preciousnesse of the gift 3. the certaintie in receauing 4. and the neede of the receauer 1. The freenesse of the giuer For what is freer than gift And then a gift proceeding of loue Which loued me 2. For the preciousnes of the gift what can bee more precious than the Sonne of God the heire of al Hee gaue himselfe 3. The certainty of receauing is vttered in the specialitie of speaking for mee But O blessed Paul what meane these * Christ is not receaued in a general conceat but by a special applying enclosures Why Is Christ thy Christ Is hee thy Sauiour And is hee not rather the Sauiour of the world That which is thine is none of mine Is it not so In worldly thinges true the right and propriety is in the true owner onely and in him alone and in none other In spirituall rightes it is not so altogether Christ is the Christ of all in generall and in speciall too yet not a diuided Christ but whole and entire whosoeuer hee is In natural thinges see a resemblance hereof the Sunne in the aire is a generall light in the eye a speciall and the sound in the ayre a generall noyce yet seerely discerned in the eare so Christ is a general Sauiour of all that shall bee saued but specially is hee receaued discerned and applied by the eye of faieth which faieth commeth by hearing him generally deliuered but specially applied As take eate take drinke at the Lordes Supper feede on him by thy faieth And blessings so speciallie and certainely taken haue euer a quicker tast in the receauer and prouoke thereby the more thankefulnesse towarde the donor 4. The neede of the receauer appeareth in this * The price of the ransom doth proue the neede of the party and the hainousnes of his trespas who is to bee ransommed that if a lesse ransom would haue doone the deed so great a payment had not needed But somuch it cost to saue one Soule And whereas hee saith Christ gaue himselfe For me it is plaine in how harde a case hee was before that Christ must dy that wee may liue or else wee dy euen as the Ramme was Sacrificed that Isaake might bee saued Wherefore of his perfect mercy and for our pure neede Christ dyed for thee for me and for vs al. Why Christians die though Christ died for them It is but an easie demaunde and soone satisfied why I must dye though Christ died for mee Yet God doubtlesse requireth no double satisfaction hee desireth not to bee twise paied for one debt Notwithstanding nothing is more certaine than that death is the common and vneuitable Lodge and Receptacle of the liuing The Wiseman shall dye as wel as shal the Foole. Dauid when he had * Acts. 13.36 serued his time was reposed to his Fathers and the statute is generall and cannot not be dispensed with al must dye By sin * Rom. 5.12 came in death and as sinne is in al so must all dy If there had beene no sinne there shoulde haue beene no death nor dissolution no not of our mixt bodies no more than there shall be of the very same bodies after their restitution glorification By sinne death entered and must goe ouer all But the question is why wee dye whom Christ hath deliuered both from sinne the cause and from death the consequent of sinne As we are deliuered from sinne not that it bee not but that it sting not so are wee deliuered from death not that it come not but that it conquer not that it lead vs not in a triumph ô death where is thy sting The sting of death is sinne but sinne is doone away and therefore ô graue where is thy victory Death is no Death to a good Christian Thou takest holde of vs not because wee are stung to death but because of a natural necessity indeede inducted thorough sinne at first yet for that the guilt of sinne is taken away death is no right death nowe but a dissolution and a passage to a better life and a very instrument whereby mortality putteth on immortality and whereby we liue for euer And the assurance of our certaine departure hence is hence-foorth a noble monument of the weight of sinne to weane vs from sinning and to win vs to Christ in perpetual thankefulnes for that we are freed from the curse of the Lawe against sinne from the guilt of sinne in it selfe and from the danger of death for sinning and all this by his infinit desert in dying for vs that otherwise should haue died a death euerlasting This grace would not bee abrogated I abrogate not the grace of God this grace of his Gospell Steuen Gardiner Steuen Gardiner in King Edwards time whē he stood much but falsly vpon his innocency and would not yeelde that hee had offended yet at length being asked whether he would accept the Kings pardon or no nay saith he I am learned enough not to refuse the Kings pardon In like manner men may dally and play and vse figge leaues at pleasure truly the greatest wisedome in the end will be to renounce all and craue mercy and stand vpon pardon and to trust vnto Christ and onely in him Grace is reiected when works are annexed And for a good fare-well and end of this Chapter be it remembred and written in the hartes of humble men for euer that wee after the example of our Apostle we disanull not we reiect not we frustrate not we abrogate not we throwe not away the grace of God which necessarily ensueth by meashing or adnexing either the association of Ceremonies or the obseruation of the Lawe vnto his free and absolutely free Grace free in GOD though deserued by Christ our Iesus and onely Sauiour CHAP. III. 1 O FOOLISH Galathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the trueth to whome Iesus Christ before was described in your sight and among you crucified 2 This only would I learne of you Receaued ye the spirit by the workes of the Law or by hearing of faith 3 Are yee so foolish that after ye haue begun in the spirit ye would now end in the flesh 4 Haue yee suffered many things in vaine If yet in vaine 5 He therefore that ministreth to you the spirite and worketh miracles among you doth he it through the workes of the Law or by the hearing of faith O YEE foolish bewitched and disobedient or incredulous Galathians These are vehement speeches But this vehemency proceeded of great zeale and this zeale for them was grounded vppon many reasons 1. Christ was described before their face and crucified in their sight 2. They had receiued the spirit and the graces of the holie Ghost not by the deeds of the Law for they were Gentils but by the Ghospel preached vnto them And the Law in comparison is flesh and grosse the Ghospel is spirituall Should they beginne with the better and relaps to the worse Be
