THE FIRST SERMON OF R. SHELDON PRIEST after his Conuersion from the Romish Church Preached before an honourable Assembly at S. Martins in the Field vpon Passion Sunday c. PSAL. 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is unspotted conuerting soules the testimony of the Lord is faithfull giuing wisdome to little ones Published by Authoritie LONDON Printed by I B. for NATHANAEL BVTTER 1612. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPVL and his much respected friend Sir THOMAS GARDINER Knight all happinesse in Christ Iesus SIR I present this my Sermon vnto you and place your worthy name in the forefroÌ„t thereof thereby to shew my respectiue loue vnto you to let you vnderstand that if there be any fault committed in the publishing therof that you ought to beare a great portion of the blame who haue bin amongst very many others earnest with mee to afford it publike attire If the Pon ificians be distasted therewith they may in some part thanke them selues some of them haue beene too clamourous out of the relation either of ignorant maleuolent or semi-popish hearers in rumoring the same to haue beene but a rouing discourse sometimes ouer-learned somewhiles vnlcarned but alwaies very bitter against the Papists so bitter that in it I branded all those of that sect and heresic excepting none whatsoeuer with the vile marke of disloyalty traiterous spirits In consideration whereof I was easier induced to let it see light and in so publike a habit to vndergoe all censures and to giue thereader some satisfaction this also the rather because through confuse noises and clatterings of voices and of dores my selfe staying not lesse then a whole houre in an open pew before the deliuery of my Sermon the recollection of my memory was then somewhat confused so that for that cause and through want of time also I did not nor could not pronounce all thereof so fully and in that sort as I intended it The scope thereof kind Sir being briefly and contractly not intended for so publike and so honourable an assembly to delineat the inestimable perfections and dignities of Christ to perswade all my Auditours to a sincere and most zealous affiance for saluation in his onely blood to most assured loyalties to their Prince and Countrey and to a detestation against all Popâ—sh Ignatian bloody and sanguineous attempts against the state of this Church and Countrey I doe not know any one of your worthy ranke and calling to whom a discourse of this kind would prooue more acceptable more welcome Make acceptance of it Sir therefore with that loue and respect with which it is sent and doe mee this fauour that if you heare any semi-papists or anie that are leaning that way or any other doubtfullie to coniecture or surmise whether my câ—nuersion bee from the heart or not or for hope of preferment to speake as you haue heard as you thinke and perfectlie know of mee for you know and knew from the beginning from whom my encouragements haue beene from God from Iesus Christ whose name therefore be euer magnified and blessed to whose blessings and gratious fauours I commend both you and yours for euer From my chamber this 28. of Aprill 1612. Your worships most assured in Christ Iesus R. SHELDON A SERMON PREACHED AT S. MARTINS in the Field vpon Passion Sunday c. 1612. HEBR. 9. vers 13. 14. For if the blood of Buls and of Goates and the ashes of a young Cowe being sprinkled purifieth the vncleane as touching the purification of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who by the eternall Spirit offereth himselfe without spot to God purge the conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God GOD most infinite immense in Nature in power incomprehensible and in the perfect possession of a consummate happinesse consisting in an vnspeakeable contemplation comprehension and fruition of his owne diuine Nature and essence three persons and one God from all eternities most blessed at time appointed by his holy pleasure out of an admirable propension of goodnesse to communicate and diffuse himselfe did produce and create ad extra without himselfe this whole Vniuerse as an imperfect yet very good shadow and obscure resemblance of himselfe so wisely framed that man considering and admiring the beauties and perfections of the same might surmount with his soule eleuate his vnderstanding aboue all and by all that is in it to contemplate though obscurely that Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth of whose Maiestie and Glory Heauen Earth are so ful and to vnderstand how infinitely more excellent the maker of all these things is to be admired and esteemed Whos 's infinitely wise goodnesse also considering how all the creatures which he had produced were but as very imperfect and defectiue shadowes of his most infinite excellency desirous more fully to diffuse himsefe resolued in his eternall Consistory in an infinite and a diuinely inexplicable sorte to imparte himselfe to his creatures by giuing and imparting his Sonne consubstantial and coaequall to himselfe to