the servant Quest 2 it had beene more fit thâ—â— John should have come unto Christ then the Messias unto the Messenger I answer first Christ doth this that he might Answ 1 teach us humility as hee washed his Apostles feet afterwards for that end Iohn 13.14 Secondly that hee might teach us that the Answ 2 meanes of salvation are not to bee neglected by any but sought for by the best Thirdly this Christ did for the greater dignitie Answ 3 of the Sacrament that therein we may not respect man but God § 3. To bee Baptized of him Why was Sect. 3 Christ Baptized seeing he was that Lambe unspotted Answ 1 I answer first that he might fulfill all righteousnesse as in the next verse that as hee was borne for us so he would also be baptized for us Answ 2 Secondly to seale up his fellowship with us that in nothing he might be unlike unto his brethren but onely in sinne Answ 3 Thirdly Christ was baptized that hee might be fitted for that worke and function which hee was now shortly to undertake to wit the preaching of his Gospel Observ teaching us that none must intrude themselves into the worke of the Ministrie untill they bee prepared by the Spirit and called as Aaron was for all things should be done according to our callings which are termed vocations quia vocamur non quia intrudimus because we are called thereunto and not because we intrude our selves thereinto Answ 4 Fourthly that he might confirme the Sacrament of Baptisme by receiving it himselfe and that two manner of waies First externally by approving of that of Iohns and therefore although the Papists doe extenuate it yet wee dare affirme that either Christ and his Apostles were baptized by John or by none a Joh. 4.1 And Secondly Internally by his flesh sanctifying of Jordan and all other waters for this purpose appointed confirming also the efficacy of the Sacrament by the presence of the blessed Spirit Christ was baptized ut nobis secundae nativitatis consecraret lavacrum b Bedas that he might sanctifie for us the laver of regeneration or of the new birth Lavatus est Christus flumine Iordani non mundari volens sed mundare c Ambros in Luk. 3. Christ was baptized in Jordan not that therewith he might bee cleansed but that he might consecrate it for us as an effectuall signe of admission into the Church for wee are baptized into one body d 1 Cor. 12 13. yea by baptisme we put on Christ e Gal. 3.27 Quest 2 It may hence bee demanded What benefits have the members of Christ by baptisme Answ 1 I answer first thereby they receive remission and pardon of their sinnes Acts 2.38 and hence it is called the seale of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4.11 Answ 2 Secondly they gaine hereby regeneration John 3.5 whence it is called the laver of regeneration Tit. 3.5 In the new birth there are two things both which are attributed unto Baptisme First mortification and a dying to sinne according to the Apostle Saint Paul as many as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death f Rom. 6.3.4 and therefore wee are buried with him by Baptisme into death g Coloss 2.12 Secondly vivification or a living unto God Be baptized saith Saint Peter and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost h Acts 2.38 and else where it is said that by the washing of water he hath sanctified and clensed his Church Answ 3 Thirdly they gaine hereby eternall salvation for he that beleeves and is baptized shall be saved i Mark 16.16 Baptisme being typified by Noahs Arke wherein he and his were saved 1 Pet. 3.20.21 VERS 14. But Iohn forbad him saying Vers 14 I have neede to bee baptized of thee and comest thou to me § 1. Whether did John well in forbidding Sect. 1 Christ to come unto his baptisme or no Quest 1 I answer No Answ it was necessary that Christ should be baptised as it is shewed in the former question and therefore John erred in thus prohibiting of him But it may be objected Obiect Johns intent was good in his forbidding of Christ and therefore it is too rash a censure to say that hee erred herein I answer Answ there may be a good intention in an evill action and that first because oftentimes our intentions proceede from our affections not from our judgements and secondly because our judgements are frequently corrupted when they are not regulated and informed by the word of God It may here further be doubted if John erred Quest 2 in forbidding of Christ why was Christ then who neither could erre in himselfe nor can love error in another baptized by him I answer Answ to teach us that the Sacrament is lawfull although celebrated by a weake and infirme Minister John here confesseth that hee had neede to be baptized of Christ and erreth in denying Baptisme unto him and yet he baptizeth Christ with a true and lawfull Baptisme the reason hereof is because the Sacraments are not to bee esteemed according to the dignitie of man but according to the promise of God for the better understanding whereof observe that in the Minister administring the Sacrament there are two things to be considered viz. First his calling unto the Ministry this is diligently to be marked because otherwise his preaching is not Gods message nor his administration of the Sacrament lawfull but unto such it may be said as the evill spirit said to the sonnes of Sceâ—is Iesus I know and Paul I know but what are yee a Acts 19.15 Secondly his personall dignity this is not to be regarded as appeares I. by our Saviour who denounceth many woes against the Scribes and Pharisees and yet in that same Chapter admonisheth his owne Apostles to observe and doe whatsoever they bid them because they siâ— in Moses chaire b Matth. 23.2.3 II. Against the Papists our Church affirmes that the efficacy of the Sacrament doth neither depend upon the intention of the Minister nor upon the sanctity and purity of his person and therefore they are to bee reprooved that refuse to communicate with a weake and infirme Minister Paul knowes that some preach Christ of envie and yet he doth not forbid them c Phil. 1. But here observe a distinction necessary to be knowne Some refuse a Prophane and wicked Minister Simple and unlearned Minister either as Unlawfull these erre as appeares by that which hath beene already said Inconvenient and this is not condemned if choise may be had that is although the Minister bee neither endued with piety nor such parts and abilities as some are yet this doth not prove his Ministerie unlawfull but if it be in a mans choyce to dwell and settle himselfe where he pleaseth then it is commendable for him to seate himselfe under a pious painefull and prudent Pastour Sect. 2 § 2. I have neede to be Baptized of thee We may
blessed man because I. God by thus exercising of him shewes that hee loves him and II. The Divell by these strong assaults shewes that he fears maugre all his might hee shall loose him Secondly the other principall and particular cause why Christ was tempted was to shew the power of Christ in the victory and conquest of Sathan according to Saint Paul And having spoyled Principalities and Powers hee made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it r Col. 2.15 that is in the Crosse It may here be asked What did Christ triumph Quest 7 over Answ I answer First over our sinnes and guiltinesse so that now sinne shall have no more dominion over us s Rom. 6.14 Secondly he triumphed over death O death I will be thy death O grave I will be thy destruction sayd the Prophet of Christ t Hosea 13.14 to whom the Apostle agrees in these words Christ hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light u 2. Tim. 1.10 Thirdly hee triumphed over Sathan not onely in his resurrection but also in his temptations the Divell being alwayes put to the worst Hence wee see that the Divels could not goe into the Herd of swine untill Christ gave them leave thus also the unnamed Authour of the Hebrewes sayth That Christ came to destroy him that had the power of death that is the Divell x Heb. 2.14 and Saint Iohn y 1 Ioh. 3.8 testifieth that for this purpose the Sonne of God was manifested that hee might destroy the workes of the Divell And thus Christ triumphed over Sathan in this place § 4. Of the Divell Are all temptations from Sect. 4 the Divell Quest 1 I answer temptations are two fold viz. Answ First Divine whereby God tempts man Secondly Diabolicall whereby the Divell tempts man First there are Divine temptations whereby God tempts man How doth God tempt man Quest 2 I answer Answ God tempts and tryes two things in man viz. First his Faith whether hee be firme therein or not and this God doth by false Prophets false miracles false Apostles and persecutions Read for the proof◠hereof these place Deut. 13.3 Mat. 24.24 Secondly God tempts o◠tryes mans obedience whether he will continue in the service of the Lord or no Now this the Lord doth sometimes by grievous and heavy commands thus he tempts Abraham by that heart-wounding message every word whereof was a sword in his bowels Take thy sonne thy onely sonne Isaac whom thou lovest and goe offer him up unto me a Gen. 22.2.3 Thus the Lord tries Gideon whether he dare with onely three hundred men bid battle against the Host of the Midianites and the Amalekites b Iudg. 7.7 and thus he tempted Iob to see if he would continue in his integrity Secondly there are Diabolicall temptations Quest 3 whereby the Divell tries us How doth the Divell tempt man Answ I answer by these wayes and meanes First sometimes he calls the truth of Gods Precepts in question that wee might give the lesse credite thereunto and the more unto him And thus he tempted Evah Yee shall not dye at all but shall be like God c Gen. 3.4.5 knowing good and evill Secondly sometimes hee calls the truth of Gods promises and threatnings in question because often they that doe ill succeed well the Prophet gives us a president of this in the perverse Jewes Yee have said it is in vaine to serve the Lord and unprofitable to keepe his ordinances yea the proud are happy they that worke wickednesse are set up and they that tempt God are even delivered d Malach. 3.14.15 This is the divells malice thus to tempt us that so wee might the lesse care for or feare or regard either the consolations or comminations of the word Thirdly sometimes he makes the word of God seeme hard unto us that so although wee assent unto the truth of it yet we cannot consent unto the practise of it because it is displeasing to our nature or contrary to our disposition or requires more paines then we can endure to take and this made the Jewes cry out upon the doctrine of Christ because it was a hard saying not a false saying and they could not endure it not they could not lawfully obey it and therefore they reject both Doctor and Doctrine e Ioh. 6.60 Preacher and Sermon Fourthly sometimes the Divell teacheth us to abuse Scripture unto the patronage of impiety and thus he abuseth it himselfe in this Chapter labouring by the false alleadging of Scripture to perswade Christ to tempt Gods providence thus he teacheth others to abuse the parable of the talents unto Usury and those words the Sabbath was made for man unto the prophanation of the Sabbath arguing thus from thence It was made for man therefore if man have any occasions he may ride his journeyes or may buy and sell upon that day Fiftly somtimes the divell propounds the inticements of the world unto us thereby frequently bewitching and insnaring of us Sixtly sometimes he spurres forward the desires of our nature and flesh and enflames our appetites unto unlawfull lusts and delights Seventhly sometimes he urges the examples of wicked men unto us that thereby we might be the more emboldened to sinne by their president and paterne Lastly sometimes he tempts us by others exasperating the world against us by hatred or derision or contempt or persecution or wicked counsell or the like Vers 2 VERS 2. And when he had fasted fourty dayes and fourty nights he was afterwards an hungred Quest 1 Why did Christ fast Answ I answer in or for a double respect viz. first in regard of his office and calling which he was to undertake Secondly in respect of his temptation which he was to undergoe First Christ fasted in regard of his function which he was to undertake that he might bee the better prepared for it this reason is given by some but I omitt it because the text seemes to point at the next Secondly Christ fasted in regard of his temptation which he was to undergoe that he might be prepared thereunto How many sorts of fasts are there I answer five First there is a necessary fast when men abstaine because they have nothing Quest 2 to eate Secondly there is a naturall fast Answ this is a voluntary abstinence because a man is not hungry and this is occasioned two severall waies 1 from the naturall constitution of the body and thus Hippocrates saith senes faciliùs jejunant old men are easily perswaded to fast 2 from some sicknesse which hath taken away the appetite and made all meat loathsome unto the stomach Thirdly there is a civill fast which is two fold either 1 commanded by the Magistrate for some civill end as victory or the like thus Saul commands the people to fast untill night least otherwise they should have beene hindred from the pursuite of their enemies Or 2 this fast is undertaken without a command
First we learne hence that in Heaven God is perfectly worshipped and obeyed without any defect or failing at all Quest 3 How doth this appeare Ans 1 First in Heaven we shall be like unto the Angels Mat. 22.30 But they serve the Lord perfectly Psal 103.20 21. Ans 2 Secondly in Heaven we shall be like Christ 1 Iohn 3.2 therefore without sinne Ans 3 Thirdly in Heaven wee shall rest from our labour Revel 14.13 therefore from sinne Ans 4 Fourthly in Heaven death shall be destroyed and consequently sinne for sinne is the sting of death 1 Cor. 15.55 c. Ans 5 Fifthly in Heaven we shall put off all corruption 1 Cor. 15.42 and in all things we shall be perfect compleat in knowledge 1 Cor. 13.10 yea perfect men Ephes 4.13 Sixthly all mutable and changeable things Ans 6 shall cease in Heaven and therefore sinne All things there then shall be eternall as God is And there shall be time no longer What meanes must wee use to be made partakers Quest. 