vs from heauen if they bee not seene vnto and therefore hee forewarneth and redoubleth his warning Careful forewarnings import an euident foresight of imminent danger Wherein in is exemplified 1. The diligence of the minister to foretell and foretell againe euer to crie and neuer cease and 2. The imminent daunger of sinning appeareth by the earnest warning For what shooter would cry aware aware when the arrow commeth nothing neere the standers by What workman vndersetteth the house that standeth sure What Physicion carefully cureth him that needeth no cure and is not sick Pauls double care doth euidently argue their manifold peril It were ouer-long vppon the onely naming of many seuerall faultes to enter long discourse in particular because there are sundry proper textes in Scripture more fit for such purposes Idolatrie Notwithstanding in a word to goe ouer euery thing the next work of the flesh is Idolatry wherof before Pag. 156. And therefore thereof I say no more but blessed be the Almighty God who hath remoued al hil Altars idoll Priestes and such late Idolatry as was not heard of neither in Babylon nor in Aegypt it selfe Babylon thought that her Gods did eate but Popery thought and taught that God was eaten chewed with teeth swallowed with throte and I abhorre to vtter it conueied into the bellies of worse than men Of old Aegypt Israel learned to worshippe a calfe and when Moyses was but a smal while absent and though he left be hind him a sufficient curat yet the people would needs haue it so and they contributed their very eare-rings to make and they made an idoll But that Idol-calfe was not comparable to the Popish Idol-cake which they fall downe before and adore the woorkmanship of mans hands and say my Lord and my God to a peece of bread nay to round and white and they know not to what Witchcraft The next woorke of the flesh heere specified is witchcraft Which is a bad sory craft and a sinful occupation Yet whether any such thing be or no some haue conceaued some doubt But they who say that there be no witches consequently say also that there is no witching But if there be anie witchcraft there must needs be witches And if there could be no witching why doth our Apostle cal witchcraft a work and a thing of importance debarring vs from the inheritaunce of heauen As wel may they say that enuy enmity hatred adultery and murther c. are not at al as well as witchcraft For al these offences are iointly written in like letters and Paul saith that these are things manifest and as it were Printed in Capitall letters A wise Dscouerie of witchcraft To make it a little more manifest to weake eies that cannot discerne much in this case were not amisse but vnlearned prophane silly-folly fables shoote farre wide of such a mark Not to go beyond my text wichcraft is naught ergo it is witchcraft is forbidden ergo it is for if it were not at al why is it forbidden as being and being naught Sainct Paul Gal. 3.1 borrowing a similitude from a thing without controuersie knowen to be and that could naturally lend the speech which he ment to borow questioneth with these Galathians and asketh who had spiritually bewitched them and dealt with them so in spiritual matters to distort trouble * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infect them as there was no question but witches deal by Gods secret sufferance in cases external of witching effections yet no farther than God permitteth and most times nothing so far as euery body vpon priuate fancy many times vainly imagineth Most of the vices which follow are hatred and debate emulations wrath contentions seditions heresies enuy murthers c. Where a man hateth it is an easie matter to fall at variaunce both in common weale matters and Church causes And where sinne entereth it forceth to goe on and neuer resteth in any meane degree The sanctified flesh doth not sanctifie but the polluted polluteth Hagg. 2.13 A litle wormwood maketh honny bitter twise so much honny cannot sweetē some litle iuyce of wormwood Sinnes growe apace and goe by heapes and thraues together the broad way hatred debate emulations wrath altogether c. Sinne groweth quicklie and goeth on forciblie In the booke of Iosue Iosh 7. Acam confessed that hee saw coueted tooke and buried in his tentes the Babylonish weede and the sickles of siluer From seeing the cursed thing he proceeded incontinently to coueting from coueting to conueying it to himselfe and hiding it in his tentes exprestie against the Lords commandement in so much that sin may say as Caesar said Veni vidi vici I come I see I conquere as you may see in euery particular sin In the turning of an hand I conquer where I come and I consume where I conquere and neuer rest but as the fier till I haue wasted all I hate and where I hate I striue and strife hatred emulation wrath contention sedition enuy proceede to open murdering of soules by heresies and of bodies by cruell handes euen like as they report of some kinde of horseleach that turneth