, to leſſen his fault, or to blaunch over the errours of his youth; but to magnifie the goodneſſe and grace of God towards him, that, finding him wandring and going aſtray as a loſt ſheepe,But the Lord did reclaime him. hee was pleaſed to reclaime him, and reduce him unto the flocke and fold of Chriſt Jeſus. And ſeeing hee was in danger to make but ſorry proceedings of ſuch bad beginnings, and like enough to reape but a poore harveſt, after ſuch a ſpring; it ſeemed good unto the Lord, not only to blaſt thoſe weeds in the bud, and to rid up by the roots thoſe Popiſh errours, but to furniſh his head and heart, with ſuch plants and ſeeds of grace and truth, as did bring forth their fruits of righteouſneſſe and holineſſe, in due ſeaſon. The ſpeciall inſtrument wherewith the Lord did worke,Ʋide Aug. con. l. 8. c. 2 De Victorino. was his owne Word, firſt opened to his eye, and applyed to his eare by a companion of his, a towardly young Gentleman; and then accompanied by the Spirit unto his minde and heart, for his father conviction and converſion. The name of this his companion,Meanes of his reclaiming from popiſh errors by his companion maſter Breerwood. was John Breerwood an Aldermans ſonne of the City of Cheſter, who being then well grounded in the truth, and ſeeing Maſter Bruen infected with ſome popiſh errours and lyes, as the forbearing of meats and drinks for religion and conſcience ſake, upon Fryday, and other dayes, and the forbidding of Marriage to Miniſters, as unlawfull by the Popes Canons and Conſtitutions, and divers other erroneous opinions of the like nature; was as willing to ſhew himſelfe and adverſarie to his errours, as a friend unto his perſon, and began to make an aſſault againſt his little Bable, and mounted Gods great Ordinance, againſt the Popiſh Canons, and taking (as it were) his Powder and Shot from the Scripture, and fire from the Altar, he battered and beat down the ſtrong hold of Sathan, and laid levell with the ground every popiſh opinion, and every high thing that had exalted tt ſelfe againſt the true knowledge of God, and ſo brought every thought into captivity, to the obedience of Chriſt.By the Scripture urged. The Scripture which he principally preſſed him withall, was that I Tim. 4.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. againſt the Popiſh doctrine of forbidding of meates and marriage, Now the Spirit ſpeaketh expreſly, that in the later times ſome ſhall depart from the faith, giving heed to ſeducing ſpirits, and doctrine of divels, and ſpeaking lies through hypocriſie, and having their conſcience ſeared with a hot Iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abſtaine from meats, which God hath created to bee received with thankſgiving, of them which believe and know the truth: for every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refuſed, if it be received with thankſgiving; for it is ſanctified by the Word of God and Prayer. A bleſſed Scripture, marvellous plentifull for the truth, and powerfull againſt a lye. A word ſpoken in ſeaſon (ſaith Salomon) is like appels of gold, with pictures of ſilver; giving great contentment, both for profit and delight, to thoſe that have the grace to receive it. Of ſuch fruit and effect, was this portion of Gods Word at that time, to this young Gentleman, which he doth thus ingenuouſly acknowledge in his owne words. This when I ſaw,Applyed. and conſidered that this was a doctrine of divels, taught and delivered by ſeducing ſpirits, and ſuch as ſpeake lyes through hypocriſie, &c. I was then inflamed with zeale againſt that prophane beaſt of Rome, and all Popery, both perſons and things, with all their Monuments, Rites and Ceremonies, &c. This was the Lords doing, and it was marvellous in his, and ſo it is in our eyes: that of two friends and companions (both of them but young and tender) one ſhould thus bee ſtirred up and ſtrengthened by Gods Word and Spirit, to draw out his fellow from ſuch blindneſſe and darkneſſe, and to bring him into the light and liberty of the Sons of God The ordinary publike meanes of effectuall calling and converſion, is (I confeſſe) the Miniſtery of reconciliation, in,2 Cor. 5.18.19. Private perſons may ſometimes help one another for converſion. and by the preaching of the Goſpell: yet can it not (I thinke) bee denyed, but that the Lord doth ſometimes furniſh and imploy ſome private perſons, in this worke of winning ſoules, either by enlightening their mindes, or convincing their judgements, or ſmighting their conſciences, or drawing them from the fellowſhip of ſinne and ſinners, unto the uſe of Gods Ordinances, and the fellowſhip of Gods ſervants. