Diary of John Manningham Part 10

[Sidenote: May 9, 1602.

fo. 18^b.]

Moses while he was in the Wildernes had onely the place of a mediator not a iudge, and therefore we read that whensoeuer the people murmured, G.o.d punished them. But when Moses left his station, and would at any tyme become a iudge ouer them, G.o.d neuer punished the people that murmured, but Moses that forgot his place. Christ, vntill the latter day, hath the place of an aduocate, but then he shalbe a iudge of the quicke and dead.

Wee reade of three exaltacions of our Saviour, one upon the crosse to purchase our pardon; 2, from the graue for the publication thereof; 3, to heauen for the application of his resurrection; and all these were necessarilie to be performed by him, for the consummation of our salvation.

The Serpent was not lifted up in the Wildernes before the people were stung by the serpents, and Christ is not to be propounded on the Crosse as a comfort untill the sting of Synn be felt throughly.

[Sidenote: May 9, 1602.

fo. 19.]

The Scripture telleth us that of all beasts the Serpent is the most subtill, and his subtilty is obserued in three points: first, when those nations in Syria and other hott countries found themselues often endangered by the stinging of venomous beasts, amongst other remedies they invented charming, which the serpent perceuinge, to auoyd their cunning and effect his malice, he would stop both his eares, the one by laying it close to the earth, the other by stopping it with his tayle.

Soe fareth the synner; lett the preacher speake never soe heauenly, yet will he close one eare with worldly thoughts, and the other with fleshly imaginacions. The second property of his subtilty is in defending his heade, where his lyfe lyes, it will soe winde it selfe about that part, that [it] is a matter of greate difficulty to cutt of a serpentes heade.

In every man there is some radicall and capitall synn, which is predominant, and this the devil endeavours by all slightes to preserve.

The third point of the serpents subtilty is accounted the attractiue power which remayneth in the heade deuided from the body, for it is proved by experience that, yf a serpent be cutt in many peeces, yf his heade remaine aliue, yet that part will gather the rest togither againe; soe leave the head synn alive, and it will gather a whole body againe.

As Christ is the heade of the Churche he never suffered nor dyed.

The brasen Serpent was made like the live and true serpents in all thinges, the sting onely excepted; Christ was made like man in all things sauing synn.

All which beheld the brasen Serpent were cured; all that beleeve in Christ are saved.

Remedies are either naturall, by virtue of some inherent qualitie in the medicine applied; or by diuine influence and inst.i.tution, when some thing is effected either beyond or contrary to the force and nature of that which is used. And this is miraculous; soe was the curing of the blind by laying spittle and clay upon the eyes of the blinde. Soe the cure of the lame by was.h.i.+ng in the poole of Bethesdas, and soe the healing of the Israelites by beholdinge the brasen Serpent.

Fayth properly in things beyond or contrary to reason.

[Sidenote: May 9, 1602.

fo. 19^b.]

As by the inst.i.tucion of marriage the heate of the flesh is abated, soe by our mysticall connection with Christ the heate of syn is allayed.

MAY 13. AT THE TEMPLE CHURCHE.

[Sidenote: May 13, 1602.

fo. 20.]

One Moore of Baliol Colledge in Oxford; his text Amos iii. 6: "Shall there be evil in the city and the Lord hath not done it?" _Malum culpe et malum poene_; of the latter onely G.o.d is the author. G.o.d may be said to be the author of synn permissive, and an actor in synn, though not the author of the synne, for ther is noe action but he is the first cause of it: and yet he is noe partner or cause of the il in the action, noe more then he which rideth vpon a lame iade, can be said to be the cause of his limpinge, though he be the cause of his paceinge, nor a cunning musician the cause of discordes when he playeth on a lute that is out of tune. There is a two-fold power in every thing, and both derived from G.o.d; the one of creacion, whereby every thing worketh according to nature, as the fyre to burne, &c.; and the other of preservacion, whereby that force is continued, and if the second be withdrawne the first perisheth, for G.o.d is not a mere efficient externall, as the taylour of the garmente, or a carpenter of the house, whose effects may continue though their labour continue not, but he is an inherent continuall a.s.sistant cause, soe that yf he withdrawe his power of preseruing the power of creacion is idle, soe the fire in furnace could not burne the children, &c.

DE ASCENSIONE DOMINI.

Non omnis questio est doctrinae inquisitio, Sed quaedam etiam est ignorantiae professio.

Cicatrices Dominus seruauit post resurrectionem et in judicio seruaturus est, vt fidem resurrectionis astruat: 2. Vt pro omnibus supplicando ea patri representet: 3. Vt boni quam misericorditer sint redempti videant.

4. Vt reprobi quam iuste sint d.a.m.nati recognoscant. 5. Vt perpetuae victoriae seu [suae?] triumphum deferat.

(_Beda._)

[Sidenote: May 16, 1602.

fo. 20^b.]

May 16, 1602. AT PAULES CROSSE.

One Sanders made a Sermon, his text 1 Timoth. vi. 17: "Charge them that are riche in this world that they be not high mynded; and that they trust not in vncertayne riches; but in the liuing G.o.d, which giueth us abundantly all things to enioye."

Charge them that they lift up their soules to G.o.d in heavenly meditation, not against G.o.d by worldly presumption.

Charge the riche, therefore there were diversitie of condition and estates of men in the primitiue Churche, not all thinges common in possession, as the Anabaptists would haue it.

When there came one to Pope Benedict to entreat him to make more Cardinals, he demaunded first yf he could deuise how he might make more worldes: for this was to litle for the Cardinals which were already.

Such ambitious covetousnes the Pope noted in those holie ones.

Good meate is often tymes corrupted by a bad stommache, and good doctrine of small effect with bad hearers. Yett the minister must not be discouraged: but proceed in his calling, that yf synn cannot be avoyded yet it may become vnexcusable.

Ephesus, whereof Tymothie was Bishop, was the confluence of honour and wealth, like our London.

The surgeon is not to be blamed that findes and shewes the corrupt and rotten parts of the body, but the body which is soe corrupt as to breed them; soe the preacher not to be disliked for reprehending our synnes, but our selves for committing things worthy reprehension.

[Sidenote: May, 1602.

fo. 21.]

Good things though common are not to be contemned for their commonness, noe more then the sunne, the light, the ayre, &c.

The vsuror sometymes looseth both his princ.i.p.all and interest, the husbandman his labour and his seede, the merchant aduentures lyfe and goods; but the profession of the preacher is subiect to greater then all these, for he may loose both his owne and the peoples soules.

It is one of the most heauie judgments that G.o.d useth to threaten to anie nation with whom he is displeased, that he will remoue their candlesticke and send a famine of the word amongst them.

G.o.d made some riche, and some poore, that twoe excellent virtues might flourishe in the world, charitie in the riche, and patience in the poore. Pride is the sting of riches. _Tolle superbiam, et diuitiae non nocebunt._

A man may speake of his owne riches, soe it be without arrogancy, for it is a good thinge to speake of the loving kindenes of the Lord.

Magistrates and rich men must not be like the filling stones in a building, but arche and corner stones, which support others.

When persons of meane worth thrust themselves into places beyond their condicion and hability, it is all one as yf the rough mortar and pebles should appeare in the roomes of the squared stones in a fayre building.

Themistocles said there was no musicke so sweete vnto him as to heare his owne prayses.

In the primitiue Churche the riche men were soe proud that they refused to receive the Sacrament with the poore.