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manis Arium sapere visi sunt, negando tres Personas: fervet lis: accedit magnus ille animarum dispensator; et, utrâque parte leniter benignèque accitâ, ita negotium transigit, ut, nominum usum concedens, rebus eos constringeret; lumenque profert, quo se mutuò contuerentur: nec mora: conscii suæ demum orthodoxias, ruunt illico in mutuos amplexus. Neque aliter profectò, uti piè crediderim, cederet nobis fratribus, si quis è cœlo dextras jungeret Athanasius.

O, si clausis semel belli intestini ac nefandi portis: Reformatarum Ecclesiarum Nutricii Principes, auctoritate suâ, Synodum indici juberent, quantum fieri potest, Generalem; in quâ, liberè modestèque, sententiam suam dicerent pars utraque litigantium, statuerenturque communes quidam termini, in quibus utraque tutò posset absque omni sui præjudicio acquiescere! Quàm facilè, fœliciterque, sopirentur hæ tam funesta lites! Precemur nos hæc, mei Fratres; precemur devotissimè.

Animosque, interea, ad pacem unitatemque placidè flectamus. Sit inter nos, quod Augustino Hieronymus, pura germanitas. Neque sinamus nos, leviculis quibusque opinionum minutiis, distrahi ac divelli. Obliviscamur fuisse unquam in rerum naturâ, quantum ad sectæ quidem ullius denotationem, Lutherum, Philippum, Zuinglium, Calvinum, Arminium, aut si quod mortale no

Hypostases: the Eastern likewise seemed to the Romans, to favour too much of Arius, in denying three Persons: the quarrel grew hot: then came that great dispenser of souls; and, having meekly and mildly called forth both sides before him, he so handled the business, that, granting them the free use of their terms, he tied them close to the matter; and shewed them a light, whereby they might behold one another: upon this, without more ado, finding themselves both in the right, they fall to mutual embracements. Neither would it speed otherwise with us brethren, as I do verily believe, if some Athanasius from heaven would but join our hands together.

Oh, if once the gates of intestine and horrid wars were shut up: and the Religious Princes, which are the Nursing Fathers of the Reformed Churches, would command, by virtue of their authority, a Synod to the assembled, as General as it might; wherein both parts, freely and modestly, might lay forth their opinions, and such common terms might be agreed upon, as wherein both parts might freely rest without prejudice to either! How easily then, how happily, might these grievous stirs be quietly pacified! Let us pray for this, my Brethren; let us pray devoutly.

In the mean while, let us all sweetly incline our hearts to peace and unity. Let there be amongst us, as St. Augustin to Jerome, pure brotherhood. Neither let us suffer ourselves, upon every slight quirk of opinion, to be distracted or torn asunder. Let us forget that there were ever any such, in respect of the devotion of a sect, as Luther, Melancthon, Calvin, Zuinglius, Arminius, or if

men; quid enim nobis cum homine negotii est? Unum spiremus unum ardeamus, Jesum Christum.

Pleiades sumus Theologi, ut ingenuosè Gregorius: unà micemus omnes, etsi non sine aliquo loci intervallo. Malo Punico grana plurima sunt sub uno cortice: nôstis mysterium: nos Mala Punica jungamus tintinnabulis: sonori simus, sed et concordes, Opera, ministeria, dona nostra universa, uno Deo Patri, Filio, Spiritui Sancto; uni Capiti, Christo; uni Corpori, Ecclesiæ, corde uno æternùm voveamus: ut, uno tincti Baptismate, uno empti Pretio, unam Fidem professi, Unitatem Spiritus retinentes in Vinculo Pacis, uno eodemque Cœlo tandem fœlicissimè perfruamur, per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum: Cui, cum Patre, ac Spiritu, sit omnis honor et gloria, in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.

any other mortal name; for what have we to do with man? Let us breathe nothing, let us affect nothing, but Jesus Christ.

We Divines are Pleiades, as Gregory saith wittily: let us therefore shine still together, though not without some difference of place. In a pomegranate are many grains under one rind you know the mystery: let us join these pomegranates to our bells: let us be loud, but consorted. Let us devote for ever, with one heart, all our operations, ministries, gifts, to one God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; to one Head, Christ; one Body, the Church: that, being washed with one Baptism, ransomed with one Price, professing one Faith, and holding the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace, we may at last happily enjoy one and the same Heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord: To whom, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be ascribed all honour and glory, for evermore. Amen.

SERMON XI.

THE BEST BARGAIN:

A SERMON; PREACHED TO THE court at theOBALD'S, ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1623,

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

WILLIAM, EARL OF PEMBROKE,

LORD HIGH CHAMBERLAIN; CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD; ONE OF HIS MAJESTY'S MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL,

RIGHT HONOURABLE:

LET it please you to receive from the press, what you vouchsafed to require from my pen: unworthy, I confess, either of the public light, or the beams of your Honour's judicious eyes; yet such as, besides the motive of common importunity, I easily apprehended, might be not a little useful for the times; which, if ever, require quickening. Neither is it to no purpose, that the world should see in what stile we speak to the Court, not without acceptation. This, and whatever service I may be capable of, are justly devoted to your Lordship; whom all good hearts follow with true honour, as the great Patron of Learning, the sincere Friend of Religion, and rich Purchaser of Truth. The God of Heaven add to the number of such Peers, and to the measure of your Lordship's graces and happiness,

Your Honour's,

In all humble and faithful observance,

JOSEPH HALL,

PROVERBS Xxiii. 23.

Buy the Truth, and sell it not.

