wands made and laid them of a party colour before the eies of the Ewes when they came to the watering trowes where they vsually were wont to engender that they might conceaue and bring foorth accordinglie Christ is our sauiour workes are but the dueties of Christian men saued by Christ and no sauiours of themselues euen so when men come to the wateringes of life when you repaire to our Lectures Readinges and Sermons THE CHIEFE CONCEAT we wold imprint in your mindes is Christ and Christ as your onely Sauiour and your Christian woorkes we teach not as Sauiours but as fruites and signes of a saued people So we preach and so we teach and so did Paul and all the Apostles and Scriptures before vs. The imitation of Paul in the matter of his teaching is necessary and pertinent to all but Paul putteth them also in minde that he wrought miracles amongest them which was proper to that time The motiue from miracles And therefore we maruel to heare our aduersaries to make anie motion and demaund for miracles specially in the waine of the woorld For wil you heare Miracles are not all true which you obtrude nor to a good end Many are but pipt nuts illusions either of false men or of lying spirits as that images should light their owne candles that the Roode of Naples shoulde giue the Schoole-men high thankes for deuising and distinguishing how they should bee proportionably and duely worshipped a very gewgaw in diuinitie and as true a miracle and to as good a purpose as are the rest of your Legendary woonders Againe Miracles are not for all men * Mat. 12. A frowarde and a peruerse Nation asketh for signes Signes and Miracles are for * 1 Cor. 14. infidels and not for beleeuers Ezechias in his sicknes Gedeon as it were in his nonage asked and had signes But these were either willed so to doe or extraordinarilie moued thereunto True wee must neither aske signes vnoffered at all nor refuse them if they bee offered of God But doe they forgette that they are Christians This motiue doeth argue them of incredulitie Paul commeth not now againe to the Galathians with new signes and miracles hee onely remembreth them what hee did at first Young plantes newly planted may bee watered But Christianitie is nowe of a good grouth The watering by Miracles and by extraordinarie meanes hath ceased ordinarily to bee long since The waies to know the truth true professors are no bipathes now I doe but reason he that can and list to reade a most famous place for this question let him resort to Chrysostom euery where but speciallie homil 49. In Matth. And likewise to Austen De vnitate Eccl. cap. 19. To whom also he seemeth a prodigious wonder that seeketh wonders to confirme his faith * Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 22. c. 8. The truth of doctrine doth distinguish miracles but miracles must not carie vs from true doctrine yet At these daies And I pray you yee Miracle-mongers what will yee doe with your Miracles Suppose yee could work wonders For the time and questions sake be it graunted you What then You by your Miracles would admixt your viid sweat to our Sauiours sacred bloode your pilgrimages your wil-seruice your woorkes your deedes your pretensed desertes your wicked liues to his precious death Is this the Gospell Could Saint Pauls Miracles confirme the simplicitie of beleeuing stedfastly in Christ and shal your miracles think you force vs to a compound obiect and marke for our faith to looke on Whether God speak or howsoeuer he worke hee is neuer contrarie to himselfe and therefore your Miracles that thus crosse his woorde they are not of God wee cannot follow you by them we care neither for you nor for them in that respect Signes though true yet without the woord are litle but * Deut. 13. miracles thwarting his word are lies or monsters and wee abhor them And talke you at pleasure of beleeuing by your miracles If you beleeue not the Scriptures you will not beleeue if an Angell should come from heauen or a * Luk. 16.31 dead man from his graue Hee that refuseth ordinary foode in Canaan hee that will not bee instructed by the woorde taught by Preachers in Schooles and Vniuersities and in other places but first learned by long endeuour great labour and study if hee were extraordinarily fedde with manna immediatlie from heauen hee woulde grudge and murmur and repine no lesse there is no question To conclude al that I haue said is that 1. miracles are neither al good 2. nor for all persons 3. nor for al times 4. wee haue the olde miracles with the trueth and we neede no new 5. you falsely and profanely pretend newe to ouerthrow the olde And so much for the motiue of miracles making