temptations As soone as Christ was declared the sonne of God instantly Satan declared himselfe an open enemy and this euery child of GOD shall proue in himselfe What perill was Saint Paul in whiles he was a persecutour was it not a sweet world to apprehend to binde to imprison whome he listed But when he is conuerted to Christ heare what he saies In Perils of water of Robbers of his owne nation of the Gentiles in perils in the Citty in the Wildernesse in the Sea in perils of false brethren See how the world is changed now he must iourny be weary watch fast hunger for our goodnesse will not free vs from danger it is the cause of danger as we see in Abel Are not men slaine for their goods so the treasure of Godlinesse is the sole cause of the enimies assault he will venture most for the richest booty Thus the wicked haue a trebble aduantage of the Godly First their heauen is heere on earth they are in their owne country they seeke no farther Secondly they haue no such treasure being voyde of grace cantabit vacuus coram latrone vâ—…ator He that hath neuer a peny in his purse neede not feare robbing Thirdly their friends are here the world loueth him So standes it not with the Saints of God whose country is not the world whose treasure is not in the world whose friends are not of the world I will briefly shew three things which belong to a good souldier of Christ. First he must haue a good heart the Deuill fights for the heart who then will be a niggard of an hearts courage in an hearts defence they say mens cuiusque is est quisque a Christian should be all heart For so much as we deduct out of courage and resolution for Gods cause so much haue we forfeited of our being and subsisting to Christ. Doe not Princes when they send treasure by land or sea picke out the most stout resolute the most hardy and ventrous men will they trust cowards We haue grace from Christ as a depositum a treasure committed God hath put vs in trust let not vs basly and cowardly giue it ouer Lucan speaks of Metellus which when Iulius Caesar entred Rome suffring the dishonor of the Citty and the breach of all lawes yet when Caesar brake open the doore of the treasury thrust himselfe betweene and would not let him passe without breaking through his owne sides So the Poet hath Vsque adeo solus ferrum mor temque timere Auri nescit amor pereunt discrimine nullo Amissae leges sed pars vilissima rerum Certamen mouistis opes O cursed gold thy onely loue when state and lawes decay Through fire sword bloody death doth carles make a-way Riches yee vilest part of things for you men kill and slay Shall it be said so the loue of riches feareth not sword nor death O no let onely the loue of Christ contemne death No sacke of a citty is so lamentable as when the Deuill entreth into a soule as when he cries downe with an heart and synks the whole man into ruine and perdition we haue true enemies why haue we false hearts he which hewed vs as I may say out of the dust of the earth was knowne to bring vs to an excellent piece of worke Why then doe wee suffer that enemie which will breake downe all our carued workes with Axes and Hammers We want no courage to stout it and braue it in defence of our wicked liues and lewd manners we will beare no reproofe we will maintayne it to the death we are hardie and resolute to follow causes at Law we spare for no cost though our cause be weake our heart is strong A man is not afrayd to challenge his Brother into the field and to seeke to shed his bloud with hazard of his owne life though he fight against God and the iust Lawes armed with vengeance The World hath her Martyres Sinne hath hers What hath Religion Come on deare Christians let vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First challenge the enemies of our faith We onely which stand for the truth of God haue a strong cause Let vs not haue faint hearts We fight against a fugitiue enemy a Runnagate whom our Captayne Michaell hath so wounded that if we but resist him he will flie from vs Our fellow Souldiers are all the Saints of God Martyrs Apostles Prophets Patriarchs euen that royall Army of God our auxiliares copiae our supplies are the Angels in Heauen which pitch their Tents about vs whom if we could see we should say That more are they that fight for vs then they that fight against vs. Our Captayne our Leader is Christ Iesus which combated the enemy in single fight and is ascended vp on high Principalities Powers Mights and Dominations being made subiect to him Come on I say courage for Heauen for Christ for the Crowne of glory What Dwarfe wil feare to bid defiance to the strongest Champion if a Giant will stand by and abet his quarrell Dominus nobiscum The Lord is on our side that Giant of infinite stature Heere what Dauid the Prophet saith Though an hoast of men were gathered against mee yet will not I be afraid See a little Dwarfe in in this Name defie all names and Powers Angels Principalities Life Death Height depth things present things to come counting his daily killing for Christ more then conquering For know we this no man can be ouercome which hath a good cause if his enemy kill him his cause will saue him then come what will we onely which haue this cause of Christ can say of all our enemies as Socrates said of Anytus and Melitus Me vero Anytus Melitus necare possunt nocere non possunt Our enemies may kill vs but they cannot hurt vs. Finally to make our courage lasting and durable let vs