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A00726
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A learned sermon preached before the King at VVhitehall, on Friday the 16 of March: by M. Doctor Field: Chaplaine to his Maiestie; Learned sermon preached before the King at Whitehall, on Friday the 16 of March.
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Field, Richard, 1561-1616.
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1604
(1604)
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STC 10855; ESTC S115098
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14,831
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44
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sent away and excluded whence the whole mysticall action is called Missâ— This custome continued till the time of Gregory the first in whose time the Deacon after the reading of the Gospell pronounced those solemne words si quis non communicat exeat This doth Cassander proue at large in his preface before the booke called Ordo Romanus shevving that many doubted whether the wordes of the Canon of the Masâ—e which imply a communion of the people may be vsed in priuate Masses By degrees they feâ—â— from the publique and solemne communion of the people the Clergie alone communicated with the priest Afterwards they also though present abstâ—â—ned and communicated not VVheâ— these priuate Masses began it is noâ— knowne The custome was to giue the sacrament in both kindes to the people as Lindan proueth and it was thought necessary as the booke called Ordo Romanus sheweth And all the Churches of the east retaine this custome vnto this day When the halfe communion began it is not knowne In the time that Luther began almost all beleeued and taught that Mary was conceaued without sinne and thought it a matter of pietie to be of that iudgement Bonauentura in his time â—ime professeth that he neuer saw the writings of any one that was of that opinion nor neuer could meet with any one that so thought Who was the first that â—roached this opinion published it in writing vnto the world it is hard to â—inde Besides all Romish religion standeth of contradictory assertions as that the Pope may erre and that he cannot erre â—hat he may depose Princes and that he may not that one body may be in many â—laces and that it cannot be in many â—laces the one sort of them denying that the other affirmeth yet is not 〈◊〉 first author of any of thâ—se contradictory opinions knowne Thus we see how weakly the Romanistes proue the antiquitie of their faith and religion whereof they so insolently glory and boast But leâ— vs leaue them returne to the words of the Apostle The second circumstance whereby the doctrine of faith for which we must contend is noted and described vnto vs least we should mistake it is that as it was once deliuered so it was deliuered to the Saints So that if we desire to finde the vndoubted truth of Heauenly doctrine we must seeke it non in confusione paganorum non in purgamentis haereticorum non in languore schismaticorum non in coecitate Iudâ—orum not in the confusions of pagan Infidels not among out cast and forsaken Heretiques not in the conâ—enticles of Schismatiques not among the blinde hard harted Iewes but amongst those Disciples of Christ Iesus which cannot be iustly challenged either for innouation or diuision According to that in the Canticles where Christ is inquired after Show thou mee O thou whom my soule loueth where thou â—eedest and where thou lyest aâ— noone For why should I be as shee that turneth aside to the flockes of thy companions and immediately he sheweth how he may be found If thou knowest not O thou the fairest among women get thee forth by the steps of the flockes and feed thy kids by the tentes of the shepherdes In which words we are directed to seeke our Sauiour Christ in the troupes and companions of Christian people and pastors which are named Saints in this place by the Apostle because they are called to sanctification haue the happie meanes of it In these companies we shal be sure to finde our Sauiour Christ and the doctrine of faith â—e left vnto vs if we haue an eye to them vppon whom no note of innouation or â—iuision may iustly be fastened So that â—f those societies in which we liue haue â—orrupted their wayes and left theyr first â—uritie we must as Lâ—rineâ—sis â—irecteth vs looke to other Churches â—â—st our eyes vp higher to the times that â—ere before vs. For example in the daies of our Fathers they had priuate Maâ—â— halfe communions and sundry others abuses the most of the guides of God people taught men to put trust in papall indulgences and such like lying vanities Who soeuer doubted and made question of any of these thinges if they did but cast their eyes vpon the Easternâ— Churches that then presently were or the Churches in former times they might easily find that in them