as God saying my Lord and my God acknowledging the diuinitie which he did not see by the wounds he did see So that Christ here commends the faith of Thomas in saying thou hast beleeued and reprehends only his slacknesse of faith in adding because thou hast seene me First handling the wounds of Christ afore hee would credit the words of his Apostleâ— Quid enim est fides nisi credere quod non vides eo plus habit merui quo nanus argumenti Thomas in beleeuing after he saw Christ is a type of the Iewes and the rest of the Disciples in beleeuing afore they saw Christ a figure of the Gentiles Augustin tract 121. in Ioan circa sin Blessed are they that haue not seene and yet haue beleeued He denieth not Thomas to be blessed in this sentence but only preferreth other Apostles and all other Christians afore him in that they haue not seene and yâ—t haue beleeued For if thou knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord and beleeue in thine heart that God hath raised him vp from the dead O well is thee and happie shall thou be So blessed as Iohn whose head lay neere his Masters heart so blessed as Ioseph of Arimathea who buried his bodie so blessed as old Simeon who lulled his Sauiour in his armes yea so blessed as the Virgin her selfe that bare him in her wombe for thee was more blessed in being the daughter then in being the mother of Christ. Here the Gospel and Epistle meet all they that haue not seene and yet haue beleeued are fellow citizens with the Saints and of Gods house built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the head corner stone in whom they grow to be an holy temple of God hauing the promises of the life present and of that which is to come See Gospell Sunday 13. after Trinitie By this it doth appeare that the resurrection of Christ is the chiefe obiect of a blessed faith as also the maine subiect of all this out present Gospell And it is exceeding profitable for confutation and instruction As first it doth ouerthrow the wicked error of Corinthus who taught Christ should not rise againe till the generall resurrection of whom Epiphanius worthily Stolâ—dus est stolidorum magister Secondly Apelles heresie who said Christ rose againe but not in his owne flesh or as Augustine reports his opinion without any flesh Thirdly that of Cerdon and the Passionists affirming that Christ ascended into heauen in soule only Fourthly that assertion of Eutychian heretikes holding that Christs humane nature was deiâ—ied after his resurrection and made not glorious only but meerely diuine also Againe the doctrine of Christs rising againe from the dead serues for instruction in matters of holy faith and good manners In articles of beâ—iefe concerning Christ and our seâ—ues First touching Christ whereas he did abide among the dead at least thirtie three or thirtie foure houres as he continued among the liuing thirtie three or thirtie foure yeeres I say whereas Christ being starke dead raised himselfe to life by his owne power it is a manifest demonstration of his Godhead as Paul disputes Rom. 1.4 and God said in the second Psalme Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee The which text ought to be construed not so much of Christs eternall generation afore all worlds as of the manifestation therof in time This day that is at the time of thine incarnation but at the day of thy resurrection especially haue I begotten thee that is I haue made knowne vnto the world that thou art my sonne as Paul expounds it Acts 13.33 for none euer raised another from the dead but by God none euer raised himselfe from the dead but God Secondly this doctrine proues euidently that Christ was a perfect Priest and that his passion was an omnisufficient sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world For if hee had not fully satisfied for them all if there had remained one little sinne only for which he had made no satisfaction he could not haue risen againe for death and the graue which came into the world by sinne and are daily strengthened by sinne would haue held him in bondage To this purpose Paul saith If Christ be not risen againe your faith is vaine and you are yet in your sinnes That is Christ had not answered fully for your sins or at least you could not possibly know that hee had made satisfaction for any of them if he had not risen againe As for points of faith appertaining to thy selfe more neerely the resurrection of Christ is a demonstration of our resurrection according to that of Paul If it be preached that Christ is risen againe from the dead how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead 1. Cor. 15.12 Behold saith the Lord I kill and giue life I wound and I make whole that is as Tertullian aptly killing by death and giuing life by resurrection If a man be cast into the sea though all his bodie sinke vnder the water yet there is hope of recoueâ—ie so long as his head is aboue the waues in like manner if wee beleeue that Christ our head is the first fruits of those that sleepe let vs not doubt but vnfainedly beleeue that we which are his members in our due time shall be raised out of the dust also Moreouer the resurrection of Christ is a proofe of our iustification before God he was deliuered for our offences and raised againe for our iustification As in his death he stood in our place wounded for our transgressing and broken for our iniquities and bearing our sinnes in his body on the tree so likewise in his resurrection he is not to be considered as a priuate but as a publike person representing the whole Church making his righteousnesse a cloke to couer all our vnrighteousnesse If death could not keepe Christ fettered in his prison it is euident that his power was ouercome Now then if death be conquered it followeth necessarily that sinne the wages of death is also destroied If death and sinne be vanquished then the tyrannous kingdome of Satan is subdued who had the power of death and was author of sinne and ruler of hell So that euery true Christian may reioice with Paul O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thankes be to God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. And lastly concerning matters of honest and holy conuersation this doctrine teacheth vs to seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth as the right hand of God and to rise from dead workes vnto newnesse of life See Epistle on Easter day and Epistle Sunday 6. after Trinitie Touching our Euangelists
