ignorant in no pointe of those thinges which Adam had taught Noe dyeth which is maruell to be tolde and yet very true in the. 59. yere of Abrahams age Sem the sonne of Noah liued many yeares with his father For he liued in all 600. yeres He was borne to Noah about 96. yeres before the deluge He sawe and heard therfore not onely his father Noe and his grandfather Lamâ—ch but also his great grand siar Methusalem with whome he liued those 96. yeres before the deluge Of him he might be informed of all those thinges whiche Methusalem had hearde and learned of Adam and the other Patriarches Sem dieth after the death of Abraham in the. 52. yeare of Iacob which was 37. yeares after the death of Abraham in the. 112. yeare of Isaac his age So that Iacob the Patriarch might very well learne all the true diuinitie of Sem him self euen as he had heard it of Methusalem who was the thirde witnesse and teacher from Adam Furthermore Iaacob the Patriarch deliuered to his childreÌ„ that which he receiued of God to teach to his posteritie In Mesopotamia there is borne to Iaacob his sonne Leui and to him againe is born Kahad whiche both sawe and hearde Iaacob For Kahad liued no small number of yeares with his grandfather Iaacob For he is rehearsed in the roll of them which went with Iaacob downe into Egypt but Iaacob liued 17. yeares with his children in Egypt This Kahad is the grandfather of Moses the father of Amram from whom Moses did perfectly draw that ful and certain tradition by hand as concerning the will commaundements and iudgements of God euen as Amram his father had learned theÌ„ of his father Kahad Kahad of Iaacob Iaacob of Sem Sem of Methusalem and of Adam the first father of vs all so nowe that Moses is from Adam the seuenth witnesse in the worlde And from the beginning of the worlde to the byrth of Moses are fully complete 2368. yeares of the worlde And who so euer shall diligently reckon the yeres not in vaine set downe by Moses in Genesis and Erodus he shall find this account to be true and right Now also it behoueth vs to know those chiefe principles of that liuely tradition deliuered by the holy fathers at the appointment of God as it were from hande to hande to all the posteritie The fathers taught their children that God of his naturall goodnesse wishing well to mankind woulde haue all men to come to the knowledge of the trueth and to be like in nature to God him selfe holy happie and absolutely blessed And therefore that God in the beginning did create man to his owne similitude and likenesse to the intent that he should be good holy immortal blessed and partaker of all the good gifts of God but that man continued not in that dignitie and happie estate but by the meanes of the deuill and his owne proper faulte fell into sinne miserie and death changing his likenesse to God into the similitude of the deuill Moreouer that God here againe as it were of freshe began the worke of saluation wherby mankind being restored and set free from all euill might once againe be made like vnto God and that he meant to bring this mightie and diuine worke to passe by a certain middle meane that is by the worde incarnate For as by this taking of flesh he ioyned man to God so by dying in the fleshe with sacrifice he cleansed sanctified and deliuered mankinde and by giuing him his holy spirit he made him like againe in nature to God that is immortall and absolutely blessed And last of all he worketh in vs a willing indeuour aptly to resemble the propertie and coÌ„ditions of him to whose likenesse we are created so that we maye be holy bothe body and soule They added moreouer that the word should be incarnate in his due time and appointed age And also that there did remaine a greate daye for iudgement wherein though all men were gathered together yet the rightuous onely shoulde receiue that reward of heauenly immortalitie So theÌ„ this is the brief summe of the holy fathers tradition whiche it is best to vntwist more largely and to speake of it more diligently as it were by parts First therefore the fathers taught that the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are one God in the moste reuerend Trinitie the maker and gouernour of heauen and earth and all things whiche are therein by whome man was made and who for man did make all things and put all things vnder mankind to minister vnto him things necessarie as a louing father and most bountiful Lorde Then they taught that man consisted of soule and body and that he in déede was made good according to the image and likenesse of God but that by his owne faulte and egging forwarde of the deuill falling into sinne he brought into the worlde death and damnation together with a webbe of miseries out of whiche it can not ridde it selfe So that nowe all the children of Adam euen from Adam are borne the sonnes of wrath and wretchednesse But that God whose mercy aboundeth according to his incomprehensible goodnesse taking pitie on the miserie of mankinde did euen of his méere grace graunt pardon for the offence and did laye the weight of the punishment vpon his only sonne to the intent that he when his heele was crushed by the Serpent might him self breake the Serpents heade That is to say God doth make a promise of seed that is of a sonne who taking fleshe of a péerelesse woman I meane that Virgine most worthy of commendations should by his death vanquishe death and Sathan the authour of death and shoulde bring the faythfull sonnes of Adam out of bondage yea and that more is shuld by adoption make them the sonnes of God and heires of life euerlasting The holy fathers therefore taught to beléeue in God and in his son the redéemer of the whole world when in their very sacrifices they did represent his death as it were an vnspotted sacrifice wherwith he ment to wipe away and cleanse the sinnes of all the worlde And therefore had they a most diligent eye to the stocke and lineall descent of the Meschias For it is brought down as it were by a line from Adam to Noe and from Noe by Sem euen to Abraham him selfe and to him againe it was sayde In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed in which wordes the promise once made to Adam as touching Christe the redeemer and chaunger of Gods curse into blessing is renewed and repeated againe The same line is brought downe from Abraham by Isaac vnto Iacob and Iacob being ful of the spirit of God pointed out his sonne Iuda to be the roote of the blessed séede as it is to be séene in 49. of Genesis Lastly in the tribe of Iuda the house of Dauid was noted out of which
S. Mathew instructinge Ioseph sayth Mary shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iesus For hee shall saue his people from their sinnes So then this sonne of God Iesus is the sauiour of the worlde who forgiueth sinnes and setteth vs free from al the power of our aduersary the deuil Which verily he could not do vnlesse he were very god Hee is also called Christ which is all one as if you saye Annoynted The Iewes cal him Messias Which word is a title proper to a kingdome or priesthoode For they of olde were wonte to annointe their kinges priestes they were annoynted wyth external or figuratiue oyntment or Oyle But very Christ was annoynted with the very true oyntement that is wyth the fulnes of the holy ghoste as is to be seene in the firste third Chapters after S. Iohn Moste properly therfore is this name Christ attributed to our lord For first he is both kinge and prieste of the people of god Then the holy Ghost is powred fully by all meanes and abundantlye into Iesus from whom as it were by a liuely fountayne it floweth into all the members of Christ For this is that Aaron vppon whose heade the Oyle was powred which ranne downe to his bearde and the nethermost skirts of his garment For of his fulnes we haue all receyued The last thinge that is to be noted now in this secōd Article is the we cal the sonne of God our lord The sonne of God verily is for two causes properly called our lord First in respect of the mysterie of our redēption For Christ is the Lord of all the electe whom hee hath deliuered from the power and dominion of Satan sinne and death and hath made them a people of his owne getting for himselfe This similitude is taken of Lordes which wyth theyr monye buy slaues for theyr vse or els which in warres reserue captiues whō they myght haue slaine or which deliuer men condemned from present death So then by this Lords are as it were deliuerers redéemers or sauiours Hereunto verily alludeth Paul where he sayth Ye are bought with a price become not therefore the seruauntes of men And S. Peter saith Ye are redeemed not vvith golde and siluer but with the precious bloud of the vnspotted Lambe Moreouer Christe is called Lord in respect of his Diuine power and nature by which all things are in subiectiō to the sonne of god And for because this word Lord is of a very ample signification as that which conteyneth both the diuine nature and maiestly wee see that the Apostles in theyr writinges vse it very willingly Paule to the Corinthians sayth Although there be many Lords yet haue we but one Lord Iesus Christ by whom all thinges are wee by him Now the third Article of Christian fayth is this Which vvas conceiued by the holie Ghost borne of the Virgin Marie In the seconde article wee haue confessed that wee beleeue in Iesus Christe the sonne of God oure Lorde wherein wee haue as it were in a shadow confessed that wée beléeue assuredly that God the father hath for vs our Saluation giuen to the world his sonne to be a Sauiour and redéemer For hitherto belōg those names Iesus and Lord. Now therefore in this thirde Article I haue to declare the maner and order how he came into the world to wit by Incarnation This article contayneth two things The Conception of Christe and his Natiuity Of both which I will orderly speake after that I haue brieflye declared vnto you the causes of the Lord his Incarnation Men were in a miserable takinge and all mankinde should vtterly haue perished for sinne which wée haue all drawne from the first mā Adam For the reward of sinne is death And for that cause wée that were to be caste into hell could not enter into heauen vnlesse the sonne of God had descēded vnto vs and becomming God with vs had with himself drawne vs into heauen Therefore the chiefe cause of his incarnation is to be a mediatour betwixte God and men and by intercession to ioyne or bring into one thē that were seuered For where a mediatour is there also must needes bée discord and parties The parties are God and men The cause of this discord is sinne Nowe the office of the Mediatour is to bring to agréemente the parties disagréeing which verilye cannot be done vnlesse that sinne the cause of this variaunce be takē cleane away But sinne is neyther clensed nor taken away except that bloud be shed and death do follow This witnesseth Paule in his 9. Chapter to the Hebrewes The mediatour oughte therefore to take on him our flesh and bloud that hée might both dye shead his bloud Furthermore it is needefull that this Aduocate or mediatour be indifferently common to both the parties whom he hath to reconcile wherfore our Lord Christ ought to be very God and very man If hée had béene God alone then should hée haue béene terrible to men and haue stoode them in litle stéede If hée had béen méere man then could hée not haue had accesse to God which is a consuming fyre wherfore our Lord Iesus Christ being both God and man was a fitte mediatour for both the parties Which thing the Apostle witnessing sayth One God and one mediatour of God and men the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe the price of redemption for all The same Apostle in the 2 and 9. Cap. to the Hebrewes speaketh many things belonging to this place And in the seconde Chapter rehearsinge an other cause of Christ his incarnatiō he saith It became him in althings to be made likevnto his bretheren that he might be merciful and a faithful high priest in thinges concerninge God for to purge the peoples sinnes For in that he himselfe was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted An other cause wherfore our Lord was incarnate was that hée mighte instruct vs men in all Godlinesse and righteousnes finally that hée mighte be the light of the world and an ensample of holy lyfe For Paule sayth The grace of God that bringeth saluation hath appeared vnto vs teaching vs to renounce vngodlines and to liue holilie To conclude hée therfore became one wyth vs by the participation of nature that is to say it pleased him to be incarnate for this cause that hée might ioyne vs againe to God who for sinne were seperated from God receiue vs into the fellowship of himselfe and all other his goodnes beside The nexte is for vs to declare the manner of his incarnation This article of fayth standeth on two mēbers The first is He was conceiued by the holy ghoste Al wée men Christe excepted ace conceyued by the seede of man which of it selfe is vncleane and therefore wée are borne sinners and as Paule sayth Wee are borne the sonns of wrath But the body of Christ I saye our Lord was not conceiued in
they were simple and yet they pearce to the inward partes of the heart When hee speaketh softly beleeue him not for there are seuen mischiefes in his hart And therefore in Ecclesiastes it is very well sayd It is better to heare the rebuke of a wise man than the songe of a foole That is of a flatterer And yet althoughe flatterie bée so great an euill it is notwithstanding fauoured of all men so that as an infecting plague it is crepte into the Church into Princes Palaces into Iudges Courtes and euerie priuate house For like an alluring Mermayde it hath a songe that doeth delight our flesh For wée like fooles are blinded with selfe loue and doe not marke that flatteries and allurementes doe breede oure destruction Ezeâ—hiel blameth greatly all flattering Preachers and sayeth Woe vnto them that lay to the people peace people peace peace when there is no peace which dawbe with vntempered morter which sowe entising pillowes vnder euerie elbowe and put alluting kercheifes vpon euery head to hunt after catch soules Of such kinde of teachers that delight more in lyes and flatterie than in syncere veritie the Apostle Paule saith The time shall come that they shall not abide to heare sounde doctrine but they whose eares do ytche shall gett them teachers according to their lustes and shall turne their eares from the truth and shal be turned vnto fables And Dauid praying against this plague as the thing that is most pernicious to all kinges and Princes in authoritie doeth say The righteous shall smite mee friendly but the precious baulmes of the wicked shal not annoynt my head And againe Lord deliuer mee from lying lippes and a deceiptful tongue Thus much haue I hetherto said for the exposition of the ninth commaundement Now followeth the tenth and last commaundement which word for word is expressed thus Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife nor his manseruaunt nor his maydseruaunt nor his oxe nor his asse nor any thing that is thy neighbours Which words the Lord in the fifte of Deut â–ª doth lay downe in this maner and order Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house nor his field nor his manseruaunt nor his maydseruaunt nor his oxe nor his asse nor any thing that is thy neighbours Neither is there any difference or contrarietie in the thing it selfe although in Exod. Thy neighbours house and in Deuteronomie Thy neighbours wife be set first in order Now this maketh somewhat against them that diuide this laste precept into two commaundements which is in deede but one as it may be partly gathered by this order thus inuerted in the setting of it downe in two sundrie places In this precept coueting is especially forbidden I meane euill longing and corrupt desiring For coueting is a word indifferently vsed as well in the better as the worse signification For Dauid affirmeth that he did long after God and his lawe I haue wished for saith hee O Lord thy saluation And I haue longed after thy commaundementes Psal. 119. Wée must here therfore be able with discretion to iudge betwixt that good affection which God did first create in man and that other motion the roote of euill that groweth in our nature by the discent of corruptioÌ„ from our first father Adam There was in Adam before his fall a certaine good appetite with pleasure and delight He was not so hungrie that huÌ„ger did pain his emptie bowels whiche is in déede a plague for sinne but he did eate with a certaine swéet and delectable appetite Hee was delighted with the pleasures of Paradise Hee did with a certaine holy desire both loue and long after the woman which God had brought and placed before him And this good appetite or desire procéeded from God himselfe who made both Adam and all his affections good at the first Yea and at this day also there are in men certaine naturall affections and desires as to eate to drink to sléepe and such like belonging to the preseruation of mans life which of themselues are not to be accompted among the number of sinnes vnlesse by corruption of originall vice they passe the bounds for which they are ordeyned But in this treatise vpon the tenth commaundement desire is vsed in the worser part and is taken for the concupiscence or coueting of euil things This concupiscence being translated from Adam into vs al is the fruite of our corrupt nature or ofspring of original sinne whose seate is in the hart of man and is the fountaine and he adspring of all sinne and wickednesse that is to bee found in mortall men For the Lord in the Gospell doeth expressely say whatsoeuer entreth in by the mouth goeth into the bellie and is caste out into the draught but the things that come out of the mouth proceede froÌ„ the heart and those defile the man For out of the heart doe come euill thoughts murders adulteries whordomes theft false witnesse bearinges despiteful speakig these be they that do defile the maÌ„ And the Apostle Iames speaking altogether as plainely in an other place doeth say Let no man when he is tempted say that he is tempted of god For euery one is tempted while he is drawen away entised with the baite of his owne concupiscence then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth â—oorth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Concupiscence therfore is a moti-on or affection of the minde which of our corâ—upt nature doth lust against God and his lawe and sâ—â—rreth vs vp to wickednesse although the consent or déed it selfe doth not presently followe vppon our conceipt For if the deede do follow the lust then doth the sinne increase by stepps and degrées For first wée must consider the very blotting out or corrupting of the Image of God in vs Originall sinne and that disease that lyeth hidd in our members which is by vse called euill affections Secondarilie wee must consider that it increaseth by our delight and pleasure therein Thirdly it is augmented if wee consent and séeke after counsell to commit the crime and lastly if the consent breake forth to the déede doing than is it greater and greater according to the qualities of accidentes or circumstances Now al these are reckoned in the number of sinnes thoughe by degrées the one of them is greater thaÌ„ the other touching which I will by Gods sufferaÌ„ce speake somewhat more largely when I come to the treatise of sinne Wherefore that euill and vnlawfull affection which is of our naturall corruption and lyeth hidd in our nature but bewrayeth it selfe in our hartes against the purenesse of Gods lawe and maiestie is that very sinne which is in this lawe condemned For although there be some which thinke that such motions diseases blemishes and affections of the mind are no sinnes yet God by forbidding them in this lawe doeth flatly condemne them But if any man doubt