humane nature to assume the same into a Diuine vnitie not of nature for that is impossible but of subsistence of personalitie in so admirable a sort that thereupon we may Christianly beleeue and confesse that God is become Man and Man is become God without all confusion or permixtion of natures in a most perfect and sweet vnitie of one person This is that immense that infinite communication of God to his creatures so often fore prophecyed so often promised by God so longed for so desired so expected both by God and Man that as it may seeme and if I may so speake both God and Man like women trauailing with childe and longing for deliuerie trauailed with longing desires for the accomplishing of the same Of the Sons longing desires intermitting now to speake of the other two persons of the most sacred Trinitie I dare boldy affirme so much because he himselfe long before his in carnation hath so forespoken by the mouth of his holy Prophet and Wiseman Prouerb 8. Deliciae meae esse cum filijs hominum They are my dainties my delicates saith he to be with the sonnes of men How is this otherwise then as a man amongst men as the Son of man a name in which our sweet Sauiour being conuersant vpon earth much delighted as my Catholike and religious Auditors well know amongst the children of men amongst the Sonnes of men This infinite communication being made then which a greater the omnipotent power and wisedome of God cannot thinke vpon or make what was the purpose and proiect of it What was the obiect and last end of the sons longing desires I answere but not without premitting the admiration and exclamation of the Prophet Esay Domine quis credidit auditui nostro O Isay 53. Lord who hath belieued our hearing what we haue heard or to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed I answere that the proiect of this immense communication of God this
infinite eleuation of the manhood is that this God himselfe should be a sacrifice this man assumpted should die this Man and God this God and Man O most diuinely sweet mystery should be an expiation and propitiation for the sinnes of humane nature that the same being reuiued and sanctified in his blood might be eleuated into a most sweet fellowship of diuine puritie and happinesse consisting in the contemplation loue possession fruition of this God most blessed from and for all eternities And as I deliuered before how God to represent himselfe did make this whole vniuerse as a booke for his reasonable creatures to looke vpon and in it to rende him his glory goodnesse and maiestie yet neuerthelesse manie profane impious and godlesse men there haue beene who would not know God and who haue sayd in their Psal 14. most foolish hearts There is no God So likewise before this admirable communication this most sweet assumption was to be made to be a sacrifice a propitiation for all man kinde Iew and Gentile Good God! by how many legall sacrifices and sacraments By how many rites and obseruances By how many expiations sprinklings of bloods of waters of bloods of Buls Goates Kiddes Hee-goates Lambes yong Hefers Turtle Doues Pigeons was this admirable sacrifice and the infinite excellencies thereof presignified premonstrated and foretold to giue vnto mankind some certaine fore knowledge and beliefe of the immaculate Lambe slaine from the beginning Apoc. 13. of the world to and for the saluation of all sincere beleeuers And although all that was appointed by God eyther in the Law of nature or vnder Moyses to foreshew the infinite excellencie of this sacrifice were but as darke types and imperfect shadowes in respect of the trueth and body it selfe of this sacrifice yet the incredulous Iewes to whom the prophecies of Christ and this sacrifice were specially made might by the Sonne haue come to perfect knowledge and beleefe thereof But the veyle of malice against the most meeke Lambe our holy sacrifice who taxed their vices reproued their transgressions condemned their Pharisaicall pride blinded their eyes especially the veile of pride by which they gloried in the Law of Moyses in the blood of Abraham in the obseruation Rom. 2. of the workes of the Law was it which so captiuated their vnderstanding that they presumptuously thought they needed no such a Messias who by sacrificing himselfe should bee a propitiation a reconcilement for their sins they rather despised disesteemed such a Messias making him as a stumbling blocke and scandall to their owne vtter ruine and perdition by their ambitious thoughts they proiected to themselues a Messias like some Soueraigne Lord and mighty Monarch who should restore the temporall glorie of Israel and extend his dominions ouer the whole force of the earth iust such an other as the ambitious Bishop and Monarch of Rome challengeth himselfe to bee in his pretended Vicary for the Messias Against this their vnhappie incredulitie the blessed Apostle S. Paul who once had beene a contumelious persecutor of all religious worshippers of this sacrifice doth most egregiously and diuinely dispute in his Epistle