condignitie you are condignely fallen from Christ you are condignely fallen from the iustification which is in Christ which is only by grace not by Rom. 11. workes otherwise grace should not be grace if the Apostles argument in his Epistle to the Romanes may stand and take place and that of the same Apostle also to Titus stand firme Nos iustificatos esse illius gratia vt haeredes efficeremur aeternavitae That we are iustified by his grace that we might bee made Heires of euerlasting life And that againe of the same Apostle in his Epistle to the Romanes Iustificati ergo ex fide c. We being iustified therefore by Cap. 5. faith let vs haue peace to God through Iesus Christ our Lord by whom we haue accesse by faith into this grace in which we stand and doe glorie in the hope of the glorie of the children of God How admirable therefore is the excellencie of Christian faith by which the faithfull beleeuer is iustified in Christ is inserted to Christ made the Sonne of God the Heire of heauen partaker of iustice possessor of life not by purchasing merits of his owne but by the same faith possessing all the merits and iustice of Christ which thereby are efficaciously for his iustification communicated vnto him But what doe wee by this extolling of faith and by this comfortable doctrine of iustification by faith subuert the necessitie of good workes God forbid doe we grant a license or impunitie of sinning God auert it doe wee grant a Christian securitie and hope of saluation without merits Yes without merits but not without good works not without the fruits of sanctification which God hath ordained prepared and commanded his elect to walke in Heare that learned man master Caluin cap. 10. of his learned institutions that his propugnacle and defence of Christian religion which no Pontifician durst euer yet attempt to confute Per fidei iustificationem c. By iustification by faith the Aduersaries cauill good works to bee destroied what if thereby they be more established for we dreame not saith he of a faith voide of good works or of a iustification which consisteth without them this is only the difference that whereas we confesse faith and good works necessarily to cohere together notwithstanding we place iustification in faith and not in works And the same by what meanes it is done it is easie to explicate if wee conuert our selues to Christ to whom our faith is directed and from whome it receiueth all vertue and force why therefore are we iustified by it because by faith we apprehend the iustice of Christ by which only we are reconciled to God But this thou maist not apprehend vnlesse thou doe withall apprehend his sanctification for he is giuen to vs for Iustice VVisedome Redemption Sanctification therefore Christ iustifieth no man whom hee doth not also sanctifie For these benefits are with an insolluble knot conioyned so that whom Christ illuminateth those hee redeemeth whome he redeemeth hee iustifieth whome bee iustifieth hee sanctifieth thus hee most excellently agreeingly to sacred scriptures and all antiquitie conformably to the faith of the Church of England and accordingly to the Christian doctrine and resolution of all reformed Churches as the harmonie of confessions testifieth And I dare auouch that the vniuersall and Catholike concordance of this fundamentall point of iustification without which no Church and no person can bee held for Christian in the strict proper and true acception of the name of Christian is more vniformely taught and held by all the reformed Churches then any point of Doctrine controuerted in these times is held by the Pontisicans How glad would they be had they but such a vnity and conformitie for the verie rule of their faith touching which they are not yet agreed as I haue shewed in my motiues But the conformitie and irreprehensible agreement of all reformed Churches for this fundamentall article of iustification by faith in the bloud of Christ Iesus as it is an euidentargument of Christs spirit amongst them and tendeth greatly to the glorie of our Redeemer so it produceth wonderfull and vnmoueable consolation in the soules of the faithfull and sanctified beleeuers The aduersarie forsooth frame vnto themselues an Historicall beleefe for iustification in Christ the which as 1. Ioh. 2. the Diuels haue and yet notwithstanding doe tremble so the Christian auncient Churches neuer knew it and the Reformed doe explode it and against iustification by this Historicall faith they muster argument vpon argumentt and produce text vpon text to shew that besides such a faith there is required necessitie of good works and the fruits of sanctification But alas oleum operam perdunt they wast their oyle and loose their labour For what Christian reformed Church euer taught such a blasphemous paradoxe of iustification by such an Historicall faith they vtterly