behold our Lord Iesus holding ouer our heads the Crowne of glory and saying Vincenti dabo to him that ouercommeth I will giue the Crowne of life The second in a good Souldier is to haue a good hand or arme for we must not be such onely as may not feare our enemies we must make them feare vs as Pelopidas which when one told him We are in danger of our enemies Why said he more then they of vs For why should we feare carnall or couetous or cruell men if the arme of our Faith be extent and strong they shall rather feare vs. I say then Hostem qui feriet mihi erit Carthaginiensis He that strikes an enemy of Gods shal be to me a good Christian. Strike at Atheists downe with proud Goliah pull away the visards of hypocrites and hit them in the faces feare no mans person no not the Giants For wee haue a Sword of that temper and sharpenesse which will diuide and pierce the diuisions of the Spirit and the ioynts
I am the Way the Truth and the Life Whom shall we beleeue of the Way but the way it selfe whom of the Truth but the truth Whom of Life but the life What then haue you done O deepe deceiuers and seducers which haue sought by all the Art and cunning of the Diuell to bring men out of this way to stop the road-way the high way to the kingdome of Heauen and to round and circle vs about by merits by freewill by traditions by reliques by Purgatory by faith implicite by questions of prayers for the dead Which for beleefe in GOD bring men to Romanam Catholicam for faith in Iesus Christ to Papa non potest errare the Pope cannot goe out of the way When Ennius sought his friend at his house and asked his seruant where his Master was the Master said to his seruant Tell him I am not at home which speech Ennius ouer-heard but tooke the answere from the seruant Next day the same man comes to Ennius his house and asked his seruant where his Master was Ennius spake aloud tell him I am not home What saith he will you deny your selfe with your owne tongue Why not said Ennius I beleeued when but your man tolde me you were not at home and will not you beleeue mee which say so my selfe The Ministers and seruants of Christ should shew Christ to all that seeke him but if there be any such as that seruant which denied his Masters presence when hee knew where hee was yet Christ is not like Ennius hee cannot denie himselfe Behold to those wicked trayterous Iewes when they sought him Whom seeke you Iesus of Nazareth I am he and will he denie himselfe to his friends This then is all wee require of you Beleeue Christ of Christ. When Zaccheus was too little and could not see Iesus he climed vp a tree but that wee may see him Christ hath climed the tree of the Crosse himselfe and there was lifted vp to draw vs to him If this be not enough hee hath mounted vp aboue the highest heauens to the right hand of the most high and mighty God Far aboue Angels and thrones and powers and principalities and euery name that is named Why then permute this one knowledge and faith in him for all knowledge all doubts all disputes all wisedome of men for heare what he saith this is eternall life to beleeue c. Thus wee are made to vnderstand not onely that the Scriptures are sufficient to saluation but that the Scriptures abound and more then abound to instruct our vnderstanding We reduce all the precepts of the law and whatsoeuer is else written in the Prophets to loue and all our knowledge is comprehended and endeth in the knowledge of Christ. This is the knowledge of the treasure so the Apostle saith of the knowledge of Christ In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge This is knowledge to the full For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily But he is full wee are empty no hee is our fulnesse Of his fulnesse we haue all receiued grace for grace For as loue is the fulnesse of the law so faith in Christ is the fulnesse of the heart That Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith that you being rooted and grounded in loue may be able to comprehend with all the Saints what is the breadth length depth and height and to know the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge that you may be filled with all fulnesse of God See what perfect Schollers the faith of Christ makes vs the head is the bodies fulnesse Christ is our head by whom wee holde by faith and we are his body and as S. Paul saith That God the Father of glory reade from the seauenteenth verse to the last hath appointed Christ ouer all things to be head of the Church which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all See how Christ is our fulnesse and how he counteth vs his fulnesse for the head cannot haue his fulnesse without the body Grow we vp in this head receiue we from him the fulnesse of the body till we meet altogether in the vnity of faith and knowledge of him For this faith as I haue shewed was sufficient for the thiefe to be assured to be in Paradise and to omit the rest for all the Martyrs in the primitiue Church to be euerlastingly with all honour recorded For there was neuer any piece of story nor point or pricke of letter recorded that euer yet was seene or to be found that any of those Martyrs in the primitiue Church shed their blood for any of those points or articles which are controuerted betweene vs and the Church of Rome either for Purgatory or Prayers for the dead or any other Sacraments or for infallibility of errour in the Pope or traditions or merits or free will or