into a serpent and that serpent becommeth a fiery Dragon But my brethren wil you hate must you be angry Beholde I shewe you matter to occupie these affections vpon Enter into thine own soul summon thine owne conscience controule thine owne doings and be angry with thine anger hate all hatred and if thou wilt murther murther thy sinnes and sit in iudgement against thy selfe abhor all impiety idolatry heresies schismes and sectes c. God hath spoken it Paul hath written it that flesh and blood the works of the flesh shall not inherit the kingdome of God It is an inheritaunce and therefore free and a kingdom not prepared by mans meriting but yet wilfull sinners shall not enter much lesse inherit this kingdome The vncleane body the polluted the vncharitable restles man the irefull sinner and contentious humor cannot inherit the rest of God his kingdome is but for fit subiects This inheritance is only prepared for dutiful heires for the generation of the chast for Godly mindes for peaceable children for haters of hatred and louers of peace Drunkennes Gluttonie The two last faults are drunkennes and gluttony the one maketh in the body a sinck the other a dung hill For deuoiding of them both hee sayd well who faide Nature is contented with litle and Grace with lesse The waterish marish and plashy groundes breedeth nothing but frogs and toades and such like vermine and the full bellie bringeth foorth onely a fumy smoky foggy sense The kingdome of God which is aboue sense and reason consisteth not either in the superstitious refusing or seruile abusing of meates or drinkes and lightly hee who farceth the body starueth the soule And this is a singular infirmity of sinful flesh that is either caught vp in a whirle-poole Touch not tast not or sunk in
most preeiselie and properly taken which his fault was reproued as appeareth in Austine Tom. 6. contra Epist Funda c. 5. 6. And which title because the Pope being also a Bishop doth claim he most resembleth Manicheus The abuse of things abolisheth not their good vsage But to the matter whether he vsed or abused this salutation it skilleth litle for our partes we are not disposed to mislike the innocent sheepes fel because the rauening woolfe hath sometime put it on wee are not so fonde as to refuse the Arke of God 1. Sam. 8 because the Philistines had once got it into their hands we cannot neither will wee God willing refuse the vsage of our godly greetings because your coyishnesse would bar vs thereof and appropriate good words at your fantastical pleasure As wel you may for ought I knowe interdict men of well dooing as of wishing wel vnto their neighbours and brethren And farther if you imagine as it may seeme you doe that there is some operatiue and working benediction in those wordes beside that the euent hath prooued the contrarie for what is now become of that graceles vnhappy Church of Galatia the verie words following confute that your folly most sufficiētly For Paul wisheth Grace and Peace not as enclosed in his wordes and interlaced in his lines or fixed to his letters but to bee giuen by God and by Christ which gaue himselfe c. In which fourth and fifth verses are to bee learned these three conuenient obseruations as they lie 1. The end why Christ gaue himselfe to deliuer vs out of this present world 2. The enducement thereunto according to his good wil. 3. Our duty therefore in giuing him glorie and deserued prayse for euer The end of our deliuerie by Christ 1 Deliuerie presupposeth captiuity and the greater the enemie the dearer the ransom and the ioifuller the deliuerance The enemie here named is the world the ransome Christ we are the deliuered The enimie mightie the ransom pretious and therefore our deliuery most ioyful But hee that is in hel thinketh many times there is no other heauen So faire a glose can the world set vpon the matter and so forcibly can it woork Gen. 29. In the booke of Genesis Laban made promise to Iacob that he should haue to wife for his faithfull seruice fair Rachel Iacob in hope thereof indureth al toile and pains But when the time of his couenant was expired Laban in the night substituteth Lea in steed of Rachel Euen so O guilful worlde how sweet how pleasant are thy promises but the things thou yeeldest in the end how bitter how ful of gall are they Thou promisest bewtiful Rachel but thou performest squinteyd Lea. He which seeth thy vanitie and discerneth thy wilinesse would hee be deceaued or ought he not of all thinges most to desire his deliueraunce from thy thral The world a transitorie and a wicked world Our Apostle describeth this world worthilie in two woords terming it the present wicked world The wickednesse of the world may seeme delight-some yet such delightes endure not long They are but a basket ful of sommer fruit a Ionas his gourd they spring in the night and fade the next day That which is past is as if it neuer were that which is to come is vtterly vncertain and that which is present is but a glimse for a moment a morning dew and gone againe Notwithstanding were the world only a fickle and a transitorie vncertainty the benefite of our deliuery were the lesse Glasse is a brickle metal and yet a cleane The world is not only vnstable and fading euen the verie fashion thereof but it is as Saint Iohn speaketh altogither set on wickednesse Our deliuerance from the world doth not driue men to shorten their time in the world and therefore Christ gaue himselfe for our sinnes that he might deliuer vs out of this present euill worlde I say not neither saieth Christ from not being at al in this world but from liuing after the fashion of the world For it is written Thou shalt not kil that is thou vpon a feare or fancy thou shalt not dispatch as not an other so not * Aug. de ciui Dei li. 2. cap. 20 thy selfe out of the woorld Thou shalt not dig thine owne graue and enter into it before thy time no Thou shalt not hang thine owne winding sheete before thine eies thou shalt not be cause or occasion of thine owne death Iob. When holy Iob cursed the daie of his birth it was but a pang of imperfection Act. 16.28 In the Actes when the prisoner woulde haue killed himselfe Paul crieth out that he should do himself no harm as if to kil were to hurt himselfe Then if to kill were to doe harme verily to liue cannot be harm And were it absolutely vnlawful to liue or laweful to liue or not to liue when mans lust were and with * 2 Machab. 