next clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they traÌ„slate Now where as they know it is an aduerbe of affirming and not of time and signifieth Yea Also neuer now Why doe they not translate the saine word Mat. 5. Iam. 5. so also Which if they did theÌ„ we should read there for let your yea be yea let your now be now for let your speech be yea yea let your speech be now now But they found that their vulgar translation readeth it Iam. that is now Yea but they were not ignoraÌ„t that is now Yea but they were not ignoraÌ„t that truely the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 could not be so translated but that they cared not for as long as thus to craÌ„ state it though against al reason seemed to souÌ„d better to countenance their Limbus PatruÌ„ for so they gather of it Now saith the spirit c. that is since Christs ascension that it in thus with them that die in the Lord as thought it had not beene so before And it would be noted that the Greek word that is translated labors doth not signify any aâ—tion or operatioÌ„ whatsoeuer but such labor as is wearisome tedious to the doer or sufferer For we must not thinke that the soules of the righteous separated from their bodies liue in idlenesse without exercising theÌ„selues in any kind of action For no doubt of it they are occupied in the contemplation of God wherin their felicity lieth and in praysing him with ioifulnes But we are therby to vnderstand that such is the case of them that die in the Lord that thenceforth immediatly for euer al wo griefe paine whatsoeuer ceaseth to theÌ„ both in body soule with is one part of their blessednes happines here spokeÌ„ of But because blessednes lieth not onely in a not feeling of wo paine but especially in fruition of some present permanent ioy comfort therfore the better to explane vnto vs what blessednes it is that they that die in the Lord thenceforth for euer haue atteined vnto immediately vppon the dissolution of their soule and body it is farther added that the workes of such accompany them that is that presently all the good works of such eueÌ„ vnto the giuing of a cup of cold water to one of gods little ones in the name of a disciple shal be rewarded in heauen with vnspeakeable ioy and felicitie Mat. 10.42 I read it rather And their workes accompany them because so traÌ„slated the force of the greeke is the better expressed For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signify to follow a far off but to follow hard at the heeles therfore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a hand maid besides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is more properly read with theÌ„ thaÌ„ after them Also thus reading it according to the sense of the greek the circumstaÌ„ce of the place is better answered which was to animate those that liued in the Lord also to die in the lord with hope of present blisse vpoÌ„ their death Wheras if it were read And their works follow them a cauiller to their discoÌ„fort might say that may be so though it be not before the end of a thousaÌ„d yeres after their death so in the meane time they may fry in purgatory And thus it is confirmed likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must here import immediatly theÌ„ce forth For if the reward of their workes followe them so that it is present at their heeles then there is no mean space betwixt And yet I would not haue it hereupon inferted that my meaning is that souls departed in faith haue streight their consummation and full crowne of glory that is prepared for them For I know that that shall not be before the generall resurrection and that the setting of the crown vpon their heads is deferred vnto Christs 2. comming And therfore Iohn in a vision Apo. 6.10 heareth the blessed soules in heauen cry aloud for that day though so that they are contented wtout griefe for to obey the Lord is all their ioy theÌ„ to tary the Lords leasure to abide his pleasure But hereby I would haue it gathered for so it may wel that straight their blisse is such shal be theÌ„ceforth the neither body nor soule shal euer feele the least grief or pain again that presently the soule is in possession fruition of so excellent an estate in heauen in respect wherof it may worthily thinke it selfe right blessed and happy and so fully rewarded for all the workes done by it in the body that it shal not haue cause to coÌ„plaine that any one worke is forgotten not rewarded Euen this therefore hath the Lord from heaueÌ„ in by this word blessed expressed which is a word of greatest importaÌ„ce that he could vse For in blessednes and happinesse both Philosophers and diuines hold that mans chiefe felicity consisteth whereunto in his whole life hee must aime Wherefore no doubt of it euen this state of them that die in the Lorde that by this word and the phrases following to explane it is ment is such a