â—useb in vita Constant l. 1. l. 4. Zach. 9. 10. confesse and therefore we should all pray to God that he would speake peace vnto the heathen from sea to sea as the Prophet speaketh that so euery man may sit vnder his owne vine vnder his owne sig tree and that 2 Sam. 7. 1. there may be none to make vs afraid no decay no leading into captiuitie no complaining in our streets but that hauing peace within our walls and peace in all our borders we may haue plenteousnesse within our palaces as the Prophet Dauid speaketh Psal 144. 13. Warres iustly vndertaken are lawfull And yet if peace may not be had I denie not but warres are iust and lawfull when they are vndertaken vpon iust and lawfull causes for there is a time for warre and a time for peace saith the Wiseman And the Eccl. 3. 8. Lord is a man of warre saith Moses Exod. 15. 3. and we read of the warres of the Lord and therefore I confesse that warres are many times of equitie many times of necessity and many times approued by diuine authority But for me or any other inferiour subiect to discusse the cause or determine the time of warre we shall with Shemei goe beyond the riuer Kydron 1 Reg. 2. 37. and deserue the sentence of iust reproofe for I am to handle points of diuinity and not of polliâ—ie and you are to follow and to obey and not to guide and direct God hath giuen the We should take heed of ouer-bold medling with Sâ—â—te businesse care and laid the charge of kingdoms and common-wealths vpon kings and gouernours that doe raigne oy him and are guided by him as Salomon speaketh and as the spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophâ—ts so the secrets of a State must be knowne only to the States-men and by them so farre as they see cause reuealed vnto others And therefore it is our parts not to be euer prating and pratling of the warres of the mariages or of any other secret matters of Princes but seeing the hearts of kings are in the Pro. 21. hands of the Lord who can turne the same as pleaseth him we should euer pray vnto the Lord and that first of all i. before we doe it for any other we should desire of God that he would guide our Kings to doe those things that shall tend most for his glorie and our comfort and then if peace ensue and continue we should humbly imbrace it and most heartily be thankfull for so happy and so inestimable a blessing if warre beginne we should be readie to follow and most willing to spend goods liues and all but all to this end that peace may follow For though the haughty and disordered spirits doe itch and long for warres and say with the Poet. Non pacem petimus superi date gentibus Lucan Pharsal l. 2. iras Nunc vrbes excite feras coniuret in arma mundus We seeke not peace we wish for warres we long to see the glittering Desire of warre is a signe of a bloudy minde swords quia dulce bellum inexpertis because the warres and rumors oâ— warres are like a pleasant harmony to them that knowes it not yet to all humble minds and to all wel-affected Christians that doe loath to bathe their swords and to make them drunken with the bloud of men to see the tender babes snatcht from the mothers breasts and either bleeding vpon the stones or sprawling vpon the pikes and to behold the high-waies strawed with breath-lesse carkasses and doe euen tremble to make many widdowes and fatherlesse children to desolate towns and ruine countries and to bring forth such bitter fruits of warre and therefore desire rather to enioy that little pittance which God hath giuen them through peace then all the wealth of the world through the furie of warres and outragious violences to these I say peace is happy peace is blessed for these will say with Drunces Nulla salus bello pacem nos poscimus Virgil Aeneid omnes We know no good that can be got by warre and therefore we will pray for the peace of Ierusalem and for peace especially among all Christian kings and princes For as When the Lion and the Bore doe Whitmaeus in Emblem fight The Rauens hope for gaine by that sight Sic modo dum faciant discordia praelia Georgius Sabinus Reges Turcius Europae diripit hostes opes And therefore it were to be wisht that all Christian kings would be kings of peace and would euer remember that saying of Sylius Italicus Faedera mortales ne saeuo rumpite ferro Syluius c. 13. Sed castam seruate fidem fulgentibus ostro Haec potior regnis That sacred peace should not be violated nor Christian leagues be broken for that truth and fidelity is better then the brauest kingdomes and peace better then all the pearles of the world And therefore I say that all godly All godly men desire peace men that doe feare the furie of warre and doe know the benefit of contentment and desire the fruits of peace will euer pray for peace and neuer vndertake the warre if peace and quietnesse may be gotten by any meanes as Timotheus said vnto the Thebanes Quia iniquissima pax iustissimo bello est anteferenda Plutarch in Apoth because the worst peace is to be preferred before the best warre saith Cicero for the warres how iustly soeuer they be vndertaken yet they will proue at last to be trouble some and sorrowfull to the best men saith S. Augustine Aug. de Ciuit. Dei c. 19. and they will make men to be as meat vnto the fire faith the Prophet Esay i. they shall be like stubble Esay 9. 19. deuoured and consumed with the fiery heat of warre And as we are to pray that peace Aboue all things we should auoid ciuill warres may continue among all kingdomes so are we especially bound to pray and to vse all our furtherance to haue peace preserued in euery kingdome that there be no ciuill wars and dissentions in any common-wealth for this is the readiest way to ouerthrow the greatest kingdomes Francia flos florum foex foecum Francia facta est They say France was a glorious kingdome and the flower of allother nations but it would be a tragedy to relate the miseries that ciuill broyles and dissentions brought vpon that country The like may be said of the kingdome of Argiers and of our selues in former ages in the times of the Barons warres And therefore to maintaine this peace we should all keepe faith and true allegeance vnto those kings and gouernours vnder whom we liue for that falshood and treacherie is the Appianus Allexand in fine l. de Bel. Roman cum Mith. greatest poyson that can be vnto any king or to ouerthrow the greatest state as that most warlike and learned king Mithridates said when he was betrayed of his
