whereof à wonderful ioie of hearte doth insue that with Dauid we maie saie Mine heart and my fleshe doe reioice in the liuing God The seuenth The commaundement of the Lord is pure This is to be opposed to the Papists who by certaine diuelish subtilties doe entangle the worde of God therebie to terrifie men from the reading of the same They say the letter that is as they falselie expound it the literal or grāmatical sense whereas for al that it is most true doth kil and the spirite that is the allegorical interpretation approued of the Pope doth quicken But the holie Ghost here by Dauid doth affirme the contrarie while it pronoūceth the word of God to be cleere bright and pure which indeede is verie true as touching those things belonging vnto the foundation of Christianitie be altogether necessarie vnto saluation The eight It giueth light vnto the eies This decareth how mās nature without the word of God inlightning is altogether blind as that which carrieth-about with it darkenes to wit doubting of God carnal securitie distrust false praier of the mind doubting and flieng from the Lord with infinite other motiōs swaruing from the law of God But the world perceiueth not this blindnes but rather hath it in admiration and price for the smale shadowe of outward discipline whereas the Church admonished by the voice of God his word doth acknowledg and bewaile her offences and beggeth of God newe light righteousnesse and life In this praier and meditation of the Gospel the eies of the minde be more and more inlightened so that the Sonne of righteousnesse it selfe euen Christe doth gloriouslie arise in their heartes by whose brightnesse we are ledde from endelesse miserie vnto eternal life and blesseenesse Dauid casting an eye vnto this most comfortable fruite of God his worde not without good cause cried-out in this verie Psalme on this wise More to bee desired is the Lawe of God than golde yea than much fine golde Sweeter also than honie and the honie combe And in an other Psalme I haue had as great delight in the waie of thie testimonies as in al riches Here he runneth feeling the burden of his sinnes that he may be vnloaden of them as it is in à certaine Psalme Out of the deepe place haue I called vnto thee ô Lorde c. Herevnto in his troubles he betaketh himselfe according vnto this sentence In mine affliction it is my comfort that this worde doth quicken me In prosperitie also he flieth here vnto I wil runne saith he the waie of thie commandements when thou shalt inlarge mine hearte At his neede it counsaileth him as in these wordes Thie testimonies are my delight and my counsailers In matters of great importance with Kinges and mightie men of the world it ministreth wisedome vnto him so saith Dauid I wil speake of thie testimonies before Kinges and wil not be ashamed Aainst the stumbling blocke of the crosse it strengtheneth him from falling when he considereth the prosperitie of the vngodlie My feete were almost gone my steppes had welneere slipte For I freated at the foolish when I sawe the prosperitie of y e wicked c. Then thought I to know this but it was too paineful for me vntil I wēt into the Sanctuarie of God then vnderstood I their end Surelie thou hast set them in slipperie places and castest them downe into desolation At the point of death he seeketh life from thence as witnesse these wordes I wil neuer forget thie preceptes for by them thou haste quickened me O Lorde thīe worde endureth for euer in heauen Because life and happines promised by the worde shal endure for euer To be briefe out of this worde Dauid learneth the manner both howe to escape euerlasting miserie and also to obteine the eternal felicitie blessednesse wherevnto man at the first was created and afterwarde redeemed by Christ. Seeing nowe the puritie the necessitie the cōmoditie the glorie and the fruite of God his word is so great and so sweete that it can ioine vs to God the soueraigne good thing in whom we shal euerlastinglie be blessed at what time as we haue atteined the ende of our condition doubtlesse theie highlie are to be commended which bestow à portion of their goods and riches to the maintenance and propagation of Gods word in the Church For theie doe wel consider that this ende to al and euerie man according to his condition and state is proposed namelie to aduance the glorie of God Which thing theie before others doe best accomplish who studie to vpholde the ministerie of the worde in schooles and temples Now what diligence you noble Sir haue bestowed on this behalfe manie doe knowe and theie confesse whome at this daie you liberallie bring-vp both in this Vniuersitie and also in other forreigne schooles to the ende that in these Churches of Denmarke there maie be fit ministers frō time to time which maie sounde-foorth the pure doctrine of the Gospel And assuredlie this is trulie to loue our countrie not onelie while we liue to adorne the same but after we are dead also to leaue it the better to our posteritie Wise mē do greatly cōmend the Attike oath in which these words among other were I wil fight both for religious for prophane causes and that alone and with others and wil leaue my countrie not the worser but the better and more ample to the posteritie How much more are we bounde so to doe that are coūted the Citizens of the Church of Christe the most noble countrie of the righteous whose honour is more glorious than was that of Athens which the Turkes now possesse And therefore à farre greater glorie it is to leaue this most worthie coūtrie I meane the Church of God not the worser but the better and amplified to posterities which theie doe who by their wealth doe mainteine and promote the studies of true doctrin of good arts Such an indeuor was in Dauid when in à song he saide howe he loued his countrie because of the Church that was therin Because of the howse of the Lord saith he I wil procure thy welth This howse which is the Church of God he preferred before the most glorious Palaties of earthlie Princes when he saide A daie in thie courtes is better then à thousand other-where I had rather be à doore-keeper in the House of my God than to dwel in the Tabernacles of wickednesse Which Psalme whereout these words are taken because it conteineth à notable commendatiō of God his Church stirreth-vp vnto the loue of the worde laieth before our eies the benifites depainteth the glorie of the Church and sheweth the scope proponed therevnto which is eternal blessednesse I thought good the last yeare publiquelie in our schoole to expounde the same therebie to inuite the youth vnto the loue reading and meditating of the heauenlie worde which is as à burning torch to guide vs in
And although this couenant be ratified onlie to such as be called and doe beleeue yet least we should thinke that the Fathers before the incarnation of Christe were destitute of the grace of the newe couenant it is good that we make a better and a more distinct explication of this doctrine so necessarie to be knowne First therefore and aboue all we must constantlie beleeue that in al ages euen from the fal of our first parentes the waie to be saued both was and is yet one and the same to wit by the Priest Christe alone of whose righteousnesse theie be partakers and be saued whosoeuer beleeue in him So that as touching the purgation of sinne and attainement of euerlasting life there is but one perpetual couenant or testament of God whereby God doeth binde himselfe to pardon such as doe â—lee vnto Christe And although if you respect the expresse worde there is no mention of this couenant concerning remission of sinnes before the Lord entered thereinto with Abraham yet the thinges themselues which appertaine vnto the substance of this couenant were verie wel knowne to the Fathers before the floud By the thinges I meane both the promise of the restoring of man through Christe and also the faith of this promise For the promise in GOD and the faith in man are the substantial partes as I maie saie of this couenant The couenant betweene GOD and Abraham was this I wil establish my couenant betweene me thee and thy seede after thee in their generations for an euerlasting couenant to be GOD vnto thee and thy seede after thee And somewhat afore in the same Chapter there goeth an oath of GOD Beholde I make my couenant with thee that is as truelie as I liue I wil establish my couenant c. Here first of al would be considered y e matter or foundation of this couenant which is y e promised seed by whose merit intercession there is an attonement made betweene God and men Wherefore whatsoeuer good thing the Lorde doth promise it is ratified in the Sonne who hath reconciled vs and the Father together God was in Christ saith Paule and reconciled the world to him selfe not imputing their sinnes to them and hath committed to vs the worde of reconciliation And for this cause this couenant is called by Isaiah the couenant of peace Secondlie we should cal into mind y e wonderful humilitie of God whereby the diuine maiestie so debaseth it selfe of meere benignitie and good will to manward hauing consideration of our humane frailnesse that not onlie he doth simplie promise free benediction to miserable and wretched sinners but also bindeth himselfe by couenant that we may knowe his fatherlie goodwil to vs ward Thirdlie the immutabilitie and constancie or perpetuitie of this couenant confirmed by an oath would be thought-vpon Whereof the Epistle vnto the Hebrues doth saie When God made the promise vnto Abraham because he had no greater to sweare by he sware by him selfe saieng Surelie I wil abundantlie blesse thee and multiplie thee marueilouslie He addeth à reason saieng So God willing more abundantlie to shewe vnto the heires of promise the stablenesse of his counsel bound him selfe by an oath that by two immutable things wherein it is vnpossible that God should lie we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to hold-fast the hope that is set before vs. Fourthlie we are to weigh the largenes of the couenant entred-into with AbrahaÌ„ namelie howe it extendeth vnto the seede of Abraham and that for euer and euer But what is that seede of Abraham Paule both in the 4. and 9. chapters vnto the Romanes and also in the 3. vnto the Galathians defineth the seede of Abraham to be euen al those of what nations soeuer which doe walke in the steppes of the faith of Abraham that al which beleeue the promise of grace as Abraham did Fiftlie when it is saide howe this couenant was entered into with Abraham and his seede for euermore it is meant that God bestoweth immortalitie to such as are linked to him in coÌ„federacie For if by death we should perish the perpetuitie of the couenant could no way stande Nowe on the other side the faith of Abraham and of his seede aunswereth to the couenant of God For when God bindeth himselfe to vs by couenaÌ„t to giue saluation he bindeth vs withall vnto faith and vnto newe obedience which cannot be separated from faith And therefore God saith to Abraham Walke before me to wit in faith and be thou vpright that is serue me syncerelie and preferre obedience toward me before al things This obedience through his faith Abraham declared when he was readie most willinglie to sacrifice at the commaundement of God his beloued sonne Isaac whome he loued aboue al the world Whereby it maie easilie be gathered that the endeuouring of the minde obtaineth the praise of perfection before God Moreouer as this eternal couenant of God with the Church hath for foundation and substance the promised seed So being shadowed by sundrie types in the old lawe at the length it was fulfilled by the comming of Christ into the world and confirmed with the bloud of Christe For the remembrance and ratifieng whereof Baptisme and the Lordes supper be instituted For as Baptisme is a couenant of a good conscience with God depending vpon the bloud of Christ whereby it is purged from dead workes So the Lordes supper is a commemoration of the same couenant touching our redemption established by the bloud of Christ. And therefore it is called the cup of the new Testament or cup of the couenant Wherfore you maie rightlie define this eternal couenant of God if you saie It is a couenant of attonement betwene God and men wherby both God and men are bound together God for his part promising yea by oath remission of sinnes and euerlasting life for the merits of Christe by whose bloud this couenant is confirmed men for their parts do both accept the promise through faith and also doe not onlie promise but also shewe due obedience through their faith Which being so it maie be asked whie in the scripture mention is made of a double couenant or testament namelie an old and a new For both the Lord by the Prophet Ieremiah doth saie so and the auctor also of the Epistle vnto the Hebrues staÌ„deth vpon that same grouÌ„d Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I wil make a new couenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah Not according to the couenant that I made wiâ—h their fathers when I tooke theÌ„ by the hande to bring theÌ„ out of the lande of Egypt c. But this shal be the couenaÌ„t I wil make with the house of Israel After those daies saith the Lord I wil put my lawe in their inward parts and write it
shalbe consumated whē the bodies shal rise againe Both these adoptions haue their glorie For by the adoption begū we haue peace with God which is not onelie the reconcilement of vs with God but also à quiet conscience in Iesu Christ we haue accesse vnto god through our Lord Iesus Christ we haue too à firme trust that God hath à care of vs as his childrē so that al thinges worke-together for the best to vs yea such things as doe seeme most bitter Wherof it is that the saintes euen in the crosse wherebie theie are made like the onelie begotten Sonne of God doe reioice according to the saying of Paul We doe reioice in tribulations knowing that tribulation bringeth foorth patience and patience experience experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because God loueth vs. Of the adoption hereafter to be consummated Paul speaketh on this wise Euen we doe sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies This redemptiō of the bodie in the same chapter somwhat afore the Apostle defineth to be the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God that is the ful glorie wherin the childrē of God being freed frō al euil shal euerlastinglie and blessedlie inioie the most comfortable sight of God Of this longing for glorie the Apostle speaketh when he saith We reioice vnder the hope of the glorie of God Together with this adoption the which at the last iudgement shalbe perfected formal righteousnes wherebie we shalbe like vnto God for euermore is ioined Which righteousnes the Apostle saith we doe waite for when he saith We through the spirit waite for the hope of righteousnes through faith And what māner of righteousnes that shalbe Iohn declareth in these wordes We knowe that when he shal appeare we shalbe like him euen holie righteous chast and blessed for euer and euer Out of the things which hitherto we haue spoken touching the iustification of man by the method of composition this definition maie be framed Man his iustification before God is an absoluing of the beleeuing man from sinne an imputation of Christ his righteousnes and à receiuing of him vnto eternal life freelie for Christ his sake Nowe the more fullie to open this our iustification let vs in order yet verie brieflie beholde the causes The cause therefore preparing is y e preaching of the gospel which maketh vs to acknowledge and to feele our infirmitie iust damnation The which sense Paul doth terme the spirit of feare because at the preaching of the law it is raised vp in men through the holie spirite When Peter in the Acts vpon the day of Pentecost had accused his countreimen the Iewes for violating both tables of the Lord they conceiued in their minde the spirit of feare that is a wonderful dolor and griefe or pricking in their consciences for their sinnes Therfore afterward in their perplexitie doubtfulnes and despairing as it were he biddeth thē to amende their liues and be baptized euery one of them in the name of Iesus Christ which was in deede a preaching of the gospel This conuersion is made through faith which men do conceaue through the holie ghost when they hearken vnto the gospel By this faith Christ wholy who of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption is conceaued that he that reioyceth doe reioyce in the Lord and praise him euerlastingly And this is that knowledge of saluation hid from the wise and men of vnderstanding of this worlde but reuealed to the Church through the worde of the gospel CHAP. 5. 1 The thirde sorte of testimonies 2 How good workes do iustifie 3. Wherein we and the Papists do differ about good works ALthough the fruite of the righteousnes of faith is neuer to be separated from faith yet with al diligence is it to be distinguished from our iustification For the proper benefit of Christ which we obteine by faith alone is one thing and our due obedience which as the fruite out of the tree springeth from faith through which we be regenerate borne the the sonnes of God is another Wherof it is that by the natural properties that it hath we iudge of a liuely faith euen as by the frute we iudge of the tree Hence it is that in this order of testimonies the worde to iustifie hath an other sense than in the afore mentioned orders it had For in this place to iustifie signifieth to shew and declare a man to be righteous As in the Epistle of Iames man is saide to be iustified by workes because through workes he sheweth and declareth himselfe to be righteous And in the scripturs oftentimes theie are pronounced blessed which giue themselues to good workes not that good workes be causes or do merit happinesse but for that they are true tokens of their cause which is faith or the spirit of faith For so many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God And hence it is that the Lord in the gospel after Matthew saith Blessed are the meeke blessed are the merciful blessed are the peacemakers blessed are the patient For these virtues if they be true and not hypocritical showes of virtue do proceede from faith whereby righteousnesse is laid holde on and they be vndoubted markes of the children of God declaring the adoption Therfore this rule is to be helde in memorie when diuers effectes doe depende alike of one and the same cause the consequent doth holde from one effect vnto the other because of their common dependance In Luke it is written of the sinful womā how many sinnes were forgiuen her for she loued much Now because both I meane remission of sinnes and loue depend of faith as of a proper cause the argument is good from loue vnto the remission of sinne because of their common dependance Sophists who thinke that Christ descended from the cause vnto the effect and made loue the cause of remission of sinnes do peruert the meaning of Christ as by the parable which the Lorde bringeth-forth before them it is manifest There was a certaine lender saith he which had twoo debtors the one ought fiue hundred pence and the other fiftie when they bad nothing to pay he forgaue them both Which of them therefore tel me wil loue him most Simon answered and saide I suppose that he to whom be forgaue most Afterwarde he saide to the woman Thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace Doth not the Lord here plainly declare that remission of sinnes doth go before loue and both to wit remission and loue to depende of faith as of their verie cause For many times effectes whereof some doe follow others which notwithstanding shoulde be referred vnto their proper cause to auoyde the confusion of causes and effects be ascribed to one and the same cause Hitherto belongeth the rule of Augustine When saith
is the counsels snares and batteringes whether it be of the worlde or of the diuel cannot preuaile against the same The Church in deede compared to that huge companie of the reprobate and damned diuels is but à verie litle flocke yet continueth it vnmoueable against the force and power of all aduersaries whatsoeuer For notwithstanding manie citizens of the Church be murthered and put to sundrie tormentes yet is not the Church abolished therbie but in death it selfe theie get the victorie while theie keepe their faith and confession For precious in the sight of the Lorde is the death of his Saintes as that which is the gate vnto euerlasting blessednesse Therefore was it wel saide of Augustine The men of this worlde are vnhappilie happie but the Martyrs were happilie vnhappie For theie were for a time vnhappie but happie for euer The Prophet Isaiah compareth the Church to an Iland in his 2. Chapter For as an Iland placed in the sea although it be beaten with many a cruel storme and tempest that arise yet abideth inuincible because the Lord hath set à bound to the Sea which it cannot ouerpasse so the Church abideth safe notwithstanding manifold storms do beate vpon the same For the Lorde of Hostes defendeth and protecteth it who wil not suffer tyrants to vse more crueltie against y e same than it can wel indure or shalbe good for it As often therefore as we heare how the tyrantes of the world doe spoile the Church and murther the members of the same let vs comforte our selues with this cogitation the Lord of Hostes can not forsake his tabernacle which he hath made but wil by his diuine power and presence defende the same and withal praie we vnto this Lorde that he wil not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we be able to beare Moreouer this Church as it is gathered by the word of God so wil it faithfulie reteine y e same without al corruption It knoweth how Christ alone is to be harkened vnto in the ministers of the Gospel And that is it which the Lorde him-selfe doth saie My sheepe heare my voice for theie knowe not the voice of strangers This is à special note wherebie the Church of Christ is distinguished from other assemblies By whiche we are admonished to shunne false-christes and false-prophetes euen as we would the verie diuel him-selfe For this alwaie is the scope of Satan namelie that despising the voice of the Lorde we should hearken vnto him For as he enuironed our first parents by sophistrie and deprauing the worde of God so alwaies he laboureth to entrap the Church after the same sorte and maner And therfore it standeth vs vpoÌ„ aboue al to listen-vnto the voice of our sheepheard despising the voice of strangers by whom the diuel speaketh So then when the Papistes doe bid vs to heare them let vs answer that Christ our shepheard hath commanded to heare his voice onelie and to content vs there-withal This voice of our shepheard is comprehended in the writinges both of the Prophetes and Apostles and that not obscurelie but plainelie as touching the ground of our saluation When the Pope doth bid thee to cal vpon saintes shunne him as the serpent which by his lie cast our first parentes vnto the death For it is contrarie to the wordes of our sheepeheard who saith Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onelie shalt thou serue Againe Cal vpon me in the daie of trouble and so of the rest For a godlie minde is neuer at quiet vnlesse it heare this voice and be truelie persuaded that thus saith the Lorde of hostes Againe this Church forsomuch as it harkeneth onelie vnto the voice of the Lorde of Hostâ—s it cleaueth to him and obeieth him none beside Others folow other masters some cleaue to worldlie riches and pleasures manie are carried-awaie with the tempestes of their owne affections that theie make smal account of the Church of Christ but the true Church possesseth all the treasures of riches in Christ alone for which cause it cleaueth-to and obeieth him it knoweth howe it was saide of their master Be not ye caled Rabbi for one is your doctor to wit Christ. To him alone therfore it seeketh according to the wordes of the Church in the 73. psalme As for me it is good for me to draw neare to God I haue put my trust in the Lord God that I maie declare al thy workes But seeing others that are not in the Church of God to their certaine condemnation doe folowe other masters theie do more and more estrange them-selues from God as in the same Psalme it is saide Loe theie that with-drawe themselues from thee shal perish thou destroiest al them that go a whoring from thee But what is it to cleaue vnto the Lorde of Hostes It is by faith to be espoused and by hope confession and obedience according to his worde to be ioined to him For as by faith we receaue him as our beloued spouse and are ioined to him So by hope confession we continue in him as it were depending to a trustie anchor Whereof we are carried-into his commendation esteeming of al thinges of no price in respect of the obedience we owe vnto him Therefore when the godlie for confession of the Gospel are compelled to change their aboade and see their substance to be seased-vpon let them take consolation from hence looke not so much vpon the present worlde as for the euent the ioieful euent to come which theie shal find if so be theie abide constantlie in the faith and confession let them thinke howe there shalbe à righteous iudgemeÌ„t wherin as theie that cleaue to y e Lord by faith confession shal finde the words of the Psalmist true saying As for me it is good for me to drawe neere to God so such as turne themselues from God by incredulitie and renouncing of confession shal crie-out howe theie are most miserable let them thinke howe confession is necessarie according to this saieng With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth man confesseth vnto saluation Finalie let them thinke this is an earnest coÌ„mandement of God Flie froÌ„ idolatrie Besides for so much as this true Church is the tabernacle of the Lord of Hostes it hath doubtles the Lorde of hostes dwelling in her And therefore not without good cause is she tearmed the temple of God in the Scriptures Hitherto belongeth that of Paule Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the spirite of God dwelleth in you If anie man destroie the temple of God him shal God destroie For the temple of God is holie which ye are Hence therefore maie be gathered how greate the glorie of the Church is what puritie is required to be in the same how religiously it should serue God and what punishments be prepared for them who shal prophane
