TWO SERMONS preached the one at Paules Crosse the eight of Ianuarie 1580. The other at Christes Churche in London the same day in the after noone By Iames Bisse maister of Art and fellowe of Magdalen â—â—lledge in Oxenford ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas Woodcocke 1581. To the right worshipfull Syr Iohn Horner and Syr George Rogers knightes Iames Bisse wisheth grace mercy and peace from GOD our father and from our Lorde Iesus Christe WHen I had preached these two sermons right worshipfull diuers of my friendes requested a Copie of them the which they craued earnestly at the last I graunted hardly I had small leasure to pen my Sermons for them and thought it lesse honestie and as little curtesie to denie them But when through importunitie they had gotten the vpper hande and receiued my Sermons at my handes they went presently after a viewe taken of them vnto the Printer to haue them published They vsed many reasons to persuade me to yeeld therevnto but but when they coulde by no reason moue me to agree to their attempt they protested that my Sermons shoulde bee printed though I were neuer so vnwilling they hauing the copies in their handes in the ende wheÌ„ I could nothing preuaile with them but perforce was constrained to yeelde to the publishing of these my Sermons I Purposed as duetie moued mee to commend and commit them vnto your worships to whom I doe acknowledge my selfe diuers wayes much bounden and the rather was I mooued to hide them vnder the winges of your worships protection because your fauour in mainteining the Gospell your zeale to Gods worde the regard that you haue of Gods Ministers is knowne not to mee only who haue often times perceiued it but to all theÌ„ which although they know not you yet both know do acknowledge your good deedes The Lorde powre downe his spirite plentifully vpon you kindle more more in you the true zeale that alredy burneth increase the loue and good affection which you haue toward the gospel that you being pillers in the Church of Christ militant may also bee pillers in his Church triumphant And thus desiring your worships to accept this my simple and rude worke with my humble commeÌ„dations to you and to the vertuous Ladies your wiues I bid you hartily fare well from London this xix of Ianuarie 1580. Your worships to commaâ—ndâ— in the Lord Iames Bisse Iohn 6. 27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for the meat that endureth vnto euerlasting life Which the Sonâ—â— of man shall giue vnto you for him hath God the Father sealed DAuid a King and a Prophet a man after Gods owne heart the first liuely branche of the roote of Iesse of whose seed Christ was made according to the flesh vpon whose throne he doeth and shal sit for euer although he were a worme and no man the outcast of the people a Pellicane in the wildernesse an owle in the desert a sparowe without her mate alone vpoÌ„ the house top yet as the heart desireth the water brookes so longed his soule after the meate whiche endureth vnto euerlasting life being more precious vnto him than thousandes of gold and siluer sweeter than hony vnto his mouth and the honycombe vnto his throte For though the plowers had so plowed vpon his backe and made long furrows though the Lord so had troden downe his soule vpon the earth and layd his honour in the dust though his God had so exalted the horne of his enimies making them to ryde ouer his back that he as it were entring into the kingdome of desperation did cry then haue I clensed my hearte in vaine in vaine haue I washed my handes in innocencie and againe will the Lord absent himselfe for euer wil he be no more intreted is his mercie cleane gone for euer and is his promise come vtterly to an ende for euermore What will he now forget to bee gratious and shutte vp his louing kindenesse in displeasure Yet notwithstanding when hee had beene in the sanctuary of the Lord and so knewe the ende of his enemies and the causes of those thinges he was filled with marow and fatnes his head was annointed with fresh oile his cup was ful because he had dronken plentifully of the water of life and eaten abundantly of the bread of heauen For as Iohn did eate not a leafe only but the whole booke as Ezechiel did eate not a peece but the whole role the which booke and role were sweet as honie in their mouthes But the booke made Iohns bellie bitter and the role brought heauinesse to Ezechiels spirite that is the word brought vnto theÌ„ both peace to the conscience from the Lorde but warre to the bodie from the world So Dauids whole delight was in the law of the Lord his God to muse and meditate thereon too exercise and practise himselfe therein both day and night all dayes nightes of his life Whose good and godly example wee must followe in labouring for meate if wee will haue the