Christian is dead to sin and aliue to God Dead to sin as Iudicious Melancthon in respect of sinnes imputation and efficacie In respect of imputation for albeit some reliques of old Adam remaine in the new man yet as the Scripture speakes all his offences are couered there is no condemnatiō vnto them which are in Christ. God sees none iniquity in Iacob no transgression in Israel Num. 23. 21. As for sinnes efficacie whereas the motions of sin in an vnregenerate man haue force to bring forth fruit vnto death Rom. 7. 5. He that is borne of God sinneth not 1 Iohn 3. 9. As being a patient rather then an agent in sin saith Bernard or as Primasius he doth not liue to sin but to Christ who dyed for his sin Thus I liue quoth Paul Gal. 2. 20. Yet not I now but Christ liueth in mee Christ himselfe is the life which I now liue In this regard he and I are both one quoth Luther vpō that place this seemes a very strang manner of speaking I liue I liue not I am dead I am not dead I am a sinner I am not a sinner I liue not now as Paul but Paul is dead who is it then that doth liue the Christian our corrupt estate subiect to sin and concupiscence is called the old man But our person reformed in and by Christ is the new man Augustine pithily Christianus est quod ammodo duplex euery single Christiā susteyneth a double person as Hector Pintus vpon our text duplex est in me ego one I that liues according to the flesh and another I that liues according to the spirit As the penitent wanton in St. Ambrose who courted by his old loue Cur non respicis ego sum answered sed ego non sum ego Though you be still the same woman I am become another man I liue indeed in the flesh but not through the flesh or according to the flesh for I am Crucified vnto the world and the world is Crucified vnto mee The truth is I liue by faith in the Sonne of God I am grafted into Christ and the graft doth liue not of it selfe by the sap of the stocke Wee are twigges and Christ is the tree without him wee can doe nothing Iohn 15. 5. But in him and through him all things Philip. 4. 13. Thus a Christian is dead to sinne dead to the law dead to the world actiuely the which exposition is entertained of many learned interpreters but that Iacob is passiuely dead vnto the world as being hated persecuted of the world as the blessed Apostle speakes of himselfe for Christs glory dying daily is the fitter and as I think the fuller glosse comming neerer home to the point and to the pith of the matter intended heere by the spirit And so by this place you may learne the meaning of another hard phrase 1. Cor. 15. 2◅ Baptized for dead that is afflicted and reputed as dead I know there bee diuerse readings and interpretations of that text but vpon an exact inquirie yee shall vnderstand this to be most agreeable to the words to the scope of Saint Paules argument To the words because Baptisme is vsed elsewhere for affliction as Luk. 12. 50. I must be Baptized with a Baptisme and how am I grieued till it bee ended and Math. 20. 22 Mark 10. 38. Ye know not what ye aske quoth our blessed Sauiour to his ambitious Disciples harkening after earthly preferment in his Kingdome Yee must first drinke of the Cup that I must drinke of and be baptized with the Baptisme that I am baptized with that is in the iudgment of Theophilact Euthymius Ardens and many more learned Diuines Ye must of necessity beare the Crosse before ye can weare the Crowne ye must enter into my Kingdome through many tribulations As for the scope Saint Paul in the words immediately following shewes that by baptized hee meant afflicted why are we Christians in Ieopardie euery houre If I haue fought with Beasts at Ephesus after the manner of men what aduantageth it me if the Dead rise not againe Wherefore should Iacob and Israel indure so many losses and crosses fightings without and terrours within troden vnder foote like wormes and reputed as dead men in this world were there not another world where they shall haue fulnesse of Ioyes and pleasures at Gods right hand for euermore So haue yee the first part of our Text explained concerning the weaknesse of the Church in respect of her selfe the second is the consideration of her strength in respect of her Sauiour Who saith feare not I will helpe thee The which is repeated often in this one Chapter and that within the compasse of a few lines not onely to shew the dulnesse of our fraile flesh needing in aduersitie promise vpon promise so well as in prosperity precept vpon precept But to set forth also the fulnesse of Gods infinite rich mercy towards vs vile Wormes It is reported Apo. 7. 