vs expressely that the Sonne of God gaue himselfe And hee contenteth not himselfe too say that Christ gaue himselfe for the worlde in common for that had bin but a slender saying but sheweth that euerie of vs must applie too himselfe particularly the vertue of the death and passion of oure Lorde Iesus Christ VVhereas it is sayde that the Sonne of God was crucified we must not onely thinke that the same was done for the Redemption of the worlde but also euerie of vs must on his owne behalfe ioyne himselfe too our Lorde Iesus Christ and conclude It is for me that hee hath suffered Likewise when wee bee baptized as it is not for any one man alone so is not the water sprinckled vppon all men in common but euerie man is baptized seuerally in his owne behalfe too the ende that euerie of vs may applie it particularly too himselfe too saye that wee bee all members of our Lorde Iesus Christ Also when wee receyue the holy Supper euery man taketh his owne portion too shewe vs that oure Lorde Iesus Christ is communicated vntoo vs yea euen to euerie one of vs. S. Paule therefore dooth purposely vse that maner of speech too the ende wee shoulde not haue any colde imagination after the maner of diuerse ignorant persons which take themselues too bee Christians and yet in the meane while are as wretched beastes But when we once knowe that the thing which was done for the redemption of the whole worlde perteyneth to euery of vs seuerally it behoueth euery of vs to say also on his owne behalfe The sonne of God hath loued me so deerly that he hath giuen himself to death for me Furthermore the worde Loue is not superfluous here for Saint Paules intent is too magnifie the gracious goodnesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ as if he shoulde say that we be verie wretches if we accept not such a benefite when it is offered vs seeing that God in sending vs his sonne had none other respect but to our miseries which hee intended too relieue Also our Lord Iesus Christ did so neglect himselfe that he spared not his life for our welfare And what was the cause of it The loue that he bare vs. Seeing it is so must wee not needes be worse than out of our wittes if we accept not such a benefite But it is a verie common doctrine in the holy Scripture that God so loued the worlde that hee spared not his onely sonne but gaue him too death for vs and also that our Lorde Iesus Christ at such time as wee were his deadly enimies as sayth Saint Paule did confirme a maruellous loue towardes vs in that he offered himself in sacrifice to make attonement betweene God and vs and too doo away all our sinnes so as they might no more come to account Lo heere a warrant of our saluation so as wee ought to thinke our selues throughly assured of it Howbeit S. Paule ment purposely here too rebuke mens vnthankefulnesse in that they accept not the benefite which God graunteth them so bountifully yea and of hys owne free goodnesse For it behoueth vs too call to minde howe Saint Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle sayeth that we loued not God first as if shoulde saye wee did not preuent him as those thinke they doo which say I haue done him suche seruice and such For alas what is it that wee can do too him but that he loued vs yea euen at such time as we were his deadly enimies and came euen then to seeke vs out in the verie deepest of the bottomlesse Dungeons And therevppon Saint Paule addeth that hee dooth not dispize or shake off the grace of God This is the knitting vppe of the things that wee haue hythertoo seene For heere he ment too shewe that the Diuell must needes possesse those that make none accounte of Gods mercie that is vttered in our Lorde Iesus Christ and dayly offered vs in his Gospell For looke howe oft the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ is preached vntoo vs and the infinite goodnesse of our God talked of so oft is this message renued vntoo vs that our Lorde Iesus Christ calleth vs vntoo hym to the ende we should forsake the worlde and being out of all hope in our selues fasten and settle our whole trust in him Sith it is so it is good reason that we should not reiect the grace of God And S. Paule in saying so ment to call backe suche as had gone astray before and too shewe them the way as if he had sayde whereas the poore ignorant soules that neuer heard worde of the Gospel might be excuzed we must needes be worse than damnable seeing we refuze the grace of God when it is offered vs for it smelleth of such an vnthankefulnesse as can by no meanes be excused Saint Paule therefore dooth heere make mention of those whome our Lorde Iesus Christ calleth too the hope of saluation by his Gospell and yet doo still welter in their owne wretchednesse and become brutishe not knowing whither there bee a better lyfe or no◠or else of suche as are sufficiently tormented wyth inwarde heartbyting and yet seeke no remedie nor cōfort Yet notwithstanding all they too whome our Lorde Iesus Christ hath not preached his Gospell shall not fayle to perishe without mercie They cannot defende themselues by ignorance I say that all the heathen folke and Idolaters that euer were must haue their mouthes stopped And what shal become of vs then which haue had our eares beaten dayly with the message that God sendeth vs which is that hee requireth nothing but that we should be drawne vnto him wherevnto he incourageth yea and beseecheth vs as we haue seene in the second to the Corinthians It is not a great shame for vs that God should so farre abace himselfe in the person of his onely sonne that he should beseech vs Let vs fall to attonement sayth he And what hath he done on hys side VVhat hath hee offended vs Nay contrariwise wee ceasse not to prouoke him dayly agaynst vs and yet he commeth too say vnto vs I will fall too attonement with you whereas notwithstanding there is nothing but spitefulnesse in vs we be like little feends and to be short we bee damned and forlorne and yet commeth he to seeke vnto vs and desireth nothing but too haue th◠attonement made After that maner speaketh Saint Paule woorde for woorde But nowe what will become of vs if wee reiect such grace seing that God offereth it vs so freely This is it which is ment by that saying And therevppon hee concludeth in the ende that if wee seeke rightuousnesse in the Lawe Iesus Chryst dyed in vayne As if hee shoulde say that if wee iutende to inioy the grace that is conteyned in the Gospell wee muste vtterly gyue ouer the fonde opinion of our owne merites For men are deceyued by bearing themselues in hand that there is euer somwhat of value in
euery thing neuer beeing resolued of any one poynt Of which sort also are the Papists who haue an infinite number of doubts among them And no maruell at all for they knowe not too what master they must yeeld their account Euery of them talkes according to the disposition of his owne brayne one sayes to my seeming such a thing would be good another sayes Lo this my deuotion telleth me and the third says it were good yet that this or that were doone more Now when they be once entred into suche a maze at length they fall to doubting whether they may kembe their heades or no and make a scrupulousnesse with whiche finger they shoulde feede themselues and of euery thing else To bee short there is neyther ende nor measure of their fondnesse VVhen S. Paule intendeth to shew what it is to be wrapped in mens traditions he saith that wheÌ„ they haue once forbidden too eate flesh anone after they forbid to tast it and when they haue forbiddeÌ„ to tast it soone after they forbid to touch it Yee see then that the way for vs to maynteyne the libertie that is purchased for vs by the death passion of our lord Iesus Christ is first too knowe in what wise God will bee serued and honored to the ende wee be not tossed with so many scruples of conscience for want of discerning what is good or euill but determine fully and certenly with our selues to follow Gods word assuring our selues also that in so dooing wee can not doo amisse And secondly to serue one anothers turne that none of vs bee so addicted to his owne selfe as to ouermate his fellowes but bee so gentle kindharted as euery of vs haue an eye wherin he may aduauntage or succor his neybour absteyning froÌ„ all offence giuing so as it be not sayd I care not for suche a one or for suche a one I passe not whether he sinke or swim but that for as much as our Lorde Iesus Christ hath linked vs â—â—gither too bee members of his Churche wee holde fast the sayde doctrine that is too witte first that God be honored and serued among vs as he commaundeth and secondly that wee agree in suche wise togither as wee labour through meeknesse to matche our selues one with another and to serue one anothers turne notwithstanding that wee be free still to Godwarde as in respect of our consciences And now let vs fall down before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs so too feele them as it may humble vs before hym and drawe vs too true repentance and wee go forwarde therin more and more groning continually vnder the burthen of our sinne till wee be quite clensed and vtterly ridded of it And that it may please the same good God to beare with vs and not to handle vs so rigorously as he could doo but to guide vs in suche wise by his holy spirite as he may both forgiue and forget our sinnes till we be fully clensed froÌ„ them That it may please him to graunt this grace not only to vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth c. The. 35. Sermon which is the fifth vpon the fifth Chapter 14 For all the Lavve is fulfilled in one vvorde vvhich is this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self 15 If yee bite and deuour one another bevvare that yee be not consumed one of another 16 But I say vnto you vvalke after the spirite and yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh 17 Surely the flesh lusteth contrarie too the spirite and the spirite contrarie to the flesh For these things are one agaynst another so as yee can not do all things as yee vvould 18 But and if yee be led by the spirite then are yee not vnder the Lavve WE see that Moyses intending to bring the lawe into a summe to the ende wee might knowe what was taught vs and tolde vs sayth that God will be loued of vs as good reason it is that we should first sticke vnto him be knit vnto him and afterward that there should be such a bonde of friendship among our selues as we might bee knit togither as members of one bodie And our Lord Iesus Christ also sayth that that is the thing wherby his disciples may be knowen shewing therin that he brought not vp any doctrine contrarie to that which god had always giuen to the people of olde time And for that cause S. Paule sayth now that the fulfilling of the lawe consisteth in this worde that we loue our neibours Not that God ought in the meane while to be forgotten as I haue tolde you heeretofore for it is good reason that hee should be set formost and bee preferred before all his creatures in so muche that for his sake wee ought to forget euen our father and mother our wife and children and all that euer is in this world Neuerthelesse to loue God and to loue our neibours in their degree are not things contrarie For when euery man walketh in charitie thereby he sheweth the loue that he beareth to his God according also as I haue declared And that is the cause why I stande no longer vpon these poynts To be short if wee be giuen to our selues it is a token that wee know not what it is to cary Gods yoke for that is the thing whervnto our own nature driueth vs. Now as we shal see anone men are wholly inclined to all euil therwithal they giue the bridle to all their lusts they make war agaynst God al their whole life is nothing else but a rebellion which sheweth that the diuell doth so possesse al our affectioÌ„s that God can not way with vs til we haue beateÌ„ down al that is of our own nature Now then we know that he which loueth his neibours seeketh not his owne nor is giueÌ„ to himself That therfore is a true certeÌ„ profe that we be desirous to obey God to rule our life according to his word Also our Lord Iesus Christ beginneth at the same poynt wheÌ„ he intendeth to shew briefly what his doctrine is It is saith he a learning to renounce or forsake ourselues For so long as we followe our own trace we must needes go ful coÌ„trary to Gods wil. So then it is not without cause that S. Paule saith in this text that the whole law coÌ„sisteth in this poynt that we loue our neibours But it behoueth vs to mark that by this word neibour God meeneth not our kinsfolk friends at whose haÌ„ds we hope for some profite or aduantage or which haue deserued some recoÌ„pence at our hands but he wil haue vs to haue an eye to the coÌ„mon aliance which he hath set amoÌ„g vs. Therfore we be al formed after his image we beare his mark Besides this we be al of one nature that ought to hold vs in true vnitie brotherhod But many
peâ—uishnesse is a daungerous plague when wee will needes haue the custome of any one Churche too bee receiued for an vniuersall Lawe And that proceedeth of an vnaduised zele when wee bee so affectioned to some maister or place that without any iudgement we will bind all men to that one mannes minde or all places too the ordinances of that onely onâ—â—place as to a common rule Soothly there is alwaies ambition mingled â–ª with that maner of dealing or to speake more rightly suche ouer great waywardnesse is alwaies full of vainglorie But too returne too these false Apostles if their foolish fondnesse had led them no further than onely to assay too bring in the vse of the Ceremonies euery where which they had seene kept at Ierusalem they had done ill inough already For there was no reason why they should of a custome make by and by a common rule But there was yet a further mischief namely their wicked and harmefull doctrine whereby they ment too bind mennes consciences and to ground rightuousnesse in the keeping of Ceremonies Nowe wee vnderstand why S. Paule speaketh so earnestly in defence of his Apostleship and wherefore he setteth himself against the other Apostles He pursueth that matter till towardes the latter end of the second chapter where he openeth a gap to treate of his peculiar matter that is to wit that wee be iustified freely before God and not by the workes of the Lawe For the reason wherevpon he groundeth himself is this If the Ceremonies bee not able too iustifie a man then is not the keeping of them necessarie Howbeeit he treateth not only of Ceremonies but of workes in generall for otherwise it were but a very colde discourse If any man thinke that this is a drawing aloofe from the matter Let him consider twoo things First that the question coulde not otherwise bee resolued than by taking that generall principle that we be iustified freely by the only grace of God which principle excludeth not onely Ceremonies but also all other woorkes And secondly that S. Paule stoode not so much vpon the Ceremonies themselues as vpon the wicked opinion that folowed them that is too wit of purchacing saluation by woorkes Therefore let vs marke that the holy Apostle dealeth not impertineÌ„tly in beginning his matter so farre off but that it stoode him on hand too touche the welspring of the whole matter to the end that the readers might vnderstand that the thing whiche he dealeth with heere is no trifle but of most importance aboue all others too wit by what meane wee obteyne saluation They then doo mistake their marke which imagine that the Apostle standeth vpon the particular point of Ceremonies for that could not be well delt with alone by it self VVee haue a like example in the fifth of the Actes There fell a contention and debate about Ceremonies too wit whither â–ª they were needefull to bee kept or no. For the resoluing of this question the Apostles set downe the vntolerablenesse of the yoke of the Lawe and the free forgiuing of sinnes To what purpose doo they that For it seemeth too be an impertinent digression and that they leape out of the propounded matter without reason But it is not so For the particular errour could not be liuely disproued but by taking a generall proposition As for example if it behoued mee too reason in defence of the eating of flesh I should not onely make mention of meates but I should also arme my self with the generall doctrine and shew whither mennes traditions ought to binde mennes consciences and by and by I would take this ground That there is but one Lawegiuer which hath power too saue and too destroy To bee short S. Paule conueyeth his argument heere from the generall to the particular negatiuely which is a very ordinarie maner of reasoning most agreeable to nature that can bee Furthermore if we go to the bodie of the Epistle woe shall see by what textes and reasons he proueth this sentence that we be iustified by the onely grace of Christ This matter he handleth too the end of the third Chapter In the beginning of the fourth he treateth of the right vse of Ceremonies and wherfore they were ordeyned and there he sheweth also that they be abolished For it behoued him too preuent this absurditie which would haue run by by in euery mans head To what purpose then were the Ceremonies ordeyned VVere they vtterly needelesse did the fathers lose their labour in keeping them Hee dispatcheth both the one and the other in fewe woordes saying that they were not superfluous in their time but that they be now abolished by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ bicause he is the very truth and ende of them And therefore he sheweth that we must rest vpon him Also in that place he sheweth wherein our state differeth from the state of the fathers VVherevpon it followeth that the doctrine of the false Apostles is lewde and daungerous bicause it darkeneth the brightnesse of the Gospell with the old for worne shadowes He intermedleth certaine exhortations with his doctrine too moue mennes affections and towardes the end of the Chapter he beautifieth his discourse with a goodly Allegorie In the fifth Chapter he exhorteth them too keepe the freedome purchaced by the bloud of Iesus Christ too the ende they should not yeeld their consciences in bondage too mennes traditions Neuerthelesse he therewithall admonisheth them also wherein that freedome consisteth and which is the true and right vse of it And too the same ende he sheweth whiche bee the true exercises of christenfolke too the intent they should not lose their time in musing vppon Ceremonies and in the meane while leaue the chiefe things vndone FINIS ¶ A necessarie Table to this present worke gathered by order of the Alphabet where note that the first number signifyeth the Page the seconde the Line and the letter a signifieth the first side the letter b the secoâ—d side of the leafe A. ¶ Abraham ABrahams house a figure and Image of the Churche 215. a. 30. b. 216. a. b. Of vvhat valew Abrahams vertewes vvere before God 129. a. 11. Abrahams mariage with Agar was whordome 215. b. 1. A discription of the true children of Abraham 123. a. 12. b. 124. a. b. 126. a. 22. b. ¶ Abuse All abuses as well small as great are to be remooued vtterly out of the Chuche 76. b. 24. 77. a. The bringing in of Abuses and other Superstitions into Baptim and into the Lordes Supper by the Papistes and the cause therof 181. a. 2. 182. b. 19. Of bearing wyth Aubses 153. b. 10. and Looke more in Beare and Flatter ¶ Adde VVee must neyther Adde any thing too Gods vvorde and ordinaunces nor take any thing from them 248. b. 6. 149. aâ— â–ª b. 150. a. b. 151. a. b. 152. a. b. They that Adde too Gods vvoorde accuse him couertly eyther of vnaduizednesse or of
VVeakelings are to be borne withall 71. b 36. ¶ VVelfare Mans fondnesse in mistaking his owne VVelfare and wherein the same consisteth 55. a 21. and 102. b 35. and 103. a b and 104. a b and 105. a 207. b 14. and 208. a b and 209. a The lyfe VVelfare of the Church is in the purenes of Gods word 77. a 6. ¶ VVisedome Our chiefe VVisedome 184. a 6. b. ¶ VVorlde VVhat is ment by the woorde VVorlde 15 a 10. 323. a 22. b. VVhat is ment by being seperated from the VVorlde 16. a 8. The meane to be seperated frō the worlde 16. a 30. b ¶ VVorde The sufficiencie of Gods VVorde without any other helpe 113. b 35. 114. a b. God hath not onely giuen vs his ▪ VVoorde but also diuersly confirmed it 313. a 9. b and 314. a The slacknesse of men in hearkening too Gods VVoorde and in following the same 213. a 23. b 214. a How wee ought to behaue our selues after the reading and hearing of Gods VVorde 213. b 34. 214. a Not the hauing but the Practising and following of Gods VVord is to our benefit 217. b 25. 218. a b The causes why we mislike of Gods word 23. b 28. All persons al things must stope giue place to Gods word 25. b 15. 26. a b 27. a b and 35. a b and 44. b. 13. and 45. a b and 78. b 28. and 79. a and 250. a 32. b. The tryall to knowe whether we be learned in Gods woorde or no 111. b 23. Looke more in Authoritie Credit and Gospell The verie Angels must stoupe too Gods woorde 26. a 7. b ¶ VVoorke and working VVhat is ment by the woorde VVorke 293. a 35. 294. a Our woorkes though they were neuer so perfect and holy can not binde God 135 b 28. and 136. a. b How and wherefore our wookes are accepted of God 129. b. 11. Of the woorking of fayth by charitie 242. a 25. b and 243. a The good woorkes of the Papists 83. a 21. b and 278. a 7. Looke more in Holynesse Deuotion and Vertue The accompt that the Papistes make of the woorkes of their ovvne inuentions 139. b 18. VVoorship and worshipping Looke in Honor and Serue ¶ VVrath VVhat is ment by the woorde VVrath 156 b 29. Z ¶ Zeale or Zealousnesse Of Christen Zealousnesse 256. a 11. b and 257. a b The Zeale of a Christian Minister 53. a 22. FINIS ¶ The fyrst Sermon vpon the fyrst Chapter PAule an Apostle not from men nor by men but by Iesus Christ and by God the father vvhich hath raysed him from the dead 2. And all the brethern that are vvith me to the Churches of Galatia 3. Grace be vvith you and peace from God the father and from our Lorde Iesus Chryst 4. VVho gaue himselfe for our sins to deliuer vs from this euill vvorlde according to the vvill of God our father 5. To vvhom be glorie for euermore Amen NOT WITHOVT cause doth S. Peter so earnestly warne vs to watch against our enimie who goeth about like a roring Lyon with his mouth alway open to swallow vp the pray that the fyndeth For although that on the one syde our Lord Iesus Chryst assure vs that God his father hath giuen him the charge of vs and that the thyng which he hath in his keeping shall neuer perishe yet doth it not follow that we shoulde therfore fall asleepe and in the meane whyle haue no care to call vpon God considering the need that wee haue to do so For fayth doth in suche wyse assure vs of Gods goodnesse and that the same shal neuer fayle vs that yet neuerthelesse we must haue an eye to our owne frayltie and thereby bee stirred vp too pray God to giue vs inuincible constancie It is sayd that faith shall always get the vpper hand of the whole world but yet it foloweth not that we shall not haue battayle Now on our owne side we haue no strength at all but we must be fayne to borowe it elsewhere and that we may so do it standeth vs in hande to pray vnto God For as I haue sayde alreadie it lyeth vs vpon to be stirred therevnto by reason of the great neede that we haue of it And therefore here is a myrrour offered vnto all the faythfull whereby wee maye fare much the better if wee can put it too our vse For Saint Paule had preached through all the countrey of Galatia which is a meetly large countrey and there had reered many Churches If euer man were filled with all the giftes of Gods spirite too winne men too the Gospell wee bee sure that S. Paule excelled all others or at leastwise all that were of his companie And it is certaine that he discharged his duetie Yet notwithstanding hee had scarcely so soone turned his backe but by and by Satan gaue a push to ouerthrow all and too make a horrible hauocke in the whole countrey and hee wonne so great a multitude there that the Gospell was as good as quite abolished euen among those that had bin taught so faythfully Sith wee see such an example ought wee not too cast downe our eyes and too consider that God warneth vs too flee vntoo him and to pray him so too strengthen vs as wee may holde out too the ende VVhich thing we cannot doo except wee bee vphilde by him Ye see then that the faultes which Saint Paule bewrayeth heere in the people of Galatia must serue for our learning For it is all one as if God shoulde in theyr person shewe what our constancie woulde bee if hee gaue vs it not Although then that wee haue bin faythfully instructed in the Gospell yet must God bee fayne too woorke from day too day or else wee shall bee so fickle minded that wee shall bee caryed away by and by and for euerie little occasion Furthermore as I haue fayde alreadie Satan is a dreadfull enimie And therefore it is not for vs too bee negligent seeing hee lyeth alwayes in wayte for vs seeking on all sides to inuade vs and that if hee spie neuer so little a hole by and by he taketh hys aduauntage too enter It shall not seeme that there is any gappe open for him and yet wee may bee taken tardie before wee bee aware VVherefore let vs marke well the warning that God giueth vs in this text and let vs make our aduauntage of it And on the other side wee see howe the Diuell hath at all tymes serued his owne turne with the name of God and made thereof a false cloke too disguize the truth and too turne it into a lie or else too sowe some discorde that by little and little the Gospell might quite fade away The Apostles as they that were chosen by our Lorde Iesus Christ too beare abrode his Gospell and to preach it through the whole worlde were well woorthie too haue bin reuerenced euerie where and to haue bin of
but holdeth hymselfe wholly too Gods callyng Marke that for one poynt And herewithall wee haue too note that Sainct Paule boasted not hym selfe at all aduentures as manye harebraynes doo For they coulde fynd in theyr hearts to preache with ful mouth that God hath sente them when as notwithstandyng they bee but fantasticall fellowes and Satans very Champion seruing to ouerthrowe all But by the way S. Paule in protesting his calling mente also to shewe by whome he was called as wee haue seene here before And it was sufficiently knowen that he had bene conuerted by miracle to the Gospel that he had bin taught vpon the suddaine that God had by his meanes wrought after a straunge and vnaccustomed fashiō and not only that it had bin openly reueled vnto two or three men in the Citie of Antioche that S. Paule was appoynted too be the Apostle of the Gentiles but also that he had good warrant of it in all places where he came bycause God vttered his power most manifestly in him So then when as S. Paule told them that he was an Apostle he presupposed that it was already sufficiently iustified that God was the author of that office of his and that the thing which he pretended was not a false surmize after the maner of men whome we see too much subiect too vaunting of themselues Therfore we must put a difference betweene S. Paule and all such as falsly boaste and brag themselues too bee sent of God as the Pope dothe who too beguile the wretched world and to maintayne himselfe in his hellish tyrannie which he hath vsurped sayeth and ouersayeth that he is the vicar of Iesus Christe and the successour of his Apostles And all the cankerwormes of his Clergie who name themselues Prelates togither with all the horned beastes and all the rable of Maskers in the Popedome will needes chalenge that honorable title and if a man list too beleeue them vpon their single worde they bee all of them descended of the Apostles But yet for all that it behoueth vs to consider what likenesse and agreablenesse they haue too the Apostles and also it standeth them on hand too shewe by certaine and infallible record that their calling is approued of God In these dayes the Pope and all his are too opēly proued too haue falsified and corrupted the doctrine of the Gospell and that the thing which they terme the seruis of God is nothing but starke abhomination and moreouer that there is nothing among them but outrageous lies and falsehodes yea and inchauntments of Satan All this is knowen well inough But beholde their shield wherwith they cast the mist that couereth al their filthinesse is that there hath bin a continuall succession euer since the tyme of the Apostles and that they represent thē and are the Church and therfore that whatsoeuer they put foorth must bee taken for good VVell gooto if they which do nowadayes take that title vpon them will be herd they must looke whither they haue any resemblance of the Apostles and whither they execute the duetie of good and faithful shepeherds But seing they be cleane contrary to the order which our Lord Iesus Christ hath set in his Church what shall men say to them Yea say they but we haue a continuall succession from the Apostles That would be shewed firste of all They will alledge some recordes howbeit very triflyng ones Yet notwithstanding it may be sayd on the cōtrary part that there were as good successors in the Church of Galatia as euer there was in Rome and not only in some one Churche but in many as well of Ephesus of Colossus and of Philippos as of other places And where is all this succession now If any man thinke himself to haue any priuiledge and name himself S. Paules successour it were meete he should go preach the Gospell and therwithall shew good euidence why he should be rereyued Therfore let vs marke well at a worde that when there are men to preach the Gospel and when there are Shepeherds and Ouerseers it is not ment that they should diminish the authoritie of God or preiudice aught that belongeth to him that is to wit that he alonly should not be honored that our fayth should not rest vpō his word but that by the meanes of men we should alwayes be hild vnder his obeysance Marke that for a speciall poynt And aboue all things our Lord reserueth that right to himselfe namely that men should not thrust themselues in through their own presumption but that they should be raised vp sent by him Now therfore as I haue erst sayd there ought to be cause why too the end we may discerne and not beleeue at all aduenture nor at randon For Satans champions can boast and crake ynough and too much and stand in their owne conceyt to the vttermost to the intent to wind themselues in by their presumptuousnesse But it behooueth vs to trie what is in them that we may be sure of Gods calling And how doth S. Paule speake of it heere Not on the behalfe of men sayth he nor by men VVhen S. Paule sayeth that he is an Apostle not on the behalfe of men it is a generall poynt which ought too extend to all the ministers of Gods woord and too all Shepeherds of the Churche For as I haue sayd heretofore wheras it pleased God that there should bee Prophetes in old tyme and that afterward there shoulde bee shepeherdes too teach his people he bereft not himself of his soueraintie but rather it was too shewe that men must not gouerne heere after their owne lust and in the meane whyle bee but as Cyphers in Algorisme themselues sauing onely for maynteyning still the title but that vvee should all of vs giue eare vnto him so as the men whom he setteth in office should bee as instrumentes or vessels of his holy spirite Now then wee see whereat S. Paule amed when he sayd that he was not sent on the behalfe of men for therby he sheweth that he was authorized of God and that he was his seruant The second poynt where he sayeth that he was not sent by men belongeth peculiarly too the Apostles For although that wee bee called of God and that he allow of vs yet are wee neuerthelesse called of men and if that maner of calling were not agreeable too Gods will S. Paule would not haue vsed it Wee knowe how Sainct Paule proceeded in that cace namely how that in euery place where he came he ordeyned Ministers and Shepeherdes by election and no doubte but that doyng of his was lawfull Then let vs marke well that Sainct Paule dothe not vndiscretely heere condemne such as were called by mens meanes but onely treateth of the thing that was peculiar too the charge of an Apostle For that was the difference betweene the Apostles and such as had charge of particular Churches according whervnto the same state remayneth at this day and shall remayne
Lorde Iesus Christe is expresly set downe in this place Now let vs fal downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgment of our faultes praying him to voutchsafe to make vs too feele them that he may draw vs too repentance the better and that we may alwayes hope that if we be once renewed by him we shall throughly perceyue that it is he which ruleth vs by his holy spirit so as hauing that record imprinted in our hartes wee may boast without hipocrisie that we be not tied to this world although we bee in it and that wee dwell in it but as pilgrims and straungers bycause we haue a better dwelling place in heauen where our heritage is throughly assured vnto vs by fayth although wee possesse it not presently That it may please him to graunt this grace not only to vs but also to all people and nacions of the earth c. The. 2 Sermon vpon the first Chapter 3. Grace bee vnto you and peace from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Christe 4. VVho gaue himselfe for our sinnes to deliuer vs from this euill vvorlde according too the vvill of God our father 5. To vvhom be glorie for euermore Amen THere is no man but he desireth his owne welfare and wee bee inclyned thereto by nature Neuerthelesse wee be very farre ouerseene in that behalf know not which is the fountaine from whence all welfare springeth and muche lesse what is the true cause of our happinesse namely that God loueth vs that we be sure that he holdeth vs for his children For without that al the prosperitie of the worlde is nothing nay rather it shall alwayes turne to our harme bicause that vntill such time as God receyue vs into his fauour we be all of vs accursed and the goods that we receyue at his hand shall cost vs right deerely for they belong not too vs till wee bee of the felowship of his children Therfore wee must aboue all things seeke to be in the fauour of our God and too bee well assured in our selues that he admitteth vs too be of his household and Churche And that is the cause why that after the Prophete hath rebuked mens worldly desires in that one would haue abundance of wyne another abundance of corne and euery man hath an eye to his owne ease it is sayd in the Psalme that nothing is better nor more too bee desired than that God shoulde shewe vs the light of his countenance that is too say than that wee might take holde of his fauour not doubting but he will acknowledge vs for his children as I tolde you afore And that also is the cause why in the hundred and sixth Psalme the Prophete craueth aboue all thinges that God should bee mindefull of him with the fauour that he beareth towardes his people Hee knew well ynough that he wanted many things and yet he ouerpassed all the rest bycause his heart caried and haled him the other way namely too desire too bee comprehended in the number of Gods chozen and therefore hee sayeth purposely according to the Loue whiche thou bearest towards thy people True it is that God giueth oftentimes some signe of his loue too all men in generall but yet is all Adams ofspring cutte off from him till wee bee greffed in agayne by Iesus Christ Therfore there is one kinde of loue whiche God beareth towardes all men for that he hath created them after his owne image in which respect he maketh the Sunne too shyne vppon all men nurrishing them and hauing a care of their life But all this is nothing in respect of the speciall goodnesse whiche he keepeth in store for his chozen and for those that are of his flocke howbeit not for any woorthinesse which hee findeth in them but for bycause it pleaseth him too accept them for his owne And so yee see why S. Paule in all his Epistles bringeth vs backe too the grace of God and too the loue which he beareth towardes the faythfull saying Grace and peace bee vntoo you Vnder the woorde Peace as I haue sayd heretofore he comprehendeth all prosperitie as if he should beseech God too prouide vs of all things which he knoweth too bee expedient for vs too poure out his Riches vppon vs and too shewe himselfe so bountifull towardes vs as we may haue cause too magnifie his goodnesse Yet notwithstanding for asmuche as all the goods of the worlde cannot but turne too our harme vntill wee be in Gods fauour therefore Sainct Paule keepeth this order of setting downe continually Gods grace or free fauour before the benefites which he bestoweth vppon vs. Although then that wee must desire God to make vs feele his goodnesse in all things which he knoweth to be meete for vs yet must wee not forget the principall poynt that is too wit that he should take vs into his Church and assure vs in our hartes that he beareth vs good will VVhen we once see that light let it suffyze vs as it is sayd in the Psalme and let the same content vs. But yet for all that although God giue vs leaue too wishe whatsoeuer is good for vs yet muste wee brydle our selues in suche wise that if he liste too smyte vs with many miseries we neuerthelesse muste make such account of his fauour as too content our selues with that alone though all the rest be taken quite and cleane from vs. I haue told you already that although wee liued at our ease in all pleasures and delights yet should we bee vnhappie vntill such time as we be fully assured in our consciences that God loueth vs and that we be in his fauour Yee see then that wee ought not too haue a minde too any worldly goodes except Gods loue go before them But on the contrarie part if God loue vs and yet in the meane whyle list too trie our patience by suffering vs too linger in this worlde and by putting vs vnder many afflictions wee muste still make suche account of his fauour as to beare all things patiently not withstanding that they seeme to be vtterly against vs. And it standeth vs so much the more on hand too beare this lesson in mind bycause wee see men wander away after their own lustes For most men are become so brutish that they desire nothing but to haue the things that nature teacheth them too like of They haue no regard at all of God One desires to eate another to drinke and the third to haue apparell and these are desires that houer in the ayre But the poynt whereat we ought to begin is too know that God is the founder of all our welfare and that all the commodities which we haue in this world and all the aydes which wee haue too help vs with are benefits proceeding from his hand Then if wee cannot apply our desires vnto God it is too vntoward yea and too beastly a thing and yet for all that the
