men vnto a sight of their sins but the grace of the gospel hath brought vs into the kingdom of heauē And therfore saith S. Chrysost Ego Chrysostome quādo lego Euangeliū video ibi testimonia de lege testimonia de Prophetis solū christum cōsidero For the Gospel saith Theod. sheweth the reconciliation of God the destructiō Theodoret of the diuell the remission of sinnes the departure of death resurrection from the dead life eternall and the kingdome of heauen for the scope and ende of the Gospell is the saluation of men So that as well by the testimonies of Antiquitie as also by the scriptures we may see plainely how far more glorious the Gospell is then the lawe The second thing that the Apostle speakes concerning the lawe is that it was giuen in or by the hand of a Mediator Thus he cals Moyses who in the giuing of the law was vsed as a mediator betweene God and the people For when the people were not able to endure the voyce of God then God was willing to make him an interpreter of the lawe and God tendering the peoples infirmitie called Moses vnto himselfe to whom he did not onely declare his law by word but also writ downe the summe of the same in Tables of stone and gaue them to Moses to bee deliuered to the people That this is the true sense of this place appeares by the words of Moses himselfe which hee spake vnto the Israelites saying When ye hard the voyce out of the midst of the darknes Deut. 5. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. for the Mountaine did burne with fire then yee came to me all the chiefe of your Tribes and Elders and said Beholde the Lord our God hath shewed vs his glorie and his greatnes and wee haue heard his voyce out of the midst of the fire c. And afterward if wee heare the voice of the Lord our God any more we shal die For what flesh was there euer that harde the voice of the liuing God out of the midst of the fire as we haue and liued Goe thou therefore and heare all that the Lord our God saith declare thou vnto vs all that the Lord our God saith vnto thee and we will heare it and doe it Heere then obserue Note the infirmitie and weakenes of man and how far we are from God seeing wee are not able to endure the maiestie and brightnes of Angels Neither did the Israelites onely endure and suffer this but the like examples we finde in the parents of Samson in Daniell that man of desires in the welbeloued Disciples of Christ whom the taste of Gods maiesty shining in Angels did so terrifie that they fell to the ground and wist not what they said This onely argument then is sufficient to conuict the papists who trust vnto the strēgth of their free will and the merite of their workes But to let them passe and come vnto our selues we are hereby taught to embrace the goodnesse of God who for vs miserable and vnworthy wretches so far abased himselfe that he speakes vnto vs by euerie manner of meanes This goodnes Moses doth worthily commend vnto vs teaching vs to make this vse of it namely diligently and attentiuely to heare and performe those things that God speakes vnto vs. But how much greater then this was the readinesse and mercie of God towards vs who in the ende vouchsafed to speake vnto vs by his onely begotten son least any one should pretend the ignorance of his will Being mindefull hereof let vs submit our selues to his will with all our hearts alwayes remembring the saying of the Apostle to the Hebrewes For if the Heb. 2 2. 3 10. 28. 29. word spoken by Angels was steadfast and euerie transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation which at the first began to bee preached by the Lord and afterwarde was cōfirmed vnto vs by them that heard him And againe if hee that despised Moses lawe dyed without mercy vnder two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall hee bee worthy which treadeth vnder foote the sonne of God and counteth the blood of the new Testament as an vnholy thing wherewith hee was sanctified and doth despight the spirite of grace But to the last part of this Text wherein because the Apostle had made mention of Moses the mediator hee now drawes an argument from the person or condition of a mediator wherewith hee confutes them who would be iustified by the lawe A mediator is not a mediator of one that is to say hee is not a mediator betweene such as are at vnitie and peace one with another but rather hee is one with them betwixt whom he doth mediate But our Fathers when the law was giuen stood in need of a mediator lest they should be compelled to endure those greeuous and terrible voices of God himselfe proclaiming the law of which their neede whereas before they were ignorant then they onely vnderstoode it when the lawe was to be giuen By this argument the Apostle euidently gathers that the lawe is not that meanes by which we are reconciled with God but rather by the lawe our miserable estate as before hath beene declared is made knowen vnto vs Namely that being separated from God we haue nothing in our selues that can defend vs before Gods tribunal seate For God indeed professed himselfe to be their God and deliuered vnto them a law but vnto the same he added such conditions which whereas they were impossible to bee performed they did terrifie rather then comfort miserable men Therefore Moses himself did send them to that great Prophet Christ Iesus of whom as touching his office of mediatorship hee did beare a type and figure But now some will obiect say Had God then broken his couenant Deut. 18. 