seeke Christ in the time of Herod the King 2. From what part of the world from the East 3. To what Citie to Ierusalem 4. By what guide by the leading of a star 5. For what end to worship him 6. What gifts they presented vnto him gold frankincense myrrhe 7. What way they returned home after they were warned of God in a sleepe that they should not goe againe to Herod they returned into their owne country another way In the time of Herod the King The Patriarke Iacob prophecied of the Messiah that the kingdom should not depart from Iuda not a langiner from his feâ—t vntill Sâ—â—lo come Now Herod was not a branch of the Kings of Iuda but an alien from their Common-wealth a stranger and a tyrant crept in by the fauour of the Romane Emperour and therefore the Wisemen enquiring after the birth of Christ in the daies of Herod the King obserued their right quando because now the scepter had departed from Iuda The which as it confutes the Iewes expecting as yet that Christ should come so it confirmes the faith of Christians assuring vs vndoubtedly that this same whom the Wise-men sought is the very Sauiour of the world and as the Wise-men in seeking euen so Christ in comming kept his right quando For when Herod was King and sinne most abounded Iesus was borne in Bethlehem a Citie of Iurie when his Israel sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death then he visited and redeemed his people Luk. 1.68.79 according to that of Dauid Thou shalt arise and haue mercy vpon Sion for it is time that thou haue mercy vpon her yea the time is come and why Thy seruants thinke vpon her stones and it pittieth them to see her in the dust Some thinke these Wise-men came to Ierusalem about two yeeres after Christs birth and the ground of this assertion is in the 16 verse of this present chapter Herode seeing that hee was mocked of the Wise-men was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the male-children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from two yeeres old and vnder according to the time which hee had diligently searched out of the Magi. But the Wise-men had proued themselues none of the wisest men if they should at that time haue sought for Christ in Iurie when hee was in Egypt For so the text plainely Ioseph according to the direction of an Angell appearing to him in a dreame tooke the babe Iesus and his mother by night and departed into Egypt and was there vnto the death of Herod and that was in Nicephorus account 3 yeeres as Iansenius 5 yeeres as Sabellâ—câ—â— 7 yeeres I thinke therefore that the Wise-men came to Ierusalem according to the Churches institution of this feast vpon tht twelfth day after the birth of Christ. If any desire to bee satisfied how they could performe in so short a time so great a iourney let them at their leasure peruse the Commentaries of Maldonat vpon this text and Cardinall Baron annal Tom. ad an 1. fol. 53.54 From the East The first sinne committed by man in the world was eastward for Adam and Eua did eate of the forbidden fruit in Paradise planted Eastward Gen. 2.8 〈…〉 her Abel was an inhabitant of the East Gen 4. â—â— The builders of the Tower of Babel also came from the 〈◊〉 Gen. 11.2 And there 〈◊〉 Christ 〈…〉 that hee might 〈…〉 and take away the sinne of the world called at his 〈◊〉 appearing Wise-men from the East and hee was crucified 〈◊〉 toward the 〈◊〉 as hauing put all our sinnes behind his bâ—cke Eâ—a â—â— 17 And for this 〈◊〉 happily 〈◊〉 with other whereas the 〈…〉 toward the South and sectaâ—â—â— to the West 〈…〉 and thaâ— from the very time of theâ— Apostles vse to pray toward the 〈◊〉 And it 〈…〉 that such as were to bee baptized should in their renunciation of the deuill and all his workes euer turne their face toward the Wâ—â—l and on the contrary when they made their con 〈◊〉 of the faith of Christ 〈◊〉 the East as 〈…〉 and Cyrâ—l apud Baron 〈…〉 58 fol. 564. Our Sauiour said Matth. 8.11 that mary shall 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 and shall sit downe with 〈…〉 Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen These 〈◊〉 came from the East and 〈◊〉 from the West and 〈◊〉 knowledged Christ to bee King of the Iewes Magi ab 〈…〉 hoc est nasâ—ents the autem occidenti hoc est 〈…〉 regi Iudeorum That these Magi came from Persia most accord but whether they were Kings or Philosophers or both it is vncertaine It was a receiued opinion among the Popish Friers heretofore that these Magi were Kings and that Matthew in terming them Wise-men gaue them a title more honourable then that of Kings 〈…〉 A scepter may be put into the hands of a foole The name then of Magus in that age when Philosophers did raigne was of greater account then that of Magnus Other Papists of better note for their learning confesse that they were not reges but reguli not puissant Princes of a whole Country but pettie Lord of some little Towne aâ— Gen. 14. Bera King of Sodome Birsha King of Gomâ—rrah Shâ—â—ab King of Admâ—th But that these were crowned Kings and but three whose names are Melchior Gaspar Balthasar Const. 〈◊〉 pictura sed noâ— ex scriptura is a tale painted on a wall not written in the word That I say these were but three whereof one was an olde man another a yong man and the third of middle age whose dead bodies haue been translated first from India to Constantinople Secondly from Constantinople to Millane Thirdly from Millane to Colon and thereupon commonly called the three Kings of Colon is thought by Protestant Diuines a ridiculous fable better fitting the signe of a Tauerne then the wall or window of a Temple That they were Wise-men is said in this text and proued also for in seeking the Lord when and where hee was to be found they shewed themselues wisemen indeed according to that of the Prophet Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome but let him that gloâ—uth glory in this that hee vnderstandeth and knoweth mee that I am the Lord which exercise louing kindnesse iudgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I deâ—â—â— saith the Lord. It is likewise consonant to the text that these Magi were aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel as the shepheard were the first fruits of the Iewes so these Wise-men the first fruits of the Gentile They were neere these came from farre both met in Christ the chiefe corner stone who made of both one that is of two walles one house for the Iewes and Gentiles are all one in Christ Galat. 3.28 A mysterie which in times past as you haue heard in this daie Epistle was not opened
