hath all the spots that are mentioned, but to be scoured from all: this makes the purifica∣tion full. It is saide, Herod heard Iohn, and hee heard him gladly, and hee did manie good things. So he was cleansed in many things, but not in all, when it came to the sweete sinne, Thou shalt not haue thy Brothers wife: which should haue made vp all, then hee broke off. When Felix, Acts 24. had heard Pauls matter, he gaue him libertie, but with all hee hoped he should haue gotten some money, so that his heart was not wholly clensed. Ananias and Saphira, Acts 5. gaue a great part of all their possessions to the Apostles: but all came not, they kept backe a peece. Naaman (2. King. 5.) would worship and sacrifice to none, but to the true God: but yet he would haue the house of his master Rimmon excepted, to offer to the God Moloch. So may we say of our times. The Bethulians would haue a tearme to serue God in: they were tearmers, but it was but for a time. This (all) then is that which makes all perfect. And then it is wittily saide of a Father, of this word Catholike: As it sig∣nifies an Vniuersitie of all, as that God hath a Catholike Church, that is, in all Ages, and in all places, and of all estates of men, a Church; so me thinketh, that they are good Catho∣likes that are sanctified throughout, that will wholly cleanse themselues. So then we must throughly be cleansed; that is, both in the flesh, and in the spirit: As 2. Cor. 7. 1. both in heart and in hand, Iames, 4 In the Hebrue tongue it is worth the obseruation, how two words commonly to this effect runne together: the one is, that wee must bee straight, as were all the Saints, Iob, Paul, and Daniel, who were alwayes straight: So must they be that deale with God; they must haue no crookednes in them: the word (as I thinke) is allu∣ding to the outward timber in a building. The other word signifies Sound. It must not be hollow, though it be straight. So that these two must goe together, straight, and sound: we must neither be crooked, nor hollow. So referring these to the Saints of God, whom we named, if you looke to their outward parts, they were straight, if you looke into their in∣ternals, they were sound. This then serueth well for two sorts of men, which are both hy∣pocrites. There bee some men that will be are the world in hand, that the best side is in∣ward, and the worst outward, as the Nicodemites, who, howsoeuer they doe outwardly, inwardly they worship God deuoutly. Others there are cleane skinned, men as cleane as Alabaster outwardly, but inwardly they bee dissemblers, and they are contrarie to the o∣ther, and beare the world in hand, that the best side is outward. These haue the cleannesse of the flesh, though not of the spirit: as the other thinke, they haue the cleannesse of the spirit, though not of the flesh, and these be meere dangerous dissemblers. If a man bow to Baal, one may see a spot of his knee, and yet he will haue a cleane spirit, he is an hypocrite. Well, we must not be halfe Christians, wee must be good Catholikes, cleane throughout, cleane both in the flesh, and in the spirit▪
9 The flesh is sure a verie corrupt thing, and wee should soone see it but for the soule, which is as Salte to keepe it from putrifying for a while, which if it be gone, the flesh cor∣rupts streight, which we should see, if we would but take the viewe of a dead man out of the graue▪ It is but a rotten thing, and therefore all that is bestowed on it, is laide vpon that, which in the end will make all as rottennesse it selfe. They therefore doe euill, that lay out all their substance on their flesh, for it will rot: in regard whereof, the Apostle bids vs not to take any great thought for it, or to prouide much for the lusts thereof, Rom. 13. All that comes of the flesh, and all that ends in the flesh is filthie, and therefore we must not make our flesh a Queene, or as a Paradise on the earth.
10 Our Sauiour CHRIST saith, our righteousnes must exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisees, therefore not to exceede the Pharisees, not to exceede Heretikes, nay not to exceede the Heathen men, but to want euen the out ward good things which they haue, sheweth that all our Religion is in vaine. And yet to cleanse hand, foote, eye, tongue, and all without, is called but the cleansing of the outside of the platters. But wee must not rest here. We must goe yet further, and be pure in heart: for Blessed are the pure is heart: such shall receiue the blessing. We had great neede to cleanse our spirits: for as they retained the image of GOD before sinne came, so now being corrupted, they are most corrupt. For euerie thing degenerating into a contrarie Nature to that, which it was, is made most contrarie. The honie a very sweete thing, yet when it is often purified,