benefites The formall cause is the gladsome message of free remission of sinnes purchased by Christ Iesus The finall cause is that mankynd beyng deliuered out of the handes of his enemies Death Sinne Hell Sathan should serue God in holynesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of his lyfe He that is of God heareth Gods word he loueth it beleueth it doth it These thyngs are included in the word Heare The word of God hath sūdry hearers some receiue it some receiue it not Note the parable of the seede The séede of the word of God when it was sowed fell some by the wayes side some vpon stones some vpō thornes and some in good ground c. but more strictly and briefly the word of God hath two sortes of heares Elect and Reprobate The elect say with Peter Domine ad quem ibimus verba vitae aeternae habes Maister to whom shal we goe thou hast the wordes of eternall lyfe The reprobate say Durus est hic sermo This is a hard saying who can heare it Can this mortalitie put on immortalitie Cā this corruption put on incorruption Can Christ be God and mā Can God beget a sonne as of late the deuill of Norwiche deuilishlye sayde yea worse then a deuill was he For the deuils in the former Chapter acknowledged Christ crying and saying Thou art Christ the sonne of God but this deuill denyed Christ The word of God is preached in vayne to many the hony is lost that is put into vessels of gall the fishe is cast away that is cast into dry pooles and the séede perisheth that is sowed vpon the sand S. Cypriā sayth Certe labor irritus est nullius effectus offerre lumen coeco sermonem surdo sapientiam bruto Cum nec sentire brutus possit nec coecus lumē admittere nec surdus audire Truly it is lost labor and to no purpose to offer light to a blind mā speach to a deafe mā wisedome to a grosse head seyng that a grosse head cannot perceiue a blinde man can not see a deafe man can not heare The auncient father Origen sayth Quāto melius esset nonnullis omnino non audire verbum Dei quam audire cum malitia vel audire cum hypocrisi melius autem dicimus ad comparationem malorum How much better were it to some not to heare the word of God at all thā to heare it with malice or to heare it with hypocrisie we say better in respect of euils Excellent is this word therefore ought we to heare it It differreth from ours manifoldly in truth for God is true yea truth it selfe man is false yea falshode it selfe Omnis homo mandax Euery mā is a lyer It differeth from ours in profit Lord to whom shall we go sayth Peter thou hast the wordes of eternall lyfe our wordes haue no profit they are wordes of eternall death It differeth in certaintie for very truth and certainty it selfe sayth that the most firme Elements of heauen earth shall passe but his word shall in no wise passe The Prophet Esay sayth Verbum Domini manet in aeternum The word of the Lord endureth for euer Mary hath chosē the good part which shall not be taken away from her our wordes are vncertaine as vnconstāt as the Weather-cocke We say and vnsay and vnsay and say againe That which liketh vs to day misliketh vs to morow It differeth in power as soone as hee had sayd to the band of men and officers of the hyghe Priestes I am he they went backewarde and fell to the grounde Note here the power of the word of God They came armed they came to take Iesus and after they heard his mightfull word they fell to the groūd Mathew sayth Docebat eos tāquam authoritatem habens He taught them as one hauyng power and not as the Scribes Our wordes are sinnefull corrupt and vnperfect It differeth in spirit The wordes that I speake vnto you are spirit and lyfe But our wordes are prophane and transitorie Christ sayth Qui de terra est terrenus est de terra loquitur He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth It differeth from our woordes in swéetnes The seruaunts of the Phariseis high Priestes which were sent to take Christ returned and said thus of the excellencie of his word Nunquam sic loquutus est homo Neuer mā spake as this mā doth Not Demosthenes out of whose mouth flowed fluddes of eloquence not Cicero the Father of eloquence not eloquent Pericles of whom it is written that he did thunder out his wordes But Christes Argumentes were so mighty and his woordes so swéete that a certaine woman hauyng great admiration therof lifted vp her voyce and sayd vnto him happy is the wombe that bare thée and the pappes which thou hast sucked To be brief this word differeth in perfection In his word all things endure Take away this perfect word what is man a brute beast Take the Sunne out of the world what remaineth Horrible darknes Lactantius sayth Lumen mētis humanae Deus est remoto Deo coelestique doctrina omnia erroribus plena sunt God is the light of mans soule If you set a side or put away from you God his heauenly word All thynges are ful of errours Take away this word what is a man a captiue of Sathan a pray of death a slaue of sinne a firebrand of hell Ignorantia Scripturarū Christi ignorantia est Ignoraūce of the Scriptures is ignoraunce of Christ As far as heauen is distant frō earth so farre ought heauenly thynges alwayes to be preferred before humane things yea incomparably ought they alwayes to be preferred It is cōpared to the Sunne whose office is by spreadyng of his radiant and bright beames to expell darknes and to dispose euery thyng to beare frute Right so the office of Gods word is with his bright shinyng beames of grace to expell the darknes of heresies errours to take away the cold frost of iniquitie and to dispose and frame euery man and womā to bring forth the frutes of pietie godlynes It is compared to fier for that it enflameth vs by loue The two Disciples whiche went to Emans sayd after that Christ had interpreted vnto them in all the Scriptures did not our hartes burne within vs while he talked with vs by the way and opened to vs the Scriptures and Christ sayth I am come to send fier on the earth and what is my desire but that it be already kindled It is likened to a glasse in this glasse euery man may sée whence he came what he is whether he goeth his sin his banishmēt his miserie S. Hierō geueth swéet coūsaile to a certain virgin Vtere lectione diuina vtere speculo vide speculū foeda corrigenda pulchra cōseruāda pulchra faciēda