most and altogither against your selues 6 Euen as Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham 8 For the Scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles through faith preached before hand the Gospel to Abraham saying In thy seede shal all the Gentils be blessed 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham The false Apostles Pharisaical enchanters opposed two maine helps as they dreamt greatly furthering their commixing of Christ with Moses To wit 1. the priuilege of the flesh 2. and the worthines of their works Paul refuseth both And to make the matter more manifest and plaine 1. first of al hee depainteth out the cause liuely before their eies by the fairest and most famous example of auncient memory namely of Abraham Abraham beleeued and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes Abraham did as many good woorks as the best But he beleeued not in his works but in God the woorker of his saluation Abrahams faith manifoldly proued to the vtmost This beleefe brought him from Caldea from his fathers house from his natiue countrie and dear kindred In this beleefe he came into Canaan not rested there but walked through it and beeing constrained by famine went into Egypt and thorough beleefe by occasion of grombling and churlish seruants hee sustained the departure of Loth euen the losse and cutting off as it were his right arme as likewise he tolerated as hee might the strife and brables of Sara and Agar in his owne bozom And for a great time the barrennes of Sara whom he most loued was no doubt a worme and a griefe of al griefes at his hart but by faith he ouercame such naturall passions and when God willed him to number the starres if he could and said Euen so shal thy feede be Abraham beleeued and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse in that hee trusted in the promise and beleeued vnder hope against hope in mans eye but he beleeued strongly and constantly he staggered not at the matter
AN EXPOSITION AND OBSERVATIONS VPON SAINT PAVL TO THE GALATHIANS TOGITHER with incident Quaestions debated and Motiues remoued by IOHN PRIME 1. Cor. 10.15 I speake to them which haue vnderstanding Iudge yee what I saie AT OXFORD Printed by IOSEPH BARNE and are to bee sold in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Tygers head Anno 1587. TO THE MOST WORTHY LEARNED AND REVEREND FATHER IN GOD IOHN PIERCE the Lord Bishop of Sarum RIGHT Reuerend being desirous to shewe some part of thankefulnes for your Lordships fauorable vndeserued respect and kindnesse to me-ward and with that intent looking into my papers and studie notes specially into such as were deliuered euery other weeke at ABINGTON by OXFORD in your Lordships Diocesse among other things of greater length I resolued to reuise and frame out this exposition vpon S. Paul to the Galathians with Obseruations Questions Motiues The rather for the shortnes of the text best fitting with my leasurelesse occasions and likewise for the waightinesse of many matters either naturally arising or incidently taken and accordingly discoursed Wherein to declare in what sort I haue gone in out before that people their worshipful neighbors repairing to them and ioyning with them in this seruice for these many years together albeit I haue much abridged and somewhere enlarged and altered yet for the most part these READINGS may be called but the REMEMBRANCES of things that haue passed amongst thē and nowe are briefely set downe in this short impression And herein plainly to confes what I think of this bookish humor of writing bookes truely in them that can write why shoulde they as it is in the Poet Periturae parcere chartae They haue a gift a talent that way why should they hide it For others who may be better occupied there is no reason they abuse the Reader pester the world with vnprofitable vanities For my selfe the last of many and for the rest of greatest ability al our books are but entrāces to the book of books vnto the sacred Bible book of God which were it indeed deeply imprinted in the harts of al mē I could easily haue spared this simple labor and could and would haue wished euen LVTHERS wish vppon the same verie condition that he did That al bookes els were in a faire light fiar But men beeing men God so ordering it require neede humane helps and Master LVTHERS booke vpon this very Epistle is a profitable writing and full of comfort Euerie man cannot readily vse the Scripture strait-way euery man cannot at the first blush tell which Scripture is fittest for confirmation of this or that article in faith which fairest for exhortation in manners which fullest for