their tributarie cities subiecte vnto them diligently to sée and marke what they did in euerie citie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say spyes and watchmen The Apostles called byshops watchmen and kéepers of the Lords flocke and the stewardes of Christe or disposers of the secretes of God in the Churche And Presbyter an Elder hath his name of age and auncient yeares In times past the care of the common wealth was committed vnto the elders as to those that were exercised with manifolde experience long vse of things For gouernours of cities are bothe called Seniors and Senatours And as common weales haue their Senatours so hath the church her elders as it appeareth in the Actes 14. 15. 20. 21. chap. It séemeth that the ordeining of elders came into the church out of the synagogue For thus we reade in the booke of Numbers Gather vnto me saith he three score and ten men of the elders of Israel whome thou knowest to bee the elders of the people and officers ouer them and I wil take of the spirit which is vpon thee and put vppon them and they shall beare the burthen of the people with thee least thou bee constrained to beare it alone Wherefore the elders in the churche of Christe are eyther byshoppes or otherwise prudent and learned men added to byshops that they maye the more easily beare the burthen layd vpon them and that the churche of God may the better and more conueniently be gouerned For Paule sayth The elders that rule well let them be counted woorthy of double honour most specially they which labour in the worde and doctrine There were therefore certeine other in the Ecclesiasticall function who albeit they did not teach by and by as did the byshops yet were they present with them that taught in all all businesses Perhaps they are called of the same Apostle elsewhere Gouernours that is is to say whiche are set in authoritie concerning discipline and other affaires of the churche And bycause we are come thus farre in this present treatise we will also declare other names of offices in the churche There is muche speache in the scriptures of Deacons and amonge Ecclesiasticall writers of Priestes In the primitiue Churche the care of the poore was committed to Deacons as it is plainely gathered out of the sixt chapter of the Actes of the Apostles There are also lawes to be séene which are prescribed vnto them by the Apostle in the firste to Timothie the thirde chapter The office of Deacons was separated froÌ„ the function of Pastours and therefore we do not reckon them in the order of Pastours The auncient fathers referred them to the ministerie but not to the Priesthoode We reade also that women not wedded but widowes ministred in the primitiue churche And among other Phebe of the churche of Cencâ—ea highly praysed of the Apostle is verie famous But he forbiddeth women to teach in the church and to take vpon them publique offices How therfore or in what thing did women minister in the churche vndoubtedly they ministred vnto the poore in duties apperteyning to women They ministred vnto the sicke and with Martha Christs hostesse they did with great care and diligence chearish the members of Christe For what other offices could they haue Moreouer the name of Priest séemeth to be brought into the churche out of the synagogue For otherwise ye shall not finde in the newe Testament the ministers of the worde of GOD and of churches to be called priestes but after that sorte that all Christians are called priestes by the Apostle Peter But it appeareth that the ministers of the new Testament for a certeine likenesse whiche they haue with the ministers of the olde Testament of ecclesiasticall writers are called Priestes For as they did their seruice in the tabernacle so these also after their manner and their fashion minister to the churche of god For otherwise the Latine word is deriued of holy things and signifieth a minister of holy things a man I say dedicated and consecrated vnto God to do holy things And holy things are not only sacrifices but what things so euer come vnder the name of religion from whiche we dee not exclude the lawes them selues and holy doctrine In the old testament we read that Dauids sonnes were called priestes not that they were ministers of holy things for it was not lawfull for theÌ„ whiche came of the tribe of Iuda to serue in the tabernacle but onely to the Leuites but bicause they liuing vnder the gouernement and discipline of priestes did learne good sciences and holy diuinitie Here it séemeth it must not be dissembled that those names which we haue intreated of are in the Scriptures one vsed for an other For Peter the Apostle of Christ our Lord calleth him selfe an Elder And in the Actes of the Apostles he calleth the Apostleship a Byshopricke For Saint Paule also calling the Elders together at Miletum and talking with them he calleth them Byshops And in his Epistle vnto Titus he commaundeth to ordeine Elders towne by towne whome immediately after he calleth Byshoppes And that they also are called both Doctors and Pastours there is none so grosse headed to denie Now by all these things we think it is manifest to all men what orders the Lord him selfe ordeined from the beginning and whome he hath consecrated to the holie ministerie of the Church to gouerne his owne church He layd the foundation of the churche at the beginning by Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes he enlarged and mainteyned the same by Pastours and Doctours To these Elders and Deacons were helpers The Deacons in séeing to the poore and the Elders in doctrine in discipline and in gouerning and susteyning other weightier affaires of the Churche Neuerthelesse it appeareth that the order of the Apostles Euangelistes and Prophets was ordeined at the beginning by the Lorde vnto his Churche for a time according to the matter persons and places For many ages since and immediatly after the foundation of Christes kingdome in earth the Apostles Euangelistes and Prophets ceased and there came in their place Byshops Pastours Doctours and Elders which order hath continued most stedfastly in the Church that nowe we can not doubt that the order of the Churche is perfect and the gouernement absolute if at this day also there remaine in the Church of God byshops or pastours doctours also or Elders Yet we deny not that after the death of the Apostles there were oftentimes Apostles raysed vp of GOD whiche might preache the Gospell to barbarous and vngodly nations We confesse also that God euen at this day is able to rayse vp Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes whose labour he may vse to worke the saluation of mankinde For we acknowledge that holy and faithfull men whiche first preach the truth of the Gospell to any vnbeléeuing people may be called Apostles and Euangelistes
free coÌ„fession of departing from the Romishe Church The vpstarte churche of Rome is not the Churche The Church of â—ome â—â—th not be inward â—â—rkes of 〈◊〉 church â—f God. â— Pet. 2. 〈◊〉 in the â—â—â—stle of 〈◊〉 The Church of â—ome 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 outâ—arde â—â—rkes of 〈◊〉 church â—f God. The Lord â—eserueth to himselfe a Church thoughe the gouernoures of â—t erre 4. Reg. 16. 2. Par. 28. 4. Reg. 21. 22. 2. Par. 33. 34. 3. Reg. 12. 2. Par. â—1 Amos. 2. Amos. 7. 3. Reg. 19. Rom. 11. Though the Romish churche be noâ— the church yet God hathe a Church in Earth Dan. 9. 2. thess. 2. Apostolique churches Departure from the Romishe Church is coÌ„maunded Matth. 24. Matth. 9. Luke 6. Actes 2. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Iohn 5. 2. Cor. 6. The kinds of falling away The Church is the house of God. Matth. 16. 1. Cor. 3. Actes 10. 1. Cor. 3. 1. Cor. 6. Esai 28. Matth. 16. Psal. 118. 1. Pet. 2. Acteâ— 4. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 3. Ephe. â— Psal. 18 Iâ—rem 17. Peter or the Bishop of Rome is not the foundation of the Church Matth. 16. â— Cor. 10. â— Cor. 3. Who bee Gods House â— Pet. 2. Ephe. 2. Christ the corner stoane The Tabernacle Temple figures of the Church Apoc. 2. The Church is Gods Vine Esa. 5. Iohn 15. The Church is â—he kingdome of God. The Church is â—hadowed but by mans bodie Ezech. 34. Matth. 18. Matth. 28. The Church of God hath no Vicar The head of the Church The Pope is not the head of the Church Ephe. 1. Ephe. 5. Luke 2â— Hierom in his commentaries vpon Titus and in his epistle to Euagrius The Church is the sheepe foulde of Christ Iohn 21. Actes 20. 1. Pet. 5. The office of a pastor is not a Lordly dignitie The Church is the spouse of Christ Iohn 3. Iohn 3. Ezech. 16. Ephe. 5. The Church or Mother begetteth Children Gala. 4. â— Cor. 3. Ephe. 4. The Churche a a virgine 2. Cor. 11. Adulterie and Fornication The Church of Rome is not the holy mother churche Apoc. 17. Whereâ—â—re God 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 â—f men in 〈◊〉 â—is Churâ—â—e Exod. 19. and. 20. Deut. 5. By the ministerie of the word God worketh saluation in his Church Actes 8 Gala. 1. Actes 10. Actes 9. Actes 26. Luke 1. 1. thess. 2. 1. thess. 4. Luke 10. Matth. 16. Iohn 20. Let euerie thinge be giuen to him that it belongeth I meane both to God thâ— minister â—nto the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 minisâ—â—rie 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 Cor. 〈◊〉 Iohn 1. Actes 26. The minnisterie is not appointed in vaine Iohn 15. Actes 1. 1. Tim. 1. Apoc. 1. 1. Cor. 3. 4. Matth. 13. 1. Cor. 3. â— Cor. 3. 2. Cor. 4. The ende of the ministerie Ephe. 4. The beginning of the ministerie and the worthinesse thereof Gala. 4. How miâ—isters are to be â—earde Rom. 15. Heb. 3. That the ministerie of the worde of God remaineth in the Church Iere. 31. How all may teach Deut. 6. What orders the Lord hath instituted in the Church Apostles Luke 6. Iohn 13. Mark. 16. Prophets Acte 11. 21. Euangelistes Pastours Iohn 10. and. 21. Doctours or Teachers Bishops Actes 20. Elders Nume 11. 1. Tim. 6. 1. Cor. 12. Deacons Women Deacons Rom. 16. 1. Cor. 14. 1. Tim. 2. Priestes 1. Pet. 2. 2. Sam. 8. There is an interchanging betweene those names What maÌ„ner of order remayneth in the churche Equaliâ—ic betweene Bishops Elders 1. Cor. 4. â—atth 18. When the prerogatiue of Bishops be ganne and in what sort The 〈◊〉 and â—â—erogatiue of Bishops increased Clearkes Matth. 12 2. Tim. 4 â—ctes 19. â—â—pishe â—egular â—riestes Popishe Secular priestes Archepriestes Kindes 〈◊〉 Bishops The Popâ— or chiefeâ— Bishop Reade Anton. de Rosellis in his treatise of the power of the Pope and the Emperour Dan. 7. 8. Actes 20. 2. thess. 2. Whether it be profitable and necessarie that some one should haue preeminence ouer the Bishops Luke 22. * A birde that defileth all things she toucheth 2. Cor. 1. 1. Peter 5. Peter chief of the Apostles Of the donation of Constantine 4. Reg. 5. Augustine Steuchus of the donation of Constantine Actes 10. Apoc. 2â— Actes 12. Thou arte Peter c. Of the calling vnto the minisâ—â—â—ie and the kinde of calling Calling by fauouâ— and gyftâ— Symonie Iere. 23. A callinge necessarie in the Church Actes 13. Heb. 5. Rom. 10. Who may chose ministers in the church Actes 14. Nume 20. That Bishops alone haue not power to make ministers Time. 1. 1. Tim. 5. Deut. 16. Exod. 18. Deut. 1. What manner oâ— men are to be ordeyned Ministers Tit. â— 1. Tim. 3. 1. Cor. 4. Censure examination What manner of examination the olde Bishops vsed The fourth Counsel of Carthage How they that are called are to be ordeined Actes 13. Actes 1. 1. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 1. A pall The pall was in old time frelie giuen Why we 〈◊〉 not â—â—ders at â—he hands â—f popishe â—â—shops Gal. 1. The othe of Bishops Pluralitie of Benefices Vnlerned ministers and many benefices the spoyle of the Churche What the office is of those that are ordeined in the Church Actes 20. 2. Tim. 4. Of the keyes of the church Luke 11. Matth. 23. Matth. 16. â—ohn 20. Luke 24. Mark. 16. Actes 2. Howe thâ— Apostles did binde and looâ—e Act. 16. Actes 13. Actes 18. Whence doctrine â—s to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Ezech. 3. â—ere 23. Matth. 28. Mark. 16. Rom. â— 1 â—et 4. The Bishops are not permitted tâ— make new lawes Esai 33. Iames. 4. Matth. 15. The scope â—â— drifte wherevnto the pastors in the churche should â—yme Coloss 4. Ezech. 34. Iere. â— 30. Esai 42. 8. Mat. 12. 19. Of the manner of teachinge the Churche The benefite of Catechisinge The interpretatioÌ„ of the scripture 2. Pet. 1. ApplicatioÌ„ of scripture Luke 12. 2. Tim. 2. Matth. 5. Titus 1. 2. Tim. 4. 1. Tim. 2 Care of the poore Actes 6. Priuate kinde of teaching Prayer for faithfull Pastours What things are ioyned to teachinge Of the holy and vnblameable life of Bishops Matth. 5. 1. Sam. 3. Matth. 10. Iohn 25. Matth. 5. 1. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 2. Authoritie of pastours For the scarse good life of minisâ—â—rs good doctrine must not be reiected Matth. 22. 1. Tim. 5. Hyrelings 2. Thes 2. What â—â—â—yer is The defiâ—ition of â—â—ayer and â—hat be 〈◊〉 partes â—â—ereof Col. 4. Philip. 4. 1. Tim. 2. Kindes of prayers Actes 9. â— Tim. 2. Matth. 6. Of holie assemblies Gene. 35. Exod. 20. Luke 24. Actes 2. 1. Reg. â— Matth. 18 â–ª â— Cor. 14. We must pray Deut. 9. Ion. 3. 4. Esai 3â— Iere. 18. Obiection Matth. 6. 2. Thes 5. Ierem. 2â— Anabaptistes 1. Iohn 〈◊〉 Iohn 9. Prayers 〈◊〉 necessarie â—ames 1. â—ake 18. God is moued with prayers Why they that praye doe not alwayes receiue that they aske Prou. 21. Isai 1. Prou. 1. Iames. 4. Matth. 20. â—rou 3. Hebr. 12. Psal. 38. Why God â—eferreth â—o giue that which â—e meaneth to giueâ—
For so longe as wée mortal men doe liue in this body the flesh doth stil resist the spirite and most of all rebelleth then when we with delicates do pamper the body Wherefore fasting doth drawe from the body euery euil which stirreth vp and strengtheneth it against the good commaundements of Gods holy spirite Now the necessitie for which wée keepe this fastinge is of two sortes publique and priuate Wée faste for the publique or common necessitie when some calamitie doeth either oppresse or else hange ouer the head of the Church Of such a manner of fasting wée sée examples in the 2. Cap. of Ioel and in the 3. of Ionas his prophecie which very same order in fasting was vsed in the time of our Lords Apostles as it is euidently extant in the Actes of the Apostles And this kinde of fastinge doth séeme to haue differed verie little amonge them of old from a generall mourninge yea it séemeth altogether to haue béene nothinge else but a kind of lamenting In the scriptures euery booke is full of examples which teach and instructe vs how the holy saincts did humble themselues in the sight of God with true repentaūce for their sinnes and offences Priuate necessitie is that for which euery particular man doth fast when hée féeleth himselfe to be vexed with bodily concupiscence that thereby hee may take from the flesh the flame and fewell least the body at last be fired and burned For the Lord in the Gospel saide that the children of the bridechamber do fast whē the bridegrome is taken from them that is in a hard and daūgerous time The marriage doth signifie the bond wherby we are knit to Christe in faith and the holy ghoste This yet notwithstanding the godly man doth still reioyce Hée doth with geuing of thanckes and temperancie both eate and drinke so much as is sufficiente and is delighted also in these externall giftes of God but when hee féeleth that the bridegrome is readie for to departe or that hée is now alreadie almost departed oute of his heart that is when hee féeleth that the spirite is extinguished by the fleashes wantonnesse and that faith doth once beginne to bee cold then doth hée settle himselfe to prayer and doth appointe a solemne fastinge thereby eyther to kéepe the bridegrome still or else to pull him backe being ready to departe But neither publique nor priuate fastings can abide to be inforced For they will not be compelled but desire to procéede of a frée chéerefull and voluntarie minde Vnwillinge men doe nothinge well God requireth a chearefull giuer Moreouer let fastinges be moderated according to the qualitie of places persons perills and temptations if they be not continuall yet let them be often till such time as wée be deliuered and ridde vtterly of them Let them be without superstitiō and fayned hypocrisie as our Lord in the sixte of S. Matthewes Gospell hath taught vs Herewithall doe the words of S. Hierome agrée very wel which hée wrote to Nepolianus touching fasting as followeth Prescribe to thee selfe so longe a time to faste in as thine abilitie will suffer thee to beare Let thy fastinges be pure vncorrupte simple moderated and not superstitious What auayleth it to eate no oyle and to seeke out such seldome sond cates as are harde to bee come by as figges pepper nuttes dates pure flowre for ouerfine breade and honie The gardens with digging for nouelties are tourned ouer and ouer because wee will not eate common cribble breade and so while oure deintie mouthes seeke after delicates oure soules are pulled from the kingdome of Heauen I heare moreouer that some menne there are which contrarie to nature refuse to drinke water and feede vppon bread but sucke vppe and swallowe verie costlie suppinges deintie hearbe brothes and the iuyce of Beetes not out of a cup but out of a shell O shame blush wee not at such fond toyes and are wee not ashamed of such superstition Thus much saith Hierome And it is euidente that euen at this day this vice is ospecially receiued amonge oure wealthie and relligious menne But the end of Christian fastinges are that the Church or sinner should submitt and humble themselues before the Lord that the flesh should bée obedient and subiect to the spirit that the fleshe should not hinder the sinner to woorke righteousnesse and that the intent and minde of him that prayeth should bée the more earnestly bente towarde god For fastinge is of the number of those woorkes which of themselues are not absolute and perfecte but haue an other meaninge-for which they are ordeyned to an other ende and purpose therefore fasting is a certaine help to the prayers and vertues of godly men Wherevppon in the Prophetes wée finde that the fastinges of the Iewes displeased the Lord for they did naught else but fast alone that is they did at a certaine and appointed time abstein from their vsuall maner of eating but they restrayned not themselues from sinne and wickednesse but let their flesh haue the bridle at will when as in déede they should haue ceassed to haue pampered it that thereby it being the weaker the spirite might bée the stronger to doe and fulfill all sorte of good woorkes And therefore saith the Lord I haue not chosen such a manner of fasting and the rest as it foloweth in the 58. Chapiter of Esaie and in the 7. and 8. Chapiters of Zacharies Prophecie The Apostle Paul verily doth expressely say that Meate commendeth vs not to God for neither if wee eate haue wee any thing the more neither if wee eate not haue we any thing the lesse Hée therfore doth not fast truly which doth absteine onely at a certaine appointed time from certaine manner of meates but hée which doth therfore refraine from the pleasures of the flesh that therby hée may make it subiect to the spirite and do the works of faith and charitie which are acceptable in the sight of the lord If therfore thou doest desire to faste a true fast eate drincke and sleepe and take héede to thy body that it waxe not insolent faste from al sinne eate not the meate of malice tast not the iuncates of luste and pleasure and be not set on fire with the wyne of wantonnesse Faste from euil déedes absteine from euill woords and refraine thée selfe from naughtie thoughtes For Basile also faith True fasting consisteth in freenesse from vices in continencie of tongue in suppressing of anger in cutting off cōcupiscence backbiting lying and periurie c. But euen as the good woorkes themselues which are done by faith doe not merite the kingdome of heauen for that glorie is due to the merite of Christe alone euen so fastinge which is an ayde and helpe to good woorkes doth not meritoriouslye deserue the kingdome of God. But now I sée a doubtfull disputation arise amonge the most diuines of this oure age touching the time and maner of fastings and also of the choice of meates Some
without all filthie vncleane beastlynesse Last of all hee willeth the Gentiles to be restrayned of eating bloud and strangled He addeth the cause why and saith For Moses of olde time hath in euery citie them that preache him in the Synagogues where hee is read euery Sabboth daye Of which constitution touching bloud and strangled I spake somewhat before that I made this same digression Nowe therefore since the matter is at that pointe it is euident that they are without a cause offended with Sainct Iames which thinke that he did without all right and reason make and publishe this decree and that the fruite of that Synode was verie perillous nothing healesome and flatly contrary to Christian libertie For it is assuredly certeine that the meaning of Iames did in no poynte differ from the minde of Sainct Paule who neuerthelesse did verie well and praisworthily saye Let vs followe the things that make for peace and thinges wherewith we may one edifie an other Destroy not the work of God for meates sake All thinges are pure but it is euil for that man that eateth with offence It is good neither to eate flesh nor to drinke wine nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth or falleth or is made weake c. Romanes 14. It is also moste certeine that Sainct Paule who was so sharpely set to defend the Christian libertie that hee withstood Peter openly at Antioche would not haue beene behinde hand to resist Sainct Iames if he had thought that this constitution either had béen or should bée preiudiciall to Christian libertie Verily hee woulde neither haue preached nor yet commended this tredition of y Apostles to the churches of the Gentiles if hee had not thoughte that it had béene both hoalesome and profitable for them all to embrace But he did preache and commende it vnto the churches as is to be séene in the sixtéenth of the Actes and therfore is sainct Iames without a cause murmured against of some because hee for badd to eate bloud and strangled Finally the conclusion of their Epistle is From which if ye keep your selues ye do well So fare ye well They praise that abstinence and teach it as a good woorke because it is also commended to vs in all the Scriptures Thus haue I digressed not farre I trust from our purpose to speake of the decrée of the apostolique Synode helde at Hierusalem and thus muche at this time touching the abrogation of the ceremoniall lawes It remaineth here for mée to saye somewhat concerning the abrogation of the Iudiciall lawes Nowe therefore the Iudiciall lawes doe séeme to be abrogated in this sense because no Christian common weale no citie or kingdome is compelled to be bound to receiue those verie same lawes which were by Moses in that nation according to the time place state published and set out of olde Therefore euery countrie hath frée libertie to vse such lawes as are best and most requisite for the estate and necessitie of euery place and of euery time and persons so yet that the substance of Gods lawes be not reiected troden downe and vtterly neglected For the things which are agréeable to the lawe of nature and the tenne commaundements and whatsoeuer else God hath commaunded to bee punished must not in anye case bee either cleane forgotten or lightly regarded Nowe the ende whereunto all these lawes do tende is that honestie maye flourish peace and publique tranquillitie be firmely mainteined iudgement and iustice be rightly executed Of which because I haue at large disputed in the exposition of the precept Thou shalt doe no murther I will here be coÌ„tent to be so much the briefer The holie Apostle Paule commaundeth to obey the magistrate he aloweth of the authoritie of the sword which he confesseth that the magistrate hath not in vaine receiued at the hande of god And therefore he did not dissallowe or finde faulte with the election of the magistrate the vse of the sworde the execution of the iudgement and iustice nor with vpright ciuil lawes Now whosoeuer doth conferre the lawes and constitutions of Princes kings Emperours or Christian magistrates which are to be found either in the Code in the booke of Digestes or Pandectes in the volume of newe Constitutions or else in anye other bookes of good lawes of sundrie nations with these Iudiciall lawes of God he must néedes confesse that they drawe verie néere in likenesse and do verie well agrée one with an other Iustinian the Emperour forbad by law either to sel or otherwise to make awaye the possessions of the church things consecrated vnto god For the sincere confessing and pure mainteining of the catholique faith the Emperours Gratian Valentinian Theodosius did make a moste excellent holie law Constantine the great gaue charge to Taurus one of his lieuetenauntes to shutte the idol temples and with the sworde to destroye suche rebeiles as went about to sett them open and to do sacrifice in them That lawes were made for the reliefe of the poore and that kinges and emperours had a care ouer them it is to be séene in more places than one of the Emperours lawes and constitutions It is verie certeine y whosoeuer readeth the Code lib. 1. tit 2. he shal finde much matter belonging to this argument For the honest trayning vp of children and the liberal susteining of aged parents there are verie commeÌ„dable lawes in the bookes of the heathens Concerning the authoritie y parentes haue ouer their childreÌ„ there is mâ—châ— many things to be found in writingâ— likewise of wedlock of incâ—st 〈◊〉 marriages Honoriê° Aâ—cadiê° many other princes haue made verie tollerable laudable decrées where they speake also verie well and wisely of the lawe of diuorcement But if I go on to add or oppose to euery seuerall title of the Iudiciall lawes conteined in this sermon sundrie and peculiar lawes out of the decrées of Christian Princes I shall I knowe be too tedious vnto your patience For then would this treatise passe the time of an ordinarie sermon Let it therefore suffice vs at this time by the declaration of these notes to haue opened and made a way to the diligeÌ„t louers of the truth to come to the vnderstanding of other things which we haue here omitted and that they may beléeue that the substance of Gods Iudiciall lawes is not taken awaye or abolished but that the ordering and limitation of them is placed in the will and arbitrement of good Christian princes so yet that they ordeine and appoinct that which is iuste and equall as the estate of the time place and persons shall best require that honestie and publique peace may be thereby preserued and god the father duely honoured through his onely begotten sonne Christe Iesus to whome all praise is due for euer For we do sée that the Apostles of Christe did neither require nor coÌ„maunde any nation in the administration of politique affaires to binde them selues to
the fiftéenth of the Acts. And lastly what I pray you is a sinner able to doe of his owne strength What power I pray you haue we sillie wretches of oure selues to do good But it gréeueth mée and I am ashamed of these mennes impudencie to sée that they will haue this their auricular confession to bee instituted of God and that they go about to vpholde confirme it by the Scriptures guilefullye wresting that place in the Gospell where the Lord sayeth to the Lepre Goe thy waye shew thee selfe to the Prieste Now they doe not impudently wreste this place alone contrarie to the true sense but doe also corrupt all the other testimonies of holie Scriptures whiche they are wont to cite Among all the rest I will tell you of this one Bonauentura in his commentaries Ad sententias Magistri lib. 4. Dist 17. Quaest 3. imagineth two thinges to bee in confession The one formall to witt absolution or the power to heale and this hee sayeth was instituted by the Lord at the giueing of the keyes The other is materiall to wit the disclosing of the sin and this he sayth that the Lorde himselfe did not institute but onely insinuate For immediately after he addeth these woordes And therefore confession was insinuated by the Lorde instituted by the Apostles and openly proclamed by Iames the Bishop of Hierusalem For as hee proclamed the decree of not keepinge the ceremoniall lawes Acts. 15. So also he published layed vppon all them that sinne the necessitie of confession saying confesse your sinnes one to an other Thus muche hath Bonauentura But who will not woonder at the blyndenesse of that age This writer acknowledgeth that auricular confession was not instituted by the Lorde but obscurely and as it were by coniectures of the consequents That the Apostles expounded the mynde of Christ and instituted it And that S. Iames in the name of all the Apostles did by a decree openly proclame it Hee addeth that the woordes of the proclamation were Confesse your sinnes one to an other Nowe what is it else to wreste the Scriptures if this be not to wrest them Euen hee that is the blindest doth easily se that these champions are vnweaponed in this same combat bringing forth a speare made of a wrapt vp wisp of hay which they shake keepe a coyle with as if it were the lance-staffe of Hector or Achilles It is most euident that the Apostle speaketh not of secreat and auricular confession but of the confession whiche by a certaine reciprocation is made of them that haue mutuallie offended one an other And nowe agayne freely confessinge their faultes one to another are mutuallie reconciled and praye one for an other agayne Of which I haue saide somewhat allreadie a little before They doe not see that in the Apostles woords there are two thinges which beeing diligently considered do make thē meere mockinge stockes to them that perceyue them For firste the Apostle in that place vseth this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche signifieth mutuallie one an other one for one and as it were reciprocately There vppon we inferre thus if according to the Apostles precepte we must confesse our selues one to an other and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie mutuallie or reciprocately that is that wée muste confesse our selues by turnes as it were firste I to him and then hee to me as it signifieth so in verie deed Then muste it néedes be that after the Lay-men haue confessed them selues to the Priestes the Priestes shoulde againe confesse themselues vnto the Laye-men For that is to make confession one to an other For wee saye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is they loue one another mutuallie he him and hee him againe But if this trouble the priests to haue their confessions heard of lay-men let them then acknowlege that this place of the Apostle doth-make nothinge for theyr secrete and auricular confession which they haue deuised for their own commoditie Then the Apostle addeth And praye yee one for an other that ye may bee healed Hee doeth therefore associate and as it were ioyne vnder one yoke both confession and prayer And vppon that wee doe agayne gather if wee muste confesse to none but Priestes then muste we praye for none but Priestes But we muste not praye for Priestes alone Ergo wee must not confesse to priests alone but euerye one one to another The same place of Sainct Iames must not bee vnderstoode of secreate and auricular confession but of that open or publique Confession by whiche they returne into charitie againe by the mutuall confession of their faultes which had before offended eache other with mutuall iniuries and béeing nowe againe reconciled do praye one for another that they may be saued We do therefore leaue this for an vndoubted trueth that the disputers for auricular confession neither haue proued nor can proue that it was instituted and ordeined of GOD. But when they sée that this their confession will to wracke they go about with weake proppes God wot to staye it vp and saye that that confession is to bee reteined still in the Churche if it were for nothinge else but for disciplines sake to make men blushe when their sinnes come to light which is a cause many times that some doe sinne the seldomer And also they saye that it is to bee reteined for priuate absolution and peculiar or singular consolation of the Gospell But if auricular confession bee so néedefull and profitable for the Church as they will seeme to haue it howe chaunced it that the Church for the space of a thousand yeares after the Apostles tymes was vtterlie without it It is meruayle then that the Apostles did in no place eyther vse it or commaunde it And agayne it is manifeste that the tymes which were before the comminge of Christ did not once so muche as dreame of this confession neyther did the Apostles leaue the Church of GOD destitute of any thing necessary vnto saluation Nowe what discipline this auricular confession planted in the Church of GOD is the abhominable deedes and wycked acts that insued it doe plainely declare For both hee that did confesse and hee that heard the confession learned horrible wickednesse euen by the examination and beatinge out the circumstaunces of sinnes commytted By that meanes there were gyuen and taken causes and occasions of whoredomes and adulteries Vnder the pretence of those confessions the chastitie of matrons and virgins hath ben assaulted and also corrupted oftener tymes and more sundrie wayes than is decent to bee named Those confessours fished out the secrets of euerie mans conscience which thinge auayled greately to the establishinge of theyr tyrannie By those confessions the confessours coulde cunningly spoyle and robbe theyr shrift-children as they called them of theyr goods and substaunce because they knewe what riches euery one had and how he came by them And when the Peeres of euery common wealth knewe that the priestes were priuie to
