Catholicke Church are taken out of the vale of teares and conueighed into Abrahams bosome in respect of them the Church is triumphant and whereas some are left in this Forrest of Lebanon to wrestle with the Diuell the World and the Flesh in respect of them the Church is Militant Lastly in respect of the outward practice of Religion the Church is Visible and in respect of the faith of the beleeuers it is inuisible The condition therefore of the Church in generall and of euery member in particular is to be called out but they are not all called out at one age at one time or vpon one occasion That great Master of the Vineyard hired some of his labourers very early in the morning some at the third houre some at the sixt some at the ninth and some at the eleuenth houre Iohn the Baptist was sanctified from his mothers wombe Timothie was called in his youth Paul a young man and the Thiefe vpon the Crosse at the last gaspe Againe it is not one kinde of meanes that doth preuaile to win all those that are called to the faith or if you will haue it so not the same manner or method of preaching Augustine was insnared by the eloquence of Ambrose and the great disputer at the Nicene Councell Aug. Confess lib. 5. cap. 13. Râ—f Ecclâ—â—st lib. 1. cap. 3. was caught by the words of a plaine man GOD hath sanctified the eloquent tongue of the learned man to preuaile on some and the humble speech of the vnlearned to preuaile on others for he that doth ordinarily call men by his Word is if it please him able to conuert theÌ„ without his Word Let no man cease to hope wel of his brother thogh for the present hee see noe uident tokens of his obedience God hath a time for him seriùs ociùs Sors exitura first or last it may fall to his lot the Lord of the Haruest may if it please him send him into the vineyard though at the eleuenth houre O terque quaterque beati thrice happy all those whom the Lord doth call effectually to his seruice Againe let vs not bee absent when God doth call for if we heare not how shall we obey Had the fiue wise Virgins beene out of the way when the Bridegroome did come how had they beene admitted into the wedding Chamber Mat. 25. Luc. 19. Had Zachaeus not stood in the way how had Christ called him from the tree Strange it is to see the practice of the world we account him sottish or rather mad who will absent himselfe when a worldly preferment may be gotten per maâ—e per saxa per ignes we ride and runne when we may be heard for our profit yet when the King of Heauen calleth vs by his Word and Sacraments we sticke not to goe about our worldly businesses nay our pleasures and delights as Playes Tauâ—râ—es and worse things then these two O misâ—râ— quâ—â—taâ—â—â— inâ—ania ciues Shall we be so studious of these things and shall we not attend for our eternall profit Lastly let vs not bring itching eares into Gods House but humble and obedient hearts and because the Ministers of the Word doe summon vs on Gods behalfe let not our owne delights and pleasures let not the wicked worlds sinnes and vanities reteine our hearts in Sodome for Gods Family is Ecclesia a company called out This Church so selected Of the second exposition therein of the first proposition viz the Church is builded by Christ I will build my Church 1 Cor. 3.9 Exod. 36.1 so called out is builded or rather called out that it may be builded for it is Gods building When GOD would haue his Tabernacle in the wildernesse he sanctified Bezaleel and Aholiab for the worke and into many others he put wisdome and vnderstanding to know how to worke all manner of worke for the seruice of the Sanctuarie according to all that the Lord had commanded The sumptuous Temple of Hierusalem builded by Salomon 1 King 6.7 was of stone made ready before it was brought thither so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any toole of yron heard in the House while it was in building A further preparation for the building of the spirituall House was heereby fitly shaddowed viz. Christ who is to build his Church doth first prepare the stones secondly hee sanctifieth certaine wise workmen to lay them into the pile thirdly he directeth them how to build and lastly by this meanes the stones are placed Conceiue this to be the order of the building First the preparation of the stones is meerely Gods worke who himselfe sorteth and chooseth out such as he will lay into the Temple de diuinae gratiae largitate of the bounty of his diuine grace saith Augustine Aug. Euchirid cap. 98. Eph. 1.4 For he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue By this meanes we come to be stones for the worke per misericordiam gratuitam by the free mercie of God others being cast by per iudicium debitum by the righteous iudgement of God that so in this respect wee might attribute nothing to our selues or glory in any thing that we can doe but according to the Apostolicall counsell He that glorieth 1 Cor. 10.17 let him glory in the Lord. Secondly the Ministers of the Word doe worke vpon these choice stones to lay them into the pile and for this cause are called builders Saint Paul affirmeth himselfe to be a wise Master-builder And they are sanctified separated 1 Cor. 3.10 or put apart from men for this worke as the Apostle saith that he is separated vnto the