directed vnto them out of the 9. Chapter whereof the 13. and 14. verses I haue chosen for my Theme vpon which I purpose to discourse The which I selected partly to proportion my discourse to the season when we all are or should be preparing and making a Quadragesime or fortieth as a parasceue of Christ his death and passion partly for my owne speciall consolation who knowing not how to make any least requital to my Sauiour for his vnspeakeable Charitie toward me doe take according to the counsel of the Prophet Dauid the cup Psal 116. of saluation into my hand and doe inuocate the Name of the Lord for that he hath mercifully vouchsafed to translate me into the kingdome of his beloued Sonne Iesus making knowne to me the mysterie of Christ crucified and deliuering mee from the base seruitude of contemptible creatures weake elements and the most idolatrous sacrifice of the Masse which humane inuentions hath most presumptuously deuised and set vp in the Popish synagogue as an abomination most detestable against the one and onely sacrifice and altar of the Crosse for which my happy deliuerance his Maiestie be blessed by me and magnified for euer When I first chose this text to handle I thought to speake at large of euery branch thereof but meditating thereupon it became so fruitfull that store made mee penurious and I could not but say in my soule with learned Augustine O mira profunditas eloquiorum tuorum Confess lib. 12 Cap. 14. Deus meus mira profunditas mira profunditas horror est intendere in eam horror honoris tremor amoris O wonderfull profoundenesse of thy speeches my God! wonderfull profoundnesse wonderful profoundenesse it is a horrour to thinke vpon it a horrour of honour a trembling of loue Wherefore I resolued to pretermit all allegorizing and moralizing vpon the figures and especially to confine my discourse to that blood to that sacrifice in beleefe whereof the saluation of vs all consisteth wherein as I doubt not but that I shall be assisted by your deuout and Christian prayers so I most humbly request your kind acceptance of these first fruits and labours from my selfe a nouice-Preacher in the Church of England I haue bin perhaps ouer prolixe contrary to the fashion of complete Orators in my Exordium before I come to the distinguishing of my Theme and to the selecting of some speciall braunch wherevpon to insist a fault pardonable and excusable with such as are acquainted with the profoundnesse of sacred Scriptures and Christian mysteries the deuout consideration whereof as it illuminateth the vnderstanding so it also repleteth the mind with such a treasurie of discourse that the religious chewer of such a cudde findeth greatest difficultie to bee briefe to distinguish to diuide For if the blood of Bulles and of Goates and the ashes of a young Cowe being sprinckled purifieth the vncleane touching the purification of the flesh how much more c. This argument of the Apostle which consisteth vpon a proposition an inference is of that kind which is called by the Philosophers à minori ad maius from a lesse to a greater from a darke obscure lesser and smaller truth admitted by the Aduersary to inferre and euince a truth cleerer manifester greater and most certaine If saith the Apostle the blood of such contemptible creatures the weake vncleane and seruile sprinckling of the ashes of a young Cowe mixed with water can purifie the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who by the eternall spirit offered himselfe vnspotted to God clense the conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God Singular vessel of election how mightie is thy argument either to confound or conuert the incredulous Hebrews Christian and beloued Hearers obserue the Antithesis and oppositions of the Apostle waigh his comparisons
betwixt blood and blood one base filthie corrupt seruile contemptible the other honourable most pure sincere free excellent the one of Bulles and Goates the other of man of a perfect and most innocent and holy man As if the Apostle should say O ye Hebrewes you haue bulles goates kiddes lambes wee haue Christ the Messias desired expected you haue the sprinckling of a few corruptible droppes we haue incorruptible and sincere droppes of Christ diuinely vnited to his person you haue the vncleane and durtie ashes of a young cowe intermixt with water we haue the admirable sprinckling of the diuine and humane nature in vnitie of person your sprinckling is naturally vncleane and corporally polluteth the takers ours is most pure sanctified by the eternall spirit beautified by the diuinitie it selfe yours is a sprinckling made vpon man ours is a sweet smelling sacrifice offered to God your sprinckling onely purifieth an outward kind of impuritie and legall irregularitie ours clenseth and purifieth the soules and consciences of faithfull offerers yours many and often repeated can neuer make the offerers perfect ours being one and once only offered hath found an eternall redemption and eternally consummateth all beleeuers yours were not efficacious