fittest to offer sacrifice to their Gods to the great shame of Christiās now adayes which thinck the most abiect outcast good inough to take vpon him so high and holy a function The auntient Romaines through the instinct of nature thought so reuerently of religion that they sent their children yea euen the noblest men of Rome sent their sonnes into Hetruria to learne the seruice of god Nowadayes a meane gentleman thinketh his childe to good to learne and professe true religiō Hereby it is cleare and euident what care heathē men ignorant of the true worshipping of God haue had of Religiō Poets by their feyninges haue commended it Oratours haue exhorted vnto it Philosophers haue thought it necessary in a common wealth cōmon people haue sworne to defend it Noble men haue preferred it Kinges haue professed it There is no religion without the word of god We haue the vnderstanding of the will of God by his onely word For without the same our sight is blindnes our vnderstāding ignorance our wisedome foolishnes our deuotiō deuilishnes The profite fruite of this heauēly word is wonderfull All scripture geuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to reproue to correct to instruct in righteousnes that we may be patient and finde comfort S. August sayth In scripturis didicimus Christum in scripturis didicimus Ecclesiam In the scriptures we haue learned Christ in the scriptures we haue learned the church S. Basill sayth Verbum Dei ex quo solo noscitur deus regiam viā monstrat est lucerna pedum nostrorum The word of God by the which onely God is knowne sheweth the kinges highway and is the light of our feete We learne fayth in the scriptures S. Hilary sayth to the Emperour Constantinus Fidem Imperator quaeris audi eam nō de nouis chartulis sed de dei libris Doth your Maiestie séeke the fayth Heare it then not out of any new schrolles but out of the booke of God. S. Ambrose sayth Christus oritur in lectione scripturarum sol iusticiae In reading the scriptures Christ the sun of righteousnes riseth To be short S. August sayth verbo Dei docemur in omnibus By the word of God wée are instructed in all thinges All thinges necessary to saluation are cōtayned in the scripture for profe wherof because other matters call me awaye I leaue briefly these places Ioh 14. 25. vers 2. Timo 3. 15. Luc 14. 17. Math 22. 4. verse Esai 5. 4. verse This matter is proued out of the most auntient fathers Irenaeus and Tertullian read Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 1. and 4. Tertul. de praescript haeres As many as drincke of this heauenly fountayne shall receiue benefite of it the blind shall see the deaf shall heare the dumme shall speake the lame shall walke fooles shall be wise the sicke shal be whole the dead shall reuiue The drincking of this fountayne hath made many proud men humble many couetous misers mercifull many faythles faythfull many filthy fornicators chast many furious and wrathfull méeke and milde many slouthfull and drousie vigilant and watchfull many fearefull bold yea and euen contemners of Phalaris Bul many Saules many Paules manye manye children of darcknes the children of light God by his worde offereth to vs his mercifull hand by fayth we geue to God our hand and the sacraments are as a third hand which confirme and stablish the ioyning of the other two together If you feare the iudgement of sinne This most pretious worde offereth you righteousnes in Christ if you feare death it offereth lyfe If you feare the fire of hel it offereth the ioyes of heauen and breefely you haue in this word whence you may take both in lyfe recreation and in death preseruation Moyses hauing the word of God could diuide the sea The Apostles although poore fishermen with the worde of God ouercame the world The blinde which heard the voyce of Christ receiued sight The dombe speach wherewith they glorified God the lame strēgth which they applied to the seruice of God the deaf hearing whereby they became attentiue hearers of this gratious worde Christ sayd to the rulers daughter Mayde arise and she arose straight waye He sayd to the widowes sonne young man I say to thée arise and he that was dead sat vp and began to speake And to Lazarus he cryed with a lowd voyce Lazarus come forth he that was dead came forth bound hand and foote The tēpestnous windes heard his voyce and forthwith they were alayed the sea waues heard it they became calme men possessed with deuils heard it and they obeied yea the very deuils hearing his voyce humbled themselues O deaf and obstinat mindes of wicked men O you that lye groueling on the ground and haue no feeling of thinges aboue ▪ Christ crieth dayly Damsell arise young man I say to thee arise Lazarus come forth dead sinner embrace lyfe But all are in a deepe sléepe a sléepe of sinne and neglect to awake Yet these miserable men ought to remēber that the day will come the day wil come when wil they nil they they shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God comming in the cloudes with great power and maiestie Then shall they stand before his iudgement seate