Cowe sprinckled doeth sanctifie them that are partakers of it to the purifying of the fleshe howe much more the bloud of Christe Therfore both the priest and the cowe did beare the type of Christ The female kinde in the cowe doth note the infirmitie of mans nature the redd colour doth admonishe vs of the Lord his bloud by whiche wee are washed from our vncleannesse There was no spot to be found in Christ for hee was the holy of holies and altogether frée from and without all sinne Hée was not brought to death by the yoke of necessitie For hee offered himselfe vnto it of his owne free will. Yea hee offered himselfe willingly to go to his death and that too without the hoast or walls of the citie in the mount of Caluarie which thing the Apostle Paule doth touch in the 13. to the Hebrues Christ both God and man was whoalie offered in body and soule whose bloud is hoalesome for vs if by the holyghost it be sprinkled in our harts The faithfull also must die with Christ they must be humbled and burne in loue to Godward as redd as Scarlet and that was the meaning of the Cedar wood the Hysope and the Scarlet lace which were cast into the fire Moreouer the ashes which came of the sacrifice were gathered vp and preserued to purifie and cleanse withall Those ashes were nothing else but the type or figure of the effect of Christ his death or sacrifice I meane the verie cleansing and remission of our sinnes For therefore did bloud and water gushe aboundantly out of the pierced side of Christ that wee might learne that out of the death of Christe doeth flowe our cleansing and our life For in bloud life doeth consist and water purgeth and is a signe of cleÌ„sing The ashes were gathered by a man that was cleane who neuerthelesse was made and did remaine vncleane vntill the euening Finally the water was sprinkled with a sprinklar made of Hysope vppon the defiled to the end that thereby hee might bee sanctified or purged The water was kept in an holy place For Margarites and that which is holy ought not to be caste to dogges and filthie swine The Lord also doth require preachers to teache the effecte of Christ his passion and in the coÌ„temptible and lowly preaching of the Gospell to lay before the world our redemption and sanctification in the death and bloud of Christ he doth require I say such holy teachers as are themselues faithfull and cleansed in the bloud of Christ And yet those teachers with the whole Church beside do euen til the euening I meane the ending of their liues pray stil Forgiue vs our trespasses For the Lord himselfe said Hee that is washed is cleane hath no neede but to washe his feete onely To this do appertaine the often washings vsed in this Ceremonie which signifie that by the grace of God all sinnes are purged that the Sainctes haue alwayes an holy care to watch against the assaults of sinne and that those sinnes are clensed none other wayes but by the water of Christ his grace Lastly it is most often earnestly repeated in the law that they al remaine vncleane how many soeuer being once defiled are not again cleÌ„sed with the holy water of separation For the Lord said to Peter Vnlesse I washe thee thou shalt haue no paâ—te with mee My meaning is not to runne through euery particular point of this Ceremonie but to touch the especial matters onely Therefore now I procéede to that which remayneth To these cleansing sacrifices may also be added the sacrifices whereby the bodily defilings which were figures of the defilinges of sinne were purified cleansed of which sort were the defilinges of the séede the eating and touching of vncleane creatures the Leprosie and of the woman in childbedd All which Moses doth largely handle from the 12. of Leuiticus vnto the 16. of the same And in al this there is nothing else prefigured to the Church of God but our naturall corruption and originall wickednesse with the frée cleansing of the same by the grace of God in the bloud of Christ our Sauiour With these we may also number the sacrifice of iealousie which is thoroughly treated of in the 5. Chapter of Numeri although the maner and order thereof seemeth rather to belonge vnto the Iudiciall lawes of God. The fourth kinde of sacrifices was the sacrifice of thanckesgiuing whiche they called Schelamim or Schlomim the sacrifice of health or the peace offering For it was offered to giue thankes withall to witt either for the recouerie of health or for felicitie and prosperitie I meane when they had receiued some good turne at the handes of God or else by his ayde had escaped the brunt of some mishapp or euil fortâ—ne In this sacrifice they vsed a bâ—aste either of the heard or of the fould It was not lawfull to oâ—fer birds for it was done either â—â—th a vnllocke or an hâ—ffar with a male or a female lamâ—e or with an hée or a shee goate It was 〈◊〉 before the Atrium The â—ide or skinne therof was the priestes fee. The bloud was sprinckled about the altar The kidneys the call of the lyuer the rumpe of the lambe and all the fatt was burnt vppon the altar of burnt offerings The right shoulder was heaued the breast was waued toward the endes of the world For Thruma and Thnupha that is the heauing and wauing were not kinds of sacrifices but ceremonies onely which the priestes did vse in making their sacrifices and oblations By the heauing was signified that Christe should be heaued or lifted vp and that he being once lifted vp should drawe all men vnto him The wauing of the breast toward euery part of the world was a token that the preaching of Christ should be spread in euery corner of the world The breast and the shoulder were both the priestes portion together with the iawe done and the paunch or bellie The rest of the fleshe returned to him that made the oblation and was eaten by him in an holie banquet The remnaunt of Ceremonies belonging to this sacrifice are to be found in the third Chapter of Leuiticus For if it were Thoda a confession a praise or a protestation then was added to the sacrifice a cake of pure wheat floure and salt steeped in oyle or sodden cracknells or bread baked in pannes part whereof was heaued and fell to the priestes share the rest returned to the offerer euen as also leauened bread was allowed to be eaten in the banquet Nowe in this kinde of sacrifice also Christ was preached with the effect â— power of his death and passion and in it was shewed the whole maner and order of giuing thankes to God for his good benefits There are sondry sorts of benefits If a man receyued a good turne if an ill 〈◊〉 had not be fâ—lne him if he had receuered his health or had escaped some misfortune
he saith not Let not sinne be in you or in your mortall body but he saith Let not sinne reigne in you or in your mortall bodie But when reigneth sinne Forsoothe sinne reigneth then when wée obey it thorough the lusts thereof that is when we resiste not but doe fulfill the lustes of the fleshe Sinne therefore doth not reigne in our mortall bodie so longe as it is but fealt in the bodie and not obeyed or permitted to rule but rather resisted and trode vnder foote This same sentence doth he expound by an other somwhat more easie to be vnderstood I would not haue you to permit your members to sinne as to a tyraunt to vse them as instrumentes to woorke all vnrighteousnesse I rather require you to giue your selues to bée ruled and gouerned by god For since hée hath set you frée from death brought you to life againe it is requisite that ye should giue your members to God as liuely instrumentes to woorke all righteousnesse And that shall ye bée easilie able to doe because ye are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace Vppon this doth all the rest of that Chapiter depend vnto the end What then saith hée shall we sinne because wee are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace God forbidde Knowe ye not how that to whomsoeuer ye commit your selues as seruauntes to obey his seruauntes ye are to whome ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnesse But God be thanked that ye were the seruants of sinne but ye haue obeyed with heart the fourme of doctrine into the which ye are brought vnto Being then made free from sinne ye are become the seruauntes of righteousnesse And yet he sheweth that the fréemen of Christ do not abuse their libertie and giue themselues againe to be gouerned by their old tyrannous maister Sinne. For he maketh Sinne and Righteousnesse to bée as it were two maisters and addeth to eche of them the hire or reward that they giue to their seruauntes the one Life the other Death Lastly he saith generallie that we are his seruaunts to whome wée giue our selues to obey Vppon which hée inferreth Being redeemed by the grace of God from the bondage of sinne and from death whiche is the rewarde of sinne we are translated into the bondage of righteousnesse whose reward is life that thereby we may liue For he doth more significantly expresse his meaning in that which followeth saying I speake after the manner of men because of the infirmitie of your flesh As ye haue giuen your mēbers seruaunts to vncleannesse and iniquitie vnto iniquitie euen so now giue your members seruauntes to righteousnesse vnto holinesse For when ye were the seruauntes of sinne ye were free from righteousnesse What fruite had ye then in those thinges whereof ye are nowe ashamed For the end of those thinges is death But nowe ye being made free from sinne made the seruants of God haue your fruit vnto holinesse and the ende euerlasting life For the reward of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life thoroughe Iesus Christe oure lord All this is so plaine and euident that it néedeth no larger exposition of mine And yet in the seuenth Chapiter next following hee doeth by comparison in a parable more fullie expounde all that hée said before The woman saith hée whiche is in subiection to the man is by the lawe bound to the man as longe as hée liueth If while the man liueth shée goe a side to an other she is counted an adultresse But if the man be dead shée may couple her selfe with an other man Euen so I saye wée are dead to the lawe For Christ died for vs and was in his bodie offered vpp to be a sacrifice or oblation to cleanse and purge oure sinnes that we might thenceforth bée vnited and coupled to him and that wée being conceiued and made with childe with his holy spirite maye trauaile bring foorth and be deliuered of an excellent issue holie fruite of good works euen as while we serued sinne were subiecte vnto it as to oure maister wee brought foorth an ill fauoured babe of death I meane iniquitie and wickednesse for the punishing whereof death is appointed and ordeined But let vs now heare the verie woords of the holie and blessed Apostle saying Euen so my brethren wee also are deade concerning the Lawe by the bodie of Christe that wee should bee coupled to an other who is raysed from the dead that wee should bring forth fruite vnto god For when we were in the flesh the lustes of sinne which were by the lawe wrought in oure members to bring forth fruite vnto death But no we are wee deliuered from the law and dead vnto it wherunto wee were in bondage that wee may serue in newenesse of spirite and not in the oldnesse of the letter That place in the eighth Chapiter to the Romanes is vnknowen to no man where he saith The lawe of the spirite of life thorough Christ Iesus hath made mee free from the lawe of sinne and death The manner of this deliueraunce hée doeth immediately after add saying For what the lawe could not doe that GOD did by sending his owne sonne And so forth as followeth For the woordes are sufficiently plaine and vnderstoode of all men In the seuenth Chapiter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians hee saith Yee are bought with a price doe not ye become the seruauntes of men In these woordes the holy Apostle exhorteth seruauntes vnder the colour or pretence of worldly bondage not to committ anye thinge for their earthly maisters pleasure whiche soundeth against sinceritie and is repugnant to pure religion to witt althoughe they bee called by the name of seruauntes yet that they should not obey the wicked lawes and vngodly ordinaunces of mortall men The cause that oughte to pull and draw vs from it is Because we are redeemed and set at libertie by the price of Christes his bloud It would therefore be to to bad and vnwoorthie a thinge if wée contrarie to the effecte of oure libertie should obey the naughtie lawes and ordinaunces of man. This also is extended stretcheth oute to the lawes of men whiche are made in matters of religion For in the fiftéenth Chapiter of the holy Gospell written by the Euāgelist S. Matthewe the Lord and Sauiour sayeth In vaine doe they worship mee teaching doctrines the precepts of men And Let them alone they are blinde leaders of the blinde And the Apostle S. Paul saith If ye be dead with Christe from the rudimentes of the world why as yet liuing in the world are ye ledd with traditions Touche not Taste not Handle not Which all doe perishe in abusing after the commaundementes and doctrines of men which thinges haue a shewe of wisedome in superstition and humblenesse of minde and in neglecting of the body not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh First of all hee sheweth that the faithfull ones
Againe Contra Faustum Manichaeum Lib. 22. Cap. 27. Sinne is a deede a woord or a wishe against the lawe of God. The same Augustine De duabus animabus coÌ„tra Manichaeos cap. 11. sayeth Sinne is a wil to reteine or obteine that whiche iustice forbiddeth and is not free to absteine And In Retract Lib. 1. Cap. 15. he sayeth That will is a motion of the minde without compulsion either not to loose or else to obteine some one thinge or other All whiche definitions as I doe not vtterly reiecte so doe I wishe this to bée considered and thought off with the reste Sinne is the naturall corruption of manhinde and the action whiche ariseth of it contrarie to the lawe of God whose wrath that is both death and sundrie punishments it bringeth vppon vs. Thou hearest howe well this definition doeth consist vppon his partes Thou hearest in it of our natural corruption in the naming whereof appeareth how this definition doeth not agrée to the sinne of our first parents in whome there was no naturall corruption Of which I meane to speake in place conuenient Thou hearest the action named whiche ariseth of that natural corruption and is repugnaunt to the lawe of god Thou hearest that sinne doeth bring vppon vs the wrath of God that is death and sundrie sorts of punishments appointed by the mouth of God to plague vs for our sinnes Of which I wil speake in order as they lye so farre foorth as the Lord shall giue mée grace and abilitie Now therefore it séemeth that this treatise maye most aptly bée begonne at the discussing of the originall cause and beginning of sinne Some there bee that doe deriue the originall cause of euill or sinne from the influence of the Planets saying I sinned because I was borne vnder an vnluckie Planet Other there are which when they sinne and are rebuked for it do make this aunsweare Not I but the diuel is in fault that I haue committed this greeuous crime And sometime laying a side all excuses they doe directlye cast the blame vppon God and saye Why God would that it should bee so For if hee would not haue had it so I had not sinned An other sayeth Since God could haue letted it and would not he is the cause authour of my sinne But it is no newe thinge nowe that men doe whâ—t their blasphemous tongues against God the maker and ruler of all thinges For our first parents when they had sinned were accused of it by God himselfe found a shifte for to translate the sinne whiche they committed from themselues to other would not confesse the trueth as it was in very déede Such is the abhominable wickednesse of man For Adam as it were aunswearing GOD ouerthwartlye casteth the faulte of his offence not onely vppon his wife which God had coupled vnto him but also vppon GOD himselfe The woman sayeth hee whome thou gauest to bee with mee gaue mee of the tree and I did eate As if he should haue said If thou haddest not giuen mee the woman I had not sinned But the Lord coupled him to a wife not to the end that shée should bée an occasion of euill but that the man mighte bée in the better case and condition Againe the woman doeth simplie impute the cause of that euill vnto the diuel saying The Serpent beguiled mee and I did eate Loe these are most corrupt false wicked and detestable opinions touching the originall cause of sinne wherewith the iustice and trueth of God is mightily offended Neither is the nature of man the cause of sinne For God which created all thinges did also create the nature of man and made it good euen as all thinges else whiche hée created were also good Therefore the nature of man was good For it is an accidental qualitie that hapened to man either in or immediatly after his fall and not a substantiall propertie to haue his nature so spotted with corruption as nowe it is Nowe wee being borne in sinne of sinnefull progenitours haue sinne by descent as our naturall propertie For Sainct Augustine writing De Fide contra Manichaeos Cap. 9. sayeth And if wee saye that any men are euill by nature wee meane that they are so because of the originall descent of our first parentes sinne wherein wee mortall men are wholie borne But this nowe requireth a more exacte and ample declaration That the diuel alone is not the authour of sinne so that when we sinne the blame thereof should redound to him and wee that sinned escape without fault this doth greatly argue béecause it is in his power to egge and persuade but not to inforce a maÌ„ to do euill For God by his power restrayneth the diuel from being able to doe the thing that he would do He can do no more theÌ„ God permitteth him to do for if he had no power ouer an hierd of filthie swine how much lâ—sse authoritie hath hee ouer the excellent soules of Gods most excellent creatures Hée hath I confesse great subtilties and more then Khethoricall force wherewith to persuade vs but God is stronger and neuer ceasseth to prompt good and hoalesome counsels vnto the soules of his faithfull seruants Nether doth he permit more to Satan than is for our commoditie as is to be séene in the example of that holy man the patient Iob and also in the example of Paul 2. Cor. 12. and in his words saying God is faithfull whiche will not suffer vs to be teÌ„pted aboue that wee are able to beare They therefore are vainely seduced whiche caste the faulte of their sinne vppon the diuels shoulders To procéede if thou demaundest of them whiche laye the blame of their sinne vppon their euill destinie what destinie is they will answeare either that it is a course knitt together by eternitie and lincked to it selfe as it were a certaine chaine and continuall roawe of counsels and workes necessarilie following one vppon an others necke according to the disposition and ordinaunce of God or else that it is the euill starres or planets Now if thou demaundest againe who made the starrs they haue none other answere but God it followeth therefore consequently that they inforce the cause of their sinne vppon God himselfe But al the auncient and best Philosophers did neuer pretend or alledge destinie much lesse such Christians as did freely confesse the mightie power of their God and maker And euen amonge our men I meane amonge them that would séeme to bee Christians they which stoode in the opinion of destinie and constellations were such kinde of fellowes as wise men would be ashamed to follow them as authors Bardesanes imputed to destinie the coÌ„uersations of mortall men And the Priscillianists who were condemned in the first counsell helde at Toledo thought and taught that maÌ„ is tyed to fatall starres and hath his bodie compact according to the 12. signes in heauen placing Aries in the head Taurus in the necke and so
reason of that first corruption which roote bringeth foorth a corrupt braunche in nature like vnto it selfe which braunch Satan euen nowe as hee hath done alwayes doeth by his sleightes subtilties and lyes cherish tende and tender as an impe of his owne planting and yet notwithstandinge hee laboureth in vaine vnlesse wee yelde our selues to his handes to bee framed as he listeth Nowe therefore that there may herein appeare lesse doubte or darkenesse I will for confirmations sake adde two moste euident testimonies the one out of the writinges of the Euangelistes the other out of the doctrine of the Apostles The Lorde in the Gospell saith The diuell was a murderer from the beginninge and stoode not in the trueth because the trueth is not in him When he speaketh a lye he speketh of his owne because he is a lyar and the father of lyes By these wordes of the Lorde wee gather that euill is to be referred to the diuel who being created in trueth and goodnesse did not stand fast in trueth and goodnesse but degenerated from his nature wherein hee was made good and fell into another nature corrupt and wicked and hath out of him selfe dispersed al euil as it appeared by the historie of our first parentes into the worlde to wite murther and lyes vnder which two are comprehended all other euils of which he is expressely saide to be the father that is the cause the author the welspring and beginning not because he was made suche an one of God but because hee stoode not fast in the trueth To them therefore that do demaunde of what beginning Satan came and whether God made him or no Our aunswere is that God in déede made all the Angels and those also which afterwarde did become reprobates and wicked diuels but we do not therefore saye that the cause of euil doth redound to god For we knowe that God in the beginning made all the Angels good For all things which hee made were good Furthermore it is saide that the diuel stoode not in the trueth that is that he reuolted from the trueth froÌ„ which he could not haue reuolted if he had neuer stoode in it Therefore God in the beginning did place all his Angels in the trueth Hee required of them trueth faith or fidelitie and the duetie that they ought him which they were able to haue done if they them selues would But they did disloyally fal from their allegiaunce and sinned as the Apostle Peter testifieth against the Lorde and therefore the fault of their falshood and of all their naughtinesse was not in God but in the rebellious and reuolting Angel. For since the time of his fall there is no trueth no fidelitie no integritie no feare of God no light or goodnesse to be found in him Therefore truely saide Sainct Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle He that committeth sinne is of the diuel for the diuell sinneth from the beginning For he is the first sinner and the beginning of sinne To this also may this note be added that of Peter and Iohn the diuel is saide to sinne For sinne is repugnaÌ„t to the will of God therefore God would not haue had him perish whervpon since he perished it followeth that he perished not by the faulte of God but by his owne fault Let vs nowe heare the other testimonie concerning the corrupt will of man which is in verie deede the cause of sinne Sainct Iames the Apostle saith Let no man saye when hee is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot bee tempted with euil neither tempteth he any man But euerie man is teÌ„pted when he is drawen away and enticed of his owne concupiscence then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death In these wordes Sainct Iames I hope doth euidently enough make God to be free from all faulte of sinne and doeth deriue it of vs our selues shewing by the way the beginning and procéeding of sinne Neither doeth Iames in this place gainsay the place in Genesis where Moses saide God tempted Abraham For in Moses to tempt doth signifie to make a triall or a proofe But in this argument of ours it signifieth to stirre or drawe to euil and so to corrupt vs Therefore God as hee cannot saith he be â—â—mpted of euil that is to saye as God is by nature good and vncorrupt so doth he not corrupt depraue or defile any man with euil For that is contrarie to the nature of God From whence then hath sinne his beginning The holie Apostle aunswereth saying Yea euery one is tempted corrupted and drawen into euil while he is withdrawen and enticed with his owne concupisence Lo here sinne taketh beginning of our concupiscence and is accomplished and finished by our owne woorke and labour Note heere by the waye what a weight and Emphasis euery one of y Apostles wordes doeth carrie with it For firste hee maketh concupiscence our owne or proper to vs al euen as the Lorde before did saye of Satan When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne Nowe because concupiscence is our owne therefore sinne is our owne also For concupiscence doth withdrawe vs from that that is true iust and good to that which is false vniust and euil The same coÌ„cupiscence enticeth vs that is by making a shewe of false hope it doth deceiue vs as foulers are wont with meate to entice birdes into their nets which wheÌ„ they haue deceiued them they catch vpp and kill What I pray you could bee spoken more plainely wee are by our owne concupiscence cast into euil This concupiscence draweth vs from God it doth entice and vtterly deceiue vs And then hauing layde the foundation of sinne and opened y welspring from whence it floweth he doth verie properly allude and by an Allegorie shewe vs y genealogie that is the beginning and procéeding of sinne That concupiscence saith he which is proper vnto vs all doeth as it were a matrix conceiue sinne in vs and immediatly after doeth bring it forth to wite when our lust bursteth out into the act when wee do gréedily prosecute that which we lusted after and being once obteined we do inioye it against the lawe of God vppon the necke whereof death doeth followe without intermission For the reward of sinne is death I haue I trust by these euident proofes of Scripture plainly declared that God is not the cause of euil but our corrupt will or concupiscence and the diuel which stirreth prouoketh and inflameth our depraued nature to sinne and wickednesse as he which is the tempter and vtter enimie to mankind and his saluation It will not be a misse here to heare the obiections of certeine cauillers against this doctrine and to learne howe to aunswere them accordinge to the trueth Some there are which when they sée that wee deriue sinne not of the nature of God but of the corrupt will of man and false suggestion of the diuel do presently obiect that
