Epistles Volume 2, Decade 3 – Title page 2

Epistles Volume 2 · Decade 3 – Title page 2

p. 1¶ The Third Decade.

EPIST. I. To M^r. Smith, and M^r. Rob. Ring-leaders of the late separation; at AMSTERDAM.

EP. I. Setting foorth their iniurie done to the Church, the iniustice of their cause, and fearefulnesse of their offence. Censuring and aduising them.

WEe heare of your separation, and mourn; yet not so much for you, as for your wrong: you could not doe a greater iniurie to your mother, p. 2than to flee from her. Say she were poore, ragged, weake; say she were deformed; yet she is not infectious: Or if shee were, yet shee is yours. This were cause enough for you, to lament her, to pray for her, to labor for her redresse, not to auoid her: This, vnnaturalnesse is shamefull; and more hainous in you, who are reported not parties in this euill, but authors. Your flight is not so much, as your mis-guidance. Plead not: this fault is past excuse: If wee all should follow you, this were the way of a Church (as you plead) imperfect, to make no Church; and of a remedy, to make a disease. Still the fruit of our charitie to you, is besides our griefe, pitie. Your zeale of truth hath mis-led you, and you others: A zeale, if honest, yet blindfolded, and led by selfe-will: Oh p. 3that you loued Peace, but halfe so well as Truth: then, this breach had neuer beene: and you that are yet brethren, had beene still companions. Goe out of Babylon, you say; The voice not of Schisme, but of holinesse. Know you where you are? Looke about you, I beseech you, looke behinde you; and see if wee hauehave not left it vponupon our backs. She her selfe feeles, and sees that shee is abandoned: and complaines to all the world, that wee hauehave not onelyonly forsaken, but spoiled her; and yet you say, Come out of Babylon. And except you will be willingly blinde; you may see the heaps of her altars, the ashes of her Idols, the ruines of her monuments, the condemnation of her errours, the reuenge of her abominations. And are wee yet in Babylon? Is Babylon yet amongst vsus? p. 4Where are the maine buildings of that accursed Citie; those high and proud Towers of their vniuersal Hierarchy, infallible iudgement, dispensation with lawes of GOD, and sins of men; disposition of Kingdomes, deposition of Princes, parting stakes with God in our conuersion, through freedome of will; in our saluation, through the merit of our workes? Where are those rotten heapes (rotten, not through age, but corruption) of transubstantiating of bread, adoring of Images, multitude of Sacraments, power of indulgences, necessitie of confessions, profit of pilgrimages, constrained and approued ignorance, vnknowen deuotions? Where are those deepe vaults (if not mines) of Penances and Purgatories, & whatsoeuer hath beene deuised by those p. 5Popelings, whether profitable or glorious, against the Lord, and his Christ? are they not all raced, and buried in the dust? Hath not the maiestie of her gods, like as was done to Mythra, and Serapis, beene long agone offered to the publike laughter of the vulgar? What is this but to goe, yea to run (if not to fly) out of Babylon? But (as eueryevery man is an hearty Patron of his owne actions, and it is a desperate cause that hath no plea) you allege our consorting in Ceremonies, and say still wee tarry in the suburbs: Grant that these were as ill, as an enemie can make them, or can pretend them: You are deceiued, if you thinke the walles of Babylon stand vponupon Ceremonies. Substantiall errours are both her foundation, and frame. These rituall obseruations p. 6are not so much as Tile and Reed, rather like to some Fane vponupon the roofe; for ornament, more than vse: Not parts of the building, but not-necessary appendances. If you take them otherwise, you wrong the Church; if thus, and yet depart, you wrong it and your selfe: As if you would hauehave perswaded righteous Lot, not to stay in Zoar, because it was so neere Sodome. I feare, if you had seen the mony-changers in the Temple, how euer you would hauehave praid, or taught there: Christ did it, not forsaking the place, but scourging the offenders: And this is the valour of Christian teachers, to oppose abuses, not to run away from them: Where shall you not thus finde Babylon? Would you hauehave run from Geneua, because of her wafers? Or from Corinth, for her disordered p. 7louelove-feasts? Either run out of the world, or your flight is in vaine. If experience of change teach you not, that you shall finde your Babylon eueryevery where, returne not. Compare the place you hauehave left, with that you hauehave chosen; let not feare of seeming to repent ouer-soone, make you partiall. Lo, there a common harbour of all opinions, of all heresies; if not a mixture: Heere you drew in the free and cleere aire of the Gospell, without that odious composition of Iudaisme, Arianisme, Anabaptisme: There you liue in the stench of these and more. You are vnworthy of pitie, if you will approoue your miserie. Say if you can, that the Church of England (if shee were not yours) is not an heauen, to Amsterdam. How is it then, that our gnats are harder to swallow, p. 8than their camels? and that whiles all Christendome magnifies our happinesse, and applauds it; your handfull alone, so detests our enormities, that you despise our graces? See whether in this you make not God a loser. The thanke of all his fauors is lost, because you want more: and in the meane time, who gaines by this sequestration, but Rome and Hell? How doe they insult in this aduantage, that our mothers owne children condemne her for vncleane, that wee are daily weakned by our diuisions, that the rude multitude hath so palpable a motiue to distrust vsus? Sure, you intended it not: but, if you had beene their hired Agent, you could not hauehave done our enemies greater seruice. The GOD of heauen open your eies, that you may see the vniustice p. 9of that zeale which hath transported you; and turne your heart to an indeuour of al Christian satisfaction: Otherwise your soules shall finde too late, that it had been a thousand times better to swallow a Ceremonie, thā to rend a Church: yea, that euen whoredomes and murders shal abide an easier answer than separation.

I hauehave done, if onelyonly I hauehave aduised you of that fearful threatning of the wise man: The eie that mocketh his father, and despises the gouernment of his mother, the rauens of the riuer shall picke it out, and the yoong Eagles eat it.

p. 11To S^r. Andrew Asteley.

EP. II. A Discourse of our due preparation for death, and the meanes to sweeten it to vsus.

SInce I saw you, I saw my father die: how boldly and merrily did hee passe thorow the gates of death, as if they had had no terror, but much pleasure! Oh that I could as easily imitate, as not forget him! We know we must tread the same way; How happy, if with the same minde? Our life as it giues way to death, so must make way for it: It will be, tho we will not: it will not p. 12be happy, without our will, without our preparation. It is the best and longest lesson, to learne how to die; and of surest vse: which alone if we take not out, it were better, not to hauehave liued. Oh vaine studies of men, how to walke thorow Rome streets all day in the shade; how to square circles, how to salue vp the celestiall motions, how to correct miswritten copies, to fetch vp olde words from forgetfulnesse, and a thousand other like points of idle skill; whiles the maine care of life and death is neglected! There is an arte of this, infallible, eternall, both in truth, and vse: for tho the means be diuers, yet the last act is still the same, and the disposition of the soule need not be other: it is all one whether a feuer bring it, or a sword; wherein yet, after long profession p. 13of other sciences I am still (why should I shame to confesse?) a learner; and shall be (I hope) whilest I am: yet it shal not repent vsus, as diligent scholars repeat their parts vntounto ech other, to be more perfect; so mutually to recall some of our rules of well dying: The first whereof is a conscionable life: The next, a right apprehension of life, and death: I tread in the beaten path, doe you follow mee. To liue holily is the way to die safely; happily: If death be terrible, yet innocence is bolde, and will neither feare it selfe, nor let vsus feare; where contrariwise wickednesse is cowardly, and can not abide either any glimpse of light, or shew of danger. Hope doth not more draw our eyes forward, than conscience turnes them backward, and forces vsus to looke behinde vsus; p. 14affrighting vsus euen with our past euils. Besides the paine of death, eueryevery sinne is a new fury to torment the soule, and make it loth to part. How can it chuse, when it sees on the one side, what euill it hath done, on the other, what euill it must suffer? It was a cleare heart (what els could doe it?) that gaue so bolde a forehead to that holy Bishop, who durst on his death bed professe, I hauehave so liued, as I neither feare to die, nor shame to liue. What care wee when wee be found, if well doing? what care wee how suddenly, when our preparation is perpetuall? what care we how violently, when so many inward friends (such are our good actions) giuegive vsus secret comfort? There is no good Steward, but is glad of his Audit; his strait accounts desire nothing more p. 15than a discharge: only the doubtfull and vntrustie feares his reckoning. Neither only doth the want of integritie make vsus timorous, but of wisdome, in that our ignorance can not equally value, either the life which wee leaue, or the death wee expect. Wee hauehave long conuersed with this life, and yet are vnacquainted: how should wee then know that death we neuer saw? or that life which followes that death?

