we see these things come to passe we may be sure that the kingdome of God is nigh for as a man that is dying hath many phantasies euen so saith Chrysostome the world declining shall haue manifold errors in so much if it were possible Gods elect should be deceiued Matth. 24.24 Aristotle could not conceiue the world should haue an end because he thought and taught it had no beginning but diuine Plato who liued in Egypt and read as it is supposed the bookes of Moyses acknowledged the worlds creation and so subscribed to the worlds destruction holding this axiome Quod oritur moritur That which hath a beginning hath an end Whatsoeuer hath an end had a beginning the which is to be construed of compounded elementarie substances subiect to generation and corruption as all things in this world are For as we reade in scripture Some things haue a beginning but no end as Angels and the soules of men Some things haue no beginning but yet haue an end as Gods eternall decrees One thing to wit Ens Entium Almighty God hath neither beginning nor end who only hath immortalitie of all other things the first and the last and yet in himselfe there is neither first nor last Some things haue both a beginning and end as the world which had a creation and is subiect to corruption The world passeth away and the glory thereof and then when as the powers of heauen shall be shaken and the element shall melt with heat and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt vp then the sonne of man shall come in a cloud with power and great glory Now this certainty of Christs comming to iudgement affordeth abundant matter of comfort to the godly affordeth abundant matter of terror to the wicked affordeth abundant matter of instruction to both Comfort to Gods elect for when these things come to passe then saith Christ in 28. verse Lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere Now you are prosecuted and persecuted deliuered vp to the Synagogues and cast into prison but at that great assise there shall be a generall goale deliuery and you that haue done good shall goe into euerlasting ioy and your enemies who haue done euill into euerlasting fire Heere ye mourne but hereafter all teares shall be wiped from your eyes here ye sow in hope but then ye shall reape with ioy when as ye shall see the sonne of man comming in the clouds c. As God is the God of comfort so his booke is the booke of comfort Whatsoeuer things are written aforetime they are written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope The very soule of all the Bible is the Gospell and the summe of all the Gospell is the Creede and the maine point of all the Creed is that article concerning our resurrection and hope of eternall glorie when Christ shall appeare The Church then hath well aâ—nexed that Epistle to this Gospell as a consolation against desolation By the booke of comfort wee know that our Redeemer liueth and that he will come againe to iudge and reuenge our cause We beleeue that an eternall kingdome was secretly granted vnto vs in our election openly promised in our vocation sâ—aled in our iustification and that possession shall bee giuen in our glorification when as the Iudge of the world shall say Come ye blessed of my Father inherit ye the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world When the Lord himselfe shâ—ll descend from heauen with a shout and with the voyce of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God we shâ—ll be caught vp in the clouds to meete him and so shall euer be with him And therefore pray wee daily Thy kingdome come Come Lord Iesus come quickly Amen Now as this is comfortable to good men so most terrible to the wicked as Christ vers 26. Their hearts shall 〈◊〉 them for feare They shall seeke death in those daâ—es and shall not finde it And as it is Apocal. 6.16 They shall sâ—y to the mountaines and rocks fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe This hath been their day wherein so farre as they could they haue done their will the next is the Lords day wherein they must suffer his will a day of anger a day of trouble and heauinesse a day of destruction and desolation a day of obscuritie and darknesse a day of clouds and blacknesse The reprobate shall see the sonne of man in the clouds aboue to condemne them beneath hell mouth open readie to deuoure them before the diuels haling them behinde the Saints and all their dearest friends forsaking them on the left hand their sinnes accusing them on the right iustice threatning them on all sides the whole world made a bone fire terrifying them to goe forward insupportable to goe backe impossible to turne aside vnauailable no maruell then if at the worlds end men be at their wits end Thirdly this administreth instruction vnto all for as it is in the Epistle Whatsoeuer things are written aforetime are written for our instruction And this is so good a lesson that if we could obserue it well wee should neede no more teaching so saith the Wiseman Remember the last things and thou sâ—alt neuer doe amisse The last things are foure Death Iudgement Heauen Hell But the chiefe is iudgement for all the rest attend it Death is vsher to iudgement going before Heauen and Hell executioners following after Death would not bee so fearfull if iudgement did not follow Hell would not be so painfull if iudgement went not before without it heauen would not be desired nor hell feared Hee then that remembers the last day remembers in it all the last things and he that remembers the last things cannot do amisse Wherefore let vs euer embrace that godly meditation of S. â—â—â—rome Whethâ—r I eate or drinke or whatsoeuer I doe else I thinke I hâ—â—re the last trâ—mpe Arise yeâ— dead and come vnto iâ—dgement The consideration of the worlds destruction is a suffiâ—ient instruction to keepe good men in honest courses to terrifie bad men from euill waies Italians in a great thunder vse to ring their bels and discharge their cannon shot that the roring of the one may lessen the terror of the other In like sort Satan hangs tinckling cymbals on our eares and delights vs with the vanities and musicke of the world that we may forget the sound of the last trumpe and so that day be seene before foreseene of most As it is certaine that Christ shall come so most vncertaine when he shall come for he speakes of the time not definitly but indefinitly vers 25. Then there shall be signes vers 27. Then shall they see the Sonne of man comming in a cloud vers 28. When these things come to