moued the righteous Iudge to pittie vs and so the Psalmist saith recordatus God pittieth our infirmities est quia caro he remembreth that we are but dust and therefore pittieth vs and sendeth his grace into our hearts that so by the assistance of that grace we may doe all things as the Apostle speaketh we may rise from sinne we may doe good and perseuere in good vnto our end By this therefore we may perceiue from whence all things doe proceede 1. All good from grace 2. All euill for want of grace And therefore if there be any goodnesse All good proceeds froÌ„ grace any vertue in any of vs hoc totum gratiae semper reputa we must ascribe all to grace and say with the Apostle by the grace of God I am that I am for without his grace I was a persecuter and that I now preach and labour more abundantly then the rest it is not I that doe it i. of my selfe alone that doe it but the grace of God that is in me So should euery one of vs confesse the like that euery one which reioiceth may reioice in the Lord for whatsoeuer good is in vs the same is only from God and the grace of God a good thought is gratia infusa a good word is gratia effusa and a good act is gratia diffusa On the other side if any man committeth The want of grace is the cause of all euill sinne if he comes to an vnhappy end it is because he wanted grace and therefore beloued brethren as the Apostle in the beginning of euery Epistle wisheth grace vnto the parties to whom he writeth and concludeth euery Epistle with the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all and so make grace the α and the ο the first thing the last thing and the chiefest thing he desireth so should we before all things and aboue all things desire grace vnto our selues and to our children for quando ignorabam gratia me instruxit Bernard quando steti me tenuit quando cecidi me erexit quando veni me suscepit If we be ignorant grace will instruct vs if we stand grace will hold vs if we fall grace will raise vs if we come vnto God grace will receiue vs and if we want any thing grace will supply it O therefore sweet Iesu grant vs all thy grace De 4. Touching the certaintie or assurance of grace we must consider these two points 1. Of the being or hauing of it 2. Of the continuing or not leesing of it De 1. If want of grace be so lamentable Many thinke theÌ„selues too sure of grace wheÌ„ as indeed they haue no grace as I shewed you before it is a point most requisite to examine whether we haue sauing grace or not Many indeed are so sure of grace that they grow carelesse to seeke for grace for as multi ad veritatis cognitionem peruenissent nisi se iamdudum peruenisse putassent many might haue attained to learning but that they thought themselues learned enough so it may be these men would seeke for grace but that they thinke they haue grace enough but I feare me many of these will proue themselues like those that dreame they are at a pleasant banquet and when they awake their soules are fainting for hauing slept their sleepe they finde nothing in their hands And therefore they should take heed vnto themselues lest they deceiue themselues sub specie recti fallit enim vitium specie virtutis vmbra for nature many times will counterfet grace as the Magitians of Egypt counterfeited Moses and it is the policie of Satan to make nature play the part of an Ape to imitate grace in good things as Pharaoh Saul Ahab and such like to faine repentance when as they were hypocrites to make them carelesse in seeking for grace by perswading them through these fained shewes that they are sure enough of grace It is a strange thing to consider the Lucan l. 1. deceitfulnesse of mans heart nondum tibi defuit hostis man neuer wanted enemies yet none greater enemie to man In some things man is the greatest enemy to himselfe then himselfe in te verte manus he deceiues his owne selfe yea many times in matters of greatest waight in the chiefest points of his owne saluation And therefore that wee may not wholly deceiue our selues herein but somewhat vnderstand our owne estate we must consider that a thing is known three waies 1. Certainly 2. Reuealedly 3. Experimentally De 1. To know a thing infallibly is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know the first Arles 1. Mâ—â—aph cause but the first cause of grace is God himselfe and his only will is the cause why he giueth it to one and denieth it to another and therefore because God is great exceeding our capacities and Iob 36. his councels are vnsearchable for who hath knowne the minde of the Lord the Schoolemen doe most constantly auerre that à priori from the first cause we cannot possibly know the certaintie of the presence or of the absence of Gods Thom. 1. 2 ae q. 112. ar 5. Iob 9. grace in vs according to that of Iob Si venerit ad me non videbo eum si abierit non intelligam and they render three reasons to proue it expedient that we should not know it 1. That the feare of Gods iudgements might humble vs. 2. That presumptuous securitie should not ouerthrow vs. 3. That we should watchfully and earnestly desire and expect grace and seeke for the same as for siluer De 2. A man may know his estate the certainty of hauing grace by reuelation as S. Paul did when the Lord told him sufficit tibi gratia mea my grace shail be sufficient for thee De 3. A man may know the certaintie of hauing grace by experience i. by the effects and fruits of grace that he perceiueth in himselfe and this is the only way that we doe or may know that we haue any grace Now the fruits of grace are many S. Bernard reckoneth three 1. The hatred of sinnes past Bern. in l. de lib. arbit 2. The contempt of present vanities 3. The desire of future felicitie Whosoeuer findeth these things in How we may know whether we haue grace or not himselfe may assure himselfe they proceed from grace And Aquinas saith that whosoeuer doth beleeue in God delight in Christ despise the world and hate his sinnes he may assure himselfe he hath the grace of God and what can we say more then this or what can any man say lesse then this for the tree must be knowne by the fruit saith our Sauiour and therefore the knowledge of hauing grace is not by any presumptuous supposition but by a diligent examination of hauing the same by the fruits of the same and thus we say that a man may know the certaintie of his estate by the fruits of grace 1. By the
be called an Apostle with the Centurion I am not worthy thou shouldest Matth. 8. come vnder my roofe and with the Prodigall childe I am not worthy to be called thy sonne Hoc enim piarum mentum est nihil sibi tribuere for it is the parts of That we should not ascribe any goodnesse to our selues godly mindes to attribute nothing vnto themselues but to ascribe all vnto God because all is from God saith S. Augustine Et nonest dignus peccator pane quo ve scitur nec lumine coeli quo illuminatur and the sinner is not worthy of the bread wherewith he is fed nor of the light of heauen wherewith he is inlightned And therfore it is dangerous to ascribe too little to the goodnesse of God for that is to robbe him of his glory which he will not giue vnto another but there is no danger at all to ascribe too little vnto our selues because we can neuer ascribe so little vnto our selues as is due vnto vs for that nothing that is good is of our selues but all from the goodnesse of God And therefore let not the wise Ier. 9. 24. man boast of his wisdome nor the strong man of his strength nor any man in any thing that he hath but let euery man 1 Cor. 4. 7. reioyce in this that he vnderstandeth the Lord and knoweth that himselfe hath nothing but what he receiued from the Lord as the Apostle teacheth The second point may serue to teach vs these foure principall lessons 1. To reproue fortune 2. To condemne abusers 3. To teach vs to pray 4. To moue vs to thankefulnesse 1. Many thinke that things come customably vnto theÌ„ by chance or fortune That nothing in the world commeth by chance but the Apostle sheweth vs they come from a cause intelligent euen from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Christ for though God hath sinum facileâ—â— heart easie to be intreated to giue vs what we lacke yet hath he not sinum pensoratum a carelesse respect to let vs take what we like and though he openeth his hands to fill euery liuing Psa 145. 