Glimpses of Christian History Presents Pastwords #113: The Seven Candlesticks by Griffith Williams ©2007

WILLIAMS, GRIFFITH. Seven Golden Candlestickes Houlding the Seaven Greatest lights of Christian Religion: Shewing unto all men, What they should beleeuve, & how they ought to walke in this life, that they may attayne unto eternall life. By Gr: Williams Doctor of Divinity (2 lines) 1624, (London) Printed for Nathaniell Butter.

Griffith Williams (1589?-1672) Bishop of Ossory. Educated at Oxford and Jesus College Cambridge, Dean of Westminster, 1628, Dean of Bangor, 1634, and Bishop of Ossory, 1641, but within less than a month was obliged by the Rebellion to fly to England; at the Restoration recovered his bishopric.

A High-churchman, he incurred the hatred of the Puritans, and in 1616 the bishop of London was compelled by them to suspend Williams for his Resolution of Pilate, just then published. He then spent a short time in Cambridge, and returning to London, gained the friendship of the extreme Puritan Archbishop George Abbot and through Abbot's chancellor obtained the rectory of Llanllechid, Carnavonshire (Wales). Here, however, he came in conflict with his strongly Puritan diocesan. In 1641 he was consecrated bishop of Ossory, but within a month was driven back to England by the outbreak of the Irish rebellion. In England he was arrested by the Parliamentarians, but succeeded in obtaining a safe-conduct and joined King Charles as chaplain. He incurred fresh hostility from the enemies of the king by publishing his Vindiciae regum, or The Grand Rebellion, 1643, which the Parliamentarians ordered to be publicly burned; and followed this, within the year, by his Discovery of Mysteries, or, The Plots and Practice of a prevalent Faction in this present Parliament to overthrow the established Religion, and to subvert the fundamental Lawes of this famous Kingdome. In revenge the Parliamentarians drove his family from their temporary home at Apethorpe, Northamptonshire, and confiscated his property, but undauntedly he issued against them a third work, Jura majestatis. After another narrow escape from arrest while in London on the king's business, Williams contrived to make his way again to Ireland. Before the year (1647) was out, he had been driven out by the surrender of Dublin to the Parliamentarians, and after much hardship he managed reach Llanllechid again, where he lived in abject poverty, refusing to accept either a rich living or a pension in return for submission to the Parliamentarian party. In 1651 his loyalty to the king again nearly cost him at least his liberty, but with the Restoration in 1660, when he was the first in Ireland to pray publicly for the king, his position naturally became secure, and he was now able to publish his the Great Antichrist revealed (1660), in which he "proved" that Antichrist was the Westminster Assembly. New Schaff-Herzog Enc. Rel. Know., XII:367.

Whatever else you might want to say about Williams, he was loyal, faithful and true to his beliefs. This is the First edition of his Seven Golden Candlesticks, written before most of these troubles. It is divided into seven treatises, or candlesticks: 1) The Misery of Man, Rom. 6.23. 2) The Knowledge of God, Exod. 34.6-7; 3) The Incarnation of the Word, John 1.14; 4) The Passion of the Messia, Luke 24.46; 5) The Resurrection of Christ, Matth. 28.5-6; 6) The Ascention of our Saviour, and the Donation of the Holy Ghost, Ephes 4.5; 7) The duty of Christians, 1 Thess. 5.28.

And this is the summe of all that is contained in this booke, to know our selves, to know God, to know Jesus Christ, borne, dead, raised, ascended, and now reigning in eternall glory to guide his Church, and to confound his foes for evermore -- from author's introduction.

nd thus you see how Christ hath vanquished and triumphed overall our enemies: he overcame the world, he bound the Devill, he spoyled Hell, he weakened Sinne, hee destroyed Death, he walked upon the Seas, he rose out of his grave, he contemned all honours, he ascended into Paradise, he opened the gates of Heaven, and he sitteth on the right hand of God, ruling and raigning untill he hath put all his enemies under his feet. And so much for the Victory or Triumph of Christ.

PART. III
CHAP. I.
Of the special ends why Christ ascended into heaven, and of gifts which he giveth to edifie the Church.