that are called Gods whether in heauen or in earth as there be Gods manie and Lords manie yet vnto vs there is but one God euen the father of whome are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whome are all things and we by him Nowe I suppose these diuine testimonies are euident enough and do sufficiently proue that GOD in substance is one of Essence incomprehensible eternall and spirituall But vnder the one essence of the Godhed the holie scripture doth shew vs a distinction of the Father of the sonne and of the holie Ghoste Now noate héere that I call it a â—istinction not a diuision or a separation For we adore and worshipp no more Gods but one so yet that we doe neither confound nor yet denye or take away the thrée Subsistences or persons of the diuine essence nor the properties of the same Noetus Anoetus in very déed and Sabellius the Libyan a godlesse bolde and verie rude Asse of whome sprang vpp the grosse heresie of the Patrispassians taught that the father the sonne and the holie Ghoste did importe no distinction in GOD but that they were diuerse attributes of god For they said that GOD is none other wise called the father the sonne and the holie Ghoste than when he is named good iuste gentle omnipotent wise c. They saide the Father created the worlde the same in the name of the Sonne tooke fleshe and suffered and againe in chaunginge his name he was the holie Ghoste that came vppon the Disciples But the true Propheticall and Apostolicall faithe dooth expressely teach that the names of the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghoste doe shewe to vs what God is in his owne proper nature For naturally and eternally God is the the Father because he did from before beginnings vnspeakeablye begett the Sonne The same GOD is naturally the Sonne because he was from before beginnings begotten of the Father The same GOD is naturally the holie Ghoste because he is the eternall spirit of them bothe procéeding from them bothe béeing one the same God bothe with them and when in the Scriptures he is called a gentle good wise mercifull and iuste God it is not thereby so muche expressed what he is in him selfe as what a one hee doeth exhibite him selfe to vs. The same Scripture doeth openly say that the Father created all thinges by the Sonne and that the Father descended not into the earth nor toke our flesh vpon him nor suffered for vs For the Sonne saith I went out from the Father and came into the worlde Againe I leaue the worlde and goe vnto the Father The same Sonne fallinge prostrate in the mount of Oliues prayeth saying Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me Againe in the Gospel he saith I will pray to the Father and he shall giue you an other comforter Loe here he saith the father shall giue you an other comforter And yet againe least by reason of those persons and properties of those persons we should separate or diuide the diuine nature the Sonne in the gospel saith I and the father are one For when he saith One he ouerthroweth them that separate or rent the diuine substance or nature and when he saith We are and not I am therein he refuteth them that doe confounde the subsistences or persones in the Trinitie Therefore the Apostolique and Catholique doctrine teacheth and doeth confesse that they are thrée distinguished in properties that of those thrée there is but one and the same nature or essence the same omnipotenciâ— maiestie goodnesse and wisedome For although there be an order in the Trinitie yet can there be no inequalitie in it at all None of them is in time before other or in dignity worthier than other but of the thrée there is one godhead and they thrée are one and eternall God. And the primitiue Church verily vnder the Apostles the times that came next after them did beléeue so simply despising reiecting curious questions and néedlesse disputations And euen then too did arise pestilent men in the Church of God speaking peruerse things whoÌ„e the Apostle doeth vppon good cause call greeuous woolues not spareing the flock They first brought in very straunge daungerous questions sharpened their blasphemous tongues against Heauen it selfe For they stoode in it that thrée persons could not be one nature or essence and therefore that by naming the Trinitie the christiaÌ„s worshippe many Gods euen as the Heathen doe And againe since there can be but one GOD they inferre consequently that the same God is father sonne and holie ghoste vnto him selfe For so it was agreeable that they should doate in follie whome the word of God did not leade but the grosse imagination of mortall flesh And God did by these meanes punish the GiaÌ„tlike boldenesse of those meÌ„ whose minds being without all reuerence and feare of God did wickedly striue to fasten the sight of the eyes of the flesh vppon the verie face of god But the faithfull and vigilant ouerséers and pastors of the Churches were coÌ„pelled to driue such woolues from the foldes of Christe his shéepe and valiauntly to fight for the sincere catholique trueth that is for the Vnitie Trinitie for the monarchie and mysterie of the dispensation That strife bred foorth diuerse words with which it was necessarie to holde and binde those slipperie merchants Therefore immediately after the beginning there sprang vp the termes of Vnitie Trinitie Essence Substance and Person The Gréekes for the moste parte vsed Ousia Hypostasis and Prosopon whiche wee call Essence Subsistence and Personne Of these againe there did in the Churches spring vppe newe and freshe contentions They disputed sharply of the Essence and Subsistence whether they are the same or sundrie thinges For Ruffinus Aquileiensis in the 29. Chapter and first booke of his Ecclesiastical historie sayeth There was moued a controuersie about the difference of substaunces subsistences whiche the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For some said that substaunce subsistence seeme to be all one and because wee say not that there are three substaunces in God therefore that wee ought not to saye that there are three subsistences in him But on the other side againe they that tooke substaunce for one thing subsistence for an other did say that substaunce noteth the nature of a thing and the reason wherevpon it standeth but that the subsistence of euerie person doth shewe that very thing which doth subsist Basilius Magnus wrote a learned Epistle to his brother Gregorie about the difference of Essence and subsistence And Hermius Sozomenus in the 12. Cap. of his fift booke of histories sayth The bishops of many cities meeting together at Alexandria do together with Athanasius and Eusebius Vercellensis confirme the decrees of Nice and coÌ„fesse that the holy Ghost is coesseÌ„tiall with the
pleased But one and the same cānot be both Father and Sonne vnto himselfe the father is one and the sonne is one yet not diuers thinges but one and the same God of one and the same nature For the sonne in one place doth most plainely say I the father are one Moreouer what could bee more clearely spoken for the proofe of the expresse distinction and properties of the thrée persons in the reuerend Trinitie than that where the Archangel Gabriel in s Luke declaring the sacrament of the Lords incarnation doth euidently saye vnto the virgin the mother of God The holy Ghoste shall come vppon thee the power of the highest shall ouershadow thee Therfore also that holy thing that shal be borne shal be called the sonne of God. What I pray you could haue possibly béene inuented of purpose to bee more manifestly spokē for the proofe of this matter than these woordes of the Angel Thou hast héere the person of the highest that is of the father For in the woordes of the Angel a little afore it is said He shal be great and shall bee called the sonne of the highest Now the sonne is the sonne of the father Wée haue also the persons of the sonne and of the holy Ghost expressed with their properties neither mingled nor confounded The father is not incarnate nor yet the holy Ghoste but the Sonne To the father is borne of the virgin a Sonne euen he that was the sonne by the eternall and vnspeakeable maner of begetting But the holy Ghost whiche is the power of the most highest did ouershadowe the virgin and made her with childe And so by this meanes thou mayest sée héere the persons distinguished not diuided howe they differ in properties not in Essence of dietie or in nature Héere nowe although these places mighte séeme to suffice any reasonable man I wil yet add other testimonies of the holy Apostles that too of thrée the most excellent among all the Apostles S. Peter preaching the word of the Gospell before the Church of Israel as Luke testiffeth in the Actes of the Apostles doeth amonge other thinges say This Iesus hath God raised vpp and exalted him to his right hand and hee hauing receiued of the father the promise of the holy Ghost hath shedd forth this which ye nowe see and heare Loe God the father raiseth vpp and doeth exalte the Sonne The Sonne is raised vpp exalted and sitteth at the right hande of the father And the Sonne receiuing of the Father the holy Ghoste doth bestowe it vppon the Apostles Therefore the spirite procéedeth from the Father and the Sonne subsisting in his owne person but being one and the same spirite of them both Moreouer in the Sermon made at Caesarea in the congregation of the Gentiles that is in the house familie of Cornelius the Centurion the same Apostle doeth as plainely expresse the person of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost knitteth the Trinitie together into one Essence of the Diuine Nature Sainct Paule in the beginning of his Epistle to the Romans sayth that he was appointed to preach the Gospell of God which he had promised afore by his Prophetes in the holy Scriptures of his Sonne whiche was made of the seede of Dauid after the flesh and hath beene declared to bee the sonne of God with power after the Spirite that sanctifieth Againe to the Galathians he sayth God sent his sonne made of a woman that wee by adoption might receiue the right of sonnes And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirite of his Sonne into your heartes crying Abba father And againe to Titus hee sayeth God according to his mercie hath saued vs by the founteine of regeneration and renuing of the holy Ghost which hee shedd on vs richly thorough Iesus Christ our Sauiour Therfore S. Cyril speaking very truly of the Apostle Paule Libro in Ioan. 9. Cap. 45. doeth say That holy man did rightly know the enumeration of the sacred Trinitie and therefore he teacheth that euery person doth properly and distinctly subsist and yet hee preacheth openly the immutable self-same-nesse of the Trinitie Cōcerning whiche matter if any man would gather together and reckon vpp all the testimonies that Paule hath for the proofe of it he must of necessitie recite all his Epistles The blessed Apostle and Euangelist Iohn doeth more strongly and euidently than the other affirme and sett forth the mysterie of the Trinitie and distinction of the persons as well in his Euangelicall historie as in his Epistle Amonge many this one at this time shal be sufficient In his Canonicall Epistle he sayeth Who is a lyar but hee that denyeth that Iesus is Christe The same is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Sonne Whosoeuer denieth the Sonne the same hath not the father Therfore let that abide in you which ye haue herd from the beginning And presently after he saith againe Ye need not that any mā teach you but as the same annoynting teacheth you of all things and it is true and not lying In these wordes ye heare the Father ye heare the Sonne ye heare the annoynting that is the holy Ghost The father is not the Sonne the Sonne is not the Father neither is the holy Ghoste the Father or the Sonne but the Father is the Father of the Sonne the Sonne is the Sonne of the Father and the holy Ghost procéedeth from them both And yet those persons are so ioyned and vnited that he which denieth one of them hath in him none of them Yea whosoeuer denieth this Trinitie is pronounced to be Antichrist For he denieth God which is one in Trinitie and thrée in vnitie and so consequently confounding or taking awaye the properties of God hee denieth God to bée such a one as he is in very déede Nowe I suppose that these so many and so manifest testimonies do suffice the Godly For they beleeue the Scriptures do not ouer curiously prie into the Maiestie of God being cōtent with those things alone wherein it hath pleased God of his goodnesse to appeare and shine to vs mortall men Some thereare which doe their indeuour by certeine parables or similitudes to shadowe this matter that is to say to shew howe the thrée persons are said to bee distinguished and yet notwithstanding to be one god But in all the thinges that God hath made as I did admonishe you in the beginning of this treatise there is nothing whiche can properly be likened to the nature of God neither are there any words in the mouthes of men that can properly be spoken of it neither are there any similitudes of mans inuention that can rightly and squarely agrée with the diuine Essence And. S. Basile disputing De Ousia Hypostasi sayeth It cannot be that the comparisons of examples should in all points be like to those things to the vse wherof the examples
holy Ghost had y comforter present in their mindes went reioycing from the presence of the counsel bicause they were counted worthy to suffer reproch for the name of Christe So we read in the Ecclesiasticall historie that the martyrs of Christ being full of the holy Ghost euen in extreme torments and moste bitter deaths were most patient and sange prayses and gaue thanks vnto GOD. Furthermore we haue heard that the holy Ghoste is called of the Lorde the spirite of trueth For in an other place also hee beautifieth him with that name for he saith When the cōforter shall come whome I will send vnto you from the father euen the spirite of trueth which proceedeth from the father hee shall beare witnesse of me And he is called the spirite of trueth bycause there is an other hypocriticall spirite an erronious and lying spirite in the mouth of all false Prophetes This our spirite worketh in his worshippers sinceritie gentlenesse of mynde and integritie Those he teacheth all trueth For our Lorde elsewhere in the gospel sayth That comforter whiche is the holy Ghoste whome the father will send in my name he shall teache you all things and bring all thinges to your remembraunce what so euer I haue sayde vnto you Therefore the spirite of trueth hath taught the Apostles all trueth that is to be beléeued and all godlinesse and they haue deliuered the same fully to the Church For the holie Ghost driueth away all errours destroyeth all heresies confoundeth all Idolatrie and vngodlinesse and poureth true faith into our heartes and establisheth true religiō in the Church The Actes of the Apostles affoorde vs verie many of examples By this spirite of God the Apostles foretolde things to come shadowing out amōg other things Antichrist and the corruption of this oure last age and admonishing the Church least the elect shoulde be intangled in errours and blasphemous wickednesses Now he is called the spirit of promise for that he was promised of god by the Prophetes through Christ to the Fathers to the apostles and to al that beleue the apostles doctrine and was at length also through the same Christe fully giuen and perfourmed This worde putteth the godly in mynde that they shoulde not ascribe the hauing of this so great and healthfull a gift to their merites but to the méere grace of god And the holie Ghoste is graunted yea giuen vnto vs by the promise of god Wherevpon it followeth that all the giftes of God are fréely giuen which thing the Apostle Paule principally proueth and earnestly beateth into our heades in his epistles specially to the Romanes and the Galathians In Luke the Lord sayth If I with the finger of God cast out diuels no doubt the kingdome of God is come vpon you Saint Matthewe rehearsing the same wordes sayth If I by the spirite of God cast out diuels thē is the kingdome of God come vpon you Therefore the holie Ghost is called the finger of god to wit the might and power of god Men of occupations worke with their fingers God worketh his workes by his diuine power I meane by his spirite whose power is so greate that euen his little finger giue me leaue so to speake surpasseth all the power and strength in the worlde That appeared in those Sorcerers of Egypt Didymus rehearseth a parable touching the vnitie of the diuine substaunce and admonisheth diligently and conueniently that we should not for corporall things forge and feigne vnto our selues a corporall meaning of spirituall things For he sayth But beware lest thou being cast downe vnto base things doest imagine in thy mynd diuersities of corporall actions and begin to forge to thy selfe magnitudes and inequalities and other members of the body greater and lesser saying that the finger from the hand and the hand from him whose hand it is doth differ by many inequalities bycause the scripture doth now speak of bodylesse thinges purposing to shewe the vnitie onely and not the measure of substance also For as the hand is not diuided from the body by the whiche it worketh and bringeth all things to an end and is in him whose hand it is so also the finger is not separated frō the hand whose finger it is Therefore away with inequalities and mesurings when thou thinkest of God and vnderstande the vnitie of the finger of the hande and of the whole substaunce by which finger the lawe was written in tables of stone Thus farre he Now the holie Ghost is read as wel in the writings of the Prophets as also of the apostles to be shadowed out by water and a liuely or continuall running founteine I will poure out sayth the Lord by Esaie waters vppon the thirstie and riuers vpon the dry ground And anon by interpretation he addeth I will poure my spirite vpon thy seede and my blessing vpon thy stocke And in the Gospell the Lord sayth If any mā thirst let him come vnto mee and drinke Hee that beleeueth in me as sayth the scripture out of his bellye shall flowe riuers of water of life To which in way of exposition the holie Euangeliste addeth But this he spake of the spirite whiche they that beleeue in him should receiue Surely water maketh barren groundes fruitfull cleanseth things defiled giueth drinke to them that be thirstie and cooleth them that are in a heate so the grace of the holy spirit maketh barren myndes fruitfull to bring foorth fruite to the liuing god By the selfe same grace our harts are cleansed from all vncleannesse the same quencheth the thirst of the soule and comforteth it when it is afflicted and fulfilleth all the desires thereof Fire is simple and pure and some bodies it consumeth and othersome it purgeth making them more fine and cleane It warmeth also and hath many profitable and necessarie operations in man Therefore the holy Ghoste is rightly shadowed out vnto vs by fire For he is pure and simple he consumeth the vngodly cleanseth the faythfull from the filthinesse of sinnes and maketh them to burne with the loue of God and their neighbour setting them on fire doubt lesse with the fire of his loue When he was giuen to the Apostles in the day of Pentecoste there was heard a sound as it had bene with the force of a mightie winde comming by which thing was signified that the doctrine of godlinesse shoulde be spread throughout the whole worlde by the power of GOD and wonderfull successe maugre the might of the whole world setting shoulder against the same all in vaine For the wind no man staying it bloweth through the whole world pearceth all places and no mā can keepe it out it hath also wonderfull effectes in bodies to chaunge thē And the holie Ghost pearceth al thinges softneth mens hearts and of froward stubborne and rebellious he maketh most lowly modest and obedient men Fierie toungs appeare vpon the heades of the Apostles and disciples indued
Paule baptised as a minister not as one that had power of himselfe but the Lord baptised as he that had power of himselfe Behold if it had pleased him he could haue giueÌ„ this power to his seruants but he would not For if hee should haue giuen this power vnto his seruaunts that it should also haue beene theirs which was the lords then there should haue beene as many sundrie baptismes as seruaunts c. In the Church Christ reserueth that absolute power to himselfe For he continueth the head king bishop of the Church for euer neither is that head whiche giueth life separated from his body at any time But that limitted power he hath giuen vnto the Church Whiche thing it ought to acknowledge to wit an Ecclesiastical iurisdiction hemmed in with certeine lawes whiche procéedeth from God and for that cause it is effectuall and therefore in all thinges ought to haue chiefe regard vnto God and that Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction is for that purpose giuen vnto the church that it might be put in practise for the profite of the Church For S. Paule sayth The Lord hath giuen vs power to the intent we should edifie not for the destruction of the Church And therefore that power whiche tendeth to the hinderance and destruction of the Church is a diuelish tyrannie and not an ecclesiasticall power procéeding from god And it behoueth vs diligently to marke and reteine this ende of Ecclesiasticall power But the limitted power of the church consisteth verie néere in these points to witt in ordeyning of the ministers of the Church in doctrine and in the discerning betwéene doctrines and finally in the ordering of Ecclesiasticall matters Of euery one of which pointes in their order we will speake a litle declaring what manner of authoritie the Church hath and howe farre it is limitted in euery part thereof The Lord himselfe appointed the chiefe doctours of the Church whiche were the Apostles that all men might vnderstand that the Ecclesiastical ministerie is the diuine institution of God himselfe and not a tradition deuised by men And therfore after that the Lord was ascended into heauen S. Peter calling the Church together speaketh out of the scriptures of placing an other Apostle in the stéed of the traytour Iudas by that very facte shewing that power was giuen vnto the Church by God to electe ministers or teachers The same Church also not longe after by the persuasion of Peter and the Apostles so persuading vndoubtedly by the inspiration of the holy Ghost choose seuen deacons The Church of Antioche being manifestly instructed by the holy Ghoste doeth ordeine and sende Paule and Barnabas althoughe they were longe before that time assigned to the ministerie It is read also in the Actes of the Apostles that the churches by the commaundement of the Apostles did ordeine doctours for the holy ministerie as often as néede required And yet notwithstanding they did not ordeine euery one without choice but such onely as were fitt for that office that is to say such as afterward by expresse lawes they themselues did describe to witt If any man were faultles the husband of one wife watchfull sober c. The rule set downe by the Apostle is sufficiently knowen as appeareth in the 1. to Tim. 3. Cap. But as touching the ordeyning of ministers God willing wee will speake in the third sermon of this Decade But if the Church haue receiued power to appoint fitt ministers for the Church I thincke no man will denie that the Church hath authoritie to depose the vnworthie wicked deceiuers and also to correct and amende those thinges whiche being lacking may séeme necessarie for this order And forasmuch as ministers are chosen chiefly to teach it must follow that the Church hath power to teach to exhort to comfort and such like by her lawfull ministers and yet no power to teach euery thing but that onely which she receiued being deliuered vnto her from the Lord by the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Teach them sayeth the Lord that whiche I commaunded you Go ye and preach the Gospell to all creatures And S. Paul sayth I am put a part to preach the Gospell of God which he promised before by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures But this ministerie office of preaching is nothing else but the power of the keyes whiche the Church hath receiued The office I saye of binding and loosing of opening shutting heauen In another place also the apostles receiued power from the Lord ouer all ouer all I say not absolutely but ouer all diuels and not ouer all Angels and men and yet that authoritie and power they receiued ouer diuels they receiued it not absolutely for it is added vnto it that they should expell and cast them out And therefore they could not deale with diúels after their owne fancie but that onely so farre forth as he would haue them to dâ—e who hath absolute power ouer all diuels and that they might cast diuels out of men but not to sende them into men thoughe they would haue desired it neuer so much And so also as touching diseases they could not doe what they would else would not S. Paule haue left Trophimos sicke at Miletum who might so greatly haue béene profitable vnto him in the holy ministerie The two disciples if they had béen able to haue done what they would would haue commanded fire from heauen to haue fallen downe vppon Samaria and so would haue taken vengeaunce of the vncourteous and barbarous people of Samaria for that they denied to harbour the Lord Christ In like manner those same Apostles receiued keyes that is to saye power to binde and to lose to open and shutt heauen to forgiue and to reteine sinnes but perfectly limitted For they could not lose y which was bound in hell neither bind them that were liuing in heauen For he said not What soeuer ye binde in heauen but whatsoeuer ye binde vppon earth Neither said he Whatsoeuer ye lose in hell but what soeuer ye lose vppon earth Againe they were not able eyther to binde or lose whom they would not so much as vpon earth For they were not able to lose that is to say to pronounce a maÌ„ frée from sinne that was without faith Againe they could not binde that is say pronounce condemned him that was lightened with faith was truely penitent And surely such as teach other doctrine than this touching the power of the keyes deceiue the whole world of whiche wee will more largly intreat in place conuenient Likewise the Church hath receiued power from Christ to administer the sacraments by ministers but not according to her owne will and pleasure but according to Gods will and the forme and manner sett downe by the Lord himselfe The Church cannot institute sacraments neither yet alter the ends vse of the sacraments Finallie that the Church hath
power to giue iudgement of doctrines euen by this one sentence of the Apostle Paule appeareth Let the Prophets sayth he speake two or three at once and let the other iudge And in an other place he saith Proue all thinges and kepe that which is good And S. Iohn said Dearelie beloued beleeue not euerie spirite but trie the spirits whether they are of God. But of this kinde of power to iudge there is also a certeine order For the Church doth not iudge at her owne pleasure but after the sentence of the holy Ghost and according to the order and rule of the holy scriptures And heere also order moderation and charitie is obserued Therefore if at any time the church of god according to the authority which she hath receiued froÌ„ the Lord do call a couÌ„sel together for some weightie matter as we read that the Apostles of the lord did in the Actes of the Apostles it leaneth not here to her owne fleshly iudgment but giueth ouer her selfe to bee guided by the spirite and examineth all her doinges by the rule of the word of God and of the two-fould charitie Wherefore the Church maketh no new lawes as the church of Hierusalem or rather the Apostolique church sayeth that it séemeth good both to the holy Ghost and to the Church that no other burthen should be layd vppon the faithful Christians but onely a few and those verie necessarie thinges and neither beside nor contrarie to the holy scriptures Now Ecclesiastical matters are of diuers sortes the good ordering and well disposing whereof for the coÌ„moditie of men is in the power of the Church of whiche sorte those thinges are which concerne outward worship in place in time as is prophecying or interpretation of tongues and scholes Also the Church hath to iudge in causes of matrimonie and chiefly it hath correction of manners admonitions punishmentes and also excommunicating or cutting off from the bodie of the Church For the Apostle also sayeth that this power is giuen him and yet to the intent hee should therewith edifie not destroy For all these thinges whiche we haue remembred such like are limitted with the rule of the word and of loue also with holy examples and reasons deduced out of the holy scriptures Of all which wee will perchaunâ—e more largelye speake in their place Thus much haue I hetherto said concerning Ecclesiastical power the contrarie whereof I haue declared with how open a mouth our aduersaries do publish but yet they handle these matters so grossely that it may appeare euen vnto children what they séeke or what they would defende to witt not the Ecclesiasticall power but their owne couetousnesse luste and tyrannie The Canonicall trueth teacheth vs that Christ himselfe doeth hold and exercise absolute or full power in the Church and that he hath giuen the ministeriall power to the Church who executeth it for the most part by ministers and religiously executeth it according to the rule of Gods word These thinges beeing in this sorte considered it shall not bee greatly laboursome to knowe the studies of the holy Church of god For it executeth as I said euen nowe that power whiche it hath receiued of GOD most carefully and faithfullye to the ende that it maye serue God that it may be holy and that it may please him And that I may reckon vp some of her studies specially first of all it worshippeth calleth vppon loueth and serueth one God in Trinitie and taketh nothing in hand not hauing first consulted with the word of this true god For she ordereth all her doings according to the rule of Gods word she iudgeth by the woord of God and by the same she frameth all her buildinges being built mainteyneth them being fallen downe she repaireth or restoreth them againe The assemblies and congregations of Saincts vppon earth she feruently furthereth and loueth In these things it harkeneth diligently to the preaching of the word of God she is partaker of the sacrameÌ„ts deâ—outly and with great ioy and desire of heauenly thinges It prayeth to God by the intercession of our only mediatour Christ with a strong faith ferueÌ„tly continually and most attentiuely It praiseth the maiâ—stie of God for euer and with great ioy giueth thanks for all his heauenly benefits It highly estéemeth all and euery the institutions of Christ neither doth it neglect any of them But chieflie it acknowledgeth that it receiueth all things belonging ether to life saluation righteousnes or felicitie of the onely sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ as he who onely chose her and then by his spirite and bloud sanctifyed her and made her a Church that is a chosen people whose onely king redéemer high priest and defender he is without whom there is no saluation Therefore in God alone by our Lord Iesus Christ she only resteth him shee onely desireth and loueth and for his sake she reioyceth to loose all things that apperteine to this world yea and to spend her bloud and her life And therefore it cleaueth vnto Christe by faith inseparablie neither doeth it hate any thing more bitterly than falling awaye from Christ and desperation For without Christ there séemeth nothing in all this whole life to be pleasant With Sathan as with a deadly enimie she hath vnappeaseable enimitie Against heresies and errours it striueth both constantly and wisely The simplicitie of the Christian faith the sinceritie of the doctrine of the Apostles it most diligently kéepeth She kéepeth her selfe as much as lieth in her vnspotted of the world and of the flesh from all carnall and spiritual infection And therfore she fléeth from and by all meanes detesteth all vnlawefull congregations and prophane religions with all wicked men and willingly and openly confesseth Christe both by woord and déede euen with the damage of her life It is exercised with afflictions but yet neuer ouercome It keepeth vnitie and concord carefully All and euerye the members of her body shee most tenderly loueth It doeth good vnto all men as much as power and abilitie will suffer It hurteth no man It forgiueth willingly It beareth with the weake brotherlye till they bee brought foorth forward to perfection Shee is not puffed vpp with pride but thoroughe humilitie is kept in obedience in modestie and in all the dueties of godlinesse But who I praye you is able to recite all and euery one of the studies of the church in a very large discourse much lesse in this short recitall And who would not desire to be a member of so diuine and heauenly a congregation I would by and by ioyne herevnto that which remayneth touching the vnitie of the catholique Church of the diuision thereof and of other thinges belonging to the consideration hereof but that I doe perceiue you beeing alreadie wearie of hearing do earnestly loke for an end of this sermon Therefore we will put off the residue till to morrowe And now lifting
was there any other cause why y the people being kept in bondage by the space of lxx yeres in the captiuitie of Babylō offered no sacrifices yet most certaine it is notwithstanding y both the prophets of God the holy true worshippers of God separated themselues both frō the worship and sacrifices which were vsed being contrarie to the word of god Surely we read in all the sermons of the prophets that both those sacrifices and also that Churche are condemned For whiche cause they thēselues also were condemned of the highe priest and other priestes of Baal as most abhominable heretiques and scismatiques euen as now a dayes also we are thrust through with the dartes of your curses for that we will not communicate with the Popishe church and her holy seruice and doe reiecte their holy seruice itselfe To this may be added that the sacrifices of the lawe beeing nowe fulfilled and abrogated by the lord the Apostles with manifest defection departed not only from the high priests and church of Hierusalem but moreouer gathered vnto Christe a newe church by the preaching of the Gospel and badge of the sacraments whiche church in the Actes of the Apostles we haue described according to whose patterne all churches ought of righte to bee refourmed euen as many as would be called Apostolique churches What haue wee therefore offended now adayes refourming churches after the likenesse of the Apostolique church whiche churches were of old prophaned by that sea of Rome and the members therof We read that the church of God before the comming of Christin the flesh was oftentimes defiled with filthie pollutions of corrupt men and that the same was purged againe and renued after the likenesse of the old church according to the word of god And why should not we take the same course in our age in the very same cause There remaine moreouer prophecies of our sauiour Christe and of the holye Apostles and Prophets liuely painting out this greuous oppression of the church of Christ vnder the furie of Antichristes tyrannie in this oure last age there remaine most weighty commaundements commaunding to flie from Antichriste from idolatrie false prophets For the Lord sayeth in S. Matthewes Gospel There shal arise false Christes false Prophets and shal shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the verie electe Beehold I haue told you before Wherefore if they shal say vnto you Behold he is in the desart Go not forth Behold he is in the secret places beleeue it not And againe Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening wolues Also Can the blind lead the blind shal they not both fall into the ditch S. Peter also sayeth very grauely Saue your selues from this froward generation And also in his second and third chapiters of his second epistle he entreates very largly of this matter And also S. Paule agréeing in all thinges with the holy Gospel and with S. Peter and painting forth Antichrist and those last times of Antichrist corrupt men not lightes but firebrandes of the church commaundeth the sainctes to departe from them and togather themselues together vnto Christe and his sincere trueth If any man aske for the places he shal find them 2. Thes 2. 1. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 3. and 4. The same Apostle in another place euen the Apostle Iohn doth also say Flie from idolatrie And in the 6. cap. of the 2. epist. to the Cor. by expresse words and most manifest opposition he sheweth That there can be no agreement betweene Christe Belial light and darckenesse and betweene idols and the temple of God. And therefore he addeth by and by after Wherfore come out from among them and separate your selues sayeth the Lord and touche none vncleane thinge and I will receiue you To this apperteyneth that whiche the blessed Apostle Iohn in his reuelation shewed him by the lord Christ séeing the workes of Babylon heareth also therew t a voice cōming frō heauen cōmanding after this manner Go out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinns that ye receiue not of her plagues The same Apostle very often threateneth euerlasting destructiō to those y worship the beast but life glory to those that forsake and flée from the beast so as they cleaue only to the only sauiour of the world Iesus Christ Therefore that departure of oures from the sea or church of Rome is not onely lawfull but also necessarie as that which is commaunded vs of the Lord himselfe and by his holy Apostles vnto whome vnlesse we◠obey wee cannot be saued Otherwise we are not ignoraunt that fallings away are altogether abhominable and to be blamed amongst the which notwithstanding except we distinguishe it will not plainly appeare what wee either allowe or disproue either else what wee followe or flée from There is a defection of apostacie in the which thorough hatred of faith or religion Atheistes or godlesse men of méere vngodlines contempt of God with their wicked ringleaders Lucian and Iulian the Apostata fall away from the scunde and catholique faith and finally from the fellowshipp of the faithfull and moreouer do blaspheme rayle vpon the Christian veritie and either laugh to scorne or persecute the very Church of god There is also an heretical defection that is to saye wherein with Valentine Marcion Arrius Manicheus Artemones other such monsters certeine proude arrogant malapert wicked persons either refusing the verie Scripture or wresting the same despise and treade it vnder their féete or else do denie ouerthrowe and resist certeine articles of faith and the sound and auncient opinions of the churche of God and affirme the contrarie and so frame to themselues heretical churches and depart from the true auncient and catholique church There is moreouer a scismaticall defection such as was the Donatists who separated themselues from the true church of God vnder the pretēce of obteyning a more absolute kind of holinesse Wherof I haue spokē verie largly but a little before And the aboue remembred two kinds of defection are altogether abhominable wicked euen as also the third kind can by no meanes be defended But none of all these kinds can be imputed vnto vs nowe a dayes departing from the churche of Rome For y departure is voyd of all crime whiche is made not from the true but from the false church not from the people of God but from the persecuters of gods people not from the articles of faith and sounde opinions of the churche but from errours which obscure the articles of faith and from the wicked traditions and corruptions of men whiche moreouer is made not throughe any lightnesse but of necessitie not for inuocation but for true religions sake that leauinge the fellowshipp of darckenesse we maye bée gathered together againe with Christ the true light