refutation of errors therefore by preaching by penning by conference and by imprinting God hath prouided sufficient aids as the times haue required that men may looke and looke againe vpon things examine the spirits compare matters and causes ruminate and chue the kud meditate the state of their saluation and go the waies there-unto with a cleane and a clouen foot that is as ISICHIVS saith with a wise a discreet a distinguishing vnderstāding To these ends I haue performed this present account of my dealing in your Lord-ships Diocesse humbly crauing may it please your Lord-ship so to accept thereof it may be a slender monument and meane-pledge of greater dutie to your Lord-ship and of my good will and FAREWELL to ABINGTON likewise to the Gentlemen Iustices neere adioining The Lorde preserue your honor to his holy will blessed pleasure From the New Colledge in OXFORD 1587. IANVAR 30. Your L. to commaund in Christ IOHN PRIME THE EPISTLE OF THE APOSTLE PAVL TO THE GALATHIANS The Argument PAVL had preached the gospel some 14. yeares together generally among the Gentiles namely to the Galathians But by reason of the largenes of his commission hee was not to dwell in any one place therefore departed from Galatia and betooke himselfe into other partes of the world This oportunitie of the Apostles necessary departure and absence by the busie instrumentes of Satan who neuer sleepeth was soon espied as soone taken Incontinentlie they conueied in themselues being crept in with all endeuor they labor to bewitch inueigle the Galathians minds the more effectuallie to discredit the synceritie of the Gospel faire pretenses of Moses name of the Laws prerogatiue were made euer a thorough special disgrace of Pauls person was most shotte at Wherevpon ensueth 1. a direct defence of his vocation 2. a dew maintenance of the cause 3. a true reformation of a deceaued people both in matters of faith conuersation CHAP. I. 1 PAVL an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Iesus Christ God the Father which hath raised him frō the dead 2 And all the brethren which are with mee vnto the Churches of Galatia 3 Grace be with you peace from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ 4 Which gaue himselfe for our sinnes that hee might deliuer vs from this present euill world according to the will of God euen our Father 5 To whom bee glorie for euer and euer Amen Calling either by name or vnto office PAVL an Apostle Hee describeth himselfe by his calling And as the worde calling doth signifie either the name that a man is known called by or the state he is preferred called vnto so S. Paul expresseth both 1. his name Paul 2. the state of his office withal to be an Apostle Calling by name 1 Touching his name it is too light a labor much to sticke at names when wee haue caught such smal fish we but cast thē into the sea againe And it hath euer beene thought a vaine curiosity so * Iudg. 13.18 carefully to make enquiry for the messengers name and titles when the message is most certaine Wherefore for this matter that rule is best may suffice that where the writers of holy writ and Scriptures are knowen that there God vseth such so specified by name as certaine instrumentes to declare his will voutsafeing to shewe the children of men with what quill and penne himselfe would write Againe when the writer of Scripture is lesse knowne know wee that wee are to esteeme no lesse of those diuine Scriptures than of the rest euen so farre foorth as if they came immediately from himselfe without our knoweledge of any certaine humane meanes in the penning 2 After his name followeth the calling of his office Calling vnto office or state Paul an Apostle Calling to any funetion is either in earthly thinges or in heauenly matters And in heauenly things calling is either generall to be * Rom. 1.7 1 Cor. 1 2. Saintes sanctified and washed in the blood of the Lambe or els * Rom. 11. 1 Cor. 1.1 speciall to be a teacher and a minister in the Church of God house of Saintes And