Gospell of God Rom. 1.1 Like as in the building of that great Ephesian Temple one of the worlds seuen wonders erected by all Asia in 220. yeeres as Plinie reporteth Lib. 36. Cap. 14. the builders layed a sure foundation of Coles trodden and rammed hard together and fleeces of Wooll superimposed to keepe it from sinking and from earthquakes so the builders whom God doth call and sanctifie to that office doe in this spirituall House vse all good meanes to preserue their worke that nothing may bee able to demolish it Thirdly they haue receiued rule and direction for GOD who will haue his Church to be builded doth direct the workmen how to doe it and therfore they worke according as they haue receiued order from him Now God directeth the builders two manner of wayes ordinarily or extraordinarily Our ordinary direction is the written Word which teacheth the true and right faith according to which we must build Rom. 12.6 Let vs prophesie according to the proportion of faith It is therefore requisite that the Workmen be learned in the Scriptures to compare spirituall things with spirituall things to discerne which is the faith which is not the faith which thing is to be done by the Scriptures for Sacra scriptura
Midas-like ouer-value the things of this world but bestow our chiefest care how to attaine the sauing faith let vs not studie how to bee grounded in wealth but how to bee founded vpon Christ the Rocke Let vs not emulate Semiramis in those Babels that we build but rather deuise how we our selues may be builded in this spirituall House of which Peter by sauing faith was made a stone and euery one that doth partake with Peter in the same faith is likewise a stone though not of so large a size or so curiously carued yet such a stone as shall remaine in the building for eternitie Psal 125.1 like to Mount Sion that cannot be remoued Now come we to his Function the Office of his Apostleship whereby he is made a strong Foundation stone vpon whom other stones in the building are fitly placed Ephe. 4.21 For Christ gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers 12. for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministery and for the edifying of the Body of Christ Therefore the Apostles the Prophets the Euangelists the Pastors and Teachers of the Church are necessary stones for the building that it may be raised But the greatest of all these are the Apostles who because Apostles are therefore Prophets Euangelists and Teachers Mar. 10.2 Osiand Harmon Euang. lib. 2. cap. 1. Acts 1.26 Acts 9.15 Yet no other can attaine the dignity of the Apostleship but the eleuen first chosen by our Sauiour Christ in the second yeere of his Ministery Matthias who succeeded in the place of Iudas the Traitor and Paul that chosen and elect vessell the Apostle of the Gentiles last called In respect of the Church these are great Foundation stones for they obtained commission to teach all Nations and to baptize them in the Name of the Father of the Son Mat. 28.19 and of the Holy Ghost Rom. 10.18 Which Commission of theirs they faithfully executed for their sound went into all the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world I need not tell you with what gifts and graces they were enriched for the performance of so great a businesse surely they so preuailed that by their Ministery Acts 2.47 the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saued These great stones vpon diuers respects are said to lye in the Foundation of the building for the supportation of other stones lesse in graces and lesse in office First because they were called to that office not by the Ministery of man but immediately by God as Paul saith that he is an Apostle Gal 1.1 not of men neither by man Secondly because they first of all had commission to preach Christ crucified vnto the Gentlies and to ioyne both Iewes and Gentiles into one people Isa 11.10 that so the roote of Iesse might stand for an Ensigne of the people and the Gentiles might seeke vnto it Thirdly because other great Officers of the Church as Bishops Elders and Deacons were ordained by their Ministery Acts 6.6 and consecrated the hands of their Apostleship but they themselues were not so ordained or ordered but were chosen immediately by God and receiued their commission frō Christ his mouth Lastly they ordained none to succeed them in the fulnesse of their office charge that is to say to go into all Nations to preach the Gospell vnto euery creature Mar. 16.15 which was their immediate commission Apostolicall but they ordained proper Pastors vnto particular Churches to whose care they recommended the Flocke of Christ in those places where they themselues had preached and preuailed reseruing vnto themselues Apostolick dignity euen to ouersee the Bishops and Elders of the Church And hence it is that St. Paul duiseth Timothy Titus how to behaue themselues in their function and that St. Peter taketh vpon him to instruct the Elders of the Church and that Saint Iohn counselleth reprooueth and commendeth the Angels or Bishops of the seuen Churches of Asia These things being branches of the Apostolicke authoritie it was no small matter that our Sauiour performed vnto Peter vpon his confession saying Thou art Peter Note here what excellent Ministers