moste part of the world is at that poynt There are othersome which seeme too take a better way and rule but yet doo they also peruert all They desire God too send them the things which he knoweth too bee good profitable for them but in the meane whyle they looke not to the fountayne wherout of they should draw their first water that is to wit too bee reconciled to God For all is one with them so God spare them and execute not his rigour towardes them As for his loue or hatred they passe not greatly for it so he handle them after the desire and appetite of their fleshe Now although such maner of men do seeke vnto God yet doo they set the Cart before the horse For they ought to set Gods loue in the first chiefest place and then to come downe to the great number of benefites which he bestoweth vpon vs wherby he witnesseth his goodnesse towards vs. Albeit then that many men holde not themselues within the sayd measure but make more vnruly requestes vnto God than one man would doo to another so as one man craueth Riches another Honour and none is contented with that whiche God sendeth yet notwithstanding though men were well aduized in their wishes precize in desiring nothing but that which they haue neede of yet if they forget Gods fauour therein they shew themselues not to haue profited at all VVherfore let vs marke how it is not without cause that S. Paule hath heere set downe twoo things ioyntly togither that is too witte that God muste firste receyue vs into his fauour so as we also may feele him to be truely our father and to accept vs as his children and he thervppon afterward make vs too prosper Now such maner of prosperitie may as I haue sayd already be well wished for but yet in the meane while the only goodnesse of God must be our solace and when we be put too the suffering of many miseries in this world so as things fall not out as wee woulde haue them yet must we be contented with this that God accepteth vs. And therewithall he setteth downe the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ bicause it is not possible that God should fauour vs but for his owne sonnes sake in whom is his whole delight according as it is sayd as well in the. xvi chapter of S. Mathew as in the firste too the Ephesians Then if we had nothing else to set before our eyes but the maiestie of God it would make vs afrayd and we could not haue any accesse vnto him bicause we be frayle creatures yea and altogither sinfull creeping here vppon the earth and deseruing too be swallowed into the bottom of Hell Therfore it is very requisite that Christ should shew himself vnto vs and that wee should looke vpon him to taste what Gods loue is and to inioy all the benefites which he bestoweth vpon vs for they belong not to any other than to his owne onely Sonne who is the heyre of all things as the Apostle speaketh of him in the first chapter to the Hebrewes Seing then that all the good turnes whiche God doeth vs belong peculiarly too our Lord Iesus Christe it behoueth vs too communicate with him and to be made parttakers of them by his meanes Therfore it is not without chuse that S. Paule sayeth heere from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Christ. Yea and too the intent too giue vs the greater assurance that God will take vs into his fauour if we seeke him truely and vnfaynedly howbeit by the meanes of his only Sonne he sayeth that Iesus Christ gaue himselfe for our sinnes Now it is certaine that nothing putteth vs out of Gods fauour but our owne sinfulnesse For we see that his mercy extendeth it self euen to the Sparowes that flie in the ayre and vnto the brute beasts For when as God bringeth forth grasse in the mountaynes and maketh other fodder too grow for cattell it is a token that he hath a care of them And truly they be markes of his goodnesse as it is said in the Psalmes How then should he not loue those whom he hath created after his owne image and which approche much neerer too him to his nature that is to say men God therfore in respect of his creating of vs receiueth auoweth vs for his owne But for somuch as we be corrupted and our nature is become sinful it causeth God too hate vs and too take vs for his enemies so as there is as it were a deadly foade betweene him and vs till he haue taken vs again into his fauour for our Lord Iesus Christes sake VVherfore to the end we may nor haue any cause to doubt of Gods loue S. Paule doth here set downe before vs the Sacrifize whereby the rememberance of our transgressions is blotted out so that God hauing now forgotten all our wretchednesse beholdeth vs as his owne and as those on whom he hath set his marke to be short as those whom he hath created too be his children and heyres And hereby wee be warned that there is none other meanes to pacifie our consciences and to make vs able to call vpon God in full libertie but by applying too our selues the sacrifize offered by our Lorde Iesus Christ wherein he hath made full satisfaction for vs so that henceforth God receyueth vs as his owne children And here first of all we see the force of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ how that therin we find attonement betwene God and vs so that whereas we were erst at oddes with him and he must needes haue as ye would say abhorred vs now he voutchsafeth too take vs into his fauour â–ª And why Bicause our Lord Iesus Christ hath made amendes for all our faultes misdeedes by the obedience which he yeelded in his death passion in somuch that the sacrifize which he offered was a full satisfaction for all our sinnes his bloudshed became likewise our clenzing and hath washed vs cleane from all the spottes of our sinnes Thus ye see how we may be sure that God receiueth vs. And how may we haue the boldnesse to call vpon him and to resort vnto him Euen by fastening our eyes vpon the Sacrifize which our Lord Iesus Christ hath offered For if we haue not that it is certayne that we shal alwayes be afrayd when we think vpon the maiestie of God For seyng we be wretched offenders how should we not be afrayd of our iudge who is armed to execute the vengeance that we deserue Neuerthelesse for asmuch as our Lorde Iesus Christ hath buried our faults we may come vnto God boldly and without any stop Howbeit it behoueth vs to marke therewithal that the sacrifize wherby our Lord Iesus Christ hath reconciled vs to God his father is so sufficient that it behoueth vs to lay â–ª vp all our trust therein not to seeke any other
and mercifull before we were reconciled to him what will he do now when we haue so sure a warrant and that the Gospell also is preached vnto vs to assure vs that we be knit vntoo our Lord Iesus Christ by fayth as members of his bodie Shall we now doubt of Gods loue towards vs when we haue so good a confirmation of it as Saint Paule fayth in the fift Chapter to the Romaines If so be that Iesus Christ sayth he came to put away all our sinnes at such times as there was yet deadly foad betweene god vs ought not all doubting to be troden vnder foote and we not be afrayde in any wise too call vpon our God but assure our selues of our owne saluation nowe when God hath so confirmed it vnto vs when hee hath admitted vs into his fauour when he calleth and allureth vs as gently as may be and when hee sheweth and certefieth vs that hee doth as it were hold open his armes to imbrace vs whensoeuer we will come vnto him Thus ye see what we haue to beare in minde in this streyne Furthermore let vs marke also the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ how that seeing hee hath giuen himselfe after that sort for our sinnes he will not suffer his death and passion to be vnprofitable nor the sacrifice which he hath once offered to be voyd and of none effect without bringing forth frute in vs. But as hee hath offered himselfe once for all so also will he be our continuall Mediator and Aduocate to the ende we may be partakers of the clennesse which he hath purchased for vs that beeing ridde of all our fowlenesse we may appeare cleane before God and speake vnto him with open mouth Lo how we ought to gather togither all the things that are shewed vs here for the stablishing of our faith that we may freely resort vnto our God not as straungers to him but as his owne children and familiar friendes And herewithall let vs learne also to shake off all the illusions and fancies of Satan who seeketh by all meanes too turne vs away from our Lorde Iesus Christ or else to darken the grace which we shoulde finde in him and when he can not abolish it vtterly he snarleth vs and putteth new meanes into our heades whereby to purchase fauor at Gods hande But let vs cut off all such things and so fasten all our wittes vpon our Lord Iesus Christ as he onely my suffize vs and we vtterly mislyke whatsoeuer shall come in our heade too purchase grace and fauor with assuring our selues that there is not any other thing that may cause God to receyue vs to mercie than the sacryfize whereby all righteousnesse and clennesse was purchased for vs. Furthermore vnder these woordes of Gods will it behoueth vs too comprehende a free goodnesse too exclude all that men are woont too make themselues beleeue of their owne merits for in that sence also are those wordes taken in the holy Scripture so that as I haue tolde you before the thing which is termed heere by the name of Will is termed elsewhere by the name of good pleasure Saint Paule therefore not onely sheweth that the welspring of our Redemption and Saluation consisteth in the ordinance and euerlasting purpose of God the father but also intendeth to beat down all pryde and presumption by shewing that wee must yeelde the whole prayse of our righteousnesse too the free fauour of God which had no regarde at all of our deseruings For let vs examine our selues and what shall God find in vs but vtter wretchednesse And that is the verie cause why God voutsafeth his mercie vpon vs. So then let vs assure our selues that hencefoorth wee may freely lift vp our eyes to heauen and preferre our prayers and supplications vnto God bycause he hath preuented vs according as it as sayd in S. Iohn that he had not tarried till we loued him for that was impossible bicause we be wholy bent vnto euill and are vtterly giuen ouer to it but had loued vs euen though wee were his enimies And so ye see that the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ was too the ende too reconcile vs to God his father as wee haue shewed alreadie That therefore is in effect the thing that wee haue to beare in minde Nowe Saint Paule addeth immediately that it was to deliuer vs from this wicked worlde Heere he sheweth why we bee called too the knowledge of our Lorde Iesus Christ and also why he hath set so great store by vs as to redeeme vs as he hath done namely to the ende we shoulde not abide in our filth and vncleannesse but be withdrawne away from it by him In verie deed that is not the cause of our saluation but the ende and marke wherat God loked in ordeyning vs to saluation The thing therefore which it standeth vs on hand to haue an eie vnto when our redemption is spokē of is that we must begin at the free fauor which God bare vnto vs when he determined in his euerlasting purpose that we should be brought backe againe vnto him by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christ And so that was the principall cause Another cause thereof is Iesus Christ in whome wee finde all that is requisite for our assurance For there we see our sinnes blotted out inasmuch as hee is ordeyned to be our borrow and hath made such amendes for vs as nothing can stop vs from comming too God That is the seconde poynt which wee haue too remember heere Now the meane whereby we be made partakers of our Lorde Iesus Christ is our imbracing of the promises of the Gospel by true faith For the faythlesse haue no profite at all by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ but rather are so much the more damnable bicause they reiect the meane that God had ordeyned and theyr vnthankfulnesse shall be so much the more grieuously punished bicause they haue troden vnder foote the bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christ which was the ransome for their soules Therfore it standeth vs on hande to receyue the promises of the Gospell by fayth if we desire that Iesus Christ should communicate himselfe vnto vs and that he should bring vs to the possession and inioyment of the benefites which he hath purchased for vs so as they belong not too any other than such as are members of his bodie and are graffed into him and receyue him by fayth according as it is sayde in the first Chapter of Saint Iohn that God accepteth and auoucheth those for his children which beleeue in his only sonne Thus ye see what we haue to remember in the thirde place when we come too the scanning of our saluation Nowe remayneth that God bee glorified in vs as good reason is that he shoulde be And in that respect also Saint Paule in the thirde to the Romaynes sayth that wheras God hath giuen vs the meanes in our Lorde Iesus Christ
there is nothing but spottinesse rebelliousnesse in vs till God haue changed vs how so answer they and what shall then become of our own free will To be short Iesus Christ shal be named oft ynough and men wil reserue vnto him the title of Redemer But in the meane season his office shal be parted and put too the spoyle and euery man shall catch a portion of it too himselfe Besides this they imagine that the Saints and Angels of heauen are as patrones to them and finally they haue infinit wayes to their owne seeming wherby to come vnto God But herevpon we may well conclude that the holy Ghost doth iustly auow them to be backsliders and to haue giuen ouer Iesus Christ and to be become strangers to him For they falsly abuse his name Iesus Christ is not variable according as wee haue seene howe S. Paule in the seconde to the Corinthians sayd that we shall not finde yea and nay in him but that he will continue alwayes at one stay To be short whatsoeuer the Papists bable concerning Christianitie is altogyther hypocrisie and leasing and they doo but falsifie the name of Gods sonne and abuse it wickedly For they make a mumrie of it or rather an Idoll Yee see then why Saint Paule blameth the Galathians for beeing so caryed away Nowe if a man demaunde the reason howe it was in that some woulde haue made them to obserue the ceremonies of the lawe as things necessarie and yet had God commaunded them Yea verely howbeeit that was but with a temporall condition for the people of olde tyme so as they muste of necessitie haue all ceassed at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ Forasmuch therefore as the Galathians mingled the olde figures and shadowes of the lawe with the cleare light of the Gospell Saint Paule being not able too suffer it sayth that they were turned aside from God yea and vtterly falne away from him But there is yet a worse thing than that namely that the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ was thereby disanulled bicause men doo always beare themselues in hand that they deserue and earne righteousnesse before God to be in his fauour for their seruing of him and so when these deceiuers had brought in the said error that men ought to kepe the old forworne figures it was all one as if they had threaped a meritorious seruice vpon God whither hee woulde or no. But our saluation must bee of free gift or else Iesus Christ is nothing woorth I terme it saluation of free gift bicause it is giuen vs simplie of God so as wee bring not any thing with vs to the attaynment thereof but onely an eager desire too be filled wyth the thing that wee want Therefore it standeth vs on hande too come as poore beggers vntoo God if wee mynde too bee iustified for our Lorde Iesus Christes sake For if wee imagine neuer so small a droppe of deseruing in our selues it stoppeth vs from comming too our Lorde Iesus Christ And not without cause dooth an auncient Doctor say that wee cannot receyue the Saluation that is offered vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ except wee haue first dispatched the mynding of our owne desertes and acknowledged that there is nothing but vtter wretchednesse in our selues Thus yee see why Sainct Paule had yet more iust reason too say that the Galathians were caryed away from Iesus Christ and from his father But there was yet this clogge more namely that they were made too beleeue what other men lysted and thereby brought in subiection too a slauishe bondage too bee robbed of the quietnesse of conscience which wee ought too haue in our Lorde Iesus Christ For besydes that wee bee reconcyled by the sacryfize of hys death and passion wee bee also set free from the rygor of the law vnder the which wee were hilde in bondage As for example according as we shall see more fully hereafter for as nowe I do but ouerrunne matters whereof we shall see a larger discourse afterwarde Ye know howe it is sayde in the lawe that whosoeuer performeth not al that God commaundeth to the vttermost point shall be accursed But it is impossible for vs to attaine too such perfection Therefore it stoode vs vpon too haue freedome purchased for vs by our Lorde Iesus Christ that the Lorde might not any more holde vs vnder his yoke whiche was intollerable as it is sayde in the fifteenth of the Actes Nowe wee see in effect why Saint Paule blameth the Galathians for falling away lyke periured persons towardes God and towardes our Lorde Iesus Christ as hauing gyuen him the slippe and forsaken the fayth whiche they had plighted vntoo him And by this example wee bee warned to holde vs to the pure doctrine and simplicitie of the Gospell wythout wauering one way or other For it is not ynough to haue the name and title of Christians no nor yet to beare the marke of baptisme but we must continue stedfast in the doctrine of the Gospell For as I haue sayd heretofore our Lord Iesus Christ cannot denie himselfe and when we haue dreamed this and that of him yet must we bee fayne to knowe him for such a one as he is giuen vs of God his father Nowe the Gospell sheweth wherefore he is come what his office is the benefites that wee receyue by him and what hys power is towardes vs. And therefore if wee haue not the pure and single doctrine wherein our Lorde Iesus Christ was manifested vnto vs surely wee haue nothing at all and whensoeuer wee haue once bin instructed in it wee must holde it still too the last pushe For if we swarue neuer so little from it there will bee nothing but vnfaythfulnesse in vs. And in good sooth it standeth vs on hande to bethinke vs of the horrible fall wherevnto we were tumbled with others when wee were plunged in so many errours trumperyes and Illusions of Satan that Iesus Christe was vtterly vnknowne too vs. Seeing that God hath nowe of his owne infinite goodnesse plucked vs out of such a bottomlesse gulfe let vs settle our selues too haue a constant and fast fayth that wee bee no more shaken like Reedes with euery winde but abyde fast in the roote of the Gospell grounded vppon the inuincible power of our Lorde Iesus Christ And againe seeing that in him all Gods promises are yea and Amen and haue their truth in him so as they be performed there let our fayth also abyde stedfast there This is it that wee haue to remember in this saying of S. Paules Furthermore to put the Galathians to the greater shame hee setteth before them their calling by grace These woordes from him that hath called you maye bee referred as well too Iesus Christ as too GOD the Father for there is no great difference in the matter But in the meane time we see in effect what Saint Paule ment too say Therefore hee casteth the Galathians in the
Christe And therevppon S. Paule sayeth that it is nothing else but that there bee some among them which trouble them and would ouerthrowe the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christe Heere S. Paule sheweth that what soeuer men bring besides the Gospell is euery whit of it but starke smoke and that in the end it will bee perceyued that the Diuell did cast gewgawes in their wayes too couzen sillie fooles that could not rest wholly vppon Gods truth It is none other thing sayeth hee but that some trouble you Truely this woord Other importeth that it is nothing else or nothing at all Neuerthelesse Sainct Paule declareth that the Galathians may well pretend that they whiche came from Ierusalem and from the countrie of Iewrie had tolde them that they ought not too separate the Lawe from the Gospell No no sayeth hee there is no more but one Iesus Christe nother is there any more than one doctrine that leadeth vs vntoo him and holdeth vs in the faith where through wee obtayne saluation by his meanes So then all such as intend too cleaue vntoo the pure knowledge of the Gospell and to continue in the same muste not seeke any other perfection than that as for them that go any further they be troublers that ouerthrow and disorder all things And this saying is well woorthie too bee marked too the ende wee may knowe that when our Lorde hath done vs the grace too teache vs in his schoole wee muste no more haue a wauering fayth too reele too and fro but a resolute iudgement and determination too say this is the thing wherein wee must liue and die But ye shall see many that will not speake openly agaynst the doctrine of the Gospell but will suffer the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ too be preached If a man aske them what it is that they finde fault with nothing say they But let an Altar bee neuer so soone set vp and puppets vpon it and by and by they runne to it they must needes go heare Masse and see al the rest of the Popish trash they care not which way the world go and when all those disorders are set afore them they thinke not that there is any difference at all But let vs marke that such beastlinesse bewrayeth that there is no fayth in them And why For the thing wherein we may shewe yea and as in respect of our selues feele whither wee bee faythfull is too haue suche skill of the Gospell as to conclude that it is Gods infallible truthe and that it cannot leade vs amisse if wee followe it Contrarywize the Papistes haue deuized an Implicate fayth as they terme it and that is ynough for them and although the wretched soules wote not what they meane themselues yet notwithstanding beholde say they I referre my selfe too our mother the holy Churche I beleeue as shee beleeueth But such folke shewe openly that they haue no fayth at all ne knowe by what meanes too bee saued Neuerthelesse it is sayd that wee obtayne rightuousnesse and saluation by fayth namely for that wee imbrace Christ as the partie by whom all good things are imparted vnto vs. Then if our Lord Iesus Christ bee vnknowen it is no longer fayth but a grosse Illusion of Satan who hath bewitched the Popish doctors too speake after that sorte and thereby we see that they haue no knowledge of God but are vtterly giuen ouer too a lewd minde VVherefore let vs marke well that whereas S. Paule sayeth heere that there is none other Gospell it is too hold vs still in such stedfastnesse that after we haue once learned what our Lord Iesus Christ is wee may continue in him and vtterly giue ouer all things that are contrarie too the doctrine of the Gospell Haue wee once such skill it will serue vs too fight agaynst Satan and all the diuersitie of opinions that are at this day in the worlde so as wee shall not bee shaken downe what trouble soeuer happen nor finally bee turned aside from the certaintie of our fayth But if wee wauer after such a sorte that wee become like little children who if one man offer them an apple at one side they runne thither and if another man offer some other pleasant thing atother side they runne thither likewize and leauing the first go too yeeld themselues too the second I say if wee bee so fickle minded it is a token that there is nothing but mere vnbeleefe in vs. Then let vs assure our selues that there must bee such a mutuall agreement betweene our fayth and the Gospell that wee must giue our selues wholly therevnto and neuer bee plucked from it and our knowing of the things that are conteyned in it muste bee too rest our selues vppon them as I haue sayd already heretofore Not that all men can bee teachers a like for it is very certayne that the most parte of those whom our Lord Iesus Christ hath in his flocke comprehend not the tenth part of the vnderstanding of the holy Scripture but that how soeuer the world go it behoueth vs all to be grounded in these poynts namely that there is but one God the father of whom we haue al things and who hath adopted vs of his owne mere mercie That there is but one onely Iesus Christe by whose meanes wee be made parttakers of all good things And that wee bee begotten new agayne by the holy Ghost And as touchyng our Lord Iesus Christ it standeth vs on hand too bee well assured that he is our aduocate and that without him wee cannot come vnto God nor durst once open our mouthes to call him our father saue in respect that we be members of our Lord Iesus Christ and that he beareth woorde for vs as our spokesman and patron guyding vs as it were by the hand too bring vs vnto God his father If wee knowe not these things it is certayne that wee can obtayne no Saluation And that is the cause why S. Paule blameth the Galathians for that they considered not that there is but one onely Gospell whiche could not bee altered without doyng of wrong too our Lord Iesus Christe who all onely ought too haue all audience Therewithall also he warneth vs that when soeuer there come any busie bodies to turne vs from the pure simplicitie which wee ought too hold vs too concernyng God and our Lord Iesus Christ wee ought too holde them accursed For as shall bee sayd more fully hereafter they ouerthrow the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ And it is a right horrible thing that the Gospell which is the foundacion of our fayth and the key too open vs the gate of Paradice should bee ouerthrowen For that is all our welfare that is the kingdome of God from whence we after a sort are banished and wee can by no meanes come vntoo him vntill he haue made vs way by meanes of his Gospell to the end wee may be his people and he our king and wee bee guided and gouerned
lette vs bee sure that as soone as any by matter is added too the pure doctrine of our lord Iesus Christe it is playne falsehod For he will not onely hee hilde as principall but he muste continue alone without any companion and all those that teach must first become his scholers so as he that speaketh in the Church set not downe any thing of his own or which hath bin coyned in the warehouses of men but shew himselfe to be the true disciple of our Lorde Iesus Christ and teach vs all by the authoritie of him Marke that for one poynt And for a seconde it behoueth vs to knowe what is conteyned in the Gospell For if the woorde Gospell shoulde trotte vp and downe in euerie mans mouth and yet in the meane while men make vs beleue that Chalke is Cheese as they say what a thing were that VVhat shoulde wee bee the better for giuing so honourable report too the Gospell as to say it is Gods pure truth wherevntoo all creatures ought to submit themselues It standeth vs on hande too knowe what is the substance of it so as wee may bee sure that the sonne of God is come downe hither to guide vs vntoo God his father too the ende wee may vnderstande after what manner hee will bee worshipped at our handes and furthermore bee made priuie too Gods will that wee may frame our whole life thereafter and not inuent a seruice after our owne lust and lyking but yeelde him that obedience which he requireth and alloweth aboue all things Againe wee must learne too knowe howe miserable our state is if wee intend to seeke our saluation in our selues For there is nothing in vs but ignorance infirmitie weakenesse yea and stubbornesse and wicked lustes and to be short we bee hilde in Satans bandes so as he draweth vs like sillie beastes euen as Asses and Oxen that are solde and if we intende to be set free from so horrible bondage and tyrannie we must go too none but God assuring our selues that hee is the fountaine of all welfare Furthermore forasmuch as wee cannot come vntoo God but we must first come to our Lorde Iesus Christ who is come downe vnto vs so as wee must seeke all that we haue neede of in his fulnesse and repose our whole trust there and not haue any other preparation righteousnesse holinesse or perfection than him but be vtterly emptied in our selues and yet notwithstanding not ceasse too trust that hee will leade vs too God his father ▪ VVe must also vnderstande by what meanes we bee iustifyed that is to wit by the sacrifice of his death and passion Besides this when we come to pray vnt God let vs resort vnto him as our Aduocate that he may beare worde for vs. Ye see then that the thing which we ought too knowe concerning the Gospell is that there is but one onely lawe whereby to rule our lyues that we must haue but one certaine beleefe so as wee knowe the God whom we should serue and worship that we behold him in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ who is his verie Image that we must haue none other thing to rest vpon than Iesus Christ and that all our thoughts must be directed thither assuring our selues that in him the father hath put all things requisit for our faluation and that he also doth by the power of his holy spirit guide and gouerne vs in such wise that being vnder his protection we be sure that the Diuell and all his champions can do nothing against vs when we bee so preserued by his power This is the contempt of the Gospell which it behoueth vs to know or else the things that are spoken here wil do vs no good at al. Furthermore S. Paule to shew that he doth not without cause preferre himself before those that went about to disguise the doctrine of the Gospel by thrusting in some minglings and additions vseth two arguments The one is that he had behaued himselfe faithfully with a pure and right meening mind in teaching the Galathians and all other mē The other is that he had not set forth any thing of his own head but had receiued his matters by heauenly reuelation frō our Lord Iesus Christ Now it behoueth vs to mark wel these two arguments to the end we may perceyue that S. Paule hath not without cause declared heretofore that this doctrine of his ought too bee of good credit that it was not lawful for any liuing creatur to striue against it Hervpon wee may gather a generall rule how wee ought to be sure of our faith For the Angels shal not come down to speak to vs after a visible maner but we must be taught by the mouthes of men And yet for all that as I haue sayd already we must holde this for an infallible cōclusion that we haue the doctrine whervpon our fayth is grounded and setled from God and from our Lorde Iesus Christ And how shal we perceiue that By the two reasons that are set downe here VVherof the one is that such as teach vs haue a desire and zeale to bring vs vnto god and arme not thēselues with the title name of men no nor hauè any thing at all of man but folow the trace which God hath cōmaunded all his to kepe that is to wit that they win the world vnto the obedience of him Let that serue for one point Secōdly besides their good zeale they must also haue a certeintie of doctrine so as hee that speaketh may not take any thing vpon him nor passe his bounds but from hand to hand deliuer the thing that is cōmanded him in such wise as Iesus Christ may always be heard suffered to speak and al mouthes else be stopped sauing only in way of hearkning that his doctrine may bee knowne vnto vs. Now as touching the first wher S. Paul protesteth his good mind he saith that he doth not coūcel or persuade according to mē but according to God ▪ And hereby he meneth that he went not to worke with a worldly affectiō but had labored to apply himself simply vnto God seing he had bin called by him also that he had takē Iesus Christ for his master so as he laide not forth any thing but him nor toke any backfence of mē as those do which would allure simple ignorāt folk vnto thē who hunt for credit here there saying ▪ ho such a man saith so But it is only God that is to be hearkned vnto For though al mē with one accord would turne vs aside from him surely he alone ought to outwey ten C. M. worldes if there were so many Then seing the cace standeth so let vs mark well the doctrine that is conteined here where S. Paule setteth down his owne affection which serueth to giue vs a generall rule according wherevnto he addeth immediatly that he had not labored to please mē For so sone as folk speake after
openeth vs the gate of Heauen too shewe vs that he holdeth vs all for his children and that he is our father and when our Lord Iesus Christ is so knit vnto vs that by his meanes wee bee already made sure of the endlesse lyfe Can we say that we haue any thing of our owne when God maketh vs parttakers of suche a treasure Yee see then that the thing which wee haue too gather vppon this streyne is that God hath so reserued too himselfe the dispozing of mans lyfe that it is his peculiar office to guyde our steppes and he knoweth wherevntoo he hath ordeyned vs. And therefore it becommeth vs too magnifie his mercie in that he hath vouchsafed too inlighten vs by beleeuing his Gospell too the intent wee might knowe him too bee our father and rest vppon him and pray vnto him with full trust Let vs assure our selues that the hauing of this commeth not of our owne freewill but of his touching of vs too the quicke by his holy spirite For our Lord Iesus Christe who hath all wisedome in him cannot bee knowen of vs except he bee reueled according as he himselfe auoucheth that noman commeth vnto him except the father drawe him Beholde Iesus Christ was conuersant in the worlde at that time he preached the Gospell and published it with open mouth and yet notwithstanding he sayeth that noman shall come vnto him that is too say noman shall frame himselfe too his obedience except the father haue wrought in his hart by the power of his holy spirit Now that Iesus Christ is separated from vs as in respect of distance of place and as in respect of humane nature so as wee see him not heere beneath too haue any visible knowledge of him how shall wee come vntoo him if wee bee not drawen by the grace that is spoken of heere And if fayth bee a speciall gifte of God and wee cannot come too our Lorde Iesus Christe except we bee led vnto him by the hande of God his father howe can they that should drawe others doo it of their owne abilitie Needes then muste God vtter yet a second woorking And that is the cause why Sainct Paule setteth downe bothe twayne of them that is too wit firste that he had bin inlightened himself and secondly that he had bin ordeyned and stablished as a Mayster and teacher too drawe othermen to the good way of Saluation wherein God had set him VVherefore let vs assure our selues that God graunteth a singular grace too such as haue charge too preache the Gospell when he voutchsafeth too apply them therevnto And that is not onely too the end that wee which are in that state and office should walke in the feare of God and not chalendge aught too our selues but also too the intent that euery man should in that behalf haue a record of the loue that God beareth too his Churche If men should thrust in theÌ„selues on their owne heads it might be sayd that wee were taught at all aduenture But when as we know that nomaÌ„ is of sufficient abilitie too open his mouth to speake of Iesus Christ as he ought too be spoken of but that it is Gods doyng to send forth those of whom it behoueth vs to be taught thereby wee perceyue the care that he hath of vs finde much better that he is our father and hath not forgotten vs. And moreouer this serueth to ingraue the truth of the Gospell in our hartes to the end wee may know how it is not a doctrine that proceedeth of men but as of Gods sendyng And that although he be serued by his creatures yet notwithstaÌ„ding he maketh them as instruments of his spirit and it is he himself that gouerneth them Yee see in effect how we may make our profite of this doctrine But yet doo wee vnderstand Gods grace the better in that it is sayd that he hath chozen vs and kept vs too himself euen from our moothers wombe And yet is this no let but that he hath also moreouer reserued vs from before the creation of the worlde according as Sainct Paule speaketh in other textes howbeeit it is ynough that in this place he excludeth all that euer commeth of men VVhen a childe commeth out of his moothers wombe what bringeth he with him VVhat woorthinesse hath he Surely he is a poore carkesse full of filth and vncleannesse Now then if God marke vs out at the time when there is nothing in vs woorthie too bee accepted of him or whiche deserueth any loue or lyking wee may perceyue thereby that if he apply vs too any honorable seruis afterwarde it is by reason of his owne mercie accordingly as they whome God gathereth too bee of his flocke are called instruments of his goodnesse Thus yee see that the cause why Sainct Paule speaketh purposely of his birthe is too shewe that there was no preparation on his owne behalfe when God drewe him but that God had respect too his owne eternall election the which he continued in that it was his will that the same creature shoulde come into the worlde and had alwayes guyded it too that ende Then let vs assure our selues that when soeuer God bestoweth any of his benefites vppon vs wee muste alwayes come backe too this principle namely too mount vp too his euerlastyng purpose Not that wee bee able too comprehende howe or why hee hath chozen vs for that passeth all capacitie of man But for that wee muste conclude that Gods preferring of vs before those whom he leaueth as of castes is not for that hee findeth vs woorthie or capable of suche a benefite but bycause hee had so ordeyned before he had created vs and put vs intoo the worlde yea and euen before there was eyther heauen or earth And that is the cause why it is sayd that it behoueth vs to be giuen to our Lord Iesus Christ before we can come vnto him And who is it that maketh that gift It is not euery mans offering of himself of his owne meere motion True it is that wee ought to do so for our fayth importeth obedience sacrifize so as it becoÌ„meth vs to dedicate our selues to God willingly to make a present bothe of our bodies and of our soules vnto our Lord Iesus Christ as to him that hath bought vs. Neuerthelesse this as I sayd is not of our owne meere motion but God must be fayne to bowe vs therevnto And why so Euen bycause wee were his afore And how belong wee too him not by inheritance nor by any title that wee can alledge on our owne behalf but only bycause he choze vs. Now then wee see what this texte importeth But let vs come backe â—oo the cheefe poynt that Sainct Paule treateth of heere For the things that I haue discoursed hithertoo are but too shewe that our adoption serueth not too bereeue God of his glorie whiche thing they doo that bragge of their owne free will vertues and merites
