of the Kingdome of heauen not of the earth not of any place vnder the earth They giue authority to their Pope to dispose of earthly Kingdomes at his pleasure and full Iurisdiction ouer Purgatory which they take to be vnder the earth Christ teacheth vs to pray vnto God for forgiuenesse of sinnes Forgiue vs our trespasses They fall downe before their ghostly Father and craue of him Absolution Against the iudgement of Cyprian Veniam peccatix quae iâ— Dâ—minum commissa sunt solus potest ille largiri qui peccata nostra portauit c. He onely can grant pardon to our sinnes which wee haue committed against the Lord who onely bare our sinnes Against the iudgement of Hierome who plainely teacheth in Math. 16. That as the Priest in the old Law did not make any cleane or vncleane but onely shewed in what case they were So in the New the Bishop or Priest doth not bind such as are guilty nor loose such as be faultlesse but according to his duty he heareth the varieties of offences or offenders Peccatorum hee knoweth who is to be bound to wit of God and who to be loosed Thus Hieronym Briefely Christ said to the Thiefe vpon the Crosse and in him to all that are truely penitent This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Thou shalt be translated from death to life and forthwith too without suffering any thing any where after this life They teach that though the sinne be forgiuen in the Sacrament of Penance yet that the punishment must be indured in Purgatory if there be not satisfaction made either here by giuing of Almes gadding in Pilgrimage c. or hence by the Priests Masses or by the Popes Pardons prouided that both be well paid for What is to make merchandize of the Word of God what to make merchandize of the soules of men if this be not Neither is their doctrine sounder touching the exercise of the Church Prayer and Inuocation Saint Paul saith that hee had rather speake in the Church fiue words with his vnderstanding that he might instruct others then a thousand with a strange tongue Yea Lyra himselfe though he liued in a most darke time yet saw thus much Si populus intelligat orationem Sacerdotis melius reducitur in Deum deuotius respondet Amen c. If the people doe vnderstand the prayer of the Priest he is better reduced vnto God and doth more deuoutely answer Amen What doe our Aduersaries Doe they that which is better and more deuout No they serue the people with Latin Seruice which they doe no more vnderstand then they doe the Turkish language and so whether they blesse them or curse them speake to them or speake to God they cannot tell Were it not all one for vnderstanding and edifying to be in Cyclops Caue where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in such a Church This for the manner of their prayer So for the obiect Saint Paul would haue vs to lift vp pure hands to God 1. Tim. 2. And our Sauiour whatsoeuer yee aske the Father in my Name hee will giue it to you And Augustine Quis andiuit aliquando fidelium stantem Sacerdotem ad Altare c. Who hath heard at any time a Christian Priest standing at the Altar c. and say in his prayer O Peter O Paul O Cyprian I offer vnto thee a Sacrifice whereas in the Oratories dedicated to their memories the offering is made to God who made them both men and Martyrs If no Sacrifice be to be offered then not the Sacrifice of prayer if an outward or visible Sacrifice be not to be offered to them much lesse then an inuisible and spirituall But now how is it with our Aduersaries As the Prophet vpbrayded the Iewes According to the number of thy Cities be thy gods O Israel So may wee say to them According to the number of thy Prouinces nay of thy Townes nay of thy Churches nay of thy Trades nay of thy persons be thy gods thy Saints thy Tutelares dij God the Father was shunned and abhorred as one that dwelled in the light that no man can haue accesse vnto nay as one that had Foenum in Cornu and with whom there was no dealing God the Sonne was forgotten as one that was gone into a farre Countrey or that was asleepe and needed to be awaked like Baal or that was wearyed with hearing suites himselfe and therefore for his ease had appointed certaine Deputies vnder him as Darius did or certaine Masters of Requests to report vnto him the seuerall suites of his subiects as many Christian Princes haue whereas for power He is God and can perfectly saue them that come to him themselues and for will He became man and weake and was tempted that Hee might be touched with a feeling of our infirmity And for credit with his Father you know what is written Math. 3. This is my beloued Son in whom I am well pleased Therefore as Saint Peter saith Lord to whom shall wee goe thou hast the words of euerlasting life This for the matter of Doctrine and instruction so for the matter of prayer and supplication we may and ought to be of Augustines resolution Tutius incundius loquor ad meum lesum quà m ad aliquem Sanctorum Spirituum Dei I find it more safe and sweet to speake vnto my God then to any of the Saints of God Now for the causes of our saluation and the meanes thereof doth the Scripture set downe any other meritorious cause then the Death and Passion of our