sauiour tooke vppon him the ministerie and was made the Apostle and minister of the churche of the Iewes What and if those first ministers were such as no age in any doctrine of religion in holinesse and excellencie had their fellowes muche lesse their betters At this day in so muche as they are the last times wherein scoffers and Epicures haue their full range the ministerie of Gods word is of no value But if you runne ouer and weigh all the ages euen vnto the beginning of the world you shall finde that the wisest iustest and best men in the whole world had nothing in more reuerence than the word of God the prophets and the holy apostles of God. But before we procéede any further in other thinges belonging to this matter we wil make answere to some which euē vnder the pretence of the holy scriptures endeuour to peruert the ministerie of the word For they alledge this text of Ieremie No man shall teach his neighbour for al shall know me As we denie not that Ieremie hath so written so we say by that kinde of speache and figuratiue saying that he ment nothing else thā that the knowledge of God and heauenly things should be very common in the whole world Which Ioel also foretolde woulde come to passe and which Peter alledgeth in the Actes 2. chapter In the meane while those two Prophets as also all other verie often doe make mention of the teachers of the Churche whome the Lorde shoulde sende vnto his people which they woulde not haue done if they had vnderstoode that all preachers shoulde be cleane taken away Whereas other obiect that al haue the office of teaching committed alike vnto them to wit parents to teach their children and euery one to admonish his neighbour therefore that there is no neede of the ministerie of the worde of God in the church it is sophisticall For all of vs can and ought priuately to teache and admonishe our children and our neighbours but therfore the publique ministerie of the word of God is not superfluous For the same God whiche commaunded parents and vs all that they shoulde instruct their children in godlinesse and that euery one of vs also shoulde teache and admonish our neighbours hath giuen publique ministers vnto the Churche It is their office to teache openly or publiquely in the Churche neyther is this permitted to whome so euer will but onely to them that be lawfully ordeyned least happily if other teache they should not goe forward in the righte pathe For then it were lawefull for euery one being inspired with the spirit of God at what time and place so euer both soberly to gainesay and to affirme the trueth Therefore the publique ministerie of the worde remaineth neuerthelesse and that perpetually in the Church Thus much haue we spoken in generall of the ministerie and the ministers of the worde of god Nowe that which remaineth of this matter we will discusse by their kyndes and partes and first we will shewe what orders or what offices the Lord hath instituted from the beginning or whō he hath put in authoritie in the holie ministerie of the churche then what manner men and after what sorte it is méete for vs to ordeine ministers Last of all what maner of office it is that they haue that are ordeined in the church And that we be not troublesome vnto you beginning a long discourse from the Patriarches we will beginne at our Lord Christ him selfe of whom Paul the Apostle speaking Hee that descended sayth he is euen the same whiche ascended vp farre aboue all heauens to fulfill all things And he gaue some Apostls and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastours and Doctours to the gathering together of the Saintes into the work of ministration into the edifying of the body of Christ And so foorth as is read in the 4. chapter to the Ephesians Therfore our Lord ordeined Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Pastours and Doctours by whose labour he ment to builde preserue and gouerne the Church Let vs nowe sée what the scripture teacheth vs of them Apostle is a newe name giuen of the Lorde him selfe to those twelue whiche he chose peculiarly and ordeined teachers and maisters to all nations For thus we reade in the 6. of Luke The Lord called his disciples and of them he chose twelue whome also hee called Apostles For Apostle signifieth one that is sent a messinger embassadour or oratour For in the Gospell after Sainte Iohn we read The Apostle or messinger is not greater than he that sent him And truely there is verie often mention made of sending in the Prophets in the olde Testament from whence it séemeth the Lord borrowed that name We reade of no certeine boundes appoynted to the Apostles For the Lorde saith in the Gospell Goe ye into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures These are the maister builders of the firste Churche of God from whome among auncient writers they tooke the name of Apostolique Churches those I meane which the Apostles first founded as was the Church at Antioch Ephesus Corinthe and many other mentioned in the Acts of the apostles The name of a Minister and Prophete is excéeding large Whereof is spoken in an other place Prophetes in this place are they which excell in singular reuelation and by whome the Lorde foretelleth thinges that shall come to the Churche suche a one as we reade Agabus was which both foretold to S. Paule the famine whiche was to come and his bonds Wise and godly men indued with a singular gifte of interpreting the scripture in times past were called Prophetes as it maye appeare by the wordes of the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. chapter An Euangelist is a preacher of the Gospell of Iesus Christe sente with Apostolique authoritie Such we reade were Philip and Timothie c. Pastours watche ouer the Lordes flocke hauing care of the Lordes people féeding the Churche with the worde of trueth and kéeping the woolues from the shéepefouldes The chiefe of these is that good shepehearde Christe which sayth vnto Peter Feede my sheepe Whereby he also ioyneth him selfe to shepeheards Doctours or Teachers haue their names of teaching Neyther do I sée what they differ from shepheards but that they did onely teache and in the meane while were not burthened with the care that belongeth to the Pastour of whiche sort in a manner are the interpreters of scriptures and gouernours of Christian schooles There are also found other names of the ouerséers of the Churche in the scriptures The Apostle Paule saith vnto the shepeheards gathered together in the counsel at Miletum Take heede therefore vnto your selues and to all the flocke ouer the whiche the holy ghost hath made you ouerseers to feede the Church of God. But byshops are called Superintendents séers kéepers watchmē rulers The people of Athens called them whome they sēt to
it cōmeth all to one reckoning to pray neuer a whit or not at all and to babble out words which are not vnderstoode Let euery nation therefore pray in that language which it vnderstandeth best and moste familiarly And no lesse madnesse is it in publique assemblies to vse a straunge language which thinge also hath béen the roote of the greatest euilles in the church Whatsoeuer the priests that were ordained of God and the Prophetes which were sente from him spake or rehearsed to the people of olde time in the church they did not speake or recite them in the Chaldean Indian or Persian but in the Hebrue tongue that is in their vulgar and mother tongue They wrote also bookes in their vulgar tongue Christ our Lorde together with his Apostles vsed the vulgar tongue He furnished the Apostles with the gift of tongues that they might speake to euery nation And for so much as in that age the Gréeke tongue of all other was most plentifull and common the Apostles wrote not in the Hebrue tongue but in the vulgar Gréeke tongue Truely it behoueth that those things that are done in the publique church for the holie assemblies sake shoulde be vnderstoode of all men For otherwise in vaine shoulde so many men be assembled together Whereby it is cléerer than the day light that they that haue brought in straunge tongues into the church of God haue troubled all thinges haue quenched the feruentnesse of mennes mindes yea and haue banished out of the church both prayer it selfe and the vse of prayer and all the fruite and profite that shoulde come of thinges done in the church And truely the Romane and Latine Prince hath brought this Latine abhomination into the church of god He crieth out that it is wickedly done if Germanie England Fraunce Polande and Hungarie do vse both in prayer and all other kinde of seruice in the church not the Romane or Latine tongue but Dutch or Germane spéech English French Polonish or the Hungarian language S. Paule once handling this controuersie saith in plaine wordes If I pray in a straunge tongue my spirite or voyce prayeth but my vnderstanding is without fruite What is it then I will pray with the spirite but I will praye with the vnderstanding also I will sing with the spirite but I will singe with the vnderstandinge also Else when thou blessest with the spirite howe shall he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned saye Amen at thy giuing of thankes seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest Thou verily giuest thankes well but the other is not edified I thanke my God I speake languages more thā you all yet had I rather in the church to speake fiue wordes with mine vnderstanding that I might also instruct others than ten thousande wordes in a straunge tongue And truely this verie place doth Iustinian the Emperour cite In Nouell Const 123. where he straightly commaundeth Bishops Ministers not secreatly but with a lowde voice which might be heard of the people to recite the holy oblation and prayers vsed in holy baptisme to the intente that thereby the mindes of the hearers might be stirred vp with greater deuotion to set forth the prayses of God. Moreouer it is euident that Gregorie him selfe who is called the great spake to his Citizens in the Citie of Rome in their countrie language which thinge he him selfe witnesseth in the preface of his Commentarie vpon Ezechiel to Marianus the bishop Of the Gréeke bishops no man is ignoraunt that they had their whole seruice in their Churches in their owne natiue language haue lefte their writinges vnto vs in the same tongue We might therfore worthily be iudged mad voide of vnderstanding if we also in the administration of diuine seruice in the church vse not our owne language since so many and so excellēt examples both of most famous churches of moste singular Bishops and gouernours of the church haue gone before vs that I speake not againe of the moste expresse and manifest doctrine of S. Paule the Apostle This place now requireth that I speake somewhat of singinge in the church and of canonical houres But let no man thinke that prayers sung with mās voice are more acceptable vnto God than if they were plainly spokē or vttered For God is neither allured with the swéetenesse of mans voyce neither is he offended though prayers be vttered in a hoarse or base sounde Prayer is commended for faith and godlinesse of minde not for any outward shewe Those outwarde thinges are rather vsed as meanes to stirre vs vp albéeit euen they also take little effect vnlesse the spirite of God doe inflame our harts Neither can any man deny but that the custome of singing is very auncient For the holy scripture witnesseth that the Leuites in the auncient church longe before the comming of Christ did singe yea and that they did singe at the commaundement of god And againe I thinke no man can deny that the same cunning kind of musicke brought into the church of God by Dauid was both accounted among the ceremonies and that the same was abolished together with the temple and the ceremonies We reade not of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the true Messias and full perfection of the law that he soung in any place either in the temple or without the temple or that any where he taught his disciples to singe or commaunded them to ordaine singing in the Churches For that which is read in Matthew and Marke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be englished And when they had soung an Hymne or psalme they went out into the mount of Oliues is such a kinde of saying as doeth not necessarily force vs to vnderstand that the Lord sang with his disciples For a Hymne which is the praise due vnto God may be hūbly vttered without quauering of the voice Truely the olde translation in both places as well in Matthew as in Marke constantly interpreteth it Et hymno dicto exierunt in montem Oliuarum that is to say When they had saide an Hymne they wente out into the mounte of Oliues Erasmus in Matthew hath trauslated it Et cum hymnum cecinissent whē they had sung an Hymne but translating Marke he saith Et cum hymnum dixissent whē they had said an hymne but in either place is red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to prayse or to set forth ones prayse which both by singing also without singinge hath béen accustomed to be done And albéeit we neither reade that the lord himself commaūded singing to his Apostles neither that they ordained singing in the Church neither yet do reade in the Actes of the Apostles that they them selues did singe in holy assemblies yet Paule did not rebuke the church at Corinth which began to singe either of her owne accorde or by a certeine imitation of the olde Church because he sawe their māner of singing differed much
the first to the Corinthians the sixtéenth Chapiter in the second to the Corinthians the eight and ninthe Chapiters And to the Galathians While wee haue time sayth he let vs do good towardes all men especially towardes the household of faith In the first epistle to Timothie hee warneth that there be consideration had who should be holpen and who not be holpen In the same epistle he giueth charge to Timothie and to all the bishopps howe to deale with the richer sort in the Church saying CoÌ„maund them that are riche in this world that they be not high minded neither put their trust in vncerteine riches but in the liuing GOD who giueth vs all things abundantly to enioy that they may do good that they may bee riche in good workes that they may be readie to giue bestowe willingly laying vp vnto themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they maye take hold of life euerlasting Also vnto the Hebrues To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is pleased Wherfore riches were gathered eueÌ„ in the time of the Apostles to succour the necessitie of the poore withall Deacons were appointed by the church as prouiders and stewards amonge whom those first Deacons were most famous of whome the Actes of the Apostles make mention and also the noble martyre of Christ Laurence And the writinges of the auncient fathers doe testifie that with those ecclesiasticall goodes prisoners were redéemed out of captiuitie poore maydeÌ„s of lawfull yeares married finally hospitals almeries spittels harbours hostles and nourceries were builded namely to interteine poore trauellers for the maintenaunce of the poore that were borne in that countrie for the reliefe of the sick and diseased for the necessitie of old men and for the honest bringing vp of pupils orphans Concerning these matters there are yet extant certaine imperiall lawes Wherefore in refourming of Churches very diligent héed must be taken that there be no offence committed in this behalfe thoroughe ouersight or of purpose that the poore be not defrauded and that in taking away one abuse we bring not in many If there be plentie of goodes let them be kept if there be none let them be gathered of the rich Then let the state of the poore be searched and what euery maÌ„ néedeth most or howe prouision maye best be made for euery one Whiche being knowen let that which is méete and necessarie for euerie one be done spéedily gently and diligently If then any of the coÌ„mon goods remaine let them be kept against such calamities as may ensue Let nothing be coÌ„sumed vnprofitably or vngodlily Againe let not the treasure of the poore vnhappily be deteined from them by fraude and to the increasing of their pouertie For there maye be like offence committed on both sides For on eche side the poore are defrauded of their goods Touching liberalitie wée haue entreated in another place in these our Decades and of prouiding for the poore in other of our woorkes And Lewis Vines hath written very well of relieuing the poore The fourth last part o◠〈…〉 of the Church 〈…〉 holy buildinges as Churches scholes and houses â—â—longing to Churches and scholes 〈◊〉 which because of the companies gathered together in them are also called congregations are the houses of the Lord oure god Not that God whome the wide compasse of the heauens cannot comprehend doeth dwell in such manner of houses but béecause the congregation and people of GOD méete together in those houses to worshipp and performe due honour vnto God to heare the word of God to receiue the Lords sacramentes and to praye for the assistance presence of god Churches therefore are very necessarie for the Church and people of god Touching holy assemblies I haue said somwhat in the disputation of prayer And althoughe that at the commaundement of God Moses builded a moueable Church and afterward the most wise king Solomon founded a standing Churche not without great cost notwithstanding wee must not thincke therfore that God liketh of such great charges after that hée had sent Christ and fulfilled the figures For as before the lawe was made it is not to bee found that the Patriarches did euer build any Ministers or great churches euen so after the disanulling of the law in the Church of Christe a meane and sparing clenlinesse pleaseth God best For God misliketh that foolish madd kinde of buildinges not much vnlike to that vnwise building of Babylon enterprising to sett vp the topp of the tower aboue the cloudes For God liketh not the riotousnes of Churches who without all riot doeth gather his Church together from out all the parts of the 〈◊〉 whiche Churche also be hâ—th taught both sparingnes and thâ— contempt of all riot A church is large and bigge enough if it be sufficient to receiue al that belong vnto it For the place is prouided for men and not for god But aboue all thinges let that place be cleane and holy A Churche is hallowed or consecrated not as some doe superstiously thincke with the rehearsing of certeine woordes or making signes and Characters or with oyle or purging fire but with the will of GOD and his commaundement bidding vs to assemble and come together promising his presence amongst vs and also it is hallowed by the holy vse of it For in the temple y holy Church of God is gathered together the true and most blessed word of God is also declared in the temple the holy sacraments of God are receiued in the temple and also in the temple prayers are powred forth to God whiche are most acceptable vnto him Verily the place of it selfe is nothing holy but because these holy thinges are done in that place in respecte that they are done there the place it selfe is called holy Therefore not without great cause ought all prophanation filthines be farre from the holy temple of the lord The Senatours court or seate of iudgement is accounted so holy a thing that whosoeuer either in woord or déede vsed himselfe vnreuerently towardes it should be accused of treason And yet in this Courte the Senatours only are gathered and assembled together to heare the matters of suiters in thinges transitorie that shall passe away and perish By howe much the more then ought reuerence to bee giuen vnto temples into the which the children of God do come to worshipp him to heare the true word of God and to receiue his holy sacraments And therefore as we hate and abandon all superstition in temples so wee loue not the prophanation of them yea rather I say wée cannot abide it Neither haue we leysure at this time about the consideration of temples to rehearse and searche out open and plaine superstitions Of whiche matter wee haue spoken in an other place I finde it a matter of controuersie amonge the fathers of old time to what part of the world wee ought to
to lay hand on the life to come The faithfull Saints could in no wise haue don these things vnlesse the doctrine whiche they beléeued had béene of god Although therefore that the Apostles were men yet their doctrine first of all taught by a liuely expressed voyce and after that set downe in writing with penne and yncke is the doctrine of God and the very true word of god For therefore the Apostle left this saying in writing When ye did receaue the woord of God whiche ye heard of vs ye receiued it not as the word of men but as it is in deede the word of God which effectually worketh in you that beleeue But nowe the matter it selfe and place require that I gather also and plainely reckon vp those bookes wherin is conteined the very word of God first of all declared of the Fathers of Christ himselfe and the Apostles by-word of mouth after that also written into Bookes by the Prophetes and Apostles And in the first place verely are set the fiue bookes of Moses Then follow the bookes of Iosua of Iudges of Ruth two bookes of Samuel two of Kinges two of Chronicles of Esdras Nehemias and Hester one a piece After these come Iob Dauid or the booke of Psalmes Prouerbes Ecclesiastes and Cantica With them are numbered the foure greater Prophets Esaias Ieremias Ezechiel and Daniel then the twelue lesser Prophetes whose names are very well knowne With these bookes the olde Testament ended The Newe Testament hathe in the beginning the Euangelicall hystorie of Christ the Lord written by foure Authors that is by two Apostles Mathewe and Iohn and by two Disciples Marke and Luke who compiled a wonderfull goodly and profitable booke of the Actes of the Apostles Paule to sundrie Churches and persons published 14. Epistles The other Apostles wrote 7. whiche are called both Canonical and Catholique And the books of the new Testament are ended with the reuelation of Iesus Christ whiche he opened to the Disciple whome he loued Iohn the Euangelist and Apostle shewing vnto him and so to the whole church the ordinaunce of God touching the Churche euen vntil the day of iudgement Therefore in these fewe and meane not vnmeasurable in these plaine and simple not darke and vnkemmed books is coōprehended the ful doctrine of godlynes whiche is the very word of the true liuing and eternall God. Also the bookes of Moses and the Prophetes through so many ages perils and captiuities came sound and vncorruptted euen vntill the time of Christ and his Apostles For the Lord Iesus the Apostles vsed those bookes as true copies and authentical which vndoubtedly they neither would nor could haue done if so be that eyther they had béen corrupted or altogether perished The bookes also whiche the Apostles of Christ haue added were throughout all persecutions kept in the Church safe and vncorrupted and are come sound and vncorrupted into our handes vpon whome the endes of the world are falne For by the vigilāt care vnspeakable goodnes of God our Father it is brought to passe that no age at any time either hathe or shal want so great a treasure Thus muche hitherto haue I declared vnto you derely beloued what the word of God is what the beginning of it in the Churche was what procéeding dignitie and certaintie it had The word of God is the speache of God that is to say the reuealing of his good will to mankinde whiche frō the beginning one while by his owne mouthe and an other whyle by the speache of Angels he did open to those first ancient and most holy Fathers who againe by tradition did faithfully deliuer it to their posteritie Here are to be remembred those great lightes of the world Adam Seth Methusalem Noe Sem Abraham Isaac Iaacob Amram and his Sonne Moses who at Gods commaundement did in writing comprehend the hystorie and traditiōs of the holy Fathers whervnto he ioyned the written lawe and exposition of the lawe togeather with a large and lightsome hystorie of his owne lyfe time After Moses God gaue to his Churche moste excellent men Prophets and Priestes who also by worde of mouthe and wrytings did deliuer to their posterity that whiche they had learned of the Lord After them came the Onely begotten Sonne of God himselfe downe from heauen into the world and fulfilled all whatsoeuer was found to be written of himselfe in the Lawe and the Prophetes The same also taught a moste absolute meane howe to liue well and holily He made the Apostles his witnesses Which witnesses did afterwardes first of all with a liuely expressed voice preach al things which the Lord had taught them and then to the intent that they should not be corrupted or clean taken out of mans remembraunce they did commit it to writing so that nowe we haue from the Fathers the Prophetes and Apostles the word of God as it was preached and written These thinges had their beginning of one the same spirite of God and do tende to one end that is To teach vs men how to liue well and holily He that beléeueth not these men namely the only begotten Sonne of God whom I pray you will he beleeue We haue here the moste holie innocent vpright liuing most praise worthie most iust moste ancient most wise and most diuine men of the whole world and compasse of the earth and briefly suche men as are by all meanes without comparison All the worlde cannot shew vs the like againe although it shuld wholy a thousand times be assembled in Counsels The holy Emperour Constantine gathered a generall counsell out of al the compasse of the earthe thether came there together out of all the worlde thrée hundred and eightéene moste excellent Fathers But they that are of the wisest sorte will say that these are not so muche as shadowes to be compared to them of whome we haue receiued the worde of god Let vs therefore in all thinges beléeue the worde of God deliuered to vs by the Scriptures Let vs thinke that the Lorde him selfe whiche is the very liuing and eternall God dothe speake to vs by the Scriptures Let vs for euermore prayse the name and goodnesse of him who hath vouched safe so faythfully fully and plainely to open to vs miserable mortall men all the meanes howe to liue well and holyly To him be prayse honour and glory for euermore Amen Of the worde of God to whom and to what end it was reuealed also in what maner it is to be hearde and that it doth fully teache the whole doctrine of godlinesse ¶ The seconde Sermon DEarely beloued in the laste Sermon you learned what the worde of God is from whence it came by whome it was chiefly reuealed what procéedings it had and of what dignitie and certaintie it is Now am I come againe and by Gods fauour and the helpe of your prayers I will declare vnto you beloued to whome and to what ende the worde of
to the two Disciples whiche went to Emaus with whome he talked of sundry matters but at length beginning at Moses and all the Prophetes he expounded to them what so euer was written of him self throughout all the Scriptures The Apostles following this example of the Lorde did them selues also expound the word of God. For Peter in the seconde Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles dothe expounde the xvj Psalme of Christe his resurrection from the deade And Philip also doth plainely expounde to the noble man of Ethiope the prophesie of Esay wherby he bringeth him to the fayth of Christe and fellowship of the Church Whosoeuer doth say that Paul doth not euery where interpret the holy Scripture he hath neyther read nor séene the déedes nor writings of Paule Thus haue I I hope both plainly substantially shewed that the word of God ought to be expounded As for those whiche cry out against the exposition of the Scriptures and woulde not haue the ministers of the worde and Churches to declare the scriptures in open and solemne audience neyther to apply them to the places times states persons their fetch is to seeke somewhat else then the honour due vnto god They leade their liues farre otherwise then is comely for godly men Their talke is wicked vnséemely dishonest Their déeds are mischieuous and haynous offences And this woulde they to doe without punishment and therefore desire to haue the exposition of the Scriptures to be taken cleane away For if a man doe read the wordes of the Scripture onelye not applyinge it to the states places times and persones it someth that he hath not greatly touched their vngodly and wicked life Therefore when they crie that Sermons and expositions of the scriptures ought to be taken a waye from among men and that the Scriptures ought to be reade simplye without any addition they minde nothing else but to caste behind them the lawe of God to treade vnder foote all discipline and rebuking of sinne and so to offende fréely without punishment whiche sorte of men the rightuous Lorde will in his appointed time punishe so muche the more grieuously as they doe more boldly rebell against their God. In the meane season all the ministers of the Churche muste beware that they followe not héerein their owne affections any whit at all or else corrupt the Scriptures by their wrong interpretations and so by that meanes set foorth to the Church their owne inuentions and not the worde of god Some suche like offence it séemeth that the teachers of the auncient people in olde time did commit bycause the Lorde in Ezechiell accuseth them saying Seemeth it a small thing to you to haue eaten vp the good pasture but that ye must also treade the residue of your pasture vnder your feete and to drinke the clearer water but that ye muste trouble the rest with your feete Thus my sheepe muste be faine to eate the thing that is troden downe with your feete and to drinke that whiche ye with your feete haue defiled A sore offence is this which the Lord according to his iustice punisheth most sharpely We therefore the interpreters of Gods holy worde and faythfull ministers of the Churche of Christe must haue a diligent regarde to keepe the Scriptures sounde and perfect and to teach the people of Christ the worde of God sincerely made plaine I meane not corrupted or darkned by foolish wroÌ„g expositions of oure owne inuention And nowe dearely beloued the place and time require vs to say somwhat vnto you touching the interpretation of the holy Scriptures or the exposition of the word of god Wherin I will not speake any thing particularly of the skilfull knowledge of tongues or the liberall sciences which are thinges requisite in a good interpreter but will briefly touche the generalities alone And first of al ye must vnderstande that some things in the Scriptures or worde of God are so plainly set foorth that they haue neede of no interpretation neyther will admit any exposition Which if any man goe about with his owne expositions to make more manifest he may séeme to do as wittily as he which with faggot light and torches would helpe the sunne at his rising to giue more light vnto the world As for those thinges which are so set down that they séeme to require our helpe to expound them they must not be interpreted after our owne fantasies but according to the minde and meaning of him by whom the Scriptures were reuealed For Saint Peter saythe The prophesie came not in olde time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Therefore the true and proper sense of Gods worde must be taken out of the Scriptures them selues and not be forceably thruste vpon the Scriptures as we our selues lust And therwithal ye must marke a fewe certaine rules which I meane briefly to touch and to shewe vnto you in those fewe wordes which I haue yet to speake First since the Apostle Paul would haue the exposition of the Scriptures to agree fitly and in euery point proportionally with our fayth as it is to be seene in the twelâ—the to the Romanes And bycause againe in the later epistle to the Corinthians he saith Seing then that we haue the same spirite of faith according as it is writen I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken we also beleeue and therefore doe we speake Let it therefore be taken for a point of Catholike religion not to bring in or admit any thing in our expositions which others haue alledged against the receiued articles of our fayth conteyned in the Apostles Créede and other coÌ„fessions of the ancient fathers For saytâ— the apostle in defence of the trueth we can saye somewhat but against the trueth we are able to say nothing When therefore in the Gospel after S. Iohn we read the saying of the Lord The father is greater then I we must thinke that it is against the articles of our fayth to make or admit any equalitie in the Godhead betwixt the Father and the Sonne and therefore that the Lorde his meaning was otherwise then the very words at the first blush do séeme to import Againe when we read this saying of the apostle It can not be that they which were once illuminated if they fall away shuld be renued againe into repeÌ„tance Let vs not beléeue that repentance is to be denied to theÌ„ that fall For the Catholike Fayth is this that in euery place at euery season so long as we liue on this earthe a full pardon of all sinnes is promised to all men whiche turne to the Lorde In like manner when we reade that the Lorde tooke breade and sayde of the breade This is my body let vs presently remember that the Articles of our fayth doe attribute to our Lorde the very body of a man which asceÌ„ded into heauen and sitteth at the righte hande of