detest abhominate and renounce such a iustifying faith And here giue me leaue most beloued and Catholike Auditours to feele the very pulses of your consciences and my owne also to see how you stand and whether wee are cleansed with the bloud of Christ or no by this iustifying by this sanctifying faith Doe you at any time persisting in the purpose of sinne desire of sinne perswade your selues that notwithstanding the same you are iustified in Christ apprehending him by a dead faith as your Sauiour Doe you at any time hauing a conscience to act sinne to commit approue consent to sinne thinke that Christ notwithstanding will iustifie and sanctifie you without humble acknowledgement and heartie detestation of the said sinnes if the Diuell hauing transformed himselfe haue lulled any of you into such a lethargie I must needs pronounce that such a confidence is but a mere presumption such a iustification is a most pernicious deprauation But arise arise and Christ will illuminate you and will tell you 1. Joh. 1 what you ought to doe Si confiteamur peccata c. If Iacob 2. we confesse and acknowledge our sinnes God is faithfull to remit 1. Joh. 3. them Againe he who saith he knoweth God by a iustifying faith and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Againe Omnis quinatus est ex Deo non peccat c. Euery one who is borne of God sinneth not because the seed of God remaineth in him neither can he sinne because he is borne of God Millions of like passages of sacred Scripture might be produced to shew that no man can be iustified in Christ whiles with full consent and with a setled intention and purpose of sinne hee prosecuteth the same doubtlesse it were a most pernicious paradoxe to teach that Christ iustifieth any one while hee is proposing and prosecuting with full and free consent Rom. 6. sinne the hire and wages whereof are death and damnation Hâ—b 3. If any one here should bee so dangerously seduced by the fallacie of sinne and deceit of Sathan let him
Apostle speaketh either by my selfe the speaker or by you the hearers neither doth the time fauour me so much He is God what seek you he is God what desire you or why doe I yet presume to search Consider his attributes his perfections to day to morrow the more you shall seeke the lesse you shall find if you thinke to attaine for hee is incomprehensible beleeue the scriptures thus pronouncing lucem inhabitat inaccessam hee dwelleth in a light to which there is 1. Timoth. 6. no accesse Here therefore a periode and a stop of this my discourse not able to make any further progresse I answere as Simonides the Philosopher did to Hiero touching God the more I seeke the perfections of Christ the lesse I find them But for application and vse of this doctrine I will make no other then what I haue already made by which I see Christ already in faith and loue applied to your soules with whom I doubt not but that you will speake and commune as Christians ought with such a Christ so deere so sweet so perfect a Spouse How much more he blood of Christ But how shall I prosecure the other consideration of this my first part of my text what a paradoxe shall I seeme to deliuer to speake of the blood of such a maiesty of such a glory how ill doe consort the maiesty of Godhead and the humility of bloodshed these attributes of diuinity and such defects of humanity such a humility and such a glory If I should preach to the Gentiles they would esteeme mee in sanire to bee mad and such doctrine to be meere folly if to the Iewes they would not indure the scandall of the Crosse nor the ignominy of this blood but considering I preach to this so religious an assembly called and associated together non de sanguinibus not by bloods not by bloods of Buls Goates Sheepe c. but de sanguine quasi agni immaculati by the one blood of the immaculate Lambe one lambe and once sacrificed I shall easily perswade you the sweet coniunction of such a Maiestie and such a humilitie I shall easily perswade you that the blood of this lambe is virtus Dei omni credenti the very vertue of God to euery one who beleeueth and confideth in it How much more the blood of Christ Manifold is the acception of blood in sacred Scriptures and with prophane Philosophers Blood for murther man-slaughter death crueltie blood for impuritie vncleanenesse of life blood for the seed of generation blood as it is the seat and domicile of life the immediate cause and instrument of nourishment of motion of naturall health colour temperature due complection c. But intermitting all these acceptions and the moralizing vpon them the blood which our Apostle meaneth is the blood of Christ the Seale of the new Testament the blood of redemption satisfaction of reconciliation sanctification O wonderfull and most venerable blood But is the acception of this blood of our one Iesus one or manifold It is