The Christian Warfare Part 2, Book 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Of morall and ciuill vertues, which are in worldlings, and that they are to be contemned being seuered from sanctifying grace.
ANd thus much in generall concerning the tentations§. Sect. 1. That ciuill vertues do not benefit, but hurt those that rest in them. of prosperitie, and of the meanes whereby we may resist them: now wee will descend to more particulars, and intreate of the seuerall kindes of these tentations. To which purpose wee are to know that the tentations of prosperitie may diuersly be distinguished, in respect of the matter or subiect of them from which they arise; for they are either inward, and in our selues; or outward in some externall worldly obiect. The inward either arise from some thing in our soules, or in our bodies; the tentations of the former kinde respect, either vertues, or some other gifts and ornaments of the soule. By vertues I vnderstand not those which are truly religious graces and holy duties ioyned with the knowledge, louelove, and feare of God; but those morall, ethicall and ciuill vertues, which are in a man vnregenerate before his conuersion, which may well be reckoned as parts of worldly prosperitie, seeing there is no earthly comfort, nor worldly happinesse without them. The which in this discourse I purpose not to take strictly, but to comprehend vnderunder this name the facu…tie with the function, the internall habite with the external act and operation; all which in themselues are good, as being the gifts of God, either which wee hauehave naturally and ordinarily bestowed vponupon vsus in our creation, or more extraordinarily wrought in vsus by Gods spirit, which may be called peculiar gifts, if we respect the former, because they are not bestowed vponupon all that are vnregenerate; but are vsually by diuers called the common gifts of the Spirit, being opposed to sanctifying and sauing graces, because they are common to the elect with the reprobate. But howsoeuer they are good, as Gods gifts, and in their owne nature, yet they are not good in vsus, because they are imperfect and mingled with corruption, nor good to vsus, because Satan, the world, and our own sinfull flesh abusing them, do raise out of thē a most dangerous tentation; namely, that because they excell all other worldly things, and wee excell in them the ordinarie sort of men, therefore wee must so dote on them, and ouerweene their worth, as though our chiefe happines consisted in them, neglecting in the meane time all sanctifying graces as needlesse, because these morall and ciuill vertues were sufficient for our saluation. And thus the whole sect of the Stoicks were abused & deluded in ancient times, and herewith the Papists in our owne times are (though not quite blinded, yet) shrewdly bleered; and amongst our selues many worldlings, and vnregenerate men, are pitifully mislead, euen to their vtter ruine and destruction; imagining that because they excell the of scourings of the world, desperate Atheists, and prophane ruffians, in morall and ciuill vertue, and be louers of iustice, fidelitie, honestie, temperance, and the like, that they may hereby bee approued of God in this life, and that after they may serue as a ladder, whereby they may ascend into heauen. In the meane time contenting themselues to be without all sanctifying graces, as the true knowledge of God, faith, repentance and the like.