crowne of life if wee will eate of the tree of life if we will eate of manna that is hid if we will haue that whitestone in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth but he that receiueth it if wee will stande in the middest of the paradise of GOD if wee will bee cloathed in white aray if wee will haue our names in the booke of life if we will be a piller in the temple of God and neuer goe out if we wil haue written vpon vs the name of God and the name of Ierusalem if wee will come to mount Syon to the citie of the liuing God to the coelestiall Ierusalem to the companie of innumerable angelles to the assembly and congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen to God the iudge of al to the spirits of iust and perfect men to Iesus the mediatour of the new tastament to the blood of sprinckling that speaketh better thinges then the blood of Abel For all other meates perish they with vs and we with them O then labour not for them only this meate the foode of the soule doth endure vnto euerlasting life it with vs and wee with it O then let vs all labour for it The children of Israel did eate Manna in the wildernesse but they are al dead Manna was not to bee founde on the sabboth dayes Manna was full of wormes and stanke Manna ceased when they had eaten of the corne in Canaan Manna was kept in a pot for the posteritie But is was no where to bee founde in the dayes of Solomon But they that are fedde with this bread shall neuer dye it is to be founde at al times it neuer putrifieth it neuer ceaseth for it doeth endure not to death but to life and that to euerlasting life Hee that drinketh of the water of Iacobs well shall thirst againe
it doth no good vnlesse we haue life and the iust shall liue by fayth It is very necessarie that we labour for fayth whereby we may perfectly be nourished and well fedde with this meate there is nothing that the deuill desireth more then to haue fayth out of our heartes therefore hee planted vnbeliefe in the heartes of Adam and Eue for vnbeliefe they were thruste out of paradise vnbeliefe in the heartes of Moses and Aaron for vnbeliefe they neuer came into the lande of promise vnbeliefe in the heart of Zacharie for vnbeliefe hee was dumbe vntill the thing came to passe whereof hee doubted Faith is the euidence of thinges whiche are not seene vnto faith did Christ call Mary when he saide to her touche me not for I am not yet ascended to my father Cum iam ascenderit saith Barnard tum tangi ab ea velit aut possit vtique poterit sed affectu non manu voto non ocu lo fide non sensibus woulde he or could he be touched of her when hee was ascended truely he coulde but with the hearte not with the hande with prayer not with the eie with faith not with sēses By faith we see him as the wise men we imbrace him as Simeon we heare him as Mary we touche him as Thomas Faith is the shield whereby we quenche all the fierie darts of the wicked by faith our hartes are purified by faith we resist the deuill by faith we are the children of Abraham by faith we shall not come to condemnation but shal passe from death to life no vertue by Christ so much cōmended as faith be it vnto thee according to thy faith thy faith hath made thee whole I haue not founde so great faith no not in Israell O woman great is thy faith be it vnto thee euē as thou wilt to faith nothing is vnpossible Whatsoeuer is without faith is sinne and without faith it is vnpossible to please GOD on the contrary parte nothing doeth more greeue the Maiestie of Almightie Iehoua then incredulitie and vnbeliefe all the day long I haue stretched out my hande to an vnbelieuing people O thou of litle faith why dost thou doubt to them that went to Emaus hee saide O fooles and slowe of heart to beleeue Againe O generation incredulous how long shall I bee with you how long shal I suffer you in his owne countrie hee coulde not do many myracles for their vnbeliefe the Iewes entred not into his rest Why for vnbeliefe let vs therfore crie with the Apostles Lorde increase our faith and as the father of the sicke childe cried with teares Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe Now because faith is not reuealed vnto vs by fleshe and blood but by the holy ghost let vs labour for him also that this meat by faith may worke effectually in vs let vs vtter vnto the Lorde strong cryings and deepe sighings for his spirite that our prayer may bee in his sight as the incence and the lifting vp of our handes an euening sacrifice For hee is the spirite of trueth the Maister and Teacher of the faithfull the shewer of thinges to come the witnesse of Christ the distributer of all giftes the spirite of adoption the pleadge of our inheritance hee beareth vs witnesse that we are the children of God hee helpeth our infirmities and maketh petition for vs. No man