but Extraduce and by propagation For Iob in his fourtéenth Chapter saith manifestly Who can make or bring foorth a pure or cleane thing of that which is vnclean no bodie vndoubtedly is able to do it Of that sorte also there are many other sayinges in the fiftéenth 25 Chap. of the same booke And Paule the holye Apostle of Christe in the fifte to the Romanes doth moste euidently saye As by one man sinne entred into the worlde and death by sinne euen so death entred into all men in so muche as all haue sinned for vnto the lawe was sinne in the worlde but sinne is not imputed when there is no lawe Neuerthelesse death reigned from Adam vnto Moses ouer them also that had not sinned with like transgression as did Adam c. Doeth not the Apostle in these woordes manifestly shewe the propagation of sinne saying Sinne entred by one man into the worlde death entred into all men in so muche as they haue all sinned to wite in so muche as they are all subiect to corruption And that no men either beefore or after Moses might be excepted he addeth Death reigned from Adam vnto Moses ouer them also which had not sinned with the like transgression as did Adam that is to saye ouer them which had not sinned of their owne wil as Adam had but drew froÌ„ him originall sinne by propagation Sainct Augustine doth more fully excusse and handle this argument in his first booke De peccatorum meritis et remissione in the ninth tenth and eleuenth Chapter and the reste as they followe in order Againe Paule in the seuenth to the Romanes calleth this euil the sinne y dwelleth in vs that is to saye the sinne y is begotten borne with vs For he addeth I am carnall solde vnder sinne And I knowe that in me that is my fleashe there dwelleth no good And therfore the blessed Apostle Euangelist Iohn telleth vs that if we saye we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and trueth is not in vs. He saith verie significantly wee haue and not we haue had or we shall haue For by our corrupt nature we haue that proper vnto vs Therefore it is manifest that the fiction of the Pelagians is false whereby they affirme that wee are borne without vice it is false that the voluntarie action onely and not y corruption or deprauation which is not yet burst forth to the déede is sinne And Augustine doth in one place call euen that voluntarie sinne originall sinne and that two sundrie wayes firste not simply of it selfe but in respect of Adam because it beeing committed by the naughtie will of Adam is drawen and made hereditarie in vs Secondly because a naughtie lust may be named a will. For Lib. Retract 1. Cap. 15. he saith If any man doth sâ—ye that euen tâ—e verie lust is nothing else but will suche a will yet as is vicious and subiect to sinne he needeth not to be gaâ—â—said for where the thing is manifest wee must not striue about termes and wordes For so it is proued that without will there is no sinne either in deede or in propagation that is either actuall or originall Thus much Augustine who doth also alledge other sayings like to this in his thirde booke Contra Iulianum Pelagianum Chap. 5. It shal be sufficient to vs euen without them to learne by the testimonies of the holie Scriptures that sinne is not onely a voluntarie action but also an hereditarie corruption or deprauation that commeth by inheritance Not vnlike to all this is that sentence in Ezechiâ—l where the Lorde saith The sonne shall not beare the iniquitie of the father but euery man shal dye in his owne sinne For Adams fall should do vs no harme if it were not â—o that eueÌ„ from him there is sprung vpp in vs such a peruersenesse as is worthie of Gods iust iudgement But nowe since all the inclination disposition and desire of our nature euen in a childe but one day olde is repugnaunt to the purnesse and will of God which is onely good no man therefore is punished for his father but euery one for his owne iniquitie and calamities fall euen on the yongest babes whome wee see to be touched with many afflictions by the holie and iuste iudgement of the moste iust God. Neither is their obiection anye whitt stronger which saye that the children of holie parents cannot draw or take any spott of their parents For they haue their line all descent of the fleshely generation and not of the spirituall regeneration And wheâ—eas the Apostle saide The vnbeleeuing husbande is sanctified by the wife and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husbande else were your children vncleane but nowe are they cleane it is not repugnant to our former allegations For they are called holie not by the prerogatiue of their birth or generation as though children were borne holie without any spott or vice at aâ—l but for because they beeinge borne by nature corrupt are by the vertue of the couenaunt grace made pure vncleannesse is not imputed to them for Christ his sake or the remission oâ— sinnes which is pronounced in these woordes I will bee thy God and the God of thy seede after thee For of olde euen those children which of the seede of Abraham were holie blessed receiued notwithstanding the signe of circumcision Now what neede I pray you had they had of Circumcision or purging if by their birthe they had had no vncleannesse in them That therfore is vtterly false whiche ye heard euen now that Caelestius the Pelagian did vtter in these words We did not therefore say that infants are to bee baptised into the remission of sinnes to the end that wee should thereby seeme to affirme that sinne is extraduce or hereditarie which is vtterly coÌ„trarie to the catholique sense For it is catholique and true doctrine that the children of the Iewes were circumcised not so much onely beecause they were partakers of the diuine couenaunt as for because that all the antiquitie of holy fathers did so coÌ„fesse that in infants there was somewhat which had néede of cutting that is which had néede to be remitted by the grace of God and not bee imputed to them vnto death It is catholique true doctrine that the infantes of ChristiaÌ„s are baptised not so much because they are the children of God and fréely receiued into the couenant as for because there is in them euen from their birth somewhat which the Lord by his grace doeth wash awaye least it should bring vpon them death and damnation Yea that cannot bée catholique whiche doeth so manifestly repugne so many euident places of Scripture which proue that in infaÌ„ts there is sinne by propagation To coÌ„firme this wee may add that S. Augustine in his first booke Contra Iulianum Pelagianum Cap. 2. gathereth together the testimonies of the most excellent bishops and doctours in the primatiue Church by whiche hee proueth
which Image as the Apostle expoundeth it was a conformitie and participation of Gods wisedome iustice holinesse trueth integritie innocencie immortalitie and eternall felicitie Therefore what else can the blotting or wiping out of this Image bée but originall sinne that is the hatred of God the ignoraunce of God foolishnesse distrustfulnesse desperation selfeloue vnrighteousnesse vncleannesse lying hypocrisie vanitie corruption violent iniurie wickednesse mortalitie and eternall infelicitie This corrupte Image and likenesse is by propagation deriued into vs all according to that saying in â—he fifte of Genesis Adam begatt a sonne in his owne similitude and likenesse Therefore as our father Adam was him selfe corrupted depraued and full of calamities so hath hee begotten vs his sonnes corrupte depraued and full of miseries so that all we which do descend of his vnpure séede are borne infected with the contagious poyson of sinne For of a rotten roote doe springe as rotten braunches which in like manner put ouer their rottennesse into the little twiggs that shoote out and growe vppon them And this euill verilie this corruption and this sinne althoughe it lye hidd in infants and by reason of their tender age doeth not breake foorthe into any déede dooing yet notwithstanding it is a sinne and such a sinne verilie as maketh them indaungered vnto Gods wrath separateth them from the fellowship of God. For with the most holy God who is a consuming fire no man can abide but hee that is vnspotted and cleane from the filthinesse of sinnes And Paule sayeth All haue sinned and are destitute or haue neede of the glorie of God. This glorie of God is the very image of God whereof because they are destitute they being corrupted with originall sinne are worthilie excluded from the fellowship of god To this place doth belong the whole treatise of concupiscence in the fourth Sermon of this third Decade where I taught you that bare concupiscence which is not yet burst forth to the déed doing is a sinne that to such a sinne as maketh all men subiecte to the curse of god For it is written Cursed be euerie one whiche abideth not in all thinges that are written in the booke of this lawe Therefore the first effecte of originall sinne is this that it bringeth wrath death and damnation vppon verie infants and so consequently vppon all mankinde whereof that it maye the more firmely be settled in euerie mans minde without all scruple of doubting I wil by some store of testimonies out of the scripture make manifest proofe vnto you not by repeating those places againe which I haue alreadie cited in this Sermon in the fourth Sermon of this thirde Decade The Lord in the Gospell sayeth to Nicodemus Verilie I say vnto thee vnlesse a maÌ„ be borne from aboue he caÌ„not see the kingdome of God. And againe Vnlesse a man bee borne of water and of the holie Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of god That whiche is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirite is spirite In these words are comprehended two things worthie to be remembred and very consonant to our present argument First none enter into the kingdome of heauen but those that bee regenerate from abcue by the holy Ghost therefore ourâ— fâ—â—st birthe tendeth to death and not to life For in oure first natiuitie wee are borne to death The latter is That which is borne of flesh is flesh therefore in oure first natiuitie wee are all borne flesh But touching the disposition of the flesh and the force thereof the Apostle sayeth The fleshly minde is enimitie against God for it is not obedient to the lawe of God neither can bee Therefore that fleshly birthe ingeÌ„dreth vs not the friends sonnes but the enimies of God and so consequently doth make vs indaungered to the wrath of God. Paul in his second Chapiter to the Ephesians sayeth Wee were by nature the sonnes of wrathe euen as other In which words he pronounceth that all men are damned For al those that are damned or are worthie of eternall death and all such with whom God hath good cause to be offended hée calleth the sonnes of wrath after the proper phrase of the Hebrue speache For the wrath of God doth signifie the punishment which is by the iust iudgment of God layd vppon vs men And he is called the child of death which is adiudged or appointed to be killed So is also the sonne of perdition c. Now marke that he calleth vs all the sonnes of wrath that is the subiectes of paine damnation euen by nature in birth from our mothers wombe But whatsoeuer is naturallie in all men that is originall therefore originall sinne maketh vs the sonnes of wrath that is we are all for our originall corruption made subiecte to death and vtter damnation This place of Paule for the proofe of this argument is worthie to be remembred The same Apostle in the first to the Colossians sayeth God hath deliuered vs from the power of darcknesse and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deere sonne Nowe if we be translated into the kingdome of the sonne of God then were we once in the kingdome of the diuel And to this place belong very many testimonies of the same Apostle in the fifte Chapter of his Epistle to the Romanes By one mans sinne many are dead Againe By one that sinned came death For iudgement came by one vnto coÌ„demnation Againe For the sinne of one death reigned by the meanes of one And againe By the sinne of one sinne came vppon all men vnto condemnation Finally original sinne is by Dauid and Paule expressely called sinne therefore death is due to originall sinne For the reward of sinne is death Wée do therefore conclude that infants doe bring damnation with them into this world euen from their mothers wombes because they bring with them a corrupt nature and therefore they perish not by any others but by their owne fault naughtinesse For althoughe S. Augustine doeth in one place séeme to cal this sinne peccatum alienum that is an others sinne that thereby he may shew how it is by propagation deriued from other into vs yet doeth he confesse that it is in very déed and truely proper to all and euery seuerall one of vs And although it bee so that for lacke of age in a newe borne babe this disease hath not alreadie brought foorth the fruite of his iniquitie yet notwithstanding the very whole nature of the babe is nothing but filchie corruption and a certeine séede of sinne and wickednesse whiche cannot choose but bée abhominable vnto the lord For God doth hate al maner of vncleannesse With this agréeth that sentence of Paule where he sayth Where no law is there is no transgression For the Apostle doth not absolutely saye that the sinne or transgression whiche is sinne in very déed in the sight of God is no sinne but hee respecteth the
and vnpardonable for which we must not pray that is to saye prayers cannot obteine pardone for it That sinne is contumelious reprochâ— against the holie Ghoste reuolting apostacie and incessant mocking of the Gospell of Christe For in the Gospell after S. Iohn we read Verily verily I saye vnto you if a man keepe my sayings he shall not see death for euer And againe If ye beleeue not that I am ye â—hal dye in your sinnes And apostacie in verie déede is iniquitie and a purposed and perpetuall sinne For what is more sinfull or vniust than to strine against and make a mocke of the knowen veritie The other sinne is veniall not vnto death the which of what sort it is Sainct Iohn declareth when he addeth Wee knowe that euery one which is borne of God sinneth not Nowe that saying must not be so absolutely taken as though hee sinned not at all but wee must vnderstand that hee sinneth not to death For otherwise the verie Sainctes are sinners as it is euident by the first Chapter of this Epistle Furthermore that which doeth immediately followe in Iohn maketh manifest that which went before He that is begotten of God saith he kepeth him selfe that is hee standeth stedfastly in the knowen trueth and taketh heede to him selfe that that euil touch him not that is that he intrap him not stirre him vp against God nor reteine him in rebellion Thus much haue I hitherto saide touching the sinne against the holie Ghoste which Augustine did in one place call finall impenitencie which doth followe vppon Apostacie blasphemie and contempt of the holie Ghost or of the word of trueth reuealed by the holie Ghost And although I haue alreadie in the handling of Originall sinne and sinne against the holie Ghoste partely touched the effectes of sinne yet to coÌ„clude this treatise withall I wil briefly shewe you somewhat touching the iust and assured punishment that shal be layde vppon sinners For in the definition of sinne I sayde that sinne brought vpon vs the wrath of GOD with death and sundrie punishments Of which in this place I meane to speake It is as manifest as what is most manifest by the scriptures that God doeth punishe the sinnes of men yea that he punisheth sinners for their sinnes For many places in the scriptures declare that God is angrie and greeuously offended at the sinnes of mortall men Dauid cryeth The Lorde loueth the iust as for the wicked and violent his soule doeth hate them Vppon the vngodly hee shall rayne snares fire and brimstone storme and tempest this shal be their portion to drinke For the righteous Lord loueth righteousnesse with his countenaÌ„ce he doth behold the thing that is iust In like manner Paule saith The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vncleanesse of men which withholde the trueth in vnrighteousnesse And what may be thought of the moreouer that the wrath of God for the sinnes of vs men woulde bee by no meanes appeased but by the death of the sonne of God Wherein verily the excellencie of the greate price of our redemption doth argue the greatnesse and filthinesse of our sinne To all which we may adde that the good Lorde who loued mankinde so well woulde not haue ouerwhelmed vs with so many paynes and exceeding calamities had not our sinne béen passing horrible in the sight of his eyes For who can make a full beadrowe of all the calamities of miserable sinners The Lorde for our sinnes absenteth him selfe from vs But if the Sunne be out of the earth howe greate are the mystes and cloudie darkenesse in it If God be awaye from vs how great is the horror in myndes of men Here therefore as punishementes due to sinners are reckoned the tyrannie of Satan a thousande tormentes of conscience the death of the soule dreadfull feare vtter desperation innumerable calamities of bodie and of our other faculties which Moses the seruaunt of God doeth at large rehearse in the 26. of Leuiticus and the 28 Chapter of Deuteronomium And nowe since newe sinnes are daily scourged with newe kindes of punishements what ende I praye is any man able to make if hee shoulde goe about to reckon them all It is not to be doubted verily but that the Lorde doeth punishe sinners iustly For hee is him selfe a most iust Iudge And for because it is a madd mannes parte to doubte of the iustice omnipotencie and wisedome of god it followeth therefore consequently that all religious and godly men doe holde for a certeintie that the punishments which God doeth laye vppon men are laide vppon them by moste iust iudgement But howe greate and what kinde of punishment is due to euery faulte and seuerall transgression belongeth rather to Gods iudgement to determine than for mortall men too curiously to inquire Wherevppon Sainct Augustine Tracta in Ioan. 89 saide There is as greate diuersitie of punishments as of sinnes which howe it is ordeined the wisedome of God doth more deepely declare than mans coniectures can possibly seeke out or vtter in wordes Hee verily which in his lawe giuen to man gaue this for a rule according to the measure of the sinne so shall the measure of the punishement bee beeing him selfe moste equall and iust doeth not in iudgement exceede measure Abraham in the notable communication had with God which is reported in the 18 of Genesis doth amoÌ„g other things say Wâ—lt thou destroye the iust with the wicked that be farr from thee that thou shouldst do such a thing and slaye the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked That is not thy parte that iudgest al the earth thou shalt not make suche iudgement Herevnto also belongeth that notable demonstration which the Lorde vseth towarde Ionas beeing angrie with the Lorde because of his iudgements for hee sheweth that hee hath iustly a care of the infants yea and of the cattel in Niniue The place is extant in the fourth Chapter of the prophecie of Ionas Let vs therefore stedfastly holde that the Lord when he punisheth doth iniurie to no creature which hee hath made Here therefore the disputations and questions come to an ende wherein men are wont to demaunde whye the Lorde doeth sometimes vse so sharpe torments towards infants or sucklings or why he rewardeth temporal offences with eternal punishments For the Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holie in all his workes As Dauid did most truly witnesse whereas in another place he saith Thou arte iust O Lord and thy iudgement is right Blessed is hee that stumbleth not here and doeth not murmur against the Lorde But if 〈◊〉 so happen that the Lorde at any time do somewhat long deferre the iudgement and punishment wee must not therefore thinke that hee is vniust because he spareth the wicked and sharpely correcteth his friendes their vices Let vs rather laye before our eyes the Euangelicall parable of the riche glutton and