there was no such thing Thus then in the Church we haue certaine direction to find out the truth neyther are any other to hope to find it but such as reuerence her iudgement seâ—â— it in her communion Whereupon Terâ—ullian pronounceth that none but such as are so affected are to be admitted â—â— any question or dispute of the Scriptures and matters of fayth and bringeth in the Church speaking vnto herâ—â— tickes and praescribing against them iâ— this sort quid agitis in meo non mei what do you medling with my things you that are none of mine By what right doâ— thou Marcion cut downe my wood â—ho gaue thee leaue Valentinus to turne â—he course of my Fouâ—taines By vvhat â—uthoritie doest thou Apelles remoue â—â—y auncient bounds It is my possession â—hat do you here the rest of you sowing â—nd feeding at your owne pleasures It is â—â—y possession I possessed it of old I â—ossessed it before you I haue the cerâ—ine originall of it from them whose the â—hing was I am the heyre of the Apostles as they disposed by their last vvill testament as they committed it vnto my â—â—ust as they adiured me so I keepe it â—ou they know not you they disclaimed â—nd reiected as strangers as enemies This true and Orthodoxe church which is the onely mistresse of Heauenly truth maketh vse of them that erre to her owne good and their bettering and correction if they refuse not her instrucâ—ions Vtitur Gentibus ad materiam opeâ—ationis suae haereticis ad probationem docâ—â—inae suae schismaticis ad documentum staâ—â—ilitatis suae Iâ—daeis ad comparationem pulâ—hritudimis suae altos inuitat alios excluâ—it alios relinquit alios antecedit omnibus â—ratiae dei participandae dat potestateÌ„ siue â—lli informandi siue reformandi siue recoâ—â—â—â— di siue admittendi sunt Infidels are thâ— matter of her diuine worke of conâ—eâ—â—ion Heretiques serue for the tryall prouing and approuing of her doctrine Scismatiques to shew her constancy thâ— Iewes imperfection to shew her perfection and beauty some she inuiteth some she excludeth some she forsaketh and some she goeth before in diuiâ—â— perfections to all she offereth the participation of diuine grace whether they be to be informed or reformed or râ—conciled or to be admitted to a higâ—â— degree of knowledge and a more perfect estate Thus haue we heard the exhortation of the Apostle mouing vs to conâ—end earnestly for the maintenaunce of thâ— fayth and describing it to vs by the Antiquitie of it and that company of meâ— amongst whom it is to be sought Let uâ— beseech almighty God to enlighten or vnderstandings that we may know it 〈◊〉 frame our harts to the loue of it and 〈◊〉 make vs euer constant in the defence oâ— it Amen Math. 16. Iohn 21. August de ciuitat dei de fid et oper In enchir ad Laur Epist. 15. Epistle to Cassulanus Georg Cassa in praefa ordiâ— Roma August dâ— peccat rem In 3 sent dist 3. quaest 2.
shall find in the blessed Apostle Saint Paule more then in all the rest who though he vvere the last and esteemed himselfe the least and not woorthy to be named an Apostle yet laboured he more then all they who sometimes disputeth sometimes exhorteth sometimes commaundeth sometimes entreateth sometimes counselleth sometimes threatneth sometimes promiseth sometimes terrifyeth sometimes comforteth sometimes commeth in the Spirit of meeknes sometimes with a rodde in his hand calleth backe some as beeing out of the way encourageth others maketh himselfe one of their companie as beeing in a good way some he calleth his ioy his crowne glorie and to some he obiects folly madnes to some he giueth milk to some strong meat sometimes he proscribeth and banisheth from the Church sometimes he confirmeth his loue towards the same againe These are the diuers different things the Apostles and Apostolike men doe for the good of Gods people Now as theyr diligence appeareth in this varietie and multiplicitie of things they do so likewise in theyr sedulitie in doing them in that they doe them in season and out of season and in the different manner of doing them in that they perfome them by vvord being present and by Letters being absent The Apostle Saint Iude desiring to benefite the vvhole Christian Church vvith all the parts whereof it was not possible for him to be present sheweth his diligence in vvryting It was necessarie for me to vvrite vnto you VVhere we are occasioned to speake first of vrryting in generall and secondly of sacred vvryting and the obiect of it Great and inestimable is the benefit of writing for by it all the treasures of wisedome pietie vertue and learning that euer God poured forth vpon the sonnes of men are communicated to posterities By it we may commune withall the Patriarches Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Fathers of the Church the lights and wonders of the world that euer were and whensoeuer any doubt ariseth and troubleth our mindes we may call a greater