A THEOLOGICALL DISCOVRSE OF THE LAMB OF GOD AND HIS ENEMIES Contayning a briefe Commentarie of Christian faith and felicitie together with a detection of old and new Barbarisme now commonly called Martinisme Newly published both to declare the vnfayned resolution of the wryter in these present controuersies and to exercise the faithfull subiect in godly reuerence and duetiful obedience Speake these things and exhort and rebuke with all authoritie let no man despise thee saith S. Paul to Titus c. 2. v. 15. PATERE ET POTIRE SVRSVM LONDON Imprinted by Iohn Windet for W.P. Anno. 1590. TO THE MOST NOBLE and vertuous Lord the Lord Robard Deuoreux Earle of Essex RIght Honorable my very good Lord your fauourable affection hath bene euer so euident and your bountifull hand alvvaies so open vnto me that I can neuer vvillingly come vnto you vvithout some schollerly exercise or other The readiest at this instant though perhaps not the fittest altogither is a theologicall treatise or diuinitie Discourse vpon the chiefe or rather onely point of christian Religion vvhich I here offer vp if percase your Lordship vvill at the most fauourably admit it into your studie or at least affectionately allovv it as one small part of my dutie and thankfulnes for vvhich only cause I present it not in any other respect euen vpon former premisses heretofore since your Lordships being in Cambridge to this daie not for any future consequents hereafter the Booke desireth not your speciall patronage it is not vvorthie of so honourable a specialitie neither may I trouble your excellent Lordship vvith Theologicall peculiars and proprieties further then as they belong generally to all noble and true Christians In defending and maintaining the religion of their God and faith of their country as the principall ground and very roote of all their ovvne politicke defence and maintenance Herein I remember the common voice of schollers and souldiers of citizens and yeomen of gentlemen their betters That the Noble Earle of Essex is behind none but afore the rest euer ready and more forward then the forwardest in Gods battels and his Princes quarrels with horse and speare to ouerthrow ouerrun Gods foes and hir enemies euen in their owne gates euen in Portugale it selfe a gallant kingdome the most venturous place of such enemies euen at their most populous and royall cittie Lysbon approuing his vertue with as much and haply more felicitie absit assentationis suspitio neque enim soleo auribus verba dare then euer Alexander himself did his valiancy at the cittie Malla Q. Curtius l. 9. neuer vnready with good words and magnificent deedes to honour his Prince or ennoble his countrie when God and Right shall employ him neuer vnready to help any man no not any common man no not with hazarding of his owne person in common sight which I trust is garded with good angels and in truth no hazarding and now lately by vnhorsing himself he mercifully saued a poore wounded souldier from the mouth of the sword therein equall or somewhat comparable with the foresaid great Alexander in right manly nature and honourable disposition that so gratiously relieued and reuiued a silly frosen souldier in his owne chaire at the fire Valer. Maximus l. 5. c. 1. but assuredly euen beyond him adsit bonus candor bono lectori in brooking the rough sea water at Peniche neere Noua Lisbona more easily all day then he did the gentle riuer Cydnus at Tarsus in Cilicia one halfe quarter of an hower Q. Curtius l. 3. When I remember these such Honorable famous reports cōmonly deliuered of my vvorthie good Lord among many other men of Superiour qualitie I am right hartilie glad to see my lot in so faire a ground as to ovve dutie thanks to that Noble good Earle which is so couragious vvith his yeares knovvledge and so courteous vvith his knovvledge and yeares vvhich more and more increaseth that most excellent opiniō euer heretofore conceiued of him for moral and martiall proceedings vvhich vvith prosperous novv renovvned vertue fretteth enuie in peeces neuer teareth himselfe I pray God He may alvvaies vvith all blessed increase be like himselfe that for action is naturally borne Al Hart of his Noble Father for Instruction since his death is artificially made All Studious of his careful Tutor for higher direction counsell hath made al notable choise for ioyful successe vvill assuredly proue All Happie by Gods diuine assistaunce But I must not seeme long vvithout cause lesse I become tedious vvithout effect Novv therfore I most humbly beseech my Noble good Lord only to receiue this little Pamflet for an vnfained remembrance infallible proofe of my continual dutie thankfulnes desiring no further regard or revvard any vvay then his Honour in vvoonted fauour shal thinke good seeing It is old inough best at leysure to speake for it selfe vpon any contingent of confutation or disliking that may ensue With vvhich dutie I daily still and stil recommend your vertuous studies valiant acts to al good and admirable successe euen beyond the impeachment or compasse of doubtfull and deceitfull fortune through the blessed sonne of God the blessed lamb of God our blessed God our blessed Sauiour to the full fruition of his grace euermore redounding in your vvoorthie and noble mind