together immoderate diet begets chambering chambering wantonnes wantonnes strife strife enuying thus sinne doth first couple then increase This text ought to be regarded of vs the more because it was the very place to which Augustine that renowned Doctour by a voyce from heauen was directed at his first conuersion as himselfe witnesseth Lib. 8. confess cap. 12. Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ. As we must put off the old man so put on the new man and that is done two waies either by putting on his merits or by putting on his maners Our Sauiour Christ in his life but in his death especially wrought for vs a garment of saluation and a long white robe of righteousnes now the spirituall hand of faith must apprehend and fit this wedding apparell on vs in such sort that all our vnrighteousnes may be forgiuen and all our sinne couered Secondly we must put on the maners and excellent vertues of Christ in whom was no worke of darknes but all armour of light so the phrase is vsed Iob 29.14 I put on iustice and it couered me my iudgement was a robe and a crowne This apparell is the true Perpetuan neuer the worse but the better for wearing The Gospel MATTH 21.1 And when they drew nigh vnto Hierusalem c. CHrist is Alpha and Omega the first and the last the beginning and ending wherefore the Church allotting a seuerall scripture for euery seueral Sunday thoroughout the whole yeare begins and ends with the comming of Christ for the conclusion of the last Gospell appointed for the last Sunday is Of a truth this is the same Prophet that should come into the world and the first sentence in the first Gospell for the first Sunday Behold thy king commeth vnto thee Wherein the Church imitated the method of Gods owne Spirit for as the first prophesie mentioâ—ed in the old Testament is The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpents head and the first historie deliuered in the new Testament is The booke of the generation of Iesus Christ so the first Gospell on the first Dominical according to the Churches account is Aduentual a scripture describing Christ and his kingdome fitting the text vnto the time teaching vs hereby two things especially first what maner of person the Messias is who doth come secondly what maner of persons we should be now he is come In the former part obserue two points a Preface All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of by the prophet verse 4. Prophesie taken out of Zacha. 9.9 Tell the daughter of Sion c. All this was done that it might be fulfilled An vsuall phrase with our Euangelist as cap. 1.22 cap. 8.17 cap. 27. 35. It doth insinuate the sweet harmonie betweene the Prophets and Apostles as Numenius said Plato was nothing els but Moyses translated out of Hebrew into Greeke and Ascham that Virgil is nothing els but Homer turned out of Greeke into Latine and as the Nouelists affirme that our Communion Booke is nothing els but the Romane Missall and Portuis thrust out of Latine into English and as Diuines haue censured Cyprian to be nothing els but Tertullian in a more familiar and elegant stile so the new Testament is nothing els as it were but an exposition of the old That difference which Zeno put betweene Logicke and Rhetorick Diuines vsually make betweene the Law and the Gospell the Law like the fist shut the Gospell like the hand open Euangelium reuelata Lex Lex occultum Euangelium The Gospell a reuealed Law the Law a hidden Gospell This harmonicall concent may serue to confound our aduersaries and to comfort our selues It doth abundantly confute obstinate Iewes who expect another Messias to come conceiting as yet all things not to be done in the Gospell which was said of him in the Law so that whereas the great question of the world is Who is that Christ and the great question of the Church Who is that Antichrist the Iewish Rabbins are ignorant in both Secondly this harmonie conuinceth all suâ—h Hereticks as hold two sundry disagreeing Gods to be the authors of the two Testaments one of the Law another of the Gospell It affordeth also comfort first in generall it may perswade the conscience that the Bible is the booke of God For if Prolomee was astonished at the 72. Interpreters because being placed in sundry roomes and neuâ—r conferring nor seeing one another did notwithstandiâ—g write the same not only for sense of matter but in sound of words vpon the selfe-same text as Iustin Martyr and Augustine report then how should we be moued with the most admirable diuine concoâ—dance betweene the Prophets and Apostles who writing the word of God in diuers places at diuers times vpon diuers occasions do notwithstanding agree so generally that they seeme not diuers pen-men but rather inâ—â—â—ed only diuers pens of one and the same writer In more particular it may strengthen our faith in the gracious promises of Almighty God he speakes the word and it is done commands and it is effected Heauen and earth shall passe but not one iot of his word shal perish he promised by Zachary that the Messias of the world should come and he tels vs here by Matâ—hew that he is come All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Behold thy king commeth vnto thee Thus much of the Prâ—face generally now to fist the words seuerally Thaâ— is taken here non causaliter sed consecutiuè not for an efficient cause but rather for a consequence and euent Christ did not thus â—ide into Hierusalem because Zachary foretold it but Zachary foretold it because Christ would thus ride Christ being the complement of the Prophets and end of the Law yet the word That insinuates as Chrysostome notes the finall cause why Christ did thus ride namely to certifie the Iewes how that himselfe only was that King of whom their prophet Zachâ—ry did thus speake that none but he was the King of the Iewes and Messias of the world Fulfilled A prophesie may be said to be fulfilled foure wayes especially 1. When the selfe-same thing comes to passe which was literally deliuered in the prophesie So S. Math. cap. 1.22 saith Esayes prophesie Behold a Virgin shall conceiue c. was fulfilled in Mary who brought forth a Sonne c. 2. When the thing allegorically signified is fulfilled as Exod. 12 46. it is said of the Paschall Lambe Yee shall not breake a bone thereof yet S. Iohn cap. 19.36 affirmes this to be fulfilled in Christ The souldiers brake not his legs that the scripture should be fulfilled Not a bone of him shall be broken 3. When as neither the thing literally nor allegorically ment but some other like is done so Christ Math. 15. tels the peâ—â—le in his time that the words of Esay This people draweth neere vnto
