A12167:277
Bowels Opened
Bowels opened, or, A discovery of the near and deer love, union and communion betwixt Christ and the Church, and consequently betwixt Him and every believing soul Delivered in divers sermons on the fourth fifth and sixth chapters of the Canticles. By that reverend and faithful minister of the Word, Doctor Sibs, late preacher unto the honourable society of Gray's Inn, and Master of Katharine Hall in Cambridge. Being in part finished by his own pen in his life time, and the rest of them perused and corrected by those whom he entrusted with the publishing of his works.Bovvels opened, or, A discovery of the neere and deere love, union and communion betwixt Christ and the Church, and consequently betwixt Him and every beleeving soule Delivered in divers sermons on the fourth fifth and sixt chapters of the Canticles. By that reverend and faithfull minister of the Word, Doctor Sibs, late preacher unto the honourable societie of Grayes Inne, and Master of Katharine Hall in Cambridge. Being in part finished by his owne pen in his life time, and the rest of them perused and corrected by those whom he intrusted with the publishing of his works.
London: printed by George for George Edwards, 1639
Sermon 3 › I sleep, but my heart waketh.Sermon 3 › I sleepe, but my heart waketh.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
When our adversaries press us with the authority of Fathers, we appeal to them where they speak advisedly and of purpose. When they were not awaked by heretics, they speak sometimes unworthily, and give advantages to heretics that followed.1 It is the manner of our adversaries to make the unwarrantable practice of the ancienter time a rule of their practice, and the doubtful opinions of the ancients their own grand tenets. Wherein in both they deal unsafely for themselves, and injuriously towards us, when we upon grounds in some things dissent, which liberty (oft when they should not) they will take to themselves.
When our adversaries presse us with the authority of Fathers, we appeale to them where they speak advisedly and of purpose. When they were not awaked by heretiques, they speake somtimes unworthily, and give advantages to heretiques that followed.1 It is the manner of our adversaries to make the unwarrantable practice of the ancienter time a rule of their practice, and the doubtfull opinions of the ancients their owne grand tenets. Wherein in both they deale unsafely for themselves, and injuriously towards us, when we upon grounds in some things dissent, which liberty (oft when they should not) they will take to themselves.
- 1Patres in maxiusis sunt nostri, in multi• varij, in minimis vestri. Wh.
But howsoever this sleepy condition agreeth to the former times of the Church, yet I wish there were not cause to apply it to our selves, in this latter age of the Church, wherein many of the ancient heresies are revived; and besides, the evils that accompany long peace, take hold of us, and will prevail too far if we do not rouse up our selves. The Church is in the common-wealth, and usually they flourish and fall together. When there is a sleep of the Church, for the most part there is a sleep of the State. A civill sleep is, when in grounds of danger there is no apprehension of anger, and this sleep is a punishment of spiritual sleep,