Darnell as the ignorant and weake sort shall bee hindered by it And therewithall let vs consider the mischiefe that may happen when suche as haue the charge too preache the Gospell are so disfamed by slaunders or else so brought in suspicion as a man cannot tell whither he may beleeue them or no as though God had not ordeyned them too aduaunce the kingdome of his Sonne and too publish the Gospell in many Countries or at leastwise among many folke that should bee edified by them Cursed be he therefore that shall cast such a stumblingblocke in their wayes So then let vs by all meanes indeuer too agree with those that serue God and too help such as haue the gifte and abilitie too edifie the Churche and are put in office Let vs lende them our hand that their labour may bee profitable bothe for our selues and for all our neighbours that by that meanes God may bee glorified and wee more and more with one hart and one mouth call vppon him as our father And now let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him too make vs so to feele them as it may drawe vs to right repentance and make vs beseeche him too vse his infinite mercie towardes vs vntill he haue so rid vs of all our imperfections that wee may behold him face to face as he is and attayne too the perfection wherevntoo he calleth vs now by his woord and wherevnto it behoueth vs to go foreward all our lyfe long beyng well assured that wee canno◠come too it till wee bee rid of our flesh and taken out of this pryson wherein we bee now hilde vnder the bondage of sinne That it may please him too graunt this grace not onely too vs but also too all people and nacions of the earth c. The. 8. Sermon which is the seconde vpon the second Chapter 3 And Titus also vvho vvas vvith mee although he vvere a Greeke vvas not compelled too bee circumcized 4 Bycause of the false brethren that vvere priuily crept in to spie out our libertie vvhich vve haue in Iesus Christ to the end to bring vs into bondage 5 To vvhom vvee yeelded not in vvay of subiection euen for an houre to the intent that the truthe of the Gospell might continue in you WEe finde well ynough what an enemie of our welfare the Diuell is sith he ceasseth not to labour by all meanes too stop the course of the Gospell And therein wee perceyue also that God hath set al our welfare ioy and happinesse in beyng taught by his woorde For the Diuell would not be so hastie to trouble that doctrine vnlesse he knew that the whole welfare of men lyeth therein True it is that he laboreth sore and streyneth himselfe too deface Gods glory but they bee things that go togither For God of his gracious goodnesse hath appoynted that too bee the meane too reigne among vs and to gather vs vnto himself and all our welfare is too cleaue vnto him and too ioyne with him Now therfore the Diuell not only stirreth vp many enemies to make warre agaynst the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ but also laboreth too stirre vp much stryfe among our selues and too make vs enemies one too another and that hath bin his practize at all times as wee see by example in the things that Sainct Paule reherceth too vs heere VVee knowe what alarams were giuen him euerywhere and what a number of battelles and plundges he was put vntoo by reason that the Heathen and the vnbeleuers did to the vttermost of their power withstand the preaching of Gods woord and yet ouer and besides this he sheweth how there were deceyuers also which wound thēselues in slyly and entered in as it were by stealth For the Greeke woord that he vseth importeth so much and it cannot wel be expressed by any one woord in our french tunge His meening then is that there were Cousiners which intermedled thēselues vndermyningly with the faythfull and yet all was no more but to cause the truthe of the Gospell to be corrupted And let vs marke that those dogges pretended not to reiect vtterly the whole doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ but rather bare the name and title of Christianitie Howbeit in the meane while their intent was to haue a halffaste Gospel which should bee nother fishe nor fleshe as they say but a medly of their owne deuice like as at this day there are still too many suche folke in the world who would fayne forge and builde a kind of Religion after their owne fashion taking a peece of the pure truth and mingling many lies and dreames with it Lo howe there haue bin Neuters euen from S. Paules time hither And now he sayeth that be yeelded not too them so much as one minute in way of subiection too the end that the libertie of the Gospell might continue in his full force That is in effect the thing that is rehearced heere And firste of all wee haue too arme our selues agaynst the houshold enemies which labour too turmoyle and trouble the doctrine of the Gospell in such wyse as it may become lyke a mishapen thing and men may not discerne any more of it But lette vs not bee abashed when it happeneth so for it is no noueltie at all ▪ VVherefore lette vs vnderstand that as it was Gods will too trie the constancie of the faythfull in S. Paules time so it is good reason that wee also should bee tried in these dayes according as it is sayd that it is necessarie that there should bee sectes and heresies too the intent that they which haue taken deepe roote might bee knowen by continuyng in their obedience to Godward and beare their marke that men may know them to haue profited truly in the schoole of our Lord Iesus Christ for that they haue not suffered themselues too be misledde or thrust out of the way That therefore is the cause why our Lorde dooth alwayes suffer some troublers to sowe darnell seede and too labour too turne the pure doctrine vpside downe He coulde well lette it if he thought good but he giueth Satan the brydle that our fayth may bee the better tryed Although wee see occasions before our eyes yet lette vs not swarue one way nor other but keepe on still in the way that is shewed vs assuring our selues that wee cannot doo amisse in resting wholly vppon Gods woord Then if we stand too that it is a good tryall of our fayth Furthermore let vs fight agaynst suche dogges knowyng that they bee deadly plagues and doo much more harme than they that leape quyte out of their sockets and shewe themselues manifestly too bee despyzers of the Gospell Those then that are intermedled among vs are the worser sorte and it standeth vs on hand too resist them manfully For if wee shrinke from them in the battell surely wee shall haue so much the greater confusion and men
shall not bee able any more too put a difference betweene whyte and blacke Thus yee see howe it behoueth vs too behaue our selues And nowe lette vs marke what kinde of menne Sainct Paule hath noted here He sayeth that they were crept in as it were by stealth too spie out the libertie whiche wee haue in our Lorde Iesus Christe The libertie that hee speaketh of heere concerned Ceremonies For as we haue touched alreadie and shall more fully see agayne hereafter God had ordeyned many figures vnder the Lawe too holde the Fathers in hope of oure Lorde Iesus Chryste till hee were come and shewed too the worlde The Sacrifizes therefore with all their appendants and appurtenances and the Sanctuarie with all that was in it serued bycause our Lorde Iesus Christe who is the truthe and substance of those things had not yet shewed himselfe It was for the fathers too bee led and guyded vnder suche shadowes And that is the cause why Sainct Paule will vse the similitude of yong children that are vnder Tutors and gouerners The auncient fathers therefore tooke profite by keeping the Ceremonies of the Lawe for thereby they were alwayes confirmed in the things that were promysed concerning the Redeemer And for that cause also it is sayd that the Sanctuarie was made according too the Patterne that Moyses had seene in the Mount Now that Patterne was spiritâ—all that is too wit it was our Lord Iesus Christe with his grace which is vttered too vs by his meanes now adayes in his Gospell For in asmuch as our Lord Iesus Christe is come intoo the worlde he hath made an end of those shadowes and figures And therefore also the veyle of the Temple rent asunder at his death too shew how it was Gods will too haue the faythfull come more familiarly vnto him S. Paule sayeth now that wee haue libertie in our Lorde Iesus Christ and that is bycause wee bee no more subiect too the bondage that lasted in the time of the Lawe according as he will hereafter take example of circumcision and as he treateth of it in another place also too the Colossians VVee then are circumcyzed not by the hand of man but by the woorking of Iesus Christ in vs through the power of his holy spirite And in steede of the circumcision that was ordeyned for the Iewes wee haue Baptime which witnesseth the same thing vntoo vs namely that wee must become new creatures too dedicate our selues wholly too the seruis of God And so wee see that the libertie or freedome whiche is purchaced too vs by our Lord Iesus Christe is that the Ceremonies of the lawe are layd away so as wee bee no more subiect nor bound vntoo them Now at the first blush a man would thinke this were no great thing For what harme were it if we were first baptized and by and by after circumcyzed Or if we knew that our Lord Iesus Christe only is the whole perfection and accomplishment and yet had the figures thereof still First if men should keepe still the ceremonies as in the time of the lawe the glorie of our Lord Iesus Christ should be diminished for it according as it is sayd that the law was giuen by Moyses but truth and grace were vttered too vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ for so it is sayd in the firste chapter of S. Iohn Therefore he should be bereft of his honour if wee shoulde not haue the libertie that he hath brought vs. And it behoueth vs to vnderstand that our state is better and more excellent now adayes than was the state of the old fathers bicause our Lord Iesus Christ is giuen vntoo vs and in him we haue all that was figured at that tyme. So then men do wrong to our Lord Iesus Christ in keeping still the ceremonies of the Lawe That is one poynt Againe for as much as he is named the Sonne of rightuousnesse we must not be led still as though there were but a sparke of light but wee must fasten our eyes vpon the doctrine wherein our Lord Iesus Christe is shewed vntoo vs and wherein wee may also behold him face to face to come euen vnto God his father as hath ben shewed in the second too the Corinthians Moreouer if the ceremonies of the Lawe bee considered without our Lord Iesus Christ that is to say if they be separated from him they bring as it were a binding with them and a recorde of condemnation and death vpon men And therevpon doth S. Paule stand in the seconde too the Colossians where he sayth that our Lorde Iesus Christe hath vpon his Crosse torne asunder and blotted out the obligation or handwriting that was against vs. For if the Sacrifizes stoode in force at this day wee should see there that we be all in daunger of eternall death before God And why so The sleaing of the poore beasts was not for that they themselues had deserued it but to shewe vnto men as it were in a liuely picture that they were all worthy to perishe Then if the same continued yet at this day we should still stand bounde vnder the same obligation of death But we be discharged of it by oure Lord Iesus Christ And that was the tryumph of his death as Saint Paule sayth Thirdly the auncient fathers knewe that although the Lawe was giuen them yet they obtained such fauour of freedome at Gods hand that all their faults were forgiuen them But if men shoulde nowadayes be put to the necessitie of keeping all the ceremonies it woulde be an intolerable yoke as it is sayd in the .xv. of the Actes For the cace would not only concerne ceremonies but also the drowning of vs in dispaire For is it possible for men to do the things which God commaundeth all men to do without any exception or release No. For the thing that God requireth and demaundeth passeth all our abilitie and if we fayle but in any one point we should be ouerwhelmed vnder the buâ—then Therefore for that cause this libertie is of such importance as we cannot bee sure of our saluation nor freely call vppon God excepte wee knowe that we be no more hilde vnder the yoke and bondage of the Lawe There is yet one poynt more which shall bee layd out at length which is that such as would needs make the faythfull subiecte to the keeping of ceremonies had therewithall a wicked and vntowarde imagination that men were iustifyed and did purchace grace at Gods hand by such meanes And that was an vtter abolishing of the force of the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christ Now then we see it was not causelesse that S. Paul stroue so stoutly agaynst the ceremonies of the lawe to the ende they should not be so brought in vse agayne that the faythfull should be hilde in bondage vnder them And we haue neede to be warned thereof for in these dayes we haue the like encounter agaynst the Papists True
it is that the Papists haue lesse colour than had the deceyuers of whom S. Paule speaketh For although they were Satans vnderlings and sought nothing but to peruert the truthe of the Gospell yet had they at least wise this colour that they broughte not in their owne dreames and traditions but alleaged the authoritie of God howe that the lawe ought to be kepte and that was a meetely apparant excuse But the Papists haue no suche foundation For all their Ceremonies are forgeries of mans brayne It is true that they haue mingled Iewishnesse with them and made suche a galimaufrey as a man can not tell of whome they haue borowed moste But howsoeuer the world go yet are the Ceremonies of mens setting vp which are at this day in the Popedome Nowe when we striue to abolishe them they say wee trouble the worlde for nothing And then steppe in these Neuters whiche woulde fayne please bothe parties and make a Bastarde Gospell Those fellowes caste vs in the teeth that wee bee seditious and that throughe oure precisenesse wee set muche trouble in the worlde And for proofe thereof saye they is it meete that there shoulde bee suche stryuing aboute Ceremonies seeing they bee things indifferente Yea forsoothe For if God woulde haue the Ceremonies of the lawe which yet notwithstanding came of him and by his expresse commaundement too come too an ende in our Lorde Iesus Christ what shall wee do when men will of their owne foolishe rashnesse set vp others in their stead Seeing that God would haue his owne abolished why should men step foorth therevpon and bring in their owne deuice and make God beleeue that he was not well aduised See yee not a cursed blasphemie Nowe vve knowe that the cause vvhy God vvould haue the Ceremonies of his lawe abolished in these dayes was to the intent that the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ should be the more lightsome and better knowen For he is the daysunne of righteousnesse Therfore all those shadowes must cease and it is he in whō we haue the body and substance of them sayth S. Paule Seeing then that God had that respect and reason the figures must passe and vanishe away But now what reason wil the Papists bring when as men perceyue by eyesight that all their Ceremonies are a burying of our Lorde Iesus Christ and yet that they binde men to the keeping of them vnder payne of deadly sinne And furthermore when as in all their Ceremonies they haue a certeyn opinion that Baptisme is not inough for them but that they must haue holiwater to christen or baptise men euening and morning and finally that when they haue brought in all their pelting trash and al their gewgawes there must alwayes be somewhat in thē to draw poore soules into bondage is it to be borne withall On the other side we see there is so streight a yoke as it is able to strangle the poore wretches For the seelie soules are bereft of the freedome that was purchased for them by the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christ VVe see thē how it is not without vrgent cause yea extreme necessitie that we striue against the Popish tyrannie about ceremonies cōsidering that our Lord Iesus Christ hath not his deserued preheminence so long as men busie their wits about those smal trifles that moreouer their wretched consciences are alwayes in vnquietnesse without ende or ceassing and finally that on the otherside the Papists thinke to deserue grace by the things which they terme Gods seruice bearing themselues in hande that that is the meane whereby men shuld become righteous to obteine saluatiō So thē we see that S. Paul in his time was driuē to susteyn that strife And forasmuch as our case is altogither like at this day so as we cānot hold our peace except we wil betray both god mā we must fight stoutly agaynst that hellish tyrannie and against those pelting trash trumperie and illusions of Sathan whereby hee would fayne eyther quite deface the Gospell or else so turmoyle it as a man shoulde not knowe which is the pure truth This in effect is the thing that wee haue to beare in mynde And whereas S. Paule sayth that he yelded not one iote too such men it is too confirme vs so muche the better on the thing that I touched euen nowe Peace and friendshippe are an amiable thing among men They bee so indeede and wee ought to seeke them to the vttermost of our power But yet for all that we must set such store by Gods truth that if all the world should bee set on fyre for the mayntenaunce thereof wee shoulde not sticke at it As much as wee can possibly let vs purchase peace and if the matter concerne but our owne persons or goodes let vs endeuour too compound with our aduersaries let vs beare with them and let vs labour to ouercome them by our patience Lo in what maner wee ought to buy peace But yet in the meane while let not Gods truth be deminished nor sustein any harme or preiudice For the peace that men seeke among themselues shall euermore be accursed if God be not therewithall acknowledged and magnified as he ought to be and his word also continue vnimpeached for that is the knot of our bonde and if we intend to haue it acceptable to God and the end of it to be good and for our welfare surely God must knit vs togither And hee hath giuen vs his Sonne who is called our peace too the end we should all of vs fall in order vnder him Then if we minde to haue good and holie peace let vs ame vs at this marke of yeelding our selues vnder the obeysance of Gods sonne that he may be our head and we his body like as there is but one Church But if any man goe about too withdraw vs from our Lord Iesus Christ let vs rather beare all the hatred outrages and madnesse of the world than to seeke such agreement And let vs not be afraide of all the reproch that can bee done vnto vs according as nowadayes we shal be falsly slaundered as stirrers vp of many strifes yea verily but what can wee do with it For it behoueth vs to abide still in the truth of the Gospell or else woe bee vntoo vs. If the Papistes will not agree with vs but bee vtterly wilfull in the stubbornnesse that is seene too bee in them wee must bee contented to be at defiance with men seeing they purpose too turne vs from the peace which wee should haue with God by the means of his Sonne who not without cause beareth that title as I told you before Therefore when they crye out vpon vs wee must be fenced with this answere of Elias which hee made vnto Achab. Art not thou he sayd Achab that troublest Israell For the Prophet was accused as we be nowadayes bicause he labored to bring the people backe againe too the purenesse of
Gospell it a very notable saying and which importeth a very profitable doctrine For he might well haue sayd simply to the end that the gospell might abyde among you I would not giue place too them so much as one minute But he speaketh of the truth of the Gospell Howbeit not that there is one true and another false but when he sayth that the Gospell shuld continue true he speaketh it in respect of men And why so For although men make a fayre shewe to be Christians yet do they alwayes labour to haue some medly according as we see many geerish heads in this world who cannot abyde that God alone should gouerne vs but euery man woulde cast in his owne collop or morsel and thereof came the confusion that is at this day in the papacie A man would wonder how so many pelting gewgaws fooles bables yea and also grosse abhominations could be gathered togither But that is come to passe bicause that men were not contented to obey God but would needs adde this and that of their owne fancie So then S. Paule speaketh here purposely of the trueth of the Gospell as he speaketh of the simplicitie of our Lord Iesus in the second to the Corinthians And what is ment by the simplicitie or singlenesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ It is matched ageinst all the minglings that men make For as I haue sayde already they haue a foolish fancie of setting forth things deuised of their owne brayne Nowe when men doe so put too things of their owne it is but corruptnesse and starke abhomination And that is the cause why S. Paule fayth that we must holde still the singlenesse of our Lord Iesus Christ Therfore when vnder colour of handling the Gospell men go about to make a patched pydecoted or motley religiō as a mā might term it it is no more a true religion but ther is much falshod mingled with it Then let vs mark wel that wheras S. Paule vseth here such speech he or rather the holyghost by his mouth warneth vs that it is not inough for vs to bear the name of Christiās to make some fair shew of cleauing to Gods word and to the doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ but that we must stick to it throughly and take heed that we nother mingle nor foyst in any thing to it but consider that lyke as a litle leuen is able to sower a gret deale of dow so al wil be marred as sone as we giue any entrāce to the things that men haue deuized of their own heads To be short the meanes to kepe the doctrine of the Gospel pure is that men adde not any thyng at all to it nor bee so bolde and licentious as too laye one thing or other vppon it but too content themselues with the things that our lord Iesus Christ hath shewed vs so as we become his true disciples and be not so hardie as too replie ageinst him but that all mouthes may be shet and no man lifte vp his neb too say this is my opinion this thinke I to be good but euery one of vs receyue simply that whiche is taught vs by our Lord Iesus Christ who hath all dominion of reigning ouer our soules Lo how we may haue the truthe of the Gospell And it beehoueth vs so muche the more too practyse this doctrine of S. Paules by cause wee see that nowadayes manie men seeke nothing but to mingle one with an other so as they care not of what religion they be so the same be most tolerable and easlyest receyued of the worlde True it is that among the Papistes many be so wilfull as they will neuer abyde that a man should varye one poynt from them For they see well that if there be neuer so little a breache made by and by al their tyrannie decayeth and falles downe to the ground For what holde haue they but by tyrannie and violence too tell vs that wee muste neyther will nor choose but take it for good Those therfore that are flatly on the popes side would haue men too holde through out all the filthinesse and abhominations which they haue had hithertoo But there are a sorte of fantasticall heads which would haue a Reformation wherin the Pope and Mahumet and Iesus Christe shoulde bee mingled toogither so as men myght no more discerne whiche is whiche for all is one to them so the world be agreed vppon it They bear no reuerence at all vntoo God and that is the cause why all thinges haue bene so turmoyled and confounded in our dayes and the verie foundation whervpon the Interim as they terme it was grounded For seing that manye men coulde not fynde in their hearts to consent to Papistrie they thought it good too haue a reformation betweene both And euen at this day a greate sort inclyne stil to the lyke reformation It is true say they that there are abuses and it were meet they should bee mended Yea but their meening is but too plucke away some leafe or little braunche and too lette the rest alone that the roote roote myght growe still that is too say that the Gospell of God myghte be defaced with al maner of superstitions that reigne in the Popedome But what for that heere the holy Ghost condemneth all such neuters and sheweth that theyr dooings are but craftes of Satan yea and mere illusions and mockeries to leade sillie soules to destruction and moreouer also a defacing of the glorie of our Lorde Iesus Chryst And why For we haue not the Gospel at all except we haue the pure truthe wherevnto it maye not be lawfull for men to adde any thing but all of vs to holde our selues to that whiche is shewed vs by our mayster Ye see then how that in these dayes we be inforced by the necessitie of the tyme to put this doctrine in vre And therfore when Gods enimies vpbrayde vs that wee will not agree with them let vs alwayes alledge for oure excuse that our agreement is to be knit together in our Lorde Iesus Chryst and to be all obedient too his woord and doctrine If they alledge that it is a pryde in vs to reiect so the things that are commanded by such men as terme themselues superiors Let vs answer that we must first obey God and that Iesus Chryst must not be bereft of his right and men set vp in his place If they aske why so VVere it not better to haue some meane way and that euery man should shew howe he intendeth not too separate himselfe from the rest than to striue after that fashion and to cause christendome to bee as it were scattered Let vs aunswere that the matter standeth not vpon knowing who shall get the vpper hande or who shall be maister ouer his fellowes but Gods word must continue alwayes vnimpeached or otherwyse all the pretence of concorde that men can make shall be but abhomination before God And why For it were better that all
was not lawfull to alter any part of it seeing that God was the Authour of it But they shoulde haue considered to what ende the Ceremonies were giuen to the people of olde time True it is that like as God is vnchaungeable so his worde also indureth stedfast for euer but yet doth it not follow therevpon that God should not appoynt men the things which he knoweth to be meete for theÌ„ Therfore the Ceremonies were ordeyned for a tyme too serue the necessitie of the Iewes Also there was this respect which I haue touched that before the comming of Iesus Christ it was requisite that there shoulde bee certaine shadowes too bring the faythfull more further forwarde that is that they might be confirmed in the hope of the redeemer that was promised them And therevpon wee may well gather that Gods inioyning of the Ceremonies was not too the ende they shoulde continue for euer and stande alwayes in theyr full and perfect state but to the intent they should continue for a time to serue to keepe that people in the hope that was giuen them of the things which wee now haue in our Lorde Iesus Christ who is the verie bodie and substance of the shadowes that were in the tyme of the lawe Ye see then to what poynt we must come And yet cannot a man argue that God is variable as some fantasticall persons do who haue alledged the same reason For shall wee say that God chaungeth his purpose bycause hee maketh Sommer and VVinter VVee see the sundrie seasons of the yeare wee see the earth wexe greene and the trees bud floures and afterward bring foorth frute and we see all things as good as dead in the VVinter time All this varietie commeth surely of God but yet doth it not therefore follow that he chaungeth his nature So likewyse as I sayde afore he gaue his lawe for mans behoofe and it was requisite that the Iewes who had not yet such manifest knowledge as is giuen vs by the Gospell should be helped by another meane that is to wit by the Ceremonies which no wadayes should be needlesse forasmuch as we haue the performance of the things that God shewed them then a farre off and our state is in that respect better than the state of the Iewes But nowe Saint Paule to shewe that his preaching of such libertie and that the law which God had layd vpon the necks of the auncient fathers was taken away at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ was not without cause declareth that he rebuked Peter for the same matter Nowe if the Christians ought to haue bin hilde in like bondage as the Iewes had bin surely Peter woulde haue mainteyned the quarell to the vttermost But hee suffered himselfe to bee reproued and confessed his fault Seeing we haue such a president in the person of Peter it foloweth that our cace is good and that the Apostles knewe that all the olde shadowes and figures ought to ceasse and bee vtterly abolished by the coÌ„ming of our Lorde Iesus Christ Thus the thing that S. Paule setteth downe heere is that he rebuked Peter in the Citie of Antioche for beeing conuersant with the Gentiles not with the vnbeleeuing sort but with such as had bin conuerted to the knowledge of the Gospell He liued familiarly with them accounting them as members of the Church But beholde assoone as certaine Iewes came from Ierusalem sent of Iames Peter fearing least some misreport might bee rayzed of him shrunke away and made countenance as though hee had no familiaritie nor acquaintance with the Gentiles and notwithstanding that they had the same fayth of the Gospell which he had yet did he vse them as straungers bicause it was taken to be a kinde of defyling to bee in companie with them See here a wicked madnesse for by that meanes there was a diuision made in the Church For as it is sayde in another place the wall was broken downe when our Lord Iesus Christ was appointed to be a light from God not only for the Iewes but also for the saluation of the whole world VVherfore if it behoued those that had erst bin separated estraunged from the Church to be called into one flocke then doth Peter disanull Gods grace whereas yet notwithstanding we know there is not a more precious thing than the vnion of the Church Therefore he that varieth from it cannot by any meanes be excused But beholde the fault of Peter was that he brake this bonde of concord by separating the Iewes from the Gentiles notwithstanding that all belonged too the bodie of our Lorde Iesus Christ and were the verie children of God Againe they had all one selfesame head and one selfesame redeemer and therefore his deed was a diminishing of Gods house forsomuch as we be all gathered togither in his name and do become his houshold folke euen till we bee gathered vp into the heritage of heauen But there was yet one other fault which is that the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ was darkned For what fare we the better by his coÌ„ming vnlesse we know that in him we haue the fulnesse and performance of the things that were figured to vs in old time â–ª If we should offer sacrifize nowadayes as they did in the time of the law we should not know that we were clenzed by the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ and that the same was a sufficient payment for the satisfaction of all our sinnes and that we haue there a perfect righteousnesse purchased for vs. VVe should know none of these things Therfore S. Peter offended grosly in hanging vp that veyle againe which was as much as to stop Christ from being knowne as he ought to be Moreouer â—there was also a third fault which was that therby the Iewes were hardned in their error True it is that we ought to beare with the ignorant weak ones not grieue theÌ„ ouer much although they ouershoot themselues yet must they be brought back again by litle little rather than to break either bone or gristle of theÌ„ as the prouerb sayth but yet as for to nurrish their ignorance by soothing theÌ„ in it or by giuing any tokeÌ„ of alowance or welliking that is naught And Peter by withdrawing himself from the Gentiles to please his own Countrimen brought to passe that the Iewes might the better make their brags that they had won their spurs forsomuch as Peter had giuen an incling that the Gentiles were vnclean vnholy people and so his deed was an augmenting of the euill that was to great alreadie In respect wherof S. Paule sayd that Peter was blameworthy And it behoueth vs to marke this thing well and diligently bicause some haue thought in tymes past that it was done by agreemeÌ„t bytwixt them that S. Peter was sorie that some of his Countrimen were to hard to be pleased therfore had told S. Paul secretly that he was coÌ„tented to be rebuked of him But