15. that there must be a new reconciliation and therefore a mediator But the Apostle maketh answer hereunto saying But God is one as if hee should haue said God neuer hath broken his couenant for as he is one in essence so is hee constant in himselfe and is neuer changed But because men doe not alwayes stand to those conditions which GOD prescribes vnto them he deales after another manner with them And therefore then also for matters before spoken of there was a Lawe giuen which continued for a time so long as there was vse of it But now is the time of the new Testament when the Lawe the Prophets doe yeeld vnto the Gospell that there might be a place as wel for the Gentiles as the remnant of the Iews who forceably entred into the kingdome of God I knowe that others doe expound this place otherwise and speake much of Christ the Mediatour of the vnity of God and equality of the Sonne with the Father but the whole Text of the words doth sufficiently teach vs that it is not agreeable to the purpose of the Apostle Therfore let vs ayme at the true scope of the Apostle which is to shew that righteousnesse and peace of conscience cannot be looked for from the Lawe seeing the ancient Fathers to whom the Lawe was giuen were not able to endure the giuing of the same much lesse then shall we be able to abide it if God should be willing to iudge vs according to the rigour of it Therefore as the Iewes stoode in neede of Moses to be their Mediator so we stand in need of Christ whō God hath made the Mediator of the new Testament for vs. Let vs therefore acknowledge this so great a benefit and least wee should make the goodnes of God vnprofitable for vs let vs with a true and constant faith embrace Christ Iesus that he being truely vnited vnto vs may liue in vs and that wee may lead in him a life beseeming the profession of Christ applying alwayes vnto our selues that which Christ said vnto his Apostles vpon the Mount Oliue that Luk. 22. 39. 40. they should watch and pray Let vs therefore apply our selues vnto that vocation whereunto God hath called vs let vs watch against the deceites of the world and the diuell Let vs continually meditate in the word of God that is able to comfort vs and teach vs. Let vs giue place to the spirit which God hath made an aduocate for vs. Let vs pray continually that he will not suffer vs to faint vnder temptations Finally let all our hope bee fixed and fastned in Christ Iesus who is the good shepheard and wil suffer no man to take his sheepe which he hath redeemed with his blood out of his hands To him therfore with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory for euer Amen FINIS Vnderstand Christian Reader that part of the matter contained in the ninetenth and twentith pages aforegoing was by him that copied out this Sermon for the Presse set downe in the Margent without certaine direction for vs where to bring it into the body of the Book And consequently for want of a guide we haue somwhat failed as we vnderstand since of the due order obserued by the Authour in his originall Copy which was as followeth Symmacchus the Gloria in excelsis Deo Ierome the Epistle and Gospell Alleluia was taken out of the Church of Ierusalem the Creed in the Councell of Nice Pelagius the Commemoration of the dead Leo the third Frankincense Innocent the first the kissing of the Pax Sergius the Agnus Dei Nicolas the first the Sequences Gelasius Africanus as saith Nauclerus the Hymnes Collects Responsories Graduals and Prefaces Gregory the third to the secret of the Masse Quorum solemnitas hodie in conspectu tuae Maiestatis celebratur Domine Deus noster in toto orbe terrarū Leo the first so forward in order as it standeth in the booke Furthermore In the 3 page line 27 reade 430 page 14. line 10 reade Anablatha
namely to leade and liue a life beseeming their Christian profession Now the Anabaptistes a contentious and stubborne kinde of men doe pause nay stand Anabaptist still and sticke vpon this last point and because they see that faith and the obedience of faith haue not as yet any place in Infants therfore they exclude them from baptisme neuer obseruing that the more principall and chiefe points take roote place in them to wit the grace of adoption washing away of sinnes by the blood of Christ Regeneration and other things that make vs heires of eternall saluation For if they did but perceiue this then would they conclude with the Apostle Peter and say Can any man forbid water but that these who are capable of the holy Act. 10. 47 Ghost should be baptized as well as they that are well growen The like is the error about the mysticall Supper of Christ The chiefest point The Lords Supper therin is the remēbrance of his death For Christ himself when he instituted it sheweth and the Apostle afterward commendeth this to be the proper ende and vse of it Now vnto this is ioyned the communion of the bodie and blood of Christ with his Church the sealing of our Redemption admonishing vs continually of our duetie that wee should not onely abstaine from strange sacrifices but also imbrace mutuall peace and loue together All which that we might truely and willingly performe Christ in a sacramentall manner of speech hath called the breade his bodie and the wine the blood of the newe Testament Now our aduersaries the Papists cleauing to the last wordes doe contende and dispute about the presence of the body of Christ and corporall eating of the same and thus haue they made an Instrument of diuision distraction of that which should be the bond of Christian concord These things then doe admonish vs that in euerie matter we should haue a respect vnto that which is the chiefest referring all the rest vnto such a scope that will not suffer vs to decline from the truth