THE subject of my Text, is a BARGAIN and SALE; a Bargain enjoined, a Sale forbidden: and the subject of both bargain and sale, is Truth; a Bargain able to make us all rich, a Sale able to make any of us miserable. Buy the Truth, and sell it not. A sentence of short sound, but large extent. The words are but seven sylla

bles; an easy load for our memories: the matter is a world of work; a long task for our lives.

And first, let me call you to this Mart, which holds both now and ever. If ye love yourselves, be ye customers at this shop of heaven: Buy the Truth.

Ï. In every BARGAIN there is merx and mercatura; the Commodity, and the Match.

1. The COMMODITY to be bought is the Truth; the match made for this commodity, is Buying: Buy the Truth.

An ill Judge may put a good interrogatory: yet it was a question too good for the mouth of a Pilate, What is Truth? The Schools have wearied themselves in the solution. To what purpose should I read a Metaphysical Lecture to Courtiers?

Truth is as Time, one in all: yet, as Time, though but one, is distinguished into past, present, future, and every thing hath a time of its own; so is Truth variously distinguished, according to the subjects wherein it is. This is Anselm's, cited by Aquinas.

I would rather say, Truth is as Light; (Send forth thy Truth, and thy Light, saith the Psalmist;) which, though but one in all, yet there is one light of the sun, another of the moon, another of the stars, another of this lower air. There is an essential and. causal truth in the Divine understanding, which the Schools call Primo-primam. This will not be sold, cannot be bought: God will not part with it, the world is not worth it. This truth is as the light in the body of the sun. There is an intrinsical or formal truth in things truly existing: for, Being and True are convertible; and St. Austin rightly defines, Verum est illud, quod est. All this created truth in things, is derived, exemplarily and causally, from that increated truth of God. This the Schools call Secundo-primam; and it is as the light of the sun-beams, cast upon the moon and stars, There is an extrinsecal or secondary truth of propositions, following upon and conformable to the truth of the things expressed: thus, verum is no other than esse declarativum, as Hilary. And this truth, being the thing itself subjectively, in words expressively, in the mind of man terminatively, presupposeth a double conformity or adequation; both of the understanding to the matter conceived, and of the words to the understanding; so as truth is, when we speak as we think, and think as it is. And this truth is as the light diffused from those heavenly bodies, to the region of this lower

air.

This is the truth we are called to buy. But this derivative and relative truth, whether in the mind or in the mouth, hath much multiplicity, according to the matter either conceived or uttered. There is a theological truth; there is a natural; there is a moral; there is a civil: all these must be dear bought; but the best at the highest rate, which is Theological or Divine; whether in the principles, or necessary conclusions. The Principles of Divine Truth are Scriptura Veritatis; Dan. x. 21: The Law of Truth; Mal. ii. 6: The Word of Truth; 2 Cor. vi. 7. The necessary Conclusions are they, which, upon irrefragable inferences, are deduced

from those holy grounds. Shortly then, every parcel of Divine Truth, whether laid down in Scripture or drawn necessarily from Scripture, is this mercimonium sacrum, which we are bidden to Buy; Buy the Truth.

2. This is the Commodity: the MATCH is, Buy; that is, Beat the price, and pay it.

Buy it: of Whom? for What?

(1.) Of whom, but of the Owner, of the Maker? The Owner: it is Veritas Domini, God's Truth; Psalm cxvii. 2. His stile is the Lord God of Truth; Psalm xxxi. 5. The Maker: The works of his hands are truth and judgments; Psalm cxi. 7, And if any. usurping spirit of error shall have made a free-booty of truth, and shall withhold it in unrighteousness, we must redeem it out of his hands with the highest ransom.

(2.) What is the Price? That is the main thing in buying; for buying is no other than pactio preti. Elsewhere God proclaims; Ho, every one that thirsteth, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price; Isaiah lv. 1: this is a donation, in form of sale: but, here must be a price in the hand: God will give mercy, and not sell it; he will sell truth, and not give it.

For what will he sell it?

First, for Labour. The Heathen Poet could say, his gods sold learning for sweat; the original word here used is p, compara, get it any way, either labore or pretio; yea, labore and pretio. This great foreman of God's shop tells us we cannot have it under, Prov. ii. 4. We must seek for her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures. The vein of truth lies low: it must be digged and delved for, to the very centre. If truth could be bought with ease and pleasure, many a lazy Christian would bid fair for it; who now resolve rather upon want, than toil. The slothful worldling will rather take up a falsehood for truth, than beat his brain to discern truth from falsehood. An error of free-cost is better than a highrated verity. Labour for truth is turned over for the task of Churchmen. No life savours to these phlegmatic spirits, but that of the lilies; Neque laborant, neque nent; They neither labour, nor spin. This dull resolution is unworthy of a Christian; yea, of a reasonable soul: and, if we should take up no other for the body, we should be fed with hunger, and clothed with nakedness; the earth should be our feather-bed, and the sky our canopy; we should abound with want, live savagely, and die miserably. It was the just canon of the Apostle, He, that labours not, let him not eat. Certainly, he can never eat of the heavenly Manna of Truth, that will not step forth to gather it. Hear this, ye Delicate Courtiers, that would hear a sermon, if ye could rise out of your beds; that would lend God an hour, if ye could spare it from your pleasures. The God of Heaven scorns to have his precious Truth so basely undervalued. If ye bid God less than Labour for Truth, I can give you no comfort, but that ye may go to hell with ease.

The markets of Truth, as of all other commodities, vary. It is the rule of casuits; Justitia pretii non consistit in individuo: "The

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