state that the state of princes Emperors in this life let theÌ„ be otherwise as happy as it is possible for meÌ„ to be in comparison hereof is but a misery For what state here is euer was or shal be so happy which is not intermingled was or shal be with some labor paine Yea euen in the delights here greatest ioyes of this world there is saciety wearisomnes and there is no certainty nor vnchangeablenes in states here the best most florishing are so subiect to mutability and alteration but in this there is no griefe of mind nor sickenes or paine of the body no Gangrena nor any other woe Apoc. 21.4 And in the ioies there is continuall comfort delight without wearisomnes and that such as is euerlasting vnutterable and vnconceiueable by the tongue or heart of man And this is now the state and hath bin euer since his departure of this Noble Earle our honourable brother and shal be thenceforth as both God and angels ful wel know we men need not once to doubt this shal be ours also if we liue and die in the Lorde as he hath done It is told vs all so from heauen it is recorded so by a faithful witnes and approued and ratified by the spirit of God God grant vs al grace to beleue it one day to trie the truth certainty of it in our own persons by experience In the mean time let vs somwhat further consider of the doctrine and of the words as they lie wherin it is vttered that we may not only see thus as we haue done hither to the generall principall lesson therein taught vs but also euery particular truth coÌ„firmed therby error confuted therin that we may make the vse of it fully for which it was writen The particular lessons to be learned herein
other Cityes and a City compassing within the â—â—ies that of seuer 〈◊〉 as euen voyes haue learned in the section booke of Virgils Georgickes and as it is not orsiously known otherwise If 〈…〉 not haue Rome to 〈◊〉 the very 〈◊〉 of Antichrist let them 〈◊〉 vs out another City 〈◊〉 this description agreeth Againe why should the standing and â—â—â—â—â—â—oorishyng Empire of Rome and the continuance of the seme of the Empero â—â—â—ere bee that which letted and should let the setling of Antichrist in his seateÌ„ vntill it were taken our of the waie 2. Thess 2.7 But to shewe that the very seate of the Empire shoulbe be his seate and that the place must be seft emptye for him by the departure of the Emperour from thence before he 〈◊〉 come into his chayre of pessisonee The papists themselues confesse that this is Paules meaning there And therefore Sanders in his booke of the visible Monarchy in his fourth demonstration for the defence of the Pope confesseth that Hierom in his eleuenth question to Algasia Tertullian in his Apollogie against the Gentiles that Chryfostome vpon the place it selfe and August in his 20. booke de Ciuitate Der cap. 19. vnto whom he might ad Ambrose Iraeneus Lactantius with diuerse others also doe vnderstande Paul thereby to meane the Romane Empire Which when indeede it decayed in the West and tooke his seate in the East at Constantinople the Popes founde to be so taken out of their way that as experience and al storyes consitme quickly after they grew to be so Emperor like in the West that in their kingdom the wound that the former beast had taken by thus ceâ—â—ouing his seat from Rome seemed to be healed they bare so liuely the image of the former beast As for the Empire that is now lest in the West it is as it is well known a thing in name but not indeede they haue so handled the matter that it is as good as quite taken out of their way they may do for all it what it pleaseth them and the other part of the Empire is swallowed vp of the Turke Lastly you are to vnderstande that I am not the first that by Babylon here vnderstand Rome For eueÌ„ then when these uisions of Iohn were far harder to be vnderstood than nowe in that nowe experience hath opened many of them which it had not then the anciene fathers sawe that by Babylon heere was ment Rome As for example Tertullian contra Iudaeos and Hierom in diuerse places as in his 11. question to Algasia in his preface of Didimus booke of the holy Ghost and in his 2. booke against Iouinian Yea our Rhemistes in their notes vpon the last of the first of Peter earnestly contend to prooue that there by Babylon is meant Rome and vppon the 17. of Iohn they dare not flatly deny but that there by Babylon the seat of the struÌ„pet may be vnderstood Rome That the popish faith is an â—â—christiaÌ„ Wherefore these reasons considered I conclude that by Babylon heere is ment Rome Yea but yet you shal not finde it so easie a matter to proue the popish faith to be Antichristian they will say Yes verily for euen that which I haue already sayd in the description and confutatioÌ„ of their faith proueth it to be Antichristian For if Antichrist be he that is an aduersary to Christ if he be an aduersary to Christ that robbeth him of