but Extraduce and by propagation For Iob in his fourtéenth Chapter saith manifestly Who can make or bring foorth a pure or cleane thing of that which is vnclean no bodie vndoubtedly is able to do it Of that sorte also there are many other sayinges in the fiftéenth 25 Chap. of the same booke And Paule the holye Apostle of Christe in the fifte to the Romanes doth moste euidently saye As by one man sinne entred into the worlde and death by sinne euen so death entred into all men in so muche as all haue sinned for vnto the lawe was sinne in the worlde but sinne is not imputed when there is no lawe Neuerthelesse death reigned from Adam vnto Moses ouer them also that had not sinned with like transgression as did Adam c. Doeth not the Apostle in these woordes manifestly shewe the propagation of sinne saying Sinne entred by one man into the worlde death entred into all men in so muche as they haue all sinned to wite in so muche as they are all subiect to corruption And that no men either beefore or after Moses might be excepted he addeth Death reigned from Adam vnto Moses ouer them also which had not sinned with the like transgression as did Adam that is to saye ouer them which had not sinned of their owne wil as Adam had but drew froÌ„ him originall sinne by propagation Sainct Augustine doth more fully excusse and handle this argument in his first booke De peccatorum meritis et remissione in the ninth tenth and eleuenth Chapter and the reste as they followe in order Againe Paule in the seuenth to the Romanes calleth this euil the sinne y dwelleth in vs that is to saye the sinne y is begotten borne with vs For he addeth I am carnall solde vnder sinne And I knowe that in me that is my fleashe there dwelleth no good And therfore the blessed Apostle Euangelist Iohn telleth vs that if we saye we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and trueth is not in vs. He saith verie significantly wee haue and not we haue had or we shall haue For by our corrupt nature we haue that proper vnto vs Therefore it is manifest that the fiction of the Pelagians is false whereby they affirme that wee are borne without vice it is false that the voluntarie action onely and not y corruption or deprauation which is not yet burst forth to the déede is sinne And Augustine doth in one place call euen that voluntarie sinne originall sinne and that two sundrie wayes firste not simply of it selfe but in respect of Adam because it beeing committed by the naughtie will of Adam is drawen and made hereditarie in vs Secondly because a naughtie lust may be named a will. For Lib. Retract 1. Cap. 15. he saith If any man doth sâ—ye that euen tâ—e verie lust is nothing else but will suche a will yet as is vicious and subiect to sinne he needeth not to be gaâ—â—said for where the thing is manifest wee must not striue about termes and wordes For so it is proued that without will there is no sinne either in deede or in propagation that is either actuall or originall Thus much Augustine who doth also alledge other sayings like to this in his thirde booke Contra Iulianum Pelagianum Chap. 5. It shal be sufficient to vs euen without them to learne by the testimonies of the holie Scriptures that sinne is not onely a voluntarie action but also an hereditarie corruption or deprauation that commeth by inheritance Not vnlike to all this is that sentence in Ezechiâ—l where the Lorde saith The sonne shall not beare the iniquitie of the father but euery man shal dye in his owne sinne For Adams fall should do vs no harme if it were not â—o that eueÌ„ from him there is sprung vpp in vs such a peruersenesse as is worthie of Gods iust iudgement But nowe since all the inclination disposition and desire of our nature euen in a childe but one day olde is repugnaunt to the purnesse and will of God which is onely good no man therefore is punished for his father but euery one for his owne iniquitie and calamities fall euen on the yongest babes whome wee see to be touched with many afflictions by the holie and iuste iudgement of the moste iust God. Neither is their obiection anye whitt stronger which saye that the children of holie parents cannot draw or take any spott of their parents For they haue their line all descent of the fleshely generation and not of the spirituall regeneration And wheâ—eas the Apostle saide The vnbeleeuing husbande is sanctified by the wife and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husbande else were your children vncleane but nowe are they cleane it is not repugnant to our former allegations For they are called holie not by the prerogatiue of their birth or generation as though children were borne holie without any spott or vice at aâ—l but for because they beeinge borne by nature corrupt are by the vertue of the couenaunt grace made pure vncleannesse is not imputed to them for Christ his sake or the remission oâ— sinnes which is pronounced in these woordes I will bee thy God and the God of thy seede after thee For of olde euen those children which of the seede of Abraham were holie blessed receiued notwithstanding the signe of circumcision Now what neede I pray you had they had of Circumcision or purging if by their birthe they had had no vncleannesse in them That therfore is vtterly false whiche ye heard euen now that Caelestius the Pelagian did vtter in these words We did not therefore say that infants are to bee baptised into the remission of sinnes to the end that wee should thereby seeme to affirme that sinne is extraduce or hereditarie which is vtterly coÌ„trarie to the catholique sense For it is catholique and true doctrine that the children of the Iewes were circumcised not so much onely beecause they were partakers of the diuine couenaunt as for because that all the antiquitie of holy fathers did so coÌ„fesse that in infants there was somewhat which had néede of cutting that is which had néede to be remitted by the grace of God and not bee imputed to them vnto death It is catholique true doctrine that the infantes of ChristiaÌ„s are baptised not so much because they are the children of God and fréely receiued into the couenant as for because there is in them euen from their birth somewhat which the Lord by his grace doeth wash awaye least it should bring vpon them death and damnation Yea that cannot bée catholique whiche doeth so manifestly repugne so many euident places of Scripture which proue that in infaÌ„ts there is sinne by propagation To coÌ„firme this wee may add that S. Augustine in his first booke Contra Iulianum Pelagianum Cap. 2. gathereth together the testimonies of the most excellent bishops and doctours in the primatiue Church by whiche hee proueth
that all the ministers of the Churches euen from the Apostles time did both acknowledge and openly teach original sinne In that place he citeth the testimonies of IrenÄ™us Cyprian Retilius Olympius Hilarie and Ambrose his father and maister in Christian doctrine Innocent Gregorie Basil and Iohn Chrysostome And at length hée inferreth Wilt thou now call so great a consent of Catholique priestes a coÌ„spiracie of naughtie men Neither thincke thou that S. Hierome is to be coÌ„temned because he was but a priest onely and no bishop who being skilful in the Greeke Latine and Hebrue tongues and passinge from the West vnto the East Church liued in holy places and the studie of the sacred Scriptures euen to his croane crooked age He read all or in a maner al the woorkes of them whiche in both partes of the world did write of Ecclesiasticall doctrine and yet he neither held nor taught any otherwise of this point of doctrine And againe the same Augustine in his third booke De peccatoruÌ„ meritis remissione Cap. 7. sayeth Hierome expounding the propheâ—ie of Ionas when he came to that place where meÌ„tion is made that euen the little children were chastened with fasting sayth It began with the eldest and came euen to the yongest For there is none without sinne no not hee which is but one day old nor hee whose gray head hath seene many yeares For if the starres are not cleane in the sight of God how much more vncleane are duste and putrifying earth and those which are in subiection to the sinne of Adams transgression To these words of Hierome doeth Augustine himselfe annexe this that followeth If it were so that wee might easilie aske it of this most learned man how many teachers of the holie Scriptures in both the tongues and howe many writers of Christian treatises would hee reckon vp which since the time that Christ his Church was first planted haue themselues nether thought of their predecessours learned nor taught their successours any other thaÌ„ this doctrine touching originall sinne I verilie thoughe I haue read nothing so much as hee do not remember that I haue heard any other doctrine of Christians whiche admit or receiue both the testaments whether they were in the vnitie of the Catholique Church or otherwise in Schismes and heresies I doe not remember that I haue read any other thing in them whose writinges touching this matter I could come by to read them if either they did followe or thought that they did follow or would haue men beleeue that they did followe the Canonicall Scriptures Thus farre hath Augustine teaching in the very beginning that all the Sainctes did by a full consent and agréement in doctrine most expressely graunt and confesse that originall sinne is euen in newe borne infants Mée thincketh that Sainct Hierome did not onely in Ionas but also much more euidently in Ezechiel confesse and affirme originall sinne His wordes are to bée séene Comment lib. 14. in cap. 47. ad Ezechielem and are verbatun as followeth What man can make his boaste that hee hath a chaste heart or to whose minde by the windows of the eyes the death of concupiscence or to vse a mylder terme the tickling of the minde doth not enter in For the world is set in wickednesse euen from his childhood the hart of man is set to naughtinesse so that not the very first day of a mans natiuitie his nature is free from sinne and naughtinesse Wherevppon Dauid in the Psalme sayeth For behold I was coÌ„ceiued in iniquitie and in sinne my mother conceiued mee Not in the iniquities of my mother or in mine owne sinnes but in the iniquities of our mortall state And therfore the Apostle saith death reigned from Adam vnto Moses ouer them also whiche had not sinned with the like transgression as did Adam Thus much hath Hierome and we haue hetherto alledged al these sayings to the end wee might proue that originall sinne is the naturall or hereditarie corruption of mans nature Let vs nowe sée what and howe great the hereditarie naughtinesse or corruption of our nature is and what power it hath to woorke in man Our nature verilie as I shewed you aboue was before the fall most excellent and pure in oure father Adam but after the fall it did by Gods iuste iudgement become corrupte and vtterly naught which is in that naughtinesse by propagation or Extraduce deriued into all vs whiche are the posteritie and ofspring of Adam as both experience and the thing it selfe doe euidently declare as well in sucklings or infantes as those of riper yeares For euen very babes giue manifest tokens of euident deprauation so soone as they once beginne to bée able to doe any thing yea before they can perfectlye sounde any one syllable of a whole word All oure vnderstandinge is dull blunt grosse and altogether blinde in heauenlie things Our iudgement in diuine matters is peruerse and friuolous For there arise in vs most horrible and absurd thoughtes and opinions touching God his iudgementes â— wonderfull woorkes yea our whole minde is apt and readie to errours to fables and our owne destruction and when as our iudgements are nothing but méere follie yet doe wée preferre them farre aboue Gods wisedome whiche wee esteeme but foolishnesse in comparison of oure owne conceiptes and corrupte imaginations For hee lyed not whiche saide The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirite of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spirituallie discerned Nowe Paule calleth him the naturall man which liueth naturally by the vitall spirite and is not regenerate by the holy Ghoste And since we all are such wée are therefore wholie ouercome and gouerned of Philautie that is too great a selfeloue and delight in our selues whereby all things that wee oure selues doe woorke doe highly please vs loking still verie busilie to oure owne selues and our commoditie when in the meane time wée neglecte all others yea rather doe afflicte them Neither did Plato vnaduisedly estéeme that vice of selfeloue to bee the very roote of euery euill Furthermore our whole will is ledd captiue by concupiscence which as a roote enuenomed with poyson infecteth all that is in man and doeth incline drawe on driue man to things carnall forbidden and contrarie to God to the end that hée maye gréedilie pursue them put all his delight in them and content him selfe wyth them Moreouer there is in vs no power or abilitie to doe any good For wée are sâ—owe sluggish and heauie to goodnesse but liuely quicke and readie enoughe to anye euill or naughtinesse And that I may at last conclude and briefely expresse the whole force and signification of our hereditarie deprauation and corruption I say that this deprauation of our nature is nothing else but the blotting of Gods Image in vs There was in oure father Adam before his fall the very Image and likenesse of God