Thirdly, touching the bounty of Christ, set downe in these words, and he gave gifts unto men, we must first reconcile the difference betwixt the Prophet and the Apostle about the same; for David saith, thou hast received gifts for men, and Saint Paul saith, he giveth gifts to men: and I answer that if we understand it literally, David received gifts, which for feare of his power were freely offered unto him: and if we understand it mystically of Christ, we finde the saying of both to be true; for the Apostle speaketh of the things which Christ doth, as God, sending forth the holy Ghost, and bestowing gifts on men; and the Psalms speaketh of him according to that which the same Christ doth in his body, which is his Church. Thus no doubt (saith Saint Augustine) but as he is persecuted in his Church, so accepit in membris quae dona membra eius accipiunt, he received, and receiveth gifts in men; for whatsoever is done to them that believe in him, the same is done to him: or else we may say, that the Son of God as he was man, received those gifts from his Father, which hee was afterwards to distribute, and to give unto his Church: for so we reade, that he being exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the holy Ghost, hee hath shed foorth this which we now see and heare; and so the originall word which the Psalms useth, signifieth to receive that which wee must presently distribute, saith Mollerus: and therefore the difference is soone ended, and the matter in both is true, he received gifts, and he gave the gifts to men: for wee finde (as Bonauenture tels us) that our Saviour ascended for foure speciall ends.

First, to receive his kingdome, as himself intimateth unto us in the nineteenth of Luke and the twelfth verse.

Secondly, to make us the more earnestly to long for him; Quia abyt & occultat se Deus, ut ardentius queratur a nobis, because God doth therefore hide himselfe from us, that he may be the more earnestly sought of us, saith Saint Blernard.

Thirdly, to prepare a place for us; for though in respect of Gods purpose, it was prepared for us by Christ; because he removed all hinderances, and made way for us to enter into glory, by appealing his fathers wrath by cleansing our consciences from dead workes; by opening unto us the gates of heaven; and, by making a continuall intercession for us; As Bonaventure speaketh.

Fourthly, to send downe his holy Spirit unto us; for so our Saviour saith, It is expedient for you that I goe away; Quianisidederitis quod amatis, non babebitus quod defideratis; for unless I goe away, the comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you: for now (saith Tertullian) Gratum quoddam commercium inter coelum & terram existit celebratum, a most grateful exchange, and a friendly loving bargaine was made betwixt heaven and earth, that to the inhabitants of heaven should be given the flesh of Christ, and to us on earth should be bestowed the comforts of Gods holy Spirit; and so the Spirit of God should remaine with us on earth, and our flesh should dwell with them for ever in heaven; and then all things to be common betwixt eternally: and therefore he did not send his Spirit unto us before he had ascended into heaven, non propter impotentiam, sed quia habuerunt corporalem prasentiam, not in respect of any impotency that he could not doe it, but because we had his corporall presence; and because as the raine doth not descend untill the mist and dew doe first ascend; so the gratious raine of Gods Spirit, did not fall upon Gods inheritance to refresh it when it was weary, untill this fruit of the wombe, which was as the dew of the morning had first ascended into heaven: but as when that little cloud like a mans hand, did rise out of the sea, there was a sound of much raine, so when that humble flesh of Christ was ascended out of this world into heaven, then he gave gifts unto men.

But what are the gifts which he giveth, Saint Augustine saith, it is his holy Spirit: Tale donum qualis ipse est, such a gift as himselfe is: for he gave himselfe, and he gives a gift equall to himselfe, because the gift of Christ is the Spirit of Christ; but heare the Apostle saith, hee gave gifts, and not a gift: and therefore though I doe confess, that this holy and blessed Spirit is the author and fountaine of all gifts, by whom wee have remission of sinnes, subjection of our enemies, and all other gifts of grace and glory sealed unto us; yet I say that the Apostle herein meaneth not so much the spirit himselfe, as the gifts and graces of his Spirit. And therefore that wee may the better understand the fulness of this point, of the bounty of Christ, we must consider there foure special things.

What manner of gifts they are. What gifts are here meant. How he doth bestow them. On whom he doth bestow them.

For the first, wee must know that they were free gifts; so the words he gave them, and he gave them as gifts, doe sufficiently declare: or otherwise, si praememeruist tum emisti, non gratis accepisti, if thou hadst done any thing to deserve the gifts, then hadst thou bought them, and not freely received them; and God had sold them, and not given them: and so they had been pramia, non dona, rewards for thy good deedes, and not gifts of his meere grace: but this point is so cleere that I neede not stand on it: Freely you have received, saith our Saviour, freely give; for every one may take of these waters of life freely, and may have these gifts, like Esayas milke, without money or moneyes worth.

For the seconde wee must note that the gifts of God are either
Temporall
2. Spirituall

First, The temporall gifts he gave unto all sorts of men, aswell before as after his ascension; for wee must note that everything which we have is a gift that we have received from God, because (as Saint James saith) Every good thing, and every perfect gift is from above, and commeth downe from the Father of lights.

