rule of prayeng to God they haue al in one maner that whych is requisite for the profession of theyr fayth Nowe the meane by whych al the flocke of God is gathered together is when there is but one shepheard for all and when hys voyce onely is heard when the Churche is made subiect to Christ onely and obeyeth his cōmaundement and heareth his voyce and his doctrin then is it in good state But when the Lord Iesus is dumme when his maiesty is troden vnder fote when hys holy ordinances are set forth to be mocked at and contemned what can a man saye of that goodly vnitye but that it is a diuilish Sinagoge or cōspiracy worse and more execrable with out all comparison than anye waste or spoyle There is no Church but where Christ raygneth there is no knowlege of God but wher the honor of the shephearde is geuen vnto Christ But the other sentence sheweth that al the disorders that are thys day in the world shalbe brought agayn into good ordre There are Hypocrites mired w t the true chyldren of God they haue sō shew to be of the flock and are among the sheepe but when the sonne of God shall come to restore them the goates shall be put apart and cast 〈◊〉 and the shepe shal be gathered together into the eternal Kingdome of God The state of this Kingdome shall be wel gouerned when the iust shall haue obtayned the crowne of glorie and when the wycked shalbe recompenced as they haue deserued Now this diuision which shall be of goates from among the lambes signifieth that nowe ther ar wicked mired among the good yea in suche 〈◊〉 that they liue as in one self folde So the faithful must not thinke their state ouer troublesom bycause as nowe they bee constrained to liue with the goates yea and that at their hand they endure terrible assautes and displeasures 64 God rested the seuenth day from al the vvorkes that he had made Gensi◠2 ▪ My Father vvorketh euen tyll thys houre Ioan. 6. A MAN muste vnderstande what the rest of God is and then he shal easly resolue this doubt when it is sayd that he rested the seuenth day that is not to say that he left his workes so as he hath no more care of them as if a master Mason or Carpenter hauing finished the building of his house shuld leaue it to him that could ocupy it not caring any more for it or as a shippe-wright afterthat he hath finished a vessel should geue it ouer to the waues of the sea not caring what shoulde betide of it So the reste or Sabat of God is not a sluggishnesse or idlenesse but a sound perfection which bringeth with it a quiet state of rest God then rested from al his workes that is to saye hee ceassed from creating of new kindes of any thing There was so sounde a perfection that nothing coulde bee added Wherfore it is said that God hath set to the last hand And that which is recited by Moises is asmuche as if hee had said that which God was determined to do was thē fulfilled To be short this is spoken onely to shewe the perfectnesse of the building of the worlde so that heere of a manne coulde notte gather that God so rested frō his workes that he hath left them of seing they haue no vertue or force nor substance but in hym In the meane tyme it is certayne that God worketh and is occupied continualy in that he vpholdeth the world by hys power that he gouerneth it by hys prouidence that he maintaines al creaturs in their being and also multiplies them Thereby a man may see how true thys sentence of the Sonne is My Father worketh from the beginnyng euen tyll now for if God neuer so litle wythdrawe hys hand all thinges shal perysh in a momente and shall be strayghtways brought to naught as it is sayd in the. 104. Psalme Besydes a man could not well know that God is the creatour and fashioner of heauen and earth except this be attributed vnto hym that he geueth strēgth and quickening to al things that he sustaineth the world by hys hygh vertue that he gouerneth it by his hyghe councel and mayntayneth it by his goodnesse and stayeth al things acording to his good pleasure as well beneath here in earth as there aboue in heauē Lo thē how it behoueth vs to conclude the makyng of the world was perfect in syx dayes but the gouerning it dureth for euer God is continualy busied to maintayn and cōserue the ordre of the same This is that which Saint Paul sayth Act. 17 that we lyue and haue our mouyng and beeing in God And he not onely mayntayneth by a generall prouidence the nature whych he hath created but also he gouerneth and ordreth euery parte of it And chiefly hys faythfull be gouerned and kept by him whome he hath receiued vnder his defence and safegard 65 It is appoynted for men that they should once dye Hebr. 9. VVhosoeuer beleueth in me shall neuer dye Ioan. 2. ALthoughe we had no wytnesse of the Scripture yet our own fraylnesse doothe warne vs enoughe of the truth of thys sentence that it is