15. thing yet he letteth not his blessing to drop through his fingers without caring how or knowing to whom he bestoweth them For as he made all things in wisdome so he guideth all things with discretion and giueth his blessing with deliberate consideration And therefore we should not be like blind Moles or senselesse Swine grouelling vpon the earth to gather the acornes that doe fall from the tree and neuer looke vp to the tree from whence they fall But as we haue Sursum capita os homini sublime de dit our eies made to behold the heauens so let vs haue Sursum corda our hearts lifted vp to behold the God of heauen to be the author and giuer of grace peace For it was but a heathenish conceit to That the name of fortune is a vaine conceit inuent such a goddesse called fortune I may say of them as the Psalmist saith of idols they that make them are like vnto them and so are all they that put their trust in them for they that found her first did paint her blinde And surely they are blinde that cannot see all goodnesse come from God and from no place no cause else but from God for not only the Scriptures teach the same that euery good and perfect gift is from aboue and commeth down from the father of lights who ruleth the earth and spreadeth the heauens like a curtaine and closeth vp Orion Arcturus Iob. 9. Psal 147. the Pleiades and all the starres as vnder a signet and callech them all by their names who prepareth raine maketh the Acts 17. grasse to grow vpon the mountaines and greene herbs for the vse of men who maketh his sunne to shine vpon the good and vpon the bad and giueth life and breath vnto all things and feedeth the Rauens that call vpon him but the wisest among the heathens as Orphaeus Homer Menander Pithagoras and aboue all the Platonists doe most diuinely teach that all good things doe proceed from God and are giuen by him to whom he please as Mirandulanus hath collected out of their Iohanues Mirand l. 1. de prouid Dei workes and set downe the same at large in his first booke de prouidentia Dei 2. This should condemne the abusers We must render an account for all the gifts we haue receiued of Gods blessings for they be indeed commendata potius quam data rather commended to vs in trust then giuen to our vse and in that respect the gifts haue a threefold voice and salutation when they come vnto vs. 1. Possideto take vs and enioy vs. 2. Gratias habeto giue thanks to God for vs. 3. Rationem reddito be sure thou shalt render an account to God how thou hast vsed and imployed vs. For there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an account to be made of all the gifts and graces that God hath giuen vs especially saith Antoninus Antoninus in summis 1. De bonis naturalibus of all naturall gifts 2. De donis temporalibus of all temporall goods 3. De gratijs spiritualibus of all spirituall graces And that not only why thou hast wastefully spent them but also how or what thou hast honestly gained by them for 1. God made thy body created thy soule and adorned them both with many excellent gifts thy soule with memorie iudgement vnderstanding c. thy body with beauty and comelinesse and such like All are his gifts and doe proceed from him and therefore he will demand an account how thou hast vsed all these whether thou hast giuen thy members seruants to vncleannesse Rom. 6. 19. to commit iniquity or vnto righteousnesse in holinesse as the Apostle speaketh and whether thou hast vsed thy vnderstanding and thy learning in testimonium veri to further the truth or in adiutorium falsi to maintaine errors as Tertull. speaketh 2. Whatsoeuer temporall things we haue Dominus dedit we haue the Job 1. same from God for riches honour and promotion come neither from the East nor from the West but it is the Lord which giueth the same as pleaseth him and therefore thou must giue account whether thou hast riotously spent them vpon thy selfe as the rich Luke 16. glutton did or niggardly kept them for thy selfe as the couetous cormorants doe or else charitably bestowed them for the maintenance of the Ministerie and releefe of thy poore distressed neighbours Quia non maioris est criminis Habetur in decretis habenti tollere quam quum posses succurrere denegare indigentibus For it is as great a fault to deny helpe when thou maist doe it to the afflicted as to take away thy neighbours goods which is prohibited quia esurientium panis est quem tu detines nudorum indumentum quod tu recludis indigentium pecunia quam tu in
do vobis My peace I giue vnto you And so in manie passages of holy writ hee is said to bee the sole procurer of our peace For the discipline of our peace was laid vpon him saith Esayas And S. Paul saith that wee haue peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And so it appeares plainely that hee is the author and the giuer both of grace and peace And therefore this doth sufficiently proue the diety of our Sauiour Christ Quia Iehoua dat gratiam gloriam because none but God alone can giue either grace or glory but Iesus Christ giues both grace and glory and therefore Christ must be the true Iehoua And so you see the Apostle by both these clauses of this one sentence and by both these titles and both persons of this one God doth shew that both of them is the onely one ioynt autor and giuer of all goodnesse because grace and peace doth proceed from God our father and from our Lord Iesus Christ And because there be many that are called Gods as 1. Angels God stood in the assembly of Gods That there be many which are called Gods 2. Deuils as Dij gentium Daemonia the gods of the Gentiles are Deuils 3. Priests as offerte Dij let the Priests offer And the Gods of the earth are lifted vp 4 Kings as dixi Dij estis I said you are Gods 5. Iudges as the cause was brought ad Deos vnto the Gods and so of others therefore least we should thinke these blessings proceeded from any of these the Apostle saith they come from God the Father from our Lord Iesus Christ And so he differenceth the true God and autor of these blessings from all other Gods in these 2. especiall respects 1. Of himselfe 2. Of vs. De 1. In respect of himselfe he How the Apostle distinguisheth the true God from others Aug. de ciuit likewise differenceth him from all other Gods two waies 1. From the vnitie of his essence 2. From the trinity of the persons for 1. The Apostle sheweth that the autor of these blessings in respect of his essence is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one God and therefore though the Valentinians had their thirty couples of Gods as Irenaeus witnesseth of them and the heathens thirty thousand Gods as S. Augustine out of Varro hath collected yet doe we beleeue in God and not in Gods or as the Nicene creede hath it in one God and doe pray to this one God that he would giue vs grace and peace for we know he can doe it because he is the God of gods causa causarum extra quam nulla causa and