first we must beleeue Christ to be that Iesus vers 11. that great Prophet who is the Messias and Sauiour of the world For the second wee must professe and confesse this faith hauing Hosanna in our mouthes and crying Blessed is he that commeth in the Name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest vers 9. For the third we must spread our garments in the way cut downe branches from the trees and straw them in the passage vers 8. that is forsake all and follow Christ profering and offering our selues whollie to his seruice or as the Epistle doth expound the Gospell seeing our saluation is neere the night past and the day come let vs cast away the works of darknes and put on the armour of light c. I am occasioned here iustly to direct their ignorance who do not vnderstand and correct their obstinacie who will not vnderstand the wisdome of the Church so fitly disposing of the Gospels and Epistles as that often the one may serue for a Commentary to the other As heere S. Matth. Behold thy King commeth And S. Paul Our saluation is nigh and the day is come S. Paul doth aduise not to make prouision for the flesh and S. Matthew reports how the people accompanying Christ spread their garments in the way S. Paul commands loue in all men S. Matthew commends loue in these men who gaue such entertainment vnto Christ. The whole Gospell is a liuely picture of the Church in which are foure sorts of persons especially 1. Christ who is King and head verse 5. and 12. 2. Prophets who loose men from their sinnes and bring them vnto Christ verse 2. and 7. 3. Auditors who beleeue that Christ is the Messias openly professing this faith Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid vers 9. and manifesting this faith also by their works in obeying the Ministers of Christ verse 3. and performing the best seruice they can verse 8. 4. Aduersaries who much enuy Christs kingdome saying Who is this verse 10. Concerning Christs seueritie toward those who played the Merchants in the Temple See Gospell Dom. 10. post Trinit Epist. ROM 15.4 Whatsoeuer things are written aforetime they are written for our learning c. THis Scripture containes in it three things concerning the Scripture What it is written Shewing the Scriptures authority When aforetime Shewing the Scriptures antiquity Why for our learning Shewing the Scriptures vtility For the first things only told passing thorough many mouthes are easily mistold it is long ere we get them and we soone forget them Almighty God therefore commanded that his Law should be written in bookes and engrauen in stone that the syllables thereof might alway be in our eyes so well as the sound in our eares and that for two causes especially 1. That the godly man might exercise himselfe therein day and night 2. That the wicked might neither adde to it nor detract from it In like maner albeit the sound of the thundring Apostles went out thorough all the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world yet the Spirit of wisedome thought it meete that there should be a treatise written of all that Christ did and said and that from point to point entituled The Booke of the generation of Iesus Christ. The Scripture then is a Bible because written and the Bible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in many respects excelling all other bookes especially for the maker and matter in so much that S. Paul saith If an Angell from heauen preach otherwise let him be accursed And Iustin Martyr goes yet further If Christ himselfe should preach another God or another Gospell I would not beleeue him Ipse non crederem Domino Iesu. This doctrine makes against vnwritten verities of Papists and fond reuelations of Anabaptists and factious interpretations of Schismatikes and impudent conceits of Libertines all which equall their owne phantasies with the Scriptures authority The Papists and Schismaticks are all for a speaking Scripture the Libertines and Anabaptists are all for an infused scripture the true Catholicks only for the written scripture to the Law and to the Testimony Thy word is a lanterne vnto my feet and a light vnto my paths The second point to be considered is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scriptures written aforetime being the first booke so well as the best booke for as Tertullian was wont to call Praxeas hesternum Praxean so we may terme the most ancient Poets and Philosophers in comparison of Moyses vpstart writers Omnia Graecorum sunt nâ—ua heri As Galaton painted Homer vomiting Reliquos verò poetas ea quae ipse euomuisset haurientes to signifie saith Aelian that he was the first Poet and all other as well Greeke as Latine but his apes In like maner Moyses is called by Theodoret Oceanus theologiae the sea of Diuinitie from whom all other writers as riuers are deriued The which point as it is excellentlie confirmed by Theodoret Clemens Iosephus and others so it is ingeniously confessed euen by the heathen Historiographers Eupolemus lib. de Iudaeaâ— regibus auoweth Moyses to be the first wise man Plato that a barbarous Egyptian was the first inuentor of Arts Appion Ptolomey Palaemon haue granted the same and vpon the point Strabo Plinie Cornelius Tacitus and others as â—icinus reports lib. de religione Christiana cap. 26. To demonstrate this more particularly The Troian war is the most ancient subiect of human history but Trâ—y was taken in the dayes of Dauid about the yeare of the world 2788. and Homer flourished anno 3000. whereas Moyses was borne anno 2373. Secondly this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confutes the Marcionites and Manichees and all such as reiect the old Testament For the place to which the text hath reference is taken out of the 69. Psalme verse 9 that the scriptures of Moses and the Prophets are written for our instruction It is plain by Christs iniunctioÌ„ Search the Scriptures as also by that of our Apostle 1. Cor. 10. These things happened vnto them for ensamples and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come If all little histories then much more the great mysteries are our scholemasters vnto Christ Let vs examine therefore the third obseruable point concerning the Scriptures vtilitie Whatsoeuer things are written afore time they are written for our learning The Scripture saith Paul is the peoples instruction the Scripture say the Papists in the vulgar tongue is the peoples destruction The Scripture saith Paul doth make the man of God absolute the Scripture say the Papists in a knowne language makes men hereticall and dissolute but the Bible makes men heretikes as the Sunne makes men blinde and therefore Wickliffe truly To condemne the word of God translated in any language for heresie is to make God