Sauiour Christ or any other meane or instrument to take hold of the same then Faith God hath giuen vs eternall life in his Son Iohn 5. The blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne Vnto men there is no name giuen by which they may be saued but onely the Name of Iesus Christ. The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue Gal. 3. And to be short As many as receiued him to them he gaue power to be the sons of God euen them that beeleue in his Name Iohn 1. Thus Christ is made to be the meritorious cause to be the authour and finisher of our Iustification and Saluation and Faith is made the instrumentall Therefore if they like not of the Doctrine we may say to them as Constantine did to Acetius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they were best to make a new Ladder to clime vpto heauen by since the Ladder of Iacob will not serue the turne Will you know how they shift off such a cloud of Testimonies and what is their doctrine When they are pressed with those places that doe plainely make Christ to be the Alpha and Omega the beginning and ending of our Saluation c. they grant he is so in this sense that he giueth grace to men to worke righteousnesse and to
merit for themselues but as for the imputing of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs beleeuing that they make a iest at euen as their forefathers the Heathen did Irridere fidem Christianorum iocularibus facetijs lancinare as Arnobius sayes yet Saint Paul saith Rom. 5.19 As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so by the obedience of One many shall be made righteous How were wee made sinners by one mans disobedience that is Adams Was not the same imputed to vs and laid to our charge as if we had beene actuall transgressors with Adam and had bin in Paradise with him and had eaten of the forbidden fruit as well as he Euen so we must haue Christs obedience and sufferings imputed to vs as though we had suffered and done as much as the Law requireth in our persons or else we cannot be presented blameles in Gods sight Neither hath this Doctrine seemed strange to the Fathers Pro delictis nostris ipse precatur delicta nostra sua delicta facit vt Iustitiam suam nostram iustitiam faceret He prayeth for our offences and maketh our offences to be his owne offences that he might make his righteousnesse to be our owne righteousnesse Thus â—ugustin Bernard also that I trouble you with no more was of thâ— same mind Cur non aliunde iustitia cùm aliunde reatus Why may not righteousnesse come from another as well as guiltinesse comes from another As if he said Might the first Adams sinne be imputed to vs and may not the second Adams righteousnesse be imputed as well But to whom The Scripture is so plaine God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that as many as beleeued in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Yee are saued by grace through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes lest any man should boast himselfe Ephes. 2. In which words the Apostle doth set downe the two maine causes of our Saluation the fiâ—st and efficient whereof is grace that is the grace of Christ the second faith being the instrumentall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if the quality inherent in vs could merit any thing in the matter of our Iustification without respect vnto Christ but excludeth that together with all worth and workes of ours Not of workes saith the Apostle and rendreth the reason lest any man should boast signifying that because God would barre all flesh from glorying in his sight haue all the glory himselfe therefore therefore that works are wholy excluded from being causes or instruments of our sauing But there must be an end of the former part of our discourse except we will haue the later altogether vntouched Come we therefore to the reason or ground of St. Pauls resolution For it is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth c. Euery word of this reasonisa reason how strong therfore is the reason I cannot be ashamed saith S. Paul of power specially of such power as is Diuine specially of such Diuine power as saueth specially of such that saueth not him that meriteth but him that beleeueth specially such as saueth not two or three beleeuers but euery one without exception And such a thing is the Gospell therefore I cannot be ashamed of it The major of whose Argument we will first consider of briefely and then wee may insist vpon the minor more at large Phocion that worthy Athenian being sent and employed by Chabrias then in the chiefest office to gather the tribute of the Ilanders and with twenty ships made answer That if he were sent to fight the Nauy was too small if to friends and companions in waste it was too great one ship might serue the turne The like is written of Tigranes King of Armenia that when he espyed the Romane Army containing not aboue eluen thousand of horse and foote his being of aboue 200000. he despised them in his heart saying If they come as Embassadours they are too many if as Soldiers too few So in the Booke of God namely 1. Reg. 20. When Benhadad that had so great an Army that he vanted