for sanctification ours so potent that it giueth abundance of grace whereby we may be enabled to serue the liuing God Christian and religious hearers is it not worthily written of this Apostle Saulus autem c. But Act. 9. Saul was comforted and strengthened and euery where confounded the Iewes testifying that Iesus is Christ O incredulous Iewes when I consider the pride of your mindes and withall the basenesse of such creatures and such elements vnder which you liued in so toilesome a seruitude I am astonished to thinke that you would rest in such weake sacrifices rites sacraments ceremonies and obseruancies and would not seeke nor receiue Christ the Messias and the true immaculate Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world being offered vnto you Thus much most briefly of the proposition it selfe for I hasten to the inference made by the Apostle in which full of all Christian consolation I obserue and distinguish first of whom the blood is which is offered to wit of Christ in these words How much more the blood of Christ Secondly I obserue by whom and through whom this blood is offered By and through the Eternall spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle by the eternall Spirit Thirdly I distinguish to whom it is offered there to God Fourthly I obserue for what end this sacrifice is offered there to cleanse the conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God Of these foure intermitting some other obseruations which might be here made in order Touching the first when I weigh with my selfe whose blood it is which is offered I am wholly disanimated from presuming to decipher the excellencies perfections and eminences of his person For I beleeuing with faith that he is both God and man not onely man nor onely God but a Christ consisting both of God and man a perfect supposit a compleate Person who though as Christ had a beginning and was not before the incarnation yet as touching his diuinity and personality hee was most perfectly from all eternities very perfect God of God Sonne of the father who in the fulnesse of time by a certaine inexplicable vnion became the Sonne of man or rather the true and naturall Sonne of a woman and the reputed Sonne onely of man of Ioseph his putatiue father These things I say beleeuing with faith the saying of Isaiah the Prophet Generationem eius quis enarrabit Isay 53. who shall declare his generation occurreth and checketh my presumption that I bee not too bold a searcher of maiesty least I be oppressed and confounded with the glory thereof Yet considering that the veile of Moses is remoued and the veile of Sancta Sanctorum is rent at the dreadfull houre of Christs consummatum est it is consummated and that the mysterie of Christ the hope of our glory which was hidden in ancient ages and generations as the Apostle speaketh in his Epistle to the Colossians is now made manifest to the Saints I will according Collos 1. to the rule of Christian faith with my best faculty of wit and learniug but alasse what a nothing is all that in respect of the excellency of the obiect whereof I am to discourse declare vnto you what this Christ is of whose blood we speake what this verbum abbreuiatum this abbreuiated word is to speake with the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romanes is if in this discourse I seem Rom. 9. briefe and obscure impute it to the eminency of the obiect which otherwise then defectiuely cannot be spoken of neither by the tongue of man nor of Angell With most submisse reuerence therefore we will consicer Christ first with a reference to God and his actions secondly with a reference and relation to vs Thirdly as he is in himselfe In the first consideration first of all we consider Christ as the very terme obiect or bound of the greatest communication or diffusion which the Almightie Trinity can make so that by the communication which the most blessed Trinitie and peculiarly the second Person hath already made of his subsistence and personality to the humane nature the same blessed Trinity be it spoken vnder correction of faith and with demisse reuerence is at a stop and stay not potent to make a greater communication then this which is already made whereby Christ is made For is a substantiall communication of the diuinity it selfe in the very diuine nature were possible which yet cannot be granted vnlesse we wil subuert the very foundation of christian religion yet the same greater then this which is alreadie made should nor could not be because a greater cōmunicatiō then of God himselfe which is already made by this personall coniunction in Christ cannot bee imagined Againe if either the father or the holy Ghost or both as Christian diuinity faith it is possible should aslume by hypostatical and personall vnion the nature of an Angell or of man yet both such communications both such assumptions should not surpasse in greatnesse or excellency this one which is already made in Christ alone For our holie faith teaching vs that two persons of the most ineffable Trinity are not greater then one nor one of them lesser then two but that euery Person hath infinitely a perfect equality and persection with the other two manifest it is that the communications of two Persons or of three is not greater nor excellenter then of one onely How admirable therefore how ineffable therefore is this communication of God to man whereby the Omnipotent power of God is so bounded and limited that it cannot proceed further to make a worke of greater perfection O inenarrable generations As the Eternall and natural generation of the sonne in diuine essence is so infinite so immense that God the father could