ordained that al men shal once dye The riches the honor the dignity strēgth of men nor whatsoeuer there is beside can redeme a man from this conditiō And this argument is infallible wher sinne is there is death al men are sinners it foloweth then that al men shal die we nede no other reason to proue that all that went beefore vs were sinners but that by Death they were taken out of this world and that we also and they which shall followe vs be sinners but that it is decreed by the sentence of God that we and they shal die Death is the hyer or rewarde of synne But now that which is said hetherto extendeth vnto the Deathe of the bodie for the body is subiect to Death bicause of sinne Furthermore we must vnderstand how Christ protesteth so often times that he is life and how he saith els where that Who so beleueth in hym are now already raysed from Death to Lyfe that they shall neuer dye He speaketh of the soules of his faithfull whiche are begotten anewe with an vncorruptible sede and whiche haue the spirite of Christ dwelling in them by whiche they receue continuall force The body is subiect to dy bycause of sinne but this spirit is life bicause of righteousnesse Rom. 5. Then Iesu Christ is the life bicause he neuer suffreth the life to decay which he hath once geuen but conserueth it to y ◠end Seing the fleshe is so fraile what wold befal of men if after they haue once obtayned life they were lefte to themselues Therfore we muste conclude that there is a continuall and permanente state of lyfe grounded in the strengthe of Iesus Christ to the end he may perfourm that which he hath once begon This is verye true that the outewarde
but he abode a vanquysher by a wonderfull power of the holy ghost Thys feare made hym to make thys our crye My God my God why haste thou forsaken me not faynedly nor after the opiniō of other but the inwarde heauinesse of hys spyrite was so violent and burnyng that it made hym so to cry Nowe then not onely he suffred the natural death not only his soule was seperated from hys bodye but as Saint Paule sayeth Act. 2. he fett y ◠panges of death that is to say he was pressed with meruelous anguysh It had bene a very smal matter if Christ had escaped wyth a natural death only but it was expedient he shoulde fele the rygour of Gods iudgement that he myghte bee oure true intercessoure to hys father and that he myghte stande beetwene him and vs to keepe the wrathe of God from fallyng on our heades To do thys it was nedefull he should abyde the assault of al the powers and force of hel and the horrour of eternal death And thys is that that is sayd in the Articles of oure fayth that he descended into hel when he suffered so many vylannyes so many iniuryes outrages when he swet bloude when hys soule was payned euen vnto y e death when he was shamefully hanged beetwene two theues as one forsaken of God and of mē without helpe fauour and comfort when he yelded hys ghost vpon the Crosse bearyng the curse of the anger of God whiche is the true hel felyng condemnation vpon hymselfe the paynes and grieses that we oure selues had deserued for our synnes and iniquityes To bee shorte when he was counted as a worme of y e earth not as a mā May we not wel say y ◠he went down into hel which had wel nigh swalowed hym in Synners had deserued to be altogether swalowed vp confounded by the iuste iudgement of God before whiche they could in no wyse stand Seing thē he represented y e person of al synners and presented himself before God to abyde the iudgemente for them it was nedeful y ◠he shoulde fele thys distresse in hys conscience as if he had bene forsaken of God and euē as though God had bene angr◠with hym so horrible and feareful is the iudgement of God Albeit he was in al things pleasyng to hys father and albeit he had no waye offended him yet he was accounted on the Crosse more wicked than theues for Barrabas was quite and he condemned Al dutyes of humanitye were denyed yea such as wer offred to other which shoulde be put to death for their mysdedes He shewed then suche extremitye of anguyshe when on the Crosse he made thys outcrye My God my God why haste thou forsaken me It is no meruayle then if it be sayd that he descended downe into hel that is to say to the depe gulfes of al miseries and myscheuyng For he suffered the death which by the wrath of God was layd vpon il doers Is not thys a terrible thyng for a man to fele himself forsaken of God to fynde no fauoure or suttour at hys hand when he calleth on hym when a man loketh for nothing els of him but that he hath conspired to destroye him Now seyng it is so that he spake not thys worde after the opinion of other but as he felte it in dede how is it that he sayeth in thys 16. of Iohn that he is not alone but that hys father is with hym Althoughe it seme that therein is some absurditye