But that all such may cease to bee proud of these good§. Sect 2. What is required to a vertue or action that it may be truly good and acceptable. 1. that the person be regenerate and ingrafted into Christ. parts, to set their hearts vponupon them, to ouerualue them aboue Gods sauing graces, and to place in them their chiefe happinesse, as though they were sufficient for their saluation; and contrariwise, that they may learne to contemne and basely to esteeme of them, in comparison of Christ and his righteousnes applied by faith: let them know that though their vertues, duties, and actions be glorious in the sight of men, yet they are not acceptable vntounto God, nor sufficient for the sauing of their soules. Yea and that they are so farre from that high degree of excellencie which they dreame of, that they deserue not the name of good. For that a vertue, dutie, or action may be truly good, it is required, that it be goodBona opera non ex nominibus, sed ex aduerhijs iudicand… sunt. Hoc est, quando aliquis bonum opus facit, & non benè facit, tum non est bonum opus. Chemnit. loc. Com. par. 3. pag. 44. not only for the matter and substance of it, but also that it be well done: for, as Austine saith, a man may doe a good thing, and not doe well in doing it, because he faileth in his end and manner of doing. Now that it may be thus well done there are diuers conditions required. And these either respect the persons indued with these vertues, and doing these duties, or the ground and foundation whereon they are built, and the fountaine whence they flow, or else the ends which are chiefly and mainly propounded to them. First for the person it is required, that he who is to do a good action be ingrafted into Christ Iesus, and be a true and liuely member of his bodie; for vnlesse we be in him, we cannot bring foorth any fruites of vertue or Christian duties; as himselfe plainly telleth vsus: Abide (saith he) in me and I in Ioh. 15. 4. 5.you: as the branch cannot beare fruite of it selfe, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. So the Apostle saith, that wee are Gods workmanship created in Eph. 2 10.Christ Iesus vntounto good workes. It is therefore the roote Iesus Christ from which we sucke the sap of vertue and goodnesse whereby we liue, and bring forth the fruits of godlines. It is this Sunne of righteousnes, from which we borrow all our light of grace and vertue: for whatsoeuer goodnesse there is in vsus, it is either his inherent righteousnes and holines imputed and belonging vntounto vsus, as being members of his bodie; or else wrought in vsus by his Spirit of sanctification dwelling in vsus, which also we hauehave by vertue of that vnion which is betweene vsus and him. To this purpose Bernard speaketh fitly: What (saith he) hauehave you to do with vertues, which are ignorant Quid vobis cum virtutibus qui dei virtutem Christ…m ignoratis? &c. Bernard. sup. Cantica, serm. 22.of Christ the vertue of God? Where, I pray you, is true wisedome, but in the doctrine of Christ? where is true righteousnes, but in the merciemercy of Christ? where is true temperance, but in the life of Christ? where is true fortitude, but in the passion of Christ? Therfore those alone are to be accounted wise who are instructed in his doctrine; those alone iust, which through his merciemercy hauehave obtained the pardon of their sinnes; those alone temperate, who studie to imitate his life; and those only indued with true fortitude, who in aduersitie doe couragiously embrace his lessons of patience. So that a man laboureth in vaine to attaine vntounto vertues, if he thinke they may be hoped for elsewhere, then from the Lord of vertue, &c. Againe, the person being in Christ, must through faith in him bee reconciled vntounto God; for the person must bee accepted before the vertue or dutie can be acceptable; it being otherwise impossible that the actions of an enemie should be well esteemed by him to whom hee is an enemie, especially when many iust exceptions may be taken against them. Now we are all naturally before wee are ingrafted into Christ by faith the children of wrath, andEph. 2. 3. Rom. 5. 10. Col. 1. 21. enemies vntounto God, as the Apostle speaketh, and therefore nothing in vsus can be pleasing to God whilest we remaine in the state of vnbeliefe. Finally, before wee can bring foorth any good fruites of vertue, and holy duties, it is necessarie that we be first regenerate and sanctified with his spirit, and our hearts must be purified by faith, before they can workeAct. 15. 9. Gal. 5. 6. 21. 22. by louelove; for seeing all vertues and graces are the fruites of Gods sanctifying spirit, therefore all those who are not indued with this spirit, are destitute also of all true grace and vertue. So our Sauiour telleth vsus that we must first be good trees of Gods owne planting, before wee can bring foorth any good fruites. A good tree (saith he) cannot bring foorth Matth. 7. 18.euill fruite, neither a corrupt tree bring foorth good fruite. And in another place: Either make (saith he) the tree good, and his fruite good, or else make the tree euill, and his fruit euill; for the tree is knowne by his fruite. To the same purpose theMatth. 12. 33. Apostle saith, that to the pure all things are pure, but to them Tit. 1. 15.that are defiled and vnbeleeuing, is nothing pure, but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled. Neither in truth is it possible that wee should doe any thing truly good, and acceptable vntounto God, before we are regenerate and borne againe of water and of the spirit, seeing we are so corrupted and disabled through originall sinne, that all our aGen. 8. 21.imaginations are only euill, and that continually, that we cannot so much as b1. Cor. 4. 7.thinke a good thought, nor cPhil. 2. 12.will that which is good, but as we are inabled thereunto by Gods spirit. For we are not onelyonly sicke, but (as the Apostle saith) dEph. 2. 1.starke dead in our sinnes, vntill by his quickning grace wee are reuiued; and therefore as vnable naturally to doe any spirituall and holie dutie, as the dead man is to doe the workes of the liuing. Seeing then these ciuill worldlings wanting faith, and the spirit of God, are not in Christ, and consequently are not reconciled to God, nor regenerate by his spirit; therefore in vaine doe they flatter themselues with an opinion of their morall vertues, and ciuill honestie, in vaine doe they dote vponupon, and proudly boast of, their naturall good parts: in vaine doe they rest vponupon these meanes for their saluation, seeing their vertues are but false and counterfeite, and their workes hauing no true goodnesse in them, are not accepted in the sight of God.