Secondly, the Spirituall gifts of God are of two sorts, To edifie the Church. To sanctifie our soules.

First, Those gifts which he gave to edifie the Church, the Apostle setteth downe in the eleventh verse, saying, Hee gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors, and Teachers, for the perfecting of the same, for the worke of the Ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: wherein we see that by the gifts whereof the Apostle speaketh in these words, are understood either,

The Minister of the Church: or, The gifts wherewith the Ministers are indeed: or rather as I take it Ministers indeed and qualified with such gifts as are necessary for the gathering together of his Church: which are specially

The gifts:
Of Tongues
Of Knowledge
Of Charitie
Of Constancy and Performance
Of Contempt of all worldly vanities
Of perfect power

First, The gift of tongues, i.e. that as by the confesion of tongues the world was divided at the building of Babell; so by the helpe of the Preachers tongues the world might bee reunited and made one sheepe-fold in the building of Gods Church. Secondly, that these men might not offend in their tongues. Thirdly, that they might be the better able to teach profound and heavenly doctrine, which they that want the tongues or Languages cannot so easily attaine unto. And fourthly, that none might bee able to resist the words of their mouths, as our Saviour saith, I will give unto you a mouth, or tongue, which your adversaries shall not be able to understand.

Secondly, the gift of Knowledge, whereby they might know all truth, not of politicke and state matters, but of all truth necessary for this office; to edifie the Church, which is the chiefest knowledge that wee should aime at: or else all truth every way, because they should know him which is all truth, i.e. Jesus Christ, and I desire to know nothing else: I will bee contented to be accounted a foole in all things else, so he will give me this gift only, to know him alone.

Thirdly, the gift of Charity, Quia querentes verum non bonum, non inmenient summum bonum; because knowledge without charity puffeth up, and the seeking to know the truth, and not labouring to be good, will never bring us to the chiefest good: and because of all men wee are most hated and slandered, and have all occasions offered us to make us hate all wicked men; therefore God diffuseth this gift of love and charity into our hearts, that notwithstanding all our indignity, we doe still love them better then they doe love themselves, and doe spend our whole time to doe them good, and are ready to lay downe our lives for the brethren.

Fourthly, the gift of constancy and perseverance; because as knowledge and every other gift without charity is nothing worth, so charity and all other workes without perseverance will availe us nothing; because wee must bee faithful unto death, if wee would have the crowne of life: and therefore God doth give us this gift of Constancy, to continue so in our vocation that neither want, nor contempt, nor life, nor death, nor any other thing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.

Fiftly, the gift of contemning worldy vanities, for seeing it is the property of the world to esteeme of us no better then of the scumme and off-scouring of the world: every one of us (except hee be great in wealth and honours) is contemned of his owne kinred, of his owne people, in his owne house where hee dwelleth, and of those very men whom he teacheth, and for whom, as a burning light, he consumeth himselfe, that they should not bee consumed with sinne; therefore the Lord giveth us this gift and Spirit to despise all contempts, and to regard none of the vaine and variable things of this wicked world.

Sixtly, the gift of perfect power, that to the penitent and dejected, to the humble and contrite hearts, they might open the gates of heaven, and let them in, in despight of all the devills of hell: and that against the obstinate and rebellious sinners, they might close and shut the same, that notwithstanding all their wealth and wit, their strength and power, they may be excluded out of the joyes of heaven.

And so these are the gifts, Ministers indued with these gifts which God giveth unto his Church, for the gathering together of his Saints: And indeed, howsoever the world vilipendeth them and (as the Prophet saith) doth make but a jesting song of them, yet if we truly observe it, wee shall easily finde it, that among all the gifts of God, which he now giveth unto men from heaven, the sending of faithfull and able Ministers indued with these gifts, to discharge their duties is the chiefest gift, and doth obtaine the chiefest place: for alas, without them, what were we? Unbaptized, still wallowing in our sins and filthiness; untaught, still involved in ignorance; ununited to Christ, still chained in the hands of Satan, without profession, without religion, without God. And therefore it was not without cause, that our Saviour exhorteth us to pray unto God, that he would send forth labourers into his vineyard, for otherwise hee knew that in a very short time it would grow wilde, and in stead of grapes, to bring forth wilde grapes, in stead of mercy and judgement, to bring forth cruelty and oppession, and in stead of piety and religion, to bring forth nothing else but idolatry and superstition.