Then shall they heare to their endlesse smart the thūder of the law depart from me ye cursed into euerlastyng fier which is prepared for the deuils his angels Heare therefore the word of God while you haue tyme Consider the season it is now tyme to arise from sléepe It is now high tyme to heare You haue no colour of excuse What more could haue bene done for the vyneyard All thinges inuite moue and desire you to heare The clearenes of the holy Scriptures calleth you For the Scriptures generally are easie cleare So saith S. Paul If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost So sayth the Prophet Oseas The wayes of the Lord be straight but the wicked shall fall in them So sayeth the Prophet Dauid The Scriptures are a candle a guide to our féete So saith the old father Origene Clausum est negligent ibus iuuenitur quarētibus If is shut from the negligent but it is opened to them that séeke knock for it So sayth Clemens Alexandrinus Audite qui estis longe Audite qui prope nullis celatum est verbum lux est communis omnibus illucescit hominibus Nullus est in verbo Cimmerius festinemus ad salutem ad regenerationem Hearken ye that be far of hearken ye that be neare The worde of God is hid from no man It is a light common vnto all men There is no darknes in Gods word Let vs make hast to saluation to regeneration So Fulgentius In Scripturis diuinis abundat quod robustus comedat quod paruulus sugat In the Scriptures of God there is
father Origen calleth all them brethren of the Phariseis which séeke to entrap men And Aretius a learned man sayth Diabolicum est quaerere quod carpas quod damnes It is deuilishe to séeke to taunt to carpe to condemne Some folowed him to sée as vaine curious persōs do now a dayes which come to Sermons to see and not to learne Domine volumus a te signū videre Maister we would sée a signe of thee but he aunswered and sayd vnto them this euill and adulterous generation séeketh a signe but there shall no signe be geuen to it saue the signe of the Prophet Ionas Some preasse to heare inuectiues Some to be more ready to contēd and a few alas to few for the loue of Gods holy worde as this company And yet not vnlike but that some of them afterward cried Tolle eū crucifige eū away with him crucifie him Such is the inconstācie of the vnconstant multitude To this tendeth the parable of the séede some fell by the hygh wayes side some vpō stony places some among thornes some fell into good groūd brought forth frute some an hūdred fold some sixtie and some thyrtie folde Thus much for that point By the word of God I vnderstād here the word of the Gospell that is that Iesus is the true Messias the sonne of the woman of whom it is sayd Conteret caput Serpentis he shall breake the Serpentes head and valiantly vanquish the power and puissance of Sathan That sonne of Abraham in whom all the nations of the earth shal be blessed The sonne of Dauid which in the house of Iacob shall raigne for euer That sonne to whom it is sayd aske of me I will giue thée the Heathen for thine inheritaunce sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemyes thy foote stole To be short that ladder of Iacob which reacheth to heauen Christ taught sometyme the law sometyme the Gospell Albeit the Sermon of Christ in the v. vj. vij Math. is a true interpretation of the law yet notwithstāding the law is not the thyng for preachyng whereof Christ was sent in to this world For as we read in Esay 61. 1. vers The spirit of the Lord is vpon me for the Lord hath annoynted me and sent me to preach good tidynges vnto the poore Christ came not as a law maker or a law teacher as Moyses came before Hereunto is added that the word of the law doth slea or kill as S. Paule teacheth but the word of Christ giueth life as he testifieth him selfe veryly veryly I say vnto you if a man kéepe my saying hee shall neuer sée death The law is a knowledge knowen by nature as the Apostle witnesseth The Gospel is not knowē by nature but published frō the secret determination of the Godhead by our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ Lex per Mosen data est gratia veritas per Iesum Christū facta est The law was geuen by Moyses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ And our Sauiour saith to his disciples To you it is geuen to know the secretes of the kingdome of god c. And also to Peter he sayth flesh bloud hath not opened that vnto thée but my father which is in heauē Read. 1. Cor. 2. 1. Cor. 4. 2 Cor. 5. Collos 4. 1. Tim. 3. Rom. 16. The law sheweth sinne The Gospell sheweth Christ the Sauiour of the world teachyng that sinnes are forgeuē to all that beleue in him that they are reconciled to god These thynges do the wisemen Prophetes Scribes specially teach which are sent from the sonne of God. The law requireth onely obedience and condēneth the guilty The Gospell giueth remission of sinnes freely in the name of Christ to the penitent relieueth and comforteth the troubled consciences with his sweete promises The promises of the law are conditionall ye shal kéepe my ordinaunces and my iudgementes which if a man do he shall liue in them the promises of the Gospell are certaine and free Come to the waters all ye that be thirsty and ye that haue no money come buy wyne and milke without any money or moneys worthe All haue sinned and haue néede of the glory of God but are iustified fréely by his grace through the redēption that is in Christ Iesus Therfore by fayth is the inheritaūce geuē that it might be by grace The law proposeth preceptes the Gospell hath promises The law is a rule of good workes the Gospell is a doctrine of the person and benefites of the Messias The law denounceth the wrath of