4 of this Kingdome where we shall perfectly obey our God First meditate upon a three-fold life namely Answ 1 1. Of Adam in Paradise 2. Of our selves in the flesh 3. Of the life which is lead in heaven First meditate upon the life of Adam in paradise that so we may remember from whence wee are fallen and repent Revel 2.5 Yea consider our losse and seriously bewaile it Remember what thou wert there namely I. Innocent pure without sinne created after the Image of God Genesis 1.29 Ephesians 4.24 II. Secure and safe in peace and tranquillitie for there was neither danger nor death nor enemies III. Familiar with God In Paradise Man durst talke with his Maker without feare IV. In the Garden mans wisdome was excellent hee could name the woman and all the creatures with names suting unto their natures But by sinne man hath lost all these Oh who would not desire to recover this condition And therefore remember if thou wert in heaven thou shouldest have all these and much more and shouldst never lose them Secondly meditate upon our life which wee leade in the flesh what manner of life it is To wit that here is First calamities and sudden chances Secondly poverty and want the best standing in need of many things Thirdly troubles crosses griefes frettings and never quiet Fourthly and the sinnes which thou hast committed thou committest daily this would make any tender conscience cry out Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Mesech Psalm 120.5 Fifthly infirmities and weakenesses whereby we are not able to doe what wee should First Temptation ariseth and assault us unto evill Secondly many sinister ends we have in the performance of good duties Thirdly a sluggish wearinesse and unwillingnesse seizeth upon us in good workes Fourthly if any good duty be performed willingly and cheerefully we are ready presently to brag and boast of it Fifthly we are very uncertaine and inconstant in the way and worke of the Lord And therefore what cause of mourning doth this life afford unto us Sixthly blindnesse of minde so that we can neither Meditate of eternall joyes Nor Understand spirituall things 1 Cor. 2.14 Seventhly all things are fraile nothing is stable And therefore who is there who would not be weary of this life when he seriously remembers these things Thirdly meditate upon that life which the Saints lead in Heaven that so we may hunger the more earnestly after it Remember there First that an end shall be put to all evils for ever all things there being sweet and happie Secondly mutability shall be taken away all things there being eternall and stable Thirdly the chaines of sinne shall be broken and the minde shall be free from all evill there shall be chastity without any uncleannesse sanctitie without any pollution gravity without any foolishnesse temperance without any gluttony there the minde shall be alwayes sober holy pious wholly and alwayes addicted to the love of God Fourthly We shall see God face to face Mat. 5.8 Revel 22.4 Answ 2 Secondly let us consider our folly who yet wallow in the puddle of sinne and acknowledge our danger who are deceived by Satan as by Dalilah was Sampson Answ 3 Thirdly let us remember the danger of procrastination and delay For I. Satan is crafty II. Sinne daily increaseth within us both in regard of quantity and quality III. We daily are estranged more from God and stray farther from him IV. Death comes daily creeping upon us oh consider how many fall into the snares of death at unawares when they thinke of no such thing at all Answ 4 Fourthly let us recall our spirits from the love of all earthly things with Mary chusing the better part and placing our affections upon those things which are above using the world as though we used it not 1 Cor. 7.30 And thus much for the first thing observable in this petition that in Heaven God is perfectly worshipped and served Secondly from these words Thy will be done on earth as in Heaven we learne that God is not perfectly worshipped in earth for otherwise Obser 2 what need we pray Or that the will of God is ordinarily violated upon the earth 1 Iohn 5.19 Quest 5 How doth this appeare Answ 1 First there are many in the world who know not the will of God the Gentiles are ignorant of the truth and Word of God yea how many Sects are there in the world both in China Aethiopia Turkie Persia and India yea how many Papists Heretickes Familists Libertines and Separatists who understand not aright the will of God And therefore no wonder if they doe not obey it Secondly in the Church there are many wicked many disobedient unto the will of God Answ 2 Thirdly the godly in the Church are infirme Answ 3 and weake the best of all sinning often 1 Iohn 1.8 9. How many sorts of people are there in the Quest 4 Church who doe not fulfill the will of God Many but principally these five namely Answ First prophane persons to whom nothing but sinne and iniquity is pleasing Secondly morall and civill honest men who are without all taste or rellish of Religion Thirdly Hypocrites who have a forme of godlinesse but deny the power thereof in their hearts b Tim. 3.5 Fourthly those who are halfe converted as Agrippa was halfe perswaded to become a Christian and Herod contented to do halfe the work of a Christian man Mark 6.20 Fifthly those who stick at the threshold and cleave in the barke of Religion tything mints and straining gnats but neglecting the greater things of the Law What is required of the righteous within the Church towards these Quest 7 Wee must endeavour to helpe them to fullfill the will of God Answ by these meanes to wit First by counselling advising exhorting and perswading them unto obedience Secondly by shining before them in a holy life and conversation that what our exhortations cannot our examples may doe Thirdly by our
Isidor Many ate by weight and drunke by measure Because In nimio pane non de est peccatum g Bern. de pass dom 42. Secondly an abstinence from all naturall delights Esa 22.12 Amos 6.6 Mourning is the way unto repentance 2 Cor. 7.10 and therefore in the time of fasting which should bee a time of humiliation we should rather goe unto the house of mourning then of mirth Thirdly an abstinence from wedlocke comforts Let the Bride goe out of her chamber Ioel 2.16 and 1 Cor. 7.5 Fourthly an abstinence from our labours and workes because imployments distract the mind Numb 29.7 Fifthly some adde that hereunto is required Almes Esa 58.7 Thirdly the last part of a true fast is Interna veritas the internal truth and life thereof this is the marrow of the matter because the heart is to bee established with grace and not with meate Heb. 13.9 Here many things are observable but I reduce them unto these three I. There must be a rending of the heart II. A turning unto God III. A sacrifice to offer up unto God First in the true internall or inward fast there must be a rending of the heart and an humbling of the soule Ioel 2.13 Rend your hearts and not your garments so Lev. 16.29 and 23.28 Here wee should seriously meditate of those things which might wound and breake the soule as the corruption of our whole nature the multitude and magnitude of our by-past sinnes the weight and strength of our present concupiscence the malice of Satan against us the danger of hell fire the many provocations of our God Oh happy is that man who can weepe drops of blood and can sinke himselfe upon the day of fasting unto the bottome of sorrow for such God will comfort and raise up 1 Peter 5.6 Secondly in the true fast there must be a converting and turning of the heart unto God Ioel 2.13 Rend your hearts and turne unto the Lord. In this conversion there are three things required I. A turning from sinne both our old sinnes and all sinnes II. A hungring after a reconciliation with God as the prodigall child did Luke 15. III. A desire to possesse and injoy God by faith in the soule and to be mâ—de partakers of internall joy by the Holy Spirit Thirdly in the true fast wee must provide some sacrifice to offer up unto God Thus the Lord commands his people upon the day of fasting to afflict their soules and to offer an offring to him Lev. 23.27 and Numb 29.7 Sacrifices are now ceased and therefore what Quest 1 must we offer up unto God First we must offer up unto God a broken Answ 1 and a contrite heart for such a sacrifice pleaseth him well Psal 51.17 but of this something was said before Secondly we must offer up unto God the sacrifice Answ 2 of repentance wee must sacrifice our sinnes and repent us seriously of our iniquities Thirdly wee must offer the sacrifice of mercy Answ 3 unto God in the day of humiliation and fasting wee must pardon those who have offended us and bee reconciled unto those who are at oddes with us and doe good unto those who stand in neede of our helpe reliefe and succour h Esa 58.7 Ezac 7.9 Fourthly wee must offer up the calves of our lips and sacrifice of our prayers unto God for fasting is no fasting without prayer Ose 14.3 Answ 4 Fifthly wee must offer up the sacrifice of Answ 5 praise unto God that is give thankes unto his name Heb. 13.15 both for those many mercies hee bestoweth upon us and those many evills we are preserved from by him Sixthly wee must offer up our selves unto Answ 6 God and that two manner of waies namely I. By adjudging our selves worthy of punishment both temporall and eternall for this vilifying and debasing of our selves doth glorifie our God II. By addicting and devoting our selves wholly up unto the service of the Lord resolving henceforth to serve no other but onely him all the daies wee have to live What time is most fit for fasting Quest 5 We fast either for Answ Temporall things and that either for the Removing of evils whether Publike or Private Here there is need of the acknowledgment of our deserts of our humiliation of the deprecating of the punishment and the taking away of the evill which is feared and deserved Procuring of good things as the Church did Act. 13.3 and 14.23 and our Church now doth at the ordination of Ministers Spirituall things and that either for The quickning of our prayers and that if we be sensible of Some present temptation or lust or concupiscence and desire that it may be mortified and subdued The absence of Christ whom wee desire should returne as the Apostles desired to have him awaked Matth. 8.25 Private meditations that whether they be for things By past as for The sinnes of our youth The losse of our time The love of Christ towards us The bitternesse of his death and passion c. Present as namely the examination of our lives sinnes occasions unto evill repentance faith and the like Holy duties as the hearing of the Word the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and the bringing of our infants to the Sacrament of Baptisme Before all which duties fasting conjoyned with repentance and prayer is very profitable Sect. 3 § 3. Anoint thy head and wash thy face Quest. 1 What is the meaning of these words Answ 1 First some understand them Tropologically namely I. By head some understand Christ and by anointing Almes Anoint thy head that is doe good unto thy Neighbour for love is like unto ointment Psal 133. thus Chrysost hom 9. fer 4. Ciner tom 2. Vnge caput id est Christum c. Anoint thy head that is Christ with the oyle of mercy and charitie as Mary did Mat. 26.7 Chrys imperf s II. Some take the head for the sense reason and understanding because that is the head of the soule and by the anointing they understand joyfulnesse and cheerefulnesse Anoint thy head Vt latitiam spiritus sancti intus habeamus that within in thy soule thou maist have the joy of the Holy Ghost Chrysost imperf and Hilary s and Gualt s III. Some take face for conscience and washing for cleansing wash thy face that is purge and cleanse thy heart August s and Hilarie s IV. Some by the face understand the conversation which must be washed and cleansed from all pollutions whatsoever Philippians 2.15 V. Some by the face understand both these Wash thy face that is both thy body and soule from all filthinesse of sinne Chrysostome imperf Secondly some understand these words literally Answ 2 that is strictly according to the letter to wit of a generall command of anointing the head in fasting this with an unanimous consent is confuted and rejected by Hierome Chrysostom Augustine and Hilary and that for these reasons I. Because this was never used either by any converted
And it was the third houre when they crucified him St. Iohn 19.14 saith it was the preparation of the Passeover and about the sixt houre they delivered him to be crucified St. Luke 23.44 saith It was about the sixt houre and there was darknesse over all the Land Now the summe is this that Christ was crucified at the 3. and 6. houre the 3. houre being ended Sect. 5 and gone the sixt houre going but not ended § 5. He saith unto them goe ye also into my Vineyard Observ We see here that the Labourers stand all idle untill they be called to teach us that the beginning of all grace and goodnesse is from Gods call and not from our selves Whence it may be demanded Why doth God then blame any for disobedience and wickednesse Why doth he not call them Quest seeing he knowes that they can doe nothing without his call Answ There is a double call namely First a generall call by the word Proverb 1.24 and 8.1.3 c. and 9.3 c. Now every Christian is thus called therfore the fault is in themselves because they willingly sleight despise this call Secondly there is a particular call and that is when men are inwardly moved by the Spirit Now J perswade my selfe that there are none which live under the generall call of the word but they have also the particular call of the Spirit which moves them unto repentance and obedience Now this particular call is threefold viz. I. Unto the externall society of Christ and thus the Apostles were called to follow Christ Matthew 4.19 c. and 9. And II. Unto internall grace and this is twofold namely First generall from which a man may fall Mat. 20.16 and 22.14 Galath 5.13 And Secondly reall and effectuall Rom. 8.28 c. Cantic 2.10 and 5.2 4. And therefore it is not sufficient for us I. To be called generally by the word of God Or II. To be called generally by the Spirit of God for the stony ground heard with joy But wee must learne and labour First to be changed and to be made new creatures 2. Corinth 5.17 Gal. 6.15 And Secondly to be humbled by a lowly confession and acknowledgement yeelding our selves to be the Liege Seruants of God 1. Corinth 16.20 And Thirdly to deny our selves Mat. 16.24 And Fourthly to labour to bring every rebellious thought in obedience unto the Spirit 2. Corinth 10.4 And III. There is a particular call unto particular callings and functions and thus Bezaleel and Aholiab were called thus Saul and David were called and thus Ministers are called to the worke of the Ministery VERS 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. And when even was come Vers 8 9 10 c. the M. of the Vineyard said unto his Steward call the Labourers and give them their hire beginning at the last till thou come to the first And they which were hired about the eleventh houre came and received every man a peny Now when the first came they supposed that they should receive more but they likewise received every man a peny And when they had received it they murmured against the master of the house saying these last have wrought but one houre and thou hast made them equall vnto vs which have borne the burden and heate of the day And he answered one of them saying Friend I doe thee no wrong didst thou not agree with me for a peny Take that which is thine owne and goe thy way I will give to this last as much as to thee Is it not lawfull for me to doe as I will with my owne Is thy eye evill because I am good So the last shall be first and the first last for many are called but few chosen Sect. 1 § 1. So when Even was come c. Bellarmine lib. 1. de Sanctorum beatitudine cap. 1. produceth this place to prove that the soules of the Saints doe not enjoy the beatificall vision and sight of God untill the Resurrection and he argues thus Object The Master of the family calls all the servants at night and gives them their hire Now by Night is understood the Resurrection as by the Penny is meant Life everlasting And therefore untill the Resurrection they doe not enjoy the Joyes of heaven or the presence of God Answ 1 First Chrysostome in hunc locum admonisheth us not to straine every particular of a Parable but onely to consider the scope of Christ in the propounding thereof Now the scope of our Saviour seemes to me to be threefold namely I. That all the elect shall be endued with life eternall at what houre soever they be called And II. To shew that the Fathers and Saints in the new Testament labour a shorter time then did they in the old that is the elect obtaine Heaven sooner in fewer yeares now under the Gospell then they did under the Law And III. To teach us that not alwayes they who are first called come first to Heaven for often they who are later called come sooner to their journeyes end Answ 2 Secondly suppose we should admit and grant that our Saviour speakes here of the last publike and generall Judgement yet this would not take away the particular Judgement in which there is given to every man as soone as he departs out of this life a part of his reward Sect. 2 § 2. Give them their hire Object 1 The Papists say That a man may truly satisfie the wrath of God for the punishment due unto sinne by his good workes and Bellarmine de poenit Lib. 4. Cap. 8. produceth this place for the proofe hereof arguing thus Jf good workes may merit or deserve eternall life then much more may they avert and turne away temporall punishments But the first is true from this place where the Kingdome of God is called wages or reward and 2. Timoth. 4.8 it is called the crowne of Iustice which God the just Iudge shall give where the Apostles intimates That t is a reward justly given to mens deserts Therefore good workes may much more redeeme temporall punishments Answ Wee utterly deny that heaven can be merited with good workes For First St. Paul having first said The wages of sinne is death addeth further but the gift of God is eternall life Rom. 6.23 Where he calleth it a gift and not wages Secondly it is called in this parable a reward or wages but not in respect of the workemans labour but of Gods covenant and promise For I. Jf it were by desert then he that laboured twelve houres had deserved more then he that wrought but one As St. Ambrose saith de vocat Gentium Lib. 1. Cap. 3. Hora undecima intromissos in vineam c. They which were sent into the Vineyard at the eleventh houre the divine indulgence made equall to the Labourers of he whole day not paying the wages of their labour but powring out the riches of his goodnesse c. that they which endured much labour and received no