The second condition, is, that these vertues and duties§. Sect. 3. Our vertues must arise from the true worship of the true God. hauehave a good foundation and fountaine, from which they arise and spring: as first generally, that they arise from the true worship of the only true God▪ performed in vprightnesse of hart, with a good cōscience, without which euen those actions of Gods seruice which himselfe hath cōmanded, are odious & lothsome vntounto him: so when the Israelites offered outward duties and failed in these, the Lord saith vntounto them by his Prophet, Who required this at your hands to treade in my Esay 1. 12. 13. 14.courts? bring me no moe oblations in vaine; incense is an abomination vntounto me: I cannot suffer your new moones, nor Sabbaths, nor solemne daies▪ (it is iniquitie) nor solemne assemblies: my soule hateth your new moones, and your appointed feasts, they are a hurthen vntounto me, I am wearie to beare them. And in another place he saith, that he that killed a bullocke was as he that slew a Esay 66. 3.man, he that sacrificed a sheepe, as if he cut off a dogs necke; hee that offered a… obl…tion▪ as if he offered swines blood, he that reme…bred incense as if he bl…ssed an idoll, &c. Not because these things were not good in themselues, for God had enioyned thē, but because they were not ioyned with Gods true worship, but done with wicked and hypocriticall hearts, and in a customable and formall manner, without any louelove, faith or feare of God. To this purpose Ambrose saith, that without the Sine cultu veri D…i etiam quod virtus videtur esse pec…atum e…; nec placere vllus Deo sine Deo potest, &c. Ambros. de vocat. Gent. lib. 1. cap. 3.worship of the true God▪ that is finne which seemeth to be vertue; neither can any man please God, without God: and he that pleaseth not God, whom pleaseth he but himselfe and the diuell? So that there is no true vertue out of the Church, where the only true God is worshipped after a true manner.
More especially there is required that these vertues and good duties, doe proceed from some chiefe fundamentall vertues; as first from true godlinesse, for pietie and honestie must be ioined together, and where the one is wanting, there§. Sect. 4. Our vertues must be grounded on true godlinesse. Pietas est fun damentum omnis virtutis. Ambros. de offic. li. 1. cap. 27. the other is hypocriticall▪ …nd counterfeit: neither is it possible that there should be any sound iustice, honestie or louelove shewed towards men, vnlesse i… proceed from religious dutie first performed vntounto God▪ Hereof it is that pietie is called the foundation of vertue, because whatsoeuer vertue is not built vponupon it, like a house without a foundation, it is subiect to ruine, when those weake props of worldly respect▪ are pulled away. As for example, he that is vertuous because he is vnderunder gouernment, will cease to be vertuous when he is set at libertie, he that imbraceth vertue that thereby he mayP…tio parata vincit…r pretio fides. Senec. in Agamem. l. 288. be had in honor, is readie to abandon it and become vitious, when it will stand with his credit: he that is faithfull for hire, will for hire become treacherous: but he that intertaineth vertue in pietie and dutie towards God, will constantly perseuere in it, when all worldly respects discourage him, because the foundation is immoueable, and cannot be ouerthrowne. And hereof it is that the least graines of vertue ioyned▪ with godlines, are iustly preferred before the greatest measure, and highest degree which is s…uered from it; because it is both constant and vnchangeable, and also is continually in growth, whereas the other is subiect to decline and vanish, when the fuell thereof faileth. To which purpose one saith, that although that vertue be neuer so much praised. Which August. de ciun. …e…. lib. 5. cap. 19.being seuered from true godlinesse, doth tend to the aduancement of men vntounto the glorie of the world; yet it is not to be compared to the smallest beginnings of vertue in the Saints, all whose hope is firmely seated in the grace and merciemercy of the true God.