God eternall malediction death and damnation to all men for sinne Maledictus omnis qui nō permāserit in omnibus his c Cursed be he that continueth not in all the woordes of this law to do them all the people shall say Amen The Gospell offereth remission of sinnes to all men To giue knowledge of saluation to his people for the remission of their sinnes The law iustifieth none saueth none deliuereth none from sinne but accuseth bewrayeth sinne condemneth all the Gospell of Christ is the power of God to saluation to all that beleue offeryng to all remission of sinnes rightuousnes eternall life To be short the law is to be terribly thundered to the wicked negligent and impenitent the Gospell is sweetely to be sounded to those that acknowledge their sinnes and hartily repent for the same The swéete proclamatiō of Christ teacheth the same Come vnto me all ye that labour sore and are laden and I will ease you c. Of this we haue example in the Prophet Nathan who by a similitude thundered the law agaynst kyng Dauid Dauid repenteth saying I haue sinned against the Lord Nathan pronounceth the Gospell The Lorde hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not dye The worde of God or doctrine of Christ is called the worde of God that is the doctrine which Christ him selfe reuealed to men Whereof the principall point is frée remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes by fayth in Christ Iesus The efficient cause of this Gospell is the whole Godhead the eternall Father eternall Sonne and eternall holy Ghost The mouyng cause is the excéedyng mercy of God and his passyng loue toward mākynd So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begottē sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him should not perish but haue euerlastyng lyfe The first instrumētall cause is the sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ An other instrumentall cause are the Prophetes Apostles Euangelistes other teachers of the doctrine of the Gospell Therfore the Apostle sayth Let men estéeme vs as the Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secrets of god We together are Gods labourers c. we are messengers for Christ euen as though God did beséech you through vs. The materiall cause is Christ with all his
c. But the people preassed vppon him These wordes are very emphaticall and significāt notifieng the feruent study of those people to heare the word of god For this cause they followed him from Galilee from Decapolis from Hierusalē from Iudea from beyond Iordan They followed him ascendyng to the mountaine they folowed him descending from the mountaine they folowed him to the sea side they folowed on foote to the wildernesse Whether dyd they not follow him The paynefull clyming of the mountaines did nothyng discourage them the high craggye rockes did nothyng terrifie them the tēpestuous waues of the sea did nothyng dismay them Great multitudes came vnto hym lame blynd dombe c. Of multitudes folowyng read Mar. 3. 8. Luk. 6. Ioh. 6. Mat. 15. Certaine women folowed him with multitude of other folkes and they that caryed the mā sick of the Palsey because of the preasse went vp on the top of the house and let him downe through the roofe You also heare how to day they preassed vpon him They departed not from him sodeinly but continued sometyme iij. whole dayes with him and not a few sometyme iiij thousand some tyme v. thousand at a tyme beside women children You sée how the people in those dayes feruently pressed vpon Christ paynfully folowed him louingly cōtinued with him They folowed him to the wildernes to heare the sweetenes of his word wee Citizens hauyng the same within the walles of Cities loue it not but oftē ragingly contemne it They taryed with him whole dayes we thincke long to tary with him few houres and thinke not long to wayte vpon vanitie many houres Euery thyng encreaseth sauyng godlynesse Houses now are more large smoke lesse more eatyng more drinkyng more sléepyng more spendyng more cost for apparel more vanitie in talk mē more vitious but at Sermons in any case we cannot tary longer thē an houre It is tedious to many to tary so long They preassed vpō him we leisurely and slowly scarce come to him To the worlde as quicke as bées to the word as flow as snayles They heard him attētiuely we heare him negligently without courage as we were halfe asléepe and our mynd a pilgrimage coldly coldly Such is the behauiour of the multitude of this tyme such is the contēpt of the word such is the folly of men such is the loue of earthly thynges hate of heauenly things And therfore looke surely for plague and punishment They preassed vpon him Not vpō Hickscorner not vpon Iack Iuglar not vpō Tomtumbler not vpon corruptours destroyers as vayne men of our tyme but vpon him euē vpon Iesus Christ the Phisicion of the sinful the light of the world the expresse Image of the inuisible God the first borne of all creatures the wisedome power of God the way the truth and lyfe the Prince of Pastours the great shepheard of our soules the founder and finisher of our fayth the Euangelicall henne the true Vyne the bread of lyfe the rocke and fountaine of the liuyng waters the Emanuel the blessed séede the reconciler of God and man the cornerstone of the buildyng the foundation of the same the kyng of glory the prince of peace the high Priest the annoynted of God the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world the hope and redēption of Israell Iacobs ladder whereby we clyme to the omnipotent father the sonne of righteousnes the true light the starre of Iacob the mercyfull Samaritane the price of our redemption our sacrifice for sinne our satisfaction our