which see not God so many carnall eyes see the Scriptures which see not Christ f Gualt s Answ 2 Secondly the heavens were opened Tropologicè to shew 1. that heaven is opened unto us by the Baptisme of the Spirit or 2. that heaven is opened unto all those that are spirituall for for this cause are all graces given unto us that wee may be made partakers of the kingdome of heaven What graces are given unto us by the Spirit Quest 3 for the obtaining of heaven I answer First the grace of light knowledge Answ 1 and illumination by which we are enabled to understand those things that concerne the glory of God and our owne salvation g 1 Cor. 2.14.15 Answ 2 Secondly the grace of faith whereby we confidently beleeve heaven to bee our lot and inheritance Answ 3 Thirdly the grace of piety and holinesse whereby we are reclaimed from sinne called unto heaven and commanded no longer to have commerce or fellowship with the world and therefore let us labour that we may be made spirituall and that wee may bee Baptized with the Holy Ghost that so wee may partake of this light of understanding this hope of heaven and this purity of life Sect. 2 § 2. And the Spirit of God descended like a Dove Obiect The Rhemists h s Act. 17. â—ect 5. and Bellarmine produce this place to prove that it is lawfull to paint the Blessed Trinity viz. God the Father like an old man with the world in his hand Christ as hee walked upon the earth the Holy Ghost in likenesse of a Dove Arguing thus To paint the Trinity or any one of them as they appeared visibly is no more inconvenient then it was undecent for them so to appeare Wee answer First this doth flatly controle Answ 1 and contradict the word of God which simply forbiddeth any similitude to bee made of things in heaven or in earth to worship God by in the second commandement Secondly God expressly declareth that hee would not appeare in any visible shape when he Answ 2 gave the law least the people should abuse that shape to make an Jmage of God after it a Deut. 4.15 Thirdly the argument followeth not for Answ 3 God saw it was convenient sometimes by visible signes to appeare unto men and yet seeth it to be inconvenient for pictures to bee made to resemble him by for else hee would never have forbidden it Fourthly though the argument be admitted Answ 4 yet seeing now that all such visible apparitions of the Trinitie are ceased all such visible pictures likewise should be out of use Fiftly if when such apparitions were seene Answ 5 yet no such images were tolerated how much lesse are they lawfull now all such visions being long agoe determined b Willet Synops f. 457. Why did the Holy Ghost descend I answer First for the dignitie of the person Quest 1 baptized Christ was God and therefore God Answ 1 the Holy Ghost comes to witnesse his baptisme Secondly to shew the nature of Christs Kingdome Answ 2 that it was not earthly and therefore hee was not annointed with oile but heavenly and spirituall therefore he was annointed by the Holy Ghost Thirdly to shew the nature of Christs office Answ 3 or that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and powerfull operation and working of Christ in the hearts of men Teaching us Observ that whosoever are Christs are made partakers of the Spirit of God c Ioh. 3.5 and 7.37.39 and 1 Thess 4.8 Hence the Spirit is called 1 Arrha an earnest d 2 Cor. 5.5 2 a seale Ephes 1.13 and 4.30 3 an holy action 1 Iohn 2.20.27 And therefore whatsoever wee be in other things if we be Christs we are happie and blessed if we be poore yet God will love us if we be simple God will teach us if we be infants God will increase us unto maturity and ripenes and in the meane time ordaine praise unto himselfe out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings if we have beene sinners he will passe by our former sinnes e Act. 17.30 and give his Spirit unto us if wee belong unto Christ Whether did the Holy Ghost here make use Quest 2 of a naturall Dove or onely as the Angels were wont to appeare did shew himselfe in the shape of a Dove I answer First the phrase seemes to imply Answ 1 the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a Dove and so also Mar. 1.10 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a bodily shape like a Dove upon him saith Saint Luke f Luk. 3.22 Secondly Calvin warily and wisely dares conclude Answ 2 nothing and doth advise us not to sift it too narrowly and therefore I leave it Quest 3 Why doth the Holy Ghost descend in the shape of a Dove Answ 1 I answer for three causes First for the fulfilling of the Type Secondly for the expressing of the nature of Christ Thirdly for our imitation First the Holy Ghost descended upon Christ in the shape of a Dove for the fulfilling of the type because the Dove was the messenger of peace in times past unto Noah g Gen 8.11 and Plutarch and Coelius Rhod. affirmes that it was also to Observ 2 Deucalion the Holy Ghost hereby teaching us that Christ came that he might reconcile us unto God according to the testimony of the Apostle wee have peace towards God through Iesus Christ our Lord h Rom. 5.1 and againe when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Sonne i Rom. 5.10 and 2 Cor. 5.19.20 What necessity was there of this Doves comming Quest 4 I answer the necessity appeares thus Answ First the world was now overwhelmed with sinne as formerly with a deluge of water Secondly Christ comes to cure this deluge to dry up this water and to take away our sins whence he is called the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world k Iohn 1. Thirdly and therefore most fitly comes this dove at this time that as Noahs Dove came with an olive branch l Gen 8.11 as a token of peace so the holy Spirit in the likenesse of a Dove is a signe of that peace and reconciliation which is wrought by Christ betweene our God and us All are not reconciled unto God by Christ Quest 5 and therefore what must we doe to be assured of our Particular peace and atonement with our Father whom we have offended I answer meditate seriously and frequently upon these things Answ first remember that we are all sinners lost in Adam m Rom. 5.12 and that in many things we all sin daily and he is a lyer who saith otherwise n 1 Ioh. 1.8 Secondly remember that by sinne wee are guilty of death death having passed upon all for sinne o Rom. 5.12 Thirdly meditate what death wee are liable unto it is not the effusion of our blood not a depriving of us of sense not such a sorrow
Law of God neither indeed can bee Rom. 8.7 Secondly because the Commandements of Answ 2 God are grievous to a corrupt and polluted heart which cannot cease to sinne And therefore doth oppose them § 3. I came not to destroy the Law Sect. 3 The Jewes object this place to prove that the Object 1 Law shall not be abrogated when the Messiah comes thus The Christians say that Christ was the true Messias and yet he both obeyed and fulfilled the Law himselfe and both by example and Doctrine did move others also to the obedience thereof In this verse he saith I came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it and afterwards vers 19. he saith Whosoever shall breake one of these least Commandements and shall teach men so to doe he shall be called the least in the kingdome of Heaven And therefore say the Jewes that both by the words and deedes of Christ it evidently appeares that the Mosaicall Law shall not cease or be abrogated That we may truely see how Christ fulfilled the Law and the Prophets Answ we must remember that in the Law and Prophets were principally contained five things namely things morall ceremoniall judiciall Sacramentall and promises and threatnings First in the law and Prophets there are Morall things to wit the ten Commandements which are necessarily to bee obeyed unto salvation by all those who are of yeares of discretion and therefore were not to cease at the comming of Christ nor to bee abolished by him but fulfilled Secondly in the law and Prophets there were Judiciall things as an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth and divers the like in these there was judgement without mercy and therefore they were to bee mitigated and allayed by the sweetnesse of mercy at the comming of the Messiah Thirdly in the Law and Prophets there were Ceremoniall things to wit all the sacrifices and many more which being but figures of things to come were to vanish when Christ unto whom they all pointed came into the flesh now even these Christ did obey fulfil literally until the determinate time of their cessation and then by himselfe and his Apostles did reduce them unto a spirituall and mysticall sense Fourthly in the law and Prophets there were Sacramentall things as circumcision the Paschall Lambe and the red Heifer these were figures of Christs suffering death and blood-shed and therefore were necessarily to cease when Christ came And these were fulfilled by him in his death and suffering Fiftly in the law and Prophets there were Promises of the comming of the Messias and withall of the conversion of the Gentiles of remission of sinnes and eternall salvation and these our Saviour perfectly fulfilled t Galatinus lib. 11. cap. 2. fol. 400. The Manichees as was said before rejecting the law of God and the Old Testament are urged by Saint Augustine to give over their opinion considering what our blessed Evangelist hath positively avouched in this verse why doe yee not O Manichees receive the law saith the Father and the Prophets which Christ came to fulfill Here Faustus in the behalfe of them all takes the quarell in hand disputing thus Object 2 First none make mention of this saying but onely Matthew who followed Christ when he came downe from the mount and was called to bee an Apostle after this Sermon was preached namely Chap. 9.9 but Saint Iohn saith nothing of it who was alwayes with him Answ Hereunto Augustine answers that though Matthew heard it not from Christ upon the Mount yet hee might either heare it from his owne mouth at some other time or hee might heare it from Iohn who was present Object 3 Secondly Faustus objects againe this Gospell was not written by Matthew but by some other for of Matthew it is written in the third person Hee seeth a man sitting at the receit of custome whose name was Matthew Mat. 9.9 Answ Hereunto Augustine answers that by the same argument Faustus may as well conclude that Saint Iohn writ not his Gospell for he speaketh of himselfe saying Peter turned him about saw the other Disciple whom Iesus loved Object 4 Thirdly Faustus objects to beleeve the new Testament is nothing else but to acknowledge the disanulling of the old and therfore the law is not now to be observed Answ In the old Testament were figures which must needs cease when the things figured out are present and even herein are the Law and Prophets fulfilled in which it is written that God would give a new Testament Ieremiah 31.31 Fourthly when a Jew shall aske thee saith Object 5 Faustus why thou dost not keepe the precepts of the Law which Christ came not to dissolve thou either 1. must confesse this verse to be false or 2. deny thy selfe to bee Christs Disciple or 3. yeeld to observe the ceremonies still The faithfull saith Augustine doe keepe the Law and the Prophets when truely cordially Answer and unfainedly they love God and their neighbour and as for figures and ceremonies they know that things shadowed out by them are now fulfilled in Christ August contra Faust lib. 19. Cap. 7. How is the Law destroyed because our Saviour Quest 1 saith here he came not to destroy the Law First the Law is destroyed Malè explicando Answ 1 by a wrong interpretation thereof and thus Christ gives the true sense of the Law and refutes the impious expositions of the Scribes and Pharisees vers 21. c. Secondly the Law is dissolved Malè explendo Answ 2 by a false fulfilling and accomplishing thereof And thus Christ doth not teach that obedience unto the Law is to bee neglected but rather urgeth it Either by the comming of Christ the Law is Object 6 destroyed or else the Scripture is contrary to it selfe but the latter is false therefore the former is true The necessity of the connexion is proved thus Saint Paul urgeth first that by the workes of the law wee cannot be justified Rom. 3.20.21 and Gal. 2.16 and Rom. 4.14.15 Secondly that it is impossible for the law to save us Rom. 8.3 Gal. 3.21 Thirdly that wee are not now under a pedagogue Gal. 3.24.25 that is not under the law but under grace Rom. 6.14 we being dead unto the law Romans 7.4 Galat. 2.19 First the ceremoniall law is abolished for that Answ 1 was our pedagogue unto Christ daies and meats and moneths and feasts and ordinances and circumcision were but shadowes of things to come and therefore the substance and thing typified being come the types and shadowes vanish out of sight Read Heb. 10.1 Gal. 5.2 and 4.10 and Ephes 2.15 Colos 2 16. Answ 2 Secondly in the Morall law we may observe the Condition which is either of Death which is Malediction and a curse and this Christ tooke away in his crosse and abolished it as appeares by these places 2 Cor. 3.7 Gal. 3.10.13 Deut. 27.26 and 1 Cor. 15.56 Life which is Justification and this also is abrogated Rom. 3.20 Gal. 2.16 and
the truth And Possevine saith Å¿ Bibl. select lib. 12. cap. 23. Some things in the Fathers wherein they dissented from the Church are judged and rejected Secondly they reject the Fathers one by one ordinarily when they crosse Romes Doctrine Many examples the Reader may see heereof in our fore-named Authour White pag. 330. § 13. Thirdly the Papists basely slight the Fathers although many of them agree in one and the same thing as for example in the question touching the cause of predestination one t Sixt Senens bib lib. 6. annot 241. saith that Chrysostome Origen Ambrose Hierome Augustine Theodoret Sedulius Theophilact Oecumenius and Theodulus held the prescience of merits the which opinion was condemned in Pelagius And thus he rejects ten Worthies at once Another u Mich. Medin â—rig sacr hom li. 1. cap. 5. sayth that Hierome Augustine Ambrose Sedulius Primasius Chrysostome Theodoret Oecumenius and Theophilact which are the chiefest of the Fathers in the question concerning the difference betweene a Priest and a Bishop held the same opinion which Aerius the Waldenses and Wickliffe did whom he counteth for Heretickes and chargeth the Fathers with the same heresie In the matter touching the baptisme of Constantine the great they v Baron an 324. n. 43. 50. et inde reject Eusebius Ambrose Hierome Theodoret Socrates Sozomen and the whole Councell of Ariminum saying they deserve no credit because not they that is the Fathers have written the truth but themselves that is the Papists have truly related that hee was baptized by Eusebius the Bishop of Nicomedia And thus wee see how the Papists esteeme of the Fathers or their writings when they sute not with their owne Tenets Fourthly the Workes and Writings of the Answ 4 Fathers are purged I should say rather polluted by the Papists and adulterated and corrupted and gelded and changed and therefore wee are not now by any meanes to build our faith upon them I intreat the studious Reader here to peruse Perkinsi Problema pag. 2. c. ad 44. And Censura quorundam Scriptorum Auctore Roberto Coco where he shall finde this answer abundantly confirmed Answ 5 Fifthly the Fathers in many things dissented among themselves and therefore wee cannot build our faith upon them because the foundation of faith ought to bee firme and infallible truth being but one Theophilus calleth Ephiphanius Haerefiarcham the grand Captaine and Father of Heretiques Gennadius saith that Saint Augustine was not farre off from being an Heretique Saint Hierome writing to St. Augustine sayth thus In Epistola tua quaedam haeretica esse judicavi I conceive that there are some hereticall opinions in your Epistle Saint Augustine wisheth Saint Hierome to acknowledge his errour and recant w Jewel Defense of the Apolo f. 37. 