14. Rasis to leaue the station wherein God hath placed vs there could haue beene no doubt Philip. 1.23 or no great doubt in Pauls choise to the Philippians where he casteth with himselfe whether it were better to choose life or rather death for the desire he had to be dissolued and to be with christ Yet in fine he resolueth for considerations that it were better the course of his race to be continued And then why chose he life if to liue were vtterly il and simply naught as some in their impatiencie imagine Ioh. 17.15 In Saint Iohn our Sauiour prayeth for his not that they be taken out of the world but that they may bee preserued from euil For the creatures in the woorld and the woorlde and our life therein though euil and tedious are not in fault The faultes of the woorld must bee shunned and from them wee are deliuered namely from the guilt of sinne thorough Christ 1 Ioh. 1. and by his spirite from the degrees of sinning wilfully lustfully or finally to death But which is my second note who is hee or what is it hath deliuered vs the grace of God through Iesus Christ And why The inducement why God vouchsaued our deliuerance The causes of gods doings must not be sought for else-where then in God himselfe His grace his fauour his mercy his fatherly goodnesse his pleasure purpose wil and good wil are the onely things specified in Scripture as agent causes of sending so great saluation to the sonnes of men Our Apostle Paul euerie where intentiuelie looking into the state of our redemption when he feeth the father satisfied the Son sacrificed man saued from sin and deliuered from the world he hath alwaies recourse onely to the goodnesse of God who is most free in willing inflexible in doing repentant in neither and in both without all compartner For who hath or can be his associate or Counseller Rom. 11.34 to induce him this way that is
powerfull presence of the God of Iacob which turneth the rock into a water-poole and the flint into a fountain of water Semblably it was more than a woonder to see Paul thus altered thus relenting thus altogither changing his former life Men rather praise the means than the author of goodnesse But in such cases cōmonly there is no mean in humane iudgements For 1. either we enuy thereat through malice 2. Or we magnifie too much through folly rather men the receiuers than God the giuer we gaze on * Act. 3.12 Peter we sacrifice to * Act. 14.15 Paul we glorifie not God neither for Peter nor Paul When Paul that sought to roote out the faith and Christian profession now planteth the faith I esteeme him as a planter but hee * 1 Cor. 3.7 that watereth is nothing and he that planteth is nothing and nothing deserueth not any thing and therefore not ame praise in comparison of God that giueth the encrease and made Paul a planter and * Ephes 10.11 who woorketh all in al according to the counsel of his owne wil. In the receit of water I praise the spring for the ishue of the water and not the condit as if it sprang from the condit pipe In the sight of light the glasse is but a meane to lighten the house the cause of light is in the sunne But at this time I speak not of means or of ministerial instruments whereof there is a due * 1. Cor. 4.1 regarde but of the soueraigne cause of our stonie hearts now being mollified of our foorth in sinne sometime as it were a maine water course that way now quite chaunged another way I speake of Paul once a persecuter now made a preacher of the Gospell and when I speake hereof I speake of God and of his only work and therefore in only glorifieng God therein these churches did their duetie Tu vade fac similiter Go thy way whosoeuer thou bee learne this lesson this daie and in like cases doe the like If * Ioh. 8.50 Christ the naturall Sonne of God sought not his owne glorie but his fathers what must wee the adopted doe What is our duetie herein thinke ye And I pray you brethren most earnestly among many duties think wel on this Make not more of the lanthorne than of the light that shineth through the lanthorne CHAP. II. 1 THEN 14 yeares after I went vp againe to Ierusalem with Barnabas I tooke with me Titus also 2 I went vp by reuelation and declared vnto them that Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles but particularlie to them that were the chiefe least by any meanes I should run or had run in vaine 3 But neither yet Titus which was with me though he were a Graecian was compelled to be circumcised 4 To witte for the false brethren which were craftilie sent in and crept in priuilie to spie out our libertie which wee haue in Christ Iesus that they might bring vs into bondage 5 To whom wee gaue not place by subiection for an houre that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you IN these lines are sette forth 1. the circumstances of Pauls second viage to Ierusalem 2. his conference there 3. and howe stoutlie and wisely hee demeaned him-selfe vpon occasion offered by certaine false brethren 1 In the circumstances 1. he sheweth vpon what inducement he vndertooke the iourney viz. vpon no priuate fancy but by euident reuelation 2. Then hee went not secretly and by stelth but with Barnabas and hee tooke with him Titus also So went hee with good companie and as it were the curtaines of the * Exod. 26.5 tabernacle twisted and knit togither or * Ezech. 