writings alledge out of the prophets The same Paul also saith The life which now I liue in fleshe I liue by faith in the son of god who loued me and gaue him self for me Faith ioyneth vs to the eternal chief goodnesse so maketh vs to inioy the chief goodnes that god may dwell in vs we in god For the Lorde Iesus him self in the Gospel saith He which eateth my flesh drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me I in him As the louing father sēt me so also I liue by the father he that eteth me shal liue by me But to eate drink the Lord is to be léeue in the Lord the he hath giuē him self to death for vs Whervpon Iohn the Apostle saith We haue seene do witnesse that the father hath sent the son the sauiour of the world Whosoeuer shal confesse that Iesus is the sonne of God God dwelleth in him and he in God. Wherfore also Paul saide I liue now not I but Christ liueth in me Moreouer faythe dothe iustifie But for bycause the treatise thereof can not be fitlye and fullye made an ende of this houre I meane to deferre it till the next Sermon that shall be At this present dearely beloued ye must remember that there is but one true fayth that is the Christian fayth For although there be said to be many fayths that is religions yet notwithstanding there is onely but one true and vndoubted fayth And that dothe increase and againe decrease in some men As for those in whom it is rightly and godly obserued in them it sheweth foorthe sundry vertues For it bringeth with it true wisedome finally it quickneth and maketh vs blessed and happy in déede To God the father the authour of all goodnesse and of our felicitie be all prayse and glory throughe Iesus Christ our Lorde for euer and euer Amen That the faithfull are iustified by fayth with out the lawe and workes ¶ The sixte Sermon BEing readye here dearely beloued to speake vnto you of fayth whiche without workes dothe iustifie them that beléeue I call vpon the Father whiche is in heauen through his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde beséeching him to open my mouth and lippes to the setting foorthe of his prayse and to illuminate your hearts that ye acknowledging the great benefite of God may become thankfull for it and holy in déede And first of all I will speake certaine things chiefly necessarie to this argument or treatise touching this terme of iustification The terme of iustifying very vsuall and common among the Hebrues and of a large signification is not at this day so wel vnderstoode of all men as it ought to be To iustifie is as muche to say as to quite from iudgement and from the denounced and vttered sentence of condemnation It signifieth to remit offences to cleanse to sanctifie ▪ and to giue vtterance of life euerlasting For it is a lawe terme belonging to courts where iudgement is exercised Imagine therefore that man is set before the iudgement seate of God and that there he is pleaded guiltie to wit that he is accused and conuinced of hainous offences and therefore sued to punishment or to the sentence of condēnation Imagine also that the sonne of God maketh intercession and commeth in as a meane desiring that vpon him may be layde the whole fault and punishment due vnto vs men that he by his death may cleanse them and take them away setting vs frée from death and giuing vs life euerlasting Imagine too that God the most highe and iust iudge receiueth the offer and trāslatet◠〈◊〉 punishment together with the fault from vs vnto the necke of his sonne making therwithall a statute that whosoeuer beléeueth that the son of God suffered for the sinnes of the world brake the power of death and deliuered vs from damnation shoulde be cleansed from his sinnes and made heire of life euerlasting Who therefore can be so dull of vnderstanding but maye perceiu◠that mankinde is iustified by fayth But that there may be no cause of doubt or darkenesse left in the mynde of any man that which I haue already spokē generally by the parable and similitude fetched from oure common lawe I will here particularly bring into certaine partes confirming and manifestly prouing euery one of them seuerally out of the holy Scriptures so that euen to the stoutest wittes the power of fayth and worke of iustification may be most euident And first I will shew vnto you that this terme of iustification is taken in this present treatise for the absolution and remission of sinnes for sanctification and adoption into the number of the sonnes of god In the .xiij. of the Actes the Apostle Paule sayth Be it knowne vnto you men and brethren that through this Lord Iesus Christ is preached vnto you the forgiunesse of sinnes and by him all that beleeue are iustified frō al things from which they could not be iustified by the law of Moses Sée in Christe is preached vnto vs the forgiuenesse of sinnes and he that beleueth that Christ preched forgiueth sinnes is also iustified It followeth therefore that iustification is the remission of sinnes In the fifth Chapter to the Romanes saythe the same Apostle Being iustified by the bloud of Christ we shall be saued from wrath through him But the bloud of Christ washeth away sinnes Iustification therefore is the washing away or forgiunesse of sinnes And againe in the same Chapter saythe he more plainly Iudgement entred by one offence vnto condemnation but the gifte of many sinnes vnto iustification He maketh iustification the contrarie to condemnation therfore iustification is the absolution and deliuerie from condemnation What say ye to this moreouer that he dothe plainely call iustification a gifte that is the forgiuenes of sinnes Herevnto also belong those words of his Euen as by the sinne of one condemnation came on all men so by the righteousnesse of one good came vpon all men to the iustification of life Here again is the iustification of life made the contrarie of condemnation vnto death set as a peine vpon our heads bycause of the transgression iustification of life therefore is an absolution from sinnes a deliuerie from death a quickning or translating from death to life For in the fourth to the Romanes the same Apostle expoundeth iustification by sanctification and sanctification by the remission of sinnes For intreating of fayth whereby we are iustified or whiche God imputeth to vs for righteousnesse without workes he sayth Euen as Dauid also dothe expounde the blessednesse of that man to whome the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuē and whose sinnes are couered What coulde be more plainely spoken then this For he doth euidently expounde iustification by sanctification and sanctification by the remission of sinnes Furthermore what else is sanctification but the adoption whereby we are receiued into the grace and number of the
of punishments are layd vpon mens neckes and that they are diuersly afflicted and vexed bycause of their offences But those afflictions how so euer they be patiently suffered of the faythfull do not yet wash sinnes away nor make satisfaction for misdéedes S. Peter sayth Marueile not that ye are tryed by fire which thing is done for your tryall as if any newe thing shoulde happen vnto you yea rather reioyce heerein that ye are partakers of the afflictions of Christ that in the reuelation also of his glory ye may reioyce and be glad This I say is the ende and vse of afflictions And by this means the glory of Christ indureth pure and vncorrupted It remayneth now for me to proue out of the holy Scriptures that God the father hath ordained that he whosoeuer doth beléeue in the onely begotten sonne of God shall be made partaker of Christe his righteousnesse that is shal be instified by him be absolued from his sinnes and be made heire of life euerlasting Esaias therfore saith In the acknowleging of him or in his knowledge shall my righteous seruaunt iustifie the multitude whose sinnes he him selfe shall beare But what else is the acknowledging or knowledge of Christ but true fayth Moreouer the Lorde Iesus him selfe in the gospel after Saint Iohn sayth And as Moses lifte vp the Serpente in the wildernesse euen so muste the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perishe but haue life euerlasting There was none other remedy in the desart against the enuenomed bytings of the Serpentes but the contemplation or beholding of the Serpent lift vp and hanged aloft No plaster did cure them that were poisoned no oblation made to God not prayer it selfe offered to God not any worke nor any way else the onely beholding of the Serpent made the poyson harmelesse that then had crept into all their limmes In like manner nothing at all dothe saue vs from death but only faith in Christ For by fayth we behold and sée Christ lifted vp vpon the stake of the Crosse as it is to be seene in the sixte Chapter of Iohn It followeth in the words of our sauiour God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth should not perish but haue life euerlasting For god sent not his sonne into the world to condemne the worlde but that the worlde through him might be saued He that beleeueth on him is not condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned already bycause he beleeueth not in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God. By these words nowe the thirde time is fayth beaten into our heads by which we are made partakers of the Sonne of God of his life saluation redemption and all good things beside In the sixte Chapter of the Gospell after Iohn our Lorde againe sayth This is the will of the father whiche sent me that euery one that seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him should haue life euerlasting and I will raise him vp at the laste daye Nothing can be alleged to make more for oure present argument then these wordes of his For he sayth plainely that the will of God the father is that we should beleeue in the sonne and by this beliefe haue our saluation Whervpon Iohn the Euangelist and Apostle in his Canonicall Epistle dareth burst foorth into these words He that beleeueth not God maketh him a lyar bycause he beleeued not the record that God gaue of his sonne And this is the recorde that God hath giuen vnto vs eternall life and this life is in his sonne He that hath the sonne hath life and he that hath not the sonne of God hath not life Dearly beloued note this The eternal and vnchangeable wil of god is that he wil giue eternall life vnto the world But he will giue the life through Christe who is naturally life it selfe and can giue life The very same God also wil that we obtaine and haue life in vs and that we haue it no other wayes then by fayth For the Apostle Paule taught that Christ dothe dwell in our hearts by fayth Moreouer the Lord himself also witnesseth saith He that eateth me shall liue by me But ye knowe dearely beloued that to eate Christ is to beléeue in him And therfore we knit vp this place with these wordes of Sainte Peter To this Christe doe all the Prophetes beare witnesse that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shal receiue forgiunesse of sinnes through his name We haue in these a most ample testimonie of the whole sacred Scriptures By these I haue euidently inoughe delared that God hath appointed that whosoeuer dothe beléeue in Christ being clensed frō his sins shal be made heire of life euerlasting This will I make more euident yet by declaring how that fayth alone that is that fayth for it selfe and not for any workes of oures dothe iustifie the faythfull For it selfe I say not in respect that it is in vs a qualitie of the mynde or our owne worke in our selues but in respecte that faythe is the gifte of Gods grace hauing in it a promise of righteousnesse and life and in respect that naturally of it selfe it is a certaine and vndoubted persuasion resting vpon God and beléeuing that God being pacified by Christe hath throughe Christe bestowed lyfe and all good things on vs Therefore fayth for Christe and by the grace and promise of God dothe iustifie and so fayth that is that whiche we beléeue and wherein our confidence is setled God I say him self by the grace of god doth iustifie vs through our redemption in Christe so that now our owne workes or merites haue no place lefte to them at all I meane in iustificatiō For otherwise good workes haue their place in the faithfull as we in place conuenient doe meane to shewe For Paul the teacher of the gentiles doth in the waye of opposition compare Christe with Adam and sheweth that of Adam and so of oure owne nature and strength we haue nothing but sinne the wrath of God and death And this dothe he shewe vnder the name of Adam to the intent that no man shuld séeke for righteousnesse and life in the fleshe And againe on the other side he declareth that we by Christe haue righteousnesse the grace of God life and the forgiunesse of all our sinnes In this opposition he doth earnestly vrge and often repeate this worde Of one to no other end verily but that we shoulde vnderstande that faith alone doth iustifie To the Galathians he dothe very euidently vse this kinde of argument To the laste will and testament of a man if it once be proued no body doth adde or take any thing away Reason therefore doth rightly require that no man put to or take away any thing from the testament of god But this is the testament which god confirmed that his will is to bestowe the blessing vpon Abrahams séede not in many or by many