the bottome of his heart And yet it was not the crowing of the cocke of it selfe alone that stirred that motion in him but that and the woord of Christe together who had said vnto him Verilie I saye vnto thee the cocke shall not crowe till thou hast denied mee thrice Wherevppon S. Matt. sayeth And Peter remembred the wordes of the Lord which had sayed vnto him Before the cock crowe thou shalt denie me thrice c. With these also is ioyned a more secrete touching of Peters mind For the good Lord touched the heart of Peter as the Euangeliste testifieth saying And the Lord turning himselfe about loked vpon Peter That loking back of the Lord made Peters hart to melt and drue it from the destruction wherinto it was about to fall Therefore if our cares be pierced with the woord of God and oure heartes touched with his holie spirite then shall wee like true penitents vnfeignedly reuerence dread the Lord. And therewithall being humbled before the most iust holy God whom we with our sinnes do so much offend and prouoke to wrath indignation we confesse his iudgment to be iust against vs and fréely acknowledge all the sinns and iniquities that in the word of God are obiected against vs crying out and saying with the Prophetes Thou verily O Lord art righteous thou art true thy iudgements iust but wee are most vnrighteous lyers wicked and wholie ouerwhelmed with detestable iniquities There is nothing sound or sincere within vs All that wee haue is corrupt and miserable Wee haue sinned wee haue beene wicked wee haue done vniustly wee haue forsaken thee Wee haue gainesaid thy seruants the Prophets we haue not obeyed the words of thy mouth To thee therefore O God doeth righteousnes belong and to vs wretches shame and confusion This humiliation frée confession of sinnes doth God require of penitent sinners touching which I wil hereafter speake somewhat more For now I returne more fully to expound the feare of the Lord. At this present I speake of the syncere feare of God for we confesse that the feare of God is of two sorts sincere and vnsincere The sincere feare of God is perceiued in the faithful and is a godly reuerence consisting in the loue and honour of god For the Prophete bringeth in God saying The sonne honoureth the father and the seruaunt the maister Therefore if I be a father where is my honour If a Lord where is my feare And Paule sayeth Ye haue not receiued the spirite of bondage againe vnto feare but ye haue receiued the spirite of adoption by which we crie Abba father Therefore the sincere feare of God in them that doe repent is not the seruile dread of punishment but a carefull studie mixt with the loue and honour of god An honest wife feareth her husband and a gratious daughter feareth her father yet ech of them doeth therewithall loue the one her father the other her husband and doeth with an holy loue indeuour herselfe to kéepe his fauour feare least at any time she should do any thing to loose it And therefore penitents do not only feare because they knowe being taught by the spirite of God that they haue committed sinnes for which they haue deserued to be forsaken of the Lord but doe also loue him as their merciful father and are therefore sorie with all their heartes for their sinnes committed and doe aboue al thinges most ardently require to be reconciled againe to their mercifull GOD and louing father For with this sincere feare of God is ioyned the griefe or sorrowe which is conceiued by the spirite of God for our sinnes that we commit S. Paule maketh mention of two sortes of sorrowes The sorrowe that is to God-ward sayeth he doth bring forth repentaunce not to be repented of but contrarilie the sorrowe of the world bringeth death The king and Prophete Dauid sorrowed to Godward when he cried Thine arrowes sticke fast in mee and thy hand doth presse me soare There is no whole part in my flesh because of thy displeasure there is no rest in my bones by reason of my sinne And so forward as is to be séene in the 38. Psalme Whiche althoughe it were written of his gréeuous disease or sickenesse doth yet notwithstanding as it were in a shadowe shew vs the great griefe that is in the Saincts for offending their good and gratious father with their continuall sinnes To Godward was the sinnful woman sorie in S. Luke who falling prostrate at the Lords héeles did washe his féete with teares and wyped them with her haire To God-ward was S. Peter sorie and wept as we read ful bitterly for his offēce The godly are greatly greued because they doe so oftentimes offend so fouly so good a God and gratious father No woordes I thincke can possiblie expresse the griefe and sorrowe that they conceiue But the Prophete Ieremie describing the contrarie affection of impenitent sinners doeth saye Doe men fall so that they maye not rise againe Doeth any man go so astray that he may not turne againe Howe doth it happen then that this people of Hierusalem is turned away so stubbornely I gaue eare and hearkened they spake not rightly there was none that did repent him of his wickednesse to say what haue I done Euerie one of them turned to his owne course like a fierce horse headlong to the batteile The worldly griefe is the sorrowe of such men as knowe not God are without faith the true loue of God yea of such as yéeld vnder the burthen of sorrowe aduersities verie sinnes Like to this also in a maner is the cōsideration of the vnsincere feare of god For the wicked with their head the diuel do feare God not as a father whome they are sorie to offend and to whome they desire to be reconciled as to a father but as a tormentour béecause they knowe that he wil reuenge their euill déedes And therefore with Iudas they runne to the roape There is in them no loue of God no honour no goodwill no reuerence but meere hatred horrour and vtter desperation But such feare the Apostle and Euangeliste Iohn denied to bee in charitie saying that perfect charitie casteth out all feare I meane not that feare of the Lord that is the beginning of wisedome but that of which I haue spoken all this while the feare I meane that is in the diuel and wicked men his members And nowe by this we gather that vnto penitentes faith in God and the merite of Christ is most of all and especially néedeful In which sense it is I thincke that many haue made faith a part of repentaunce which as I do not greatly denie so yet doe I sée that S. Paul made as it were a difference betwixte faith and repentance when in the 20. of the Actes hee sayeth that hee witnessed both to the Iewes and Gentiles the repentaunce that is toward GOD and the faith in
that séede and branch of life should come Moreouer the holy fathers taught that God by a certaine league hath ioyned him selfe to mankind and that he hath most streightly bounde him selfe to the faythful and the faythfull likewise to him selfe againe Wherevpon they did teache to be faythfull to God ward to honour God to hate false Gods to call vpon the onely God and to worship him deuoutly Furthermore they taught that the worship of God did consist in things spirituall as fayth hope charitie obedience vpright dealing holinesse innocencie patience trueth iudgement and godlinesse And therfore did they reprehend naughtinesse and sinne falshoode lacke of beliefe desperation disobedience vnpatientnesse lying hypocrisie hatred dispitefull tauntes violence wrong vnrightuous dealing vncleannesse riottousnesse surfetting whoredome vnrighteousnesse and vngodlynesse They taught that God was a rewarder of good but a punisher and reuenger of euill They taught that the soules of men were immortall and that the bodyes shoulde rise againe in the daye of iudgement therefore they exhorted vs all so to liue in this temporall life that we doe not lese the life eternall This is the sum of the worde of God reuealed to the fathers and by them deliuered to their posteritie This is the traditiō of the holy fathers which cōprehendeth al religion Finally this is the true auncient vndoubted authenticall catholike faith of the fathers Besides this the holy fathers taught their children childers children the accompt of the yeares from the beginning of the world also the true historicall course as well profitable as necessarie of things from the creation of the worlde euen vnto their owne times leaste peraduenture their children shoulde be ignoraunt of the beginning and succession of worldlye things and also of the iudgementes of God and examples of them whiche liued as well godly as vngodly I coulde declare vnto you all this euidently and in verye good order out of the first booke of Moses called Genesis if it were not that thereby the sermen shoulde be drawne out somewhat longer then the vse is But I suppose that there are few or rather none at al here present whiche doe not perceiue that I haue rehearsed this that I haue said touching the tradition of the auncient fathers as it were worde for worde out of the booke of Genesis so that nowe I maye very well go forwarde in the narration which I haue begonne So then what so euer hitherto was of the fathers deliuered to the world by worde of mouth as it were from hand to hande that was first of all put into writing by the holy man Moses together with those thinges whiche were done in al the time of Moses life by the space of 120. yeares And that his estimation might be the greater throughout all the worlde among all men and in all ages and that none shoulde but knowe that the writings of Moses were the very worde of God it selfe Moses was furnished and as it were consecrated by God with signes and wonders to be meruelled at in déede whiche the almightie by the hande that is by the ministerie of Moses did bring to passe and verily he wrought them not in any corner of the worlde or place vnknowne but in Egypt the moste flourishing and renoumed kingdome of that age Those miracles were greater and farre more by many then that they can be here rehearsed in fewe wordes neyther is it néedful to repeate them bicause you dearely beloued are not vnskilfull or ignorant of them at al. After that also God by other meanes procured authoritie to Moses For many and often times God had communication with Moses and amongst the rest of his talke sayde he Beholde I will come to thee in a thicke cloude that the people may heare me talking with thee may beleue thee for euermore Neyther was the Lord therewith content but commaunded Meles to call together all the people sixe hundreth thousand men I say with their wiues and children They are called out to the mount Sina where God appeareth in a wonderfull and terrible fashion and he him selfe preaching to the congregation doth rehearse vnto them the ten Commaundements But the people being terrified with the maiestie of God doth pray and beséech that God him self would no more afterward preach to the congregatiō with his owne mouth saying that it were inoughe if he would vse Moses as an interpreter to them and by him speake to the Church The most high God did like the offer and after that he spake to the people by Moses what soeuer he would haue done And for bycause that the people was a stifnecked people by keping company with Idolaters in Egypt was not a little corrupted Moses nowe began to set downe in writing those things whiche the holy fathers by tradition had taught the things also which the Lorde had reuealed vnto him The cause why he wrote them was least peraduenture by obliuion continuance of time and obstinancie of a people so slowe to beleeue they might either perish or else be corrupted The Lord also set Moses an example to folow For what so euer God had spoken to the Church in Mount Sina that same did he streight way after write with his owne finger in two tables of stone as he had with his finger frō the beginning of the world writtē the same in the harts of the fathers Afterward also in plain words he commaunded Moses to write what soeuer the Lord had reueled Moses obeyed the Lordes commaundement and writ them The holy Gheste whiche was wholye in the mynde of Moses directed his hand as he writ There was no abilitie wanting in Moses that was necessarie for a most absolute writer He was aboundantly instructed by his auncestours For he was borne of the holiest progenie of those fathers whome God had appointed to be witnesses of his will commaundements and iudgements suppose Amram Kahad Iacob Sem Methusalem and Adam He was able therefore to write a true and certain Hystorie from the beginning of the worlde euen vntill his owne time Wherevnto he added those thinges which were done among the people of God in his owne life time whereof he was a very true witnesse as one that sawe and heard them Yea and that more is whatsoeuer he did set forth in his bookes that did he read to his people and amongst so many thousandes was there not one found which gainsayed that whiche he rehearsed so that the whole consent and witnesse-bearing of the great congregation did bring no small authoritie to the writings of Moses Moses therefore contained in the fiue bookes called the fiue books of Moses an hystorie from the beginning of the world euē vnto his own death by the space of 2488. yeres In which he declared most largely the Reuelation of the worde of God made vnto men whatsoeuer the word of God dothe containe and teach In which as we haue the manyfolde Oracles of God him self
hath felte calamities Hee beareth our infirmities and hath carryed our sorrowes For the Lorde himselfe also in the Gospell said My soule is heauie euen vnto the death But verily hée suffred all this for vs For in him was neyther sinne nor any cause else whye hée shoulde suffer Secondarily in this article is noted the time Pontius Pilate the iudge vnder whom the Lorde dyed and redéemed the world from sinne death the deuil and hell Hée suffred therefore in the Monarchie of the Romanes vnder the Emperour Tiberius when as now according to the Prophecie of Iacob father of Israell the Iewishe people obeyed forreine kings because there were no more kinges or captaynes of the stocke of Iuda to haue the rule ouer them For hée foretold that then the Messias should come What may be thought of that moreouer that the Lord himselfe oftener then once in the Gospell did foreshew that hée should be deliuered into the handes of the Gentiles and by them be put to death In the thirde point of this article wée do expreslye declare the maner of his death For wée adde Hée was crucifyed and dyed on the Crosse But the death of the Crosse as it was most reprochfull so also was it most bitter or sharpe to be suffred yet tooke hée that kinde of death vppon him that hée might make satisfaction for the worlde and fulfill that which from the beginning was prefigured that he should be hāged on the tree Isaac was layde on the pile of woode to be offered vp in sacrifice Moses also stuck the Serpent on the stake of woode and lift it vp to be behelde And the Lord himself said I when I shal be lift vp from the earth will draw all men vnto mee Finally hée dyed on the Crosse géeuinge vp his Ghoste to god For hée dyed verily and in déede as you shall streightway perceiue Where I haue briefly to declare vnto you what the fruite of Christe his death is First wée were accursed because of sinne hée therfore tooke our curse vppon himselfe beinge lyft vp vppon the Crosse to the end he might take our curse away and that wée might be blessed in him Then also the heritage bequeathed to vs by Will could not come vnto vs vnlesse hee which bequeathed it did dye But God bequeathed it who that hée might die became mā and dyed according to his humane nature to the ende that wée might receiue the heritage of life In an other place againe Paule sayth Him that knewe not sinne did God make sinne for vs that wee by him mighte bee made the righteousnes of God. Our Lorde therefore became man by the sacrifice of himself to make satisfaction for vs On whō as it were vppon a Goate for sinne offring when all the sinnes of the whoale worlde were gathered together and layd hée by his death tooke awaye and purged them all so that nowe the onely sacrifice of Christ hath satisfied for the sinnes of the whole world And this verily is the greatest comoditie of Christ his death taught euery where by the Apostles of Christe Next after that also the death of Christe doth teach vs patience and the mortification of our fleshe yea Christe by the participation of himselfe doth by his Spirite worke in vs that sinne may not reigne in vs Touching which thing the Apostle Paule teacheth many thinges in the sixt Chapter to the Romanes The Lord in the Gospell sayth If any man will follow mee let him denie himselfe and take vp his Crosse and follow mee These and a few more are the fruites of the Lord his passion or the death of Christe Fourthly in this Article is added Hee was buried For our Lorde dyed verilie and in deede vppon the Crosse The very truth of his death was proued by the Souldiour which thruste him through the syde After that hée was taken downe from the Crosse and layde in a Sepulcher In the Gospell are expressed the names of them that buryed him Ioseph and Nicodemus There is also shewed the manner how they buried him The fruite of this his buriall the Sauiour himselfe hath taught in these woords Verilie verily I say vnto you vnlesse the seede of corne cast into the earthe doe dye it remayneth alone But if it dye it bringeth forth much fruit Whervppon the Apostle exhorteth vs to be buried with Christe in his death that wée may rise againe in the newnesse of life yea that wée maye liue reigne with him for euermore If therefore our bodies also be buried at any time let vs not therefore be troubled in minde For the faithfull are buried that they maye ryse with Christe againe The fift part of this fourth article some do put seuerallie by it self for the fift article of our fayth I for my part do see no cause whie it should be plucked from that that goeth before nor whie it should make by it selfe a peculiar article of our fayth The woords are these Hee descended into hell Touchinge this there are sondrie opinions among the expositors of the holie Scriptures Augustine in his booke De fide symbolo doth neyther place these woordes in the rule of beliefe nor yet expound them Cyprian sayth thus It is to be knowne verilie that in the Creede of the latin Church this is not added Hee descended into hell nor yet is this clause receiued in the Churches of the Easte but yet the sense of that clause seemeth to be all one with that where it is sayd He was buried This sayth hée So then Cyprians opinion seemeth to be that To descende into hell is nothing else but to be layd in the graue accordinge to that sayinge of Iacob Yee will bring my gray heares with sorrow to hell or the graue But there are some that thincke this assertion to be without lawful proofe For it is not lykelie that they would wrappe a thinge once alreadie plainly spoken immediatlie after in a darker kinde of speach Nay rather so often as two sentences are ioyned together that signifie both one thing the latter is alwayes an exposition of the firste But in these two speaches Hee was buried and hee descended into hell the first is the plainer and the latter the more intricate Augustine in his 99. Epistle to Euodius turmoyleth himselfe pitifullie in this matter To Dardanus de Dei praesentia he writeth that the Lord went into hell but that hee felt no torment Wée shall more agreably to the truth seeme to vnderstande this article if wee shal thincke that the vertue of Christe his death did flow euen to them that were dead and profited them too that is to saye that all the Patriarches and holie mē that died before the coming of Christ were for the death of Christe preserued from death euerlastinge As S. Peter also maketh mention That the Lord went in the spirite preached vnto the Spirits that were in prison For verilie they by the death of Christ were made to knowe the sentence of