Secondly, they must arise from true charitie and vnfained§. Sect. 5. O…r vertues m…st ar… from tr… charitie. Lib. de spi…itu & litera. 1. Tim. 1. 5. louelove of God, and our neighbours for Gods sake: neither is there any good fruit which springeth not from the roote of charitie, as Augustine speaketh. And this the Apostle maketh the ground-worke of all obedience, where he saith, that the end of the Commandement is louelove out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and saith vnfained. In the same respect he saith, that louelove is the fulfilling of the law, because it is the fountaine ofRom. 13. 8. all dutie towards God and man; which who so hath springing in him: from him issue and flow the streames of all obedience; but if the fountaine faile, then the streames are quickly dried vp: neither is there any other vertue or dutie acceptable to God, or of any worth and excellencie, vnlesse it be ioyned with this charitie, as the Apostle doth shew at large. With this agreeth the saying of Bernard, Charitie (saith he)1. Cor. 13. Berna…d. de modo benè viuendi. serm. 6▪ is the root of all vertues, without which, whatsoeuer we do it doth not profit vsus, &c. And a little after; there carnall concupiscence raigneth, where there is no place to diuine charitie, &c. And againe, so great is the vertue of charitie, that where it is wanting, all other vertues are had in vaine.
Thirdly, all our vertues and duties must be grounded on§. Sect. 6. Our vertues must be grounded on true knowledge. the true knowledge of God, and his will reuealed in his word; for we must not take vertues vponupon the worlds commendation, nor performe duties which hauehave no other groūd then our owne wils, inuentions, and good meanings, for so may we intertaine vice for vertue, and offer to God for duty, that which he hath expresly condemned as wicked, idolatrous and superstitious; but wee must search into his word and reuealed will, declining therefrom, neither on the right hand nor on the left: for as one saith, Perfect vertue is not Perfecta virtus non est sine cognitione v…ritatis, nec veritas sine amore virtutis.without the knowledge of the truth, nor the truth without the louelove of vertue. Blind deuotion therefore will not profit vsus, neither will it auaile vsus, that we run on headlong in an ignorant zeale: for as Austine saith, he that runneth most swiftly, being out of the way, is so much the more miserable, becauseBernard. ser. 2. sup. Salue regina. August. praefat. in Psalm. the faster he runneth, the further he is from his iorneyes end: and therefore it is better to halt in the way of truth, then to runne apace in the way of error: yea it is possible that in the feruencie of our deuotion, being ignorant of the truth, we may be persecuters of it, and those who professe; as we may see in the example of Paul, who in his blind zeale persecuted the members of Christ, & afterwards was himself persecuted out of the ignorāt deuotiō of certaine honorable women. SoActs 13. 50. that if we hauehave not the light of the knowledge of God and his truth to guide vsus, in our good meanings and best deuotions, we may be no better then cruell persecuters, and consequently subiect to Gods wrath, to which all the ignorant are liable; for so the Apostle saith, that Christ Iesus shall shew Acts 26. 11. 2. Thess. 1. 8.himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels, in flaming fire, rendring vengeance vntounto them that do not know God, and which obey not to the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ.
