Clavis mystica a key opening divers difficult and mysterious texts of Holy Scripture; handled in seventy sermons, preached at solemn and most celebrious assemblies, upon speciall occasions, in England and France. By Daniel Featley, D.D.

CHRISTIAN BROTHER-HOOD. A Sermon preached on the second Sunday in Lent. THE LXVIII. SERMON.

ACTS 2.37.

And they said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles; Men and brethren.

MAny of the ancients write, that S. Luke was an excellent limmer, and drew the blessed Virgin to the life: how true it is that he tooke the picture of the mother of God, I know not (for the first relaters were Apocryphall writers) but sure I am, in this text as a table hee setteth forth the children of God in their colours, and describeth them by their proper marks: which are three;

• 1. In the eare.
• 2. In the heart.
• 3. In the hand.

• 1. The eare-marke is carefull attention, when they heard.
• 2. The heart-marke is deepe compunction, they were pricked in heart.
• 3. The hand-marke is sollicitous action, Men and brethren, what shall we doe?

Wee have already viewed the eares of these converts, and found them bored thorow for the perpetuall service of God, and hung with the jewels of the Gospel: next we searched into their hearts, and found them pierced with sorrow for being some way accessarie (at least by consent) to the death of the Lord of life: and now wee are to looke to their hands, and see what they will doe, or rather what they will not bee willing to doe, to make their peace with God, and wash away the guilt of spilling his Sonnes bloud.

Men and brethren, what shall we doe? Ye heare (men and brethren) in this close of the verse

• 1. A courteous compellation, which savoureth of
  • 1. Humanity, Men. Now they hold the Apostles men,* 1.1 whom a little before they esteemed no better of than drunken beasts.
  • 2. Charity, Brethren. Not aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, not strangers.
• 2. An important question, which is a question of
  • 1. Feare, What shall we doe to escape the wrath to come for that we have done?
  • 2. Care, What shall we doe to make some part of amends for our crimson sinne, in shedding the bloud of that righteous and holy One?
  • 3. Piety, What shall we doe that we may reape benefit by his death, whom ignorantly we slew with wicked hands?

Thus have I chalked unto you the way of my present and future dis∣courses upon this Scripture, wherein I intreat your attention and devotion to goe along with mee, that I and you may first know in the speculative part what wee are to doe, and then in the practicke doe what wee know to be necessary for the obtaining the remission of our sins.

Men. Is there not a Pleonasmus or redundancy in the words Men and Brethren? Is not this appellative men rather a burthen than an ornament to the sentence? Are there any brethren that are not men? Yes, if we will be∣leeve the Legend of Saint Francis: for he found a new alliance and brother∣hood amongst beasts, ordinarily saluting them in this manner when he met them, Brother Oxe, brother Beare, brother Wolfe (and it is marvell that the chronicles of his life related not that some of them resaluted him againe by the title of brother Asse for his labour.) But this is a note beneath Gammoth, and a degree below lowlinesse it selfe: for humility will admit none to be of her kinred and brotherhood, that beare not the image of God our Father. The beasts of the field are indeed fellow-creatures with us, but they are our juments and servants, no way our brethren. Was then the word men ad∣ded to intimate that such is the inhumanity or unmanlinesse of many, that a man may meet with many brethren by bloud, by alliance, by profession, by country, who yet deserve not the stile of men, because brethren without all humanity, and so no men: without heart or courage, and so no men: effe∣minate in their speech, habit, carriage, trim and dresse, and so no men? Nei∣ther can this be the meaning of the words. For the Jewes were not now in a Satyricall veine, but like men that had been newly let bloud by a deep in∣cision, they speake faintly, and in an humble manner beseech their Physici∣ans to prescribe what they must doe to recover their health. We are there∣fore to understand that in the originall there is no pleonasme, nor bitter sar∣casme, but an elegancie and an emphasis in our tongue: there is but one name for men of the better sort & inferiour ranke: but in greeke there are two, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the word here used, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and they differ as much as ayre and earth, or christall and glasse, or pearle and stone: for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth an ordinary man of the vulgar sort, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a man of parts, a man of worth,