and say Let vs take this affliction frō our people and let vs fight for our nation and our religion Let not any man make an obiection here and say Tush these are workes pertaining to the lawe which we that are in the church of Christ haue nothing to do withall For the Apostle Paul speaking to the Hebrues as concerning Christiā faith doth say These through faith did subdue kingdomes wrought righteousnesse were valiaunt in fight and turned to flight the armies of aliaunts Now since our faith is all one and the very same with theirs it is lawful for vs as well as for them in a rightfull quarell by warre to defend our coūtrie and religion our virgins and olde men our wiues and children our libertie and possessions They are flatly vnnaturall to their countrie and countrimen and doe transgresse this fift commaundement whosoeuer doe vnder the pretence of religiō forsake their countrie afflicted with warre not indeuouring to deliuer it from barbarous souldiers and forreine nations euen by offering their liues to the push and pike of present death for the safegard therof Saint Iohn saith By this we knowe his loue by cause he gaue his life for vs and we ought to giue our liues for the brethren The hyred souldiers who fight vnlawfull battels for pay of wages and sel their bodies for gréedinesse of money shall iudge the men that leaue their countrie in perill and daunger For the one put lesse of life and limmes in aduenture for gaine of a fewe odde crowns whereas the other deintie fooles and effeminate hartes will not hazard the losse of a limme for their religion magistrates wiues children and all their possessions What I beséech you shall those traytours to their country say in that day wherein the Lord shal reward the louers and the vnnatural traytours of their countrie and countrimen when before their eyes they shal sée the Gentiles to excell them in vertue and loue to their countrie people Publij Decij the Father and the sonne gaue their liues fréely for the safegard of the common weale and died willingly for the loue of their countrie Codrus the naturall and louing king of the Atheniens when he vnderstoode by the Oracle of Apollo that Athens could not be saued but by the kings death and that therefore the enimies had giuen commaundement that no man should wounde the King this Codrus layd aside his kinglike furniture and cloathing him selfe in base apparell rushed into the thickest of his enimies and foūd the meanes by egging to prouoke one of them perforce to kyll him The two brethren called Phileni chose rather to lengthen their countrie with a myle of ground then to prolong their liues with many dayes and therefore did they suffer them selues to be buryed aliue But what suffer we for the health and safegarde of our countrie Hierocles sayth Our countrie is as it were a certaine other God and our first and chiefest parent Wherefore he that first called our countrie by the name of Patria did not vnaduisedly giue it that name but called it so in respect of the thing whiche it was in déede for Patria our countrie is deriued of Pater a Father hath his ending or termination in the Feminine Gender thereby declaring that it taketh the name of both the Parentes And this reason dothe couertly leade vs to thinke that our countrey which is but one ought to be reuereneed and loued as well as both our Parentes ioyntly knitting them together to make them equall in honour Furthermore we must make our earnest prayer for the safegarde of oure countrie Babylon was not the countrie of the Iewes but yet for bicause the Iewes for their sinnes were banished by God to Babylon for the space of seuentie yeares Babylon was counted to them in stéede of their countrie And therefore saith the Prophete Ieremie Builde vp houses and dwell therein plant gardeines and eate the fruite therof marrie wiues and beget sonnes and daughters and giue them in marryage that they maye get children Seeke the peace of that citie to which I doe carrie you and praye to the Lorde for it bycause your peace and safegarde is ioyned with the peace thereof Chapter twentie and nine Traytours to their countrie therefore sinne exceedingly whome the lawes of the realme doe commaunde for their foule offence to be hanged and quartered Touching the Magistrate and his office I nieane to speake of them in another place so much as it is necessarily requisite for this present time Saint Peter vttereth where he saith Feare God honour the King. Let vs therefore acknowledge and confesse that the Magistrates office is ordeined of God for mens commoditie and that GOD by the Magistrate dothe frankly bestowe on vs very many and great commodities The péeres do watch for the commō people if they do rightly discharge their office not shewing them selues to be detestable tyraunts they iudge the people they take vp controuersies they keepe iustice in punishing the guiltie and defending innocentes and lastly they fight for the people And for the excellencie of their office which is both the chefest and the most necessarie God doth attribute to the Magistrate the vse of his owne name and calleth the princes and Senators of the people Gods to the intent that they by the very name shoulde be put in minde of their duetie and that the subiects might therby learne to haue them in reuerence God is iust good righteous and one which hath no respecte of persons And such an one ought the good Iudge or Magistrate to be Monkes and Heremites do prayse their profession and solitarie life extolling it aboue the skies but I think verily that there is more true vertue in one politique man who gouerneth the common weale and doth his dutie truely than in many thousandes of of Monkes and Heremites who haue not so much as one word expressed in the holy Scriptures for the defence of their vocation and vowed order of liuing yea I am ashamed that I haue compared the holy office of Magistrates with that kinde of people in whome there is nothing founde worthy to be compared with them in so muche as they flée from the labour and ordinaunce that God hath made profitable for their people and countrimen Truely if the Prince doe faithfully discharge his office in the common weale he heapeth vp to him self a number of very good works and prayse that neuer shall be ended Therefore the Magistrate must be obeyed and all his good and vpright lawes No sedition or conspiracies ought in any case to be moued against him We muste not curse or speake euill of the Magistrate For God him selfe in his lawe doth charge vs saying Thou shalte not speake euill of the Gods nor curse the Prince of the people If he chaunce at any time to sinne let vs behaue ourselues toward him as to our father Of whome I haue spoken a little before It happeneth often times that
plague than an vnprofitable citizen But who I pray you may be thought to be a worse citizen than hée that being accustomed to ease and delicatenes and of a soudeine by some mishap or else by prodigall riottousnes being depriued of them both and driuen to extreme pouertie is compelled perforce to séeke out vnlawfull shiftes to get more wealth againe Furthermore they of old had a Prouerbe worthy to be remeÌ„bred of vs at this time Euerie lande mainteyneth Arte. By this seÌ„tence they meant that learning and science is the surest preparation for euery iourney For they cannot be taken away by theeues but whether soeuer thou goest they beare thée company and are no burthen for thee to beare If therefore mishappe doe spoyle thy children of the wealth that thou leauest them if thou hast taught them an occupation it is enough for them to liue by Kings are depriued of their princelike dignitie and put besyde their excéeding riches so that it is no meruayle though kinges inferiours be spoyled of their wealth banished their countries Dionysius of Syracuse is reported for his tyraÌ„nie to haue bene thrust beside his seate But hauing lost his kingdome he departed to Corinth where he set vp a schole taught children their Grammar and Musicke wherby in that necessitie he got his lyuing Hée had béene hard bested verilie in a miserable taking if he had neuer learned any thing but had settled his hope vppon dignitie and riches vaine hope had bene his destruction For hée had died in extreme beggarie Thus much touching the bringing vp of childreÌ„ in learning or knowledge of some occupation I haue in that which is behinde to speake somewhat touching the correction of those that are coÌ„teined vnder the name of children This correction consisteth partly in words and partly in stripes In both there must be had a middlemeane and measure that nothing be done outragiously Let not the admonition that is giuen in words be bitterer than the fault deserues Let it nippe for the time present but being past let it bespoken off no more Continuall chiding bréedes contempt Thou shalt finde some children also with whom gentle dealing wil somewhat preuayle And vnlesse thou doe sometime prayse them speake well of that which they doe although peraduenture not so well done as thou wouldest require thou shalt perceiue that â—â—ter desperation wil take away hope and courage cleane from them I thincke it not good with too heuie a burden to ouer awe such children as are willing to beare Stripes must not be bestowed but for some great offence and that too not in the fathers anger but moderately not to marre but to amend them Let the parents alwayes remeÌ„ber that golden saying of S. Paul Fathers prouoke not your children to anger For the best witts are hurt by too much rigorousnes Salomon wher he speaketh of moderate correction sayth The rod and correction giueth wisedom but the childe that runneth at randon bringeth his mother to shame Againe chastise thy sonne and thou shalt be at quiet and he shal bring pleasure vnto thy soule These woords of his do vtterly condemne y fathers cockering the mothers paÌ„pering which is the marring of very many children For the pareÌ„ts offend God as much in to much cockering their children as they do in ouer much punishing of them Heli in the scriptures is ill reported of for doating ouer his childreÌ„ he himself dieth miserablie bringeth the shamelesse wicked knaues his sonnes to a shamefull ending What is to be thought of that moreouer that in the 21. of Deut. the parents themselues are comaunded to bring their disobedient children before the iudge there by complaint to sue them to death By this exaÌ„ple which may otherwise séeme to be somewhat to sharpe it pleased God to put other men in remeÌ„brance to kepe their children in awe obedience For God is a god of saluation not of destructioÌ„ so that when disobedient rebels godles people perish through their own default he turneth that destructioÌ„ of theirs to the safegard of his obedient seruants Let parents therefore alwaies remember this saying in the gospell It is not the wil of your heaueÌ„ly father that one of these litle ones shold perish Whosoeuer offeÌ„deth such an one it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke and that he were drowned in the deapth of the sea Now touching the dutie of children I haue spokeÌ„ of it before in that place wher I taught how after what sort pareÌ„ts ought to be honoured Paul as it were in one word knitteth vp much matter and saith Children obey your parents in the Lord. He telleth the reason whie For that saith he is righteous And againe he addeth the cause saying For God hath comaunded it Let children therefore consider thincke vppon the nightly watchings continual labour that their parents toke in bringing them vp and let them learne to be thankful for it content with their present estate when their parents instruct theÌ„ let them learne attentiuely and shew themselues like to godly Iacob rather than to godlesse Esau Let them learn to accustome theÌ„selues to good honest maners Let them willingly learn the art or occupation whereunto they are set Let them yeld submit theÌ„selues to their parents correction Let them not stirre vp or prouoke their parents to anger Let them choose to learn wit and obey their parents of their owne mind accord rather than to be driueÌ„ to it by beating and brawling If parents at their departure leaue litle behind them for their children to inherit let not the good children therfore speake ill by the dead If thy father hath taught thée any art or occupation he leaueth for thée a sufficient inheritance Thriftines also moderate speÌ„ding is a very great reuenue If thy father hath wel and honestly taught thée good maners and trayned thée vp in the true wisedome perfect religion then hath he bequeathed thée a patrimonie sufficient for to mainteyne thée For what else are excéeding great riches left to a foole or irreligious fellow but a sword in a madde mans hand Thou art left wealthie enough by thy fathers legacie if that thou art godly painful heedful honest For goods gotten by the sweat of our own browes do for the most part coÌ„tinue longer prosper better with vs then those which other leaue vnto vs We haue again derely beloued spent an houre and an half in handling this matter touching the honour due vnto parents I haue stayed you longer thaÌ„ of right I shold haue done but ye shal impute it to the loue and good will I beare to the matter I am not ignoraÌ„t how necessarie this argument is almost to all men and therefore stick I the longer vppon it For I indeuour mee self not onely to teach you things profitable and necessarie but also to beate them into your memories so much as I may to
saith Ill woordes corrupt good maners Moreouer a mans minde is bewrayed by his talke for of the hartes aboundance the mouth doth speake If therefore in any thing than in tongue especially it behoueth Christians to be sober and continent The Lord I confesse hath graunted man the vse of certeine pleasures For he may lawfully without offence to God cloath his body with garmēts 〈◊〉 thereby to kéepe his limmes from cold God hath and doth allowe the embracings of man and wyfe in holy wedlocke He graunteth choice of a dwelling place cōueniently situated against the vntemperatenesse of the ayre and biddeth vs not to wander like beastes and cattell throughe fields and desolate woods He hath for our necessitie and pleasaunte féeding allowed vs the vse of meate drinke He graunteth vs quietnesse ease and sléepe which doth wonderfully refresh the strength that is decayde and tyred with paines Therefore so often as a godly man doth enioy them doth vse them and is delighted with the honest pleasure of them let him giue thanks to God and vse them moderately in the feare of the lord For in so doing hée sinneth not against the Lord but by the abuse of those thinges by vnthanckfulnes for them and by immoderate vsing of them hée doth offende his God and maker For what is allowed or permitted to married folkes I haue already declared in this very sermon so that I néede not here againe to repeate it vn to you Solomon saith Be glad with the wife of thy youth let her be as the beloued Hinde and pleasaunt Roe let her loue alwayes refresh thee and bee thou still delighted therein c. In the meane time let euery one refrain from all abuse and intemperancie and if necessitie at any time require it let man and wife lye a sonder as Paule doth counsell them or else let them giue eare to the Prophete Ioel who saith Proclaime an holy fast gather the people together let the bride grome come forth of his chamber the bride out of her cloaset Our garmentes must bée cleanly and honest according to oure countrie facion to couer and become vs vnlesse our countrie facion be too farre out of order there must bée in them no hypocriticall sluttishnes beeyonde sea gawdes newfangled toyes nor vnséemely sightes The chiefe Apostles of Christe Peter and Paul were not ashamed in theyr Epistles to write somewhat largely touching the manner and ordering of womens apparel because that kinde of people doe most of all bende to that foolishe brauerie Let euerie faithful body thinke what is séemely for them to weare not so much by their degrée in dignitie or condition of riches as by their religion Excesse in euery thing is discommended in Christians And to what end doe wée iagge and gashe the garmentes that are sowed together to couer oure bodies but that thereby wee may as it were by a most fonde and ridiculous anatomie open and laye foorth to the eyes of all menne what kinde of people wée are in oure inward hearts iagged God wotte and ragged vaine lighte and nothing sounde And a linnen or wollen garmente doth as well couer and become the bodye as damasks and veluetts the coste whereof doeth ouerlade thy purse with expenses to buye them and misshape thée like an ill fauoured picture when thou wearest them vppon thée In buildinges God forbiddeth not cleanlynesse and necessary coste but sumptuous expense and gorgeous excesse For these ouer braue buildings are seeldome times finished withoute extorting wronge and ouer great iniurie done to the poore Ieremie bringeth in the Lord speaking against the king of Iuda and saying Woe to him that buildeth his house with vnrighteousnesse and his parloure with the goods that are wrongfully gotten which neuer recompenseth his neigh bours laboure nor payeth him his hyre Who saith to himselfe I will builde mee a wyde house and gorgeous parloures who causeth windowes to be hewen therein and the seelinges and ioystes maketh hee of Cedar and painteth them with Sinoper Thinckest thou to reigne nowe that thou haste incloased thee selfe with Cedar Did not thy father eate and drincke and prosper well as longe as hee executed iustice and equitie Let none of vs therefore build sumptuous houses by robbinge the poore of their hyre for their labour Let euery one dwell in a house agréeable to his profession degrée and condition S. Hierome condemneth sumptuous coste euen in Churches and Temples Neither do I sée what gorgeous buildinges bringe to a manne but mischiefe and miserie Lord how vnwillingly doe wée die departe from goodly dwelings whereby we double the feare of death and terrour of sicknesse The Patriarches verily did dwell in tentes whereby they witnessed that they were pilgrimes and sought another countrie the heauenly Hierusalem Continencie in meate and drincke is not the loathinge of wyne and victualls but the moderate vsinge of them to supplie oure necessitie and not to cloye vs with gluttonie God in the Scripture doeth condemne gluttonie surfettinges riottous afterbanquettes and dronkennesse which hée forbiddeth moste of all For of dronkennesse doe springe endelesse miseries and innumerable mischiefes gréeuous diseases pouertie and pinchinge beggarie Solomon saith Who hath woe who hath sorrowe who hath strife Who hath brawling who hath woundes withoute a cause who hath redde eyes euen they that follow the wyne and seeke excesse thereof Looke not thou vppon the wyne how redde it is and what a colour it giueth in the glasse It goeth downe sweetely but at the last it byteth like a serpent and poysoneth like an adder I will not rehearse all which I could alledge oute of heathen writers against surfetting and dronkennesse Solomon alone in that one sentence conteyneth a great deale of matter Moreouer hée that heareth not Christ whom is it likely that hee wil giue eare vnto in all the world Now Christ in the Gospel by the parable of the riche glutton doth meruaylous euidently set forth the wofull end of insatiable paunches In the same Gospell also hée taketh occasion to touch the surfettings and dronkennesse of our age I meane the age which is immediately before the Iudgment day where hée saith As it happened in the dayes of Noe and Lot they did eate and drincke euen vntill the day that Noe entred into the arck and that Lot departed from amonge the Sodomits and then incontinently the deluge came and fire brimstome powred downe from heauen and destroyed them al. Againe he addeth Take heede to your selues least at any time your hearts be ouercome with surfetting and dronkennesse cares of this life and so that day come vpon you at vnawares For as a snare shall it come vpon all them that dwel vppon the face of the whoale earth Watch ye therefore at all times praying that ye may escape al these things and stand before the sonne of man. And I would to God that al men would not write this golden heauenly and diuine admonition of our