that honour and glory that is due vnto him then it cannot he but that the popish faith is Antichristian But S. Iohn say they in his first Epistle ca. 4.3 hath plainly cold vs that that spirit that coÌ„fesseth not that Iesus christ is coÌ„e in the flesh that is the spirite of Antichrist Whereby they would gather that they cannot be Antichristian because they confesse that Christ is come in the flesh I answere them with Aug. wordes vpon S. Iohns epistle tract 3. Non attendamus ad linguam sed ad facta c. Let vs not consider what they say but what they doe For if they al should be asked with one mouth they would confesse the Lord Iesus to be Christ But let their tongue stay a while and aske their life for howsoeuer in words they confesse that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh yet indeed and truth they deny it For he that denyeth the fruit cause of his coÌ„ming which was as I haue proued to be a full whole sole sauiour in himselfe and by himself they deny his comming indeede and truth whatsoeuer they say in wordes And this is euident in theÌ„ in the they trust not to his satisfactions merits weout adding there to their own in the cause of their saluation The Iews Turks say they knowe God and beleeue in him but we christians say and wee say truely that they neither know him nor beleeue in him at all but onely in an Idoll of their owne framing because they knowe him not in the face of his sonne Iesus Christ Arius in plaine words denied not Christ to be God yet because he denyed that he was equall to his father he denyed his godhead indeed And so though the papistes in woordes confesse Christ to be come in the flesh yet because indeede truth they will not let him be priest alone to offer propitiatory sacrifice king alone to gouerne by his owne orders prophet alone to instruct by his owne woorde but as it is most euident ioyne vnto him a succession of priestes to iterate his sacrifice which he offered once for all Heb. 9.25.26 alter his lawes and orders ad and detract at their pleasure too and from his reuealed and written woorde as the face and practise of their Church teacheth indeede and truth they deny that he is come in the flesh And it appeareth by the prophecies that wee haue in the scripture of Antichrist that hee shall not bee so blunt a foole as flatly and in playne tearmes to denye so manifest an article of fayth as this is but hee and his shall come and set abroach their false doctrin through hypocrisie 1. Tim. 4.2 In so much that antichristianitye 2. Thess 2.7 is called a mistery of iniquitie that is an iniquity that not all at once and openly shall shew is selfe but that shall come in by soft and stealing pases so shrowded and hid vnder a shew of godlinesse that it should not easily be espyed And therefore Christ Mat. 13.25 26. compareth this bad seed to tares which the good seedmans foe sowed amongst the good wheat while men slept then slielye went his waye which was not espyed by and by of the good seedmans houshold nay not vntill the blade was sprung vp And therefore Saunders is but a foole from hence to drawe a demonstration that the Pope is not Antichrist because in wordes hee confesseth Christ How could he be ignorant that it is noted Apoc. 17.4 that the Babylonish harlotte is described to hold out vnto others her
Because no doubt of it there are fooles in the world Psal 14.1 which in their hearts thinke though they dare not for shame with their congues say there is no God and consequeÌ„tly that there is neither Hell nor Heauen resurrection of the body nor immortality of the soule let vs marke The same body shall rise againe in the meane time resteth in peace what doctrine this text teacheth vs to the coÌ„trary to the stopping vp for euer of the mouths of such prophane Atheistes Wherefore to begin with all I say how could it be here said that they that die in the Lord are thenceforth blessed vnlesse in respece of the whole man it were so in some force Euident it is that if either the body were vtterly perished so that it should neuer rise againe or the soul dead that it could feel no ioy they could not at al be sayed to be blessed For blessednes as you haue hard confirmed vnto you eueÌ„ out of my text it selfe consisteth not only in ceasing from labor woe and paine but in a possession and fruition of a most heauenly reward Nay it is most certaine that if either the body in the meane time vntil the resurrection were not at rest and peace or in the end should not rise again the soule coulde not bee said to be blessed to enioy the reward of works done by it in the body For it were a kinde of misery vnto it to haue the body disquieted especially to be without hope of beeing euer restored and ioyned to the body again Wherfore in that they that dy in the Lord are here pronounced blessed first for the bodies of such we learn that they are in rest and as the scripture speaketh