3.

The Third Poynt concerning bodily qualities in the Priests, beginneth in your Chapter heere at the 17. verse making exceptions against all blemishes, and particu∣larly making mention of diuers, which may not bée so Page  182 taken, as if God respected the outward fauour and per∣sonage of any man. For when Samuel went to an∣noint Dauid, and sawe the elder brother a goodly tall man, thinking in himselfe, this is hée, GOD plain∣ly tolde him, Hee looked not as men doe, vpon the out-ward*shewe, and therefore bad him not looke vpon the same. But this was done to preserue the dignitie of the calling in that infancie of the Church, which otherwise might haue come into contempt, together with the ho∣ly things they dealt withall, for the contemptible shew of the Priests. Yet thus much w•• may learne by it further, that if these infirmities of bodie which they could not helpe, made them vnfit then to be Priests vnto the Lord, may not now, wilfull impietie being a blot in soule and minde, disable a man from being a Minister to God in his owne conscience, although he haue the outward calling of men? Yes, yes, and that will some know one day, that thinke full well of themselues now, and sit in iudgement vpon their brethren, despising in a hautie pride all that they doe, and dée〈…〉ing no men worth any thing but themselues, when indeede there is no man lesse worth then themselues.

2 Yet for out-ward feature and comlinesse of bodie if it may bée had, it is the blessing of a good GOD, and more acceptable is (saith the old Prouerbe) Vertue com∣ming*in a comely bodie. Example might be shewed both in Ecclesiasticall men and temporall. But if it cannot be had, good Ministers must be preferred rather than fine. According to that which wée read of the men of Sparta, who when Agesilaus was desired to bée their Captaine that were mustred out against ye•Persians, being in déed very fit for warre, but lame of one foote, they long con∣sulted, whether they should hearken to that desire or no, but at last concluded, that it was better the Captaine should bee lame of a foote, then the Armie of a Captaine, and so let him goe. Euen in the like sort may it truely Page  183 bée sayd, it is better that a good Minister should want an eye or such like, then that the Church should want a good Minister.