S. Mathew instructinge Ioseph sayth Mary shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iesus For hee shall saue his people from their sinnes So then this sonne of God Iesus is the sauiour of the worlde who forgiueth sinnes and setteth vs free from al the power of our aduersary the deuil Which verily he could not do vnlesse he were very god Hee is also called Christ which is all one as if you saye Annoynted The Iewes cal him Messias Which word is a title proper to a kingdome or priesthoode For they of olde were wonte to annointe their kinges priestes they were annoynted wyth external or figuratiue oyntment or Oyle But very Christ was annoynted with the very true oyntement that is wyth the fulnes of the holy ghoste as is to be seene in the firste third Chapters after S. Iohn Moste properly therfore is this name Christ attributed to our lord For first he is both kinge and prieste of the people of god Then the holy Ghost is powred fully by all meanes and abundantlye into Iesus from whom as it were by a liuely fountayne it floweth into all the members of Christ For this is that Aaron vppon whose heade the Oyle was powred which ranne downe to his bearde and the nethermost skirts of his garment For of his fulnes we haue all receyued The last thinge that is to be noted now in this secōd Article is the we cal the sonne of God our lord The sonne of God verily is for two causes properly called our lord First in respect of the mysterie of our redēption For Christ is the Lord of all the electe whom hee hath deliuered from the power and dominion of Satan sinne and death and hath made them a people of his owne getting for himselfe This similitude is taken of Lordes which wyth theyr monye buy slaues for theyr vse or els which in warres reserue captiues whō they myght haue slaine or which deliuer men condemned from present death So then by this Lords are as it were deliuerers redéemers or sauiours Hereunto verily alludeth Paul where he sayth Ye are bought with a price become not therefore the seruauntes of men And S. Peter saith Ye are redeemed not vvith golde and siluer but with the precious bloud of the vnspotted Lambe Moreouer Christe is called Lord in respect of his Diuine power and nature by which all things are in subiectiō to the sonne of god And for because this word Lord is of a very ample signification as that which conteyneth both the diuine nature and maiestly wee see that the Apostles in theyr writinges vse it very willingly Paule to the Corinthians sayth Although there be many Lords yet haue we but one Lord Iesus Christ by whom all thinges are wee by him Now the third Article of Christian fayth is this Which vvas conceiued by the holie Ghost borne of the Virgin Marie In the seconde article wee haue confessed that wee beleeue in Iesus Christe the sonne of God oure Lorde wherein wee haue as it were in a shadow confessed that wée beléeue assuredly that God the father hath for vs our Saluation giuen to the world his sonne to be a Sauiour and redéemer For hitherto belōg those names Iesus and Lord. Now therefore in this thirde Article I haue to declare the maner and order how he came into the world to wit by Incarnation This article contayneth two things The Conception of Christe and his Natiuity Of both which I will orderly speake after that I haue brieflye declared vnto you the causes of the Lord his Incarnation Men were in a miserable takinge and all mankinde should vtterly haue perished for sinne which wée haue all drawne from the first mā Adam For the reward of sinne is death And for that cause wée that were to be caste into hell could not enter into heauen vnlesse the sonne of God had descēded vnto vs and becomming God with vs had with himself drawne vs into heauen Therefore the chiefe cause of his incarnation is to be a mediatour betwixte God and men and by intercession to ioyne or bring into one thē that were seuered For where a mediatour is there also must needes bée discord and parties The parties are God and men The cause of this discord is sinne Nowe the office of the Mediatour is to bring to agréemente the parties disagréeing which verilye cannot be done vnlesse that sinne the cause of this variaunce be takē cleane away But sinne is neyther clensed nor taken away except that bloud be shed and death do follow This witnesseth Paule in his 9. Chapter to the Hebrewes The mediatour oughte therefore to take on him our flesh and bloud that hée might both dye shead his bloud Furthermore it is needefull that this Aduocate or mediatour be indifferently common to both the parties whom he hath to reconcile wherfore our Lord Christ ought to be very God and very man If hée had béene God alone then should hée haue béene terrible to men and haue stoode them in litle stéede If hée had béen méere man then could hée not haue had accesse to God which is a consuming fyre wherfore our Lord Iesus Christ being both God and man was a fitte mediatour for both the parties Which thing the Apostle witnessing sayth One God and one mediatour of God and men the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe the price of redemption for all The same Apostle in the 2 and 9. Cap. to the Hebrewes speaketh many things belonging to this place And in the seconde Chapter rehearsinge an other cause of Christ his incarnatiō he saith It became him in althings to be made likevnto his bretheren that he might be merciful and a faithful high priest in thinges concerninge God for to purge the peoples sinnes For in that he himselfe was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted An other cause wherfore our Lord was incarnate was that hée mighte instruct vs men in all Godlinesse and righteousnes finally that hée mighte be the light of the world and an ensample of holy lyfe For Paule sayth The grace of God that bringeth saluation hath appeared vnto vs teaching vs to renounce vngodlines and to liue holilie To conclude hée therfore became one wyth vs by the participation of nature that is to say it pleased him to be incarnate for this cause that hée might ioyne vs againe to God who for sinne were seperated from God receiue vs into the fellowship of himselfe and all other his goodnes beside The nexte is for vs to declare the manner of his incarnation This article of fayth standeth on two mēbers The first is He was conceiued by the holy ghoste Al wée men Christe excepted ace conceyued by the seede of man which of it selfe is vncleane and therefore wée are borne sinners and as Paule sayth Wee are borne the sonns of wrath But the body of Christ I saye our Lord was not conceiued in
and gouernour of al thinges and Abraham with al his séede that is with all the faithfull of what nation or countrie soeuer they bée For so doth the Apostle expounde the séede of Abraham especially in his Epistle to the Galathians where hee saith If ye be Christes then are ye the seede of Abraham and heires by promise The time howe long this league should indure is eternall and without ende or terme of time For although in the renuinges or declarations of the league many things were added which afterwarde did vanish away especially when Christ was come in the fleshe yet notwithstanding in the substantiall and chiefest poyntes ye can finde nothing altered or chaunged For God is alwayes the God of his people he doth alwayes demaunde and require of them faithfull obedience as may moste euidently bee perceiued in the newe testament For there are two poyntes or especiall conditions conteined in this league The first whereof declareth what God doth promise and what hee will doe for his confederates I meane what wee maye looke for at his handes The seconde comprehendeth the duetie of man which he doth owe to God his confederate and souereigne Prince Therefore God for his parte sayeth I will bee thy God and Saddai that is thy fulnesse and sufficiencie I will I say be thy God and the God of thy séede after thée God of him selfe is wholly sufficient to moste absolute perfectnesse and blessednesse neither néedeth hee the helpe of any other since whatsoeuer is in any place wheresoeuer it is both of him hath abyding by him God alone sufficeth man and bee alone is the giuer of all that men desire or doth belong to perfect felicitie And therefore Saturnus peraduenture by occasion of the worde Saddai tooke his name among the heathen and signifieth to suffice or satisfie For he alone is able to satisfie or suffice all who is him selfe verye fulnesse and sufficiencie it selfe But nowe God sheweth by two argumēts that he will bee the sufficiencie or all in all to the séede of Abraham For first he saith To thy seede wil I giue the lande of Chanaan In which promise he comprehendeth all earthly bodily benefites to wite greate wealth felicitie tranquillitie abundaunce of all thinges health glorie notable victories and whatsoeuer else perteineth to the preseruation temporall happinesse of mankinde Nowe howe he did perfourme this promise to the séede of Abraham the holie scripture doth declare by that meanes teaching that the verie true God was the God of Abrahams seed as he had promised to their father Abraham Secondarily he promiseth the séede wherein all the nations of the earth were to bee blessed to witt Christ the Sauiour whome he had promised to Adam many yeares before To blesse is to enriche with al spirituall benediction wherein hee comprehendeth all the spirituall giftes of God the forgiuenesse of sinnes the reuiuing of life and glorie euerlasting To blesse also is to take away a cursse so that this promise of Gods to Abraham is all one with that which he made to Adam saying The seede of the woman shal treade downe the Serpents head For the head of the olde Dragon is nothing else but the power and kingdome of Satan His power is the cursse sinne and death Therefore when his head is crushed or troaden downe the cursse is takē away and in sted of the cursse succéedeth a blessing By this I saye hee doth declare that he will bee the God of Abraham and of his séede The second condition of the league betwixt God and man prescribeth to man what he must do and howe hee must behaue him selfe towarde God his confederate souereigne Prince Walke before mee saith God to man and be vpright Now they walke before God which do direct all their life woordes and woorkes according to the wil of god His will is that we should bee vpright That vprightnesse is gotten by faith hope and charitie in which thrée are conteined all the offices of the Sainctes which are the friendes and confederates of the Lorde Therefore this latter condition of the league doth teach the confederates what to doe and howe to behaue themselues before the Lord to wite to take him for their God to sticke to him alone who is their onely all in all to call vppon him alone to worshippe him alone and through his Messiah to looke for sanctification life euerlasting These were the cōditions of the couenant to whiche the number of ceremonies were not added in Abrahams time which afterwarde were giuen to the Israelites vnder the leading of their Capteine Moses To this confederacie the Lord did adde circumcision as a signe or seale to confirme it withall Seales are put to writings for an effectual force and confirmations sake The tables or writinges do conteine and giue euidence of all the points of the whole league Circumcision therefore is added to the league in stéede of the writing and also of the seale and for that cause circumcision is called the league it selfe euen as the writinges or letters of couenants among vs are commonly called the verie couenant whē as in déede they are nothing else but the euidences of the league which conteine in writing al the order of the confederacie and confirme it with a seale It is verie vsuall that the signes do take the names of the thinges which they do signifie so that it is no meruayle though circumcision be called the league when as in déede the league is not the cutting of the skin but the communion of fellowshippe which wee haue with God. In the seuentéenth of Genesis thus saith the Lorde touching this signe of outwarde circumcision This is my couenaunt which ye shall keepe betwixt mee and you and thy seede after thee Euery male shal be circūcised among you Ye shal circumcise the fleshe of your foreskinne and it shal be for a signe of the couenant betwixt mee and you c. Lo here circumcision in these woordes of the Lordes is first named the couenaunt and afterwarde for expositions sake it is called the signe of the couenaunt In the same sense doth Sainct Stephan call it a testament in the seuēth Chapter of the Acts when he meant that it was the signe or seale of the Testament Moreouer the manner of circumcision is declared Ye shal saith God circumcise the flesh of your foreskin For there is a skinne which doth incompasse couer and hang somewhat ouer the nut or forepart of a mannes yarde and that skinne is called the fleshe of the foreskinne because it doth appeare or hang before the rest This skinne did they cutt away with a knife made of stone and did make bare the topp or nutt of the manchildes priuie member The cutting or taking away of the fleshe was called circumcision But nowe whose office it was to cut that skinne away we finde not expressed It appeareth that the moste honourable in euery house or familie I meane the
consequently to euerie signe his seuerall limins S. Augustine In opusculo S 2. quaestionuÌ„ Quist 45. confuting soundly the destinies of Planets amonge other his reasons sayeth The conceyuing of twinns in the mothers woÌ„be because it is made in one and the same acte as the Physicians testifie whose discipline is farre more certeine and manifest than that of the Astrologers doeth happen in so small a moment of time thaâ— there is not so much time as two minuts of a minute betwixt the conceyuing of the one and the other How therfore commeth it that in twinnes of one burden there is so great a diuersitie of deâ—des wills and chaunces considering that they of necessitie must neds haue one and the same planet in their conception and that the Mathematicals do giue the constellation of them both as if it were but of one man To these woordes of S. Augustine great light maye bee added if you annexe to them and examine narrowely the example of Esau and Iacobs birth and sundrie dispositions The same Augustine writing to Boniface against two epistles of the Pelagians Lib. 2. cap. 6. sayeth They which affirme that destinie doeth rule will haue not onely our deeds and euents but also our very wils to depend vpon the placeing of the starres at the time wherin euerie man is either conceyued or borne whiche placeings they are wonte to call Constellations But the grace of God doth not onely goe aboue all starres and heauens but also aboue the verie Angels them selues Moreouer these disputers for destinie do attribute to destinie both the good and euil that happen to men But God in the euils that fall vppon men doth duely and worthily recompence them for their ill desertes but the good which they haue he doth bestowe vppon them not for their merites but of his owne fauour mercifull goodnesse through grace that cannot be looked for of duetie laying both good and euil vppon vs men not through the temporall course of planets but by the déepe and eternall counsell of his seueritie and goodnes So then wée sée that neither the fallinge out of good or euill hath any relation vnto y planets Therefore this place may be concluded with the wordes of the Lorde in the Prophet Ieremie saying Thus saith the Lorde ye shal not learne after the manner of the heathen and ye shall not be atraide for the tokens of heauen for the heathen are afraide of such yea all the obseruations of