as it were a sleepe in the bosome of their mother the earth Acts. 7.1 Thess 4.15 and therefore free from all woe and pain and not to be disquieted by diuels enchanters or witches any manner of way and that most certainely they rest in hope of a blessed resurrection which according to the Scriptures Mat. 25.1 Thess 4.1 Cor. 15. at the last general day of iudgment by the power of the Lord shal be brought to passe Wherof we must needs be perswaded in that otherwise God shuld not be perfectly merciful nor Christ a ful sauior And why should Christ take vnto his godhead vnite therwith in person as wel the body of man as the soul of man vnlesse he ment to be a ful sauior of both He our head rose again in his own body one in substance with that it was before though altered in properties and so shall it be with his members 1. Cor. 15.1 Thess 4. Notable therefore was Iobs faith his time considered I know saith he that my redeemer liueth that I shal see God in my flesh though after this skin the wormes destroy this bodye whom I my selfe shall see mine eies shall behold none other for me Iob. 19.25.26.27 Euen the dying of the corne first in the earth and the after growing vp of the same the reuiuing of diuerse worms and other creatures at the spring towardes suÌ„mer the laye for deade all winter are glasses in nature our God hath set before vs to make vs ashamed of this point of infidelity and Atheisme once to call the truth of the resurrection into question The soule is immortall And as touching the soul that it dieth not but if it depart out of the body in the Lorde that it passeth streight to the Lorde with whome it not only ceaseth from al woe and pain but also enioieth the reward of blisse hereby also we are plainly taught For otherwise how should it bee true that immediatly thenceforth such as die in the Lord are blessed in not only ceasing froÌ„ their labours but also in present receiuing rewarde of their works For hereupon it must needs follow to be most true which wee reade Eccl. 12.7 that the soul returneth to him that gaue it And that also Mat. 10.28 that tyrants cannot kil the soul Wherfore we may with Peter count death but a flitting of the soule out of the tabernacle of the body 2. Pet. 1.14 and with Paul a going from an earthly house to an heauenly It sleepeth not nor is without feeling of ioy assuredly vntil the resurrectioÌ„ 2. Cor. 5. c. and therefore with him vpon good cause desire to be dissolued to be with the Lord Phi. 1.23 and when we dye dying in the Lorde with Christ Luk 23.46 and with StepheÌ„ Act. 7 59. coÌ„meÌ„d our souls into the hands of God Whereupon it followeth that there is a soule and that it dieth not when the body dyeth but is immortal Yea further in yâ— as we perceiue by Christs placing of Lazarus immediatly in present fruition of ioy after his death in Abrahams bosom Luk. 16. the souls of such as die in the Lord are sayd here to haue their works accompany them hereupon it followeth that the reward thereof is not drousie sleepe but a ioyfull feeling of heauenlye blisse and that therefore the soules of such departed sleepe not but are awake and in a liuely feeling of ioy in heauen Which fancy of these sleepers is confuted also in that Ioh. Apo. 6. seeing in visioÌ„ soules in heauen heard them cry a loud vnto the Lord to hasten his second coÌ„ming Herevpon also in that of contraries there is contrary condition may well be gathered in that the state of those that dye in the Lord is blessed that the state of those that dye not in the Lord That is no purgatory for any that dy in the Lord to goe vnto is accrused Now in that it followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immediately thenceforth and their works accompany theÌ„ and they cease from their labours by three most euident reasons it must needes follow that to such as dye in the Lord there is not any meane place or Purgatory and therfore to none other by our aduersaries owne confession For they themselues hold as wel as we that al that dy out of grace and fauor of our God they for their sins in soul go straight to hel and that none go to purgatory but such as dye in the Lord which yet before their death haue not sufficiently satisfied for their sins But here I say this their doctrine is flatly confuted first in that they are imediatly after their death thenceforth without any exceptioÌ„ said to be blessed SecoÌ„dly in that it is said They rest from their labours Thirdly in that it is said Their works accompany theÌ„ None of all which could bee true if any of them went to purgatory And yet our Rhemists vpon this place are not ashamed to write in their notes notwithstanding it be their known and receiued doctrine that the pâ—ines that souls suffer in purgatory be equal to the paines of hel for the time that one principal torment there is the gnawing worme of conscience that soules in purgatory may well be