Your Honours in all bounden duty R. H. T.D. Hexasticon siue gratulatio in Theologicon R.H. Cedite sectarum primates cedite puri Harueius patriae seruiet atque Deo Non curat fatuos nō christomastigas audit Non credit placitis principiisque nouis Perge liber certa ingenii praedictio recti Et patriae populo principibusque place Vnio gemmarum Regina Mat. c. 9. v. 37 38. Luke c. 10. v. 2. The haruest is great but the labourers are fevve pray ye therefore the Lord of the haruest that he vvould sende more labourers into his haruest A THEOLOGICALL Discourse of the Lambe of God and his Enemies IF I shoulde reason about the choise of a text to examine which is most fit for vs then at the first this ioyfull and marueilous peace in our daies setteth before mine eyes that sentence of Christ in the gospel by S. Iohn c. 13. v. 35. By this all men shall know that ye are my disciples if ye haue loue one to an other And then this whole realme which no doubt is in high fauour with God for hauing fed so many zealous confessors and constant martyrs of righteousnes as euen some of our selues may remember and the godly booke of Monumentes will euer witnesse layeth open vnto mee this saying of Christ in the gospell after S. Matthew c. 10. v. 39. He that looseth his life for my sake shall saue it These and other good causes of like effect call for other tenours and texts of Scripture Yet because peace by long quietnes bringeth securitie in our carnall natures and naturall bodies security by forgetfulnes breedeth a cold or coole faith
the manhoode into God for so his diuinitie is ioyned to his humanitie by an vnspekable coniunction that both of them keepe and retaine their owne natures yet in such maner that of two natures is made but one Christ not two Christes one a God-christ the other a man-christ as Nestorius thought neither is his manhode extinguished by his Godhead as Eutychetes dreamed but both Godhead and manhode make one Iesus Lastly if Christ take away sinne herein we confesse his diuinity seeing none but God can forgiue sinne that we may know that the lambe of God is God the Baptist preacheth in the desert that he taketh away sin and burieth it Wherfore if Christ were Man and God then neither was his soule without reason and sense as Apollinaris iudged without all iudgement neither was his body without a spirite as Eunomius defended most strangly and erroneously what may the Iewes then thinke that haue such a one in the mids of them how much may they account thēselues worthier then other and superiour to all their neighbours that haue such a one onely in their company Be not high minded ô ye Iewes saith the Baptist but feare and stand in awe of him for he not onely taketh away your sinne but the originall sin of Adam your forefather the roote and body of sinne the life and essence of sin the beginning and maintenance of sinne not this kind of sinne and that branch of sinne and the sinne of this and that nation but sinne it selfe sinne in generall all sinne with all appurtinances with all differences with all properties with all qualities with all fruites and effects whatsoeuer the sinne of the world he is not onely among you but with all men that are gathered together in his name not vbiquitarily but diuinely not corporally but spiritually yea and as effectually with them as in the land of Iury in those daies The world was cursed by meanes of the first Adam so it was blessed by the second Adam 1. Cor. c. 15. v. 22 45. his disobedience was amended with Christs obedience his arrogancie corrected by the simplicitie of Iesus his lust subdued by Christs loue and Christ Gods lambe destroyeth the original and cause of sinne to destroy the effect euen sin itselfe for if the bloud of buls and goates the ashes of an heyfer Leuit. c. 16. v. 14. sprinkling them that are vncleane sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ which through the eternal spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge our cōscience from dead works to serue the liuing God Hebr. c. 9. v. 13 14. Yet let vs beware that wee tempt not the Holy-ghost let vs take heed of presumpteous sinnes least they get dominion ouer vs let vs not say within our selues goe to and cease not to sin because our sinne shall not be laid vpon vs for he that sinneth willingly and offendeth with his conscience wittingly shall neither be forgiuen in this world saith Christ nor in the world to come Math. c. 12. v. 31 32. make rather your light to giue light to other men and striue to enter in the narrow way that leadeth to heauen watch with carefulnesse and pray with zeale that you be not taken vnawares your best good and good worke in it selfe is altogether vnprofitable and then the worst must needs be abominable glorifie the immortall God in your mortall bodies make not the house of God a house for sinne to riot in serue God daily for his blessings and praise him which gaue you all that you haue for his goodnesse endureth for euer he sent his prophets to teach you his statutes for his goodnes endureth for euer euen Iohn-baptist his chosen seruāt for his goodnes endureth for euer to tell vs the glad tidings of his gospel for his mercy is euerlasting to shew vs the lamb of God for his mercy is euerlasting which taketh away the sin of the