Christian Catholike Auditors both one and manifold one in Christ manifold from Christ one in Christ in an indiuiduall substantiall and integrall vnitie of nature concurring to make him a perfect liuing man manifold as it is effused and flowing from Christ to make vs perfect Christian men How manifold is this blood witnesse first that bloodie sweat in the garden arising rather from his tender and inward compassion ouer sinners then from any desolation O droppes not dropping but of blood decurrentis in terram running downe vpon the earth what earth mankind by sinfull conuersation transformed into earth but this blood trickleth yea runneth downe vpon it to wash it to sanctifie it and to make it fructifie Witnesse those streames of blood which gushed from euery part of Christs sacred body when the mercilesse scourgers whipped and tormented him being fast bound to a pillar I reade elsewhere Christus erat petra bibebant de spirituali consequente eos 1. Cor. 10. petra Christ was a rocke and they drunke the auncient faithfull of the spirituall rocke which followed them Here I contemplate Christ not a rocke but a most tender man fast bound to a stone to a rocke whipped scourged tormented to yeeld forth a streame a great fountaine of blood of which all may drinke from the beginning vntill the consummation of the world For not onely Agnus occisus but Agnus flagellatus ab origine mundi was the Lambe slaine but also whipped from the beginning of the world Moyses Abraham Noe Adam drunke of this rocke or rather of this Christ bound to a rocke and yeelding a fountaine of blood Not here petra erat Christus Christ was a rocke a stone but apud Petram Christus a tender man a sensitiue man fast bound to a stone a pillar of stone feeling the sharpe paine of most cruell scourging able enough to haue killed Christ had he not also determined to ascend vp into the Palme-tree what said I the Palme-tree I should haue said the tree of the crosse the tree of curse of malediction Witnesse those currents from his head crowned with thornes his hands and feet nailed and pierced Witnesse his most diuine side opened with a speare whence in testimonie that this Christ had made a complete expiation for mankind with his last droppes of blood water also issued forth continuo exiui sanguis aqua presently instantly vpon the opening of the sacred side blood and water went forth Blood and water stood attending that opening of the diuine wall which once opened and launced blood and water fel not out rushed not out dropped not out but went out walked out going in fortitude in vertue strength to confront with Satan to vanquish death and damnation to consummate our redemption What maruell is this to vs beleeuing that this blood and water by a strange and wonderfull vnion were vnited to the subsistence and person of him who is the author of all life giuer of all motion O blood and water consummating all sanctification filling all ruines in heauen and vpon earth Waight and ballance are the iudgements of God Prou. 16. saith the diuine Scripture But in this extraordinarie worke of our redemption in this iudgement exercised vpon the sonne of God what measure hath beene kept what ballance hath beene vsed what meane hath beene obserued all is shedde all is effused and in testimonie thereof with the last droppes of blood water is adioyned by such a coniunction of water with blood proclaiming to mankind That the blood of Christ doth not onely merit redeeme satisfie but also wash purifie sanctifie with puritie of grace the consciences of all such who with a liuing and a sanctifying faith should confide in it Rowze vp you soules beloued in this blood and demaund of me by which of all these bloods are we redeemed and I will answer vnto you That wee are redeemed by them all all these are passio Christi the passion of
chaires of dignitie eternallie But to our sountaine to our fountaine Oh that wee would consider Christ with such a length of his armes so prodigallie and charitably effusing and powring forth his blood to wash all to sanctifie all would it not perswade vs to lengthen forth our armes and to open our palmes to the poore and needy but out alas wee contemplate not this longitude and therefore insteed of stretching forth our armes to the poore we stretch and whet our tongues we sharpen our speeches against them we ad affliction to their affliction we reuile exprobrate discomfort them O damnable custome ouerflowing Italy O wretched practise ouerabounding Spaine and France O practise of Reprobates too too frequent in England O fashion euery where in fashion and yet the fashion only of Reprobates and children of perdition I boldly here speake it that it is a speciall signe marke badge and character of reprobates and children of perdition so to enâ—ertaine so to abuse the poore Lazars why said I poore Lazars I should haue said