signe now the reason hereof is exceeding plaine their actions differed in their endes for whereas Gedeon asketh a signe to bee confirmed in Gods promise the Pharisies required miracles of Christ out of curiositie to betray rather then to be taught of him in this acceptable time of grace we need not aske for new miracles it is sufficient to beleeue those which are recorded in holy Bible The blessed Sacraments are Gods ordinary signes appointed in his word for the strengthening of our faith hee that refuseth them as a superfluous helpe commits the sinne of Ahaz he that vseth them according to Christs ordinance spiritually receiues Christ himselfe as Durandâ—ss pithily verbum andimus motum sentimus modum nescimus praesentiam credimus Heare ye now O house of Dauid For as much as it was an intollerable wickednes to shut the gates against the might and mercies of God vnder colour of honesty and modesty the Prophet is iustly displeased and sharpely rebukes these painted sepulchres and saith heare ye now O house of Dauid c. for albeit it was an honour for them to be held the race of Dauid if they had walked in the steps of Dauid yet notwithstanding he now cals them house of Dauid rather by way of reproach then otherwise And in very deed the contempt and vnthankfulnes in refusing a signe was so much the more hainous because this fauour was reiected by that house out of which the saluation of the whole world should come Note then here the Prophets order and exquisite method in teaching first he begins with doctrine take heed be still and feare not c. then he proceeds to the confirmation of his doctrine 〈…〉 a token of the Lord thy God c. 〈…〉 when he saw 〈◊〉 both his offered sayings and signes vnto King Ahaz were fruitlesse hee comes to reproofe grievously â—â—ding this obstinate man and â—o him â—lone but also all the royall house defiled with this impietie we must in our ministry take the lâ—ke course first beginning with doctrine then proceeding to confirmation and when these two faile we must as our Prophet speakes elsewhere lift our voice like a trumpet sâ—ewing Gods people their transgressions and to the house of Iacob their sinnes after proofe wee must as Esay here come to reproofe◠〈◊〉 lachrimae laudes tuae sint as Hierome doth aduise Nepotian for saith he melius est ex duobus imperfectis rusticitatem sanitam habere quà m eloquentiam peccatricem and Martin Luther that sonne of thunder was wont to say cortes meus esse potest durior sed nucleus mollis dulcis est Is it not enough for you that ye be grieuous vnto men but ye must grieue my God also He doth vse comparisons between God and men not as if the Prophets could in deed be separated from God for they be nothing else but his instruments hauing one common cause with him as long as they discharge their duties according to that of Christ Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me the Prophet then shapes his speech according to the wicked opinion of Ahaz and his followers imagining that they had to doe with men only as if hee should say though I am a mortall man as you conceiue yet in reiecting the signe which is offered vnto you yee greiue God himselfe for asmuch as the Lord speakes in mee 〈…〉 Luther is our comfort and credite that in de 〈◊〉 Gods errand our tongue is Gods tongue and our 〈…〉 God 's voice hee therefore that despiseth our preaching despiseth not men but God as the Lord said to 〈◊〉 they haue not reiected thee but they haue reiected mee that I should not raigne ouer them and this ought to moue the Prophets and preachers of the word that a wrong done to them in executing their holy sunction is an iniury done to God himselfe and they must grieue not so much in respect of their owne â—ishonour as for that God is grieued according to that of Dauid mine eyes gush ouâ— with water because men keepe not thy law it is well obserued that whereas Esay said before whilest Ahaz rebellion and ingratitude was hidden aske a signe of the Lord thy God he now takes this honour to himselfe saying my God not thy God insinuating that God is on his side and not with these wicked hypocrites and so testifies with what a confidence and conscience hee promised deliuerance to the King as if he should haue said I came not of my selfe but I was sent of the Lord and haue told thee nothing but out of the mouth of my God all preachers of the word should haue the same boldnes not in appearance only but effectually rooted in their hearts as Luther excellently Summa summarum haec est inestimabilis gloria conscientiae nostrae contra omnem contemptum in mundo quod Christus nos praedicatores plane deos creat dicendo qui vos recipit me patremque meum recipit Therefore the Lord shall giue you a signe behold a virgine All orthodoxal interpretours aswel ancient as moderne construe this of Christs admirable natiuity herein being taught by the spirit of truth in the 1. Chapter of Saint Matthews Gospell at the 22. verse all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying behold a virgine shall conceiue c. I know the Iewes haue many cauils against this exposition he that desires to know them as also the Christians answere to them at his opportune leisure may read the Commentaries of Hierom and Caluin vpon this text of Aretius Marlorat Mâ—ldonat in Mat. 1.22 Pet. Galatinus de arcanis cat verit lib. 3. cap. 18. lib. 7 cap. 15. Suarez in 3. Thomae disput 5. sect 2. â—That which here troubleth interpretours most is how this token is a confirmation of Gods promise to King Ahaz examine the circumstances of the place say the Iewes Hierusalem is besieged and the Prophet is to giue them a signe of their deliuerance to what end then is the Messias of the world promised now who should be borne fiue hundred yeares after answere is is made by some that the coherence may be thus O Ahaz thou art exceedingly deceiued in thinking that God is not able to deliuer thee from the furious wrath of Rezin and of Remaliahs sonne for hee will in time to come shew greater arguments of his power vnto thy succeeding posterity for behold a virgine shall conceiue and beare a sonne who shall deliuer his people from more dangerous enemies then the two tailes of these smoaking firebrands he will in the fulnes of time send a Sauiour to deliuer vs from all that hate vs euen our spirituall enemies as sinne death and the deuill he shall be called Emmanuel which is by interpretation God with vs not God against vs but with vs and for vs