folke theyr Apsie and that the Pope is come in aboue hym to bring in the state of perfection and yet notwithstāding it is sene how the Pope maketh a minglemangle or hotchpotch as men terme it of al things Then is the word Gospell villanously vnhalowed among the Papistes and these sticklers which would haue men to agree vnto many superstitions and too content themselues with a little of the Gospell and in the meane while let many abuses and errors continue still do likewise darken the pure doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ That is the cause why S. Paule speaketh expresly of the truth of the Gospell to shew that we must go to it roundly and not by halues and that there must be no adding nor diminishing of the things which the sonne of God hath taught vs but that euery man must be cōtented to heare him speak and too let him haue his mouth open Let vs on our side open our eares and be heedfull to receiue whatsoeuer hee sayth and let no man presume to haue an ore in that boat to say this would be good or this or that should be done VVherefore let vs so reuerence the pure doctrine of the Gospell as none of vs presume too chaunge ought of it but all of vs yeeld to it without exception Thus much concerning the first reason that is set downe heere So to be short let vs keepe our selues true schollers vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ and if any man go about to make vs swarue neuer so little frō him or to gad after the doctrines inuentions of men let vs withstande them stoutly And why For Saint Paule had none other respect but that the Gospell might abide in his pure vncorrupted soundnesse VVherefore let vs followe him in the same nowadayes and we can neuer do amisse Marke that for one poynt Another is that we must also marke well that if an inconuenience should increase and spread abrode by our silence and forbearing wee must prouide for it aforehande For it were to late to shet the stable doore when the Steed is stolne Therefore when we see that such as labour too intangle Gods truth or too mingle their owne fancies with it doo drawe folke to them and begin too haue some traine and tayle following them then is it high time for vs too bee firie in fighting For if we beare it it is certaine that wee bee guiltie of the decay of the Church that shall come vpon it and whereas we thinke too shift it off God will not graunt vs that grace for as much as wee haue bin too colde and retchlesse Therfore when the mischeefe increaseth and that there breedeth any infection of it that is to say when one beginnes too marre another let vs bethinke vs too set our selues lustely agaynst it and not suffer the shrewd weedes too growe so farre as to choke the corne but let vs plucke them vp bytimes And this is too bee done not onely in the errours that marre the pure doctrine of the Gospell but also in all vices and corruptions of manners Truely if there bee any Heresies and wicked opinions which might set all things in a broyle it is all one as if a man should haue a stroke with a swoord or a dagger in his brest or in his throte For wherein is the lyfe and welfare of the Churche but in the purenesse of Gods woord If a man would come and put poyson in our meate whereof wee should take nurrishment should wee holde our peace at it No but wee should rather storme at it Now the self-same reason holdeth in the doctrine of the Gospell and wee muste haue our handes alwayes lift vp too maynteyne the pure doctrine and not suffer it in any wyse to be corrupted Also whē we see vices reygne wee must prouide for them and redresse them in due season For if wee beare with it and doo as most men doo whiche doo but laugh at it and prouide for it at leyzure wee shall afterward bee at our wittes end too see how God hath shet the gate and how Satan hath wonne the goale out of all krie And sure it is a iust reward of our rechlesnesse and coldnesse when wee bee not heedefull to cure the diseases as soone as wee see them infect and marre the bodie of the Churche after that sort Thus yee see what wee haue in effect too remember heere namely that wee must not bee so foolish and lightminded as too receyue the things that these Newters or dubblehanded men doo put vnto vs as who should say that if the great abuses bee amended it ought to suffyze vs. But let vs neuer leaue till the Gospell bee set agayne in his pure soundnesse and that wee haue it in the self same wyze which our Lord Iesus Christ deliuered it too vs without any mingling put thereto by men And secondly agayne thereafter as wee see the mischiefe preuayle let vs bryng these backe vnto God which are gone astray and labour too stoppe those that leade their neighbours after that fashion too destruction and seeke nothing but too turne all vpside downe let such men be repressed and let euery one that hath the zeale of God shewe himselfe their deadly enemie breaking asunder what soeuer may holde vs backe and whither there bee frendship or kinred betwixte vs ▪ or any other of the streyghtest bondes in the worlde lette vs burie euerywhit of it in forgetfulnesse when wee see the foules that were bought with the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ so led to ruine and destruction or when wee see things that were well settled ouerthrowen and nothing else sought but confusion so as menne might not know any more what Iesus Christ is and that by little and little the Diuell getteth full scope and carieth vs away headlong as though the brydle were layd looce in our necke VVhen wee see the mischiefe tende too this poynt let euery of vs streyne himself too stop it and shewe that wee had leuer too haue deadly foode for the seruing of God than too haue all the friendship in the worlde for pleasing and pleasuring of mortall creatures VVherfore let vs not play the blind men or blinkardes when wee see God offended but let vs set so muche store by his truthe and glorie that all other things may be nothing too vs in comparison thereof Thus ye see in effect how we ought to put this doctrine in vre The residue shall be reserued till the afternoone Then let vs nowe fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them more and more and that therewithall for asmuch as hee will haue vs to come to him with true repētance it may please him to draw vs by his holy spirite and to beare with our infirmities till he haue quyte and cleane purged and rid vs of them and brought vs to the perfection wherevnto he calleth and incourageth vs. And
of vncircumcision it meaneth the vnclennesse wherewith wee be compassed about in Adam in so muche as there is not any man which is not damned alreadie from his mothers wombe But the Iewes thought that God had set them free from that coÌ„mon curse and they made their boast therof Surely Gods chosing of them after that sort for his own people heritage was a great dignitie and worthy too bee esteemed aboue all worldly goodes But yet neuerthelesse it became them to haue acknowledged with all humblenesse that there was not any excellencie at all in their owne persons For according to our wonted maner of drawing Gods gracious giftes too muche to vayne ouerweening the Iewes did commonly ouershoote them selues by bearing them selues in hand that they were aboue all the rest of the worlde Verily as who should say that God had founde any thing in them why he should preferre them before those whom he had forsaken Therefore that dooing of theirs was a great pride whiche caried with it a shamefull thanklesnesse in that they imputed not to Gods meere goodnesse the things which they had of his free gifte but were puffed vp with ouerweening as thoughe God had knowne them to be better or worthyer of euerlasting saluation than the Gentiles But nowe S. Paule to dispatche all ouerweening sayth Go too wee be Iewes by nature As if he had sayde It is true that wee haue some fauour aboue the Gentiles whome God hath not vouchsafed to receiue into his Church VVhen he speaketh after that fashion it is not to giue the Iewes occasion to waxe proude but to lay before them the things which they had receiued frely of God wherin they had no cause at all to brag of them selues according as we see how that in the Epistle to the Romanes he vttereth two sayings whiche at the first â—lushe might seeme contrarie For on the one side Haue wee then sayth hee no priuiledge aboue the Gentiles Yes verily for God hath chosen vs for hys people he hathe giuen vs the seale of Circumcision too shewe that hee auoweth vs for his children hee hathe alyed him selfe vntoo vs hee hathe promised vs the Redeemer of the worlde and too bee shorte he hath sanctified vs in suche wyse that if wee consider the fauour whiche he hathe vttered towards vs there hath beene well wherwith to aduance and exalte vs aboue the residue of the whole worlde Thus on the one side Paule dothe there magnifie the goodnesse of God and afterwarde he falleth too questioning agayne and asketh what aduauntage haue wee then None at all sayth he for all men are shutte vp vnder Gods curse If the Gentiles bee too bee condemned wee bee too bee condemned double for there may be yet some likelyhoode that ignorance shall serue to excuse them But yet can they make no defence of that before God but shall perishe althoughe they neuer had any instruction or teaching Needes then must wee bee condemned by the lawe sayth he seeing that God hathe taughte vs and yet for all that wee cease not too sinne still and too transgresse his commaundements in so muche that we be plunged in greater and deeper cursednesse than the Heathen folk and vnbeleeuers Now then he sayth that the Iewes are in deede separated after a sort from the Gentiles not that the Iewes are of more worthinesse or that they haue any righteousnesse in them selues â–ª but bicause God of his own meere goodnesse voutsafed to chose them â–ª like as at this day the children that are borne of beleeuing pareÌ„ts are not better than the children that are borne of Paynims Turkes if a man coÌ„sider them both in their owne nature For we be all of a corrupted and cursed lumpe and God hathe so condemned vs as no man can iustly set vp his bristles to thinke him selfe of more value than his fellowes But yet neuerthelesse S. Paule sheweth that they be sanctified and that they be not vncleane as those are which are borne of vnbeleeuers or Heathen folke Heere shoulde seeme to be some contrarietie neuerthelesse all agreeth very well togither For there is nothing but vncleannesse and filthinesse in vs all without exception and that commeth of nature Howbeit there is a supernaturall gifte that is to say a remedie that God giueth whiche is that the children of the faythfull are dedicated vnto him and he acknowledgeth auoweth them for his Then like as now a dayes the children that are borne of the Churche are reckned too bee of the number of Gods people and of the companie of the chosen euen so vnder the lawe the Iewes were separated from the rest of the world And that is the cause why S. Paule sayth Wee bee Iâ—wes and not sinners of the Gentiles VVhereas he speaketh of Sinners he meaneth suche as continue in their filthynesse and are not clensed by the grace of God For Circumcision was a token and witnesse that God accepted Abrahams issue and ofspring for hys owne housholde and peculiar people The thing then wherein the Iewes differed in olde tyme from the vnbeleeuers was that althoughe they were all of one sute for as muche as they were all indifferently the children of Adam yet notwythstandyng God had chosen the one sort and left the other sort still straungers from his house If a man aske why he dyd so there was none other cause than his owne meere grace and yet were not the Iewes in the meane whyle the more excellent But nowe let vs followe the matter that S. Paule handleth heere Wee knowe sayth he that wee can not bee iustified by the deedes of the Lawe but by beleefe in Iesus Christ. In so saying he sheweth that the Iewes them selues what grace soeuer they had receyued coulde not grounde them selues vpon other men nor vpon them selues as thoughe they had deserued aught at Gods hande but must bee fayne to flee to his free goodnesse acknowledging that there is no saluation but in Iesus Christe who is come to finde out the thing that was alreadie loste And herein is fulfilled that which he sayth in another place howe that aswel they which were nere hande as they that were farre off were all gathered togither into one Iesus Christ is the peacemaker to cause God to loue vs and to receyue vs too mercy not onely those that were earst farre of as the Gentiles but also the children of Abraham what noblenesse or dignitie soeuer were in them for that came not of their owne nature And let vs marke that when S. Paule saythe that the Iewes whiche were conuerted to the Christen fayth knewe they coulde not bee iustified by the works of the lawe but by beleefe in Iesus Christ he maketh a comparison betweene fayth and the Lawe to shewe that wee can not bee iustified by grace excepte wee forsake all our owne merites and that is a thing well worthy too bee marked For the Papistes will well inoughe confesse that wee bee iustifyed by faythe howebeit they
there is none of vs but he shall finde that he prouoketh God too vse suche sharpenesse towardes him as if a father bee as kinde harted as is possible to be wished yet if he haue vnruly children so as they be â—eude and froward he shall bee prouoked after suche a fashion that he shall as it were chaunge his nature bycause he knoweth not at what end too begin with them and is fayne after a sort too transforme himselfe Euen so is it with vs. For we haue a father which in goodnesse surmounteth all that can bee seene among men but we on our side as I sayd afore in steede of yeelding obediently vnto him as we ought to do and in steede of offering our selues redily to walke as he commaundeth so soone as he doth but speake the woord do nothing but stray VVe haue our lustes alwayes inordinate and boyling wee haue our replies alwayes readie coyned and although our mouth speake not yet it appeereth that there is no such calmnesse in our hartes as too be contented to submit our selues to God as we ought to do Seyng then that we be conuicted to our faces by experience that God had neede to be so rough and sharp towardes vs let vs suffer him to do whatsoeuer he knoweth too be for our welfare And no doubt but the Galathians were as nyce as wee and had as itching eares as wee haue and yet were they fayne too be rebuked so sharply by reason of their vnthankfulnesse As for S. Paule we know he indeuered by all humilitie and meeldnesse too drawe all such to the obedience of our Lord Iesus Christ as were committed and appoynted too his Apostleship He likeneth himself and not without cause too a nurce which will beare with hir nurse childe and not spare any thing too shew the loue that shee beareth it VVee shall see hereafter that he will say Be yee as I am for I am as you bee I seeke nothing but too fashion my selfe vnto you and to bring to passe that wee may agree in one And yet notwithstanding necessitie hath constreyned him too crie out as you heare now Yee vnwize yee fooles yee vndiscreete or witlesse as beasts who hath bewitched you after that sorte must you not needes bee possessed with the Diuell Here are very harde woordes and no doubt but the Galathians were greeued at them at the firste sight Yet neuerthelesse it was meete for them to feele that S. Paule vsed not that maner of speach and language without cause Therefore whensoeuer we bee rebuked let vs blame our owne faultes for it and yeeld our selues giltie for wee shall gayne nothing by checking againe VVhen we haue disputed what we can wee may peraduenture iustifie our cace afore men but wee shall alwayes be giltie before God Moreouer it behoueth vs too marke well the reason that is added heere by S. Paule when he sayeth yee muste needes bee bewitched if yee obey not the truth seyng that our Lorde Iesus Christe hath bin as it were peynted out liuely before you yea and euen crucified among you In speaking after that fashion S. Paule sheweth with what force and effectualnesse he had preached the Gospell Therfore he likneth the doctrine which he had brought vnto a picture therevnto inlargeth it yet better saying that the matter which hee had preached among the Galathians ought too auayle asmuch as if they had seene the Sonne of God crucified among them and his bloud sheaded out for the spirituall washing of their soules For so much then as they had bin taught so faythfully they could no more excuse themselues of their backesliding But first of all we see here whiche is the true maner of preaching the Gospell namely to giue knowledge of Gods loue towardes vs in that he spared not his onely Sonne but gaue him too the death for vs according as in very deede all the treasures of wisedome and vnderstanding are layed vp in our Lord Iesus Christ as it is sayd in another place too the Colossians Sith it is so if we bee desirous to profite well in the Gospell lette vs learne too acknowledge the grace that is purchaced for vs by our Lorde Iesus Christe for without that all that wee haue is nothing Many will brag that they bee well learned in Gods word but the true triall too knowe whither it bee so or no is if wee perceyue howe greate neede wee haue that God shoulde poure out his mercie vpon vs too succour vs by drawing vs out of the gulf of Hell and therevpon coÌ„clude that wee cannot be clenzed and washed from any of all our spottes but by the bloud of Gods sonne nor obtayne rightuousnesse but by the obedience that he hath yeelded nor haue any satisfaction for vs but by the sacrifize that he hath offered nor come in Gods fauour but by his meanes nor open our mouthes too call vppon him but by his intercession Therefore when wee bee throughly persuaded of the gracious benefites that are brought vs by the sonne of God then may wee say wee haue some vnderstanding in the Gospell but without that wee haue nothing but imagination and follie Marke that for one poynt And therewith let vs marke that it is not ynough for vs too know slightly that our Lord Iesus Christ hath bought vs so deerely but that we must continue still in the doctrine of the Gospell till it bee throughly printed in our hartes as though his bloud gushed downe too apply the frute that commeth of it too our vse and that is too the end to waken vs out of our drowsinesse For we shal see many that take themselues too bee very great Clerkes if they vnderstande but three or foure woordes of the Gospell at a glaunce And yet the same shall soone bee defaced and put out of rememberance bycause that whereas wee ought too seeke too bee filled with the benefites that our Lord Iesus Christ hath brought vs they holde themselues contented with a tast of them God then punisheth the vnthankfulnesse of such folke and their despizing of his goodnesse And therfore it standeth vs so much the more on hand to put forth apply all our indeuer to be well settled in the foresayd doctrine that is too wit of knowing whervnto the death and passioÌ„ of Gods sonne and the inestimable benefites which we haue receyued do auayle vs. Again on the other side we be warned that our sins are the heynouser before God if after wee haue bin taught his will wee turne head backe againe and sin not through ignoraÌ„ce but through contempt and wilfulnesse For if we shake off his yoke it is a sure proofe that wee bee loth to be subiect to him and play the wilde beasts True it is that euen the ignorantest folk in the world are reproued by their own sinfulnesse for asmuch as hypocrisie reigneth in all men but yet if coÌ„parison bee made betweene those that neuer heard one woord of the truth and vs
vnder our feete thinke we that God wil suffer his grace too be so lightly esteemed and hild skorne of No. For wee cannot despise the doctrine of the Gospel but we must vnhalow the bloud of Gods sonne which he did shead for our redemption for the one cannot bee separated from the other VVhensoeuer and how often soeuer God speaketh to vs and offereth vs forgiuenesse of oure sinnes shewing himselfe readie to receiue vs to mercie so often is the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christe sprinkled vpon vs. All the teaching in the world cannot do vs any good except our Lord Iesus Christ be with it to apply the sheading of his bloud vnto vs. And if we despise the doctrine of the Gospel it is all one as if wee did spit at the holy bloud of Goddes sonne which thing is an intolerable trayterousnesse Therfore let vs looke narowlier to our selues and wey wel this text to the intent we stand stedfast and for asmuch as God hath called vs to so great a good turne and we do now know that is not by haphazard that the Gospel hath bin preached but bycause it was Gods will to vtter the infinite riches of his goodnesse towardes vs let vs stand in it and so sticke too it as nothing may thrust vs from it nor by any meanes euer shake vs down Lo in effect what we haue to beare away in this text Moreouer we be warned also which are the true pictures or peintings to leade vs too God The Papists say we must haue rememberances to teache vs and that images are the bookes of the vnlearned which are not apt to conceiue higher doctrine but hath Sainct Paule spoken heere but to three or four folke No It is generally and to all Christians without exception as well to great as small that he sayth that wheÌ„ the Gospell is preached then Iesus Christ is peinted out liuely and we must looke vpon him not with the fleshly eyes of our bodyes but with the spirituall eyes of our faith Then seeing it is so let vs learne that we haue no neede of Images and puppets to teach vs what is necessarie for our saluation nother neede wee a peece of wood stone or other suche pelting stuffe too put vs in rememberance of God for in all those things there is nothing but vanitie and leasing but we haue neede to haue Gods word preached and to indeuer and trauell to make the same familiar too vs that wee may there beholde God in his liuely image that is to saye in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ his only sonne according also as Sainct Paule sayeth in the second too the Corinthians where he protesteth that the doctrine which he brought vntoo them was not hidden from anie but the vnbeleeuers suche as perish whome the Diuell possesseth and which haue their eyes sealed vp And no wonder though they see not awhit in the open light But yet in the meane while the doctrine is so manifest vntoo vs as we may easly perceyue Gods will For he sheweth vs it familiarly ynough as oft as the Gospell is preached in somuch that wee neede not to make much running vp and downe not too fetch farre wyndlasses wee neede no more to say who shall stie vp aboue the Cloudes who shall go beyond sea who shall go downe intoo the deepe Haue we Gods word at leastwise haue wee it preached purely Then is Iesus Christ as it it were in the middes of vs and sheweth himself as it were hanging vppon the Crosse witnessing what hee dyd for vs when he suffered death to reconcyle vs to God his father There hee setteth vs downe a sure and vndeceyuable pledge or warrant and let vs content our selues with it For when we haue pleaded neuer so muche it will not excuse vs oure cace wyll alwayes go againste vs if wee bee not well assured in oure consciences that wee haue whollye leaned vntoo Goddes word which as I sayd bringeth vs so neere vnto God that it is the very vnion itselfe whiche we haue with him in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ And in good sooth we see how God dothe as it were stoup to our rudenesse and infirmitie For doth he speak in so loftie and darke a stile as we can vnderstand nothing No but contrariwise he abaceth hymselfe and therto thinkes it not ynough to haue spoken but also addeth Sacramentes to his worde whyche are the true pictures that we ought to haue Like as when we see the water of baptim it is a picture which sheweth vs that we be â—ull of filth and vncleannesse till we be washed and by whome VVe must seeke our washing from aboue Besides this it sheweth vs that we must be renued by the holy Ghost of God That then is a good picture And why Bycause it beareth Gods marke and is matched wyth hys worde As much is to bee sayde of the Lordes supper VVhen we see the morsells of bread and the droppes of wyne Very well they bee the Creatures whereof wee haue bin wont too take nurrishmeute and sustenaunce for our bodies but the same do leade vs to the lyfe of our soules and gyue vs to vnderstand that we haue no lyfe but in our Lorde Iesus Chryste And the cause why the wyne is added is to shew that he hath such vertue in him as we neede not to seeke any part of the thynges that we want any otherwhere but that he serueth vs for meate and drinke and all These I say are the good images that God hath set afore vs and now if we bee still soring in the aire and gadding after our owne lusts to say I would fayne haue more it is a disdeyning of the grace that is offered vs. So much the more therefore doth it stande vs on hand to marke well this streine where Sainct Paule by the poewr and in the name of God condemneth yea and with the power of the holy Ghost thundereth against all suche as haue bin taught the Gospell faithfully and afterward do turne aside and slip away from it And therevpon he addeth that he woulde fayne haue it knowen by what meane the holy Ghost is receyued For if they had receiued the holy Ghost by the works of the law Sainct Paule would haue graunted that there was some righteousnesse to be had by it But forasmuch as they had receiued him by the Gospell it must needes be concluded that they ought to haue rested vppon the record that God gaue them so apparantly And for the better vnderstanding of the thing that he meant too saye heere let vs marke that Gods spirit is giuen in common to all the faithfull for somuch as they be regenerated and made new creatures Besides this â–ª there are spiritual gifts which God destributeth according to such measure and portion as hee thinketh good but yet they redound all to the common welfare of the Church If we bee Christians we must needes haue Gods spirit as wee shall see
than angelicall conformitie too all his commaundementes Howbeit although he holde vs in awe although he chaunge vs and fashion vs newe agayne althoughe he reyne vs backe to the obedience of his will yet is there no full perfection in vs. And why For he intendeth to holde vs still vnder the bridle of humilitie he wil haue vs to know our owne weaknesse and to grone for it before him and he will haue vs to passe iudgement and to know that wee be alwayes inâ—etted vnto him Forasmuche then as God doth not in this present life giue vs such perfection as were requisit to the ful performance of his whole law therfore we can neuer do throughly the things that he coÌ„maÌ„deth vs. And forasmuch as we be not able to performe theÌ„ therfore this iudgement is huÌ„dred down vpon our heads that he is cursed which fulfilleth not al the things It behoueth vs to marke well that saying for it is not sayd Cursed bee he that reiecteth the Lawe or which keepeth no poynt at all of it but Cursed be he that dischargeth not himselfe of it poynt by poynt and through stitche as I sayd afore And for that cause also S. Iames too the ende too beate downe mens pride sayth that he which fayleth in any one poynt is giltie of the whole VVee will think this to be very rough dealing at the first sight VVhat say we will God forget al the good that a man hath done for the committing of some one onely fault That would be counted crueltie among men Yea but S. Iames addeth a reason saying He that forbad to murther forbad also to coÌ„mit whordome and he that forbad to steale forbad al the residue too Then if I thinke my selfe to haue satisfied God in forbearing thefte and in the meane while am a whoremaster haue I not offended the maiestie of God And therfore wee must leaue all these peecings for if wee bring God some one peece let all the rest alone what a dealing wil that be â–ª VVe see that one man is giuen to one vice another to another and so euery man would bee priuiledged and dispenst with vnder colour that he had done this or that notwithstaÌ„ding that he missed in some other poynt But God hathe not separated his commaundements asunder He hath not sayde too one man thou shalte not steale and to another Thou shalte not commit aduoutry but he sayth to al men without exception Absteyne yee from whordome absteyne ye from theft absteyne yee from murther Therefore wee must examine our life not by any one commaundement alone but by all the whole law togither But now let vs see if we can find any man that is faultlesse Yee see then that wee must needes bee confounded so long as we stande to be iudged by the law For if Abraham who was the excellentest that euer could be picked out amoÌ„g men should be driuen to enter into account by that it is certayne that he shoulde not misse too bee damned Seeing it is so let vs beare well in minde that it is not for vs too dispute any more for when the Papistes speake of the righteousnesse of faythe they doo but dally and skoffe with God as if he were a lyttle babe Let vs keepe our selues from suche scornfulnesse and when God pronounceth this horrible sentence that all they bee cursed which fulfill not all that is written let vs conceiue such a terrour of it as we may quake before his maiestie yea and euery of vs become his owne iudge and willingly yeeld himselfe giltie and beeing so conuicted of our wretchednesse bewayle our vtter fayling in all things and therevpon imbrace the rightuousnesse that is offered vs in our Lord Iesus Christ taking all our contentment and rest there Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs so to feele them as we may not only aske him forgiuenesse with true repentance but also pray him to hold vs vp all the tyme of our lyfe till he haue taken vs hence into his owne kingdome and in the meane while to reforme vs more and more by his holy spirit to the end we may haue sure record that we be of the number of his children by gouerning ourselues after that manner in feare and seeke nothing else but to giue ourselues wholly vnto him And so let vs all say Almighty God heauenly father c. The. 18. Sermon which is the fourth vpon the third Chapter 11. That no man is iustifyed by the lavve before God it is manifest for the rightuous shall liue by faith 12. And the lavve is not of saith but the man that doeth those things shall liue in them 13. Christ hath raunsomed vs froÌ„ the curse of the lawe in that he became accursed for vs for it is vvritteÌ„ cursed is he that hangeth on tree 14. That the blissednesse of Abraham myght come vppon the Gentils through Iesus Christ to the end that vve myght receyue the promis of the spirite by fayth WE haue seene that if men be not worse than mad they must needes for all that euer they haue seeke their saluation in our Lord Iesus Christ For if they sticke to the law they shall find nothing there but damnation as hathe bin shewed alreadye and that doth euery man fynde sufficiently by hys owne experience And certesse when as Sainct Paule goeth about in the Epistle to the Romanes to shew that men beguile themselues too grosly by trusting in their owne merites he fayth that the law can worke nothing but Gods wrath and vengeance For although wee bee already sufficiently condemned ere God open his mouth to gyue sentence againste vs yet notwithstanding our naughtinesse is yet deeper ingrauen by the law when he saith that if wee transgresse but some any one point we become enimies to God and his wrath must needes be kindled against vs. VVhat shall we gaine by disputing when the determinate sentence is pronounced by the heauenly iudge There is nother appeale nor pleading that will stande vs in sted So then let vs vnderstand that to haue the true knowledge of the Gospell we must hold vs wholly to our Lorde Iesus Christe that we put not our hope of saluation in any other thyng than in his only mercie and for the performance thereof let euery of vs haue an eye to his owne life For if men sift themselues thoroughly without hipocrisie or feyning surely all cause of pleading will soone be rid away The Papistes will not in any wise graunte that only fayth should make vs acceptable to God and that is bycause they neuer felt throughly what it is to come before Goddes iudgement seate but haue alwayes as it were played with the shadow of it And therefore no maruell though they pardon themselues in all things But the very way to bring vs to the truth and to the pure and right religion is for euery of vs to
abashed at his sinnes not for three or foure monethes but so as hee shall abhorre them all his life long forsomuch as hee seeth that hell is alwayes readie to swallow him vp at one chop if God supplyed not his wantes and drewe him not as it were out of the gulfe of death And therefore it is sayde that the righteous shall liue by fayth to the ende that the same should serue as a lesson not for a three or foure monethes onely nor for those onely whiche are not of so perfect life as other men but as a lesson that God speaketh euen to such as are the most excellent And surely that also is the thing wherevnto wee must referre the woord Liue so as wee may liue not for a litle while nor for a day nor for two or three monethes but cōtinually in Gods free goodnesse seeke the same from day too day euen to the end And although our life be hidden in this world as S. Paule sayeth and wee see nothing but death before vs yet let vs not ceasse too repose our selues vppon this promis that our life is sure for asmuch as God hath taken it intoo his custodie and will keepe it safely and therevnto hath left vs so good a pledge of it that is too wit our Lord Iesus Christe who died and is rizen againe for vs and therefore wee shall not neede too say any more who shall go vp into heauen or who shall go downe intoo the deepe or who shal passe ouer the sea For the woord is in our mouth and in our hart in asmuch as wee know that our Lord Iesus Christe went downe too hell that is too say as wee shall see in the next sermon by Gods leaue that he became accursed for vs whiche is the thing that muste content vs and afterward went vp intoo heauen whereof the gate is opened vnto vs euer since he entred in thither in our behalfe Therefore let vs take all our hold there and suffer our selues too be as poore dead men in this worlde wayting for the discouerie of the lyfe that is promised vs for no doubte but God will in due tyme discouer it and manifestly shewe it vntoo vs in such wyze as wee shall fully inioy it as it is preached too vs by his Gospell And now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them more and more and that wee may bee so touched with them as it may beate vs flat downe before him make vs sigh and grone vnder the burthen of our infirmities and vices wherewith we be hēmed in till he haue clenzed vs throughly of them and praying him also too beare with vs during this mortall lyfe till he haue fully deliuered vs from the bondage of sinne and from the bondes of Satan wherein wee bee hild as nowe till he haue set vs vtterly free from them That it may please him too graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people c. The. 19. Sermon which is the fifth vpon the third Chapter 13 Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lavve in that he vvas made accursed for vs for it is vvritten Cursed is euery one that hāgeth on tree 14 To the end that the blissednesse of Abraham should come vpō the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that we might receiue the promis of the spirit by faith WEe haue seene alreadie that if wee hope not to bee saued by some other meanes than by discharging our duetie we should all of vs be accursed bycause wee bee all giltie before God in that wee are found too haue transgressed and done amisse many wayes For there was neuer yet any of the holiest men so perfect but that there was alwayes some blemish yea and store of infirmities in him Therefore it is to be concluded that if God should call vs too account wee should bee all damned and forlorne Lo in what plight men bee though they set neuer so much store by themselues But now it standeth vs on hand too haue some meanes too scape this cursednesse Else what shall it auayle vs to haue our eares beaten dayly with Gods woord For his will shall serue but to plundge vs still deeper in eternall death To the ende therefore that Gods woord may bee profitable too vs and auaylable to our saluation it lieth vs vpon to get vs out of the sayd sentence of damnation which is giuen and proclaymed vppon all mankinde And Sainct Paule sheweth vs here the meane namely that Christ hath redeemed vs euen by becomming accursed for vs. He sheweth vs that our Lorde Iesus Christ was not hanged vppon tree in vayne for he was fayne too beare the cursednesse of all suche as were too bee called too saluation Yee see wee are all accursed as I haue declared alreadie and therefore was our Lorde fayne too receyue in his persone the thing that was due vntoo vs. Now it was written in the Law of Moyses Cursed shall he bee hangeth on tree VVhen our Lord commaundeth the bodie too bee taken downe he addeth that it is a cursed sight too beholde a man so disfigured and therefore let it bee taken downe sayeth he And at suche tyme as God pronounced the sayde sentence that he which should bee hanged on tree should bee as it were accursed and banned he knew well ynough what he had determined of his owne onely Sonne For our Lorde Iesus Christe suffered not that kinde of death by chaunce nor at mannes pleasure or appoyntment It is true that the vnbeleeuers crucified him but that was bycause God had so ordeyned it by his owne purpose according as it is sayd that God so loued the world that he spared not his onely begotten Sonne but deliuered him too death for vs. And in good sooth if onely Iudassis betraying of our Lorde Iesus Christ had bin the cause of his death and that he had bin haled to that kind of death by onely violence it could not bee the foundacion of our welfare It behoueth vs to note that God had appoynted the matter after that sorte aforehand according also as Sainct Peter treateth thereof more fully in the fourth chapter of the Actes where he sayeth that our Lord Iesus was so crucified by the wicked as they attempted not any thing but that which had bin determined aforehand in Gods purpose Nowe then whereas it is sayde that our Lorde Iesus Christ was crucified wee muste come too this poynt that all was done for our saluation bycause it was Gods will too reconcyle vs too himselfe by that meane and that when he pronounced this sentence cursed is he that hangeth on tree so as it was his pleasure to haue it registred in the lawe of Moyses he was not ignorant what shoulde happen afterwarde for he had alreadie determined and ordeyned it Then muste wee match these twoo things toogither that is too witte that