transubstantiation or whatsoeuer is disputed betweene vs but onely for this eternall life the confession of the Diuinitie and humanity of Iesus Christ. And to this Pope Leo bringeth testimonie in his sixe and twentith Epistle to Theodosius Augustus which liued neere about the fiue hundreth yeere after Christ his words are these Prae â—…culis hâ—… et tota acie mentis aspicite 〈◊〉 Petri gloriâ—… et commâ—… cum ipso oâ—…ium Apostolorum coronaâ—… câ—…ctorumque maâ—…tyum palmas quâ—…bus alia non fuit â—…ausa patiendi nisi confessio verae diuinitatis et humanitatis in Christo. Haue before your eyes and consider with all the sight of your minde the glory of blessed Peter and the crownes of all the Apostles and the palmes of all the Martyrs which had no other cause of suffering but the confession of the true Diuinitie and humanity in Christ. Happy were you O blessed Martyrs to whom it sufficed both for temporall death and life and glory eternall to confesse Iesus Christ to be the Sonne of the true and liuing GOD you had no torment but of your body you kept your faith vndaunted and vnshaken and so yeelded your blessed spirits to GOD. It is not allowed for sufficient for vs to beleeue in God to confesse Iesus Christ and to cleaue to him is to vs imputed for heresie wee are counted separated from the body because we hold by the head and traps and snares are laid for vs in the word and Sacraments in our faith in iustification Wee are tortured with wrests and wrenches of disputations we are martyred in our mindes and consciences and may iusâ—…ly complaine that of the Apostle For this are wee reiected and persecuted because wee trust in the liuing God For this being Christians wee are persecuted by Christians If all the tyrants in the world did seeke our bloud we would kisse death being of the Church our owne fellowes kill vs and hauing suffered the same things for the same cause in which the first holy Martyrs suffered we are
vs then haue our eye vpon him that we may know this changeable Proteus vnder what forme soeuer he shrowds himselfe When Peter spake like a friend Maister pitty thy selfe Christ spied the diuell there Auoid Satan When Elymas the Sorcerer perswaded the Deputy Paul eied the diuell thou sonne of the Diuell he found him in men-beasts at Ephesus he spide him lurking in his own flesh whither Sathan had sent his messenger to buffet him And it mattereth not whether he seeke our subucrsion by himselfe or by his sworne seruants For as when a Prince suborneth his subiect to worke treason vpon his enemy the benefit redoundeth to the Prince not to the subject so when men draw vs from God the booty is the Diuells O where doth not this subtile Serpent lurke what station haue the Souldiers of Christ without danger where can we put our selues without perill of falling Wee haue a night and clandesline enemy which neuer ceaseth to subuert ruinate and destroy If we had to doe with a bodily enemy wee might sleepe or intermit the watch there might be something vnperfect in our munitions and he not espie it This enemy spies all aduantages his Dragon eye so called of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to see pries into all things he intermits no time Then in a word whensoeuer wee may be subuerted wee are taken by him Wee haue seene this our arch-enemy ruling ouer all the Nations of the world fortifying himselfe like a great Monarch with bands of Atheists and Idolatrous hauing built himselfe Altars and Temples in the heathen as strong holdes bearing visible sway and carrying the Kingdomes of the earth in open triumph We haue seene how hee hath warred with the Saints in the Primitiue Church and how deare the cause of Iesus Christ stoode the Apostles and Martires in which prodigall of their liues and bloud charged the enemy in open fight and cast him out rescuing kingdomes and subduing the Nations of the world to Christ and his Gospell howbeit hee hath made a reentry hauing gotten the signiory in Africke and holds them as a prey More he raungeth ouer the great Asia and hath laid it waste I hee is entred into Europe and like the surging and ouerflowing ocean frets at the shoare seeking to breake the bounds hauing gotten ground of the Church but what doe I speake of outlings which haue yeelded ouer see how he hath drawne the Starres from heauen Euen them which professing Christ in his Church doe take now the contrary part And now when wee see without the Church the common enemies brauing the poore Christians despising our little number yet lesse for sects and schismes intestine and ciuill warre when I see amiddest them which professe Christ in one side hote fiery men whetting their tongues in Pulpits with curses and bitter words preaching common Inuectiues as if they had warre with one part of their hearers holding their scute or buckler of Predestination ouer the side they fauour and powring out plagues and curses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like stormes in winter on the other When againe I see our aduersaries with bloudy Inquisitions with fire and sword armed not onely with poyson in their mouthes as lying slandering blaspheming for that they count too little but with treasons and all cruel instruments of death sharpned with spite and malice implacable and seconded with hellish policy Heu quantae miseris strages Laurentibus instante what warres what massacres doe threaten vs God thou knowest If euer Christs Church had warre heere is warre It is warre