saith that Iesus is the Lorde but by the holy Ghost did not the Diuelles saith Chrisostome name Christe Somtime they named Christ saith he for feare not for loue and somtime that the people might giue eare to them take them for professours of the gospel so they might bring the people through a colour of christianity into manifolde heresies but of sinceritie heartie good will they neuer named him So then no man can name Christ louingly sincerely but by the holy Ghoste we haue not receiued the spirite of bondage to feare againe but the spirite of Adoption wherby we crie abba father Wherefore this is the end of my exhortation that you labour for all these three meate faith the spirit by heartie and earnest praier I meane not to crie all day long as Baals Priestes did O Baall heare vs O Baal heare vs. Nor as the Ephesians cried for the space of two houres great is Diana of the Ephesians But in hearte feruently and strongly as Moses Phinehes Manasses Ionas our Sauiour Iesus Though our praiers be short as was the prayer of the poore publicane God be mercifull to me a sinner of the prodigall sonne father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee am no more worthie to bee called thy sonne Of Steeuen Lord Iesu receiue my soule Of our Sauiour Christe Father into thy handes I commit my spirite nay though wee vtter neuer a worde the Lord will heare vs Moses spake neuer a woorde when GOD saide vnto him why doest thou cry vnto me Moses Anna spake neuer a word when God heard her prayer she only moued her lippes and Ely the Prieste saide she was dumbe If we thus labour for the spirite we shal obteine him and then our faith shall be fruitefull thē the meate in vs shalbe effectuall The word norisheth faith reuiueth the holy ghost quickeneth the word saueth faith iustifieth the holy Ghost sanctifieth the worde bringeth vs to heauen faith openeth the dore the holy Ghoste placeth vs among the holy Angels to haue euerlasting life which the sonne of man shal giue vnto vs. And this is the reason added to the exhortation being drawne from the person that giueth and the certaintie of the thing giuen Hee which is called the word of God the image of God the power and wisdome of God the Creator of all thinges the searcher of the heart the prince of life the Lord of glory the prince of saluation the prince of faith the brightnesse of the glory and the ingraued fourme of gods person the sonne of God doeth heere call himself the sonne of man he whom Peter confessed to be the sonne of God hee whom the Angell named Iesus hee of whom God the father witnessed this is my beloued sonn in whom I delight heare him hee when the very Diuelles could not choose but confesse him to bee the sonne of God doeth heere call himselfe the sonne of man Hee calleth himselfe the sonne of man first to testifie that he tooke a very true and substantiall nature of man both body soule vpon him fleshe of our fleshe bone of our bone Verbum caro factum est the worde was made fleshe heere some woulde proue that hee was not perfect man because the worde was made flesh that signifieth only the body but these men know not that flesh in the scripture sometime signifieth the one part of mā as when Christ saide
trespasses leade vs not into temptation deliuer vs from euill are also for the spirit and soule Onely this giue vs this day our dayly breade is for the bodie and not for foode of bodie onely but for meate of the soule Ceres the goddesse of corne and bread is placed in the lowest roome of the heathen Gods and Goddesses and her daughter Proserpina was married to Pluto king of hel Let Ceres bread bellie and bellie cheere be last and least accounted of vs. As for her daughters they are not virgines to be married to the great kinges sonne but harlots to be married to Belzebub king of hell Tertullian saith that although God after the flood did permit the vse of flesh yet to his people hee inhibited the vse of certaine meates consilium exercendae continentiae a counsell practise to exercise their continencie vii sonnes with their mother were by that horselech bludsucker Antiochus most cruelly put to death because they would not eate swines fleshe agaynst the commaundement of the Lord. Moses refused to be called the sonne of Pharaos daughter and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt Daniel woulde not defile him selfe with the portion of the kinges meate nor with the wine that he dranke he would haue nothing but pulse to eate and water too drinke O yee adulterers and adulteresses sayth Iames knowe yee not that the frendship of this worlde is enmitie with God Iohn sayth if any man loue this worlde the loue of the father is not in him Lay not vp your treasures therfore on earth where the moth fretteth the rust kankereth the theefe breaketh thorowe and steale but lay vp your