God hath raised vp in his Church for the sauing of the soules of his Elect By these the excellency of Christian Religion is much commended they are Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastours and Teachers If the Indian Schooles grew in estimation because of the Gymnosophists and the Persian wisedome by the Soothsayers and the Egyptian learning by the Sorcerers how much more shall our Religion bee aduanced by the worthinesse of the Ministers and their high calling in Christ Iesus This should also teach men to haue a reuerend regard vnto the Ministers of the Word for they are not onely stones in the building if they be faithfull but necessary workemen for the edifying of Gods Church and in respect of their Office closely laid vpon the Apostles for the building of Christ his Body and therefore Let a man so account of vs 1 Cor. 4.1 as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Hitherto we haue spoken of Peters personall benefit now come we vnto that thing whereunto it hath relation and that is the Church vnto which it hath reference as a stone to the building Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church Secondly of the Church and therein first that it is a Church and more then that the Church of Christ my Church The Elect and chosen of God saith the Text are a Church and more then that my Church the Church of Christ The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to call out or summon so that when you talke of the Church it is as if you should say a company of men called out or summoned The Athenians were wont to call the Company of Citizens called out or summoned by the voyce of the Crier to heare the sentence of the Senate Ecclesiam And by the Etymologie of this word the condition of Gods elect chosen is fitly expressed for they are called out of the generality of men by the Word of God to know God and to worship and serue him and this their Calling because they obey it wee call an effectuall Vocation These so effectually called are in the Scriptures set forth to bee a peculiar people 1 Pet. 2.8 Ephes 2.19 Clem. Alexand. Strom. lib. 7. Ambros in Ephe. cap. 3. Bernar. in Cant. Str. 78. the houshold of God whom Clemens Alexandrinus calleth the company of the Elect. Ambrose a people whom God hath vouchsafed to adopt vnto himselfe Bernard the company of the elected which company was predestinated before the world began To speake expresly of this Church it is gathered out of all Sexes Orders Nations and Times and it is therefore called the Catholicke or Vniuersall Church Secondly whereas some of the members of this
haereticoruÌ„ fraudes et furta conuincit Tertullian the blessed Scripture reproueth the sleights and thefts of Hereticks thence therefore they must ordinarily fetch their directions and be instructed how to build 2 Tim. 3.17 for they will make the man of God absolute Extraordinarily the builders are directed sometimes immediately by God himselfe and by his holy Angels as the ancient Fathers from Adam to Moses sometimes by visions and reuelations as the Prophets from Moses to Christ sometimes by the immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost as the Apostles Which extraordinarie meanes beeing now most rare the direction on which the builders must looke is the written Word of God together with the inward assistance of the Holy Ghost Will you know then how to make experience whether any builder be inwardly guided by the Spirit of God Heare then how one of the learned Fathers concludes the point Chrysost de 〈◊〉 adoâ—and Spirit There bee many saith he who doe bragge that they haue the Holy Ghost for they that speake of their owne doe falsly giue out that they haue him For as Christ did deny that he spake of himselfe when hee spake out of the Law and the Prophets euen so now if any thing saue the Gospell be thrust vpon vs vnder the name of the Holy Ghost we must not beleeue it For as Christ is the fulfilling of the Law and of the Prophets euen so is the Holy Ghost the fulfilling of the Gospell Lastly by these good meanes this doth come to passe that the stones are well placed in the Walles of this spirituall house for the labourers in Gods Haruest Mat. 9.37 whom he directeth by his Word and Spirit doe strongly proue and make appeare by the authority of the Word of GOD that God so loued the world Ioh. 3.16 that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life This labour of theirs with the assistance of the Holy Ghost bringeth this to passe that first their minds are enlightened to see their owne misery in and by themselues Secondly their willes are inflamed to seeke reconciliation with God in Christ Iesus And it is admirable to see how God hath blessed the labours of his seruants to lay those liuing stones into the walles of this spirituall House who are well placed there by faith and baptisme Saint Peter hauing fully opened the state of the question and proued mightily Christ to be the Redeemer Act. 2.41 at one Sermon conuerted about 3000. soules who were also baptized How graciously were these stones layed in and placed Augustine confesseth of himselfe Confes lib. 5. cap. 14. that he heard Ambrose but for his eloquence sake et dum cor aperirem ad decipiendum quam disertè diceret pariter intrabat quam verè diceret