when the enemy batters the walls What is it when hostes habet muros When our enemy possesseth our walls So had wee when wee drew within the walls of our Church that monstrum infelix full of armes and armed men as the Trojan Horse which hath not ceased to practise all cruelty and hostilitie in the Church And if euill were then to be feared how is it now when the enemy commeth out of the sides and bowells of the Church when he is gotten into the Pulpits and hath diuided our small number and pretending nothing but the pure Word hath sowen that sedition that parts are taken that it is growne to mutiny to sides that almost through the whole kingdome euery towne is at open faction Preacher against Preacher hearer against hearer One side goes from the Sermon discouraged and marked out for reprobate the other hath grace and comfort as solely elected Then spies are sent abroad for more hearers this man is graced and magnified as the onely Preacher if another come they will not heare him And hath not this fiery disposition attended to ruinate the very foundation of the Church as in Brownists and Barrowists But you will say these are zealous and godly men they minde but to mend the couering and alter somewhat of the old building Be not deceiued for it is to be feared they will downe with all for the new sides doe heare them as the onely Preachers and they haue cast imputation on their fellowes of Errour and Popery But be not deceiued deare Christians these are not they which brought you out of darkenes into light which stoode and fought for your Faith and the Gospell when the Truth was at a lowe ebbe and the Church had neede of stowt Souldiers in the cause of Christ. Non his Inventus orta parentibus Infeâ—…it aequor sanguine No lusty youths nor any of this race Did euer shed their bloud in such a case They were Ridleys Latimers and Cranmers playne Souldiers fighters not boasters which died for Christ and his Gospell in those dangerous times they cared for the body of Religion not striuing for the shadow They had the compleate armour of righteousnesse they did not contend about the guilding and enamelling They fought indeed not beating the Ayre with wordes they warred with the common enemy and left not the sword sticking in the sides of their fellowes But see how the Serpent is still a Serpent He is out of hope to hurt vs by our enemies abroad now he seekes to bring the same ruine on vs by our selues If he cannot procure our downefall for want of preaching he will doe it by preaching if he cannot hurt vs by hiding prayers in a tongue vnknowne hee will make vs despise them in a tongue knowne if he cannot obtayne the rule as he is Prince of darkenesse He will in a counterfeit forme attempt vs like an Angell of Light By these let vs learne what we ought to be not onely good souldiers but labouring suffering euill First is a good souldier then suffring euil For an euill man is no souldier but an enimy of Christ Transfuga a run-away he hath forsaken his colours and giuen ouer the cause If we be good then shall we be sure of enemies when first we become good then the fight beginueth My sonne when thou commest into the seruice of God stand fast and feare and prepare thy soule to
Scripture if we which should take the blows do rather giue them if we which should be so fast tied that we should moue neither hand nor foot are more swift in pursuit of reuenge then the Eagle in following after her pray if not in priuate meetings onely or in streets market-places fields sportings feastings c. but at Sessions Assises highest Courts before iust Iudges in the eye of Iustice in the face of reuerend and lawfull authority we haue done all wee can to the disgrace of this Word must the Preacher bring a condemning text as if he were a iudge also We dare not onely for the honour we owe to God but for the loue we beare to you For this we know we shall offend none but as in Moses his P case the person that doth the wrong This Scripture is not now with vs more violated then it hath beene with them of old mistaken and misconstrued for this cause we haue the more neede to search it to the very ground which we shall first doe by circumstances of the text it selfe then by collation of it with other parts of the Scripture Origen about the end of his eight booke against Celsus by mistaking this saying of CHRIST affirmeth that it is not lawfull for Christians to warre to beare office to exercise iudgement Iulian the Apostata because CHRIST forbiddeth to resist euill most falsely slandereth the Christians as enemies to Lawes and Officers and commonwealthes taking the sword from the Magistrate and arming euery priuate man to wrong and iniustice Valusianus otherwise an excellent man proposeth this doubt out of this place to Saint Augustine epistola quinta asking how this doctrine can stand with lawes and iustice which forbideth to resist euill There Saint Augustine answereth that in its selfe nature it is not euill to resist but hee which resisteth not doth better as hauing more perfection The Manichees did heerevpon reiect all the old Testament because it commaunded reuenge which the new forbiddeth to whom Saint Aug. lib. contra Faust. 