that such a word of dyspayre shoulde come oute of the mouth of the Sonne of God yet when he felte the death and destruction accordyng to the felyng of the fleshe he ceased not to haue a faste fayth in hys heart by whiche he behelde God present of whose absence he complayneth For a whyle hys God head gaue place to the weakenesse of the fleshe in asmuche as touched our saluation to the end he might accomplyshe al the parts of our redemption There is also a dyfference betwene the felyng of nature and the knowledge and vnderstandyng of faythe Wherfore these two thyngs may wel agree that Christ conceaued in hys spiryte that God had forsaken hym and that accordyng as the felyng of man tolde hym And yet for all that he had thys fyrmnesse of fayth y t God was gentle and fauourable to hym Whiche thyng he sheweth when he maketh thys preface that he hath recourse to God as to his God that before he make any mention of the temptation whych he beateth backe strongly and fyrmely by the buckler of fayth Furthermore in thys feareful carefull carefulnesse hys fayth abode safe and whole so that complaynyng to bee forsaken he trusted to the nere ayde of God But we must marke to what purpose he sayth that his father is with hym For albeit he myghte well haue spoken thys woorde euen in hys anguyshe yet it behoueth vs to marke the circumstance of the place He had sayed beefore that the houre was cōme already that euery one of hys Apostles should be scattered abrode and shuld leaue hym alone He addeth therunto by and by thys correctiō Though I be not alone but my father is with me He sygnifyeth that thoughe al the world shoulde forsake hym yet shoulde he bee nothyng abated thereby Hys truth and hys glorie are grounded in hym and depend not on the worlds beleuing it or not beleuing If al y e world forsake hym yet he ceaseth not to abide whole For he is God not hauyng any nede at al of the helpe of any other Let hym be lefte alone yet hys father will take his part so that he shal not nede to borrowe ought of men Whosoeuer shal haue thys wel prynted in his hart shal not cease to abyde faste though al the world shoke yea and the very forsakyng of al other shal not ouer throwe his fayth For he which contenteth not hymselfe with God onely he doth hym not the honour that belongeth to him howsoeuer it bee although the violence of the extreme anguyshe made this cry and this vehement worde to cōme out of the mouth of the sonne of God My God my God why hast thou forsaken me yet was it euer true that hys father was with hym Wherfore we ought not to thynke y ◠hys father was at any tyme agaynst hym or angry with hym for howe should he be angry with his welbeloued sonne in whō he was wel pleased Or howe could Christ appease or quench the wrath of God and make an attonement betwene God and men yf he were angry with hym 80 The vvorlde cannot hate you Ioan. 7. Bycause you are not of the vvorlde but that I haue parted you from the vvorlde therefore the vvorlde hateth you Ioan 15. CHrist in thys fyrst sentence speaketh of hys kynsfolke that as yet were fleshly for it is there sayd of them that they beleued not in hym he sayd to them my tyme is not yet cōme but your tyme is
and the ministers of his Gospell bycause they carry a lanterne before other to lead to guyde theÌ„ For seing we be al blynd in the myddest of darkenesse God lyghteth vs by the lyght of hys worde which is spoken to vs by his ministers Yet he garnisheth Iohn the Baptiste particularly with thys title of honour bycause that by his ministery God gaue a much more excellent lyght to hys Church 27 There is but one good and that is God Mark 10. A good man bryngeth forth good out of the treasure of hys hart Luke 6. IT is true that men be they neuer so excellent cannot deserue so honorable a title as to be called good no not y â— Angels For they haue not one only droppe of goodnesse of themselfe But they haue from God whatsoeuer they haue y â— is good Besyde be it in men or be it in the Angels goodnesse is but begonne in theÌ„ it is not perfect Yet we must vnderstand what y â— meaning of our Lord Iesus Christ is when he sayth to the yong man whye doest thou call me good There is none good but God he will not affirme there y â— he is God but he bryngeth thys yong man in to beleue hys doctryne He had already a certayne affection to obey but Iesus Christ wil haue hym mount hygher to heare this holy doctryne as froÌ„ the mouth of the liuyng God and not of a mortal man For as men are wont to make of diuels Angels so without discretion men cal them good teachers which haue no true or good felyng of God And so ar the gyftes of God prophaned It is no maruel then y â— Christ sendes thys yong man to God to the end he may geue authority to his doctryne Yet there is no inconuenience in callyng a man good wheÌ„ God hath chaunged