Apostles are all teachers are all workers of miracles haue all the gift of healing doe all speake with tongues doe all interpret It is God who worketh all in all communicating indifferently spirituall life to all his members insomuch as the least is a member of his bodie so well as the greatest In this respect all parts are peeres Albeit I say there be diuers gifts and diuers measures of gifts and so by consequence for fashion and function an imparity yet because they be donatiues grants and graces as it is said here the mighty may not scorne the meane nor the meane enuie the mighty no part must be pâ—rt For â—hat hast thou that thou hast not receiued He that appointed thee mouth or eye might haue made thee foote or hand Againe no member ought to mutter against head or fellow for the mysticall body of Christ is all faâ—re Tota pulchra es amica mea now beauty consists in variety of colours and in a concinne disposition of sundry different parts If all the whole body were an eye where were the hearing If the whole were hearing where were the smelling But God hath in a most sweete order disposed the members euery one of them in the body first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers then workers of miracles after that the gifts of healing helpers gouernours diuersities of tongues Hee then that affects in the Church an hotchpotch paritie martyrs and marres Christs body which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. a body fitly knit together by euery ioynt Ephesians 4.16 Thirdly there is a sympathie betweene the members of the naturall bodie for if one suffer all suffer with it if one member be had in honour all the members reioyce with it So Paul in this scripture Be merie with them that be merie weepe with them that weepe Paine is often lessened by pitie passion is relieued in one by compassion of many Minus fit quod patitur vnum membrum si compatiantur alia membra nec ipsa mali releuatio fit per communionem cladis sed per solatium charitatis vt quamuis alij ferendo patiuntur alij cognoscendo compatiuntur Communis fit tamen tribulatio quibus probatio spes dilectio spiritusque communis est He that hath not this fellow feeling may suspect worthily that hee is not a liuely member of Christ for his bodie is coupled and knit together throughout euery ioynt wherewith one ministreth to another If then we doe not beare one anothers burthen and feele one another miserie wee are not knit together by the sinewes of loue and if not knit to the bodie no part of the bodie Fourthly there is no dead or idle member in the body but euery one helpes another and is seruiceable for the good of the whole the eye doth direct the head and the hand guard the eye the nose smels for all tongue speaks for all hand workes for all The eye cannot say to the hand I haue no need of thee nor the hand againe to the feet I haue no need of you but euery part seekes anothers and not his owne good In like sort the wise Counseller must see for all the tall Souldiers fight for all the iudicious Clerke write for all as Occam said vnto the Emperour Lewis If you will defend me with your sword I will defend you with my pen. Seeing wee haue diuers gifts according to the grace giuen vnto vs if a man haue the gift of prophecie let him haue it c. The duties here mentioned are partly Publike If a man haue the gift of prophecie c. Priuate If a man shew mercie let him do it with cheerfulnes The publike coÌ„cerne things Spiritual for Doctrine Theoricall as prophecying and teaching Practicall as exhortation Discipline let hâ—m that ruleth doe it with diligence Temporall if any man giue let him doe it with singlenes If any man haue the gift of prophecie let him haue it agreeing to the faith A Prophet in old time foretold things to come but vnder the Gospell a Prophet is hee that interprets the Prophets he that shewes Christ is come spoken of by y e mouth of al his holy Prophets euer since the world began A Preacher is a Prophet as the word is vsed 1. Cor. 14.1 and 1. Cor. 13. we know in part we prophecie in part A Preacher then must teach agreeing to the faith that is according to the Scripture which is a rule of faith or according to the Creede which is an abridgement of that rule for other foundation can no man lay then that which is laide Christ Iesus He that will edifie Gods house must build vpon Christ and square al his doctrines according to the rule of truth If any man speake let him talke as the words of God It is not said here that a Prophet ought to vse no booke but the Bible no Commentarie but the Creede for that is too spirituall as Mâ—rlorate notes He that will preach agreeing to the Scripture must reade the best expositors of the Scripture for as Bernard said all bookes are written for the bettering of the conscience which is the booke of the soule so wee must examine all bookes especially treatises of Diuinitie for the better vnderstanding of this one booke which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Booke Neither is it said here that the Prophet in the pulpit must speake nothing beside plaine text but only that hee must exercise his gift according to faiths analogie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teaching the wholesome words of Christ and consenting to the doctrine which is agreeable to godlinesse for whatsoeuer is deduced out of Gods booke by necessarie consequence must be receiued as his word let him that hath the gift of prophecie haue it agreeing to the faith Or as other interpret to beget and confirme faith in vs euermore For if a Prophet rise among you saying Let vs goe after other gods and serue them c. thou shalt not hearken vnto the words of the Prophet Deut. 13.1 The true Prophet is he Cuius in ore vâ—rbum vitae cuiâ—s in more vita verbi Or as Melanct. and most of the most ancient fathers according to the proportion of faith and grace giuen As if hee should say Whosoeuer is called by the Church lawfully to preach the Word let him abide therein according to the measure of his gift for God hath giuen to some more to some lesse and often blesseth him that hath lesse more then him that hath more Let euery man therfore exercise his talent with faith and diligence to the best edification of Gods people comitted to his charge so likewise let him that hath an office â—aite on his office let him that teacheth take heed to his doctrine let him that exhorteth giue attendance to his exhortation according to the proportion of grace Let not any suffer his talents to rust but