22. cap. 76. saith that there is a dispensation of things and a distribution of times and in regard of these according to diuersities of times Precepts or Councels may be eyther abrogated or permitted Whence the Schoolemen haue their ground which affirme that Christ spake not this as a generall commandement for all to obey but a speciall counsell for some which are more perfect Hugo Cardinalis was of opinion that the commandement was temporall and for the Apostles onely which were to builde the Church in their bloud now if it were of force it would hurt the Church And lastly the Anabaptists out of their lewd construction of this place doe condemne all politique lawes and ciuill gouernment for which causes we must be more diligent in search of the right interpretation This place is taken from Exod. 21. 24. Leuit. 24. 5. Deut. 19. 21. Life for life eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foote for foote There God setteth downe Legem talionis a law of like for like But this commandement charge is set downe to the Magistrate onely as in the nineteenth Chapter of Deuteronomy the seauenteenth verse the men which striue shall be brought before the Lord euen before the Priests and Iudges which shall be in those dayes and the Iudges c. shall doe to him euen as hee thought to doe to his Brother Aristotle setteth downe the justice of Rhadamanthus in this Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The rule of Iustice bids the wicked To suffer as they haue committed Now if wee vnderstand not these words out of the causes which they were spoken as Saint Hilary noteth it may seeme that Christ spake against this Law first saying You heard it said to them of old time And then I say to you But Christ said before Verse 17. Thinke not I am come to destroy the Law Neither doth the Gospell take away Authority from Rulers and Gouernours or meddle with politique or iudiciall Lawes as hee protesteth saying My Kingdome is not of this world And for an vndoubted Argument Saint Peter which heard this Sermon and receiuing the Holy Ghost had the sence of all Scriptures opned expresly sheweth that publique reuenge by the Magistrate is not by Gods word prohibited when he saith That Gouernours are sent of God for the punishment of such as doe euill And Saint Paul which receiued the vnderstanding of Scriptures by immediate gift of the Holy Ghost There is no power but of God whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Verse 4. For he beareth not the Sword for nought for he is the minister of God So wee haue it most plaine that publique vengeance is not heere prohibited nor the temporall powers restrained Why then saith Christ resist not euill He frameth this interpretation not against the words of the Law but against the false Glosse of the Pharisies to purge it as it were of that wicked Leauen For this they taught because Gods word did not onely permit but command the Magistrate to render euill for euill therefore euery priuate man was allowed to doe the like and reuenge euery injury done to him so he exceeded not this Rule But see what the Pharisies brought on the people by corrupt teaching For their resisting the Magistrate gaue occasion to the vtter ruine of their state See Iosephus de bello Iudaico lib. 2. Cap. primo For an Eagle taken from the Porch of the Temple what slaughter Archelaus souldiers made of three thousand Iewes in a tumult And againe Lib. 2. Cap. 18. What vengeance Florus tooke of the people for the tumult they made about Birds sacrificed in the Synagogue Well then Christ giuing the Magistrate authoritie to priuate persons saith Resist not euill And heere we haue a notable Rule of distinction of Offices priuate and publique For what is lawfull for the Magistrate is not lawfull for a priuate man Wherefore the Apostle girding the Magistrate with the Sword to beate downe offendours in the twelft to the Romans Verse 10. to priuate men saith Auenge not yourselues And Verse 17. Recompence to no man euill for euill Secondly that it may appeare that Christ intendeth not the abolition of the Law of old or maketh any new but onely giueth the old her naturall and proper sence Moses himselfe when hee set downe to the Magistrate a law of Reuenge to priuate men saith Thou shalt not seeke Reuenge neyther shalt thou keepe in minde the iniury of thy people And Solomon doth in direct words crosse the words which the Magistrate hath enjoyned in priuate mens cases Say not I will doe to him as hee hath done to mee I will reward him according as hee hath deserued And in the third of the Threues the very forme of suffering is set downe He giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him hee is filled with reproaches Thirdly for further clearing the sence wee must
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Life is short the Art is long the experience is full of danger How miserable then were the state of simple men if it were of like hardnesse to haue the knowledge of eternall life as to learne Physicke or Astronomy or Rhetorique or any other Art But heere the Art is short and our life compared is long and the practise is secure and full of pleasure heere is the whole science to know God the Father and his Sonne Iesus Christ And this wee obtayne not by learning but by beleeuing not by discourse as seeking but by obtute as seeing wee haue it not by acquisition but by infusion not by diuision but by vnion not as I haue said in all other Sciences first the parts and then the whole but first the whole and then the parts This the superabundant mercy of God hath prouided for the simple the ignorant vnlearned that no man may pretend difficulty or hardnes in the way of life eternal but that it may be as easily learned of the