Ch.5. What Chrifts knocking is.

Secondly, to difcerne fome fuch groffe herefies as quenched the heart and life of Christianity; as the impiety of Arius, denying the God-head of Chrift; of Macedonius and Eunemius, denying the perfon of the holy Ghoft; of Neftorius, dividing the perfons in Chrift;of Eutiches, confounding their, natures: other straw and stubble built upon the foundation they neglected.

It is the voice of my beloved that knock. eth,fying, Open.] Chrift ufed good meanes to awaken his spouse, and to raise her up from this carnall security.

145

First, he calleth to her in the voice of fundry good Divines,who complained of the intolerable burthen of humane inventions, wherewith the common Chriftians were defiled and dabled, as Chrift here complaines: His locks & haire were full of the drops of the night; drops with Auguft. coldneffe of Religion and darkneffe of ep.119. ignorance ingendred.

Secondly, he knocked by the raps and blowes which Conftantius,Valens, and Julian gave to the Church; the two former perfecuting the orthodox Bishops and Minifters and other Chriftians, in favour of the Arians; and Fulian making flat AL postacy

146

Verse 3.

Humane inventions of what use. Ch.5 poftacy from the Church, and fubtlely fupplanting the nurfing of Religion.

I put off my coat, how fhall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?

I have put off my coat.]Thus upon fleight pretence the Church refuseth to open to Chrift: fhe pretends, Religion & the wor fhip of God would appeare too naked, if it were not clothed with goodly & comely humane inventions;how then fhould the in fo naked a manner open to Chrift? Humane inventions do not clothe Religion, or the Church profeffing it with any comely ornaments; but, as it were with warme blankets,lap her and lull her asleep in the bed of perfunctorie worship and carnall fecurity.

I do not here conceive that the Church acknowledgeth fhe hath caft off her garments of Chrifts righteoufneffe; for then how fhould fhee remaine the spouse of Chrift? yea, how then should her heart have beene otherwife then afleepe too? but onely fhee pleadeth fhee should appeare too naked if fhee fhould open to Chrift, if flee fhould worship him in the fimplicity and nakednesse of his fimple ordinances.

I

Ch.5. What the Churches washing her feet. 147

I haue washed my feet: ] Not with the laver of regeneration, for that would have beene no impediment, but a furtherance to the pure worship of God; but Thee had washed her feet, fhee had freed and cleanfed her converfation from defilements of fecular affaires: fhee had taken up a devout regard of virginitie, or hermitish or monkifh folitary retiredness; shee being cleansed and washed in these devices, cannot betake herselfe to wor hip the Lord in his fimple ordinances,and n the waies of her calling, without fome defilement: Thus marriage and worldly bufineffe (though both allowed by God, yet)seeme a defilement, in comparison of more strict fuperftitious devotion.

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of verfe 4. the door, and my bowels were moved for

Sim.

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the doore; ] Or, My beloved put downe his band by the hole of the doore.] Either of which imply, that Chrift did at first use meanes for himselfe to open the doore, when fhee would not; attempting to remove the impediments which hinder him From enjoying his fpoufe: First, put his L2

band

148 Chrift feekes to purge his Church. Ch.5.

hand by the hole of the doore, when he ftirred up Chriftian Emperours, fuch as Martianus, and both the Theodofit, to call Synods,and to command the Fathers affembled, to give all diligence to roote out all herefies, and depravations of doctrine and worship, that the pure and holy faith might fhine forth.

How eafily might the Church,upon fuch encouragements, have broken the barres and bolts of fuperftition crept into the worship of God, whereby Chrift was debarred from drawing neer to them? The Bishops alfembled in thofe Councels of that time,condemned those grofs herefits which blafphemed the doctrine of the Trinity; but how deeply did they neglect to redreffe all other enormities and corruptions? Besides, Chrift is faidto put in his hand by the hole of the door,when he his fpirit, which is the power & finger of God, into the hearts of his people, whereby they are enlightened to know him better, and ftirre up men honestly to feek after him. So Chrift enlightned and ftirred up Leo Efauricus, Conftantines fonne, and Leo Copronimus, to bend their best endevours to roote out Idolatry, and

purs

to

Ch.5. Endeavours after reformation fweet. 149 remove Images, which were one of he chiefeft abuses in Gods worship. My bowels were moved for him. ] Thefe ood Princes,and other Christians at that ime were ftrongly and inwardly affected o the purity of Gods worship,in which aone Chrift is found.

I refe up to open to my beloved, and my Verse 5. ands dropped with myrrhe,and my fingers with sweet swelling myrrh,upon the handles fthe locke.

I rose up to open to my beloved. ] The Church under thefe good Emperours rofe p out of the blankets of these humane ventions wherewith fhee was covered, a bed of fleeping devotion, and endeaoured to reftore openly the fimplicity of Gods worship, rejecting Images and Iolatry.

My hands dropped with myrrhe, and my ngers with sweet swelling myrrhe, upon the andles of the lock.]The endeavours of the Church were fweet & delectable and aceptable to Christ,and favoury to the peole, to preserve them, as myrrhe, from urther perfecution, when Conftantine the onne of Leo Ifauricus, called the feventh "onftantinopolitan Councell,and there tru