〈◊〉 And the 〈◊〉 in ourage who following the 〈◊〉 He 〈◊〉 hold it lâ—â— full to distemble their faith 〈◊〉 the Magistrate As also the Nicodemâ—â—es ashamed of Christ and expâ—â—â—cating 〈◊〉 forswerring their Pâ—ieâ—hood and the Pope their holy father vpon eâ—eâ—y pretended occasion of danger In a word all weather â—ise professors adueâ—tring no more for the glorious Gospell then one â—â—tely did for his horrible blasphemie who being bound to the stake suffered only the lingeing of his beard This open acknowledging of Christ is necessaâ—ieâ— not only 〈◊〉 morris at the point of deâ—h as Liraâ—us or in the daie of persecution as Lombard but at all time and in euery place when occasion is offered lustly â—aith 〈◊〉 Forseeing it is an afâ—â—rmâ—tâ—ue prâ—cept 〈…〉 As Christ in his Gospel expresâ—ely 〈…〉 Whereas 〈…〉 〈…〉 the faith not sufficient vnto 〈…〉 mouth and other â—odâ—◠〈◊〉 as efficient cause concure with it in the 〈…〉 may be taken out of his old Schoole 〈…〉 and Cardinall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth af 〈…〉 confession 〈◊〉 act of faith according to that of the Pâ—â—miâ—â— I 〈…〉 haue I spoken And in his second 〈…〉 this Chapter he that is 〈◊〉 by faith ought to be filled with the fruit of righteousnesse Postquam homo per fide mest instificatus oportet quod eius fides per dilectionem operatur ad consequendam salâ—tem And Cardinall Tolet in plaine termes Oris confessio nâ—s non iustificat à peccato c. sed iustificati tenemur eam palà m profiteri c. Confession of the mouth doth not iustifie vs but being iustified wee are bound publikely to professe it afore we can attaine to saluation Herein agreeing with our Protestant Interpreters affirming that good workes are consequents and effects of a true faith as if Paul should haue said here we are iustified by faith onely but yet this faith is operatiue bringing foorth liuely fruits as the confession of the mouth and the profession of the life for they be necessarie to saluation albeit faith alone be sufficient in the act of iustification as you may see further Epist. Quinquages and Sund. 2. in Lent In the words and beleeue in thine heart that God hath raised him vp from the dead three points are considerable namely Faiths Act Obiect Subiect Faiths act is to beleeue and to beleeue hath these degrees as the Schoole teacheth out of Augustine Credere Deo credere Deum credere in Deum A wicked man and a wretched deuill may so farre proceed in faith as to beleeue there is a God and in grosse to beleeue God but a true Christian endued with a sauing faith ascends higher and beleeueth in God also That is he knowes God as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his word acknowledging him onely for his God and thereupon put his whole trust in him applying to himselfe Gods mercifull promise made to father Abraham and his seed with the heart vnto iustification and confessing the same with the mouth vnto saluation He disclaimes not his part in Christ as the deuils Ab what haue we to doâ— with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to torment vs before the time but he challengeth his portion in the bloud of his Sauiour saying with the Church in her loue-song My welbeloued is mine and with Paul Christ is become to vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Hâ—s bodie is in heauen there shall I finde it mine his diuinitie is on earth and heere doe I feele it mine his word is in mine eare to beget him mine his Sacrament is in mine eie to confirme him mine his spirit is in mine heart to assure him mine Angels are mine to fight for mee Prince mine to rule for mee Church mine to pray for me Vniuersitie mine to studie for me Pastour mine to pâ—each for me all mine whether it be Paul or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come euen all are mine I am Christs and Christ is Gods Faiths obiect is all holy scripture the summe whereof is the Creed and this one point how God raised vp Iesus from the dead is nexus articulorum omnium as it were the bond or tying knot on which all other linkes of our beleefe depend For if it were not true that Christ is risen againe then were it neither true that hee did ascend vp to heauen nor that hee sitteth at the right hand of his father in heauen nor that he sent downe the holy spirit from heauen nor that hee shall come from thence to iudge the quicke and the dead In a word the matter of the whole Creed concerneth either God or the Church his spouse Now the raising of Christ from â—he dead is the worke of God the Father Acts 2.32 of himselfe being God the Sonne Iohn 10 18. of God the holy Ghost also Rom. 1.4 Christ as God only raiseth and is not raised as man he is onely raised and raiseth not as the Sonne of God or second person in the blessed Trinitie both the Father raiseth him and he raiseth himselfe The Father raiseth the Sonne by the Sonne â—nd the Sonne raiseth himselfe by the spirit of holinesse by which he was declared to be the Sonne of God As for the Church our Apostle sheweth elsewhere that Christ died for her sinnes and rose againe for her iustification and that ascending vp on high he bestowed on her gifts as to be Catholike holy knit in a communion and prerogatiues in her soule namely remission of sinnes in the body resurrection of the flesh in both euerlasting life Wherefore Paul here mentioneth only the resurrection of Christ from the dead not exclusiuely but synecdâ—checally because this one article presupposeâ—h all the rest and takes them as granted as if hee rose from the graue then he died and his death is a consequent of his birth Or because this article was and is most doubted in the world for the Iewes and Gentiles acknowledge the death of Iesus whereas the Christians only confesse his resurrection Or because the rest vnlesle Christ had risen againe would haue profited vs little for he triumphed in his resurrection ouer death hell damnation opening the kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers And so the meaning of our text is plaine If thou confesse with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord that is that Lord of whom all the Prophets inquired as being the desire of all Nations euen the light of the Gentiles and consolation of Israel And if thou beleeue in thine heart that this Iesus whom almightie God hath made both Lord and Christ offered himselfe a sacrifice to purge thy conscience from dead workes and take away thy sinnes putting out and fastening vpon the Crosse the Lawes obligation against vs and that hauing ouercome death and the deuill he