poore Christs and poore Iesus in these Lazars Hee hath said it and I dare proclaime it whatsoeuer you shall doe to one of these you shall doe to me Honourable worshipfull and Mat 25. most worthy Christians especially you of the deuout and religious sex who are more accustomed to be like to the worthy Matron of your owne sex described in the Prouerbs to open her palmes to the needy and to stretch forth her armes to the poore I beseech you often to consider Prouerb â—â— of this blood of Christ shed so prodigally for your soules and if you will not be prodigall to him in his poore at least be liberall be Charitable Expend often that saying of Christ to the couteous Scribes which I now inclucate to your religious eares and hearts Date elemosynam ecce omnia munda sunt vobis Giue almes and behold all things are cleane vnto you Be charitable Luc. 11. be liberall be prodigall vnto the poore Lazars vnto the needie Christs and behold all things shall bee cleane vnto you if you doe not beware of the thunder-clap depart accursed Mat 25. the which as assuredly as the word of God shall not passe vnfulfilled so certainely shall all such as decline their eares from hearing and their hearts from comforting and releeuing the poore shall heare it shall vndergoe it and shal be eternally confounded with it But from the length of this fountaine to the breadth to the latitude thereof the which if wee would deuoutly consider yeelding streames of blood on euery side and vpon all sorts of persons vpon enemies and onely enemies and all enemies to what a breadth of loue would it perswade vs to loue all that Christ loueth and because Christ loueth to loue our friendes in Christ and our enemies for Christ What a latitude of resolution would it ingender in our Soules to walke the commandements of God cheerefully what a breadth of charitable loue and compassion would it cause in vs to giue to the poore cheerefully for hilarem datorem diligit Deus God loueth a merry and cheerefull giner 2. Cor 2. saith the Apostle Would we consider the profunditie of this fountaine founded in loue and the mestimable charitie of God founded in the vnspeakable humilitie of the sonne of God what a depth of humilitie what a profoundnesse of meekenesse what an abysse of charitie what a purpose of stedfast perseuerance in Gods seruice would it innouate and confirme in our mindes Let experience Christian Hearers be your mistresle in this make triall and as you find so be perswaded so giue credit to what I speake But alas who can bewaile sufficiently the miseries of these times Euen as in the earthly Paradise after the deluge of the slood had ouerwhelmed the whole world neither the fountaine nor the riuers issuing from the same can certamely be distinguished or knowne which or where they are so out alas since partly deepe ignorance of Poperie manifold inundation of heresie abundance of iniquitie extreame defect of charitie haue ouerwhelmed the visible face of the Church it is hard to finde where this fountaine of Christ crucified where these riuers issuing from the same fountaine doe make their courses where their channels be Deuout Christians I speake not this as though I knew no place where Christ crucified is truely preached for in so speaking I should calumniate that Church to which I haue happily associated my selfe where the infinite energie vertue of Christs death and passion is daily and incessantly preached commended extolled and applied to all beleeuing soules But I speake this of Christian conferences of deuoute soules who should daily meditate and sucke of this fountaine who by their pure liues and sincere conuersations should shew that it is the blood of the most immaculate Lambe whereof they drinke it is the blood of the vnspotted sacrifice where with they are fedde and nourished Such kind of channels such kind of streames are hardly sound are hardly scene But let vs yet at last awake our soules and recall them from drinking of the puddles of Egypt there is no houre too late for repentance the energie of this blood is euerlasting it speaketh still better and lowdly to all then that of Abel therefore euen now and at this moment it will not be too late to beginne to drinke of this fountaine no impuritie so great the which it washeth not away it is the Alpha and Omega of vocation iustification sanctification perseuerance glorification because the blood of the Eternall Alpha and Omega of all things O Well of all consolation O fountaine of all Graces O wounds not killing but the onely Asyle and Sanctuatie of sinnefull and afflicted soules wounds in which and in which only we may be secured from the sting of sinne and power of Satan Giue me leaue here for this purpose to apply to your eares the words of a certaine deuout Father Vbi tuta Bernard â—1 in Cant. sirmaque requies infirmis c. Where is there safe and secure