the Gentiles are vanitie For the planets haue no force to doe either good or euill And therefore the blame of sinnes is not to bee imputed therevnto I haue now to proue vnto you that God is not the cause of sinne or the author of euill God saye they would haue it so For if he would not haue had it so I had not sinned For who may resist his power Againe since he could haue letted it and would not he is the author of my sinne and wickednesse As though wee knewe not the craftie quarels and subtile shiftes of mortal men Whâ— I pray you knoweth not that God doth not deale with vs by his absolute power but by an appointed lawe and ordinance I meane by commodious meanes a probable order God could I know by his absolute power kéepe off all euil but yet he neither can nor wil either corrupt or marre his creature excellent order Hee dealeth with vs men therefore after the manner of men he appointeth vs lawes and layeth before vs rewardes punishements he commaundeth to imbrace the good and eschue the euill to the perfourming whereof he doth neither denye vs his grace without which we can do nothing neither doeth he despise our diligent good wil and earnest trauaile Herein if man bee slacke the negligence and fault is imputed to man him selfe and not to God although he could haue kept off the sinne and did not for it was not his duetie to kéepe it off least peraduenture hee should disturbe the order and destroy the work which he him self had made and ordeined Therefore God is not the author of sinne or naughtinesse Touching which matter I will firste adde some testimonies of the holie Scripture then aunswere to sundry obiections of the aduersaries of this doctrine and lastly declare the originall cause or headspring of sinne and wickednesse The testimonies which teach that God is not the author of sinne or naughtinesse are many in number but among the rest this is an argument of greatest force and probabilitie because God is saide to be good naturally and that all which he created were made good in their creation Whervppon it is that Solomon saith God hath not made death neither hath he delight in the destruction of the liuing for he created all thinges that they might haue their being and the beginnings of the world were health full there is no poyson of destruction in them nor the kingdome of hell vppon the earth for righteousenesse is immortall but vnrighteousnesse bringeth death and the vngodly call it to them both with wordes and woorkes and thereby come to nought And so forth as is to be séen in the firste Chapter of the booke of wisedome which wordes do passingly agrée with y firste Chapters of that most excellent prophet Moses In the fifth Psalme Dauid saith Thou art the God that hast no pleasure in wickednesse neither shal any euil dwell with thee the vniust shall not stande in thy sight for thou hatest all them that woorke iniquitie thou shalt destroy them that speake leasing the Lord doth abhorre both the bloudthirstie deceiptful man. Lo thou canst deuise nothing more contrarie to the nature of God than sinne nauâ—htinesse as thou mayest more at large perceiue in the 34 Chapter of the booke of Iob. The wiseman saith God created man good but they sought out many inuentions of their owne And therefore the Apostle Paule deriueth sinne damnation and death not from God but from Adam and from God he fetcheth grace forgiuenesse life through the mediatour Iesus Christe That place of Paule is farre more manifest than that it néedeth any large exposition let it onely bee considered and diligently weighed of the Readers and hearers whome I woulde wishe alwayes to beare in mouth and mynde the verie wordes meaning of this notable sentence Euen as by one man sinne entred into the worlde and death by sinne And so foorth as followeth The same Apostle in the seuenth to the Romanes doeth euidently declare that the lawe is holie the commaundement good and iust and therby he doth insinuate that in God or in his will there is not and in his lawe which is the will of God there springeth not any spott or blurre of sinne or naughtinesse In our fleash saith he the euil lurketh and out of vs iniquitie ariseth I knowe saith hee that in mee that is in my fleshe there is no good In that Chapter there are many sentences to be founde which doe
intricate places of the holie scripturs which it is hard to coÌ„prehend or define in any certeine order both that many things are vnknowen without the perill of Christian faith and also that in some points men do erre with out any crime of hereticall doctrine But concerning the two men by the one of whoÌ„ wee are sold vnder sinne by the other redeemed from sinne by one we are cast headlong into death by the other wee are made free vnto life because that man did in himselfâ— destroye vs by doing his owne will and not the will of him that madâ— him but this man hath in himselfe saued vs by doing not his owne wil but the will of him that sent him Therfore in the coÌ„sideration of these two men Christian faith doeth properly consist For there is one God and one mediatour of God and man the man Christ Iesus Because there is none other name vnder Heauen giuen vnto men in which they must be saued in him hath God appointed all men to trust raysing him vp from death to life Therefore Christian veritie doubteth not but that without this faith that is without the faith of the only mediatour of God and man the man Christ Iesus without the beliefe I say of his resurrection whiche God hath prescribed to men whiche cannot be truly beleeued without the beleefe of his incarnation and death without the faith therefore of the incarnation death and resurrection of Christ none of the auncient iust men could be clâ—nsed and iustified of God from their sinnes whether they were in the number of those iuste men whome the holy Scripture mentioneth or in the number of those iuste men whom the Scripture nameth yet are to bee beleeued to haue beene either before the deluge or betwixte the deluge and the lawe or in the verie time of the lawe not onely among the children of Israel as the Prophets were but also without that people as Iob was For euen their harts were cleÌ„sed by the same faith of the mediatour and charitie was powred into them by the same holy spirite which breatheth where he listeth not following after merits but euen working the verie merits themselues For Gods grace will not bee by any meanes vnlesse it be free by al meanes Although therefore death reigned from Adam vnto Moses because the law giuen by Moses could not ouercome it For there was no such law giuen as could quicken but such a lawe as whose office was to shewe that the dead to the quickening of whome grace was necessarie were not only ouerthrowen by the propagation and dominion of sinne but were also condemned by the hidden transgression of the verie law it selfe not that euery one should perish that did then vnderstand it in the mercie of God but that euery one being through the dominioÌ„ of death appointed vnto punishment and detected to himselfe by the transgression of the lawe should seeke for the helpe of God that where sinne abouÌ„ded grace might more abound which alone doth deliuer from the body of this death Although therefore the lawe giuen by Moses could not ridd any maÌ„ from the kingdome of death yet in the very time of the lawe were the men of God not vnder the terrifying conuinceing punishing law but vnder the delectable sauing and deliuering grace There were among them some which said In iniquitie was I conceiued and in sinne hath my mother fedd mee in her wombe And so forth For hetherto I haue cited the very words of S. Augustine I haue thus farre spoken of originall sinne of the natiue and hereditarie corruption of our nature which is the first part in the definition of sinne here followeth nowe the latter part to witt the very Action which ariseth of that corruption the actual sinne I say which is so called Ab actu that is an acte or a déede doing For in so much as that corruption whiche is borne together with and is hereditarie in vs doeth not alwayes lye hidd but woorketh outwardly and sheweth forth it selfe doth at last bring forth an imp of her owne kinde and nature which impe is actuall sinne therefore we define actuall sinne to bee an action or woorke or fruite of oure corrupte and naughtie nature expressing it selfe in thoughts words and workes against the lawe of God and therby deseruing the wrath of God. So then by this the cause of actuall sinne is knowen to be the very corruption of mankind which sheweth forth it selfe through concupiscence and euil affections affections intice the will wil being helped with the other faculties in man that worke together with it doth finish actual sinne And that ye may more clearely perceiue that whiche I saye I wish you to note that our minde hath two partes The vnderstanding or reason or iudgement and the will or appetite In the reason are the lawes of nature whereunto must be added the preaching or reading or knowledge of Gods word And nowe as of good woorkes in man there are two especiall causes to witt sound iudgement well framed by the woord of God and a will consenting and obeying therevnto and yet notwithstanding there is principallie to be required the comming to of the holye Ghoste from heauen to illuminate the minde and moue forward the will euen so we may most properly say that actuall sinne is finished when any thinge is of set purpose with aduised iudgement and the consent of our wil committed against the lawe of god And yet to these there doe many times happen other outward causes both visible and inuisible For euill spirites moue men and euill men moue men and other infinite examples of corruption that are in the world Hope seare and weakenesse doe also moue men Augustine Quaest in Exodum 29. sayeth The beginning of vice is in the will of man but the heartes of men are moued by sundrie accidental causes now this now that sometimes the causes are all one the difference is in the manner and order according to euery ones proper qualities which doe arise of euerie seuerall will. Againe in the 79. Psalme he sayeth Two things there are that woorke all sinnes in mortall men desire and feare Consider examine aske your heartes search your consciences and see if any sinnes can be but by desiring or else by fearing Thou aâ—t promised if thou wilt sinne to haue such a reward giueÌ„ thee as thou doest delight in and for desire of the gifte thou crackest thy conscience doest commit sinne And againe on the other side though peraduenture thou wilt not be seduced with giftes yet being terrified with threatnings thou doest for dread of that whiche thou fearest coÌ„mit the iniquitie that other wise thou wouldest not As for example Some one man or other would with giftes corrupte thee to beare false witnesse Thou presently hast turned thee selfe to God and hast said in thy heart what doth it aduantage a man if hee gaine the whole world suffer the losse
poore sillie Lazarus For Lazarus though he was the friende of God did notwithstanding die for want of foode The other though he was Gods enimie did spend his life in deintie fare and pleasures and felt none ill But hearken after this life what their iudgement was Abraham saith to the riche glutton My sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy good and Lazarus likewise receiued euill but nowe he reioyceth and thou art tormented Therefore if the godly bee at any time afflicted in this present life they shal be abundantly rewarded for it in the life to come But if the wicked be spared in this worlde they are more grieuously punished in the world to come For God is iust rewardeth euery man accordinge to his merite If hereafter therefore thou shalte chaunce to sée the wicked liue in prosperitie thinke not thou by and by that God is vniust suppose not that his power is abated and say not that he sleepeth séeth them not For that saying of the Prophet which is also vsed by the Apostle Peter is assuredly true The eyes of the Lord are vpon the iust and his eares open vnto their prayers Againe The eyes of the Lorde are vppon them that do wickednesse Wee must in suche a case fortifie our mindes with the iust examples of Gods iudgementes gathered together out of the holy Scriptures Let vs consider that the world was destroyed with the generall deluge when God had in vaine a longe time looked after repentaunce Let vs remember that Sodom Gomorrha and the cities adiacent thereaboute were burnt with fire sent down from heauen Let vs thinke vppon Aegypt howe it was stricken with diuers plagues and the inhabitantes drowned in the redde sea Let vs call to minde the thinges that happened by the holie and iust iudgement of God to the Amorrhites the Chanaanites the Amalechites the verie Israelits first vnder their Iudges then vnder their Kinges Their measure at last was fully filled Neither did they at anye time despise God and his worde but were at the last payde home for their labour They neuer sinned went scotfâ—â—e long The historie of Paulus Orosius yea the vniuersall historie of all the world doe minister vnto vs inumerable examples like vnto these declaring the certeintie of Gods iudgement Let vs thinke that God doeth not therefore allowe of sinnes beecause he is slacke in punishing them but let vs persuade our selues that he by the prolonging of punishment doth of his vnmeasurable goodnesse both looke and staye for the repentaunce conuersion of miserable sinners For in the Gospell the Lord biddeth not to cutt down the barren figg trée because hee looked to see if it woulde bring any fruite the next yere following The Apostle Paule saith Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and patience and long sufferaunce not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance But thou after thy stubbornesse and heart that cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and declaration of the righteous iudgement of God which wil rewarde euery man accordinge to his deedes to them which by continuing in wel-doing seeke for glorie and honour and immortalitie eternall life But vnto them that are contentious and doe not obey the trueth but obey vnrighteousnesse shall come indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish vppon euery soule of man that doth euil This I saye let vs firmely holde with this let vs content our selues not grudging to sée the wicked liue long in prosperitie without paine or punishment The holie iust wise and mightie God knoweth best what to doe howe to doe why and when to doe euery thing conueniently To him bee glorie for euer and euer Amen To this belongeth also that God doeth as well afflicte the good as the badd Touchinge which I spake at large in the thirde Sermon of this thirde Decade Nowe here therefore some there are which demaunde why God doth with diuers punishements persecute those sinnes whiche he hath alreadie forgiuen to men For he forgaue Adam his sinne and yet he layde on him both death and innumerable calamities of this life beside To Dauid we read that the Prophet Nathan saide The Lorde hath taken thy sinne away and yet immediately after the same Prophet addeth The sworde shall not departe from thy house To this wee aunswere simply that these plagues which are layde on vs beefore the remission of our sinnes are the punishmentes due to our sinnes but that after the remission of our sinnes they are conflictes and exercises wherewith the faithfull doe not make satisfaction for their sinnes which are alreadie remitted by Grace in the death of the sonne of God but wherewith they are humbled and kept in their duetie hauing an occasion giuen of the greater glorie And here I wil not sticke to recite vnto you dearely beloued Saincte Augustines iudgement touching this matter in his seconde booke De peccatorum meritis et remissione Chap. 33. 