world yesterday to day and for euer for his goodnes mercy endure for euer and euer Now consider I pray you now I beseech you cōsider and let vs alwaies consider the summe and effecte of this most gracious and sweete text We were al euen euery mothers sonne of vs euen euery sonne daughter of olde Adam miserably plunged most miserablie plunged and drowned in the horrible gulfe and most woful vggly pitte of sinne which hath also plunged vs most miserably plunged and drowned vs in the horrible gulfe and most wofull vggly pitte of hell and so made vs most miserable and damnable creatures euen in the state of very desperate helhoundes and rakehels to be euerlastingly afflicted and tormented in that vnquenchable endlesse fire where is continuall weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth world without end Behold the lambe of God lo the blessed lamb of God marke marke see see now I beseech you see this most happie and heauenly lambe of God that taketh away this sinne that redeemeth vs out of this pirte that clenseth our filthie and abhominable corruption that sanctifieth vs for a more holy place that storeth vp euerlasting ioyes and vnspekeable beatitudes for vs that bestoweth all felicitie and euen heauen it selfe vpon vs where himselfe is the lambe of God the sonne of God God himselfe our only glorious and omnipotent god our only sauiour and redeemer our only finall ioy and comfort and felicitie for euer and euer our onely most sacred most blessed most triumphant lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the worlde and blesseth the world world without end who is therefore blessed and glorified worlde without end So ye now see the right cause of the right effect the right tree of the right fruite the right sunne of the right light the right sauiour and redeemer and Lord master of his right people the right lambe of God that rightly and righteouslie taketh away the sinne of the world the sinne of the wicked and sinfull world Behold then the right lambe of God the right lamb of perfect diuinitie the right lamb of true Christianity the right lambe of pure and sincere religion of pure sincere faith of pure and sincere hope and charitie the right lambe of innocencie of integritie of vprightnes of very goodnes and godlines of perfect and absolute vertue the right lambe of true pietie and deuotion toward God of true charitie and honestie towarde men of true loue towards God and man the onely lamb of the only sacred and blessed gospel to conclude the right lamb of all our cōfort in this world of al our happines felicitie in the world to come of all our sanctification saluation and blessednes both now euer Behold the very right only lambe of God the very right only lambe of heauen that leadeth vs the verie right only way to God and heauen then what neede or what vse nay what abuse of other counterfaited and disguysed lambs of other superstitious and idolatrous lambs
hath in vs he can doe it because hee is stronger then Satan the prince of the night who like a tyrant holdeth vs in manacles and fetters he is stronger then this iaylor stronger then his prison stronger then his bandes and can redeeme vs and his will alone is greater then all treasure to pay all fees and ransoms whatsoeuer and as he both can and will so he may redeeme vs by the law of propriety and the lawe of propinquity for as by the lawe of propriety ◠king may redeeme his captiuated subiects and a maister his seruants so may Christ redeeme vs which obey and serue him ô Iesus make vs thy true men and as by the lawe of propinquity a father may ransome his sonne and one brother another whether they be fathers or brothers by bloud or religion so may Christ in the same respects of consanguinity and affection ransome vs who by a louing protection is our father by his familiar kindnesse our brother ô Iesus feed all duties and loues in vs. Thus the first and principall causes of our deliuery are iust and lawfull in Christ as the meanes and concurrent causes are allowable in our selues according to S. Chrysostomes collection That our sinnes are taken away by confessing them to God Esay c. 44. v. 21 22. by forgiuing iniuries to men Math. c. 6. v. 14. by almes and liberality Dan. c. 4. v. 24. by continuall praier Iam. c. 5. v. 16. by fasting and turning vnto God Ioel. c. 2. v. 12 18. Yet these are but apprehensiue and declaratiue causes of our iustifying and sanctifying and Christ alone is the consummatiue and perfectiue cause of all as a learned writer distinguisheth briefly and subtilly because he is sufficient and our goodnesse but straw without him as Luther termeth it for so I may best take that word Stramineam which Bredenbachius casteth so fiercely in his teeth Sententia de dissidijs Ecclesiae componendis fol. 35. and perhaps taught Campian to make his gloze Seeing then we receiue this great and incomprehensible benefit by Christ euen the benefit of our deliuery what kinde of deliuery is it which wee enioy Is it a deliuery by voluntary manumission not so for neither the flesh nor the diuell are of that nature to surrender vp any thing with a franke and willing mind but they are couetous and must be constrayned Is it a deliuery by exchange and commutation not so for Christ will neuer leaue or giue any