cause of causes besides whom there can be no cause of any goodnesse and therefore if he will not we know all other cannot bestow any good thing vpon vs. 2. He sheweth that in this one God there are diuers persons for that not only the Father but also the Sonne is the autor of these blessings and if the Father and the Sonne be the Holy Ghost must needs be also for he proceedeth from them both and is the ineffable bond of both as S. Augustine speaketh and is the worker and conueyer of all blessings from God to man and therefore wheresoeuer the other two persons are expressed this third personalso must of necessity be included Quia opera trinitatis ad extra sunt indiuisa because the works of the trinitie without or in respect of outward operations are indiuisible And therefore we say we haue grace and peace from the Father tanquam a fonte as from the fountaine from the Son as from the procurer thereof and from the Holy Ghost as from the conuayer and worker of the same in our hearts and so we see that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iustin Martyr in expos fidei the vnity is vnderstood in the trinity and the trinitie is acknowledged in the vnity as Iustin Martyr speaketh But against this it may be obiected that of these 2. persons the father only is called God the sonne is called our Lord Iesus Christ Tertullian answereth quia nationes a Tertul. l. contra Praxeam f. 389. Why Christ is called Lord and not God in many places multitudine Idolorum transirent ad vnicum Deum vt differentia constitueretur inter cultores vnius plurimae diuinitatis quamuis ex conscientia scimus Dei nomen domini patri filio spiritui sancto conuenire tamen ad quamlibet occasionem effugiendam Deos omnino ne dicimus nec dominos sed Apostolus nos Apostolum sequentes Deum patrem appellamus Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum because the Gentiles from the multitude of Idols which they serued should be drawne to the seruice of the only true God that there might be a difference set betwixt the worshippers of one God and the worshippers of infinite dieties therefore although we certainly know that the name of God and the name of Lord may be fitly and most truly attributed both to the father to the son and to the Holy Ghost yet to auoid all occasions that might breede any suspition or imagination of many Gods we neuer say Gods nor Lords but as the Apostle so we with the Apostle doe call the Father God and our Lord Iesus Christ And Theoph also doth most excellently Theoph. in 1. Cor. 8. f. 966. resolue this question Quum audis vnus est Deus pater vnus Dominus Iesus Christus When thou hearest that there is one God euē the Father and our Lord Iesus Christ lest thou shouldst thinke that the name of God is only to be ascribed to the Father and the name of Lord vnto the sonne thou must know that either of these names and titles are giuen to either person without distinction as Rom. 9. the sonne is called God and Psa 109. the father is called the Lord as the Lord said to my Lord. But he maketh this distinction because he writ to the Gentiles that worshipped many gods that they should not haue any cause of imagination that we haue many gods as they had therefore he doth not call the sonne God least they that were vsed to many Gods should imagine that we had two Gods neither doth he call the father Lord least they should thinke we had two Lords And for this cause saith Theophilact neque spiritus hic vllam fecit mentionē auditorū imbecillitati parcens he makes no mention of the Holy Ghost by reason of the imbecillity and weake capacities of the hearers euen as the Prophets made no direct or plaine mention of the sonne by reason of the weake apprehensions and vnderstanding of the Iewes least they should presently apprehend some carnall natiuity obnoxious to humane affects ad oppositionem igitur vanorum Deorum non filij dixit vnum Deum patrem atque vt opponeret sese mentitis Dominis non patri dixit vnum esse dominum Iesum Christum The Apostle therefore
spittles 4. In his taste the bitternesse of gall 5. In his sight the effusion of teares his friends bewayling his foes exulting and all forsaking him 2. In his minde such thoughts and sorrowes as cannot bee conceiued much lesse by men any waies expressed and all this was done for vs and for our sake vt iniusta mors iustam vinceret mortem that hee being vniustly put to death as iniustus cum iniustis ex iniustis causis by the vniust with the vniust and for vniust causes hee might iustly deliuer vs from that iust death which wee deserued And therefore if wee behold this man of sorrow and say Quae sunt hae plagae quae sunt haec vulnera Christe What stripes or wounds bee these O blessed Christ hee will answer Et plagae sunt haec vulnera quaeque tua All these are onely thine tibi natus tibi passus tibi mortuus for I was borne for thee to suffer for thee and to dye for thee and if thou wouldst know the impulsiue cause heereof and say Si mea cur tua diripiunt tua viscera Christ◠Hee will answer Loue is the onely cause heereof O amor his plagis membra cruent at amor his loue to man is the cause of all these things And all these things are sufficient arguments to shew the superabundancie of his loue to man aboue all other creatures whatsoeuer and therefore in many places this great loue of God is shewed with notes of incomprehensiblenesse as so God loued the world so as it cannot be expressed and againe behold what manner of loue the father hath shewed vnto vs that we should be called the sonnes of God And yet heere we must vnderstand that this loue of God to mankinde is twofold 1. common to the iust and vniust Bern. Serm. 14. de coena domini 2. speciall to the Elect onely in whom the loue of God doth more manifestly appeare and vpon whom hee bestoweth all the benefits of his loue And of these also hee loueth some The holier we are the dearer God loues vs. better then others for there bee three sorts of Elects 1. Some whom God hath decreed to iustifie but as yet are not regenerate as Paul while he was a Persecutor 2. Others in whom regeneration is inchoated and the reliques of sinne remaining as the Saints in earth 3. Others in whom perfect obedience is effected and their sanctification fully accomplished as the Saints in heauen He loueth the first wel the second better but the third best of al for the holier we be the neerer vnto his image the dearer wee are beloued of him and therefore hee saith diligentes me diligo I loue them that loue me and I will shew mercie on them that keepe my commandements as if hee should say I loue all men well but I loue them especially aboue all men that loue me and keepe my commandements And this S. Augustine sheweth most excellently Aug. tom 9. in Ioh. saying Omnia diligit Deus quae fecit inter ea magis diligit creaturas rationabiles de illis eas amplius quae sunt membra vnigeniti sui multo magis vnigenitum God loueth all that hee made and among them hee chiefly loueth his reasonable creatures that is men and of all men the members of his sonne and his sonne himselfe aboue them all Now these things being thus made manifest what the loue of God is how farre it extendeth and how hee loueth all creatures it is easie enough to know whom the