are carried-awaie so that they become wilde oftentimes and spurne against GOD. Hereof it is that we see in all states such contempte of the Gospell which reprooueth this darkenesse Hereof spring the detestable behauiour of parentes the il bringing-vp of children For while men doe looke-vppon the multitude auctoritie and power of such as sinne they excuse themselues by example as they did who dispising the spirite of Christ in Noah at the length suffered due punishment in the floude This wickednesse doeth deserue that men shoulde bee punishod with à reprobate minde as Paule saith GOD deliuered them vp into à reprobate minde according to the threatening of the lawe The LORDE shall smite thee with madnes and with blindnes with astonieng of hart For such as are forsakē of God for their custome of sinning are by little and little so berest of their wits blinded and strucken with astonishment of heart that they become without feeling and giue themselues to wantonnesse not vse Paul his wordes calling vertue dishonestie good euil wholesome thinges hurtfull and iudge cleane amisse than which no paine can bee imagined more grieuous When therefore we beholde the most part of mankinde to rushe headlong as it were into al manner wickednesse let vs call into minde the greatnesse of Gods displeasure who by his moste righteous iudgement permitteth that mans rebellion bee punished with madnesse Of which madnes Paul writeth when hee saith Because they receiued not the loue of the trueth that they might bee saued God sent them strong delusion that theie shoulde beleeue lies But most horrible is it that this punishment shoulde sticke in the posteritie according to the saying of Salomon He that rewardeth euil for good euil shal not depart from his house Therefore when wee see men to bee delighted in the filthines of sinne let vs auoide y e examples of iniquitie against thē let vs set the obedience of y e chast spirits the examples of the sancts who deemed nothing either more pleasant or more auncient or better then faith and obedience whereby we are ioined to God And let euerie man take heede that he be not taken with the deceitful counsels of the flesh For there be which doe purpose but most foolishlie before their death to repent not considering how by too much vsing to sinne that sinne becommeth euen à nature as it were For as Augustine doth saie while custome is not resesied it becommeth necessitie And the Poet When à sickenes hath taken roote If thou take Phisicke it wil not boote The sixt cause of mans disobedience and of all wickednes raigning in the worlde is the Prince of this aer as the Apostle saith euen the diuel himselfe He is present to all those causes aboue recited as à chiefe capitane For hee insinuateth himselfe to the corrupted nature and stirreth vp the concupiscence by obiectes poisons and confirmeth the cogitations of the flesh and moueth the will by wonderful slights snares encreaseth the wicked manners of men to spread abroad his kingdome the farder and to abolish the kingdome of Christ by little and little Againste this prince of the aër is opposed the prince of the Church euen the Lorde of hostes who is hier than the heauens from whome are the causes of godlie actions aboue recited For he doeth giue the holie Ghost cherishe the lust of the spirite strengthen good cogitations keepe the wil and proposeth the examples of holie men but chieflie his owne example to be imitated of vs. Or in fewer wordes A liuelie faith in Iesus Christ is the general remedie againste all the wickednesse and peruersitie of y e world For this is the victorie that ouercōmeth the world euen our faith For by this Christ the conqueror of darkenes is possessed by this à new spirit whereby we resist y e flesh is obteined by this the whole bodie of sinne is killed and mortified and by this in al troubles wee doe flie vnto the name of the Lorde that is vnto praier the safest sanctuarie the righteous runneth vnto it and is exalted CHAP. 37. 1. Of Christ his intercession for vs 2. And of diuerse notable thinges to be considered in the same THE thide and last parte of Christ his Priesthood is his intercession for y e whole Church and for each particular member of the same For as Christe alone by the sentence of the law is perfectlie righteous and alone hath giuen himselfe à ransome for the redemption of all So hee and none beside is the mediator of intercession inasmuch as intercession dependeth vppon the merite of righteousnes and of the price giuen for à redemption And therefore Paul doeth saie There is one mediator betweene God and man euen the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe à ransome for all men Vppon this place Theodoret writeth thus There is one peace maker who hath ioined those thinges which were contrarie and distant Hee called Christe à man because hee called him an intercessor for man was made intercessor And as hee that woulde reconcile two ioining their handes together doth put himselfe betweene and taking one by the right hande and the other by the lefte doeth ioine them together So Christe when hee had vnited the diuine nature to the humane did procure such à friendeshippe as can neither bee violated nor broken And Paule vnto the Romanes doeth saie Who shall condemne It is Christe which is deade yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hande of GOD and maketh request for vs. Heere the Apostle against condemnation setteth the intercession of Christ sitting at the right hand of the father and making intercession for the Church and for euerie member thereof And vnto the Hebrewes it is thus written of him This man because he endureth euer hath an euerlasting Priesthood Wherefore hee is able also perfectlie to saue them that come vnto God by him seing he euer liueth to make intercession for thē As therefore the force of y e obedience of y e law in christ y e price of his passion is of infinit valor merit so his intercessiō is most effectual and pretious So that it can not bee but his praier on our behalfe for whome hee maketh intercession must bee hearde And for them principalie he maketh intercessiō who are made his members through faith Notwithstanding the difference is herein because when hee was in this worlde hee was à fulfiller of the law And with one oblation once made hath hee consecrated for euer them that are sanctified But as yet hee maketh intercession for vs with his father as the eternal priest of the Church For so saith Iohn If anie man sinne wee haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust Wherefore Christ maketh intercession both now and alwaie for y e Church whose intercession dependeth vppon the merite of his righteousnes and the
vnto the Doctors of the Church for the withstanding of Satan and the gates of hel An euident example maie be seene in the Apostles whome Christ did send into the world to preach the Gospel For he sent euen rude men vnto the moste eloquent plaine fellowes vnto the subtile naked men vnto armed weake vnto the strong poore vnto mightie princes of the Empire and of other nations quiet vnto cruel persons yet theie ouer-came and spread-forth the kingdome of Christ in so much that in à verie smal time their sound went ouer the whole worlde But how came theie by such a courage Euen God gaue it them who alwaie worketh in the ministerie of the worde For beeing armed with the power of GOD theie entered battaile with the worlde And therefore Paul saith The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mightie through God to cast-downe holdes casting downe the imaginations and euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euerie thought to the obedience of Christ. The ministers of the Gospel armed with this courage do preuaile against the gates of hel For which cause theie are pronounced blessed by reason of the infallible hope which both theie haue themselues and shewe to others This courage GOD in al ages endueth his ministers withal This the Lord gaue vnto his disciples when he saith Receaue the holie Ghoste Whosoeuers sinnes ye remit theie are remitted and whosoeuers sinnes yee retaine theie be retained Therefore the holie Ghost is that fortitude wherebie the ministers of the worde are emboldened to oppose them-selues against the gates of hel This strength of God his spirite both maketh the mindes of teachers couragious and bringeth power to the worde wherebie it taketh effect in the harts of such as heare the Gospel Furthermore this fortitude of the spirite doth giue witnes that the doctrine of the Gospel is not forged but from God himselfe For it is à great miracle that the whole world and especialie that so mightie an Empire as the Romane was could not hinder those fewe disciples of the Lord but maugre their heads theie scattered the seede of the Gospel ouer the whole worlde Martine Luther à man of holie remembrance for the space of 45. yeares through this power of the spirite opposed him selfe against the whole Romane Empire and al the kingdome of Antichrist And although at the first Luther had no partakers against so mightie an aduersarie the chiefe whereof was the Duke of darkenes euen the diuel him-selfe yet so he preuailed that all the power of Satan and rabblement of Antichrist could not diminish so much as one haire of his head Such is the valiantnes wherwith the Lord armeth his ministers But what haue al the ministers of the Gospel the holie spirite Are not manie giuen partlie to ambition ah greefe partlie vnto other sinnes What hath the holie spirite to do with ambition and wickednes A difference must be set betweene the ministerie it selfe the ministers of the Gospel In the ministerie the holie Ghost is alwaie effectualie present For what the force wherbie we are nourished is in the bread y t is the holie Ghost in y e word wherby we ar moued to beleue born-anew For the heauenly Father hath so decreed y t the spirite of the Sonne shalbe present and work both with the word in the word Hence it is y e ministers of the new Testament are caled of the Apostle ministers not of the letter but of the spirite So manie therefore as resist the worde of the Gospel whosoeuer be he worthie or vnworthie preacheth the same resisteth the holie spirite For so great à matter dependeth not either vpon the worthines or vnworthinesse of ministers Iudas preached and Peter preached and both of them baptized but the word and the baptisme was Christs in which his spirite did worke Againe the question maie be aunswered that al preachers which teach the word rightlie haue the holie Ghost but not al alike For theie whose life aunswereth to the doctrine haue the spirite as both à teacher and à sanctifier But if the life agree not with the doctrine theie haue the holie spirite as à teacher but not as á sanctifier and that through their owne fault because stubburnelie theie resist the holie spirite That holie man of God Moses he had the holie spirite not onelie as à prophecier but also as à sanctifier too Because as his prophecies were most true so was his life most holie But Balaam had the spirite of prophecie and of teaching which vndoubtedlie was the holie Ghoste but he had not the spirite of sanctification For he was ambitious and couetous for the which his owne asse vpon whome he sate rebuked him Peter had the holie spirite both of teaching and of sanctification because his conuersation agreed with the puritie of doctrine But Iudas because he was not onelie couetous but à theefe too had the holie spirite as à teacher but not as à sanctifier Because he obeied the spirite of couetousnesse that is of Sathan rather than the spirite of God Moreouer as touching the spirite of teaching it is to be noted that as there is à twofolde calling by meanes and without meanes So there is à twofolde probation of the spirite of instruction For if the calling be with-out meanes y t is by God himselfe Iesus Christ and not by men after the ordinarie manner as was the calling of the Prophets and Apostles the spirite of instruction without al doubt is y e holie Ghost himselfe whose doctrine for y t he is true is also true firme and heauenlie without al mixture of errors it hath also heauenlie miracles wherebie the trueth of the doctrine is confirmed But if the calling be by meanes then are the spirites to be tried whether theie are of God and so farre-forth the holie spirite is to be acknowledged for the teacher as what is taught is agreeable to the worde receaued from the Prophetes from Christ and his Apostles Wherefore let him be accursed of vs y t preacheth another Gospel than y t which the Apostles through the cōmandement of Christ haue preached hath y e testimonie of y e Prophets So that in vaine is the holie spirite pretended when à defection is made from the voice of the Gospel CHAP. 2. 1. The special thinges required in à minister of the Gospel 2. Howe the knowledge of Gods word is attained 3. State of wicked ministers AND IN WHOSE HEART ARE THI◠WAIES THis second mēber of the description concerning the minde and studie of the ministers of the Gospel is referred vnto their knowledge of Gods worde vnto their feeling of the same in their heartes and vnto the direction or rule wherebie the preachers of the worde should gouerne the people committed to their charge Then first of al it is required of teachers in the Church
good life and sound preaching so theie must first before others come into peril For which cause it foloweth in the Psalme Who goeth thorough the valleie of teares CHAP. 3. 1. That the Church of God especiallie the ministers thereof are to endure persecution 2. Of the crosse the kindes thereof 3. Speciall thinges to be remembred of such as are punished deseruedlie 4. The faithful how tried 5. Of martyrdome who are martyrs and howe theie are to be thought-vpon 6. Whether idolatrous Princes are to be obeied The sixte verse WHO GOETH THROVGH THE VAILEIE OF TEARES THis thirde member of the description purteth the preachers of the worde in minde of the peril and daunger which accompanieth the ministerie For it affirmeth howe theie are to passe through the vale of teares that is theie must aduance the kingdome of God with much trouble and persecution For such is the rage of Sathan and his members that withall their force theie flie vppon the godlie ministers of the worde that with the streame of their blood theie maie stoppe the course of the Gospel yea and abolishe the Church but vaine is their hope For stronger is he which taketh the preachers parte than al the gates of Hel. If God saieth the Apostle bee on our side who can bee against vs Furthermore Dauid tooke this allegorical speach from â— present occasion For being in exile and seeing with what daunger al the feastes which God had ordained the people went vp to Hierusalem for to sacrifice with spiritual eies he beheld the great perils and persecutions which theie shoulde endure that in time to come were to set-foorth the kingdome of Christ. So that the sense is this As y e people of God through the drie valleis for that cause prouoking vnto weeping teares rather than vnto ioie went vp to Hierusalem at the hie feastes to sacrifice So the teachers of the Churche the Apostles and others through manie afflictioÌ„s tentatioÌ„s persecutions as it were through drie valleis do spread the Gospel being readie to offer vnto God the people which obeie the Gospel Howe greatlie Paule was persecuted that he maie be an example for al appeareth in the 11. Chapter of the seconde Epistle vnto the Corinthians Wherefore let the ministers of the gospel vnderstand howe theie are called not vnto pleasures and banqueting but to suffer great conflictes and moste certaine perils and the more secure that theie seeme the nigher theie are to the snares For the diuel is an enimie to the Church And therefore afore al others he setteth vpon the builders of the same that theie beeing oppressed he maie the more easilie ouerthrowe the Church through tyrannie and fraude Beside forsomuch as else-where both we and others too haue spoken much concerning the crosse belonging to the ministers of the word and to euerie particular member of the Church I wil in this place onelie set-downe the diuers kindes of the crosse taken from the endes and also annexe consolations and remedies for each of them And this word crosse as the Church doth vnderstand the same is that thing which doth trouble and afflict either inwardlie or outwardlie Of which commonlie there be foure sortes taken from the proper endes of them The first kinde the Grecians doe name Lytron which generalie vnderstood is à price giuen and paied for à ransome from captiuitie And because there is à double captiuitie namelie à bodilie à spiritual there is à two-folde Lytron to wit à corporal and à spirituall But in the Church wee speake especialie of the spiritual Which is defined to be à crosse which is taken and enioined for the washing awaie the eternall punishment and sinnes of mankinde And this Christ onelie hath paide endured For he taking our cause vpon him selfe suffered punishment not for his owne but for our offences that he might be imputed to vs for à discharge of the paine and fault due that is for a price of redemption that the faithful might no more bee counted guiltie nor held captiue of the diuel for sinne but be righteous free and euerlastinglie blessed Of this kinde of crosse the Lorde speaketh when he saith The sonne of man came not to be serued but to serue and to giue his life for the ransome of manie and so to take mankinde from out the power of darkenes making satisfaction to God whome man had offended Because man through sinne was bounde both to God and to the diuel but diuerslie For after that man by sinne had offended God and declined from him he became the captiue to Satan not as to à iudge but as to á tormeÌ„tor and that by the righteous iudgement of God for the offence committed against him Againe as touching the punishment man was bounde to God as to à iudge and partie offended This punishment the sonne of God to â—e vpon him and redeemed vs from the sentence of death and damnation paieng à ransome for our redemption And therefore it is saide howe he offered his blood to God for à price to redeeme vs. For which cause also Paul doeth not saie that Christ redeemed vs from the power of the Diuel but deliuered vs from the power of darkenes as from the handes of the hangman But hereof wee haue spoken alreadie and shewed what comforts the faithful maie fetch from hence The seconde is called Timoria which Plato saide was the punishment of vnrighteousnes and is the crosse which anie man doth iustlie suffer for certaine sinnes to wit when punishment in iust proportion aunswereth to the crime committed In the Epistle vnto the Hebrewes this worde is vsed where it is written Of howe much â—â—rer punishment suppose yee shal hee be worthie c. Christ hanging vppon the crosse paide the ransome but the theeues which honge on each side of Christ suffered Timorian that is punishement due by the lawes for their euil demeanors Of this the Prophete Ezechiel speaketh on this wise I will doe vnto them according to their waies according to their iudgementes wil I iudge them and they shall knowe that I am the Lorde This punishment is laid vpon men either by means through man or without meanes of GOD himselfe But what must he do that is punished iustlie for his offences He must doe foure things He must in the diuel note lieng and murther in himselfe weigh sinne and miserie in God honor iudgement and mercie and in the gospel seeke counsel and helpe First hee must note falsehoode and crueltie in the diuel who as hee slewe our firste parentes with à lie so in these daies euerie moment by lieng and tyrannie hee lieth in waite to destroie al mankinde For as Peter saith As à roaring Lyon hee walketh about seeking whome he maie deuoure Hee seeketh indeede to haue al men but them onelie he deuoureth whom he taketh in his snares of falshood For that impure spirit doth continualie labour to make al men impure
eies of faith it is not learned in the courtes pallaces of worldlie kinges but in the sanctuarie of God as Dauid himself acknowledgeth when he saith I thought to know this namelie whie the Church is oppressed and the wicked doe florish But it was too painefull for me vntil I wâ—nt into the sanctuarie of God then vnderstoode I their endes Surelie thou hast sette them in slipperie places castest them downe into desolation How souddenlie are theie destroied They perished for their sinne yet I was alwaie with thee thou hast helde by my right hand Thou wilt guid me by thy counsel and afterward receaue me to glorie Dauid therefore by the eies of faith not onelie considereth the glorie of the church the future happinesse of the citizens of the same but also thinketh vppon the most lamentable destruction of those men who call not vppon God in his congregation Of both which that is of the happines of the Church and damnation of the vngodlie Dauid himself speaketh on this wise Lo theie which withdrawe themselues from thee shall perish thou destroiest al them which go à whoring from thee As for me it is good for me to draw-neere vnto GOD therefore I haue put my trust in the Lorde God that I maie declare al thie workes But what is the cause whie so manie mightie men of the worlde doe not consider their endes the better to order their liues as they shoulde The causes hereof are three as Paul saith namelie the vanitie of mind the blindnes of their vnderstanding and the hardnes of their heart The vanitie of minde bringeth to passe that such honest things as are thought to bee embraced by à dreame as it were doe forth-with vanishe-awaie without profite Blindnes of vnderstanding doth so carrie theÌ„ awaie that of those principles of vertue imprinted naturallie in the mindes of men they followe nothing but errors And through their hardnes of heart they are touched with no feare of God Whereof it is that with à reprobate minde wee embrace for goodnes in deede colored good thinges for true riches false vaine glorie for true praise beastlie and moste filthie pleasure for true delight and for the right preheminence vaine arrogancie Of this vanitie blindnesse and hardnesse the Lorde by the Prophete Ieremiah speaketh on this wise My people is foolishe theie haue not knowen mee they are foolishe children and haue none vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to doe well theie haue no knoweledge Whence it proceedeth that according to the saying of Salomon Theie reioce in doing euill and delight in the frowardnesse of the wicked To which kinde of men Isaiah crieth with à lamentable voice Wo when he saith Wo vnto them which are wise in their own eies prudent in their owne vnderstanding For one daie through the most righteous iudgement of God they shall bee condemned to euerlasting tormentes Notwithstanding Epicures which delight wholie in their filthie delightes either because they thinke there is no God at all or if there be à God they suppose hee will not be angrie seeing hee is all mercifull or if hee will be angrie that hee will not alwaies keepe hatred in remembrance they doe not regarde anie whit the wrath of God But this extreme vanitie both the daie of doome in the sight of all creatures of diuels of Angels and of men shall reprooue and also the verie conscience which is à witnesse of à iudgement to come doth speake against CHAP. 4. 1. Whie Dauid chooseth to bee of no reputation in the Church of God 2. The manifold benefits and blessinges which the sainctes of God enioie yea in this life The 11. verse BECAVSE THE LORD GOD IS A SVNNI AND A SHIELD THE LORD WIL GIVE GRACE AND GLORIE AND NO GOOD THING WILL HE DEPRIVE THEM OF WHICH WALKE INNOCENTLIE THIS is an Aetiologe For it rendreth the reason whie Dauid doth choose to bee the most abiect in the house of the Lorde that is in the Church rather than to enioie euen the greatest pleasure and delightes in the tabernacles of y e vngodlie And this reason is fetcht froÌ„ y e enumeratioÌ„ of the good things or benefits which are peculiar to the citizens of God his Church the which the forainers not onelie doe lacke but also are wrapped in the contrarie miseries Wherefore they are to bee illustrated by waie of Antithesis that each maie appeare namelie both howe great the glorie of the Church and contrariwise howe much the miserie of those is who are without the Church The first good thing or benefite of the Church is that God himselfe is in the same as à most bright Sunne which thing I do refer both vnto the cleare knowledge of God and vnto the affections agreeing with the knowledge and also vnto the manifold consolations which the godlie doe take through the light of this sunne For as from the Sunne which we do behold proceedeth to the world both light heate and beames wherebie all things are quickened and nourished So from God who is an inuisible Sunne of the Church there proceedeth both light that is à cleare knowledge of God and heate that is the burning affections of hope faith and loue and also beames which are the manifold consolations wherewithall the soules of the faithare quickened nourished and made merie This Sunne as it ariseth vpon such as feare God So it goeth-down from negligent wicked and prophane folkes And therefore great heede is to be taken least the godlie doe suffer this Sunne to be darkened and hidden from them For as it is à most certaine token of death to à sicke man as Hippocrates saith if he dreame that this visible Sunne is hidden or obscured So à most certain death of the soule is nigh at hand if our Sunne Christe be darkened by abolishing or corrupting of the true doctrine So that so manie as are destitute of this Sunne as are all theie which be without the Church they can not bee otherwise than most miserable For they being blinde and ignorant of God both doe groape in the grosse darkenes of ignorance and are beaten-downe with an horrible amazement of their mindes when sinne sheweth it selfe abroade in their consciences And although the consciences of manie seeme to be seared as it were with an hot iron as if it were voide from all feeling of sinne yet at the point and paine of death it is awakened yea it driueth the miserable soule vnto desperation The seconde benefite of the Church is that God himselfe who is the Sunne is also to the Church in place of à shielde wherewith the householde of the Church are compassed protected and saued against the kingdome of darkenes Hereof in the 5. Psalme it is spoken where it is saide Let all them that trust in thee reioice and triumph for euer and couer thou them and let them that loue thy name reioice in thee
spiritual but I am carnal soulde vnder sinne By which saieng he doth signifie that the carnal man as carnall can not yeelde spirituall obedience to the Lawe He calleth him carnal which in another place he calleth à natural man who hath not the spirite as Iude doth interpret the same that is which is not borne anewe by the holie Ghost Thirdlie the Law it selfe requireth à perfect pure and constant loue both of GOD and our neighbour which loue vndoubtedlie is not an external and outward worke but an inwarde and spiritual exacting the puritie of affections which are not to be founde in men that are not regenerated Last of al the interpretation of Christ which he himselfe opposeth against the Pharisees doth sufficientlie confute this dreame of the Papistes Moreouer hauing thus laide open the errors of Pelagius and of the Papistes I wil gather foure demonstrations out of Paul wherewith I wil confirme the minor of our demonstration which is that no mortal man can yeelde no perfect obedience to the lawe of God The first is taken from the common corruption of mans nature For al men from their birth are vncleane and guiltie nowe seeing from an vnpure and stinking fountaine there cannot chuse but issue foule and filthie water it cannot be that an vncleane man can yeelde pure and cleane obedience For so saith Salomon Surelie there is no man iust in the earth that doth good and sinneth not And Iob Who can bring à cleane thing out of filthinesse there is not one For al the sorte of vs do proceede from à sinneful masse For the effecte cannot be better than the cause So that this argumēt is strong Theie which are vncleane cannot yeelde pure obedience Al men by nature are vncleane Christ alone excepted who was exempted from the cōmon law of such as are borne Therfore none can yeelde pure obedience to the lawe of God The second is taken from the general experience or punishment of guiltines in al mē Whosoeuer be subiect to death which is the punishment for violating Gods law theie are breakers of God his Lawe otherwise God should be an vniust iudge for punishing the innocent but now Paul confesseth that the iudgement of God is according to trueth But al men are subiect to death as the to punishmēt for violating Gods lawe which thing the miserable experience of al men from time to time doth testifie Therefore al men are breakers of God his lawe How then can theie be righteous by the lawe The thirde is taken from the testimonies of Scripture which are the verie voice of God both in the Psalmes in Moses the Prophets Euangelistes and writinges of the Apostles In Moses it is written The Lorde sawe that the wickednesse of man was greate in the earth and al the imaginations of the thoughtes of his heart were onelie euil continualie Beholde the fountaine of man his righteousnes Iob saith I know verilie that it is so for howe should man compared vnto God be iustified If he woulde dispute with him he could not answeare him one thing of à thousand The same Iob saith againe If I would iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shal condemne me And in à certaine Psalme Theie haue corrupted and done an abhominable worke there is none that doth good The Lorde looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were anie that woulde vnderstand and seeke God Al are gone out of the waie theie are al corrupt there is none that doth good no not one Againe Who can vnderstand his faultes And againe If thou ô Lorde straitlie markest iniquities ô Lord who shal stand Therfore Dauid praieth on this wise Enter not into iudgement with thie seruant for in thie iudgement shal none that liueth be iustified Salomon also Pro. 20. hath these wordes Who can sate I haue made mine heart cleane I am cleane frō my sin And y e Prophet Isai We haue al bin as an vncleane thing al our righteousnes is as filthie cloutes we al do fade like à leafe our iniquities like the winde haue taken vs awaie The preaching of repentance in the Gospel is à witnesse of the guilt of al mankind And the Lord saith That which is borne of the flesh is flesh From y e Epistles of y e Apostles I wil alleage onlie on testimonie out of Paul who vnto the Romanes writeth after this wise We haue alredie proued saith he that al both Iewes and Gentiles are vnder sinne As it is written there is none righteous no not one There is none that vnderstandeth there is none that seeketh God Theie haue al gone out of the waie theie haue beene made altogether vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Their throte is an open sepulchre theie haue vsed their tongues to deceite the poison of aspes is vnder their lippes Whose mouth is ful of cursing and bitternes their feete are swifte to shed bloud Destruction and calamitie are in their waies and the waie of peace theie haue not knowne The feare of God is not before their eies Of these such like testimonies our proposition is proued which is that no man perfectlie can fulfil the lawe of God The fourth is taken from the necessitie and ende of the mediator giuen betwene God and men For if man by his natural strength could haue fulfilled the lawe of God he had not needed à mediator For he had beene righteous by the workes of the lawe and had by the couenant of GOD obteined eternal life For it is the couenant of God If à man doe my commaundementes he shal liue in them But nowe seeing man hath neede of à mediator and reconciler doubtlesse he breaketh the lawe and is guiltie vnrighteous and accursed Therefore the scripture which conteineth either the promise or the exhibition of y e Messiah doth accuse mankinde of sinne and sendeth vnto the mediator pacifier and intercessor Hence Paul fetcheth an argumēt in his second chapter vnto the Galathians when he saith If righteousnesse be by the Lawe then Christ died without à cause that is the Sonne of God in mans nature in vaine did humble himselfe euen vnto the death of the crosse if man by the lawe maie be iustified whereas the Sonne of God tooke the nature of man vpon him that he might abolishe sinne bring euerlasting righteousnesse and therein cause vs to be adopted into the sonnes of God Let the Papistes take the lawe in this place for what part it pleaseth them yet the same conclusion must follow For whether righteousnesse be by the lawe moral or by the iudicial or by the ceremonial or by altogether the same absurditie doth follow namelie that Christ died without à cause If he died in vaine he was also borne in vaine al his benefitie are in vaine By these foure inuincible argumentes the iudgement of the Church which