These cottages hauehave beene ruinous, and wee hauehave not thought of their fall: our way hath been deepe, and we hauehave not looked for our rest. Shew mee euer any man that knew what life was, and was loth to leaue it? I will shew you a prisoner that would dwell in his Gaole, a slaue that likes to be chained to his Galley: what is there heere, but darkenesse p. 16of ignorance, discomfort of euents, impotency of body, vexation of conscience, distemper of passions, complaint of estate, feares and sense of euill, hopes and doubts of good, ambitious rackings, couetous toiles, enuious vnderminings, irkesome disappointments, wearie satieties, restlesse desires, and manie worlds of discontentments in this one? What woonder is it that wee would liue? we laugh at their choice that are in louelove with the deformed; And what a face is this we dote vponupon? See if sinnes, and cares, and crosses, hauehave not (like a filthy morphew) ouerspread it, and made it loathsome to all iudicious eyes. I maruell then, that any wise men could be other but Stoicks, & could hauehave any conceit of life, but contemptuous; not more for the miserie p. 17of it, while it lasteth, than for the not lasting: we may louelove it, we can not holde it: What a shadow of a smoake, what a dreame of a shadow is this, we affect? Wise Salomon sayes there is a time to be borne, and a time to die: you doe not heare him say, a time to liue. What is more flitting than time? yet life is not long enough to be worthie the title of time. Death borders vponupon our birth, and our cradle stands in our graue. We lament the losse of our parents: how soone shall our sonnes bewaile ours? Loe, I that write this, and you that reade it; how long are we here? It were well, if the world were as our tent, yea as our Inne; if not to lodge, yet to bait in: but now it is only our thorow-faire, one generation passeth, another commeth; none stayeth. If this earth were a p. 18paradise, and this which we call our life were sweet as the ioyes aboue, yet how should this ficklenesse of it coole our delight? Grant it absolute; who can esteeme a vanishing pleasure? How much more now, when the drammes of our hony are lost in pounds of gall; when our contentments are as farre from sinceritie as continuance? Yet the true apprehension of life (tho ioyned with contempt) is not enough to settle vsus, if either we be ignorant of death, or ill perswaded: for if life hauehave not woorth enough to allure vsus, yet death hath horror enough to affright vsus. He that would die cheerfully, must know death his friend: what is hee but the faithfull officer of our Maker, who euer smiles or frownes with his Master? neither can either shew or nourish enmitie, p. 19where God fauors: when he comes fiercely, and pulles a man by the throat, and summons him to hell, who can but tremble? The messenger is terrible, but the message worse: hence hauehave risen the miserable despaires, and furious rauing of the ill conscience; that findes no peace within, lesse without. But when hee comes sweetly, not as an executioner, but as a guide to glori…, and profers his seruice, & shewes our happinesse, and opens the dore to our heauen; how worthy is hee of entertainment? how worthy of gratulation? But his salutation is painfull, if courteous; what then? The Physitian heales vsus; not without paine; and yet we reward him. It is vnthankfulnesse to complaine, where the answer of profit is excessiue. Death paineth: how long? p. 20how much? with what proportion to the sequell of ioy? O death, if thy pangues be grieuous, yet thy rest is sweet. The constant expectation that hath possessed that rest, hath already swallowed those pangs, and makes the Christian at once wholly dead to his paine, wholly aliue to his glory. The soule hath not leasure to care for hir suffering, that beholds hir crowne; which if she were inioined to fetch thorow the flames of hell, her faith would not sticke at the condition.

Thus in briefe, he that liues Christianly, shall die boldly; hee that findes his life short and miserable, shall die willingly; he that knowes death, and foresees glory, shall die cheerefully and desirously.

p. 21To M. SAMVEL BVRTON, Archdeacon of Glocester.

EP. III. A Discourse of the triall and choice of the True Religion.

SIr: This Discourse inioyned by you, I send to your censure, to your disposing; but to the vse of others. VponUpon your charge I hauehave written it for the Wauering: If it seeme worthy, communicate it; els, it is but a dash of your pen. I feare only the breuitie: a Volume were too little for this Subiect. It is not more yours, than the Author. Farewell.

WE do not more affect varietie in all other things, than p. 22we abhorre it in Religion. Euen those which hauehave held the greatest falshoods, holde that there is but one truth. I neuer read of more than one Heretike, that held all Heresies true; neither did his opinion seeme more incredible, than the relation of it. God can neither be multiplied, nor Christ diuided: if his coat might be parted, his body was intire. For that then all sides challenge Truth, and but one can possesse it; let vsus see who hauehave found it, who inioy it.

There are not many Religions that striue for it, tho many opinions. EueryEvery heresie, albee fundamentall, makes not a religion. We say not, The Religion of Arrians, Nestorians, Sabellians, Macedonians, but The Sect or Heresie. No opinion challenges this name in our vsuall p. 23speech, (for I discusse not the proprietie) but that which arising from many differences, hath settled it self in the world, vponupon her owne principles, not without an vniuersall diuision: Such may soone bee counted: Tho it is true, there are by so much too many, as there are more than one. Fiue religions then there are by this rule, vponupon earth; which stand in competition for truth, Iewish, Turkish, Greekish, Popish, Reformed; whereof each pleads for it selfe, with disgrace of the other. The plaine Reader doubts, how he may sit Iudge, in so high a plea: GOD hath put this person vponupon him; while hee chargeth him to trie the spirits; to retaine the good, reiect the euil: If still he plead with Moses, insufficiency; let him but attend, God shall decide the case … his silence, p. 24without difficulty. The Iew hath little to say for himselfe, but impudent denials of our Christ, of their Prophecies: whose very refusall of him, more strongly prooues him the true Messias: neither could he be iustified to be that Sauiour, if they reiected him not: since the Prophets foresaw, and foretold, not their repelling of him onelyonly, but their reuiling. If there were no more arguments, God hath so mightilie confuted them from heauen, by the voice of his iudgement, that all the world hisseth at their conuiction. Loe, their very sinne is capitallie written in their desolation, & contempt. One of their owne late Doctours seriously expostulates in a relenting Letter to another of his fellow Rabbins, what might bee the cause of so long and desperate a ruine p. 25of their Israel; and comparing their former captiuities with their former sinnes, argues (and yet fears to conclude) that this continuing punishment, must needs be sent for some sinne so much greater than Idolatrie, oppression, Sabath-breaking; by how much this plague is more grieuous than all the other: Which, his feare tells him (and hee may beleeue it) can be no other, but the murder, and refusal of their true Messias. Let now all the Doctours of those obstinate Synagogues, answer this doubt of their owne obiecting: But how past al contradiction is the ancient witnesse of all the holy Prophets, answered and confirmed by their euents? whose foresayings verified in all particular issues, are more than demonstratiue. No Art can describe a thing past, p. 26with more exactnesse, than they did this Christ to come. What circumstance is there, that hath not his prediction? HaueHave they not forewritten, who should be his mother; A Virgin: Of what tribe; of Iuda: Of what house; of Dauid: What place; Bethleem: What time; when the scepter should be taken from Iuda: Or after sixtie nine weekes; What name; Iesus, Immanuel: What habitation; Nazareth: What harbinger; Iohn, the second Elias: What his businesse; to preach, saue, deliuer: What entertainment; reiection: What death; the Crosse: What maner; piercing the body, not breaking the bones: What companie; amidst two wicked ones: Where; at Ierusalem: Where abouts; without the Gates: With what words; of imploration: What p. 27draught; of vineger and gall: Who was his Traitor, and with what successe? If all the Synagogues of the Circumcision, all the gates of Hell, can obscure these euidences, let me be a proselyte. My labour heerein is so much lesse, as there is lesse danger of Iudaisme. Our Chur…h is well rid of that accursed nation, whom yet Rome harbors, and, in a fashion, graces; whiles in stead of spitting at, or that their Neapolitan correction whereof Gratian speakes; the Pope solemnly receiues at their hands, that Bible which they at once approue, and ouerthrow. But would GOD there were no more Iewes than appeare. Euen in this sense also hee is a Iew, that is one within: plainly, whose heart doth not sincerely confesse his Redeemer. Tho a Christian Iew, is no other than an p. 28Atheist; and therefore must bee scourged else-where. The Iew thus answered: The Turke stands out for his Mahomet, that cousening Arabian, whose religion (if it deserue that name) stands vponupon nothing but rude ignorance, and palpable imposture. Yet loe …eere a subtle Diuell, in a grosse religion: For when hee saw that he could not by single twists of Heresie pull downe the well-built wals of the Church; he winds them all vp in one Cable, to see if his cord of so many folds might happily preuaile: raising vp wicked Mahumet, to denie with Sabellius the distinction of persons, with Arrius Christs diuinitie, with Macedonius the Deitie of the Holy Ghost, with Sergius two wils in Christ, with Marcion Christs suffering: And these policies seconded with violence, how hauehave they p. 29wasted Christendome? O damnable mixture, miserably succesfull! which yet could not hauehave been, but that it meets with sottish clients, and sooths vp nature, and debarres both all knowledge, and contradiction. What is their Alcoran, but a fardell of foolish impossibilities? Whosoeuer shall heare mee relate the Stories of Angell Adriels death, Seraphuels trumpet, Gabriels bridge, Horroth and Marroths hanging, the moones descending into Mahumets sleeue, the Litter, wherein hee saw God carried by eight Angels, their ridiculous and swinish Paradise, and thousands of the same bran; would say, that Mahomet hoped to meet either with beasts, or mad men. Besides these barbarous fictions, behold their lawes, full of licence, full of impiety: In which, reuenge is p. 30encouraged, multitude of wiues allowed, theft tolerated; & the frame of their opinions such, as well bewraies their whole religion to bee but the mungrell issue of an Arian, Iew, Nestorian, and Arabian: A monster of many seeds, and all accursed; In both which regards, nature herselfe, in whose brest God hath written his royall Law (tho in part, by her defaced) hath light enough to condemne a Turke, as the worst Pagan. Let no man looke for further disproofe. These follies, a wise Christian wil scorne to confute, and scarce vouchsafe to laugh at.