the works of darknesse put on tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind which are weapons of light It is due debt that you should be followers of God forbearing one another and forgiuing one another as Christ forgaue you See epist. dom 3. quadrages The Nouelists except against our Seruice Booke for omitting here two titles holy and beloued Our answer is that the word elect implies the rest for if elect then beloued and holy The Church omits not the greater and infers the lesser as the Churches of Scotland and Middleburge call Gods heauy iudgements vpon the wicked a little rap Psal. 74.12 and bread of affliction broâ—ne bread Psal. 127.2 Contrary not onely to the Geneua Bible but euen Câ—luins exposition of the place If these friuolous obiections be their aqua coelestis to keepe life in their fainting cause we may toll the passing bell and ere long ring out to the funerall Let the word of Christ That is the Scripture the Gospell especially so called in respect of three causes Efficient for he speakes in the Prophets and Apostles I am he that doth speake behold it is I. Materiall for hee is the contents of all the Bible shadowed in the Law shewed in the Gospell vnam vocem habent duo Testamenta The word of the Lord containes nothing but the word which is the Lord. Finall as being the end of the whole Law scope of all the Prophets euer since the world began Wherefore seeing the Scriptures haue Christ for their author Christ for their obiect Christ for their end well may they be called the word of Christ. Dwell We must not entertaine the word as a stranger giuing it a cold complement and so take our leaue but because it is Gods best friend the Kings best friend and our best friend we must vse it as a familiar and domesticke receiuing it into the parlor of our heart making it our chamber fellow study fellow bed fellow Things of lâ—sse moment are without doore the staffe behind the doore sed quae pretiosa sunt noâ— vno seruantur ostio things of worth are kept vnder many locks and keyes It is fit then that the word being more pretious then gold yea the most fine gold a peerlesse pearle should not be laid vp in the Porters lodge onely the outward eare but euen in the cabinet of the mind Deut. 11.18 Ye shall lay vp these my words in your heart and in your soule so the word that now doth plenteously dwell among you may dwell plenteously in you Plenteously Reade heare meditate with all attention exactly with all intention deuoutly with all diligence throughly Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures Esay 8.20 to the law to the testimony Apocalyps 1.3 Blessed is he that reades and heares and keepes the words of this prophecie not onely reade nor onely heare nor onely meditate but all sometime reade to rectifie meditation and sometime meditate to profit by reading Lectio sine meditatione arida meditatio sine lectione erronea It is reported of Alphonso King of Spaine that hee read ouer all the Bible with Lyraes postil fourteene times And Augustine writes of Antonius an Egyptian Monke that hauing no learning he did by hearing the Scriptures often read get them without booke and after by serious and godly meditation vnderstand them This one word plenteously confutes plenteously first ignorant people who cannot secondly negligent people who will not reade and heare thirdly delicate people who loath the Scriptures as vnpleasant preferring the Poets before the Prophets admitting into their house the writings of men before the word of God fourthly perfunctory students in the Bible turning ouer not the whole but some part and that so coldly that as it is said of the Delphicke Oracle quoties legitur toties negligitur a lesson is no sooner got but it is forgot fiftly couetous people who will not giue to their Pastor plenteously that the word may dwell in them plenteously Nehemia complained in his time that the Leuites for want of maintenance were faine to leaue the Temple and follow the plow And Saint Augustine made the like complaint in his age whereupon in processe of time Clergy men inuented such points of superstition as were most aduantageous vnto them Hence they â—aked heil and found out Purgatory to make the Popes kitchin smoke an inuention not knowne vnto the Greeke Church for the space of 1500. yeeres after Christ and but of late knowne to the Latine Hence praier for the dead indulgences and other new trickes of popery which are more for the Priests belly then the peoples benefit God of his infinite goodnesse forgiue Britans ingratitude in this kind and grant that the burning lamps in our Temple may be supplied with sufficient oile that the light of Israel goe not out Sixtly this condemes Enthusiasts despising the word and ministery Seuenthly the Marcionits and Manichees reiecting Moses and the Prophets Last of all and most of all the Papists in denying the vulgar translations of Scripture to the common people Let the word of God dwell in you that is in all you Priest and people Non in nobis modo sed in vobis as Saint Hierom peremptorily Hic ostenditur verbum Christi non sufficientèr sed abundantèr etiam laicos habere debere docerese inuicem vel monere The word must dwell in vs Ergo the Bible must be in our house It must dwell plenteously Ergo we must reade daily but as it followes in the text With all wisdome The Papists as well in the Church as in the street chant scripture plenteously but because their hymnes are not in a knowne tongue it is without vnderstanding The Brownists in their bookes and sermons often cite scripture plenteously but it is not in wisdome Learned Origen notes well and where hee doth well none better that heretikes are scripturarum fures great lurchers of holy writ but they so wrest it that as Hierom speaks Euangelium Christi fit euangelium hominis aut quod peius est dâ—aboli Table Gospellers are full of text It is ordinary to discusse diuinitie problemes euen at ordinaries a custome very common but by the censure of our Church no way commendable For the 37. Iniunction forbids all men to reason of diuine scripture rashly and the greatest part of Archbishop Cranmers preface before the Church Bible is spent against idle brabling and brawling in matters of Theology And a graue Diuine much esteemed in our daies held it better for venturous discoursers of predestination and sinne against the holy Ghost that they had neither tongues in their heads nor hearts in their breasts then that they should continue in this irreuerend vsage Manlius reports how two meeting at a tauerne contended much to little purpose about their faith One said he was of Doctor Martins religion and the other sware he was of Doctor Luthers
