4. Our Crucifying of, or to the world, requireth not any secession from the world, nor a withdrawing our selves from the society of men, nor the casting away the propriety or possession of the necessaries which we possess. It is an easier thing to throw away our Masters Talents, then faithfully to improve them. The Papists glory in the holiness of their Church, because they have many among them that have vowed never to marry, and have no ⟨p. 8⟩propriety in Lands or Houses, and have separated themselves into a Monastical society. A••high commendation to their Church, when men must be Sainted with them, if they will do no mischief, though they make themselves useless to the rest of the world▪ The servant that hid his Talent in a Napkin, was condemned by Christ as wicked and slothful; and shall he be commended by us for extraordinarily devout? Will you reward that servant that will lock up himself in his chamber, or hide his head in a hole when he should be busy at your work? Or will you reward that soldier that will withdraw from the Army into a corner, when he should be fighting? The world swarms on every side with multitudes of ignorant and impenitent sinners, whose miserable condition crieth loud for some relief, to all that are any way able to relieve them. And these Religious Monks make haste from among them, and leave them to themselves to sink or swim, and they think this cruelty to be the top of piety. Unworthy is that man to live on the earth, that liveth only to himself, and communicateth not the gifts of God to others. And yet do these idle unprofitable drones, esteem their course, the life of perfection. When we must charge through the thickest of our enemies, and bear all the unthankful requitals of the world, and undergo their scorns and persecutions, these wary soldiers can look to their skin, and get out of the reach of such encounters; and when they have done, imagine that they have got the victory. To live to our selves, were it never so spiritually, is far unlike the life of a Christian: A good man is a common good; and compassionate to the miserable, and desirous to bring others to the participation of his felicity. To withdraw from the world to do God service, is to get out of the Vineyard or Shop, that we may do our Masters work.
4. Our Crucifying of, or to the world, requireth not any secession from the world, nor a withdrawing our selves from the society of men, nor the casting away the propriety or possession of the necessaries which we possess. It is an easier thing to throw away our Masters Talents, then faithfully to improve them. The Papists glory in the holiness of their Church, because they have many among them that have vowed never to marry, and have no ⟨p. 8⟩propriety in Lands or Houses, and have separated themselves into a Monasticall society. A••high commendation to their Church, when men must be Sainted with them, if they will do no mischief, though they make themselves useless to the rest of the world▪ The servant that hid his Talent in a Napkin, was condemned by Christ as wicked and sloathful; and shall he be commended by us for extraordinarily devout? Will you reward that servant that will lock up himself in his chamber, or hide his head in a hole when he should be busie at your work? Or will you reward that souldier that will withdraw from the Army into a corner, when he should be fighting? The world swarms on every side with multitudes of ignorant and impenitent sinners, whose miserable condition cryeth loud for some relief, to all that are any way able to relieve them. And these Religious Monks make haste from among them, and leave them to themselves to sink or swim, and they think this cruelty to be the top of piety. Unworthy is that man to live on the earth, that liveth only to himself, and communicateth not the gifts of God to others. And yet do these idle unprofitable droans, esteem their course, the life of perfection. When we must charge through the thickest of our enemies, and bear all the unthankfull requitals of the world, and undergo their scorns and persecutions, these wary souldiers can look to their skin, and get out of the reach of such encounters; and when they have done, imagine that they have got the victory. To live to our selves, were it never so spiritually, is far unlike the life of a Christian: A good man is a common good; and compassionate to the miserable, and desirous to bring others to the participation of his felicity. To withdraw from the world to do God service, is to get out of the Vineyard or Shop, that we may do our Masters work.