God with his owne mouth sayd determinately that who soeuer hung vppon tree should be accursed and yet for all that that it was his will therewithall that his owne Sonne should bee hanged on tree And why so Too the end he shoulde beare our burthen according as he is our pledge ordeyned to be the principall detter in our behalf To the end then that wee might bee set free from the curse of the Lawe Iesus Christe became accursed Nowe at the first fight it might seeme hard and straunge that the Lord of glorie he that hath all soueraine dominion and before whose maiestie the verie Angelles of heauen do tremble and are abashed should be subiect too cursing But wee muste go backe too that whiche S. Paule hath treated of in the first to the Corinthians namely that the doctrine of the Gospell is foolishnesse too mankind yea euen too the wyzest of them and that it was Gods will too humble vs after that maner bycause of our vnthankfulnesse For we should haue a good instruction to leade vs vnto God yea euen in wisedome if we could profite our selues by the things that are shewed vs in the whole order of heauen earth But for asmuch as men are blinde and shet their eyes agaynst this wisedome that God setteth afore them therfore he is fayne too take a new way to the woode and too draw them to him as it were by folie So then let vs not iudge after our owne mother wit of the thing that is declared heere which is that the sonne of God was put vnder the curse but rather let vs bee rauished at such a secrete and giue the glorie vntoo our God seyng he hath so loued our soules as too pay so inestimable a pryce for the raunsoming of them And so little ought this thing to imbace the maiestie of our Lord Iesus Christ or to deface that which is giuen him in the holy Scripture as wee rather haue cause too glorifie him the more for it And for proofe thereof our Lord Iesus Christe as sayeth S. Paule committed no robberie when he shewed himselfe in his infinite glorie And yet notwithstanding he abaced himselfe willing and not onely clothed himself with our nature and became a passible mā but also submitted himself to a death that was both shamefull before men yea and accursed before God Then must it needes bee that we were very deere vnto him seing he yeelded himself too such extremitie for our redemption If wee could taste the meening hereof surely wee would giue our selues wholly too the magnifying of that grace which cānot be sufficiently expressed by woordes and surpasseth all wisedome of man Seyng therefore that wee comprehend it not nor can vtter the hundredth part of it let vs yet be as it were astonished at it in considering so much of it as we be able too comprehend But heere we see still the leudnesse and frowardnesse of men in that whereas S. Paule sayeth that our Lorde Iesus Christ became accursed for vs it passeth and slippeth away from vs. Yea and there are some so leud that they take occasiō of stumbling and of flinging out of the way and of estraunging themselues quite and cleane from the Churche when they heare this maner of our reedeming set afore vs. VVhat say they was it of necessitie that the sonne of God who is the fountayne of all goodnesse and ought too make vs all holy should be cursed It seemeth too them that God in so doyng ment too peruert all order and reason But as I haue declared alreadie it is certaine that God condemneth mens vnkindnesse by bringing them to such a kinde of foolishnesse bycause they came not too him by wisedome when he shewed them that way Neuerthe later howsoeuer the cace stande needes muste our wittes shrinke and our reason bee vtterly confounded so as wee may honour Gods secretes and wonder at them though they bee hidden from vs. And againe whensoeuer it is sayd vnto vs that the sonne of God became accursed for vs it would become vs to enter into the examinacion of our sinnes In so doing we shall perceyue how lothly wee be before God till our sinnes and offences bee washed away by the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ Had all the Angelles of heauen vndertaken for vs it had bin no sufficient bayle Then was there none other satisfaction than the persone of our Lord Iesus Christe And he came not into the world too discharge vs of the bonde of euerlasting death wherein we were bound by his diuine and heauenly power How then By weakenesse And not onely so but also he was fayne to bee counted accursed or else we should haue lien still ouerwhelmed with the burthen and haue perished all of vs in that gulf Therefore when wee see that the sonne of God who not only is the vnspotted Lambe and the mirrour of all rightuousnesse holinesse and perfection but also the very welspring thereof was hilde accursed for vs ought wee not at the sight thereof to conceyue such a terrour for our sinnes that wee should be as good as swallowed vp with despayre till we be plucked backe againe by the infinite grace and goodnesse of our God So then let vs marke well that when it is tolde vs that wee were raunsomed from the curse of the Lawe God intendeth thereby to bryng vs to true humilitie But that cannot bee vnlesse men be vtterly cōfounded in themselues so as they be ashamed too loke vpon themselues and therewithall also afrayd and dismayed knowing that Gods wrath wayteth readie for them till our Lord Iesus Christe doo remedie the matter Thus yee see that all our whole lyfe is lothsome before God and there is no way for vs too come too attonement with him till our Lord Iesus Christ take vpon him the cursednesse that is in vs and beare it in his owne persone And therefore as oft as wee reade this text let euery of vs awake and set himselfe before Gods iudgement seate that wee may feele there as it were a gulf to swallow vs vp quyte and cleane and thereat bee abashed for very shame of our selues and on the other side so much the more magnifie the grace that is purchaced for vs in the persone of the sonne of God and keepe our selues warely from diminishing his dignitie in that he is sayd to be accursed and rather thereby be the more prouoked to yeeld him his due and deserued prayse for that he hath shewed himself to esteeme our welfare so highly ▪ Furthermore let vs make our profit of that pledge of our saluation and of the loue that God beareth vs so as we doubt not but that God liketh well of vs when we come to him seyng he hath bought vs so deere that as S. Peter telleth vs in his first canonicall Epistle it was nother golde nor siluer nor any corruptible thing but it was our Lord Iesus Christ himself that was payd for our raunsome Therefore
that the free promis was giuen afore the law and therefore it followeth that the law came not in to diminish or alter any whit of it but that it continueth still in his owne fulnesse nature and force True it is that our Lord Iesus Christ had not yet shewed himselfe to the worlde when the free promis was made to our father Abraham neuerthelesse it suffiseth that he was ordeyned to be our mediator that by hys meanes men might be reconciled to God Now if any man alledge that it should seeme then that the law was more than needed or else that there was some change and variablenesse in Gods purpose seeing the law came in Sainct Paule discusseth the same in place conuenient and wee must not huddle vp thynges togyther for all cannot be vttered at once nother in an houre nor in a day Therefore it is ynough for vs at this tyme too haue thys poynt made playne and cleere that the promis whereby God hath chosen vs intoo the number of his chyldren was before the lawe and also that the same promis had not any respect to our deseruings nor too any woorthinesse that was in our persons but too Gods meere goodnesse and mercie whych moued hym therevnto without looking for any thing in vs bycause hee saw welynough there was nothyng in vs but vtter miserie And finallye that the sayde promis was grounded in our Lorde Iesus Chryste who had alreadye done the â—â—ffice of a mediator to make vs way vnto God his father This being graunted wee must needes conclude that the promis hath abidden and shall abyde for euer euen to the worlds end And that is sayd expresly bycause the Iewes gloried of their auncetrie But Sainct Paule telleth them that their father Abraham had not the lawe but was contented though he vsed sacrifises and such other like thinges And although he was circumcised in the end yet when he receiued the promis there was not as yet theÌ„ any law writteÌ„ no nor any circumcision at all For Abraham was vncircumcised when he receiued the promis and yet neuerthelesse was iustifyed before he was circumcised and all that was by fayth Sainct Paule therefore sheweth that the Iewes were greatly ouerseene too shole out themselues after that manner from the rest of the whole woâ—ld and to rest continually vpon the figures of the law seeing that Abraham their father and the cheefe patriarch of the Church was iustifyed the sefsame way that we must be at this day that is to saye by Gods meere mercie bycause hee knew himselfe to be a wretched sinner and therefore accursed and damned in Adam and that there was no blissednesse to be hoped for other than that which was promised hym for our Lord Iesus Christs sake Thus yee see what wee haue too beare in mind And for the same cause Sainct Paule exhorteth vs heere too wey well these words when it was sayd vnto Abraham that all nations of the earth should be blissed in his seede Now there are heere two principall poyntes The one is that the blissednesse is promised not only to Abrahams fleshly ofspring as I haue told you already but also to all the world in generall VVe therefore are made partakers thereof wee I say that are issued of the Gentiles that is to say of suche as were heathenfolke and banished from the kingdome of heauen Although then that we were not of that holy linage whiche God had chosen at the beginning yet notwithstanding it behoued saluation to be extended vnto vs. And why so â–ª For it had hin promised before that all Nations shoulde be blissed Seeing it is so shall we say that God hath cut off the greatest parte of his bounteousnesse and will haue no more but the sayde linage of Abraham considering that hee hath alreadye tolde vs that he woulde bee the sauiour of the whole worlde and shewe himselfe a father in time conuenient Yee see then howe the firste poynt is that the making of the sayde promis vnto Abraham was not for his linage alone but for all men howbeit that it were not fulfilled at the first dash For the time of fulnesse was not yet come as we shall see in the Chapter following The second point is that the blissednesse which was promised to Abraham was for his seedes sake For Sainct Paule sayth that God spake not of seedes in the plurall number as of mo than one but of one onely seede whiche must be concluded to be Iesus Christ Heere it myght be supposed that Sainct Paule buzied his head about a needelesse matter For the word Seede importeth a linage or ofspring that is to witte not some one man or ten or fortie but a whole people Therefore the Seede of Abraham is the people that came of hym whyche were so many in number that it was iustly sayde of them that they shoulde bee as it were twelue Nations For when mention is made of a people it will bee thought ynough to haue a hundred thousand of them togither and there were many mo in the onely tribe of Iuda So then it should seeme that Sainct Paule dyd not sufficiently consider what God meant by the word seede when he sayd that it is but one only man But wee must wey well the thyngs that Sainct Paule presupposeth heere as fully certaine and resolute and then shall wee perceyue his argumentes to be vtterly infallible Abraham had not one sonne alone but after Ismaell he had Isaac also And what became of his eldest sonne Hee was cut off from hys house as we shall see within a whyle that is to say in the Chapter following Beholde then Ismaell whiche had the birthright in Abrahams house is neuerthelesse put out and made an vtter straunger yea and as a rotten member in somuch that it is sayd of hym Cast out the sonne of the handseruante for hee shall not inherit in my house Afterwarde Abraham had other children but euery of them had their portions giuen vnto them and were sent away Thus was onely Isaac left at home vntoo hym Anon after Isaac had a cupple of children and they were twinnes of one wombe Esau the firstborne whiche ought too haue hadde the prefermente was lykewise cast off so as hee was not counted for the linage of Abraham nor yet was made partaker of the promised blissing There was no mo left but Iacob Yea and although the father blissed his sonne Iacob through ignorance and mistaking yet he declareth that it was not in him to reuoke or chaunge the thing that hee had vttered with his mouth bycause he was the instrument of the holy Ghost Now then if we take the seede of Abraham for all those that came of his race The Ismaelites or Agarenes as they be called and such other lyke and moreouer the Edomites also should be of his houshold But the heritage is taken quite and cleane from them Therefore the seede of Abraham must be considered after a peculiar
fashion Let vs go forward with the whole processe VVe see that without faith there should be no bond to knit any Church togither nor any assurance whereby to know which is the seede of Abraham or to discerne it from the rest of the world but by resorting to the head that is too wit to our Lord Iesus Christ Ye see then that the vnion of the body dependeth vpon the head that is to wit vppon the Redeemer Seeing it doth so not without cause doth Sainct Paule say that it was not spoken of many seedes but that wee must come too one man if we will haue the spirituall people that is to say if wee will haue the Churche of God our Lorde Iesus Christ must bee the marke that we must begin to looke at and wee must bee gathered vnto him and those that are of his body and cleaue vntoo him by fayth are the folke that are reckened for Gods children and houshold and are verily the seede of Abraham as he discourseth more at large in the Epistle to the Romanes where he sayth that all they which come of the seede of Israell after the flesh are not therefore Israelites And why For there was but one promised chylde which was Isaac So then wee must come to our Lorde Iesus Christe in whome all Gods promises are Yea and Amen and in whome they haue theyr substance For without him there is nothing else but soattering And therefore it is said in the first Chapter to the Colossians that our Lorde Iesus Christs office is to gather togither all things that were scattered as well in heauen as in earthe and that without him al should go to wrecke But now we see more cleerely how Sainct Paules meening is that before the law was published to the world wherevpâ—â— was put and added this condition that it behoued vs to fulfill all that is conteined therein God had yeelded a record of his will before hand whiche was that bycause hee saw mankind damned and forlorne he inteÌ„ded to draw out a chosen sort to hymselfe and to be mercifull to them And that was not for one linage alone but for all nations as the scripture expresseth And there of the foundation was layd in our Lord Iesus Christ For asmuch then as our Lord Iesus Christe was already in the tyme of Abraham ordeyned to be a mediator to make attonemeÌ„t betweene God and vs so that if we go in his name to seeke fauour it is ready for vs and we cannot be disappointed of our hope seeing it is so stablished there is no chaunge but wee must assure ourselues that God accepteth vs at this day so we rest wholly vpoÌ„ our Lord Iesus Christ knowing that it was no vncerteine couenant whiche was so ratifyed in his name but that it shall endure for euer and be always of force Ye see then that we may come freely before God and call vpon him as our father bycause he hath adopted vs for his chidreÌ„ whiche thing he hath not done in respect of any worthinesse that was in vs but of his owne meere mercie and bycause we bee made one with our Lord Iesus Christ by faith And by the way like as we must reiect all opinion and imagination of obteyning fauour at Gods hand by our owne deseruings and of assuring our owne saluation so must we looke wel to that which is told vs heere namely that we cannot be partakers of such a benefite but by faith Now as I haue sayd afore faith importeth an imbracing of Gods mercy whiche thing cannot bee done except wee bee touched earnestly with our own wretchednesse for it is not for naught that our Lord Iesus Christ setteth our cursednesse before vs as it were in a glasse by taking vpon him to be accursed for vs. Faith therefore cannot be without repentance for it is vnpossible that we shoulde seeke our welfare in God or desire mercie at his hand till miserie touch vs to the quicke and make vs to mislike of it And so these skoffers whiche mocke God weltring still in their vyces and beeing as it were sotted in them must not looke that euer Iesus Christ shoulde recken them in the number of hys for they cannot by any meanes come at him nother doth he call any other than suche as are so ouerloden and forweeryed as they can no longer hold out and lye groning vnder the burthen of their sinnes Thus ye see how it behoueth vs to resort to our Lord Iesus Christe and that although we cannot bring any desert vnto him and that all the Ceremonies of the law and all the profers that we can make vnto him do nothing at all further our saluation yet we must be prepared to suche lowlinesse as we may perceiue our state to be right miserable till God haue taken vs to his mercy and we must be so beaten downe in ourselues as wee may feele the curse that should light vpon vs if we were not raunsomed with so high and excellent a price as I haue declared heeretofore Yee see then that by faythe wee receiue the promis of the spirite and thereby are linked to oure Lord Iesus Christ and too the spirituall seede of Abraham For although we be not borne of his linage yet is it ynough that wee be made atone with him by faith For then are wee begotten againe of that incorruptible seed wherof S. Peter speaketh that is to wit of Gods word such as it is conteyned in the Gospell And beeing so begotten agayne we know that God auoweth vs too be of the body of his only sonne And although wee come of the Gentiles yet fayle we not for all that to be ioyned to the Church whervntoo there needeth no more but only fayth and as for all merites and vertues of men they must vtterly ceasse in that behalfe and men must acknowledge that they cannot bring any thing but confusion so as they must be faine to seeke all at Gods hande and that by the meanes whiche hee hymselfe hath appointed Now sith it is so let vs learne to leaue our wandering heere and there as we see lightheaded men do whiche are neuer contented with that which God telleth them but are euer adding somewhat of theyr owne deuice Let vs beware of such mingling as shall be treated of more at large after dinner by Gods will And let Iesus Chryste alone suffise vs seeyng that our welfare dependeth wholly vppon hym alone and wee shall want nothing if wee bee partakers of hym as we see how Sainct Paule bringeth vs backe too that poynte Furthermore let vs learne also too holde vs too Gods truth assuring ourselues that hee cannot abyde too haue any adding vntoo it bycause that were a marring reuersing and falsifying of his couenant wherein oure welfare consisteth But when we haue once imbraced our Lorde Iesus Christ let vs abyde fast in him and let hym suffise vs for all and then maye wee call vppon GOD with full mouth
promise of it as wee haue seene Heere yee see also why wee bee called Abrahams ofspring For wee belong no whit at all to him in respecte of the fleshe But fayth is a sufficient bonde too knit vs vnto him Furthermore wee see that our Lorde Iesus Christ who is the pledge of mens welfare is nowe reuealed vnto vs too the ende that wee shoulde haue the better assurance that wee bee ▪ hys and that hee wyll holde vs for the members of hys body And that is the cause why Christ sayde that Abraham sawe his daye and was glad of it The Iewes alledged the worthinesse of the Patriarke yea saith Christ as though your father Abraham had not rested vpon the things that were spoken too him concerning mee Therefore he sawe my day and it was the thing wherein he tooke all his comforte in so muche that he had not any other hope of saluation than by the beleefe which he had in the doctrine which is preached vnto you at this day by the Gospell That also is the very same thing that is spoken of Iohn Baptist by the Prophet Malachie namely that he was sent to knit the hearts and mindes of the fathers to the children And this is not spoken only of the person of Iohn Baptist but it belongeth also to the doctrine of the Gospell Yee see then that the thing wherevnto our Lorde calleth vs is that although Abrahā be rotten in the earth so long tyme ago yet wee may assure our selues that there is none other promise than that for vs too trust vnto so wee be knit vnto him by fayth and doo so agree togither as wee can call vpon God with the same minde wherewith he was gouerned according as in very deede he had his minde fixed vpon our Lorde Iesus Christ Nowe then for so muche as wee bee vnited vnto Abraham let vs tende to our Lorde Iesus Christ and let him be our aming marke and our shoote anker till wee be all assembled togither and gathered vp into the heauenly kingdome Lo what wee haue to consider when mention is made of the promise that was made before the lawe Yea and wee ought to bee greatly prouoked to constancie when wee perceyue that our father Abraham did alwayes wayte for our Lorde Iesus Christ althoughe it were so long ere he should be discouered to the world and it was tolde hym that hys seede shoulde bee hilde prisoners in a straunge lande After that God had tolde him that all the worlde should bee blissed in his seede he addeth and yet for all that thinke not that this shall bee performed within these twoo or three dayes or a hundred yeeres hence for thou thy selfe muste first die thou thy selfe muste firste bee conueyed hence intoo a straunge countrie where thyne ofspring shall bee oppressed with all tyrannie and crueltie Assure thy selfe I will be reuendged of it but yet must thy seede smart in the meane while Abraham herde all this Againe after that the lawe was giuen there passed other twoo thousand yeeres more ere our Lorde Iesus Christe came Nowe coulde Abraham neuer haue trusted too that which was spoken too him if he had not bin armed with heauenly power for he himselfe could not inioy the benefite that was offered him nother should his children inioy it that were too come Yee see then that two thousand and foure hundred yeeres were then to passe and yet notwithstanding Abraham repented him not that he had forsaken his fathers house as the Apostle declareth in the eleuenth too the Hebrewes but hilde on his race still albeit that God intended too trie his patience too the vttermoste Of much more reason ought wee now adayes too go on stedfastly whither soeuer God calleth vs and too hold vp our heades till we come too the crowne of glorie not withstandyng that as now it bee hidden from vs and that wee must bee fayne too beleeue and hope for things that surmount all our capacitie and which wee cannot perceyue Thus yee see how wee ought too put this text in vre Nowe herevpon S. Paule concludeth that if the inheritance come by the lawe it shall not come by fayth But God gaue Abraham all things in respect of fayth and therefore it is too bee concluded that the Lawe must needes ceasse when men go about to get fauour at Gods hand and the prayse of our saluation muste bee yeelded all wholly vntoo him S. Paule in speaking here of inheritance meeneth two things The one is that what soeuer God hath at any time promised vs is of his owne meere free goodnesse for an inheritance is not a wages or hyre True it is that a father in giuing his children their heritage may well say See how I take paynes for you Marke what shall come of it Yee shall haue my goodes among you But yet howe soeuer the father deale with them he hath none other respect than too his owne kinship He laboreth and taketh great paynes too prouide for such as are so alied vnto him Seing then that heritages are things of free gifte among men wee must not take eternall lyfe as a deserued wages or hyre at Gods hand For why it is an heritage Marke it for a sure grounde that heere all woorthinesse of men is excluded For when a man makes his children his heires he passeth not whither they haue done any greate woorke or no or whither they bee fayre or foule or whither they bee one thing or other but it is ynough for him that they bee his children and that his minde is too prouide for them Another poynt is that Sainct Paule in so saying giueth vs an incling that wee bee all of vs vtterly reiected of God so as wee cannot no not euen in this transitorie lyfe inioy any thing at all but by the onely meere grace of God True it is that the Sunne shyneth as well vppon the faythlesse as vppon the faithfull and all men are nurrished alike with the things that God giueth and graunteth vnto them but yet howsoeuer they fare the vnbeleeuers possesse not any thing by iust tytle They are but theeues and muste yeelde account of the benefites and goodes whiche they haue receyued of God euen too the last droppe of water bycause they were not sanctified but defiled them asmuche as in them lay bycause they had no fayth whiche as sayeth Sainct Paule is the thing whereby the benefites that God giueth vntoo vs are made cleane That is the way for vs too vse them lawfully but lette fayth bee away and there shall be nothing else but vnclennesse For why if my handes be foule and I handle the preciousest things in the worlde with them they shall bee rayed with the filthinesse of my handes Euen so is it when wee abuse Gods benefites The vnbeliefe that is in vs defileth all and in the ende all creatures muste crie out for vengeance vppon vs bycause wee abused them if we possessed them not with faith
Yee see then that wee cannot inioy any thing at all vnlesse wee bee Gods children And for the same cause also Sainct Paule in the fourth too the Romanes thinkes it not ynough too set downe the heauenly lyfe and euerlasting saluation but also nameth the heritage of the worlde and sayeth that Abraham was made heire of the worlde and that the same was not for that man alone but for all menne in generall Therefore whereas God adopteth vs and telleth vs that he will be gracious vntoo vs it is too the end that while wee liue heere beneath wee should bee fedde by his hand and he in giuing vs foode make vs too taste aforehand of the loue whiche he beareth vs and of the care that he hath ouer vs. Too bee shorte wee may and ought also too beholde Gods fatherly goodnesse in all his creatures Doo wee open our eyes and looke vpon the light of the Sunne Euen there dooth God shewe himselfe a father towardes vs. VVhen wee eate and receyue our sustenance God reacheth out his hande too shewe that wee bee alreadie fedde by him as his owne children Too bee shorte in all things and by all meanes he maketh vs too taste his fatherly loue aforehand too the intent wee shoulde bee confirmed in the things that he sheweth vs in the Gospell that is too wit that he hath reserued a better heritage for vs as for his children whom he hath adopted Then must all creatures direct vs vntoo heauenward But surely wee doo the cleane contrarie for wee apply Gods creatures to our owne lustes so as wee behilde downe still by them heere To bee shorte looke how many helpes God hath giuen vs too drawe vs too him so many lettes haue wee too holde vs backe in the worlde For wee neuer passe too knowe howe wee should bee reckened for Gods children so wee may liue at our ease in this worlde that is ynough for vs. But yet for all that it standeth vs greatly on hande too perceyue that God dooth alreadie in this worlde shewe himselfe a father towardes vs and intendeth too doo vs too wit what a care he hath of vs too the ende wee shoulde learne too referre our selues wholly vntoo him and there too reste Yee see then that by this woorde Heritage or Inheritance God sheweth firste that whatsoeuer he offereth vs is of his owne meere free bounteousnesse and secondly that wee bee so cursed that wee haue no righte too any thing no not euen too a droppe of water excepte God make vs his heyres and that muste bee done all onely for our Lorde Iesus Christes sake And therefore we must once againe call to rememberance how wee haue heretofore seene that the promis was made too Iesus Christe Then is not Abraham the stay and shoote anker thereof And for that cause also is our Lord Iesus named the heyre of all things and looke what he hath peculiar too himselfe that doothe he communicate too vs as too the members of his bodie In that respect also doth S. Paule say that the saying whiche is written in the seuenth verse of the eyght Psalme whiche is that he is made Lord of all things ought too bee applied first of all to his persone True it is that the sayd text is spoken of all men according as wee see how God hath put all beastes of the earth in subiection to man so as they bee fayne too die too giue vs sustenance and too clothe vs and keepe vs warme Againe we see how the earth yeeldeth vs frutes Therefore the lordship of the worlde is giuen vntoo vs how beit that is but by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christe For as I haue touched alreadie if wee bee separated from him wee bee forthwith so cut of from Gods house that the inheritance of them belongeth no more vntoo vs than too the furthest straungers in the worlde But nowe let vs come too the chiefe poynt that is contayned heere S. Paule sayeth that this heritage commeth not of the Lawe but of Fayth VVhereas he vseth these twoo speaches and cuppleth them toogither they bee things flat contrarie as I haue tolde you heretofore Not that the lawe is contrarie too fayth but bycause that too bee iustified before God and too obtayne fauour and mercie at his hand cannot come too passe by the Lawe The Lawe was not giuen too that end as we shall see in the next Sermon but too the cleane contrarie So then seyng that the heritage commeth by fayth we must conclude that our woorkes can doo nothing and that wee must bee fayne too come to God vtterly emptie as poore beggers too craue too bee filled by him bicause wee haue not one drop of goodnesse in our selues Yee see then whereat S. Paule ameth when he sayeth that the inheritance cōmeth of fayth and not of the lawe according also as God gaue it vntoo Abraham in respect of fayth And let vs marke that if wee bee not able too deserue any nurrishment in this worlde what shall wee bee able too doo towardes the possessing of the kingdome of heauen VVhen there is any talking of corruptible sustenance it is nothing in comparison of the heauenly glorie For it is sayde that wee shall bee made parttakers of the glorie of our God and that then wee shall bee all in all things But as now wee cannot deserue so much as one bit of bread for the inheritance cōmeth of fayth that is to say all that euer God hath promised men is of his owne meere free goodnesse And howe can wee then purchace the Realme of Paradice what a pryde is it for men to presume to come to it by their own strength must it not needes be that they are caried away with a terrible rage Moreouer in saying that God gaue all things to our father Abraham in respect of his fayth S. Paule doth yet better expresse and shewe that which I haue told you alreadie namely that man is able to deserue nothing of himself and that he must bee fayne too haue all of free gift He had sayd afore as we haue seene already that the promises were made and vttered but here he vseth the woord Giuing As if he should say here is not a bargayne betweene partie partie too say I will do this and thou shalt do that I wil sell and thou shalt buy but God doth freely giue and man doth but onely receiue Seing then that we must come vnto God to receyue that which he offereth vs and that we haue not any other title to the things that we looke for at his hand than only by free gift let vs forget all the worthinesse which we imagine to be in our selues and acknowledge that we be nothing And surely S. Paule vseth one other maner of speach which serueth to expresse better the thing that is ment here which is that if the heritage came by the Law the promis were disanulled and so consequently faith Therefore to be
leadeth vs right forth to heauē And whereas I said that they were inferior to vs in the measure of faith I meene not that Abraham Dauid other like had a weaker faythe thā we for seeke we neuer so narowly through the whole world it is not to be presumed that any one creature is to bee found at thys day which hath the hundreth part of the faith of Abraham or Dauid And the excellēcie of their faith appeereth in this that although they had not the promises so apparant as we haue but very darkly yet notwithstāding they ouerdame all such temptations as woulde haue ouerthrowē vs a hundred thousand times If any of vs wer put to the induring of the incoūters of Abraham or Dauid what would become of vs For Abraham was a wayfarer al his life lōg in a strāge country wher mē grudged him water to drinke though he himselfe digged the welles He was put to as many plunges as could be Finally God exercised him in so many incoūters that he semed to be minded to throw him into the bottom of hel and yet neuerthelesse his faith abideth stil vnvāquished As touching Dauid he was driuē a lōg time frō place to place Being hunted out of the whole realme hauing no succour to retire vnto but 〈◊〉 amōg the infidels and enimies of God or else into dennes and among wyld beastes he was moreouer put to such reproche that euery man cursed him as the veriest villayne and kaytif in the world and yet for all that he hild out still hee called still vppon God and hee neuer fell to any murmuring or blaspheming but rather glorifyed God in those his extremities and distresses So then wee see that their faith ought to make vs all ashamed And when euery of vs shall haue looked wel into his owne conscience wee shall fynd that wee scarsly haue any little peece of the faith that they had But the greatnesse of their faith must not be measured heere by the constancie and ablenesse that euery of them had to trust in God VVhereby then By the outward obiect of their fayth As for example Although Esay was an excellēt teacher so that his like is not to be found in the world yet the least preacher that setteth foorth the Gospell purely shall be preferred before Esay as is auouched by the mouth of our Lord Iesus Christ hymselfe And why is that Bycause that although Esay was as an Angell and spake with such authoritie yea and maiestie as were able to touch the hartes to the quicke which are most falne aslepe in this world in somuch that euen God himselfe seemeth to haue opened his owne holy mouth in him and his words were not as the words of a mortall man yet did he hold but the manner of teaching that was conueniēt for that tyme that is to say he did set foorth the lād of Chanaan as a pledge to those whom he taught keepe them to the Sacrifises washings figures shadowes al other like things whervnder he shewed what the happinesse of gods children is As for example we see how he likeneth the church to a palace builded of gold siluer and preciouse stones Yee see then that his maner of dealing was fashioned vnto the darknesse of the law But now our Lord Iesus Christ is set forth vnto vs although a simple man preach the Gospel which hath nother great eloquence nor authoritie yet shall hee as it were poynt at Iesus Christe with his fingar he shall shew vs how we be in the time of fulnesse and therwithall hee shall assure vs that our sinnes are forgiuen vs in the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christe in somuch that Gods wrath is pacified and victorie obteyned for vs ouer death Thus ye see that the diuersitie is 〈◊〉 doctrine and not in the qualitie of the fayth as it is in euery mans heart For although Abrahā had a wonderfull fayth and such a one as we shall not finde nowadayes in the worlde yet was it alwayes hemmed in with the sayd Ceremonies and shadowes Dauid was an Angell and myrror of all perfection and yet for all that he was faine to be subiect to the same order that the common people were and to vse all the Ceremonies that were then in vse and his looking at Iesus Christ was but a farre off bycause there was the said Curtain before him which letted him that hee coulde not beholde his glorie as it is shewed vs nowadayes in the Gospell And although we know not the hundredth part of the things that were disclozed to Dauid and Abraham to make them inuincible agaynst all temptations and to make them fight so manfully that god might be glorified in them and to make them beare out all brunts yet had they not that which we haue that is to wit they had not the pledge Iesus Christ deliuered vnto them as we haue to the ende we might call vppon God his father bycause we be members of his bodie and hee is our heade assuring our selues that he and we are all one with condition that his goodes become ours and that we haue full inioyment of them at this day Thus yee see that our fayth is greater than Abrahams was not in respect of our persones nor yet in respect of any stedfastnesse and firmnesse that is in vs but in respect of the doctrine or teaching of it which we terme the obiect of fayth that is too say the thing that is sette before vs from without And so ye see why Saint Paule sayeth that the fathers were hilde in warde as it were vnder a Schoolemayster tyll the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ Nowe we for our part haue cause too magnifie Gods goodnesse according also as oure Lorde Iesus Christ exhorteth vs saying blessed are the eyes which see that which you see and the eares which heare that whiche you heare For many Kings and Prophets haue desired the like and haue gone without it Beholde Abraham was called Gods freend Beholde Dauid is reported too haue bin founde according too Gods owne heart and yet for all that hee was fayne too looke aloofe at the promises which are now as it were cast into our lappes and whereof we haue our fill They sought Iesus Christ then absent and hidden and they wayted for him But now that our Lord Iesus Christ hath come downe into the worlde and bin conuersant here he hath gyuen vs a sure warrant that all is performed as he himselfe declared at his death VVhat a lewdnesse then is it if we nowadayes bee not much the more inflamed and quickened vp to followe the promises of the Gospell where God communicateth himselfe so familiarly vnto vs So then on the one side wee haue cause too yeelde vnto God his deserued prayse for that he hath vouchsafed to exalt vs I say vs miserable creatures to so high dignitie as to preferre vs before all the holy kings and Patriarkes