It is reported of Phillip King of Macedon, that he sent unto the Athenians to send him all their Orators of Athens, and he would ever live in league and peace with them; and the wise Senators being ready to deliver those learned men into the hands of their mortall enemy, Demosthenes said unto them, that on a time the Wolves said unto the Sheepe, that they conceived no ill thought against them, but only for retaining those dogs which were their deadly enemies, and oftentimes barked against themselves, which were their feeders; and therefore if they would deliver up their dogs into their hands, they should free themselves from their barking, and they would become their patrones and defenders: whereupon the sheepe being glad to be rid of their dogges, and deeming themselves happy to be at peace with the wolves, they presently delivered up all their dogs unto the mercies of their enemies, and they were incontinently consumed; but within a very little while after, the wolves began to picke quarrels against the silly sheepe, and in a short place devoured the whole flocke; even so saith Demostheries, if you deliver up your Orators, for the favour of King Phillip, you shall speedily finde, that he will deale with you as they wolves dealt with the simple sheepe; whereupon they resolved to keepe their Orators.

Now Satan deales with our people, as King Philip did with the Athenians; hee tells them that the Preachers bee the onely dogs that he hates, the onely men that barke (and often bite) against them, which by their tithes and offerings they doe maintaine; and therefore he perswadeth them to betray their Preachers into his hands, and to persecute them with their furies; and if they doe so, hee promiseth all peace and content unto them; but when hee hath once prevailed to destroy our bodies, he will soone destroy their soules and bring them into hell fire: and therefore it were well for them, if with the Athenians they would beware of their subtill and cruell enemy, and make much of them which with the hazard of their owne lives doe continually watch for their soules.

Chapter II.
Of those special gifts which God giveth unto his children, for the santifying of their soules, and principally of Faith, Hope, and Charitie.

Secondly, those gifts which hee giveth to santify our soules are of divers sorts; for as S. Gregorie saith of Gods preference, there are certaine degrees of the same; so wee must conceive of the giving of Gods graces, that although he giveth the same unto many men, yet he giveth them not after the same manner unto all men: and therefore, we say that Gods gifts are either,

(Common) or that God giveth these gifts two
(Special) manner of wages, either,
After a generall
After a speciall

First, the common graces and gifts of God, or those graces which hee giveth out of his generall respect and love unto man, are given many times aswell unto the wicked as unto the godly: and therefore in that respect, all those that professe Christ Jesus & which have these generall gifts, are promiscuously called and taken for the Saints of God here in this life, and cannot indeed bee discerned or distinguished by any man, from those that are the true elected Saints: for God only knowes who are his, and wee may not so much as guesse who they are: for wee are prohibited to judge of them, because wee cannot possibly know them.

Secondly, the special graces and gifts of God, or those graces which hee giveth out of his generall respect and love to some men more than others, (for I can finde no specificall difference betwixt the gifts that he giveth unto the elect, and these graces that he giveth unto many of the reprobates, but the same graces in a more perfect, & after a more special manner) are only given unto the elect, whereby they are preserved and kept in the favour of God, until their last breath.

But to nominate which are those common graces and gifts which Christ after a generall manner giveth unto all, or most of the professors of his name, and which are those special gifts which out of his special love he giveth onely unto his elect: or directly to set downe the specificall notes and differences, how to discerne and know the one from the other, and to distinguish in whom each of these sorts may be found (as some have venterously attempted to doe) seemeth unto mee to bee none other thing then the few who are elected, and who are not: for whosoever hath but the common gifts cannot be saved, and whosoever hath the speciall gifts of God shall not be damned.

Yet I denie not, but by the diligent search into the nature and extent of these graces and gifts of God, and by the fruits and effects of the same, every particular man may know, whether he hath them yet or not; for the spirit of man (if man would search out his spirit) may know what is in man: and therefore, not that we should judge one of another, who hath these special gifts of God, and who hath them not, but that every man by searching his owne heart, may know if hee hath them, to his comfort; or, if hee hath them not, that hee may earnestly labour, by prayer to God, to attaine them; I will a little speake of these special gifts and graces of salvation, and show how farre they doe exceede those common graces of the only outward professors.

The Schoolemen, all as it were with one consent, doe distribute the gifts of the holy Ghost into these heaven special graces; viz.

1. Wisdome
2. Understanding
3. Counsel
4. Fortitude
5. Knowledge
6. Pity
7. The feare of God

I neede not, (and my purpose is not) to stand upon each of these.