Apostle meaneth by the beloued of God not those that he loued best for they were in heauen and not in Rome nor those that he loued least because they liued in their sinnes but those that were regenerated and sanctified in some measure as the next words doe declare called to be Saints De 2. The Apostle in these few What lessons wee may learne from this doctrine of the loue of God words doth giue vs to learne many things but especially 1. A confutation of heretiques 2. A consolation for Christians 3. A manifold instruction for all men in their liues and conuersations 1. Seeing the Apostle doth not call them diligentes Deum the Louers of God or those that loue God though they did so too but dilectos Dei beloued of God or those whom God did loue hee sheweth hereby that the loue The loue of God to vs is the cause of all our goodnesse of God is the primary and efficient cause of our sanctitie and goodnesse and not our goodnes the cause of his loue and therefore this confuteth the Doctrine of humane merit and the foggie mist of the Pelagian heresie fayning fancying certaine causes without God as the Schoole-men speake that is not subsisting in God himselfe but externally mouing the will of God to determine and dispose of sundry things As if the workes of men foreseene of God and not the loue of God to men were the cause why hee elected and called them vnto sanctity that not his loue and grace to vs but our good vsing of his grace should bee the cause why he bestoweth his grace vpon vs. A doctrine cleane contrary to the order of this Scripture and indeede contrary to all truth for our Sauiour telleth his disciples you haue not chosen Ioh. 15. mee but I haue chosen you and ordained that you should bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remaine Whereupon S. Augustine most excellently hic vacat vana illorum ratiocinatio S. Aug. Tract 86. in Iohan. qui praescientiam Dei defendunt contra gratiam Dei this confuteth their vaine babling which defend the prescience of God to the derogation and preiudice of the grace of God For if God did therefore chuse vs because he did foresee know we would be good then he did not choose vs to make vs good but rather we choose him in purposing to be good but our Sauiour saith you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and the Apostle sheweth that Eph. 1. 4. God did not choose vs because hee foresaw wee would bee holy but hee chose vs to the end we might be holy and that he did not predestinate vs vpon the fore-sight of the good vse of our free will but according to the good pleasure of his owne will quae omnium quae sunt ipsa est causa And therefore nullum eligit dignum S. Aug. contra Iul. pelag li. 5. c. 3. sed aligendo efficit dignū God did chuse none because he was worthie but God maketh him worthy because he chuseth him neither doth he loue any of vs because we loue him first but therefore 1 Iohn 4. 19. we loue him because he loued vs first for if he had neuer loued vs we could neuer haue loued him his loue therefore to vs is the cause of our loue to him and of all other our goodnesse and not our loue and goodnesse the cause
our hearts condemne vs not of sinne as the Apostle sheweth 1 Iohn 2. A good name and report ariseth hence when we giue none occasion vnto men to suspect ill of vs. And therefore as he that committeth sinne and therefore can haue no good conscience towards God may notwithstanding through the concealing and close cariage of the same retaine a good report with men and continue in the good opinion of the world so he that committeth not sinne and therefore hath a good conscience towards God may notwithstanding by his indiscretion and want of circumspection giue many causes of iust suspitions of guiltinesse and so lose his reputation and good esteeme in the world And therefore that we may haue a good conscience towards God we must abstaine from all euill and that wee may Hee that would haue a good name must auoid all appearaÌ„ce of euill 1 Thes 5. 22. haue a good report in the world wee must abstaine from all appearance of euill and giue no cause to any man to suspect ill of vs for as the prouerbe is He that will auoid an ill name Must auoid all that cause the same And He that will no euill doe Pro. 15. 15. Must doe nothing that belongs thereto And so when our hearts and consciences tell vs that wee neither did the euill nor gaue any cause in the world for any man to suspect vs of euill then shall we be happie indeed our hearts will be at peace and our consciences better then a continuall feast And thus you see the kindes of peace and you see the goodnesse of each kinde of peace that nothing can be more excellent then this blessed peace nor any thing in the world more miserable then to want the same And therefore nec vidisse satis est iuuat vsque morari I am loth to part yet from this point of The meanes to procure each kinde of peace peace and I hope we shall not lose our labour if we stay a little longer to consider how we may obtaine each kinde of peace that makes the obtainer happie and therefore I say 1. That we may finde peace with God 1. How to finde peace with God we must doe three especiall things 1. To beleeue in Christ 2. To auoid sinne 3. To doe good 1. We must beleeue in Christ for he is the Prince of peace and the only Esay 9. 6. Peace-maker betweene the mortall sinner and the immortall God but Christ dwelleth Eph. 3. 17. Aug. de Agon Christ ca. 12. in our hearts by faith saith the Apostle Et fides est prima quae subiugat animam Deo And our faith in Christ is the first thing that subiecteth our soule to God saith S. Augustine and so by faith in Christ we liue by faith in him Rom. 1. 17. we are reconciled to God we are iustified Rom. 3. 25. 28. sanctified saued And therefore without faith it is vnpossible to please God it is vnpossible to Act 15. 9. be at peace with God for as he that beleeueth Ephes 2. 8. on him is not condemned so he that beleeueth not on him is condemned already because hee hath not beleeued in the Iohn 3. 18. name of the only begotten Sonne of God and because in not beleeuing on him he maketh God alier and beleeueth not the record that God gaue of his Sonne 1 Ioh. 5. 10. 11. 12. which is that God hath giuen vs eternall life and that this life is in his Sonne and that whosoeuer hath the Sonne hath life and whosoeuer hath not the Sonne hath not life And therefore this should teach vs Faith is obtained increased by 3. especiall meanes all carefull diligence to get to preserue and to increase this precious gift of faith and that by three speciall means 1. By the hearing of the word 2. By the recouring of the Sacraments 3. By the feruencie of our prayers For 1. Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. 17. and hearing by the word of God saith the Apostle Et accenditur fidei lampaâ—igne diuini verbi And the lampe of faith is kindled by the fire of the heauenly word saith S. Chrysostome And so the Chrys in Matth. 25. Eph. 1. 13. Ephesians are said to haue beleeued in Christ after they had heard the word of Christ And therefore wee should bee euer willing and alwayes readie to heare the preaching of the word of God for the more we heare the more we shall increase our faith and the lesse we heare the lesse faith we shall be sure to haue 2. The Sacraments are Sigilla Dei the great seales of God that ratifie vnto vs the word of God that by two immutable Heb. 6. 