1.16 Ezechiels wheeles one in another I meane arme in arme in perfect amitie great frindship and mutual comfort and that vnder sufficient witnes Peters residēce in Rome 25. years impossible 3. Another circumstance is of the time then 14 years after which being wel loked into doth plainly argue the impossibility of Peters being or as they speake of Peters sitting forsooth so long at Rome quite contrarie to the nature of his apostolike office 25. years togither For without al controuersie contradiction Peter liued not aboue 40. years after our Sauiors passion if at the least he were 18. yeares at Ierusalem when Paul who doubtles was called * Acts. 9.3 after our Sauiours ascension came thither found him there how possibly could hee rest first at Antioch 7. yeares and then at Rome 25 For 18. 7. and 25 make more than 40. It cannot bee These were the circumstances 2 In Pauls conference 1. the matter he conferred of may bee considered 2. the persons with whom hee conferred and the ende of his conference 1. Touching the matter which he declared vnto them more in place conuenient Why I pray you was Paul in doubt of the goodnes of his cause of the certaintie of his doctrine of the assurednes of his doing that at the length hee bethought himselfe of this conference Did hee put his doctrine in * Rhem. Test Pag. 499. trial now and to the approbation of others as the Papists imagine The whole drift and tenor of his speach is to the contrarie He was called negatiuely not of men nor by men affirmatiuely by Christ and by Christ alone by an Heauenlie vision by a celestiall reuelation Three yeares were betweene his first calling and before his first iourneying to Ierusalem and fourteen before this his second iourney Shotte he al this while at random ventured hee without a warrant or knew he not what hee did delt he at aduentures No by no meanes no. This conference was no dubious or disputable communication too and fro pro and con houering vp and downe vncertainly * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he opened his doctrine he declared and shewed it to them how Christ was the accomplishment of the Law and abolishment of former ceremonies and that the partition wal was taken downe and that the Gentiles were to haue a common entrance with others into the knowledge of Christ This was the matter of his conference and communication 2. The persons with whom he conferred were the chiefe 1. If there were mo chiefe than one then was not one namely Peter not chiefe of al. 2. He conferred with the chiefe For why To conferre with the foote when a man may haue conference with the head were no wisdome 3. he conferred particularly or priuatly Wherein neither he disdained them nor they him though they there were the chiefe But for that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he priuatlie and as it were a part did communicate his cause may be obserued a general caution that would bee seene vnto which is Priuate conference that to make a matter publickely controuersed and in common demurred when priuat notice can doe that is to be done and remedy the whole were great folly and litle
faile but shal endure vnto the end 3 The last point was the Apostles petition to Paul to remember the poore which hee not superficially or sleightly but with earnest endeuour performed Wherein I note 1. both the case of Christians 2. and the care of the Apostles to supply their neede 1. So * The state of the best in this world is manie times worst was it euer Pharao was at his ease and Israel at his taske Lazarus lieth without doores the Rich man goeth gayly and fareth deliciously euery day So our Sauiour was borne in a stable and layd in a cratch exiled in his infancy and in the whole race of his life had not where to rest his head Thus it was of old thus it wil bee for the most part euer 2. But yet so much the rather because Pharao oppresseth the world neglecteth and Herod persecuteth because pouertie most aboundeth commonly where men are best because others care not at al for vs therefore the Apostles did and we must care the more one for another Care for the needy very requisit but seldom vndertaken Remember the poore Gen. 37. In Iosephs dreame the leane cow did eat vp the fat but it is now no dreame the fatte cow deuoureth the lean the ful eare eateth vp the poorer corne the rich man waxeth richer and richer without end and remorse and who remembreth or once thinketh of the poore Phil. 4.18 as if the sacrifice of almes were an out-worne ceremonie and out of date For doctrinal pointes they adde nothing to Paul but onely put him in mind of this merciful remembrance And blessed is he * Psa 41.1 qui intelligit super egenum Who considereth the needy Chrysostom Tom. 5. worthily mistiketh too much curiosity in bestowing thy almes but yet there is a diligence and an intelligence therein For some make a trade of begging as friarly mendicantes and voluntarie rogues Wherefore blessed is he who wisely considereth the distressed Ioseph in the prison Lazar in the hospital the fatherles the widowe the stranger the needy housekeeper that hath a poore honest wife and many smal children lying and liuing vpon his handes and his onelie handy labour But you wil question with me what had Paul to doe with the prouiding for the poore In assuming certaine officers to see to the poore they left not off to be as careful for the poore as conueniently they might He was no Deacon he was an Apostle And the Apostles had giuen ouer that function as appeareth