and if hee that offendeth in any offendeth in al in what case are we al How can we be iustified by the Law These thinges touch vs neerely and concerne vs much What Vrim and Thummim may wee consult in this case Esa 46. Repaire wee to the Lord in the and six fourtith Chapter of Esay who resolueth vs on this wise Heare me yee stubburne harted that are farre from Iustice As if it were said if any of you presume in pride or precend in hypocrisie of much iustice you are ouer-bold you are deceaued and you cannot deceaue God It is a pride and a pretence of righteousnesse from whence in verie deede you are farre wide Heare mee harken not to your selues to your selfe-wit and ouer-weening I will bring neere my righteousnesse neither shall your iniquitie frustrate or make vaine my promises or sequester my purposed mercy from my elect amongst you and from my church vnto whom I wil shew mercy I wil giue my saluation in Sion and my glory in Israel Then I aske wil Israel be glorified wil Sion bee saued will man bee iustified will hypocrisie speake truely wil stubburne hearts bee mollified and frowarde mindes rectified Then harken what God saith Glory Saluation Righteousnesse and Iustification the acceptation of vs as iust yea of vs very impious and Atheists by nature is Gods only grace and free gift A vanting and a vilde spirite is onely in man who naturally hath but a sorry a naughty and a sleight conceat of the mercy of the father and of the infinit merit of Christ his sonne Come wee home to our Apostle Wee knowe that man is not iustified by the woorkes of the Lawe but by faith It is not an opinion Opinio est entis non entis Opinion is of thinges that may be so or may bee no. But wee know saieth Paul And whereas there are but two waies to bee quit either plea of our owne innocency or help and trust else-where to be iustified wee must leane either to the one or to the other either perfourning the Lawe which no man can or embracing Christ onely relying in him by faith by onely faith in Christ If it be quarreled why cannot man bee yet iustified by the Lawe what should bee the cause thereof It is * An ineuitable reason why Man cannot possiblie iustified by the Law aunswered by Paul flat al men are flesh But why cannot flesh Why Al flesh is fleshly al fleshe is grasse euen the very grace thereof And what is hey and stubble to saue a man * Esay 4.6 And the grace thereof is but as the flower Some flowres are green yellow red stammel purple or white c. These are but gay coulers and what are these before the face of the winde in the heate of the Sunne and in the sight of God Wherefore flesh and bloode may not cannot dare not should not prosume to appeare where it can stand in iudgement before the consistory of our God in the strength of it selfe and without our aduocate Nay the heauens are not cleare in his eies nor the very Angels and celestiall spirites much lesse man who dwelleth in an house of cley and in a body subiect to the soile of sinne who drinketh in iniquity as a drie ground doth a rainey water Wherefore by the * Workes are imperfect being as perfect as they may be they beno deserts but dueties Christ is our righteousnes at the right hand of his father woorkes of the Lawe perfourmed by man by his fleshly arme and strength wee euen the regenerate wee bee not we cannot bee iustified Saint Paul knoweth and acknowledgeth that by faith in Christ and that by Christ alone in whom wee beleeue we bee pronounced in him to bee that wee are not nor can bee of our selues nor in our selues So that heere is guilty and not guilty righteous and not righteous Not righteous but guilty by the Lawe by woorkes by nature and in our selues but in Christ who is made our wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption we haue al that wee haue and in him who hath payd all for vs wee haue al and enough And this knowledge brethren being thoroughly learned perfectly beleeued and fully setled in a sanctified soule most honoureth God and comforteth man aboue al thinges that can be named 17 If then while we seeke to be made righteous by christ we our selues are found sinners is Christ therefore the Minister of sinne God forbid 18 For if I builde againe the thinges that I haue destroied I make my selfe a trespasser 19 For I thorough the Lawe am dead to the Lawe that I might liue vnto God 20 I am crucified with Christ but I liue yet not I any more but Christ liueth in mee and in that that I nowe liue in the fleshe I liue by the faith in the sonne of God who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for me 20 I doe not abrogate the grace of God for if righteousnesse come by the Lawe then Christ died without a cause Vpon the former matters premised Paul may seeme to argue thus if while wee seeking which was graunted on euery side to bee made righteous by Christ yet wee bee found notwithstanding sinners by relying to the Lawe which the false Apostles woulde haue annexed is Christ therefore become the Minister of sinne which must needes bee if he bee coupled with the Law Phy out vpon 〈◊〉 it were most absurd it cannot be and God forbid Christ and the Law cannot make one fabricke or building If any man should build vp the Iericho which hee had destroied and was accursed were hee not to bee accursed If Paul shoulde builde vp the