hys hart whiche by nature was ill and when he hath prynted in hym some of hys goodnesse So the goodnesse shalbe alwayes Gods and the man also shalbe good Yet it shal not be of hym selfe But in that God hath made him such So it is sayd that a good man bryngeth forth goodnesse from the good treasure of hys harte Thys sentence admonysheth y â— faythful which made profession to be Gods seruauntes to examyne and aduise theÌ„ diligently what they set forth Nothing wil coÌ„me oute of the sacke but what is in it as the prouerbe sayeth The naughtye hart cannot but beare witnesse of it self by prophane words and by wicked wordes So a hart fearyng God sends forth fruites worthy a ChristiaÌ„ man But we must returne to thys poynt that the hart cannot bee good but by the onely goodnesse and grace of God and out of this self roote the good fruytes also shall sprynge 28 Mark. â— Touching the day and houre none knovveth it no not the Angels that are in heauen nor the sonne him self none but the father All povver is geuen me in heauen and in earth Math. â— IF all power bee geuen to our Lord Iesus as wel in heauen as in earth it semeth there is nothyng no not in heauen hyd or vnknowen vnto hym But by the way we must note to what purpose he spake thys Christ willyng to appoynt hys Apostles to Preache the Gospell fyrst spake to them of hys power A meane or common authoritye had not in thys case sufficed But it was mete that he which sent to haue eternal and happy life to be promysed in hys name should haue an Empyre souerayne and in very dede diuine to thend y â— al the world might be brought in awe of hym and that hys doctryne which shoulde be published should bee able to â—ame al loftynes and to bryng downe al mankynde the Apostles had neuer bene persuaded to take on theÌ„ so hard a charge except they had bene very certaine that their warrante was placed in heaueÌ„ being of soueraine power He calles himself Lord and kyng as wel of heauen as of earthe bycause that in that he bringeth men so true obedience by the preaching of his gospel he hath established and appoynted the throne of his Kingdome on earthe And in that he regenerateth his faithful into a new lyfe and calleth them to the hope of saluation he openneth the heauens to the end to lyft vp to happy immortalitye with the Angels those which before not only crepe in y â— world but also were plunged in the dark bottomlesse depth of death True it is that Christ euerlastingly hath had with his father al power and autority and that of his own right but yet it is sayd that it was geuen him to weâ—e in our flesh Then he is apointed gouernor iudge soueraigne Prince ouer al the whole Church but it was not clearly knoweÌ„ tyl after hys resurrection For then at the laste he was adorned with the markes of a soueraigne King and receauing a name aboue al names hee had also the endes of al things in his handâ— to dispose them at his good pleasure But whilest he is yet in our mortal flesh it is sayd that the sonne him selfe knoweth not when the day shal be of hys fearful comming In asmuchas he is God nothing is vnknoweÌ„ vnto him He hath bene euer God neyther hath his Manhode taken any thing froÌ„ hys diuine maiesty The two natures were vnseparably ioyned together in hym but it was in such sorte that neither of both lost their property Chiefly the Diuinitie rested and shewed not it self as often as it was expedient that the nature of man did that which belonged to it to accomplish the charge and office of a Mediatour Wherfore ther is no absurdity or inconuenience in thys that the sonne of God who knew al yet according to the conceyte and vnderstanding of hys manhoode there was some thing which he knew not for otherwise he coulde not haue bene subiecte eyther to griefe or to carefulnes or haue bene like vnto vs. A man may reply y t this caÌ„not be spoken of the soÌ„ne of God that he was ignoraunt bicause ignorance is the punnishment of sinn and he sinned neuer It is also spoken here of the heauenly Angels that this day is hidden from them wil any say that this ignorauÌ„ce procedeth of sinne Though they haue in no wise offeÌ„ded yet are they in somwise ignoraunt As touching the sonne of God he hath so put on mans fleshe that he hath taken on hym the paynes due for sinne And where he knew not of y e later day according to his humain nature that doth no more take away any thing from his â—â—nne nature thaÌ„ his being mortal dyd 29 You haue the poore vvyth you alvvays but me you shall not haue alvvayes Math. 26. I am alvvayes vvyth you vntil the ende of the vvorld Math. 28. THe Lord Iesus speaketh of hiÌ„self in both places touching y e first alowiÌ„g y â— which Mary had don he shewes how this seruice plesed hiÌ„ y t is not y â— he toke pleasure in the 〈◊〉 which had bene