By this meanes the Lord caught him for while he conceiued how learnedly hee discoursed he perceiued also how truly hee spake both conceipts entred together as heate and light which cannot bee separated Admirably was this stone layed in and placed By Caecilius a Minister of Christ was Cyprian that blessed Martyr conuerted to the faith Nazian laudib Cyprian He was both rich and Noble as Nazienzene reporteth of him hee was of great note for his learning and eloquence Lactant. instit lib. 4. cap. 1. Ioh. Trithem de script Cypr. Pont. Diacon de vita Cypr. as Hierom and Lactantius say And therefore considering his superstition as a rich and noble man hee might haue scorned to haue heard and as a learned and eloquent man disdained to haue beene taught by so meane a Minister as Caecilius was but the LORD would haue him to be layed into the building by his Ministery and therefore he was not onely won to the faith but euen at the first to shew that hee would practise what he had learned he sold all his substance and bestowed it vpon the poore wherby as Pontius Diaconus well concludeth paene antè coepit perfectus esse quam disceret De vita Cypr. he began to bee a perfect man in his religion almost before hee had learned the rules of it Was not this a blessed stone worke-man-like layed in and placed Wonder heere at the vndeserued loue of GOD toward his redeemed ones Epiph. ad Physiol cap. 21. Diuina opera incomprehensibilia sunt in hominibus mirabilia in excelsis super mel fanum super creata omnia dulciora His workes are incomprehensible to men for who can giue a reason of the choise of these liuing stones His workes are admirable in heauen euen the Angels themselues haue cause to admire the goodnesse of God toward his people His workes are sweeter then the honey the honey Combe or any thing created Behold how good it is vnto his people not to bee choise stones onely but to haue their Election made sure vnto them and by faith and baptisme through the ministerie of faithfull workmen directed by his Word and Spirit to be layed into the building All this were yet nothing if the house stood but vpon sandy ground and therefore to take away all doubts our Sauiour telleth vs whereupon his Church is built 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon this Rocke Vpon this Rocke Secondly of the second proposition viz. the Church is built vpon Christ the Rocke Rainolds Conf. Hart. c. 2. diuis 1. Lex Graec. ad sacri appar instruct reg bâ—â—lior Tom. 6. Thomas voce petra Illyr voce petra I will not much contend with our Aduersaries concerning words onely this I affirme that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth alwayes signifie a stone neuer a rocke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth most vsually signifie a rocke grandem aliquam rupem viuum lapidem though sometimes it be likewise taken for a stone In this place it cannot signifie a stone but a rocke for our Sauiour is speaking of the foundation of his great building the Church vpon which foundation he would lay many Peters many stones This you shall see further by the metaphoricall acceptions of the word for sometimes petra is a firme place by way of opposition to sandy or mudground Psal 40.2 Hee brought me vp also out of an horrible pit out of the mirie clay and set my feete vpon a rocke and stablished my goings Sometimes it signifieth a place fortified and inexpugnable like vnto a Castle builded vpon a high craggy Rocke against which the power of the Enemie cannot preuaile Leaue the Cities Hier. 48.28 Psal 18.2 Psal 31.2 and dwell in the Rocke Lastly God is said to be our Rocke The Lord is my Rocke Be thou my strong Rocke for an house of defence to saue me This is the metaphor vsed in this place for our Sauiour telleth Peter who is the Rock of his Church that firm place vpon which his Church standeth that inexpugnable high Rocke vpon which it is situated namely himselfe whom Peter had confessed
bolted by gates you may vnderstand omne robur omne munimentum all power and all fortification and by Hell omnem vim contrariam Satanicam omnem host is impetum the Diuell himselfe and all his angels all the power that they haue the wicked world Illyric voce porta all tyrants and seducers which are the Diuels instruments For to make the matter more plaine in the words of a learned man the state of the faithfull and chosen of God in this present life is as it were a Warfare 2 Cor. 10.4 whereof the Church is called Militant The aduersaries and enemies whom we must fight against our Sauiour speaketh of them as of a strong kingdome Ephes 6.