in the Acts Cap. 6. vers 2. What they gaue ouer they had before For no mā can giue ouer that he neuer had And therfore I am of opinion that the care for the poore is no disparagement as I may so call it to the nature of the Apostleship Whereas the Apostles once were lawfully carefull both for preaching and also for the poore and now againe the Apostles expresly request Paul to bee mindful of the poore which I interpret to be not onelie by exhortation in the poores behalfe but by conuenient procuration of reasonable meanes I mislike that hande that thinketh to hold and gripe ouer-much and to deale in moe matters than it can wel span or comprehend yet I like not that opinion which is that because a man cannot perfectly vse any one talent well therefore hauing moe talents giuen him he shall imploy but one Wherefore I say as saied the Apostles O Paul thou Apostle whereuer thou goest so it be no hinderaunce to thy proper function as sometime it maie bee none remember the poore Much more thou Preacher whereuer thou art fixed remember the poore Cast thy bread vpon these waters hide thy gift in the fertile ground of the poore mans bozem thou canst not effer thy sacrifice vppon a better altar O remember the poore by al good meanes in these dear and hard harted times 11 And when Peter was come to Antiochia I withstoode him to his face for hee was to be blamed 12 For before that certaine came from Iames he did eat with the Gentiles but when they were come he with-drew and separated himselfe fearing them of the circumcision 13 And the other Iewes plaied the hypocrites likewise with him in so much that Barnabas was led away with them by that their hypocrisie 14 But when I sawe that they went not the right way to the trueth of the Gospell I said vnto Peter before al If thou being a Iewe liuest as the Gentiles and not like the Iewes why constrainest thou the Gentiles to doe like the Iewes Hitherto we haue looked into the causes and consequences of Pauls iourney the second time to Ierusalem and of his conference with Peter and with others there Here we are to beholde Pauls conflict at Antioch with Peter alone but yet openly in the sight of al wherein we see 1. the boldnes of Paul reprehending and 2. the fault and frailtie of Peter offending I purpose in the whole to note 1. the cause and desert of this reprehension and 2. the manner of Pauls vsage therein 1 Touching the fault and cause deseruing it fell out thus as the tert sheweth plainely enough Peter being at Antioch companied with the Gentils frequented their tables did eate as they did Great men sinning cause many to sinne with them But when certaine came from Ierusasalem from Iames Peter belike no supreme terror of all the world was in a feare of Iames his messengers and began an other course sequestred himselfe drew backe and tooke his diet a part And as a great tree doth not fall but manie litle boughes fall with it so with Peter sundrie flocked aside yea and Barnabas was caried away with the streame And this was the cause verily no small cause of Pauls reprehending of Peter For hereby the Iewes were ensnared the Gentils amazed Barnabas seduced the trueth peruerted Christian liberty enthrauled the veile which once was rent was patched togither and hung vp againe and the partition wall that was taken downe was built vp anew and all now brought to this passe as if the kingdome of Christ should consist in the difference of meates and the vse of ceremonies And those whome * Acts. 10.15 God had clensed began to bee suspected of pollution and vncleanesse and al this by Peters tredding awry and not going with an vpright foote in the waies of the Gospell And was not this cause sufficient soundly roundly to take vp Peter 2 The manner of Pauls reprehending was downe-right and plaine For what els should be doone in such a case How might he best reclaime the Iewes reforme Barnabas and comfort the Gentils A * Publicke reproofe in cases very necessarie priuate dealing and a secret reproofe of Peters dissembling the Iewes backe-sliding perchance had beene to litle effect and when the fact was open if the reproofe were but secret what might the Gentils think They sawe the fault they heare it not reprooued
family and canst not serue anie master but him And as when men enter into a Bathe they put off all their apparell before they enter so all else Law and nature workes of either and al must be put off that christ may be put on Reuel 12.1 Vestis virum indicat It thou bee a Christian thou art onely cladde with Christ The whole Church in the reuelation walketh and treadeth all mutable thinges vnder her feete and she is attired onely with the Sonne of righteousnesse with the cloth of his spinning and which was made of that wol that he the innocent and immaculate Lambe of God did beare The motiue of being of the religion they were baptised in Many among you say they wil be of the religion they were baptized in And so wee desire them to bee and not in part but euen altogether of the same religion they were baptized into For wil ye liue as yee beleeue But wil you beleeue as you were baptized We require no more The substance of Baptisme preserued in the mids of Popery By the speciall prouidence of God aminds the contentions not onely of old in the Church of Corinth the very forme of Baptizme was retained but also in later times of greatest corruption the substance of Baptizme was preserued I speake not of spetle in the childs mouth of salt in the water or oyle in his brest of the Priests breathings and such like impertinent superstitions But for the forme and substance of Baptisme it was preserued and therein yee were baptised into Christ and haue put on Christ if yee bee Christes And now deare brethren and Christians