the most vnfortunate For in so much as hee forsâ—â—ke the lawe of the Lord his God the Lord deliuered both him and his people first into the hands of the king of Syrians and afterward into the hands of the Israelites who in one day â—lew one hundred and twentie thousand Iewes and tooke captine away with them two hundreth thousand women and children So Achaz himselfe and all that were his by feeling had proofe of all kinde of calamities beeing made an example to terrifie all other that doe gaiâ—â—say the woorde of god The good and godly king Ezechias succeeded his vngodly father in the seate and kingdome Of him wee haue this testimonie in the holie Scripture Hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Dauid did Hee put away the high places and brake the images and cut downe the groaues and all to brake the brasen Serpent which Moses had made For vnto those dayes the children of Israell burnt sacrifice to it Hee trusted in the Lord God of Israell For hee claue to the Lord and departed not from him but kept his commaundements which the Lord commaunded Moses And now let vs heare what followed vppon this obedience and faith of his The Scripture goeth forward and sayth And the Lord was with him so that hee prospered in all thinges that hee tooke in hand While hee did reigne the most auncient and puissant Monarchie of the Assyrians was broken and diminished For when Senachâ—rib king of Assyria besieged the citie of Ierusalem the Angell of the Lord in one night â—lue in the Assyrian campe one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand souldiours And the king of Babylon also did verie honourably by his ambassadours send prince like giftes vnto Ezechias desiring earnestly his amitie and friendshipp For the glorie of that most godly king was blowen abroade and knowen in all the world Againe when his sonne Manasses a verie wicked man did not treade the pathe and expresse the deedes of his most holy father but being made king in the twelfth yeare of his age did of purpose crosse the word of God and brought in againe all the superstition which his father had abolished hee was taken captiue and carried away to Babylon and although by the goodnesse and mercie of God hee was restoared to his seate againe yet when he died hee left a maymed and a trouble some kingdome vnto his sonne Ammon who also for his rebellion against the word of God as a most vnfortunate man reigned but two yeares onely and was at the last wretchedly slaine by his owne houshold seruaunts In place of his murdered father was his sonne Iosias settled in the kingdome being when hee was crowned a child but eight yeares old Of all the kinges of Iuda he was the floure and especiall crowne Hee reigned quietly and in all pointes most happilie by the space of one and thirtie yeares Now the Scripture which cannot lye doth paint out to our eyes the fayth and obedience which hee did deuoutly shewe to the woord of God for which that felicitie did accompanie his kingdome Hee was nothing moued with the admonitions of his father Ammons counsellours But so soone as hee had heard the woords of the lawe read out of the booke which Helkia the high priest found in the temple at Hierusalem hee streight way committed himselfe whoaly to God and his woorde Neither stayed hee to looke for the mindes and reformations of other kinges and kingdomes but quickly forecasting the best for his people hee beganne to reforme the corrupted religion which hee did especially in the eightenth yeare of his age And in that reformation hee had a regard alwayes to followe the meaning of the holie scripture alone and not to giue eare to the deedes of his predecessours to the prescribed order of longe continuaunce noâ— to the common voyces of the greatest multitude For he assembled his people together before whome hee layde open the booke of Gods lawâ— and appointed all thinges to be ordered according to the rule of his written word And therevppon it commeth which wee finde written that hee spared not the auncient temples longe accustomed rites which Solomon and Ieroboam had erected and ordeyned against the word of god To be short this king Iosias pulled downe and ouerthrew whatsoeuer was set vpp in the Church or kingdome of Iuda against the woorde of god And least peraduenture any one should cauill and say that hee was ouer hardie and too roughe in his dealinges the Scripture giueth this testimonie of him and sayth Like vnto him was there no king before him which turned to the Lord with all his heart with all his soule and all his might according to all the lawe of Moses neither after him arose there any such as hee Whereas wee read therefore that this so commended and most fortunate king was ouercome and slaine in a foughten battaile that death of his is to be compted part of his felicitie not of his miserie For the Lord himselfe said to Iosias I will gather thee vnto thy fathers and in peace shalte thou bee buried that thine eyes may not see all the euill which I will bring vppon this place For there is no greater argument that the people and verie princes of the kingdome vnder that most holie king were meere hypocrites and idolaters than for beecause next immediately after his death both his sonnes and Peeres reiecting the word of God did bring in againe all superstition and blasphemous wickednesse Whereuppon wee reade that for the whoale 22. yeares wherein the kinges of Iudâ— did reigne after the death of Iosias there was no peace or quietnesse in Hierusalem but perpetuall seditions and most bloudie murders Next after Iosias reigned his sonne Ioachas but within three monethes after he was taken bound and ledd captiue away into the land of Aegypt After the leading away of Ioachas his brother Ioachim ware the crowne whom in the eleuenth yeare of his reigne being bound in chaynes was slaine by Nabuchodonosor and lastly as Ieremie saith was buried in the sepulcre of an Asse In Ioachims steede was his sonne Iechonias set vpp but about three monethes after hee with his Princes and substaunce was taken captiue and ledd away to Babylon After him the kingdome was giuen to Zedechias the sonne of Iosias but because hee would not obey the word of God preached by the Prophete Ieremie he looseth both his life and kingdome in the eleuenth yere of his reigne In whose time also the temple is set on fire Hierusalem is sacked and the people slaine for the most part or led away captiue Thus much hetherto touching the kinges of Iuda For in Zedechias both the kingdome and maiestie or dignitie thereof did fayle and make an ende To these if wee add the endes and destinies of the kinges of Israell we shal againe be compelled to confesse that all felicitie of kinges and kingdomes doe
good will towarde the faithful to be a type of Christ and partely also to gather all the partakers thereof into the fellowship of one bodie and to put them in minde to be thankfull and innocent This Sacrament was first ordeined by God him self and not by man For Moses deliuered to the children of Israel whatsoeuer he receiued at the Lordes hande as is to bee séene at large in the 12 Chapter of Exodus And he instituted that ceremonie euē at that verie time when he brought y Israelites from out of Aegypt Now since this ceremonie came firste from God it followeth consequently that all the passeouers which followed euen vntil that passeouer whiche the Lorde did holde with his disciples a little before his death were holie and diuine actions To fleshe and worldly wisedome many pointes I may saye all the partes of this sacrament do séeme to be méerely absurde and altogether néedelesse but faith whiche looketh vp to God the author of this sacrament hath a great respect vnto reuerenceth greately all the mysteries conteined therein For euen as God is the chiefe and moste absolute wisedome so are all his ordinances moste absolute and passing profitable Here now is noted the time when this Sacrament was first deliuered to the church of Israel to wite in the foure hundreth and thirtéeth yeare counting from the promise made to Abraham or from the time that hée departed frō his countrie firste which was the 2447 yeare from the beginning of the worlde 791 yeares after the generall floud The time is also appointed when the passeouer shoulde be holden to wite euery yere in the moneth Nisan which taketh parte of our March and parte of April Moreouer the verie day is named that is the fourtéenth of the moneth beginning their accompt at the spring times Equinoctiall For on the tenth daye they chose the Lambe that should bee eaten and on the fourtéenth day they killed it There is also set downe the houre of the daye when it should bée slaughtered that was about euen tyde to wite betwixt thrée and fiue of the clocke in the after noone according to the course of our dialles and as the Iewes were wont to reckon the houres of the daye it was to bee killed betwixt nine and eleuen a clocke And in that killing of the Lambe at euen tyde did this meaning lye hidde that Christ should be slaine in the latter dayes of the worlde yea the verie houre and moment wherein Christe should dye was therein foretolde For he gaue vp the ghoste about the ninth houre Whereupon Sainct Peter saith that the Prophets did search at what moment or minute of time the spirite of Christ which was in them did signifie that Christ should come and suffer Furthermore there was a certein appointed place assigned to this Sacrament In Aegypt verily they did eate it by companies here and there in seuerall houses But when they were once come into the land of promise it was not lawful to hold passeouer in any place but at the Tabernacle of appointment and after that at the temple in Hierusalem Being diuided therefore into seuerall houses at Hierusalem they did eate it by companies as is to be séene in the 22. Chapter of S. Lukes gospel And that was a type that Christe which was to be offered but once vppon the mount of Caluerie should bee effectuall for euer to cleanse the sinnes of all his people There was also appointed who they should be that shoulde holde the passeouer to wite the whole circumcised congregation of Israel béeinge assembled by houses and families in so greate companies as were sufficient to eate a Lambe For as Christe is the Sauiour of vs all so all sinners for wée all are sinners are the cause whie Christ our Lord was offered vppon the altar of the Crosse Moreouer there is great diligence vsed in describing the manner of killing eating the Lambe First they chose to them selues this Lambe frō among other Lambes and Kiddes the fifte daye after they cut the throate therof and saued the bloud in a platter which with a bushe of Hysope made like a holie water sticke they sprinckled vpon the two sides and vpper postes of the doore The Lambe it self they did eate publiquely not boyled with water but rosted with fire and that whole also I meane bothe head and féete and purtenaunce too and with it they did eate letuce or sower hearbes and vnleauened bread And while they were at it they stoode about it with their loynes girded with shooes on their féete and staues in their handes They did eate it in haste they neither brake nor cast a bone of it vnto the dogges but burnt the bones with fire From euening vntil morning no man did set one foot out of dores All these ceremonies had their endes whereunto they tended conteined greate mysteries and bare a verie euident signification of thinges past things present and thinges to come They did also ioyne the whole congregation or Iewish churche into one bodie and profession of one religion and did also warne all those that did eate of the Lamb to be thankfull to God and zelous in religion as I will by partes touch and teach you as briefely as I can For first of all the Lordes wil was to kéepe in memorie and as it were for euer to prolong the remembrance of that great benefite which hee did once for his people of Israel in preseruing merueilously his chosen flock when he slewe in one night all the first borne of the Aegyptians and the next day after led his elect from out of Aegypt where they had a long time susteined greate miserie in bondage This benefite he woulde not haue onely to bee preached by woorde of mouth for it is certeinly sure that in that feast were made moste effectuall Sermons touching Gods benefites grace shewed to their fathers but woulde haue them also layde before their eyes by an holie action and ceremonie as it were by a looking glasse liuely picture euen as though their déede were newely in dooing againe before their faces For the visible action did after a sorte make a Sermon to their eyes and other senses Wherfore Moses when he did interprete y ceremonie and holie action did saye When your children shall saye vnto you what meaneth this worship of yours ye shall saye vnto them this sacrifice is the passinge ouer of the Lorde who passed ouer the houses of the children of Israel in Aegypt whē he slewe the Aegyptians and deliuered our houses But this ceremonie was the signification of a thinge alreadie past and therefore it should haue little auailed that age of man which followed to celebrate a benefite which did nothing at all belong vnto them vnlesse the Lorde had applyed it to euery age and season God therefore woulde haue this to be as a testimonie to the posteritie of his fauour goodnesse and perpetual assistance to put them
the same that the heate is Neither is it a good consequence to saye the Sunne giueth light to the worlde therefore the heate of the Sunne giueth light to the worlde Because in the Sunne the heate and light cannot be separated Yea rather the Sunne in respecte of his light doth lighten the worlde not in respect of the heate that it hath And yet the Sunne doeth both warme and lighten the earth at once In like manner wee are freely iustified by the mercifull grace of God for Christe his sake our Lordâ— and Sauioure not in respect and consideration of the works of Gracâ—â— that are found in vs although 〈◊〉 woorkes are ingendred and brought forth by that frée grace And so we must attribute all glorie wholy to the grace of God and not parte stakes with him and take to our owne share any parte of his glorie These wranglers haue yet another shifte and saye although we saye that eternall life is giuen by God to all faithfull beléeuers not for faith onely in Christ Iesus but also for the workes of faith all the glorie neuerthelesse shall redounde to God namely since we acknowledge and confesse that those workes are wrought in vs by the power and grace of god To this our answere is that glorie must so be giuen to God as he doth please to haue it giuen him If the will purpose and counsell of God were to receiue vs into his friendship for the workes sake which his spirite and grace doeth bring foorth in vs then should he vnaduisedly without discretion haue sent his onely begotteÌ„ sonne into the worlde and rashly haue appointed him to the terrible pangues of bitter death But God in all that he hath created either in heauen or earth much lesse in this case which is the greatest that belongeth to man the chiefe and most excellent creature that he hath made did neuer at any time doe any thing rashely without greate aduisement Wherefore it is assuredly certeine that it was neuer the counsell and purpose of God for our own good woorkes and vertues to redéeme vs from the tyrannie of Satan and to accept vs for his sonnes but for the only sacrifice and satisfaction of his onely begotten sonne Christe Iesus oure Lorde and Sauiour For the iudgement of Paule in this matter remaineth firme and inuincible where hee saith If righteousnesse come of the workes of the lawe then did Christe die in vaine And that diuine saying of Sainct Peter remaineth for euer vncomptroleable There is saluatioÌ„ in none other Againe they doe laye certeine places of Scripture together and therevpon do argue thus Although Paule in one place doth saye Ye are saued by grace through faith yet in another place the same Paule doth saye we are saued by hope Now who knoweth not that hope is as it were vpheld and strengthened by patience Christ him selfe in the Gospell agréeing therevnto and saying In your patience ye shal possesse your soules Therefore not faith onely but hope and patience doe bring vs to saluation To this we aunswere thus that the holie Apostle doeth sufficiently expound him selfe if a man will take the paines to read him through out and weigh with him selfe the end and cause for which he spake euery seuerall sentence Ye are saith he saued by grace through faith and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God not of woorkes least any man should boast c. Hath he not in these fewe wordes most euidently declared what his beléefe is touching grace or faith and workes who would desire a plainer spéeche There is none so verie a dorrhead as that hee vnderstandeth not that the benefite of saluation is wholie and merely ascribed to grace For hee doeth not diuide saluation or iustificatioÌ„ partly to faith or grace and partely to woorkes neither doeth hee attribute the firste place to faith and the seconde place to woorkes Hee doeth vtterly exclude all boasting Ye are saith he saued by grace through faith And immediately after hee addeth and that not of youre selues Hee annexeth the cause It is the gifte of God. And againe not of workes He sheweth why Least any man should boast Hee that vnderstandeth not this doth vndoubtedly vnderstand nothing at all He that wresteth or otherwise cauilleth at this doth speake againste the Sunne and saith that the light is darknesse Nowe whereas the same Apostle doeth in another place saye We are saued by hope it is by the marking of the whole place to be gathered that his meaning is as if hee had saide I told you that they which beléeue in Christ are the sonnes and heires of God and haue thereby their saluation and felicitie but I woulde haue euery one to vnderstande it in hope and expectation not in enioying the very thinge it selfe and present fruition Nowe who can herevppon inferre therefore hope doth iustifie But we do rather make this argument patience is no patience at all vnlesse the patient man be firste iustified by true faith therefore the commendation of patience doth wholy depende vppon faith and not the praise of faith vpon patience although faith be declared and shewed forth by patience For it t s a sentence vtterly vnworthie to come out of a Christian mannes mouth to saye that faith is made perfect by good workes that is to say where faith doth want a piece that there good workes do patch it vp For when wee name faith wee doe not name simplie the qualitie of beléeuing which is in our minâ—es but wee haue an eye to Christe him selfe our Lorde and Sauiour together with his righteousnesse and heauenly giftes vppon whome alone as vppon a base and sure foundation our faith doeth rest and firmely stande But to go about to supply the want of any thinge in Christe Iesus is nothing else but with diuelish blasphemie to disgrace the sonne of god The faith of Sainctes I confesse doth declare shewe it selfe by woorkes but it followeth not there vppon that workes do therefore make perfect that which séemeth to be wanting in Christ his perfectioÌ„ For there is nothinge lacking in our deliuerance redemption and iustification wrought by Christ The Apostle Iames did saye in déede Seest thou howe faith was made perfect by workes but his meaning was none other but to say seest thou howe faith by the workes which followed it did declare it selfe to be a true and righteous faith and not an hypocriticall faith For before these woordes he saide Seest thou howe his faith was effectuall through workes Againe the Apostle Paule saide I fulfill that which is lacking to the afflictions of Christe in my fleshe for his bodies sake which is the church But you may better translate the Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be that rather which is behinde than that which is lacking to the afflictions of Christ For the Gréekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only those thinges that are wanting but also the remnant which word Sainct Ambrose also vsed I meane