treasures in heaueÌ„ where there is no moth to fret no rust to kanker no theefe too breake thorow and steale For is it not a great folly to lay thy tresure in an Inne doubtfully wheÌ„ thou maist lay it in thine own house safely folly to lay it in an house which together with thy treasure thou shalt leaue behind thee certainly not in that house whither thou shalt go find thy treasure assuredly and abyde therin perpetually the fashion of this worlde passeth away the heauens and the earth waxe olde as doth a garment O let vs then get that which endureth vnto euerlasting life The heauens shal passe away with a noise the elements shal melt with heate the earth and 〈◊〉 works therin shalbe burnt vp o let vs then labour for that which the fire cannot consume which wil saue oursoules froÌ„ euerlasting fire If we would thinke vpon our name that we are christians we would vnles we should prooue our selues to be reprobates not so much labour for this bellie meat First let vs remeÌ„ber that in our baptisme we forsake the world the flesh the â—iuel for baptisme signifieth not only the death and resurrection of Christ bâ—â— that we must dye to sin and liue in newnes of life How shal we saith Paul that are dead to sin liue yet therin Knowye not that al we which haue bin baptized into Iesus Christ haue bin baptized into his death we are buried then with him by baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised from the dead to the glory of the father so wee should walke in newnes of life SecoÌ„dly as thou art a christian remember the estate of thy lord maister here on erth Doest thou brag of thy blood thy progenitors thy house stock thy maister came as of a pure so of a poore virgine espoused to a poore carpenter who for lack of mony could haue no roome in the Inne who did offer to the Lorde a paire of Pigeons because he was not able to buy a lamb Ierome noteth that only poore sinfull women are named by S. Math. in the genelogie of Christ as Ruth a poore Moabitis pore Mary the carpenters wife to signifie howe Christ did vouchsafe to come of poore womeÌ„ came into the world to redeeÌ„e pore sinful persons doest thou brag of the countrye Adam was made out of Paradice and Euah in Paradice yet the Diuell hadde more power ouer her then ouer him they had both one name Adam reed earth for this name Adam was not giuen by God only to the man but also to the woman Thy maister was not borne in Ierusalem whither the wise men came but in little Bethlehem as it was prophesied Doest thou glory in thy houses buildings courtes pallaces Thy maister was borne in a manger the foxes haue holes and the birdes haue nestes but the sonne of man thy Lorde had no where to rest his heade on Doest thou boast of thy bagges thy coffers thy welth When thy maister woulde haue payed tribute Iudas bagge was emptie Peter must run and fetch a peece of monie in the mouth of a fishe Doest thou desire to be well spoken of to haue the good will of the world There were generally iii. diuerse opinions of Christ one which flesh and blood could not reueale that he was Christ the sonne of God an other of ignorance that he was Elias Ieremie Iohn Baptist or one of the prophets the third was of mallice that hee was a glutton a drunkard a bon companion a friend to Publicans and sinners a coniurer a woorker by Diuels But what sayth he Woe bee vnto you when all men speake well of you Why For so did their fathers to the false Prophets But reioyce when they speake euil of you for so did they to the true Prophets reioyce and great shalbe your rewarde in heauen Finally if you be a christian remember the resurrection of thy mayster Iesus Christ and what of that if you be risen with Christ sayth Peter seeke those thinges that are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God I would to God we were as prouident and carefull to prouide foode for our soules as brute beastes are vigilant and paynefull to lay vp foode for theyr bodies The Emmot doeth lay vp in sommer foode for winter Istuc est sapere sayth Syrus in Terence non quod ante pedes modo est videre sed etiam illa quae futura sunt This is wisedome not to see those things only which lye before our feete but to fore see thinges that are to come But as the fishe called Vrlica feedeth alwayes on a stone and being taken from the stone dyeth presently so we doe so cleaue vnto to stones vntoo earthly thinges that wee account life lost if they bee taken from vs or wee from them Nay I woulde to GOD wee did not thinke these corruptible thinges to bee meete meate and sufficient food for our soules and say with the rich mans soule thou hast much goodes layde vppe for many yeeres liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime
haue in his other hand a rod wrapt in snaks to giue poyson ruine and death beware least while you gape for the scepter you receiue snakes And although your GOD is saide to haue kylled Argos who had a hundred eies least Argos shoulde perceiue the vniust dealying of the Merchauntes yet the Lorde your GOD lyueth who searcheth the corners seeth the bottome heareth the motions and vnderstandeth the thoughtes of your heartes But what sayeth the Prophet All men shoulde prayse the Lorde but aboue all other merchantes are bound to performe the same For sayeth hee they that goe downe to the Sea in ships and occupie their businesse in greate waters these men see the woorkes of the Lord and his woonders in the deepe And when there hee hath fully described the woonders and woorkes of the Lorde that they see hee thus concludeth with a vehement exhortation O that men woulde therefore prayse the Lorde for his goodnesse and declare the woonders that hee hath done for the sonnes of men Twoo thinges are required of you O yee Merchauntes to prayse the Lorde and too declare his woonders that you haue seene vnto others Forsake not the Lorde by goyng too your shippes Remember the shippe that Ionas was in Beware howe you haue felowshippe with heathen men with Infidels Athistes and Papistes because Iehosophat king of Iuda ioyned with Ahaziah king of Israel to sende shippes too Tarshish for gold he was reprehended by Eliezer and his shippes were broken Take Christe into your shippes when Christ was not in the shippe with his Disciples the shippe was almost drowned If Christ be in your shippe let him not sleepe there when he slept the shipp had almost perished Keepe him waking with prayer singing with melodie in your heartes too the Lorde To conclude labour not for the meate which perisheth for then you shall perish but labour for that meate which doth endure vnto euerlasting life for then the sonne of man shall geue you euerlasting life for hee is a Lambe and hee is a Lion hee is a friend and hee is a foe hee is a Iesus hee is a iudge he is a Redeemer hee is a confounder hee will not bruise a broken reede hee will bruise with a rodde of yron hee hath water hee hath fire hee hath heauen hee hath hell hee hath Angels he hath diuels he hath a scepter he hath a sword hee hath Vae woe hee hath Euge go too he hath Benedicti Blessed he hath Maledicti Cursed he hath Venite come hee hath ite goe hee hath a right hand hee hath a left hand he hath ioy he hath sorrowe hee hath mercy hee hath vengeance he doth geue euerlasting death and euerlasting life to him therefore with the Father and the holie Ghost be geuen all honor glory c. Amen An ende of the first Sermon The ii Sermon LAbour not for the meat that perisheth c. FOrasmuche as I haue shewed you the braod way where you shulde not walke the wide gate where you should not enter it is reason that I declare the narrowe way where you should tread and the straight gate where wee all desire to passe thorow Behold I haue opened vnto you the woorkes of darknesse which you must caâ—â— of nowe I will geue you the armour of light which you must put on I haue dehorted you and I hope thorowly dissuaded you from labouring for the meate that perisheth Nowe in the tender mercie of God in the bowels blood and wounds of Iesus Christ I exhort you and I trust I shal thorowly perswade you too labour for that meate which endureth vnto euerlasting life Wherefore as our Sauiour reprehended Martha beeing carefull about many things in preparing the dinner not simply reprehending eyther her labour as her hospitalitie but reprehended her because she did not consider the time wher in Christ taught Mary and offered too teach her and because shee preferred the dressing of the dinner to the hearing of Gods woord and afterwarde exhorted her too followe the example of her sister Mary who had chosen the better parte which neuer should bee taken from her So after that I haue proued that we shuld not labour for the meat which perisheth and that wee all are too carefull for many thinges not considering the tâ—me wherin our Sauiour doth so mercifully offer to teach vs I must exhort you to choose the better parte which neuer shall bee taken from you that is to labour for that meat which endureth vnto euerlasting life For although the Lord did raine flesh as thick as dust feathered foules as the sande of the sea and Manna as the hoare frost yet he would haue euery man to labour and gather it one house might not gather it for an other one man might not sell it or giue it to another euen so euery man must labour for this meate gather it for himselfe be it neuer so plentie being farre better then Manna for Manna melted when the sun did shine but this Manna though heauen and earth should be on fire and burne to ashes continueth euer endureth vnto euerlasting life Although we need not go seeke the arke of GOD as Dauid did nor the booke of the law as Iosias did