saying The gods doe so and so vnto me if the dust of Samaria be enough to all the people that follow me for euery man an handfull and was otherwise so puissant that thirty two Kings did helpe him When he I say sawe the seruants of the Princes as it were a forlorne Company embatteld against him Whether they be come out for peace take them aliue or whether they be come out to fight to take them aliue So also Numb 13. When the Spies that were sent out to search the Land of promise made report of it that all the people that they sawe there were men of great stature euen Gyants the sonnes of Anak and that themselues were in comparison to them but as Grassehoppers the whole Congregation lifted vp their voyce and cryed and wept all the night they were so much abashed at the report of their power By which examples that I produce no more you may see that as opinion of power and strength maketh the one part bold and couragious so feeblenesse and weakenesse dismayeth and confoundeth the other Thou art not able to goe and fight with yonder Philistine said Saul to Dauid 1. Sam. 17. For thou art a boy and he is a man of warre from his youth So lest any should say to our Apostle You threaten to come to the Romanes Rerum Dominos gentemque togatam and to bring your Gospell with you Alas what can you doe what can it doe Your bodily presence is but weake your speech rude your words but wind nay distastefull and vnwelcome to all the world Is it not euery where spoken against Doth any of the Rulers Consuls Tribunes Pretors c. beleeue on Christ but onely a few of the rascality which know not the Law Lest any I say should say so the Apostle answereth for himselfe that he knoweth what he doth the Word that hee bringeth is not his owne but His that sent him the Gospell that he preacheth is not weake but mighty in operation able to cast downe strong holds and whatsoeuer opposeth it selfe to it It is power and therefore what can it not doe Yea it is the power of God that is such a powerfull Instrument as whereto God promiseth a blessing and force for euer therefore shall it stand out to the end What if the Romanes be mighty Yet he that dwelleth in the heauens is mightier What if he be a strong man armed that keepeth the house Yet when a stronger then he commeth he will take away his armour wherein he trusted and rifle him If God be on our side if his presence goe with vs as Moses said we shall find all things worke for the best to bring men to faith and consequently to Saluation Therefore
the first It is certaine that as the Father hath life in himselfe and light and wisedome and knowledge so he giueth his Son to haue the same in him nay he hath the same of himselfe as he is God No want in the God-head may be imagined nor degrees of hauing but all is perfit and at once yea and from the beginning He therefore being Iehouah and Shaddai all-being and euer-being all-sufficient and euer-sufficient may not be thought to haue asked this question to be better informed for his owne part for he knoweth all and needed not that any should testifie of man for hee knew what was in man Iohn 2. But as in the 12. of Iohn Christ saith This voyce came not for my sake but for yours So may we say of Christs words in my Text that they were not vttered for himselfe but for vs. It was good that the world should be satisfied concerning the resolution of the Apostles to follow Christ whatsoeuer came of it for their honour for our example for the glory of God in giuing such gifts vnto men Therefore doth the Lord bring forth their righteousnesse as the morning and causeth their faith to breake forth into confession They beleeued and therefore did they speake Wee also if we beleeue we will speake and will not be ashamed of him before men lest he also be ashamed of vs before his Father which is in heauen It is worth the remembring that Plutarch in his booke of Isis Osiris writeth of the Peach namely that the Egyptians of all fruit did make choise of that to consecrate it to their great Goddesse for this cause because the fruit thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is like to ones heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the leafe to the tongue Indeed when the heart and the tongue goe together then the harmony is sweete and the seruice pleasing both to God and man Euen as Saint Paul setteth downe the perfitnesse of our duty and consequently of our happinesse With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse with the mouth he confesseth vnto saluation This therefore may seeme to be a speciall cause why Christ demandeth of the twelue whether they would play the Turne-coats as some others did namely to draw forth their confession and profession of their faith As for the other doubt Whether the Elect can fall away the same will easily be cleared if we agree vpon the termes of Elect and falling away namely if we vnderstand by Elect such as are chosen according to the purpose of grace vnto an inheritance immortall vndefiled that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for them and by falling away an vtter departing from the fellowship of the Saints and an vtter renouncing of the truth reuealed