34. where he sayth Thinges the guilt wherof God absolueth or remitteth to the ende that after this life they should doe no harme and yet he suffereth them to abide vnto the conflict of faith that by them men may be instructed and exercised profiting in the conflict of righteousnesse c. And presently after Before forgiuenesse they are the punishments of sinners but after remission they are the conflictes and exercises of iust men And againe after a fewe wordes more he faith The flesh which was first made was not the flesh of sinne wherein maÌ„ would not kéepe righteousnes among the pleasures of paradise Wherfore God ordeined that after his sinne the flesh of sinne being increased shoulde indeuour with paines and labours to recouer righteousnesse againe And for that cause Adam being cast out of Paradise dwelt ouer against Eden that is against the place of pleasures which was a signe that with labours whiche are contrarie to pleasure the fleshe of sinne was then to be invred which being in pleasures kepte not obedience before it was the flesh of sinne Therefore euen as those oure first parentes by liuing iustly afterward whereby they are rightly thought to be by the bloud of Christe deliuered from vtter punishment deserued not yet in that life to be called backe againe into Paradise so also the fleshe of sinne although when sinnes are forgiuen a man liue righteously in it doth not presently deserue not to suffer that death which it drew from the propagation of sinne Such a like thing is insinuated to vs in the booke of the Kings concerning the patriarche Dauid to whome when the prophet was sent and had threatened vnto him the euils that shoulde come vppon him through the anger of God bicause of the sinne which he had committed by the confession of the sinne he deserued forgiuenesse according to the answere of the prophete who tolde him that that sinne and crime was forgiuen vnto him and yet those thinges betyded him
thinges particularly I will vse this course and order First of all I wil out of the lawe and the Prophets recite vnto you some euident promises of Christ made by God vnto the church which shal be those especiallie y the Apostles themselues haue alreadie touched expouÌ„ded SecoÌ„dlie I wil proue vnto you that God hath nowe performed that which hee promised so longe agoe to wit that he hath alreadie exhibited to vs his onely begotten sonne and that hee is that true so long-looked-for Lord and Messiah whiche should come to saue the world Lastly I wil shew you how y in this Sonne the father is pleased and reconciled to the world againe in whome also hee hath fullie giuen vs all thinges requisite to eternall life and absolute felicitie For he for vs and for our saluation was incarnate dead raised to life againe taken vp into heauen there to be our mediatour for euer and aduocate vnto his father And in these points doe lye the liuely veynes of the Gospel which flowe with hoalesome waters vnto eternal life For in them doeth consist the sound consolation of the faithfull and the enduring tranquillitie of a quiet conscience Without them there is no life or quiet rest The promises made by God concerning Christ whiche are vttered in the holy Scriptures are thréefold or of thrée sortes I therefore to make them the playner vnto you doe diuide the promises of one and the same sort according to the times The first promises were made to the patriarchs or auncient fathers before the giuing of the lawe these againe consist of two sortes For one sort of them are plaine vttered euidently in simple woords without all types and â—â—â—uratiue shadowes The other sort â—re figuratiue and couched vnder types The first and most euident promise of all was made by the verie mouth of God vnto our first parentes Adam Euah being oppressed with death calamities the horrible feare of Gods reuenging hand for their transgression which promise is as it were the piller and base of all Christian religion wherevpon the preaching of the Gospell is altogether founded and out of which al the other promises in a maner are deriued That promise is coÌ„teined in these words of the Lord I wil put enimitie betwixt thee meaning the serpent the diuel I say in the serpent and the woman betwixt thy seede and her seede and it shall tread downe thy head and thou shalt tread vppon his heele God in these wordes promiseth séed the séed I say not of man but of woman and that too of the most excellent woman to wit that most holie Virgin Marie the woman that was blessed among all other women For she conceiued not by any man but by the holie Ghost beeing a Virgin still was deliuered of Christ our Lord who by dying and rising againe did not onely vexe or wound but also crush tread downe the head that is the kingdome of Sathan to witt sinne death and damnation taking away and making vtterly void all the power and tyrannie of that our enimie and deceiuer In the meane while sathan troade on Christ his héele that is to say hee by his meÌ„bers Caiaphas Pontius Pilate the Iewes and Gentiles did with exquisite tormentes and death vexe and kill the fleshe which was in Christ the lowest part euen as the héele is to the bodie For the Lord in the Psalmes sayeth I am a worme no man They haue brought my life into the duste But he roase again from the dead For had he not risen againe he had not troden downe the serpentes head But nowe by his rising hée is become the Sauiour of all that doe beléeue in him Out of this promise is deriued that singular and notorious one which the Angel of the Lord reciteth vnto our father Abraham in these words following In thy seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed But Paule in his Epistle to the Galathians doeth in expresse words declare that that blessed séed is ours whiche was promised to Abraham Nowe our Lord is called by the name of Séed because of the first promise made to Adam and Euah because hee was for vs incarnate and made verie man Neither is this promise repugnant to the first For although Christ our Lord be héere called the séed or sonne of Abraham yet is he no other way referred vnto Abraham than by the Virgin whiche was the daughter of Abraham and mother of Christ Now what good doth the sonne of Abraham to vs by his incarnation Forsoth he blesseth vs But a blessing is the contrarie vnto a curse Therefore what cause soeuer wée drue from the sinne of Adam that doeth Christe heale in vs and blesse vs with all spirituall blessing Neither doeth he bestow this benefite vppon a few alone but vppon all the nations of the world that doe beléeue in him The Patriarch Iacob being inspired with the holie Ghost foretold the chaunces that should betide his children and at length when hee came to Iuda amonge the rest he sayeth The Scepter shal not depart from Iuda a lawegiuer from betweene his feete till Schilo come and vnto him shall the gathering of the people be Loe here in these words the Messiah is not onely promised but the verie time also is prescribed when he should be incarnate with a declaration both what howe farre forth he should bée The kingdome sayeth he shall remaine vnder Iuda vntill the comminge of the Sauiour And albeit that the tribe of Iuda shall not alwayes haue kinges to gouerne them yet shall it not lacke nobles capitaines lawegiuers learned men and sages to rule the people And therefore the Euangelicall historie doth faithfully witnesse that Christ came at that time when al power authoritie and rule was translated to the Romanes vnto whose Emperour Octa. Augustus the Iewes were inforced to pay taxes and tribute Now Schilo signifieth felicitie or the author of felicitie it signifieth plentie stoare and abundance of al excellent things For Christ is the treasurie of all good thinges And the Chaldee interpreter where he findeth Schilo translateth it CHRIST Finallie to him as to their Sauiour shall all people bee gathered as the Prophets did afterward most plainely declare Esaie in the second and Micheas in the fourth chapiters of their bookes or prophecies Furthermore the types and figures of Christe are Noah preserued in the arcke For in Christ are the faithfull saued as S. Peter testifieth 1. Pet. 3. Abraham offereth vpp Isaac his onely begotten sonne vppon the topp of the same mountaine where many yeares after the onely begotten sonne of God was offered vppon the Crosse Ioseph is by his brethren sold to the heathen he is cast in prison but being deliuered he doeth become their Sauiour is of all the people called the preseruer of the Aegyptian kingdome In all these thinges was Christ oure Lord prefigured The latter promises also are of two sortes either openly
of God about burials and graues But howe muche there was in the time of Poperie no man can declare in fewe wordes These be the necessarie institutions of the Churche of GOD and are by the faithfull religiously obserued without superstition to edification as for other matters which are onely deuised by the inuention of man the godly nothing weighe them I knowe what thinges may here be obiected That forsoothe the auncient people of the olde Testament had sundrie and manifolde rites ceremonies instituted of God by his prophetes because beeing rude they had néede of such instruction But since the common sorte of Christians are also more rude than is to be wished so many sundrie and diuerse ceremonies were deuised by the auncient fathers not without the motion of the spirit which they must also obey I answer that this is no true nor sounde reason whereby the weake in faith may receiue commoditie For surely then would not the Apostles of Christ haue saide nothing therof Moreouer experience teacheth that the state and condition of the weake and simple is such that the more ceremonies are left vnto them the more their mindes are diuersly dispersed and are lesse vnited to Christ to whoÌ„ alone al things are to be ascribed For it pleased the father that all fulnesse should dwell in him and to heape together in him al things apperteining to our life and saluation Yea the diuine wisedome of God hathe taken away y who le externall discipline instructioÌ„ setting a difference betwéen vs them We should therefore procéede to bring againe Iudaisme if we shuld not leaue of to multiplie heape together rites ceremonies according to the maner of the olde Church For in olde time those ceremonies were had in vse althoughe they were not infinite but comprised within a certein number At this present there is no vse nor place for theÌ„ in the church Neither do we want moste graue authoritie to proue the same The Apostles and elders in a greate assemblie méete together at HierusaleÌ„ at a couÌ„sell where the Apostle Peter plainely telleth them that they tempt the Lord in going about to lay the yoake of the lawe vpon the frée necks of the Christians There is also a Synodall Epistle written wherin by one consent they testifie that it hath séemed good to the holy Ghost them to lay none other burthen 〈…〉 the church of Christ thaÌ„ y which 〈…〉 in few words To the intenâ— therby it may be euident that the doctrine of the Gospel is sufficient for the Church without the câ—remonies of the law If he would 〈…〉 haue the rites which in olde time were by God instituted to be ioyned to the Gospell how much lesse ought we at this present to couple therewith the inuentions of men Vnto which moreouer is wickedly ascribed either the preparation to the grace worshipping of God or part of our saluation that we may say no lesse at this day than S. Paule said long agoe After that you haue knowne God howe chaunceth it that ye returne againe to weake and beggerly elements which you would begin to serue a new Ye obserue days moneths times yeres I am a feard lest I haue taken paines aboute you in vaine Vnto all these things this is also to be added that this instruction of ceremonies whereof they speake belongeth to the worshipping of god But we are fordidden to deuise vnto ourselues any strange worshipping we are forbidden also to put too or take away any thing from the institution or word of god Wherfore the Church of God neither ordeineth nor receiueth of other any other such constitutions Of which matter we haue also spoken somewhat before whereas we intreated of the abrogating of the lawe and of Christian libertie I trust that in these fiftie sermons I haue as shortely conueniently as might be comprehended the whole matter of faith godlinesse or true religion also of the Church That which I do often repeate in al my sermons my books that do I also againe repeat in this place that the learned may with my goodwill and thankes gather and imbrace better things out oâ— the scriptures Vnto the Lorde our God the euerlasting founteine of al goodnes be praise and glorie through our Lorde Iesus Christ Amen FINIS Esai 58. Esai 62. Iohn 21. 