Fourthly, all our vertues and good duties must be ioyned§. Sect. 7. Our vertues must be ioyned with true saith. 2. Pet. 1. 5. Hebr. 11. 6. Rom. 6. 23. Si fi…es prima in corde nostro non gignitur, reliquae virtutes bonae esse non possunt, etiamsi bonae videant…r &c. Gregor. moral. lib. 2. cap. 24. 1. Tim. 1. 5. with faith, as the Apostle requireth, for without faith it is impossible to please God, because whatsoeuer is not done of faith is sinne. To this purpose one saith, that if faith be not first begot in our hearts, other vertues cannot be good, although they seeme good, &c. because it is written, that without faith it is impossible to please God. Where we are not to vnderstād an historicall faith, whereby we know and beleeue, that that vertue which we embrace, or that dutie which wee performe, is warranted and commanded in the word of God, but a true liuely and iustifying faith, whereby we lay hold vponupon Christ and all his benefits for our iustification. For without this neither our persons, nor workes are accepted of God: not our persons, because we are enemies, vntill by Christ we be reconciled; not our vertues, duties and workes, because they are imperfect and stained with our corruptions, and therfore they cannot indure the sight of Gods iustice, till their imperfection bee couered with Christs perfect righteousnes, and their pollution cleansed and washed away with his most precious blood. So that whosoeuer are not endued with this faith hauehave no true vertues, but counterfeit shadowes, their best actions are but glorious sinnes; which howsoeuer they are magnified among men, yet are they odious and abominable in the sight of God. And to conclude, when they are most iustified in the world, they are in the state of death and condemnation; for the Apostle saith, that all, without exception, shall be damned which beleeue not the truth; which doome2. Thess. 2. 12. is so certaine, that our Sauiour Christ saith, that he who beleeueth Iohn 3. 18.not is condemned alreadie; because he beleeueth not in the name of the only Sonne of God.
Fifthly, all our vertues must be imbraced, and all duties§. Sect. 8. All our vertues must be imbraced, and good workes done in obedience towards God. must be performed in obedience to God, and because he hath commanded and commended them vntounto vsus in his word: for if they arise from selfe-louelove, or louelove of the world, either for feare of punishment, or because we would hauehave the praise of men, or otherwise aduance our worldly ends, they cannot be pleasing vntounto God, because we do not respect his will, but§. Sect. 9. With all our other vertues we must ioyne humilitie. our owne, nor serue him, but our owne turnes.
Sixthly, with our other vertues we must ioyne humilitie, which is that precious ornament that beautifieth all other vertues and good parts in the sight of God and men: without Sine causa laboratqui virtutes sine humilita…e congregat. Bernard. de ordine vitae. lib. 8.which humilitie (as one saith) he laboureth in vaine which gathereth other vertues: for in another place he saith, Hee that gathereth other vertues without humilitie, doth as it were carrie dust into the wind. True humilitie therefore doth open the eyes, whilest it doth keepe downe and extenuate other vertues, which Bernard. de duob. discip. eunt. in Em maum, Homil.might be blinded with the winde of pride, and by it a man cōmeth to know that himselfe is nothing of himself. And looke how much a man decreaseth by despising of himself, and so much he profiteth in the knowledge of God. And again, Humilitie is so necessary to Bernard. ep. 42other vertues, that without it they hauehave not so much as the shew of vertues, &c. for God giueth his grace only to the humble, and vponupon the humble alone the spirit of the Lord resteth. And elsewhere he saith, that the building of vertue is erected vponupon humilitie, Bernar. Serm. ser. 61.as vponupon his proper foundation. With him agreeth Chrysostome, affirming, that that is not vertue which hath not humilitie Chrysost. in Gen. 14. Hom. 35.ioyned with it. In all our vertues therefore and good parts let vsus carefully keepe humilitie, and slee pride, which is the canker of vertue, and the poyson, which being mixed with these pleasant and wholesom potions, doth make them to become deadly. To which purpose one saith, that because seldome any is so impudent as to boast of his vices, and if he doe, Ambros. lib. epist. 10. ep. 84.he is easily despised, that glorieth in his shame; therefore the euill of pride is most carefully to be aucided of the vertuous, because none is more easilie betraied, then those who hauehave deserued praise and commendation, &c. for Satan by vaine glorie crept into the hearts not of the sluggish and slothfull, but of the industrious and diligent, that hee might cast downe by pride, those whom he could not moue by perswasion. For how much more famous they were for their deserts, so much the fitter hee found them to be intangled with his snares.