but through one For he saith not And to the seedes as though he spake of many but as speaking of one he saith And to thy seede that is Christ Therefore it is a detestable thing to augment or diminishe any thing in this testament of God Christ alone is the only sauiour stil men can neither saue them selues nor other Againe in the same Epistle to the Galathians he saith We knowe that man is not iustified by the workes of the lawe but by faith in Iesus Christ in so much as no flesh shal◠be iustified by the workes of the lawe This is nowe the thirde time that Paul saith that men are not iustified by the workes of the lawe In whiche clause he comprehendeth all maner of works of what sorte soeuer So then no kinde of workes do iustifie But what is it then that iustifieth Faith in Christe and that verily alone For what else can these wordes import We knowe that man is not iustified but by fayth in Christe For the force of these two speaches is all one Faith alone dothe iustifie And it is certaine that we are not iustified but by faythe in Iesus Christ He addeth the example of the Apostles And we haue beleued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by sayth in Iesus Christe and not by the workes of the law In like maner also Peter argueth by an example in the Acts of the Apostles and saith We beleeue that through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christe we shall be saued euen as they Acts. 15. Moreouer in the very same chapter to the Gala. he saith I despise not the grace of God for if righteousnesse come of the law then Christ is deade in vaine For if we in our selues had had any thing whereby we might be saued what néeded the sonne of God to take our flesh to suffer and to dy But for bycause the sonne of God being incarnate did suffer and die and died not in vaine therefore in our fleshe there was nothing that could obtaine saluation for mankinde Wherfore the only sonne of God is our Sauiour for euer and by true faith maketh vs partakers of his saluation Paule in the very beginning of his Epistle to the Rom. doth proue that al men are sinners that in men there remaineth no strength for them to be saued by and that the lawe of God it selfe doth dig vp the knowledge of offences that is doth apply them bring them to light and make them manifest but doth not take them away blot them out or vtterly extinguish them and that therefore God for his owne goodnes sake to the end that the work that he hath made shoulde not altogether perishe doth iustifie the faithfull fréely by faith in Iesus Christ I will rehearse a fewe of the Apostles owne wordes The righteousnesse of God saith he is declared without the law being witnessed notwithstanding by the law and the Prophets the righteousnesse of God I say commeth by faith in Iesus Christ vnto all and vpō all them that beleeue For there is no difference For all haue sinned haue neede of the glory of God but are iustified freely by his grace through the redemptiō that is in Christ Iesu whō God hath set forth to be a propitiatiō thrugh faith in his blud These words of the Apostle I suppose are most manifest to them that beleeue He plucketh iustification from our owne merites strength and attributeth it to grace wherby the sonne of God is giuē to the worlde vnto the punishment of the crosse that al they that beleue that they are redéemed by the bloud of the sonne of God may be iustified Againe the Apostle immediatly after addeth Therfore we hold that man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Vpon the necke of this againe he argueth thus Is he the God of the Iewes only Is he not also of the gentils Yes euen of the Gentiles also For it is one God that shall iustifie Circumcision by faith and vncircumcision through faith To be God is nothing else but to be life saluation But God is the God of the Gentiles also not of the Iewes alone therefore God is the life saluation of the Gentiles This life saluation he doth communicate to vs not by the law or through circūcision but by faith in Christ Therfore fayth alone doth iustifie This may be proued by the example of Cornelius the Centurion who as soone as S. Peter had preched vnto him and he once beleued was by and by iustified when as yet he had not receiued circumcisiō or the law when as yet he had not sacrificed nor merited righteousnesse by any work that he did For he was fréely iustified in faith thrugh Iesu Christ For Peter concluded his Sermon to him in these words To this Christ do all the Prophetes giue witnesse that thrugh his name whosoeuer beleueth in him shal receiue remissiō of sinnes After all this the Apostle Paul bringeth in that notable and singular example of our father Abraham teching by what meanes our father Abrahā was iustified For this being once truly declared it can not chose but be plaine manifest to euery one by what means Gods wil is to iustifie al men For the sonnes can not be iustified any other way then the father before them was iustified Abraham therefore was not iustified by circūcision or receiuing of the sacrament For it is saide that he was iustified before he was circumcised Afterward was added the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnesse of faithe that is the signe or sealing that al the séede of Abraham is iustified by faith The same our father Abrahā was not iustified by the lawe For the lawe was 430. yeres added to the promise not to take away sinne or to worke iustification but to make sin appeare to make vs altogether emptie when we are once made emptie to send as it were compell vs to flye to Christ Againe Abraham was not iustified by his works And yet in that most excellent Patriarch are found to be good works yea those too good workes of true faith which are both notable and many in number suche and so many as you shall scarcely finde in any other Neuerthelesse yet the Apostle saith What shall we say then that Abrahā our father as pertaining to the flesh who I say is oure father touching the flesh did merit or find for both those significations hath the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if Abraham were iustified by works thē hath he to boste but not before god For God is only iust and he that only iustifieth Al mē are corrupt yea euen Abraham is a sinner and euery man standeth in néed of the glory of god For which cause also the Prophet did plainely forbid to boast in any thing but in the mercy of god Wherefore Abraham boasted not againste God he acknowledged him selfe to be a
which honge vppon the Crosse did heare the Angell of the Lord say Whie seeke yee the liuinge among the dead hee is not heere but is risen c. This historie of the Lords resurrection is set forth in the 24. after Luk and the 16. after Marke Peter the Apostle also in the seconde of the Actes affirminge the Lords resurrection by the testimonie of Dauid doth expresslye shew that the Lord is verily risen againe After this wée say againe that hée is risen out of or from the dead Which member doth expresse the truth both of his death and resurrection For the bodie or flesh dieth or is destroyed but being dead is raysed vp again this body therfore or flesh is raised vp again as thoughe hee that maketh confession of his beliefe should say Our Lord died euen in the very same condition of nature that other mortall men doe die in but hee taried not nor yet stack faste amonge the dead For the very same mortall fleshe which hee had taken vnto him and by dyinge had layde asyde hee nowe taketh againe immortallie As Dauid had foretolde before sayinge Because thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell nor suffer thy holie one to see corruption For Christe is the first begotten of them that rise againe in whom as in the heade there oughte to be declared in what sorte the resurrection of all Christ his members shal be in the day of iudgement And wee confesse that this resurrection was made the thirde daye I meane the thirde day after his death For vppon the daye of Preparation hee is taken downe from the Crosse caried into a sepulcher where his bodie resteth the whole Sabboth daye and about the beginning of the first day of sabbothes which I say is the first day of the weeke and amonge vs at this day is called Sunday in the morning hée rose againe from the dead Wheras therfore in the twelfth Chap. of the Gospell after S. Mathewe wee reade that the Lorde saide As Ionas was three dayes and three nightes in the belly of the Whale So shall the sonne of man bee in the harte of the earth three dayes and three nightes Yet notwithstandinge in the sixtenth and twenteth Chapters expoundinge himselfe as hauinge spoken that by Synecdoche hee sayth I must goe to Hierusalem and suffer many thinges of the Scribes and elders and be killed and raysed vp againe the thirde daye The sixt Article of our fayth is He ascended into Heauen and sitteth at the right hande of God the father Almightie That bodye which is of the same substaunce with our bodies taken oute of the Virgine Marie and taken verilie of the substaunce of the Virgin which honge vpon the Crosse and dyed and was buried and rose againe the very same bodie I say ascended into the Heauens sitteth at the righte hande of God the father For after that by the space of 40. dayes our Lord had abundantly enoughe instructed his Disciples touchinge the truth of his resurrection and the kingdome of God hee was taken vp into Heauen By that ascension of his hee declareth to the whole compasse of the earth that hee is Lorde of all thinges and that to him are subiecte al things that are in Heauen and in earth that hee is our strength the power of the faithfull and hee of whom they haue to boast againste the gates of Hell. For hee ascendinge into Heauen hath lead Captiuitie captiue and by spoylinge his enimyes hath inriched his people on whom hee dailye heapeth his spirituall giftes For hee sitteth aboue that by powringe his vertue from thence into vs hee maye quicken vs with the spirituall lyfe and decke vs with sondrie giftes and graces and lastlie defende the Church against all euills For God is our Sauiour kinge and bishoppe Whereuppon when as once the Capernaites were offended because the Lord had called himselfe the bread of life that came downe from Heauen to giue life vnto the Worlde Hee sayth Doth this offende you What therefore if you shall see the sonne of man ascende thether where hee was before As if hee should saye then verilie ye will gather by my quickeninge resurrection and glorious ascension into the Heauens that I am the breade of Lyfe broughte downe from Heauen and now againe taken vp into the Heauens there to remayne the Sauiour life and Lord of Heauen and earth Moreouer S. Peter the Apostle in the Actes sayth Let all the house of Israell knowe for a suretie that God hath made the same Iesus whom yee haue Crucifyed Lord and Christe Furthermore hee did not onely ryse againe from death and come to his Disciples but also ascended into Heauen as they béehelde and looked on him to the ende that wee thereby might bee assuredlie certified of eternall saluation For by ascending hee prepared a place for vs hee made readie the way that is hee opened the verie Heauens to the faithful God hath placed in heauen the very humanitie that hee tooke of vs which is in deede a liuelye and vnreproueable testimonie that all mankinde shall at the laste be translated into Heauen also For the members must needes be made conformable to the heade Christe oure heade is risen agayne from the deade therefore Wée his members shall also rise againe And euen as a cloud tooke away the Lord from the sighte of his Disciples So shall wée that belieue be caried in the Cloudes to meete the Lorde and shal whoalâ—e in Soule and bodie bée and for euer dwell in Heauen wyth oure head and Lord Christe Iesus And this doth Iohn euidently teach him that readeth his fourtenth chapter where the Lord sayth I go to prepare a place for you and will come againe to you and take you vnto my selfe that wheresoeuer I am yee may also be Paule the Apostle also witnesseth and sayth Wee that liue and shal be remayninge in the comminge of the Lorde shal be caryed in the Cloudes together wyth them that are raysed vp from the deade to meete the Lorde in the ayre Wee confesse therefore in this article that Iesus Christe being taken vp into Heauen is Lorde of all thinges the kinge and byshoppe the deliuerer and Sauiour of all the faythful in the whoale world Wée confesse that in Christe and for Christ wee belieue the lyfe euerlastinge which wee shall haue in this bodie at the ende of the worlde and in soule so soone as wee are once departed oute of this world But nowe by the waye wee must weighe the very woords of this article Hee ascended wee saye Who ascended I praye you Hee that was borne of the Virgine Marie that was Crucifyed dead and buried that rose againe from the deade Hee I saye ascended verilie both bodie and soule But whether ascended hee Into Heauen Heauen in the Scriptures is not taken alwayes in one signification First it is put for the Firmament and that large compasse that is ouer our heades wherein the birds flye too and
longer any sacrifice for sinne But in the newe testament there is a ful remission of sinns therefore in the newe testament there is no longer any sacrifice offered for sinnes For Christ is onely and alone in stéede of all the sacrifices For hee was once offered vpp and after that is offered no more who by the once offering vp of him selfe hath founde eternall redemption so that all which be sanctified are sanctified by none other oblation but that of Christ vpon the crosse made once for all Wherefore Christ being once offered vppon the crosse for the sinnes of all the world is the burnt offering of the catholique church he is also the meate offeringe which feedeth vs with his fleashe offered vpon the crosse vnto eternal life if wee receiue and feede on him by faith Moreouer he is the drink offering of the churche which with his bloud doth quench the thirste of the faithfull vnto life euerlasting He is the purging and daily sacrifice of the church because he is the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde His death and passion cleanseth all men from their sinnes their errours and iniquities Finally he is y churches sacrifice of thankesgiuinge because by Christ we offer praise to god and by Christe we render thanks vnto the Lorde To conclude the onely supper of the Lorde which wee call the Eucharist conteineth in it all the kindes of auncient sacrifices which are in effect but of two sortes to wite of purging and of attonement as those which were offered for sinne or else of thankesgiuing as those which rendered thankes and offered prayse vnto the Lorde Nowe the supper is a testimonie a sacrament and a remembraunce of the bodie of Christe which was giuen for vs and of his blood that was shedd for the remission of our sinnes For the bodie bloude of our Lord which were but once offered vpon the crosse and neither can nor ought to bee offered any more of men are not sacrificed a freash in the celebration of the supper but in the celebrating of it there is reiterated a remembrance of the thing I meane of the oblation which was but once made and in once offering was sufficient Againe in the supper we render thankes to God for our redemption for which also the vniuersal church doth offer praise vnto his name Wherefore the supper of the Lorde doth comprehend the whole substance and matter which was prefigured in those auncient sacrifices so that in y poynt the church is not destitute of any good or necessarie thing although it doth no longer retaine those sacrifices of the elder church Yea they ought not any longer to be solemnized in the church because when they were nothing else but the figures types and sacraments of Christe to come the church doeth nowe beléeue and that rightly too y Christ is alreadie come and that he hath fulfilled and accomplished all thinges as wée read that he him selfe did testifie when on the crosse he cryed saying It is finished Moreouer all vowes are come to an end because all sacrifices wherin the vowes consisted are vanished gone Likewise the discipline of the Nazarites is nowe decayed because the temple with al the ceremonies belonging thereunto is vaded away There remaineth stil in the church a Christian moderate discipline but not that which is described in y lawe And the Sainctes do perfourme to God the vowes which they haue made in the church not contrary to faith and godlynesse But they are sparing warie and verie religious in making vowes For what haue we to giue to God which we haue not firste receiued at his handes and to the perfourming of which wee were not bounde before in baptisme Christe doth not so distinguish betwixt cleane and vncleane in the Gospel as Moses doth in the lawe That saith hee which entreth into the mouth defileth not the man but that which commeth out of the mouth And the apostle Paule doth flatly say that to the cleane all things are clean And like to this he speaketh muche in the fourteenth to the Romanes and in other places mo In his Epistle to the Colossians hee saith If ye bee dead with Christe from the rudimentes of the world why as liuing in the world are ye led with traditions touch not taste not handle not all which doe perishe in abusing And so forth To Peter also it is said What God hath sanctified that call not thou vnclean Therefore whereas in the Synodall Epistle set forth by the Apostles in the fiftéenth of the Actes both bloud and strangled is forbidden and exempted from the meate of menne that commaundement was not perpetuall but momentanie for a time onely For it pleased the Apostles for charities sake to beare therein with the Iewish nation who otherwise would haue been too stubborne and selfewilled The Iewes at that time did euery daye so rifely heare the reading of the lawe which did expressely forbidde to eate bloud and strangled as if the preaching of the Gospell had not begonne to be sowed among them and therefore they could not but bee greatly offended to sée the Gentiles so lauishly to vse the thinges prohibited Wherefore the Apostles would haue the Gentiles for a time to absteine from the thinges that otherwise were lawful ynough to sée if peraduenture by that meanes they might winne the Iewes to the faith of Christ For the Epistles which Paule wrote a fewe yeares after the counsell at Hierusalem do sufficiently argue that the decree of the Apostles against bloud strangled was not perpetuall But the commaundementes giuen againste thinges offered to idols and against fornication in vsing whereof the Gentiles thought that they did not greately offende are perpetuall because they be morals and of the number of the tenne commaundements But of that matter I haue spokén in another place And nowe because I am come to make mention of the Synodall decree ordeined by the Apostles and elders of the counsell at Hierusalem I thinke it not amisse to recite vnto you dearely beloued as a conclusion to this place the whole Epistle sent by the Synode because it doth beare an euident full and briefe testimonie that the lawe is abrogated after that manner which I haue declared Now this is their Epistle or constitution The Apostles and elders and brethren sende greetings vnto the brethren which are of the Gentiles that are in Antiochia Syria and Cilicia For as much as we haue heard that certeine which departed from vs haue troubled you with wordes and cumbred your myndes saying ye must be circumcised keepe the lawe to whō we gaue no such commaundement it seemed good therefore to vs when we were come together with one accorde to send chosen men vnto you with our beloued Paule and Barnabas men that haue ieoparded their liues for the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ We haue sent therefore Iudas and Silas which shal also tell you the same things by
the blasphemie against the holie Ghoste shal not be forgiuen vnto men And whosoeuer speaketh a worde against the sonne of man it shal be forgiuen him but whosoeuer speaketh against the holie Ghost it shall not bee forgiuen him neither in this worlde nor in the world to come The same sentence of our Sauiour is thus expressed in the thirde Chapter of sainct Markes Gospell All sinnes shal be forgiuen vnto the children of men blasphemies wherewith soeuer they shal blaspheme but he that speaketh blasphemie against the holie Ghoste hath neuer forgiuenesse but is in daunger of eternall damnation In the twelfth Chap. after Sainct Luke these woordes in a manner are vttered thus Who soeuer speaketh a worde against the sonne of man it shal be forgiuen him but vnto him that blasphemeth the holie Ghoste it shal not be forgiuen In these woordes of the Lorde we haue here mention made of blasphemie against the sonne of man and of blasphemie against the holie Ghoste of which that against the holie Ghoste is vtterly vnpardonable but that against the sone of man is altogether veniall Blasphemie against the sonne of man is committed of the ignoraunt which are not yet inlightened doeth tend against Christ whome the blasphemer doth thinke to bee a seducer because he knoweth him not Suche blasphemers the woorde of the Lorde doth manifestly testifie that Paul him selfe before his conuersion a greate parte of the Iewes were For vppon the crosse the Lorde prayed crying Father for giue them for they wott not what they doe And the Apostle Paule sayth If they had knowen the Lorde of glorie they would not haue crucified him Wherevpon Saincte Peter in the Actes speakinge to the Iewes saith I knowe that ye did it through ignorance nowe therefore turne you and repent that your sinnes may be wiped out Act. 3. But the blasphemie against the holie Ghost is saide to be a continual faultfinding or reproche against the holie spirite of God that is against the inspiration illumination and woorkes of the spirite For when he doth so euidently worke in the minds of men that they can neither gainesaye it nor yet pretend ignorance and that for all this they do resist mocke despise and continually snapp at the trueth whiche they in their consciences do knowe to be moste hoalsome and true in so doing they do blaspheme the holie Spirite and power of god As for example the Phariseis being by moste euident reasons and vnreproueable miracles coÌ„uinced in their owne minds could not denie but that the doctrine woorkes of our Lorde Iesus Christe were the trueth and miracles of the verie God and yet against the testimonie of their owne consciences they did of méere enuie rebellious doggednesse and false apostacie continually cauil that Christ did al by the means inspiration of Beelsebub the diuel And little or nothing better than the Phariseis are those which when they haue in these dayes once vnderstoode that the verie trueth and assured saluation are moste simplie and purely set forth in Christe doe notwithstanding forsake it and allowe of the contrarie doctrine condemning and with mockes rayling vppon the sounde and manifest trueth yea and that more is they ceasse not to clappe their handes and hisse at it as a damnable heresie As this sinne is of all other the filthiest so is it not veniall but vtterly vnpardonable For in the Gospell the Lorde hath expresly saide it shall not bee forgiuen him neither in this world nor in the worlde to come Whiche sentence in Saint Marke is thus pronounced He hath neuer forgiuenesse but is in daunger of eternall damnation The cause is manifest For it is vnpossible without faith to please god Without faith there is no remission of sinnes Without faith there is no entraunce into the kingdome of god But the sinne against the holie Ghoste is méere apostacie flatt rebellion against the true faith which the holie Ghoste by his illumination doth powre into our heartes Whiche illumination these vntoward Apost ataes doe incessantly call darkenesse they name it a meere seduction and do with tauntes blaspheme it openly Therfore the sinne is neuer forgiuen them For they tread vnder foote the Grace of God and do despise make a mocke of the waye which leadeth to saluation Wherefore Sainct Paule in the tenth to the Hebrues saith If wee sinne willingly after we haue receiued the knowledge of the trueth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shal deuour the aduersaries Nowe I pray you what is it to sinne wilingly Forsooth to sinne willingly is not to sinne through infirmitie or ofteÌ„ times to fall into one the same sinne but to sinne willingly is with a moste stubborn coÌ„teÌ„pt to sinne as they are wont to do which wittingly and willingly do reiecte and spurne at the Grace of God not ceassing to make a mocke of the crosse death of Christ as thoughe it were foolishe and not sufficiently effectuall to the purginge of all oure sinnes For to such there is prepared none other sacrifice for sinnes And suche the Apostle calleth the aduersaries that is the contemners and enimies of god And therefore the same Apostle in the sixte Chapter of the same Epistle saith It cannot be that they which were once lighted and haue tasted of the heauenly gifte were become partakers of the holie ghost and haue tasted of the good woorde of God and the powers of the world to come and they fall away should be renued againe into repentaunce crucifying to them selues the sonne of God afreshe and making a mock of him He speaketh not here of euery fall of the faithfull but of wilfull stubborne apostacie For Peter fell and was restored againe throughe repentance which happeneth to more than Peter alone For all sinners are through repentaunce daily restored But vnrepentant Iudas is not restored because he was a wilfull apostatae Mockers and blasphemâ—rs are not restored through repentance because they do obstinately stande against the knowen veritie and ceasse not to blaspheme the waye by whiche alone they are to be ledd vnto eternall life Therefore those places of S. Paule do make neuer a whit for the Nouatians but do expound to vs the nature and enuenomed force of the sinne against the holie Ghost Sainct Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist disputing of this sinne in his Canonicall Epistle saith If any man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not vnto death he shal aske he shal giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death There is a sinne vnto death I say not that thou shouldest praye for it All vnrighteousnesse is sinne and there is a sinne not vnto death We knowe that whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth him selfe and that euil toucheth him not Sainct Iohn here maketh mentioÌ„ of two sortes of sinnes The one vnto death that is mortall
blasphemers of the Gospell of Christ do sinne more grieuously than the Sodomites did and that God which is a sure reuenger will surely plague them for it either in this life or in the worlde to come or else in both with vnspeakeable miseries and endlesse torments Let vs therefore beléeue the Gospell of the sonne of God firste preached to the worlde by God the father then by the Patriarches after that of the Prophets and lastely of the onely begotten sonne of God Christ Iesus his Apostles whose heauenly voyce doth euen at this daye sounde to vs in the mouthes of the mynisters sincerely preaching the Gospel vnto vs. Secondarily wee haue to consider what it is that the heauenly preaching of the Gospell doeth shewe vnto the worlde to wite the Grace of God our heauenly father For the Apostle Paule in the twentieth Chapter of the Actes saith that hee receiued the ministerie of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospell of the Grace of God. Nowe therefore I will at this present saye so much of the grace of GOD as is sufficient for this place The woorde grace is diuersly vsed in the holie Scriptures euen as it is in prophane writinges also For in the Bible it signifieth Thankesgiuinge and also a Benefite and almes as 2. Cor. 8. Moreouer it signifieth prayse and recompence as in that place where the Apostle saith If when ye do well ye are afflicted yet do beare it that is praisworthie before God. It doeth also signifie facultie or licence as when wee saye that one hath gotten grace to teache and execute an office For the Apostle saith that he receiued grace and immediately to expounde his owne meaning hee addeth to execute the office of an Apostle Moreouer the gifts of God are called grace because they are giuen gratis and fréely bestowed without looking for of any recompēce And yet Paule in the fifte to the Romanes distinguisheth a gifte from grace For Grace doth signifie the fauour and good will of God towarde vs But a gifte is the thinge whiche God doth giue vs of that good wil such as are faith constancie and integritie They are saide to haue founde Grace with God whome God doeth dearely loue and fauour more than other In that sense Noah founde grace in the eyes of the Lorde Ioseph founde grace in the eyes of the Lorde of the prison And the holie virgin is read to haue founde grace with the Lorde because shee was beloued of God and verie deare vnto the Lord as shée whome he had singularly chosen from among all other women But in this place and present argument Grace is the fauour goodnesse of the eternall godhead wherwith he according to his incomprehensible goodnesse doeth gratis fréely for Christe his sake imbrace call iustifie and saue vs mortall men Nowe here mée thinketh before wee go anye further it is not amisse to examine and search out the cause of this Gods loue to vs exhibited For we sée that there is a certein relatiō betwixt the fauour of God vs men to whom his fauour is so bent It is a matter neither hard nor tedious to be found out For in vs there is nothing wherewith God can be in loue or wherewithall hee may be moued or stirred vp to imbrace vs yea in so much as wee are all vnpure sinners and that God is holye iuste and a reuenger of iniquities he hath matter ynoughe to finde in vs for which he may be angrie at and with iust reuengement plague vs So then the cause of Gods loue to vs wardes must of necessitie be not in vs nor in any other thing beside God considering that nothinge is more excellent than man but euen in God him self Moreouer the moste true Scripture doth teach vs that God is of his owne inclination naturally good gentle as Paul calleth him Philanthropon a louer of vs men who hath sent his owne sonne of his owne nature into the worlde for our redemption whervppon it doeth consequently followe that God doth fréely of him selfe and for his sonnes sake loue man and not for any other cause Whereby immediately all the preparamentes incitaments and merites of men beeing dissolued by the fire of Gods greate loue doe vade and passe awaye like smoke For the grace of God is altogether free and vnlesse it be so I cannot sée howe it can bee called Grace But it behoueth vs in a thing so weightie to cite some euident testimonies of the holie Scripture to confirme our mindes withall against all sophistical trifles and temptations of the diuell Our Lorde in the Gospell said So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne for the world that euery one which beleue in him shuld not perish but haue life euerlasting Loe here this goodwill of God which is the fauour and loue wherwith God embraceth vs is the cause of oure saluation For Christ hauing suffered for vs is our saluation Now God of verie loue hath giuen Christ both to vs for vs Neither may we thincke that God was first moued by oure loue to him ward to shewe like mutuall loue to vs againe and to giue his sonne for vs For he had determined before the beginning of the world to woorke our redemption through Christ his sonne And Iohn the Euangeliste in his Canonical Epistle sayth Herein is loue not that we loued God but that hee loued vs and sent his sonne to be an attonement for our sinnes To these testimonies although sufficiently plaine and stronge enough I will yet add some proofes out of the Apostle Paul y so this argument may be more euident that the great agréement may appeare which is betwixt Euangelists and Apostles in this doctrine of grace Paule therfore sayeth All haue sinned stand in neede of the glorie of God but are iustified freely by his grace thorough the redemption that is in Christ Iesu Againe to the Ephesians he sayeth Ye are saued thorough grace by faith that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of woorkes least any man should boast Againe to Titus The grace and loue of God our Sauiour towards all men hath appeared not of the woorkes of our owne righteousnesse which he did but according to his mercie hath he saued vs. Likewise in the 2. Epistle to Timothie the first Chapiter he sayeth God hath saued vs and hath called vs with an holie calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vs in Christ Iesus I thinke verilie that if a man had béene sett of purpose to haue feigned any thing for the defence of this matter hee could not haue framed any sentence so fitt and euident as these woordes are So nowe it is manifest that the grace of God is altogether frée as that which excludeth all our woorks and merits And this frée loue of God is the only cause and true beginning of the Gospell For