he we do finde such places in the Scriptures as do seeme to attribute righteousnesse to workes special regarde must be had vnto the foundation from which they do spring And when they proceede from faith they are to be ascribed vnto the roote For example Blessed is he that iudgeth wisely of the poore the Lorde shal deliuer him in the time of trouble Here mercie toward the needie and poore is not set for a cause of blessednesse For mercie is a particular worke whereby the law of God is not satisfied But such manner of speech Dauid vseth because the effecte is a most certaine argument of the cause it hath So that the man which hath mercie on the poore is blessed because he beleeueth Now then through faith he pleaseth the worke also pleaseth not for the perfectnes thereof but for that God accepteth it because the person is not vnder the lawe but vnder grace And that it is necessarie that the workes which God accepteth of must proceede from faith it is manifest For whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne And without faith it is impossible to please God The Lorde himselfe doth saie Without me ye can doe nothing As the branch cannot beare fruite of it selfe except it abide in the vine No more can man doe anie thing vnlesse he abide in Christ through faith For before we be regenerate we are euil trees Which cannot but bring foorth euill fruite wee are the children of wrath and dead in sinne we are flesh Whose wisedome is enmitie against God we are natural mē which perceiue not the things of the spirit of God And therefore whatsoeuer God promiseth to such as do good works that must not be promised indifferentlie to al but onelie to such as obeie through faith For seeing the iust doe please by faith theie doe necessarilie bring foorth the fruites of righteousnesse of faith namelie good workes which no more can be separated from the righteousnes of faith than the natural propertie from the subiect Wherefore as the argument is alwaie good from the subsistence of anie subiect vnto the natural propertie of the same and contrariwise the propertie being set the subiect of necessitie must be seene so faith which iustifieth man being set good workes which are y e properties of y e spirit of faith are necessarilie set And againe good works being set faith frō which theie do spring must needs be set So whersoeuer faith is not good workes are not wher good works be not ther is not faith the cause of good works Therfore saith Paul Fight à good sight hauing faith and à good conscience which some haue put awaie and as concerning faith haue made shipwracke So often then as promises doe seeme to be annexed to good workes we are to make recourse vnto the roote and ground namelie faith For as there be two beginnings of thinges one is that theie be the other that they be known so faith as the beginning of being worketh so that thou art righteous and good workes as the beginning of knowledge bring it to passe that thou art knowne to be righteous Hence the Lorde at the last daie wil propose the beginning of knowledge to the righteousnesse of faith which shalbe apparent in the sight of al creatures For thus he wil saie Come ye blessed of my father inherit ye the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meat I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke I was à stranger and ye lodged me I was naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came vnto me Here the Lorde wil not haue the workes of mercie toward his members to be merites of the heauenlie kingdome but by certaine tokens he declareth who are the sonnes of God vpon whom the kingdome of God freelie for Christ his sake without anie merites of man shalbe bestowed For so saith Paul The gift of God is eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And although by that which hitherto hath beene spoken it is none harde thing to iudge howe our doctrine concerning good workes differeth from the papistical imaginations Yet that the more distinctlie and particularlie this difference maie be seene I wil adde somewhat more here-vnto and that for two causes the firste to shewe the vanitie of those men who hearing that both we and the Papistes doe require good woorkes doe thinke that we striue not about matters of importance but onelie about words and that of pride onelie to gaine-saie Wherebie theie doe sufficientlie bewraie themselues to know nothing touching this controuersie of so great importance vpon which al our saluation doth depend Secondlie that godlie auditors maie be rightlie instructed in this matter and necessarie doctrine maie haue alwaie in à readines wherwith to answer such as indeuour to ouerthrow our religion and slaunder the same without reason either of meere malice or of grosse ignorance The difference therefore betweene vs and the Papistes touching good workes consisteth in foure thinges to wit in the matter efficient causes in the manner and in the oft doing of good woorkes If we shal proue this thing by euident argumentes I thinke there is none but wil graunt if so be he wil yeelde vnto the truth rather than to the vanitie of his own minde that for iust causes we are prouoked thus to contend The firste difference therefore is taken from the matter of workes For the Papistes doe place their chiefest workes and worship in the traditions of men the which theie preferre before Gods comaundementes which traditions for al that partelie be in their kinde indifferent as appointed fastes and certaine songues but in their vse and ende vtterlie wicked because theie put à confidence in them while theie perswade themselues that by obseruing of them theie doe merite the remission of sinnes partlie theie are superstitious meerelie ethnical as hallowing of water of fire of herbes of candles with infinit such toies wherevnto also theie doe ascribe the power to abolish sinne and driue awaie diuels and partlie theie are apparantlie wicked as such are that are contrarie to the word of God as is the inuocation of saintes the marchandise of masses the worshipping of Images the bearing about adoratiō of bread These and the like traditions the Papistes with fire and sworde doe vphould caring little or nothing at al for the breach of God his commaundements as euidentlie appeareth by the verie punishmentes which theie doe appoint For in the Papacie the contempt of the idolatrous Masse is more sharpelie punished than adulterie or incest A much more heinous offence is it among the Papists to eate flesh vpon à Fridaie than to kil à man vpon anie daie Wherebie it is apparent that the Papistes doe preferre their traditions before the commaundementes of God which thing is the proper note of Antichrist
Martyrdome 421 kinds of martyrdome 421 profite of martyrdome 421 whie the godly suffer martyrdome 424. Martyrs who 421 423. Martyrs not to be worshipped 427 428. Masse The Masse 168 none indifferent thing 168 an harlot 203 the masse à sacrifice and à sacrament and howe 204 Canon of the Masse 205 the abomination thereof 206 whie it is abominable 207 not commanded of God 207 contrarie vnto the institution of Christ 208 the ground of purgatorie 216 the strength of Antichrist 216 with what argument maintained by papistes 222 the Popishe masse one thing their communion an other 230. Material cause of sacrifices 183. Christ our onelie mediator 302. Mediators betweene God and man 212 à Mediator whie needeful 486. Meditation what 144 fruit of holy Meditation 323 Meditation offered by baptisme 106. Men worshipped for Gods 191. Men by Aristomenes sacrificed 194 by the French men sacrificed 195 by Germans 195 sacrificed vnto Bacchus 193. vnto Maâ—s sacrificed 193 sacrificed vnto Saturn 194. Merchants 96. God his mercie whereunto compared 266 what it comprehendeth 390 his mercie in punishing sin 414. Christ y e way by merit 123. Merits of the sainctes the treasure of the Church 214. Ministerie of the Gospel 129 difference betweene the ministerie and the ministers 397. Ministers Kindes of Ministers in the Church 150 auctoritie to make ministers à note of y e true church 172 the the holie spirit howe in ministers 398 ministers howe called 399 knowledge of Gods word required in à Minister 400 state of wicked ministers 404 true ministers aboue al subiect vnto affliction 408 coÌ„forts for ministers in their troubles 450 ministers whie priests 361 and howe 362. Miracles Diuine miracles what and their effectes 64 whie wrought and whie not wroght in these daies 66 howe wrought 68 Miracles of Christ 28 howe to knowe false from true Miracles 67 diuelish Miraâ—les howe done 68 Miracles not wroght by the diuel 69. Miserie Miserie of man without Christ 258 cause of man his miserie 258 the degrees of mans Miserie 259 the ende of mans Miserie 262. The Moone worshipped for a God 191. Mount Zioâ— what 53. Musike why reteined in the Church 391. N Natural life 127. Natural philosophie 401. Nature of oile 345. Noblemens children sacrificed 194. O Obedience to the Lawe 373. Obedience to the Lawe a part of Christ his sacrifice 247. Obedience to Magistrates 430. Obseruation 402. Office of the Messiah 51 61. Office of the priest in the olde Lawe 186. Nature of Oile 345. Opinions of Christ 17. Oracle of Apollo 194. Order whie obserued in the Church 167. Ordinarie power of the Church 152. Organs why reteined in the Church 391. Original cause of idolatrie 189. Ouerseers 151. Oxen worshiped for Gods 191. P Paine followeth pleasure 380. Palenes worshipped for a God 191. Pallace of the Messiah 52. In the Papacie what good thinges 228. Papistes 16 they neglect the commandements of God for their owne traditions 512. Papistical seruice 2â—â— Papisticall good workes what 511 the causes of them 513. Papistical traditions diuers 511. Paradise of the Turkes 90. Parentes killed of their children in sacrifices 93 Parentes murtherers of their owne children in sacrifices 194 195. Partes of Christ his Priesthoode 242. Paschal Lambe compared to Christ. 35. The Passeouer whie instituted 26. Patience à sacrifice 359. Patriarchs 151. People of the Messiah 56. Perpetuitie of the Church 391. Persecution 441 à twofold persecution 467. Philosophie natural 401. Pleasure of y e bodie à vaine thing 380. Pomegranate 180. The Poore most readie to embrace the gospel 26. The Pope the keeper of Epicurns booke 100. Whom the Pope curseth 164 his punishing of transgressorâ— 168 205 The Pope a spiritual baude 203 whie forsaken of Luther 209 Popes vsurpers of auctoritie 151. The summe of Poperie 97. A Popish priest who 197. Popish priesthoode contrarie to the priesthoode of Christ 198 Popish baptisme 229. Power of the Church 152 156. Praier Praier 401 true praier what 456 à sacrifice 356 when accepted 301 302 signified by incense 197 publique Praier a note of the true Church 17â— Praise of God a sacrifice 355. Praise of God 390 wherein it consisteth 390 who praise God 390 howe the creatures praise God 391. Whether Preachers in the time of persecution may flie 441. Preachers be the souldiers of Christ. 12. Preaching of Christ. 2â— Preaching nccessarie 322. Preaching a note of y e true Church 171. Preaching to y e spirites 102. Presence of God in the Church 452. God whie present in the Church 451. Preseruation of y e Church 125. Priest The Priest his office in sacrificing 186 the necessitie of an hie Priest 237 his condition 239 Christians are priestes and howe 344 ministers are Priestes 361 ministers howe Priests 362 Priesthood of the new Testament 242. Popish Priesthood contrarie to the Priesthood of Christ 198. Princes idolatrous not to be obeied 430. Gift of prophecie not tied vnto any one calling of men 169. Prophecies of the Turkes 77. Propitiatorie sacrifice 235. 250. Prosperitie daungerous 338. Punishment Punishment of Dauid 5 of the vngodlie 118. 161. 190. 196. 323. 331. In deserued punishment what to be considered 411. God his iustice and mercie in punishing sinne 414. Purenesse in this life what 116. Purgatorie 216 à vane thing 221 grounded vppon the Masse 216. Puritie of the Church 115. Q Quantitie of God 84. R Reason of man is vane 370. Reiection of the Iewes 43 causes of the same 74. Religion 99. Diuersities of religion 104. Remission of sinnes whaâ— 496. Repentaunce a sacrifice 357. Resurrection of Christ 38. 45 confirmed by manie testimonies 46. Reward of sinne 162. Riches 146. Righteousnesse what 498. 500 à sacrifice 359. Righteousnesse of faith and workes oppugned 330 righteousnesse of workes oppugned 327 S True Sabboth what 62. Sacramentes howe manie 334. Sacrifice Sacrifices of the Iewes 177. 178 of the Gentiles 193 of Christians 235. Sacrifices of the Iewes of what kindes 185â— the causes of them 182. Sacrifices of Christians howe manie 247. Burnt Sacrifice 185. Sacrifice eucharistical 185 236. 349. kindes thereof 352. Sacrifice of good workes 349 of Obedience 247. of patience 359. of praier 356. of Praise 355. of propitiation 235. 250. of repentance 357. of righteousnesse 359. of the Masse 204. Sacrifices of them-selues please not God 178. In a sacrifice what to bee considered 251. Sacrifices of the olde Law howe offered 253. Captiues 195 children 194 195. men 193. 194. parentes Sacrificed 193. Salt 188. Saintes Saintes cannot be intercessors for vs 213. Saintes inuocated a seruice of the diuel 214. their worship why inuented 429. Sanctification how it commeth 106. Satietie not in this life 377. Seede of Abraham 309. Selfe hatred 290. Selfe loue 289. twofolde 290. Serpent of brasse 31. Serpents taken for GOD 191. Seruice of the Churche 116. What Seruice of Papistes maie be heard 228. Societie with CHRIST 131. Sophisters 443. howe to be resisted 444. Soules of the righteous where 376. they Sleepe not vntil the
himselfe a Church wherein his truth is sounded and showen from age to age and for admitting vs into that companie which both in this worlde doe professe his Name and in the worlde to come shal euerlastinglie extoll his goodnes And secondly it is our dueties by all the giftes and meanes which God hath imparted vpon vs to aduance and promote this trueth Which they among others do worthilie that by preaching but they as I thinke best of al performe which by writing publish spread-abroad the same and that not onely because for y e time present they do greatly profit but especialie for that they prouide both for the instruction and comfirmation of the posteritie to come For bookes wil teach and strengthen testifie and consute when men happilie cannot In which respect we are much beholding to the Prophets much to the Apostles to the Fathers much and much to the Godlie learned of our age For by their bookes and writings wee knowe the trueth which otherwise smallie or not so perfectlie coulde be vnderstoode Of which truth I doe nowe present vnto your Honor noble Comitisse à most singular descriptioÌ„ drawen out of the pure fountanes of Gods holie word and to the ouerthrowe of al aduersaries of the same whether theie be Iewes Turks Papists Atheistes or whatsoeuer heretikes written in the Latine tongue by that learned and paineful Pastor in the Church of Christ at this day Nicholas Hemmingius publique professor of diuinitie at Haffine à famous Vniuersitie in Denmark Which treatise I haue translated into English for these causes One is that the ignorant sort of people may see howe Protestants are not so as the Papists giue out at variance among themselues For this work with infinite other good bookes of foraine writers in our English tongue doth shew that touching the substance of Religion we varie not neither wil by Gods grace though Satan gladly would bring it so to passe â—nother is that it may bee knowen from time to time that the Religion which al the Protestants in the world doe maintaine is not à seruice of God newlie found-out by Luther Melancton Caluine and others as the Papists vntruely report but is verie ancient and grounded altogether vpon Gods holy worde For this trueth here described is builded not vpon the weake in â—entions of man but vpon the holie scriptures as may easilie appeare The third that it may be more knowen and coÌ„mon then hitherto it hath bine For this is proper to true Religion which thing is not proper either to Poperie or to any sect of heretikes that the more it is knowen the more it is desired the more common the more commended The last is seing how good Christians do both studiouslie reade and also gratefulie accept good Books in our vulgar tongue at this day to giue them an occasion when either for the ignorance negligence or Non residence of their Pastors or for other causes they can not heare y e word preached to inflame their zeales by the reading of this Booke which in al respectes is so necessarie and singular as in mine opinion though there be manie good yet but fewe better Bookes And that it maie be read with more pleasure and vnderstoode with more ease I haue not onlie illustrated the same with the places of Scripture but also diuided the Booke into Chapters the one sheweth the integritie of the doctrine and the other openeth the excellencie of the method And these my labors I am bolde nowe to publishe vnder your name Noble Comitisse moued thereunto partlie by the good reporte generalie giuen of your Honor as one which maketh no smal account both of Christian religion and of them who are Christianlie religious and partelie by that fauour which my selfe haue found at your handes the which I beseech your goodnesse accept wel in worth God almightie euen for his sonnes sake confirme your Ladieship in that truth vntil your liues ende whereof nowe you are not neither neede to be ashamed and graunt to your Honor and to the Right Honourable your husband both the perfect felicitie of this life to your hearts desire and in the worlde to come those thinges which he hath prepared for such as vnfeinedlie doe loue him Amen The fourth of Nouember Anno 1581. At your Honors commandement Thomas Rogers ¶ TO THE HONOrable and for wisdome godlines and vertue the renowmed Lorde Peter Oxe Lord of Gisselfelde Master of the Palace both of the King and also of the Kingdome of Denmarke c. his most gratious Lord and worthie Pation NICHOLAS HEMMINGIUS wisheth al peace safetie and prosperitie in his godlie enterprises HOWE great the darkenes of mans minde is concerning God and his prouidence right Honorable not onelie the infinite sectes in à manner of Philosophers but also the lamentable securitie of verie manie men who by their life and conuersation doe shewe that either they acknowledge no God at al or thinke that God as it is in Homer doth so dallie-out the time among I knowe not what Ethiopians that he hath no leasure to see vnto the state of mankinde doe witnes Such is the darkenes the vanitie of men is such euer since the fal of our first Parentes and mightilie hath it beene confirmed partlie through euil education partlie by the examples of those who doe seeme to excell others both in wisedome and vertue This loathsome darknes none other way caÌ„ be depelled thaÌ„ by the torch of god his world Hitherto keth that question and answere of Dauid Wherewith shal à yong man redresse his waie In taking heede to thy worde Now seeing that as youthis such is age as Salomon saith it foloweth that without the worde of God which is the only remedie for wickednesse the whole life of man is altogether vncleane And that vncleanenes which cleaueth in al men vntil it be through God his worde washed-awaie is not so much à bodily as à spiritual inwarde blot coÌ„sisting of many partes Whereof the firste which is the spring of others is theignorance both of the trueth and of goodnes is compared vnto grosse darkenes and vnto blindnes wherebie the whole soule of man as it were an ouglie monster gropeth in the darke The second is to haue an erronius opinion of heauenly matters to imbrace and loue the same as the most euident trueth As manie Philosophers and heretikes had who by stiffe mainteining opinions touching heauenlie mysteries rushed-headlong into damnation ThaÌ„ which nothing could be more lamentable The thirde is in thought to yeelde vnto wicked affections For as the minde is wickedlie informed So the affection of the minde raised-vp by sinister iudgement is carried-awaie into that which is worst The fourth is to consent vnto sinne after which ensueth an horrible swarme of al manner wickednes as Paul in his first chapter vnto the Romans disputeth vntil man be vtterlie drowned in euerlasting miserie From these lamentable spots the soule of man is
fewe attaine-vnto could for all that persuade the people howe theie were to be folowed Hitherto generalie haue we spoken of heauenlie miracles now come we vnto y e markes wherebie diuine are distinguished from diuelish and true from from fained miracles The notes are sixe namelie the truth of the nature the power the manner of doing the efficient cause the cause mouing before it be wrought and the ende By these notes as it were by à touch-stone miracles aswell of Christ and of the Saintes namelie diuine as fained and diabolical as of Magicians and inchanters are to be examined For the first therefore The truth of the essence is to be considered All the miracles of Christ haue the trueth of the essence that is are such in deede as theie seeme to be Lazarus had lien foure daies in the graue stoonk againe therefore without doubt he was dead Therefore Christ raising him from the dead wrought à true miracle in deede For beeing raised he liued truelie he eate and dranke wherebie manie Iewes that knew him marueled much at the miracle Neither was there wanting which sought to kil Lazarus that so theie might either blemishe or denie the dead And therfore it was à true miracle But the miracles of the diuel and of magicians are done by iuggling and deluding the eies as those were in times passed that happened in Epidaurus and els where or by secret and natural philosophie For the diuel who exactlie perfectlie knoweth both the nature power of things can secretlie applie either herbes or stones the effect whereof is counted of ignorant men for a miracle albeit it be the worke of nature The second note whereby true miracles are knowne from false is the power whereby theie are wrought the which if it exceede the power of nature is doubtles diuine and the miracles so done haue God for the author of them This diuine power may diuerslie be seene in the miracles both of the Saintes and of Christ himself First in y e verie action as for y e sūne to staie his course or to returne frō the west vnto the East for a man to walke vpon the waters as vppon drie land which thing we reade our Sauiour to haue done Secondlie in the subiect vppon whom the deede is done as to giue to the blinde sight and life to the dead For nature may giue both light and life too but not either to the blinde or to the dead as our Sauiour did Thirdlie by the order also and manner wherby they are done as suddenlie to cease à tempest and the troubled sea suddenlie to heale the sicke So do we reade our Sauiour Christe to haue commaunded the windes and the sea and the tempests which forth-with obeied him manietymes euen with à becke and suddenlie to haue healed leapers and others Fourthlie by the worker as to behold the heartes of men which thing belongeth onlie vnto God How often I pray you do we reade that Christ sawe the verie cogitations sometyme of his owne disciples somtyme of his aduersaries Fiftlie by the instrument wherwithal the miracle is done as with claie to restore sight to y e blind wheras claie naturalie wil make blinde rather but the Lord vsed claie in healing the blind that the curing might seeme to proceede not from nature but from the God of nature And so Christ did worke al sortes of miracles that if anie man as the mindes of men are very diuers should suspect or not be throughlie persuaded in some one so manie and so diuers were added that now al matter and occasion of doubting is quite remoued so y e none may dout whether y e miracles of Christ were done by the power of God But neither the diuel nor anie other power that is finite can worke such miracles And although manie thinges do seeme to be miracles yet in truth theie are not because they be wrought by the power of nature as by herbs or some other thing which the diuel secretlie can applie And therefore manie thinges are done which are knowen to the skilful in the nature of thinges that y e rude people accounte for miracles as are those thinges which are done by Art magike as aboue also we haue noted The thirde note followeth to wit the maner of working miracles Sometime Christ by onely commanding shewed miracles to declare how he was the Lorde of nature sometime he did so by inuocation to giue men to vnderstand from whome he had all thinges and also to meete with their slander who said that in the name of Beelzebub the chiefe of the diuels he cast-out diuels somtime by y e vse of one thing or another as by clay or spittle to shew that God worketh somtime by meanes somtime with-out means somtime contrarie to the nature of the meanes sometimes thorough the touching of his garment sometime by his onelie pleasure being absent But the illusions of diuels which haue likenes of miracles are done after foolish and verie ridiculous meanes whereby it maie easelie be perceaued who is the author of them For y e diuel that no man maie suspect them to be done by the power of nature commandeth wordes to be vsed that agree nothing at al to the matter as if an horse be to be healed these wordes are to be said The sea is salt and frosen in the Winter and some such thing more absurd Somtime y t woulfe putteth on à lambes skin and wil haue the wordes of the holie Scripture to be vsed as some verse of the Psalter to be recited or à sentence out of the Gospel to be hung about y e necke or à Masse or moe to be said somtime he wil haue beanes or other things to be put vnder an holie clout of lynen But who can bring al his toies into remembrance the which are better knowen to the bond-slaues of Satan than to the godlie The 4. note is the efficient cause Christ at no time sought occasion to work miracles but alwaies vsed y e occasiō offered He tooke neither time nor place to shewe his cunning but suddenlie alwaies according to the matter ministred But y e diuel deluders of the simple seeke both time place conuenient for their iuggling and haue their certain preparations Againe Christ who excelled in true holines wrought miracles both by him selfe by his good and godlie disciples but Satan doth his fained miracles by wicked by naughtie persōs witches vncleane men by wisemen by fairies by the reprobate who no man can doubt doe worke by guile and fradulentlie The fifte note is the cause mouing before the thing be don The Sonne of God other good men at no time respected their own cōmoditie but the profite of others y t it might appeare how in their miracles they sought not their own glorie but were brought