2. That foure bad Angels had power to hurt the Earth and the Sea when wee heare of their number Foure wee may feare and when wee heare of their nature bad Angells wee may feare more When we doe read of a datum est power and authority giuen vnto them of God to hurt wee may feare most of all But when wee finde their power limited that they must not hurt Gods seruants wee need not feare at all I saith the Lord whose power is I am and stile I will Alas man of himselfe is not able to doe any thing hee liues and moues and hath all his being in me my grace sustaineth him by which hee is whatsoeuer is his He speakes optatiuely would to God I will if God will But I the Lord Indicatiuely Imperatiuely I will bee thou cleane I will ease you I will strengthen thee I will helpe thee I the Lord who make the mountaines to skip like Rams the litle hills like young sheepe I who measure the Waters with my little finger and the Earth with three of my fingers and the Heauens with my spanne Esay 40. 12. Before whom all the Nations of the world are but as a drop of the morning dew that falleth vpon the ground Wis. 11. 19. I that am all in all vpholding all things by my power I the Lord against whom there is no wisedome neither vnderstanding nor counsell Pro. 21. 30. No Wisedome of men or Vnderstanding of deuills or counsell of Angells is able to preuaile No Wisedome in Heauenly things or vnderstanding in Earthly things or counsell in any thing against me Neither is my will inferiour to my power for I am thy Redeemer I was borne for thee I was circumcised for thee I fulfilled all righteousnesse for thee I dyed for thee I rose againe for thee what could I haue done more for thee which I haue not done I haue so loued thee that I gaue my selfe for thee to bee both an offering
among swine by the rules of the Gospell and Lawes of our Land he that wil not labour ought not to eate he that will not learne of the Pismire to prepare his meate in Summer and to prepare his food in haruest hee that is a Ludouicus nihil agens a Lewis Doe nothing should haue nothing of our liberalitie but in extreame necessitie to conclude the loyterer is to bee punished but the labourer to bee cherished If thou bee neighbour to such an one breake thy bread to his hungrie Soule call him to thine house couer him and comfort him There bee foure strings of Gods whip mentioned Ezechiel 14. 21. the Sword Famine Noysom beasts and Pestilence Now the most greiuous of thē all is Famine For what noysome beasts the Sword and the Pestilence kill in a moment there bee many lingring deathes in hunger Famine saith Basile is a disease that doth soone torture yet slowly consume destroying by little and little Well then if the greater miserie be the better obiect of mercy deale thy bread to the hungrie So God which is the father of mercy d satisfied the thirsty soules of Israel in the Wildernesse and filled their hungrie soules with aboundance So Christ which is our way for example so well as trueth in doctrine filled the hungrie with good things Luke 1. 53. This was Solomons precept Pro. 25. 21. If thine enemie bee hungrie giue him bread and it was Tobits practise I gaue my bread to those that were Hungrie Tobit 1. 16. And in the last day the first good deed of the godly remembred by Christ and rewarded is I was hungrie and ye gaue me meat And the first ill obiected vnto the damned I was hungrie and yee gaue mee no meat I thirsted and yee gaue mee no drinke The third point to bee further examined is quid dandum and that is Bread now there bee three sorts of bread mentioned in holy Bible Sacramentall 1 Cor. 11. 28. Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread Doctrinall Iohn 6. Labour not saith our Sauiour for the loaues and for the meat which perisheth but for the meate and bread that endure to life euerlasting Corporall Math. 4. 4. Man shall not liue by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God The bread here principally spoken of is neither mentall nor sacramentall but corporall and this kind in a strict acception is the loafe made of wheat or the like graine Gen. 14. 18. Melchisedech King of Salem brought forth bread and wine but in a more generall and large signification it is vsed in holy Scripture pro omni Comestibili for all kind of food as Gen. 3. 19. In the sweate of thy face thou shalt eate bread 2 Sam. 9. 