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 10.4 which he calleth Hell because it warreth all for Hell and the Diuell is the prince of it The gates of Hell therefore doe signifie the holds the fortresses and munitions wherewith the powers of Hell doe fight against vs and assault vs that is euen all whatsoeuer the Diuell can doe by force or fraud all the which is meant by the name of gates because the gates of forts are wont to haue the best munition Epiphan lib. â—nâ—â—â—r Aug. de Sâ—mb 〈…〉 â—â—b 1. cap. 6. and to be fenced most strongly So that the gates of Hell are not onely Heresies though Heresies are of them as Epiphanius and Austin note but also persecutions and specially sinnes in a word all euils sweet or sowre faire or foule Orig. in Mat. tract 1. Chrysost cont gent. quod Christus est Deus Greg. in 5. Psal poenitent Theophil in Mat. 16. Hier. Raban Com. in Mat. 16. Raynold Confer cap. 7. diuis 8. Cypr. ad Donat. Epist 2. that seeke to subdue vs to euerlasting death as Origen Chrysostome Gregory Theophilact and others well obserue Let me now say vnto you as Cyprian said to a friend of his Suppose thy selfe to bee carried to the top of some high hill view the world beneath thee doe not touch the earth looke round about thee and behold how tempestuous the world is iam saeculi ipse misereberis tuique admonitus plus in Deum gratus maioâ—e laetitia quod enaseris gratulaberis certainely thou wilt pitty the world thou wilt be admonished of thine owne condition and being more thankfull vnto God wilt reioyce exceedingly that thou hast escaped such a place For shall I tell you Ye shall see wonders in the world and I will report that vnto you which if yee haue the Spirit of God in you shall prick your consciences In the Booke of Iudges it is reported as an argument of Samsons great strength Iudg. 16.3 that he carried the gates of Gaza vpon his shoulders an act almost as great as what the Poets can report of Atlas But see not the weake gates of Gaza but the strong gates of Hell not vpon the shoulders and backs of men and women only but that which you may admire set vpon their heads layed out by their cheekes worne vpon their hand-wrests hung at their eares O tempora ô mores else what meaneth this monstrous pride of apparell of tyres of bracelets of Iewels ouerflowing our nation like a generall deluge You put the gates of Hell into your purses by taking of bribes vsurie money euill gettings you set them at your tables in the persons of Hereticks and seducers you lodge them in your beds by vnlawfull lusts you let them in at your eares when you listen to vngodlines you looke vpon them with your eyes when you see in your houses that accursed thing which you ought to restore you lay them vp in your hearts when you deuise vaine things Certainely for many considerations this Citie may be called an holy Citie for heere the Word of GOD is most plentifully preached heere are good Lawes and for ought I know good Magistrates and I make no question many thousands of honest and obedient hearts Yet the cause being the same the complaint must needs be the same also Isai 1.21 How is the faithfull Citie become an Harlot The abuse of all good things within this place is wonderfull and doth ring Migremus hine in the eares of euery good man who might vtterly faint and bee discouraged did he not hope verily to see the goodnes of the Lord in the Land of the liuing I say the wickednesse of the place might vtterly dismay deceiue and ouerthrow the children of GOD themselues had not Christ so builded them vpon himselfe that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against them The words are Secondly how the gates of Hell preuaile not against the Church of Christ Psal 139.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee doth not say they shall not assaile it but they shall not preuaile against it Many a time haue they afflicted me from my youth may Israel now say Many a time haue they afflicted me from my youth yet they haue not preuailed against me 2. The plowers plowed vpon my backe they made long forrowes 3. The Lord is righteous he hath out asunder the cords of the wicked 4. These gates of hell doe assaile the Church generally and euery particular member of the same both externally by slanders and persecutions and internally by motions temptations and inward suggestions so that to speake properly in all places and at all times the gates of hell come about them like Bees for the Diuell the Prince of Hell our Aduersarie 1 Pet. 5.8 as a roring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may deuoure They haue likewise preuailed thus farre that they haue tempted them sometimes by great and grieuous losses of their goods names and bodies but that which the Poets feigne of Sisyphus wee may truly affirme of them their labour is lost and the mischieues which they haue deuised haue euer returned vpon themselues They were neuer able to mooue the Church or any true beleeuer from that Rocke Shall I say more The impious attempts of the gates of Hell haue beene as well to the publike weale of the Church Rom. 8.28 as to the priuate good of her particular members For all things worke together for good to them that loue God to them who are the called according to his purpose Vpon this resolution the people of God haue constantly indured couragiously contemning all the gates of hell battering the Walles of the Church like that great Ram with which the Romane Armie did day and night beate the Walles of Hierusalem Troy was besieged tenne yeeres in the end it was taken by policie Numantia was besieged fourteene yeeres and then conquered by famine Tyrus a Citie walled with the Sea in seuen moneths was ouercome by assault But the Church of GOD straitly begirt not by Agamemnon and Menelaus not by Scipio Africanus or Alexander the Macedonian not for tenne or foureteene yeeres but from the beginning of the world and expecting to be so dealt withal vnto the worlds end by the Deuil