vncouered or hidden as it were vnder a vaile or figure They are conteined in the lawe and the Prophets euen till the time of the captiuitie at Babylon The blessed Apostle Peter doth in the 3. chap. of the Actes cite the prophecie of Moses touchinge the comming of the greatest of all Prophets The prefigured promises of Christ are the sacrifices whiche Paule in his Epistle to the Hebrues doth in a wonderfull summarie shortly declare The same Paule in the fift of the first to the Corinthians applieth the Paschal lambe to Iesus Christ The like doeth Peter in his first Epistle Againe the stonie rocke that was struck and gushed out with water S. Paul calleth Christ And Christ himselfe in the Gospel after S. Iohn doth say that he was prefigured in the brasen Serpent which was lift vp in the desart the mysterie wherof I haue in an other place more fullie declared Many more there are like vnto these a good parte whereof I haue alreadie touched when I had occasion to treate of the ceremonies and their signification Where he that listeth may read of it at large The vnfigured and vncouered promises are almost without number in the Psalmes and the Prophets Yea the Lord himselfe in the Gospel after S. Luke doth testifie that the description of all his office and businesse is at large conteined in the lawe the Prophets and the Psalmes And when S. Peter had preached the Gospel wherein he promised both Christ and the full remission of sinnes to all that beleeued he did immedately add All the Prophetes also from Samuel these that followed in order as many as haue spoken haue likewise told you of these dayes Dauid verilie in the 2. 22. and 110. Psalmes hath notably sett downe the two natures of Christ his Godhead and his Manhood Againe he hath layed before all mens eyes his hoalsome preaching his eternall priesthoode his euerlasting redemption and most bitter death and passion What shal I say of the Prophet Esay who was by no smal doctour of the church of Christ verie worthilie called an Euangelist rather than a Prophet as if he had writ a storie of thinges alreadie past and done by Christ not of thinges that should be done so truly did he foretel the state of Christ Now he maketh Christ to be verie God and verie man borne after the fleshe of the vnspotted Virgin who had to preach the word of life like a good shéepheard to feede his fearefull shéepe to bee the light of the Gentiles vnto the vttmost partes of the earth to giue sight to the blinde to heale the lame and diseased to be betrayed by his owne to be spitt vppon to be smitten to be hanged béetwixt théeues to be offered vp a sacrifice for sinne and finallie to make intercession for transgressours that hee himselfe being iuste might iustifie all that beléeue in his name Read Esaie 7. 8. 9. 11. 28. 40. 49. 50. 53. Chapiters and also al the last Chapter of all his Prophecie wherein he doth most fully describe the church or congregation of Christ Immanuel Ionas bare the most manifest type of the Lords sharp death and ioyfull resurrection Micheas also doth name Bethleem to be the place wherin Messiah should be horne whose beginning to wit of his diuine nature he doth referre to before all beginnings He doth also foretel that the preaching of the Gospell should from out of Hierusalem bee sowen abroade through all the compasse of the world Ieremie sayeth that God would raise vpp to Dauid a true séede or braunch that is the looked-for Messiah And in that Prophecie he alluded to the lawe concerning the raysing vpp of séede to the deceassed brother For the Virgin conceiuing by the holie Ghost brought foorth a sonne whose name is IEHOVAH being verie God in verie déede whom Esaie calleth Immanuel and is the true righteousnesse of all that doe beléeue in him For by Christ are the faithfull iustified For the same Prophete in the 31. Chapiter doth promise in Christ full or absolute remission of sinnes and aboundant grace of the holie Ghost whiche thinge Ioel also did not conceale Thus out of many testimonies I haue picked out onely these fewe in number For the whole bookes of the Prophets are occupied in the description of Christe and his offices The last promises concerning Christ were by God reuealed to the Prophets and by them declared to the Church of God euen in the verie time of the captiuitie at Babylon or else immediately vppon their returne to Hierusalem Ezechiel prophecieth of the shéepheard Dauid and of the shéepe receyuinge that shéepeheard whiche prophecies the Lord doeth in Sainct Iohns Eospel expound of himselfe The same Prophete treateth very much of grace and francke full remission of sinnes thorough the Sauiour Christ especiallie in the 34. 36. and 37. Chapiters of his prophecie Daniel verilie hath visions and many dreams but in them hée doeth so set Christ out vnto vs that it is vnpossible to haue him more better more euidently excellently described In his second Chapiter hee teacheth vs of his eternall kingdome and telleth vs that Christ should come vnder y Romane Monarchie at what tune the Romane Princes beeing by affinitie allied together should mutually in battell destroye one an other Whiche was fulfilled when Pompeie and Iulius Caesar Antonie and Octauius Augustus mainteyned ciuil warre Moreouer Daniels wéekes are vnknowen to no man wherein hée doeth as it were with his finger point at Christ the cōming of Christe and the reprobation of the Iewes because of their disloyaltie vnbeliefe Haggée the Prophete foretold the maner how the temple should be builded I meane the true temple in déede to witt the Church of Christ Zacharie doth excellently paint to vs many mysteries of Christ Hée layeth before vs the kingdome and priesthoode of oure Lord and Sauiour Hée commendeth to vs that one and onely eternall sacrifice whiche is effectuall enoughe to cleanse the sinnes of al the world Zacha 3. 9. 14. Chapiters Yea hee prophecieth of nothing else but of Christ his kingdome Malachias foresheweth the forerunner of the Lord and handleth no small number of mysteries concerning Christ Whereby we doe perceiue that Paule writt most truely in the first to the Romans saying That God did afore promise the Gospell by his Prophets in the holie Scriptures Nowe by these holy promises wee we gather this also that there are not manye or diuers Gospels althoughe wee denie not but that the same Gospell was penned by diuers Enangelistes but that there is one alone and that too as it were eternall For the verie same Gospell whiche is at this day preached to vs was at the beginning of the world preached to our first parents For it is assuredly certeine that by the Gospel were saued Adam Euah Abel all the Patriarchs Prophets and faithfull people of the old Testament Which thing we haue in an other place at large declared Wee are nowe come to
bee Christ tell vs plainely Iesus aunsweared them I told you and ye beleeue not the workes that I do in my fathers name these beare witnesse of mee But ye beleeue not because ye are not of my sheepe And presently after hée addeth Ye say that I blaspheme because I said I am the sonne of god If I doe not the woorkes of my father beleeue mee not but if I doe and if ye beleeue not mee beleeue my woorkes that ye maye knowe and beleeue that the father is in mee and I in him In the seuenth of Iohn wee read They that beleeued in him said Will Christe when hee commeth shewe more signes than this man hath shewed that is to say Admit we graunt that there is an other Christ to bee looked-for yet this is most sure that the other Messiah cannot doe more and greater miracles than this man doth Let vs therefore beléeue that this is the true Messiah Before Caiaphas the highe priest and the whole counsel of the Péeres of Israel also before Pontius Pilate in the iudgemente hall of the Romane Empire oure Lord Christ did openly in expresse woordes confesse that hee is that true and looked-for Messiah Hée verilie as the Prophets foretolde of him did of his owne accord die for sinners the third daye after that hee roase againe from the dead hee ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father And the Euangelistes reciting faithfully the words and déedes of Christ doe to the most notable ones alwayes add All this was done or saide that it mighte be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophete Wherefore it were not worthe the labour heere to gather together the prophecies of the Prophetes by them to examine the woordes and deeds of Christ and by the manifest agréement betwixte them for to conclude That GOD hath perfourmed to vs that which he promised vnto our fathers in giuing to vs his onely begotten Sonne Christ Iesus whiche is the true and looked-for Messiah For this haue the Euangelistes alreadie done and that too with so great faith and diligence that for the plainenesse of the thing it cannot bee bettered To this place nowe ye maye referre all that I haue in my former Sermons saide touching the signification or mysteries fulfilling and abrogating of the Lawe And to content oure selues with a smaller number of testimones might not this one which is read in the fourth of Sainct Iohn bee in steede of many thousand confirmations The woman of Samaria sayeth to the Lord I knowe that the Messiah shall come whiche is called Christe therefore when hee commeth hee shall tell vs all thinges Iesus aunsweared her I am hee that speake to thee Loe what could be said more plainely I sayth hee am the Messiah euen I I say that doe euen now speake to thée and did at the first saye If thou knewest the gifte of God and whoe it is that sayth to thee Giue me to drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and hee would haue giuen thee water of life For whosoeuer shall drincke of the water that I shall giue him hee shall neuer bee more a thirste but the water that I shall giue him shal be in him a well of water springing vp into eternall life They therefore are the most thirstie and vnfortunate of all men whiche longe-for and looke after an other Messiah beside our Lord and Sauiour Christe Iesus The Apostle Saincte Peter in a méetely longe Oration well grounded and confirmed with Scripture and stronge reasons in the second of the Actes doeth shewe that oure Lord Iesus is that true Messiah For with this sentence he shutteth vp his Sermon Therefore let all the house of Israel surely knowe that GOD hath made both Lorde and Christ this Iesus whome ye haue crucified To the same marcke tendeth that large and learned Oration of the first martyre S. Steuen which is extant to be séene in the seuenth Cap. of the Actes Philip doeth out of Esaies Prophecie declare to the Eunuche of Aâ—thiope that Iesus is Christ Sainct Paule in al the Iewishe Synagogues putteth forth none other proposition to preach on but this Iesus is Christ that is Iesus is the king the bishoppe and the Sauiour of the faithfull And in the thirtéenthe Chapiter hée doeth at large declare and proue that proposition true So nowe these most euident and cleare testimonies of holie Scripture cannot choose but suffice such heades as are not of purpose sett to cauill and wrangle I will not at this present too busilie and curiouslye dispute against the ouerthwarte Iewes who looke for an other Messiah and doe denie that oure Lord Iesus the sonne of God and the Virgin Marie is the true Messiah The wretches feele that to be true which the Lord in the Gospel did foretell them saying When ye shall see the abhomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophete standing in the holy place let him that readeth vnderstand Then let them that are in Iurie flee to the mounteynes But woe to them that are with childe and giue sucke in those dayes For great shall the affliction bee And againe speaking of the Citie of Hierusalem hee sayeth The dayes shall come vppon thee that thine enimies shall compasse thee with a trenche and hemme thee in and lay seege to thee on euerie side and shall make thee eauen with the grounde and thy sonnes that are within thee And they shall not leaue in thee one stone standing vppon an other beecause thou knowest not the time of thy visitation And againe There shal be wrathe vppon this people and they shal fall with the edge of the sword and shall be ledde captiue into al nations And Hierusalem shal be trode vnder foote of the Gentiles vntill the times of the Gentiles bee fulfilled Nowe since they feele these thinges to bee so finished as they were by Christ foretold in the Gospell why doe not the wretches giue God the glorie and in other thinges beléeue the Gospell acknowledging Iesus Christe the Sonne of God and the Virgin Marie our Lord and Sauiour to bee the true and looked-for Messiah What haue they wherewith to cloake their stubborne incredulitie They haue nowe by the space of more than a thousand and fiue hundreth yeares béene without their Countrie I meane the land of promise that flowed with milke and honie they haue wanted their Prophets and lacked the solemne seruice and Ceremoniall rites For where is their temple where is the highe prieste where is the altar where are the holy instrumentes where be the sacrifices that ought to bee offered according to the Lawe All the glorie of Gods people is nowe translated vnto the Christians They ioy to bee called the sonnes of the faithfull Abraham they enioye the promises made vnto the fathers they talke and make mention of the fathers they iudge rightly of the lawe and couenaunt of the Lord they haue the holy Scriptures and in expounding them they haue great dexteritie they haue the
vnseparable ioyning or knitttng vnto him For Dauid sayeth There is fulnesse of ioyes in thy sight and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore And Sainct Iohn sayeth Nowe are we the sonnes of God and yet it appeareth not what wee shal be But we knowe that when he shall appeare wee shal be like him for we shal see him as hee is Moreouer the Lord in the Gospell sayeth Blessed are the pure in heart for they shal sée god But all men are indued with vnpure hearts therefore no man shall sée god Because no vncleannesse abideth in consuming fire And God is a consuming fire therefore wee cannot bee partakers of saluation vnlesse we be purely cleansed But without the shedding of bloud there is no cleansing or remission of sinnes I doe not meane the bloud of Rammes or Goates but of the onely begotten sonne of GOD oure Lord Christ Iesus Hée therefore toke our fleshe and bloud hée came into the world died willingly for vs and shed his bloud for the remission of oure sinnes and so by that meanes purged the faithfull so that now being cleane they maye be able to stand before the most holye God who is a consuming fire To this may be annexed the coÌ„sideration of the incarnation of oure Lord Iesu Christ his death resurrection and ascension into heauen wherof I did aboue make mention in the definition of the Gospell For in those pointes doeth consist the whole mysterie of our reconciliation Touching whiche I doe in this place speake so much the more brieflye because in the eâ—position of the Apostles Créede I haue handled so much as séemeth to concerne these points of doctrine whiche whosoeuer will knowe may looke and finde them there Now that Christ alone is our most absolute life and saluation it may bée gathered by that whiche is alreadie spoken and yet not withstanding I will héere alledge some testimonies more to the ende that the veritie and sinceritie of the Euangelicall trueth may be the more firme and euident to all men That in Christ alone our life and saluation doth coÌ„sist so that without Christ there is no life and saluation in any other creature y Lord himselfe doth testifie saying Verilie verilie I say vnto you hee that entereth not by the doore into the sheepefold but goeth in some other way hee is a theefe and a robber Verilie verilie I say vnto you I am the doore of the sheepe as many as came before mee are theeues robbers Loe here there is but one doore onely through whiche the way doeth lye vnto eternal life And Christ is that doore They therefore which doe by other meanes than through Christ striue to come to life saluation are theeues robbers For they steale from Christ his honour and glorie considering that hée both is and abideth the onely Sauiour and in so doing they kill their owne soules The same Sauiour in the Gospell sayeth I am the waye the trueth and the life No man commeth to the father but by mee Hath hee not in these fewe wordes reiected and vtterly excluded al other meanes of saluation making himselfe alone our life and saluation This phrase of speach No man commeth to the father but by mee is the same that this is Through Christ alone we come vnto the father Moreouer the Lords Apostles haue so layde Christe alone before oure eyes that no man can choose but vnderstand that without Christ Iesus there is no life to bée founde in any other creature The holy Apostle Sainct Peter in the Actes sayeth There is in none other any Saluation For there is none other name vnder heauen giuen amonge men wherein wee must bee saued And Sainct Paule in the fift Chapiter to the Romanes doeth often times repeate That by the righteousnesse of one man Iesus Christe all the faithfull are iustified Againe the same Paule sayeth Thoroughe him is preached to you the remission of sinnes and throughe him is euerie one that beleeueth iustified from al the thinges from whiche ye could not be iustified by Moses lawe Like to this also hee hath other testimonies in the second Chapiter of his Epistle written to the Galathians It is manifest therefore that thoroughe Christe alone the forgiuenesse of sinnes life euerlasting are fréely bestowed vpon all the faithfull whiche giftes as they are not without Christe at all so are they not bestowed by any other meanes than thorough Christ alone Concerning the remission of sinnes whiche is the chiefe tydinges of the Gospell I haue at large alreadie discoursed in the ninthe Sermon of the first Decade other places more Nowe for the proofe that our Lord doeth fully absolue from sinnes fully remitte sinnes and fully saue repentaunt sinners so that nothing more can be desired or wished for and consequently that the Lord himselfe is the most absolute fulnesse of all the faithfull without whome they that beléeue neither doe nor can wishe for any thinge else to life saluation and absolute felicitie hee doeth himselfe in the Gospell say Euerie one that drinketh of this water shall thirst againe but whosoeuer shall drincke of the water whiche I shal giue him he shal liue eternallie And againe I am the bread of life Hee that commeth to mee shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in mee shall neuer thirste The Apostles therefore after they had eaten this celestiall bread that is after they had once beléeued in Christe when many departed and did forsake Christe being demaunded whether they also would leaue him did aunswere Lord to whome shal wee goe Thou hast the wordes of eternal life and we beleeue and knowe that thou art Christ the sonne of the liuinge God. Loe heere they neither wil nor can forsake Christ Because there is none other to whome they may ioyne themselues For hee alone is the life and saluation of them that beléeue and that too so absolute and perfecte that in him alone they maye contente and stay themselues With the writinges of the Euangelists doth the doctrine of the Apostles fully agrée For Paul to the Colossians sayth It pleased the father that in the sonne shuld dwell all fulnesse And againe In the Sonne doeth dwell all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodilie and ye are fulfilled in him And in the Epistle to the Hebrues he affirmeth that the faithfull haue ful remission of sinnes because sacrifices for sinne doe ceasse to be offered and that God doeth by the Prophete Ieremie promise so absolute remission of sinnes that hee will not so much as once remember or thincke on them hereafter To this place belongeth the whole Epistle written to the Hebrues and the conclusion of the eighth Sermon in the first Decade wherein I reckoned vnto you the treasures that God the father doth giue to vs in Christ his sonne our Lord and Sauiour Vppon this nowe doth follow consequently that they haue not yet rightly vnderstoode the Gospell of Christe nor syncerely preached it whosoeuer doe attribute to
Christ Iesu our Lord the true Messiah either not onely or else not fully all thinges requisite to life and saluation It is a wicked and blasphemous thinge to ascribe either to men or to things inferiour and worse thā men the glorie and honour due vnto Christ The principall exercises of Christian religion cannot by derogating from the glorie of Christe challenge any thing vnto themselues For syncere doctrine doth directly lead vs vnto Christ Prayer doeth inuocate praise and giue thanckes in the name of Christ The Sacramentes doe serue to seale and represent to vs the mysteries of Christ And the workes of faith are done of duetie althoughe also of frée accord because wee are created vnto good works Yea through Christ alone they do please and are acceptable to God the father For hee is the Vine we are the branches So all glorie is reserued vntouched to Christ alone which is the surest note to know the true Gospel by Thus hetherto wee haue heard That God the father of mercies according to his frée mercie taking pittie vppon mankinde when it stucke fast and was drowned in the myre of hell did as hée promised by the Prophets send his onely begotten sonne into the world that he might draw vs out of the mudd and fully giue vs all thinges requisite to life and saluation For God the father was in Christ reconciled vnto vs who for vs and our saluation was incarnate dead raysed from death to life and taken vpp into heauen againe And although it may by all this be indifferently well gathered to whom that saluation doeth belonge and to whome that grace is rightly preached yet the matter it selfe doeth séeme to require in flatt woordes expressely to shewe that Christ and the preaching of Christ his grace declared in the Gospell doeth belonge vnto all For wée must not imagine that in heauen there are layed two books in the one wherof the names of them are written that are to be saued and so to be saued as it were of necessitie that do what they will against the woord of Christ and commit they neuer so heynous offences they cannot possiblie choose but be saued and that in the other are conteyned the names of them which doe what they can and liue they neuer so holilie yet cannot auoyde euerlasting damnation Let vs rather hold that the holy Gospel of Christ doeth generally preach to the whole world the grace of God the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting And in this beliefe wee must confirme oure mindes with the word of God by gathering together some euident places of the holy Scriptures which doe manifestly proue that it is euen so Of whiche sort are these sayinges following In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Genesis 22. Euerie one that calleth vppon the name of the Lord shal be saued Ioel. 2. Wee haue all gone astray like sheepe and God hath layed vppon him the iniquitie of vs all Esaie 53. Come to the waters all ye that thirst Esaie 55. There are of this sorte innumerable places in the old testament Nowe in the Gospel the Lord sayeth Euerie one that asketh receiueth and hee that seeketh findeth c. Matth. 7. Come to mee all ye that labour and are heauie loaden and I will ease you of your burthen Matthewe 11. Teach all nations baptisinge them in the name of the father c. Matth. 28 Goe ye into the whole world preach the Gospell vnto all creatures Whosoeuer beleueth and is baptised he shal be saued Marc. 16. So God loued the worlde that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne that euery one which beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Iohn 3. In the Actes of the Apostles Sainct Peter saith Of a trueth I perceiue that there is no respect of persons with God but in euery nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnes is acceptable vnto him Actes 10. Paule in the thirde to the Romanes saith The righteousnesse of God by faith in Iesus Christ commeth vnto all and vppon all them that beleeue And in the tenth Chapter he saith The same Lorde ouer all is riche to all them that call vppon him In his Epistle to Titus hee saith There hath appearrd the grace of God that is healthful to all men And in the firste to Timothie the seconde Chapter he saith God wil haue all men to bee saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth These and suche like are the manifest testimonies wherevppon all the faithfull do firmely staye them selues But now if thou demaundest how it happeneth that all men are not saued since the Lorde would that all should be saued come to the knowledge of the trueth The Lorde in the Gospell doth him selfe answere thee saying Many in deede are called but fewe are chosen Which sentence hee doeth in the fourtéenth of S. Lukes Gospell more plainly expound where he doth in a parable shewe the causes why a great part of mortall men doth not obteine eternal saluation while they preferre earthly thinges transitorie beefore celestiall or heauenly matters For euery one had a seuerall excuse to cloake his disobedience withall one had bought a farme an other had fiue yokes of Oxen to trye the thirde had newly married a wife And in the Gospell after Sainct Iohn the Lorde saith This is condemnation because the light came into the worlde and men loued darkenesse more than the light With this doctrine of the Euangelistes doeth that saying of the Apostle agrée 2. Corin. 4. Chapter And in the first to Timothie the fourth Chapter he saith God is the Sauiour of all men especially of those that beleeue Wherevppon we gather that God in the preachinge of the Gospell requireth faith of euery one of vs and by faith it is manifest that we are made partakers of all the goodnesse and giftes of Christe And verily there is a relatiō betwixt faith and the Gospell For in the Gospell after Sainct Marke the Lorde annexeth faith to the preaching of the Gospell And Paule saith that To him was committed the preaching of the Gospell vnto the obedience of faith Againe he saith The Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all them that doe beleeue And in the tenth Chapter to the Romans he doth by Gradation shewe that the Gospell is receiued by faith But that faith may be rightly planted in the heartes of men it is needefull that the preaching of repentaunce do firste goe before For which cause I in the latter ende of the definition of the Gospell added So that wee acknowledginge our sinnes may beleeue in Christe that is to saye the Lorde wil be oure Sauiour and giue vs life euerlasting if we acknowledge our sinnes and do beléeue in him And therefore here nowe may be annexed the treatises of faith and repentaunce Touchinge faith I haue alreadie largely spoken in the 4. 5. and 6. Sermons of the first Decade Concerning repentaunce I wil
our Lord declared and expounded by the same Apostle Paule Nowe Abraham and Dauid were alwayes men of chiefe accompt in the Church of god With whiche twaine the whole companye of the Prophets doe wholie agree For the Apostle Peter saith All the Prophets bare wittnesse to Christe that by his name euery one whiche doeth beleeue in him shoulde receiue remission of his sinnes And euen nowe by the mouth of Paule wee hearde saye that by the testimonies of the lawe and the Prophetes it is proued That the righteousenesse of God is freely bestowed by faith with out the Lawe We haue also the verie sonne of God Iesus Christe our Lorde whose authoritie excelling farre all y worldes beside may confirme vs well enough in this péece of doctrine For he as it were in certeine assembled counsels did determine and decree that which we in this place do counsell al men to reteine For hauing gathered togeather his disciples at Caesarea Philippi he demaunded of them what men did thinke of him Nowe when they answered diuersly according to the diuersitie of opinions that the common people had of him hee inquired of theÌ„ what they them selues thought of him Then Peter in the name of all the rest saide Thou art that Christe the sonne of the liuing God. To whome the Lorde replyed Happie art thou Simon Bar Iona for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this to thee but my father which is in heauen In these woordes hee concludeth two seuerall thinges First that true faith doeth make vs happie Neither is it to be doubted but that to make happie is vsed here in that signification which ye hearde out of Paule euen nowe that Dauid vsed it in Lastly that that sanctifying faith is not the woorke of oure owne nature but the heauenly gifte of god And then also he taketh occasion vppon that notable confession of true faith to giue a newe name to Simon Peter for the eternall memorie of the thinge and for the imprintinge of the signification of that mysterie in all mennes mindes Peter confessed that Christ was a stone or rocke Therefore Christe syrnameth Peter a Petra that is a stone as if one shoulde call him a liuinge stone layde vppon a liuing stone or of Christe a Christian Yea and leaste peraduenture any man shoulde tye the thinge vniuersally beelonginge to the whole churche vnto Peter alone the Lorde him selfe doth apply it vnto all the Churche and saith And vpon this stone will I buylde my churche and the gates of hell shal not preuaile against it As if he should haue sayd that which nowe is done in thee Peter shall hereafter bee done in all the faithfull Thou by faith art layde vpon me which am the stone and arte made a member of the Church I therefore do ordeine that whosoeuer confesseth mee to be the stone shal be a member of the Churche sanctified iustified and deliuered from the diuell and the power of death Thy confession that is I Christe the sonne of God whome thou confessest shal be the foundation of the Churche vppon whiche foundation whosoeuer are layde they shal be iustified and fréely saued For Paule also saide An other foundation cannot be layd than that that is alreadie layde which is Christ Iesus And the Apostle Iohn saith This is the victorie that hath ouercome the worlde euen your faith Nowe least Peter and his other fellowe disciples shoulde not knowe the waye howe other men shoulde be admitted into the fellowship of the Churche and receiued into the communion of Christe he addeth immediately And I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest in earth shal bee loosed in heauen c. He gaue the keyes when hee sent the Apostles to preache the Gospell Therefore by the preaching of the Gospell which is the keye of the kingdome of heauen is heauen opened and the waye poynted out howe we being graffed in Christe the church may bee made the heires of eternall life to wite through faith in Christe which wee are taught by the Gospell of Christe Thus much touching the counsell wherof Christ himself was PresideÌ„t helde at Caesarea Philippi There is extant in Iohn an other counsell held at Capernaum both famous and ful of people For in a greate multitude of his Disciples and other men hee doeth determine that eternall life is gotten by faith in Christe and that there is none other waye for vs to come to life than this To eate his fleshe and to drinke his bloud that is to beléeue in him And when amongâ— the audience there was a Schisme by reason that many reuolted from Christe hee demaunded of them that were his neerest disciples whether they also woulde forsake him then Pâ—ter in the name of all the rest did aunswere since in thee O Christe there is life and saluation if wee departe from thee wee cannot bee partakers of lifâ— and therefore by faith wee will â—â—rmely sticke and cleaue close to thee for euer Moreouer here are to be reckoned two counsels also that were helde by the Apostles The one of whiche no man can denye to bee verie generall or vniuersall For in it there were dâ—uout men of euery nation vnder heauen In that counsell did Peter the Apostle in expresse wordes teache that Christe is the Sauiour of the worlde whome whosoeuer beléeueth hee shall haue life euerlasting The place is knowen in the Actes of the Apostles the second Chapter Before the chiefe of the Iewes the same Apostle declareth that there is saluation in none other than in Christ alone The place is extante in the Actes of the Apostles the thirde Chapter The like hee doeth to the firste fruites of the Gentiles Cornelius and his housholde in the tenth Chapter The seconde counsell which was famous also and passingly adorned with all good giftes is described in the fiftéenth Chapter of the Actes in whichâ— Counsell this proposition was allowed That faith without woorkes doth iustifie freely Touching which matter I haue spoken at large in an other place Nowe by all this I woulde haue it proued that the doctrine of Faith that iustifieth without woorkes ought to bée reteined vnmingled and vncorrupte in the Churche because as I maye so saye it is moste Catholique and altogether vnreproueable to the breache whereof this cuâ—sse or Anathematisme of the Apostle is added sayinge If wee or an Angel from Heauen shall preache to you anye other Gospell than that whiche we haue preached let him bee accursed The seconde cause why it is expedient that this doctrine bee kepte sincere in the Churche is because if it bee once put out of ioynte the glorie of Christe shall bee in daunger of wracke and in ieopardie For the glorie of Christe is darkened and corrupted in the myndes of men althoughe of it selfe it remaineth alwayes sounde and cleare if wee beginne to diuide the righteousenesse whereby wee stande and appeare before GOD attributing it to oure owne merites and good woorkes of
repent Else-where Repentaunce is figuratiuely attributed to God like to the affection of mortall men as when hee sayeth It repenteth mee that I haue made man. For God of his owne nature doeth not repent as men doe so that hée should be touched with griefe and that the thing should now mislike him which hee before did like off but he doeth barely alter that whiche hee hath done Amonge Ecclesiasticall writers they are said to repent which after a prescribed manner of punishment doe penaunce for their sinnes which they haue coÌ„mitted The scripture in an other place doth vse it for the whole effect and matter of the Gospel For in the Actes wee read that God gaue to the Gentiles repentaunce vnto life But we in this disputation of ours will vse Repentaunce for a conuerting or turning to the Lord for the acknowledging of sinns for the griefe conceiued for sinnes committed for mortification and the beginning to leade a newe life and finally for the chaunge correction and amendement of the life from euil to better that which we Germanes call Bekeerung Enderung oder Besserung And as diuersly too is Repentance defined of the Ecclesiasticall writers howbeit all agrée that it is a conuersion or turning to the Lord and an alteration of the former life and opinion We therefore do say that Repentaunce is an vnfeigned turning to God whereby wee being of a sincere feare of God once humbled doe acknowledge our sinnes so by mortifying our old man are afresh renued by the spirite of God. This definition doeth consist vppon her partes whiche being somewhat more largely opened and diligently expounded wil declare vnto vs and laye before oure eyes the whole nature of Repentaunce First we say that Repentaunce is an vnfeigned turning vnto god For I will hereafter shewe you that there are two sorts of Repentaunce to wit feigned and vnfeigned And the Apostle Peter sayeth Repent and turne that your sinnes may be blotted out expounding as it were the first by the last to witt Repentaunce by Returning he meaneth to him from whom they had turned themselues away For there is a certeine relation béetwixt turning to and turning fro If thou hadst neuer turned away then hadst thou had no néed to haue turned to againe But we haue all turned away from the true iust and good God and from his holy will vnto the diuel and our owne corrupt affections And therfore must we againe turne vs froÌ„ the diuel and from oure old naughtie life and will vnto the liuing God and his most holy will and pleasure Wee do here significantly say To God and not To creatures or any help of man For the Lord in Ieremie doeth say If Israel thou wilt returne returne to me Whosoeuer therfore do not turne to God nor make themselues conformable to his holy wil how soeuer they do turne to creatures other meanes of mans inuention yet are they not to be estéemed or counted penitents Nowe there is none so blinde but séeth that for the stirring of vs vpp to repentaunce the preaching or doctrine of the trueth is néedeful and requisite to teache vs what God is to whome wée must bee turned what the goodnesse holinesse is to which wee must bee turned whoe the diuel is what the euill wickednesse is from which wee must be turned and lastly what the thing is that must be amended in oure minde and life and also howe it must be altered and amended Truely the Prophetes and Apostles of the Lord in exhorting men vnto repentaunce doe traueile much and sticke verie long in describing of Gods nature goodnesse righteousnesse trueth and mercie in painting out the lawes and offices of the life of man and in accusing and heaping vp the sinns of men wherevnto they add the gréeuous and horrible tokens of Gods iuste iudgements as is in euery place of the Prophets writings to be found very rifely And therefore some there are whiche bidd vs euen nowe to preache the lawe to those men whome we would drawe vnto repentaunce which thing as I doe not gainesay but very well like it so do I with-al admonish them that the preaching of the Gospell also doeth obiecte to men their sinnes and gréeuously accuse them For the Lord in the Gospel sayeth When the holy Ghoste commeth it shall argue the world of sinne because they beleeued not in mee Whervppon S. Peter in the Actes of the Apostles vpbrayding to the Iewes their sinnes committed and preaching vnto them Christe and faith in Christ exhorteth them vnto repentaunce The places are very well knowen Actes 2. and 3. S. Paule going about to drawe the Athenieâ—s vnto Repentaunce doth say God who hath hetherto winked at the times of this ignoraunce doth now preach to al men euery where that they should repent because hee hath appointed a day in which he wil iudge the world with righteousnesse through Christ Let them therefore to whome charge is giuen to drawe men vnto repentaunce learne heere to vse much libertie and wisedome that all men maye acknowledge their sinne and the greatnesse of their iniquitie Moreouer God doeth stirre vpp men to repentaunce not by his woord onely but also by diuers afflictions and sundrie sortes of punishments Yea all the calamities that happen in the world are certeine Sermons as it were persuading and drawing vs vnto repentaunce For that I maye in silence ouerpasse that which is written in the Prophets did not our Lord himselfe in the Gospell when he heard tidings of the slaughter which Pontius Pilate had made vpon the GalilÄ™ans and the death of the 18. men vpon whom the tower in Siloc fel presently say Thincke ye that they were greater sinners than the rest No verilie but vnlesse ye repent ye shall all likewise perish It is assuredly certeine therefore that warre famine plagues doe alwayes inuite vs vnto repentaunce that is they premonishe vs by laying sinne aside to be conuerted vnto God and wholie to giue our selues to sincere integritie But in vaine is repentaunce preached vnto vs vnlesse by feare trembling conceiued in our minds we doe reuerendly dread the wrath iudgement of Almightie God conceiued against vs because of oure sinnes and wickednesses Now this feare is outwardly stirred in vs by the externall preaching or discipline of the minister as I told you before but that external doctrine auaileth nothing alone vnlesse inwardly that is in our hearts we be moued by the holy spirit of our heauenly father And therefore Ieremie in his Lamentations cryeth Turne vs O Lord and we shal be turned And in the 31. Chap. Turne thou me O Lord and I shal be turned beecause thou art the lord my god And after I was turned it repented mee of euill Wée read that S. Peter being prouoked by the wordes of the damsel that kept the doore and of the souldiers did foulie denie his master Christ but being reuoked at the cockes crowing he repented his fault or folly from