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
to discourse thereupon and by way of argument to proue it for can it sinke into the imagination of any that God should bee or could bee spotted with any sinne imperfection or blemish thereof Our Christ indeed tooke vpon him the semblance of a sinner but it was impossible to the absolute and almightie power of God to haue permitted him to haue beene taynted with any the least internall or true blemish of sinne Yea by the omnipotent power of God would not hinder or let it but that by vertue of the perssinall vnion and hypostolicall coniunction the soule of Christ was so sanctified and replenished with all graces that absolutely and most necessarily it was impeceable vnsinneable and not capable of any the lest spot of sinne And it was indeed most meet that our high Priest should be such a Person Heb. 7. impolluted innocent separated from sinnes and made higher then the very heauens themselues as being the Lord and God of themand all that is in them And so I proceede to the last branch of my diuision in which is thus Shall cleanse the conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God Here is the scope of Christs bloud offered here is the end of Christs offering himselfe by the Eternall Spirit to God that our consciences might be cleansed from dead workes to serue the liuing God Good God what are men or the consciences of men that thou doest so visit them thou doest so esteeme them what are they that to cleanse them thou diddest so farre depresse and humble thy only begotten Sonne vnder thy Angels euen to an ignominious death to make man equall with Angells in euerlasting life it is thy vnspeakeable loue and charitie no deseruing of ours at all But how by what meanes by what instrument is this cleansing sacrifice applied to our consciences to cleanse them from dead workes to serue the liuing God God made heauen earth and all in them made man and all belonging to him without any concurrence or helpe from him by that word fiat fiat be it done bee it made Doth he so cleanse the conscience of man from dead works without any act of man as a meanes as an instrument to applie this soueraigne sacrifice to his conscience no no Heare the Apostle Rom. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Being iustâ—fied gratis frankly by the grace of him by the redemption which is in Christ Iesus whom God hath proposed a propitiation by faith in his bloud by faith therefore by a liuing faith Christâ—s proposed a propitiation in his bloud not in mans works to euery beleeuing conscience Indefinite vniuersall is this proposing of this propitiation by faith in his bloud to all Nations all sexes all conditions in all times and in all ages no person whatsoeuer is excluded from faith confidence in it no not Iudas himselfe who betrayed it had he beene so happie not the crucifying Iewes had they beene so fortunate How powerfull a sound faith in this bloud is to cleanse consciences let Leo an Ancient Pope confront against these latter Pontificians all of them being meritists de condigno oâ— de congruo out of condignitie or congruitie to their first or second iustification for such a distinction their nouell Scholasticall heresie hath denied 〈◊〉 in 〈…〉 sept mâ—ns Effusio pro iniustis iusti sanguinis tam potens fuit ad praemium tam diues ad praetium vt sivniuersitas Captiuorum in Redemptorem suum crederent â—alium tyrannica vincula retinerent The effusion saith this Pope of the iust bloud for the vniust was so potent for a reward so rich for a price that if the whole vniuersitie of Captiues would beleeue in their Redeemer the bands of the Tyrant should hold or retaine none To him I adioyne Saint Austen Modo fratres vt a peccato sanemur Christum crucifixum intuâ—â—amur quomodo illi intuebantur illum serpentem a morsibus August tract super Ioh. sanabantur serpentium sic qui fide intuentur mortem Christi sanantur morsibus peccatornm sed illi sanabantur a morte a d vitam temporalem hi autem vt habeant vitam aeternam hoc enim interest inter figuratam imaginem rem ipsam figura praestabat vitam temporalem res ipsa cuius imago erat praestabat vitam aeternam Now brethren saith he that we may be healed from sinne let vs behold Christ crueified euen as they beheld that Serpent hee speaketh of the Iewes in the Desart and were healed of the biting of Serpents so they who in faith behold the death of Christ are