righteousnes our guide our way to God the conquerour of Death Hell Sinne Sathan the giuer of lyfe the fountaine of grace veritie They preassed vpon him whose nobilitie riches wisedome bewtie strength puritie honour and goodnes can neuer be sufficiently commended without him our light is full of darkenesse Our strength full of weakenes our truth full of falsehode our perfection full of imperfection He is good we are euil yea our nature is euill Saint Austen saith Nemo erit bonus qui non erat malus None shal be good which hath not bene euill He onely is happy we are miserable wretches He is omnipotēt eternall we are weake yea weakenes it selfe dust and corruption By his righteousnes we be made righteous by his holynesse we be made holy by his glory we are glorified It is honest and comely that the wayfaryng man shoulde folow his guide The creature his creator the saued his Sauiour The subiectes their king the sheepe their shepheard the seruaūts their maister the schollers their teacher the members their head the children their parentes the souldiours their captaine the patiēts their Phisicion He is our guide we are the wayfaring men he is our creator we his creatures he our Sauiour we the saued he is our kyng we his subiectes he our shepheard we his shéepe he our master we his vnprofitable seruauntes he our heauenly scholemaister we his negligent scholers he our head we his members he our father we his children he our captaine we his souldiours hee the omnipotent Phisicion we the faint and féeble patientes Therfore it is good to folow him to preasse vpon him with the disseased woman to touch him Consider the cause why they preassed vpon him The finall cause why they preassed vpon him was to heare the word of God note their feruent desire to heare the word of god The worde of God not the traditions of men not vanities as vayne men of our dayes preasse to heare vanities yea euē on the Sabboth day which is intolerable The Sabboth day ought to be cō secrate to the seruice of god The true sanctifieng and halowyng of this day consisteth in the true worshippyng of god Many other folowed preassed on him for other causes The hypocriticall Phariseis folowed and preassed to deride him Some folowed preassed for noueltie Such were the mē of Athens which gaue them selues to nothyng els but either to tell or to heare some newes We haue multitudes of men of Athens now a dayes Some preassed to sée his miracles Vidimus mirabilia hodie we haue sene straunge thynges to day Some to get bodily health Some folow Christum Fortunatū wealthy rich Christ for their cōmomoditie that they maybe enriched as the mā that offered his seruice to Christ saying maister I wil folow thee whether soeuer thou goest And Iesus aūswered said to him Fores haue holes the byrdes of the ayre haue nests but the sōne of mā hath not where to rest his head The Foxe hath his hole in hipocrites the byrdes of the ayre the deuils haue their nestes in hypocrites no place for the sonne of mā in hipocrites Some folow and preasse for their belly sake as those which sayd Rabbi when camest thou hither c. Some to entāgle him in his talke The auncient
them it was exceeding maruelous to all meÌ„ that beheld the princes industrye Alphonsus that famous king of Aragonia being mislyked of one Matthaeus Siculus a man of great holines for that he laboured with his owne handes aunswered smilingly Nunquid Deus natura nequidquam Regibus manus dederunt Hath God and nature geuen handes to kinges for naught All creatures laboure the Angels labour they are sayd to be the messeÌ„gers of God and ministering spirites The sunne laboureth continually The starres are doing The moone neuer staieth The fier can not be without making some worke The ayre is neuer idle but is doing after his manner The earth is neuer at rest she bringeth fourth naturally her plantes other fruites The waters floudes fountaynes frauaile coÌ„tinually These litle creatures Spiders Bees Emets Conies doe painfully labour And shall man be idle Tyme in this matter must be obserued make hast in youth Aestas non semper fuerit componite â—â—dos While the sunne shineth make haye The tyde must be taken when it commeth Make hast in youth that in olde age you may reioyce In death haue good report and after burial liue for euer But many geue themselues to sensualitye and neuer leaue it till they be come to themselues a most miserable miserye to their frendes a shame and sorrow to their enimies a ioy to the common weale a burthen and to the common people a iesting stocke The tyme of youth especiallye here is to be obserued In youth Alexander banquished India Scipio Africanus the West and South Pompee surnamed the great Spayne Drusus Germany Achilles Troy. Idlenes is a mother of trifles a stepdame of vertu an image of death a nurse of al euill a pillow of SathaÌ„ the ground of all mischiefe a contagious pestilence a sinke of sinne and a foule puddle of all vices Clemens Alexandrinus sayth vita oliosa non vita appellanda An idle lyfe is not to be called a lyfe Seneca complayneth that we lose a great part of our tyme in doing nothing a greater part in doing euill and the greatest part of all doing thinges which nothing concerne vs Idlenes bringeth forgetfulnes idlenes corrupteth the minde and causeth infamie Quaeritur Aegisthus quare sit factus adulter In promptu causa est desidiosus erat If it be demaunded why Egisthus became an adulterer the matter is sone aunswered forsoth he was idle Idlenes bringeth beggary Prouerb 10. 20. 23. 