say vnto the people This part of our Sauiours answere concernes the commendation of Iohn if Alexander the great accounted Achilles happie for that he had so good a trumpeter of his honor as Homer what an exceeding glory was it for the Baptist to be thus extolled by Christ who being truth it selfe would not flatter and could not lie Diuines out of these circumstances of persons and time note Christs wisdome and sinceritie wisdome who did not magnifie Iohn before those who did already praise him too much his sinceritie that would not flatter him before his owne disciples albeit hee did extoll him before the people when they were gone It is an olde saying of Gregorie Plus nocet lingua adulatoris quà m gladius persâ—cutoris The word of the flatterer hurts more then the sword of the persecuter A malicious enemie doth often good by telling vs of our vices but a fauning friend wrongs vs in telling vs of our vertues either commending that which wee haue not or too much extolling that which wee haue the which is termed in the Canon law simonia linguae verball simonie Salt was vsed in the legall sacrifices but not hony that our lips may offer vp acceptable sacrifice to God We must haue salt in our speech and not honey complements as being more desirous to correct our acquaintance wisely then to flatter them basely Sidona non sunt dona quae dant hostium Nec verba quae dant verba sed sunt verbera The Parasite saith the Poet hath bread in one hand and a stone in the other vsing vs as the Iewes did Christ carrie vs vp to the top of an hill and then cast vs downe headlong Christ therefore rebuked the Pharisies before their face but commended Iohn behinde his backe not to his owne but to the people lest they should entertaine an ill conceit of him who was a Preacher and a Prophet and here by the way note that the difference betweene the Disciples of Christ and Iohn in matter of ceremonies as fasting and washing of hands made no schisme in the Church but Iohn gaue this testimonie of Christ that he was not worthie to loose the latchet of his shoe and Christ here commends highly both the carriage and calling of Iohn affirming of the one that hee was not an inconstant or vaine man of the other that he was a Prophet and more then a Prophet There are three kindes of Prophets according to the threefold distinction of time some write of things past as Moses In the beginning God created c. penning an hexameron many yeares after the world was made some of things to come so Christ was foretold by the mouth of all his holy Prophets euer since the world began some of things present as Zacharias in his song Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people Christ being then conceiued had begun his visitation and such a Prophet was olde Simeon at Christs circumcision Mine eyes haue seene thy saluation Now Iohn is more then any of these because he is all these prophesying of things past I am the voice of him that crieth in the wildernes opening an olde text of Esay prophesying of things present Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world prophesying of things to come Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Secondly Iohn is more then a Prophet for whereas other prophesied onely in their life Iohn was a prophet in his mothers bellie before hee was borne for when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary the babe sprang in her wombe the which was so sensible a prophesie that Elizabeth instantly called Mary the mother of our Lord. Thirdly Iohn was greater then the Prophets vnder the lawe because they prophesied of Christ to come but Iohn bare record that he was come being as diuines haue tearmed him a midling betweene a Prophet and an Apostle a propheticall Apostle and an apostolicall Prophet Limes inter vtrumque constitutus in quo desinerent vetera noua inciperent The Baptist then is more then a Prophet in pointing him out with the finger who is the very center of all the Prophets aime Fourthly greater then a Prophet in that he baptized the Lord of the Prophets But what need we looke any further when as our Sauiour in the very next verse giues a sufficient reason of this assertion out of the Prophet Malachie This is he of whom it is written Behold I send my messenger before thy face c. Other Prophets are sent to men but Iohn to God from God the Father to God the Sonne Behold saith God the Father I send mine Angell before thee c. Christ in all his Sermons vsually cited text for the proofe of his doctrine so Iohn the Baptist I am the voice of a crier as saith the Prophet Esay So Saint Peter This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Ioel so Saint Paul buildeth all his exhortations and conclusions vpon euidence of holy writ teaching vs hereby that howsoeuer the descant bee fetched out of the schoole yet the grounds of all our preaching must be taken out of Gods owne booke Beleeue this for it is written doe this for it is written Aâ—di dicit Dominus non dicit Donatus aut Rogatus aut Vincentius aut Hilarius aut Augustinus sed dicit Dominus Expound one text by comparing it with another for the Prophets are commentaries vpon Moses and the Gospell is a short exposition of both and that you may the better performe this examine the questions harmonies concordances annotations glosses of the learned Doctors in Christs Church from time to time for it was an impudent speech of Abelardus Omnes sic sed ego non sic and worthily censured by Bernard Os talia loquens â—ustibus iustâ—â—s tunderetur quà m rationibus refelleretur For as the word of God was not penned in olde time so lâ—kewise not to be consâ—â—ued in our time by any priuate spirit 2. Pâ—t 1.20.21 â—eâ—old I seâ—â— my 〈…〉 Our Euangelist reports 〈◊〉 spokeâ— by God the Fathâ—â— but the Prophet as 〈◊〉 by the Sonne Bâ—hâ—ld I 〈◊〉 â—end my â—essâ—nger and 〈…〉 before me This alâ—ering of the persons hath troubled Interpreters a little some therefore thus I send my messenger before my face that is before my Sonne Hebr. 1.3 This obseruation is true but not pertinent for to send a messenger before a mans face is nothing els but to send a messenger before him as Hab. 3.5 Before him went the pestilence and Ieremie Lament 1.5 Her children are gone into captiuitie before the enemie Ante faciem tribulantis and so Christ expounds it here before thy face that is before thee Now for the changing of the persons it is vsuall in the Bible Saint Peter affirmes thaâ— the word of God was written by the holy Ghost but Saint Paul