simple as of the wise All other Arts whether mechanicall or liberall haue their misteries by themselues diuers Arts haue diuers misteries for diuers men and all kept secret this Science of Sciences hath but one mistery for all men in the world which is preached and published to all the world the same of bond the same of free the same of old the same of young the same of the learned the same of the ignoran tthe same of men the same of women the same of Iewes the same of Greekes one mistery for high and low rich and poore all people one with another and this is it to know God the Father c. well then might Saint Paul call it common saluation and Saint Iude common faith and S. Peter write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To them which haue obtayned like precious faith for as in this bodily life nature by one and the selfe same way worketh in all alike and that same which is the cause of life in one that liueth is the cause of life in all that liue wherefore it is held a maxime in Philosophy that Nature is one in all things so in our spirituall and eternall life there is but one mistery and in it one cause of vitality in all that are saued that God may be all in all I one in all which worketh in all and we all one in God I haue foure arguments by which I may shew that it is a matter of no great hardnesse or which requireth long time to learne the science of a Christian My first I take from that principle of Nature in which there is in all men a desire and appetite ingenite and inly rooted of the soueraigne good Omnia appetunt borum for when to this desire ingrafted the good desired shall be manifestly obiected out of the vnderstanding conuicted by euidence of the light of Gods word how quickly will the desire assent and rest satisfied For now she is filled and at the end of her appetite and cannot possibly desire farther If then the straying and erroneous desire of Heathen people in ignorance after the true God being misled in the blindnesse of their vnderstanding did like men which being almost drowned in vnperfectnesse and amazement of their sense will catch at stickes and stones and weeds in the bottome of the water and hold them fast to death thinking by these to get out so they hoping to seeke euasion from eternall death in that deezinesse and confusion of apprehension did catch at gods of stickes and stones and beasts and creeping things in stead of the true and liuing God How much more shall we be perswaded and euicted by euidence of faith and enlightned in our vnderstandings from God himselfe hold by him So hold all that beleeue The Apostle hauing caught hold heere will not loose his hold for any creature in Heauen or earth or life or death saying What shall separate vs from the loue of Christ and hauing summed vp all other good or euill that may be imagined concluded in the last verse that none of these shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God in which is Iesus Christ. By this good see how fast holy Iob holdeth Though he slay me yet will I stay in him Thus doth the Spouse gripe her husband I tooke hold of him and left him not How fast did all the legions of Martyrs clutch and gripe this true God and Iesus Christ in banishment in bands prisons rackes in torments in drownings burnings in all cruell deaths while their skins were stript ouer their heads while their flesh was pulled off with fiery pinsers while their bodies were a grinding betweene the teeth of cruell beasts and this hold haue all that beleeue in God in the houre of death So then heere the foule of men cries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue found I haue found I haue found This is that treasure which was hid from the world which when a man hath found For ioy thereof he holdeth it and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field For who taught the poore man to set so much by that treasure did not the selfe beauty and riches and worth thereof Who neede tell any man that Gold is Gold or a Pearle a Pearle such a treasure is the true God which being once found by knowledge will cause vs to e count all things as doung that we may gaine him I may shew this secondly by the euidence of the diuinity which rising as a Sunne to our vnderstanding in that instant that he is risen doth make day For which cause God is called the Father of light and is said to dwell in light Againe to be light it selfe which rising to the world by his sonne Iesus Christ lightneth euery man which commeth into the world so this knowledge what is it but Lumen vultus Dei the light of Gods face Our apprehension of this truth is to see light in Gods light which is as much as Saint Peter in other words The day-star rising in our heart Therefore as soone as I beleeue in Iesus Christ it is day and all that beleeue are called light of it selfe and children of the light How hatefull then to vs ought be the doctrines of them which seeke to obscure to vs this blessed day which say we drinke not because we drinke of the fountaine which denie that we see because we see by the Sunne which deny that we be in life because we hold by the head A third argument I draw from the manner of teaching of the holy Ghost which is our Teacher as shall be shewed in the last place of this knowledge of the Father and the Sonne and maketh euery Scholar perfect in this mistery in the twinckling of an eye Euerie man that hath learned this mistery is áocibilis Deo taught of God himselfe and there is