a man of note, a man full of humanity, pity, and compassion: and herein they secretly couch an argument, to induce the Apostles to take some care of their soules; as if they should say, Though ye are men of God, yet ye are men as we are: the divine graces in you bereave you not of humane passi∣ons. Suffer then not men as you are to be cast away, bring not the bloud of this righteous man upon us, pity us in this our perplexity, pray to God for us, advise us what we are to doe, stretch a hand of charity to us, to plucke us out of the chops of Sathan, and flames of hell fire.

Me thinkes I should passe this note in so Christian an auditory, and not stand to prove that we ought to be men, not like beasts without reason, not like monsters without all bowels, without naturall affection and compas∣sion: yet were many that call themselves brethren men, could they grind the faces of the poore as they doe? could they not only tondere, but deglu∣bere, not only sheare, but flea Christs sheep? were they men, would they use men like beasts? would they make themselves beasts, and expresse the condition of the worst of beasts, by returning with the dogge to their vomit, and with the sow to their wallowing in the mire? are they men, who take greatest delight in drowning their reason, and extinguishing that light of understanding in them which maketh them men? are they men? have they hearts of flesh? have they eyes consisting of an aqueous humour, who suf∣fer men made after Gods image to pine away before their eyes for want of a crumme of their store, a graine of their magazine, a drop of their ocean, a mite of their treasury, a cluster of grapes of their vintage, a gleaning of their harvest? are they men, that never remember the affliction of Joseph, that ne∣ver thinke of the besieged in Rochel, of the persecuted in Bohemia and the Palatinate, and almost all parts of Germany, as good men as themselves, and better Christians, who endure either the violence of oppression, or the shame of infamy, or the servitude of captivity, or the insolency of tiranny, or the griping of famine, or the terrours of sundry kinds of death? It grieved the Oratour to proclaime 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, O my friends, there is no true friend among you: but it much more grieveth those that are to give an account of your soules, to be enforced to complaine, Men and brethren, there are few men or brethren among you, but few that deserve the name of men, and fewer of

Brethren. They call the Apostles brethren, either in a kind of corre∣spondency of courtesie, because the Apostles so stiled them before (Men and brethren,* 1.2 let mee freely speake unto you of the Patriarch David) or to insinuate themselves into their love; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quasi 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, co-uterini, sprigs issuing out of the same root, men issuing out of the same wombe,

• 1. Either of flesh, as brothers that have the same mother.
• 2. Or of the Church, as all that are new borne in it.
• 3. Or of the earth, as all men.

Some who delight more in the sound of words than soundnesse of matter, make their cimbals thus tinckle in our eares: There are brethren (say they) of three sorts, either by race, as all of the same linage: or by place, as all of the same country or city: or by grace, as all of the same religion. But I like better of St.a 1.3 Jeromes distinction of brethren: 1. by nature or bloud: 2. by

cognation or affinity: 3. by nation or country: 4. by love & affection: 1. com∣mon, to all men, the sons of Adam our father: 2. speciall, to all Christians, the sons of the same mother the Church.

• 1. Nature made Jacob and Esau brethren.
• 2. Affinity our Lord and James brethren.
• 3. Nation or country Peter and the Jewes brethren.
• 4. Affection and obligation
  • 1. Spirituall, all Christians,
  • 2. Carnall and common, all men brethren.