a mutual agreement melodie betwene God and vs then hath baptisme the effect whereof S. Paule treateth and discourseth in this text And so the thing that maketh vs Gods children and clothed vs with Iesus Christ is that God draweth vs out of the corruption wherin we were by nature and will haue Iesus Christ to be our head and vs ingraffed into him to be parttakers of his goods Therfore looke when we receiue that then is all accōplished that is figured by baptisme If hypocrites brag of their baptisme S. Paule sheweth them that it is but vanitie and illusion saying that the circumcision of the letter is nothing that is to say if we loke no further but to the outward and visible Sacrament it is all of no value Euen so is it with baptisme it shall stand them in no sted which with their mouthes vaunt themselues to be Christians and great pillers of the Church forasmuch as they defile the thing which God had dedicated to so excellent an vse as I haue told you before Then let vs marke well that S. Paule speaketh this sentence not to all without exception which beare the signe and mark of baptisme outwardly but to such as fare the better by their baptisme Againe S. Paule meeneth not that baptisme that is to say the water hath the power to chaunge vs in such wise that we should be clothed with our Lord Iesus Christ for by that meanes God should be robbed of the prayse that is due to himself alone But he sheweth here the meane whereby we be certified that we be the members of our Lord Iesus Christs bodie I haue tolde you alredie that we must not seeke any other cause of it than Gods mere goodnesse for if we fetch windlasses one wher or other it is like as if a mā were a thirst and would turne his back to the fountaine to seeke water Therfore let vs learne that it is only God which knitteth vs to our Lord Iesus Christ of his own mere goodnesse that he doth it by the secrete power of his holy spirit and yet notwithstanding ceasseth not too woorke by baptisme as by an inferiour instrument according as wee see how all light cōmeth of him in somuch that there was light in the world euen before there was eyther Sunne or Moone And yet neuerthelesse God hath stablished the Sunne whereby we haue light heere bylowe euen vnto this day But yet doth not the Sunne serue too diminish the power that is in God alone Againe it is sayd that man liueth not by bread onely but by euery woord that procedeth out of Gods mouth And in good sooth the bread it selfe is a dead thing VVho giueth it vs It is God that inspireth life into vs for wee liue in him as S. Paule sayeth in the .xvij. of the Actes And yet notwithstanding it is his will too doo it by bread and he applieth it dayly too our vse too the intent we should bee fed with it So then there is none inconuenience that wee should bee clothed with our Lord Iesus Christ by baptisme and yet notwithstanding that the same should proceede of Gods meere grace and that it shoulde bee done by the secrete working of the holy Ghost surmounting the whole order of nature whereof baptisme dothe certifie vs bycause we bee rude and earthly God therefore is fayne too drawe by little and little by reason of our infirmitie too make vs too conceyue the things that otherwise are too high for vs. For where are our wings too stie with aboue the heauens VVee haue much a doo to creepe heere beneath vpon the earth and therefore God is fayne too come downe to vs which thing he doth by his Sacramentes Thus are we clothed with our Lord Iesus Christe by baptisme according also as S. Paule she weth by another similitude in the sixth to the Romanes For he sayeth that we bee greffed into the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ too the end also to bee made partakers of his resurrection and life This similitude of greffyng is as fit as the other of clothing For take mee the syen of a tree and cut mee of the head or some bough of another tree and greffe mee that little syen into it that was taken from another and yee see they growe bothe into one so as they become bothe one substance and the roote yeeldeth his sap too the little sprig that was taken from another tree Euen after the same maner are wee greffed intoo our Lord Iesus Christe sayeth S. Paule and that is too the end that our old man should be crucified in him and we be raysed vp againe in newnesse of life But heere wee haue first too marke howe gratious and bountifull God hath and still doth shew himselfe towardes vs in that it pleaseth him too vnite vs too his owne sonne for that passeth all the benefites whiche wee can conceyue in our imaginacion And therefore also doth S. Paule proue that all things which God hath do belong vnto vs and that we haue the inioying of them whē we once possesse his Sonne Seing sayeth hee that God hath not spared his owne Sonne how should he not giue vs all things with him Too be short God coulde not haue vttered the infinite treasures better than by ioyning vs after that maner to his only Sonne It is more than if he had giuen vs heauen and earth For surely if wee compare Iesus Christ with all the goodes of the worlde yea and all the goodes that are aboue the earthly world he farre surmounteth them all Marke that for one poynt Furthermore let vs vnderstand that God hath so vnited vs to our Lord Iesus Christ as wee must be fayne to haue all our lyfe in him And it serueth to humble vs the better and to make vs perceyue how horrible a thing it is to bee wrapped in the cursednesse of Adam For if the holy Scripture told vs not that wee muste be vnited to our Lord Iesus Christ before wee can bee in Gods fauour wee should not feele sufficiently the wretchednesse wherein we be hild by nature nother should wee hate our sinnes so much as we ought to do But now that it is tolde vs how it is impossible yea though all the Angels should come to our ayde that all the world shoulde helpe forward the matter and too bee short that although nothing wanted yet it were impossible for vs to come neere vntoo God or that he should looke vpō vs with a fatherly coūtenance yea or that he should acknowledge vs for his creatures til we be clothed with our Lord Iesus Christ This were ynough to make vs abhorre our selues And needes must it be that we be worse than lothely seing there is none other meanes to appease Gods wrath towards vs and to set vs againe in his fauour than by his couering of our sinnes by his clenzing of vs frō al our filthinesse infection by
vs now shall wee be wiser than he Howsoeuer the cace standeth the very cause why mens wits haue bin so tickelishe to deuise store of Ceremonies in the Christen Churche was that they sawe so much rudenesse among the common people Yea mary say they it is good reason that there should be this that Baptisme were to simple a thing if there were nothing else to bee seene in it but water and that water would not bee sufficient For there are a great number of lay folke which are so dull that they vnderstande not what that misterie meaneth that is to wit that we be renued by our Lorde Iesus Christ Therfore there needeth oyle and creame to represent the holy Ghost as it were in a visible figure Besides this there needed light and a white Chrisome and salte and eft one thing and eft another Very well thus was baptisme dayly decked yea in the opinion of men but all of them are but defilings for did not our Lorde Iesus Christ who is the incoÌ„prehensible wisdome of God his father knowe well inough what should be for our profit Shal men come creeping like little todes and seeke I wot not what and beare them selues in hande that the things which our Lord Iesus Christ hath ordeyned are vnperfect and that they will take in hande to make them perfect As muche is to be sayd of all the rest Specially the Supper of our Lorde Iesus Christ hath not only bin corrupted and maymed but also vtterly defaced by the diuelishe abhomination of the hellishe masse For they make it to be but an ordinarie matter to take a bit of bread to drinke three sippes of wyne Gods word willeth vs to looke to the promise namely that wee be made partakers of the body and bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christ when wee receyue his holy Supper with true fayth and obedience and that in him onely lyeth the foode of our soules But contrariwise men haue bin fayne to apparell themselues like players in an enterlude therwithall to vse so many murlimewes as it was a shame to beholde them and what was the ende of al Mary â—ir it was a sacrifice for the remission of sinnes both of quicke and dead VVherin yee see howe our Lorde Iesus Christ is berefte of his priestly dignitie which was giuen him of God his father eueÌ„ with solemne oth that he should neuer haue any successor but yet for al that the Papists make him a thousande thousande successors And what maner of men I pray you Surely if they were Angels of heauen yet ought they to bee taken for diuels But their choyce is of al the vermin of the world of all the rascals and of all naughtipackes and shall wee say that suche a rable are the successors of our Lorde Iesus Christ And yet neuerthelesse yee see what the Papistes alledge for their couert namely that men must needes haue some helpes bicause of their infirmitie And thereof came all the residue of their superstitions as for example when they did set vp their Idols and puppets they termed them the lay mens bookes But wee see that all their malapertnesse is confounded heere when S. Paule bringeth vs backe to the order that God hath set bicause wee must all wholly holde vs too it and there rest So then will wee not disclayme the heritage of heauen whiche our Lorde Iesus Christ hath purchased for vs Let vs followe the gouernement which God hath set downe in his Church and assure our selues that God will supply al wants Howe rude or rawe soeuer wee be he can well skill too drawe vs to him Yea so we keepe the beaten way for as for them that haue so mingled and turmoyled things and pyled vp suche a heape of Ceremonies they haue so little remedied their infirmities therby that they haue rather estraunged themselues quite and cleane from our Lorde Iesus Christ For wee know that men are of their owne natures too muche inclined to visible things Therefore by taking vp many ceremonies men are so intangled so snarled so depely drowned in them that afterwarde they forsake God and our Lord Iesus Christ If any man alledge why so Had not the fathers of olde time many ceremonies also too helpe their infirmities Yes but all theirs were reuealed too them by God For first it was tolde them that the patterne of all those things was heauenly as it is sayde in the .xxv. of Exodus And it was shewed too Moyses in the mountayne too the intent they should not muse vppon these present and corruptible things And when God sawe they were too muche giuen vnto them wee see howe he rebuked them sharply by his Prophets saying away with your sacrifices fye on them for thinke yee that â—â—ake pleasure in your cutting of the throtes of beastes in hope too pacifie mee thereby as thoughe I were an hungred or a thirst Thinke yee that I haue neede of suche helpes Yee see then that God dyd alwayes drawe his people from superstition notwithstanding that there were many ceremonies ordeyned which was done for the necessitie of the time For it was requisite that there should be figures and shadowes in the absence of our Lorde Iesus Christ according too S. Paules saying who telleth vs that the fathers of olde tyme were by that meanes directed too seeke Christ but nowe that he is come wee haue no more neede of any suche thing As for example if a man bee away from mee so as I can not come too the sight of him and I would fayne haue a representation of him too finde him out by I must at leastwise haue an Image that may resemble him but if I see his body present and may beholde him face too face I neede no more any Image or counterfet too paynte him or expresse him more liuely vnto mee Euen after the same maner the fathers of olde time had many figures and shadnwes bicause our Lorde Iesus Christ was not yet reuealed But nowe that he shineth vpon vs and sheweth him selfe as the daysonne of rightuousnesse so brightly vnto vs were in not a wilfull burying of him agayne if wee woulde needes haue figures still And for that cause also was the vayle of the Temple rente a sunder at hys death For now a dayes wee may enter in familiarly vntoo God and offer him our spirituall Sacrifices that is too wit our prayers and petitions and that is bicause wee haue the very body and substaunce as Sainct Paule sayth in another texte to the Collossians Now then wee see that all they which haue forged new deuises after that sort haue vtterly corrupted and falsified the Gospell and haue tied towels and napkins before mens eyes too keepe them from the seeing and knowing of Iesus Christ as they ought to haue done and as was requisite for their saluation And therfore it is certayne that all they which busie them selues about such gewgawes do in steade of seeking Christ
longâ— seeing wee were forlorne and damned in Adams fall How happeneth it that he hath not remedied it rather Surely S. Paule doth not altogither satisfie mens appetites but cutteth it quite off by the waste And in good sooth if God mente too content vs hee shoulde bee fayne too feede vs with many needelesse things but he intendeth too tâ—ye the obedientnesse of our fayth And Sainct Paule also dooth barre vs of that thing in saying that the fulnesse of time was not yet come And what meaneth he by the fulnesse of time He meaneth the time that God hath appoynted in his owne purpose and not according as men might haue iudged of it for they bee no competent iudges of that matter but muste submitte them selues to God and allowe of that whiche he hath stablished Thus yee see what S. Paule ment by saying that the full time was then come when God sente his onely sonne into the worlde Therefore let vs learne that our cheefe wisdome is this sobernesse of submitting our selues vnto God too accept for good and rightfull what soeuer thing he dooth knowing that on our owne part though wee haue neuer so muche vnderstanding it is but folly for vs too thinke our selues aught woorth or too take vppon vs the skill of any thing and that wee must learne too humble our selues to our God and not doo as many men doo who are so hastie as to say VVhat I thinke thus and thus is mine opinion For there is not any thing more contrarie to Gods doctrine than when men presume so much vpon them selues as too say thus must the matter go and so and so do I thinke or suppose Truely it becommeth vs too behilde as captiues as S. Paule sayth in the seconde too the Corinthians Let vs holde our selues in such awe as wee may not once lifte vp our heades too dispute agaynst God nor make any estimation of our selues as though we were of some abilitie Let vs holde vs contented with the libertie that he hath giuen vs and not abuse the grace that he hath graunted vs in preferring vs before those that were as Angels in this worlde and yet notwithstanding were not aduanced to the libertie which wee haue by the Gospell Furthermore S. Paule doth heere bring vs back to the thing which we ought to consider aboue all others which is that our beeing at the time of full age in these dayes is not in respect of any vertue that is in vs but in respect of our Lord Iesus Christ The difference betweene vs and the fathers of olde time is as I haue sayd already that they were led as vnder awe and wee bee nowe set free into 〈…〉 why are wee 〈◊〉 â–ª Is it bicause wee bee of more value thaâ— they◠〈◊〉 for that there is any worthinesse in vs No but bicause it pleased God too honor vs with the presence of his only Sonne VVill we then inioy the libertie of the Gospell Let vs go right foorth too our Lorde Iesus Christ who as he is glorified in him selfe wyll also bryng vs intoo the heauenly glory whereinto hee is gone before vs. This is the thing that Sainct Paule ment purposely too tell vs. As touching that it is added that he was made of woman and put vnder the Lawe it can not be dispatched at this time and therefore we will reserue it tyll an other time And nowe let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowlegement of our faultes praying him to make vs so too feele them as wee may mourne and bee sory for them with true repentance and goo thither as he calleth vs that is too wit be so rightly bereft of our flesh and of all the corruptions therof as we may come to the ioy whereto he dayly calleth vs and vnto that vncorruptnesse wherein it behoueth vs to go forwarde all the time of our life That it maye please him too graunt this grace not onely too vs but also too all people and Nations of the earth c. The .xxv. Sermon which is the seconde vpon the fourth Chapter 4 But vvhen the tyme vvas fully come God sente hys sonne made of vvoman and made vnder the Lavve 5 Too the intente too redeeme those that vvere vnder the Lavve that vve might receyue the adoption of children 6 And forasmuche as you bee children God hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your hearts crying Abba that is to say father 7 VVherfore now thou art not a seruant but a sonne and if thou bee a sonne thou arte also an heyre vvith Christ I Haue tolde you already why S. Paule speakes heere of the fulnesse of time namely to abate meÌ„s curiositie who by their good willes would seeke to farre into Gods secretes yea and take vpon them so boldly as to reply against God if he behaue not himself after their fancie To the intent therfore that the faythfull may content theÌ„selues with the order that God hath kept in sending of our Lord Iesus Christ he sayeth that the due season was not before for that matter dependeth vpon the only good pleasure of God and vpoÌ„ his vnchaungeable purpose wherevnto it behoueth vs too submit our selues And now S. Paule sayeth that our Lord Iesus Christ was made of woman and put vnder the lawe to acquite those that were vnder the lawe First he sayeth that he was clothed with our nature for else he could not haue yeelded obedience to God in our behalfe that wee might be set free Howbeit for asmuch as he was conceyued after a woÌ„derfull maner therefore doth S. Paule say he was made or begotten of a woman It is true that he was of the seede of Dauid neuerthelesse I haue told you already that there was a secrete working of the holie Ghost in his conception But how soeuer it was our Lorde Iesus Christe tooke our nature vppon him too the end he might yeeld obedience to God his father as it were in our persone And that was the cause why he tooke our nature vppon him And this subiection whereof he speaketh was not of constraint but of good will For wee know that the Sonne of God hath all superioritie and soueraintie in so much that euen the Angelles and all the principalities must bowe their knees before him too doo him honour How then could he bee subiect too the Lawe seyng that the Lawe is such a bondage This doth no whit deface the Maiestie of Gods sonne for asmuch as he abaced himself of his owne good will Therefore as it is sayd in the second too the Philippians there is no contrarietie in that he might make himselfe equall with God without robberie and yet that he abaced himselfe also So then for asmuch as this doing of his proceeded of his owne meere and vnconstreyned goodnesse he continued alwayes in his owne state not withstanding that before men he had the shape and fashion of a seruant as S. Paule also specifieth in the same place
this adoption bicause the law hath no more power ouer vs as it had in the time of the figures and shadowes Nowe too confirme this matter S. Paule addeth that God sheweth that he taketh vs for his children bycause the spirit of his sonne is in vs crying father Speaking of the holy ghost he doth by a circumstance terme him the spirite of our Lorde Iesus Christ For by what title can we be Gods children but bycause wee be meÌ„bers of his onely sonne to whom that right honour and dignitie belongeth by nature For in that our Lord Iesus Christ is called the only sonne of God not only men but also the very Angelles of heauen are excluded from that dignitie so that it belongeth to none but onely to Iesus Christ Howbeeit for asmuch as we bee ioyned vnto him and he will not be separated from vs but sheweth himself to be our head and we haue such vnion with him as the meÌ„bers haue with the head therfore he sayth that eyther we must haue the spirite of our Lord Iesus Christ or else we can haue no familiar accesse to our God too call vpon him as our father and it were too great a presumption for vs too take that honour vppon vs. For if a begger would make himself a riche mans sonne folke would laugh him to skorne and he should be shaken off with al the shame that might be And how then should wee sillie woormes of the earth yea and full of all infection and filthinesse go match our selues with the Angels of heauen to say that God is our father Truely the very Angelles themselues cannot chalendge suche nobilitie but by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ bycause he is their head Then were it greate pryde in vs if wee would take vppon vs too stie aboue the Angelles without coÌ„ming in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ or without hauing his spirit that we might be accepted as members of his body and bee intertayned as it were in his persone And therefore also it is sayde that he maketh intercession for vs and that wee call vppon God in his name For if he were not our spokesman how could we hope too haue our petitions receyued Let vs a little consider the feeblenesse that is in vs when wee intend too pray vntoo God Although wee sigh vnfaynedly and although wee haue good motions to lift vs vp yet do wee faynt and they that thinke too come vnto God with a perfect zele beguile themselues yea euen to grosly But they that humbly acknowledge themselues to be as they bee doo perceyue themselues too halt and stumble euen in the very vertue and streÌ„gth that is giuen theÌ„ Howbeit for asmuch as our Lord Iesus Christ is in the middes staÌ„deth there in our behalf and maketh vs to come neere therfore we may boldly pray And for the same cause did the high Priest in the time of the lawe beare twelue precious stones vpon his brest and other twelue behind vpon his shoulders wherein were written the names of the twelue tribes of Israell For although the people were present in the porche or outter tabernacle yet was there a veyle betwixt him and theÌ„ so as the Sanctuarie was hiddeÌ„ nothing was seene of the things that were done within for a witnesse of Gods presence It wâ—â—â— ynough that the high priest went in in the name of them al hauing in his hand the bloud wherwith Gods wrath was to bee appeazed Then had he the sayd tablet at his brest wherein the names of the twelue trybes that is too say of Gods people were ingrauen Also he had them vppon his shoulders that it might bee sayd howe he was there in the name of the whole Churche Thus yee see how wee crie euen by the spirite of our Lord Iesus Christ vntoo God his father with full assurance that he knoweth and auoweth vs for members of his sonne by whose meanes he receyueth vs into his heauenly kingdome and setteth open the gate vntoo vs so as wee haue accesse vntoo him familiarly And this is expressed yet better by the woord Crie S. Paule coulde well haue sayd wee say but he goeth further as neede was For as I haue touched heretofore here he compareth the old fathers with vs and sheweth that our state is better than theirs bicause God hath shewed himselfe more bountifull towardes vs than he did towardes them that were vnder the lawe That is the cause why he sayeth that we in these dayes do crie out that God is our father yea euen with open mouth and ful libertie and that we come boldly to him glorying that we be taken for his childreÌ„ True it is that the fathers vnder the lawe did also vse the same maner of speeche as when they sayd Lord what shall become of vs if thou receyue vs not to mercie Abraham knoweth vs not no more doth Iacob VVee bee borne of them as touching the flesh howbeit all this naturall kinred is nothing in comparison of the spirituall kinred whereinto thou hast ingreffed vs in the persone of thy sonne Therfore thou art our father After that maner did the whole Churche pray vntoo God as Esay reporteth it And there are many such textes And out of doubte it had bin impossible for the fathers too haue offered vp good petitions and prayers vnto God without that ground that is too wit vnlesse they had bin fully resolued that God tooke them for his children For that is the thing wherein the faythfull differed from the Heathen and vnbeleeuers in all ages The Heathen menne did in deede pray vntoo God howbeeit that was but at all aduenture not knowing whither they should bee herd or no. But our prayer muste bee grounded vppon fayth And Sainct Paules saying shall alwayes bee true namely that wee cannot pray vntoo God except we first know and vnderstand his good will towardes vs. Therefore it must needes followe that they whiche liued vnder the Lawe were fully assured in their consciences that God accepteth them for his children Howbeeit this was shewed them as yee woulde say but with half face so that they prayed beyng wrapped in many shadowes and figures whiche taught them grosly It is true that they offered not themselues without fayth for then had it booted them verie little and that it stood them on hand to ouer come all the lettes that were set before their eyes but yet were they not able too call vpon God with the full certeintie whiche is communicated too vs vnder the Gospell And this is yet better expressed in the eyght too the Romanes where Sainct Paule sayeth that wee haue not now receyued the spirit of fearfulnesse and bondage but the spirit of boldnesse so as we bee able too crie Abba father And by the contrarie member he inlighteneth the matter that might bee darksome in this Texte by reason of the shortnesse of it For he setteth downe the spirite of bondage bycause the Lawe was giuen
prayeth to him as now in his own language and he heareth vs all For God needeth not to go to schole to learne this mans or that mans language And we knowe that in praying speech serueth too no other purpose than too styrre vs vp the more vnto it Also it serueth vs too witnesse before men with our mouthes that we repose all our trust in God Moreouer it serueth to helpe our infirmitie and bycause we bee lazie and colde our tongue had neede to driue forth our heart and to helpe our weaknesse and slouth which are ouergreat in vs. But God hath no neede of none of all this we neede not to crie out alowde when we would be heard at his hande for he knoweth the secrete thoughtes of our heartes Thus ye see in effect what we haue to marke And herein we see howe great sway the Diuell beareth in Poperie so that there is neyther prayer nor fayth To their seeming there is neyther deuotion nor holinesse except men babble in an vnknowne language and mumble it vp without knowing what they say And although the Preestes Monkes and Hypocrites say they vnderstande latine men knowe well inough what their vnderstanding is Besides this they make euen a rule of their iangling without knowing what they say and it is ynough with them to haue a finall intent for so do they terme it so they haue that finall intent before they babble their Domine labia to say we go to pray and to serue God although their minde be vpon their kitchin or vpon things much worse and much more shamefull they beare themselues in hande that all theyr prayers and supplications are acceptable to God The poore people haue their eyes bleared at it for they be made to beleeue that it is not lawfull for them to pray in a common language and therefore they shunne that as a bugge VVe see then that the Diuell hath besotted these wretches yea and vtterly bewitched them seeing they be so loth to receyue the foode of life that in stead of good bread and wholsome meate they receyue poyson and burst with it But for our owne part wee see the rule that is giuen vs heere and which wee ought to kepe which is that when wee pray vnto God wee must not step to it vnaduysedly without bethinking of vs what wee should demaunde or without knowing how wee shoulde behaue our selues towardes him And when wee call him our father let vs consider well that it is not for any woâ—thinesse of our own persons nor for any desert or worke of our own but bicause he hath vnited vs to our Lord Iesus Christ and gathereth vs altogither in him and bycause we be his bodie and God accepteth vs to fauour in his person And for that cause also doth Saint Paule adde that if wee bee children we be beyres also As if he should say that we inioy our inheritance euen now not that we bee entered into the possession of it to be partakers of the glorie that is promised vs but as in respect of the fathers of olde tyme which were shet out into the bodie of the Temple and had a veyle or Curteyne drawne before them with other figures and shadowes Nowe wee bee not lyke them in that cace but we repayre vnto God in such wise as wee bee franke and free And so is the adoption otherwise in our heartes nowadayes than it was in theirs in the time of the Lawe For we bee heyres after such a sort that yet notwithstanding wee bee also as pilgrims in this worlde and as sayth Saint Paule in the seconde to the Corinthians must be fayne to be absent from God till he haue ridde vs of this mortall bodie and haue taken vs out of this earthly pilgrimage and transitorie life Howsoeuer the cace stande wee muste magnifie Gods grace and seeing hee hath adopted vs to be his children let vs vnderstande that therein lyeth all oure happinesse and ioy Therefore let vs glorie in that yea euen so farre forth as to reioyce in the middes of the troubles and aduersities which wee haue too suffer Let vs not ceasse to haue an inwarde ioy continually in vs in as muche as God calleth vs and hath tolde vs that all the aduersities which wee indure shall bee turned to our welfare and saluation so wee holde on to the marke that is set before vs that is too wit so we go on still forwarde to our Lorde Iesus Christ and forsake all other things Nowe let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgment of our sinnes praying him to make vs so too feele them as it may humble vs before him and yet we not bee discouraged but that seing he vouchsafeth to accept well of vs hath also bounde himselfe to vs of his owne good will to heare our requestes when wee come too him with assured trust in him it may please him to graunt vs the grace to ouercome al distresses and lets â–ª and all debates and controuâ—â—â—es that Satan can put in our heartes so as we by experience feele the auaylablenesse of this promise that whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lorde shall be safe And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. The. 26. Sermon which is the third vpon the fourth Chapter 8 At such time as yee knevve not God you serued them that by nature are no Gods 9 But novv that you knovv God or rather are knowne of God hovv is it that you turne back againe to the vveake and beggerly Ceremonies vvherevnto ye vvoulde faine be in bondage againe as before 10 Ye obserue dayes monethes and times yeares 11 I am afrayde of you least I haue laboured in vaine about you WEe haue seene heretofore howe that after the GalathiaÌ„s had bin faithfully taught by S. Paul who had taken much paine among them they shrunke back againe not that they vtterly renounced Iesus Christ and the Gospel but that they had bin to easy in suffering themselues to be deceyued in folowing diuerse opinions as we see it is come to passe through the whole worlde For the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and baptisme as a marke of faith do in deed continue still but yet for all that wee see that all things are marred with superstition and Idolatrie So the Galathians pretended still to be of Gods Church and yet in the meane while they were bewrapped in many follies as specially in this that they should partly purchace grace and soule health at Gods hande by keeping the Ceremonies of the Law But that was to great a defacing of our Lorde Iesus Christ For it is impossible for him too bee our Sauiour vnlesse wee lay away all selfe weening and put oure whole trust in him VVee see then that the fault of the Galathians was that they were not so well grounded in the Gospell as to be firme stedfast and to shake off all errours but rather were
shadowes bicause that nowe a dayes wee haue the body and the substaunce Seeing it is so if a man should set foorth the ceremonies of the Lawe he should separate them froÌ„ our Lord Iesus Christ and what should they be then They would be of no force For as I sayd afore if a man separate them for our Lorde Iesus Christ surely they shall bee but pelting trash Therefore when men kept the ceremonies so as they were applied to their lawful vse they were good exercises and the old fathers mispente not their time bicause they were confirmed by them in the hope of their saluation and they were vntoo them a warrante of Gods fatherly loue towardes them and they led them to oure Lorde Iesus Christe the fountayne of all welfare But if men busie themselues in keeping the ceremonies without knowing why or wherfore surely it is but flat mockerie For the Heathen men dyd make sacrifice also and some of them had no Idols thinking that they offered too God the maker of heauen earth and yet whereto did al their Sacrifises serue them but to their condemnation For they had ouerthrowen Gods order bycause they ameÌ„d not at our Lord Iesus Christ Now then Sainct Paul doth not without cause say that when the Ceremonies of the law tend not to the seeking of all our welfare in our Lorde Iesus Christe they are but beggerly Ceremonies that is to saye corruptible thinges of this world and consequently things of no force and vnprofitable bycause that Iesus Christ who is the quickner of all things is not ther. And this is yet so much the better to be marked to the ende we be not beguiled It is said that in old time all men offered Sacrifise and thought they worshipped God and yet notwithstanding that the seruis of all such as had not their beleefe settled in Iesus Christ was reiected For the Apostle in the eleuenth to the Hebrues saith that the only thing that made Abels Sacrifise acceptable was faith Now then for asmuch as the heathen men did in their sacrifising imagin God to be fleshly and that they could make their attonemeÌ„t with him by such meanes they buzied themselues about outwarde things and considered not that in asmuch as we be faultie it standeth vs on hand to haue an excellenter raunsome than we caÌ„ bring any If we had a hundred worlds to giue they were not ynough too redeeme any one misdeede that we haue done against God Therfore the Sacrifise that should answer for all our sinnes must of necessitie be heauenly The heathen men coÌ„sidered not this but stood poring vpon the shadow of it as the Turkes and Iewes do yet still at this day who by their often washing of themselues both euen and morne and at noone and by theyr other Ceremonies confesse themselues to be defyled and to haue neede to be clenzed by some others and yet do renounce our Lord Iesus Christ who is the very cleannesse whereby we must be made cleane according also as in very deede it is he that hath wiped away all our spottes Seeing it a so then all they that keepe any Ceremonies in hope to get any fauour at Gods hand by them do not only beguile and martir themselues in vayne without any profit but also do certeinly prouoke Gods wrath still more and more Now we on our side are taughte that our Lord Iesus Christ hath shed his bloud too wash our soules withall Then if we seeke any other â—â—nzing or purgatory besides surely it is an intollerable trecherie And if Sainct Paule spake so of the Ceremonies of the lawe what shall wee say of all the toyes and gewgawes that are nowadayes in poperie For beholde the Papists weene to win much by taking of holywater by babling this and that by keeping of holidayes by tyring themselues in gadding on some pilgrimage by setting vp a waxcandle before some puppet by chaunting masse by note and by saying of thus many or thus many tymes their beads ouer I say they hope well to make attonement with God by such meanes But it is certeine that they plunge themselues the deeper in hell and cast themselues further intoo Satans snares by it as though they had confederated themselues with him to their owne destruction To bee shorte all the Ceremonies of poperie are vtter renouncings of our Lorde Iesus Christ and of the pure truth which hee hath purchaced for vs by his death and resurrection and of the grace that is offered vs at this day in the Gospell For they may well bring what shrowding-sheetes they list but they cannot disproue the holie Ghost who hath vttered the sayd sentence by the mouth of Sainct Paule Then do we see in effect what is shewed vs heere Now as touching the particular whiche Sainct Paule alledgeth heere concerning dayes mooneths and yeeres he meeneth not the seasons of winter and sommer nor the discerning of one day from another nor that men shoulde not recken yeeres and mooneths but hee speaketh of the feasts that were commaunded in the Lawe and which those deceiuers would needes haue to bee kept still euen as of necessitie In which cace there was a kind of binding and thraldome and it was an abolishing of the fredome that was purchaced for vs by our Lord Iesus Christ Lo heere the cause why Sainct Paule vseth such vehementnesse howbeit that hee did it also in respect of the foresayde falshood for it was requisite that our Lord Iesus Christ should haue bin knowen in all those figures and that men should haue amed at that marke But they that had beguiled the Galathians had bound them to the cleane contrary seeing that by holding still the feast of Passeouer and other feastes they intended to bring them backe agayne to the olde forworne figures which ought to be abolished In olde time when men kept 〈◊〉 Easter day vnder the lawe it was to the end that the people beeing put in minde of their deliuerance out of the thraldome of Egypt should looke for the great redemption that was promised them And for that cause Sainct Paule saith that our Easter lamb that is to wit Iesus Christe is offered vp already He sheweth that the thing which had bin figured by the pascall lamb that was offered in the law was now fulfilled in the person of our mediator In like cace was it with the feast of Tabernacls or Tents whereby God did put the Iewes in rememberance that they had dwelled in the wildernesse where there was nother house nor building and yet had continued there a long time traueling too and fro And that was also a warning too them that thys lyfe is but a wayfaring where through we must passe in hast As muche is too be sayde of the firstlings when men came to offer vp theyr firste frutes vntoo God Agayne when the Iewes made solemne confession of their sinnes it was a figure to leade them too Iesus Christe whych was promised to them But