gentilly reacheth forth his hand to al to the end y â— al might be very desyrous to repent He came to cal all hauyng forgotten y â— person of a iudge he myndeth nothyng els but to drawe al meÌ„ to hym to deliuer from death and destruction those that seme to be altogether lost But in y â— means season thys belongeth to the proper and naturall offyce of Iesus Christ For where the vnbeleuyng and obstinate be more greuously condemned for refusyng the Gospell it is by accident and not by nature As touchyng that he came in iudgement as touchyng that he is called the stone of offence as touching that he is appoynted for the fall of many al these thynges are accidentall for those that refuse the grace that is offered in him deserue to feele hym as a rigorous iudge reuenging so vylannous a contempt and so horrible an vnthankfulnesse As much may a man say of the Gospell althoughe it be the power of God to saluation to all that beleue it Yet the vnthankefulnesse of many makes it turne to theÌ„ vnto death So the ministers are ready at hand to reuenge to breake and throwe down the pryde of all the enemyes of the Gospell when the true obedience of the faythfull shalbe accomplished 2. Cor. 10. The Gospell is fyrst and cheiflye appoynted to bee for the saluation of the faythful But theÌ„ afterward the stubborne vnbeleuyng shal not remaine vnpunyshed who despysing the grace of the Lord Iesus haue chosen to haue hym rather the author of death than of life Beholde how the sonne of God is coÌ„me to saue and not to Iudge or condemne and yet he came in iudgement Howbeit in thys seconde sentence thys word of iudgement cannot be symply taken for the punyshment of the obstinate and contemners of God for it streatcheth forth eueÌ„ to the grace of illumination Iesus Christ is coÌ„me in iudgement that is to saye he setteth agayne in good order thynges that were out of order which is done by a maruelous secrete wysedome of God and beyonde al mannes vnderstanding 35 Yf I vvitnesse any thing of my self my vvitnesse is not true Ioan. 5. Though I vvitnesse of my self my vvitnesse is true Ioan. 8. AS touching the first sentence our Lord Iesus meaneth not that his witnesse it not sufficient to be beleued for y â— in other places he defendes it strongly and earnestly but he speaketh as agreeing herein with hys aduersaries as he shoulde thus saye wel beleue me not yet ar there ynough of others y â— witnesse of me He speaketh theÌ„ after y â— coÌ„mon fashion of meÌ„ which bryng theÌ„self into suspition when they beare witnesse of them self as though he would his enemyes should take the matter as if hys witnesse wer nothing worth It is certayn that y â— witnesse y â— any maÌ„ beareth of himself ought in no case to be receaued as true lawfull no not though y â— thiÌ„g y â— be he saith be true for in dede no man is a sufficient witnesse in his own cause Now although it is not reason or meâ—e y â— the sonne of God should be set among theÌ„ Yet he had rather geue ouer his right to conuince hys aduersaryes by the authoritye of God But yet the witnesse of our Lord Iesu is of authoritye ynough of it self and hath no nede of mens confirmations for asmuch as he is not of the common sort of men And therfore he addeth y â— he knoweth well whence he came and whither he must goe He exempts hym self out of the common sort of other men Although therefore other be suspected in their owne and priuate causes and that it is appoynted by the lawes that a man shoulde not beleue or trust any man that speaketh for hys owne profyte or aduantage yet thys hath no place in Christ who is farre aboue all the world is not reckened to be of the coÌ„mon sort of men but hys father hath geuen hym thys priuilege that by hys only word he causeth all men to obey hym 36 I vvill do nothyng of my self Ioan. 5. No man taketh my lyfe from me but I leaue it of my self Ioan. 10. IN the fyrst sentence our sauior Iesus Christ maketh aunswere to the slauÌ„ders of y e Iewes which iudged maliciously of y â— worke which he had done in healyng y â— man y â— had ben 38. yeres sicke Thei loked only on his humaine fleshe and therefore dispysed him althoughe they sawe in hym woorkes that were in dede Godly Wherefore he would haue them to go hygher and to beholde God in hym and in y â— workes whiche he wrought to the end by that meane they myghte be moued to beleue hym Thys then is not symply to say that he can do nothyng of hym self for he is God eternal almyghty And thys belongeth not perticularly to the euerlastyng worde but to the sonne of God in asmuche as he was manyfested in the fleshe Such is thys manner of speakyng when he sayeth Ioan. 14. The worde which you heare is not myne but hys that sent me It is wel knoweÌ„ that he is the eternal wisedome of God hys father which made all the Prophetes Apostles other trustye seruauntes of God to speake But this he sayth to lifte men