Lawe which accurseth though it were with the coupling of Christ in the building yet should hee shewe himselfe to bee a transgressor in setting vp of the Lawe with Christ which two to stand together were vtterly impossible For to that end entered Christ that the Lawe might cease To that ende Paul exemplyfieng in himselfe voucheth he was dead to the Lawe and therefore had not to doe with the Lawe at all was crucified with Christ and fixed to Christ and vnto Christ alone Iustification by acceptation or imputation excludeth not a measure of inherent sanctification And dying to the curse of the Law shutteth not out good liuing according to the rule of the Law And yet least Paul being dead from the Lawe and crucified with Christ might seeme by this doctrine in himselfe to bee an ensample of dying vnto God and liuing to the world vers 20. hee saith But I liue and because no man should mistake him hee sheweth 1. in what measure of goodnes he liueth as he might in the flesh and 2. withall sheweth how it came to passe that in the flesh he might liue saying that he liueth by Christ and thorough faith in him In him who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me Whereupon I note 1. the freenesse of the giuer 2. the
vehemency of the Apostles woordes thus varied Faith instifieth 1 The first speech is that the iust shal liue by faith This was prooued and sufficiently proued before by the example and faith of Abraham But abundant proofes for the foundation of christian faith are not superfluous and must not bee tedious to eares and minds erected and settled to heare and marke the euidences of their saluation The Prophet Abacuc saith Habak 2.4 that the iust shall liue by faith In the end of the first and in the beginning of the second chapter of his prophesie the Iewes appeere to haue bin in a pitiful case Their enimies were no small enimies The Chaldaeans were a terrible and a feareful people a bitter and a furious nation wel manned and horses as fierse as woolues swifter than the Leopards and of flight like the eagle hasting after her meate These Chaldeans molested the Iews on euery side spoiled them as the East-wind the fruit deuoured them as the great fish deuoureth the smal yea they caught the Iews as it were fish into their nets and * Prosperitie prouender in an excessiue measure marreth man beast they tooke them as fast as they could cast in and pul vp and thereby they grew fat and their portion was great and plenteous And thereupon they wared in loue of their own might and wanton again with their prosperous successe They Sacrificed to their nets they burnt incense to their yarn they were glad in hart stroked their own heads that could deuise and kissed their own handes that had compassed so great matters The Iewes in this hard case what should they doe Round about wheresoeuer they looked they saw present danger and no possible helpe or hope in man Notwithstanding God doth denounce that the pride of the presumptuous that trusted in themselues should come to nothing and the iust should liue by his faith and his people for all this because they trusted in God they were iust euen as the Caldeans were therefore vniust because they crusted in themselues and the Iewes as they were iust so should they liue in god in whom they trusted euen by their faith And therefore their iustification with God was their faith and trust in God and in God alone most then when all helpes els failed as appeareth in their greatest extremities Workes are imperfect Imperfect deedes were no deserts and could not helpe out of bodily calamities much-lesse in cases of saluation euerlasting and the iust man beleeueth not in himselfe much-lesse in his workes his faith goeth out of himselfe and resteth in God through Christ in whom amongst a million or a myriad of Caldeans in the midst of all fierse and false Catholiques our faith in Christ shall neuer faile We are iustified in Christ wee are saued by Christ we liue by Christ And thus is onely faith in him opposed set against all the meritricious or meritorious putatiue deserts of fraile and sinful flesh supposed to be answerable to the law which can neuer bee for if the Iewes could haue doone the Lawe they might haue claimed of God their deliuerance for their good workes For he that doth the things of the Law shal liue in them No they needed and so do all an other redeemer which must saue them all out of the hands of the Law and from our breaches thereof and the Caldeans rage is but a phillip or a flea-biting to the curse of the Lawe Christ redeemeth is the only comfort of a conscience that hath a sense of sin and any tast of true consolation 2 The