The Greekish Church (so the Russes terme themselues) put in the next claim: but with no better successe: whose infinite Clergy affoords not a man that can giuegive either reason or account of their own p. 31doctrine. These are the basest dregs of all Christians, so wee fauourablie terme them; tho they perhaps in more simplicitie than wilfulnesse, will admit none of all the other Christian world to their font, but those, who in a solemne renunciation spit at, and abiure their former God, Religion, Baptisme: yet peraduenture wee might more iustlie terme them Nicolaitans, for that obscure Saint (if a Saint; if honest) by an vnequall diuision, findes more homage from them than his master. These are as ignorant as Turks, as idolatrous as Heathens, as obstinate as Iewes, and more superstitious than Papists. To speake ingenuously from that I hauehave heard and read; if the worst of the Romish religion, and the best of the Moscouitish be compared, the choice will p. 32be hard whether should be lesse ill. I labour the lesse in all these, whose remotenesse and absurditie secure vsus from infection, and whose onelie name is their confutation. I descend to that maine riuall of Truth, which creeps into our bosome, and is not lesse neere than subtle, the religion (if not rather the faction) of Papism; whose plea is importunate, and so much more dangerous, as it carries fairer probabilitie. Since then of all Religions the Christian obteineth, let vsus see of those that are called Christian, which should command assent and profession. EueryEvery religion beares in hir lineaments the image of hir parent: the true Religion therefore is spirituall, and looks like God in hir puritie: all false religions are carnall, and carrie the face of Nature, their mother, and of him p. 33whose illusion begot them, Satan. In summe, Nature neuer conceiued any which did not fauour her, nor the Spirit any which did not oppugne her. Let this then be the Lydian stone of this triall; we need no more. Whether Religion soeuer doth more plausibly content Nature, is false; whether giues more sincere glory to God, is his Trueth. Lay aside preiudice: Whither I beseech you tendeth all Popery, but to make Nature either vainly proud, or carelesly wanton? What can more aduance her pride, than to tell her, that she hath in her own hands freedome enough of will (with a little preuention) to prepare hirselfe to her iustification; that shee hath (whereof to reioyce) some-what, which shee hath not receiued; that if God please but to vnfetter her, p. 34she can walke alone? She is insolent enough of her selfe; this flattery is enough to make her mad of conceit. After this; That if God will but beare halfe the charges by his cooperation, she may vndertake to merit her owne glory, and braue God in the proofe of his most accurate iudgement; to fulfill the whole royall law; and that from the superfluitie of her owne satisfactions she may be abundantly beneficiall to her neighbors; that naturally without faith a man may do some good works; that we may repose confidence in our merits. Neither is our good only by this flattery extolled, but our ill also diminished: our euils are our sinnes; some of them (they say) are in their nature veniall, and not worthy of death; more, that our originall sinne, is but the p. 35want of our first iustice; no guilt of our first-fathers offence, no inherent ill disposition, and, that by Baptismall water is taken away what euer hath the nature of sinne; that a meere man (let mee not wrong S. Peters successor in so terming him) hath power to remit both punishment and sinne, past and future; that many hauehave suffered more than their sinnes hauehave required; that the sufferings of the saints added to Christs passions, make vp the treasure of the Church, that spirituall Eschequer; whereof their Bishop must keepe the key, and make his friends. In all these the gaine of Nature (who sees not) is Gods losse? all her brauery is stoll'n from aboue: besides those other direct derogations from him; that his Scriptures are not sufficient; that their originall p. 36fountaines are corrupted, and the streames run cleerer; that there is a multitude (if a finite number) of Mediatours. Turne your eyes now to vsus, and see contrarily how wee abase Nature, how wee knead hir in the dust; spoiling hir of hir proud ragges, loading hir with reproches; and giuing glorie to him that sayes he will not giuegive it to another: whiles wee teach, that wee neither hauehave good, nor can do good of our selues; that wee are not sicke or fettred, but dead in our sinne; that we can not moue to good, more than we are moued; that our best actions are faulty, our satisfactions debts, our deserts damnation; that all our merit is his mercy that saues vsus; that eueryevery of our sinnes is deadly, eueryevery of our natures originally depraued, and corrupted; that no water can p. 37intirely wash away the filthinesse of our concupiscence; that none but the blood of him that was God, can cleanse vsus; that all our possible sufferings are below our offences; that Gods written Word is all-sufficient to informe vsus, to make vsus both wise and perfect; that Christs mediation is more than sufficient to saue vsus, his sufferings to redeeme vsus, his obedience to inrich vsus. You hauehave seene how Papistry makes Nature proud; now see how it makes hir lawlesse and wanton: while it teacheth (yet this one, not so vniuersally) that Christ died effectually for all; that in true contrition an expresse purpose of new life is not necessary; that wicked men are true members of the Church; that a leaud mis-creantor infidell in the businesse of the Altar partakes of the true body and p. 38blood of Christ, yea (which a shame to tell) a brute creature; that men may saue the labour of searching, for that it is both easie and safe (with that Catholike Collier) to beleeue with the Church, at a venture: more than so, that deuotion is the seed of ignorance; that there is infallibility annexed to a particular place and person; that the bare act of the Sacraments conferres grace without faith; that the meere signe of the Crosse made by a Iew or Infidell, is of force to driue away diuels; that the sacrifice of the Masse in the very worke wrought, auailes to obteine pardon of our sinnes, not in our life only, but when we lie frying in Purgatorie; that wee need not pray in faith to be heard, or in vnderstanding; that almes giuen merit heauen, dispose to iustification, satisfie God p. 39for sinne; that abstinence from some meats & drinks is meritorious; that Indulgences may be granted to dispense with all the penance of sinnes afterward to be committed; that these by a liuing man may be applied to the dead; that one man may deliuer anothers soule out of his purging torments: and therefore, that hee who wants not either money, or friends, need not feare the smart of his sinnes. O religion sweet to the wealthy, to the needy desperate! Who will now care henceforth how sound his deuotions be, how leaud his life, how hainous his sinnes, that knowes these refuges? On the contrary, we curbe Nature, we restraine, wee discourage, wee threaten hir, teaching hir not to rest in implicit faiths, or generall intentions, or externall actions of pietie, p. 40or presumptuous dispensations of men: but to striue vntounto sincere faith, without which wee hauehave no part in Christ, in his Church, no benefit by Sacraments, prayers, fastings, beneficences: to set the hart on worke in al our deuotions, without which the hand & tongue are but hypocrites: to set the hands on worke in good actions, without which the presuming heart is but an hypocrite: to expect no pardon for sinne before we commit it, and from Christ alone when we hauehave committed it, and to repent before we expect it: to hope for no chaffering, no ransome of our soules from below, no contrary change of estate after dissolution: that life is the time of mercy, death of retribution. Now let me appeale to your soule, and to the iudgement of all the world, whether of these p. 41two religions is framed to the humor of nature: yea let me but know what action Popery requires of any of hir followers, which a meere Naturalist hath not done, can not do? See how I hauehave chosen to beat them with that rod wherwith they thinke we hauehave so often smarted: for what cauill hath beene more ordinary against vsus, than this of ease and libertie, yea licence giuen and taken by our religion? together with the vpbraidings of their owne strict and rigorous austerenesse? Where are our penall works, our fastings, scourges, haire-cloth, weary pilgrimages, blushing confessions, solemn vowes of willing beggery and perpetuall continency? To do them right, we yeeld; in all the hard works of willworship they goe beyond vsus: but (lest they should insult in the victorie) p. 42not so much as the Priests of Baall went beyond them. I see their whips: shew mee their kniues. Where did euer zealous Romanist lance and carue his flesh in deuotion? The Baalites did it, and yet neuer the wiser, neuer the holier. Either therefore this zeale in works of their owne deuising makes them not better than we, or it makes the Baalites better than they: let them take their choice. Alas, these difficulties are but a colour to auoid greater: No, no, to worke our stubburne wills to subiection, to draw this vntoward flesh to a sincere cheerefulnesse in Gods seruice: to reach vntounto a sound beleefe in the Lord Iesus, to pray with a true hart, without distraction, without distrust, without mis-conceit: to keep the heart in continuall awe of God: p. 43These are the hard tasks of a Christian, worthy of our sweat, worthy of our reioycing: all which that Babylonish religion shifteth off with a carelesse fashionablenesse, as if it had not to do with the soule. GiueGive vsus obedience: let them take sacrifice. Do you yet look for more euidence? looke into particulars, and satisfie your selfe in Gods decision, as Optatus aduised of olde. Since the goods of our father are in question, whither should wee goe but to his Will and Testament? My soule beare the danger of this bold assertion: If we erre, we erre with Christ and his Apostles. In a word, against all staggering, our Sauiours rule is sure and eternall: If any man will doe my Fathers will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God.