2. Tim. 4. Dan. 12. 1. Tim. 4 Ezech. 3. Ierâ— 1. â— Cor. 9. â— Pet. 5. Apoc. 20. Ezech. 32. The Nicene counsel The counsel of CoÌ„stantinople The counsel of Ephesus The counsel of Calcedon About the yeare of our Lord About the yeate of our lorde 185. About the yeare of our lorde 210. â—bout the â—are of 〈◊〉 lord 〈◊〉 About the yeare of our Lorde 336. Catholiques Haeretiques Verbum what it is In English a thing The worde of God what it is Of â—he 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 The word of God reuealed to the worlde by men Howe and by whom the worde of God hath bene reuealed from the beginning of the world Abraham The clearest lights of the firsâ— world Adam and Methusalem Noe. â—em Iaacob Kahad Amram Moses The chief contents of the holy fathers liuely tradition God. CreatioÌ„ of the world Sinne and death Grace life and redeÌ„ption by Christ Fayth The lineall descent of Messias The league of God. The worship of God. Life eternall and the day of iudgemeÌ„t The true â—ystoricall â—arration â—eliuered by the fathers to their children Moses in an hystory compileth the traditioÌ„s of the fathers The auâ—horitie of Moses very great The proceding of the woord of God. The Prophetes The Law. The auâ—â—oritie of â—he holy â—â—ophetes â—as very great Polyhistoâ— 2 Pet. 1. The word God reuealed by the onne of God. The chief coÌ„tents of Christe his doctrine The Apostles of Christ â—â—hn Bapâ—â—st and â—â—ule The authoâ—â—tie of the Apostles â—â—y great 1. Thes 2 The roll of the bookes of the diuine Scriptures The scripture is sound and vncorrupted â—o whom 〈◊〉 worde â—â— God is â—â—ealed What haue I to doe what was written to theÌ„ of olde time The writings of the old testament are also giuen to Christians To what â—nd the â—ord of God is 〈◊〉 Gods goodnesse to be praysed for teaching vs. All points of true godlinesse â—re taught â—s in the holy scriptures â— Tim. 3. The Lord bothspake did many things which arâ— not writteÌ„ The Apostles set downe in writing the whole doctrin of godlinesse Against the liuely and faiâ—â— traditioâ—â— of the Apostles Howe the worde of God is to â—e hearde The diseaâ—es and plagues of the hearers of gods word What the power and effect of Gods word is Gods will is to haue his wordâ— vnderstoode Difficultie in the scriptures The word of God requireth an exposition A solemn exposition of Gods worde what their meaning is that wil not haue the scriptures expounded The scriptures are 〈◊〉 to be â—orrupted with fortune exposâ—tâ—ons The holy scriptures â—re not to be expouÌ„ded according to â—ens fanâ—â—sies The
ignorant in no pointe of those thinges which Adam had taught Noe dyeth which is maruell to be tolde and yet very true in the. 59. yere of Abrahams age Sem the sonne of Noah liued many yeares with his father For he liued in all 600. yeres He was borne to Noah about 96. yeres before the deluge He sawe and heard therfore not onely his father Noe and his grandfather Lamâ—ch but also his great grand siar Methusalem with whome he liued those 96. yeres before the deluge Of him he might be informed of all those thinges whiche Methusalem had hearde and learned of Adam and the other Patriarches Sem dieth after the death of Abraham in the. 52. yeare of Iacob which was 37. yeares after the death of Abraham in the. 112. yeare of Isaac his age So that Iacob the Patriarch might very well learne all the true diuinitie of Sem him self euen as he had heard it of Methusalem who was the thirde witnesse and teacher from Adam Furthermore Iaacob the Patriarch deliuered to his childreÌ„ that which he receiued of God to teach to his posteritie In Mesopotamia there is borne to Iaacob his sonne Leui and to him againe is born Kahad whiche both sawe and hearde Iaacob For Kahad liued no small number of yeares with his grandfather Iaacob For he is rehearsed in the roll of them which went with Iaacob downe into Egypt but Iaacob liued 17. yeares with his children in Egypt This Kahad is the grandfather of Moses the father of Amram from whom Moses did perfectly draw that ful and certain tradition by hand as concerning the will commaundements and iudgements of God euen as Amram his father had learned theÌ„ of his father Kahad Kahad of Iaacob Iaacob of Sem Sem of Methusalem and of Adam the first father of vs all so nowe that Moses is from Adam the seuenth witnesse in the worlde And from the beginning of the worlde to the byrth of Moses are fully complete 2368. yeares of the worlde And who so euer shall diligently reckon the yeres not in vaine set downe by Moses in Genesis and Erodus he shall find this account to be true and right Now also it behoueth vs to know those chiefe principles of that liuely tradition deliuered by the holy fathers at the appointment of God as it were from hande to hande to all the posteritie The fathers taught their children that God of his naturall goodnesse wishing well to mankind woulde haue all men to come to the knowledge of the trueth and to be like in nature to God him selfe holy happie and absolutely blessed And therefore that God in the beginning did create man to his owne similitude and likenesse to the intent that he should be good holy immortal blessed and partaker of all the good gifts of God but that man continued not in that dignitie and happie estate but by the meanes of the deuill and his owne proper faulte fell into sinne miserie and death changing his likenesse to God into the similitude of the deuill Moreouer that God here againe as it were of freshe began the worke of saluation wherby mankind being restored and set free from all euill might once againe be made like vnto God and that he meant to bring this mightie and diuine worke to passe by a certain middle meane that is by the worde incarnate For as by this taking of flesh he ioyned man to God so by dying in the fleshe with sacrifice he cleansed sanctified and deliuered mankinde and by giuing him his holy spirit he made him like againe in nature to God that is immortall and absolutely blessed And last of all he worketh in vs a willing indeuour aptly to resemble the propertie and coÌ„ditions of him to whose likenesse we are created so that we maye be holy bothe body and soule They added moreouer that the word should be incarnate in his due time and appointed age And also that there did remaine a greate daye for iudgement wherein though all men were gathered together yet the rightuous onely shoulde receiue that reward of heauenly immortalitie So theÌ„ this is the brief summe of the holy fathers tradition whiche it is best to vntwist more largely and to speake of it more diligently as it were by parts First therefore the fathers taught that the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are one God in the moste reuerend Trinitie the maker and gouernour of heauen and earth and all things whiche are therein by whome man was made and who for man did make all things and put all things vnder mankind to minister vnto him things necessarie as a louing father and most bountiful Lorde Then they taught that man consisted of soule and body and that he in déede was made good according to the image and likenesse of God but that by his owne faulte and egging forwarde of the deuill falling into sinne he brought into the worlde death and damnation together with a webbe of miseries out of whiche it can not ridde it selfe So that nowe all the children of Adam euen from Adam are borne the sonnes of wrath and wretchednesse But that God whose mercy aboundeth according to his incomprehensible goodnesse taking pitie on the miserie of mankinde did euen of his méere grace graunt pardon for the offence and did laye the weight of the punishment vpon his only sonne to the intent that he when his heele was crushed by the Serpent might him self breake the Serpents heade That is to say God doth make a promise of seed that is of a sonne who taking fleshe of a péerelesse woman I meane that Virgine most worthy of commendations should by his death vanquishe death and Sathan the authour of death and shoulde bring the faythfull sonnes of Adam out of bondage yea and that more is shuld by adoption make them the sonnes of God and heires of life euerlasting The holy fathers therefore taught to beléeue in God and in his son the redéemer of the whole world when in their very sacrifices they did represent his death as it were an vnspotted sacrifice wherwith he ment to wipe away and cleanse the sinnes of all the worlde And therefore had they a most diligent eye to the stocke and lineall descent of the Meschias For it is brought down as it were by a line from Adam to Noe and from Noe by Sem euen to Abraham him selfe and to him againe it was sayde In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed in which wordes the promise once made to Adam as touching Christe the redeemer and chaunger of Gods curse into blessing is renewed and repeated againe The same line is brought downe from Abraham by Isaac vnto Iacob and Iacob being ful of the spirit of God pointed out his sonne Iuda to be the roote of the blessed séede as it is to be séene in 49. of Genesis Lastly in the tribe of Iuda the house of Dauid was noted out of which
he did saye vnto the chiefe This day shalt thou be with mee in Paradise It may also by many places of Scripture bee proued that the auncient holie fathers from Adams time vntill the death of Christ at their departure out of this life did presently for Christe his sake enter not into prison but into eternall life For our Lorde in the Gospell after Sainct Marke doth say God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing But he is the god of Abraham of Isaac and of Iacob therefore consequently Abraham Isaac and Iacob do liue or are now aliue and yet not in bodie corporally For their bodies beeing buried were rotten longe since therefore their soules do liue in ioye and their verie bodies shall rise to iudgement againe In the Gospell after S. Luke the Lord maketh mention of Abrahams bosome into which are gathered all the blessed spirites of it he testifieth that it is placed aloft that it is not a place of paine punishement but of ioy and refreshing And therefore we do often read in the Scriptures of the holie fathers that they were gathered vnto their people that is to say that they were receiued into the fellowship of those fathers with whome they had in this world remained in the same faith and same kinde of religion For the sequences circuÌ„stances of those places doe manifestly declore y those wordes cannot be expounded corporally of the buriall of the bodie Againe in the Gospel after S. Matthewe the Lord saith I say vnto you that many shal come out of the East out of the West and shall rest them selues with Abraham Isaac Iacob in the kingdome of heauen but the children of the kingdome shal bee cast out into vtter darknesse there shal bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Nowe if the Gentiles must be gathered into the kingdome of heauen and that they must be placed in the fellowship of the fathers than must it néeds bée that the fathers were alreadie in heauen and felte the ioyes thereof at that very time when the Lord spake these words Who also in the Gospell after S. Iohn doth plainly say Abraham was glad to see my day and hee sawe it and reioyced Which saying although wée vnderstand to be spoken of the iustification and ioye of the conscience yet do we not separate from it the ioy of eternall life because the one doth of necessitie depend vpon and followe the other Moreouer wée must héere consider the occasion vppon which these words of the Lord do séeme to haue béen spoken The Lord had said Verilie verilie I say vnto you If a man keepe my saying hee shall neuer taste of death which words the Iewes toke hold on and said Abraham is dead and the Prophets are dead yet sayest thou if a man will keepe my sayinges hee shall neuer see death What art thou greater than oure father Abraham which is dead and the Prophets are dead also Whome makest thou thy selfe To this the Lord made answere and shewed that Abraham is quickened or else preserued in life and heauenly ioy through faith in the sayings of Christe Iesus and that howsoeuer hée is dead in body yet notwithstanding his soule doth liue in ioy for euer with God in whome hee did put his trust To this may be added that Dauid in the 16. Psalme calling God his hope his expectation and his inheritance doth amonge other thinges say The Lord is alwayes at my right haÌ„d Therefore my hart is glad my glorie reioyceth and my fleshe shall rest in hope For thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holie one to see corruption Thou wilt make mee to knowe the path of life in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy at thyright hand there be pleasures for euermore And although S. Peter and Saint Paul doe in the Actes of the Apostles applie this testimonie of Dauid as a thing spoken Prophetically vnto Christ Iesus yet notwithstanding no man can denie but that the same may after a certeine manner be referred vnto Dauid who in that Psalme maketh a profession of his faith declareth his hope and expresseth his Michtam that is his delight or the armes or cognizaunce whereby he would be knowen Those words therefore doe first apperteine to Christ and then to Dauid and all the faithfull For the life and resurrection of Christ is the life resurrection of the faithfull Againe in an other place the same prophet saith I beleeue verilie to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing Now in the land of the liuing there is neither death nor dolour but fulnesse of ioy and euerlasting pleasures these ioyes and delights Dauid by faith did looke to obteine at the hand of GOD through Christ his sauiour and did in déede according to his hope possessâ— the same immediately after he did depart out of this life although it were many yeares after his death or euer Christe did come in the fleshe euen as we also at this day are saued by him although it be now one thousand fiue hundreâ—h and od yeares agoe since he in his flesâ— did depart from the earth But whereas Paul in the 12. to the Hâ—brues saiâ—h And all these holie fathers hauing through faith obteined good repoâ—t receiued not the promise because 〈◊〉 had prouided a better thinge for vs that they without vs should not bee made pâ—rfecte I thinke simplie that it must be vnderstood of the perfect or ful felicitie in which y holy fathers without vs are not consummated or made perfecte Because there is yet behinde the generall resurrection of all fleshe which must first come and when that is once finished then is the felicitie of all the Sainctes consummated or made perfect which felicitie shall then not bee giuen to the soule alone but to the body also Saincte Peter also doeth constantly affirme that saluation is first of all by Christ purchased for the soules of the holy Saincts then that they by the same Christe are immediatly vppon their bodily death receiued to be partakers of the same saluation and lasty that in the end of the world the bodies of the Saincts being raised from death as the bodies of all men be shall appeare before Christ to be iudged of him The Lord saith hée shall iudge both the quicke and the dead For to this end was the Gospell preached to the dead that in the flesh they should be iudged like men but in the spirite they should liue with God. That is to say the death of Christ is effectuall to the fathers that died in the faith so that nowe in soule they lâ—ue with God and that they againe are to be iudged in their fleshe like to all other men at what time the Lord shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead Therefore our saluation is not as yet perfecte nor consummated but shal be made perfecte in the end of the world Moreouer