to death Wherefore seeing to loue our enemies in the iudgment of some men is against Gods law and of other beside the law seeing many men in their precepts and most men in their practise manifestly shew that it is an hard saying Saint Steuens charity doth appeare to be great in blessing such as cursed him and in praying for such as did hurt him Iob renowmed in holy Scripture for his patience said If mine aduersarie should write a booke against me would I not take it vpon my shoulder and binde it as a crowne vnto me But Steuen surpassing Iob as Gregorie Nyssen obserues esteemed the very ring of his persecutors wherewith he was enclosed on euery side his crown and euery stone flung at his head a pretious diamond so that it might haue beene said of him as it was of Dauid The Lord preuented him with the blessings of goodnesse and set a crowne of pretious stones vpon his head Our goods are sweet vnto vs and therefore wee can hardly forgiue the theese our good name sweeter and therefore wee doe more hardly forgiue the slanderer but our life most sweet Skinne for skinne and all that euer a man hath will he giue for it and therefore most hardly doe we forgiue murtherers and martyrers in hot blood especially while they wring vs and wrong vs and yet Steuen full of the holy Ghost and therefore full of loue in persecutione positus pro persecutoribus orabat in the middest of his persecution heartily praied for his persecutors O Lord Iesu lay not this sinne to their charge Our sinnes not forgiuen are set before vs and as enemies in battell fighting against vs a pillar of infamie to disgrace the wicked in this and the next life the which as Basil thinkes is more grieuous to their soule then hell fire So that the meaning of S. Steuen is in saying lay not this sinne to their charge that God would giue them a better minde and not impute this offence but rather to burie this and all other their sinnes in his death and graue that they neuer rise vp againe to worke desperation in this world or destruction in the world to come S. Augustine brings in Steuen speaking thus vnto God Ego patior ego lapidor in me sauiunt in me fremunt sed ne statuas illis hoc peccatum quia vt dicamtibi à te primo audiui Ego seruus tâ—us patior sed muleum interest inter me te tu dominus ego eruus tu verbum ego auditor verbi tu magister ego discipulus tu Creator ego creatus tu Deus ego homo multum interest inter peccatum istorum qui lapidant me illorum qui crucifixerunt te quando ergo dixisti Pater ignosce illis quia nesciunt quid faciunt pro magno peccato petisti me pro minimo petere docuisti domine ne statuas illis hoc peccatum ego patior in carne isti non pereant in mente Now the Lord heard his praier and granted his request in that Saul had not this sinne said to his charge as himselfe witnesseth I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an oppressor but I was receiued to mercy for I did it ignorantly through vnbeleefe So that Augustine is bold to say Si Stephanus non sic orasses ecclesia Paulum non haberet And Fulgentius Quo pracessis Stephanus trucidatus lapidibus Pauli illuc sequutus est Paulus adiutus orationibus Stephani When hee had thus spoken Vttering such excellent words and with such a resolute spirit and in such a reuerent fashion after he had thus spoken for the matter and thus for the manner giuing vnto God the life of his soule forgiuing his persecutors the death of his bodie hee sweetly slept in the Lord. Christus pro nobis hominem induit Stephanus pro Christo hominem exuit as Gregorie Nyssen elegantly Christ became man for Steuen and Steuen became no man for Christ hominem exuit he so willingly put off his flesh as a man would put off his clothes at night and so death as welcome to him as steepe to the wearie when he had thus spoken hee fell asleepe To mitigate deaths horror it is called often in holy Scripture sleepe So the text saith of Dauid and of Salomon and of other Kings of Israel and Iuda that they slept with their fathers In the new Testament also such as are dead in the Lord are said to sleepe in Christ. I would not haue you saith Paul ignorant concerning them which are asleepe c. For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe 1. Cor. 11.30 For man in his graue sleepeth and waketh not againe till the heauen be no more Iob 14.12 So great a resemblance the Gentiles acknowledged between dying and sleeping that Ouid cals sleepe mortis imago deaths image Virgil consanguineus lathi the kinsman of death Seneca the brother of death and Hesiode the sister of death Among infinite comparisons I finde that death is principally likened vnto sleepe In respect of the Rest of the dead Resurrection of the dead Concerning the first it is said by the spirit Blessed are the dead in the Lord for they rest from their labore and so God giueth his beloued sleepe The coffin is a couch in que mollius ille dormit quisquis durius in vit a se gesserit I finde in the records of antiquitie that a Sepulchre is called requietorium a bed of sacred rest and securitie which Valerius Probus expressed in these letters H.R.I.P. Hic requiescet in pace and Pet. Diaconus in other D.M.S. Dormiunt mortus securi Hic mortuius requiescit semel Qui viuus requieuit nunquam But here we must obserue that our soule sleepes not in the dust as our body till our last dome For the soules of the reprobate at their death are fetched away from them and carried into hell But the soules of such as die in the Lord instantly liue with the Lord conueied by the glorious Angels into Abrahams bosome Luk. 16. 22. So Christ expresly to the theese on the Crosse Verily I say to thee this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Anima absoluitur corpus resoluitur quae absoluitur gaudet quod resoluitur in terram suam nihil sentit And so the Saints departed are dead in their worst part onely but liuing in their best euen in that wherein they desire to liue most as an Heathen Poet diuinely Sed lugere nefas nam quite Prisce reliquit Vâ—â—â—t qua volnit viuere partemagis And therefore though the dead bodies of Gods seruants haue beene giuen as meat to the sowles of the aire and their flesh vnto the beasts of the land yet right deare in the sight of the