And these are those fundamentall vertues vponupon which§. Sect. 10. All our vertues and works must hauehave G…ds g…rie propounded to them as their chiefe end. Matth. 5. 16. all other must bee built. Now the last condition is, that all our vertues, duties, and good parts, must hauehave as their chiefe and maine end the glorie of God propounded vntounto them: for as our Sauiour saith, therefore our light must shine before men, that they seeing our good workes, may glorifie our father which is in heauen. And the Prophet Esay saith, that therefore the Lord hath made vsus trees of righteousnesse of his owne Esa. 61. 3.planting, that himselfe might be glorified, by our fruites of obedience. Whereof it is that the Apostle chargeth vsus to propound this as the maine end to all our actions, and whether we eate or drinke, or whatsoeuer we doe, to doe all to the glorie of God. Which end if we aime not at, our vertues are of no value: for (as Austine saith) our vertues are discerned from vices, not by their offices and functions, but by their scope and leuel, Non actibus sed fi…ibus pensantur officiae, &c, August. contra Iulian. Pelag. lib. 4. tom. 9. col. 1032.and are esteemed not by their actions, but by their ends. For if a man doth any thing, wherein he seemeth not to sinne, if he doth it not for that end which he ought, he is conuinced of sinne; for true vertues, in men serue God, from whom they hauehave receiued them. And whatsoeuer good is done of man, and is not done for that for which true wisedome teacheth vsus it ought to be done, although in the dutie it selfe it may seeme good, yet the end being not right, it is a sinne. And therefore some good things may be done, and they not doe well of whom they are done, &c. For it is vniust and sacrilegious to make vice the end of vertue, and to enforce it basely to serue our voluptuous, couetous, & ambitious lusts. And elsewhere he saith, that vertue ought not to waite vponupon August. de Ciuit. Dei. lib. 5. cap. 12.glorie, honour, and soueraigntie, which good men did desire, and indeuoured to compasse by good meanes, but they ought to waite vponupon vertue: for that is not true vertue, which doth not tend to that end, which is the chiefe good of man, before which nothing is to be preferred. The which end if wee leaue, and aime at our owne glorie and praise, though our vertues and actions in themselues be neuer so excellent, yet they are but hypocriticall, and shall (as our Sauiour saith) hauehave no other reward from God but the reward of hypocrites, the glorie of theMatth. 6. 1. 2. world and praise of men.
And these are the conditions which giuegive vntounto all vertue§. Sect. 11. That worldlings in their ciuill vertues and workes obserue none of the former conditions. and duties the title of goodnesse: Now if we take a view of those meere morall vertues and ciuill duties which hauehave heretofore been in Heathen men, and are at this day in our ciuill honest worldlings; wee shall finde none of these conditions obserued; for in them they were ioyned with the worship of Idols and false gods, and in these with the false worship of the true God, whereby they draw neere vntounto God with their lips, when as their hearts are farre from him, and contenting themselues with an outward seruice for fashion and customes sake, and resting in the deed done, they neuer worship God aright, in spirit and in truth. To say nothing of those who cast God out of their hearts, and set vp the idoll of the world, honours, pleasures and riches, which they serue in the place of God. So also their morall vertues and ciuill honestie, are not ioyned with pietie, and the true feare of God; for howsoeuer these worldlings seeme to make some conscience of their dealings with men, and to carrie themselues iustly in the world, keeping their fidelitie in their words and promises, yet they hauehave no care of performing their dutie towards God, but contemne his seruice, neglect the vertues of the first table, which respect God, make no account of blasphemie and cursed swearing, nor of neglecting and prophaning his holy Sabbaths. Neither doGal. 5. 22. they embrace these vertues, nor performe these duties in louelove towards God, (for true charitie is a fruite of the spirit, and they are fleshly and carnall) but for selfe louelove, that they may the better atchieue their worldly desires. Neither are they ioyned with the true knowledge of God and his will, seeing they remaine vtterly ignorant, euen of the very principles of religion, hauing only the small glimse of the light of nature to guide them, and their owne good meaning and blind deuotion to prick them forward. And therefore wanting sauing knowledge, of necessitie they be also destitute of a liuely and iustifying faith; for before we can come vntounto God by faith, we must first know that God is, and consequently their vertues and duties wanting faith, to apply vntounto them Christs righteousnes to couer them, and his blood to purge them, do lie open to the eie of Gods iustice, in their naturall filthinesse and pollution. Neither can they obserue the Apostles conditions of doing these duties with a pure heart and a good conscience; for it is faith that purifieth the Act. 15. 