Thirdly, religious righteousness, which ever strikes the stroke, doth the deed, and goes through stitch indeed, in all comfortable Christian government. It only steers aright in all public employments, stands upright in all storms, and is steel to the back. Either there must be an addition of Religion to reason, piety to policy, counsel out of GODs Book, to the light of natural conscience, sanctified righteousness to civill honesty: or as tho preferred party himself though otherwise of never so good parts, never so universally and excellently enriched with all endowments of all kinds, natural, moral, politic, ⟨p. 54⟩learned, is but as a dead man, a rotten carrion stuck over with flowers; so certainly with whatsoever outward flourishes and formalities he may seem to dazzle the eyes of underlings; he will poison his place, by preferring his own particular and private ends, by putting sometimes hateful business into good language, for his own advantage and further advancement, and ever by temporizing, rather then hazard his temporal happiness. Hear what judicious Master Hooker did happily let fall from his pen to this purpose. So natural (saith he,) is the union of Religion with Justice, that we may boldly deem there is neither, where both are not. For how should they be unfeignedly just, whom Religion doth not cause to be such, or they religious which are not found such by the proof of their just actions? If they which employ their labour and travail about the public administration of Justice, follow it only as a trade, with unquenchable and unconscionable thirst of gain, being not in heart persuaded, that Justice is GODs own work, and themselves his Agent in this business; the sentence of right, GODs own verdict, and themselves his Priests to deliver it, formalities of Justice do but serve to smoother right, and that which was necessarily ordained for the common good, is through shameful abuse, made the cause of common misery. It is no peculiar conceit,1 but a matter of sound consequence, that all duties are by so much the better performed, by how much the men are more religious, ⟨p. 55⟩from whose abilities the same proceed.
Thirdly, religious righteousnesse, which ever strikes the stroke, doth the deed, and goes through stitch indeed, in all comfortable Christian government. It onely steeres aright in all publicke employments, stands upright in all stormes, and is steele to the backe. Either there must be an addition of Religion to reason, piety to policy, counsell out of GODs Booke, to the light of naturall conscience, sanctified righteousnesse to civill honesty: or as tho preferred party himselfe though otherwise of never so good parts, never so universally and excellently enriched with all endowments of all kinds, naturall, morall, politicke, ⟨p. 54⟩learned, is but as a dead man, a rotten carrion stucke over with flowers; so certainely with whatsoever outward flourishes and formalities he may seeme to dazle the eyes of underlings; he will poyson his place, by preferring his owne particular and private ends, by putting sometimes hatefull businesse into good language, for his owne advantage and further advancement, and ever by temporizing, rather then hazard his temporall happinesse. Heare what judicious Master Hooker did happily let fall from his pen to this purpose. So naturall (saith he,) is the union of Religion with Iustice, that we may boldly deeme there is neither, where both are not. For how should they be unfainedly just, whom Religion doth not cause to be such, or they religious which are not found such by the proofe of their just actions? If they which employ their labour and travaile about the publicke administration of Iustice, follow it onely as a trade, with unquenchable and unconscionable thirst of gaine, being not in heart perswaded, that Iustice is GODs owne worke, and themselves his Agent in this businesse; the sentence of right, GODs owne verdict, and themselves his Priests to deliver it, formalities of Iustice doe but serve to smoother right, and that which was necessarily ordained for the common good, is through shamefull abuse, made the cause of common misery. It is no peculiar conceit,1 but a matter of sound consequence, that all duties are by so much the better performed, by how much the men are more religious, ⟨p. 55⟩from whose abilities the same proceede.
- 1Note.