8. Sixtly the Fathers have erred in many things and therefore are not firme pillars to build our faith upon This a learned Papist doth acknowledge x â—anus loc Thâ—ol l. 7 c. 3. conclus 2. in these words The Canonicall Authors Answ 6 as being directed from above doe alwaies hold a perpetuall and stable constancie in their writings but the Fathers being inferiour unto them faiâ—e sometimes now and then contrary to the course of nature bringing forth a monster And another of them saith y Anselm Comment in 2. Cor. that in their bookes which the Church readeth many times are found things corrupt and hereticall Thus Hillary denied that Christ in his sufferings had any sorrow Refert Bellarm. de Char. l. 4. c. 8. Clemens Alexandrinus saith that Christ did not eate and drinke of any necessity but onely to shew that he had a true body and that hee and his Apostles after their death preached to the damned in hell and converted many z Strom l 6 and l. 3. Cyprian held rebaptization and Athenagoras condemned marriage Seventhly we Protestants doe not deny the Answ 7 Fathers but receive them with all reverence studying their writings and accounting their bookes as most excellent monuments of antiquitie but wee dare not make them rules of faith in themselves by which doctrines of truth are established but allow the Scriptures onely to be judge whereby wee trie both the Fathers and our selves Faith comes from the word of God not from the writing of men Rom. 10.14 and therefore the word not the Fathers must be the rule of our faith and by the proportion and Analogie of faith and truth therein contained all opinions are to be proved And therefore I thus conclude this question first that the Fathers may erre Secondly that many of them may erre together Thirdly that the learned of this present age in many things have more understanding then the Fathers had we being as Dominicus Bannes a Doctor of the Church of Rome said pag. 58. 59 like châ—ldren standing on the shoulders of Gyants who being lifted up by the tallenesse of the Giants see further then they themselves Fourthly and lastly that therefore with reverence they may in some things be refused § 2. sbalt not kill Sect. 2 How many degrees are there of murther Quest 1 in the text Five namely Answ first Whosoever is angry with his brother by Anger here is meant all the interiour motions in the minde will and heart which are repugnant to brotherly love The second degree is to call our brother Raca that is to use some signes and gestures of an angry and malevolent minde either by the countenance or by some disdainfull words of reproach which breake forth or by some gesture of the body The third degree is to call our brother Foole that is when the mind and affections being throughly moved we breake forth into manifold opprobrious and evill speakings The fourth is when by some deede which externally we performe we harme the body or impaire the health of our brother The fifth and last is Homicide it selfe But of all these more particularly by and by Much might be spoken first of the Antiquity of this law it being given presently after the flood Whosâ— sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed a Gen. 9.6 Secondly of the Antiquitie of the breach of this Law it being violated not many yeares after the creation b Gen. 4.11 when Cain killed Abell Thirdly of the generality of this Commandement Every one that takes the sword shall perish with the sword c Matth. 26.52 But I here forbeare referring these to another place Quest 2 What was our Saviours scope in the quoting of this Law Thou shalt not kill To teach them that they did not truely and rigthly understand it Answ expounding it onely according to the letter Quest 3 Why must not the Law be restrained onely to his literall sense Answ 1 First because the words are concise but the sense is prolixe the formes are short for the helpe of memory but the matters therein contained are long and many and that both in the Decalogue and in the Lords prayer and
hath beene reprehended and refused Therefore their consent and agreement is not the true rule of interpretation The Minor proposition is proved from this verse 21 31.33.38.43 where our Saviour doth plainely and directly oppose himselfe against the expositions of the Ancients It hath beene said of old thus but I say thus unto you Sect 4 § 4. Thou shalt not commit adultery Quest 1 Whether did the Law of Moses only restraine and forbid the outward act of sinne A sw The law did not onely restraine the body but the mind also not onely the outward action but also the inward affection Against this it is ob ected Object our Saviour faith here it was said unto you of old Thou shalt not commit adultery But I say c so that it appeareth the law onely restrained the outward act but Christ doth forbid more even the inward affection and desire First our blessed Saviour speaketh according Answ 1 to their opinion because they thought they were onely obliged and tied to the outward act and therefore he doth deliver the law from their corrupt interpretations nâ—t giving a new exposition as appeareth plainely verse 43. ye have heard that it hath beene said thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thy enemie but in all the old Testament there is no such precept given by God or liberty for any to hate their enemie our Saviour then meaneth not such sayings as were found in the law but such expositions as they made among themselves Secondly the law of Moses did bind not only Answ 2 the hand and externall act but also the inward will and desire as appeares thus First none are said to repent but of that which is evill but they under the law were to repent and to shew themselves contrite even for the internall acts of their minde as appeares Psalme 4.4 Tremble and sinne not examine your hearts upon your bed c. Therefore the law did restraine the inward will and desire Secondly it is directly forbidden Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart z Levit. 19.17 which was an internall act and many other such like sinnes of the heart are reprooved by the Prophets Ierem. 14 4. Thirdly the Law doth not justâ—fie that which is naturally unjust but forbiddeth it Therfore the extends law it selfe to the hidden man of the heart not only tying mens hands The assumptioÌ„ is proved thus First he that coveteth his Neighbours wife faileth in the end coveting her onely out of lust not for procreation which was the principall end of the institution and ordination of marriage Secondly Matrimonie is grounded even upon the law of nature if then to breake and violate matrimonie bee against the law of nature then to will and purpose so to doe is against nature also yea the will and purpose is rather sinne then the act it selfe for it may fall out that the externall act is sometime without sinne as when a man ignorantly lieth with another woman taking her to be his wife as Iacob tooke Leah for Rachel but the will and desire is never without sinne as saith Tostatus himselfe s exod 20. praec 7. Fourthly our Saviour saith that this precept Thou shalt not kill is transgressed by the anger and hatred of the heart verse 22. Therefore the law intendeth even by the externall act to forbid the internall also How doth Christ oppose himselfe to this precept Quest 2 Thou shalt not commit adultery Not by denying it Answ but by adding something unto it not by retracting it or by adding a bridle unto lust and uncleannesse but by spurring them forward to a spirituall sense which is to be extended beyond the literall as if our Saviour would say It was said of old Thou shalt not commit adultery and this is true but this is not the whole truth for there is moâ—e then this here meant What uncleanenesse is here meant Quest 3 Vncleannes is twofold either Internall in the heart Externall which is either Circumstantiall in gesture and voice Substantiall which is Indirect Direct viz. Against or contrary to nature namely Sodomy either with Brute beasts called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men that is Males called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 According to nature is committed either Uiolently and is called a Rape Uoluntarily and is either CoÌ„plicata because it is With a kinsewoman is called Incest With a married woman and is called Adultery Simple and that either With a strumpet called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With a Uirgin called Stuprum I will not here speake at all either I of the Internall uncleannesse or II of the Circumstantiall or III. of the Indirect because I will understand the place as the Pharisees understood it namely onely of actuall uncleannesse and for the horrour odiousnesse of the name I will omit Sodomy Thou shalt not commit adultery Quest. 4 Why must Christians hate avoide and shun fornication and adultery Answ Because God hath forbidden it Reade Exod. 20.14 Deut. 23.17 Prov. 5.8 Heb. 13.4 Obie 1 It may be objected simple fornication is no such great matter Adultery indeede is a great sinne but fornication is but a swall evill yea this the heathens could see by the light of nature Answ 1 First certainely fornication is a most greevous sinne in it selfe although not so great Answ 2 as adultery if therewith compared Secondly true it is fornication by no positive law of God was punished with temporall death but what was that seeing by the word of God it shall bee punished with eternall Bee not deceived saith the Apostle for neither fornicators nor adulterers shall ever enter into the kingdome of heaven Answ 3 Thirdly although simple fornication with an harlot whereof the former answer speakes were not by any positive law adjudged to bee punished with temporall death yet there was a simple fornication which was If a damosell play the whore in her Fathers house they shall bring her out to the doore of her fathers dwelling and the men of her citie shall stone her with stones that shee die because shee hath wrought folly in Israel a Deut. 22.21 Answ 4 Fourthly although by no positive law God commandeth Moses to punish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fornication with a strumpet with death yet the Lord himselfe doth cutting off foure and twenty thousand in one plague for this simple fornication Numb 25.1 and 1 Cor. 10.8 And therefore wee should not thinke that a light thing which the Lord who is just in all his judgements punisheth so severely Obie 2 Harding objects here that it is no great matter to permit stewes or brothell houses or to goe unto them for they had better doe that then deflower virgins yea their countrey of Italy being hot there is a certaine necessitie of suffering them First certainely it is most false that the permitting Answ 1 of those publique places of uncleannesse doth prevent greater mischiefes for experience teacheth that it makes men more
souls who remains and abides with them to direct instruct strengthen counsell comfort and enlighten them all the dayes of their life Quest 7 Have the Saints no Banquet on earth are they only invited to feast it in heaven Answ The Saints on earth are frequently invited to a heavenly Banquet to wit the Lords Supper and therefore they should prepare themselve as unto a Banquet when they come thither In this feast observe these things namely First that the Table is the Table of God and therefore called the Lords Table Secondly at that Table Christ serves who gives food and dainties to all his welcom guests Thirdly the food he gives and which wee there eate is his body Fourthly the guests are the Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles for they all ate the same spirituall meat and all dranke the same spirituall drinke 1 Cor. 10.1.2 c. and Heb. 12.22 Fifthly the fruit of this feast is most weighty For it is either I. A seale unto life and salvation Or II. A testimony against us unto condemnation 1 Cor. 11.31 And therfore we had need be carefull so to prepare our selves unto this Holy Table that we may receive the pledges of love and seales of life from Christ and not arguments of our condemnation Quest 8 How must wee come unto this heavenly Banquet Answ 1 First in generall come with reverence in regard of the presence of God and Christ there Answ 2 Secondly come with conscience of thy sins and that after serious examination of thy selfe wayes and actions by the word of God Answ 3 Thirdly come with a purpose of heart to leave thy sinnes yea all sins and that for ever And that thou maist be the better enabled hereunto I. Labour to hate all sins with a perfect hatred in regard both of sin it selfe and the punishment therof looking upon it with horrour hatred fear and disdaine II. Pray fervently and heartily unto thy God that he would enable thee to leave and forsake al sinnes and preserve thee from the love of any so long as thou livest Answ 4 Fourthly come with assurance of pardon without faith nothing we do is either pleasing unto God or profitable unto our selves and therfore if wee come reverently unto the Lords Table with a sight and sorrow for our sins and a sincere purpose of heart hereafter to leave and loath them wee may build and rely upon the gracious promises of Christ who hath assured such of mercy and pardon Matt. 11.28 Answ 5 Fifthly come with thanksgiving for that is necessary at a true feast If we should rise from a feast or banquet where wee had abundantly satisfied our appetites and forget or neglect to give thankes unto God wee should be more like beasts then men more like Pagans then Christians How much more needfull and requisite then is it that we should powre forth our soules in thankfulnesse unto God for that unparalelled Sect. 4 mercy in giving Christ unto death for us § 4. With Abraham Isaac and Iacob Whether were the Patriarkes in heaven or in Quest 1 Limbo before Christ came They were not in Limbo Patrum Answ 1 The Papists to prove the contrary hereunto that they were object many things of which briefly The Prophet David prophesying of Christ Object 1 saith that hee shall lead captivity captive that is shall bring the Fathers out of their prison wherin they were detained and lead them unto heaven Psalme 68.18 First this cannot be understood of the Saints Answ 1 or Patriarkes because they were not lead into captivity Secondly the place is plainly meant of Christs Answ 2 Triumph over Sathan It is said plainly of Christ that He brought forth Object 2 the prisoners out of the Pit or Lake Zach. 9.11 Now out of hell there is no redemption and therefore the Fathers were in Limbo untill Christ came This place is urged by the most of the Papists Answ for the proof of Purgatory and cannot be meant of this Limbus which they fain for the Fathers for in Limbo Patrum was nothing but quiet and peace but in this prison mentioned by the Prophet Zachary is sorrow and paine as the Papists confesse and therefore this place as unfitly alleaged for the confirmation of the present controversie according to the opinion of their best Writers I passe by Saint Peter saith Object that Christ preached to the Spirits that were in prison 1 Pet. 3.19 c. Therfore untill Christs comming the Fathers were in Prison Having elsewhere amply to consider of this place I here leave it with this answer Answ that certainly the Apostle speakes of Christs triumph over the damned and of Noahs preaching unto those who were now in hell But the same Apostle saith that the Gospel Object 4 was preached to those who were dead 1 Pet. 4.6 And therefore the Fathers were in Limbo for who else can be meant but they The Apostle there means those who were dead in their sins Answ as is plainly perceived by the place How doth it appear that Limbus patrum is but Quest 2 a Fable By these few and plain Arguments viz. First because the Spirit Answ and soule of a good man when it departs from the body goes unto God who gave it Eccles 12.7 And this was affirmed by Solomon before Christ came Secondly because Christ would have the soules of his children to be where he is Iohn 17. Now he was in heaven not in Limbo yea he is the God of Abraham as hee saith himself elsewhere and the Text calleth the place where Abraham was the kingdome of heaven a title never given to their fained Prison or Cell And therfore the Fathers were not in Limbo Thirdly because the Scriptures speak only of two places heaven and hell Mat. 25. of two sorts of vessels of anger and mercy Rom. 9. For both Abrahams bosome and Paradise signifie Heaven as Augustine most truly affirmes Fourthly because wee and the Fathers are saved both one way and by one and the same faith hence Christ saith Abraham saw me Iohn 7. And the Apostle saith that wee and they were made partakers of the same Sacrament 1 Cor. 10.1 And therfore why should they be debarred so long out of heaven more then we Fifthly because the death of Christ was powerfull and effectuall before he was crucified hee was a Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Revel hee is one and the same to day and to morrow and for ever Heb. 13. And all things are present with God he being immovable And therefore they were saved by faith in Christ to come as well as wee by faith in Christ already come Quest 3 Why doth our Saviour here only name Abraham Isaac and Iacob Answ 1 First because the Scriptures are wont to preferre these before others as it is often said the God of Araham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob Answ 2 Secondly because thus Christ would avoid the occasion of novelties by only naming those who they all knew and