be of this religion on Gods name and in Gods behalfe I hartily pray you which if you wil be seriously and entirely and as you should the Dagon of al Popery wil fal and break to fitters before this Arke and then you shal be indeede as you are or would be in name true Christians right Catholiques the very seede of Abraham and heires of the promise made in that one seede by whom and in whom all happines doth come and consist And it woulde bee noted distinctly heere in the last verse of this chapter which was touched before that all who beleeue are called the seede and right posteritie of Abraham but yet that there was and is but one seed which is Christ by whom his whole seede and race els are blessed according to the faith How man is made blessed in the seede of man And albeit it seeme in the eie of a reasoning head a very harde and impossible thing that blessing should come at all by the seede of any man yet this is a case beyond the reach of reason and rules of nature By nature who can say my hart is cleane much lesse the seede and that in such an effect as to clense others And yet by that one seede is ment the person of Christ and by Abrahams seede is generally ment the whole race of beleeuers yet with al the very matter of propagation is thereby inferred and therefore named Luck 1. And our Sauiour was the very seede of the woman the seed of Abrahā the frute of the virgins womb perfect man yet far from sin How may this be How What if I cā not tel how in reason a stone shoulde bee cut of the mountaine without handes howe the drie and deade stocke of Iessy should spring and fructifie how a virgine should conceaue and beare a child and yet remaine a virgine These are articles of faith and not of sense nor of reason Mans corruption is and was in his qualities and not in his substance This is sure the seede of man and man in his substance was not corrupted with Adams fall for then Christ taking the substance of our nature shoulde haue beene sinfull in nature but hee was like and of the same substance yet was there this difference onely of his being farre from sinne in the qualities of man in sinning and all this well was and might bee because hee was not simply man of the seede of man but God manifested in the flesh and Marie his Mother conceauing him she beeing ouer-shadowed by the holy Ghost The powerful vertue whereof doth sanctifie yea many a man in good part euen in this woorld And as after our dissolution from this world immediatly our soules and our bodies at the resurrection generally in the twinckling of an eye and moment of time shal bee purified before they enter that place whereinto Reuel 21.27 No impure thing can enter So great reason that the cause of our entrance into Heauen should bee as no doubt hee was deuoid of sinne a most blessed seede though a seede yet a seede blessing and imparting of his blessednesse whereby wee are heires and coheires with him and by him of euerlasting blisse And this is the mysterie of piety The incarnation of Christ a matter to bee beleeued and not to bee argued or talked of but with dewe aw and that out of the expresse Scriptures for our greater comfort and constancy in beleeuing * ⎠* CHAP. IIII. 1 THEN I say that the heire as long as he is a child differeth nothing from a seruant though hee be Lord of all 2 But is vnder tutors and gouernours vntill the time appointed of the Father 3 Euen so we when wee were children were in bondage vnder the rudimentes of the woorlde The Law resembleth the office of a tutor THE third Simile is of a tutorshippe which remaineth to be explicacated in the entry of this Chapter yet therefore the lesse to be debated because of our former examples tending to one the same end already handled If the father discease in the nonage of his child where wisedome is not and discretion wanteth to dispose and order his patrimony the Father by will appointeth tutors In common experience this is an ordinary course God for purposes best knowen to his eternall wisedome and finding defects in his people the Iews to bridle them from farther inconueniences he bounded them in with ordinances as it were tutored them by such orders as was best for them and for that time And as children are foolish to choose their owne tutors so the Iewes were to serue and to be ruled though being children yet as it were seruants vnder the rudimentes of his Law til the time of perfecter age Wherein appeareth 1. The defect in men vnder the Lawe who were as pupils and though they were heires yet in vsage were they dealt with as with Seruants and 2. The dignity ful age and perfection vnder the Gospel 4 But when the fulnes of time was come God sent forth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Law 5 That hee might redeeme them which were vnder the Law that we might receaue the adoption of Sonnes Curiosity in Gods actions is not good When the fulnes c. A foolish fly can no sooner see a light