this Temple of God The glorie of the Church surelie is verie great in that the heauenlie wisedome that is the word of God is committed to her in that God heareth her praiers and protecteth her continualie in that she hath alwaies bin inuincible notwithstanding all her afflictions and troubles in that she hath bin famous both with prophecies and miracles in that she hath excelled with manie heroical virtues finalie in that she is appointed to be the heire of eternal life Nowe at the greatenesse of this glorie none can sufficientlie wonder And yet it is more wonderful than al this that the diuine maiestie to wit the Father the Sonne the holie Ghost doth vouchsafe to elect and to consecrate the heart of man for their habitation and there to dwel according to the promise of Christ If anie man loue me he wil keepe my worde and my father wil loue him and we wil come vnto him and wil dwel with him See nowe what à great difference there is betweene the Church of God and other assemblies The Church of God is the Temple of God but other assemblies are in deede the houses of diuels As therfore nothing is more delectable nothing more cleane nothing better nothing more holie than y t is so there is nothing more abhominable nothing more filthie nothing worser nothing more prophane than these assemblies are Not without cause then did Dauid with great admiration breake into these wordes Glorious thinges are spoken of thee O citie of God The consideration of this glorious condition of the Churche should be à good cause to stirre-vp al men to ioine thēselues vnto the Church of God But alas such is the blindnes such is the foolishnes of mans hart that verie few are moued with y e glorie of the Church and manie taken with pleasures delightes riches and promotion can no whit beholde this glorie What puritie is required to be in the Churche maie appeare in that she is taken-for and called The holie Temple of God For as a Temple made by man and consecrated to God should be cleare from idols and al vncleannesse that men therein maie meete syncerelie to serue the Lord through saith according to Gods worde for which cause our Sauiour Christ caste the biers and sellèrs out of the Temple of Ierusalem saieng Mine house shalbe caled the house of praier So euerie Christian that he maie be an holie Temple of God must be separated from the prophane Gentiles haue no place for idols vncleanes within him that al the powers both of his mind bodie maie cōsent trulie syncerelie to serue the Lorde God and finalie that with vnfaigned repentance he maie throwe-down himselfe before the Maiestie of God and rise-againe through confidence in the gratious promise so in the feare of God by mortification of the flesh and quickening of the spirite goe on forwarde dailie more and more vntil he attaine vnto the marke he shooteth at And although none can be cleare from al sinne while he liueth in this world as aboue also I haue touched yet who so reteineth faith and à good conscience is iudged pure holie before God and that in two respectes First by the imputation of the holines of Christ secondlie by inchoation of obedience Wher-of it is that in respect of the vngodlie vnpenitent persons the godlie before God are counted for moste holie for most pure and perfect without al spot or wrinckle For God imputeth not the remnants of sinne vnto them but looketh-vpon them as theie are cloathed and adorned with the righteousnes of his sonne Iesus Christ. Nowe the Church being the holie Temple of God God is necessarilie to be serued in the same and that purelie and holilie And this seruice is à worke commanded of GOD done through faith principalie for the glorie of God Then that this seruice maie be pure holie it is required first of all that the worke of the seruice be holie that is prescribed by the word of God and infected with no humane or diuelish additions For so the Lorde by the Prophet Ieremie doth saie Walke in my commandementes and not in the commandements of your fathers And that the workes commanded by men are not the seruice of God of thēselues the Prophet Isaiah teacheth when he saith In vaine theie worship me teaching for doctrines mens preceptes And Paule in plaine wordes condemneth al such traditions of man Hence therfore let vs conclude à most certain rule No seruice pleaseth God but what he ordeineth commendeth to vs in his word Secondlie vnto the pure and holie seruice of God it is required that the minde and conscience of the worker be holie and pure For when the minde is vnpure it is abhominable whatsoeuer a man doth although to outward shewe it seeme to be à right holie worke exacted by the lawe of God and although there be greate vse therof among men according to that of Paule vnto Titus Vnto the pure are al thinges pure but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled Theie professe that they know God but by works theie denie him are abominable and disobedient and vnto euerie good worke reprobate And how the minde of man is made pure by faith it is manifest For by faith as witnesseth the Apostle the heartes be purified not because faith of it selfe can doe so but for that by faith the bloud of Christe is applied by the sprinckling wherof our hearts be cleansed from dead workes Thirdlie that the seruice of God maie be holie and pure it is required that the end of the worke be pure and holie that is that without al hypocrisie with à simple heart thou set the glorie of God before thine eies that is that thou do whatsoeuer thou doe onelie because God hath commanded the same to be done whō thie minde is with al thine affection mind wil and life to glorifie A worke so done is à pure and holie seruice of God And although the worke it self be apparent for the most part in y e eies of men verie base yet it is a spiritual seruice of God because it is the work not of y e flesh but of the spirit before which is proposed the glorie of God And that theie who shal violate this holie temple of God shal not escape scot-free this threatning of the Apostle doth declare If anie man doth violate the Temple of God him wil God destroie But this Temple is violated by idols and vncleanes that is by erroneous doctrine superstitious worshippinges schisme by wickednes and prophanes of life who so is guiltie of anie one of these vices doth violate the Temple of God What then shal we saie of the Pope who ouerwhelmeth the doctrine of the Gospel with y e dreames of Monkes who bringeth infinite superstitions into the
church who parteth a sunder y e vnitie of the Church by the manifolde orders of Friers who winketh at the monstrous impuritie of Clergie men by vsing no discipline who is an example himselfe to al the worlde of wickednes and vnholie conuersation Furthermore by the name of Tabernacles we are put in mind of the Churches peregrination and wandering from one place vnto another vntil she come vnto her true countrie For as tabernacles or tentes of war be remoued hether and thether so the Churche of GOD in this life hath no sure and quiet abode but often is compelled to change her seate This pilgrimage wherebie in deede euerie man as Augustine doth saie is à pilgrime in this world doth admonish vs of sin which is the cause of this peregrination For because of sin we are cast with our first parents out of Paradise into the land wherein we soiorne So y t we are remoued from Ierusalem y t is from the sight and fruition of peace into Babylon that is into cónfusion exile wherin we wander-about far wide And although we are al pilgrimes yet the condition of al men is not like For some are quite out of the waie into their coūtrie some are in y e readie way For whoso beleueth not is neither in his countrie nor in y e waie there-vnto And he that soiourneth and walketh by faith is not yet in his countrie but for al y t is in the right waie This was it which the Apostle saith We haue not here à continuing citie but we seeke one to come As therefore they who often are enforced to change their seate in iorneieng must suffer manie troubles and quietlie put them vp so the Church of God in this worlde shal neuer be free from trappes and troubles both of men and diuels so long as it wandereth in the darke vales of this life Therefore we are to walke warilie in this pilgrimage and to beware of the snares of false doctrine of prophanes of cōuersation of wondering at nouelties leaste beeing taken with the inticements of this worlde we forget our countrie and reiect the same in respect of our exile as manie of them did who being carried-awaie into the captiuitie of Babylon refused to returne thence into their natiue countrie In al hardnes and aduersitie let vs comfort our selues with hope to returne one daie into our countrie againe and although we are in bodie absent yet in minde let vs be present in heauen with our capitane and as Paule admonisheth Let our conuersation be in heauen from whence also we looke for the Sauiour euen the Lorde Iesus Christe finalie let vs beare in mind how y e Church in this pilgrimage is gouerned by the prouidence of God who wil see y t no rage either of Satan or of anie limme of his shal vtterlie destroy the same For as God was alwaies in the tabernacles of his people in the wildernesse and miraculouslie did foster and defende them So Christe our capitaine wil neuer be from his Church according as he hath promised I am with you vntil the ende of the worlde Finalie seeing the Church is in à strang cōtrie and tendeth home-warde that is to the heauenlie Ierusalem it standes her-vppon in this hard pilgrimage to followe her capitaine rightlie that by his direction she maie at the length happily attaine vnto her desired home For as the capitaine of the people of God Moses conducted the Israeltes out of Egypt through the red sea and after him Ioshua brought them into the promised lande So Iesus Christe and none else shal bring his Church into the celestial countrie according as he testifieth of himselfe saying I am the waie the trueth and the life And albeit Augustine doth featelie interprete that saying of Christ when he saith He was the waie not erring the trueth not deceiuing the life not failing the waie in example the trueth in promise the life in rewarde yet for somuch as this asseueration containeth manie good lessons comfortes I wil expounde the same somewhat more plainelie at large These three thinges are diligentlie to be distinguished The waie truth life Whereby first of al generalie is signified howe Christe alone is the beginning middle and consummation of our saluation and happinesse and therefore that workes neither going before faith nor conioined with faith nor yet folowing faith doe merite saluation and happines Then particularlie the manner would be gathered out of the scriptures how Christ is the waie how the truth and how the life Howe therefore is Christ the way He is the way both by doctrine and by merite and by example By doctrine in teaching vs those thinges which tend vnto our saluation according to that of Iohn No man hath seene God at anie time the onelie begotten sonne of God which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him and Paul saith Iesus Christ of God is made vnto vs wisedom For this eternal sonne of God hath alwaies beene present with his Church and by his spirit instructed the Prophetes touching himselfe as witnesseth Peter And therefore whoso abideth in the doctrine of Christ abideth in the waie of saluation but he that wandereth from the doctrin of Christ runneth headlong into the way of perdition So then let our onely care be to imbrace and defend the synceritie of the Gospel setting-apart al danger either of life or goods And let vs know y t he was true of his word which said He that loaseth his life for my sake shal saue it How is Christ the waie by merit Because he alone by the obedience of the crosse hath clensed vs from sinne and imputeth to vs his obedience whereby he hath fulfilled y e lawe that we may be coūted righteous before God as though we our selues had fulfilled the same And this is it which Paul saith Christ is the end of the law for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleueth that is Euerie one that beleueth hath as much as the law requireth namelie righteousnes performed by Christe but through grace imputed vnto him which thing the Apostle at large expresseth by à comparison where he containeth the summe of his meaning in these words As by one mans disobedience many became sinners so by the obedience of one many are made righteous And Augustine to the same effect doth saie Our sinnes he hath made his sinnes that he might make his righteousnes to be ours Of this merit of Christ they truelie doe participate who confesse and bewaile their offences and by vnfained repentance do flie vnto the mercie of God offered without respect of persons to so many as beleeue For the beleeuer is clensed from sin by y e virtue of y e sacrifice of Christ is endued with Christ his righteousnes receaued gratis vnto euerlasting life y t is in one word is iustified For iustification is
doe not refuse his medicine For he from the bosome of the father doth bring the moste comfortable doctrine of the Gospel concerning the remission of sinnes which being pardoned and quite abolished neither hath the lawe in vs any thing which he may condemne nor the diuel nor death ouer vs anie power at al. This doctrine of the Gospel is called the mysterie hid from the wise of this world and is thought of them to be foolishnes But to the miserable and afflicted sinners it is the wisedome of God whom it hath pleased by the foolish preaching of Christ crucified to saue such as beleeue Therfore we must shew in à worde or two what this doctrine of the Gospel is that this part of the priesthoode of Christ maie be the more comfortable vnto vs. Christ in the 24. of Luke proponeth the sūme hereof in these wordes It is behoueful that repentance and remission of sinnes be preached in my Name among al nations Therefore the Gospel is à general preaching of the remissiō of sinnes which theie attaine who repent and that through the Name that is through the merites of Christ. And although this definition as I saie doth contein the sūme of the matter yet the better to conceaue the greatnes of the benefit of Christ our Priest I wil set-downe another more at large The Gospel is an vniuersal preaching of Christ our Priest wherein tidings is brought of deliuerance from the wrath of God from the cursse of the lawe and from euerlasting damnation and remission of sinnes saluation and euerlasting life is proclaimed to al such as beleeue in the sonne for his owne merites according to the promise made in olde time to the fathers that the glorie of God his goodnes maie be commended euermore and besides that such as be deliuered through Christe maie bring forth fruites worthie the Gospel and at the length enioie euerlasting life This definition of the Gospel taken out of sundrie places of the scripture doth teach howe the Gospel in deede is à good and ioieful message without which doubtlesse we should perish in euerlasting miserie The partes of this definition for so much as else where we haue explicated them I wil not anie more stand vpon them in this place The summe of al is this that by nature we are miserable cōdemned slaues but by grace which the Gospel preacheth blessed righteous free and heires of eternal life through Iesus Christ. Christ the sonne of God himselfe brought this doctrine out of the bosome of the Father and proposed the same to our first parentes after their miserable fal into the snares of the diuel For thus he saith The seede of the woman shal bruise the head of the serpent This he sounded by the ministerie of Noah before the floud For Peter doth affirme that Christe by the spirite went preached vnto the spirites that are in prison because of their froward rebellion against y e spirite of Christ preaching to them This afterward he vttered by the Prophets as the same Peter doth witnesse This after his incarnation he preached also three yeares and an halfe This he commanded to be blowen abroade by his Apostles into al the worlde which also he confirmed afterward with manifolde signes By his doctrine as he hath alwaies preserued so doth he preserue and euen vntil the end of the world wil preserue the Churche against the gates of hel he wil blesse it and giue the holie spirite and euerlasting life to as manie as beleeue this doctrine But on the other side horrible damnation hangeth-ouer their heads who giue no credite to this doctrine so confirmed both with signes and with wonders and with manifolde virtues and by the holie Ghoste For as it is in the Epistle vnto the Hebrues if the worde spoken by Angels was stedfast and euerie transgression and disobedience receaued à iust recompence of reward howe shal we escape if we neglect so great saluation Let vs therefore as the same Epistle warneth take heede that we let it not slip CHAP. 29. 1. Of sacrifice the second part of Christ his priest-hoode THe second part of Christ his priesthod is to offer sacrifice Which sacrifice of Christ is takē somtime generalie somtime specialie When it is taken generalie it comprehendeth al whatsoeuer Christe our Priest hath either done or offered to the father for our welfare As al his workes are perfect odedience to the lawe voluntarie death and passion and continual intercession with the Father That obedience towarde the lawe is à certaine parte of his sacrifice it is aparent because therebie he maketh vs righteous before God Of his passion and death the Epistle vnto the Hebrues doth entreate when it affirmeth that Christe offered himselfe for our sinnes and by his blood purged our consciences His intercession and praiers in the 5. vnto the Hebrues are called oblations For thus it is written In the daies of his flesh he did offer-vp praiers and supplications with strong crieing and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death For these three to wit his perfect obedience of the lawe his passion and his intercession mutualie by à certaine order as effectes of their causes doe depend each of other contrariwise For in that he was holie pure yea moste perfectlie righteous according to the lawe his voluntarie obedience in the crosse was of power to purge al the sinnes of men because he was obedient to the father euen vnto the death of y e crosse his praiers doe preuaile for the Church euerlasting lie who therfore is the onelie intercessor because he and none beside gaue himselfe a ransome for al men as Paul doth testifie This consecution or gathering together of Christ his merites doth notablie appeare in our sanctification For by the merite of his death he doth so purge vs from sinne that if so be we beleeue we doe appeare no more guiltie in the sight of the father as Isaiah fore-tolde of him in his 53. Chapter Surelie he hath borne our infirmities carried our sorrowes Againe He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities By the merite of his obedience to the lawe he doth cloth vs that we maie appeare righteous before God not through our owne but throgh his righteousnes imputed vnto vs. For so doth Paule saie vnto the Romanes Chapter 5. As by one mans disobedience manie were made sinners so by the obedience of one shal manie also be made righteous Both which merites to wit of his passion and obedience to the lawe Paul comprehendeth ththese words Christ was made vnder the law that he might redeeme them which were vnder the law For whereas there is à double sentence of the lawe one of malediction and of death for not fulfilling the lawe whereinto we doe runne through sinne another of blessing that is
of righteousnes and of life from which we are fallen by sin it was needful y t he should both take vpon himselfe the curse of the law with the cause that is our sinnes being made accursed and subiect to death for our sake For so saith Paul Christe hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe when hee was made à curse for vs and also restore the blessing of the lawe to vs which he hath deserued for vs by his perfect obedience towarde the lawe vnder which he was made not for his owne sake but for ours And this doeth Paul meane where he saith Christ is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth And because the resurrection of Christ is à most euident testimonie of this fulfilling the lawe Paul affirmeth howe he is risen againe for our iustification By the merite of his praiers and intercession he hath made an entrance for vs vnto the father as Paul saith vnto the Romans Who shal laie anie thing vnto the charge of Gods chosen c. It is Christ that maketh intercession for vs. Therefore when Christ is said to offer his merites to the father the general sacrifice of Christ containing thistriple merit namelie of his obedience to the law of his passion and of his praiers must be vnderstoode Otherwhile y e sacrifice of Christ is morespecialie taken for his death passion which death passiō is the only propitiatorie sacrifice The figures wherof were y e sacrifices of the Iewes by à singular forme of speech was caled propitiatorie because it was à shadow of this eternal propitiatorie sacrifice euē Iesus Christ. But because aboue where we shewed the vanitie of the Iewes who as yet do looke for the messiah we haue spoken of shadowes in this place we wil speake onlie of the sacrifice of Christe which the scripture calleth expiatorie or propitiatorie from the effect thereof which sacrifice may rightly be defined on this wise The passion of our Lord Iesus Christ the eternal Priest is the propitiatorie sacrifice wherein the eternal sonne of God made man and of the father appointed an eternal Priest by obeieng the father in suffering euen vnto the death of the crosse offered himselfe through the eternal spirite to the eternal father vppon the altar of the crosse sustaining the curse of the law truelie to the end that by this one and most perfect oblation he might satisfie the iustice of God for the offence and punishment of mākinde pacifie the iust displeasure of God and by this onelie sacrifice merit for al which from the creation of the world either haue beleeued or til the ende of the same shal beleeue euen eternal sanctification that is deliuerance from the cursse of the lawe grace benediction life and euerlasting saluation that so being cōformable to Christ theie maie praise and glorifie God for euer and euer This large definition Christe in verie fewe wordes doth comprehend Iohn 17 where he saith For their sakes sanctifie I my selfe that theie also maie be sanctified through the truth But the holie spirit in the Epistle vnto the Hebrewes doth verie copiouslie entreate of this matter and that which scatteringlie is spoken to this purpose in that Epistle I haue gathered together as it were into one bodie that at one sight as it were we maie behold this wonderful worke and after a sort esteeme the greatnes of the benefite and be thankeful to God for this infinite mercie shewed to vs in Christe Augustine saith howe in euerie sacrifice there be foure thinges to be considered namelie who is y e offere◠to whō it is offered what is offered and for whō it is offered which foure things are both expreslie distinctlie contained in this our definition For y e sonne of God made man of God the father himselfe ordained an eternal priest is y e offerer For this priest as he alone is holy righteous and hier than the heauens so could he alone offer à perfect sacrifice for euermore Because in that he was à iust man hee might lawfulie take vppon him the cause of vs al especialie seeing one man had brought the rest of the posteritie into the state of damnation with himselfe and in that hee was hier than the heauens to wit verie God hee was of power to offer such a sacrifice as was perfect and effectual for euermore againe in that he was one person al the deedes of his manhood are most pure and of an infinite price To whome doeth this priest offer Euen to God himselfe For to him alone the sacrifice was due that his iustice might be satisfied whome our first parentes and we in them offended that the sentence of condemnation for our transgressing the lawe being vtterlie abolished we might be made partakers of eternal blessednes through his merit What doeth this priest offer to God The sonne of God the eternal priest hath offered himselfe to the father vppon the altar of the crosse taking our cause that is our sinne and punishment vpon himselfe For the Epistle vnto the Hebrewes doeth witnesse that the sonne of God was made partaker of our flesh and bloode that he might haue that which he might offer And Augustine doeth saie What was more meete to bee taken of men for their oblation than the fleshe of man And what so apt for this sacrifice as mortal fleshe And what so cleane for the sinnes of the worlde as without al contagion flesh borne in the wombe out of the wombe of à virgin And what so gratefulie could be either offered or receaued as the flesh of our sacrifice the made bodie of our Prieste Furthermore seeing euerie sacrifice in the olde lawe ought first to be separated from other things of the same kinde secondlie to be applied to the altar the hande of the Priest laide there-vpon thirdlie to be offered vpon the altar fourthlie being done rightlie according to the lawe it was à sacrifice accepted of God let vs see howe these foure thinges do aggree to our sacrifice First therefore Christe this our sacrifice was segregated from other men not by nature whereby he was to be ioined to them but by puritie innocencie and excellencie wherin he surpassed al other men Secondlie he was applied to the altar being consecrated to God through his wonderful obedience For he was offered euen because he woulde Thirdlie hee was offered vppon the altar hanged on the woode of the crosse bearing vppon his owne heade our cause that is both sinne and the punishment of sinne namelie the wrath and curse of God Which thing was in olde time figured in the goate vpon whose heade Aaron hauing confessed first his owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people of Israel laide his owne sinnes and al the sinnes of the sonnes of Israel and sent him awaie by the hande of a man appointed into the wildernes The truth of
saith My soule is heauie euen vnto the death that is the greefe of minde which I suffer is more grieuous vnto me than death it selfe Of this great sorrowe of minde that Psalme is to be vnderstood where in the person of Christ it is said The sorrowes of the graue haue compassed me about the snares of death haue ouer-tooke me By the sorrowes of the graue he meaneth deadlie sorrowes such as euen kil à man wel-nigh and thrust him downe to the graue Of this anguish of mind in Christ I wil cite some testimonies out of the Gospell Marke saith He began to be afraid and in great heauines And Luke sheweth by an euident signe how he was perplexed in minde when for verie sorrowe he sweat bloud againe for thus he saith Being in an agonie he prayed most earnestlie and his sweat was like drops of bloud trickling downe the ground For it was meete that as his death was more bitter then any death according to bodilie sense so the feare in his mind was most bitter of al other paine And as the infinite loue made the sense of death nothing the milder so did it mitigate nothing of the bitternes of the feare which was so great that it stoode in neede of comfort euen of the verie Angels For as Luke doth say there appeared an Angel vnto him from heauen comforting him For y e diuinitie shewed not it selfe that Christ trulie might feele the waight of the burden laide vpon him and be in anguish through the sense of Gods displeasure against our not his sinne which notwithstanding he made his by taking our cause vpon himselfe And Irenaeus doth saie As he was man to be tempted so was he the worde to be gloriâ—ied And the worde in deede rested while he was tempted crucified and put to death but was assistant to the flesh when he ouercame susteined rose againe and ascended into the heauens But for asmuch as it seemeth vnworthie the diuine maiestie of Christ that our Sauiour should be stroken with such feare and sorow many interpreters here doe seeke refuges and faigne tropes and figures wherebie theie labor to soften the narrations of the Euangelists and the fore-saiengs of Dauid Isaiah whereof the one saith He was compassed about with the sorrowes of the graue and the other that he truely bare our infirmities But let the worde of God be our light For if wee be ashamed of Christ his feare and sorrow our redemption shal vade and come to naught But Ambose writing vpon this place of Luke Father if thou wilt take-awaie this cup fro me sheweth the vanitie of those interpreters which doe seeke tropes For thus he saith Here manie doe sticke which doe turne the sadnes of our Sauiour rather vnto an argument of an olde infirmitie from the beginning than to à weakenes taken vpon him for à time and they desire to wrest the sense of the natural sentence But for my part I doe not onely thinke him not to be excused but also no-where doe more wonder at his goodnes and maiestie For vnlesse he had taken vpon him mine affection his benefite towardes me had not ben so great Therfore for my sake he sorrowed who had no cause to sorrowe for his owne sake and the comfort of the eternal Godhead being sequestred he is vexed with the greefe of mine infirmitie For he tooke my sorrowe vpon himselfe that he might bestowe his owne ioie vpon me and by our steps hee descended euen vnto the pangues of death to cal vs backe by his footing vnto life Then I do boldly name sadnes because I commend the crosse Neither tooke he à shewe of incarnation but the verie trueth Therefore he was to take the griefe that he might ouercome not exclude sadnes Neither haue theiâ— the praise of fortitude who haue suffred the senselessenes rather thaÌ„ the sorrowe of wouÌ„ds Hitherto Ambrose So that the cause of the anguish and great sorrowe in Christe his minde was the sense of the sinnes of all men in his minde whereof he had made himselfe guiltie beeing forth-with to be betraied into the handes of his enimies Beside this anguish of minde both his bodie was moste greeuouslie afflicted and his person most shamefullie reproched His bodie was with spitle defiled with cuffes buffeted with whipping rented with beatinges punished with thornes crowned and with à most ignominious death executed In his person he suffered reproches scoffinges floutinges And albeit his diuinitie could not suffer yet the reproch redounded against it for so much as it was personalie vnited to the manhoode These most greeuous paines namely anguish of minde tormentes of bodie and reproches against the person of Christe are tokens first of the iustice the which by this punishment for the sinns of the whole world is satisfied secondarilie of Gods mercie who of heartie loue gaue his owne sonne into these paines for our sake that al mankinde which he had created after his owne image might not perish thirdlie both of the obedience of Christe towarde the Father and also of his loue toward vs to whoÌ„ he chose to be linked in the likenesse of mans nature that he might susteine these paines for man the which we shall finde to be most comfortable to vs and profitable when we depend vpon him by à liuelie faith CHAP. 35. 1. Of howe inestimable à price the death of Christ is 2. How he could suffer 3. In what respects the price is infinite OF what an inestimable à price the death of Christ is ought diligentlie to be waied For from hence remedies againste al the woundes which sinne doth doth afflict vs with al are to be fetcht And therefore saith Augustine Beholde the woundes of him that hangeth the bloud of him that dieth the price of him that redeemeth His head hangeth-downe to kisse his armes be stretched to imbrace his bodie lieth open to redeeme The greatnes hereof consider with your selues these thinges looke you doe weigh in the balance of your heart that he maie wholie be fixed in your heart who for your sakes was wholie fastened to the crosse Paule vnto the Romanes compareth Adam and Christ together By Adam he saith sinne came on all men to condemnation but by Christ grace came vpon all men to the iustification of life If by the offence of one saith he death reigned through one much more shal theie which receiue the aboundance of grace and of the gifte of righteousnes raigne in life through one euen Iesus Christ. The cause then why the obedience death of Christ is of so inestimable à price is because the man that suffered was the only begotten sonne of God and verie God too For of that singular vnspeakable and reuerend vnion of the diuine and humane nature together whereby God and man is one Christ or one person is the dignitie price estimation and infinite merite of all the actions and passions of Christ. And