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, Prov. 11.30. Dan. 12.3and hee that winneth foules is wiſe, ſaith Salomon. Daniel alſo hath the like ſaying, They that be wiſe ſhall ſhine as the brightneſſe of the firmament, and they that turne many unto righteouſneſſe, as the ſtarres for ever and ever. And Saint James ſpeaketh yet more plainly and effectuall to this purpoſe; Brethren, if any of dou doe erre from the truth, and one convert him, let him know, that he which converteth the ſinner from the errour of his way, ſhall ſave a ſoule from death, and ſhall hide a multitude of ſinnes. So Abigail may draw David by her wiſedome and wholeſome counſell, from his bloody paſſion, and intended cruelty, and cauſe him to repent, and refraine, yea, to bleſſe the Lord for her comming, and counſell too. So was Monica, Auguſtines mother, humbled and reclaimed by her maide,So Monica vid. Aug lib. Conf. l. 9. cap. 8. calling her Meribibulam. So did Auguſtine in a Rhetorick Lecture convert Alipius, by a ſimilitude taken from the vaine games wherein hee immoderately delighted; Alipius thinking that Auguſtine aimed at him, whereas Auguſtine then did not ſo much as thinke of him: which made Augustine to admire the wiſdome and goodneſſe of God, who was working graciouſly, though ſecretly, for Alipius his correction, and reformation, when neither of them had any thought of it.Auguſt confeſ. l. 6. cap. 7. Vt apertè tibi, Domine, tribueretur ejus correctio, per me quidem illam, ſed neſcientem, operatus es: That his converſion or reformation, might evidently be aſcribed unto thee, O Lord, Thou didſt worke it indeed by me, but by me, not knowing what I did at that time, either for him, or from thee. To which purpoſe hee addeth this alſo a little after, Ʋtens tu, Domine, ſcientibus, &c neſcientibus, Poſsidon in vi… Aug. cap. 15.ordine quo nosti, & ille ordo juſtus eſt, de corde & lingua mea carbones ardentes operatus es, quibus mentem ſpei bonae adduceres tabeſcentem & ſanares. Thou O Lord, uſing men both witting and unwitting, in what order thou knoweſt, and that order is juſt, didſt raiſe up out of my heart and my tongue burning coales, wherein thou mighteſt ſo ſcorch the minde of good hope, that thou mighteſt heale it. And ſo did the Lord inflame the heart of this young Gentleman, with burning coales of his Word and Spirit, which he raiſed and reached out unto him, from the heart and mouth of his companion and friend, that the droſſe of Popiſh errors was conſumed, and his ſoule ſo healed, that the treaſure of Gods Word, was ever after better eſteemed and entertained by him. And here I could wiſh with all my heart,A worthy example for young Gentlemen. that our young Gentlemen (following the good example of theſe two) both in the Univerſity and Countrey, would have more care, and make more conſcience of their company, and ſo frame their ſtudies and courſes, that, either by doing good upon their fellow ſtudents and companions, or receiving good from them; by converting ſome from their errors, and confirming others in the truth;See Aſchams Schoolemaſter, p. 21. by cauſing ſome to returne from their wicked way, and others to turne unto God, and walke in his wayes, they might ſhew forth better fruits of love one to another, and reape ſweeter comforts in their happy fellowſhip and ſociety one with another.Examp. ſir Iohn Cheke, & D. Redman. But I will turn my wiſhes into prayers unto God for them, and for their Tutors and Governours that have charge, and ſhould have care to looke unto them, and this is all the good that I can do them,Aug. ad Feſtum Ep. 167. Nam & phrenetici nolunt ligari, & lethargici nolunt excitari. Sed perſeveret, &c.