Beholde I Paule doo tell you that if yee be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing at all 3 And agayne I protest to euery man that is circuÌ„cised that he is bounde to keepe the vvhole lavve WE haue seene heeretofore that to haue a state of continuance in the Churche wee muste bee grounded vpon our Lord Iesus Christ For many doo boast themselues to be Gods children who notwithstanding are not begotten of the true seede which maketh the differeÌ„ce wherby God auoweth and acknowledgeth vs for his children Therfore if we wil be truly knit to our Lord Iesus Christ we must hold fast the doctrine of the Gospell that he as our heade and mediator may ioyne vs to God his father Therwithall I haue declared that the cause why S. Paul speaketh so of boÌ„d free seed is for that they which seeke their righteousnesse in their owne vertues do alienate theÌ„selues froÌ„ our lord Iesus Christ froÌ„ his grace For by that meanes they bind theÌ„selues to an impossibilitie that is to say to satisfie God in keeping his coÌ„maundements But there is such weaknes in vs as none of vs is able to perform the least point of the law and therfore much lesse can we attaine to the perfectioÌ„ that is shewed vs heere And for that cause S. Paul coÌ„cludeth now â–ª that we must stand fast in the freedome which our Lord Iesus Christ hath purchased for vs. It is certayn that he treateth heere of the ceremonies of the law but yet must we always resort to the welhead and cheefe poynt For if the matter concerned no further than the keeping of a holyday or the forbearing of some kinde of meate it were not of so great weighâ— that suche strife should bee moued for it in the Church But Sainct Paule pored not vppon a matter so slight and of so small importance He had an eye to the doctrine he considered that if meÌ„ should be tyde to do this thing or that thing of necessitie it were an excluding of them from the hope of saluation For if I must needes performe a thing vnder peine of deadly sinne then if I fayle I am become a transgresser and there is no shift for me bycause God is my iudge and I must be fayne to come too account and there is no meanes to redeeme me Now it is certaine that al of vs are subiect to the keeping of the law but yet notwithstanding there is a remedie for it which is to runne vnto our Lord Iesus Christ in all our needes who was made subiect to the law to purchace vs freedome and bare our curse to discharge vs of it Now if any necessitie be layd vpon vs againe too say that the doing of this or that is sinne then cannot our Lord Iesus Christ stand vs in any more stead as I sayde afore by reason whereof we must needes bee plunged in our owne cursednesse without any manner of releefe Therefore it is not without cause that Sainct Paule exhorteth the Galathians to hold their owne and not too suffer themselues to be brought into bondage For by that meanes he faith that they shall be bereft of inestimable benefyte euen so farre foorth as they shall be falne quite away from Gods grace or fauour and vtterly separated from our Lord Iesus Christ in whome lieth all our welfare and happinesse Now that wee may the better conceiue S. Paules meening and also reape the frute that is offered vs in thys text Let vs marke that by this word Libertie oâ— freedome it is meant that we may walke with full confidence before God and that hee will alwayes be fauorable so that although wee bee giltie of many offences yet we shall be quit of them for our Lord Iesus Christes sake and moreouer that it is not in mans power to bridle vs or too hold vs in bondage but that it ought to suffise vs to yeld ourselues obedient vnto God howbeit not after a slauish and constreyned fashion but as children yeeld themselues subiect too their father knowing well that their father will not handle them roughly Thus ye see what is meant by the worde libertie or freedome whiche S. Paule vseth Neuerthelesse to the end that this shortnesse bee not darksome I will declare it more aâ—â—â—ge So long as we be in doubt whither God do loue vs or hate vs there will always bee trouble and vnquietnesse in our consciences and we shall be as it were locked vp in prison So then there will be no freedome in our mindes till we know and be throughly perswaded that God is at one wyth vs and that he receiueth vs into his fauoure grace though we be not worthy of it But it is impossible for vs to haue any certeintie of it except we haue our quittance alwayes before our eyes which was made vs in the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Chryste VVhy so For as I said afore we be indetted vnto God many wais yea infinite wayes For we be bouÌ„d to keepe the law and we breake it a hundred times a day yea euen or euer we thinke of it Again we offend euen in grosse faultes But howsoeuer we deale we cannot assure ourselues of Gods loue vnlesse wee bee discharged againste him of the obligation of euerlasting death wherein we staÌ„d bound Now we atteine that benefyte when we be perswaded by the Gospel that the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ was shed to wash away al our spottes and that his death is a sufficient sacrifise too appease Gods wrath and to wipe out the remembrance of al our offences iniquities Ye see then that the way to set vs free is to know that God receiueth vs to mercie for our Lord Iesus Christs sake that our faults sins shal not hinder vs to find fauor alwais in his sight or to haue familiar accesse vnto him as children haue vntoo theyr fathers SecoÌ„dly we must not be wauering too fro to make coÌ„science of euery thing that meÌ„ deuise of their owne heads but walke stedfastly according to gods word knowing moreouer that our coÌ„scieÌ„ces are free that whither men coÌ„mand or forbid any thing it is nothing to vs I meene as in respect of the spirituall regiment of our soules For we talke not heere of ciuil policie nor of the common life of men but of our saluation So then all things ought too bee free vntoo vs when they bee not forbidden vs by Gods owne mouth Yet is it not ynough that we haue Gods word for our guide without mingling any thing at all with it but as I haue touched alreadye we must therewithall know that God accepteth our affection when he seeth vs willing to obey him and that although there be much faultinesse and ouer many infirmities in vs and that we come halting vnto him and 〈◊〉 that all that euer wee doo were trifling toyes if he listed to examin them with rigorâ— yet neuerthelesse he taketh al in good woorth And
too lay the brydle looce in our necke that wee might fall a scoterloping and playe the wylde beastes so as God shoulde not tame vs but rather too the intent wee shoulde repayre vntoo him with a good courage to obey him freely For if wee were not sure that he taketh vs for his children and beareth with vs so gently that the things whiche are nothing woorth are taken in good woorth at his hand for the fatherly loue which he beareth vs surely wee shall doo nothing but gnashe our teeth when wee intende too serue God But if wee bee persuaded that God casteth such a fauour towardes vs that although wee be full of infirmities and cannot doo any thing that may deserue too bee well lyked at his hande yet hee accepteth vs for our Lorde Iesus Christes sake must it not needes giue vs courage as thoughe our sayle were set vp and wee had the winde on our sterne Therefore it is certaine that our heartes must needes runne swiftly as a shippe that hath the full winde vppon hir sayles when wee knowe that wee are in Gods fauour and that hee accepteth our woorkes and intendeth not too bynde vs too any bondage but is contented too take vs for his children and accepteth oure willingnesse too obey his Now then when we be once sure of that we may serue our God with the better courage and bicause wee bee grounded vppon his grace it will cheere vs in suche wise as wee shall offer him the sacrifice of prayse and â—â—rayer assuring oure selues that hee wyll heere vs and therevppon yeelde hym thankes for that so great and inestimable benefyte which hee communicateth vnto vs euerie day Nowe let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowlegement of our faultes praying him to vouchsafe to make vs so to feele them as it may humble vs truely and make vs yeelde our selues wholly to our Lorde Iesus Christ and that when we be once come vnto him we may persist in the fayth of his Gospell without swaruing asyde in any wise and that he may so sustein vs in our infirmities as wee notwithstanding may be touched with true repentance too sigh and grone before him till hee haue taken vs out of this mortall bodye wherein wee bee hilde in prison vnder the bondage of sinne And so let vs all say Almightie God our heauenly father c. The. 32. Sermon which is the seconde vpon the fifth Chapter 4 Christ is become vnprofitable to you to all of you that are iustified by the Lavve and you bee falne from grace 5 For vve in spirite doo vvayte by fayth for the hope of Rightuousnesse 6 For neyther Circumcision nor vncircumcision is any thing woorth in Iesus Christ but fayth that vvorketh by loue WE haue seene heretofore that such as wil make a partnership betwene their owne workes and Gods grace do fouly ouershoot theÌ„selues for as soone as we come to reckening God must needes iudge vs with rygour Then if we go about too get his fauour and to purchace our saluation by our owne woorkes we must performe Lawe to the vttermoste without any missing But nowe let vs see if euer man discharged him 〈◊〉 so perfectly Surely we come verie farre short of it Therefore we must come emptie vnto God that hee may receyue vs too mercie and impute vnto vs the obedience of oure Lorde Iesus Christ auowing it in suche wise as wee lay asyde all our owne deseruings and bring not any thing of the Lawe with vs saue onely a single and pure confession that wee bee damned and forlorne till God pitie vs and burying all our faultes and transgressions do cloth and apparell vs againe with the rightuousnesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ his sonne And for that cause doth Saint Paule conclude heere that such as will iustifie themselues by the lawe are falne from grace and Iesus Christ shall profite them not thing at all If is not for nought that hee speaketh after that maner For the false packers that had partly corrupted the doctrine of the Gospell in the Church of the Galathians ment too mingle the one with the other that is to wit that Iesus Christ is giuen vs to supplie our wantes and yet notwithstanding that wee ceasse not to be rightuous in part by indeuering to do well For they did not vtterly renounce our Lord Iesus Christ neither sayd they that all the promises wherein God telleth vs that he wil of his goodnesse forgiue the faithful their sinnes are deceyt and mockerie but their intent was that men should labor to iustifie theÌ„selues that is to say to purchase fauour at Gods hand by their owne workes And forasmuch as wee be farre from perfection they ment that Iesus Christ should supply it as a second remedie that was their surmize Likewise nowadayes in Poperie they will not with opeÌ„ mouth vtter this blasphemie that Iesus Christ serueth vs to none other purpose but too teach vs the will of God his father they will afoorde to say that he hath redeemed vs and purchased the ground of deseruing for vs for he hath opened vs the gate of Paradice too enter in at and also that his death and passion do dayly profite vs too reconcile vs vntoo God dayly when wee haue offended him But howsoeuer the worlde go they will haue vs too deserue or earne the kingdome of heauen in parts and to redeeme our sinnes by diuerse meanes and thereof sprang all their satisfactions and finally that if a man cannot performe all during his life the rest shall bee fulfilled in Purgatorie Thus yee see howe Iesus Christ hath but halfe a place with them in receyuing vs vnto God and 〈◊〉 in the meane while they shoulder him in such wise that freewill merites workes of supererogation or ouerplus as they terme them and suche like things runne away at leastwise with the one half of our saluation But S. Paule telleth vs that God liketh no such partenership For either we must bring such a full performance of the Lawe as God may be contented with or else yeeld our selues giltie If there bee neuer so little a fault all the residue deserueth nothing at all For as I haue declared God promiseth not saluation too such as doo him halfe seruis or too such as serue him after a sorte but to such as keepe his Lawe throughout He that dooth all the things shall liue and contrarywise he that performeth not all shall bee cursed But it is so that no man dooth the things that are required and commaunded in the Law For what good zele or will soeuer wee haue too serue God there is alwayes much feeblenesse in vs and wee go too him halting and make many false steppes yea and oftentimes wee happen to steppe aside and too go astray and so are wee all shet out from the promis of saluation as in respect of our own workes and the curse wayteth for vs which we cannot escape For who is so
farre ouerseene as to take vpon him that he hath performed the whole Lawe Then if all of vs be found giltie of offence against God wee be as good as vtterly vndone till our Lord Iesus Christe reach vs his hand Therefore it followeth that wee must forget the rightuousnesse of the lawe and lay it vnder foote so as it may bee vtterly abolished and therevpon that wee go naked too our Lord Iesus Christe for remedie confessing our owne pouertie and not beyng ashamed too bee defaced with all reproche before God that we may be clothed againe with his glorie Thus ye see in effect what we haue too gather vpon this text where S. Paule sayeth that Iesus Christ is made vnprofitable if men hope to iustifie themselues by the Lawe For it hath bin too common an errour in all ages that at the first setting forth and first brunt men will needes pay God all that is due too him and in the end seeke startingholes when they see no power nor abilitie in them too doo it VVell say they though wee cannot doo all yet will wee do somewhat But in this cace it is not for vs to follow our owne imaginacions for God will iudge vs according too his owne woorde Therefore let vs not recken without our host as the Prouerb sayes by making our selues beleeue that God will accept what we think good but let vs vnderstand that Iesus Christ cannot boote vs at all except wee seeke the fulnesse of our saluation in him For it is not sayde in the Scripture that the father hath giuen vs him as a help to obtaine our saluation but that he is giuen vs to be our rightuousnesse and lyfe It followeth then that in our own selues there is nothing but wickednesse endlesse death til we haue recouered the thing in Iesus Christ which wee lost and were vtterly bereft of in Adam And these twoo things are ioyned here togither namely that Iesus Christ profiteth vs not at all and that wee be fallen from grace according as in very truth all the grace or fauour that we must finde at Gods hand is coÌ„municated to vs by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ And it is a very notable poynt For euery man will well ynough graunt that we must resort vntoo God bycause he is the welspring of all welfare But in the meane whyle the most part of men wander in their own windlasses and in stead of coÌ„ming vntoo God do go from him as it is too bee seene in the Papacie where wretched hipocrites the ignorant sort say that their gadding after their Sainctes and puppets their marâ—yring of theÌ„selues in their foolish deuotions is to get Gods fauour But in the meane whyle Iesus Christ is let alone and no man makes accouÌ„t of him but they rather hie theÌ„ to some stocke or stone which they call their Lady than to the Sonne of God And wherof coÌ„meth this Euen bicause they know not how God hath giuen vs his grace nor after what maner he will haue vs too seeke it nor what way and order it behoueth vs to hold Therefore when we be once throughly resolued that God is our father also know perfectly that what soeuer we haue neede of he will haue vs to draw it from out of our Lord Iesus Christ who is as a spring that was vnder the earth and afterward is opened and floweth abrode that euery man may take his fill of it then say I do we know that Gods grace cannot bee drayned drie but yet dooth it not come at vs but by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ Too bee short let vs marke that all that euer belongeth too our saluation is so put intoo the persone of Gods onely sonne that he alone must suffize vs and we go streyght vnto him and take all our contentation there And as I sayd afore let vs keepe our selues from this imagination of thinking to purchace any thing by our desertes for it separateth vs vtterly froÌ„ our Lord Iesus Christ Nowe herevpon S. Paule addeth that wee wayt for the hope of rightuousnesse by fayth in the spirite It serueth to confirme that which he hath sayd heretofore concerning the diuersitie that is betweene vs and the fathers that liued vnder the Lawe For howe was Abraham receyued intoo fauour but through fayth Yet notwithstanding he differed from vs in one thing For in asmuch as Iesus Christ was not yet discouered Ceremonies were giuen him and many mo were added at the publishing of the Lawe according too the neede which the people had too bee so led and guyded Too bee short the faythfull of all ages haue euer sought their whole rightuousenesse in the grace of God Neuerthelesse they were helped by the Ceremonies and shadowes bycause the Gospell was not yet so reueled vntoo them as it is vntoo vs nother was Iesus Christe who is the very pledge of rightuousnesse made yet so manifest But nowe lette vs come too that which Sainct Paule sayeth He setteth heere the spirite now adayes among the Christians to exclude all figures and shadowes as if he should say that it ought too suffize vs that the Sonne of God is appeered too vs for our rightuousnesse and therefore wee muste let go the Ceremonies bycause the shadowe were needelesse now adayes And not in this Texte alone dothe Sainct Paule match the woorde spirite agaynst the shadowes of the Lawe Truly when God in old time did ordeyne Circumcision Sacrifices and suche other things it was not too set folke at a gaze heere bylowe for all things that are contayned in the Lawe are in very deede spirituall There was a patterne of them shewed too Moyses on the Mountayne So then it is certayne that the fathers had a spirituall beleef as well as wee so as they knewe they were not washed and made cleane by three or foure droppes of water nor reconcyled too God by the sacrifizing of a Calfe or of some other brute beast but that oure Lorde Iesus Christe was their onely washyng and clenzing and that hee by the Sacrifyze of his deathe had discharged them quyte or at leastwyse should bycause the thyng was not yet done but the Fathers looked aloofe at the thing which was not yet disclozed And moreouer it is 〈◊〉 without cause that the sayde woord Spirit is set downe heere to shewe that the fathers could not imbrace the grace of our Lord Iesus Christe but by the meanes whiche our Lorde had ordeyned for the time Therefore when any man had done amisse he came with a sacrifice to acknowledge himself woorthie of death before God not too seeke his attonement in a Calfe or in a Sheepe or in any such other thing for that was too bee had in Iesus Christe but yet was it of necessitie that the figure of him should go before As much is to be sayd of the washings and of the residue of those things In these dayes we haue the body sayeth S. Paule and
as yee bee thinke yee that these things wyll go for payment No for God will not allow any of them They reply vnto it agein and say why not Shall God bee no more serued VVhat shall wee doo for hym Verily it seemeth to them that vnlesse they go to Masse bee shriuen and pay some raunsome and doo one thing or other there is nothing at all doone And in deede we see how they leaue the principall vndoone For euen they that are the deuoutest of them will not sticke at all some too keepe whores some to blaspheme God and some too robbe and spoyle other men in so much that if they which pretend greatest holinesse can finde occasion too pill and poll their neybours they will byte theÌ„ to the bones Their crueltie shall be so excessiue that they shall bee brute beasts rather than men Therevnto they bee full of suttletie and wylinesse It is nothing with them too forsweare themselues if they may beguile any man by it For they nuzell themselues in all kynde of leawdnesse bearing themselues in hand that God must serue them for a cloke when they fall once too making of faire countenances that it may bee saide they bee deuout or holy folke Yee see then that this hypocrisie is as a denne of theeues as our Lord Iesus Christ himselfe termeth it And it is an ordinarie matter for men to forget the cheefe principall when they giue themselues to Ceremonies according also as our Lord Iesus vpbraydeth them saying for your owne traditions sakes you haue abolished the lawe of God my father And for the same cause it is sayd in the fifth Psalme Thinkest thou that I will drinke the bloud of brute beastes If I bee hungrie saith God thinkest thou that all is not myne This is the thing that I would haue thee to offer vntoo mee namely the sacrifice of praise Now we see Paules meaning He mocketh the hypocrites which thinke that all is mard if there bee not store of gawdes and gewgawes when men should go vntoo God and that they may not go to him as it were with banner displayed According whervnto wee see how they pranke vp things with pompe of lampes perfumes tapers gay disguised cotes puppets and such other things VVhen they haue this geere once to their owne seeming they bee so well cloked that God knowes no more what they doo and that their vices are well sheltred vnder such shadow and yet for al that they doo but spite him openly Now S. Paule laugheth that opinion too scorne saying that although we haue none of al those pomps there is ynough besides wherwith 〈◊〉 God to keepe vs occupied that is charitie But to be short S. Paule ment to tell vs heere that Gods seruice is spirituall For when wee loue our neybours it is a token that we loue God I meane when we loue them according to Gods ordinance For it is no loue too loue a man for our owne profites sake but to loue euen our enemies so as we be patient to beare the wrongs that are done vs so as we streine ourselues to do good too such as haue neede of our help and so as none of vs be giueÌ„ to himself nor to his owne peculiar profit but that we indeuer as meÌ„bers of one body to helpe eche other as much as is possible If wee bee once at that point then doth our life sufficiently answer for vs and witnesse that wee loue God But wee cannot loue him before wee know him Therefore is charitie an infallible signe and token that wee be willing to serue God not in paying him with chaffe in sted of corne but by louing our neybor truly and vnfeinedly And so let the Papistes brag as much as they list of their gewgawes and gay shewes wherewith they thinke to cousin God as it were to make a mockingstocke of him yet shal the thing that is vttered heere by S. Paules mouth stand alwayes sure that is too with that such things are naughtworth before God And why For if Circumcision were abolished when the time and terme of it was expyred what shall become of the things that haue bin foolishly and malapertly forged in the shoppes of mens owne fancies which tooke vpon them that which belonged not too them nor was by any meanes lawfull for them to doo Yee see then what wee haue too beare in minde But before wee go any further we must assoyle a doubt which the Papists cast heere For to their seeming it maketh wholly on their side when S. Paule sayth that fayth which woorketh by charitie is the thing that maketh all the faythfull perfect And therevpon they conclude that onely faith dooth not purchace vs grace but fayth and charitie matched togither Put the cace it were so whereto would it serue them For wherevpon doo they ground their merites but vpon childishe toyes as who should say they would appease God with a Rattle but S. Paules meaning is farre otherwise For although he haue hitherto shewed the true way how too bee in Gods fauour yet notwithstanding he mindeth not too ground our rightuousnesse or our hope 〈◊〉 â—aluation vppon charitie VVhat then It is ynough for him too shewe that God can finde meanes ynow to keepe the faithfull occupyed although they haue no Ceremonies wherewith the hypocrites beguile themselues in making that their principall To bee short we see that S. Paule is so farre off from fauoring the Papists any thing at all that he fighteth directly ageinst them Nowe vnder the colour of that which is spoken heere they haue imagined that faith is but a single knowledge that there is a God and that his only sonne Iesus Christ is come into the world for the redeeming and sauing of mankynd notwythstanding that the same knowledge bee without any affection more than if a man should tell vs some storie and we should beleeue it hold it for a certeintie After that maner doo the Papists speake of faith say that when faith is all alone it hath not yet hir ful shape before God but when it is ioyned with a hartie good wil loue of God then is it full fashioned say they But when the scripture speaketh to vs of faith it meaneth the knowledge that is giueÌ„ vs by the holy Ghost not which flittereth in our owne braine but which is sealed in our harts in such wise as God must needes haue wrought wonderfully in vs before we can haue bin inlightened fashioned in faith for there is nothing but darknesse in our minds The lyght must come from aboue Agein wee bee vtterly inclyned to distrust â–ª and therfore the holy Ghost must be faine too set this seale vpon vs that wee bee throughly saued by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christ Furthermore it is not ynoughe too knowe generally that Chryst is our Redeemer but fayth importeth that euery of vs must acknowledge him too bee hys Redeemer And is that possible too bee
vnlesse our Lorde Iesus doo dwell in vs and reygne in vs and that wee bee inflamed with the loue of hym too gyue ourselues wholly vntoo him The Papists therfore neuer wist what faith meaneth notwithstanding that they chatter of it not altogither so well as Pyes in a Cage which doo yet vnderstande some woordes heere and there but they shewe so shamefull a beastlinesse as they may bee gazingstockes of Gods horrible vengeance in that they haue so forgotten the whole Phrase of the holy Ghost and haue no more skill of the holy scripture than a Paynim or a Turke that hath bin alwayes in â—â—â—athennesse and neuer herde of God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe Lo in what taking the Papists are Now then let vs marke well that S. Paule hath not here imagined a shapelesse or vnfashioned fayth as they doe nor ment too set downe charitie as the cause of our righteousnesse but onely intended to shew that we haue inough to serue God with without snarling of our selues in a sort of pelting trifles Howbeit that wee may fare the better by this texte for wee must nowe come too an ende and the tyme wyll not suffer vs too proceede any further if the Papistes nowe adayes doo make their bragges that they haue a more apparant seruice of God than wee and a seruice that hath a gayer glosse let vs on our side bee well aduised that we despyse euerywhit of it For why God will not bee serued after meÌ„â— lykings Marke that for one poynt Besydes this the things which the Papistes call Gods seruice are pelting trifles imagined and forged in their owne brayne so that it is all reiected notwithstanding that men doo greatly delight in them and lyke well of them And therefore let vs haue an eye too serue God as he commaundeth VVherin wil he haue vs to be occupyed Not in needelesse things but he will haue a true tryall of vs which deceyueth not And what shall that bee To walke vprightly and faithfully with our neyghbors euery of vs to helpe where neede is according to his abilitie that no man be giuen wholly to himselfe that wee be trustie that we deale soundly and faithfully that wee liue peasably and that if wee see any man destitute of succor and too stand in neede of our helpe wee in that case doe as it were offer a sacrifice vntoo God knowing that he calleth vs too it to shew what loue we beare towardes him For if we loue not our neybours which are as it were visible groundes too worke kyndnesse vpon howe shall wee loue God sayth S. Iohn in his Epistle whom wee see not and which is absent from vs and hath no neede of any thing Therefore if wee wyll serue God well let vs learne too yeelde him such obedience as he lyketh of that is too saye let vs walke in suche faythfulnesse and freendlinesse as none of vs beguyle fleece or ouerreach hys neyghbour and moreouer that wee not onely absteyne from all wrongfull or wicked dealing but also that all suche as are called Christians do well bethinke them of our Lord Iesus Christs saying which is Cursed bee you that haue your seuerall deuotions alone by your selues and occupy your heads about small trifles making conscience of euery thing and yet in the meane whyle leaue the principall poynts of the lawe vndone that is too wit faithfulnesse Iustice rightuousnesse and mercie As if he should say Is it not a straunge thing that meÌ„ should so mocke with God making a countenance to honour him as though they tooke him but for a babe God wil haue meÌ„ to walk faithfully and vprightly he wil haue euery maÌ„ to pitie to succor the needie he wil haue no man to do his brother wrong and behold they on the contrary part will needes buzie themselues about Mooneshine in the water and things of no valew They will bee full of crueltie craft and maliciousnesse and yet thinke to pacifie God with things of nothing Therefore let vs learne to serue God with charitie that is to say let vs learne to giue ourselues to the things that he calleth vs to to hold ourselues as it were at a stay too the rule which he giueth vs by his woord Furthermore wheÌ„ we walk vprightly after that fashion we must not for mens sakes forget God For as I said afore that is the thing wherin he trieth our charitie and by that meanes we shew the reuerence loue that we beare towards him And therfore we ceasse not to call vpon God when we loue our neyghbors nother intend we to displease God vnder colour of doyng them seruice but he is alwayes our marke on whom we haue our eyes fastened Neuerthelesse too conclude like as wee indeuer to liue as God commaundeth by his word and passe not for the gawdies gewgawes and Ceremonies of the hypocrites but walke rightly in purenesse of life and in al faithfulnesse and vpright dealing as I said erst knowing neuerthelesse that when we haue done all it serueth not to iustifie vs or too purchace vs fauor in his sight and that although wee be sure that he taketh in good worth the willingnesse which we haue to honor hym yet his so dooing is but bicause he accepteth vs in our Lord Iesus Christ as I haue declared heretofore bicause we repose the trust of our saluatioÌ„ in him Euen so also shal we walk in charitie labor to discharge our duetie knowing that by reason of our feeblenesse we be not able to come neere that which God pointeth vs to but yet that we be in the way thitherward that he must be faine too take vs to mercy wherupon we doubt not but that all our workes do like him wel when they be so dedicated too him by the blud of our Lord Iesus Christ for he is the true preest that offereth vp our oblations maketh theÌ„ acceptable to God he must be faine to step in to make our works pleasant to God his father specially seing that eueÌ„ our prayers the very prayses which we yeeld vntoo him should be but filthinesse if they were not purified by our Lord Iesus Christ according also as the Apostle sayth that it is he by whoÌ„ we offer vp vnto God the Calues of our lippes that is to say the sacrifices of praise wherby he is glorified But now let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgment of our faultes praying him to make vs perceiue theÌ„ more and more that we may be so touched with theÌ„ as it may bring vs to true repentance and that wee may seeke all our wants in our Lord Iesus Christ that there may be such humilitie in vs that being vtterly brought downe hauing put away al false presumptuousnesse wherewith wee may bee deceiued wee may not tend to any other end than to be receiued through the mere mercie of our God so as we may come