10. King Dauid sayd to Ziba Mephibosheth thy Masters Sonne shall eate bread alway at my Table that is hee shall fare so well as I fare so well as one of the Kings Sonnes as it is sayd verse the 11. And in the Pater Noster giue vs this day our daily bread Where Panis is Pan euery thing fit and necessarie for our present life Well then if in asking of bread from God thou wilt haue it of the largest extent take heed how you curtall it in this and other commandements concerning the giuing of bread to thy poore brethren As you begge bread of God so breake bread to the hungrie deale to him as occasion is offered more then either Crust or crumme of thy loafe Giue so much as is necessarie for his reliefe bring him to thine house couer him and hide not thy face from thy flesh The fourth point is de quo dandum and that is expressed in the word Tuum not the goods of another but thy bread si tuus almes are a sacrifice pleasing vnto God now wee may not present an offering to God of that which cost vs nothing as King Dauid speakes 2 Sam. 24. 24. Honour the Lord with thy riches cast thy bread vpon the waters giue thy garments vnto the naked and of thine aboundance to such as haue neede It must bee thine first and that acquired lawfully not by Bribes or oppression or Forgerie but thine by descent or purchase thine by the sweat of thy Browes in some honest occupation or thine by the sweat of thy braines in some commendable profession Almes are not to bee giuen as one wittily sayd except they first haue sweat in a mans hand It is not an act of Charity to rob Peter and pay Paul or to build an Hospitall for a few by the ruins of many for so you shall haue more to curse you then to blesse you If thou giue giue that which is fit ont of thine ovvne Cesterne and owne Well and owne substance deale thy bread Or thy bread that is such as thou thy selfe dost eate qui tuus thy dole may not bee panis lapidosus as Fibius Verucosus speakes in Seneca so hard to digest as a stone no mouldy bread no mustie bread but wholesome and sauourie such as thou wouldest haue wert thou to begge thy bread Or thy bread that is when it is thine dum tuus est as the blessed Apostle Gal. 6. 10. While thou hast time make thine owne hands executors and thine own eyes ouerseers and thine owne sonns and seruants in thy houshold witnesses of thy wil in doing good Halfe a loafe broken vnto the hungrie while thou liuest hast it in thine own power and purse procures thee more friends in the court of Heauen then a whole loafe giuen after thy death by heires and asignes If bread bee thine thus as I haue told you si tuus qui tuus dum tuus deale thy bread to the Hungrie A good worke is in it selfe a sufficient reward Pro. 21. 15. It is ioy to the iust to doe Iustice much more to shew mercy for hee which is full of pitty rewardeth his owne soule Pro. 11. 17. Blessed is hee that considereth the poore and needy Psal. 41. 1. Blessed in His Temporall Ciuill Spirituall Eternall Estate Blessed in his temporall estate both in respect of wealth and health As for wealth there is that scattereth and yet is increased more but hee that spareth more then his right shall surely come to pouertie The liberall person shall haue plenty or as other read the soule of blessing shall bee made fatt and hee that watereth shall also haue raine God makes an hedge about him and about his house and about all that hee hath Iob. 1. 10. As for his health the Lord preserueth him and keepeth him aliue that hee may bee blessed vpon earth the Lord deliuers him in the time of trouble the Lord comforts him when he lyeth sicke vpon his couch and makes all his bed in his sicknesse To my remembrance saith Hierom I neuer read of any that dyed an vnhappy death who lead a mercifull life concerning both health and wealth
pride of their hearts who shall bring vs downe to the ground Though thou exaltest thy selfe as an Eagle and make thy nest among the starres Yet thence will I bring thee downe saith the Lord The Lords hand found out Nabuchadnezzar being at rest in his owne house flourishing in his owne palace saying in vaine boasting Is not this great Babel which by the might of my power I haue built for the honour of my maiesty While the word was in his mouth a voyce came downe from heauen O King Nabuchadnezzar to thee be it spoken Thy kingdome is departed from thee and they shall driue thee from men and thy dwelling shall be with the beastes of the field and the very same houre was the thing fulfilled vpon Nabuchadnezzar and he was driuen from men and did eate grasse as oxen and his body was wet with the dew of heauen till his hayres were growen like Eagles feathers and his nayles like birdes clawes When Phocas had built a strong wall about his palace for security hee heard in the night a voyce O King though thou build as high as the cloudes yet the city may be taken easily for the sin within marres all The Lords hand found out Simon Magus as hee was presuming to fly vp into heauen in the publique theater of Rome and there he gaue him such a fall as that hee could neuer rise more The Lords hand found out Siluester the second who to get the Popedome gaue himselfe to the deuill as hee was in a chappell singing of a masse the Lords hand found out Nitingall a blasphemous popish priest in the very pulpit No place be it neuer so high or so holy so deepe or so darke so foule or fayre can exempt the wicked from the wrath of the Lord It is true that Gods dwelling is in Sion onely Psal. 76. 