man formed after the image of God from so great good vnto such euil from life vnto death from à friende to an enimie vnto à traitor from à sauiour vnto damnation from saluation brieflie frō God the fountain of al goodnes righteousnes life saluation happines and honor vnto the diuel the auctor of al wickednesse vnrighteousnesse death damnation and perpetuall infamie But this euil which indeede is manifolde the blinded man perceaueth not And although sometime as it were through à casement it beholdeth à certaine shadowe thereof yet by and by it forgettes the same as he who hath seene his face in à glasse Which thing doubtlesse is greatlie to bee lamented For the first steepe vnto health as they saie is to knowe the sickenesse For the knowledg of the disease stirreth such as loue their health to seeke à Phisition Let vs therefore as the skilfull Phisitions doe in healing diseases seeke-out the causes of so great euill that knowing them both a Physition maie bee sought and remedie maie be applied to heale the same Wee then wil search-out the causes of mans vsual ingratitude and contrariwise oppose medicines for this common euil that so by comparing them together the contrarie causes of contrarie effectes maie the better both bee knowen and discerned Paul writing vnto the Ephesians doeth recite sixe causes aswell of this euil as of all other wickednesse raigning in the world which in order wee wil declare The first cause is that which he calleth the fleshe that is the wickednes of the corrupted nature in men after the fal of Adam This wickednes is like à filthie fountain from which pestilent vapors doe issue whereby all the cogitations al the counsels and actions of man are infected and corrupted as it were with deadlie poison And although this fountaine can not wholie bee stopped but oftentimes it wil breake out yet the course thereof as much as maie be is to be repressed which is done after thiswise The Gospel of Christ must be harkened vnto which when we beleeue we are endued with the holie Ghost which is à newe spring in the heart of man from whence floweth pure water springing vnto euerlasting life For frō this new foūtan wherby y e course of y e filthie spring which we haue throgh y e corruptiō of nature is stopped do issue godlie cogitations counsels and works like riuers frō an euerlasting fountane The seconde cause of this euil ingratitude is the lust of the fleshe that whereby the flesh or original sinne doth work to bring out most abhominable fruite The force of this concupiscence al mortal men doe feele in thēselues though diuerslie And it is as à litle riuer slowing from the fountaine and infecting whatsoeuer it meeteth with y e horrible stinch it hath Against this the lust of the spirite is opposed the which like à pleasant riuer floweth from the holie Ghost wherewith such as haue turned from their sinnes are endued the which maketh the cogitations and actions to spring at it were and to prosper But concerning the workes of the lust of the flesh and the fruite of the lust of the spirit reade the 5. chapter vnto the Galathians The thirde cause of ingratitude and of other sinns is the cogitation of the flesh to wit when y e cogatatiō raised-vp by concupiscence enterpriseth to reason and to dispute of those thinges which concupiscence doeth offer as gratefull and pleasant to the fleshe This Paul to the Romanes calleth the Wisedome of the flesh and enimitie against God For seeing it swarueth not from her beginning that is from the fleshe and the lust thereof it cannot sauour those things which are of God To this the wisedome of the spirite is opposed which the Apostle vnto the Romanes nameth The wisedome of the spirite This wisedome of the spirite when it taketh the ground of her reasoning from her fountane as from à beginning it cannot by reasoning conclude any other thing but that which is of the spirit God whome alwaies it beholdeth The fourth cause of our ingratitude and disobedience towarde God is The wil of the fleshe and of the minde As Paul saith This laboreth to attaine enioie that which y e wisedome of the flesh persuaded vnto as delectable For in this will there is election and lust whose end is the vse of the thing desired And although the will of reason doe sometime reclame the reasoning of the fleshe yet for the most parte by the violence of the fleshe it is borne-awaie euen as à shippe is violentlie carried-awaie by contrarie windes striue the marriner neuer so much For this will of the fleshe the Philosophers yea and Paul too calleth Selfe-loue which is à blind vndiscrete sauage loue of the bodie hurteful both to him that hath it and to others which Socrates not knowing the fountane of euil calleth the heade and the spring of al wickednesse Because it taketh awaie mutual charitie whereof all mischiefe ariseth among men while through the instinct hereof they seeke after wealth auctoritie preferment and pleasure wherein they doe place the soueraigne felicitie of man Against this wil of the fleshe and of the minde is opposed the will of the spirite the fourth cause of good workes and commaundeth such thinges as bee contrarie to the flesh and her will Which wil of the spirite maie bee called also Selfe-loue but yet à right cōmendable loue such as foloweth not the sense of the fleshe but the iudgement of the spirite This right and commendable Selfe-loue driueth à man to endeuour to labor and with earnest praiers to craue to beg that y e most excellent part of vs which is the minde maie be endued with true godlinesse and virtue and that to this ende that it maie bee ioined to God the soueraigne good in whom onelie the true felicitie of man doth consist This difference betweene this double Selfe-loue our Sauiour doth teach when hee saith He that hateth his life yeelding nothing therevnto in these casual and transitorie things he doth as hee shoulde loue it desireth to be saued but he y t loueth by yeelding he hateth it seketh y e destructiō of his soule As there is thē a doble self loue so there is à double selfe hatred One according to the right iudgement of the minde whereby we auoide the enticements of the flesh withdrawing vs from God the other of the foolishnesse of the fleshe whereby we despise the thinges concerning vertue goodlines and honestie This is à prophane and hurtful the other is holie and à necessarie hatred The fifth cause of mans vnthankefulnesse to God is the peruerse dealing of the world the infinite offences and the innumerable examples of all manner wickednesse This euil custome of the worlde is the fodder of all iniquitie naughtinesse and peruersitie whereby manie euen of such as purposed to feare God
the righteousnes thereof 4. Of the sacraments how manie theie are and what theie signifie THe sacrifice of Christ is applied both by the worde by faith and by the sacrament but diuerslie For by the word which is written in the heart by the holie spirite it is offered as by the hand of God By faith beeing conceaued of the word through the holie spirite it is receaued as by the hand of man And by the Sacraments as by the seale of God it is signed For he that beleeueth the preaching of the Gospel wherbie the benefite of Christ his sacrifice is offered by faith which is à worke not of nature but of grace in man he receaueth Christe wholie together with his benefites which benefites are sealed by the sacramentes as that holie Apostle Paule doeth teach Wherebie it appeareth how needeful the ministerie of the worde is as that which is ordained from heauen to offer this incomparable treasure to vs this is it which the Lorde saith Preach the Gospel to euerie creature Againe Teach al nations This ministerie the Apostles deliâ—ered by the handes as it were to posteritie and from them it is come vnto vs and shall not be abolished while this worlde shal endure although Satan with greate rage do persecute such as syncerelie do sound-out the Gospel And therefore it is our partes if we loue our saluation to heare to vnderstand to loue the worde of God to meditate ther-vpon al our life long yea and to beleeue the same and to liue thereafter that at the length we maie come vnto the desired end of happinesse For Dauid in the beginning of his Psalmes sange not in vaâ—e when he sange on this wise Blessed is the man who doeth meditate in the lawe that is in the doctrine of the Lorde daie and night But wherefore is he blessed Because the meditation of the worde worketh two thinges First that thou neither listen vnto the counsels of the wicked nor stand in the waie of sinners nor sit in the seate of the scorneful Secondlie that thou become like à tree planted by the riuers of waters that wil bring forth her fruite in due season vntil thou attaine vnto verie happines it selfe And therefore it is added in another Psalme Blessed are al that trust in him But on the other side where this worde of the Lord is neither loued nor hearkened vnto nor thought-vpon nor beleeued nor done man by litle and litle is wrapped in the counsels of the wicked carried violentlie into the waie of the sinners and at length blasphemeth God and al religion and becommeth à plaine epicure so that at length he feareth not in his hart to saie There is no God although the lieng toung saie otherwise And so he proueth like à tree planted in moste horrible filthinesse and diuelish mud to bring forth fruite meete for death damnation according as it is written in à certaine Psalme Theie be corrupted and abhominable in their waies And that deseruedlie For y e contempt of this word wherbie Christ himselfe doth offer himselfe vnto vs doth highlie offend God yea and bringeth vpon the contemners themselues and vpon their posteritie too blindenes or a reprobate minde al maner wickednes and filthinesse as Paule in his first Chapter vnto the Romans teacheth at large And in another Chapter the same Apostle doth saie Because theie receiued not the loue of the truth and therefore God shal send them strong delusion that there should beleeue lies And the euent in manie nations where Christ himselfe and the Apostles haue preached doth aunswere to this prophesie of Paul touching the punishment of such as contemne the worde of God Neither be the Turkish warres anie thing els but verie tokens of Gods displeasure for the contempt of his worde And therefore let vs be more circumspect by the harmes of other men and esteemâ— we greatlie the benefite of God who hath deliuered to vs his pure worde wherebie he doeth offer this infinite grace and benefite of the sacrifice of his sonne by whose merite we be deliuered from the power of sinne and death and endued with eternal righteousnesse and glorie Secondlie in the application of the sacrifice of Christ it is required that euerie one of yeeres doe beleeue For as the worde doth offer So faith which commeth by hearing of the worde doth receaue Christe wholie with al his merites and beleeueth that al sinnes be forgiuen for the sacrifice sake of the Sonne of God And therefore in the Christian Creede it is saide I beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes that is I doe knowe and am firmelie persuaded that God according to his promise wil receaue me into fauour because of the sacrifice obedience of his Sonne and wil not impute my sinnes to me anie-more but vtterlie blot and forgiue yea and remember them no more For faith is not a wauering opinion but à certaine knowledge of the free promise and à firme confidence that sinnes be forgiuen for Christ his sake This faith as touching the certaintie thereof dependeth both vpon euident testimonies of the Scriptures vpon parables and vpon approued examples but as touching confidence it resteth onelie vpon the merite of Christ. Paul after Dauid saith Blessed are theie whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne And Christ doth saie Sonne be of good comforte thie sinnes are forgiuen thee And to the ruler of the Synagogue the Lorde saith Onelie beleeue And to the woman which had an issue of bloud Thie faith hath made thee whole Among manie parables that is notable which is in the 18. chapter of Matthewe of him which did owe tenne thousand talentes and hauing not wherewith to discharge he was of meere grace forgiuen the debt Hitherto belongeth also the parable of the two debters and of the prodigal sonne Among examples the most excellent is of the Theefe whose sinnes were forgiuen him without anie merites either going-before or comming-afterward I omit Dauid Manasses Peter Paul Magdalene and others With this faith of the remission of sinnes two thinges are continualie ioined which although theie differ from the faith of the remission of sinnes yet can theie be separated at no time And theie are to speake with the Apostle Grace and Gifte of which I wil speake more distinctlie that we maie the better consider what à great blessing faith of the free remission of sinnes is Grace in this place is the verie iustification of à beleeuing man and from the cause is so caled For Paul in the 5. Chapter vnto the Romanes doeth saie so where he compareth sinne and grace together The iudgement came of one offence vnto condemnation but the grace of manie offences vnto iustification And As by the offence of one the fault came on al men to condemnation So by the
poore in spirit to the meeke to peace-makers to such as endure persecution c. But al those and the like sayings are not contrarie to our iudgement if any wil rightlie distinguish betwene y e causes and effectes of iustification the qualities of the iustified For it is one thing to speake of the reward of obedience and of the qualities of those who are alreadie iustified through faith and another thing of the causes of the matter that is of iustification Againe it is one thing to vse the wordes of Bernarde to speake of the causes of gouernement another of the waie to the kingdome Also it is one thing to speake of the essential principles of à thing another of the principles of knowledge But they obiect against vs as à strong buclar the saying of Christ If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundementes That is fulfill the lawe I aunswere Christ shewed à most readie waie vnto life euen the keeping of the commaundementes or fulfilling of the lawe But for that the fault is in vs that wee cannot fulfill the lawe Christ is become the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth And this is it which the same Paul saith in another place Through faith wee establish the lawe euen because through beleefe wee obtaine that which the lawe requireth namelie righteousnes The gift which we saide is conioined with the faith of remission of sinnes is the giuing of the holie Ghost whereby the man iustified onelie by faith is regenerated or sanctified that is is mortified quickened and becommeth à newe man purposing thence-forwarde as much as in him is to order his life according to the rule of Gods worde So that this gift is the cause and beginning of à newe life and obedience For wee are not iustified freelie by faith to the ende wee shoulde hence-forth liue to sinne but that deliuered from sinne wee shoulde serue God in righteousnes and holines all the daies of our life For Zacharias in his songe maketh this to bee the ende of the knowledge of saluation concerning the remission of sinns through the tender mercie of our God This ende of iustification Paule setteth in the 6. vnto the Romanes where by most euident argumentes he sheweth that sanctification is ioined with iustification And thus much briefelie touching y e grace of iustification and of the gifte of sanctification the which are linked with the faith of remission of sinnes and can no more be seuered from the same than maie heate from fire or the beame from the sunne Whereby it is apparent that the Papistes offer vs great iniurie in saying that we do abolish good works and loase y t bridles to men because we saie that by faith alone wee are iustified For they marke not howe wee doe put a difference betweene the proper benefite of Christ and our duetie which is ioined with faith But of iustification God willing wee will speake more at large in the exposition of the last verse of this Psalme the sundrie sorts of testimonies which are commonlie handled in this controuersie being distinguished The thirde place in the application of Christ wee ascribed to the sacramentse which not onelie do offer the merites of Christ the priest as the word doeth but also as seales doe assure thē vnto vs if so be the merits of Christ be reteined fast in the harts through faith For as without faith the word doth not applie the merites of Christ so without faith I speake of the elder sorte the sacramentes doe no good The sacraments which Christ hath cōmended to his Church be two to wit Baptisme the Lords supper wherof baptisme is à sacrament of the entrance into Christianitie therefore is but once takē as Christ died but once for vs. For as baptisme is an effectuall token of the death burial and resurrection of Christ so is it à sacrament of the couenant which God entereth-into with the baptized touching y e purging of sinnes and our reconciliation through Christ so is it also à signe of repentance and of the crosse and à testimonie of the resurrection to come And the Lord his supper is a sacrament of the confirmation and conseruation of Christianitie yea and a remembrance of the couenant established through the blood of Christ. Furthermore it is the meate whereby we are spiritualie nourished in the bodie of Christ therefore often it ought to be receaued The summe of al is this that the sacrament of the newe testament is both an externall signe of the couenant concerning our free iustification before God through the sacrifice of Christ and also a testifying and confirmation of the faith righteousnes of Gods people to him warde CHAP. 40. Of the perpetual vse of the sacrifice of Christ both in the conscience in the whole course of our life and at the houre of death AND although the vse of the sacrifice of Christ is wel nigh seene in the application yet the efficacie and power thereof is more apparent when the knoweledge is reduced vnto practise as it were This practise hath place in the conscience of euerie man in the whole course of life at the agonie of death The conscience of each man is stricken sore with a deadlie wounde vntil it bee healed by the application of physike with Christ alone the Physition doeth minister by his worde spirit In which respect he calleth himselfe the Physition of soules So y t when the conscience is stricken with y e remēbrance of sinne it must be healed by the faith of Christ his sacrifice which if it be liuelie it be sprinckeleth the cōscience with the most comfortable balme of the holie spirite wherewithal it is healed made quiet so that now it is iocound and merie and reioiceth as it were in the crosse of Christ whereas before it was troubled and greatlie vexed Whence proceedeth that saying of the triumphing conscience in Bernard Of the remission of sinnes saith hee I haue an vndoubted argument euen the passion of Christ. For the voice of his bloode crieth more shrillie than did the bloode of Habel crying in the heartes of the elect the forgiuenesse of all sinnes For he was betraied for our offences And no doubt his death is of more power and more effectuall to helpe vs than our sinnes to hurt vs. Such à conscience is neither broken with the threates of the lawe for it knoweth howe it is not vnder the law but vnder grace nor yeeldeth to the suggestions of satan for it knoweth howe the Prince of this worlde is alreadie cōdemned nor is moued with the argumentes of reason for it knoweth the power of him which hath promised and therefore glorifieth him To conclude it resteth quietlie in Christ looking for à ful redemption through the comming of the Sonne of God who shal change our vile bodie that it maie be fashioned like vnto his glorious
bodie for euermore Whence this same confidence of the healed and quiet conscience doth arise the epistle vnto the Hebrewes teacheth where it is saide We are assured that we haue à good conscience in al things desiring to liue honestlie Therefore as the cause foundation of à good conscience is not our owne worthines for by nature wee are sinners and vnworthie nor merites for of our selues we deserue nothing but death nor anie vertue of our owne for al our righteousnes is as filthie cloutes but euen meere faith in Christ which purgeth it by his bloode from dead workes through whome we haue peace with God So the purpose of the same is in all thinges with all men and in all actions to walke vprightlie namelie by declining from that which is euil and doing that which is good For continualie it thinketh vppon à newe life in Iesus Christ it alwaies detesteth the coate defiled of the fleshe and euermore delighteth in that white garment which in Baptisme is put on For al wee that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ. Which thing Dauid in the spirit did beholde when he said Wash me and I shal bee whiter than snowe to wit through the ornament of righteousnes of the Messiah as with a most white garment being first purged from sinne through his bloode Of this faith and conscience that sinne is blotted-out ariseth a care of wel-doing in Dauid according to that I haue applied mine heart to fulfil thy statuts alwaie euen vnto the end And Paul saith Fight à good fight hauing faith à good conscience In the whole course of this life wee maie beholde à goodlie and an especial vse of the sacrifice of Christ not onelie in aduersitie but also in prosperitie In aduersitie there is none so good à remedie as y e sacrifice of Christ. For as aduersitie doeth put thee in minde of thy sinne either lurking or manifest so the sacrifice of Christ apprehended by faith doth certifie thy conscience both of the forgiuenes of sins whereof ariseth spiritual comfort in al affliction and also of the conformitie of the elect with the son of God For so it hath pleased the wisedome of God that he wil haue his elect like to his sonne but in the crosse and also in glorie And this Paul affirmeth saying If we suffer with him we shal also raigne with him Hitherto also maketh the imitation of Christ his example in the crosse which Peter commendeth vnto vs in these wordes Christ suffered for vs leauing vs an ensample that we shoulde folow his steppes Read mine annotations vpon the 2. chapter of the first epistle of Peter In prosperitie there is more daunger For albeit aduersitie do bring-done manie yet prosperitie doth puffe-vp moe According to this of the Poët The minds of man through prosperitie waxe wanton often-times Againe The minde lifted-vp through prosperitie remembreth neither death nor what may happeÌ„ nor anie measure at al. What then shal à godlie man doe in this case Foure things he shal doe First let him waie with himselfe the things which are called prosperous in this world and consider what they are in them selues Secondarilie let him thinke what a perilous thing it is to enioie prosperitie if the mind be not godlie disposed Thirdlie let him compare al the coÌ„modities of this worlde with the blessednes to come which Christ hath purchased for vs by his death and last of al let him aduisedlie consider whether it be more behoueful to enioie prosperitie of this life with hazard of the soule than to renounce them if occasion serue for Christ his sake Therfore seeing our flesh is ticled like à wild horse beginneth to winch by prosperitie let à godlie man thinke with himself first howe vncertaine brittle mortal temporal fleting transitorie y e prosperitie of this world is which manie enioieng at their hartes desire be for al that in verie deed most miserable secondlie let him thinke y t it hath more deceipt than pleasure For the pleasure which ariseth thereof is like à serpent murthering the soule counsailing proudlie and vaâ—elie euen the spirite of couetousnes and gluttonie This serpent lurking in the most secrete corners of the minde seeketh not but euen destruction Whereby it is apparent that prosperitie doeth more hurt the minde than doeth aduersitie the bodie Thirdlie let a godlie man thinke with himselfe that so great ods there is betweene the felicitie which Christe hath purchased for his beloued and the prosperitie of this world as is betweene a minute of an houre and eternitie betweene death and life betweene miserie and happines For as the prosperitie of this life dependeth vpoÌ„ a reed so the happines promised in Christ is vpholden by the euerlasting trueth of God that it is vnpossible that they shoulde bee deceiued of their hope which continue in the feare of God vnto their liues ende Fourthlie of these things let a godlie maÌ„ gather how it is a much better and blessed thing to renounce worldlie goods as far as godlie christianitie they stand not according to Gods word thaÌ„ for theÌ„ to bring the soule into y e danger of damnation To conclude that wee bee neither puffed-vp nor carried-quite from God by prosperitie there is no such thing as to call into minde the humiliation of the sonne of God vppon the crosse who therefore was humbled that he might exalt vs if so be we do humble our selues vnder the mightie hand of God and are not ashamed of the crosse of Christ. For whosoeuer exalteth himselfe shal be brought lowe and he that humbleth himself shal be exalted We are therefore to take special heede least our flesh through prosperous successe of things do deceaue and kil vs being taken with a certaine baite For that serpent which beguiled Euah of his subtiltie snatcheth euerie occasion to withdrawe vs from Christ and setteth vppon the principal part of man to destroie it with prosperitie And therefore saith Paul Brethren you see your calling howe that not manie wise men after the fleshe not manie mightie not manie noble are called For to the destruction of man sathan abuseth these three things namelie wisedome power and nobilitie of which springeth both the pleasure of the bodie and the pride of minde which if the foolish once get they think themselues happie and blissed meÌ„ So then against this tentation oppose y e crosse of Christ without which al wisedome is but meere foolishnesse all might is but weakenesse all nobilitie is but ignominie and all pleasure is but the food of death For al these mixed with too much bitternes haue an ende with this life If therefore thou wouldest haue true wisedom true might true nobilitie true pleasure and glorie seeke them in Christ alone thou shalt find in whom are hid al the treasures of celestial restes To conclude at the point of death the sight of the prieste Christ