healed from the biting of sinne but they were healed from death to a temporall life but these that they may haue life euerlasting for this is the difference betwixt the figuring image and the thing it selfe the figure gaue temporall life but the thing it selfe of which the Image was gaue euerlasting life Thus hee with infinite much like which might bee producted out of him and all Ancient Fathers agreeingly to the whole current of sacred Scriptures for iustification by faith against the doctrine of all Pontificians who require a positiue and immediate concurrence dispositiue and preparatiue at lest of mans workes to the first iustification too to derogatorie against the bloud of Christ and faith in it How pernicious is that position of many of them that the works which doe proceede and goe before iustification doe de congruo out of congruitie merit iustification shal I cal this tenent an incongruous position only not so it is hereticall it is damnable not onely in the teachers but in the consenters and approuers of the same For tell mee All yee Pontifician Meritists out of congruitie and de congrua as you speake can the power of God can the iustice of God can the wisedome of God doe any thing dispose any thing or proceede in any thing against congruitie right equitie decencie No surely you must answere vnles like madmen you wil affirme that his wisedome may doe some thing vncongruously his power may worke something indecently inconueniently vnseemely you are not yet so impudent as to denie the attributes of God his infinite Wisedome Iustice Goodnesse and consequently his God-head see then and obserue what your merit of congruitie produceth marry a merit of condignitie for such a conueniencie such a congruitie such a worthinesse of a worke to God is as a condignitie For I demand of you in good earnest Is not that a merit of condignitie which in respect of the disposition of the worker and worthinesse of the worke so bindeth vrgeth and constraineth the omnipotent hand of God that he cannot vnlesse hee will proceede against decencie and congruitie but respect regard and reward the same with subsequent and following iustification in the soule which hath it whereby then it is as cleare as the Sunne that from merits of congruitie preceding iustification you are come to merits of condignitie preceding the same by which your hereticall
awake from so prophane a perswasion or else I must needes tell him that as much as in him lieth hee doth conculcate the bloud of the New Testament and doth esteeme the bloud of Christ as polluted for were it not a pollution euen in the bloud of Christ it selfe so to partake so to consent to communicate with sinne to iustifie a conscience actually deliberately polluting and contaminating it selfe with sinne be it spoken with reuerence it is a thing which the infinite goodnes of God cannot doe cannot effectuate How lamentable therefore is the state of certaine sinners who alwaies liue in the state of sinne and infallible occasion of sinne who therefore cannot vnlesse they bee most presumptuously made euer esteeme themselues to be iustified through faith in Christ and so consequently neuer feele the true comfort of the soule which ariseth from a Christian perswasion of iustification in Christ I meane not such persons who through infirmitie and ignorance may fall seuen yea seuentie seuen times in a day and rise againe Prou 24 but I meane such as still are falling and neuer arise because they are fast bound and chained in the occasion and state of sinne I meane such auaricious persons be they Church men or Laikes which doe detest Papisticall idolatrie and yet themselues daily and incessantly doe commit their spirituall idolatrie and whordome with their gold and siluer with their continuall beholding solicitous and couetous turning winding telling locking and vnlocking meditating caring contemplating adoring worshipping of their Idolls and yet presumptuous fooles most ignorant Doctors of the law they will thinke themselues to be iustified in Christ because they can talke of iustification in Christ without workes alas alas they should rather tremble with the Deuills and with remorse of conscience bewaile their damnable state in which they liue and bee most assured that whilst they serue such Mammons in their chests they cannot serue Christ in their soules nor be iustified in Christ in their hearts I meane such wanton ones who abuse and separate themselues from their nuptiall bed and doe glew their soules to their Concubines whome they keepe at home or adore abroade and yet good holy ones they thinke that Christ resteth daily in their soules for their iustification as their filthes lie by their sides to satisfie their abhominable pleasures I meane such as euer and at all moments carrie vpon their backes and about them obligations for the Deuill adding vanitie vpon vanitie iniustice vpon iniustice and neuer doe so much as once imagine of any recompence of any satisfaction or restitution to be made and yet as vaine as butter-flies they will thinke