2. as Hugode S. victor gloseth it in mundo est vt imperator in regno in ecclesia vt pater familias in domo in anima fideli vt sponsus in thalaâ—…o He dwelleth in the world as an Emperor in his kingdome for the earth is the Lords and all that therein is Psal. 24. 1. He dwels in the Church as a master in his house for the house of God is the Church of God 1 Tim. 3. 15. In a faithfull soule as the bridegrome in his chamber there he suppes and refresheth himselfe apoc 3. 20. but our iniquities on the contrary make a separation betweene God and vs Esay 59. 2. And so God is sayd in the holy scripture to be faâ—…re from the wicked and the wicked to goe farre from God The which is proued in the prodigall câ—…ild who tooke his iourney into a farre country that is far from God farre from goodnesse Answere is made by St. Augustine in one word Deus non ibi deest vbi longe est quia vbi non est per gratiam adest per vindictam Although in respect of saluation and grace God be farre from the wicked yet in respect of his power and punishment alway so nigh that his out stretched arme can euery where reach and ruine them God dwels in Sion only but is present in Babylon also Secondly we note from this circumstance Gods exact Iustice who would haue Sennacherib to perish in the same place where hee had offended most he was a great Idolater and he committed that Idolatry most in the chappell of his Idoll Nisrock And therefore Gods reuengefull hand did find and confound him in the right vbi so the Prophet Elia sayd to King Ahab Hast thou killed and gotten possession also thus saith the Lord in the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs euen licke thy blood also The corps of Mr Arden slaine by the consent counsel of his own wife was laid as a spectacle to men and Angels in the very same field which he had vniustly taken from a poore widdow and it is well ordered in our State that where men commit outragious murthers there they should dye the death for it The iudgements of God is at all times terrible but being executed in the same place where the malefactour acted the fault it is more fearefull it putteth him in mind of his offence with all the circumstances thereof and so makes his conscience to denounce his owne condemnation Euery day should be to the good man a Sabbath and euery corner of his mansion a priuy chappell as occasion is offered for deuotion O then I beseech you by the mercies of the Lord Iesu take heed of sinne in your secret closets and chambers for nothing is hid from Gods al-piercing eyes which are as a flame of fire who can make your very table a snare to take you withall and the thinges which should haue beene for your wealth an occasion of falling hee can make the stone out of the wall and the beame out of the timber to cry for Iudgement against you Dauid afflicted heauily said euery night wash I my bed and water my couch with my teares He had offended most in his bed hee did act his repentance therefore most in his couch Imitate Dauids example who was a man according to Gods owne heart when thou commest into the roome defiled with any filthinesse of thine sinne no more but water the place with teares otherwise God may smite thee with a sudden and vnhappy death as hee did Sennacherib in his temple where he transgressed most It was in God also great Iustice that he should perish by the sword who had abused the sword in shedding innocent blood It was a iust iudgement vpon the cruell Egyptians to be drowned in the sea because they cast all the male children of the Hebrewes into the riuer It was a iust iudgement vpon Adonibezek that the thumbes of his hands feet were cut off hauing before â—…one the like cruelty to seauenty kings and constraining them to gather crumbs vnder his table Iudg. 1. 6. It was a iust iudgement vpon the tyrant Maxentius that hee was ouerthrowen in the same bridge which he craftily built as a snare for the destruction of Constantine It was a iust iudgement vpon Pope Alexander the 6. who was poysoned at supper with the very same wine his seruant mistaking a bottle which hee had prepared as a deadly draught for his familiar friend Cardinall Adrianus It was a iust iudgement vpon the chiefe plotter of the most execrable gunpowder treason that being pursued he should himselfe bee first scorched with powder and afterward killed with a gunne and so the mischiefe fell vpon his owne head and his wickednesse vpon his own pate Non est lex aequior vlla Quam necis artifices arte perire sâ—…a No iudgement more sit then that they who dig a pit for others should fall into the mids of it themselues as Dauid phraseth it Psalme 57. 7. The third circumstance to be further examined is the