redemption from this curse is Christ on his Crosse hanged on tree The Iew stumbleth at this faith and the Gentile scorneth this Doctrine but the godly saith in hart that which Ignatius vttered in wordes My loue is crucified The obiect of my faith the ground of my hope the marke the matter of my trust and confidence my delight my loue my life the cause of life euerlasting my ful redemption and perfect saluation my Iesus was Crucified and endured the curse for my sake This was no slender punishment nor small paine and were it the griefe but of a bodily torment it were grieuous but our redemption was not in respect of the paine of the body onely or of the sorrowes of the soule onely but in regarde of the sinnes of both and that not for one man but for the sinnes of the worlde The penitent sinner The better to conceiue the force of this deserued paine and the effect of sinne see it in a repentant sinner he standeth farre off he beateth on his thigh knocketh on his brest hangeth downe head watereth his eies with teares and wearieth his heart with sighes and findeth no rest in his soule for sorrow of sinnes neither should he euer finde rest at all were it not for this redemption which is in Christ The state of a forlorne cast-away For the reprobate who hath no part in this saluation howe many bees hath hee in his head how many pegs in his hart how many very helles in his soul how many trayterous thoughts that trouble him euerlastingly Euen such is the force of sinne where sinners are left to themselues But Christ our blessed Sauiour hath taken that vpon him that we could not beare and hath endured the curse of the Law not for the sinnes of one man or in one kinde but for the sinnes of all the worlde Sufficiently and for al the sinnes of al sortes in all his chosen Effectually to their ful and finall redemption If now there be any that can chalenge any part of this ransome let him commense his action against our Sauiour that hath taken and against Paul that hath prescribed giuen him the whole glory of mans redemption as who only sustained being not onely man but God and man the insupportable waight of sinne in satisfieng for sinne in pacifieng the Father in answering his iustice in enduring the curse and malediction of the Law From what things we are redeemed O my brethren let Papists ride vpon a reed or catch hold on a ragge of a tottered good woorke this and only this is our redemption which hath redeemed vs from the intolerable yoke the importable burden and the insufferable curse of the Lawe from that seruile feare and legall terror which the Lawe induceth wherein Austins short and sweet difference being well vnderstood betwixt the Law and the Gospell appeareth which he deliuered to be in two wordes FEARE and LOVE Wee loue good woorkes vnder the Gospell according to the rule of the Law but we fear not the curse of the Law wanting that perfection which in right it requireth for wee are redeemed and ransomed our debt is paid and our curse was abolished when our Sauiour was crucified Wee loue him and in loue we liue well but in case especially of life euerlasting wee leane to no other redemption than to his Crosse for so we liue as
would but it will be controlled I neede not apply our aduersaries when they plead alone they please fond recusants when they plead in writing it wil not prosper as in the presēt questiō For though the name of the church be honorable yet when the spiritual nature therof is enquired after when it is knowen what is ment by hir Motherhoode to what condicions shee is hound and to what straites she hath bin brought and may be againe then our aduersaries cannot tel whither to turne them to proue a visible ioylity necessary euer in determinate places At length with much adoe being forced to forsake the practise of the old Testament they flie as you haue hard to the promises of the new Testament and finding none for Rome directlie notwithstanding Bristows brag they claim the promises generally made to the Gentils ful fondly for Rome being but a particular member and infer that vnder the new Testament the number of the professors shal be mo and therefore more visible and that most and euer in Rome That they shall bee moe they proue by the next verse wee meane to proceede in which we will take along with vs and so go on 27 For it is written Reioyce thou barren that bearest no children breake forth and crie thou that trauelest not For the desolate hath many moe children than shee which hath an husband First before wee treate any farther the question consider the text a while to our own comforts In the first of Samuel Anna the mother of Samuel had a louing