28. From idlenes are many diseases EueÌ„ as moderate labour preserueth health as phisitians report so Idlenes weakeneth the body diminisheth strength and bringeth many infirmities by ill digestioÌ„ HeÌ„ce commeth losse of tyme the day lost the night commeth the night when no man can worke The day is but short our lyfe is soone gone Therefore while we haue tyme let vs doe good to all men espetially to them which are of the houshold of fayth Hence commeth all mischiefe While men slept the enemie came sowed tares among the wheate and went his way When men runne not forward in the race of their saluation when men seeke not to knowe Christ Iesus crucified when men haue vertue in detestatioÌ„ behold Sathan our auncient enemie bestyrreth himselfe and soweth the tares and darnell of heresies seditions vice and vilanye in the hart of man The Crabbe sayth S. Ambrose delighteth very much to eate Oysters But for that the Oysters are so strongly fenced with two hard shelles which he can not breake by strength he waiteth diligently to bring the Oysters out of the water into the sunne and by helpe of the ayre and winde the Crabbe presenly putteth a litle stone into the Oyster as he gapeth whereby he can not close or bring together agayne his shelles Than afterward the Crabbe without daunger putteth in his clawes and eateth the meate of the Oyster at his pleasuure Euen so sayth he when men are geuen to idlenes open their mindes vnto sensuall pleasures the deuill commeth casteth into their mindes and hartes euill cogitations in such sort that their shell which before did defend them can not be drawen close together agayne and than easely doth he vtterly deuour them Idlenes maketh of men womeÌ„ of womeÌ„ beastes and of beastes monsters We shall finde the causes of all mischiefe in euery commoÌ„ wealth to spring of idle persons they are the firebrandes of sedition and the causes of all ciuill dissention King Dauid wheÌ„ he gaue himselfe to idlenes and slacked to launch his net into the déepe committed two horrible sinnes adultery and murther As long as SampsoÌ„ fought with the Philistines he could not be taken of his enemies but after that he slept in the bosome of a woman and idlely continued with her by and by he was taken and made blinde by his enemies Kyng Salomon after he gaue him selfe to ease was seduced and beguiled of women but when he was exercised in building the temple he was in the state of grace Watch ye therefore good Christians For I know you are not holyer theÌ„ Dauid stronger then Samson nor wiser theÌ„ Salomon Idle persons haue bene plagued shal be plagued Terrible is that saying Take from him that péece and giue it to him that hath x. péeces Sodom was destroyed with brimstone fire for pride fulnes of meat aboundance of idlenes and vnmercyfulnes S. Paule writyng to thess. sayth we haue heard that there are some which walke among you inordinatly and worke not at all c. If there be any that wil not worke let him not eate Amâsis a noble kyng of Egypt made a law that yearely euery man should make a recknyng to the rulers of his Prouinces or countreis how and by what occupation he liued and he that either would not do this or shew by what lawfull meanes he got his liuyng should dye The same law had the Areopagites The same law Solon borowed from the Egyptians made for the Athenians I would the same law were made in EnglaÌ„d It was prouided by the law of Oraco that he that was found an idle person should lose his head The Gymnosophistes wise men of India had idlenes in so great detestation that when meat was set on their tables they vsed to demaund of their young men and maydeÌ„s what they had learned or done since sunne rising and if any were fouÌ„d to haue bene idle they lost their dyner These wise men hated extremely all slouthfull persons And all such for that they had done no good in this lyfe as though they had neuer liued they buried among beastes Notable was the custome among the old Indians for their maner was euery night before supper to examine euery man how hee had bestowed that day and if any could not proue that hee had bene about some good exercises their vse was to expell him out of their company Whiche they did by the exaÌ„ple of Bées which can abide no dranes but as soone as any begynneth to be
must referre you to the places of other auncient Fathers which make the case cleare Tertul. contra Marcionem Lib. 4. August Tom. 6. contra adimantum Manichaei Discipulum cap. 12. Tom. 8. in Psal 3. Tom. 2. epist. 221. Cyp. de Coena Domini Hesichius in Leuit. Lib. 3. cap. 2. Ambros de Sacramentis Lib. 1. cap. 5. Chrisost ad Caesarium August in Ioh. Tract 25. Tract 26. To cōclude Erasmus a mā of great learnyng iudgement sayth thus In synaxi Transubstantiationem sero definiuit ecclesia In the holy ministration it was long and very late before the church determined the Article of Transubstantiation Their owne breath bloweth agaynst them Doctour Tonstall sayth It was no heresie to deny their Transubstantiation before their late Councell of Lateran Doctour Fisher sometyme Byshop of Rochester sayth The very presence of Christes body bloud in the Masse can not be proued by any Scripture This deuelish doctrine was neuer receiued in the Church til Pope Leo Pope Nicholas Pope Innocent Pope Honorius and Pope Vrban Antichristian prelates thorow their tyranny brought it in and compelled the Christiās with fire and faggot as the maner of the tyrānicall Papistes is to receiue their abhominable doctrine It is not much more then fiue hundred yeares since their grosse opinion of the Sacramēt begā first to be attēpted was throughly receiued and agréed vpon about the yeare of our Lord 1215. in the Councell of Laterā which was holden in Rome where were gathered together a mōstrous swarme of Pharisaicall Papistes about the number of thirtene hūdred pildpates of the which