God created Adam and so consequently created sinne in Adam To this wee aunswere that sinne is the corruption of the good nature made by God and not a creature created by God either in or with man God created man good but man beeing left to his owne counsell did through the persuasion of Satan by his owne action and depraued will corrupte the goodnesse that God created in him so nowe that sinne is proper to man I meane mannes corrupt action against the lawe of God and not a creature created in him of god To this they replie but the will and abilitie that was in Adam was it from else where than from God him selfe vndoubtedly no it was from god Therefore saye they sinne is of GOD. I denye it for God gaue not to Adam will and power of working to the ende that he should worke euil For by expresse commaundement he forbadd him to do wickednesse Therfore Adam him selfe did naughtily applye the will and power which he receiued of God by vsing them vntowardly The prodigall sonne receiued money at his fathers hand whose meaning was not that he shuld waste it prodigally with riottous lyuing but that hee might haue wherevppon to liue and supplye the want of his necessities Wherefore when he had lauishly lasht it out and vtterly vndone him selfe the fault was in him selfe for abusing it and not in his father for giuing it vnto him Furthermore to haue the power to doe good and euill as Adam had of God is of it selfe a thing without fault euen as also to haue poyson to beare a weapon or weare a swoorde is a thing that no man can worthily blame They haue in them a force to doe good or harme They are not naught vnlesse they be abused And hee that giueth thee them doeth leaue to thee the vse thereof If hee bee a iust man hee putteth them into thy hande not to abuse but to vse as equitie and right requireth Wherefore if thou abusest them the faulte is imputed to thee selfe and not to him that gaue thée them Nowe since God which gaue Adam that will and power is of him selfe moste absolutely iust it followeth consequently that hee gaue them to Adam not to doe euil but good why then is the moste iuste God blamed in such a case as sinfull man is without all blame in Wee do therfore conclude because affection in Adam beeing moued by sense and egged on by the serpent did persuade him to eate of the forbidden fruite when neuerthelesse his vnderstanding did yet holde the worde of God which forbadde him to eate and that his will was at free choyce and libertie to incline to whether parte it pleased him he did notwithstanding will and choose that which God had forbidden him wee do therefore I saye conclude that sinne is properly to be imputed to man which willingly transgressed and not to God which charged him that hee shoulde not sinne Here againe the aduersaries aske this question why did God create man so fraile that he of his owne will might incline to euill why did hee not rather confirme in him the goodnesse and perfecte soundnesse of nature that he could not haue fallen or sinned To this the Scripture aunsweareth saying What art thou that disputest with God woe to him that striueth with his maker Wo to him that saith to the father why begottest thou and to the mother why broughtest thou foorth Vnlesse God had made man fallable there had béene no praise of his workes or vertue For hee coulde neither haue willed nor choosed but of necessitie haue béene good Yea what if man ought altogether to be made fall-able For so did the counsell of God require him to bee God giueth not his owne glorie to any creature Adam was a man and not a god But to be good of necessitie is the proper glorie of God and of none but god And as God is bountifull and liberall so also is he iust He doth good to men but will therewithall that men acknowledge him and his benefites and that they obey him and bee thankfull for the same He had bestowed innumerable benefites vppon Adam there lacked nothing therefore but to giue him an occasion to declare shewe his thankfulnesse and obedience to his good God and benefactour Which occasion hee offered him by the making of the lawe or giuing his commandement We sée therefore that God ordeined not that lawe to bee a stumblinge blocke in Adams waye but rather to bee a staffe to staye him from falling For in the lawe he declareth what he would haue him to doe He sheweth that he wisheth not the death or destruction of Adam he teacheth him what to do that he may escape death and liue in felicitie perfect happinesse For which cause also hee prouided that the lawe should be a plaine and easie commandement Of the tree of knowledge of good and euil thou shalt not eat saith the Lorde for if thou doest thou shalt dye the death but of any other tree in the garden thou shalt eate What else was this than as if hee shoulde haue saide thou shalt in all thinges haue an eye to mée thou shalt stick to mee obey mee be subiect vnto mee and serue mee neither shalt thou frō elsewhere ferche the formes of good euil than of mee and in so dding thou shalt shewe thy self obedient thankfull vnto mee thy maker Did God in this desire any vniust thinge or more than he should at the hands of Adam He shewed him the trée as a sacramēt or signe of that which he inioyned him by the giuing of the law to wite that the trée might be a token to put him in memorie that he ought to obey the Lord alone as a wise bountiful excellent and greatest God and maker And what difficultie I pray you or darknesse was there herein Sainct Augustine is of the same opinion with vs who in his booke De natura boni aduersus Manichaeos Cap. 35. saith He did therefore forbidd it that hee might shewe that the nature of the reasonable soule ought to be not in mannes owne power but in subiection vnto God and that by obedience it keepeth the order of her saluation which by disobedience it doeth corrupt and marre And herevppon it commeth that he called the trée which he forbadd by the name of the trée of knowledge of good and euil because Adam if hee touched it against the Lordes commaundement shoulde by tryall feele the punishmēt of his sinne and by that meanes knowe what difference there was betwixt the good y followeth obedience the euil which ensueth the sinne of disobediēce Now therefore when the Serpēt was crept in and beganne to tell man of other fourmes of good and euil directly contrary to the lawe of God and that mā had once receiued them as thinges both true and credible hee did disloyally reuolt from God and by his owne fault through disobedience hee wrought his owne destruction Therefore
God did alwayes deale iustly with him and man contrarily dealt too too vniustly and was vtterly vnthankfull howesoeuer men will go about to cloake or not to heare of his vnthankfull stubbornnesse But whereas wee saye that man was made fall-able wee will not haue it to bee so vnderstoode that anye man shoulde thincke that there was in Adam any one iotte or pricke of infirmitie before his fall For as hee was in all poyntes moste absolutely perfect so was hee in no poynt created so fraile that he shoulde sinne or perish by death For God which is one in substaunce and thrée in persons saide Let vs make man in our image after our owne likenesse Note here that Zaelaem doeth signifie the picture or counterfaite of an other thinge and that Demuth importeth the verie patterne whereby any picture is drawen or image portrayed Therefore in God is the example or patterne to the resemblance whereof there was a picture or similitude framed But that representing likenesse cannot be this bodie of ours For God is a spirite in no poynt like to the nature of dust and ashed wee must of necessitie therefore resemble the image of God to spirituall thinges as to immortalitie trueth iustice and holinesse For so hath the Apostle Paule taught vs where he saith Bee ye renued in the spirite of your mind and put on that newe man which after God is shapen in righteousenesse and holinesse of trueth Wherefore there was no want in our graundefather Adam of any thing that was auailable to absolute perfectnesse so that euen a blinde man may perceiue that man was not created to death and destruction but vnto life felicitie and absolute blessednesse But say they God did foreknow the fall of man which if he would he coulde haue withstood nowe since he could and would not God is to bee blamed because Adam sinned It is a goodly matter in déede when all feare of God beeing layde aside men wil at their pleasure fall flatly on railing against the maiestie of God allmightie I aunswered in the beeginning of this discourse to this obiection And yet this I adde here more ouer that vppon Gods foreknowledge there followech no necessitie so that Adam did of necessitie sinne because God did foreknowe that he would sinne A prudent father doth foresée by some vntowarde tokens that his sonne will one daye come to an ill ending Neither is he deceiued in his foresight for he is slaine being taken in adulterie But he is not therefore slaine because his father foresawe that hee woulde be slaine but because he was an adulterer And therefore Saincte Ambrose or whosoeuer it is that was author of the seconde booke De gentium vocatione Chap. 4. speaking of the murther whiche Cain committed saith God verily did foreknowe to what ende the furie of that mad man would come And yet because Gods foreknowledge could not bee deceiued it doth not thereupon followe that necessitie of sinning did vrge the crime vppon him c. And Sainct Augustine De libero arbitrio Lib. 3. Cap. 4. saith As thou by thy memorie doest not compell those things to be done that are gone and past so God by his foreknowledge doth not compell those things to be done which are to come And as thou remembrest some thinges that thou hast done and yet hast not done all thinges which thou remembrest so God foreknoweth al things which he doth and yet doeth not all which he foreknoweth But God is a iust reuenger of that whereof he is no euil author And so forth Like vnto this is an other obiection which they make that saye God did before all beginninges determine with him selfe to deliuer mankinde from bondage therefore it could not otherwise be but that we should firste be intangled in bondage therefore it behoued vs to be drowned in sinne that by that meanes the glorie of God might shine more clearely as the Apostle said Where sinne was plentious there was Grace more plentious But it is meruaile that these cauillers do no better consider that God of him self without vs is sufficient to him selfe vnto absolute blessednesse and moste perfecte felicitie and that his glorie could as it doth of it selfe reache aboue all heauens althoughe there had neuer béene any creature brought into light Is not GOD without beginning but we his creatures had a beginning God is glorious from before all beginninges therefore he is glorious without vs and his glorie woulde be as greate as it is though we were not But what dullarde is so foolishe as to thinke that that eternall light of God doeth drawe any brightnesse of glorie at oure darkenesse or out of the stinking dungeon of our sinne and wickednesse Should Gods glorie be no glorie if it were not for our sinns The wise man in Ecclesiasticus saith Saye not thou it is the Lordes faulte that I haue sinned for thou shalt not do the thing that God hateth Saye not thou he hath caused mee to doe wronge for hee hath no neede of the sinner Or for the wicked are not néedefull vnto him God hateth all abhomination of errour and they that woorship God will loue none such Why therefore doe wee not chaunge our manner of reasoning and so consider of the matter as it is in verie déede God of his eternall goodnesse and liberalitie whereby hee wisheth him selfe to bee parted among vs all to oure felicitie did from euerlastinge determine to create man to his owne similitude and likenesse but for because hee did foresée that he woulde fall headlonge into a filthie and miserable bondage hee did therefore by the same his grace and goodnesse ordeine a deliuerer to bringe vs out of thraldome to the ende that so hee might communicate him selfe vnto vs that wee might praise his gratious fauour and render thankes to his fatherly goodnesse And so whatsoeuer wee men haue sinned and turned to our owne destruction that same doeth God conuert againe to our commoditie and saluation euen as he is read to haue done in the case of Ioseph and his brethren which is as it were a certeine type of spirituall thinges and cases of saluation And wee must wholie endeuour our selues to doe what wee maye in reasoning of this argument so to turne it that all glorie maye bee giuen to God alone and to vs nothing else but silence in the sight of God. Nowe last of all there are yet behinde some places of Scripture which must by the waye be runne through and expounded The Apostle verily saith God gaue them vpp to a reprobate sense But this kinde of giuing ouer is as Augustine also saith a woorke of iudgement and iustice For they were woorthie to bee giuen vpp vnto a reprobate sense The cause is prefixed in the woordes of the Apostle For God had made him selfe manifest vnto them but they were not onelye vnthanckefull towardes him but waxed wise also in theire owne conceiptes and went about to obtrude vnto him I wot
