the reward of sinne is death and is there any gall of bitternesse in that cup whereof I haue not tasted Wherefore was all this done Was it for my selfe I will not bee a witnesse in mine owne cause Aske mine enemies that were chiefe actors in the businesse They will not be partiall Did not Pilate pronounce from his tribunall that hee found no cause of death in me Was not this a part of Caiaphas censure that it was expedient that I should die for the people Take him then good Christian brother and pay for thee and me Hee is the first fish that commeth from the sea of death Verily the first begotten amongst the dead Open his life and death and whatsoeuer punishment yee finde in the one or righteousnesse in the other take it all and pay it for thee and me What both death and life Is not the one of them sufficient There is a rule that the law doth binde either to obedience or to punishment So if the one of the disiunctiues or the other be performed the law is satisfied and come to her end This rule hath place in humane lawes amongst light offenses There if the law cannot haue obedience it hath some satisfaction by punishment but then it writes Contented and not Pleased For the chiefe end whereunto all lawes doe aime is to haue obedience and thereby to make men good which cannot bee done in humane lawes when the offense is generall and the punishment capitall In the law of God especially concerning the businesse of Iustification the rule of disiunctiues hath no place This law hath not her end vnlesse she be contented and pleased too Contented for the sins that we haue committed and pleased with the obedience that is required Christ is the end of the law therefore he hath performed both Well might the law be contented with the death of Christ because there was as much atrocitie in that as in the sinnes of the whole world I willingly vse this reason now to giue you to vnderstand that I concurre not with their opinion that thinke if the sonne of God had shed but one drop of blood it had beene price enough for all our sinnes I doubt whether the law would haue beene contented with one drop of blood Ought not Christ to suffer all these things and so to enter into glory Was not the whole burnt offring a figure of his sufferings And that must be all consumed I looke into the counsell of God what was there set downe for satisfaction of the law And I carrie and giue such reuerence to the wisdome and iustice thereof that whatsoeuer is wanting of that which is there set downe I verily beleeue to be insufficient I looke to the fact of Christ Exinaniuit seipsum He emptied himselfe And I am loth to beleeue that either the father was so prodigall of his sonnes life or that the sonne was so carelesse of his owne blood that he would haue powred out all if one drop might haue serued the turne Admit this and then Christ died in vaine But euery thing that the sonne of God did was of infinite value for the dignitie of his person The dignitie of his person is great and hath goodly vse but it may not be stretched too farre lest the buffets that he receiued on his face be reckoned price enough for our redemption Hydra peccati vno icta non tollitur Then monster of sinne will not be slaine with one blow Hee made vs indeed at a moment and with great facilitie for he spake the word and they were made he commanded and they were created But did hee redeeme vs so soone No no it cost him three and thirtie yeeres worke and O Lord what labours What sorrowes What watchings What hunger What thirst What temptations What praiers What strong cries What groanes What indignities What scourgings What agonies And after all these what a bitter death I dare bee bold to say that there was as much atrocitie in all these as in the sinnes of the whole world And therefore the law might well be contented for matter of punishment with the death of Christ Dubitas quod dabit tibi bona sua qui non dedignatus est susciperemala tua Adde then heereunto his perpetuall obedience to the law of God neuer intermitted in the whole tenor of his life and then Christ is the end and perfection of the law hee hath contented it and pleased it too Hee died indeed vpon the Crosse and in my nature and for my sinnes of humane infirmitie But he brought withall such a troupe and legion of vertues to his Crosse as might well giue righteousnesse to the whole world Time will not serue to rehearse euery one but the vertues wherewith he adorned the foure corners of his crosse are so conspicuous that I cannot omit them Supereminentior est charitas Loue takes the highest place and is set on the top of his crosse Maiorem charitatem nemo habet None can haue greater loue than to lay downe his life for his friends None verily but he himselfe that laid it downe for his enemies On the right hand of the crosse hee set obedience whereof hee was so respectiue that hee did chuse to lose his life