18. things viz. Gods writing and Gods seale we might haue a strong consolation And they bee verba visibilia Euangelij the visible words of the Gospell that doe set before our eyes the sacrifice of Christ and shew in a visible manner how Christ was crucified for vs and shed his bloud for the remission of our sinnes And therefore wee should not neglect the frequent vse of these blessed meanes that God hath giuen vs to increase our faith 3. The prayer of a faithfull man auaileth James 5. 16. much to procure any thing at the hands of God if it be feruent saith the Apostle And therefore as Christ prayed Luke 22. 32. for S. Peter that his faith should not faile so should wee pray to God that hee would preserue and increase our faith and because the preaching of the word is but the demonstration of the Spirit and 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. faith is in the power of God therefore we should the rather pray that when Act. 16. 14. Christ is preached the Lord would sanctifie our hearts and open them as he did the heart of Lidia that we might beleeue in Christ 2. We must auoid sinne for sinne is the continuall make-bate betweene the righteous God and the vnrighteous man sinne writeth bitter things against Iob 13. 26. vs sinne layeth vs open before the face of God and sinne moueth his iealousie to burne like fire against vs for Psal 4. hee hateth all those that worke wickednesse And therefore if we would be at peace with God wee must be at warre with sinne as I said before and we must not only repent vs of the old sinnes that we haue committed but we must also resist all those new sinnes whereunto we shall be enticed for sinne is like Antaeus the gyant as oft as it is throwne downe viresque animumque resumit It will presently set a fresh vpon vs and the more eagerly seeke our ouerthrow and therefore we must manfully resist all the inticements of sinne or else our sinnes like those wilde horses Qui circum illiacos raptarunt hectora Virgilius muros will teare vs in peeces while there is none to helpe vs. 3. We must doe good for righteousnesse and peace haue kissed
motion and euery action is from God and therefore euery sinne To this it is briefly answered that in euery sinne there are three things to be considered 1. The act 2. The obliquity 3. Obligation to punishment 1. For the act we say it is from God Rom. 11. 36. for of him and in him and for him are all things i. aswell actions as substances as Augustine saith 2. The obliquitie or corruption of Aug. to 7. de grat lib. arb c. 20. the action is only from man and no waies from God as from an efficient cause thereof Neither should this seeme strange to any man that in the selfe same sinnefull The action and the obliquitie of the act two different things act we consider the act and the obliquitie of the act and doe affirme the one to be from God and therefore good and the other from our selues and therefore euill for howsoeuer the obliquitie doth alwaies reside in the act as priuation in a subiect yet they be two distinct things and may in our vnderstandings admit a seperation of the one from the other And the action must needs be good or else the obliquity could not subsist for sinne hath not any being in rerum natura if we consider it simply in it selfe but as it is subsistent in some subiect that is good as the Philosophers doe most truly affirme And therefore we say that there is no being nothing that doth subsist in rerum natura whether it be a substance or an action that can be so euill but it is also good but in diuers respects as euill in regard of the priuation of good and good in regard of the subiect wherein this priuation of good doth inhere And so you see that although euerie action is from God yet the sinne and the obliquitie of the action is from man But then againe it is obiected that God knoweth we will commit the sinne when we doe commit the act and he knew Adam would sinne when he created Adam and therefore he should either hinder vs to sinne or not complaine that we doe sinne I answer that knowledge being a The knowledge of God that man will sinne is not the cause that he doth sinne meere conceining of a thing which is a thing proper to the vnderstanding and not to the will cannot worke any thing outwardly and therefore cannot be the cause of any thing for I know that an old man must needs die and that a rotten house will soone fall if it be not re-edified and yet I am the cause of neither euen so Deus nos peccatores noscit sed non facit God knoweth that we will sinne but he doth not cause vs to sinne saith Saint Augustine Aug. l. 7. d◠anima And I confesse that God can as easily hinder sinne as to suffer sinne to be committed and could as easily haue hindered Adam to haue sinned as to forgiue him when he had sinned for we must not thinke that God suffereth sinne against his will because he cannot hinder it for that doth derogate from the power of God but vpon iust reasons and for many excellent causes he made man so that he might either stand or fall 1. To shew a difference betwixt the Why God made man mutable Creator and the creature for immutability is proper only vnto God and therefore he made all intelligible creatures both men and Angels so that they might either stand or fall 2. That they might be the more praise-worthy if they did stand or most iustly condēned if they did fall Nam si diabolus seductionis potestatem Chrys oper imperfect ho. 55. non accepisset homo probationis mercedem non recipisset for if the deuill had not receiued power to tempt vs and man that libertie of will either to haue yeelded or resisted then man could not haue had the reward of his resistance or the reproofe of his deficiencie saith Saint Chrysostome And so you see the reasons why God made man so that hee might stand or fall And there bee many reasons why hee suffered him and doth suffer all others to fall into sins Among which I finde these three reasons chiefly alledged 1. For the declaration of his iustice Why God suffered Adam and all the sonnes of Adam to fall in the punishing of all sinnes 2. For the manifestation of his mercies in the pardoning of many sinnes 3. For the suppression of our pride and the declaration of our weake and miserable estate that without his especiall grace wee cannot keepe and preserue our selues from any sinne But yet further it will bee obiected Ob. that the Scripture seemes plainely to attribute the verie sinne vnto God as the Lord turned the hearts of the Aegyptians Psal 105. that they should hate his people and deale vntruly with his seruants that hee hardned the heart of Pharaoh and the heart of Eglon and such like Iudg. 3. I answer that in euerie sinne there are three concurring agents to be considered And the sinne is ascribed sometimes to the one and sometimes to the other but euer in a different respect As 1. It is ascribed to God as the author How sinne is ascribed to God to the deuill to man by whom we receiue power to doe euerie action and motion And as the voluntarie sufferer of the obliquitie or prauitie of the action for the reasons aboue shewed and thus God is said to harden the hearts of the wicked or to deliuer Psal 81. 