consequently to euerie signe his seuerall limins S. Augustine In opusculo S 2. quaestionuÌ„ Quist 45. confuting soundly the destinies of Planets amonge other his reasons sayeth The conceyuing of twinns in the mothers woÌ„be because it is made in one and the same acte as the Physicians testifie whose discipline is farre more certeine and manifest than that of the Astrologers doeth happen in so small a moment of time thaâ— there is not so much time as two minuts of a minute betwixt the conceyuing of the one and the other How therfore commeth it that in twinnes of one burden there is so great a diuersitie of deâ—des wills and chaunces considering that they of necessitie must neds haue one and the same planet in their conception and that the Mathematicals do giue the constellation of them both as if it were but of one man To these woordes of S. Augustine great light maye bee added if you annexe to them and examine narrowely the example of Esau and Iacobs birth and sundrie dispositions The same Augustine writing to Boniface against two epistles of the Pelagians Lib. 2. cap. 6. sayeth They which affirme that destinie doeth rule will haue not onely our deeds and euents but also our very wils to depend vpon the placeing of the starres at the time wherin euerie man is either conceyued or borne whiche placeings they are wonte to call Constellations But the grace of God doth not onely goe aboue all starres and heauens but also aboue the verie Angels them selues Moreouer these disputers for destinie do attribute to destinie both the good and euil that happen to men But God in the euils that fall vppon men doth duely and worthily recompence them for their ill desertes but the good which they haue he doth bestowe vppon them not for their merites but of his owne fauour mercifull goodnesse through grace that cannot be looked for of duetie laying both good and euil vppon vs men not through the temporall course of planets but by the déepe and eternall counsell of his seueritie and goodnes So then wée sée that neither the fallinge out of good or euill hath any relation vnto y planets Therefore this place may be concluded with the wordes of the Lorde in the Prophet Ieremie saying Thus saith the Lorde ye shal not learne after the manner of the heathen and ye shall not be atraide for the tokens of heauen for the heathen are afraide of such yea all the obseruations of the Gentiles are vanitie For the planets haue no force to doe either good or euill And therefore the blame of sinnes is not to bee imputed therevnto I haue now to proue vnto you that God is not the cause of sinne or the author of euill God saye they would haue it so For if he would not haue had it so I had not sinned For who may resist his power Againe since he could haue letted it and would not he is the author of my sinne and wickednesse As though wee knewe not the craftie quarels and subtile shiftes of mortal men Whâ— I pray you knoweth not that God doth not deale with vs by his absolute power but by an appointed lawe and ordinance I meane by commodious meanes a probable order God could I know by his absolute power kéepe off all euil but yet he neither can nor wil either corrupt or marre his creature excellent order Hee dealeth with vs men therefore after the manner of men he appointeth vs lawes and layeth before vs rewardes punishements he commaundeth to imbrace the good and eschue the euill to the perfourming whereof he doth neither denye vs his grace without which we can do nothing neither doeth he despise our diligent good wil and earnest trauaile Herein if man bee slacke the negligence and fault is imputed to man him selfe and not to God although he could haue kept off the sinne and did not for it was not his duetie to kéepe it off least peraduenture hee should disturbe the order and destroy the work which he him self had made and ordeined Therefore God is not the author of sinne or naughtinesse Touching which matter I will firste adde some testimonies of the holie Scripture then aunswere to sundry obiections of the aduersaries of this doctrine and lastly declare the originall cause or headspring of sinne and wickednesse The testimonies which teach that God is not the author of sinne or naughtinesse are many in number but among the rest this is an argument of greatest force and probabilitie because God is saide to be good naturally and that all which he created were made good in their creation Whervppon it is that Solomon saith God hath not made death neither hath he delight in the destruction of the liuing for he created all thinges that they might haue their being and the beginnings of the world were health full there is no poyson of destruction in them nor the kingdome of hell vppon the earth for righteousenesse is immortall but vnrighteousnesse bringeth death and the vngodly call it to them both with wordes and woorkes and thereby come to nought And so forth as is to be séen in the firste Chapter of the booke of wisedome which wordes do passingly agrée with y firste Chapters of that most excellent prophet Moses In the fifth Psalme Dauid saith Thou art the God that hast no pleasure in wickednesse neither shal any euil dwell with thee the vniust shall not stande in thy sight for thou hatest all them that woorke iniquitie thou shalt destroy them that speake leasing the Lord doth abhorre both the bloudthirstie deceiptful man. Lo thou canst deuise nothing more contrarie to the nature of God than sinne nauâ—htinesse as thou mayest more at large perceiue in the 34 Chapter of the booke of Iob. The wiseman saith God created man good but they sought out many inuentions of their owne And therefore the Apostle Paule deriueth sinne damnation and death not from God but from Adam and from God he fetcheth grace forgiuenesse life through the mediatour Iesus Christe That place of Paule is farre more manifest than that it néedeth any large exposition let it onely bee considered and diligently weighed of the Readers and hearers whome I woulde wishe alwayes to beare in mouth and mynde the verie wordes meaning of this notable sentence Euen as by one man sinne entred into the worlde and death by sinne And so foorth as followeth The same Apostle in the seuenth to the Romanes doeth euidently declare that the lawe is holie the commaundement good and iust and therby he doth insinuate that in God or in his will there is not and in his lawe which is the will of God there springeth not any spott or blurre of sinne or naughtinesse In our fleash saith he the euil lurketh and out of vs iniquitie ariseth I knowe saith hee that in mee that is in my fleshe there is no good In that Chapter there are many sentences to be founde which doe
to be loued and followed and according to desert and order that is to bee exhibited vnto them whiche agreeth and is fit for them For it is written Thou shalt worship the Lorde thy God and him onely shalt thou serue These be Saint Augustines words And thus farre haue we intreated of one only liuing true and euerlasting God to be serued Moreouer whosoeuer cleaue vnto God with a sincere fayth and worship call vpon and serue one GOD lawfully they are rightly named religious their studie and action is true religion Some will haue Religion to be deriued a Relinquendo bicause therby we leaue or forsake false gods all errours and earthly desires and séeke after the true God after truth and heauenly things Massurius Sabinus sayth That is religious which for some holinesse sake wee put by and seuerally set aside The worde Religion hath his name a Relinquendo as Ceremoniae a Carendo But M. Cicero supposeth that Religio is so called a Relegendo of selecting or putting apart bicause they that be religious do carefully choose all thing◠which seeme to belong to the seruice of the Gods. But he is confuted in many wordes of Lactantius Firmianus an ancient writer of the church Lib. Instit 4. cap. 28. where among other things he sayth On this condition we are borne that being borne wee might doe to God iust and due seruice that wee should knowe him alone and that him wee shoulde followe With this bond of godlinesse we are streightly bound and tied vnto God whervppon religion it selfe tooke her name And anon after Wee sayde that the name of religion was deriued from the bonde of godlinesse bycause GOD hath tyed and bounde man vnto him selfe in godlinesse for that is needefull that wee serue him as a Lorde and obey him as a father Other Ecclesiasticall writers also following him as Hierome and Augustine deriued Religion a Religando of tying or binding For Hierome in his Commentarie vpon the ninth chapter of Amos sayth This bundle tyed vp with the religion of the lord which is one Religion therfore tooke her name a Religando of tying together and binding into the lords bundle And Augustine in his booke De quantitate animae chapter 36. sayth True religion is whereby the soule tyeth her selfe through reconciliatiō to one God from whome through sinne she had as it were brokē away The same Augustine in his booke De vera religione and last chapter sayth Let religion tye vs vnto one God almightie whereof it is beleeued to bee named religion We say therefore y true religion is none other thing thā a friendship a knitting a vnitie or league with the true liuing and euerlasting God vnto whome we being lincked by a true faith doe worship call vppon and serue him alone vpon whome we do wholy depend liuing in all thinges according to his will or according to the prescript rule lawe of his word Therefore most rightly is the whole matter of saluatiō and faith comprised in this one word Religion which elsewhere is called in scripture a league and couenaunt and elsewhere againe marriage or wedlocke For as they which be confederate are vnited and made one by a league so God and man are knit together by religion And as by marriage the husbande and the wife are made one body so by religion we are knit into a spirituall body with God as with our husbande and with the very sonne of God as with our bridegrome and our heade Hetherto therfore doth belong what so euer things are vttered in the scriptures touching the kéeping of the league or couenaunt and the faith of marriage Truce-breakers are they disloyall and infamous through their adulterie who so euer being not knit to one God by fayth worship him alone call vpon him through Christe and serue him also as he him selfe hath sayde in his worde he woulde be serued The very same are also called superstitious For superstition is false religion which doth not serue God but somewhat else for God or not God alone or not rightly or lawfully This worde superstition stretcheth it selfe euen to olde wiues tales and doting errors For in Dutche we call superstition Aberglouben mis glouben vnd mis brijth But Lactantius reasoning most exactly of this worde in his fourth booke of Institutions and 28. chapter writeth in this sort Religion is the seruice of the true God superstition of the false They are said to be superstitious not that wish their children to out-liue them for that we doe al wish but eyther they that reuerence the memorie remayning of the deade or else they that whiles their parents were aliue worshipped their images within their houses like housholde Gods. For those whiche did take vnto them selues newe rites to the intent they might in stead of Gods honour the deade whome they thought were taken from among men and receiued into heauen those I say they called superstitious but those that worshipped and serued publique and ancient Gods they named religious Wherevpon sayth Virgil. Vaine superstition ignorante Of th' olde and auncient Gods. But seeing wee doe finde that our auncients haue beene in semblable manner consecrated Gods after their death they therfore which serue many and false Gods are superstitious but we are religious which pray and make our supplications to one God being the true God c. Superstition consisteth chiefly in these pointes Eyther when the Lord is not serued but other Gods in his steade the onely one true and liuing God being left and forsaken Or else when the Lorde is serued but not alone but other together with him or else when he is serued but not with his lawfull seruice In the first kynde of superstition did the Gentiles in a manner offende who knewe not the true God in so muche that they in stead of the true God worshipped false feigned or straunge Gods. And that the Israelites also Gods people were sicke of the same madnesse the holy prophet Ieremie is a witnesse who expostulating and reasoning the matter with the people sayeth Heare ye the word of the Lord O house of Iacob and all the families of the house of Israel Thus sayeth the Lord What iniquitie haue your fathers founde in mee that they are gon farre from me haue walked after vanitie and are beecome vaine For they sayed not Where is the Lord that brought vs vpp out of the land of Aegypt that led vs thorough the wildernesse thorough a desort wast land throughe a drie land and by the shadowe of death by a land that no man passed thorough and where no man dwelt And I brought you into a plentifull countrie to eate the fruite therof and the cōmodities of the same but when ye entred ye defiled my land made mine heritage an abhomination The priestes said not Where is the Lord they that should minister the law knewe mee not the pastours also offended against mee and the prophets prophecied in Baal
bare witnes that this is the sonne of God. Herevnto belongeth that which Peter beeing asked of the Lorde But whome do ye say that I am answered in the name of all the Disciples Thou art that Christe the sonne of the liuing God. And againe the Lorde obiecting this Will you also be gone Peter againe made answere in the name of them all Lorde vnto whome shall we goe Thou haste the wordes of euerlasting life and wee beleeue and haue knowne that thou art Christe the sonne of the liuing God. We also verily are called the sonnes of god howbeit by adoption But Christe not by adoption neyther by imputation but by nature For in the 14. chapter of Marke the high Prieste saith vnto our Lord Art thou Christ the sonne of the blessed In Matthe we also the same high priest saith I adiure or charge thee by the liuing God that thou tell vs whether thou be the sonne of the liuing God Iesus answered I am For ye shal see the sonne of man sitting at the right hand of power and comming in the cloudes of heauen Which appeareth to be repeted out of the seuenth chapter of Daniel Furthermore they bring this confession of the Lorde before Pilate as blasphemous and not to be satisfied but with death crying Wee haue a lawe and according to our lawe hee ought to dye by cause he made him selfe the sonne of God. But they them selues in the historie of the gospel thunder out these words against the Lord We are not borne of fornication we haue one father euen God. It is certeyne therefore that the Iewes accused our Sauiour for none other cause of high treason committed against Gods maiestie than for that he named him selfe the naturall not the adopted sonne of god For the firste did not deserue death but the last was worthie of death For we read also in the first of Iohn Therfore the Iewes sought the more to kill him not onely bycause he had broken the Sabboth day but also for that he sayd that God was his father making him selfe equall with God or Gods fellowe Loe thou haste the manner howe he called him selfe the sonne of God not by adoption or reputatiō but by nature substance For yet againe the Lord himselfe obiecteth this to them that would haue stoned him Many good works haue I shewed you frō my father for which of these good works do ye stone me The Iewes answered againe saying for thy good woorkes or wel going wee doe not stone thee but for blasphemie namely bycause thou being a man makest thy selfe God. Loe what could be spoken more plainely Thou makest thy selfe God. And what I praye you had he spoken whereof they gathered these thinges I giue vnto my sheepe euerlasting life neyther shall they perishe for euer neyther shall any plucke thē out of my hande My father whiche gaue them mee is greater than all and none can pull them out of my fathers hande I and the father are one To giue life euerlasting doth belong to the power of God to preserue and so to preserue that none may be able to plucke them out of his handes belongeth to the same power Nowe the Lorde proueth his saying with this argument or reason None is able to pull the shéepe out of my fathers hands therefore none can pul them out of my handes The proofe of his antecedent bycause the father is greater than all that is to say is the greatest of all whose diuine power is aboue all The proofe of his consequent bycause I and my father are one to wit not in will and agréement onely but in maiestie also and power whereof we doe at this present entreate not of concorde or agréement but of power to make aliue and to preserue Touching whiche the Lorde him selfe most plentifully discourseth throughoute the whole fifte chapter of Sainte Iohns Gospell shewing that he forgiueth sinnes that by his power he maketh aliue and rayseth vp from the deade euen as his father doeth therefore that he is of one and the same diuine power and maiestie with God the father These thinges are so euident playne and manifest that albeit we had none other testimonies yet these may aboundantly suffice to proue the assertion of the true Diuinitie or verie Godheade of the sonne of God that the sonne indéede is true and verie God. Againe the selfe same our Lorde and Sauiour with greate libertie of speache and playnenesse of wordes without all manner of riddle darke sentence and obscuritie of wordes openly and expressely sayth to his disciples Let not your hearte be troubled or vexed You beleeue in God beleeue also in mee I am the way the trueth and the life Hee that hath seene mee hath seene the father Doe ye not beleeue that I am in the father and the father in mee And certeine it is that Christe our Lorde is the heauenly doctour or teacher the moste constant defender of the truth who neyther hath seduced neyther yet coulde seduce and leade out of the way no not so muche as one But biddeth vs beleue in him as true and verie god Therefore our Lorde and Sauiour is true and verie god For in another place he sayth moste plainely I am the liuely breade or the breade of life that came downe from heauen Hee that beleeueth in me hath life euerlasting He againe in the Gospell playnely pronounceth and saythe Father the houre is come glorifie thy sonne that thy sonne may also glorifie thee As thou haste giuen him power of al fleshe that so many as thou haste giuen him hee might giue them lyfe euerlasting And this is euerlasting life that they should knowe thee only true GOD and whome thou haste sent Iesus Christe By whiche wordes hée hath expressely proued both the vnitie of GOD that is to say that there is but one GOD againste the Ethnickes who worshipped many GODS and notably touched the distinction of the persons in the meane while likewise declaring him selfe to be verie GOD with the father For by and by he addeth Glorifie thou me O Father with thine owne selfe with the glorie which I had with thee before this worlde was Héere I thinke must not be ouerslipped of me the argument of Tertullian whiche I will recite vnto you Dearely beloued out of his booke De Trinitate wherein he doth gather together verie many most sound and strong reasons of Christe his diuinitie or Godheade If sayth he Christ be only man why hath he appointed set vs downe suche a rule to beléeue wherin he should say And this is life euerlasting y they might know thée y onely true or very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christe If also he would not be knowne to be God why doth he adde And whome thou haste sent Iesus Christe but for that he woulde be taken also for GOD Bycause if he would not be knowne to be GOD he would haue added And whome thou haste
the nature vertue and efficacie of sacramentes of those thinges which are ioyned and of affinitie with them for so the order which I vsed in my diuisiō requireth Touching the vertue and nature of sacramēts that is to say what they worke in man writers haue disputed diuersly plentifully It séemeth vnto me that reuerēce must be vsed in this disputation and that héede must be taken that I do not incline either to the right hand or to the left that is that I do not attribute to much vnto them to the derogating from the doctrine of the Euangelistes Apostles neither that I should diminishe or take from them to mine owne damnation that whiche the scripture the word of God doth attribute vnto them But we shal plentifully giue great praise and glorie to the ordinances of God if we shall say that of them which the spirite of God hath set downe in the holy scriptures to bée willing to attribute more vnto them is not onely an errour in man but a great fault whiche bringeth death and horrible destruction This is declared vnto vs in the holy scripture by examples most worthie of remembrance The arcke of the couenant giuen by Moses to the people of Israel was a wittnesse of Gods presence amonge the people and of the league friendshipp betwene God man For in these words God made a league w the people I will make my dwelling place amonge them walke among them and I will be their God they shal be my people Of that ordinance agréement the arke it selfe was called The Lord God of hostes sittinge betweene the Cherubims as we may sée 2. Sam. 6. and in the booke of the Chronicles It was also called The arke of the couenant of the Lord. For when the prophets of God did attribute these thinges to the sacrament of God they both thought and spake plentifully reuerently enoughe of the sacrament of God but when the ignorant malicious priests and the people corrupted by them did attribute far greater thinges to the arke or Sacrament of God what I pray you came to passe Giue eare first what they attributed to the arke The elders of Israel said wherfore hath the Lord cast vs down this day before the Philistines Let vs fetch the arke of the couenant of the Lord out of Silo vnto vs that when it commeth amonge vs it maye saue vs out of the hands of our enimies You haue heard what they attributed to the ark Now giue eare what they did So the people sent into Silo brought from thence the arke of the couenant of the Lord of hoastes whiche sitteth betweene the Cherubims And it came to passe that when the arke of the couenant of the Lord came into the hoast all Israel showted out a mightie showt so that the earth rang againe And when the Philistines hard the noise of the shout they said what meaneth the soūd of this mightie showt And they vnderstood that the arke of the Lord was come into the hoast And the Philistines cried woe be vnto vs God is come into the hoast Who shal deliuer vs out of the handes of those mightie Gods that smote the Aegyptians But hearken now what happened howe God did declare that the arke was not God as it was called counted of the vnskilful in holy things how he punished the sinnes of his people because they attributed too much to the sacrament It followeth therefore And the Philistines fought and Israel was smitten downe and fledd euerie man into his tent and there was an exceding great slaughter for there were ouerthrown of Israel thirtie thousand footemen Beside that also the arke of God was taken the two sonns of Helie were slaine All these thinges are read in the 1. booke of Sam. 4. ca. Againe when the sacrament of God was vnreuerētly handled of the swinish Philistines they were smitten with a lothsome deadly plague They did boast that their Gods and the religion of the Philistines had ouercome the God and the religion of the Israelits but the gods of the Philistines fel downe are broken in péeces their heathenish religion is confounded What and did not the Israelites perish with a more gréeuous plague thā before when they lightly handled and contrarie to the Lawe of God Num. 4. looked into the Sacrament brought backe by the Philistines into Bethsames For the Lord smote fiftie thousand threescore tenne men 1. Sam. 6. When Moses did negligently deferre the circumcising of his children he fell into great daunger The Sichimites for receiuing circumcision rashly are destroyed And Simeon and Leui For prophaning the sacrament are cursed of their father Genesis 49. To this that agréeth which the Apostle sayth of them which celebrate the supper vnworthilie For this cause many are weake sicke amonge you many sleepe Hetherto also belongeth the example of Oza a man not altogether euill whiche touched this same sacrament that was not lawfull for him to doe Wherefore the Lord stroke him with a soudaine death and that not priuately in the tabernacle but in the fight of all the people Of the whiche déede of God Dauid also speaking in the cōgregation church of the Israelites saith to the Leuits The Lord hath chosen the Leuites to beare the Arcke of the Lord and not that kyne shall draw it in a new cart therefore see that ye be holie that yee maye bring in the Arcke of the Lord God of Israel vnto the place which I haue prepared for it For beecause ye did not this at the first our lord God hath made a rent amonge vs for that wee sought him not as the fashion ought to be And it followeth immediatly The priestes and Leuites sanctified themselues to fetche the Arcke of the Lord God of Israel And the children of the Leuites bare the Arcke of God vpon their shoulders with staues as Moses commaunded according to the word of the Lord. All these thinges are to be séene in the first of the Chronicles Cap. 15. Whereby we gather that the Lord will none of our good meanings or intentes pompous celebrations in celebrating the Sacramentes but that hee onely requireth that wee should so iudge and speake of the Sacraments as he iudgeth and speaketh by his word and that we should so vse and celebrate them as hee himselfe hath instituted and celebrated them Therefore he sufficiently setteth forth the dignitie of sacraments who attributeth that vnto them which GOD himselfe in the holy Scriptures vouchsafeth to giue them Let vs therefore first of all searche out of what dignitie Sacramentes haue béene for the most part in oure time that thereby we may the better vnderstand what is to be attributed and what is not to bée attributed vnto them The common sort of priestes and monkes haue taught that the sacramentes of the newe lawe are not only signes of Grace but together also causes of