p. 45To M. Edmund Sleigh.

EP. IV. A discourse of the hardnesse of Christianity, and the abundant recompense in the pleasures and commodities of that profession.

HOw hard a thing is it (deare vncle) to bee a Christian! Perhaps others are lesse dull, and more quiet; more waxen to the impressions of grace, and lesse troublesome to themselues. I accuse none, but whom I know, and whom I dare, my selfe. Euen easie businesses are hard to the weake: let others p. 46boast; I must complaine. To keepe our station is hard, harder to moue forward: One while I scarse restrain my vnruly desires, from euill; ofter, can finde no lust to good. My hart will either be vaine, or sullen: when I am wrought with much sweat to detest sinne, and distaste the world; yet who shall raise vp this drosse of mine to a spirituall ioy? Sometimes I purpose well; and if those thoghts (not mine) begin to lift mee vp from my earth; loe, hee that rules in the aire, stoopes vponupon me with powerfull tentations, or the world puls me downe with a sweet violence; so as I know not whether I bee forced, or perswaded to yeeld. I finde much weaknesse in my selfe, but more trechery. How willing am I to be deceiued! How loth to bee altered! Good duties seeme harsh, and can p. 47hardly escape the repulse, or delay of excuses; and not without much strife grow to any relish of pleasure, and when they are at best, cannot auoid the mixture of many infirmities: which do at once disquiet, and discourage the minde, not suffering it to rest in what it would hauehave done, and could not. And if after many sighs, and teares, I hauehave attained to doe well, and resolue better; yet this good estate is far from constant, and easily inclining to change. And whiles I striue, in spight of my naturall ficklenesse, to hold my own with some progresse, and gaine; what difficulty doe I finde, what opposition? O GOD, what aduersaries hast thou prouided for vsus weak men! what incounters! Malicious and subtle spirits, an alluring world, a serpentine and p. 48stubborne nature: Force and fraud doe their worst to vsus; sometimes because they are spirituall enemies, I see them not, and complaine to feele them too late: Other-whiles my spirituall eies see them with amazement, and I (like a cowardly Israelite) am ready to flee, & plead their measure, for my feare: Who is able to stand before the sons of Anak? Some other times I stand still, and (as I can) weakly resist; but am foyled with indignation, & shame: Then againe I rise vp, not without bashfulnesse and scorne: and with more hearty resistance preuaile, and triumph: when ere long surprised with a sudden & vnwarned assault, I am carried away captiue, whither I would not: and mourning for my discomfiture, study for a feeble reuenge: My quarrell is good, but p. 49my strength maintaines it not: It is now long ere I can recouer this ouerthrow, and finde my selfe whole of these wounds. Beside suggestions, crosses fall heauy, and worke no small distemper in a minde faint and vnsetled, whose law is such, that the more I grow the more I beare; and not seldome, when God giues me respite, I afflict my selfe: either my feare faineth euils, or my vnrulie passions raise tumults within me, which breed much trouble, whether in satisfying or supressing: not to speake, that sinne is attended, besides vnquietnesse, with terror.

Now you say, Alas Christianitie is hard: Igrant it; but gainfull and happy. I contemne the difficultie, when I respect the aduantage. The greatest labours that hauehave answerable requitals, are lesse than the least p. 50that hauehave no regard. Beleeue mee, when I looke to the reward, I would not hauehave the worke easier. It is a good Master whom we serue, who not only payes, but giues; not after the proportion of our earnings, but of his owne mercy. If eueryevery paine that we suffer were a death, and eueryevery crosse an hell, wee hauehave amends enough. It were iniurious to complaine of the measure, when we acknowledge the recompense. Away with these weake dislikes: tho I should buy it dearer. I would be a Christian. Any thing may make me out of louelove with my selfe, nothing with my profession: I were vnworthy of this fauour, if I could repent to hauehave endured: herein alone I am safe, herein I am blessed. I may be all other things, and yet with that dying Emperour complaine, with p. 51my last breath, That I am no whit the better: let me be a Christian, I am priuiledg'd from miseries; hell can not touch me; death can not hurt me. No euill can arrest mee while I am vnderunder the protection of him, which ouer-rules all good and euill: yea, so soone as it touches me, it turnes good; and being sent and suborned by my spirituall aduersaries to betray me, now in an happy change it fights for mee, and is driuen rather to rebell, than wrong mee. It is a bolde and strange word: No price could buy of mee the gaine of my sinnes: That, which while I repented, I would hauehave expiated with blood; now after my repentance I forgoe not for a world; the fruit of hauing sinned, (if not rather, of hauing repented.) Besides my freedome, how large is my possession? p. 52All good things are mine, to challenge, to inoy. I can not looke beyond my owne, nor besides it; and the things that I can not see, I dare claime no lesse. The heauen that roles so gloriously aboue my head is mine, by this right: yea those celestiall spirits, the better part of that high creation, watch me in my bed, guard me in my wayes, shelter me in my dangers, comfort me in my troubles, and are ready to receiue that soule which they hauehave kept.