hostages to the diuell Is it a deliuery by a price and payment so it is a deliuerie But this price is paid to God our king not to Satan Gods Iaylor you are bought with a great price saith Paul 1. Cor. c. 6. v. 20. with the precious bloud of Christ saith Peter 1. Epistle c. 1. v. 19. and without shedding of bloud is no remissiō and without death no testament being without force so long as he that made it is aliue Heb. c. 9. v. 17 22. Is it a deliuery by force and compulsion so it is a deliuerie as when a strong man keepeth a house and a stronger then he commeth in and taketh what he wil out of the house Luke c. 11. v. 22. Thus we were in the Lions mouth readie to be deuoured but Iesus brake the iaw of the Lion asunder as Dauid saued his sheepe 1. Kings c. 17. v. 36. thus we were bondmē but now are we free mē as Israël came out of Egypt Exo. c. 12. v. 41. thus we were woful miserable but nowe are wee ioyfull and blessed in our saluation as Ioseph came from prison Gen. c. 41. v. 14.38 Then for whose sake hath he redeemed vs but for his owne for if we liue we are Christes if we die we are Christes if we are his then must we liue after his will not our own will if we are his then must we serue none but him that saued vs Be not the seruants of men saith Paul 1. Cor. c. 7. v. 23. if we are his it becommeth vs not to iudge our brethren who art thou saith the Apostle that condemnest another mans seruant hee standeth or falleth to his owne master not to thee Rom. c. 14. v. 4. So wee are Christes for he hath bought vs not to raigne ouer vs but that we should liue vnder him In that he bought vs he shewed his loue and in that he stayed so long ere he bought vs he approued his wisdome Hee came in good season in the fulnesse of time saith Paul Galat. c. 4. v. 4. in the last dayes saith Esay c 2. v. 2. in the latest times for our sakes saith Peter 1. Epistle c. 4. ver 20. for by that time the greatnesse of sinne which had so many yeares in growing made playne the corruption of mans nature to make man humble by that time the immeasurable mercie of God appeared which spared the liuers of so many ages to make man thankfull by that time the faith of the godly was throughly sharpened and their hope at the highest point after so long a trial therof to make man constant by that time the disease of sinne was so ranke and desperate that mans knowledge and foresight being at an end the glorie and maiestie of God might more aboundantly be seene in curing such a maladie and so vast a sinne to make men obedient yet must wee not be too busie in searching out those thinges which God will haue secrete but take heede of climing too high of wading too farre of too much diligence leste we be smitten as Vzzah was for touching Gods arke and die as Vzzah died for being too bolde 2. Kings c. 6. v. 7. The secrete thinges belong to the Lord our God saith Moses Deut. c. 29. v. 29. and S. Paul teacheth our extreame Quaestionists a good non plus whereof they shall neuer be ashamed Rom. c. 12. v. 3. What neede we any more determinations and conclusions vpon this commendatorie sentence of Iohn effectiue propertie of Christ If Iesus onely taketh away sinne how can the Church say I forgeue sinnes and geue absolution seeing the Church is the expositor and messenger not the Lady and correcter of the scripture she may bid vs hope for remission of sinnes by faith in Christ she may warrant vs that if we repent beleue our sinnes are forgeuen vs but there lie her boundes and that is all she can doe vnlesse she dareth arrogate to herselfe the worke of the holy spirite of God I omitte some conclusions purposely if Christ be a lambe herein we acknowledge his humanitie and bodily substāce or els he cannot be called a lambe and so doeth his incarnation his natiuitie his growing his eating his drinking his sleeping his weeping his groning and other his actions and passions proue and conclude him to be a man The word was made flesh saith Iohn c. 1. v. 14. made not by confusion of substance but by vnitie of person not by conuersion of the Godhead into flesh but by taking
within vs and coole faith by continuance maketh vs stiffe and halfe dead with sinne and altogither vnfit to be our owne martirs in affection or other mens in example let vs beloued stirre and raise vp our fainting soules to a liuely zealous faith let vs good Countrymen quicken our senseles senses with good woords and good workes as effects of good faith that we be not starke dead in sin and rather seeke the saluation both of our soules senses that lasteth for euer then the delight pleasure of either that vanisheth away like a smoke that wasteth like a snaile that withereth like grasse and neuer continueth in one stay Then where shall we seeke this saluation but in the booke of life and in which part of that booke is it sooner found then in the gospel the law of grace what guide or teacher in the gospell can shewe vs a better pathway then Iohn-baptist who was sent frō God as the forerunner of the Christ saith S. Marke in his gospell c. 1. v. 2.3 to tell vs the way the truth and life the eternall word Iesus Christ For Iesus is the way because his doctrine and precept telleth vs the right and ready way to euerlasting life Iesus is the truth because without error he may alwaies