foorth and let her be burnt Where Iudah as some conceiue being a Patriarch and head of his family did adiudge that Thamar his daughter in law which had played the whore should be burnt for her fault or as other he required that shee should be brought before the Iudges sitting in the gates of the city that they might condemne her to dy Vnder the Law there be many precepts in this kind recorded in one chapter as Exod. 21. Hee that smiteth a man and hee dye shall dye the death he that smiteth his father or his mother shall dye the death hee that killeth a woman with child shall pay life for life Now Moses Iosua Samuel Dauid and other good gouernours executed these lawes vpon their delinquent subiects and ye know that Naboth accused by two false witnesses of blasphemy was by Queene Iesabels art and King Ahabs authority stoned to death and the Scribes and Pharisees hauing taken a woman in adultery brought her vnto Christ and said that she should be stoned to death according to the Law When Christ himselfe was come which is the end of the Law he gaue this absolute determination All that smite with the sword shall perish with thâ—… sword The which cannot be so well expounded as thus hee that strikes with the priuat sword of reuenge shall be punished with the publique sword of Iustice for the publique sword of the Magistrate was at that time drawen out against Christ and therefore Peter ought to put vp his priuat sword of reuenge and obey the higher powers 2. We proue this doctrine by the iudgement of the most ancient and Orthodoxe fathers Augustine writes Lib. de Ciuitate Dei chap. 21. That publique persons in authority when as according to the Iust courses of law they sentence malefactors to death offend not against the precept thou shalt not kill and in another place repeating the words of Christ all that strike with the sword shall perish with the sword He doth explaine them thus Such as vpon their owne authority strike with the sword shal perish with the sword But if God put a sword into their hand then they may yea then they must strike for Princes punish malefactors with death not as masters of their liues but as Ministers of God and it is not in them any murther but an act of Iustice. Hilary writing vpon the same words of Christ maintaineth also that it is lawfull to kill in two cases especially 1 In our owne Iust necessary defence 2 When we are called to Magistracie S. Hierome in his commentary vpon the words of Ieremie Chap. 22. 3. Execute yee iudgement and righteousnesse doe no violence nor shed innocent blood in this place saith expressely that the putting to death of homicids witches sacrilegious persons is not effusion of blood but execution of right Lastly wee proue this assertion by reason and common experience for an husbandman pruneth idle twigs and luxurious branches which hinder the growth of his vine and the chirurgeon cutteth off a rotten member which otherwise would infect the whole body So the Magistrate being the great husband and Physitian of the State may destroy some corrupt part for the preseruation of the whole Melius est vt pereat vnus quam vnitas in the wordes of our common law better it is to suffer a mischiefe then an inconuenience More safe that one should be ruinated in his particular then the whole kingdome in conueâ—…ienced in the generall And the sword of an officer thus vsed is not as Augustine speaks Ferrum inimici vulnerantis sed medici sanantis Yea but if Christ will haue mercy Mat 9. 