the same manner hath hee heere lefte with vs a memorie of the mysteries stopping bridling hereby the mouths of heretiques For whē they say Whereby appeareth it that Christe was offered and many other mysteries Then we alleadging these things doe thereby stop their mouthes For if Iesus be not deade whose representation or signe is this sacrifice Thus farre he You perceiue I suppose how this writer doeth bring against heretiques the Sacrament of the super for the testimonie of truth that is to say of the lords true death Wherefore as the Gospel is called a witnesse and the Preachers of the Gospel witnesses euen so we call sacramentes witnesses of the same trueth whiche though they be dumb yet neuerthelesse are visible after which name S. August calleth them Visible words For the preaching of the Gospell consisting of wordes heard with the eares is a speaking witnesse but sacraments which consist of signes and are séene with the eyes are spéechlesse witnesses and as it were remnauntes and remembraunces of the preaching of the gospel Yea sacraments were instituted by God to that end that they might visiblie confirme vnto vs the ready good-will of GOD towarde vs and also the preaching of the Gospel and all the promises of life and saluation and that they should be as it were seales sett and fixed to the Gospell and promises made by God whiche might testifie and confirme that faith in Christ is true righteousnesse That whiche I haue saide I will confirme by the writinges of the Apostles But I taught a little before that there is allone ground of the sacraments of the olde Testament and of the new a few things onely excepted so that now by very good right by the comparing of both together wee may estimate and vtter what the force and vse of our Sacraments is Paule therefore to the Rom. 4. chap. saith We say that faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousnes howe was it then imputed When hee was circumcised or when he was vncircumcised Not when hee was circumcised but when hee was vncircumcised after hee receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnes of the faith which he had when he was vncircumcised that he should be the father of all thē that beleeue not beeing circumcised that righteousnes might de imputed vnto them also and the father of circumcision not vnto them onelie whiche are of the circumcised but vnto them also that walke in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had when he was vncircumcised All these are Pauls words Amōg which first of all some words are méete to be expounded then we must séeke after the sense and meaning of the Apostles wordes and last of all we must apply them to our purpose touching the sacrament The Apostle héere vseth two wordes that is to say The Signe The seale Signum the word signe is more generall stretcheth very far but a seale is a word that properly belongeth vnto sacramēts which are seales and confirmatiōs For al signes seale not For some by fignificatiō onely do accōplish their duetie But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly is to seale for assurance and confirmation sake of faith or credite wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a seale whiche is set to to kéepe confirme our faith and promise and to be without all daunger of deceipte And héere as else where very often the Lord doth imitate the manner of men For we men are wonte by setting to our seales to confirme our writings couenauntes and faithfull promises which we before had made by word And that this hath alwayes béene the cause of the instituting vse of seales appeareth plainely by these testimonies of the Scriptures When the children of Israel vnder Ezra made a couenaunt with the Lord by and by they set downe their couenaunt in writinge and seale the writing to be a testimonie of the trueth as in Nehem. the 9. chap. and Hag. the 2. chapter thou mayst read I will take thee to my seruaunt Zorobabel thou sonne of Salathiel saieth the Lord and wil make thee as a signe or sealing ring for I haue chosē thee As if he had said All mē shal certeinlie learne that in the sonne of Salathiel y continuaunce of the posteritie of the Messias doeth consiste and remaine Thus writeth Ieremie chap. 22. As truely as I liue saith the Lorde if Chonenias the sonne of Iohoakim king of Iuda weare the signet or seale on my righte hande yet will I pluck thee thence whiche is as much as if he had saide Though thou were hee in whome I wil kéepe my promisses yet shalt thou bee ledd captiue into Babylon To this agréeth that of Matth written of the Iewes So they went and made the Sepulchre sure and sealed the stone without doubt against deceiptfull practises they appointed a watch It appeareth therefore by these testimonyes where to the vse of seales serueth These thinges béeing thus declared let vs nowe diligently searche out the counsell and meaning of the Apostles wordes Paule sheweth that iustification happeneth vnto men by the power and vertue of no woorkes of no ceremonies or sacramentes but by the onely merite of Christe through faith To proue this he bringeth the example of Abraham of whome the Scripture hath pronounced Abraham beleeued God it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse Thence he gathereth that Abraham was iustified by faith yea that that was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse Where bothe by the worde or force of imputation and by the whole sentence of Moses he doeth moste strongly reason shewing that through grace righteousnesse is imputed by faithe Where-vnto hee ioyneth also a testimonie out of Dauid touching righteousnesse by imputatiō I handled that place in the first Sermon of the fourth Decade Then hee returneth againe to the example of Abraham and applyeth to his purpose that place alleadged out of Genesis waying the circumstaunces of the manner and time of his iustification and sayeth How was it thē imputed Whē he was circūcised or when he was vncircumcised Not when hee was circumcised but when hee was vncircumcised Whiche thinges verilie are playner than that they require any exposition But because the Iewe might obiect Why then the institution and vse of circumcision was of no force but voide vnprofitable and vaine For if Abraham were iustifyed before he was circumcised what could circumcision profit him further And if it brought nothing surely it was superfluous and vnprofitable Paule preuenting that obiection maketh aunswere And he receiued saith he the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnes of faith c. Circumcision saith hee was neither voide nor vnprofitable For albeit it iustifie not neither cleanse nor apply the giftes of GOD yet it followeth not therefore that there is no further vse of it For it hath an other end For he receiued the signe of circumcision for a certeine seale of the righteousnesse of
many peculiar things done in the scripture out of which if any man shal go about to draw general things coÌ„moÌ„ laws he shal bring in absurdities innumerable What if Moses in the same place doeth only describe the déed of his wife moued there vnto by anger and displeasure not for religions sake to performe the ministerie vnto God For she grudging against her husbaÌ„d yea against God tooke the foreskin of her sonne which was cut away caste it at his Father her husbandes féete not without reproche saying A bloudy husband art thou vnto me As if you should say Ich habb woll ein bluotigmann an dirr And though the Angel was appeased with Moses because he séemed to allow the déed of the woman as wel pleasing God yet that is more to bee imputed to the mercie of god rather thaÌ„ to the righteousnes of the womans déede It did grieuously displease God that Dauid had staine Vrias moreouer had taken Béersabe to him selfe to wife yet of his goodnesse and singular mercie hee vouchsafed to call Solomon who was born of Beersabe by this name Iedidia because the Lord loued him so the gratious Lord is also reconciled with Moses who either by his owne negligence or through the fault of his Madianitish wife lingered circumcisioÌ„ in the bodie â—f their sonne against the law longer than was méet is coÌ„tent with taketh in good part the circumcision which the womaÌ„ performed rather of indignatioÌ„ thaÌ„ for religion yet he wil not that after her as a perfect example other women shuld circuÌ„cise But you say by baptisme ministred by a woman the perill of death or eternal daÌ„nation was to be preuented into which the infant falleth if he depart this world without babtisme My answer is When thâ— infant being newly deliuered out of his mothers wombe departeth with too too spéedie deathe so that the Parentes can not thoughe they would neuer so feigne bring him to bee baptised of the minister of the Churche this pinche of necessitie truely is not to the damnation or death of the Infante because hee being receiued into the couenant by the grace of God is deliuered from death through the bloud of the sonne of god We are not destitute of testimonies of scripture duly seruing in this behalfe In the lawe it was not lawfull to circumcise an Infante before the eighth day but it is certeine that verie many departed out of this worlde before the eighth day yet in the meane while if any manchilde had departed the thirde or fourth day after his birthe no condemnation was imputed vnto him For otherwise Dauid a verie sound man in religion and one that loued his children déerely and one verie desirous of the saluation of his housholde when his childe was dead whiche was begotten and borne vnto him of Beersabe coulde not haue shewed himselfe so cherefull to his courtiers to whome among other thinges he said that he shoulde goe vnto the dead childe to witte into the land of the liuing If it were no danger vnto women children to die vncircumcised for they without circumcision were saued neither verily shall it be damnable for men children being not baptised to die at the point of necessitie For we haue otentimes saide the holy baptisme entred tooke the place of circumcision Hitherto perteine the testimonies out of the law the prophetes In the law the Lord protesteth more than once that he hath a moste certeine care regarde of infants In Ionas he expressely professeth that he hath a consideration and a respect of those that are not yet come to the yeares of discretion For the Lorde spared the most famous citie of Niniue partely for their sakes Thou saist These testimonies of the olde testament perteine nothing to vs which liue vnder the new testament I aunswer That God after the comming of Christe in the fleash is not more rigorous vnto vs than he was before Christes comming For if it were so what should we say else but that Christe came not to fulfill but to weaken and abolishe the promises of GOD since that in times past amonge them of olde the grace and the promise were effectuall in necessitie withoute the signe but now among vs béeing without the signe they begin to be voide of no force Wherefore I trusting to Gods mercie and his true and vndoubted promise beléeue that infants departing out of this world by too tâ—â— timely death before they can be baâ—â—â—sed are saued by the méere mercie of God in the power of his trueth and promise through Christe who saieth in the Gospel Suffer little ones to come vnto me for of suche is the kingdome of God. Againe It is not the will of my father whiche is in Heauen that one of these little ones should perish For verily GOD who cannot lye hath said I am thy God and the God of thy seede after thee Wherevpon Sainte Paule also affirmeth that they are borne holy which are begotten of holie parents not that of flesh and bloud any holie thing is borne For that which is borne of the fleash is fleashe but because that holinesse and separation from the coÌ„mon seed of men is of promise and by the right of the couenaunt For we are all by nature and naturall birth borne the sonnes of wrathe death and damnation But Paul attributeth a speciall priuiledge to the children of the faithfull wherewith by the grace of God they which by nature were vncleane are purified So the same Apostle in an other place doeth gather holy braunches of an holy roote And againe elsewhere sayeth If by the sinne of one many be deade much more the grace of God and the gyft of Grace whiche is by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vnto many And therefore Augustine doubted not to say As all which die die no otherwise but in Adam euen so all that are made aliue are not made aliue but in Christe And vpon this whosoeuer shal say vnto vs that any in the resurrection of the dead can be made aliue otherwise than in christ he is to be abhorred detested as a coÌ„mon plague of Christian faith Ad Hiero. epi. 28. They obiecte By this meanes the vse of baptisme is made void quite taken away Yea Pelagianisme is sprung vp againe which with so greate trauell S. Aug. with many other learned and holie men beate downe kept vnder He falsely spake that said The soule whose fore-skin is not circumcised shal be cut off froÌ„ his people because he hath brokeÌ„ my couenant He falsely spake that said Verily verily I say vnto you Except a man be borne of water and of the spirite he cannot enter into the kingdome of God. For if these sayinges be true children not baptised truly the sequele is that they dying without baptisme are not saued I aunswere that I weaken holy baptisme by no meanes muche lesse take it quite away when I
as were religious no not many yeres after For Ezechias the king celebrated the passeouer so likewise did Iosias celebrate the same but not after any other rite or maner than was deliuered from Moses The fathers circūcised their infantes but not after any other maner nor any other rite than was first instituted In times past who so had not sacrificed in the same place according to the same maner which God commaunded by Moses was by the law accused of murther Nadab Abihu are smitten with lightning from heauen for bringing strange fire into the Tabernacle Oza is smitten with souden death for that the Arke of the Lorde of hoastes was not handled in suche sort as was by the law commanded And therefore the maner of celebrating the lords supper as it was by the Lord instituted deliuered to the Church by the Apostles is to be obserued with great religiō vnlesse we wil beléeue that the institutions maners of celebrating our sacraments are more vnperfect than theirs of olde time that God the father doth now a days lesse regard the prophanation or the religious obseruation of his sonnes institutions than these of Moses and the forefathers in olde time But Paule the vessell of election knowing Christes institution to be moste perfect that the same ought to bee kept still in the Churche simplie and without any addition sayth to the Corin. I receiued that of the Lorde which I haue also deliuered vnto you For he thought it an heinous offence to deliuer any other thing to the church than that which he had receiued of the lord Let vs therfore with great religion holde that fast whiche is deliuered vnto vs by the Lord and the Apostles But the Apostle deliuered none other thing to the Corinthians yea many yeares after the Lords ascension into heauen than that which was faithfully set downe vnto vs in writing by the holy Apostles Euaungelistes S. Matthew Marke Luke Certeinly it is well knowen how that certeine hundred yeres after the death of the Apostles this simple maner of celebrating the lords supper was held in the church For the pastour or minister of the church after that he had preached the Gospel giuen publique thanks vnto God in open prayer then came he forth into the mids of the holy assemblie Before the face of the people stoode a table furnished with bread wine behinde the which the minister standing blessed the people saying The Lord be with you The people answered And with thy spirit Thē replied the minister Lift vp your harts admonishing the congregation that the holy mysteries shal be celebrated therefore that they must lift vp their mindes from visible thinges vnto inuisible The people answered We lift thē vp vnto the lord Afterwards exhorting the whole companie to giue thankes he cried aloude Let vs giue thanks vnto the Lord our God. The Congregation aunswered It is meete and right so to do Then procéeded the minister saying It is verie meete and right our bounden duetie and behoful for vs turning himselfe then to the Lord that we giue thanks alwayes and in all places vnto thee Lord holy father almighty and euerlasting god through Christ our lord who the day before that he suffred his passion toke bread gaue thanks brake it gaue it to his discipls with the residue as followeth in the gospel These things being repeated out of the gospell the minister procéeded further saying Let vs pray being admonished by holsome precepts instructed by diuine institution we are imboldened to say Our father which art in heauen c. After the rehearsal of the lords prayer the people receiued the holy mysteries and did communicate together after they had giuē thāks and praised God they were dimissed And of this forme there remaine certeine footsteps in the writings of the auncient fathers to be séen to wit in S. Cyprian S. Augustine others But consequently in later times the prayers blessings the ceremonies grewe to be verie great Moreouer Christes institution was chaunged turned into a strange vse in fine the Masse was patcht together in whiche appeareth but small antiquitie But touching these maters I haue in treted very largely in another place you your selues are verie well séen in this point we which defend hold that the institution of our Lord Christe which is deliuered vnto vs by the Apostles is most pure perfect do nothing regard neither what any man nor at what time any bishop hath added this or that to the holy rite or else hath taken away or changed but rather what he who is before aboue all did first him selfe and cōmanded to be done If the authoritie of him that did institute if learning holines if antiquitie may be of force then the victory is ours who haue Christ on our side with the best chosen cōpanie of the apostles for frō these we haue what we celebrate the which we hold that al godly men ought to celebrate But why the Lord instituted this mysterie vnder the forme of bread wine it is euident For bread comforteth wine maketh glad the harte of man which I also touched wher I intreated of the proportiō agréement of the sacramēts Moreouer our fathers in the figure of Manna did eate bread which rained down frō heauen Also in their sacrifices gratulatorie of thanksgiuing in their drinke offerings they vsed bread and wine But there hath sproung a great contentiō cōcerning the substāce of the lords supper some holding opinion that it ought to be celebrated with vnleuened bread others with such as is leuened But among our fore-fathers of olde there was about these no such cōtentiō for the church vsed both indifferētly as thē pleased It may séeme y at the first supper the lord vsed vnleuened bread at the table acording to the auncient maner of celebrating the Passetouer Whervpon many churches vsed vnleuened bread who notwithstanding cōdemned not them of heresie which vsed leauened bread The Pope his adherents cōceiuing no smal displesure here at hath déepely accursed the gréek church for so trifling a matter But the Artotyrites were vpon some iust cause condemned by the ancient fathers of whō Epiphanius maketh mentiō betwéene the Pepuzianes the Priscillianes setting bread and chéese vpon the table in their celebrating contrary to Christes institutiō It is furthermore disputed vpon whether vnmingled wine or delayed with water is by the faithfull to be vsed at the supper Cyprian the martyr holdeth opinion that in this mystery the wine ought not to be vnmingled but delayed with water so to be offered that is to say drunken by the faithfull For thus he hath written Because Christ hath borne vs al who also bare our sinnes we may perceiue that in the water the people is to bee vnderstoode in the wine the bloud of Christ to be vnderstoode For when water is