rest to the infirme and weake but in the wounds of our Sauiour there I dwell more securely by how much he is more potent to saue the world fretteth my flesh presseth Satan lieth in waite I fall not because I am founded vpon a firme rocke I haue sinned a great sinne my conscience will be troubled but it shall not be ouer-troubled because I will remember the wounds of the Lord for hee is wounded for our iniquities What so neere to death which is not saucd by his death If therefore so potent and so efficient a medicine shall come into my minde I cannot be terrified with the greatnesse of any disease And againe a little after But I doe confidently vsurpe to mee what is wanting to me from the bowels of my Lord which abound with mercie Neither doe there want holes by which it may flowe out they haue digged his hands and feete and haue pierced his
side with a launce and by these chinkes it is lawfull for me to sncke honnis from the rocke and oyle from the most hard stone and taste that the Lord is most sweet The secrets of the heart are opened by the holes of the body that great Sacrament of pietie is opened The bowels of mercie of our God in which the Orient from aboue hath visited vs are opened And why may not bowels appeare and shewe themselues by and through wounds In what more cleerely then in thy wounds doth it appeare O Lord that thou art sweete meeke and of much mercy for greater mercy no man hath then that hee giue his life for his friend but thou O Lord hast had greater charitie who hast giuen thy selfe for off-casts and damned persons Therefore my merit is the mercie of the Lord I am not altogether voyd of merit so long as he shall not be voyd of mercie and miserations But if the mercies of our Lord be many euen so am I much in merits for what if I am guiltie to my soule of many sinnes truely where sinnes haue abounded grace hath ouer-abounded And if the mercies of the Lord be from eternitie to eternitie I also wil for all eternities sing his mercies And a little after How great in the holes of the rocke is the multitude of weetnesse the fulnesse of grace the perfection of vertues Thus farre deuout Bernard Truely great and very delectable is the sweetnesse of these woundes honie in the mouth melodie in the eares and exultation in the heart from discoursing whereof I am most loath to surcease but my Text calleth mee away As for vse and application of this Doctrine I make no other then that which your religious hearts haue made already by your constant faith in it by your inflamed affections of loue to it But before I proceed to my other parts of my Text giue mee leaue to giue a glaunce at the Popish abomination set vp by humane inuention against the most dreadfull sacrifice of this blood of the crosse Let vs pause a little How much more the blood of Christ The Pontificians and Romanists who out of a Pharisaicall pride haue accursed and condemned all the Reformed Churches for the setting forth and extolling the Maiestie and efficacie of this blood and of the infinite energie of the one and onely sacrifice and daily oblation of the Christians haue withall by their most prophane and idolatrous sacrifice of their Masse against which I haue more largely discoursed out of their owne Canons in my Booke of Motiues as much as lieth in them conculcated the blood of the New Testament and prophaned the one and onely sacrifice of the crosse Antiochus was a figure of Antichrist hee tooke away and abolished for his time the daily sacrifice of the Iewes The Romane Antichrist Romane Anticrist I call him for we must vnderstand that there haue beene are and shall bee Antichrists of different kindes hath by might and maine oppugned the onely sacrifice of the crosse although with many faire pretences he would seeme to magnifie the same in his Massing sacrifice but alas how vainely Briefly let vs consider the Christians sacrifice of the crosse either as it is an expiation for sinne or a satisfaction for punishment a meanes of reconcilement a merit of saluation a powerfull deliuerance from Satan and we shall finde that in all these respects and diuers others not now to be stood vpon that the man of Sin and his Disciples haue most abhominably depraued prophaned contemned it The sacrifice of the crosse being of an immense valour and infinite efficacie Christ the high Priest by one onely oblation of it in the consummation of the world appeared for the destruction of sinne saith the Apostle in the ninth Chapter to the Hebrewes and the 26. verse adding in the very next verse thus Et quemadmodum And euen as it is appointed for man once to die and after followeth iudgement so Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many And so frequent are the passages of holy Scripture for Christs once offering himselfe by once shedding of his blood and for his one oblation onely and once onely to be