applied to God laide vpon the altar Iesus Christ sanctified both by renouncing the diuel and al his workes by promising due obedience vnto God for the aduauncement of his glorie In the second place of the elder sort there is required à continual and perpetual oblation as it were wherebie we offer our selues wholie and al that we haue vnto God Of this sacrifice speaketh Paule where he saith I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that ye giue-vp your bodies à liuing sacrifice holie and acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable seruing of God and fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be ye changed by the renuing of your minde that ye maie proue what is the good wil of God acceptable and perfect In these wordes Paule doth notablie expresse what it was that shadowed the sacrifices of the olde lawe For as the burnt-sacrifices did wholie sauor of the holie fire so our mindes must be wholie inflamed by the holie Ghost which is the heauenlie fire that both whatsoeuer is of the flesh maie by little and little be consumed and be brought vnto deade ashes as it were and that which is spiritual and of the minde maie be made truelie spiritual and heauenlie thorough the force of that celestial fire A shadowe whereof was the prohibition to eate porke and the killing beastes For as porke betokeneth vncleannesse from which we must abstaine and beasts killed did signifie that beastlie affections should be killed So the minde and will must be renued that it maie allowe chuse and doe such thinges as please God And because al sacrifices of Christians ought to be seasoned by faith as with salt and laide vpon the altar which is Christ therefore Paul beeing iustified through faith commendeth this kinde of sacrifice Here would be noted howe fitlie the name of sacrifice agreeth here-vnto and howe aptlie Paul doth applie the same First he requireth that we separat our selues through faith frō y e prophane gentiles whē he saith Fashiō not your selues like vnto this world Secondlie he wil haue vs to be applied to god whē he saith But be ye chāged by the renuing of your mind which chāge is made through the spirite of regeneration Thirdlie he wil haue vs to giue vp our selues à liuing sacrifice vpon our onelie Altar which is Christe For as in the earthlie Ierusalem there was onelie but one Altar for Sacrifices So likewise in the heauenlie there is but one vppon which we doe offer when we depend vpon the merite of Christe that our Sacrifice maie be holie and acceptable vnto GOD which we saide was to haue the fourth place in our Sacrifices But what is the cause whie GOD requreth this kinde of Sacrifice at our handes It is necessarie that as sinne made vs mortal so we likewise slaie sinne by the vertue of Christ his death yea and kil wicked affections in our selues For if Christe on our behalfe woulde so doe howe much more are we bounde for his sake willinglie to offer this Sacrifice In that he died saith the Apostle He died once to sinne but in that he liueth he liueth to GOD. Likewise thinke yee also that yee are dead to sinne but are aliue to GOD in Iesus Christe our LORDE This death of sinne is caled of Christe A denying of our selues of Paul A Sacrifice Howe necessarie nowe this kinde of Sacrifice is Christe sheweth in saying If anie man wil come after me let him denie himselfe and take vp his Crosse daielie and folowe me The thirde place among the Sacrifices of Christians I ascribe vnto the Sacrifice of praise which ought not to be separated from the former Of this mention is made in the Psalme He that offereth praise shal glorifie me Againe Offer vnto GOD praise And the Prophet Hosea We wil render the calues of our lippes Then we doe offer the Sacrifice of praise when we acknowledge God to be the fountaine of al good thinges and when by our confession we praise and glorifie him By which kinde of Sacrifice the fleshe is bereaued of al glorie of deserte wisedome righteousnesse power c. and it is ascribed to God alone Which is then rightlie offered when through faith that praise is separated from the praise of the Pharisee and through the same faith is brought vnto GOD and laide vpon our Altar that is dependeth vpon the merite of Christe wherbie it is acceptable and grateful to God A part of this sacrifice I made confession of the faith especialie in y e time of persecution which confession is necessarie in foure respects First that God maie be honoured Secondlie that the trueth maie be defended Thirdlie that the godlie maie be confirmed Lastlie that the wicked through the constancie of Christians maie be conuerted and saued For these causes Paule saith That with the mouth confession is made vnto saluation In the fourth place set we the sacrifice of praier which was signified by the perfume of the old Lawe as Dauid interpreteth it when he saith Let my praier be directed in thie sight as incense and the lifting-vp of my hands as an euening sacrifice And Iohn in the Reuelation The Elders had seuen phials ful of odors which are the praiers of the Saints And the Prophet Micheas doth saie Wherewith shal I come before the Lorde and He wil that thou humble thy knee Praier then made in the knowledge and faith of the Sonne of God is saide to be à sacrifice more sweete than anie incense The name of sacrifice doth therefore agree to the praier of Christians because through faith it is separated from the praiers both of Iewes Turkes and other prophane people and by the same it is brought and presented before God and laid-vpon the altar Christ while it dependeth vpon his merit and is set on fire by an ardent affection of the holie Ghost Whereby it is acceptable before God and hearkened-vnto In the fift place followeth the sacrifice of repentance For seeing the Saintes do dailie offend they haue need dailie to repent wherby they both acknowledge their owne faults and flee-backe through faith vnto their propitiation and endeuor afterward to kepe themselues frō al pollution of wickednes So Dauid hauing committed adulterie did vnfeignedlie repent offered to God the sacrifice of à cōtrite spirit and of an humbled minde For so he saith The sacrifices of God are à contrite spirit à contrite and à broken heart O God thou wilt not despise And in Isaiah the Lorde saith I dwel with him that is of à contrite and humble spirite Againe To him wil I looke euen to him that is poore and of à contrie spirit and trembleth at my wordes This contrition and this humiliation I take to be inward namelie when we are truelie touched with the sense of sinne and vnfainedlie are humbled vnder the mightie hande of God who threateneth
the house of God betwene those that expel and vtterlie separate vs frō the familie of God and bring vnder the dominion of sathan Manie are the infirmities in y e faithful diuerse wicked affections spring-vp and oftentimes they offend of ignorance notwithstanding so long as they retaine faith and à good conscience they doe abide in the house of God not as of his household onlie but as liuelie stones also of which the house is builded But when wittinglie and of purpose theie sinne theie ouerthrow their conscience and make shipwrack of faith and so are cast out from the spiritual familie of God vntill through repentance theie come home againe For such is the goodnes and mercie of God that this house is alwaies set-open to such as vnfainedlie repent And forsomuch as this house of God is the Temple wherin God wil be worshipped therefore God maketh mention of the chiefe seruice in the same when he saith for euer and euer theie wil praise thee And as the grounde of this praising of God is the goodnes and mercie of God according to the saieng of the Psalme Praise ye the Lord because he is good for his mercie endureth for euer Vnder which his goodnes and mercie are comprehended al his works al his benefits al y e promises of God as maie be gathered out of the 136. Psal So y e praise of God consisteth in y e true knowledge of God in the meditation of the wonderfull workes of Grd in an assured trust of his promises in true obedience in praier in lauding his goodnes and mercie in confession c. Wherefore none can duelie praise God but such as dwel in his house namelie such as are trulie religious whose praises God liketh-of and alloweth whose eares are open not vnto the mouth but vnto the hart not vnto the tongue but vnto the life of the cōmender as Augustine saith So that neither of the wicked who sound one thing with their lips and shew an other thing in their life nor of hypocrites because y e face of their soule if so I maie speak is filthilie defaced with the mire of vane glorie and vnder the pretence of lauding God doe seeke their own praise nor yet of hirelings is god praised for theie praise their bellie not God but the godlie which liue through faith whose whole cogitations and good workes are commendations of God they onelie praise God Therefore saith Augustine Whatsoeuer thou doest do it well and thou hast praised God And whereas the workes of God as the Sunne the Moone y e starres the fishes of the sea lightening and thunder be saide to praise God it is by à figure called Metonymia because through their bewtie great commodities which they bring to mankinde they prouoke men to praise God Againe whereas God is saide as maie appeare in the Psalmes to be praised with Cymbals Tympanies and sundrie instrumentes of musicke that was but figuratiuelie done For they signified howe God in the newe Testament was to be praised with y e sweet musike and harmonie of sounde doctrine and of godlie behauiour Organs and Musike maie bee reteined in the Temples of Christians so long as they bewtifie further the ministerie and do not hinder the same but from these things let that Iewish persuasion touching the opinion of worshippe be farre abandoned The like iudgement maie bee giuen of singing of Psalmes and other lessons in the Church Moreouer when the Psalme saith For euer and euer it signifieth howe the Church shall abide for euer yet that out of this life it shal be translated vnto immortall glorie and ioined to the souerainge happines in which it shall bee blessed for euermore And this is the ende of our religion which alone reduceth vs vnto the originall from whiche we haue estraied and alone restoreth vs to perfection and blessednesse than which nothing is to be desired more For in verie deede this is perfection and happines euen for euerie thing to attaine the ende for which it was created and therein to rest and be blessed Wherefore the vse of this verse is three-folde The first is that we studie out of Gods word to knowe God the father in Iesus Christ thorough the holy spirit y t we shut our selues thorough faith into his house and therein continue that we both in heart and in conuersation doe praise God whom we knowe and being praised do loue being loued doe expresse and imitate and by immitating enioie him and by enioieng be made immortal and blessed and finalie that being made immortal blessed we maie abide euerlastinglie in the soueraigne happines singing Psalmes hymn◠continualie to God with all his elect This continual praising of the euerlasting God hath annexed there-vnto most pure holie and comfortable pleasure According to the Psalme Iacob shal reioyce and Israel shalbe glad and in an other Psalme At thie right hande there are pleasures for euermore Another vse is that in al afflictions troubles we fetch cōfort cōsidering y t both we are in the house of God and also that by the testimonie of the holie spirite we are pronounced blessed notwithstanding that in the sight of the world we seeme miserable For after night the cleare daie wil appeare So that the promise of blessednesse ought to be in steede of à remedie vnto vs against the bitternesse of the crosse The thirde vse is that so manie as are out of this house of God although theie haue manie goodlie children outward peace good successe in their matters yea and in the eies of men do seeme blessed yet theie are extremelie miserable as theie which hasten the readie waie vnto endlesse perdition From which neither Epicurus Zeno nor Aristotle can fetch their families whom miserablie theie haue fedde with à vaine hope of blessednesse THE SECOND part of the Psalme CHAP. 1. 1. The summe of the second parte of this Psalme generalie 2. The inuincible courage of true Preachers 3. Whether al the ministers of the Gospel haue the holie Ghost THe second parte of this Psalme comprised in three verses name lie in the 5. 6. and 7. describeth the state of the Doctors of the Church The members of which description are these The first concerneth the courage and weapons where-with Doctors are to be fenced The second with what mind and studie men are to enter-into the ministerie The thirde how theie are to passe through the vale of teares in setting-forth and enlargeing the kingdome of God The fourth an allegorical representation of the ministers of the worde The fift a promise of blessing and of good successe in the ministerie The sixte a final cause of this successe That it maie appeare howe the ministerie of the worde is preserued by the presence and power of God in the Church The fift verse BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE STRENGTH IS IN THEE THis first part of the description doth minister courage
as he is He infecteth the minde with false and erroneous doctrine the heart hee troubleth with raging stormes of wicked affections the will hee bewitcheth with the euil spirite of profite and lucre and hee endeuoreth to defile the whole life of man with wickednes that so man beeing spiritualie killed maie bee his companion in euerlasting tormentes The remembrance of the studie of this euill spirite the enimie both of God and man wil stir-vp an hatred of sinne and engender à detestation of vngodlinesse in the heartes of men Secondlie in himselfe he must with equal balance weie sinne and miserie and thinke howe the miserie which hee suffereth is à deserued punishment of sinne and by the greatnes of miserie esteeme the ouglines filthines and multitude of his sinnes Hee must thinke howe by his sinnes he hath offended God who is soueraignelie and infinitlie good And thereof conclude that his present calamitie is the verie waie vnto euerlasting miserie vnlesse some helpe doe come At the remembrance hereof man wil tremble and quake Examples of this maie be seene by reading the Psalmes of which I wil alleadge one for manie out of the 38. Psal. where Dauid describeth his griefe sorrow for his sin on this wise For thine arrows haue light vpon me thine hand lieth vpon mee There is nothing sounde in flesh because of thine anger neither is there reste in my bones because of my sinne For mine iniquities are gone ouer mine heade and as à weightie burden theie are too heauie for mee My woundes are putrified and corrupt because of my foolishnes I am bowed and crooked verie sore I goe mourning al the daie For my reines are ful of burning and there is nothing sounde in my flesh I am weakened and sore broken I doe roare for the verie griefe of mine hearte Againe Mine heart panteth my strength faileth and the lighte of mine eies euen theie are not mine owne Here Dauid in his owne person depainteth the affections and sorowes of those men who in equal balance do weigh thy sinnes For they conceiue not of their sinnes as hypocrites and Atheistes doe according to their owne iudgment and fleshlie imagination but rather according to the maiestie of God that is offended to the filthines of sinne and to the punishment which they doe deserue by the sentence of the lawe And although worldlie men seldome haue such motions in their mind as Dauid and Ezekiah had yet it is necessarie that hee who is iustlie punished for offences perpetrated be touched with true sorow for his sinne without hypocrisie But here an error of the Papistes is to bee taken heed off who teach that such a sorowe conceaued for sinne doeth merite forgiuenes at the handes of God For although this sorow doe go-before the petition of forgiuenesse yet it is not the cause of mercie and forgiuenes But whoso persisteth in weighing his sinne his punishment together and procedeth no further shall be swalowed vp of desperation as Cain Saul Iudas and manie others were Thirdlie in God he must honor his iudgement and his mercie Of the righteous iudgement of God it is that sinnes are punished in al men of his mercie that they are punished not to their vtter destruction but for their saluation if they despise not the salue Vnto his iudgement it belongeth by degrees of punishment to correct sinneful man vntill he come to the last And forsomuch as hee professeth himself to be y e Physition of soules he doth as it were imitate skilfull Physitions who in curing doe vse certaine degrees Firste they beginne with gentler sortes of salues and if they doe little good they laie sharper remedies vnto the wound And as Hypocrates doeth saie The diseases which medicines do not heale the iron doeth heale those which the iron healeth not the fire doeth heale but such as the fire doth not heale theie of my word are incurable So God doth sometime reproue mans wickednes by y e word if y e doth not help he correcteth with sicknes infamie imprisoment if they profit not he inflameth the fire of his iudgement in the mindes of men and maketh them agast with the terror of euerlasting torments if neither that can heale their cancre hee leaueth them quite as incurable and giueth them ouer into à reprobate minde so that they haue neither à righte iudgement to discerne thinges nor anie sorowe at all by reason of the filth of wickednes wherein they wallow To bee short God of his iudgement doeth punish that through his mercie he maie saue This is it which Isaiah doth saie Hee doeth à straunge worke that he maie doe his owne that is he doeth kill and slaie that hee maie quicken and salue This iudgement and this mercie of God are ioined-together of Dauid so often as he lamenteth his sins as maie appeare both in 51. also in sundrie other psalms but especialie in those which are called penitential Psal. Last of all in the Gospell hee must seeke for counsell and for comfort The thiefe whiche hong on the right hand of Christ confessed his offence and miserie sawe the falsehood and crueltie of Satan had the iudgement of God also in great reuerence For being on the crosse he spake these wordes Wee receaue thinges worthie of that wee haue done Beside he praised the mercie of God fleing vnto Christ whome before his eies he sawe embrued with bloode and defiled with the spittle of the soldiers whome notwithstanding he confessed to be the Physition Sauior of the world so through beleefe on him was deliuered from the sicknes of his soule though not from the punishment of his bodie Notwithstanding hee hearde his comfortable voice To daie thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise In like manner those which with the theife in their deserued paines and affliction do return vnto Christ be receaued and healed although their sinnes are infinite and their offences in quantitie passe the sande of the sea as Manasses confessed that his sinnes did For as the mercie of God in Christ is endles and à ransome of infinite and vnestimable price So the Physition Christ who affirmeth that he came to saue that was lost doeth offer himselfe into all men indifferentlie and without respecte vnto anie calleth al men vnto repentance For so he saith Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I wil ease you Heere he calleth al that labor and be loaden albeit with infinite sinnes he excludeth none but admitteth al vnto repentance and ministreth remedie to such as come vnder his handes and craue his helpe with the theefe For first hee remoueth awaie the cause of affliction namelie sinne when man at the voice of the Gospel repenteth when he besprincleth the conscience of the penitent with his blood and washeth it from deade workes and withal imputeth his righteousnes to the penitent that by the same he maie appeare
watering of the newe plantes springing-vp in the Church So that à Martyr in suffering doeth not suffer for himselfe onelie as Ambrose saith but also for euerie man For himselfe hee suffereth to bee crowned for euerie man hee suffereth to giue them an example For himselfe to his rest for euerie man to their welfare And although the verie feare of GOD onelie bee à sufficient cause why that Martyrs shoulde endure tormentes couragiouslie for the feare of God shoulde worke so that wee must contemne all other feares after the example of y e Apostles who at the first being sharpelie whipped greeued no whit thereat but triumphed sorowed not but reioiced that they were counted worthie to suffer rebuke for the name of Iesus yet the auncient writers doe make foure causes of the same which they mention on this wise The loue of Christ commaundeth Fortitud◠ouercommeth feare Faith confirmeth the mind patience endureth But in à Martyr I require these thinges in order The firste is à firme knowledge and demonstration of the doctrine of the Church the seconde a liuelie faith in Christ the thirde a constant confession and defence of the doctrine the fourth courage of mind to beare the crosse the fifth obedience or patience vnder the crosse the sixte an inuincible hope the seauenth inuocation of GOD to which together with the cause he shoulde commende his soule All which are euident in Stephan the Proto-martyr For neither as Augustine saith can they haue the life of Martyrs who haue not the liues of Christians seeing it is not the punishment but the cause that maketh à Martyr Wherefore the punishment of Anabaptistes and other obstinate heretikes is not martyrdome but a iust punishment due to them by God and the lawes Manie fanatical heads indeede approch without feare vnto the tormentes but it is because they are deluded by Sathan who endeuoreth by their paines to confirme erroneous opinions vnto the destruction of the Church And therefore let vs duelie consider the cause whie we suffer martyrdome least through the delusiōs of y e diuel we be bewitched for to suffer persecutiō to be in prison to be whipped to be kept frō libertie to be killed is no praise but this is praiseworthie to haue a good cause For y e praise consisteth in y e goodnes of cause not in the bitternesse of punishment Neither would I haue anie man for some certaine opinion not contrarie to the foundation of religion to bring himselfe into danger especialie if the iudgementes of the godlie which agree-together in the grounde are diuerse which notwithstanding maie stande without shaking the foundation I meane the article of faith Heere happilie some enquirer of the iudgementes of GOD maie demaunde howe it commeth to passe that God beeing most righteous can suffer his sainctes whome most entirelie hee doeth loue to bee torne after such an horrible sorte and to be mangled and deformed with such contumelies and that of Sathan and his members Heere wee must open the eie not of reason but of faith not the sense of fleshe but of the spirit must be consulted withal that we maie clerelie beholde the trueth and knowe that nothing commeth to the Sainctes of God without his prouidence vnder the shadow whereof they are couered I confesse indeede it is à trim sight for the Diuel to see Abel murthered of his owne brother Daniel cast into the Lyons denne Iob spoiled of his goodes and replenished with botches Steuen to bee stoned yea and all the sainctes with tormentes and shame to bee executed to death But I confesse too that in the eies of God who testifieth that in his sight the death of his Saintes is pretious it is à much more goodlie sight yet not of it selfe but in respect of the euent And therefore both God and the diuel also wil the punishment of the saintes but not both alike but with à diuers affection and purpose For God of mercie suffereth his Saintes to be afflicted but the diuel persecuteth them of malice God that theie maie be crowned the diuel that theie maie be confoūded God as à Father the diuel as à tyran and hangman God for his owne glorie the diuel to his owne confusion Of these causes Augustine speaketh on this wise Euerie wicked man in himselfe hath à will to hurt but yet hath no power in himselfe that he maie hurte that he would he is now accused that he maie through the secrete dispensation of God he is giuen to one to be punished to another to be proued to another to be crowned To be punished the Israelites were deliuered into the handes of strangers because theie had sinned against God To be proued Iob was deliuered to Satan And Iob was proued but Satan put vnto shame To be crowned the Martyrs were tormented of bloudie persecutors And therefore à great deale more happie are the martyrs in their torments than the moste mightie monarches in their delitiousnes riches honour and pleasures Which thing Augustine also doth witnesse when he saith The men of this world are vnhappilie happie but the Martyrs were happilie vnhappie For theie were vnhappie for à time but theie are happie for euer According to the worde of the LORDE Blessed are theie which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake This successe of the Martyrs is notablie described by the Psalmist in these words Theie that doe sowe in teares shall reape in ioie Theie went weeping and carried pretious seede but theie shal returne with ioie and bring their sheaues And hence it is that the holie Martyrs of God doe cast their eies and their minde not vnto the time of sowing and to the purpose of Sathan that would vtterlie ouerwhelme y e Church of God in the streames of blood but especiallie vnto the most ioieful time when the sheaues shalbee gathered together with gladnes and vnto the reuerend prouidence of God who after this maner by his wise counsel wil haue his saintes to be exercised in this life that theie maie be like his sonne both in the crosse in glorie Whence it is that the holie Martyrs of God doe comfort them-selues in the middes of tormentes For theie knowe That light affliction which is but for à moment causeth vnto them à farre more excellent and an eternal waight of glorie that as it is in the Epistle vnto the Hebrues Chastising bringeth the quiet fruite of righteousnes Hitherto maketh that adhortation of Peter Reioice in asmuch as ye are partakers of Christes sufferings that when his glorie shal appeare ye maie be glad and reioice By the remembrance of this prouidence of God let vs strengthē our minds against the offence of the crosse think-vpō à ioiful euent to wit howe theie who in this world beare witnes to Christ shal in y e worlde to come be eternalie blessed with Christ. Furthermore it maie be asked with what seruice are y e martyrs to be worshipped especialie for