and in truth must alwaies be followed in all our iudgements and consultations that we may walke in the light not in darknes Iesus is the life of our liues because without him we are as dust in the winde and straw in the fire and by him we passe through the greatest difficulties and euen the very seas of all deadly dangers and temptations which S. Iohn speaketh by a metaphore metonimy of the effect for the efficient c. 14. v. 6 in him we passe safely from the first day in the beginning of all yea before all measure of times euen vnto this day as S. Augustine writeth largely to Deogratias against Porphyrius in his 49. Epistle Wherefore in these and other respects heare and read I beseech you beloued Christians what the blessed and right honourable Prophet that most noble preacher Iohn-baptist hath taught vs of Iesus Christ in the gospell according to S. Iohn c. 1. v. 29. The next day Iohn seeth Iesus comming to him and saith Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world This text is short but sweete and weighty as the sunne in heauen seemeth little but is great and mighty in operation all bodies die without the sunne and all soules and bodies perish without the effect of this Scripture Philosophers thinke that the sunne and a man maketh a man but diuine philosophy wil thinke speake and conclude that this sonne of God the sunne and light of mankind maketh and saueth and crowneth man with glory in that he wipeth out and washeth away the sinne of the world the sunne is the hart of heauen the captaine of the stars the eye of the world this worde is the hart of the Bible the cheefe of al words to which our eares must giue eare and on which our eyes must alwaies looke For in this verse are cōtained the lawes of Moses and Israël with the prophecies of all prophets both great and small in that Iohn calleth Iesus the lambe of God and the fruit of the new Testament both in the Euangelists Apostles springeth and groweth from this ground in that he is said to take away the sinne of the world Then was Simplicius but a hellish iudge to count the tales of Aegypt and the tables of Moses alike and Galen was but a prophane humorist and Lacuna his shadow little better to mislike the creation of man and misreport the wonders of the red sea ignorantly then are the Pelagians peruerse and miserable disputers which denie and euacuate the baptisme of infants because Christ alone washeth and purgeth thē like them which would hinder the beginning of a thing because it shall at last be made perfect or say you must not vse an instrumēt because there is a principall or warme your self at a fire because the sun is the chiefest workemaster of heate warmnes But to let passe all dilating cōparatiue amplifications of words sentēces togither with other necessary occasiōs of discourse Marke beloued what is here written with the finger of God pen of the holy ghost the next day Iohn seeth Iesus cōming to him and saith and tell me if euer you heard a more louing a more gratious and cōfortable saying behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world O bountifull Iesu ô sweete Sauiour ô mercifull annointed of God the Father what is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of mā that thou so regardest him our bodies are brim full of sinne wickednes as the stables of oxen asses ouerladen and ouercharged with dunge and filthinesse the goodnesse of our soules is like a mēstruous rag as Esay witnesseth c. 64. v. 6. whose word is as an inuiolable seale a sure bond What is then within vs worthy of thy loue ô Christ or what is without vs worthy of thy liking ô son of Dauid ô son of God ô sunne and light of heauē earth we looke vpon thee with Iohn-baptist ô that we could alwaies looke vpō thee we see thee come to vs as did Iohn-baptist ô neuer turne thy backe vpon vs but euer come to vs stay with vs euer we reioyce in thy name that thou art a lambe to vs and a lion of Iuda to the enimies that thou dischargest the debts of the righteous and leauest the wicked in the debtbooke to be arrested and imprisoned till they haue paide the vttermost farthing we looke on thee with ioyfulnesse ô Iesu as infants looke vpon a light the wicked see thee with dazeled eyes as the Sodomites groped in the darke Genesis c. 19. v. 11 we walke in thy sun-light and are comforted we are blacke and sunburnt with walking we are black ô Iesu but louely before thee the wicked are parched with thy beames thy heat maketh their heads to ake their harts to pant their spirits to faile them that they may as it were call for butter out of a lordly dish milke out of a bottle with Sisara or some other delight which their sensuall soules long for and afterward be nayled to the earth with the hammer of one deceitfull Iahel or other close enimie in their sleepe and securitie or come to such like sudden and vile death And this in effect is the generall summe and chiefe purpose of this text Of the ioyfull estate of the godly by seing Christ and The wofull fall of the wicked by turning frō him Now to proceede in the playner exposition of euery portiō and particularity of this verse we see in it both a briefe History and a blessed Doctrine The History is that when Iohn saw Iesus comming to him he gaue out among the people his iudgement of