vp vnto the Maiestye of God which staying at y â— outward loke of Iesus Christ could not owe such reuerence to the worde as it deserued excepte they had bene wel assured that it is God which speaketh in hys sonne and that the sonne speaketh through hys father All this matter must be referred to thys opposition to weete that they that thynke they haue to doe with a mortall man when they accuse the Lorde Iesus of hys doynges which were in very dede diuyne are farre out of the way And therfore he affirmeth earnestly that he hath done nothyng in the healyng of thys man that is diuerse or contrary to hys fathers will And by the other sentence he meaneth that men haue no power on him to take hys lyfe from hym but that he could haue thondered vpon al his enemyes if he woulde and so haue consumed al their attempts But in y â— he dieth it is with his wil he being able to withstande the violence of his aduersaries but beyng also willing to obey the will of hys father which had ordered and appoynted hys sonne to die to deliuer vs. Now then not only he sayeth that men cannot put him to death but in as muche as he suffereth them but also he exempteth him self from al force of necessitye But it standeth other wyse with vs for we must nedes dye bycause of our synne Christ in dede was borne a mortall maÌ„ but hys submission was voluntarie and not a forced bondage enioyned him from els where Then let vs conclude that he can do nothyng of hymself in asmuch as he wills that al hys works be wayed accordyng to hys diuyne power that the respect of his manhode
Iesu Christ in the seconde place speaketh of hys Gospell when he maketh protestation that he spake not of hymselfe but hys father that sente hym he hymselfe gaue commaundement to hys sonne of y ◠whiche he shoulde saye and speake And he addeth that he knoweth well that thys commaundement is eternall lyfe To vnderstande thys opposition it behoueth vs to returne to that which Saint Paule sayeth in the self place 2. Cor. 3. the lawe was written in tables of stone Then it was but a doctryne of y ◠letter Thys lacke in the lawe was to be amended by the Gospel for so long as it was engraued in tables of stone it must needes be frayle The Gospel then is holy vnbreakeable attonement forasmuche as it was ratifyed by the holy ghost In steade then that the lawe is the minister of death and damnation the Gospel by which men are regenerated and reconciled to God by y e free forgeuenesse of synnes is the minister of ryghteousnesse and consequentlye of lyfe It was sayd that the office of the law is to set forth the sicknesse but not to shewe what remedy a mā might haue to heale it But the offyce of the Gospel is to geue to the hopelesse a redy remedy It was shewed that y e lawe leauyng a man to hymself geues pronounceth sentence of death but y ◠Gospell brynging vs to Iesu Christ opens the gare of lyfe So a man may say at a woorde that thys is a continual accident to the lawe to kil bycause all they that abyde vnder it ar vnder the curse But in the Gospel the iustice of God is reueled from fayth to fayth and therefore it is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleueth 69 The lavve is the minister of death 2. Cor. 3. The lavve of the Lorde refresheth the soule the testimony of the Lorde geueth vvysedome to the ignorante his commaundement lyghteneth the eyes Psal 1◠HERE before a mā myght see how the lawe is the minister of death not that it is such in it self for perfect ryghteousnesse is contayned in it and by consequent life is inclosed in it But suche it is in vs whiche be weake and not able to fulfyll it and as breakers of it not able to drawe any thyng out of it but death whiche it pronounceth to all those that shall not do y e thinges whiche are therin contayned If nowe we wil agree these two sentences we must adde to them that whiche Saint Paule hymselfe addeth in thys thyrd Chapter of y e second to y ◠Corrinthians to wete that oure Lorde is the spirite He had sayd before of the lawe that the letter killeth but y ◠spirite ioyned with the letter quickeneth The doctryne of the law is litteral and not onely dead but also the geuer of death Contrarywyse he calleth Christ y ◠spirite of it sygnifying therby that then it shalbe quicke and quicknyng when it shal be breathed in by Christ Let the soule bee ioyned with the body and of those two shal be made a man quycke garnyshed with sense and vnderstandyng and mete for all workes of lyfe Take awaye and part the soule frō the body and it shal be but a carrayn dead without any felyng at al. Now a man may accord these prayses whiche Dauyd geues to the lawe with these sentences of Saint Paule For when Christ is ioyned to the law as the soule with the bodye the prayses which Dauyd geueth it belong to it it lighteneth the eies it geueth wisedome to little ones it