For thou Lorde wilt blesse the righteous and with fauour wilt compasse him as with à shielde Againe Thou hast giuen mee the shielde of thy saluation and thy right hand hath staied mee For it seemeth good in the sight of God that the godlie shold not only be cōpassed about with y e crowne of his good wil but also be happie through euerlasting blessednes When Paul writeth vnto the Ephesians Take vnto you the shielde of faith wherewith yee maie quench all the fierie darts of the wicked hee signifieth y t then we are cōpassed-about with the shield of faith when reteining an vnshakened faith of doctrine with à confidence of mercie and à good conscience wee fight à good fight Now what thing I praie you can be more miserable than the enimies of God who haue not this shield For the king of darkenes hath ful power ouer them and casteth them down headlong from one wickednes vnto another til he bring them to vtter destruction The thirde and fourth benefites are Grace and glorie For thus hee saith The Lorde will giue grace and glorie Grace is the fauour of God both pardoning the sinnes of the faithfull for the deathes sake of his sonne also adorning the Church with an vnspotted garment namelie with Christ his obedience or righteousnes Nowe forsomuch as the faithfull doe please through this grace they can not bee otherwise than happie and blessed But they which are without the Church be destitute of this grace guiltie damned in respect of their wickednes Glorie is the attainement of adoption the inhabitation of the holie spirite and the hereditarie possession of eternall happinesse But so manie as bee not within the Church are the bondslaues of Sathan moued with the spirite of the Diuell and reserued for euerlasting shame The fifth good thing or commoditie of the Church which the vngodlie doe want is that which the Psalmist meaneth when hee saith No good thing will be depriue them of that walke innocentlie Here by the fruit iudgement is giuen of the tree For a good tree bringeth-foorth good and profitable fruite but à rotten tree can yeelde nothing but hurtful vnpleasant fruite To walke innocentlie or soundlie or perfectlie for the worde which the Psalmist vseth in this place is oftentimes expressed of interpretors by the worde perfection is when the man which is iustified preferreth obedience towarde God before euen the most pleasant thinges of the worlde This definition maie bee proued out of the 22. Chapter of Genesis Nowe there is a double perfection of Christians of imputation of obedience He is perfect by imputation that beleeueth in Iesus Christ according to that Christ is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth Hee is perfect by obedience which loueth obedience to God warde more than all thinges of the worlde Yet is not this perfection an absolutnes of worke according to the rule of the law but it is a purpose an endeuorment and a studie of the minde whereby a man daielie more and more goeth forwarde vnto the marke of perfection Ths endeuorment throught the approbation of God is called perfection And that this Christian perfection is to be referred vnto the will and affection of the heart these testimonies ensuing doe witnesse Feare the Lorde and serue him in vprightnes in trueth of heart Againe And thou Salomon my sonne knowe thou the God of thy father and serue him with à perfect heart and with à willing minde Hezekiah in the prophecie of Isaiah doeth testifie howe hee fulfilled the same when hee saide I beseech thee Lorde remember now how I haue walked before thee in trueth and with à perfect hart and haue done that which is good in thy sight And this perfection Paul requireth when he saith Fight à good fight hauing faith and à good conscience For through faith the obedience of Christe which is the fulfilling of the Lawe is obteined à good conscience is kept by a willingnes to obeie whereby a godlie man preferreth obedience towarde God before all thinges although mā cannot fulfill the same in such absolute forme as the rule of the lawe doeth require Moreouer when the Psalmist doeth saie No good thing will he depriue them of which walk innocentlie it is to bee vnderstood concerning the rewarding of the obedience showen through faith For in this place hee speaketh not of the causes of saluation but of the effect of faith wherewith being iustified we are saued And therefore this and such like sentences of which sort there be manie in the scripture be thus to bee vnfolded They y t walke innocentlie shall not bee depriued of good thinges Whie so Because they which walke innocentlie doe beleeue And al beleeuers are righteous through Christ his righteousnesse imputed vnto them To the righteous life and abundance of all good thinges in such sorte is proposed that they shal desire nothing to the consummating of true happines And therefore so manie as walke innocentlie shall not be depriued of good thinges After which sort the like sentences are to bee vntied that wee maie be led from the proper effect vnto the proper cause and againe conclude frō the proper cause other effectes adioined and following of the same as when it is saide Blessed are they which suffer persecution for the confession of Christ heere mention is made not of the cause of blessednes but of the effecte of faith and of that which necessarilie doth followe faith And therefore the sentence is thus to be opened They are blessed which suffer persecution for the confession of Christ. Why so Because they doe beleeue For it is a proper effect of faith to confesse Christe in the time of persecution But the faithfull bee righteous through Christe his obedience And the righteous doe liue and are blessed by the hope of eternall felicitie Therefore they who suffer persecution for the confession of Christ are blessed Nowe the holie scripture vseth this manner of speech for two causes One is that we shoulde iudge of true and liuelie faith by the naturall properties which it hath leaste for the true faith wee embrace a fained and false faith Another is that we maie be stirred-vp with the promise of the rewarde of obedience the more cheerefullie to doe our dueties and not waxe negligent in respect of the manifold difficulties which happen manie times and make manie slouthful But touching this point wee haue spoken more at large aboue where wee confuted the errors of Papistes who verie naughtilie doe confounde the causes and effectes and manie times of the qualities affections and workes of y e saintes do make the causes of iustification and saluation whose errors bee ouerthrowen by the pretious bloode of our onelie mediator For in the matter of iustification al mans merites are quite contrarie vnto the merite of Christ his death Last of all seeing the wicked which
Christ they do prophane Christ his blood and extenuat the merit of the Lordes death of which merit we are then made partakers when we beleeue in Iesus Christ. Therefore Paul doth say through faith in his blood that is when a man knowing the promise of grace doth verilie beleeue that his sinnes are forgiuen him for the blood sake of Christ he is truelie partaker of the merit of the Lord his death through which he is absolued from sinne redeemed from the condemnation of the law and set free from the bondage of sinne and Satan With the remission of sinnes righteousnes is ioyned wherby the beleeuer is iustified that is becommeth in verie deede and is iudged righteous before God And this righteousnes is the second benefit of Christ in our iustification Which righteousnes is nothing else than à perfect fulfilling of the lawe done indeede by Christe but ascribed or imputed to vs that beleeue For so saith Paul Christe is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth that is so manie as beleeue haue that which the Lawe requireth namelie righteousnes but not done of them but imputed to them For so saith Paul To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodlie his faith is counted for righteousnes Now that this righteousnes that is imputed to vs is Christ his obedience the comparisō which Paul doth make witnesseth As by one mans disobedience saith he manie were made sinners So by the obedience of one shal manie also be made righteous meaning so manie as beleue And in another place He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knewe no sinne that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him that is Christ was made for vs sinne which is à sinner through the imputation of the guiltinesse of al our sinnes to him y t we might be made righteous with God and that by the righteousnes not sticking within vs but which being in Christ is imputed of God to vs through faith Then we are so the righteousnes of God in him as he is sinne in vs to wit through imputation And this is it which Augustine doth saie Our sinnes he made his owne sins that he might make his righteousnes to be ours Herevnto both Moses the Psalmes Prophets do agree Moses he writeth The seede of the woman shal bruse the Serpents head Again In thy seede which is Christ shal all the nations of the earth be blessed This blessing cannot be without y e remission of sins righteousnes and allowance of God If therefore blessing be through Christ deliuerance also frō the cursse is through him through the remission of sinnes we atteine imputation of righteousnes and God his fauor And in the Psalme it is They shal declare his righteousnes to à people that is the Church shal preach not mans righteousnes by workes or ceremonies but the righteousnes of Christ which shalbe imputed for righteousnes to so manie as beleeue The Prophet Isaiah saith By his knowledge shal my righteous seruant iustifie manie for he shal beare their iniquities This testimonie is verie notable for it teacheth how sinnes be washed awaie through y e sacrifice of Christ it teacheth y t Christ y e righteous by his righteousnes doth make others righteous it teacheth also y t applicatiō is made through y e knowledge of the same Christ y t is through an effectual knowledg of Christ And y t is effectual knowledge whē to the knowledg of y e minde y e beleefe of the heart is ioined Also by y t Prophet Ieremiah it is writtē This is the name wherby theie shal cal him the lord our righteousnes Here y e prophet cōmendeth Christ his diuinitie and also pronounceth howe we are iustified through his righteousnes Touching the application the same Prophet speaketh on this wise Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is Now he trusteth in the Lord who beleeueth that being iustified by his righteousnesse he pleaseth God For the obedience of Christ God and man is the most absolute perfourmance of the lawe the which sufficeth al because it is the righteousnes of man who is God This the Prophet declareth when he saith The Lord is our righteousnesse So that from our heartes we must beleeue how the righteousnesse wherebie we are iust before God is not anie qualitie or action in our selues but the obedience of Christ imputed to the faithful So doth Paul most expreslie distinguish betweene y e righteousnesse of man and of Christ when he saith I doe iudge al thinges but doung that I might winne Christ and might be founde in him not hauing mine own righteousnes which is of the lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euē the righteousnes which is of God through faith Nowe if we haue remission of sinnes and righteousnesse through faith to wit perfecte righteousnesse which is of Christe Iesu doubtlesse we are no more vnder the damnable sentence of the lawe which is Cursed is he that confirmeth not al the workes of the lawe to doe them And this meaneth Paul where he saith We are vnder the lawe which condemneth but vnder grace which iustifieth Whie so For that as through the offence of one to wit Adam the fault came on al men to condemnation so by the iustifieng of one namelie Christ Grace abounded towarde al men to the iustification of life That is As the sinne of Adam was the cause of condemnation vnto eternal death So the righteousnes of Christ is the cause of iustification vnto eternal life Now then as Paul saith there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesu. For theie are free frō the lawe of sin of death through Christ the deliuerer The third thing which we saide was required for to make a man righteous before God is that being adorned with Christ his righteousnes he be adopted for the sonne of God and accepted vnto eternal life For as by faith hee obteineth remission of sinnes and righteousnes so likewise by the same faith we obteine the right of adoptiō and the dignitie of Gods children according to that of Iohn He gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name That is he conferred this heauenlie honor vpon the faithful that theie both be and be counted the sonnes of God And Paul ye haue not receiued the spirite of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirite of adoption wherbie we crie Abba Father The same spirite beareth witnes with our spirit that we are the children of God If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ. Moreouer this our adoption is two māner of waies to be considered to wit as it is in the life begun through faith and as it
For as theie contemne the sentence pronounced against the Pharisees which is Theie worship me in vaine teaching for doctrine mans traditions So theie doe rashlie arrogate to themselues power to make lawes in the Church of God which thing is doubtlesse none other thing than to exalt thēselues aboue God who chalengeth to himselfe alone the authoritie to enact lawes in his owne kingdome But we doe submit our selues to God whose commandements we both doe beleeue and teach also to be the rules of good workes But the commaundementes and traditions of men we do not acknowledg for the seruice of of God but rather with Paul we pronounce them to be the doctrine of diuels For this commaundement of God Walke in my preceptes and not in the preceptes of your fathers we doe preferre before the authoritie of al men whatsoeuer and of Angels Nowe let the godlie reader iudge wether it be more conuenient to yeelde to the Papistes or to vs in the matter or substance of good works For my part I thinke no man is so mad as to obeie men who both can deceiue and maie be deceiued rather than God that cannot erre The second difference is fetcht from the efficient causes The Papistes with the Pelagians doe imagine good workes to proceede from free wil. For theie doe teach that men before regeneration by their pure natural powers can doe good workes which theie doe cal merites of congruitie and by them merite fauour Whose error by euident proofes drawne from the word of God we haue aboue confuted But we with Christ the Prophets and Apostles doe affirme that no good workes as the seruice of God can be wrought before wee be regenerated For Christe doth saie without me ye can doe nothing Moses and the Prophetes doe pronounce the hearte of man naturallie to be wicked Paul he saith I am perswaded that he that hath begunne this good worke in you wil perfourme it vntil the daie of Iesus Christ. And in another place It is God which worketh in you both the wil and the deede These wordes doe plainelie witnesse howe good works doe not proceede frō nature but from grace which thing howe it is done we nowe brieflie wil declare Three thinges therfore vnto the actiō of virtue or à good worke namelie iudgement of minde wil and power be required The iudgement of the minde God by his light that is by his word wherin the holie spirit worketh doth inlighten that we maie both knowe what pleaseth and what displeaseth God à certaine some whereof is proponed in the tenne commaundementes and more at large are opened in the writinges of the Prophets and Apostles And this is it which Dauid saith Thy word is à lanterne vnto my feete Secondlie God maketh the wil of the wicked good while he doth renue the same in the regenerate by his holie spirite The wil as it is à natural facultie hath in it selfe no qualitie at al but is altogether such as y t is which it imbraceth If the thing be good the wil is good but if the thing be euil it is euil And therefore Damascene doth rightlie define it That the wil it selfe is of nature but diuerslie to wil is proper to the person And Chrysostome The wil is ingraffed and bredde in vs by nature and it is also of God And the wil of this or that thing is ours and our iudgement that is not of nature but of the person But nowe when the state of the person doth change the qualitie of y e wil must change also of necessitie But that the person is wicked as that which is led by the sense of the flesh and vnderstandeth not the thinges which are of the spirite of God before regeneration it hath aboue beene declared And therefore there is no doubt but the wil of à person not iustified is euil that is wicked set againste God the slaue to sinne albeit it worketh freelie and not constreinedlie For voluntarilie it chooseth euil for good things This will of man before regeneration would haue God altogether either not to be able or not willing to reuenge or ignorāt altogether of y e wickednes it hath committed And therefore that woulde that he were not à God which so much as in it is would haue him to be either of no power or not righteous or ignorant Cruel and altogether curssed malice is it to desire that the power iustice and wisedome of God should perish But forsomuch as in iustification man is at once both regenerated and made à newe creature in Christ Iesus according to the māner of this newe state the wil of the person taketh à newe qualitie so that the wil which before regeration was euil the slaue of sinne and enimie to God is nowe made good free à friend of God and deliting in his commaundements For the minde being lightened by the worde and the heart through faith being purified the wil commaundeth those thinges which the sound iudgement of the mind doth allow and wherevnto the pure affections doe incline Therefore as the regenerate man is à newe creature so the wil of à newe man is created anewe by the holie Ghost euen as Dauid declareth when he saith Create in me à cleane heart ô God and renne à right spirit within me By the hearte he vnderstandeth both pure affections and also à wil obeying pure affections by à right spirite he meaneth the election of the wil and purpose in that which is good So that it is the worke of God his spirit that the wil is made good where it was euil which being made good it worketh cheerefullie yet through grace and not constrainedlie otherwise wil should not be wil. In the thirde place the iudgement of the minde being reformed by the word and the wil renewed through the holie Ghost the strength also by little little is restored and according to the measure of faith doe grow wherbie we begin to doe somewhat which pleaseth God although in this life we shal neuer be able to satisfie the lawe according to the rigor of his iustice The repairing of this strength is wrought by the virtue of the death burial and resurrection of Christ in the faithful This virtue of Christ is after à sorte depainted in our baptisme as Paul teacheth in his 6. chapter vnto the Romanes Moreouer when the person which is iuste through faith keepeth à good conscience and thinketh continualie of going forwarde his defections are wel taken for he is not vnder the lawe but vnder grace The thirde difference betweene the Papistes and vs about good workes is taken from the manner For theie doe thinke that to be a good worke when that is externallie done that is commaunded For theie require no more vnto the forme of à good work than the action it selfe But wee with Augustine doe pronounce that à worke ought then to be called and thought good when the
daie of iudgement 103. Soules immortalitie 100. Spirite of fortitude 396. Spirite of God how in ministers 39â— Spirites celestial 11. Spiriteâ— preached vnto 102. Spirits wil. 290. Spiritual soldiers who 11 12 13 14. Spiritual warfare 12. Starres of heauen the soldiers of God and whie 14. Starres worshipped for Gods 191. State of the soules after this life 100. State of wicked ministers 4â—4 Strangers 119. Strength of the Turkes 91. A Student in the Scripture who 401. Studie of the Scripture 40â— The Sunne worshipped for a God 191 Supper of the Lord 30 figured by Manna 30 a note of the true Church 171 whie often receiued and what it signifieth 334 whether in the case of necessitie it may be ministred by a man not of the ministerie 234. Sâ—â—ineâ— flesh abstained froÌ„ 86. Sinne filthie 243 41â— horrible 264 howe rewarded â—62 howe gotten 479 kindes thereof 389. Custome of Sinning oppugned 293. Al meâ— sinners 237. Sinners hated of God 263. T Teachers of Gods worde the souldiers of Christe 14. Teaching 160. Who are to Teach in the Church 170. Temples of God 113. Tentation of Christ 28. Tentation of God what 227. Olde Testament what 312 difference betweene the olde and the newe Testament 316 319. Timoâ—ia 410. Tradition 403. Tradition Papistical what 16â— 511 Tradition whâ—â— in trueth 165 kindes thereof 166. Traditions of men how to be thought of 167. Transubstantiation 217 contrarie to the nature of a sacrament 217 learned of Magicians and witches â—â—â— Treason against Christ 30. Trial of Ioseph 418. Trial of faith wherevnto compared 4â—â— Troubles of the godlie howe to be taken 173 450. Troubles of Iob 418. Trueth of Christ 125. Tyrants how to be resisted 431 enimies to the Church 440. V Valeie of Ben-Hinnon 195 Vanitie of bodilie pleasure 380. Vanitie of mans reason 370. Virtuous life what 141. Vnitie of the Church 108. W Wayes vnto heauen 369. Christe the waie by doctrine 122 by merite 12â— by example 124. Warfare spiritual 12 439 the weapons thereof 12. Heauenlie Warriers who 11. Water of God what 434. Water of life howe receiued 434. Who by Weapons maie resist tyrants 431. Wil of man 514. Wil of the flesh 289. Wil of the spirite 290. Wine absteined from 84. Wine why forbidden of the Turkes 85. Worde of God The excellencie of Gods worde 370 the profite thereof 372 the Church harkeneth therunto 110 the knowledge thereof necessarie in a minister 400 the contemners of y e same how punished 323 Workes Workes of Christians a sacrifice 350 of protestants what 513. the matter of good works 511. things necessarily required in a good Worke 514. Workes Papistical what 511. causes of them 512. Righteousnesse of workes oppugned 327. righteousnesse of faith and works together refelled 330. In this Worlde no satietie 377. Worldlie Wisedome 370. Worldlie Wisemens opinions concerning felicitie confuted 385. Worldes continuance 48. Worship of Saints whie inuented 429. Wrath of God against sinners 263. FINIS Faultes escaped The first number signifieth the page the last the number of the lines Page 7 line 18 for vvhether this place reade vvhether this Psalm 22 in the margine for Isai 52 r. Mâ—cah 52 155 20 of one nature r. of it one nature 157 15 r. learne of him and the Apostles are sent forth 165 24 by the comparing r. as by the comparing 166 10 such things are r. such things as are 181 6 r. Habel brought 189 11 r. stolne my Gods 199 16 r. to instruct vvithal 214 24 r. in vvhich offence 234 10 r. of these 237 25 r. vvithout making 243 13 r. are so ouerthrovvne 249 3 r. in these vvords 309 15 r. that is al 335 25 r. vvhich Christ 338 18 r. both in the crosse 340 19 Christianitie r. Christianlie 359 19 r. merit of Christ 362 17 r. and build vp the 379 13 rat is easie to 388 12 r. doth faune 407 16 r. at the 413 8 r. doe vveigh their sinnes 416 10 r. selfe vnto al 426 4 r. but these 441 8 r. of his riches 448 16 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 484 4 r. as to the punishment 493 3 r. vvhich is to saue 501 3 r. vve are not vnder 508 3 r. then seeing through 519. 5 r. fauour before iustification 1. Kings 1â— 21. 22. c. 1. King 22. 6. Act. 8 9. 10 c. Act. 13 8. 9. c. Coloss. 2. Acts 15. 1. Cor. 15. 2. Tim. 2 17. 18. 2. Pet. 2 10. Iude ver 8. 1. Tim. 1 34 Tit. 3 8. 9 Iude vers 4 2. Thess. 2. 3. 4. c. Iude ver 4. D. Chytraeus Ora de staâ—â— Eccles. Hoc tempore in Graecia Asia Africa c. Psal. 119. 9 Pro. 22. 6. Effectes of Gods word Psal. 19. 7. 8. Zech. 14 8. Ioh. 4 14. Ioh. 8 32. 36. Iere. 8. 9. 1. Tim. 2. 4. Rom. 4 25. Rom. 10 4. Mat. 11 28. Psal 84. â— Psa. 19 10. Psa. 119 14 Psa. 130 1. Psa. 119 32 Psa. 119 24 Psa. 119 46 Psal. 73 2. 3. 16. 17. 18. Psa. 119 93 Psa. 119 89 Psa. 122 9. Psal. 84 10 2. Pet. 3 â— Iere. 13 16. The argument The disposition The occasioÌ„ PunishmeÌ„ts of Dauid 2. Sam. 13 14. 2. Sam. 13 28. 29. 2. Sam. 15 1 2. 3. 2. Sam. 15 14. 15. 16. 2. Sam. 16 21. 22. 2. Sam. 15 4. 5. 6. 2. Sam. 18 9. 10. Two special things to be considered in this Psalme Auctour of this Psalme Summe of the first verse The Lord of hostes who 2. Sam. 5 10 Psal. 59 5. The whole Trinitie the Lord of hostes Isa. 6 2. 3. Our Sauiour Christ is the Lord of hostes Psal. 24. 10. Isa. 8 8. Why our sauiour Christ is called the Lord of hostes Psal. 24 8. Psal. 72 19. The sâ—ldiers of Christ in his spiritual warfare 1. The 1. order of heaueÌ„lie warriars Heb. 1 14. Dan. 7 10. Reuel 12 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Michael what signifieth 2. Order of spiritual soldiers 2. Cor. 10 3. 4. 5. Ministers weapons 3. Order of spiritual soldiers Ephes. 6 12 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 1. Tim. 1 18. 19. 4. order of spiritual soldiers Exod. 38 8. 5. order of celestial soldiers The vse of al contained in this chapter 1. Tim. 1 18 * Aboue chap. 3. pag. 9 The Iewes The Turks The Muscouites Papistes Epicures Of the Messiah Christ the Sauiour of the world Iosephus lib. 18. cap. 4. Opinions of Christ. Iudas the Galilean Ioseph Benzara Barcozibas Iohn 5 3â— 2. Pet. 1. 19. Maior Minor Conclusion The time of Christ his birth foretold by Iacob the Patriarch and by Daniel the prophet Gen. 49 10. Dan. 9 24. 25. 26. 27. The place Isai. 5. 2. The mother Isai. 7 14. Ier. 31 22. The stocke or kinred of Christ. Psal. 132. 11. Wisemen Isai. 60 6. Num b. 24. 17. Circumcision of Christ. Hag. 2 8. 10. Luke 2 32. Flight into Egypt Hos. 11 1. Isa. 16 1. Christ à Nazaris Samson à figure of Christ. Iudges 13 5 Isai. 11 1.
last namelie the final cause of sacrifices 3. Kindes of Iewish sacrifices The first kinde of sacrifices The second sort of sacrifices Sacrifice Eucharistical or Propitiatorie Rom. 3. 25. 4 Figuratiue significations of Iewish sacrifices The priests office in sacrifising 2 Tim. 2. 25 The original of idolatrie Gen. 31 30. Rom. 1 21. 22. 23. 25. Idolatri the iust punishment of forsaking God 2. Thes. 2. 11 12. Gods of the Gentiles Festiual daies appointed to the Gods How the Gentiles holie daies were vsed Dronknes Sacrifices of the gentiles Iere 7 13. 2. Thes. 2. 11 12. A popish Priest who Psal 110 4. Mal. 2 7. Ezek. 3 17. Ier. 23 28. Against good intents beside the worde of God Ezek. 20 18 19. Marke 7 7. Antiquitie Against euâ—l custome Comparison betweene à bodilie harlot and the spiritual whore the Masse The Pope the spiritual baude The Masse à sacrifice à sacrament The Masse how à sacrifice The Masse when a sacrament The auctors iudgement of the canon of the Masse 1. The first reason whie the Masse is abhominable Ps. 119 105 Rom. 6 23. Exod. 20 3 Psal. 25 5. Mark 7 7. Rom. 14 23. Deut. 12 8. Eze. 20 18. 19. Luke 22 19 1. Co. 11 24 25. 2. Reason * in the chap. next immediatelie going before Heb. 10 12. 13. 14. Heb. 9 11. 12. 14. 3. Reason 1. Tim. 2 5. 6. The huâ—t which commeth by making saintes intercessorâ— for men Inuocation of saints whie foundâ—â—s 4. Reason Ephes. 2 8 Lords Supper whie instituted Isaie 55 1. 2. The foundation of Purgatorie 5. Reason 6. Reason 1. Cor. 11. 20 21. 7. Reason 8. Reason Reue. 14. 13 1. Pet. 1. 9. Iohn 3 36. What the Papists do aleadge for them selues to maintain their masse Against the first argument of the Papistes Gen. 14 18 19. Nom. 6 22. 23. 24. c. Heb. 5 5. 6. Heb. 7 17. Psa. 110 4. Theodoreâ— in Cap. 8 ad Heb. Mal. 1 11. * Chap. 26 27. c. Against the thirde obiection of Papistes 1. Pet. 2 4. 5. 9. What it is to tempt God What things are good in the papacie A godlie man maie be at some seruice of Papistes Popish Baptisme Whether à godlie man maie communicate with papiste Popishe â—asse one thing and the communion another Consecration what 1. Co. 10. 17 A double communion at the Lords supper 1. Co. 10 16 Whether à man not of the ministerie maie minister the Lordes supper in the case of necessitie or no. Sacrifices of Christians Propitiatorie sacrifice of ChristiaÌ„s Eucharistical sacrifice The neede that Christians had of à Priests Heb. 5 1. Ephes. 2 3. Gen. 3 15. Heb. 2 14. 15. 17. 18. Heb. 7 26. 27. * In the 4. Chapter Page 20. The Maior The Minor The conclusion * A â—ore Chap. 4 5. c. Priesthood of the newe Testament what Partes of Christe his priesthood The first parte of Christian priesthood Benefite of the Gospel Gal. 3 10. Deut. 27 26 1. Cor. 1 23. 24. 27. Luk. 24 27. The Gospel what Another definition of the Gospel The Gospel preached vnto Adam and Eua. Gen. 3 15. The Gospel preached in the daies of Noah 1. Pet. 3 19. The Gospel preached by the Apostles â— Pet. 1 19. 20. 21. Mark 16 15. Act. 2 2. 3. c. Heb. 2 2. 3. Sacrifice of Christ taken diuerslie Obedience to the lawe à parte of Christ his sacrifice Heb. 9 14. 6 1. Tim. 2 6. Merite of Christ his death and passion Isai 53 45. Merite of Christ his obedience to the Lawe Rom. 5 19. Gal. 4 4. 5. Gal. 3 13 Rom. 10 4. Rom. 4 25. Merite of Christ his intercession Rom. 8 33. 34. Sacrifice of Christ as it is specialie vnderstood * In the fourth chapter Pa. 16. Propitiatorie sacrifice of Christe what Iohn 17 August Lib 4. de Trin. What thinges are to be considered in a sacrifice 1 Who the offerer o Propitiatorie sacrifice 2. To whom Christ offred himselfe 3. What Christ hath offered for vs. Howe the sacrfices of the olde Lawe were offered Leui. 16 20. 21. Aarons goate à figure of Christe Isai. 53 6. 2. Cor. 5 21. Gal. 3 13. The difference betwene the goates bearing sinnes and Christe his bearing sinnes 4. For whoÌ„ Christe was offered 1. Tim. 2 6. Iohn 1 29. Howe Christ was offered Heb. 9. 14. Act. 20. 28. Heb. 10 14 Heb. 9 12. * Chap. 39 40. of thiâ— first part Iob 14 1. The beginning or câ—â—se of mans miserie Isai 64 6. 2. The degrees of mans miserie The 1. degree Isai. 59 â— The 2. degree The 3. degree The 4. degree Adoni-bezek Iudges 1 6. Iezebel 2. king 9 32 33. Alcibiades Cepio Seruilius Belisarius Herod The 5. degree * Of this reade more aboue Chap. 11. vpon the first verse of this Psalme The 6. degree 3. The ende of the miserie of mankinde The finall reward of sinne Dan. 12 2. Mat. 5 241. Isai. 66 24. Psal. 116. 15. Rom. 2 2. Hab. 3. 2. Howe God iâ— mercifull Whence the mercie of God doth spring Mercie of God wherevnto compared in Scripture Isai. 49 15. Psal. 103 1â— Luk. 1 78. Isai. 54 10. Psal. 103 11. Isai. 16 5. Eccl. 35 19. 〈◊〉 103 4 Psa. 63 3. Psal. 145 9 Eccles. 2 21 Iohn 3 16. Rom. 5 8. Rom. 8 32. Psal. 117 1 2. Exod. â—â— 6. Rom. 10 4. 2. Cor. 1 â—0 Exod. 34 6 7. Psal. 25 10 Psal 32 10 Psal. 51. 4. Phil. 2 6. 7. Heb. 10 4. 5 6. 7. How Christ was vnwilling to die Matth. 26. 39. 42. 44. 41. Fruite of Christ his obedience Rom. 5 19. 6. 7. Gal. 3 13. 2. Cor. 5 21. Christ his suffering in minde Mat. 26 3â— Psal. 18 5 Mar. 14 53 Luk. 23 44. Luk. 22 43. Psal. 18 5. Isai. 53 4. Luk. 22 42. Christe his suffering in bodie What 〈◊〉 against his â—â—rson sufâ—â—â—â— The paines of Christ tokens whereof Rom. 5 18. 17. Howe Christ could suffer Act. 20 28. 1. Pet. 4. 1. Heb. 2 14. Whie the price of Christe his suffering is infinite and inestimable Reuel 13 8. Gen. 3 15. Iâ—b 19 25. Gen. 15 6. Psal. 51 7. Rom. 8 32. Isai 1 2. 3. Mat. 23. 27 Mat. 20 1 Ephe. 2 2. 3. 1. cause of maÌ„s ingratitude Fall of Adam Aremedie far this cause Ioâ—n 4 14. 2. causes of mani ingratitude Concupiscence A remedie for this cause Gal. 5 17. 19. c. 3. cause of ingratitude Rom. 8 7 Aremedie for the 3. cause Rom. 8 7. 4. cause of mans vnthankefulnes Wil of the flesh Selfe-loue A remediâ— for this cause A good selfe loue Iob 1. 13. 25 5. cause of ingratitude 1 Pet. 3 20 Rom. 1 â—28 Deut. 28 28 2. Thess. 2 10. 11. Rom. 17 13. A remedie for this cause Against custome of sinning 2. cause of mans wickednes A remedie for this last cause Faith in Christ commended 1. Iohn 5 4. Rom. 18 10. * The other two are at large entreated of in the 10. Chapters immediatlie going afore 1. Tim.