13. How may Christians execute Iustice Answere is made that Christ in that place speakes not of publique Iustice but of priuat behauiour now then albeit a Magistrate bee neuer so mercifull in his owne cause yet is he in his office the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill and there is a pity which is cruell and a Iustice which is merciful optimum miserecordiae genus nocentes occidere It is in a Prince the best kind of mercy to put a few notorious offendors to death that all the rest vnder him may lead a quiet life Concerning a peaceable life Princes are protectours of their Realmes against all forreine forces as they beare the sword of Iustice to defend their people from all domesticall desturbers of the peace So likewise the sword of war to defend their people from all forreine foes inuading their lands and encroching vpon the liberties of their kingdomes For albeit the Manichees in old time and Anabaptists in our time haue thought it vnlawfull for Christians to bee warriours yet all Orthodox diuines hold the calling of souldiers to be both honest and honorable and this they prooue by concluding arguments out of the Scriptures and Fathers God in his word giueth vnto souldiers not a Commission onely but a commendation also bidding them to fight and blessing them in lawfull warres a Commission is granted Iudg. 3. 1. These are the nations which the Lord left that hee might proue Israel by them euen as many of Israel as haue not knowen the warres of Canaan onely to make the generations of the children of Israel to know and to teach them warre and 1. Sam. 15. verse 2. 3. Thus saith the Lord of hostes I remember what Amalek did vnto Israel now therefore goe and smite Amalek and destroy ye all that apperteineth vnto them haue no compassion on them but slay both man and woman both infant and suckling both oxe and sheepe both Camell and Asse But a more generall and expresse Commission is deliuered Ecclesiast 3. 8. There is a time of warre and a time of peace there is no season alotted for any wicked act because we must serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life warre then haâ—…ing an appointed time must of necessity be good and so Iust warres are stiled often in holy â—…cripture the battels of the Lord And God preâ—…bed in his law diuers Military rules as Deut. â—…0 1. When thou shalt goe foorth to warre against thâ—…e â—…mies and shalt see horses and charets and people 〈◊〉 then thou be not afraid of them for the Lord thy 〈◊〉 is with thee who brought thee out of the land of Aegypt and Numbers 10. 9. When yee goe to warre yee shall blow an alarum with the trumpet and Num. â—…1 2. Harnesse some of you to warre that ye may execute the vengeance of the Lord against Midian and verse 27. Diuide the prey betweene the souldiers that went to warre and all the congregation And Dauid in the 144. Psalme verse 1. Blessed be the Lord my strength who teacheth my hands to warre and my fingers to fight Peter Martyr biddeth vs obserue the great Emphasis in the pronoune my manus meas my hands and my fingers because Dauid was a
a cherefull thankesgiuer one that serues him with gladnesse and comes before his presence with a song It is a seely thing for a Priest or people to dissemble with God and to become Hermaphrodites in the businesse of religion A seely thing to halt betweene God and Baal A seely thing to receiue the wages of the Gospell and to doe the worke of Antichrist A seely thing to looke vp to Hierusalem and to goe downe to Iericho to gaine preferment in the Church of England and yet vnder hand craftily to repaire the tottering walles of Babylon the Lord knoweth who are his and he knowes those which haue but a sâ—…cret marke of the beast as well as wee know those which openly worship a wodden blocke magnifie the masse make new sauiours yea for king killers a new heauen and for such as please not their confessours well a purgatorie which is a new hell and so withall that is within them and all that is without them exalt the man of sinne aboue all that is called God Beloued if ye desire to seeke the Lord happily seeke him heartily and that not only once or twice during the sun-shine of prosperity or in the time of trouble in the houre of death in the day of Iudgment only But as our Prophet exhorâ—… euermore When a man hath done his best he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 againe saith Ecclesiasticus he that 〈◊〉 he hath sought enough is like to find bâ—… 〈◊〉 saith Leo the great so Bernard qui dixit suffâ—…t d ficit continually to seeke is constantly 〈◊〉 seeke neuer to fâ—…int in doing this duty Happily some will obiect if the Lord bee found of such aâ—… seeke him faithfully what need is there to seeke any more Are christians in this respect like to the foolish gossips of whom St. Paul euer learning and yet neuer able to come to the knowledge of the trueth or like carnall Israel who following the law of righteousnesse could not attaine to the law of righteousnesse Rom. 9. 