But let vs returne to the exposition of our text in the which are three things to be considered First why the lawe was added to the promise Secondly how long the lawe was to continue Thirdly and lastly by whome and how the lawe was giuen and deliuered As touching the first the Apostle saith it was added for trangressions This may bee taken two manner of waies Saint Ierome referres it to the Fathers that abode not in the couenant but being corrupted with the superstitions of Egypt and drowned in all manner of sinnes made themselues like vnto the heathen whome GOD had cast out before their eyes and therfore must be bridled and reduced into the way by a lawe From which this sentence seemes to take his beginning Ex malis moribus bonae leges natae sunt Now S. Augustine he takes this to be spoken more generally and saieth that the lawe was added to reproue transgressions and to humble the proud confident minds of the Iewes For because they bragged boasted themselues in their natiuitie as if from thence they had naturall righteousnesse it was necessarie saith he to humble them by a lawe applying vnto them the saying of the Apostle Quaecunque lex dicit Rom 3 19 ijs qui sub lege sunt dicit Whatsoeuer the lawe speakes it speakes to them that are vnder the law Which opinion of Saint Augustine comes neere vnto the minde of the Apostle who teacheth vs that by the lawe we are conuicted that we might haue our recourse vnto Christ who hath deliuered vs from the curse of the law And therfore saith Saint Ambrose in his first booke Ambros lib. 5. in Auxentium against Auxentius Iustū fides non lex facit quia non est per legem Iustitia sed per fidem Faith and not the law maketh a righteous man for righteousnes is not by the law but by faith That the lawe doth thus manifest our corruptiō the Apostle demonstrateth Rom 7. 7. 9. 10. saying I knew not sin but by the law a litte further I was once aliue without the law but when the commandement came sin reuiued and I was dead And again the Rom. 5. 20 lawe entred that the offence should abound Therefore the vse of the lawe is to manifest and reproue our sinnes that men might be brought to the knowledge of their owne guilt For because we flatter our selues in our sinne therefore wee will not willingly acknowledge sinne to bee in our selues but delite in our sinne vntill we feel our selues conuicted thereof in our consciences Therefore as the law doth not abolish the promise which is the Gospell it selfe so the Gospell doth not condemne the lawe or the doctrine thereof but rather deliuers the true vse of it For the lawe of it self is good holy finally the teacher of true righteousnes because it bringeth vs wholy vnto God and to our neighbor But by our owne corruption it comes to passe that wee doe not onely disobey the lawe but our desires are accustomed to be prouoked and set on fire by the commandements of the lawe Which wickednesse of our nature the Poet acknowledging hath said Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata Wherefore we are not to make this vse of the lawe as that by the same we should be iustified and saued for August de vera innocentia saith Saint Augustine Lex data est vt gratia quaeretur Gratia data est vt lex impleretur vitium prudentiae carnis per legem demonstrandum per gratiam sanandum fuit The lawe was giuen that grace might be sought for grace was giuen that the lawe might bee fulfilled the law demonstrated our corruption but grace tooke it away But in the law we must behold our selues as in a glasse that being conuicted of sinne we should flee vnto Christ whom the father hath made righteousnes for vs and our Mediator vnto himselfe Secondly 1. Cor 1. 3 the Apostle teacheth vs how long the lawe was to continue namely vntill the seede came vnto which the promise was made By the seede properly is vnderstood Christ in whome all Nations are blessed The continuance of the lawe But in this place the Apostle cōprehends with Christ the whole body of Christ that is to say the Church gathered both of Iewes and Gentiles vnto which properly this promise doth belong which is twofold the first part appertaines vnto Christ himself to whose kingdom all Nations of the world were to be subiect according to the saying of Dauid Aske of me and I shal giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance Psal 2. 8. and the ends of the earth for thy possession The secōd part belongs vnto the Church because that in Christ all were blessed that out of euery Nation did come vnto it That therefore which the Apostle doth in this place obscurely and briefly touch hee afterward in the
auncient seeing it hath not alwaies beene in the Church neither hath it beene instituted and receiued at one time but being brought in by little and little was augmented with newe additions dayly So to that to the Masse neither lesse nor more hath happened then to a pilgrimes scrippe or to an old cloake of a begger that beggeth from doore to doore vpon such a Cloake the elder that it is the more patches doe they set vpon it so that in time nothing is seene but heere a little peece there another of the cloath whereof it was first made And this clothe is so vsed so wasted so discoloured and so without being that it no way appeareth to be that which it was In this cloake are not seene but patches of cloth corrupt and rotten very ill placed and worse sowed together so that it causeth loathing to those that haue bin delicately brought vp Such another cloake is the Popish Masse The cloath whereof it was made was the Supper of the Lord which men not celebrating according to the institution of Christ waxed