2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 12. 279
to salvation, and lie gives us grace likewise for the leading of a Christian life.
Therefore it is an abominable conceit to distinguish religion from policy and government, as if the reasons of religion were one and the reasons of state were another ; and as if these were distinguished one against another. It is an abominable atheistical conceit ; for the same heavenly Spirit of God that reveals the mysteries of salvation, reveals likewise to men the mysteries of state.
Christ hath the keys of heaven, of the mysteries of God ; and he hath the keys of all earthly policy whatsoever. He hath the greater ; hath he not the less ? Doth he guide us by his Spirit in heavenly mysteries ; and then for matters of policy, and government of states and commonwealths, are we to be guided by the devil, by devilish, carnal wisdom ? No ! He gives all wisdom in its due place, even wisdom for common things.
Therefore consider, when men will not be ruled by God, by wisdom from above, in the regiment and government of their lives, how fearfully and shamefully they miscarry ! Partly by reason of the accidents of this life, and the variety of business. You know wisdom, as it governs our life about the things of this world, it deals with things unstable, uncertain, and vain. As Solomon saith, they continue not long in the same state. There- fore, if a man have not'a better wisdom than his own, he shall be mightily to seek. Partly because of the imperfection of his wisdom. The things are imperfect ; and the wisdom, without it be guided from heaven, is much to seek ofttimes.
Take the wisest man, when he leaves heavenly wisdom once. As we see in Solomon, he thinks to strengthen himself by combination with idolaters that were near to him. Did he not miscarry foully ? And hath not God made the wisest men that ever were in the world exemplary for gross mis- carriages, because they had too much confidence in their parts, and neglected the guidance of God in the course of their lives ? AVho was more fool than Ahithophel ? Who was a greater fool than Saul, and than Herod ?
The emperors had great conceits. Constantino the Great, a good Christian emperor, he had a conceit, if he could stabhsh a new seat at Byzantium (Constantinople it was called afterwards), he would seat the empire there ; he would rule Kome by a viceroy, by another, and he would be there himself and rule all the eastern parts of the world. A goodly conceit he had of it ; but this proved the ruin both of east and west. For hereupon, when he was absent from Rome, the pope of Eome he came up and grow by little and little. The emperors they thought they did a gi-eat matter to advance the pope, w^ho was Christ's vicar, a spii'itual man. They consulted with carnal wisdom, and he came and over-topped them, and ate them out, and out-grew them, as the ivy doth the tree that nourisheth it. The pope never left gi-owing till he had over-topped them. So men, when they go to carnal wisdom, and neglect prayer, and neglect the counsel of God and the wisdom of God, to guide them in the matters of this Ufe as well as for the life to come, they come to miscarry grossly.
Therefore let us take St James his counsel. We all lack wisdom, let us every day beg it of God ; desire God every day that he would ' make our way plain before us,' Prov. xv. 19, in our particular goings in and out ; that he would discover to us what is best.
Use. And here I might take occasion to reprove i^harpJii the atheism of many that would be accounted great statesmen, that bring all religion to reasons
280 COMMENTARY ON
of state. Tlicy bring heaven under earth, and clean subvert and overthrow the order of things ; and thcn^fon; no wonder if thcsy miscarry. They care not what rehgion it be, so it may stand with peace. Whether it be false or true, if it may stand with the peace of the state, all is well. Give me leave to touch it but in a word. It is a most abominable conceit. Keligion is not a thing so alterable. Religion is a commanding thing. It is to command all other things, and all other things serve that. And it is not a matter of fancy and opinion, as they think out of their atheism, to keep men in awe. It is stablished upon the same ground as that there is a God : that upon the same ground that we say God is, upon the same gi'ound we may say religion is. It teacheth us that, that God is to l)e observed ; and that Christ is equal to him as God, and mferior to him in regard of his humanity, &c. So that there is the same ground that there is a God, and that there is a religion.
And so again, by the same reason that there is one God, by the same reason there is but one religion. And it is not any religion that will serve the turn. For that one God will be worshipped his own way. ' There is one God, one truth.' And that one religion must needs be that in which that one God discovers and reveals himself, and not that which man de- viseth. For will any master be served with the device of his servant ? And will God suffer his creature to devise a religion to serve him ? Therefore there is of necessity, as one God, so one religion ; and that one religion must be that Avhich that God hath left in his word.