rather than his obedience And if obedience were better than sacrifice when the chiefe worship of God was in sacrifice as Samuel telleth Saul and yet that obedience was commanded humane obedience how pleasing was the diuine obedience of the sonne of God that was neuer commanded alwaies voluntary alwaies indebita Patience standeth at the left side As a sheepe led to the slaughter so opened he not his mouth he opened it not in outcries or imprecations he contended not with them in reuenge or malice but in pietie they refused him and he died for them they contended with Pilate when hee would haue deliuered him Crucifige crucifige Crucifie him crucifie him and he contendeth with his father when hee had iust cause to destroy them Pater ignosce pater ignosce Father forgiue them father forgiue them Hee regarded more that he died for them than that he died by them In the bottome of his Crosse hee placed humilitie the foundation of all vertues that if we will not learn to be humble in the schooles of men wee may now practise it by the precedent and patterne of an humble God His quatuor vâ—rtutum gommis ditauit trophaeum Crucis When he had thus enriched the foure corners of his Crosse he placed himselfe in the midst of all no more now as a stone of offense but as a loadstone to draw all the world vnto it So hee sayes Ego si exaltatus fâ—ero omnia traham ad meipsum Draw vs O Lord vnto thee and wee shall run in the sauour of thine ointments Couer vs with the mantle of thy righteousnesse which is the true wedding garment that when the Bridegrome comes to take view of his guests we may not be cast out into vtter darknes
and not in another place or world alter they be dead Neque gubernator postquam nauâ— meâ—sa est neque medicus postquam aegrotus obijt quicquam trâ—dessâ— potest Neither can the gouernour after the ship is suake nor the Physician after the sicke is dead auaile Hic misereri potest poenitentis quia ibi Iudex est non misericâ—rs Heere he may haue pittie on them that repent in the world to come hee is a Iudge not a pardoner Come foolish Virgins and perswade the Catholikes by that which befell vnto your selues that all preparation after death is idle and vnprofitable In the meane time wee will search if you please what allowance the Scripture giueth to fire for purging of sinnes The onely place that is alleged with probabilitie is that which the Apostle writeth The fire shall true euery mans worke of what sort it is That shewes that there is a probatorie but prooues not any Purgatorie fire Thorow this fire of probation all maner of workes and workmen must passe and the masters of Purgatorie you know will not allow that any of their saints or excellent workmen should bee once cinged And therefore this fire of triall makes nothing for their Purgatorie The true Purgatorie of Christians is the blood of Iesus Christ which quencheth euery aduersary fire and purgeth vs from all our sinnes When the Centurion pierced his side there came out water and blood to shew that it was no common and ordinary blood that came from Iesus Christ but such as had a cleansing vertue O Lord purge vs heerewith and wee shall be cleane wash our robes in the blood of this Lambe and we shall be whiter than snow Surely he that is so washed already needs not the mathematicall fire of Purgatorie but is cleane thorowout And he that is not washed with the blood of Christ shall neuer be cleansed but tormented for euer in real fire Seeing then that the fire of Purgatorie is to some men needlesse and to all other helplesse I wish better to this sacred presence than to hold you any longer in the smoake of that which is fruitlesse Abrahams bosome is a place of more contentment And who would not bee with the father of the faithfull But if the Church of Rome will haue it to bee no more than a place discharged of sensible pains where they were neuerthelesse suspended from Gods presence I see no great matter that can be in it to allure vs. But none can speake better to the quality and condition of Abrahams bosome than Abraham himselfe And he bids the rich glutton remember that hee in his life time receiued pleasures and Lazarus likewise paines now therefore he is comforted and thou art tormented In suspension there is anxietie and no comfort especially when the suspension is from the fruition and sight of God Augustine writeth of his friend Nâ—bridius that was dead and in Abrahams bosome I am non ponit aurem ad os meum sed spirituale os ad sontem tuum bibit quantum potest sapientiam pro auiditate sua sine sine foelix If he that is in Abrahams bosome drinketh at the well head puts his mouth to the fountaine of life and hath happinesse for euermore as Augustine writeth then is it not a place of retrait of suspension of an Interim but of present and actuall possession Hierome equalleth the Fathers of the old Testament in reward with vs Quis ignorat