What speake I of creatures? The God of spirits is mine, & by a sweet and secret vnion I am become an heire of his glory, yea (as it were) a limme of himselfe. O blessednesse! worthie of difficultie, worthie of paine: What thou wilt, Lord, so I may be thine, what thou wilt. When I hauehave done all, when I hauehave suffered p. 53all, thou exceedest more than I want. Follow me then (deare vncle) or (if you will) leade mee rather (as you hauehave done) in these steps, and from the rough way, looke to the end: Ouerlooke these trifling grieuances, and fasten your eyes vponupon the happy recompense, and see if you can not scorne to complaine. Pitie those that take not your paines; and persist with courage, till you feele the weight of your crowne.

p. 55To M^r. W. L.

EP. V. Expostulating the cause of his vnsetlednesse in religion, which is pleaded to be our dissensions: shewing the insufficiencie of that Motiue, and comparing the estate of our Church heerein, with the Romish.

I Would I knew where to finde you, then I could tell how to take a direct aime; whereas now, I must roue, and coniecture. To day you are in the tents of the Romanists; to morrow in ours; the next day betweene both, against both. Our aduersaries thinke you ours, wee theirs, your conscience findes p. 56you with both, and neither. I flatter you not: this of yours is the worst of all tempers: heat and cold hauehave their vses; lukewarmnesse is good for nothing, but to trouble the stomach. Those that are spiritually hot finde acceptation; those that are starke cold, hauehave a lesser reckoning; the meane betweene both, is so much worse, as it comes neerer to good, and attaines it not. How long will you halt in this indifferencie? Resolue one way, and know at last what you do hold; what you should. Cast off either your wings or your teeth; and loathing this Bat-like nature, be either a bird or a beast. To die wauering and vncertaine, your selfe will grant fearefull. If you must settle, when begin you? If you must begin, why not now? It is dangerous deferring that, whose p. 57want is deadly, and whose opportunity is doubtfull. God crieth with Iehu, VVho is on my side, who? Looke at last out of your window to him, and in a resolute courage cast down this Iezabel that hath bewitched you. Is there any impediment, which delay will abate? Is there any which a iust answer can not remoue? If you had rather wauer, who can settle you? But if you louelove not inconstancie, tell vsus why you stagger: Bee plaine, or els you will neuer be firm; What hinders you? Is it our diuisions? I see you shake your head at this, and by your silent gesture bewray this the cause of your distaste: Would God I could either denie this with trueth, or amend it with teares: But I grant it, with no lesse sorrow, than you with offence. This …arth hath nothing more lamentable, p. 58than the ciuill iarres of one faith. What then? Must you defie your mother, because you see your brethren fighting? Their dissension is her griefe: Must shee lose some sonnes, because some others quarrell? Do not so wrong your selfe in afflicting her. Will you louelove Christ the lesse, because his coat is diuided? Yea, let me boldly say; The hem is torne a little, the garment is whole; or rather it is fretted a little, not torne; or rather the fringe, not the hem. Beholde, heere is one Christ, one Creed, one Baptisme, one heauen, one way to it; in summe, one religion, one foundation, and (take away the tumultuous spirits of some rigorous-Lutherans) one heart: our differences are those of Paul and Barnabas, not those of Peter and Magus: if they be some, it is well they p. 59are no more; if many, that they are not capitall. Shew me that Church, that hath not complained of distraction; yea that family, yea that fraternitie, yea that man that alwayes agrees with himselfe. See if the Spouse of Christ, in that heauenly marriage-song doe not call him, a yong Hart in the mountaines of diuision. Tell me then, Whither will you goe for truth, if you will allow no truth, but where there is no diuision? To Rome perhaps, famous for vnitie, famous for peace. See now how happily you hauehave chosen; how well you hauehave sped: Loe there Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe, a witnesse aboue exception, vnderunder his owne hand acknowledgeth to the world, and reckons vp two hundred thirty and seuen contrarieties of doctrine among the Romish Diuines. What p. 60need we more euidence? O the perfect accordance of Peters See! worthie to be recorded for a badge of Truth. Let now all our aduersaries scrape together so many contradictions of opinions amongst vsus, as they confesse amongst themselues, and be you theirs. No, they are not more peaceable, but more subtle; they hauehave not lesse dissension, but more smothered. They fight closely within doores, without noise; all our frayes are in the field: would God we had as much of their cunning, as they want of our peace; and no more of their policie, than they want of our Truth. Our strife is in ceremonies, theirs in substance; ours in one or two points, theirs in all. Take it boldly from him that dares auouch it, There is not one point in all Diuinitie (except those p. 61wherein wee accord with them) wherein they all speake the same. If our Church displease you for differences, theirs much more; vnlesse you will be either wilfully incredulous, or wilfully partiall: vnlesse you dislike a mischiefe the lesse for the secrecy. What will you do then? Will you be a Church alone? Alas, how full are you of contradictions to your selfe! how full of contrarie purposes! How oft doe you chide with your selfe! how oft doe you fight with your selfe! I appeale to that bosome which is priuy to those secret combats: beleeue me not, if euer you finde perfect vnitie any where but aboue; either go thither, and seeke it amongst those that triumph, or be content with what estate you finde in this warfaring nūber. Truth is in differences, as gold p. 62in drosse, wheat in chaffe; will you cast away the best mettall, the best graine, because it is mingled with this off all? Wil you rather be poore and hungry, than bestow labor on the fanne, or the furnace? Is there nothing worth your respect, but peace? I hauehave heard that the interlacing of some discords graces the best Musicke; and I know not whether the very euill spirits agree not with themselues. If the bodie bee sound, what tho the coat be torne? or if the garment be whole, what if the lace be vnript? Take you peace; let me hauehave Truth; if I can not hauehave both. To conclude, Embrace, those trueths that wee all holde, and it greatly matters not what you holde in those wherein wee differ; and if you louelove your safetie, seeke rather grounds whereon to rest, than excuses p. 63for your vnrest. If euer you looke to gaine by the truth, you must both chuse it, and cleaue to it: Meere resolution is not enough; except you will rather lose your selfe, than it.

p. 65To S^r. Edmund Lucy.

EP. VI. Discoursing of the different degrees of heauenly glory; and of our mutuall knowledge of ech other aboue.

AS those which neuer were at home, now after much heare say trauelling toward it, aske in the way, What maner of house it is, what seat, what frame, what soile; so doe we in the passage to our glorie: Wee are all pilgrims thither; yet so as that some hauehave lookt into it a farre thorow the open windowes of the Scripture. Go to then, whiles others are inquiring p. 66about worldly dignities, and earthly pleasures, let vsus two sweetly consult of the estate of our future happinesse; yet without presumption, without curiositie. Amongst this infinite choice of thoughts, it hath pleased you to limit our Discourse to two heads. You aske first, if the ioyes of the glorified Saints shall differ in degrees. I feare not to affirme it. There is one life of all, one felicitie; but diuers measures. Our heauen beginnes heere, and heere varies in degree. One Christian an inioyes God aboue another, according as his grace, as his faith is more: and heauen is still like it selfe, not other aboue from that beneath. As our grace beginnes our glory, so it proportions it: Blessednes stands in the perfect operation of the best faculties, about the perfectest obiect; p. 67that is, in the vision, in the fruition of God. All his Saints see him, but some more cleerely; as the same Sunne is seene of all eyes, not with equall strength. Such as the eye of our faith was to see him that is inuisible, such is the eye of our present apprehension to see as we are seene. Who sees not, that our rewards are according to our works? Not for them, as on merit: Woe be to that soule which hath but what it earneth: but after them, as their rule of proportion: and these, how sensibly vnequall? One giues but a cuppe of colde water to a Disciple, another giues his blood for the Master. Different works hauehave different wages, not of desert, but of merciemercy. Fiue talents well imployed, carry away more recompence than two; yet both approued, both rewarded p. 68with their Masters ioy. Who can sticke at this, that knowes those heauenly spirits (to whom we shall be like) are marshalled by their Maker into seuerall ranks? he that was rapt into their element, and saw their blessed orders, as from his owne knowledge, hath stiled them, Thrones, Principalities, Powers, Dominions. If in one part of this Celestiall familie, the great Housholder hath thus ordered it, why not in the other? yea euen in this hee hath instanced; You shall sit on twelue Thrones, and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel. If he meane not some preheminence to his Apostles, how doth he answer, how doth hee satisfie them? Yet more, Lazarus is in Abrahams bosome; therefore Abraham is more honored than Lazarus. I shall need no more proofs; if from heauen p. 69you shall looke down into the great Gulfe, and there see diuersitie of torments according to the value of sinnes. Equalitie of offences, you acknowledge an idle Paradox of the Stoicks: to holde vnequall sinnes equally punished, were more absurd, and more iniurious to Gods iustice: There is but one fire, which yet otherwise burnes the straw, otherwise wood and yron. He that made and commands this dungeon, these tortures, telles vsus that the wilfully disobedient shall smart with more stripes; the ignorant with fewer. Yet so conceiue of these heauenly degrees, that the least is glorious. So doe these vessels differ, that all are full: there is no want in any, no enuie. Let vsus striue for a place, not striue for the order: How can we wish to be more than happie?