Thus the significations of brother in Scripture, like the circles made by a stone cast into the water, not only multiply, but much enlarge themselves: the first is a narrow circle about the stone, the next fetcheth a bigger com∣passe, the third a greater & more capacious than it, the fourth so large that it toucheth the bankes of the river: in like manner, the first signification of brethren is confined to one house, nay to one bed and wombe, the second extendeth it selfe to all of one family or linage, the third to the whole nati∣on or country, the fourth and last to the utmost bounds of the earth. No name so frequently occurreth in Scripture as this of brethren, no love more often enforced than brotherly. We need not goe farre for emblemes there∣of,b 1.4 Plutarch hath found many in our body: for wee have two eyes, two eares, two nostrills, two hands, two feet, which are, as hee termeth them, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, brethren and twinne members, formed out of like matter, be∣ing of one shape, one bignesse, and serving to one and the selfe same use. Nature her selfe kindleth the fire of brotherly love in our hearts, and God by the blasts of his Spirit, and the breath of his Ministers bloweth it conti∣nually: yet in many it waxeth cold, and in some it seemeth to bee quite ex∣tinguished. Saint Paul prayed that the Philippiansc 1.5 love might abound more and more. Hee exhorteth the Hebrewes, Let brotherlyd 1.6 love continue: but we need now-adaies to cast our exhortation into a new mold, and say, Let brotherly love begin in you. For were it begun, so many quarrells, so many factions, so many sects, so many broiles, so many law-suites would not be begun as we see every day, set on foot. Did we looke upon the badge of our livery, which is mutualle 1.7 love, we would cry shame of our selves for that which we see and heare every day, such out-cries, such railing, such cur∣sing, such threatning, such banding opprobrious speeches, such challenges into the field, and spilling the bloud of those for whom Christ shed his most precious bloud. Is it not strange that they should fall foule one upon another, who have bin both washed in the same laver of regeneration? that they should thirst after one anothers bloud, who drinke of the same cup of benediction? that they should lift their hands up one against another, for whom Christ spread his hands upon the crosse? Let there be nof 1.8 falling out between mee and thee (saith Abraham to Lot) for wee are brethren. Let mee presse you further, & touch you neerer to the quick▪ Let there be no strife among you; for you are members one of another: nay, which is more, Yee are all members of Christ Jesus. What? members of Christ, and spurne one at another? members of Christ, and buffet one another? members of Christ, and supplant one another? members of Christ, and devoure one another? members of Christ, and destroy one another? It is true as

Plutarch observeth, that the neerer the tye is the fouler the breach. As bodies that are but glewed together, if they be severed or rent asunder, they may be glewed as fast as ever they were; but corpora continua, as flesh and sinewes, if any cut or rupture be made in them, they cannot bee so joyned together againe, but a scarre will remaine: so those who are onely glewed together by some civill respects, may fall out and fall in againe, without a∣ny great impeachment to their reputation or former friendship; but they who are tied together by nerves and sinewes of naturall or spirituall obli∣gation, and made one flesh or spirit together, if there fall any breach be∣tween them, it cannot be so fairely made up, but that like the putting a new peece of cloth into an old garment, the going about to piece or reconcile them maketh the rent worse. Wheng 1.9 Tully understood of a suit in law commenced between Quintus and M. Fabius, hee earnestly wrote to Papirius to take up the matter:g 1.10 Suffer not (saith hee) brethren to implead one another. For though suits about title of lands seem to be the fairest of any, yet even these are foule among brethren: wherefore (my beloved brethren) let us

1. Prevent all occasions of difference: let there be no tindar of malice in our hearts ready to take fire upon the flying of the least sparke into it: let us so root and ground our selves in love, that no small offence may stirre us: let us endeavour by all friendly offices so to endeare our selves to our bre∣thren, and so fasten all naturall and civill ties by religious obligations, that we alwaies keep theh 1.11 unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

2. If it cannot be but that offences will come and distract us, if the Divell or his agents cast a fire-brand among us, let us all runne presently to quench it: let us imitate wise Mariners, who as soone as they spie a leake spring in the ship, stop it with all speed, before it grow wider, and endanger the drowning of the vessell.

