ii. 14-17,) God detests you all, and laughs you and your worship

to scorn. Never tell me, I am too rash; it is the devil that says so; he has got two scriptures by the end in these days: one, that there is none that doth good: and why?[71] That he may persuade all it is impossible to overcome him: which is the reason so many are overcome; although glory is promised to none but conquerors. The second, that we must not judge, lest we be judged: that is, whilst we are guilty of the same things that are equivalent, lest we are judged. But away with Satan and his hypocrisy too: I know what I say, and from whom I speak: once more I tell you all, whether you will hear or forbear, that unless you forsake your pride, luxury, avarice, and the whole variety of vanities, and diligently mind the eternal light of God in your hearts, to obey it; wrath will be your portion for ever. Trust not your souls upon misapplied Scriptures; he that is a child of God must be holy, for God is holy; and none are his sons and daughters but those who are adopted by the eternal Spirit, and led thereby. (1 Pet. i. 15, 16; Rom. viii. 1-16.) It was a holy, plain, humble, divine life, these poor suffering Christians both professed and practised, refusing to converse with such as lived in the superfluities and excess of the world; for which, if you will believe their very adversaries, they were persecuted: "For," says Rainerius,[72] a great writer against them, "they used to teach, first, what the disciples of Christ ought to be, and that none are his disciples but they that imitate his life; and that the popes, cardinals, &c., because they live in luxury, pride, avarice, &c., are not the successors of Christ; but themselves only, in that they walk up to his commandments; thus," says he, "they win upon the people." But if so, that none are Christians but those that imitate Christ, what will become of those who call themselves Christians and yet live at ease in the flesh, not regarding the work of the holy cross of Christ in their hearts, that crucifies them that bear it to the world, and the world to them? This was the true ground of their sufferings, and their loud cries against the impieties of the greatest; not sparing any ranks, from the throne to the dunghill, as knowing their God was no respecter of persons. And now, if you would follow them indeed, if you would be Protestants in substance, and learn your enemies a way worth their changing for--else better words go but a little way--if you would obtain the heavenly inheritance, and you would be eternally blessed, be ye persuaded to forsake all the pride and pomp of this vain world. O mind the concerns of an everlasting rest! Let the just and serious principle of God within you be the constant guide and companion of your minds, and let your whole hearts be exercised thereby, that you may experience an entire reformation and change of affections, through the power of that divine leaven which leavens the whole lump, viz. body, soul, and spirit, where it is received; to which, and its work in man, our blessed Lord likened the kingdom of God which He came to set up in the soul: that so having the joys and glory of another world in your view, you may give your best diligence to make your calling and election to the possession of them sure and certain; lest, selling that noble inheritance for a poor mess of perishing pottage, you never enter into his eternal rest. And though this testimony may seem too tedious, yet could it by no means be omitted.--To authorize our last reason, of converting superfluities into the relief of distressed persons, although one would think it so equal and sober, that it needs no other authority than its own, yet I shall produce two testimonies so remarkable, that as they ever were esteemed truly good, so they cannot be approved by any that refuse to do the same, without condemning themselves of great iniquity. Oh, you are called with an high and holy call; as high as heaven, and as holy as God; for it is He that calls us to holiness through Christ, who sent his Son to bless us, in turning us from the evil of our ways; and unless we are so turned we can have no claim to the blessing that comes by Christ to men.

[67] Bern de Gir lora. de Hail. Hist. de la Fr. 1. 10. Vesemb. Orat. in Wald. Beza Hist. hom. dig. virer de ver. et fals. Rel. 1. 4, c. 13, p. 249, Cat. Test. ve. 334, Vigin, Bibl. Hist. p. 1.

[68] Vieaux Mem. fol. 6, 7.

[69] Mut. Par. in Hen. 3, Anno, 1220. Sigonius de Reg. Ital. 1, 7.

[70] Sernay, c. 47, Chef. 1. 3, c. 7.

[71] The devil is a Scripturian sometimes.

[72] Rain. cap. de stud. pervert. alios et modo dicendi. l. 98. Baron. Eccl. Annal. tom. 18, an. 1176, p. 835. Kranz. in Metrop. l. 8. sect. 18, and in Sax. l. 8, cap. 16.

XXI. It is reported of Paulinus,[73] bishop of Nola in Italy, that, instead of converting the demesnes of his diocese to particular enrichment, he employed it all in the redemption of poor slaves and prisoners: believing it unworthy of the Christian faith, to see God's creation labour under the want of what he had to spare. All agree this was well done, but few agree to do the same.

[73] Eccl. Hist. p. 5, 393.

XXII. But more particularly that of Acacius,[74] bishop of Amida, given us by Socrates Scholasticus, in this manner: "When the Roman soldiers purposed in nowise to restore again unto the king of Persia such captives as they had taken at the winning of Azazena, being about seven thousand in number, to the great grief of the king of Persia, and all of them ready to starve for want of food: Acacius lamented their condition, and calling his clergy together, said thus unto them, 'Our God hath no need of dishes or of cups, for He neither eateth nor drinketh; these are not his necessaries; wherefore, seeing the church hath many precious jewels, both of gold and silver, bestowed of the free-will and liberality of the faithful, it is requisite that the captive soldiers should be therewith redeemed, and delivered out of prison and bondage, and they perishing with famine should therewith be refreshed and relieved.'" Thus he prevailed to have them all converted into money; some for their immediate refreshment, some for their redemption, and the rest for coastage or provision, to defray the charges of their voyage. Which noble act had such an universal influence, that it more famed the Christian religion among the Infidels, than all their disputes and battles: insomuch that the King of Persia, a Heathen, said, "The Romans endeavour to win their adversaries both by wars and favours;" and greatly desired to behold that man, whose religion taught so much charity to enemies; which, it is reported, Theodosius, the emperor, commanded Acacius to gratify him in. And if the Apostle Paul's expression hath any force, that "He is worse than an infidel who provides not for his family;" (1 Tim. 5;) how greatly doth his example aggravate your shame, that can behold such pity and compassion expressed to strangers, nay, enemies, and those infidels too, and be so negligent of your own family; (for England, aye, Christendom, in a sense, if not the world, is no more;) as not only to see their great necessities unanswered, but that wherewith they should be satisfied, converted to gratify the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life? But however such can please themselves, in the deceitful daubing of their mercenary priests, and dream they are members of Jesus Christ, it is certain that things were otherwise in the beginning; for then all was sold, and put into a common purse, to supply indigences: (Acts, iv. 32-37:) not mattering earthly inheritances, further than as they might, in some sense, be subservient to the great end for which they were given; namely, the good of the creation. Thus had the purest Christians their minds and thoughts taken up with the better things, and raised with the assurance of a more excellent life and inheritance in the heavens, that will never pass away. And for any to flatter themselves with being Christians, whilst so much exercised in the vanities, recreations, and customs of the world, as at this very day we see they are, is to mock the great God, and abuse their immortal souls. The Christian life is quite another thing.

[74] Socrat. Scholast.

And lest that any should object, many do great and seemingly good actions to raise their reputation only; and others only decry pleasure, because they have not wherewithal, or know not how to take it; I shall present them with the serious sayings of aged and dying men, and those of the greatest note and rank, whose experience could not be wanting to give the truest account, how much their honours, riches, pleasures, and recreations, conduced to their satisfaction, upon a just reckoning, as well before their extreme moments as upon their dying beds, when death, that hard passage into eternity, looked them in the face.