31. Answere is made by Augustine that wee seeke Gods face by faith and they seeke it more by hope Melior fit quaerens tam magnum â—…m quod et inueniendum quaeritur et quaerendum inuenitur nam et quaeratur vt inueniatur dulcius et inuenitur vt quaeritur auidius He doth alwayes better himselfe who seekes so great good which is to bee sought that it may be found and found that it may be sought sought that it may be found with greater delight and found that it may bee sought with greater desire Now we behold Gods face by faith and hope through a glasse darkely but we shall hereafter see him as S. Paul speakes euen face to face and then as wee shall euer loue him so doubtlesse euer seeke him and as the want of the beautifull vision in the iudgement of Diuines is the hell of hell so the fruition of Gods face contrarily the heauen of heauen The Father of mercy bee mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs and shew vs the light of his countenance that wee may grow from strength to strength and goe from grace to grace from seeking him in this earthly tabernacle to seeing him vpon his holy mountaine Hierusalem aboue where with him and of him and through him and for him we shall haue fulnes of ioyes and incomparable pleasures for euermore Amen IOHN 8. 6. Iesus stouped downe and with his finger wrote on the ground THere be so many questions vpon this text that the text it selfe is a little called into question it being in the iudgment of Erasmus Caietan Iansenius Beza rather a patch then a parcell of the Gospel If any list to be contentious hee may read Erasmus answered by Bellarmin de verbâ—… dei lib. 1. Chap. 16. Caietan answered by his Antagonist Ambros us Catharinus in his annotations against the nou ll opinions of Caietan § de historia adulterae Iansenius answered by Maldonate Beza by Melancton Caluin Aretius Piscator in their commentaries vpon the place For my part I was euer and am still an oâ—… 〈◊〉 of the Church hearing the instâ—…uction of my Father and not forsaking the eaching of my Mother and therefore beholding this pecce with the eyes of all antiquity to bee prot 〈◊〉 and altogether authenticall I foâ—…beare further inquisition and come presently to the worke of this houre which is to deliuer vnto you first an explication of the wordes and then an application of the doctrines arising from the same Our text then is a Iudicious answere of Christ vnto a captious question of the Scribes and Pharisees in the words immediatly going before Master this woman was taken in the very act of adulterie now Moses in the law commanded vs that such should be stoned but whatsayest thou hereby tempting him that they might haue to accuse him either before the Priests or the people before the Priests If contrary to the commandement of Moses hee should absolue this adulteresse before the people If contrary to the profession of his meekenesse and mercy he should vtterly condemne her and therefore being in a great strait he doth answere by not answering or he giueth vs his answere by deed whereas they did obiect by word this action of deed is two fold 1 He stouped downe to the ground 2 He wrote with his finger on the ground In stouping downe to the ground he doth intimate that if they would set apart their supercilioâ—…s pride descend into themselues and contemplate that in the beginning they were dust and in the end shall againe returne to dust If they would consider seriously that it is appointed vnto men once to dye and after death a iudgment followeth in which all receiue their doomes according to their deedes If they would examine their owne selues and vnderstand their owne case they would not bee so foreward in censuring nor so malitious in condemning others O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord thou which art earth by procreation earth by sustentation earth by corruption in principio sperma faetidum in medio 〈◊〉 corumi in fine cibus vermium Heare the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord what word euen that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sauiour Mat 7. 1. Iudge not that yeâ—… bee not iudged Iudge not rashly Iudge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudge not vnseasonably lest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the whole world conâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So S. Paul expounds his Lord â—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—… If we would iudge our selues wee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iudged Iâ—… is a conclusion in architecture that the foundation requires the most exact care for if that happen to dance it will marre all the mirth in the house and it is another rule he that will build high must lay his foundation low So beloued it is in the spirituall building of Gods house which are we Heb. 3. 6. 〈◊〉 euer exalteth himselfe shall be humbled and 〈◊〉 that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted The proâ—…d