husband 1 Sam. 1. but a long time shee endured the reproch of barrennes and her sorrow was thereby greatly encreased and hir soule grieued But in the ende God respected hir and made graunt to her petition and gaue hir a sonne according to her earnest desire and thereupon she brake foorth and said that her hart reioiced her horne was exalted and her mouth enlarged The calling of the Gentils a most comfortable doctrine This case was a priuate case but the case and state of vs Gentils was a generall matter and Iewry was sometime the fruitful mother and as Anna so were the Gentils the barren woman and that without an husband but at length Gentilisme now altered from Gentilisme and ascited into fauour and accepted of God through his grace the Lord opening her womb this barren woman hath beene a fruitfuller mother than shee that bare manie in so much that sundry places euery waie most vnlikeliest for any fruite at all much lesse for plenty in great aboundance hath borne a greater haruest than groundes in sight more batsome and of greatest likelihoode And here dearlibeloued let vs neuer forgette the daies of our calling and the times of our happines and the infinite goodnes of our God who hath passed from his olde owne people and hath gone ouer many and mightier nations than the kingdomes of England Scotland Denmarcke Sueueland and other like cold countries hath caused their corck to sinck and our yron to swim and hath powred his dew euen as well beside the fleese as vpon the fat fell and hath made our bitter waters as sweete as the sweetest and hath effected that the very barbarous outplaces of the woorld are become as fertill and as fruitfull for truth and godlines as many nations else far richer and likelier in the eies of mā And this is the cōmon ioy of the Gentils in general but nothing special or proper to Rome and Italie But doth not this general blessing proue a generality of multitudes do not multitudes proue a visibility an ocular an ey demonstration of a Church The motiues of multitudes and of the Churches visibility iointly handled with due aunswere to their chiefest cauils Now for the nature of multitudes must be spokē as likewise of the visibility of the Church as being a question winding in it selfe continually in the same debate Euery church and congregation for there is not an hears-bredth difference in the two words whether it be made vp of the godly or cōpacted of the malignant it cōsisteth necessarily of a number euery number though some nūber be a greater multitude than som yet euery nūber is a multitude so that without a multitude no church no congregation good or bad can possibly be And therefore it is a forrest of folly when controuersie is of the church to deuolue al to one sole man holding in pretence but from Peter as from one man Notwithstanding albeit a church is a multitude congregated and so may be visible yet simply a multitude being gathered in most visible maner doth not euidently argue the goodnes of the multitude or that it therefore is the visible Church of God Mark The church of God is a chosen people called out of the world called by God constituted in the couenant and professing the faith These whether they be 1. Moe 2. Or few 3. Or of equal number so they be a number it skilleth not 1 A little before the deluge and drowning of the old woorld there were moe had than good for al flesh had corrupted his waies Gen. 6. 2 But in the Arke after-ward there were more good than bad only Cham was perfectlie naught and in the rest though a smal companie consisted the Church of God 3 Vnder the parable of the 10. virgins in the Gospell the number is euen so many and so many fiue wise and fiue foolish virgins Wherefore either the plurality or paucity or parity of numbers the morenes as I may so speak the fewnes or the euennes in numbring is no true note no sure argument demaund or motiue any way to weigh downe the matter Nay rather if we shal goe to numbring the professors by tale not to pondring the truth of professions we shal make a faire hand in Gods matters In the cause of married priests * Soz. lib. 1. c. 23 Paphnutius being but one was against a whole councel and preuailed with them Against the heresie of Arianisme while Liberius stood he stoode in a manner alone and he * Theod. L. 2. c. 16 alone defended Athanasius and where Constantius obiected to Liberius that he an od man and only alone the least part of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were vpon a singularity he by that meanes disturbed the quiet peace of the whole woorlde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liberius answered him wel and if he could haue kept himselfe answerable to his answere it had beene better but he answered wel videlicet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the woorde of faith was not of right to bee diminished or lesned in credite because of his alonens in the cause For saith he euen of old there were but three alone that withstood the kings edict meaning Nabuchodonosors commaundement which the three children would not yeelde vnto In which story I plainly not the * Vniuersalitie of error Vide Pigg Hier. lib. 1. cap. 6. vniuersality of the