of his owne soule I will not be hired with giftes to loose my soule for the gaine of monie therevpon hee which before enticed thee doeth now turne himselfe to terrifie thee for because his gifts did faile to hire thee he beginneth to threaten vnto thee damage banishment woundes and death In suche a case now if greedinesse could not yet feare perhappes mighte cause thee to sinne The same Augustine againe in his booke De Sermone Domini in moÌ„te sayeth Three thinges there bee by which sinne is accomplished suggestion delectation and consent Suggestion whether it bee wrought by the memorie or senses of the bodie as when we see heare smel tast or touch any thing Nowe if we be delighted to haue it that vnlawful delight must be restrained As for example when wee faste if at the sight of meate our appetite do arise it is not done without delectation but wee must not giue our consent to that delectation but suppresse it with the power of reason For if the consent bee giuen then is the sinne accomplished These three things are correspondent to the circumstances of the historie that is written in Genesis so that of the serpent was made that suggestioÌ„ in the carnall appetite as in Eua was the delectation and in reason as in Adam did the full consent appeare whiche being finished man is expelled as it were out of Paradise that is out of the blessed light of righteousnes into death and damnation Thus much sayeth Augustine touching the cause of sinne But héere we must especiallie note in the definition of actual sinne the verie propertie or difference whereby this action is discerned from all other actions and whereby the most proper note of sinne is made manifest This action therefore euen as all sinns else doe doth directly tende against Gods lawe But what the lawe of God is I haue in my former sermons at large declared Verilie it is none other but the verie wil of god Now the will of God is that man should be like vnto his image that is that hee should bée holie innocent and so consequently saued This will of his did God expresse first by the lawe of nature then by the lawe which hée writt in two tables of stone lastly by the preaching of the holie Gospell Nowe those thrée tend all to one end to witt that man should be holie innocent and so consequently saued And whatsoeuer things are done of men either in thought word or déed against that holy lawe of God they both are and are called actuall sinnes Therefore in the iudging or estéeming of mens sinnes the lawe of God must be onely looked vnto For the thinges that are not contrarie to Gods lawe are not sinnes Neither hath any man authoritie to make new lawes for the traÌ„sgressing wherof men should bee counted sinners That glorie belongeth to God alone to whome Dauid crieth To thee alone haue I sinned and against thee haue I wrought wickednesse Neither is it any part of our office to take vppon vs by oure owne iudgementes to determine whiche be the smallest and which the greatest sinnes For which of vs would thinke that it were sinne to say to his brother Thou foole And yet the Lord in the Gospell pronounceth it to be a sinne who in the same Gospell also affirmeth that wée shal giue accompt for euery idle word at the latter day of Iudgement Verie rightly therfore sayeth Sainct Augustine in his second booke De Bapt. Contra Donatistas Capit. 6. In esteming of sinnes let vs not bring in deceiptfull balances wherein to weighe both what wee liste and as wee liste â–ª after our owne minde and phantasie â–ª saying This is heauie and that is light but let vs bring in the weights of Gods holie Scriptures as out of the secrete treasuries of the Lord and thereby let vs weighe what is heauie and what is light naye rather let not vs weigh them but acknowledge so accepte them as they are weighed by the Lord. And although this might séeme to be sufficient as that whiche hath sufficiently declared the nature of actuall sinne yet will wée more at large consider the sundrie sortes or kindes and differences of sinnes The Stoikes were of opinion that all sinnes were equall whome perhappes Iouinian followinge as the Patriarchs of heresies are by Tertullian said to bée Philosophers is written to haue affirmed the verie same with them as is extant in S. Augustines Catalogue of heretiques The holie Scripture teacheth vs that God is iust wherevppon we doe conclude that all sinnes therefore are not equall For wée sée that God as hée is a iust Iudge doeth punish some sinnes more sharpely than otherseme For in the Gospell the Lord sayeth Wo to you Scribes and Pharisers hypocrits which deuour widowes houses vnder the pretence of longe prayer therefore shal ye receiue the greater damnation And againe It shal be easier sayeth the Lord for the land of Sodom in the day of Iudgement than for the citie that reiecteth the preaching of the Gospell Likewise in the eleuenth of Matthewe hee sayeth It shal be easier for Tyre and Sidon in the day of Iudgement than for you To Pilate also hee said The man that deliuered mee to thee hath the more sinne Againe The seruaunt that knewe his maisters will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shal be beaten with many stripes But hee that knewe not and did commit thinges worthie of stripes shal be beaten with fewe stripes To procéede nowe sinnes doe arise by steppes and increase by circumstances For first there is a hidden sinne conteined in the very affection or desire of man But I haue alreadie told you that affections and desires are of two sortes to witt naturall affections whiche are not repugnaunt to the lawe of God of whiche sort are the loue of children parentes and wife and the desire of meate drincke and sléepe although I know and doe not denie but that sometimes those affections are defiled with the originall spott Againe there are carnall desires or affections in men directly contrarie to the will of god Those affections are nourished and do increase by vaine thoughtes and carnall delightes increasing in thy bosome and at last they breake out into the sinne of the month yea and after that to the déede dooing or actuall sinne it selfe As for example Thou â—ustest after an other mans wife and â—ettlest the luste in the bottome of thy â—eart still delighting thée selfe with vaine cogitations while thou callest to minde her passing beautie and lineaments of bodie and doest by thy often and vehement imagination both delight and set thée selfe on sire And not being content herewithall alone thou ceassest not to lie at her whome thou louest with words and writings to spott her chastitie and if occasion serue thée thou doest by the déed doing defile her and also doest reiterate the sinne which thou hast once coÌ„mitted and lastly laying aside the feare
immediately vppon Christe his death and ascension For after the same manner that I haue hetherto declared vnto you euen from the beginning of the world did all the holy Patriarchs Prophets and electe people of GOD beléeue and ground their faith Although I denie not but that the mysterie of the Trinitie was more cléerely expounded to the world by Christe yet is it euident by some vndoubted testimonies whiche I will adde anon that the mysterie of the Trinitie was very well knowen vnto the Patriarchs the Prophets but first by the way I will admonishe you that the holy Patriarchs and prophets of GOD did hold themselues content with the bare reuelation and woord of GOD not raysinge curious questions about the Vnitie and Trinitie of God. They did clearely vnderstand that there is one God the father of all the onely sauiour and authour of all goodnesse and that without or beside him there is none other God at all And they againe did euidently sée that the Sonne of GOD that promised séed hath all thinges common with the father for they did most plainely heare that hée is called the Sauiour and is the redéemer from whome all good thinges do procéede and are bestowed vppon the faithfull whereby nowe it was easte for them to gather that the father and the sonne are one God althoughe they differ in properties For in so much as they were assuredly certeine that the damnable doctrine of the pluralitie of Gods did spring from the diuel they did not worship many but one God whome notwithstanding they did beléeue to consist of a Trinitie of persons For Moses the vndoubted seruant of God in the very first verse of his first booke sayeth In the beginning Creauit dij God created heauen and earth Hee ioyneth héere a Verbe of the singular number to a Noune of the plurall number not to make incongruitie of speach but to note the mysterie of the Trinitie For the sense is as if hée should haue said That GOD which doeth consiste of thrée persons created heauen and earth For a litle after God consulting with him selfe about the making of man doeth say Let vs make man in our Image Loe héere he sayth Let vs make and not Let me make or I wil make And againe hee sayeth In our Image and not In my Image But least any man should thinke that this consultation was had with the Angels let him heare what God him selfe doeth say in Esaye I the Lord sayeth he make all thinges and stretch out the heauens alone of my selfe that is of mine owne power without any help or fellowe with mée and set the earth fast Therefore the Father consulted with the Sonne by whome also hee created the world And againe least any man should thincke as the Iewes obiecte that these things were after the order and custome of men spoken of God in the plurall number for honours sake and worshipp thou mayest heare what followeth in the end of the third Chapter Behold this man is become as one of vs in knowing good and euill Now heere by Enallage hee putteth these wordes Is become for Shall become or Shall happen so that his meaning is as if he should haue said Behold the same shall happen to Adam that shall come to one of vs that is to the Sonne to witt that hee should haue triall of good and euill that is that hee should féele sundrie fortunes namely sickenesse calamities and death and as the prouerb is should féele both swéete and sowre For that is the lot or condition of man But the Sonne being incarnate for vs not the Father nor the holy Ghost was found in shape as a man and had triall of sundrie fortunes of death whiche was foretold to Adam as it is manifest for consolations sake and not in the way of mockage For as the good Lord did with a garment strengthen the body of oure first parent against the vnseasonablenesse of the ayre when for his sinne he purposed to banishe him out of Paradise so did he comfort and chéere vpp his sorrowfull minde with a full example of the sonnes incarnation and suffering And when he had so armed him in body and soule he casteth him out of the Garden of felicitie into a carefull and miserable exile There are in euery place many examples of this matter like vnto this For Abraham sawe thrée but with them thrée he talked as with one and worshipped one And The Lord rayned vppon Sodom and Gomorrha brimstone fire from the Lord out of heauen and ouerthrew those cities But least any man should interprete it and say The Lord rayned from the Lord that is from heauen he himselfe doth presently ad From heauen For as the father created all thinges by the Sonne so doth he by him preserue al things and doth euē still by him worke all things Nexte after Moses the notablest Prophete Dauid in his Psalmes doeth say By the word of the Lord were the heauens made and all the hostes of them by the breath of his mouth So heere thou hearest that there is one Lord in whome is the woord and the spirite both distinguished but not separated For the Lord made the heauens but by the Word the whole furniture of heauen doth stand by the Breath of the mouth of the lord The same Dauid sayeth The Lord sayd to my Lord sitt thou on my right hand vntill I make thine enimies thy footestoole Note that in an other place the same Dauid doth flatly saye that beside the Lord there is none other And yet héere againe he doeth as plainely saye The Lord said to my Lord meaning the father who had placed the sonne whiche was Dauids Lord at his right hand in heauē Out of Esaie may be gathered very many testimonies But the notablest of all the rest is that whiche Matthewe the Apostle citeth in these words Behold my sonne whome I haue chosen my beloued in whome my soule is pleased I will put my spirite vpon him c. With this agréeth that whiche Luke citeth saying The spirite of the Lord vppon me because hee hath annoynted mee to preache the Gospell to the poore hath hee sent mee c. In these testimonies heere thou hast the father the sonne and the holy Ghost A fewe out of many For I do not couet to turne ouer the whole scriptures of the old testament So then this faith wherewith wée doe beléeue in God the father y sonne and the holy Ghoste we haue receiued of God himselfe being deliuered vnto vs by the Prophetes Patriarchs but most euidently of all declared by the sonne of God him selfe oure Lord Iesus Christe and his holy Apostles wherevppon nowe we doe easilie gather wherfore it is that all the sincere bishops or ministers of the Churches together with the whole Church of Christe haue euer since the Apostles time with so firme a cōsent mainteyned and had this faith in honour It were