9.heart, and it is the blood of Christ, applied by faith, that purgeth our consciences from dead workes, and enableth to serue the Heb. 9. 14.liuing God. So also they doe not embrace these vertues, and doe these duties, in obedience to God, because he hath commanded them, but either for feare of men, or to gaine credit, or auoide shame, or else the better to attaine vntounto their worldly ends. They are not ioyned with humilitie; for as pride first is the Vsher that bringeth them in, and giueth them intertainment; so being intertained they increase their pride, making them to hauehave an high conceit of theirLuke 18. 11. owne worth, and in comparison of themselues, to contemne all others, as wee may see in the example of the proud Pharisie. Finally, these ciuill worldlings doe not propound to themselues Gods glorie, as the end of all their vertues and duties, but their owne profit and vaine glorie; as appeareth in the practise of the Romanes, who placed the temple of vertue, and temple of honour together, because they propounded to themselues honour for the end of their vertue,August. de Ciuit. Dei, lib. 5. cap. 12. as Austine obserued; and may also euidently appeare in the course of ciuill worldlings, amongst our selues, which embrace ciuill and morall vertues for their credit, and because they would be well esteemed amongst their neighbours; or for their profit, hauing hereby better opportunity to increase their estates, in their trades and intercourse of dealings; which worldly ends failing, their honestie, fidelitie, friendlinesse, and all other their morall vertues doe faile also.
Seeing therefore there is no worth or excellencie in these§. Sect. 12. That we are to contemne ciuill vertues, and to hunger after Christs righteousnes. morall ciuill vertues, and duties of worldlings, and seeing they doe not tend to the aduancement of Gods glorie, nor further the saluation of our owne soules; yea seeing they are no better in Gods esteeme, but filthie sinnes which are guilded ouer with a glosse of vertue, & are so far from setting vsus forward in the true way to heauen, that they are the matter and ground of a dangerous and pernicious tentation of Satan and the world, whereby they destroy the soules of innumerable multitudes, by perswading them to rest in this morall vertue, and ciuill honestie, as sufficient for their saluation; and so to sleepe securely in their sinnes, vtterly neglecting true repentance, and sound conuersion vntounto God, and al the meanes of obtaining a liuely faith in Iesus Christ, whereby they might be iustified before God, sanctified, and saued: therefore seeing it is not only base in value, but also pernicious in his effects; let no worldling hereafter set his heart on it, and be puffed vp in pride because herein hee excelleth others; but as the Apostle Paul contemned his legall righteousnes, though hee had obtained to such perfection therein, that he was vnrebukeable, counting it for Christs sake, and for the excellent knowledge of him, losse, and iudging it dung, Phil. 3. 6, 7, 8, 9.so he might winne Christ; and desired that he might be found in him, not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, euen the righteousnes which is of God through faith. So much more let vsus all learne to contemne our morall vertue, and ciuill honestie, which is farre more imperf…ct, base and contemptible, then Pauls legall righteousnesse; and turning vntounto God with all our harts, by vnfained repentance for all our sinnes, let vsus hunger and thirst after the righteousnes of Iesus Christ, and desire aboue all worldly things to be made partakers therof, by a true and liuely faith, and to be indued with his spirituall sanctifying and sauing graces, that so we may performe all duties both of holinesse and righteousnes, and not only do that which is good, but also do it well, laying a good foundation for all our vertues and duties, and exercising our selues in them in a good manner, with a pure heart, a good conscience and faith 1. Tim. 1. 5.vnfained: and finally propounding vntounto our selues as our chiefe end, the aduancement of Gods glorie, and so glorifying God in our holy conuersations, he will glorifie himselfe in the eternall saluation of our soules, and make vsus partakers of euerlasting happinesse.