other presuming too much vpon Gods mercie Euery man is naturally like Simon the Sorcerer Act. 8. conceiting himselfe to be some great man as Martin Luther said All of vs haue a Pope bred in vs an opinion of our owne workes albeit there be in vs no reall vertue no true substance yet Narcissus like we are inamoured with our owne shadowes and this is the Serpents head the beginning of all euill Omnium iniustitiarum est ferè sola causa iustitia Wherefore we must labour euerie day to dig downe this high mountaine we must descend that wee may ascend as wee fell by ascending so wee must be raised by descending Beda wrote of the Publican Appropinquare noluit ad Deum vt appropinquaret ad illum Hee that will not be a mountaine in Christs way must not be a mount-bank of his owne vertue but leuell himselfe euen with the ground working his saluation in feare and trembling The second kinde of mountaines are such as raise themselues vpon meere presumption of mercie boasting of a shorter cut to heauen then either the good works of Papists or good words of Puritanes abusing that sweete text of Paul Where sinne aboundeth there grace superaboundeth Indeed where sinne is felt and grieued for theâ—e Gods grace is greater then our sinne both in imputation and effect for our sinnes are finite whereas his goodnesse is infinite the salue is greater then the sore Non peccantis merito sed superuenientis auxilio But when we draw iniquitie with cords of vanitie and sinne as with cartropes when wee speake good of euill and euill of good when as without any remorse we sin presumptuously when as we fall not forward as Abraham and Ezechiel but backward as old Eli and the Iewes who tooke Christ then assuredly the more sin the lesse grace Shall wee continue still in sinne that grace may abound God forbid Yea God hath forbidden it enioyning vs to bee holie as hee is holie that being deliuered out of the hands of all our enemies wee might serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life A man is deiected and made a valley two waies in regard of his Great faults Little faith The voice of the Crier must pronounce Gods proclamation and generall pardon for the one and applie it in particular for the strengthening of the other The fift and last question of the Pharisies is Why baptizest thou then if thou be not the Christ neither Elias nor the Prophet Vnto which Iohn answered I baptize with water c. This last interrogatorie was the first in their intention for the Pharisies had a tradition that none might baptize but Christ or some great Prophet and therefore they did first aske craftily whether hee were Christ or a Prophet and then hauing vndermined him thoroughly with what authoritie doest thou baptize being neither Christ nor Elias nor a Prophet S. Iohns answere is opposite but apposite I am a Minister but not a Messias I giue the outward signe but Christ is he who doth giue the inward grace I baptize you with water but hee that commeth after me shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and fire In which he compareth the ministerie of man with the power of God the outward baptisme with the spirituall baptisme where of the first is done by the hand of man the other is peculiar only to Christ. The comparison is not as the Papists imagine betweene the baptisme of Iohn and Christ but betweene the person of Iohn and Christ for the baptisme of Iohn and Christ are one both in effect and authoritie for Iohns baptisme was not of his owne deuising but of Gods institution as hee sheweth his commission in the first of Ioh. 33. He that sent me to baptize with water c. a text which hath made Bellarmine contradict himselfe twice in one page For whereas he first had set downe peremptorily that Iohn instituted his owne baptisme now hee confesseth honestly that God was author of it for the matter in generall but not for the manner in particular and yet after long search hee cannot finde in what rite Iohns baptisme differs from Christs It is an axiome deliuered in their owne schoole that there are but two things essentiall in Baptisme verbum elementuÌ„ the outward element of water and inuocation of the blessed Trinitie So S. August Accedit verbum ad elementuÌ„ fit sacramentuÌ„ Other things are required in a SacrameÌ„t circumstantially not substantially Now Bellarmine out of this text grants that Iohn vsed the right element for he saith I baptize you with water and out of Ambrose cites against himselfe that Iohn inuocated the sacred Trinitie Father Sonne and holie Ghost Ergo. the baptisme of Iohn and Christ are one for essence so likewise one in effect for Iohn preached the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sinnes Ergo forgiuenes of sinnes is by the baptisme of Iohn so well as by the baptisme of the blessed Apostles as Augustin Basil. Greg. Nyssen out of that text obserue neither doth the Cardinal disauow their glosse though the Councell of Trent hath denounced anathema to such as hold baptismum Ioannis habuisse eandem vim cum baptismo Christi â— let Matthaeus Tortus if he can vnloose this wedge for his Master I feare that ouerthwart Diuine so little that I say with Luther Hunc noduÌ„ neque soluunt neque soluent vnquam omnes papicolae in vnum Chaos confusi The Scripture makes no difference betweene Iohns and our baptisme but this only that we baptise in Christum passum râ—suscitatum whereas Iohn baptised in Christum passurum resurrecturum See Epist. Dom. 17. post Trin. The Epistle GALAT. 4.1 I say that the heire so long as he is a child differeth not from a seruant c. IGnorant people behold rather an Image well painted then a booke well written and are sooner perswaded with plaine similitudes and familiar examples then with subtill reasons and accurate discourses Our Apostle therefore after hee had vsed for his purpose namely to proue that iustification is not by the law but by faith in Christ the comparison of a mans will of the prison of the schoolemaster in the former Chapter addes also this of an heire wherein as in euery similitude two points are remarkable the proposition vers 12. reddition in the rest In which our twofold estate must bee considered of Thraldome vâ—der Moses Freedome by Christ when the lawes tyrannical gouernement ends and that is Two maner of waies as Interpreters out of the text 1. By the coÌ„ming of Christ in the flesh once at the fulnes of time vers 4.5 2. By the coÌ„ming of Christ in the spirit daily vers 6.7 In his firstcomming note the Fact vers 4. and in it the Giuer God whose good wil appeares in bestowing