And Sainct Paul to Timothie sayeth It is a sure saying and worthie by all meanes to be receiued that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners In the same Gospel the Lord sayeth Euerie sinne blasphemie shal bee forgiuen men but blasphemie against the holy Ghoste shall not bee forgiuen men And whosoeuer shall say a word against the sonne of man it shall bee forgiuen him but whosoeuer speaketh a word against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him nether in this world nor in the world to come Concerning sinne against the holy Ghost I haue alreadie spoken in another place Nowe to this place doe belonge all the examples of that most liberall kinde of forgiuenesse whiche is expressed in the Gospell as for example of the sinnefull woman Luke the seuenth Also Iohn y fourth and Matthew the eighth Chapiter Of Zachee Sainct Peter and the théefe vppon the Crosse But who is able briefely to reckon them all To this also doe apperteine the thrée parables in the Gospell after the Euangeliste Sainct Luke In the Gospell after Sainct Iohn the forerunner of the Lord doeth crie out saying Behold the lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the world And the Lord himselfe did say to his disciples Whose sinnes soeuer ye forgiue they are forgiuen Peter the Apostle in the Actes doth crie and say All the Prophets beare witnesse to Christe that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should by his name receiue remission of his sinnes The same Apostle againe in his Epistle sayeth Christ his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his bodie vppon the Crosse that wee beeing dead to sinne might liue to righteousnesse by whose stripes ye are healed The Apostle Paul in the 5. chap of his 2. Epistle to the Corinthians saith God was in Christe reconciling the world vnto himselfe not imputinge their sinnes vnto them For him that knewe not sinne hee made sinne for vs that wee throughe him might bee made the righteousnesse of God. And in the tenthe to the Hebrues hee hath Christ hauing offred one sacrifice for sinne is set downe at the right hand of God for euer from henceforth tarying till his foes bee made his footestoole For with one offering hath he made perfecte for euer them that are sanctified Moreouer the blessed Apostle and Euangeliste Iohn doth no lesse truely than euidently testifie saying The bloud of Iesu Christ the sonn of God doth cleanse vs from all sinne And againe And he is the propitiation for our sinnes not for ours only but for the sinnes also of the whole world But nowe most vaine and the verie messingers of sathan himselfe are the Nouatians and Anabaptists whiche feigne that wee are by baptisme purged into an Angelicall life whiche is not polluted with any spotts at all but if it be polluted then can hee that is so defiled looke for no pardon at all For to passe ouer many other places of holy Scripture was not S. Peter cōsecrated to God in baptisme had hée not tasted of Gods good grace After that notable confessiō which he made the Lord said vnto him Happie arte thou Simon Bar Iona flesh bloud hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen Againe when the Lord demaunded of his disciples saying Will ye depart also Then Peter in the name of them all aunsweared Lord to whome shal we goe ▪ Thou hast the words of eternall life and wee beleeue and knowe that thou art Christe the sonne of the liuing God. And yet this very fame Peter after his baptisme and tasting of the grace of God sinneth notwithstanding and that too not lightly in denying and foreswearing his Lord and maister Now was he for this sinne of his altogether vnpardoneable was his returne to God againe stopped vp by his stumbling No verilie For when he heard the cocke crowe he remembred presently the wordes of the Lord hee descended into himselfe hee considered what hee had done hee wept bitterly and mourned lamentablie And yet hee was not longe tormented in that griefe without consolation For the third day after to the women which came to the Lords sepulchre it was said by the Angels Tell his disciples Peter that he is risen and goeth before you into Galilee Loe here the Lord wil haue it knowen to Peter by name that hee was risen And why to Peter by name Because forsooth he had sinned more gréeuously than the other not that the Lord did like of Peters sinne but because hee would therby declare to vs that penitents doe obteine forgiuenesse of their sinnes so often as they do turne to the heauenly grace of God againe And not many dayes after he restored Peter to the ministerie againe commending to him the charge of his shéepe Moreouer the Lord in Ieremie speaketh to the people of Israel saying If any man put away his wife and shee marrie to an other man will her first husband turne to her againe But is not this land defiled Hast thou not committed fornication with many yet turne thee to me againe sayth the Lord. And the Galathians being once rightly instructed by the Apostle Paule but after that seduced by the false apostles reuolted from the trueth preaching of the Gospell yet notwithstanding they obteyned pardon The Corinthians also after they had receyued grace did wittingly willingly sinne in many things but yet vppon repentaunce the Apostle Paule promised them forgiuenesse of their sinnes at the handes of the lord And what is more manifest than this that all the saincts doe daily in earnest and truly not hypocritically or falsely praye saying Forgiue vs our trespasses They whiche praye thus doe plainelye confesse that they are sinners And the Lord promiseth to heare those that praye with faith therefore euen those sinnes are forgiuen at the prayers of penitents whiche are committed after the grace of God is once knowen and obteyned Nowe the places in the Epistle to the Hebrues whiche the Nouatians alledge for the confirmation of their opinion I haue in an other place so thoroughly discussed that I neede not heere busilie to stand longe vppon them But nowe to gather a summe of those thinges whiche I haue hetherto said concerning repentaunce let vs hold that repentaunce is a turning to God which although hee doeth by his woord and other meanes stirre it vpp in vs is notwithstanding especially by the holy Ghoste so wrought in vs that with feare wée loue and with loue wee feare our iust God and mercifull Lord from whome wee were turned backe being sorie now withall oure heartes that wee with oure sinnes did euer offende so gratious a father For being humbled before his eternall and most sacred maiestie we acknowledge the sinnes that are obiected against vs by the word of God yea we acknowledge that in vs there is no integritie or soundnesse but doe hartily desire to bee reconciled wyth God againe and since that reconciliation cannot be otherwise made than by the only
mediatour the Lord Christ Iesus wee doe by faith laye hold on him by whome wee being acquited from all oure sinnes are reputed of God for righteous and holy This benefite whosoeuer doe sincerely acknowledge they cannot choose but hate sinne and mortifie the old man I would therfore now add other members belōging to this treatise of repētaunce to witt the mortification of the old man and the renuing of the spirite were it not that the very matter it selfe doth require to haue somewhat said touching the confession of sinnes and satisfaction for the same For some there are that when they speake of Repentaunce doe speake somethings contrarie to the trueth To the ende therefore dearely beloued that ye bée not ignoraunt what to thinke of these pointes according to the trueth I will not sticke to stay somewhile in the exposition of the same And I hope ye shall out of my woordes gather such fruite as ye shall not hereafter repent your selues of To confesse or a Confession is in the holy Scriptures diuersely vsed For it signifieth to praise the Lord and to giue him thanckes for the benefites that wée receiue at his hands And therefore Confession is put for praise and thanckesgiuing For the Prophete sayeth O praise the Lord for hee is good and his mercie endureth for euer Paule in his Epistle to Titus speaking of hypocrites sayeth In woordes they confesse that they knowe God but in their deedes they denie him Heere to confesse doeth signifie to say to professe or to boast In an other place it is taken for to trust to staye vppon Gods goodnesse and to testifie that confidence as well by woords as déedes And in that sense did Sainct Iohn vse it in the fourth Chapiter of his first Epistle and Paule in the 10. to the Romanes Moreouer to confesse is to giue glorie to God and fréely to acknowledge thy sinne and the iudgement whiche is obiected to thée for thy sinne Solomon in the twentie eighth Chapiter of his Prouerbes sayeth Whosoeuer hideth his iniquities or doth as it were defend them nothing shall goe well with him but whoso confesseth forsaketh them to him shal be shewed mercie The Hebrue tongue vseth the woord Iadah for that which wée call to confesse Nowe Iadah signifieth to let slacke or loose as when a bowe once bended is vnbended againe And Modeh which commeth of Iadah is as if one should say confessing yéelding or graunting to be vāquished For God accuseth vs and pleadeth vs guiltie of sinne indaungered to punishment whiche our flesh doth presently acknowledge but yet standeth stiffe like a bended bowe vntill at length when that stiffenesse is vnbended it doeth acknowledge euery thing that God obiecteth against vs This acknowledging is called Modeh that is a confession And we Germanes say Es hat gelassen Er hat geschnellt when we meane that any thing hath yéelded or that a man hath at last confessed that whiche hee did afore either flattly denie or else dissemble But nowe confession of sinnes is of more sortes than one For the one is diuine the other humane I wil first speake of the diuine confession then of the humane Wee call that diuine whereof there be euident testimonies or examples in the holy Scriptures whiche is instituted by God himselfe That is a frée acknowledging flatt confession of the sinne which God obiecteth against vs whereby we doe attribute all glorie to God and to oure selues shame and confusion therewithall doe craue pardon of God and of our neighbour against whome wée haue sinned Now sinne is obiected to vs by God himselfe who outwardly by the word or the ministerie of men and sometime by signes wonders and inwardly by the secrete operation of his holy spirit doth plead vs guiltie of sinne and indaungered to punishment requiring of vs a frée and voluntarie confession of our sinnes For he liketh of a frée and voluntarie not a feigned or extorted confession Truly the citizens of Hierusalem and people of the Iewishe religion did of their owne accord come to the baptisme of Iohn confessing their sinnes whiche Iohn in his preaching had obiected against them And after the Ascension of Christ into heauen Sainct Peter accused the sinnes of the Iewes and immediately vppon the accusation it followeth in the historie When they heard this they were pricked in their heartes and said to Peter and the other Apostles Men brethren what shal we doe and so forth as followeth in the second of the Actes Likewise also the kéeper of the prison at Philippos féeling the earthquake sprang out and being instructed with the Apostles wordes confessed his sinnes and was baptised And the men of Ephesus whiche were giuen to Magicall arts when they heard the calamitie which the diuel brought vppon the sonnes of Sceua their fellowes and practisers in Magicke and sorcerie did feare exceedingly and came and did confesse their sinnes Vpon these causes for the most part doeth the confession of sinnes especially arise Againe of the confession instituted by God there are two sortes whereof the one is made to God the other to our neighbour That which is made to god is either priuate or publique We do then make oure confession to God priuately when we disburden our harts before God open the secretes of oure heartes to him alone and in acknowledging the sinnes that are in vs doe earnestly beséech him to haue mercie vppon vs This confession is necessarie to the obteyning of pardon for our sinnes For vnlesse wée doe acknowledge oure owne corruption and vnrighteousnesse we shall neuer by true fayth lay hold on Christ by whome alone we are to be iustified But heere wee thincke not that penitentes must hasten to any other confessour to confesse their sinnes vnto but vnto God alone For he alone doth forgiue and blot out the offences of penitents Hée is the Physician to whome alone wée must discouer and open our wounds Hée it is that is offended with vs and therefore of him wee must desire forgiuenesse and reconciliation Hée alone doeth looke into our heartes and search oure reines to him alone therefore we must disclose our heartes Hée alone calleth sinners vnto him let vs therefore make haste vnto him prostrate our selues before him confesse our faultes vnto him and craue pardon for them of him This confession if it be made of a zealous minde to Godward although it cannot be made by word of mouth by reason of sonie impedimēt or want of the tongue is notwithstanding acceptable to God who doth not so much respecte the mouth as the minde of man On the other side if wee make confession with the mouth and in hart are not thoroughly bent to the same although wee make that confession to God or the high priest yet doth not the Lord regard so vaine a confession Concerning that true confession to God I haue alreadie spoken whereas in the definition of Repentaunce I said that penitentes doe acknowledge their sinnes
otherwise serue their Lord and king than Kings that is in doing those thinges whiche Kinges ought to doe namely to execute iudgement and iustice For albeit these be in the worlde yet râ—le they not after the worlde because they are now gouerned by the spirite of their king Christe and directe all their doings to the prescripte rule of Gods word and in all things yéelde them selues to be guided by the spirite of God and so farre surely their kingdome is not of this worlde Of these things I haue else where cited much out of S. Augustine acording to the scripture And our king Christe defendeth his Churche and his ministers sometime by the aide of Princes sometimes he preserueth and spreadeth abrâ—ade the same lying open to persecutions through infirmitie and weakenesse For it is pressed downe but not oppressed or kepte vnder still Christe the mightiest Prince alwayes reigning and ouercomming in those that â—ee his Nowe the bounds of this Earthlie kingdome of Christe reache vnto the vtter-moste partes of the Earth For all the kingdomes of the worlde and all nations perteine vnto the kingdome of Christ Héerevnto belong all the testimonies of the Prophets touching the calling of the Gentiles whereof thou maist finde verie manis in Esay and Zacharie who excellentlye describe the kingdome of Christe in Earth Wherevppon the Iewes tooke occasion to feigne I wot not how great glorious things of the maiestie and victeryes of the Messias whiche neuerthelesse long since were aboundantlye fulfilled in Christe but more spiritually than carnally But they while they dreame of and looke for carnall things loathe spirituall and loose bothe But the faithfull through the bountifulnesse and liberalitie of Christe their king most aboundauntly obteine those good thinges whiche the Prophetes promised namely plentifull peace bothe with God and men and all kinde of felicitie alwayes to bée blessed alwayes to be safe though they fight continuallie from all enimyes as well visible as also inuisible and to inioy euerlasting saluation Which things the Prophetes in their writings haue set foorthe in a moste large kinde of style yet vnderstandinge nothing else than as euen now we said that the faithfull shall be moste happie and shall possesse in Christe all good gifts bothe of soule and bodie as much indéede as is necessarie and healthfull for the Saincts And this is that kingdome now we vnderstand bothe as well that of grace as this of 〈◊〉 which that Ioseph of Aramathia iust Simeon and Anna y Prophetisse with other Saints awaited and loked for This same kingdome Philippe the Deacon preached to them of Samaria and Sainte Paule the Apostle to them of Rome which thinge Luke doeth testiffe in the Actes of the Apostles Chapter 8. and 28. But the seate or throne and palace of our king is Heauen For hee ascended a conquerour into Heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God the father almightie from theÌ„ce â—â— y Sunne of righteousnesse hee shineth to all which liue in his Churche or in his kingdome yea and he â—hâ—â—sâ—th the harts of the faithfull to him selfe wherein he may dwell Furthermore that we may vnderstande ouâ— King though not corpâ—rally presente in earth but ascended into Heauen not therefore to be absent from his kingdom he verily in his word compareth himselfe to the head and vs to the bodie or the meÌ„bers Now therefore as the bodie is neuer without the head so the kingdome of God is not without Christ the prince And as the vitall spirite from the harte and the power or vertue of féeling and mouing froÌ„ the head is powred into the bodie so are we quickened or made aliue by our Prince Christe he iustifying preseruing comforting confirming and defending vs from all euill As all the members are ruled by the head so all the faithful in the kingdome of Christe are gouerned by their King Christe Paule therefore saithe God raised Christe from the dead set him on his right hand in heauenly places farr aboue all rule and power and might euery name that is named not only in this world but also in the world to coÌ„e And hath put all things vnder his féete gaue him to be the head ouer all things to the Church which is his bodie y fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Of which kinde there are very many other to be found in the writings of the Apostles first of all that Christ is the head of the church and he it is which giueth saluation to the body for he gaue him selfe for the church to sanctifie it when he had cleansed it in the founteine of water in the worde that he might present it vnto him selfe a glorious church c. And thus much hetherto of the kingdoÌ„e of Christ in earth which is bothe called the kingdome of grace and the Church militant Moreouer the kingdome of God is called the kingdome of heauen and of glory for that occasion because those whome our Lord king hath sanctified on earth and guided with his spirit yea and also iustified béeing deliueied from the fleshe and taken out of this world he glorifieth in heaueÌ„ and recâ—iueth thâ— into ioy into the fellowship both of himselfe and of all the saints For the souls of the faithful eueÌ„ as soone as they depart out of their bodies are foorth with receiued into heaueÌ„ to reigne with Christ the euerlasting king for euer to reioice with all the Saincts But in the laste iudgemeÌ„t wherewith we beleue that the quick and dead shall be iudged of Christe our king the bodies of the Sainctes shall be raised vp clarified coupled againe to their soules and how many soeuer haue cleaued vnto Christ their king from the beginning of the world shal liue for euer reigne in glorie together with Christe their king and prince Of this kingdoÌ„e of the Saints the Prophets Apostles haue spoken muche and chiefelye the Apostle Sainte Iohn in his Reuelation Some haue called this kingdome the Church triumphant This kingdome of GOD or of Christe is an euerlasting kingdome For as euen to the worldes end the Church shall be on earth howsoeuer this worlde and the Prince of the worlde doe rage so the faithfull after iudgement shall liue and reigne with Christe happie for euer bothe in bodie and soule For the Lord saith in the Gospell The gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church Also the last times shall be as the dayes of Noe were wherein thoughe the wicked did farre in number excéede the Churche of the faithfull yet Noe and his were saued in the Arke but the wicked were destroyed with the floud in such sort surely shal iniquity by all means preuaile in the end of the worlde but in the meane while those that are elected into the kingdome of Christe shall be saued by Christe whome they shall looke for to be their Iudge and shall sée theire redéemer comming in the cloudes of
out y manifold offices and diuerse operations of Angels whiche we being desirous to comprehend in few woordes haue said that Angels are created of God for the ministerie of God himselfe and men For Dauid said Which maketh his Angels spirites and his ministers a flame of fire And againe in another place O praise the Lord all ye angels of his ye that excell in strength ye that fulfill his commaundement hearken vnto the voice of his words O praise ye the Lord all his hoasts ye seruants of his that doe his pleasure And of Angels Paule also sayth Are not all ministring spirits which are sent out into the ministerie for their sakes which shal be heires of saluation But God vseth the ministerie of Angels vppon no necessitie but of his owne goodwill For hee might bee without them since by his word he bringeth to passe what he will. For hee spake and they were made hee commaunded they were created not one of al the angels iâ—yntly working with him so at this day also hee is able without the help of Angels to bring to passe what he will. But beecause of his speciall goodnesse hee created them to the partaking of euerlasting life and saluation hee vseth their ministerie to vs ward as he also doeth the seruice of other creatures to whom they declare their faith obedience to God ward and God exerciseth his vnspeakeable goodwill both toward them whom by grace he hath made partakers of euer lasting ioy and also toward vs whom he hath vouchsafed to honour with the seruice of so excellent a company For amonge other innumerable and the greatest benefites of God whereat not without cause we are astonished this is not to be accounted the least that he hath giuen vs angels to be our seruants Truely this is an excéeding great token of his fatherly care and regard to vs ward first of all because he frameth himselfe so swéetely to our capacities and dispositions In time past the Lord himselfe spake with his owne mouth in mount Sina with the church or coÌ„gregation of the Israelites but when he vnderstood that they had rather he should speake by their interpretour Moses he toke their wishe offer and afterward he spake by Moses vsing his ministerie toward them Truly God is able to poure most perfecte faith into our minds by his holy spirite without any ioynt-working of men but because he knew it was profitable for vs that it should so bée he instituted the ministerie of his word and planteth the faith of the Apostles by the preaching of the Gospell And that ordinaunce once made he doth so precisely obserue that when he might haue done the same by angels yet by the Angels themselues hee sendeth them that are to bee instructed in the faith to the Apostles For it is manifest what the angels of the Lord in the Actes of the Apostles did with Cornelius whome he sendeth vnto the preaching of Peter Therefore when God séeth the ministerie of angels conuenient for vs then of good wil vppon no necessitie he vseth their ministerie toward meÌ„ And doubtlesse angels loue men excéedingly and that which they do they doe of their owne accord not of constraint nor vnwillingly For they caÌ„not but excéedingly loue them whome they sée to be so déere to their creatour that for their sakes hée spared not his onely begotten sonne but for them deliuered him vpp into most bitter death That I make no mention héere of the most readie obedience whiche they performe to their God who willeth and commaundeth them to serue him and men The Lord in the Gospell witnesseth That the Angels in heauen reioyce at the conuersion and turning of men that bee sinners In Zacharie the angel of the Lord is brought in very sorowfull for the myserie of the captiues in Babylon and carefull for their deliuerance from captiuitie All whiche thinges commend vnto vs the loue and affection of Angels towards mankinde For otherwise those blessed spirites are not moued with affections carefulnesse or sorrowe as wee are in the flesh But they be glad and reioyce as blessed spirites can reioyce in whome there is no humane affection Whiche affections neuerthelesse are not onely attributed to them but to GOD himselfe tropically or by a figure as they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is after the affection of maÌ„ to the end oure mindes maye the better vnderstand and more easilie conceiue spiritual and heauenly thinges as it were by parables howbeit let vs thincke that parables do not always conteine all thinges therefore our minds must be lifted vp to higher thinges and spirituall thinges must spiritually bee iudged The ministerie of Angels extendeth very farre whiche I will declare by rehearsing certeine kinds of them as briefly and as plainely as I can First they doe seruice vnto God himselfe in all thinges which I thincke is sufficiently declared in that whiche went afore The same God they all magnifie together with euerlasting praises worshipping glorifying reioycing in him For Theodoret reciting certein testimonies of scriptures concerning this matter sayeth The ministerie or seruice of angels is the praising of god singing of hymnes or songes For the holy prophete Esaie saith of the Seraphim that they cried and said Holie holie holie is the lord god of Sabbaoth heaueÌ„ earth are full of his glorie And of the Cherubim the heauenly prophete Ezechiel sayeth that he heard them saying Blessed be the glorie of the Lord out of his place The whole hoast of heauen also singeth a birthe songe to Christe their Prince when hee was borne as is to be séene in S. Luke saying Glorie be to God on high in earth peace and amonge men good-will So they goe before with an example for men to followe teaching what they also should doe that is offer praise and thanke sgiuing to God on high whom the Angels also reuerence and worship with vs. Moreouer the angels loue the truth and are desirous to haue the same spred abroad and the glorie of God by all meanes furthered and therefore they laye blockes in the waye of false prophets hating them with their accursed doctrine and Antichriste For S. Peter testifyeth that the Angels desire to behold the Gospell of the sonne of god In the reuelation of Iesus Christe made to Iohn the Apostle the Angel of the Lord bindeth Sathan and the angels furthering the Gospel of Christ set themselues euery where against false Christians and false teachers For euen in y end of the world The sonne of man shall sende forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all thinges that offend and them whiche do iniquitie and shall caste them into a fornace of fire They themselues stand in the presence of the Allmightie God wayting his commaundement who so soone as he shall commaund them to goe forth and to execute his comaundements by and by they make spéede They come
slept neither could sléepe so being deliuered from the burden of the bodie they are muche lesse to bee thought to sléepe To the bodie therefore is sléepe to bee referred For whosoeuer dieth in a true faith hee sléepeth in the lord And as they that sléepe when their 〈…〉 the body is not altogether eâ—tinguished by deathe that it should not liue againe any more but nowe verily 〈…〉 into rest and at the day of iudgemeÌ„t it riseth againe liueth and for this cause holy meÌ„ are sayd in the scriptures to sléepe not to die that therby the mysterie of the resurrection of our flesh may be signified Which thing these grosse headed men vnderstand not wherevpon they attribute that to the soule which is proper to the body Other arguments which they bring to confirme their madnesse are vnworthy to be rehearsed For eyther they violently wrest the scripture from the natural sense or else by their corrupt reasoning they gather falshoode out of those things that are false But they doe erre and are no lesse deâ—eiued than these sléeping doctours which thinke that soules departing from their bodies go not by by the right ready way into heauen but are â—aâ—ght in the middest of their iourney and carried into that purgatorie firâ— wherin they maye be purged from the filthy spots of sinnes whiche they haue gotten in the flesh and that after they be purged they are carried by Angels into the presence of the most holy god For eyther the souls are purged with that purgatorie fire from the filthe of their sinnes or else they are washed and cleansed through the paine and griefe of torments whiche there they do suffer If sinnes be purged by vertue of that fire then it followeth that sinners are not sanctified by the only bloude of the sonne of god But by what scriptures haue they proued vn to vs that this power of purging is giuen to the fire Hath God altered 〈…〉 and purpose and sâ—t 〈◊〉 fire instead of Christe to workâ— our sanctifiâ—ation 〈◊〉 for shame But if for oure sufferings and tormentes sake sinnes are forgiuen then it followeth that we are not purged by the crosse and passion of Christ only Let them teache vs out of the scripture that suche worthinesse is attributed by God to our sufferings But by the onely bloud and passion of Christ all those are sanctified that be sanctified whosoeuer they be therefore purgatoriâ— is a wicked deuise of the diuell whiche darkeneth yea and maketh voyd the crosse and merites of Christ For what other thing do they account purgatorie but a satisfaction for sinnes made by the soules separated froÌ„ their bodies In the Gospell of Iohn there is a question moued by the disciples of Iohn the Baptist touching the purifying of soules And Iohn Baptist declareth that the faythfull are through Christe purified by fayth which thing he is beléeued to haue testified also by holy baptisme Moreouer the most excellent apostles do expresly witnosse that all the faithfull are cleansed by the onely bloude of Christe and by his onely passion and most sufficient merites For Peter who sayeth in the Actes Neyther is there saluation in any other for among men there is giuen no other name vnder heauen wherby we must be saued He I say hath written in his firste canonicall Epistle Ye knowe that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as with siluer and golde but with the precious bloude of the immaculate lambe Iohn the Apostle also sayeth The bloude of Christ Iesus the sonne of God cleanseth vs from all sinne And he againe Christ loued vs and washed vs from our â—innes by his owne bloud And Paule â—ath to the Ephesians 〈◊〉 to Titus sheweth that we are purified by the only bloud of the sonne of god Vnto the He brues he sayth By him selfe hath hee purged our sinnes and sâ—ttâ—â—h on the right hande of God in the highest places It was not without signification that he said By him self that he might thereby exclude all other meanes For elswhere he sayth thus If righteousnesse come by the lawe then Christe dyed in vaine For after the same manner we also doe reason If we be cleansed by purgatorie fire then in vaine did Christe shed his bloude to purgâ— vs For what néeded he to haue suffered most grieuous punishment if we could haue ben cleansed by Purgatorie fire Moreouer the whole scripture teacheth vs that Christe is our onely satisfaction and propitiation Which thing we haue at large shewed in other places And therefore soules make no satisfaction in purgatorie vnlesse we wil confesse that men haue no néede of Christe These men doe further feine that the power to purge is giuen to the fire of purgatorie by grace or by the bloude and merites of Christe that this fire purgeth not by his own vertue but by the power of the sonne of god But they haue also forged this most wickedly For the scripture in euerie place as we also said euen nowe sendeth vs back to the sonne of God and the price of his bloude and cleansing wherof it teacheth that we are made partakers while we liue in this world by faith and the holy ghost but of Purgatorie it speaketh not a word in any place neyther saith it in any place that we by the grace of god are purged in an other worlde Therefore they steale away the glorie 〈…〉 proper vnto the 〈…〉 God and giue it to a fire which is altogether forged and 〈…〉 Furthermore then appoint an other time of grace out of this world which is altogether straunge vnto the scriptures For our Lorde cryeth in the Gospel I must worke the workes of him that sent me while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke And Saint Paule sayth Let vs doe good that is to â—ay let vs â—e bountifull and liberall towarde the poore while we haue time Whiche saying he séemeth to haue taken out of Solomons booke of the Preacher saying When the cloudes are full they poure out raine vpon the earth and when the tree falleth whether it be towarde the South or North in what place so euer it fall there it remaineth He vseth two Allegories or darke speaches by the which he teacheth the rich to be liberal The first is taken from the cloudes The cloudes from the earth do gather vp vapours which being thickned are immediatly as out of a sponge pressed out and pâ—â—â—ed vppon the earth to water it Let rich men do the like distributing againe among men suche riches as they haue gotten among men The seconde is taken of trées which being feld lye in the same places in the whithey fall The wise man therefore warneth vs to doe that in due season whiche we oughte to doe for when we are departed from hence there is no place of repentaunce And in the Gospell a trée is oftentimes put for a man where also the right hand is put