p. 70Your other Question is of our mutual knowledge aboue; the hope whereof (you thinke) would giuegive much contentment to the necessitie of our parture: for both we are loth not to know those whom we louelove; and we are glad to thinke we shall know them happy: whereof (if it may comfort you) I am no lesse confident. If I may not go so farre as with the best of the Fathers, to say wee shall know one anothers thoughts, I dare say, our persons we shall; our knowledge, our memory are not there lost, but perfected: yea I feare not to say we shall know both our miseries past, and the present sufferings of the damned. It makes our happinesse not a little the sweeter, to know that wee were miserable, to know that others are and must be miserable: we shall p. 71know them; not feele them: Take heed, that you cleerely distinguish betwixt speculation, & experience. Wee are then farre out of the reach of euils: We may see them to comfort vsus, not to affect vsus. Who doubts that these eies shall see, and know the glorious manhood of our blessed Sauiour, aduanced aboue all the powers of heauen? And if one body, why not more? And if our elder brother, why no more of our spirituall fraternitie? Yea, if the twelue thrones of those Iudges of Israel, shall bee conspicuous; how shall wee not acknowledge them? And if these, who shall restraine vsus from more? You will easily grant, that our louelove can neuer faile: Faith and hope giuegive place to sight, to present fruition: for these are of things not seene; but louelove is perpetuall, p. 72not of GOD onelyonly, but his Saints: For nothing ceases, but our earthly parts, nothing but what fauours of corruption. Christian louelove is a grace, and may well challenge a place in heauen: and what louelove is there, of what we know not? More plainly, If the three Disciples in Tabor knew Moses and Elias, how much more shall we know them in Gods Sion? Lastly, (for it is a letter, not a volume, that I intended in this not necessary, but likely discourse) that famous parable can tell you, that those which are in Hell, may know singular and seuerall persons, tho distant in place. The rich Glutton knowes Lazarus and Abraham. I heare what you say; It is but a parable: neither will I presse you with the contrary authority of Ambrose, Tertullian, Gregory, Hierome, or any p. 73Father; nor with that vniuersal rule of Chrysostome; that those onelyonly are parables, where examples are expressed, and names concealed: I yeeld it; yet all holy parables hauehave their truths, at least their possibilities. Denie this, and you disable their vse, wrong their Author. Our Sauiour neuer said ought was done, that cannot be; and shall then the damned retaine ought, which the glorified lose? No man euer held that the soule was aduantaged by torment. Comfort you therefore in this; you shall know, and bee knowen. But farre bee from hence all carnall and earthly thoughts; as if your affections should be (as below) doubled to your wife or child. Nature hath no place in glory: heere is no respect of blood, none of marriage. This grosser acquaintance p. 74and pleasure is for the Paradise of Turkes, not the Heauen of Christians. Heere is as no marriage, (saue betwixt the Lambe and his Spouse the Church) so no matrimoniall affections: You shall reioice in your glorified childe; not as your childe, but as glorified. In briefe, let vsus so inquire of our companie, that aboue all things we striue to be there our selues, where we are sure, if we hauehave not what wee imagined, wee shall hauehave more than we could imagine.

p. 75To M^r. T. L.

EP. VII. Concerning the matter of diuorce in the case of apparent adulterie; aduising the innocent party of the fittest course in that behalfe.

ALl intermedling is attended with danger, & euer so much more, as the bond of the parties contending is neerer, and straiter: how can it then want perill to iudge betwixt those which are, or should be one flesh? yet great necessities require hazard. My profession would iustly checke me, if I preferred not your conscience p. 76to my owne louelove. I pitie and lament, that your owne bosome is false to you; that your selfe, with shame, and with sinne, are pulled from your selfe, and giuen to whom you would not: An iniurie that cannot bee paralleled vponupon earth; and such as may without our wonder, distract you: sleight crosses are digested with study, and resolution; greater, with time; the greatest, not without study, time, counsell. There is no extreme euill, whose euasions are not perplexed. I see here mischiefe on either hand: I see you beset, not with griefes onelyonly, but dangers. No man euer more truly held a Wolfe by the eare; which he can neither stay, nor let goe, with safety. Gods ancient Law would hauehave made a quicke dispatch, and hauehave determined the case, by the p. 77death of the offender, and the libertie of the innocent; & not it alone: How many heathen Law-giuers hauehave subscribed to Moses? Arabians, Grecians, Romans, yea very Gothes, the dregs of Barbarisme, hauehave thought this wrong not expiable, but by blood. With vsus, the easinesse of reuenge, as it yeelds frequence of offenses, so multitude of doubts: Whether the wronged husband should conceale, or complain: complaining, whether he should retain, or dismisse: dismissing, whether he may marry, or must continue single: not continuing single, whether he may receiue his owne, or chuse another: But your inquiries shalbe my bounds. The fact (you say) is too euident. Let me aske you; To your selfe, or to the world? This point alone must vary your proceedings. p. 78Publike notice requires publike discharge: Priuate wrongs are in our owne power: Publike, in the hands of authority. The thoughts of our own brests, while they smother themselues within vsus, are at our command, whether for suppressing, or expressing: But if they once hauehave vented themselues by words, vntounto others eares, now (as common strayes) they must stand to the hazzard of censure: such are our actions. Neither the sword, nor the keies, meddle within doores; and what but they without? If fame hauehave laid hold on the wrong, prosecute it, cleere your name, cleere your house, yea Gods. Else you shall bee reputed a Pander to your owne bed: and the second shame s…all surpasse the first, so much as your owne fault can more blemish p. 79you, than anothers. If there were no more; He is cruelly mercifull, that neglects his owne fame. But what if the sinne were shrouded in secrecie? The lothsomenesse of vice consists not in common knowledge. It is no lesse hainous, if lesse talked of. Report giues but shame: God and the good soule detest close euils. Yet then, I aske not of the offense, but of the offender; not of her crime, but her repentance. Shee hath sinned against Heauen, and you: But hath shee washed your polluted bed with her teares? Hath her true sorrow beene no lesse apparent, than her sinne? Hath shee peeced her old vow, with new protestations of fidelitie? Doe you find her at once humbled, and changed? Why should that eare bee deafe t… her praiers, that was open to her accusations? p. 80Why is there not yet place for mercy? Why do we Christians liue as vnderunder martiall law, wherein wee sinne but once? Plead not authoritie: Ciuilians hauehave been too rigorous: the mercifull sentence of Diuinitie shall sweetly temper humane seuerenesse. How manie hauehave we knowen the better for their sinne? That Magdalene (her predecessor in filthinesse) had neuer loued so much, if she had not so much sinned. How oft hath Gods Spouse deserued a diuorce? which yet still her confessions, her teares hauehave reuersed. How oft hath that scroll beene written, and signed; and yet againe cancelled, and torne, vponupon submission? His actions, not his words only, are our precepts: Why is man cruell, where God relents? The wrong is ours only, for his sake; p. 81without whose law were no sinne. If the Creditour please to remit the debt, doe standers by complaine? But if she be at once filthy, and obstinate, flie from her bed, as contagious. Now your beneuolence is adulterie, you impart your bodie to her; she her sinne to you: A dangerous exchange; An honest bodie for an harlots sinne: Herein you are in cause, that shee hath more than one adulterer. I applaud the rigor of those ancient Canons, which hauehave stil roughly censured euen this cloak of vice: As there is a necessitie of charitie in the former, so of iustice in this. If you can so louelove your wife that you detest not her sinne, you are a better husband than a Christian, a better bawd than an husband. I dare say no more vponupon so generall a relation; good Physitians in dangerous p. 82diseases dare not prescribe on bare sight of vrine, or vncertaine report, but will feele the pulse, and see the symptomes, ere they resolue on the receit. You see how no niggard I am of my counsels; would God I could as easily asswage your griefe, as satisfie your doubts.

p. 83To M^r. Robert Haye.