the third wherof is this Lent by the Apostles was ordained and instituted to be observed to fulfill this saying of Christs When the Bridegroome shall be taken away then shall they fast First this saying of our Saviours was spoken Answ 1 only to his Apostles that enjoyed his carnall presence Secondly if the words be largely taken then Answ 2 the Montanists did come neerer to the sense then the Papists that observed the Lenton fast straight after Christs ascension Thirdly if the Papists will expound the taking Answ 3 away of the Bridegroom of Christs death then by this reason they should not fast before the celebration of the Passion but after Our Saviour in this place doth expresly teach us That there shall be a time Observ when the children of God shall weepe and mourn for the absence of Christ Iohn 13.33 and 16.16 c. and 14.3.16.19.27 Which is the fittest time for fasting because Quest 1 our Saviour saith here there shall be a time when we must fast The true time of fasting mourning Answ is when Christ is absent so saith our Saviour in this place that is First when wee are under some temporall scourge and chastisement Secondly when the peace is broken betweene us and our God when wee have offended him and set him against us by our sins Psal 51.8 and are not sure of reconciliation Thirdly when some lust or strong temptation doth assault us and wee are not sensible of the presence and grace of Christ within us sustaining us Fourthly when our former light is eclipsed that is when the assurance we had in God and joy in the enjoyment of Christ is departed and gone from us for as the clearest day hath his clouds so the best sometimes hath his doubtings the day hath his night and clearest faith his eclipses And this is the fittest time for fasting and mourning because now the Bridegroom is taken away from us How can Christ be taken away from us or wee Quest 2 mourn for his absence seeing he hath otherwise promised Mat. 28.20 Behold I am with you unto the end of the world First Augustine distinguisheth generally of the Answ 1 presence of Christ that there is praesentia Deitatis Humanitatiâ— a presence of his humanity and this they were deprived of and a presence of his deitie and thus Christ was alwayes with them Secondly there is a presence of Christs Deitie Answ 2 in a generall providence and presence of sight thus Christ is never absent either from good or bad but alwayes and every where present with all Answ 3 Thirdly there is a presence of Christs Deitie in a particular providence and this is two-fold viz. either I. Spirituall and thus Christ First directs and disposes of the Ministery of the word And Secondly annoints with the Spirit and fits with gifts those whom hee cals to the worke of the Ministery And Thirdly wounds and weakens Sathans power in that manner that hee cannot prevaile against his Church Mat. 18. Or II. Temporall and thus Christ First sometimes hides and preserves his children from evill and danger Psal 31.20 and 91. And Secondly sometimes lets them fall into danger and then freeth and delivereth them And Thirdly sometimes neither preserveth them from evils nor delivereth them out of evils but only comforteth them in and under evils and so as that the evill of the evill is taken away Psal 30.7 Answ 4 Fourthly there is a presence of Christs flesh or humanity Sic absens cum passionis tempâ—â— advenerit Hieron s And this the Apostles were deprived of after Christs suffering for now the heavens containe him Act. 3.21 and 1.11 and 2 Cor. 5.16 Answ 5 Fifthly there is a presence of temporal prosperity and this our Saviour speaks of here according to the letter For as the Nurse leadeth and carefully cherisheth the Infant while it is young and weak so doth Christ who will not suffer his Apostles to weep and mourn and be afflicted as yet because they were not able to endure it Answ 6 Sixthly there is a spirituall absence of Christ in the heart and that in a double regard to wit I. In respect of internall strength when the children of God are assaulted and tempted by Sathan and overcome by sin as was David 2 Sam. 11. and Peter Mat. 27. For First wee grieve the Spirit of God Ephes 4.30 and quench the good motions of the Spirit a 1 Thess 5.19 And Secondly then God leaves us unto our selves and takes away his hand and we fall unto the ground b Psal 104.29 2 Chron. 32.31 II. In respect of peace of conscience and joy of the Holy Ghost For First sometimes there is a veile over the heart and an insensibility of joy and comfort we not feeling the presence of the blessed Spirit in our hearts nor sensible of the fruits and effects of his presence Secondly sometimes the children of God are sensible of his wrath and ire Psalm 27.9 Deut. 32.20 Esay 57.17 Now the cause of this is sin and that either I. Some sin committed already which is indeed hainous as was Davids Psal 5.1.2.7.9.14 Or II. Some inherent corruption or lust which is not subdued and this certainly is the most grievous condition Psal 120.5 Rom. 7.23 when internall corruptions violently prevaile against us and lead us captive to the law of sinne And thus we may learn when and how Christ is absent from and present with his children on earth VERS 16 17. Vers 16.17 No man putteth a piece of new cloath unto an old garment for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment and the rent is made worse Neither doe men put new wine into old vessels else the bottles breake and the wine runneth out and the bottles perish but they put new wine into new bottles and both are preserved § 1. No man putteth new wine into old bottles Sect. 1 What is the nature of wine or what is observeable in wine Quest 1 Many observe many things Answ which I onely name and passe by viz. First some say that if wine be degenerated and sowre it is unwholsome and of corrupt spirits Secondly if wine be removed or shaken then it is unwholsome by reason of its mixture with the lees therof Thirdly some say that Rhenish wine quickly passeth thorow a man and affords no nourishment at all unto him Fourthly some say that white wine is an enemy unto the head And Fifthly that red wine doth enflame the blood And Sixthly that wine in generall makes men oftentimes drunk Ephes 5.18 How manifold is wine Quest 2 There is a double wine namely Answ First old wine this men love Luke 5.39 So naturally men love that best which savours most of the old man but the Lord knows that the old man is corrupted and therfore he would have us to put it off and to lay it aside Secondly there is new wine and this is that which the text in hand speaks of and
how can yee speake good things when yee your selves are evill that is as Lyranus interprets it yee being filled with malice and envie against me cannot speake any good of me The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and the evill man out of the evill treasure of his heart bringeth forth evill things Anselm upon these words hath this Observation or Exposition Quomodo bonus homo non possit proferre mala nec malus bona sic non possit Christus mala nec diabolus bona opera facere As the good man cannot bring forth evill things nor the evill man good things So Christ can doe no bad workes nor the Devil any good Reade further for the proofe hereof Mat. 7.16 17 18 19. and Luke 6.43 44. From whence plainely this Argument may be drawne No corrupt and evill tree can bring forth good fruit But every man by nature is a corrupt and evill tree being the child of wrath and infected with sinne And therefore no man by nature or by the onely power of his Free-will is able to bring forth good fruits Sect. 3 § 3. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things Quest 1 What is a good thing or a good worke Answ Good workes are generally thus described They are actions externall or internall conformable and agreeable to the will and to the Law of God But from this verse they may be thus defined They are workes which flow and proceed from a disposition of vertue For the good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things Quest 2 How many things are required unto a good worke Three things are required viz Answ First a good beginning that is the will well disposed and working out of true vertue For goods fruits cannot spring but from a good tree verse 33. Secondly a good matter or object that is something which is commanded by God for otherwise it will bee but will-worship as Matth. 15.6 In vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandements of men Thirdly a good end that is the glory of God and those things which tend to his glory 1 Corinth 10.31 And thus if we desire to approve our selves to bee good men by our good fruits we must labour that I. Our wils may be rectified and rightly disposed And II. That our workes may be moderated according to the word of God in regard of the matter of them And III. That our end in all our good workes may be that God may be glorified in us and by us Verse 36 VERS 36. But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speake they shall give account thereof in the day of Iudgement Object Bunderius a Papist from this place would prove Purgatory thus Men at the day of Iudgement shall give an account for every idle word which they have spoken Now which is this day of Iudgement certainely that day which comes presently after death according to that of the Apostle It is appointed unto all men once to die and after death comes Iudgement Therefore in that day after death men shall give an account of those things which have beene culpable and worthy of reprehension in them and which must bee expiated by temporall punishments now in what place can this be but only in Purgatory His meaning is this As soone as ever men die they shall give an account for their veniall and lesse sinnes which they have not satisfied nor suffered for on earth and those shall be purged by the paines and penance of Purgatory flames First Sophister-like he concludes that which Answ 1 hee proves not or hath that in the conclusion which is in neither Proposition For to me hee seemes to argue thus We must give an account for all our small sins Answ 2 at the day of Iudgement But this day of Iudgement is the time which followes presently after death Therefore there is a Purgatorie perhaps to punish such a Logician as hee is Secondly wee grant that by and by after death there is a particular judgement of God wherein every one shall give an account of those things which he hath done in the body Thirdly by the day of Iudgement both Franciscus Answ 3 Lucas and Gorranus and divers others understand the last day and generall Iudgement and some leave it doubtfull Sa Iudicij scilicet particularis in morte vel universalis that is by this Iudgement is either meant the particular Iudgement presently after death or the general Iudgement at the last day Now wee need not greatly care which of these say true for if the last day be here understood then Bunderius his Argument or Sophisme rather is absurd for there will bee no Purgatory after the day of Iudgement But if wee leane unto those who hold the place doubtfull then it will prove but an uncertaine Argument and consequently not an Argument of faith nor to build an Article of faith upon as Purgatory is to them A question may hence be demanded Quest whether every sinne be mortall of its owne nature or not Although it be true Answ that all sinnes are not equall but one greater then another and although also it be true that in a good and godly sense some sinne may be termed mortall and some veniall which yet may more fitly be called sins regnant and not regnant yet it is most true that every sinne is mortall of its owne nature and only veniall by way of Gods free acceptation and mercy for his owne names sake and merits of his deare Sonne our Lord Iesus as appeares by these reasons First because our Saviour here saith that wee must give a straight account of every idle word in the generall day of Iudgement and this is certaine because every idle word is flatly against the Law of God and yet these idle words are those sinnes which they call veniall And therefore this is a truth that all sinnes are mortall that is against the Law of God Secondly because the Rhemists Rhem. in 1. Iohn 3.4 confesse in plaine termes that every sinne is a swarving from the Law of God For doubtlesse that which swarveth from the Law is truely said to be against the Law but not agreeable to the Law Thirdly because the famous popish Friar and Romish Bishop Iosephus Angles in 4. sent pag. 215. teacheth the same doctrine in his booke dedicated to the Pope himselfe His words are these Omne peccatum veniale est al cujus legis transgressio Patet quia omne veniale est contra rectam rationem agere contra rectam rationem est agere contra legem naturalem praecipientem non esse a regulà rectae rationis deviandum Every veniall sinne is the transgression of some Law This is cleare because every veniall sinne is against right reason and to doe a thing against right reason is to doe it against the Law of nature which commandeth us not
than the death suffering and satisfaction of Christ Act. 4.12 Answ 4 Fourthly in this sign we may see how worthy they are of eternall death and destruction who do not place all their trust and confidence in the death and Resurrection of this son of God Chemn harm pag. 804. fine Sect. 2 § 2. For as Ionas so Christ c. Quest Wherein was Ionas a Type of Christ Answ 1 First he was a Type of him in his death and that in these regards I. As Ionas was sent out of Iudea unto the Ninevites who were Gentiles to preach repentance unto them that thereby they might be delivered from a dreadfull judgement which hung over their heads And as hereby he was a publisher and proclaimer of Gods universall grace which is extended even to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews So Christ ought to be a Preacher of the Grace of God and that not onely unto the Jews and Israelites but also unto the Gentiles for he was sent to be a light unto the Gentiles and the salvation of the Lord to the uttermost parts of the earth Isa 49.6 Rom. 3.39 Gen. 22.18 II. As Ionas when the sea raged and the tempest grew impetuous offered himself to death that the Mariners and the rest in the ship might be preserved from shipwrack so Christ when the wrath of God waxed hot against us for our sins laid down his life for us lest we should perish for ever and that by his death we might be saved Mat. 20.28 Iohn 11.50 III. As Ionas voluntarily and of his own accord offered himself unto death when the Marriners would gladly have preserved him so did Christ lay down his life of himself for us when no man took it from him Iohn 10.18 IV. As the tempestuous sea was calmed and quieted when Ionas was cast therein so Christ by his death pacified and appeased his Fathers wrath tamed the madness and rage of the world and the Prince thereof yea so took away the horrour and fear and sting of death that unto the godly which beleeve in him it might no longer be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all terrible things the most terrible but rather as a peaceable and quiet sleep or as a welcome and desired rest Secondly Ionas was a Type of Christ in regard Answ 2 of his Resurrection For I. As Ionas perished not in the water but was swallowed of a great Fish who carried him three daies in his belly but at length cast him safe upon the dry shore so Christ did not perpetually remain in the grave for it was impossible that he should be holden by it Acts 2.24 but death and the devill being overcome he was restored and raised up again unto life Hos 13.24 II. As Ionas being delivered from the belly of the Whale preached Repentance unto the Ninevites and therby brought salvation unto them so Christ being risen from the dead by his Apostles did preach Repentance not onely to the Jews but to the Gentiles also that thereby they might be brought