refresheth the soule Take away and seperate Christ from the lawe and it shal remayne dead and the minister of death and damnation Then Christ is the lyfe of the lawe These thinges verely seme to be cōtrary altogether one agaynst another that the lawe recreateth the soules and yet it is a dead letter and geueth death that it lyghteneth the eyes and yet it suppresseth the lyghte which is wythin hauyng a Veyle set agaynst it that it reioyseth the heartes and the spirites and yet brynging a spirite of bondage it astonneth and agasteth But Dauyd speaketh not symply of the bare commaundements but he comprehendeth al the league by which God had adopted the childrē of Abraham for his people And therefore he ioyneth the fres promyses of saluation with the rule of well liuyng yea Christ hymselfe vpon whom the adoption was grounded Saint Paule whoe had to doe with the peruerse interpretours of y e law which dyd separate it from the grace and spirite of Christ doth but touch the symple ministery of Moyses Now it is very certayne that when the lawe is not quickened by the spirite of Christ it is not only vnprofitable but also it bryngeth death to y e scholars of it For without Christ there is in the lawe nothing but an vnintreatable rigoure whiche bringeth all mankynde vnder y ◠wrath and curse of God Moreouer the rebellion of the fleshe taryeth remaynyng in vs whiche inflameth in vs an obstinate hatred agaynst God and his law and thence procedeth thys weary bondage and horrour 70 Novv vvhy tempt you God in laying a yoke on the neckes of hys Dysciples vvhich neyther our fathers nor vve haue bene able to beare Acte 15. And his commaundements are not heauye 1. Ioan 5. OVR own experience and the holy scriptures sufficiently beare witnesse y ◠the yoke of the law is more thā we can beare Moreouer it is clere y t bicause the renouncing of our self is as it were a trial of the true obseruation of y ◠law We dare not say y ◠it is easye for a man to renounce hymself but rather seyng the lawe is spiritual as Saint Paule saith of our part we ar nothyng but fleshe ther must nedes be a great difference beetwene y e lawe of God and vs. And where Saint Peter sayeth it is a yoke whiche not oure fathers were able to beare he speaketh not of y ◠onely which men haue accomplished but also of y ◠which they myght haue done Neyther speaketh he of any cōmon persons but of y ◠holy fathers seth he sayth that such coulde not beare the yoke of the lawe it appeareth that it is impossible for mē to beare it Here he medleth not only with the woorkes and will of men but also with theyr power abilitye With this also Saint Paule agreeth affyrmyng that it was impossible for the lawe to geue vs life bicause it was weake through y ◠fleshe If any man can performe the lawe certaynly he shall fynde in it the lyfe whiche was promysed in it But when Saint Paule sayth that lyfe cannot be attayned by the lawe a man may well conclude that in it is requyred a righteousnesse so hygh and perfect as man can not accomplyshe If a man looke vpon nothyng ells but the strength of mans nature not only he shall not bee strong ynough to beare the yoke of the law but also he shal
be vnable to moue hys little fynger to fulfyll the least iote of it These sentences are very certayn and true that al the thoughts of mans vnderstandyng are peruerse euen frō chyldehode y ◠al the senses of the fleshe are enemies to God that there is none that seketh God and many other lyke which ar often found in the scriptures A man then may conclude that not only mans abilitye is weake and vnperfect touchyng the fulfylling of y e lawe but also y ◠he hath no strength or power at al to accomplishe it What is then to be vnderstode of Saint Iohns wordes who sayth that the commaundements of God are not heauy This is the answere that the hardnesse procedeth not at al from the lawe but from the fault of our fleshe Thys is that whiche was alledged by Saint Paule whoe after he had sayd it was not possible for the lawe to iustifye vs byandby after layeth the fault on our fleshe Saint Paul in these sentences which haue ben here aboue alledged compareth the lawe with the faultie nature of man Dauid in other places which seme to bee very contrary to the fyrst sheweth how they are mynded and affectioned which are regenerate by the holy ghost thei take great pleasure in it And in dede Saint Iohn restraynes thys sentence to the children of God saying that thys commeth of the power of the holy ghost that it is no grefe to the faythfull to obey God Yet hereunto a man may reply that althoughe the faythfull are gouerned and regenerate by the spirite of God yet haue they a harde fyght to sustayne agaynst their own fleshe And let them enforce themselues the most they can yet scarcely shal they do halfe their dutye And besyde there is thys withal that they