nor goe vp to Ierusalem to worship as the Iewes did nor desire that one might come from the dead and teach vs as the glutton did we cannot say the law is in the mount with Moses who shall goe vp and fet it wee cannot say as in the dayes of Queene Mary wee might it is beyond the seas who shal goe ouer and bring it vnto vs yet we must not be idle negligent and carelesse we must labour for it although the worde be very neere vnto vs euen in our mouths our harts for to doe it as Moses spak to the Iewes though the Lord hath put his lawes in our mindes and in our hearts hath written them he our God and we his people euery man doeth not or should not neede teach his neighbour nor euery man his brother saying know the Lord but all knowe him from the least to the greatest as Ieremy prophecied yet must we labour for this meate Though Elyas cannot now say I am left alone Achab cannot say there is but one Michiah besides my 400. Prophets though Elyas haue not onely Elizeus for his scholler nor Elizeus onely Esay nor Esay onely Ieremy nor Ieremy onely Daniell nor Daniell onely Aggeus and Zacharias nor the Lorde onely xii Prophets that haue written nor Christ onely eleuen good Disciples but the Lord hath giuen the worde and great is the company of the preachers yet we must labour for this meat Although the Ministers are not scattered abroade as Iohn in Asia Peter in Samaria Phillip in Alexandria Thomas in Aethiopia Bartholomewe in India Andrew in Scythia Simon in Persia Iudas in Mesopotamia Marcus in Colonia Nathanaell in Fraunce Ioseph of Aramithia in Scotland and Paule
harts where he cryeth Abba Father as the Apostle saith because we are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirite of his sonne into our heartes which cryeth Abba father It is a true saying Bona magis carendo quam fruendo sentimus We better perceiue and feele the commoditie of a thing when we lacke it then when we haue it For who doth better consider the benefit of the warm fire then he that is frosen with colde who doeth better thinke on the commoditie of libertie then the prysoner who doeth better remember the vse of apparell then he which is naked who doeth more esteeme of meate then hee that is almost famished for after a long colde winter a little sun shining is fayre weather after great sorowe one dayes pleasure is a paradise after a long bloody warre a little peace is a merye world and after long hunger browne bread is good cheare Now if wee could eyther thinke on their extreame miserie who like the woman of Canaan like hungry dogs would gladly picke vp the crummes that fall from our table and can haue no more of them then the prodigall sonne had of the swines huskes or at least woulde call to minde our owne miserable famine when like poore Lazarus wee lay begging at the rich mans gate dogges hauing more mercy then men and wee no more satisfied then Tantalus with his apples We would no doubt labour to obtaine by Christ not houses or liuings as that Scribe not to bee Lordes and Dukes as Iames and Iohn not to haue belly cheare as in this place the Iewes did but for the meate of the soule which endureth vnto euerlasting lyfe But what was our famine how were we vsed or rather abused Sower leauen was put to our sweete bread Coloquintida was cast into our potage chaf thrown among our wheate sand mingled with our dough amongst our gold there was drosse wee had water for wine brasse for siluer the cuppe of the whore for the cup of the Lord wormewoode for hony gall for Manna the legende for the Gospell wolues for shepheards the inuentions of man for the commaundementes of God man for God Antichrist for Christ the son of perdition for the sonne of GOD. Agayne the worde was deliuered vnto vs in a straunge tongue that neither we could tel how to daunce when they blewe the pipe nor how to behaue our selues in battaile when they did sound the trumpet neither the vnderstanding was bettered nor the congregation edified nor the vnlearned at the giuing of thanks coulde say Amen but they were Barbarians to vs and we Barbarians to them Furthermore the common people might not reade the worde they might not once taste of that heauenly foode vnlesse the Priestes had first chewed it in their own mouths whose mouths were full of bitternesse whose throates were open sepulchres whose teeth were venomous whose tongues were ful of deceite vnder whose lippes was the poyson of aspes who did eate vp the Lords people as bread whose feete were swift to shedde the blood of Saints but right deare in the sight of the Lorde is the death of his Saintes But why might not the people reade the word taste this meate they forsooth gathered damnable errours and sucked out thence deadly poyson Because our Sauiour sayde it is giuen to you to know the secreetes of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen Because hee sayd again giue not that which is holy to dogges neither cast ye your pearls before swine First I aunswere that Vzza for putting forth his hande to holde the arke when the oxen did shake it died before the Lorde that Vzziah burned incense and was therefore stroken with a leprosie because they vsurped the offices of the Priestes and Leuites contrary to the expresse commaundement of God But if this was spoken to all and be the dutie of all Christians searche the scriptures I do not only say wo vnto thē because they shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men they themselues will not goe in nor suffer them to goe that would enter but I exhorte them to remember the blinde zeale of Christes Disciples in forbiddinge children to come vnto him rebuked suffer little children to come to mee and forbidde them not the blinde zeale of Ioshua requesting Moses to forbid Elead and Medad to prophecie reprehended I would to God that all the Lords people were Prophets The blinde zeale of Iohn willing Christ to forbidde one to cast out deuils in his name misliked suffer him hee that is not against me is with me The blind zeale of Nadab and Abihu because they offered straunge fire condemned who because they offered not that fire which came from heauen but straunge fire were deuoured of fire An euerlasting fire is reserued for those which haue troaden vnder foote the doctrin that came from heauen haue brought in straung doctrine which neuer was in heauen As that fire so this meate came from heauen in this they differ that fire endured onely to the captiuitie of Babylon but this meat endureth vnto euerlasting life Wherfore though Peter or Paule though Gabriel or Michael Cherubim or Seraphim teach any other thing thē that we haue receiued of the Lord who came downe from heauen and brought this meate from heauen let him be accursed as I said before so I say again if any of these bring any thing besides that which we haue receiued of the Lord let them and euery one of them be accursed Secondly I answer that though the spider doe gather poyson where the Bee doth suck hony yet there is no poison in the sweet flower but the corrupt humour that is in the spyder doth turne the sweet iuyce into poison so there are no errours nor heresies in the word of god but the corrupt venomous nature of man doth turn the comfortable sap of Gods word into deadly poyson Now if the spyder gather poyson let not therfore the Bee be driuen from the flowers though the sons of Satan doe gather errours and suck that which vnto them is poison yet let not therfore the children of GOD be forbidden to sucke mylke which shall saue their soules Christ is put both for the fall and also for the rysing agayne of many in Israell he is a rock to buylde on and hee is a stone that will grind to powder if the Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost it is vnto some the sauour of death vnto death to other some the sauour of life vnto lyfe It is not giuen to them to knowe the misteries who are they to whom it is not giuen it followeth that people whose heart is waxed fat whose eares are dull of hearing who winke with their eies least with their eies they shoulde see and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their heartes and should returne that I might heale them The Gospell
A spirite hath not flesh bone as you see mee haue Somtime carnall lustes and affections as whatsoeuer is borne of fleshe is fleshe somtime it doth signifie the whole man body and soule as all fleshe shall see the saluation of GOD that is mankinde and againe I will powre out of my spirite vpon all fleshe that is men And so in this place the worde was made flesh that is man Damnable therefore is the heresie of the Maniches who helde that Christes bodye was brought from heauen and put into the virgins womb damnable also is the heresie of the Arrians who saide that his body was made of nothing and that he had not his flesh of the virgin Athanasius willeth Epictetus Bishop of Corinth to ioyne these wordes of the Angel in Matthewes gospell that which is conceaued in her is of the holy Ghost with these wordes of the Angell in Lukes Gospel that holy thing that shalbe born of thee shalbe called the sonne of God Christe was conceaued in her therefore his body came not from heauen Christe was borne of her therfore his body was not made of nothing Secondly he doth cal himselfe the sonne of mā signifiyng that he was subiect to al infirmitity that happē to man sin only excepted For he was hungry he was thirstie he was werie he sorowed he wept he did sweate water blood he suffered the most vile and approbrious death the death of the crosse Lastly hee calleth himselfe the sonne of man as though he were acounted the vilest man in the worlde Beholde I who was borne in a stall