sub altera dispensatione Dei omnes sanctos eiusdem juisse meriti cuius nunc Christiani sunt Who knoweth not that all the saints which were vnder the Old Testament had the same reward which Christians haue now And if they had the same reward then that Christians haue now whence comes this difference that the gate of heauen is open to vs and shut vpon them that assoone as wee faile they receiue vs into euerlasting Tabernacles Into Paradise the same day Into blessednesse instantlie and they of the Old Testament are delaied vntill the resurrection of Christ are without any warrant at al so vncourteously sent to Abrahams bosome and that vnto Vtopia It cannot be for that the worke of Christs redemption was not performed at the time of their death For albeit that worke was fixed to the fulnes of time Before his houre was not come Then hee would not admit of any tergiuersation Shall I not drinke of the cup which my father hath giuen me Yet was the power of that worke and the vertue of his redemption extended from the beginning of the world vnto the end thereof He entred but once to the Sanctuarie of heauen but hee found eternall redemption And how can that which is eternall be limited or restrained to future times Doth it not comprehend all times Yes verily and it is a transcendent aboue them all Was not the lambe slaine from the beginning of the world And is it possible that a Sacrifice of such price so offred and so accepted should not bee of present efficacie Prius eius mors profuit quà m fuit It satisfied God redeemed man opened heauen and put the whole kingdome of Satan into combustion presently So Christs Heereafter in this text is no limitation of time as if heauen had not beene penetrable before his death and resurrection But this Hencefoorth implieth the accession that is giuen to out sight by the ministerie of the Gospell Hencefoorth yee shall see That which the Fathers hoped for that wee doe see and the passage vnto heauen is made much more conspicuous by the light of the New Testament We haue Christ borne and ful growen they had him too but hidden in the seed of Abraham in the loines of Dauid in the wombe of a royall Virgin or if a childe were borne vnto them yet was he wrapped vp in the swaâ—ling clouts of the law Velâ—m pendebat in templo ne templi secreta panderentur cruce autem Domini velum consâ—issâ—m est vt paterent The veile did hang in the Temple that the secrets of the temple might not bee published but at the death of Christ this veile was rent that all within might be visible and manifest Thorow this veile Iacob did see a ladder that reached vp to heauen heere is yet obscuritie enough the Angels went vp and downe What is that to vs that be men What shall wee doe with a ladder when the gates of Heauen bee shut against vs when there be Cheâ—ubins and angry Porters and a firie sword to keepe vs out Who shall open vs the gate Who shall remooue the Cherubins Who shall take away the firie sword If you will bee pleased to looke vpon this Heereafter in the New Testament Iacobs veile is rent that you may see all things plaine heauen open the Angels ascending and descending vpon the sonne of man If they goe vp and downe vpon the sonne of man then Christ is the ladder that reacheth vp to heauen he is
to hold correspondencie with the law looke for nothing but imperfections to frustrate the law of her end Put off the old man and put on the new wash away all birdlime of concupiscence crucifie your earthly members tame the flesh bring it into true subiection that the law may say goe and it goeth come and it commeth doe this and it doth so then you shall finde no defect in the law O that all weaknesse were so taken away from this sinfull flesh of mine O that all the sores thereof were in this sort healed Should not I then run the way of the Commandements But this the law cannot doe it rather discouereth them and aggrauateth their sinne and makes it out of measure sinfull not vnprofitable for if the disease were light it would be contemned then remedy would not be sought and so no cure Lex data est vt gratia quaereretur gratia data est vt lex impleretur I remember the story of Elizeus in the booke of the Kings He was a Prophet and prophecied as well by his deeds as in his words The Shunamites son was dead it was told the Prophet he sent his staffe by his seruant Goe lay it vpon the childes face but the dead receiued no life The Prophet knew what hee did that the staffe would not be sufficient and therefore came himselfe The law is like to Elizeus staffe though it were appointed and Elizeus sent it to giue life yet did it not giue life For if there had beene a law that could giue life then righteousnesse should haue come by the law Now wee are all like to the Shunamites childe dead in sinne Come then Elizeus and raise the dead send not thy staffe by any seruant but come thy selfe Come come O