that at and in the same seasons and momenâ— Christ doth by iustification vouchsafe to adorne and trimm their soules Infinite is the number of such like peruerse beleeuers and fooles of whose presumption when I seriously consider I cannot but iudge of them that in their consciences they are to bee esteemed the most blasphemous Heretikes that euer were in hauing such crooked and doltish perswasions of Christ who as hee is a most comfortable and potent Aduocate for all humble and penitent sinners neuer refusing any who with contrite heart shall returne to him so likewise against impenitent sinners he hath in his mouth a double edged sword to chastise them with eternall malediction and as it were with the double edge of a double most sharp punishment of losse of the glorie of heauen and of the vndergoing of eternall punishment in the bottomlesse Lake of hell the damned pit of euerlasting affliction But to Christ iustifying to Christ sanctifying with a most humble confidence and with prostrate soules let vs all here assembled returne and in a full faith inuocate him that hee will vouchsafe by the energie of his Almightie bloud to cleanse our consciences from dead workes to serue him the liuing God that none of vs here present be found of that presumptuous ranke to thinke that although wee liue deliberately and continually in dead workes yet wee shall bee liuing to God through a dead faith for Christs sake And here to conclude Most Religious and Christian Auditours yee who haue learned according to the profession of all reformed Churches that the bloud of Christ doth sanctifie and cleanse from dead workes all such consciences as are iustified by faith in the same with what passage of sacred Scripture may I more fitly end and salute you then with that of this our Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrewes Habentes igitur c. Seeing therefore Brethren Heb. 10. v. 19. we may with a firme trust enter into the holies in the bloud of Christ by the new way and a liuing way which hee hath prepared for vs by the veile of his flesh And hauing a high Priest ouer Gods house let vs draw neare in a true heart in the fulnesse of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water let vs keepe the profession of our faith without wauering for hee is faithfull that promised and let vs consider one another to prouoke to loue and good workes not forsaking the fellowship or the assembly as the custome of some is but let vs exhort and comfort one another and that so much the more because yee see the day approcheth O heauenly perswasion O most diuine lesson with a firme and an assured faith wee may walke into the holies in a new and a liuing way which Christ dying in his bloud hath dedicated for vs vpon the Crosse yet with this condition most dearely beloued with this prouiso that our hearts be sincere our consciences sprinkled with this bloud and our bodies washed with this water and wee bee cleansed from dead workes to serue the liuing God From dead workes I say wherein we pleased Satan were obsequious to our lusts and followed our owne concupiscences to liuing workes of pietie loue compassion godlinesse feare of God to serue the liuing God The liuing God once dying but now liuing liuing from aboue to consider all our actions liuing within vs to giue vs life mouing and to search our very reines liuing in the heauens ready with reuengefull hand to punish the wicked and with a most plentifull arme to reward the vertuous liuing amongst vs vpon earth with his grace to quicken to sanctifie vs. What most deuout Christians shall our God be liuing and we his seruants dead and dead in sinnefull workes Whose stipend and hire is death and damnation What shall the euer-liuing God die an ignominious death rise to a most glorious life to quicken vs to reuiue vs and will we not bee quickned be reuiued The Pellican with bloud stroken out of her breast quickneth such of her yong ones as the Serpent may haue poisoned or killed and shall not the bloud of our Pellicane Christ Iesus powred Psal 102. vpon vs being stroken dead with mortiferous sinne quic ken vs reuiue vs the Pellicane giueth drops of bloud Our Pellicane prouideth a bath the Pellicane striketh her breast only Our Pellicane hath his whole body smitten on euery part on euery side streaming vpon vs bloud and water shall he not sanctifie vs shall he not wash vs reuiue vs in iustice pietie charitie and other liuing workes of sanctification If any here will still take sinnefull delight in dead workes it is more then to be doubted that the second death and euerlasting damnation will more then attend vpon him But my very soule is comforted for in your very countenances and aspects I see your resolutions I see your Christian determinations that you will be reuiued and reuiued in liuing workes of faith charitie iustice longanimitie patience obedience pietie to serue the liuing God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost to whom be all praise honour and dominion from hence-forth for euermore AMEN Laus Deo FINIS