they beget children vnto God and not to themselues or Satan and therfore they must bee forward in bringing their children to holy Baptisme as Ioseph and Mary were in presenting Christ consecrating them in their infancie to God that afterward they may serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life that the ground may bring forth fruit in due time you must haue both a good feedsman and good seed in education of children a good instructor is the seedsman and good discipline the seed For as base sluggishnes corrupts the best nature so liberal instruction is able to correct â—he worst Inuidus iracundus iners vinosius amator Nemo adeo ferus est vt non 〈…〉 Si modo cultarâ— patientem coâ—modit aurem It is reported of Sulpho Megareus a great Philosopher in his age that hee was exceedingly giuen by nature to women and wine but hee so â—amed his vnbridled affections by good discipline vinemo vnquam 〈…〉 Now for as much as children are taught more by patterne then by precept by that they see men doe rather then by that they heare men say parents ought in their priuate families especially to be lights and ensamples in all holinesse and honestie For as it is in the prouerbe 〈…〉 the colt will not amble You desire that your children may haue strength and beautie yet both are suddenly consumed either through ache or age You purchase titles of honour for your posterity yet blood corrupted by treason or felonie cannot bee restored againe by the Kings bare grant without authoritie of Parliament You rise vp early and goe to bed late that you may leaue wealth enough vnto your babes and yet one sparke of fire may deuoure all their houses and one quirke of law carry from them all their lands at a trice Manners onely makes a man if thou shalt afford thy sonne religious and ingenuous education it will euer sticke by him among all the changes and chances of this mortall life no sicknes can blast this beautie no malice blot out this honour no fire consume this tenement no law wrest this inheritance from him It will bee his comfort vntill he die that you brought him vp in instruction and information of the Lord. 〈…〉 his age because they performed onely that kind of deuotion which is without cost as to pray for fashion and to saâ—t out of miserie but they would not afford one halfpenie to the poore So many men in our daies are content to heare Gods holy word read and preached with their elbowes on a cushion and hats on their heades and if need bee they will also make bitter inuectiues against Atheisme and Poperie but if the parish impose but an ordinarie charge toward the repairing of the Church or the Pastour require but accuâ—â—omed offrings for his necessary maintenance you shall haue them as the bulrush in a wet place so drie that an oblation is as hardly got from them as a sword from a souldiour or a new coat from a child Mary did offer according to her estate for whereas the law requireth of the rich a lambe but of the poâ—re two turtles or two young pigeons it is said heere that shee brought the poores offring And therefore the Papists vsually painting her in exceeding rich attire and in making her a great Ladie of stately port feed the peoples eyes with bables their eares with fables for to make theÌ„selues in this case Iudges of themselues it is not our obseruation onely but also their owne collection in their postils and sermons vpon this scripture Nay their famous Iesuite Maldonate doth affirme that all expositors haue this glosse further adding out of his owne coniecture that Marie did not offer two Turtles but two young pigeons quia saâ—lius reperiri quia minore pretio 〈◊〉 potucrum because young Pigeons are prouided more easily both in respect of paines and price Here then is matter of comfort for the poore of feare for the rich of instruction for all Of comfort against pouerty because the Lord of Lords hauing all things at his command vouchsafed to bee borne of a poore Virgin according to that of Paul he being rich for â—â—r sakes became poore that wee through his pouertie might be made rich Of scare for the wealthie because Mary descending of a noble line yea from princely loynes is said heere to bee so beggerly that shee was not able to buy a lambe for her offering It is the fashion of great men as the Prophet complained in his time to lay field to field and to ioyne house to house calling their lands after their owne names entailing their estate to childrens children making â—t as the lawyers speake a perpetuitie But one generation passeth and another generation succeedeth hee that is higher then the highest often puls downe the mighty from his â—eatâ— and exalteth the poore man out of the miâ—e that hee may set him euen with the Princes of his people For in one age you may behold the gentlemans heire serue his owne farmours issue Lastly this affords instruction for all intimating that wee must offer vnto God the sacrifice due to God If we cannot giue much he will accept of a little of the Virgins two pigeons of the widdowes one fasthing Wee may not spend all in our house much lesse in the top-house some thing is to be laid out vpon Gods house for his seruice for his honour if not a lamb yet a paire of Turtle doues or two young pigeons Mystically the blessed Virgin did offer a lambe but it was her owne sonne the Lambe of God Agnus que praesiguratus est ab origine 〈◊〉 blâ—tusest in fine mundâ— and she did offer a young pigeon but it was her owne sonne conceiued of the holy Ghost appearing in the likenesse of a doue Matth. 3.16 And shee did offer a Turtle but it was her owne sonne of whom â—â— is said the voice of the Turtle is heard in our land Our blessed Sauiour being sacerdos sacrificâ—â—â— victor victims the sacrificer and the sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world was offered first by God his father secondly by the Virgin his mother thirdly by his 〈…〉 God sent him into the world the Virgin present and the legall sacrifice represent him in the Temple but himselfe did offer himselfe actually for our sinnes on the Crosse. And behold there was a man in Hierusalem whose name was Simeon Two things are requisite in a sufficient witnesse vnderstanding to know the truth and honestly to speake what he knoweth Old Simeon in testifying of Christ had both a good vnderstanding as hauing a reuelation giuen him of the holy Ghost that hee should not see death vntill hee first saw the Lord Christ and a great honesty being iust and godly or deuout outwardly to the world iust inwardly