3. After the breach is made up, and the wound closed and healed, let us not rub upon the old sore, according to the rule ofi 1.12 Pythagoras, Ignem gla∣dio ne fodias, let us not rake into the ashes or embers of the fire of contention lately put out. As we pray that God may cast our sinnes, so let us cast our brothers trespasses against us into thek 1.13 bottome of the sea. The Athenians (asl 1.14 Plutarch writeth) tooke one day from the moneth of May, and razed it out of all their Calenders, because on that day Neptune and Minerva fell out one with another; even so let us Christians much more bury those daies in perpetuall oblivion, & strike them out of our Almanacks, in which any bloudy fray or bitter contention hath fallen among us. For our Father is the God of peace: our Saviour is the Prince of peace: our Comforter is the Spirit of peace and love. God who ism 1.15 love, and of his love hath begot us, loveth nothing more in the children of his love, than the mutuall love of his children one to another.n 1.16 Ye are all brethren: love therefore as brethren, be pitifull, be courteous, not rendering evill for evill, nor railing for railing; but contrariwiseo 1.17 blessing, knowing that yee are thereunto called, that yee should inherit a blessing. As beames of the same sunne, let us meet in the center of light: as rivelets of the same spring, joyne in the source of grace: as sprigs on the same root, or twins on the same stalke, sticke alwaies toge∣ther. Such was the love of the Saints of God in old time, that their hearts were knit one to the other: yea, which is more, All the beleevers had butp 1.18 one

heart. But such love is not now to be found in our bookes, much lesse in our conversations: we hardly beleeve there can be such love in beleevers; we seem not to be of their race, wee seem rather to be descended many of us from Coelius, who could not be quiet if he were not in quarrells; who was angry if he were not provoked to anger: whose motto was, Dic ali∣quid, ut duo simus; Say or doe something, that we may be two: or from Syl∣la, of whom Valerius Maximus writeth, that it was a great question whe∣ther he or his malice first expired: for he died railing, and railed dying: or of Eteocles and Polynices, who as they warred all their life, so after a sort they expressed their discord and dissention after their death: for at their fu∣nerals the flame of the dead corpses parted asunder when they were burned. When the Son of man commeth, shall hee findq 1.19 faith on the earth (saith our Saviour?) I feare we may demand rather, shall he find charity on the earth? All the true family of love may seem to be extinct: for the greater part of men, as if they had been baptized in the waters of strife, from the font to their tomb-stone are in continuall frettings, vexings, quarrells, schisme and faction.

Turba gravis paci placidaeque inimica quieti.

But let these Salamanders, which live perpetually in the fire of contention, take heed, lest without speedy repentance they be cast into the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone forever. Ifr 1.20 blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God; cursed are all make-bates, for they shall be called the children of the wicked one. If the fruits ofs 1.21 righte∣ousnesse are sowne in peace of them that make peace, certainly the fruits of ini∣quity are sowne in contention by them that stirre up strife and contention. If they that sowt 1.22 discord among brethren are an abomination to the Lord, they that plant love and set concord are his chiefe delight. Whatu 1.23 Silenus spake of the life of man, The best thing was not to be borne, the next to dye as soone as might be, may bee fitly applyed to all quarrells and contentions a∣mong Christian brethren; it is the happiest thing of all that such dissenti∣ons never see light: the next is, if they arise and come into the Christian world, that they dye suddenly after their birth; at the most let them be but like those 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, small creatures Aristotle speaketh of, whose life ex∣ceedeth not a summers day. Let not the* 1.24 sun goe down upon our wrath. How can we long be at odds and distance, if we consider that we are all brethren by both sides? For as we call one God our Father, so we acknowledge one Church our Mother: wee have all sucked the same breasts, the Old and New Testaments: we are all bred up in the same schoole, the schoole of the crosse: we are all fed at the same table, the Lords board: we are all in∣corporated into one society, the communion of Saints; and made joynt-heires with our elder brother Christ Jesus of one Kingdome in Heaven. If these and the like considerations cannot knit our hearts together in love, which is the bond of perfection, the Heathen shall rise up in judgement and condemne us.x 1.25 Martial writeth of two brothers, between whom there was never any contention but this, who should die one for the other:

Nobilis haec esset pietatis rixa duobus, Quod pro fratre mori vellet uterque prior.