Aquinas and his followers, have excellently and largely enough handled each one of these excellent graces; but I meane to contract all into a fewer summe, and as Saint Paul saith, to show you a more excellent way: for though it be most true, that Saint Hierome and Saint Bernard say, that as vices goe by troupes; so the graces of God doe so assemble themselves and cohere together, that he which hath one hath all, and hee that wants one, wants all, i.e. he that hath one in any measure of perfection hath the seeds of all the rest, (as Bellarmine saith) whereby as occasion serveth, he can put them, being but stirred up by grace, into execution. They are not onely like those divine sisters, like one another, but they are also linked and chained together like the indissoluble linkes of a golden chain; yet I say that the chiefest graces which I finde, and the purest gifts to bring us into life, are those three whereof the Apostle speaketh, Faith, Hope, and Charitie, for as the Psalmeth saith, hee that doth these things shall never fall; so I may be bold to say, he that hath these gifts shall never faile.

First, Faith is distinguished by the schooles to be foure folde, 1. Hystoricall 3. Temporarie 2. Of miracles. 4. Justifying

The first is common to the divels aswell as to men: for the word pisteuo hath divers significations, as I know to whom I have trusted. Relie not upon the people; but commonly in Scriptures it signifieth to assent, as with the heart we believe unto righteousness; Abraham believed God. And I partly believe it, saith the Apostle: and in this respect the Apostle saith, the divels believe; for wee believe what wee know; and the very divells doe know God, saith Saint Augustine, and they know Christ, Acts 19.14. Mat. 8.29. and they know the Scriptures; for they alledged the same to Christ; and they know the Gospell, and have called it the way of salvation; and therefore they must needs believe, because faith is the most surest knowledge of things, and wee cannot choose but believe what wee doe certainly know: And Saint Augustine comparing the confession of Saint Peter, thou art the Christ the sonne of the living God, and the confession of the divell, I knowe who thou art, even that holy one of God, saith; that although Saint Peter was commended, and the divell rebuked, yet the confession was true in both; and therefore the faith of the divells in respect of the object must needs be a right and true faith.

A doctrine to confound wicked livers, who as Saint Augustine saith, are farre worse than the divells, for he beleeves and trembles, but the wicked even as Nero when Seneca diswaded him from his villanies, and perswaded him so to carie himselfe, as that the Gods might always approve his actions, answered like a dogged Athiest, Thou fooole, dost thou thinke, that I feare or believe, when I doe these things, that there are any gods? So doe they scarce believe there is any God; for if they did, I wonder that with the divells they doe not tremble.

The second and third kind of faith; that is, the faith of miracles, and the temporarie faith, which believeth for a time, and then falleth away, they are likewise common unto the wicked, aswell as unto the godly; for they doe not onely believe the Law and the Gospel, with an hystoricall faith, but they may also doe many miracles, as our Saviour testifieth.

The fourth is onely proper unto the true Saints of God, and it is called, the faith of Gods elect: a faith that overcommeth the world: and a faith which cannot perish. If any man would know whether hee hath this faith or not; hee must looke into these two things,

His workes
Perseverance

For first this is called a faith that worketh, and that worketh by charitie; and therefore Saint Gregory saith, that a true believer loves as he believeth, and worketh as he loveth, and Saint Augustine excellently saith, to believe in God is by believing to love him, and by loving him to bee united and made one with God, so that, to have this true faith in God, is to love God, and to doe the will and Commandments of God.

And secondly, this faith is continuing and persevering faith, such as will continue unto the end. These are the two maine properties of the true saving faith.

Secondly, Hope is a patient and expectation of the thing that we believe, and it is not onely inseperably joined unto faith, each one having respect to other as the two Cherubims, looking on the Mercie Seat, but it hath such great affinitie with faith, as that the one can hardly be discerned from the other.

Yet I finde they differ in three respects,

Of Order
Of object
Of office for,

First, though as the fire and the light in respect of time doe appeare together, so all graces are infused together; yet as the fire is before the light, because the light is caused by the fire, so Faith, saith Alexander de Hales, in respect of causality, because all graces flow from it, is the mother grace, and the root of all the rest; and therefore faith is the ground of hope, and doth always precede the same; in which respect Saint Augustine saith, As in the root of a tree there appeareth no show of beauty, and yet what beauty or goodness forever is in the whole tree, the same proceedeth from the root; even so (saith he) what virtue or goodness forever showeth itselfe in any man, it doth all spring from the root of faith.

Secondly, the object of faith is the word of God, the object of hope, is the promise of God, and the goodnesse of God; faith believes there is a Heaven and a Hell, hope onely lookes for good things, and faith is of things past, things present, and things to come, but hope is onely of things to come.

Thirdly, the office of faith is to tell us what we must believe, but the office of hope is to tell us how we must patiently abide, and looke for what we doe believe.