is of no force hee can make to bee of force Because in those thinges with him what he willeth his will is in steed of reason Neither is there any may saye vnto him why doest thou so For hee can dispense aboue the lawe of vnrighteousnes make righteousnes correcting and chaunging lawes For hee hath the fulnes of power Thus farre he But who heareth these thigs without horror both of bodie mind Who vnder stādeth not that the saying of Daniel is fulfilled He shal think that he may change times lawes Who vnderstandeth not that y saying of Paul is fulfilled who sayth I know this that after my departing shal greuous wolues enter in among you not spareing the flock also of your owne selues shal mē arise speaking peruers things to draw away disciples after them For frō bishops from them the aduance bishops came forth this man of sinne who placeth himselfe in the throne of the lambe and challengeth those thinges to him selfe whiche are proper onely to the lambe of which sort are the supreme gouernement priesthood lordship and full power in the churche Wherof I haue spoken inough in the former sermons Whom doeth it now not moue to thinke that that saying of Paule is fulfilled The aduersarie or enimie of Christ shal be reuealed shal be exalted aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God. But the Popes chāpions dispute that it is for the profite saluation yea necessary for the church to haue some one bishop to haue preeminēce ouer the other both indignitie power But let thē dispute set forth this their idol as they please they which will simplie confesse the truth must néeds fréely acknowledge that the Pope is antichriste For that whiche these men babble of the supremacie of the 〈◊〉 is flatly 〈◊〉 to the doctrine of the Gospel and of the Apostles For what more euident thinge can be alledged against their disputations than that whiche the Lord said to his disciples when they striued for souercigntie The kinges of the Gentiles reigne ouer them and they that beare rule ouer them are called Gratious Lords But ye shall not bee so but let the greatest among you be as the least the chiefest as he that serueth For who is greater hee that sitteth at table or he that serueth is not hee that sitteth at table And I am amonge you as he that serueth This place I alledged and discussed briefly also in my former Sermon This simple and plaine trueth shall continue inuincible against al the disputations of these Harpyes The most holy Apostles of our Lord Christ will not be Lords ouer any mā vnder pretence of religiō yea S. Peter in plaine words forbiddeth lordship ouer Gods heretage cōmaundeth bishops to be exāples to the flock Wheras they obiect y Christ said to Peter thou art Peter vpon this rock I will build my churche I wil giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. And Feede my sheepe And therevpon that S. Peter was appointed ouer all the Apostles and in them ouer all priests ministers and bishops the chiefe and prince yea and the monarche of the whole world it maketh nothing at all to establishe their dominion or Lordship Wée willingly graunt that S. Peter is the chiefe of the Apostles wée also our selues doe willingly call S. Peter the prince of the Apostles but in that sense that we call Moses Dauid Helias or Esaie the chiefe or Princes of the prophets that is to say such as haue obteyned farre more excellent giftes than the rest But that Peter was the chiefe or prince after that sort that these men wil haue him we denie and denie againe most constantly And therewithall wee defend S. Peter and cleare him from those spotts wherewithall these men striue to defile him euen being dead He had not remayned faithfull towardes his maister if he had taken to himself rule or dominion In all places wee read that Peter was equall with the other disciples but in no place in the scripture that he was their master And S. Paule in the beginning of his epistle to the Galathians sheweth in many woordes that he in Apostleship is nothing inferiour to Peter Neither when hee came to Hierusalem came he to that end he might kisse his féete or to professe subiection but that by their méeting and friendly conference together euery one throughout all churches might vnderstand there was perfecte consent in opinions betwéene Peter and Paul and that as touching Apostleshipp their authoritie was equal In the same place Paule calleth Iames Peter and Iohn pillers He doeth not attribute that prerogatiue to Peter alone whiche notwithstanding he had rightly done if hee had receiued supremacie atthe hands of the Lord as these men doe affirme How commeth it that Peter doeth nothing of his owne head but referreth ecclesiastical matters to the rest of the disciples as to his fellowes in authoritie whiche thinge we may sée in the Actes In another place he calleth himselfe a fellowe elder not the prince of priestes When he was sent by the Apostles with Iohn into Samaria he requireth not another to be sent least his supremacie shuld séeme to be diminished but willingly obeyeth But if we shuld graūt that Peter was chiefe of the Apostles after the sort as these men do affirme would it thervpon follow that the pope is the prince of the whole church yea of the whole world For as the pope is not Peter so the 12. or 11. apostles are not the whole world Moreouer Peter could not giue that he had not he had not an empire ouer the whole world therefore he gaue it not But Constantine gaue it to Syluester say they But if we neuer so perfectly agréed that the donation of Constantine were true not feigned or forged which yet the best learned mē do affirme yet would not Syluester himself haue receiued an imperie or dominion though it had bin offered him For the voice of the high and heauēly prince Christ had béen of more authoritie with him The kinges of the nations beare rule ouer thē but it shal not be so with you thā the foolish affection of an earthly emperor Shal wee beléeue the Peter would haue receiued secular power with imperial gouernmēt if the emperor Nero had profered it him No in no wise For this word of the Lord toke déep roote in his inward bowels But it shall not bee so with you Before he had receiued the holye ghost wādring in blindnes with the rest of the multitude of Iewes he imagined that the kingdom of Christ in earth shuld be an earthly kingdome But after he receiued the holy ghost he vnderstood that the throne of Christe the chiefe king emperor was not on the earth but situated in heauē He knew that Christ our
of the ministers that are ordeined in the church I can shew you in one worde to gouerne the church of God or to féede the flocke of Christe For Paule the Apostle speaking vnto the pastours of Asia sayth Take heede vnto your selues and to all the flocke ouer the which the holie Ghost hath made you ouerseers to rule or feede the churche of God which hee hath purchased with his owne bloud And the pastours do gouerne the church of God with God his worde or with wholesome doctrine and with holie example of life For S. Paule sayth againe vnto Timothie Be thou vnto theÌ„ that beleue an ensample in word in conuersation in loue in spirite in faith and in purenesse He writeth also the same vnto Tit. 2. chap. But for so much as the Papistes doe forge farre other thinges of the office or function of bishops and doe confirme the same as they also doe their other trifles by the authoritie or power of the keyes as I sayde when I intreated of the power of the church I wil therfore first of all speake somewhat and that as muche as I shall thinke to be sufficient for this matter as touching the keyes A keye is an instrument very well knowne to all men wherwith gates doores and chestes are eyther shut or opened It is transferred from bodily things vnto spirituall thinges and it is called the key of knowledge and of the kingdome of heauen For the Lorde sayth in the Gospell of Luke Woe vnto you interpreters of the lawe for ye haue taken awaye the keye of knowledge ye enter not in your selues and them that came in ye forbad The same sentence S. Matth. bringeth foorth after this sort Woe vnto you Scribes and Phariseis hypocrites bicause ye shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men for ye your selues goe not in neyther suffer ye them that wold enter to come in Beholde that which Luke calleth to Take away the keye of knowledge that Matthewe expoundeth To shut heauen The key therefore of knowledge is the instruction it selfe as concerning a blessed life by what means we are made partakers thereof He taketh away the keye which instructeth not the people of true blessednes or else is a hinderance that other can not instruct them Therfore the keys of the kingdome of heauen are nothing else but the ministerie of preaching the Gospell or worde of God committed by god vnto his ministers to that ende that euery one may be taught which way leadeth vnto heauen and which way carrieth downe vnto hell These keyes the Lord promised to Peter in him to all the other apostles when he said I wil giue thee the keys of the kingdome of heauen And whatso euer thou shalt bind in earth shal be bound in heaueÌ„ whatso euer thou shalt loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen Let vs inquire therefore when the keyes were deliuered to Peter and to the rest And the agréeable consent of all men is that they were giuen in the daye of the resurrection But it is euident the same day the ministerie or function of preaching the Gospell was committed to the Apostles whereby it followeth that the keyes are nothing else but the ministerie of preaching the gospel amoÌ„gst al nations For this thing is declared vnto the world that saluation purchased by Christ is communicated to them that beléeue and that hell is open for the vnbeléeuers But nowe let vs heare the testimonies of the holy Euangelistes Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist saith The Lord came vnto his disciples sayde Peace bee vnto you As my father hath sent me so sende I you And when he had sayd that he breathed on them and sayde vnto them Receiue the holy Ghoste Whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted vnto them and whosoeuers sinns ye reteine they are reteined These sayings agrée with the words whereby he promised the keyes for there he sayde â–ª Whatsoeuer ye shall binde in earth shal be bound in heauen Here he sayth Whosoeuers sinnes ye reteine they are reteined There he saide And whatsoeuer ye shall loose in earth shall bee loosed in heauen Here he sayth Whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted vnto them Wherefore to binde is to reteine sinnes to loose is to remit sinnes You will say howe do men remitte sinnes since it is written that onely God forgiueth sinnes Let other testimonies therefore of the other EuaÌ„gelistes be adioyned expressing that the same historie was done in the day of his resurrection Luke sayth Then the Lorde opened their vnderstanding that they might vnderstande the scriptures and sayd vnto them Thus it is written and thus it behoued Christe to suffer and to rise againe from the deade the thirde day And that repentaunce and remission of sinnes shuld be preached in his name among all nations And Marke saith He appeared vnto them as they sate together and reproued them of their vnbeliefe and hardnesse of heart and he saide vnto them Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to euerie creature He that shal beleeue and be baptised shall be saued but he that will not beleeue shall be damned Therfore God only forgiueth sinnes to them that beléeue in the name of Christe that is to say through the merites and propitiation of Christe but that sinnes are forgiuen the ministers doe assuredly declare by the preaching of the Gospell and by that preaching do binde and loose remitte and reteine sinnes The matter will be made playner by an example or two S. Peter speaking vnto the citizens of Ierusalem Repent ye saith he and let euery one of you be baptised in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gifte of the holy Ghoste And so S. Peter vsed the keyes committed vnto him after this manner he looseth in earth and remitteth sinnes vnto men that is promising to them that beléeue assured remission of sinnes through Christe Whiche message God hath confirmed giuing remission of sinnes vnto the faythfull as they beléeued Moreouer the kéeper of the prisonat Philippos being amazed saith to Silas and Paul Sâ—â—s what must I doe to be saued The Apostles answered Beleeue on the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy whole houshold The Apostles loosed him that was bounde and forgaue him his sinnes by the keyes that is by the preaching of the Gospell which Gospell since he beléeued in earth the Lorde iudged him to be loosed in heauen These things are taken out of the Acts of the Apostles In the same Acts we reade examples of the contrarie in this manner The Iewes being filled with indignation spake against those thinges whiche were spoken of Paule and rayled But Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and sayde It was necessarie that the word of God should first haue bene spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and thinke your selues vnworthy of euerlasting life loe wee turne to the
owne substance nature a creator not a creature it is not mingled it is not graffed or incorporated into mans voice The word whiche procéedeth from man is a creature not a creator and remaineth still a creature For it is a sound which passeth away Neuerthelesse it is a vertue which stil remaineth if it be sincere and not adulterate and receiued by faith For so it preserueth yet not of his owne proper vertue or power or because it is pronounced by man but through his power or vertue whiche reuealed the word who is true and therefore preserueth those thinges which by his worde he promiseth to preserue so that nowe in déede God himselfe doth preserue who said that by his word he wold preserue those that beléeue The word therfore which God hath reuealed vnto vs by his seruāts the Prophetes and by his chosen Apostles is not neither is called the word of God as if the sounde of syllables wordes and voices are of their owne nature the word of God that very same I meane which of his substance is the sonne of God But because the reuelation of the woorde was made frō God in the holy ghoste through the word or wisdome of god Wherefore although the original be of God and not of man yet the words which the prophets and Apostles vttered are mans wordes neither can they do any thing else but giue signification with the which notwithstāding I wold not haue that due force of the external word of God to be lifted vp aboue that which is méete comely those thinges imputed to the literall worde which is proper to god I acknowledge all those thinges whiche with a sound vnderstanding or iudgment are attributed to the word of god But of this thing I haue elsewhere discoursed more at large But now some wil say If by reciting the wordes of God sacramentes are not sanctified or consecrated from whēce then haue they this that they be and are called sacraments or holy signes Is the consecration vaine of no force Surely vain of no force is that cōsecration which the papists haue feigned But of consecration or true santification I haue spoken in the beginning of this chapt which now I will set forth a litle plainer more aboūdantly The holy scriptures whē they make mention of holy thinges they vse verie oftē this Hebrue word ** which the Gréeke interpreters commonly haue translated by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latines by Sanctifico Consecro and Initio The vse of this word reacheth verie far For it signifieth to sanctifie to offer vnto god to purifie or clense and to iustifie also to seuer or to put a-part and to separate to separate I meane from prophane vse to dedicate them to holie thinges to call a thing by some name to applie to appoint Therfore we say that to cōsecrate in this place is no other thing but to sanctifie to dedicate to god after a fashiō to separate or of a thing prophane to make an holy thing But who doeth this or he which doth it by what meanes or instrument I pray you doth he it who I beséech you cōsecrateth or holieth is it God or is it man Verily God not man For God instituting any thing testifying declaring by his word what he hath instituted to what ende of his owne holy iust and good will by his own only institution I say without any other meane he consecrateth the thing which he himselfe hath already instituted For as he is holy iust and good so whatsoeuer he cōmandeth is holy iust good And man vnderstanding by the word of God that God hathe instituted any thing to a holy iust good vse accepteth receiueth and vseth that institution for holy good iust Therfore man doeth not by vttering certein words consecrate make holy the institution And because he beléeueth that all the institutions of God are holy good therefore he also celebrateth this institution of God euen as God hathe ordeined giueth God thankes depending altogether vpon God and the rule of his word Of this manner of sanctification the Apostle speaking in another certein place saieth Now the spirit speaketh euidētly that in the latter times there shal rise deceiuers forbidding to marrie cōmanding to absteine frō meates whiche God hath created to be receiued with thanksegiuing of them whiche beleue know the trueth For euerie creature of God is good and nothing to bee refused if it bee receiued with thankesgiuing For it is sanctified by the word of god praier Lo he saith meate is sanctified by the worde of God prayer But the word of God is in this place as Paule the Apostle expoundeth it a testimony of the scripture will of God whereby we are taught that all things which God hathe made are excéeding good that they are cleane not vnclean which God hath created for to be eaten for our vse In the Actes S. Peter heareth Arise Peter slea and eate for he sawe in a vision before him al liuing creatures of the earth and the Aire Peter aunswered Not so Lorde For I haue neuer eaten any thing that is common or vnclean Therfore he heard again What God hath clensed that cal thou not common But where I pray you did hee make them cleane When hee made and gaue them for the vse of man To the word is annexed prayer not a charming or an inchantment but a faithfull thanks giuing For the Apostle more then once or twise maketh mention of thanks giuing that by the generall word that is to say prayer no other thinge might be vnderstoode than the speciall worde I meane thanks giuing For prayer is as a man would say to inuocation and giuing of thankes as the roote to the braunches Therefore saith he the meate is holy because GOD who is good hathe made and appointed the same for the vse of man and also because it is receiued of man with faith and thankesgiuing For meate is not holy and good to many men not through any fault in that meat which is always the good creature of God but in thē is the fault which acknowledge not by faith the benefits of God or which abuse them glut thēselues contrarie to the worde of thē lord Euen so standeth the case with the matter of sanctification whiche we must also applie to the sacraments God of his owne good wil and for the commoditie of men ordeined sacraments He chose vnto him selfe out of his good creatures water bread and wine and appointing them to some certeine ende he laide a platfourme and commaunded vs to vse and celebrate them nowe therefore by the commaundement and choice of God the water bread and wine are consecrated and he signeth them with his word and declareth that he will haue them counted for sacraments and sheweth the manner howe hee will haue them celebrated So that the consecration
Distinct 1. Quest 3. among other thinges at the length sayth Wee must not say by any meanes that grace is conteyned substantially in the Sacramentes as water in a vessel or as a medicine in a boxe yea to vnderstande it so it is erronious But they are saide to contein grace in that they signifie grace and because vnlesse there bee a want on the part of the receiuer grace is alwayes giuen in them so that ye must vnderstand that grace is in the soule and not in the visible signes For this cause they are called also vesselles of grace They may be also called vessels after another maner Because as that whiche is in a vessel is no parte of it neyther commeth of it and yet neuerthelesse is drawen out of it so grace commeth neither of nor by the Sacramentes but springeth from the eternall founteine and is drawne out from thence by the soule in the sacramentes And as a man when he wold haue liquor goeth streight to the vessell so he that seeketh after the liquor of grace and hathe it not must haue recourse to the sacramēts Thus farre Bonauentura who rightly referred grace vnto GOD the founteine of all good thinges I would he had also more purely and simplie sett downe the rest He also saide truely that the soule of man was the seate and receptacle of grace and of the gyftes of GOD and not thinges without sense For the holie Scripture teacheth euery where that the minde of man not any Element or whatsoeuer is forged by mans deuise is the mansion place of the grace of god and that it is not to be sought for or worshipped as included in any insensible thing If the heauen of heauens sayth Solomon be not able to conteine thee howe shoulde then this house do it that I haue builded Wherevnto the most constant martyr of Christ Stephan alluding saieth He that is highest of all dwelleth not in Temples made with handes as sayeth the prophete Heauen is my seate and earthe is my footestoole What house will ye builde for mee sayeth the Lorde or whiche is the place of my reste Hathe not my hand made all these thinges Which that great Apostle of Christe Paule following sayth God that made the world and al that are in it seeing that he is Lord of heauen and earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mennes handes as thoughe he needed of any thing seeing he himselfe giueth to all life and breath and all thinges c. Wherevpon Christ him selfe in the Gospell speaketh more expressely The houre commeth when yee shall neither in this mounteine neither at Hierusalem worshippe the Father But the houre commeth and now is whē the true worshippers shal worship the father in spirit and truth The faithfull therefore do lifte vpp the eyes of their minde from earthly and visible thinges vnto heauenlie wherevppon our godly forefathers when they celebrated the Lords supper heard that saying repeated or soūg vnto them most agréeable to such holy mysterics Lifte vpp your hands all the people answearing together Wee lifte them vpp vnto the Lorde Doth not the verie grosse absurditie of the thing plainely proue that grace is not conteyned in the signes For if by grace you vnderstande the fauour and good will of God if pardon and forgiuenesse of sinne cleansing I saye and iustifying of the beléeuers if finallie the giftes and graces of the spirite what I pray you can be imagined more absurde and senselesse than that suche excellent thinges shoulde be kepte inclosed in water bread and wine The signes truely haue no néede of grace nor a-any pardon and forgiuenesse of sinnes To what purpose then should grace be conteined within Sacramentes What profite I pray you will redound vnto men Or who knoweth not that all the institutions GOD were ordeyned for the commoditie of man Or shall wee say that grace is therefore kepte included within the Sacramentes that from thence it might be conueyed vnto vs by chanels But the scripture speaketh not after that manner For grace as hath béene often nowe repeated is the fauour and good will of GOD whereby he him selfe not by sensible matters but of his owne accorde and thoroughe his power and might is brought vnto vs These thinges are spirituall and therefore are brought to passe by the gyft and mediation of the holy Ghost GOD is ioyned vnto vs by his spirite and we are coupled to him by faith thorough the gyfte of the holy Ghoste whiche thing in the writinges of the Euangelistes and Apostles is euerie where to be séene Moreouer the wordes of the Canon of the counsell of Nice are not to be vnderstoode after suche a grosse and rude manner Our baptisme is not to be considered with the bodily eyes but with the eyes of the minde Thou seest water weygh the heauenly force whiche lyeth hidde in the water c. For it is a Sacramentall spéeche whiche truely euery bodie at that time vnderstoode as also at this day to vs it is no new nor harde kinde of speaking to say that in the seale there is faith and trueth in a marriage ring the faith and loue of wedlocke in a Scepter and crowne the kinges authoritie For no man is so foolishe that by reason of the kinde of speeches he will affirme that the thinges them selues are conteyned and inclosed in the signes euerie man knoweth this kinde and manner of spéech To this matter also apperteineth that Iohn the Baptist baptised in the riuer Iordane that the Apostles also themselues baptised with water neither cōsecrated nor prepared with any inchauntmentes breathinges or crossinges that it might receiue the grace of God into it and make them that are baptised partakers thereof The Aethiopian in the Acts of the Apostles saw a founteine not mingled with Dyle neither consecrated with any holy charmes neither moreouer prepared with any breathinges nor putting in of waxe candles nor pictures of crosses yet neuerthelesse he said to Philip the Apostle See here is water what doth let me to be baptised But Philip required faith of him in the Lord Iesus and vpon his confession he foorthwith baptised him no consecration of the founteine first prouided for by the whiche forsoothe he might call downe the grace of the holy Ghoste and the power of regeneration into the water and forthwith might applie it to the purifying of the Aethiopian And if so be wee procéede to include the grace of GOD within the Elementes and the thinges themselues within the signes by the whiche they are represented who séeth not with howe great daunger wee shall doe the same especially among the simple sorte For vnto those we shall giue occasion of idolatrie and to cleaue vnto the visible signes of whome also they will require and aske that whiche ought to be asked of God the authour of all goodnesse with mindes lifted vpp into heauen For where as it is obiected
that by a certeine heauenly couenant it is so appointed by GOD that sacramentes shoulde haue grace in themselues and should from themselues as by pypes conuey abroade the water of grace vnto those that are thirstie that is alledged without warrant of the Scripture and is repugnaunt vnto true religion As by those thinges whiche haue hitherto béene handeled and disputed of doeth as wee thinke sufficiently appeare wherevnto also we adde this The holy and elect people of God are not then firste of all partakers of the first grace of God and Heauenly gyftes when they receiue the Sacramentes For they enioy the thinges before they be partakers of the signes For it is plainely declared vnto vs that Abraham our father was iustified before he was circumcised And who gathereth thereby that iustification was not exhibited and giuen vnto him by the sacrament of circumcision but rather that that righteousnesse whiche he by faith before possessed was by the Sacrament sealed and confirmed vnto him And moreouer who wil not thereof gather that we whiche are the sonnes of Abraham are after no other manner iustified than it appeareth that our father was iustified and that our sacramentes worke no further in vs than they did in him especially since the nature of the sacramentes of the people of the olde Testamente and ours is all one Whereof I will speake a little afterwarde more at large when I expound the place of the Apostle in the fourth to the Romanes The Eunuche of whome I spake euen now out of the Actes as he iournyed and sawe water he said to Philip See here is water what letteth me to be baptised Philip sayde vnto him If thou beleeuest with all thy hart thou maist And he answered and saide I beleeue that Iesus Christe is the sonne of God. Afterward immediately it followeth And they weÌ„t down both into the water he baptised him The Eunuche sayeth the Euangelist beléeued with al his hart that is to to say truly without dissimulation Nowe let vs sée what the Scripture saith concerning suche a faith S. Iohn the Apostle Euangelist saith Who so euer beleeueth that Iesus is Christ is borne of God. He againe saith Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God in him dwelleth God and he in GOD Also Paule that elect vessel and doctour of the Gentiles sayth If thou shalt knowledge with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeue in thine hart that God raysed him from the dead thou shalt bee saued And againe Saint Iohn sayth in his Epistle He that beleeueth on the sonne of God hath the witnesse in him self And this is the record how that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and this life is in his Sonne He that hathe the Sonne hathe life and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life Briefely of all these thinges this wee gather The Eunuche beléeued before he receiued baptisme therefore before he receiued baptisme he was borne of God in whome he dwelled and God in him hee was iust and acceptable in the sight of God and moreouer he had also life in himselfe and therefore the baptisme whiche followed did not giue that to the Eunuch which he had before but it became vnto him a testimonie of the trueth a seale of the righteousnesse whiche came by faith and there withal to assure vnto him the continuance and increase of God his gyftes After the same maner we reade of Cornelius the Centurion in the same Actes of the Apostles that he beléeuing the preaching of the Apostle Peter receiued the holie Ghost also in a visible shape as the Apostles did at Hierusalem in the day of Pentecoste And that Peter when he knewe that thing sayde Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptised whiche haue receiued the holy Ghost as wel as we For asmuche therefore as Cornelius with his housholde receiued the holy Ghoste before they were baptised it is manifest that he did not obteine the holie Ghoste as giuen firste by baptisme or with baptisme Againe we reade in the Actes of the Apostles They that gladly receiued the woorde of Peter were baptised Therefore before they were baptised of Peter they had obteined the grace of God through faith For why I pray you doe we baptise our Infantes Is it because they beléeue with their hart and confesse with their mouthe I thinke not Do we not therefore baptise them because God hathe commaunded them to bée brought vnto him because he hath promised that he will be our GOD and the GOD of our séede after vs To be short because we beléeue that GOD of his méere grace and mercie in the bloud of Iesus Christ hathe cleansed and adopted them and appointed them to bee heires of eternall life We therefore baptising Infantes for these causes doe aboundantly testifie that there is not first giuen vnto theÌ„ in baptisme but that there is sealed and confirmed whiche they had before Let vs also ioyne vnto these thinges a testimonie of the Supper of the Lord. The Apostle teaching how the Godly shoulde prepare them selues to come to the Lordes Table sayth Let a man proue him selfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this Cuppe But to examine or proue signifieth to search as muche as lyeth in man the harte or minde and thoroughe diligent inquisition to sifte ones conscience And GOD is sayde â—o proue our nartes And the same Apostle willeth vs To proue what is the good acceptable wil of God. But this proofe cannot be without knowledge iudgement y knowledg iudgement of Christians is faith therfore whosoeuer proueth himselfe before hee come to the Supper hath faith If he haue faith then he wanteth not those thinges that are coupled with faithe and therefore in the Supper those heauenly benefites are not firste receiued but thankes are giuen for those that are receiued I haue hereby shewed and proued I suppose that Sacramentes doe not conferre grace They obiect I know well enoughe against these thinges who are persuaded that sacraments giue grace and conteine included within them the thinges signified that wee doe euacuate and make of none effect the Sacramentes and that wee teache that the faithfull receiue in them or by them nothing but bare water and bare bread and wine and that by that meanes GOD by vs is accused of falshode and lying Wee briefely answere If they set voyde or emptie thinges as I may so say againste full thinges so as they bee voide or emptie whiche haue not the thinges themselues included in them truely I had rather confesse them to be voide than full But if they call them voide or emptie and meane prophane or vnholy thinges that is to say whiche differ nothing from prophane signes if by bare they vnderstande thinges of no force we openly professe that we haue sacramentes whiche are holy and not prophane effectuall and not without force
the christian church or congregation and afterwarde Paule the Apostle laying his handes on them they are baptised not with water againe but with fire Luke bearing witnesse and saying The holie Ghoste came vppon them and they spake with tongues and prophecied But this baptisme of fire and the visible ministration of the giftes ceased together with miracles neither at this day is it vsuall or common in the Churh but the baptisme of water remaineth whiche is one and the selfe same whether it be ministred by the handes of Iohn or of the Apostles or by diuerse handes of the ministers of the Churche For diuerse handes make not diuerse baptismes Wherefore we rightly beléeue that there is but one onely and simple Baptisme of the faithfull in all ages For Paule in expresse wordes sayth There is one Lorde one faithe one baptisme and one god and father of all Where-vnto also tendeth this saying of the same Apostle I thanke God that I baptised none of you but Crispus and Gaius least any should say that I had baptised in mine owne name Vppon this Apostolique trueth the reuerend fathers of the Counsel of Constantionople are reade to haue made this confession in their Créede I beleeue one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes For there is but one Churche onely one body one head and one king prince and highe Priest of the Catholique Church Now I am come to expound the rite or ceremonie of Baptisme It was simple and but one from the beginning and not charegable or burdenous to the Churche through immoderate ceremonies Iohn baptised in Aenon beside Salem because much water was there and he baptised in the name of Christe So did the Apostles likewise Whereby it remaineth for an vndoubted truth that the verye beste fourme of baptising is that whiche is done by water in the name of the Father and of the sonne and of the holie Ghost For so the Lorde commaunded in the 28. of Matthew Doe you aske howe it commeth to passe that Luke in the Actes maketh mention that Peter and Paule baptised in the name of the Lorde and expresseth not that they baptised in the name of the Father and of the sonne and of the holie Ghoste I answere That vnder the name of the Lorde the mysterie of the trinitie is comprehended For when the Lorde saide I and the Father are one he whiche is baptised into the Lorde is also baptised into the father and so in like manner into the holie Ghoste whiche is not diuided from them For verily they haue one and the selfe same spirite For truely Luke sayth that they were baptised of the Apostles in the name of the Lorde whome the Apostles baptised according to the Lords instiution Some say Christe is the accomplishment or fulfilling and the proper obiecte of Baptisme wherefore it is no meruaile that the Apostles baptised into the name of the Lorde who neuerthelesse were commaunded to baptise in the name of the father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghoste For all the mysteries of Baptisme are laide foorth vnto vs in the onely Sonne of god Truely wee say bothe To baptise into the name of the Lorde and to baptise in the name of the Lorde The vse of speaking after the firste manner is read in the 28. of Matthew and in Luke Actes the 19. For bothe haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In nomen into the name And so also Tertullian interpreteth it contra Praxeā saying Hee commaunded that wee should be baptised into the father the sonne c. The latter manner doeth the same Luke vse in the Actes 10. and 2. saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is In the name Moreouer what it is to baptise into the name or in the name of the Lord I tolde you in the last Sermon next before this that it is to be inrolled into Gods housholde that he whiche is baptised may now receiue the name of GOD and be called the sonne of God yea and be as it were registred into the roll of the children of God Citizens of the kingdome of Heauen Wherevppon we haue also nāmes giuen vs in baptisme that as often as wee heare our selues named wee may remember our Baptisme and the mysteries therof Neither is it a new thing or straunge from the Scriptures that names are giuen vs in baptisme For so it was vsed also in Circumcision whiche is to be séene in Luke 2. Chapter Furthermore the question is asked Whether we oughte to baptise with these bare words I baptise thée in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holie ghost Or whether it be lawful to ad or ioyne some thing els I thinck we ought to aunswere That it is the seruants dutie to ad nothing to his lords institutiō but diligentlie to kéep that which he hath deliuered yea aduisedly to marke what in baptisme the Lord him selfe and his Apostles did holily to imitate the same that in the church of God as Paule hath commaunded all thinges may be done decently and in good order But after that most holie fourme of baptising set downe and deliuered we sée two things in holie Baptisme and in the vse thereof to be obserued For firste the Apostles and they that were with the Apostles did teache verie significantly of the promises of GOD and faith in Christ whiche is apparaunte in the Actes of the Apostles It is lawefull therefore in the action or ministration of Baptisme to recite the promises of God to rehearse the beliefe and require faithe either of them that are to be baptised béeing of perfecte age or else of them whiche bring the Infantes to bee baptised Moreouer when the Lorde was baptised of Iohn Baptiste in Iordan he prayed Which thing Luke in his Gospel reporteth of him in the historie of the Gospell It is lawfull therefore in the vse of Baptisme to pray and solemnely to cal vpon the name of the Lorde At the firste these Prayers were moderate and shorte not of a great length tedious In processe of time there was no measure kept not onely in tedious blessings but also in diuerse ceremonies which they that came after added therevnto Of the whiche it shall not séeme altogether vnprofitable to rehearse somewhat out of the olde Doctours Tertullian in his booke De Corona militis saith When we go to the font there and also a little before in the church the bishop laying his hand on vs wee doe confesse that wee forsake the diuel his pompes and all his angels Then are wee thrise dipped in the water not some leaue out not aunswering any thing more then the Lorde hath set downe in the Gospell When wee be taken out of the fonte we taste of milke and honie mingled together and from that time wee absteine from daily washinge by the space of a whole weeke We heare in this an vtter denying or renouncing a thirde dipping a