she shall call his name Now the naming of children is an office properly belonging to fathers and not to mothers In that therefore this charge was wholly referred and transferred to Mary wee may note that Christ was so conceiued of his mother as that hee had no father on earth as also that Ioseph affianced to Mary was rather an helpe then an absolute head a wedded but not a bedded husband I say not a bedded husband after the birth of Christ as Hierome notablie proues in a tract of this argument against Heluidius And for the strengthening of this reuerent opinion I finde a tradition entertained by the most ancient Doctors Origine Basile Theophylast and other that whereas the married women had one seuerall in the Temple for their deuotions and the Virgins another Mary not onely before but after the birth of her sonne also did vsually troupe with the maidens and not with the married liuing and dying a Virgin This Epistle then is all one with the Gospell Esay and Gabriel are messengers of the same errand for that which Esay speakes of Mary Gabriel speakes vnto Mary Thou shalt conceiue in thy wombe and beare a sonne and shall call his name Iesus And they both are so fit for the present feast that he who runs and reades may see the reason why the Church allotted them for this day The Gospell Lvk. 1.26 And in the sixth moneth the Angel Gabriel was sent from God vnto a City of Galilee named Nazareth to a Virgin c. ALmighty God in the twelfth chapter of Exodus enioyned his people to eate the pascall lambes head and feet and purtenance Christ is our Pascal lamb 1. Cor. 5.7 Wherefore wee must as Mary did anoint Christs head feet that is meditate on his birth and death on his ingresse into the world and egresse out of the world This scripture principally speakes of his birth and of the purtenance thereof an euangelicall and angelicall annunciation of his admirable conception In which obserue these 4. circumstances especially When In the sixth moneth Where In a City of Galilee named Nazareth Who saluting Gabriel an Angel sent from God Who saluted A Virgin espoused c. What Haile full of grace c. In the sixth moneth That is as Gabriel expounds himselfe vers 36. in the sixth moneth from the conception of Elizabeth And it is an argument to perswade Mary that shee may haue a sonne for that her consin Elizabeth had conceiued a child in her old age by her old husband Iohn the Baptist as it is thought was conceiued about the latter end of September and Christ according to the Churches account about the latter end of March. In the very same moneth as some coniecture the world was created and so the second Adam was conceiued about the time the first Adam was deceiued For as in Adam all die euen so in Christ shall all bee made aliue The Poet saith of the spring which alwaies beginneth in this moneth Omnia tune florent tune est noua temporis atas noua de grauido palmite gemma tumet And so Christ incarnate making a new heauen and a new earth ecce ego facio noua Behold saith the Lord I make new things Esay 43.19 See Tho. Caten m. Moller in loc Ludolph de vita Christi part 1. cap. 5. Giron ser. 1. Raulin ser. 3. Ferus ser. 5. in annun The Iewes for religious vses and festiuall times counted Nisan the first moneth which for the most part answereth our March and so forward but for ciuill they counted the seuenth the first It is worth obseruing therefore that the Annunciation vnto Zacharie was in the beginning of the Ciuill and this Annunciation vnto Mary in the beginning of the religious or ecclesiasticall yeere Teaching vs hereby that our whole life is onely ciuill and not truly religious vntill Christ be conceiued and formed in vs vntill hee dwels in our heart who reneweth a right spirit within vs. The Angel Gabriel was sent from God Gabriel in Hebrew signifies the power of God a fit ambassadour for such an errand because the conception of Christ and through it the redemption of the world is called expresly the strength of Gods arme Luk. 1.51 Euery Preacher of the Gospell ought to follow this example for his commission he must bee sent from God and in execution of it hee must bee Gabriel that is a man of good courage powerfull in doctrine and exhortation An Angel was sent about this businesse and not a man for sundry reasons especially thice 1. That our humane nature might bee repaired after the manner it was ruinated as a serpent was sent by the diuell vnto Eua to worke our woe so Gabriel an Angel was sent from God vnto Mary to bring glad tidings of our weale Ad Euam angelus malus accessit vt per eam homo separaretur â— Deo ad Asariam angelus banus venit vt in ea Deus vmretur homini 2. An Angell sent vnto a Virgin because Virgins are as Angels according to that of 〈◊〉 Câ—elibatus qua i câ—lobeatus And Christ also saith in the resurrection when there shall be no more marrying that we shal be then as the Angels of God in heauen 3. To shew that Angels are ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes who shall bee heires of saluation Heb. 1.14 and therfore seeing we haue such a guard attending vs on euery side we should do whatsoeuer we doe in a reuerent and seemely fashion alway remembring that wee are made a spectacle to men and Angels 1. Cor. 4.9 Vnto acity of Galilee named Nazaret The Iewes held this country and city so contemptible that the Pharisies said of the one out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet And Nathaniel of the other Can there any good thing come out of Nazaret Heere then obserue that euen Pharisies and learned men may be deceiued as also that God is not tied vnto any place but his spirit bloweth where it listeth And therefore we may not iudge of men either by then countrie or county Ioseph and Mary liued in Nazaret a city of Galilee good people though they dwell in bad parishes and places are the same Mytically Nazaret is by interpretation a flower it was fit therefore that he which is the lilie of the vallies and the rose of the wild should be conceiued in flore i. in Nazaret de flore i. de beata virgine cum floribus i. tempore florum in the spring or flower time Galilee was the marches of the Iewes abutting and adioyning neere to the countrie of the Gentiles and so Christs conception in Galilee doth insinuate that in him all the nations of the world shall be blessed Gen. 22.18 And that hee should breake downe the stop of the partition