The truly Elect cannot so vtterly become cast-awayes If then man and the world and the Deuill were stronger then God then the gifts and calling of God had repentance then Christ should not loue to the end whom he loueth yea then some should be able to take them out of the Fathers hand All which points and twenty more to this purpose are directly contrary to Gods Word which cannot lye Therefore we conclude that a man truly Elect cannot throughly perish I grant Saul and Iudas were Elect or chosen but it was to an office not to the Kingdome of glory Peter and others fell away but it was for a time not finally they wauered and staggered and felt some eclipse in their faith but the same was neuer extinguished nor rooted vp Christ prayed for Peter and not for him onely but for as many as should beleeue in his Name Iohn 17. that their faith should not faile And can Satan or all the power of hell preuaile against Christs prayer Praedestinatorum nemo cum Diabolo peribit nemo vsque ad mortem sub Diaboli potestate remanebit None of the predestinate shall perish with the Deuill none of them shall remaine vnder the Deuils power euen vnto death as Saint Augustine speakes And in his booke De Catechizandis rudibus Cap. 11. â—erusalem shall be deliuered and none of her shall perish for he that perished was not a Citizen of her Thus he He learned it of Saint Iohn They went out from vs but were not of vs c. Let vs end this point with another testimony of Austin more pregnant and plaine then either of them Horum he speaketh of the Elect si quisquam perit fallitur Deus sed nemo eorum fuerit quia non fallitur Deus Horum si quisquam perit vitio humano vincitur Deus sed nemo eorum fuerit quia nulla re vincitur Deus that is if any of the Elect perish God is deceiued but none of them perisheth because God is not deceiued if any of them perish God is ouercome by mans fault or naughtinesse but none of them perisheth because God is ouercome of nothing Well hauing thus vntyed the two knots or doubts that might seeme to entangle the Text let vs returne to the same againe and see what further we may learne out of it Will ye also goe away Plutarch writeth of Brutus that this was a great content and comfort to him at his end that though he had Crebra transfugia of the common sort many of them forsooke him and turned to the enemy yet none of his friends or neere ones forsooke him On the other side it must needs be a great corrasiue to Caesars heart that Labienus that had done him so worthy seruice against the Galles nine or tenne yeeres together left him in the quarrell betweene him and Pompey took Pompeys part I haue nourished brought vp children they to rebell against me this cuts my gall saith God in effect in Esay What my son that came out of mine own bowels to miniken the matter against me nay to make head against me This is such a matter as would make a man exclaime Be astonied O heauens and blush O earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What thou my sonne said one to his neere one He made resistance against others saith the story but when he saw his owne naturall to draw vpon him then he was weary of his life then he desired to liue no longer Therefore herein appeareth Christs magnanimity that he was not danted for the perfidiousnes of the run-awayes but all the while he had them that were of best note to sticke vnto him he reckoned not for the Apostasie of others Let vs be of the same minde Beloued Suppose all should cowre downe cowardly saue three hundred nay suppose that all should worship the Image that Nabuchadnezzar of Rome putteth vp saue three nay suppose that all should bowe their knees to Baal or worship the golden Calfe saue Elias and Moses should this make vs to goe away Nay greater is he that is in vs then he that is in the world saith our Sauiour And more there bee which be with vs then they
against the Luciferians Quae est ista simplicitas nescire quod credas c What simplicity is this to beleeue you cannot tell what He beleeued simply what did he beleeue By which places you see that as the knowledge of Christ is required if we meane to be acknowledged of his Father so this knowledge must not be a generall conceit or notice onely that there is such a one and that some thing he hath done for so we shall shoote but at an vncertaine marke striue as they that beate the ayre as Saint Paul saith but we must know in particular what great things he hath done and from what aboundant loue hee did it and with what fierce enemies he encountred in doing it and for what kind of persons he did that which he did and lastly in what miserable estate we had beene if he had not done it And is this so easie a faith that it may be gotten with once opening of our eyes or conned by one stans pede in vno or haue we not need rather to search the Scriptures as Christ spake and to Take vp and read Take vp and read as Augustine was admonished and to attend to those things which the Preachers teach vs as Lydia did to Pauls Doctrine As I say we are to giue our diligence that we may be skilfull in the whole booke of God in the whole doctrine of our Saluation so especially it shall behoue vs to get by heart