tasting of milke and honie and after baptisme an abstinence from bathing by a wéekes spaces In his first boke against Mart. hemaketh mentiō also of oyle Truly milk is méete for children vnto whom also they that be of perfect age being baptised are likened Beside this in the olde testament there is often mention made of the land of promise flowing with Milke and Honie Those thinges were first offered to be tasted of them that are baptised to giue thē to vnderstande that Christ Iesus being their capteine and hauing passed ouer Iordan they might by an infallible hope haue an inheritance in the lande of promise S. Hierome witnesseth that wine was mingled with milk saith Com. lib. 15. ad Isaiam The Lord prouoketh vs not onely to buy wine but milke also which signifieth the innocencie of infants which type and custome is euen vnto this day kepte in the weste churches to giue to thē that are borne a-new in Christ wine and milke At this day neither of them both is giuē to infants no not of them which will seeme to be zealous mainteiners of the olde ceremonies They beléeue in the meane while that their omitting of these ceremonies is without sinne and néedeth no satisfaction Nowe also we may gather out of the sixte booke of Augustine de Bap. contra Donat cap. 24. that they vsed diuers and what praiers thei thought good about baptisme The same August contra Pelag. Celest. lib. 2. cap. 40. saith In baptising of children they firste coniure and blow away all contrarie power Which also the infantes by the wordes of them that beare them doe aunswere that they renounce This ceremonie he mentioneth also Libro primo de Nupt. Concup ad Valer. cap. 20. libro 2. cap. 18. It is saide in the ecclesiasticall Decrees that the holy church through-out the whole world vsed that ceremonie Againe August In Epistola ad Bonifa 43. saith that the god-fathers doe aunswere for the faith of the children and confesse their faith We aske them saith he which offer the infants and say Beleeueth he in God who being of that age knoweth not whether there be á God or no They answere He beleeueth and so they aunswere vnto euery question which is asked The same Augustine in his booke de Trinitate 15. capi 26. maketh mention also of Oyle wherewith they that were baptised were annoynted Rabanus Maurus Bishop of Mentz a longe time following after Augustine reckoneth vp many more ceremonies of baptisme For he Libro de Institutione Cleri 1. cap. 27. saith They are marked in the forehead and heart with the crosse in baptisme that the diuell seeing that marke may knowe that that sheepe is not of his folde Also consecrated salte is put into the childes mouth that beeing seasoned with the salte of wisedome he may be free from the stinch of wickednesse and rotte no more with the wormes of sinne His eares and nosthrilles are touched with spittle saying the word Ephatha vsed of our Sauiour beeing therevnto added that by the vertue of Christ the high Priest his eares may be opened to receiue the knowledge of God and to heare the wil and commaundementes of god Then the childe is blessed and his breast annoynted with holy oyle that no reliques of the enimie may lurk and remaine in him After this in the name of the holie Trinitie he is baptised beeing dipped thrise in the water And in his 28. Chapter And beeing baptised he immediatlie is signed in the forehead with the Chrisme with a prayer together followinge that he may be made an inheritour of the kingdome of Christ and of Christ may bee called a Christian And in the 29. Chapter After Baptisme there is deliuered to the Christian a white garmente signifying purenesse and innnocencie Also for this cause were the baptised cloathed with white garments that they mighte nowe remember that they were set free and of seruauntes and bonde-slaues of the Diuell made the free-men of CHRIST IESVS Moreouer white couloure in times paste was consecrated to victoryes and triumphes Whereby it may seeme that the white garmente was therefore giuen to them that were baptised that they mighte bee mindefull that whiles they lyue here on earth they must continually fight and ouercome in Christe For the life of manne is a warrefare vppon earth And certeinely whereas offeringes also began to bee giuen to the baptised by the God-fathers that seemeth to haue bene borrowed from warrefare For by the offering or earneste whiche wee Switsers call Die yn bindeten he that is baptised is warned of his faithe giuen in baptisme alwayes to be mindeful what a Capteine hee forsooke and into what garrison he was entertayned wherein hee muste keepe his faith giuen to the new capteine Christe Many other thinges of this kinde which I find◠among writers of this latter age I willingly passe ouer leaste I shoulde séeme to abuse your patience and gentlenesse And who perceiueth not yea that at this day other of this kinde innumerable new deuises are added to baptisme Therfore the safest and surest way is to builde vppon the firste foundations of the blessed Apostles For if antiquitie séeme to boulster vpp these last inuented ceremonies who dare denie that the authoritie of the Apostles doeth excell it manye wayes For the Apostles were before them all which haue lastly inuented and deliuered those manifolde ceremonyes to be vsed in Baptisme This also commeth in question Whether we ought to baptise with bare faire water or with consecrated water and why the Lorde commaunded to baptise with water S. Cyprian epist. lib. 1. epist. 12. sayth The water ought to bee cleansed and sanctified before of the priest to wash away the sinnes of the man that is baptised But the examples and testimonies of the holie Scripture doe more preuaile with me than the authoritie of Cyprian or any other man whatsoeuer it be This good man of God was also deceiued in another place aboute the mysterie of Baptisme so that we must read his writings with iudgement The Scripture telleth vs that Iohn Baptist and the Apostles and faithfull disciples of Christ baptised with water not consecrated For what can bee spoken or read more plaine than that Iohn baptised in Iordane Yea that Christe him selfe and his Apostles also baptised in the Riuer Iordane Where or howe did the Apostles consecrate the water of baptisme in the Actes of the Apostles Philip when the Eunuch shewed him water as they iourneyed he baptised him oute of that pure and cleare founteine Beside this I haue declared in the Sermon nexte going before how little purenesse is in common fourme of baptisme whereby the fonte is consecrated But if any man thincke that wee oughte to Baptise with consecrated or holie water and by consecrated doe neither vnderstande annoynted or prepared with crosses or sanctified with charmes but chosen to holie vses I woulde stande in contention with him neuer a whitt For the water of Baptisme in very
with christian charitie for the Lords sake to beware that we defile not our bodies with the filthe of the world since we be cleansed with the bloude of Christe Paule the Apostle sayth So often as ye shall eate of this breade and drinke of the Lords cup declare the Lordes death vntill he come But to declare the Lords death is to praise the goodnes of God to giue thanks for our redemption obteined through his death For the Apostle Peter saith Ye are a chosen generation a royall priesthod an holy nation a people set at liberty that ye shuld shew forth vertues of him that hath called you out of darknes into his meruelous light But hereof we haue spokeÌ„ also in another place Thus much I thought good in fewe words to repeate touching the ends of the supper which euery godly man being instructed by the holy ghost doth diligeÌ„tly coÌ„sider I wold now let you go déerely beloued brethren but that I sée it wil be a coÌ„moÌ„ coÌ„moditie to teach in few words flow euerie one should prepare himselfe to the lordes supper that he come not to it vnworthily But it were not loste labour first of all to search 〈◊〉 who do worthily or vnworthily eate and drinks of the Lords bread and cup. There is no man that can denie that there are degrées in our worthinesse and vnworthines if he rightly examine the iudgements of God and looking narrowly into the nature of our religioÌ„ is able to giue iudgement thereof The chiefest degrée of vnworthines is to come to the holy mysteries of faith without faith He coÌ„meth worthily that commeth with faith vnworthily he that commeth without faith Such are said to be workes worthie of repentaÌ„ce in that gospel as are penitent works or séemly for such as professe repeÌ„taunce But what is more beséeming more méete and iust than that he who is to celebrate the Lords Supper doe beléeue that he is redéemed by Christes death who was offered vp as a price for the whole world and that for that cause is desirous to giue thanks to Christ his redéemer Contrariwise what is more vnséemly vniust thaÌ„ to receiue that pledge of Christes bodie and in the meane while to haue no communion or felowship with Christ To come to thankesgiuing yet not to giue thanks from the bottome of his hart For what vniteth vs to Christe or what maketh vs partakers of all his benefites therwith also to be thankfull but faith What doth separate vs froÌ„ Christe and spoyleth vs of all his gyftes and maketh vs moste loathesome but vnbeliefe Therfore faith or vnbeléefe maketh vs partakers of the Lords table woorthily or vnworthily Paule the Apostle in the Actes sayth to the Iewes who through vnbeléefe did reiect or set at nought the preaching of the Gospell The word of God ought first to bee preached vnto you But bicause you reiect it and iudge your selues vnworthie of euerlasting life beholde we turne vnto the Gentiles How did the Iewes pronounce against theÌ„selues that they were vnworthie of euerlasting life and like Iudges gaue sentence against themselues In setting them selues againste Gods worde through vnbeléefe neither apprehendinge Christ by faith who is the life and righteousnesse of the world Wherefore the chiefe and greatest portion of our worthinesse vnworthinesse is and consisteth in â—aith or vnbeléefe S. Peter witnesseth that our hartes are purified by faith true faith therfore is the cleannes of christians Wherevpon S. Augustine sayth The vnbeleeuer eateth not the flesh of Christ spiritually but rather eateth and drinketh the sacrament of so great a thing to his owne condemnation Because beeing vncleane he hathe presumed to come to Christes sacraments which no man receiueth worthily but he that is cleane Of whom it is said Blessed be the cleane in hart for they shal see God c. Moreouer they eate and drink of the Lords supper vnworthily who although they be not destitute of faith yet by their abusing of it do peruert the right institution of the Lord such séemeth to haue béene the errour of the Churche of Corinth which mingled the priuate and prophane with the Ecclestastical and mystical banquet did put no difference betwéene the Lords bread which is called Christs bodie common meate For Paule saith Who so eateth drinketh vnwoorthily he eateth and drinketh his owne damnation making no difference of the Lordes bodie Therefore to make no difference of the lords bodie is vnworthily to eate the lords bread and to drinke of his cup. For this woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to iudge or to make a difference is to weigh and consider of a mater exactly with iudgment to the vttermost of a mans power to iudge of it make a difference betwéene that and al other things Furthermore the Lords bodie is not only that spiritual body of the Lord to wit the church of the faithfull but that verie bodie which the Lord tooke of the virgin offred vp for our redemptioÌ„ that now sitteth at the right hand of the father To be short the bread of the sacrament in the supper is the Lords bodie it is I say the sacrament of the true bodie which was giuen for vs Whosoeuer therfore putteth no difference betwéene this the Lords mystical bread prophane meate but commeth to Christes table as he would to a table of common and grosse meate and acknowledgeth not that this heauenly meats differeth farre from other humane meate neither commeth after that sort as the Lord hath instituted but foloweth his owne reason surely he maketh no difference of the Lords bodie but eateth and drinketh his own damnation Paul againe expoundeth himselfe saying Therefore my brethren when you come together to eate tarrie one for another that yee meete not to condemnation Who so therfore preuenteth the publique supper by eating his own priuate supper that is to say who so suppeth not as the Lord hath appointed the same eateth drinketh vnworthily For before vn worthie eaters drinkers are said to eate and drinke their own damnatioÌ„ here they are said to méete togither to their condemnation the make hast to the supper not tarying for their brethren and they make no difference of the Lords bodie S. Augustine in his 26. treatise vpon Iohn sayth The Apostle speketh of those which receiued the Lords bodie without difference carelesly as if it had bin any other kind of meate whatsoeuer Heretherefore if he be reproued which maketh no difference of the lords bodie that is to say doth not discerne the lords body froÌ„ other meates how then shuld not Iudas be daÌ„ned who came to the lords table feigning that he was a friend but was an enimie c. How much more grieuously doe they séeme to sinne at this day who peruerting the lawfull and first vse the was instituted by the Lord do stablish their own abuse with great contentioÌ„ yea grieuously persecute them that cry out against it
be altogether perished in the captiuitie Furthermore they were called the sonns of the Prophetes for the affection which they bare towards their schole maisters as if they had bene their parentes and for their obedience and daily studie towards them But how muche the more noble and wise the Princes were so much the more diligence they employed in repayring scholes and restoring Ecclesiasticall orders Which a man may sée not in Dauid and Solomon onely but also in Iosaphat Ezechias and Iostas who were moste vertuous and moste happie Princes In the captiuitie and after the captiuitie of Babylon the Lordes people was dispersed and scattered into many kingdomes farre and wide But whether so euer they were carried they erected scholes or synagogues and when the citie of Ierusalem was restored then they often came vnto the same For therefore the Actes of the Apostles make mention that at what time Sainte Paule preached the worde of God among the Gentiles he went into the synagogues And Sainte Iames the Apostle saythe Moses of olde time hath in euerie citie them that preache him in the synagogues Where he speaketh not of the cities of Iude◠and Galilee but of the cities of the gentiles in Syria Cilicia and Asia But that which we reade in the Actes doth shew that they being dispersed and scattered abroade did sometime come vnto the holie citie of Ierusalem There were dwelling at Ierusalem certeine Iewes religious men of all nations that are vnder heauen And that also whiche Saint Paul reciteth of him selfe confirmeth the same that being borne frée in the citie of Tharsus he trauelled to Ierusalem vnto Gamalieles féete that is to saye to the intent to heare the instruction and to be a scholer vnder Gamaliel So likewise we reade that at Ierusalem there were Colleges or Synagogues of the Libertines Cyrenians Alexandrines Cilicians and Asians This vse of scholes continued vntil Christs time yea and after his asce nsion into the heauens almost vntill the destruction of the citie although in the meane time it maye appeare to haue béene sundrie times depraued Christe also the sonne of God our king and high Byshoppe he him selfe instituted the most famous schole of all other calling ther vnto the twelue Apostles and the seuentie disciples chosen men I say to the number of fourescore and two Yea the Apostles them selues drewe vnto them verie many disciples and first of all Saint Paule the most chosen instrument of God to conuert the gentiles is read to haue had in his companie Sopater of Berrhoe Luke of Antioch Marke of Ierusalem Barnabas Sylua or Syluanus Caius and Timothie Aristarchus and Secundus Tychicus and Trophimus Titus and Linus Crescens and Epaphras Archippus and Philemon Epaphroditus and Artemas and many other He hath also commended most diligently vnto good men the studious and the ministers of the Churches exhorting all men vnto liberalitie that they maye want nothing And writing vnto Titus Bring diligently saythe he Zenas the Lawyer and Apollo vpon their waye that they maye want nothing Moreouer it maye be gathered by playne and manifest proofes oute of the thirtéenth chapter of the Actes that there was a verie famous and that an Apostolique schole at Antioche in Syria Eusebius also of Cesarea aboundantly witnesseth what noble scholes were at Alexandria in Egypt and in other renouned churches And we haue also declared the same more at large when time serued in a booke which we haue written of the institution of Byshoppes But in processe of time when al thinges apperteyning to the Churche beganne to decline to the worsse Ecclesiasticall scholes also degenerated into Abbaies or into Colleges of Canons and Monkes But of all these thinges whereof we haue spoken I thinke it not vnknowne vnto any man that scholes doe principally belong to the preseruation of the Churche and the maintenaunce of the holie ministerie in which scholes good artes might be exercised verie profitable for the furtheraunce of the studie of the holie Scriptures of which sorte chiefest of all are the studies and knowledge of holy tongs of Logicke naturall Philosophie and the Mathematicks and these moderately knowne directed vnto the certeine scope and ende of Godlinesse For a man may sometime finde wittes worne and waxed olde in diuers Artes and disciplines howbeit not once medling or inured with holie exercises and studies But I woulde to God that the wicked being too muche glutted with prophane studie would also leaue to contemne holie Scriptures as thinges playne barbarous A man also may find some wits so busied in the studie of the Mathematickes that they are more méete to be maisters of buildinges than gouernours or pastoures of Churches Yea they are so farre crept into the studie of Astronomie and the Astronomers heauen that they quite forget the blessed heauen which is the seate of the blessed Saintes any thing to perteine vnto them and that they shall be sufficiently happie if they can but once atteine vnto the knowledge of the motion of the visible heauē and to the course of the starres As for those that meddle ouermuch with the studie of Philosophie and the trifles of Logicke and the rules of Khetoricke neuer attaine vnto any ende nor earnestly thinke vpon the bestowing of their trauels to the edifying of the Church commonly they become contentious and brawling disputers for the most parte and arrogant controllers vnto whom nothing sémeth to be neatly and aptly enoughe eyther spoken or done of others but that whiche is tempered and as it were tuned to their great conceiuing heades and so agréeing with prescript rules that they swarne not there from no not so much as a haires bredth These men snarle and intangle all thinges with their doltishe disputations puffing out nothing else but quarelling controuersies taking vpon them moste arrogantly to iudge all mens doings sayings what so euer you though they be good and tollerable they snap at them and maliciously cauill against them being rather vayne babblers than Philosophers yea the verie plagues of scholes and Churches who spitte out the poyson of debates contentions variances strises and diuisions at and into the Church Against these Sainte Paule the Apostle to Timothie séemeth to speake For after he hadde briefly set downe the summe of sounde doctrine he addeth there vpon This teache and exhorte Who so euer teacheth otherwise and holdeth not him selfe contented with the healthfull worde of our Lorde Iesus Christe and the doctrine whiche is according vnto godlinesse he is puffed vp knowing nothing but spending his time aboute questions and contention in wordes whereof groweth hatred strife slander euill suspicions vaine conflictes of men corrupt in hart and destitute of the trueth whiche suppose gayne to bee godlinesse Avoyde the companie of such Truely it neuer went well with the Churche when learned and studious men forsaking the playnenesse and purenesse of the worde of GOD turned their eyes an other way and aymed not at the
truth aâ—peareth Gods 〈…〉 〈◊〉 sufferiâ—â— appearâ—â—â— to the worlâ— Gods 〈…〉 God◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 14. 〈◊〉 17. 〈…〉 Rom. 1. The workes of God are twoe wayes coÌ„sidered 1. Psal. 104. Esai 40. Iere. 10. 2 〈◊〉 78. 〈…〉 God is learned by the sayinges and sentences of the prophets and Apostles Iere. 9. God is one in Essence or Beeing Deut. Esai â—â— * 〈…〉 is 〈…〉 Esai â—◠〈◊〉 45. 〈…〉 〈◊〉 4. 〈…〉 〈…〉 Noetus is as much to say as a man of vnderstaÌ„ding which terme was the proper name of a man Anoetus â–ª signifieth a â—oolâ— or 〈◊〉 without vnderstanding The grosse errour of the Patrâ—â— passians Iohn 16. Mat. 27. Iohn 14. Iohn 10. He speaketh plurally A dispâ—tation 〈◊〉 God sprooâ— vpp Actes 〈…〉 〈…〉 Al things that are to be beleeued of God are fully coÌ„teined in the canonicall Scriptures Testimonies out of the Gospel to proue the Trinitie Math. 28. TertulliaÌ„ contra Praxeam 1. Cor. 1. Iohn 14. and. 16. Iohn 3. Math. 3. and. 17. Iohn 10. Luke 1. The Apostles testimonies concerninge â—he Trinitie Actes 2. Actes 10. Rom 1. Gala. 4. Tit. 3. Identitas 1. Iohn 2. The mysterie of the Trinitie is shadowed by â—imiliâ—â—des TertulliaÌ„ contra Praxeam I woulde wishe the skilfull in the latine tongue to reade this similitude in the latine copy for though it be here traÌ„slated ad verbuÌ„ yet our Englishe tonge will not beare it soliuely as the latine doth * or Vnitie The certeâ—ntie of the doctrine touching the Trinitie The suÌ„me of thinges to be beeleued concerninge the Trinitie The mysâ—â—rie of â—he Trinitie was veâ—ie well knowne to the Paâ—riarchs Prophets Gene. 1. As who shoulde say Gods created respecting the Trinitie of the Godhead Gene. 18. Gene. 1â— Psal. 33. Psal. 110. Esai 42. Matth. 12. Esai 61. Luke 4. The mysterie of the Trinitie must not be ioyned with curious dispucations Exod. 19. The conclusion Psal. 54. Heb. 1â— * The history of the creation coÌ„teyned in fewe wordes * The Skye and Starres * The Earthe * The Sea. * Man. Dauid celebrateth the creatiâ— of the worlde Psal. 9. God gouerneth al thinges Iohn 5. Heb. 1. Actes 17. Actes 14. Of Gods prouideÌ„ce Psal. 45. Psal. 139. Prou. 21. Matth. 10. Daniel 2. Psal. 89. Psal. 104. Psal. 104. Psal. 147. Psal .. 135 Against Gentiliâ—me The Saincts do not neglecte good meanes Gene. 16. Psal. 31. â— Sam. 19. Actes 23. Actes 27. Meteores impressioÌ„s or appearaunces which somtimes for their rarenesse and strágnes make men to maruell Matth. 5. Esai 1. Deut. 18. Gods goodwill 〈◊〉 learned by his proâ—â—dence Of Gods â—redestinaâ—â—on or fore-appoyntmeÌ„t Rom. 11. Eccle. 3. Ephe 1. Iohn 5. Iohn 6. Iohn 3. Who is elected predestinate to life A so are tentation in this case Rom. 9. â— Tim. 1. Psal. 103. Isai 51. Rom. 8. Matth. 1â— Marke 16. 1. Tâ—m 4. Gene. 22. Ioel. 2. Isai .. 53. Rom. 5. Matth. 9. Luke 19. Iohn 10. Of the drawing of those that are predessinate to lifâ— Iohn 6. 1. Tim. 4. Actes 9. Rom. 10. Matth. 25. Matth. â—3 â— Cor. 6. â— Tim. 2. 〈◊〉 2. 1. Cor. 3. Faith hath her increasinges Marke 4. Luke 11. Marke 9. Matth. 7. Luke 11. Gene. 3. To adore and worshippe what it is Gene 33. 1. Sam. 23. â— Reg. 3. To adore 〈◊〉 worship â—en Psal. â—â— â— Pet. â— Rom. 13. Exod. â—0 〈◊〉 44. In his second bokâ— and 18. chapter Chap. 19. Spirituall adoration or worshipping Adoratioâ— or worshipping 〈◊〉 is of two sortes Psalm 9 Matth. 14. 〈◊〉 9. In the history of thâ— Kinges Truly to adore or worshippâ— God what it is Isai 29. Matth. 15. That God onely and alone is to be worshipped Matth. 4. 3. Reg. 1â— â–ª Matth. 6. Deut. 6. Heb. 1. Apoc. 4 Apoc. 19. Apoc. 22. Actes 10. Iâ— his booke inâ—â—â—uled 〈◊〉 religiâ—â—â— cap. 55 Whie the Romanes neuer receiued the God of the Iewes to be worshipped Deut. 10. Rewardes and punishments for them that doe doe not worshippe God. Apoc. 21. To inuocate or cal vpoÌ„ what it is Deut. 32. Gene. 48 â–ª Isai â— 2. Sam. 1â— Dan. 9. Actes 9 â— Tim. 2. InuocatioÌ„ 〈◊〉 calling â—pon God what it is That God is to be called vpoÌ„ 3. Reg. â— Pro. 18. Psal. 50. Psal. 17. Ioel. 2. Iere. 29. Psal. 81. Psal. 22. That God onely and alone is to be called vpon Matth. 18. Deut. 32. Psal. 45. Psal. 18. Gene. 30. 4. Reg. 5. â—sai 42. Actes 14. Exod. 30. Psal. 115. Psal. 141. Heb. 13. Osee 14. 1. Reg. 8. â—sai 63. Psal. 27. Rom. 10. Rom. 8. Matth. 6. Of the intercessour with God Iohn 16. Iohn 14. Christe alone is the intercessor and aduocate with the Father A mediatour of redemption and intercession 1. Tim. 2. Rom. 5. Heb. 7. Rom. 8. Iohn 10. Iohn 14. Matth. â—â— Heb. 7. 1. Pet. â— 1. Iohn â— What maÌ„ner of intercession Christes iâ— An answeare to certeine argumeÌ„â—s or reasons of the aduersaries Rom. 3. Prayer of Angels Heb. 1. The Churche calling vpon sainctes To serue what it is 3. Reg. 16. The seruice of God. The seruice of God is â—â—â—-fould 〈◊〉 of two sortes The 〈◊〉 serâ—ice of God. 〈◊〉 10. Mich. 6. Rom. 12. 1. thess. 1. Iames. 1. The testimonie of 〈◊〉 Romane martyr coÌ„cerning the true seruice of God. Gods Temple or Church Gods Priest Gods Sacrifices The outward serâ—ice of God. Luke 11. That onely God is to be serued Deut. 13. Matth. 4. How Saints are to be worâ—â—â—pped Of true relâ—gion What true religion is To leaue or forsake the true God and to serue straunge Gods. 〈◊〉 â— Not to worshippe God alone but to worshippe other Gods also together with the true God. The properties of God are iâ— no case tâ— be attributed vnto straunge Gods. Isai 41. 4â— c. Gods gifts â—re not to be attribuâ—ed to â—traunge Gods. Oâ—ee 2. To serue God but not lawfully Deuter. 12 Leuit. 10. 2 Reg. 6. Iudg. 17. 3. Re. 12. 13 1. Reg. 15. I sai 66. I sai 29. Matth. 15. 2. Reg. 7. Matth. 5. The sonne iâ— begotteÌ„ of the Father vnspeakeablie from euerlasting 〈◊〉 5. Iohn â— Iohn 1. * Or age as other translate it A confession concerning Iesus Christ the sonne of God our Lorde That the sonne is consubstaÌ„tiall with the Father * Identitate et essentia That the sonne of god is truâ—â—nd verie God Matth. 18. Iohn 1. Matth. 16. Iohn 6. Christe is â—he natuâ—all sonne of God. Iohn 19. Leui. 14. 23 Iohn 8. Iohn 10. Iohn 14. Iohn 6. Iohn 17. Rom. 9. 1. Iohn 5. Actes 17. 〈◊〉 23. Isaie 49. Isaie 45. Philip. 2. Iohn 5. Isaie 42. Iohn 17. Mich. 4. Iohn 10. 14. 8. Ezech. 34. Mark. 2. Iohn 2. 1. Tim. 1. Isai 11. Iere. 17. Of the incarnation or true humanitie of Christe Gene. 3. Gene. 22. Gala. 3. Heb. 2. Heb. 2. 2. Reg. 7. Luke 1. Matth. 1. Luke 3. Matth. 1. Iohn 2. Esai 7. Luke 1. Matth. 1. Gal. 4. Iohn 1. 1. Iohn 4. Philip. 2. The Lord after he was risen
terpretatioÌ„ of the wordes of the supper To argue from the sacrameÌ„ts of the old testament to ours of the newe We may vse sacramentall speaches Sacramentall speaches are to be expounded ☞ A briefe rehersall of such poinctes as he intreated vppon in his former sermon We mustâ— vse reuerence in disputing of sacramentes The arke of the coâ—â—nant To attribute too â—uch to saâ—â—aments It is a greate sin not to attribute so much vnto the sacraments as the scripture doth attribute Num. 4. It is taughte that sacramentes giue grace Augustinâ— taught not that sâ—cramentes giue grace Of the likenes difference of the sacramentes of the old and newe Testament Augustine teacâ—eth that the SacrameÌ„ts of the Iewes and ours are al one Grace â—hat it is SacrameÌ„ts do not coÌ„ferre or giue grace Ieremie 7 Esai 1. Galath 3. The error in the Apostolique churche Actes 15. That grace is giuen freely and receiued by faith Luke 7. Iohn 4. Rom. 5. Their santasy which faine a generall and speciall taith is here confuted Whether the grace of God be conteined â—n the Sacramentes These are soung in the Easter holie daies at their coÌ„sâ—cration of baptisme Bonauentura sayth that grace is not conteined in the Sacraâ—ents The seate of the grace of God. 3. Reg. 8. Actes 7. Actes 17. Iohn 4. The canon of the Nicene counsell touching baptisme The Aâ—ostles bâ—ptised in water not consecrated Actes 8. To include grace in the sacraments causeth idolatrie The godâ—y are first iustified receiued into fauor before theâ— be made partakers of the sacraments Actes 2. 1. Iohn â— 1. Iohn 4. Rom. 10. 1. Iohn 5. Actes 10. Actes 2. 1 Cor. 11. Rom. 12. To euacuate the sacrameÌ„ts and conuince God of a lye SacrameÌ„ts are holy and not prophane thinges SacrameÌ„ts are witnesses of the trueth The gospell is a witnesse SacrameÌ„ts do visibly confirme the good wil of god to vs ward Rom. 4. SacrameÌ„ts are seales and where vnto seales do serue Nehe. 9. Hag 2. â—ere 22. Matth. 27. The place of Paule Rom. 4. is expounded and he receiued a signe of the circumcision c. The matter is made â—laine by 1 Parable SacrameÌ„ts haue a more effectual force than any sealed chancers How bapâ—isme sealeth Mark. 16. Marke 10 Matth. 18. Infantes which beleue not â—re baptised Howe the lords supper is a seale of the righteousâ—es of fayth Ioh. 6. Zuinglius of the Sacramentes which certifie and beare witnesse The holy ghost doth properly sâ—ale The sacraments seal nothing to the vnbeleeuers SacrameÌ„ts representeâ— thinges SacrameÌ„ts doe stirre vppe and healpe faith Of the analogie in baptisme To giue and take names in baptisme Of the analogie in the supper Synaxis a communion How the SacrameÌ„ts do stirre vp faith The efficacie or force in the preaching of Gods worde Zuinglius of the Sacraments vpholding fayth A coniunction with Christ and with the Church By sacraments we are visibly gathered together into one religion and distinguished from others Ephe. 2. Phil. 3. Rom. 15. 1. Cor. 12. The place of Paul. 1. Cor 18. The bread which we breake c is expounded They are the members of the diuell that are partakers of vnlawful Sacraments Zuinglius of binding SacrameÌ„ts c. SacrameÌ„ts â—ut the faithful in minde of their duetie Deut. 10. Iere. 4. Rom. 6. 1. Cor. 11. That the sacraments profite nothing without faith Iohn 12. Hebr. 4. 1. Cor. 11. Rom. 1. Hebr. 11. Matt 22. 1. Cor. 10. Heb. 11. Augustine doth teache that sacramentâ—â— receiued without faith are vnprofitable to the receiuers SacrameÌ„ts depende not on our worthines or vnworthinesse Rom. 3. Of baptisme of infantes Rom. 8. That SacrameÌ„ts or not superfluous or voide to them that haue faith Gen. 17. Exod. 4. Matt. 3. Sacraments are indifferent Many are sanctified without visible sacraments Cyptians error touching the Sacrament of baptisme Iohn 6. Baptisme What baptisme is Who instituted baptisme Iohn 1. Matth. 22. When baptisme was instituted Of What thinges baptisme consisteth One onely baptisme The baptisme of Iohn of Christ and of the Apostles is one and the selfe same Actes 19. Of the baptisme of Christe which is also the baptisme of fire Actes 1. Actes 1. Actes 8. Actes 10. Ephes 4. 1. Cor. 1. Of the ritâ— ceremonies of baptisme â—hon 3. What it is to baptise in the name of the Lorde 1. Cor. 14. Luke â— Ceremonies added in times past to baptisme Whether we ought to baptise with water not consecrated Why the 〈◊〉 commaunded â—o baptise â—ith wâ—â—er â— Pet. 3. â— Cor. 10. Whether once or thrice the infant ought to be dipped in the water Of the place of baptisme The time of Baptisme Gen. 17. What the baptiser worketh Iohn 1. Whether midwiues may baptise 1. Tim. 2. Sepâ—ora circumciseth Exod. 4. 25 2. Sam. 12 of saluatioÌ„ of infantâ—â—â—eparting without â—aptisme Mark. 10. Matt. 18. Gen 17. 1. Cor. 7. Gen. 17. Iohn 3. The Pelagians deny the baptisme of infants and why Lib. 3. Depecâ— meâ— remiss Cap. The exposition of the place The soulâ— of the vncircumcised shal be cut off The exposition of the place Except a man be borne of water c. Iohn 3 De peccatorum meritis remissione lib. 1. ca. 20. Iohn 6. Who ar to be baptised Who be the people of God. Actes 8. Gen. 17. Rom. 5. Infantes confessing or beleuing By what argumeÌ„t tâ—e Anabaptistes â—each that infanâ—es ought not to be baptised Matt. 28. Infantes vnderstaÌ„d not the mysterie of baptisme That the baptisme of infantes is of God and that the Apostles baptised infants Actes 10 1. Cor. 1. Rom. 8. Iohn 4. Col. 2. Iosua 5. The baptisme of in fants hath lasted froÌ„ the time of the Apostles The historie of Anabaptisme Imperiall lawe against the Anabaptistes Ios 5. The places alledged to proue Anabaptisme are confuted The twelue men of Ephesus not rebaptised Actes â— Actes 19. Of the â—orce of Baptisme we are baptised into the remission of sinnes Mark. 1. Luke 3. Iohn 2. Actes 2. Actes 22. Ephes 5. Baptisme is effectual for mans whole life By baptisme we are gathered together to be the people of God. Gal. 3. Tit. 3. Luke 3. 1. Cor. 12. Baptisme serueth for our coÌ„fession Sundrie names of lordes supper The Lords table Communion Breaking of breade A memoriall of the Lords passion A thankes giuing A Sacrament Synaxis An assemblie A Testament What the Lords supper is The supper of the Lord is an holie action Who is the author of the supper When the supper was instituted Wherof iâ— consisteth the words of the supper After what maÌ„ner the supper was celebrated and instituted Wether it be lawfull to ad aniething to the rite c. Leuit. 1â— Leuit. 10. 2. Sam. 9. Num. 4. 1. Cor. 11. How in old time it hath been celebrated in the Church The fourâ—e of the Lordes supper changed Why it was instiâ—â—ted in thâ— fourme 〈◊〉 bread an wine Whether the bread ought to be leauened or vn leauened Whether water is to be mingled with the