13. Rom. 1. Aug. tom 7. de gratia lib. arbit cap. 20. them to vile affections Non malum efficiendo sed gratiam denegando Not by effecting the euill but by suffering man to haue that power to doe the euill and by denying his grace to hinder and preuent that euill 2. It is ascribed to Satan as the inticer and suggester of man to the prauitie of each action motion and so Satan is said to haue moued Dauid to number 1 Chron. 21. 1. 2 Cor. 4. Israel to haue filled the heart of Ananias and to haue blinded the eyes of the wicked not by giuing any power to doe any action or motion for that is only from God but by enticing man à directo Tullius in parad scopo aberrare to passe the prescribed bounds and so to peruert to corrupt euerie action 3. It is ascribed to man as the next author of the action and the sole doer of the sinne by auerting from the right scope and yeelding to the enticement of Satan to depraue and corrupt the action And so Pharaoh is said to haue Exod. 7. 22. c. 8. 16. hardened his owne heart and all the wicked are said to walke in their owne Gen. 6. 5. wayes and according to the lusts of their owne hearts And therefore all sinnes Psal 8 1. are properly the works of men because they are the next and immediate authors of the same Lastly it is obiected
suae and to be alwaies contemplating of her chiefest blisse and to enioy the fruition of the chiefest good This verie point if there were no more should moue all men to be How negligent we are for our soules more carefull of this heauenly soule then of our earthly bodies And yet we see all our care is to pamper the body and come what will of the soule And therefore a merrie fellow meeting with a friend that protested he loued him as deerely as his owne soule answered I would thou louest me as well as thou louest thy body For I see thou art fat and well liking thou feedest thy body daintily and clothest it gorgeously but how thou louest thy soule I know not And so we doe all we care not what expence we bestow vpon our rotten bodies but we thinke all to much that we doe to adorne and beautifie this diuine soule We are like that fellow that was wonderfull fat himselfe and rode vpon a leane horse and being demanded why himselfe was so fat and his horse so leane he answered he fed himselfe with his owne hands but he committed the care of his horse to his man Dicke So doe we feed our bodies our selues but we commit the care of our soules to others let them looke to our soules or let them perish But indeed the excellencie of the soule should make vs all more diligent for the soule for this is it that maketh man more excellent then all other creatures And more properly the sonne of God then all other sonnes of God And therefore the Heathen man could say Qui animum curat seipsum curat qui corpus non se sed sua curat Demosten apud Volat. qui pecuniam non se nec sua sed valde aliena curat 2. God is said to be the Father of man not only in regard of generation because he thus created him in his owne similitude and likenesse but also in respect of regeneration because he redeemed and deliuered vs from our father the deuill and restored vs againe to the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God For when man had sinned and so from the sonne of God had made himselfe the sonne of satan there were foure things saith venerable Bede imposed vpon man for his transgression 1. Ignorance Venerab Beda 2. Impotence 3. Concupiscence 4. Malice For 1. Sinne hath so filled vs with blindnesse as the Apostle sheweth Ephes 4. 18. that it is naturall for euerie man to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so darkned in the ir vnderstandings Tit. 3. 3. that we neither know God nor yet our selues 2. Sinne hath made vs so fraile Foure things inflicted on man for sinne and so miserable as that we haue no ability in the world either to doe or say or wish or thinke any thing that is good as I haue sufficiently shewed already 3. Sinne maketh vs to long and lust with all greedinesse for that which is euill Nitimur inuetitum semper cupimusque negata Stolne waters are sweet vnto vs. And our nature is such as that we doe not only quod vetitur the thing that is forbidden but we doe it quia vetitur because it is forbidden so farre doth our concupiscence lead vs. 4. Sinne makes vs so malicious to all goodnesse that although our iudgement should tell vs that such a thing is good yet are we so auerse to goodnesse that we will forsake it to follow euill as the Poet in Medea speaketh Video proboque meliora deteriora sequor Seneca Medea I see what is good I allow it yet nature makes me follow that which is euill And so these things made man now like vnto satan that was made before in the likenesse of God Therefore God respecting and pittying our most lamentable and miserable estate he sent his only Sonne Christ Iesus to be made vnto vs 1. Wisdome 2. Iustification 3. Sanctification 4. Redemption Foure soueraigne salues for our foure dangerous maladies 1. He was made vnto vs wisdome How Christ was made vnto vs a fourefold salue to cure fourefold maladies For that all our knowledge without the knowledge of Christ is but prudentia carnis foolishnesse vnto God but in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge 2. He was made vnto vs righteousnes for that all our righteousnes in respect of nature is but pollutio panniâ— like the righteousnes of the Gentiles staines filthinesse in respect of the law but storia abducta like the righteousnesse of the Pharises sin guilded vnprofitable because vnpossible to be performed but my righteous seruant shall iustifie many saith the Lord and therefore beleeue in him which iustifieth the vngodly 3. He was made our Sanctification For that in all men there is defection and in the Angels vnfaithfulnesse hath beene found and how can we be cleane that were borne in sinne and conceiued in iniquity but in Christ there was no sinne and in his mouth was found no guile 4. He was made vnto vs redemption for that all the former things had beene vnauailable for vs nisi etiam sanguis interpellitâ—â— pro me vt saluus sim vnlesse his bloud doth intercede for me that I may be saued and therefore Christ gaue himselfe to be the price of our redemption so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to suffer for vs to shed his bloud for vs and to die for vs and for our sinnes to saue vs from hell and to rise againe for our iustification to bring vs vnto heauen in illa instituit in ista restituit saith Saint Bernard by the former parauit nos mansioni he made vs fit for heauen and by the latter parauit mansionem nobis he prepared heauen for vs by the first we haue remission of our sins and by the second we haue hope of euerlasting life But if any man will say the righteousnesse is Christs and the sufferings were Christs and what is that to me I answer that the fault was Adams fault and is that nothing to thee And therefore vt peccatum in semine it a iustitia in sanguine as sinne is iustly mine by propagation so it is not incongruous that righteousnesse should be mine by imputation for Christ saith Saint Ambrose mihi natus mihi passus mihi doluit quia sibi non habuit quod deleret did all whatsoeuer he did for me for that there was no cause why he should doe any thing for himselfe And therefore seeing Christ died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification and now sitteth at the right hand of God to make intercession for vs though our bodies be but semen terrae esca verminum dust and ashes and the foode of vermins yet our hope is that they shall be â—hanged and be made like vnto the glorious bodie of Christ And thus are we made againe the sonnes of God by regeneration because we are borne of God i. of water and of the spirit which spirit