is he therefore the wiser man The flagellant Friar may whip himselfe the whipping Iesuit may scourge himselfe Baals Priestes may cut themselues and others may be whipt cut scourged of others all these bee no marks that can make the cause good but the good cause sanctifieth those markes that men inflict vpon vs for righteousnes sake Wherefore argue not of prosperity for it is seldome found neither yet argue of the markes of aduersity without discretion except your cause be as Pauls was for though they be more common to most of the godly yet they are not euer necessary nor alwaies proper 18 Brethren the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with your spirit Amen The entrance into this Epistle was not hard the end is easie the middle hath beene as you haue heard and al to set foorth the Grace of God which is almost the first and last woorde of the whole wishing them and euen to their spirites a liuely feeling of his Grace which quickneth the soule And heere why shoulde I dilate or driue and sleek out that which is without pleats and plaine in it selfe and which hath beene laide open more than once already I know the Lombar Thomas Aqui. c. Sarcerius in dict scholasta Pelbartus in Rosareo aureo Schoole-men in steede of diuiding the various significations of this word Grace they break it into shiuers and beat it into pouder and neuer make an end In few and generally Grace is no way Grace that is not euery way gratiously graunted and freely giuen and it may bee offered where it may be refused But where God wil bestow it it shal be receaued Grace In special first the Grace of God is the fauor of the father 2. The Grace of the spirit is the operation of the holy Ghost 3. The grace of Christ is the merit of the sonne and the mystery of his passion And these three go al together and are neuer asunder And these three brethren beeing thoroughlie known and beleeued and laid to hart in a full and certain assuraunce of the spirit not swimming in the quick conceat of an imagining head and gliding vp and down in a slippery tongue but felt in the soule and setled by faith in the inward fruition of the secret parts what comfort work they not They quiet the conscience they pacifie the mind they order the whole tenour of a Christian conuersation in euery good way The feare of the Law hath not these effectes And therefore Paul especially wisheth the Galathians the Grace of Christ Ciuil salutatiō It was an ancient custom among the Gentils to subscribe their letters with an ordinary wish as of SAFETY and HEALTH c. And wee * Dion Nicaeus in vita Tiberi◠reade that when Tiberius the emperour had receaued letters from the Magistrates of Rhodes and by some negligence the customary subscription was omitted hee sent for them and caused them to set vnto their letters their vsuall wishes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to subscribe their letters as the vsage was Christian wishes I note as meaning not to note any farther matter of dict culty in this Epistle that our Apostle and so the rest of the Apostles wisely admitting the ciuil vsage of salutations yet with some amendment reducing all to the center and ground-work of all our doings and deriuing all from the fiest head he and they also wish Grace Mercy Peace Health and Saluation Health of Body Saluation of Soule and Safety of both and that not at a-ventures they knowe not from whom but certainly from the right spirite of all Grace euen from God thorough Christ our Iesus and onely Sauiour And thus the Apostle endeth And now I hope with your good leaue with this ende I may end and betake my selfe to a doubled charge nearer home and at home My deare friends and good Brethren of Abington Fare you wel I can but wish vnto you as to my selfe O Lord and Gracious Father let thine Apostle Pauls wish and praier take place among this people The Grace of Christ Iesu be with you al and with your spirit for euer more Amen NVMB. 6.24 The Lord blesse you and keepe you the Lorde make his face to shine vpon you and bee mercifull vnto you The lord lift vp his countenance vpon you giue you his PEACE FINIS