made that it is altogether needlesse to adde more for the confirmation of so euident a truth The Aduersaries themselues cannot denie it though to their owne confusion for by their new daily consecratings of Christ I should say their daily new makings productions factions creations and fieries of Christ they are confounded In such wordes and phrases they delight and such wordes their Transubstantiation requireth for it is impossible to conceiue a substantiall Transubstantiation without a substantiall production making faction or fierie of that substance into which the other substance which is destroied is transubstantiated substantially conuerted And this is so manifest in the very principles of all Philosophy that the learnedst of them cannot denie it and yet it is impossible and implieth that Christ who was and is substantially subsistent before all their consecrations should be by the same substantially produced made created for a substantiall production and making is the bringing and drawing out of a substance from a no being to a being from a non esse to an esse from a no existence to an existence how then is it conceiueable that Christs substance which was and is before their consecrations should be made and produced by the same Againe it is vnconceiueable that there should be a new production of any substance or Person and perfect supposit without the making of a new subsistence or existence Tell me then O all ye Pontificians what new subsistences what new existencies are made of one Christ by your productiue creatiue and factiue consecrations in your massing fiue words But were these daily and infinitely multiplied consecrations productions reall offerings reall desitions cessations remoouings destructions of Christ vpon your Altars in your stomakes possible as you pretend and beleeue yet by them all it is manifest and as cleare as the Sunne that you rest not in the one and only reall sacrifice of the crosse but that you require daily new reall offerings consecratings of Christ vpon your altars And can any one of them be so impudently ignorant as to affirme that the consecrations oblations consumptions desitions of Christ which they make daily and multiply infinitely vpon their prophane altars and in their stomacks should be the same in number and indiuiduall vnity with the making of Christ in his mothers wombe with that offering of Christ that consumption death of Christ vpon the crosse with that resurrection of Christ from the Sepulcher Beleeue me Christian and Catholike Hearers when it is demanded of them whether their sacrifice oblation making and consumption of Christ be the same in indiuiduall vnity and number with that vpon the crosse they are so pusled to solue the knot that they know not what to answere Sometimes they will say it is the same in number
shall please his Holinesse to restrain such sinnes to reserue such cases for his owne absolution and not without some pecuniarie mulcts as the practise Romanae Curiae taxe Apostolicae Cancellariae Of the Roman Court and the taxe of the Apostolicall Chancerie do euince Catholike and religious Hearers what can bee accounted impious doctrine against the only sacrifice of the Crosse if this be not to be esteemed to bee accounted for such To proceede As touching the satisfaction for punishment of sinne Good God! their Altar-sacrifice is weaker than their fatuouse Purgatorie-fire than their vaine Chimerian Indulgences in the founding the tresurie whereof although Christ be the principall yet he hath his consorts and fellowes Saint Stephens Saint Laurences c. to set vp and inrich their vaine checker for these forsooth can take away and satisfie by the way of Iustice of perfect requital and repaiment for all punishment remaining and due to sinne Yea further the profession and solemne vow of a Monasticall life in the handes and presence of the Superiours of such houses Monasteries Nunries is a compleate and perfect expiating of all punishment for sinne as absolute as Baptisme it selfe But their Christ offered in their Masse as it is a sacrifice doth not this effecteth not this neither in the offerers nor in them for whome it is offered nor in the receiuers What said I doth it not so yes but it doth I haue forgotten my selfe I confesse it it doth satisfie for punishment but when but when Marry when this their Christ is offered and sacrificed vpon priuiledged Altars as at Loretto at Sichem at S. Laurences at S. Sebastians without the Gates of Rome then then and vpon such Altars by the holy Father of Rome priuiledged for such ends Christ sacrificed doth and can satisfie for all punishment of sinne then he can worke a plenarie Indulgence and deliuerie of soule vpon soule out of Purgatorie Further when this their Christ is offered and sacrificed by English Priests in this Kingdome vpon Wednesdaies and Fridaies prouided