wall and to make the Iewes and the Gentiles both one Ephes. 2.14 or Galilee signifieth an end or confine so Christ a Galilean is the end of the law Rom. 10.4 See this and many moe like this apud pont in sed annun To a Virgin espoused to a man whose name was Ioseph Mary though a Virgin was affianced to Ioseph of the house of Dauid for sundry causes â— left her selfe should be iudged an adulteresse and so stoned to death according to Moses law 2. Left her sonne should be reputed a bastard and so consequently not admitted for the Messias He who came into the world not to destroy the law but to fulfill all righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 would not himselfe be borne vnlawfully 3. That Christ heereby might honour both estates of maiden head and marriage of maiden head in that shee was a Virgin of marriage because she was espoused 4. That Ioseph might be to her selfe and her sonne a curator and a guardian in the time of trouble for so we reade in the second chapter of S. Matthew that the Angell of the Lord appeared to Ioseph in a dreame saying Arise and take the babe and his mother and flee into Egypt c. Againe arise and take the babe and his mother and goe into the land of Israel c. 5. That her husband might witnesse her virginity Sicut Thomas dubitando palpando constantissimus factus est Dominicae confessor resurrectionis Ita Ioseph Mariam sibi desponsando eiusiâ— conuersationem in tempâ—re cuiodie sindiosius comprebando factus est pudicitiae fidelissimus testos Pulchra viriusque rei conuenientut dubitatio Thomae desponsaâ—ia Mariae See Bernard vbi in marg Beauxam har Tom. 1. fol. 22. Maldonat in Mat. 1. Sixt. seuen Bib. lib. 6. annot 64. Of the house of Dauid S. Luke sets downe the names of so many places and persons exactly that wee might attend his relation more diligently Noluit nos negligenter audire quod tam diligenter sinduit enarrare Because Christ is the promised seed and sonne of Dauid Mary was espoused to Ioseph of the house of Dauid Hereby shewing her owne petegree by her husbands genealogie for the Iewes according to Gods law were to take wiues out of their owne tribes Dauid is â—iled a man according to Gods owne heart Act. 13.22 And so Ioseph a man of Dauids house was a man according to Gods owne hart to whom he did reueale Secret◠〈◊〉 atque sacratisimum sui cordis arcanum a mysterie which none of the Princes of this world vnderstood And Mary being thus affianced to Ioseph she proue in good housewife being in this respect like the Snaile which this 〈◊〉 She was not of the tribe of 〈◊〉 busy gossip â—â—ing about from house to house proâ—ing and speaking things which are not comely 〈◊〉 as almost all 〈…〉 vpon the words of our text 〈…〉 thee was within either at her holy deuotion or at her daily worke I come now to the salutation it selfe Haile Mary c. the which as Luther said of the Pater noster is made by the Papists a very great Martyr I purpose therefore to demonstrate these two points especially First their foule abuse secondly the true vse of Aue Maria. The Papists iniurie this angelicall salutation in Groce by misconstruing the whole sentence ioyntly in Parcell abusing euery particular word seuerally For the first they patch it vp together by fetching in other stitches out of other places as blessed is the fruit of thy wombe and adding the name Maria Iesus amen And all this that it may be repeated often vpon their beades as a maine point of holy deuotion and why so because forsooth it was vsed by the Greeke Church in their Masse daily for so they find it recorded in the Liturgies of S. Iames and Chrysostome Our answere is that those Liturgies are counterfeit the one being a sufficient consutation of the other For if the Greeke Church had a Liturgie written by S. Iames the blessed Apostle who would imagine that Chrysostome would haue made a new and if Chrysostome had penned a Liturgie he would not haue made a prayer for Pope Nicholas who liued almost fiue hundred yeeres after him and for the Emperour Alexius who liued seuen hundred yeeres after him It were very much as B. Iewell obiected against D. Harding to say Chrysostome prayed for men by name so many hundred yeeres before they were borne But to trace the Papists a little neerer euen from step to step if Aue Maria bee a prayer it must either bee a prayer for Mary or to Mary It cannot be a prayer for Mary whether wee consider the words as vttered by Gabriel while shee liued or as babled by them now shee is dead If in her life shee was full of grace and free from all sinne as they teach impiously then assuredly she did not need any prayer of man or Angell as abounding with all mercy and abandoning all misery much lesse now being a Saint in heauen and as they would haue vs to beleeue a queen of heauen ouerruling and commanding Christ himselfe to shew mercy on such as she will haue mercy As Aue maria could not be a prayer for Mary so it should not be a prayer to Mary because praying to Saints hath in Gods holy bible neither precept nor praise nor paterne Not to dispute this point Eckius a â—ancke payâ—st acknowledgeth in his Enchiridon that innocation of Saints is not inioyned in the Scriptures expresly not in the old Testament because the Patriarkes and the Prophets afore the comming of Christ as the Church of Rome beleeues were not in heauen but in limbo Not in the new testament least happily the Gentiles lately conuerted vnto the faith of one God should instantly returne to the worshipping of many Gods as the men of Lycaonia would haue sacrificed vnto Paul and Barrabas Acts 14 Petrus Asoto likewise and other Romanists of most eminent note for learning confesse that praying vnto Saints is not taught in Gods booke plainly but insinuated only So that as Melancthon obserues the Papists are saine to ride post vnto the Court for an example We cannot come to the Princes presence but by the mediation of some fauourite in like sort say they we must exhibite our petitions vnto Peter or Paul especially to Mary that she may commend them vnto Christ her sonne God himselfe hath answered this idle conceit for vs Osea 11.9 I am God and not man the holy one in the mids of thee and Esay 55.8 My wayes are not as your wayes c. Earthly princes out of necessity must employ many mediatours and officers about them as tongues and eares and eyes vnto them but the King of heauen is all eye and all eare seeing hearing vnderstanding all things euen the very secrets of our hearts afore we speake your heauenly father saith our