EP. IIX. A Discourse of the continuall exercise of a Christian, how he may keepe his heart from hardnesse, and his wayes from error.

TO keepe the heart in vre with God, is the highest task of a Christian. Good motions are not frequent, but the constancie of good disposition is rare and hard. This worke must be continuall, or els speedeth not: like as the bodie from a setled and habituall distemper must be recouered by long diets, and so much p. 84the rather, for that wee can not intermit heere without relapses. If this field be not tilled eueryevery day, it will run out into thistles. The euening is fittest for this worke, when retired into our selues, wee must cheerefully, and constantly, both looke vp to God, & into our hearts; as we hauehave to do with both: to God in thankesgiuing first, then in request. It shall be therefore expedient for the soule duly to recount to it selfe all the specialties of Gods fauours: a confused thanks sauors of carelesnesse, and neither doth affect vsus, nor win acceptance aboue. Bethinke your selfe then of all these externall, inferiour, earthly graces: that your being, breathing, life, motion, reason is from him; that hee hath giuen you a more noble nature, than the rest of the creatures, p. 85excellent faculties of minde, perfection of senses, soundnesse of body, competencie of estate, seemlinesse of condition, fitnesse of calling, preseruation from dangers, rescue out of miseries, kindnesse of friends, carefulnesse of education, honestie of reputation, libertie of recreations, quietnesse of life, opportunitie of well-doing, protection of Angels. Then rise higher to his spirituall fauors, tho here on earth, and striue to raise your affections with your thoughts: Blesse God that you were borne in the light of the Gospell, for your profession of the Truth, for the honour of your vocation, for your incorporating into the Church, for the priuilege of the Sacraments, the free vse of the Scriptures, the Communion of Saints, the benefit of their prayers, the ayd p. 86of their counsels, the pleasure of their conuersation; for the beginnings of regeneration, any footsteps of faith, hope, louelove, zeale, patience, peace, ioy, conscionablenesse, for any desire of more. Then let your soule mount highest of all, into her heauen, and acknowledge those celestiall graces of her election to glory, redemption from shame and death, of the intercession of her Sauiour, of the preparation of her place; and there let her stay a while vponupon the meditation of her future ioyes. This done, the way is made for your request; Sue now to your God; as for grace to answer these mercies, so to see wherein you hauehave not answered them: From him therefore, cast your eyes downe vponupon your selfe, and as some carefull Iustice… doth a suspected felon, so p. 87do you strictly examine your heart, of what you hauehave done that day; of what you should hauehave done; inquire whether your thoughts hauehave beene sequestred to God, strangers from the world, fixed on heauen; whether iust, charitable, lowly, pure Christian; whether your senses hauehave been holily guided, neither to let in temptations, nor to let out sinnes; whether your speeches hauehave not been offensiue, vaine, rash, indiscreet, vnsauory, vnedifying; whether your actions hauehave beene warrantable, expedient, comly, profitable. Thence, see if you hauehave beene negligent in watching your heart, expence of your time, exercises of deuotion, performance of good works, resistance of temptations, good vse of good examples: and compare your present estate with p. 88the former, looke iealously, whether your soule hath gained or lost; lost ought of the heat of her louelove, tendernesse of conscience, feare to offend, strength of vertue; gained, more increase of grace, more assurance of glory. And when you find (alas who can but find?) either holinesse decayed, or euill done, or good omitted, cast downe your eyes, strike your brest, humble your soule, and sigh to him whom you hauehave offended; sue for pardon as for life, heartily, yearningly: inioyne your selfe carefull amendment, redouble your holy resolutions, strike handes with God in a new couenant: My soule for your safetie. Much of this good counsell I confesse to hauehave learned from the Table of an vnknowen Author, at Antwerpe. It contented me: and p. 89therefore I hauehave thus made it (by many alterations) my owne for forme, and yours for the vse: Our practise shall both commend it, and make vsus happy.

p. 91To M^r. I. F. one of the companie of the Turkish Merch.

EP. IX. Discoursing of the lawfulnesse of conuersation and trade with Infidels and Heretikes, and shewing how farre and wherein it is allowable.

IN matter of sinne I dare not discommend much feare: Loosenes is both a more ordinary fault, and more dangerous, than excesse of care: yet heerein the minde may be vniustly tortured, & suffer without gaine. It is good to know our p. 92bounds, and keepe them; that so we may neither bee carelesly offensiue, nor needlesly afflicted. How farre wee may trauell to, and conuerse with Infidels, with Heretikes, is a long demand, and cannot bee answered at once. I see extremes on both hands, and a path of truth betwixt both, of no small latitude. First I commend not this course to you; it is well, if I allow it. The earth is large; and truth hath ample Dominions; and those not in commodious, not vnpleasant. To neglect the maine blessings with competencie of the inferiour; for abundance of the inferiour, without the maine, were a choice vnwise and vnequall. While we are free, who would take ought but the best? Whither goe you? HaueHave we not as temperate a Sunne, as faire an heauen, p. 93as fertile an Earth, as rich a sea, as sweet companions? What stand I on equalitie? a firmer peace, a freeer Gospell, an happier gouernment than the world can shew you? yet you must goe: I giuegive you my allowance; but limited, and full of cautions: like an inquisitiue Officer, you must let me aske, who, how, when, whither, why, how long, and accordingly determine. To communicate with them in their false seruices, who will not spit at as impious? We speak of conuersing with men, not with idolatries: ciuilly, not in Religion: not in works of darknes, but businesse of commerce, and common indifferencies. Fie on those Rimmonites, that pleade an vpright soule in a prostrate bodie: Hypocrites, that pretend a Nathaniel in the skinne of a Nicodemus. God p. 94hates their secret halting, and will reuenge it. Let goe their vices; speake of their persons: Those may be conuersed with; not with familiaritie, not with intirenesse: as men qualified, not as friends. Traffique is heere allowed, not amitie; not friendship, but peace. Paul will allow you to feast at their table, not to frequent it: yet not this to all. Christianity hath all statures in it, all strengths: children, and men, weaklings, Giants. For a feeble vngrounded Christian, this very companie is dangerous: safe for the strong and instructed. Turne a child loose into an Apothecaries shop, or an Idiot: that gally-pot which lookes fairest, shall hauehave his first hand, tho full of poisonous drugs: where the iudicious would chuse the wholesomest, led not by sense, but skill. p. 95Setlednesse in the trueth will cause vsus to hate and scorne ridiculous impietie, and that hate will settle vsus the more; where the vnstayd may grow to lesse dislike, and indanger his owne infection. He had need be a resolute Caleb that should go to spie the land of Canaan; yet not such a one, vponupon eueryevery occasion: meere pleasure or curiositie I dare not allow in this aduenture. The command of authoritie, or necessitie of traffique I can not reiect: Or if after sufficient preuention, desire to informe our selues thorowly in a forraigne religion, or state (especially for publique vse) carry vsus abroad, I censure not. In all matter of danger, a calling is a good warrant; and it can not want perill to goe vnsent: Neither is there small weight in the qualitie of the place, p. 96and continuance of the time. It is one ease where the profession of our religion is free, another where restrained; perhaps not without constraint to idolatrie: where we hauehave meanes for our soules, an allowed Ministery, the case must needs differ from a place of necessarie blindnes, of peeuish superstition. To passe thorow an infected place is one thing, to dwell in it another: Ech of these giuegive a new state to the cause, and looke for a diuers answer. But as in all these outward actions, so here, most force (I confesse) lies in the intention; which is able to giuegive not tolleration onelyonly to our trauell, but praise; to conuerse with them without, but in a purpose of their conuersion, and with indeuour to fetch them in, can be no other than an holy course: wherein that the Iesuits p. 97hauehave been (by their owne saying) more seruiceable in their Indies and China; let them thanke (after their number and leasure) their shelter of Spaine: the opportunitie of whose patronage hath preferr'd them to vsus; not their more forward desires. In short, companying with Infidels may not be simply condemned; who can holde so, that sees Lot in Sodom, Israel with the Egyptians, Abraham and Isaac with their Abimelechs; Roses among thornes, and pearles among much mud; and, for all, Christ among Publicans and Sinners? so wee neither be infected by them, nor they further infected by our confirmation; nor the weake Christian by vsus infected with offence, nor the Gospell infected with reproch; what danger can there be? If neither wee, nor they, nor the p. 98weake, nor (which is highest) the Name of God be wronged; who can complaine? You hauehave mine opinion, dispose now of your selfe as you dare: The earth is the Lords, and you are his; wheresoeuer he shall finde you, be sure you shall finde him eueryevery where.

p. 99To the Gentlemen of his Highnesses Court.