Alcibiades and steale away their harts as Absolon did in Israel If a man were so bewitching an Orator that he could pro arbitrio tollere extollere â—mplificare extenuare magicis quasi viribus eloquentiae in quam velit faciem habitumque transformare so subtill a disputer as that he could make quidlibet ex quólibet euery thing of anything yet without loue were he nothing Yea though a man could speake with the tongues of Angels that is of the learned Priests and Prophets who are Gods Angels and messengers If a man had the siluer trumpet of Hilary or the golden mouth of Chrysostome or the mellifluous speech of Origen cuius ex ore non tam verba quà m mella fluâ—re videntur If a man were so painfull in preaching that as Saint Peter he could adde to the Church with one sermon about three thousand soules or as it is recorded of venerable Beda fondly and falsly that he could make the very stones applaud his notes and say Amen Or as other expound it hyperbolically though a man should speake like the glorious Angels as Paul Gal. 1.8 Though an Angell from heauen should preach vnto you si quae sint Angelorum linguae Giue me leaue to adde one thing more to this hyperbolicall supposition If a man could speake like God as antiquity reports of Plato that if Iupiter himselfe should speake Greeke he would vse no other phrase but his And of Chrysippus that if the gods should speake logicke they would haue none but his Or as the people blasphemously of Herod Act. 12. The voice of God and not of man Though I say we could speake with tongues of men of Angels of God if it were possible and haue not loue we were but as a sounding brasse or as a tinckling cymball we might happily pleasure other but not profit our selues vnto saluation Herein resembling Balâ—ams Asse who by speaking bettered her Master not her selfe A plaine piece of brasse makes but a plaine noise Tinkers musicke but a tinckling cymball in regard of the concauity yeelds a various sound a more pleasant stroke So rude speakers are like sounding brasse but the Curious and Iudicious adorned with multiplicity of distinctions and variety of good learning are as a tinckling cymball or more tickling delight to their hearers and yet if they preach without loue their sound is without life Qui non diligit fratrem manâ—â— in morte saith S. Iohn Such fitly resemble the sermon bel which cals other to the Church but heares nothing it selfe it weares out to his owne hurt though others good Nay when Auditors are perswaded throughly that their Pastors instruct not out of charity their plaine doctrines are but as sounding brasse tedious as the Tinkers note their accurate sermons as a tinâ—kâ—ing cyâ—ball which onely pierce the eares and enter not into their hearts as the Prophet aptly Their admonitions are vnto them as a iesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can sing well for they heare their words but they doe them not As one that heares excellent musicke from out of the streetes in the night will instantly leape out of his bed and lend his care for a time but when the musitians are gone presently returnes to sleep againe so many delight to heare the sweet songs of Sâ—on but when the sermon is at an end they sleep in their old sinnes againe forgetting immediaâ—ly the good lesson as if it were but the drumming on a pan or scraping on a keâ—â—le And though I 〈◊〉 prâ—phâ—â—ie Prophecie then is nothing without loue For Balaam Caâ—pâ—â— and Sâ—ul propheciâ—d Vnderstanding of mysteries is nothing without loue for Iudas and Nicolas and Arius were wel acquainted with the scriptures All knowledge is nothing for the Scribes had the key of knowledge yet entred not in themselues And all knowledge Though a man were an Ocean of learning as Plutarch is called in so much that Theodoâ—â— Gaza said if he could reade but one mans bookes he would make choice of him Or if a man were so full as Plinie whose works are instar mille voluminum if a man were a treasure house of letters as Picus Mirandula writes of Hermolaus Barbarus a library for a whole nation as Baronius of Albinus as Erasmus of Bishop Tonstal a world of learning mundus eruditionis abounding with skill in all Arts theorical real metaphysical inspired as Diuinity contained in y e Bible acquired of w t Aristotle and Auicen write mathematical as Arithmetike Geometry Musicke Astronomie physical concerning the Principles Generation of naturall things rational Grammar Rhetoricke Logicke practical actiue Ethicks Oeconomicks Politicks factiue as skill in Nauigation Husbandry Hunting c. If a man vnderstand all mysteries in Scripture all secrets in nature â—f he had all faith that he could remoue mountaines in a literall sense moue that which cannot be moued high hils Imponere Pelion Ossae in an allegorical exposition cast out diuels If a man had all parts of all knowledge prophecie sapience prudence and had not loue he were nothing Nothing in esse gratiae though something in esse naturae dead spiritually though something some great thing in the naturall and ciuill life For great Clerkes haue long life on earth Albeâ—t Aquiras Iewel Picus Mirandula Whitaker died in the principall strength of their age yet in respect of honour and fame they liue with the longest Dum liber vllus erit dum scrinia sacra literarum Te leget omnis amans Christum tua Cypriane discet Knowledge is a good stirrup also to get aloft the hie way to much honor prefermeÌ„t in this world but without loue nothing auailable to glory eternall in the world to come Knowledge bloweth vp but charity buildeth vp If learning be taken without the true correctiue thereof it hath in it some nature of poison and some effects of that malignity which is a swelling If I speake with the tongues of men and Angels and had not charitie it were but as a tinckling câ—mball Not but that it is an excellent thing to speake with tongues of men and Angels and a far more noble treasure to possesse all knowledge For Christ said of his Apostles that they were the light of the world and the worthy Doctors succeeding were luminaria magna great starres in the firmament of the Church by whose light descending from the father of lights we finde out the truth hidden in many darke places of the scripture But the meaning of Pâ—â—â— iâ— if our knowledge be seuered from loue and not referred to the good of men and glory of God it hath rather a sounding glory then a meriting vertue though it seeme to be neuer so much it is a very nothing The Papists out of these words If I haue all faith so that I can remoue mountaines