and haue in a readinesse such Sentences as doe summarily and briefly containe the mysterie of Christs Incarnation and the chiefe benefits of his Mediatorship And such a place of Scripture is this that I haue in hand yea such a word is this Immanuel so rich so effectuall so full of Doctrine and consolation if you doe not so much tell the syllables as prize the waight and doe not so much content your selues with the outward barke and rinde as with the inward substance and pith Consider therefore of it againe and againe and marke me opening and vnfolding of it This therefore I say that in this word is couched together both Christs Nature and his Office His Natures of two kindes both Diuine and humane and yet but one Person his Offices though diuers for functions yet all tending to this one end to set vs at peace with God and to vnite him vnto vs. he shall call his name Immanuel or God with vs. Now to proue vnto you Well-beloued that Christ is God very God as Saint Iohn speakes God blessed for euer as Saint Paul calleth him I hold it superfluous before Christians since not onely the whole Scripture being giuen by inspiration from God doth auow so much The Law the Prophets the Psalmes the Apostles the Euangelists c. but also the Father himselfe the Word himselfe and the holy Ghost himselfe those three in heauen and vpon earth the works that he did farre exceeding the power of any creature and especially the raising himselfe from death the third day together with the bodies of many Saints that had slept longer Thus as Aratus saith of Iupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All streets are full of Iupiter and markets and the Sea and Ports c. So is it true of Christ and his Deity that he hath filled all places with the glory thereof so the same needs not to be proued or demonstrated no more needeth his humanity whereof besides his birth shape growing his hunger his thirst his faintnesse and wearinesse his feare and shrinking his stripes and buffetings his reuilings his cruell and bitter death and lastly his burying be abundant witnesses So be there also euidences enow of the vnity of his Person in two Natures euen in these two places of Scripture Iohn 1. The Word became flesh and dwelt among vs and we saw the glory of him c. He doth not say of them though he were both God and Man Word and Flesh. And Iohn 3. No man ascendeth into heauen but he that descended from heauen the Sonne of man which is in heauen he doth not say Sonnes as of many but Sonne though hee speake of such a manner of existence which is not incident to one nature Christ therefore is but one but his Natures are two Diuine Humane both true both perfect yet vnseparable and vnconfused For neither hath the Deity swallowed vp the humanity so thought that wicked Hereticke Eutyches neither hath the humanity made a new person from the Deity as thought that vile miscreant Nestorius But howsoeuer according to his Deity he be equall to his Father inuisible impassible incircumscriptible c. and according to his humanity he be like to vs euen of the same nature with vs corporall visible reall hauing flesh and bone and a reasonable soule as wee haue yet as is truly taught by Athanasius Hee is not two but one Christ for if there were two then the Prophet should not haue said in my Text She shall call his name but She shall call their names And the Apostle should not haue said to Timothy There is one Mediator betweene God and man but There are two Mediators the Sonne of Mary and the Sonne of God yea then he could not haue said truly as he doth that God was in Christ that God was manifested in the flâ—sh or that the Princes crucified the Lord of glory which places doe most strongly euince the Deity not to haue beene separated from the humanity being once assumed but in death nor the humanity to make an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it selfe but both together concurring in the person of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which yet was a perfect Person before he assumed our nature to make vp the Head of his Church euen the Sauiour of his body that is the Sauiour of all that beleeue Now hauing spoken so much which was contrary to my promise and contrary to my meaning of the vnspeakeable vnion of two Natures in one Immanuel let vs consider a little of the causes hereof to wit why God would descend into the world and become man and then adde something touching the vse of the Doctrine and so an end For as touching his Offices I haue spoken of them out of another Text vpon pregnant occasion and so I may doe againe vpon the like Touching the fiâ—st Augustine hath a good speech Tali auxilio natura nostra indigebat causa Our nature and our cause stood in need of such an helpe Vt repararet genus humanum nec sine Maiestate posset humilitas nec sine humilitate Maiestas that neither humility or base estate could repaire man-kind without a Maiesticall nor a Maiesticall estate without an humble or base one And why so Fulgentius will tell vs Dâ—us verus viuus imo Deus veritas vita c. God being true and liuing nay truth and life it selfe if he had not beene true Man could not haue tasted of death and if he