by grace unto glory III. As Ionas who was cast by the Mariners into the sea was a means to convert and turn them unto the true God so Christ by his death converted many unto his Father Acts 2.41 who were Authors of his death § 3. As Ionas was in the belly of the Whale Sect. 3 What sort or kinde of Fish was this which swallowed Ionas Quest First Rondeletus saith that it was a certain Answ 1 fish which was both in mouth and belly and in all her inward parts so capacious and large and was therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that she could easily swallow a man alive and in whose belly often have been found men whole yea sometimes all armed Basilius saith that it was a Fish much like to some great hill inbignesse And Augustine saith that in Africa he saw a fish whose mouth was like some great cave Secondly Doctor Medcalf the Hebrew Professor Answ 2 in Cambridge in his Lectures upon Ionah doth affirm That for certain this fish which swallowed Ionas was no Whale he proves it thus because the Whale hath Lungs and breaths and like man hath a wind-pipe and therefore the passages through which the meat passeth are so straight that by no means she is able to devoure a whole man Object But against this it may be objected that in this verse it is said that Ionas was three daies and three nights in the belly of the Whale and the 70 render it a Whale and Iosephus Antiquit. saith A cero devoratum esse Ionam Jonas was devoured of a Whale Answ 1 First some say that God created a new Whale for this very purpose to swallow Ionah and therfore created him without Lungs or wind-pipe and made all the passages so wide and vast that it might devoure a man whole Answ 2 Secondly others better say that Christ here follows the interpretation of the 70 which as it was vulgar and familiar so also it was ordinarily quoted of all whether it were according to the truth of the originall or not that is the Septuagints translation was so frequent amongst the Jews and of such esteem with them that they cited Scripture usually as it was rendred by them never seriously weighing whether their interpretation were agreeable to the Text. Answ 3 Thirdly others yet better say that the Whale is generally put for every great Fish for it was ordinary with the Jews to apply the name of a known Species to the Genus Because the Canaanites were principall Merchants and the Arabians most notable Theeves and the Chaldeans excellent and singular Astrologers therefore the Jews called every Merchant a Canaanite and every Thief an Arabian and every Astrologer a Chaldean thus attributing the name of an ordinary Species to the Genus thereof And on the contrary the 70 were wont to give the name of the Genus to a more known or notable Species and thus sometimes instead of Nilus or Euphrates they would say a Flood And thus the Greeks cals every great Fish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Whale and Homer calleth Phocas Sea Calves Whales and Virg. Immania cete great Whales for great Fishes and hence Cetarius signifieth a kinde of Fish-monger or seller or taker of great sea-Fish And from this propriety of speech our Saviour calleth this Fish a Whale because dag gadol was a great Fish Sect. 4 § 4. So the Son of man shall be three daies and three nights c. Quest How is Christ said to be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth when he was but one whole day and two nights in the grave Answ That this may be the better understood and more cleerly resolved we will lay down these three things namely First that divers nations begun their day at divers times the Babylonians and the Chaldeans reckoned their day from sun-rising to sun-rising The Astrologians counted the day from noon to noon from the time that the sun was at
Objection I referre my Reader to Chamier de Indulgentijs lib. 24. Cap. 15. Arg. 1. fol. 1098. Answ 2 Secondly the Keyes of the Church to binde or loose open or shut were no more committed to Peter then unto the rest of the Apostles as St. Hierome well noteth Cuncti claves regni caelorum accipiunt ex aequo super eos Ecclesiae fortitudo solidatur All the Apostles receive the keyes of the Kingdome and the strength of the Church equally is founded upon them al. Hier. lib. 1. advers Iovinian Answ 3 Thirdly this power of loosing if we speak of the internall Court of the soul is exercised by the Ministers in the Preaching of the Gospel not in the dispersing and distributing of pardons Vers 20 VERS 20. Then charged he his Disciples that they should tell no man that he was Iesus the Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not simply signifie Iussit he commanded or prohibuit he forbad them but graviter interdixit he strictly charged or seriously prohibited them to tell that hee was Iesus the Christ Quest. 1 Why did our Saviour forbid them to make him known why did he charge them not to tell who he was would the Messia◠not bee known now when he is come yea did he not often discover himself to be the Christ unto the Jews Iohn 5. and 9. and 10. yea had he not commanded his Disciples to declare preach him unto all people and that publikely Mar. 10.27 Why then doth he now forbid them to preach the Gospel for to teach that he is Iesus the Christ which is here forbidden is no other then to preach the Gospel which is elsewhere commanded Answ 1 First our Saviour now forbids them to preach the Gospel because his death and suffering approaching and their mindes being troubled about it they were not fit to preach so Heavenly a Mystery Now whom to God sends about some notable employment or Embassage he fits also and armes with notable strength power and courage of the Spirit and he sends none whom he doth not thus fit Wherefore the Spirit not being as yet given unto them they were not fit and able enough for so great a work Cameron s pag 43 calce Answ 2 Secondly Christ being to leave his Disciples shortly would not expose them to so much hatred and malice as the preaching of the Gospel brought along with it but he would have them stay untill they were corroborated by the Spirit who was given unto them after his Ascension Luk 22.35 Cameron s Answ 3 Thirdly Christ being shortly to be crucified would not send his Disciples from him because it was requisite that they should be eye-witnesses of his apprehending arraigning condemning crucifying and resurrection that they might preach the truth of the Gospell the more confidently Fourthly this prohibition and charge which Answ 4 is here given is not to be understood absolutely but with limitation that is not as yet for after his Resurrection they are commanded to preach him to all nations And this is plain from a Parallel place in the next Chapter Chap. 17.9 where he forbids them to divulge his Transfiguration but withall addes this limitation Vntill the Sonne of man be risen from the dead Why would not Christ have his Disciples to Quest. 2 publish and declare him to be the Messiah till after his resurrection First as was said before in regard of them Answ 1 because he knew that they were not as yet sufficiently instructed in the faith nor sufficiently enriched with spirituall gifts and graces for the discharging of so great a work Secondly in regard of the Jewes because he Answ 2 knew that if his Apostles should tell that their Master was the Messiah yet they would not beleeve it but deride them for it For they would not beleeve it when he was risen again Thirdly Pareus in hunc locum fol. 764 thinks Answ 3 Christ gave this charge to his Apostles in regard of himself lest his death should by some means have been hindered and this Answer is warranted from that place If they had known the Lord of glory they would not have crucified him 1 Cor. 2.8 VERS 22. Then Peter took him Verse 22 and began to rebuke him saying Be it farre from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee Much was alleaged for Peters Primacie and Supremacie from verse 18 19. now from this verse we may gather a Reason for the contrary What reason was there why Christ should give the supremacie to Peter above or over the rest Argum Christ was no respecter of persons and if he had been then he should have been preferred whom he loved most If deserts be weighed Peter seems to deserve the least of al the Twelve for the Scripture reckons up his faults to be more in number and heavier in weight then any of the rest To passe by divers common infirmities there are foure grout faults which Peter fell into much amplified by the Fathers First he dehorted our Saviour from his passion in this verse Master favour thy self and was therefore called Sathan an adversary to the death of Christ and so to the Redemption of man Secondly in promising rashly not to deny Christ yea unto death whereas Christ had foretold him of his fall before Thirdly he denied his Master and that thrice yea with an Oath at the Instance of a Maiden and in a very short while before the Cocke crew twi◠Fourthly the last assault noted in Peter was that for the which he is reproved of Paul Galath 2.14 If the Reader would see this Argument prosecuted and enlarged let him reade Doctor Willeis symps fol. 157. 158. Vers 24. VERS 24. Then said Iesus unto his Disciples If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up his Crosse and follow me Sect. 1 § 1. Whosoever would be my Disciple Observ Quicunque whosoever is as much as Si quis If any will be my Disciple to teach us That there is but one way for al men to come unto Christ or whosoever would come unto Christ must come by one the sameway for one man must not come by one way and another by another Marke 8.34 Acts 10.35 and 13.26 Quest Why must all come unto Christ by one and the same way Answ 1 First because hee is no respecter of persons Act. 10.34 Colos 3.11 Galath 3.28 Ephes 6.8 Answ 2 Secondly because we are all members of one and the same body 1 Cor. 12.13 Answ 3 Thirdly because God hath given but one Law and rule for all to walke by and there is but one way unto heaven Sect. 2 § 2. Let him deny himselfe Observ 1 Our Saviour would hence teach us That those who would be his must deny themselves Quest 1 Why must wee deny our selves and our own wils Answ 1 First because our wils naturally are corrupted and hinder us from obedience Galath 5.17 Phil. 2.13 Answ 2 Secondly because our wils draw us aside unto sinne Iames
sed ad patrem semper urgeri in futura semper gestire Chrysost s Secondly we must labour to feel and to be sensible Answ 2 of these heavenly joys in our souls labour that our hearts may be ravished with the remembrance of them and our souls raised up with a confident applying of them unto our selves For he that feels these joys within will contemn this world and all things therein and think no labour too much for the procuring of heaven Answ 4 Fourthly we must meditate daily of the joy honour and glory which the Lord hath prepared for the faithfull in the kingdom of heaven for this will make us labour to be of the number of the faithfull Fifthly we must hunger after the possession of Answ 5 heaven desiring with S Paul to be dissolved Philip. 1.23 And crying Come Lord Iesus come quickly Revel 22.20 From whence comes this desire of death Quest. 4 First from a good Conscience for otherwise a Answ 1 man would desire rather to flee from God with Adam because he knows that he is angry with him but when the Conscience is purged and washed with pure water Heb. 10.22 then it desires to approach into Gods presence though it be by the gate of death Secondly this desire of death comes from a Answ 2 minde estranged from the world 1 Iohn 2.15 For if the heart be glued unto the world or the affections set upon the world then we shall rather cry Oh Death how bitter is the remembrance of thee than desire the approaching thereof But if the world bee crucified unto us and wee unto the world then it will rather rejoyce us than grieve us to be delivered from it Thirdly this desire of death comes from a hope of the participation and enjoyment of heaven and God and Christ for where this hope is not this desire cannot be Verse 27 VERS 27. For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works Sect. 1 § 1. For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father Object The Jews object that Christ is not the Messias and they argue thus The Messias ought to be a Prophet but your Christ was no Prophet neither is called by you a Prophet say they unto us And therefore your Christ was not the Messias Answ Christ was a Prophet and is so accounted and called by us as Luke 24. He was a Prophet and mighty in work and speech John 4. Sir I see that thou art a Prophet Quest They demand here What did he prophesie of Answ 1 First he prophesied of himself Luke 18.31 32 33. and in this verse also he prophesieth of himself saying The Son of man shall come in the glory of the Father c. Secondly he prophesied of his Disciples Mat. 10.16 17 18. Answ 2 Thirdly he prophesied of the Jews Luke 19.41 Answ 3 42 43 44. And therefore he was a Prophet yea the true Prophet and promised Messias Pet. Galatin lib. 8. pag. 323. § 2 And thou be shall reward every man Sect. 2 The Papists object these words Object for the proof of the merit of our good works The Apostle Rom. 11.35 Answ doth plainly deny that God gives any thing unto any of desert Who hath given first unto God and it shall be restored unto him again How can these places then be reconciled Quest First God properly is debtor unto none having Answ 1 the absolute dominion and Lordship over all creatures Secondly God therefore is said to reward Answ 2 men not properly but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he performes his promises which are conditionall If the studious Reader would see this Question enlarged let him reade Cameron s Myrothee Evang. pag. 44 45. CHAPTER XVII Vers 1. VERS 1. And after sixe dayes Iesus taketh Peter Iames and Iohn his Brother and bringeth them up into a high Mountain apart After sixe dayes Quest HOw may the Evangelists be reconciled concerning this History S. Matthew here and S. Mark Chap. 9.2 saying this was after sixe dayes but S. Luke 9.28 saith it was after Eight dayes Answ 1 First by the number of dayes is meant a short time he had promised in the two former verses that some of his Apostles should see his glory or him in glory and should have a tast of the glory of the elect ere long and this promise hee performes within sixe or eight dayes at the most Aretius s Answ 2 Secondly St. Luke reckons the day upon which Christ made this promise and the day also wherin the promise was performed but St. Matthew and St. Mark reckon only the intermediate dayes between the making of the promise and the performance thereof for there were three sorts of reckoning among the Jewes namely I. Excluso uno termino incluso altero when one of the Termes was included and another excluded The Iewes were commanded to circumcise their Children the Eight day now if the Child had lived seven dayes and a part of the eighth he was to be circumcised as if he had lived compleat eight dayes Now none of the Evangelists do thus account or reckon this History II. Excluso utroque termino when both the terms are excluded and thus St. Matthew and Saint Mark saith This was after sixe dayes excluding both the day of the promise and also of the performance III. Incluso utroque termino when both the termes are included and thus S. Luke saith that it was Eight daies after And thus the Evangelists are easily reconciled Vers 2. And was transfigured before them Verse 2 and his face did shine as the Sunne and his rayment was white as the light Why is Christs Transfiguration upon the Mount adjoyned next to the foregoing History Quest First Christ had promised that some of them Answ 1 should see in this life a glimse of that glory which the Elect have in Heaven and therefore the Holy Ghost annexeth this History to shew how faithfull and true Christ is in his promises Secondly our Saviour had foretold them of Answ 2 that affliction which attended the faithful in this life verse 24 25. of the former Chapter Now because a taste of that glory which they shall be made partakers of which suffer willingly for Christ is an excellent meanes to confirme and strengthen them against death and crosses therfore six dayes after this sermon of the crosses of the faithfull in this world hee went up into an high Mountaine with three of his Apostles where hee was transfigured and they made eye-witnesses of his glory Answ 3 Thirdly this Historie followes the former for the strengthning of the faith of the Apostles in Christ for hee having fore-told them of his death verse 21. of the former Chapter which was now shortly to ensue lest they should thinke him to be but a meere man sixe dayes after hee tooke three of them up into a Mountaine that they might know even