that the world knew not God in true wisedome and therfore he was fayne to vse another fashion of teaching which is by foolishnesse For were wee throughly wise as wee woulde bee taken too bee wee haue as good an instruction as can bee in beholding the skies and the earth VVe see there a mirrour wherin god sheweth vs his infinit goodnesse power rightuousnesse mercie and wisedome And so wee see there the great treasures of Gods wisdome which ought 〈◊〉 rauish our wittes to wonder at it But who fareth the better by it Nay contrarywise wee see men cobble vp Gods benefites and fill their panches with them without any thinking vppon him at all and not onely that but also to kicke agaynst him that hath pampered them And when they weene too do God seruice they plucke away the honor that belongeth to him and set vp Idols after their owne fancie Seing then that the world hath not knowne God in true wisedome and by the order of nature God was fayne to trie another way as he did For if we iudge after our naturall wit it is a kind of starke folly to say that the sonne of God the heade of the Angelles the Lorde of glorie the welspring of life the persone to whome all maiestie belongeth was not onely made a mortall man and clothed with our state but also vtterly abased as Sainct Paule sayth in the seconde too the Philippians yea and became subiect too our curse and bare the name of sinne which is more VVhen a man speaketh to vs in such phraze of speech it must needes seeme straunge to vs as it is in deed But we must submit our selues with al lowlinesse and consider that forasmuch as we haue not profited by the things that god hath shewed vs from the beginning both in heauen and earth we must bee fayne to come to this other schole Thus much concerning this streyne where Saint Paule sayth then is the stumblingblocke of the Crosse put away But to be short we must gather vpon this Text that if there be any absurditie in the Gospel according to our vnderstanding the same must not make it out of taste with vs but we must cōsider that God intendeth to trie our obedience by sending vs to the death of of our Lorde Iesus Christ and that there we see as it were the gulfe of hell seeing that the sonne of God is there to beare our condemnation and is become our suretie there to pay all our dettes Againe let vs consider further that from death there was a goodly passage vnto glorie which appeared in his resurrection For the Sonne of God hauing suffered through infirmitie that is to say according to the ordinance of God his father and according to his owne good will also wherby he consented to submit himselfe to such bondage and hauing suffered in such wise that hee ouercame death by the power of his holy spirite he obteyned such a victorie as all knees must nowe bow before him and he hath a name aboue all names and men muste knowe that all the Maiestie of God appeared and shone forth in his person Thus yee see that wee neede not to bee ashamed of the Gospell And aboue all things let vs holde faste that which Saint Paule in the first to the Romaines calleth the power of God to the saluation of all beleeuers Then as for the worldlings and such as are swolne with pryde and ouerweening like Toades let them despize the Gospell as much as they list and let them perish in their owne cursednesse and in the meane while let vs with all humblenesse of fayth imbrace the sonne of God who offereth himselfe to vs of purpose to lift vs vp to the glorie of the kingdom of heauen But heere is yet more namely that Saint Paule matcheth Stumbling and the preaching of the Gospel togither as things inseparable It is true that wee must eschue all stumblingblockes as much as is possible for wo be to him by whom stumblingblockes come But yet muste Iesus Christ raigne and haue his full scope though all the whole worlde shoulde stumble at him The woorde Stumblingblocke importeth a stoppe hinderance or let as if there were a rough and stonie way that had some thornes and bushes or some other comberances in it the same were a meanes too make men stumble Nowe it were to be wished that Iesus Christ might go on freely and that all the worlde would receyue him and that nothing might stoppe the preaching of the Gospell from the one ende of the worlde to the other I say we ought to wishe it as much as in vs is Howbeeit let vs learne that God intendeth to trye the obedientnesse of our fayth by giuing Satan the brydle who casteth many stumblingblockes and cumberances in our wayes Too bee short our Lorde Iesus Christ is not without cause called a stone to stumble at and a stoppe for all men too dashe agaynst and by that meanes too breake their neckes And in the ende as it is sayde in Saint Luke they must be crushed by that stone for it is to hard for their stubbornnesse And this is verie much for our behoofe For we see many men so nice that if men agree not to the Gospell out of hande they thinke themselues quite and cleane discharged and set free before God from mainteining the quarel or cace any longer If all Kings and Princes had caused it to be proclaimed by the sound of a trumpet that there shoulde 〈◊〉 no more fighting agaynst Gods truth euerie man woulde make countenance too bee of the same minde But nowadayes ye shall see great crueltie tyrannie spytefulnesse manacing and such other like things Again ye shall see that the most part of the enemies are as greedie woolues that desire to deuour all and seeke to shed innocent bloud to the intent that they may haue their goodes Othersome haue a frentike zeale insomuch that they woulde fayne haue the name of God cleane wyped out and the doctrine of the Gospell vtterly quenched VVhen men see this ô say they I will not meddle with it VVhat Shall I bring all the world in my toppe Is it not manifest that they which haue tasted this doctrine are but a handfull of men and that all others are enemies too them or else they doo reiect them or laugh them to scorne or at leastwyse beare a poysoned and malicious heart agaynst them Yee see then that verie fewe are so strong as too beare out the stumblingblockes of the Gospell when they see as it were logges cast in theyr way and that Iesus Christ is hyndered by Satan and by the practises of his vnderlings O say they wee muste needes backe againe Yea and what a number are too bee seene at thys day whiche will say that this doctrine bringeth store of stumblingblockes Againe see I praye you what diuersitie of opinions it hathe say they Beholde such a one speaketh thus and such a one
make theÌ„ selues vnworthy of it for some be ful of wilinesse malice like foxes some are full of pride like lions some are like rauening wolues that seeke nothing but to deuour al and othersome are ful of shrewd turnes and harmefulnesse like Apes All these as much as in theÌ„ is do cut themselues off froÌ„ the aray companie of neibours but in this cace we may obserue Gods order And although men on their side deserue not to be counted taken for neibours yet notwithstanding in bearing them loue wee shewe it is good reason that God should ouerwey our owne naughtinesse VVee see then that suche as are our enimies labour to deuour vs do notwithstanding not cease to be our neibors in respect of the order that God hath set And for the same cause also our Lord Iesus Christ telleth vs that it is no charitie to recoÌ„pence him that hath done vs a good turne or seruice nor to loue those whom we like off or at whose hands wee looke for some profite For the heathen do as much as that comes too but they do it not to obey God his law and when we haue regard of our own profite it is rather a louing of our selues thaÌ„ any poynt of charitie For the marks that chatitie shooteth at are God and the communion or felowship that ought to be among vs as I haue said afore Now then we see it is a true proofe that we be desirous to loue God when we indeuer to doo good euen too them that are vnworthy of it Moreouer the adding of this saying as our selues is not to the intent that euery man should first loue him selfe and then afterwarde loue his neybour nexte But our Lorde ment too rippe vp the sore thâ—â— hindereth vs too liue in charitie whiche is as I haue tolde you alreadie that if men were not so giuen to selfeloue as they be there would be good loue agreement among all men but forasmuch as wee be so much giuen to loue ourselues and the excesse of that affection blindeth vs in such wise that it bereeueth vs of all reason equitie and vprightnesse therfore God saith that we must loue our neighbours as ourselues For were not that sayd expresly we would talke muche of louing our neighbours say they ought to be loued but all would be but dissimulation after the maner of these hypocrites whiche protest that they would their enimies no harme but rather that they wish them good and could find in their hearts to procure theÌ„ good But let vs come to the triall that God setteth downe heere let euery man looke into himself then let him iudge whether he loue him self to much or no or whether the loue that he beareth towards his neybours be not ouerfaynt cold To be short here God ment to remedie the hypocrisie wherwith we be too much blinded Also he ment to waken men that they might learne to leaue their flattering of theÌ„selues when it is sayd it is not inough for you to loue one an other but ye must loue your neibours as your selues And thereby we see how farre we be wide from the perfection of the Lawe and that it standeth vs in hande to fight agaynst our owne nature that we may obey God VVhat is then the true exercise of Christians It is to acknowledge bewayle their own sinfulnesse and infirmitie in discharging their dutie towards God and thervpon to labor and indeuer to winne of them selues from day to day so as their lustes may not ouermaster them but rather that God may haue such superioritie that in stead of louing our selues we may labour to imploy our selues in dooing good whersoeuer he calleth vs. Furthermore S. Paule hauing shewed the perfection of the law the mark that wee muste ame at to rule our life according to Gods worde addeth that if men doo bite and snatche one at another lyke Dogges and Cattes they muste needes bee consumed in the ende And this is too shame them the more whiche are so fleshed in their quarellings and brawlings and doo so close their eyes agaynst all reason that they care not what come of it so they maye satisfie their luste of reuenging And what shall yee â—â—â—ne by it sayth Sainct Paule Naturally yee couet too preserue youre selues for that is common too vs euen with the beasts Yee see that the beast which hath nother reason nor vnderstanding doth notwithstanding labor to preserue himselfe and shunneth harme Much more reason is it that men which discerne betweene good and bad should haue the same indeuer of mainteyning themselues and of continuing safe sound But now let vs see what followeth vpon hatred quareling brawling strife rayling and such other like things It followeth that wee must bee all consumed in the end Needes then must the diuel haue vtterly bereft them of all reason which rage and rushe foorth after that fashion in their excessyue hatred and cannot by any meanes bee moderated Too bee short S. Paule sheweth that although there were no Lawe of God too make vs afrayd too offend him yet if wee were well aduised or had any droppe of discretion in vs wee should haue some stay of ourselues so as wee should not quarell and brawle one with another as wee doo But wee runne wilfully and as it were of set purpose into our destruction and that is ageinst nature Yee see then how diuelish men become wheÌ„ they bee once chafed insomuch that they seeke their owne decay And why do wee hate our enemies It is bicause wee will needes gyue brydle to our affections But marke our excuce O say wee they ment mee harme they procured it and they haue done it Very wel-what for that VVhat shalt thou win by making two diuels of one as the prouerb sayth or by seeking too make the fyre too burne hotter which is kindled ynough and to much alreadie It wyll but dubble his rage and make him feercer than he was before Seing it is so why wilt thou go about to end the matter with the destruction of you both Howbeit if wee should do it in none other respect than that it were not ynough for therin wee should bee too fleshly For if I absteine from all hatred bycause I shoulde receyue harme by it I doo still seeke mine owne profit But God will haue vs to shet our eyes continually in respect of our owneselues and to shake of all ill will and to tread all strife vnder foote And why To the end that he himselfe may haue all maysterhod ouer vs. And although men giue vs cause too hate them for their naughtinesse yet notwithstanding forasmuch a God hath knit vs together let vs abyde in that vnitie Therfore the honour that wee must yeelde vnto God is to renounce ourselues to the end we may loue them that hate vs. And as I haue tolde you alreadie this warning is not superfluous For Sainct Paules intent is too shame
is an Angelicall perfection and how then can wee keepe it seing wee be giuen to all euill and our owne sinfulnesse caryeth vs away If sinne reigned not in vs then it might be sayd that wee ought to bee vnited vntoo God but our frayltie is to great Thus yee see what excuce many folke alledge thinking to be quit by it But S. Paule sayth It is true that there is nothing but a gulfe of all naughtinesse in vs and that as long as men slumber after that fashion in their owne affections they must needes serue the diuell and become euery daye more beasts than other but seeke the remedie God calleth you to him by his Gospell he offereth you his holy spirit So then condemne the euill that yee may be sorie for it and God will so worke in you as he will get the vpper hand of all your affections Yee see then what S. Paule ment in this text Neuerthelesse therwithall he ment too giue an ouerthwart blowe to those ageinst whom he disputeth For I haue tolde you heeretofore that the deceyuers which had troubled the Church of that Countrie were giuen to many pelting tryfles which were vtterly needelesse in so much as they grounded all holynesse vppon the Ceremonies of the Lawe Now it is true that Gods inioyning of the Ceremonies for a time was not in vain for they were figures till the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ But now that he is come they bee vnprofitable things and things that hinder vs from walking as we should do For the Ceremonies and shadowes were helpes to bring the auncient fathers too our Lord Iesus Christ But if wee should holde them still now adayes they would make vs to turne our backe to Iesus Christ so that it is not without cause that S. Paule hath shewed heretofore that the keeping of such things is no more of any valew and he wil speake yet more of it hereafter Now then forasmuch as he had to dispute ageinst such as did set forth the Ceremonies he sayth vntoo them walke after the spirit As if he should say consider which is the true seruice of God it consisteth not in Lampes nor in Incense nor in Circumcision nor in the obseruing of dayes nor in forbearing too eate any certeine kind of meates These are not the things wheron God will haue his to rest but he will haue them to rest vpon his spirituall seruice Therefore walke yee in the spirit and then shall yet not fulfill the lustes of the fleshe Howbeit as I haue told you before this is not all But yet by the way S. Paule doth after an indirect maner glaunce at this that the deceyuers ageinst whom he stroue were graueled in those small and light â—â—ings which are but as introductions of this world and as traynementes of yong children For as much therfore as they were vtterly intangled in theÌ„ he telleth the Galathians that they must walke in the spirite Furthermore as I haue declared alreadie here he setteth downe the true meane too knit vs togither in loue For it is vnpossible for vs too come vntoo God and too forget all enmitie till wee haue fought manfully ageinst our owne affections And the remedie therof as I sayd is in God Therfore wee must pray him to increase the grace of his holy spirit more and more in vs and then wee shall finde that the fleshe how furious so euer it bee how great bubbles and boylings so euer it cast vp yea and though it seeme like a wyld beast that cannot be tamed I say wee shall find that it shall not be stronger than Gods spirit and the grace that shal bee giuen vs from aboue which shal be able too bring vs backe and too hold vs vnder the yoke and obedience of our God Too bee short S. Paule declareth that the cause why we cannot resist our leaud lustes proceedeth of our own negligence and coldnesse bycause euery of vs fodeth himselfe in hys naughtinesse by vaine selfsoothing and wee go not too God with such affection and zeale as were requisite Then let vs conclude that there is no excuse for men when they sinne For they delight in it and woulde fayne that God shoulde let them welter in it and as much as they can they flee the remedie and amendment of it yea and they bee so sotted in it as they passe not too prouoke Gods wrath bicause they cannot in any wise abyde too bee taught It is true that sometymes they will well ynoughe protest wyth theyr mouth that they would very faine haue their nature and inclination chaunged but yet would they still couenant with God that he should let them alone as they be without altering of any thing after the fashyon of a sicke man who if his disease doo presse hym wyll saye ô I woulde fayne bee healed but yet for all that when he commeth too receyuing of counsell at the Phisitions hand and that he should be appoynted a dyet he will not yeeld to that The Phisition giues him good Counsell and hath helpes ready to heale his disease but yet notwithstanding the patient excuseth himselfe saying O Sir my hart will not serue mee too doo it If a sicke man will needes drinke and in stead 〈◊〉 heate take colde and bee so vnruly as he cannot bee brydled but refuseth all that is ministred too him for his health and playes the mad bedlem he may well protest that he would fayne be cured but the flat contrarie appeereth Euen so is it with them that resort vnto God too pray him too gouerne them in such wise by his holy spirite as they may bee chaunged and forget all their lustes and put them vnder foote and yet in the meane while will needes continue and welter in them still Thus yee see in effect what wee haue to beare in mynd Neuerthelesse it is certeine that although wee pray to God earnestly and euery of vs streine himselfe to subdue his wicked affections yet we shall not ceasse too haue infirmities still howsoeuer the world go I speake not of the hypocrites I speake of the true childreÌ„ of God For they that haue profited most in all perfection go still as it were limping vntoo Godward neither doo they what they would as S. Paule will adde anon after and as he sheweth more at large in the vij to the Romans Neuerthelesse assone as the faithfull feele theyr disease they seeke the remedie of it in God yea and they seeke it earnestly vnfeinedly and perceiue that his succor surmouÌ„teth all their owne leaud affections According herevnto S. Paule sayth yee shall not fulfill the lustes of the fleshe He sayth not that of all our lyfe long Satan shal not tempt vs to do any euill nor that wee shall not haue store of prouocatioÌ„s for our flesh shal alwayes haue his stings to stir vs vp vnto naughtinesse Therefore we shal be tempted to all vices but yet shal we withstand theÌ„ by Gods grace And not without
downe into the worlde nor what grace he imparteth vnto vs by his Gospell they knowe not neyther what fayth nor what prayer is and yet for all that they will needes haue leaue to doo what they liste and that folke should lay the bridle looce in their necke Of these wylde Christians there are tootoo many nowe a dayes In the meane while the doctrine of God is blamed by their meanes For the enimies of the truthe vpbrayde vs with all suche as are loose liuers now a dayes and say that the same springeth of our preaching For this cause S. Paule hath answered his aduersaries and also armed and fenced vs to answere them to the ende to stoppe the mouthes of all raylers and of all suche as doo falsly slander the doctrine of the Gospell First of all therfore when the wicked sort say that we giue an inordinate libertie to all suche as seeke nothing but to doo lewdly Let vs looke backe to S. Paule who telleth them that the libertie which we speake of serueth for none but such as are a law to them selues namely through the working of the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ But yet notwithstanding this ought to serue for a warning to all suche as imagine a libertie after their owne liking Therefore let them vnderstande that first of all it behoueth them to become members of our Lorde Iesus Christ VVil we then eate quietly without making any 〈…〉 VVill wee bee exempted from all 〈…〉 whiche doo nowe a dayes vexe the simple and ignorant sorte in the Papacie Let vs vnderstande what Iesus Christ is and let vs bee throughly his Let him gouerne vs and let his death and passion shewe their power and effectualnesse in our whole life Thus yee see what we haue to beare in binde in this text And heere S. Paule sheweth agayne that the true perfection of Gods children consisteth in abacing themselues so as they followe not the rule of their owne brayne and affections for wee bee vtterly corrupted Then can wee not bee but rebels agaynst God all the time of our life till wee haue kylled all the sinfulnesse of oure owne nature Marke this for one poynt that our lyfe shall neuer bee framed to the will of God excepte wee bee vtterly chaunged bothe in our thoughts and in our affections Secondly S. Paule sheweth that that can not be done but by communicating with our Lorde Iesus Christ for it is not without cause that he vseth this worde Crucified For thereby he declareth that so long as wee bee separated from our Lorde Iesus Christ and cast off from him and not knit vnto him by fayth our nature will alwayes bring foorth hir owne frutes that is to say nothing but all maner of naughtinesse and vice Thus ye see that first of all Freewill is beaten downe Secondly it is shewed vs that wee can not be partakers of any of Gods giftes nor of his holy spirite but by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christ according as I haue tolde you alreadie that wee must all drawe of his fulnesse for he is the onely fountayne that is able too suffice vs. And if wee seeke neuer so farre aboute elsewhere wee shall finde nothing but drythe and wee shall continue a thirst styll and if wee thinke too fill our selues it will bee but wyndinesse and misweening wherewith wee shall burste and yet not gather any good nourishment or substance Nowe heerevppon Sainct Paule concludeth that if wee liue after the spirite wee shoulde also walke after the spirite And it is a more easie declaration of the thing that I haue touched alreadie It had beene inough too haue auouched that wee can not bee set free but by crucifying all oure wicked lustes howe bee it for as 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Hypocrisie is so great that they doo alwayes finde â—â—aâ—ting holes and 〈…〉 man would bee esteemed as an Angell though his life bee out of order therefore Sainct Paule intended for a confirmation too adde this saying â–ª that if wee liue after the spirite wee must therewithall walke after the spirite As if hee should say that it is not inough for men too protest them selues to haue Gods spirite dwelling in their heart but they muste shewe that he is there for he is not idle Therfore if a man will discerne whether Gods spirit dwell in vs or no he must come to our works and to our life and according as our conuersation is so may he see what we be and what is within vs and giue iudgement by our outwarde workes that are apparant As for example if one would beare mee in hande that a blocke were a liuing a man too see too It stirreth neyther head nor foote thrust at it and shoue at it and yet there appeareth no lyfe in it and shall he then make mee beleeue that a peece of stone remoueth from place too place or hath any power in it or is a creature that hath a soule Euen so is it with those that boast them selues to be spirituall For although the vnbeleeuers and enimies of God be aliue as in respect of the body yet are they dead in respect of the heauenly life bicause their soule is vtterly corrupted but wee liue to Godwarde through the grace of his holy spirite And if this grace be in vs it can not bee idle as I sayde afore And that is the cause why S. Paul sayth that our conuersation will shewe whether we liue in the spirite or no. The worde walke is very rife in the holy scripture when the whole ordering of our life is mentioned neuerthelesse heere is not onely walking The worde that S. Paul vseth importeth more that is to wit too walke orderly as if he should say that we must frame our selues to the thing that is conformable too the will of God and of his holy spirite and that our life must bee so well ruled as it maye bee knowen that God gouerneth vs in deede and that our Lorde Iesus Christ holdeth vs too him selfe as the members of his body and that he hath truly witnessed that he dwelleth in vs by his holy spirite Therefore at a worde this thing muste needes bee knowen Nowe to bee shorte S. Paule ment heere to bewray the hypocrisie of all suche as make fayre protestation with their mouthe and woulde haue men to beleeue wonderous well of their zeale and yet in all their whole lyfe doo shew 〈…〉 at all too come neere God nor any 〈◊〉 of hys worde All such folke then are heere condemned of lying and vnfaythfulnesse And therefore that wee may discerne which are Gods children let vs come to the examining of our liues True it is as I haue touched heeretofore that sometimes the ignorant wretches and suche as neuer had any instruction in the Lawe shall haue some apparance of vertue But if a man sounde them throughly he shall finde it is but a shadowe and that they bee not well bent eyther too loue their neibours or to walke
according to Gods will To be short the examining of our lyfe can not lye And heerewithall S. Paule ment also to confirme the thing that he spake afore that is too wit that if our lyfe bee to be gouerned by Gods spirite then must wee trauell earnestly that way and not in tryfling things that are neyther heere nor there before God according as I haue declared alreadie that suche as will needes bee most deuout haue neither ende nor measure of their superstitions and when euening coÌ„meth they thinke God to bee greatly beholden to them for their trauelling too and fro and yet notwithstanding all is but loste labour And therefore S. Paule telleth vs that sithe wee knowe that our life is spirituall as truthe is and that God also is a spirite wee must vnderstande also that he will be serued faythfully and that men must not occupie them selues about small trifles which are but as childrens bables but that he will haue vs to vse faythfulnesse loue peace and concorde one with another so as there bee no deceipt no malice nor no rauin among vs. Then if we knowe that the lyfe which God alloweth and whereby wee bee ioyned vnto him is a spirituall life Let vs foorthwith sayth he walke in the spirite that is too say let vs assure our selues that God alloweth not any thing but that which is agreable to his Lawe which for the same cause is called spirituall by Sainct Paule in the seuenth to the Romanes and let the proofe of the same doctrine shewe it selfe in our conuersation So nowe whereas other folkes runne on pilgrimage let vs occupie our selues in the seruing of God and our neibours VVhereas these wretched hypocrites wast al their substance in Idolatrie let vs consider that the true sacrifices holy offerings which 〈…〉 are that we should bee dedicated vnto him both in body souâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—ondly that we shuld so dispose the goods that he hath giueÌ„ vs put into our haÌ„ds as we might shew by so the same may serue to the glorifying of Gods maiestie and too the inlarging of the dominion of our Lorde Iesus Christe Let all looke at him let all sticke too him and let all know that it is he from whom all goodnesse proceedeth Lo wherevnto S. Paule ment too bring vs. Now to the intent too make vs the more too abhorre all vayneglorie and pryde against God and the sayde desire of hauing credite among men he sayeth that wee must not seeke too byte one another nother must we malice one another It is as much as if he had sayd that ambition or vayngloriousnesse cannot reigne in vs but incontinently there will be hartburning and euery man will prouoke his neighbour For if wee bee giuen after that fashion to vayneglorie euery of vs will couet too bee greatest and it will seeme to himselfe that he hath not his right till he see his neighbour brought in contempt Thus yee see what pryde bringeth It tendeth not onely too the aduauncing of a mannes selfe against God but also too the defacing of such as we ought to honour at leastwise if they be our inferiours For when we haue looked well to all it is certayne that euen the least sort ought to bee honorable in our eyes Therefore if we bee led with ambition as I sayd afore euery of vs will bee climbing to get higher and higher Now hereof must needes spring strife and debate hartburning quareling and contention and finally deadly enmitie To be short so long as ambition hath his full scope and is let alone vnbrydled wee must needes bee at warre as experience sheweth toomuch and woulde God that wee might bee fayne too seeke a greate way off for examples of it But so soone as men will needes set out themselues ambition muste needes carie them so away as too shewe themselues enemies too their neyghbours And thereof also proceedeth enuie For it is sayde that charitie is glad of other folkes welfare Haue not wee cause too reioyce when we see God poure out of his gracious giftes vpon our neyghbours yes or else wee pray not vnfaynedly for all such as haue neede of them For if it greeue vs too see that God graunteth them too liue commodiously and at their ease doo wee not therein bewray that there was nothing but hypocrisie and fayned◠〈…〉 Also if God giue any man the gracious 〈…〉 his holy spirite it is for the common welfare and edifying of his Churche So then in all respectes there is cause for vs too reioyce and if wee bee rightly qualified according too Gods will wee shall also therewithall loue the profite and aduauncement of our neyghbours Contrariwyse when euery man is giuen too himselfe and wee bee driuen with this wicked ambition and pryde wee can neuer looke but a skewe at the aduauntage and profite of our neyghbours There will alwayes be repining and spiting in our hartes when God sheweth himself bountifull towardes those whom wee would keepe vnder feete Thus yee see that the thing whiche wee haue to remember in effect in this streyne is that wee muste learne what it is too belong too our Lorde Iesus Christe to the ende that wee take not his name in vayne ne bee reproued of falsehood and leasing before God and his Angelles for glorifying our selues so foolishly before menne For too the intent wee may bee our Lorde Iesus Christes wee must mortifie our lustes and affections knowyng that of our selues wee bee inordinately giuen too all euill and our nature wholly inclyned therevntoo Therefore it standeth vs in hande to turne a new lease And of a truth that cannot bee done of our owne power but the Sonne of God is Priest and readie to helpe vs. VVhat letteth vs too bee made partakers of the giftes of Gods holie Ghost that wee might proue by our lyfe that wee haue a true beleefe in him It is our flattering of our selues in our owne wretchednesse Then seing there is nothing but corruption in vs lette vs learne too lament and lette vs yeelde our selues too our Lorde Iesus Christe that he may kill all wicked lustes and disordinate affections in vs by the power of his death and passion And therewithall lette vs consider the grace that God graunteth vs in that he will haue vs too serue him freely so as wee shoulde no more bee vnder the yoke of the Lawe too bee pressed downe by it too the vttermost for that woulde bee an intolerable burthen too vs but bee gouerned by his holie spirite knowyng that he alloweth of our lyfe and accepteth our seruis when it is so framed according too his woorde although our zele bee not so greate nor so substantiall as were 〈…〉 know this and therewithall let vs walke in such 〈◊〉 as our 〈…〉 and as our feete handes and all other our meÌ„bers and senses may shew by effect that as we haue bin trayned in the schoole of our lord Iesus Christ so we haue also borne away his doctrine
very remedie is that which S. Paule setteth downe heere namely to reiect all glory saue that which we haue in the Crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ Now for the better vnderstanding heereof first of all wee must call to minde how it is sayde in Ieremie and alledged also by S. Paule that all the glory of man must bee cast downe too the ende that God may bee exalted as he deserueth And in very deede it is truely sayde that all the wisdome which men weene them selues to haue is nothing but must come to account and be quite daâ—â—ed and they must resorte 〈◊〉 God as to him that hath the fulnesse of all good things in himseâ—â— Let vs coÌ„fesse I say that all wisdome proceedeth of his free goodnesse inasmuche as we be inlightened by his holy spirite and that bicause we be weake of our selues we must be strengthened by his power and whereas wee be full of all filthe and iniquitie wee must recouer rightuousnesse by his gifte But nowe wee must come to the meanes For it is not inough for vs to knowe that God is our light our rightuousnesse our wisdome our strength finally that the whole perfection and fulnesse of our life ioy and happinesse is in him that is not inough for there is a very far distaÌ„ce betwene him and vs and therfore it standeth vs in hande to know how and by what meanes we may be partakers of all the graces whiche wee haue to seeke in God Howbeit wee knowe that the whole is communicated to vs in Iesus Christ verily for that he came downe heere bilowe and abaced him selfe and was contented to be crucified for vs. Seeing then that our Lord Iesus Christ is he out of whoÌ„ we must drawe all things that we haue neede of now wee see why S. Paule sayth he will not seeke any glory but in the Crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ And why For in as muche as he suffered so paynefull and bitter a death yea and was set agaynst Gods iustice for vs and tooke all our cursednesse vpon him therefore was he giuen vnto vs to be our wisdome rightuousnesse holinesse streÌ„gth and all that euer wee want But first of all wee must learne what we be to the intent to beate downe all our owne glorying and to settle our selues vpon our Lord Iesus Christ For we see many men burst with pride and they wote not why There is nothing but winde smoke in all the things which they surmise of them selues Howbeit the very cause why they seeke not Iesus Christ is for want of due examination of them selues and suche are the Hypocrites and the Counterfetters and those that are puffed vp wyth ouerweening of their owne works Therefore as I haue touched alreadie it behoueth vs to looke to our owne state and to see howe wretched wee be till our Lorde Iesus Christ pitie vs. That is the way too prepare vs too come vnto him And that shall serue for one poynte Howebeeit that is not yet all For there 〈◊〉 that can graunte them selues too bee sinners and that there is nothing in them but vanitie and yet notwithstanding they welter neuerthelesse in their own filthy dung And why â–ª For they coÌ„ceyue not Gods iustice but are as yee woulde say doted in this world None of all these vnthriftes whiche giue them selues ouer to drunkennesse or to whoredome or to suche other lewdnesse can excuse their vilanies but that they are fayne to be ashamed of them and yet neuerthelesse they delight in them and continue styll in them as if they were hardened And why Bicause they bee made drunken with this worlde and the diuell hath so clozed vp their eyes that they see not howe they must one day come to account They play the amazed men and beare them selues in hande that they shall always stande at a stay and so they go forward with their naughtinesse and neuer sighe nor be sorie for the matter but are alwayes laughing at it as though they ment to spite God wilfully VVee see then that one sorte is letted yea or rather vtterly turned backe from comming to Iesus Christ bicause they presume vpon their owne wisedome and are possessed with an imagination that Satan hath put into their heade so that too their owne seeming they bee wise inough without Iesus Christ and therfore they holde scorne of him The other sorte whiche are infinite in number notwithstanding that they knowledge themselues to be wretched sinners doo neuerthelesse not seeke the remedie And why For this present worlde possesseth them and they bee so wrapped in it as they can not lifte vp their eyes nor their mindes to seeke the remedie that is readie for them in Iesus Christ So muche the more neede therefore haue wee to mynde the thing that I haue touched alreadie that is too wit that wee must ridde our selues of all selfetrust and ouerweening and bee so greeued as wee may neuer be in rest till wee haue founde succour in our Lorde Iesus Christ And let vs not only open our eyes to see our owne foulenesse and to be ashamed of it but also let vs consider that this life is nothing and that God hath set vs heere as in a wayfaring wherin he intendeth to trye whether wee will come to him or no. Therefore let euery of vs summon him selfe euening and morning and as oft as we looke vpon our sinnâ—â— let them be as spurres to pricke vs and prouoke vs to repayre vnto God so as wee may not 〈◊〉 brute beastes nor be hilde backe in this world but that our necessitie may alwayes driue vs too resorte too our Lorde Iesus Christ Thus yee see howe wee may glory in the crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ And Sainct Paule hath purposely spoken here of the crosse bicause the matter that he delte with was the pulling downe and as it were the treading vnder foote of all loftynesse which men aspire vnto For wee will needes bee alwayes somewhat of our selues and holde still some worthinesse To the ende therefore that we might be discharged of that wicked affection Sainct Paul telleth vs that Iesus Christ the sonne of God can not be our glory but only in respect that he was crucified for vs. And heerevpon inseweth that which he addeth namely that we shall be crucified to the world and the world to vs when wee shall haue learned to glory in the only meere grace that is brought vs by our lord Iesus Christ As how surely they that are not crucified to the worlde that is to say they that couet to bee in some authoritie and to set out them selues they that desire to bee honored and exalted and to be short they that are drawen hither and thither of their lusts doo not yet knowe what it is too glory in the Crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ for they shoulde haue begonne at the foresayde poynt that is too wit of beeing confounded in them selues Therefore not without cause dooth