TareÌ„tinus Aristotle 2. Against the opinion of Pindarus 3. Against the opinion of Simonides 4. Against the opinion of Aristotle 5. Agâ—â—ust the 〈…〉 wise mâ—â— The opinion of Socrates nearest vnto the truth Fruite of godlines Fruite of vngodlines Psal. 33 12. Who dwell in the house of God Difference betweene sinnes How God is serued in his Church Whie God is to be praised Psal 116 1. Mercie of God what it comprehendeth Wherein the true praise of God doeth consist Who doe praise God How the creatures praise God Musical insthruments in the old Law what theie fignified Organs Musike wheÌ„ to be retained in the Church The perpetuitie of the Church Perfection 〈…〉 The vse of 〈◊〉 â— vers Psâ—t 14 7. Psal. 16 11. 2. Cor. 10 4. 5. Iohn 20 22. 23. Mart. Luther Whether al the ministers of the worde haue the holie spirit or no. An answere 2. Cor. 3. â— Iudas Peter Moses Balaam Num. 22 28 29. Peter Iudâ—â— Ministers how called 1. The knowledge of God his word required in ministers Psal. 119. 1. Knowledg of Gods heauenlie mysterie howe attained Praier Psa. 127 1. Studie of the Scriptures Sixe thingâ— necessarilie required in à student of the Scriptures Knowledg of the tongues Logique Natural Philosophie 〈◊〉 4 1â— Obseruation Tradition 2. The second thing required in ministers preachers of the Gospel Feeling of the heart Phil. 1 9. 10. 11. Ende of knowledge State of wicked ministeri 3. The third thing required in the ministers of the Gospel Isai. 62 10. Rom. 8 31. The crosse what it signifieth 1. Kinde of crosse or affliction Mat. 20 2â— Col. 1 13. * In the first parte Chap. 9. 2. kinde of crosse or affliction Heb. 10 29 Ezek. 7 27. Special things to be considered of him who is 〈◊〉 punished for his offences The diuel giuen vnto falshood crueltie 1. Pet. 5 8. Man in affliction is to coÌ„pare his owne sinnes with the punishment he doth either suffer or deserue No man so punished in this worlde according to his deserts Psal. 38 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 10. Howe godlie men doe esteeme of their sinnes Contrition meritorious with the Papistes Isai. 28 21. Luk. 4 23. Mat. 18 11 Mat. 11 28. * Which commentarie of this Auctor is extant in English 3. Kinde of Crosse. Abraham howe tried Ioseph howe tried Troubles of Ioâ— Iob 19 25. 1. Iohn 5 4. Wisd. 3. 6. 1. Pet. 1 6. 7. Exo. 15 25. Eccles. 38 5 4. Kinde of Crosse. Aug. in Psal. 119. Kindes of Martyrdome Wisd. 2 19. 1. Tim. 4 10 Profite of Martyrdome Theod. Lib. 9. de Legibus Exod. 3 2. 3. Acts. 5 40. 41. How manie thinges are to be in à Martyr Acts. 7 55. 56 c. Who suffer as Martyrs Whie God suffereth his Saints to be martyred Psa. 116 15 Math. 5 10 Psal. 126 5 6. 2. Cor. 4 17. Heb. 12 11. 1. Pet 4 13 Howe the Martyrs are to be worshipped Martyrs are not to be worshipped Mat. 4 10. Psal. 121 2. Psal. 50 15. Iohn 16 23. 1. Iohn 2 1. 2. Whether idolatrous Princes are to be obeied 1 Pet. 2 18. Obedience to Magistrates Acts. 5 29. Tyrâ—â—â— how to be resisted Dan. 3 12. 16. 17. 18. 1. Cor. 10 14 Who maie by weapon if neede so require resist Tyranâ— Mat. 22 21 God à wel and in what sense Psal. 42 2. Ier. 2 13. Ierem. 2 13. Iohn 4 10. 14. The water of God what Ioel. 2 28. Iohn 6 68. Reuel 21 6. The water of life howe receaued Iohn 6 35. Isai. 12 3. 4. Iohn 4 14. Zach. 14 8. Gen 2 10. 1. Cor. 10 4. Isai. 55 10. 11. Enimies of the Church who * In the first parte Chap. 3. Page 18. 19. Purpose of Satan Rom. 4 7. 1. Iohn 5 4. Tyrans enimies to the ministers of the Church Psal. 52 5. 6. 7. 8. Whether the preachers in time of persecution maie flie or no. Mat. 10 13. Iohn 10 22. Mat 2 13. 14. Acts 9 25. An obiectioÌ„ Mat. 10 18 Answere Au. Ep. 180. Sophisters an other sort of enimies Pro. 27 16. Logique Eccles Hist. Lib. 13. Hypocrits â— fourth sorte of enimie 〈◊〉 Hypocrites who Mat. 7 15 Hypocrisie what Epicures â â—isi kinde of enimies to religion These obiections are somewhat confuted in the 1. parte Chap. 12 pa. 120 121. Comforts for godlie ministers in their troubles Mat. 16 18. Psal. 115 1. 2. God how present in his Church Num. 14 13 14. Ioshua 3 10 1. Sa. 17 46. Isai. 37 20. Ends of God his presence in the Church Numb 14 9. Psal. 83 17. 18. Psal. 52 5. 6. 7. 1. Reason The latter reason Matth. 6 9. * 1. part cap. 3. Page 11. 12 c. Psal. 32 7. Psal. 32. 7. Psal. 73 16 17. 18. 19. 23. 24. Psal. 73 27 28. Whie the wicked goe on in wickednes Ierem. 4 27. Isai. 5 21. 1. Blessing of the Church The second blessing of the Church Psal. 5 11. 12. Psal. 18 35. Ephes. 6 16. 1. Tim. 1 18 19. The 3. 4. blessing of the Church Grace what Glorie what To walk innocentlie what is signifieth A twofolde perfection Rom. 10 4. Iosh. 24 14. 1. Chr. 28 9 Isai. 38 3. 1. Tim. 18. 19. Psal. 9 10. Rom. 10 4. Effects of faith Rom. 8 10. Isai. 11 5. Ephes. 6 10. Hos. 2 20. 1. Pet. 1 7. Deut. 27 29 Leuit. 18 5. Cond â—nworâ— on what Iustification what Pelagius Against Pelagius Rom. 5 12. 14. 15. 17. 18. 19. Psal. 51 5. Christ not a meere man as the Pelagians did teach Rom 7 14. Iude verse 19. Eccle. 7. 22. Iob. 14 4. The second argument Rom. 2 2. The 3. Argument Gene. 6. 5. Iob. 9. 2. 3. 20. Psal. 14. 1. 2. 3. Psal. 19. 12. Psal. 130. 3 Psal. 143. 2 Prou. 20. 9 Esai 64 6. Ioh. 9. 3. Rom. 3. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14 15. 16 17. The fourth argument Leuit. 18 5. Gal 2 21. Touching the vse of the lawe Vse of the Lawe in the conscience Gal. 3. 24. 22. Matt. 8 23. 24. c. The vse of the Law after mans iustification A confutation of their argumentes which think that by the workes of the Law meÌ„ are iustified Leuit. 18. 5. Matt. 19. 17 Luk 7 48. Rom. 3 20 Rom. 11. 32. Gala 3 22. Rom. 10 4. Matt. 9. 13. Rom. 3. 21. Rom. 4 13. 14. Rom. 10 3. Rom. 11 6. Ephe. 2 8. 9. Rom. 3 27. 28. * Or in the chapter immediatlie following True iustificatioÌ„ what 3. Thinges required in iustification Luk. 24 47. Remission of sinnes what Matt 1 21. Rom. 3 23. Act. 20 28. Gala. 13 13 Ioh. 8 34. 36 Rom. 3 25. True righteousnesse what Rom. 10 4. Rom. 4 5. Rom. 5 19. 2. Cor. 5 21. Gene. 3. 15. Gene. 22 Psal. 22 31 Rom. 10 4. Isai. 53 11. True knowledge of Christ what Iere. 23 6. Iere. 17 7. Phil. 3 8. 9. Deut. 27 26 Gala. 3 10. Rom. 6 14. Rom. 5 18. Rom. 8 1. 2. Ioh. 1 12. Rom. 8 15. 16. 17. Adoption Rom. 8 28. Rom. 5 3. 4. 5. Rom. 8 23. 21 Rom. 5 2. Gal. 5 5. 1. Ioh. 3 2. Iustification what Causes of mans iustification Rom. 8 15. Act. 2 38. 1. Cor. 1 30. 31. Iustification what Iam. 2 24. Rom. 8 14. Matt. 5 5. 7. 9. 10. Luk. 7 47. Luk. 7 41. 42. 43. 50. Rom 14 23 Heb. 11 6. Ioh. 15 5. 4 Matt. 7 18. Eeph 2 3. Rom. 8 7. 1. Cor 2 14 1. Tim. 1 18. 19. Mat. 25 34 35 36. Rom. 6 23. 1. DiffereÌ„ce concerning the matter of good workes Of Papistes works what the chiefe Papistical traditions of what sorts Howe the Papistes doe regarde the commandementes of God The proper note of Antichrist Mark 7 7. The principal good workes of Protestants 1. Tim. 4 1. 2. DiffereÌ„câ— of good workes The efficieÌ„â— cause of Papistical workes * Chap. 3. of this last part Ioh. 15 5. Phil. 1 6. Phil. 2 13. Three things necessarilie required in à good worke or in à good worker rather Psal. 119 105. The wil of man * In the 3. Chap. of this 4. part Psal. 51 10 3. DiffereÌ„ce about good workes 4. DiffereÌ„ce about good workes Matt. 7 18. * Chap. 3. of this fourth part Iam. 2 10. The true ende of good workes Iam. 2 23. Rom. 8 14. Heb. 11 26. 2. Cor 1 20. Psal. 62 12. Rom. 2 6. Leuit. 18 5. Gala 3 13. Deut. 27 26 2. Cor. 1 20. Rigor of the law Rom. 10 4. Rom. 2 6. Tob. 12 9. Dani. 4 24. * Chap. 2. of this fourth part Rom. 18 23. Phil. 3 8. Num. 35 7 8. Tob. 12 9.
this darkenes into the wonderful light of God and vnto eternal life Now the cause that imboldened me to dedicate this mine Enarration written the yeare immediatelie past vpon the 84. Psalme vnto your Honor was not onelie the greate and singuler good wil you beare toward learning littered men generalie which I desire that the whole world should knowe but also your benefites conferred vpon me and mine particularlie for which I thought good to giue some token of à grateful minde to your Honor The which I earnestlie beseech you to accept in in good part If the quantitie of our worke be onelie respected I knowe wel it is far vnmeete for your Magnificence but if the minde of the giuer and the argument of the matter be waied I thinke no man wil finde faulte with me for this my dedication Wherefore regarde these thinges my good Lord and as hitherto I haue had so hereafter let me not want your fauor and for my selfe I wil endeuor to be worthie of the same Thus fare you wel both in mind and bodie together with your wise the L. Metta Rosenkrātz that most noble and chast woman daughter of the right honorable Sir Olaus Rosenkrantz Knight Lord of Wallo sometime à most prudent Senator of this Kingdome of Denmarke à mā both for iustice vprightnesse liberalitie clemencie humanitie curtesie and manie moe virtues euerlastinglie as to be remembred so to be praised From our studie this 25. of March in the yeare 1569. Which from the creation of the worlde is the 5539. yeare wherebie it is manifest that we are fallen into the last parte of the age of the worlde signified by the sixte daie of the creation of things For seeing sixe thousand yeares wherbie the worlds age according vnto the tradition of the house of Elias is measured doe answere to sixe daies of the creation for à thousand yeares before God are as one daie and of the sixt thousand 539. yeares be passed-awaie it is euident that we are lighten into the after-noone tide of the laste daie of the world Which time doubtlesse ought of right to put vs in mind of greater watchfulnes especialie seeing that after the most bright Sunne of the glorious Gospel and that at the verie noone of the last daie of this worlde at which time the doctrine of the Church was by Luther Philip and other godlie and learned men purged the night and darkenes is nigh at hande And therefore earnestlie from the heart with the disciples of the Lord let vs praie The night doth come forsake vs not ô Christ wee humblie praie Ne suffer thou thie glorious light To darken or decaie And listen we vnto the Prophet which saith Giue glorie to the Lorde your God before he bring darkenes and ere euer your feet stumble in the darke mountaines The Lord keepe vs in true godlines that at the length that long wished Sabbaoth which we looke-for maie be seene of vs vnto our welfare blisse and euerlasting rest through Christ our onelie mediator to whome with the Father and the holie spirite be al praise honor and glorie for euer euer Amen AN ANTITHESIS BEtwene the vane glorie of the worlde and the true glorie of the faithful CAPNION The worldlie pompe by proofe I finde Doth fleete and come like snowe by winde Whie trust ye then in vanitie HEMMINGIUS The godlie ioie doth aie endure And as the Liban tree is sure Then trust we in the Deitie PSALME 84. 1 O Lord of hostes how amiable are thy tabernacles 2 My soule longeth yea fainteth for the courts of the Lorde mine heart and my flesh haue reioiced in the liuing God 3 For the sparowe hath found an house and the swallowe à nest for her selfe where she maie laie her yong euen thine altars ô Lorde of hostes my King and my God 4 Blessed are they which dwel in thine house euermore thei will praise thee 5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee and in whose heart be thy waies 6 Who goeth by the vale of teares and diggeth à well doubtles with blessings shal the teacher be crowned 7 Theie goe from strength to strength that God in Zion maie appeare 8 O Lord God of hostes heare my praier hearken ô God of Jacob. 9 Behold ô God our protector and looke vpon the face of thine Annointed 10 For a daie in thy courtes is better than à thousand els where I had rather be of no reputatiō in the house of my God than to dwel in the tabernacles of the vngodlie 11 Because the Lord God is à sunne and shield the Lord wil giue grace and glorie no good thing wil he depriue them of which walke innocentlie 12 O Lorde of hostes blessed is the man which trusteth in thee CHAP. 1. The argument disposition occasion and auctor of this 84. Psalme THis Psalme containeth à singular cōmendation of the Church of God the which as God most dearely doth loue the same so for her part she dependeth vpon him alone him she praiseth confesseth and calleth-vpon That she may inioy him is al her desire In him she is most highlie blessed and happie Of this Psalme there may be made foure partes euerie of which containeth many good lessons The which are these The first A description of the Church contained in the foure first verses The second declareth the condition of the teachers in the Church comprehended in three other verses namely in the 5. 6. 7. The third is à praier whereby Dauid sueth for the defence and preseruation of y e Church certaine godly reasons being annexed therevnto whereby the excellencie and dignitie of the Church is set before our eies that in the 8. 9. 10. 11. verses The last is à conclusion expressed with an admiration wherein is declared howe the true cause of the Churches felicitie is a sure cōfidence in God and that in the last verse Moreouer the occasion why this psalme was written may seeme to be the banishment of Dauid through the persecution of his owne sonne Absalon The which exile or banishment was one of those tenne plagues whereby the adulterie and murther which Dauid committed was punished For as in that one offence of Dauid many sinnes were couched so was it punished not with one but with didiuers plagues As namely 1 with the losse of the holie spirite 2 with à most grieuous wound of conscience 3 with the deflouring of Thamar his daughter by his owne sonne Amnon 4 5 with the rebellion of Absalon his sonne 6 with double banishment from his kingdome and from the Church 7 with pollution of holie Matrones his wiues 8 with disobedience of his subiectes 9 with à woeful end of his sonne 10 and with infamie With these plagues was Dauids reuolting frō God yelding to Satan Gods enimie betraying of Gods armie murthering of an innocent subiect rauishing defiling of him selfe abusing of an others bodie with
welter in their sinnes fighting vnder the standard of sathan are depriued of these blessings whiche the Church onelie is partaker-of doubtlesse there can bee nothing more miserable than to wander without the Church of God and to bee carried from sinne vnto sinne vntill theie fall headlong into euerlasting wretchednesse THE FOVRTH part of the Psalme CHAP. 1. 1. The summe of the fourth part of this Psalme 2. Whie the Church is happie THE fourth part of the Psalme is a conclusion expressed with an admiration wherein is declared howe the true cause of the Churches felicitie is a firme confidence in God The 12. verse O LORD OF HOSTES BLESSED IS THE MAN WHICH TRVSTETH IN THEE HItherto by qualities affections and sundrie actions hee hath shewen who are the citizens of the Church that shal be blessed saued now he laieth before our eies the cause of iustification and of happines namelie a trust in the mercie of God which is ratified in Christ alone Blessed saith he is the man which trusteth in thee This confidence springeth of knowledge according to the saieng of the Psalme Theie that knowe thie name will truste in thee for thou Lorde hast not failed them that seeke thee But whie is he blessed that trusteth in the Lorde Because he is the heire of eternal life Wherefore is he heire of eternal life Because he is righteous Whie righteous For that he is in Christ and of Christe hath that which the lawe requireth namelie righteousnes according to this sentence Christe is the ende of the lawe for righteousnes vnto euerie one that beleeueth And therefore confidence dependeth vpon the promise of free mercie Free mercie dependeth vpon fatherlie kindenes Fatherlie kindenes is grounded in the merite of the sonne the merite of the sonne is the ransome for the sinnes of the whole world which ransome is by faith applied to man For as the medicine not being applied vnto the diseased place bringeth no profite to the sick So the promise of fre mercie in Iesus Christ although of it selfe it be true and strong yet doeth it not profit man vnlesse he haue faith whereby application is made And yet maie it not bee thought that application through faith is made in respect of the merite or dignitie of the beleeuing man but for Iesus Christ his sake whome man through faith apprehēdeth that by his blood he maie be purged from sinne and endued with his righteousnes wherebie God maie accept him For the lawe hath nothing which it maie accuse in the faithful Because theie haue the righteousnes which the lawe exacteth and for which it promiseth life Notwithstanding after that man is iustified by faith he is to liue by the virtue of the spirite of faith For it cannot be that à man at one time can truely beleeue and liue after the flesh Therefore saith Paul If Christ be in you the bodie is dead because of sinne but the spirite is life for righteousnes sake Here the Apostle putteth à double effect of Christ dwelling in vs through faith to witte mortification and life So then wheresoeuer à liuelie and healthful faith is there also be the naturall properties of the same Hence it is that the scripture doth iudge of faith by the properties thereof and that to the ende that no man should deceaue himselfe with à vane shew of faith As therefore we gather the life of the bodie by the motion thereof So we knowe the life of faith by good workes But by the waie diligent heede is to be taken that we do not confoūd the faith wherebie Christ is apprehended either with his properties or with the qualities affections or actions of such as are iustified For theie which so doe ouerthrowe the doctrine of free iustification Moreouer the Hebrewe worde wherebie confidence in this place is signified is opposed against doubtfulnes and expressed by manie wordes of Paul among which are these Elenchos which is when the minde conuicted with firme reasons touching the truth of God doth rest it selfe Hupostasis wherebie the minde setteth it selfe against all obstacles or tentations Plerophoria by which à godlie man is carried with ful course into the hauen of blessednes Pepoithesis confidēce of which ariseth boldnes For these causes faith is compared by the Prophet Isaiah to à girdle about the loines by the Apostle Paul to à shield by Hosea the Prophet to à token of marriage and by Saint Peter to golde which is tried in the fire CHAP. 2. 1. Of iustification 2. The sundrie sortes of testimonies of the holie Scripture concerning iustification FOrsomuch as Dauid in this place doth pronounce those blessed that trust in God and no man can be blessed vnlesse he be righteous For the faithful are therefore blessed because they be righteous for no man euer yet was or shalbe blessed without righteousnes which righteousnes is the cause of life yea and of saluation and true blessednes I thinke it good in this place to adioin à briefe discourse touching the iustification of man before God And although this doctrine of iustification is plainlie deliuered both in the Vniuersities and Temples of this Realme yet forsomuch as much darkenes is often mixed to this cleare light especialie of politike fellowes and hypocrites whereof the one sorte applieng themselues to the Ciuil Courtes do measure righteousnes by the measure of reason and the other putting on the visor of righteousnes wil bee counted righteous and holie◠and neither sort knowe rightlie to iudge betweene those testimonies of Scripture which properlie belong vnto the causes of iustification and betwene those other sentences to be applied vnto other purposes according as circumstances of places and the analogie of faith shall require I will propose foure sortes of testimonies of Scripture which are woont to bee handled in this matter wherebie it shall moste euidentlie appeare what is the true sentence of the Church of God concerning the iustification of man before God and of what account the obedience of the faithful toward God is The sorts of testimonies be these The first is about the extreme right of the lawe according to the rule of GOD his iustice The seconde of the most comfortable equitie of the Gospel according to the promise of grace The third touching the proper and necessarie fruites of faith and of the properties qualities and actions of such as are iustified The fourth of the rewarde of the good workes according to the promises of God This difference of testimonies being knowen it wil be an easie matter to iudge of this whole doctrine CHAP. 3. 1. The first sort of testimonies concerning iustification 2. That no man can fulfil the lawe 3. Against the Pelagians and Papistes 4. Argumentes that none can fulfil the lawe by the power of nature THe first order of testimonies concerneth the extreme right of the lawe according to the rule of Gods iustice which is the lawe it selfe Nowe the extreme right of the lawe is to