they haue a sanctified Medall or Crosse for that purpose blessed by their holy Father either with them or lying vpon their Altar then forsooth vpon such an indulgent Indulgence from the most prophane Baron of the Roman Checker Christ can and doth satisfie for the punishment and paine due to sin how poore how weak how contemptible is their altar Christ their masse sacrifice which needeth the addition of such an Indulgencer to satisfie for the paine and punishment of sinne weaker and feebler is this sacrifice then their Ordinarie Priests with their blessed Graines of which some bring into this Kingdome Decades of thousands for so many thousands of soules to deliuer them from all paine of sinne inioyned or to bee inioyned by ghostly Fathers or to bee endured in Purgatorie But as for the powerfull Friers Monkes and Ignatians called Iesuites but haue not a dramme of Iesus his spirit in them they forsooth in their very Persons and knotted girdels surpasse this their Christ this their Propitiatorie Sacrifice for whosoeuer shall make a first confession Plenarie Indulgence and a generall pardon annexed to the very persons of Ignatians and Monkes at the first reconcilement of any man by them to the Roman Church of all his sinnes which they call a reconcilement from heresie to the Church of Rome to any of them shall precisely in that respect not because they are Priests for so euery Priest should haue it for confessing first to them and hauing absolution from them haue and obtaine a full Plenarie most full most plenarie Indulgence of all paines and punishment due to sinne How ambitious is this humour of Ignatians of Benedictine but vnbenedict Monks for Precedencie before their Secular Priests in so high a priuiledge and preeminencie of their Persons but rather how impious and detestable a practise is this of the Roman Sinagogue not to equalize only but to preferre the Persons of weake men before and aboue the Person of their Christ of their God of Maiestie offered sacrificed vpon their Propitiatorie Altars how mysticall euery knot of their Saint Francis his powerfull girdells are it is superuacaneous to deliuer Weare it next your skinne or shirt you haue such a pardon weare it longer greater is your pardon pray vpon all the knots maruailous are your pardons you shal die no sodain death O fopperies Concerning reconcilement to God mediation to God Alas neither Christ in their Masse nor vpon the crosse is with them sufficiēt Hear the Remists the deprauers Annotat. in 1. ad Tim. 2. of al youth in their deprauations vpon the first of Timothie Opus est Mediatore ad Mediatorem nec nobis alia est vtilior Maria We haue neede of a Mediator to our Mediator and none more profitable then Marie I acknowledge that they cite these words as out of deuout Bernard but considering what I haue related out of him here aboue and how contrarie this their vaine position is to his doctrine I cannot but thinke that the workes of that learned man are corrupted and depraued but howsoeuer Bernardus non vidit omnia especially in that corrupt and most ignorant age And the doctrine is so impious so hereticall that if all Austens all Bernards all Gregories all Angells from heauen should affirme it we were to denounce vnto them the Anatheme of S. Paul in his Epistle to the Galathians For if they vnderstand this their position of supposed and absolute necessitie because so appointed by God that we must needes haue a Mediatour to our Mediatour or else that in respect of our owne vnworthinesse and sinnes wee must needes haue a Mediatour to our Mediatour it is the most blasphemous heresie that euer was maintained worthy to be persecuted with fire and fagot for it ouerthroweth the whole worke of our Redemption and I doe boldly here pronounce agreeing to sacred Scriptures and doctrine of all ancient Churches that whosoeuer defendeth such necessitie of a Mediatour to our Mediatour he is fallen from Christ he is fallen from Grace and ought not to bee esteemed named or called a Christian As for you Catholike Auditors it is sufficient and abundantly sufficient that you haue an Aduocate a Redeemer a Sauiour An Aduocate of their Aduocates and Aduocatesses a Sauiour of their Sauiours and Sauiouresses a Redeemer of their Redeemeresses who inuiteth exhorteth yea commandeth All that are heauy loaden and labour vnder the burthen of sinne to come vnto him promising that hee will refresh them comfort them c. But as for such as are diffident in his promises doubtfull of his mercies distrustfull of his gratious admittance let them keep themselues still to their Sauiouresses and Aduocatesses which as is manifest cannot heare them but by the appointment power and authoritie of him who commandeth vs with all confidence to approch to him with a firme faith a full trust to enter into Ad Heb. 10. 19. the holies euen vnto himselfe our high