laide in a manger poore needy contemned whome they call the Carpenter and the Carpenters sonne beholde I the sonne of man will giue euerlasting life vnto you Nowe if the sonne of man doth giue euerlasting life howe is it that he made this answere to Iames and Iohn to sit at my right hande and at my left hande is not mine to giue but it shall bee giuen to them for whom it is prepared of my father Againe he shall say Come ye blessed of my father inioy you the kindome of my father He saith not my blessed nor my kingdome but blessed of my father and the kingdome of my father and in the fifth of Iohn hee saide I can doe nothing of my selfe Wherfore if he cannot giue to sit at his right or left hande if the kingdome bee not his if he can doe nothing of himselfe how doth he heare promise euerlasting life he saieth blessed of my father the kingdome of my Father I can doe nothing of my selfe because he woulde as man giue to the father all the glory My father hath appoynted these thinges to giue before the beginning of the world I am not now to bestow thē they shalbe giuen to them for whom it is prepared of my father But yet this is true as many as receiued him to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name We are sonnes by nature so we are the sonnes of Adam we are sonnes by discipline so we are the sonnes of Christ we are sonnes by adoption and so we are brothers to Christ and sonnes of God Heare doe the Papists gather that euerlasting life is due vnto vs by desert because by labouring or working for the meate of the soule we get euerlasting life I purpose not to entreat of the controuersie Christ doeth take away all doubt in these words following whē he saieth that hee will giue this life for whatsoeuer we haue of gift that is not of merit They are opposite as Paule saieth By grace you are saued through fayth and that not of your selues it is the gift of God yea by euill workes we deserue death and by good workes we deserue life according to the Maxima of the Logicians But if I followe Paule I must deny the argument for the wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is euerlasting lyfe through Iesus Christ our Lord. Moses did shewe vnto the Iewes the lande of promyse but hee could not bring them into it that was left for Ioshua euen so the law is a scholemaister to bring vs to christ it cannot purchase euerlasting lyfe that is left for Iesus whose office it is to giue euerlasting life and therfore he was sealed of the Father and this is the confirmation taken from the office and functiō of Iesus christ he saith of himself I came not into the world to iudge the world but to saue the world He came not as Herod thought to put him out of his kingdome not to giue Dukedomes and Lordshippes as Iames and Iohn thought not to restore the earthly kingdome to Israell as his Disciples thought not to be a King as the Iewes would haue made him not to call the righteous as the phariseies thought but sinners to repentaunce as we all beleeue For to this purpose hath his father giuen to him his seale he hath sealed him Hereby wee are able to answere all obiections that the deuil al the kingdome of hell is able to lay against vs and say if God be on our side who can be against vs it is christ that iustifieth who shall condemne vs. Hee hath the broad seale of his father to this purpose who can disanull it by this seale we are sealed also as the Apostle saieth grieue not the holy spirite of God by whome ye are sealed vnto the day of redemption by outward exercises we may doubt of others but by this seale the prynte whereof is in our hearts we may assure our selues of euerlasting lyfe Doest thou sacrifice thou doest well so did Abel and so did Cain doest thou prophecie so did Samuell and so did Saul art thou baptised so was christ and so was Simon Magus dost thou cōmunicate so did Simon and so did Iudas dost thou pray in the temple so did the Publican and so did the Pharisie therfore the holy Gost is a seale authentical in our own hearts wherby we may examine try and proue our selues whether we be the sonns of God or reprobates Caine had a marke to be known Esau being rough was known from Iacob being smoth the Lord hath a mark for his enemies and the Lord knoweth who are his The Gileadite by Shibboleth was knowne from the Ephraimite by Shibboleth the 500. valiant men by lapping water like dogges were known from the cowardes who kneeled lapped as Rahab was knowe by binding a red corde about her window as they were saued that had the letter tau on them as the Angell passed from them that had the blood sprinckled on their postes as they were not hurt that had the seale of God in their foreheades so we are known so we are saued so the Angell doth passe from vs so we are not hurt which haue the seale of the holy Gost in our hearts wherby we can