pittifull and sweet Samaritane heale this poore hurt creature powre in wine and oile The Priest saw it and passed by the Leuite looked vpon it but no offices of the law had compassion Come therefore come courteous Samaritane for there is mercy with thee Binde vp my sores set mee vpon thine owne beast but leaue me not with any Host or In-keeper For whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none on earth that I desire in comparison of thee Numquid possunt sanare languores meos Therfore take charge of me thy selfe Say vnto me o thou preseruer of mankinde say vnto my soule I am thy saluation but say it so that I may heare Open mee the gates of righteousnesse and I will enter therein That which the law could not doe because it was made weake through our flesh God sent his sonne to doe He sent Christ to be the end of the law He sent no seruant about it Moses indeed was faithfull in all his house but his tongue was heauy and not eloquent enough to treat of such a cause Esaies lips were vncleane Ieremie was a childe and could not speake all the Prophets were tongue-tied and the Angels themselues were vnable to entertaine the matter for vs. When Angels were fallen could Angels mediate their owne restitution Then can they neuer bee competent for vs that were insufficient for themselues To be vmpeere betweene God and man to make appointment and transaction of their differences to sustaine the wrath of the one and the miseries of the other and that a mediatour must doe is certainlie beyond the capacitie and compasse of euery creature Verily none but God can plead with God the son with the father God mercifull with God iust God pleased with God offended May I craue your honourable leaue and patience to informe you of a sharpe contention and it shall not bee impertinent to this businesse that I treat of Truth and righteousnes contend for the punishment of mankinde with peace and mercy pleading for his deliuerance Whole Adam saith Iustice must die because whole Adam hath offended And if regard be not had of my sister truth and my selfe yet may not the word be infringed that is gone out of the mouth of God In what day soeuer thou shalt eat of this fruit thou shalt die the death Mercy maketh answer that if the matter should go so and no commiseration taken but that whole mankinde must be condemned then why were Peace and I brought into the world to bee cut away so soone againe Reply was made by Truth that Mercy had zeale indeed but not according to knowledge For in pittie towards mankinde shee is cruell to Iustice and mee that are her sisters desiring to haue him spared and vs abolished For it is not possible for vs to consist without this punishment The controuersie is difficult and happily some doe wish for Salomon to decide it But a greater than Salomon was there yet that could not hold them from bitternesse till Peace had reprooued both sides and told them that contention was vnbeseeming vertues and sisters All this while the Iudge was stooping downe and writing vpon the ground The tenour of his writing was this as Peace did read it The one side sayes that all mankinde must die or else Righteousnesse and Truth cannot liue The other side sayes that in case mankind die Mercy and Peace must perish with them This is my sentence Fiat mors bona habet vtraque pars quod petebat All wondered at the wisdome and integritie of the decision But the remedie was as hard as the disease That death should bee made good it was impossible vnlesse such a one should vndertake the businesse that was not indebted to death And where should he be found Verily none can giue aid but he that gaue counsell And so they had recourse vnto the sonne of God who turning to his father said Sacrifice and burnt-offering thou wouldest not haue but hast fitted mee vp a body for this death In the volume of thy booke it is written of mee that I should fulfill thy will O my God I am content to do it So he put his owne decision in practise Then Mercy and Truth met together Righteousnesse and Peace kissed each other Hee was that ladder that Iacob did see joining heauen and earth together Where the law ended in cursing and imprecation because it was not obserued there Christ began and redeemed vs from the curse of the law and was made a curse for vs. He did heerein as in the matter of Tribute when it was demanded although he were free as the sonne of a King yet because wee will leaue none offense Goe Peter take this peece of twenty pence and pay for me and thee O bone Domine Iesu O good Lord Iesus wilt thou indeed pay for thee and me for that which thou saidest vnto Peter thou sayest vnto euery one of thy Church take it and pay it for thee and me And for theâ—e the paiment is soone made because thou wast born free But my sinne is great and is not my redemption plenteous I haue transgressed the whole law and haue not I fulfilled it too a little But