where I heare no Iesus no thing shall delight me where I finde no Iesus for he is the honie vnto my mouth musicke vnto my eares and all the ioy and delight of my heart And therefore sweet Iesus forsake me not and let not mine enemies triumph ouer me And so much for the second title that expresseth the goodnesse of God the Sonne Iesus Now followeth the third Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the first word Iesus the Apostle sheweth that he whom before he had called our Lord and Master is our Sauiâ—ur and in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he sheweth how he was fitted for the executing of that office to saue vs viz. that he was annointed to be a King a Priest and a Prophet that he might guide vs redeeme vs and instruct vs. From whence we may obserue before we passe any further that those whom God intendeth to imploy in any That God furnisheth euery man that he sendeth of his businesse with sufficient gifts to discharge that dutie especiall office he maketh them sit and furnisheth them with gifts sutable to the nature of the businesse in which he mears to imploy them For when he sent Moses vnto Pharaoh I will be with thy mouth saith God because Moses said I haue a stuttering tongue and when he sent Esay to prophesie he touched his tongue with a burning coale from his Altar The very like we finde in Ieremie in Ezechiel and in all the Prophets and Apostles he filled them with the holy Ghost that they might doe the worke of the holy Ghost and so here of his owne Sonne he annointed him prae consortibus aboue his fellowes that he might be a Iesus to saue his fellowes And therefore let euery one take heed how he enters into any office in Gods businesse lest the Lord should say vnto him friend how camest thou in hither being no waies fitted for my seruice surely thou didst run before I sent thee thou didst thrust thy selfe before I called thee and therefore I will thrust thee out before thou art willing to goe take him binde him hand and foot and cast him into vtter darknesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth But because few consider how they are fitted for their places but only what gaine and profit they shall reape by their places therefore I wish that they who placed them vpon hope of their sufficiency would likewise displace them vpon the fight of their deficiencie and vnworthinesse of their places and calling for though some thinke the calling of the Ministers to be character indelibilis and therefore once a minister neuer to be depriued yet I say that herein they deceiue themselues because they doe not rightly distinguish betwixt the outward the inward character for there be foure sorts of men imployed in the businesse Ieron l. 1. c. 1. comment in Galat. Foure sorts of men in the ministerie of the Gospell as Saint Ierome saith 1. The first sort were sent immediatly by Christ as were the Prophets and Apostles 2. The second sort were sent of God but by the allowance and approbation of men and these two sorts are euer furnished with gifts sufficient for the discharging of their callings from God and therefore can no waies be discharged or depriued by man 3. The third sort are sent of men and not of God and these may be silenced and excluded from the ministery For as they had power to ordaine them when they thought them fit so they haue power to depriue them when they see them vnfit either in respect of their notorious crimes or erroneous opinions or some such other iust and lawfull cause 4. The fourth are those that are neither sent by God nor yet by men therfore should be prohibited and restrained by men else should we haue no order either in Church or common-wealth And so you see that those which are not called nor yet fitted for their callings from God may be restrained That vnworthy Ministers should be displaced by men and should be in mine opinion because the fitting and furnishing of men with gifts answerable to their callings are the chiefest signes that they are called by God For so we see the Sonne of God being appointed to be the Sauiour of men he was annointed of God and so fitted for the office of a Redeemer Now touching this annointing of Iesus for so the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vngo or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnctio for to fit him to be a Sauiour we must necessarily consider these two points 1. How he was annointed 2. To what end he was annointed De 1. There was a two-fold annointing 1. Inwardly with the 〈◊〉 of grace 2. Outwardly with materiall oyle In the first sense Abraham Isaac and Iacob were Christi Dei the annointed of God for of them it was spoken touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme but annointing with materiall oyle was not yet in rerum natura and therefore their annointing was with the gifts of Gods spirit In the second sense the Kings the Priests the Prophets were after the time of Moses annointed with materiall oyle and of this outward annointing some thinke there were two kinds 1. Either with the vulgar and common oyle or 2. With the holy oyle that hee commandeth Exod. 30. Moses to make And they say that the Priests only were to be annointed with the holy oyle because the Lord saith Whosoeuer shall make the like oyntment or whosoeuer shall put any of it vpon a stranger or any Israelite saue only the Priests saith the glosse euen he shall be cut off from his people But against this we may obiect that Sadocke tooke the horne of oyle from the Temple and annointed Salomon and Dauid saith of himselfe I found Dauid my seruant with my holy oyle haue I annointed him And so Euthymius and Genebrard doe affirme that Samuel and the rest of the Prophets That Christ was not annointed with materiall oyle did annoint the Kings with this holy oyle Now our Sauiour was not annointed with any materiall oyle for that his kingdome was not of this world nor his Aug. in Psal 140. Priest-hood after the order of Aaron but as the Patriarchs were Vncti ante vnctionem annointed with the inward vnction of the Holy Ghost so was our Sauiour Christ as S. Peter testifieth God annointed him with the Holy Ghost and with power And so Esay cap. 61. And so Saint Cyril Saint Augustine Cyril c. de fide Aug. de Trinit l. 15. c. 26. Naz. orat 4. de Theolog Nazianzen and others say quod vnxit eum Deus Spiritu Sancto non visibili oleo sed dono gratiae that he was annointed not with oyle but with grace But here you must vnderstand that Christ was farre otherwise annointed with the Holy Ghost then were the Patriarks or any other whatsoeuer For he was annointed with