are oftentime shaken and ar ready almoste to fall downe vnder the burden We see whereabout Saint Paule that greate and excellent Apostle went He complayneth that he was kepte captyne mournes accompting hymself to be in miserable case in that he can not serue God with a franke will But consyder whye the lawe is called softe and easy it is forasmuch as beyng defended with heauenly power we ouercōme the concupiscence of our fleshe For howsoeuer the fleshe stryueth the faythfull see that there is nothyng that maye more delyght them than the seruyng obeying and folowing of God But yet that thys may be better vnderstode it behoueth vs to Ioyne with these commaundementes y e fatherly goodnesse of God by whiche the rigour of the lawe is asswaged So when we knowe that God beareth fauourably with vs although we can not fulfyll the lawe with oure workes yet thys goodnesse maketh vs readyer to obeye hym And thys is that whiche is sayd in the. 130. Psalme Forgeuenesse is with thee O Lorde that thou shouldest bee feared and redoubted So a man maye perceaue hereby y ◠the lawe is softe easy to kepe And if it chaunce y ◠faythful to fal in some sorte yet their heart fayles thē not bycause y ◠pardō holdeth thē vp 71 No man euer hated hys fleshe Ephes 5. They that are of Christ haue crucified their fleshe Gal 5. THese two sentences are altogether different but not contrary at all The Prophet Esay willing to shew what one man oweth to another saith Dispyse not thy flesh we ar bones flesh one of another we ar of one self shape nature We can vse no violence or do wrong to another except we defile our own shape nature whyle wee scorne other the rebuke is on oure selfe Though thys bee spoken of the cōmon nature of al men yet Saint Paule applying thys sentence to the coniunction whiche is betwene a man and his wife passeth farther forth shewing that ther is not betwene them a coniuntion only by likenesse of nature but also y ◠bonde of mariage which maketh thē both one He then formeth hys argument bringing it from nature it self to exhort husbandes to loue their wyues For there is no man but that naturally loueth himself no man can loue hymself vnlesse he loue hys wife also in asmuch as his wife is hys own fleshe What letteth thys but that we may say that they which are of Christ haue crucifyed their fleshe For is not the crucifying of the fleshe a hatyng it or rather tamyng it to the end y ◠it turne not a man awaye from hys saluation And thys is our true Christendome as touching our lyfe that we make not a false profession to be Christians That is to say that thys faulty flesh be mortified which is a worke of the crosse of the Sonne of God for it is not the propre worke of men but by the grace of God we are graffed in the fellowshyp of the death of Christ to the ende wee shoulde lyue no more after our owne appetite So then we enioy the pryuyledge of Gods chyldren when wee are buried with Christe through a true renouncing of our self and abolishing of the olde man not that flesh is altogether destroyed but bicause it may not haue rule but rather must geue place to the spirit What contrariety or dyscorde is there betweene these two sentences 72 They haue not receyued the promises Hebr. 1◠They haue obtayned the promises Hebr. 11 ALTHOVGH god remayn true thoughe we all should be vnfaythful yet our vnfaithfulnes maketh the promises to bee vnto vs vayne and without effect Faith contrarywise maketh men to haue experience of Godds truth in al hys promises So it is sayed that the fathers obtayned the promyses of God But it behoueth vs to adde that which is there also added It is saied in the same Chapiter that Abraham offred hys onely sōne after that he had receaued the promises It seemed that in the deathe of Isaac al the promises shuld ceasse For it was sayd thy seede shalbe called in Isaac Furthermore we must not consider Isaac as som priuate man among other but as hym that had Christ inclosed in hym But Abraham had so receaued the promises by faith that he gaue such honor to god that had made the promise that he was able to rayse his sonne Isaac from the dead Now then he reiecteth not y e promysse that had bene made but he stretcheth the vertue and the truth of it farder thā the lyfe of his sonne for he limiteth not the power of God within so strayght bonds as though it should be tied or buried in y e death of Isaac Loe how he was not afterward disapointed of y e truth of y e promises But now let vs see how the same Apostle saith y t the fathers receaued not the promisses He speaketh not simply but by cōparison sheweth what difference is betweene the fathers of olde tyme and vs where God aboundantly poureth forth hys grace vpon vs he gaue them onely a taste of it wher he sheweth hymselfe as it were presente to oure eyes hee shewed them from a farre in the darke the