more generall Councell then either Constantine Theodosiâ—s or any of the Romane Emperours either did or could doe The benefit of writing will appeare to be the greater if we compare them who being renowâ—ed for wisdome and learning neuer wrote any thing as Pythagoras Socrates and others of whom very few things remaine with Plato Aristotle and the like that committed the treasures of their learning and wisedome to writing who being dead long since yet liue and are the great Maisters of the world euen vnto this day Hence it is that no treasure was anciently nor is presently esteemed greater then the holy library of the church in which respect the Romanistes deserue exceeding ill that did formerly doe presently adulterate the monuments of antiquitie and leaue nothing sincere and vncorrupt as their manifold forgeries in former times their Index expurgatorius and other like practises of these times make it too plaine This beeing noted in generall touching the benefit of writing let vs come to the more especiall consideration of sacred writing and the obiect of it In the Apostles times men admired their writings but despised their words and personall presence as not being accompanied with that greatnes they looked for His letters say they speaking of the blessed Apostle Saint Paule that trumpet of the Gospell and â—â—ood of Christian eloâ—uence are peremptory and full of auâ—horitie and power but his wordes and â—ersonall presence weake vile and conâ—emptible But now contrariwise the Romanistes â—egarde not their writings but magnifie â—heir words deliuered by tradition charâ—ing their writings with obscuritie insufâ—â—ciency and imperfection comparing â—hem to a shipmans hose a nose of wax Lesbian rule affirming that but fewe â—hings were written non vt praeessent sed vâ—â—bessent fidei nostrae not to commaund â—uer-rule our faith but to be ouer-ruled â—y it that the Apostles receaued a comâ—andement to preach but none to writ â—hat they meant not to compose a perfect worke containing the rule of our faith but wrote onely occasionally as they â—ere entreated or as the particular neâ—â—ssities of the Churches did require This their censure of the diuine Scripâ—â—res is iniurious in that they thinke them â—â— be so obscure and the sence and meaâ—ing of them so vncertaine and doubâ—â—ull that wicked men may wrest and abuse them according to their owne pleasures no man be able to reproâ—e and conuince them by the euidence and forâ—â— of the Scriptures themselues Impiousâ—â—â— that they thinke they proceeded from the priuate motions of the Apostles and Euangelists without the immediate and special instinct motion commaund oâ— the spirit of truth Inconsiderate in thaâ— they thinke the men of God entendeâ— not to compose a perfect work The absurditie of which conceipt wiâ—â— appeare if they will but take a view â—â— the bookes themselues they haue leâ— vnto vs. For the writings of the Euangelists containe a perfect history of the things Christ did and suffered from the time of his birth till the time he wâ—â— assumed into Heauen The Actes â—â— the Apostles the comming of the holy Ghost the planting of the Churcheâ— after Christes ascension The Epistles tâ—â— clearing of the questions and doubâ—â— which troubled the Churches of thosâ— times And the Reuelation a prophesâ—â— of the future state of things to the eâ—â— of the world The obiect of these sacred writings is Saluation Three things are deliuered vnto vs in the bookes of God the creation the fall the restauration saluation of man Saluation is the preseruation from those dangers deliuerance from those eternall euils we were subiect vnto by the fall This is the greatest benefit that euer God bestowed on men and the principall matter and obiect of the diuine Scriptures For we might with Iob curse the day of our birth wish the knees had neuer receaued vs the armes neuer embraced vs nor the pappes giuen vs suck that the wombe had bin ourgraue and that we had bin like the vntimely fruite â—hat neuer sawe the Sunne that the Mountaines would fall vppon vs the Rockes cleaue in sunder and the deâ—ouring Gulfes swallow vs vp that we might cease to be and bee as if we had â—euer beene if wee had no part in the saluation mentioned in this place Behold sayth Gregorie Nazianzen magnifying this benefit of saluation in â—he creation God gaue vs the best things â—e had when as yet we had nothing but in the restauration hee maketh an exchange with vs he taketh the worst we haue and giueth vs the best he hath he taketh our nature and giueth vs his grace he taketh our sinne and giueth vs his righteousnes he taketh our curse and giueth vs his blessing he taketh our misery and giueth vs his happines he taketh our death and giueth vs his life he humbleth himselfe and exalteth vs. This Saluation is sayd to bee common not as if all men of how vile condition and wicked conuersation soeuer should be