number eight hūdred were mōkes channōs fryers a broode of chickēs of the Popes owne hatching Last of all came pope Vrban the monke in the yeare of our Lord a thousand two hundred thréescore and foure and he made vp all the market For he ordained a feast called Corpus Christi in honour of the Sacrament so that euer after that tyme the Sacramēt was no more taken for a signe figure and token of Christes bodye but for Christ himselfe God and man And therefore was it reuerenced worshiped honored sensed and knéeled vnto as they taught the people at their vnsacred sakeringes S. August sayth touching the fathers of the olde law Abraham Moses Aaron and other receiued the bodye of Christ truely and effectually long tyme before that Christ either had receiued fleshe of the blessed virgin or had ordained the Sacrament and that euen the selfe same bodye that is receiued now of the faythfull Of this matter S. Paule speaketh They did all eate of the same spirituall meate And did all drinke of the same spirituall drinke For they dranke of that spirituall rock that folowed them and that rocke was Christ S. August also of Christian children and other faythfull that neuer receiued the Sacrament writeth thus nulli est aliquatenus ambigendum tunc vnumquemque fideliū corporis sauguinisque domini participem fieri quando in Baptismate efficitur membrum Christi c. No man may in any wise doubt but that euery faythfull man is than made partaker of the body and bloud of Christ whan in Baptisme he is made a member of Christ and that he is not without the felowship of that bread and of that cup although before he eate of that bread drinke of that cup he hepart this world being in the vnitye of Christes bodye for he is not made frustrate of the Communion and benefite of that Sacrament while he findeth that thing which is signified in the Sacrament The enemies of the crosse of Christ mightfully obiect Onlesse ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye shall haue no lyfe in you I aunswere if there be no other eating of Christes bodye whereby wée shall liue but onely fleshly eating with mouth and teath than what lyfe hath Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Aaron and other holy Patriarches Prophets that were before the comming of Christ what lyfe haue a great nūber of holy martyrs what lyfe haue Christian Children that being baptised in the bloud of Christ depart this lyfe before they can receiue the Sacrament Shall we say they haue no lyfe Or shall we condemne them of euerlasting death Or shall we thinke they shall neuer rise agayne And shall we denye Gods election S. August speakyng of our fathers sayth Visibilē cibum Manna spiritualiter intellexerunt spiritualiter esurierunt spiritualiter gustauerunt They vnderstode Manna the visible meate spiritually they hungred it spiritually they tasted it spiritually I aske the defenders of transubstātiation what body Christ gaue whether mortall or immortall I reason thus if he gaue his body he gaue his mortall body or his immortall body But he gaue not his mortal body neither his immortal body Therfore he gaue not his body I proue thus he gaue not his mortall body accumbebat mensae for it sate at the table He gaue not his immortall body nō dum resurrexerat for it was not yet risen Therfore he gaue not his body Therfore it is a figuratiue spéech I vrge their owne wordes agaynst them By and by after they haue confessed that the bread is the body of Christ essentially substantially and in déede and the wyne his naturall bloud they adde Sed inuisibiliter ineffabiliter non vt in loco non qualitatiue aut quantitatiue But inuisiblely and vnspeakeablely and not as in a place not in quātitie or in qualitie Note I pray you how fitly these thynges agrée how the one is subuerted by the other For if the true and naturall body of our Lord which he tooke of the virgin Mary dead buried risen ascended into heauen so they say be present in the Sacrament assuredly that same body must haue quantitie and qualitie must be contained in a place except that body was not naturall or els now beyng in glory hath put away all truth of a body The Angels testifie of the glorified body of Christ Surrexit nō est hic ecce locus vbi posuerunt eum He is risen he is not here behold the place where they had put him Christ him selfe sayth behold my handes and my féete that it is euē I my selfe handle me and sée for a spirite hath not flesh and bones as ye sée me haue If this body haue not place qualitie quantitie it is not the substantiall naturall and true body of our lord Read S. August epist. 57. ad Dardanum Tom. 2. Thus much concernyng the Lordes Supper Also these men teach that we are not iustified by fayth onely This doctrine is false Therefore they breake the net They call vs Solifidiās We may call them Nullifidians I argue thus the righteous man liueth by his fayth Therefore fayth iustifieth Abraham was iustified by fayth Therfore other are iustified by fayth Abrahā is the father of all beleuers The antecedent is proued Abraham beleued God and