Then to reuiue vs in al goodnes that we may be newe creatures in him The redemption is perfect and was paid by Christ in his owne person on the crosse and resteth vppon his proper discharge in whome wee haue redemption through his blood that is the remission of our sins Phil. 1.14 The life wee liue in Christ through the vertu of his passion and operation of his spirit whereby we are mortified to the world hath not these degrees of perfection because of the imperfection of the flesh wherein wee yet are detained the Law of our mindes beeing hindered by the frowardnesse of our members and fettering vs somewhat in the waies of our full deliuery but yet of our ful deliuery we neede not doubt For as the prisoner being acquit at the bar feeleth the comfort of his release and yet he must go backe to the prison and then in expedient order of time his bolts shall bee knockt off and hee perfectly released so wee albeit wee are pronounced quit by Christ and the enditement bee cancelled and the world and al be crucified and we in hart find the ioy thereof yet in processe of time the perfection of our ioy is finished and not by and by perfected And as they which are ransomed from the Turke though the price be all paide and they are sure it is so and in part their bandes are taken from them yet while they are in their iourney homeward in remembraunce of this old captiuity for a submission al along as they go through the territories of the Turk they are not without some kind of bonds or fetters euen so while wee yet remaine in the vale of sinne in the tabernacle of the body and till wee can quite get out of the Turkes dominions till this corruption shall put on incorruption in another woorlde this present woorld is an hinderance and an hampering and a fettering vnto vs but the nearer wee come to our owne countrey the more wee take our leaue of the world and in the end we relinquish all and enter the perfect perfection of all perfections in Iesu Christ Verse 16. As manie without distinction as walke and are directed according to this rule which is the Canon of the Gospell and the scepter of Christ Paul wisheth them mercy and peace or signifieth vnto them that they haue the promises of peace mercy because they they are the Israel of God for God is not the God of Israel according to the flesh as the false Apostles bear them in hand but according to the faith For circumcision auaileth nothing neither yet is vncircumcision any thing there is no difference in eyther But the new creature in Christ is the Israel that preuaileth with God Circumcision Circumcision was a couenant of righteousnes and a seale of faith and a bond to doe al that God should command his people to do so he that was circumcis◅ was expresly afterwarde bound to the Law which God commanded But as it was a couenant of righteousnesse and of faith so was their faith of a righteousnes in christ to come and therefore because Christ is come that fashion of the seale is dashed out and the forme of righteousnesse commeth by Christ that is to come and to that ende is come that hee might deliuer vs from the Law and be the accomplishment of al in himselfe euen to all that beleeue in him thorough out al the woorld But of this matter hath beene debated very often To draw to an end 17 From henceforth let no man put mee to busines for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Iesus There is no ende of wrangling if a man will follow them who make no conscience what they say or doe For the whole matter as of the pretences of Moses Law of Abrahams name of the people of Israel c. enough hath beene debated if any thing can bee enough and namely diuerse times of circumcision a marke which they laboured vnfruitfully now vnder the Gospell to set in the flesh wherein Paul opposeth the marks which were imprinted in himselfe which hee calleth significantly the marks of the Lord Iesus Whereof a word or two Neither prosperity nor aduersitie are the proper and necessarie markes to discerne the trueth by Since the first beginning when I consider generally the Church of God floting in the waters turmoiled in Aegypt wandering in the wildernes wasted with wars destroied with corporal plagues and led into sundry captiuities I began as Ruth after the haruest of Booz so I after the labors of many others wiser than my selfe to make these euentes as certaine markes to know the Church by In special when I looked vpon the murdering of Abel the sale of Ioseph the lake of Ieremy the den of Daniel the desert of Elias and the like Vnder the new testament when I beholde the pouerty of Bethlehem where our Sauiour was borne and therein the stable and manger wherein hee was laide and so his exile ensuing and likewise the race he ran hauing not any where to rest his head And since til our time for the first 300 yeares when I see the Church most afflicted with tyranny the next 300. most infested with heresies for 800. yeares following beseeged with apostacie and the last 100 and od yeares abounding with swarmes of inconueniences I began as afore so againe to make no reckoning of a florishing successe in the cause of truth and I reade it the better marke of the two to measure doctrine by the hard lotte of the true professor than by the faire prosperity of the world affourded Notwithstanding I would be loth to repute that as a speciall marke of the sheepe of Christ which may bee common to a company of Gotes and may be not incident to the Church of Christ at some better seasons Agar troubled Sara but yet Sara tombled Agar out of doores Ismael persecuted Isaack but the bond brat had no part in the inheritance And albeit there bee a farther learning in these ensamples of spiritual cōfort yet they were also literally true and for the time trouble was vpon the vngodly and the godly for a season was not to be discerned by the marke of aduersity The aduersitie may be the same but the cause being diuerse doth distinguish the aduersity and maketh it sometimes a tast of farder pumshment sometimes a monument of desert and a recalling from sinne sometime a triall of faith an exercise of patience an experience of hope a duety of all men to endure al in expectation of better thinges purchased by Christs suffering and laid vp in heauen whereinto a man must enter by many tribulations On the crosse there were three who suffered a damned theefe a saued soule and the Sauiour of vs al. The penalty of the crosse was one to them al. But yet there was an incomparable difference in their persons The vnquiet man maie purchase a great deale of trouble to no purpose but