For he that shall come will come and will not tarry if he see deliverance Answ 1 to be better for thee then affliction is Answ 2 Secondly if he deferre his comming then thinke thou with thy selfe that his Kingdome is not of this world and that it is given unto his Subjects in this World to suffer Answ 3 Thirdly transferre and carry therefore the thoughts of thy heart unto heaven that thou maist be comforted and delighted with the remembrance thereof Consider this with thy selfe Here J am poore there shall J be rich Here J am sicke there J shall be sound Here J am contemned there J shall be honoured Here J am crowned with Thornes there J shall be crowned with glory for the remembrance of these and the like will expell all sense of humane sorrow Answ 5 Fifthly we must rejoyce also in death because the sting of it is taken away Hose 14.13 and because it brings us to the presence of this King and the possession of this Kingdome Answ 3 Thirdly the Subjects of this King or Kingdome must desire the propagation enlargement and promotion thereof The multitude here sing Hosanna to the highest as if they would say Grant oh eternall God that this thy King may be acknowledged and worshipped by all men And to this purpose wee are taught to pray Thy Kingdome come Answ 4 Fourthly the Subjects of this King must helpe forward this Kingdome themselves as much as in them is Thus some of the multitude here spread their garments in the way and those as is probable which had no garments to spare cut downe branches and strewed them in the way And thus according to our ability wee must doe good and thereby labour to advance and enlarge this Kingdome VERS 8 9. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way Vers 8.9 others cut downe branches from the trees and strewed them in the way And the multitudes that went before and that followed cryed saying Hosanna to the Sonne of David Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest The Papists upon Palme-Sunday Object have a solemne procession which is celebrated with carrying the Sacrament about and strewing of rushes and bearing of palmes and setting up of boughes and hanging up of rich clothes and the singing of the Quiristers and all this they would warrant by this practise of the multitude in the text Rhemist annot Matth. 31. § 1. First we say that their processions are horrible Answ 1 abusings and profanations of the Lords institution who ordained his supper to be eaten and drunke and not to be carried about in procession like an Heathenish Jdoll Secondly that which CHRISTS Disciples and Answ 2 the people did they had warrant to doe out of the Scripture but where are the Papists enjoyned this theatricall pompe The riding of CHRIST upon an Asse was before Prophesied of Zach. 9.9 And the Childrens crying out in the Temple Psalm 8.2 And the cutting downe of Palme branches was a Ceremony belonging to the Feast of Tabernacles truly accomplished by our deliverance in CHRIST But the Papists have turned the holy mystery of CHRISTS riding to Ierusalem to a May-game and Pageant-play To whom were the multitude opposite or contrary Quest 1 in this their practice To the Scribes and Pharisees Answ as is evident by these particulars The people cry First Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. Secondly Blessed is the King of Israell and blessed is the Kingdome of our Father David which comes in the name of the Lord. Thirdly these desire the prosperity and flourishing estate of this King Fourthly these rejoyce and sing prayses unto God for sending of this King But the Pharisees cry First Cursed is he who commeth in the name of Beelzebub Secondly we have no King but Caesar and he that favours any other is not Caesars friend and therefore this man shall not raigne over us Thirdly these desire that this King were destroyed and all his glory laid in the dust Fourthly these disdaine the honour and esteeme of this King and are sorry for it Quest 2 Whereof were the Tabernacles and Boothes made wherein the people remained in the Feast of Tabernacles Answ Plutarch making mention of this Festivity saith That these Boothes were made principally of Ivie boughes Plut. Sympos 4. Problem 5. But the Scripture reckoneth up foure distinct kinds Levit. 23.40 which are thought to be I. The Citrine Tree II. The Palme Tree III. The Myrtle Tree IV. The Willow of the Brooke P Fag in Lev. 23. The Rabbines teach that every man brought every morning his burden of the boughes of these foure Trees otherwise he fasted that day And this burden they termed Hosanna Elias Thisbit Now in allusion hereunto the people here cutting down branches from the trees and strewing them in the way when our Saviour did ride into Ierusalem cryed saying Hosanna to the Sonne of David VERS 16. Iesus saith unto them Vers 16 have ye not read Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected prayse The Papists produce this place to prove Object 1 that prayers which are not vnderstood of the party praying are acceptable unto God and they reason thus young childrens prayers proceeding from the instinct of Gods Spirit be acceptable and so the voices of the like or of other simple folke now in the Church though themselves understand not particularly what they say be marvailous gratefull to CHRIST Rhem. annot Math. 21. § 4. Answ 1 First that all those who pray unto God by the instinct of his holy Spirit are acceptable unto him wee grant but this is as farre from the thing in hand as the Objection is from truth Answ 2 Secondly the children that by the instinct of Gods Spirit cryed in the Temple Hosanna in the highest spake in the Syrian tongues which they understood and also knew that they saluted our Saviour CHRIST as their Messias whose comming they were taught according to the Scripture to looke for although they understood not distinctly all mysteries of Christs office which none of his Apostles did thorowly know at this time Answ 3 Thirdly this is a grosse conclusion The children in the Temple spake in a language which they understood yea uttered those words which in part they understood also Therefore prayers not understood of the party praying are acceptable to CHRIST Object 11 But the Psalmist nameth infants and sucklings that can neither speake nor understand Answ The meaning is not that they prayse God with their mouthes or voyce but that the providence of God to his great praise is manifest out of their mouthes to whom he hath provided meat before they were borne and in that great weakenesse and ignorance taught them to take it for their sustenance and call for it in their crying voyce when they lacke it So that our Saviour CHRIST out of that text reasoneth from the lesse to the greater Jf God ordained
sinne by custome becomes habituall and habites like a second nature are hardly left Wherefore we must learne to repent in our youth and to serve our God in our best and young yeares Eccles 12.1 There are three watches Whereof Obser 9 The first is Pueritia Childhood And The second Adolescentia Youth And The third Stnectus old age Now those who have neglected to purge out sinne in their Childhood must deferre it no longer but forthwith purge it out in their youth and those who have spent both Child-hood and Youth in vanity must not delay it a day more but while it is said To day turne to the Lord lest sinne become so habituall usuall and naturall unto them that they cannot cease to sinne 2. Peter 2.14 Nam quos diu ut convertantur tolerat non conversos durius damnat Hier. s Matth. 20. The longer time and space that God gives us unto repentance the greater shall our punishment be if we repent not And therefore we must doe as Seneca said he did that is Ante senectutem ut bene viverem in senectute ut bene moriar labour in our youth to live well and in our age to dye well because if we should not turne from our sinnes untill our old age then we should not leave sinne but sinne us and this is the great and grosse errour of the world for men not to begin to repent untill they be going out of the world nor to thinke of living well untill they are a dying but this we must take heed of because they seldome dye well who live ill if we live unto Sathan we must not expect to dye unto God Quest 10 Thirdly Quousque purgandum How long must we purge Answ 1 I. E Corpore we must purge till we have purged that which was hurtfull out of our body for otherwise if the obnoxious humour be brought into the ventricle and not then cast our it kils by overcharging and suppressing the stomach So if sinne be brought into the Conscience and not then purged out it drives to insensibility or desperation Answ 2 II. Totum we must labour to purge all the evill humours out of the body lest otherwise we fall into a Relapse if any remainders be left behind and our second sicknesse proves more perillous then the first Hence two things are observable to wit First that we must labour to leave all our sinnes for he that is guilty of one sinne is guilty of all And Secondly that we must labour to leave all sinne for ever Matth 12.45 2. Peter 2.20 One question more may be demanded from these verses and the precedents namely Quest 11 To what purpose tended all the speeches of CHRIST Answ The words of our Saviour tended either First to the praise of his Father and many are the speeches to this end in St. Iohn and Matth. 11.25 c. Or Secondly to teach men what to doe and hereunto belong all the precepts and instructions of the Gospell Or Thirdly to reprehend wickednesse and vice and hereunto are referred all the reprehensions and comminations of the Gospell and this Chapter speakes principally of these Vers 34 35. VERS 34 35. Wherefore behold I send unto you Prophets and Wisemen and Scribes and some of them ye shall kill and crucifie and some of them shall ye scourge in your Synagogues and persecute them from City to City That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the Earth from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias whom ye slew betweene the Temple and the Altar § 1. Behold I send unto you Prophets and many Sect. 1 of them ye shall kill and crucifie It is disputed betweene us and the Romanists Argum. whether St. Peter were at Rome or not and we say that if he were there yet he could not sit there five and twenty yeares as they hold but that it is probable that he was never there and herein we have some evidence even from other Churches viz. First from some of their owne side as Lyranus upon this place saith Some of them ye shall kill as Iames the Brother of Iohn c. and some yee shall crucifie as Peter and Andrew his Brother And thus he thinkes that Peter was crucified at Ierusalem Secondly from the Greeke Church as Chrysostome upon this place saith Behold I send unto you Prophets c. Intelligit Apostolos et qui cum Apostolis fuerunt He understandeth the Apostles and those who were with the Apostles whence it appeares that his opinion is That some of the Apostles should be crucified at Ierusalem But they can shew non else to have beene crucified there unlesse it were Peter or Andrew and Bellarmine Lib. 2. de Pontif. Cap. 10. confesseth that Andrew was put to death in Achaia Thirdly from other Divines of the reformed Churches who have objected also against Peters being and dying at Rome as Vldaricus Velenus who hath written a Treatise of this Argument and Jllyricus Lib. cont primat pap and Calvin Lib. 4. Instit Cap. 6. § 15. Magdeburgens Centur. 1. Lib. 2. Cap. 10. Col. 561. Fourthly from the South Aethiopike Churches although they deny not Peter to have beene at Rome yet they hold it of more certainty that he was at Antioch which made the great Emperour there aske Alvares Alvares descript Aethiop Cap. 29. Why they divided the Churches of Antioch and Rome seeing the Church of Antioch was in a manner the chiefest untill the Counsell of Pope Leo c. And indeed of Peters being at Antioch there is evidence in Scripture Galath 2.11 but of his being at Rome none at all § 2. From the blood of righteous Abel Sect. 2 At whom did the Church of the faithfull begin Quest Answ At Abel and thus our Saviour seemes here to begin it Against this it may be objected Object That if we reckon the Church from Abel we leave out Adam who was the first faithfull man First the Fathers used so to accompt the Church Answ Augustine s Psalm 92. Ecclesia est qua ab ipso Abel usque ad finem The Church begins at Abel and continues to the end of the World Secondly our men also reckon the Church from Answ 2 Abel Lubbert de eccles page 7. 13 23. And Answ 3 Thirdly our learned Doctor Field gives the reason God wanted not a Church in Adam yet because Abel was the first that the Scripture reporteth I. To have worshipped God with Sacrifice And II. To have beene divided from cursed Cain Therefore we usually say That the Church of the redeemed began in Abel De eccles page 9. Answ 4 Fourthly Alexander de Ales part 3. quaest 95. memb 4. saith Ab Abel dicitur incepisse Ecclesia justorum sicut ecclesia malignantium a Cain The Church of the righteous is said to beginne at Abel as the Church of the wicked doth at Cain Ratio hujus est c. And the reason hereof is because although
unto the women And therefore the Lord will rather use the Ministerie of men then of Angels Vers 7.8 VERS 7 8. And goe quickly and tell his Disciples that he is risen from the dead And behold hee goeth before you into Galilee there shall yee see him behold I have told you And they departed quickly from the Sepulchre with feare and great joy and did runne to bring his Disciples word Sect. 1 § 1. He goeth before you into Galilee Quest 1 Why doth CHRIST goe to Galilee Answ To appeare to his Disciples there Quest 2 Why will hee appeare unto them in Galilee rather then in or about Ierusalem where they now were Answ 1 First because they were of the country of Galilee and came from thence up to Hierusalem and therefore he will have them goe to the place from whence they came And Answ 2 Secondly because he had resolved to spend some dayes with them to instruct them in the knowledge of God and to teach them and confirme them in the truth and to encourage them to endure for his sake all the oppositions and contradictions they should meet withall Now it was more meet that they should abide in Galilee then in Hierusalem because that was the more safe place And thus CHRIST had respect to the infirmity and weakenesse of his Disciples untill they were armed with strength and courage from on high Answ 3 Thirdly this was done because Christ would not have his Disciples idle and therefore untill the time come that he appeares unto them and they be sent to Preach the Gospell hee will have them imployed in their ordinary calling Whence Iohn 21. we reade that they were fishing which was their old vocation Vers 9 VERS 9. And as they went to tell his Disciples JESUS met them saying All haile And they came and held him by the feet and worshipped him Sect. 1 § 1. JESUS met them saying All haile Quest Why did CHRIST first appeare to women and not to his Disciples and first reveale his Resurrection unto them Answ 1 First some say this was done that the Resurrection of Christ might be divulged and published I am veró mulieres nihil celare possunt and women can keepe no secrets but tell all they know This ridiculous reason is given by Discip de temp serm de Pasch But Answ 2 Secondly this was rather done that the Lord might observe still that olde custome of his whereby he was wont to choose the contemptible ignoble and abject things of the world to confound the strong and mighty 1 Cor. 1.27 28 29. Now these women both in regard of the infirmity of their sexe and for their countreyes sake Galilee were held in contempt Iohn â— 46 But the Lord extols them by first manifesting unto them the Resurrection of his Sonne which is one of the principall Articles of our faith yea sends them to reveale it to the Apostles Vt sic fierent Apostolorum Apostolae that so they might be made the Apostles of the Apostles as the Auncients spake Thirdly women by nature being weaker without Answ 3 doubt were smitten with a vehement sorrow of mind for the reproachfull death of Christ and those torments and paines which they saw him suffer in the day of the