olde lost it colour being nothing worth Then commeth one and casteth a peece vnto it afterwarde comes another and casteth vnto it c. So that now it is not the Supper of the Lord but the masse of the Pope now it is not the robe of an honourable man but the cloak of a shamelesse begger In conclusion their Masse is their Helen for whom they trouble the whole world What wee haue spoken of all the aforesaid popish trumperies the like may also bee saide of the Inuocation of Saints Inuocation of Saints which they can prooue by no testimonie nor example of the scripture For by the scripture wee are taught to inuocate one God through the onely Mediator Christ Iesus neither hath any one of the Saints either of the olde or newe Testament being aliue prayed vnto any of the Saints in heauē Now the Leyturgie which Durandus makes to be twofolde to wit the maior the minor is also confessed to be instituted by men the one by Mamertus vnder the raigne of Zeno in the yeare of Christ foure hundred foure-score and ten the other by Gregorie the great in the yeare of Christ fiue hundred fourescore and tenne The hymne of Salue regina was made by Hermannus Contractus and Gregorie the ninth commaunded it to bee sung to the prayse of the Virgin at certaine houres of the day in the yeare of Christ 1241. The verie same may bee spoken of the whole worshippe of the Saints which how great soeuer it is yet it is nothing but onely the inuention of superstitious men But if wee should come vnto other points of their popish religion as of monkish orders choyse of meates single life of their Priests fire of Purgatorie prayer for the dead satisfactions popish pardons and multitudes of such matters it would then appeare that they were all the inuentions of man and had their beginning when the pure doctrine of the trueth was for the most part extinguished by the corruptions traditions of men In conclusion then if the lawe which was 400 and 30 yeares after the promise was not able to disannull the couenant that was confirmed before of God in respect of Christ to make the promise of none effect much lesse the Popes supremacie the worshipping of Images the sacrifice of the Masse the inuocatiō of Saints or any popish superstition whatsoeuer shall be able to corrupt abrogate or disannull it but that the promise should bee performed to the seede of Abraham that is to the faithfull in all ages That then which wee our selues must hold concerning faith onely iustifying the sole sauiour Christ Iesus is all grounded vpon the eternall couenant of God which in the beginning was made with our first parents Secondly renued with Abraham Thirdly set forth by the Prophets Fourthly confirmed and fulfilled in the death of the Sonne And lastly divulged by the ministrie of the Apostles through the whole world This faith was kept by all those that pleased and serued God before the comming of Christ in the flesh the martyrs sealing the same with their bloud Who thē cā deny but that the Papists doe wickedly shamefully slāder vs who tax vs with nouelty because they would vnder a lying title of antiquitie thrust vpon the common sort their popish superstitions which indeed are newe and altogether vnknowen vnto Antiquitie But it is more then time for vs to come to our Apostle who being about to confirme that which before hee had spoken sayth for if the enheritance be of the law it is no more by promise but God gaue the inheritāce to Abrahā by promise In which words the Apostle opposeth the law the promise one against another as things cōtrarie and diuided which cannot stand tother in the cause and action of our Iustification For the lawe requireth workes saying Qui fecerit ista praecepta viuet in eis Lev. 18. 5 hee that shall doe these commaundements shall liue in them but the promise requires that wee should beleeue neither is it apprehended by any other meanes then by faith Therefore as merite and grace cannot stand together no more can the lawe and the promise To sette forth the sense of the words we wil frame this argument If wee deserue the inheritance of life by the workes of the lawe then it is not obtained freely nor by faith onely But God gaue the inheritance vnto Abraham by promise Therefore this inheritance comes vnto vs not by merite but by the free promise of God The Apostle cōfirmes this argument by the word of giuing whereby is vnderstood a free gift and euerie gift excludes all merit of euery worke whatsoeuer on our part Againe the Apostle fitly vseth the example of Abraham because hee did not sustaine a priuate but a publike person in whom God was willing to propose to the whole world an example of all that were to bee saued together with an assured common meanes of saluation to all the elect The Apostle handling this example in the Romanes after the same saith thus Rom. 4. 23. 24 Now it was not writtē for him onely that it was imputed to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shal be imputed for righteousnes which beleeue in him that raysed vp Iesus our Lord from the dead which was the very cause that those promises that were made vnto Abraham are extended vnto the seede of Abraham that is vnto all the posteritie of Gods children For vnlesse it were so there would bee no profit of that sacred and holy historie But at this instant the Apostle doth thus strongly vrge this example of Abraham that he might presse and beate to the ground the hautinesse of the confidence of the Iewes who whereas they boasted themselues to bee the children of Abraham yet would they not enter into the inheritaunce promised by the faith that Abraham did The Apostle therefore teacheth