EP. X. A description of a good and faithfull Courtier.

WHiles I aduentured other characters into the light, I reserued one for you; whom I account no smal part of my ioy; The Character of VVhat you are, of VVhat you should be: Not that I arrogate to my selfe, more than ordinarie skill in these high points; I desire not to describe a Courtier: How should I, that hauehave but seene and saluted the seat of p. 100Princes? Or why should I, whose thoghts are sequestred to the Court of heauen? But if I would decipher a good Courtier, who can heerein controll my indeuour? Goodnesse in all formes is but the iust subiect of our profession: what my obseruation could not, no lesse certaine rule shall afford me. Our Discourse hath this freedome, that it may reach beyond our eyes with beleefe. If your experience agree not with my speculation, distrust me. I care not for their barking, which condemne me, at first, of incongruitie; as if these two termes were so dissonant, that one sentence could not holde them. The Poet slanders, that abandons all good men from Courts. Who knowes not that the Egyptian Court had a Moses; the Court of Samaria an Obadiah; of Ierusalem p. 101an Ebed-melech; of Damascus a Naaman; of Babylon a Daniel; of Ethiope a good Treasurer; and very Neroes Court in Pauls time, his Saints. That I may not tell, how the Courts of Christian Princes hauehave been likened by our Ecclesiasticall historians, to some royall Colleges for their order, grauity, goodnesse mixed with their maiesty; and that I may willingly forbeare to compare (as, but for enuy, I durst) yours with theirs. I speake boldly, the Court is as nigh to Heauen as the Cell, and doth no lesse require, and admit strict holinesse. I banish therefore hence all impietie, and dare presage his ruine whose foundation is not layed in goodnesse. Our Courtier is no other than vertuous, and serues the God of heauen as his first Master, and from him deriues his dutie to p. 102these earthen gods; as one that knowes the thrones of heauen and earth are not contrary, but subordinate, & that best obedience springs from deuotion: his abilitie and will hauehave both conspired to make him perfectly seruiceable, and his diligence waits but for an opportunity. In the factions of some great riualls of honor, he holds himselfe in a free neutrality, accounting it safer in vniust frayes to looke on, than to strike; and if necessitie of occasion will needs winde him into the quarrell, he chuses not the stronger part, but the better; resoluing rather to fall with innocence and truth, than to stand with powerfull iniustice. In the changes of fauours and frownes he changeth not; his sincere honestie beares him thorow all alterations, with wise boldnesse, if not with p. 103successe: and when he spies clouds in the eyes of his Prince (which yet of long he will not seeme to see) his cleere heart giues him a cleere face; and if he may be admitted, his loyall breath shall soone dispell those vapors of ill suggestion: but if after all attempts of winde and Sunne he sees them setled, and the might of his accusers will not let him seeme as hee is; hee giues way in silence, without stomach, and waits vponupon Time. Hee is not ouer-hastily intent vponupon his owne promotion, as one that seeks his Prince, not himselfe; and studies more to deserue than rise, scorning either to grow great by his owne bribes, ot rich by the bribes of others. His officious silence craues more than others words; and if that language be not heard, nor vnderstood, hee opens p. 104his mouth, yet late and sparinglie; without bashfulnesse, without importunity; caring only to motion, not caring to plead. He is affable and curteous, not vainly popular; abasing his Princes fauour to woe the worthlesse applause of the vulgar; approouing by his actions that he seekes one, not many; if not rather, one in many. His Alphabet is his Princes disposition; which once learned, hee plies with diligent seruice, not with flatterie; not commending eueryevery action as good, nor the best too much; and in presence. When he finds an apparent growth of fauour, hee dares not glory in it to others, lest he should solicit their enuie, and hazzard the shame of his owne fall; but inioyes it in quiet thankfulnesse: not neglecting it, not drawing it on too fast: Ouermuch p. 105forwardnesse argues no perpetuitie. How oft hauehave we knowen the weake beginnings of a likely fire scattered with ouer-strong a blast? And if another rise higher, hee enuieth not; onelyonly emulating that mans merit, and suspecting his own. Neither the name of the Court, nor the grace of a Prince, nor applause of his inferiours, can lift him aboue himselfe, or lead him to affect any other than a wise mediocritie. His owne sincerity cannot make him ouer-credulous. They are few, and well tried, whom hee dares vse; or perhaps obliged by his own fauors: so in all imployments of friendship hee is wary without suspicion, and without credulitie charitable. He is free, as of heart, so of tongue, to speake what he ought, not what he might: neuer but (what Princes p. 106eares are not alwaies inured to) meere Truth: yet that, tempered for the measure, and time, with honest discretion. But if he meet with ought that might bee beneficiall to his master, or the state, or whose concealement might proue preiudiciall to either, neither feare nor gain can stop his mouth. He is not basely querulous, not forward to spend his complaints on the disgraced, not abiding to build his own fauors vponupon the vniust ruins of an oppressed fortune. The errours of his fellowes he reports with fauour; their vertues with aduantage. Hee is a good husband of his houres; equally detesting idlenesse and base disports; and placing all his free time vponupon ingenuous studies, or generous delights; such as may make either his body, or minde, more fit p. 107for noble seruice. He listeth not to come to counsell vncalled, nor vnbidden to intermeddle with secrets, whether of person, or state; which yet once imposed, hee manageth, with such fidelitie and wisdome, as well argue him to hauehave refrained, not out of feare, but iudgement: He knowes how to repay an iniurie with thankes, and a benefit with vsurie; the one out of a wise patience without malicious closenesse; the other out of a bounteous thankfulnesse. His life is his owne willing seruant, and his Princes free vassall; which he accounts lent to him, that he may giuegive it for his master: the intercepting of whose harmes hee holds both his duty, and honour; & whether he be vsed as his sword, or his shield, hee doth both with cheerefulnesse. He can so demeane p. 108himselfe in his officious attendance, that hee equally auoids satiety and obliuion; not needlesly lauish of himselfe, to set out and shew his parts alwaies at the highest; nor wilfully concealed in great occasions. Hee loues to deserue and to hauehave friends, but to trust rather to his owne vertue. Reason and honestie (next vnderunder religion) are his Counsellers, which hee followes without care of the euent, not without foresight. In a iudgement of vnkindnesse and enuie, he neuer casts the first stone, and hates to picke thanks by detraction. He vndertakes none but worthy sutes, such as are free from basenesse and iniustice; such as it neither shame to aske, nor dishonor to grant; not suffring priuate affections to ouer-weigh publique equitie or conuenience; and better p. 109brooking a friends want, than an ill precedent; and those which he yeeldeth to accept, he loues not to linger in an afflicting hope: a present answer shall dispatch the feares or desires of his expecting client. His brest is not a cisterne to retaine, but as a conduit-pipe, to vent the reasonable and honest petitions of his friend. Finally, hee so liues, as one that accounts not Princes fauors hereditarie; as one that will deserue their perpetuitie, but doubt their change; as one that knowes there is a wide world beside the Court, and aboue this world an heauen.

EPISTLES, THE FOVRTH Decade.