preparation when they stood not farre off from the crosse And therefore the joyfull message of Christs Resurrection is first of all shewed and declared unto them to revive and comfort their sorrowfull heart And for this cause Christ appeared unto Peter a part viz. because as he sinned most hainously so he sorrowed most hâ—avily and therefore for his particular consolation his Saviour appeares to him alone Fourthly this was done that God by this Answ 4 meanes might meet with or take away the calumnies of the Iewes The Priests and Scribes afterwards say that IESUS Disciples came and stole him out of the Sepulchre now that the impudency and absurdity of this lye might appeare unto all by the wonderfull providence of God it came to passe that the women came unto the Sepulchre before the Apostles Now it is no way probable or likely that so few women could either role away so great a stone as was laid at the caves mouth or steale away the body which was kept by so many armed souldiers Fifthly death came into the world by a woman Answ 5 viz. Evah and therefore Christ would have his Resurrection by which righteousnesse and life is repaired and renewed unto us to be first declared and shewed forth by women As in the fall of the first man these three things concurred to wit The Devill perswading the women shewing the man eating and corrupting of humane nature So in the Resurrection of Christ also by which mankind is repaired there concurred Christ rising and redeeming humane nature The Angell shewing the Resurrection and the women carrying the good tydings unto others Sixthly these women with an earnest desire of Answ 6 mind came very earely yea as soone as they could see unto the Sepulchre but the Apostles for feare durst not come in sight and therefore the Lord recompenseth this their courage and boldnesse with the first newes of Christs Resurrection and with the first sight of him after he is risen Chem. harm parte 2. Gerard. pag. 255. b. § 2. And they held him by the feet Sect. 2 Why doth our Saviour permit his feet to be held and touched by these women Quest seeing St. Iohn saith Chap. 27. That he would not suffer Mary Magdalene to touch him but forbad her saying Touch me not and gives this reason For I am not yet ascended unto my Father First some say that our Saviour forbad her to Answ 1 touch him for this mysticall cause to insinuate unto her that she ought not to thinke of him as formerly she had thought that is that now she must have no humane conceits of him Her faith as yet was very imperfect as well as the faith of the rest as appeares by hers and their buying and preparing of spices and oyntments for the â—mbalming of the body of IESUS as though his body could hvae putrified and corrupted asthough it should not have bene raised up to life the third day (f) Carthus s pag. 231. b. Secondly others answer that when Mary now Answ 2 held the feet of CHRIST he forbad her to touch him that is not to continue long holding him or kissing his feet but quickly to dispatch and goe about that message which the Angell had given them all in charge (g) Parens s p. 900. a. And this seemes to be the truest answer I. From the next verse where our Saviour againe gives them the charge which was given them by the Angell See verse 7. and 10. And II. From the reason given Iohn 20.17 Touch me not for I am not as yet ascended unto my Father which words although they be diversely interpreted have notwithstanding this plaine and simple meaning Why dost thou prolong the time in
holding and kissing my feet Let them now goe for I am not about presently to ascend unto my Father but I will before my Ascension tarry with you a certaine time when both those and the rest may both see and touch me Now therefore forebare and goe tell my Disciples c. Sect. 3 § 3 And they worshipped him Quest How is adoration attributed or given to the humanity or flesh of CHRIST seeing it is a worship proper to the Deity Answ Although the flesh of CHRIST as flesh and a creature is not to be adored but it selfe adores the divinity as Cyrill speakes de recta fide ad Theod. lib. 1. Col. 693. yet in regard of the union thereof Cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the substantiall word which is to be adored the flesh is coadored with one adoration because neither in faith nor in vocation can the flesh be separated from the Deity Jndeed the proper cause of adoration is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divinity which is in the body and with the body of Christ and which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is onely adorabilis And therefore as the purple robe or Crowne of the King separated from the body or head of the King are not to be worshipped but being on the head or body of the King the King with his Crowne and robe on are worshipped So also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the divinity of Christ with his flesh The like Question unto this is handled by Epiphanius in Anchorato pag. 367. and by Augustine de verb. Dom. serm 58. and Chemnit harm Part. 2. Gerard. pag. 342. a. medio Vers 10 VERS 10. Goe bid my brethren goe into Galilee and there they shall see me Quest How often did Christ appeare unto any after his Resurrection Answ 1 First St. Marke saith that Christ first appeared unto Mary Magdalene onely neare unto the Sepulchre and this St. Iohn also mentions 20.16 Answ 2 Secondly afterwards he appeared to Mary together with some other women as our Evangelist here hath it verse 9 Answ 3 Thirdly he appeared to two Disciples that were going to Emauâ— and talked with them Marke 16.12 and Luke 24.13 Fourthly he appeared to Peter alone Luke 24.34 and 1 Cor. 15.5 Fifthly he appeared to the ten Apostles when Answ 4 they were together in one house Thomas being Answ 5 absent Luke 24 26. Iohn â—0 19 And all these five Apparitions I conceive have beene upon the day that he arose from death unto life Sixthly he appeared to the Apostles being Answ 6 shut up in one house when Thomas was with them And this was 8. dayes after the Resurrection And these 6. Apparitions were in Iudea Seventhly he appeared unto the Disciples in a Answ 7 Mountaine in Galilee Matth. 28.16 Whence it seemes to me cleare and evident That the Disciples did not goe presently after they had received the command into Galilee but some 8. dayes after Yea this is the Apparition I conceive which St. Paul speakes of 1 Cor. 15.6 where he saith That CHRIST was seene of above 500 brethren at once who either followed the Apostles out of Iudea or flocked unto them when they were on the Mountaine out of Galilee Eightly hee was seene againe by seven of his Answ 8 Disciples as they were fishing at the Sea of Tiberias Iohn 21.1 c. Ninthly hee appeared to Iames alone 1 Corinth Answ 9 15.7 Tenthly he was seene againe by all the Apostles Answ 10 after they were returned from Galilee to Ierusalem And this is mentioned both by Mathew Marke Lukâ— and Paul 1 Corinth 15. Now all these ten Apparitions were in the Earth Eleventhly there were two Apparitions of Answ 11 Christ from Heaven viz. I. Hee was seene of St. Stephen the first who suffered for him after his Ascension Act. 7.55 And II. Hee was seene of St. Paul as he went to Damascus Act. 9.3 and 22.6 and 1 Cor. 15.8 Twelfthly there shall bee another Apparition Answ 12 of him from Heaven in the last day when all the people of the earth shall see him comming in the clouds See Dr. Mayer upon this Verse Page 331 332. VERS 13. Say yee Vers 13 his Disciples came by night and stole him away while wee slept How may this be proved to be a lye Quest because it is commonly reported among the Jewes as a truth untill this day verse 15. That his Disciples stole him away by night First how can it be imagined that the Disciples Answ 1 of CHRIST who fled and were scattered abroad when hee was apprehended and sought lurking holes in the time of his Suffering dare now come to his Sepulchre to take away his body which is guarded about with Souldiers for this very purpose Chap. 26.63 64. And how can the armed Souldiers bee terrified or affrighted by unarmed Apostles Secondly the Sepulchre wherein Christ was Answ 2 laid was hewed out of a Rocke and therefore the Disciples could not by any underground caves or secret cranies or passages steale him away and not come in the sight of the Souldiers Thirdly if the Disciples would have adventured to have stollen the body of CHRIST they would Answ 3 not have staid untill it was guarded with a troupe of Souldiers but would have enterprised it before viz on the foregoing night when they might have done it with more safety and lesse danger Answ 4 Fourthly the Disciples could not watch one houre with CHRIST in the garden and shall wee thinke that they would wake a whole night almost to steale away a dead man Answ 5 Fifthly how could the Disciples remove away so great a stone as was laid at the Caves mouth and the souldiers neither perceive it nor awake Answ 6 Sixthly it was not the Disciples but the women who came first unto the Sepulchre yea the Disciples for feare had shut themselves up in bolted and locked houses and therefore there was no colour to dawbe over this lye That his Disciples came and stole him away Answ 7 Seventhly if there had beene no need of oppressing suppressing the truth then why doe the high Priests and Scribes take counsell together and summon a Conventicle Jf the thing had beene true then why doe they instruct the Souldiers in a lye If the Souldiers speake nothing but truth then why doe they take money If the Disciples did steale him away then why doe not they seeke to recover him from them and make them by force and violence to bring him backe againe or confesse the fact which they never went about at all Answ 8 Eighthly if the Souldiers slept then how could they tell that it was the Disciples who stole him away If all were asleepe but one who knew the Disciples and saw what they intended then why did not he awake the rest If they all were awake then why doe they lye in saying he was stolne while they slept If they say they saw and durst not speake who will beleeve them to be such cowards to feare naked poore
Iewes Pt. 1. folio 29 a. 54 b. and 459 a b. pt 2. fol. 132 b c. 374 b. 375 a. Seven Sects amongst the Iewes part 1. folio 30. What was required of the Iewes in regard of the Messias part 2. folio 74 a. The Church of the Iewes shall flourish againe Pt. 2. folio 271 a. Ignorance See Blindnesse Illumination Light Sight Lookes Questions concerning the excellency and notes of divine Illumination Pt. 1. fol. 24 b. 25. and part 2. folio 66 a. Divers profitable questions concerning Spirituall Light viz. Who is the Light of the world Part 1. fol. 116 b. 117. 171. How Light differs from Salt pt 1. folio 171 a. What Light signifies part 1. fol. 171. 170 a. and part 2. fol. 65 a. The originall and causes of true Light and meanes thereunto pt 1. folio 171 b. 172 a. and Pt. 2. fol. 65 a. 66 a. Wherin Light is resembled to an eye Pt. 2. folio 65. And who must let their light be seene pt 1. folio 176 b. 177 a. How many things hinder Sight Part 1. fol. 452 a. Lascivious lookes are sinne and what lookes are to be avoided pt 1. fol. 221 222. Image How man is made after the Image of God pt 1. fol. 403 a. Imitation How manifold Imitation is Pt. 2. fol. 105 b. Examples worthy of Imitation and wherein we must imitate God and Christ pt 1. folio 264. 469 b. and folio 455 a b. pt 2. fol. 106. 152 b. 172. 196. Impossible Possible What things are said to be Impossible pt 1. folio 340. and pt 2. fol. 246. Inchantments See Magi. Magicke Inconstancie See Constancy Infants See Babes Infidels See Gentiles Injures Wrongs What is required both of those who doe and suffer wrong See Reconciliation Intention A good intention will not justifie an evill action pt 1. folio 79 b. 99 a. Interpretation Who must interpret Scripture and what Rules are observeable in the Interpretation thereof pt 1. folio 30 a. 211 a. 213 214 a. 226 b. 251 and pt 2. fol. 235 b. Interrogations Questions Why questions are asked or Interrogations pt 1. fol. 70 b. 71 a. John What John signifies part 1. folio 55 a. Divers questions both Speculative and practicall concerning Iohn Baptist pt 1. fol. 54 b. 55. 64 b. 66 b. 79 b. 80 a. and pt 2. fol. 60. 70 b. 71 b. 72. 151. Ionas What kind of Fish it was which swallowed Ionas part 2. fol. 131 b c. Wherein Ionas was a type of Christ pt 2. fol. 131. 177 b. Joram How Joram was Ozias his father pt 1. fol. 9. Ioseph Divers questions concerning Ioseph the husband of Mary pt 1. fol. 14 b. 15 a. 40 b. 41. 50 b. Ioy. Rejoycing Those who enjoy Christ truly have true joy and wherein the joy of the faithfull consists pt 1. folio 117 b. 127. and pt 2. fol. 296 b. 297 a. Isaac Wherein he was a type of Christ part 1. fol. 9. Israel Israelites .. How many wayes the word Israel is taken pt 2. folio 7 b. 8 a. and part 1. fol. 454 a. Why the Apostles were sent to preach to the Israelites pt 2. fol. 8 b. and 9 a. Iudas Divers questions concerning the office life covetousnesse treachery and death of Iudas part 2. folio 339 a. 361 362 363. Iudges Iudgement To Iudge Questions concerning the office and duty of civill Iudges and judgement pt 1. fol. 149 a. 393 a and pt 2. folio 327 b. 373 b. Questions concerning the judging of our selves Pt. 1. fol 200 a. 236 a. and part 2. fol. 295. Questions concerning the judging of our brethren and their actions pt 1. folio 200 a. 391 392 393. 424 b. 425. 497 a. 522 a b. Vsefull and Vtile questions concerning the last judgement and the judgement presently after death and the Iudge of the whole world and the horrour of the wicked at the day of Iudgement part 1. folio 210 a. 428 a. 434. and pt folio 48 b. 252. 295 b. 309 a. 314 a. 320 b. 321 322 323 a. 328 a. 335. Many deride Gods judgments and who they are and the effect of their derision pt 2. fol. 323 b c. Iurisdiction See Excommunication Iustice Iust men Righteousnesse Righteous men How we must fulfill all righteousnesse and how and why we must hunger after righteousnesse and whom we must exceed in Righteousnesse and how manifold Rightrousnesse is and what it signifies and the happinesse of the Righteous and examples and the duty of Righteous men Pt. 1. f. 14 b. 15 a. 80. 148 b. 149 a. 189. 328 b. 355 356 357 358 359. An opinion of selfe-Righteousnesse keepes us from Christ Pt. 1. folio 497 b. 501 a b. Justification What Justification is who justifieth and whether Justification be of workes or not pt 1. fol. 310 b. 312 b. pt 2. fol. 130 b. 313. 334 a. K. KEyes See Excommunication Kingdom King Divers questiōs concerning the Kingdome of Heaven and Christ that is both the Kingdome of grace and glory and what Kingdome signifies pt 1. fol. 62 b c. 127 a. 141 a b. 297. 299. 300. and 354. pt 2. folio 73 74 a. 206. 296. God is the King of all the world and where his Kingdome is pt 1. folio 301 a 320 b. Kisses Kissing There are many sorts of Kisses pt 1. folio 261. Knowledge Questions concerning the Lords knowledge and the kinds thereof and our knowledge of God and the sorts and signes thereof pt 2. folio 97 a. 137 b. 139 b c. 326 b. and pt 1. fol. 518 a. None can know God except he reveale himselfe unto them pt 2. folio 96 b. 97 a. L. LAbour Who are meant by Labourers and how manifold labour is and what we must labour principally for and what labour shall be refreshed pt 2. f. 98 b. 99 a. 100 b. 103 a. and pt 1. fol. 492 b. 493. Lame We are naturally lame pt 2. folio 66 b. Laughing Two sorts of Laughers at Christ pt 1. folio 511 a. Law See Commandements Learning Schollers Figures and humane learning necessary and usefull pt 1. folio 48 b. Two things required in Schollers and those who learne pt 2. folio 93 a. We must be Christs Schollers part 2. folio 104. Lending To Lend Divers questions concerning Lending pt 1. folio 248 b. 249 a. Lent Whether the institution thereof be Apostolicall pt 1. folio 502 b. Leprosie Divers questions concerning the nature of the Leprosie pt 2. folio 11 b. 66 b. 67. a. and pt 1. folio 441 b. 442. Liberality See Almes Liberty How manifold liberty is Pt. 1. folio 185. pt 2. fol. 206 a. How Christians are freed from the Law pt 2. folio 75. Men have not a lawlesse liberty to use their owne as they please pt 2. folio 260 b. Life See Conversation Light See Illumination Lilly Wherein the Lillies excelled Salomon pt 1. folio 347. Limbus Concerning Limbus Infantum See Infants concerning Limbus patrium See pt 1. folio 457 b. Locusts What the Locusts were pt 1. folio 65. b. 66 a. Lookes