The speech also of Pollux to Castor his brother is remarkable,

y 1.26Vive tuo, frater, tempore, vive meo.

I cannot let passe Antiochus, who when he heard that his brother Seleu∣chus, who had been up in armes against him, died at Galata, commanded all the Court to mourne for him; but when afterwards hee was more cer∣tainly enformed that he was alive, and levied a great army against him, he commanded all his Commanders and chiefe Captaines to sacrifice to their gods, & crown themselves with garlands for joy that his brother was alive. But above all,z 1.27 Euclid shewed in himselfe the true symptomes of brotherly affection, who when his brother in his rage made a rash vow, Let me not live if I be not revenged of my brother, Euclid turnes the speech the contrary way, Nay, let me not live if I be not reconciled to my brother; let me not live if we be not made as good friends as ever before. Shall nature be stronger than grace? bonds of flesh tie surer than the bonds of the spirit? one tie knit hearts together faster than many? Thea 1.28 Oratour saith, Omnes omnium cha∣ritates patria complectitur; but we may say more truly, Omnes omnium cha∣ritates Christus complectitur, all bonds of love, friendship, affinity and con∣sanguinity, all neernesse and dearnesse, all that can make increase or continue love, is in Christ Jesus, into whose spirit we are all baptized, into whose body we are incorporated, who in his love sacrificed himselfe to his Fathers ju∣stice for us, who giveth his body and bloud to us in this sacrament to nou∣rish Christian love in us. For therefore we all eate of one bread, that we may be made one bread; therefore wee are made partakers of his naturall body, that wee may be all made one mysticall body, and all quickned with one spirit, that spirit which raised up our head Christ Jesus from the dead. Cui, cum Patre, &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ver. 13.
• * 1.2

  Ver. 29.
• a 1.3

  Cont. Helvid. c. 7. Scriptura divina dicit fratres, 1. natu∣râ, 2. gente, 3. cognatione, 4 affectu: quod postremum di∣viditur in spi∣rituale & com∣mune: spiri∣tuale, quo om∣nes Christiani fratres vocantur; commune, quo omnes homines ex uno patre nati pari inter se germanitate conjunguntur.
• b 1.4

  Plut. de a∣mor. fratr.
• c 1.5

  Phil. 1.9.
• d 1.6

  Heb. 13.1.
• e 1.7

  John 13.35. By this all men shall know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one an∣ther.
• f 1.8

  Gen. 13.8.
• g 1.9

  Cic. famil. ep. l. 9. Noli pati litig••re fra∣tres, & judiciis turpi••us con∣flictari.
• g 1.10

  Cic. famil. ep. l. 9. Noli pati litig••re fra∣tres, & judiciis turpi••us con∣flictari.
• h 1.11

  Ephes. 4.3.
• i 1.12

  Coel. Rodig. antiq. lect. l. 16. & 19.
• k 1.13

  Micah 7.19
• l 1.14

  Plut. lib. de fraterno amo∣••e.
• m 1.15

  John 4.8.
• n 1.16

  Mat. 23.8.
• o 1.17

  1 Pet 3.8, 9.
• p 1.18

  Acts 4.32. The multitude of them that beleeved, were of one heart, & of one soule.
• q 1.19

  Luke 18.8.
• r 1.20

  Mat. 5.9.
• s 1.21

  Jam. 3.18.
• t 1.22

  Pro. 6.16, 19. These sixe things doth the Lord hate, yea seven are abo∣mination unto him: a false witnesse that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among bre∣thren.
• u 1.23

  Cic. tusc. 1. Optimum non nasci, proxi∣mum quàm ci∣tissimè mori.
• * 1.24

  Ephes. 4.26.
• x 1.25

  Mart. epig. lib. 1. Si Lucane ti∣bi, vel si tibi, Tulle, daren∣tur, Qualia Le∣daei fata Laco∣nes habent, &c.
• y 1.26

  Mart. epig. lib. 1.
• z 1.27

  Plut. de fra∣terno amore.
• a 1.28

  Cic. offic. l. 1.