is then frée will. We haue here still a clogge Consider wel the seuenth chapter of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Romanes from the fouretenth Verse to the ende of the chapter and you shal be able to stop the mouthes of all frée will men His wordes are these For we know that the law is spirituall but I am carnall sold vnder sin For that whiche I doe I allow not for what I would that doe I not but what I hate that doe I. If I doe now that whiche I would not I consent vnto the law that it is good Now then it is not I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me For I know that in me that is to say in my fleshe dwelleth no good thyng For to will is present with me but I finde no meanes to performe that which is good For the good that I would doe I not but the euill which I would not that do I. And if I doe that I would not then is it not I any longer that doth it but sinne that dwelleth in me I finde then by the law that when I would do good euill is present with me For I delite in the lawe of God after the inward man But I sée another law in my members rebellyng agaynst the law of my mynde and subduyng me vnto the law of sinne which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death I thanke God through Iesus Christ our lord So then with the minde I my selfe serue the law of God but with the fleshe the law of sinne We shall then be frée whē this mortalitie hath put on immortalitie and this corruption hath put on incorruption If any man will describe the will of man not regenerate he may note it thus In naturall actions he may doe somewhat but not without the generall grace of God In morall ciuill actions lykewise he may doe somewhat but not without the speciall grace of God In spirituall matters before he be borne agayne and hath receiued light of the holy spirite he can doe nothing at all The tyme is spēt euen in the entrye of my third part I will be short They inuocate creatures Ergo they breake the net We must direct our prayers to God alone our heauēly father in the name of Iesus Christ For it is writtē Dominum Deum tuum adorato eumque solum colito Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue Albeit Christ is not here expresly mentioned notwithstanding he is included For the faythful praying to God alwayes thinke vpon Christ The publican prayed God be mercifull to me a sinner He thought vpon Christ c. It is horrible sayth D. Luther to thinke vpon God without Christ for that without Christ we haue no saluatiō He is our onely mediatour vnto the father therefore no Saint is our mediatour Christ sayth Ego sum via veritas vita nemo venit ad Patrem nisi per me I am the way the truth the lyfe no man cōmeth to the father but by me Which wordes S. Augu. noting sayth Ambulare vis Ego sum via Falli non vis Ego sum veritas Mori non vis Ego sum vita Hoc dicit tibi Saluator tuus Non est quò eas nisi ad me Non est quà eas nisi per me Wilt thou walke I am the way Wilt thou not be deceiued I am the truth Wilt thou not dye I am the lyfe This sayth thy Sauiour vnto thée there is no place whether thou mayest goe but to me There is no way for thée to passe but by me No man knoweth the father but the son and he to whome the son will reueale him S. Paule sayth There is one God and one mediatour betwene God and man the man Iesus Christ The kingly Prophet Dauid sayth in the person of God Call vpon me in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thée and thou shalt glorifie me The Prophet Esay sayth also in the persō of God I euen I am he onely that for mine owne sake doe away thyne offences and forget thy sinnes so that I will neuer thinke vpon them The scripture plentifully and strongly proueth this matter What is more cleare then the prayer which our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs Our father which art in heauen c. It is horrible idolatrye to inuocate any creature whether dead or aliue They are not gods for there is one onely God who is to be inuocated Therefore creatures ought not to be inuocated Creatures are not omnipotent neither knowe they the hartes of mē here is none excepted neither Mary nor Peter nor any creature esle Therfore they ought not to be inuocated or prayed vnto Prayer must be made with fayth But fayth onely must be reposed in God Therfore onely God is to be prayed vnto We haue no expresse commaundemēt or example in holy scriptures concerning inuocation of creatures Therefore it cannot be done with fayth and good conscience God himselfe doth expreslye prohibite it and the prophets condemne it It is a manifest marke and playne note of Antichrist To beleue in other creatures beside Christ is not to beleue in Christ But the Papistes beleue in other creatures beside Christ Ergo they beliue not in Christ The argument is sure and the conclusion must néedes folow I speake of a true and a right beliefe These thinges Paule neuer planted Apollo neuer watered Christ neuer encreased If holy Augustine were now aliue heard such wicked and blaspemous opinions he would surely say vnto these men as he once sayd to Iulianus a Pelagian heretique with his sect Mira dicitis noua dicitis falsa dicitis Mira stupemus noua cauemus falsa conuincimus Marueilous thinges you speake new thinges you speake false thinges you speake Your marueilous thinges wée are astonied at your new sayings wée will beware of your false sayings wée will conuince The more you stirre the faster you stick the longer ye striue the weaker ye are you cannot blind the Sunne beames will ye nil ye the truth will conquere There is no wisedome there is no policie there is no coūsaile against the Lord. The truth of God will stand vanitye will fall of it selfe Remember the counsaile of Gamaliel fight not agaynst the spirite of God. Thus you sée how the nette is brokē by corrupt doctrine The same is also brokē by ill maners Of the first you haue somewhat heard Now a word touching the second The same breakers of the nette the shakers of the ship still breake the nette with their ill manners They shew intollerable disobediēce in refusing to come to the Church Some of them maintayne trayterous persons beyond the sea and on this side the sea and of these some they make their Bailifes some their stewardes some their Caters some their Scholemaisters and some their seruaūts of chiefe trust to waite