3 Saint Gregorie in his Pastorall learnedly and large∣ly applyeth these ble•ishes here mentioned, to the vices and blemishes of our mindes. As, blinde is hée who * wanting light from aboue, is wholy drowned and o∣uer-whelmed with the darknes of this world, &c. Lame* is hée, who séeing whither hée should goe, yet is not able through weakenesse of minde to goe thither, but fainteth, and faileth, stumbleth and trippeth in his go∣ing, and commeth short of his right end. To whom may bée applyed that of the Apostle, Lift vp your hands which hang downe and your weake knees, and make streight steps vnto your feete, least that which is hal∣ting bee turned out of the way, &c. Hebr. 12. 12. By a flat-nose may bée noted a weakenesse in discretion and *iudgement, because the nose discerneth good sauours from euill, as the minde should also doe things fit and vnfit. In the Canticles among the praises of the Spouse, It is sayd, her nose is like a Tower in Libanon, because by *iudgement shée discerneth a farre of temptation and euils comming, as out of a Tower. There are some a∣gaine that are too quicke and busie, searching and pry∣ing further into many matters then they should, and so by their busie factions, and seditious heads, by their tur∣bulent and vnquiet wits, ouerthrowing the praise of their actions, and these are sayd to haue great noses or *crooked▪ a blenish and that a great one, vnfit for all men, but most foule in a Priest, and therefore such not admitted to the Altar of GOD. In these dayes, what out-cryes by the Secular Priests against the Iesuites for this vnquiet humour are •ublished, you cannot but vnderstand. They are therefore not so fit for the ALTAR as for the old Prouerbe, Busie must haue a band, and ouer-busie must bee hangd.Page  184 By broken foote or hand, such as haue no goodnesse at * all in them, not lame as before, but flat without. A crooked backe hath hée, who is bowed and pressed downe with the care of earthly things, so that hée loo∣keth not vp to heauen and future ioyes; but if hée heare any thing thereof, presently the other plucketh him to his bias againe, like to that séede sowen in stonie ground which is choked by earthly and worldly cares. A bleared eye hath hée, who hauing some sense and knowledge of good things, yet by an ill custome of bad behauiour is diuerted and ouerthrowne. For in blea∣red eyes, the candle or sight of the eye is said to be good, but by a bad humour distilling downe, the eye-liddes are hurt and made out of order, so grieuing and hin∣dring the sight of the eye. A Blemish in his eye hée is said to haue, who puffed vp with pride and arrogancie, seeth not indéede what he is, but as a sight that is able to sée, by a white-skinne growing ouer is hindred; so a man able to see and discerne good things for his wise∣dome, learning, and good naturall partes, through a vile whitenesse growing in his eye, that is, a proude con∣ceipt in his minde of his whitenesse aboue other men, is made starke blinde, and foolish, and absurd to all wise-men. To such therefore it is good counsell which the Lord giueth, To annoynt the eyes with eye-salue that they may see, &c. The Skiruie is a heate comming from * the Inwards to the out-ward skinne, and therefore such men noted, as haue inward concupisence and heat brea∣king foorth into the outward act of vncleanenesse, most vnfit for such as are and ought to be holy vnto GOD. The Scabbe, is a foulnesse arising of an Itche, and sprea∣ding broader & greater if it be not looked vnto, and ther∣by is noted the vice of Couetousnesse, which first be∣ginneth with an itching desire, and afterward for want of looking to, spreadeth to a great foule vice deforming any man, and most vnséemely in a Priest, who ought to Page  185 bée cleane. Couetousnesse, (saith the Apostle) is the roote of all euill. Lastly, by him that hath his stones broken, such are noted as though they doe not the act, yet haue euer in their mindes, lewde and vncleane thoughts, whereby they are so sinfully carryed away, as pure and cleane and holy Meditations can take no place. A fruite too well knowne to growe from forced chastitie: This burning fire of Hell in any man is damnable, and there∣fore our gracious GOD hath prouided a remedie. In a man consecrated to God to meditate in his Word day and night, it is mostodious. And therefore for no world∣ly respects to be suffered by the contempt of Gods Ordi∣nance, if God vouchsafe not the gift of Continencie, which is a vertue in the minde, and not an outward re∣straint of the body onely. Cursed are those policies that destroy both body and soule in hell-fire. These are the blemishes mentioned in your Chapter, which GOD would not haue in his Priests, and therefore such as had them, were not admitted to his Altar. How learned men haue laboured to apply them to morall vertues you sée, and it is very certaine, that such vices of the minde, as haue béen noted, neither then were, nor now are for such as offer the bread of God, but are to bée prayed a∣gainst and taken héede of, to the vttermost strength that God giueth, yet happily not intended by the Law. And therefore, I rather like to leaue these applications as the conceipts of men, and to learne by all these ble∣mishes forbidden, that the Iewes were then taught, (which wée haue also learned and beléeue) how no mortall man could be able to worke our peace and re∣conciliation with God, but onely Christ Iesus. For in all men are some or other blemishes, and it became vs to*haue such an High-Priest as is holy, harmelesse, vndefiled, seperate from sinners, and made higher then the Heauens, &c. In him then there was no blemish but he was the imaculate Lambe of GOD, able to saue vs, willing to Page  186 saue vs with the best blood hée had, and he hath thus saued all those that beléeue on him, and wée reiect all o∣ther Sauiours whatsoeuer. This was certainely the drift of this Lawe, and therefore wée may boldly gather this fruite from it.

Lastly, these persons hauing such blemishes, albeit they might not performe this dutie, to stand at the Ai∣tar; yet were they allowed to eate of the sacrifices and such things as the Priests did eate of, and allowed to bée in the Congregation: so say some, shadowing that the Church although blemished, neuerthelesse is admitted to the communion and participation of those things, which Christ by his eternall sacrifice hath obtained for it. And my selfe would gather this comfort from it, that albeit some one or other infirmitie may iustly disa∣ble mée for such a place either in the Church or Com∣mon-wealth; yet from a place with the elect, either héere, or for euer, it shall not hinder mée: No, ten thousand blemishes, nor any blemishes shall hinder mée, if gréeued with them, and fighting against them, as the Lord enableth mée, I take hold of my spotlesse Sauiour, as my helpe and safetie against them all. Thus then doe you meditate of this Chapter, and bee bettred by it, reading it ouer with these Notes, and praying in your heart for the helpe of his working spi∣rit, to make the Word profitable vnto you. My labour is but to draw you to read by a taste, and to pray that God may worke with you further then my Labours. The Word being a Well, the bottome whereof no man can come so vnto, but there will be still more water to draw.